well with me as it was with thē By Repentance they at last recouered and so may I. Thus many a one secretly harteneth and encourageth himselfe to continuance in Euill by a false and vniust applying of the falles and blemishes of Gods children The only vse whereof is before we fal to make vs watchfull beholding in them Mans Infirmitie and after we haue fallen and are touched in conscience to put vs in hope of Gods mercie and not to be as it were a stale vnder the shadow whereof we may the more boldly giue our selues ouer to vngodlinesse The seauenth Branch of this Guile is a misinterpreting of those gracious testimonies which the Scripture hath of Gods forbearance and milde dealing with his children which belong to his Election It is said in holy Scripture that God will spare his Elect as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Mal. 3.17 that in them he will accept the Will for the deede the Endeauour for the full performance that he will passe by their Infirmities that their sinnes shall not separate them from his loue that he looketh rather to the truth of their Affection then to the quantitie of their Obedience These and the like assurances the Scripture giueth of the Lords conniuence as I may so speake and of his remitting the straightnes of his Iustice towardes those that are his which things are indeede exceeding full of comfort to all those which know rightly to applie them But now many wretched ones hearing this doe euen cosen themselues with a conceit that their Heart is good their Meaning for the best and their desire to be as holy as the Purest and so because God will in his kindnes accept good beginnings in his Elect though the same be but weake and like smoking Flaxe therefore they imagine that albeit their courses of life are abominable and such as in no respect in regard of grosse sinnes can be iustified yet with a pretense and protestation of a good Will and desire and endeauour to bleare the Eyes of God and to scape vnpunished at the day of Reckoning This is a Dangerous subtilty because it is an Abuse of the riches of Gods mercie and a turning of the sweetest proprietie of his Nature into wantonnesse The eight branch of this Guile is a Mistaking the nature of sinne as for example Some man hauing some one grosse sinne raigning in him which perhaps is also in the world taken notice of as whoredome oppression swearing c. thinketh with himselfe that though this be indeede a foule fault yet it is his onely fault and many times he thus communeth with his owne Heart True it is I confesse it there is such a grosse sinne which I am guilty of and it may be the world seeth it and it is some blemish and disgrace vnto me but what then I hope when they haue named that they haue named all they can I am sure lay no other matter to my charge onely this excepted and I know no man liueth without a fault therefore I trust I may be the better borne withall This conceipt ariseth as I haue said vpon a mistaking of the Nature of sinne men thinking that sinne may goe alone by it selfe without companie as though a man could be giuen to Adulterie onely and to no other iniquitie to oppression onely and to no other vice to drunkennes onely and to no other enormitie It is vnpossible These grosse sinnes haue many attendants and it cannot be that they should goe single Sinne is the sicknes of the soule As therefore in the diseases of the Bodie we see that euery maine griefe as the stone gout pestilence c. hath certaine inferiour griefes annexed to it so euery grand-sinne hath other petit euills to attend it and to feede it as it were without which it can neuer come to any great perfection So that it is a plaine Errour when a man perswadeth himselfe This or this is my onely sinne not considering what a troupe and traine followeth euery soule and open Euill The ninth branch is the drawing of a false conclusion out of the Lords long-suffering It is that which Dauid mentioneth when he bringeth in God thus speaking to the Wicked man These things hast thou done and I held my tōgue Psal 50.21 therefore thou thoughtest I was like thee Ecc. 8.11 And Salomon Because sentence against an euil worke is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill It is an ordinarie reasoning among many thus Surely if God were so seuere or so deepely displeased with my euill courses as it may seeme by some Texts of Scripture and as some Preachers would perswade I doe not thinke he would so long haue forborne me and which is more maruailous that he would haue thus heaped outward Things vpon me therefore I see not to the contrarie vnlesse I will be afraid of shadowes and terrified with words but that I may continue in my owne course and seeke mine owne satisfaction as heretofore I haue beene accustomed The tenth branch of this Guile is a Hoping to satisfie and make amends for many Euill courses by some speciall seruices deuotions or by some shewes of charitie This is first the guilefull conceipt of all Papists Annot. Rhem. Luc. 11. sec 5. for so are our Rhemists owne words in their notes that Almes extinguish sinne redeeme sinne make cleane and satisfie for former offences and are to be done as a propitiation to God for former euills The same is their Opinion of fastings of penance of pilgrimage and the like Secondly this is the blinde Imagination of our sottish ignorant people at this day who for want of better instruction are frozen in the dregges of Poperie and suppose the due obseruation of some solemne festiualls in the yeare as they come in their course to be a kind of recompence for a multitude of other defaults and that if they be precize in the keeping of these and the like rituous traditions then they are very religious Thirdly this is also a deuise by which many worldly men deceiue themselues who hauing by rapine and extortion by gaping ouer the heads of the poore by treading vpon them and grinding their faces and by other the like violent and indirect courses raked much together imagine to remedie all this both with God and the world by some largesse and beneuolēce to the poore or to the Church at their decease and being possessed herewith they run on presuming by this meanes to make a thorough satisfaction both to recouer their credit with men and to gaine fauour also with the Lord. The eleuenth and last branch of this Guile is to looke no further then to a shew of Godlinesse 2. Tim. 3.5 and to thinke ones selfe religious inough if he haue learned the Art of seeming and can make an outward semblance of that which indeede is farre from their Hearts These which are
that Religion either to obscure Gods glorie or to weaken mans comfort or what pretense soeuer it may make Col 2.23 by not seeming to spare the Bodie to giue libertie to the flesh I pray you trie the Truth hereof vpon occasion and then credit the Direction accordingly Thus much briefly how a Christian good husband who hauing at a deare hand purchased the Truth and is willing still to enioy it may keepe the same from all Hucksters whether they be such as would draw him to No Religion or such as would winne him to a false religion A needefull point in these decaying times in which Sathan knowing that he hath but a short time Rev. 12.12 hath great wrath and bestirreth himselfe exceedingly and in which also many as it were wearie of Manna of the syncere doctrine of the Gospel doe long for the flesh-pots of Egypt for the grossenes of Poperie others goe about to make a Medley of Poperie and true Christianitie to put the Arke and Dagon into one Temple which cannot be others considering the course of Times carrie themselues in a kinde of Indifferencie casting like the wise Steward what they shall doe hereafter So that if euer the Papists leauing all other perswasioÌ„s should haue opportunitie which God forbid to resume their old Argument From the clubbes A Fâ—st buâ— threatning vs that If we will not sell our Inheritance they will fire vs out it is much to be feared that a great many of vs would resigne our interest choosing rather to goe seeke a new then to hold our old possession vpon so hard conditions I beseech you therefore let vs as well remember to take heed of a Thriftlessenes in forsaking the Truth as of Miserablenes and Niggardice in purchasing the Truth and let me conclude this place and exhortation with the wordes of the Apostle you that are or hereafter by the blessing of God vpon the vse of the good meanes shall be grounded in Gods holy Truth stand fast and keepe the Instructions 2. Thes 2.15 that ye haue beene taught and I pray Iesus Christ our Lord who hath given vs Euerlasting Consolation good hope through grace comfort our Heartes and stablish vs in euery word and good worke The next point is to vrge this InhibitioÌ„ in regard of the Truth of Obedience of which also this place is to be vnderstood which saith sell not the Truth that is After thou art once entred into a holy course of true Obedience see thou neuer forsake the same For the well handling of this point the most full and profitable course were this In somuch as Sathan the Arch-enemie of our soules knowing that the further we goe on in true Obedience the further we are from his iurisdiction doth therefore not faile to sollicite vs and by many seuerall meanes to be ever tempering with vs to slake our forwardnes and to kill and coole all zeale within vs for this cause it were good to discouer his plots to designe his instruments and to note the seuerall suggestions by which he attempteth to make vs cast off all holy Obedience to Gods Truth Sometimes Profite hindreth sometime Pleasure misleadeth sometimes a feare to impaire our credit in the world is a stoppe sometimes a conceipt of too much straitnes and difficultie in Religion discourageth sometimes an opinion that to much zeale is superfluous crosseth vs so that it is a hard matter to play the good Husband in holding fast a good profession to the End But because to enter into everie of these particulars would require a more large discourse therefore as a generall preseruatiue against all occasions that may withdraw I will onely commend and confirme vnto you this Doctrine namely That he which hath entred into a good course of true obedience ought not at any hand to desist and fall away from the same The course of Christianitie is often in Scripture compared to a Race in which it sufficeth not a man either to haue run long or to haue runne painefully vnlesse he hold out vnto the marke nay he which breaketh off in the mid way is as far from a reward as he which neuer set one steppe forward thervnto So in this Case it booteth not a man to haue beene sometimes very forward and to haue made some shew of loue and obedieÌ„ce vnto Gods Truth vnlesse he doe persist and continue therein vnto the end Therefore So runne saith the Apostle that you may obtaine so runne that is moderately in the beginning â— Cor 9.24 constantly in the midst and cheerefully in the end making the end rather better then worse then the Beginning An vnstayed inconstant and fickle disposition to be caried with a humour and to embrace a thing but for a fitte is a thing so disgracefull euen in common reason that many men oftentimes doe persist in that which is naught rather to incurre the suspition of vnsetlednes much more is it shamefull in matters of religion And therefore as it is the Brand of the wicked to be like a whirlewind Pro 10.25 so it is the note of the Righteous to be as an Euerlasting FouÌ„dation All the promises of Happines in holy Scripture are made with Condition of Continuance He that endureth to the end shall be saued To him that ouer commeth will I giue c. Math. 24.13 Reu. 2.7 Be faithfull to the Death and thou shalt receiue the crowne of life So that if you take away continuance all hope of happines is vtterly overthrowne In a word not to say so much as might be spoken in this case they which haue beene zealous and carefull forward and doe after grow cold their case is worse and their punishment more heauy First their case is worse because hereby they are brought into the way to that vnpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost so that if euer they recouer it will cost them the setting on Againe their punishment is more heauie For they who haue escaped from the filthines of the World through the knowledge of the Lord c. If they be tangled againe therein the latter end is worse then the beginning 2. Pet. 2.21 The Vse There is a necessarie vse to be made of this point Backsliding falling away loosing the first loue are the common sinnes of the professors of religioÌ„ in this age 2. Tim. 4.10 The Church is ful of Demasses who haue left their old zeale and haue embraced the present world The blessed continuance of our happy Peace hath beene to many an occasion of Falling It is time that the Lord should quicken vs by some sharper courses There be many of whom it may be said He was a zealous Gentleman carefull in the waies of godlines I knew such an one an earnest and painefull preacher studious industrious of excellent giftes There is an other was pretily come on and gaue good testimonie of Gods graces to be in him was a diligent hearer a man who loued to conferre
but rather some inferior Truth which is substituted by God as a meanes to bring vs vnto himselfe And yet neither is it that Truth which God hath seated in Nature and naturall things because so it is that the Creature partaking of Mans corruption Rom. 8. â—0 is subiect to Vanity and by that meanes the natiue Truth thereof is so tempered with lying deceitfulnes that the Heart of Man being in it selfe a meere lie is not able to seuer each from other but is rather therby made more vaine and to turne the Truth of God shining therein into a Lie Rom. 1.25 So weake an instrument is the Booke of nature to beget Truth in our heartes There is then another Truth which hath beene framed by God himselfe which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued and that is The Holy and precious word of the Almightie which by the spirit of God is called Truth Ioh. 17.17 Col. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 2.2 Psal 31.5 2. Pet. 1.20 Ioh. 14 6. Ioh. 14.17 Sanctifie them with thy Truth thy word is Truth The word of Truth which is the Gospell And the Milke of the word without deceit And this indeede cannot but be the Truth First because of the Author of it which is the God of Truth Secondly because of the Penmen of it Holy men which wrote of no priuate motion Thirdly because of the confirmer of it Christ the Truth Fourthly because of the Interpreter of it The Spirit of Truth And if it were fitting to the Text it were easie to shew the Truth of the Scriptures aboue all other Truthes that it is both the most auncient Truth and the most true Antiquitie Now there is yet another deriued Truth which is drawne out of the Word and is as it were the Briefe and Summary thereof Rom. 6.17 Rom. 12.3 Tit. 14. Deu. 34.4 It is that which Paul in one place calleth the Forme of Doctrine in another place the proportion of Faith in another the Truth which is according to godlines And this may fitly be compared vnto the mount Nebo vpon which the Lord placed Moses that from thence he might see all the borders and limits of the promised Canaan so from this and by the helpe hereof a man be able to comprehend with all the Saintes what is the bredth and depth and length and height of Religion So then here is the Issue of my speach that by Truth in this place is meant the Truth of Religion grounded vpon the Rule of Truth which is the scripture VVhat it is to Buy the Truth Now for Buying we must vnderstand that it is not any making merchandize of the Truth like to that beggerly sale of the Romish Trumperie as though a man could by mony purchase the graces of Gods Spirit which if it were so Christ should be prooued a Liar Luc. 18.24 who saith that with difficultie they that haue Riches shall enter into the kingdome of God whereas if saluation were a mony matter the Rich were like to speed best But because Buying is vsually of things of greatest cost and greatest necessitie therefore to signifie the paines to be taken in this case the spirit of God vseth this word of Buying Againe because the end of Buying is possession and the end of Possession is vse as Riches is possessed to make rich Apparell to make gay and so in other things therefore also the spirit of God to shew the care we ought to haue both to haue the Truth in possession and to diuert it to our vse hath mentioned Buying So then this Buying of the Truth which is commended here vnto vs vrgeth two duties 1. To labour to haue the Truth of Religion setled in ouâ— IudgemeÌ„ts that so we may be fulfilled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding 2. To conuey it thence into our affections that so there may be begotten there that which Dauid calleth Truth in the inward parts This then is the meaning Psal 51.6 Buy the Truth saith Salomon that is vse all diligence The sense of the first part spare no cost refuse no labour spend your best indeauours to come to the knowledge of the Truth and thereby your selues to be transformed into the Truth that you may so become true Israelites truly religious The diuision of it So that now this first member of my Text hath brought forth two Instructions the one is that we must indeuour for the setled knowledge of the Truth the other that we must make conscience of a holy Practise and of obedience to the Truth of these two in order And first of Buying the knowedge of the Truth Seing it hath pleased the wisdome of God in this place to borrow a word from the ordinarie courses among men and to cal the seeking after the Truth a Buying of the Truth therfore it shall not be amisse to follow the Metaphore and by examining the vsuall circumstaÌ„ces of Buying to giue light to the duty recommended here vnto vs. The particular Branches of this whole Sermon As therefore in all other Bargains so in this Purchase of the Truth these things necessarily must concurre 1. A desire of the Commodity 2. A repairing to the Place where it is set to sale 3. A skill to discerne and knowe the goodnes of it 4. A giuing a price proportionable to the worth and value thereof 5. A storing it vp for necessarie vses of all these briefly The first Branch First there must be a desire of the Commoditie that is plaine in Reason For whensoeuer a man laieth out his money vpon any thing it proceedeth from a desire to be the owner of it and to haue it in possession and so the first thing in this Buying must be that which the Apostle Peter calleth Desiring the sincere milke 1. Pet. 2.2 Isay 55.1 c. which Isaiah termeth Thirsting Psa 119.111 174. which Dauid in one place calleth the clayming of the Lord his testimonies as an Heritage in another the longing after Gods saluation Now the desire of a commoditie springeth ordinarily from these two things 1. a mans own necessitie 2. the excellencie of the thing it selfe His owne necessitie maketh him willing to buy the excellencie of the thing maketh him willing to buy This rather then any other So that to the end we may come to this first degree of desire to Buy the Truth we must labour to feele these two things 1. what neede we haue of it 2. what an excellent thing it is to enioy it To shew our need many things might be alleged I wil be as briefe in it as I can because me thinketh I doe feele my matter like to a spring the further it goeth into the more streames to diuide it selfe Man by nature in respect of spirituall graces is the poorest Creature vnder heauen he commeth not into the world with a bodie so naked but he commeth also with a
soule as vtterly stript of all goodnes To touch onely his penurie in regard of Knowledge He hath in his vnderstanding no true knowledge of God but onely so much left as may make him inexcusable before God And therfore the Scripture doth well so often to befoole him as Salomon doth by name in the booke of the Prouerbes When man hath to doe with these earthly things he seemeth to haue some sharpnes and dexteritie but when he commeth to spirituall things he is cleane blunted They are foolishnes vnto him 1. Cor. 2.14 neither can he know them It is with the Eyes of his soule as it is with the Eyes of his bodie Our eyes looking vpon the earth and those baser substances seeme quicke and piercing but let them be turned vp to behold the glorious Bodie of the Sunne they are cleane dazeled and seeme to see an hundred seuerall colours where there is no colour such a maze is the wit of man by nature brought into wheÌ„ he coÌ„meth to behold consider of spiritual matters he wil runne you into millions of absurdities Take you Nicodemus a great wise Pharisie and tell him of the New birth you shal strike him into such an amazement that he will crie Iob. 3.9 How can this be Goe among the learned Philosophers and discourse in their hearing of one Iesus who was dead and now liueth and of the Resurrection what will they say Some will mocke and call thee Babler Acts. 17. that teachest such stuffe and they which are the most staied among them will put it to a demurre they wil heare thee againe of this thing This is mans naturall pouertie in this case Yea but will some man perhaps say vnto me Put case this be true that I am thus without knowledge of the Truth of my selfe is it any daunger to continue so There be some things which a man hath not yet can not he be said to want them Aliud est catero aliud indigere because he hath no vse of them It is one thing to be without a commoditie another thing to stand in neede of it To cleare this point therefore in one word There is as much neede of knowledge as of saluation If thou hast need to be saued thou hast need to haue knowledge also This is life euerlasting Ioh. 1â— 3 to know c. And Paul describing the estate of a naturall man putteth these two together Eph. 4.18 his Cogitations are darkened and he is a stranger from the Life of God Ignorance and and Destruction Knowledge and Saluation goe togither If this be not sufficient to shew the necessitie of Knowledge I knowe not what may perswade vs. Now for the excellencie of Knowledge if a man had the Tongue of men and Angels he could not speake sufficient in commendation of it The Heathen knew that Reason is that which maketh man better then a beast and the enlightening of Reason by Knowledge is that which preferreth one man to another Now if knowledge be in it selfe a thing so excellent much more the sauing knowledge I meane the knowledge of Gods Truth This maketh the people of God the wisest people This is your wisdome saith God Deut. 4.6 and your Vnderstanding It bringeth a man to haue a kinde of familiaritie and acquaintance with God himselfe yea it enableth a man to conceiue the things which passe knowledge namely the peace of God and the loue of Christ Phil. 4.7 Eph. 3.19 No meruaile then though Dauid reioyced at it Psal 119.162 as one that findeth great spoiles and that Paul did account all things but dogs-meat for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.8 For both Dauid was thereby made wiser then his teachers and Paul by comprehending it Psa 119.99 Phil. 3.12 was comprehended also of his Sauiour Thus in part may we see our neede of Knowledge and the worth of Knowledge to prepare vs to the purchase of Knowledge The Vse To make some vse This point touching desire of Knowledge is worthie the pressing vpon the Consciences of men because the world hath at this day so many such fooles as Salomon speaketh of Pro. 17.16 which haue a price in their Hand but they haue no heart to get Wisedome They haue the meanes to bring them to the knowledge of the Truth familiar common and easie but haue no affection thereunto Tell them of Knowledge it is as the singing of songs to an heauy heart a matter which fitteth not it hath no rellish nor sauour in the world Tell the couetous man the extorting Gentleman the engrossing Merchant the enhaunsing husbandman of a coÌ„moditie of a secret bargaine of a meanes of gaining it is like enough he will soone giue thee the hearing and take thine Information as a fruit of great kindnes but talke of the Knowledge of Religion and of the meanes for attainment to it thou hast as the saying is told a tale to a deafe man Surdo caniâ— he would as leife thou hadst kept thy counsell to thy selfe And hence oh wofull case it is come to passe that grosse and intolerable ignorance like a disease hath ouerspread the greatest part The multitude know not as we say the right hand from the left the best of vs be but smatterers and our knowledge little better then vaine iangling 1. Tim. 1.6 There is I know store of that knowledge which Micah speaketh of The statutes of Oâ—â—â—â— are sought for Mic. 6â—6 men are cunning in penall precepts and in the knowledge of Law-points There is also plentie of the knowledge which Christ mentioneth men can discerne the face of the skie Matâ— 16.3 and the signes of the Times Neither is there any want of that skill which Amos toucheth of making a small Ephah and a large shekel Am. â— 5 These times abound in these knowledges but as for the onely necessarie knowledge the Knowledge of Religion almost no man esteemeth it it seemeth to vs as a withered braunch which hath neither forme nor beautie we see nothing in it why we should desire it Now because this deadnes and dulnes ariseth especially from the want of the feeling of our owne necessitie for the person that is full Pro. 27.7 despiseth an honie combe and from our not knowing the worth of Knowledge for the cocke vpon the dunghill would rather haue a barley corne then a diamond therefore I beseech you let vs remember the before-deliuered matter touching our owne necessitie that we haue not naturally so much as a dramme of true knowledge within vs and the excellencie of Knowledge that without it we are but as dead men strangers from the life of God without hope without God in this world And so leauing it to your best consideration I thus ende this point The next point The second Branch is the CoÌ„ming to the place of sale For as in our ordinarie buying it suffiseth not
differ one from an other Iam. 1.6 they are like a waue of the sea Heb. 13.9 euery Wind of Doctrine is readie to ouer blow them their Heartes are not stablished Heb. 5 14. they haue no exercised Wits They will be readie to crie Hosanna to Christ to day and to bid Crucifie him to morrow they are like those of Lystra who at the first admired Paul and made a God of him but with the turning of an hand by the counsell of certaine Iewes they drew him out of the Citie and stoned him Act. 14. so vnstable and vnsetled are the most of vs at this day that a man may perswade any thing sauing that which ought to be beleeued Who almost is so skilfull and experiēced as to know euen in the principall matters and most necessarie points of Religion what is to be held as Truth and to be detested as an Error to be able to say peremptorily this I am sure is true in Religion and I will by the grace of God liue and die in it this is an Error I hope neuer to yeeld vnto it You will say perhaps this is inough for Preachers Oh belooued I say as Moses did I would all the Lords people were Prophets I would we were al thus cunning nay I would men were Num. 11.29 or could be perswaded that this is a dutie to striue to come to a setled certentie herein Then ther were much hope of the perpetuating of Religiō then we need neuer feare the restablishment of Poperie and Atheisme I am sure would giue vp the Ghost Well you see the Truth must be bought for shame we cannot deny it In Buying we may be ouereached in reason we cannot say against it therefore we should also be ashamed to be so without Reason as not to thinke it reason to labour with the Lord by Praier to lead vs into all Truth that so we may grow in the Truth and continue firme in the Truth vnto the end And this is an End of the third Branch The fourth Branch The fourth Circūstāce in making this Purchase of the Truth is to giue the price proportionable to the value of the Commoditie which is indeede the very Act of Buying the other three which I haue named hitherto are but preparatiues to Buying For though a man feeleth his owne want commeth to the place of sale trieth and examineth the commoditie which is for his necessitie yet he is not said to haue bought till he haue paid the price at which the thing is rated All the while before he is said to be but a chapman and many do all the former oftentimes who haue no great disposition to buie So fareth it in our customarie Buying and so it is in this case It is necessarie for a man to feele the want of Knowledge to come to the place of Knowledge to examine that which is profered to him but yet he hath not followed Salomons counsell as he ought vntill he haue paide the price also Now the price as I told you is not money for Act. 8.20 Thy money perish with thee which art of that opinion but the price is this to preferre it in account and estimation before all Things and so to make it our chiefest labour to attaine it You shall see this prooued If thou seekest knowledge as siluer and searchest for her as for Treasure Pro. 2.4.5 then thou shal◠vnderstand the Feare of the Lord. The kingdome of Heauen is like to a Merchant-man Math. 13.45 that seeketh good pearles who hauing found a pearle of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it The kingdome of Heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Math. 11.12 Will you haue examples Phil. ◠◠I count all things losse saith Paul for the excellent Knowledge sake of Christ Iesus and a little after in the same chapter he compareth himselfe to a man in a race who partly to signifie his desire of the prize partly to helpe himselfe in running leaneth forward in his running ver 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so saith he I forget that which is behind bending forward to that which is before I follow c. And if a man might goe further Dauid may seeme herein a little to haue gone beyond him I opened my mouth and panted Psal 119.131 because I loued thy Commandements Dauid was so hotte and egre in this pursuit that he was euen breathlesse he was faine to gape for a new supplie of winde Thus these places and these examples I hope doe sufficiently prooue this point namely that the price to be giuen for the Knowledge of the Truth is to set no price vpon it but to esteeme it aboue all price and to account that nothing is too deare no trauaile too much no paine too great for the attainment thereunto The Vse The vse of this point is necessarie also because the Church of God is at this day so ful of Hucksters which are euer cheapening but buie nothing that is as S. Paul speaketh are euer learning 2. Tim 3. ◠and yet neuer come to the knowledge of the Truth They come to church and heare and goe home and come againe and heare againe and so goe round like a Horse in a mill and are yet neuer the nearer They are like the fish in the sea which liue in the salt water and are yet neuer the salter so they heare the word which is the salt of the Earth and yet are still vnseasoned Mat. 5.13 Now the speciall reason of it is because they be no franke chapmen they would haue too good a peniworth they will buie the Truth vnder foote or they will none of it If to heare now and then and in hearing now and then to hearken and so an ende and some such superficiall performances will doe it they will be content to be at the cost otherwise they wish you a better chapman the ware is too deare If you tell them of often Hearing and of keeping their hearts and eares together from the beginning of a Sermon to the end of priuate Meditation of conference of praier before to prepare them of praier after to strengthen them of redeeming the Time and setting some part apart for such holy purposes they make you answer that you set your Knowledge at too high a rate and vnlesse they shall find you more reasonable and that they may haue it with lesse paines lesse hindrance lesse disgrace they are content to let it goe or els as men doe when things are too deare they will take the lesse and a smaller portion shall suffice them To shake off this dulnes and backwardnes and that men may learne to be ashamed of this niggardize to stand offering and offering and like to neere fellowes to be loth as it were to come off with the other penie I pray you let vs remember the price which the Lord hath set and
thus minded if the world hold a good opinion of them they thinke themselues to be very holy if men can not chalenge them they account themselues vnblameable This is right hypocrisie Hypocrite is a greeke word and signifieth a stage-player who many times for the time weareth the habite and carrieth the stile and title of a king himselfe beeing but a rascall or beareth the part of some valourous knight beeing a man of no resolution or representeth a chast and modest louer when his owne life is a practise of vncleanes This is properly an Hypocrite and beeing applied to matters of religion it signifieth such an one whose profession and mouth and face and habite make by fittes and vpon occasions great shewes of Pletie when in his heart he is nothing lesse then he makes shew of Yet this is the common Religion of the world and from hence come so many courses for getting of a man a name and opinion of religion One man sheweth himselfe a sharpe reprouer and correcter of the errors of others that so he may be thought to be such an one who cannot brooke or suffer euill and yet the same notwithstanding is slacke inough in reforming his owne corruptions like to him of whom our Sauiour speaketh in the Gospell Math. 7.3.4 who forgetting the Beame in his owne Eie was very desirous as might seeme to cast out the Mote which was in his brothers Eie Another in some outward obseruations will seeme very precize which are but as it were the Circumstances of religion in the meane time neglecting the maine duties after the fashion of the Scribes Pharisies to whom Christ denounced a woe because they did tithe minte and anyse and cummin and did leaue the waightier matter of the Law Math. 23.23 A third sort to be thought religious will not sticke to giue some testimonie of reformation and like Saul in his expedition against Amaleck who killed the worser stuffe and saued the best of the spoile aliue so they will kill as might seeme some petite sins of lesse profit advantage or delight yet let the great sinnes the crucifying wherof should chieflly testify ther obediēce Mat. ◠20 bleate cry stil in the eares of the most high Thus Herod reformed som things at Iohns preaching but the grādsin he would by no meanes be perswaded to reforme but thought the preacher might better spare his head thē he could liue without that sinn many such Herods there are now adaies who whē a godly reformatiō is vrged cry with the same wordes though I feare me not with the same mind 2. King 5.18 that that good Syrian vsed Onely herein the Lord be mercifull vnto vs let vs be born with in this besides it we will mēd any thing As mēs courses are many for the attaining of an Opiniō of religiō so their endes are diuerstone mā doth it for his profit as the Shechemites yeelded to be circumcised vpon this hope Shall not their flockes and cattell Gen. 34.23 and all their substance he ours Another doth it for his credit and estimation So Saul though he did not much loue or esteeme Samuel as a Prophet yet when Samuel in some discontentment was departing from him he importuned him to stay with him and this was his reason Honour me 〈◊〉 15.30 I pray thee before the Elders of my people He though◠Samuels presence would grace him otherwise it is likely he did not much regard him And I doe verily thinke this to haue beene one cause which mooued Herod at the first to countenance Iohn Baptist because the people accounting Iohn as a Prophet it could not but make much for Herods credit to be a protection vnto him Another yet maketh Religion but as a cloke to greater vilanies so Iezabel purposing by false witnesses to take away Naboths life 1. King 21.9 yet would grace the matter with proclaiming a Fast And Absolom made the performance of a Vow in Hebron 2. Sam. 15.7 to be the shadow of his vnnaturall conspiracie against his father This is the last Branch of this Spirituall Guile the summe of It is this when for matters of Religion men content themselues with the Iudgement of the world thinking themselues very holy if the world so account them Thus haue I ripped vp Adams fig-leaues and shewed you as I thinke all the particulars of this Spirituall Guile whereby men thinking to deceiue God doe at the last vtterly beguile their owne soules I haue beene longer in it then I thought but the excellencie and necessitie of the point hath ouercaried me Now Truth is in euery respect contrarie hereunto as full of plain-nes as this is full of subtiltie making a man as like to the God of Truth as the other maketh him to resemble the father of lies It is briefely this An humble and feeling acknowledgement of a mans naturall sinnefulnesse an aggrauating to the conscience of euery euill when a man hath to doe directly with the Lord a shunning and auoiding of all shifts either of pretensed examples or of Multitude or of shrouding great sinnes vnder tolerable names or of translating faults vnto others or of presuming vpon Gods goodnes or of hoping by petit meanes to redeeme offences or by couering a false heart with a face and vizard of Religion This is Truth in the inward parts as Dauid tearmeth it This was in Hezekiah O Lord Psal 51.16 Isay 38.3 I haue walked before thee in Truth And from hence springeth Truth in the conscience giuing a true information of peace wrought with God by Iesus Christ and assuring a man by the Truth of his Obedience of the Truth of his Faith Truth in the mouth to put away Lying Eph 4.25 and all manner speaches which may giue the Lie to a good profession Truth in the Eies not to behold Vanity Psal 119.37 Truth in the eare not to heare the Instructiō that causeth to erre Pro. 19.27 from the words of knowledge Truth in the Hand in respect of the vprightnesse and fidelitie and plaine-nes and open-nes of a mans dealing among men Thus I haue shewed you the nature of this Truth which is comprehended in one clause thus True Obedience to that which a man knoweth to be the Truth The next point is to shew the necessitie of this kind of Truth or namely Truth of Obedience or Obedience to the Truth The necessitie may be gathered by that which scripture hath deliuered of it all whose Precepts impose a necessitie Pro. 2.10 When wisedome entreth into thy Heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule Then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding keepe thee So that there is no benefite by knowledge till it come into the heart hath wrought upon the Affections Saint Iames speaking of a generall apprehension of the Truth of Religion Iam. 2.19 without vse saith The Deuills haue it and doe tremble Many shall come in that day and shal say vnto me