bestowed let vs thankfully glorifie the giuer who gaue it vs chiefely for his owne glory and withall let vs take heede that though there bee so great mercy with God yet wee make not worke for mercie lest mercy tempted turne into iudgement 47 The obedience of insensible and brute creatures vnto the will of God is a great checke and reproofe vnto the disobedience of man Man is the chiefest of creatures and they the lowest yet doe they as farre exceede him in obedience as he doth them in naturall eminence The will of God is a straight and fixed line to which all things created by the same will should so fit and fashion themselues that they should not bowe from it in any degree This doe the baser things stedfastly following the imprinted light law of their first Creation So the storke and swallow know their appointed times the oxe knowes his owner and the Asse his masters crib the sea moueth in setled and vnmoouing course the starres fit their many changes to a steadie rule answerable to the will of him that neuer changeth But man that had a burning Lampe euen a fountaine of light in his soule whereas brute beasts haue but a light determined and certaine and liuelesse things haue no light of reason but an orderly influence and moouing power fixed into thē this reasonable man is wholly gone astray from his rule and not onely runneth from it but against it Thus is he farre worse then things worse then himself and openly shewes that he hath fallen and not they What now remaines but that as this abased Lord of creatures hath beene checked and reprooued by the creatures his vassals so he should also bee instructed by them Therefore ô thou man goe willingly hereafter to the Oxe and Asse to learne thy duty There is in them as in the Asse of Balaam that which may instruct thee Be ashamed of thy corruption and fall but bee not ashamed by any thing not falne to bring thy selfe back to the place from whence thou fellest when thou seest creatures obedient to thee thence know that obedience is also due to God from thee who is infinitely more aboue thee then thou aboue them When thou seest mutuall loue betweene creatures of one kinde learne thence Charitie to thy owne kind In sum when thou seest any creature continuing the steady appointed course of his kinde call thereby to minde that there is a certaine and appointed course to thee also wherein thou shouldest as certainly satisfie the will of thy Creator who requireth a conformitie of all things in their place and order and the chiefest of the chiefest 48 It hath beene an often pollicy of Satan when hee could not pull downe good things with euill to pull them downe by setting them together by the eares betweene themselues Not to mention the too-much opposition betweene the reformed Christians I can example it in the quarrels which haue been betweene faith and workes prayer preaching and the commendation of the learned workes of some in a comparatiue despite of as profitable works of others But this is an vnkindly debate and issueth by no meanes out of the nature of the things thēselues but from mans contentiousnes want of iudgement or ouer-prising our owne apprehensions Each vertue hath her seuerall place and in that place shee excelleth hath commendation and thrusteth out no other vertue either from place or worth The place of faith is first in the vnderstanding but working downward on the wil and affections it ioynes vs to Christ so is it the hand of the ingraffer it sets the eye of the soule euer on God in Christ it is excellent for vnion for all the benefits and fruites comming from that vniō wherof workes are a part The place of workes is chiefely in the will and affections yet grounded in the vnderstanding springing forth at the members They expresse the vertue of the vnion they praise and glorifie him that bestowed this vnion they are excellent as fruits but they haue both being excellence frō him whom faith apprehendeth Preaching deliuers words of knowledge of reproch of comfort of exhortation to our ignorance to our sinnefulnesse to our despaire to our deadnesse of heart yea it teacheth vs how to pray it perswadeth vs to pray prayer fetcheth downe grace from the Author of grace by which preaching it selfe is made profitable and life is put into the dead letter it prouides vs for hearing and makes vs able to doe what we heare In summe it procures helpe in all things from him without whom we can doe nothing Thus it seemes both faith and workes prayer and preaching bee of kinne mutuall embracers and farre from that contention which is fastned to them each desire that their fellowes may haue appointed time and place because in their prosperitie themselues doe Horish Now for the last kind of debate which hath been set betweene excellent writers discretion and charitie might serue for a full remedie If any one bee in any thing good and profitable charitie and wisedome will rather commēd that worth of his then obscure it by comparisons if another be more learned it may bee the lesse learned doth more edifie and sure it is that such contention doth not edifie at all The Schoolemen are excellent in subtilties they search how things are they dig for the roote and in sum if sifted from errors and clearely cōceiued they may giue great light to the vnderstanding Another Diuine goeth more plainely to worke he sets foorth the matter without curious search of the manner herather shewes that it is then how it is yet he shewes enough for saluation hee shewes enough for the most general capacitie and withall he mooues the will and stirres vp the affections to receiue life refuse death The first make a few men excellent but find not often a fit great audiēce they are good teachers of teachers The later doth generally profit he goeth into the wil affections vnlockes the heart for God the seate where he delights to dwell Of this kind hath this age most neede of of which prophecies foretold that the loue of many shold now waxe cold that men should loue their pleasures more then God and of which experience telles vs that knowledge hath farre out-run obedience which should follow close at the heeles of it and therefore of the two lacks most nourishment and incouragement Generally let them that build the house of God if they hold a sword in one hand yet hold it against the enemy not one against another much lesse let the by-standers take their swords out of their hands and fight for them when they will not themselues The building is not promoted by this meanes but hindered yea pulled downe 49 The euils of this life are great and many whereof some are immediately from the hand of God others from the wickednesse of men others from the malice of Satan and of these also God hath the
MEDITATIONS OF INSTRVCTION OF EXHORTATION OF REPROFE INDEAVOVRING THE edification and reparation of the house of God 1. PET. 4. 10. As euery man hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God LONDON Printed by I. L. for George Gibbs and Francis Constable 1616. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE THE SONNES of the most High his blessed Brethren by the best that is the second Birth TRuly Honorable whose Father is God and whose Inheritance a Kingdome the diuers sparks of holy fire which haue issued from the Spirit that baptizeth with fire I haue gathered together by their vnited heate to kindle a flame where is none or to increase it where it is alreadie kindled This blessing must come from God and therefore of God haue I desired it And surely the best as ye well know haue turnes of winter euen vpon their hottest zeale and then woe to him that is alone for how should he haue heate Therfore if in the time of cooling some spirituall worke be ioyned to the heart it may bee warmth will grow betweene them So haue I often from Elisha applied euen some Prophet of God receiued life and I wish that some quickning may proceede also from this worke which in all writings is more or lesse as the Spirit therein more or lesse speaketh These Meditations are indeede diuers in their matter being diuersly borne both in regard of time and occasion yet tend they to one ende and this profit often comes from variety that some one thing among many fitteth euery one and giues an answere to the particular question of his heart The glorie of God by your benefite is that which I seeke desiring also to be holpen by you both in prayer and exhortation As for an idle name made vp still of perishing and often of corrupt breaths I leaue it to them for an end to whom God is not an end sufficient But let our chiefe ioy and glory be to glorifie God and by being written in heauen to bee admitted vnto the beholding of his glory To that mark my beloued let vs steadily aime and sending our hearts before vnto Christ let vs goe on lustily to ouertake them Let vs draw hard vp the hill toward heauen and though the flesh presse downe the world and Satan draw backe yet strengthened by the Spirit incouraged by the word and fortified with the mutuall and vnited force of mightie loue let vs carry the Arke of God euen the soule wherein Gods Image dwells and his will is written from the Countrey of the Philistims to the Land of promise And though heere our fleshly brethren Ismael and his heires mocke and despise vs though Esau with his foure hundred men looke big vpon vs yet are we sure that their time is short and but for life whereas wee haue an inheritance eternally glorious Thither the sonnes of the flesh though with long pedegrees and large treasures can neuer enter but sitting without where is weeping and gnashing of teeth they shallsee despised holinesse triumph vpon magnificent and powerfull wickednes God our strength whose cloud and pillar guided Israel to Canaan guide vs to the heauenly Ierusalem by the grace of his Spirit This I humbly desire through Christ his first borne the purchaser of our inheritance and doore of all the mercy that issueth from God vnto man One of your least worthy brethren but a great louer of you and your peace F. R. 1 THe maine Faultinesse of these Times is a Disproportion betweene Knowledge and Action or rather a meere resting in knowledge short of Action So are we come from no knowledge to knowledge alone which will not lessen but increase our iudgement and from the ouerualuing of workes to the Neglect of them Surely the errour of workes without knowledge is lesse dangerous then the error of knowledge without works But this is the best of it it is the doctrine of our Nature not of our Diuinitie For while it is taught that workes deserue not some are content to thinke they are vselesse others being truly perswaded of their vse yet slouthfull to goodnesse lie down in knowledge and will not goe on to the labour of action But as hereafter the paine will follow the fault so now let the shame for certainly it is a great shame that so much knowledge should be idle and that skilful men should sleepe in this Midday light for the light was made for walking and working not for idlenesse The Father sheweth his will because he will haue it done wee are called to be sonnes because we should do the will of our Father and Nebuchadnezzar giues the greatest title when hee calls the three children the seruants of the most high God In the Spirit wherein is Life is also Actiuenesse If we nourish not the actiuitie of it we decay the Life so kill our selues with eternall Death Christ hath no dead or vnprofitable Limbes they all beare fruite or are not his and Faith which our slouth would magnifie by resting in her thrusts vs on for her life to action for shee liues onely when she is actiue If then faith not working bee dead and dead faith quickens not the vnactiue beleeuer may speedily with a Heathen see himselfe without life As these things may driue vs so the value of workes may draw vs for by Christ who worketh them in vs they are accepted of God and haue a valuation stamped vpon them by his Grace for Grace And first though workes iustifie not vs they iustifie our Faith in the day of iustice they shall goe so farre toward iustifying vs that they shall declare vs iust In the meane time they please and glorifie God the giuer of such gifts vnto men and then euen the least of them shall haue a reward of glory which they shall set as a crowne on their heads that wrought them Let vs not therefore bee wanting to this glorie belonging to God from vs and issuing from God to vs. Besides if we will cōsider what works are in themselues we shall finde that they are streames of the Deity their fountain and sparkes of that heauenly and eternall fire Accordingly they present and expresse something that is Diuine and supernaturally excellēt whence it was that a Reuerend Ancient wel said The deedes and conuersation of the Primitiue Christians had in them a perfume and sweetnesse wherwith they exceedingly delighted those with whome they conuersed And how can it otherwise be for whē he that is blessednesse and excellence powreth vertue from himselfe into these workes they must needs haue a resemblance partaking of their original And surely there are two things in them which as they are the most pleasant of all other so they most resemble and approach to the Creator One of these is Light and the other is Loue both which put life and soule into euery good worke God is Light and God is Loue and it is a pleasant thing to
he y t beares only the image of darkenesse corruption euen the likenesse of the old Adam in the same lothsome and deformed shape shall hee appeare before God sitting in iudgement For God doth regenerate and new create man onely in this world They that be not changed here and made like vnto Christ doe let passe the time of Regeneration and so they haue the stampe of sinne in their foreheads vnremooueable for euer Now in that great and terrible day what difference shall there be in the twofold apparance of these different sorts The sonne of God new made by his Spirit shal appeare in the image and likenes of God his Father with light in his vnderstanding righteousnesse in his will and holinesse in his affections To him it shall be said Blessed is the pure in heart he shal see God for God delighteth to see him euen his owne likenesse in him But the sonne of flesh shall appeare foule and blemished in his vnderstanding corrupt and froward in his will and affections and in stead of representing hee shall bee contrarie and crosse vnto God and ougly in his cōtrarietie And then is his very presence lothsom to the Iudge of purest eies he is a toad or serpent made and taken to bee destroied His ouglinesse kindleth the wrath of God against him which burneth and driueth into the bottom of hell Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their Image despised Therefore while it is to day while it is the accepted time let the sonne of man make hast to become the sonne of God Let him put off the goate which he is and put on the sheepe that he should bee let him get a cleane heart and a right spirit within him And because this only commeth of God let vs seeke onely to him and because God hath told vs by his Sonne that he will be ouercome by importunitie let vs seeke importunately stil begging following and vndeniably soliciting him vntill hee giue the holy Ghost to them that aske him Then shall wee with Symeon bee full of peace at our departure being assured to see saluation there shall wee with Paul bee alwaies bold euen at our remoouing being certaine of a better tabernacle in heauen then shall wee comfortably approch to the Throne of God who wee know will acknowledge vs for sonnes by his marke in our foreheads and will call vs in vnto the Supper of the Lamb. But then they y t appeare in the shape of dogs their place shall be without from the presence of God and the Lambe for euermore where their worme dieth not and their fire quencheth not They that are the kindreds of the earth and not of heauen shall waile before God and theirs shall be eternall weeping and gnashing of teeth The goates shall bee set on the left hand God will behold them scornefully and afarre off they shall be called cursed and they shall be driuen from God into euerlasting fire there to accompanie the diuel and his Angels whom in this life they haue associated and resembled 66 The hard things are often most excellent for our businesse in this world is to striue against flesh blood which is not a matter of ease Among diuers combats therewith they haue not the least who are in the stead of a father and mother The hardnesse hereof is that such standing in the place of natural parents should do that right to the child in cold reason which the other would doe in the heate of affection Now men saile with affection but row hard with reason yet the worth and reward counteruaile the labour It must needs be a matter of excellent worth for God is the God of the fatherles and hee ioyneth with God that helpeth them hee is Gods instrument and hath a deputiship vnder God as for the reward mercy procureth mercy temporall eternall Thou maist well hope that God who is pleased with thy goodnesse to the children of others will raise vp the goodnesse of others to helpe thy children and himselfe will become a father vnto thee and thine But if thou liftest vp thy hand against those whom God hath taken into his protection feare thou the Iudgement without mercy for shewing no mercy and that while thou art a very father in law to others God will be a father in law to thee and thine which makes men of al others the most miserable Orphans 67 Marriage of all naturall actions is of most consequence yet is it the worst done of any other For men doe not commonly make marriages but bargaines and the bargaine being made the marriage comes in vpon the bargaine But it was not so from the beginning In the first marriage the woman was the principall part proposed to the man and in her chiefly the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof So it should be still the great matters of the Law should be preferred before Cummin and Mints yet these need not altogether to bee neglected howsoeuer that which is absolutely and only necessarie must bee held whatsoeuer become of that which is but conuenient Examples of holy Scripture shew vs plentifully the miserable issues of marriages made not in the Lord which might be so many instructions to future times In the first world wicked wiues euen the daughters of flesh and blood corrupting the sonnes of God brought in the Flood Afterward the most wise of onely men Solomon by idolatrous wiues was bowed aside to the worship of Idols from the seruice of the true God who appeared to him twice wherefore God did rent his kingdom from him and gaue it to his seruant But a spectacle of long miserie and as long wickednesse was that vnhappy marriage betweene the sonne of Iehosaphat and the daughter of Ahab therby was Iehosaphat himselfe drawne into danger and losse and into the cause of them worse then themselues euen to the loue of them which hated God Thereby the sonne of Iehosaphat yea his sonnes sonne became wicked and vnhappie generations this sentence waiting on their sins for the one had the daughter of Ahab to wife and the other was counselled by his mother to doe wickedly Let men therefore be afraid to infect themselues and their posterity by becomming one flesh with wickednesse to marry vnto a leprosie of the soule is worse then into that of the body A woman is a needle to pierce into the heart and affections of man and if she be wicked the diuell is the thread which followes after This knowes the tempter right well therfore by Eue hee got within Adam by Dalilah hee ouercame Samson by the daughters of Moab he got power on the children of Israel to inspire into them idolatrie one of his chiefest poisons Therefore let no man for money take vnto him a factor for the diuell lest thereby the diuel attended with the curse of God which euer followes him enter in vpon him and his posteritie The remainder of flesh in the best regenerate though but a