him not to hurt me If he thus said The spotted shal be thy wages then all the shéep bare spotted if he said thus the party coloured shal be thy reward then bare al the shéep party coloured Thus hath God taken away all your fathers substance and giuen it vnto me And the angell of god said vnto me in a dreame Iacob lift vp now thy eies and sée all the héegoats leaping vpon the shée-goats the are party-coloured For I haue séen all the Laban hath done vnto thée And now arise get thée hence out of this country and returne into the land where thou waste borne Then his wiues aunswered and said vnto him Haue wée any more portion and inheritaunce in our fathers house Therefore all the riches which god hath taken from our father is ours and our childrens now then whatsoeuer God hath said vnto thée doe it Then Iacob rose vp and set his sonnes and his wiues vpon camels and he carried away all his flocks and all his substance which he had gotten and so fled Which thing when Laban heard he made haste and ouertooke them and spoke angerly vnto Iacob And againe he said I am able to doe you euill But the God of your father spake vnto me yesternight saying Take héede that thou speake not to Iacob ought saue good Iacob said vnto Laban Except the God of my father the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had béene with me surely thou hadst sent me away nowe emptie But God beheld my tribulation and the labour of mine hands and rebuked thée yesternight Then Laban said Now therefore come and let vs make a couenant Gene. 27. 41. Therefore Esau hated Iacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him And Fsau thought in his mind the daies of mourning for my father will come shortly then I will slay my brother Iacob Gene. 32. Now Iacob went forth on his iourny and he was to méete with Esau And Iacob fearing his brother praied vnto God and said I am not worthy O Lord of the least of thy mercies which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruaunt I pray thée deltuer me from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau For I feare him least hee will come and smite me and the mother vpon the children Gene. 33. And as Iacob lift vp his eyes and looked behold Esau came and with him foure hundred men So Iacob went and bowed himselfe to the ground seuen times vntill he came neare to his brother Then Esau ranne to méete him and imbraced him and fell on his necke and kissed him and they wept And Esau said What meanest thou by all this droue which I met Who answered I haue sent it that I might finde fauour in the sight of my Lord. God chaunged Esaus murthering minde and malicious heart and turned it to loue his brother Iacob and to imbrace him louingly and friendly Concerning the hardning of hearts howe it pertaineth to God Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth Deut. 2. 30. Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let vs passe by him For the Lorde thy God had hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate because he would deliuer him into thine hand as appeareth this day Iosh 11. 20. It came of the Lord to harden their harts that they should come against Israel in battell to the intent that they should destroy them vtterly and shewe them no mercy but that they should bring them to naught as the Lord had commanded Moses 1. Sa. 2. 25. Ely warned his sonnes saying If one man sin against an other the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sin against the Lord who will pleade for him Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father because the Lord would â—ley them Iohn 12. 40. He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not sée with their eyes nor vnderstand with their hearts and should be conuerted and I should heale them To you saith Christ to his Disciples all thinges are opened that pertaine to the kingdome of heauen but to them which are without all thinges are spoken in parables God hath made mankinde of two sorts the one contrarieto the other the one to declare his mercy the other to declare his wrath and iudgement in both to set foorth his glory Rom. 9. 22. 23. The which thing the Apostle for our better vnderstanding doth teach vs by similitudes and comparisons Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honor and an other to dishonor What and if God would to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glory vppon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory 2. Tim. 2. 19. 20. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie Notwithstanding in a great house are not only vessels of gold of siluer but also of wood and of earth and some for honor and some for dishonor And that we may know and apply it to our selues whether wee pertaine to God or no he setteth downe the tokens and markes Verse 21. 22. If any man therefore purge himselfe he shall be a vessell to honour sanctified and méete for the Lord and prepared vnto euery good worke Fly also from the lustes of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith loue and peace with them that call on the Lord with a pure heart Rom. 8. 29. 30. Those which he knew before he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren Moreouer whom he predestinate them also he called and whome he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified Concerning the other sort whom he made to declare his wrath and iudgement thus we reade Exod. 4. 21. And the Lord said to Moses when thou art entred and come into Egipt againe sée that thou doe all the wonders before Pharaoh which I haue put in thy hand but I will harden his hart he shall not let the people goe Cap. 10. 1. Againe the Lord said vnto Moses Goe to Pharaoh for I haue hardned his hart the hart of his seruants that I might worke these my miracles in the midst of his realme Caep 9. 16. Of Pharaoh God said And indéed for this cause haue I annointed thée to shewe my power in thée and to declare my name throughout all the world cap. 14. 4. I will harden Pharaohs hart that he shall followe after you so I will get me honour vpon Pharaoh and vpon all his host the Egiptians also shall knowe that I am the Lord. Pro. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne
vnto thée from thy God For I will set mine eies vpon them for good and I wil bring them again to this land and I wil build them and not destroy them and I wil plant them and not roote them out saith the Lord. Therfore they shall come reioyce in the height of Sion and shall run to the bountifulnesse of the Lord euen for the wheat for the wine and for the oile for the increase of shéep bullocks and their soule shal be as a watred garden they shall haue no more sorrow Then shal the virgin reioyce in the dance and the yong men the old mē togither for I wil turn their mourning into ioy wil comfort them giue them ioy for their sorrows And y◠voice of ioy and the voice of gladnesse and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride shal be heard in their stréets as also the voice of them y◠shal say Praise the Lord of hostes because the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for euer Hagar Abrahams handmaid being ready to wéepe out her hart with sad mournfull teares and pittious lamentable cries God caused her to behold ioy and gaue her the life of her infant when it was ready to die with thirst promised her moreouer that of him shuld come a great people What trobles did king Dauid endure whē he was a subiect vnder king Saul who continually sought his death and most cruelly and vndeseruedly to shead his innocent blood how many feares how many flights how many dangers Where death was God made life appeare where contempt was God gaue credit and when his crosses were ended God gaue him his crowne to reioyce him Which made him thankfull to God saying Thou hast turned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded mee with gladnesse Therefore shall my tongue praise thee and not cease O Lord my God I will giue thankes vnto thee for euer Ieremiah the Prophet beaten cast into prison readie to starue for hunger like to be put to death but the Lord hi◠him Who had regard of his trouble and of his sorrow and sent him ioy with great credit For in the sight of them that were led into captiuitie Zabuzaradan the chiefe steward according to the commaundement of king Nabuchodonozor who willed him to looke well vnto him and to doo him no harme but euen as he himselfe would desire to be dealt withall loosed him from the chaines which were on his hands and intreated him most kindly saying If it please thée to come with me into Babel come and I wil looke wel vnto thée but if it please thée not to come with me into Babel tarry still Behold all the land is before thée whither it séemeth good and conuenient for thée to go thither go So the chiefe steward gaue him vittailes and a reward and let him go If we looke vpon the deathfull sorrow of chaste Susanna do we not in reading her storie reioyce with her to sée what ioy of heart God sent her The Apostle Saint Peter being in prison his bands were loosed the prison doore set wide open and he by an Angel willed to come forth so was his ioy increased vpon the suddain beyond expectation Tolet goe other examples I will vse but this one King Ashuerus through the accusations of wicked Haman gaue out his letters that the Iewes should be slaine throughout his dominions A pittifull thing it was to sée and heare the outcries of the poore distressed Iewes Mardocheus gréeuously mourning yea Hester the Quéene her selfe fainted and fel down in a swoune Yet behold after a while the kings heart and mind is changed after a while life ioy yea and a solemne and a yearly remembrance of that ioy throughout their posterities and generations After a tempest a calme after stormie weather faire All which examples ought to be sufficient incouragements vnto vs not to be daunted or dismaied for any sorrow but rather to sustaine our selues with the hope of ioy to come After pouertie may come wealth after sicknesse Psal 107. 41. health after imprisonment libertie after shame by false reports credite againe after miserie dignitie after hatred good will after sorrow ioy and who knoweth what a day may bring foorth The seruant that endureth much drudgery that is beaten vndeseruedly that continueth painfully that performeth faithfully is in time released and with riches store and plentie blessed when as to remember what great miserie hee hath abidden and gone through is one of his chiefe ioyes Experience prooueth this to be true and the example of Iacobs seruice vnder Laban vnrequited by his grudging maister but plentifully rewarded by God himselfe dooth shewe howe thy sorrowes may bee turned into ioy Feare not saith Tobit to his sonne though thou bee poore for thou hast many things if thou feare God For indéed all Gods blessings especially pertaine to them that feare him though otherwise enioyed by vsurpation and an easie thing it is with God suddeinly to make a poore man rich The sorrowes of sicknesse may ende in ioyfull health King Hezekiah had fiftéene yeares added to his daies and it reioyced him more then his kingdome Compare Iosephs imprisonment with his honour and Susannais credite with her shame and Mordecais miserie with his dignitie and Esaus hatred Pro. 16. 7. toward Iacob altered to good will and louing affection and sée whither it be not true that Christ hath said set downe in the behalfe and respect of the godly Ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned into ioy It was a benefite and a ioy to Hezekiah to haue his daies prolonged and it was promised to king Iosiah for a great blessing to haue his daies cut off But the cause of this blessing and ioy was the great sorrowe that he tooke considering the great plagues that were to come vpon his people As it was answered by Hulda the Prophetesse These euils which you haue heard read vnto you shall come vpon this land because of their idolatry But to the king that sent you thus shall you say Thus saith the Lord because thy heart did melt when thou heardst what was spoken against this place and didst rent thy clothes and wéepe before me I haue heard it saith the Lord. Behold therefore I will gather Esay 57. 1. thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not sée all the euil which I wil bring vpon this place Moses wéepeth and mourneth to himselfe that he could not be partaker of his desire as to enter into that promised plentifull pleasant land that hée could not sée that goodly mountaine and Lebanon and was angry with his people who were the cause that he was bereaued of his ioy but in that he was taken vp into paradise and placed in the heauens were not all sorrows think you fully and most aboundantly requited with ioy The world
the blacke Moore which was in the kings house heard that they had put Ieremiah in the dungeon And he went vnto the king and said My Lord the king these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to Ieremiah the Prophet whome they haue cast into the dungeon and he dieth for hunger in the place where he is for there is no more bread in the citie Then the king had compassion and committed the matter vnto the Eunuch to take order for Ieremiahs reliefe The widow of Zarephath in great famine hauing but a handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse when she and her sonne had spent that she looked for nothing else but present death But the Lorde did comfort her by the mouth of his Prophet Eliah saying The meale in the barrell shall not be wasted neither shall the oyle in the cruse be diminished vntill the time that the Lorde send raine vpon the earth and there be plentie And according to the words of the Prophet it fell out so vnto her When the Prophet Eliah had thought to haue giuen vp his life being in distresse the Angel of the Lord had brought him a cake and a pot of water and set the same at his head and touched him and awaked him out of his sléepe and sayd vnto him Vp and eate So hee arose and did eate and drinke and walked in the strength of that meate fortie dayes and fortie nights And if it bee lawfull to bring in forraine histories into suche wâ—â—ghtie matters I will shewe you a thing as straunge as the former which is recorded in the historie of the warres of the lowe Countries Page 79. The words of the Author are these Now when I call to mind the wonderful workes of God I cannot passe ouer but tell you how that after the murther and massacre of Narden and the whole towne on a flaming fire a yoong Lad was saued by running out of the gates of the towne into a little gardain full of rootes The father of this boy was murthered and his mother being rauished was hanged vp by the armes of the Tyrantes Spaniards and when the fire came and tooke holde of her house shée beeing tied by the armes could not get away so that shée was burnt in her owne house The yoong Lad hauing not eaten any thing for the space of thrée whole dayes togither wept bitterly both for the death of his parents as also by reason that he was hungerbit But God who neuer forsaketh his sent him reliefe For the very same night there came vnto him a wel-fauoured yoong man in white apparrell who gaue him whereon to féede and said Wéepe no more my fatherlesse childe for I will neuer leaue thée Eate and be of good cheare for they that haue murthered thy father and mother shall haue a double plague light vppon them Thy teares shall be turned into ioy and gladnesse and their laughing into teares and mourning and forthwith the yoong man vanished out of sight When my father and mother forsake mee saith the Prophet the Lord taketh me vp And there ye sée that they that haue neither father nor mother want not no not when they are in great distresse Wonderfull are Gods woorkes and infinite are his mercies and his wayes past finding out Oh what is man fraile man wretched and miserable man that God should thus regard him may we well say with the Prophet And shall that God that prepared for man ere euer he was now forsake man when hée is if hée be not most vnkindly and too vnkindly forsaken of man It cannot be it can nâ—â—â—r be And therefore in all distresses let vs cast our eyes vpon him and thinke of such examples of his loue and rare prouideÌ„ce as these are which I haue recited vnto you and be sure that he knowing what we haue néed of will neuer forsake vs. All this it pleaseth God to worke in our behalfe God worketh for his owne glorie to the intent that he should be praised and honoured of vs. O Lord our God saith the Prophet howe excellent is thy name in all the world And againe Psal 146. 7. 9. Blessed is the Lord which giueth bread to the hungrie that relieueth the straungers the fatherlesse and the widow When Iacob met his brother Esau in token of good will he gaue him a rich present and therwithall acknowledged Gods bountifulnesse toward him in these words God hath had mercy on me and therfore I haue all things When Daniel was relieued by gods prouidence he gaue thanks and said O God thou hast thought vpon me and thou neuer failest them that seek thee and loue thee When our Sauiour Christ fed the people euen a great multitude with 5. loues 2. fishes he looked vp to heauen and gaue thankes We are earnest to craue good thinges of God but slowe to giue thankes To giue thankes for that which is receiued is a way to helpe vs to more in time to come to be thankfull for the old brings with it a new benefit and a new good turn But bicause by nature we are very backward in this dutie therfore God putteth his people in mind thereof by his prophet Moses When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe saith he thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God lest when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein and thy beastes and thy sheepe are increased and thy siluer and gold is multiplied and all that thou hast is increased then thy heart be lifted vp and thou forget the Lord thy God who fed thee in the wildernesse with Manna froÌ„ heauen who brought forth water for thee out of the rocke of flint And again Bewaâ—â— as though he could not speake it too often to such as were dull of hearing as Christ had his disciples Watch twice or thrice and yet found them sléeping Beware least thou say in thine heart My power and the strength of mine owne hand hath procured me this abundance But remember the Lord thy God for it is he and he onely which giueth thée power to get substance and onely in his blessing is all abundance Let not this be our first care if our store be increased to pull downe our barnes and make them larger but rather let vs lift vp our eyes to heauen in consideration that God hath so blessed vs and let vs pray that god will vouchsafe to giue vs the vse of his blessings to his glory and our comfort For to euery one to whom god hath giuen riches and giueth him power to eate thereof and to take his part and to enioy his labour this is the gift of god Otherwise a man may sée much good and peraduenture reioyce and boast of it but he shall neuer come to enioy it And then what profit and comfort is it to him that
matter by their owne wits as if they had fought with their owne shaddowes they were confirmed in their vntruthes but if they had but opened the booke of God they should full well haue perceiued howe man himselfe is subiect to Gods prouidence O Lord saith the Prophet Ieremiah Chap. 10. 23. I knowe that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to direct his steps That which men conceiue in their mindes God doth priuily and after an vnscarchable sort direct as standeth best to his lyking As wée reade in the Prouerbes of Salomon Chapter 20. 24. The steppes of a man are ruled by the Lord howe then can a man vnderstand his owne way What part in man more secret vnto him then his heart Or if there bee any thing in his owne power and will is it not the heart Yet God aboue which made and fashioned all hearts and is the onely searcher of the heart and knoweth the meaning thereof he is also the ruler of the heart As fierce as a lyon so is the kings heart and he thinketh with himselfe who can either controll him or commaund him King Nabuchodonosor his proud heart God did abase And king Salomon hath vttered it that the kings heart is in the hand of the Lorde as the riuers of waters hee turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him When Quéen Hestor came in the presence of her Lord and King Ahashnerosh he was very terrible and he lift vp his face that shone with maiestie and looked fiercely vpon her therefore the Quéene fell downe and was pale and faint Neuerthelesse God turned the kings heart and mind that he became gentle being carefull leaped out of his throne and tooke her in his armes til she came to her selfe againe and comforted her with louing words The same God that turned this kings heart to gentlenes hardned king Pharaohs heart who was cruell vnto his dying day King Saul when he was newly made king most of the people despised him saue a fewe onely whose hearts the Lord had touched to go after him Psal 105. 25. He turned the hearts of the enemies of his people to hate them which God vseth as a meane for their deliuerance Which thing the godly well knowing that God hath mens hearts in his hand pray vnto the Lord that he would giue them fauour in the sight of them which had led them away captiue Ioshua 11. 19. 20. There was no cittie that made peace with the children of Israel saue those Himites that inhabited Gibeon all other they tooke by battell For it come of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battell to the intent that they should destroy them vtterly and shewe them no mercy Which thing the harlot Rahab confessed vnto the spies praying mercy for her and for her friends I know saith he that the Lord hath giuen you the land and that the feare of you is fallen vpon vs and that all the inhabitants of the lande fainte because of you For as a good courage is the Lords gift as we sée in the example of Ioshua whome God willed to be strong and of a good courage so for a punishment of them that feare not God he promiseth to giue them a trembling heart and a sorrowfull minde Leuit. 26. 36. If ye walke stubburnly against me I will giue you ouer into your enemies hands and I will send a faintnesse into your hearts in the land of your enemies and the sound of a leafe shaken shall chase you and ye shall flie as flying from a sword and shall fall no man pursuing you Againe when they walke obediently see how the Lord turneth the hearts of others to do them good The example of king Pharaoh is notable I speake not of that king that did oppresse the Israelites but of that king that did relieue them For when the tidings of the méeting of Ioseph and his brethren came to Pharaohs eare the text saith it pleased Pharaoh well and his seruants Where we sée the power of God toward his as to giue them fauoure in the hearts eares and eyes of any mortall man whatsoeuer whose ministery it shall please him to vse to their reliefe comfort and countenance He ruleth poore and rich meane and mightie to his childrens comfort when he will The Prophet Dauid that Gods fauour may be towardes him prayeth that God will create in him a new heart and for a stony and rebellious prayeth that hee would giue him a tender and a repenting heart As God ruleth the heart so he ordereth the affections that come from the heart Esau had a wrathfull minde and his purpose was to slaie his brother but when his brother and hée met beholde howe all was turned imbracing and kissing and teares and tender loue Who wrought this louing affection in Esau and chaunged his hatred into good will Onely the Lord euen the mightie and mercifull Lorde he hath wiped murther and wrath out of his mouth and heart out of his minde and purpose and out of his might and power When the Midianites and the Amalekites came against Gedeon they were neighbours and friends but before they departed euery one slew an other For God had so determined In consideration whereof who woulde not tremble at Gods iudgements to thinke howe God worketh in the hearts of the wicked bringing that to passe that he will and yet for all that plaguing and destroying the wicked according to their deserts Affections passions and dispositions are ruled by God If he list hee causeth friendship and loue if he please he setteth dislike and hatred and euer well in respect of hun It is the iustice of God that they who haue ioyned in lyking one of an others counsell and déed further then God allowed should as farre iarre as euer they were friends Surely such ende will vngodly friendship haue Daily we sée it that they that haue bene best accounted become most hated So able is God to set such at variance amongst themselues and to continue their iarre to his good pleasure Pilate and Herode of a long time had bene enemies but about Christ his death they became friendes What was it else but Gods dooing to hasten that which hée had determined to bring to passe for the redemption of mankinde The ordering of mens affections preuaileth so farre to the good of the godly that as it is in the Prouerbes chapter 16. 7. When the waies of a man please the Lord he will make his very enemies at peace with him Further it is to be considered that god not onely ruleth the heart and the affections of the heart but euen the tongue also Prouerbes 16. 1. The preparations of the heart are in man but the answere of the toong is of the Lorde The Prophet Dauid speaking of the mischéeuous intents of the wicked and howe they are reuealed saith the Psalme 64. 8. 9. Their owne tongue shall make them fal insomuch that who so
may take a little And Andrew an other of his disciples sayd There is a Lad which hath fiue barly loaues and two fishes But what are they among so many And Iesus said Make the people sit downe and he gaue thanks brake The men yâ— sat down wer in nomber about fiue thousand and they had all inough left And they filled twelue baskets with the broken meat that remained Let no man distrust Gods prouidence God hath inough in store for vs all Let vs descend from the best and looke into the minds of that common sort As in this example which followeth which I haue vsed before but to an other purposc How farre did the Israelites go astraie who had manifest proofe of Gods prouidence euen from heauen and diuerse waies else and that in straunge and miraculous sort They begin to grudge and to distrust as it were against their owne conscience Hée brought water say they out of the stonie rocke so that it gushed out like the riuers yet for all this they sinned against him and prouoked the most highest in the wildernesse they tempted god in their harts required meat for their lust they spake against god also saying Shal god prepare a table in the wildernesse He smote the stony rocke indéed but can he giue bread also or prouide flesh for his people When the Lord heard this he was wroth I will adde one example more concerning the prouidence of god in the gouernment of the affaires of men The example is not so wonderfull as the hearts of men are fearfull and their mindes distrustfull God had promised to giue vnto his people the lande of Canaanites to possesse and to inherite but before they had ouercome it god willed Moses that one of euery Tribe should goe to espie and search the land These spies they knew for a certaintie that by gods promise they should possesse the lande and yet when they came backe there was nothing but distrustful spéeches in their mouthes The land say they floweth with milke and hony and is plentiful of all gods goonesse neuerthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the land and the citties are walled and excéeding great and moreouer we sawe the sonnes of Anake there And we be not able to go vp against the people for they are stronger then we It is a land that eateth vp the inhabitaunts thereof for the giants that dwelt there were so cruel that they spoyled killed one another and those also yâ— came to them all the people yâ— we saw in it are men of great stature for there we sawe giants the sons of Anake which come of the giants so that we séemed in our sight like grashoppers and so we were in their sight They did not thus only bring vp an euil report and distrust themselues but also made all the peoples hearts to saint so that they cried and wept and wished they were dead and sayd Wherefore now hath the Lord brought vs into this land to fall vpon the sword Our wiues our children shall be a pray And they said one to an other let vs make a captaine and returne into Egipt All these examples are to prooue not onely howe wée are giuen to distrust but also that it is a great offence against GOD and that they that haue bene faultie herein haue smarted for it To teach vs to hope although we sée no present helpe and not in any sort to distrust God in whome is all power and who bringeth to passe what euer hee will both in heauen and earth God gaue Moses leaue to sée the plentifull land of Canaan that goodly mountaine and Lebanon but he suffered him not to enter into it although he praied God I pray thée let me go ouer and sée the good that is beyond Iordan But the Lord saith he was angry with me for your sakes would not heare me And the Lorde said vnto me Let it suffice thee and be content speake no more vnto me of this matter Get thee vp into the top of the mount Pâ—sgah And assoon as he had viewed that pleasant land God caused him to die there What was the cause no other but this the people murmured and Moses distrusted The people of Israel had bread inough nay they had hony out of the stone and oyle out of the hard rock yet they thought yâ— God was not able to giue them flesh But they had triall thereof to their cost For God caused that they had flesh as thick as dust and feathered foules like as the sand of the sea and that in such plentie that they were al aweary of it But now commeth soure sauce to their swéete meate When the Lord heard their grudging and distrust he was wrath So the fire was kindled in Iacob and there came vp heauy displeasure against Israel because they beléeued not in God and put not their trust in his helpe While they were chewing yâ— meat the wrath of the Lord was kindeled and the people were consumed with an excéeding great plague and the chosen men and the chiefest of account in all Israel were smitten downe And yet for all this they sinned still and beléeued not Gods wondrous workes Therefore their dayes did he consume in vanitie and their yeares in trouble and soone and hastily they perished as though they had not bene Last of all let vs sée the heauy iudgements of God vpon the difcomfortable spies and vppon the distrustfull people The spies that brought vp that vile slaunder died by a plague before the Lord and the people whose harts fell away from God through their ill report God pronounced that for their disobedience they should wander in the wildernesse fortie yeares Certainly saith the Lorde I wil do so to all this wicked faint-harted and vnbeléeuing company For in this wildernesse they shal be consumed all of them from twenty yeare old and aboue that haue murmured and there they shall die and leaue their carkasses Furthermore saith the Lord Your children which you said should be a praie them will I bring in and they shall know the land the land which you through your distrustfull hearts haue refused Wherefore content your mindes and set your hearts at rest there is none of you all shall enter into the land or see it saue onely Ioshua the sonne of Nun and Caleb the sonne of Iephnueh which spake comfortable words and who in their hearts and mindes were fully assured of Gods helpe and doubted not but that God would performe his promise and encouraged and cheared vp the peoples mindes saying Let vs go vp at once and poslesse the land for vndoubtedly wee shall ouercome it As if he had said God is the same god that euer he was and his power is not weakened Feare not the people of the lande for they are but bread for vs and we shall easily ouercome them Their shield is departed from them there is no strength in them and the Lord is with vs
God for if righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Rom. 10. 4. For Christ is the end of the lawe for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beléeueth And chapter 11. 5. 6. Euen so then at this present time is there a remnant through the election of grace And if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Ephe. 2. 4. 5. 8. 9. 10. But God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs togither in Christ by whose grace ye are saued For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of god Not of woorkes least any man should boast himselfe But that we should be carefull to shewe foorth good workes therefore hée speaketh in the next verse Verse 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them 1. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was 1. Pet. 2. 12. And haue your conuersation honest among the gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifle god in the day of the visitation Perseuerance in faith is requisite vnto saluation Mat. 10. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name But hee that endureth to to the ende shall be saued Mat. 24. 45. Blessed is that seruant whom his maister shall finde so doing Now we need not feare lest this doctrine make vs negligent or dissolute For this peace of conscience whereof we speake ought to be distinct and seperate from foolish securitie and he that is the sonne of God seeing he is moued and gouerned by the spirit of God wil neuer through the consideration of Gods benefit take occasion of negligence and dissolution Rom. 5. 1. 2. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace toward god through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherin we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of god Rom. 8. 12. 13. 14. 15. Therfore brethren we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the déeds of the body by the spirit ye shall liue For as many as are ledde by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Ephe. 1 4. Aâ— he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue 2. Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not giuen to vs the spirit of feare but of power and of loue and of a sound mind 1. Iohn 3. 20. 21. 24. If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Beloued if our heart condemne vs not then haue wée boldnesse towards God For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby wée know that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which hée hath giuen vs. This matter of Predestination is obscure aboue all others vnto the wit of man but opened and reuealed vnto vs by the word of God The Scripture therfore witnesseth that they that are predestinate vnto saluation are first called and that so effectually that they heare and beleeue and fructifie then also are they iustified and sanctified and in the life to come glorified Iohn 6. 44 45. No man can come vnto me except the father which hath sent me drawe him by the force of gods word and by the secret working of his spirit And I will raise him vp at the last day As it is written in the Prophets And they shall be taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me Acts. 2. 47. And the Lord added to the Church by the Apostles preaching from day to day such as should be saued Iohn 10. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. â—ée beléeue not for ye are not of my shéepe as I said vnto you My shéepe heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall ueuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand My father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand Acts. 13. 48. And when the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained vnto eternall life beléeued And chap. 16. 14. And a certaine woman named Lidia a celler of purple of the city of the Thyatirians which worshipped God heard vs whose heart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things that Paul spake Hebr. 3. 7. 8. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye shall heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation according to the day of temptation in the wildernesse And. chapt 42. For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Consider by litle and litle and try diligenly if thou be iustified and sanctified in Christ through faith For these two be the effects or ftuites whereby the faith is knowne which is their cause 2. Cor. 13. 5. Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues except ye be reprobates Rom. 8. 30. Moreouer whom he predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified As for this thou shalt partly knowe by the spirit of Adopion which crieth within thee Abba father Gal. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. That hée might redéeme them which were vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes And because ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts which crieth Abba father Wherefore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne Nowe if thou be a sonne thou art also the heire of GOD through Christ Rom. 8. 15. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father And partly by the vertue and effect of the same spirit which is wrought in thee Rom. 16. 17. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of god and heires annexed with Christ 1. Iohn 3. 24. For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he
from the secrete and malicious conspiracies treasons and trecheries of vnnaturall subiects and from the sauage cruelties of forraine foes doo giue sufficient cause not only to vs but euen to the enemie also to say That there is no God that can deliuer after this sorte but onely the Almightie that hath established her All these benefites O Lorde wée confesse doo procéede from thy goodnesse and from thy mercy toward vs. To thée belongeth praise and honour and power but to vs shame and confusion Yet grant vnto vs good Lord that we may both receiue these thy benifits thankfully and that we may performe our duties accordingly Increase her daies continue her gouernment defend her from her enemies keepe her in thy feare and after this life grant her all happinesse euen to rule and raigne with thée for euer among the blessed soules Grant also to vs that we may haue the benifit of thy truth and Gospell long among vs and that thy blessings of peace and prosperitie may be séene in this land So shall we be bound more and more to praise and magnifie thy name for thy great and infinit goodnesse towards vs For her Maiesrie and for vs thy seruants and her faithful subiects thus we conclude our praiers O Lord blesse and kéep vs O Lord make thy face to shine vpon vs and be mercifull vnto vs O Lord lift thou vp thy countenance vpon vs and giue vs thy peace All which benifits and blessings we begge of thée O heauenly Father for Iesus Christ his sake in that forme of prater which he himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father c. A secret Meditation to God before the deliuery of the word LEt the words of my mouth O Lord and the meditation of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight Set thou a watch before my mouth and so kéepe the doore of my lippes that speaking before this congregation assembled here in thy holy name I may specially intreat of those things which tend to thy glory the good of thy Church the discharge of my dutie the comfort of the afflicted conscience the euerthrow of sinne and the aduauncement of vertue through Iesus Christ our Lord. So be it I. D. A publque forme of Praier O Most mightie God most gracious and mercifull father we stand before thy maiestie defiled with the filthinesse of many and most gréeuous sinnes whereof we confesse we are not able to answere thée one of a thousand if thou O Lord shouldst enter into iudgement with vs. For in sinne were we conceaued and borne and therefore are guiltie of originall corruption and in sinne haue we liued and continued and therefore stand guiltie of actuall transgression which hath broken foorth vppon vs in thought word and déede from time to time continually euen vnto this present Wherefore we humbly craue thy mercy and the grace of forgiuenesse in Iesus Christ for therein we confesse standeth the only hope of our comfort and welfare And forasmuch as it hath pleased thée to giue thine owne sonne to be a flaine sacrifice for our sinnes and to offer the grace of reconciliation by the preaching of the Gospell to all them that repent and beléeue the same good Lord we beséech thée vouchsafe to make vs of that blessed number worke true repentance in our hearts increase our faith and giue vs grare to bring foorth the frutes thereof that so it may appeare that we haue not receiued thy holy grace in vaine And for this purpose good Lord we beséech thee blesse the Ministery of thy word at this present gius me grace to speak it as it ought to be spoken sincerely and boldly giue grace to this people to he are it attentiuely and reuerently giue grace to vs all to beléeue it stedfastly to follow it obediently and constantly to continue euen to the end That seruing thée faithfully in this life we may liue and raigne with thée for euer in the life to come through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Praier which M. Deering vsed before his Lectures O Lord God which hast left vnto vs thy holy word to be a lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our steppes giue vnto vs all thy holy spirite that out of the same word we may learne what is thy eternall will and frame our liues in all obedience to the same to thy honour and glorie and increase of our faith through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen An excellent speech of M. Deering a little before his death whereby thou maist clearly see and learne that there is a sweete peace in death to all such as painfully serue the Lord in life For he being raised vp in bedde and his friend requesting him to speake the Sunne shone on his face and thereby tooke occasion thus to say THere is but one Sunne that giueth light to the world there is but one righteousnesse there is but one communion of Saints If I were the excellentest creature in the world If I were as righteous as Abraham Isaac and Saâ—ob for they were excellent men in the world yet we must all confesse that we are great sinners and that there â—â—â—o saluation but in the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ And we haue all néed of the grace of God And for my part as concerning death I féele such ioy of spirit that if I should haue the sentence of life on the one side and the sentence of death on the other side I had rather choose a thousand times séeing God hath appointed the seperation the sentence of death then the sentence of life Soli Deo laus gloria gratia IN euery Sermon for the most part these points are to be vsed The declaration of the order of the text by opening the circumstances The diuision The doctrine The confutation The vse and application Exhortation or reprehension or both The Conclusion wherin the chéefest matters must be remembred and briefly collected that the auditorie may the better kéepe and carry away those things which are necessary and for their vse All which although I haue not vsed I haue left the matter to the discretion of them that shall haue knowledge better to handle their matters then I haue handled mine Let thy text be applied to thy auditorie and haue care to vtter those thinges that are most waightie to be touched and of thy auditorie to be remembred Be circumspect wise and discréete Endeuour to be briefe and pithie There is an other Methode as profitable which Maister Vdall vseth in his Commentary vpon the Lamentations of Ieremy Consisting on these thrée points the Doctrine Reason Vse Some only learne for knowledge sake but that is curiositie And some for praise great paines do take but that is foolish vanitie Some learne for gaine but lightly those do leaue the text and vse the gloze But learning ioynd with vertues lore doth leade to Christianitie The glory of God and people taught the way is to eternitie To the Right Worshipfull and one
the day y◠we looked for we haue found and séene it Yea they counted so basely of the Israelites that they would not vouchsafe to touch them saying Depart ye polluted depart depart touch not All our enemies saith the prophet haue opened their mouth against vs. Lam. cap. 1. 2. 3. 61. Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me The lippes also of those y◠rose against me and their whispering against me continually Behold their sitting downe and their rising vp howe I am their song Thus doth the world sollace themselues and reioyce at the sorrowes of the godly And if they see any crosse or punishment Rash in their iudgementi against the godly laid vpon them straightway they are readie to iudge the worst as the Barbarians when they sawe a viper hung on Paules hand surely say they this man is a murderer As the prophet Esay 53. reporteth of our Sauiour Christ He is despised reiected of mē we hid our faces frō him he was dispised we esteemed him not yea we iudged him as plagued smitten of God humbled The children of fooles and vilaines saith Iobe cap. 30. 8. and such as were more vile then the earth haue made me their song and I am their talke They abhorre me flie far from me and spare not to spit in my face because that God hath loosed my cord humbled me they haue loosed the bridle before me and in my misery they are impudent licentious The punishments and sorrows of the godly are the arguments reasons which caruall and worldly men through the sight of afflictions do make against the children of God especially against those whom couertly they hate Séeking thereby to quench the rage of their furious mindes vnder the colour cloake of the iustice of God Like haukes they pry behold and like lions they teare in pieces And if it be but the least fault that they can finde they amplifie it seuerely and tragically and paint it out to the vtmost As if they had said with our tongues we Biting in their tannts and scoffing in their behauiour will preuaile and who is Lord ouer vs Their lying lips are giuen cruelly disdainfully and despitefully to speake against the righteous whē they sée them they laugh them to scorne they shoote out their lippes and shake their heads In mine aduersitie saith the prophet they reioyced and gathered themselues togither yea the very abiects came togither against me vnawares making mowes at me and ceased not With the flatterers were busie mockers which gnashed vpō me with their téeth reioycing greatly at my trouble saying Aha Aha there there so wold we haue it My enemies liue are mightie they y◠hate me wrongfully are many in number they also the reward euil for good are against me because I follow the thing that good is I wept and chastened my selfe with fasting and that was turned to my reproofe I put on sackcloth they iested vpon me They y◠sit Ezekil 25. 3. 7. 26. 2. Ioy to see them oppressed and murdered in the gate and are rulers they speake against me poore and rich despise me and make a sport of my trouble Not only in iesting scoffing at the godly do they reioyce but also to sée them oppressed yea they delight in the ouerthrow and murthering of Gods saints Herod and Pilot are made friends in persecuting Christ And K. Antiochus 2. Mac. 7. maketh the blood of the Martyrs his spectacle Herod he killeth Iames the brother of Iohn with y◠sword when he saw y◠it pleased the Iewes he procéeded further Act. 12. 2. Many other examples might be alledged but y◠I haue bin tedious And this may suffice to haue shewed how wherin the world reioiceth It may séeme some what impertinent to intreat in this The ioyes of of the Godly place of the ioy of the godly but only that by contrarieties matters are made more plain euident Among the ioyes of the godly this is one of the chiefest to haue the ioy quietnes of conscience vnto the which they haue a speciall regard The Apostle S. Paule being brought to his tryall and examination A good conscience first of all alledgeth this for himself Acts. 23. 1. Men and brethren I haue in al good conscience serued God vntill this day Writing to the Corinthians 2. Epist cap. 1. 12. Our reioycing is this saith he the testmony of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world The Prophet Samuel 1. Samu. 12. 3. taking his leaue of the people had nothing wherin he might so greatly reioyce before them as in the testimony of a good conscience I haue walked before you saith he from my childhood vnto this day Behold here I am beare record of me before the Lord and before his annointed whose oxe haue I taken or whose asse haue I taken or whom haue I done wrong to or whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eies therewith and I will restore it you Then they said thou hast done vs no wrong nor hast hurt vs neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand And he said vnto them The Lord is witnesse against you and his annointed is witnesse this day that yee haue founde nought in my hands And they answered he is witnesse Sée how he doubles it and almost trebles it and makes it all his song and the crowne of his reioicing Whose example the Apostle S. Paul following at his departure from the Ephesians excellently set downe Act. 20. 17. amongest the rest hath these words And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build further and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified I haue coueted no mans siluer nor golde nor apparrell yea you knowe that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities I haue shewed you all things and haue kept backe nothing but haue shewed you all the counsell of God Wherefore I take you to reccord this day that I am pure from the blood of all men And not only the soule of man which is the chiefest part within him reioyceth at the testimonie of a good conscience but also this ioy is séene in his countenance and in his louely behauiour which is meant by that saying set downe Prou. 15. 13. A ioyfull heart maketh a cheerfull countenance This is it whereby we are holy temples vnto the Lord and whereby we sanctifie the Lord as the Apostle S. Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 3. 15. Who also in the same chapter setteth downe two notable effects of a good conscience which cannot but bring great ioy to the godly The one is that when we be euill spoken of without desert then is the testimony of our conscience the chiefest comfort
as the worlde giueth giue I vnto you Therfore let not your heart be troubled nor feare The worlde can giue but outward comforts if it shewe neuer so much fauour but as for the inward comfort of the minde and conscience it cannot reach thereinto it is past the power thereof and must let that alone to the working of an other And if it were not for the heauenly comfort the heart of the godly would soone fall away And vnlesse our Sauior Christ had perceiued such weaknesse and such doubtfulnesse in the féeble and vnconstant nature of man hee would not haue vttered these words to make their comfort stedfast and sure in him Ye haue heard saith he how I said vnto you I goe away and will come vnto you If ye loued me ye would verily teioyce because I said I goe vnto the father for my father is greater then I. As if hee had saide If ye loued mee throughly and my loue were stedfast in you your hearts would reioyce and no troubles should mooue you and no discomfortes should perswade you to the contrary This haue I spoken vnto you before it come that when it is come to passe ye might beléeue and your hearts then might abound with ioy For surely those things which I haue promised shall come to passe and therefore doubt nothing and let your hearts be confirmed and setled in ioy Ouer and besides I will send the comforter vnto you my holy spirit the comforter of the elect and chosen which shall not suffer your hearts to faile but stil shal raise them vp in comfort in their greatest griefes and sorrowes What cause therefore haue the godly séeing these great comforts as mightie proppes may staie them from falling though in the sight of the world there be great cause of sorrow but séeing they are we aned from the world and are not of the world what cause haue they I say to cast downe their hearts with sorrow and penâ—â—uenesse Wherefore let the counsell of the wise man take place with them Giue not ouer thy minde to heaninesse The ioy of the heart is the life of man and a mans gladnesse is the prolonging of his daies Griefe and sorrow shorten the time and bring age before the time Wherefore comfort thy heart and driue sorrow farre from thée For sorrow hath slaine many and there is no profit therin Sorrow did slaie the hearts of the Canaanites because God had weakened their hearts According to the confession of Rahab of whom we reade Iosh 2. when she talked with the spies I know saith she that the Lord hath giuen you the land and that the feare of you is fallen vpon vs and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you And when we heard of you our hearts did faint and there remained no more courage in any of vs all This is one of Gods great punishments toward them that do not liue in his feare and obedience that he wil giue them a trembling heart and a sorrowful mind Le. 26. 36. to throw them out of their possessions and to make them haue no ioy of their goods Which we may partly see in the example of churlish Nabal denying to giue comfort to them that were greatly distressed Who when his wife had told him what heauie things were toward him his hart died within him and he was like a stone For the Lord smote Nabal with that sorrowe that hee died Samu. 25. 38. But séeing in all wel-doing God doeth comfort our hearts why should we be enemies to our selues and to our owne welfare With the Apostles imprisoned let vs sing Psalmes to testifie the ioy of our hart to Godward Speaking vnto our selues in Psalmes and himnes and spirituall songes singing and making melodie to the Lord in our hearts And séeing all our hope is or ought to bee in God who is our only treasure why should not our hearts be there also Saying with the blessed virgine My soule doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour Who although he be absent from vs yet hath he promised to come againe and to sée vs and to comfort our hearts and to make them reioyce So that when your redemption shall drawe nigh then lift vp your heads and when your ioy shall approach let your hearts also be lifted vp with excellent comfort Considering what hath béene fortold long agone by the Prophet Esay 65. 13. 14. Concerning the sorrow of the wicked and the ioy of the Godly Thus saith the Lord God Behold my seruants shall eate and yee shal be hungry Behold my seruants shall drinke and yee shal be thirsâ—ie Behold my seruants shall reioyce and yee shal be ashamed Behold my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and yee shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall houle for vexation of mind Foure times Behold for the certaintie thereof and in token of admiration as also to establish the hearts of the godly with ioy As for all worldly ioy which doth not agrée with God and godlinesse let vs vtterly abandon it and banish it farre from vs neither let our hearts in any sort delight therein Because they be meanes to drawe vs from God All these will I giue thée if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Wherefore if thou mightst be set vpon the highest mountaine there to beholde the ioy of earthly maiestie if thou mightst be possessed and inthroned in the glory thereof yet farre is it that thy heart should be setled in any certain comfort Take hold of that comfort and ioy which Christ thy sauiour and redéemer hath promised which though thou canst not sée as yet in due time thou shalt be partaker therof Let thy heart therefore rest vpon this and despise the other for the one shall vanish the other shall neuer decaâ—e Which is very well confirmed by the last place of proofe in the application Your ioy shall no man take from you I will see you againe your harts shall reioyce and your Your ioy shall no man take away from you ioy shall no man take from you Which toy is so much the more estéemed because it is no common ioy no worldly ioy where sorrow and trouble may follow as a chaunge For worldly ioyes are often taken away and haue diuers ellipses alterations and chaunges Soone come and soone gone soone ripe and soone rotten Moses could not sée that goodly mountaine and Lebanon which if he had séene the sorrow and trouble of the back-sliding people would haue danted his ioy Besides his longing would soone haue bene satisfied and there is a kinde of glut in worldly ioyes But although he could not sée that goodly mountaine of Lebanon yet he was brought into the highest mountaine farre more goodly beautifull and pleasant then all the mountaines of the world being full of oliue braunches for Noahs doues Where such ioyes are setled and are hereafter to be séene which suffer no chaunge no alteration no
and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice maruell not For so it is like to come to passe So that there are feares and cares inough and matters to make them guiltie and their soules heauie that haue set their hearts vppon honour howsoeuer at the first it haue a glorious shew in the sight of the world but as for delight to speake and say it truly there is none When the wise King had shewed me thus much what Pleasure flawes crackes and rents there were in the chéefest delights of worldly men it was a matter too easie to iudge of the rest and of the meaner sort Which could terme no otherwise but méere foolishnesse and madnesse toyes and trifle The viole and harpe and musicall instruments how do they delight the hart What a ioy is it to spend our time in minstrelcie and dancing But what if musicke haue his mourning and that such foolish mirth doo ende in heauinesse What is beautie but the prouoking of lust and the forgetfulnes of God which maketh vs with an impudent face to say when we are called to God from this and all other earthly vanities I am maried to bewtie haue set my hart on vanity therfore he saith not haue me excused but in plaine tearmes I cannot come And when we thinke of braue apparell and delicate fare as though that were a thing to be desired let vs remember the rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euerie day who though hée flaunted on the earth and made the worlde his chiefest heauen yet afterward fried in torments and found the dolefull hell to he his dwelling place for euer Now what purpose is it for vs to desire to liue long Long life when there are no true delights but shewes and shadowes thereof When all things in our life are vaine what pleasure is it to liue séeing that as it is most certaine the longer we liue the more sinfull wée are This life of ours must haue an ende and peraduenture a fearefull or an vngodly end which if we could but remember and thinke vpon it would abate and pull backe our reioycing hearts although all our delight were to liue How much better were it to prepare our selues against the day of death Séeing that a short life is sometime a great blessing of God when as the course of sinne shall be cut off in vs And againe when we are taken away from wofull times to come and from those miseries which fall vppon the world VVisedome 4. Enoch was taken away least wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding For wickednesse deceiueth and bewitcheth the minde and the vnstedfastnesse of concupiscence doth soone peruert the simple heart And because the soule of this holy man pleased God therefore hasted he to take him away from wickednesse Yet the people see vnderstand it and consider no such things in their hearts how the grace and mercy is vpon his Saints and his prouidence ouer the elect The wicked and vngodly although they liue long in great prosperitie and sée not the graue in many yeares yet is their estate accursed and they liue long to their greater vengeance and condemnation vntill the measure of their sinne be filled vp to the brim and that the iudgement of GOD wayt for them at the doore Séeing then that these delights which worldly minded men make so great account of come to nothing and are in themselues but méere vanities and as it were shaddowes without a bodie and therfore may fitly be compared to Sâ—dome Apples which in outward sight and shewe are very faire and beautifull but when we come neare to touch them they fall to ashes Let vs returne to the true delight and only paradice of the soule I mean the word of God in VVord which paradice is the trée of the knowledge of good euil the trée also of life and immortalitie wherein are perfections to be found and such as may well content the heauenly Angels and blessed soules Which is the onely instruction of wisedome the guide of our life the light in darknesse which sheweth vs a way to enter into paradice although Cherubins and the blade of a sword shaken be set to kéepe the way of the trée of life I meane it sheweth vs the way into the highest heauens although there be many lets and hinderances to kéepe vs backe And the way that it onely Feare chaulketh out vnto vs is this The feare of the Lord and the especiall regard of his wil and commandements which hath the promises and blessings of this life and of that also which is to come By which direction of the feare of God we reade that the famous Patriarch Abraham was safe from the iniuries of straungers Lot deliuered from the deuouring fire that came downe from heauen and from those dreadfull iudgements Noah escaped the drowning flood and perished not with the vngodly Iob that worthie mirrour of all succéeding ages preserued from the rage wicked intent of the diuel Iacob set frée from the murthering hand of his brother Esau Ioseph from misery exalted to honour Enoch taken from the wicked world and translated into heauen By which examples and testimonies drawne out of the word of God we sée the high and great commendations of the feare of God and that there is no worldly delight to be compared vnto it In a word the chiefest commodities and blessings that the heart of a naturall man can desire and the greatest glory that he can wish to rise vnto all are included and comprehended within the feare of God Vnto the which that I may as I would exhort you let vs call to our remembrance the words that God spake vnto his people by his seruant Moses saying O that there were such a heart in them to seare mee and to keepe all my commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and with their children for euer O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this then would they know that the feare of God doth make a blessed life and a happie end That we may perceiue that the fear of God doth teach vs to be vpright and iust and to eschue euill as it did Iob that so God may grant our requests as he heard and granted the praiers of Cornelius that it may come to vs as it did vnto Iudeth that none be able to bring an euill report of vs because we feare God Finally that it may be said of vs as it was of King Dauid that hée was a man after Gods owne hart because that with all the power that was in him he did performe those things which God woulde haue him and that we may be minded as he was I had rather be a doore keeper saith he in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the Pallaces of Princes And so as people indued with wisedome and with an heauenly spirit let vs passe by these delights of the world which
to like of pleasure and opens the doore to one vanitie which he loues straight as many vanities flocke to him as Salomon had Concubines till the Temple of God be like a den of théeues Therefore when Salomon beheld such a pluralitie and Totquot of Vanities like surges comming one vpon another in pleats and folds he spake as though he would shew Vanitie hatching vanities Vanitie of vanities All is Vanitie The first saying doth passe without let but the last rubbes and sincks not into the hearts of men so easily as it is spoken Me thinks I heare some dispute for Baâll and bid Salomon stay before he come to All is Vanitie It may be that sinne is Vanitie and pleasure is Vanitie but shall we condemne all for sin and pleasure What say you to Beautie which is natures dowrie and cheareth the eye as swéet meate doth the tast Beautie is like a faire Picture take away the cullour and there is nothing left Beautie indéed is but a cullour and a temptation the cullâ—ur fadeth and the temptation snareth But what say you to Riches which make men Lords ouer the rest and allow them to go braue and lie soft and fare daintily and haue what they list Riches are like painted grapes which looke as though they would satisfie a man but do not slake hunger nor quench his thirst Riches indéed do make a man couet more and get enuie and kéepe the minde in care But what say you to Honour which sets a man aloft and makes the knée how and the tongue sooth and the head stand bare as though they were other kind of creatures aboue men Honour is like a King in a play when his part is done his ornaments are taken from him and he which held the bason to him is as good as he Honor indéed may command all but life he makes a faire shewe now but when death comes all is one But what say you to prosound Knowledge in déepe misteries which makes men sought vnto and called déepe Clarkes and great Doctors Knowledge is like the Letters which Vriah carried against himselfe so Knowledge draweth a greater iudgement and oftentimes condemnes the bearer Knowledge without Vertue leaues a man without excuse and is a witnesse against him because he vnderstands what is good and will not do it Yet there is another darling of account behinde what say you to long life which causeth a man to sée his childrens children and makes him reuerent vnto the people Long life is like a long night when a man cannot sléepe so Age is wearisome with sicknesse and striues with it selfe because it cannot walke nor talke nor heare nor sée nor sléepe nor taste as it was wont therfore wisheth often that night were gone that the pain were past Indéed he that sées many dayes sees many miseries and therefore what is not vaine in life sith life it selfe is vaine Shew me the light which will not darken shew me the floure which will not fade shew me the frute which will not corrupt shewe me the garment which will not weare shew me the beautie which will not wither shewe me the strength which will not weaken shew me the time which will not passe and I will reclaime that all is Vanitie yet this will not go for truth before men haue smarted for the triall Some are so vaine that they count nothing Vanitie but that which is vainer than the rest delights them most for there is as it were a common-weale of vain persons and he that can be vainest is like a King of the rest Some are of this mind that they thinke all is vaine but that which they loue and therfore they call them vaine and curious and phantasticall which speake against their vanities and say that it is necessary to be vaine for they cannot liue vnlesse they deceiue they cannot please vnlesse they flatter they cannot be beléeued vnlesse they sweare they cannot be estéemed vnlesse they royst as Demetrius thought hée should begge vnlesse hée should sell Images There is another sort lyke the buyer in Prouer. 20. which saith It is naught it is naught but when he is gone apart he boasteth It is naught before men and sweare that all is vanitie but when they are gone apart they reconcile themselues vnto it and kisse it and promise to be vaine still but they cannot abide to bee counted vaine the vainest man that is This shewes that the folly of the worlde is so open and shamefull that her louers must néedes condemne her You shall heare them say oftentimes It is a vaine worlde a wicked worlde a naughtie world yet they will not forsake it to dye lyke dastarde souldiers who raile against the enemy but dare not fight against him All is Vanitie but this is Vanitie of vanities that men will follow that which they condemne But this is that euery sinner might condemne himselfe for the conscience must iudge first and then God as our Sauiour saith Out of thy owne mouth and so out of thine owne heart I will condemne thee naughtie seruant shewing that the wicked condemne themselues before they are condemned of GOD. These are thewords of fooles which cares not what is their end so that their way be pleasant Oh that here were a full end or conclusion of Vanities but behold a greater vanitie is behind for our religion is Vanitie lyke the Scribes and Pharisies as Mathew saith in the 23. Chapter and 27. verse hauing a bare shew of holinesse as he saith he could call it but a shewe of holilinesse and scarce that Our Vanitie is vanitie but our holinesse is but a shewe of holinesse not worthie to bee called holinesse but lyke holinesse yet the most part haue not so much as the shew of holinesse as the Pharisics had but are vaine in shewe inside and outside too Thus wée finde nothing yet but Vanitie I cannot leade you from one vnto another to shewe you the seuerall vanities of euery person or euery thing because Salomon saith All is Vanitie How many then haue wée to condemne vs whose vanities are sprinkeled in euery thing which haue not onely so many vanities as there bee thinges but many vanities in euerie thing As in our fare howe many vanities are there whiche makes vs rise sometimes sicke sometimes sléepie sometimes drunke yet are there also more Vanities in our sportes our laughing and swearing and ieasting and scoffing and dallying and playing with the Scriptures which oftentimes leaues such a sting behind that we had rather haue lost our sport than feele the worme that gnawes vs for it And yet there be moe vanities in our apparell ruffe vpon ruffe lace vpon lace cut vpon cut 24. orders to the third and fourth degrée as though our apparell were apparelled vntil the woman be not worth so much as her attire that if we could sée Vanitie her selfe how she would goe if she did weare apparell she would goe euen almost lyke our women for she could not
come home with Salomon and may be Preachers vnto other Thus I haue shewen vnto you as it were a limme of Vanitie you may looke about you and sée the whole bodie For if shée bee any where in this lande this is her pontificall Sea where shée is neuer Nonresident Now I will leaue you to examine these sayings whether all things haue not bene in vaine vnto you yet If they haue bene vaine to you and yet are good in their owne nature then thinke how vaine you are who haue turned so many good things to vanty Yet to set you in the way before I end I will answere them which aske if All things be vanity As Salomon saith Tell vs what we should choose that we be not vaine Christ saith That one thing is necessary Is Salomon contrary to Christ No Therefore Salomon excepts one thing too To feare God and keepe his Commandements Therefore if all bee vaine but this let the tempter take thée vp againe and shew thée the kingdomes of the world when he saith All these wil I giue thée thou maist say All this I contemne for All is vaine What then Turne away my eyes saith the Prophet Dauid and my eares and my heart too from vanitie Trie and proue thou no longer for Salomon hath proued for thee it is better to beléeue him than to trie with him Therfore it remaineth that as they brought forth their vaine bookes after Paules preaching and cast them into the fire so ye should cast out all your vanities this day and sacrifice them to God for they haue bene your Idoles that neuer man may sée them after And as God gaue Iob other children so they will giue you other treasures feare not that your ioyes will goe away with your Vanities as many thinke they should neuer be merry againe if they should be conuerted to Religion But as Dauid daunced before the Arke as merrely as Herodias daunced before the King so knowe vndoubtedly that the righteous finde more ioy in goodnesse than euer the wicked founde in filthinesse nay saith Dauid more than they can finde in riches and Honours when their Wheate and Wine â—bounde As a Horse is a vaine thing to saue a man so all these thinges are too vaine to make a man happie I appeale to your selues if ye haue tried the pleasures of Vanitie alreadie as I know ye haue whether ye may readily say with Saint Paul What profit he loued her before so when the sport is past and Death lookes vs in the face we shall hate our Vanities more than we loue them now all this dooth conclude that our Sauiour saide to Martha But one thing is necessarie Which God graunt we may choose for his sonne Iesus Christ and then we haue learned this lesson FINIS Of the Word of God Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures For in them ye thinke to haue eternall life And they are they which testifie of me A Heathen King and that famous Monarch that mighty conqueror knowne and renowmed throughout all the world for his victories Alexander the great among all his martiall affaires had great desire to search for wisedome and to increase his courage by reading the writings of learned Homer Quéene Sheba hearing the praise of Salomons wisedome could neuer rest vntill shée came into his presence to heare him Which signifieth a great desire of wisedome to be ingraffed in vs by nature and that the praise thereof doth passe with admiration For he that searcheth after wisedome and knowledge desireth more then gold if it were as pure as fine and precious as that of Ophir the eye may be satisfied with the glistering shewe of the one but it can neuer be weary in searching after the other which if indéed it might be séene with bodily eyes would stir vp a wonderfull loue and admiration therof in our hearts and mindes To heare a man of wisedome and grauitie speake what thronging woulde there bee to heare what heedfulnesse and attention to vnderstand If an Angel from heauen or God himselfe might bee heard to speake what a rare and singuler matter were it Doubtlesse it should bee heard with a shout greater then that of Herod when the people cried The voyce of God and not of man Yea with a farre more resounding voyce then that of the Idolaters mentioned Acts 19. who in commendation of their Idole god Diana gaue a shout almost for the space of two houres all crying out with one voyce Great is Diana of the Ephesians But so it is that although in the first age God spake to Abraham Noah Moses and other holy men yet now it hath pleased him to take an other course and that is that we should heare him speake out of his word And therefore it was well answered vnto the rich man in the Gospell that would faine haue his brebren that were aliue to be taught and instructed concerning the way of God if not from God himselfe yet by an Angel or at leastwise by one that should come vnto them from the dead that so they might amend their liues I say it was well answered They haue Moses and the Prophets they haue the word of God let them heare them if they wil not giue care to this word it is because there is no life in them if they yéeld not vnto it they will not be perswaded though one rise from the dead againe We cannot say it is farre off what may it be Say not in thy heart saith the Aposte Who shall ascend into heauen or who shall descend into the deepe For the word of God is nearer thee euen before thy eyes Thou néedest not to wander a long iourney as Quéene Sheba did to heare King Salomons wisedome for thou hast it at home and euen within thy owne doores When Quéene Sheba departed as one sorie that she could not alwayes bee present with him to bee further taught and instructed she pronounced his seruants to be happie that were alwayes about him to heare his wisedome Blessed are they saith our Sauiour Christ that heare the word of God and keepe it and as well it may be sayd as Sheba did of Salomons seruaunts O howe happie are they that haue the Word of GOD before them and in their presence to reade and search for wisedome farre greater then that of Salomons For behold a greater then Salomon is here As in the Gospel Mary that heard Christ preach the word is greatly commended aboue her sister Martha that was troubled with worldly cares and neglected the hearing of Gods word So doth the Prophet Dauid wonderously encourage vs not onely to the hearing but also to the reading of the word of God and searching the scriptures Psal 119. Lord saith he what loue haue I vnto thy law all the day long is my study in it No maruell then if the King were commanded to haue this booke this word and the scripture of God and that he should reade therein all the dayes of his life
approch to the reading of gods word with sanctified minds and circumcised hearts When we are to come into the presence of the prince we prepare our selues with all reuerence and humilitie that our requests may be heard and our desire granted and so doth the maiestie of God lye hid in the scriptures as though God were there to speak vnto vs therefore a double reuerence is to be vsed that is the greatest reuerence that may be when we come to the reading of the scriptures The counsel of Salomon Eccl. 4. 17. is this Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God which also giueth vs warning that we come not vnreuerently to the reading of the word of God For as a foole commeth hastily without deliberation and knoweth not that he offendeth so he that commeth without reuerence committeth folly although he thinke in comming to the reading of the same he doth full wisely Iacob in comming to his brother Esau made seuen curtesies they which will come dutifully to the reading of the word of God cannot come with too much reuerence And herein consisteth an VVith deniall of thy owne wisedome especiall point of reuerence to haue that high estimation of the word of God as to thinke there is no wisedome to be found else where but only therein For they that swel with the thought of their owne wisedom and thinke themselues wise inough although they neuer read the word of God do greatly disgrace the maiestie thereof and aduance themselues in their owne folly God graunt saith the Prophet Dauid That the wisedome of Achitophel may be turned into foolishnesse and so it fareth with them that stand in admiration of their owne wisedome that they are fondly puft vp in their fleshly minds and are the farther off from wisedome and knowledge by how much the more they thinke themselues fraught and loaded therwith Seest thou a foole saith Salomon there is more hope of him then of such a one as is wise in his owne conceit There is hope of a foole that he may be wise because he wil heare instruction but of him which is wise in his own conceit there is no hope to make him wise because he thinketh he knoweth that which he should learne A foole when he holdeth his peace is counted wise for he is lowly in his owne conceit and doth not presume of wisedome but for the desire thereof he will seperate himselfe to séeke it and occupie himselfe in all wisedome Whereas he that is selfe-conceited sheweth himselfe a foole indéed in that being voyd of wisedome he will not search after it as if a hungry man should not care for foode imagining with himselfe that he is full inough alreadie What kept the Scribes and Pharises and other such great Doctors from the knowledge of the misteries of God but the fonde conceit of their owne wisedome and knowledge And such were also the Athenians who thought their learning to be so profounde that they scorned at the simplicitie of the gospell But beholde howe they are ouertaken for god confoundeth the wisedome of these men that are so selfewise and casteth away their vnderstanding And this is a great punishment that the word of God is vnto them foolishnesse neither can they perceiue or féele the swéet comfort therof and that through their own default and through their own pride To the wilfull blinded Iewes the word of god is a stumbling block and to the wise and learned Grecians it séemeth but foolishnesse But better it were farre away for them to acknowledge and forsake their owne foolishnesse then to drowne in their owne wisedome And he that will truly profit in the reading of gods word must laie downe that high conceit and humbly submit himself with al reuerence to be taught as the sacred word shall instruct him Deny thy own knowledge and learning and so shalt thou finde both knowledge and wisedome to satisfie thy soule When thou hast resolued with thyself to submit thy wisdom Not to reade onely but to search to the wisedom of god let thy hart cleaue therunto and let thy mind be still desirous to read it as the suckling and yoong tender infant crieth for the swéete milke whereby it is nourished and maintained So the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epist 22. doth counsell vs that as new borne babes wée should desire the sincere milke of the word of god that we may grow by it Euen as the hart desireth the water brooks so let our soules neuer rest til we haue quenched our thirst with this water of Paradice and satisfied our selues with this swéete milke and heauenly Manna A little milke will not content the infant and a litle foode will not breake hunger and a little strength will not bee auailable to put backe the force of the enemy He that will resist the diuels temptations must be throughly armed with the word of god he that will be a perfect man in Christ must growe from strength to strength from milke to strong meat from the principles of religion to the misteries of saluation that he may at length proue what the good and perfect will of God is At our first enterance to read we be but as babes and although we be of great yeares and ripe discretion yet if we deny not our owne wisedome and become as babes to learne and to be taught by the word of God we shal neuer know the way that leadeth vnto life And as the infant cannot be throughly satisfied but still and often calleth so if we thinke to grow from children to men to godward we must often read and often search his word Humane knowledge I meane the knowledge of the Arts and liberal Sciences commeth not by meane paines and the knowledge of God which he hath reuealed in his word cannot be obtained vnlesse we search for it most diligently He that findeth a veine of gold and siluer diggeth and searcheth with labour and sweate till he commeth where myne is and where is plentie And if we finde any swéetnesse in the word of God as doubtlesse they that be diligent shall finde great comforts it is not wisedome to rest vntil we haue filled our soules with all heauenly pleasures Yet there withall we must take héede that we be not ouerthrowne To search but not too farre in our desire of searching Still let vs auoyd extremities and kéepe the meane let vs not be desirous to know more then God hath set downe for vs to know For many thinke themselues not wise inough vnlesse they know all and wiser they would be then either they are or may or can be Hony is swéete but ouermuch annoyeth it is good to search the word of God but it is daunger to search too farre The secrets of God are as the Sun to our eyes the more we behold it the more our eyes do dazle and the more wée search aboue our capacitie the more our wittes are confounded They that
matters should we be euer a whit the better in that we doo not vnderstand them Suppose they come into our Churches and preach vnto vs Gods word to what end are all their spéeches Among the plagues and punishments that God threateneth vnto his people for their disobedience this is not the least that they should go into captiuitie to such a nation whose language they should not vnderstand In the lawe it is written by men of othâ—r tongues and by other languages will I speake vnto this people yet so shall they not heare me saith the Lord. So that a straunge tongue which we vnderstand not is a signe vnto vs of Gods curse and punishment which he laieth on vs. Moreouer we are to vnderstand that it is the principall pollicie and secret mischéeueus working of the â—â—â—â—ll to hide the Gospel and word of God from vs who desireth nothing more then to seperate vs from God who desireth nothing more then our vtter ouerthrow and vndoing And to bring about this his pollicie and mischéeuous working he hath his ministers euen deceitfull workmen which thus teach that the word of God ought not to be read in a knowne tongue vnto the people Which indéed is the onely way to kéepe them in Idolatry and superstition when they know not the truth of Gods word and pure religion And while they perswade the people that ignorance is the mother of deuotion that the lesse they know the more deuout they are this is rather a furtherance to their damnation because they know not God and the way to saluation For as the extreame want of bodily foode procureth death to the bodie so the extreame want of spirituall foode that is of Gods word procureth death to the soule It is méet say they that the scripture should be set downe in an vnknowne tongue least some in reading peruert them vnto their owne damnation Which is not a sufficient reason to deny others the reading thereof as if we should neuer vse wine because some by abusing it haue falne into drunkennesse or neuer take a weapon in hand to defend our selues because many haue bene killed thereby But this reason of theirs is but a deuice of mans braine and hath no warrant from Gods word but is rather contrary vnto it And herehence also ariseth an other argument of theirs that because it is said The priests lips should kéep knowledge therefore it is not for euery one to search the scriptures Indéed it behoueth the Minister to be learned that the people may be resolued of their doubts by him yet neuerthelesse there is no estate of people debarred from the reading the scriptures For as God would haue euery man to come to the knowledge of his will so he willeth and commandeth euery one to search the scriptures no estate no calling excepted Otherwise if none but the priest and minister be to reade the scriptures as they are men so vnder the colour and pretence of Gods word they may put forth their own deuices and their own imaginations An other reason of theirs is this Pearls are not to be cast before swine comparing the word of God as it is indéed a most precious treasure and as much to vs as our soules are worth because it is the meane to win soules comparing it to a pearle and the laie people for whome Christ died and shead his blood to procure them saluation and euerlasting life to compare theÌ„ to swine Which spéech of theirs because it is vngodly vncharitable and vnchrististian I leaue it to the iudgement of others as not worthie of any answere God forbid that the laie people although they are vnlearned if they be so godly disposed and God do moue their hearts therunto as to séeke the comfort of their soules by reading of the scriptures and word of God God forbid that they should bee debarred from the reading and benefit thereof But euen as the Eunuch spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles being but a laie man and yet the chief gouernour to a Quéene although he were vnlearned did yet for all that reade the scriptures and could not vnderstand them to the full so may we according to his example although our capacitie be so weake that we cannot vnderstand them giue our selues to the reading of the scriptures For as God sent vnto him a teacher Philip by name into his charet vnaware to him as he was in his iourney and reading the scripture so we know not what helpes it may please God to grant vs that are desirous to read his word that thereby we may know his will and be edified and instructed to our soules comfort And séeing we haue that blessing that many a land hath not I meane to haue the scripture in our owne mother tongue how shall we excuse our selues before God if we bee not diligent and painefull to reade The other mightie hinderance whereby we debarre The second hinderance is that they say the word of God is too hard to be vnderstood our selues from the reading of the word of God is that we thinke it is too hard to bee vnderstood Like the slothfull man which saith a lyon is in the way because hée is loth to worke Whither I will not I cannot goe and the propertie of an vnwilling seruant is to answere his arrant before hée bee sent Why should we giue foorth that the scripture is hard before wee reade it Whereas the spirite of God doeth set it downe that the word of God doth giue vnderstanding euen to the simplest comparing it to a lanterne and to a light which lightneth euery one that commeth vnto it For as without the light of the Sunne there is nothing but darkenesse on the earth so without the knowledge of the word of GOD there is nothing but ignorance among men And this is a wonderfull disproofe of them that stand in this doubt thinking it to bee too hard for them being of a simple vnderstanding and that therefore the Doctors and learned men should reade the word euen this disproueth their opinion that heauenly matters are often hid from them that are learned when contrariwise it pleaseth God to open the eyes of the simple and to giue them vnderstanding Else how should it be true that Christ saith I giue thee thankes ô father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these thinges from the wise and hast opened them vnto babes euen so ô Lord because it was thy good will and pleasure If our Gospell be hâ—d saith the Apostle it is hid to them that are lost and if the word of God be hard to be vnderstood it is hard vnto the vnwilling and vnto vnbeléeuers and such as are blinded of their owne accord Which difficultie and hardnesse of vnderstanding commeth not to passe through the word of God which is euident and plaine to them whose eyes God openeth and whose hearts and mindes it pleaseth him to enlighten but through their default who either through
are subiect by man and hope to be deliuered of it and hope to be purged from their corruption When our Sauiour Christ came neare to Ierusalem he wept to thinke of the desolation and destruction that should come on Ierusalem that faire and bewtifull Ierusalem that glorie and wonder of all the earth And the more that wée knowe the excellent woorke of God in the creation of the worlde and his creatures wherein we cannot choose but take passing delight so often as we doo consider and meditate on the same euen there withall also when we thinke that all thinges shall come to a ruine and downefall that the heauens and the earth shall be consumed with fire then may we begin to shead forth teares in a lamentable consideration that so glorious a workemanship and so wonderfull a frame should come to a finall destruction When Elisha the man of God looked stedfastly vppon Hazael he 2. Kin. 8. 12 wept because hee foresawe what great miserie hee should worke against the children of Israel Which thing saith he the Lord hath shewed me The woes that shall come vpon the worlde in the latter time shall make the godly minded to mourne in their thoughtes Reue. 12. 12. Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the diuell is come downe vnto you which hath great wrath knowing that hee hath but a short time and that his mischiefe ouer the world shall ende with the world Which thing maketh them to wish that their liues were at an ende that they might not behold such great calamities as also to reioyce at their estate which haue lest the earth and possesse the heauens Oh saith the Prophet Ieremy ca. 9. 1. that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for my people euen for the slaine of my people as if he had said for them that are and shall be destroyed Because they are all adulterers and an assembly of rebels This is a waightie cause to make vs all to wéepe which cause also doth make the earth and all creatures else to mourn and grone Go to now ye rich men saith the Apostle S. Iames weepe houle and so might he haue warned al people all sorts and all degrées to wéepe as King Hezechias did when he turned his face to the wall being sorie that he had offended God and that an end was come vnto him therfore to weep as the Apostle S. Peter did bitterly for his gréeuous sin whereby hée forsooke his Lord and maister Let this make euery one to wéepe both for others and for themselues in their chambers and in their closets at home and abroad where euer they go and what euer they do cōsidering that the sinnes of others as also their owne sinnes should be the cause of so great an ouerthrow Turne vnto mee with all your heart and with fasting and with weepiing and with mourning and rent your harts and not your clothes and turn vnto the Lord your God saith the Prophet For who knoweth whether God will return leaue a blessing Let euery one thus wéepe for themselues and thus turne vnto the Lord for who knoweth whether God will change his anger and forget our sinnes And though death and destruction of the world be a heauy plague that shall light vpon the most part of the inhabitants of the world I say who knoweth whether this shall turne to vs for a great blessing The consideration of which blessing will make vs turne our teares into ioy and our mourning into mirth not such ioy as the worlde but as the spirit of God shall mooue our hearts vnto It shall make vs lift vp our heades because that when the ende of the world shall be our perfect redemption shall bee accomplished Finally it shall also make vs more warie by this warning According to that of the Apostle Saint Peter The ende of all thinges is at hande Bee yee therefore sober and watching in prayer Take heed saith Christ least that day come on you vnawares For as a snare shall it come on the face of the whole earth Take héed least ye be taken in surfetting and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnesse Take héed lest ye be choked with the cares of this world and be too earthly worldly minded when ye shuld be heuenly minded séeing that the world shal haue an end and we know not how soone nor how sodaine it shall be Loue not the worlde nor the delights of the world and let not thy heart cleaue thereunto but lift vp thy heart and thy mind to heauen and an other life whereas thy dwelling is like to be for euermore if so be thou beest not thy own hindrance and be taken amongst the fiue sléepie and foolish virgines spoken of in the Gospell Qualis vita finis ita For as the trée falleth so it lieth and if in the ende of the world nay in the ende of thy life which is the ende of the world to thée shall be fire and flame so thy ende shall be hell fire and such gréeuous torments which can neuer be vttered and shall neuer be ended The seconde principall consideration which I noted 2 vnto you in this text is Howe and after what sort the world and all the creatures therein conteined were made consisting on these thrée circumstaunces First that God Of nothing made all things of nothing Secondly that they were made by his word and commandement Thirdly that all his creatures were created verie good A straunge and incredible maner that God should make all things of nothing Yet as we reade in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chapter 11. 3. Through faith we vnderstand that the world was ordeined by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare For he made all things of nothing when as yet there was none of them Wherein the Apostle doeth well attribute the matter vnto faith for by our naturall reason we were neuer able to comprehend it but contrariwise we should thinke it a matter too absurd and against reason As also in the conception of our Sauiour Christ that he should be borne of a pure virgin without the helpe of man hath séemed vnto many a matter in no wise to be beléeued In so much that some haue bene bold to say and their spéech vngodly inough that the bodie of our Sauiour Christ was rather a fained bodie then a bodie like vnto ours of flesh and blood Our Sauiour Christ said vnto his disciples That it was easier for a rope to passe through the eye of a néedle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Whereat they maruelled saying Who then shall be saued To whom Christ answered To men this seemes impossible but to God all thinges are possible And herein is the difference betwixt the workes of God and mē that they can bring nothing
from God and if we account so of our maintenance and sustenance as we cannot otherwise choose we must looke for it at gods hand whose manner is to giue nothing without praier nor refuse our praiers when we call vnto him but granteth our requests in due time if so be he sée it méet and conuenient for vs. Vnto our praiers we must adde painfull labour For we are not created in this world to be idle but gods commaundement is that we should get our liuing by the sweate of our browes Marke and sée whether gods prouidence waite vpon the slouthfull and thou shalt sée his field growne ouer with nettles and thornes and himselfe cloathed with ragges Is not that belly emptie whose hands refuse to worke and doth not winter starue him vp that will not séeke his liuing in the sommer Whereas contrariwise the painfull hand plentie and God giueth good successe to their labours so that they are able to helpe others besides themselues And furthermore God noteth them out with this marke that the idle liue in contempt and shame and dishonour when they that séeke Gods blessing by their labour are crowned with credit and are honored in the gate and open presence and are commended of all men But of this matter more God willing hereafter These and many other meanes hath God knit and ioyned vnto his prouidence yet not so but that he is able also to helpe vs without these means neither are we so to put our trust in them as though by them we had helpe not by gods prouidence Amongst other means of maintenance there is the help of frends in whom we must not so repose our selues as thogh God did not giue vs our maintenance by them As for example Iacob and his children being in great distresse of famine was to be reléeued by the helpe of his sonne Ioseph that sent for him yet his trust was vpon Gods prouidence and therfore he hath principal respect therennto and asketh counsel of God Ioseph like a kind and louing child sent for him the king of Egipt also was desirous yâ— he should come but yet he wold not set forward vntil God had assured him of his prouidence In whose example let vs mark and consider that whatsoeuer comforts God graunteth vs in this world friends children or princes themselues yet let our ankerhold be yâ— Lord and none but he Knowing yâ— with him these comfortes shall profit vs and without him faile vs as most fickle and vncertaine things euen then when we would be most glad to enioy and haue them I I wil be with thee is a word of trust and let it euer be looked too of vs. The staie staffe of all men in their businesse is the Lord and none but he For marke I pray you how God draweth Iacobs eies from looking vpon Iosephs honor credit in the land whither now he was going from beholding the kings fauour kindnesse that had so friendly sent for him how he withdraweth his hart from trusting in these things vnto himselfe and his protection and prouidence saying I wil go with thee As if he should haue said This is thy safetie thy staie and staffe that will holde thée from falling euen my presence with thée and my prouidence for thée not thy sons power and honour though it be great nor yet the kings fauour though indéed it be very gratious If by the meanes of friends any thing fall out according to our hearts desire let vs giue god the thankes who hath so disposed theire minds toward vs and hath made them the instruments of his bountifulnesse to helpe vs. To whom also we are to account our selues beholding and a dutifull minde will not rest vntill there be recompence made one way or other to the vtmost of his power For that good which he hath receiued hee will acknowledge god to be the authour but his bountifull helpers among men he will honour as it were the Angels and Ministers of god ordained for his reliefe and comfort And that by gods appointment he is bounde vnto them through whose hand and helpe it pleased him to shewe foorth and to powre his benefits vpon him And yet great is the difference betwixt the helpe of friends and the helpe of god For man vseth thus to reason I haue bin good vnto him and stood him instéed therefore he may not grate vppon me any more and in all equitie and reason he is not further to vrge me and a man may be too bold of his friends But our swéete and gratious god quite contrary I haue bene good and stil wil to continue To make true the words of the Prophet It is better to put our trust in god then to put any trust in Princes But because this meane and helpe of friends hath bene and is often greatly abused to withdraw our hearts and mindes from the vndoubted trust of gods neuer-failing prouidence which ought only to be our refuge and staie aboue all other worldly staies I minde god willing to speake more here of in the second part of this text Most true it is that although god doo prouide for vs yet most commonly he vseth so to do by meanes Notwithstanding rather then he will suffer his to perish he vseth meanes that are extraordinary and vnlooked for and such that vnto vs may well séeme very straunge Who would think that a rauen a hungry foule should spare from himselfe bring vnto man yet we read 1. kin 17. 4. that the Prophet Eliah was fed by rauens Was it of their owne accord thinke you Nay God saith I haue commaunded the rauens to feede thee For to strengthen his faith against persecution God did promise to féede him miraculously So likewise we reade of the Prophet Daniel who being in the lions den was like to starue for any meat that was broght yet God had respect vnto him in his necessitie For a certain Prophet in Iewry called Abacuc hauing made pottage was going to the field to bring it to the reapers but the Angel of the Lord said vnto Abacuc Go carry the meat that thou hast into Babilon vnto Daniel which is in the lions den And Abacuc said Lord I neuer sawe Babylon neither doo I know where the denne is Then the Angel tooke him by the crowne of the head and bare him by the haire of the hâ—â—d and through a mightie winde set him in Babylon vpon the denne And Abacuc cried saying O Daniel Daniel take the dinner that God hath sent thee Then said Daniel O God thou hast thought vppon mee and thou neuer failest them that seeke thee and loue thee So Daniel arose and did eate and the Angel of the Lord set Abacuc in his own place againe immediately The Prophet Ieremiah being in the dungeon and readie to die for hunger God thought on him and made a stranger to labour for him and to speak in his behalfe For one of the kings Enuches and chiefe officers Ebedmelech
them that oppresse them yet they that haue respect to gods working herein receiue much comfort by gods good spirit and perceiue oftentimes gods gratious and mightie hand in deliuering and defending them that he may be praised of them for his mercie wherof they haue so rare comfortable experience Otherwise god hath such great care ouer the godly that euen the angels of his wrath which are farre more mightie then tyrants and all the oppressors of the earth euen those wrathfull angels shall not hurt them As we reade Reue. cap. 7. 2. Those angels to whome power was giuen to hurt the earth and the sea they were charged not to hurt the earth neither the sea vntill the seruants of god were sealed in their foreheads Those houses in Egipt whose doore postes were sprinckeled with blood were safe from the destroying angell when other houses not so marked were stroken with death The angels that came to destroy Sodome confessed they could doo nothing till Lot was gone out of Sodome The diuel could not hurt Iob without gods leaue If then neither angels nor diuels much lesse can tyrants and wicked men hurt vs when gods pleasure is to the contrary But if his pleasure be so that they shall preuaile against vs let vs flie vnto god by true repentaunce for our sinnes and waite patiently his good leisure when it shall please him to send helpe and redresse For hée vseth then to sende remedie and comfort when men thinke none God ruleth all things according to his good pleasure and will his order of gouernment is moste beautifull and excellent his iudgements moste right and vnblameable the meanes that he vseth and whereby hée worketh are diuerse and wonderfull as is best knowne to his wisedome and hid from mans vnderstanding Turning all to the good of his people sometimes restraining the power of the wicked and sometimes making them to fulfill and obey his will against their owne willes So that the godly may say I haue bene yoong and now am old and yet sawe I neue◠wonderfull workes and that my soule knoweth right wel The last part of this text which I haue read vnto you doth shewe out the punishment of God and their il successe which distrust Gods prouidence Which is made manifest in the iudgement of God against the prince that gaue out such distrustfull words and said Though the Lord would make windows in the heauen could it come so to passe But it was answered him that he should sée great plentie but should not eate thereof And so it caine vnto him for the people trode vpon him in the gate and he died For in this fearefull example let vs censider of what estate countenance and calling this man was that said If God would open the windowes of heauen could it be so By his estate and degrée he was a prince and one of the kings chiefest nobles and such a one on whome the king leaned who should haue glorified God most For the higher the degrée is the more doth God require at their hands If a meane man had spoken it there had not bene so great cause of offence neither should it haue bene so much regarded But séeing a noble man and that a prince did speake it eueris one thought so too and all their hearts no doubt were daunted According as we reade Eccle. 13. 24. When the rich man speaketh euery one holdeth his toong and looke what he saith they praise vnto the cloudes But if the poore man speake they say What fellow is this and though he speak wisely yet can it haue no place When king Abimelech had told his seruants waightie matters they were all affraied The worde of a magistrate superior and high calling pearce farre and that which they speake is in euery mans mouth It preuaileth much among the lower sort either to drawe them to good or to mooue them to the contrary If their spéeches and déedes be otherwise then well vs maketh great men great examples as we reade And he smote downe the chosen men that were in Israel According as we sée in a realme when the heades and chiefe doers of any rebellion be cut off and put to death the rest their courage is gone and all things are quiet If the sinne and offence be notorious in persons of account God sometimes maketh their punishment to be notorious also that y◠matter may be remembred and that there may be a feare in euery mans heart that they do not the lyke How highly his and all such spéeches do offend and displease God we sée by his example Farre be it therefore that any should distrust gods prouidence either in féeding and nourishing vs as wee say there is no mouth but God sendes meate and as it is in the Psalme He giueth foode to all flesh for his mercy endureth for euer Or that we should distrust him and his power in other matters whatsoeuer for god is aboue all and ruleth all But yet the nature of man is too distrustfull and lightly none do put their trust in god but they that know gods prouidence and are fully perswaded thereof And yet to sée how backward men be that euen the very best haue bene found faultie herein as Moses an excellent prophet and one that saw gods wonders and his miracles the disciples also that were continually in Christ his presence and did so often sée his mightie and straunge working When the people of Israel murmured for want of flesh and were destrous to satisfie their lust and not their hunger God spake vnto Moses and told him that the people should not eate flesh a day or two or fiue or ten or twentie but a whole moneth vntill it came out at their nosthrils God heard them granted their request But how in his anger as the words doo import which follow Because ye haue contemned the Lord which is among you and haue wept before him saying Why came we hither out of Egypt Which plentie when Moses had heard from god yet he doubted greatly and measured gods power by his simple reason and therewithall gaue foorth distrustfull spéeches saying Sixe hundred thousand footemen are there of the people among whom I am and thou saiest I will giue them flesh that they may eate a month long Shal the shéep and the béeues be slain for them to finde them either shall all the fish of the sea be gathered togither for them to suffice them And the Lord said to Moses Is the Lordes hand shortned Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe vnto thee or no. Our Sauior Christ to try what was in man hauing a great multitude present and minding to reléeue to féed them he saith to one of his disciples Whēce shal we buy bread that these may eate This he said to proue him for he himselfe knew what he would do Philip his disciple answered him Two hundreth peniwoorth of bread are not sufficient for them that euery man
mercy and compassion yea he onely forgiueth because he onely is offended I euen I saith he am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Yea though they were as redde as scarlet and as a menstruous cloth as the starres of the skie and as the sande of the sea-shore which is innumerable Euen originall sinne which Originall sin is the roote of all mischief within togither with al the branches thereof the lusts of the heart the euill motions of the minde the consent of reason the déed performed He forgiueth all our negligence in not kéeping his commandemeÌ„ts and our transgression and rebellion against them he hath deliuered vs from the guilt and from the punishment and hath fréely inriched vs with life eternall by the merites and intercessions of Christ Iesus our mediatour who is our redemption and sanctification and satisfaction that we might bee deliuered from condemnation for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenesse of sinnes that are passed This is that righteousnesse of God through the faith of Iesus euen the remission of sins wherunto all the prophets witnesse The Apostle speaketh by way of proclamation Be it knowne vnto you therefore men and bretheren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenes of sins and from all things from which ye cannot be iustified by the lawe of Moses by him euery one that beléeueth is iustified By way of consolation and comfort for they are glad tidings Litle children I write vnto you because your sinnes are forginen you for his name sake By way of doctrine And ye knowe that he was made manifest that he might take away our sinnes In whome we haue redemption through his blood that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Neuerthelesse though we be fréed from the punishment yet are we subiect Affliction and correction to the correction which it pleaseth god to lay vpon vs either for the triall of our faith and patience or to bring vs to humilitie or for some other occasion which he in his wisdome best knoweth The second branch of the righteousnesse of God by faith 2. Imputation of Christ his righteousnes is the Imputation of Christ his righteousnes wherby we are iustified stand as righteous before the iudgement seat of God not being cloathed with our merits but being inriched with his mercy In coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of which righteousnes we are to cite to summoÌ„ our selues before the tribunall seat of Gods iudgement where we shal vnderstand what is that righteousnes which is required at out our haÌ„ds eueÌ„ a most perfect and absolute obedience of the lawe which reqireth VVhat is the true righteousnesse Man is altogither sinne the heart and a most heauenly purenesse And séeing that man is full of corruption and wickednesse and from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing in him but wounds and swellings and sores and that the head is sicke and the whole heart is heauy contrariwise Christ being man and taking our sinfull flesh vpon him yet being without sinne is in most glorious sort apparelled with righteousnesse yea euen the hemme of his vesture lacketh not vertue being so gloriously arraied in a vesture of broydered gold and néedle worke as the Prophet speaketh from Christ haue we all our clearnesse and puritie all our attire wherein we shine as Angels of light by whom all righteousnesse is deriued vnto vs which the prophet in the person of Iehoshua liuely Zacharâ—ah 3. 3. expresseth Now Iehoshua was clothed with filthy garmeÌ„ts and stood before the Angel and he spake vnto those yâ— stood by him saying Take away the filthie garments from him And vnto him he said Beholde I haue caused thine iniquitie to depart from thee I will cloath thee with change of raiment And I said let them set a faire diademe vppon his head so they set a faire diademe vppon his head and cloathed him with garments and the Angel of the Lord stood by What may be the filthie garments Euen the vncleannesse of our wickednes the impurity of our thoughts our abhominable and daily weltring in our sinnes and vntill they are taken away howe ougly and contemptible are we in the sight of God Which place of the Prophet though some interpret it of Christ in that he was cloathed in our flesh and bare our sinnes yet in respect of vs it may haue this sence and meaning For what are wée else before it please god to take mercy vpon vs He it is that cleanseth vs from our sinnes for his name sake he it is that sawe vs when when we were polluted in our bloode and then he said we should liue euen when we were polluted in our blood he said Thou shalt liue Behold I haue caused thine iniquitie to depart away from thée and I will cloath thée with change of raiment For hee What the rich garment is wherewith the polluted sinner is aâ—â—aied was made sinne for vs that knewe no sinne that wée should be made the righteousnesse of God in him Yea where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raigne by righteousnesse to eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lorde Which righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ is imputed vnto all and vpon all that beléeue By this imputation we are cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ through whome we behold the face of God to be vnto vs most chéerefull by whome we haue an enteraunce vnto the father by whose puritie and holinesse all our spottes are couered Without which imputation all our workes are vnrighteous for by the righteousnesse of faith are all our workes made perfect and being ingraffed into Christ and made partakeres of his righteousnesse our The effect of this righteousnesse workes are accounted before God as iust and righteous in whome all our imperfections are blotted out and those workes which are done of faith are accepted through the imputation of Christ his righteousnes For as in vs there is nothing but sinne so in Christ is all our sufficiency vpon whom as vpon the sacrifice was cast that curse of man that his condemnation might be our absolution and our happinesse his righteousnesse according to that of the prophet Dauid who knew it by his owne experience to be most true that the man is blessed vnto whome God imputeth righteousnesse without workes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not sin that the lord might only be iust and a iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus Who tooke vpon him our person was accused for vs and iudged as a sinner not for his owne but for the faults and transgressions of other being himselfe pure and
Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it vnto them For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and godhead are séene by creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Acts. 14. 16. 17. God in times past suffered all the gentiles to walke in their owne waies Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without a witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and frutefull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse And Chap. 17. 27. That they should séeke the Lord if so be they might haue groped after him Through there owne default Ro. 1. 21. Because that when they knewe God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vaine in theire imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse Iohn 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but nowe haue they no cloake for there sinne verse 24. If I had not done workes among them which none other man did they had not had sinne that is they had not bene so greatly in fault Ro. 2. 12. For as many as haue sinned without the law that is without the knowledge of the written lawe shall perish also without the lawe their conscience being a lawe vnto them Iohn 3. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknes rather then light because there déeds were euill And surely that which they can attaine vnto in knowing God by their light or rather naturall darkenesse albeit they neuer failed in the way but so cōtinued yet were it in no wise sufficient vnto saluation For it is necessary for vs that shall be saued that we know God not onely as God but as our father in Christ Iohn 17. 3. And this is life eternall that they know thée to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And chapter 3. 26. He that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he that obeieth not the sonne shall not sée life but the wrath of GOD abideth on him The which misterie flesh and blood doth not reueale but the sonne himselfe to them whom his father hath giuen him Matt. 11. 27. All things are giuen to me of my father and no man knoweth the same but the father neither knoweth any man the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne wll reueale him Mat. 16. 16. 17. Simon Peter answered and said Thou art that Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus said vnto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and blood hath not reuealed it to thée but my father which is in heauen Iohn 1. 10. He was in the world and the world knew him not But as many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen of thē that beléeue in his name Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And chap. 3. 5. 6. Iesus answered Nicodemus verily verily I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the spirit is spirit Secondly they are called by the preaching of the Gospell but because they are not of the number of the elect being called they heare not Luke 12. 47. That seruant which knewe his masters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beate wiih many stripes Matt. 22. 14. For many are called but few are chosen Luke 13. 34. O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thée howe often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the henne gathereth her brood vnder her wings and ye would not Chap. 19. 44. They shall make thée euen with the ground because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Iere. 7. 27. Therefore shalt thou speake all these wordes vnto them but they will not heare thée Thou shalt also cry vnto them but they will not aunswere thée Pro. 1. 24. 26. 28. 26. Because when I called yée refused I will laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth They shall call vppon mée but I will not answere they shall séeke mée earely but they shall not finde mée Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. And forasmuche as they are not able to receiue the spirit of truth Iohn 14. 16. 17. And I will pray the father and he shall giue you an other comforter that hée may abide with you for euer Euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth it him but yée knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Chap. 12. 39. 40. Therefore could they not beléeue because that Esaias saieth againe hée hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not sée with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them 2. Thess 3. 2. All men haue not faith Mat. 13. 9. 11. He that hath eares to heare let him heare To you it is giuen to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know thē because they are spiritually discerned The word of life is folly vnto them and an offence 1. Cor. 1. 18. The preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God Verse 23. 24. We preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes euen a stumbling blocke and vnto the Grecians foolishnesse But vnto them which are called both of Iewes and Grecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God And finally the sauour of death vnto death to their destruction 2. Cor. 2. 16. To the one wee are the sauour of death vnto death and to the other the sauour of life vnto life Thirdly their hearts are opened but they beleeue generally Iam. 2. 19. Thou beléeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels beléeue it and tremble Fourthly they are most miserable of all who climbe a degree higher that their fall may be the more greeuous For they are raised by some gift of grace and yet fall away Heb. 6 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. For it is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away should be renued againe by repentaunce séeing they crucifie
shall heare indéed but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall plainly sée and not perceiue o The Genena note vpon that place Whereby is declared that for the malice of man God will not immediately take away his word but he wil cause it to be preached to their condemnation when as they will not learne thereby to obey his will and be saued Hereby he exhorteth the Ministers to do their dutie and answereth to the wicked murmurers that through their owne malice their heart is hardened Mat. 13. 14. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Verse 10. Make the heart of his people fat make their eares heauy and shut their eies lest they sée with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstande with their hearts and conuert and he heale them And to bring this to passe he vseth partly their owne vile concupiscences to the which hee hath giuen them vp to be ruled and led by Rom. 1. 26. For this cause God gaue them vp to vile affections c. Sée more in that chap. And Esay 64. 7. And partly also the spirit of lies who keepeth them wrapt in his snares 2. Thess 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Euen him whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they may be saued And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beléeue lies That all they might be damned which beléeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Iohn 3. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light because their déedes were euill Ezay 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs erre from thy waies and hardned our heart from thy feare Ro. 11. 32. For God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe Acts. 7. 42. Then God turned himselfe away and gaue them vp to serue the host of heauen 1. Kin. 22. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. The Lord said Who shal intice Ahab that he may go fall at Ramoth Gilead And one said on this maner and an other said on that manner Then there came foorth a spirit and stoode before the Lord and said I will entice him And the Lord said vnto him Wherewith And he said I will goe out and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Then he said thou shalt entice him and shalt also preuaile goe foorth and do so Nowe therefore behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath appointed euill against thée 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. If our Gospell be then hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them By reason of their corruption from the which as out of a fountaine issueth a continuall flowing riuer of infidelitie ignorance and iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 26. And that they may come to amendment out of the snares of the diuel which are taken of him at his will Whereby it followeth that hauing as it were made shipwracke of their faith 1. Tim. 1. 19. Hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put away and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke Can by no meanes escape the day which is appointed for their destruction that God may be glorified in their iust condemnation Prou. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euil Rom. 9. 21. 22. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other vnto dishonour What and if God would to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The sixt Chapter Of the last and full accomplishment of Gods eternall counsell as well towards the elect as the reprobate FOrasmuch as God is iustice it selfe it is necessary that The full execution of god counsaile he should saue the iust and condemne the vniust Now they among men are only iust who being by faith ioined to Christ grafted rooted in him and made one bodie with him are iustified sanctified in him by him Wherof it followeth that the glory to the which they are destinate to the glory of God appertaineth to them as by a certain right or title On the other part they which remaine in Adams pollution death are iustly hated of God and so condemned by him not excepting so much as thē which die before they sin as Adam did But both these manners of executing Gods iudgements as well in these as in the other which are elected are in thrée sorts whereof we haue already declared the first For the elect in that same moment that they In the elect haue receiued the gift of faith haue after a certaine sort passed from death to life whereof they haue a sure pledge But this their life is hid in Christ till this corporall death make them to steppe a degrée further and that the soule being loosed out of the band of the body enter into the ioy of the Lord Finally in the day appointed to iudge the quicke and the dead when that which is corruptible and mortall shall be clad with incorruption and immortalitie and God shall be all in all things then they shall sée his maiestie face to face and shall fully enioy that vnspeakable comfort and ioy which before all beginning was prepared for them which is also the reward that is due to the righteousnesse holinesse of Christ who was giuen for their sinnes and raised againe from death for their iustification By whose vertue and spirit they haue procéeded and gone forward from faith to faith as shall manifestly appeare by the whole In the Reprobate course of their life and good workes Whereas altogither contrary the reprobate conceaued and brought vp in sin death wrath of God when they depart out of this world they fall into an other gulfe of destruction and their soules are plunged in that endlesse paine vntill the day come that their bodies soules being ioyned againe they shall enter into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Then by these two waies which are The glory of God cleane contrarie one to an other the last issue and end of Gods iudgement shall set forth manifestly his glory to all men foramuch as in his elect he shall declare himselfe most iust and most mercifull Most iust I say for that he Perfectly iust and perfectly mereifull hath punished with extréeme rigour seueritie the sinnes of his elect in the person of his sonne neither did receiue them into the fellowship of his glory before
11. 12. According to the eternall purpose which he wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord. By whom we haue boldnesse and entraunce with confidence by faith in him 1. Thes 5. 24. Faithfull is he which calleth you which will also do it Hebr. 10. 23. Let vs kéepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithfull that promised Rom. 8. 38. 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And therefore I cannot nor I may not doubt of my saluation So farre then it is against reason to say that this doctrine maketh men negligent or dissolute that contrariwise this alone dooth open vs the way to search out and vnderstand by the power of the holy Ghost Gods deepe secrets 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. The things which eye hath not séene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirit For the spirit searcheth all things yea the déepe things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him Euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we haue receiued not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God It maketh vs painfull in good workes Ephe. 2. 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them 1. Iohn 3. 24. For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him and thereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit that he hath giuen vs. Gal. 5. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that we cannot do the same things that we would Knowing this infirmitie to be in vs it stirreth vs to good workes And chap. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Be not deceined God is not mocked For whatsoeuer a man soweth that also shall he reape For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption And he that soweth to the spirit shal of the spirit reape life euerlasting Rom. 6. 1. What shall we say then Shall we continue stil in sin that grace may abound God forbid Hebr. 10. 24. And let vsconsider one an other to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Iam. 3. 17. The wisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peâ—â—eable gentle easie to bee intreated full of mercy and good workes without iudging and without hipocrisie It maketh vs inuincible against all temptations and vexations For how shall he stand sure and constant against so many grieuous temptations both within and without against so many assaults of fortune as the world doth terme it that is not well resolued in this point of Gods predestination toward him and of his election in Christ Iob. 13. 15. Loe though hée slaie me yet will I trust in him Rom. 8. 28. Also we know that all things worke togither for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose Verse 31. What shall we then say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs Verse 35. 37. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword In all which things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. Iohn 16. 33. Maruell not though the world hate you In the world ye shall haue affliction but in me ye shall haue peace Be of good comfort I haue chosen you out of the world and none shall take you out of my hands Rom. 15. 3. Through Christ we reioyce in tribulations that we may say with the Apostle We are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but we perish not Ia. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuerse temptations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience haue her perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire lacking nothing Of the which number of the elect he is that findeth himselfe in this daunger and trouble Rom. 8. 16. 17. 18. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs. Luke 23. 43. Iesus said to the théefe on the crosse Verily I say vnto thée To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice This part is to be considered and weighed and that with great modestie principally in these two considerations First that the height of Gods iudgements may at all times bridle our curious fancies Secondly that we doo not apply it to any man particularly or any certaine company For the first let it be sufficient that we vnderstand generally that there be vessels prepared by Gods iudgement and appointed to destruction The which séeing God doth not reueale vnto vs who they are we ought both in example of life and praier diligently to endeuour to winne and recouer to their saluation yea euen very such of whom by séeing their horible vices we almost dispaire Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may sée your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 1. Pet. 2. 12. Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euil of you as of euill dooers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifie God in the day of the visitation And chap. 3. 15. 16. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be readie alwaies to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you And that with méekenesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that when they speake euill of you as of euill dooers they may be ashamed which blame your good conuersation in Christ 1. Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. For though I be frée from all men yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men that I might winne the moe And vnto the Iewes I become as a Iewe that I may winne the Iewes to them that are vnder the lawe as though I were vnder the lawe that I may win them that are vnder the lawe to them that are without the lawe as though I were without the lawe when I am not without the
and readie Marke the minde but of a worldly man that accounhimselfe greatly beholding to another is not this his courage that he could finde in his heart to die in his quarrell and to offer his seruice before he commaunded thereunto The readinesse of our Sauiour Christ whose example if it be too high for imitation yet that of the Apostle Saint Paule heerein is notable and able to giue the weakest minde great courage Get thée behind me Sathan saith Christ vnto Peter thou art an offence vnto mée because thou vnderstandest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men The Prophet Agabus Act. 21. tooke Pauls girdle and bound his owne hands and féete and said Thus saith the holy Ghost So shall the Iewes at Ierusalem binde the man that oweth this girdle and shall deliuer him into the hands of the Gentiles Then his friends perswaded him and besought him with teares that he would not go vp to Ierusalem To whom Paul answered and said What do ye weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not to bee bounde only but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus And in an other place And now behold I goe bound in the spirite vnto Ierusalem and knowe not what things shall come vnto mee there Saue that the holy Ghost witnesseth in euery citie saying that bands and afflictions abide me in Ierusalem but I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe This is a notable example of incouragement beside the promise of excéeding great reward Hee that looseth his life for my sake shall finde â—â— But weake mindes are soone offended and fraile flesh cannot beare out these bitter brunts neither stand to the triall of so worthie a cause when we shall behold as it were great mountaine to fall vpon vs and great surges readie to swallow vs vp No doubt we shall méet with hinderances inow and those mighty hinderances yet greater renowne it is to ouercome our selues then to winne a citie both are hard to do and to accomplish but the first most hard and to flesh and blood impossible True it is that we should cast off all hinderances in this so waightie a matter and deny our selues and in this combat betwixt the spirit and flesh and blood we should shewe our selues conquerers but our hearts for the most part are so faint that strawes can make vs stumble We blâ—nch at the least matters and are astund euen at the very name of persecution When King Hezechiah heard of his death he wept sore and so do many of vs carry the like affliction that in no sort we can brooke affliction The purâ—â—â—ion is too bitter although health and immortallitie bee the effect of it Why is it that we are readie to put finger in the eie when we heare that we must endure trouble but that the world aâ—desh and blood do carry more sway with vs then Gods spirit and that the ioy of this life can abide no sorrow Although God hath appointed this to be our lot Ye shall weepe and lament yea furthermore although we heare that our sorrow shal be turned into ioy Gladly we would be at peace with the world but when the world shall hate vs that beginneth to breake vs then are we surprized of sorrow and for the time swallowed vp of griefe The Prophet Ieremy a man of great courage patience and constancie before he could frame himselfe to drinke of this bitter cuppe as one most passionate breaketh out into these words and in the presence of God Cursed be the day wherin I was borne oh that my mother had bene my graue or her wombe a perpetuall eonception How is it that I came forth of the wombe to see labour and sorrow And againe chapter 19. Woe is me my mother that thou hast borne mee a contentious man and a man that striueth with the whole earth I haue done them neither hurt nor wrong yet euerie one doth curse me According to that of the Prophet Dauid They hated mee without any cause and that thou ô God knowest Yet should this matter be so farre from mouing vs to heauinesse that therein we should reioyce As the Apostle S. Paule doeth moue vs by his example Gal. 6. 14. God forbid saith he that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world Our Sauior Christ hath foretold vs that we should be hated of all men for his name and for the profession of his truth And lest any of vs should faint he addeth further But hee or they that endure to the end they shall be saued What if the world and the mightiest in the world hate ve what if they séeke our blood Feare not their feare saith the Apostle neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord in your hearts Feare not them saith our Sauiour which haue power ouer your bodies and whose furie and rage can goe no further but rather feare him who after the body is distroied by death can cast both soule and body in hell God hath commanded vs vnto this wéeping and lamentation Foure principalâ— reasons to persâ—â—dâ—â—s to vndertake perseâ—cution w◠〈◊〉 the first is Gods Commandement and appointed vs vnto this trouble and sorrow and persecution let vs not therefore feare men to auoid gods commandement but rather glorifie God by withstanâ—â—ng euill men and such as are bent to resist and deface to suppresse and vtterly to roote out gods truth And because the world is giuen to nothing more then to oppresse gods truth therefore ought we the more to maintaine it and not to regard our liues in respect of the defence therof Striue for yâ— truth vnto death saith the wise man Eccle. 4. 28. And defend iustice for thy life God hath created vs for his glory and if we loue God and his loue be setled in our hearts wée ought to the vtmost of our power to maintaine his glory Dearely beloued saith the blessed Apostle thinke it not straunge concerning the firy tryall It pleaseth God to try you by the extremities of this wicked world whether ye will like valiant souldiours stand to the defence of his cause We count it a glorious matter and worthy of immortall fame to spend our liues in the defence of our prince and country yet is it more glorious if wée be called thereunto not to refuse any torment and extremitie in shewing our dutie and our loue to God and his Church Re. 2. 10. Vnto the Angell of the church of Smirna it was said Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold it shall come to passe that the diuell shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall haue tribulation tenne daies that is a long time Bee thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Hee that ouercommeth shall not bee hurt of
similitude and comparison of a woman in childbirth respecting her Throes and her ioye A woman when shee trauelleth c. Which confirmation by a similitude is more apparant in the application which is the second part of the similitude being furnished with thrée proofes Wherof the first is That he would see them againe The second That their hearts should reioyce The third That their ioy should no man take away from them Ye shall weep and lament But the Apostles counsell is Proposition comfortable Weepe as though ye wept not And Christ his words are heauenly Your sortow shal be turned into ioy He speaketh not of the sorrow of the wicked that their sorrow shall be turned into ioy for their sorrowes shall remaine Many shall be their sorrowes and great shall be their plagues And although they haue bene young and lustie as an heifer of thrée yeares old which neuer felt sorrow but liued in pleasure yet when their sorrow and mourning shall come it shall be so gréeuous that they shall be giuen to skritch and crie out yea it shall pittie the harts of others and they shall moue others to wéepe for them Their gladnesse and ioy shall be taken away saith the Prophet Esay 16. 9. 10. there shall be no singing nor shouting for ioy for I haue caused their reioycing to cease So likewise the prophet Ieremy 48. 33. speaketh of the ioy of the Moabites Ioy and gladnesse is taken from the beautifull field and from the land of Moab and I haue caused wine to faile from the wine-presse none shall tread with shouting My heart shall sound saith the prophet for Moab like a shamne As the custome was to play heauie and graue tunes at burialls Those euils and sorrowes which happen to the godly The worldly sorrowes of the godly turned into ioyes in this life God turneth to our good and as the Apostle saith All things fall out to the best to them that loue God so that we may reioyce though for a season we be in heauinesse This is God able to do because he is almightie and most readie and willing because he is most gracious vnto his people How long was patient Iob troubled yet his troubles and sorrowes had a happie end and his losses recompenced to his great contentment and ioy of heart The people of Israel how gréeuous was their affliction in Egipt and that for the space of many yeares vntill that the crie of their sore oppression came vp into the presence of God And God heard their crie and sent them reliefe For it pleased God to remember his holy promise so that in his due time he brought foorth his people with ioy and his chosen with gladnesse and he gaue them the landes of the heathen and they tooke the labours of the people in possession The portion of the godly is to haue many troubles and so to passe along this life toward the kingdome of rest and ioy After vexation some rest after trouble peace after paine pleasure doth ensue to the praise of Gods mercy who in time shall moderat what is amisse send vs some comfort for our recreation For as he seeth our griefes noteth our wrongs so when most néed is he will comfort vs and send vs ioy in our heauinesse Through the féeling whereof the Prophet Dauid vttereth these words The Lord is my strength and my shield my hart hath trusted in him and I am helped therfore my heart daunceth for ioy and in my song will I praise him True obediēce wants no crosses in this world to wait vpon it yet crosses haue their crownes Ioseph a iust man and one that feared God from his youth beeing subiect to sorrow and misery vpon false accusation was cast into prison whose féete they hurt in the stockes the iron entred into his soule Vntil the time came y◠this cause was knowne when as the word of the Lord tried him The king sent and deliuered him the prince of the people let him goe frée He made him Lord also of his house ruler of all his substance That he might informe his princes and teach his senators wisedome Ioseph had honour and great wealth as well as libertie when God his time was come to turne his sorrow into ioy Whose posteritie when they were in a manner tired through slauerie and bondage and pinched with extréeme pouertie in a time vnlooked for God brought them forth With greate substaunce and gaue them fauour in the sight of their enemies so that they caried away from them their iewels of siluer and gold Sée and consider the end of the troubles of the godly when God will not only had his oppressed people libertie but also great substaunce happy passage mighty deliueraunce infinite good turnes if they had had eies to sée his miraculous and bountifull working in their behalfe that in their songs they might haue praised him and in their hearts they might haue giuen sufficient credit to all his promises But to their great hurt they gaue no credit vnto his word but thought scorne of that pleasaunt land Shadrake Meshake and Abednago because they would not worship the golden image which Nabuchodonozor the King had set vp they were cast into the firy furnace But behold in their extreme sorrow the comfortable presence of Gods Angel then followed the fauour of the King who before did so greatly hate them and after that promotion and dignitie and the chiefest offices in the realme Ioy vpon ioy to make sorrow to be forgotten Feare not the issue then of your woe whatsoeuer it is if you cleaue to God and hold fast by the word of his promise So true is that in 126. ps v. 6. 7. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy And he y◠now goeth on his way weping beareth forth good séed shal doubtlesse come again with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Bondage in Egipt a wearisome pilgrimage in the desert after the bondage but after their wearisome pilgrimage followed y◠ioyful possession of y◠plentiful land of of Canaan Then was their mouth filled with laughter and their toong with ioy Then said they among the heathen the Lord hath done great thinges for them The Lorde hath done great things for vs whereof we reioyce Such as their bondage in Egipt was so gréeuous also was their captiuitie vnder king Nabuchodonozor and the Chaldeans yet it pleased God to remember his poore afflicted and beloued remnant Go ye out of Babel flie ye from the Chaldeans with a voice of ioy Baruc. 4. I sent you out with wéeping mourning but with ioy and perpetuall gladnesse will I bring you againe And like as the neighbours of Sion saw your captiuity so also shall they shortly see your saluation frō God which shall come with greate glorie brightnesse from the euerlasting and they shall gather them from the East to the West to the praise of his honor O Ierusalem behold the ioy that commeth