that before the foundation of the world was laide the foundation of our saluation was made before we sinned the remedie against sinne was found before the maladie the Lord had prepared a medicine before wee were damned he had purposed a way how wee should be saued In respect whereof seeing we are rather to reioyce in this that our names are written in heauen than if wee had power without hurt to treade on Scorpions or had spirites subdued vnto vs Luke 10. 19. 20. wee conclude with the Prophet Psalm 65. 4. Blessed is the man O God whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee The substance of this blessednes is our redemptiō in Christ Iesus which is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 29 by whose blood we haue the forgiuenes of our sinnes Ephes. 1. 7 and by whose Spirit when we haue beleeued the Gospel wee haue the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 4. 14. The excellent price whereof is set out vnto vs herein in that being filthy in the blood of our sinnes he washed vs with his owne blood Heb. 9. 14. in that hee being iust suffered for vs being vniust 1. Pet. 3. 18. in that we being of no strength vngodly he died for vs Rom. 5. 6. in that we being enemies through sinne were reconciled by him to God the Father Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore seeing he is Blessed whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Psalm 32. 2. let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome as though it made him happie nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither let the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that hee knoweth the mercie of the Lord wherein consisteth our saluation Ier. 9. 23 24. And let vs all learne the meaning of the salutation of Elizabeth to the virgin Marie Luk. 42. Blessed art thou because the fruite of thy wombe is blessed The formal cause is the illumination of God his spirit making vs capable of the former mysteries sealing them to vs with such assurance in our hearts that wee dare boldly crye Abbafather that wee dare boldly say If God bee on our side who can stand against vs Such blindnesse folly and incredulitie possesseth vs by nature that of our selues we can neither see into these mysteries of our saluatiō nor beleeue the thing we see concerning our comfort vntill we haue receiued of this Spirit which cōmeth from aboue For none commeth to Christ vnlesse the father draw him and how draweth he but by inlightening the hearts of his elect by the holy Ghost Ioh. 6. 44 Wherefore seeing these things are not reuealed vnto vs but by the Spirit 1. Corinth 2. 14. we end with that blessing of the Lord Iesus to Peter Matth. 16. 17. Blessed art thou Simon thou sonne of Ionah for flesh and blood hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen The instrumentall cause is partly within vs as faith partly without vs as the word and the appurtenances accompanying the same as Prayer the Sacramēts the discipline of the Church Faith being the ground of things which are hoped for the euidence of things which are not seene Heb 11. 1. doth so applie the promises of God to our proper and peculiar comforts that it sealeth vs vp to the Lord affoording a certaine testimonie to our hearts that we haue not in vaine receiued of the good spirit of God Now because there is a certaine kind of faith which Satan himselfe doth broach in his schoole and propounds as a principle to all his schollers seeing the Papists vrge faith in their vnwritten verities the Familists will haue it in their foolish reuelations The Turke requireth it in his dry speculations of Mahomet and the wizzard will seeme to demaund it in his deuillish incantations we must not beleeue euery spirit but trust to the word onely which is our sure load-starre and touch-stone and being it selfe firme doth make our faith in it most firme sure and vnchangeable This blessednesse to haue the Lord communicate himselfe to vs by his word is priuiledged aboue that praise which the woman gaue our Sauiour Christ Luk. 11. 27. as may appeare by his sharpe answer Yea blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wee conclude then with the Psalmist Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord they will euer praise him Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord and in whose heart are his waies Psal. 84. 4. 5. If the Queene of Saba coūted those men happy that might stand before Salomon and heare his wisedome 2. Chron 9. 7. if Dauid thought it a high recompence and princelike benefit to preferre the sonne of Barzillai to sit at the table of Salomon how great is our happines to heare the wisedome of Christ how high is our blessednes to sit at the table of the Lord where not Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present where not Salomon but a wiser than Salomon speaketh vnto vs Behold then the causes of true blessednes which are our election redemption illumination sanctification all which are sealed vnto vs by the holy Ghost the spirit working faith through the word preached Christ Iesus so sending his Spirit to renue vs God the Father sending his Sonne to redeeme vs redeeming vs to call vs calling vs to iustifie vs iustifying vs to sanctifie vs sanctifying vs hee sealeth vs by his spirit and so by all these doth hee lay the sure ground-worke of our saluation and eternall blessednes Concerning the effects of blessednesse some are inward and some are outward the effects inward are partly in respect of our selues only partly in regard both of our selues and of others those in our selues are either concerning mortification or about our sanctification The first of these is both truly orderly couched in that sermon of the Lord Iesus Marth 5. where those men are set in the first ranke who are emptied both of the opinion of their owne wisedome and of all perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and of those it is said Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Now because many haue lost their hold in iudgement who haue not so throughly giuen ouer in affection in the next degree happines is promised to such who are so farre descended into the sight of their owne vilenes and sense of their naturall coruptions that they are not onely conuinced of an vnrighteousnesse inherent in their iudgements but also are much humbled for it in their affections of whom the Lord of comfort hath thus determined Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Further for that Sathan laboureth and preuaileth much in ouer comming exercised mindes with pettie shames a thing oft incident to afflicted consciences the next be atitude is allotted to them that are meeke in spirit
died well as they liued well or else by their martyrdome glorified God and edified others who neuer sought great things in prosperitie nor were impatient in aduersitie If wee feare with Baruch Iere. 45. the wofull troubles at hand wee are vnfit to purchase glorie to the Lord but if wee be of Ieremiah his minde as considering how God hath alwaies assisted his and that if we beare the crosse patiently with his children who were iustified sanctified and blessed wee also shall be iustified sanctified and blessed and shall haue our faith strengthened whereby we may the better glorifie him For as the curse causelesse shall flie away and doe no harme so heauen and earth shall passe but not one word of the Lord shall faile Vers. 166 Lord I haue trusted in thy saluation and haue done thy testimonies HEre the man of God particularly applieth that to himselfe which generally before he had spoken whose meaning is thus much I haue seene that they that labour to keepe a good conscience shall haue peace therefore I labour to keepe a good conscience in hope that the same will come to me Now let vs first carrie away the lesson namely to apply that particularly to ourselues which wee heare reade or receiud of others generally And as he seeing the peace of the godly generally laboured to feele the same in himselfe particularly euen so we are not to satisfie our selues with the generall threatnings of the law and promises of the Gospell but to make them seuerall and particular to our selues We see whatsoeuer the law teacheth generally the prophecies inculcate particularly whether it be in threatnings or promises in things commanded or forbidden Wherefore let euery man desire of God that he may be a Prophet to himselfe by laying the line of the word to his owne conscience in this or such like manner This thing the Lord commanded therefore I must doe it for he commandeth me this thing the word forbiddeth therefore I must auoide it for it is forbidden me this the Lord threatneth to such a sinner if I lie in that sin I am to feare it this the Gospell promiseth to them that repent then I hope vpon repentance to feele the comfort of it For this is the true vse of hearing when by this meane we are either comforted and incouraged to doe well or terrified and dismaied to doe ill The words in their originall tongue signifie thus much I haue waited for thy saluation Wherein is commended vnto vs a speciall effect of faith which must be seene in waiting for that which is promised The first generall truth that we must here take profit by is that if we will keep a good conscience we must haue a sound faith which breedeth a good conscience and without which it is impossible to please God If we then will doe good things we must beleeue in God as the author of all goodnes wisedome and eternitie and that he hath made a sweete couenant with vs and beleeuing this to be true we must labour to keepe his commandements For without this faith we doe good or auoide ill either for hope of reward or for feare of ill so that our obedience is violent constrained and not free He beleeued not onely but also looked patiently for those promises which is here shewed by waiting For many say they loue the word who doe not in truth beleeue it or if they beleeue it as they wil say they doe not patiently waite for it and many thinke they feare God who worship rather an Idoll and stay not themselues on God his promises Many so perswade themselues to haue faith who will make haste that God should presently helpe which if it come not they withdraw themselues seeke meanes to serue themselues These declare themselues not to haue this waiting faith Faith saith the holy Ghost Heb. 11. 1. is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene So that it is a thing which bringeth vs to the hope of that which afterward we shall possesse As he that beleeueth shall liue by faith so he that waiteth not on the Lord hath no true faith because he will not tarrie for the Lords appointed time but will prouide for himselfe The Prophet saith Esay 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for the Lord. And Habac. 2. 3. Though the vision tarrie saith the Lord wâ—ite for it shall surely come and not stay Againe it is said Psal. 147. 11. The Lord delighteth in them that feare him and attend vpon his mercie A doctrine worthie to be written with the Diamond of God his Spirit in our hearts This then is one of the chiefest effects of faith when we waite on the Lords leisure and make a distinction of the time of making and accomplishing Gods promises vnto vs. For betweene the one and the other God sendeth often crosse things in the way to trie vs whether we will waite or no. Indeed at the first whilest our faith is but tender it pleaseth him to feede vs as it were with pap and to performe his promises plentifully vnto vs but when we are growne to some strength he will not still deale with vs as with children but will often proue vs by suspending for a while his promises If we consider how Abraham waited tenne yeeres vntill the promise was accomplished and how Iacob staied himselfe one and twentie yeeres vntill he also obtained and if we call to minde how long the Lord proued Ioseph after he had dreamed and how he tried Dauid with many troubles and yet notwithstanding after so many temptations and dangers they beleeued we shall see approued witnesses of this true effectuall faith And as it is the nature of true faith to waite so it is the nature of incredulitie to be hastie so that if we haue not things presently to helpe vs we cannot be merrie we must make some shifts to helpe our selues For how coÌ„mon a fruit of our vnbeleefe is it that we so often haue in our troubles and bring forth of the rotten stocke of our corrupt nature when helpe is a little deferred to say I haue prayed I haue asked counsell of Physitions I haue vsed all the meanes I can I haue staied thus long I may waite indeede vntill my heart breake I haue made hue and crie I can finde no release I am neuer the better I must needes goe seeke out I must aske counsell abroad I must needes goe to some wiseman I thinke now the Lord would haue me to vse some meanes for my reliefe Thus Sathan after our Sauiour Christ had long fasted thinking that after so long waiting his temptation should come in some good season moued our Sauiour Christ to seeke out and to make some shift to helpe himselfe and as he was the Sonne of God so he might the better and more easily prouide for himselfe Thus we see the man of God speaketh not onely of a small faith
I am I am sure he hath infirmities as others haue we are no Angels our nature is corrupt we are but flesh I am sure you would not haue vs Gods Thus the diuell commeth to tempt but he apparrelleth himselfe in another sute when he commeth to accuse and then of a flye he makes an Elephant of the very smallest pricke of a pinne a globe of the whole earth of a molehill a mountaine and presseth sillie soules with feares and terrors that they know not how to winde out themselues If he cannot bring them to make no conscience where they should make conscience he will labour to bring them to make conscience where they neede make no conscience He careth not whether thou wilt be remisse or superstitious so thou be one of them If he cannot get you to follow the Epicurisme of the world as Libertines in diet and apparell he will make you so precise as to thinke it a hainous sinne to eate one bit of meate or to weare one rag of cloath more than for necessitie How needfull therefore it is to saile with an euen course we may coniecture by other things which will bewray the corruption of our nature In the time of a plague we shall see some will be so bold that without any lawfull calling or godly warrant they will rush into places infected and then falling sicke their conscience prickes them for their tempting of God by an vnaduised boldnes in the houre of their death Others plunged as deepely in a quite contrarie extremitie are too fearefull when they doe but heare of the sicknesse and for very feare haue beene brought to deaths doore only by imagining thēselues to haue been infected when they haue been most free who oftentimes haue euen died and that without any naturall cause that euer could be knowne but onely through immoderate feare and the iudgement of God comming vpon them for their infidelitie and vnbeleefe Thus it is with vs in Christianitie in that as well the oppressing our selues with too much feare to be ouercome as the carnall securitie in not fearing to be ouercome may bring sinne vpon vs God his children must labour for a measure and that must be sought for in the word which will teach them how they shall neither decline on the right hand nor on the left but will guide them in the narrow way shewing in euery thing what is vertue what is vice what is the meane what is the extreame Among many examples let vs consider of zeale a most precious vertue in Christianity so long as it is free from the extremities Otherwise if we be cold in zeale it is a sinne on the left hand if we be zealous without knowledge it is preposterous and becommeth a sinne on the right hand But can we not come to some perfection No if you vnderstand it for an absolute vnspottednes albeit to that perfection which the Scripture taketh for soundnes trueth and sinceritie of heart which is voide of carelesse remisnes we may come Neither doth the Lord deale with vs after our sinnes nor reward vs after our iniquities in whose eyes the most glorious actions of men are but as waters flowing purely from the Conduit but defiled by passing through a filthy chanell Wherfore hauing these imperfections let vs not seeke to be more righteous than we can be saying for euery error of this life Oh I am none of God his sonnes I am none of his daughters for I cannot finde that perfection in me which is to be required But let vs comfort our selues in the truth of our hearts and singlenes of our desires to serue God because he is God and so we shall be accepted of God I speake this to this end that poore soules might haue comfort and know that if they abhorre sinne as sinne if they examine themselues for it if they grone vnder it if they mislike themselues for it if they feare to fall into it the Lord will not pursue them with the rigor of his law but will giue them the sweetnes of his promises they are no more vnder the curse but vnder grace But further to inforce our exhortation to auoyde too scrupulous a feare which hindereth the true examination of our hearts let vs thinke that it happeneth in the spirituall conflict as in ciuill warres We reade that many cities lying in great securitie haue suddenly both beene assaulted and ouerthrowne as also how some Countries too much negligent in the meanes through an excessiue fearefulnes haue incouraged their enemies with more greedy violence to pray vpon them With which kinde of stratagems our aduersarie me diuell being well acquainted doth often practise this policie If he see vs without all feare too quietly to rest in our selues he thinketh his assault must needes be the stronger because our resistance is the weaker Againe if he descrieth in vs a cowardly feare and fainting of heart before we once begin to ioyne battell with him he will set vpon our immoderate feare and as villainously as suddenly stab vs to the heart and make a present spoyle of vs. Common practise doth further teach vs that when we can heare the word without all trembling at God his iudgements when we can pray without all feare before the Maiestie of God when we can come to the discipline of the Church without all reuerence of the ordinance of the Lord all is in vaine Againe let vs heare with too much trembling and we shall learne nothing let vs pray with too seruile a feare and our worshipping of God will be without all comfort and vncheerefull Thus if we neither lessen sinne that is sinne indeede neither make sinne of that which is not sin in truth it is good to proceed to this three-fold examination to lay the edge of this doctrine more neere our affections because many will be sound in this ripenes of knowledge and barrennes of conscience to speake dispute and declaime of all these things very skilfully which flickring in the circumference of the braine and not sitting at the ground of the heart doe seale vp a more iust sentence of condemnation against them To helpe this euill we must meditate deeply of the Law and of the Gospel together with the appurtenances of them both that finding ourselues farre from Gods blessings promised to the keepers of the law and seeing our selues neere to the curses due to the breakers of the law we may raise vp some sense of sin in our selues Yet herein we must not stay our foote but giue a further stride for whereas many by a diligent view of the law haue come to the sense of sinne in themselues and saw plainly their owne condemnation yet because they laboured not to see the guiltinesse acquited by the remission of sinne in Christ they plunged themselues into a bottomlesse sea of sorrowes Others hauing passed these degrees and hitherto made these steps to auoyde the wound of conscience haue come
resort if they be more solemne Markets then the continuance of the gaine in the weeke daies may easily affoord the Lord his right on the Sabbath daies if they bee the petie Markets then they are within the compasse of seuen daies and they may bee vsed on the sixe daies betweene the Sabbaths not charging the Lords day with them Concerning seeding time and haruest we haue heard them on the Sabbath by expresse words forbidden in Exodus And here one thing maketh me to marueile why men plead rather for the libertie of the haruest than of the seeding time whē the time is alike for the one and for the other and hee that restrained the one restraineth the other yea and there is more wisedome and lesse labour required in the seeding and there is lesse heed more labour vsed in the reaping time And yet many thinke it strange to sowe and plow on the Sabbath day who make no conscience to mow reape and cart it on that day But here to the commandement let vs ioyne the promise If we be carelesse to prouide for the worship of God the Lord will ease himselfe for caring for vs. But if we first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes all these things shall be giuen vnto vs. And intruth the necessitie of the haruest rather chargeth vs with many moe duties on the Lords day thā dischargeth vs of any one First the labour of the sixe daies at that season is so great as men cannot conueniently giue themselues to the worship of God either publikely or priuatly and in that respect especially in that time they are to make conscience of the Sabbath wherein they must endeuour to make some godly supply for their former defects Vnder this wee may couch another reason Although greater possessors haue larger libertie in the workes of this calling yet haue they seruants and cattel which at haruest time especially labour for whose good and ease seeing the Lord hath prouided in euery Sabbath we cannot without vnmercifulnes to the creatures and the controlling of God his ordinance in these busie times especially deny our seruants and cattell their rest because they had then most neede to cease on the Sabbath day when they most trauaile on the week daies Againe experience teacheth vs that if the weather in this quarter of the yeere be more vnseasonable men are then most readie to vnclaspe their hold on Gods prouidence by their carnal diffidence Again on the other side if the times are more temperate and the fruits of the earth more abundant then we securely hide our hearts in the earth and tying our affections to our enlarged and full fraught barnes wee vomit out our surfetting conceits with the rich man and say O my soule take thy rest thou hast store laid vp for many yeeres and so wee burie our soules in the abundance of our increase But what is it to haue a handfull of corne to gaine therewith a viall of the wrath of God What doth it helpe when the Lord either to correct our sins or make triall of our faith doth send foule weather that a man should blot out the print rub out the marke of Gods worke with such contemptuous disobedience Ought we not rather in such a scarcitie as the Lord appointeth by Ioel to erect a new Sabbath in prayer and fasting than to pull down the old Sabbath by toyling and labouring that the Lord seeing our repentance might stay the windowes of heauen and surceasing from his punishment might leaue some blessing behinde him Now therefore to cure our diffidence to helpe our impatience and to correct our couetousnesse as also to witnes our subiection to the blessed will of God the Lord often sendeth this triall in the time of haruest Againe if according to the largenes of Gods liberalitie we may enlarge our taidour if as the Lord reacheth out his benefits to vs wee ought to reach out our obedience vnto him at what time of the yeere doe men more abundantly receiue God his mercies than now when the prouidence of God commeth to the issue and groweth to a perfect accomplishment when the earth is readie to trauaile and to bring foorth of her bowels whatsoeuer by the blessing of God it hath before receiued and conceiued And consequenly at what time is required of vs a greater measure of thanksgiuing and when doth the Lord more deeply charge vs with a care of his worship than when hee doth as it were surcharge vs with the weight of his benefits If then either the commandement of God may binde vs or the promise of God touch vs either the toyling of our bodies may pitie vs or the distractions of our mindes may moue vs if either the wants of our soules may inforce vs o◠the benefits of God rauish vs we shal confesse that though at all times carefully yet at this time of the yeere most carefully and specially we should prouide for the worship of God the refreshing of our soules the relieuing of our bodies Besides if the calling of iustice which for the worthines of it is more necessarie if the tilling of ground which is a thing more needfull on this day stoope and surcease to giue place to the worship of God then reaping and carting for which neither dignity nor necessitie can so wel be pretended must needes cease and better it is that man should reape somewhat lesse of his priuate gaine than that so deepe a wound should bee stricken into the sides of Gods publike glorie and more conuenient it is that a few should smart than a great many should be offended And yet true it is that our axiome of necessitie hath it vertue as well at this time as at another Howbeit I hope I neede not here put you in mind of the distinction of necessitie present and necessitie imminent the one granted the other denied A present neede requireth a present helpe as an house being fired our aide forthwith is required for that God in this case hath subordinated vs as his Bailiefes and Lieutenants for the preseruation of his creatures But if we presuppose and forecast dangers to come God maketh mens doings dotings and infatuateth their deuises for that seeing he openeth shutteth the windowes of heauen and the closets of water seeing he can make the heauens as brasse and the earth as iron and sendeth the first and the latter raine so these things are not in our hands but in the Lords power who either proueth their faith or punisheth our sinnes and trieth vs whether wee will serue him more sparingly when hee punisheth vs or more securely when he spareth vs. The other question following is of gathering a saffron If men be wise and prouident to serue God the Saffron grounds I thinke may also be so kept as that there will be no such losse as worldly men pretend But if the nature of it be such as some
feele that the seede of God his Spirit may bud foorth that both we and they ioyning together in deuout prayer and Christian practise of our profession may call and allure others as yet further from vs to come neerer to vs. But some will say vnto me I was wont to haue better dispositions and to feele sweeter motions than I haue done of late I profit little or nothing nay I feare rather I goe backe Why I pray you is this I say surely God his spirit worketh not in me as he hath done before because I cannot haue such delight in the word such sweetnes in feruent prayer such ioy in the Sacraments I haue not such a plentifull measure of God his spirit in me Now followeth the second thing in these words Vpon flesh Here are two things in nature opposite one against another the one most pretious the other most vile What more pretious than the Spirit of God what more vile than flesh that is than a man meerely vnregenerate That this word flesh so signifieth it appeareth Genes 6. 3. where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with men because he is but flesh that is such as in whom my image is blotted out And Rom 7. 18. the Apostle saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing In which place the Apostle speaketh of himselfe as of a man meerely naturall and vnregenerate And Ioh. 3. 6. it is said That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Where the antithesis and contrarietie doth shewe the meaning of this word flesh Here then is the depth height length and breadth of God his mercie commended vnto vs in giuing his holie spirit to sinful flesh and therefore we may iustly crie out with the Prophet Psal. 8. 4. what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Oh what is man that the Lord should giue him his Spirit If the man of God cried out thus for the benefit of outward things how much rather are we to crie for the benefit of God his Spirit If Iob in his booke reasoneth that it is a great mercie of God that he will take paines to chastice man how much more mercie is it when he will vouchsafe his Spirit to be giuen vnto him If then flesh is so contemptible a thing that it lieth without all honour vntil God doth send his blessed Spirit here is confuted the doting opinion of the Papists who think that there is some good thing in man which moueth the Lord through a liking and louing of him to bestow these inestimable graces of the spirit on him when as of it selfe it is wholy alwaies and in al things corrupt and onely euill continually Wherein these blinde Diuines shew and bewray themselues not to haue tasted truly at any time of the spirit of God but to glance at it with some glimmering sight to their further condemnatiō as the foolish Philosophers For God his people doe plainly feele and to the glorie of God boldly confesse that there is no first degree or preparation in themselues whereby they might moue the Lord once to cast his fauourable countenance towards them but that it is onely the merit and the vndeserued mercy of God that his spirit which worketh any good proceedings in them doth also begin in them and the same spirit both continueth the worke and maketh a way for the worke which he himselfe must worke vpon afterward It is said Esay 44. 3. I will powre water vpon the thirstie and flouds vpon the drie ground where our nature for barrennes is compared to drie ground and the Spirit to a fountaine of water The Lord moreouer by his Prophet sheweth that vntill by his good spirit he doth soften vs wee haue stonie hearts And can a stone bleede though you bruise cut and breake it in peeces Surely no more can wee bee bruised humbled and broken in heart for sinne be the iudgements of God neuer so sorely vrged vpon vs vntill God by his good spirit touch vs. If it bee then a great worke to turne a stone into flesh to make a thing most insensible most sensible then surely to make a stonie heart fleshie and our hearts that are hardened to melt bleede and to be resolued into teares is a more excellent worke and this is the onely worke of God his spirit And as thus much wee haue spoken for doctrine so also it may make for our consolation and for the comfort of al them that are broken in minde and feele the burthen of their naturall corruption True it is that all generally and naturally are flesh drie ground and hard hearts but all doe not feele this all see not this all lament not this and therefore all that haue not the beginnings of faith and haue not tasted the first fruites of the spirit because they are but flesh how can they feele any thing in themselues But when the spirit commeth that hardnes is taken away the vale is rent and then wee begin to complaine of our deadnes and dulnes then wee will crie out of our selues as of men vnworthie of any grace or fauour of God Then remember to thy comfort the couenant of God made vnto vs that is that God will powre out his spirit on flesh and thou shalt receiue of the power thereof if thou complaine in truth and not as a Parrat counterfeiting the worke of reason For as some birds can counterfeite mens wordes so some men can counterfeite God his words If then thou art not truly moued and purely affected neither feelest such gratious working in thee as thou desirest remember that God will powre his spirit on flesh God will powre waters on drie ground God will soften the hard hearts and though in our selues wee finde no towardnes the Lord will send flouds of water in steed of drinesse and fleshinesse in stead of hardnes and comfort in stead of heauines Now followeth the third thing that is that this benefit shall vniuersally be powred out vpon all And this setteth out the goodnesse of God that doth giue it in that he doth it without respect of persons as well on children as on fathers as well on seruants as on masters as well on women as on men as well on young as on olde together with the fourth thing in that this heauenly gift shall in plentifull measure bee powred out in that the ions and daughters shall prophecie the young men shall see visions and the olde men shall dreame dreames Wherein we obserue first the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell betweene the Fathers vnder the Law and those that are vnder the Gospell We grant that we al had one substance of faith and repentance only they looked for Christ to come we to Christ alreadie come And here are to be noted two other differences the one that then the spirit was giuen to
by the moysture of the word And thus much shall be sufficient for those reports which arise of some iust ground and occasion The last poynt to be haÌ„dled in this whole case is to see what vse must be made of those reports which be altogether false and haue neither ground nor good begining For it may come to passe when a man hath auoyded euill and done good when he hath shunned the occasion of euill and done all good with a cheerefull heart yet he may be very ill reported of and his good name hindered Now if this doth befall any man hee must know that it is the Lords doing and that the Lord doth it either to correct sinne or else to preuent it The Lord I say doth by this meanes correct sinne sometimes either in the same kinde or in some other In the same kinde he dealeth thus hee suffereth thee to be counted an adulterer yet thou dost now liue chastly and hatest filthie sinne but then he seeth that thou hast either been an adulterer and hast not repented at all or if thou hast suddenly repented yet now thou beginnest to faile to coole in the hatred of that sinne Againe if after examination thou finde thy selfe cleere in that sinne yet knowe that the Lord by that report doth correct some sinne quite contrarie vnto it as if thou shouldest be accused because thou louest not thy wife whereas indeed thou louest her too well or otherwise he causeth thee to be counted an adulterer that thereby thou maist be brought to see thy couetous heart And to say all in one word we shall neuer make true vse of reports vntill we haue been brought to see repent of some particular sinne which either we saw not before or else had not throughly repented of Furthermore it may come to passe that we hauing done all good duties auoyded all euill examined our repentance euen for particular sinnes yet shall we be euill spoken of amongst men Here we must know that the Lord by reports doth forewarne vs of euill to come We are reported of to be of the Familie of loue hereby we are forewarned to take heede that wee fall not into that sinne and so forth of other reports When any such reports are carried about of vs we must be made so much the more warie that we fall not into that sinne And according to the Apostles rule we must labour to finish the course of our saluation in feare which that we may doe the Lord graunt for his Christs sake to whom be praise for euer in the Church Amen FINIS OF HVMILITIE THE FIFTH SERMON Prouerbs 18. 12. Before destruction the heart of man is hautie and before glorie goeth lowlinesse THis Scripture agreeth well with that of our Sauiour Christ Whosoeuer exaltâ—th himselfe shall be brought low and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted as also with the testimonie oâ— the Apostles of Christ God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the humble Examples further to proue this are pleÌ„tifull in the word whether we looke to the godly or to the wicked And first we shall see how a hauty minde goeth before destruction by Adam Eue our first parents who for that they could not content themselues of all creatures of the earth to be most excellent but through an hautie aspiring minde desired to be like God the Creator in heauen were cast down into a miserable estate and did suffer both in themselues their posteritie the shame of so horrible sin When the mighty men of the earth willing to haue gotten the glory of all ages to come by some noble enterprise had in the pride of their hearts purposed to erect a tower to heauen so to haue been accounted fathers of great renowne The Lord meeteth with them where they looked for most glory there he recompenceth so arrogant atteÌ„pts with most coÌ„fusion At what time proud Pharaoh thirsted most for the destruction of the Israelites promising vnto himselfe the triumph of so great an ouerthrow behold contrarie to his hope the triumph most gloriously was returned to Gods people but the terror and shame was rewarded to Pharaoh and all his company That hauty minded Hâ—man accounting of nothing surer than the executing of Mordecâ—i and the death of the Iews through the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God was hanged shamefully vpon the same gallowes which he had prouided for another Again Nebuchadnezzar aduauÌ„cing himselfe as a Monarch and peerlesse prince in his glorious palace not long after had the heart of a beast giuen him for a time had his portion among the beasts of the field If we peruse the histories both of the Kings of Israel the Princes of Iuda we shall see how Amâ—ziah refusing to heare the Prophets prospered not but continuing in that contempt suffering himselfe to be puft vp in his owne pride was brought to the gate of destruction As also how Achaâ— growing in some disdaine after his victorious conquest and nothing fearing the time that was to come eueÌ„ in his deepest policie receiued the foulest foyle To shut vp this matter we know that when Herod seemed to haue wonne the garland and by a solemne oration to haue caried away the praise of God and not of man because he challenged the whole glory to himselfe robbed God of his honour was most shamefully dishonoured and fearefully deuoured with lâ—ce consuming his bowels Neâ—ther are we â—o obserue this in the wicked alone who when they looked for greatest glorie had the greatest shame but in the godly also as Abraham Asa Hezekiah Dauid who when they were most humbled were most exalted and when they thought themselues to be most exâ—lted were most humbled Asa notwithstanding he had some season continued constant in the reformation of religion falling at the length to reprehend the Prophet declining from his former humilitie fell into sicknes in his sicknes trusting to the help of man more than to the Lord receiued the sentence of death and to saue his soule by cutting off his daies it pleased God to visite him in the flesh Hezekiah obtaining his health and hauing receiued a glorious deliuerance from the host of Zâ—nacharib in that he rendered not the glory due to the Lord receiued not long after heauie tidings how both he and his linage should descend captiues into Babel Iosiah that holy paterne of godly princes not asking couÌ„sell at the mouth of the Lord when he should enter battell was mercifully punished in this life that he might escape the fearfull punishment of the wiâ—ked in the life to come Dauid thinking in his prosperitie to be builded vpon an vnremouable rocke and to be as a walled citie suspecting nothing and being out of the watch he fell into a grieuous sin whereby the latter part of his life was more reprochful than glorious The Apostle Peter after he was exalted to
and Church of God And thus we might goe through all points of religion for men before were altogether superstitious and now they are become wholy prophane Wherefore miserable was their estate before but now most miserable dangerous damnable I say is the estate of our age wherein those that serue God best and walk most carefully in their callings are accounted mad and franticke precise fooles on the other side they which are altogether dissolute secure in discharging their duties are taken for the wisest men and this commeth to passe because men doe not consider that saying of the Apostle 1. Thess 5. verse Brethren we beseech you that you know them which labour amongst you and are ouer you in the Lord that you haue them in singular loue for their workes sake This changing of sinne may also be seene in yong men of the Vniuersitie who in their youth did liue altogether dissolute in their behauiour but being strickē in yeeres they account gaine to be godlinesse and so farre foorth as religion may serue to inrich them so farre are they professors thereof These and such like haue not as yet made a sale of sinne but a change Sathan as yet goeth further moues some men to make a more dangerous exchange than this and bringeth them from one extremitie vnto another For many being before giuen to worke wickednes that with greedinesse and to commit most grosse sins now forsaking that outward wicked course are so puffed vp in the pride of their spirit that they are become such new men as it were thinking too well of themselues they runne on into the other extremitie in seeking after those things which are aboue their reach by whose wickednesse it commeth to passe that the good graces of God oftentimes fall to the ground and the children of God fare the worse for them and thus we see that many doe not so much fell as change their sinnes But it must be otherwise with vs if we meane to obtaine this treasure we must so part with corrupt religion that we admit no false sects and heresies we must so giue ouer wickednesse and corrupt manners that from hence forwards we returne not vnto them and we must as the Scripture requireth forsake a shew of profession of religion and come vnto a strict practise thereof Secondly all sinne and not some must be forsaken and sold of him who will enioy this treasure many can be content to relinquish some sinnes but not all Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly and was content to giue eare vnto him preaching repentance for when Iohn tol◠him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife then he would not heare him any longer but cast him into prison and caused him to be beheaded The yong man in the Gospell had sold many sins had many good thoughts in him insomuch as it is said Marke 10. and 24. verse that Iesus loued him but when Christ told him that if he would follow him he must leaue his riches then he chused rather to depart from Christ than from his riches Ananias and Saphira Acts. 5. had many good things in them so that they sold their possessions and laid part of the price thereof at the Apostles feete but dissembling with the Apostles distrusting the prouidence of God they kept back some part of the price of their possessions wherfore through the ministerie of Peter they both were presently depriued of their liues Iudas also no doubt had many good things in him otherwise Christ would not haue made him an Apostle neither could it be but that hearing Christ so long he should reape some commoditie thereby but yet he did secretly inueigle the goods of the Church and did purchase vnto himselfe not this field wherein the treasure was but as it is said of him a field of blood And thus we see that there is a partiall and not a totall forsaking of sinnes in men But such men must know that they haue not done enough to obtaine this treasure in leauing some faults and holding some For it is true which the Apostle Iames saith 2. and 10 verse Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all This the Apostle prooueth by an example as if a man haue respect of persons then he is vnmercifull towards him whom he regardeth not Now vnmercifulnesse is referred vnto murther and he that said Thou shalt not commit adulterie said also Thou shalt not kill now though thou doest not commit adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the law They therfore which make an outward shew of Religion but still keepe sinne in their hearts such must know that if they keepe sinne in part they shall leese grace in whole wherefore our sinnes must be left not some but all not partially but totally Thirdly men must sell sinne at once and for euer and not for a moment or a short time And herein we may easily see that many men haue rather left sinne for a season than throughly repented them thereof and therefore it commeth to passe with them that they doe returne with the dogge vnto the vomit and with the sow which was washed vnto the wallowing in the mire Now if any man aske what the reason is that some men after that they haue escaped the filthinesse of the world are yet againe entangled therein I answere because such men neuer came vnto a sound griefe for their sinnes And hence it is that many being renewed and endued with some gifts of grace yet being defiled with inward pride and lust of the heart and not labouring with might and maine to be deliuered thereof become much worse than they were before The repentance of many who haue beene Papists Atheists and whose liues haue beene stained with fornication hurts of their brethren or some other grosse faults is onely that they haue left those sinnes but such men neuer attaining vnto true remorse for their sins fall therefore into them againe or into worse if it be possible to whom the Apostle Iames chapt 4. saith Clense your hands you sinners and purge your hearts you wauering minded suffer afflictions and sorrow and weepe let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Where the Apostle sheweth that it is not enough for man hauing offended with the harlots hauing done amisse to wipe their mouthes to come vnto the Church but they hauing displeased the Lord must weepe mourne vntill they come to sound griefe and such as is answerable to the measure of their sinnes For grieuous sinnes must be repented of with great griefe euen as sore diseases must be cured with sharpe medicines And as it is in Zacharie the twelfth Men must mourne for their sinnes as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be sorie for them as one is sorie for the death of his first borne There must be
our wicked deedes our vnfauorie words but also the fountaine of al these euen our corrupt nature our vnbridled and vntamed affections our heart which is wonderfull faultie may be made knowne vnto vs that we may come to make conscience of our very thoughts because the thoughts are grieuous breaches of the law of God who being a Spirit hath made a law for our heart for our thoughts for our soule and conscience and thus being very loth in the sight of God to offend by thoughts vaine and vngodly to striue with our flesh and to haue our affections subdued to the spirit that so our heart being reformed all our members may bee conformable in euery respect to the will and commandement of Almightie God And thus farre must we be humbled if we will be truly humbled before the Lord. And truly if wee be not rightly humbled before the Lord we can hardly haue any assurance that wee are the children of God For without this humbling of vs hauing had some taste of the promises of God wee for the most part resemble the corne that our Sauiour speaketh of sowen in the stonie groūd which for a time flourished that is made a faire face as many hypocrites can doe now But hauing no roote nor nothing at all in truth they shew themselues how vnable they are to stand because they haue no deepnes of ground the seede of the word neuer begun nor rooted in their hearts So that we must be truly hūbled before the Lord and the word must be permitted to rip and lay open vnto vs the very secrets and thoughts of the heart Now those which see and feele their sinnes and are alreadie humbled more especially are humbled either by preaching of the law vnto them or else by affliction Affliction is either of the body or of the minde of these the Lord sometime to humble vs doth send the one sometime the other sometime both and all to humble vs before his Maiesty when as he seeth by reason of the corruption of our nature that the preaching of the law is not sufficient to humble vs to strike that terror into our hearts which might make vs duely prepared to receiue into our hearts the sweete and comfortable promises made to vs in Christ that it might be so rooted that it might still grow vp euen to the full ripe and perfitage of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ because I say our louing father seeth that the law will not suffice vs therefore it pleaseth him in mercie who will leaue no way vnassayed for the saluation of his children to prepare vs by afflicting vs which can not by the hearing of his law be truly prepared Now if affliction bee such a notable thing and the Lord worketh euen eternall life thereby oftentimes to those whom hee hath elected and called to bee his how louingly ought they to embrace it to whom the Lord so fatherly doth offer it and how patiently and chearefully ought they to beare it in asmuch as they thereby may assure themselues that God hath seuered them from the world and from those on whom he meaneth to shew no mercie in the day of his wrath And as for those whom the Lord as yet hath laid no scourge vpon them let them not long for it but let them lay the law of God and the threatnings thereof vnto their hearts to humble them thereby It is better to be humbled thereby than by affliction and yet better by affliction than not at all To commend affliction and to mislike of preaching of the law is as though one should commend a sore and dangerous purgation and mislike a good diet A good diet is able and it is the ordinarie meanes appointed of God to procure and conserue health which as many of vs as are not vnwise will obserue Now if for want of discretion or for greedie desire we neglect this and so by gathering together of ill and noysome humors within vs we endanger our life yet to saue our life wee will suffer the working of the most strong purgation that the Physition shall prescribe vs so the law that is the ordinarie meanes to make vs apt to heare the word of peace and saluation and ought of vs to be obserued and applied vnto vs that we may thereby be preserued rather than by affliction yet if our mercifull Lord and only Physition of our soule shall with tender compassion looke vpon our sores and shall see the maladie of our soule to bee incurable without the strong purgation of affliction then ought we euen with good courage to take it except we will suffer and see our endlesse vexation So purgation is good but it is more wisedome to obserue diet and affliction is profitable but if the law might take place effectually that were needelesse Let vs take heed therefore we deceiue not ourselues in thinking that affliction is the only meanes to bring vs to God and so neglect the due preparing by the law till time of affliction We see that is the meanes rather than this and affliction indeede is the curse of God Now the curse of God is the verifying of his lawe and though it please God to blesse it as he doth alwayes to his children for all things turne to the best to them that loue him yet ought it not to be the meanes to humble vs rather than the other The end of affliction and of threatning both is to humble vs and therefore it were better to be humbled by threatning than by experience of punishment for the threats of the law may doe this as well as affliction if we be not vnwise In our selues we may haue some testimonie of our true humbling in time of affliction yet is it hard to say for others whether one which now feeleth the hand of God vpon him and neuer felt any token of Gods displeasure before be either truly humbled for his sinnes for which he is afflicted or seemeth to be humbled because of the paine that he abideth Therefore euen he that is afflicted ought to examine his own soule whether he be truly humbled and feele within himselfe euen a griefe that hee hath so diuersly prouoked God to plague him acknowledging Gods vnspeakeable mercie and long suffering that he long ere this did not cleane consumne him least otherwise the diuel deceiue him as he hath done diuers who for a time seemed to bee humbled because of the heate of their griefe but afterwards when the Lord hath staied his hand they shew what their humbling was they turne againe to sinne as a dogge to his vomit and as a sow that is washing to her wallowing in the mire But as for him that feeleth the weight and burthen of his sinnes and Gods displeasure for sinne and euen groneth as it were vnder the burthen of sinne he may finde a heauenly comfort and assurance of the fauour of God for if thou seest a man truly humbled him will I consider saith the Lord.
How can this be by what meanes possible should this be so and therefore the Lord suffereth them to miscarrie in iudgement and punisheth them in their affections Thus we see how the man of God doth strengthen him and vs by faith in beleeuing that God is righteous and his iudgements to be righteous and that euery part of them is most righteous iust and true wherefore our Sauiour Christ in his holy Gospell vseth so often Doest thou beleeue beleeue and thou shalt be made whole according to thy faith be it done vnto thee which he doth to shew vs our incredulitie Wherefore we must pray Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe Lord increase my faith that beleeuing thy iudgements I may feare thee beleeuing thy mercies promises I may be comforted beleeuing the things thou commandest I may do them beleeuing the things which thou forbiddest I may auoide them Verse 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word LEt vs here trie our faith which perswade our selues to haue such faith behold here is a triall True it is that to all is not giuen the like measure of faith vnto some are giuen tenne talents vnto some fiue vnto some two neither haue all grounds like measure of seede nor render againe like measure of increase for some ground according as it hath receiued bringeth fourth one an hundreth fold some sixtie some thirtie fold according to the good wil and wisedome of our God Neither must we thinke that it is required of vs that we cannot otherwise be faithfull and zealous vnlesse we euen consume away or our eyes gush out with riuers of waters for we must not thinke that it was so in the Prophet himselfe as though riuers of teares were in his head or that he was vtterly pined away but rather they are figuratiue speeches to shew some rare zeale and notable kinde of sorrowing in him Now whatsoeuer exhortation is to be drawne from hence it will little auaile vs vnlesse we beleeue that there is no one thing here in this Psalme but in some measure it is to be performed of euery Christian. For politike men caÌ„not profit by such things because they doe not thinke that it containeth any generall doctrine but rather that it is a particular doctrine But seeing this Psalme is the type and image of a regenerate man and no one treatise so fully and wholie though peraduenture some whole booke may doe it expresseth the same and yet so that neither the man of God as with a trumpet doth blow forth his owne praise nor womanishly painteth fourth his owne miseries by moanes and complaints but aduanceth Gods glorie and putteth vs in minde what graces of God should be in vs and humbleth himselfe and sheweth vs what infirmities raigne in vs. What then will some say meane these speeches My soule fainteth mine eyes failed mine heart breaketh my soule cleaueth to the ground my soule melteth mine eyes gush out with riuers of water What say they appertaineth it to vs that he saith Seuen times a day doe I praise thee I preuented the morning light and cried mine eyes preuented the night watches I opened my mouth and panted how sweete are thy promises to my mouth yea more than honey vnto my mouth I am like a bottle in the smoke I haue remembred thy name in the night the law of thy 〈…〉 better vnto me than thousands of gold and siluer I haue had as great delight in thy â—estimâ—â—iâ—s as in all manner of riches I loue thy commundements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold â— râ—â—oyce at thy word as one that findeth a great spoyle These were extraordinarie things and we haue not to deale with them To answere these we may see the same doctrine in other persons and in other places of the booke of God Iob. 33. Elihu there declareth that the Lord speaketh diuers times vnto men but they see it not if they profit not by the word he sendeth them afflictions if they profit not thereby he will send one among a thousand to shew his mercies vnto them Psal. 14. God speaketh once or twice and one seeth it not c. 23. If there be a messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto mâ—n his righteousnes then will he haue mercie vpon him and will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation then shall his flesh be as fresh as a childs and shall returne as in the daies of his youth And though the Lord punished not grosse sinnes in Iob yet he punished incredulitie impatience selfe-loue vaine glorie in him for though Iob were a good man yet he stood in some neede of greater mortification The Apostle Paul sheweth that the wrath of God should fall on the Corinthians if they presumed without due examination of themselues to eate the body and blood of Christ that from thence came sudden deaths and vnnaturall deaths languishing and pining diseases 1. Cor. 11. For this cause saith the Apostle many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged So he speaketh this of the Corinthians which were learned men who had great knowledge and excelled in many good gifts as he himselfe reporteth of them and yet he sheweth them this truth Neither do these things especially and onely come for sinne but more particularly for the trying of faith prouing and perfecting of patience although afterward it may be for punishing of sins by degrees for euen in the triall of faith and prouing of patience is also a secret punishing of sin Wherefore we must not suffer for a while but euen to the shedding of our blood and spending of our liues as witnesseth the author to the Heb. chap. 12. where the Apostle hauing set down in the chapter going before a register of the fathers in the old Church and of their workes whereof some may also seeme to be extraordinarie although indeed they be alleaged but as fruites of their faith inferreth in the 12. chapter this exhortation Heb. 12 1. Wherefore let vs also seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloude of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth downe let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs 2. looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame c. 4. Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood striuing against sinne and ye haue forgotten the consolation which speaketh vnto you as vnto children c. Here the Lord sheweth the faith and gifts of his Saints declaring that he would bestow on vs the like graces according to that proportion which he thinketh good In that they are called witnesses it was because they gaue witnesse to the truth of Gods promises and to shew how the Lord would enable sinfull flesh thus
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
must haue it fresh 5 It is our fault too much to commend euery trifle our tongues are our owne we call euill good if one bee not an open offender so that hee drawe not his sinne after him with cart-roapes though we see neither zeale nor feare of God in all his wayes wee tremble not to call him a good man In our flattering lippes we speake nothing but superlatiues and thinke otherwise we commend not a thing to any purpose But in the Dialect of the holie Ghost it is not so he is no giuer of titles and yet this much of his mouth is more then seuen swelling hyperboles from a vaine man This word good is his emphasis and in this word he expresseth matter of most high commendation If we should take vpon vs to speake of the workmanship of the Lord in the creation of heauen and earth and the Hosts of them both would we not vse the statelyest words in all our store Nay could we find any words stately enough to expresse them I tell you nay but they are able to swallow vp our vnderstanding and to make our tongues cleaue to the roofe of our mouth And yet the holie Ghost reporting the creation of them all as of Light which is saith Iob the Lords rose of estate of darknes which is the swadling bands of the Day the out-going of the Euening and Morning and declaring how he powred out the Heauens like molten glasse and set vp the firmament as a water ouer vs how he laid the beams of his chamber in the waters how he railed in the proud Seas with barres and doores and planted plaines in the midst of it how he lighted those euerlasting Cressets the Sunne and the Moone and gaue charge to the Starres not to faile in their watch telling how he created the clowds to be the bottles of heauen and diuided spouts in them for the raine how he laid vp his treasures of Snow and of haile and prepared the Forge for his Lightnings and Thunder describing the creation of Plants from the Cedar of Libanus to the hysop that groweth by the wall of birds from the Ostrich to the flie of beasts from Behemoth and Leuiathan to the little Emeâ— And last of all Man the Countie Palatine of the whole world and of the passing Wisedome in his reynes these workes be highly to be commended if any thing be to be highly commended to be magnified if any thing be to be magnified in all these the holy Ghost neither riseth nor falleth but this word serueth him throughout and God saw it was good and why not excellent good but that we might know his word is mightie in the simplicitie thereof and that what he calleth good is excellent good Yea heauen and earth may be glad of it seeing the word of God whereof one iote is of more price then they both that the word Hebr. 6. is called the good word of God and to stoppe the mouthes of them that will teach the holy Ghost Rhetoricke Christ himselfe Iohn 10. entituleth himselfe no otherwise but the good Shepheard And good was thought good enough for him and doe we yet require a more stately commendation 6 The Calling of the Ministerie is an alluring Calling and as I may say a Calling that calleth men vnto it a louely Calling such a Calling as the beames of it are able to rauish an eye yet some being to marrie this Virgin thinke her but hard fauoured and therefore before hand will be sure of a good portion with her or els they will none of her but she is full of grace euen downe to the feete in their eyes that loue her and full of Maiesty terrour euen to the dust of her feete vnto al them that despise her which more respect the reward than the worke but this I confesse withall that our eyes are so dazled with the golden stone and the horsseaches daughter Giue Giue cries so in our eares and euer since Adam did eate the apple all the mouthes of his posteritie are so out of taste that we can neither heare nor see nor taste any thing that good is True it is that if we looke vpon this calling with an eye of flesh it lookes euen like Christ for all the world Esay chap. 53. like a withered branch and like a roote in the drie ground and there is neither beautie nor fauour in it that we should desire it I am sure the eye of a carnall man can see no good in it vnlesse it be good to cleane vnto the Lord or it is good for me that I haue beene afflicted and such like which are like pilles and will not to die for it downe with a carnall man Well Christ saith this Calling is good We see what is thought in heauen of this Calling Howsoeuer it be shut vp in contempt of the men of this generation that though they say not it is not good yet by shrinking from it they proclayme so louder than a trumpet that they thinke it is not good Let them laugh we know that euen an Asse if she could laugh would laugh at any whosoeuer he were that eateth not thistles Let them iudge when mans iudgement is done we shall receiue the fruite of a better Fountaine Let them spoyle Church-liuings and deuoure the Lords portion let them swell with disdaine and burst with contempt against vs a blessed contempt it is that fashioneth these dayes of my vanitie into the similitude of the age of Christ. Christ doth not onely say this Calling is good but he hath magnified this Calling in his own Person He himselfe saith Paul Roman chapter 15. verse 8. was a Minister of the Circumcision with vs. The Princes themselues haue no greater honour than to ouersee the Church The best day that euer Dauid liued was when in a linnen Ephod he daunced before the Arke and that was the day that he weepeth and panteth to remember Psalme 42. Salomon the wisest richest mightiest and most glorious among the sonnes of men Ecclesiastes or Preacher was the crowne and beautie of his honour and aboue all titles of kingdomes and countries this was most honourable Salomon the Preacher But what are men or what are Kings or Princes in respect of Angels Yet euen these glorious Spirits the whole host of Angels whether they be Dominions Principalities or Powers the highest Honours they haue the proudest Title they boast of is to be Ministring Spirits If he be an Angell he hath no greater glory And who art thou and what is thy fathers house that canst farme vnto thy selfe greater Honour than to serue the Lord in this busines These arguments might moue vs but aboue all arguments take this The Sonne of God before whom euen the very Cherubins couer their faces spent his life in this Calling and shall a peece of clay a man a stinking worme so farre exalt himselfe in his birth in his riches in his
the Canker-worme hath eaten that which the Canker-worme hath left the Caterpiller hath eaten they haue spoyled the Church from hand to hand Wherefore it behoueth those places that haue so cast the Lord out to labour the haruest may be recouered and that the branches be new planted that the holds cast down may be reedified and that the vines decaied may be repaired For want whereof euerie priuate mans field being as a garden and euerie mans garden being as a Paradise the Lords garden whether for want of manuring or for the sleeping of the dressers I know not lyeth like the field of the sluggish man and his vineyard like the vineyard of one that is idle And where euery house is curiously sieled euery citie aptly compacted the house of the Lord whether for that the spirituall workmen are confounded among themselues or the ouerseers of the worke be willingly corrupted lieth void waste in many places so that they that see it are constrained to say O Lord why doest thou behold vs thus and sufferest to see such vastation Neither yet shall the voyce of the enemie crying in the day of reuenge race it race it downe to the ground strike vs with such a terror as when violence shall come vpon vs our wiues our children without all respect of age and estate It is not possible that we in our great securitie should cōceiue a shadow of that inexplicable griefe which shall follow that persecuting plague hastning towards vs when the carkases of our friends shall make a way and be as a path in our streets when our women shall villainously be abused in the Lords Sion the children put to the edge of the sword the Princes hanged vp by the hands no sparing shall be of sexe or of age and besides so outragious a rage when our foes shall come to tread as holy ground where the glorie of God his house should strike them stone dead when their sword should be abashed and lose it glittering when it should see the Maiestie of the Lord in his Ministers and Preachers This is a matter of griefe and indignation for the harmelesse blood powred out by the king of Babel on the ground being compared to the blood of the Saints shed by the Pope it would be but as a spoonfull in respect of the Sea When this moodie Tigre comes he will pretend that he rootes out heresie but then why doth he suck the blood of infants who are not capable of heresie Well if this be his intent to roote out heresie is the sword a fit instrument to do it Paul and Peter and the rest of that blessed colledge and Christ himselfe put many notable heretikes to silence by the force of reason and not by dint of sword Was it Christ his meaning that the successor of Peter should draw out his sword when Peter himselfe was bidden to put it vp And yet this royall Priest and Bishop generally will drowne the Church in her own blood And do we not see how the guides Pastors and ouerseers of the Church are driuen out of sundry places where this Bishop hath set his foote whose harts could haue bene better contented at once to haue sealed their doctrine with their blood than to be separated from them to whose soules they had deuoted themselues An heauie farewell no doubt they took of their congregations when as we reade of some who filled their high waies with their beasts laid their children at the feet of the Pastors whē they departed from them crying vnto them What shall be our estate now ye are gone to martyrdome Who shall wash our children in the cristall waters of Baptisme Who shall ease our afflicted consciences when the aduersary shal accuse vs Who shall leade vs the way of life and bring our soules to rest Recompence them O Lord as they haue deserued that are the cause of this O Lord giue them sad harts So heauy a crosse will it be to see an irremediable desolatiō of holy things we know not yet the bitternes of this cup yet we haue them amōg vs which haue tasted it whom let vs entertaine with Ioseph with teares of mercie and let vs in their suites say to the Lord they haue beholden miserie O Lord cause them to behold the light of thy louing countenance for their reliefe comfort So be it 17 It is the great iudgement of God vpon the corrupt iudgement of the world that vnlesse sinne be prodigious and monstrous such as goe round about the world we are not mooued with it When we admonish other sinnes of iesting and such like forsooth we must smile when we doe so and we must laugh vpon them least we moue choler and giue offence Well for all sinne in equall measure and for the least of all sinnes Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was faine to shed his precious blood Howsoeuer sinne seemeth little to vs in committing it was very great to Christ in suffering for it They be small sins to vs which are vsuall to all but if they were not vsuall they would seeme prodigious 18 All the senses especially the eyes as they are most singular instruments to receiue good things by if they by Gods spirit be directed so if they be not well ordered do bring greatest euils and therefore Dauid prayeth that his eyes might be guided aright and Iob maketh a couenant with his eyes vnder which the other parts are included as also when Dauid maketh a couenant with his mouth Ioseph his mistresse first offended in looking without a cause for the wantonnesse of vaine lookes bewray the corruption of the heart we must then striue to haue a lawfull cause of all our doings that so we may be assured of Gods prouidence to watch ouer vs least if any harme happen vnto vs we be the iust occasion thereof Secondly she offended in not keeping a measure for whosoeuer seeth his owne corruptions truely will be afraid of the very appearance of euill as Iob although he was neuer adulterer yet priuie to his corruption he made a couenant with his eyes Iosephs mistresse spake to him day by day and he refuseth she abideth stil in her euill purpose but he still refuseth her and here is the difference betweene Gods children and the wicked the one continueth still in wickednesse and would haue all others such the other perseuere in godlinesse and would bring all men to the same she was conuinced of her fault and yet sorrowed not but continued Where note the oftner sinne the lesse griefe a note of the children of the diuell But contrarily the oftner sinne the more griefe a note of the child of God Ioseph was young about thirtie foure yeeres and yet chast contrarie to those that say fornication is but a tricke of youth Ioseph was entised and yet yeelded not a signe of a pure heart for although temptations be offered of those yet it proceedeth of our corruption