sinne for if sinne lye at the doore Gen. 4.7 it will stop our passage as it did Caines whether it these grosse and grieuous sinnes or any other beloued sin which wee so tenderly harbour and foster in our hearts like a rocke or an heape of sand will stoppe and damme vp the gate Therefore we must like little children creep low and humble our selues for if wee put on the true habit of humility and meekenesse Sathan cannot hinder vs. As the Serpents will not come into the vineyard when vines bring forth their blossomes no more will the old Serpent and author of pride come neere vs if we like fruitfull branches bud the blossomes of humility The want of this vertue cast Nebuchadnezar out of his earthly Kingdome and we must haue it or else we shall not enter into the heauenly Kingdome The Pharisee swelled in his owne proud conceit and therefore hee was too bigge to enter in but the poore Publican stooped and went in little Zacheus was a great rich man but he diminish'd himselfe by restitution giuing to the poore he descended from the lofty branches to the roote of humility and so entred in This gate it should seeme was made for none to enter but for these that are as children Math. 18.3 Verily I say vnto you saith Christ except yee become as little children yee cannot enter into the kingdome of God How acceptable is the morning sacrifice of our tender age vnto God no sacrifice of beasts was more welcome to God then yong kids or lambs none of birds more acceptable then yong pigeons or Turtle doues Manna was to be gathered in the morning before the Sun arose If we follow God as deere children God will take vs for his children and this is no small signe of Gods mercy so much to fauour and so highly to grace vs with the title of his children that wee may call him father Well and worthily may he be called a father for he is omnium Creator fideliumque Pater the Creator of all men and Father of the faithfull and therefore it is written Is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee and that made thee and proportioned thee Deut. 32.6 Yea without doubt God is our Father if we will obey him an euerliuing and an euerlasting Father as it is also written Doubtlesse thou art our Father Esay 63.16 though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou ô Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is for euer If he be our Father and our Lord we should honour and feare him Mallac 1.6 A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his maister If then I bee a Father where is my honour If I bee a Maister where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts If therefore ye call him Father 1. Pet. 1.17 which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare saith the Apostle In all our miseries and feare we are imboldened by the Spirit of Christ to call God our Father as we may reade Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Math. 23.9 Wherefore Christ commandeth vs to call no man father on earth that is in faith and religion a reason he giueth saying There is but one your Father which is in heauen he is a father that made both body and soule and is ready to saue both when earthly parents forsake vs he will take vs when they leaue vs he will receiue vs when they will not and cannot help vs he can and will help vs when they dye hee liueth for hee is an euerlasting and an euerliuing Father first and last the beginning and the end a beginning without beginning and an end without end Many children bragge and boast of their parents gentry and they accompt it a great honour to be called the sonne of a King as Dauid said when hee should marry Sauls daughter Doe you thinke it a small thing to be a Kings sonne Should the children of God thinke it a small thing to be the sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of all Lords King of heauen and earth He is worthily called a Father for he is Pater sanctitatis The Father of sanctity Pater potestatis The Father of power Pater pietatis The Father of piety The Father of sanctity and holynesse and therefore Christ saith Iohn 17.17 Father sanctifie them in the truth The father of power because hee can doe all things therefore he that knew best said Mark 14.36 All things are possible to thee The Father of piety and mercy and therefore the Apostle calleth him The Father of mercy 2. Cor. 1.3 and God of consolation Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to pray to him with deuotion For Christ saith Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name Iohn 16.23 he will giue it you Seeing he is the Father of power we ought to honour him with humble obedience therefore the Holy-Ghost by the Prophet Malachy saith Mallac 1.6 The Sonne honoureth the Father c. Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to follow and imitate him in mercy as Christ commandeth vs saying Luk. 6.36 Bee yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And seeing he is the Father of power of holynesse and mercy of him as dutifull children wee should bowing the knees of hearts seeke a blesnng Isaac his sonne said to his father Hast thou but one blessing But the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob hath a blessing for euery faithfull child of his yea a triple benediction Benedictio preueniens benedictio adiuuans benedictio consummans His blessing preuenting his blessing assisting and his blessing consummating or finishing The first of his mercy the second of his grace the third of his glory The first of our conuersion the second of our conuersation the third of our glorification The first Benediction Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Blessed is he whose sinnes are remitted The second Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walkes in his waies The third and last benediction Come yee blessed children of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world FINIS
for destruction then others for saluation For coueteousnesse hath no pleasure in it but great trouble and misery for it is a trouble to the body disquietnesse to the minde and a griefe to the heart it pincheth and pricketh with three great and deepe wounds The first to the bone the second to the braine the third to the heart to the bones in tiring and wearying men in getting riches to the braines in great care to keepe them being gotten as pricking thornes amongst the which the diuine seede of Gods words sowen fructifieth not Math. 13.8.9 The last cut which is most greiuous that is to the heart in leauing and losing them yea and with his owne selfe his owne soule his owne life yea life both of body and soule too deere a price for so vile a thing in selling his soule for sinne Therefore Christ saith Math. 16.26 What shall it auaile me to winne the whole world and loose mine owne soule Let vs remember the couetous caterpillar and meale-mouthed Farmer that was not contented with his barnes full of Corne and much wealth how hee was in a monent satisfied with a mouthfull of dust and which was most lamentable his soule taken from him I feare hee hath many sons this day liuing whom I would haue take notice hereof and see Gods iudgement is such that their wealth shall bee turned into woe their plenty into scarcity their prosperity into pouerty their solace into sorrow their gladnesse into sadnesse their mirth into mourning their pleasure into paine their tranquility into calamity I reade in ancient writing Isâ—od that old men did picture Mercury one of the Planets like to a couetous Merchant hauing in his mouth a thorny tongue with wings spread abroad in the middest seeming glittering gold and vpon his head a cocke The morallity of this story may be thus applied The thorny tongue may represent the deceiptfull words false oaths and fraudulent dealing of cruell couetous men in bargaining buying and selling with men The wings may represent the hast speed and celerity that coueteous men vse in gathering of wealth in trauelling from Market to Market from Towne to Towne from Kingdome to Kingdome ouer Sea and Land omitting no time occasion or oportunity Glittering and shining may signifie the gaine of gold seeming like fire for gold may bee compared to fire a little whereof is sufficient to warme a man but too much burneth Gold gaine in good honest and lawfull sort gotten prospereth with a man but by vniust and vnlawfull manner gathered damneth a man Well gotten and well vsed it helpeth but wickedly gotten and wickedly vsed it hurteth The cocke representeth the carefull vigilancy that possesseth couetous mens minds who rise vp earely and lie downe late taking their rest but vntill the cocke croweth or the clocke striketh Thus the description of a couetous mans life is expressed and Iob hath a notable Epitaph at his death to be ingraued vpon his Tomb Hee is dried vp and withered Iob. 6.17 and in time consumed and when it is hot he falleth from his place before he departeth from his way and course of life A worthy note for shunning the like and a fearefull iudgement vpon them that follow the couetous affections of this wicked world and forsake Christ whom they are bound to follow vpon forfeiture of saluation and paine of condemnation Let vs not settle our affections vpon earthly things hunting after the vnsatiable desire of worldly wealth like the mole or want that maketh many holes and diggeth many dennes in the earth and yet is not satisfied but still laboureth and diggeth Let vs not build many houses digge many sellars buy many Farmes fill many barnes and yet bee vnsatiable and vnthankfull and in all our aboundance and plenty will not say Blessed be the name of the Lord which Iob did in his greatest pouerty The couetous cormorant when his barnes were full and his house furnished was satisfied saying as it were Soule thou hast sufficient eate drinke take thine ease But some hauing enough and more then enough are not satisfied but would with sathan compasse the whole world if they might Seeing therefore that couetousnesse keepeth vs from following Christ the ready way to heauen and leadeth vs the headlong way to hell let vs as the Apostle exhorteth Bee followers of God as deere children The other let that holdeth men backe from following God is Pride and it is no small enemy to mankind although now it is accompted no sinne It caused the Angell with many his Associates to loose heauen it caused Adam and Eue to loose Paradice and it will bee a cause to exclude and debarre vs of the Kingdome of heauen vnlesse wee humble our selues and follow Christ as dutifull schollars learning the lesson which he hath taught vs saying Learne of mee for I am humble and meeke of heart Againe hee saith Hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee brought low Prouerb 16.18 Salomon telleth that pride goeth before and destruction followeth after And the old Writer Gregory Gregory saith As humilty is a signe of election and approbation so pride is a signe of reiection and reprobation Pride may fitly be compared to a pale horse Reuel 6.8.9 The name of him that rideth thereon is death and hell followeth after Pale it is for that it wanteth the cheerefull and comfortable complexion of godly charity and death rideth on it for death is the wages of pride which the deuill knew right well who by pride brought spirituall death on all and hell followeth after being the place prepared for all proud persons who are betraied by pride in their owne bodies and members As Absolon conspired his fathers death by offering giftes to his fathers subiects And Eue for a proud minde to bee like vnto God was made more vnlike and defaced the image of God in her selfe and thereby lost Paradice Pride is a sinne that God hateth all other sins flie from God but pride stubbornely standeth with the hauty Pharisee and faceth with God Therefore he that will bee a follower of Christ must forsake pride For a proud man is 1 Deo odibilis To God odible 2 Diabolo similis Like to the diuil 3 sibi damnabilis and to himselfe damnable Three sortes of men my soule hateth c. The first whereof is a proud man Eccle. 25.2 examples in the Angels and in men wee haue in no small number The deuill is the Prince of pride and father of proud men and as the seruants of Christ and children of God are knowne by charity and humility so the seruants of sinne and sonnes of Sathan are knowne by pride and crueltie Hee is hurtfull to himselfe Examples wee haue amongst diuers others of Iesabell Reu. 18 7. Esay 47.8 of the proud strumpet of Babylon of Senecharib c. who soaring aloft with their proud plumes being at the highest pitch of their exaltation were throwne downe head-long and plunged in the
who will iudge againe matters wrongfully iudged who will reproue vnlawfull oathes will right them that suffer wrong and plead in equitie for the meeke of the earth let them thinke that if not shortly yet sharply will the day of iudgement come to those that neglect the comming of the eternall Iudge Veniet veniet dies Iudicij vbi plus valebit pura corda quam astuta verba consciencia bona quam marsupia plena quandoquidem Iudex ille nec verbis falletur nec donis flectetur The day will come the day of Iudgement will come when cleane hearts will more auaile then crafty words and a good conscience more then a great purse seeing that Iudge wil neither bee deceiued with words nor weighed with gifts But to speake to them of whom most are absent I will abstaine and frame my speech to them that are present And seeing the Magistrate Magistrate is one of the staies pillers and posts of the Common-wealth it behoueth him to attend his charge assuring himselfe that hee shall render an account at the last day how hee hath gouerned and behaued himselfe in his Magistracy and place whether hee hath beene carefull to beat downe sin and suppresse vice to maintain vertue and support goodnesse whether his eyes haue beene open in looking to his charge 〈…〉 the people due beene opâ—â— in the Lords 〈…〉 â—â—mplaints of the poore 〈◊〉 laboured whether his mouth hath beene open in giuing them comfortable answeres whether his hands haue beene ready in defending them whether his feete haue beene shood in hastening to redresse wrongs for to such ends should he and all his members be applyed and imployed to wit To punish the nocent and defend the innocent To correct the hurtful protect the harmlesse To suppresse the subtill and support the simple As the silly sheepe in the storme and tempest running to the hedge and thicket to shroud and shelter themselues from the winde and weather are oftentimes insnared amongst the thornes and briers out of which with much adoe they winde and wrest themselues with labour and losse of their wool and in seeking to auoid a small damage they incurre a greater danger So you that are Magistrates ought to looke diligently into the dealings of your vnder Officers least that the poore man like the simple and silly sheepe oftentimes being oppressed and wronged by his aduersary running to them who should and ought to right them by delaies and sinister dealings is fleeced of more then he lost before and with the woman seeking for one lost groat leese the other nine and with the man that had an hundred sheepe hauing lost one spend the other ninty and nine in suing for that on◠〈◊〉 for want of right loose all Luke 1â— Haue a speciall regard you 〈…〉 of God therefore what Officers you 〈…〉 elect let them be well qualified Exod. 18.21 Iethro Moses father-in-law counselled Moses to elect Magistrates and Officers being thus qualified to wit Men of courage such as feare God such as deale truely and such as hate couetousnesse Men of courage not fearing any mans threatning words not proud lookes fearing God not fearing what man can do vnto them dealing truely and vprightly betweene man and man without fauour or affection hating couetousnesse not corrupted with giftes nor carried from the right with bribes O happy and twise happy are the people and Common-weale whom God hath blessed with such Magistrates that Common-wealth and Country is in good estate where the Prince makes good Lawes the Magistrates execute them and the people obey them Minister There is also another stay of Gods building or Christian Common-wealth which must not be omitted to wit the zealous and learned Minister whose doctrine by warrant of Gods word must be a rule to guide and direct all their lawes by otherwise they will be out of square These Workemen should not bee idle in Gods Haruest For the Haruest is great but the labourers are few Math. 9.37 It is recorded in sacred Scripture that a certaine man hired labourers into his Vineyard Math. 20. The owner and Maister of this Vineyard is the Lord the labourers his Ministers and Preachers the Vineyard is the world the people the branches but in the Lords Vineyard wee may finde some labourers some loiterers and some lookers on Volentes nolentes non valentes To the first volentibus to them that execute the Lords businesse with willing mindes reioycing that God hath enabled them to doe the worke of Euangelists it will be sayd Well done thou good seruant because thou hast bene faithfull in a little I Will make thee ruler ouer much To the second nolentibus to them that are able and yet not willing it may be said Hee that knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not shal be beaten with stripes To the third and last non valentibus without offence I may say the worst that are neither able nor willling it may bee said Thou vnbidden guest how camst thou in at the dore or at the window surely not at the dore vnlesse thou hast borrowed Simon Magus siluer piclocke Math. 22.12 Friend how camst thou hither not hauing a wedding garment take him bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darknesse Let vs pray vnto God that euery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well-ruling Elder suffer no vnruled vnlearned lookers gazers on to steale into the Lords Vineyard who are ready to receiue the penny and take no paines to take the fleece and starue the sheepe too too many such in times past haue crept in Math. 13.28 but how came this to passe surely the enuious man hath done this Therefore right Reuerend you to whom by authority it appertaineth ought now to bee carefull and respectiue herein lest that the aduersaries of our profession by the ignorance and weakenesse of some Professors take an occasion by such aduantage to scandalize both the profession and professours to defend this dangerous breach in Gods building you ought to bee studious and vigilant Math. 13.25 For when the husbandman sleepeth the enuious man will be ready to sow the tares amongst the wheate And so by your zealous care ouer the Lords heritage his Vineyard in time might bee cleansed from such lookers and gazers on and his Church purged of such penny-penny-father idols and hereafter such ignorant tongue-tied blind guides debarred by such your good meanes from entring into the Lords Vineyard Which God for his Name sake for his Sonnes sake for his mercy sake for his Church and deere children sake grant Thus much touching the persons especiall now in generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephe. 5.1 EVEN as Christ fed foure thousand men Math. 15.33.34.35 besides women and children with seuen loaues and a few little fishes when they had followed him three daies in the desert or wildernesse and would not send them away empty least they should faint by the way So with
deepe lake and dungeon of destruction and as the wolfe followeth the prey and the Hunter followeth the wolfe to destroy him so as man followeth pride punishment followeth proud men to destroy them Virque scelus sequitur paenaque iusta virum Now the third let that hindereth vs in following Christ is voluptuousnesse which although in our time it is accompted but a sport yet it is a canker that eateth vp vertue in a man which is eternall Augustine This vice old men should loath and yong men should leaue but by experience many yea too many yong men being trained vp by their carefull parents either in vertuous schools or honest trades of life leaue manners with their Maisters vertue in the schools run astray with the prodigal son luxuriousty spēding their portions others leauing their trades with their Maisters science in the shops with Esau sell their Birth-right for a messe of voluptuous pottage in the kitchin of wantonnesse spending their time in sathans Synagogue of wickednesse The more pitty that they haue so little piety seeing it is not the losse onely of Temporall goods but the losse of the Kingdom of heauen and one ancient father saith Iustum est vt qui peccata vti voluisset aeternaliter si potuisset aeternaliter paenam sustinere cogeretur it is requisite that hee that would vse sinne alwaies if hee could should continually bee constrained to suffer punishment which that wee may escape let vs both old and yong cease to be voluptuous and turne to be zealous in following of Christ for as long as wee harbour this vice in our hearts wee carry as Vrias did letters to our owne destruction and as long as wee greedily follow after it we do follow it as Asahel followed Abner to our owne death Thus wee may see these great grosse and grieuous sinnes do stoppe dampe and rampire the way against vs to keepe vs out of heauen as they excluded our first parents out of Paradise and thereby displaced dis-inherited vs of the possession and interest thereof if wee hate him that vndermineth beguileth vs of our earthly inheritance as Esau hated his brother Iacob how much more should we detest these sins that defraud vs of our celestiall habitation We do exceedingly hate him that killeth our father or mother how much more then should we hate these sins that haue brought death and mortality vpon all our parents our selues and our posterity The second Obstacle Audacia defensionis THe second obstacle that fettereth the feet of our affection is the boldnesse of defending or excusing sin this was in Adam after hee had transgressed by cōmitting the foresaid sins beeing vrged by Almighty God to confesse his fault still defended excused his offences So there are many of Adams children that will not although they see and know their owne nakednesse cōfesse it but are lesse ashamed to cōmit sin then to confesse their sins to God repent As Nahash would haue had the right eyes of the people of Iabes Gilead to be put out 1. Sam. 11.2 to bring that shame vpon the Israelites so that spirituall Nahash seeketh by his subtilty to haue the right eie wherby we are brought to the sight knowledge of our sins to bee put out and so to bring shame and confusion vpon vs like the Rauen that first of all striketh out the silly sheepes eye that he may not escape his tyranny so Sathan would haue vs not to see the shame of our sins and when for want of shame we haue sinned he would haue vs ashamed to confesse them and repent I read on a time a pretty familiar history agreeable heereunto of certaine religious and well disposed persons confessing their sinnes to whom the Diuell approched whom when a godly and reuerend father espied he asked him how he durst or to what end hee came so neere such godly persons at so good an exercise who made this answere I come said he to restore that which long agone I haue taken from them The godly man maruelling that the Diuell was become a restorer exceeding many Christians that scarcely think on restitution demanded of him what that was Shame said he which I took from thē in cōmiting of sin now I bring it to them againe to keep them frō cōfessing of their sins Thus we see that the Diuell would haue vs not to bee ashamed to sin but ashamed to confesse our sins repent therfore whē we should forsake our sins and follow Christ if wee shall perceiue any vnwillingnesse in vs to performe this duty let vs know from whence it came and so in despite of Sathan put off his visard and vnmaske our selues that wee may see these dangerous caribdes auoid them and so follow Christ our precursor our grand-captaine protector The last part As deere Children CHildren in the Scripture are diuers wayes taken besides them that come of their parents bloud and generation and besides them which are in the right descending line of the same linage or stocke For sometime subiects are called children Dauid spake thus to Saul the King My Father 1 Sam. 24.12 behold behold c. Thus Abimelech was called King and Father Also these are called Childrē that succed others in title or right of inheritance Thus Ieconias that neuer had childe is sayd to beget Salathiel because he was the next of Dauids stocke Ierem. 22.30 who therefore succeded Ieconias in the kingdome of Iudah They that are guided by the councell of others are called children so Ioseph sayd Gen. 45.8 God hath made me a father to Pharaoh Seruants sometime are called children The seruants of Naaman sayd vnto him Father 2. Kings 5.13 if the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing wouldst not thou haue done it Yonger men and women are called children in respect of their elders Rebuke not an Elder 1. Tim. 5.1.2 but exhort him as a Father the elder women as mothers They which are vnder the tuition or helpe of others are called children so Iob sayd Iob. 29.16 he was a father to the poore Scollers were called the sonnes of the Prophets Elizeus said to Elias My father my father 2. Kings 2.12 Hearers are called children in respect of their pastors and teachers 1. Kings 13.11 Paul saith to the Corinthians yee haue many teachers but not many fathers And to the Galat. he saith My little children Gal. 4.19 of whom I trauell in birth againe vntil Christ be formed in you All true beleeuers are said to be deere children in this Scripture by the Apostles doctrine shewing his fatherly loue and tender care ouer them that imitate Christ Rom. 9.8 The true children of Abraham are they that imitate him in faith Math. 21.28 Luke 15.11 As in the parable of the Gospell it is recorded that a man had two sonnes the one performing his fathers wil the other neglecting it the one frugall the
other prodigall Likewise Abraham had two sonnes Ismael and Isaac but Isaac onely free-borne so there are two sorts of children one the children of God the other the children of the world The children of God are they which are vnited to God by adoption as Brothers and Sisters in Christ by hearing of the word of God keeping it These are my brethren saith Christ that heare the word and keepe it The children of the world are they which fashion themselues like vnto the world setting setling their affections on worldly things but the children of God are changed in their shape by renewing of their minds they are of another fashion they are of a new birth of the spirituall kindred of Christ by regeneration The childrē of God do follow Christ the children of the world do follow it and are led by it but the children of God are led by the spirit of God The children of the world haue their whole trust confidence in worldy things Rom. 8.14 but the children of God are predestinated to bee his adopted children Ephes 1.5 by faith in Christ It is the greatest preferment in this world amongst the children of the world to be made the heire of a King Emperour or Prince and to bee in great account with men in this world but the children of God are of greater account with God and godly men both in this world and in the world to come The children of Kings are attended by noble men and great personages and guarded with strong men yet all but men whose breath is in their nostrils whose hands cannot accomplish the deuises of their hearts But the children of God are guided by God himselfe whose eye is alwayes ouer the righteous they are guarded by Angels Psalm 34.15 The Angels of God shall pitch their tents round about them that feare him The children of the world doe take delight in such pleasures as the world doth affoord them as carnall security worldly prosperity beastly sensuality couetousnesse pride luxury idlenesse and such like But the pleasures that God affoordeth his deere children are such as neither the world can giue them nor take from them As the loue of righteousnesse delight in the law of God Psalm 1.2 patience in affliction loue of them that excell in vertue and such like The riches of the children of the world are gold siluer houses lands lordships rents reuenues and such like which theeues may steale rust may fret fire may consume water may drowne plague may infect time may weare out and death may end But the riches of Gods children are the word of God firme faith forgiuenesse of sins freedome from hell liberty with the Saints the spirit of contentation peace of conscience continuall ioy in the holy Ghost and a kingdome of glory in heauen which no theefe can steale no rust can corrupt no fire can consume no water can drowne no plague can infect no time can weare out no death can end The children of God are shrowded vnder the wings of his mercy but the children of the world are subiect vnder the weapons of his iustice and a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of God in such a case If the children that were disobedient to their parents in the time of the law by the law were stoned to death for their disobedience towards their earthly parents Deut. 21.21 how much more are the wilfull and wicked children of the world in danger of the father of heauen and God of heauen and earth for their disloialty and disobedience in forsaking God and following the world If the children of the righteous that offend God haue not escaped Gods seuere punishment how shall the vngracious children of vngodly parents abide it If the sonnes of Eli and the sonnes of Dauid were punished by death as the reward and wages of their sinnes without pardon or partiality although Eli was the holy Priest of God and Dauid the Princely Prophet of God the one high in Gods fauour the other as great in his loue How then shal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the euill egge of a bad bird escape vncrushed ◠King 2.23.24 If the children that mocked the prophet were by Gods iudgement torne in peeces and deuoured of Beares how shall these prophane scoffers and deriders of the Gospell and professors thereof escape Gods fearefull iudgements God loueth those children that imitate their parents good examples and follow them as they follow Christ The Apostle in this our Text maketh a distinction betweene the children of God and the children of the world terming the children of God Deere Children Deerely beloued and deerely are they purchased with the precious and pricelesse bloud of his best loued Sonne Christ whom as zealously they ought to follow for his grace 2. Kings 2. as Elisha followed Elias for his mantle and spirit If children follow their parents and obey their precepts for an earthly and terrestriall inheritance should we not much more obey our heauenly Father for an heauenly and coelestiall heritage assured to his deere children that follow him as he hath by his deerely beloued sonne in his sacred word taught them The manner how we should follow him is by the Apostle plainly expressed to wit As deere Children according to Christs owne words affirming that whosoeuer will enter into the kingdome of heauen must bee as a little Childe innocent humble and meeke Not clothed with couetousnesse puffed with pride nor with voluptuousnesse For to such saith Christ our precursor belongeth the Kingdome of heauen Yong and vnacquainted with grosse sinnes are most fit to follow God in the prime-time of their yeares in the maiden-head of their age giuing him the first fruits of their loue Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist was knowne by the name of the Disciple whom IESVS loued So was yong Samuel fauoured of God So was Dauid a man after Gods owne heart for hee was a man that followed God from his youth So was little Daniel a great man with God a little man amongst men but a great Prophet of God This religious affection of vertuous youth Saint Paul learned of Christ and taught it to his scholler Timothy and other Churches which he had by the word planted But if we seeke to vrge the youth of our time thereunto they will thinke that wee come before our time as though they might be licenced to run a wilfull and wicked course Math 8 29 and will bee ready to tell vs as the Diuell told Christ that wee torment them before their time The Prodigall sonne was the yonger Christ our heauenly king is gone before vs and hath opened the gate of heauen otherwise there had beene no passage at all yet he telleth vs that the gate is straight Math 7 14 and there are few that enter in thereat therefore we must striue straine and stoope if we intend to enter in First wee must strippe our selues out of the old habite of