a sharpe sword That they are corrupt and become abhominable that there is none that doth good no not one And where ruleth all this euill that wee haue thus purchased to our woe O further griefe our bodies our soules our mindes our willes our harts our hands our feete and our whole man is corrupted sinne hath entered ouer all and by sinne Satan as Lord and King ruleth ouer all till this other kingdome come that here wee pray for For eratis tenebrae sayth the Apostle Ye were darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord. And more plainly before hauing their vnderstāding darkned being strāgers frō the life of God through that ignorāce that is in them c. Therefore you see the minde corrupted Of the hart and will it was sayd before that the imaginations of the thoughts thereof are onely euill continually And out of the hart now sayth our Sauiour proceede euill thoughts murders adulteries fornications theftes false witnesse sclaunders and this is stuffe that defileth the man With a thousand places moe crying out of the waywardnesse of mans hart and will the crookednesse stifnesse and stubbornnesse of it against the Lord all good Of the whole man sayth the Apostle Noui quod in me hoc est in carne mea non est bonum I know that in me that is in my flesh there is no good Our mouth our feete our throte our eyes and all are charged with their faultes in the worde of the Lord. That free will that was in man to doe good it is gone sayth Sainct Austen and homo malè vtens libero arbitrio se perdidit arbitrium Man abusing his free will lost both himselfe and it And now is it true that wee are not able to thinke a good thought as of our selues but both to will and to performe is of the Lord. Now is it true that our Sauiour sayd sine me nihil potestis facere without me you can doe nothing Non dixit sine me difficulter aliquid potestis aut sine me non potestis aliquid magni facere sed nihil potestis c. He did not say sayth S. Austen without me you can hardly doe any thing or you can not doe any great matter but simply and flatly you can doe nothing Meaning in spirituall matters for herein quid habes quod non accepisti what hast thou that thou hast not receiued Gratia dei sum quod sum By the grace of God I am that I am whatsoeuer it be if it be good And to goe no further in this sorte now must man and woman bee they neuer so righteous crie out vppon their vnrighteousnesse and hide their faces from the iudgement of the Lord if he should out of the comfort prouided for them seeke to iudge them Dauid the deere one of the Lord and a man according to his owne hart yet must confesse of himselfe with woe Beholde I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunts O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh liuing bee iustified The great Prophet Esayas must say Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes Mary the virgin blessed amongst women must reioyce in her Sauiour and not in her selfe and so all others whatsoeuer For we are fallen Our lyfe that shoulde haue bene so pleasant beholde how bitter heauy and miserable Great trauell is created for all men an heauy yoke vpon the sonnes of Adam from the day that they go out of their mothers wombe till the day that they returne to the mother of all thinges Namely their thoughts feare of the heart and their imagination of the things they wayte for and the day of death from him that sitteth vppon the glorious throne vnto him that is beneath in the earth and ashes from him that is clothed in blewe silke and weareth a crowne euen to him that is clothed in simple linnen wrath and enuy trouble and vnquietnes and feare of death and rigour and strife in the tyme of rest the sleepe in the night vpon his bed change his knowledge A litle or nothing is his rest and afterwarde in sleeping he is as in a watch tower in the day he is troubled with the visions of his hart as one that runneth out of a battel c. Our daies that should haue ben without end now are few full of wo for life we haue got death for pleasure payne for good euill for heauen hell for endlesse ioye eternall woe O dreadfull fall Thus created then innocent God ruled but thus fallen from that innocencie Satan ruleth and wee are as hath bene sayd by nature the children of wrath walking after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre that is the Deuill But the Lord is gracious and his mercy indureth for euer there remaineth therefore hope by a restitution or regeneration which the Scripture teacheth vs thus much of namely That whereas Satan abuseth that corrupt nature of ours through the great power which hee hath ouer vs for our sinnes and driueth vs from the worde and all religion into all blindnesse ignorance and errors thrusteth vs into diuers miseries and calamities in the end into eternal death there being where he ruleth no true loue of God or any grace but sinning without sting touch or feeling the Lorde our God in a contrary course of loue where it pleaseth him beginneth with that corruption of nature wherby Satan before was strong and taketh it away by litle and litle begetting vs anew to a better life and restoring that Image of his in vs againe whereunto we were first created and which so fearfully we were fallen from Our minde hee illuminateth with some heauenly light whereby it beginneth to know aright God grace our will receiueth a new strength to imbrace the worde to rest in it and to incline it selfe to the testimonies of the Lord. Our heart is purged and loueth the Lorde and all the members of the body before the weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne becomme by measure the weapons of righteousnesse vnto God So sinne dyeth grace liueth and wee loue him feare him trust in him pray to him often and in all our wants with such like This is nowe the kingdome of grace this is that wee pray for here immediatly The kingdom of glory is that happy and eternall estate which followeth in heauen after this life which we also pray for here but mediatly as wee say that is when the kingdome of grace in this world is ended Thus much being sayd then for plainenes of these three kingdomes the kingdom of power of grace and of glory as also of which of them the petition is meant So now what we pray in plaine words namely thus much O Lord subdue vnto thy maiestie all power of
renew vs and then is it not I but the grace of God in me sayth the Apostle but this doctrine hath bene sufficiently touched before What will of God is here meant for I haue heard that it is diuersly propouÌ„ded vnto vs though one and the same simple vnto him or in respect of him You haue heard right and to make this speech as plaine as I can you must vnderstand that the will of God is sayd to bee of two sorts to wit hidden and reueiled The first for that it is so is in Scripture resembled to a depth and it is vnsearchable of man Wee cry out of it with the Apostle O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements his waies past finding out And with the Prophet Dauid Thy rightuousnesse is like the mightie mountaines Thy iudgments are like the great deepe We say of it That no man presume herein to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie For curiositie in this behalfe the Lord misliketh we plainly see When his Apostles asked him of the restoring of the kingdome of Israel when he would doe it then or no wée know he smot them for this entring into the hidden will of God and tolde them that it was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power When Peter asked the Lord of that other disciple hic autem quid Lord what shall this man doe Remember how the Lord answered this curiositie of defence to know this hidden will and tolde him that if hee would haue him tarie till he came what was that to him let him doe that which he knew to be done So that this will of God is not to bee pried into in a busie and curious impietie of minde as many wicked ones doe that by most horrible meanes euen by spirits and deuilles seeking to pull out of heauen and wrest from the Lord as they thinke his secretes before the time Forgetting quite what the great seruant of the Lorde Moses sayde touching this thing namely that the secret matters belong to the Lorde our GOD but the things reueiled belong to vs and to our children for euer that we may do them This wil of God is called secret or hidden for two causes First because it is so in déed to all men till such time as God manifest by euents what he hath appoynted to euery one In respect whereof S. Iames willeth euery man to put in this condition if the Lord will and if wee liue to doe this or that Secondly because the reason of the Lords will thus or thus when it is manifested for the most part is not comprehended of man but hidden in himself As why he chose Iacob refused Esau why he put Saule away from the kingdome for one offence and not Dauid for many with such like Onely this we knowe with the Apostle that he hath mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and whom he will he hardeneth And this his will is our stay What then is mans duetie in respect of this will Surely as hath bene sayd non est curiosè inuestiganda sed adoranda it is not to bee sifted but highly reuerenced and tâ—ll the tyme come that y e Lord reueile it by effects in generall thus to be disposed in my selfe that whatsoeuer this hidden will of the Lord be concerning me whether to liue or dye to be poore or rich to bee high or lowe in this worlde in the same I rest and am contented let the Lord that made mee doe with me and dispose of me at his pleasure And then afterwarde when the Lorde shall reueile it by effects much more to rest in it and giue him thankes howesoeuer it is taking with good Iob euen euill thinges at the Lords hands aswell as good that is sowre as well as sweete and lowring lots as well as smiling dayes Blessing the name of the Lord that hath taken what before hee gaue and yet dealeth with vs but in mercy euer Doe wee pray that this will may bee done No. For this is euer done and shall bee whilest the world indureth neither can any creature or power resist it So sayth the Prophet My counsell shall stande and I will do what I will doe So confessed Iehosophat King of Iudah When he sayde O Lorde GOD of our Fathers art not thou God in heauen and reignest not thou ouer al the kingdomes of the heathen and in thy hande is power and might and none is able to withstande thee And so notably confessed that wretched Balam when he sayd If Balac would giue me his house ful of siluer and gold I cannot passe the commaundement of the Lorde to doe either good or bad of myne owne mind c. So confessed the deuill when he asked leaue to touch Iob not able else of himselfe to goe against Gods will and all those deuils that could not enter into the swyne sent by the will of God and all the actions of man and beast euer bridled and ruled and disposed by the power of his will No resistaunce therefore can there be against this will and therefore no neede that we shoulde pray that it may bee done No Annas nor Caiphas no Herod nor Pilat no Iewes nor deuils coulde haue wrought the death of our Sauiour Christ except the hand of the Lord his counsell had determined before that it shoulde bee done But do not you nowe say that GOD willeth euill to be done and so make him the author of euill God forbid we should make God an author of euill Yet say we in deede that God willeth many things that in some respects are euill and to some persons as this death of his own sonne named last and such like But as he willeth theÌ„ they are neuer euill neither to such as he directeth a good to by them being not done by them as in the example named appeareth But surely some larger speech to drawe vs to a right knowledge herein is not amisse and therefore a litle I pray you heare Will therfore hath two obiects to witte good and euill sometime it willing the one sometimes the other And good thinges beside the Lorde which is the chiefe good of all are sayde to be of 3. sortes naturall morall and diuine The first belong ad vitaÌ„ animatam the sesond ad humanam the third ad coelestem diuinam All these the Lorde willeth there is no controuersie and not onely so but is also euen the fountaine and giuer as S. Iames saith for euery good giuing euery perfect gift is froÌ„ aboue and commeth froÌ„ the father of lights with whoÌ„ is no variablenes neither shadowing by turning So hath euil also his distinction whilest some is the euill some the punishmeÌ„t of the euil The
I haue sworne by my self the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse shall not returne that euery knee shall bowe vnto me c. In respect of our selues Prayer is necessarie if either wee consider the manifold woes and sorrowes which at times shall nippe our harts lying there and euen grating and grinding our inwards to pouder by day and by night till we haue eased our selues by Prayer and powred them into the lappe of the Lorde with suite for comfort and redresse or the infinite necessities of this wretched life which albeit the Lord is mercifull and readie to giue euen before wee doe aske yet good reason wee should aske them and euer bound to that gracious God that vpon asking will vouchsafe to giue them What hellish gripes of wringing woe do we thinke the seruant of God Dauid felt when ouer and ouer he mentioneth the sadnesse of his soule What Iob when the arrowes of the Almightie did stick in him the venome wherof did drinke vp his spirit and when the terrors of God did fight against him when he shriked out with mournfull voyce what my shrinking hande doth shake to pen O that I might haue my desire and that GOD would graunt me the thing that I long for And what was that O fearefull It followeth that GOD would destroy me that he would let his hand goe and cut me off What the persecuted Prophet when hee would so gladly dye What Ionas in the bellie of hell as he calleth it what thousands ten thousands of Gods children euer daily whilest the world indureth And how haue they bene eased doe we not see Euen by throwing themselues at the feete of the Lord powring out by Praier their greeuous complaints into the bosome of their gracious GOD whose eare harkened whose heart pitied and whose hande euer in his good time eased their shoulders from the burthen to their comfort Therefore Prayer in this respect wee see most necessary For the other we know the Scriptures also Aske saith God and you shall haue If hauing then be necessarie in respects of wants necessarie is also asking that is praying in respect of hauing So looke we at woes or looke we at wants necessary in respect of our selues is Prayer Goe we lastly to our Brethren and wee are commaunded to let our light shine before them to their example and confirmation Of which light this is a notable parte and braunch our often zealous and religious Prayer and therefore euen in respect of them also necessarie Thirdly the vtilitie and profite of it would very duely and earnestly of Gods children be considered wherein the saying may haue fit and proper place Aeque pauperibus prodest locupletibus aeque Aeque neglectum pueris senibusque nocebit That is It gayneth good to poore and rich if vse thereof be free And hurteth youth aswell as age neglected if it bee The Scripture woonderfully layeth downe the benefite of this holy exercise not in one or two respects but euen in euerie thing that may befall the childe of God in this life In afflictions as partly hath bene shewed it easeth the hart it staieth our steps still readie to slide into impatience it perswadeth the Lord it winneth his mercy and bringeth his gotten comfort at time appoynted to the panting soule all breathlesse almost in the scortching heate of such triall as pleaseth God to send And therefore pray saith our Sauiour Christ continually that ye may be coūted worthy to escape al these things that shal come to passe that ye may stand before the sonne of man But what things are they O reade and consider that singular Chapter see the fruit of Prayer False Christs shall come and deceiue to their endlesse woe thousands and thousands but pray wee to God against this fearefull fall and wee shall escape Warres and seditions shall bee heard of and seene dreadfull and terrible but pray to God and they shall not hurt vs no not once make vs iustly afraid Though it be nation against nation kingdome against kingdome though the earth shake and tremble in diuers places and we see hunger and pestilence and fearefull things and great signes in heauen aboue vs yet pray wee to GOD our guide and strength and we shall escape If hands be layd vpon vs persecuted and taken and deliuered vp to the Sinagogues and Prisons and brought before Kings and Rulers for the Lord Iesus sake pray wee to the same our gracious God and his word is past these shall all turne vnto vs for a testimoniall and not hurt vs. If we want learning knowledge or vtterance so that we feare of a truth any weake defence pray we to him that in weaknesse is strong and the power he hath promised both of speach and knowledge shall binde the very deuill that he cannot stirre and with the head the members with the Captaine the Souldiours with their life all the limmes so that not all the kingdome of perdition if their force could bee ioyned against the poorest man or woman of vs that euer shall professe Iesus shall bee able to resist or speake against vs. Let our deare Parents that brought vs into this world seeke by cruell vyolence in hatred against a truth to throw vs out of the same againe and our owne brethren kinsmen and friends betray vs and kill vs if it please God wee being hated euen of all men for the Lorde Iesus sake pray we still stedfastly vnto our God and if he bee the Lorde that hath made the heauen and earth whose word is truth and abideth for euer there shal not one heare of our heads perish but in patience comfortablie we may possesse our soules Let Hierusalem bee besieged that is our natiue land and countrie our townes and houses in which we dwell a token that desolation is neere let the heauie woman so great with childe begin to sigh for her selfe and weepe with woe for her deare birth within her with shiuering shrinkes to thinke of bloudie Speare to spit her sprauling babe vpon let our nation and people disobeying the Lord in the time of peace fall vpon the edge of the sword and be caried captiue into all Countries and our stately Cities Castles and Towers be troden vnto dust yea let the Sunne and the Moone and all the Starres of Heauen threaten by their fearefull signes the approching dreadfull wrath of God to men trouble and perplexitie bee vpon earth the Sea and the waters rore and mens hearts faile them for feare looking after those things that shall come vpon the worlde the very powers of heauen being shaken and the Sonne of man appearing in the Cloudes with mightie power and glorie yet let vs pray with a chearefull voyce and send out our faith to the Lord of life as we are euer bidden and amidst all
of Father Whereby ariseth in vs and ought euermore an assurance of his willingnesse and readinesse to help vs. For what will a Father denie vnto his begging childe that may doe him good pater quid negabit filijs qui iam dedit quod pater est What will that Father denie to sonnes which hath alreadie granted this to be their Father Yea such a father as being not our father hath redeemed vs to him his vtter enimies with no lesse price than the precious bloud of his owne and onely deere beloued sonne O how shall he with him not giue vs al things also If we which are euil yet in the nature of fathers giue good giftes to our children how much more shall our Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion of the sonne of her wombe Though it coulde bee yet will not I forget thee Behold I haue gtauen thee vpon the palmes of my handes thy walles are euer in my sight Iudge then the willingnesse of the Lorde euermore to grant our profitable praiers and be strengthened in fayth by this word Father Primus sermo quantae sit gratiae vide et suauitatis O homo faciem tuam nō audebas ad coelum attollere oculos tuos in terram dirigebas et subitò accepisti gratiam Christi ex malo seruo factus es bonus filius Non ergo hîc arrogantia est sed fides Praedicare quod acceperis non est superbia sed deuotio The first worde of Prayer of what grace and sweetnesse it is O man see and consider Thou durst not lift thy face to heauen but threw thine eyes downe to the earth and sodeinly thou receiuedst mercie in Christe of an euill seruant to be made a good sonne Heere is no arrogancie but faith And to publish abroade what thou hast receiued is no pride but deuotion sayde the godly Father Ambrose A third vse of this worde Father is to put vs in mind also of the dutie of children for we may not thinke that we calling him daily by this tender name of mercy and fauour and expecting at his hands the fruits of such nature as his name importeth wee in the meane time loosely and lewdly may behaue our selues and neyther before God nor man walking as children yet foolishlie feede our selues with the hope of childrens benefites from their Father There is no such matter if we take that course but euen as often as we open our mouths and praie this prayer so often euen of our owne mouthes the Lord shall iudge vs that wee calling him Father yet liue not nor desire to liue in the duties of his children O fearefull chaunge of a sweete name to a dreadfull witnesse of woe vnto vs. Saie then O Father but doe or indeauour to do the office of a childe For it is passed from him and lyeth before vs to stand till heauen and earth perish he expecteth it and we are commaunded it If I bee your Father where is my honor if I be your maister where is my feare And therefore wel said the godly Father Quemadmodum nobii placemus de Deo patre sic sibi placeat et Deus de nobis As we take pleasure of GOD to be our Father so let vs doe as he also may take pleasure of vs to be his children Yea well sayth the worde which wee must neuer forget Gird vp the loynes of your minde bee sober and trust perfectlie on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelation of Iesus Christ as obedient children not fashioning your selues vnder the former lust of your ignorāce but as hee which hath called you is holie so be you holy in all manner of conuersatiō And if he cal him father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare so forth to the end of the chapter And the Apostle Paule in lyke maner I therfore being prisoner in the Lord praie you that ye walke worthy of the vocation whervnto ye are called With many other such places And certainly it is true our sinfull soules shall one daie rew the proofe of it if it be not warned God heareth not sinners but if a man bee a worshipper of God and doth his will him heareth he Yea therefore marke it with a minde and a conscience carefull to performe the lyke euermore How both Dauid perswadeth y e Lord to heare him and strengtheneth himself in assurāce to be heard by performance of the dutie of a childe to him whom he calleth in his praier his Father eyther before or after Before in these places Saue me for I haue sought thy precepts And againe Let thy hand saue mee for I haue chosen thy precepts And in the last verse of that Psalme Seeke thy seruaunt for I doo not forget thy commaundements With such lyke speeches many Afterwarde as appeareth in the 145. verse Heare me O Lord and I will keepe thy statutes By which practise of the Saint of GOD wee may make this assured but dreadful conclusion that Father in mouth and Sonne without sense in lyfe maketh him of a Father a Iudge and tourneth his fauour into furie his pittie into plagues and our hoped health in heauen into assured woe in hell for euermore Therefore againe and againe let vs take this profit of this word Father euen to reforme vs daily as the Lord shal strengthen into the obedience of children So shall wee saie in comfort with Saint Iohn Whatsoeuer wee aske we receiue of him because we kepe his commaundementes and doo those things which are pleasing in his sight Yet doe we no waie strengthen the errour of merite heereby but testifying hereby our selues in truth not in a lying name and shew only the children of God both please the Lorde with the obedience of faith and comfort our selues in truth of promises altogether free made by a good Father vnto the same A fourth fruite agayne may be of this worde Father in this beginning euen to proue vnto the consciences of the whole world the sufficiencie and perfection of the worke of Christ for vs. For by which God is so fully pacified and pleased so contented and satisfied as that of a Iudge to punish he becommeth a Father to fauour and we of enimies sonnes and fellow heires with Christ that is absolute perfect and euerie waie full But by the worke of Christ for vs this is done and wee in the knowledge thereof bee so euen by the same Christe commaunded not in the spirit of feare but of faith and comfort boldly to call him Father Therefore the worke of Christ for vs most perfect glorious and absolute This giueth faith for feare this giueth hope of safetie from the power of all foes From the strength of the lawe from
me and mine let him doe his pleasure for we are his See therfore this giuen grace when the Lorde wil though it be hard The lyke did Dauid in his great extremitie when Absolom was in field agaynst him and the Arke brought forth by the Prophets to bee carried with him Haue the Arke of God sayth he into the Citie againe if I shal finde fauour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and the tabernacle thereof But if he thus say I haue no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes therfore not impossible we sée for the Lord to worke in whom he wil though to our vile corruptiō a hard matter in déed Our Sauiour Christ in our fleshe sayde it with a true content Yet not my will but thy wil be done O Father And in vs can he worke it by his painfull spirit if it please him Good meanes to help vs are the sundrie comfortable speeches in the word concerning the Lords care ouer vs euer and especially when we haue most need of him by reason of any woe that we are wrapped in Our times are in the hand of the Lord and he not man shall dispose of our daies Our haires are numbered and our teares are put in his bottell What are haires and teares to bodie and soule and other matters of ours more waightie He careth for the rauens lions and birds of the aire how much more for vs Are we not more worth than many sparrows O we of little faith If the Dragon would deuour vs hee is able in a moment to giue vs wings to flie into the wildernesse and to escape him If he wil not but a trial must be had of vs heare and marke you lift vp your harts and reioyce with me Fidelis est Dominus The Lord is faithfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able but will euen giue the issue with the tentation that we may be able to beare it O sweete O more than sweete and the vnspeakable comfort of my fraile flesh and all such as I am For let me doe my duetie feare the Lord and make much of his lawes cutte a peeces dayly as he will inable mee the cord of sinne cleaue to that which is good and abhorre that which is euill with a single soule and heart that hath no holes if this life cause any worldly woe though Satan and his friendes enuie at it or if the Lorde please for anie cause to his maiestie knowen to make anie trial of me feare not muse not sigh not shrinke not my God hath giuen his word as he is faythfull which euer was and euer will bee there shall no more be layde vpon me than hee hee I saie that hath no measure of might will make mee able to beare Onelie doe the thing that I ought in my life nowe as neere as giuen grace inableth me and trust to him for that day Care awaie then my beloued for the crosse euer in the power of the Lord let vs saie and since we haue such a promise lette the remembrance of it as a mightie means serue to work this in vs in al aduersitie to submit our wils to his and with true content to saie Thy will be done O Lord for euer with vs. Full is the Scripture of other comforts to strengthen vs in this but else where I haue noted them and therfore I spare my selfe as you heare Remember then nowe that though it be a harder matter in woe then well to praie this prayer yet is it not so harde but the Lord hath giuen it and can giue it at his pleasure to his weaklinges and make his power knowen in our weaknesse to his glorie our good if wee aske O swéete God then we aske it and beseech thee for the red bloud of Iesus Christ that in youth and age health sicknesse prosperitie and aduersitie weale and woe thy wil may be ours and we contented euer Amen Amen What meane the next words Sicut in coelo as it is in heauen Are wee able to performe such seruice to God Heare you what Augustine sayth Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra Quid hoc Vt quomodo tibi seruiunt Angeli in coelo et nos tibi seruiamus in terra Angeli ipsius sancti obediunt illi non illum offendunt faciūt iussa amando illum Haec ergo oramus vt et nos praeceptū Dei charitate faciamus Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen what is this Surely that as the Angells serue thee in heauen so we may serue thee in earth his holy Angelles obey him and offend him not but in loue do his commandements These things therefore doe we praie for that we also euen of loue may doe his will Heare you also what Sainct Hierome sayth Petimus vt imitetur Angelos humana fragilitas et voluntas Domini competatur in terra We desire of the Lord that mannes frailtie may imitate the Angels the will of y e Lord may be done in earth fullie And in deede so it is for wee doe not in this petition desire that some parte of his will may bee done For it becommeth vs to fulfil all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 but that all euen fullie and wholy may be performed and a halfe righteousnesse or obedience is neither righteousnesse nor obedience as Saint Iames teacheth vs. Non sufficit Christiano si vnam partem iusticiae impleat cui vtraque praecipitur It sufficeth not sayth Saint Hierom that a Christian fulfill y e one part of righteousnesse when as both are inioyned him For Vera et plena fides vniuersa praecepta complectitur True and full faith comprehendeth all the commaundements sayth another Yea further we are not only by duetie bound to doe all but with all affection also with all our heart with all our soule and with all our strength For Nec leprosa obedientia nec canina patientia commendatur nam velint nolint nō modò homines sed etiam daemones et faciunt et patiūtur quod prouidentia summa disposuit Qui inscij nescientes Dei voluntatem faciunt eorum et leprosa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obedientia Qui vero scientes eam sed reluctantes murmurantes faciunt eorū est canina patientia neutrum ergo in nobis probatur sed et scientes et volentes Neither a leprous obedience nor a doggish patience is commēded for wil they nil they not only men but also deuils both do suffer whatsoeuer the diuine prouidence hath appoynted Those that vnwittingly not knowing it doe the will of GOD theyr obedience is leprous Those y t doe Gods will knowing of it but yet striuing agaynst it murmuring such mens patiēce perforce is doggish Neither of these is alowed but
sée then very fitly may we learne by the Lords naming of bread only barely by it selfe and neither of gold nor siluer nor other statelynes to be content with any litle that the same Lorde shall thinke good to giue vs euer and not greedely to wish for any wanton aboundance Pray this prayer then beloued with your heart and thinke of this note For the Lorde knoweth howe fraile flesh misliketh litle séeketh much that walowing in wealth it might walow in woe an other day rechlessely ouertaken with the pleasures of this life through abilitie to haue them further than GOD wil warrant when he falleth to recken Why Sir is it not lawfull to pray for wealth and riches You haue hearde before that whatsoeuer is needefull to the life of man is included in this word bread and prayed for here And you must know also that this needefull is measured according to mens seuerall callings charges for great men haue néede of more than meane men and of both sorts they that haue more charge either of children or other necessary seruants about theÌ„ haue neede also of more Wherefore if their necessaries be great abundance euen that great abundance is lawfully prayed for by warrant both of this petition and much other Scripture But if we go from necessaries to superfluities as in deede the desire of man is to the ende hee might bathe himselfe in pleasures that flesh feedeth vpon most greedely be clothed in purple and fine linnen and fare most deliciously euery day though wofully he cry when that folly is faded for one drop of water to coole his tongue in the burning lake then must wee remember that a wise man prayed not so but euen flat contrary saying Lorde giue me not riches hee meaneth superfluitie aboue neede and addeth this reason least I bee full and deny thee and say who is the Lord. Which reason the more we meditate vpon the more strong shall we sée it this vsually being a fruite of wanton superfluitie to forget our God Beholde sayth the Lord to his people Israel I will bring thee into a good lande a lande in the which are riuers of water fountaines and depths that spring out of valleyes and mountaines A lande of wheate and barley and of vineyardes and figgetrees and pomgranats a lande of oyle oliue and hony A lande wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarsety neither shalt thou lacke any thing therein a lande whose stones are yron out of whose mountains thou shalt digge brasse But beware least when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therin and thy beasts and thy sheepe are increased and thy siluer and gold is multiplied and all that thou hast increased beware I say againe lest then thy hart bee lifted vp thou forget the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage c. Beware least thou say in thyne heart My power and the strength of myne owne hande hath gotten me this abundance but remember the Lorde thy God For it is he which giueth the power to get substaÌ„ce c. You see what a daunger the holy Ghost hath here discouered in abundance of earthly things to lift our heele against the Lord what a vehement caueat he hath giuen and as sure as wee liue it is a thousand to one we do it If riches increase sayth he againe by his Prophet set not thy heart vppon them as if he shoulde say thy nature is to do it And charge theÌ„ that be rich in this world sayth the Apostle that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing god Why should men be charged if there were no daunger What sayde proude Pharaoh puft vp with his princely pompe but Quis est Dominê° Who is the Lord What said Nabuchad-nezzar when his greatnesse was so growne that it reached to the heauen and his dominion to the ende of the earth when hee walked in the royall place of Babel I say what sayde hee But in the pride of his heart against the Lorde thus Is not this great Babell that I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honor of my maiestie And by and by the hande of the Lord was vpon him reade it reade many times it is a great example What a damnable dreame was proude Haman in by reason of his grace in Court forgetting God hating his Saintes and so caried in the smokie cloude of his fauour with the Prince and his great estate that he neuer knew where hee was till he was ready to climbe the tree himselfe that hee had set vp for holy Mardocheus Can our soules wish a better example to tell vs the danger of earthly greatnes if the Lorde assist not slyding nature But these were straungers all from God you wil say and therefore no proofes but that wee which knowe more may doe better though we swim neuer so much in all abundance well sée you then the fault of better euen by the same Hezekias a good one and yet thus deceiued Dauid a good one and yet so puft vp that he numbred his people with a proud conceite and boasted in his wealth that it would neuer decay Whereupon Iob glorieth of it as of a speciall grace vpon him beyond the course of any whom the Lord assisteth not that hee neuer made gold his hope neither said to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence that he neuer reioyced because his substance was great and so forth The heathen knewe the danger and therefore vsually handled it as a tryed trueth that prosperitie is hardlier wel indured thaÌ„ aduersitie Saint Austen sayde it and knewe it true Diuitiarum morbus superbia The disease of riches is pride and would God we knewe not to much experience to inferre agaynst all denyals this wofull conclusion in our dayes And to tell vs all that honors and ease and abilitie to haue what either wanton will can wish or our owne or other wild heads deuise banisheth too often religion and all his exercises priuate or publique cooleth and quencheth all heauenly heates forceth away as too melancholike fooes all sweete meditations of Spiritual causes and giueth the bridle to all damnable pleasure and dreadfull securitie But they shal know one day and let vs sée now that if the Lorde giue vs but dayly breade that is thinges needefull not needelesse a moderate a competent or sufficient portion to passe this life along withall assuredly he hee doth that which is safest for vs in respect of our great propension to abuse his plentie and good cause we should without any muttering for more be contented with it Yet should greater plentie cause greater pietie greater zeale greater thankfulnes and all good but alas it is
make vs wel content thankfull also euer to thee for it Remēbring well with our selues how thou caredst for these thy seruants and others many in their estate hast euen by this word bread taught vs to bee content with a little Thy mercies O Lord we beseech thee giue vs according to our charges thou knowest our number and our needes and thou feedest the very Rauens that call vpon thee The eyes of all things wayt vpon thee O God thou giuest them meate in due season Thou openest thy hande and fillest all things liuing with plenteousnesse To these fauours O Lord graunt peace and quietnesse priuate at home and publique abroade Let there bee no going out no leading into captiuitie nor any complayning in our streates Peace be within the walles of Hierusalem O Lord to thy good pleasure and plenteousnesse in her Palaces that is to thy Church mercie and fauour we beseech thee To this end giue vs O heauenly father the blessing of prudent and godly gouernours Confirme their harts in zeale and loue to thee and make them euer carefull of thy glorie Confirme our obedience and truth agayne to them in thee and both one and other make vs thankfull greatly for thy present mercy in this behalfe vpon vs. If euer people found fauour at thy maiesties hands O Lord our portion hath bene great must wee say and this daylie bread with a liberall hande aboue other nations now many yeeres giuen vnto vs. O deare father touch vs with the feeling of it and make vs thankfull and continue this mercie and louing kindnesse still vppon vs giuing vs still these cōforts of thine What wee haue neede of denie vs not and what wee haue with thy fauour O Lord and to our good let vs euer haue it not to our harme and iudgement So we that be thy people and sheepe of thy pasture shall giue thee thankes for euer Heare vs O Lord O God father gracious not for our sakes but for Iesus Christ his sake our onely Lord and Sauiour Amen The fifth petition And forgiue vs our trespasses c. Now are you come to a petition as our estate standeth most sweete comfortable most necessary and profitable wherefore I pray you euen as fully as you shall thinke conuenient speake of it and first of the order as you haue done in the former Touching the order of it Tertullian saith very well Quid alimenta proderunt si illis reputamur re vera quasi taurus ad victimam what will any nourishments in this life profit vs if with them we be accompted as Oxen to the slaughter Cyprian more playnely Post subsidium cibi petitur venia delicti vt qui a deo pascitur in deo viuat nec tantum praesenti et temporali vitae sed aeternae consulatur ad quam veniri potest si peccata dimittātur after the ayd of meat is begged pardon of offence that he which of God is fed in God may liue and care had aswell of eternall life as of temporall vnto which eternall life then is the way open when all sins be forgiuen Wherefore since in the former we haue craued of the Lorde what concerneth this life in these two latter we begge what concerneth that hereafter In the former desiring him to forgiue what is past in the latter to strengthen against what is to come Both which our requests haue grounde vpon his owne promise and are directed thereby For the Lorde in the couenaunt which it pleased him to make with his Church hath promised both saying their iniquitie will I forgiue and remember their sinnes no more which is the thing we now begge And I will put my lawe in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shalbe my people c. that is I will assist them with a newe power of Spirit confirme them with a further strength to stand hereafter which is the matter of our next question It might seeme to some by the order of the former petition and this that the remission of our sinnes were a matter lesse to be cared for than our dayly breade because it is set after in this prayer If it had not bene sayd before in the beginning of the former petition that this order is obserued of the Lord in regard of our rudenes that he might lead vs from a matter better known to a matter lesse known yet truely should they bee very rawe in religion that would thinke thinges onely respecting this life to bee preferred before things touching life eternall God forbid therefore but this order of these petitions notwithstanding euery Christian man and woman should make it their chiefe care to finde mercy with the Lorde for their transgressions rather then to inioye ten thousande worlds with all the glory that might be in them for what would al these worlds profite them when they had lost their owne soules in them all not able to finde what to giue for the recompence of the same again But without remission of sinne there can be no saluation God not so much as hearing sinners much lesse sauing them And therfore iustly our chiefe care to haue sinne pardoned that we may be saued If you would conclude any thing of the order of this petition following the other conclude this and that you may doe both truely and profitably namely that true religion is not the cause of want of daily bread but our sinnes And therefore presently after request to the Lord for that we adioyne the other as the true stoppe and let of the former if it be not taken away by his mercy as if wee shoulde say we request Lord the comforts of this life the fruites of the ground and the fruites of our Cattell butter of Kyne and milke of sheepe with fat of Lambes and Rammes fed in Bashan the blessing of wheate and the red licour of the grape but neither these nor any such may we looke for except in mercy thou take away our sinne the very stay of all thy goodnes from vs if thou deale in iustice And therefore Lord forgiue vs our trepasses Let no man then accuse religion for dearth and scarsetie for famine and hunger but consider his owne desertes and the desertes of thousandes more and remember euer both howe these petitions lye and what also for more playnnes the Lorde himselfe hath spoken by his Prophet Ieremy saying Your iniquities haue turned away these earthly blessings from you as rayne both earely and late in due season with a pleasant haruest such like yea your sinnes haue hindred good things from you Againe by Esay Behold the Lordes hād is not shortned that it cannot saue neither is his eare heauy that it cannot heare but your iniquities haue separated betwixt you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare For your handes are defiled with
angeli non audiuerunt prophaeta non sensit filius ipse non edidit The Archangels knowe it not the Angels haue not heard it the prophet hath not felt it the sonne of God himselfe hath reueiled no such thing to vs. For was not Iudas a wicked theefe in the company of the Apostles and yet they for all that the flocke of Christ Hath not the Lorde described the estate of this true Church militant here on earth by the similitudes of a drawe net cast into the sea that incloseth compasseth fish of al sorts yea stickes stones slime and mudde without any separation till it come to the shore Of a field wherin with the good wheate sowen by the husbandman come vp tares sowen by the enuious man and so intermingled that no cleere seperation can bee made but with daunger of plucking vp the wheate also till the haruest come Of a floore whereon lyeth much good wheate but couered almost and hid in an heape of chaffe intermingled with it till the fanner come with his fanne in his hande to purge the same and make cleane his flowre Of a great wedding whereunto as good and bad are bidden so come there some and take their places that yet haue no wedding garments sitting with the best till the King come in to sée the guestes displace them And are not these plaine proofes what maner of Church we must content our selues withall here on earth till the day of perfection come namely euen with such an one as though considered in Christ it be cleane and without spot and wrincle yet considered in it selfe it is not so before it come to the marke it shooteth at but in this life runneth in a race and after two sortes is stayned and impure First with the manifolde imperfections frailties and wants which her very best children are burdened withall euer feeling with the Apostle that in their flesh dwelleth no good thing that they are yoked as he was and farre worse that when they would do good euill is present with them and secondly with a greeuous mixture of many false hipocrites and counterfet pratlers amongst her true children whom though she sigh to be deliuered of and doe by her authoritie as she may disburden her selfe of them yet can she neuer doe it so cleane but that many vilde weedes will remayne till the haruest to be then plucked vp and till then in patience to be indured Let vs consider the Church from her very cradle and wee shall finde the state of it after this sorte Adam in his familie had Caine with his wicked behauiour and yet a Church Noah had Cham and yet a Church Abraham had Ismael a mocker and derider of Gods promises a maÌ„ borne after the flesh that is after the common course of nature and persecuting him that was borne after the Spirit that is by the vertue of Gods promise and after a spirituall maner and yet a Church Isaac had Esau and yet a Church Iacob had great misdemeanours committed still in his faâ—milie by all his sonnes enuying and malicing and most vnbrotherly vsing Ioseph By Ruben defiling his bed by Simeon and Leui brethren in euill instruments of crueltie and in their wrath staying so many by Dinah his daughter by Rachel his wife stealing her fathers Idols and but ouer much deceiued with them and by many other meanes if we fully peruse the storie and yet a Church Neither did euer either Adam or Noah or Abraham or the rest forsake these Churches in their seuerall families or refuse to pray and to doe all other dueties inioyned theÌ„ of the Lord for any vnworthie ones among them TheÌ„ when it came into Egipt was it without wrincles When it was deliuered therehence remember wee not what falles and faults what blots and blemishes still still and euer appeared in that chosen companie out of all the Nations of the world Néede I to repeate their murmurings their reuilings their faintings their many and great impieties mentioned in the storie vnder Moses vnder Iosua vnder Iudges Step to the Kings and to the Prophets what a state is mentioned of this Church militant vnder them also euer Were all things holy and perfect then Let Esay Ieremy Ioel Abacuc and the rest speake In the Priestes in the Magistrates in the people al things were then so corrupt that the Prophet Esay is not afraid to compare Hierusalem to Sodome and Gomorrha Religion was theÌ„ partly contemned partly defiled and many greeuous enormities in manners abounded so that from the sole of the foote to the top of the head there was nothing whole but woundes and swellings and sores full of corruptions sayth the Prophet Yet for all this neuer did the Prophets all or any of them erect newe Churches for themselues wherein they might haue their seperated sacrifices from the rest offred vpon any newe Altars builded to that ende as more holy But what maner of men soeuer they were because the word was there and a course of seruice warranted in the thicke of the wicked and in the middest of misdoers they lifted vp pure hands to the Lord and came together euen with the wicked to pray to sacrifice to heare the word and to doe their dueties in the place appoynted Truely wee must thinke this of those holy Prophets that if they had iudged other mens sinnes could haue defiled their holy dueties or that any infection and contagion might haue come to theÌ„ by meeting in those places of Gods seruice with the wicked they would haue dyed an hundred times rather than haue suffered themselues to bée drawne thether But they knewe it could not and hauing a singular care of peace and vnitie in the Church they therefore abhorred to make any schisme in the same by seperating them selues from the Church Now if those worthies of the Lorde for so many and so great euilles not of one or two men but euen almost of the whole people made a conscience yet not to estraunge themselues from the Church shall not you and I arrogate too much to our selues if wee presume to doe it in these daies Will not that saying of S. Austen be layd vpon vs spoken to the Donatistes vpon like occasion Finxerunt se nimis iustos cùm totum vellent perturbare They made themselues too holy when they would thus trouble all Therefore a sweéee moderation of all good desires according to these true presidents and holy examples assuredly would bee most acceptable to the Lord himselfe as it was in these Come wee from the Prophets to our Sauiour Christ himselfe that if any man make lesse accompt of the former than hee should this later may moue him and satisfie him further What maner of Church was then the Gospell teacheth at large and wee are not ignorant when Christ liued and preached among the Iewes A most corrupt estate it was and ful of sores that Christ sharply reproued in
all others that receiue with him knowe him But God forbid Then was euer the Sacrament more holy purely administred than Christ Iesus him-selfe did with his disciples Yet euen there and then sayth Ambrose Chrysostome Austen others was wicked Iudas For the Euangelistes say he sate downe with the twelue and Luke maketh mention that Christ admonished him partly before and partly after Supper which the Lord Iesus would neuer haue suffered if his company might haue defiled the other worthy receyuers there present And concerning Iudas I pray you consider what the scripture saith First it was sayde of him before the Supper that he was a thiefe and caried the bag and for that cause grudged the expence of the oyntment and sayd it might haue bene sold and giuen to the poore not in deede trueth caring for the poore In regarde wherof Austen sayth Iudas was not then first euell when hee made his match to betray him for so much money but before euen from the first beginning neuer folowing Christ corde sed corpore with heart but with body Secondly it is testified in Luke that before the Supper the Deuill was entred into him and that hee had beene with the high Priestes and Captaines and made his matche with them communing with them howe hee might betray Christe vnto them Thirdly euen to the Disciples them-selues openly at table was manifested by giuing of a soppe that hee was a Traytor and should shewe it vpon his owne master Therefore it was not altogether hid what manner of man Iudas was Yet saith S. Austen Talis Iudas cū sanctis discipulis vndecim intrabat exibat ad ipsam dominicā coenā pariter accessit de vno pane Petrus Iudas accepit Such a Iudas went in and came out with the eleuen came to the same supper of the Lord with them and of the one breade receiued both Peter and Iudas Quid ergo voluit Dominus noster Iesus Christus fratres mei admonere ecclesiam suam quando vnum perditum inter duodecim habere voluit nisi vt malos toleremus ne corpus Christi diuidamus What therefore would the Lord Iesus Christ my Brethren admonish and teach his Church when amongst his twelue he would haue one lost and bad one but that in the Church militant heere we must indure some euil ones least in not doing it wee should rent asunder and deuide the body of Christe Conuersari enim cum eis potuit Judas eos inquinare non potuit For be in theyr company Iudas might but defile them he coulde not Wee see therefore this fathers iudgement touching this matter plainly and to it may be added this question howe the faythfull wife may abide with an vnfaythfull husband all the dayes of her life and not bee the worse and we may not come to Gods table or to prayers for an hower in y e company of vnreformed ones but their sinnes shal cleaue to vs. The companyings together differeth most greatly if wee marke the seuerall circumstances of a wife with her husband and of two men in the church together How then may we be warranted to refrayne that most holy comfortable sacrament for their sakes who thogh they be trespassers yet ask they mercy at Gods hands Et hoc testantur eo ipso quod accedunt ad coenā And testify as much euen by their very comming and offering themselues to the Lordes table To iudge rightly of our Brethren our corruption assuredly is great and we should often thinke of it and feare it greatly By nature we are full of suspition and aswell where no cause in trueth is as where cause is Wee beleeue euill too fast and good too slowly We amplify things and make smal matters great matters iudging men many times worse through our corruption than indeede they are before God by their transgression And how dangerous a rule then is this to measure them by that must bee alowed to the Lords table if we receiue with them Whē this temptation was strong in the minds of the Anabaptistes remember how crookedly this line guided them in the choyse of worthy receiuers If any man sayth Bullinger hang down his head and counterfet humilitie although in minde hee bee most polluted filthy and foule and despise the word yet shall he bee accounted a most holy and good one and worthy to receiue the sacrament But if he be more open and mery and subiect to the common faults of humane frayltie yet farre from any dissimulation trusting in his heart and soule firmely to the Lords mercy single and sincere towardes God that that he is confessing his sinnes such an one forasmuch as hee hath not yet satisfied the Anabaptistes for his faults neither is alowed of them thought as yet worthy ynough shal bee seperated from the Lords table And yet the sinful publican smiting his brest was better alowed of the Lord Iesus than the iust Pharisie with all his righteousnes When many vncleane did eate of the passeouer which Ezekias the king caused to be kept did their Brethren refuse to eate because they did eat also or did their company pollute them that were clean any thing Consider it wel and see if you can finde either yet the parties themselues that were not sanctified and cleansed faulted and were prayed for Wherefore we may say with Saint Austen Non propter malos bonos deseramus sed propter bonos malos sufferamus Let vs not forsake the good for the euil but let vs indure the euill for the good Yet must we thinke Saint Austen and all good men wisheth their seperation as farre as may be without plucking vp the wheat also renting a sunder the body of Christ And so playnely shewe those woordes Si non possunt excludi excludantur vel de corde If they cannot bee excluded exclude them at least in thy heart that is approue not in heart and iudgement their fault Cyprianus alia frumenta dominica cum auaris rapacibus cum his qui regnū Dei non possidebunt non laicis vel quibuscunque clericis sed ipsis episcopis panem Domini manducabant Cyprian and others of the Lordes wheate did eate the breade of the Lord and drinke his cuppe with the couetous and raueners with them that shal not possesse Gods kingdome not lay men or common Clergie men but euen with the Bishops themselues And it sufficed them to bee separated from such in heart in life and manners in a great regarde to keepe peace and vnitie for the good of the weake least they should teare the members of the body of Christ by sacrilegious schismes Caluin writeth to Farellus in an Epistle that being asked this question whether it was lawfull to receiue the communion at a bad ministers handes and with bad company admitted thereunto hee answered to both in effect as followeth Tantum debere inter Christianos esse odium schismatis
⧠A profitable Exposition of the Lords Prayer by way of Questions and Answers for most playnnes Together with many fruitfull applications to the life and Soule aswell for the terror of the dull and dead as for the sweet comfort of the tender harted By Geruase Babington With a Table of the principall matters conteyned in this Booke PSALME 119. O how sweete are thy words vnto my throte yea sweeter than honie vnto my mouth AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Charde 1588. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERY singular good Lord Henry Earle of Penbrooke Lord Harbert of Cardiff Marnion and S. Quintine Lord President of Wales and the Marches thereof and of the most Honorable Order of the Garter Knight and to the Right Honorable and vertuous Ladie the Countesse his wife G.B. wisheth all mercie and comfort in Christ Iesus both here now and for euer COnsider the olde generatiōs of mē ye children sayd that wise Sonne of Sirach Right Honorable and my very singular good Lord in his tyme marke them well VVas there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord Or who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken Or whom did he euer despise that called vpon him Agreeably truely to all Scriptures and experiences euer if they were searched For such a thing is it to cleaue vnto the Lorde with a faithfull heart that the Bride may forget to trim her selfe the day she is maried and the mother her Jnfant she bare of her bodie and esteemeth full deere before the Lord of heauen can forget such The Lorde knoweth the daies of the vpright men their inheritance shalbe perpetual They shall not be confounded in the perillous tyme and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough Though he fall he shall not bee cast of for the Lord putteth vnder his hand The Lord shall exalt them as themselues shall see and their ende sayth the Prophet shall bee peace Thousands of comforts hath the word mo yet these are both many and great ones if we marke thē Gayne is not godlinesse saith the Apostle but godlinesse is great gayne and hath the promise both of this life that to come VVherfore Right Honorable more ioye in this than in all the earth if it might be your owne For the earth must perish and all the glistring glorie of it passe away as a tale that is tolde burnt and consumed melted with heate but the feare of the Lord shall set her seruants before the highest for euer euer Now did the Apostle say to King Agrippa before so many O King Agrippa J knowe thou beleeuest Surely I may say it before as many I knowe Right Honorable your L. beleeueth both Prophets and Apostles and whatsoeuer the childe of God is bound to beleeue vnto saluatiō I say I know it and yet know I it not alone but others with me aswell as J attending your L. both in like and other places And if we should all denye it yet would the world steppe in and say it knewe what we denied God haue the glorie to whō it is due of his free election manifested both to your self and others by a true calling vnto sanctification And it remaineth Right H. that with a spirit flaming with thankefull loue to so gracious a God you let your light shine further further to a greater glory to the Lord a fuller cōfort to your owne soule Performe your selfe therefore in all truth of hart before the iudging eyes of a mightie God still more more as you do alreadie an honorable maintainer and furtherer of his truth A shield and defence to all the godly in their griefes and distresses Carefull to haue both your selfe and your familie gouerned by the precious and holy word of God maintayning and countenancing to that end as most honorably you do both at home and abroade the Lords poore seruants appoynted to that ministerie Be a rare example stil both worthy honoring and following of carefull bestowing of those liuings whereof God hath made your Lordship Patrone Multiplie as the Lord shall assist those your Honors zealous prayers which some can witnesse for the peace of Hierusalem that her rightuousnes may breake forth as the light saluation as a burning lampe And stil say with the Prophet Dauid we wish you good lucke ye that be of the house of the Lord. Your Honorable seruices for a most gracious Soueraine as euer the earth had any and for your deere Countrey let them still as they are be most sweete and ioyful to you In your Honorable place and gouernment carie your zeale as your L. doth euen more more agaynst the incorrigible aduersaries of Judah and Beniamin to note their doings to obserue their drifts and to ouerthrowe their plots Cut off still with your sword of holy Iustice as with exceeding trauell your Lordship most honorably doth those contentions disorders and offences that corruption both breedeth and feedeth ouer much And finally as the Apostle sayth if there be any vertue if there be any praise to God or to Prince to Countrey or to any Right Ho. thinke of that For so shall your L. establish your selfe both in earth and in heauen both here and for euer Yea your self your seede as the former promises haue giuen assurance And so shall you to your God and your self as many as knowe your vertues stand approued euer whatsoeuer either ignorance or vnkindnesse may effect in some VVithout this course care in a measure as the Lord shall giue well may a worlde continue a while flattring fauning with many delights God being patient and forbearing long but the end is destruction death and confusion God being iust and paying at last Your self Madame still more and more as your Ladiship doth partake with your owne what your place permitteth in these Honorable actions make them also your owne Let it still be your honorable iust true praise that you feare the Lord that you loue his truth fauour his followers and abhorre his foes For there is no praise shall continue as this there is no wisedome that may bee compared to it The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that do thereafter the praise of it indureth for euer Againe let this be your wisedome sayd the Lorde of heauen to that people once euen to heare my wordes and to worke my will with a carefull hart For then shall all Nations say you only are wise and you onely haue knowledge of the best course Let it be your Posie Right Honorable as pleasant as euer it was And now Lorde what is my hope truely my hope is euen in thee Though the Lorde should kill mee yet will I put my trust in him And let that plaine Prophet strengthen your Ladiship still by his words to King Asa all Judah The Lord is with you while ye be with him
these feares and terrors otherwise to bee trembled at day and night wee shall haue no cause at all to feare but euen contrariwise to lift vp our heads towards heauen as men and women behoulding with eyes their eternall deliuerance euerlasting comfort and vnspeakable ioy drawing neere vnto them to remaine with them and they in it for euer O prayer then auaileable with GOD and profitable to men There needeth no more to declare the fruite of it and yet much more remayneth to bee spoken For when in these dreadfull times many shall haue their harts oppressed with surfeting and dronkennesse and the cares of this life and so that day of death dome come vpon them vnawares Prayer in watching shall preserue Gods chosen that they shall bee counted worthie to escape all these things and not onely so but as followeth with comfort euen to stand before the Sonne of man that is in cheare in ioy in spirituall motions of hart not to bee expressed by man to enter into the heauenly and euerlasting tabernacles Lord then for thy mercie teach vs to pray that these blessings promised to the same may light vpon vs. I stay the course that I might goe on in for the profites of Prayer are innumerable It sanctifieth our mirth it sanctifieth our meates and they are neither of them holy but in this We wake and we worke we sleepe and we rest in peace if we faithfully pray If we pray with Iacob we prosper with Iacob in our iourney If we pray with Dauid we haue our heads couered with Dauid in the day of battaile If we pray with the father wée haue our sonne healed If wee pray with the mother we haue our daughter healed If we pray with the maister wée haue our seruaunt healed And what should I say Cornelius praying hath Peter sent vnto him and the holy Ghost powred vpon him Anna praying hath a childe giuen her and to conclude there is no ende of the tale nor measure of Gods mercies if wee speake of the fruites of Prayer This knew well the godly Father S. Chrisostome and therefore he sayth if thou desirest to liue single or in holy Matrimonie to Gods content pray if thou desirest to bridle anger and with meeknesse to be familiar pray if thou desirest to bee free from the fret of enuie or to doe any thing that belongeth to a godly life pray and pray hartely pray and pray often pray and pray faithfully the Lord shall graunt thy prayer For it is armatura inexpugnabilis an armour of proofe against all and euery assaulting darte of the deuill or his members and meanes whatsoeuer So profitable is Prayer we see The Lord in mercie giue vs spirites Amen I beseech him Yet see the poyson of Satan in his members against this fruitfull exercise for there want not wittes in this wicked worlde that dare dispute against it and aske how it may bee that we should fitly aske of the Lord by prayer any thing since without asking and before asking he knoweth what wee want and would haue yea so fully knoweth he all things that he needeth no remembrauncer to put him in minde of any thing and therefore why should wee aske or euer pray but leaue the Lord to himselfe to giue what pleaseth him Trueth it is that thus they reason but I trust you see the impietie of their speech and the blindnesse of their harts for it is an olde rule and a true that Subordinata non pugnant inter se Things that are comprised one in an other are not contrary one to the other and such are Gods fore-knowledge of all things and our asking notwithstanding by prayer what we want For in his owne person expressely in his worde he hath commaunded notwithstanding all this his diuine knowledge of euery mans estate which he knewe himselfe to knowe as well as wee yet neuerthelesse that we should pray to him in our needes and aske if we would receiue at his hands And therefore you see this is a meruaile by the witnesse euident of the Lord himselfe and our Prayer is not taken away in any respect by the Lords knowledge but they implyed one vnder the other stand and agree well both together Then if you looke at the practise of Gods children you may plainly see the same For Dauid confessing of the Lord that he did not only know his wants but his very thoughts and that long before Yet neuerthelesse for all this knowledge in God vseth his owne duetie commaunded and prayeth for his wants Yea our sauiour Christ which may stand for many proofes in the same chapter biddeth vs call vpon our heauenly father by Prayer for our daylie bread that is for all necessities and yet telleth vs that he knoweth alreadie and before that we haue need of these things Elias the Prophet promised Achab rayne not rashly vpon his own head but as priuie to the Lords purpose and certified of his will and yet for all that most earnestly prayed he crouching to the earth and his face betwixt his knees and seauen times sent his seruant towarde the Sea for it Therefore let vs knowe and so conclude although the Lorde vnderstande most fullie and perfectly what wee would haue before wee pray yet hath himselfe appoynted this meanes to obtaine at his handes notwithstanding that his knowledge and therefore wee must vse it euer notwithstanding the same knowing that what his wisedome hath ioyned as standing agreeing together those mans wisedome nay mans folly or Satans malice may not seperate as disagreeing and one frustrating the vse or profite of the other And againe that is no ende of our Prayer at any time to admonish God of any estate of ours vnknowne vnto him but we pray notwithstanding he knoweth alreadie what wee want to perfourme our obedience to his commaundement and appoynted meane to giue glory to him as the fountaine of all good to testifie to the world our faith and trust in him and his promises to exercise our patience in still yet expecting and asking and for sondrie such causes allowed and godly and not to put him in minde as one that knoweth not our desire Fond therefore I trust you see this reason is against the vse of Prayer Trueth it is I thanke GOD and so let it fall Yet giue me leaue to propound an other to the same purpose but I trust of no greater force They say those things are not to bee asked euen of a man much lesse of the Lord which he willingly and of his owne accorde is purposed to giue for that were not to honor but rather to dishonor by granting where no neede is But whatsoeuer we want the Lord is readie to giue and therefore we should aske nothing In deede of no greater force at all For it offendeth euen as the other did in reasoning of thinges subordinate one vnder the other and agreeing
well together as of things contrary to themselues and therefore taking away one an other The willingnesse of God to graunt our desires taketh not away our Prayer but strengthneth our faith to aske chéerefully and therfore euen then when he saith you shal haue he saith also aske by Prayer then when he saith I will heare he saith also call vppon me and euen then when he promiseth to be néere yet he mentioneth to whom namely to such as pray vnto him And the eyes of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares are open to their Prayers Therfore euen the Lord himselfe being iudge his purpose to graunt taketh not away our obedience to aske his readie willingnes to giue euen before we aske crosseth not at all his commaundement neuerthelesse to aske and so neither our bounden duetie to perfourme the same continually But by all those places of his fatherly readines and most mercifull willingnes to doe vs good as I haue alreadie saide our faith is strengthned our harts incouraged his goodnesse shewed and our obedience in 〈…〉 Prayer confirmed greatly not any way subuerted or taken away Well then see nowe an other deuise of Satan against this holy exercise If we cannot take it away out of the vse of mē by these conclusions let vs trie another way to make it vaine and not onely so to our selues but euen hatefull and abhominable to the Lorde Let vs ascribe vnto it merite of remission of sinnes iustification with God many marueilous vertues aboue the dignitie allowed in the word and finally to saluation And to this ende let vs alleage all the places of Scripture wherein Prayer is commended highly as if they meant thus highly Indeede you say very true such there are and thus Satan perswadeth But alas what should wee stande vpon it It is one thing to be a meanes and an other thing to be a cause of saluation and mercie Gods children acknowledge no cause of their life with God but Christ Iesus only in whom freely the Lord hath loued vs but meanes many as hearing reading fasting what we speake of praying Our prayers are acceptable to our GOD but neuer for them selues but for Christ They are auaileable also with God but by for faith in Christ whereof earnest Prayer ioyned with fasting is a token And therfore if we obtaine of God neuer so great matters by Prayer our Prayer yet is no cause of that but only a meanes So then a foolish and false argument it is to cut it off that thus reasoneth of a cause that is not a cause indeede I see well then the foundation of Prayer euen in nature I see the necessitie of it in respect of God our selues and our brethren I see the marueilous and exceeding profite of it and lastly the malice of Satan against it in both extremities either seeking to deface it as not required or if he cannot that do in ascribing vnto it aboue that which is lawfull thereby to make it fruitlesse with God Will you now adioyne any more It shall not bee amisse also for vs to consider those other poynts which bee vsually considered in these treatises and comprised for memorie in an olde verse to wit Affectus causae quis per quem quidque petendum That is With what affection we must pray For what causes To whome Through whome For what And concerning the first the Scripture teacheth vs that wee must pray with a zealous spirit with hart with soule and with all the power within vs not with colde affection and lippe labour The Apostles speach of the Spirit may giue this rule of Praier in it euer to be obserued be feruent in Praier The Lord himselfe by his Prophet complayneth that the people cried not in their hearts vnto him that is with this affection that we speake of And the auncient Ceremonies of lifting vp of handes remembreth vs thereof The spirit of God witnesseth it of his children as of Anna she prayed and wept sore troubled in her minde that her lippes shooke withall albeit she spake in her heart Of Moses that he cryed vnto the Lord and yet he spake neuer a word but so vehement was his spirite and so feruent his inwarde powers of Soule and heart that it was like a shrill shrike in the eares of the Lord. This heate of heart it is glorious before the Lord and profitable to vs but it is not at our commaundement we cannot haue it when wee will the Lord hath reserued it to himselfe to giue when and where and to whome and in what measure it pleaseth him As it is witnessed vnto vs by the Apostle saying The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed That is wee are not able of our selues to pray with that feruentnesse of spirite that heate of hart such motion of minde such trust such faith such sighes such power such affection in a word euery way as is conuenient to the Maiestie of God vnlesse we be inabled by his Spirite and therefore in mercie he supplieth with the same as pleaseth him Neuerthelesse meanes there are in the word noted vnto vs which worke vnder the blessing of this Spirite to this effect in measure in vs and therefore if this affection bée required in vs they be also necessary as helpers to y e same The first is a true consideration of our owne vnworthinesse and indignitie such and so great as that there is no mercie due vnto vs Such as maketh vs with the Publican not to will to lift vp our eyes to heauen but to knocke our breast and crye in humble sorte Good Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Such as maketh vs with the Centurion to say Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe and therefore say but the worde and my seruant shall bee well Such againe as maketh vs with Daniell to say in smarting woe O Lord wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies With Dauid O Lorde enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for no flesh liuing shall bee iustified in thy sight With Esay Wee haue all bene as an vncleane thing all our righteousnesse is as filthie cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs away With Ieremy O Lord though our iniquities testifie against vs deale with vs according to thy name for our rebellions are many and wee haue sinned against thee And finally such as may iustly make our soules vexed within vs when we thinke of it our bodies to bowe downe and goe crookedly and our eyes to faile as he speaketh This low conceipt but true conceipt of our selues marueilously quickneth vp our spirites and therefore is euer to
that which our teachers themselues refuse for their owne partes to ioyne with vs as in a course that is neither comfortable nor safe Let vs hearken rather to the Apostle truely aduertising vs to suffer none such as these neither any man liuing at his pleasure to beare rule ouer vs by humblenes of mind and worshipping of Angels aduauncing himselfe in these thinges which hee neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde and holdeth not the head c. For assuredly if the consciences of all thē were examined y e delight in other mediators beside Christ to offer vp their prayers to GOD and to speake for them and true confession made of what they finde it would appeare to vs all that this sinne springeth of none other roote than of a persuasion that Christ is not so pitifull and mercifull and willing to bée spoken vnto as other Saints and creatures be Which how blasphemous it is against him to giue his creatures preeminence aboue him in any goodnesse let euery feeling hart discerne and iudge Farre was the godly father from such opinion of our Sauiour when he made him all in all and with truth sayd of him what all true Christians firmely beleeue and holde Ipse os nostrum est per quod patri loquimur oculus noster per quem patrem videmus dextra nostra per quam nos patri offerimus He is our mouth wherewith wee speake vnto God our eye wherewith wee see GOD and our right hande wherewith wee offer our selues vnto GOD. Quo nisi intercedente nec nobis nec Sanctis omnibus quicquam cū deo est But by whose intercession neyther we nor all the Saints in heauen haue any thing to do with the Lord. And y t there remaine no scruple of feare in vs to goe to this gratious mediator euer when we pray consider it in the Scriptures and consider it earnestly that that glistering reason which they vse of our indignitie to goe to him at the first for so I call it because it seemeth so faire at the first vewe neuer discoraged any of the godly mencioned in the worde euer but euen then when they haue seene and thought of their vnworthynes most they haue yet gone vnto God and to no others for helpe Dauid when hee sawe that multitude of offences in him and himselfe so horribly defiled as that there remained almost nothing of olde Dauid in him that is of a good seruant of God neuer yet cried to Abraham Isaac and Iacob nor to any of all the godly departed or Angels in heauen but Miserere mei deus haue mercy vpon me O God and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine iniquitie Iohn Baptist though hee sawe himselfe vnworthy to loose the very latchet of Christ his shoone yet taught he no other Mediatour to God neither had any other himself but only him The good Centuriō that in so true feeling both of himselfe and Christ confessed he was not worthie vnder whose roofe the Lord should come yet with all that vnworthinesse was not feared from him to aske his helpe euen for his seruaunt The poore Publican vnworthie in his owne eies to looke vpon the heauens yet feareth not to loke vpon his God and to say God be mercifull vnto me a sinner when he might haue called vppon Saints and Angels for mercie if it had béene as good or better as these mad men affirme And so farre was this his doing from presumption displeasaunt to God and vnséeming an vnworthie sinner as that sentence is giuen by the Lord himselfe of it it was pleasant acceptable to God and he iustified more than the other Finally the Prodigall Sonne with the same mouth that confesseth his indignitie euer to be counted a Sonne any more yet calleth vpon his Father for pittie and not vpon any of his Fathers seruaunts Wherfore let vs open our eyes and sée the truth let vs not harden our hartes to day when we heare his voyce the mediator betwixt God and man is thr man Christ Iesus none but he it is he that sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs and there is no other And if any man sinne wee haue him our aduocate and wee must know no other Yea Sir but you knowe their answere in this matter if they bee charged they doe not denie they saie but Christ and onely Christ is mediatour of redemption but not of intercession and that which they ascribe to holy spirites it is onely to make intercession for them Indeede they so answere but alasse in vaine For it is but a shifte deuised of Satan to deceiue our soules by if wee receiue it and that may appeare both to them and vs if we haue care to see the truth For hath it first anie warrant in the worde If it haue let them produce it if not let them knowe that euen for this cause it faulteth and we reiect it For if this bee graunted that men may frame distinctions at theyr pleasures there is not the truth to bee named but it may be ouerthrowen Wherefore this is one reason agaynst it it hath no warrant in the worde Secondly was not the high Priest in the lawe mediator in figure both of expiation by sacrifices and of intercession by prayers That is more plainly did not he both offer the sacrifice make prayer And what was this but in shadow to shew that so in the new Testament both these things should bee conioyned in one man also euen the man Christ Iesus he that was mediator of redemption should also be mediatour of intercession To diuide these thē is to make the bodie not answere to the shadowe neither the truth to the figure which may not be For looke whatsoeuer was typically shewed Christ should do that hath he truelie done and performed and to affirme otherwise is great impietie Thirdly these two are both duties of the mediatour and in truth none can be a mediator vnlesse he performe both these things namely both redemption and intercession Now of two duties or partes of the office of a mediatour shall we make two sorts of mediators Truely it is euen all one as if because man consisteth of bodie and soule as of two partes that make but one whole we should say there are two sortes of men one consisting of bodie another of soule which were a trimme speech Or agayne because the Prince hath power ouer body and goods and they both are incident to the prerogatiue of his kinglie office therfore of two things belonging to one person we should make a distinction of persons say there are two sorts of Princes one hauing power ouer body and an other hauing authoritie ouer goods For euen so it is in this matter of a mediator whose office consisteth in both these duties as parts of the same to redeeme the people and to make intercession for them Remember also in the
come at the publique places we may pray and comfortably pray assured that euen in all these places and others whatsoeuer our prayers made in faith come before the Lord as incense and the lifting vp of our handes is as an euening sacrifice Of publique place and praiers all those appoyntments of God of assemblies both in the lawe and the Gospell and his childrens carefull and diligent kéeping of the same This publique place the Lorde calleth his house and the house of prayer And the old father is not afrayde to say thus of them Non aequè exoras cùm solus Dom. obsecras atque cum fratribus tuis Est enim in hoc plus aliquid videlicet concordia conspiratio copula aemoris charitatis Sacerdotum clamores Praesunt enim ob eam rem sacerdotes vt populi orationes quae infirmiores per se sunt validiores illas complexae simul in coelos euehantur Thou doest not so soone obtaine thy desire when thou prayest alone vnto the Lord as when thou prayest with thy brethren For herein there is somewhat more the concorde the consent the ioyning of loue and charitie the crye of the Priests For to that end the Priestes are made ouerseers that they being the stronger sort may take with them the weake prayers of the people and carie them vp into heauen Againe Quod quis apud se ipsum precatus accipere non poterit hoc cum multitudine precatus accipiet quare quia etiam si non propria virtus tamen concordia multum potest The thing that ae man can not obtaine praying by himselfe alone praying together with the multitud he shall obtaine And why so for although not his owne worthines yet the concorde vnitie preuaileth much This concorde and vnitie in prayer is a goodly thing and make a shrill shrike in the Lordes eare S. Hierom did liken it to a thunderclap Basil to the roaring of the Sea And by playne experience we knowe that if one string of an instrument make a sounde many stringes make a greater sound if one sticke make a fire many stickes make a greater and an hoater fire This true and good consideration made euer the godly haue a speciall care to frequent the publique places of prayer that if themselues were dull yet euen the company of others might stirre them vp and they in common place might receyue the blessing of common prayer Peter and Iohn went together into the Temple to pray And Dauid remembring howe hee had wont to lead the people to the house of God and haue a multitude followe by his good example when he was banished from that comfort and wanted that helpe so good against wants he sayd his heart was ready to breake within him and the griefe was very great A most notable place for al men to thinke of to stirre them vp to frequent places of prayer and especially for great men whose examples preuaile so mightily either to good or euill The companies wil assemble if they come folow them carefully As they did Dauid and that obedience of many shalbe their crowne and true comfort euen as it was Dauids What thinke you if in his exile so grieuous bitter Dauids cōscience had cried also against him and said Thou neuer when thou hadst peace and libertie caredst for publique méetings at prayer and Sacraments thou neuer gauest any good example this way to the multitude that watched what thou diddest and depended vpon thée but if thou diddest pray it was secrete by thy selfe when thou shouldest haue beene with the congregation and therefore since God gat no honour by thee nor obedience of his people by thy zealous forwardnes to goe before them and to leade them to the house of praier therfore now the Lord hath layd thy honour in the dust and raysed vp euill against thee Doe you thinke it woulde not nippe yes truely more then all his wo beside for there is no torment to a conscience iustly accusing Wherefore nowe it shoulde bee thought of by all nobles and gentlemen women the markes that ignoraunt people frame themselues vnto that if euer the Lord should do with vs as with Dauid or cast vs in the bed of sicknes or any way let vs that we could not go yet with Dauid wee might testifie with great comfort what had bene although then grieued as he that it was not so still Austen was rauished with the songs of the Church and congregation met together and euen wept in spirituall comfort conceiued by that sweete consent and heauenly matter so ioyntly and with such order and power made and vttered to God in publique meetings And who hath not felt his heart moued in a congregation Wherefore once againe let these thinges work to a great regard of publique Church assemblies at times appoynted For the sanctifying of the Sabboth requireth it if there were no more And take heede of exceptions for they are most dangerous against a thing so renowmed in the woorde and so carefully obserued euer of the godly It is easie to deceiue our selues with a shew of truth if there be not euen a conscience to suspect a plea before that is made against the trueth Many thinges might bee here touched but who is wise will consider what is openly touched and beware Yet one thing more I pray you aunswer me in this matter and that is concerning the dead may they bee prayed for of vs after they are departed No in deede vnlesse we will presume in zeale and affection aboue any warrant of the worde of God and so pull vpon vs as wee haue heard before both sinne and the rewarde therof For we haue no commandement any where to doe it being yet expressely commanded to pray for the liuing and to doe such dueties also for the dead as are fit and allowable as to burie them to mourne moderatly for them and so as may become men and women that haue hope of their resurrection and life eternall to bee faithfull performers of their last willes and such like Wee haue no example of any in the Canonicall Scripture that euer did it wee haue no promise to be heard if we doe it no punishment threatned if wee doe it not And is not this a great nakednesse of an action to haue none of all these yea such a nakednesse as should touch and presse any man or woman liuing that desire to please God by true and right obedience Truely it is And we are not able to name any one thing that God hath in good liking to haue his children doe but it either hath all or the most of these It hath a commaundement it hath a promise it hath example it hath punishment threatned if not done c. Wherefore let vs consider it and not be caried away with vayne shiftes We vse to say we doe it for good will and if it doe them no good it doth them no harme But is
Satan in vs by any meanes subdue our sinfull flesh and all the wicked lusts therof to the inlarging of thy kingdome here vpon earth and grant that all the powers of body and soule may be inabled by thy holy Spirite to worke acceptably in thy sight that thou mayest dwell in vs and wee in thee for euer and all thyne our enemies vtterly troden downe thou mayst gloriously reigne and triumph ouer all and wee by Christ may finally as thy children and heires be made partakers of thy euerlasting kingdome Now is not this brought to passe but by meanes and therefore as we pray for the thing that the Lord would graunt it so pray we also inclusiuely for the meanes that in mercy they may bee giuen to the effecting of it The meanes are these first the word euen this heauenly and blessed woorde of God so finally accompted of in the worlde and not onely so but euen hated despised and reiected of numbers For so sayth the Apostle it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first also to the Grecian that is it is the mightie instrument of GOD without which men are damned and cast away Yea such an instrument it is of power and force wher it pleaseth the Lord that it hath greater strength and authoritie than all the eloquence than all the wisedome than all the learning than all the pollicie power of the worlde Let the dayes before vs witnes to this truth I meane those primitiue times when the Lorde began to powre his mercy on mankind for Christ by the ministerie of his Christ and of his disciples wherein notwithstanding this diuine word of his was resisted by all the worldly gifts and powers which I named yet had it marueilous successe and did wonderfully increase Demosthenes and Cicero for their eloquence Solon and Aristides for their wisedome Plato and Aristotle for their learning Alexander and Pompey for their manhood were of power of fame and in the world when they liued able by these gifts to doe much Yet the best of all these had much to do euen a fewe yeres to keepe their owne Citizens their owne countreymen their owne subiects in obedience and to cause them to giue place to good and wholsome Counsel and to obey lawes prouided for their owne profit Yea euerie one of them almost to their owne confusion prooued of howe small force their wisedome their eloquence their power was and with the ende of their liues left their common weales welneere vtterly decayed and vndone But cōtrarywise the Apostles not learned but poore fishermen not with any inticing words of mans wisedome not commended or set forth with those giftes ornaments that men so greatly do esteem went foorth into the worlde preaching the disdayned Gospell of Christ crucified and by the simple doctrine thereof did in fewe yeres for the state of religion chaunge the face of the whole worlde notwithstanding that the Empire of Rome and other mightie principalities did to the vttermost of their power resist it and the reformation that by the Apostles in this maner was begun continued and spred it selfe mightily and marueilously euen against the assaults of most cruel and tyrannicall persecutions vnder Nero Domitian Traian Adrian Anthony Dioclesian and many mo A force farre passing the power of man that in the midst of al such bloody deaths most exquisite torments yet was able dayly to get children to the kingdome of Christ yea and that so plentifully that well were they that might runne and professe themselues Christians that they might dye the death for it continually It is a very notable storie that is written of such as this worde of the Lord had begotten to Christ in Edessa a citie in Mesopotamia who being as it is sayd banished out of all Churches by the decree of the Emperour made their meetings in y e fileds Which espied of the Emperour in a very great rage hee strooke his chiefe captaine with his fist and asked why therehence also they were not remoued according as he had commanded The Captaine the next day determineth to dispatch them but yet in pitie to them although himselfe a Pagan by secret meanes letteth it go abroad that the next day he would destroy al that were found at those méetings hoping thereby to warne them to absteine and so to saue themselues But sée y e power of this word in the harts of men The next day the Christians although thus admonished yet flocke thither in more plentiful sort than at other times yet runne headlong as it were and in great hast as men affraide to come to late to dye Amongst all the Captaines noted a certaine woman so hastely and with such speede to runne out of her house as that shee stayed not either to shut the doore of her house or to put on her clothes as womanhoode woulde and in her armes a litle infant When hee sawe it he commanded to call her to him and being come asked her whither she made all that hast Into the field saith she wher the christians meet And hast thou not heard sayth he that the chief Captaine is going thither to put to the sworde all hee findeth there Yes saith she I haue heard it and therfore I make hast that I may be there when hee commeth And what wilt thou do with this yong babe sayth he Take it with me also sayth shee that if the Lord will it may be vouchsafed martyrdome also When the Captayne heard this he stayed his course commanded his charet to turne and to the Emperour presently he goeth told him if it pleased his maiestie to cōmand him death he was ready but to do what he commaunded he could not for thus and thus had hee seene it and so declared vnto the Emperor all this storie Who by and by was appeased stayed his hande and restrayned his intended euill to such zealous louers of their God See nowe how true it is that the Apostle sayth it is the power of God that is potens instrumentum the mightie instrument of God to get men and keepe men to the Lorde They were accompted the men that troubled all the worlde yet were they not discouraged Ligabantur include bantur cedebātur torquebantur tamen multiplicabantur They were bound sayth S. Austen they were tormented and racked and yet for all this they multiplied and increased So was it euē in these latter daies of ours when all pitie and truth was buried as it were in the bottome of the Sea Antichrist of Rome in his ruffe power and strength exalting himselfe aboue all that was called God and made Princes and Emperours to kisse his feete yea when it was death almost to thinke of the restoring of true religion euen then I say did this word of the Lord in the mouth of one simple man at the first against the clamors of Monkes and Friers against the
of the Lord appoynted commaunded sanctified and blessed to the raysing building and creating this kingdome of the Lord in the harts of men for which we praie when we saie Thy kingdome come and to deny eyther of these members that now we haue stood of or to say that they haue no blessing promised and graunted to them but that preaching is all in all and reading is nothing not profitable not able to worke faith c. is to auouch a greate vntruth and of such deniall we may saie as he sayde Archangeli nesciunt Angeli nō audiuerunt Propheta non sensit filius ipse non aedidit The Archangels know it not the Angels haue not heard the Prophet hath not felt it the sonne of God himselfe hath reuealed to vs no such thing What then doe you match reading with preaching or do you say the people if they hearde the Scriptures read vnto them though they had no preaching sustayne no want neyther neede to care for preaching or once to take anie paines to go where it is orderly if i be not at home No no for this is the other extremitie I tolde you of euen now when I said wée must auoyd two Let them both therefore not onely stande but stand with theyr iuste and due commendations Reading is protable but preaching doth profite more than reading doth because it is more apt for the ignoraunt and vnlearned expressing more plainly the meaning of the Scripture and applying the same to their consciences as is thought fit Wherefore with verie fatherlie care hath the Lord in his worde appoynted that this meanes also shoulde bee vsed to his people to the erecting of this his kingdome in them and telleth vs what greate blessing hee hath bestowed vppon it from time to time He therfore gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ till we all meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of GOD vnto a perfect man c. And go and teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you c. In another place The haruest is great the labourers few praie therefore to the Lorde of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest Our Sauiour himselfe of this meanes saith The spirite of the Lord is vpon mee because hee hath annoynted me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent mee that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blinde that I should set at libertie them that are brused that I shoulde preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord. And as he went towardes Emaus with the two that went thether hee preached vnto them to theyr good Peter preached the worde and there were added to the Church about three thousand soules Philip preached to the Eunuch he beleeued Peter preached to Cornelius and his companie and they receiued the holie Ghost and beleeued Paule preached to Sergius Paulus a prudent mā and the Lord gaue it a blessing to confusion of the Sorcerer the ouerthrowe of Satan and the erection of this his kingdome of which now we speake in his heart So did he to Lydia and to the Iaylour and to a number moe By this excellent meanes of preaching he opened theyr heartes and brought them to his folde that he in them might raigne ouer whome Satan so long had ruled before and so begging this his kingdome in them in this life might assure them of his eternall kingdome with him in the lyfe to come And for this singular profite that this meanes hath to this purpose it hath as you haue seene from time to time bene most carefullie prouided by the Lorde for his people The spice when it is whole smelleth sweetly but if it bee broken and brused by the hande of the Apothecarie it smelleth a greate deale more So is the word read of vs or to vs sweete as the honie and bringeth the light of life to manie But if the spirituall Apothecarie breake it and bruse it cut it diuide it as the Lord hath appoynted by preaching then reacheth the sauour of such heauenly sweete to many mo in a fuller measure by reason of the blessing of this meanes as hath beene sayde If the loafe bee whole the children get not euer so full morsells as when it is cut and broken vnto them preaching parteth the bread and maketh vs feede in this fuller measure through the gracious blessing of our God If the fire be couered with anie ashes the heate breaketh not out so greatlie as it would if the ashes were awaie euen so if in the word of God when we reade it any one thing we vnderstande not as we wish to do this meanes of preaching vncouereth that heauenly fire vnto vs that earst wee felte not so much and the Lorde bestowing his grace vppon his owne appoyntment the fire flasheth into our soules and we as men and women rauished with such heauenly good perceyue and see the power of preaching Thus did it to the Eunuch whom wee named before What hee read at the first hee vnderstoode not but when Philip preached vnto him the fire brake out to his lasting good and he vehemently cryed to be baptized And so to the rest whome so lately wee noted O powreful meanes therfore of y e Lord to the erecting of this kingdome in vs the true and plaine preaching of the word Reading profiteth but preaching more and reading therefore is good but preaching is better This blessing pray for euer amongst vs this blessing vse if the Lord vouchsafe it Consider what hath bene sayd and not only sayd but proued that the Lorde hath appoynted this meanes as the most notablest of al others to the erection of his kingdom in vs whereof wee speake that it hath had this blissing to thousands and ten thousand thousands that haue hearkened thereunto that the contempt of it is death and that eternal both of body and soule then waigh with thy self what thou dayly doest If thou wāt it whither thou seeke it If thou haue it whither thou vsest it and shake to thinke of thy shutting out of this kingdome here and for euer for the contempt of the meanes whereby wee are brought into it all of vs. Let neither ignoraunce of so great a good withhold thee any longer neither the deadly suggestions of that tempting so induce thee in pride to make fearefull exceptions against the Lordes ordynance to saue thy soule Either for that the man liketh thee not or his measure or manner or whatsoeuer For truely if he bring the glad tidings of the Gospell his feete are beautifull If
he speake from the Lord he must be heard And if he be the appointed meanes betwixt the Lorde and thee I meane thine owne Pastor and teacher thinke whilest it is to day of the strength in deede of thy exceptions to heare him and feare the iudgments shrinke at the wrath tremble at the vengeaunce most assured to thee without repentance if they bee to weake They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away said the Lord to his Prophet then and weigh it well whether the Lord truly may not say it of thee now to thy death refusing the meanes appoynted by him for thy life vpō such grounds as Satan hath suggested corruption nourisheth and the triumphant trueth of the Lorde will consume in iudging day to eternall wo. It was well sayde of that worthy instrument in Gods Church vpon like occasion Agnoscant Anabaptistae vbicunque minister ritè constitutus est ac fideliter munere suo fungitur vnumquemque qui pro Christiano haberi vult debere ei adhaerere cum reliquo grege ipsius ministerio frui c. Let the Anabaptistes confesse and acknowledge that wheresoeuer there is a minister duely placed and doth his duetie faithfully and carefully there euery one that will bee accompted a Christian must cleaue vnto him and with the rest of the flocke and congregation vse his ministerie But what do they as many of vs as will not follow their errors although wee neuer so purely preach the word of God yet do they take vs for rauening wolues and they so abhorre vs as that they thinke they should commit an offence worthy death if they should bee present but at one sermon of ours Then do they make suddenly ministers of their owne and they being so made in a moment then doe they drawe the people and make contrary congregations of their owne to the renting of the Church asunder that the name of God cannot be called vpon with that one consent and concord that it ought to bee Meditate many times ere the Lord strike thee what Saint Iames sayth My brethren haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Faith in that place includeth the preached word which if thou thus regard remember the stripes that they shall haue that know their master his will and refuse to doe it remember whose head the blood is vpon when the watchmā hath warned If thy Pastors gifts bee not so great whom reprochest thou but the giuer of them May not he do with his owne as pleaseth him for thee Refusest thou to heare him for his litle to whome the Lord will say Euge serue bone and crowne him for his faithfulnesse ouer litle Beware I wish thee as a friend in Christ thy feete are sliding fearefully if thou stay not Stande not vpon his vniuersitie vpon his degrees vpon his age vpon his method least of all except O strange suggestion of a guileful serpent in these euill dayes against his writing for his memory as though because his note helpeth his memory therefore his lips keepe not knowledge thou wilt not heare him But stande vppon the message that is done remember whose it is stande vpon the messengers calling vnto them aboue all others in this world if hee bee thy Pastor what measure of grace soeuer the Lord hath vouchsafed him stand vpō the ordinance of the Lorde by preaching to erect his kingdome in the heartes of men and to saue them that beleeue stand vpon the abilitie of thy God to giue thee good by the ministerie of him that is thine owne how meane soeuer he seeme in the world to the curious almost I had sayd cursed creatures stand vppon the iudgement done to the despisers of Iesus Christ and remember it often Qui vos audit me audit c. he that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee For these with a number moe such are true groundes of that commaundement the breach whereof will be hellish woe for euer Obey them which haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accompts that they may doe it with ioy and not with greef for y t is not profitable for you And if my speech may not finde a blessing vnto some because the Lord hath determined to destroy them yet say I to my brethren that am the meanest of them all let vs worke the worke of our calling faithfully throwe the seede of the Lord into his field according to the hande that hee hath giuen carefully giue attendance to reading paynfully though we neuer take degree in Vniuersitie passe with a worthie Apostle through good report and euill report and if any man wee thus doing refuse the Lords letters because wee bring them the Lords message because we deliuer it the Lordes golde because wee deale it let vs comfort our selues with the same Apostle that we are vnto God a swéet sauour of Christ in them that perish But my brethren if wee doe it not but giue our selues to ease and to the waies of this worlde fashioning our selues daylie more and more in an vnlawfull sort according to the same then remember that preaching being meanes yea y e chiefest meanes to erect this kingdome of the Lord in this world we neglecting it we neglect also the effect of it namely the kingdome of God ouer and in his people and so suffring as much as lyeth in vs the Lorde to lose his people and the people to lose their God wee fearefully purchase to our selues that dreadfull woe that is pronounced to all them that preach not the Gospell Aaron sounded wee know when he ministred by his golden belles in those daies and therefore he shall not dye sayth the Lord if wee sound not when we minister by the golden gifts giuen of the Lord shal not we dye And is then all that we aske concerning this matter namely that GOD would bestowe his worde vpon vs that we may reade it and heare it and haue it preached vnto vs to the building vp of this his kingdome in vs No in deede But forasmuch as neither our reading nor hearing is able to profite vs anie thing vnto saluation excepte the Lorde by his holie spirite make it fruitfull to vs and giue it a blessing therefore wee praie also mightilie these wordes for that heauenly power of his grace that what we reade or heare read or preached vnto vs out of his heauenly booke by the ministery of men may by him bee made a sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe vnto vs. For though Paule preach and Appollo water yet neyther Paule nor Apollo but onely the Lorde giueth increase Except the Lorde open Balams eyes hee seeth not the Angell of the Lorde in the way with his swoord drawen in his hand that is neyther anger nor loue perceiue we euer except the Lord work it in
vs. How came it to passe that the Iewish people so seeing dayly the wonderfull workes of God for them the proofes of his power mercie and goodnesse aboue all the nations of the world yet persisted vnfaithfull stubburne and wayward to so good a God O sayth Moses these things being done for you yet hath the Lorde giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this daie teaching vs playnly that such hart such eyes and eares are onely the Lords to giue and without such gift we profite nothing no not by the verie euident extraordinarie mercies of God In another place agayne The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart the heart of thy seede that thou mayest loue the Lord thy GOD with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest liue As if hee shoulde saie neuer thinke of anie loue of GOD faythfull and true as possible to be within thee and consequently no obedience loue being the root of all excepte the Lorde circumcise thine heart that is purge all thy wicked affections giue hearing reading a blessing which thing is not in thine owne power to doe It is I sayth the Lord by the prophet Esaie that receiue the spirite of the humble and giue lyfe to them that are of a contrite heart If the Lorde worke in one he worketh in all the spirites of men are ruled and gouerned vnto good onelie by him If he touch vs we are touched if hee turne vs wee are turned and if hee reuiue not and giue life we sinke in all our sinnes as vnfeeling wretches and abide in death How playnly sayth it agayne the Prophet Ezekiel I wil giue you a newe heart and I will put a newe Spirit within you and will take away the stony heart out of your body giue you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and and cause you to walke in my statutes c. O see and marke howe all lets bee remooued and all grace giuen by the Lorde alone in mercy seeking our saluation And therefore knowe it true as the truth is true that neither hearing nor reading preaching or priuat speaking auaileth euer to doe vs good except the guiding grace of the Lorde direct vs to it by a blessing giuen to them all or any when they are vsed And therefore as for the word so for the blessing of it by the Spirit of God do we euer pray when we say these words Thy kingdom come Then opened he their vnderstanding sayth the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ that they might vnderstand the Scripture And Lydia attended to those thinges which Paul spake because the Lord opened her heart So that neither one nor other Lydia nor the disciples of Christ see heare or vnderstand except the Lorde giue the eye the eare and the heart It is the holy Spirit that teacheth teacheth into all trueth and without whome still still all meanes remaine vnprofitable There is an oyntment sayth Saint Iohn from him that is holy and that anoynting teacheth you all things that is the grace of the holy ghost Wherefore I cease not to make mencion of you in my prayers sayth the holy Apostle and to bowe my knees vnto the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ that he would giue vnto you the Spirit of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eyes of your vnderstanding may bee lightned that we may knowe what the hope of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritaunce is in the Saints c. And that yee may bee strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by fayth and yee may bee able to comprehend with all Saynts what is the bredth and length and depth and height c. See Pauls refuge for profitte to his preaching for life and light for these Ephesians euen to the Lorde for his holy Spirite to soften and supple their stony heartes to illuminate and lighten their darke mindes and to make that sweete to them that is sower to many and fruitefull to them by his mightie power that is neuer so to any without the same Wherefore to goe no further knowe it for conclusion that wee praying for Gods kingdome to come vnto vs in this petition by the hearing and preaching of his worde the meanes appoynted of him to erect the same and seeing well by all this that hath bene said that neither one nor other of these meanes cā preuaile with vs any thing vnlesse the Lorde also with them giue the power of his Spirit and the blessing of his grace in our hearts by them therefore there is included herein also euen praier for this grace and the petition being vnderstoode of vs is thus much with the Lord as we should in playne termes say O Lord giue vs not onely thy worde to reade and heare but the heauenly grace of thy holy Spirit also to sanctifie blesse and make fruitefull to vs both our reading and hearing that so reading and so hearing thy kingdome may come vnto vs and thou ruling and wee ruled wee may liue for euer with thee according to thy promise See then still further matter of this petition And since the Lord hath taught vs thus to pray for the helpe of his hande and the blessing of his grace to all the meanes of good vnto vs and so guided the tongues of his children euer before this forme was layde downe vnto them though in other wordes Let vs brethren looke vpon this occasion into our corruption for truely the Lorde reueileth a secret vnto vs of our natures that thousands sée not when hee thus teacheth vs that without his Spirite no meanes profite vs. We trust to our witts to our skill to our yeres and youth and I know not what and wee thinke wee haue wings of nature aboue our fellowes many of vs to flye aloft and to sée the secretes of the Lord but truely it is not so we haue all sinned and sinne hath cut our wings that wee cannot flye aboue wee haue all in our first parentes transgressed and that transgression hath dazeled and darkened our eyes closed our eares and benummed our heartes that we can neither see heare nor feele except it bee giuen vs from aboue as wee haue now fully bene taught As naturall men we perceyue not the thinges that are of GOD we are not able to thinke a thought that is good but all our sufficiencie is of God and by his grace only we are what we are that good is if any trueth bee opened to vs the Lord hath done it and cōcerning life eternall flesh and blood reueileth nothing to vs but the father in heauen reade without this spirit and the booke is sealed to vs heare without this Spirite and it is a pleasant song that sinketh not but passeth with the time pray without this
thousands that happely thinke not of it as they ought we open our lippes vnto the Lorde of heauen and pray that we may bee holie we would bee thought by him the whole world to meane good faith and yet what is holy we euen hate to be drawne to misliking none more neither wishing any cōpanie lesse thā theirs y t either perswade vs to it or seeme to expect it at our hands and what is vnholy we wallowe in we tumble in we ioy in and wee euen wish to liue and grow olde in Wee pamper the flesh both with foode and rayment aboue all Christian licence so cherishing so coying so lulling and lapping yea so bathing in pleasure and ease in softnesse and tendernesse in mildnes and wantonnesse that matter of earth and wormes meate as if wee neither thought there were corruption to rot it heauen to receiue it or hell to burne it The minde wee robbe of all meditation that is holy and feede it with matter of all hellish impuritie The Lords booke is layd in a corner and the deuils banners are displayd in euery windowe Our tongues cannot tast the testimonies of God sweeter than honey or the honey combe but they can discourse the delights of sinfull flesh that shall sende to hell Our chéekes are red to talke of Christ as wee goe to Emaus and wee blush apace to seeme so holy but the Morian blusheth as fast as we when fearfully and foully we sinne against the Lord. We loue the wicked wee lothe the godly we freeze in loue wee boyle in malice wee sell vertue we buy sinne wee refuse Christ and choose Barrabas we lay away life and play with death but O pleasureles play in the ende Let the Prophet Ose speake for me to you and hee will tell vs surely that there is no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the land That by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring we breake out and bloud toucheth bloud And is this holinesse is this to pray Thy will be done For Gods sake thinke of it and knowe with me now in time what I would be loath you should know past time that you may euen aswell spit vppon Christ Iesus buffet him and beate him with a Reede kneele before him and say Hayle King of the Iewes with those cursed mockers as kneele in this Church or any where say Thy will be done and yet neuer care how you doe it in a holy life For it is horrible mockerie this horrible hypocrisie and the ende will bee euill You must with prayer to bee holie ioyne care to be so to bee faithfull and feruent you must indeuour it and you must performe it in some measure as truely as begge it or els as truely you perish for euer The Lord wil not be mocked alwaies the Lord will not haue such seeming prayers made and such sinning liues retayned still Of our owne mouthes shall he iudge vs therefore once againe as you loue the Lord thinke of it and to day harden not your hearts against that you heare You heare the will of God is that we should bée holy and wee pray that this will may bee done Prayer accepted of God may not bée without earnest care that it may bee done care to bee holie casteth away the loue of loosenes cast away then what shall cast away you if you doe not and care for that which shall cause a comfort for euer and euer Let not that Father speake it of vs Ad Deum omnes ire volunt post deū pauci to God would all goe but after God will fewe goe To liue in heauen together is better than to liue in Wilton together and parting will bee payne if wee part in that day Be moued then now that you be not ouermuch moued then euen to crye to the mountaynes to fall vppon you and to the hilles to couer you Alas why should I bee a minister of death vnto you that so truely wish your life or a sweete smelling sauour to my God in your destruction because I haue done my duetie when I crye to the Lord y t I may be crowned with you and neuer loose you As then hereafter you care to bee what in this petition you pray to be so loue you GOD so loue you your selues so loue you me so loue you heauen so feare you hell and the GOD of mercie giue my speech a blessing to vs all Amen I beseech him now in time before the doore bee shut and the bridegroome come For in vain did the foolish virgins knocke when the time was past But what duties else wil you name that God requireth and we praie for in this petition One moe and that is this It is the Lordes will that in this world we shoulde take vp our crosse and followe him as many as will be his Disciples that through many tribulations we should enter into the kingdome of heauen and that all that will liue godlie in Christ Iesus shoulde suffer persecution that if we be sonnes we should not be without correction but now and thē chastned of our God that wee may not bee condemned with the world This will we beseech the Lord may be done in vs and we inabled by his holy spirite still more and more whatsoeuer we perceiue to betide in this life by his good pleasure to receiue it and suffer it not onely with contented but also with gladsome hearts And this is a chiefe vse of this prayer for truely it is a small thing in comparison beloued during the time of prosperitie and comfort to saie Thy will be done O Lord but if in aduersitie when the world lowreth the storme ariseth Princes persecute and our owne houses are diuided our Fathers betraying vs our children forsaking vs our friends defying vs for the cause of God if wee can then saie both with content and ioy Thy wil be done this is a strength and a grace of God aboue all treasure to be honoured If it bee not so high a matter but losse of goods by some occasion losse of friendes want of health and weary times by bittrr paine in bodie or soking sorrowe in minde yet if we can herein say it with true content comfort truely it is a measure that noteth a childe of heauen and happie we But O hard hard yet not so hard but God is able For behold examples before our eyes Old Eli in the booke of Samuel when hee had receiued from the Lord of heauen an heauy message by his young waiter little Samuel to wit that the Lorde woulde iudge his house that the wickednesse therof should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering but vtterly destroied for euer what said he but euen what here we pray for our parts we may be able to saie in our aduersitie It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good That is it is my God and my Lord wherefore with
of concupiscence as the vngodly doe O pardon herein for the bloud of Iesus both words and workes straying from thy will To name them it is vnpossible for we cannot thinke of them yet thou knowest them and with thee is mercie euen for secret faults Giue vs of thy strength also O blessed Lord God that wee may beare and suffer all crosses diseases pouertie cōtempts persecutions and aduersities with al the changes and chaunces of this mortall life not onely with cōtēted but with gladsome harts knowing that it is thy will that wee should crucifie and mortifie our willes And when that appoynted passing hower shall come that earth to earth and ashes to ashes is to returne O Lorde make vs strong to welcome in this also thy will And finally what obedience we owe to thy maiesty giue it vs good God that as thy Angelles and heauenly creatures most willingly without grudging most speedily without delaies and most faithfully without affection and partialitie doe their dueties so wee may performe and doe it to our liues ende and euer as it shall please thee to inable vs for his sake whome thou louest Christ Iesus thy sonne and our most deere and blessed Sauiour Amen The 4. Petition Giue vs this day our daily bread Two thinges I haue to aske you heere touching the order before you come to the words themselues First why these three Petitions concerning our necessities followe vppon the other which concerned Gods glorie Secondly why of the three this is first seeing the other two concerne better things To the first I answer you that being warranted by the Lord after the seeking of his kingdome and the rightuousnes thereof which ought to bee first to seeke also at his hands whatsoeuer we haue neede of to the maintenance and good of this life wee hauing done the former in the petitions before fitly followeth the other now in these three And this is the order that Dauid vseth in his Psalme first crauing the light of the Lords countenaunce to bee lifted vp vpon him and then assuring himselfe next of peace and safetie the benefites of this earthly life Yea sir but doth not our Sauiour saie expressely Bee not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke nor yet for your bodie what ye shall put on but seeke ye first the kingdome of God and the rightuousnesse therof and all these things shall be ministred vnto you for your heauenly father knoweth that ye haue need of these things Why then should wee expressely pray for that which both he knoweth wee want and hath in mercie promised vs Although our Sauiour say they shalbe ministred vnto vs in that place yet doth himselfe bid vs pray for them expressely in this place and therefore well we knowe by those words there he meant not to exclude this meanes heere The examples also of his childrē which haue done it and the manifold promises made to all them that shall doe it which will appeare to vs hereafter tell vs the same If you will know the reason why vnderstande you not for that he would not otherwise giue them to his children that séeke his kingdome chiefly except they were by name asked or for that he giueth them for their asking which in deede he giueth fréely or for that he hath néede to bee remembred but in deede that by such prayer wee might witnesse vnto the world that wee acknowledge the Lorde the very fountayne spring head of all these things also that concerne either bodie or minde that we might thus learne to depend vpon him fully and wholly and in all things and whatsoeuer is wanting to vs to flye to him not to trust in our selues or in man or in any arme of flesh whatsoeuer What saie you to my seconde demaund To your seconde demaund I aunswer thus that albeit the things that are contayned in the next petitions bee of more price than those that are contayned in this yet hath the Lorde set this before them not without cause euen to releeue thereby our infirmitie which doe not so easely quickly perceiue or pray for heauenly things as earthly things The fift petition beggeth remission of sinnes the sixt an inuincible constancie and holy fortitude in temptatiō these are great matters concerning our heauenly life and therefore not so neere to our dull conceipts and knowledge The matters of this petition are more easie and better felt of vs and therefore in a most mercifull wisedome our Sauiour beginneth with the easier and so draweth vs to the harder by degrees that hauing had tryall of his goodnesse in the one wee might nothing doubt of his mercie in the other Hauing felt him friendly in matters of lesser good wee might full accompt of fauour in things of greater good to vs. Yet must I needs obiect vnto you the prayer of Agur which proceedeth not in this order but first desiring that God would remoue farre from him vanitie and lies matter belonging to the mind in the second and latter place asketh foode conuenient concerning the body And I haue already answered your obiection sufficiently if you marked it For I haue sayde in respect of the matters themselues things belonging to the mind are to go before things belonging to the body so no doubt woulde our Sauiour haue set them if he had regarded that onely But looking from that to our infirmitie dulnes he hath placed that first that was best knowne to vs and so from the more known draweth vs to the lesse knowne from the easier to the harder and from the earthly to the heauenly Like a good teacher that wishing the profitte of his schollers deliuereth to them the lighter lessons first and milke before meate that is strong for men You satisfie me well proceede therfore now if you please to the words themselues this is inough concerning the order Content if this be noted in a worde before that although wee bee nowe come to matters that concerne our selues and our owne profit and haue passed ouer those that concerne Gods glory yet may wee not thinke that wee haue nowe done with the Lord and his honor quite but this onely is the difference that then wee respected the Lorde onely wholly and immediatly now wee regarde our selues and our necessities with him and him as we vse to speake mediatly For otherwise euen all the thinges we wish and do must regard the Lorde and his holy honour according to the Apostle saying Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye do do all to the glory of God And according to the confession of Saint Austen Sufficiētia vitae rectè appetitur non propter se ipsam quidem sed vt eam habētes commodius Deo seruiamus Things fit for this life are rightly requested but not for themselues but that hauing them we may better serue God The true knowledge of this putteth a notable bitte in the mouth of
not so The very deuill coulde say that it was no maruell if Iob feared God séeing that God had made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he had on euery side and had blessed the worke of his hands and his substance was increased in the land and yet are not many of vs able to reason thus to the stirring vp of our obedience to the Lord for his graces to vs albeit wee woulde bee iudged great Christians The Lorde quicken vs. For assuredly to whome the Lorde hath giuen much of them hee will require much and they shall answere him It needeth not that wee runne ouer all particulars seeing thus much now is said that in the word bread is contained all that wee may haue any way neede of to this life It were an infinite matter so to do and in deede not needefull therefore let vs consider that we aske herein foode and raymēt and whatsoeuer we want Houses to dwell in Psal 107.36 That our children be not vagabonds and begge their bread Psal 109 We begge peace and quietnes priuate at home publique abroad for this is needfull and a comfortable blessing Better is a dry morsell if peace be with it thā an house full of sacrifices with strife And it is a great goodnes of God when we may serue him as Zacharie sayth without feare in holynes and righteousnesse all the daies of our life Wherefore the Lord himselfe of peace saith the Apostle giue you peace alwaies by al meanes And if it be possible as much as in you lyeth haue peace with all men Graunt Lord sayth Dauid that there be no going out no leading into captiuity neither any complaining in our streetes Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Let them prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy walles plenteousnes in thy palaces Wee pray also for y e bounds of peace good magistrates Againe for good health and strength of body whereby wee may be able to walke in our vocation For honest name and fame credit and fauour with men as shalbe good for vs and a thousande thinges moe that this life hath neede of Neither do we aske these things in a bare and needy measure onely but euen in some comfortable measure that we may not only our selues liue with some cheare which y e Lord aloweth but that we may be also helpefull vnto others So you haue some tas◠of the particulars of this generall word bread I see here their doubt is plainly dissolued that make a question whether a Christian may pray for the outward thinges of this worlde because the Church must bee subiect here to persecution It is very true for here is a short commandement to do it Giue vs this day our daylie bread besides other generall charges in the word Secondly wee haue his promises many and mercifull concerning these things and what he promiseth to giue we may be bolde to aske Thirdly we haue the examples of his children as of Iacob when hee went to Padan Aram saying If God wil be with me and will keepe me in this iourney which I go and will giue me bread to eate and clothes to put on so that I come againe vnto my fathers house in safetie then shall the Lord bee my God Of Salomon that prayed for foode conuenient and neither for riches nor pouertie Of Leapers that prayed to bee clensed of blinde men that prayed for sight of men and women many in the Gospell that prayed for their diuers diseases and infirmities and were healed of our Sauiour without any rebuke euer for their so doing Fourthly because the Lord must euer haue a Church but that cannot be without food gouernment peace health and such like therefore it is lawfull to aske them Lastly because the asking and expectation of these thinges is a notable exercise of our faith hope and trust in Gods promises For we cannot assure our selues of these corporall goods neither aske them except we bee in Gods fauour and feele in our selues good comfort of his good will towards vs. By asking therefore wee exercise our faith to beleeue the Lord to be our good God from which goodnesse of his wee looke for these things so farre as they may be good for vs. Otherwise the Lord might say to vs you are none of that number that I promised these things vnto But yet this euer must we note concerning the maner of our prayer namely that it be cum conditione voluntatis with condition of his good pleasure will and liking and in hunc finem vt seruiamus Deo proximo for this ende that we may serue God and our neighbour by them and with them For who thus begge thē not are not heard that is these things are not giuen them to their good but although they receiue them according to their desire yet is God offended with them and they receiue them to their iudgement But spirituall things wee may aske simply and without condition because GOD so hath promised them and they euer profite vs as wee may simply desire the holy Ghost because the Lorde hath simply and expressely promised him to them that aske him and so of other matters whereas these earthly things now are good and now euill for vs and therfore left to the pleasure of him that knoweth what is best What is the reason of the next word Our and why is it called Our bread Not of merite or of due debt but in respect of our necessitie which cannot be with out it And see then I pray you what great Gods we are become by our first parents eating of the forbidden fruite surely euen such as are not able to liue haue our being in this world without a peece of bread to support hold vp which peece of bread wee are not able to giue our selues if wee perished ten thousand times for want of it but we must haue it giuē to vs by him that is good in deede This is the truth of that Serpents saying You shall not die at al but God dooth knowe that when yee shall eate thereof your eies shall be opened and you shall be as Gods knowing good and euill Yet cannot this and many thousand of lies moe make mee leaue hearkening to his hissing Secondly it is called our Bread to teach vs to be content with that portion which he vouchsafeth to giue vs and not to bereaue anie others of that which is theirs Either our neighbors of their liuings our seruāts of their wages o6ur workmen of their hire or any one what soeuer of his owne For that is not ours that is another mans and therfore we cannot make this petition to the Lord but our owne tongues shall bee our accusers to the Lord. For we shall in wordes aske but so much as may truly bee counted our owne as being got by such meanes as he alloweth and yet in deede are not so contented but
if it be Our bread why should we pray the Lord to giue it the vse beeing to aske that which is not ours If it were ours by duetie you might be thought to saie some thing but if it be ours but by mercie as you haue bene tolde you saie nothing for thinges in mercie giuen must in a feeling of miserie be asked that it is mercy let Iacob tell vs that great seruant of the Lordes who yet confessed that he was not worthie of the least of all the mercies that GOD had giuen him much lesse are wee See you further and I praie you marke them what profitable things this word may teach vs. First it teacheth vs that God is the author and verie spring head of all good be it spirituall or corporal that commeth vnto vs. And consequentlie we are admonished of our miserie that are not of our selues woorth a peece of bread but made beggers of it at his handes that onely dooth and can giue it If we bee not worth so much surely wee are not woorth the kingdome of heauen and euerlasting life This little thinke they that like brute beasts sit downe to eate their giuen bread and rise agayne when they are filled not once eyther in heart or voice remēbring the giuer of it Let such remember what the Apostle teacheth that the creatures of God are not sanctified vnto vs so that wee may vse them with a good conscience but by the word and by praier Let them looke vpon the little birdes which sing so sweetlie in their kind before they seeke for meat in the morning It teacheth vs agayne euer so to get our wealth and riches in this life as we may truely saie and comfortably feele that the Lord hath giuen them Which we cannot if stealth be the means or vsurie or oppression or any condemned way whatsoeuer For then the deuill helpeth vs and when anie losse happeneth of them there is a double griefe one at the loosing and another at the secrete thought of the iudgement of God ouer thinges not well come by When as if the meanes be good as right inheritaunce or true labour with Iacob to our masters or such like then are our gettings the gift of God the blessings of his mercy vpon our labours and inioying it euer with a good conscience we loose it also if so the Lord wil with a quiet mind saying with Iob in a Christiā comfort the Lord gaue and the Lorde hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. Fourthly in saying Giue wee are taught that albeit we labour neuer so much being so commanded to do yet except the Lorde bestow the blessing our labours cannot attaine to any thing according to the Prophet except the Lord keepe the citie the watchman waketh but in vayne yea in vayne do we rise vp earely and goe late to bed eating the bread of sorowe except the Lord bestow a mercie vpon our paynes and trauell With the Lord we haue al things and without him wee haue nothing If the earth fructifie it is not tilled without God Psal 108.33 Mich. 6.15 Agge 1.6 If he sayd it truely Regnum Persicum creuisse deo ducente ipsis Regibus prompte sequētibus that the kingdome of Persia florished because that God lead and the kinges readely folowed Surely al men must say that by the same meanes and not otherwise either their Countries Townes or houses haue their good whatsoeuer it is Respublica dei ope auxilio multò magis quà m ratione hominum consilio gubernatur the Common wealth saith Tully is gouerned by the helpe and hande of God much more than by any reason or counsell of men And vbi non deus sed mortalis aliquis praeest ibi malorum nullum effugium Where man not God gouerneth there is no auoyding of euill when it commeth vpon them saith an other Againe Scitis quod neque multitudo nec robur in bello victoriā adfert sed qui deo iuuāte magno animo in hostes impetū faciunt eos non sustinent hostes Ye knowe that neither multitude nor strength getteth victorie in battell but if any stoutly assayle their enemies God setting to his helping hand such assault is not euer to be abidden So haue heathens acknowledged what here Christians are taught that labour auaileth not to get any bread except GOD giue it and giue it dayly It comfortably assureth vs againe of God his readynes to giue for otherwise hee woulde neuer haue commanded vs to aske and say giue Last of all we meaning in this petition not only that God should giue vs bare bread but the healthfull nourishment also of it and the strength of it and not onely goods and liuing according to our places and needes but the godly honest vse also of the same wee learne by this worde giue that aswell this also commeth from God as the other a thing either not knowne or fowly forgotten of a number And therefore they robbe GOD of his glory and ascribe to the creatures that which is the power of the creator and to the meanes that which they can not haue except the Lorde blesse them as meanes I meane to nourish vs and to sustayne vs healthfully and well For marke you what the Lorde sayth to his people Israell When I shall breake the staffe of your bread then ten women shall bake their bread in one ouen and they shall deliuer your bread againe by weight you shall eate but not be satisfied The staffe of bread is the strength and power to nourish which you heare the Lord himselfe say is giuen and taken away by him If hee take it away the dainties and delicacie of Princes feede them not but they pyne away in the midst of them all and if hee giue this staffe to it the pulse water that Daniel fed vpon maketh a fayrer face and giueth a better liking than any portion of the Kinges meate See this in rich and poore mens children also playnely the one fully and costly fed yet prospereth not the other seldome fully and euer coursely fed and yet both fat and fayre and healthy Such is the gift of God that now we speake of and herein pray for yea so farre may it be from nourishing vs that it may choke vs if the Lord giue not gift vnto gift and mercy to mercy for so did the flye Adrian the 4. and an haire an other The Lord was able to make his Prophet Eliah to walke fortie dayes fortie nightes in the strength of a course cake baked on the coales of a pot of water and the Lord was able to nourish Moses as long in the mount without any meat at all to tell vs that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God I said also the vse of riches came of the Lord and see your selues if it be not so Doth not the
Preacher say that he had beheld an euill vnder the sunne and it was a great one much amongst men euē a man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures honour and hee wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giueth him not power to eat therof but a straunge man shall eate it vp Sée you and marke it howe God is not onely the giuer of riches but euen of the vse also power to eat of them which gift he bestoweth and withholdeth at his pleasure The rich man layd vp for many yeeres but the Lord would not haue him to liue and inioy then the things he had the vse hee had not longer then God gaue it But euen when hee least thought his soule was called for and then like a foole he had heaped too much vp for other men This is that which the wise Syrach sayth Some man is rich by his care and nigardship and this is the portion of his wages meaning his reward is to haue them but not to vse them for when he should beginne to eate of them the time draweth neere that hee must leaue al these things vnto other men and dye him selfe Wherefore I say praying in this petition not onely for the things but euen also for the vse comfort Whē we say giue wee are taught that euen the vse also is of the Lord. And thus do you see what great profite this one worde hath in this petition and what we may learne by it Why do wee say giue vs and not giue me First to teach vs to remember our brethren as well as our selues to bee carefull for them and to wish them all needfull things as to our selues according to the true nature of Christian charitie which seeketh not her owne things onely but euen other mens also as well Which when it is considered what O Lord may those men say for the quiet of their consciences that haue neuer enough themselues but euen as if God and all his blessing belonged only to them and that they only should dwell in the world alone rake and scrape to themselues with might and mayne but of their brethren they neuer thinke No so farre are they from praying for them that God would giue them their daylie bread as that if they haue any part or portion of it they are hartely desirous to haue it from them yea sicke vpon their beddes often as was wicked Achab till they haue gotten Naboths vineyard inheritance do these men pray Da nobis Giue vs good Lorde our daylie bread that is giue my brethren as well as to my owne soule what is néedfull to them giue al thy children as to me their daylie wants No no if they might say it for shame they would say giue mée all and let the rest receiue of me if they will haue ought But what they shame to say they shame not to wish and therefore as often as they say this prayer they abuse the Lord and it is his mercie that presently hée striketh not so great hypocrisie as to say vs with lippes as if they meant many and mee with heart meaning but themselues Learne therefore beloued by a common word to haue a common hart It liketh the Lord that wee loue our brethren and it liketh him not that we loue only our selues We say not giue me but giue vs and let vs doe thereafter euen ioyne them in prayer with our selues and wish them bread as to our selues that is all necessaries Secondly wee are by this maner of speaking taught the true vse of such portion as God giueth vs namely so to haue it as that others haue part with vs. For wee are but Stewards of the Lords gifts And non tibi soli datur quod habes sed per te dat Deus alijs It is not giuen what thou hast to thy selfe alone but by thee GOD giueth the same to others His minde being that thou shouldest so impart them Thy meate is giuen to comfort others as thou mayst and a ioy it will be if thou canst say with Iob I haue not eaten my morsels alone but the fatherlesse hath eaten with me Thy wooll is giuen thée to clothe the naked and a comfort great it is when a man may say with Iob againe I haue seene none perish for want of clothing neither any poore without a couering but their loynes haue blessed me because they were clothed with y e fliece of my sheepe Iob had lodging and he thought it giuen to releeue the straunger he had authoritie and he thought it giuen to helpe the poore in iudgement not to oppresse them And so euer haue others of Gods children possessed for others not onely for themselues what the Lorde bestowed vppon them Wherefore if no other mouth should euer iudge thē their owne mouthes sufficiently charge all miserable wretches and wretched misers of this earth as often as they pray this prayer because they say giue vs in the plurall number and yet where they haue receiued they vse it scarce in the singular number being so farre from releeuing others with any comfort they haue as that they little may finde in their harts often to reléeue themselues Let vs be warned before wee smart for wretchednesse Wee pray not for our selues alone but for others we receiue not for our selues alone but for others and therefore let vs impart the Lords giuen graces both to our selues and to others So shal we shew our selues children of our heauenly father who is bountifull to all and hard to none dealing his gifts in such fauour and fulnesse euer that all tongues may speake of his praise and all harts conceiue of his mercie That God and Father make vs like him in this and all our dueties Amen The Prayer MIghtie GOD most louing Lorde after thinges concerning thy glorie it is thy gracious fauour to vs frayle wretches that we should boldly aske what concerneth our necessities and wants promising euen therein also to be merciful vnto vs and to heare our prayers Wherefore both in obedience to thy commaundement and faith in thy promises wee throw downe our selues here before thee beseech thee to giue vs this day our daily bread that is good Lord as thou hast taught vs all things needfull to the maintenance of this life Giue vs meate drinke and clothing for our bodies Giue vs of the dew of heauen and fatnesse of the earth as thy blessed pleasure shall vouchsafe vs to our good If it please thee to giue more O Lorde make vs thankfull and faithful stewards to dispose thy mercies to our brethren that shall haue neede If it please thee to giue lesse chaunging thy hand to bring vs with thy seruaunt Moses out of the Court to keepe a flock of sheepe and with Dauid from high fauours to many feares O God and father mercifull euen with that portion of bread
bloud and your fingers with iniquitie c. Nowe then to the wordes themselues if you thinke good and of them in order for that is playne The first word is Forgiue of it selfe so playne that it needeth not any explication and therefore not standing in that sort vpon it let vs consider the conclusions that arise thereof to a Christian mind that carefully weigheth what GOD hath spoken First then it containeth a playne confession of our miserable estate vnto the Lorde and so teacheth vs that before pardon and forgiuenes ought to goe a true faithfull and vnfayned acknowledging of our euill whatsoeuer For why shoulde God vouchsafe to pardon what we not able in truth to hyde from him as being God yet in the strong corruption of our vntamed hearts indeuor to cloke and doe not lay open in woe and godly sorrow before him Very mortal maÌ„ looketh for confession of a faulte and wee vse to say that halfe the amendes is made when it is so done yet may we couer from man very great offences howe much more may the Lord our God iustly require that being notable to blind him we seeke not to do it but in al reuerence of his maiesty and all vehement dislike of our selues and our sinnes we lay them at his foote and begge his mercy It is a notable place in the Psame of Dauid teacheth vs this When he sayth Whilst I helde my tongue my bones consumed or when I roared al the day long for thy hand is heauy vpon me day and night and my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer then I acknowledged my sinne neither hid I mine iniquitie For I thought I wil confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne See howe before he confessed he found no comfort and after confession howe hee found no punishment Looke in the Law of the Lord and marke these wordes to Moses When a man or woman shall commit any sinne that meÌ„ commit and transgresse against the Lord when that person shall trespasse then they shall confesse their sin which they haue done and shall restore the damage c. Confession God required and confession they performed Although the Lord should kill me sayth faythfull Iob yet will I put my trust in him but I will reprooue my wayes for all that in his sight that is I will confesse my euil freely and fully with a single heart as a wretched sinner should do He that hydeth his sinne sayth the wise Salomon shall not prosper but he that confesseth them forsaketh them shall haue mercy If wee say we haue no sinne then wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs but if wee acknowledge and confesse our sinne God is faithfull to forgiue vs our sinne and the blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne This is not that filthy shrift in the eare of a filthy liuer inuented in Rome and throwne downe in Constantinople vppon iust experience of vggly pollution by it but this is the Lords ordynaunce performed euer of the Lordes people to the Lorde himselfe Dauid a sinner hydeth it not when the Prophet spake but cryed peccaui with a feeling heart and a grieued mind that he had so fallen That Dauid when hee had numbred the people and the Lord offended had sent a plague amongst them cryed in his wo. It is I it is I Lorde that haue offended and these seely sheepe what haue they done and againe in an other place Therfore I said Lorde 〈◊〉 mercy vpon mee and heale my souâ—â—â—r I haue sinned against thee The straying sonne returning to himselfe and to the estate of sonne seeth and sigheth for passed folly and confesseth it freely as his bounden duetie Father Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne The humble publicane beseecheth God to be mercifull to him not a iust proud Pharisie but a poore sinnefull and wretched Publicane Wee are here iustly sayd the thiefe on the crosse wee receiue things worthie of y t wee haue done but this maÌ„ hath done nothing amisse a very plaine confession of a féeling hart WheÌ„ Paul had preached against coniuring and sorcery as we read in that place what was the fruite of his speaking their hearing but this Many that beleeued came and confessed shewed their workes Iohn also baptized in the wildernes but whom such as confessed their sinnes against the Lorde Euer therefore before pardon must goe confession for so euer hath it done as by all these proofes is now plaine Priuat to God if the sinne be priuat Publique to the Church if the sinne bee such as shall more appeare hereafter in an other place Wherefore let vs end this note vpon this first word Forgiue and knowe it euer that wee are taught if wee seeke mercy not to hide sinne For the Lords pardon requireth the sinners confession Couers and clokes they do but couer the light of Gods countenance that it shyne not vpon vs and yet do what we can wee can couer nothing in deede from his eyes Wee shewe our will and wee want our wish sinne vnto sinne we grieuously adde and we deale with our soules as some sory ones with their bodies concealing their sore till the time bee past the body perished Wherfore euen as often as we shal euer hereafter say this prayer let vs adde this confession to it O Lord our grieuous trespasses our many great transgressions this blot of our bodies or spot of our soules whatsoeuer it is in that mercy that hath no measure forgiue it dash it and wash it out that it neuer appeare againe before thee What Secondly Secondly it teacheth vs the long suffering of the Lord wonderfull and vnspeakable towards mankind Whereby hee beareth and beareth with vs wretched creatures and although we daily and hourely euer and continually sinne against him yet casteth hee not away so vnprofitable seruants but deferreth his anger spareth his iudgements and if we turne to him he turneth most mercifully to vs and forgiueth heapes of vggly sinne against him If we wormes and dust should be vsed of any as he is vsed of many we would shew our corruption quickly and recken vp the faultes committed and pardoned by vs thinking we had shewed great fauour done much for our brethren if wee had twise or thrise bene intreated by them to forgiue them we would deny at the last and say playnely to them we might not euer forgiue if they so euer would offende Yet what are we as bad as they If not to them yet to others and therefore no such cause we should be so strickt in measure When often our selues must neede the same curtesie and request a fauourable hand to strike but softly But sée the Lorde His puritie blotteth both Sunne and Moone the heauen
in the heart no hee vnderstandeth the thoughtes long before but to the end that the parties themselues that are thus proued others also by them and in them may see what before was not seene either of good vnto prayse or euill vnto punishment and example to beware And thus much of this for a while Your next member is howe man tempteth Man is also sayde to tempt sometymes man and sometimes God His tempting of man is also sometime in the better part sometime in the worse In the better when he doth but proue and try whether further he may trust as it is wisedome alwaies to do to our friendes For vtendum amicis tanquam praetentatis aquis aptae sint vado an non We must vse friends sayd that wise heathen once as waters that we haue tryed before whether they may safely be aduentured vpon or no to passe ouer Also when the Father or master leaueth some loose money to see whether his childe or seruant will steale or no this is a kinde of tempting or trying yet but in good part with a number such like that men to men must and may as they shal see occasion vse To this kind may be referred the Queene of the South who hearing the fame of Solomon concerning the name of y e Lord came to tempt him or proue him with hard questions In the worse part man doeth tempt man either by questions or actions By questions when they deale as the Pharisees did about y e tribute with Christ seeke to snare and catch their brethren to destroy or hurt them Such tempters and temptations were those dayes of persecution full of vnder Queene Mary when no sooner was any apprehended and cōuented before them but their interrogatories inferred either death of soule by denying a trueth or death of body by affirming the same Neither doth yet this world want these tempters by questions where true religion and knowledge of God ruleth not tongue and heart and all Whereupon many innocent soules are trapped ere they wit and harmlesse hearts not spying hidden driftes put the collar about their owne neckes to destroy themselues that is speake or do simply what is wrinched to a vantage they neuer feared nor thought of against thēselues Thrise needefull therefore with the simplicitie of the doue is the wisedome of the serpent By actions man tempteth whē either by woordes or deedes of bad example they alure other to sinne and euill Thus tempted Eue her husbande to eate of the apple Iobs wife her husband to curse God and dye Tobias wife her husbande to bee weary of well doing Putiphars wife her seruant to filthines those wicked Priests that sayd Come let vs imagine a deuise against Ieremy with many such in the Scriptures of which tempters and temptations that wise Salomon warneth when he saith My sonne if sinners intise thee consent not vnto thē if they say come with vs we will lay wayte for blood and lye priuily for the innocent without a cause cast thy lot in amongst vs we will haue one purse c. And truely blessed is that man and woman that walketh not in those counsels of the vngodly standeth not in the way of these aluring sinners nor sitteth not in the seates of those reprobate scorners And how tempteth Satan Satan tempteth when hee moueth vs to leaue God and that obedience that wee owe vnto him any way and to do euil and therefore looke how many branches of well doing are in the lawe of God implied euen so many contrary wayes doeth this enemy assault and tempt vs Of this temptation doeth the holy Ghost speake when he saith Then was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernes to bee tempted of the deuill And Peter when he sayd Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy Ghost And Paul when he sayth let man wife come againe together that Satan tempt them not for incontinencie Again for this cause when I coulde no longer forbeare I sent that I might know of your faith least the temptour had tempted you in any sort With a number such like places In which assaultes of his hee vseth our owne corruption and concupiscence the worlde the wicked and many meanes but the Lord is stronger than they al if we cleaue to him either wholy to kéep vs y t we fall not at all if it so please him as others do or else to rayse vs vp againe when they haue vs downe vnder their feete to giue vs victorie And which of these kinde of temptations do wee pray against in this petition Surely euen against them all in some sort For first as concerning Gods temptations which more properly may bee called trials we beseech his maiestie in this prayer that he would deale in mercy and fauour with vs euermore and neuer lay more vpon vs than hee will make vs able to indure but that he would giue issue with the temptation and helpe vs. Thus farre do we pray euen against these as shall further bee declared when we come to the second part of this petition Touching mans tryals or temptations we likewise herein begge of his mercy that for any questions moued to vs he would tender his owne glory and neuer suffer our wants to make answere to preiudice his trueth with the vnbeleeuers but that hee woulde helpe in time of neede and either keepe vs from apposings aboue our power to satisfie or else giue a mouth and vtterance that no haters of his glorie may be able to resist that in our weakenes he being strōg y e glory may be his as it is due euer and we that bee the sheepe of his pasture may giue him prayse for euer The third sort which is Satans temptations it is our meaning that the great mercy of our gracious God would so farre support vs that we may neuer be vanquished and ouercome of any of them but deliuered and saued by him from all euill And thus you see howe we pray against them all in this order as we shall further shew I say hereafter Yet is this last chiefly meant to wit that forasmuch as our whole nature is corrupt and giuen to sinne if the Lord forsake vs we are headdely caried to what alurements and prouocations soeuer we sée before vs the Lord in mercy woulde deliuer vs from this promptnes and aptnes of our natures to admit of sinne and by his grace deliuer vs from euill Let vs not now leaue these things thus but euen yet further thinke of them And to begin with the first to witte Gods temptations or tryals and of those first with those that are of the right hande alas howe fewe consider thus much in prosperitie that thereby the Lorde tryeth them and searcheth out what they are and how they will shew themselues to him for all those blessings Most true it is the
more pitie And yet doth the Lorde so in deede whensoeuer he powreth his mercies vpon man or woman in this world For as with a gager he gageth them by those blessings openeth and reueyleth what maner of stuffe they are within thankfull or vnthankfull kinde or vnkinde humble or proude carefull or carelesse to please the giuer finally whether good or bad he maketh it seene Wherfore a little to helpe vs in this tryall it is good to consider many times of these poyntes First how in truth I come by the blessings that I inioy secondly to what manner of persons the continuance of them is promised thirdly the true ende and right vse of them and lastly the fearefull examples of abuse These things will profite vs if wee knowe them well Concerning the first therfore it is too common with both great and small to sticke in second causes and to light short of the chiefe fountayne and well head in deed Why we haue health welth friendes mariages honor credit offices children and a thousand of Gods comfortable fauours in this life we can alleage many reasons that I wil not stand to repeat But the reason of reasons either wee alleage not euer or it pearceth no further within the teeth than the tip of the tongue is The Lorde hath giuen Whereas in deede the whole course of Scripture teacheth that this is the head and roote of all our ioyfull daies and dealings and euer was and onely is and can bée either for our good if we vse them well or for our plague if we do the contrary Ioseph a poore mans childe came to a great place in the lande of Aegipt if we marke it well when the King sayd to him onely in the Kings throne will I be aboue thee When he was ouer all the Kings Court and ouer all the land when the King commaunded al his people to bee armed at his worde tooke his owne ring of his owne finger and put it vpon his hand arayed him in garments then of the richest with a chayne of golde about his necke set him vpon the best Charret he had saue one and all the people cryed before him as he ridde for honor sake vppon their knees tender Father Ioseph was also wise and full of the spirit of God Yet least wee should prattle prophanely of Fortune and lucke or dote vndutifully vppon his gifts and so robbe the Lorde of his due honor it is expressely sayde that the Lorde was with Ioseph and made all that hee did to prosper in his hand The Lorde therefore author of all his prosperitie and aduauncement whatsoeuer Dauid the yongest brother that little ruddie cheeked Shepheard from his hooke and his cloake his Sling and Scrip came to the famous kingdome of Israel and therein ruled with great honor and princely maiestie for his time yet neither by wisedome nor pollicie of himself or his frends but the Lord tooke him from following the Ewes great with young and made him ruler of his people And Dauid prospered and grewe for the Lord God of Hostes was with him sayth the text So that God was the fountayne of all his good Which as a true childe and thankfull to his God the same Dauid afterwarde remēbred to his sonne Salomon when hee tolde him that hee should build a house for the Lord and should therfore prosper because the Lord should bee with him Salomon againe confessed it when he sayd that euerie man eateth and drinketh seeth the commoditie of his labor this is the gift of God Beholde I will sende you corne and wine and oyle and you shall be satisfied therewith and I will no more make you a reproche among the Heathen sayth the Lord. And againe by another Prophet The seede shal be prosperous the vine shall giue her fruit and the ground shall giue her increase and the heauens shall giue their dew and I will cause the remnant of this people to possesse all things So euer it is the note that the Scripture keepeth that all prosperitte and well doing in this world is the gift of God and cannot be attayned agaynst his will Which lykewise might be shewed in anie particular that can bee named if we wold take that course Al which we note not nowe so much to teach a thing vnknowen as to remember a thing not thought of or at the least not so duely and often and earnestly thought of as it should be I speake what I knowe and what hidden consciences must needes confesse to be too true For coulde it be if wee did thus thinke that there should bee so little care of such a GOD in many as there is whose backes be laden yea and euen pressed as it were downe to the ground with the hope of God his mercies Whose tables richly hee hath deckte in despight of their foes whose head with balme he hath refreshed whose cuppes doe ouerflow No no. But if our wretches hearts did feele it and that with a power as these motiōs vse to heaue in Gods Saincts O my sweete God and deere Father this is thy dooing for thy wretche and all these things that I inioye goe to particulars they are thy giftes who mightest haue sette mee at the doore with my pitcher to begge my foode and farre otherwise haue dealt with me if thou wouldest I tell you it would wring foorth other loue and fruits to such a God again than appeare in many And therefore assuredly wee thinke not of the fountaine and giuer of these things as we should Amend then what is amisse and giue the Lord his due It is he that hath lifted out of y e mire and set any with the Princes euen with the Princes of the people It is hee that blesseth the basket and the dow it is he that hath giuen whatsoeuer good thing wee inioy and cursed we if we denie it or carelesly neglect the sweete meditation of it euer But to what end now hath he done all these thinges Truely euen to proue mee and trye me what I wil do to him againe and that it may appeare to the world and to mine owne eyes what maner of man or woman I am within and in déede one that will bee puft vp and forget both God and my selfe in prosperitie or one that will euen weepe water of myne eyes in y e zeale of my soule to please such a father grieue that I cannot as I wish and most hartely would And if I bee the former that the Lordes iustice may bee warranted if hee change my copie if the later that my soule may feele comfort in so sweete a God not onely heaping his mercies vpon me greatly but giuing mee further a childes heart withall to loue my kind father so much the more which is aboue al. And which in déed is the very end of Gods mercies and blessings Let Dauid speake that man according to the Lordes owne heart What did Gods
kindnes worke in him whilst the spirit preuailed O my God what shall I render againe vnto thee for al the mercies that thou hast bestowed vpon me What I say shall I render render againe as if he should say I know these blessings require a duetie of mee a loue a zeale a heart a soule a mind a life to the glory and prayse of such a God And in trueth it is so For we our selues for our petite benefites require men to be ours in all lawfull sort faithfully firmely with tongue and heart and hand with body and goods and al. And what comparison with the Lord O louing God what can man do for vs like thee and yet howe care we to please them and forget thee O Lorde awake Remember also what the Prophet complaineth of saying But this people hath an vnfaythful and rebellious heart they are departed and gone And why for they say not in their heart let vs nowe feare the Lorde our God that giueth rayne both earely late in due season hee reserueth vnto vs the appoynted weekes of the haruest As if he should haue sayd this effect shoulde Gods blessings vpon them haue euen earnestly and hartely to make them seeke the Lorde and serue him and with many a feruent motion to thinke of so good a GOD as in mercy poureth so many comforts vppon vnworthy wretches And especially marke it that because they did not thus therefore he saith they had rebellious harts and were gone away A fearefull sentence of a true iudge concerning all vnthankfull vsers of prosperitie Againe the same Prophet in an other place They shal come reioyce in the light of Sion shal come to the bountifulnes of the Lord why euen for the wheate and for the wyne and for the oyle and for the increase of sheepe and bullockes and their soule shall be as a watered garden c. Sée still what Gods mercies should woorke in vs euen a reioysing in so deare a Father and not a going but a running to his seruice worship that is so kind vnto vs. Knowest thou not saith the Apostle that the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long suffering leadeth thee vnto repentance In effect knowest thou not that if God be thy deare sweete and tender Father that thou againe art bound to bee his louing carefull and obedient childe In trueth it should be so And if the Lord were not in his goodnesse past the reach of any mortall braine he might say also his benefites had caught a goodly reward or catch of my goodnes for alas what are wee or what is our loue yet since it is his mercy vnmeasurable and vnsearchable to stande so contented and to seeke no more pardoning in his deare Iesus all imperfections O my bleloued fathers and brethren what soeuer that vouchsafe your eyes to reade these papers let vs not deny him what if he were not such a God as he is were not worth hauing when wee gaue it namely our poore hearts our weake loue our harty obedience our care and diligence to bee what with so many mighty mercies receiued we are bound to bee For truely if giuing man must haue of all honest receiuers not the words onely of mouth but the sincere affection of the soule our giuing God must haue the very soule of our soule and all that is within vs for his goodnes to vs. And blessed is that man and woman that loued of the Lord aboue all measure by his giuen grace loue him againe in their measure as they can Truely to such shall be euen a continuance of mercy as shalbe good For then shalt thou prosper if thou obserue his statuts sayth Dauid to his sonne Salomon and therefore my sonne the Lord giue thee only wisedome and vnderstanding to do this Vzziah sought y e Lord the Lord made him prosper sayth y e text Iotham became mightie because hee directed his way before the Lord his God What man is he that feareth the Lord him will he teach the way that hee shall choose His soule shal dwel at ease his seede shall inherite the land If ye consent and obey yee shall eate the good things of the lande but if ye refuse and bee rebellious you shall bee deuoured with the swoorde for the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it With a number such places in the Scripture Finally there is no good thing saith the Prophet that he shall with-hold from them that liue a godly life But I will euen mary thee vnto me for euer sayth the Lorde yea I will mary thee vnto me in righteousnes in iudgement in mercy compassion I will euen mary thee vnto me in faithfulnes and thou shalt know the Lord and I will heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wyne the oyle and they shall heare Israel c. But if prosperitie and the Lords blessings haue not this effect in vs then are they the Lordes gagers to discouer worse matter than happely either the worlde or wee our selues did thinke before to bee in vs or at least so much to bee in vs as pride enuye disdayne spite malice crueltie vnthankefulnes wantonnes vncleannes with a number such So that still our ground-worke standeth fast that prosperitie is one of Gods temptations that is one of Gods tryers and teachers of man what he is and will be that way It discouered in Dauid both to the world and to Dauids own eies his great wickednes For in his prosperitie he sayd tush tush this wealth weale shall not decay in his prosperitie peace and rest from many former griefes he looked from his turresse vpō Bersabe Vriahs wife with a sinful thought and deede in the end It discouered in Salomon ouermuch loosenes weakenes of minde vnkindnes to God For his wiues were not as they shoulde haue bene they were chosen amisse of him he made an Idolater by thē c. Manasses exalted to a kingdome bewrayed manners farre vnseemely for the meanest in the worlde The Israelites in their prosperitie how euer euer forgat they God and waxed wantons yea grieuous sinners against his maiestie Howe sad was that yong man that was so wealthie when hee was bidden sell all So that what shoulde haue lift vp both heart and soule to a good God that pressed downe mightily and reueyled a secret both to himselfe and others euen an vnwillingnes to forgoe for God what God in mercy had lent vpon that condition what bewrayed that rich glutton in his prosperity but pride couetousnes wanton delicacie contempt of the poore such like Those vnkind guestes bidden to the wedding what bewrayed they in their prosperitie the rich farmer the wealthie marchant they would not come and the maried man drowned in his pleasures he could not come Herod in his robes and chayre of estate
brokē from the tree which if it were it could not beare It is a meruaylous proofe to vs of this good and therefore marke it well The Apostle againe sayth There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yea but who bee those See what followeth Which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite So then if I would know whether I bee in Christ Iesus or no I must looke how I walke that is still how I am sanctified And if I finde that the God of mercie by his perpetual spirit hath wrought in me a chaunge that whereas once I walked after the flesh that is was ruled guided and gouerned by my corrupt nature now it is not so but the holy Ghost leadeth me into a feruent loue of God and a true hatred of euill then is the conclusion inferred by the very spirit of truth himselfe I am in Christ Iesus and there is no condemnation to me nor for me So that Sanctification the lowest step leadeth mée surely to election the highest of the ladder Giue rather diligence sayth Saint Peter my brethren to make your calling and election sure Yea but how might they say shal we do it Peter telleth them If yee doo these things you shall neuer fall And what be those things Hee also sheweth them namely If you ioyne vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience with patience godlynesse with godlynesse brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue c. Now what is al this but sanctification of life So that still our rule is proued that if wee woulde know whether we be elected to liue in heauen we must euer looke how we leade our liues in earth And if there the Lorde hath chaunged vs from carelesse to careful men and women to please him in holynesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life then is this Sanctification a note of Iustification Iustification of Vocation Vocation of Election and so heauen is ours But now take heed that in this search for holynesse of life we bee not carryed away with outward shewes For such holynesse holdeth not either in promisses or conclusion of our former argument The Lorde abhorreth approching lippes and reproching hearts And Except your righteousnesse sayth hee exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharesies you shall neuer enter into the kingdome of GOD. That is except you haue more thā a painted visard which they had most glorious and a counterfait hypocriticall shew of holynesse your reckoning of heauen will bee without your host and you will fayle of it Write sayth the Lord to the Angell of the Church of Sardis I knowe thy workes for thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead It is not then a name only y t wil serue the turne Hauing a shew sayth Paule of godlynesse but haue denyed the power thereof As if hée should saie vaine thrice vaine is the shew without the power and truth when this search of our election is in hand O beloued consider then of this earnestly and think with your selues if there be no comfort to be had in our heartes that we are the Lordes appointed to life and blisse in the worlde to come but onely by a true espiall of sanctification of life in our selues how carefull should we bee by hearing of the worde by praying by reading and by all appoynted good meanes to haue this change wrought in vs that our light shining forth may not onely make others glorifie our heauenlie Father for his graces in vs but euen vnto our selues as Saint Peter sayth Make our election and future state in the glorious kingdome of God sure Truly there should be no cares greater than this neyther anie diligence as the Apostle speaketh more faythfull whilest we liue And see with your selues in your secrete meditations often this difference of holynesse and vnholynes of sanctification and prophanenesse the one proueth vnto me my euerlasting ioy with GOD when this course is ended and the other my assured woe with the deuill and his Angels in the blacknesse of darknesse for euer O what are the pleasures of sinne then for a season when swéet meate shall haue so soure a sauce Could the Lord with a more pearcing argument pricke vs forwarde to holy life or with a sharper knife cut in sunder the cords of vanitie iniquitie and sinne wherewith thousandes of vs are so fettered and tempered than to teach vs that the one assureth vs of lasting life and the other of lasting death in the world to come Truly he could not And therefore euerie one laie his hand vppon his soule betimes Beleeue the Lorde and we shall not be confounded Had I wist sayth the olde Prouerbe commeth euer too late Nowe liue like a Christian amongst men and euer liue like a Saint among the Angels of heauen For the Lord hath spoken it But now soake in sin with the bit in thy teeth vnrestrainable and then rot in the reward of it an euerlasting curse from God and all his ioyes for the Lorde hath also sayd it And if this sanctification beloued may not be in shew onely as hath bene said but in truth and veritie how desperate how woful how wretched and miserable is the estate of that man and woman that hath not so much as a shew If there bee no comfort gotte by a glistering outward appearaunce what comfort may be in the soule if the Lord awake to thinke of it where euen this also vtterly wanteth and the contrarie to wit all libertie loosenesse and sinne aboundeth meruailouslie Shall we forget the curse of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell vppon the figge trée that yet had goodly leaues fresh greene because also with y e leaues it had no fruit If so fearefull a curse light vpon that O curses of curses how many of them shalbe vpon those trees that haue not so much as leaues no not one greene leafe but are altogether withered twice dead and plucked vp by y e rootes Wherfore I pray you euen again as you loue your life w t god another day desire any assurāce of it to your soule in this worlde Giue your bodies dayly a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be you chaunged by the renuing of your minde that you may proue what that good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD is And Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer thinges are worthie loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be anie vertue or if there be any praise thinke of these things For as you haue hearde and seene trulie proued these thinges shall assure vs that we are the Lordes cared for here and chosen else where to be with him for euer and
euer And the want of this reformation preacheth nothing vnto vs but that as yet we knowe no interest we haue to those lasting ioyes and that heauenly father The Lord strengthen vs and the Lord change vs that we may be changed Amen You say this Sanctification must bee true and right or else it doth not proue vnto vs our election I praie you therefore how may this be knowen namely when it is true and right and when not To knowe this we must euer looke at the matter and manner of our actions whereby we worship God For if either of these be wrong then is it not that holines which the Lord alloweth Concerning the matter wee must looke that the thinges wherewith we serue God bee commanded of GOD and not inuented and deuised by our selues or any man else For in vaine sayth the Lorde Iesus doo you seeke to worshippe mee teaching for doctrines mens precepts Which one thing sticketh to the verie hart a thousand will worships in Poperie neuer commaunded of GOD but brought in of sinfull man for aduauntage sake as Masses Pilgrimages holie water holy bread censings creepings and such lyke Then though the matter bee good yet if the manner be euill wee fayle to please God And therefore euen those sacrifices and ceremonies that the Lorde himselfe ordayned hee often teacheth hee doth abhorre for want of a right maner of doing them What haue I to doo sayth hee with the multitude of your sacrifices Bring no mo oblations to mee in vaine Incense is an abhomination to me I cannot suffer your newe Moones nor your Sabboth dayes it is iniquitie my soule hateth them they are a burthen to me c. Agayne of prayer When you stretch out your handes I will hide mine eyes and though you make many prayers I will not heare An example we see in the Scribes and Pharesies almes and long prayers reiected Alasse Lorde and why so might the Iewes saie Surely would he answere because though you doe these things rightly in respect of matter because I commaunded them yet doe you not rightly in respect of maner that also I seeke of all men I pray you then what is the right manner that God alloweth This must wée learne by diligent hearing and reading of the word For therein hath the Lorde layde downe both what we shall doe and how we shall doe Generally thus much nowe consider and take with you that without faith it is impossible to please God and therefore concerning manner no action can please GOD though it were neuer so glorious except it proceed frō an hart purified by faith Cain and Abel offered both sacrifices the one pleased the other not And why But for this thing because Abel had true faith in his hart from whence that action flowed and Cain had none but onely did the outward worke for fashion sake and order So thousands mo then in those daies and now in ours that one day shall knowe with wo what it is to haue outward shew without inward faith Then is it required concerning maner that all our works be done in humilitie and lowlinesse of minde we euer confessing truly that we notwithstanding all our workes are vnprofitable seruants The want of this made the Pharesies actions abhorred which otherwise in respect of matter were well For who doth not acknowledge y t not to be an extortioner vniust an adulterer to fast to giue tithe truly of all we haue are good things but to doe these in pride and conceit with boasting and bragging and without humilitie alas the Lord abhorreth it and sendeth vs away like proud praters not like Christian praiers to his heauenly maiestie Thirdly it is required that we haue hope For although we ought to be humble yet not so throwen downe must we be but that still we rest assured of acceptāce with God for Christ although not for the worthynesse of our worke and in that hope offer cheerefullie our obedience to the Lord. Thus teacheth Peter when he sayth Yee also as liuely sons be made a spiritual house an holy Priesthod to offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christe Marke these words acceptable to God by Iesus Christ vpon which words our hope is euer surely built which nowe I speake of Fourthly our actions must bee done in loue both to God and man For if we could speake with tongues of men and Angels if we haue no loue we are but as sounding brasse and tinckling Cymballes Yea though wee feede the poore with all our goods and giue our bodies to bee burned hauing no loue it shall profit vs nothing Lastly all our works words and thoughts should respect the Lords glory and not our owne For if wee do any thing to bee seene of men verely sayth our Sauiour they haue their reward And thus doe you see nowe which is true sanctification and holynes of life such as will truely moue to vs our election and future glorification with Father Sonne and holy Ghost in the kingdome of heauen Euen woordes deedes and secret thoughtes thus warranted both for matter and manner as hath bene shewed Thinke of these rules and examine your selues by them My heart consenteth to all these properties of a true Sanctification and right obedience but yet giue mee leaue to question for my most comfort What now if these things be in a man or a woman with great imperfection shall therefore their woorke be reiected and yeld no comfort cōcerning their election God forbid And therefore thus much take with you further y t exercising your self in things commanded doing thē in this maner as hath bene sayd so nere as y e Lord inableth you wrestling according to y e measure of your fayth euery day to bee lesse sinfull and more righteous though y t perfect righteousnes which y e law requireth be not found in you by reason of your weakenes yet are you counted in the sight of GOD Sanctified holy and acceptable in Christ Iesus and so Sealed vp to the day of redemption And that I may not say it to you but proue it consider I pray you the example of S. Paul himselfe who though hee were so sanctified and borne a newe as that thereupon hee might safely and surely conclude his election for euer to inherite heauen by Christ yet felt he and found hee very many imperfections in himselfe and sayth playnely I alow not that which I do For what I would that do I not but what I hate that doe I. Againe when I would do good I am thus yoked that euill is present with me Againe In my minde I serue the lawe of God but in my flesh the lawe of sinne O wretched man that I am therfore who shall deliuer me from the body of his death with sundry other speeches to the same ende in that place Whereby I say wee are playnely taught that humane imperfection is farre from prouing any
confessing it to bee their infirmitie as in deede it is And the Lord of comfort worke our comfort Will God then accept some obedience Yet again do you aske mee that Was it not proued euen now that sanctification with imperfection is neuerthelesse true sanctification and accepted But you shew a passion still following the godly minde that what it wisheth to haue it feareth to want and therefore neuer is wearie of proofe to haue what heart desireth Therfore euen agayne I aunswere you that hée doth And be iudge your self Whē the Father cried w t wéeping eyes Lord I beleue helpe my beleefe Did the Lord answer him roughly sirra I accept no imperfecte faith No no he most gratiously accepted his some faith and helped his childe Doe we not reade it to our great comfort what the Lorde badde the Prophet aunswere to Ieroboams wife that came disguised to aske concerning her sicke sonne namelie that he onely of Ieroboam should come to the graue because in him there was some goodnesse toward the Lorde of God of Israel Therefore euen some goodnesse some grace some faith some loue some obedience you see is not ouerlooked of our most mercifull father though it be but little For it is not the quantitie but the qualitie that is not how much but how true that the Lorde regardeth All those eies that looked vpon the brasen Serpent were not alyke great and yet the least eie receyued health by that looking So are not all mens faith alike For the Lorde giueth at his owne good pleasure in greate diuersitie and yet the least being true looketh vppon the true salue of our stings resembled by the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus to eeternall life as wel as y e greatest Though our father chidde them for their little faith yet did he neuer reiect them that had anie Euery poore beggars hand is not alike and yet the least serueth him to take a penie as well as the greatest So shall our hande of faith do I warrant you and therfore reach it out with cheere feare not And what if euen in that little obedience there be also some imperfection mingled Bee it neuer so little if it come from vs be you sure it will haue his dregs and impuritie For euen all our righteousnesse is lyke a stayned cloth But what then O sweete God What did he when the midwiues with a good action intermingled a lie Did hee refuse their good for their euill No no hee receiued their obedience though thus stayned and mercifully hee turned away his face from the other as a deere father that hath an Eagles eie to spy any thing well in his child and euen no eie to see what hee woulde not see beeing the frailties of his chosen children whereof they sigh to bee disburthened And it is a heaten truth and knowen to vs that if hee looked not awaie from imperfections and wrath yea euen winowed as it were his childrens actions keeping the grayne and blowing awaye the chaffe with a breath of mercie in Christ hee shoulde neuer accept any obedience in this world at anie mans hand Alasse then why should wee feare so often and much as we doo and faint since all things are thus comfortable to the Lords children O sir these feares and wreastlings and spirituall struglings that the godly are euer subiect vnto are as the Lordes plowe to breake vp the fallowe grounde of our heartes and to teare them that otherwise would bee whole lumpes vnfit to receyue seede into fine small earth softe and mellowe and fruitfull that no sooner the seede may be throwē in but it sinketh is couered and setteth it selfe to fructifie when otherwise it would not nor could not vpon whole ground but lying onely vppon the outwarde face and not sinking the foules would deuour it or at least it take no rooting And therefore thrice necessarie and profitable are these spirituall buffets nowe and then to worke in vs that broken and contrite heart which the Lorde shall neuer despise To take from vs our stonie hearts and to giue vs fleshie in their places Let them bee then as the Lorde pleaseth espeally when hee hath giuen vs so sweete a promise that hee will neuer lay more vpon vs than hee will make able to beare Lette him plowe vs and bruse vs and breake vs at his pleasure it is the Lord lette him doe what seemeth him best hee knoweth our mould and his mercie helpe vs in all our feares Amen And Amen saie I againe to this prayer leauing you now to your libertie to go forwards with other temptations as you will It is a spirituall tryall many tymes to Gods children to crie and pray and as they thinke not to be heard because their petitions are not by and by graunted But they forget then other deere ones of the Lord and the Lords often practise For Dauid in many Psalmes sayth I crye and thou hearest not Iob sayth When I cry vnto thee thou doest not heare mee neither regardest me when I stand vp The woman of Canaan cried hartely and receiued no comfort of long yet did hee heare her well enough but the ende made amendes and so shall it to vs all as may be our good which he best knoweth and not we It is a temptation to bee heauie harted and wee thinke O Lorde why should I bee thus Surely sorrowe consumeth the life and a cheerefull hart prolongeth our daies But yet we must knowe what befalleth the godly My soule is powred out vppon mee and the daies of affliction haue taken hold vpon me sayth Iob in his heauines Dauids soule was sad and it would not presently be lighted Yea from the endes of the earth sayth he will I call vnto thee when my heart is in heauines My heart is smitten down withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread with many such places Sometime for sinne sometime for worldly accidents sorrowe will assault the godly and being men and women we must bee content to indure the smarts incident to our nature Yet euer remembring to holde faith and a Christian measure in all our sadnesse And many times beating it into our mindes that a cheerefull heart pleaseth GOD and man Reioyce in hope sayth the Apostle reioyce in the Lorde reioyce in the Lorde alway againe I say reioyce and euermore reioyce What iterations and dublings are these And if the Lord must bee heard when hee speaketh single how will hee take our deafnes whē he speaketh dubble The fruit of the Spirite is ioye It causeth good health sayth Salomon and refuse it not then The greatnesse of sinne is an other of the vncomfortable meditations now and then of Gods deere ones they fearing and shaking to behold the same least the Lords iustice should breake out against it and consume them But good beloued let vs bee wise as the Lorde would haue vs
That is What needeth this Sufficeth it not y t they are in the Church Wherefore with the Church do you communicate abide ye in her and come ye as you ought vnto the assemblies and Sacraments For although there bee many impure ones and publique offenders not reformed in the same yet shall not you bée defiled by them no more than the Apostles were defiled of the Iewes Rather take you heede that ye bee not defiled of your selues because ye attribut so much to your selues ye iudge all men and very much please your selues Therefore spirituall pride and contempt ouermuch resteth in your mindes Thus doe we see the worde of God against this temptation teaching strength If I should adioyne the witnesses of this truth froÌ„ time to time I might be long A little let mée doe it though not much because I haue bene so long alreadie Cyprian spake thus in his time full earnestly Et si videntur in ecclesia zizania c. Although there be tares seene in the Church and impure vessels of dishonor yet is there no cause why wee should depart from the Church onely let vs indeuour that we may be wheate our selues vessels of golde or siluer vnto honor And as for the earthen vessels it is the Lordes proper office and prerogatiue to breake them that hath only the non barre neither may any man chalenge to himselfe that which is peculiar to the Sonne onely namely to be able to make cleane the floore and to purge away the chaffe and all tares by mans iudgement For proude is this obstinacie and sacrilegious is this presumption which wicked madnes taketh to it selfe Austen in his time thus There were many good men in the olde Church before Christ Dic mihi quis tunc iustorum separauit sibi altare Tell me what one of all these iust men in those daies made a seperated Altar for himselfe from the rest Yet multa scelera admittebat iniquus populus ille Many wicked things committed then that wicked people They sacrificed to Idols they killed the Prophets nemo tamen iustorum recessit ab vnitate and yet none of the godly departed from the vnitie Vno templo miscebantur sed mixti non erant corde They were mingled or ioyned together in one temple but they were not of one minde meaning they approued not any euill that was done Si hoc est consentire malefacientibus esse cum eis in ecclesia consentiebat etiam ipse c. If this bee to consent to euill to bee with euill men in the Church then consented he to false brethreÌ„ that sayth he was with them in perill of them and that suffred those impure preachers amongst the Philippians Zizania ergo vel paleam Catholicae segetis nobiscum copiosissimè accusent sed nobiscum ferre patientissime non recusent Wherfore let them with vs find fault with the tares chaffe as they please fréely but theÌ„ let them with vs agayne indure them patiently Et propter malos filios non separemur a matre And for other euill sonnes let vs not shake of and say farewell to our mother For we do not for the chaffe forsake the Lords floore we doe not breake out of the Lords Nette for any bad fish inclosed therein with vs wee doe not runne away from the Lordes flock for the Gotes that are there to be seperated in the ende finally we doe not goe out of y e house of God for the vessels therein made vnto dishonor And a number such like sayings hath Austen in these bookes and diuers other places of his workes if this were my purposed course but they neede not Consider what Maister Caluin sayth and let both you and me marke his iudgement Let vs learne sayth he to giue this honour to the worde of God and his holy Sacraments that wheresoeuer wee see theÌ„ there we acknowledge a Church And let both these poynts remayne established as most certaine truths first that he is without all iust excuse that willingly forsaketh the outwarde Communion of the Church where the worde of God is preached and the Sacraments administred Secondly that the faults neither of fewe nor many can any whit hinder vs from testifying our faith rightly by vse of such ceremonies as God hath ordayned Because that by no other mans vnworthines whether he bee Pastor or priuate man a godly conscience can be hurt neither are the holy misteries lesse pure or profitable to a godly man because together with him the wicked also handle them Finally if all things in the Church be not so wel as they should bee concerning correction of faults yet let neither priuate men therefore departe by and by from the Church nor the Pastors themselues if they cannot according to their harts desire purge al things that néed amendment therefore throwe away their ministerie or with vnwonted rigorousnes trouble the whole Church Many other places hath this man to this end very worthie reading if I might both note all and be briefe too But it cannot be and therfore I followe him no further Only I request that wee may diligently obserue it how Satan hath euer tempted the children of God to receiue this error and how faithfull teachers withstood it still And if euer he deceiue any what holdeth them in and hindreth their reformation Surely quia vanam gloriam hominum attendunt insensatorum non contemnunt opprobrium qui dicturi sunt quare modò Because they regarde the vayne praise of men and doe not contemne the speech of the foolish which will say Why now or is he now câ—me home c. And with that heauenly counsell of the spirit of God I conclude this matter Let vs not forsake that fellowship that we haue one with an other as the maner of some is The Lord make it sinke in eiery mans hart to his good The second temptation concerning the Ministers OThers he perswadeth that the whole matter of the woorde and Sacraments dependeth vpon the â—olynes and goodnes of thâ— minister so y t if he haue any spot or crime theÌ„ may there be no receyuing of these things at his haÌ„ds A most poysoned dart also of a destroying deuil whersoeuer he throweth it and worthy to be carefully knowne of vs al how hurtful and preiudiciall to the glory of God it is Not that ministers shoulde not be good for the word is playne there is no heart seasoned with one corne of the Spirit of God but it wisheth that all offences were drowned in the depth of the Sea that come this way and that ministers as they are called in the worde Angels so euen with Angels purity if it were possible they might walke in this worlde before all men but that Gods mysteries maâ— not fall by mans miseries and his holy ordinaunces cease to be holy for vnholy dispâ—sers Knowe we therefore touching this temptation that whosoeuer heareth the word preached and
not be deceiued The Lord will surely smite euery seruant that doth not his will whether he knowe or knowe not because his ignoraunce is not of creation but from Adam by fall neither shall any good meaning erroniously had excuse any man more than it did the Iewes which ignorantly crucifying Christ and persecuting the Apostles were perswaded they did God great seruice And as God doth thus so doth he require of the Magistrates hand to whom in deede he hath committed the sword not in vayne that after the procuring of such meanes for their instruction by publique preaching and priuat perswasions as our Sauiour hath appoynted for the calling of men from their errors to the knowledge of his truth they forbeare not either to require godly duetie or to punish the want as the offence shall deserue not fearing the speeches of men for the glorie of God neither displeasing him to please them If they crye as they do it is crueltie crueltie and enough to driue men to dispayre Wee can but wish them the best still houlding a truth our selues and doing in moderation and mercie what shall make vs dispayre if wee doe not God requiring it of vs at our perill And at their owne peril must it be if they take darknes for light and light for darknes Surely their bloud is vpon themselues because they haue bin warned and had the meanes S. Austen will tell them the Donatistes slew themselues rather then they would change their heresie yet did not such their feareful madnesse terrifie godly Princes from condigne chastisements of so great impietie And thus much may suffice of this temptation If any list to be further satisâ—ied by English treatises hereof let him peruse the godly answers of diuers to the Papists Maister Doctor Bilson M. Trauers and others But this lawfull moderate and profitable correction wil be called cruel and mercilesse persecution No newes if it be For so did these seduced creatures in their times and the Papists euen stil exclayme when their heresie and obstinacie is punished Wherevpon both Austen in his time and others in these daies are driuen to followe their cries and to purge away this vniust sâ—aunder which in deede would neuer be so vntruely made if men would not foolishly thinke pro ecclesia Dei facere quicquid inquieta temeritate faciuÌ„t that euery thing is done in the cause of the Church that is done by their owne vnquiet rashnesse and headinesse For the matter it selfe it hath bene answered it truly may be answered that euery one that spareth is not a friend neither euery one that beateth a foe But better are the wounds of a friend than the voluntarie kisses of an enemie Melius est cum seueritate diligere quà m cum lenitate decipere Better it is with seueritie to loue than with lenitie to deceiue Can man loue man more than God loueth him Yet in the loue of GOD there is often correction and often chastisement and the same though neuer ioyous for the present but greeuous yet after bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercised and they say with the Prophet It is good for them that they haue bene chastised Why then must mans compulsion euer be persecution Cùm boni mali eadem faciunt eademque patiuntur non factis poenis sed causis vtique discernendi sunt When the good and euill either doe or suffer the same things they must be discerned and distinguished not by punishments but by causes Pharoh was sharpe in sundrie actions to the Israelites and what was Moses when he made them drinke vp the ashes of their golden calfe and three thousand of them to bee slayne with the sworde speedely When his anger seemed fearce agaynst Aaron himselfe and the people quaked as it were vnder him Similia fecerunt sed non similiter prodesse voluerunt The things they did after a sort were like for they were both sharpe but their minds were not alike to profite And therefore what Pharoh did was tyrannicall persecution what Moses did lawful and liked punishment of a greeuous fault Iesabel slew some Prophets and Eliah slew some Prophets Sed diuersa merita facientium diuersa passorum But diuers was the merit both of the doers and sufferers Iesabel slew true Prophets and it was a bloudie persecution Eliah slew false Prophets and it was no persecution as we speake of the word in euill part In the death of Christ God had his work and man had his work Yet was God pure man guiltie How Nisi quia in re vna quam fecerunt causa noÌ„ erat vna ob quam fecerunt But because in one thing which they did there was not one cause for which they did it There were three crosses at our Sauiours death vpon one the theefe to bee saued vpon an other the theefe to bee damned in the middle Christ Quid similius istis crucibus quid dissimilius istis pendentibus Quos passio iungebant causa separabat What more like than these crosses What more vnlike than these that hanged vpoÌ„ them Whom a like punishment conioyned a farre vnlike cause disioyned Paule was deliuered to the Iayler to be imprisoned Paule him selfe would the incestuous to bee deliuered to Satan to bee reformed The one is a greater matter than the other and yet the lesser a wicked persecution the greater none Discamus igitur frater Let vs therefore learne brother saith S. Austen in like doings to discerne vnlike mindes of the doers neither let vs with closed eyes sclaunder and accuse well willers as euil hurters of vs. If it were euer so glorious as some would make it to be punished and to sustayne correction the Lord might haue sayd blessed are they that are so vsed and neuer haue added propter iustitiam for righteousnesse sake Wherefore an euident truth it is that they are not Martyrs that suffer punishment for euill doing propter Christianae vtilitatis impiam diuisionem and for a wicked diuision of Christian vnitie but they y t suffer for well doing and for righteousnesse sake Agar was punished of Sara yet she that punished was blamelesse she that was punished blame-worthie Therefore doth the Prophet say Iudica me Deus discerne causam non dixit poenam sed causam Iudge mee O Lord discerne my cause He doth not say my punishment but my cause Againe they persecuted me without a cause but the Lord was my helper His coÌ„fort and glorie is not that hee was persecuted but that in deede and truth it was without a a cause Dauid himselfe pursued his enemies tooke them and consumed them And sayd he would cut off al the workers of iniquitie from the Citie of the Lord. Yet no persecutor more than all other Kings and Princes both in the word and out renowned for due and zealous punishing of offences In his enim omnibus quid attenditur nisi quis eorum