at the first and sprout out much in the beginning for then we are as yong plantâ— which in their first rising spring out more sensibly though lesse substantially whereas old plants spring not so fast nor so much in sight and sense and yet grow into a more firme and solide substance So we sprout with a more sensible ioy at the first as vnacquainted with that thing but after we bring forth greater fruites things not so sensible vnto our feeling 102 God doth alwaies heare the prayers of his children though not according to their desires it may be yet certainely for their good and saluation 103 We are not so much to haue an eye to the beginning as to the ending in godlines For Paul begun euilly but he ended well Iudas began well but he ended ill 104 Many men will praise themselues but who shall find a faithfull man that is such a one as doth more negotiari in suo than otiari in alieno opere It is not good if the Lord bids vs to worke in one field that we should go gleane in another 105 If they be faultie that let the Sunne go downe on their wrath what shall become of them that let the Moone change on their wrath if the good man for speaking good things but out of time be faultie what shall become of them who speake wicked things with a wicked heart 106 As it is better with a silly Sheepe to feede in a low pasture with peace and quietnes than with the sturdie Bull to be in a fat pasture with a continuall baiting so it is better with God his children to haue a little with ioy of conscience than with the wicked to haue much with terrour of spirit 107 Iohn Baptist was a good patterne for Chaplaines who spared not his Lord and Maister in due time 108 We must not grow to be parched heathes or flintie rocks that let all the drops of grace fall for such cannot be softned 109 The Lord doth often let the wicked liue in iudgement for themselues and for a terrour of God his iudgements to others 110 Many seeke the world before the kingdome of God and so by preposterous order they lose both the world and the kingdome of God Some indeed seeke first the kingdome of God but not for the righteousnes of it but for the â—ase of it 111 Many play the diuels registers in espying the weakenesses of the godly whose worme of conscience shall eate vp themselues 112 We seeke as Demas being more loth to forgoe the world than the Lord or as Lots wife who caried away her body from Sodom but left her soule and affections behind It is good therefore to professe no more than we will performe 113 We must so hide our treasure that though the world strip vs yet we must keepe it from them as the Martyrs did whom when the world did search from top to toe and euery veine in them yet could they not finde this treasure 114 God dealeth with vs as a louing father with his prodigall sonne that is when hee cannot get vs to doe duties he will hire vs to do well Seeing then God bargaineth so with vs that he will giue vs more for our seruice than all the world or the diuels are ready or able to giue vs let vs receiue him for Christ will giue vs for euery peny an huÌ„dred folde 115 We must not leaue or lend time but make a through fare of it A man hauing sold an house may come into it but it is as a stranger not as the owner dweller in the house So we may doe sinne againe but not as they that will continue in sinne 116 We must leaue all sinne one dore is as good as twentie for Satan one poyson is enough to destroy one plague-sore will destroy vs wee must be wholly emptied of sinne least wee be like to him that emptieth his mouth of filthines and so may taste a little of sweete medicines but because the stomacke is not emptied filthines comes againe 117 Oh Lord iudge me not I iudge my selfe oh that I may doe it in truth 1 I haue not so loued the meanes nor set by the Sabbaths as I should doe 2 I haue felt exceeding pettishnes where I did owe dutie and hardnes of heart where I should haue pitied 3 Besides exceeding filthy thoughts most dangerously did I offend in Lord. 4 My prayers are more monkish then powerfull 5 Great hypocrisie of heart and vaineglory in speech hath ouertaken me Good Lord strengthen me to auoyd these things 1 Customable praying 2 Vaine-glorious speaking 3 Desire of being from the meanes Good Lord strengthen me to doe these things 1 To be giuen to a contemplatiue life 2 To keepe my selfe in fasting mine eyes in heauen 3 To meditate of speciall things without superstition 4 To remember my former couenants 118 Wee must endeuour to discerne betweene one sinne and another by the qualities and circumstances following the same for circumstances make euery sinne greater or smaller 119 Being asked whether this may be said that a childe is or children be regenerated he said we might in hope so say because the Apostle saith that the roote being holie the branches are holie and one of the parents being holie the seede is holy 1. Cor 7. yet here we must know that he speaketh of that holines which is according to the couenant 120 It is a great mercie of God to haue a good affection when wee haue a good occasion for God neuer ceaseth in offering good occasions but wee often cease in hauing good affections 121 When a poore man contemptuously in his charge had denyed him his tithe hee saide if he can charge me with want of dutie I will supplie it but that I may not hinder my successors he must pay it And if he thinke I respect gaine more then mercie I will giue it to the poore mans boxe 122 Concerning our studie it may be that a speciall working of God is in vs that Philosophie is made vnto vs so vnsauorie and Diuinitie so sweet In our studies generall precepts which may make for the truth are to be gathered auoiding foolish quiddities wherby manie studie Philosophie as heretikes the scriptures who chuse that which confirmeth their heresies and leaue the body and substance of the truth 123 We then doe truly apprehend by faith Christ dying for our sinnes when we feele sinne dye in vs. 124 A good man being vehement with him in speeches he said you are fire and I will be water 125 Euen as hauing a wheale in our hands be it neuer so little we will not let another let it out but wee will doe it our selues so when we deale with the smallest infirmities in another let vs doe it with great tendernes least they desire rather to admonish themselues of it
and Correction MAny thinke to priuiledge themselues from the name of Sinners by reading largely and reprehending plentifully the sinnes of other men counting it a compendious way to credite by building gorgeously on another mans discredit and ruine 2 Flesh and blood will ease it selfe superiours looke to inferiours and inferiours to superiours but euery man must looke to himselfe 3 As an house being on fire if it may bee quenched it is best to vse water onely but if it bee like to endanger and set on fire the houses rounde about it is best to pull downe the house quickely so if offence being raised it may bee quenched with water vse water and let the house stand still but if fire burst out on euery side then pull it downe When the Viper will still bee a Viper and retaine his poyson though the charmer charme neuer so wisely the Apothecary takes him and makes a Triacle of him to expell poyson out of others so if a brother will not be admonished if he will not leaue his poyson make triacle of him that he that would not take heede of others should bee made a preseruatiue for other to beware by him if euill will not be taken from one in Israel then take away the euill out of whole Israel If we must needes see somewhat dead it is better to see a dead arme than a dead corpes When men will harden themselues God in his iudgement makes them as an adamant and when they grow so hard it is good to cast them out 4 We are giuen to display euery sinne yea the least in others and to conceale and bury many graces yea the best in others 5 Such as be fallen must be restored with the spirit of wisedome and lenitie Such as be falling must be vpholden by al good meanes speedily least they fal so dangerously as that then cannot be recouered 6 In an euill report or vniust censures of men it is not good straightway to be angry but to fly to Gods prouidence and to desire to profit by them 7 Because we do not to men that good which we should doe God often suffereth them to report and speake euill of vs. 8 Though we may be discouraged to deale in exhorting or dehorting admonishing or reprouing or any ecclesiasticall and Christian dutie yet being called of God we must aske wisedome of him who will send wisedome to blesse his owne ordinance 9 It is a dangerous thing to haue a proud spirit with a vaine minde 10 The drunken peace of hypocrites must not be suppled with oyle but pierced with a speare 11 If we be reproued for sinne of man let vs feare the reproofe of God It is our great corruption that wee are sooner brought to leaue a sinne when man doth rebuke vs once than when God doth threaten vs often 12 It is a good thing sometime to haue enemies For we often are more afraid to sinne least our enemies should reproue vs than wee make conscience of sinne least God should condemne vs. 13 Although the wicked speake euill of vs let vs be content indeede a good name is better than a precious ointment but remember that the Lord had made vs all priests and therefore let vs offer vp our good name to his glory and if the wicked will bring coales of iuniper let vs sacrifice vp our good names and with Paul let vs say I esteeme it the least thing in the world to be iudged of you it is the Lord that iudgeth and there is a blessing propounded for them that are so euil spokē of But there are foure hundred Prophets that speak against you are they all deceiued Many eyes see more than one True if it be spoken of the like for one Eagles eye seeth more than a thousand owles eyes and as Salomon saith One man that feareth God is better than a thousand sinners And Paul saith what haue I to doe with them that are without God shall iudge them Vpon which words a learned man biddeth vs obserue how the Apostle accounts euil men as nothing wherefore seeing the wicked are so vile and so vaine one is better then many of them therfore their censures and calumniations not to be regarded CHAP. XVII Of Ceremonies things indifferent and of turning Christian libertie into vnchristian licentiousnesse AS it is a fault to vse vnnecessary ceremonies which with the peace of the Church may be left so it is faultie to leaue a good ceremonie which hath a good vse and no superstition with it 2 The Lord commanded Exod. 16. 33. an Homer full of Manna to bee reserued as a monument for posteritie And so it was kept by the Lords commandement and therefore not abused to superstition as the brasen Serpent and Gedeons Ephod which because they were without Gods commandement reserued therefore they were quickly abused But this Manna and the Alter which the Rubenites made hauing a warrant of Gods commandement were not abused Where we learne that in bringing in ceremonies and rites into the Church wee ought to thinke that if they haue not their warrant from the word of the Lord they are like to be vsed without fruit and in danger to be turned to hurtful superstition but if they haue their warrant from the word of God that the Lorde hath commaunded them then may they haue very profitable vses in Gods Church And they shall neuer be so much abused to doe hurt as they shall bee profitable in the right vse of them And therefore in bringing in ceremonies and orders we must aske counsell of the Lord that his word may be our warrant 3 The more ceremonies the lesse truth 4 This is a generall rule whatsoeuer separateth man from God or man from man is abrogated but whatsoeuer conioyneth man to God or man to man is left still In this respect the whole Law is abrogated according to the rigour of the curse for otherwise wee could not stand before God So in Christ now hauing found reconciliation we are more bound to keepe the law morall then the Iewes because Gods commandements are more cleerely reuealed and greater strength is now giuen against sinne therefore nothing is taken from the law that we should be carelesse but the curse and condemnation of the law is done away that wee may haue an entrance to God with boldnes Whatsoeuer separateth man from man is abrogated and so the ceremoniall law is abrogated that which is meerely ceremoniall is meerely abrogated and that which is in part ceremoniall is in part onely abrogated as the Sabbath 5 The Apostle 1. Tim 4. 1. prophecieth of certaine spirits of error which should superstitiously forbid the vse of Christian libertie but 2. Tim. 3. he speaketh of another sort who among many other properties should be louers of pleasures more then louers of God The former are said to be in the last times but these in the last daies one degree further
to accelerate their death or to reade mee as some haue read Plato that thereby they should hasten the time of their deliuerance but that wee should learne when God doth becke for vs wee should bee readie to remoue and that for none other causes but for faith and in hope of Gods promises a full feeling of our sinnes discharged a sure confidence of God his power in raising vs vp againe and a stedfast hope of a more glorious possession after this life By these meanes wee shall so rest in the hands of God that when nature decaieth wee shall haue our departure with calmnes and in a good time shall through a naturall ripenes rather voluntarily fall of than violently bee pulled off Wherefore wee see that this rash and vndiscreete desire off death is either in mindes that are abiect or in men in whose flesh their spirits are alreadie buried as also that the triumph of the godly proceedeth from hence euen a full assurance that he which raised them vp euery morning will raise them in the last day and that hee which raised Christ their head will also raise them his members This is that which will stay all quiuering of the flesh wherewith many are so benummed that they cannot with gladnes drinke of that cup whereunto the Lord allotted them If euer this doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ was needfull it is now adaies most needfull wherein wicked Heretikes would depriue vs of the comfort of it It will not serue in the time of temptation whether it come immediatly from the diuell or medâ—â—tly by his instruments to rest in our infolded faith with the Papists or to say wee beleeue as it is in the Creede wee beleeue as the Church beleeueth But to leaue the diuell himselfe hee hath suborned such priuie and treacherous aduersaries of this doctrine as with impudent faces will agree with vs in matter and in word will graunt the resurrection and yet shift away in their manner and in sense and truth blasphemously denie the power of the same Thus Hymineus and Philetus would not flatly denie the resurrection nay they would graunt it but how they saide it was past Thus cunningly Satan would ouerthrow the manner of the resurrection by permitting them to dally in the matter Againe shall wee thinke that the Sadduces did generally resist it no they had their false glosses and their forced interpretations with whom Satan in policie would pretend a maintaining of that which in purpose hee sought to mangle and marre The Philosophers had many glancing and glorious speeches of the immortalitie of the soule but when they came to this point concerning the rising againe of the flesh nothing was more ridiculous and incredible vnto them In so much that many of them of the Epicures and Stoikes mocked Paul disputing of this matter and said What will this babbler say as wee may reade Act. 17. verse 18. And when hee spake of the resurrection from the dead some mocked and others said we will heare thee againe â—f this matter Surely if the rising againe had been nothing but the renewing of the minde as some fondly dreame and falsely affirme it may bee thought that the Academicks would haue conceiued this doctrine and Platoesidaea hath as great secrets But here is the point which they sticke at and can by no meanes digest it that the naturall bodie after it is consumed into the ayre fire water or earth should afterward reuiue and receiue supernaturall qualities and as Philosophers and Heretikes cannot brooke this kinde of teaching so sure it is that few of the common professors receiue it in truth as their liues doe manifestly proue Besides there is another euill more perillous than these Through the close subtiltie of Satan this mysterie of iniquitie is cunningly conueyed into the heads of the more learned sort to discourse of certane places of the old Testament which godly learned and ancient Fathers haue construed of the resurrection and are denied of these men As these places Iob. 19. 25. 26. 27. and Esaj 26 19. and Daniel 12. 2. It may be and I do thinke their intent and purpose was not to misconstrue the places Howbeit it was Sathans policie to abuse the truth and vndermine our faith it was the secret iudgement of God to suffer Sathan so farre to buffet them Wherefore that we may the better be armed against the day of triall and that we may stand strongly in the day of temptation in our possession we will by God his assistance first set downe those expresse testimonies in the word of God whereby this doctrine is confirmed Secondly we will alleage those reasons out of the Scriptures which implie this thing though they doe not plainely affirme it Afterward wee will vnâ—ase the shifting visard of Heretikes whereby they would counsell men to some liking of their opinions Wherefore that wee may the better answere the diuell and his limmes let vs first consider of that translation of Enoch Genes 5. 24. wherin the Fathers haue obserued a manifest testimonie of the resurrection with whome I agree in part but not in generall because I dare not affirme with them that the body of Enoch is in heauen seeing as yet Christ alone is risen from the dead and was made the first fruites of them that slept And albeit that Enoch and Eliah did not fall asleepe as did the other Fathers yet because it is saide Hebr. 11. 39. that the Fathers in old time among whom Enoch is mentioned receiued not the promise that is the fulnes of the promise it cannot bee that Enoch his flesh is yet in heauen And howsoeuer hee was taken away by vnknowne meanes neuerthelesse that GOD that could so hide the bodie of Moses that euen the diuell looking for it could not finde it hath also laid vp the bodies of Enoch and Eliah in such meanes aâ— are hid from vs. And as the Lord hath infinit meanes of hiding so hath he incomprehensible means of finding as well of the bodie of Enoch as of the bodie of Moses Now whereas it is saide Heb 11. 33. that they suffered that they may receiue a better resurrection it must needes be that there is a rising againe of the flesh Againe we read Exod. 3 6. that the Lord said vnto Moses I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob In which place it may seeme not a sufficient proofe to confirme so great a matter Howbeit our Sauiour CHRIST vseth it as a bulwarke against the Sadduces Matth 22 32. where our Sauiour Christ to prooue the resurrection inferreth the same words adding to them thus much God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing where wee see how Abraham Isaac and Iacob being aliue haue their bodies in the Lord his hands in keeeping as well as their soules Wherefore seeing both the Prophets and Christ himselfe haue vsed this place to that ende wee also
in the time to come not in time present in regard whereof the Prophet saith the silly fowles and birds of the ayre the Storke the Doue and others keepe their time but we neuer can finde our time to doe well in Beyond all this as all persons and times so all places are tainted with this euill Heauen it selfe hath not been voide of wickednesse for euen from thence fell the wicked Angels Paradise was not exempted the Temple was not free from notable hypocrisie the number exceeded euen in the actions themselues wherfore Dauid crieth out at the view of such a packe Lord who doth vnderstand the errors of this life Our daies may be numbred as wee see Psalm 90. but our sinnes are without number and therefore are compared to the sand of the Sea Then wee see in regard of the person time places and actions few doe good and therefore such is the complaint and question of the men of God in this behalfe The fruit which we are to reape by this is thus much that if we see occasion of offence and matter of grief be offered vs we see no more than Moses saw long agoe than Dauid Esay and Christ himselfe saw in their times before vs in comparison wherof we may make our aduantage that seeing the time of Moses was a time of affliction and the dayes wee liue in are daies of peace it is lesse marueile to see euill in the daies of peace than in the time of trouble and therefore Luther vpon this question who feares Psalm 90. maketh this answere no man before affliction shewing that affliction should specially leade vs to feare and being once affected with feare wee should either say Lord what shall I doe or with Dauid say What shall I repay vnto the Lord Seeing the Lord is faine to complaine of the smal number of such as feare him we must take order to mitigate this complaint that it fall not more iustly vpon vs. In the time of Moses at the least there was Iosua and Caleb in Christs time Simeon and Anna At the least we must looke there be one true worshipper as in Elias time and so doing we shall make the question vaine and surely if we desire to be such fewe will put vs by our desire for as our sinnes be well called an hereditarie sicknesse which if it were not so wee would purchase them fast enough so that knowledge and feare of God not being hereditarie are not withstanding cheapened of few men Great cause there is then why we should feare it is an act of the euerlasting Parliament that we must once die Hebrues 9. and Iob saith that our life is but short and doe wee not heare that all of all kindes are gone this way all wise men all men of pleasure no Patriarkes escaped it no Prophet was exempted our eares can testifie this doe wee not daily misse our friends when Gods wrath hath taken them away and the graue hath buried them in silence Doe we not daily in comming to the congregation passe ouer the graues of men sufficient monuments of the execution of the generall day Doe wee not vse as a generall prouerbe as sure as death and yet the seruants of God complaine that wee know not the wrath of God Surely wee doe not know this for all that which Moses Psalme 90. proues by two reasons first hee prayes to bee taught in it and if it were alreadie exactly knowne then should this prayer be superfluous againe he argueth of the effect that for so much as there followes no feare therefore there is no knowledge of the wrath of God for the want of feare sends a want of faith herein and were wee perswaded that Gods wrath were such a thing wee would feare and therefore we feare not because wee are not so perswaded of the wrath of God in it In naturall things wee will not easily runne into things feared nor feare those things which wee thinke not to be euill and therefore because we feare the fire will burne the water will drowne wee are hardly brought to runne into the fire or into the water much more should we so doe in things supernaturall if we did truly feare them wherefore though wee knowe in some part the wrath of God yet wee are not come to the perfect knowledge of it required at our hands Hitherto we must vnderstand it is one thing for man to determine of knowledge and another thing for God to iudge of it as Esay pronounced a difference betweene our esteeming of fasting and Gods iudging of it Esay 58. for that if wee see a man abstaine from meate we think he is a good deuout faster but the Lord determines otherwise so we may pronounce a difference betweene the valuation of knowledge in our eyes in the Lords eies It is nothing for vs to say this haue we quoted thus haue we read this haue I vttered and therefore I know this for this is nothing in Gods iudgement for as he determineth of the fast so will he determine of the knowledge of them that passe the auncient Rabbins of the Iewes and outreach the wise men of the Heathen And no maruel for as we say there is a wise kinde of ignorance a learned vnskilfulnesse so surely there is an ignorant knowledge a sottish kind of wisedome and this now possesseth the whole world And that wee may walke within our warrant we shal fetch our proofe from the sixt of Esay which place for the excellencie of it is oft repeated in the new Testament Matthew 13. Acts 28. and Rom. 11. where wee see there may be a seeing without seeing a kind of hearing and yet no hearing indeede Euen so there may be a knowledge and yet no knowledge before God the cause is for that the Lord accounts of no knowledge which comes not into practise and if we haue neuer so much knowledge and practise it not it is nothing in Gods booke And according as this is God his reckoning so it is our vsuall account for if wee haue taken paines to put precept vnto precept and to teach one that hath not profited by our paines how attentiue soeuer he seeme yet wee account him and accuse him as one that heard not at all Better is no candle than a candle vnder a bushell and the Lord accounts no light vnder a bushell for light Better to haue no eares than the eares of an Idoll And indeed they are no eares for they heare not so it is no knowledge that is separated from practise Wee doe beguile our selues in our accounts when wee thinke wee haue a great knowledge for that wee haue heard many Sermons whereunto because we haue not ioyned practise we may well blot out of the score many of those Sermons for such Sermons in Gods account be to vs as no Sermons We can say and cry that where there is a want of the meanes there is a great token of Gods curse and
serue the world if all our minde heart and affections bee giuen to the world wee cannot serue God They then that are filled with wine are drunken cannot haue the holy Ghost I say drunken because otherwise there were no reason For one may drinke wine moderatly and yet speake wonderfully of the workes of God and a man may after eating and drinking vtter the graces and praises of God to shewe that he hath not immoderatly abused God his creatures For it is a flat argument whereby we may proue our selues that if after our repast receiued wee can discreetly reuerently and humbly speake of things to God his praise and glorie we haue not been immoderate or intemperate deuourers of his gifts This is a profitable argument and worthie our meditation In what worldly thing soeuer we exceede we cannot applie our selues to God his kingdome For if the kingdom of God be our chiefest delight we shall vse this world as though wee vsed it not Wee are wont to marueile much that after the word preached our prayers made the Sacraments receiued there yet appeareth no change nor alteratiō in vs our affections are as they were our life is the same that it was before but we doe not consider that before we came to the word prayer and Sacraments our hearts were fraught and ballaced with worldly cares so that there was no place left voide in our affections for the word and that our hearts were so pestred and thronged with vaine pleasures that there was no roome for God his spirit to keepe residence in and for religion to dwell among vs. The due consideration whereof must waine vs from the world and surfeting pleasures which locke vp our hearts that the Lord cannot enter in We cannot well runne with the Hare and hold with the Hound wee cannot hold fire and water together we cannot reconcile Christ and Belial light darkenesse God and the diuell If one be vp the other must downe if one be downe the other will vp Againe we marueile that after the word preached we are so ouertaken with our accustomed pleasures and profits seeing that whilest we did heare we had a secret and sweete disliking of sinne and an irking of our selues for the same so long as these after-thoughts correct the former Surely I answere out of Paul 2. Cor. 3. 3. because we are yet carnall we are more carnall than spirituall we are babes in Christ we haue but young beginnings in Christ but old proceedings in the world Why then doe we come to God so halting and limping euen because we are not come to any good growth in new birth Howbeit let vs beware that we continue not still to be staruelings least it breedeth in vs a sickne vnto death both of body and soule If we were more spirituall than carnall had the Spirit powred vpon vs in some plentifull measure were fully perswaded of God his prouidēce watching ouer vs of the ministerie of his holy Angels waiting vpon vs assured of the glorie of the life to come feeling the mightie power of the word of the law to humble vs of the Gospell to breede faith in vs of the Sacraments to seale vs of Christ to liue in vs oh how should we liue in this world Whilest Christ liued in Paul he vsed this world as though he vsed it not he felt such ioy in the fruites of the Spirit that all other things were vile vnto him So the cause why good motions die in vs so soone and the suggestions of the flesh preuaile so strongly against vs is because we are more carnall than spirituall Many rules may be giuen how a man may vse himselfe but to set downe all either we shall come short or else in reaching some good measure of them we may swell in priuie pride but learne this well and learne all which after a long part of a sermon our Sauiour Christ concludeth with Matth. 6 33. First seeke ye the kingdome of God and his righteousnes c. This is hard but if we come to any meane growth in holines and taste how sweete the Lord is to vs then we shall surely feele our flesh not to be so masterfull neither shall it be so laborious to doe the good we desire to doe The argument of the Apostle we see is this It is so farre from these men that they are drunken that it is God his spirit in them than which two what can be more contrarie and it is written euen by one of your owne Prophets In the last daies I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh c. This is now come to passe and therefore Christ his kingdome is now For whensoeuer God his Spirit shall come vpon all then is the kingdome of Christ come but now God his Spirit is come vpon all therefore now is the kingdome of Christ come Thus the Apostle reacheth vs how we may know when and where Christ his kingdome is euen where as well the young as the old the women as the men the seruants as the maisters can shew forth the workes of the Lord. In Poperie men and women old and young maisters and seruants could not talke of the mysteries of God therefore in Poperie there is not Christ his kingdome And though our compound Anabaptists haue great things in their mouthes yet because their men and women speake nothing but dreames forsaking the word of God they haue not the kingdome of Christ. In many places in the daies of Queene Mary both old and yong were not afraid to shew the praise of God as well women as men boldly professed the truth not only maisters but seruants gaue testimonie to the Gospell with their bloud and therefore then in such places appeared this kingdome And we may safely at this day reason so in euery congregation where old and young men and women can speake the praise of God there is the Spirit of God there is the kingdome of Christ otherwise if these things are not there there is not his kingdome what meanes so euer are vsed And now to braunch out these words more particularly first we are to note that God bestoweth such an excellent thing as his Spirit secondly that so excellent a thing is sent to so vile a thing as flesh thirdly this grace is not leased out to a few here and there but is freely offered to all sorts ages sexes and conditions of men fourthly it is not distilled by thinne drops but powred out in full measure and plentifull abundance What more vile than flesh what more pretious than the Spirit of God the excellencie whereof we shall see more euidently Ioel. 2. where after the Prophet had seuerely threatned the Iewes and exhorted them to conuert he comforteth them againe by promising vnto them the renewing of God his mercies and not staying in telling them how the Lord would send them againe corne wine and oyle he commeth at the last and putteth them in minde of that which
Birth in Paradise her education in Canaan her foode Mannah her habite righteousnes her Armes the Lambe her children Saintes her kinred Angels her habitation vpon Earth is the Church militant and in Heauen the Church triumphant This poore Ladie hath euer yet liued by milke which being drawne out of the two dugs of the Olde and Newe Testament is called the syncere milke of the word of God after which all her true children doe thirst as after that foode which must nourish their soules This Worde it was decreed by God the Father preached by God the Sonne inspired by God the holie Ghost and by Angels Prophets Apostles and Euangelists successiuely made knowne to the children of the Church The Church of the Iewes knew it onely for a time there he thewed his wayes vnto Iaakob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel The Church of the Gentiles shall know it for euer he dealeth now graciously with euery Nation and the Heathen haue knowledge of his Lawes True it is indeede the Iewes haue the Bible but by reason of that curtaine drawne before their eyes they cannot see him who is the ende of the Bible there is a great diference betweene them and vs. They as Hierome saith haue the bookes wee the worde of those bookes they the Prophets wee the vnderstanding of the Prophets they are killed by the Letter we are quickened by the Spirite They haue Barrabas the murtherer deliuered to vs is deliuered CHRIST the Sonne of God Iudas solde him the Iewe bought him the true Christian is the possessor of him whom he findeth in this Word feeleth in the Sacraments and feedeth on in his heart by a liuely Faith The antiquitie necessitie dignitie and commoditie of Helie writte if it were truely thought of as it should would breede a greater loue to the reading of it desire to the knowledge of it and care to the practising of it then is now a dayes in the most of the worlde For Antiquitie it is in part as ancient as the first Adam and in whole as olde as the second in whome all the Promises contained in this booke are Yea and Amen For necessitie as needfull as the true knowledge of God whome to knowe is eternall life For dignitie so greas that it alone must be called the Law of God yea that law then which no man can shewe a better to serue God by or by which hee may better knowe his dutie to man Compare wee this our Christian lawe with those of Lycurgus Draco Solon Zaleucus Numa Pompilius Romane twelue tables themselues which Cicero preferreth aboue all the bookes of Philosophers and the difference will bee as great as the light of the Sunne to a candle the Cedar to the shrub and the little Ant to the great Elephant â—â—â—â—â— Augustine considering but one sentence of this booke writeth thus What disputations what writings of Philosophers what lawes of any Cities are to bee compared to these two Precepts vpon which as CHRIST saith depend the Law and the Prophets Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and thy Neighbour as thy selfe Heere are Physiques here are Ethiques here is Logique here is the laâ—daâ—lâ— gouernement of the Common-wealth c. Againe would we knowe the commoditie of the Word of God Psalme 19. 7 c. Dauid saith the Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the Testimonie of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome to the simple the Precept of the Lord is pure and enlighteneth the eyes The feare of the Lord is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgements of the Lorde are true and righteous altogether They are more to bee desired then golde yea then much fine golde Sweeter are they then the honie the honie combe By them also is thy seruant made circumspect in keeping of them is great reward 2. Tim. 3 Paul saith the Scriptures make wise to saluation are profitable to teach to reproue to correct instruct and to make the man of God that is Gods minister who only in the Scripture is termed a man of God perfect to euery good work And surely if men now a dayes could lay aside curiosity in searching after things not meet affection in louing and hating men too much ambition in seeking their owne glorie selfe-loue in liking their owne opinions best pertinacie in maintaining preconceited errors and in a worde preiudicate opinions of some mens gifts and a popular following of most mens conceipts and that bitter calumniation which is vsed one against another if men I say could lay aside these and onely hearken what God doth say in his Worde there would bee an ende of many Controuersies which till then will neuer be without controuersie The Prophet that hath a dreame will tell a dreame he that hath Gods word will speake Gods word Ierem. 23. If once wee reiect the word of the Lorde what wisedome is in vs Iâ—â—â— 8. 9. I had rather heare what God saith by his Prophets and Apostles then what all the Fathers and Schoolemen and Doctors and Casuists in the world can say though also I will be content to hearken vnto them when they also should hearken vnto the Lord. It is well obserued by Erasmus in his prefuce before Ireneus that that holy father did onely with the weapons of the Scriptures encounter with the whole troupe of heretickes The sung of Dauid against Goliah the sword of Goliah against the Philistines are not comparable to these weapons The word of the Lord it is the sword of the spirit wee must fight with it the light of the soule see by it the guide of our life walke by it the fire of the Sanctuary be warmed by it the water of life be purged by it the food of heauen be nourished by it the interpreter of Gods will we must know him by it the meanes of consolation be comforted by it and that mallet to knocke out the braines of Antichrist we must euer haue it in our hands If euer the Perditionâ—â—e â—â—e ouercome it must be by this meanes To the reading of this word the Fathers especially Chrysostome in many places exhorteth the people and Erasmus in his preface to the new Testament protesting his dissent from such as would not haue priuate persons to reade the Bible saith that the Sunne in the firmament is not so commoÌ„ as the Doctrine of Christ. No man euer hated this light but either he that wanted yes to behold it or feared the light to discouer his workes of darkenes O then let vs reade this and to reading adde meditation to meditation prayer to prayer humilitie to humilitie an ayming at Gods glorie and our good and to all a desire to turne Gods word into good workes This euery word of God is pure and is to be preferred before the golde of Ophir And to the ende wee might all delight in it there is set downe in the Bible all such
and for the tribes of thine inheritance 4. Fourthly God graunts his seruants the holy meanes of saluatioÌ„ namely preaching prayer Sacraments holds backe the efficacie of his spirit for a time In this case they are like the corne field that is plowed and sowed with good corne but yet for a time it neuer giues rooting beneath nor so much as a shew of any blade appeares aboue Thus the spouse of Christ when she comes into his wine-seller she fals into a swowne so as she must be staied with flaggons and comforted with apples because she is sicke of loue 5. Fiftly God giueth his children a strong affection to obey his will but he lets them faile in the act of obedience it selfe like as a prisoner who hath escaped the hand of his Iayler hath an affectioÌ„ to run a thousand miles euery houre but hauing happily his bolts on his legges hee cannot for his life but goe very softly gauling and chafing his flesh and with much griefe falling againe into the hands of his keeper This is it that Paul complaineth of when he saith I delight in the lawe of God concerning the inner man but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind leading me captine to the law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death This second manner of Gods forsaking of his Elect is when hee hides his graces for a time not by taking them quite away but by couering them by remouing all sense and feeling of them And in this case they are like the trees in the winter season that are beaten with winde weather bearing neither leaf nor fruite but looke as though they were rotten dead because the sappe doth not spread itselfe but lies bid in the roote Dauid often was in this case as namely when he saith Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer Ana will hee shewe no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull hath hee shut vp his â—ender mercies in displeasure Selah This comes to passe because the Lord very often in and by one contrarie workes another Clay spittle tempered together in reason should put out a mans eyes but Christ vsed it as a meanes to giue sight to the blind Water in reason should put out fire but Elias when he would shew that IEHOVA was the true God powres water on his sacrifice and fills a trench therewith to make the sacrifice burne The like appeareth in the worke of grace to saluation A man that hath liued in securitie by Gods goodnes hath his eyes opened to see his sinnes his heart touched to feele the huge loath some burden of them and therefore to be waile his wretched estate with bitternes of heart Hereupon hee presently thinks that God will make him a firebrand of hell whereas indeede the Lorde is now about to worke and frame in his heart sanctification and sound repentance neuer to bee repented of The man which hath had some good perswasion of Gods fauour in Christ comes afterward vpon manie occasions to bee troubled to be ouerwhelmed with distrustfullnes grieuous doubtings of his saluation so as he iudgeth himselfe to haue been but an hypocrite in former times for the time present a castaway But indeed hereby the Lord exerciseth fashioneth and increaseth his weake faith In one word marke this point that the graces of God peculiar to the elect are begunne increased and made manifest in or by their contraries A man in this Desertion can discerne no difference betweene himselfe and a cast-away and the rather if with this Desertion be ioyned a feeling of Gods anger for then ariseth the bitterest temptation that euer befell the poore soule of a Christian man and that is a wrastling and strugling in spirit and conscience not with the motions of a rebelling flesh nor the accusation of the Diuell which are oftentimes very irkesome and terrible but against the wrath of a reuenging God This hiddden and spirituall temptation more tormenteth the spirit of man then all the rackes or gibbets in the world can do And it hath his fits after the maÌ„ner of an ague in which euen Gods own seruants ouercarried with sorrow may blaspheme God and cry out that they are damned Iob was in this estate as hee testifieth Oh that my griefe were weyed saith he and my miseries were layd together in the ballaâ—ce for it would be heauier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed vp for the arrowes of the Almighty are in me the venome thereof doth drinke vp my spirit the terrours of God fight against me And further he complains that the Lord is his enemy that he sets him as a But to â—â—â—â—â—e at This was Dauids temptation when hee said O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chostise mee in thy wrath haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake Hence it followes that when any that hath bene a professor of the Gospell shall despaire at his ende that men are to leaue secret iudgements to God and charitably to iudge the best of them For example one Maister Chambers at Leycester of late in his sicknesse grieuously despaired and cried out that he was damned and after dyed yet it is not for any to note him with the black marke of a reprobate One thing which he spake in his extremitie O that I had but one drop of faith must moue all men to conceiue well of him For by this it seemeth hee had an heart which desired to repent and belieue and therefore a repentant beleeuing heart indeed For GOD at all times but especially in temptation of his great mercy accepts the will for the deede Neither is it to be regarded that hee said he was damned for men in such cases speake not as they are but as they feele theÌ„selues to be Yea to go further when a professor of the gospell shall make away himselfe though it be a fearefull case yet still the same opinion must be carried First Gods iudgements are very secret 2. They may repent in the very agonie for any thing we know 3 None is able to comprehend the bottomles depth of the graces mercies which are in Christ Iesus Thus much of the manner which God vseth in forsaking his Elect Now followe the kinds of desertion which are two desertion in punishment desertion in sinne Desertion in punishment is when God deferreth either to mitigate or to remooue the crosse and chastisement which he hath laide vpon his children This befell Christ on the crosse My God saith he my God why hast
be deepelier humbled and â—raue more earnestly the pardon of that and other sins For as the beggar is alwaies mending and peecing his garment where he findes a breach so the penitent beleeuing hart must alwaies be exercised in repairing it selfe where it findes a want Againe oft times this triall serues to quicken and reuiue the hidden graces of the heart that men may be thankfull for them and feele an increase of them in the heart The good husbaÌ„d man cuts the braunches of the Vine not that he hath a purpose to destroy theÌ„ but to make them beare more fruit In the Canticles wheÌ„ Christ left his spouse then she riseth out of her bed she opens the dore her hands drop myrrhe on the barre of the doore then further she seekes and cals for him and praiseth him more then euer before Dauid testifieth the like of himselfe In my prosperitie I said I shall neuer be mooued c. but thou didst hide thy face I was troubled TheÌ„ cried I to thee O Lord prayed to my Lord. Lastly men that liue in the Church being for a time left of God become so impeniteÌ„t as that they must be giuen vp to Satan yet for no other cause but that the flesh may be killed and the spirit made aliue in the day of the Lord. The third end is the preuenting of sin to come This appeareth in Paul Least saith he I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations there was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure In the former times when the Lord among many other had set out Craâ—â—er for the maintenance of his blessed truth against his Gods enemies he left him for a while to fall from his religion to make a dangerous recantation but so as therby he preuented many sins and prepared him to a glorious martyrdome As some of his owne words may testifie which he spake a little before his ende And now saith he I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thing that euer I did or said in all my life that is the setting abroad of a writing contrary to the truth which now here I renounce as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart that for feare of death to saue my life c. And for as much as my hand offended writing contrary to my heart my hand shall be first punished therfore for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned Answerably wheÌ„ he was at the fire first he burnt his right hand which subscribed his body suffered the flame with such constancie and steadfastnes as he neuer almost mooued his eyes lift vp to heauen often he repeated his vnworthie right hand Thus death which he most feared he most desired that he might take reuenge of himselfe for his sinne The vse that all good Christian hearts are to make of these desertions is manifold First if they haue outward rest and walke in the feare of God and be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost let them not be high minded but feare least a forsaking follow Secondly if in any temptation they iudge themselues forsaken let them coÌ„sider this wonderfull worke of spirituall desertions which God exerciseth vpon his owne childreÌ„ very vsually then it may please the Lord they shal find it to be restoratiue against many a quame and swound of spirit conscience into which otherwise they would certainly fall Thirdly seeing God for their triall doth often withdraw himselfe from them let them again draw neere to God presse vnto him euen as a man that shiuers of an ague is always creeping to the fire If it be demanded how a man should come neere G O D the answer is by the vse of his word and praier For by his word he speakes to thee by prayer thou speakest to him Lastly seeing by desertions God will take experience of his seruants let euery man triâ— and search his waies and euer bâ— turning his feete to the waies of Gods commâ—ndements let him indeuour to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men that so he may with Dauid say Iudge me O Lord for I haue walked in mine innocencie my trust hath beene alwaies in the Lord I shall not sâ—ide prooue me O Lord and trie me examine my raines and my heart Vers. 9. Wherewithall shall a young man redresse his waies in taking heede thereto according to thy word FIrst of all be perswaded that the word of God is that onely rule whereby the whole life of euerie man and that in euerie thing must be ordered euen the life of a young man who hath most reasons for himselfe why hee should bee excused as he is most disordered Vers. 10. With mine whole heart haue I sought thee let mee not wander from thy commaundements THen vpon this perswasion giue your selfe vnfainedly to the reading and heating of God his word as the meanes whereby God hath appointed to teach you and pray to God in the carefull vse of those meanes for his holy spirit that thereby you might come to the true vnderstanding of his word Vers. 11. I haue hid thy promise in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee THat which you haue thus learned let it not onely swimme aloft in your braine but let it be deeply setled and grauen in your heart as a treasure labouring to frame all your affections according to it otherwise if thou knowe neâ—er so much it will notkeepe you from sinning against God Vers. 12. Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes YOu thus profiting giue thankes to God alwaies for that which you haue learned be it neuer so little it is more than many in the world doe know yet content not yourselfe with it as though you had sufficient but pray vnto him to be further inlightned because it is lesse than many other doe and yourselfe ought to know Vers. 13. With my lips haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth BVt aboue all be careful to talke of that to others which you do daily learne yourselfe and out of the abundance of your heart speake of good things vnto men Vers. 14. I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches THat you may doe all these things labour to haue a ioy in the word and in all the exercises of it more than in any worldly thing and to be occupied in these things with greatest delight for in what soeuer we take greatest delight that will stick fastest in vs. Vers. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy waies LAst of all meditate and consider of that with yourselfe which you haue learned and muse vpon it alone not contenting yourselfe with the generall rules but labouring in
obedience because the Lord hath in former times executed his iudgements he will shew himselfe righteous still and therefore the Prophet gathereth that though the wicked bee not all presently punished yet they are all accursed and in time they shall be punished By erring hee meaneth not euery slip but the falling away from God Vers. 22. Remoue from me shame and contempt for I haue kept thy testimonies IN this confidence that the Lord will destroy the wicked hee assured himselfe that hee would defend him against those that set themselues against him The iudgements of God then haue these two effects first to humble him secondly to comfort him as portion 7. and 15 so that he feareth when his heart is broken hee also loueth when he receiueth hope of helpe in confidence whereof he maketh this prayer The vse of Gods iudgements vpon others must we make to ourselues first that we be brought to acknowledge our deserts and so feare and to behold his iustice that we may haue assurance of mercy This is hard to flesh and blood for some can be brought to reioyce at the destruction of others and cannot feare some when they are feared cannot receiue comfort But those which God hath ioyned together let vs not seperate therefore let vs make these vses of Gods iudgements His prayer is this Lord let not mine enemies which pursue an euill cause let them not haue their desire in bringing mee to contempt least whiles I labour to keepe thy Law and â—m become contemptible thy Lawe also should receiue some blot First here we see that it is no strange thing that they which keepe Gods CoÌ„mandements should be standred and therfore we must reforme our iudgement which is ready to condemne those of whom they heare an euill report Secondly seeing hee prayeth against contempt he sheweth that contempt is the greatest crosse that can come to the childreÌ„ of God for many could loose their goods which yet would be grieued for the losse of their name hee here prayeth so not onely because of that naturall cause which hee had but chiefely because his name was ioyned with the glory of God All the punishmteÌ„s of Christ did not so much grieue him as wheÌ„ he was reproched therfore the diuel chiefely goeth about this that when this coÌ„meth to passe that all speake euill of vs we might doubt whether our cause were good or no so fal away therfore the Prophet prayeth thus earnestly against it When we are brought to contempt for our deserts we ought not otherwise to be grieued than that God is dishonoured but when hee shall by this meanes bring vs to the knowledge of our sinnes then shall wee bee content to shame ourselues because thereby we shall glorifie God Vers. 23 Princes also did sit and speake against mee but thy seruant did meditate in thy statutes HE was thus abused euen by Princes these did speak against him eueÌ„ in iudgement whither he was drawne as a malefactor therefore he praieth thus earnestly against it We must then prepare ourselues for euill words not only of the coÌ„mon sort but also of the chiefest Dauid had coÌ„fort in Gods statutes When we are thus dealt with rightfully then let vs be humbled but if in a good cause we be thus dealt with then let vs take heed for the diuel wil goe about either to make vs vse vnlawfull shifts meanes as to reuenge to lie or to contend by our owne wit and policie and to flatter and confesse that to bee a fault which is none or els altogether to despaire of helpe or to be carelesse of our calling and to cast it off that thereby he may haue more aduantage for he will make vs wearie of wel doing by trouble therfore many are ouercome thereby The helpe against al these is Gods word for that will assure vs that our cause is good and that God will helpe vs therein Vers. 24. Also thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellours BY this meanes had hee help by the Word by making it his delight and counsellour for this the diuell in trouble will goe about to bring men to their wittes end or else to breake their hearts and make them faint and a wounded spirit who can beare He put not away craft with craft but made the commadements his counsellours whereby hee first learned wisdome then good meanes to withstand the wicked Hereby then we shall not onely haue wisedome but also comfort we are not come yet to be called afore Princes yet who so will liue godly in Christ shall haue troubles though not alwaies in goods nor life nor banishment yet in reproch and contempt euen from thy wife thy seruants thy children thy neighbours c. The word teacheth that reproch is not without cause for when the wayes of a maÌ„ please the Lord the righteous shal be his friend the beasts of the field shall be at league with vs therefore there is some sin in vs which the Lord by this meanes would correct then let vs first looke to that and then seeke to the word that there we may find comfort wisdome to sustaine vs. For this is the cause that we are without comfort in our trouble because we meditate not in his statutes make them our counsellors If thou be Gods child and despisest lighter troubles hee will send greater till he haue broken thy heart but if thou belong not to God the curse shal be hid from thee thou shalt be eaten vp before thou be aware Thou must not striue with the diuels weapons as to requits euill for euill for fire is not quenched with fire but with water euill is not ouercome with euill but with good and therefore rough speeches must be ouercome with gentle and euer when thou art vncourteously dealt with then consider thine owne sinnes and labour to feele them and thy heart shall be brought downe for then shalt thou be brought to the presence of God who wil not suffer thee to be honoured because thou hast not honoured him c. yet consider that he doth but fatherly correct thee and therefore put thy trust in him Marke what wisdome he hath giuen to his children in the like troubles and then goe to him by prayer and lay open thy selfe to him with hope and faith and thou shalt haue comfort But if when the tentation commeth we cannot come to the word and to prayer that thereby we may finde comfort we haue not laid vp the word in our heart though we can say it all by heart therefore wee must turne a new leafe and learne after to lay vp the word in our heart PORTION 4. DALETH Vers. 25. My soule cleaueth to the dust quicken me according to thy word THe comfort and wisedome which he had was by vicissitude and change sometime comfort sometime sorrowe so Gods children finde this change both into ioye and sorrowe those know this that haue experience of it others knowe it
them Humilitie is a true marke of Gods children and pride is a note of the wicked Vers. 52. I remembred thy iudgements of old O Lord and haue been comforted HE sheweth how hee was staied namely by looking into the iudgements of God against the wicked his deliuerance of the iust It is not then the good nature of men the wisedome c. that can comfort against reproches but rather make worse but it is the word that comforteth Thereby hee knewe that howsoeuer the wicked florished yet they should perish and howsoeuer the godly be afflicted yet they shall be rewarded Peter speaketh against these mockers in the last chapter of the second epistle The world shall perish in fire where he teacheth to answere them that it is as easie for God to destroy the world with fire as it was with water seeing hee hath spoken it So Dauid when hee was brought to say My God why hast thou forsaken mee then hee staied himselfe by this Our fathers trusted in thee So Psal. 67. I will remember thy workes of old So Psal. 119. part 15. by all which he sheweth that as God had done so he would doe still He remembred all the iudgements of God so Heb. 11. by all the works of God shewed in his children it is prooued that we must suffer affliction patiently So Psalme 106. Then Gods people must haue a multitude of examples that if we profit not by one yet by another if noâ— by a â—ewe yet by many for so haue the children of God done from time to time This then is the cause why men faile in reproch or any other crosse because meÌ„ haue noâ— store of examples out of Gods word especially out of the stories to strengthen them for if they would looke into the word and gather them they might be staied If this man were strengthened by former workes how much more ought we which haue many moe especially this Act. 17. that the Sonne of God hath suffered that hee may iudge all the world so the great workes of God in the Apostles time the great workes of God in the dayes of Queene Mary and in thâ—se daies the iudgements of God are on many that haue dailiâ—d with his word in giuing them ouer to heresies Then how ought we to be comforâ—ed with the assurance that God will come to iudgement Obiect This soâ—meth hard that hee was comforted in Gods iudgements whereas in another place â—e sâ—ith â— feare because of thy iudgements Answ. Although they feare the iudgements in their flesh yet they dare approue them to be Gods iudgements as Dauid saith O God of my righteousnes not comparing them to God but to the wicked and looking to that promise which in grace hee hath made to vs yet not in all our life but in some righteous cause that we haue in hand as Steuen did Then if men euer feare at the iudgements and nothing else the heart is not yet vpright for they are sinners therefore wee must labour to feele comfort by them in knowing that wee are sheepe not goates that we shall haue a reward and that the wicked shall be throughly punished For otherwise the diuell will buffet vs in seeing those that men call wicked how yet they florish and the godly are in miserie Then haue wee truly profited by the word when with comfort wee can behold Gods iudgements as is often said Come Lord Iesus come quickly For the childe of God is not afraide of â—uill tidings Psal. 112. Vers. 53. Feare is come vpon me for the wicked that forsake thy law THis agreeth well with the former which was a spirituall ioy for when hee seeth that the Lord will iudge and that hee is guiltlesse he is comforted but when he seeth the wicked sinne and by sinne prouoke Gods iudgements because they are his flesh and because they are Gods image therefore hee feared The zeale of Gods glorie causeth Gods children to feare as Elias â—onely c. and Dauid My zeale hath c. and their owne sinnes as Psal. 119. part 15. Gods children then are afraide when they see the glory of God defaced and men runne to their own condemnation And here is a difference betweene true ioy and worldly in Gods iudgements Prou. 24. 1. Cor. 5. the one because their hearts desire is fulfilled the other that sin is punished that Gods glorie is reuenged and that they are deliuered for in respect of the parties punished they feare as Christ ouer Ierusalem mourned and this is vsuall in all the Prophets when they see the iudgements of God approach Here is a difference betweene the zeale of the worldly and of the godly the one when he â—eeth a sin done he laugheth and reioyceth but the other feare as The rebukes of them that rebuke thee are fallen vpon me The former is the cause that many fall by Gods iudgement into those things which they find fault with in others The other is a true note of faith to feare for the destruction of the wicked which they themselues feare not But this is especially when they see a professor fall for that grieueth them greatly The third difference is that Gods children when they are comforted they also feare for the regenerate part onely is comforted the vnregenerate part doth still feare and there is good cause that it should feare as Noah feared and Dauid Psal. 119. part 15. but the wicked haue no feare but are ouercome with fleshly ioy and therefore the Apostle saith Phil. 3. Finish your saluation with feare because of corruption that either doth or may breake forth as Dauid was afraide when he had sinned Wee must then be comforted by Gods iudgements but so that we feare Secondly we must thinke that sinne is not a small thing not to be laughed at but to be feared Thirdly that wee must bee touched for the sinnes of others as if they were our owne Fourthly to forgiue iniuries against our selues but to be greatly displeased and vexed for the dishonouring of Gods name For all these are proper to Gods children When men take a carnall pleasure in Gods iudgements they abuse the grace of God to wantonnes but the children of God as they ioy in their inward man so doe they labour to be humbled by the law in their flesh which otherwise would be proude for the flesh would hold no meane but either would be too sorrowfull or else too ioyfull Thus Dauid mourned for the sinnes of others so Paul saith the Corinthians ought to doe 1. Cor. 5. and 2. Cor. 7. where he sheweth that this was the estate of the whole Church to mourne when any one member had offended And this is not a new thing for those are saued which mourned for the iniquities of Sion Ezech. 9. Then we must be grieued for the sinnes of others to shew that we are free from their sinnes that we are louers of righteousnes and desirous to glorifie God And when this sorrow can worke in vs
their finall destruction Thus did the Lord deale with them at Ierusalem and thus shall the Lord doe from generation to generation For his word after this sort shall goe from one nation to another people till the Gospell of the kingdome hath beene preached through all the world and then shall the end come Then wee see that the contempt of the word bringeth destruction to cities and nations Vers. 90. Thy trueth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth THe earth as the Philosophers thinke standeth in the middest of the firmament and as the Scriptures teach vs the waters are aboue the earth so that to reason the earth seemeth to be very fickle and readie to fall albeit to our sense nothing seemeth so stedfast How commeth it to passe then that the earth falleth not or is not couered with water but because of the word wherein God hath commaunded it so to be as in the beginning hee made it by the word The Lord gaue bounds to the Sea the which it should not passe and those bounds it kept two thousand yeeres then by the word of the Lord it ouerflowed the earth but after that it hath to this day continued within his bankes because God hath so appointed it And if these be so sure by the word of the Lord the word must needs be sure and stedfast wherein God hath promised that he wil haue his Church to the end The like reason Ieremie vseth chap. 31. and 35. 36. 37. So long as the Sun and the Moone continue in heauen so long will I haue my Church vpon the earth though the wicked rage against it This must stay and comfort vs when these thoughts assault vs Oh if the word should be taken from this place where then should it rest If this King or Queene should dye where should the word become then This must assure vs I say that the Lord will prouide for his Church so that the word may continue amongst them so long as his couenant of the night and the day abideth Vers. 91. They continue euen to this day by thine ordinances for all are thy seruants THese are deputed of God to be his seruants and this answereth an objection Obiect These things are chaungeable Answ This in that they are so it is to seâ—â—e Gods iudgements for the saluation of the good and the confusion of his enemies The Sunne is certaine and yet for the glorious victorie of Gods people vnder Ioshua it stood still So did it turne back for Ezechias The waters also were his seruants to take vengeance on his enemies at the flood so likewise the red Sea saued Gods children and destroyed his foes Then when these creatures keepe not their course it is the worke of God for the good of his people and the hurt of his enemies Much more are the ordinarie workes his seruants as moderate raine drie weather c Leuit 25. for to restifie his fauour to his children as immoderate drought for the hurt of his foes So discord â—amine plague warre c all these waite on GOD to serue him when he will punish any people as peace loue plentie health strength c. are to the comfort of his people All are his Seruants All the creatures round about are readie to serue him at his will from the Angels in heauen to the wormes in the earth therefore hee is called the Lord of Hosts they are not ordered by nature fortune or such like but by Gods prouidence example Psal. 107. If we were perswaded of this then should we be seared if our hearts were not right with God and we should be comforted when our hearts were right before him knowing that these serue to testifie his loue to them that feare him and to testifie his wrath where he is displeased This must driue vs from second causes to looke to GOD If God be with us who shall be against us If wee were perswaded that they shall all beare witnesse with vs or against vs then would we be fearfull and desirous to be reconciled to God for he hath giuen these creatures to vs no otherwise to vse then that wee may be in CHRIST for if we be not then must we giue account for them but if we be recoÌ„ciled to GOD then haue we a speciall comfort that nothing shall burt vs and when they might seeme to hurt they shall helpe vs our enemies shall be our friends and the stones shall be at league with vs and nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God Fire shall burne vs easily and water shall easily drowne vs for though Tyrants abuse these for a time yet they are Gods seruants and they groane with vs for our redemption Doe all creatures groane and shall we be secure Doe they their seruice and shall not wee doe our duties Then most grieuous shall our condemnation be ¶ Vers 92. Except thy Lawes had bene my delight I had euen now perished in mine â—â—â—â—â—ction IT seemeth by many verses in this Psalme that Dauid was much afflicted for his life was in his hand his soule cleaued vnto the dust hee was sore troubled and had it not beene for comfort out of Gods Word doubtlesse hee had perished in his trouble This verse I may call A perfume against a Plague the sicke in â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— the afflicted mans consolation and a blessed Triumph in and ouer all troubles In which note 1. That Dauid was afflicted 2. that hee was readie to perish in his affliction 3. the remedie against his affliction namely Gods Lawe 4. the application of that remedie it was his delight 1. Dauid was afflicted hee was the beloued of the Lorde one of his worthiest Captanes wee reade of in the Bible and indeede a man after Gods owne heart yet the Cup nay the bitter cup of affliction could not passe away from him but because he was made strong enough to beare this mingled drinke and surely all mens braines beare not wine alike therefore did hee drinke vp many a full drâ—ught We ought to thinke of Dauids troubles and to esteeme it as an argument of Gods great fauour towards vs if to the great carowses which we take of Gods blessings it shall please him to adde a purging potion of affliction There is no true sonne but since follie is bound vp by nature in his heart the rod of correction must be laid vpon him From Adam to Christ in whom we all are all haue beene partakers of affliction It was Dauids iudgement In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade it was a part of Christs consecration by affliction hee was made the high Priest of our saluation Exulerat Christus comites nos exulis huius Essedecet cuius nos quoque membra sumits Our head Christ here an exile was We members must this exile trace But why doth God thus visite his dearest and most dutifull seruants Answ. I to shewe how he hateth sinne when he
This is the chiefest of all that it cannot bee taken from vs for all heresies and sects are discerned by the word truly vnderstood by this I say that the word truly vnderstood giueth faith whereby wee are surely perswaded of the life to come and of the resurrection Paul saith Act. 20. that without faith in the resurrection there is no religion so Ioh. 6. and Phil. 2. Therefore Heresie Papistrie and Paganisme can giue no true inheritance because they cannot assure vs of our saluation Againe the truth giueth vs not imaginarie good things but good things in truth and assureth vs truly that wee shall bee saued and they haue not these they therefore haue no true inheritance He doth not only confesse that he made the Lord his inheritance but also he saith that hee maketh the testimonies of God his inheritance both because they are the meanes whereby we come to haue inheritance in heauen and also because they are assurances of the same For the word is as it were the deede of gift and the Sacraments are as it were seales of the same Almost all men will confesse that the word is to bee had in this singular account but yet few doe attribute this dignitie to the Sacraments And yet as the indenture when the seale is taken away is nothing worth so if we take power from the Sacraments then can we not haue our assurance good If we cannot come to make this account of the word and Sacraments yet as Dauid did let vs be sorie that we cannot He when he was driuen out of his kingdome and banished from the Temple said this will I require that I may behold the faire beautie of the Lord c. Hee had now lost his kingdome wife children and all yet these if they might be restored could not satisfie him vnles he might also be in the house of the Lord. Then let vs labour to haue this desire that if we cannot with ioy finde it wee may with sorrow labour after it Vers. 112. I haue applied mine heart to fulfill thy statutes alway euen vnto the end IN the former verse he shewed his faith and his ioy which came thereof now he sheweth that here in this ioy he will keepe the commandements whereby hee sheweth that this was a true ioy because it wrought a care to doe good For if we beleeue the promises truly then we also loue the commandements otherwise faith is vaine a care to liue a godly life nourisheth faith in Gods promises Here is the cause then why many regard not the word and Sacraments or if they doe a little it is to no purpose because they labour not to keepe the commaundements For vnlesse they haue care to doe this the word of God to them cannot be profitable nor the Sacraments sacred He further sheweth that this was a true care in that it began at his heart for here is the beginning of al goodnes here is the roote of religion and here the foundation of our faith must be laid It is not the refraining from outward actions it is not the restraining of the outward man but it is the heart that wee must trauell about and take care for Hereof it came to passe that many of the Kings people in the books of Chronicles continued in godlinesse and kept an euen and equall course because they prepared their hearts as Ezechias Iosias and others and hereof it came to passe that many fell from the faith because they sought not God in their hearts as the Scribes and Pharisies which clensed the outward actions onely It must then be our lesson which we must studie on to take care to our hearts aboue al things and to make the beginning there For the cleannes of that pleaseth God and the filth of that displeaseth him But when he saith I haue inclined doth hee meane that of himselfe hee could applie his heart as he listed No no he meant nothing lesse For he was conceiued in sinne and how then were the preparations of his heart in his owne hand Againe he prayeth portion 5. Incline mine heart vnto c. where hee doth plainly shewe that it was God that turned his heart at his good pleasure And no maruell truly for the heart of man can no further bee tried out or spied than the Lord doth gage and open it that wee may see thereinto Ierem 17. 9. And againe the hardnesse of mans heart is such that it will sooner breake than bend and may sooner be applied vnto any thing than vnto goodnes Where in the follie of Papists and other heretikes is more than manifest which by this and such like places would proue the freewill of man and that he can incline himselfe to goodnes sâ—eing that here is nothing else meant than that men doe then incline their hearts when God doth incline them so that the Lord he worketh all and yet is it attributed to men when they receiue and pursue the working of God so the heart is free if God maketh it free not else If we presume of our free will when we haue it not we shall purpose and God will otherwise dispose for hereof commeth it that so many fall from their purposes God is not pleased but with voluntarie offering therefore he applieth his heart and we must beware of seruile seruice The constantnes of his purpose to coÌ„tinue in this obedience he sheweth when he saith he will doe it for euer and euer and that at al times not onely at a communion or at a fast or in sicknes but at all times PORTION 15. SAMECH Vers. 113. I hate vaine inuentions but thy law doe I loue HE shewed in the last words of the former part that hee meanes to bee constant to the ende now hee sheweth foure reasons thereof the first reason is the hatred that hee had of all wickednesse in this first verse Hee hath vsed many arguments to proue to his heart that hee loued God and to commend it to others by his example as Paul doth This was one the loue that he had to Gods law secondly his trust in the word thirdly his care to keepe it c. and therefore he often prayeth for it He sheweth his loue of it in that he preferreth it to all other things as in the eight portion The earth is full of thy goodnesse teach me thy statutes hee maketh it sweeter than hony and better and more pretious than siluer His desire that he had to keepe it and the prayers that he maketh for it are to be seene almost in euery portion Here he vseth a proofe drawne from the contraries which is a true and sensible kinde of reason hee loueth the law because hee hated all the waies of false hood either in doctrine or life Our reason will teach vs that there is no agreement betweene fire and water betweene light and darkenes and so if we goe through all the course of nature we shall see that there is no agreement betweene
to vs as it were with cart-ropes when we contemne true religion when we pray in custome and care not for the Sacraments when we make no account of the discipline of the Church then the Lord will surely punish vs. Let vs now looke into particular examples we shall see in many places of the Scriptures that the Lord rendreth this reason of his comming to vengeance euen because his word was forlorne As Genes 6. where we may see that after they had begun to corrupt religion as in the last verse of the fourth chapter of Genesis appeareth and thereby they begun to mix themselues in corrupt marriage and after sinne had growne to such perfection when not a few but almost all men not in a few things but in all things not at one time but at all times euen then in this generall flood of iniquitie the Lord threatned to send a generall flood of destruction And as this is apparant in the whole world now let vs see it in more particular places and persons The Lord complaineth Genesis 18. that the sinnes of Sodome and Gomorrah cryed out to heauen for iudgement where sinne was so high that there was no difference betweene Magistrate and subiect like people like priest all were defiled then came fire and brimstone from heauen To come yet to more particular iudgements if we looke into the common-wealths of Iudah and Israel whether when they liued vnder their Iudges or vnder their Kings we shall finde that before they were punished mention is made either of their idolatrie and corrupting of religion or of their vnthankfulnes and like corrupt manners When the land was diuided into Iudah and Israel we shall reade 2. King 17. that notwithstanding the Lord testified to Iudah and to Israel by all the Prophets and by all the Seers that they should turne from their Idolatrie keepe his statutes they for the contempt of the word were taken prisoners of the Assyrians Likewise 2. Chron. 36. 17. we may reade that though Israel fell yet Iudah was not amended and though the Lord shewed compassion vpon it in sending his Prophets yet Iudah contemned their admonitions and when there could be no remedie the wrath of the Lord waxed hot against them and they were carried captiue to Babell so that we see ere the Lord purposeth a generall sweeping away he setteth not downe simple sinnes one or two sinnes but lincked and chained sinnes the contempt of his religion the mocking of his Prophets and Preachers As this is true in the destruction of societies so is it also true in the ouerthrow of priuate persons And although we may see out of the word seuerall denunciations of seuerall plagues to seuerall persons yet we may learne it euen in our common prouerbe There is no goodnes in him he will come to naught he is a common malefactor he will come to some shame he is so common and vsuall a sinner that there will some plague light on him The seruants of Nabal told Abigail their Mistres that he railed on them and they added that euill lucke would come vpon their maister and vpon all his familie for he was so wicked that a man could not speake to him and indeed he liued not long after So if we looke into Pharaoh or into Saul 1. Chron. 10. we shall see the pride of their sinnes went before the height of their punishments This doctrine is seene easily in other men and confessed of all but in the meane time few profit little by it in themselues We haue great eyes to see other mens sinnes but we scarse will see our owne at all We haue many eyes to spie an hole in another mans coate but we can hardly haue an eye to see them in our owne We can see the moate in another mans eyes but we leaue beames in our owne we make mountaines of other mens faults but we thinke our owne scarsely to be molehils But Gods children are most studious in iudging themselues although all the world besides lay nothing to their charge but this thing much deceiueth vs we thinke we are not the worse kind of people and thinke there are worse than we are because as yet we are vnspied and spared But shall we thinke that the whole world that Sodome Iudah and Israel that Saul and Pharaoh were at the first at the height of their sinnes but that rather they grew by little and little as by degrees and after one sinne followed many sinnes and after few sinnes a great number of sinnes which being ioyned with the rest moued the Lord to vengeance This then deceiueth vs that we compare our selues with the worst and herein appeareth our madnes and we shew our selues to be brainsicke that we doe not perceiue our sinnes at the first but by falling from one sinne to many from small to great at the length we become hardened It may be thou doest not dispraise the word of God but thou esteemest not so reuerently of it as thou shouldest doe thou wilt not speake ill of the Sacraments but thou hast little care whether thou vse them or no thou wilt not despise the Prayers of the Church but thou makest no conscience of them thou darest not speake against discipline but thou doest lightly esteeme it thou art not yet at the height of sinne but thou canst commit one sinne after another and yet not be grieued But let vs know that they were not at the first in the highest degree of sinne but stepped from few sinnes to make no conscience of many sinnes and from pettie sinnes they brast out into grosse sinnes Wherefore Gods children iudge themselues seuerely and secretly they haue rather particular sinnes than vniuersall they striue against their sinnes they loue religion and maintaine the fauourers of it they hope to recouer themselues by grace in Christ. But if by securitie the loue of Gods word the liking of prayer the delighting in the Sacramēts the care of discipline be stolne out of our hearts if we can now sweare that could sometimes not suffer an oath if we can now be content to heare the word with sleeping which were wont to receiue it with teares if we can now prophane the Sabbath which could not abide to breake it if these degrees creepe into vs let vs feare our selues sinne will deceiue vs and deceiuing vs will harden vs sinne will make fat our hearts that we shall not perceiue it it wil blinde our mindes that we cannot see it This is then the wisedome of Gods children not to tarrie whilest their sinnes be great but to striue against the least to esteeme of the word as of the ordinance of God to saluation to thinke of the house of God as of their paradise or inheritance which if we could feele vndoubtedly the Lord would giue greater blessings vpon the preachers and greater graces to the hearers But if we pray of custome without a feeling of our wants and sorrow of our sinnes
zeale is opposed to luke-warmnes which is too temperate a warmenes for the profession of the Gospell Wee must not then onely renounce coldnes farre from vs and put away lukewarmnes but wee must be very hote and feruent in the profession of the truth Againe 1. Cor. 14. 1. that which our common translation hath Follow after loue couet gifts but especially prophecie the naturall Text hath bee zealous after the more excellent gifts And Rom. 12. Be feruent to the spirit that is let Gods spirit inkindle in you a fire which may cause you to flame with a zeale of Gods glorie and with a loue of mankinde Now there are diuers kinds of zeale there is a zeale of the world there is a zeale of the flesh there is a zeale of false religion there is a zeale of heresie and there is a zeale of the true word of God First wee see the zeale of the world maketh men to labour day and night to get a transitorie thing The zeale of the flesh tormenteth mens minds early and late for a momentarie pleasure The zeale of heresie maketh men trauaile and compasse Sea and Land for the maintaining and increasing of theis opinion Thus wee see euery man is eaten with some kinde of zeale The drunkard is consumed with drunkennes the whoremonger is spent with his whoredome the Heretike is eaten with heresies oh how ought this to make vs ashamed who are so little eaten spent consumed with the zeale of the word And so much the rather because godlie zeale leaueth in vs an aduantage and a recompence which the worldlie and carnallie zealous men haue not For when they haue spent all the strength of their bodies and powers of their minde they haue no gaine nor comfort left but torment of conscience and when they are outwardly spent they are inwardly neuer the better whereas the godly being consumed for a good thing and eaten vp with the zeale of Gods glorie haue this notable priuiledge and profite that howsoeuer their outward man perisheth and decayeth yet their inward man is still refreshed and nourished to euerlasting life Oh what a benefit it is to bee eaten with the loue and zeale of a good thing Leauing now the carnall and worldly zeale wee know how zealous Idolaters were that they would euen offer their children in the fire We know the zeale of the Iewes Math. 13. who would compasse Sea and Land to make a man a Proselyte Heretikes as we see spare no labour and let not for aâ—â—e cost to maintaine their Heresies but these are not good The true zeale is that whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 11. I am iealous ouer you with an holie jealousie Rom 10. the Apostle â—aith the Iewes had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge Wherefore to shewe some properties of true zeale whereby we may trye our selues let vs first know that our zeale must be grounded on knowledge for otherwise it will carrie vs further to destruction as it did them who oppreâ—â—ed the truth and persecuted the deare seruants of God and yet thought that they did well Wherefore in true zeale it is requisite to haue knowledge going before Wee see the zeale of the Prophet did arise here of the contempt of the law of God For seeing it to be â—o exquisite perfit euerlasting powerfull comfortable it is a manifest argument that he was well grounded on the word This zeale then that we may the lesse be deceiued with the contrary hath these few rules first as we haue already said it must be agreeable wholy with the word of God to begin where it beginneth to end where it endeth Therefore we may thus trie our true zeale If first and especially wee make conscience of the principall matters of the word as of prayer of the Sacraments of discipline of charitie and then of the lesse things that are commaunded if wee will doe them if anie be forbidden wee also auoide them yet euer tollerating through loue little things as they that would not trouble the Church of God Wherefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 11. 1. 10. If anie man lust to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God as if he should say If any man will striue about matters of lesse importance wee according to the order of the Church will not striue with them but rather will beare many things in loue and yet so as still we vse this caueat That we account nothing small or little which is Gods word This doctrine may be manifested by familiar examples If a man shall steale things of great weight or some great summe of money which deserueth hanging and the cutting off of life we will abhorre him but when it coÌ„meth out that they may â—eale lesse things as wood and corne and that not of necessitie but euen of greedinesse of minde thinking it not to be subiect to so high a punishment they will make no conscience of it But if Adam was cast out of Paradise for the biting of an apple wee must not thinke any thing that the word commaundeth or forbiddeth to be little or that the doing or not doing is but a trifling sinne least that through the iust iudgements of God we falling by little and little by degrees fall into great monstrous sinnes And as this is in life so is it much more in the worship of God It is a great fault that wee will make a scruple in matters of small importance and will not sticke to be dissolute in things of greater weight Indeed it must needs be confessed that our grand zeale must be in great things and yet wee must not lightly esteeme of any thing in the glorious word of God The second rule of true zeale is that wee must looke to the things which are within as well as to the things which are without This also our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs by reprehending the Pharisies in telling them that they made cleane the outside of the platters but left the inside foule shewing that their liues outwardly was without reproofe but inwardly they were full of secret pride disdaine selfe-loue and hatred Our zeale must beginne within and in time appeare outwardly and as we will not sinne outwardly so we must be as loth to sinne inwardly Wherefore here also are two things to be obserued the first is that we feare no more to do ill before men then we do by our selues For wee be giuen to be loth to be accounted ill and yet make no such conscience to be ill we see theeues whores and ill-doâ—rs are loth to bee so accounted and yet in the meane season if they can doe this secretly they make no care of it We outwardly are carefull to maintaine our credit and to trauaile with our selues yet secretly wee can commit sinne greedily What is this but to be painted sepulchers and dishes cleane without but foule within Wherefore wee
tell you the word is true and this is mine onely comfort O Lord that though the wicked rage thy promise for euer is vnchangeable Proued true What could deceiue it could the Serpent in Paradise No. What could wash it away could all the flood in the deluge No. What could consume it could all the firie furnace of Gomorrah of Egypt and of Babylon No Looke from the first father of all Adam vnto this day and how many seruants the Lord hath died and sound pure so many examples wee haue of the purenes of the word This then we see is a word pure by proofe We esteeme greatly of armour of proofe which neither the speare could pearce nor the shot of gun batter nor dart in any battaile could bruise oh how hath the word encountered with Sathan and with all his adherents How many darts of the worldlings hath it sustained and neuer yeelded but as a sword of proofe hath not onely striken off the heads of Sathan and of all heresies and schismes but also hath mightily preuailed against powers and authorities and principalities in heauenly things When wee haue an approued medicine we thinke it a thing of great price being such a one as neuer failed but wheresoeuer it was laid it wrought the feate so here is a tried medicine for the soule which neuer did deceiue any that vse it a right This is a most rare medicine and soueraigne salue For neuer sore was so great in mans soule neuer maladie so grieuous neuer corruption of sinne so fare gone neuer was there any wound of conscience so desperate which either this did not cure being vsed or might haue cured if it had been vsed This hath been tried and is approued by all the sicke soules that euer were since the beginning of the world to this day whereof some were deliuered from many sores of their conscience many euen rescued from the depth of their sorrowes We count him a tried friend and approued which in no troubles that euer did befall vs shrunke from vs and failed vs but stood vs in all stead possible but whom I pray you hath the Lord euer deceiued vs that put their trust in him or in whom hath the word of the Lord euer failed which wil stick with vs to the end which will saue vs from all euils accompany vs in all dangers recouer vs in all infirmities pitie and relieue vs in all miseries which will saue vs from hel and will speake for vs before the ludge and pleade our cause and euen whilest life lasteth will still stand vs in stead Wherefore seeing the word of God hath in it such excellencie that it taketh vp all the delights of Gods children and the contempt thereof taketh vp all the sorrowes of the Saints of God seeing for being eaten vp with the zeale of Gods word whatsoeuer we lose in the outward man we gaine and are recompenced for it in the inward man contrarie to the eating zeale in all other things whatsoeuer seeing the neerer wee come to God in his word and the further we go from our selues though we were thrown to the ground wee should be reedified seeing if we were tried in the furnace wee should finde such an happie exchange that as the gold wee should lose no weight but become more pure seeing it only reneuth vs in trouble and we cannot more discredit the word of God than euer to suffer it to be contemned or not sufficiently esteemed as becommeth a thing of such perfection glorie eternitie and exact righteousnes seeing it is such an armour of proofe so tried a medicine so approued a friend let vs craue of God that he would open our eyes and cleere our vnderstanding that we louing it for these causes may zealously be set on fire and truly be grieued to see it contemned Thus we see how exact how pure how comfortable how euerlasting the word is Thy righteousneâ— saith the Prophet is an euerlasting righteousâ—â—â— Psal. 11. thou haâ—â— O Lord set downe a perfit righteousnes which hath been is and shall be for euer one and most constant thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for euer thy hand is not shortned more than it hath been thy word neuer could be accused onely let vs say Lord increase our faith let vs say Lord giue vs the like faith of thy seruants and wee shall haue like graces with them though not in so large measure as they had Vers. 141. I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy precepts HIs meaning briefly is this Lord seeing thy word is so pure I loue it for it owne cause though nothing come withall if thou wilt bestowe any thing else of thy seruant I thanke thee if not I loue it still yea though I should suffer discredit for it I am content For I loue thy word because it is a pure word and worthie to be loued with what crosse soeuer it be accompanied As the common prouerbe is Trueth may be blamed but trueth can neuer be ashamed and iniquitie may be ocuered for a time but yet iniquitie one day shall bee discouered It cannot be denied that it is a singular blessing which is said of our Sauiour Christ to grow in fauour with God and man and to be loued of both as it is reported of Samuel because as it is Eccles 7. 3. A good name is better than a good oyntment and Prou. 22 1. is to bee chosen aboue great riches and louing fauour is aboue siluer and aboue gold neither can there come a more grieuous crosse to a liberall nature and stout person than want of it Howbeit to search out the cause of discredit wee must alwayes enter into it whether our conscience telleth vs that wee suffer as well doers not as ill doers For euen the very Heathen said that a mans conscience is as a theater in the world Wherefore if wee suffer discredit iustly because of sinne it is to be lamented but when we haue faith in Gods promises and a good conscience flowing from our faith though we neuer so much bee discredited it is a small thing Great is the loue of our selues and great is the care which we haue to maintaine our credit For many will bee content to hazard their liues which cannot bee conteÌ„t to endanger their good name For if a man liue bereft of his good name he had almost as liue bee bereft of his life And therefore Heretikes as the Familie of loue giue in precept that they should rather die than suffer the credit of their sect to fall And no maruell for they see no better life neither do they feele any true comfort of God in their prosperitie neither can they truly call vpon him in their trouble Thus we see how a name is esteemed in the world This then is a true argument of zeale euen when wee are despised and suffer discredit still to beare good affection to the word For many are liuely and quicke
may so say to the gaole deliuerie and this is called the day of iudgement In comparison wherof other iudgements are as nothing Then God wil take the matter into his own hand then shal there be a new Quest theÌ„ all thâ—se matters that are shuffled vp and euill iudged shall be iudged againe Now is the day of affections but then the day of iudgement in it we shal lose all that is to be lost Now for this day this iudgement that we may haue somewhat to moue vs being of our selues Verie dul let vs see how fearefull and dreadfull it is In a iudgement there are three things the action the sentence and the execution For we see the prisoners first how they plead for themselues Secondly being found guilty the sentence is pronounced by the Iudge and after they are executed In earth there are means to acquite for a season as delusioÌ„ of the Iudge or of the witnesses perswasion corruption fauor For the first they be apicesiuris points in law they vndoe all iustice a cauâ—lling iustice but apices iuris in calo non excusant And for the witnesses they shall not deliuer him for they shall be true witnesses the booke shall then be opened No perswasion shall then serue because God is not subiect to any affection Thirdly there shall be no corruption for though the Iudge could be corrupted what could we giue him when the whole world shall be destroied Lastly we must looke for no fauour for it is the day of iudgement and not of mercie The night before the blowing of the Trumpet there shall be preached mercy but then there shall be none let no man flatter himselfe for so he shall find it To escape a senteÌ„ce here on earth is either by appeale to an higher court or by reâ—racting but there can be no appeale for who is higher than God neither shall there be any reuersion of the sentence for there shall be no more sitting because there is no second iudgement Thirdly there is an execution which is most fearefull And execution there shall be well let it come will we say for a punishment must be ours then what is there to helpe vs to escape punishment but either resistance or if that will not serue flight if we cannot flie patience or mitigation or our coÌ„fort is hope but there is none of all these can stand vs in any stead for the first if we were as Iob saith hard rockes as we are potshards we were not able to resist for if the Lord did but touch vs we would smoke But his wrath shall be powred vpon vs and who is able to abide it Secondly it bootes vs not to flie for the Lord is euery where round about vs we are as it were in a circumfereÌ„ce the further we are from one part the neerer we are to the other We flie from the God of peace to the God of wrath there is no escaping Christ saith Take the vnprofitable seruant bind him hand and foot so that he cannot flie and Iude addeth with euerlasting chaines and that in darkenes so that if he could breake his chaines yet he could not see whither to flie in the darke Thirdly there is no patience which ye shall see if ye consider the example of the rich man in Luke who required one drop of water to coole his tongue of a person whom he hated deadly and no doubt they do hate the godly there as much as euer they did in this life Last of all let vs looke for no mittigation If there were any mittigation it should be either in respect of the wearines of the tormentors but they are spirits or by consuming of our bodies but we shall continue for euer or by diminishing of the instruments but the fire shall neuer goe out that it may not so do there is a lake of brimstone prepared to run into it and the worme neuer dieth Neither shal there be any comfort the remembrance euen of that they enioyed shall torment them 9 There is a people in Amos and Zephanie that put the day of the Lord farre off but it shall be vnto them a day of terrour and trembling On the other side let vs consider how the world waxing olde as a garment and all creatures become moath-eaten and worme-eaten the fruites stones and hearbes decaying in their vertues Against worldly Atheists the Prophet Zephaniah saith The Lord will seeke them and rather than he will lose them for finding he will seeke them with a lanterne and search them with a candle When we know the time must come we enquire of it and beholding God drawing some presently into the stage and knowing that others are reserued for the last iudgement the faithfull inquire for their hope the wicked for their feare Well as I would not haue men too curious Mat. 24 so could I wish them not to be too carelesse the first is ill the second is worse The day shall come suddenly and therefore neither curiousnesse nor carelesnesse is good only thus much is sure it is at hand but no man could neuer shew the fingers of his hand Peter sheweth that we must not measure the time after man but after God Some reason this some that but let vs remember that Deuterono 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong vnto vs. Let no man thinke by an allegorie to reach to that which the Angels themselues cannot comprehend For if one should say that as there were foure thousand yeeres before Christ his comming in the flesh so there should be foure thousand before he came to iudgement were it not as like a quidditie as they harpe on and yet both vntrue If we looke on Cyprian and Tertullian we shall see them to haue thought the day to come in their times Here the Fathers haue roued much but all like to misse the marke Let vs know that thâ— neerenesse is not in respect of vs but of the speaker who onely knoweth what is neere and let vs content our selues with this that in respect of eternitie nothing is long that shall haue an ende When the Apostles then say it is neere so we may say it is neere and no difference But as the Day was then neere so the Houre is now neere neere I say in respect of God and of eternitie And as the promise accomplished was neere to God 4000. yeeres before it came so it is not in the fadome of mans braine to tell how many dayes or yeeres wherewith God is not gouerned is farre or neere vnto vs. The Apostle Heb. 10. 25. sheweth the time to bee neere and that it is within the view of the eye because the sacrifices of the Iewes are abolished the true sacrifices are offered and the Gospell more or lesse is vniuersally preached But among al reasons this moueth me may moue
with God by faith and praier before that by meanes we can well preuaile against our enemies Many wanting this good course and trusting to their owne wits and such like haue failed of all their purposes Wherefore when we haue vsed the meanes and be not helped we must consider that we haue not vsed the right meanes or if we had them we haue vsed them amisse or if we haue vsed them rightly yet let vs consider that our sinnes haue deserued that we should not profit by them CHAP. XXVI Of the gouernment of the Eyes GReat complaint is made of the wickednesse of these dayes and all the blame is laide vpon the heart I thinke indeed it deserueth a great part of it but the sight of the eye is not to be excused for the hart is a spring and hath spouts to send out as a conduit and pipes wherewithall it is fedde which may be gathered out of the nature of the holie tongue where one word signifieth both an eye and a spring and it is as commonly taken for the one as for the other and therfore Hierome calleth the eyes the streames or springs of lust Though the heart had no pipes to conuey in yet it would ouerflow such is the measure and abundance of corruption which lieth in it breaking forth continually It is not onely true that from the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh the hand worketh c. but also from the abundance of the senses the heart thinketh Therefore as the tongue must be blamed and that iustly so the eyes ought to weepe because of the euil which they conuey vnto the heart and so much the rather for that the tongue doth disclose what euil proceedeth into it but the eye keepeth it close which is a thing more perillous Againe the sight of the eye stirreth vp the thoughts of the heart though they be a sleepe when as good things should rather be conueyed by the eye into the heart seeing no goodnes groweth there naturally 2 The eye is such a thing that the Scriptures speaking of it by a synecdoche as we say vnder this one sense it comprehendeth all other things of the same kinde as vnder one principall thing bidden or forbidden in the Decalogue many other inferior things of the same kinde be either commanded or inhibited I will neuer beleeue when Dauid praied that his eyes might be turned from beholding of vanitie that hee was negligent touching his eares and regarded not that they should be open to heare what they would And there is no sense to thinke that when Iob made a couenant with his eyes he had no care of his eares But both of these were holy men and were acquainted with the diâ—lect of the holy Ghost It is a rule in policie To watch on all sides where assault is made on all sides And for as much as we stand in the midst to be assaulted with principalities and not only with spirituall wickednesses but also with worldly wickednes in euery sense and power of the minde we ought to defend all ports and make all the commandements as large as wee can for we know that in a citie if one gate be open it is as good that all be open For at one gate it may be taken So that all the senses ought to be kept but especially the eye which order is in the commandements For though in euery commandement God doth but name one sinne yet it is captaine sinne and a generall sinne And surely from the senses corruptions are drawne indifferently yet from the eye most of all Take an example let a man see a strange punishment of God for any sinne and he is moued but let relation of it bee made vnto him and halfe the efficacie thereof is lost But indeed the example of all examples to make short is this The ioyes of heauen which are to be reuealed to the children of God let them bee tolde and preached as they are preached and taught it is a maruaile to see howe soone wee are a sleepe yet the least sight of it seene of the Apostles did driue them into an extasie Besides this sense moueth so much the more in that it goeth to worke immediately but the eare goeth to worke by meanes and standeth vpon credit or else it will not beleeue and this credit standeth to be examined and it may light vpon such an examiner as Thomas was Secondly it is soone gone though we heare it neuer so well yet we desire to see it The eye pierceth most of all as we may see in Iacob for although he had heard of the estate of Ioseph yet his heart wauered but when he saw the chariots it wrought something and his conclusion was I will go downe and see Ioseph This is the end of all the senses to end in this sense 3 This is generall that the eye is most forcible to sinne now let vs shew that it is most forcible to moue to sinne It is dangerous to heare but tenne times more dangerous to see for then the meanes be strengthened and though the meanes be but small yet there is such a tinder in our nature that it will soone take fire and if the eye be darke a generall darknesse commeth ouer the whole bodie The beginning of this is to be seene Genes 3. in the talke betweene the Serpent and the woman She seeth the tree to be faire and beautifull the eye had offended before the apple went downe her throat Therfore one of the Fathers saith Pluck out that eye and they note further that because by the eye came the greatest hurt therefore God hath placed in the eye the greatest token of sorrow for from them come teares This may be seene in couetousnes as in Achab who looking through the window saw the vineyard of Naboth and straight he would haue had it and if he could haue had it by lawe hee would haue bought it But because Naboth would not sell it him Iezabel would giue it him For adulterie is too plaine for the eye is alwaies the broker as wee see both in Sichem and Dauid This word they sawe came alwaies betweene this sinne and the heart For idlenes and negligence Ecces 11. it is said he that obserueth the winde hee shall neuer be good sower nor good haruest man For apparell Ezech. 23. 16. the Israelites sawe an Assyrian in his painted apparell and would needs haue the like so that the eye is that which maketh the bargaine Wee say commonly let vs goe see it the sight of it will doe vs no harme This is the diuels policie to perswade vs that there is no danger in that which may most intangle vs we see how it preuailed in Adam when hee was content to see and that was Sathans meanes when he tempted Christ to shew him all the kingdoms of the world Well we see what danger there is in the senses and
they say Faith is too hastie it should take a greater pause A deepe point of policie to vse deliberation Well Faith is not to morrow it must be presently Christ gaue not so much respite to the young man as that he should burie his father And surely if we knewe all there is great reason of not staying n ithese matters There will be embassadours to stay our well-doing there are fellowes will vse a dialogue with vs and surely if we will needs shake hands with the world if we will bid the flesh farewell and take our leaue of profit it will be violence rather then a habit at first For these are such eloquent perswaders that if a man admit their orations he shall soone be pluckt backe from the right way or it is a maruell else 12 There is a great reason of honestie that we will not obey God if hee requireth our obedience wee haue other callings calling vs away we haue a good liking of this that Caesar commandeth vs to waite vpon him in the house of exchange Doth Christ not want a Christian as well as Caesar doth want a custome Surely wee must needes haue leaue of Caesar to serue Christ. Caesar is not greater than Christ and therefore euen by demonstration Christ must be first waited on As for those that thinke that the worshipping of Baal and of God wil stand together that we may serue Christ and Caesar profit and religion the errour for the grossenes is not worthie confutation for it is a manifest halting The very coÌ„mandement sheweth vs that we must be knit to God as a man is to his wife It is a possession in priuate and not in common if we do not so iealousie will arise But may not God and Caesar be serued together It may be so if they both command one thing but I would wish a mans eye in the obedience bee still vpon God For surely if God and Caesar bee followed in one thing it is hard to say how wee stand affected whether wee followe God or Caesar. And for this cause the Lord is faine often to pull off the vizâ—rd of hypocrisie herein that when God and Caesar haue parted companies it may bee seene how many thousands goe after Caesar and how scarce seuen follow the Lord. And if when God needeth his glorie needeth when his glorie needeth his Church needeth it is sure that rather than the Church should need Caesar must tarrie and giue place It is beter that Caesar should want an auditor than Christ an inheritour if Church and common-wealth want at once it is better the Common-wealth should want than Christ should be left destitute of seruants Let vs therefore wait on Christ not onely a mile or two out of the towne but euen to the riuers of Babel and not onely so farre as we can with the Câ—pernaites conceiue Christ with reason but euen to the resisting with blood not Christ as a King but as Christ to the bar we must not with Peter follow along to see what will become of him but hard at the heels to the bar of iudgement and to beare his crosse with Simon also if neede so bee euen through the lane of reproches though we see many pillars to fall away and to become flat Apostatacs through the ranke of false opinions and though iniquitie so get the vpper hand that there seemeth no religion to be left 13 Then we may be said to walke after Christ when as it is said Iob 13. we haue troden his footsteps when our steps stand as Christ his steps that is wheÌ„ our paces stand as Christ his paces and not contrary to Christ but agreeing with Christ in wel doing The best signe for our gouernmeÌ„t is to haue Christ his word in our eies But some through the bleaâ—ed sight of their consciences are afraid that Christ should looke behind and see them for going backward yea if they doe but dreame of him if they see but Paul or some good man they are afraid But if we haue the peace and testimonie of a good conscience we will desire that Christ would espie vs out as he did Nathaniel and others of his Saints 14 There be some notable markes whereby wee shall know whether our trauell be to heauen or hell First though a man be so close that he will not open the way whether he is purposed to trauell yet a man shall espie his intent by marking whether he sendeth his cariage if our carriage follow the flesh to the flesh we goe if it followe the spirit to the spirit it will carie vs Galat 6. If a man will conceale his intent yet one may discerne it by his iniquiring of this way or that way If hee aske how hee may goe to Canaan and which is the way through the wildernes it is an argumeÌ„t he is going to the promised land Thirdlâ— though he would keepe his iourney neuer so priuily yet he is bewrayed if when a man speakes against his Countrie and dispraiseth the Prince or people thereof he begin to be grieued and take offence at it So if when men disgrace God his word speake euill of the way of the Lord reproch his Saints we finde our selues mooued and not able to containe our selues from reprehension it is a token we are going to heauen-ward 15 Oh that men would feare and follow the Lord well follow we must one way or other If wee will not follow the Shepheard to the fold we must follow the Butcher to the shambles If we will goe to the shambles rather than to the fold we are beasts indeed and as the case is with vs worse than beasts But men here haue gotten an old distinction They say they will one day seeke the Lord that is when they are not able to turne their sicke bones on their beds but seeing they offer their old sinewes to the Lord he wil leaue them and they shall seeke but they shall not finde CHAP. XXXII Of Gods free Grace Iustice and Mercie and how we may trie our loue to God GOd saith the Apostle is a consuming fire Hebrues 12. 29. Fire and water are mercilesse who shall quench him when hee burneth there is nothing so cold as lead and nothing so scalding if it be heated there is nothing so blunt as yron if it bee sharpened nothing so sharpe there is nothing so calme as the sea in a boistrous weather nothing so tempestuous nothing so mercifull â—s God and if he be prouoked nothing so terrible to sinners And if his mercy were seuen times more than it is I know and am sure that hee is prouoked Well as the Lord will haue his power knowen in creating the world his wisdome in gouerning and his truth in his word and his mercy in redeeming mankinde so necessarily must his iustice be knowne in punishing especially those who seeing his creatures marke them not feeling his gouernance
what say you to the Truth of Religion that is among vs why our Doctrine is sound enough that needes not to be spoken of No Yes surely very needfull it is to speake of it Truth indeede runnes about the Church-walles for eares and goeth about the Pillars but it findeth no nearers and as the wise man saith he that hath a Treasure in store and not in vse is as though he had it not so we may say of our Age men haue a little knowledge but for want of vsing it they are as though they had no knowledge and seeing wee hide our knowledge if wee haue it and we cannot speake the truth at our going in and our going out as men are charged by Moses wee cannot be said to haue the truth So in a second degree Paul would haue vs vse the world as though we vsed it not surely had hee made his wish of the Truth as hee did of the world hee had surely had it All our knowledge is a knowledge of the braine it is not a knowledge of the hart for it neuer makes vs set lesse on the score of sinne yee shall see this plaine wee know that fire will burne and because wee know it indeede by no paine almost can wee be brought to put our finger in the fire and doubtles if wee were perswaded that sinne would burne vs as a fire wee would not so easily put our hands vnto it And I would know if a man had a rule or gold-weight whereby he might measure his timber weigh his mettals and yet he neuer vseth either his rule or his weights what good it would doe him Talke of religion and begin to speake of the word and you shall haue manie that will holde you talke a whole dinner time or halfe a day and looke into their liues and common course of their conuersation and they wil falsifie whatsoeuer they haue said so they haue a thing but without all vse of it There is yet another thing mentioned Ephes 6. and that is a gyrdle of Truth it must be tyed to vs but our truth is not gyrt to vs it sitteth not close to vs it will easilie be shaken off from vs if the Crosse come and persecution shake vs a little wee can easily shift it off 4 A man would not willingly dwell by an euill nature and hatred will driue any man a way Truth is hated among vs and no maruell though it delight not to be among vs. If a man should take vpon him to plucke vp an olde-hedge and to admonish one of sinne straight way one Snake or other will bee ready to hisse at him and to sting him for his labour They that should looke to vs are hated and if a man be so bold as to tell a man of his fault he shall haue a rebuke for his paines with this scoffe or the like this is one of the wise generation which can telll the truth so cold an occupation is it to tell the truth So that we are not onely culpable for not hauing Truth but because we haue driuen Truth out of the Land It would grieue me to name mens sinnes herein but yet your selues know that a man will sell credite Faith and all that he hath to set Truth out of the way and shall wee thinke then that Truth hath any heart to dwell among vs seeing wee sell it for two-pence or a groate nay for a paire of old-shooes But let vs know seeing that CHRIST hath pronounced himselfe to be the TRVTH hee hath made these men that sell the Truth guiltie of the sinne of Iudas they sell Christ not for so much but for halfe so much nay for a quarter so much as Iudas sold him For CHRIST is TRVTH and CHRIST is solde 5 Contempt and hatred ouerthroweth all estates if either the Law be contemned or the Law-giuer hated And as in Kingdomes so it fareth for this point in the Church if the law of God be not esteemed then the iealousie of the Lord of Hostes will surely either take away his Law or punish the abusers of it The cause of contempt commonly as they say is familiaritie Familiarity breedeth contempt Indeed the wise men of the world noted that there were three excellent mothers which brought forth three very euill daughters The mothers are these first Familiaritie which is the high pitch of friendship brings vp contempt so the more we enioy the thing loued the viler it growes in our eyes Secondly truth breeds hatred The third is peace and that is the mother of idlenesse and securitie So that whatsoeuer is free in vâ—e once that growes vile as Manna though it were a verie precious thing did in the eyes of the Israelites Yet we must know that albeit somtime these issue from these mothers yet they be not their natural daughters The naturall child of familiaritie is not contempt but it commeth of our corrupt nature which is cleane opposite to the nature of God For as the nature of God is so perfectly good that he doth turne euen very euill things to very good things as the malice of the Iewes in putting his Sonne to death to be a meane of our saluation so our nature is so absolutely euill that it turnes very good things into euill Wherfore retaining this foolish axiome of vanitie that nothing is precious but rare strange things it commeth not of the nature of the thing which is still good but of our nature which no more esteemes it In the first of Samuel it is said the word was precious in those daies which was because it was rare for they accounted highly of Samuel because they had no Prophet long before but we must not doe so neither in other things doe we so Doe we in naturall things contemne the sunne the water and the fire because they be vsuall we doe not Then surely naturally we contemne not a thing for familiaritie but the cause of contempt is the ignorance of the vse of the thing and therefore no doubt as we doe not contemne the sunne the water the fire because we know and are perswaded of the true vse of them so therefore we doe in long vse contemne the word and prayer and sacraments because we know not the necessitie and the vse of them Whensoeuer then we begin to be cloyed let vs know the nature of a sinne doth begin to grow in vs not that in the long vse of the word we are so full of knowledge but for that we know not the vse of it and therefore like swine we leaue the pearle and goe to the shels Greatly therefore are we to pray against this Concerning hatred when the pearles are contemned the Ieweller is wrathfull and when the word is despised the Lord is surely displeased for which cause good men feeling their spirits to grow hot at the sight of such contempt and the contemners seeing themselues to be drawen out
their whole possessions to giue to the preachers as it was done in the primitiue Church 5 The nature of true zeale is set downe Heb. 10. where the Apostle heauily threatneth them that willingly giue ouer thēselues to sinne there is named in the proper tongue the zeale of fire For as fire is not without heate so zeale is hot cannot long be holden in It is set downe by the contrary Reu. 3. when after the Church of Laodicea for her lukewarmnes is threatned to be spued out of the Lord his mouth it is added be zealous and amend where we see zeale to be opposed to lukewarmnes which is too temperate an heate for the profession of the Gospell Againe I. Cor. 14. 1. that which in our common translation we reade Follow after loue couet spirituall gifts c. the naturall text hath Be zealous after the more excellent gifts And Rom. 12. Be feruent in spirit i. let God his spirite kindle in you a fire which may flame out of you Now there are diuers kinds of zeale as the zeale of the world of the flesh of false religion according to the world And euery man is eaten spent consumed with some kind of zeale which must shame vs if we haue not the true zeale for that this zeale leaueth in vs some aduantage and recompēce which the world and carnall men haue not For when they haue spent set on tilt all the strength of their bodies powers of their minds they haue no gaine but torment of consciēce wheras the godly being spent in a good cause haue that repaired in the inner mā which is cōsumed in the outward Now to know what that true zeale is as neere as by properties we may describe it wee must first vnderstand that it is grounded on knowledge For if our zeale be not according to knowledge much like to the zeale of them spoken of Rom. 11. wee may come to persecute the Trueth and thinke we do very welll Our zeale must begin where the word begins end where the word ends that in all things it be proportionable to the word Our Sauior Christ rebuketh the Pharisies for straining out a gnat swallowing vp a Camel for tithing cummin seed and mint and for pretermitting the weightier matters of the Law wherein they bewrayed a rotten zeale in that they were carefull in the lesse and carelesse in the greater points So now a dayes many rather desiring to be counted zealous then to be zealous for a ceremonie wil be as hot as may be and yet in more principall poynts of religion they are as cold as can be in greater causes let this be our canon to vse greater zeale in lesse matters let this be our pedagogie to vse lesse zeale so that we remember to count nothing small in the word and that we can increase decrease in affection as the thing loued doth increase or decrease in goodnes If I say we can zealously pursue the most principall things and for the peace of the Church can tolerate lesse things for if any man in matters of lesse importance list to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Church of God wee shall obserue this 1. rule still remembring this caution that we count nothing small commanded or forbidden in the Word The second rule is that wee haue an eye as well to things inward as outward our Sauiour CHRIST reprehendeth the Pharisies for that they made cleane the out side of the platter and left the inner-side foule whose liues though outwardly they were without reproofe yet inwardly they were full of pride disdaine self-loue such like Wel our zeale must begin within and in time appeare without we must no lesse feare to doe euill being by our selues alone then if we were eyed of the whole world least that we become as painted sepulchres and as such dishes as are cleane without and foule within A branch of this Rule is to haue a narrow and iealous eye of our owne corruptions lurking in the bottomles pit of nature and gaged onely by the word and spirit When we loue to be hypocrites in dissembling this naturall corruption and yet are busie in pretending some outward sanctimonie the iustice of GOD in time will vncase vs then the sinne which we would hide shall appeare in the face outwardly and the good which in Truth wee neuer loued shall be seene neuer to haue bene in vs. Herein then we may go to schoole with the couetous man who had rather be rich than be counted rich that we may rather be godly indeed than be counted to be godly least that seeing wee be not such indeed as we would bee we become notoriously to be such as we would not be 3 The third rule is that we keepe a tenor of zeale in both estates as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie Manie in peace are professors who in time of troubles are persecutors who louing the peace of the Gospell not the Gospell it selfe doe more bewray that they were neuer truely zealous Others whilest they be vnder the Crosse are very demure and deuout who if once they come aloft forget the simplicity of the Gospell and fall to the securitie of the world Hereof comes that fearefull complaint that men hote in preaching and professing while they are vnder are choked in their zeale when they come to preferment Such men are glad not of the gospell but of the prosperity of the gospell such men will be sad not for the want of the Gospell but for the aduersitie which followeth the persecutors of the Gospell Our triall herein may bee thus if our priuate estate be prosperous wee lament with Dauid the estate of the Church being ruinous or if our priuate estate being perilous wee can reioyce with Paul in the estate of the Church being prosperous our zeale is according to truth Dauid neere the Crowne for his happines fasted for the estate of the Church lying in abhominable filthines Paul a prisoner in bonds thought himselfe at libertie so long as the Gospell was free 4 The fourth Rule is that in pure zeale wee be patient in our owne causes and deuoure manie priuate iniuries that the Lord his cause may the better be prouided for haue the better successe Many can be as hot as fire in taking vp their owne cause who are as cold as yee in defending the Lord his cause This Rule obserued would sow vp the lips of the aduersarie who though for a time he thinke vs to be cholerike mad-men madly reuēging our priuate affections yet one day should confesse that we sought not our own cōmoditie but God his most precious glorie And to stretch this examination of our harts one degree further let vs beware of that corruption which springing from self-loue will giue vs leaue to reioyce at good things so long as they be in our selues but repineth at the sight of
this that Satan so busily and so fiercely assaileth vs it doth appeare that as once he lost his possession in vs was cast out by one more mightie than himselfe which is Christ so now he findeth no peaceable entrance but a strong and mighty resistance therfore there yet remaineth such part of the former worke which he could not hitherto ouerthrow nor shal be able for euer which is the secret seede of faith still sustained and nourished by the spirit of God in vs when wee would thinke it were vtterly extinguished For as the fire when it wrastleth with the water throwne vpon it ceaseth not till it haue ouercome so this resistance of the spirit against the flesh will not cease vntill the full victorie be obtained and Satan himselfe troden vnder our feet Neither is there any more sure testimonie either of our present deliuerance begun or of our full perfect victory in time to come than this that by the word of God we doe though but weakly resist the temptations of the enemy and continue in the battaile against him mourning indeede and trauailing vnder the burthen of affliction but yet standing vpright before the enemie so that he cannot fully preuaile against vs much lesse ouerthrow destroy vs. But here one thing must carefully be looked vnto that we be not so farre discouraged either with want of feeling or ouerborne with desire of that wee haue not as wee forget what mercie hereto fore wee haue receiued When Iob so earnestly and as one would thinke impatiently wisheth the good things hee had sometimes enioyed he doth not onely expresse the great affection he had to be restored vnto his former estate but also giueth the attentiue reader to vnderstand a secret work of that grace of God from the remembrance of that which had been insinuating an hope of that which should be as the euent it selfe afterward declared which issue of his troubles S. Iames would haue vs diligently to consider when he saith Ye haue heard of the sufferings of Iob and haue seene the end of the Lord. But it fareth in this case with the afflicted soule many times as it doth with those that greedily striue for the goods of this world their affections of hauing more is so strong and doth so violently possesse and carrie them as it not onely depriueth them of the vse of that they haue but also maketh them forget the same and which is yet more protest against it as if they had it not at all So the humbled and afflicted spirit one borne for the time with present griefe and anguish of minde not onely vseth not the comforts it hath and cannot presently discerne but also causeth an vtter forgetfulnes of them and which more is protesteth against them as if they were not yea as we see often in Iob he so complaineth of the contrarie as if the Lord had not only forsaken his seruant but had armed himselfe and did fight against him to destroy him Here therefore we must bridle and chastice our impatient and murmuring spirit and remember that of Iob so farre contrarie to the other that though the Lord should destroy him yet hee will trust in him Neither must we so much vexe and vnquiet our hearts for that we want as labour to make vse of that wee haue which though it seeme little vnto vs for the present yet in truth is more than Sathan by all his force is able to ouercome as may appeare vnto vs by that endlesse resistance which the spirit of God dwelling in vs maketh against him For he that so fighteth is not yet captiue and he that standeth in face of the enemie and endureth all his assaults is not yet vanquished Yea for that hee holdeth out in so great weaknes of his owne against so strong and furious assaults of the enemie it plainly argueth that he standeth by a greater strength than his owne by which as hee is presently preserued that he falles not into the hand of his aduersarie so neede he not doubt thereby to be finally deliuered and crowned with victorie and triumph in despite of Sathan all hee is able to worke against him But the enemie whose quarelling with vs is endlesse as his malice is vnsatiable will not thus leaue vs and giue vs rest then as I saide before it is our best and safest way at once to end all disputation with him And we cānot better shake him off than by exercising our selues in prayer reading and meditation of the word of God and by diligent walking in the works and labours of our calling for there is no greater oportunitie nor aduantage that can bee giuen vnto the aduersarie than if he shall finde vs idle and vnoccupied If the mind be already possessed of and occupied in good things it cannot so easily be transported vnto that which is euill but if he finde the house empty and fit for him he then entreth without difficultie In the question of faith wee haue comfort also from the works and effects thereof in our selues For as the tree is known by the fruites so faith wanteth not her fruites whereby she may be discerned These are of diuers sorts sorrow for sinne past hatred of euill care and endeuour to auoide it both in generall and particular the loue of God and of his righteousnesse desire and care with labour and contentation to please him both in generall and particular duties And here againe wee haue a lawfull and necessarie recourse vnto time past For albeit wee haue nothing to glorie in before God when the question is of the cause of our saluation yet the effects of the grace and fauour of God towards vs in the former fruites of our faith may yeeld vs no small comfort in the time of our heauines and of the anguish of our spirits hereof it is that the Prophet in the Psalmes doth so often protest his obedience vnto God and care to doe his commandemēts hereof it is that Iob vnto the comforting of his distressed conscience remembreth the course of his former life led in the feare of God and obedience of righteousnes For although we may not attribute any merit vnto our workes but must giue the whole glorie of our saluation vnto Christ alone yet our workes doe witnes for vs that we are the children of God because we are guided by his spirit as the Apostle saith though the bodie be dead in respect of sinne yet the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake Also the gracious effects of Christ himselfe dwelling in our hearts by faith are sure certaine testimonies that we are members of his bodie and doe belong vnto him because as branches implanted into him which is the vine we bring foorth fruite according to the nature of the vine It is said we doe yet sinne our answere is that that happeneth vnto vs not from the new creature but from that