standeth with God he is a right good states-man But what shall it profit a man to bee a good Linguist and not be able to speake the language of Canaan to abound in the perswasiue wordes of humane wisedome as an Oratour and to want the euidence of the Spirit to be skilfull in consort and to haue iarre and discord in his owne heart to be able to measure the whole earth yet not to measure the narrow compasse of his owne life What shall it aduantage a man to be cunning in the heauens and to haue one foot in hell to number his kine his sheepe his cattell and not to number his owne daies Iob was a very rich man the richest among all the men of the East yet the number of all his beasts was knowne Iob 1 3. His substance was seauen thousand Sheepe three thousand Camels fiue hundred yoke of Oxen and fiue hundred shee-asses There is no Shepheard but knoweth the number of his whole flock and oftentimes telleth them that hee may not be deceiued No man is so simple but hee can reckon the number of his Cattell rehearse the names of his Oxen. What extremity of folly then is it to haue skill to number vp his sheepe and other goods and yet in the carelesnesse of his heart to suffer whole yeares to passe ouer his head and the greatest part of his age to flye away and neuer number his daies thereby to get spirituall wisedome We see that Merchants other Trades-men haue their counters and counting-houses to cast vp their accounts and to make eeuen reckonings but alasse it is more then childishnes and worse then madnesse to keepe right reckonings betweene man and man and neuer to reckon with God nor to make leuell with him The Prophet setting downe the shortnes of mans life that his time is threescore yeares and ten which passe away as a thought doth breake out into this effectuall praier Psal 90 12. Teach vs so to number our daies that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome This is diuine arithmeticke and most heauenly numeration to enter into our counting houses that we may vnderstand how short a space we haue to liue and thereby become circumspect and heedy how we spend the time of our life that remaineth If then we remember our last end and thinke vpon the hours of our age that run away swiftly we deserue the praise and commendation of good Arithmetitians and we may be saide to haue the best arte and habit of numbring that can be in the world Al other knowledge of numbring without this is of lesse value then a cypher Besides the greatest part of men that would be thought cunning in the practise of this faculty are out of their numbers much deceiued they euermore busie themselues in addition multiplication and dreame of many yeares that they are to liue whereas we must be carefull to practise subtraction diminution knowing that euery day nay euery houre momēt cutteth off a part of our time The rich man in the Gospell was a bad cypherer an euil Arithmetitian whē he set down a false sum to his owne soule saying Luc. 12 19. Thou hast much goods laid vp for many years He set down years for daies like the deceitful trades-man that writeth pounds for shillings The Prophet Dauid was more skilfull in this art and had learned better to cast accounts saying Ps 39. Lord let me know mine end Psal 39 4 5 6 and the measure of my daies what it is let me know how long I haue to liue Thou hast made my daies as an hand-bredth and mine age is nothing in respect of thee surely euery man in his best estate is altogether vanity Doubtlesse man walketh in a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vain he heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them In which place howsoeuer some impatience appeareth in regard of the present troubles wherewith on euery side he was encombred and compassed about yet he confesseth the vanity of his life the shortnesse of his daies and the vncertainty of all his actions We are ready to promise vnto our selues a long life and to multiply the thoughts of many years which drowneth vs in the desires of this world and taketh away the meditation of heauenly things Iob in sundry places teacheth vs this art of numbring ch 14. Man that is borne of woman is of a short continuance full of trouble he shooteth out as a flower Iob 14 1.2 is cut downe c. Let vs learn of these godly men the art of arithmetick and know that we haue profited wel in that schoole when by skilfull diduction we can bring the yeares of our life vnto a consideration of the number of our dayes which passe away and not be recalled Lastly seeing the Lord knoweth vs it is our Vse 5 duty also to seeke to know him in all loue and obedience He knoweth vs not only with that knowledge wherewith he knoweth the wicked but with a speciall knowledge of his fauor good pleasure This must be considered of vs. For some man might say Is this any priuiledg that God will know vs doth he not also know the wicked or is there any thing dim dark to him or hidden frō him He doth know the vngodly euen al their thoughts and imaginations their goings out their commings in for euermore It were good for thē if he knew them not with his al-seeing prouidence for then they might escape the vengeance of his powerfull hand But they shall know in the end that he knoweth them to their finall condemnation His knowledge of his deare elect is far otherwise he knoweth them to protect defend them to iustifie and saue them He knoweth them as a father knoweth his children or as a friend loueth his friend he knoweth them particularly and by their proper names he loueth thē with an vnfained loue On the other side it standeth vs vpon to know him with an especiall knowledge as the child knoweth loueth his father after a speciall manner and in an earnest measure euen from a feeling of that loue wherewith the father loueth him True it is the child loueth others but in a generall sort but his owne father he knoweth more particularly with an inward affection of the heart he knoweth his voice and can discerne it from others So is it with the sons of God who haue a blessed experience of his loue toward them they loue him they delight in him and they reioyce in him as Iohn 3.29 Iohn 3 29. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome c. Wee must all of vs begin to know him heere in this life that wee may know him perfectly in the life to come Heere we must see him as it were through a glasse darkly that heereafter wee may see him face to face fully If we do not know him in his Word and Sacraments wee shall neuer
for his piety and aduancement of true religion sent out his Princes to teach in the Cities of Iudah not that they did take vpon them the duty of the Priests or vsurpe the office of the Prophets but because they did backe countenance authorize the Leuites they did embolden encorage the Prophets This made an easy way and passage for the receiuing and entertaining of true religion among the people with much more readinesse and cheerefulnesse then otherwise would haue bene For when they saw and considered that such noble and worthy persons were the aduancers and vpholders of the common Faith they were the more stirred vp to a zelous professing and a carefull embracing and a sincere obeying of the truth that was taught Seeing therefore such good Princes are such great pillars of the Commonwealth of the Church and of Religion the losse of them when they are taken away is one of the greatest losses threatneth the ruine and hauocke of all that is good When the good King Iosiah was taken away Lam. 4 20. being taken in the snare vnder whose shadow they liued in peace all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for him and spake of him in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel 2 Chr. 35 24 Zach. 12 11. For as the enioying of them bringeth many blessings that wee may quietly resort together to the hearing of the word and peaceably sit vnder our Vines and Fig-trees and reason of the wayes of the Lord as it was in the daies of Salomon when no man may doe what seemeth good in his owne eies as in the want of them so the taking of them away is the cause of many euils of much wickednes whereof we may say as Christ doth in another case Math. 24 8. â— All these are the beginnings of sorrows True it is that the religion of God and the doctrine of the Gospel do not so stand in neede of the help of man as though they must fal wheÌ„ they fal because they are set vpon such a sure foundation that no force or power of maÌ„ can shake them or destroy them and they tooke firme root and spred far and neere vnto all quarters before any Christian Magistrates embraced them nay while they remained vtter enemies vnto them and open persecuters of them neuerthelesse it pleaseth God to vse them as his chosen instruments and by them to bring many thousands to the knowledge of the trueth and consequently to the kingdom of heauen who otherwise through their ignorance wold not see it or through their carelesnesse would not regard it or through their vntowardnesse would not accept of it 10 And the Princes offered for dedicating of the Altar in the day that it was annointed euen the Princes offered their offering before the Altar 11 And the Lord said vnto Moses c. We heard before of the offering performed ioyntly by the Princes now let vs see the Offerings which they brought seuerally For besides the Chariots and the Oxen each of these great Commanders of the people and Heads of the Tribes offered vnto God for his seruice in the Tabernacle a Charger of fine siluer waighing 130. shekels a siluer Boll of 70. shekles and one Spoone of ten shekels of Golde full of Incense al which they performed at the same time when the Altar was dedicated to God by Aaron and before they marched from Sinai where the Law was giuen toward their conquest of the promised land The waight of all the 12. siluer Chargers and 12 siluer Bolles amounted vnto 2400 shekels of siluer the waight of Gold in the Incense spoones did amount to 120. shekels of Gold which maketh of shekels of siluer 1200. euery shekel of Gold valewing ten of siluer so that the whole sum which they offred at this time was about 420 pounds sterling These Princes offered before with men and women yet now they come againe thinke they can neuer do enough toward the furtherance of the Tabernacle the worship of God The doctrine Doctrine from hence is this that they which haue most outward blessings greatest ability must be most forward in Gods worship and seruice They that haâ—e tâ—e greatest ability guts muâ—t bee mâ—st â—orwâ—rd in Gods seruice In Ezra it appeareth they al gaue according to their ability chap. 2 9. The chiefe of the Fathers when they came to the house of the Lord offered freely for the house of God to set it vp in his place So in Nehemiah it appeareth how bountifull he and the Princes and the people were They gaue much siluer and gold to finish the worke of the Lord. The examples of Dauid and Salomon in this kind are very euident and apparent for that which one of them prepared to the work and the other employed and bestowed vpon the worke is exceeding great as appeareth in the holy history 1 Chron. 18 11. c. And so much the rather we should employ our blessings and gifts to the seruice of God Reason and so giue them after a sort to him that gaue them first vnto vs because it is a sign that our affection is set vpon the worship of God and an assurance to our owne hearts that we loue him and his house 1 Chro. 29 3 4. where Dauid sheweth he gaue 3000. talents of golde of the gold of Ophir and 7000. talents of refined siluer because he had set his affection to the house of his God On the other side where is no liberality we may conclude there is no worship of God Secondly euery one is bound to glorifie God with his riches knowing that they are but stewards and dispensers of them of which they must giue an account vnto God Luk. 16 2. To this end hath God bestowed them and to this end we haue receiued them and therefore to this end they should bee employed Thirdly this is a certain rule that To whom soeuer much is giuen of him shall much be required Luke 12 48. Hee that hath little committed vnto him hath the lesse account and shorter reckning to make but to whom men haue coÌ„mitted much of him they will require more so is it with God if he haue left vs fiue talents he will aske fiue of vs againe and according as God hath put vs in trust with litle or much we must know that he looketh for this at our hands that we bee ready to employ little or much vpon his seruice euery one according to his ability This serueth to reproue the forgetfulnesse and vnthankfulnes of such as neuer consider Vse 1 the end wherefore God hath blessed them giuing themselues wholly to carnall liberty and security and so are more backeward in good things then if they had neuer receiued so many and so great blessings from God Hee hath a plentifull store-house and a treasurie of all treasures out of this he dealeth with vs and distributeth vnto vs plentifully The Apostle giueth the Church a watchword
brethreÌ„ that are Christians by profession Saints by calling heyres by faith sons by adoption partakers of the same grace with vs yea as we see the gifts of God more cleerly to shine and more manifestly to multiply in them so our loue must encrease toward them As they goe forward or backward encrease or decrease as we see them zealous or cold or luke-warme so must our inward loue proceed or stay grow or slake toward them alwaies where God sheweth forth the abundance of his loue shed into their hearts we must most wisely bestow our loue according to his example which the nearer we follow the more conformable we are to God wherein standeth our happinesse Vse 3 Lastly it reproueth such as are vnappeasable and will neuer forgiue and forget the iniuries that are done vnto them Assuredly such shall finde iudgement without mercy as shew no mercy Who is there among vs that doth not daily euen with the ayre draw in the mercy of God It is his mercy that we are not all consumed If then hauing our selues receiued so great mercy we can returne in way of thankfulnesse no compassion to others we make a law against our selues and as it were stop and shut vp the spring of grace from flowing vnto vs. â—er 2 13. This the Apostle Iames teacheth There shall be iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement It standeth vs all therefore vpon not to rest in the bare and naked name of the sonnes of God but labour in the truth of the inner parts and in sincerity of our hearts to be like to him practising the exhortatioÌ„ of the Apostle 〈◊〉 12 13. As the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenes of minde meeknesse long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another c. There is no saluation without pardon and remission of sin Would we then haue saluation Do we desire forgiuenesse at the hand of God The meanes to assure vs that we haue attained it 〈◊〉 4 31 32. is to put away wrath all maliciousnesse and to be courteous tender-hearted one to another forgiuing one another if we desire to feele any true comfort to our own soules in the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes When we cried vnto the Lord he heard our voice The truth of the former reason 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 setteth downe the loue of God to his people hearing their prayers sending his Angel and bringing them out of Egypt The doctrine out of these words considered in themselues is this Doctrine God loueth his people God loueth and fauoureth his owne people Howsoeuer they be hated of the world because they are not of the world but are chosen out of the world yet he setteth theÌ„ as a seale on his hart Cant 8 6 5 2. and as a signet on his arme Heereunto come the amiable and louely titles that Christ giueth to his Church calling it knocking vnto it saying Open vnto me my Sister my Loue my Doue my vndefiled for my head is full of dew and my lockes with the drops of the night So the Prophet expresseth his loue in the Psalme toward his people Albeit they were few in number yea Psal 105 12 13 14 15. very few and strangers in the Land and walked about from Nation to Nation from one Kingdome to another people yet suffered he no man to do theÌ„ harm but reproued Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme So Moses testifieth the same Deu. 7 6 7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to bee a precious people vnto himselfe aboue all people that are vpon the earth The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because ye were moe in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the lord loued you and would keepe the oath which hee had sworne vnto your fathers Ioshua 24 3. Psalm 78 70. Mathew 4 18 Luke 23.43 Acts 9 15. Thus God in great mercy brought Abraham from his Country tooke Dauid from the sheepfolds chose Peter and Andrew from their nets called Mathew from the custome conuerted the theefe vpon the crosse and turned Paul from a persecutour to be an Apostle beeing oftentimes found of them that sought not after him by all which testimonies and examples it appeareth that God doth shew himselfe good and gracious vnto his people The reasons are First because they are his Reason 1 sonnes and daughters This is an argument of great loue a testimony that he will not forsake vs for euer We are not onely the seruants and friends of God but the sonnes of God the spouse of Christ Indeed Christ is the naturall Son of God and the eldest brother by whom we are adopted to be the sons of God This reason the Apostle propoundeth 1 Iohn 3 1. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen to vs that we should be called the sonnes of God for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Great is the affection of feruent loue that parents beare toward their children no heart of any can wel expresse it but he that hath bin a father himselfe to feele it Others may well speake of it but they are not able to comprehend it And yet all their loue is a cold frozen loue yea it is no loue indeed yea it is no better then hatred in comparison of the loue that the Father of heauen and earth beareth to his children whose loue to vs is wonderfull passing the loue of men and women This the Prophet teacheth Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee Es 49 15. Likewise Christ saith Mat. 7 9 10. What man is there among you which if his son aske him bread would giue him a stone Or if he aske fish will he giue him a serpent If ye then which are euill can giue to your children good gifts how much more shal your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him Reason 2 Againe he hath sent his Sonne into the world who came from the bosome of his Father and tooke our nature vpon him he endured the infirmities of our nature the shame of the crosse the wrath of his Father to bring vs into his fauour He was punished we are pardoned he was charged with our sinnes we are discharged from our sinnes he was crucified we are acquitted he was condemned we are iustified Thus the Apostle Iohn reasoneth Heerein was the loue of God made manifest among vs 1 Ioh. 4 9 10. because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into this world that we might liue through him Heerein is that loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sins The naturall
false comforts and briefly false worshippings which are of no value or vertue of no worth or reckning The least duty that God requireth that may be called the worke of Christ is better then all the stately workes of men and so to take vppe a rush if it stand with the will of God to make cleane platters or spits or shooes is more acceptable to him if it bee our calling then to builde memorials or Monasteries for ydle and superstitious Monkes without worde or warrant Secondly as our obedience must haue the word for a foundation so we must performe the same heartily not for outward shew and fashion or to be seene of men but do all as in the sight of him that looketh vpon the heart It is saide by the Prophet Psal 40 7 8. In the volume of thy Booke it is written of me I desired to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Our obedience must not bee parted and diuided betweene God and the Diuell God will haue intire obedience or accept no obedience at our hands Hence it is Prouer. 23 â— that the Wiseman exhorteth vs To giue God our heart and let our eyes delight in his wayes 2 Tim. 2 22. Luke 8 â— Râ—â— 10 10. Iohn â— 18. Rom 6 â—â— Col. 3 21 2. This discouereth the sinne of all hypocrites who pray but not with a pure hart they heare but it is not with good and honest hearts they belieue but it is not with the heart they loue but it is not in deede and in truth they obey but they are not obedient from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine and whatsoeuer they doe they do it ceremonially and externally not heartily as to the Lord but hypocritically as to men like idle and sloathfull seruants who performe no more to their Masters but eye-seruice as men pleasers If then our heart be away all is away the soule and life of euerie action is wanting and we offer the dead carkas of a sacrifice to God which stinketh as an vnsauoury thing in his nosethrils This made the Prophet say Psal 25 1 2. Vnto thee O Lord I lift vp my soule And Psal 108 1 2. O God my heart is prepared so is my tongue I will sing and giue praise If once the affection of the heart be setled the tongue tarrieth not behinde but is ready to publish the praises of God Thirdly our obedience must be done with all our power cheerefully and willingly which dependeth vppon the former albeit distinguished from it Although we faile in many circumstances God will not lay it to our charge nor stay the course of his blessings from comming vnto vs so long as hee seeth in vs a willing heart Hee respecteth more the affection to obey then obedience it selfe and alloweth of our good desire more then of the performance of the duty Wee see this in the poore widdowes mite which shee cast into the Treasurie of which our Sauiour sayth Marke 12 43. Luke 21 verse 23. Of a trueth I say vnto you that this poore Widdow hath cast in more then all they that haue cast into the treasurie She had not cast in more if wee considered the quantitie and greatnesse of the gift for what was two mites but a quadrin but it was more in regard of the quality and affection of her heart which is much set by of Almighty God Heereupon it is that the Prophet sayeth Micah 7 18 19. Who is a God like vnto thee that taketh away iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercie pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion vppon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast al their sinnes into the bottome of the Sea Thus we see how fauourable the Lord is toward his children that are desirous and willing to serue him To this purpose speaketh the Prophet Malachi in the third Chapter and the seauenteenth verse They shall bee to mee saith the Lord of hoasts in that day that I shall doe this for a flocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him The Father when he shall set his sonne to any businesse if he shew his good will and endeuour to doe his best will be pleased with him and accept of the worke though it be done vnperfectly rawly and vntowardly He takes in good part his good desire Euen so is it with Almighty God if hee see in vs willingnesse wee shall finde from him forgiuenesse and our imperfections to be passed ouer The Apostle S. Paul teacheth this in the second Epistle to the Corinthians chapter eight and the twelfth verse If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not Thus doeth God encourage vs in our obedience assuring vs that the measure of grace that hee bestoweth vpon vs shall be sufficient for vs. Fourthly wee must performe the fruites of our obedience entirely not to halfes sincerely not parting stakes betweene God and the Diuell and our selues as wee noted before Many will do so much readily as may stand with their owne liking and agree with their owne ease and profit but they will goe no farther they are content to doe diuerse good things but they continue and perseuer in some sinnes that marre all They can hate pride but they contemne the Gospell some will shew loue to the Gospell but are lasciuious hard-hearted vniust doers of wrong and euill speakers It is a foolish conceite of many that thinke they may lawfully liue in some knowne sins and yet bee Gods seruants still these deceiue themselues and discouer the hypocrisie of their hearts Such as continue in drunkennesse fornication Adulterie vncleannesse hatred and couetousnesse will presume to come to the place of Gods worship and shroud themselues into the companie of the faithfull and present themselues in the presence of God and receiue the Lordes Supper once a yeere and then think that God will and must haue respect vnto them These are like the dissembling and deceitfull Iewes mentioned by Ieremy the Prophet Ierem. 7 9 10. Will you steale murther and commit Adultery and sweare falsely and burne Incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom yee know not And come and stand before me in this house whereupon my name is called and say we are deliuered though we haue done all these abhominations Saul would do the workes of GOD in outward pretence 1 Sam. 15. Mark 6 20. and shew himselfe obedient in part but he kept Agag aliue and spared the fattest of the Cattle contrary to the commandement of God Herod heard Iohn willingly reuerenced him receiued the worde with ioy and did many things at his preaching but he would not leaue his Incest and depart from his brothers wife The godly doe not deale thus falsly and fraudulently with God they giue him the
man and is diuersly published by diuers persons some putting that booke before which others place after as wee see the bookes of history are ioyned together all the greater Prophets follow them and the lesser Prophets conclude the volume and Canon of the olde Testament The like wee might say of the books of the new Testament the placing of the foure Euangelists first the annexing of the Acts of the Apostles next the setting downe of Pauls Epistles as now they stand to wit the Epistle to the Romanes first to the Corinthians next c is mans appointment not Gods ordinance but if we consider these bookes in themselues and the matter contained in them the grace of speech that floweth from them the power and effect that is wrought by them the whole body of them thus vnderstood is inspired of God and the order of them is diuine inasmuch as the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists were moued by the holy Spirit and led by him in the deliuery of the matter and manner both of the things and words This the Apostle Peter acknowledgeth 2 Pet. 1 20 21. No Prophesie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost 2 Ti. 3 16 17. Paul also agreeth hereunto saying The whole Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse We must therefore both search the Scriptures search into the order of the Scriptures which is most diuine and heauenly whereof we may say This is the singer of God Heere we shall see the whole agreeing with euery part and the seuerall parts agreeing with the whole When the Queene of Sheba vpon the report of Salomons wisedome was come to Ierusalem and there saw the sumptuousnesse of his buildings the greatnesse of his wisedome the meate of his table the sitting of his seruants the order of his Ministers the vessels of his house the multitude of his offerings and the answering of her hard questions shee was greatly astonied and saide I beleeued not this report till I came and had seene it with mine eies 1 Kin. 10.7 8. but loe the one halfe was not told me c Happy are thy men happy are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome But as our Sauiour saith A greater then Salomon is heere so we may truely say greater wisedome and better order is heere in the diuine wisedome of the word that shineth in Gods house And albeit we heare neuer so much of the excellency of this worde yet if our delight be in it and our meditation vpon it day and night wee shall in the end be constrained to cry out Loe the one halfe thereof was not told me Let vs all taste of the sweetnesse of it let vs continually looke vpon the beauty of it let vs lift vp our eares to attend to the melody of it let vs prepare our hearts to lay vp the treasures of it And let vs from a feeling of the worthinesse and wisedome of it and seeing the order of it confesse with the Prophet Oh how loue I thy Law Psal 119 97. it is my meditation continually Secondly this reproueth such as know no Vse 2 order but bring in all confusion and disorder in Church or Common-wealth these haue nothing to do with God but are the Children of the Diuell that hath transformed them into his image and likenesse For from whence are seditions and confusions but from our owne lusts enflamed and kindled from his furnace Many there are that can abide no order at all others will not set themselues against all order to peruert it but make such a mingling mangling of it that they vtterly change the nature of it The Church aboue all other societies ought to bee the picture and representation of right order and comelinesse which is as bright as the Sunne as faire as the Moone Cantic 6 9. as terrible as an army with banners We see how God hath commanded it to be ruled euery one hath his proper calling his proper office his proper gifts for the discharge thereof If then disorder creepe in it how great is that disorder Consider the members of our naturall bodies if the head would presume to walke and vsurpe vpon the office of the feet or if the hand would take vpon it to see and direct the body if the eare encroch vpon the function of the tongue and thinke it selfe able to speake or if the foote would suppose it selfe to be of greater eminency and excellency then the heart or the head and striue for the highest roome or swelling with enuy and pride to behold greater gifts in another member should refuse to do the office of the foot what would follow but the ouerthrow of the whole body Who would not but complaine of this confusion as most monstrous and vnnaturall Let vs now consider how the case standeth with the Church Are there not many being bold and blind that teach before they haue learned and runne before they are sent that being without gifts and almost the shadow of gifts take vpon them the places of Pastors who were fitter to feed sheepe and to goe to some trade or occupation or to bee sent to the Plough taile to earne their liuing by the sweat of their browes rather then by murthering the soules of the people Hos 4.6 who many times perish for want of knowledge Another notable confusion and eye-sore in this body of the Church is when priuate persons enter vpon the office of the Minister and dare intermeddle with the holy Sacraments from which they ought to bee as strangers For what haue these men or women to doe with setting the authentike Seales to Gods promises who hath committed to them no such office nor giuen vnto them any such gifts Who required this at their hands or if they will be intruders or vsurpers will God accept their seruice nay rather will hee not punish their sacriledge Haue they any greater priuiledge then Vzzah had 2 Sam. 6.6.7 who putting his hand to the Arke of God when the oxen did shake it was smitten with sudden death and tasted the fruit of his high presumption Euery Sacrament is as the Arke of God it must not bee touched with vnwashen that is with common and vnsanctified hands Good intentions shall not goe for good payment nor be able to warrant euill actions Will-worship is odious to God and abominable in his sight who will bee worshipped according to his owne will so that it is in no wise lawfull to transgresse the rule and breake the order that God hath set Obiect Neither let any in the prophannesse of his heart or the ignorance of his minde obiect Cannot priuate persons vse the words of Baptisme in all points as well as the Minister obserue the words of institution and powre on water vpon the child which are the
Patriarkes and Prophets that by faith receiued a good report concludeth that we must rather looke to the example of Christ the Author finisher of our faith who endured the Crosse and despised the shame for the ioy that was set before him If theÌ„ the example of God be to be followed of vs we must be moued to shew mercy where we see the bountiful hand of God opened before vs. Reason 2 Secondly we are the children of God wee are the seruants of God we are the subiects of his kingdome we must therefore seeke to be like to him resemble him in our obedience to his Commandements as the Apostle Peter sheweth 1 Pet. 1.14.15.16 As obedient children fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so bee ye holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And thus saith the Lord by Malachy the Prophet ch 1 6. A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his master If then I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my feare Hereunto accordeth and agreeth the exhortation of Christ Ioh. 13 12 13 14. Know ye what I haue done to you Yee call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master haue washed your feete ye ought also to wash one anothers feet For I haue giuen you an example that ye should do euen as I haue done to you Vse 1 The vses First let vs learne to acknowledge from hence this truth that great is Gods mercy who neuer faileth nor forsaketh those that are his For assuredly his mercy and compassion should neuer be propounded to vs as a rule to direct vs and as an example to guide vs if there were not infinite loue in him and in our God plentifull redemption Wherefore we may safely conclude this principle of our faith and teach it to others that the mercies of God are sure and certaine to his Church This the Prophet handleth at large Psal 103 8 11 13. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kindnesse as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy toward theÌ„ that feare him As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him There is no end no measure no limitation of his mercy compassion The height of it is not to be taken the depth of it is not to be found the length and bredth of it is not to be comprehended It is higher then the heauens it is deeper then the graue it is longer then the earth it is broader then the sea Who is it that by searching can finde out God Iob 11 7 8 9. or search out the Almighty to his perfection For loue and mercy pitty are not in God as they are in men In vs they are such graces of the Spirit of God as wee are qualified withall througâ— his gift they are streames flowing from his Fountaine and as light drawne from his Candle But in God are no qualities or accidents he is of none but hath his being of himselfe giueth being to all other things Therefore the Apostle saith God is loue it selfe not onely the Fountaine and well-spring of loue 1 Iohn 4 16. but loue it selfe And one saith truely and properly Bernard in de d. l g. Deo God is not wise but wisedome it selfe not iust but iustice it selfe not pittifull but pitty it selfe not mercifull but mercy it selfe not good but goodnesse it selfe This is a great comfort and refreshing to vs in all afflictions be they neuer so great be they neuer so greeuous there is no infirmitie and weaknesse in God his mercy is ouer al his works he is infinite in compassion he can no more ceasse to bee mercifull then ceasse to be God and therefore it being essentiall to him our misery can neuer exceed or counteruaile his mercy Secondly we must Vse 2 learne from hence to loue all the creatures of God albeit not all equally after the example of God We reade euery where in the Scripture of the loue of God louing not onely his Sonne his Church his Elect Zanch denâ— dei lib. 4 â—ap quest 2. Acts 14 17 but the rest of the world the reprobate and all his creatures Giuing them raine and fruitefull seasons filling their hearts with ioy and gladnesse Let vs therefore first see what the loue of God is He loueth all his creatures euen all the works of his hands He saw all that he had made and loe Gen. 1 31. they were exceeding good Yea he doth good to all in him they moue liue breathe and haue their being Notwithstanding he loueth his elect and chosen people ordained to eternall life more then the rest of mankinde whom he leaueth in their sinne to worke out their owne confusion as the Apostle teacheth Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated For touching the faithfull Rom. 9 14 Rom â— 3â— Rom 3 2â— 1 Thess 5 â— Iohn 14 2â— Math. 25 â— he calleth them effectually he iustifieth theÌ„ freely he sanctifieth them throughly in soule and body yea as the faithfull increase in grace the exercises of piety so they more and more feele the loue of God toward them as Christ speaketh He that keepeth my Commandements is he that loueth me and he that loueth me shall bee loued of my Father Heere then we haue an example before vs for our continuall instruction to guide vs in the matter and measure of our loue For first the meanest of the creatures are to be loued none of them are to be abused of vs. Hereunto tend the lawes giueÌ„ to the Iewes not to oppresse our Cattell not to musle the mouth of the Oxe nor to take the dam with the young to helpe vp the Asse sinking falling vnder his burthen and such like Secondly we must much more loue mankinde made after the Image of God yea euen our enemies according to the commandement of our Lord and Master Christ Math. 5 44 45. This is not a counsell but a Commandement charging vs to loue our enemies seeking their good thirsting after their saluation ouercomming euill with goodnesse heaping coales of fire vpon their head and thereby gathering an assurance to our owne hearts that wee are the children of God Thirdly it belongeth to the faithfull to loue the faithfull with an especiall loue as children with them of the selfe same Father heyres with them of the same kingdome for heereby we shall know that we are translated from death to life â—hn 3 14. because wee loue the brethren This the Apostle teacheth Gal. 6 10. While we haue time let vs do good to all men but especially vnto them that are of the houshold of faith So that in the duties of loue we must preferre our godly
vnbeleeuers but letteth them alone and spareth them as though hee had forgotten their workes or had not seene their sinnefull wayes yet they must know that their transgressions are recorded in the booke of God and shall come to account For hee suffereth those whom he loueth not to waxe ripe yea to rot away in their sinnes and in the meane season hee chastiseth those whom he hath adopted to be his children Gen. 15. The state of the faithfull is in the fight of man and in the iudgment of the world more miserable then the state of the despisers of God which rest at ease and welter in all pleasures They seeme to bee forgotten of God and vtterly forsaken of helpe so that they pine away with sorrow of heart whereas the wicked lift vp their heads and set their hornes on high they are merry and make a mocke of sinne in the despite of God and in scorne of all godlinesse Alas how would this trouble and torment vs and bring vs to our wits ends if wee had not this doctrine that iudgement entreth first into the house of God and that when God shall haue finished all his worke vpon mount Sion then will hee not spare the wicked Esay 10 12. God will indeed keepe corrections first in his owne house seeing he loueth them most and seeketh to cleanse them from their sinnes hee will visit them in the first place lest they should be condemned with the world and then a most horrible vengeance is prepared and a stormy tempest is made ready for those that haue long abused his patience and hardned their hearts not knowing that his long sufferance ought to haue led them to repentance 1. Cor 11 32. This serueth as a notable comfort on the one side to all the godly that are tryed by afflictions of long continuance We must consider that the more the Lord loueth vs the more forward he is in visiting of vs and when he seeth wee haue stepped awry and are gone out of the right way of saluation hee watcheth ouer vs to bring vs home againe to him with speed This is that which the Apostle teacheth the Church of Corinth For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if we would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged but when we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Let vs not therefore despise the chastening of the Lord neyther faint when we are rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth and hee scourgeth euery sonne whom he receiueth if therefore we be without correction c. Heb. 12 5.6 Euen as when a man beholding two children committing euill correcteth one of them and letteth the other go free the standers by will say surely that was his sonne which hee did smite and chasten but the other was not Besides we are assured that the wicked shall perish and that the vngodly shall bee punished Secondly this serueth to set forth the wofull condition of all the reprobate for when they see how GOD dealeth with his owne deare children chastening them for their sinnes and sending them great afflictions as appeareth in Dauid that the sword departed not from his house that God did visit him with sundry other iudgements in his children all the dayes of his life it ought to be a feareful threatning to the wicked to make them afraid of the reward which is laide vp in store for them in the life to come This is that which Salomon calleth to their remembrance Behold the righteous shal be recompenced c. Prou. 11 31. And to the same purpose speaketh the Apostle Peter The time is câ—me that iudgement must beginne at the house of GOD 1. Peter 4 17. If it first beginne at vs what shall the end be of them which obey not the Gospel of God And if the righteous scarsely bee saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Woe therefore to all wicked men how wretched shall their end be how horrible shal their destruction be when God commeth to giue them the hire and wages of their worke Let them therefore repent of their euill waies and call vpon God betimes before the euill daies approch and before iudgment do come vpon them Vse 3 Lastly from hence arise sundry duties to be practised as well of the children of God that lye vnder chastisement as of others that are beholders of it First seeing God will begin his chastisements vpon his owne children it teacheth them when they are punished to consider and search out the true cause therof and to call vpon him to pardon theyr sinnes True it is hee is able to preserue them in the time of trouble he is ready to regard their prayers but their sinnes are lothsome to him and doe turne away his louing countenance from them according vnto the saying of the Prophet Esay 59 1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot saue neither is his eare heauy that it cannot hear but your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God your sins haue hid away his face from you that hee will not heare When our sinnes are heartily confessed they shall be freely pardoned and when they are pardoned God is reconciled vnto vs and when he is reconciled his iudgements shal be remoued Secondly let vs begin a new life walke in the wayes of righteousnes for as Salomon teacheth Righteousnesse deliuereth from death Prou. 10 2. Wee must turne from our wickednes and then God will turne from his iudgements Wee are ready to cry out in the time of our affliction but we are not so readie to practise true religion If wee would call in Gods iudgement we must turne to him by amendment of life Lastly when we see the Lord strike his owne children wee must behold it with an eye of compassion So soone as we see their miseries and calamities that ly heauy vppon them we must shew our selues to haue a feeling of their afflictions wee must expresse our pitty we must manifest our kindnesse and wee must declare the bowels of our loue toward them This is it which Iob requireth at the hands of his friends in the daies of his sorrow Iob 19 21. The wicked haue despised me when I rose they spake against me all my secret friends abhorred me and they whom I loued are turned against me c. Where we see he sheweth that God had chastened him that his brethren stoode farre from him that his acquaintance were strangers vnto him that his neighbors had forsaken him that his familiars had forgotten him that his seruants disdained him that his wife loathed him that the wicked despised him that his secret friends abhorred him thereupon hee cryeth out for some to pitty him in his misery and to comfort him in his extreamity This duty should be performed by vs to testifie our loue vnto the seruants of God and so
purchase it The Prophet teacheth that the people are destroied for want of knowledge Hos 4 6 thereby depriue themselues of the means of saluation Vse 3 Lastly we should learne to eschew auoid Idolatry in the very beginning before by custome and continuance it be encreased If we once entertaine it with the least liking and approbation we shall neuer or hardly reclaime our selues till we fill vp the measure of it The Apostle exhorteth vs to abstaine from all appearance of euill 1 Thess 5 22. And Iude admonisheth vs to hate the garment spotted with the flesh verse 23. We must hate therefore as well the occasions and appurtenances of Idolatry as Idolatry it selfe as those things which bring much dishonour to God and much hurt vnto our owne soules Obiection But some peraduenture will say What need all these things or what cause is there of so many words touching Idolatry the remnants therof all this might well enough be spared and passed ouer forasmuch as heere are none of vs that are Idolaters and if any haue beene so that is forgotten and forgiuen long agoe I answer Answ it is not to be denyed but confessed that we liue in a reformed Church wherein Idolatry is swept away and yet many do in this point much deceiue themselues and are like the Pharisies that iustified themselues For if we would examine our selues by the strict rule of the word of God what Idolatry is and what it is not then certainely it will manifestly appeare that in the Church of England there are Idolaters yea notable Idolaters to bee found The Law is plaine and do we not reade what God saith Exodus 20 verse 4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image neither the similitude of any thing thou shalt not bow downe to thē nor serue them If these were asked of this Commandement they would be ready to answer with the young man in the Gospel All these things haue I kept from my youth Matth. 19 20. For we thinke commonly that vnlesse we be popish Idolaters to fall down before an Idoll worship it we be no Idolaters at all But heereby we shew that we doe not vnderstand the Law of God neyther the rules of interpretation For as murther consisteth not onely in taking away life but in hatred also and reuenge as the Apostle Iohn testifieth Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer and yee know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him 1 Iohn chapter 3 verse 15. Matth. chapter 5 verse 22 and as adultery consisteth not onely in the outward acte but also in the inward and secret lustes of the heart so may there be Idolaters that do not fall downe and worshippe an Idoll and there is an Idolatry in the heart as well as in the practise The Apostle Paul in the second Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4 calleth the diuell The god of this world and yet there are none in the Church that worshippe the diuell in any outward or visible shape but they hate the thought of it no lesse then the deed How then is it that many or that any make him their god but that they beleeue in him obey him and trust more in him then they do in almighty God Whereupon he concludeth that they are no better then worshippers of the diuell howsoeuer not in outward fashion yet in the inward affection So if we would examine our owne hearts and spirits by this law which is spirituall we shall finde our selues to be grosse Idolaters many wayes Many worship theyr wealth and make theyr riches theyr god and set it vp as an Idoll in theyr hearts and this is one relique of Idolatry These are they that thinke gaine to be godlinesse 1 Tim. 6 5. and are grosse Idolaters in theyr hearts howsoeuer they neuer worshipped any visible Image Againe there are some that worship GOD with theyr bellies Phil. 3 19 such are the drunkards gluttonous persons howsoeuer otherwise they hate an Image yet are they notable Idolaters in theyr hearts There are also Idolaters of other sorts and other reliques of Idolatry some haue made theyr pleasure theyr god this is the common sinne of great men and these worshippe and serue theyr owne delights and pastimes loue them more then the Lord. Now whatsoeuer a man loueth better then GOD that same he maketh to bee his God Many such there are among vs who albeit they abhorre the open worshipping of Images yet in theyr hearts they reteyne the dregs of Idolatry and are indeed notable Idolaters And if wee would make diligent tryall of our selues and search into the secret corners of our harts by the cleere light of the word as with a candle we should finde our places persons and times to be full of Idolatry forasmuch as the most part haue preferred theyr pride theyr couetousnesse theyr lustes before God himselfe and therefore these are Idolaters haue ioyned themselues to Idols And concerning those that haue liued heeretofore in Idolatry and thinke that now they haue forsaken it therefore shall do well enough let them take heed they do not deceyue themselues For a man may leaue sinne and yet not repent for it A man may ceasse from the practise of it and yet not hate it neyther turne vnto God And doubtlesse if these men can yet laugh heartily at theyr former practises and make a iest and sport in telling what they haue done before an abhominable Idoll they may iustly suspect that they remaine filthy Idolaters still and if occasion were presented vnto them againe they would fall afresh to theyr former Idolatry as the dogge to his vomite I say therefore vnto such that without vnfeyned repentance there is no saluation but as they liued in Idolatry so they shall dye Idolaters and be condemned with Idolaters eternally Reuel 21. verse 8. CHAP. XXXIII 1 THese are the iournies of the Children of Israel which went foorth out of the Land of Egipt with their armies vnder the hand of Moses and Aaron 2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their iournies by the commandement of the Lord and these are their iournies according to their goings out 3 And they departed from Rameses in the first Moneth on the 15 day of the first Moneth on the morrow after the Passeouer the Children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egiptians 4 For the Egiptians buried all their first borne which the Lord had smitten among them vpon their gods also the Lord executed iudgements 5 And the children of Israel remoued from Rameses and pitched in Succoth 6 And from Succoth c. AFter the inheritāce was giuen to the two Tribes the halfe on this side Iordan Moses describeth by the commandement of the Lord the places of their abode in the Wildernesse their seuerall mansions where they pitched their Tents vntil they entred into the Land of promise In this Chapter consider
serpent that was lift vp on the pole but such as were able in particular to looke vpon it and assented and beleeued the promise that they should be cured and restored by it Christ calleth himselfe The liuing bread of which we must eate but what is eating saue an application because whatsoeuer a man eateth or drinketh that he applyeth vnto himselfe and receyueth it to be his so touching faith whatsoeuer a man doth beleeue the same he doth apply vnto himselfe or else it can be no truth fayth but a counterfeyt faith Marke the grounds of this point First true Reason 1 Faith standeth of two parts whereof one is an acte of the vnderstanding the other is an acte of the wil according to the saying of the Apostle Roman chap. 10. verse 10 With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse The mind informeth vs to see and know God and his sonne Christ and the promises made in him the heart seeketh desireth and loueth that which it knoweth which cānot be without a particular application Secondly euery man is commaunded to beleeue Marke chap. 1. verse 15. 1 Iohn chap 5. verse 15. Now it is not enough that we beleeue except wee also make application or else we beleeue no otherwise then the diuels beleeue for euen they beleeue God Christ Iames chap. 2 verse 19. But to make particular application of Christ as to say Christ is mine and I am his and haue remission of sins by his death is more then any or all the diuels in hell can do The Angel that was sent to be the first preacher of the Gospel saide to the shepheards Luke 2. Behold I bring you tydings of great ioy which shall be to all people for vnto you is born this day a Sauiour that is to you that beleeue for except they had beleeued it and applyed it to themselues they could neuer haue conceyued any ioy at all nor receyued any benefite at all by it Thirdly the promises of GOD howsoeuer they are deliuered in generall tearmes yet they are particular also and euerie one is bound to gather a patticular to himself out of the generall As in a Proclamation albeit it bee conceiued and published in generall words yet the matter is that which belongeth to euery one in particular and must be so applied as if his owne name were set downe in it Marke 16 26. Iohn 3 16. The Gospel is as a Princes proclamation offering pardon and forgiuenesse and though the promises of God be generall yet they doe containe a particular because that which is spoken to all beleeuers is spoken vnto euery one that is a beleeuer and that which is spoken to all penitent persons must bee applyed to euery seuerall penitent soule Fourthly God hath ordained the Sacraments in the Church to be the seales of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4 11 and that they should be deliuered particularly to euery man thereby to assure him of grace and mercy in particular When men once come to know that Christ offereth remission of sins by his death by the receiuing of the Sacraments particularly we come to apply Christ and his merits to our selues so that the deliuering of them vnto vs is thus much in effect Thou beleeuest these generall things then draw neere and take this vnto thy farther comfort that thou mayest bee assured that the promises of righteousnesse doe belong vnto thee as if indeede thy name were particularly specified therein All these things being considered it followeth necessarily that the generall knowledge is not sufficient but a particular application is necessary to saluation Vse 1 This serueth for confutation of an errour of the church of Rome denying that a man may particularly beleeue that God is his God or that Christ is his Sauiour or that remission of sinnes belongeth vnto him and why so Forsooth because in the Gospel all runneth in generall and it is not there written that such and such are Gods and shal haue benefite by Christ But where there is a general as for example Whosoeuer beleeueth and repenteth shal be saued there is the particular also If thou beleeue thou shalt be saued and the faithfull by vertue of this do beleeue and are saued by this their application The Apostles said to the Gaoler Acts 16 31 Beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ thou shalt be saued and thy house If the Keeper of the prison had replyed Sirs how doe you know that I shall bee saued by Christ Is my name written in the booke of God that I may bee assured it is written in the booke of life Would not they haue told him that his particular name was included in the generall albeit it were not expressed The Papists doe presume to giue absolution vpon confession and yet they do not find any man in the Gospel particularly named When Christ our Sauiour saith Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted Iohn 20 23 they are not afraide vpon this generall to giue absolution to particular persons and to tell them that their sins are forgiuen And will not these men be so fauorable to vs as to suffer vs from a generall to infer and gather a particular as well as themselues to wit that when Christ saith Whosoeuer beleeueth in me shall not perish but haue euerlasting life the Minister may speak to the conscience of this or that man particularly Beleeue thou in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt haue eternall life But Bellarmine goeth farther and obiecteth Obiection That this is not a simple promise but conditionall if they repent and beleeue then they may indeede apply these things to themselues and bee assured of them but a man cannot haue any certainty of these things that they do beleeue and repent and therefore they cānot in particular apply them to themselues Answ I answer this is to builde one error vpon another and to dawbe them both with vntempered mortar For wherefore doth the Apostle command euery man to try and examine him selfe whether he be in the faith and haue Christ Iesus dwelling in him 2. Cor 13 if after this proofe hee cannot know what his estate and condition is This is a certaine rule whosoeuer truly beleeueth knoweth that hee beleeueth though no man knoweth it but himself He that is the Lords hath a new name written Reuel 2 17. which no man knoweth sauing he that receiueth it But he which hath receyued it knoweth it as wel as he knoweth he liueth For no man doth know the things of a man saue the spirite of man which is in him euen so the things of God knoweth no man saue the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2 11. So then euery man both may and ought to haue assurance of his own saluation and therefore this we beleeue let them teach and write what they will For what if a franticke man should run vp and downe boast that all the wares which come to such a Port or hauen are his shall the Merchant be
vntoward but holde on in a constant course 2 Tim. 2. Proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance to come out of the snares of the Diuell of whom they are holden captiues Lastly we must testifie our sorrow for our people mourne for the hardnesse of their heart and be heartily greeued to see their vntowardnes that though the Sunne shine neuer so cleerely yet they shut their eies and will not behold the light of the truth whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded and hardened their hearts lest they should bee conuerted and saued This affection of vnfeigned sorrow was in Christ our Sauiour when he had preached with great power but small profit in the hearers He looked round about on them angerly mourning also for the hardnesse of their heart Mark 3 5. If these things bee found in vs readinesse of minde to care for the people painefulnesse in our places to turne them to God and sorrow of heart for their hardnesse and infidelity we may truely comfort our selues and be assured to be honoured of Christ both in this life and in the life to come CHAP. II. 1. AND the Lord spake vnto Moses and to Aaron saying 2. Euery man of the Children of Israel shall campe by his standard and vnder the Ensigne of their Fathers house farre off about the Tabernacle of the Congregation shall they pitch IN this Chapter is set foorth the disposing and ordering of their Tents For in the former chapter we haue heard how the people were numbred the Tribes distinguished and ouer euery one seuerall Princes appointed who were choise men euen the heads of the house of their Fathers to be Rulers Gouernors ouer this great multitude For what is the people without Princes but as an hoast and armie of men without Captaines to leade them as a shippe without a Pilot or as a body without an head or as an house without a maister The heathen haue seene thus far that the multitude is as a monster with many heads Horat. Epist resembling the confusion that was at Babel Wherefore the necessity of ouerseers being so great it pleased GOD first of al to appoint them Magistrates to take the muster Now wee haue heere to consider another testimony of Gods mercy toward them in that he doth diuide and distribute them into certaine rankes and regiments and maketh choise himselfe in what order they should pitch their Tents and likewise march forward toward the Land of Canaan in what manner they should make a stay and in what manner he would haue them remoue This was both necessary and profitable and not to be omitted seeing nothing can be more foule and deformed then to see a company of men gathered together without order and mingled together in all confusion The causes of this dealing of God toward his people are three Three causes why God assigneth to euery Tribe his place and order one in respect of himselfe another in respect of Israel the third in regard of the enemies of them both of God and his people The cause respecting God is that they and all other might see what a wise God they serue For he would haue his name not onely knowne in Israel but magnified throughout all the world If they professing the knowledge and seruice of the true God had wandered vp and down in the wilde and waste wildernesse in such troopes and bandes of men in a confused and disordered manner not knowing who should go before nor regarding who should follow after the name of God would haue beene dishonoured his wisedome impaired and his glory diminished It pleased him therefore euen in regard of himselfe to make manifest his wisedome and excellency in leading them foorth in most excellent and exquisite order and to assigne to euery one his proper place that they might say What god is like vnto our God Or who is to bee compared with him Who is so glorious in holinesse fearefull in prayses doing wonders Exod. 15 11 Let vs therefore confesse that he is wise in heart yea the wisest and mighty in strength yea the mightiest so that the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men Iob 9 4 Esay 31 2 1 Cor. 1 25 and therefore to this God onely wise must bee praise and glory through Iesus Christ for euer Secondly hee leaueth them not to themselues but assigneth to each Tribe his proper mansion to take away from them all confusion and to cut off all matter of contention For except he had established as by a law the order that should be obserued among them and thereby decided all questions and controuersies that might arise touching priority precedency many hurli-burlies and heart-burnings would be entertained and part-takings would be nourished which being kindled at the first as a little sparke of fire would afterward breake out into such a fire and flame as would spread further and in the ende hardly be quenched For the tribe of Reuben challenging the preheminence in regard of birth-right would not easily lose his right but wold take it done in contempt and to his reproach to be put behinde to come after any other On the other side their harts were not so high and haughty to lift vp themselues aboue their brethren but the rest of the Tribes woulde haue thrust them downe as low and to their perpetuall disgrace and dishonour haue sunke them downe to the bottome and appointed them the last and lowest place in regard of the curse of Iacob that lay heauy vpon them who had saide long before Gen 49 4 Thou shalt not bee excellent thy dignity is gone Againe a new trouble and tumult would arise touching the sonnes of the Concubines for such as were borne of Rahel and Lea the two wiues of Iacob would neuer yeeld nor thinke it fit to make thē equal to themselues much lesse to suffer them to go before them and so to carpe and crow ouer them For as it was in their fathers while the corne was in the grasse hope of posterity was in the cradle so it would bee in the children We see the emulation that was between Isaac and Ismael betweene Iacob and Esau likewise betweene the sonnes of Iacob who were the founders and fountaines of the twelue Tribes Moreouer such as did exceede the other in multitude of men and strength of armes had tasted of Gods blessings before others would iudge themselues worthy to be honored and preferred and themselues wronged iniured vnlesse they had not onely the right hand of fellowship giuen them but the vpper hand of iurisdiction authority granted vnto them and thus the sonnes of Simeon would neuer haue suffered themselues to be brought into order and haue pitched vnder the standard of Reuben but haue iudged themselues worthy of the place of superiority and haue made the other their vnderlings as a footstoole to tread vpon For
But wee haue a better and stronger motiue to mooue vs to suffer then the forcible weapon of necessity euen the vnchangeable purpose of God whose gracious will it is that through manifold tribulations wee should enter into the kingdome of heauen Lastly wee must haue an eye cast vpward to the rich recompence of reward that shall be giuen vnto vs. For the greater our tryals are the greater shall our reward be It is said by the Apostle that Moses chose rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season because he had respect to the recompence of the reward Hebrewes 11 The afflictions of this present life are all temporall and transitory they haue an end in a short space but the glory prepared and reserued for the Saints in the next life 2 Cor. 4 17. shall know no end for our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory while wee looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Our afflictions shall not continue long vpon vs they shall speedily haue an end which ought to deuoure the bitternesse thereof and swallow vp the tediousnesse that creepeth vpon vs. Thus much of the meanes or motiues to worke patience in vs. Now it remaineth that we examine our selues whether it be in vs or not The signes of patience For if we be without patience we shall neuer bee able to hold out our profession vnto the end It is as salt that must season euery duty If then this bee not found in vs we are but as time-seruers that continue for a season or as the morning dew which vanisheth at the rising of the Sunne or as the grasse vpon the house-top which flourisheth for a while and afterward withereth away Let vs therefore consider the signes and tokens whereby we may try our selues and prooue whether it be in vs or not One signe is an heart resolued to abide whatsoeuer is laide vpon vs whether it bee for sinne or for tryall For we must vnderstand that some afflictions are laide vpon vs for our sinnes and some for our tryall Examples of both we haue in the Scriptures to informe vs in these points Touching sinne the Prophet saith Lament 3 verse 39. Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinne When Christ had cured the man that had lyen eight and thirty yeares at the poole of Bethesda he found him afterward in the Temple and saide vnto him Behold thou art made whole sinne no more Iohn 5.14 lest a worse thing come vnto thee He had suffered a great iudgment yet the Lord threatneth him with a greater he had beene diseased many yeares yet he was to feare a worse euill Touching triall we may looke vpon Iob all whose sufferings were for triall of his faith obedience and sincerity The like speaketh Christ to the Disciples seeing a man which was blinde from his birth and asking him Maister who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blinde For he answered them Neyther hath this man sinned nor his parents Iohn 9 1 2 3. but that the workes of God should be shewed on him Now then whether our afflictions be to chastise vs or to prooue vs the faithfull man is perswaded and resolued to beare them If his sinnes be remitted and the guilt of them remoued he careth not though the crosse abide and continue still He that standeth thus affected hath laide vp a good signe to be knowne for his patience The pardon of our sin must more reioyce vs then the feeling of the crosse can dismay vs. Secondly when we suffer and suffer much yet we must not cease to loue the Lord that striketh vs. Though the punishment be bitter we must not hate the hand that giueth the stroke but imbrace it heartily and loue it still This affection was in Iob when he had sustained the losse of his cattell of his seruants of his sonnes and of all his substance he hated not GOD nor murmured against him but acknowledged in the midst of al Naked came I out of my mothers wombe Iob 1 21. and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the Name of the LORD Where wee see hee blesseth God not onely for his giuing but for his taking away not onely for his blessings but for his chastisements A notable example for vs to follow and a certaine signe to make triall of our patience It is the ordinary manner of wicked men when they haue receiued guifts and are filled with good things to giue God thankes and to say God be thanked but if their riches honours peace and guifts be taken away all is done their thankes are ceassed their mouthes are stopped and their tongues are tyed It is a notable saying of the Prophet Psalme 130 3 4. If thou O LORD straightly markest iniquities O LORD who shall stand but mercy is with thee that thou maiest bee feared If our loue of GOD bee prooued when his iustice is shewed and our feare when his mercy is extended toward vs we may assure our owne hearts wee haue the spirit of patience within vs. It is truely saide hee loueth the partie well that can loue him when hee hath done him iniury True it is GOD can doe vs no wrong nor deale vniustly with vs but if hee lay heauy punnishments vppon vs and we doe patiently abide them and loue God still heartily and vnfainedly it is a great comfort that we are his For who can loue God when hee is wounded by his hand but he that is vndoubtedly in his fauour and friendship Wherefore as God chastiseth those that belong to him because he loueth them so it is their duety to loue him because he chastiseth them Thirdly another signe of patience is humility and humbling our selues vnder his blowes and strokes laid vpon vs. If once we beginne to reason and dispute of the causes for which we suffer and say why should the Lord thus deale with vs or to vaunt of our sufferings in the spirit of vanity and say who is like vnto me or what man hath endured such things it is plaine and euident we are farre from true humility and consequently from true patience Iob is made a mirror of patience to all posterities to the ende of the world which did euidently appeare to be in him by the liuely fruits thereof And albeit he suffered much more then others yet in the middes of all his sufferings and losses he did not sinne Iob 1.22 and 2.10 nor charge God foolishly who being mooued to confesse his hypocrisie and being iudged an extraordinary wicked man by his extraordinary afflictions he answered Thou speakest like a foolish woman what shall we
teach vs that this must be the end we oght all to aime at that it is our duty to the vtmost of our power to procure the peace of Sion the prosperity of Ierusalem all the dayes of our life For euen as the hilles and mountaines did compasse about Ierusalem to defend it from all dangers and inuasions of enemies so ought all the faithfull that are the friends of the Church seeke to defend it from all such as seeke the ruine and destruction thereof They haue a promise made vnto them that they shall prosper that preferre it Psal 122 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee Such was the zeale of Dauid for the house of God Psal 132 1 2 3 4 5. that it euen consumed and eate him as the people declare Psal 132. Lord remember Dauid with all his afflictions who sware vnto the Lord and vowed vnto the mighty God of Iacob saying I will not enter into the tabernacle of mine house nor come vpon my pallet or bed nor suffer mine eye to sleepe nor mine eye-liddes to slumber vntill I finde out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob c Loe how great his care and zeale was to builde the Temple and to further the worship of God he spared no cost but opened the treasures of his house to imploy them this way Thus it ought to be with vs it is the chiefe end why God doeth blesse vs with the blessings of this life that we should pay him his tribute and be content to depart from them when his glory worship do require it If we care not how bountifully we spend and lauish in vnprofitable nay in vngodly vses and pinch for a penny and an halfe-penny imployed to charitable and godly purposes we make it manifest to all men that the glory of God is not before our eies nor his worship any whit regarded of vs. And hence it is that God oftentimes curseth our store and substance and bloweth vpon it that it flyeth away as the winde that commeth not againe Let vs therefore be wise hearted to referre our goods our liues and all that wee haue to seeke the good of the Church that it may be safe and then shall we bee safe vnder the shadow of it On the other side the Lord denounceth a sore and seuere threatning against all such as doe wrong to the Church so that he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh in his sinnes This appeareth by the prayer of the Church â—l 74.2 3. Psal 74. Thinke vpon thy Congregation which thou hast possessed of olde and on the rodde of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed and on this mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt lift vp thy strokes that thou mayest for euer destroy euery enemy that doth euill to the Sanctuary Such shall neuer prosper albeit they may flourish for a time that hate the Church which God loueth Secondly it is the duty of all persons to assemble together to heare his word all excuses and delayes set apart For wherefore was the Tabernacle placed in the mids but to bind all persons alike to come to the exercises of religion and to performe publike worship to God Ieroboams calues who made Israel to sinne were set one in the North part of the land the other in the South but the Tabernacle of God was setled in the middes among them that all men should haue accesse vnto it and that no man should colour his absence with any pretences Hence it is that the Prophet declaring that GOD had chosen Sion and loued to dwell in it saying This is my rest for euer â—al 132.13 â— 7. heere will I dwell for I haue delight therein doth adde We will enter into his Tabernacles and worship before his footstoole A notable encouragement to moue vs to resort repaire oftentimes to the place of Gods worship seeing he maketh it his habitation and resting place and the house where he will dwell and where we shall find him in time of need A strong perswasion to worke a desire and delight in vs to goe to the Lords courts â—al 68.15 16 â—mpared â—th 10. that we may behold the maiesty of the king of glory To this purpose speaketh Dauid in another Psalme The mountaine of God is like the mountaine of Bashan it is an high mountaine as mount Bashan Why leape ye ye hie mountaines as for this mountaine God delighteth to dwell in it yea the Lord will dwell in it for euer Where he teacheth that Gods Church in regard of mercifull promises heauenly graces and noble victories doth excel without comparison all worldly things and all earthly places All assemblies though neuer so glorious and glitering outwardly must giue place to it and are as nothing being matched with it inasmuch as the excellency beauty and continuance of the Church goeth beyond all other congregations of men Hereupon hee inferreth Thy Congregation dwelled therein for thou O God hast of thy goodnesse prepared for the poore If then we would dwell with God let vs repaire to his house if we would see him we shall see him there if we would heare him we shall heare him there if we would know him we shall know him there for his face is to be seene there his voyce is to be heard there his preseÌ„ce is to be found there O let vs prefer one day in his courts before a thousand elsewhere Let vs rather desire to be dore-keepers in his house then dwellers in the pallaces of the wicked If they were called and accounted blessed that stood in the presence of Salomon how much more blessed and happy are they that stand in the presence of God and worship toward his holy Temple Let the same mind and affection therefore bee in vs which was in Dauid to say with him with a feeling heart One thing haue I desired of the Lord Psal 27.4 that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visite his Temple Where shal we find in our dayes this longing and holy desire to speake with God in his word and worship where are the ancient wishes of the Saints Psal 42.1 and 84.2 thinking it long before they came and appeared in the presence of God where is now the panting of the soule and fainting of the heart and the reioycing of the flesh in the liuing God like vnto the earth that gapeth for the showers of raine to refresh it We are an vnthankfull people whom plenty and aboundance haue glutted and made to loathe the heauenly Manna giuen to vs. Thirdly let vs not stand in feare of any enemies as if they could beare and beate downe the Church before them and raze the foundations of it to the ground neither let vs as gracelesse children forsake our mother for
worke in vs by the instinct of nature to see a man blinde or dumb or deafe or in any misery and necessity But this is the condition of all vnregenerate persons they are blinde and see nothing 2 Pet. 1. They are dumbe and deafe and dead men Eph. 2 1. They haue not the life of God in them they can stirre neither hand nor foote toward the kingdome of heauen Secondly if any of our brethren be fallen let vs put vnder out hand to stay them or raise them vp knowing that it is our duty to exhort one another lest we be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne 〈◊〉 3 13 and ◠25. and so much the rather let vs be carefull heerein because the day of the Lord draweth neere If the Oxe or Asse of our enemy be ready to lye downe vnder his burden we are commanded to helpe him vp and therefore much more we ought to do it vnto our brother Thirdly we must condemne no man rashly nor sit downe in the seate of God to iudge another mans seruant which standeth or falleth to his owne maister Let vs set before vs the example of God who is very pittifull and mercifull He calleth at all houres who hath the times and seasons in his owne power Math. 20 6. Acts 1 7. as the housholder that hired labourers into his Vineyard all the day long euen vnto the last houre Besides we are warned not to iudge lest we be iudged Math. 7 1. So that with what measure we mete to others with the same it shall be measured to vs againe Let vs beware of rash iudgement headstrong and headlong affections Let vs iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts 1 Cor. 4 5. Many things are hidden for a while which time shall discouer for though the darknesse of the night may couer them or the ignorance and wilfulnesse of man hide them yet they shall be reuealed and shall not be vnpunished Lastly it is our duty to pray for their conuersion that are not conuerted and to offer them the meanes that they may be conuerted We must be gentle vnto all men and patient toward them instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded prouing whether God will giue them repentance that they may be recouered out of the snare of the Diuell 2 Tim. 2 25. We see how Christ praied for his enemies that they might haue theyr ignorance pardoned Luc. 23 34. Stephen desired that the sinnes of his persecutors might not be charged vpon them Acts 7 60. Paul earnestly wished craued that Agrippa might be conuerted and altogether be made a christian Act. 26 29. Hence it is that many which persecuted Christ and crucified the Lord of glory though they were most horrible transgressors yet heard the word were pricked in their hearts and did lay hold on eternall life Acts 2 41 37. Let vs commit the successe euermore vnto God that hath the hearts of all men in his owne hand If notwithstanding the word of saluation offered vnto them they shut their eyes and stop their eares harden their hearts will not turne lest they should be saued let vs not bee curious to search the causes why they do not beleeue or expostulate the matter with them through impatience but rather leaue them to the mercy or iustice of GOD whose iudgements are vnsearchable and as a pit whose bottome cannot be sounded and giue vnto him humble thankes that hath opened our eares that wee may heare our eyes that we may see cleerely into the secrets of his Law Let vs praise him for reuealing his truth to vs rather then enquire why hee dealeth not so with all others Lastly seeing the guifts of God are freely Vse 5 bestowed let vs follow the example of our heauenly Father that is let vs giue freely and liberally and be content to lend to the poore looking for nothing againe according to the counsell of Christ our Sauiour God looketh for no good turne at our hands our well-doing cannot extend vnto him Psal 16. He standeth not in need of our helpe he wanteth nothing This vse is concluded in the latter end of the fift chapter of S. Mathewes Gospell where Christ exhorteth to loue our enemies to do good to them that hate vs c That we may be the children of our Father which is in Heauen Math. 5 45. for he maketh his sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and on the vniust c. We are commanded to abound in this grace of liberality toward the poore members of Christ as GOD hath abounded in the fruites of loue toward vs. We are not ignorant of Christs dealing toward vs that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poore that we through his pouertie might be rich 2 Cor. 8 9. Our abundance must supply the want of others that there may be an holy kinde of equality as it was among them that gathered Manna Hee that had gathered much had nothing ouer Exod. 16. and hee that had gathered little had no lacke Hence it is that the Apostle Iames saith He shall haue iudgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgment Whosoeuer therefore hath this worlds good and seeth his brother in neede how dwelleth the loue of God in that man if hee shut vp his bowels of compassion from him 1 Iohn 3 17. We see this in the example of the rich man in the Gospell he had occasion of shewing mercy offered vnto him poore Lazarus lay at his gate but he closed his eies and would not see him he shut vp his heart and would not releeue him and therefore it came to passe that as he denied the crummes that fell from his table a small almes so hee could not obtaine a drop of water a small refreshing As he stopped his eares and would not heare so he asked onely to haue the tippe of the finger dipped in water to coole his tongue and yet could not be heard When the Sodomites had once filled vp the measure of their sinnes by pride in themselues contempt of the poore God rained down storms and tempests of fire and brimstone so that they were vtterly consumed Ezek. 16 49. Gen. 19 24. Hence it is that Christ our Sauiour saith Make to your selues friends of vnrighteous mammon that when ye faile they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Lu. 16 9. He meaneth not by the Mammon of vnrighteousnesse such riches as are wrongfully and vniustly gotten for GOD accepteth not such almes or guifts at our hands neyther is he well pleased with such sacrifices though we giue them to the poore and should releeue thereby the necessities of the Saints but hee calleth them so and giueth them that title because they may fraudulently wickedly and wrongfully be taken from
estate and do murmure grudge at the hand of God vpon them and withall repine at the good estate of others Thus it fared with the people of Israel sundry times sometimes through want of bread Exod. 16 2. Sometimes through want of water Exod. 17 2. Sometimes through want of flesh Numb 11 4. Sometimes through feare of their enemies Numb 14 2. Sometimes through danger of the way by which they were to passe Numb 21 5. They were neuer long contented with one estate but brake out through impatience against God and brought vpon themselues diuers plagues and iudgements whereby they were consumed Thus is it with many in our daies if we be pressed with any want of good things or if we be chastened with the feeling of any euill things we break out into rage and choller and will not submit our selues to him that striketh vs. If we be bitten a little with famine and haue not our necessities by by supplied we cry out against God and man we are ready to say What shal we eate or what shall we drinke or what shal we put on If we fall into any sicknesse that continueth with vs we thinke God hath forgotten vs or forsaken vs if he do not presently remoue his hand from vs and that no man hath felt that which we feele If we be in any trouble by losses of temporall things though they be but trifles by and by we imagine wee are vndone it is too late with vs to think how to liue and we are more out of patience then if we had lost the loue and fauour of GOD. Thus doth the bitter roote of infidelity sticke in our hearts it brancheth forth into open rebellion against God like the child that murmureth vnder the rod for as that is the cause that the father taketh vp the whippe to whip him againe so our resisting the hand of God when it is heauy vpon vs doth not call in the iudgement but rather constraineth the Lord to scourge vs againe to lay vpon our backs more strokes and stripes then he did before The way to call in his corrections is to submit our selues vnto him to confesse our offences to acknowledge his iust iudgements according to the saying of the Prophet I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou diddest it Psal 39 9. Secondly it reproueth such as vse vnlawfull meanes vngodly shifts The second reproofe wicked policies to enrich themselues These men care not what waies they vse or what courses they take to get goods to heap vp riches for themselues their posterities whō they desire to raise vp on high and to make great in this world This vnsatiable humour is as the dropsie or rather as the graue that neuer saith it is enough It is euer crauing more as a gulfe or whirle-poole ready to receiue but not apt to shew what it hath receiued and therefore doth God oftentimes crosse and not giue any blessings to their labours These make themselues vnfit for holy desires for heauenly meditations and for the kingdome of God If any should aske them whether their meaning be to make thēselues drudges to the world bond-slaues to the Diuel and so to cast themselues headlong to destruction both of body and soule they would quickly answer No and defie those that should charge them with it Notwithstanding this inordinate affection bewrayeth what lieth in the heart and discouereth that they goe about to cast themselues away wittingly and willingly and to vndoe themselues vtterly Wherefore to the end we may vse our riches aright How to vse our riches aright wee are to practise two points First we must be poore in spirit not glutted in them nor glued to them for then we shall be deceiued by them according to the counsell of the Psalmist Psal 62 10. Trust not in oppression become not vaine in robbery if riches increase set not your heart vpon them We must not be tied to our riches that we can neuer get from thē but so to account of them that whensoeuer it shall please God to make vs poore and to take our riches from vs to render vp the whole into his hands to forgoe them willingly and to resigne them vp to him that gaue them is able to restore them When Iob had lost all his cattell and children and was fallen from the top of felicity to the lowest vale of misery he could say with a quiet spirit Blessed be the Name of the Lord it is he that hath giuen it is he that hath taken them away This willingnesse to depart from them at the Lords call doeth make it manifest that hee neuer made the wedge of gold his hope nor saide to the fine gold Iob 31 24. Thou art my confidence he reioyced not because his wealth was great nor because his hand had gotten much as he declareth in the protestation that he maketh of his integrity Whereby he sheweth that there passeth a secret communication conference betweene the rich man and his riches applauding himselfe for his money that he hath True it is a man will not speake vnto his riches nor cannot heare his riches answere him there passeth not an expresse dialogue betweene the monied man and his money when he openeth his chest or vnlocketh his coffer but he vseth this manner of speech by way of faigning the persons to set foorth the folly vanity of such as haue store and abundance they make a secret kinde of compact and conspiracy with their gold and siluer they set downe their rest in it they repose their trust vpon it and will rather leaue all then depart from it Neuerthelesse he doth not reproue all ioy and gladnes when their goods encrease It is lawfull to reioyce in all the blessings of God that he giueth and we receiue He requireth this at our hands as it is expressed Deut. 12 7. Ye shall eate before the Lord your God and ye shal◠reioyce in all that ye put your hand vnto ye and your housholds wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee This mirth and gladnes is so far frō displeasing God that it is rather a fruite of the faith and feare which is in vs toward him Calu. Serm. on Iob. forasmuch as wee learne thereby to praise his name to confesse his goodnes to yeeld him thankes for the benefits which he bestoweth vpon vs. He speaketh therefore of a blinde reioycing of carnal mirth and prophane iollity such as is among worldlings who are carried away with a loue of their riches so that they forget God remember no more their owne frailty and mortality This is a franticke ioy that turneth vs away from God and maketh vs drunken in the pleasures of this life Secondly while we enioy possesse the things of this world we must not keepe them to our selues but know how to vse them moderately as God hath commanded They are giuen vnto vs to be vsed
fret and fume wee chide and chafe as men beside our selues Oh that there were such harts in vs to please God Oh that we would looke so narrowly to our owne soules In our apparell nothing must be out of order in matter or forme to the very skirts and borders of them but in our liues we can be content to be out of frame to haue poore rent and ragged soules and neuer to put vpon vs the rightousnesse of Iesus Christ as the richest robes Rom. 13 14. Galath 3 27 and most precious garment The like we require in dressing our meates which we doe in attiring of our bodies which are ordained for the belly 1 Cor. 6 13. and the belly for them albeit God wâ—ll destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6 13. The least fault is soone espied the offenders like to be turned out of seruice and we soone driuen out of our little patience Nay in our ordinary delights and recreations which serue onely to please the eare we see how he that is skilfull in musicke cannot abide the least iarre and discord if hee espy one finger set out of order or heare the missing of one minim rest how impatient is he how much discontented how doth hee testifie his dislike with hand and foot But touching the leading of our liues and the ordering of our actions whereupon dependeth the euerlasting saluation or damnation of our soules though there be a thousand iarres and ten thousand discords in them we thinke the harmony good enough and all things to be in tune This vse that now we vrge hath many branches as furtherances of purity and perfection in vs. First we must labour to haue pure and vpright hearts The branches of this vse which giueth life to all our actions and is much accepted of God It is the counsell of the wise man Prou. 4. Prou. 4.23 23.26 Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and chap. 23. My sonne giue mee thy heart and let thine eyes obserue my waies It is as the wheele of the clocke that moueth all the rest it is the roote that giueth life to the boughes and branches and maketh the Tree yeeld his fruite It is the fountaine that sendeth foorth sweet or bitter waters Heerevpon the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 3. Heb. 3 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe in departing from the liuing God A pure heart is the scourge of hypocrisie and as a strong hammer that serueth to breake it in peeces This is first to be looked vnto reform it and thou art all cleane It is the direction that Christ giueth vnto vs Math. 23. Math. 23 26. Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the out side of them may be cleane also It is a vaine thing to be cleane without vncleane within to haue the outwarde man appeare faire and smoothe and the heart to bee foule and filthy Such then as begin not at the hart begin at the wrong end They take long and needlesse paines that thinke to stoppe the streames while they let the spring alone The hart in the body is the member that first hath life in it so is it in the spirituall life Hence it is that the Scripture commendeth vnto vs the simplicity of the heart Eph. 6 5. Col. 3 21 the circumcision of the heart Rom. 2 29 the meditation of the heart Psal 19 15 the vprightnesse of the heart 1 Kings 3 6 a wise an vnderstanding heart 1 Kings 3 9 a perfect heart 2 Kings 20 3. 1 Chron. 28 9 a faithfull heart Nehem. 9 8 an vpright heart Psal 11 2 a pure heart Psal 24 4. Math. 5 a prepared and fixed heart Psal 57 7 and 108 1 and 112 7 an honest and good heart Luc. 8 15 ioyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart Deut. 28 47 a broken and a contrite heart Psal 51 17 a tender heart 2 Chron. 34 24 an heart of flesh Ezek. 11 19 a new heart and new spirit Ezek. 18 31 and 33 26 a purified hart Acts 15 9 an enlarged heart 2 Cor. 6 11 the good treasure of the heart Luc. 6 45 and a true heart Heb. 10 22. These and many such like testimonies teach vs to begin our repentance from dead workes and reformation of life at the heart that vntil we set our hearts and our soules to seeke the Lord wee dally with God and neuer seriously set vpon that worke Secondly we must be free from any purpose to liue in any knowne sinne and must be inclined to euery thing that is good so that we should be able to say with Paul 1 Cor. 4 4. I know nothing by my selfe yet I am not hereby iustified but he that iudgeth mee is the Lord. The Apostle knew nothing for which he should condemne himselfe Hence it is that the Prophet saith Psal 119 112 106. Psal 119. I haue enclined mine heart to performe thy statutes alwaies euen vnto the end And a little before he saith in the same Psalme I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements So ought all the faithfull to binde themselues by a solemne vow and promise to stirre vp their zeale and kindle their affections to all good duties It is recorded to the perpetuall praise commendation of Asa that he moued the people of Iudah and Beniamin to enter into a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soule That whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great man or woman And they sware vnto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with Trumpets and with Cornets And all Iudah reioyced at the oath for they had sworne with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the Lord gaue them rest round about 2 Chron. 15. 2 Chron. 15 13 14 15. Happy are they that set before them this example as a patterne and president vnto them to resolue fully with themselues to cast from them all sinne as a filthy cloath and to settle their hearts to seeke the Lord and to hate with an vnfained hatred whatsoeuer may bee any hinderance or impediment vnto them Thirdly wee must all take notice of our owne wants and imperfections and earnestly bewaile them and mourne for them It is a degree toward perfection to acknowledge confesse our imperfections and to be greeued for them For no man can haue a feeling of infirmities but by the worke of Gods sanctifying Spirit It is a grace of God to know the want of grace The vngodly are not acquainted with it they thinke themselues full they hunger and thirst after carnall things but neuer after spirituall and heauenly things The blessed Virgin in her song sheweth that He hath filled the hungry with
what is fit for the people to heare It is better to speake fiue wordes with vnderstanding then tenne thousand in a tongue that is not vnderstood 1 Cor. 14.19 as the Teacher of the Gentiles testifieth who spake languages and tongues more then all we We are commanded to lift vp our voyce as a trumpet to tell Israel their sinnes 8. but if the trumpet make an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battell The Apostle alleageth it as a iudgement vpon the hearer not as a praise and commendation of the speaker â—r 14.22 Esay 28. With men of other tongues and other lippes will I speake vnto this people Our Auditours are all or at lest for the most part rude and ignorant and it is our duty to bow and stoope downe to their capacity and when we thinke we speake plainely we shall find oftentimes that we speake darkly and obscurely not plainely and familiarly enough Lastly let vs content our selues with the purity and simplicity of the word which is sufficient in it selfe to expound it selfe and able yea onely able to giue direction and satisfaction to the conscience It may be truely said that the Minster sitting in Moses chaire is as it were set vpon a stage whose smallest actions and gestures all the people behold and therefore albeit he be neuer so precise in the discharge of his calling the hearers that can see but the outward actions and not inward affections will iudge of the heart by the appearance and of the substance by the circumstances so that if any lightnesse or dissolutenesse appeare they by and by conceiue that all is amisse and little regard any thing that he doth deliuer and speake vnto them True it is this is their fault and infirmity howbeit we must prouide that we giue no occasion and cut off occasions from all such as are glad to lay hold on occasions Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty when we come to the house of God to take heed to our feet lest we depart from the Church as the foolish virgins from the gates of heauen We must learne how to prepare our selues that we may profit thereby as the Lord would haue the people sanctified before the Law was to be deliuered Exod. 19. This preparation to bee duly performed hath many particular parts as seuerall branches issuing out of one roote First it is our duty to come together into one place to heare the word and to call vpon his Name For albeit we must reade the Scriptures priuatly in our houses yet we must haue them publikely expounded and interpreted and albeit priuate prayer be not vnprofitable and priuate exhortations bee oftentimes auaileable yet our publike assemblies haue a more speciall blessing promised vnto them Matthew Chapter 18. verse 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the middes of them Before we can heare the word it is required of vs to come to the place of hearing Psal 34.11 and 122.1 The Centurion telleth our Sauiour that he had such seruants vnder his authority that if hee said to one Come he commeth Matthew 8.9 God our greatest Master vnder whose authority we are and he vnder the authority of none sendeth out his messengers and calleth his guests Come and eate of my meate Prou. 9.5 and drinke of the Wine that I haue drawne yet we seeme deafe and cannot heare senselesse and cannot mooue The vnreasonable creatures euen the wormes that creepe in the earth put vs to shame and serue to condemne vs when God in the beginning said Let there be light It was so Gen. 1.24 Let the earth bring foorth her liuing creatures after their kindes the earth did so When God intended to bring a plague vpon the Egyptians and called for the Grassehoppers and Caterpillers Psalme 105. verse 34. He spake and the Locusts came and Caterpillers and that without number When he asked for them they delayed not but went out to doe his will But GOD hath spoken many times to vs and we regard not his call and if we come sometimes at his bidding we thinke we haue done our duty and him a pleasure We must come constantly and continually Blessed are they that dwell in his house Psalme 84. verse 4. The Church is not as an Inne to soiourne in but an house to abide and dwell in that Christ may finde vs there but many preferre the Inne and Ale-house before it It is better for vs to be found in the Temple then in the Tauerne and in the house of prayer then in a denne of Theeues Let the zeale of his house eate vs vp Let vs consecrate the Sabboth as holy to the Lord and make it a day of holy rest not of vnholy and vngodly ryot Secondly as we must come diligently fo wee must attend carefully when we are come otherwise what benefite can wee haue or looke for by our comming The Prophet ioyneth these together and coupleth them as two friends in one chaine Psal 34.11 Come and hearken If it were enough to come and heare a voyce the oxe and asse might do that as well as we for they can apprehend an outward sound Therefore we must do more then that we must set our mindes vpon that which we heave or else we heare no otherwise then the beasts that are without vnderstanding This attention is a notable vertue it is a Iewel for the eare We see how many in our dayes delight to haue Rings and Iewels hanging at their eares and they account it a great ornament vnto them I will not say vnto them as the heathen Poet in scoffing manner answereth Plaut in poenulo that it is because they haue no fingers on their hands as if the fingers not the eares were made for rings but this I will say that if wee had the richest Iewels that the East or West could afford vnto vs if we haue not an eare boared through to the heart to heare the word of God they are no better then as Iewels put into a swines snout Happy is he that weareth this Iewell of attention a Iewell of infinite price and value this is to haue an hearing eare whereas all others haue eares and heare not Thirdly we must remember what we haue heard and not suffer it to slippe from vs. For what auayleth it to be attentiue for the time and so soone as we are departed to forget all thereby suffering the birds to picke vp that which is sowne that is Satan to steale out of their hearts that which hath beene taught them The Apostle Iames compareth such a man to one that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse Iam. 1.24 who goeth his way and forgetteth immediately what manner of one he was The word of God that saith O my people heare my Law Psal 78.1 saith also else-where My sonne forget not my Law Pro. 3.1 The Lord commanded the Israelites to binde his words vpon their hands for a signe that they
themselues For he saith in the place before named and mentioned Thou shalt not take the summe of them among the children of Israel that is while thou art reckoning the number and taking the muster of the other Tribes thou shalt not meddle with this Tribe who were exempted from the warres And the reason thereof is rendred Num. 1.50 Thou shalt appoint the Leuites ouer the Tabernacle of the Testimony and ouer all the vessels thereof and ouer all things that belong vnto it He calleth it sometimes the Tabernacle of the Congregation because the people assembled at it for the worship of God and sometimes the Tabernacle of the Testimony â—â—mb 17 8. â—â—abl annot Nume 1. because in the Tabernacle was placed the Arke and in the Arke the two Tables of the Testimony in which the ten commandements were written wherby God testified his will to the Israelites both what he would haue them doe and what he would not haue them to doe Verse 34. 35. And Moses and Aaron and the chiefe of the Congregation In these words beginneth the execution of the Commandement of God Moses numbring the Leuites according to their families and assigning to euery one of them their seuerall offices and charges This obedience of his is worthy of great praise inasmuch as in this description of the numbring of these families he remoueth farre from himselfe all suspition of giuing scope to his owne affections and therefore he signifieth that he did nothing of pride or partiality aduancing the Leuites before the other Tribes or preferring the family of the Kohathites before the rest of the Leuites but hath dealt in all things as became the true minister of God euen according to the commandement and commission that he had receiued of whom it is said afterward chap. 12. My seruant Moses is faithfull in all mine house â—umb 12.7 â—eb 3.5 euen as in the building of the Tabernacle he added nothing of his owne but did all things according to the patterne that was shewed him in the mount We learne from hence that whensoeuer we haue heard the word and had the will of God reuealed vnto vs we must yeeld Doctrine 1 obedience to the same The word heard must be obeyed It is a duty required of vs to practise so much of Gods trueth as is in mercy made knowne vnto vs. So did Noah Gen. 6.22 when he was commanded to make an Arke he did it as God commanded So did Abraham when he was commanded to circumcise himselfe and the males in his family Gen. 17. This is it that Moses teacheth the people after all his teaching and exhorting of them Deut. 10.12.13 Now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou keepe the commandements of the Lord his ordinances which I command thee this day for thy wealth And in the beginning of the next chapter Deut. 11.1 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God and keepe his charge and his statutes and his iudgements and his commandements alwayes The Apostle Iames vrgeth this duty vpon those that are swift to heare and haue receiued the word with meeknes which is able to saue their soules chap. 1.22 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne soules Christ our Sauiour describing the good hearers by the good ground saith They bring forthwith patience some sixty fold some thirty fold Luke 8.15 Matth. 13.23 and some an hundred fold euery one some fruit no man is barren altogether To conclude this point it was the exhortation of Moses and of the Priests and Leuites Deut. 27.9 10 which they spake vnto all Israel Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God thou shalt therefore obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and doe his commandements and his statutes which I command thee this day So theÌ„ we must all know what is required of vs to wit to be doers and not bare hearers to be practisers and not talkers to be obeyers and followers not idle professors Maruell not at all at this For first to encline Reason 1 our hearts to walke in his wayes that we haue learned is an infallible signe that we truely feare God This we see in the example of Abraham God tempted him and said vnto him Take thy sonne thine only sonne Isaac whom thou louest and offer him for a burnt offering he preferred the commandement of God before the loue to his owne sonne God accepted his willing mind and therefore he heareth this comfort Lay not thine hand vpon the lad neither doe thou any thing vnto him Gen. 22.12 for now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thine only sonne from me Not that he was ignorant before but because he made that knowne to himselfe and to others which before was known to him alone and not thoroughly to Abraham himselfe For what is in vs we know not certainly our selues vntill we be prooued Thus then we see that Abrahams notable obedience in so great a tryall was an euident testimony that hee truely loued God Reason 2 Secondly obeience is alwayes ioyned with recompence God-rewarding it to the ful who is a most rich pay-master No man shall serue him for nought If Laban could say thus to Iacob Gen. 29.15 Because thou art my brother shouldest thou therefore serue me for nought will not the Lord much rather say to vs because ye are my children should ye therfore serue me for nothing The Prophet Dauid setting downe the singular fruits and effects of the word of God saith By it is thy seruant made circumspect Psal 19.11 in keeping of it there is great reward Consider brefly how it was with Abraham of whom we spake before he receiued an hard commandement himselfe to offer vp in sacrifice his only sonne yet because he delayed not to put it in present execution he receiued a threefold reward first God deliuered his sonne from death secondly he commendeth the faith of the father and thirdly he repeateth the promise to him and confirmeth his faith in it Gen. 22. Reason 3 Thirdly if we hearken vnto him he will hearken vnto vs if we serue him he will not be backeward or behinde hand with vs to serue vs. This doth the Prophet Esay point out vnto vs chap. 58.9 Thou shalt call and the Lord shall answere thou shalt cry and hee shall say Here I am On the other side if we will not hearken to obey him he will neuer hearken vnto vs neither regard when we call vpon him The wise man bringeth in wisdome crying without and vttering her voyce in the streetes Pro. 1.24 25.26 Because I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched out mine hand and no man regarded but ye
be thine it is the Lords and he giueth it vnto the Priest for a recompence of his labours in the Tabernacle and his seruice of the Lord and his teaching of the people God is the Lord of the soile he challengeth it at his own and he disposeth it at his owne pleasure Thus much touching the Law the applying of it followeth where God ordaineth it as a Law that all such things as are purloyned and conueyghed away from the right owners and possessours should in case they or any of them faile be bestowed vpon the Priest which is amplified by an equall comparison of the like all other things offered should be his also and might not be altered to any other vse as if he had said As I haue giuen them the offerings of the people so I haue giuen to them this also that they shal haue right as wel to the one as to the other by my gift Verse 5. When a man or woman shall commit any sinne o. After we haue seene the order of the words let vs make a collection of doctrine And first obserue that Moses speaketh in this place not of any sinne committed against piety and godlinesse but against the equity and iustice that ought to bee among men not of the immediate worship of God prescribed in the first table but of wrongs done to our brethren forbidden in the second table as appeareth by sundry circumstances both because he speaketh of making him recompence which no man can giue to God it being vnpossible to make satisfaction to him for the least offence and because the trespasse shall be recompensed to the Priest yet notwithstanding he calleth it a trespasse against God Heereby we learne that all sinne Doctrine All sinne 〈◊〉 committed against God himselfe euen the breach of the second table is committed against God Whatsoeuer iniuries and offences are done against our brethren are sinnes and offences committed against God This appeareth euidently in other places of the Law as Leuit. 6.2 3 4. If any man sinne and commit a trespasse against the Lord and deny to his neighbour that which is taken him to keepe c. Where he teacheth that to deny the thing committed to our keeping to breake the trust reposed in vs to robbe our neighbor violently to take his goods from him to deny that which we haue found and our neighbour hath lost are all of them sinnes against God though trespasses against men The charge also that Nathan layeth vpon Dauid together with his answere make this trueth most plaine 2 Sam. 12.9.13 The Prophet reproouing him saith Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to doe euill in his sight thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slaine him with the sword of the children of Ammon To this heauy message from God deliuered by his seruant the Prophet doth Dauid submit himselfe and in the humility of his soule consesseth I haue sinned against the Lord. This is that which Ioseph witnesseth when he was entised to commit folly with his wanton mistresse but yeelded not vnto the tentation he saith vnto her Gen. 39.9 How can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God He doth not say against my master and so render euill for good vnto him as he might truely haue said but he speaketh with a feeling conscience that he should sinne against God in offending against his master To all these we may also adde the testimony of the Lord himself vttered vnto Caine that had conceiued malice and murther in his heart against his brother a sinne against the second Table the summe whereof is Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Gen. 4.6 7. Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance cast downe if thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sinne lyeth at the doore c. It is a notable exhortation that Moses giueth in the behalfe of the poore that were among them Deut. 1.5.6 Beware that there bee not a thought in thy wicked heart saying The seuenth yeere the yeere of release is at hand and thine eye be euill against thy poore brother and thou giuest him nought and he cry vnto the Lord against thee and it be sinne vnto thee Whereby we see that not onely such as take away other mens goods wrongfully doe commit sinne against God but they that detaine their owne goods couetously and doe not bestow them vpon the releefe of the poore so that a man may sinne in his owne as well as in other mens in ouermuch sparing as well as in wronging others To the same purpose he speaketh in another place against the oppressing of an hired seruant that is poore and needy whether he were of their brethren or of the strangers in the land Deut. 24.15 At his day thou shalt giue him his hire neither shall the Sunne go downe vpon it for he is poore and setteth his heart vpon it lest he cry against thee vnto the Lord and it be sinne vnto thee All these places prooue vnto vs that all sinne is committed against God and respecteth him either immediately when we sinne against the first Table or mediately when we sinne against the second Table This will better appeare by such reasons as Reason 1 are grounded out of the Scriptures and serue to confirme this trueth and to establish our consciences in it First sinne is nothing else but the breach of the Law of God 1 Ioh. 5.17 and the party that is offended properly directly is God himselfe For except there had beene a law giuen of God forbidding or commanding there could be no offence against any creature If God had not said Thou shalt not steale theft had not beene a sinne and lust could not be accounted as a sinne except the Law had said 〈◊〉 7.7 Thou shalt not lust as Paul confesseth he had not knowne sinne but by the law And in another place hee testifieth that where there is no law there is no transgression forasmuch as by the law commeth the knowledge of sin 〈◊〉 4.15 If God had not said Thou shalt not commit adultery Dauid had neuer offended Vriah in taking his wife If he had neuer said Thou shalt not kill it had beene no offence to take away life Absolon had neuer transgressed in dishonouring his father Caine in murthering his brother Ziba in slaundering his master if God had neuer published a law against these things Hence it is that the Apostle Iohn saith Whosoeuer committeth sinne 〈◊〉 3.7 transgresseth also the law for sinne is the transgression of the Law This is a full and perfect definition of sinne so that as the definition and the thing defined are both one so are sinne and the breach of the Law For as euery sinne is the transgression of the Law so euery transgression of the law is sinne and nothing else but sinne as euery man is a
reasonable creature and euery reasonable creature is a man If then by sinne the law of the eternall God bee broken we see how it toucheth him neerely so that his Maiestie is offended and his iustice violated Secondly euery sinne is liable to iudgement Reason 2 against whomsoeuer it be committed it is punished of God he taketh the matter into his owne hand as Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men which hold the trueth in vnrighteousnesse And chap. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule of man that doth euil of the Iew first and also of the Gentile To this purpose speaketh the Apostle Iames cha 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer that is able to saue and to destroy He punisheth sinne in whomsoeuer he findeth it and letteth not the transgressour escape scot free that so he may be acknowledged to be a iust and vpright God that hateth wickednesse and loueth righteousnesse For he will shew himselfe iust as well in his reproofes and threatnings as in his iudgements and corrections Now he could not correct all sinne except all sinne were committed against him And if he should he should be an vniust iudge through too much rigour and seuerity as the Apostle concludeth in the Epistle to the Romanes cha 3.5 6. Is God vnrighteous which punisheth I speake as a man God forbid for then how shall God iudge the world Forasmuch as hee which is to iudge all the world in righteousnesse and trueth cannot but deale iustly and vprightly Gen. 18. Thirdly as he punisheth all sinne so he only Reason 3 can forgiue sinnes This is that which the Prophet setteth downe Thou hast in loue to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Esay 38.17 And to rhis purpose speaketh Micah chap. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depthes of the sea If then it belong to God alone to forgiue sinnes it followeth that they are committed against him Fourthly the loue of our brethren is made Reason 4 the fufilling of the whole law and the tryall of our selues whether we loue God or not This the Apostle maketh plaine Rom. 13.8.9 10. Owe no man any thing but to loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the law for this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse c. it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe loue worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore loue is the fulfilling of the Law In setting downe the summe of the whole Law Christ and his Apostles oftentimes passe ouer the first Table and make no mention of the duties thereof He calleth the most weighty and principall matters of the Law iudgement mercy and fidelity Matth. 23.23 and when the yong man in the Gospel asked the question what commandements he must obserue that he may enter into eternall life he sendeth him not to the first Table but to the second and saith vnto him Thou shalt not kil thou shalt commit adultery c. thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Matth. 19.18 He might haue taught that he should haue no other God but the true God of Israel and that he must loue him beleeue in him and put his trust and confidence in him but the obedience heereunto stood for the most part in the inward affection of the heart or in outward ceremonies The affection of the heart doth not appeare outwardly and the outward ceremonies of his worship are oftentimes counterfeited thorough hypocrisie but the workes of charitie are witnesses of true righteousnesse Our outward workes toward men are signes of our inward piety toward God so that he will haue our faith toward him to be knowne by these fruits Wherefore forasmuch as we haue plainely shewed and firmely prooued that all sinne is a transgression of Gods Law that he is a punisher of sinne rewarding euery one according to his workes that he onely can forgiue sinnes and that he tryeth how we performe our duty toward him by our loue and charity toward our brethren it followeth necessarily that howsoeuer men are many waies and oftentimes greatly wronged yet therein also God is most highly offended An obiection answered Now albeit the doctrine may seeme sufficiently strengthened by these consents and reasons yet some scruple and doubt may remaine in vs except we shall remooue one obiection For in that prayer which the Lord taught his disciples we are taught to aske forgiuenesse our sinnes at the hands of God forasmuch as we also forgiue our debtors Luk. 11.4 The creditor is God the debtor is man the band or bill is the Law the debt is sinne the prison is hell Hereupon the question may be asked Obiect how all sin can be made to be committed against God seeing we are also said to sinne against men and to bee indebted vnto them for debt and sinne are vsed indifferently the one for the other If then we be said to sinne against God onely how are wee said to trespasse against our brother and our brother to trespasse against vs Luke 17.3.4 Answer and how are we saide to forgiue one another I answere in euery trespasse that we doe against our neighbour we are to consider two things first the iniury done to man secondly the offence done against God The losse and damage that man receiueth either in his body when he is wounded or in his substance when it is purloyned or in his good name when it is abused he may forgiue and remit but the sin against God and his Law God onely can remit and release If a man be slandered and thereby receiue much hurt he may pardon that as we see in Dauid who flying from his sonnes rebellion was cursed with an horrible curse by Shemei one of the family of the house of Saul hee accused him to be a bloody man 2 Sam. 16.7 and reuiled him as a man of Belial yet hee put it vp and would not be reuenged of it neither suffer others to take away his life Neuerthelesse as his vile slanders and false surmises were forbidden in the ninth commandement and were breaches thereof he did not neitheir could he forgiue he hath nothing to do with that nay all the men in the world are not able to make it no breach of the law and consequently no sinne against God If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour he may forgiue the blemish he hath receiued as Stephen his persecutors that stoned him to death and prayed for them but he cannot blot out the staine that the sin maketh in his soule nor forgiue the breach of the sixt commandement If a man haue his goods stollen he may pardon the theefe but he cannot remit the theft for as much as the eighth commandement will take hold of him
are like to male-contents that had rather liue vpon the spoiles of others then take paines themselues wishing that all things were in a tumult confusion and combustion that they might catch the goods belonging vnto others holding this principle that it is good fishing in troubled waters Wherefore it is a notable exhortation of the wise man Prou. 6.16 17 18. 19. These sixe things doth the Lord hate yea seuen are an abomination vnto him a proude looke a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood an heart that deuiseth wicked imaginations feet that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnesse that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among brethren Of this kinde there are many seuerall sorts first a relation of the bare words against the meaning as Matth. 26.69 At the last came false witnesses and said This fellow said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it in three dayes Christ spake some such words Ioh. 2.19 but neither altogether the same neither to the same end and purpose because he spake of the Temple of his body This is a breach of the ninth commandement the which albeit it be more cunning in the rest yet it argueth greater malice when for want of other matter and better proofe we set their owne words vpon the racke and stretch euery ioynt of them out of their place Secondly to open the secret sinnes of our neighbour to any man especially if hee commit them of infirmitie contrary to the general rule of Christ Matthew 18. verse 15. If thy brother shall trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he shall heare thee thou hast gained thy brother This is the right and ready way to gaine our brother to make his sinne secret and as it were to couer it with a garment so long as there is any hope by priuate exhortation and admonition to winne him To blaze abroad and to publish to the knowledge of others their frailty is not the way to gaine them but to stirre them vp against vs and to harden their hearts and to stop their eares when wee speake vnto them For except it appeare vnto those whom we exhort or reprooue that wee loue them and that our admonitions proceed from that fountaine we shall neuer doe them any good neither will they euer regard our words but they will seeme harsh and vnpleasant vnto them Thirdly euill suspicions when nothing can be done of our brother be it neuer so honest or religious but we suspect the worst of it and speake the worst of it whereas loue is not suspicious but hopeth all things endureth all things beareth all things beleeueth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 Hence it is that the Apostle teacheth that the end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfained 1 Tim. 1.5 and in the last Chapter of that Epistle he yoketh enuy strife railings and euil surmisings together the which whosoeuer follow after do know nothing concerning godlinesse Lastly to accuse our neighbour for that which is true and certaine through hatred and malice and with a purpose to hurt and destroy if we can him that we accuse and against whom we complaine as appeareth 1 Sam. 22.9 in the example of that dogged and diuellish enemy Doeg who was appointed ouer the seruants of Saul he said I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitub who asked counsel of the Lord for him and gaue him victuals and the sword of Goliah of whom Dauid sath in one of his Psalmes Thy tongue deuiseth mischiefes Psal 52.2 3 4. like a sharpe razor working deceitfully thou louest euill more then good and lying rather then to speake righteousnesse thou louest all deuouring words O thou deceitfull tongue All these particular points teach vs to beware of whispering and construing of all things in the euill part Vse 2 Secondly it condemneth all rash iudgement when we iudge amisse of others both of an euill minde and for some euill end Christ giueth vs warning to beware of this wickednesse Matth. 7.1 2. Iudge not that ye be not iudged for with what measure ye mete it shal be measured to you againe And the Apostle Iames maketh the like exhortation chap. 3.1.2 My brethren be not many masters knowing that wee shall receiue the greater condemnation for in many things we offend all Cicer. act 2. in Verr. These rash and rigorous iudges neuer regard nor consider their owne offences they can search and sift into other mens actions as men winnow wheate and yet are carelesse of themselues The heathen accounted it intolerable to reprooue other men when themselues are as faulty This is no better then Pharisaicall hypocrisie This is done diuerse wayes The first is when a man hath done good things holily purely The firâ—◠〈◊〉 of iudgeâ—â—â—â— and sincerely we iudge them done hypocritically dissemblingly and wickedly This iudgement is a wrong iudgement and forbidden in the word of God This was the practise of the diuell toward Iob chap. 1.9 and 2.4 He was a iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill Satan charged him to doe all hypocritically only because God had blessed him and made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that hee had on euery side so that his substance was increased in the land and therefore he suggesteth that if God would put forth his hand now and touch all that he had he would curse him to his face As the diuell himselfe dealeth so deale the children of the diuel with the faithfull He is the old serpent which deceiueth the world and accuseth our brethren before our God day and night Reuel 12.9.10 so also doe his children that beare his image and are transformed into his likenesse These are vniust and wrongfull censurers of the deedes and actions of other men whereof there are many in the world If the godly giue themselues to prayer a duty that God so often commandeth and his children haue so often practised with great fruit and successe and would not omit or giue ouer though it should cost them their liues Dan. 6.11 it is censured to be counterfeit holinesse If they be troubled more then other men and are chastened euery day their enemies hit it in their teeth that they are plagued for their sinnes If they be afflicted in conscience that they feele the burden of their sinnes pressing sore vpon theÌ„ they are iudged to be madde and out of their wits If they delight to heare the word publikely and to be conuersant in reading and searching of the Scriptures priuately they are accused to be precise and whatsoeuer they doe they shall be charged to do it not sincerely but corruptly not in trueth but in outward shew not from the heart but from the mouth and lips onely This was the offence of Eli toward Hannah he being a
handled before Now wee come to consider the yssue and effect of the whole matter according to the determination of God For as he foretold what should come to passe so hee faileth not in it but accordingly verifieth the same Whatsoeuer hee hath spoken shall fall out whether hee promise any thing vnto vs or threaten any thing against vs. Hee is not as man that he should lye neyther as the sonne of man that hee should repent as Balaam by the Spirit of God prophesieth heereafter in this booke Chapt. 23. verse 19. And Christ our Sauiour teacheth Math. 5 18. that Heauen and earth must passe away but one word of his mouth shall not passe away but all shall be accomplished and fulfilled This euent heere mentioned is two-fold First respecting the guilty in the 27. Verse where it is shewed that shee shall perish according as shee sinned and her name shall turne into a Prouerbe of cursing Secondly in respect of the innocent because by drinking of the water shee shall receiue and feele no hurt but God will turne that wrongfull suspition and causelesse calumniation into a great blessing and so reward her innocency that he wil turne the heart of her husband toward her who hath the hearts of all men in his power and turneth them about as pleaseth him so that they shall mutually loue one another and be blessed in their children that shall be giuen vnto them Now the question may be asked Obiect whether this force to discerne betweene the guiltie and the innocent and to bring to light the things that were hidden in darkenesse were in the water it selfe and a qualitie inherent in it and infused into it I answer Answer we must ascribe no power to the water it selfe which in regarde of the substance was no other then common Water forasmuch as both the guilty and the vnguilty did drinke of it or at least might drinke of it The whole force proceeded from the operation of God and his holy institution The brazen Serpent set vpon a pole and looked vppon by them that were bitten by the fierie Serpents did heale them so that albeit they were stung yet they dyed not Howe came this to passe Was it in regard of the matter or of the forme Surely of neyther but all the vertue proceeded from GOD the author of it When Christ healed the blinde man Iohn 9. verse 6. He spate vpon the ground and made clay of the spettle he annointed the eyes of the blinde man with the clay and bad him wash in the poole of Siloam who went his way and washed and returned seeing All men know and can easily iudge that this could not by any naturall operation restore sight to the blind so that it was Christ that healed him not the spettle not the clay not the annointing not the washing This may bee expressed and conceiued by the miracle that Christ shewed vpon the woman that had an issue of blood Mat. 9 20. Marke 5 28. She came behind him and touched the hem of his garment for she said If I may touch but his clothes onely I shall be whole what then Did his garments heal her or were they the cause that her fountain of blood stanched and dried vp No it was the power of Christ that gaue a blessing to the weake meanes and therefore he saith to his disciples Some bodie hath touched me Luke 8 46. for I perceiue that vertue is gone out of me He saith not out of the border of my garment which shee hath touched Shee touched indeede the garment of Christ but it was her faith in Christ that made her whol So in this place both sorts that came to be tryed drunke of the water and according as they were either innocent or not innocent so it fell out vnto them howbeit it was God that vnderstandeth all secrets that brought the trueth to light not any inherent strength that was in the waters Verse 27. And when he hath made her to drinke the water c. Heere wee haue obserued that the successe of the whole busines is contained wherein Moses declareth what doth follow and most certainly come to passe if the woman haue beene abused Heere is set down the temporall punishment that shall come vpon her The more she hath stood vppon her purgation and the greater her impudency and shamelesnesse hath beene the more notorious is her sinne and the more notable is her punishment God hauing all meanes in his owne hand could haue punished her if it had pleased him otherwise but to make it the better appeare that he is the maintainer and preseruer of marriage which is his owne institution and that all might acknowledge the iudgement to be from his hand hee punisheth her in those parts wherewith shee had offended Hee hath all diseases in his owne power to bring vpon the breakers of his ordinance and the transgressors of his Law he might therefore haue stricken her with the leprosie or with plague and pestilence with the consumption with incurable agues or with such an issue of blood as we heard off before in the woman that was cured by touching of Christs garment but to brand her with a perpetuall marke of infamy and to shew how hee hateth adultery hee meeteth with her in her owne kind and punished those parts of her body which she had abused Ezek 16.25 She had opened her feet as the Prophet speaketh to euery one that passed by so that shee became as a wife that committeth adultery which taketh strangers in stead of her husband Her filthinesse was powred out and her nakednesse discouered her belly and thighes communicated to another howbeit her pleasure should be turned into paine and she should be iudged as women that breake wedlocke she should feele the curse of God end her daies in reproach for as she had sinned with her belly so her belly should swell through greatnesse and anguish and as she had opened her thighes so they should rot away so that she shold be punished where she most deserued and become a fearefull spectacle of a forlorne creature and a liuing carkasse consuming in her flesh and dying being yet aliue We doe all learne from hence Doctrine God punisheth in the same things wherein men and women offend and in the same maner that God doth not onely punish sinne but he punisheth sinne in his owne kinde He dealeth with men and women in his punishments as they deale with him in their transgressions so that according as we sinne so we are punished We see this by infinite examples laid before vs in the word of God Consider with me the enemies persecuters of Daniel that sought his life and caused him to be cast into the Lyons denne but how doth God meete with them he might haue reuenged himselfe vpon them by his owne immediate hand but hee would not for they perish and are punished the same way Dan. 6.14 for the king commanded to bring
to the people of God and to prouide for them in their necessities and to deliuer them from the oppressions of the mighty in consideration whereof he is bold to intreate the Lord to thinke vpon him for good according to all that he had done for his people Neh. 5 19. So is it lawfull for vs to craue of God to be mindfull of vs in goodnesse according as we haue done to others and dealt toward them If we remember God we may be assured that he will remember vs. If we be carefull to heare his word he is carefull to heare our prayers according to his promise He will returne like for like care for care hearing for hearing and blessing for blessing If we be carefull to heare his voyce his eares are open to heare vs and if we blesse him he will blesse vs. And as he hath promised to heare them that heare him so hee hath threatned not to heare them that will not heare him Prou. 1 28 29. They shall call vpon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. And to this purpose speaketh the Lord in the Prophets Micah 3 4. Zach. 7 13. They shall cry vnto the Lord but he will not heare them hee will euen hide his face from them at that time as they haue behaued themselues ill in their doings This is a greeuous threatning and full of all discomfort It is as it were the top of all misery to haue God stop his eares against vs. To liue in this sort is worse then a thousand deaths If a Subiect had a petition to put vp to the Prince and knew he would turne away his face from him how neare would it goe vnto him and how would he bee discouraged Or if a childe knew that whatsoeuer he asked of his father should be denied vnto him except he obeyed his father in that whereunto he exhorted him I suppose it would stirre vp the sonne to doe the will of his father In like manner it ought to be with euery one of vs. Seeing God hath bounded and limited his hearkning vnto our voyce when we speake vnto him with this condition that wee hearken vnto his voyce when he speaketh vnto vs it ought to moue vs to heare his word with feare reuerence and to expresse the power of it in obedience that so we may comfort our selues with assurance of Gods mercy toward vs in regard of our zeale and affection toward him Thirdly from hence we may learne to bee Vse 3 patient vnder the punishments that do befall vs. For seeing God will punish vs in the same manner that we offend when we feele perceiue that he meeteth with vs and hath found vs out and that we can no longer be hidden nor our actions from his eyes let vs stoope downe vnder his hand and hold our peace because he hath done it Let vs not fixe and fasten our eyes vpon the earth beneath nor dwell vpon the meditations of mens dealings toward vs but lift our hearts vnto God who alwaies punisheth vs iustly he being the righteous Iudge of all the world to whom is incident no vnrighteousnesse If we bee slandered and defamed by others let vs consider whether we haue not done the like to others and therefore the Lord recompenceth vs in the same kinde and as it were taketh our feet in the snare that we haue laid for others and casteth vs into the same pit which we digged for them as it fell out to Haman who was hanged vpon his owne gallowes so that as we haue wronged others it falleth out that we must receiue wrong from others This is the vse that Salomon pointeth out in the booke of Ecclesiastes Eccl. 7 21 â— Take no heed vnto all wordes that are spoken lest thou heare thy seruant curse thee for oftentimes also thine owne heart knoweth that thou thy selfe likewise hast cursed others Let vs therefore be patient in iniuries let vs not slander them that slander vs nor reuile them that reuile vs nor speake euill of them that speake euill of vs. Moses is commended that when Miriam and Aaron rose vp against him and moued sedition by reason of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married he possessed his soule with patience and bare all their reproches with meeknesse of spirit for hee was very meeke aboue all the men that were vpon the face of the earth Numb 12 3. Numb 1â— 1 It is said of Saul being made King of Israel that when the children of Belial saide How shall this man saue vs and they despised him in their hearts he gaue them not taunt for taunt nor rebuke for rebuke hee commanded not the standers by to take away their liues albeit they deserued it and he had power in his hand to do it but he held his peace 1 Sam 10 1â— and passed by their reproches as a blinde man that saw them not as a deafe man that heard them not and as a man without sense that felt them not When Shemei reproched Dauid and cursed him with an horrible curse Dauid with patience abstaineth and with perswasion refraineth others from reuenge that offered themselues to take off the head of that dead dogge so that he saide Let him alone 2 Sam. 16 â—2 it may bee that the Lord will locke vpon mine affliction and requite good for his cursing this day Hee could haue returned vpon him curse for curse nay wounds for words but he knew well enough and teacheth it to others in another place that hee which loueth cursing the same shall come vpon him Ps 10â— 1â— â— and hee that delighteth not in blessing it shall be farre from him because as he cloathed himselfe with cursing like as with his garment so it shall come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones It is well said of an heathen man Sentâ—â— Feare none more then thine owne conscience This is the right and ready way to get a good name and to keepe it being gotten to iudge of others with right iudgement and christian equity carrying a charitable opinion of euery one thinking well of them speaking the best of them and couering the multitude of infirmities as Shem and Iaphet did the nakednesse of their father This is true charity indeed and heereby we may assure our owne hearts that wee loue not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth The counsell of the Prophet is good wholesome to this purpose Psal 34.12 13 14 15. What man is hee that desireth life and loueth many daies that he may see good Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes from speaking guile depart from euill and doe good seeke peace and pursue it The reason is because the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto their cry whereas the face of the Lord
doth yet nothing lesse then pray Many a Minister that getteth vp into the Pulpit doth nothing lesse then preach Many people that come with eares to heare do nothing lesse theÌ„ heare and to eate the Supper of the Lord that do nothing lesse then partake of his holy table Wherefore wee must be present in minde at holy things as well as in body or else our presence is no better then an absence Secondly we must yeeld to this principle that it is both safer and better to conceiue a prayer then to reade a prayer because it keepeth our mindes constant and freeth vs from wandring thoughts that carry vs oftentimes from the matter which we should altogether minde For we are ready to goe astray and to set our hearts vpon other things whereas by this meanes they are kept close and stedfast to the requests which we make Againe a man may reade a praier that neuer vnderstandeth it or conceiueth the meaning of it and therefore it is more profitable to poure out our petitions our selues then to haue our petitions drawne by the hand of another No man can haue such a feeling of our owne wants as our own necessities will make vs able to expresse neither can conceiue such ioy and gladnesse for blessings receiued as the experience in our selues of Gods benefits will affoord vnto vs. Thirdly no man must condemne such as do conceiue themselues formes of praiers call them conceited praiers or fantasticall praiers These are enuious persons who enuy in others the graces of God cannot abide that any should go before themselues or beyond themselues These are wise in their own eyes and indeed themselues wholly conceited and fantasticall which they falsely charge vpon others being vtterly ignorant both of Gods workes and their owne wants For had they knowne or regarded the gifts and power of the Spirit which helpeth and assisteth his seruants that their tongue is as the pen of a ready writer and findeth sufficient matter to vtter to their Maker or had they knowne themselues throughly what new wants they haue what new sinnes they commit what new assaults they vndergoe what new blessings they enioy which are as so many occasions or rather prouocations to open their mouthes anew to God to sing a new song vnto him they would not blot this ordinance of God with such an odious cauill So then whereas all such should be greeued that cannot frame their petitions according to their present wants nor poure out their supplications according to their particular assaults neither make confession to God according to their particular offences they are rather grieued that any others can performe these duties better then themselues And whereas they should striue with might and maine to be like vnto them and to follow their example they would haue all other men ignorant like themselues and please themselues in that ignorance On this wise ye shal blesse the children of Israel Note in these words the persons that must performe this duty and they are the Priests note also what they are to doe to blesse the people that is to pray to almighty God for them that his blessings may come downe vpon them From hence we see that it is the duty of the Ministers to pray for the people Doctrine It is the Ministers duty to pray for the people So did Melchisedec for Abraham and he was the Priest of the most high God Gen. 14.18 19. So did Moses often for the people when Gods heauy iudgements were vpon them or hanging ouer their heads Exod. 32 33 Psal 106 23. he stood oftentimes in the gappe when the hand of God had made the breach to turne away his wrath lest he should destroy them So did Aaron as appeareth afterward in this booke when the plague was begun among the people he put on incense made an attonement for them he stood betweene the dead the liuing and the plague was staied Numb 16 Rom. 1 2 â—â— 47 48. Paul in euery Epistle practiseth this duty and the Apostles committed the charge of prouiding for the poore Acts 6 â— and distributing to the poore to the Deacons that they might giue themselues continually to prayer and to the ministery of the word The Prophets also neuer failed in this duty as we reade almost in euery place of their Prophesies Dan. 5 22 they stood vpon their watch-tower hauing the people continually in remembrance in their holy praiers Christ Iesus himselfe the great Shepheard of the sheepe is a perfect patterne of performing this he prayed for Ierusalem oftentimes Luke 19. and for the whole flocke of God committed vnto him whoÌ„ he would not suffer to perish but bring them to euerlasting life Iohn 17 20. Thus then we see wee haue the examples of Melchisedec of Moses of Aaron of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of Christ Iesus the Lord of life as liuely examples to go before vs and as a cloud of witnesses to conduct vs in this duty to proue vnto vs the truth of this point This must the rather be practised first because it is an infallible token of our loue toward Reason 1 them and of an earnest desire that we haue of their good Psal 118 26. And how can we better expresse euen the bowels of our affection and our longing after their prosperous estate from the heart roote then by our daily praying for them Rom. 1 10. Secondly the faithfull Ministers of God haue beene much greeued when they were forbidden and not permitted to performe this duty We see this euidently in Ieremy Ier. â—4 â—â— when the Lord had said vnto him Pray not for this people for their good he said Ah Lord God the Prophets say vnto thom yee shall not see the sword neither shall ye haue famine but I will giue you assured peace in this place where we see he layeth the fault vpon the false Prophets and goeth about to excuse or at least to lessen the sinne of the people who were blindly led by those blinde guides that thereby he might make a way to moue the Lord to heare him for that poore seduced people Thirdly the flocke of God is committed vnto them it is no small charge that lyeth on their hands the price of Christs precious blood is committed vnto them and therfore by all meanes they are charged to procure their good especially considering that the blood of such as perish through their negligence shall be required at their hands 1 Pet. 5 2. Ezek. 3.18 Fourthly it is a sinne against God as well as against his people to omit or refuse this duty And therefore when all the people saide to Samuel Pray for thy seruants vnto the Lord thy God that we die not he answered As for me God forbid that I should sinne against the lord in ceasing to pray for you 1 Sam. 12 23. If then it be a sinne to omit it it must needs be a duty
prayer for the distressed when hee should poure out his Meditation before the Lord as appeareth in their seuerall titles yea Christ our Sauiour that had the greatest grace of prayer who continued the whole night in prayer to God Luke 6 12. yet did not forbeare and abstain in prayer from vsing the same words oftentimes Math. 26. verse 44. This truth will the better appeare if wee Reason 1 consider that the Lord Iesus himself hath left a preâ—cript forme of prayer not as a patterne or platforme onely but likewise to bee vsed as a prayer So that his doctrine is according to his practise he prayed in the garden three times vsing the same words and he alloweth his Disciples to do the like yet who may bee compared vnto him He did it not thorough want of wordes or matter who had the treasures of wisedome in him Therefore he saide to his Disciples After this manner pray you Matth. 6 9. If we may pray after that manner then wee may pray after a set forme whether it bee read in booke or rehearsed without booke Secondly Reason 2 it is the common rule of Christ and his Apostles that whosoeuer asketh in faith shall be heard whether it be in a prescript forme or otherwise It is faithful prayer which pleaseth God and auaileth much and without faith nothing is accepted Thirdly it is requisite Reason 3 for order sake For vniformity is a notable meanes to auoide confusion and therefore the church heeretofore hath vsed the same the most reformed churches at this day vse it from which wee are not slightly to dissent and disagree and so to reiect read praiers and set formes Lastly the Apostle auoucheth That he would pray with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14 15. and he would pray with the vnderstanding also but a new prayer neuer heard of is not so well vnderstood conceiued of the simple neither can they so rightly readily answer Amen vnto it But the same form vsed the oftner it is heard the better it is vnderstood In men there are for the most part sundry wants as ignorance in the minde forgetfulnesse in the memory defect of vtterance fit to be in him that should speake vnto God feare and bashfulnesse in the affections that they cannot deliuer the desires of their heart in the presence of others much dulnesse and deadnesse in the soule yet we are not to debar such from prayer all which wants a set forme helpeth Vse 1 The vse heereof is to conuince those that are of the separation which haue rent themselues from vs and made a rent in the Church as Schismatickes who holde it vnlawfull to vse any set formes of prayer yea euen that forme of prayer which our Sauiour hath taught and commanded These do not onely hold it to be vnlawfull but account it an abhominable idoll The opinion of those of the separation touching set formes of prayer and as loathsome to God as the offering vp of swines flesh in the time of the law These be their owne words to be read in the bookes of Greenwood and Barow two principall Sectaries and ring-leaders in this diuision They account it no better then lippe-labour nay not so good they hold it to bee a stinting of the Spirit But to leaue words and to passe by their bold assertions let vs heare what they answer to our reasons then reason against their answers We alledge that Christ expressely willeth vs to pray thus and the Priests in the law were expressely charged to blesse the people thus This is our warrant to iustifie our practise now marke I pray you their answer and compare the one with the other They tell vs boldly that Christ willeth not his disciples to pray this but thus and that the Priests were not required to vse these very words of blessing because the Hebrew word Coh Coh vsed in that place is an aduerbe of similitude as if it had bene saide vnto them Ye shall blesse them after this maner or after a like sort This cannot bee to tie them to the same words but to do it according to the same instructions For nothing like to another is the same But this by their patience is no better then a shift and cauill For be it that they were not required to vse the same forme and frame of words yet were they forbidden to vse theÌ„ or if they had vsed them had they offered vp swines flesh had they committed Idolatrie had it bene an idolatrous kinde of seruice for they forbid the people to vse the Lords prayer as a prayer Neither do wee say that the Priests were precisely tied to vse the same and no other words but we would know of them whether they wer forbidden to vse the same To which question I thinke they will not answer in hast The Hebrew word vpon which they lay the waight foundation of all their building is vsed throughout the olde Testament and the vse of it by Moses and the Prophets serueth fully and notably to pul vp their conceit by the rootes and that the weaknesse of their answer and exception may appeare the better let vs see the vse of it in some particular places When Moses was sent to the children of Israel to say That the God of their Fathers had sent him vnto them and pleaded for himselfe that they would say vnto him What is his name God saide vnto him I am that I am Exod. 3 13 1â— 15. Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you Heere we haue the same word vsed Now according to their exposition Moses is not commanded to speake the same words at any time because Thus as they say is not the same but the like and to that effect and nothing like is the same So then if he were demanded what was his name that sent him hee might in no case say if wee will beleeue these nouelties I am that I am hath sent me forasmuch as he vseth the aduerbe of likenesse for hee sayeth Thus which is not the same Câ—h but some such like thing Nâ—y their opinion is yet more grosse and absurd for they turn Gods precept into a prohibition and whereas God commandeth Moses what hee shall say they say he is forbidden to vse those very words and allowed onely to speake to that purpose And afterward when God said vnto him verse 15. Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel The Lord God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath sent me vnto you this is my name for euer and this is my memoriall vnto all generations If their glosse were granted he might not say The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and of Iacob hath sent me vnto you this had beene vtterly vnlawfull for him he must take heede he say not so in any case no though the Lord tell him This is his name
them yea euen in our enemies These are approued remedies to keepe vs from enuy Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them See heere the godlinesse and humility of Moses he is so farre from enuying this gift of these two seruants of God that he reprooueth Ioshua and wisheth from his heart that all the Church of God had the same gift which he had from the least to the greatest As if he should say I am so farre from enuying them in hauing these graces though they came not with the others seeing God confirmeth euen their calling also as well as the rest that I could rather wish if it pleased God that all in the host could prophesie and were endued with mine and their graces If any obiect that this may seeme to giue way for vnwarrantable wishes friuolous desires and vaine praiers not grounded vpon any promise I answer it doth not for he onely testifieth his holy desire of the Churches good as when we pray that God would keep vs this day from al sinne It is against the word of God to hold that we can be without sinne but it is not against it to testifie our desire to be free from it for it is that which we ought al to aime at and to endeuour that wee may attaine vnto Neither doeth this praier giue scope to the wishes of the sottish multitude that pray for their friends when they are dead who neuer praied for them when they were aliue saying God haue mercy on their soules or God rest their soules whereby the Name of God is taken in vaine For they haue receiued their iudgment according to their works and are already either in rest or in torment froÌ„ which they cannot returne Doctrine The godly desire that â—thers of theâ— Church 〈◊〉 be equall to them or aboue them graces We learne from hence that the godly doe heartily desire the good and growth the profit and encrease of the whole Church It is the duty of all faithfull persons to desire that all true Christians may excell in graces euen to be equall or aboue themselues how eminent and excellent soeuer their gifts places be This appeareth in Iohn the Baptist Iohn 3 29 30. Now is my ioy full he must encrease but I must decrease The Apostle desireth that the Thessalonians who were grown greatly in grace might yet grow more and more 1 Thess 4 1. Rom. 1 11. This desire of the prosperity and flourishing estate of the Church made Paul to moue Barnabas to go againe and visite the brethren in euery City where they had preached and planted the Gospel of Christ Acts 15 36. Rom. 9 3. Gal. 6 16. Math. 11 25. Iohn 17 24. 2 Cor. 13 9. As theÌ„ Ioab sent out to number al the tribes of Israel said vnto the King 2 Sam. â—4 â— The Lord thy God adde vnto the people how many soeuer they be an hundred fold and that the eies of my Lord the King may see it so ought we in seeking the encrease of the true Israel of God much rather say The Lord adde vnto the church such as shal be saued how many soeuer they seeme already to be thousand thousands and that our eies may see the spirituall growth of them For as the glory of God ought to be most Reason 1 precious vnto vs so heereby he is most glorified wheÌ„ many lights shine before men Mat. 5 16 Iohn 15 8. Secondly superiours in gifts are fathers and haue that title giuen vnto them as well as superiours by office and calling and therefore as fathers reioyce to see their children excelling themselues or others in gifts as Salomon did excced Dauid so ought it to bee in the spirituall growth of the Church such as are fathers in respect of gifts should reioyce and be glad when they behold their inferiors to come forward to a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ Eph. 4 13. Thirdly they heartily loue one another therefore they cannot but desire their greatest welfare and excelling in all graces to the greatest edification of other not enuying but reioycing in their encreasing more and more contrariwise sorrowing at their dwarfish estate euer learning yet still needing to bee taught the first principles of religion as not able to beare strong meat Heb. 5 12 13.14 From hence we haue a way left vs to examine Vse our selues and to iudge our selues whether we belong vnto God and be truely sanctified or not whether we be true parts of the true church or not euen by this desire of the good of the churches of God Hereby we may discerne and try what is in vs by this note we may proue our selues truely to seeke Gods glory with sincere harts to wit when we can reioyce in the excelling of other mens gifts aboue our owne whether they be in the same or other callings with vs wishing our selues inferiour to all others and euery one to excell vs in gifts to the edification of the Church Gods glory in the setting vp and establishing of the kingdom of Christ Let vs not account it a shame to see a sheep go before his Shepheard or the sonne to go beyond the father or the wife her husband or the seruant his master if the inferiours haue greater better gifts then their superiours blesse God for it and pray God yet more to multiply their graces There are many Pastours that are afraid lest their people by too often teaching and by going and growing forward by reading and conference should be able to teach them their duty or else controle their teaching of others This is as vnnaturall as if a father should be greeued to see his childe prosper to grow in stature We must desire the conuersion of those that bee out of the Church therefore much more the blessing of God to be vpon the Church in a more plentifull measure Acts 26 29 and 7 60. He that is desirous of the good of such as are not of the family will be more carefull of those that are of the family Euery part and member of the body desireth and procureth the good of the other parts so ought it to be in the mysticall body whereof Christ Iesus is the head who laide downe his life for the Church and shedde his precious blood for the ransome of it Acts 20 28. It will be a great comfort to vs to finde this affection and desire in our hearts to long after the common good of the Church Vse 2 Secondly it condemneth the Church of Rome that hinder the growth and encrease of it deteining the Scriptures from the people keeping them in blindnesse and ignorance whereas the Lord would haue his word communicated vnto all When a Prince hath published statutes for the gouernement of the Commonwealth they are open for all to read them so is it with God after he caused the word to
the wound and it is he that must and can heale restore againe The mitigation of the punishment followeth which is restrained to seuen dayes amplified by an vnequall comparison drawne from the lesse to the greater from an earthly father to his children who if hee should shew any the least token of his anger and displeasure to his children they wold be afraid and ashamed for a season to come into his presence how much more then ought she to be ashamed to lift vp her head and to come vnto the hoste among whom the Lord dwelleth and walketh being stricken with his iudgement For by spitting in the face is ment any token of reproch or disgrace 〈◊〉 â—5 8 Therefore she was shut out and separate from the hoste seuen daies during which time the people iourneyed not till that one member as it were cut off were againe recouered restored to the rest of the body Thus much touching the order of the words to the end of the chapter â—â—â—â—rine 〈◊〉 â—rath of 〈◊〉 kindâ—â—â—ainst 〈…〉 â—ers 〈…〉 â— 2 3. 〈…〉 34.7 〈…〉 â— 4 〈…〉 â—9 2 〈…〉 â—1 2 3. First let vs come to the signification of the punishment the wrath of God was kindled Wee learne hereby that the wrath of God is kindled against offenders Deut. 32.22 41 42. The reasons hereof are euident First the nature of God is most pure and holy and hee hateth euill whersoeuer he findeth it Secondly sin maketh a separation betweene God and his people it hideth his face from vs that hee will not heare Thirdly he punisheth sin and executeth iudgement vpon the sinner yea hee spareth none no not his owne children that prouoke him by their sins much lesse others as we see in Adam in Caine in the old world in Sodome and Gomorrha in Pharaoh and the Egyptians and sundry others Vse 1 The vses remaine First we see that anger is not simply to bee condemned in man but the excesse or defect thereof when it is too much or too little It is a naturall affection graffed in man when it is mooued as there is iust cause 〈…〉 â— 5 it is an holy affection noted to bee in Christ he looked angerly vpon them mourning for the hardnes of their hearts And wheÌ„ he saw the buyers and sellers in the Temple the zeale of Gods house did euen eat him vp Now zeal is partly compounded of anger and partly of sorrow and partly of loue So must we be angry and greeued if there be any loue of God in vs at sin whersoeuer we find it Anger indeed for euery trifle or more then there is cause is sinfull as also not to be angry when there is cause But of this see farther chap. 16. Secondly feare to offend him that is a consuming Vse 2 fire Matth. 10.28 and is able to destroy body soul into hell fire Euery one must learne to know what it is that doth offend him It is the breach of his law he is offended by blasphemy by contempt of his word by swearing by idolatry by breach of the Sabboth and such like impieties forbidden in the first Table These sins for the most part men do little thinke vpon and because the lawes of men doe not take hold of them they regard them not one whit wheras God hath most seuerely punished theÌ„ and reuenged the dishonor done to his name The like we might â—ay of adultery drunkennesse malice couetousnesse and such like they are for the most part thought to bee no sins at all and slightly considered off whereas he is alwayes the same his law is alwayes the same his iustice is alwaies the same and his wrath is kindled against the children of disobedience Ephe. 5.6 Eccles 8.11 Psal â—0 21 Let no man make his mercy an occasion of sin neither turne his grace into wantonnes Lastly let vs giue our selues no rest till we Vse 3 be reconciled to God It is a fearefull thing to lie vnder his wrath Be not quiet vntill he be appeased toward vs the sword put vp into his quiuer Prou. 20.2 The wrath of a Prince is compared to the roaring of a lyon he sinneth against his owne soule that prouoketh him much more may this be said of God Vse therfore the means and remedies to call in his anger How Gods anger is to be called in send an ambassage of peace vnto him the procuring of our peace standeth first in seeking aboue all things the fauor and friendship of God When Herod was displeased with the Tyrians and Sidonians they perswaded Blast us the kings chamberlen to stand their friend they desired peace because their country was nourished by the kings countrey We are nourished by God in whom we liue and moue and haue our being and therefore we haue more cause to come to him with one accord and seeke his fauour Secondly in repentance and turning from our euill wayes whereby we prepare our selues to meet him Amos 4.12 Thirdly in prayer and humbling ourselues before him Thus doth Aaron seek peace by stirring vp the spirit of Moses to pray for them and hereby did Moses procure their peace Thus did they stand in the gappe afterward when the hand of God had made a fearefull breach among the people and the pestilence had slain many thousands wherby they made a blessed atonement Num. 16.47 48. Lastly the procuring of our peace consisteth in beleeuing in Christ and laying hold vpon his merits and righteousnesse which was signified by the incense that Aaron offered when he stood betweene the liuing the dead Christ Iesus is our peace-maker who hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene vs he hath reconciled vs vnto God so that by him we haue an accesse vnto the Father by faith we are ioyned to him and lay hold vpon him to eternal life Ephe 2.14.16.18 If we be earnest in seeking these meanes of peace we shall be safe for the danger of his wrath is gone and past Psal 2.12 11 And Aaron said vnto Moses Alas my Lord I beseech thee lay not the sin vpon vs wherein we haue done foolishly wherin we haue sinned 12 Let her not be as one dead of whom the flesh is halfe consumed when he commeth out of his mothers wombe Here we see as we noted before that God would not heare the offenders vnreformed speake vnto him neither abide any talking with them but Aaron is faine to goe to Moses to intreat him that by his intreaty and intercession vnto God the punishment of leprosie may be remoued which is amplified by a comparison of likenesse Doctrine God heareth not such as lie in their sinnes Ioh. â— 31 Psa 66.8 that she may not be as one dead whose flesh is halfe consumed We learn hereby that God heareth not their prayers that lie in their sinnes and are not reconciled vnto him Iob 42.7 8. Esay 1.15 Gen. 20.7 The reasons why God heareth them not
They put the people in minde of the goodnesse of the land and of the loue of God toward them and that the enemies should be bread for them that is they should be as easily consumed as a peece of bread is swallowed as if they should say Wee seemed Grashoppers vnto them but we say vnto you that they shall bee bread for vs we shall vtterly destroy them To conclude they will them not to feare the people of the Land because God was departed from them but hee was amongst his owne people Neuerthelesse they would not heare them they did sing a song to an heauie heart Prou. 25 verse 20. nay to an hard heart they had brazen foreheads and were ashamed of nothing and therefore for all the care of them and the loue shewed vnto them they went about to stone them to death had not God protected them that stoode in his cause Obserue first of all in that Caleb and Ioshuah rent their cloathes Doctrine The faithfull are greeued for the sinnes of others and fel downe before the Lord a gesture vsuall in these times when they heard the blasphemous words of these hypocrites that the faithful are much grieued euen for the sinnes and rebellions of others This hath alwayes bene the holy affection of Gods seruants they haue not onely mourned and lamented for their owne sinnes but they haue proceeded farther to take to heart the sinnes of other men as Lot 2 Pet. 2 7. and Dauid Psal 119 136. They that escaped out of the common destruction are described by this note they mourned and cried out for the abhominations that were committed in the land Ezek. 9 4. Christ our Sauiour wept for Ierusalem Luk. 19 41 42. Reason 1 The reasons First they know that Gods anger is prouoked for sinne and his curse falleth vpon the head of the sinner Ioshua had cause to mourne when he saw that Israel could not stand before their enemies Ioshua 7 8. For Achan had sinned against the Lord and the hoast could not prosper so long as hee remained among them No maruell therefore if they be greeued whensoeuer they behold the wrath and iudgements of God procured Secondly if we know their iniquities and Reason 2 do not mourne for them they become ours and we do thereby make them our own Thus we are made partakers of other mens sinnes If we mourne for them they are theirs not ours if we do not mourne they are both theirs and ours Hence it is that the Corinthians are reprooued that they sorrowed not for the incestuous person that was among them yea theÌ„selues were defiled by his sinne and became as one polluted lumpe with him as the leauen leaueneth three peckes of meale into which it is put And we see in the prophet Ezekiel 9 5. they are smitten that mourned not for the abhominations committed as well as they that did commit them Thirdly hereby much good and many benefites Reason 3 come vnto our selues Such are pronounced blessed by the mouth of Christ Mat. 5 4. that mourn whether it be for themselues or for others or both for they shall bee comforted When the heauens water the earth there followeth a fruitfull increase but when the earth watereth the heauens there shal follow a more plentifull haruest of all heauenly spirituall comfort If any aske when the heauens are watered by the earth Obiection forasmuch as this may seeme to be out of course and contrary to the nature of them I answer whensoeuer a sinner poureth out the teares of his penitent soule and broken heart into the bosome of God Answer then the earth may bee saide to water the heauens For the teares of the godly fall not to the ground Cooper vpon Psal 119. they ascend vpward they do not descend downward I vnderstand it of the fruite and benefite of them the Lord gathereth them when we shed them as precious pearles and putteth them in his bottle of remembrance Euery drop that falleth from a penitent soul is as a precious pearle The teares 〈◊〉 the gâ—theâ— precious pearles nay more worth then many Iewels of the world It shall little auaile vs to haue many pearles and Iewels hanging about vs and to want those that now we speak of These do not die and perish but are sowne as good seede in the earth the fruite whereof is very comfortable because they that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psal 126 5. Learne from hence the difference betweene Vse 1 the godly and vngodly The godly mourn for the sinnes of others as if they were their own whereas the vngodly make a mock of sin and can laugh hartily at it as if it were a matter of merriment and of pastime Prou. 14 9. Heere then is a note to know who are Gods Children and who are not When we cannot reforme and amend euill yet if God haue giuen vs hearts to mourne for it it is an happy thing for vs a great blessing and a good signe that we belong vnto him Lot dwelt among the Sodomites they were grieuous sinners against the Lord the cry of them was come vp to heauen he could do no good among them yet he was so farre from ioyning with them that hee vexed his soule for them If we do not follow his example in vaine we boast our selues to be the seruants of God This made Dauid say the zeale of thine house hath consumed me the reproaches of them that reproached thee are falne vpon me Ps 69 9 10. And the Israelites carried into captiuity wept when they heard the insultings and blasphemies of the wicked Psal 137 6. The godly must not say I will walke in the way of the multitude I wil ioyne with them and that it is in vaine to striue against them Secondly see the state of the faithful in this Vse 2 life somewhat there is alwaies to humble and afflict them in themselues or in others In this life 〈◊〉 and gâ—â—efe 〈◊〉 mingled toâ—â—ther The Prophet Dauid testifieth oftentimes his ioy of heart which God gaue him neuerthelesse this is not found without greefe and sorrow We haue no ioy without greefe in this world but they are tempered and mingled together bitter and sweete one with another lest in ioy we should be two ioyfull in sorrow we should be too sorrowfull the one seruing to allay the other and the one making the other profita-Howbeit after this life when God shall separate the sheep from the goats After this 〈◊〉 ioy and gâ— are seuereâ— these affections also shall bee separated the godly shall haue ioy without greefe the vngodly shal haue greef without ioy To haue ioy without any trouble is not to be looked for vpon the earth it is the condition of them that are glorified and perfected in heauen On the other side to haue greefe and anguish without ioy and comfort is the miserable condition of them that lye damned and tormented in hell where is weeping and gnashing
Lord would doe they should not come into the land their carcasses should fall in the wildernesse and touching their children they should wander in the wildernesse forty yeares The fathers themselues had murmured against Moses and Aaron verse 2. this doth God account as chiefly done against himselfe You haue murmured against me He accounteth the disobedience shewed to the Ministers that bring the word as a disobedience against himselfe the authour of the word as Luk. 10.16 to teach vs to submit our selues to Gods holy word albeit it be deliuered to vs by man Doctrine like vnto our selues The doctrine when once the Ministers of God are no longer regarded When the Ministers of God are not regarded God taketh the matter into his owne hand when they cry early and late and we stop our eares God himselfe taketh the matter into his owne hand When God sent Noah to preach repentance to the old world and they repented not he commeth against them to their destruction Gen. 6.1 4. Come thou and all thine house into the Arke for yet seuen daies and I will cause it to raine vpon the earth forty dayes and forty nights and euery liuing substance that I haue made will I destroy from off the face of the earth So 2. Chro. 36.15 16. Ierem. 7.13 14. and 14.15 16. Zach. 7.11 12. This is the course of the Lords dealing first hee preacheth by his Ministers then he punisheth with his iudgements The reasons Reason 1 First because the word offered and brought vnto vs being contemned they shew contempt against God himselfe and in despising his word they despise the Lord himselfe Ioh. 13.20 and therefore no maruell if he be constrained to take the matter into his own hand and to deale with them himself that they may know what he can doe who regard not what his seruants speake Reason 2 Secondly God loueth those that are his owne and he is entred into a couenant with them and cannot but continue his loue vnto them Ioh. 13.1 now these that he loueth hee chastiseth Heb. 12.6 and if they will not bee warned by his threatnings he will make them seeke vnto him by his corrections and punishments Iob. 33.16 Vse 1 This teacheth the Ministers of God how they may stay themselues in following the duties of their calling among so many discontentments that they meet withall both in the hearing and practising of the people For albeit their labour spent early and late cannot preuaile yet the Lord himselfe will take the matter into his owne hand and deale with them himselfe The word which wee bring is not our owne it is the Lords we are but as the Apothecaries boxe that holdeth the precious oyntment if then he be patient toward the contemners of it much more ought wee to be patient and commit the cause to him whose cause it is Peter being a Fisherman before his calling Matth. 4.18 had toiled all the night but had taken nothing yet when Christ bad him continue his labour he was ready to cast downe the net into the sea Luk. 5.5 and at length he enclosed a great multitude of fishes The Ministers are made the fishers of men Matth. 4.19 to catch them with the angle of the word and to take them in the net of the Gospel Matt. 13.47 And albeit we doe oftentimes toile and moyle and take nothing because men are growne so wily as to passe by the net and can by no meanes abide to come neere it yet we are not to be discouraged the master of the net commandeth vs to labour in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.2 and if a multitude of them will not be taken in this net Christ Iesus will take hold of them another way to wit by the net of his iudgements Albeit therefore we doe not see such profit of our paines and labours as wee expected and desired yet let vs be content and commit the successe of all to him that sent vs hee will doe that for vs which we cannot doe for our selues hee will take them in hand that hath their hearts in his owne hand and reforme all that belong vnto him bring euerlasting confusion vpon his enemies that shall neuer bee forgotten Ieremy chapter 20. verses 8 9. Secondly it serueth to terrifie all that obstinately Vse 2 set themselues against the word of God because God wil take the matter into his owne hands If his word cannot bee a fire to burne vp all corrupt affections in vs Ier. 23.29 God will himselfe be a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 If his word bee not as an hammer to breake in pieces our rocky and stony hearts he will be an hammer that shall beat vs to shiuers and grind vs to powder Matthew chapter 21. verse 44. Let all such know that albeit they escape the mouth of the Minister yet they shall fall into the hands of God himselfe which will be more fearefull vnto them for he is able to destroy both body and soule in hell Matth. 10.28 Indeed he is patient but he will not beare long with the contempt of his word and though hee seeme not to heare at the first yet in the ende he will make it manifest that hee heareth those which would not heare him Let vs therefore hearken vnto the word with diligence and attention while it is offered vnto vs. Lastly let euery one make conscience of hearing the word and be admonished by it otherwise most certainely it will fall out he shall be forced to take vs into his owne hands and to deale with vs himselfe This should moue vs to reforme our selues and to amend our liues by the Ministery of the word that so we may escape the hands of God and not lie vnder his correction Is it not better for children to be admonished by their fathers seruants then to fall into the hands of their fathers Is it not better for men that liue in leud courses to be admonished by a friend then to fall into the hands of the Magistrate and to go to the stocks for correction so in this case it is farre better for men to be reformed by the word of God brought vnto them by the Minister then to fall into the hands of the liuing God to be iudged by him This did Eli teach his children 1 Sam. â— 25. If one sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge him but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreate for him Our condemnation shall be so much the greater because we will not be admonished by his word Let vs therefore be wise in this point Some children are so wayward and peeuish that no words will serue them speak vnto them neuer so much they will not heare neither will they regard And Salomon saith well A whip for the horse a bridle for the asse and a rod for the fooles backe Pro. 26 3 and of children he saith Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction shall driue
Alâ—est 11 â—catech 15 in 2 Thes by most of the Ancients Lastly the conditions and qualities of Antichrist do bewray the same also Now hee is plainly described by the Apostle 2 Thess 2 4. yea so plainly as if then hee had bene alreadie come and reuealed to the world He is saide to bee an aduersary opposed to Christ yet not professed but disguised for vnder the maske and vizard of hypocrisie he oppugneth Christ and his truth and denieth the Lord Iesus to be that Christ annointed to be the only King the onely Priest and the onely Prophet of the church in all which the byshop of Rome will haue a share and communicateth them to others This high priest is no better then an apostate a star falne from heauen he lifteth vp himselfe aboue all that is called God that is all to whom the name of God is communicated and sitteth in the temple of God as god Fourthly a perfect papist that is such a one as acknowledgeth the Councell of Trent and is obedient to the doctrine of the Iesuites caÌ„not be a good subiect neither obey for conscience sake for he beleeueth the Popes sentence in excommunication to be good nay to be Gods sentence hee obeyes so long as pleaseth the pope and his instruments he keepeth not promise or oath with heretikes he receiueth pardons to free from loyalty and allegeance harboureth Seminaries looketh for a golden day practiseth the most diuellish deuices to establish popery entertaineth conference with his Princes sworne enemies and maintaineth that this proud prelate may depose Princes by his priestly power Lastly it is daÌ„gerous to Prince and State to permit them forasmuch as hereby they haue meanes to work and wreak their malice Recusants will conuerse with Iesuites most freely and Iesuites shall not bee kept to any good termes and behauior whereby the secrets of the land are disclosed home-bred foes are encreased good subiects are discoraged and meanes affoorded to hollow-hearted enemies to forecast and to fortify themselues Vse 2 Secondly this serueth to reproue diuers sorts that erre in practise offend against this rule And first of all such as seek reuenge and therby shew themselues far from true loue To reuenge wrongs is proper to God we must not intrude vpon his office neither vsurp his right Deu. 32 35. Ro. 12 19. Heb. 10 30. Psal 94 1. Pro. 14 29. If we practise this wee worke wickednes against him and prouoke him to work reuenge vpon our selues Is it a small offence for any subiect to vsurp the office of the Prince or of the Iudge in giuing sentence vpon any Such vsurpers are such persons against GOD. Againe it serueth to rebuke such as will not forgiue how can such perswade themselues to be members of the church and one body with their brethreÌ„ while they refuse to be one with them These doe make an heauy law against themselues Mat. 6 14 15. 18 22. 5 44. 1 Pet. 3 8. Thirdly such as haue no feeling of the troubles calamities of their brethren Heb. 13 3. much more such as adde affliction to the afflicted The captiuate Iews complain against the insolency and cruelty of the Caldeans Ps 137 3. they required of them in scorn and derision to sing in their hearing one of the songs of Sion and made themselues merry when they saw them heauie hearted The enemies of God and his people are vnmerciful haue no pitty Esay 47 6. God reprooueth for this Psal 102 19. Lastly all members of the church should liue Vse 3 in all loue peace and concord one with another Gen. 13. considering we are brethren and auoid all dissention and discord As in the naturall body we see how one member is readie to aid affect another and stand for the good of another so should it be in the mysticall body all should be vnited together As the subiects of one Prince that belong to one kingdome are subiect to the same lawes bound to maintaine mutuall peace one with another so if God be our king and rule in our harts by his word and Spirit and if wee belong to his kingdome wee must imbrace one another in loue Ephes 4 3. and endeuor to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace We must do nothing through strife and vainglory Phil. 2.3 1 Cor. 1 10. We must all speake the same things that there be no diuision among vs. Hatred is a fruit of the flesh Gal. 5 20. Galath 6 2. On the other side to walk in loue is to walk in the spirit and it is a fruite of the gospell 1 Cor. 13.1 14 1. If we haue neuer so excellent gifts all remaine vnprofitable without this Now The way to try whether the loue of the brethren be in vs. the way to trie whether this be in vs toward the brethren is to examine it by these foure rules First Christian loue must not begin for any worldly respects nor end for wordly respects and considerations but principally must be for and in God Carnal loue is begun for carnall respects and therefore soon withereth away We must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ Ioh. 20 17. They are his brethren and he accounteth them so and therefore if God be our Father and Christ our brother they also must be our brethreÌ„ This is expressed by the Apostle 1 Iohn 5 1. Euerie one that loueth him that begate loueth him also which is begotten that is whosoeuer loueth God the Father loueth also the sonnes of God Secondly true Christian loue must not bee outward in shew onely but inward in the heart 1 Iohn 3 18. To loue in shew is the loue of Caine toward Abel Thirdly wee must loue those that are our enemies and hate vs for if we loue them onely that loue vs what singular thing do we or what reward haue wee Math. 5 46 47. Lastly Christian loue must not be onely in time of prosperity but is chiefely tried in aduersity when most neede is This rule is set downe by the Apostle Iohn Whosoeuer hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 1 Iohn 3 17. And Salomon sheweth that a friend loueth at all times and a brother is borne for aduersitie Prou. 17 7. In time of peace and plenty euery one will seeme a friend but not in miserie The poore is hated euen of his owne neighbour but the rich hath many friends Prouerbes chap. 14. verse 20. howbeit in time of neede is the true friend tried These rules must serue for our instruction wee must loue all those that are the sonnes of God by grace and adoption wee must loue al those that are the brethren of Christ by faith sanctification wee must loue them inwardly in truth and in heart wee must loue our enemies and not onely in
wicked world it is vpon no other ground then because he doth reprooue sinne If he would hold his peace and say nothing or if he would sew pillows vnder mens elbowes or if he would prophesie to them of wine and strong drinke and giue them liberty to doe what they list and then tell them all is well done hee shall euen be the Prophet of this people Mic. 2.11 The true Ministers of the word are neuer loued of the world because they cannot but strike at the head and roote of sinne with the two edged sword of the word wheresoeuer they find it therefore they are made as markes for euery one to shoot at Ioh. 7.7 and if themselues spare them yet they can be content to heare others speak euill of them without defending them and their righteousnesse But howsoeuer it goe with vs it is our duty to preach the Gospel and to go through good report and bad report 1 Cor. 9.16 Eze. 3.17 We haue the charge of mens soules committed vnto vs we bring glad tidings of peace and glad tidings of good things Rom. 10.15 Wee should be welcome vnto our people and therefore it is vnreasonable we should receiue such a recompence of our labours as to be reuiled and euill spoken off But this hath beene the condition of the Prophets of the Apostles of Christ himselfe he was called Beelzebub and charged to cast out diuels by the power of the diuell Let vs wait vpon our Lord and master that hath called vs he will giue vs a better recompence of our seruice Dan. 12. We shall shine as the starres and Esay 49.4 My iudgment is with the Lord and my work with my God Vse 3 Lastly euery one ought to examine himselfe whether he be guilty of this sinne or not and if hee bee to labour to repent of it and to reforme himselfe if not for the Ministers sake yet for our owne sake and the saluation of our owne soules True it is the Ministers are oftentimes forced to speake many things that are not pleasing to the hearers yet should the people suffer the words of exhortion admonition and reprehension considering that in all of them they ayme wholly at their good The Physition is oftentimes troublesome to his patients and the father giueth many checks to his sonnes yet doe they truely loue them and seeke their good euen while they doe molest and trouble them so is it with the Ministers of God albeit they doe greeue and molest the people of God yet it is for their good and saluation and therefore they may say with the apostle If any haue caused greefe he hath not greeued me but in part that I may not ouercharge you all 2 Cor. 2.5 Therefore it is the duty of the people quietly to suffer the word of exhortation and to digest a reproofe thereby to shew themselues obedient in all things for this is the proofe and tryall of our hearts 2 Cor. 2.9 15 And Moses was very wroth and said vnto the Lord respect not thou their offering I haue not taken one asse from them neither haue I hurt one of them 16 And Moses said vnto Korah Be thou and all thy company before the Lord thou and they and Aaron to morrow 17 And take euery one his censer c. 18 And they tooke euery man his censer c. 19 And Korah gathered We see heere how Moses appealeth from them to God the iudge of heauen and earth and referreth the deciding of the controuersie vnto him This is the preparation to the punishment of these men wherein consider first the anger of Moses against them secondly his prayer to God to reiect their offering Doctrine thirdly his words to Korah All Gods children ought to be angry at sin In his anger obserue that it is the duty of all Gods children to bee angry at sinne whensoeuer they see God dishonoured and his ordinances contemned and despised There is a sanctified and holy kind of anger Exod. 16.20 albeit Moses were the meekest man vpon the earth as we heard before Num. 12.3 Yet when he saw their disobedience hee was wroth with them The like we see Exod. 32.19 20. and in Eliah 1 Kin. 19.14 Ier. 6.10 11. it is called the fury of the Lord. All zeale consisteth of anger Numb 25.7 The reasons will farther confirme this point For first in many places of the Scripture it Reason 1 is attributed vnto God Rom. 1.18 Iosh 3.36 But to the nature of God nothing can agree but that which is iust and holy Secondly Reason 2 that affection was truely and naturally in Christ our Sauiour Mar. 3.5 he looked angerly vpon them mourning for the hardnesse of their hearts so Ioh. 2.17 The vses first the affection of anger is not in it selfe vnlawfull True it is there is a Vse 1 corrupt anger which we are to striue against and labour to suppresse 1 Tim. 2.8 Matth. 5.23 Iob 36.18 there is also an holy and lawfull anger when it hath a good ground and is seasoned with moderation Leuit. 10.16 2. Sam. 12.5 and 13.21 Neh. 5.6 Ester 7.7 The Stoikes one of the stricter sects of the Philosophers condemne all anger but this is to make men senselesse and to transforme them into stockes and stones For it was created of God and was in man before the fall and before any euill entred into the world All the workemanship of God was approoued to be very good Gen. 1.31 so that being more ancient then euill it must be holden in it owne nature to be good and lawfull But it will bee obiected that anger in many places is forbidden Obiect 1 and condemned Matthew chapter 5. Answ verse 22. I answer not all anger Matth. 5. â— but all corrupt anger such as are angry vnaduisedly So then he speaketh of this affection not as it was created or renewed by Gods Spirit but as it is corrupted and depraued with originall sin Obiect 2 Againe it will be said that the Stoickes define it to be a perturbation of the mind Answer and therefore euill I answer that perturbation is double somtimes it is moued vpon iust causes and sometimes vpon vniust causes The perturbation of the minde mooued vpon vniust causes is vniust and euill the other is iust and commendable The perturbation is good if the causes be good it is euill if the cause be euill Lastly it will be alledged that Christ Obiect 3 our Sauiour teacheth vs Answer when we haue receiued a blow on the right cheeke we should turne to him the other also Matth. 5.39 I answer the meaning is not that wee should expose our selues to all iniuries but abstaine from all priuate reuenge hauing no calling thereunto Whensoeuer those two come in question together either to reuenge or to receiue a new wrong and a fresh iniury wee must chuse the latter because to reuenge is simply euil in the doer but to suffer wrong is not euill or sinfull in the sufferer Vse 2 Secondly
the field to be tried like the fresh-water soldier that dreameth of victory before the battell Abraham then knew that he loued the Lord indeed with al his heart when he had sealed it vp with forsaking his country fathers house And God commanded him to offer vp his son to proue his faith So he humbled the Israelites and made them hungry Genesis 22 1. Heb. 11 27. Deut. 8 16. to teach and to proue them that hee might do them good at the latter end Reason 2 Secondly in respect of their enemies he will also try them whether they will shew pitie or not God hath made the needy and oppressed his treasurers and offereth those men as Obiects and occasions to open their bowels of compassion If they shut their eies and stop their eares from the cry of the poor that are in trouble they are made without excuse and themselues shall cry in the day of affliction when they shall not be heard Thus he tried the heart of Pharoah Exod. 3 18. when the Israelites put vp a supplication vnto him to let them go 3. daies iourney into the wildernesse to offer sacrifice Thus he tried the rich glutton when hee sent distressed Lazarus to his gate shewing what was the liberality of one by the pouertie of another Reason 3 Thirdly in respect of the Church of God that should acknowledge God to be the Author of euery good gift and should flye vnto him in their miseries who hath the hearts of all men in his own hand to dispose of them as seemeth good in his diuine wisedome Hee turned the heart of Esau to fauour Iacob who came against him with a band of men Let vs first of all come into the presence of GOD humbling our selues before him confessing our sinnes acknowledging our vnworthinesse of the least of his mercies and praying him to turne the hearts of our enemies to fauour vs according to the promise of his owne mouth who hath said that wheÌ„ the waies of a man please God Prou 16 7. he will make euen his enemies to bee at peace with him Thus hauing reconciled our selues to God let vs not doubt but that bee which brought water out of the hard Rock wil mollifie the stony harts of our greatest aduersaries wil make them instruments of our greatest good This we see practised by Nehemiah Nehem. 2 4 5 who prayed vnto God to giue him fauour in the sight of that heathen king and hee obtained his request The vses are these First seeing it pleases God Vse 1 to make his owne people to creep and crouch to his and their enemies we see it is lawfull in our necessitous estate to craue almes releefe of our enemies and those that hate vs to helpe vs for our needfull sustentation This condemneth the nicenesse and scruple of those that hold it vnlawfull to buy and sell to deale and Trafficke with the enemies of the Church or to be any way indebted or beholding vnto them But as we are commaÌ„ded to do good to them that are without and are debters to all men that are our owne flesh and are inioyned to succour theÌ„ in their necessities so far as we do not maintaine and helpe them against Christ so is it fitting our profession when God denieth other meanes to aske releefe and refreshing of them otherwise we tempt God in despising such meanes as he openeth vnto vs for our good Let vs not disdaine or refuse to take at the hands of men but withall acknowledge it to come from God the cheefe giuer whosoeuer be the instrument 1 Kings 1â— as Eliah receiued meat of the Rauens both morning and euening Secondly let vs neuer promise any certainty Vse 2 or assurance of the things of this life For as the Kings daughter is saide to be all glorious within so the comelinesse beauty Psalme â— and happinesse of the Church standeth not in meate nor drinke but in righteousnesse of life Rom. 14 â— peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost in the louing countenance of the Lord towards his seruants For the things that are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternal So Salomon sayeth Riches remaine not alwaies 2 Corin. â— Prou 27 â— and 23 â— nor the Crown from generation to generation And againe Trauell not much to be rich but cease from thy wisedome wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon nothing For riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle and flyeth into the heauen And indeed this is the cause why men beare want and pouerty so impatiently because they promise immortality vnto themselues make an act of perpetuity and wholly toyle and moyle for the mucke of this world They dreame sweetly of dwelling for euer vpon the earth and make their mony and riches the god of their refuge Iob 31 â— 1 21. If Iob had made gold his hope had sayd to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence he could neuer haue spoken this in the patience of his soule The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. 1 Tim. â— Therfore the Apostle teacheth that if we haue food rayment we ought therewith to be content For we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out Wherfore let vs often and seriously enter into the meditation of the poore and low estate of the church driuen many times into a corner and constrained to seeke helpe of others thereby to teach our selues the vncertainty and slippery state of all humane things Lastly take this low estate patiently whensoeuer Vse 3 such extremities do befall vs as the lot that God hath appointed vs. â—or 10 13. Let vs consider that no tentation hath ouertaken vs but such as appertaineth to man and God is faithfull which wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that wee are able but will euen giue the issue with the tentation that we may be able to beare it 〈◊〉 12 11. â—6 Indeed euery affliction for the present is greeuous and not ioyous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnes vnto them that are thereby exercised So then we must know that we haue neede of patience that after we haue done the will of God we may receiue the promise And without this heauenly grace considering the present or eminent calamities of the Church we shall neuer be able to holde out our profession vnto the end We shall neuer apprehend the loue of God in our sufferings but be alwaies grudging repining and rebelling against the will of GOD. This made the Apostle to say â—p 4 11. I haue learned in whatsoeuer estate I am therewith to bee content Let vs not therefore in our necessities and calamities fret and fume rage and bee angry against God but pray for this patience the silence of the heart which is much set by of God For albeit the affliction
we endure bee greeuous for the measure manifold for the number strange for the manner and long for the continuance yet if we put on the armour of a Christian it shall worke in vs experience of Gods mercy and bring forth hope of a full deliuerance which maketh not ashamed Verse 14. Thus saith thy Brother Israel Hitherto of the request sent by Moses deliuered by the Ambassadors and consented vnto by the whole congregation now we are to mark the reasons vsed to stirre vp the hearts of the Edomites The first is drawne from their nerenesse of blood and kindred in the flesh We are your Brethren Now if wee be Brethren then helpe vs But we are Brethren therefore helpe vs. The word Brother is taken in Scripture sundry waies 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 First for such as are brethren by birth as Cain Abel Iacob Esau Secondly by affinity which come of one family as branches of one roote â—s 13 8. â— 12. and streames issuing out of one fountaine so Abraham and Lot were brethren and the kinsmen of Christ are called his brethren Thirdly by Country Nation thus all the Iewes are called Brethren one to another Deut. 17.15 Rom. 9 1. Fourthly by profession thus all Christians are accounted Brethren being of the same religion and profession Now in this place it is taken in the second sence for such as were of the same kindred stocke as if they should say Wee are all the seed of Abraham we haue Abraham and Isaac to our father Thus we see they alledge their alliance communion of the same blood descending long agoe by many generations from one father Obserue here first of al the maner of their reasoning If we be Brethren of one kindred deny vs not this fauour but suffer vs to passe Where we see the strength of this reason how that to perswade some kindnes they plead some kindred Doctrine The consideration of our communion one with another must draw vs to the duties of loue one to another and beseech them by the amiable name of a Brother From hence wee learne that the consideration of our nerenesse and coniunction of blood must vrge and inforce from vs all duties of loue and brotherly kindnesse Howsoeuer we are to do good to all yet our Communion in blood should be a forcible meanes to moue vs to al duties of humanity This moued Abraham to take away the heate of contention kindled betweene his Heardmen and the Heardmen of Lot Genesis 13 8 Exodus 2 13. Let not vs I pray thee striue for we are Brethren The like we see pressed by Moses to the Israelites striuing together to the dishonor of God to the slander of their profession and to the opening of the mouthes of the enemies Sirs ye are Brethren Acts 7 26. why then do ye wrong one another This consideration was so strong that it preuailed with Laban toward Iacob saying Though thou be my brother sholdst thou therefore serue me for nought Genes 29 15. I will giue thee wages So Dauid vpon this ground expecteth kindnesse and reprooueth the Tribe of Iudah for their negligence in bringing him vnto his house Yee are my Brethren 2 Sam. 19 11 12. my bones and flesh are ye wherefore then are yee the last that bring the King againe The Reasons follow First the communion Reason 1 and fellowship of the same nature ought to moue vs to be bountifull and beneficiall vnto men because we must do to others as we wish and would that others should do vnto vs. Let vs put the case suppose we were in distresse would we not be glad to receiue good at the hands of others and would we not thinke it a duty belonging vnto them as men to releeue succor vs as men Euen so ought we in like case to doe and deale with them according to the rule of the Law and the exhortation of Christ Matth. 7 11. Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you do ye euen the same vnto them for this is the Law and the Prophets Secondly the flesh of one is as the flesh of an Reason 2 other all the world was made of one flesh so that we are as it were parts and members one of another We see in the members of our body how one is helpful and seruiceable to another when one is pained the rest are troubled when one is honored the rest reioyce So should it be in the generall communion and coniunction of mankind This is that which the Israelites affirm being oppressed by their brethreÌ„ Our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren our sons as their sons Nehem. 5 5. and therefore in this consideration they looked for the duties of kindnes and fruits of humanity to come from them The Vse of this Doctrine is first of all to reprooue those that breake these bands and Vse 1 cast these cords from them wherewith the Lord hath tyed vs one to another For where many times shall you finde lesse familiaritie and friendship one with another then among those that are most neerely linked and allied one to another Their often iarres and most deadly dissentions proclaime to their open shame that they are voide not onely of true piety but of all due humanity What a reproch is it yea what a blot and blemish that the husband setteth himselfe against the wife and the wife against the husband the father falleth out with the son and the son with the father the mother caÌ„not liue peaceably with the daughter nor the daughter with the mother the mother in law with the daughter in law nor the daughter in law with the mother in law and that the loue of brethren and sisters is so geason among vs Great is the force and strength of Nature in all such as are not wholly without naturall affections as we see in Dauid albeit he had a godlesse and vngracious childe aspiring in the pride of his heart to vsurpe the kingdome and driuing his father out of Ierusalem yet when he was slaine in the battel the King was moued and mourned saying O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had dyed for thee O Absolon my son my son 2 Sam. 18 33. The like we see in the true mother to her childe whose bowels yerned within her when Salomon called for a sword to diuide it 1 Kings 3 26. The like force of loue could not be dissembled in Ioseph toward his brethren Gen. 45 1 1. and 33 4. but he turned from them his heart melted toward them Yea cruell Esau when he saw his brother a farre off though he had threatned to kill him yet he ran to meete him and imbraced him hee kissed him and wept vpon him And yet wee now see by lamentable experience that euery toy trifle maketh debate not onely betweene deerest friends but betweene neerest Kinsfolkes that they can neuer be reconciled And as no
Psal 80 5 where he complaineth that God had giuen them bread of teares and fed them with teares to drinke in great measure Thou hast made vs a reproch to our enemies thou hast brought a Vine out of Egypt thou hast cast out the Heathen and planted it yet the wilde Boare deuoureth it the beasts of the field eate it vp Vpon this consideration he sheweth his affection and oftentimes doubleth it Returne we beseech thee O God of hosts looke downe from heauen and visite this Vine The like care of redressing the distressed condition of the Church appeareth in Habakkuk for when God reuealed vnto him that for the wickednesse and iniquity the strife and contention of the people he would punish and visite them by the Chaldeans a Nation worser then themselues it cōstrained the Prophet to break out into an earnest prayer When I heard thy voice I trembled and was afraid Lord in wrath and in the middest of iudgement remember mercy Hab. 1 3 6 3 2. What should I adde more The booke of Lamentations sheweth that the horrible desolation of the Church did draw vp whole buckets of water and fountaines of teares frō the Prophet euen bowels of compassion and most earnest praier to God for the deliuery of his people being moued with a sensible feeling of the Churches distresses Lam. 1 and 2 and 3. And although this meditation alone be sufficient Reason 1 to enforce this affection of compassion yet it may be more earnestly considered and deepely enforced by sundry reasons For first nothing ought to be more precious and deare vnto vs then to see the florishing estate of the Church nothing ought to go nearer vnto our hearts and to make our eyes a fountaine of teares to weepe day and night then to behold the decayings and desolations of Sion This appeareth euidently vnto vs Psal 137 1 2 5 where the Prophet layeth downe the miserable estate of the Church vnder the Babilonians and the affection of the Church conceiued vpon that distresse We sate downe and wept when we remembred Sion we hanged our Harpes vpon the willowes in the midst therof if I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget to play If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleaue vnto the roofe of my mouth yea if I preferre not Ierusalem before my chiefe ioy Wherein ariseth this reason that howsoeuer many things are ministred to comfort the people of God as fauor friends honour glory pleasure and prosperity yet aboue all other ioy the peaceable and prosperous estate of the Church affecteth thē as that which sticketh neerest and cleaueth closest vnto them 1 Pet. 1 12. at the sight wherof the Angels take occasion to wonder at the mercies of God Contrariwise the troubles and tumults raised against the Church beginning to preuaile against it and threatning to make hauocke of it haue caused the greatest sorrow of all other incident to the sonnes of men We see a worthy and memorable example of this in the wife of Phinehas when the Philistims preuailed ouer the people of God many sorrowes fell vpon her one in the necke of another the taking of the Arke the fall of her father the death of her husband the slaughter of her brother the ouerthrow of the hoast the triumph of the enemy yet aboue all as if the rest were nothing the report of taking the Arke was as a sword to pierce through her soule and suffered her not to receiue any comfort in her trauaile but she named her childe Icabod that is no glory saying The glory is departed from Israel because the Arke of God was taken and because of her father in law and her husband She saide againe For the Arke of GOD is taken 1 Sam. 4 19 21 22. Whereby we see that howsoeuer we feele nothing but worldly losses being men of this world whose portion is in this life and are acquainted with nothing but worldly sorrowes which cause death chusing rather to leaue Christ then to lose our commodities to sell our birth-right then to want our pottage like prophane Esau or the swinish Gadarens yet she sealeth vp her sorrow in the name of her sonne and repeateth the departure of the glory from Israel as that which most of all doubled and increased her affliction If then all things in this life are not to bee compared and matched with the prosperous proceeding encrease of the Church in spirituall things if no earthly losse of things neerest and dearest vnto them do so far enter into them as the calamities and ruines of the Church maruaile not if the wants thereof go neere vnto the Church and stirre them vp to labour the redresse thereof in their best meditations Secondly the distresses of the Church set Reason 2 open a wide doore to faithlesse and prophane men to insult contumeliously and to triumph vaine-gloriously ouer the Church as though God had forsaken them left them as a prey in the iawes of the enemy whereby the truth is slandred the Name of God which ought to be precious vnto vs is blasphemed This appeareth Psalm 70 1 4 5 8 10. when the heathen rushed into the inheritance of God defiled the Temple and made Ierusalem an heap of stones that they were a reproch vnto their neighbours euen a scorne and derision to them that were round abound them The Prophet expressing his affection saith Lord how long wilt thou be angry for euer Shall thy iealousie burne like fire And thē he addeth this as a reason Wherfore should the heathen say where is their God Let him bee knowne among th◠heathen in our sight by the vengeance of the blood of thy seruants that is shed So then as on the one side the florishing estate of the Church is that which giueth inward ioy and true comfort of heart aboue all other things to Gods seruants on the other side the distresses of the Church do set open a doore to faithlesse and rebellious men to take aduantage to reioyce ouer the Church and in the spirit of Ismael to scoffe at it with taunts more bitter then gall and wormewood it followeth that the troubles thereof must draw vs to pitty moue vs to prayer and incite vs to vse all good meanes to redresse them The vses follow First we must be greeued for the troubles of the Church as fellow-members Vse of the same body Can that be a true and liuely member that is not any way touched with a fellow-feeling of the rest of the members The Apostle teacheth 1 Corin. 12 25 That the members should haue the same care one for another therefore if one member suffer all suffer with it if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it Would wee then know whether we haue Christ for our head coupling vs together whether wee be members of Christ and haue him dwelling in vs by faith and whether we be made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh
the stirring of vs vp to prayer We may now comfortably conclude to our owne consciences with the same Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God Let vs know then there is great vse of the crosse beeing assured that tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience â—om 5 5 4 5. and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Vse 2 Secondly we learne heereby not to promise to our selues worldly peace prosperity but prepare to endure the crosse before it cometh and know that the end of one crosse is the beginning of another while we liue heere We must not looke to finde heauen vpon earth we must not dreme of the victory before we fight We think of receiuing the prize but we wold not run the race We would put on the crown but we shun the crosse like those foolish husbandmen that would receiue the fruites of the earth but care not for the labour And surely the reason why we are many waies impatient vnder the crosse murmure vnder the mighty hand of God is because wee are vnprepared vnprouided to beare any storme or endure any triall We must not thinke to liue at ease and pleasure but know that whosoeuer taketh not vp his crosse cometh after Christ cannot be his Disciple So Paul teacheth Timothy Thou hast fully knowne my faith and my patience my persecutions which came vnto me but from them all the Lord deliuered me yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3 10 12. For as the head was first crowned with thornes so the members must not looke to liue in pleasures Lastly be not offended at the great afflictions Vse 3 that oftentimes we heare to befall the faithfull or we see to be vpon such as feare God let vs not maruaile and wonder at it as at some rare and strange thing much lesse should wee start backe from our profession for the persecutions and fiery trials that come vpon the Church Therfore the Apostle Iohn saith Maruaile not my brethren Iohn 4 13. though this world hate you nay rather we haue cause to reioyce that God vouchsafeth vs this honor not only to beleeue in him but to suffer for his Name This made Paul say Acts 21 13. being entreated that hee would not go vp to Ierusalem What do ye weeping and breaking mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Doubtlesse if we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chosen out of the world therefore the world hateth vs. It is noted to the euerlasting praise of the Apostles Acts 5 21. Heb. 10 33 34. Cast not away therfore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward God hath no need of vs to maintaine his glory he is able to maintaine it without vs therefore it is a great priuiledge and prerogatiue that God calleth vs out to suffer for his Names sake Besides such and so great are our infirmities that the Lord might worthily make vs suffer for our owne sins and bring shame and confusion of faces vpon vs according to our owne deseruings Now in that he mercifully passeth ouer our faults and frailties couereth our transgressions and maketh vs suffer taunts reproches persecutions for his truth and Gospel it is a great honour and dignity whereunto he exalteth and aduanceth vs and therefore our Sauiour saith Blessed shall ye be when men reuile and persecute you say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsly reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Mat. 5 11 12. Wherfore let vs not shrinke backe for trouble but reioyce in our sufferings and praise God for our afflictions Ver. 16. But when we cried vnto the Lord he heard our voice therefore let vs passe through thy Country Heere we haue the third reason vsed to the Edomites to perswade them to giue them passage drawne from an experience of Gods helpe who seeing their misery and hearing their gronings brought them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now it would argue great cruelty to forsake those and leaue them in their affliction The strength of the reason of whoÌ„ God hath taken the protection If then God haue helped vs do not you deny vs helpe but God hath helped vs therfore deny not vs your helpe Thus the gracious dealing of God is propounded for their imitation This is a forcible and effectuall reason teaching vs this Doctrine Doctrine The consideratioÌ„ of Gods loue to his children must moue vs to mercy that the consideration of Gods loue mercy shewed to his childreÌ„ must moue vs to mercy The truth hereof hath the consent and agreement of many other Scriptures Hereunto cometh the exhortation of Moses Deut. 10.17 18 19. The Lord your God is God of Gods and the Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible who doth right vnto the fatherlesse and widow loueth the stranger giueth him food and raiment Loue ye therefore the stranger for yee were strangers in the Land of Egypt Thus the Apostle reasoneth 1 Ioh. 4 9 11. God hath manifested his loue in sending his onely begotten Sonne into this world that we might liue thorough him Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Wher we see he perswadeth to brotherly loue in respect of the experience which we haue of the free loue of God toward our selues So our Sauiour concludes Lu. 6 36. Be ye therefore mercifull as your Father also is mercifull Hereunto cometh that which we reade in the Apostle Iohn in another place Hereby haue we perceiued loue that he laid downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren 1 Iohn 3 8 16. There is nothing more effectuall to perswade brethren to vnity among themselues theÌ„ to know they haue a gentle father that loueth them all Nothing is able to binde faster those that are fellow-seruants in one family to seeke the mutuall good one of another then to consider they haue a good master carefull of the good of them all to giue them their portion in due season Reason 1 The reasons are euident First we are bound to follow the example of God which must be our direction and instruction This the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2 5 where he exhorteth to humility and lowlinesse of minde from the example of Christ Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 11.32 hauing propounded the examples of the
Son of God was smitten for the vnnaturall the onely begotten for the adopted the beloued for the enemy greater loue then this could no man shew then to die for his enemies But God setteth out his loue toward vs Rom. 5 8. seeing that while we were yet sinners Vse 1 Christ dyed for vs. The vses follow First we may conclude from hence that no creature shal be able to hurt his people If he haue takeÌ„ them into his protection loued them with an euerlasting loue who shall by the hatred of theÌ„ procure their harme If he be on our side who shall be against vs If he be our friend who shall shew himselfe our enemy What seruant feareth the face of his fellow seruant that hath the good wil of his master Or what maÌ„ feareth the hatred of any subiect that hath the loue of his Prince So then the consideration of Gods loue toward vs assureth vs of our blessed condition and of our safety defence from all dangers that may surprize vs. Whosoeuer dwelleth in the secret of the most High Psal 91 1 2 3. shal abide in the shadow of the Almighty hee will deliuer him from the snare of the hunter and from the noisome pestilence This the Prophet concludes Psal 36.10 11. Extend thy louing kindnesse vnto them that know thee and thy righteousnesse vnto them that are vpright in heart Let not the foote of pride come against me and let not the hand of the wicked moue me Let vs labor to haue a true feeling of the loue of God shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost then will he couer vs vnder his wings and we shall be sure vnder his feathers The cause why we feare him that can kill the body is because we are not rooted grounded in the loue of God Vse 2 Secondly hereby we receiue another comfort to our faith for as the wicked shall not hurt vs so we are assured to haue our prayers heard granted Why because God loueth vs as his deare children Comes not that child with boldnesse vnto his father that loueth him in al his need So if once we haue this perswasion setled in vs that God will shew himselfe gracious vnto vs we may aske in faith and not wauer but be assured of the promise of God that he will giue to them that aske and open the gate of mercy to them that knocke This Christ our Sauiour affirmeth Verily verily Iohn 16 23 24 27. I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you Aske and yee shall receiue that your ioy may be full for the Father himselfe loueth you because ye haue loued me and haue beleeued that I came from God What greater comfort can there be then this that God will heare our prayers that we may vnlade al our cares and troubles into his bosome There cannot bee a greater daunting and dismaying vnto any then when God will not respect and regard them though they poure out many praiers yet he wil not heare them as he threateneth those that will not heare his voice speking and crying vnto them in the ministery of his word They shall cry and not be heard Prou. 1 28. Zach. 7 13. So of all comforts that can befall vs in this life this is one of the greatest which cannot be taken from vs though our mouthes should be stopped yet we may safely lift vp our hearts and soules vnto the Lord from whence our helpe cometh Thirdly it is our duty to loue one another Vse 3 as euery one of vs hath a blessed experience of Gods mercy fauour toward vs let vs deale in like measure toward our brethren This the Apostle Iohn exhorteth vnto 1 Ioh 4 1â— Heerein is that loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Iohn 13 3â— and 15.12 for heereby shall all men know that we are his Disciples if we loue one another This is my Commandement that ye loue one another as I haue loued you greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his friends Great was the loue of God toward vs as appeareth by many circumstances considerations For he loued vs first not we him 1 Iohn 4 â— Iohn 15 1â— as Christ chose his Disciples not they him Heereby God coÌ„mendeth setteth foorth his loue toward vs that he loued vs first and not we him Againe he loued vs when we were not wheÌ„ we had not our birth or being he chose vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe before the foundations of the world as Rom. 9. Rom. 5 12 Before the children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill it was said Iacob haue I loued Thirdly he loued vs when we were enemies vnto him he was found of vs when we sought not after him nay when we fled from him and rebelled against him as Ro. 5 6. 10. Christ when we were yet of no strength at his time died for the vngodly so as God setteth out his loue toward vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Fourthly he loued vs frankly and freely without any merits or desarts of our owne Ferus Anâ— 1 Iohn 4. but of his owne meere grace and fauour onely Our saluation is wholly of grace We are elected according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1 â— Wee are called with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1 9. Wee are iustified freely by his grace without the works of the Law Rom. 3 24 28. We haue saluation of grace not of our selues It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Eph. 2 8 9. Lastly the loue of God is so great that he spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him to the death That whosoeuer beleeued in him should not perish â—â—hn 3 16. but haue euerlasting life If then the loue of God bee such and so great to his seruants that he loued them first freely when they were not when they were his enemies spared not his well-beloued Sonne for them how great should our christian loue be one to another to promote the good one of another and to releeue the necessities one of another We know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that he being rich Cor. 8 9. for our sakes became poore that we thorough his pouerty might be made rich Whosoeuer therefore hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Wherefore let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely as Caine which was of that euill one and slew his brother Iohn 3 17 〈◊〉 19. but in deed and
they are redeemed by the blood of Christ and we are put in trust after a sort with the price therof We haue a great account to make in that day in the great day of the Lord let vs therefore stirre vp our selues to feede the flocke of God that dependeth vpon vs. And surely the cause of the ruine and desolation of many Churches is the negligence and idlenesse of the Pastors thereof Mat. 13 24 25 For while the Husbandmen sleepe the Enemie soweth tares among the wheate From hence it commeth that the people liue in ignorance lye in open sins and are carried away with euery blast of false doctrine whithersoeuer false Teachers will carry and conduct them This the Prophet Esay expresseth Chap. 56 9 10 11 12. All ye beasts of the field come to deuour euen all the beasts of the Forrest their watchmen are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke they lye and sleepe and delight in sleeping and these greedy dogs can neuer haue enough and these sheepheards cannot vnderstand for they all looke to their owne way euery one for his aduantage and for his owne purpose Where hee teacheth that the people are ready and ly open to be seduced by Atheists by Papists by Libertines by Familists by Anabaptists by Brownists wher there are blind guides and idol sheepheards euil beasts and slow bellies that feede themselues but feede not the flocke And hee noteth foure monstrous vices and capitall sinnes that poisoned the Church First albeit they were appointed watchmen yet they were blind their iudgment corrupted They were made Seers and yet did not see Lights and yet were in darknesse 1 Sam. 9 9. Teachers and yet were vnlearned Instructers of others and yet wanted knowledg themselues Matth. 6 23. If then the light be darkenesse how great is that darknes Secondly they were sluggish and slothfull dogs they cannot for drowsinesse and lazinesse open their eyes to see or their mouths to bark And when they are called vpon and spoken vnto saying How long wilt thou sleepe O sluggard When wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe They answer Yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep Prou. 6 9 10. Thirdly they are greedy of their owne gaine couetous and giuen to filthy lucre being carried away by the deceite of Balaams wages Lastly they are giuen to belly-cheere and all riot Iude v. 12. They follow their pleasures and pampering of their bellies making them the god whom they serue and do not serue the Lord Iesus The Apostle said I seeke not yours but you 2 Cor. 12 14. but these might say otherwise of themselues I seeke not you but yours And are not such Pastors to be found among vs that through couetousnesse Epicurisme regard not the duties of their calling They ioyne liuing to liuing as those that ioyned house to house they liue at pleasure they eate they drinke they feast they say Esay 56 12. Come I will bring wine and we will fill our selues with strōg drinke and to morrow shall be as this day much more abundant Heereby they are made vnfit vnable to do the duties of their Calling so as like crammed dogs they lye bathing and beaking themselues by the fire and though neuer so much harme be done in Gods churcn they cannot be made to awake and bark in any season to warne the people and to fray away the Wolfe But if any goe about to raise and to rouze them vp out of their sleep they disquiet their consciences too much and trouble their patience so that they are ready to gnar yea they begin to snap and snatch at him with their teeth So that the best way is to follow the counsell of our Sauiour which he gaue cōcerning the Pharisies Mat. 15 14. Let them alone they be the blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch Seeing then such as teach not the people ouer whom the holy Ghost hath made thē Ouerseers can neuer soundly desire the after-good of them it behoueth such to labor with all their strength to builde vp the people in knowledge faith and obedience that so God may haue a people to serue him after their departure Lastly it standeth euery one vpon that hath Vse 3 the gouernement of others whether it bee in the Church or in the Common-wealth or in the priuate Family to looke to their charges that by their godly care and holy endeauour God may be worshipped serued after their departure This is to bee considered of Magistrates Ministers and Gouernours of houses The Magistrate ruling in the Commonwealth whether it bee the King as the superiour or whether it be other Gouernours as they that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well must prouide to the vtmost of his power for the godly and peaceable estate of the kingdom or incorporation where hee remaines by maintaining the Ministery by promoting Religion and by executing Iustice This Moses did as we saw before Deut. 31 2 6 7 8 he assembled the people he signified his departure hee encouraged them against their enemies took order for their welfare after his death by appointing Ioshua to succeede him and to bring the people into the land which the Lord had sworne vnto their Fathers Thus Ioshua dealt Ioshua 23 ◠walking in the steps of Moses his master hee giueth the people charge to worship the true God to sticke fast vnto him with full purpose of heart to loue him to fear him to serue him in vprightnesse and in truth and to put away the gods which their fathers serued beyond the Riuer Thus did Dauid set his son vpon his throne before he dyed 1 Kings 2.2 3. and gaue him a great charge to maintain that Religion which he had established The dutie of all Ministers when they are dying and departing this life is to prouide as carefully as they can that the good worke begun by them may be furthered by their successors and that the trueth which they haue planted may not bee supplanted pulled vp by the rootes by such as shal enter into their labors It is not enough for them to labour in their own persons while they liue but to endeuour that others may succeed them in piety as well as in place in diligence as well as in office Thus dealt Christ our Sauior in calling his Apostles thus dealt the Apostle in ordaining elders in euery City 〈◊〉 1 5. and appointing Pastors and Teachers in seuerall places so soone as they had gained them to the faith Lastly it is the dutie of all Fathers and masters of families to prouide for the soules and saluation of all such as are vnder their iurisdiction and gouernment euen of such as are the meanest and lowest in the house to charge them to know the true
his Master of Paul that persecuted the Saints of Dauid that committed adultery of Salomon that fell into idolatry of Lot that lay with his owne daughters of Noah that offended in drunkennesse of Manasseh that shed innocent blood of Mary Magdalen out of whom were cast seuen diuels of the Iewes that crucified the Lord of life all which returning from their iniquity were receiued to mercy so that where sinne abounded there grace hath abounded much more Rom. 5.20 Hence therefore great comfort ariseth to the heauy soule and troubled conscience oppressed with the burthen of sin and hangring after grace and pardon When terrours and tentations grow strong vpon vs supposing that our sinnes are moe then can be forgiuen and the punishments greater then can be pardoned we must know it is the lying spirit of the diuell to draw vs into the bottomlesse and comfortlesse gulfe of desperation which is as it were the mouth of hell gaping wide to swallow vp the soule quicke to vtter and endlesse destruction If our sinnes be neuer so great and grieuous if they bee neuer so many and monstrous moe then the haires of our head or the sand on the sea shore which is innumerable as heauy as lead as infectious as a leprosie as red as scarlet as filthy as dung and mire yet if God giue repentance and we beleeue there is promise of mercy assurance of forgiuenesse and hope of comfort and consolation Such they are that Christ calleth saying Mat. 11 28 Come vnto me all ye that are heauy laden and I will ease you for my yoke is easie and my burthen is light It behoueth vs all to seeke fauour at his hands to craue pardon and to pleade for mercy and forgiuenes of whom to aske it rightly is to obtaine it assuredly Secondly the trueth of this doctrine of Vse 2 Gods pardoning offenders and the consideration and feeling of this infinite kindnesse of God must worke in vs vnfained thankefulnes and continuall praise sounding out and magnifying his mercies to speake of his goodnes and to shew our selues louing and dutiful vnto him again for his exceeding compassion This sacrifice of thankesgiuing we see offered by the Apostle vnto God for the experience hee had of his bountifulnesse toward him 1 Tim. 1.12 I thanke him which hath made me strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for hee counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice when before I was a blrsphemer and a persecuter and an oppressor Now vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen The like we see in Mary Magdalen who had beene a greeuous and heinous sinner as she had receiued much mercy so shee expressed backe againe much loue and kindnesse as she had beene deliuered out of the chaines of Satan so shee followed Christ Iesus with the fruits of piety and thankefulnesse all the dayes of her life shee entred with him vnto Simons house kissed his feet an ointed them with ointment washed them with her teares wiped them with her haires followed him to the Crosse and was the first with him in his resurrection of whom the Lord Iesus said Many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much Luke 7. to whom a little is forgiuen he doth loue a little There is a forgiuenesse in God that goeth before there must be a thankefulnes in vs that must follow after as this womaÌ„ knowes much to haue bin forgiuen her and therefore she loueth much euen as the debter loueth that creditor most that hath forgiuen him most so should the affection of our loue toward God bee increased as hee giueth euery one experience of his greater mercy As then we feele this sweetnesse and the infinite riches of this benefite so we should open our mouthes and vnloose our tongues and inlarge our hearts to sing and to set forth the praises of God according to the example of the Prophet in the Psalme â—l 103.1 2 3 My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities And in another place What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits toward mee â—l â—â—6 12 〈◊〉 14. I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his people For seeing he taketh away all our iniquity and receiueth vs to fauour graciously it is great reason wee should offer the sacrifice of praise and render vnto him the calues of our lips This doctrine of free forgiuenesse of sinnes openeth vnto vs the most blessed newes that euer came into the world it is the summe of the Gospel and of the glad tidings of saluation the key of all our comfort that entrance into life the most precious balme of our health and recouery which giueth more ioy and refreshing to the fainting soule and broken heart to the tender conscience and weary spirit then all the glory of the world can minister vnto it as the Apostle testifieth This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be receiued 〈◊〉 1.15 that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe Vse 3 Thirdly seeing there is mercy in store for the penitent seeing God will haue compassion vpon them is ready to fall on their necke and to imbrace them with both his armes as the father of the prodigall childe did â—e 15.20 it is required of vs speedily to turne and not deferre our repentance from day to day lest our harts be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin No sinne is so small but is able to plundge vs downe to the bottome of hell if we liue in it without repentance and continue in it without remorse The longer wee remaine in the dregs of sinne the faster we shall sticke in the myre of it and the harder we shall finde it to come out of the prison thereof This is the vse which we are to make of Gods mercy to miserable sinners Let vs take heed we abuse not his goodnesse nor take occasion of liberty to turne his grace into wantonnesse saying as the manner of some is Oh God is mercifull hee is gracious to great sinners and so conclude therupon that they may liue as they list and may put off the season of repentance to the last gaspe But the Apostle teacheth vs to reason otherwise 〈◊〉 1 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet in siâ—â—e Let vs not therefore alleadge the examples of the faithfull that haue offended to incourage vs in sinne or hold them out as bucklers to embolden vs in falling from God Take heede of presumption Many presume confidently with Peter but they weepe not bitterly with
the Patriarkes Prophets Prophetesses and other holy men and women in the old new Testament See the examples of Moses singing the praises of God after their deliuerance out of Egypt after the ouerthrow of Pharaoh and after their passage ouer the red sea he footed it not in a low but in a lofty stile praising God in verses not in prose Exod. 15 1. for the greater efficacy of the matter and the better expressing of their affections The like we might say of his sweet song sung not long before his death Deut. 31 19 22. 32 1 2 c. Cygnea cantio which he taught the children of Israel Iudges 5 1. thus did Deborah and Barak And thus did Dauid make an Epitaph in verse vpon the death of Saul and Ionathan after they were slaine by the Philistims not penned after the plaine and vulgar manner but with many rhetoricall flourishes of Tropes and figures according to the nature of the verse and the substance of the matter Reason 1 The Reasons hereof are easie to be conceyued to auouch the lawfulnesse praise-worthinesse of this Art For first euery Art and knowledge is of God Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift saith the Apostle Iames is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights Euery Mechanical trade and handy-craft is the gift of God there is no excelling in any of them but by his special gift who is the God of knowledge which maketh a difference not onely between man beast but betweene man and man Such as found out curious workes in Gold Siluer Brasse in grauing of stones in caruing of wood in making any Needle-worke about the Tabernacle Were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome Exod. 31.3 35 30. in knowledge and vnderstanding As it is God that frameth the hand to such inuentions so it is he that guideth the pen giueth the tongue of the learned to speake or write after an excellent manner The Heathen men were wont to say That Poets were inspired of God to go beyond the reach of the vulgar sort So then this gift being more then ordinary must needs in a peculiar and speciall sort be from God Reason 2 Secondly sundry parts and bookes of holy Scripture are penned poetically and those of excellent worthy note albeit we know not the kinds and measures of them howsoeuer sundry haue laboured to finde out the seueral numbers and natures of them inasmuch as euery Language hath his peculiar frame fashion yet not onely some certaine parts and parcels but sundry whole bookes as hath bin said were Poetically penned and in that respect may be fitly called Poeticall Bookes Of this kinde and nature are the booke of Iob the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbes of Salomon the booke of the Preacher and the Song of songs all which seeme to be contained comprehended by our Sauiour Christ vnder the title of the Psalmes when he diuideth the whole Scripture into the Law the Prophets and the Psalms as Luke 24 14. Besides when any thing of greatest note worthy of greatest remembrance and commendation was to bee set downe in the Scriptures the Prophets did choose to speake in this artificial composition of words sentences to giue a greater grace and adde greater glory vnto the same as appeareth in sundry places of the Law and Prophets Vse 1 The vses of this truth direct vs to sundry profitable meditations and weighty considerations For first it teacheth vs in part the maiesty and authority of the Scriptures They are not certain rugged and ragged writings to be contemned for their rudenesse and simplicity and to be condemned for their basenesse and homelinesse as the Atheists and others that boast and brag of their fine wits are not ashamed to giue out but Bookes full of holy excellency and wonderfull statelinesse not only working grace in the hearts of the hearers but carrying a grace to the eares of the hearers Bookes filled with true eloquence and more able to perswade then all the enticing words of humane wisedome Therefore the Lord to deliuer his word from disgrace reproach doth sometimes flye aloft with a maiesticall grauity and stately port able to astonish the outward senses sufficient to draw the whole man into admiration and thereby sheweth what he could doe in the rest of the holy Scriptures if it had pleased him Let a man reade with singlenesse of heart and with the eye of iudgement the 104. Psalme 1 2 3 4 5. verses describing the Maiestie of God or Ecclesiastes 12. verses 1 2 3 4 5 c. describing the approaching of olde age or the first chap. of Esay vers 1 2 3 4 5 c. describing the vnthankfulnesse of the people and hauing diligently read and aduisedly perused them let him tell me whether hee do not despise in comparison of them not onely the descriptions of Homer and Virgil but the Orations of Tully and Demosthenes as froth and scum hauing onely the empty shadow of the true and right eloquence So the Apostle Paul beeing charged to bee rude in speaking doth not confesse any want in his stile or craue pardon for any fault but doth iustify his maner of writing purposely auoideth the wisedom of mans eloquence He opposeth his plainnesse to the set and curious speech of the false Apostles who came in gay appearance and hunted after fine phrases and shew of words as if they had had all the strength of truth that might be on their side yet notwithstanding in this plaine style the Apostle sheweth himselfe most mightie and most eloquent garnishing his words and adorning his sentences with all the figures that Art can affoord so farre as serued to moue affections and to touch the conscience For the power of the Scriptures inspired by God stādeth in the inward force and vertue working vpon the soule piercing the heart casting downe the imaginations that lift vppe themselues against the truth conuerting the whole man and entering through to the diuiding of the soule and spirit of the ioynts marrow Heb. 4 12. yea discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart The Apostles of Christ subdued the whole world not with fire and sword not with carnall and bodily weapons but by the plaine preaching of Christ crucified as Paul himselfe confesseth 1 Cor. 2 2. He regarded to know nothing among them but Christ Iesus and him crucified And in 1 Cor. 2 3 4. I was among you in weaknesse and in feare and in much trouble neither stood my word and my preaching in the enticing speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power that your Fayth should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to giue vs a taste and to leaue as it were the prints and footsteppes of all learning and Arts in the world insomuch that no forme of reasoning no ornament of speaking
to all men how to carry this whole history and make one part to agree with another The first conclusion is that Balaam was a lewd and wicked man The first conclusion True it is if we looke into his bare and naked words without the matter and examine his sayings without his practises he may seeme a very faithfull and right religious man yea a most worthy and notable Prophet He hath God alwayes in his mouth and at his fingers ends he will not resolue the messengers before hee haue asked counsell at the mouth of the Lord if hee might haue an house full of siluer and gold he cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord his God to do lesse or more he telleth them he can deliuer nothing vnto them but what he receiueth of the Lord. But if we consider the matter aright and try his fayre speeches by the touch-stone of his foule life and measure his wretched actes with his wicked counsels we shall easily discern in his smooth carriage a deepe dissembling and the Lord to be sparingly in his hart that was abundantly in the mouth He had a prophane minde euill meaning louing the wages of vnrighteousnesse and being carried away with desire of money which is the roote of all euill to curse the people of God as the Apostle teacheth therefore he was rebuked by a dumb beast for his iniquity Hee also was Balaks schoole-master and instilled the greatest mischiefe that might be into his heart informing him how to subdue the people of God and teaching him how to lay a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel Reuel 2. to draw them to spirituall and bodily fornication when he saw that by his charmes hee could not preuaile against them And albeit the Israelites were encreased as the Fish in the Sea and as the Stars of Heauen wherein were many thousand persons that could not discerne betweene their right hand and their left hand yet he was ready and willing to curse where GOD had not cursed And as a wretched death followeth a wicked life so the iustice of GOD found him out lurking among the Midianites Numb 31 8 to verifie the threatning of the Prophet As he loued cursing so it fell vpon him and as hee loued not blessing so was it farre from him as hee cloathed himselfe with cursing like a raiment so it entred into his bowels like water like oyle into his bones Psal 109 17 18. Thus we see as his life was so was his death a curssed beginning a fearefull ending God swept him away by a violent sodain death together with those that set him on worke that as they conspired together so they might be consumed together If then he be a wicked man that intendeth to curse the people of God that hath his heart possessed with couetousnesse that loueth the wages of vnrighteousnesse that layeth a baite and snare to entangle men in euill that seeketh to draw vpon them the wrath of God and after all is slaine by the sword of those whom hee intended to destroy himselfe falling into the pit which he had digged for others then the first conclusion holdeth as a certaine truth that this Balaam whatsoeuer vizard of piety and holinesse he pretend and put on in outward shew was indeed a very lewd and wicked man The second conclusion The second conclusion is that Balaam was no true seruant of God but an open Idolater This confirmeth further and giueth strength to the former point As he was lewd in his life so he was corrupt in his religion one of the idolatrous Gentiles an aliant from the Common-wealth of Israel a stranger from the couenant of promise For whether he were one of the Midianites as some imagine or whether he were one of the Aramites as we declared before whether hee were sent for neerer or further off the conclusion holdeth that hee was none of the Israelites Rom. 9 4 to whom pertaineth the adoption of Sonnes the Arke of the Couenant the Tables of the Law and the seruice of God Moreouer when he was come into the presence of Balak Numb 22 41 and 23 1 2 they both went vp into the high places of Baal where that abhominable Idoll was worshipped where no doubt they serued Baal in the Idols Temple Besides it is apparent in the whole history following that he ioyned with Balak in his idolatrous sacrifices If then hee had not beene one of the Idolaters he would not haue gone to that Idoll nor haue erected new Altars contrary to the will of God who would onely be serued in the place that himselfe had appointed The third conclusion The third conclusion is that Balaam was a very witch and wizard a false Prophet but a true sorcerer famous or rather infamous for his diuellish magicke which he practised among the wicked and idolatrous Nations Such a one was Simon that sorcerer mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 8 9 10 11 and 13 6 8 who vsed witch-craft and bewitched the people of Samaria saying that he himselfe was some great man to whom they gaue heed from the least to the greatest saying This man is that great power of God and they gaue heed vnto him because that of long time hee had bewitched them with sorceries Such a one also was Elimas who was likewise a Sorcerer a false Prophet the childe of the diuell and an enemy of all righteousnesse withstanding the preaching of the Gospel hindring the hearing of the word and peruerting the straight waies of the Lord. So had this Balaam throgh his enchantments and superstitious artes obtained a great name farre neere among the Infidels so that they resorted to him as to an Oracle and esteemed him as an Angel of God being able to helpe or to hurt to further or to hinder to blesse or to curse whomsoeuer he pleased Such were wont to be in great fauour and credite with Kings and Princes as appeareth by the enchanters of Pharaoh Exod. 7 11 22 and by the Sorcerers and Astrologians of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2 2 who were oftentimes called into their presence and brought before them as men in whom their speciall delight was their confidence reposed These men howsoeuer they were magnified in Princes Courts and had an honourable name among the Nations that knew not God yet were prophane Prophets of prophane men the very chaplaines of the diuell practising charmes and coniuring which by the iudiciall Law of God was death Exod. 22 18. Thus the Scripture calleth him a Sorcerer in plaine termes and expresse words Iosh 13 22. Balaam the sonne of Beor the soothsayer did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slaine The word which the holy Ghost there vseth is Chosem which signifieth one that diuineth by diuination and fetcheth answers from the diuell whom they tooke to be God and it is one of those eight sorts of witches and practisers by diuels mentioned in the 18
the Infidels when they should learne that he is the God that ruleth and ordereth all things in heauen and earth that disposeth the counsels of his enemies and maketh them further the good of his people that depend vpon him Yea when God saw his couetous humour and wicked heart that hee would not rest in his word nor obey his commandement giuen vnto him first by way of an Ironicall concession he biddeth him goe howbeit in his wrath indignation but yet reserueth to himselfe the rule of his tongue the power of his speech and the gouernment of all his works as seemed good in his heauenly wisedome As if the Lord had said Forsomuch as the messengers be so importunate with thee and thou so earnest with me that thou wilt take no denyall nor rest in my word nor yeeld thy selfe to my charge goe to goe forward follow thine owne course runne on of thine owne head yet will I bridle thy tongue thou shalt not speake what thou desirest nor doe what thou delightest in but what pleaseth me Balaam glad of this answer and thinking this concession better then a denyall reioyced in his heart that he had leaue as if there had beene some change in God and told it to the Embassadours he prepareth for the iourney sadleth his Asse and consenteth to goe with them which is the second part of his answer Here obserue with mee agaâ—ne a false finger most wretchedly dissembling one part of the diuine Reuelation imitating therein his master the diuell who in his tentation of Christ Mat. â—â— Psal â—â— and allegation of the Scripture omitteth a principall part to peruert the meaning of the words and to draw our Sauiour into wickednes So whereas God had challenged as proper and peculiar to himselfe the ordering and disposing of all his affayres that albeit he had liberty to go yet his going was with restraint and limitation that he should speake no more then God should put in his heart yet the wizard neuer declareth this to the messengers which neyther pleased him nor would pleasure them neyther profit him or them Onely he feedeth his owne foolish fansie in this that he was bidden to goe which God before had denyed vnto him Now hee taketh hold presently on these words and went with a ioyfull heart hoping that in time the same God wold suffer him to curse them also For as God had said at the first thou shalt not goe yet after said Go with them so he supposed that albeit hee had forbidden him to curse the people yet afterward he hoped to finde a change in this as he thought he had gained in the other and so conceiued a strong imagination that the Moabites should bee fully satisfied himselfe plentifully rewarded and the Israelites miserably cursed and detested This is the summe and effect of these words Now let vs come to the Doctrines arising out of the same Verse 16. Be not staied from comming vnto me for I will promote thee vnto great honour Consider here the couetousnesse of this false Prophet He had receiued a charge and commandement not to goe yet seeing new regards come with the new messengers he would not rest in Gods former answer He had beard the will of God wherein hee ought to haue rested but pricked forward with couetousnesse and allured with the recompence of reward he comforteth the men that were sent vnto him to attaine their purpose This the Apostle Peter noteth describing the false Teachers which priuily brought in damnable heresies he saith They forsooke the right way and haue gone astray following the way of Balaam the sonne of Bosor c. 2 Pet. 2 verse 15. And the Apostle Iude speaking of such like Teachers as turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and bring vpon themselues swift damnation saith Wo be vnto them for they haue followed the way of Caine 〈◊〉 7. and are cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages and perish in the gainesaying of Core See heere the force and power of worldly wealth it is able to set open the gates that are shut vp with barres and bolts And albeit this point hath in part beene handled before yet because it is offered to our considerations againe in this place it is not to bee passed ouer without further meditation From hence we learne 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 that the loue of this world and the hunting after honour and dignity preferment and promotion cause men to make shipwrack of a good conscience and draw them from obseruing the lawes of God and from resting in the knowne will of God Hereunto commeth the reproofe of Reuben who being called came not to the battel fought against the Canaanites neyther furthered the worke of God that his people had in hand but had their mindes fastened to their riches and dwelling in a fat and fruitefull soyle they set their hearts vpon the world For the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart Why abodest thou among the sheepe-folds to heare the â—leatings of thy flockes for the deuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart Iudg. 5 15 16. The like appeareth in the Prophesies of Haggai where the people fell to build their own houses and left the house of the Lord desolate therefore the Prophet saith Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seeled houses 〈…〉 and this house lie waste What was it that preuailed with our first Parents in the Garden to entice theÌ„ from God and to hearken to the tentations of the diuell Gen. 3 3 4. but hoping for honour and aduancement in a better condition This bayte was laide before Moses in Pharaohs Court he was tempted with dignities allured with delights prouoked with profits he had laid before him the glory of a kingdome the pleasures of the Court and the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11 24.25 26. yet he preferred the suffering of aduersity the shame of the Crosse the fellowship and communion of Saints that so he might be receiued into the bosome of the Church Thus we see that the loue of the world the things of this world drew this Sorcerer away from vpright iust dealing If honour had bene offered vnto him alone or riches alone if they had come seuerally vnto him they had bene of great force but coming ioyntly together and rushing vpon him as an armed man they are more forcible and powerfull to preuaile with him The Reasons are to be wisely waighed of Reason 1 vs to gaine our affections to imbrace the Doctrine before deliuered First the setting of the heart vpon the loue of riches is the beginning of all euils and the fountaine froÌ„ whence sundry mischiefes do proceed is auaileable to draw from all good into all euill This the Apostle vrgeth 1 Tim. 6 9 10. They that will be rich fall into tentations and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction for the desire of money is the roote
compelled to giue testimony and witnesse to the truth of God the Lord as it were wringeth and wresteth it out of the mouths of those that be ignorant of him as we see how Balaam in this and the chapter following vttereth excellent and heauenly things albeit against his will of God of the enemies of God of the Church prospering and flourishing thorough his fauour yet he was lewd in life and prophane in heart louing neyther God nor his truth This we see in the Sorcerers in Egypt when they saw and felt the plague of Lice but could not with their enchantments bring foorth the like they confessed This is the finger of God Exod. 8 19. This appeareth farther in the history of Gideon when one of his enemies had told a dreame to his neighbour which hee had dreamed his fellow answered and saide This is nothing else saue the sword of Gideon the sonne of Ioash a man of Israel for into his hand hath God deliuered Midian and all the Hoast Iudg. 7 14. This likewise we see in the Centurion and souldiers that were with him watching Iesus Math. 27 54 when they saw the renting of the veyle the trembling of the earth the opening of the graues the cleauing of the stones and arising of the dead bodies they feared greatly saying Truely this was the Sonne of God Hereunto cometh the confession of Caiaphas an enemy to Christ and to the doctrine of saluation which he persecuted for hee vttered a Prophesie of the death and passion of Christ Ioh. 11 49 50 51 52. It was an extraordinary motion of God that guided his tongue to Prophesie of Christ So he spake afterward in theÌ„ that cryed out at his arraignement Mat. 27 25. His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children which was plentifully performed in its time and season The like we may obserue in Pilate when he was admonished by the Iewes to amend this title of Christ set on his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth the King of the Iewes Pilate answered What I haue written I haue written Iohn 19 22. wherein at vnawares hee is made after a sort a Preacher of the kingdome of Christ who gouerned his tongue as heere hee did the tongue of Balaam The Reasons remaine to bee considered Reason 1 First to leaue the wicked without excuse when they heare the truth For God neuer leaueth himselfe without witnesses no not among the Infidels as the Apostle declareth Acts 14 16 17. Now if the powring downe showers of raine sending the fruitfulnes of the earth feeding all creatures with bodily food be the Lords witnesses and testimonies of his power how much more is the word of God which is the sauour of life vnto life to all that beleeue Forseeing God opened the mouth of Caiaphas as we shewed before to vtter a Prophesie concerning Christ the obstinate incredulity of the Iewes was conuinced when both the cause and vertue of his death was vttered by their owne high-Priest albeit hee spake it in another meaning Secondly he speaketh often in wicked men to encrease their iudgement and bring vpon Reason 2 them the greater damnation If God had not reuealed his truth vnto them their punishment should bee the lesse This wee see set downe Luk. 12 47 48. This appeareth by the words of Christ to his Disciples Math. 7 23. Luke 13 25 26. Many will say to mee in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy Name prophesied And by thy Name cast out diuels And by thy Name done many great works And then will I professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Thus Christ vpbraideth the Cities wherein most of his great works were done because they repented not and telleth them it shall be easier for Tyre and Sidon for Sodome and Gomorrha at the day of iudgement then for them Math. 11 22. Thirdly to strengthen confirme his childreÌ„ Reason 3 in the truth reuealed vnto them Great is theyr wauering and weaknesse when God maketh knowne his word vnto them sealeth it vnto them by his signes and sacraments they are full of doubting and theyr faith is mingled with infidelity as wee see in the example of Gideon Iudg 7 14. God appeared vnto him at the thressing-floore commanded him to goe in his might to saue Israel promised him the victory and strengthened him by the signes that he asked yet he remained fearefull faint-hearted after these so many meanes vsed to giue him courage confirmation Iudg. 7 10. Hence it is that God raised vp one in the hoast of his enemies and guided his tongue to be a Preacher and publisher of his truth telling this dreame of his to his fellow that loe a Cake of Barley-bread tumbled from aboue into the boast of Midian and came vnto a Tent and smote it that it fell and ouerturned it that the Tent fell downe which is expounded and interpreted to be the sword of Gideon Wherby we see that God opened the mouth and directed the tongue of this Idolater for the strengthening of Gideon and the furthering of him in his work Now let vs make vse of this Doctrine First Vse 1 behold heerein the greatnesse of his power Name causing his enemies to professe and acknowledge it We see how they resist rebell against God We see how they abide not to submit their necks to his obedience but cast away the cordes of discipline from them yet he ouer-ruleth them ordereth their tongues and disposeth the words of their mouth to his owne glory This is it which the Prophet declareth Psal 8 1 2. This also appeareth in the example of Saul and of the messengers that he sent to take Dauid For the Spirit of God fell vpon them and they prophesied therefore it was a Prouerb Is Saul also among the Prophets 1 SaÌ„ 10 11 and 19 24. This verifieth the saying of the wise man Prou. 16 1. The preparations of the heart are in man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord that is howsoeuer a man many times mâ—streth an whole Army of thoghts in his minde as it were in battell array and concludeth with himselfe both what how to speake yet man is ruled by a superior power shal speake as God guideth his mouth not as himselfe purposeth and determineth Seeing therefore God frameth vnfit instruments to his owne purpose and maketh them serue for the aduancement of his owne glory we must conclude againe with the Prophet O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the world Secondly it is not hard with God to retaine Vse 2 and reserue a people to himselfe in all ages albeit there be neuer so many enemies albeit the Church bee not alwayes visible to the eye and kept in outward beauty He is not tyed to any Nation people or place Let vs neuer feare the decay or destruction of the Church he that did gaine it to himselfe will maintaine it against all the practises and
what indignation yea what feare yea how great desire yea what a zeale yea what reuenge Where this care is not to please God and feare to fall againe and offend him there was neuer true repentance nor any feeling of the forgiuenes of former sinnes This were exceeding vnthankfulnes for mercy receyued and a turning of the grace of God into wantonnes to commit sinne anew that grace may abound Thirdly it is our duty to returne all praise and thankfulnes to God for this so infinit and vnspeakable mercy which appeareth in nothing more theÌ„ in the forgiuenes of our manifold sins It belongeth to God onely to forgiue sinnes therfore to him onely belongeth the glory of forgiuenes as being onely worthy to receiue all praise This Daniel confesseth in his praier O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame as appeareth this day So the prophet Dauid prouoking all to praise the Lord alledgeth this as the cheefe reason to mooue them Which forgiueth all thine iniquities healeth all thine infirmities Psal 103 3. This also we see in the practise and example of the Apostle who mentioning his sinnes and magnifying the exceeding and abundant mercy of God in the pardon of them hee breaketh out into a thankesgiuing to the eternall God Vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honor and glory for euer euer Amen 1 Tim. 1 17. Rom. 7 25. If we haue tasted of this mercy let vs bee mindfull of this duty and if wee haue had experience of this forgiuenes let vs be carefull to expresse vnto him our thankfulnesse Fourthly wee must shew backe againe our loue toward our heauenly Father according to the measure of his loue toward vs. The greater sins he hath pardoned the greater loue should bee returned This is it which the Prophet professeth to haue wrought exceeding loue in his heart towards the Lord when he considered how gracious and mercifull he had bene vnto him Psal 116 1. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my prayer The practise of this duty is remembred and commended in the sinfull woman Luke 7 47. Many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much to whom a little is forgiuen he doth loue a little Let this example be continually before our eies Let vs examine our selues how neere we come vnto her in the practise of this duty Let vs behold our selues in her as in a glasse If wee haue had a blessed experience of Gods louing kindnesse toward vs in blotting out and burying our sinnes out of his remembrance let vs be answerable in loue to him againe who hath loued vs first Where little loue appeareth to God there is little knowledge of forgiuenes of sinnes Where no loue is there is no feeling of the comfort of this doctrine If we haue found God exceeding kinde and gracious vnto vs it will work an exceeding measure of loue where God hath assured and sealed vp that grace by his holy Spirit Lastly the receiuing of this mercy from God must worke in vs mercy toward our brethren that as we haue obtayned forgiuenesse of sinnes at his hands so wee should be ready to forgiue one another And so bee mercifull to others as our heauenly Father is mercifull to vs Luke 6 36. This our Sauiour teacheth in the parable of the King that would take an account of his seruants to wit that he requireth mercy where he hath shewed mercy and that iudgement shall be without mercy to him that sheweth no mercy Hence it is that the Apostle giueth this in charge Eph. 4 32. Colos 3 13. This we are also directed vnto in that forme of prayer which Christ did teach his Disciples and hath left vnto his Church warranting vs to aske forgiuenes as we feele our selues ready to forgiue This we are to apply vnto our selues and learne euerie day to be like to our heauenly Father Matth. 5 45. Who maketh his Sunne to arise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust If then we desire to be partakers of the goodnes of God in forgiuing the infinit debt whereby we are deeply indebted vnto GOD and would finde him mercifull vnto vs as euery one will seeme to be desirous of it let vs shew our selues ready to forgiue from our hearts the iniuries and offences done vnto vs. Among all testimonies that we may gather to our selues of Gods goodnesse and mercie towards vs none is more excellent more coÌ„fortable more certaine then this if we finde it in vs that is the pardoning and passing ouer the wrongs offered vs and a readines to forgiue euen our enemies that most enuy and hate vs and that frankely and freely as we our selues haue receyued forgiuenesse at the hands of God The Lord his God is with him These words containe the second priuiledge peculiar and proper to the Church which God hath bestowed vpon it to wit the presence of his Spirit True it is in regard of his essence and deity hee is euery where the heauen is his throne and the earth is his footstoole Psalme 139 7 8. So that we cannot hide our selues from his presence If we ascend into heauen he is there If we lye downe in the graue he is there if we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the sea thither shall his hand leade vs and his right hand hold vs if wee say yet the darknes shal hide vs the night shall be light about him But in this place this prophesie poynteth vs vnto vs another presence to wit of his grace protection defence and deliuerance the presence of his Spirit sanctifying his children purging them from dead workes to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe Doctrinâ— It is a priâ—â—ledge of 〈◊〉 Church haue Goâ— presence his grace working in them regeneration and finishing all good things in them to bring them to euerlasting life We learne from hence That it is a great priuiledge of the Church to haue God present with it and president ouer it He is not farre off from those that are his howsoeuer in time of affliction and in the houre of tentation he seemeth so to them hee is neere vnto them he is euer with them he holdeth a gracious hand ouer them This is it which the Lord so often promiseth in his word truly performeth to the great comfort of all his children This is it which the Lord speaketh to Iacob going from his fathers house to Padan Aram Gen. 28 15. This also the Prophet Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 34 15 18. And lest any should restraine that exhortation and take it peculiarly to belong to him alone the Apostle extendeth it farther and applyeth it to all the people of God speaking to them as well as vnto Ioshua chapt 1 9. I will not faile thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is mine helper I will not fear what man can do vnto
Sauiour in the Parable of the Sower that went forth to sowe declareth that the seed that fell among thornes signifieth those hearers in whose hearts the cares of this life the deceitfulnesse of riches and the lustes of other things do choake the word make it vnfruitfull Math. 13 22. What was it that moued Iudas to betray his Master but for loue of money for he saide vnto the High-Priests What will you giue me and I will betray him vnto you Math. 26 15. Whereby Satan entred into him possessed his hart so that it wrought his destruction in soule and body What caused Demas a professor of the faith to forsake Paul 1 Tim. 4 10 and deny the faith surely he embraced this present world in greater loue then he did the truth that endureth for euer and caught after the shadow in stead of the body Our hearts are as a ground that is rich and ranke and bringeth foorth store of these weeds that choake the growing of the word of God we would faine come to God yet are so glewed to the world that it drowneth all desire of the world to come We offer one hand to Christ and the other to the diuell but he will haue both of them or none at all If we giue the Lord one part of our heart and lodge couetousnesse in the other we driue the Lord from vs and cause him to depart No man can serue two Masters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other or else hee shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serue God and riches Math. 6 24. This made our Sauiour say How hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdome of heauen it is easier for a Camel to goe through the eye of a Needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Math. 19 3 making it as it were a rare extraordinary worke to bring them to saluation We must vse this world as though we vsed it not and they that buy as though they possessed not knowing that godlines is the greatest gaine 1 Tim 6 6. if a man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs be content for they which will be rich fall into tentations and snares into many foolish and noysome lustes which drowne men in perdition and destruction What stirred vp Ahab and Iezebel to worke out the death of Naboth and his children 1 Kings 21 8. that the one of them was sicke with sorrow the other caused them to be stoned but the desire of his vineyard that was a sore in his eye and lay so fitly for him And yet when wee haue done when we haue embraced our dwellings and encroched on the bounds and borders of others when we haue ioyned house to house and land to land our neighbours hedge must be next vnto vs and hold vs hard that we can passe no further Secondly we see that our owne priuate respects Vse 2 are not the chiefe things that we must respect but seeke a sanctified vse of the blessings of this life and a warrant to our consciences for the right vsing of them These blessings of God become curses vnto vs vnlesse we vse them lawfully But if we set vp our rest vpon them and seeke our happinesse in them we prize them at a high rate Eph. 5 5. Col. 3 5. and commit the foulest and filthiest Idolatry that can be For the preferring of priuate profit before heauenly duties causeth a man to be an Idolater First because hee preferreth his riches before God or godlinesse in his affections depending vpon them as vpon God and making them the stay of his life Againe he accounteth his life to rest vpon his wealth rather then vpon the prouidence of God as his riches encrease so his hope encreaseth so his comfort encreaseth when his wealth sayleth all his hope comfort fayleth Therefore the Apostle chargeth vs to mortifie our members which are on the earth the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Idolatry for the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience So then the things of this life and the things of the life to come being propounded and set before vs we are to chuse the better of them This our Sauiour taught Martha Luk. 10 41 42. that she disquieted and incumbred her selfe about many things but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her So likewise our Sauiour chargeth vs not to lay vppe treasure for our selues vpon the earth Where the Moth and Canker corrupt and where theeues digge thorough and steale but to lay vppe for our selues treasure in heauen where neither the Moth nor Canker corrupteth and where theeues cannot dig through and steale Mat. 6 19 20 33. Let vs first of all seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these earthly things shall be ministred vnto vs. Let our study and meditation be on heauenly things whereunto we are called Let vs take heed we lose not greater blessings by affecting the lesse Let vs remember Lots wife a fearefull myrrour and monument of carefull thoughts who got and gained nothing by all her cares Let vs waite vpon God and looke vp vnto him Who openeth his hand and filleth all things with his goodnes Ps 104 28. Let vs obey the voyce of the Lord our God and then all his blessings shall come vpon vs and ouertake vs. Vse 3 Lastly this doctrine serueth to reproue those that esteeme earthly things aboue heauenly minde their profits more then their saluation These inuert the course of nature and turne al things vpside downe they set the earth aboue the heauens and thrust downe the heauens beneath the earth This is like that confusion and disorder which the wise man speaketh of Eccl. 10 6 7. Folly is set in great excellency and the rich set in low place I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground These are like to the Gadarens that desired their swine more then Christ and had rather lose Christ and haue him depart out of their coasts then lose their swine Math. 8 34. These are of the brood and off-spring of prophane Esau who for one messe of meate solde his birthright Heb. 12 16 But we haue not so learned Christ we must looke vp to the eternall inheritance reserued for vs wee must not make our riches to be our heauen our belly to be our god our shame to be our glory and our owne profit to be our happinesse Wee must account one spark of grace and the least taste of the kingdome of heauen and of the ioyes of the life to come to be better worth and to bring with it more sound ioy of heart then all these transitory things and
the wicked into sheards like a potters vessel Psal 2 9. We see how men admire the proud and haughty of the world and esteeme the vngodly as the great Magnificoes that may not be contemned or controlled the poorest and meanest Saint of God shal in time to come be their Iudge sit with Christ vpon the bench in glory when they shall stand as their vassals at the barre and bee iudged as most wretched caitiffes and malefactors and receiue their wages according to their works Then they shal say with horror of conscience We fooles thought their life madnes their end without honor but now they are counted among the children of God and haue theyr portion among his Saints Hence it is that the Apostle reprooueth the Corinthians that abased and abused their dignity that did bring their causes to be tryed and iudged before the wicked Do ye not know that the Saints shal iudge the world If then the world shall be iudged by you are ye vnworthy to iudge the smallest matters c 1 Cor. 6. verses 2 3. This is a great honour vouchsafed to the faithfull no earthly honor can be compared vnto it all temporall glorie hath not so much as a shew or shadow of it On the other side great shall be the dishonor and disgrace the shame and contempt that shall be poured out vpon the vngodly Dan. 12 2. They haue heere the riches of the world the pleasures of this life the praise of men they are feared of some and flattered of others but when this glory shall passe away as the wind and flye as an arrow that is shotte at a marke then they shall be arraigned as euill doeâ—s and euery seruant of God shall treade them vnder their feete Then they shall be separated from the presence of God Then they shall see all the godly whom they haue scorned and derided receyued into the kingdome of heauen and themselues shut out of the doores Then they shall haue the continuall fellowship of the diuell and of his angels in hell fire where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Vse 2 Secondly we must all be carefull to walke worthy of so great a calling We must bee as spirituall Kings to rule and beare sway ouer our thoughts wils and affections ouermastering them as much as may be proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures against the diuell and against the world And verily he that can beare rule ouer his owne heart is a true king indeede and shall surely reigne for euermore with Christ in the life to come Reuelat. 1 6. He that hath beaten downe the kingdome of sinne and sathan and receyued some measure of grace to reign ouer himselfe hath performed a greater and more glorious work then he that hath subdued a kingdome For all these enemies of our saluation be horrible hideous monsters and fearfull Serpents Their sting is deadly their poyson is mortall It is an hard labour to pull out their sting and take away their poison from them But they which are caried away with the swinge of their corruptions as with a violent streame hauing blindnes ignorance to reign in their minds rebellion in their wils and loosenesse in their whole life are not spirituall kings but base slaues and bondmen The strong man sathan keepeth the hold of theyr hearts Luke 11 21. and as Lord and King setteth vp his scepter there Wherefore my brethren in respect of this our high calling wee must make conscience of euery sinne We heard before that we are made the iudges of the world It is a shame for a Iudge to be a Theefe that sitteth in iudgement to condemne a theefe so is it a shame for vs to be giuen to wickednesse that must iudge the wicked world when the iust shall appeare A Iudge must take heede of those sinnes in himselfe which he must condemne in others lest it be sayd vnto him Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Rom. 2 21 22. This is that vse which the Apostle maketh to the Thessalonians chap. 1 10 11 after he had shewed that at the comming of the Lord Iesus in might and maiesty he would bee glorious in his Saints made maruellous in them that beleeue hee intreateth that God would make them to walke worthy of their calling And surely if we haue any the least sparke of grace or any feeling of our naturall condition when we were the children of wrath and the fire-brands of hell it could not but work in vs a maruellous loue vnto God a desire to please him and a delight to bring foorth the fruites of righteousnes Thirdly our victory in Christ offereth comfort Vse 3 vnto vs in all troubles tentations pouerty and in death it selfe We are to arme our selues with this power of Christ agaynst all terrors and feares that seeke to dismay vs. We are in Christ appoynted Kings and Iudges ouer those that trouble vs conquerours ouer sathan and death Our feare then is already past let vs lift vp our heads and bee of good comfort This is that which the Apostle is bold to put vs in mind of 1 Cor. 15 56 57. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory Now thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ We shall not neede to feare the day of iudgement for then our redemption draweth nere We shall not neede to be affrayd of the comming of the Iudge for he shal be our Sauiour Howsoeuer therefore we seeme base vnto the world and of vile account in the eyes of carnall men whose portion is in this life yet wee are indeed aduanced into the highest honour about him receyuing by our communion and fellowshippe with him a communication of his kingly power and glory to subdue vnder vs the diuell and his angels For if wee fight with him and vnder his banner wee cannot lose the field but shall bee assured to reigne with him They then are deceyued that think them the scum and off-scouring of the world This should also perswade all carelesse and backward persons to embrace true Religion and giue it the cheefe seat in theyr hearts forasmuch as it maketh them of the vesselles of wrath and vassals of sathan glorious Kings and triumphant Conquerors ouer the powers of darknes Furthermore it should encourage the Ministers of the Gospel and make them glad to labour in preaching the Word and in winning soules vnto God being set apart by Gods mercies to consecrate men Kings and Priests vnto him which is a great priuiledge For they haue mighty weapons giuen them by their captaine Christ to wit the power of his Spirit and the vigor of his mighty word which causeth them to preuayle Therefore the Lord sayth by his Prophet Hosea chap. 6 5. I haue cut downe this people by the Prophets slaine them by the words of my mouth And the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 10 5 6 That the weapons
the Apostle Iohn noteth in the Nicolaitanes Reuel 2 14 20 who maintained the doctrine of Balaam counselling Balak to lay a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel perswading to eate of the things sacrificed to Idols and alluring vnto fornication This he reprooueth in the false Prophetesse whom for her leud qualities he calleth Iezabel who deceiued the seruants of God to make them commit fornication and to eate meates that were sacrificed vnto idols Thus it fareth with the Nations that know not God they are ignorant of the duties which are due vnto men The Turkes that haue seated their Empire in the East and made a mixture of all Religions to the end they might draw some of all sorts vnto themselues doe professe and practise most abhominable vices euen by the doctrine of their Alcoran 〈◊〉 chap. 41. ◠3. where that false Prophet Mahomet alloweth a man to haue foure wiues and to keepe fifteene Concubines he forbiddeth any to be accused of adultery vnder foure witnesses and accounteth those most holy men which accōpany with beasts The Church of Rome defiling the worship of God by detestable idolatry as grosse as the Heathen committed and in some part exceeding all the idolatry of the Heathen in that they worship a breaden god maintaine filthinesse and vncleannesse sundry waies First in the tolleration of the Stewes flat against the Commandement of God Deut. 23 17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal ther be an whorekeeper among the sons of Israel This tolleration is a flat occasion to many young men and women that otherwise might abstaine from this kinde of wickednes And what monstrous impiety is this when father and sonne Brother and Brother Vncle and Nephew shall come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Secondly they deny marriage as an vnholy thing to their holy Cleargy and thereby open a gappe to all kinde of pollutions contrary to the expresse word of God that a Byshop should be the husband of one wife and that marriage is left free and accounted honourable in all and the bed vndefiled 1 Tim. 3 2. Heb. 13 4. Thirdly not to stand further in ripping vppe these enormities in this place their Law alloweth the marriage of any persons beyond the fourth degree 〈…〉 whereby in some cases followeth incest Al these testimonies and examples being thus layde together doe teach vs that corruption of manners and lewdnesse of life doe alwayes accompany defects and defilings in the true Religion Let vs come to consider the causes to make it more plaine and euident vnto vs. First such Reason 1 is the iudgment and iustice of God punishing one sin with another giuing ouer such as make no conscience to know or acknowledge God into a reprobate sence and appointing them to be vessels of shame and dishonour This is the reason which the Apostle directly handleth Rom. 1 25 26. They turned the truth of God into a lie seruing the creature and forsaking the Creator which is blessed for euer Amen for this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections for euen their women did change the naturall vse into that which is against nature and likewise also the men left the naturall vse of the woman burned in their lust one toward another and man with man wrought filthinesse and receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was meete Where we see the Apostle charging the Gentiles with turning the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and so regarded not to serue him declareth that God gaue thē vp to their hearts lustes and deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde so that they committed vncleannesse they defiled their owne bodies betweene themselues did those things which are not conuenient So the same Apostle in another place teacheth That God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that all they might bee damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse 2 Th. 2 11 12. This dealing is righteous in God being a punishment for sinne howsoeuer it be wicked in the committers Secondly the first Table containeth the great and chiefe Commandements and the second is like vnto it Math. 22 38. So then all prophanenes is as a bitter and poysoned root infecting farre and neere and as a Tree that ouershadoweth all good hearbs that they cannot grow vp or prosper Our Sauior Christ making the summe of the first Table to consist in louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde calleth this the first and the great Commandement as the fountaine and foundation of the other So the Apostle Iohn making the loue to God and to men necessarily to concurre and accompany one another saith If any man say I loue God and yet hate his brother he is a liar for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene 1 Iohn chapter 4 verse 20. And hence it commeth to passe that where men haue not the feare of God and the knowledge of his Name they become abhominable in all their doings Thirdly the diuell ruleth worketh in such as make no care to know God but walke according to the course of this world in superstition in idolatry The Apostle sheweth this to be the cause why they had their conuersation in times past in the lusts of the flesh in the fulfilling of the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the Children of wrath as well as others Because they were ruled by the Prince that ruleth in the aire the spirit that worketh in all the children of disobedience Ephes 2 2 3. Let vs now proceed to the Vses First we Vse 1 learne from hence that wee may iustly feare all iniurious vniust and vncleane dealing and looke for fraud and oppression where there is no true Religion established and professed When Abraham went down into Egypt with his wife and afterward soiourned in the land of Gerar among the Philistims where was no true knowledge of the true God hee thought thus with himselfe Surely the feare of God is not in this place they will slay me for my wiues sake and thereby was moued to deny the protection of his wife and to say shee was his Sister Gen. 12 12. 20 11. This is to be expected looked for from all such places and persons that haue in them no religion of Christ no godlines of life no feare of God we must prepare our selues to endure all hard wrongfull dealing at their hands Wee see this in the example of the Sodomites toward Lot Gen. 19 9. in the inhabitants of Gibeah toward the Leuite and his wife Iudg. 1◠22. For where the feare of God ruleth not there is no vertue no truth no mercy no honesty no sobriety no conscience They refraine not violence
these things are hidden from their eyes and cannot enter into their hearts yet this shall bee the end of all those that worke iniquity God will raine downe vpon the wicked snares fire brimstone stormy tempest this is the portion of their cup for the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse his countenance doth behold the iust Psal 11 6 7. On the other side wee must needes acknowledge and confesse that it is a blessed thing to be at peace with God It is a great blessing to liue at peace in the world and to be in vnity with men among whom wee liue but much more sweet and comfortable is it to be at one with the eternall God so as hee haue no controuersie against vs. This is it which the Prophet concludeth Kisse the sonne lest he be angry so ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2 12. So then as the estate of all the vngodly that are vnder the wrath of God is most miserable so the condition of the godly how soeuer accounted of by the vnfaithfull of the world is happy and blessed who are safe vnder the wings of God and shall bee deliuered in the day of iudgment Secondly wee must be wise and circumspect Vse 2 to take heed that we doe not kindle it to our owne confusion This is the exhortation of Moses to the people Take heed that there bee not among you man nor family nor tribe which should turne their heart away from the liuing God that there should not be among you any roote that bringeth forth gall and wormewood for the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoke against that man euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen Deut. 29 8. This serueth to reprooue such as are in this point like the horse and mule that are without knowledge and haue no vnderstanding They neuer regard the iudgments of God present they neuer seeke to preuent them being to come This is it which our Sauiour toucheth in the Iewes when he came neere the citty he wept for it and sayd If thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes Luke 19 42. It is therefore our duty to labour to know the times of his iudgments It is vnpossible to auoid the wrath of God vnles we haue a care to know it The wrath of GOD to come vpon the sonnes of men is foreknowne three wayes First The wrath of God to come is forâ— knowne thrâ— wayes by the oracles of the Prophets and by reasons drawn out of the Word of God Secondly by signes and wonders which God sheweth in heauen or in earth or in the sea Thirdly by plagues and punishments that he sendeth the which as they are the beginning of his anger present so they are testimonies and tokens of greater iudgments to come And as we haue shewed before that the wrath of God is resembled oftentimes to a consuming fire so we vnderstand that a fire is already kindled will grow greater by these three meanes before expressed to wit Zanch de diâ—â—â— attrib lib. 4. c. eyther by the report of credible witnesses or by beholding of the smoke ascending or by sensible perceiuing of the flame breaking out which is a fearefull signe of a farther fire and a greater burning except it bee speedily quenched and preuented First the wrath of God is foreshewed vnto vs by the words of the Prophets and Apostles which were inspired by the Spirit of God and foretell the wrath of God to come vpon vs for our sins And as the Law of God setteth downe sundry threatnings and curses so the Ministers of God out of the same doe denounce the iudgements of God gather that the wrath of God hangeth ouer a kingdome or City by an infallible conclusion without repentance For where sinne reigneth there the wrath of God cometh but in this Nation or City or Family sin reigneth wherfore the wrath of God hangeth ouer such a Nation City or house Such threatnings denounced by the seruants of God 〈◊〉 28 20. 〈◊〉 26 21. Cor. 11 30. collected by certaine reasons out of the Scripture are not to be despised but feared not to bee passed ouer but to be preuented not to be derided but to be applyed to our consciences that if we finde those sinnes in vs wee may labour earnestly to repent of them For albeit the Ministers of God do not speake by special inspiration and reuelation of the Spirit as the Prophets yet their threatnings are not voide and vaine but are grounded vpon effectuall reasons of the word and the beholding of present wickednes that aboundeth euery where We must not therefore account them as scar-Crowes which cannot hurt for God will make them powerful in the mouths of his seruants so that they which will not be perswaded to feare them shall bee constrayned certainly to feele them whether they will or not Another meanes to giue vs vnderstanding of Gods wrath before it falleth is by the vndoubted signes and tokens which are as the messengers of God and the fore-runners of wrath which we see in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters For whensoeuer God is determined in his heauy but yet iust iudgement to bring any plague vpon the world and to make manifest his fierce indignation he vseth to send certaine tokens of his anger to testifie that it is not farre off which are as the sproutings of the fig-tree signifying that sommer is neere Thus doth Christ foretell the destruction of Ierusalem and the end of the world by the signes which shal go before them 〈◊〉 24 32. saying Learne the parable of the Figge-tree when her bough is yet tender it putteth forth leaues ye know that the Sommer is nere so likewise ye when ye see all these things know that the kingdome of God is neere euen at the doores These appeare in the Sun in the Moon in the Starres in the Elements and in the creatures when the course of nature is altered changed 〈◊〉 de bell 〈◊〉 lib. 7. cap. â— the very insensible and vnreasonable things doe preach repentance vnto vs and therefore are to be marked and not despised Lastly the former punishment is a fore-runner of a further iudgement the smaller of a greater and the first of a second God broght sundry plagues vpon Pharaoh king of Egypt but such as came after pressed and punished him more then such as went before When Christ had foretold many euilles that should come vpon Ierusalem for their contempt of the Gospel and their refusing of all grace offered vnto them he addeth Mat. 24 6 8. The end is not yet all these are but the beginning of sorrowes as if hee should say there shall moe in
to doe that which should honor his Prince this duty is that which delighteth God and honoureth him and therefore all of vs should practise it Fourthly as it is honourable so likewise it is most profitable to our selues both to make vs keepe the blessings which we haue and to obtaine such as we haue not If wee be faithfull in little he will trust vs with much if we be faithfull ouer a few things hee will made vs ruler ouer many things Luke chap. 19 17. Matth. chap. 25 23. But if we bee vnthankfull for mercies receiued he wil take from vs euen those which we haue This should teach vs to stirre vp our selues Vse 1 more and more to thankefulnesse by keeping in minde and laying vp in our hearts the speciall blessings and mercies of God This we cannot do except wee take notice of them and dayly marke and obserue what God doth for vs. For a benefit not remembred is all one as if it were neuer receiued Let vs not therefore suffer his mercies to passe away If the least crosse lye vpon vs we are sure to be sensible enough of it If the head ake we can by and by feele it and complaine of it How then is it that we receyue grace after grace and mercy vpon mercy heaped vp plentifully vpon vs and yet wee remaine as senselesse and blockish as if wee had receyued nothing at all Let vs take heede of this vnthankefulnesse Secondly it reproueth many amongst vs Vse 2 that haue tongues to aske and mouthes to speake when wee are in neede but know not how to return thankes to God when we haue receyued Haue we beene in trouble and affliction and hath God beene mercifull vnto vs to restore vs againe If wee be not thankefull vnto him for this it had beene better for vs that we had beene afflicted still yea that wee had perished in our affliction then not to returne to him the praise to lift vp our hearts to the heauens Lastly would we know whether wee bee Vse 3 thankefull indeede or not then let vs examine our selues how it goeth with vs after God hath deliuered vs from any dangers Are we more zealous in good things and more carefull to performe good duties vnto GOD then before Then surely wee may comfort our selues and assure our owne hearts that wee haue beene thankefull in some measure Thus doth Christ speake of the sinnefull woman Luke chap. 7. verse 47 her sinnes which are many are forgiuen her for she loued much but to whom little is forgiuen the same loueth little This is thankefulnesse for loue receyued to loue againe and for much loue to returne much loue againe True thankesgiuing is of a working Nature it will quickly shew it selfe toward him of whom we haue receiued mercy If the loue of God be shedde in our hearts we will loue him againe because he loued vs first On the other side if a man doe not performe this duty to wit to bee more zealous of Gods glorie and more obedient vnto his word and will he shall be found vnfaithfull whatsoeuer he perswadeth himselfe of himselfe So fell it out with Hezekiah as wee may see in the second booke of the Chronicles the 32. chapter and the 25. verse Who rendred not againe according to the benefite done vnto him His heart was lifted vppe and wrath came vpon him and vpon Iudah and Ierusalem If then God spared not him let vs take heed hee doe not spare vs and bee euermore carefull to praise him here as we ought and then we shall be sure to praise him euer hereafter in the life to come Wee haue therefore brought an oblation c. In the oblation of this people we are to consider the circumstance of time which serueth further to commend them they were no sooner returned and found the mercy of GOD toward them but by and by they giue him thankes Doctrine We are to returne thankes to God speedily and presently This teacheth that as all men must returne thankes vnto God so they must returne it speedily and presently while they haue oportunity and ability to doe it Exodus 15.20 Iudges 5 1 Luke 17 15 16. The grounds follow Reason 1 First it is the will of God our Father when he would haue thankfulnesse performed hee would haue it done speedily and cheerefully it is the willingnesse of the minde that hee respecteth and accepteth For if hee require of vs in the matter of liberality that we say not to our neighbour Goe and come againe and to morrow I will giue if we haue it by vs then certainly it is his pleasure that we doe not delay or deferre to performe the duty of praise to him to morrow when we should do it to day Secondly the performance of thankesgiuing presently maketh it the more accepted of God whereas the putting of it off from time to time causeth it to bee reiected Thirdly while the blessings of God are fresh in our remembrance the minde feedeth the affection with much more plentifull matter and it is stirred vp the more feruently and effectually to performe that duty whereas the oportunity in due season being neglected maketh the blessings of God grow stale and to bee quite forgotten and that quickly Vse 1 This teacheth that many men may heereby see their sinnes in this matter and maner of thanksgiuing because they are so slacke and slow drowsie and forgetfull and vse such delayes in their returning of praise to God By delay a man is made more vnfit and vnable to performe this duty True it is if a man repent of his dalying with God and delaying to doe his duty to him he will forgiue his euil howbeit he that putteth off his thankfulnesse it is not so acceptable to God because hee doth it not speedily albeit hee performe it in the end Vse 2 Secondly this must teach euery man to learne when be returneth thankes to God for any blessing that he should labour to doe it presently and speedily seeing this is that which is so much accepted with him And if any man haue beene faulty in this let him labour to make amends with double diligence and to bee more mindefull of this duty of thankfulnesse that so the Lord bee not enforced to put him in minde of his sinne by taking away his blessings from him It were farre better for vs to learne otherwise then by taking forth this hard lesson to wit by our harme Thirdly this serueth to put vs in minde to Vse 3 stretch this maner of speedy thankesgiuing to God to all other duties of Religion and Christianity The Apostle exhorteth all persons to do good while they haue time or oportunity to do good to all men Gal. 6 10 for wee know not what one day may bring forth Prou. 27 1. Many delay their doing of good till the houre of death these are like swine which are neuer good till they come to the shambles Especially in the case of repentance
blood Do not our Gentry for the most part think it their glory to haue their hands embrewed in the blood of innocents What conscience is made of fighting quarrelling for point of pretended honour but in truth for assured dishonour and disgrace vnto them to their names and to their posterity for let thē set what varnish soeuer they please vpon their combates they shall carry the marke of an horrible sinne to their graue God grant it bee not to hell and the place of perpetuall torment and if euer GOD open their eyes they will weepe day and night for it and bee humbled for it all the dayes of their liues Secondly Vse 2 it is the duty of Magistrates especially and of all men generally in their places to make diligent search enquiry when blood is shed by whom the blood hath beene shedde and if the murtherer bee not found they shold craue pardon at the hands of God And touching the Magistrates and others I would commend to them the consideration of two things first that they be carefull that no man dye innocently that they put no man to death without cause Ier. 25 14. of which we shall speake afterward in the end of this chapter Secondly when murther is committed all men must do their endeuour to the vtmost of their power and meanes to detect the authors of that bloody acte Hence it is that God requireth that when a body is found slaine vpon the ground in the Land which he had giuen the Israelites to possesse and it is not knowne who killed him then the Elders and Iudges shall come forth to the dead body and wash their hands ouer a Bullocke whose head was striken off and protest and say Our hands haue not shed this blood neither haue our eyes seene it O Lord bee mercifull to thy people Israel whom thou hast purchased and lay not the guiltlesse blood vpon them and the man-slaughter shall be forgiuen them Deut. 21 7 8 9. Where we see that the killing of one man is a defiling of the whole country and what care the Lord hath of the life of euery man For murther is so hated of God that albeit the dooer thereof be vnknowne yet hee would haue a solemne cleansing and cleering thereof to be made And see what God requireth at the hands of the Magistrates and ministers of iustice It is not enough for them to protest that they haue not committed or supported or fauoured any euill when causes and complaints haue beene brought before them but they must search carefully and enquire diligently of disorders albeit no man sollicite or seeke vnto them yet themselues must be watchfull in their places Howbeit this duty is oftentimes ill obserued and slenderly practised For how many are there that thinke themselues fully discharged and flatter themselues with a fond imagination that they are greatly to be commended when they patiently giue men the hearing and make countenance to helpe them But God is not contented with this he will take an account of them of a farther duty and will not take it for a sufficient discharge to bee able to say though it be truly There was no information giuen no man made any complaint If then Magistrates that haue the sword of iustice put into their hands to cut off euill doers from the City of God shall suffer any wickednesse to lurke in any Citty or corner they themselues are guilty thereof and it is as much in Gods sight as if they had giuen theyr consent to the practising of it These are they that must after a sort answer for the whole body of the people if euill doers be suffered to nustle vnder them through their negligence Vse 3 Lastly it is the duty of euery one to beware of all occasions and allurements that may draw vs to this bloody sinne For as there is a murther of the hand so there is a murther of the tongue which is therefore in holy Scripture resembled vnto a Razor to a sword to coales to arrowes to poyson to fire all which kill and are the instruments of death and likewise there is a murther of the heart of which the Apostle Iohn sayeth Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer and yee know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him Iohn 3 15. So then we are guilty of this sinne euen by anger and malice in the heart onely and shall haue our portion in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone If any man haue not a feeling of this in his heart hee is more then dead and if he labour not to repent of it it argueth him to be past all grace and so out of the number of those which shall see God to their comfort For albeit such haue the shape and forme of men yet they haue the hearts of the very beasts If they had the right vse of reason in them and the gouernment of theyr corrupt appetites and affections it could not be but that they would haue a care of the life of their brethren and which is more of theyr owne liues also So then euery man should examine himself and try his owne heart how farre he hath bin guilty of this sinne of murther in euery kinde and branch thereof that so wee may humble our selues Albeit it bee but the anger of the heart yet it is murther in the sight of God is therefore as well to be repented of as the outward acte of murther it selfe To this wee may ioyne the sinne of enuy when men so repine at the good of others that they cannot bee quiet or contented because they want that which others haue and haue not so great a portion as they for this also we should humble our selues and labour continually against it To conclude we see also what crueltie and hard-dealing is oftentimes vsed against poore labouring men that get their liuing by the sweate of their browes and yet many thinke they may vse them as they list eyther with turning of them off with an halfe-peny for a peny or else in exchanging other things for their worke which haply are not worth halfe the money or in keeping backe their wages for weekes moneths or yeares which Saint Iames speaketh of Chapter 5 verse 4. Behold the hyre of the Labourers cryeth and the cryes of them are entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath Let vs labour by all meanes to keepe our selues free from bloud and not onely from the outward acte it selfe but from the inward thoughts of the heart as enuy hatred and malice as also from the slaughter of the tongue by cruell and cursed speeches Such a murtherer was Shemei when hee railed vpon Dauid True it is hee charged him to be a murtherer but the murther might iustly and fully bee discharged vpon himselfe for he was the man of blood and a sonne of Belial 2 Sam. 16 7 8. Indeed if a man haue an iniury done vnto him it is lawfull for him
Church or in the Commonwealth This is a great comfort to al godly Magistrates that beare on their shoulders the burthen of gouernment of whom it is said 〈◊〉 22 6. I haue said ye are Gods and ye are the children of the most High to know that they beare the person of God and that hee vseth them as his vicegerents This is a singular comfort also to all godly and painfull preachers whom the Lord vseth as his Stewards and messengers of whom he hath saide Hee that heareth you heareth me which ought to be al-sufficient vnto vs to make vs walke thorough good report and euill report and ouerstride al the discouragements and discontentments that the vnthankfull world throweth vpon vs. Vse 3 Lastly we learne to forsake no work belonging to our calling yet still to trust in God to rely vpon him not to trust in the outward means â—â—ew 4 7. Our Sauiour Christ teacheth that they tempt God and prouoke him to wrath that refuse or neglect the ordinary meanes appointed for their life and preseruation Hee that is sicke and neglecteth the ordinary meanes of Physicke he that is hungry and refuseth the ordinary meanes of feeding or beeing in an high and dangerous place will not descend the common way but casteth himselfe down maketh a needlesse triall of Gods power and so tempteth God It is our part not to bee idle vpon his prouidence but to vse profitable helps for our safety and maintenance Our endeuours and labours are required in his prouidence who as he ordaineth the end so he appointeth the meanes leading and tending to the end Now whensoeuer God hath offered and afforded an ordinary meanes for our succour and saluation wee are bound to vse the same carefully and not seeke redresse remedy another way This serueth to conuince all such as waite vpon vanities and forsake their owne mercies which say Cannot God saue vs without so much preaching hath he no other meanes to worke our conuersion Hath hee bound himselfe to the Ministery of the word Indeed God hath not tied himselfe to this ordinance he can worke our saluation by other waies but he hath necessarily tied vs vnto it where he hath sent it vnto vs and if we thinke to finde it any other way wee shall toyle and trouble our selues in seeking and shal not obtain it God norished his people with Quails fed them with Manna and commanded the Rocke to giue them water in the wildernesse extraordinarily but when he had planted theÌ„ in the land of Canaan 〈◊〉 5 12. and giuen them Corne and prouision to liue ordinarily they must vse those helps or else perish and famish for hunger As he dealt with their bodies so hee dealeth with our soules If we neglect ordinarie meanes we may not looke for extraordinarie Moreouer this serueth to condemne the practise of such as reason If we be appointed to saluation it shal neuer be taken from vs whoÌ„soeuer we oppresse whatsoeuer wee commit howsoeuer we liue This is to couet the end but to neglect the meanes We desire saluation but we refuse to walk in the way that God hath chalked out vnto vs. Such as neuer vse the meanes make it plaine and manifest they were neuer ordained to the end Wherfore the Apostle saith God hath chosen vs that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue Repentance Ephes 1 4. faith sanctification are the meanes and the way saluation and eternall life are the iournies end Al such as God hath ordained to eternall life he hath ordained them to vse the meanes to pray vnto him to heare his word to receiue the Sacraments to haue faith in Christ to repent from dead workes and heereby wee shall make our election sure 2 Peter 1 10 2 Tim. 2 19. The more we increase in the gifts of God the greater shal our assurance be Thus much of the necessarie vse of the meanes vsed by the people to further Gods prouidence and to come vnto the quiet possession of the land of Promise Verse 17. I pray thee let vs passe thorough thy Country Before we come to the consideration of the reasons let vs see what their request is of the Edomites which were a people lying Southward in respect of the land of Canaan toward the Desert of Arabia the dead sea and sprang of Esau as we heard before Now the Israelites were the Lords own people the visible Church of God vpon earth which is the foundation pillar of truth of whom he said 1 Tim. 3 15. Psal 105 15. Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme yet see here how they are brought to so low en ebbe as to ask a License to craue a Pasport and passage of their enemies Wee learne from hence Doctrine The Church destitute of helpe is often times driuen to craue succour of their enemies that the true church is oftentimes brought so low as to stand in neede of the helpe fauour friendship and good will of strangers that liue out of the church God doth so far make his seruants drink of the cup of affliction in the outward wants of earthly things that they must craue helpe of those that are their enemies This we see in Abraham Gen. 23 2 3. and 42 1 2 6. he had not a place to bury his dead out of his sight but was constrained to craue it of the Hittites So Iacob and his houshold were so sorely pressed with famine that they came and bowed to the Egyptians for a piece of bread 1 Sam. 25 6 7 8. and 22 3. So Dauid being in distresse in the wildernes was driuen to send to churlish Nabal to giue to him and his whatsoeuer came to his hand This miserie of the poor church the Prophet confesseth Lam. 5 6. As if they should say We are so oppressed by the Chaldeans that we are compelled thorough necessity to craue releefe of our greatest enemies So Ester a nursing mother of the Church begged her owne life Ester 7 3. and the life of the people of God at the hands of an Heathen King Thus we see that howsoeuer the faithful be right heires of the world the iust owners of all things in Iesus Christ yet sometimes for their necessary releefe in things of this life they stretch out their begging hands vnto their enemies as Lazarus did Reason 1 The Reasons are First in respect of God who wil try the faith and patience of his seruants how they can bear outward afflictions whether they will cleaue to him in their troubles not It is his wil and heauenly pleasure to try and proue the obedience of his seruaÌ„ts Not that he getteth or gaineth any knowledg which he had not before but by triall of his owne gifts to let vs see what is in our selues who are ignorant of the hidden corners of our own hearts Peter supposed himself to be constant and couragious till he was brought into