euery one that praieth in publike assemblies and heareth the word diligently and turne ouer their Bibles and sing reuerently the holy Psalmes and praises of God confer of that which they heard and call their families to account for that which they haue heard at the Sermon c. all most holy actions but take heed now when thou doest all these or any of these that the messenger of Sathan come not like a cunning companion and poison all these Take heed I say euen then when thou art about these seruices for euen as cut-purses and pilfering rogues watch their times till they see men busie in buying and selling or come in a preasse so do these vagrant affections watch our harts when we are about holy businesse and in deuout conference with our God to rob God of his honour and to poison that which we offer him and if it be poisoned he will none of it A strange thing and a hidden mysterie this is that a man should then rob the Lord of his honour when he is honoring and seruing him that we should take from him that which we giue vnto him Verily so we do if we take not heed and nothing is more common then that euil Thou art deuout in thy prayer in hearing in sighing in singing in eleuating eyes and hands to heauen it is well done but then take heede of the theefe with the poison that thou seest not and that is that affection that maketh thee to cast thy eye aside perhaps to looke whether such a man seeth thee or no and that affection that tickleth thy heart and saith now I am a good man I shall be counted a zealous professor for this I shall be well esteemed for this I shall by this meanes get familiaritie and so commoditie with him her and a thousand such odde conceits that come wharting and crossing of thy heart in the best things that thou canst do All which if thou take not heede of them euen then at that instant and pray against them they will get within thee and plucke off the garment of puritie and holinesse which in Christ Iesus should commend thy action vnto God And thus thou seest how God is robbed when he is serued and therefore euen then without any further delay or dallying take heed and watch ouer thy heart and pray against these vile and vaine affections desiring God to reforme and correct them that so thou maiest giue him his due clad in such holy and pure affections as are desirous that all the glorie should be giuen vnto him from whom and for whom all things are and shall be And in so doing thou maiest safely shew what God hath done for thee Take for example in the old Testament Iacob and in the new Testament the Virgin Mary and Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist. Iacob he sheweth his brother how God had blessed him since his comming ouer Iordan with onely a poore staffe in his hand and now had giuen him troupes or bands of children and seruants and blessed him with flockes of sheepe beeues and camels but in all these things his desire was that God might he glorified and therefore he said I am not worthy of the least of these mercies that is all that I haue set forth the great and vndeserued fauour of God vnto me So farre was he from seeking thereby to be counted a great man as the maner of the world is So when Elizabeth reioyced with her cosin for the great fauour and goodnesse of the most high in chusing her to be the mother of the Lord Iesus and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women she was not proud thereof but presently gaue the glorie vnto God and sayd My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour I shall be magnified indeede but he that is mightie hath magnified me and holy is his name and so made that whole song to set forth the glorious praises of God in that singular worke which he had done to her In like sort when Zachary knew that Iohn was borne to be the forerunner of Christ he presently gaue the glorie to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people c. And thou ô child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare the way before him to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes But then commeth forth the holy affection wherein God is delighted and saith Through the tender mercy of our God c. And this shall we do if we take heed and still watch ouer our hearts in euerie action by secret prayer vnto God that his name may be hallowed This wise course being taken we shall be able by the grace of God in a short time to discerne a false harted affection from a true and a holy affection a double heart from a single and sincere heart for in euery man that is regenerate there is a double motion the one of the flesh the other of the Spirite the one of God the other of Sathan and in euerie action if he watch narrowly he shall find and feele a striuing betweene them Now here is wisedome to discerne how much is of God and how much of Sathan that we may cherish the one and crush the other in the head before he grow to any strength There will be two fires kindled and both burning together in one heart the one must be quenched and not maintained the other must not be quēched but be maintained for so saith the Scripture quench and quench not quench the firie darts of the diuell but quench not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption Now then seeing the glory of God is set vp for one marke to aime at and the good of the Church of God for another let vs learne by our leuelling and aiming at them or besides them to iudge of our affections and cogitations If thy cogitations be studying and deuising how to auoide vaineglorie and how to get glorie to God by casting about to make others to praise God in thy graces and to loue and feare him for the same then is that cogitation kindled by Gods Spirite quench it not but cherish it If thy affections be longing and desiring to bring the same to passe which thy minde by Gods Spirite hath deuised then is that a holy affection of God quench it not but maintaine it reioyce in God for it But if one the contrarie thy mind be deuising what to do and what to say and how to bring things to passe to please men and not God and to win credit and estimation amongst men Gods glory being cast behind thy backe know that those thoughts and affections are fierie darts of Sathans kindling quench them and cherish them not take heede of them in time In taking this
repentance may be soueraigne and not deadly there must be faith ioyned therewith whereby we applying the promises of God to our hearts may be assured that our sinnes are both fully punished and freely pardoned in Christ Iesus For by faith our harts are purified sayth Saint Peter For our preseruatiue against the corruption and contagion of a leud heart in time to come there are also two things required The first is heedfull watchfulnesse The second is continuall prayer and calling vpon God That this is true it is very euident by the words of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Take heede watch and pray sayth he least ye fall into temptation To shew that if we be carelesse and negligent in prayer we shall soone fall into the hands of the tempter And in another place Take heede least at any time your hearts be surfeted and ouercome with the cares of this world To shew that our hearts must be kept and looked vnto like little children which else would euery houre eate and drinke that which should hurt them or fall into the fire or water or incurre one mischiefe or another And this is that which Saint Paul meaneth when he requireth vs to walke circumspectly and is all one with that of Salomon in the fourth of the Prouerbes Keepe thy heart with all diligence as if there were no hold in the world so much assaulted nor any mans daughter or goods so much layed for as the heart of man is and therefore that must be kept with all diligence and watched most narrowly This diligent keeping and heedfull watching of our hearts must be after the manner of souldiers with our armour and weapons about vs. And what those are the Apostle teacheth vs in Ephes. 6.12 c. and he calleth it the armour of God because all the world could not tell how to make an armour for the soule but God who created it and knoweth what enemies and assaults it is subiect vnto A helmet she must haue but that must be of hope which causeth her with patience to expect the performance of Gods promised saluation and this beareth off all the blowes of Sathan Then a brest-plate she must haue but that must be of righteousnesse to shew that the louers of vnrighteousnesse and wrong are easily thrust through and spoyled yea as Paule saith they pierce themselues through with many noysome lusts and temptations Then she must haue a girdle to keepe all her armour close about her and that must be of truth and sincerity or soundnesse of heart and a good conscience which is opposite to hypocrisie Then a sword she must haue in the one hand and a shield in the other to defend her selfe withall and to offend her enemies But this sword must be the word of God not the Popes Legenda aurea which hath wel-neare as many lyes as lines in it nor any of his dirtie Decrees And her shield must be a liuely iustifying faith which must still apply Christ and his merits and oppose him against all that euer Sathan cannot obiect against her Then she must be shod with shooes but they must be affections prepared and alwayes in a readinesse to heare and beleeue the Gospell whereby she shall speedily and easily trauell and come to all the rest And to all these she must ioyne continuall and feruent prayer both for her selfe that she may betime put on and skilfully vse this armour as also for others and namely first for her Captaines and Leaders the Ministers of the word and next for all the Saints and members of the Church that be her fellow souldiers And thus we see a Christian man in armes appointed to keepe diligent watch ouer his heart being thus appointed with armour of Gods making and of the Spirits putting on he is diligently to examine euery thought before it enter and euery word and gesture before it passe from him hauing the feare of God in stead of a gard alwayes to keepe the doore and passage Now further that we may watch and pray to good purpose we must know and remember First what we are to pray for Secondly what we must pray against The things that we must pray for are principally foure First that God would create in vs a cleane heart and renue a right spirite within vs Psal. 51.10 That is in stead of an ignorant heart to giue vs a heart endued with knowledge in stead of a dull heart an vnderstanding hart as Salomon prayed 1. King 3.9 in stead of an adulterous heart a chast heart in stead of a subtill and crafty heart a simple and discrete heart in stead of a proud and high minded heart an humble and lowly heart in stead of a foolish heart a wise heart in stead of a malicious hart a charitable hart in stead of a hard hart a soft tender hart in stead of a vaine and profane heart a holy and religious heart in stead of a stubburne and rebellious heart an obedient and tractable heart and in stead of a counterfeit and dissembling heart an vpright and a sound heart And a heart thus altered and renued by God Dauid calleth a heart new created to shew first that we can no more of our selues reforme our owne hearts whatsoeuer Papists prate then we can create a heart Secondly that vntill our hearts be renued by the grace of Gods Spirite they are as if they were not at all And thirdly that as all the workes of creation belong to God onely so doth also the reforming and altering of the inward man and euery affection and power belonging to the same The second thing that we must pray for is that it would please his diuine Maiesty to ioyne sanctification and illumination together in our minds that is not onely to enlighten our hearts with the vnderstanding of his will but also to worke in vs the loue of righteousnesse and obedience to his will yea that he would to that ende giue vs an vnderstanding heart or a heart enlightened that we may keepe his law with our whole hearts So Dauid prayeth in Psalme 119.34 Giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law yea I will keepe it with my whole heart And that is the way indeed to come vnto a sound and a sauing knowledge of God as our Sauiour Christ sheweth in the seuenth of Iohn verse 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God of no. Not the idle hearer or vaine disputer or the carping cauiller c but the doer yea he that is resolued to followe Gods counsels shall know Gods counsels and none else And vntill we haue an actiue vnderstanding in the law of God not the forme of doctrine onely or a formall knowledge of the same but the power of it as the Apostle teacheth vntill then I say we be like
the mother the second is the daughter The first is the poyson the other is the signe thereof or the breaking out The first is the fountaine the second is the streame The first is the coale the second is the flame The first is the cause the second is the effect of the same The first is the theefe the second is his accessary The first robbeth God of his honour the second doth publish it Therefore both the first and the second be damnable neither the first nor the second are sinnes veniall as the Papists say but both the first and the second the mother and the daughter without faith and repentance are sinnes eternally mortall And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith here Take heede of them as if they were some dangerous enemies to the soule The first thing therefore to be taken heed of is all inward desire of vaineglory or worldly praise and that is forbidden in the first verse where our Sauiour saith Giue not to be seene of men that is with an intent purpose or desire that men should see thee and commend thee for it Publicke giuing is not forbidden for Christ saith Let your lights shine before men that they may see c. But vaineglorious giuing in publicke is forbidden and therefore he doth not simply say Do not your almes before men but addeth to be seene of them condemning that end which is first in heart though last in act So in Math. 5.16 he saith not Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie you but that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God your heauenly father who worketh both the will and the deed So then we see that it is not simply euill to do good workes in the view of men nay rather it is good so to do to glorifie God and encourage others God is much glorified when his children walke like their father being mercifull as their heauenly father is mercifull though not in that degree of mercie yet in mercy of the like nature heauenly bountifull free and harmelesse By the death of Christ he was knowne to be the naturall sonne of God and by the good life of Christians aswell as by their death it may be knowne that they are the adopted sonnes of God For when Christ died there was a strange alteration of nature the earth did shake the powers of heauen lost their power the graues opened the dead arose there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth as if day had bene turne into night which when men saw they confessed yea the very enemies of Christ himselfe confessed to the glorie of the diuine power saying doubtlesse this was the sonne of God So when Christians dye to the world and liue vnto God when they by the power of Gods spirit do crucifie sinne and quicken righteousnesse there is also a great alteration in nature their nature is refined by grace their night is turned into day and their day into night their present shame is their glorie and their former glory is their shame their dead affections are raised vp the deuowring graues of their hard harts being opened and now they speake and do and studie otherwise then they did and not like other men In a word as Christs death was not like other mens death so Christians liues are not like other mens liues Christs funerals were solemnized by the Sunne and the Moone by the powers of heauen by the graues and the dead by the earth and the stones and all the insensible creatures whereof in their kind some blushed some trembled some fainted and all mourned for the death of their Lord and feared seeing such things happen to their Soueraigne an vtter dissolution of themselues and all nature These things were not looked for in the world nor regarded at worldly mens funerals yea such as beseeme not the Princes of the nations so Christians liues and deaths too are solemnized and graced with the ornaments of the spirit and the ioy of heauenly Angels with the fruites of righteousnesse the applause of the godly things not regarded of the wicked nor beseeming the helhounds of this world But doubtlesse when men see these lights they must needes glorifie God and say God hath done great things for them and when the wicked themselues see such an alteration in them as they may stand a farre off and wonder at but neuer attaine vnto they must be enforced spite of their hearts to giue God the glorie as Achan did saying this is the truth and so it was and as the Iewes did doubtlesse these were good men the sonnes and daughters of God A man may by their behauiour know of whose bringing vp they were by their habite and spirituall attire a man may discerne them to be the Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be God in so much as they must go a little farther with the wicked in the book of Wisedome and say we are fooles and they are wise howsoeuer we counted their life madnesse before we are they that played the madmen and haue wearied our selues in the wayes of vnrighteousnesse And with Balam Oh that we might dye the death of the righteous and that our last end might be like vnto theirs And thus we see how for the glorifying of God in this life it is necessary for Christians to exercise workes of mercy as giuing of almes and other good workes appointed of God in his word euen before men As it is necessary for the glory of God so also is it as necessary for the encouragement of the godly And first of the painefull Pastor and Minister of the word and then of other Christians To the godly Minister it is no small comfort and encouragement when he shall see the Lords people vnder his charge fruitfull in good workes aswell as in good words For then shall he see the fruite of his labours when after his labour he seeth them fruitfull in all maner of good workes and on the other side when they receiue the word in vaine he may feare that he hath laboured in vaine in vaine I say as touching their conuersion though not simply in vaine otherwise for the word of God is neuer preached in vaine whether men beleeue it or no heare it or no being euer either a sauour of life to life or of death vnto death and comming as the raine which neuer returneth in vaine but either watereth the earth or drowneth it and maketh the ground to bring forth either corne or cockle sweet flowers or stinking weedes whereof the one shall be preserued and the other rooted vp and cast out vpon the dunghill The husbandman is encouraged to follow his husbandry when his vines are fruitfull and his haruests plentiful growing timely ripening kindly yeelding abundantly and no lesse is Gods husbandman the minister of the word encouraged by the timely growing kindly ripening and plentifull yeelding of his charge the Lords husbandrie after he hath taken
honoured and rewarded of God then all the world beside Oh happie man and woman that professing Christianitie or faith in Christ or repentance for sinne or patience in affliction or contempt of the world or zeale to Gods glorie or deuotion in Gods worship or liberalitie to the Saints or mercie to the miserable can in all these haue the company of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart then may they say thus nay our suretie the Lord Iesus wil pleade for vs in this manner Father despise not these little ones they are my friends and though their faith and repentance be weake and imperfect and other graces of thy Spirit be but small and feeble and for want of nourshing and good looking vnto be not so well growne nor so well ordered as they should haue bene yet forasmuch as they come before thee and haue called vpon my name in sinceritie and truth which thou louest without counterfeiting dissembling and hypocrisie which thou abhorrest thou wilt not despise them Their fruit though they be but little in quantitie like a graine of musterd seed yet it is right fruite of the Spirit true faith though little faith true loue though litle and small loue not like the fruites of hypocrites which are like the apples of Sodome faire in shew and ashes in substance What hath soundly comforted all the Saines of God here on earth but the testimonie of an vpright heart And is not sound comfort a good reward What hath encouraged and emboldned them to come before God in prayer but the testimoniall of a sincere heart and holy affection And is not boldnesse in Gods presence a good reward What hath made the prayers of the faithfull auaileable with God for other but the sinceritie and vpright affection of them that haue craued their prayers and are not these sweet odours that is the prayers of the Saints a good reward What made Iacob to be honoured with the new name of Israel that is preuailing with God for a blessing but that his wrestling was not in shew but in good earnest in sinceritie and truth of heart with a constant purpose of perseuering till he had gotten that which he stroue for And is not preuailing with God a good reward All the daies of the afflicted are euill saith Salomon that is troublesome grieuous and bitter to flesh and bloud but a good conscience is a continuall feast that is he that hath an vpright heart and sincere affection before God feeleth no want Now such a feast as it is continuall so is it prouided by God himselfe serued in with the Spirit of God where the Angels do waite and reioyce and the worst dishes are the assurance of Gods loue forgiuenesse of sinnes peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost There all the communication is secret and heauenly between Christ and the soule the Musitians are the faithfull and their musicke is praising of God and their harmonie is the communion of Saints and all are of one heart and mind and is not such a feast a good reward Nay more then this if this be not inough whosoeuer will earnestly hegge this gift of God by prayer and louingly embrace and keepe her as his deare spouse shall haue with her a large dowrie a great reward in heauen in heauen saith Christ. For such gifts come not without crauing and of our selues we cannot haue it for if a good wife be the gift of God much more is a good heart which God in creating doth giue in giuing doth create therfore Dauid saith Create in me ô Lord a cleane heart to shew that we can no more make the hart sincere then we can create a hart But whē such a hart is created by God he giueth thee a singular gift a great portion belongeth vnto it Part of it shall be payd thee in this life but the greatest part in the life to come In this life thou shalt be loued of Christs friends and moned of good men when thou art wronged the more thou dost seek to honor God the more he will honor thee as he told Samuel The more thou fliest the vainglorie of the world for sinceritie sake the more wil true glorie follow thee according to the Prouerb Honos fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit It followeth those that flye from her like friends which enforce gifts and other curtesies vpon modest persons which refuse them but flyeth them that follow her as men do impudent beggers But besides al this when death comes thy deare friend sincerity shall more comfort thee then all the Phisitions in the world And after death thy name shall liue and walke vp downe in the world to warne some to comfort some to admonish some and to shame some and to condemne many But yet here is not all for then shalt thou first receiue commendation of God whom thou hast serued and secondly enter into full and euerlasting possession of thy maisters ioy which is no lesse then a weightie crowne of glorie immortall then a kingdome and inheritance of eternall blessednesse with the Saints and Angels and God himselfe where all teares shall be wiped from thy eyes and thou shalt reioyce for euermore Where thou shalt enioy for euer and euer such things as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard nor heart to man can conceiue and nothing shall euer obscure or eclipse the same nor crosse nor diminish the same And what is all this or whatsoeuer else can be sayd of it but scarce a shadow of sincerities reward Alas a drop taken out of the sea and a moate out of the mountaines like the hem of Christs garment which did comfort the woman that touched it but she found more comfort in him then in the hem So the description of sincerity is delightsome the picture is pleasing but whosoeuer hath sincerity it selfe shall find at his left hand the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasure for euermore Whosoeuer after this Sermon shall find so much fauour with God as to meete with sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart in all his actions and such an affection that preferreth Gods glorie before his owne and seeketh praise of God and not of man shall say as the Queene of the South sayd when she came to King Salomon That which I heard of thee I did hardly beleeue it but now I perceiue that the report which went of thee is nothing answerable to that which thou art indeed And though no man deserueth such a reward at Gods hand no nor any reward at all but shame and confusion which is our due desert yet both for his promise sake as also for his honour sake he will so reward his children If mortall men will keepe their promise one towards another as all that haue but common ciuility and honestie will them much more will Almightie God who is all truth and righteousnesse it selfe and can no more breake his promise then he can denie himselfe
lawlesse behauiour This shall be a great comfort to the godly to remember how they haue striuen against their headstrong affections and being foiled and cast downe somtime haue risen againe by Gods renewing grace and walked afterward more circumspectly when the wicked shall find nothing but horrour and horrible desperation because they haue made a continual practise art as it were of swimming giuing themselues ouer wholy like slaues vnto sinne as vnto a cruell tyrant whose crueltie neuer appeareth vntill the day of reckning cometh to pay men their wages The fruit of this tree is faire in shew but in tast most bitter for what else is it but feare shame and death eternall Rom. 6. And indeede the custome of any sinne is very dangerous the continuall driuing at the wedges at length driue them home to the head and so the great oke is spoiled and broken in peeces by continuall dropping of raine the hard flint is worne hollow by continuall blowing the fire is made to flame out by continuall going great iournies are gone and a great way is to be gone backe againe by continuall leaking the shippe is sunke at the length by continuall wooing the suter speedeth at length by continuall walking in the Sunne the face is Sun-burnt at the length by continuall digging Castles are vndermined great pits are made and high mountaines are cast vp Yea what should I say more nothing but vse and custome doth make men perfect and expert in any thing they go about Custome and vse hath made euen those fashions which at the first seemed very vgly and abhominable to become in account very good and commendable And if a man doth accustome himselfe to any thing which is hard and against the mind at the first at last by long vse and custome he shall find a certaine easinesse yea a felicity and dexterity in it how much more shall we find the like in any sinne which we do accustome our selues vnto the pleasures and allurements whereof be so fitting vnto our natures and dispositions yea doubtlesse he that hath accustomed himselfe vnto any sinne whether it be of swearing or whoredome or drunkennesse or hastinesse or whatsoeuer else he shall in time find it as easie a matter to be perswaded to cut his throate or to cut off his right hand or to pull out his eyes or to be nailed vnto a post or to haue his bowels pulled out of his belly as to be perswaded to leaue that sinne whereunto he hath accustomed himselfe as soone shall he cease to desire drinke when he is in extremity of thirst as to cease from that sinne and sinfull path wherein he hath vsed to walke Can a blacke Moore change his skin or a Leapord his spots saith Ieremy No more can this people do well which haue accustomed themselues all dayes of their life to do euill The former is a thing impossible in nature and so is the latter too and therefore let no man accustome himselfe to do euill nor to walke in any lewd path but returne betimes or else at last the way will seeme so long and the iourney so tedious that must be gone backe againe that he will rather sit downe or go on still desperatly then go backe againe yea custome is another nature and taketh away the very sence and feeling of sinne But if any man hath walked in any dangerous custome and would be rid of such a haunting spirite and dangerous customer let him resolue with himself to endure much striuing and fighting and much paine and many blowes and buffetings of Sathan and therefore must be very earnest with God by continuall prayer for the creating of a new heart and renewing of a right spirite within him But most wretched are those fooles and monstrous is the folly of them who instead of fearing the custome of sinne and praying vnto God for grace against it do take it as a sufficient plea and defence for themselues being admonished to leaue their sin to say Sir it is my custome you must beare with me yea accompt it a grace vnto them to do as the custome hath beene of their forefathers though it be neuer so wicked Againe further we are to note that euen in outward shew there is great difference between the wicked and the godly least we condemne the iust and the innocent causelesse The godly seem sometime to speak frowardly when it is indeede earnestly and zealously for Gods glorie The wicked for the most part are crosse when they speak most faire and vtter words most smooth which formally they can do at their pleasure per artem adulandi by the art of flattering then are they most dangerous like Ioab who in saluting and embracing slue his brother Abner and like Iudas the traitour who with a kind kisse in shew betraied his Maister Christ. The godly are most moued for the glorie of God the wicked are most moued for their owne glorie like Naman who was in a chafe because the Prophet came not out vnto him And as touching the Minister of the word who many times hath iust occasion to thunder out the iudgements of God against obstinate sinners he seemeth vnto men of peruerse and froward conditions who list not to see others otherwise then they are themselues nor to muse but as they vse to such I say the Minister of Gods word seemeth to speake of malice and bitternesse and by way of reuenge for some old grudge as they say and to deale frowardly with his people when in zeale and earnestnesse he crieth aloud to awake men out of their dead sleepe and cutteth and launceth them to cut out their festered corruption but surely they are deceiued Reprehension indeed hath a sting as the saying is which is not very toothsome but it is very wholesome and it is not doctrine but wholesome doctrine saith Paule to Timothy which men cannot endure The father seemeth to be out of patience with his child when he seuerely rebuketh and correcteth him but then is he most tender ouer him and carefull for his good So the fathers of our soules seeme to be our enemies when they sharply rebuke vs for our sinnes but then they loue vs most and are most desirous or at least should be that we might be saued Am I Paule become your enemie because I tell you the truth saith the Apostle to the Galathians to shew that if we tell men the truth without flattery we shall be counted their enemies The more I loue saith the same Apostle to the same people the lesse am I loued to shew that true spirituall loue will procure vs hatred And what other account will the world make of vs if we deale plainly with them for their soules health but as of babling fooles and mad men Ieremy was counted a contentious person Ezechiâ—ls Sermons we reckned of but as of a fidlers song What will this babler say sayd some of
be merry These and such like speeches are rife in the world but it is onely amongst the men of Belial and Ishim auen lawlesse and dissolute persons vaine and foolish people such as haue cast off Gods yoke from them and like them that sayd of Christ. We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs come let vs breake their bands asunder and cast their cords from vs our tongues are our owne we may speake what we list who shall controule vs and so are our eyes too and our fingers too and our feete too we will looke and go and gesture it as we list and what hath any man to do with our gestures These are right men of Belial indeed whom the Lord that sitteth in the heauens doth laugh to scorne and shall haue in great derision when destruction shall come suddenly vppon them in his wrath yea he shall vexe them in his sore displeasure and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell if they be not wise vnto repentance in time euen before his wrath be kindled yea but a little This precisenesse that the profane Belials of the world haue in so much contempt is nothing else but that circumspect walking which is commended and commanded vnto vs by the Apostle from the Lord in Ephs. 6. Walke circumspectly saith he like wise men as if our life were a iourney to be walked vpon a narrow bridge ouer a deepe water ouer which there is no safe passage if a man go leaping and skipping and gazing about him as those that wander and roue at scope in the wide fields but we must looke to our feete and to euerie step that we set or else we are quickly gone and being downe very hardly recouered againe without Gods great mercy and grace So much for the first point Now the second thing that we haue to obserue is the tyranny of sinne hauing once gotten possession in the hart If lewd things lodge in the heart surely they will take vp all the outward parts of the body to serue at their pleasure and from one member to another will leudnesse fetch his continual walke Therefore saith the blessed Apostle Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lustes thereof neither giue you your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse and vncleannesse To shew what a tyrant sinne is who when he hath gotten hold in the heart of a wicked man will domineere ouer his whole bodie and euery member shall serue as a weapon to fight withall in the defence of sinne and to the offence of vertue When a tyrant raigneth no man that is vnder him is his owne man no man can say what is his owne so where sinne raigneth the most cruell subtill and vnsatiable tyrant that euer was is or can be euery member of the body and euery cogitation and affection of the soule is held in most miserable bondage and slauery nothing is free to serue the Lord but all are at Sathans becke and ready to obey his suggestions This tyrant wil not be closed vp in the heart but will looke out at the eyes as at a window will walke abroad nay rather be caried abroad like a Pope vpon mens shoulders the hand must feele and reach him that which he liketh and giue what he will bestow and where he will bestow it and strike whom he liketh not The eye must seeke out such pleasures as he delighteth in and the tongue must call for them Yea of such bewitching power is this tyrant sinne that he poysoneth like the Crocodile with his very sight and countenance he hath greater power ouer his seruants the members of the body nay his seruants the members haue greater power ouer others then the Centerion in the Gospell had ouer his souldiers I say to one come and he commeth to another go and he goeth saith the Centurion but this tyrant doth but looke vppon men and they feare him he doth not fawne vpon men and they affect him he doth but make a signe with his eyes and signifie with his going and instruct by holding vp of his finger and it is inough to make men go and come at his pleasure And all his fawning flattering terrifying of mē is for nothing else in the world but to get in to a man and to raigne ouer a man which he can easily do He can by little and little yea with a little intreating where Gods grace is not to make resistance enter in at the eye or at the eare or by touching the body and tickling the senses and so from thence into the heart and there he sitteth like a commander and a cruell tyrant euen ouer al those members and affections by which he was first let in and which first gaue him any entertainement Adonijah begged onely Abishag the Shunamite to wife when Dauid had done with her a small request in shew but he had a further reach his mind was to the kingdome which wise Salomon perceiued well inough So Sathan will request but a little dalliance with the fingers and will but borrow they feete to carry him to such a place such a place to heare or see a play or the like vanity and thy countenance to braue or beard such such or thy eye to looke out at as theeues that will craue a standing in a mans shop to see some straunge sight when they meane to rob and steale a small request in shew But sinne is deceitfull and Sathan is an old subtill serpent trust him not he hath a mind to a kingdome and that is to rule like a hellish tyrant in thee to get all the members of thy body and all the affections of thy soule from out of Gods seruice into his slauery and subiection and this can none espie but those that haue heauenly wisdome as Salomon had And therefore as Adonijah made his subtill request against his owne life when wise Salomon had espied his treachery so let all wise harted Christians who by the light of this doctrine haue receiued any inckling of the subtill pollicy of sinne and Sathan in entring and of their tyranny being entred into the heart desire of God by continuall and earnest prayer that through the gracious assistance of his blessed Spirit his feare keeping the passage all these fawning treacherous motions solicited in the vnsanctified gestures and behauiour of the body may be made against their owne life that is that they may be so crushed and checked at the first that neither eye nor eare nor hand nor foote nor tongue nor looke may euer haue any list or ioy to serue sinne or Sathan or the man of Belial any more And so much briefly for the tyranny of sinne which hath all the parts of the body at commandement Now come we to the third point and let vs see how the sinne of hypocrisie in particular doth breake foorth and appeare in the very
in going whereabout is it It may be they plie it so fast to saue some bodie that is in daunger or to visite the poore and needie No saith the Apostle Their feete are swift to shed bloud But yet it may be their trade and manner of liuing is good and profitable to the Commonwealth No saith the Apostle Destruction and calamitie are in their waies But yet it may be their life is harmlesse and peaceable amongst their honest neighbors No saith he the way of peace they haue not knowne But yet for all this they may feare God in their hearts may they not No saith he The feare of God is not before their eyes Why then we perceiue that a meere naturall man wholly vnregenerate such as Salomon calleth The man of Belial is all one mā both within and without in his life lawlesse and in his heart leude and wicked The vse of this first point is to be made against those wicked mē that being altogether sold vnto sinne and hating reformation will reason in this sort Whatsoeuer my sayings and my doings be or howsoeuer my gestures and outward behauiour be or whatsoeuer my religion be yea though I come not at Church to heare the Sermons nor take any pleasure in the Scriptures c. yet I would you should know it I loue God and I regard Gods word yea I haue as good a hart to God as the best of you But he is deceiued for if a leud heart be a good heart then so it is but a good heart sendeth foorth good things being first renewed by the spirite and grace of God but if thou be a wicked lawlesse Belial and a vaine man that walkest in froward customes c. then know for a certaine that thy heart is full of leude things from whence proceed all thy outward disorders And how can that hart be a good hart to God-ward that is stored with leud things And so much for the first point The second conclusion that ariseth from this place is this that God iudgeth of a man according to that which is in his heart whatsoeuer he be in shewe yea though a false heart may be and is commonly shrowded vnder a ciuill behauiour yet it is seene of God and iudged by him too God seeth not as man seeth saith Samuel man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh vnto the truth of the heart The hart of man is deceiptfull aboue all things saith Ieremie yet I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines to giue to euery one according to his wayes to shew that the wayes of man are in his heart and none can knowe them throughly but the Lord whose proper office is to search the heart and that he will surely do A needfull point this is for two sorts of people especially to think well vpon The first are Papistes of all sorts Church Papistes and all They are skilfull in their Popish eleuations idolatrous crossings down low duckings demure countenances holy habites and obseruations of times but they keepe their consciences to themselues and the Lord looketh vpon the leudnes and villanies that are lurking in their harts till a fit time serue for the bringing of them foorth as murthering of Princes vndermining of kingdomes and states subuerting the Gospel enriching the kingdome of Antichrist vnder colour of wilfull pouertie besides their whoredomes and other abhominations which make them now so to storme and rage because they are discouered vnto the world But let them looke vnto it God will iudge them for the leude things that are in their hearts Many ceremonies they make like Balaam with his seuen altars c. but both his and their hearts go one way and God seeth it well inough Many prayers and great deuotion they pretend but after the Pharisees fashion who when they seemed to pray most deuoutly then they deuoured most greedily and cruelly poore widowes houses Their Inquisitions are full of such prancks euen amongst their holy fathers but I will not nowe stand raking in those puddles Leude things are in their hearts and God seeth them well inough and will iudge them not so much by that which soundeth in their mouths although he will also iudge them for that but especially by that which is in their hearts This is also to be thought vpon of our politicke Protestants who say they defie Poperie but yet are not many of them very sound at the heart They are too well read and practised in Machiauell to be good Christians they will not sticke to promise to protest to say and vnsay to do any thing for profite and gaine These ciuill honest men can outwardly behaue themselues in print with kind kissings and curteous embracings with courting and saluting but in their heart God seeth much crueltie and couetousnesse deceipt prophanenesse and trecherie like a legion of Diuels in a common Inne for all that come from hell so they bring no godlinesse but gold with them They creep and crouch saith the Psalmist to make the poore fall by heapes into their nets their courtesie and kindnesse is framed rather by art then by heart yet all this artificiall dissembling is seene to God and in time to the world Wo be vnto them if they repent not for Leude things are in their hearts as in the heart of Belial Many are sicke of Amnons disease who seemed to long for cakes of his sister Thamars making but he could not be well till he had his pleasure of his sister And as Absolom inuited his brother Amnon to a great feast of purpose to murther him which he most leudly effected so can many as pollitikely inuite those to their feasts whom they meane to snare and catch at their tables of al which it may be said as it is said here of Belial Whatsoeuer is in their lippes yet Leud things are in their hearts and accordingly will God iudge of them and iudge them too for leud and wicked persons Many of our gilded Polititians and varnished Protestants at large are no whit behind their tutour Machiauel nor his brother the Pope in shrowding a leud heart vnder ciuill pollicie and politicke ciuility to no small endamaging of the Church of Christ but perhappes they thinke that God doth not note it and will not iudge them for it A man may descant vpon Machiauels name as Abigail did vpon Nabals Nabal is his name saith she and folly is with him So Macheuil is his name he matcheth all in euill and an euil match also hath he made for he hath matched a Princesse and a pesant together Christian religion and carnall pollicie together or diuellish pollicie rather who agree like the bondwoman and the freewoman that were in Abrahams house the one hating scoffing and persecuting the other so that there could be no peace in the house vntill they were parted asunder yea vntill the bondwoman and her sonne were cast out of the
God but to his owne destruction Now thē when we haue by the grace of God found out the cause of our euill to be an euill heart in our selues we may truly say of our harts as Dauid did of Doeg and prophetically of Iudas Psalm 55.12 Surely mine enemy did not defame me but it was thou my familiar friend which was bred and borne with me euen thou my heart with whom I haue bene so familiar that hast wrought me the greatest part of my woe Of the same iudgement is the Apostle Iames Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euill neither tempteth he any man But euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is enticed Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Erre not my deare brethren Where the Apostle plainely sheweth vs two things first that such is our impudencie shamelesse ignorance and presumptuous blind boldnesse by nature that rather then we will acknowledge our selues to be in fault and to be the cause of our owne euill we will not sticke to lay the fault vpon God and make him the cause of euill As our first parents did the woman blamed the serpent and the man blamed not simply the woman nor himselfe at all but the woman forsooth which God had giuen him Secondly that whosoeuer thinketh that God is the cause of his euill and not that his owne corrupt hart is wholly the cause thereof the force whereof is so great both to entice and draw vnto euill to conceiue and to bring foorth euill doth erre and is deceiued Hereof it commeth also that the word of God cannot enter into many it cannot fasten vpon their hearts because their hearts are full of leud things Like the Inne where Christ was borne there was no roome for him in the Inne and therefore he was faine to lye in the stable And in many though it enter yet it tarieth not but departeth away presently saying as Christ said when the Iewes sought after his life Arise let vs go hence as being vnwilling to lodge in so filthie a place and amongst his enemies And hence it is likewise that the Preachers words come out from many when they repeat a Sermon as Thamar did from Amnon when he had defiled her with her garments all rent and torne If pure wine be put into a filthy and vncleane vessell in powring it foorth againe it will appeare what stuffe was in the vessell for they come out together so if wholesome doctrine be deliuered to a leud heart in the rehearsing thereof it will appeare with what manner of vnderstanding and affection he heard it Such caskes do many bring with them to put our Sermons in that either runne out like Siues or else are defiled with ignorance or malice or preiudicate conceipts that it wold loth a man to heare it come from them For though it came to them in a princely robe yet it commeth from them like a beggers cloke yea though it came to them with a louely countenance yet it commeth from them like a filthie carrion dragged and haled in the miry streetes amongst dogges that a man would thinke the Preacher had bene out of his wits to deliuer such matter or in such manner as they vtter it or else which is the right that they wanted both wit and vnderstanding or grace or conscience or honestie or all that heard the Sermon to report it in such a leud manner But the best is the shame turneth to themselues and no bodie is so much defiled with such hearts as the owners thereof So saith our Sauiour Christ Those things which proceede out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile the man for out of the heart come euill thoughts murders adulteries fornications false testimonies slanders these are the things which defile the man meaning him that is troubled with them as if he did but vomite vpon his owne clothes that speaketh from a filthie heart And verily they are but fooles that do so for what wise man will carrie one with him still that shameth him wheresoeuer he goeth A leud vnreformed hart is such an vnmanerly companion that doth nothing else but discredite our persons deface our religion grieue our friends harden our foes aduance the Diuell prouoke the Lord marre all the good things that come neare it and alwaies annoy shame and vexe the owner Lot had much ado with the Sodomites but none did more dishonour him then his owne daughters Noah was vexed with the old world but none did him so much shame as his owne sonne Dauid had many enemies but none put him in such feare and danger as his owne Absalom Sampson had much ado with the Philistines but his owne heifter his wife ploughed vp his riddle to the aduantage of his enemies Our Sauiour Christ had many enemies yet none like Iudas who was alwaies in his companie So euery man yea euery true Christian shall haue many enemies crosses troubles and dangers but his owne heart is his greatest enemie which doth flatter him most and deceiue him soonest which for want of godlinesse cannot be content with that it hath which for want of contentation cannot be in quiet for want of quietnesse cannot haue any ioy of any thing that it enioyeth which for want of heauenly wisedome cannot deuide his times aright nor tell how to deale with all sorts of people which for want of patience cannot beare an iniurie or put vp a wrong for want of mercifull affections cannot tell how to forgiue offences for want of charitie cannot tel how to construe things well for want of the feare of God cannot haue a good vnderstanding for want of a good vnderstanding peruerteth the straight waies of the Lord which for want of humilitie cannot see the meaning of Gods wayes which for want of a lowly affection cannot tell how to seeke peace for want of Gods grace cannot acknowledge his fault and for want of remorse of conscience cannot repent him of his leudnesse Such a heart is the heart of the wicked Belial which being fraught with leud things disordereth distempereth and shameth all the life of that man that hath it and is ruled by it And so much for the third point in handling whereof we haue seene that all the cause of outward disorder and trouble is within a mans owne hart of the other three points in the next Sermon Now let vs pray THE VI. SERMON PRO. 6.14 Leud things are in his heart OVt of these words ioyned with the rest of Belials description we haue hitherto learned three excellent and worthy points of doctrine First that Belial is no better within then without Secondly that the heart and whatsoeuer is in the heart of man is knowne to God who will also iudge a man according to that which is
TEN SERMONS VPON THE FIRST SECOND THIRD and fourth verses of the sixt of Mathew Containing diuerse necessary and profitable Treatises viz. A Preseruatiue against the poyson of vaine-glory in the 1. 2. The reward of sincerity in the 3. The vncasing of the hypocrite in the 4.5 and 6. The reward of hypocrisie in the 7. and 8. An admonition to left-handed Christians in the 9. and 10. Whereunto is annexed another Treatise called the ANATOMIE OF BELIAL Set foorth in ten Sermons vpon the 12.13.14 and 15. verses of the 6. Chapter of the Prouerbes of Salomon Imprinted at London by Richard Field for Thomas Man 1602. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL RODVLPH WARCVP ESQVIRE AND ONE OF THE IVSTICES FOR THE PEACE IN OXfordshire W. B. wisheth all prosperity in this life and true felicity in the life to come RIGHT worshipfull musing with my selfe where to find a fit patron for these poore Sermons you comming to my mind I resolued to go no further for that matter as not knowing indeed where to better my selfe For things spirituall I know you to be of holy Isaaks diet who longed not so much for curious and dainty meate as for sauory meate In regard of humane variety and carnall curiosity you shall not find them very dainty or rare yet in regard of the spirituall simplicity and plainnesse which I haue endeuoured to shew therein I hope they will not be altogether vnsauory and distastfull The doctrines therein handled I presume you will grant to be most necessary for these times For first though through the abundant light of the Gospell many are both allured and enforced to speake do more good things then they could do in the times of darknesse ignorance yet considering the subtilty of Sathan the corruption of our nature we haue need to stand vpon our gard for when he cannot make vs desist from holy actions yet he will then vse all his art and skill to poyson our affections with the staine of vaineglory And such is the pronenesse of our corrupt nature to be tainted therewith that neither touch-wood or gun-powder are more capable of fire then our nature is of that poyson of vaineglory hypocrisie Againe sincerity and plaine dealing be had in so little regard that of most they be despised no lesse then the high way to beggery and misery and on the otherside that Machiuilean principle we know is too well maintained Qui nescit dissiumulare nescit viuere no dissembling no trading And further most men yea euen the better sort are as vntoward to good workes as they that do all with the left hand consulting still with flesh and bloud and calling their worst affections to counsell Now seeing these things are so what could I propound more necessary then this preseruatiue against the foresayd poyson and what more needfull to be set foorth then the commendations of sincerity taken from her beauty from her riches and inestimable reward And knowing you to be so sincere a friend to sincerity it selfe and so vnfained an enemy to fained hypocrisie and glosing vaineglory as you are what could I present vnto your Worship more suting with your so Christian and sanctified affections then these poore Treatises of sincerity and hypocrisie As for the second part of this booke it containeth as the title sheweth An anatomy of the man of Belial and vaine man who liuing only as the saying goeth by the finenesse of their wits are more vnprofitable then the smoke and for any religion or goodnesse to Godward scarce worth the ground they tread vpon Yet the onely men with most men now adayes who being very witty and expert to exalt vanity are very highly exalted themselues but it is onely of such as are as vaine as themselues Here you shall see Belial set forth by his names by his gestures by his speeches by his imaginations and by his contentions By his names you shall at first see his nature By his gestures you shall perceiue his dexterity in teaching and his facility in learning of euill By his euill imaginations and lewd affections you shall see that his hart is not so secret but it may be and wil be discouered well inough But by his delight in contentions and his maner of contending you shall easily discerne his turbulent spirite and soone iudge of what house he commeth And by his fearefull doome that is awarded him it will be no hard matter to perceiue how well he may be spared and how ill the Church of Christ will thriue where the lawlesse libertine is suffered to harbour But by all together who but the wilfull blind will not see and confesse what a monstrous monster the carnall gospeller or libertine Protestant is what dayes we are now fallen into wherein so much liberty to euill is so freely on all sides both giuen and taken to the great endangering of the whole body both of Church and common-wealth To you these Treatises I do offer in a double respect First to testifie my thankfull mind for so many Christian kindnesses and religious fauours which to my great comfort and encouragement in my poore Ministery I haue receiued from your hands And next for that by reason of that place which in your countrey you hold you haue right good experience of these things For you that are to iudge as long you haue daily you do betweene party and party betweene plea and plea cannot chuse but be acquainted with all sorts of men who in their turnes haue all of them played and do daily play their parts before you yet as Salamon by the wisedome of God which was with him that he might gouerne well could discerne the true mother from the false so can you by the same wisedome easily discerne a counterfeit from one of a sincere and simple hart though with Ieroboams wife he disguise himselfe neuer so much And as all men did then feare and râ—uerence that renowned king because they saw the Lord with him to do iustice and iudgement so I know nothing that hath so much aduanced your name and credite in your countrey and caused the sweete sauour thereof to spread it selfe like a precious ointment both farre and neare and round about you but that all men do euidently see besides your loue of learning and trauell for the same that God is with you to do iustice and iudgement to releeue the poore and distressed to encourage the vertuous and well disposed but especially to heale the breaches of the common-wealth and to bind those fast together with the bond of godly vnity which by vnkind iarres and contentions haue bene likely for euer to haue bene disioyned distracted and dismembred in mind and affection the one from the other Blessed are the peace makers saith our blessed Sauior Prince of peace And who doth not see how abundantly God hath blessed you whose heart he hath enclined and whose trauels he hath imployed and still doth employ for the greatest part of
paines amongst them The shepheard loueth not only to heare his flocke bleate like sheepe and go to the greene pastures but also when time commeth he expecteth their fleece for his gaine and their yong for the increase of his flocke So the shepheards of our soules loue more to see the flocke of Christ yeeld their loue to the encouragement of their shepheards and the increase of good workes for the enlarging of the flocke of Christ then only to heare them speake and â—alke like Christians It was an incouragement to Paule to trauell in birth among the Galathians when he was in hope to bring them foorth vnto Christ or to beger Christ in their hearts What had that blessed Apostle to boast of when he came at Macedonia but of the zeale of the Corinthians and when he came at Achaia what ioy was it vnto him to report of the forwardnesse and liberality of the Macedonian Christians Euen so no lesse comfort is it to godly Ministers still in places abroad to commend the zeale and loue and knowledge and patience and godlinesse and charity of their people at home and the contrarie to all these is as great a crosse and discouragement as the former is ioyfull comfortable and encouraging As the minister of Christ is encouraged by the lights that is the good workes of Christians shining before men so are other Christians also no lesse confirmed and drawne forward to do the like So the readinesse of the Corinthians was a spur to the Macedonians and Achaians yea their zeale saith the Apostle prouoked many to be zealous Iron sharpneth yron sayth Salomon so the face of a friend sharpneth a friend that is one man quickneth another One peece of wood being set on fire and layed to another doth also kindle the other so one zealous Christian maketh other zealous which were cold before Examples are very forcible either to good or euill for in the affections of men there is a certaine vnity and vnited league so that when one is moued another by the same is moued like a chaine of many linkes one within another draw one and draw all or like a clocke which hath many wheeles which all stand still vntill one be set a worke but if one be set a going that will moue his fellow and his fellow will moue his next fellow and so one will moue another the greater the lesser and the lesser in some place the greater the lower the higher vntill at the last the clocke sound and tell all the world thereof And this spirituall mouing of affection by the like affection and drawing on of one action by another like which the same affection embraceth is effected by vertue of the communion of Saints which we rather beleeue then expresse Thus Nathaniel is drawne by Philip to see Christ and Philip is drawne by Simon Peter and Simon by his brother Andrew Thus the woman of Samaria being moued by Christ moueth the best of her neighbours to come out and see Christ. And herein appeareth the vnity of the Spirit which the Apostle speaketh of Ephes. 4.3 and willeth Christians to hold and maintaine with the bond of peace for the Spirit of God is alwayes one and the same in all men in all ages and at all times and looke what it commendeth to one it commeth to another and what it perswadeth one vnto vnto the same it perswadeth another So that one man being moued by Gods Spirit to shew workes of mercy he doth it his affection liking the same commendeth them vnto another that mans affections also being ruled by the same Spirite cannot chuse but affect and entertaine the same things and so they go from one to another and all being moued by one and the same spirit And yet euery one is moued by meanes and in his seuerall degree and measure whether it be of faith or charity or patience c. Dauid was a meane to make many zealous with him in fetching home the Arke and in other religious actions no doubt but how he first heareth the word then he beleeueth then he speaketh then others heare him speaking then they beleeue that which they heare from him and then they affect that which they beleeue and then they practise that which they affect as all men do whose harts are where their treasure is and their tongues are occupied about that which their harts are set vpon To conclude therefore this point seeing as the doing of good workes before men maketh much for the glorifying of God and the encouraging and drawing on of others both the godly Minister in his place seeing some fruite of his labours and also of other Christians by the example of their brethren and by vertue of the spirite which vniteth their affections let no man condemne the giuing of almes or exercise of other workes of charitie before men but do them rather but alwaies take heede as our Sauiour willeth that ye giue not your almes before men to be seene of men that is with a desire of praise and vaine-glorie It is the affection that maketh or marreth all our actions and is the thing that is more respected with the Lord then the outward action it selfe be it neuer so good Salomon is witnesse for he saith The Lord pondereth the spirits that is he considereth with what affections things be done And the Lord loueth not a giuer but a cheerefull giuer Now the gift is in the hand but cheerefulnesse lodgeth in the heart and appeareth in the countenance which the Lord doth more respect then the gift No one thing doth so soone and so much poison all our actions as vaineglory doth a sinne indeed that waiteth on the best as it did vpon S. Paule who therefore had a messenger of Sathan sent to buffet him that is he had a part vnregenerate to humble him lest he should be exalted aboue measure by reason of those reuelations which he had giuen him to shew that the best men are giuen to thinke well of themselues How many do giue and forgiue to be seene of men How many haue Sermons and Dole at their burials only to be praised of men How many heare the word and daily frequent the exercises of religion onely to be seene of men How many do lend and giue their word vainegloriously to be praised of men How many do build aloft like Nimrods euen till Babel that is to say confusion fall vpon their heads and onely to get a name amongst men How many haue euen confessed their faultes and wept for their sinnes too euen to be seene of men How many comming through Cathedrall churches kneele downe by a pillar as though they prayed onely to be seene of men And might not Osorius the Papist himselfe be as vaineglorious as another when he wrote a booke de contemnenda gloria in contempt of vaineglorie As many rufflers in the Church make most glorious Sermons in praise of mortification and sanctification
of lowlinesse and of zealousnesse and of constancie and of sinceritie and of loue and of charitie and of true deuotion which thou hast seene or heard of in the Saints and holy men and women of God for euen they are lights and comfortable lights too when Christians meane to keepe Christs watch ouer their hearts and affections But all these are to no purpose to thee except thou haue one light within thee as well as without thee When God hath bestowed these outward lights vpon thee then pray thou for the gift of the holy Ghost that he being in thy heart may open thy eyes of vnderstanding and iudgement to see the wonderfull things of Gods lawe as he opened the heart of Lydia when Paule preached and also to frame thy will and affections to take pleasure and delight in the Saints and their examples who excelled in vertue vpon earth and so much for thee that sittest in darknesse Now to those that haue lights that is preaching inough and good bookes inough and good knowledge inough and can discourse of good examples inough but are oppressed with sleepe and a spirit of deadnesse and drowsinesse that is are carelesse of that they heare and forgetfull of that they both heare and reade and make no conscience of any thing longer then it is rung into their eares I cannot tell well what to say vnto them to discourage them I am loath and to incourage them as they are I am afraid but let vs see is there no way to make them vigilant that they may take heed of the enemy when he commeth verily yes First they must desire their fellowes and neighbours to call vpon them by exhortation and awaken them as men do that meane to ride a iourney together then if they fall asleepe againe they must cause the watchmen of the streetes that is their publicke teachers and pastours to smite them and pinch them euen with speciall application of the doctrine vnto their owne hearts and consciences then they must resolue to be patient and contented that they be often and loud so called vpon as Christ did often call vpon his Disciples when they were heauy and therefore often and loud because they were heauy To which ende the congregation should not be pestred with an ignorant nor a cold teacher nor a strawbury Sermon man that either cannot or will not or will but coldly and seldomly rouze vp mens drowsie consciences but such as shall be instant in season and out of season that is vppon all occasions to lift vp their voices like trumpets and to tell the Lords people of their sinnes both in generall and also in particular And lastly they must take heede of eating and drinking such things as are like sleepy and drowsie meates that is that they delight not in such carnall company and fleshly pleasures as will in time both breed a consumption of Gods graces in them and also harden and besot them so in their sins that in time they may grow past all feeling for consuetudo peccandi saith Augustine tollit sensum peccati the custome of sinne taketh away the feeling of sinne Now for those that are discouraged through fearfulnesse of their owne abilitie and affrighted with the fearfull sights of their enemies like Elisha his seruant at the sight of the Aramites there be of two sorts which haue need of good instruction and great incouragement The first sort are dismayed at that which is past the second is affraid of things to come The first are such as haue bene in the battell and haue beene foiled and ouermatched with rebellious thoughts and vnsanctified affections and these like a weake porter at a gate hauing opened the doore to some one whom he had a mind vnto were not onely so troubled by that one sinne of theirs whom they meant not to keepe alwayes that they could not tell how to be rid of him any more but also by that same one false and fained friend haue bene betrayed in letting in a presse of many other sinnes which they neuer thought of to the spoiling of all that was within which they thought to keepe out but finding themselues ouermatched with the preasse without and wanting strength within haue euen in a kind of desperate manner sit downe and let all alone to come in and do what they will wishing when it is too late as they imagine that in time they had taken heede of that one false and deceitfull affection which they entertained To these men a man cannot say obstate principijs withstand the beginnings for that the fray is already begunne and they almost nay altogether put to the worse But the best counsell for such a one is redime te captum quam queas minimo get out of their hands so soone as thou canst and as Christ said to the woman taken in adulterie go and sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto thee that is take better heede another time But how shall I get out of their hands wilt thou say verily of thy selfe a thing impossible thou must craue helpe of a stronger then thy selfe or then the enemie that hath thee in possession and that is Iesus Christ the victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda who hath alreadie dispossessed the strong man of his hold and purchased the possession to thy vse if thou sue to him by earnest prayer and embrace him by a holy faith thou shalt recouer thy hold againe And without these two weapons it is not possible for thee by all thy heede taking to auoide the sleights of Sathan And what though thou carrie a scarre and weare some shakles of the vnregenerate part yet be content and thanke God for thy victorie by Christ. Iacob could not get the blessing without wrestling and in wrestling he was smitten and being smitten he halted and continued lame euer after and thus was it with Israel that is he that preuailed with God And so shall it be with euery true Israelite and member of Christ while the world standeth But what of all that Gods power is made manifest in the weakenesse of his children and so thou may in the end preuaile with God for his blessing be content to receiue with the blessing of God many a blow knowing that it is better to go lame and blind into heauen then otherwise after all ease and carnall pleasure to go into hell Now for those that are afraid to stand vpon their spirituall watch for feare that they should be foiled and spoiled they are to be encouraged and admonished Great cause of encouragement they haue for that if God once open their eyes they shal see more with them then be against them as the seruant of Elisha did God himself hath an eye ouer the righteous and an eare alwaies open to their prayer Therefore let them watch and feare not Gods Angels are charged to pitch their tents about them therefore let them watch and feare not With their hands they shall hold thee
that thou dash not thy foote against a stone therefore watch and feare not Christ himselfe both God and man thy Mediator doth plead for thee doth pray for thee doth pay for thee therefore watch and feare not Christs Ministers without are readie to awaken thee with their siluer trumpets of knowledge and wholesome doctrine if thou chaunce to fall asleepe therefore watch and feare not Gods spirit within thee as Lord deputie for Christ Iesus is ready to do all his offices for thy sanctification and consolation here and for thy saluation and glorification hereafter therefore watch and feare not As Lord priuie seale he is readie to set vpon thee the stampes of regeneration and marks of mortification as dying to sinne liuing to vertue with increase of faith and charitie and patience and temperance c. These are his markes by which thou shalt know that thou art sealed vp to the day of redemption As Lord comforter of Gods elect he shall speake peace vnto thy soule when thou art cast downe vnder thy sinnes and say Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee If thou receiue any wounds in thy inward man whereby thy zeale and faith and repentance c. may grow into a consumption yet watch stil and feare not for he with his quickening vertue and soueraigne oyle of heauenly assurance shall restore vnto thee againe the ioy of thy saluation creating in thee still a cleane heart and renewing a right spirit within thee and therefore keepe thy watch and feare not And if thou dye he shall chaunge thy death into life and thy mortalitie into immortalitie yea if the boisterous windes of persecution and trouble chaunce to arise and driue thee either into prison or to the stake or to the gallowes or to banishment or to the vncomfortable coasts of contempt reproch or any other crosse whatsoeuer he can quench the fire or stoppe the lions mouthes or open the prison doores or raise thee vp new friends or take away thy hunger or giue thee strength to beare all if he will or else make all these as meanes to driue thee sooner into heauen then thou wouldest be and therefore take heede watch and feare not But now thou must take heede that those things which are spoken for thy consolation and encouragement do not make thee carelesse and remisse but be admonished in standing vpon thy watch to take heede of two things First that thou post not off thy watching vnto other men Secondly that thou driue it not off vnto another time If thou post off this dutie to other men thou deceiuest thy selfe for thou hast no more priuiledge then other men haue thou art in no lesse danger then other men are thou art subiect to the same passions the same corruptions the same lawes the same iudgements that other men are subiect vnto and therefore if other men must take heede and watch ouer their affections thou must if some must all must and therefore lest any man should thinke he were more priuiledged then all men Christ saith That which I say vnto one I say vnto all watch It is a subtiltie of Sathan to make men beleeue that they are exempted but others are not that ministers had neede watch ouer their affections and looke to their waies but not other men as in Poperie they say that Friers and Monkes and Nunnes must be more holy and more deuout then other men And therefore we say as the disciples said when they heard Christ say one should betray him Is it I Is this to me Doth this doctrine concerne me Whom doth he meane As though Christ had said here but one of you must take heede and watch And when we see or heare of any other man that is come to reape the shame of his vaine-glorious and ambitious attempts or of others their lasciuious or couetous attempts what is our saying Alas it is pittie this was for want of heede taking but yet we take no more heede then they for we think it concernes vs not But this is our great folly Other men that haue fallen before vs are like ships that are sunke before our eyes and cry out vnto vs looke you to your selues and come not after vs for if you do you shall all likewise perish Let other men be our warnings and not our deputies in these cases For do man shall go to hell by his deputie but euery man that hath bene carelesse in his watch without repentance shall in his owne person die the death Secondly thou that art to beginne if thou wilt keepe thy watch wel post it not off vntill another time for that is another of the diuels sleights but remember what Christ saith in the Text When thou doest thine alms take heede He doth not say when thou hast done it for then it commeth too late because that action is past with a theeuish affection alreadie Take heede after the euill is committed is like shut the doore when the horse is stolen If thou wilt take the theefe with the manner thou must watch him euen at the very same instant when thou art doing of thy good deeds for then he commeth and doth his feate and afterward he lurketh in a corner of thy heart where thou canst not so well find him and there he both watcheth his time for the like bootie another time and in the meane time he doth as it were laugh thee to scorne for that thou wert so foolish as to let him rob both God of his honour and thee of his fauour while he tickled thee and flattered thee with faire words As Nehemiah that couragious magistrate dealt with the Sabbath-breakers so must we deale with our vaineglorius thoughts He watched them when the Sabbath day came and then he found them hauing found them he shewed them the law when that whould not serue he threatned them when threatening would not serue he apprehended them and punished them and then they came no more vpon the Sabbath day So let vs watch our thoughts and affections when we are about to do or are in the doing of our good workes and then we shall find those theeuish and peeuish thoughts that go about to rob God of his honour hauing found them lay the law of God before them if that will not serue threaten them with the iudgements of God if that will not serue then lay hands not vpon thy selfe but vpon them and take a more straight examination of thy heart where they are euen before the Lord chiefe Iustice of heauen and earth then imprison them by restraining them of their libertie and refraining of thy selfe from such obiects and sights and places and company as would animate them against thee Hauing thus restrained them feede them with fasting as it were with the bread of affliction and with weeping mingled among as it were the water of affliction and then with the spirit of feruent prayer correct them zealously and continually and spare them not accuse
them arraigne them endite them and condemne them and feare them not but still pray for prayer is flagellum diaboli as Augustine calleth it the whippe of the Diuell which he more feareth then all the coniurations of Poperie then all holy water and crossings yea more then the dog doth the whip and as when the dogge heareth the bell at the whips end he runneth out of the house so when Sathan perceiueth a Christian addresse himselfe to prayer though it be neuer so weakely and with great striuing yet he then feareth the rebuke of God and giueth place Oh then let vs pray good brethren euen then then when we are about to giue almes or to heare a Sermon or to preach the word or to reproue sinne boldly or to handle doctrine soundly or to deale roundly with the consciences of men and in all other spirituall exercises and not only in them but also in our ciuill affaires in buying and selling if thou meanest to deale truly and vse plaine and simple dealing and to be at a word Oh then pray also in inuiting thy friends and neighbours to thy house when thou entertainest the preachers of Gods word at thy table when thou art troubled in making prouision and to haue all things cleane and handsome oh then pray when thou callest foorth thy children to shew their wit their aptnesse and towardnes to learne their profiting in learning and such like oh then pray too when thou cariest thy friend to shew him thy house and thy roomes and thy riches and the workes of thine owne hands and thy fine gardens and walkes and thy fruitfull Orchards and thy fatte cattell and thy great dealings and thy daily expenses c. Oh in all these go not without thy whippe of prayer to driue away Sathan and all his theeuish suggestions and vaineglorious cogitations for euen then when thou thinkest to do all for the best thou shalt be circumuented and deceiued of thy reward before thou be aware if thou then euen then I say do not take heede Then shalt thou heare the whispering feel the tickling of a number of spirituall and inuisible theeues in thy hart Oh saith one to him that studeith for a Sermon when he readeth a trim discourse or fine simile that pleaseth himselfe Oh this will do well to grace thy Sermon withall oh men will commend thy wit and thy inuention for this and thy boldnesse for that and thy iudgement in that c. Oh here is a tickling theefe in the heart driue him out by prayer take heed of him yeeld not vnto him but pray then and say Lord none of all these come of my selfe thou art the giuer of them they are thy mercies to me ô Lord I am not able nor worthie my selfe to carrie such treasures of thy Spirite to thy people Lord be mercifull vnto me and sanctifie my heart that I may seeke thy glorie and not my owne Oh hallowed be thy name Lord hallowed be thy name not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name let the praise be giuen Lord humble my swelling heart with the feeling of my sinne and my speciall corruptions Oh Lord driue out these proud thoughâ—s these vaine imaginations these wicked and sacrilegious affections which go about thus to rob thee of thy honour both in me the speaker and in others the hearers let them not commend thy gifts in me or in any man but alwayes to thy praise and glorie And thus must we be exercised continually while we liue In like sort when thou art about to shew thy reading and discoursing veine at the table pray for then a theefe within thee will be ready to tell thee that all the company will and do admire thee for thy gift that way Yea or if thou sit still and be silent and neuer speakest but when thou art required and then very modestly too yet then watch and take heede for euen then commeth a spirituall theefe perswadeth thee to thinke with thy selfe surely men will commend me aswell for my silence and modestie as such a one for his learning wit but where is the Kings Atturney all this while to pleade for Gods right I meane the spirite of sanctification to perswade thy soule to giue the glorie to God who gaue thee those gifts and that grace with God and man where is he Oh therefore then when thou doest these things euen then I say take heede watch and pray Hallowed be thy name Lord rebuke Sathan quench these his fierie dartes humble my proud heart make it to affect thee and thy glorie aboue all things and in all things In like sort in doing the parts of a ciuill man entertaining of preachers or thy honest friends and neighbours in shewing them thy faire houses thy well contriued roomes thy wealth thy gaines thy great expences thy great reuenewes thy toward children c. doest thou not feele a theefe within thee tickling and dallying with thy false heart and telling thee that thou shalt be highly commended for these things and thy fame shall be spread farre and neare and thou shalt be spoken of for it and reuerenced and admired c. doest thou not feele such a theefe within thee speaking such things And what is all in effect but to perswade thee to rob him who hath enriched thee to disgrace him who hath graced thee and to wound him who hath healed thee whereas thou oughtest then to say I will shew these things and tell what goodnesse I haue receiued of my mercifull God and heauenly father that men may commend his goodnesse therein and spread the fame of his name farre and neare and may reuerence and admire his wisedome and power and mercifull workes towards mortall man and may both feare and loue his Maiestie for the same And to this end let vs watch pray that God in al things and for all things may haue his due praise and glorie In like manner when thou giuest thine almes or buildest anie hospitall or giuest any thing to the poore of such and such a parish c. if thou doest not take great heed and examine thy heart and stand with prayer at the doore then will Sathan be busie and a spirituall theefe will stand vp in thy hart and say Oh now this being knowne how will the poore commend me how will the world commend me I shall now get a name that I am a good man to the poore I hope to come into the Chronicles for my good deeds one day c. Oh then scourge these corrupt and diuelish affections chase them away by prayer let them not dwel in thy heart giue theÌ„ no entertainement desire to giue all the glorie to God and desire others to do the same for thee for that he hath made thee both able and willing to giue and hath made thee his steward and deputie to giue euery one his portion that his fatherly goodnesse hath appointed them The like is to be done of
timely heed thou shalt by the grace of God be able easilie to espie the beginnings of thy speciall sinnes and all the degrees of them and the growth of them and all the shifts and sleights of Sathan and shalt euer get the victorie ouer them in Christ Iesus And albeit thou be haunted and molested and buffeted with such messengers of Sathan and pained and humbled by such prickes and goades in thy flesh while thou liuest yet here remaineth thy comfort when death commeth thou shalt be able to say with the Psalmist By this I know ô Lord that thou louest me because these my spirituall enemies haue not triumphed ouer me blessed be the name of the Lord God for euermore But one other side if thou be carelesse and put off the matter still from time to time thinking to repent and leaue thy sinne when thou art olde or a dying as many do thou doest miserably deceiue thy selfe for doubtlesse any one sinne that is growne into a custome will be too hard for thee before age come or sicknesse come And for proofe of that I say do but try thy strength with one of thy sinnes which thou hast accustomed thy selfe vnto and when thou wouldest leaue it see how many shifts and delayes and deuises and excuses it hath still pulling thee backe againe when thy foote is in the stirrop and thou ready as thou thinkest to ride away from it Now if it be so with one sinne that thou hast bene familiar withall what wilt thou do when all thy sinnes are proued customes Is it not an vsuall answer of most men that haue vsed swearing or lying or prophane mirth or sluggish seruing of God c. It is my custome I cannot leaue it Those young men which were Ieroboams companions before his raigne would be his Counsellors when he did raigne so those sinnes which are thy companions now will be thy Counsellors and maisters too hereafter Therefore say not thou wilt take heed of them hereafter for hereafter thou art likely in all common sense and reason to be euery way more vnfit and vntoward then thou art now but when time and occasion serue watch sinne and thou take him and destroy him which else in time will ouerthrow thee THE III. SERMON WE haue heard what it is that Christians must take heede of in doing of good deedes and the manner how to take heed thereof Now we are further to consider of the reasons which our Sauiour giueth hereby to make men the more fearefull of that which he warneth them of and more carefull to follow his counsell And his reasons containe two propositions the one is negatiue the other is affirmatiue The first is these words For else you shall haue no reward of your heauenly father The other is in these words Verily I say vnto you they that is hypocrites haue their reward The first reason is very soueraigne and auaileable against the inward euill namely all inward desire and affection of popular praise and vaineglorie and the other is as forcible to disswade from the outward euill that is ostentation and shew of vaine-glorie The former telleth vs what we loose if we take not heed and keepe not good watch ouer our hearts against vaineglorious affections and that is Gods reward Our fathers blessing a heauenly reward and in the second reason we are told what we shall get in stead thereof namely the reward of hypocrites and no more and that is the praise of men the wind of mens mouthes the good opinion of mutable minds then the which there is nothing more vaine nor transitorie nor friuolous nor ridiculous a miserable reward indeede a punishment and a torment to a godly mind Now we see that by this bargaine a man if he take not heede may be a great looser and by taking heed he may be a great gainer Againe we see that the vaineglorious Christian that is to say a plaine hypocrite is a gainer by his hipocrisie but his gaine is nothing to that which he expecteth and nothing comparable to his losse These reasons are vsed by our Sauiour Christ in most high wisedome as proceeding from one that best knoweth euery mans disease and euery ones humour and euery ones delight and accordingly he fitteth both his medicines and his motiues Now seeing as all men are much moued with hope of rewards especially when for a small matter they are in hope to obtaine a great and a good reward what could our Sauiour Christ propound of greater force to moue men to embrace sinceritie in all their actions then Gods reward which is the greatest and the best And because hypocrisie is of that bewitching nature and besotting humour that it maketh her suters attendants beleeue that they shal be both honored here amōgst men and glorified hereafter amongst Angels in heauen and so by feeding them with a vaine hope of a double reward for their double dealing our Sauiour Christ here doth notably coole their courage by abating no lesse of their wages then heauen commeth to assuring them that whatsoeuer they dreame of it wil proue but a dreame And least any man should thinke that it is otherwise and God will be better to them then so as all hypocrites do our Sauiour Christ bindeth vp the matter with an earnest asseueration or constant affirming the matter and saith not I feare me they haue their reward I doubt they will loose their reward in heauen I cannot tell but I stand in great doubt of the matter for then yet there were some little hope left like a bone for the hypocritie to picke vpon but the goeth more directly to the point then so saying verily and out of all question build vpon it know for a certaine what to trust vnto if you take not heede of hypocrisie you haue your reward here there is nothing to be looked for hereafter at Gods hand but the hypocrites portion and that is hell fire with the diuell and his Angels for euer for when men haue rewarded them God will punish them And thus you see the force of Christs reasons and the drift of his words wherein we haue two excellent points offered vs to consider of First the reward of sinceritie secondly the reward of hypocrisie The reward of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart verily is great for the Psalmist saith that in keeping of the commandements of God there is great reward Sinceritie is commaunded in the first commaundement of the first Table and more largely in other places of Scripture which bid vs to serue God with all our hearts and with all our soules and to praise him with all that is within vs. And therefore out of all doubt there is a great reward laid vp for those that are sincere harted Christians and vpright professors of the Gospell of Christ. Thou hast shewed great mercy to Dauid saith King Salomon when he walked before thee in truth and vprightnesse of heart to shew that great mercies belong
to vpright harted men But what it is or how great it is or how good it is few yet do know fewer beleeue it and fewest of all do so feele it as to be moued therewith We know what we haue here say some we know not what we shall haue hereafter Now ignoti nulla cupido of a thing vnknowne there is no desire Therefore that men may desire it it is fit they should know it Others there be that hauing heard of it are desirous to see it as Philip sayd to Christ Shew vs thy father and it suffiseth so say they Shew vs the reward of sinceritie and it suffiseth Dreaming as the Disciples of Christ did awhile of some earthly and temporall preferment But as Christ sayd to Philip He that hath seene me hath seene my father because the Sonne was in the Father and the Father in the Sonne so we say to them he that hath seene sinceritie hath seene the reward of sincerity because sincerity of it selfe is the gift of God and Gods reward goeth with his owne gift according to the saying of a learned father Sua munera coronat Deus in nobis God doth crowne his owne gifts in vs. Other some there be which haue seene the reward of sincerity a good part of it that is haue knowne it and beleeued such a thing but haue bin no more moued therewith to preserue themselues against the poison of vaineglorie then they of the old world were moued with the report and sight of Noahs Arke to prepare for them selues against the floud Others there be that haue both seene it by faith and tasted of it too but afterward haue lothed the same and lusted after vaineglorie as the vnthankfull Israelites lothed Manna which did nourish them when all other foode failed and sell to lusting for the flesh pots of Egypt It fareth with those that haue left their sinceritie as it did with those that left Christ after they had heard him awhile When they heard Christ speake of eating his flesh they said this is a hard saying who can beare it and so came no more So the other hearing that sincerities men shall haue Gods reward they like that well inough but when we tell them nay when Gods word telleth them that they shall loose the worlds reward and in stead of commendations shall be condemned and hated and scorned they say this is a hard saying and so giue ouer their sincere courses But what saith our Sauiour Christ to the woman of Samaria If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith vnto thee giue me drinke thou wouldst haue asked of him and he wold haue giuen thee water yea water of life So it may be said to those that make a iest of sinceritie or preferre the glorie of the world before the reward of sinceritie If they knew the gift of God the excellent reward of sinceritie and who it is that saith Take heede of vaineglorie and who it is that will reward the embracers of sinceritie they would seeke to him for credite and aske glorie of him and he would giue them an euerlasting reward euen a crowne of glorie which neuer should end As when Dauid asked life the Lord gaue him a long life and as when Salomon asked wisedome before riches the Lord gaue him both wisedome and riches too But now all the enquiring will be what this same gift of God should be and what reward they shall haue that giue entertainment to sincerity Verily as the Church saith of Christ her beloued My beloued is white and ruddie the chiefest of ten thousands so may the louers of sinceritie say our beloued is white and ruddie that is she is like the kings daughter all glorious within she is the chiefest often thousand she hath many faire sisters but she passeth them all her sisters be patience and humility and meeknesse and zeale and courage and long suffering and contempt of the world and loue of God with faith hope and charitie and all these are glorious and beautifull vertues yea sweet children of the holy Ghost when thâ—y come from God but sinceritie and singlenesse of heart doth excell them all The Sunne doth giue light to all the starres and the Queene doth grace her Ladies of Honour with her presence So sinceritie or truth of heart doth beautifie and grace all other vertues for without that they are but naked and counterfeit She goeth before them and speaketh for them all like a foreman of a Iurie when all the rest though they be her faire sisters must hold their peace Faith is seeble and weake and loue her handmaid is lazie and careth for none but her selfe patience hath a scarre on her face giuen her by intemperancie deuotions is so frozen with cold that she can scarce go humilitie is so tired with wrestling against pride that she looketh very leane and bare and as for repentance that is so trampled vpon with custome of sinne that it is scarce to be discerned from hardnesse of heart Now all these go from vs that haue abused them into the Lords presence as Thamar did from her brother Amnon when he had enforced her with their garments of diuerse colours rent and torne with ashes vpon her head in token of sorrow and with great weeping griefe and shame For that they must come before their Lord and King their father so defaced so ragged so basely and so beastly as they are as if they had lien all their life time since they went from heauen in some stinking ditches with vermine or in vile stables amongst beastes or in the woods and fieldes of wandring cogitations amongst the euish conceipts of vaineglorie and vnwholesome affections of anger and wrath and couetuousnesse and vncleannesse for so they haue indeed But when they meet with ther sister sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart oh how glad and ioyfull are they for her sake they know they shall all fare the better Oh sinceritie sinceritie where hast thou bene all this while say they vntill thou camest we could haue no grace nor fauour no entrance into the Court gate of our heauenly Ierusalem no our owne father would not know vs but tooke vs for counterfeits vntill we fetched thee as Ioseph tooke his brethren for spies vntill they fetched Beniamin whome he loued better then they And now that we haue met with thee we are glad our hearts are comforted thou shalt be heard for vs all being altogether in Christ Iesus our Mediator But otherwise though we said we are Christians and haue professed Christianitie and offered to put in for our suretie no worse baile then the Kings owne naturall sonne Iesus Christ all would not serue we could not be heard vntill we brought sinceritie with vs. For she as respecteth God more then all the world and setteth more by his loue and anger then by the loue and anger of all the world so in Christ Iesus she is more respected and
except God did giue them repentance and work a strange alteration God deliuer me out of their handes and giue them better minds if it be his will It were a strange alteration to see some that now bring Bibles to the Church and turne to places after the Preacher one day to be instruments to burne so many Bibles as they can come by It were strange to see such as are now most attentiue in hearing the preacher and most kind in giuing him entertainment one day to throw a faggot at his head or to be a witnesse against his doctrine or to helpe to burne him Well such times haue bene and such times may come again for our sinnes and then shall the approued be knowne as the Apostle speaketh and hypocrites with their light and chaffie profession shall then be discouered blowne away with the wind Many now would answer as Hazael did to the Prophet if any should say to them as the Prophet said to him I weepe saith the Prophet to remember what thou shalt do to the children of Israel when thou art king of Aram how thou shalt burne their cities and put their young men to the sword and dash their infants in peeces and rent their women with child What said Hazael is thy seruant a dogge that I should do this great thing So would many answere now no doubt Are we dogges that we should so vse God seruants c No doubt of it in King Edwards daies he that should haue warned some persons of such things that were hearers of those reuerend Martyrs and Bishops Hooper Latimer Ridley Cranmer other faithfull Ministers D. Taylor Bradford and others they would haue bene at defiance with thē yet for al that they when time serued stood foorth to accuse these godly Fathers to persecute them to death that a man wold litle haue thought of be actors in such ttagedies Wel God blesse vs all my brethren keep vs in his holy feare and make vs vpright harted constant in the profession of religiō for I do feare greatly else that if euer time should serue which God for his mercies sake forbid if it be his will too too many would play Hazaels part though they make a faire shew now and stand at open defiance for such matters Well let no man bragge of his own strength that he will do this and he will not do that for manie good men euen sincere Christians may promise and vowe a standing for the truth with Peter and because they rely vppon their owne strength may fall with Peter but I trust God will giue them mercie and repentance to rise againe with Peter but as for hypocrites and time-seruers whose hearts are best knowne vnto God out of question they will then shew themselues in their colours Let them now pretend with Iudas neuer so much care for the poore or loue to Christ they will one day proue theeues to the poore and traytors to Christ as Iudas did and if they once fall with Iudas let them take heed that they hang not themselues with Iudas for betraying and persecuting innocent bloud For it is not the approbation of the Elders that will iustifie Iudas nor his officious kisse that will couer him nor the law of the land that will warrant him nor the siluer bribe that will enrich him nor the praise of men that wil comfort him nor his forced restitution that wil restore him nor his constrained confession that will conuert him nor his faithlesse repentance that will saue him when his money his friends his owne tongue and heart hand conscience as a thousand witnesses and God himselfe shall be against him God grant that all counterfeits and hypocrites and dissemblers in religion may in time take heede by his example There be many both honest and godly religious Christans whose desire is with all their harts to please God by doing those things which his word requireth of them And these for the loue that they beare vnto the truth and their hatred that they carry against wickednesse are by an odious name called Puritanes and if they fall at any time through occasion as oftētimes they do through some infirmity against their wils then are they condemned as hypocrites but most vniustly For though all our actions smell of hypocrisie as maister Bradford well perceiued when he desired the Lord to forgiue him all his hypocrisies and confessed a little before his death that all his prayers and all his best seruing of God were but hypocrisie meaning in comparison of that sinceritie that is required of euerie Christian yet notwithstanding are none to be tearmed hypocrites which fall by occasion through infirmitie and are onely stained with the dust of it and infected with the contagion thereof as men that draw in one and the same aire with hypocrites but onely such are to be counted for hypocrites which make a shew of that which they are not nor meane to be but with their tongues can hold men cunningly with a faire tale of religion and godlinesse while their hearts are resolued to practise all kind of mischiefe and iniquitie of such I speake and not of simple harted and well meaning Christians who haue no doubt their faults as well as other men though they make not an art of sinning as hypocrites do This secret hypocrisie of Gods children doth not a litle trouble many of them neither can many be perswaded but that all that they do is done in hypocrisie as maister Bradford writing to one of his friends in most of his letters condemneth himselfe for a painted hypocrite and being thus troubled in their tender consciences they are still afraide of that woe that our Sauiour Christ pronounceth against hypocrites But for the comforting of such tender consciences whose feare is euer that they shall not deale vprightly and sincerely inough in Gods sight we are to distinguish of hypocrisie for some hypocrisie respecteth men onely seeking only praise of men and not of God and some hypocrie there is that respecteth God also yea most of all and that stealeth in this fort vpon vs. A Christian that feareth God goeth in priuate by himselfe to call vpon God by prayer Now in his priuate prayer somtime his mind is drawne away into a nūber of by-thoughts and wandering imaginations insomuch as he oftentimes thinkes least of God when he calleth vpon him neither is throughly moued with an inward desire of obtaining those things that he prayeth for nor with a hartie loathing of those sins that he prayeth against then commeth Sathan and suggesteth thus Surely thou art an hypocrite for thou hast not prayed with all thy heart nor with all thy soule nor with all thy might Againe sometime the Christian soule prayeth earnestly with great feeling and groning of spirite and hath his mind wholy intent and bent vpon God that he is euen rauished as it were in prayer thinking of nothing but heauenly things when
bookes and restrained of their libertie they are weary of that Maister and desire to go to another or else no more to schoole so hypocrites when they are required to take a setled course for their profiting in religion and are restrained of their liberty in sinne in vanity in riot in pride and are pressed with the doctrine of mortification and truth of heart they are weary of such a teacher and must go to another or else come no more at schoole so that it appeareth that they haue no more gouernement of themselues nor strength of the Spirite nor stayednesse of affections then little children haue As it is both schismaticall and so danderous and childish and so ridiculous so it is also vnprofitable For they that leaue the ordinary and standing Ministery of their owne Pastour and none certaine gather here a peece and there a peece but neuer lay any sound foundation nor make any orderly building as they do that tye themselues to one man who keepeth an orderly proceeding laying all the principles of religion one after another and one by another and euerie one in order till all be finished I deny not but that vpon some special occasions a man may be somtime drawne away from his ordinarie teacher as trauelling from home or being requested by our faithfull friends of another congregation to answer for their children as they call it at their Baptizing or to accompanie some of our friends or our Magistrates departed out of this world vnto their graue and such like if Christ be preached there that we may follow him otherwise I see no great necessitie to enforce a man to leaue his ordinarie teacher to go to a bare reader for a ciuill dutie performing but rather to remember what our Sauiour Christ answered to one that sayd he would follow Christ but first he would go and burie his father Let the dead burie the dead saith he follow thou me To shew that those that haue no list to follow Christs doctrine are no better then dead men as touching the life of the spirite in the soule and they may serue for such a purpose well inough it is pitty to interrupt those that are better disposed and deuoutly addicted to the heauenly doctrine of the Gospell And further I hold it a thing very expedient and fit that there be sometimes also an entercourse of Ministers labours that is that other Ministers be sometimes admitted yea procured also to exercise their gifts in their brothers charges both for the confirmation of doctrine as also for the quickening of the auditorie for consent of teachers is a great confirmation of the truth in regard of our weakenesse and vnbeleefe otherwise the truth is strong inough of it selfe and will preuaile against all the world And as variety of meates sometime doth make a man haue a better appetite to his ordinarie diet euen so is it not amisse that sometime our ordinarie auditours should haue change of teachers that so they tasting that varietie of Gods gifts and graces which is in diuerse men they may haue a better spirituall appetite vnto the ministerie and doctrine of their ordinarie pastours and teachers But to runne hither and thither and commonly to leaue our ordinary teachers onely either of a fanstasticall desire to heare new things or of a loathing the plaine simple maner of deliuery of the truth or of stomach in contempt and way of disgracing and discouraging those that God hath set ouer vs because they haue more sharply reproued their sinnes or more neerely applied the doctrine to their consciences then others do a blessed fauor of God indeed if men had grace so to take it this is it that I say is both carnal schismatical childish and altogether vnfruitfull and further it is flatly repugnant to the commandement of Christ deliuered by his Apostle in the 1. to the Thessalonians the 5. Chapter and 12. verse where he beseecheth the Thessalonians to know them that labour among them and are ouer them in the Lord and admonish them and that they haue them in singular loue for their workes sake And lastly is the practise of such as neuer professed the Gospell of Christ in sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart with an humble spirite and a holy desire to haue both their iudgement informed and their liues reformed by the word of truth But on the contrarie in palpable and damnable hypocrisie with shewes shadowes and flourishes to be seene and well esteemed of men as hypocrites do Besides these publike and open hypocrisies there be also many other lurking in priuate corners which deserue to be vncased as in housholds where betweene man and wife many times much loue is counterfeited onely before men and in heart much bitter malice and hatred maintained against each other which betweene themselues breake out in open and bitter extremities and behind each others back into foule adulteries and cursed vndoing of the whole family such an hypocrite is the harlot that Salomon vncaseth in the 7. of the Prouerbes Who when her husband is from home calleth in her louers and companions to lewdnesse and coloureth her villany by prating and telling him of her peace offerings and vowes that she hath performed that day that is by talking of religion I say nothing of those that in shops and markets selling wares will pretend great loue saying If it were not to you I would not sell it so another should not haue it so c. when for the most part all this is but meere cunning and counterfeiting I also let passe those that spying a bargaine that they hope to reape a great benefit by will earnestly protest and pretend vnto the partie with whom they meane to deale great care that they haue of his good and his ease rather then of their owne benefit too many such there be in the world Well God will pull off their visour one day and lay them open to the world What should I say of those that being to followe and further mens suites with great persons or otherwise at law haue still one tricke or other to delay the time withall pretending great care to do their friendes businesse and to followe their clients causes in the best manner that may be and for their best aduantage when all their doing is but a cunning kind of fishing for more money like Felix who often sent for Paule before him hoping that some bribe would haue bene giuen him to haue enlarged Paule And a thousand more such partes are played in the world which men in continuall practise and conuersing one with another in Church and common-wealth abroad and at home shall haue occasion to meete withall But for the vncasing of the hypocrite at this time this shall suffice Those that feare God vnfainedly and detest this vgly beast the hypocrite will make of that which hath bene sayd as for those that say they could make good vse of it if it had come out of
for his paines for his zeale for his skill for his cost c. and behind his backe derideth all he protesteth that he shall alwaies haue a friend of him and he shall alwaies be welcome vnto him and he will helpe him to preferment and I know not what when in his heart he meaneth no such matter and thus hypocrisie is rewarded with hypocrisie one shadow with another As the praise of men is vncertaine and deceitfull so also is it for the breuitie of it a vaine thing for as a flash of lightning for the time dazeleth the eye and suddenly vanisheth away so do the praises of vaine men for a time tickle the eares and delight the senses of vaine hypocrites and straight way they come to an end And if liking last and all the effects thereof that is kindnesse friendship heartie welcome hope of preferment or preferment it selfe what is all this but a thing of no continuance neither can a man leaue it to his heires after him As it is of no continuance so is there no profite in it I meane for the most part men are rather loosers then gainers that serue onely for the praise of men especially when their humour is once espeid The hypocrite that neuer aymeth at the glorie of God or the good of others but onely his owne vaine credite and estimation shall haue faire words enough but little else except it be sorrow of heart and vexation of spirite for the losse of his time and labour and studie and goods and all for the wind of mens mouthes Nay if he do winne perhappes as many flatterers and Parasites do sometime which obserue great persons humours for some small counterfeit seruice or odde trifle or pleasant ieast or wittie conceipt some great benefite some gainefull office or great preferment or high reuerence in the world yet hath he made but a bad bargaine of it if he hath no further purpose in all this but to magnifie himselfe giuing no honour to God but all to himselfe he hath his reward saith Christ and what profite is in this to win the whole world and to loose his owne soule As the praise of men is vnprofitable and a thing which who so laboureth to get shall get nothing by it so is it also for the daunger thereof a vaine reward of vertue For many times a vaine glorious man being praised to his face or hearing that his courses are well liked and commended of men is thereby emboldened to go so farre without all modestie or discretion that he shameth himselfe yea many times fondly presuming vpon them that haue soothed them vp and made much of them venture most foolishly and desperately in pursuing of lewd attempts to their own vndoing The wicked giueth heed to false lips saith Salomon a lier hearkeneth to a naughtie tongue that is to be ruled by them and is not that daungerous Now whose lippes are more full of falshood then the lippes of the flatterer who still perswadeth fooles that their copper is good gold and their blacke is pure white and that their foolishnesse is high wisedome and that their crooked waies are the straightest waies c. And who doth hearken more to such lippes then the vaineglorious hypocrite who doth all to be praised of men and cannot endure by any meanes to heare any fault found with anything that he doth Againe if he be a foole that praiseth the hypocrite or a foolish man that hath no iudgement or vnderstanding nor abilitie to discerne of colours then hath he gotten a blind man to leade him into the ditch If many wise men and of great place do praise the hypocrite then is the foole lifted vp aloft but to shew his nakednesse that others may enuie him for his aduauncement and despise him for his follie and contemne him for his vnworthinesse King Achab was glad when his going to warre against Ramoth Gilead was liked of and confirmed by the approbation of foure hundred Prophets the wind of their mouth was pleasant but most daungerous for it blew him with a maine gale like a shippe without a Pilote vpon the rockes of his owne destruction When Herod for his vaine Oration receiued the commendation of his flattering Courtiers and seruaunts who cried the voyce of God and not of a man he felt a sweete and a pleasing wind that blew him vp beyond himselfe that like one in a traunce or dreame rather forgot himselfe to be a mortall man and so quietly tooke to himselfe that honour that was due vnto God But it was the most daungerous wind that euer blew vpon him for it both ripened his sinne and hastened the vengeance of God immediatly vpon him Many such daungerous windes and blastes are Princes and Noblemen and other persons of great calling subiect vnto the more neede haue they to looke vnto themselues and we to pray vnto God most earnestly for their standing Seeing therefore that the praise of men is so vncertaine so deceiptfull of so short a continuance so vnprofitable and so daungerous we may safely conclude that of all rewardes it is most vaine and that hypocrites in making of that the end of their actions are most vaine men or madde fooles for they haue their reward As it is a vaine thing to serue for the praise of men that is to say for vanitie it selfe so is it a thing most miserable and slauish For first though it be a most vaine shadow and fruitlesse vanitie of all vanities that man hunteth after yet cannot he haue it without great paines taking Secondly before he can weare it and enioy it freely he must be censured of all Thirdly how often and commonly is he after all his paines and cost that he hath bene at deceiued of his expectation For the paines that the hypocrite taketh to please men he may truely say as Iacob said though not with so good a conscience I was in the day consumed with heate and with frost in the night and my sleepe departed from my eyes Yea the feares cares and doubtes that he is turmoiled and tossed in are vnspeakeable one while he is vexed to know certainely the humour and disposition of him whose praise he seeketh then he careth how to fit his humour with what wordes with what gestures with what by-matters what tales and discourses with what presents then what companie to haue and how to consort himselfe with them And then what is the fittest time to find him both at leysure and in a good moode Then it is a world to see how the hypocrite acteth his part and what paines he taketh first in marking the countenances and gestures speeches commendations and welcomes and faire promises that are shewed him Then in recounting of them and descanting vpon them first to himselfe and then to others thinking and bragging how he was reputed and taken with such and such and that he was so bold and so bold with him
c. So on the other side as making many rich and yet as it were poore giuing nothing To shew what manner of men Christians must be But how can that be will some say that a man should giue almes or do any other good deed and not make himselfe priuy to the matter and count it nothing which he doth Surely very well or else truly do many dissemble and speake against their owne consciences for come vnto them and thanke them for such and such kindnesse bestowed c. they will say Alas sir for nothing I know no such matter it is not so much worth c. as if he should say If I did any such thing it is with me as if I did it not at al I am to begin it againe I keepe no reckning of it my heart was not set vpon it when it went from me I weigh it not c. Againe euery true Christian is in part regenerate and in part vnregenerate the one part is called in Scripture by the name of flesh and the other by the name of spirite the flesh rebelleth against the spirite that is the part regenerate against the part vnregenerate Now this part that is regenerate by the spirite of sanctification and grace may well be called also the right hand of the soule and the other part which is still fleshly carnall and sensuall and not sauouring the things of God may well be called the soules left hand for the vntowardnesse therof to any goodnesse in which sense it may truly be said whē thou doest any good deed let the spirite that is the part regenerate as the right hand of thy soule do it but let not the other part which is so vntoward and not regenerate and fitted for it haue any thing to do in the matter more then if it knew nothing at all of it We must do as men that trauell in company together and are so earnest in talke that they forget the length of their iourney and to such ten miles seeme but as one mile but if a man go alone and thinketh of nothing but his iourney then his left foote shall know what paines his right foote taketh and will keepe account of all his sleps as it were and thinke his iourney long and his paines exceeding great So we in trauelling towards heauen which we must do so long as we liue by walking in such good workes as God hath appointed for vs Ephes. 2.10 must count all things but losse and dung for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus our Lord to win him and to be found in him not hauing our owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ forgetting that which is past and endeuouring our selues vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And no maruell though the Apostle made so light account of his owne workes or righteousnesse for he knew they were too light to endure the triall of Gods iustice too vncleane to appeare in his most pure presence Our good deedes are like a faire garment with a filthy lining or as the Prophet Esay speaketh like a menstruous cloth The beauty and goodnesse of them is from God the deformity and vncleannesse is of our selues Shal the one part lift vs vp to any proud conceipt of our selues No it is of God giue him all the glory and let the other humble vs. All the gifts and graces of God do beare some part of his image and stampe though giuen to diuerse persons and in diuerse measure and maner like the Princes coine which hath the Princes image and stampe vpō it to put the subiects in mind of their loyaltie and dutie which they owe to their Prince that as Christ said when we see Caesars image and superscription we should remember to giue vnto Caesar that that is Caesars so when we see any thing with Gods image vpon it we may also giue to God that that is Gods The Princes coine commeth out of the Mint faire and bright but when it cometh into our hands it taketh soile and looseth beautie So the good graces of God come to vs with a most heauenly beautie but we cannot returne them so againe for with vs they take soile and loose their beautie As euery peece of coine hath on the one side the Princes image and title certaine so haue all the graces of God Gods image and Christes title to admonish vs of that holy dutie and absolute praise which we must returne vnto him for the same Look vpon thy faith and thou shalt see this superscription vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the worke of God to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Looke vpon thy patience and thou shalt find this grauen vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you it is giuen for Christs sake not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake Looke vpon thy loue thy knowledge and iudgement and euery one beareth the same stampe that thy faith doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worke of God and therefore saith Saint Paul this I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in al knowledge iudgement to shew that they come from God and not from our selues Art thou filled with the fruites of righteousnes thou shalt find this Poesie sent with them They are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Art thou conuerted vnto God looke vpon the worke of thy conuersion and thou shalt find this withall The worke of God and therfore saith Ioel Turne vs ô Lord and we shall be turned Hast thou a new heart looke vpon it and thou shalt find Gods stampe vpon it and that is this Created of God And ouer all one generall Poesie for all and that is this What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 If there be any thing besides this that commeth from God that is of Sathan or else of our selues We commonly looke on the one side of the garment but not on the other Now if we thinke vpon our defectes and staines nay filthie and rebellious pollutions we would neuer take notice to ourselues of any good we do but say whē we haue done neuer so wel as Nehemiah did when he had most zealously reformed the Lords sabbath and set euery thing in very good order Remember me ô God in this and pardon me in thy great mercie and as Christ commaundeth vs When ye haue done all that ye can do saith he say that you are vnprofitable seruants and haue done but that which was commaunded you Further it is to be obserued that Christ saith the right hand must do the worke and the left hand must not know of it He appointeth the right hand to the worke because that is readiest and quickest and handsomest in working The left
The rich men of their aboundance cast much into the treasurie and the poore widow cast in two mites which makes a farthing Now by the iudgement of Christ she cast in more then the rich men did because they of their superfluitie gaue some but she gaue all that she had And so it is we see by daily experience that many a meane man considering his abilitie or rather his inabilitie doth giue more when he giueth a peny then some rich man doth when he giueth a pound And perhaps as he giueth all that he hath in coÌ„parison of some other so he parteth from it with a better mind then some that giue more and can better spare it then he Diuerse do examine in giuing of almes whether he be a good man or no to whom they giue as though it were of necessitie required to the truth of almes that he must be a good man to whom almes is giuen and not rather a good man that giueth it Facile dignus est pauper hoc ipso quod miser est egenus vt eleemosynam accipiat saith Musculus A poore man is capable inough of an almes in that he is in miserie and want Some say they would giue almes if they were able but let them giue of that small abilitie that they haue a little and it shall be acceptable before God being giueÌ„ of a pitiful mind There is the alms of the hand the almes of the tongue and the almes of the eyes the almes of the heart The almes of the hand is some visible thing giuen as gold siluer bread cloth c. The tongues almes is two fold first good counsell and comfortable speeches which oftentimes do more good then gold and siluer such an almes did Peter bestow vpon the creeple when he said Siluer and gold I haue none but such as I haue I giue thee in the name of Iesus arise and walke Act. 2. Secondly earnest prayer vnto God such an almes did the Church bestow vpon Peter when he was in prison and it releeued him more then mony for it caused the prison doores to open alone and Peter escaped Act. 12. The eyes almes are teares for the calamities of other proceeding from a sorrowfull heart such an almes did the women of Ierusalem bestow vpon our Sauiour Christ when he went to suffer death And Christ noted theÌ„ in gracious termes for it saying Weepe not for me daughters of Ierusalem but weepe for your selues c. The almes of the heart is a certaine griefe and sorrow arising from the feeling of anothers miserie and is the mother of all the rest if abilitie serue and of all thâ—se he that cannot giue one may affoord another Some giue but it is grudgingly and angerly and some in pollicie onely to please vnruly persons and stay a further mischiefe for feare that else they should lose all like those that cast bread to a dogge for feare of biting these giue no good almes No more do those that giue somewhat of that which they haue ill gotten to the end they might keepe the rest in the better securitie Nor they that giue of a vainglorious affection to seeme to be mercifull when they be nothing lesse We are not to iudge any mans hart but euery man by this doctrine is to examine and iudge his owne heart Now we are to see why the Lord will haue almes to be giuen that is why it is his pleasure to haue poore men in the world that shal stand in neede of the rich mans almes for it cannot be denied but that this is the Lords doing as Salomon saith The rich and the poore meete together but the Lord is the maker of all He could haue made many women for one man saith the prophet for he had abundance of spirit meaning he had power inough to giue many wiues to one husband but he made but one wife for one husband and why but one because he sought a godly seede So he could haue made all rich or those rich which he made poore those poore which he made rich for he had abundance and inough for euery one if euery one had bene a world and yet he would not do so but would haue some to be rich some to be poore And why so Surely to giue thereby occasions of patience as he doth vnto the poore by their pouertie and of liberalitie and doing of good as he doth vnto the rich by placing of poore and needy amongst them God could haue brought to passe that sinne should neuer haue bene in the world if it had so pleased him but then how should his iustice haue appeared in punishing the vessels of his wrath and the riches of his mercie bene manifested in pardoning his elect Euen so if he had made all rich and none poore what should then the rich haue had to exercise their liberalitie vpon and wherwithall should the patience of the needy haue bene tried Both rich and poore therfore hath he made for the manifesting of the singular worke of his Spirit to his own praise and glory in both Let not therefore the rich contemne the poore because they haue not their aboundance for themselues but as stewards appointed of God to releeue therewith those which want Neither let the poore enuie the rich or impatiently beare their burden because God hath prouided that their want should be supplied by the rich but let both poore and rich glorifie God in their estate and calling and know that if they vse the same to that end that God hath ordained them for they shall reape vnto themselues the most sweete fruits of the sanctifying spirit vnto the sealing vp of their euerlasting election and adoption in Christ. In the next place we are to consider how men may be moued or induced to giue almes willingly and chearefully First because almes giuing is nothing else but a worke of mercie as almes it selfe is mercies gift it can haue no better inforcer to worke then mercie it selfe that is a compassion or fellow feeling of another mans miserie which naturally should be in al meÌ„ But because that is by natural corruption deaded in some turned into a sottish kind of inhumanitie in others weakned in all Therefore secondly it is needfull that we be regenerated made new men by the Spirite of God who by his heauenly grace and effectuall working in vs may restore that which is lost and cause mercie to appeare in her liuely hew and beautifull colour againe Thirdly when we are borne againe it is a motiue of no small force to consider that Christ in his members is miserable poore and needie and that whosoeuer doth succour them is iudged to haue succored Christ himselfe as appeareth by the testimonie of Christs owne mouth in Mat. 25. verse 24. and so forward Now if it be so that Christ is releeued wheÌ„ his poore meÌ„bers are releeued what reason hath any hard harted Nabal to be so close
will not sticke to say that though he doth accustome his mouth to swearing and filthie talking and all maner of vile ribaldrie yet he hath as honest a heart as the best of them all and meaneth no hurt Of the same mind also are they that find eares to heare and memorie to beare away all such filthie communications yea they can remember such things better then words of grace but they are deceiued saith the Apostle for euill words do corrupt good manners And as they do corrupt good manners so do they ingender euill and wicked manners for corruptio vnius est generatio alterius the corruption of one thing is the generation of another as in nature we see the corruption of the egge is the breeding either of a bird or else of rottennesse and stink and the turning of the wine is the making of that which was sweete wine to become sharpe vineger and the corrpuption of the graine in the earth is the generation either of a new blade of corne or else of a weed euen so the corruption of good manners is the generation of euill conditions the corruption of chastitie is the begetting of incontinencie the death of humilitie is the life of pride the corruption of faith is the generation of infidelity the corruption of sobrietie is the procreation of drunkennesse and the decay of pietie is the setting vp of prophanenesse And is all this no hurt Is there no hurt in euill words which be as infectious and daungerous to good manners as any plague sore is to the bodie As they be hurtfull to others so are they no lesse euill to ourselues and signes also of much euill in our hearts For as a rotten sore argueth a rotten disease and an vnsound bodie so a corrupt and froward mouth argueth a corrupt and froward heart and as a stinking breath doth bewray an vnsound stomach so a filthie mouth doth argue a filthie mind which is within like a swines stie or rather a diuels stie and therefore in verse 27. of the 4. to the Ephesians when the holy Apostle doth disswade Christians from sinfull anger and from dwelling in wrath he saith giue not place to the diuell as if the diuell did lodge in a wrathfull heart Which cannot be but to the grieuing of the spirit of God who is thereby as much as lieth in vs dispossessed of his hold inheritance For wold it not grieue any man to be either annoyed in his owne house or put out of his inheritance which he hath dearely purchased and paied for And will it not much more grieue and offend Gods spirit to be dispossessed of his owne inheritance which God hath purchased with his owne bloud Act. 20.28 and to haue the diuell set vp in his place like an vsurper And therefore in the 30. verse of the former fourth to the Ephesians he addeth And grieue not the holy spirit of God vsing that as a reason why we should not suffer corrupt communications to proceed out of our mouthes For though there be in all men naturall corruption and infirmitie which is bred and borne with them yet by the grace of God it is so suppressed and corrected in the regenerate that it hath no full sway nor domineering power in them And therefore he saith not let no corruption be at all in your minds but he saith Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouths For it is said in Gen. 6.5 that the imaginations of mans heart are euill continually But if lewd speeches haue libertie to proceede out of our mouthes that is at pleasure to go and come like a maister of a familie that is a signe that Sathan hath wonne the hold and keepeth possession of the heart And on the contrarie when good words are frequent and vsual in the mouth it is a signe that Gods spirit doth beare rule though now and then by reason of our naturall corruption that still remaineth in vs some crooked thoughts wil breake in to our minds and some froward speeches will breake foorth at our mouthes by force or by stealth while we be not so watchfull as we should be The Apostle S. Iames also agreeth with the former as touching the vse of the toung in his third chapter verses 3. and 4. where by two similitudes he sheweth that the tongue hath a double vse both in regard of our selues as also in regard of others And namely first our maker and then our neighbour For with our tongues we must blesse God that is praise God and with our tongues we must also blesse our neighbour that is pray for him wish him well and speak well of him c. How this little member must be gouerned he sheweth by two similitudes First of a bit in a horse mouth which the rider vseth for his owne safetie which also must be moderated for if it bee let loose too much the horse will stumble or go which way he lift or cast his rider if it be pulled in too much the horse will either stand still or else go backe or rise vp to the daunger of the rider So the tongue if it be too silent too fearefull and too much restrained the owner shall make no way in his heauenly iourney he shall not be able to keep companie with others it will make his affections rise vp with desperate cogitations to his own hurt neither shall God haue his due praise of that member which he ought to haue neither shall man reape that benefite thereof which we owe vnto him as it falleth out when men are so tong-tyed that they will not preach nor reproue sinne when they are called thereunto and when others will not affoord their neighbour their testimonie or witnesse in time of neede to do him good And againe if it be let go too loose and suffered to be too bold then it will fling out and runne riot as the saying is to the shame of the speaker and griefe of the hearers Secondly he likeneth it to the rudder of a shippe which is to rule the ship and to direct her course whose benefite if it be well stirred redoundeth to many to the Pilote himselfe who doth guide it to the owners to the mariners and to the whole ship with all that is in it and so on the other side is the daunger as great and manifold if it be not well ordered and stirred So the tongue is so to be vsed as that thereby the bodie may be well ordered the affections may be bridled others may be preserued and all may be edified by counselling some by instructing some by admonishing others by comforting others and by praying for all and interpreting all things in the best part Which graces whosoeuer hath attained vnto hath attained to an excellent thing Iam. 3.2 Yea a man of wisedome saith Salomon spareth his speech and he that vnderstandeth is of an excellent spirit Prou. 17.27 So that by the testimonie
their soules health in English Well let vs take heede that we continue not stil so vntoward to serue God to learne his most glorious will least God giue vs ouer againe in his iust iudgemēt to walke in ignorance to beleeue lies Popery groweth apace in many places Papists are very bold doubtlesse they see it is to be feared too much inclinatiō aptnes both in som teachers much of the people to receiue their Popish trash again that is the matter Popish pictures shew thēselues in euery shop street almost many think there is great deuotiō stirred vp by the sight of thē yea they hope of a mery world towards And doubtlesse the Papists cannot brew so fast but as they hope others will be as ready to drinke Well the Lord in mercy looke vpon vs our Christian gouernors that we may be more more forward apt to the embracing setting forth of his holy truth Gospell to our liues end Amen Now let vs pray THE V. SERMON PROV 6.14 Leud things are in his heart WE haue heard before how vaine and lawlesse the man of Belial is how froward and peeuish how counterfeit cunning in his outward behauiour now we are come to the cause of all and to the digging vp of that which is the fountaine of all his distemperature and disorder and that doth the holy Ghost here shew vs when he saith Leud things are in his heart as if he should say it is no maruell though his behauiour be so bad and barbarous so vile and full of leud actions when his heart which is the fountaine of all his actions is full of leude things Then first here let vs consider what is meant by the hart And next what profitable doctrines may be gathered from this sentence and the coherence thereof with the rest of the wicked mans description By hart in this place he meaneth not the fleshly and materiall heart which is the good creature of God but the corrupted and depraued qualities of the heart For the heart is put sometime for the whole inward man as in 1. Pet. 3.4 Let the hid man of the heart be meeke and quiet sometime for the thoughts and affections for the will and vnderstanding as in 1. King 3.9 Giue me an vnderstanding heart the prayer of Salomon That is giue vnderstanding vnto my hart mind or soule for hee had a hart before So that in the heart is vnderstanding but in the wicked it is leud vnderstanding because he vnderstandeth leude and vile things best And in Gen. 6.5 it is said The imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were euill continually to shew that thoughts and imaginations lodge in the heart but in the man of Belial they are leude and wicked In the 23. of the Prou. 26. the Lord saith My sonne giue me thy heart that is the affections of thy heart as thy desire thy loue thy ioy thy feare thy trust thy zeale thy delight thy sorrow as if he shold say if thou desirest any thing desire me if thou louest any thing loue me if thou ioyest in any thing ioy in me if thou fearest any thing feare me if thou trustest any trust me if thou be zealous for any thing be zealous for me if thou sorrowest for any thing be sorrowfull that thou canst not do thy dutie to me as thou oughtest and these things I leaue not to thy choise but see thou do them indeed Now all these affections are in the wicked man of Belial but they are leud and not for the Lord. In the fourth of the Hebrewes 12. the word of God is called a deuider of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that in the heart lye thoughts and intents that is purposes conclusions and determinations but in the wicked they are all leud and naught So that the meaning of these words Leud things are in his heart is that the man of Belial vnderstandeth leud things he thinketh and studieth leud things he purposeth and intendeth leud things he desireth and affecteth leud things yea he deuiseth and contriueth nothing else but leud things This anatomizing and discouering of Belials hart in this sort with the rest of his behauiour in other parts of his bodie teacheth vs many excellent pointes of doctrine for our instruction 1. That the man of Belial is no better within then without 2. That whatsoeuer a man is without yet God doth iudge of him by that which is in his heart 3. That the cause of all outward disorder is in the heart 4. That a man cannot be a good man vntill the hart be reformed 5. That the word of God is of that nature that it discouereth the hidden things in the heart 6. That the same word of God which sheweth vs the corruptions of our hearts doth also shew vs to reforme the heart Of the first That a wicked and prophane man such as Salomon here speaketh of is no better within then he is without but rather worse is euident both by this and diuers other places of holy Scripture Here he saith that as he is froward in his speeches and dissolute in his outward behauiour so his heart is leud and wicked So that if the hart be naught all is naught If there be any goodnes in his heart it must be either in his vnderstanding or his will or his affections but the subiect of all these is leudnes therfore within there is no better then without but rather worse In the 6. of Gen. verse 5. it is said That mans wickednesse is great and his heart is also euill continually The Psalmist saith The foole meaning a wicked man hath said in his heart there is no God his waies are corrupt and become abhominable there is not one that doth good no not one The Apostle Paul searcheth euery part of the naturall man within and without and findeth all alike Roman 3. from verse 11. to 19. Let him be asked the question and heare his answer And first of his vnderstanding What vnderstanding hath the vnregenerate or naturall man None There is none that vnderstandeth saith he meaning the things of God How are their affections bent What do they not desire to know God No saith the Apostle There is none that seeketh God What is there none better then another No saith the Apostle They haue all gon out of the way they are made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one But let vs make a better search it may be there is some goodnesse in some secret corner or in some of their members What say you of their throat Their throat saith the Apostle is an open sepulcher from whence proceedeth nothing but stinke and rottennesse to infect the aire How are their toungs vsed To deceipt saith the Apostle What is vnder their lippes The poison of Aspes And what in their mouths Abundance of cursing and bitternesse They are swift
in his heart whatsoeuer shew he maketh outwardly Thirdly that the cause of all outward disorder and scandalous behauiour is in the wicked mans owne heart Now it remaineth that we consider of the three other points which being propounded in the former Sermon for want of time I could not intreat of Whereof the first is this that so long as the heart is vnreformed and continueth stored with leud things it is not possible to be a good man For vntill then as we may perceiue by this anatomie of Belial the affections will be rebellious and lawlesse the speech will be froward and peeuish our religion will be hypocriticall and counterfeit our prayers will be lippe-labour and cold babling our zeale will be either none at all or very bitter rash our faith will be meere historicall our loue will proue onely self-loue our anger reuengefull and iniurious our life dissolute and scandalous our repentance desperate and faithlesse and our death dreadfull and comfortlesse Therefore if any would reforme his life he must first reforme his heart from whence as from a spring floweth continually a streame of corruption and vnrighteousnesse vnto death if it be not reformed and altered or of holinesse and righteousnesse vnto life if it be well reformed and kept Therefore Salomon pointing to the right way that leadeth to the reformation of maners saith Keepe thy heart with all diligence and addeth this as a reason for thereout cometh life and thereout cometh death And out of the heart saith our Sauiour Christ proceede euill thoughts adulteries murthers fornications debate strife c. speaking of an euill and vnregenerate heart to shew that a wicked mans heart is like a filthie dunghill which both breedeth and harboureth all kind of venimous vermine and as a snake on a sunnie day commeth foorth of her hole so the wicked when fit time and occasion serue do set foorth and shew the ware and stuffe which was hidden in their heart saying in the meane time as Esau did When the daies of mourning for my father Isaac do come then I will kill my brother Iacob which agreeth with that that Dauid speaketh of his enemie in Psal. 41.6 His heart heapeth vp iniquitie within him and when he commeth foorth he vttereth it Many counterfeit holinesse deuotion sobrietie loue and kindnesse and indeede they do but counterfeit for holy and deuout and sober and louing and kind c they cannot be so long as the heart or inward man is vnreformed In vaine do we sweepe the channels of the streete except we stop the fountaines from whence they flow In vaine do we crop the weedes except we dig vp their rootes from whence they receiue their nourishment In vaine do we plaister the sore except it be searched and cleansed to the bottom So in vaine do we labour to bring forth good actions without except first we labour to beget good affections within How canst thou say that thou louest me when thy heart is not with me said Dalilah to Sampson which she vttered as a common knowne principle in nature to be denyed of none that all loue is but counterfeit and false which cometh not from the heart And therefore whosoeuer will loue indeed must beginne first at his heart and frame that to loue And the like is to be said of other affections and all the actions or effects that proceed froÌ„ them The hart among the members of the bodie is like a great commaunder among his souldiers looke which way he goeth that way go they Well may we preach and long may we heare of the reforming of our liues of mortifying our pride our strange fashions our wantonnesse our couetousnesse our malice c. the tongue will make but a iest at the matter so long as the heart is vnreformed as appeareth by the testimonie that the Lord giueth against Ezechiels Auditours They heare thee saith the Lord as my people vse to heare but with their mouths they make iests at thee and thy Sermons their hearts run after their couetousnesse to shew that there is no outward obedience to be looked for where the heart yeeldeth not to obey for all actions outward wil follow the affections of the heart On the other side winne the heart and all is wonne without which there is no rowing but against the streame A readie heart maketh a readie hand to giue a readie tongue to speake a readie eare to heare and a readie foote to goe And a holy religious heart maketh a holy and religious hearing speaking and liuing Who were they that brought so bountifull gifts to the building of the Lords holy tabernacle among the Iewes as we reade in Exod. 35.21.22 verses It is said in the 29. verse Euery one whose hearts moued them willingly to bring brought some gold some siluer some silke some badgers skinnes some stones c. yea vntill they were forced to stay by proclamation to shew that when the heart is wonne to be willing and to like of the worke the worke shall go well forward and nothing will seeme hard to a willing mind When Dauids heart was enditing or framing of a good matter then was his tongue readie like the pen of a swift writer to declare the same And whosoeuer can say with Dauid O God my heart is prepared shall follow with Dauid and say so is my tongue also I will sing and giue praise to shew that when the heart is not readie to serue God nothing is readie for all tarrie for the heart Therefore it is that the Scripture doth so much call vpon vs to reforme our harts In the three and twentieth of the Proverbs the twelfth verse Salomon saith Apply thy heart to instruction and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge But first the heart and then the eares will follow and in the seuenteenth verse Let not thy heart be enuious against sinners but let it be in the feare of the Lord continually In the nineteenth verse O my sonne heare and be wise and guide thy heart in the way And in the 26. verse My sonne giue me thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my wayes And no maruell for what shall the Mariners do if the Pilote be false at the helme of the ship What shall the souldiers do at the hold if the captaine of the hold be a traitour A false heart is like such a Pilote and such a captaine yea a false heart is like Iudas among the disciples who carried the purse and made the prouision for all the rest laying vp one groate for his maâ—ster and tenne for himselfe A bad Cater being a cunning theefe and a secret traitour So the heart is the storer if that be secretly false and trecherous it will store the bodie with leudnesse and if it chaunce to speake one word for Gods glorie he will addresse and set foorth in most braue sort a thousand for
his own Here is much ado when the Lords day cometh to reforme and decke the bodie the apparell must not haue a spot or wrinckle the house fine and euery thing neate and trimme but no care to reforme the heart and therefore the word of the Lord is vnto vs as a tale that is told which we like not in at one eare and out at the other or as water to the Blackemoore great washing but we neuer the whiter When we go to a feast and when we meete our friends we haue much care to set our gestures our words and our lookes after the ciuillest manner but the heart is still after the old fashion badde inough leude things are in that reforme that and all the rest will be well Thou wouldest serue God but thou thinkest that thou art not fine enough nay rather thinke that thou hast a proude heart and seekest thy owne selfe Thou wouldest giue to the poore but for feare of wanting for thy selfe nay rather feare that thy heart is not enlarged with the bowels of mercie and liberalitie Thou wouldest goe to thy neighbour that hath offended thee and is offended at thee but for feare that he should thinke thou art glad to seeke vnto him and so shouldst be more contemned of him but rather thinke that thy heart is not humble and peaceable Thou haddest not committed such nor such sinnes but for such and such persons thou sayest who enticed thee thereunto Nay rather say that thy heart was not well bounded with the feare and loue of God but lay open like a common field whose hedge is plucked vp to the ground for all vnchast vnpure and vile thoughts to breake in Iosephs heart was surely grounded in the knowledge of Gods will in the obeying of his word and strongly bounded with the feare of God and therfore do his mistresse what she could she could not by any meanes breake into the hold of his chastitie though she did strongly assault it Let religion be in thy heart and that will make thee serue God with the congregation of his people in such as thou hast yea through heate and cold no weather will keep thee from the publique seruice of God It will make thee with Zacheus to climbe a tree to see Christ and with the creeple in the fifth of Iohn desire some bodie to carrie thee into the poole of the heauenly waters and liuely fountaines of Gods word when the Angell Gods Minister doth stirre them So farre thou wilt be from saying the weather is too cold or too hote I am not well I am troubled with a murre and I know not what as the manner of many daintie ones is to do when they haue no loue of God or his truth in their hearts So also let loue and humilitie and mercie and zeale be in thy heart and they will cause thee to giue to forgiue and to seek peace and to speake of the Lords statutes euen before Kings and wilt not be ashamed except it be that for want of those graces thou couldest not performe those duties any sooner And so much for that point in discoursing whereof we see plainely that vntill the heart be reformed a man cannot be a good man nor an honest man and how they take a wrong course that beginne to reforme their outward partes and not their hearts first i the next place we are to consider of the piercing nature and searching power or powerfull searching of the word of God which dealeth with the heart searcheth the heart maketh lawes for the heart findeth out the leudnesse of the heart and reproueth the thoughts of the heart searching and discouering euen the most secret corners and closets of the heart to see how those lawes are kept or broken for as the Lord doth see the heart himselfe and cannot otherwise do because he maketh it and ruleth it so by his word he searcheth and gageth the same Not to be better enformed himselfe of any thing that is there for he from euerlasting at one instant had and for euer hath all the thoughts intents imaginations and purposes of all hearts in the world open before him knowing them all before they be conceiued with the meanes and maner of their entrance and all the effectes of them being conceiued but it is to shew vs his poore creatures and vnworthy children that we serue such a God and Father as doth know vs truly euen to the very heart and the most secret thoughts thereof and further that we also might hereby learne to know our selues and reforme our owne hearts which without the light of the word we could neuer do And therefore Dauid asking the question how a yong man may reforme his wayes meaning how he shall bridle his affections and order his wordes and his deedes he maketh no other aunswere but this Euen by taking heede thereunto according to thy word And to this end he hath giuen giftes vnto men Ephes. 4. euen his spirite of wisedome and of vnderstanding and of counsell and of courage Esa. 11.3 Nowe therefore whosoeuer being endued with that searching and powerfull spirite in any measure handleth and deuideth the word aright cannot choose but rifle the very thoughts of the hart Yea the faithfull Minister of God shall search the hearts of his hearers whether he will or no and sometimes shall be in their bosomes when he hath no such purpose Some say to themselues as Ieremy did when he was had in contempt and hatred for speaking against the speciall sinnes of his time They will not make any more mention of God nor speake any more in his name but the word of the Lord is in their heart as a burning fire shut vp in their bones and they are wearie with forbearing yea they cannot stay but must vtter it And then they speake so to the consciences of men that if a stranger or an vnlearned man come in in the meane time he feeleth his heart discouered and is rebuked of all men as he thinketh for he thinketh that his secret thoughts are then knowne to all men and he confesseth plainely that God is amongest them as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14.24 which is a very sure argument that this word which we preach is the word of God for what lawes or writings can deale so with the heart and consciences of men but onely the lawes and Scriptures of the most high who onely searcheth the heart Of this point we may make a double vse first it may teach vs for a certaine truth that there is no thought in the heart but that God is priuie to it for when he shall giue man a spirite to search and knowledge to iudge the hearts of men which aboue all thinges are so deceiptfull that they cannot be knowne as the Prophet Ieremy telleth vs meaning that no man by his owne skill can throughly sound the depth of any mans heart nor
Balaams Asse who indeede could do that which other beasts could not do and that was to speake and reproue his maister with a mans voyce and yet was still a beast or like Vriah who caried letters in his owne bosome to his owne destruction Or like vnto the diuels who sayd in the fourth of Luke that they knew Christ but it was to their torment Therefore whosoeuer would keepe his heart well and haue it purged and preserued from the leud things of Belial let him pray that the truth may not swimme aloft in his braine as it doth in many wicked men but that it may sinke downe into his heart and worke righteousnesse and true obedience to Gods will Thirdly because our harts are very false to God and like run awayes new fangled mal-contented and desirous of liberty therefore in the next place it will not be amisse to pray with Dauid O Lord knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name And then indeede are we in safety and security for in his seruice is freedome and protection But if we wander out of his seruice and Iust after carnall libertie then are we in danger and it will fall out with vs as it did with Dinah the daughter of Iacob who was not rauished vntill she wandred abroad among the Sichemites from her fathers house Fourthly because we are dull and lazie in the seruice of God we must also desire the Lord to quicken vs with his grace that is to rouse vs vp by calling vnto vs by his Ministers or by pinching vs with some fatherly and mercifull corrections when we fall asleepe and are hard to be awaked and so to make vs liuely when we are heauy and fainting away vnder our burthen and still to set an edge vppon our zeale How needfull this prayer is it may sufficiently appeare vnto any one that will but consider that Dauid prayeth in one Psalme the 119. no lesse then seauen or eight times for this grace And these are the things which I finde at this time most necessarie to be prayed for of euery one that would haue his heart well purged and reformed not excluding other things which others presently or hereafter vppon further meditation and experience may finde requisite to bee prayed for Now as we must pray for these graces and fauours of God before specified so also must we beware of foure most daungerous enemies and pray earnestly against them that through Gods gracious helpe and power we may be deliuered from them The first is neglect and abuse of the meanes whereby the heart is to be regenerated sanctified established and quickened These meanes are of two sorts the outward and inward the outward meanes are the word and Sacraments The word of God saith Dauid will redresse the young mans waies if he take heede thereunto And the word of God saith the Apostle is mighty and liuely in operation as hath bene shewed before Heb. 4.12 the Sacraments are also very effectuall signes and seales of Gods fauour towards vs in Christ and be called of Augustine visible words because they do in a manner visibly demonstrate vnto our sight that which we heard with our eares and the more we are assured of Gods loue the more are our hearts inflamed againe with the loue of his Maiesty The inward meanes is the Spirite of God working faith conuersion and obedience in our hearts by the outward So was the heart of Lydia opened and conuerted at the Preaching of Paule not Paule but the Lord opened her hart that she beleeued Paules preaching And as at the first the Lord by his word and Spirite created the world so the Lord by his word and Spirit still createth the hearts of men new againe Therfore let vs frequēt the preaching vse reading of the word of God let vs delight to conferre and meditate vpon the word in all reuerence sobriety vse the meanes and the vse will in time beget a blessing Let vs neuer my good brethren giue ouer hearing of the word as many haue done for Sathan neuer hath men at such aduantage to worke vpon them what he will as when men haue giuen ouer hearing the word preached And seeing as the Spirite is the meane whereby our saith and conuersion are wrought through the preaching of the word let vs nourish that by all good meanes taking great heed that we neither quench it nor greeue it 1. Thes. 5. by taking away the exercises of hearing and prayer and meditation and conference whereby it is nourished nor by dispensing with any sin in our harts where the Spirit must raigne If we want these meanes thē are we to pray for them Pray to the Lord of the haruest saith our Sauiour Christ that he would send foorth labourers into his haruest And for the spirit we must pray as Dauid doth O Lord take not thy holy spirit away from me and open my eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law Wo be to them that despise prophecying thinke these meanes to be more then need as they that profanely and desperatly reason thus without reason If I be elected I shall be saued do what I list if not I shall be damned do what I can These be the speeches of the mē of Belial whose harts are pestered with leud things neither can they wisely consider that as God hath foreordained mē to a certaine end so also hath he fore ordained the meanes wherby they shal come to that end Of such contemners and beastly hogs and dogs as Christ calleth them we may reade more in Mal. 3.14 and in Iob. 21.15 The effect of both which places is one that such wicked persons thinke there is no profit in seruing the Almighty and therfore they say vnto God Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of his wayes and spending their dayes in all iolity and carnall prosperitie like oxen set vp a fatting neuer vsed to the yoke at last they go downe suddenly to hell Let them also beware and look to themselues who giue ouer hearing of Sermons of which there be two sorts schismatikes and afflicted consciences schismatikes are they that cut themselues off from our assemblies whose propertie is to iustifie themselues and to condemne others and therein they haue no small felicity of these some be Papists some Brownists some Anabaptists c. To the first sort we may say as the Apostle doth in Gal. 1.6.7 I maruell that you are so soone turned away vnto another Gospell from him that hath called you which is not another Gospell But some among you intend to trouble the Church of God And if we be not Apostles and Ministers of Christ vnto them yet doubtlesse we are vnto others who are the seale of our ministerie vnto God in Christ. To the second sort we say as the Church saith in Canticles 3.1.2.3.4 Thou wouldest find Christ and canst not
no scholler if he please their humor he is the onely man and no man may come neare him If he vse to repeat his doctrine then he is tedious and wanteth matter if his deliuerie be mild then he is afraid to displease if it be bold and seuere then he is peremptorie and proud If a man vrge the law then he driueth men to desperation if mortification he driueth men into melancholy dumpes and frayeth them out of their wits If we vrge iustification before God by faith in Christ onely then they imagine that we denie good workes If we preach good workes then we are Popish if we teach that men must not pray to Saints nor for the dead then they imagine we deny prayer if we say that the salutation of the Angell to Mary is no prayer then we deny part of the new Testament if we say the Creede is no prayer then we deny the Creede if we preach against common vaine and needlesse swearing then they imagine vs to be Anabaptistes and deny both the vse of an oath and magistracie if we speak against gaming dancing other prophanations of the Lords day then they imagine that we allow Christians no manner of recreation If we preach against any sin that they vse then we preach of malice and against them if we teach doctrine which they conceiue not then there is no edifying in our sermons if they like it not then they imagine that no body else doth regard it if they come to heare vs then we are beholding to them for their presence if they wil not heare vs yet they imagine that we must speake though it be to the wals If they let their children or seruants be catechized by the Minister then they imagine that they do their Minister a great part of friendship in gracing of him if they say ouer their stint of prayers then God is beholding to them and heauen they must haue of merit If they heare sermons then they imagine all is well as though God were pleased with eare-seruice onely and alwayes they imagine grossely of spirituall things like Nicodemus who when Christ spake of being borne againe imagined that he must go againe into his mothers belly And as these Belials are themselues such do they imagine all others to be for as to him that hath an ague all things seeme vnsauourie so to him that hath an euill heart of his owne all mens doings seeme to be euill to verifie the saying of the Apostle in Titus 2.5 To the pure all things are pure but to the vncleane and impure nothing is pure but euen their minds and consciences are defiled and that is the cause why all things seeme euill vnto them because their minds and consciences are defiled But who are pure wil some say are not all men sinners and doth not sinne defile euery mans minde It is true that all men naturally are defiled with euill imaginations Gen. 6.5 but by faith which is through the grace of God in Christ the hearts of the elect are regenerated and purified because it apprehendeth the bloud and spirit of Christ to cleanse vs from sinne past and to preserue vs afterward from the dominion at the least of sinne to come like physicke restoratiue and preseruatiue For where a iustifying faith is there is a fanctifying grace And where faith is Mistresse there is charity handmaid which is of that excellent nature and disposition through the education and instruction of Gods Spirit who begate her that she iudgeth the best of euery thing that may be well interpreted 1. Cor. 13. And so much for the qualitie of Belials imaginations which is euill for so saith my Text and experience confirmeth no lesse but that he imagineth euill Now let vs consider of the other adiunct of Belials imaginations and that is adiunctum quantitatis an adiunct or circumstance of quantitie the euill of his imaginations is of an exceeding great quantitie for he doth not onely imagine euill and make the worst or euery thing but he imagineth euill continually Continually saith the holy Ghost to shew that the man of Belial is alwayes at worke This word noteth in the wicked man two things First diligence Secondly perseuerance in euill Great is the diligence of wicked men in sinne for they lose no time They cannot sleepe saith Salomon except they haue done some euill No Sleepe departeth from their eyes vntill they haue caused some to fall Like gamesters who cannot find the way to bed vntill either they haue lost all their money or caused others to lose all They continue day and night they are as diligent in the seruice of the diuell as the diuell himselfe is is hunting after mens soules for he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure and so do his men of Belial seeke whome to deface and deuoure This note of continuance cometh in like a barre in the armes of the wicked to put a difference betweene them and the godly For though the godly or regenerate do sometime fall into euill surmises and bad imaginations through naturall weakenesse and corruption of heart yet they continue not in it Shall we continue still in sinnes saith the Apostle that grace may abound God forbid No they dare not continue in a sinne they are euer checking and controlling their wayes and confessing their sinnes and condemning themselues and forsaking their euill imaginations And if they fall againe into the same sinne as oftentimes they do it is with a greater detestation and lothing of the same sinne and with a greater and more earnest striuing against it afterward And yet the godly are not so simple and foolishly credulous as to beleeue euery faire tale or to be in league with euery flattering face or to shake hands presently with euery new acquaintance nor to trust euery promise and protestation without any maner of trial nor to make the best of that which is of it selfe naught and apparantly euill nor to be free from all suspition where there is iust cause to suspect and in so doing they are not to be condemned but rather to be commended for as charitie is not suspitious without cause so is it not foolish and blockish when there is cause And seeing as our Sauior Christ himself hath ioyned the innocency of the Doue and the prudency of the Serpent together simplicitie and discretion as a most fit match and well beseeming a Christian soule let no man separate them asunder but be simple wise too And hereof we haue diuers examples in the Scriptures Abraham imagined that in Gerar his wife might be abused and he slaine for his wifes sake and not without iust cause for he saw that the feare of God was not in that place to shew that when good men haue to deale with those that feare not God they may very iustly imagine that they shall not be well dealt withall Iacob suspected that al
Secondly his owne euil affections Gods anger is one cause for God and he being at oddes Belial cannot be at peace with Gods children For he that imagineth euill continually must imagine euill of all men he that imagineth euill of all men must also imagine as he may well inough that he is hated of all he beleeueth no man and is beleeued of none he trusteth no body is trusted of none and being thus hatefull hated it grieueth him to see others at vnitie therefore to bring others into his own case he raiseth vp contentions between partie and partie like the Diuel who being at enimitie with God himself did not cease vntil he had set enimity between God mā And this mutuall or ciuill dissention doth commonly follow amongst men vpon the contempt and neglect of the word of God and that is an effect of Gods most iust reuenging wrath for when men refuse to submit thēselues vnto the Gospell of peace and so to be reconciled vnto God it is iust with God to giue them ouer and to set them at contention amongst themselues that they may be deuoured one of another According to that which the Prophet Esay saith The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt There is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God he doth not say that the wicked do not rest or will not rest but they cannot rest And why Because God denyeth them peace And the Apostle saith Euill men shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued He saith not that they may but they shall waxe worse and worse and they shall deceiue and be deceiued as a thing ordained for them this euill shall come vpon them And the wise man saith As the cole maketh burning coles and wood a fire so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife Therfore whosoeuer he be that doth studie contention and reioyce to heare of strife let him feare his estate If he cannot chuse but contend and desire it euen for it selfe sake let him know that he is branded for a wicked man of Belial and one whome Gods anger doth euen burne vpon vntill it hath consumed him The second cause which moueth him to moue contention are his own euill and leud affections or desires and chiefly the pride of his heart as Salomon saith Onely through pride a man causeth contention And this proud contentious humour of his doth chiefly respect his own vainglorie and the furtherance of impietie and mischiefe Let nothing be done saith S. Paul through contention or vaineglorie to shew that the vaine-glorious are contentious and the one feedeth and maintaineth the other And this is that which Salomon speaketh plainely in the 28. of the Prouerbs verse 25. He that is of a proud heart stirreth vp contention to shew that pride is of a stirring nature and a proud heart by stirring of contention may easily be knowne The second thing that Belials proud contentious heart respecteth is in diuellish pollicie the more freely to practise his mischieuous deuises imagining that he may the more quietly proceede in his wicked enterprises without any question or molestation of himselfe Yea out of the contentions of other men some haue sucked no small aduantage Saul pursued Dauid till he heard that the Philistines were come foorth to inuade and destroy his land and then be returned by which means Dauid escaped his hands for that time 1. Sa. 23.27 While there was dissention among the people no man layed handes on our Sauiour Christ but euery man went to his owne house Iohn 7.43 44.53 and Christ went his way to mount Oliuet Iohn 8. the first verse While the Pharisees and Sadduces were at oddes and deuided about Paules words Paule escaped for that time Act. 23.6.7 By this pollicie also did the seditious that were in the citie of Ierusalem raise a third armie when they saw the Citie alreadie deuided to the vtter spoile and ouerthrow of the whole Citie so the contentions of the Citizens was a vantage to the seditious And no doubt but there are many such amongst vs that would be glad to see ciuill dissention in the land which God for his mercies sake if it be his will turne from vs that they might then the more freely follow the spoile and fall vpon the pray And by what other pollicie I pray you doth the vicar of hell still hold his place but by the contentions of Princes and Nations To this end did Pope Hildebrand neuer leaue hitching and encroching vpon the Emperours right vntill he had put him quite beside the cushion as they say And because the Princes of the world should haue no leysure to see the villanies and outragious practises that lurke vnder his triple Crowne much lesse to call him into question and least of all to suppresse and deiect him his practise hath bene and is to set variance and contention betweene Prince and Prince betweene nation and nation that while they are busie in defending of themselues one against another he may both quietly hold that which he hath gotten and also more easily enlarge the borders of his Popedome and all forsooth vnder the name of Saint Peters patrimonie yea that he with his cup-shorne Cleargie may play Rex and in time ouerrunne all So Hildebrand like a hell firebrand first by excommunicating of Henry the Emperour of Germany set his subiects and him at variance that they rebelling against him and the Pope at the same time excommunicating him might driue him to submit himselfe vnto the Pope which indeed the Emperour most slauishly did with his Queene and his child who waited bare footed and bare legged in a cold winter three daies and three nights at the gates of that proud Luciferian Prelate and at the last was let in and admitted to the Pope where he was constrained to yeeld vnto such base conditions as pleased that proude Prelate to bind him vnto surrendring his Crowne and kingdome vnto the Pope and receiuing the same againe at his hands Afterward fearing lest the Emperor would be reuenged of him for his good entertainment that he gaue him he excommunicated the Emperor againe and set vp Rodulphus Duke of Sueuia in his place during which contention the Emperor was at no leisure to deale against the Pope as afterward he was whē he had subdued Rodulph and was setled againe in his Empire in peace In the same steppes do all Hildebrands successors walke to this day setting all Christendome together by the eares that in the meane time they may easily get and quietly keepe whatsoeuer he can get The like practise is taken vp by our home-bred Papists both couchant and dormant who endeuour by all meanes to set contention betweene the Church-gouernours and the Pastours of the Church about matters of circumstance that in the meane time they with the rest of common aduersaries may do what they