shall God iudge the world This made Dauid to say Oh Lord thou hast tryed me Psal 139 1.2.3.4 and knowne me thou knowest my sitting and my rising thou vnderstandest my thoughts a farre off thou compassest my pathes my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies For there is not a word in my Tongue but loe thou knowest it wholy ô Lord. And this made Iob to say that his steppes were numbred Iob. 14.16.17 his sinnes were not delaied and his iniquitie was sealed vp as in a bagge If God doe this in this fléeting life much more will he doe it in the great iudgement If God doe thus in Dauid and Iob how much more will he doe it in the wicked If the righteous can scarcely be saued Bern. Ser. 15. in CaÌ„t. Greg l. 27 Moral in Iob. where shal the sinner appeare Quid in Babylone tutum si in Ierusalem manet serutimum Quiâ— facient â—abulae quando â—remuns Columna If the search be so narrow in Ierusalem what can be hidden in Babyloâ— If the Pillars of the house tremble what shall the weake planckes doe That is If God so deale with his deare children in this life and so punish ofteÌ„tunes their sinnes in this world where there is a place for mercie how seuere shall his sentence be against the wicked in the world to come where onely iustice shall be found Vnlesse perhaps there be any so faithlesse and so prophane as to call into question the last iudgement and to doubt Aristotle whether the world shall haue an end or not Indéed the Philosopher affirmed that the world was eternall without beginning without ending and another spake as impiously Non alsuno videre patres aliúmne minores Aspicient Our Fathers saith he saw none other world Maniâ—â—â—s And shall our posteritie see any other But to these Infidels and Ethnicks may be opposed the Tradition of the Gentiles themselues who by the direction of ancieÌ„t Oracles did maintaine that Iupiter was the chiefest of the Gods and that his sonne was the Iudge of the soules of men in Hell And yet that this Sonne was not Apollo Liber or Mercurie who were accounted heauenly but he was Minos both a King Law-giuer As if they had meant that the Sonne of God should be Iudge of the world but yet such a one as was both a Man and iust to wit a Mediator That was both God and Man Against a Poet may be cited another Poet which saith Ouid. Met. 1. Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur affore tempus Quo mare quo tellu correptaque regia caeli Ardeat mundi â—oles operosu laboret That the time shall come in which the Sea earth heauen and whole frame of the world shall be burnt with fire And aboue all Poets the eminent Prophetisse Sibâ—ll prooues the finall and generall iudgement in her Acrostich verses Lib. 8. Iesoûs Christós theoú üios sotèr stauros where the first letters make vp these words in the Greeks tongue wheâ—in she wrote Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our Sauiour that suffâ—red on the Crosse and where agréeably to the scriptures she shewes that Christ shall come to iudge all flesh and that the trumpet shall blowe and that the dead shall be raised vp and shall sée Christ and mourne before him and that all secrets shall be reuealed and that the Sunne Moone and Stars shall loose their light and that heauen earth and the Sea shall be burnt with fire and that the Saints shall be set at full libertie but the wicked horribly punished But of those mockers of the last day that say 1. Pet. â— 4 Where is the promise of Christs comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation of those mockers what should be asked but this whether they doe not beléeue the Article of the Christian faith which holdeth that Christ shall come in the end of the world from heauen to iudge both quicke and dead and whether if they beleeue the Resurrection they must not of necessitie also beleeue the last iudgement for that God may iudge al the dead he must raise them vp from death and why should he raise them from death but to receiue their iudgement and whether Nature doe not demonstrate this principle vnto vs that God is iust and therefore the good must of necessitie be blessed for euer and the wicked cursed for euer which thing since in this world it comes not to passe where theâ—e are so many wicked men and Atheists vpon whom God doth not shew vengeance in this life and where on the contrarie godly men and sincere worshippers of the Lord are so farre from a recompence in this life 1. Cor. 15.19 that of all men they seeme to be most miserable there must néedes remaine a certaine and infallible iudgement wherein the wicked shall be punished and the iust shal receiue a reward of their pietie Lastly what should be asked of these mockers but this whether they will not beléeue the holy scripture which in manifold passages inculcates the great iudgement as when it saith that God shall iudge the world in righteousnes Psal 9.8 and shal iudge the people with equitie and when it saith that the Lord will iudge with fire Isa 66.15 and with his word all flesh and when it saith that nothing is secret Luk. 8.17 Ioh. 12.48 that shall not be euident neither any thing hid that shall not he knowne come to light and when it saith that he that refuseth Christ and receiueth not his words hath one that iudgeth him the Word that Christ hath spoken Rom. 2.16 it shall iudge him in the last day and when it saith that at the last day God shall iudge the secrets of mens hearts by Iesus Christ Heb 9.17 and when it saith that it is appointed vnto al men that they shal once die after that coÌ„meth the iudgement Iude. 14.15 when it saith that the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgemeÌ„t against al men to rebuke all the vngodly amoÌ„g them of all their wicked déedes which they haue vngodly committed of all their wicked speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him and when it settes downe the whole procéeding Matt. 25. manner and execution thereof at large Besides this Is not the sentence of death pronounced against the traÌ„sgressor of the law Gen. 2.17 before the fall of Adam and the repetition of the same sentence by the mouth of God in the Lawe Deut. 26. â—6 a Fore runner and Herauld of the last Iudgement Is not the Hand writing of God Gal. 3.10 engrauen in mans conscieÌ„ce whereby his thoughts do either accuse him or excuse him Rom. 2.15 a summoning to the last Iudgement Are not the examples of Gods wrath heretofore executed on the World as the Flood the burning of Sodome the
that the infirmitie is expelled the Patient cased so God workes in vs by his grace vt peccatum consumatur homo liberetur that sinne is consumed and we set at libertie to the end we may fréely serue the Lord in holines righteousnes all the daies of our life Or else the Kingdome of God in this place may be taken for the kingdome of glorie which is the scope last ende of all the godlie and vnto which we are directed and led by the kingdome of grace For as among the Romanes Honour had a temple and Vertue had a temple but these temples were so built and scituate that none could come into the temple of Honour but hée must first passe through the temple of Vertue so there is a kingdome of grace in this life and there is a kingdome of glorie in the life to come but these two Kingdomes haue such coherence and societie betwéene themselues that none can enter into the kingdome of glorie except he walke through the kingdome of grace nor none may be a subiect in the latter except hée haue bene a subiect in the former In the kingdome of glorie there shall be perfect knowledge here wée know but in parte and sée darkely through a glasse 1. Cor. 13 9. In the kingdome of glorie shal be eternall life peace quietnes ioy and concord here our life is as a Flower our peace is soone broken our quietnes troubled our ioy molested our concorde dissolued In the kingdome of glorie is no death sorrowe wearines infirmitie hunger thirste pouertie slauerie Reu. 21.27 For no imperfection or vncleannes enter into the newe Ierusalem héere the waues of affliction and tribulation tumble one vpon the others necke as long as wee carrie about vs this bodie of death Briefly if we liue here in prosperitie yet we liue subiect to mortalitie and sicknes yet we sée but a vaine and wicked world yet we behold but mortall men and dwell but with sinfull men and conuerse but with inconstant men but in the kingdome of glorie our bodies shall be immortall the Maiestie of God shall be the obiect of our eyes Hebr. 12.22 the company of innumerable Angels and the assemblie and congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and the spirites of iust and perfect men shall be those with whom we shall continually abide and dwell What is the earth and earthly glorie compared with the glittering Pallace of heauen but an earthen and dirtie cottage of a beggar in respect of a gay gilded mansion of a Prince They that are translated out of the wretchednes of this world into the blessednes of that other worlde are like those that are exalted out of Dungeons fetters into a Royall throne of dignitie It is much to say this but when S. Iohn Chrysostome had saide it Hom. 6. ad Heb. he addes presently Sed neque sic integrè pertingere potui ad illius regni similitudinem that by this spéech he could not fully expresse the likenesse of that glorious Kingdome For in the aduancement from worldly miserie to worldly felicitie there ariseth a pleasure and great delight but after a few dayes the minde begins to be satiate with the ioy and gladnes and though it remaine in delectation yet the delectation beginnes to fade for that it is vsuall and common but in those good things which eye hath not séene nor eare hath heard nor mans heart can comprehend there is no decrease ende or change but there is an augmentation of ioy replenished with all desireable good things For as the death of the wicked may be termed euill worse and worst euill because it ends their earthly ioy Bernard in paruis sermonib ser 41. worse because it sends to tormeÌ„ts worst because there is no ende of those anguishes so the death of the godly may be called good better and best good because it finisheth their miseries better because it puts into possession of happines best because there is no alteration nor feare of alteration in that happines In a word as much as the soule excels the bodie so much the ioyes of heauen surmount all the pleasantest and carest choisest delites of this fading life And this is that kingdome that Christ commands vs to seeke before all other things and who will not be desirous to attaine vnto it The Righteousnes of God which Christ bids vs to followe is that Righteousnes and holines which God in his word commaunds and allowes And these wordes The righteousnes of God are an exposition and declaration of the former namely the K ngdome of God For then God doth raigne in vs and then we are subiects of Gods kingdom when he by his holy spirit works sanctification and an earnest desire of godlines in our hearts to liue godly and holily and soberly in this present world Therefore if we will be inheritors of Gods kingdome and finde the ioyes thereof we must as obedient children not fashion our selues vnto the former lusts of our ignorance 1. Pet. 1. v 4 15. â—6 17 â—8 19 but as he which hath called vs is holie so we must be holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written Bee yeâ— holie for I am holie And since we call him Father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans work we must passe the time of our abiding héere in feare knowing that we were not redéemed with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot And is it not reason that we should studie to please the Lord in holines Ioh. â— 16 and righteousnes and newnes of life Since God hath so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life When thou art worne out with age or liuest in pouertie or art tossed and turmoyled with affliction and aduersitie what wouldest thou not suffer to bee made young and lustie rich and wealthie setled and quiet Christ hath promised and will performe more then all these Prâ—â— 25.14 Iud. 11.12 Antiochus was called Dolon because hée was wont to say that he would giue and he would reward he would pay and yet gaue and rewarded and payde nothing being like the vapour and winde that hath no Raine Hebr. 13.18 and the clowde without water but Iesus Christ is no willinger to promise then able to performe and hée is the same yesterday and to day and for euer For youth doth not so much excéede Age riches beggerie peace quietnes Nay truth doeth scarce so much excéede a dreame and the bodie a shadow and a precious iewell a clod of clay as all the brauery and pleasant delights of this world shal be truely and indéede excéeded by the glorie and ioy of heauen If any would liken the glorie of heauen to the brightnes of the Sunne yet he should say nothing
iourney except he trauell forward continually We must goe to heauen and the iourney is long for we must ouercome many tentations and kéepe many commaundements and doe many good workes and endure many tribulations before we can come thither The time for trauelling to heauen is this life whose daies are short and we cannot be sure of to morrowe Why then doe we loyter in the waie Nay why doe we slumber When there are many impediments in our waie as when it is hard to finde or théeues lye in ambush or the passage is rough and vneasie is it not néedefull that the Traueller should walke so much the more spéedily In the path of life there are many trials many conteruailes of Sathan many difficulties therefore we must neuer loyter but hold on continually If a friend offer vnto vs the meanes whereby we may be deliuered from inconueniences doth not he abuse his friend that neglects those meanes God daily affoordes vs his grace by meanes of which we are certainly freed from the daunger of leesing our soules and shall we abuse the long suffering of God in not apprehending the grace and fauour of the Almightie At a word is not he to be blamed iustly that omits the opportunitie and iust occasion to obtaine any thing It is vsually said that time and tide tarrie for none And Ausonius thus describes the statue and representation of Occasion and opportunitie which Pâ—â—dias carued that she stoode on a wheele to shew her rowling inconstancie that she had wings on her féete to shew her haâ—tie departure that she had a loâ—ke of haire on her forehead to shew how hardly she can be discerned and that she must be apprehended when she offers her selfe that the hinder part of her head was bald to shew that she could not be caught if she were once escaped and that her companion is Repentance to shew that sorrowe waits on those as a due portion that reiect iust occasion of doing good when it is offred vnto them Apelles the famous painter was wont to complaine that he had lost that day in which he had drawne no line and shall not the godly be grieued if they haue spent a day without procéeding and profiting in godlines and in the feare of God One saies that we must chiefly be héedfull of two times the morning and the euening that is we must consider what we will doe and what we haue done for so we shall in good sort both dispose our time and order our dutie And therefore Catoes manner was to repeat in the Euening what he had done séene or read in the day before and to recall himselfe to an account not onely for his busines but for his leisure The wise man fully perceiued that time is most pretious and the losse of time vnrecouerable Which thing if all men would consider the sharpe reprehension of the graue Censurer of depraued manners should not be renued in our age when he saies That we haue not little time Sen. but we leese much time that we receiue not a short life but make it short that we want not life but are wastfull of life and that whereas men are sparing in keeping their patrimony when they come to losse of time they are most prodigall in that in which couetousnesse and pinching deserues commendation If we must thinke all time lost wherein we haue not thought of God as Bernard saies when we call our selues to a reckoning how slender a part of our life shall we finde imparted on God how few houres spent in his seruice how rare the thoughts directed and erected towards Heauen Let many carefully recount what they haue thought spoken done in the day what shall they sée but innumerable wicked vnbridled thoughts idle words redounding neither to the profite of the speaker nor hearer backbitings slaunders lyings blasphemies swearings and a whole haruest of vanitie and iniquitie Indéed all our life is the time appointed of God for the laying hold on his grace which bringeth saluation vnto beléeuers but let vs suppose euery day to be our last day and this time to be the accepted time and this day to be the day of saluation and then we will in no case permit this time of grace to slip and slide away and we shall performe the Prophets exhortation Esai 55.6.7 Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found call ye vpon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous hiâ— owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God for he is very readie to forgiue Wherefore let vs not curiously prie into other mens actions but descend euery man into his owne soule and sée how we haue laboured in Gods vineyard And that we may be the willinger to worke in the vineyard and to employ the talents with which we are entrusted to the glorie of our Maister Christ and the edifying of his elect let vs haue an eye to that wages and pennie which shall be paied vnto vs in the Euening when this transitorie and wretched life is ended And what is that peÌ„nie It is eternal life it is our Masters ioy it is the glorie of heauen it is the wiping away of all teares it is the resting from all labors it is the end of sorrowe sicknes trouble care hatred anger it is the beginning perpetuall enioying of true pleasure ioy blessednes Austen saith excellently Soliloq c. 21. If thou O Lord hast ordained for this base corruptible body so great and so many blessings from the heauen aire the earth the sea the light and darkenes the heate and shadow the deaw and shewers the wind and raine the birds and fishes the beasts and trées and the varietie of hearbs plants which successiuely serue our turnes ease our tedious loathing what maner how great infinite are those good things which thou hast prepared for those that loue thée in that heaueÌ„ly countrie where we shall sée thée face to face If thou bestowe so great things on vs now being in prison what wilt thou bestowe vpoÌ„ vs when we are in the Palace If thou giue vs such comforts pledges of thy loue in the day of teares what wilt thou giue vs on the mariage day If thy gifts are so infinite diuerse which thou impartest both on thy friends and enemies how swéete and delectable shall those be which thou wilt bestowe vpon thy friends alone And elsewhere he saith Enarrat in Psal 85. ô my brethren thinke on and consider the good things which God giueth to sinners and by them vnderstand what he kéepeth for his seruants God giueth the heauen and the earth God giueth fountaines fruits health children plentie abundance to sinners that doe blaspheme him daily He that giueth these things to sinners what must we suppose doth he reserue for his faithfull people This hath béene the wisedome of the Saints when
they haue séene the beautie and brauerie of this world not to be bewitched and beguiled therwith but thereby to climbe vp as it were by staires and steps to the contemplation of the happines of that other world As it is reported of Fulgentius when he fled the persecution of the Arrians and soiourned at Rome and when he sawe the glorie of the citie and Senate of Rome that he spake thus to the companions of his exile How beautifull may the heauenly Ierusalem be if earthly Rome doe so shine and if in this world there be giuen such dignitie and honour to those that loue vanitie and errour what honour and glory shall be giuen in heauen to the Saints that loue veritie and vertue It is too apparant how gréedily we doe gape after earthly treasure and fading riches which is either lost by shipwracke or cōsumed by fire or stolne by théeues or taken away by fraude and oppression or corrupted and empaired by rust canker and long space of time or at last left behind in death But how backward and vnwilling are we to labour for the riches and wealth that neuer decaieth Wherein we forget why God hath placed the mettals which we so much estéem in the bowels and entrailes of the earth and hath displayed the face and cope of heauen where the true treasure is stored vp namely because we should not so gréedily séeke and search for the one but thirst and long after the other Neither hath he onely laid open the heauen to our view and fight that we might alway remember the maker thereof and for what place we were ordained after the race of mortalitie is finished but whereas other creatures are so formed that they bend downward to the earth God hath giuen to men a shape erected and lifted vp toward heauen that they may more easily contemplate heauenly and spirituall things When Anaxagoras was asked for what purpose he thought himselfe to be borne he said It was to behold the Heauen and Sunne Which spéech though otherwise men haue much admired Instit l. 3. c. 9. yet Lactantius laughed at it affirming that he brake foorth into these words not knowing what true answere to yéeld and that if a man indéed with wisedome indéed should be demanded why he was borne he would answere presently that he was created to serue God his Creator Psal 19.1 Rom. 1.20 But with Lactantius fauor doth not the Maiestie of God cléerely shine in the outward beautie of the heauen and doth not the heauen declare and proclaime his glorie and doth not God as it were stretch out his hand to lift vs vp from groueling on the ground to behold the fairenes of his worke and thereby also to extoll his power wisedome goodnes and mercy Wherefore we must blush to beare a crooked minde in a straight body and to suffer our soule to wallowe in dirte and drosse of the earth whose conuersation should be in heauen and which was created for heauenly and diuine things Heauen then is the pennie giuen for working in the Lords vineyard and that we may be diligēt in that working let vs fixe our minds in the consideration of the celestiall and new Ierusalem where that pennie of immortalitie shall be deliuered vs whose Ruler King is the sacred Trinitie whose lawe is perfect charitie whose walls are of Iasper and the citie pure gold like to cleere glasse Reu. 21.18.21 Reu. 22.1.2 Heb. 12.22 1. Cor. 13.12.13 1. Pet. 2.24 whose gats are pearles and euery gate is of one pearle whose inhabitants are Angels the Spirits of iust perfect men where is the pure riuer of water of life the tree of life and where all vnperfect things shall be done away we shal no more see darkely through a glasse but cleerely face to face shall knowe God as we are knowne Of all which good things Christ Iesus the Shepheard Bishop of our soules who his owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body on the tree that we being dead to sinne should liue in righteousnesse and by whose stripes we were healed make vs euerlasting beholders possessors for his endles incomprehensible goodnes and mercies sake that at last as the marriner after surging stormes quietly arriues in the harbor and the patient after drinking of a bitter medicine obtaines health and the souldiour after brunts in the battell is rewarded by his Captaine so we diligently continually walking in our calling and in the narrow way to life may in the end be partakers of the end of this way which is endles ioy blessednesse and may rest in the kingdome of Christ with the Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Saints of all ages Amen HYPOCRISIE VNMASKED Matt. 22. 11. Then the King came in to see the guests and sawe there a man which had not on a wedding garment 12. And he said vnto him Friend how camest thou in hither hast not on a wedding garment And he was speechles 13. Then said the king to the seruants bind him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth THe name of a Christian is deriued from Christ our Sauiour signifieth a scholler of Christ one that followes the precepts life of Christ and one that hath fellowship with Christ and is engraft into Christ But as the Apostle saith of the Iewes Rom. 9.16 that all they are not Israell that are of Israell so it may be said truely that all are not Christians in déede that beare the Name of Christ For there are two sorts of Christians the one appearing and séeming the other right and true They are onely seeming Christians that are baptized and are of the outward congregation and professe Christ yet without true conuersion and repentance that is they are dissembling Hypocrites and christians but in tongue Of these séeming Christians our Sauiour saith Many are called but few chosen Matt. 20.16 They are right and true christians who are not only baptized and professe the Faith of Christ but also are indued with a liuely Faith doe declare the same by fruits of Repentance and by faith are made the members of Christ and partakers of his anointing that is by Faith and the holy Ghost 1. Ioh. 2.27 who is signified by the name of annoynting true christians are ioyned to Christ and engraft into him euen as a branch is fastned to the stocke and a member knit to the head whereby wee are made partakers of his iuyce and of his life and being truely made one with him do bring forth fruits worthy of our calling All true Christians are appearing christians For Christ saith Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Iam. 2.18 And S. Iames saith Shew me thy faith out of thy works and I will shewe thee my faith
foolish He that méetes with one that selles golde thinking it to be copper or siluer thinking it to be lead if he admonish the seller thereof and so buy it the the cheaper he is vniust Hée that in a shipwracke at sea is in perill of drowning and sees one weaker then himselfe floating on a planke if hee thrust the weake person from the planke to saue his owne life he is vniust if he doe it not since there is none to witnesse against him in the Sea he is vnwise He that in a flight from the enemies in warre while the enemie pursueth shall finde one of his fellowe souldiours riding an horse and by reason of his woundes but weake if he cast him from his horse to escape himselfe thereon hee is vniust if hée doe it not he is foolish These were the arguments of crabbed Carneades to prooue that wisedome and iust dealing cannot stand together Li. 5. c. 17. And Lactantius saith of them argula haec planê venenata sunt quae M. Tullius non potuerit refellere sed irrefutata haec tanquam foueam est praeter gressus These reasons saith he are wittie and pestilent and such as Tully could not confute but passed by them without refutation as it were by a dangerous ditch Indéed this is the wisedome of the world to doe ones selfe good though with the hurt of others and to rise though with casting downe of others and to swimme though with sinking of others These are sine subtilties indéede but vnrighteous Ecclus. 19 24. 1. Cor. 3.18.19 as the sonne of Syrach And what saith the Apostle Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God for it is written he catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse and againe the Lord knoweth that the thoughts of the wise be vaine To aduance and enrich our selues by whatsoeuer meanes is wisedome indéede but what wisedome not that that commeth downe from aboue Iam. 3.15.17 which is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercie and good fruites without iudging and without hypocrisie but it is the wisedome that is earthly sensual and diuellish Howsoeuer flesh and blood allure vs to gaine by others losses yet the true and eternall wisedome of God teacheth vs Mat. 7.12 to doe to other whatsoeuer we would that other should doe to vs. If thou were to buy or sell thy selfe wouldest thou be beguiled If thou were on a planke thy selfe in a shipwracke wouldest thou be thrust from it If thou were on horse-backe and in flight from the enemie wouldest thou be cast from thy Horse Why then doe to other in this or the like case as thou desirest that other should doe to thée This is the law of God and the law that Natures finger hath engrauen in the heart of euerie one Yea but in these dayes will some say men are generally so addicted to deceit that it is euen necessarie to vse fraud and subtiltie for other deceiue vs say they and were it not as good to deceiue as to be deceiued We cannot liue except we faine and flatter and face and lie for aduantage Yea but it is not méet that we should liue if we distrust Gods prouidence that he cannot and will not maintaine vs in the lawfull discharge of our place and calling and vnâ—esse wee vse oppression and fraud Hee that chose vs before the world was created vs when wee were not redéemed vs when wee were vtterly lost ordained the Heauens aboue to shine vpon vs and the earth and the Sea to beare vs vp and féede and comfort vs is not hee able to sustaine vs except wee vse sleights and shifts and vnlawfull practises inuented by Sathan the Arch-enemie of God and of our saluation What if the world be full of fraud Wilt thou say then Why may not I conuert my goods and commodities to my best aduantage as well as others I thinke thou wouldest say Why should I not conuert my goods to mine aduantage as in as others What if other doe wrong can that excuse thy doing of wrong What if other wallowe in dirt wilt thou beare them companie What if the world lye in wickednes 1. Io. 5.19 Math 10.16 yet shall we forget that wee must be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues that is though wee must be wiâ—e as serpents to auoid hurt yet wee must not be wise serpents to doe hurt but simple and sincere as Doues and shall we forget 1 Pet. 2.9 that wee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a people set at libertie that wee should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into maruellous light and shall we forget that wee must be blamelesse and pure Phil. 2.15 and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughtie and crooked nation among whom wee must shine as lights in the world It shall be vaine to say that we vse guile but in small things and that we doe it to win estimation among men since euery man is so much accounted of to other as he is worth to himselfe For a learned Father saith Chrys hom 3. in 2. ad Tim. peremptorily That as he is more an adulterer that sinneth with a base and beggarly personage then hee that sinneth with a noble and great personage in that her wealth beautie and brauerie were incitements but there no such thing was found and as he is more a drunkard that is drunken with any common wine then he that is drunken with the strongest wine so he is more couetous and more vniust and more a theefe that spoyles and deales wrongfully in small things for he that takes the greatest things will perhaps contemne the lesser but he that deceiues in little will doe it much more in great things As touching the estimation that riches and worldly wealth procureth it is true indéede Chilon apud Stob. ser 89. that as vilde purses though of no worth yet are accounted of according to the money which they containe so rich men that are voyde of vertue are priced after their possessions And as Bucephalus the Horse of the Great Alexander as often as he was naked Plin. l. 8. cap. 42. hee suffered euery one to ride him but when hée was adorned with trappings hée would beare none but Alexander and raged against all other so some in their pouertie can beare any and apply themselues vnto them but when they are enriched they despise the vulgar sort Therefore to obtaine this reputation procured by riches many care not what craft what deceit what oppression what cunning they practise nay as Agrippina the mother of Nero when the Astrologers tolde her that her sonne should be Emperour indéede Sueton. in Mer. but should slay her in the time of
we are his disciples and schollers therefore since Christ is voide of deceit and no guile was found in his mouth if we desire to be true Christians 1 Pet. 2.1 1 Cor. 14.20 Ioh. 13.36 1 Cor. 13.5 1 Tim. 6.6.7 let vs lay aside all dissimulation and guile let vs be children in malitiousnesse but of ripe age in vnderstanding let vs remember that if we will be Christes schollers wee must be knowne by loue and if wee haue true loue loue is voyd of deceit and thinketh no euill let vs not forget that Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that hee hath for wee brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that wee can carrie nothing out Luk. 6.38 let vs giue good measure to other if wee desire good measure from other and then wee shall haue measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer let vs not pinch the weight the size the lawfull measure of any commoditie onely let vs abate the measure of one thing and what is that it is the measure of our iniquitie and vngodlinesse For such measure as we meate thereof vnto God such measure will he returne if we fill out our measure of sinne God will not spare and pinch the measure of punishments Gen. 15.16 though God suffer the Amorites for a time yet his vengeance falleth when the measure of their wickednesse is full and though the vngodly suppose to continue alwaies in their iniquitie yet God can cast a talent of lead vpon the mouth of the Ephah in which thâ— Woman sitteth that is God kéepeth wickednes in a measure and can shut it or open it at his owne pleasure And aboue all things let vs not forget that our life stands not in riches and possessions but that our daies are as a span a skadowe a flower a dreame and therefore we must prepare our selues for wée know not how soone we shall be called to the Barre of Gods Iustice and shall heare that voyce Luk. 16.2 Giue account of thy stewardshâ—p for thou mayest be no longer steward Let vs beare in minde the terriblenes of the last dreadfull iudgement wherein no bribe shall cleare vs no spokesman pleade for vs no shift and euasion discharge vs but all crafts shall be displayed and ill gotten goods shall giue euidence against the vniust owners and the bookes and recordes of mens owne consciences shall condemne them and then they shall wish too late O that we had neuer oppressed and defrauded for now wee feele too truely that GOD is auenger of all such tshings Lastly let vs still call to minde the vanity of earthly riches wealth and promotions when they are at length gotten by swearing lying wrong and deceit and the eternitie and incomparable ioyes of Heauen which God hath promised and Christ hath purchased for the godly and true repenters For what is gold and siluer but the bowels of the earth And what is worldly glory but a vanishing aire and breath And what is belly cheare but the foode of wormes Christ is a King and he will enrich vs and glorifie vs and nourish vs. One saith well Bernard ser 4. de aduentu domini O ye sonnes of men you couetous generation What haue you to doe with gold and siluer which are neither true good things nor yet your owne good things For what is gold but red earth and what is siluer but white earth And what makes them pretious but the couetousnesse of the sonnes of Adam which couetousnesse if it were taken away they would not be pretious If they be your owne take them out of the world with you Psal 49. But as you come naked out of your mothers wombe when you were borne so you shall returne naked to the earth the common Mother of all flesh when you die And it is easie to prooue that mans opinion makes money pretious for the things that are faire by nature doe obtaine estimation alike among all people as the brightnes of the Sunne the beautie of the heauen the profitablenes of the water other Elements but among the Indians and Ethiopians as Tertullian witnesseth De culta mulier gold siluer and Iewels were accounted as dirt and were woont to be worne but in â—â—aâ—â—ups and shooes onely for contempt and among the Ethiopians malefactours were bounden chaines of gold In the land of Hâ—uilah Gen. 2.12 there is good gold In the land of Promise in the heauenly Ierusalem in the land of the liuing there is gold indéed Reu. 3.18 Mat. 6.20 gold tried in the fire gold which neither moath nor rust can corrupt gold of more value then the richest mines of the whole earth can yéeld vp If wee must needes thirst after gold O let vs thirst after this gold let vs be couetous after these durable riches let vs lay vp treasure for our selues in Heauen and of vnrighteous Mammon perhaps not well gained and ill kept and worse laied out let vs make friends in time that when wee shall want Luk. 16.9 they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations If we were Ethnicks and hoped for no life after this it might peraduenture be hard to cast aside our affection to earthly things But in that we looke for Heauen and those things which are in Heauen how can this be hard vnto vs Chrys hom â— â—n Aâ—â—â— Apost If one should say thus on the contrarie Loue and desire riches a Christian should be offended thereat and say How should I desire gold and earthly riches since I looke for Heauen and they hinder me from heauen Chrys super Psal 24. Euery thing that groweth when it is come to a due and conuenient measure of stature leaueth off to growe but the money of the couetous neuer cealeth to growe But let not our desire be vnsatiable resembling the fire the water the fishes the fire Chrys in aliquot scrip loca Basil â—om 7. in auaros Bâ—sil hom 7. Hexam that is so vehement in encreasing it strength that it takes hold on all things néere vnto it the water which rising from a small beginning encreaseth so fast that it swéepes away euery thing it méetes withall the fishes that deuoure and consume one another according to their strength and greatnes so let vs not oppresse and ouerthrowe the weaker and poorer sort when our store and plentie is encreased Let vs put off the loue of the things of this world that the loue of heauenly things may enter vnto vs Exod. 3.5 as Moses put off his shoes that he might talke with God let vs not put trust in the fléeting and fading ioyes of this life but despise them in comparison of colestiall and true pleasures as the woman of Samaria left her pitcher Ioh. 4.28 1. Ioh. â— 15 when she had heard Christ Let vs not loue the world neither the things of this world if any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in
him Iam. 4.4 for the amitie of the world is the enimitie of God and whosoeuer will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Let vs remember that wee are in the latter end of the world And therefore they that haue wiues 1 Cor. 7.29.30.31 must be aâ— though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away that is let vs not fixe and tie our affections on earthly things Heb. 13. â—4 For we haue hâ—ere no continuing Citie but wee seeke one to come but let vs hunger and thâ—rst after â—ighteousnessâ— that we may be filled with eternall blessednesse through our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus Amen KNOW THIS THAT GOD WILL bring thee to iudgement Luk. 21.36 Watch therfore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man WHen our Sauiour had shewed the terriblenesse of that last and great day wherein hee will come to iudge all flesh and to giue to euery one after his doings hee exhorts all men to haue these things in continuall remembrance that they may attaine to eternall blessednes escape euerlasting wretchednes For they that are drawne from sinne neither by the loue of God nor the desire of heauenly blessings nor by the embracing and following of vertue yet if they giue héede to that they heare they must néedes be terrified and consequently something refrained from euill by the expectation and looking for of this dreadfull iudgemâ—nt And therefore our Sauiour propounds this as a meaneâ— to reclaime obdurate and obstinate offenders and concludes the fearefull description of the day of doome with this admonition Watch therfore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that wee may stand before the Sonne of man And that which in this Euangelist is spoken briefely in Saint Matthew is expounded and amplified more largely where Christ saith Watch therefore Matt. 24.42 c. for ye knowe not what houre your Maister will come Of this be sure that if the good man of the house knewe at what watch the theefe would come hee would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through therefore be yee also readie for in the houre that yee thinke not will the sonne of man come Who then is a faithfull seruant and wise whom his Maister hath made ruler ouer his household to giue them meate in season Blessed is that seruant whom his Maister when he commeth shall finde so doing Verily I say vnto you he shall make him ruler ouer all his goods But if that euill seruant shall say in his heart my Maister doth deferre his comming begin to smite his fellowes and to eate and to drinke with the drunken that seruants Maister will come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and will cut him off and giue him his portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Likewise our Sauiour saith in S. Marke Take heede watch and pray Mar. 13.33.34 c. for ye know not when the time is For the Sonne of man is as a man going into a strange countrey and leaueth his house and giueth authoritie to his seruants and to â—uery man his worke and commandeth the porter to watch Watch yee therefore for yee know not when the Maister of the house will come at euen or at midnight at the cocke crowing or in the dawning least if he come suddenly he should finde you sleeping And those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men Watch. Now to the end we may be the more prepared and the more watchfull and the more earnest in praier let vs weigh with our selues first the dreadfulnes of the last iudgement secondly why the day thereof is not knowne thirdly whereunto the expectation and remembrance thereof is profitable 1. The dreadfulnes of the last iudgement The fearefulnes of the last iudgement the Lord describes in the foregoing words when he saith Then there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world Luk. 21.25.26.27 for the powers of heauen shall be shaken and then shall they see the Sonne of man come in a cloud with power and great glorie Thus also it is expressed in Saint Matthew Matt. 24. â—9 30.31 And immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light and the Starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen and then shall all the kinreds of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the fower windes and from the one end of the heauens vnto the other The substance of Christs words is this that then all Elements and heauenly bodies shall both suffer strangely in themselues to affright the wicked and shall also work strangely on the wicked by casting vpon them diuerse torments as well of soule as of body and that all Creatures aboue and beneath shall be cryers and trumpetters to summon men before that horrible Tribunall seate which because they haue contemned therefore they haue persisted still in all vngodlines How the Sun shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken and the sea and floods shall roare in such ghastly sort that men shall be readie to yeeld vp the ghost through feare and anguish At this time we cannoâ— coniecture but the euent it selfe will declare and though the manner thereof be not knowne to vs yet to God it is well knowne But howsoeuer it shall be because the vse of the scripture is by the darkening of the Sunne Moone and Starres and by the like things as Christ héere foretels to discipher and signifie the extreame stormes and tempests of Gods wrath vengeance therefore those threatning predictions in the old Prophets may be applied to the last day of Iudgement in which they prophesie that the world shal be in such anguish perplexitie as that men shal thinke the Sun to be darkened the Moone to be bloodie the Sars
to léese their brightnes the earth to tremble the Sea to roare and all things else to manace a present ruine not as if it were so indéed but because men shall be so straitned as that they shall thinke it is so And because those notable reuengements of God on the Babylonians Tyrians Egyptians Iewes other nations were as it were paintings out of the great day of iudgement and forerunners thereof we may fitly apply vnto that day such descriptions as the Prophets haue made of those reuengements Behold then what Isaiah saith speaking of the punishment of the Babylonians Behold the day of the Lord commeth Isa 13.9 c. cruell with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste and he shall destroy the sinners out of it for the stars of heauen and the planets thereof shall not giue their light the Sunne shall be darkened in his going fâ—rth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine Therefore I will saith the Lord shake the heauen and the earth shall moue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hoasts and in the day of his fierce anger and it shall be as a chased Doe and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp and I will visite the wickednes vpoÌ„ the world and their iniquitie vpon the wicked and I will cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease and will cast downe the pride of tyrants Behold againe what the same Prophet saith speaking of the punishment of all vngodly enemies of the Lords Church Isai 34.1.2 c. Come neere yee nations and heare and hearken ye people let the earth heare and all that is therein the world and all that proceedeth thereof for the indignation of the Lord is vpon all nations and his wrath vpon all their armies he hath destroyed them and deliuered them to the slaughter and their slaine shall be cast out and their stinke shall come vp out of their bodies and the mountaines shall be melted with their blood and all the hoast of heauen shall be dissolued and the heauens shall be folden like a Booke and all their hoasts shall fall as the leafe falleth from the vine and as it falleth from the figge tree Behold againe what Ezekiel saith Ezek. 32.4 c. speaking of the punishment of Egypt I will leaue thee vpon the land saith the Lord God and I will cast thee vpon the open field and I will cause all the foules of the heauen to remaine vpon thee and I will fill all the beasts of the field with thee and I will lay thy flesh vpon the mountaines and fill the vallies with thine heigth I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest euen to the mountaines and the riuers shall be full of thee and when I shall put thee out I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the Sunne with a cloud and the moone shall not giue her light all the lights of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy land saith the Lord God Behold againe what the Prophet Ioel saith speaking of the plagues that should light vpoÌ„ the Iewes Ioel. 2.1.2.31 Blowe the trumpet in Zyon and shoute in mine holy mountaine let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is come for it is at hand a day of darkenes and of blacknes a day of clouds and obscuritie the Sunne shall be turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood When we behold these and the like spéeches let vs suppose that they are foretellings of the last iudgement When the Psalmist saith The God of Gods euen the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising vp of the Sunne Psal 50.1.3.4 vnto the going downe thereof our God shall come and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deuour before him and a mightie tempest shall be moued round about him he shall call the heauen aboute Zephan 1.14 c. the earth to iudge his people When the Prophet Zephania saith The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere and hasteth greatly eueÌ„ the voyce of the day of the Lord the strong man shall crye there bitterly that day is a day of wrath a day of trouble heauines a day of destruction desolation a day of obscuritie darkenes a day of clouds and blackenes a day of the trumpet alarme against the strong cities and against the high towers and I will bring distresse vpon men saith the Lord that they shall walke like blind men because they haue sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dongue neither their siluer nor their gold shal be able to deliuer them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shal be deuoured by the fire of his iealousie for he shall make euen a speedie riddance of theÌ„ that dwell in the land When the Prophet Daniel saith I behold Dan. 7.9.10 till the thrones were set vp and the ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snowe and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame his wheeles as burning fire a firie streame issued came foorth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him the iudgement was set the bookes opened When these things are spoken what else is it but that the Diuine saith And I sawe a great white throne Reu. 20.11.12.13 and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth heauen and their place was no more found and I sawe the dead both great small stand before God the bookes were opened another Booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes And the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death and hell deliuered the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes This is the second comming of Christ much differing from his first comming For in his first comming he appeared humble in the shape of a seruant in his second coÌ„ming he shall appeare stately in the shape of the King of Kings and Iudge of all in his first coÌ„ming he was subiect to reproach in his second comming he shall shine in glorie in his first coÌ„ming he appeared weake in his secoÌ„d comming he shall appeare in heauenly power in his first comming he did vndergoe the iudgement and condemnation of the reprobate in his second comming he shall iudge and condemne all the wicked and reprobate In his first comming he fought like little Dauid against Goliah without worldly furniture in his second comming he will descend like armed and angrie Dauid 1. Sam. 25 21.22 against vnthankefull Nabal and will say as Dauid said
by thy self and thy friends to performe that condition This life is as it were an houre neither canst thou assure thy self of one houre it is promised thee of God that thou shalt obtaine the euerlasting in heritance if thou watch and pray Why then dost thou cease to watch against sin to pray for Gods grace mercy that thou maist be counted worthy to escape all these things to staÌ„d before the Sonne of man That is to appeare boldly to obtaine fauor of the iudge and not to be reiected either in the general iudgment when all flesh shall receiue their doome or in the particular iudgment of thy soule when it shal be separated from the tabernacle of the bodie by death But perhaps because thou seest many to liue long thou doest promise to thy selfe ling life therefore dost deferre to prepare for thy iudgement And doest thou not also sée that many are takeÌ„ hence in their flourishing Age and on the sudden Who will not beware of a madde Dogge that bites all that passeth by Death is like a furious Dogge that spares none and warnes fewe But in this regard we are like vnto Swine For when Swine sée their fellowe killing and heare his grunting they all run about him and grunt and make a great sturre but when their Fellowe is killed and cryes no more presently they returne to the dyrt and dongue and care no longer for it So worldly carnall and voluptuous men when one of their acquaintaÌ„ce dyeth as long as the Funerals last they are mooued and serrified and troubled but anon after the Funerals are finished they soone forget it and returne againe to the filthinesse of their pleasures and former iniquities The deferring of repentance and doubling of sinnes is most perillous A Shippe bâ—eares many burdens yet it may be laden so long till it sincke againe God is gratious but if he be prouoked euery day he will whet his sword and bend his Bowe and shoote his Arrowes against the obstinate offenders Patience too much wronged Psal 7. â—â— is turned into Furie at last It is reported of the Diamond that it is the hardest of all stones but when it is broken it is scattered into most smal pieces that can hardly be discerned with the eyes and can neuer be ioyned together againe Let vs beware that the Lord be not by so much the more seuere against vs if we abuse his louing kindnes by how much the more fauour he hath formerly shewed vnto vs. He that heares the Thunder is afraid of the lightning The preaching of the word is a thundring of the iudgemeÌ„t to come Let vs next feare the lightning of the iustice of God The loÌ„ger we haue liued and the more punishments we haue escaped that were due to our sinnes the more let vs expect the iudgement that will come spéedily and surely Tâ—eramenes a Citizen of Athens when he had auoided the fall of an house which fell as soone as he was out of it cryed out Aelian de vaer histor l. 9. O Iupiter cuinam metemporâ—reseruea ô God for what time doest thou keepe me And anon after he was compelled by the thirtie Tyrants to drinke poyson and so dyed The like thing must the sinner expect that remaines impenitent and hath not yet felt the hand of God Wherefore say not Ecclus â— 4 5.6.7 I haue sinned and what euill hath come vnto me for the Almightie is a patient rewarder but he will not leaue thee vnpunished because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne and say not the mercie of God is great he will forgiue my manifold sinnes for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance Thirdly Let vs sée to what the remembrance 3. To what the remembrance of the iudgement auaileth the Feare and the expectation of the last iudgement auaileth To meditate on the day of iudgement will bridle and refraine the desire and delight in sinning And therefore Saint Basil saies well If thou perceiue thy selfe to be prouoked to any sinne saith he call to minde that fearefull iudgement of Christ which no mortall man may endure and stay thy soule as it were with this bridle For as the Sunne obscures and darkens all the Starres with his brightnes In Psal 33 So the remembrance onely of this iudgement puts out all the concupiscences of the soule by the terriblenes thereof And therefore the Prophet Dauid shewes that the forgetting of this iudgement is the cause of sinne For when he had said that the vngodly doeth persecute the poore make boast of his owne hearts desire is so proud that he cares not for his God hath his mouth full of cursing deceit and fraude He yéeldes the reason Psal 10.6.11 when he saies That Gods iudgements are farre aboue out of his sight For he hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see it I shall neuer be mooued nor be in danger Therefore when we are allured and tempted to euill let vs resist temptations and say to our selues I will not doe this euill and I will not commit this sinne For a day will come wherein I shall not be able to answere for it in which the Heauen and Earth the Aire and water and whole world will stand vp and giue witnesse of my sinnes and though all things should hold their peace yet my very thoughts and workes shall be before mine eyes and shal accuse me before the Lord. When Sathan shall perswade vs that we shall finde fauour in that day though we persist and wallow in vngodlines let vs oppose and set against this assault the sort and qualitie of the last iudgement which shall be horrible intollerable vnauoydable sudden and wherein the iudge shall not be miscarried by fauour and entreatie For on the right hand shall be sinne to accuse On the left hand infinite Diuels to torment Vnder the hydeous Gulfe of Hell Ouer an Angrie Iudge Without the World flaming Within Conscience burning There the Righteous shall onely be saued Ah wretched Sinner whither wilt thou flie being so taken To be hidden it is impossible To appeare it is intollerable Nothing can be so auaileable to leade our life in the feare of God Ambros de Gffic as firmely to beléeue that he shall be the iudge whom no secret thing can deceiue and none offence hurt and who is delighted with vertue godlines the feare of the Lord. And if when our cause is to be heard of an earthly iudge we be so heedefull to prepare an Aduocate and to make readie all prooâ—es that may doe vs good how diligent should we be to haue our faith fixed
in stead of all and I desire no more Readers As for the daintie I exhorte them to feede on the fine Flower of the Learned whose manifold Bookes abound with exquisite cates to passe by this course Beane which is conuenient onely for hungrie Stomackes But those that had rather suche dangerous opinions out of eloquent wordes then profitable instructions out of ordinarie termes As though it were better to drinke poison out of a golden pot then wholesome liquor out of an earthen cup and those that consume the pretious Time of this Posting life in long turning and pervsing of toyous and vaine discourses As though it were safe Fishing with a Golden hooke in troubled waters where the labour will yeelde small aduantage but the loosing of the hooke may bee damageable If they will not followe the Example of Marie in chosing the good part which shall not be taken away yet I admonish them to consider that though Heauen and Earth shall passe away yet the word of God abideth euer and that howsoeuer the louers of this fugitiue world are deuoted yet to the truely religious the Lawe of the Lord is sweeter then Honie or the Hony-combe and better then thousands of golde and siluer and that at last they that trie the inuentions of men in the conflict of Conscience will crie out with the children of the Prophets Death is in the potte and with Ieremiah What is the Chaffe to the Wheate and with the patient Iob to his Friendes Miserable comforters are yee all Shall there bee none end of wordes of winde If you shall fauourablie vouchsafe to countenance these few vnfiled Treatises Dedicated by him that wisheth you the continuall multiplying of Gods graces I shall account the fruite of my labour in some forwardnesse and be strictly obliged euer to remaine Your Worships submissiuely deuoted Rob. Wolcombe SPIRITVALL BALME FOR THE afflicted Ioh. 16. verse 20. Verily verily I say vnto you that ye shall weepe and lament and the world shal reioyce and ye shall sorrowe but your sorrowe shall be turned to ioy Verse 21. A woman when she trauaileth hath sorrowe because her houre is come but as soone as she is deliuered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world Ver. 22. And ye now therfore are in sorrow but I will see you againe and your harts shall reioyce your ioy shall no man take frō you CHrist had before said to his disciples a little while Verse 16. and ye shall not see me and againe a little while and yee shall see me for I goe to the father In which few and somewhat darke words he foretold two things to wit his death and his resurrection First of his death he thus saith a little while and ye shall not see me that is after a little while you shall not sée me for too morrowe I shall be crucified and shall be hidden in my sepulcher Secondly of his resurrection he thus saies and againe a little while and ye shall see me that is after a little while to wit the third day you shall sée me againe because then I will rise from the dead and shew my selfe vnto you Now when the disciples had mused and reasoned of these words saying among themselues Verse 17.18 What is this that he sayeth vnto vs a little while and ye shall not see me and againe a little while and ye shall see me and for I goe to the father What is this that he sayeth a little while we knowe not what he saith Christ preuented their asking of the question Verse 19. what he meant and said vnto them Doe ye enquire among your selues of that I said a little while and ye shall not see me and againe a little while and ye shall see me Verily verily I say vnto you that ye shall weepe and lament c. In which portion of scripture the Lord first replaines his former spéeches in the 20. verse And he doth not openly name his death and resurrection but he insinuates and signifieth both of them by the effects following his death by the weeping lamentation and sorrowe of his disciples and the ioy of the world that is of the wicked Iewes his resurrection by the ioy and gladnes of his disciples Secondly he illustrates and depaintes that sorrowe and ioy of his disciples by a similitude in the 21. verse In which words he compares the sorrowe of his disciples for his death to the sorrowe of a woman in trauell and on the other side he compares their ioy for his resurrection to the ioy of a woman which hath brought forth a child into the world Thirdly he applies that comparison to his disciples in the 〈◊〉 verse In which words Christ doth promise that he will rise againe and shew himselfe vnto them and he amplifieth the gladnes that should thereby growe vnto his disciples partly by the greatnes thereof when he saith your harts shall reioyce partly by the perpetuitie and eternitie thereof when he saith and your ioy shall no man take from you As if our Sauiour should thus say you that are my disciples shall be tempted hardly and heauily for when I shall be put to death the wicked people of the world shal triumph and you shal lament and the vngodly worldlings shall iudge themselues happie and repute you miserable But by the operation of the holie Ghost your sorrow shall be turned into ioye not as though you should liue exempted from all sorrowe For as long as you dwell in these earthly Tabernacles you shall fight a harde fight and you shall feele and beare indignities and you shall haue many occasions of Lamentation and you shall Fast and wéepe when the Bride-groome is taken from you Mat. 9.15 but yet with whatsoeuer sorrow you shall be burthened spirituall ioye shall swallowe it vp and you shall be so renued by the power of the holy Ghost that you shall put off all former féeling of infirmities and with Heroicall courage magnanimitie you shall treade downe all euills that shall rise vp against you Consider how Weomen are griped with sudden griefe when the time of Trauell ouertakes them and how their griefe is so great that they are little distant from death but when they haue brought foorth a Childe their ioye is by so much the greater by how much their anguish was the extreamer So you that are my Disciples are in trauell that is shal be renued by the regeneration of the holy Ghost you shall first be vehemently distressed and afflicted And because the Lorde shall withdrawe his helpe and séeme to stand on your Aduersaries parte you shall reckon your condition to be forlorne and desperate But when the day of Redemption shall come you shal be refreshed with vnexpected ioy and your perplexitie shall not bee comparable to your consolation And when I shall sée you and visite you by the graces of the holy Ghost this
the money not to regard so much as religion in the poore but only to haue an eye to this that the néedie might be sustained not to prefer those that do liue as Christians should liue yet he addes wtall that they should haue most giueÌ„ to them that did blush to beg not that did make a trade trafficke to beg Ad Olympiad for the filling of their bellies S. Chrysost also prescribing a forme of giuing Alms saith among other things that Bountifulnes is to be measured by the need of those the craue This is the sum Nazianz. It is far better to do good to the vnworthy for the sake of the worthy then not to do good to the worthy for the sake of the vnworthy For what if the poore do not their dutie wilt that therfore not do thy duty Althogh in many respects they are not worthy of alms yet giue them for Gods sake for the CoÌ„mandements sake for Christs sake for the declaration of the faith godlines If that caÌ„st not giue to them as they are faithful belieuers people worthy of liberality yet giue to them as they are men womeÌ„ created of the same God coÌ„sisting of the same substaÌ„ce drawing the same ayre attainted with the like passions infirmities subiect to the same dissolution death and due to the same earth the generall Mother of euery mothers sonne daughter Matt. 5.45 Herein thou shalt imitate thy heaueÌ„ly father be merciful as he is mercifull making his Sun to arise on the euil the good sending raine on the iust and vniust The force of which reasoÌ„ is so pregnaÌ„t that if coÌ„pelled euen a Pagan to say that it is the part of liberalitie to giue to euery one that asketh Sen. lib. de beneficijs therin to imitate God If thou doest imitate God saith he giue also to the vnthankfull For the Sun arisetth vpon the wicked the Seas are open to Pyrates God the good author of things begins to bestow benefits vpon them that know it not holds on to bestow benefits vpoÌ„ the vngratefull God ceaseth not to heape vp his blessings onely with this intent that he may doe good let vs therfore imitate him let vs giue though many things be giuen in vaine WheÌ„ thou hast seriously considered the néedie caÌ„st find in them nothing worthy of reliefe yet call to mind that thogh they are vnworthy of help yet they were created after the image of God as thy selfe wert and therefore weigh whether Lactantius speake not fitly wheÌ„ he saies that if the worshippers of the false Gods doe adorne the senseles Images Lib. 6. c. 13. de vero cultu and bestowe all their pretious things on that which can neither vse it nor render thankes for it how much méeter and righter is it to adorne the liuing Images of the true God which as they make vse of it and yéeld thankes so God in whose fight we doe good will both allowâ— of it and also reward our pietie It is to be wished that when this obiection is cast against the most part of the poore it might be answered with a single deniall that it is false and slaunderous But he should be conuinced by daily experience that should absolutely denie it Wherfore as the rich haue bene exhorted to be liberall to the poore so the néedie are to be admonished that they endeuour to be worthy of liberalitie and to be thankfull for charitie deuotion extended towards them and to pray for the happie state of their benefactors and to carrie themselues soberly and truely and humbly and contentedly in their state of life that so the graces and blessings of God may be multiplied vpon all both rich and poore in this life and at last we may be all inheritors of eternall blessednes in Heauen through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PITTIFVLL PERSONS LEND TO the Lord. Prou. 19.17 He that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen THis goldeÌ„ Aphorisme and sentence of Salomon the wise king of Israel is a most pithie commendation of liberalitie towards the poore and néedie and therewithall an effectuall exhortation to embrace the same In which spéech two things are presented to our consideration the first is a description of mercie to the poore what it is the second is the fruite and profitablenes thereof what it brings vnto vs. If any would knowe what mercie to the poore is he heares it called héere A lending to the Lord he that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord. If any aske what commoditie redounds to the mercifull he heares it heere affirmed that the mercifull giuer of Almes shall be rewarded The Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen So that the wise man mounts by degrées almes on the poore is no léesing of our goods saith he but a giuing it is no giuing away of our goods neuer to haue them againe it is but onely a lending of them it is no hazardous lending of them to a debter either beggarly that cannot repaye or careles that will be bankrupt or deceitfull that will defraude his Creditor or denie his due but it is a lending to the Lord of heauen and earth who is both a faithfull God and therefore will performe his promise made to the mercifull and an almightie Lord and therefore is able to recompence what is bestowed on the néedie As if Salomon had thus spoken Hoorde not vp treasure in this world neither fixe your hearts on the riches of the earth which is the broken bag that cannot holde For if treasure be heaped vp on earth it is vncertaine it prouokes enuious eyes it stirs vp those of a mans owne house and that conuerse familiarly with him to endeuour to spoyle him But if you desire to haue your riches safely kept why do you desire and seeke mens helpe The Lord is readie to receiue them and to kéepe them and to recompence them with large vsurie None can take them out of his hands for he will keepe you and your riches safe and when he hath done it he craues not a recompence for kéeping as men doe but he himselfe will bestowe a reward vpon you If you respect gaine and wish that your coyne may encrease with great vsurie behold rare and vnheard of gaine promised by him that cannot lye namely a large recompence from the Lord of Lords Men doe oftentimes lend great summes of monie vpon hope of gaine and aduantage and they take but the word or the band of a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils but you that giue to the poore lend not to men nor haue not assurance from men to be repâ—ied but you lend to the Lord and you haue his word that abideth for euer and his obligation and hand writing for repaiment If some great Prince or Potentate should commaund a crier
A GLASSE FOR THE GODLY CONTAYNING MANY COMFORTABLE TREATISES to perswade men from the loue of this world to the loue of the world to come and exhorting them with cherefulnes to passe through the crosses and afflictions of this life Full of spirituall comfort for all such as hope to be saued by Iesus Christ THE FIRST PART By R W Minister of Gods Word Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes may bee put away when the time of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3.19 AT LONDON Printed by T P for Arthur Iohnson dwelling at the signe of the White Horse in Paules Churchyard An Dom 1612. The Treatises contained in the first part THE seeking of Heauen A whip for loyterers Hipocrisie vnmasked How to vanquish Sathan Practise must accompany profession The curbing of couetousnes Know this that God will bring thee to Iudgement TO The right VVorshipfull Sir Edward Seymour Baronet all increase of solide happines on Earth and eternall felicitie in Heauen SIR NOting seriously the great securitie of the age in which wee liue how men are addicted to profit and pleasure and how they either cursorily or else not at all doe contemplate and practise that which concernes the life to come I was animated to propose these my vnpolished labours to the view of Christian Readers He that searcheth and seeth the hearts and reines knoweth that the originall motiue exciting me to put pen to paper was a desire to bestow some Spirituall gift on the Church of God for the confirmation of the godly the consolation of the afflicted the awaking of those whom sinne like a poysonesome and drouzie Aspe hath lulled asleepe in obdurate and daungerous carelesnesse I haue endeauored according to the small portion of grace giuen vnto me to charme the deafe Adder and by blowing of the Trumpet to prepare the Lords Souldiers which must fight his battels vnder Christs banner against iniquitie to the end they may be circumspect and not preuented or circumuented by their spirituall foes that watch and walke continually seeking whome they may deuoure Many before me haue ranne a faire course in this race and haue thrust their sharpe sickle into this haruest in whose steps I gladly acknowledge my selfe to haue troden and I freely voluntarily confesse that my penury hath gleaned some bundles of eares that lay scattered in their copious fieldes To him that shall obiect my drawing of water out of the fountains of others and my resounding as an Eccho of their voyces I reply that as Aeschilus the Poet was accustomed to say that his Tragedies were but small dishes of great Homers Suppers so my slender repast may be called the fragments and reliques of the delicate dishes of Learned Christian and Godly Authors And to them that shall twi◠that heere is scarce ought written that hath not been published before what shall I retorte also But that either the forme is transformed or the language altered or at least the vsage of the latter Prophets and Euangelists imitated who haue repeated much and oftentimes verbatim trāscribed out of those that wrought before them as their purpose and occasion required Is not this euident in Deuteronomie the Cronicles and the Gospels Is Paul ashamed to write the same things to the Phillippians Nay doth he not esteeme it a sure and behoouefull matter for them Is not the generall Epistle of Iude the brother of Iames a compendious abridgement and recapitulation of the latter Epistle of Saint Peter Therefore an intent to prooue our doctrine consonant to auncient and approued writers as Oecumenius Theophilact and other aswell old as Moderne haue done is not to bee misliked nor reprooued But doe I frame an Apologie in this respect and not rather inferre with an eminent sound and profound Diuine that he that helps himselfe with the precedent workes of others cannot iustly be blamed since the holy Apostle affirmes that all things are ours and are ordained for helpes and furtherances to bring vs to CHRIST IESVS What successe will accompany my enterprise I leaue to him who though Paul Plant and Apollo water yet onely giueth the increase If I haue brought but the least stone or sticke that may serue for the promoting of Gods Edifice If I haue presented but one threed that may be vsed in the garnishing of Christ Sanctuarie If I haue reclaimed but one sinner from the path of perdition vnto the way of Paradise so that any shall heereafter say vnfainedly my Soule hath been bettered by this Booke this is the marke I aimed at and praised be God from whom all good and perfect gifts descend Some readers are still desirous of Novelties not regarding to performe what they haue formerly learned like guests that disdaine the meate that is set before them euer longing after change and varietie of dishes Some Readers respect not what they read so they be reading Like thirstie trauellers that drinke of euery fountaine not considering whether the water be wholsome or hurtfull Some Readers procure diuerse Books and boast of the store and multitude of thē though they apprehēd the doctrine but in small measure Like those that furbish many weapons and keepe them in their houses but are commonly vnexpert eyther to defend or offend when they are drawne to tryall Some readers vse Books more for shew and ostentation then for study of Godlines and reformation of manners Like Children that burne lamps and candles in the night but either watch not or else vse no exercise whence profit and commoditie may redound At a word some readers reprehend what they perceiue not or depraue what they vnderstand misliking matter or methode or phrase or all these Like the captious beholders of a garden that reiect hearbs and flowers whose vertue and operation they are jgnorant of and blame the contriuing and plotting of that which they haue often seene In this variable dispositiō of readers it is not possible to satisfie the appetite and expectation of all my confusion craues order my harshnes desires a sponge my shallownes longs for waight and depth and therefore I am vrged to intreate the skilfull to pardon the defects the curious to wink at the escapes the vnlearned to suspend their censure the resolued to beware of proposterous and intemperate zeale the lukewarme and them that are frozen in their dregs to suffer the words of exhortation finally I entreat all vnto whose hands these vnadorned Treatises shall come to embrace my good meaning in the armes of Christian loue and curtesie and to remember the blessed Apostles Maxime that a man is accepted according to that he hath and not according to that hee hath not if there be first a willing mind Finally least my preface resemble a swolne head disproportionable to the dwarfelike body following or become another Myndus that had ample gates it selfe beeing a very little Cittie and therefore the Cynick floutingly aduised the Cittizens to shut the gates least the whole Cittie
should goe out at them aboue all other I submissely implore your fauour for the acceptation and patronizing of my slender trauell beseechching you not to be displeased that I haue beene emboldned to dedicate this simple worke vnto you I was prouoked by your zeale to pure and vndefiled religioÌ„ by your vnpartiall regard of Iustice by your feruent affection to benefit your Countrey and by your loue to Learning and the learned which vertues as they are infused into you by the Author of all sincere vertue so they seeme in you to be hereditarie and deriued and transfused from your gracious Progenitors by these things I was prouoked to yeeld this testimony of your deserts as a consenting harmonie and generall applause of the multitude And thus praying the Lord to multiply and continue his mercies vpon you and yours I humble commend this declaration of my reuerent and due conceit of your worthines vnto your selfe and your selfe vnto the Almightie Your Worships in all dutifulnes to be commaunded ROB WOLCOMBE THE SEEKING OF HEAVEN Matt. 6.33 But seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all these things shall be ministred vnto you I It is the dutie of a sincere teacher of the will word of God Ier. 1.10 2. Cor 10.4 first to plucke vp iniquitie and to roote out vngodlines to destroy sinne to throwe downe the strong holdes of Sathan and then to build pietie and to plant the feare of the Lord. For as we see that thornes must be first pulled vp before good séede can be dispearsed with gaine and profit so none can apply their mindes to vertue before they lay aside the contrarie and repugnant vices Ier. 4.3 Isai 1.16 Psal 34.15 Therefore the Prophets exhorting sinners to repentance haue said that we must plough vp our fallow ground and not sowe vpon thornes and we must cease to doe euill and learne to doe well and we must decline from euill and doe that which is good The same order is obserued by Christ the true publisher of Gods pleasure For when he had sufficiently dehorted from anxietie and carefull pensiuenes touching earthly things as meate drinke and raiment namely because it hinders the seruice of God drawes vs to the seruice of Mâ—â—â—mo that is of worldly wealth and because it is foolish and superfluous for God will giue foode and raiment to his children for he that hath giuen life which is the greater will giue foode and raiment which is the lesser he that féedes the fowles of the heauen that neither sowe nor reape will he not féede his seruants that both sowe and reape he that cloathes the lillies that labour not nor spin will he not cloath his children that doe both these and when he had shewed both that this carefulnes is troublesome and profits nothing for who by carking can adde one cubite to his stature and that this anxietie pertaines to the Gentiles and Ethnicks which are ignorant of God and strangers from Christian religion and therefore ought to be far from vs that are Christians and doe acknowledge God to be our mercifull God and father When Christ had by these reasons disswaded from pensiue carefulnes now in these words he exhortes to godlines vertue and righteousnes saying But seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and all these things shall be ministred vnto you In which words there are contained two things the first is an exhortation in these words But seeke ye fâ—rst the kingdome of God and his righteousnes the second is a reason of the exhortation in these words And all these things shall be ministred vnto you We are exhorted to seeke principally and before all other things the kingdome of God and Gods righteousnes And what is the kingdome of God It is the kingdome of grace in this life wheÌ„ Gods holy spirit swaies and rules in our hearts doeth so transforme and alter vs that of enemies of God we are reconciled vnto him For we are by nature strangers from God and the commonwealth of Israel and replenished with all vncleannes and iniquitie Ioh. 3.5 Matt. 3.11 and the spirit of God and his grace is water to purifie our pollution and fire to burne away our drosse and rust and oyle to supple and soften our hardnes and the seede of godlines 1. Io. 2.20 1. Io. 3.9 Luk. 11.20 froÌ„ which our soules growe vp into faire and goodly trees in whose branches vertues and good workes make their nests and dwelling places and the finger of God that engraues in our hearts the will and commandement of God and obedience vnto the same Luk 1.32 In this kingdome of grace Christ Iesus is the King and high Lord appoynted by his father to rule and gouerne it In this kingdome of grace the Subiects are the faithfull whom Christ hath redeemed with his death and set â—ree from the tyrannie of Sathan In this kingdome of grace the lawes are the word of God wherein all things are commaunded that belong both to the humble seruice and obedience of that supreme King and to the concord of the Subiects and citizens In this kingdome of grace all things are spirituall namely the King himselfe his glorie power Subiects lawes reward and punishment of Rebels And therefore Christ saith to Pilate Ioh. 18.36 my kingdome is not of this world For Christ requires no such thing of his Subiects as earthly kings are wont to aske but contrarily he doth continually enrich them with his owne gifts and spirituall riches he makes all his Subiects partakers of his kingly dignitie which earthly Kings cannot doe he doth not onely commaund as other Kings doe but also giues vs his owne spirit which puts power into vs whereby we are made able to yéeld our humble and dutifull obedience to his commaundements Finally all other kingdomes are subiect to alteration change but this kingdome of grace is inuincible and shall endure vntill the last comming of Christ This is the kingdome that our Sauiour bids vs to séeke first and chiefly and therefore let vs all pray that we may be Subiects thereof For grace is the balme to cure the sores and sicknesses of our soules grace is the directer of our thoughts spéeches and works in the awe of God as the rudder rules the ship grace is the garment and robe that couers and clothes our naturall defects and imperfections grace is the celestiall influence that makes our minds to spring foorth into godly actions as the raine that drops from heauen bréedes fertilitie in the earth grace is the swéetner of our workes which are otherwise bitter and vnsauorie as they issue from our corrupt wels as Eliâ—haes salt cured the bitter and venemous water of the citie Iericho 1. King 2. And what can be more fitly said of grace then that Saint Austin hath said Tract in Iohan. 41. As the Physitian hates the infirmitie of the Patient and workes by curing
sweate of our browes And to cast off this oldnesse and corruption we must fight many skirmishes we must ouercome many temptations we must beare many tribulations Secondly we séeke eternall glorie not a Consulship of one yeare And the afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shal be reuealed vnto vs. Rom. 8.18 Who would not liue a poore and a priuate life ten yeares that he might be sure to abound in glorie and riches fiftie yeares 1. Cor. 9.25 Shall wee murmure then to brooke the short afflictions of this fading life that we may liue nay raigne for euer in glorie euerlasting All those that striue for a Maistery abstaine from all things they doe withdrawe from their bodie meate drinke and cloathes and annoynt themselues with oyle that they may striue and struggle naked nimble and giue their aduersarie no occasion to hold them for the flesh annointed with oyle is very hardly holden So wée must cast away the immoderate care for meate and cloathes and we must be annoynted with the oyle of Faith Loue and Mercie that earthly things hinder vs not and that Sathan get no opportunitie to lay hold on vs for he layes holde on vs by meanes of our sinnes And they that annoynt their bodies doe this to receiue a crowne that perisheth and to winne praise short fraile momentanie and vaine but we to receiue glorie endles incorruptible sound and stable At Rome the way to the Consulship was to be popular to deserue well of the Common-wealth and to bestowe manie priuate benefites But our way to heauenly glorie is holines vprightnes innocencie of life continuall worshipping of God and sincere loue of our neighbour For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Soberly and temperately in respect of our selues righteously and iustly in respect of our neighbors and godly holily in respect of the seruice and worship of GOD. This is the way to Gods kingdome which Christ expressed in one word when he saide that Wee must seeke the kingdome of God and his Righteousnes For it is not enough to séeke Gods kingdome or to wish for it but we must séeke and labour to performe that Righteousnes that is pleasing to God The pennie of immortalitie is not giuen to Loyterers in the market-place but to those that labour in the Lords vineyard Lastly it is Heauen to which we goe Matt. 11.12 and in which we séeke to raigne with GOD. But the Kingdome of God suffereth violence and they that take it must take it violently and perforce Wilt thou knowe the waye to Heauen Hebr. 11.36.37 Aske of them that haue walked in that way They will tell thée that they haue bene tried by mockings and scourgings by bondes and prisonments that they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sworde they wandred vp and downe in Wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth clothed in sheepes-skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented He that will goe to the Indies to trafficke doth not refuse the labour of sayling He that will be cured of a grieuous disease reiecteth not a bitter medicine Hee that will buy a Farme first thinkes of the price So he that séekes for the kingdome of GOD must séeke and first thinke of his Righteousnes which is the way vnto it and of the Merites of CHRIST which are the price thereof and of a liuely and effectuall Faith whereby wée are made partakers of the glorie to come As for worldly cares what doe they auaile vs Nay how much doe they hinder vs Saint Basil sayes Epist 64. as a polluted glasse can receiue no impression of Images and visages so the soule possessed of worldly cares is not capable of the Illumination of the holie Ghost And Saint Austin sayes excellently Amor rerum terrenarum est viscus spiritualium pennarum that the loue of earthly things is the Birdlime of our spirituall feathers Let euery worldling knowe that spirituall things are onely néedefull and that Christ saith to euery one as to Martha Martha Martha thou carest Luk. 10.41.42 and art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Can the globe of the earth be mingled with the globe of the heauen how then can the soule containe the carefull loue of celestiall and earthly things Diuine thoughts flie from a soule that is forestalled with worldly desires Bâ—r. 〈◊〉 77 â—â—cat Nec misceri poterunt vana veris aeterna caducis spiritualia carnâ—â—buâ— summa imis neither can vanitie be ioyned and confounded with truth things eternall spirituall and high with things transitorie carnall and base so as at one time we may conceiue and perceiue things aboue and things beneath We sée how the Iuy doth claspe about the trée spreads it selfe and mounts vpward by the helpe thereof but at last it sucks and drawes away the iuyce and moysture of the trée and causes it to wither so excessiue care and pensiue care for worldly things doth loade the minde and choake the soule and make them vnable to aspire to heauenly felicitie Therfore we must imitate the custom of hawkers and hunters for hawkers are woont to couer their hawkes heads with hoods and suffer not their eyes to wander hither and thither least striuing to flie after the things which they desire naturally they be not so héedfull to their preie when time and occasion shall serue and hunters doe tie and couple their dogges that their sent may be sound and perfect for the game which they shall hunt So must we doe We must containe our mindes in the loue of God and in the care of heauenly things and not permit our affections to straie aside to the anxieties and distrustfull cares of this world Heauen is the preie which mans soule must follow this it must desire this it must take by violence this it must be carefull of and on this it must bestowe her chiefe desire and studie If it flie or runne out to other things it will not care for eternall things Therefore let vs remember the exhortation of the blessed Apostle Paul Col. 3.1.2 Seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth If we must séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse then those are to be reprehended who chiefly séeke search and hunt after the good things of this world and the delights and ioyes thereof pampering the fraile and sinfull body and neglecting the soule which is the mistresse and gouernesse of the body and neuer dieth It is
recorded in histories that the Phylosopher Heraclitus did alway wéepe for the miseries and calamities of men and that the Phylosopher Democritus did alway laugh at the follies and vanities of men If Heraclitus and Democritus were now aliue they should haue as great cause to lament the woes and to deride the follies which men procure to themselues and which they embrace as they had in the daies wherein they liued In the Poets time men refused wholesome counsell to embrace vertue chiefly and to seeke after it aboue riches and honours and they gladly consented to that corrupt lesson of the couetous chuffe O ciues ciues quaerenda pecunia primùm Horat. Epist l. 1. Epist 1. Virtus post nummos Wherein he taught that monie and coyne is first to be sought and vertuous manners and conditions afterward Are not these fashions of this age We purchase land we build houses we prouide the best foode and apparell that we can we hâ—â—t for promotion honor and dignitie but what câ—re is there for the eternall habitation and for the felicitie and good estate of the soule Neither onely in our health and youth doe we so but euen in our old yeares and in our sicknes we retaine the same custome For when we are sicke we attempt all courses and labour by all meanes of physicke to recouer health Ecclus. 38 1.2.4 and herein we doe well for physicke is from the highest and herbes and plaisters are ordained of God Ietròs gà r anèr pollôn antáxios allon Homer And therefore the learned Physitian is to be honoured for necessities sake * séeing he is to be preferred before many other men For he oftentimes restoreth health preserueth health cureth not onely apparent maladies but inward infirmities and sometimes staieth the soule in the body when it is readie to flie to breake out of it as it were out of a prison This is much but it is but the Physicke of the body and he that doth it is but a Physitian of the body Mat. 9.2 Isay 53.4 Christ is the Physitian of the soule that cureth the diseases of our mindes that bare our infirmities that sits in heauen yet heales those that are diseased on earth that is Isid de suÌ„ bono lib. 1. cap. 14. Non tantùm ostensor vulneris sed sanator not onely a searcher and declarer of the wound but also a healer and saluer thereof As Physitians of the bodie doe sometimes cure by things like and sometimes by things dislike as heate by cold things and coldnes by hoate things so Christ the Physitian of soules comming downe from heauen and finding mankind attainted with so great and many infirmities Lib. 2â— â— he partly healed vs by things like saith Gregory and partly by things contrarie For he came to man in the flesh of man but he came to sinners in perfect righteousnesse and he agréed with vs in truth of humane nature but disagréed from vs in righteousnes and innocencie Magnus per totum munaum iacebat aegrotus saith Saint Austin a great Patient laye sicke throughout the whole world that is all mankind was subiect to many anguishes and griefes of bodie and soule and therefore Christ the great Physitian came by whose stripes we were healed O admirable matter and full of loue and commiseration Quòd fusus est sanguis medici factus est medicamentum phrenetici that the blood of the Physitian was shed and made the medicine to heale the Phrensie of sinners Therefore since the physick of the soule so far eclipseth the dignitie of the physicke of the body and the infirmities of the body procéede and issue from the inward corruption of the soule as from a fountaine let vs first labour to be reconciled to the Lord Ecclus. 38 9.10.11.12 c. 2. King 23.2.3 2. Chron. 16.12 and séeke to appease his anger by repentance and prayer as good King Hezekiah did let vs not repose more confidence in the Physitian of body then in the power and goodnes of God as Ala did and let vs not persist in the customarie error to seeke the Physitian before we séeke God and to respect the state of the body more then the state of the soule For whither it be not fitter to begin with the Diuine and end with the Physitian then to begin as the common vsage is with the Physitian and at last perhaps when all strength and memorie failes to come to the Diuine let all iudge that can iudge and that heare Christs commaundement Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you If we must séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse then those are to be reprehended that are so much addicted and wedded to worldly gaine and commoditie that they regard not to haue their children and seruants instructed in the knowledge of Christ and of his word If our people be sick we repaire to the Physitian if they breake a bone we goe to the Surgion if naturall loue and affection moue vs we prouide nourishment cloathes and liuings for them that they may maintaine themselues in decent sort All this is but for this life which is as vnconstant as a shadowe as fugitiue as a dreame as brittle as glasse as short as a span yea as one sand of the sea-shore in comparison of the whole earth if it be compared with eternitie and shall we not be carefull to procure our children and families to be instructed in the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ whereby their vices my be reformed and they may liue as becommeth those that carrie the name of Christ and whereby they may possesse heauen for euer with Christ Some thinke euery sermon too long and all time lost that is bestowed in diligent repairing to the house of God and therefore are vnwilling to giue the seuenth day according to Gods ordinance to the worship of God though they haue sixe daies allotted to the workes of mans necessitie They will ride then confer then meditate then vpon their worldly busines or if they haue no earnest busines to exercise them they will rather passe the time or to say truth léese the time in play pastime ioyes trifles and vanities then spend the Lords day in the Lords seruice Let none be so prophane to thinke that Time lost that is employde on Gods seruice If an vnworthy seruant of Christ shall not be beleeued yet belieue Dauid a man after Gods owne heart and inspired of the Lorde who thus describes the blessednes of the man that deliteth in the law of the Lord and meditates therein day and night Psal 1.1.2 c. Namely that he shall be like a trée planted by the riuer of waters that will bring foorth her fruite in due season whose leafe shall not fade so whatsoeuer hee shall doe shall prosper But the wicked contemners of Gods lawes shall be as the chaffe which the winde driueth away they shall
busie If the Apostles hauing power to liue by the Gospell did worke with their hands that they might not charge any and did relieue others whereas they might haue reapt carnall things for spiritual things Why doest not thou prepare one thing or other that may redound to thy profite Either frame a basket or make a panyer or rake and weede the ground or contriue and plot the beds of an hearbe garden And he affirmes that Monasteries of Aegypt had a custome to entertain none that could not labour with hands not so much for that otherwise they could not maintaine them as that it might be beneficiall to their soules health Aske of Salomon the wisest man that euer was borne of woman 1. King 3.12 after the ordinary sort what an idle person is and he will tell vs that the idle person is he that saies when he should trauell any whither for his profite Prou. 26.13.14.15 A Lyon is in the way a Lyon is in the streets as the dore turneth vpon his hinges so doth the slouthfull man vpon his bed the slothfull hideth his hand in his bosome and it greeueth him to put it againe to his mouth Aske of Salomon againe what is the fruits of Idlenes and he will answere cléerely that it is beggerie Prou. 20.4 for the slothfull man that will not plough because of winter shall beg in summer Prou. 6.10 11. but haue nothing and when the loyterer saies yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little holding of the hands to sleepe pouertie coÌ„meth as one that trauelleth by the way and necessitie like an armed man Therefore since beggerie is the fruite of idlenesse wée must with Salomon gather instructioÌ„ gaine experience by the example of others for so hée writes of himselfe Prou. 24.30.31.32 I passed by the field of the slothfull by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding loe it was all growne ouer with Thornes nettles had couered the face thereof the stone wall thereof was broken downe Then I behelde and I considered it well I looked vpoÌ„ it receiued instruction All Creatures that in the beginning of their creation receiued a coÌ„mmandement to labour doe labour till this day The Heauens cease not to mooue the Earth ceasseth not to bring foorth plants and hearbs the Beasts Byrds and Fishes cease not to multiplie onely Man who was commanded to eate his bread in the sweate of his face neglecteth his charge And therefore Gods word sends the idle slothful to base creatures to learne their dutie euen to the Emmot Goe to the Pismiâ—e ô sluggard behold her waies be wise Prou. 6.6 for she hauing no guide gouernor nor ruler prepareth her meat in the suÌ„mer gathereth her food in haruest saith the Wise man Shall the Pismire that hath no leader nor coÌ„ducter gather food in suÌ„mer haruest against winter tempests And shall we be negligent to prouide in health and youth for sicknes and olde Age who haue the example of Christ and the saints set before vs and the precepts of Christian Rulers th'admonitions and reprehensions of teachers and ouerseers of our soules Let the idle and sluggard beware then least that not the Quéene of the South or the Niniuites but the contemptible and base Pismire rise to condemne them in the day of iudgement Now if wee aske wheÌ„ce there are so many beggars wheÌ„ce such filching whence so manie Roagues caterpillers vnprofitable members in the commonwealth the Answere is easie Idlenes is the true cause of all these Therefore if wee would haue the number of beggars and thriftles persons to decrease parents must enforme their childreÌ„ in honest Trades and gouernors of parishes must employ orphans in good courses and Officers must punish idlenes as the lawes prescribe Exod. 32.6 Besides pouertie Idolatrie is a fruite of idlenesse for the idle Israelites sate them downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to commit Idolatrie Besides Idolatrie toyes and curiositie are a fruite of idlenes for the loytering Athenians strangers that dwelt among them gaue theÌ„selues to nothing els but either to tel Act. 17 2â— or to heare som newes the yonger widowes being idle 1. Tim. 5.13 learne to go about froÌ„ house to house and are also pratlers busie-bodies speaking things that are not comely Besides toyes and curiositie hiding of Gods gifts talents is a fruit of idlenes Matt. 25.25 for the slothfull seruant went and hid his talent in the earth Besides hiding of Gods gifts léesing of the séed of Gods word sowne among vs is a fruit of idlenes for while men slept the enemy came and sowed tares amoÌ„g the wheate Matt. 13.25 Besides léesing the séed of Gods word to be excluded from the marriage of the bridegroome is a fruite of idlenes for while all slumbred slept the foolish virgins that trimmed not their Lamps were shut out at doores and heard this voice Verily I say vnto you I know you not Matt. 25.12 If then idlenes bréed beggerie idolatrie curiositie hiding of Gods gifts léesing of the séede of the word excluding froÌ„ the marriage of the bridegroome and what not Doubtlesse it is a sinne most loathsome before GOD and most studiously to be auoyded of vs. Who hath not heard of the horrible punishment of Sodome by fire and brimstone from Heauen And who quakes not at the remembrance thereof So horrible a plague must néedes be for hainous sinne And what were the sinnes of of Sodome Ezechiell rehearses them in this manner Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome Ezek. 16.49 Pride Fulnes of Bread abundance of idlenes was in her in her daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poore and needie If wee will be frée from the punishment of Sodome wee must be frée from idlenesse and other sinnes of Sodome Chrysostome teacheth by a familiar example Hom. 16 in Ephes how grieuous a sinne idlenesse is Nihil boni facere hoc ipsum est mâ—lefacere Not to doe some good is to doe euill Tell me saith hee if thou hast a seruant who doth neither steale nor raile nor coÌ„tradict nor is druÌ„ken nor doth any ill yet sits all the day idle doth not anie of those things which a seruaÌ„t should do to his maister wouldst thou not scourge him yet he hath done no ill Euen so God will punish the idle Psal 34.14 because they are idle For the righteousnes of a man consisteth in two points not only in abstaining froÌ„ euill but also in dooing good Idlenesse séemed so absurde a thing to the best Philosophers as that they had rather affirme that the world hath bin from euerlasting and without beginning then by confessing that the world was created thereby as they supposed to confesse that God was idle before he made the world This opinion of the Philosophers was both foolish wise It was
the Harborough being loaden with varietie of store So the enuious and vncleane spirite inuades vs most and labours to spoyle vs when hee perceiues that the shippe of our Soule is replenished with the Iewels of godlines and our life is beautified with manifold good works testifying that we loue and feare God vnfainedly For did not the Dragons tayle draw the third part of the starres of heauen Reu. 12.4 and cast them to the earth Was not Apollinaris so cast downe and Nestorius so cast downe and Phâ—tinus so cast downe and Origene so cast downe Tertullian so cast downe though they were men of incomparable Contra haeres cap. 15.16.23 24. and admirable learning iudgement eloquence and experience Yet they were both tempted by errors themselues and did grieuously tempt others as Vincentius Lyrinensis largely and learnedly shewes If it fare thus with the Cedars of Libanon and the Oakes of Bashan and the Shippes of Tarshish shal not the shrubs looke about them Who can sléepe in the mids of Snakes and serpents and rauenous beasts As the neighbor enemies of the Iewes did still gape for their blood the Ammonites in the East the Philistines iin the west the Syrians in the North the Aegyptians in the South So wee haue an Aduersarie that continually besiegeth the Castle of our heart and takes aduise how hee may ransack it We must fight wiâ—h an armie of vices If we put downe couetousnes incontinencie will rise vp if wee vanquish incontinencie ambition will succéede if wee discomfite ambition Anger Hatred Malice Enuie Pride Drunkennes what not will bande themselues in a pernicious Troupe and lay siege to batter the faithfull Forte If our enemie finde vs fortified on the one side hee will presently assaile vs on the other side if he cannot preuaile this way most spéedily hée presseth vs that way neuer ceaseth neuer takes Truce neuer intermittes stratagems or omits the battell It was truely saide of Gregorie the great That either hee spoyles by open violence or flies hither and thither by counterwaites or flatters by perswasion or terrifieth by threatning or dismayes by distrust or beguiles by promises If any aske why Sathan hath such an implacable malice against all maÌ„kind and specially against the godly The Answere is that hee doth it of hatred towards God and because heâ— is not able to hurt God he maligneth those that are created after the Image of God as hee that cannot violate the person of a prince will abuse his feature and representation Saint Basill saies In sermoâ—â— in aliquoâ— scripturae locos that he hath partly séene it partly heard it and that it is an vndoubted thing that the female Libarde is such an enemie to man that if but the image and portraiture of a man bee shewed foorth vnto her shee wil rend it in pieces as though it were a man himselfe So the Diuell saith hee not being able to touch GOD he makes warre with the godlie pursueth the image of God in man after which hee was once created And another compares Sathan to a malicious and coozening man who seeing an Orphane to haue his Fathers substance Chrysost hom 2â— Matth. hee often bestowes baÌ„quets vpon him or giues him faire garments or flatters him with enticing spéeches till he haue defrauded him of his patimonie So Sathan saith hée seeing man to haue an heauenly treasure that is an immortall soule heauenly wisedome laid vp in an earthen chest he shewes him money costly cloathes and delicate dishes and glorious honors and the desireable things of this world that bringing him vnder the yoke of pleasure hee may depriue him of his soules saluation and bereaue him of the grace of God For albeit the sinne of the wicked Angels for which they were exiled out of heauen and thrust into hell bee not expressely mentioned in the scripture yet it may be collected out of the third of Genesis that it was rebellion against God springing from pride hautines For there we reade how the diuell caused our first parents to be cast downe froÌ„ their state of Innocencie Namely by breathing into them the poyson of pride that they should presume to aspire to a paritie and equalitie with God in wisdome saying vnto the woman When yee shall eate of the forbidden fruit Genes 3.5 your eyes shall be opened yee shall be as Gods knowing good and euill It is very likely that Sathan sought to dispossesse man of his felicitie by the same way and meanes that he was dispossessed of his owne felicitie And he knew that God is still like himselfe and that hée inflictes like punishments vpon like Offences therefore he endeuored to drawe our first Parents to his owne rebellious pride and he ceaseth not hitherto nor will cease till the end of the world to allure and perswade mankinde to oppose themselues against the will and coÌ„mandement of the Lorde that as they participate with him in Pride and rebellion so they may also participate with him in plagues and destruction Why then if the case so stand with all men generally and with true Christians and the faithfull sonnes and seruants of God specially wée must séeke for furniture weapons to defend our selues And we néed not to séeke farre for they are at hand for vs are framed and fashioned of the holy Ghost by the mouth of the Apostle And what are they they are coÌ„tained in these wordes Whom resist stedfast in the Faith As the power of that Aduersarie ought to whet vs make vs more circumspect 3. WeapoÌ„s against Sathan so it is to be feared least our mindes being attainted with immoderate feare would be cleane discouraged if hope of victorie should not be shewed vnto vs. Therefore now the Apostle labours that we may know that the euent and issue of the battell shall be prosperous if we fight vnder Christs banner For whosoeuer armed with Faith shal enter the combat the Apostle pronounceth that vndoubtedly he shall haue the victorie Resist saith hée if any aske how he answeres that there is might and strength enough in faith For Sathan is powerfull against vnbelieuers weake against beléeuers For when thou receiuest Gods worde into thine heart and cleanest faithfully vnto it the Diuel cannot vanquish thée but must néedes flie For how soone did he betake himselfe to flight wheÌ„ Christ beat him off with the weapons of holy scripture Matth. 4. When thou canst say Scriptum est it is written Thus saith the Lorde Heere I stand last To this I sticke This is my Fortresse Shielde presently thou shalt sée him depart and sadnes euill desires and Anger and Auarice and faintnes of hart and distrust to vanish away with him But such is the craftinesse of Sathan that hee is most vnwilling that wee should come to his safegard and therefore hee chiefly endeuours to depriue vs of this sworde And this he easily brings to passe when hee makes vs
c First he remooues doubtfulnes in that he saith that it is a true saying that we are saued by Christ Iesus As though he should thus say there is no doubt to be mooued in this spéech for that is before spoken is firme and vndoubted and certaine and cannot deceiue any and therefore farewell they that make doubtes touching the maine points of the Christian faith For these words this is a true saying may fitly be referred to the foregoing words which entreated of the pith and summe of our saluation And by this phrase he shewes the certaintie of his doctrine like as Christ in the gospell declares the infallibilitie of his doctrine when he saith Verily verily I say vnto you Wherefore the faithfull must diligently note and remember this singular comfort in whatsoeuer troubles and afflictions For our faith is continually battered and beaten on by manifold tentations and trials Christ saies That the time shall come Ioh. 16.2 that whosoeuer killeth the godly will thinke that he doth God seruice and that the godly shall be betraied of their parents Luk. 21.16.17 and of their brethren and kinsmen and friends and shall be hated of all men for his names sake And when Paul had made report of his owne persecutions and afflictions which came vnto him at Antiochia at Iconium and at Lystri 2. Tim. 3.11.12 he adds presently a generall conclusion Yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Now in the mids of these afflictions and aduersities what can staie and helpe vs but a cléere and a good and a sound and a setled conscience grounded on the faith of Christ Iesus And therefore the Apostle witnesseth that the faith in Christ Iesus is a most sure and vndoubted faith this is a true saying And this summe of our saluation may be easily prooued because the whole scripture doth agrée therein For that man is naturally wicked and ill disposed Psal 14.2.3 how plainely doe Dauid and Isaiah teach Dauid when he saith that the Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God And what was the sequele of Gods search All are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Isaiah when he saith Isai 64.6 that we haue all beene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthy cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs away Man being so polluted was not able to saue himselfe for then sacrifices could haue appeased and pleased God but sacrifices were not able to performe that Psal 50.5.9.10.11.12.13 for it is said in the psalme by the Lord That he will not reproue for sacrifices or burnt offrings that haue not beene continually before him I will take no bullocke out of thine house saith God nor goates out of thy foldes for all the beasts of the forrest are mine and the beasts on a thousand mountaines I know all the foules on the mountaines the wild beasts of the field are mine If I be hungrie I will not tell thée for the world is mine and all that therein is will I eate the flesh of â—â—ls or drinke the bloud of goates And another Prophet saith Isai 1.11.12.13 what haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offrings of rams and of the fat of fed beasts and I desire not the blood of bullocks nor of lambes nor of goates when ye come to appeare before me who hath required this of your hands to tread in my courts Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an abomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new moones nor Sabbaths nor solemne daies it is iniquitie nor solemne assemblies And most euidently speakes the holy ghost by the mouth of Paul Heb. 10.1.2.3.4 that the lawe hauing the shadowe of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can neuer with those sacrifices which they offer yeare by yeare continually sanctifie the commers thervnto For would they not then haue ceased to haue bene offered because that the offerers once purged should haue had no more conscience of sinnes But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance againe of sins euery yeare For it is vnpossible that the blood of â—uls and goats should take away sinnes If then legall sacrifices and ceremonies were insufficient to abolish and take away our naturall corruption there must of necessitie be some other meanes This meanes is Iesus Christ who is all in all Col. 1.19.20 for it pleased the father that in him should all fulnes dwell and through peace made by that blood of that his crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen Gen. 3.15 22.18 49.10 God promised that Christ the séede of the woman should breake the Serpents head and that in him all the kinreds of the earth should be blessed and that the scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a lawgiuer from betwéene his féete vnto Shiloh that is Christ the Messiah come and the people shall be gathered vnto him Dut. 18.18 Act. 3.22 Christ is he at whom Moses pointed when he foretold the children of Israel that the Lord their God should raise vp vnto them a Prophet euen of their brethren like vnto him Christ is he whom the types and ceremonies of the lawe prefigured and signified and namely the Paschall lambe for the Baptist cryes Ioh. 1.29 Matt. 27.51 Behold that lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And therefore the vaile and partition of the holiest place from the vtter part of the temple did rent from the top to the bottome when Christ suffered to shew that now there is no more distinction of nations Act. 10.34.35 and God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him Christ is he which hath this testimonie of God the father from heauen This is that my beloued sonne Matt. 17.5 Ioh. 8.12.51 in whom I am well pleased heare him And he himselfe cals vs vnto him saying that he is that light of the world and he that followeth him shall not walke in darkenes but shall haue that light of life and that if a man keepe his word he shall neuer see death He saies of himselfe that he is greater then the temple greater then Ionas Matt. 1â— 6.1.22 greater then the wise Salomon And in the great and last day of the feast of the tabernacles he cried saying If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Ioh. 7.37 Ioh. 17.11 15.17.21.24 And to make it manifest that our saluation is most déere vnto him he praies most earnestly for the faithfull that they may be kept in the
priests thereof and against the people of the Land And the word of the Lord came to Ezekiell saying Sonne of man Ezek. 3.17.18 â— I haue made thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel Therefore heare the Word at my mouth and giue them warning from me When I shall say vnto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou giuest not him warning nor speakest to admonish the wicked of his wicked way that hee may liue the same wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but thou hast deliuered thy soule Likewise if a righteous man turne from his righteousnes and coÌ„mit iniquitie I will lay a stumbling blocke before him and he shal die because thou hast not giuen him warning he shall die in his sin and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not bee remembred but his blood will I require at thine hand Neuertheles if thou admonish that righteous man that the righous sinne not and that he doth not sinne hee shal liue because he is admonished also thou hast deliuered thy soule Ezek. 33.3 c. If when the watchman seeth the sword come vpon the land he blow the Trumpet warne the people then he that heareth the sound of the trumpet and will not be warned if the sworde come take him away his blood shall bee vpon his owne head For hee hath heard the sound of the trumpet would not be admonished therefore his blood shal be vpon him But he that receiueth warning shall saue his life But if the watch-man see the sword come and blow not the trumpet and the people be not warned if the sword come take any person froÌ„ among them he is takeÌ„ away for his iniquitie but his blood will I require at the watch-mans hand So thou ô sonne of man I haue made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel saith the Lord to Ezechiel This straite charge laide on the Ministers of the worde of God made the Prophets to rebuke vice and wickednesse without feare How boldly did Eliah reprehend Ahab How boldely did Nathan reprehend Dauid 1. King 18 2. Sam. 12 Isai 1.5.6 10. How boldly did Isaiah reprehend the whole state of Iudah when hee called the chiefest Rulers the Princes of Sodome and when he saide of all the inhabitants of the Land generally The whole Head is sicke and the whole heart is heauie from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therein but woundes and swelling and sores full of corruption they haue not bene wrapped nor bound vp nor mollified with oyle How boldly did Ieremiah reprehend the Iewes blowing his Trumpet saying That the Lord would bring a great destruction froÌ„ the North â—ere 4 7. The Lyon is come vp from his denne and the destroyer of the Gentiles is departed and gone forth of his place to lay thy land waste thy Cities shal be destroyed without an inhabitant Iere. 7.33 34. The carkasses of this people shal be meate for the foules of the heauen and for the beasts of the earth none shall fray them away Then I will cause to cease from the Cities of Iudah and from the streetes of IerusaleÌ„ the voice of mirth and the voyce of gladnes the voice of the Bridegroome and the voyce of the bride for the Land shal be desolate Luk. 3.19 How boldly did Iohn Baptist reprehend Herode for all the euill déedes which he had done Matth. 23 How boldly did OVR SAVIOVR reprehend the hypocrisie dissimulation pride couetousnes false Doctrine of the Scribes Pharisees And how boldly did the Apostles reprehend the Idolatry and iniquitie of the Nations among which they preached the Gospell Séeing therefore it so déepely concernes the ministers of the word and gospell Ioh. 21.15 to féede the flocke and lambes of Christ Act. 20.18 to take héede to the flocks whereof the holy Ghost hath made them ouerseers it is no maruell that Paul wills Titus in Titus al other shepheards of soules to stirre vp all professors of Christ to lead their liues in godlinesse in the feare of the Lorde I will saith the Apostle that thou shouldest affirme That is that thou shouldest auouch it as a thing most certaine and in no case to be doubted of For the fore-going words This is a true saying may also bee referred to that which followeth For Paul is accustomed to vse this sort of speaking when he earnestly affirmes a matter ensuing As when he sayes This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 And when he saith This a true saying If any maÌ„ desire the office of a Bishop he desireth a worthy worke And therefore when he saith 1. Tâ—m 3.1 I will that thou affirme Hee sayes thus in effect I will that thou affirme these things couragiously and with authoritie and that thou vrge this insist on this and omit Fables other vaine things which some do deliuer Auouch these things because they are true and worthie to be belieued Here wee are admonished that Ministers must stoutlie affirme that which concernes Faith and the edifying thereof And we may gather that the Minister must affirme nothing but that which is vndoubted certain and that nothing must be taught preached in the Church of God besides the word of God For who can be an affirmer or an auoucher but hee that is assured that he preacheth not the doctrines of men but the Word of God And what is it that the Minister must so firmely affirme That they which haue belieued God must be carefull to shew forth good works That is that they which haue belieued God should meditate on true iust good things For it becomes those that boast that they are deliuered from their sinnes by the frée mercie goodnes of God so to passe ouer their liues as that they may answer the profession of Christ and not appeere contrary to so great and glorious promises For they that haue the Name of Christ in their mouth doe not follow his example in their life are not vnlike the trees that floorish euery yéere with leaues but neuer bring foorth fruite They are gréene indeede as the Boxe trée but they yéeld either no fruite or little fruite For they séeke their owne and respect their owne but they do not seeke and respect that which concerns the glorie of God and the good of their neighbour Neither is Paul so carefull of good workes as to neglect the roote which is Faith while he gathers the branches and fruits which are good works but he hath regard to both parts and as it is méete he giues and allots the first place to Faith For he saith that they which haue belieued should be carefull to shew foorth good works Whereby he meanes that Faith must goe first and workes must followe For those workes onely are
is this vengeance of God Indeed Dauid himselfe did fret at the prosperitie of the vngodly when he sawe them not in trouble as other men neither plagued with other men Psal 73.7.8.9 c. when he sawe pride as a chaine vnto him and crueltie to couer them as a garment when he sawe their eyes to stand out with fatnes and to haue more then their heart could wish when he sawe them licentious speake wickedly of their oppression talke presumptuously set their mouth against heauen walke with their tongue through the earth saying How doth God knowe it or is there knowledge in the most high And he was almost forrie that he had clensed his heart and washed his hands in innocencie and that he was punished and chastised euery morning for his offences But when he went into the sanctuarie of God then he vnderstood the end of the wicked how that God hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe into desolation how they are suddenly destroyed perished and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh and how God maketh the Image despised The oppressors and defrauders flourish indéed outwardly but we see not their inward anguish and worme of conscience They flourish for a time in this world but how vnspeakable are the tortures prepared in the world to come for such as continue still in sinne and wallowe in wickednes They flourish themselues but what saith the holy Prophet Ier. 17.11 As the Partrich gathereth the young which she hath not brought forth so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a foole that is as the Partrich by calling gathereth others which forsake her when they see that she is not their damme so the couetous man is forsaken of his riches because he commeth by them falsely So true is it that ill gotten goods are ill spent and that the third heire reioyceth not of things ill gotten Ambrose saies Luk. 4.5 that it is fitly spoken that the diuell did shew Christ all the kingdomes of the world in a moment Or in the twinckling of an eye Lib. 4 in Luc. â— 4. for thereby is not the quicknes of light so much shewed as the frailtie of fading power expressed for all those things passe away in a moment and oftentimes the honour of this world goeth away before it come What can abide long in the world since the world it selfe abideth not long The world before God Wisd 11.19 is but a small thing that the balance weigheth The voyce of God commaunded the Prophet to crye All flesh is as grasse Isai 40.6.7.8 and all the grace thereof is as the flower of the field the grasse withereth the flower fadeth because the spirit of the Lord bloweth vpon it surely the people is grasse the grasse withereth the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand for euer 1. Ioh. 2.16.17 All that is in this world As the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of this world and this world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer What is our life Iam. 4.14 It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth away Well said Seneca Why doest thou maruell Epist 111 why art thou amazed at the riches of this world It is but a pompe or glorious spectacle these things are rather shewed then possessed and they passe away while they delight vs. Doest thou not see how that order of the Pompe though proceeding slowly and contriued in due maner yet it passeth away within few houres such is the glorie of this world Heraclitus describing the fléeting away of earthly glorie Apud Senecam Eâ—â—â— said that we goe not downe twife into the same Riuer for albeit the name of the Riuer remaine yet the water slideth away This is most manifest in the water and somewhat cléere also in the goods of this world For consider within the memorie of man how many owners there are sometimes of one house or Tenement or Mannor and who cannot perceiue the sliding away of Heraclitus Riuer They haue seene and acknowledged this fading glorie of the world who haue chiefely enioyed it Sueton. in Aug. Augustus Caesar being néere to his death when he had bene Ruler ouer the whole world aboue 5. yéeres said thus to his friends Doe I not seeme to haue played my part fitly enough in this Enterlude of the world Valete ergo plauaite farewell then and giue me an applause Saladine the Sultan of Asia Syria Bapt. Fulgos l. 7. c. 2. and Aegypt commaunded at his death that his inner linnen garment should be hanged on a long speare and carried through the Campe and that he that carried it should cry out thus with a lowde voyce Saladine the subduer of Asia doth carrie away with him but this linnen garment of all the riches of Asia Syria and Aegypt Gelimer king of the Vandales being taken captiue in Affrick by Belisarius Paulus Diacon l. 6. hist and brought to Iustinian the Emperour when he came into the horse race and sawe both the Emperour sitting aloft in a chaire of state and the common people standing on either side he ceased not to laugh and to cry out vanitie of vanities Eccles. 1.2 all is vanitie for affliction and aduersitie opened his eyes which ease and prosperitie had before blinded Therefore let vs not account such to be happie as flourish for a short space in this world like the gréene baye trée for though in their momentany iolitie they spread their iniquitie with transitorie glorie Psal 37.36.37.38 Yet they passe away and are gone if they be sought they cannot be found but marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace but the transgressors shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off Pro. 6.8 Matt. 16.26 For better is a little with righteousnes then great reuenues without equitie And what shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he lose his own soule or what shall a man giue for recompence of his soule Lacr lib. cap. 4. Stob. ser 2 And therefore Chilon well resolued That damage and losse is better then vniust gaines because losse greeues but once but vniust gaine stings the minde continually Yea but may some say if we be perswaded to iust dealing we be perswaded to follie for how can wisedome and iust dealing stand together He that hath a fugitiue seruant and an vnwholesome and pestilent house and knowes these faults himselfe alone when he is minded to put them away if he conceale it to haue the greater price he is vniust if he confesse it and haue the lesser price or else sell them not at all he is
his Empire aunswered Occidat modô imperet Let him kill me so he may be Emperour and both things came to passe so where many will say Let me loose my soule let me loose Christ let me loose heauen so I may be rich and esteemed on earth let them beware least these things be accomplished as well the one as the other Sen. de vita beat c. 26. What is an horse the better for his golden bridle What is a shipmaister the skilfuller for a faire and large vessell What is a man the better for his golden great and rich estate When Philip King of Macedonia was proud and insulted in his letters written to the Lacedaemonians Plutar. in Lacon for a victorie obtained ouer them Archidamus the Lacedaemonians aunswered him If saith he thou measure thy shadowe thou shalt finde it no greater then it was before the victorie the like may be said to those that being aduanced to offices promotions and wealth doe reckon themselues worthier and greater then other If thou sée a Viper or Aspe Epictesses apud Sâ—â—b ser 3. or Scorpion in an Iuorie or golden boxe thou doest not loue them or greatly account of them for the pretiousnesse of the matter wherein they are contained but thou abhorrest and detestest them for their pernitious nature and qualitie so when thou séest a malicious minde compassed with riches and earthly pompe wilt thou admire the outward brauerie or contemne the inward impietie But howsoeuer the ambitious themselues doe more estéeme of false and transitorie honour then of true glorie that procéedes from vertue as children account more of pennie Cocke horses and Puppets then of true horses and true pictures and howsoeuer men are commonly deceiued in valuing of a man Seu. epist 77. for that we estéeme him not by that hee is to be estéemed indéede but by the outward ornaments Whereas none of those as the Philosopher saith whom riches and honours doe aduaunce is great but seemeth to be great for that wee measure him with the Base and pillar whereon hee stands for paenilio magnus non est licet in monte constiterit Colossus magnitudinem suam seruabit etiam si steterit in puteo A Dwarfe is not great though he stand vpon aâ— Hill a Colosse and Gâ—ant-like Image will retaine his bignes though he stand in a pit Howsoeuer men respect the externall appearance yet God the incorrupt Iudge is no respecter of persons and outward shewes and accepts not the rich for his wealth or the faire for his beautie or the noble for his honour neither disdaines the poore for his beggarie Act. 10.35 want and basenes But in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Questionles the swéetnes of lucre the desire of reputation and the example of the world will tempt vs earnestly to oppresse and defraude For as he that walkes betwéene two enemies Hom. 38. in Matt. saith Saint Chrysostome if he couet to content both must néedes be a turne-coate to them both and speake ill of the one to the other on each side so he that vseth buying and selling can hardly auoyd lying and forswearing for the buyer commonly saies and sweares that it is not worth the price and the seller saies and sweares that it is worth more then he asketh for it And therefore the same Father saith that as when wheate or some other gaine is winnowed and tossed too and fro in the sieue all the corne fals through the sieue by little and little and at last there is left but trash and chaffe in the sieue so the substance of the world passeth away in buying and selling Et in nouissime nihil remanet negociat oribus nisi peccatum and at last nothing but sinne remaineth to those that trafficke And since the case so stands with buyers and sellers by the iudgement of Chrysostome as Zeno Max. ser 5. when his friends asked him how they might still retaine iustice and neuer doe any wrong Answered If you shall suppose that I am alwaies present with you so if any be desirous to know how he may auoid oppression and defrauding it may be answered if he remember and thinke that God is present euery where and seeth al things and is as the Apostle saith auenger of all such things As we also haue told you before time 3. The Ministers duetie and testified When Saint Paul was abding among the Thessalonians he had told them that they ought to auoid couetousnes which bréedeth oppression and defrauding because God is auenger of all such things And this is not all he did not onely tell them so barely and coldly but he did testifie it that is he did vehemently and earnestly foretell it and with comminations and threatnings And this must specially be marked of vs. For such is the flownes and backwardnes of men that except they be egged stirred forwards they will be touched with no sense of Gods iudgements And therefore the Ministers and ouerseers of soules must not coldly sleightly inueigh against the sinnes of men but they must constantly and couragiously not without threatnings contained in holy scripture oppose and set the vengeance of God against iniquitie and wickednes But peraduenture there is no such occasioÌ„ to preach these things among vs as there was for Paul to preach then at Thessalonica Dauid affirmes that in his time there were eaters of men that did eate vp the people of God Psal 14.4 Prou. 3.1.15 as bread And Salomon affirmes that in his time there were horseleaches a generation whose teeth â—ere as swords and their iawes as kniues to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth and the poore from among men and that crâ—ed Giue Giue being as vnfatiable as the graue and the barren wombe and the earth that cannot be satisfied with water and the fire that sayeth not It is enough and some that did spread nets as the net is spread to catch birdes Pro. 2.17 that they might get profite and aduantage euen by taking away of the life of the owners therof Pro. 20. â—â— and buyers that would say It is naught it is naught but when they were gone apart they would boast of their good cheape penniworthes Were their times so corrupt when there were so good Prophets and instructors and are our times holy and vnblamable It is to be wished that it were so but daily and too common experience teacheth that it is not so For consider our markets our faires our priuate contracts and bargaines our shops our cellars our weights our measures our promises our protestations our politicke trickes and villanous Machiauilisme our enhauncing of the prices of all commodies and tell whether the twelfth Psalme may not as fitly be applied to our times as to the daies of the man of God in which the faining and lying and facing and guile and subtiltie of men prouoked the Psalmist to cry out Helpe Lord Psal
of Nabal Indeed I haue kept all in vaine that this fellowe had in the wildernes so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him for he hath requited me euill for good so and more also doe God vnto the enemies of Dauid for surely I will not leaue of all that he hath by the dawning of the day any that pisseth against the wall Euen so Christ may say Indéed in vaine haue I bestowed so many benefites on wicked and obstinate mankind in vaine haue I shewed so many mercies in vaine haue I taken flesh for vngodly and vnfaithfull men and suffered death and preach the Gospell and sent my Apostles and offered the graces of my holy spirit and instituted my Sacraments and winked at them so often and imparted on them so many good things of nature and of the earth and what lay in me for my part I haue caused that nothing hath perished of all that pertained to man in vaine haue I done all this for vngodly and vnfaithfull men since they requite euill for good Vngratefull and foolish men are like to sottish Babel for they haue receiued my benefits yet haue seâ—ued Sathan and the flesh and when I sent my children my poore and my distresied members vnto them they did not couer the naked nor féede the hungrie nor comfort the afflicted God doe so and more also vnto mine enemies For I will destroy them and make them know how dangerous a thing it is to fall into the hands of the liuing God who is euen a consuming fire Abigail met with angrie Dauid Heb. 12.29 and appeased him but in the last Iudgement when Christ shall descend to reuenge the contempt of the vngodly that regarded not his saluation offered vnto them No Abigail shall make Intercession for sinners as S. Chrysostome prooues clearely out of the Scriptures Hom. 22. ad pocul AntiocheÌ„ Behold saith he how he that was not arrayed with the Wedding robe was cast out at the doores and none was a petitioner for him Behold how he that gained not with his Talent was punished and none made Intercession for him Behold how the fiue foolish Virg nes were excluded and their fellowes made no request for them Therfore the terror of this day is vnutterable and cannot be expressed because the Iudge shall be inexorable and cannot be intreated Then shall be heard the great and loude voyce of the Archangell and the Trumpet of God which all the Elements obey which cleaues the Rockes opens Hell breakes the bondes of the dead Chrys sup 1. Cor. 15. calles soules out of the depth and ioyned them againe with their bodies and all this it doth sooner then an Arrow doeth flie through the Ayre For the Apostle saith that it shall be done in a moment or twinkling of an eye Then shall come the time when the vnbeléeuing and vnrepenting shall say to the hils Fall vpon vs to the Mountaines Couer vs Luk. 23.30 and shall hide themselues from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throane and from the wrath of the Lambe and shall séeke death Reu. 6.16 Reu. 9.6 and shall not finde it and shall desire to die and death shall flie from them and shall goe into the holes of the Rockes Isai 2.19 and into the Caues of the earth from before the feare of the Lord and from the glory of his Maiestie when hee shall arise to destroy the earth Then there shall be a most strickt examination For what is lesse then an idle word yet the Lord saith Mat. 12.39 That of euery idle word that men shal speak they shal giue account therof at the day of Iudgement Then the hidden and secret cogitations shall be disclosed 1. Cor. 4.5 For when the Lord doeth come hee will lighten things that are hid in darknes and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and then shal euery man haue praise of GOD. Then shall bee done to the wicked and impenitent sinners which Nathan threatned to Dauid Thou didst it secretly 2. Sam. 12 12 but I will doe this thing before all Israell and before the Sunne That is the lurking sinnes of the vngodly shall be displayed before the view of the whole world 2. Cor. 5.10 Then we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of God that euery man may receiue the things which aâ—e done in his body according to that he hath done whither it be good or euill Eccles 12.14 for God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Then Ierusalem shall be searched with lanterns Ezek. 8.12 and the wall shall be digged downe and the abominations shall be seene at an open doore which sinners haue done in the darke and in their priuie chambers when they fondly said in their imagination The Lord seeth vs not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Then the Sonnes of men shall be called to a reckoning for all their workes as schollers are brought to repetitions in the end of the weeke and laborers receiue their wages in the euening and merchants pay when the faire is done for the wares which they haue staied and taken vp Then the wicked shall feele the shâ—rpenes of the two edged sword of Gods wrath which now is shut vp in the scabberd of mercie and the burning flame of Gods displeasure which is now couered like the Sunne vnder the cloude of long suffering and they shall no more be able to resist Gods firie anger Matt. 3.12 then the chaffe can resist the fire for they are the chaffe that shall be burnt vp with vnquenchable fire Then Sathan will conuince the obdurate transgressor by his owne offences and charge him with the debts he oweth him euen as the Creditor conuinceth his debter by his owne hand-writing Then the sinnes of the vnbeléeuers shall be opened as a fardell in the market and shall appeare in iudgement against them and like bastard children borne of wickednes Wisedom 4.6 shall be witnesses of the wickednes against their parents when they be asked If any should haue his secret faults reuealed in an open assembly in this world Chrys hom 5. ad Rom. would he not rather wish to die and to be swallowed vp quicke of the earth then to haue so many witnesses of his sinnes What then shall become of wretched sinners when all their doings shall be disclosed to the whole world vpon an open and perspicuous stage and shall be séene of infinite thousands whom they neuer knewe Now the sinnes of the wicked are so hidden as if they were written in Gods booke not with cléere Inke but with the iuyce of a citron or orenge Those things which are written with the iuyce of an orenge appeare not till they be brought to the fire and then they may be read plainely euen so the secret iniquities of the vngodly shall clearely appeare in the fire of the last iudgement For in Fire
reiection of the Iewes the destruction of erusaâ—em and the like demonstrations of the last Iudgement And are not daily calamities both publique priuate and the death of the bodie are not these representations Images of the last iudgement Wherefore since it is so certain that the day of iudgement shal come at the time prescribed of God and since that day shall be so searefull and terrible Let vs watch and pray continually that we may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that we may stand before the Sonne of man Secondly we must note The day of iudgemeÌ„t not known and why that the day and houre of the day of Iudgement is vncertaine and vnknowne For this our Sauiour teacheth most euideÌ„tly For wheÌ„ the disciples asked what signe there should be of his coÌ„ming and of the end of the world Christ did not answere when his comming should be but after what manner it should be He declareth the fashion of it but he concealeth the season of it If any shall say that the approaching of it may be discerned by the signes and tokens which our Sauiour himselfe hath set downe and that therewithall the time of it may be somewhat coniectured It may be answered that the prognostications and signes of the day of iudgement are of two sorts some are precedent anâ— going before it and some are conioyned and going with it And of the foregoing tokens some goe long before it and some goe not long before it The signes that goe long before the day of iudgement Matt. 24 24.3â—.38 are these First the preaching of the Gospell throughout the whole world and among all nations secondly that strange securitie and gluttonie such as was in the daies of Noah before the flood thirdly a departure from sound doctrine of which Paul speakes 1. Tim. 4.1 when he saith That the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede vnto spirits of error and doctrines of Diuels fourthly a wonderfull disorder and corruption in manners for in the last daies saith the scripture shall come perillous times 2. Tim. 3.1.2.3.4 for men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to Parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of them which are good traitours headie hie-minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God fiftly the reuealing of that notable Antichrist for the Apostle saith 2. Thess 2.3 That no man must deceiue vs by any meanes For that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition sixtly Luk. 2â— 12 Matt. 24.10 Matt. 24.11 the persecution of the godly and betraying of them for the name of Christ seuenthly publike and notorious scandales and offences eightly many false Christs false Prophets saying I am Christ that is vsing the name of Christ or faining that they are sent of Christ or that they are that which Christ is shewing forth signes and wonders to deceiue the very elect if it were possible ninthly neglect of loue and charitie and a falling from the faith The signes going néerely before the day yet such as the day shall not presently follow are these First in heauen Mar. 13.17.24 the sunne shall be darkened that is there shall be eclipses of the Sunne the Moone shall loose her light the Starres shall fall from heauen that is shall séeme to fall the powers of heauen shall be shaken Secondly in the earth there shall be great earthquakes sturs and tumults nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Luk. 11.9.10.15 Mar. 13.7.8 Luk. 21.23 no place shall be frée from wars pestilences famines persecutions and vexations 3. In the sea there shall be fearefull roaring sounding and flowing 4. In the aire there shall be dreadfull and terrible tempests In a word the heauen earth and all Elements shall expresse the face of an angrie Iudge that sinners may be warned to repent Super. Matt. 24. except they will perish suddenly And therefore Saint Chrysostome saies When the good man of the house dieth the familie lamenteth apparelleth it selfe with blacke garments so when mankind drawes to an end the powers of heauen which were made for mankind doe mourne and putting aside beautie are ouerwhelmed with darkenes When the king of heauen ariseth to iudge the quicke and dead the Angelicall powers shall be moued and the terrible seruants shall goe before the terrible Lord. Vnto these foregoing signes may be added the conuersion or gathering of Israel to the faith that is of the whole Iewish nation to the Church of Christ Luk. 21.24 Isai 59. Rom. 11. when the fuâ—â—s of the gentiles is come in of which conuersion both the Prophet and the Apostle maketh mention and the which how and when it shall be none knowes but God These are the signes that goe before the second comming of Christ The tokens conioyned and going with the day of iudgement are the wayling of the kinreds of the earth Matt. 24.30 and the signe of the Sonne of man which shall be seene in the heauen when the Lord shall come in the cloudes which some take for the signe of the Crosse and some take for the excellent glory and Maiestie which shall giue witnes that Christ is come to iudge the whole world Now by the accomplishing of the foregoing signes which we haue scene and doe see daily performed we may gather the néere approaching of the day of iudgement but of the signe that shall goe with it the time is vncertaine and therefore our Sauiour saith Matt. 24.33 When ye see all these things knowe that the kingdome of God is neere euen at the doores and he addes presently but as the daies of Noah were Verse 37.38.39 so likewise shall the comming of the Sonne of man be for as in the daies before the flood they did eate and drinke marrie and giue in marriage vnto the day that Noah entered into the Arke and they knewe nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be And he ads withall of this be sure Verse 43.44 that if the goodman of the house knewe at what watch the theefe wold come he would surely watch not suffer his house to be digged through therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the Sonne of man come 2. Pet. 3.10 This Peter learned of his Maister Christ when he said That the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night And likewise Paul Thess 5.2.3 when he said That the day of the Lord shall come euen as a theefe in the night for when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as
the trauell vpon a woman with childe and they shall not escape Luk. 21.35 And our Sauiour saith also that that day shall come as a snare on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Very fitly may the comming of that great day be compared vnto a snare For as a bird or beast feares nothing lesse then the snare but they flee and wâ—nder freely and without feare in the fields and woods seeking their foode and yet by the câ—aft and Arte of men of which they are not aware they fall into traps and snares and so are slaine euen so vpon earthly men which dwell vpon the face of the earth and which still gape on gaine of the world the prouidence of God which such people thinke not of brings the iudgement of God suddenly and so holdes them entangled in eternall condemnation The day then of iudgement must néedes be vncertaine since Christ sets it forth by very sudden things to wit Noahs floud a théefe a snare And the cause of the vncertaine day thereof is that we should take héede beware watch pray and be prepared If the bird or beast did know of the snare before hand how carefully would they auoid it For if the bird or beast once escape out of the snare they will hardly returne to that place againe Against théeues men build strong houses and shut their doores with lockes and barres and kéepe their dwellings with dogges and watchmen and weapons If there were as great care for the soule and eternall saluation as for the life temporall and earthly treasures and possessions who would not be readie for the day of iudgement And as God hath hidden the time of this last iudgement from vs that we should daily and hourely expect Christs comming and be watchfull that that day finde vs not vnreadie and that the number of the elect may be fulfilled 2. Pet. 3.9 Reu. 6.11 and the remnant of the faithfull may be called by the Gospell to the Church of Christ and that our faith hope and patience may be tryed and we stird vp to repentance and that the vngodly that contemne the lenitie of God Rom. 2.4.5 and the space that he hath so bountifully granted for their amendment may be made more and more inexcusable 2. Pet. 3.8.9 so also God hath hidden the time of the iudgement from vs to bridle our curiositie that we should not enquire after his hidden and secret Counsels For Christ himselfe saies That of that day and houre knoweth no man Mar. 13.32 not the Angels which are in heauen neither the Son himselfe but the Father In which words our Sauiour would hold the mindes of the faithfull in suspence least by false imagination they should prefixe a day and certaine time for the last redemption For such is mens curiositie that neglecting things necessarie to be knowne they most scrupulously desire to know that which God hath not vouchsafed to reueale vnto them The Apostles themselues were attainted of this curiositie and for this cause Christ said vnto them when they asked whether hee would restore the kingdome to Israel It is not for you Act. 1.6.7 said he to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Therefore to draw vs from this curiositie and to cut off all occasion of enquirie after that Christ had discouered of his comming and the occurrences thereof hee presently speakes of the vncertaine day and houre therof For hee would haue the day of his comming to be so looked for and hoped for as that none should presume to enquire when hee would come and he would haue his disciples to walke in such light of faith as that being vncertaine of the time they should patiently waite for the reuelation thereof And therefore we must take héede that we be not more carefull and curious in the seasons and moments of time then the Lord doth permit For the chiefest part of Christian wisedome consisteth herein that we containe our selues within the limits and precincts of the word of God And therefore when the Apostle for the consolation of the godly had fore-tolde some things of the last times and Christes comming hee immediately addeth against this curiositie But of the times and seasons 1. Thess 5.1 brethren saith he yee haue no neede that I write vnto you Yea why should it gréeue men to be ignorant of that day since the Angels of GOD know it not Were it not too great pride and too importunate desire for vs wormes and wretches that créepe on the earth to séeke to know more then the Angels of heauen Therefore let vs be willing to be ignorant of that of which God would haue vs to be ignorant Yea were it not the extreamest folly to be vnwilling to submit our selues to that ignorance which the very Sonne of God himselfe hath not refused to vndertake for our sake Indéede for that many haue thought that it becommeth not Christ to be ignorant of any thing they haue endeuoured to mollifiâ— the hardnesse of the spéech as they accounted it with their owne inuention And it may be that the malice of the Arrians who by this place laboured to prooue that Christ was not the true and onely God enforced them to this starting hole as to say that Christ knew not the houre of the Iudgement because he would not reueale it vnto other But séeing it is cleare that an ignorance is attributed to Christ common with the Angels some other fitter meaning must be sought out of these words For it is nothing to say that Christ is God and God is ignorant of nothing for there are in Christ two natures so ioyned in one person that each nature retaineth it owne proprieties and specially the Deitie did as it were rest and not shew it selfe foorth as often as for the accomplishing of the office of the Mediator it was requisite that the humane nature should by it selfe worke that which appertained vnto it Therefore it is no absurditie for Christ that knew all things as hee is God to be ignorant of something as he is man How else could he haue beene like vnto vs and subiect to griefe and heauinesse And it is a great absurditie for any to reply that ignorance which is the punishment for sinne beséemeth not Christ For first it is folly to thinke that the ignorance which is here ascribed to the Angels procéedeth from sinne and againe it is folly not to acknowledge that Christ tooke vpon him our flesh to the end he might vndergoe the punishments that were due to our sinnes And that Christ knew not the day and haâ—re of the last iudgement according to his humanitie it derogates no more from his diuine nature then that hee was once mortall and subiect to death Now questionlesse Christ in attributing this ignorance to himselfe had respect to the office enioyned him by his Father as he did when he said that it was not his
part Math. 20.23.24 to place any on his right or left hand in the kingdome of heauen For he doth not there absolutely derogate that authoritie from himselfe but the sense is that he was not sent from the Father with this commandement while hee liued among men so héere also we must vnderstand that as hee descended to be our Mediator till he had executed that office he had not that giuen him which he receiued after his resurrection For hee affirmeth that then the power ouer all things is giuen vnto him Math. 28.18 And therefore as he tooke on him all other things pertaining to mans infirmitie Heb. 2.17.14.15 being in all things like vnto men sinne excepted so he tooke on him also the knowledge and ignorance and reason and vnderstanding of man which by degrées is encreased and diminished and in respect whereof he is said not to know this or that Luk. 2.52 As else-where it is written that Iesus encreased in wisedome and stature and in fauour with God and men Where are they now that professe their knowledge of the yeare of the last iddgement when Christ the onely Sonne of God confesseth that he is ignorant of it Some Anabaptists haue boasted of their prophecies reuelations to the simple multitude and haue not doubted to prefixe the certaine yeare moneth and day of the iudgement some haue calculated the day by iudiciarie Astrologie and by the position and aspect of the starres or by Arithmaticall and imaginarie supputations of numbers and times some haue béene indured or rather seduced to determine the day by ancient and friuolous predictions of others but of these it may be said as the acute and excellent Epigrammatist taxeth a forward Calculator Nonaginta duos durabit mundus in anno Ioan. Munaus ad arbitrium si staâ— abâ—que tuum Ouen Cur mundi finem propiorem non facis vt ne Ante obitum mendax arguerere sapis That they are wise in setting the day so far off least otherwise in their life time they shuld be conuicted of lying Some haue béene misled by weake coniectures producing the Oracle receiued by the tradition of the Iewes which they refer to Eliah and to his schoole namely that the world shuld last sixe thousand yeares so distributing those yeares that two thousand should be spent before the law two thousand vnder the law and two thousand vnder the kingdome of the Messiah and adding that these last two thousand yeares shal scarce haue full consummation because of the most gréeuous iniquities of the world but these must know that that prophesie is vaine because there were before the law two thousand fiue hundred and thirtéene yeares and much lesse then two thousand yeares vnder the lawe Some haue fained that the world should continue sixe daies as it was created in sixe daies but for euery day they haue allotted a thousand yéeres Psal 90.4 as though Dauid meant so when he said That a thousand yeeres in the sight of the Lord are as yesterday when it is past Some other haue supposed that the mystecall body of Christ which is the Church shall abide on earth thirtie thrée yeeres because Christ in regard of his body which he tooke of the Virgine abode so long in this world and for euery yeere they appoint fiftie vsuall yéeres that they make vp the yéere of Iubilee but these are to vnderstand that the end of the world depends not on the lawe or course of nature or from any other secondarie cause but on the pleasure and secret determination of the Lord. Some on the contrarie are so farre of from calculating of a certaine yeare and day as that they feare not to make a flat doubt whether there shall be an end of the world or not 1. Pet. 4.7 Iam. â— 8 because Saint Peter saith that the end of all things is at hand and Saint Iames saith againe that the comming of the Lord draweth neere and yet Saint Paul doth plainely contradict them as they thinke affirming that the day of the Lord should not yet come but these must remember that the Apostles are not coÌ„trarie among themselues for they speake not of the same things nor in the same respect For S. Peter S. Iames say that the day of iudgement is at hand in respect of God with whom a thousand yéeres are but as one day Whereas S. Paul denieth that the day of the Lord was at hand in his Age and while he liued disputing against the false Prophets nor prefixed a meere and certaine time and yet he denieth not that the comming of the Lord drew neere or that these are the last times in comparison of former Ages and of the appearing of the Messiah which no other time shall in such sort succeede nor haue so long continuance as was the continuance from the creation of the world to the Birth of Christ And though that houre be so vncertaine as that we neither may nor ought to search after it yet by the fore-going signes which we daily see accomplished and by the deprauation and vngodlinesse of manners which is come to the very top it is euident enough that the day of Christ is not far off euen as the buds of trées declare the approaching of the Summer and the Husbandman gathers by the waxing yellow of the Eare that Haruest is néere at haÌ„d and these signes are as it were Criers Apparitors to summon men to Christs Tribunall seate though touching the Yéere Moneth Day Houre and momeÌ„t men know nothing because in scripture there is reuealed nothing For Austen saith well That as the last age of man which is his old age cannot be limited by a certaine nuÌ„ber of yeeres like the rest of the ages namely Child-hood youth constant setled age So the last age of the world cannot be determined by certaine yeeres Wherfore we must reiect curious superstitious and vnprofitable questions wherein sathan entangleth many that they should neglect faith hope charitie the necessarie offices of vertue and when we heare mention of the last iudgement we must prepare our selues to watch and pray that by the vnlookt for comming thereof we be not oppressed suddenly For this sudden coÌ„ming of the day of iudgement cuts off all delaies that are commonly made for leading our liues in the feare and awe of God Let none say that so many threatnings haue past of that day of iudgement and that it is not yet séene and therefore that they may liue securely for how farre off or neere soeuer the generall iudgement be yet the day of death which will bring thée to thy particular iudgement may be very nigh and because of the shortnes of mans life on the earth cannot be many yéeres off If a king should giue thée a Lordship on this condition that within one houre thou shouldest dispatch the letters of donation and cause the great Seale to be annexed thereunto what diligence and spéede wouldest thou vse
on Christ our Mediatour and Aduocate and to declare our faith by vertue and godlines of liuing that we may be absolued and preuaile against the daungerous enemies and accusees of our soules in the last and great day of iudgement For where our Sauiour saith That the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Ioh. 5.28 we must attentiuely consider that it is said that the houre of the last day shall come For because we doe often so much pursue the vanitie of this world therein passeth away the tediousnes of houres and times in that we are taught that the houre of iudgement shall come and we knowe not how soone this must make vs carefull and watchfull in the loue and embracing of godlines For they that affirme that all shall at the last be said how can they aunswere to that spéech of him that cannot lie when he speaketh of the resurrection and last iudgement saying They shall come foorth that haue done good Ioh. 5.29 vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation In which words Christ sheweth that the twofold state of men shall appeare in the end of the world also and not without iust cause For as men haue béene diuerse in this life some elect some reprobate so euery one shall haue his reward and Christ shall gather all nations before him and separate them as the Shepheard separates the shéepe and goates setting the shéepe on the right hand and the goates on the left hand All shall liue indéed after the generall iudgement but there shall be a distinction of this life by the iudgement of Christ the iust Iudge For Christ béeing God that taketh no pleasure in iniquitie when he hath gathered the wheate into his gainer that is when he hath called and receiued the faithfull and godly to the perpetuall possession of his kingdome Matt. 3.11 then he will burnethe chaffe that is vnfruitful persons workers of iniquitie with fire that cannot be extinguished and the Angels shall goe forth and separate the euill from the iust Matt. 13.41 Mar. 9.41 and throwe them into the fornace of flaming fire where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth and the worme will neuer die This the Diuine expresseth in these words He that ouercometh shall inherite all things and I will be his God â—eu 21.7.8.27 and he shall be my son but the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death for none vncleane thing shall enter into Heauen neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lyes but they which are written in the lambes booke of life The Apostle preaching to the Athenians Act. 17.31 said that God hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes As if Saint Paul had said that the circumstance and consideration of the time must stir vs vp to repentance and amendment of life for this is the time of grace in which men may be partakers of Gods mercie if they repent But if men stubbornely reiect the mercie of the Lord offered vnto them they must knowe that all men shall in the prefixed day be arraigned before Gods Tribunall seate which can neither be auoyded nor refused For albeit God suffer the vngodly for a time yet he doth it not for that he alloweth their wickednes but that by his forbearance he may allure them to repentance and if they contemne his kindnes and long suffering when he inuiteth them to his feare at length will they nill they they shall finde him a sharpe and seuere Iudge As he patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the old world in the daies of Noah but at last said Gen. 6.3 That his spirit should not alway striue with man because he is but flesh and that his daies should be an hundreth and twentie yeares that is because men could not be wonne by Gods lenitie and long sufferance whereby as it were he stroue to ouercome them he would no longer stay his vengeance but definitely prescribe the terme of an hundreth and twentie yeares in which the inhabitants of the earth might repâ—nt before the Earth were destroyed Gen. 19.19.24.25 and as God patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the Sodomites in the daies of Lot but at last for their hardnes of heart consumed them with fire and brimstone from heauen and their cities and that that grew vpon the Earth and as God patiently expected for a long time the conuersion of the Israelites sending his seruants the Prophets daily vnto them that they might be spared 2. King 17.13.14 but at last for reiecting and contemning of his admonitions and threatnings he destroyed Samaria Ierusalem so whosoeuer shall doe wickedly and yet shall thinke to escape Gods iudgement Rom. 2. â— 4 5.6.7.8 â— 10 despising the riches of Gods bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God should lead him to repentance he after his hardnes and heart that cannot repent heapeth vp as a treasure vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his works that is to them which through patience in well doing séeke glorie and honor and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentions and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill of the Iew first and also of the Grecian but to euery man that doth good shall be glorie and honour and peace to the Iewe first and also to the Grecian And why is the separation of the good and bad expressed by the comparison of the shéepe and goates but partly for the consolation of the godly who in this mixture of good and bad are manifoldly molested by the reprobate as the shéepe are by the goates partly for the instruction and admonition of the godly that we should be most studious in this life to cast aside the manners and malice of goates and to expresse the simplicitie and innocencie of shéepe When the world goes about to draw vs to the pleasures of youth and by addicting our selues to vanitie to forget God and his worship let vs call to minde what Salomon saith of this matter reioyce saith he Eccles. 11.9 ô young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but knowe that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement When the loue of the world and the desire of riches and honour shall moue vs to be vnconscionable vnmercifull readie
such death and tribulations are not a reproach vnto them but a thing glorious in Gods sight and pleasing vnto him Rom. 5.3 Therefore the Apostle saieth That we reioyce in Tribulations That is we iudge afflictions to be a glorious thing which God will after chaunge into glorie and this is the peculiar wisdome of the Church which the world perceiueth not Lastly hee affirmeth that there remaines a life and iudgement after the death of the bodie For if the death of the godlie be not neglected of God but is pretious in his sight and on the contrarie * Mors impiorum pessima vulgata translatio ex Graeco Psal 6.8 If the death of the vngodly bee euill there must néedes remaine a iudgement wherein this shall bee made manifest to all Tyrants shall receiue punishment for their crueltie but the godly shall be â—dorned w th eternall glorie For if God number the teares of the faithfull and put them into a Bottell Ps 34.21 How can he suffer the blood that is shed for the confession of his diuine Name to perish and vanish away to nothing Doest thou quake and tremble at the remembrance of that horrible day 2. Pet. 3.10 in which the Heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the Elements shall melte with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vp Bee of good comfort For thy Iudge is also thy Sauiour he is thy Brother he is thy head and thou a member of his bodie Hee loues thée most ardently hee is thy Iesus That is SAVIOVR Patrone Aduocate Redeemer Intercessor Hee layed downe his life for thée Ioh. 5.24 He hath sworne with an oath that if thou belieue in him thou shalt haue eternall life He maketh request for thée and who shall condemne thée He coÌ„meth to finish the troubles of the World and to auenge himselfe of his enemies and to deliuer the godly from the hands of sinners and he commeth not to condemne thée but to absolue thée and not to torture thée but to rid thée from all miserie and to make manifest thy full Redemption and to frée thy bodie also from all calamities to performe that promise of eternall life which so often he hath made vnto thée in his sacred word For he that heareth his word belieueth God that sent him hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but hath passed froÌ„ death to life Therefore as Christ saith Surely Reu. 22.20 I come quickly So thou mayest say with the Euangelist Amen euen so come Lord Iesus It is for the wicked that haue no part in Christ to tremble and be dismaied at the very mention of the great day For what haue they to doe with it Amos. 5.18.19.10 the day of the Lord is as darknes and not light as if a man did flie from a Lyon a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him shall not the day of the Lord to the wicked be darknes not light euen darknes and no light in it Zach. 9.9 But the Prophet Zachariah bids the Daughter of Zyon to reioyce for the comming of her King And vpon good reason Isai 35.4 for as another Prophet testifieth The same day that brings wrath vengeance to the vngodlie brings a recompence and saluation to the godly For which cause the holie Apostle Paul sets this downe for a marke of the faithfull by which they may be knowne Namely 1. Cor. 1.7 2. Tim. 4.8 that they wayre for the appearing of CHRIST and loue his comming Therefore if we shall happeÌ„ to liue at such time as Christ shall come to Iudgement against the beholding of those ghastly signes which shall be ioyned with his CoÌ„ming we must coÌ„fort our selues with Christs promise that then our Redemption draweth neere that is that he will take vs to himselfe into heauen finally deliuer vs from all miseries In the meane time let vs belieue with the Apostle That there is layed vp for vs the crowne of righteousnes which the Lorde the righteous Iudge shall giue vs at that day not to vs only but vnto all them that loue that his appearing And when we sée the clowds of the Heauen let vs be admonished of these things For as when Christ Ascended Act. 1.11 a clowde tooke him out of sight and as Christ shall so come againe euen as he was takeÌ„ vp that is in the clowds 2. Thess 4.17 so the clowds shall as a Charret to lift vs vp to eternal glorie and we shal be rapt vp into the clowdes to meete the Lorde in the Aire Psal 20.3 c. When we heare the Thunder which is the terrible and mightie voice of God let vs suppose that we heare the lowde voice of the high Iudge pronouncing the Sentence both of the shéepe and goates When wee sée the swift and bright and sudden flashes and flakes of lightning Let them call to our mindes the sudden and vnexpected and * Epipháneian 2. Tim. 4.8 cleere and perspicuous comming and appearing of the supreme Iudge For as the lightening that lighteneth out of the one part vnder heauen shineth vnto the other part vnder Heauen so shall the Sonne of man be in his day Luk. 17.24 And since these things must be so For heauen and earth shall passe and be changed but the word of the Lorde abideth for euer what manner persons ought wee to be in holy conuersation godlines looking for and hasting vnto the coÌ„ming of that day of God by which the heauens being on fire 2. Pet. 3.11.12.13.14 shal be dissolued the Elements shall melte with heate But we looke for new Heauens and a newe Earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnes Wherefore seeing we looke for such things Let vs be diligent that wee may bee found of him in peace without spot and blameles Let vs take heed to our selues Luk. 21.34 least at any time our hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on vs at vnawares There are thrée Robes and Garments belonging to a true Christian The first is a Purple robe the second is a white robe the third is a golden robe If we will attaine to true happines and holines Iude. vers 23. wee must cast off our owne polluted rags and denie our selues and we must put on these rich pretious garments First we must be arraied in a purple garment dyed and dipped in the blood of the Sonne of God That is Gal. 3.27 wee must fréely receiue forgiuenes of sinnes and be reconciled to GOD through CHRIST and Faith in his blood and this is our Iustification Next Rom. 13.13 wee must be clothed with a white robe That is it becomes vs to be renued in the spirit of our mind and to serue God in holines and
hee is faint and his soule longeth So shall the multitude of all Nations be that fight against Mount Zion This is true generally of all the ioyes of the vngodly although Literally the Prophet compares onely the glorie and power of the Assyrians and their Adherents that oppugned the Churche of GOD to the pleasure of those that dreame they eat drinke whereas it is a false and illuding pleasure In a Mappe or Chart are seene Kingdoms and Prouinces and Cities and Seas and diuerse Countreyes and yet all this is paper and ynke which is blurred corrupted with one drop of water The heart of man possessed with the vaine delites of the world is such a map Hee that thinks that he shall or doth possesse Towers and Castels and honors and Treasures and what not shall find all these to be but as paper and yuke and a table painted in the imagination which one Ague or other sicknes by the approching of death vtterly defaceth and dissolueth Let the wicked flatter himselfe neuer so much Iob. 20.6.7.8.9 yet his reioycing is short and the ioye of Hypocrites is but a moment though his excellencie mount vp to the Heauen and his head reach vnto the clowdes yet shall he perish for euer like his Dung and they which haue séene him shall say where is he He shall flie away as a Dreame and they shall not finde him and shall passe away as a vision of the night so that the eye which had séene him Hom. 2. ad popul Antioch shall doe so no more and his place shall sée him no more Therefore S. Chrysostome affirmes that in he hath laughed at the follie of some men who in their last Wils and Testaments haue bequeathed the vse of some Houses and Fieldes to one man and the Lordship of them to an other man whereas in trueth the vse onely of these things is granted vnto men and not the Lorship For the earth is the Lords and all that is therein Howsoeuer men perswade themselues yet we are in this life but Guests Strangers and Pilgrims and we haue the world for a lodging place not for an abiding Citie Let vs therefore vse this world as if wee did not vse it for the fashion of this world passeth away Let vs not set our hearts on riches though they encrease Let vs not set our affections on earthly things but on heauenlie things Fixing our heartes there where true ioyes are found Againe on the other side when we are afflicted we must not be dismaied but we must remeÌ„ber that afflictioÌ„s are very profitable vnto vs For they stirre vs vp to praier they trie and prooue our Faith whither it be true or temporarie onely they worke Patience in vs which the holie Ghost powreth into our hearts by suggesting and affoording manifolde consolations They cause vs to yéeld obedience to the commaundements of God they humble vs in that they shew vnto vs our weaknes and enforce vs to depend vpon God they mooue vs to repentaÌ„ce clense away the drosse of iniquitie that hangs so fast on they bréed at length the praises of God in our minds mouthes and instruct vs both to comfort other with that comfort wherewith wee our selues are comforted of God and to Sympathize and be compassionate towardes them that are in other or the like case And who will not with patience endure afflictions if he consider that they are sent from the gratious prouidence of God which measureth them out vnto vs according to our strength and as hee foreséeth that they will redound to our saluation For as the best and skilfullest Physitians do heale dislike diseases by dislike curings remoouing some by swéete medicines some by bitter though to some they applie searing to some launcing to some oyle to some gentle Plaisters yet by most variable meanes they seeke one and the same health So GOD if hee scourge vs seuerely hee cures our soules as it were by Searings and cuttings if he refresh vs with prosperity hee comfortes vs as it were with oyle and pleasant plaisters working by diuerse courses one and the same saluation If Tribulation pricke thée and thou wilt deriue the name thereof from a †Tribulus Thistle yet the Lord will so order it that it shall but pricke thee to amendment and forsaking of sinne or pricke thee to runne the race that is set before thee to eternall life with more diligence and watchfulnes Or if thou account Tribulation to be as a Threshing-toole as the * Triâ—â—la name thereof also may seeme to importe Yet as the Threshing toole doeth not crush or bruise the good graine but onely exempts it from the dâ—â—r and chaffe that after the Chaffe is separated and blowne away from the good Corne it may be conuerted to Bread the strengthening of mans hart So Tribulation by the gratious appointmeÌ„t of the Lord shall not extinguish our Faith and godlines but by little and little abandon and chase away the relicts of our naturall pollution that our vertue and good workes may bee layde vp in Gods garner and we obtaine the ende of our Faith euen the saluation of our soules This is euidently declared by Saint Peter when he saieth that Affliction is layed vpon vs for the triall of our Faith 1. Pet. 1.7 that it being much more pretious then Golde that perisheth though it bee tried with Fire might be found to our praise and honor and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ And he vseth a most apt similitude in comparing affliction to a fire For as fire workes diuerse effects vpon things of diuerse natures for it melts waxe and hardens claye it purgeth gold and burneth drosse so affliction hath diuerse operations according to the persons on which it is inflicted for it consumes the wicked with impatience or obdurates them with distrust but the godly are thereby mollified to mortifie their concupiscence to cal on God to fashion themselues to his holy will to manifest their faith in taking tribulation patiently that the Lord may temper the bitternes thereof with his loue and gentlenes If then affliction be but a purging fire it is to be feared of chaffe and not of pure metall For it is the chaffe that is burnt and turned into ashes in the fornace but gold is there purified and refined Aug. in Psal 60. The fornace is the world the gold are the righteous the fire is tribulation the goldsmith is God The goldsmith doth what he listeth and when he punisheth we must suffer for he commaunds vs to suffer and he knowes how to purge vs. Although the chaffe flame to burne and consume vs yet the chaffe is turned into ashes and we are made cleane thereby And therefore séeing affliction is so beneficiall to our saluation and God vseth it as a remedie to reforme our imperfections it must be so far off from our hearts to suppose our selues miserable in wrestling with tribulations that with the
Ethnick Democritus apud Sen. de prou we must account them wretched that haue neuer bene wretchâ—d Et nihil infalirius eo cui nihil aduênit vnquam aduersi that he is most vnhappie that was neuer crost with any aduersitie How can the godly be wretched in their afflictions since God our mercifull father doth so guide and moderate them that they cannot exceede that measure which he prescribeth nor transgresse the limits and bounds which he prefixeth Chrys hom 4. de diuers We sée the Musitian neither to straine the string that it should breake nor to slacken the string that it should marre the melodie but to wrest it temperately that the tune may be proportionable so God bestowes vpon vs neither continuall prosperitie nor continuall aduersitie but according to his endles wisedome he dealeth with vs so as neither continuall prosperitie may make vs slothfull nor continuall aduersitie make vs dismayed It is not still winter nor still summer it is not stil teÌ„pestuous weather nor still calme weather it is not still night nor still day so tribulation shall be but it shall not be alwaies Art thou beaten with the stormes of winter be of good comfort there will come a spring Art thou thronged in the rough bushes of calamitie and trouble be not daunted there growes some wholesome hearbe in those hard briars Art thou pursued by the swelling surges of aduersitie take courage to thée for though the flouds rage horribly yet the Lord commaunds the seas and windes and they obey and though the waues swell fearefully yet God hath limited them their bounds and hath said thus farre you shall come and no further For it is he that mittigateth our miseries asswageth our griefes either by taking of them away vtterly or by assisting and comforting of vs in our distresse most fatherly The Israelites were straightly enrounded hauing before them the red sea behind them their enemies the Egyptians on either side mountaines so that considering their imminent perill they said to Moses Hast thou brought vs to die in the wildernes because there were no graues in Egypt But what was the answere of Moses and what deliuerance did the Lord promise and performe Feare ye not saith Moses Exod. 14.11.13.14 stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom ye haue seene this day ye shall neuer see them againe the Lord shall fight for you this day therefore hold you your peace Act. 12. When Peter slept betwéene two souldiours bound with two chaines and the kéepers before the doore kept the prison what way could the vnderstanding of man espie for his escaping yet the Angell of God did wonderfully deliuer him so as for the present Peter himselfe knew not that it was true which was done of the Angell but thought he had séene a vision Euen so when we are in perplexitie and can sée no way to passe out yet if we faithfully trust in God and zealously call vpon him he will giue an issue and euasion for our escaping and deliuer vs out of daunger as out of the lyons mouth and shake all feare from our hearts as the chaines fell off from Peters hands For why 2. Cor. 1.10 God hath deliuered his children from great daungers and doth deliuer them and will deliuer those that trust in him 2. Tim. 4.17.18 God will assist and strengthen them and deliuer them from euery euill worke and will preserue them vnto his heauenly kingdome 2. Pet. 2.9 God knoweth to deliuer the godly out oftentation as he deliuered iust Lot vexed with the vncleanely conuersation and vnlawfull déeds of the wicked and God the author of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 which hath called vs to eternall glorie by Christ Iesus after that we haue suffered a little while will make vs persit confirme strengthen and stablish vs. And the Apostle may well say that we suffer but a little while for how can our suffrings belong in so short a life Psal 90.5.6 â—0 13.14.1â— Man groweth vp like grasse which in the morning flourisheth and groweth but in the euening it is cut downe and withereth for our daies passe away as a thought the time of our life is thréescore yéeres and tenne if men be of strength fourescore yeeres yet their strength is but labour and sorrow for it is cut off quickly and we flee away Therefore we must hope that the Lord will returne and be pacified towards his seruants and fill vs with his mercie that we may reioyce and be glad all our daies and that he will comfort vs according to the daies that he hath afflicted vs and according to the yeeres that we haue séene euill Wherefore when Dâ—uâ—â— had said of himselfe out of his owne experience that when he had sought the Lord he was heard and deliuered out of all his feare he infers generally the Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him Psal 31.7.8.15.17.18.19.20 and deliuereth them taste and sée how good and gratious the Lord is the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto their crie the righteous crie and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their troubles The Lord is néere vnto them that are of a contrite hart Psalm 94.12.13.14 and will saue such as be afflicted in spirite Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Blessed therefore is the man whom the Lord chastiseth and teacheth in his Law that he may giue him rest from the dayes of euill whiles the pitte is digged for the wicked Surely the Lord will not faile his people neither will he forsake his inheritance If then God doe deliuer his children out of their afflictions Pathémata Mathémata Aduersitie may be called an Vniuersitie and Schoole of the holie Ghost where we are instructed to pray earnestly and to the Lorde alone And that wee should be the readier to pray God hath commanded vs to repaire and flée to him in our distresse and promised that wee shall be heard Psal 50.5 Call vpon mee in the day of trouble So will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And to whome should we pray but to the Lord God that féedeth his Flocke like a Shepheard and gathereth the Lambs with his arme Isay 40.11 12.15.22.23.29.30.31 and carrieth them in his bosome and guideth them with young who hath measured the waters with his fist counted heauen with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the Mountaines in a weight and the Hills in a ballance Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the dust of the ballance Behold he taketh away the Isles as a little dust hee sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the
inhabitaÌ„ts thereof are as grashoppers he stretcheth out the HeaueÌ„s as a curtaine spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in Hee bringeâ—h the Princes to nothing maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie He giueth strength vnto him that fainteth and vnto him that hath no strength hee increaseth power euen the young men shall fainte and be wearie and the young men shall stumble and fall but they that waite vpon the Lorde shall renue their strength they shall lift vp the wings as the Eagles they shall runne not be wearie and they shall walke not fainte And thus saith the Lord Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his Arme withdraweth his heart from the Lord Ier. 17.5.6.7.8 For hee shall be like the Heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when anie good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernes in a salte land not inhabited but blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lorde whose hope the Lord is for he shal be as a tree that is plaÌ„ted by the water which spreadeth out the rootes by the Riuer shall not feele when the heate coÌ„meth but her leafe shall be greene shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease froÌ„ yeelding fruite If we should trust in man in whome should wee trust rather then in Princes But what saieth the man of God Put not your trust in Princes Psal 146.3.4.5.6 nor in the sonne of man for there is no help in him his breath departeth and he returneth to his eatth then his thoughts perish blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lorde his God which made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth his Fidelitie for euer But although we are to implore the aide of God alone in our troubles although God hath promised to heare vs to assist vs with his helpe yet we must beware that we neither murmure against God if hee answere vs not as we thinke fit nor appoint set downe a time of our deliuerance but we must abide the Lordes leisure Thou wilt not appoint a time to the Physitian of thy bodie when or what or how he shall minister vnto thee and when thou art seared or launced thou endurest and if thou call on the Physitian hee heares not as thou listeth but as he iudgeth fittest for thy recouery And wilt thou bee offended if God satisfie not thy request by and by Or wilt thou defigne a time when hee shall ease thy sorrowe forgetting that GOD is the Physitian of thy soule In Psal 2â— and that Tribulation is Medicamentum ad salutem non poena ad damnationem A Medicine to saluation not a punishment to damnation as Saint Austin saith Hieron in Proumio in Abakuk prophet If hee that is sicke of a burning Feuer call for colde water and say to the Physitian I am gâ—ieued I am tormented I burne I am astonished How long shall I crie vpon thee and thou wilt not heare What will the wise Physitian aunswere him but this I knowe when I ought to giue that thou câ—auest and I take no pittie vpon thee nowe because this pittie were crueltie and thy will doth wish thine owne damage Euen so our God knowing the weight and measure of his owne mercie doth sometimes not heare him that calls vpon him that hee may trie him and prouoke him to more earnestnes in prayer and make him more righteous and cleane as it were refined by the fire of tribulation The Heathenish Poet that neuer knewe the truth of God but onely groped after it by the light of corrupt Reason could say Saepè bibit succos quamuis inuitus amaros Aeger oranti mensa negata mihi est Ouid. lib. 1 de remed Amor. Vt corpus redimâ—s ferrum patieris ignes Arida nec sitiens ora leuabis aqua Vt valeas animò quicquà m tâ—llerare negabis At praetium pars haec corpore maius habet Wherein hee rebukes those that refuse wholesome counsell restraining from the delectation of vice and yet can tollerate bitter potions and the Chyruâ—gians instruments and thirst to be strong in bodie and sayes that it is a shame for them to endure all this for the bodie and to suffer nothing to bee sounde in minde séeing that part of man is farre more precious then the bodie Wherefore though wee see no effect of our petitions presently Heb. 10.35.36.37 yet wee must not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward For wee haue neede of Patience that after wee haue done the will of God wee may receiue the promise For yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie But thou saiest that thou canst not subdue thy passions digest the bitternes of thy tribulation Yet wee sée that tamers of wilde beasts doe so manage and breake their sauage nature Epist 86. that they become méeke and milde Seneca sayes that some tamers of Lyons and Tigres haue made them so gentle that they haue put their hands into their mouthes and layd their owne mouthes vpon the beasts mouthes that ElephaÌ„tem minimus Aethiops iubet subsidere in genua The least Aethyoptan commands the Elephant to sit on his knees and he concludes hereupon why should not a wise man bee so cunning to tame his aduersities and troubles as that griefe and pouertie and slaunders and prisonment and exile and whatsoeuer terrible things when they happen may be conquered and not trouble the minde may be ioyfully entertained When Children are afraide of maskes and vizards we put them into their hands turne the inside out and make them to handle them that so they may cast away their vaine feare and men are woont coÌ„monly when their horse either starts or will not goe forwardes at the fight of a stone blocke or bright thing in the way to spurre him on vehemeÌ„tly and to driue him forciblie vpon that which terrified him that so by approching néere vnto it or by traÌ„pling on it hee may not be dauuted Ioshuah commaÌ„ded the chiefe men of Israel to put their féet on the necks of those fiue kings of Canaan to tread them downe Iosh 10.35 saying Feare not nor be faint hearted but be strong and of a good courage For thus will the Lord doe vnto all your enemies against whome yee fight Euen so if we narrowly note the fruite and benefite of aduersitie that redouÌ„ds to the godly looke aduisedly into the nature of things as they are indeed wee shall finde afflictions to be wilde beasts yet such as may be tamed to be vgly maskes yet such as appeare more hideous and fearefull then they are in trueth and to be blockes in the way yet such as may be past by and to be terrible Tyrants in outward shewe yet as easie to
experiment in our selues that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares Psal 126.5.6 shall reape in ioy he that now goeth on his way weeping and heareth foorth good seede shall doubtles come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Sorrow is a pernitious guest harder to remoue then to receiue for it staies willingly where it finds nourishment and but easie repelling like thâ— gout in a daintie and rich mans leg and it frets the mind and bodie as the moth consumes the garment and the worme the timber Shut the doore therefore against it and giue it not the least entertainment Sorrow is like a false spectacle that makes a thing to séeme bigger then it is indeed Retire your mind from your griefe in which you must néeds be a partiall Iudge and looke round about you on other mens estates Who in one sort or other hath not tasted perhaps dranke déepely of â—â—ter cup of tribulation Chilon said to one that was excessiuely sorrie for his misfortunes that he should beare his miseries with the more contentation if he equally ballenced the afflictions of other men Carrie your cogitation euery way and see whether none else haue bene exposed to that sort of anguish that molesteth you If none haue felt the like tribulation you haue iust reason to sorrowe the more vehemently but if you want not partners why doe you vexe your selfe as though some straunge thing were befalne you If you crouch to griefe you are conquered if you bend your force against it you become conquerer What should the spéeches and rash censurings of other molest and disquiet you Mens tongues are vnbrideled because they are their owne they will not be stopt Let your owne good intent in your actions and the sinceritie of your conscience more proppe and stay you vp then the reproaches and backbitings of the malitious discourage you One saies that the ladder of inward peace which that Angelical tent-maker frames for the godly hath thrée steps and rounds â— Thess 5.16.17.18 by which we must climbe vp to the kingdome of heauen namely to reioyce euermore to pray continually in all things to giue thankes He that can reioyce is past his griefe he that can pray is passing from his griefe and he that can giue thankes hath obtained his desire If you cannot reioyce as if your griefe were past then giue thankes because your griefe is profitable to your soules health if you cannot thinke that your griefe is worth thankes then pray that you may hand patience to beare it and it is impossible that in praying thanking or reioycing any griefe should want sufficient patience to digest it What if we murmur something now and then and what if our patience and reioycing in tribulation be vnperfect Are we not babes in this world in regeneration Are not all our good workes vnperfect As a tender harted father hath compassion vpon his children Psâ—l 103.13.14 so is the Lord pittifull to them that loue him beareth with their infirmities and accepteth of a chéerefull giuers minde though he giue but two mites of patience For he knoweth whereof we are made and he remembreth that we are but dust As you opened your case plainely to me so I haue giuen you plaine counsaile desiring you to accept kindely of my true affection and praying God to comfort you effectually with the spirit of patience and long suffering If you finde consolation by this simple treatise following I will praise God and account my labour best bestowed You may reade for our comfort in affliction the â— chapter to the Romanes the 11. and â—2 chapters to the Hebrewes and the whole Psalter but specially these Psalmes the 3.4.6.22.25.30.31.34 39 4â— 42.57.91.103.116.121.123.130.136.145.146 In many of which you shall cléerely sée what were the conflicts of the man after Gods owne heart betwéene hope and distrust and how at the last hope and ioy had the victorie I haue quoted the margent of the treatise with the texts and places of scripture that you may at your leysure haue recourse to the fountaine it selfe and may be perswaded that in yeelding assent to the exhortation you are not carried by the blasts of mens deuises and doctrines but taught by the liuely word of God which is able to build farther to saue our soules and to bring vs to the inheritance of the Saints in light Amen A TRIVMPH OVER TRIBVLAtion THey that are righteous in the sight of God Rom. 5.2.3 4.5 by an assured faith in Iesus Christ being perswaded that they are the children of God by grace and adoption haue peace of coÌ„scieÌ„ce towards God and reioyce vnder the hope of heauenly glorie Neither this only but also they reioyce in tribulation knowing the tribulation bringeth foorth patience patience experience of Gods mercie in strengthening their weakenes experience hope that they shall euer be comforted this hope will neuer deceiue nor shame them because the loue of God and his vnspeakable fauor is shed spread abroad in their harts And although flesh blood cannot yéeld a reason of this reioycing of the godly in their tribulatioÌ„s more theÌ„ it caÌ„ shew a cause why a candle should burne in the midst of water yet if we withdraw our mindes to the contemplation of heauenly things we shall easily finde true reasons of this straunge ioy and withall motiues and prouocations therevnto For why whence come our afflictions vnto vs doe they come vnto vs at aduenture Doe they come vnto vs without the knowledge of our heauenly father If we say so we denie the prouidence of God nay we denie God to be God that ordereth and appointeth all things in heauen and earth It is certaine then Matt. 6.26.28 10.29.30 that he which feedeth the fowles of the heauen and cloatheth the â—â—â—ies of the field and so regardeth the sparrowes that not one of them falleth to the ground without his knowledge Psal 121.4.6 he also hath numbred the haires of our head and the Sunne shall not burne vs by day nor the Mooâ—e by night because God that kéepeth Isâ—â—â—â— will neither slumber Psal 56.8.10.11 nor sleepe Since then our afflictions are allotted vnto vs of God and he puts our teares into his bottell and notes all things in his booke why are our soules so heauie and so disquieted within vs and why doe we not say with holy Dauid In Gods word will I reioyce in the Lords word will I comfort me yea in God haue I put my trust I will not be afraide what any trouble can doe to me And why should we not say so and beleeue so 1. Cor. 10.13 since God is faithfull in kéeping his promise and will neuer suffer his children to be ouer tempted Consider well the bands Heb. 11.33.34 c. the imprisonments the rackings the scourgings the banishments the mockings the manifold and maruellous tribulations of the faithfull and how God desended and protected and succoured them in
also I was diligent to doe How diligent Paul was to remember the poore of Ierusalem may be séene 1. Cor. 16. where he ordaines among the Corinthians as he had ordained among the Galathians that euery first day of the wéeke euery one should put aside and lay vp as God had prospered him that when he came he might receiue their liberalitie and from thence sâ—nd it or goe with it himselfe vnto Ierusalem And they that would knowe more of Pauls diligence on this behalfe may peruse the 8. and 9. chapters of the latter epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle moues and excites the Corintâ—s to take compassion on the needie brethren of Ierusalem both with arguments and exhortations and with the example both of the Macedonians who though they were much afflicted their selues yet their extreame pouertie abounded to their rich liberalitie and of Christ Iesus himselfe who being rich for our sakes became poore that we through his pouertie might be made rich Neither was Paul onely diligent for the poore of Ierusalem but he cares for the néedie people of Ephesus 1. Tim. 6.17.18.19 exhorting Timothie the first elected Bishop of the place To charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs abundantly all things to enioy that they doe good and be rich in good workes and be readie to distribute and communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Besides this he was diligent for the procuring of reliefe for whatsoeuer poore for thus he writes to the Galathians Gal. 6.6 While we haue time let vs doe good to all mâ—n Thus we sée how carefull the chiefe Apostles Iames Peter and Iohn were to marrie Paul and Bâ—rnabas to remember their poore and we sée how diligent Paul was to execute their warning and by all meanes waies both of preaching and writing to procure reliefe for the distressed Christians And may it not be inferred héerevpon that it is the dutie of euery Minister of the Gospell to remember the poore and to stir vp mens mindes to liberalitie toward the neâ—die since the Apostles themselues were so diligent in this case Act. 2. and 4. and 5. and 6. as that they vndertooke the busines at first and afterward ordained and selected Deacons for that purpose And as it is the dutie of the Minister to perswade and exhort so it is the dutie of the people to be perswaded and to suffer the words of exhortation which that all may be the readier to performe let vs weigh first the commaundement that we must be liberall to the poore Secondly the example of such as haue excelled therein Thirdly the reward of liberalitie to the néedie and lastly threatnings against the vnmercifull thundred out in the Bookâ— of God In the lawe written by Moses First motiue to mercy Deut. 15.7.8.9.10 God gaue commaundement for prouiding for the poore charging the children of Israel on this sort If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thine hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his neede which he hath beware that there be not a wicked thought in thine heart to say the seuenth yeare the yeare of freedome is at hand therefore it greeueth thee to looke on thy poore brother and thou giuest him nought and he crie vnto the Lord against thee so that sinne be in thee Thou shalt giue him and let it not grieue thine heart to giue him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou putteâ—t thine hand to And God coÌ„manded also that when the Israelites did reape their haruest Leu. 19.9.10 they should not reape euery corner of their field neither should they gather the gleanings of their haruest and that they should not gather the grapes of their vineyard cleane neither gather euery grape of their vineyard but that they should leaue them for the poore and for the straunger Mercifulnes so much pleaseth God that whereas fasting is a preparatiue to prayer and repentance and thereby a meanes to obtaine foregiuenes of sins yet it is distastfull to God if it be not seasâ—ned with workes of mercie Isai 58.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.0 and therefore God saies by his holy Prophet to the fasting Iewes You say Wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not behold in the day of your fast you will seeke your will and reqiure all your debts behold ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednes Is it such a fast that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day and to bowe downe his head as a bulrush and to lye downe in sackcloth and ashes wilt thou call this a fasting or an acceptable day to the Lord Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednes to take off the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake euery yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander to thine house when thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Then shall thy light breake foorth as the morning and thine health shall growe speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee then shalt thou call and the Lord shall aunswere thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am Neither is almes and bountifulnes an adorning of our fastes onely but it is an infallible note and marke of sincere and vnfained deuotion Iam. 1.27 as Saint Iames affirmeth saying Pure religion and vndefiâ—ed before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherles and widowes in their aduersitie This is the true treasure which our Sauiour â—ids vs to lay vp in heauen Matt. 6.19.20 Lay not vp saith he treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues dig through and steale but lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen where neither the moth nor canker corrupteth and where theeues neither dig through nor steale And neuer to be forgotten is that saying of Christ by those that either ambitiously lauish out their goods to win praise of men or else couetously hunt after recompence in all their feastings when he saith When thou makest a dinner Luk. 14.12.13.14 or a supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren neither thy kinsmen nor the rich neighbours least they also bid thee againe and a recompence be made thee but when thou makest a feast call the
things Rom. 2.6 but if they deale faithfully and carefully God will recompence them according to their workes Thus haue we bene perswaded to be liberall to the poore by the coÌ„mandement of God by the example of the Faithfull by the reward of mercie by the threatnings against the mercifulnes and if the incompassionate and flinty harted person shall déeply ponder these things there is hope that hereafter he will be mollified put on the tender bowells of compassion Sen. lib. de beneficijs When the Cynick begd a talent of Antigonus he answered that a talent was too much for a Cynick to beg wheÌ„ the Cynick asked a pennie he answered again that it was too little for a king to giue This was shameful sophysticall cauillatioÌ„ to deuise a meanes how to giue nothing for he respected the Cynick in the talent a king in the pennie whereas he might haue giuen a peÌ„ny to the Cynick a talent as he was a king In these dayes also many will forge excuses why they restrain their liberalitie froÌ„ the distressed but these excuses are not so soon allowed of God as deuised of man For let not the couetous person that seldom or neuer giues to the poore say I haue but little scarce enough for my self mine own family Giue then after thy state 2. Cor. 8.12 9.7 giue which a chéerfull and single hart the Lord will respect thée not according to that thou hast not but according to that thou hast if there be first a willing mind for God accepteth a cheerfull giuer Luk. 21.2 He that hath praised the widow for casting of 2. mites into the tresury hath also promised Math. 10 42. that if thou giue but a cup of cold water in his name thou shalt not leese thy reward He that hath noght els to giue let him powre forth praiers good wishes for the poorâ— distressed Psal 41.1.2.3 saying The Lord deliuer him in his trouble the Lord keepe him and preserue him â—he Lord blesse him the Lord streÌ„gthen him vpon the bed of his sorrow and comfort him in his sickenes and he shall be blessed that so considers the poore saith the man of God So truely saies an ancieÌ„t Father That the Almes is not weighed Chrys by the largenes of the things giuen but by the liberall minde of the giuer Aug. in Psal â—03 And another saith If thou canst giue then giue if thou canst not then vse corteous spéeches God rewards the inward willingnes where he findes not outward ablenes Naz. in Orat. de pauper amandis let none say I haue not to giue for charitie is not measuâ—ed by the purse And another saies likewise Giue some small thing to him that wants and yet it shall not be small to him that wants all things nay God will not account it small if thou giue after thy power account it for a gift if thou giue comfortable words si nihil habes collachryma if thou haue nothing to bestow shed teares with him that is in miserie Amb in ep ad Cor. For non solum quaeritur quantum sed de quanto quo animo detur The question is not only how much is giuen but from what abilitie and from what minde it procéeded Let not the couetous person that seldome or neuer giues to the poore say before I giue to another I will first sée whether I shal want my selfe or not For remember how the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the crewse of the widowe of Zaâ—â—ptha 1. King 17. failed not though she gaue to Eliah leauing not for her selfe and her sonne God hath promised That the liberal person shall haue plentie Prou. 1.25 and he that watereth shal also haue raine And it was excellently said of the second Tiberius the Emperor when he was reproued for exhausting spending the treasurie in Almes That the Treasurie should neuer want monie as long as there were poore to receiue almes Let not couetousnes which is the roote of all euill 1. Tim. 6.10 Luk. 12.15 Eph. 5.5 and of which Christ bids vs to take héede to beware because a mans life stands not in riches and which is Idolatrie for that the auaritious person reposeth in his monie the coÌ„fidence due to God let not couetousnes make vs to distrust the promise of God or the prouidence of God for he that hath prouided our mot hers milke to nourish vs before we were borne and he that hath clothed vs prouided necessaries for vs that came naked into the world will not he féede succor sustaine vs when we walke in the obedience of his commandements If we heare that poore the corne Hoâ— 2 1â—.20.21.22 the wine and oyle will heare vs and the earth wil heare the corne fruits and the heauens will heare the earth the Lord will heare the heaueÌ„s marrie vs vnto himselfe for euer in righteousnes in iudgemeÌ„t in compassion in faithfulnes Let not the couetous person that seldom or nere giues to the poore say that he will not giue to the néedie because they are ignorant in religion idle vnruly théeuish vnthankfull railers therefore that he will follow the couÌ„sell of the sonne of Syrach saying Giue vnto such as feare God EccluÌ„s 12.4 receiue not a sinner do well to him that is lowly but giue not to the vngodly hold back thy bread giue it not vnto him Vers 3. least he ouercome thee therby Indéed these are the words of the sonne of Syrach but what saith he in the same place He cannot haue good that giueth 10 Almes and therfore he speaks coÌ„paratiuely respectiuely not excluding altogether the néedie though lewd froÌ„ Almes but shewing the choice discretion in giuing he bids vs when we will do good to know to whom we doe it For in liberality a regard is to be had both of the things persons of things Greâ— in Epist that all be not giueÌ„ to one but somewhat to euery one whereby we may doe good to the more according to that of the Prophet he hath dispersed and scattered here and there and giuen to the poore of persons that wee giue first to the good and then to sinners vnto whoÌ„ not wtstanding we are prohibited to giue Non qui homine sed quia pâ—ccatores not for the they are meÌ„ Gal. 6.10 but for that they are sinners So S. Paul saies that priÌ„cipally we must doe good to the household of Faith that is to the godly but immediately before he had said while we haue time let vs doe good to all men Therefore there must be wisedome discretion choice in distributing our alms Niceph. li. 14. ca. 14. For though Atticus the Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople when he sent money to Calliopius the Nicene Priest to be destributed amoÌ„g the poore did bid him in bestowing
because we haue obtained mercy our selues and because when we loue the brethren we declare that we loue God Who is there that will not loue God who made vs of nothing redéemed vs when we were vtterly lost preserueth vs daily and powreth vpon vs his innumerable benefits He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue 1. Io. 4.8 saith S. Iohn He vseth a most forcible word when he cals God loue it is far more then if he had said God is mercifull God is kinde and gratious God is gentle and fauourable God loues vs infinitely God saith he is loue it selfe If God then so loued vs ought not we to loue him againe Euery one will héere answere I loue God yea but note what the blessed Apostâ—e saith 1. Ioh 3.17 Whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 1. Ioh. 4.20 If any man say I loue God and hate his brother he is a lyar for how can he that loleth not his brothâ—â— whom he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples Ioh. 13.35 if ye haue loue one to another saith our Sauiour Christ Seruants and souldiours are knowne of what retinue and armie they are by their badge cognizance and colours loue and compassion is the true badge and cognizance of Christianitie therefore let vs weare these cognizances and colours that we may be knowne to be the seruants and souldiours of our Maister Christ Iesus Hom. 36. de elecnios As the sonnes of great and rich men doe weare golden ouches and iewels about their necks saith S. Chrysostome and doe not put them off but carrie them alwaies about them as tokens and testimonies of their discent and nobilitie so let vs put on and still carrie about vs the tender bowels of compassiâ—n mercy shewing our selues to be the sonnes of a mercifull father of whom we haue receiued vnspeakable blessings specially since this our mercy will shew that we loue God and dwell in God Againe wee must haue mercie on the poore because we are members one of another and we that are many members seuerally yet are but one body in Christ We sée plainely what an harmonie sympathie and agréement there is in our bodie 1. Cor. 12. For if one member suffer all suffer with it if one member be had in honor all the members reioyce with it There is no deuision in the body but God hath so tempered the body that the parts should haue the same care one for another Verse 14.15.16 c. The body is not one member but many If the foote would say because I am not the hand I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If the eare would say because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But God hath disposed the members euery one of them in the bodie at his owne pleasure for if they were all one member where were the bodie But now are there many members yet but one body And the eye caÌ„not say to the hand I haue no néede of thée nor the head againe to the feete I haue no néede of you Euen so since Christians are all members of one body in Christ one depending vpon the other and one hauing an interest in the other let vs weepe with them that wéepe and reioyce with them that reioyce let the learned instruct the ignorant let the wiâ—â— giue counsell to those that want experience let the healthy comfort the sicke let the strong beare with the weake and let them that abound supply the want of those that néede Againe we must haue mercie on the poore because in reléeuing the poore we relieue and succor Christ himselfe who accounts that giuen to himselfe that is giuen to his afflicted members who will reward it plenteously as giuen to himselfe If Christ should come vnto our houses poore and naked hungrie and thirstie sicke and harborles who would not extend his deuotion vpon him But Christ sits at the right hand of God in heauen and he hath left the poore among vs vnto the end of the world and he sends them as his Bailiffes to take vp his rents and reuenues of mercie and if we denie it to them we denie it to Christ himselfe if we deliuer it to them they are a sufficient quittance and discharge of themselues Many refuse to paie rent to these poore Bailiffes and rather repell them for their néedfulnes and deride them for their destortion deformities and diseases of body then receiue and entertaine them But who made them distorted deformed and loathsome for their boyles and infirmities was it not the highest Ruler of heauen and earth that hath power to inflict that punishment vpon many or all that he inflicts vpon any or some He that mocketh the poore Prou. 17.5 14.31 reproacheth him that made him but he that hath mercy on the poore honoureth God saith Salomon Howsoeuer some leath and contemne the poore yet the faithfull poore are most pretious and déere in the eyes of Christ It is written of Lawrence that constant Martyr and worthy Deacon of the Church of Rome that when the Tyrant demanded the treasure of the Church expecting chalices candlesticks and other ornaments of gold he gathered the poore of the citie the lame the maymed the leapers the attainted with manifold maladies that were reléeued by the Almes of the Christians and shewed these to the Tyrant as the riches of the Church but when the Tyrant disdainefully frowned and abhorred those sillie people Lawrence told him that they were the beautie and wealth and gaines of Christs church and that though they were ragged and vnséemely now in the eyes of men yet they should one day shine in incomparable gloriousnes before the throne of God and that they were not to be detested for their outward infirmities of body since the inward foulnes and diseases and vices of him and other worldlings where far more odious loathsome Prudenâ— Peristeph in Laurent Swelling pride saith he is worse then the dropsie pinching couetousnes is worse then the gowte or crampe filthy incontinencie and fornication is worse then dirtie fluttishnes boyling ambition is worse then a burning feuer an vnbrideled tongue is worse then an itching soare malice and enuie is worse then a putrified impostume superstitious Idolatrie is worse then the Kings Euill Peccante nil est tetrius Nâ—lâ—am leprosum aut putridum Cruda est cicatrix criminum Oletque vt antrum tartari There is nothing so foule so leprous so rotten as a sinner the scar that remaines after the wound of iniquitie is neuer whole but still fresh and rawe and smels like the den and
dungeon of Hell To leaue Lawrence marke what Christ saies in the 25. of Matthew and sée whether he doe not there most liuely demonstrate and shew what he accounts of the faithfull poore and what estimation he makes of Almes bestowed on them for there he saies Matt. 25.31 c. that when the sonne of man commeth in his glorie and all the holy Angels with him then shall the he sit vpon the throne of his glorie and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard separateth the shéepe from the goates and he shall set the shéepe on his right hand and the goates on the left Then shal the king say to theÌ„ on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me in vnto you I was naked and ye clothed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me Then shall the righteous answere him saying Lord when saw we thée an hungred and fed thée or a thirst and gaue thée drinke and when saw we thée a stranger and tooke thée in vnto vs or naked and cloathed thée or when saw we thée sicke or in prison and came vnto thée And the king shall answeare and say vnto them Verily I say vnto you in asmuch as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me How terrible shal the day of Iudgement be to those that are not perswaded that Christ shall bee as well their absoluer and acquitter as their Iudge censurer 2. Pet. 3.10 For the day of the Lord will come as a théefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shal melt heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp and in that great and generall and Impartiall Iudgement the booke of all offences shall be layed open the Graue Death and Hell shall yeeld foorth all that are in them all corners shal be swept and all plaites and wrinckles shal be vnfolded the Sunne shal be darkened and the Moone eclipsed and the starres shall fall from Heauen Christ the Iudge of quick and dead shall take in hand the glittering and two-edged Sworde being readie to throw the Thunderbolts of his fierce wrath and the vnfaithfull and vngodly shal be driuen to such straites and extremitie that they shall crie to the Hills Fall on vs and to the Mountaine â—ouer vs and to the Waters Swallow vs vp Happie are they that may stand then boldly in that day but that loue their poore brethren shall haue boldnes and confidence in the day of Iudgement For as hee is so are wee in â—his world saith the Apostle that is 1. Ioh. 4.17 GOD will not condemne those that are like himselfe but the mercifull in this world are like to God for God is mercifull and gratious and therefore the mercifull néede not to feare the sentence of condemnation And wee must marke that CHRIST will say Take the inheritance of the Kingdome For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate He will not say enherite the kingdome of heauen because ye haue prophecied in my Name cast out diuels in my Name For many that shall say so in the last day shall heare this Answere Mat. 7.23 I neuer knewe you Depart from me yee that worke iniquitie Neither shall Christ say enherite the Kingdome because you haue not couered your Neighbors goods because you haue not committed fornication because you haue not defiled your handes with blood although the auoyding of these things be necessarie for Christians for Fornicators and murtherers and vncleane persons and couetous persons Gal. 6.21 shall not possesse the kingdome of God Neither shall Christ say to Abel because thou hast suffered for righteousnes to Noah because thou hast built the Arke for the worlds preseruation to Abraham because thou hast offered vp thy Sonne to Moses because thou hast published the law to Peter because thou wast Crucified therefore inherite the Kingdome of heauen But Christ shall only say enherite the Kingdome because yee ministred to the poore Saintes in their necessities Which words of our Sauiour must not be so taken as if Almes or any other of our workes did merite eternall life Almes merite not and why mention is made of workes of mercie in the last iudgement For the Scripture expressely teacheth that our Election is of grace and if it be of grace it is no more of works or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Rom. 1.5 â— and the scripture teacheth that we are saued by grace through faith and not of our selues it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and the scripture teacheth that Christ by his merite hath sufficiently obtained for vs eternall life in that he gaue his life for the ransome of many Matt. 20.28 and the scripture teacheth that Christ being an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and a more perfect tabernacle not made with hands neither by the blood of goates and calues but his owne blood entered once vnto the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs for if the blood of buls and of goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God Heb. â— 11.12.13.14 This doctrine clearely taught in holy scrripture vtterly excludes boasting on our part in the matter of saluation For that anie worke of oure may merite first it is required that it be freely our owne and not due to him to whome it is performed but whatsoeuer good we doe it is onely some parte of our dutie which wee owe to God Luk. 17.10 For when we haue done all those things which are commanded vs we must say we are vnprofitable Seruants wee haue done that which was our dutie to doe Ro. 11.35 And who hath giuen to the Lord first and he shall be recompenced Rom. 8.12 and we are debters not to liue after the flesh but after the spirit Next it is required that our worke or gift that we offer be profitable and commodious to him of whom wee merite but no action or worke of ours can bring any commoditie to the Lord Psal 16.2 For the Prophet sayes My well doing extendeth not to thee ô Lord And the Temanite Iob. 22. â— 3 Iobs friend sayes May a man be profitable vnto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himselfe
the word are our brethren and men subiect to the like passions as we are and therefore in that respect we may say to them Physitians heale your selues yet they haue a treasure in an earthen vessell and to animate vs the more to embrace his will 2. Cor. 4.7 God speakes vnto vs by our owne flesh and blood and to declare his loue and fauour towards base men he exalts him to this dignitie to be a Trumpetter of his pleasure 1. Cor. 4.1 Ministers are called disposers of the secrets of God that we should giue eare vnto them as to them that are sent of Christ for this end and purpose that we might receiue as it were at their hands the treasure of saluation that is drawne out of the secrets of God They are called Ambassadors in the name of Christ because they haue the word of reconciliation betwéene God and vs and are Ministers therof praying the faithfull in Christs stéede as if God did pray in them 2. Cor. 5.20 Eph. 4.11 that they be reconciled to God They are called Pastors and féeders of soules teachers and instructors of the ignorant and planters of mindes in the Garden of Christianitie 1 Cor. 3.6 Reu. â— 20 and waterers of hearts with the showers of godly perswasions and Angels that is bringers and messengers of ioyfull tidings and Starres that hold foorth vnto vs the shining light lampe of the Gospel which shewes vnto vs how we should passe the time of our abiding héere and discouers vnto vs the will and pleasure of God both what God will haue vs to doe and how he will be woâ—shipped of vs and also what he will doe with vs and how he will saue vs. 1. Cor. 3 10.11.1â— They are called builders that must buiâ—d vpon the foundation that is layde which is Iesus Christ gold siluer and pretious stones 1. Pet. 2.5 that we should suffer our selues to be framed with the hammer of their doctrine as liuely stones and be made a spiritual houâ—â— an holy Priesthood to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ They are called the salte of the earth and light of the world Matt. 5.13.14 that we should suffer our corrupt liues to be seasoned and purged with the salt of their wholesome words and our steps to be ordered by the brightnes of their exhortations that we may walke vnblamably and circumspectly in this present world that lyeth in wickednes Ezek. 33.7 Act. â—0 28 They are called watchmen and ouerseers that we should hearken to their warming when they foretell of the counterwaites and comming and danger of that old and subtile Serpent that studies nothing but for the destruction of the soules of men Luk 10.2 They are called labourers in the haruest that we should remember by their doctrine to bring foorth the fruit of good workes that may be gathered into the Lords garner and be euerlastingly rewarded They are called fishers of men Matt. 4.19 Luk. 5.10 that we should by their preaching of the glad tidings of saluation be caught in the net of eternall life They are called labourers together with God that is those that serue vnder him 1. Cor. 3.9 for the gathering together of the elect not as if they could do any thing of their owne streÌ„gth but by the grace of God that makes them able and all the encrease that procéedeth from their labour doth so come from God that no part of the praise is to be attributed to the vnder seruant Lastly Obad. v. 21. Rom. 11.14 1. Cor. 9.22 1. Tim. 4.16 Iam. 5.20 Isai 43.3 Act. 4.12 the Ministers of the word are called Sauiours and are said to saue others Yea but will some say is there contrarietie in the scripture It affirmes that there is no Sauiour besides the Lord and that there is none other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued but the name of Iesus What Sauiour then is the Minister The answere is that there is no discord nor repugnancie in the scripture for God is the alone author and worker of our saluation and we are saued onely by Christs merites and passion as touching the fountaine and originall substance of our saluation but the Minister is said to saue his hearers inasmuch as he is an instrument that by the doctrine and publishing of the Gospell applies the saluation vnto our soules For there are diuerse steps and degrées of our saluation we cannot haue saluation but we must be reconciled to God we cannot be reconciled to God without Christ wee cannot haue Christ without faith wee cannot haue faith without the preaching of the word Rom. 10.14.15.17 This is cléere by that saying of the Apostle How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beléeued and how shall they beléeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Out of which he infers this conclusion then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God If then we haue such helpe by the Ministerie for the vnderstanding of the mysteries of saluation contained in the scriptures whosoeuer despise the preaching of the word of God which in respect of vs is the first step of saluation and contemne the preachers and publishers thereof doe despise their owne saluation Chrys and the meanes whereby they may be partakers of it séeing per ipsos Christum induimus per ipsos dei filio coniungimur per ipsos membra beati ipsius capitis efficimur by the helpe of the Ministerie we doe put on Christ we are conioyned to the sonne of God we are made members of him that is the blessed head of the Church That the word of God is the spirituall furniture and Armour that beates downe strong holdes and discomfites the Arch-enemie of our saluation Sathan Eph. 6.12.14.15.16.17 it is euident by Paul who reckoning vp the weapons that must defend vs against principalities against powers against worldly gouernours against the Princes of the darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places as the girdle of veritie the brest plate of righteousnes the leg harnesse of the Gospell of peace the shield of faith the helmet of saluation he names among the rest the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Saint Chrysostom doubts not to say Ser. 3. de Lazaro that the very sight of the Bible chaseth and driueth away the diuell For saith he euen as where there is armour of proofe laid vp in an house though none vse it yet it bréedes securitie and safetie to those that dwell in that roome inasmuch as no robber nor vnderminer of wals nor any other malefactor dares to assaile that house where such furniture is kept euen so wheresoeuer those heauenly bookes are from thence all Sathans force is expelled and the inhabiters want no consolation Heads the reason
for thy life looke not behind thée neither tarrie thou in all the plaine escape into the mountaine lest thou be destroyed when she disobediently retained it not in her heart Psal 95.7.8.9 What did it profite the children of Israel to heare the voyce of the Lord when they kept it not but hardened their hearts and tempted God and prooued him though they had seene his worke For they that are thirstie must drawe nigh to the waters and must encline their eares and must come to the Lord if they will haue their soules to liue and will be partakers of Gods euerlasting couenant euen of the sure mercies of Dauid and then they shall sée Isai 55.1.3.10.11 that as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and watereth the earth and maketh it to bring foorth and bud and returneth not againe thither from whence it came so the word of God that goeth out of his mouth shall not returne voyde but shall accomplish that which God will and shall prosper in the thing whereto it is sent What did it profite the hearers of the old Prophets Ier. 6.8 7.24.25.26 to haue their eares beaten on with an externall sound when they would not be instructed and when they would not obey nor incline their eares nor walke in the waies which God commanded but went after the counsels and stubburnenes of their wicked heart and went backward and not forward and hardened their necke and did worse then their fathers Mar. 6.20 What did it profit Herod to heare Iohn gladly and to reuerence him and to doe many things by his preaching when as he imprinted not the word in his heart nor kept it Heb. 4.2 and therefore it profited not because it was not mixed with faith What did it profite Felix to heare Paul of the faith in Christ Act. 24.24.25 and to tremble when he heard him dispute of righteousnes and temperancie and of the iudgement to come when the word of God had no rooting in his heart and his affection thereunto was but as a sudden flash of lightning in the darkenes which comes quickly and vanisheth quickly For as the blessed Virgine Luk. 2.33.51 not onely maruelled at the things which were spoken of Iesus but also kept all those sayings in her hart so when we heare the word of God we must not onely receiue it with outward cares but we must giue it accesse into the closet of our hearts and kéepe it Iam. 1.21 Luk. 10.23.24 and graffe it there if we will haue it to saue our soules It is a step to blessednes to heare the Gospell preached for blessed are our eyes which sée that which many Prophets and Kings haue desired to sée and haue not seene and to heare those things which we heare and haue not heard them but he is indéed blessed not that heares the word onely Luk. 14.35 but that heareth and kéepeth it Therefore to teach how profitable a thing it is to heare the word and kéepe it Christ makes it a marke and cognizance of his elect that when the name of God is declared vnto them Reu. 1.3 Ioh. 17.6 they kéepe his word And that we may learne that it sufficeth not to heare except we heare and kéepe both Christ and the disciple whom he loued Luk. 9.44 Matt. 13.9 Reu. 2.7.11.17 13.9 that in his last supper leaned on his breast when they proposed things againe and againe to be pondered they required their words to be marked and charged that he that hath eares should heare that is that eares and hearts should ioyne together in receiuing and holding the word of God For though the word be still salt yet when it is not well kept Luk. 14.35 it becomes as salt that hath lost his sauour and preserues not the soule from putrifying in sinne and wickednes through want of faith in the receiuer Ezek. 3.1 Ezekiel was commaunded to eate the roule and booke that was shewed vnto him to teach vs that we shall heare Gods word in vaine vnles we retaine it and delight in it For as meate that is receiued into the stomach if it be presently discharged out it nourisheth not the body nor is turned into the substance thereof so the word doth the soule no good when it is heard onely and not kept and digested and chewed and conuerted vnto the soules nourishment When a trée is planted it can beare no fruit if it be shaken and ouerthrowne with stormes and windes no more can the word bring foorth fruit when it is planted in the heart if it be not kept sure but suffered to be shaken with the winde of euery tentation Ioh. 4.14 It is not enough to come to the well but if we will neuer thirst we must drinke of the water which Christ giues vs. For as he saith I am come into my garden Cant. 5.1 I gathered my mirre with my spice I ate mine hony-combe with my hony I dranke my wine with my milke so he saith also O friends drinke and make you merry O welbeloued that is as Christ in his kingdome of grace like a delicious Paradise and garden into which we enter by the preaching of the word hath prepared a spirituall banquet so he liberally inuites all men to the participation thereof which is obtained by holding fast and kéeping of his word and gospell Wherefore since it is not enough to admire the foode of our soules and to call it Man Ex. 16.16 that is what is this except we gather it as we ought and kéepe it as we ought and eate it as we ought Let vs beséech God the giuer of euery good and perfect gift to endue vs with the honest and good heart which heareth the word and kéepeth it that Gods word may euermore remaine in vs. 1. Cor. 3.7 For neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the encrease Except the Lord build the house Psal 127.1 they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord kéepe the citie the kéeper watcheth in vaine Therefore Austin and Gregorie say agréeably thereunto Aug. tract 3. in ep Ioan. Greg. l. 11. c 5. Mor. in Iob. Omnia Eeclesiae magisteria forinsecus sonant cathedram habet in caelo qui intus docet Mutum est os omne quod loquitur si Deus interius in corde non clamet qui etiam aspirat verba quae audiuntur that is all the teaching of the Church founds without he that teacheth within hath his seate in heauen Euery mouth that speakes is dumbe vnles God crye within in the heart who also giues life to the words which are heard The third propertie of the good hearer is to bring foorth fruit with patience The graine of wheate will being foorth none other fruit but fruit of his owne nature and sort so the Gospell and word of Christ when it is sowne on the good heart that
miracle that Christs glory might be the greater and that the Iews might the sooner receiue him for the Messias Christs doctrine was more heauenly then Iohns for Christ taught as one hauing authoritie and not as the Pharises and other Doctors of the Lawe Ioh. 7.46 The Iewes themselues confessed that neuer man spake as Christ spake And a principall Pharisie could not but say Ioh. 3.2 None could do these miracles that thou doest except God were with him What then is the reason that they neglect and despise Christ and send this solemne honourable and noble Ambassage to Iohn euen from Ierusalem their Metrapolitane Citie Was it because Christ did sharpely taxe and reprehend their life But Iohn did it more sharpely speaking thus to the Pharises Matt. 3.7 O generations of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come Surely this was the onely cause for that they reputed Christ vilde and a Carpenters sonne but they accounted Iohn a noble man and the sonne of a noble man whose father was Zachariah the Priest and his citie was in Iudah whereas they supposed that Christ was borne in Nazareth a base and simple citie in Galile Ioh. 1.46.47 and therefore Nathaniel otherwise a iust man and a true Israelite without guile said Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth The Iewes respected after the fashion of the world externall nobilitie and they had rather acknowledge Iohn for the Messias that was honorably descended then Christ who was borne in humilitie whether we respect the place of his birth or the place of his education or the state and condition of his mother and supposed father Ioseph For carnal and worldly men are most acute and sharpe eyed in perceiuing handling and discerning of worldly things and businesses but they are blind and ignorant in spirituall matters And therefore well writes Saint Basill As the sight of an Owle preuailes in the night Hom. ◠hexae◠but when the sunne shines it is much dazeled and dulled so the minde of men wise in the things of this world seemes to be most acute and quicke to discerne vaine things but to be dull and darke to perceiue the true light indeed Howsoeuer it were and howsoeuer the Iewes were blinded with an ouerwéening opinion of Iohns excellencie yea howsoeuer Iohn were extolled of Christ himselfe that cannot lye nor be deceiued Matt. 11.11 when he was commended for the greatest Prophet that arose among men borne of women yet this Iohn so noble so excellent so temperate so sincere so commended how humbly did he estéeme of himselfe and what was his answere to the Ambassadors Ioh. 1 26.2◠I baptise saith he with water but there is one among you whom yee know not he it is that commeth after me which was before me whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to vnloose This was the humilitie of Iohn the Baptist There is a memorable historie recorded of the seuen wisemen of Greece how modestly they shifted the name and reputation of wisedome from one to the other on this manner Val. Max. l. 4. c. 1. One had bought the draught of fishers that drew their net in the Milesian coast there arose a controuersie by reason that a golden Delpian table of great weight was drawne to land the fishermen affirming that they had solde the fishes that should be taken and the fellow saying that he had bought the fortune of the draught the case being brought before the whole people of the citie for the noueltie of the matter and for the value of the table it pleased them to aske counsell of Apollo of Delphos to whom the golden table should be adiudged Apollo answered that it should be giuen to him that surpassed others in wisedome in this oracle Hos sophie panton protos touto tripod an dô Then the Messias with one consent gaue the table to Thales Thales gaue it to Bias Bias to Pittacus and he presently to another and after from one to another of all the seuen it came last of all to Solon who bestowed vpon Apollo himselfe both the title and the reward of the greatest wisedome And thus it appeares that the better euerie one is the more humble euery one is and the more he estéemes other better then himselfe The fuller the vessell is the baser sound it yéeldes but the emptier it is the lowder it rings The higher the Sunne is in the heauen the lesser shadowes he makes and the lower he is the greater shadowes doe fal from bodies Sound and full eggs doe sinke in water but rotten and putrified and emptie doe float and swim When the bird will mount vpward in flight she bends downe her head towards the earth that she may rise the higher which she doth not when she walkes on the ground Wood that in burning yéeldes the greatest smoake doth giue the smallest heate The bough whereon fruit hanges and the eare ful of corne bend downeward to the earth but the bough and eare that are voyde of fruit doe stand vpright Euen so they that are destitute of true vertue and of good workes make most ostentation but the soule that is replenished with vertue and godlines beholds the earth that is mans frailtie and earthly condition from which ariseth the cause of humbling our selues And euery one must confesse Gen. 18.27 as Abraham did talking with God that he is dust and ashes not onely in respect of the body which is most manifest but also in respect of the soule and thereby truely abase and humble himselfe For as ashes are vild and of no reputation so the soule by sinne is vild and abhominable before God As ashes are scattered with each blast of winde so man of himselfe cannot resist a small tentation but he often fals at the vttering of a small spéech As ashes cannot returne to the former matter and substance of which it was made so a sinner cannot returne to the state of saluation from which he fell but by the grace and mercie of God The consideration of this is néedfull for vs for to estéeme too well of our selues and to be willing to be thought that we are not and to be vnwilling to be thought that we are is a disease incident to most men Which disease of man Socrates fitly expressed when he said Stob. ser 21. That if vpon the stage any should commaund all shoemakers to stand vp shoemakers onely would stand vp likewise if carpenters or weauers or other particular craftesmen were to stand vp these onely would stand vp but if wise men and iust men were commaunded to stand vp all present would straightway stand vp because all are willing to be accounted such And therefore since selfe-loue and selfe-liking is an hereditarie sicknes in vs it is behoofefull for vs to obserue what remedies may cure this daungerous infirmitie Surely whatsoeuer we consider whether the things without vs or the things within vs or the things beneath
then pride will most assaile vs and when other troupes of vices are put to flight then pride will renew the battell Pride would infect our prayer our almes our zeale our loue to the word our temperance our iust dealing and vnles we be warie it will depriue vs of the reward of well doing Aug. in ep 56. ad DioscoruÌ„ As when we sinne we must feare other vices so when we doe well we must feare pride ne illa quae laudabiliter facta sunt ipsius laudis cupiditate amittantur least through desire of commendation those things be lost which were done coÌ„mendaably And therfore Saint Chrysostome teacheth that this pestilent vanitie is like a shipwracke in the very harborough Hom. de profectu euangelij As a ship saith he that hath passed many floods and auoyded many tempests when at last she runs on a rocke in the harborough it selfe she looseth all the treasure that was stored vp in her so he that after many labours and vertues hath not refrained his tongue and minde from the desire of praise he hath suffered shipwrack in the very harborough For this cause the Philosopher cals pride the last garment that the soule puts off Plâ—â—m Timeo as though he had glimmeringly perceiued that in putting off the old man pride is the last ragge Which another expresseth in words somewhat differing Isid de suÌ„mo bâ—â—â— l. 2. c. 28. Pride saith he is first in sinne and last in conflict because as it is the originall of all faults so it is the ruine of all vertues Therefore when we are escaped out of Sodome Gen. 19.30 let vs take héede that with Lot we doe not commit incest with our owne daughters and so bring foorth an ofspring odious to the Lord that is let vs not when we haue shunned sinne be enamoures and proud of our vertuous doing least our déedes displease God And when we haue brought foorth faire male children let vs hide them in secret Exod. 1.22 least Pharaoh commaund them to be cast foorth that is when we haue done well let vs not vaunt of it least Sathan through pride make our workes frustrate Christ commaunds vs to flée mans praise in our well doing and therefore saith That when we giue Almes we must not make a trumpet to be blowne before vs Matt. 6.2.3 Chrys hom 13. in Matt. oper imperfect to be praised of men and that when we doe Almes the left hand must not know what the right hand doth that is the will of the flesh which is still contrarie to God must not know what is done of the will of the minde and of reason that is subiected vnto God Matt. opar imperfect The hidden treasure is safest from théeues and robbers so concealed vertue is freest from pride and the snares of Sathan The fruits that growe by an high way doe seldome come to ripenes because gréedie trauellers doe gather them and eate them before due time so the workes that are done to be séene of men of ostentation neuer growe to soliditie and perfection because the praise of men makes the doer to swell with an opinion of his worthines and so he waxeth vnfit either to procéed in vertue or to vndertake other good workes The henne that cackles assoone as she hath layed her egge giues occasion of taking away her egge and loosing her brood of chickens so they that presently extoll their owne workes assoone as they are done or séeke to haue them extolled bring to passe that no fruit followeth of their workes 2. King 20.17 Hezekiah king of Iudah was vehemently blamed of the Prophet for shewing his riches and treasure to the Babylonian Ambassadors and those things which of ambition and vaineglorie he had shewed were carried all into Babell so when we hunt after praise by our well doing the diuell like the Tyrant of Babell spoiles vs of our treasure It is wisely said of Saint Iohn Chrysostome that as when we lay gold and a pretious garment in an open place we prouoke many to lie in waite for them Hom. 3. in Matt. but if we hide them close we shall keepe them safe so if we daily carrie the riches of vertues in open view as it were to be sold we arme our enemie and we prouoke our enemie and we stir vp our enemie to steale and spoyle but if no other know it but he that seeth in secret our pretious iewels are out of all perils Mat. hist l. 10. c. 3. l. 36. c. 19. Plinie reports that the Eagle builds her nest on high and that the Serpent Parias lies in waite for her yong but for that he cannot come néere them because of the heigth he drawes the winde vnto him and then casteth foorth a poyson that the infected aire mounting to the yong ones may so kill them which mischiefe to preuent the Eagle of a naturall instinct puts the ieat stone in her nest mooues it alwaies against the wind which ieat stone dispearceth that Serpents poyson The like care and diligence must we vse if we will haue our good workes ascend into the presence of God and be acceptable to him and not be infected with the venemous winde of pride which that spirituall Serpent will cast foorth against them we must set the honour and praise of God as a preseruatiue and pretious stone betwéene our workes and the winde of vaine-glorie For whosoeuer studieth by his good workes to please men is like one that alwaies drawes water and puts it into a cesterne that is full of holes For what can be more deceitfull then the praise and commendation of man and what greater vanitie then to seeke after it Chrys hom 17. in ep ad Rom. Is it not follie when thy state is in Heauen to choose beholders vpon earth A wrestler where he striueth there he seekes to be tryed thou striuest in high matters and wilt thou be crowned in lowe things Let our reioycing be the testimonie of our conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 1. Cor. 4 3. in simplicitie and godly purenes and let vs passe very little to be iudged of mans iudgement Though the vizards of stage plaiers be cunningly made and exactly set on yet who will desire to were them continually séeing they represent but a fained and counterfait person What is the praise of men but the maske and vizard of true praise séeing men oftentimes speake otherwise then they thinke and if they speake as they thinke yet their praise is but momentanie and lasteth but for the space of this life and may be turned into contempt and obloquie They that put their consciences in other mens lips are sometimes great sometimes little sometimes nothing and so the foole changeth as the moone Ecclus. 27.11 waxing and waining after the iudgement of them that commend him Heathen men haue little regarded the commendation of the multitude Polycletus the Statuarie made two Images placing the one publikely