and good workes ye studie and learne to be employed in the Spirituall husbandrie and therin consider well what ye ought to sow and what ye ought to reape For whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Gal 6. so that whosoeuer soweth in in the flesh shall thence reape corruption but he that soweth in the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting CHAP. X. Of the Seede the Sowers and the manner of the fructification thereof THere be two kind of Seedes the one is of Impietie the other of Pietie betweene the which as also betweene the seuerall Sowers thereof there is as great a difference as betweene the East and the West The former is a seede of the wicked a seede of corruption and sinne taken from three dangerous enemies whereof the 1. is priuy the 2. domestical the 3. familiar whereof beeing by them sowen spring the pride of life the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye wherof it is in meet place hereafter plainely spoken by the which the good Seede is oftentimes annoyed in the Lords field But from hence wee are right happily disswaded by the true consideration of the true Seede of Pietie The seede of Pietie which is to be sowen for the increase of Iustice and Mercie as also by them by whom the same is to be sowen and cast forth for as much lieth in the nature of the seed so not a little in the wisedome of the Sower for as men may not gather grapes of thornes so neither finde we commonly good successe to follow the foolish or idle husbandman Semin Sunt quadam Semi◠na vtilia quaedā sterilia c. for the Seed one saith which in this I gladlie remember there be Seedes some profitable and some barraine Those barraine or vnprofitable are the words of vaine preachers as also the words of the Philosophers But those are right profitable Seedes which are neither withered nor consumed with anie vaine glory or fond curiositie And this good Seede is the Word of GOD The word of God being indeed the manifestation and expression of the Diuine Will as well touching his essence as touching his purpose and workes past present and future in the breathing of the holie Ghost by the Prophets by Iesus Christ and by his Apostles and Euangelistes powred forth from the bosome of the euerlasting Father and by his commandement not onely described in the bookes of the olde and newe Testaments but also preached and taught through the same Spirit by the ministery of his Seruāts to this end that God might be made knowne vnto men and that the man of God might be instructed and made apte for euery good worke This is that soueraigne Seed the which according to his diuers effects respects is called knowne by so manie sundry names in the holie Scriptures especiallie in the hundred nineteene Psal Psal 119. wherof there is not any one verse of an hundred threescore sixteene wherein the same is not mentioned with some praise of the sweetnes vtilitie puritie dignitie glorie eternitie and goodnes thereof It is called the Word of the Lord for that thereby the mind and will of God is expressed the speech of God in that it is pronounced and written to be heard or read to mens vnderstanding the Lawe of the Lord because the Lord hath both prouided giuen it vnto men as wherewith they be obliged and kept in the obseruance of certaine duties the Precepts of the Lord in that it forbiddeth terrifieth men from euill the Cōmandements of the Lord in that it admonisheth and perswadeth men to do good the Testimonies of the Lord because hee by his Prophets testifie the same vnto men the will of God for that thereby his will is declared his Testament in that it is confirmed commended vnto vs by the death of his Sonne the Testator his Iustice because the obseruers thereof by faith are iustified his iustifications for that the works thereof are correspondent to Iustice his Iudgementes because the contribution therof are extended by Iustice his wayes because hee dealeth and directeth men according to the same his Truthe in that all the sacred Scriptures doe aime to Christ the perfect truth and in the same are performed c. Now this word of God aswell by Christ as by the Prophets and Apostles is well likened to the Seede which the husbandman soweth in his field especiallie for two causes First in respect of the Sower The word of God likened to the Seede The sower God and his endeuour and practise theron Secondly in regard of the nature order manner of fructification of the seede being sowen There be diuers Sowers of this Seede in the Spirituall field The first most principal is the Lord God himselfe whom in regard therof Christ calleth an Husbandman For this is the same which giueth Seede to the Sower fruit therof vnto him that truely laboureth He giueth the word euen the word of life that immortall seede this he soweth this hee distributeth this hee increaseth with prosperous effect to the vse benefit of his Saints as the Prophet Dauid and Isaiah Psal Isa 55. testifie This indeed is the same without whose help whosoeuer planteth or whosoeuer watereth whether Paul or Apollo he is iust nothing profitable the which Saint Paul considering praied for the Corinthians 2. Cor 9 10. that hee which ministred Seede to the Sower would also minister bread for foode and multiplie their Seede and encrease the fruites of their Righteousnes that in all things they might be made rich vnto all bountifulnes which caused through him and other his fellow labourers in the Lords field ioy thankesgiuing to the Lord. Next although the Lord God be most able of himselfe through the Spirit to sowe this Seede in his fielde The Prophets Christ and his ministers are Sowers nor vseth at all times the meanes and ministerie of men hauing thousand thousandes of Angells readie to serue him at all times and in all places yet in his profound wisedome hath he thought good to exhibit vnto men such meanes thereto as best fitted mans nature capacitie And therfore as the good housholder or husbandman appointeth calleth and sendeth forth his seruants to labour in his field the Lord God hath chosen called and sent forth into his Church not only his holy Prophets with this soueraine Seed in the spirituall seed-lappe that is their mouthes but also his onely begotten Sonne the Lord Iesus who came forth from his Fathers bosome and in his Ministrie was named the Crier in the wildernesse who cried out saying Hearken to this ô Israel and all yee that haue eares to heare nowe heare Then after him came forth his holy Apostles and Disciples into the world who also faithfullie distributed that Seede which they had receiued beeing in the execution of their charge well likened to the voice of that Crier as was also Iohn the
or shallower as occasion requireth according to the nature of the ground and discretion of the Plough-man By this Keye is signified that true faith in Christ before spoken of whereby Righteousnesse is apprehended and wee iustified and approoued before God For after the proportion of our faith and quality of our beliefe all those excellent graces and vertues are eyther lifted vp or letten downe strengthened or weakened neither is it possible that those former parts of true repentance shall be profitable to the sinner without this by the which whatsoeuer is done is acceptable to the Lord and whatsoeuer is wrought without it is sinful and vile for whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne by the testimonie of the Apostle therefore it is impossible without faith to please God He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath life Aug. de verbis apostoli petr serm 27. Et lib. 1. de pecca iuait remiss c. â—0 de Ciuit. Dei li. 13. ca. 4. because that faith is the beginning of a good life to the which also belongeth eternall life As this is that foundation of things hoped for and the assurance of that which is not seene tunc est fides quando expectatur in spe quod in renondum videtur so is it made the very hand of the soule wherby we take hold on Iesus Christ and apply vnto our selues by his grace all his iustice merits and vertues whereof we be said to be iustified by faith because it pleaseth the Lorde to impute his proper Righteousnesse and vertues to such as apprehend the same by faith By this Abel offered vppe vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Caine Heb. 11. by this Henoch was reported of that hee pleased God by this Noah moued with reuerence prepared the Ark by this Abraham being called of God gladly obeyed him by this Sarah being well nigh a hundred yeares of age had strength to conceiue seed by this Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau concerning things to come to be briefe by this Moses and Iosuah and Rahab and Gideon and Barach and Iepthe and Sampson and Samuel and Dauid and the Prophets obtained a good report subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obeyed the promises stopped Lions mouthes quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battaile turned to flight the armie of the enemies c. For this is the very key euen the key of the sonne of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and which shutteth no man openeth And as without this no man pleaseth God but being iudged sinners are shut out from his fauour and abandoned so by this vertue of the Spirit and power of grace are offered and performed vnto vs that eternall happinesse and peace and all those heauenly treasures which our faithfull hope expecteth Worthily therefore said our Lord to such whom he was willing to helpe and preserue Haue faith in God For he that beleeueth is made holy by the diuine grace to remoue mountaines yea all things are made possible vnto him Finally this is the faiâ—hfull promise of him that is the very truth cannot lie that God louing the world Ioh. 3.16 hath giuen his only begotten Sonne to this end that all they which beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life and that the righteous man shall liue not by any his owne workes wisedome ability or merits but by his saith Hab. â— 4. This is that faith which commeth to a man by hearing of gods word which is brought vnto vs by his seruants the Preachers Ioh. 20. who are sent vnto vs from the Lord to preach the same To this end that men might beleeue that in beleeuing they might haue life throgh the name of Iesus And as the Pinne in the Soole is fitly placed in the very middest of the same so is faith mightily peazed betweene all other vertues as the very strength by the which they are fortified and tied together CHAP. XXVII The fourteenth and last part is the Tawe Spirituall Loue. THere nowe remaineth one other thing in this Soole no lesse necessarie then any of the former yea and that without the which all the former members of the same are nothing auaileable to this spirituall husbandry That is the Tawe or that yron Rope which embracing the Beame assureth it to the Tractory or Lambe By this is meant that Spirituall Loue which is so often commended and commaunded vnto the brethren of Christ as whereby not onely the mortification of the flesh is fastened to the faithfull hope and so the former is the better susteined and performed by the latter but also the whole Soole with his parts holden together by the helpe of the Key of Christian faith This is that sweete delight of a mans heart towardes something for the sake of some what August which runneth through desire and surceaseth in hope by a desire in lusting for and by a ioy in hauing it Neither if mans heart be good can it be good of any other occasion then by louing that well which is good nor can the same be euill if euer it be of any thing else sauing in not louing well that thing which is good As this Taw is made of three or foure yron rings or lincks of yron fastened one wtihin an other in the order of a chaine the greatest wherof compasseth or embraceth the Beame the second lincked to the first the third to the second and the fourth to the third which is also assured to the Tractory or Lambe So in the spirituall Taw which is Loue there bee foure kindes or branches 4. Branches of Loue. The first which is the highest greatest is the Loue of God the Father the second is the loue of God the Sonne the third is the loue of God the holy Ghost the fourth is the loue of man of God the Father as our Creator and maker of the Sonne as our redeemer and Sauiour of the holy Ghost as our sanctifier and consolator of man as our neighbour and brother Therefore it is commanded that we loue God the Father with all our heartes strength soule minde and whatsoeuer else we haue Loue him for he loued thee first loue him for hee sent his onely Sonne into the world that thou shouldest liue through him loue him for he is thy Father thy King thy God and best good for euer This is well resembled by the great Ring in the Taw which embraceth the Beame and pulleth on those other partes which follow it by which Beame as is before said is signified the Maceration or mortification of the flesh For as this Ring of the Taw compasseth the Beam so Loue compasseth or embraceth true maceration of the flesh in the godly who after the example of Christ being perswaded through Loue to take our flesh therin to be macerated mortified we are well pleased for the loue good affection they haue
that as the weakenesse of humane abilitie and slendernesse of mans witte coulde neuer of it selfe effect any thing of the meanest request The best commencements much lesse that which is of the noblest regard so also as wisdome reason and experience teach things well begun haue commonlie like successes and that the good beginnings are taken from the diuine grace wherein the greatest actions haue bene enabled with the semblable regard This when I also well weighed I thought it a matter most vnseemelie and nolesse sinful to aduenture this present worke without holy inuocation yea much I doubted lest that without this one thing I should not only transgresse in manie things but also setting the building not on the Rock with the wise man but with the foole on the sand the waight of the walles would haue fallen to the ground and so much the sooner for that the worke now endeuoured is both exceeding great and the degree therof excellent high The waight of the matter in hand vz Pietie for behold this is that which aptly concerneth the supreme magnificency of the most princely Ladie Pietie of whose right nobilitie I perswade euery man who hath been schooled either in the knowledge of God or of himselfe hath happilie heard and with whose laudable graces whosoeuer is truely adorned is both honored with God well commended of all good men And this I am sure ye will confesse together with me when yee shall aright vnderstand both the nature and vtilitie of this Soueraigne Princesse by her plaine description but the more when ye shall be moued to entertaine and embrace the sweete influences of her glorious vertues Now Pietie Cicer. in Re. tue li. 2. Aug. epist 22. ad Macedo if ye aske mee what I vnderstand by this word I answere not only that Philostorge or louing affection whereby a man loueth honoureth râ—uerenceth gratifieth and dutifully regardeth his father mother brethren kindred Country and such as haue thereby well deserued according to the definition of the Philosophers but also that chiefly that most reuerend holy and true worship of the most high God Chris in ser De fide de lege and the true loue and right regard of dutie towards all men whose originall and fountaine the whole scriptures diuinely inspired haue drawne not from the nature wit abilitie or policie of sinfull man but from the verie spirit of truth as an influence of the highest heauens comprehended in the feare of God expressed in Faith Hope and Charitie hath his Mysterie exceeding great for vnder the same not onely God is manifested in the flesh as Paul the holie Apostle affirmeth 1. Tim. 3. but also there lye couched great safetie great wealth great vtilitie great glorie Thereof the auncient Hermes knowing the safetie protested that Lactan. li. 2. de Origine Erro cap. 16. Mia Phylake Eusebeia c. Pietie is that onely keeper or preser matrix of men for neither hath the wicked diuel nor yet Fate any maner power ouer the godly man for God deliuereth him from all euil therefore is Pietie or Godlines that one and onely good thing among men Next wee heare the Apostle to affirme that Pietie is great riches to them which are content with that which they haue thirdly he saith that this vertue is profitable to all things lastly that it hath for her end euerlasting life For in the true tenure of Pietie not only all the Creatures of God in the world but also all the treasures and rights of the kingdome of heauen are ours Therefore this is the same which beyond all other things he boldly commendeth as not only the best and most acceptable to God but the verie scope of all the holy Scriptures which are giuen to this end that men might belieue and in belieuing might haue eternall life in the name of the Sonne of God Loe such a thing haue I aduentured to haue at this time whose reuerence although I esteeme farre beyond mine abilitie and worthinesse yet vnder the feare of him who hath called me with an holy calling graunted me to knowe the secretes of this vertue and enabled me to declare his glorie in the middest of his congregation haue I so farre forth presumed yet not I but that diuine grace which worketh in mee Therefore let vs now with meeke heartes and due reuerence fall downe before his footstoole and faithfully lift vp our humble mindes vnto that heauenly Father froÌ„ whom this grace desendeth Let vs seeke him in a true faith and desire his gratious goodnes that in his diuine fauour mercy and louing affection towards vs through his sweete sonne our Sauiour he would respect our condition speede well our Plough and prosper all our godly endeuours that thereof plowing and sowing not to the flesh but to the spirit we may reape not of the flesh corruption but of the spirit life euerlasting for the high glory of his maiestie the soueraign benefit of his Church the perfect discharge of Christian dutie and the prosperitie of the elected Saints O most blessed father the God of glory A prayer for the good speed of Pieties Plough and king of all consolation we thy poore children oppressed with the intollerable burthen of sinne and scourged with miseries rod the guard of transgressions doe now here prostrate both our bodies and soules before thy foote-stoole Thou hast commanded vs to sowe for Righteousnesse Hos 10.12 and to reape according to Mercies measure to plough vp our fallow ground to seeke after thee in the happie time and to apply Pieties Plough in the true obseruation of godly dutie But alas ô father wee be so witlesse and weake as wee neither knowe how to vse the one nor are able to labour in the other nor can we be drawne from the idle market place into the happie field of the spirituall husbandry but by thy wisdome thy mercie and thy louing and gracious calling through thy most holy Messias our Sauiour For as no man commeth vnto thee but by thy Sonne so neither commeth any man to thy Sonne but whom thou drawest and thou drawest them no doubt by thy mercie Ier. 31.3 whom thou hast embraced with thine euerlasting loue Gen. 9.27 Therefore with righteous Noah wee beseech thee to perswade vs in thy mercies to enter Sichems Tabernacles Cant. 1.3 and heartily desire thee with thy holy Spowsesse to drawe vs forth after thee with a promise of our parts but assisted by thee that then wee will runne Call vs ô father effectually manure our worke without and prepare our mindes within Let it please thy good spirit to inspire our hearts thy power to enable our bodies thy grace to confirme our whole man to to thy holy will and pleasure and thy louing mercies to make vs meete for thy seruice that standing no longer ydle we may henceforth labour in thy field follow Pieties Plough and be wholy emploied in the heauenly
of men But that wherto the Prophet Hoseas exhorteth is that Righteousnes of God and the true perfect Iustice of the LORDS Elect Hos 10. after the which as from a cause there followe for effects good Actions good endeuors good works and an holie and sounde life in and by the which a man is iustified and commended before men as hee is iustified and commended in the sight of God by the former The former is called Iustice the latter is called Mercy And as the former is taken for the cause Calu. in Hes 10. the latter for the effect or the one for the tree the other for the fruite so is this latter made the definition of the former being indeede the very Symbole or signe as whereby the Righteousnes of God in Christ by the which we are approued with him is plainely expressed and set forth as elsewhere it is said that the obseruation of the second table of the law plainly testifieth the true performance of the first Table Therfore Faith expressed by decâ—es Matt. â—5 aswel to teach perswade this vnto the Saints as to comfort encourage them in their dutie therin Christ remembreth and commendeth in them rather the obseruation of those workes of the second Table then those of the first that is their workes before their faith as that wherby indeed their true faith appeared therefore he saith not I was hungry thirsty naked harborles sick and in prison and ye beleeued in mee but he said I was thirsty ye gaue me drinke naked ye cloathed me harbourles and ye lodged me sick and ye visited mee in prison and ye came vnto me Thus he commended the work which expressed the faith for as a learned father wryteth after the saying of Saint Iames Pistis choris ergon necra hos erga dicha pisteos Gre. Naz. Eisto haâ—ion baptisma Iam. â— 18 Matt 5. Faith is dead without works euen as the woâ—ks are dead without faith Therfore it was the counsaile of the same Apostle that we should declare our faith by our workes alluding to that Commandement of the Lord So let your light shine before men that they may see your good workes c. In this coÌ„sideration let vs remeÌ„ber that as I said the Prophet Hosey commendeth to vs a double Iustice whereof the one is before God the other is towardes and before men Ro. 3 2.24.8 1. Cor 1 30. Iaâ— 2. â—â— 2â— Of the former spake Paul saying wee are iustified by faith and Christ is our righteousnes Of the latter spake Iames wee be iustified by works and Abraham was iustified by works And as eyther of them as the cause the time the persons and the occasions required haue duely attributed aswell to faith as to works Faith and works the due prerogatiue and honor of both so haue they taught and esteemed not onely the one but both of theÌ„ necessarie in a godly man The first which is the tree or cause of the latter is defined in the Newe Testament Our Righteousnes before God of two parts to be our Reconciliation with God by the means of Christ Iesus our Mediator Or our Approbation with the Father through the merite of the Sonne Or the free Remission of sinnes obtayned by them which beleeue in God and by the which we who who are guilty God pronouÌ„ceth iust for the sake of his Sonne And this defintiion hath two generall partes the one is remission of sinnes the other is the imputation of Iustice A remission of our owne sinnes An imputation of the Iustice of another wherin there is a fit allusion to the order and vsage of a gratious Prince towards his guiltie Subiect whom notwithstanding his faulte hee doth not onely pardon for his offence but also doth adorne with benefites The sinne is pardoned through him by whose Iustice and merite we are approued and pronounced Righteous that is not by any Angell or man or any other creature whatsoeuer which were not onely ashamed but also blemished by mans sinne but only in by the holy Messias the Lord Iesus who indeed for that purpose came down from his Father and died and with his pretious blood payed the debt of our transgression and set vs at libertie yea he beautified vs with the glorious beautie of himselfe Of the former member of this our Iustice wee haue a notable testimony of the Lord in Isaiah Isa 53. â—1 where he saith My righteous Seruant meaning Christ shall iustifie the multitude with his wisedome and how he tells for he shall beare their sinnes And that approoueth the Apostle where hee saith of Christ that he bare our sinnes in his body 1. Pet â— 21.14 hanging on the tree when there was no guile found in his mouth To this belongeth that example of the Publican Luke 18. whom the Lord approued before the proud pharisie for he prayed for pardon for his sinne which he confessed and that being granted hee was said to be iustified for his sinnes were not imputed therefore both after the Testimony of Dauid and of Paul he was blessed Ro. 4. â— 8 Gal. 3.8 as blessed is that maÌ„ to whoÌ„ the Lord imputeth not sin Of the latter member of this Iustice the same Apostle speaking saith that God imputed Righteousnes to theÌ„ that beleeued that is 1. Cor. 1.30 the Righteousnes of Christ to the faithful that he is made vnto vs of God not onely wisedome sanctification and redemption but also Righteousnes and in one other sentence he comprehendeth either member thus Christ dyed for our sinnes Ro 4 1â— hee rose againe for our iustification that is he dyed to abolish sinne and rose againe to worke our perfect Righteousnes This is our Righteousnes with the Lord The order of our Iustification to the which the former Iustice must be referred the order therof in the merite of the Sonne of God is as followeth viz. First we consider the eternall loue of God to mankind in Iesus Christ before all worlds according to that saying I loued thee with an euerlasting loue Secondly his diuine grace and fauour wherby he powreth forth on vs of his diuine blessings as of whose fulnes we all receiue grace vpon grace Thirdly his Mercie in drawing vs vnto him as hee saith by the Prophet By my mercie haue I drawen thee vnto me Fourthlie the merite of Iesus Christ working deseruing it in the Iustice of his Father Fiftlie his perfect Righteousnes the which of that his loue grace mercie and merite extended vnto vs Christ is made ours and his graces and vertues esteemed ours in by the which Mans merite excluded we are accepted as is the Sonne or Mediator Righteous and glorious before God Thus farre forth we finde man to be vtterlie excluded not onely from all merite but also from all action or meanes in himselfe of this Iustice and therfore hath hee no cause to boaste of that
the disposition of these vertues is our owne but that as we should neither resist the holy motions of the Spirite offered vs nor receiue the graces of God in vaine so we should gladly yeeld our selues vnto the Lorde and receiue by the hande of a liuely saith from his goodnesse Grace vpon Grace and Vertue vpon Vertue as such as being well taught vnder our heauenly Father might honour and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse Loe this is that infringeable Chaine of Pieties Plough comparable to that compleat armour of God the which S. Paul would a Christian should put on and the which in this Chaine Ephes 6. are aptly lincked and framed together Whereof the first is Veritie the next Righteousnesse the third Readinesse for the Gospell the fourth Faith the fift Hope the sixt Gods word the seuenth Praier c. This Chaine is so necessarie for the Spirituall Plough-man as that without it the Plough cannot proceed but hauing this holy combination and prouocation of all Vertues the Plough proceedeth with good speede and all prosperitie as strong in the Lord and in the power of his might CHAP. XXII The tenth part of the Soole is the further wheele IN Pieties Plough there be two Wheeles as wheron the Beame is carried by the Axell 9 Meditation profitable and the Soole more stedily directed forth in the land Albeit that in some places the fields are turned by the Soole without wheeles yet as the Husbandman findeth the commoditie so doth he commend the right vse of the same The two wheeles of this Plough are the profitable Meditation and the continuance of the good action both the which the holy Psalmist described and commended in that blessed man Psal 1. whose delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law is exercised both day and night The former is that remission of the minde according to nature from thinges which are without ad principatum to the chiefe rule or head which then is most profitable when it hath for his chiefe obiect the best and most profitable things in the consideration whereof a man may be taught instructed and edified in that which is of like nature for the glory of God his owne safetie And well is this vertue likened to the Wheele in three points First for the figure secondly for the coniunction thirdly for the motion thereof The figure is round by the which as the Philosophers note perfection wee may vnderstand the soundnesse of holy Meditation for as the wheele is of euery part perfect as that there needeth not either addition or diminution so is the Meditation of the beleeuing Christian perfect as the Lord is perfect Mat. 5. The Coniunction is of diuers parts and so as of two or more then is made one thing thus the godly repentant man hath his cogitation fixed on those things which as parts are combined together in the true meditation of the olde and new Testament of Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes of the doctrine Euangelicall Apostolicaâ—l and Historicall and so as it the thing figured were seen in the figure the figure in the thing figured in an equall proportion as then when the holy Prophets by a strong meditation in the things to them reuealed foreshewed long before the things were accomplished sawe the same and thereof vsed often the preter or present tence for the future This Ezekiel Ezekiel 1. saw in a vision a wheele in the middest of a wheele this Salomon taught that one thing should be considered or meditated on with another that men might attaine to wisedome For in our meditations it is meete that wee obserue the true proportion of those partes and members which are to be conioined as the Law with the Prophets faith with obedience hope with charitie goodnesse with grace the Father the Sonne Christ Iesus and his Church the Church and her children the death of Christ his resurrection his ascension and his high glory mans election and glorification his iustification his sanctification What man is without Christ and what he is in Christ what God hath done for vs and what hee requireth of vs c. The motion of this wheele is circularie to the which beyond all other motions the Philosophers attribute perfection in the which the singular consideration and right vse of those excellent obiects are signified in the vse whereof after the end of our meditation wee should begin againe and orderly proceede in the circularie motion of the Wheele Mat. 2â— 40 Phil. 3.1 Thus the Lorde Iesus praying to his Father spake the same wordes three times and Saint Paul to the Philippians said that it greeued him not to write vnto them oftentimes the same thing Thus wee are taught to pray euerie day to the Lorde for our daily foode Mat. 6.11 and for the forgiuenes of our sinnes both in the morning at noone tide in the euening and in the night season This also intimated Salomon not onely in that he saith Eccl. 11.2 Remember thy Maker the sooner in thy youth but in that Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight as that when we haue ended one weeke which consisteth of seuen daies we should begin againe with the eight day another weeke And in this circulary motion wee shuld ruminate Pauls wheele of fourteen spokes Act. 17. As first that there is but one chiefe best good thing which is God Secondly that he alone is author of all good things both in heauen and earth Thirdly that he is Lord of all Fourthly that he is concluded in no place Fiftly that he is not worshipped with the workes of mens hands Sixtly that he hath neede of no mans helpe Seuenthly that he disposeth of his riches to euery man Eightly that hee is the creator and maker of mankinde Ninthly that hee placed men on the earth Tenthly that he is euery where filling euerie thing Twelfthly that in him we liue moue and haue our being Thirteenth that he is honoured not with gold siluer or any outward things And fourteenthly that in Christ Iesus our Mediator hee is good and gratious vnto all men Here also we are to meditate how the maiestie power iustice and mercie of God is both declared and confirmed to mankind first by creation next by sustentation gouernment and administration thirdly by many examples of thinges supernaturall and strange fourthly by the common consent and voyce of all men fiftly by the ordinary sense of his goodnesse sixtly by the secret and iust testimonie of conscience seuenthly by the manner of his iudgements eightly by the authority of the holy Scriptures ninthly by the opinion of the Philosophers and tenthly beyond all others by the sending of his onely Sonne into the worlde Furthermore looking on my selfe I am to consider and not to forget at all times how far not onely others but also my selfe haue erred sinned from the scope of my calling and direction of
tou Kuriou Iesou alla kai muriakis ean iaie I am ready said Gordius not onely to labour but to die for the name of the Lord Iesus not onely once but a thousand times if it might so bee Ignat. in apost ad Trattia acts Epest 10. ad Ephes And I said Ignatius haue setled my hope in him who died for mee that is Christ For there is no guile founde in him Againe I am for Gods cause deliuered into the hands of murtherers as from the bloud of Abell the iust vnto the bloud of Ignatius the least Againe writing to the Romanes Suffer mee saith he to be made meate for the beastes appointed to deuour me Epist 11 that I may be made worthy of God For I am the wheate or corne of God and I shall be grinded with the teeth of beasts that I may become cleane bread for the Lord and therto ye may perswade those beasts that their wombes become my Sepulchre and that they leaue no part of my body whereby after my death the same may not remaine loathsome vnto any of them which liue Loe this is that which faithfull hope perswades and such are the Oxen such is their labour in this field and such is their remuneration with the Lorde and his Saints CHAP. XXIX 1 The Holder 2 The Leader 3 The Driuer of Pieties Plough WE knowe right well The working of God in the regeneration of man Dionys Areo in Caiest hierarchiae ca. 1. that no man commeth to the Father but by the Sonne that no man commeth to the Son but he whom the Father draweth and that no man commeth either to the one or to the other but by the power and motion of the holy Ghost So that in this worke the whole Trinitie of the diuine Deitie hath his action and perfect working therefore it is Cant. 1. that the most holy Spowsesse â—s Salomon testifieth prayeth to her most peerlesse head saying Draw me forth after thee and then will we runne Ier. 31. Ephraim implores as the Prophet Ieremie saith O Lorde conuert vs and wee shall bee conuerted The Apostles desire O Lorde encrease our faith And the Lorde Iesus himselfe sending forth his Apostles commaundes them to preach the Gospell and to Baptise the beleeuers in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Therefore as the Plough is by the Holder thereof directed by the Leader allured and by the Driuer prouoked so is this spirituall Plough directed by God the Father allured by God the Sonne and prouoked by God the holy Ghost for God himselfe holdeth Christ Iesus leadeth and the holy Spirite prouoketh the Plough in this husbandrie and field of the Lord. Gen. 1.1 Thus in the great work of the Creation these three persons had not onely their seuerall but their ioynt operations as Moses testifieth Thus in the conception and birth of Christ God the Father begets Mat. 1. Luk 2. God the holy Ghost workes in the conception and God the Sonne is begotten and borne which three also worke in the begetting regeneration and new birth of the elected Saints albeit they are not three but one eternall God The Holder My Father saith Christ is an Husbandman and so called in regard of his wisedome prouidence and good endeuours had God is as a Husbandman Secund. Philoso and daily employed by him on the soyle of mans heart wherein semblant to the Husbandman whom the Philosopher Secundus in the presence of Adrian defined he is a Minister of labours an improuer of the desart a Phisitian of the earth a Planter of trees and a Measurer or Proportioner of monethes In this person we may here remember beyond many others two principall attributes or diuine vertues namely Gods iustice and mercie his Iustice and his Mercie both the which in the holding of this Plough hee aptly applieth as his two handes to those two Hales or handles of the Soole In the former we finde him euer vpright and seuere against presumptious sinners in the latter louing and cheerful to penitents The first is strengthened by the vigour of the Lawe the latter beautified by the comforts of the Gospel and therein both these are so tempted by the meditation of Messias his merite Gregor mor. in Iob. 35 lib. 26. cap. 10. that neither presumption hurteth nor desperation killeth him that truly repents For as God is a good Father so in his goodnesse he respects not only his naturall Sonne God and man but all such as haue their adoptioÌ„ by grace in him with a right fatherly loue and affection The Leader as it is said before is Christ Iesus 2 Christ is the Leader of the Plough who indeede goeth forth before all those his Oxen as their Head and Captaine and willing to bring man from errours to the truth and especially his Ministers to the right method and order of their vocation Aug. in Ioan. tract 22. he saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life As if he would say Falli non vis Ego sum veritas Mori non vis Ego sum vita Errare non vis Ego sum via Non est qua eas nisi ad me non est quà cas nisi per me Wilt thou not be deceiued I am the Truth Wilt thou not die I am the Life Wilt thou not erre I am the Way Thou hast not whither to goe but vnto me neither maist thou walke safely sauing by me This is the same to whom the Lawe directs the Prophets point the Figures ayme and whom the Father would that all men should heare and hee hath not onely shewed the way vnto the kingdome but louingly allures men to walke in the same Therefore he faith Mat. 11.29 Learne of me Come vnto me Neither hath he at any time required that of his followers in this worke which himselfe had not first vndertaken in his owne person In regard whereof Apo. 14.1 those hundred fortie and foure thousand redeemed soules which stand with the Lambe on Mount Sion followe him wheresoeuer he goeth and therefore as for him they are crossed they shall be with him also crowned finding that all the afflictions of this life for him Ro. 8. are not worthy that glory which shall be reuealed in him 3 The Driuer The holy Ghost prouokes the good Oxe The Driuer of this Plough is the diuine Spirite through whose instigation the goade is agitated the Oxen prouoked and the Plough furthered too and for the which it pleaseth him semblant to the Goad inch or driuer of Oxen to vse and apply sometimes Words sometimes Voices sometimes Songs or whistlings sometimes prickes and stripes The Words Words are the examples testimonies sentences and Parables of the holy Scriptures Eccle. 12. the which as saith Salomon as are goades and nailes fastened by the maisters of the Assemblies which are giuen by one Pastor goades to prouoke and nailes to confirme the working
day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your harts And Christ saith Whiles ye haue the light walke in the light Moreouer the Lord speaking of an especiall time saith Isai 49.8 I haue heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee The which S. Paul applying to this gratious opportunity wherein the Lord did not only declare but offer vnto the Corinthians others the effects of his loue hee saith Now is that acceptable time 2. Cor. 6. now is that day of saluatioÌ„ And this is that which the Lord gratiously extendeth to his Saints the which hee wold they should accept without delaies for their good This therfore obserued righteous Noah when according to Gods commandement he did not onely preach of Gods mercies 120. yeares to the olde world but entred the Arke in the opportune time The like obserued AbrahaÌ„ wheÌ„ he went forth of his own Country Lot when he departed froÌ„ Sodome Moses when with the Israelites he went out of Egypt and Matthew Peter Iames Andrew Paul and Iohn when they were called they answered not wee will first goe and burie our fathers or bid them farewell which are at home or goe see the farmes we haue purchased or prooue the oxen wee haue bought but they presently accepted the diuine grace without lingering or excuses Thus the fiue wise Virgins waited and in the due time entred in with the Bride when the foolish neglecting the opportunitie were shut out with this saying I know you not And this should teach vs to accept of the precious good opportunity the rather for that as in the same we shall finde rest to our soules and bee blessed So in the neglect thereof there is coÌ„monly found affliction and woe Chry. in Babil conâ—ra gentes For as Saint Chrysostome saide Tâ—iaute gar esti tou thiâ—â—macrothamia tois oule eis deon chromenois auteÌ„ peer ateran eo ageitendiken Such is the long suffering or goodnesse of God that hee greeuously punisheth them which abuse it and as to them which repent the same is euer found profitable so to the obstinate stubborne persons it offereth an occasion of more greeuous punishment and is according to that coniunction on the Israelites saying As the Lord reioyced ouer you to doe you good Deut. 28.63 and tomultiâ—ly you so be will reioyce ouer you to bring you to nought and ye shal be rooted out of the Land whither thou goest to enioy it if thou wilt not feare the Lord thy God This being well considered by the Prophet and willing that the Lords children well aduised should obserue the due time with her oppertunitie he said It is time to seeke the Lord whiles he commeth as if hee should say to serue him to feare him and to apprehend and accept his louing graces then whiles he offereth the same 3. The Lords fatherly affection Dyonis Areo pag in Caelest hierarchia cap. 1. The third Reason is drawne from the consideration of that Storge or most louing affection of a naturall father to his dâ—are sonne Wherein the Lord declares himselfe as a Father to his people and therein as wee see howe parents in many thinges preuent their children and are willing and ready to pardon them before that euer they aske or seeke for pardon vppon their faultes committed beeing sorie that by their slidings they offer occasion of anger or correction euen so as the Prophet saith The Lord is very readie to forgiue and commeth forth vnto them Isa 5.5 Hos 10. Luk 15. to raine Righteousnes vpon them This hath Christ expressed in the Parable of the good Father and his prodigall Sonne Where the good father seeing his poore sonne comming towards him yet a great way off ranne forth to meete him and yet before his sonne could open his mouth to aske mercie he preuented him with the tokens of his goodnes and fatherly loue Of this grace and mercie of our heauenly Father comming neare vnto vs and so ready to helpe and embrace vs with the armes of his loue Saint Augustine in his holy Cofessions could meditate in this sort Gratia misericordia Dei semper praueniebâ—â—t 〈◊〉 c. The grace and mercie of God did alway preuert me from many daungers it deliuered me when I was sicke it salued me when I erred it reduced me when I fell downe it vpraised me when I was sorrowfull it consolated me c. Thus as the Lord seemeth very sorrowfull that we should sinne to offend him and endanger ourselues so is he glad of our returne vnto him as whereby we may be recured for our safetie And knowing our necessities at all times he doth often minister vnto vs that whereof we haue need albeit bee haue neither the knowledge nor the readinesse of our selues to a ke or require the same at his hands The fourth Reason is taken from the excellencie of the benefite or thing promised for he saith 4. The excâ—lâ—encie of the benefit that the Lord will come and raine downe Righteousnesse vpon them that sowe for righteousnesse and reape after mercies measure which indeed is a great and excellent blessing of the Lorde on his Saints as wherby they shall not onely haue a good reward but with great abundance The second thing promised is as the wise man hath said Righteousnesse Righteousnesse that is the fruites effects and reward of Righteousnesse by the figure Metonomia Now as we should perswade that the promises of God are Yea and Amen so his will is that such as heare his word and obey him therein shall obtaine and retaine that which they faithfully desire for his owne glory and their benefite Therefore he saith Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shalt be opened vnto you Heb. 11. And Blessed are they which hunger and th rst after Righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Therefore was it as the Apostle saith that the holy Fathers staggered not in faith but stedfastly beleeued that God would euer be as good as his promise So ploughing for Righteousnesse and seeking after goodnesse we shall no doubt timely reape and enioy the fruites thereof Secondly by this word the Prophet pointeth to that encrease of vertues which should ensue our labours in the Lorde by the same we are encouraged to diligence and therein to regard how we may bee augmented as that the fiue talents committed vnto vs should by our godly exercises bee made tenne and those tenne talents twentie neuer doubting of the rich bountie of the Lord who as he vseth not to quench the smoking Flaxe nor to breake the bruised Reede hee will accept that which we haue and not condemne vs for want of quantitie when wee endeuour in his feare to expresse the qualitie and he will of his goodnesse giue a plentifull encrease vnto our labours To this aymed Saint Iohn Ioh 1. â— when he said that from his fulnesse we all receiue
that right worshipfull and vertuous Matron Mistris Cotton and al yours to the heauenly Landlord who be blessed for euer Norleigh in Deuon this first of Ianuary Anno salutis 1606. Your good Lordships to be commanded in all dutie IOHN CARPENTER THE PLAINE mans spirituall Plough CHAP. I. God speede the Plough HE that well beginneth for the most part well succeedeth A good beginning hath the like end as that Builder which best plotteth best prospereth And truly wel he beginneth Eales 12. 1. and soundly he plotteth who remembring his Creator the sooner in his youth beholdeth his face and seeketh in all his endeuours to glorifie his blessed name This method hath our heauenly and most learned Schoolemaister taught and prescribed vs in his doctrine First seeke yee the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and rightly obserued the same in his life and actions for our imitation when according to the prophesie of the sweet Psalmists Psal 16.8 of Israel He set Iehouah before his face who therefore stoode at his right hand to the ioy of his soule and stabilitie of his glory when others fell And heere is both standing and falling for where this rule is not holden the waight of the walls as laide on a sandie foundation is with Nimrods Babel subiect to a sodaine downe fall Gen. 11.9 The very sweete Spowsesse whom King Saloman bringeth in reporting her aduentures seeking for her Soueraigne Cant. 1.3 found him not because she obserued neither the due time nor the true maner thereof For shee sought him in her bed by the nights that is in voluptuousnesse and securitie signified by the bed and by ignorance and errors noted by the nights Ioh. 21.6 In like maner as the Euangelist tels it the Apostles of our Lord not yet fully confirmed went forth to fish and caught iust nothing for that they laboured in the night neither regarded to cast forth their nets on the right side of the Shippe But that the holy Spowsesse might best finde him whom her soule loued she is taught by the watchmen how where and to what ende to seeke him and that those vnfortunate Fishers might catch they are aduised by their Maister both to labour in the bright morning and to cast out their nets on the right side of the Shippe that is to labour with knowledge and integritie as such as are beautified with Vrim and Thummim The Lord GOD willing that wee should take this course without feare or fainting as well for the obtaining of things necessarie God will that we shoâ—d pray vntâ— him at the beginning of our labours as for the comfort of our soules and glorie of his name commandeth vs to call vpon him to aske to seeke to knocke yea and to continue this exercise Next to encourage and animate our spirits he hath promised to heare vs and to grant that whatsoeuer wee shall aske or desire of him in the name of Iesus Thirdly the Lord being as good as his word granteth and giueth vnto such as cal vpon him euen his holy Spirit and all things needfull as well for their bodies as for their soules Fourthly as the necessitie of man prouoketh it so is the exercise of holy prayer most sweete and comfortable Therefore the godly in all ages haue beene in this much delighted and felt the greatest solace in the middest of their greatest afflictions perswading that as they set the Lord before their eyes hee was to them as their father both willing to blesse and declaring his power to preserue them and therefore praying vnto him they call him their father in the heauens Noah the eight Preacher of righteousnesse as he before faithfully depended on the Lord his God from whose grace he had both coÌ„menced and proceeded in that great work of the Arke wherin Gods glory and Noahs faith did appeare Gen. 8.20 So comming foorth thereof hee aduentured not his husbandry vntill he had built an Altar to the Lord and laide thereon his oblations to the honour of his name Abraham being called out of his owne countrie by the Lord euer placed him in his eyes offred Sacrifices vnto his Grace Geâ— 12.7 24.14 28.20 and thence proceeded to the performance of his word Also his seruant Eleazar being sent from him with a charge in the Diuine feare first inuocated the Lord desiring him to prosper his iourney The same rule obserued Moses Dauid Saloman and other the godly of those times In the new Testament we haue the blessed examples not onely of our Lord Iesus praying to his father but also of his holy Apostles and Disciples who gladly learned and followed him therein Act. 1.14 In the first of the Acts when they had assembled about the choyce of Matthias in Iudas place they had not onely Preaching an orderly choyce of persons and casting of Lottes but also and that chiefely prayers as whereby they might moue the Lord to supply and to effect that which neither themselues nor any other without his holy hand was able to performe for his glory All the which was purposed and done not onely for them then An example for vs to seek the Lord before all things but also for vs now and chiefely for the Teachers and Ministers of the word that they might not onely bee willing to bestowe their studies and endeuours to Preach and divulgate the word and the same to confirme by their owne godly examples but also both to prefixe and affixe mette prayers to the same thereby to desire the Diuine ayde by whose grace and blessings those labours of theires in his Vineyarde and husbandry might bee made fruitfull yea and that wee might knowe whether they either teach others or heare others teaching them there is no fruite or encrease to be presumed or expected from the power or practise of man but from the Lord who onely giueth both to the speaker and also to the hearer not onely a tongue to speake and an eare to heare but also that fruit and profit of either as whereby his name might bee glorified and themselues edified and comforted for eternall life Moreouer the very heathen The heathen how they began Poets and wisemen of the Gentiles haue not neglected but most carefully regarded to begin their workes with the Inuocation of those diuine powers which they most affected worshipped as froÌ„ whose graces they were perswaded their labours and studies might enioy the happier fine whereof followed this Distich Aâ— loue fit orfum ne Serpeâ—s det tibi morsum And therein howsoeuer some haue vainely hunted after the praise of worldly men the better sort as Philemon Socrates Plato and such did euer ayme at the Glorie of the highest power the which they placed for the chiefe scope of their labours and therefore from thence expected ayde and continuall assistance But by how much greater the worke in action was of estimatioÌ„ so much the more regard they euer had of this ground-plot knowing
nos incipimus postea dei omnia adiuvamur Aug. in Psal 51. c. In euery good worke wee our selues doe not first begin the same and then afterward are assisted by the mercy of God but it is he that first inspireth both our faith and loue towardâ— him without any of our good deserts preceeding And seeing that this vertue as it is saide is a diuine motion inspired into mans heart I remember that Dauid praying to God for the same did first desire God Psal 51.10 to Create a newe heart within him As if he shuld say That which must steed me in this matter must come from aboue neither is there any thing in mine heart already that can be made to serue in this businesse therfore it is needfull not that my old heart be renewed but that I haue another heart not made or framed of the old but created to the which also ô Lord I beseech thee to renew within me thy spirit which I haue enioyed heretofore of thine especiall loue and fauour towards me Therefore although the Lord both commandeth and commendeth the labour and diligence of man as the meanes wherby he is willing to exhibite vs his graces yet doe all our labours and diligence nothing profit vs therin except there be both loue and grace in the Giuer that is in God who iustifieth and frameth mans heart to his Image and will for the sake of his sonne For this grace and mercy proceeding from that diuine loue doth euer preuent vs and go before our faith our loue our vertues our Iustice Yea this is the same whereby wee haue further engendred in our hearts and made able to apprehend that Iustice the which as a good Tree groweth and buddeth and beareth fruite namely all those godly vertues qualities and actions which are required of that man whom the Lord hath iustified And therefore in our iustification Two things in our Iusttification there is not onely the faith of the Belieuer but also the grace of him that iustifieth This meate our Sauiour when in his Doctrine he saide Ioh. 15. Without mee ye can doe nothing that is yee cannot bring fourth any manner fruite either healthfull or profitable neither are yee able to doe any good work acceptable to the Lord except ye belieue in me and by your faith remaine in me And hereof is it that when Saint Paul speaketh of mans iustification being very warie that nothing thereof be yeelded to mans workes or merits hee saith that we are iustified sometimes by grace sometimes by mercy sometimes by faith approaching grace for it is most certaine as Augustine saith againe that the grace is of him that calleth Ad Sympli g. 2. vocantis est Gratia c. Grace and faith and the good workes followe him which hath receiued that grace neither yet are the workes such as obtaine grace but such as proceede of grace And this he maketh plaine by a notable Simbole or similitude For the fire saith he scaldeth not that it may be hoate but therefore because it is hoate nor therefore runneth well the wheele that it may be round but for that it is already round So no man worketh well that hee may thereby receiue grace but therefore hee worketh well because hee hath already obtained it for how can he liue iustly which hath not bin iustified how can he liue holily who hath not bene sanctified So said Augustin alluding to the words of Christ First make the tree good and then the fruit will be good for a good man from the good treasure of his heart bringeth foorth that which is good but on the other side yee can not gather figges of thistles the euill man from the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is euill and how can ye think or speake or do well when your selues are euill By this wee see that howsoeuer our aduersaries would that our perfect iustice should depend on our workes that no worke seeme it neuer so good before men is a perfect worke of Iustice except it be wrought by the person iustified Whereof it was saide that the very Prayers of the vngodly are turned into sin Neither may wee imagine No good worke but that which followeth grace that any work endeuour studie thought or Action is eyther acceptable to the lord or profitable for mans soule without this precedeÌ„t grace which proceedeth from the eternall loue of God in his sonne the Which we may explane by a familiar example though taken froÌ„ an heathen History without iust offence Valerius Maximus Valer. Max. Lib. 2. among his examples of memorable deeds maketh mention of one Liuius Torquatus Manlius a noble Consul of Rome and of his Son â— right valiant and couragious gentleman This gentleman saith he being of a couragious mind went forth with his men of Warre waged battaile against another Nation his fathers enemie but without his said fathers leaue fauor or knowâ—edge and thereof got the victory and a famous conquest in the iudgement of all men who at his returne home praised his valiant exployt noble action with the highest applause the which they all hoped would not onely be confirmed but also tripled by his most noble father Howbeit Torquatus contrary both to their hope and his expectation did not onely preseÌ„tly vnfold his great dislike of his son who aduentured to goe forth without his will consent and so in his disgrace but also al the action great exploit of his aduenture for he commanded him to be slaine for a sacrifice Satius iudicaus patrem forti filio quam patriam miliâ—ari disciplina carere Iudging it better that a father wanted such a valiant son then that the country should be depriued of her militarie discipline In like maner we should beware that we presume not to get credit with the Lord by any worke that we shall endeuour to doe without his grace good wil preuenting vs or to thinke that we can be righteous holy acceptable vnto him but that he first iustifie vs in his son And truly besides this memorable example the very experiment of mens dealing after the course of nature and reason informeth vs of those things The order of Noahs approbatioÌ„ Gen. 6.8.9 But passing by them let vs againe returne to those examples Testimonies of the holy Scriptures and therein first consider the method and order of the righteousnesse and approbation of holy Noah It is reported of him First that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Secondly that he was a righteous man Thirdly that he was perfect Fourthly that he walked with God In that he found grace are two things obserued First that the Lord louing him did fauour him next that hee gaue him faith wherby to finde and apprehend that diuine grace In that hee is saide to be righteous wee are taught that the Lord who had fauoured him and graunted him faith did also approue and
enable him for his diuine seruice whereof hee was not onely esteemed but was indeed a righteous man Thirdly hee was clad in the full habite of vertues whereof hee was perfect and esteemed as worthy to walk with God as those Saints which are esteemed by grace worthy to stand before the Sonne of man The like we finde in the holy father Abraham who being first loued and graced of God did by the diuine gifts of faith apprehend that grace by the which hee pleased the Lord God in that which he did answereable to that cōmandement of the Lord Gen. 17.1 I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou perfect This considered the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes Heb. 13.28 Let vs saith he retaine grace to what end that thereby we may serue God to to please him with reuerence and feare As if he should adde for without this grace we may neither serue nor please God as he requireth But on the other side we finde The works of the Iewish Hypocrites not onely by the testimony of the Prophets but also of the lord Iesus himselfe that albeit the Iewes did many great workes made mightie shewes of integritie and perfection offred vp many Sacrifices and oblations vsed much prayer Almes-deedes fastings and obserued many ceremonies of the Law and traditions of their Elders with wonderfull deuotion they were neuerthelesse both blamed condemned for Hypocrits with this saying Isa 1.11.12.14 Mat. 9. But Who hath required those things at your handes Goe yee and learne what this meaneth I will haue mercy and not those sacrifices For the Lord would that their harts should first bee graced and conformed to his will by faith apprehending his grace of and by the which they might be iustified and well approued in his sight Therefore 1. Sam. 15 although King Saul gaue a glorious pretence to the honour of God when hauing subdued Agag the Amalakite he reserued part of the spoile to be offred vp in a burnt Sacrifice to the Lord of heauen yet because his heart was not well qualified by grace going before whereof hee might haue taken his approbation with the Lord hee was not onely nothing commended but much blamed and threatned to bee cast off from the kingdome of Israel For had hee bene graced he would haue belieued and hauing belieued he would haue obeyed and in his obedience pleased the Lord which offreth his grace and would not that wee should receiue the same in vaine Righteousnes is the effect of Iustification These things well considered we find that righteousnes or Iustice is the very effect or fruit of that Iustification of man before God of the which we shall haue occasion to speake hereafter And thus haue we seene what it is which the Lord God requireth of vs and what we are to yeeld him vnder this word Iustice or Righteousnesses Neither may we doubt but as those persons of vertue prowes in all ages Io. 12.26 haue bene thoughe worthie of honour among the children of men◠the Lord will reward and crowne those his graces and workes in vs as if they were not his but ours as not only the holy scriptures warrant vs but the exāples of his Saints and children remembred in the same for our consolation sufficiently confirme In regard wherof they haue attributed to this noble Vertue manie princely prerogatiues as that among others she yeeldeth to her louers followers Honour life glory security goodnes peace quietnes cōstancy boldnes consolation prosperity the highest felicitie through Iesus the true king of righteousnes CHAP. IIII. Of the word Mercie the second member of the requested Subiect THe word which the Prophet Hoseyah vseth in this place is Chesed which we find diuersly trāslated so accepted according to that whervnto it is applied vsed as somtimes for good wil kindnes humanity or friendship In which sense Abraham meant it when hee said vnto his wife Sarah Gen. 12.13 20.13 This Mercie shalt thou shew me wheresoeuer I come that thou say thou art my Sister Sometimes for remission and pardon of sins clemency benignity As the Prophet Isay saith Let the vngodlie man forsake his owne wayes so shall the Lord haue mercie vpon him Isay 55.7 for he is very ready to forgiue And this as it seemeth Cicero expounded in the word Mercy when speaking in the cōmendation of Caesar as also Augustine citeth it he said Nulla de virtutibus tuis nec admirabilior nec gration Misericordia est Cicer. August in lib. de ciui dei Affectio Amoris Storge There is not any one of all thy vertues either more praise worthie or more acceptable thē Mercie Sometimes for that affection of loue wherby the parēts are naturally touched towards their children again the children towards their parents the friend towards his friend the brother towards his brother the neighbour towards his neighbour sometimes for Almes deedes such like whereof examples may bee taken from many places in the holy Scriptures Indeed the word Chesed comprehendeth al those particular vertues Chesed or Mercie being as the Species or branches thereof but yet I find not that the same which the word signifieth in his large acceptation can be either comprehēded or fullie expressed in any of those particulars no more then the whole can be cōteined within any one part therof More aptly the generall word Bonitas Bonitas or Goodnes well conteineth it for this may be extended to euerie vertue especially to Mercie by the which it is expressed Therefore the Mercie of God is often called his goodnes himself being the highest Good is called Mercifull for that by Mercy his goodnesse is worthily declared towards all his Creatures In the like sense we name them good men whose Christian loue and charitie to and for others are made apparant in the workes of Mercy But to auoide those doubts which might rise of the diuersitie of translations that shall best content vs which not onely the Septuagint haue yeelded but also that the Lord Iesus himselfe by the testimonie of the Euangelist hath confirmed saying Hose 6.6 Mat. 9.13 and 12.7 In Moral The definition of Mercy Volo misericordiam I will haue Mercy This word after Cregory accepted in his common signification is made misero corde that is of an afflicted or troubled heart which either being sorrowfull for anothers misery taketh on him cōpassion or as wretched requireth and needeth the pittie reliefe of others Basil Basil in Psal 114. amplifieth the same saying it is a certaine passion proceeding from the compassionate towards them which are vnworthily and by iust meanes afflicted But because this vertue is not perfected but in that wherby it is declared Augustine hath a definition thereof including either member with effect Mercy saith he is the affection of the minde condoling with some addition of a benefite as whereby we may both take compassion of
which is not found in or of himselfe towardes his acceptation and Iustice before God Moreouer this Treasure is not laid vp in the fraile nature of man Where Iustice dwelleth but in the strong habitacle of the person of Christ as both in his proper place there wher it findeth the greatest preseruation and safetie for our better benefit For when Adam had that in his possession Pro. 3. after his free will the subtle Serpent preuented him he was iustly depriued thereof in his sin As if the Lorde should thus haue said I will from henceforth take on my selfe the protection of this high Treasure as where it shal be full safe and surely defended from all danger of losse And therfore inâ—eed when he came in the flesh although he were mightily tempted and assaulted by the Enemie of mans soule he was not vanquished or ouercome â—ut being most strong he vanquished and subduâ—d Satan and all his Angells to his power as wherâ—f he said The Prince of the world commeth Ioh 22 3â— 14.30 16.14 and findeth nought in mee Againe Now is the iudgement of â—his world the Prince of this world is cast out Howbeit the faithfull neuer want nor are they denyed â—he benefit of this treasure whensoeuer they look vp vnto him and draw towards his Diuine Grace with their Faith as the Eagles hasten vnto their praye in and by the which they finde peace and rest vnto their soules howesoeuer they be tempted persecuted and afflicted in this miserable world Loe this is that former Iustice or Righteousnes to the which the Prophet directeth vs when hee saith Sow yee to yourselues for Righteousnes Whereof wee haue spoken more largely in our * A bookâ— so intituled Acolastos Dialogu 7. vv and not vnworthy the reading of all true Christians with godly deliberation and like consideration CHAP. VII The second kinde of Iustice which is that of the second Table is comprehended in the worde Mercie and necessarilie followeth the former in due order THe other kind of Righteousnes required of men What is this kinde of Iustice and defined and set forth in the word Mercie is the very fruit or effect of the former and conteineth the summe of those vertues duties works of Charitie conteyned in the second table of the Law as it is before said and often times expressed in the works of Charitie Agape Luk. 1.74 This the holy man Zacharie calleth Holinesse when he saith that wee are deliuered from our enemies hand that wee should serue God in holines and righteousnes And St. Paul consenting thereto 1. Thess 1.3.4 saith This is the will of God euen your holines The same meant the Lord when he said Be ye holy for I am holie And Christ in one word called it perfection saying Mat. 3.48 Ye shal be perfect euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect We may not either speak or think otherwise of this vertue Iustice Mercie then wee haue before in effect saide and considered therof sauing that wheras before we placed and accepted the same apart by it selfe here we place it together with the former vertue that is Iustice and accept it as the definition or effectuall fruit therof neither may we imagine that eyther this can be without that or that perfected without this When the Lord God had made Adam and set him in Paradise yet for that he had not this help the Lord pronounced him as vnperfect saying It is not good that the man should be alone Gen. 2. I will therefore make him an helpe like vnto him So doubtlesse although the Lord had iustified the beleeuer Acts. 13. and by the bloud of his Sonne wee be deliuered from all things from which by the lawe of Moses wee could not be iustified nor deliuered yet is it not the Lords will that we should be ydle in the fielde or market place but his will is that we should endeuour that which hee of vs requireth in his law though not to that perfection which is needefull the which wee cannot performe yet according to that measure of abilitie which he hath to that ende giuen vs. To this did Isaiah Isa 1.17 the Prophet invite the people when hee saide Learne to doe well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles defend the widowes And Micheas Mich. 6. the Prophet saying Doe iustlie loue mercie This remembred Daniel Dan. 4. in his good counsaile to the king Nebucadnezar Cut off thy sins with righteousnes he addeth thine iniquities by mercy to the poore that is Change thy crueltie into mercie and where as thou art a man prophane be thou henceforth holy righteous To this would S. Iohn the Baptist perswade the Iewes Yee say ye are Abrahams children beleeuers but I would ye should doe the workes of the faithfull and bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life And S. Paul after that he had strongly confirmed the foundation of our Iustification by the diuine grace accepted by faith without any the deeds of the law that men might not imagine he condemned those works which proceeded from the iustified man hee omitted not to builde on that foundation the excellencie of such actions and works as necessarilie followe the iustified man as the effects vsually follow the causes therefore he saith I beseech you brethren by the mercifulnes of God Ro. 12.1 that ye offer vp your bodies a liuing Sacrifice holie acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God And this Saint Iames Iam. 2. laboureth to perswade with many mighty argumeÌ„ts to theÌ„ who thought that a bare faith had bin ynough for a maÌ„ to come to heaueÌ„ although hee neuer trauailed in the way of life by any work because Paul had preached that a man was iustified before God by faith not by works Loe thus ought the perfect Thumim Thumim perfection integritie to be made answereable to the bright Vrim Vrim light or knowledge that righteousnes which is by Faith in Christ manifested in Mercie and that holinesse which proceedeth from the influence of the holy Spirit wherwith they be baptized which beleeue declared before men that men may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in heauen And so haue we seen what the Lord God requireth of vs in these two words Righteousnes Mercy Note But heere I would not that any man should gather that because wee say that GOD requireth good workes therefore wee are able to doe those workes without Faith or can beleeue without his grace or can merit life with those our works seeing wee be all sinners and vnprofitable but so as those workes are as the effectes of good causes fruits of a good tree and notes of our faithfull obedience to the Diuine will which we must aime vnto and therein feeling our great imperfection depend on the merit of our heaueÌ„ly Sauiour Iesus
Baptist who named himselfe not the Crier but the voice of the Crier in the wildernes for Christ himselfe was that Crier or true preacher of Righteousnes vnto men the ministers of his grace are the voice of this Crier by whom the worde of the Crier is brought vnto vs. At this time the Lord soweth this seede by the preachers and ministers thereof who are also compared to the same Criers voice whose mouthes hands he filleth for this worke with his hiâ—den treasures as wherby they are furnished and made able ministers of Christ faithfull disposers of his secrets And in this are they the Lords Embassadors or Messengers Gregor August ep 1. ad Iub to bring â—nto men from his high Grace his letters of Auâ—horitie For the word of God the holy Scripâ—ures which they preach and produce for the instruction and edification of the people are as cerâ—aine Epistles of the Almightie written or sent to his Creature the which a certaine learned Father well weighing thus said Ecce de coelo coelorum Rex Regum c. Beholde the King of Kings and Lord of Lords yea our Redeemer hath vouchsafed to direct his letters vnto vs from the highest heauen by the ministerie of his Prophets and Apostles that thereby wee might knowe that which is necessarie to be knowne for our saluation and glorie The Ministers of the worde likened to the Sower And these persons are likened to the Sower especially in six points First in that he obserueth the qualitie of the land or place Secondlie the congruitie of the time Thirdlie the quantitie of the Seede Fourthlie the qualitie thereof Fifthlie his owne treadinges And sixtlie his yearely regard operation in about the same 1. the Land Thus the Sower of the spirituall Seed considering that the same is to be sowen and distributed either thicker or thinner according to the qualiry of the place or soyle that is the persons and their constitutions to whom the same is to be ministred he measureth forth the word of God proportionallie according to that rule whereof Father Gregorie sometimes said In praedicatione secundum qualitateâ— Auditorum formari debet Sermo Doctorum that the word of the Teachers in their preachings ought to be framed according to the qualitie of the hearers For all men are not of the like capacitie of the same diet and disposition nor is it meete that the holy things should be giuen to doggs or the pretious pearles cast before the swine Again it is noâ— profitable for the sicke person to haue sweet potions where neede purges nor pleasant plaister where hard corasiues ought to be applied Therefore considering what the Lord hath done by his Prophets and Apostles the Minister Preacher is to vse applie sometimes threats iudgemeÌ„ts sometimes promises mercies now the law with the rigour thereof and then the Gospel with the comforts of the same Againe doctrines exhortations instructions refutations and such nowe more then lesse as he shall thinke it best for the qualitie and nature of his hearers Secondlie in this he also obserueth the congruitie of the time and season 2. The congruitie of the time For as in some places are required rather sowing in other places late sowing as in moyste places they must sowe sooner and with more speede lest the seede putrifie with the moysture of winter before it take roote in drie places latter that when the weather commeth on it it vanish not away In like sort there be some like moyst ground namely those which are filled with fleshlie humors lustes and they need to be preueÌ„ted they which resemble the drier ground are those which are more religiouslie minded which therfore will more gladly receiue and nourish the seede and these must not be neglected in the due time Touching the dutie of the Sower Eccl 11. to either of these thus saith the wise man Sowe thy Seede in the Morning and also in the euening Let not thine hand rest â— for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall be alike good Thirdlie the Sower regardeth the quantitie of â—his Seede 3. The quaÌ„tiâ—ie of the Seede casting lesse therof into the fat moyst earth then into the lighter and drier earth for in the fatter it shall more multiplie fall downe and waste but in the other it may be all will not prosper euen so the preacher casteth the Seeâ—e of the word more fullie vnto the grosse sinner lesse on the person better qualified for such a sinner needeth more labour and teaching then the godly yet the godly must be sustained by the same as the foode of his soule wherof his faith first came and his vertues enabled Fourthlie the Sower considereth the qualitie of the Seed 4. Quality of the Seed for there be seeds which fit not all kindes of earth and againe some not so good or strong of nature as others therefore as he fitteth the seedes to the soyle so hee taketh the best and refuseth that which is weake and vaine Euen so the preacher of the word as it is before said in the nature of soiles chooseth applieth seuerall doctrines matters for euery part again abandoning refusing all vaine babling vnprofitable reeds of fooles the legends of the Monks the curious opinions of the vaineglorious the discourses of profane philosophers the amorous conceits of peeuish Poets and all such like noysome tares he onely taketh vseth disposeth the true word of God of the which the holie Ghost hath made him a Minister Thus In omni quod dicitur Gregor necesse est vt Causa tempus persona pensetur c. In euery thing that is spoken needfull it is that the matter the time and the person be weighed As whether the words of the senteÌ„ce be ratified with truth Whether the same be answereable to the time and whether the qualitie of the person nothing impugneth the truth of the sentence the congruitie of the time for hee casteth forth his dartes against the enemie with commendation Who first doth see and well obserue the enemie but hee is nothing praise worthie who for want of good obseruation striketh a faithfull citizen in steede of his enemie Fifthly the Sower regardeth his own treadings 5. The Sower treadeth well that whiles hee soweth in one place hee may not conculcate and treade downe that which is cast in some other place and therefore he keepeth a due order measure in his steppes euen so the sowers of the spirituall Seedes ought to be not only well qualified in learning life and behauiour as made fit for this labour as were Christ and his Apostles but also to be circumspect in the disposition of the word carefull in the manner of â—heir dealings They must take heed that whiles they seeke to recouer the peniteÌ„t sinners by the promises of sweet Mercies they encourage not the obstinate
reioyce not that ye were sorie but that you sorrowed to repentance for ye sorrowed godly so that in nothing ye were hurt by vs for godly sorrow causeth Repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of but the worldly sorrow causeth death Wherein also distinguishing the godly sorrow that is the Christian contrition froÌ„ that which is vngodly he sheweth the ends and fruits of eyther And truly as that medicine which draweth forth from the sick mans heart the venemous humour of his disease and prepareth him for the sweete and healing potion This godly contrition draweth out of the sinners hart the poisoÌ„ of the wicked fact and mittigateth the biting and sorrow of the conscience albeit it pierceth and woundeth the same for by this shall be made euen a soueraigne medicine to heale the wound of it owne piercing comparable therein to that ointment or plaister which made of the Spider or flie that stingeth a man shall easily heale mitigate the paine therof This is a practise vsed in the cure of the body in the which that is thoght no lesse needfull that a veine bee opened when the Phisitian perceiueth the blood infected But the sinner is throghly infected both in body and minde and so inflamed therewith that he will be soone agonized and dead indeede if his veine be not soone opened euen the Cordiall veine from whence the rankour of malice and wicked imaginations may bee drawne forth Gen 6. For the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill euery day Therefore saide the Lord Circumcise your hearts Roote your hearts Let the sinner forsake his owne imaginations This commenceth the Action of mans Mortification and is the first part of Repentance so needfull as that without it men cannot repent indeede Ps 51. and 126.6.7 But hauing the same in the right constitution of minde wee are accepted with the Lorde though we sowe in teares wee reape in ioy wee enter the gate of right Repentance wee mooue the Lord GOD to pitie vs wee finde mercie with his grace and finally bee directed from hel to heauen and from eternall death to eternall life through the merits of the Sonne of God CHAP. XV. The second part of the Soole of pietie is the Shippe NExt to the Share is the Shippe 2. Humiliation of the Spirit which is that member of the Soole whereon the Share is fastened and this noteth the humiliation of the Spirite wrought by that true feare of GOD whereby mans heart being contrite the minde is also so humbled and made poore in his owne conceit as that it casteth off all boldnesse of it owne strength wisedome iustice wealth and estimation Hereof it is that a man chooseth to be an abiect in the house of God and preferreth all others before him when hee considereth his owne vilenesse as Dauid did acknowledgeth himselfe to bee but dust and ashes as Abraham did esteemeth himselfe vnworthy of Gods manifold mercies as Iacob did standeth a farre off and is afraide to looke vp to heauen as the poore Publican did dreadeth to take the holy name of God in his mouth as Solomon did desireth to be but as a seruant in Gods house as the prodigall Sonne did in the house of his father esteemeth himselfe a worme and no man as Christ did thinketh both himselfe and his house vnwoorthie of Christ as the Ruler didde and saith to Christ Lord goe from me for I am a sinfull man as Peter did In a word as this humble Spirit casteth down and condemneth and contemneth himselfe as a seruant vnprofitable in thought word and deede so hath hee no desire to bee praised before God or man because hee seeth and feeleth in himselfe nothing worthie commendation but rather sinne damnation This is contrary to the humour of the worlde which hunteth after the vaine glory of the same and thinketh magnificently of her followers therein disdaining and contemning the whiles the humble and lowly men of Spirit Howbeit the Lord Iesus as hee himselfe was humble and meeke Mat. 52. and would that all his Disciples should follow him therein so hee pronounceth those persons blessed for that to them belongeth the kingdome of heauen neyther as he saith shall any be admitted into the same but such onely as be truly humbled and in the meekenesse of Spirit become as children the which Augustine considering saide that this was indeede the first the second and the third point yea the highest and cheefest point of Christianity Why humility is likened to the Shippe And worthily is this vertue compared to the Shippe in the Soole for that as the Ship is not only that peece which holdeth the Share but is placed beneath next to the earth so the humiliation of the Spirit holdeth fast the true Contrition of the heart the which without the same would soone bee abated and yet how low soeuer this be placed vnder some other parts of the Soole and next the ground with the Shippe yet as Nazianzen said ypsus arozenthe etapeinosen it goeth before exalâ—ation and honour Therfore Saint Iames counselled Be yee humble vnder Gods mighty hand that he may exalt you in the time conuenient For God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the lowly And to strengthen all the Lord himselfe saith Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly of heart and ye shal finde rest for your soules for he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted CHAP. XVI The third part of the Soole is the Culter THe third member of this Soole is Confession of the Mouth 3. ConfessioÌ„ of Mouth compared to the Vomere Vomer or that which we call the Culter The Culter hath his name of cutting or diuiding the Vomer is so called a Vomendo that is of vomiting or casting foorth any thing from the stomacke This Culter is that which cuts diuideth openeth that which the Share pierceth casting or separating the sound earth some on this side some on that as a man may thereby see not onely a diuision or opening of the parts but also the very bottome or ground of that earth And thereto that Confession of the Mouth beeing compared is defined the expresse manifestation of our sinnes eyther publikely or priuately eyther to God Confession to God or to men that to God is when our Consciences touched with the diuine Law we so acknowledge our sinnes before the Lord that we confesse our selues most worthy damnation both of body and soule therein we accuse not Gods Iudgements but implore his great mercies and praise his glory which iustifieth the sinner not of desert but of his diuine grace in his Sonne that to man is when hauing hurt or offended our brethren Confession to man we willingly acknowledge confesse our faultes vnto them with an humble and hearty desire of pardon And this confession is sometimes priuate as when the faultes be priuate and sometimes publike as when the faultes be publike alwaies accompanied with a promise
of amendement and ready satisfaction in such measure as hability opportunitie and occasion can extend be ministred to answer the proportion of the iniury or fault To this aimed Dauid when hauing sinned not only against the Lord but against man hee did not alone say that hee would confesse his sinnes vnto the Lord but also declared the performance of either openly before the congregation Psal 51. Such a matter importeth Solomons Preacher wherein hee confesseth among the vanities of the sonnes of men his owne abhominations and errors Eccl. 1 2. Solomons confession yea as the Hebrewes report in the bitter sense of his sinnes griefe of conscience hee exposed himselfe ready to confesse his faults throughout the City of Ierusalem wherein he raigned king before the eies of all the inhabitors of the same A rare example of such a personage Thus King Manasses being imprisoned in Babylon by the diuine iudgement for his great abhominations confessed openly that his sins were more then the stars of the heauens and the sand by the sea shore in multitude without number Daniel also in the behalf of the captiue Iewes for their sins confesseth Lord Dan. 9.9.10 vnto vs belongeth shame and confusion for wee haue gone away from thee many other like examples besides testimonies do the holy Scriptures exhibite vnto vs of the vse of this spirituall Culter vnto the which we may aptly affix that confession of the Ghristian Emperour Theodosius Theodosius who being reproued by Ambrose the Bishop of Millane for some heinous fault and excluded the Church did not onely humbly acknowledge his offence with teares but confessing the same openly saide that the Church doores which were set wide open to receiue in the poore folke and beggars were shut that worthily against him who was made a Lord ouer his brethren Whereby as with a Culter or knife this Emperour with those other of like estate ripped vp and laide wide open their committed sinnes Neyther is this vertue vnaptly compared to that Vomer The Vomer and vse thereof being indeed a spirituall vomiting or casting foorth of that which is noysome from the stomacke The stomacke is mans heart As the stomacke is oppressed with repletion so is mans heart annoyed with sinne And as the wringing of the stomacke prouoketh vomit so the contrition of the heart and true humiliation of a man yeeldeth a good Confession Againe as the stomacke is not eased ere it be discharged no more is the heart vntill wicked imaginations bee cast out For it is certaine that no sinner hath any ease or comfort before hee finde the gratious couÌ„tenance of God turn towards him but vntil the sinner in the sorrow of his heart coÌ„fesseth his sinne God sheweth him no fauourable countenance and because hee is willing in his louing mercies to recouer his children hee neuer leaueth off to strike beat and chastise them with afflictions vntill they acknowledge and confesse their sinnes in all humilitie seeke vnto him for mercie Num. 21.7 Le. 16.18.22 This to teach and perswade vnto the Israelites hee commanded the High Priest to confesse openly both his and the peoples sinnes vpon the scapte goate And this surely as the godly vsed they euer found the mercy of God ready to pardon and to forgiue them according to that saying of Solomon the which he had before seene in his Father Dauid and by good experience tryed on himselfe Pro. 28 13 To confesse and forsake sinne obtaineth mercy 1. Ioh. 1.9 but hee that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper To the which we heare the Apostle to accord If we confesse our sinnes saith hee God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnes Loe heere is Mercie heere is prosperitie heere is pardon heere is cleansing Therfore let vs well vse this spirituall Culter and therein answere to the admonition of S. Iames where hee saith vnto sinners replete with manie noysome and daungerous humours of heart Iam. 4.48 Cleanse your hearts yee sinners and purge your hearts ye wauering minded And if this Share this Culter be waxen so blunt The sharpening of the Culter and therewith the ground of Mans heart can neither be torne vp nor diuided in good sort the Lord will cause the enemy to blow the fire of affliction to beate on with the hammers of persecutions troubles for the sharpening thereof the which was signified by that example of the Israelites 1. Sam 13.20 who hauing no Smith in Israel were forced to repaire to the Philistines to sharpen euerie man his Share and his Culter for the better tillage of their Land Thus the poore prodigall childe Luk 16. after hee had felt the smart of affliction miserie vnder a cruell maister in a strange country was moued to acknowledge his disobedience and sinne saying Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and I am not worthie to bee called thy Sonne CHAP. XVII The 4. part of the Soole is the Beame The manuring of the flâ—sh THe Fourth parte of this sacred Soole is Temo that is the Beame which stronglie beareth and holdeth all the other partes together and noteth Macerationem carnis the Macerating of the flesh that is the extenuating chastising and humbling of the body as that voluptuousnes and wanton lusts beeing allayed the spirit may haue the more freedome libertie in the true vse of the senses of the Soule and made the apter to euerie vertue 1. Cor 9.7 the which therefore is esteemed the strength of the Soole This vertue Paul exercised in himselfe when hee saide I beate downe my body and bring it into subiection least by any meanes after that I haue preached to others I my selfe should be reprooued the meaning is that hee kept a straite dyer and abstained from such things as might distemper his bodie This hee saw to be needfull for that hee perceiued the lawe of sinne raigning in his members prouoking him to insolencie pride wicked lustes and naughtines And lest that Paul as a man should haue bene negligent in this necessary dutie hee testified againe that the Lord permitted the messenger of Satan to buffet him that is God layd on him crosses afflictions many troubles whereby as vnder the rod or yoke of correction hee might be humbled and kept within the bowndes of his dutie The pampring of the proude flesh bringeth manie enormities to the soule and destruction to both body and soule Euery man saith S. Iames is tempted when hee is drawen away of his owne concupiscence and is entised then Iam. 1.14.15 Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Ezec. 16. Deut 3â— 1. Cor 10. when lust hath conceiued it bringeth foorth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth fourth death The olde worlde giuen to this sinne swayed therin were drowned Sodom and Gomorra for the same were burned to cinders the Israelites beeing full forgot God
prosecuting that which is commenced By this the Mariner Merchant passe ouer the daungerous Seas hoping to returne home with gaine The husbandman teareth vp his soile and laboureth hardlie in the field in Hope to gather the fruits of his trauailes The Father puts forth his Sonne in a farre Country at his great charge in hope hee will returne home a learned man By this the very Rebell sometimes yeelds himselfe to the Princes hand in hope of pardon the condemned man hopes for life the sick man seeing the Phisitian lookes for health to all men the greatest solace in the concourse of calamities is the Hope of an Alteration Nazian Eccl 9.4 whereof the wise man said To the liuing there is hope 3. Kindâ—â— of Hope and therfore a liuing dogge is better then a dead Lyon By this are wee reteined in the full expectation of those things which are either promised or wished for And of this there be three kindes the first wherof is engendred of an Opinion the second of certaine Knowledge the third of Faith The Opinionate hope is either taken from the report of the worde of some others or from some particular examples or from the conceite of a mans owne minde and is indeede nothing but a bare perswasion and often prooued deceitfull and vaine The next is that which Experience hatcheth as whereby men hauing tried the causes by their effectes hope for the like to ensue againe The third springeth of Faith The vaine hope and beeing of affinitie to the seconde expecteth that which Faith assureth relying on Gods promises Againe that first kinde though but deceitfull and vaine hath drawen many men forth not onely to the contriuing of manie vnlawfull actions Gen. 3.1 but also to the aduenture of diuers sundry hard exploits the which Pindare considering said that manie a man it exalted whom vppon a sodaine it cast downe Heuah hearkening to the deceitfull words of the Serpent Act. 12. hoped that she should be made a Goddesse passing wise by eating of the forbidden fruit King Herod seeing that he preuailed in his purpose against Iames the brother of Iohn hee proceeded further and tooke Peter also hoping hee should haue had therein the like successe arguing thus I had my purpose on Iames Ergo I shall haue the like on Peter Gen. 4. Cayn conceyted so well of himselfe and of his actions that if Abel his brother were extinguished he hoped he should be the onely promised Seede of the woman the heire of the world and liue in all peace The like hope had Absalom against his Father Dauid 2 Sam. 15 Mat 2. So the other Herod hoped that in the murthering of the Innocent children hee should also murther Christ and ouerthrowe his kingdome But as the wise man saith Whiles the vngodly hope to haue a friend of vnrighteousnes Sap. 2.16 5.14 Iob. 8 9. Ia 1.10 they come to nought for the hope of the vngodly is like the drye thistle flower or dust which is bloweÌ„ away of the winde â—ike a thinne scumme that is scattered abroade with the storme and as the smoke that the winde disperseth and as the remeÌ„brance of him that passeth taryeth but for a day 2 The more certaine hope The second kinde of hope is more assured for that it is taken froÌ„ the certaine knowledge or experieÌ„ce of things as wherby meÌ„ of the same causes hope for the like effects as froÌ„ the fire heate from the water moisture from the Sunne light and from the night darknes So in things diuine and spirituall from Gods loue we expect grace vpon our true repentance the mercy of God Thus we hope as God is our Father and we are his children that hee will prouide for vs according to his good nature and his louing kindnes to others his children Thus Paul consolated the Corinthians 2. Cor 1.7 in their affliction Our hope saith he is stedfast concerning you in as much as we know that as yee are partakers of the sufferings yee shall also be partakers of the Consolation hee addeth for wee would not haue you ignorant of our afflictions c because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who deliuered vs from so great a death and thus hee would thereof conclude therefore hee wil also deliuer you who haue the same God for your Father who are professours of the same cause who are partakers of the same afflictions with vs. Thus the poore prodigall Sonne Luke 15. vpon certaine knowledge of his good Fathers nature and loue returned home hoping to finde the fruits thereof towards himselfe 1. King 20.32 Thus the Assyrians hauing experienced the mercifull heartes of the Kings of Israel came and submitted themselues to the King with halters on their neckes And thus the people hauing tried and found the great vertue of healing in the Lord Iesus and his Apostles came preseÌ„ted their sick before him and them in hope of helpe Such arguments we finde aboundant as in the holy Scriptures so chiefly in Dauids Psalmes Psal 37. and sayings among the which that is notable where hee saith I haue bene yong and now I am old yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken thereof he would conclude therefore I hope hee will not forsake me which am a righteous man in this that my sinnes are pardoned and I depend on him by my faith Againe hee saith The righteous man is mercifull As if hee wold argue This is a righteous man ergo I hope he will shew me mercy For I find it truly tried that from righteousnes issueth mercy This is a good hope and of neere affinitie with that which followeth 3. The best kinde of hope and chiefly heâ—e required which rising of a true faith in Iesus Christ is defined the sure expectation of those good things promised vs in the holy Gospel as namely remission of our sinnes the righteousnesse of Christ the gratious aide and help of God in all our afflictions the mitigation of our sorrowes and calamities a glorious victory ouer sinne and the diuell and the inheritance of life euerlasting according to the fore knowledge and good will of God in his Sonne Rom. 8. This is that which fortifieth patience perswadeth the verie groaning creature to abide serue vntill the day of the adoption of Gods children In this hope said Dauid I beleeue verily to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the liuing In the same said Iob Iob. â—4 I know that my Redeemer liueth and that I shal rise againe in the last day and shal be couered with my skinne Heb. 11 and shall see God In this the ancient fathers trauailed patiently towardes the Citie of the Saintes before they obtained the promises This is that Helmet of Saluation whereof St. Paul speaketh in the furniture of a true Christian Ephes 6 Omnium prorum spes c. and the only hope
of all the godly as not only Augustine but the Apostle writeth that we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propiciation for our sinnes For whensoeuer the vngodly shall forsake his own waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lord the Lord through this his Sonne shall be mercifull vnto him for hee is verie ready to forgiue yea hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance as the holy Prophets testifie Therfore is this part worthily likened to the Tractorie by the which all Christians are not only consolated in their great sorrow but also drawne forth encouraged in the workes of their vocation to follow Christ their Maister though vnder the Crosse towards euerlasting life CHAP. XIX The sixt part of the Soole is the ground-Rise AFter the Contrition Humiliation Confession Maceration Hope of Remission there needeth Christian Patience 6. Christian PatieÌ„ce by the which a Repentant Sinner is wonderfully strengthened in the better performance of all the former for by this a man is made able to sustaine and ouercome with an equall mind all aduerse hard aduentures whatsoeuer the which therefore our Sauiour commended to his Disciples in the middest of their afflictions and troubles in this worlde Mat. â—4 Iam. 5.7 saying In patience yee shall possesse your souless the like hath Iames Be yee pattent therefore brethren vnto the comming of the Lorde And this is signified by the Grownd-Rise in the Soole of Pieties Plough This is that peece of timber which is fastened to the foote of the broadhale and serueth not only for an ayd to that part in the staying vp of the earth which the Culter hath opened but also for the beating of the stones clods and earth from the bottome of the furrow and indeede standeth in the place of the mightiest assaultes of those manifolde oppositions the which notwithstanding being of that force though of no great bignes it slideth forth with the Soole and passeth on in the worke pretended leauing all those stones cloddes and rased earth behinde it as that valiant victor which hauing slain his enemie in the field passeth ouer him and lets him there lie And of that nature and force is Patience which therfore is defined a voluntarie and daily sustentation and tolleration of very difficult and hard thinges for the sake of honestie vtility or after the Philosophers an obedience to Reason in bearing those hard aduentures which Reason perswadeth to bee borne and not daunted with sorrow that a man should yeeld to do or commit any thing against vertue notwithstanding he should die or suffer any pain whatsoeuer Neither are such esteemed patient persons which ouercome with sorrow are perswaded to perpetrate that which is not agreeable to Iustice or any other vertues But the Fathers of our Church defining the right Christian and true Patience the same which is here required haue strengthened it with the diuine loue in Iesus without the which all patience is painefull and euery affliction intollerable Hee therefore which gladly beareth all labours Cassiodor True Patience and her offâ—ce afflictions and griefes laide on him in this life in the hope of those good thinges which are to come vnto him and for the loue of GOD in Christ is a right patient man Hee beareth not against his will or perforce but willingly and gladly not pleasures but paines not in hope of worldly promotion but of the good things of the life to come not for the loue of the world diuell or flesh but for the loue of God that not deserued by that suffring or any his merits but in Iesus Christ This therefore is that vertue indeede which obeyeth God in bearing all afflictions which the Lorde commandeth him to beare and therein is not broken with sorrow as that wee woulde endeuour any thing against Gods will or grudge at those his corrections For it is the office of Patience to mollifie all sorrowes by the acknowledging of Gods will and the consideration of the gladnesse of his Spirit to retaine hope of good deliuery from troubles through Christ to desire of God mitigation ease according to that saying of the Psalmist Waite on the Lord and keepe his waies and he wil promote thee thou shalt see it Iohn Chrisostome Chrysostome gathereth nine degrees of this Ground-Rise The first degree is that a man beginne not to doe any Iniustice Next that hee reuenge not his enemie with the like Thirdly that he do not that which himself hath suffered to him that molested him but to surcease Fourthly to expose himselfe to the sufferance of iniuries Fiftly to offer himselfe againe to the like Sixtly not to hate him that wrongs him Seuenthly but to loue him Eightly to doe him good Ninthly to pray for him These pointes are taken from the Doctrine of Christ Mat. 5 3â— which hee preached to his Disciples on the Mount I say vnto you saith he Resist not euill but whosoeuer shal smite thee on thy right cheeke turne to him the other also And if any man will sew thee at the law take away thy coate let him haue thy cloake also and whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine Againe Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you and persecute you This hee saith to teach how farre off wee should bee from reuenge murmour and that wee should rather be contented to beare yet more and greater wrongs and troubles then to study or endeuour to reuenge or grudge against that which we haue already laide on vs. Our Lord to perswade to this vertue produceth one sound reason That you may be the children of your Father which is in heauen As if hee said God is patient and long suffering he is your Father yee are his children it is meete that yee should therein be conformed to your father which saith Be ye holy as I am holy Christ might haue produced the example of Iob that patient man as Iames did or of Abraham of Ioseph or of Moses as Stephen and Paul did yea he might haue brought his owne example who as the Scripture testifieth being stricken he strooke not again God is called Patieâ—t but patiently bare our sinnes and our punishments in his body on the tree and was the most perfect patterne of this vertue farre beyond all them that euer liued in the world but he bringeth forth God his naturall father and our heauenly father and as he declared therein both his true nature and obedience to his naturall father so would hee that we also through him should bee therein conformed and made like to our heauenly father and might thus argue God is patient and he is my Father therefore am I also patient which am his sonne God is patient and hee is your Father and I am patient which am his Sonne
the Law and haue neede to be reformed and conformed by to the same Also I am to think on the Articles of my beliefe of the holy petitions in the Lords praier with the ten Commandements reading them on my ten fingers also of the wickednes of the world the vanity of the flesh the malignitie of Sathan the miserie and mortality of man the certainty of death the vncertainty of his comming the last iudgement the paines of the damned and the great felicity of the Lords elected Saints To be briefe I am to harken to Saint Paul in this matter who writing to the Philippians thus exhorteth Phil 4 8. Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any thing praise-worthy meditate on these things chiefly in this how yee may obtaine and performe them and the God of peace shall be with you All these and such like thinges are to bee ruminated in a circularie meditation as wherof may be framed an healthfull Rownd or Wheele whereof is made a very vehement motiue to true Mortification CHAP. XXIIII The eleuenth part of the Soole is the neere Wheele THe second Wheele of this Plough 10. The secoÌ„d wheele noting perseuerance is Continuatio Actionis the continuance of the action which is the constant stable and perpetuall perseuerance in the reason or way well considered of and not vnaptly likened to the Wheele in this that as the Wheele in his winding beginneth to winde againe there where it lastly ended and the circle or compasse thereof is without end so should the end of one good meditation bee the entrance into another one good word should bring in an other and one charitable action performed we must begin an other chiefly euery good action study or endeuour once begunne must not be giuen ouer or delaied but holden on and continued to the end This doubtlesse was intimated by that mysterie in the Lawe where the tailes of the beastes were commanded to bee offered vp in sacrifice together with their bodies The same meant the Prophet Hoseah when he commanded the people to seek the Lord vntill he came to raine righteousnes vpoÌ„ them Hos 10. that entended Salomon wheÌ„ he said that the end of a thing was better then the beginning as from whence the censure of either good or euil is best taken The wilde Asse ouercommeth the Lyon and the Wolfe not by strength but by continuance of course Neither without perseuerance is the battaile wonne by the fight the crowne gotten by the victor or the goale archieued by the runner So saith our Sauiour He that goeth to the Plough and looketh backward is nothing fit for the kingdome of heauen But If ye continue in my words then are yee my very Disciples and yee shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free yea hee that continueth to the end the same shall be saued Loe this is that Wheele by the which Pieties Plough ougâ—t to proceede without feare or fainting vntill the action in hand bee fully effected for the praise of God and benefite of man Saul the king of Israel wanted this Wheele so did Iudas the traitour Demas and such other Apostataes execrable to God and odious before men but Abraham Dauid Daniel Paul Iohn the Baptist and Iohn the Euangelist continued their course and calling beeing therefore blessed with the Lord and commended of all good men Thus hauing perused the two Wheeles we are next to consider of the Axel-tree whereon those Wheeles are carried in Pieties Plough CHAP. XXV The twelfth part is the Axell AS the two Wheeles of the Plough are combined and carried by the Axell-tree 11. Wholsome praier so is that Christian meditation and godly Perseuerance in the good action mightily combined and supported by godly inuocation therefore worthily resembled in the same This is that true vertue which commeth of that true Good of his Son Iesus and of the Holy ghost and desireth the good things not onely of this life but also of the life to come This is that which fighting against all doubtfulnesse dooth promise vs to be heard that we shall thereby obtaine the good things desired for the sake of the Mediator Therefore as the Lorde in the olde Testament hath commanded men to call vpon him in troubles with a promise to heare and helpe so the holy men of that time haue duly obserued it Againe as in the newe Testament our Sauiour hath both taught and commanded his Apostles to pray in his name to the Father for daily foode necessaries of nature for pardon of trespasses for their defence against the diuell and such so they thinking it needefull and finding the benefite thereof haue not onely duly obserued it but in their doctrines and good counsailes taught and exhorteth all others to doe the like not onely for themselues Ephes 6. but for all estates and conditions of men Surely this is that spirituall Axell-tree which holdeth together the Wheeles and beareth vppe the Beame and that very vertue of the Spirite whereby it pieaseth God hearing our prayers to helpe our weakenesse and to direct vs to the effecting and perfecting of all other vertues For this is as Augustine said Locutio ad Deum quando legis Deus tibi loquiter quando oras cum Deoloqueris A speaking to God when thou readest God speaketh to thee when thou praiest thou talkest with God An other calleth it an humble conuersion to God Hugo with the mouth of the minde assisted with fath hope and charitie and touching the good operation and effects thereof saith an other It cleareth the heart withdraweth it from terrene affections cleanseth it from vices lifteth it vp to heauenly things yeeldeth him more capable and worthy to conceiue the spirituall good thinges This dooth our Sauiour Christ worthily confirme when he saith that his Father giueth the holy Spirite to them that aske the same of him in his name by the which Spirite he meaneth all the graces and blessings of the holy Ghost Therefore he saith againe to his Disciples Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may bee full Wherfore when wee haue assayed to frame the Soole of all the former members and knowe that yet there remaineth in vs many desertes let vs deuoutly conuert our selues to GOD our heauenly Father in hearty and humble prayer that it woulde vouchsafe him of his power and goodnesse in Christ to supply all those our defects and feeling the sweetnesse thereof not forget to glorifie him with the Psalmist saying Praised bee GOD which hath not put backe my prayers from him nor his mercies from mee CHAP. XXVI The thirteenth part of the Soole is the Key IN the twelfth place it is required 12. Faith wholsome that wee consider of the Keye or Pinne whereby the Beame is fastened to the Tawe and the Soole set eyther higher or lower deeper
suddainely gone downe into hell and all his glory is defaced with him in his death for why the Lord hath spoken to him in his wrath and vexed him in his sore displeasure when he exalted the horne of his Annointed and placed his King on Sion his holy hill CHAP. XXXVI The second generall part containing the Reasons and motiues perswading all men to follow the godly husbandry wherein is seene the reward of Pietie with the conclusion THe Lord God Almighty as hee is the supreame King the highest Lord the Father eternall and the God of both heauen earth might iustly by such his powerfull authority haue commanded the Israelies An Argument of Gods great mercie as in their dutifull obedience to sow for righteousnes and to reape according to the measure of mercy without any other reason or respect And whereas hee might haue menaced and threatned the disobedient with the fiercenesse of his iudgements as he did the Iewes by the ministery of St. Iohn the Baptist as now the axe is laid to the roote of the tree and as Christ saith Except ye repent ye shall perish Howbeit * See what I haue said hereof in the Song of the beloued touching his vineyard in Isai 5. part 1. such is the Lords vnspeakeable mercie that applying himselfe to mans capacitie and weakenesse rather like a father then a King hee proposeth such reasons vseth such meanes as may rather gently allure and perswade them then in any sort terrifie force or compell them the which manner of inducement our Sauiour Christ imitating his good Father hath also vsed saying Come vnto me all yee that trauile and be heauie laden and I will refresh you learne of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest to your soules And of this kinde the Prophet Hoseah hath produced in number eight whereof as we wel obserue The first is taken froÌ„ the conuenience of the time The second from the fit opportunity thereof The third from the consideration of his fatherly loue affection The fourth froÌ„ the excellency of the things promised The fift from a comparison therof with the raine The sixt from the goodly maner of disposing therof The seuenth from the benefit of the same in such as receiue it The eight froÌ„ the consideration of his most gratious inclination and regard of his faithful children in that he commeth vnto them in his owne person either to performe or to see all things performed according to the purpose of his promise and their hearty desire The first reason as I said is taken from the conuenience of the Time The first Reason Time Iob. Ian. There was a time of deuiation a time of reuocation or reuouation a time of reconciliation and a time of peregrination of deuiation from Adam vnto Moses of reuocaâ—ion from Moses vntill the natiuity of Christ of reconciliation vnder the Gospell and of peregrination for all men in this worlde In and by euery which time there was also and is appointed vnto euery thing his season to be performed and effected vnder the Sun The which neuerthelesse is often and much neglected by worldly mem whereof Father Bernard could worthily complaine In sermon â—d colar Nil preciosius tempore heu nil bodie vilius inuentur nothing is more precious then time alas nothing in these daies is lesse regarded The Iewes in the daies of Heggaeus the Prophet being willing by him to set on and further the building of the Lords house answered him that the time thereof was not then come To whom the Prophet replied Is it time for your selues to dwell in your setled houses and the Lords house to lie waste Moreouer that they might consider that their present dearth of corne victualls and other necessary things fell on them as a iust plague for such their neglect of that house in the time appointed hee added Consider your owne waies in your hearts ye haue sowen much brought in little ye eate but ye haue not enough yt drinke but ye are not filled ye cloath your selues but ye be not warme and he that earneth wages puts the same into a broken bagge But now the Lord being gratious wills them to obserue the time as reason equity require the time for this businesse appointed by himselfe not after their wills saying It is time or the time is now come wherein ye should seeke the Lord. Such a thing entendeth Salomon in his Canticle Cant. 3. The winter is past saith he the summer it come the voice of the tirtle doue is heard in our Land the like hath S. Paul to the Romanes Rom. 13. It is now time that ye awake out of sleepe for the night is past the day is come neere and our redemption is neerer then when we first beleeued And the Prophet Hoseah seemes to say in effect thus O yee of the house of Israel and Iuda ye haue long enough and too long sought after vanitie in the errour of your minde ye haue ploughed iniquity too many daies and yeares ye haue beene as sheepe going a great whiles astray and as prodigall sonnes haue wandred farre from your good fathers house and the Lorde hath hither vnto in long suffering permitted you as the good father permits his young children to play the wantons for the which also he hath sometimes seuerely corrected you Again ye haue bin often called long scooled many times instructed in godlines now by this time ye should be no longer as children but such as are growen to the yeares of wisedome discretion It is therfore meete conuenient yee should know the time of your calling to walke in a new life as honestly worthily warily in a word putting away the former conuersatioÌ„ of your lusts ye should now serue the Lord in holines and righteousnes before him and so redeeme the time for the daies are euill and the enemie is malitious and subtile euer seeking to preuent hinder you with his mischiefes 2. The fit opportunitie But to this yee are the more excited when yee shall consider duly of the second argument which is taken from the fit opportunity of this time intimated by that perticle whiles or vntill that is whiles the Lord commeth or vntill hee commeth Wherein wee finde a fit allusion to the natures either of those birdes which obserue their fit times in the yeare as the Swallow the Nightingale the Storke or to the manner of those husbandmen which apprehend their seasons for sowing reaping and other workes of husbandry as the opportunitie is offered them or to those prisoners in bands who being guilty and trusting to the mercie and lenitie of their king for pardon and deliuerance wait the opportune time and then gladly accept the same Such a thing hath the Prophet where hee saith Isai 55. Seeke ye the Lord whiles hee may be found cal vpon him whiles he is neere the Psalmist Psal admonisheth To
grace vpon grace as the following of one vertue after an other in great abundance And this is that which the Spirite alludeth vnto in Apo 22. Let him which is righteous be yet more righteous and let him which is holy be yet more holy And this tendes to the perfection of them which proceede from vertue to vertue vntill they come to bee perfect men in Christ This was obserued well in Noah the Righteous Gen. 6. who as it is testified by Moses was Righteous in perfections for so the words signifie to the which the holy Spowsesse alludeth in her shining garments Apo. 22. being interpreted by Saint Iohn to bee the Iustifications or Perfections of the Saints The second thing promised is Riches not of this worlde but of God The holy Apostle as alluding to Salomon saith that Godlinesse is great Riches Riches of Godlinesse Here is not onely Riches but great Riches and indeed Great is that Mysterie of Godlinesse hauing all the promises both of this life and of the life to come as the Apostle witnesseth The riches of this world is transitorie and vaine but this is that which being obteined is of more value then all worldly treasures the which they easily contemne that haue this Iewell in possession Therefore as worldly men seeke after the riches of the world the godly are incited and perswaded to lay vp their treasures in heauen in the which they haue and shall enioy with all Societie life light rest peace abundance of all good things securitie and eternitie Thirdly although in the former the fruite of Righteousnesse and reward of Pietie is plainely expressed yet Salomon addeth one other word to ratifie and strengthen the same Pro. 21.21 saying They which follow after Righteousnesse and mercie shall finde Honour Honour By the which he meaneth not onely that ioynt commendation of good men for some laudable vertues the fauour of God in this world honouring them which honour him Ro. 8. but also the Glory which shall be reuealed of the which as all the glorie of this world so all the afflictions of this time are not worthy as S. Paul saith neither the thing beeing of that high excellencie can we eyther speake thereof as it is nor comprehend the same in thought passing indeede as dooth that peace of God all mans vnderstanding But as the glory of Christ Iesus was extolled in that the Father manifested him in the flesh by the operation of his Spirite in his mightie workes and merits for mans saluation and as the glory of the Father appeared in those his louing mercies declared towards men in his deare sonne Iesus so doth the glory of man appeare first in this world by that it pleaseth God to declare him by his grace iustified sanctified adopted called elected and honoured in his Sonne Iesus Next in the resurrection exaltation and glorification of Iesus who hath taken on him mans nature and the same preserued and glorified hath taken seise and possession for man in the kingdome of his Father Thirdly it shall be most apparant when being set and placed on the right hand of Christ in the great iudgement wee shall not onely be commended in our labours done by faith before both Angells and men yea in the presence of the most High God but being pronounced iust and the blessed Saints of the Father we shall receiue the honour of that his most glorious kingdome prepared for vs from the beginning The fift Reason is taken from the apt comparison with the Raine 5. The comparison with the Raine by the which the former arguments are not onely confirmed but amplified The Lorde commeth to raine downe Righteousnes here Righteousnesse is likened to the Raine which commeth downe from heauen and that as for many so chiefly for these causes First for that the Raine cleanseth the aire from the corrupt vapours which rise of the earth 2. The Raine of all other waters is the sweetest in taste 3. It is more subtile and light then any other water 4. It is pure without mixtures 5. It watereth the barren earth to make it fertile 6. It giueth nourishment and comfort to the fishes in the Sea and other waters 7. It qualifieth the force of fiers 8. It makes the land tractable to the labour of the Husbandman 9. It washeth cleane the waies wherein men trauell 10. It commeth downe from aboue and not from beneath In semblable manner Righteousnesse is of that nature that it cleanseth the cogitations of men from noysome affections and studies It is the sweetest solace of a godly mans minde it easeth their consciences which thereby discharged of the burthen of sinne aspire to the heauens It is not contaminated with the fantasies of vaine persons nor the doctrines of deceiueable Heretickes It giueth moysture to our barren natures whereby wee yeeld forth fruite acceptable to the Lord. It asswageth the ardencie of mans concupiscence It perswadeth both our bodies soules to yeeld obedience both to the will and word of God It cleanseth our conuersations as whereby we may the better trauel to the harbour of health And comming downe from the Lord is of his Highnesse made vnto vs an influence of his grace and goodnesse as whereby wee be so seasoned and tempered as we remaine acceptable vnto his glory 6. The manner of bestowing it Sixtly the manner of powring downe these Graces as Raine on the Earth puts vs in minde of three principall Vertues in the Lord which bestowes them as first his large bountie secondly his fine liberalitie thirdly his exquisite wisdome His bountie is apparant in his gift his liberalitie in the abundant largenesse thereof and his wisedome in an orderly disposition The gift is of his loue his liberalitie of his abundant riches and his wisedome of his eternall prouidence He giueth and that freely without respect of any reward or any thing in man mouing him therevnto In his liberalitie hee giueth to euery man abundantly yea the very wicked are not left without the sense of his goodnesse in that he sendeth forth his Raine to fall as well on them as on his Saints The Prophets are full of Metaphors to set forth this the Lords liberalitie to men Although therfore there was a time when the Prophet Ioel threatned the disobedient with warres and troubles in the which they should bee constrained to breake vp their Plough Shares into Swordes Ioel. 3.10 whereon should follow famine and ruine in the Lords anger Yet the Prophet Isay to declare this large liberalitie of the Lord at an other time prophesied that the people should conuert their Swordes into Plough Shares and their Speares into Sythes Isa 2.4 for he would send them great plentie of fruites in the time of peace Thirdly as the Lord powres downe the Raine with an orderly dispositiō on the earth so powres he forth the effects and fruites of righteousnesse on his people after his diuine will in wisedome as