man that there is lesse hope of an hypocrite than of an open sinner first because he sinneth against the light of his conscience secondly because by his outward shewes he bleareth the eyes of men wherby he escapeth those admonitions and reproofes whereby the open sinner many times is reclaimed And lastly because in his pride and selfe-loue hee posteth ouer all publick reprehensions and exhortations to the open sinners because he is assured that in the opinion of others they belong not vnto him And this is that which our Sauiour Christ sayth to the hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisies That Publicans and harlots should goe into the kingdome of God befâ—re them Seeing therefore vprightnesse is a grace so excellent that it goeth vnder the name of perfection and is esteemed as the beautie of Christs spouse wherewith hee is especially delighted so profitable that to them which walke vprightly the Lord denieth nothing that is good but giueth them Grace in this life and Glory in the life to come and not onely maketh them blessed but their posteritie also after them so necessarie as that without it our best graces are counterfeits and our best worship of God hypocrisie and our selues hypocrits who shall neuer see God but shall haue our portion with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth how doth it behooue vs to labour for this grace which is so excellent in it selfe so pleasing vnto God so profitable and necessarie vnto vs and contrariwise to auoid the contrary sinne of hypocrisie which is so odious vnto God so foolish in it selfe and so pernicious vnto vs And to this purpose that wee may come to the fifth and last thing let vs obserue these few rules first let vs according to the example of Dauid learne to set God alwayes before our eyes and our selues in the sight and presence of God And to this end let vs meditate euermore both of his omnipresence remembring that he is alwayes present with vs in all places neither can we possibly auoid his presence as the Psalmist teacheth as also of his omniscience remembring That the eyes of the Lord are in euery place beholding the euil and the good and not only looking vnto the outward actions and speeches but also beholding the inward affections of the heart and cogitations of the mind euen before wee conceiue them that so we may learn to walke with our God approouing our selues vnto him and so behauing our selues as those which haue their conuersation in the sight and presence of God Who knoweth not how decently and reuerently we carry our selues whiles wee are in the sight and presence of our superiours especially of our prince Therefore Senec a admonisheth his friend Lucilius that he would set before him Cato or Laelius or some other graue and reuerend man that he might liue as in his sight for as he sayth Magna pars peccatorum tollitur si peccaturis testis assistat a great part of our sinnes is taken away if when wee are about to sinne there bee a witnesse by vs. How much more would the presence of almightie God strike a reuerence into vs if we had the eyes of Moses the eyes of faith whereby he saw him that is inuisible and is alwayes present with vs especially if wee considered that the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vnto the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart and that not onely the bodies of men but the soules also are manifest before him Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonnes of men By this argument Dauid exhorteth Salomon his sonne to vprightnesse 1. Chron. 28. And thou my sonne Salomon saith he Know thou the God of thy father serue him with an vpright heart with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts Secondly to the meditation of his omnipresence and omniscience let vs adde the consideration of his omnisufficiencie remembring as the Prophet Hanani said to Asa That the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of an vpright heart towards him and that as Salomon saith He is a shield to them that walke vprightly and not that onely but as Dauid sayth He is the Sunne that is author of all comfortable blessings and a shield that is a preseruer and protectour from euill the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly And this is the argument which the Lord vseth to moue Abraham to integritie Gen. 17. I am God all-sufficient walke before me and be vpright For assuredly if we did effectually call to mind Gods all-sufficiencie we would neuer be so foolish as to play the hypocrits approouing our selues to men rather than to God seeing he is all-sufficient to crowne vs with blessings to shield vs from euill Whereas men can neither doe vs good vnlesse God bee pleased to vse them as his instruments whereby hee will conuey his blessings vnto vs neither can they do vs harm vnlesse God doe vse them as his rods whereby to correct vs. Thirdly to the former let vs joyne a serious meditation of the last judgement namely that God all-sufficient who is euery where present and is acquainted with al our secrets shall one day iudge the secrets of men and will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it bee good or euill Let vs therefore set God before our eyes sitting in judgement remembring that we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that â—uery man may receiue according to those things which he hath done in the body whether good or euil whether open or secret whether alone or with others whether in light or darkenesse by day or by night For darkenesse hideth not from God but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and light are both alike Let vs not therfore content our selues with an externall profession of religion and outward shew of vertue when as our hearts be not vpright within vs but are possessed with hypocrisie and abound with secret sinnes For an externall profession seuered from vprightnesse of heart shall no whit auaile thee at the day of judgement for God shall judge the secrets of men but it shall be very prejudiciall vnto thee increasing thine horrour and confusion For how shalt thou be confounded thinkest thou who hast made a profession of religion when the bookes being opened and thy secret sinnes laid open before all the world thou shalt be conuicted of hypocrisie condemned of many foule sinnes vnrepented of which thou hadst laboured to conceale from the world And with what horrour shalt thou be striken supposest thou when thy portion shall be assigned thee with the hypocrits where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Remember that many
thing for whereas it is sayd of Eâ—och Gen. 5. that he walked before God that is that hee liued vprightly it is by the Apostle thus expounded That he was sayd to haue pleased God And the Hebrew word which signifieth to be right or vpright doth signifie also to please that we may know that he which is right before God doth please him As it is sayd in the Prouerbes They which are peruerse in heart are an abhomination vnto the Lord but such as are vpright in their way are his delight Now this must needs be an excellent virtue that goeth vnder the name of perfection which the Lord esteemeth as the inward beautie of his spouse which is not onely pleasing vnto God but as it were the pleasing of him But let vs come to the profit by which consideration most are led as it is sayd Psal. 4. There be many that say who will shew vs any good that is profit The profit of vprightnesse may be shewed first in generall that God is good and gracious to theÌ„ that are vpright As the Psalmist after many conflicts at length resolueth Psa. 73. 1. But yet God is good to Israell to those that are pure in heart And this goodnesse he manifesteth by doing good to them and causing all things to worke together for their good according to the prayer of Dauid Psal. 125. Do good O Lord to those that are good and vpright in heart but those that turne aside by their crooked wayes them shall the Lord send away with the workers of iniquity Neither is the goodnesse of God sparing towards them For he is a Sunne that is an author and giuer of all comfortable blessings and a shield that is a protector of them from all euill He giueth grace and glory and no good thing doth he with-hold from those that walke vprightly More specially the benefits wherewith the Lord doth crowne the vpright are either temporall or spirituall For as salomon saith Prou. 2. The Lord hath laid vp for the vpright substance that is whatsoeuer is truly good and verse 21. The righteous shall inhabit the land and the vpright men shall remaine in it And as the Lord bestoweth good things vpon the vpright so he preserueththem from euill and is therefore sayd to be â— shield to them that walke vprightly or as Dauid saith My shield is in God who giueth saluation or preserueth the vpright in heart according to the saying of the Prophet Hanani The eyes of the Lord saith he behold all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that haue a perfect that is an vpright heart towards him The spirituall blessings which God bestoweth on the vpright are as the Psalmist speaketh Grace Glory Grace in this life Glory in the life to come The graces which God bestoweth on the vpright are many for sanctifying graces are so linked together as it were in a golden chaine that where some be in truth as they are in the vpright all are in some measure Among many others these spirituall blessings accompany vprightnesse Comfort in affliction and Ioy in the holy Ghost and which before I spake of Confidence or spirituall securitie in worshipping the Lord without feare which is the blessednesse promised to the faithfull in all nations in Abrahams seed according to the exposition of Zacharias Luk. 1. and also Constancy and Perseuerance As touching the former before not touched Forasmuch as the vpright building not vpon the sand but vpon the rocke haue layd a good foundation against the day of triall therefore when as they are afflicted they faint not neither are ouermuch discouraged but with Dauid in his greatest distresse do comfort themselues in the Lord their God 1. Sam. 30. 6. And being assured that the Lord will cause all things euen their afflictions to worke to their good they resolue with Iob to put their trust in him though he kill them But the vpright haue not onely comfort but ioy also in the holy Ghost For God doth giue to him that is good in his sight that is to the vpright wisedome and knowledge and ioy For the vpright haue a good conscience and a good conscience is a continuall feast For this is our reioycing saith the Apostle the testimony of our conscience that we haue had our conuersation in simplicitie and godly purenesse And this was Ezechias his stay when he had receiued the sentence of death and which he vsed as an argument vnto the Lord to obtaine the lengthning of his life and preuailed Lord saith he I beseech thee remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with an vpright heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight For howsoeuer the vpright are sometimes vnder the crosse yet there is light sowne for the righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart which in due time will sprout forth yea in the mids of their affliction they do reioyce knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed And seeing the vpright do with Dauid set the Lord alwayes before their eyes for he is at their right hand therefore they must say with him I shall not be remoued wherefore my heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope With these and such like blessings the Lord doth reward the vpright in this life for after this life eternall saluation abideth them He that walketh vprightly saith Salomon shall be saued but he that is peruerse or walketh peruersly in two waies as double minded men do he shal fall in one or as some read at once And to omit other testimonies the holy Ghost testifieth in this place That he which walketh vprightly shal dwell in the holy mountaine of God Finally to conclude all blessings vnder one blessednesse it selfe is promised to the vpright Blessed are those which are vpright in their way Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God And this blessednesse doth not onely belong to themselues but it redoundeth also to their posteritie Blessed is the iust man that walketh in his vprightnesse and blessed are his children after him And againe The generation of the vpright shall be blessed But it may be you expect examples which one calleth the hostages of our speech whereby that may appeare in particuler experience which the Lord hath confirmed in generall promise Let Noah therefore be an example whom the Lord because of his vprightnesse preserued in the vniuersall deluge And likewise vpright Abraham to whom the Lord was a shield and an exceeding great reward Dauid professeth that for as much as he was vpright before God the Lord therefore rewarded him according to his righteousnesse and the purenesse of his hands in his sight And the same is confessed by Salolon his sonne Thou
Catholicke or vniuersall Church For the Tabernacle signifieth the Church militant vpon earth the holy Mountaine the Church triumphant in heauen By sojourning in the Tabernacle is vnderstood the short and transitorie abode of Christians as it were pilgrims in the earth as in a strange land by dwelling in the Mountain of God is signified their perpetuall eternall rest in heauen as in their owne countrey Wherein the Prophet alludeth vnto that materiall Tabernacle which was called the Tabernacle of the assembly or congregation and to the mount Moriah where the Temple was placed the one whereof was a type of the Church militant vpon earth the other was a figure of the Church triumphant in heauen I am not ignorant that both members are by some expounded of the Church militant and by others of the Church triumphant but I follow that exposition which seemeth best to agree with the words and meaning of the holy ghost For the varietie of phrase plainely argueth diuersitie of matter sojourning in Gods Tabernacle being much different from dwelling in the Mountaine of his holinesse And the conclusion of the answere in the last words of the Psalme which without doubt doth render the true meaning of the question belongeth both to this life and to that which is to come He that doth these things shall not beremooued for euer that is he shall neither fall away from the grace of God in this life nor be excluded out of Gods glorious presence in the life to come The sence therefore and meaning of the question is this Lord thou searcher and trier of the hearts and reines of men who art acquainted with all secrets and best knowest who are thine for as much as there is so much vnsoundnesse and hipocrisie among them that professe thy name and frequent the places of thy worship that many deceiue others with a counterfeit shew and some beguile themselues with a false opinion of religion declare I beseech thee vnto thy Church some tokens and cognisances of a true and sound Christian whereby the sheepe may be discerned from the goats and the wheat from tares shew vs Lord who is a sound member of the Church militant here on earth and shal be an inheritor of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen who is a true subject of thy kingdome of grace and shall be an heire of the kingdome of glory And this was the meaning of the question Now let vs come to the words of this text Wherein wee are to consider two things the parts of the question and the partie to whom it is propounded Of the parts wee are to speake first seuerally of either and then joyntly of both together The former part Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle By Tabernacle some as I said vnderstand heauen which elsewhere in the Scriptures is called Gods Tabernacle and not vnsitly seeing the Lord stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in But howsoeuer the name Tabernacles is sometimes figuratiuely vsed to signifie heauenly and euerlasting habitations Notwithstanding it more properly signifieth tents in warre and the flitting habitations of warfaring men And that by Tabernacle is here meant the Church militant the other word of soiourning doth import For heauenly Tabernacles are not tents to sojourne in but mansions of perpetuall habitation and euerlasting rest Basill by Tabernacle vnderstandeth our flesh which the Apostle calleth the â—arthly house of our Tabernacle for our bodies are not onely Tabernacles but Temples also of God As if this were the sence Lord who is he who hauing sojourned as a stranger in this flesh of ours shal at the length rest with thee in thine heauenly kingdome And surely the sence which he giueth is godly for it teacheth that those which shall for euer rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse do liue in this flesh as pilgrims and strangers mortifying their earthly members Notwithstanding his exposition is not fit For according to this interpretation the former part of the question containeth the answere to the latter for so hee sayth He that hath soiourned as a pilgrim in the flesh he shall dwell in the holy mountaine Most fitly therefore by Tabernacle we may vnderstand the Church militant which elsewhere is called the Tabernacle of God and sometimes the house sometimes the Temple of God For a Tabernacle is a militarie mansion and as it were a portable house which hath no fixed seat or setled place Now whereas the holy ghost calleth the Church of God a Tabernacle we learn first that the life of a Christian is a warfare as Iob saith wherein we are to fight against the enemies of our saluation which fight against our soules namely the flesh the world and the diuell Whereupon the Church of God vpon earth is called the Church militant It behooueth therefore euery one of vs that would bee esteemed a true member of the Church to behaue our selues as Christian souldiours fighting vnder the banner of Christ. And for as much as our aduersarie the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour and seeing the flesh lusteth against the spirit sending out of the heart as it were a furnace the sparkles of foolish and noisome lusts which fight against our soules and the world likewise partly by the desires thereof partly by bad examples carrieth vs away to embrace the world to mind earthly things to serue Mammon and to place our paradise here on the earth It behooueth vs therfore both to prepare our selues to this combat and therefore not to bee secure or to sleepe as others but to stand vpon our guard to be sober and vigilant and to arme our selues with that complete armour of God described Eph. 6. and also in the fight valiantly to encounter and constantly to withstand our spirituall enemies to resist the diuell and hee shall flie from vs with the shield of faith to quench his fierie darts and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to refell his assertions and repell his assentations So to vse the world that we doe not ouer-vse it so to possesse worldly things that we be not possessed of them but rather renouncing worldly lusts and being wained from worldly desires to meditate and mind heauenly things To crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie our members which are on the earth liuing not according to the flesh but according to the spirit This warfare is to be entertained this warre is to be maintained of vs if we would be esteemed sound members of the Church militant who sojourning in the Tabernacle of God doe fight in his campe against our spirituall enemies But on the other side if we execute the workes of the diuell giuing our selues ouer vnto sinne and iniquitie if with Demas we embrace
the world following after pleasures riches honours if we conforme our selues to this present world and the examples therof if wee take thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof then are we souldiors indeed but in the diuels campe we fight but vnder Sathans banner against God against the spirit against our owne soules So farre are we either from sojourning in Gods Tabernacle for the preâ—â—nt or from hope of resting in the mountaine of his holinesse for the time to come Secondly whereas the holy ghost calleth the Church of Christ vpon earth a Tabernacle we may learne that neither the Church it selfe nor the members of it haue any firme or fixed seat of habitation on the earth for Tabernacles and Tents are made to that end that they may be remoued froÌ„ place to place Yea the Tabernacle of God was a moueable temple eftsoones changing his seat And as those Israelits were types vnto vs so was that Tabernacle a type of the militant Church For euen as that Tabernacle after it was once made wandered vp and downe in the desert and after sojourned for a while now here now there sometimes in Shilo sometimes among the Philistims somtimes in Keriathjarim c. and neuer found any setled place vntil it was transported into the mountaine of God so the Church of God wandreth many times as a pilgrim in the desert of this world forced oft times to change her seat tossed too and fro persecuted molested banished and neuer findeth any assured place of constant rest vntill it bee translated into the celestiall mountaine of Gods holinesse Thirdly whereas the Church is called the Tabernacle of God as elsewhere in the Scriptures the house and temple of God wherein God dwelleth and manifesteth his presence we may learn that the Lord dwelleth as it were in his Church and after a singular maner is present therein For to this end the Lord commaunded the Tabernacle to be made that he might dwell among them and againe whereas he promiseth by Moses To set his Tabernacle among them and walke among them The Apostle expoundeth his setting his Tabernacle to bee his dwelling among them You are saith he the temple of the liuing God As God hath said I will dwell among them and I wil walke there And to the same purpose elsewhere hee is said to be and to walke in the middest of his people to dwell in Sion and to walke in the middest of the seuen golden candlesticks that is of the seuen churches Now the consideration of Gods presence in his Church ought to make vs warie and circumspect that wee may so behaue our selues as in the presence of God who searcheth the hearts and reines of men For the Lord is not onely present to reward those which worship him in spirit and truth but also to punish and afflict those which feare not to sinne in his presence Wherefore the holy ghost as he chargeth the Israelits not to feare their enemies because God did walke with them and was among them a consuming fire to destroy their enemies so hee commaundeth them to abstaine from sinne because God was among them a consuming fire could not abide any filthinesse especially spirituall vncleannesse among them This therefore must teach vs to set God alwayes before our eyes and to behaue our selues as in his presence knowing that wee are more than shamelesse sinners if wee feare not to sinne in the sight and presence of God But although the Lord bee present euery where in his Church after a speciall manner yet more especially he is present in the assemblies of the Church and congregations of his people gathered together in the name of Christ as Christ himselfe hath promised Matt. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Therefore in the old Testament those who were excluded from the assembly of the Church thought themselues banished from the face presence of God The consideration whereof as it must affect vs with an earnest desire and serious care of frequenting the Tabernacles of God to visit his face and to behold his presence so it must teach vs to behaue our selues in the assembly of Gods saints as in the presence of God Dauid when he was exiled or otherwise excluded from the assemblies of the Church he desired nothing more than that hee might haue libertie to come vnto the Tabernacle of God and to appear in the presence of God See Psal. 27. 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his temple And Psal. 42. As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God c. Likewise Ps. 84. O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy Tabernacles my soule longeth yea fainteth that I might come to the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crie out after the liuing God c. And when he had liberty to come to the Tabernacle he rejoyced in nothing more Psal. 122. Ireioyced when they said vnto me we will go into the house of the Lord. And again Psal. 84. he judgeth them blessed that dwell in the house of the Lord and preferreth one day spent in the Courts of the Lord before a thousand elswhere But as I said the presence of God must also moue vs to behaue our selues reuerently and religiousâ—y that before we come vnto the house of the Lord we look vnto our feet that is examine with what affections wee come and not onely so but also to put off the shoes of our feet that is our corrupt affections that we may bee readie to heare rather than to offer the sacrifice of fooles for the place of the assembly being sanctified by Gods presence is holy ground And that when we are entred into the assembly we may after the example of Cornelius behaue our selues as in the presence of God Those which come before an earthly prince either to speake vnto him or to heare him speake how carefull are they to behaue themselues in all comely reuerence how much more ought wee in all reuerence and feare appeare before the glorious majestie of the great God the King of kings and Lord of lords especially considering that the Lord doth not behold vs as man doth but looketh especially vnto the heart Our abode in the Church militant is signified in the word soiourne Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who shall soiourne Sojourning saith Basil is a temporarie abode signifying not a setled life but transitorie
hast sayth he vnto the Lord shewed vnto thy seruant Dauâ—d my father great mercy when he walked before thee in truth and in righteousnesse and in vprightnesse of heart with thee Of Ezechias you heard before But omitting other examples let vs call to mind the example of Enoch by which being the first in this kind we may best conceiue what account the Lord maketh of Integritie For when as he walked before God vprightly the Lord did therfore translate him out of this valley of teares that he should not see death and assumed him into heauen where he might inioy immortall glorie But if neither the golden reason of excellency can moue vs nor the siluer reason of profit allure vs then must the yron reason of necessitie enforce vs to Integrity and vprightnesse of heart For first such is the necessity thereof that without Integritie the best graces we seeme to haue are counterfeit and therefore but glorious sinnes the best worship we can performe is but hypocrisie and therefore abhominable in Gods sight For vprightnesse is the soundnesse of all graces and virtues as also of all religion and worship of God without which they are vnsound and nothing worth And first as touching graces if they be not ioyned with vprightnesse of hart they are sinnes vnder the maskes or vizards of virtue yea as it may seeme double sinnes for as Augustine sayth Simulata aequitas est duplex iniquitas quia iniquitas est simulatio Fained equitie is double iniquity both because it is iniquitiâ— and because it is â—aining Wherefore in the Scriptures it is required that our faith should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained that is such a faith as inwardly purifieth the hart and outwardly worketh by loue otherwise it is not a true and a liuely but a counterfeit and dead faith Likewise our loue must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained that is as Iohn saith we must loue not in speech and tongue but in deed and truth Or as Paul speaketh our loue must proceed from a pure heart a good conscience and â—aith vnfained Our wisedome also must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without dissimulation not that mixt or Machiuilian prudence which politicke men in the world so greatly praise being mixed with hypocrisie and deceit but that prudence of serpents tempered with the simplicitie of Doues otherwise it is as Iames saith earthly carnall and diuellish Lastly our repentance and conuersion vnto God must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained and from our whole hart For it is not the renting of the garments but of the heart that pleaseth God Neither is it the bowing of the head like a Bul-rush but the humiliation the melting the contrition of the heart that is acceptable before him Such as was the repentance of Iosiah 2. King 22. not as that of Achab 1. King 21. nor yet as that of the dissembling Israelites who made semblance of repentance and turning to God but their heart was not vpright with him If therefore without vprightnesse our faith be dead our loue cold our wisedome diuellish our repentance counterfeit then is vprightnes no lesse necessary to saluation then I say not any one of these graces but theÌ„ all But as those graces which we may seeme to haue without vprightnes are couÌ„terfeit so our religion worship of God without it is hipocrisie For although it be the common practise of meÌ„ not only to content themselues with a profession of religion pietie towards God neglecting the duties of charitie towards men but also to rest in an outward and bodily worship notwithstanding it is no true religion before God which is altogether wanting in the duties of charitie neither is the outward worship without the inward acceptable vnto God This is notably declared in the Prophecy of Micah where to the hypocrite demanding wherewith he should come before the Lord and bow himselfe before the high God and making large offers if outward seruice would stand for good payment Shall I come before him saith he with burnt offerings and Calues of a yeare old will the Lord he pleased with thousands of Rammes or with ten thousand riuers of oyle shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Answer is made He hath shewed thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely towards men to do iustly and to loue mercie and towards God to humble thyselfe to walke with thy God The reasonable seruice that is the spirituall worship of God is that liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth As for bodily exercise that profiteth little yea if it be seuered from the spirituall it hurteth much Therefore the Prophet denounceth the fearefull judgements of God against those who comming neere vnto him with their mouth and honoring him with their lippes do notwithstanding remoue their heart farre from him But the truth of this doctrine will more clearely appeare if we shall descend into the particuler consideration of the seuerall parts of Gods worship As first of prayer to the acceptable performance whereof there is required vprightnesse not onely in the action it selfe but also in the life of him that prayeth For as touching the action it selfe it is not sufficient to moue the lippes or to vtter a certaine number of words as Papists and other hopocrites do but our prayer if it shall be acceptable must also be a prayer of the heart and of the spirit a lifting vp of the soule a lifting vp of the heart with the hands a pouring forth of the soule before the Lord and to pray aright is to pray with our whole heart with an vpright heart out of a pure heart with lippes vnfained finally it is to pray in truth that is in vprightnesse and to this vpright prayer is the promise of hearing our prayer restrained Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is neere to them that call vpon him What to all yea to all saith the Prophet of purpose excluding hypocrites that call vpon him in truth For the Lord in our prayers doth not so much regard our tongue as our heart As for them which draw neare vnto the Lord with their lippes and are remooued from him in their heart they abuse the Maiesty of God whiles crying vnto him but not from their hearts they lye vnto God and go about to deceiue him with their lippes and by their hypocrisie to cast as it were a mist before his eyes But herein they are greatly deceiued For how soeuer masking vnder the vizards of hypocrisie they may hide themselues from men yet before God such maskers do as it were daunce in a net for before him all things
dwell in the holy mountaine of God are such as walke vprightly that is without hypocrisie towards God without guile towards men Now this guile or dissembling or doubling or hypocrisie for so sometimes it is called which is opposed vnto simplicitie is twofold in word and in fact in word when one thing is said and another thought which in the Scriptures phrase is speaking with an heart and an heart This diuorce betwixt the mind and the tongue is detestable vnto God and odious to ingenious men sometimes also it is called in the Scriptures a deceitfull tongue which the Lord sayth should not be found in the remnant of Israel Sometimes a mouth of deceit as Psal. 109. such as is described Psal. 55. The words of his mouth are softer than butter whiles warre was in his heart his words were more supple than oyle yet were they swords and Ieâ—em 9. their tongue is an arrow shot out and speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in his heart he layeth ambushments for him But what followes shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this If therefore wee would escape the judgements of God and desire to liue a long and prosperous life We must keepe our tongues from euill and our lips that they speake no guile following as I said before the simplicitie of the lambe of God in whose mouth there was found no guile Dissembling in fact is when one thing is pretended and another intended or as Augustine speaketh Dolus est cum aliud agitur aliud fingitur In which doubling the wisdome of our Polititians brought vp at Machiauels feet doth principally consist the practise whereof is now growne so vsuall that commonly it is said Qui nescit dissimulare nescit viuere he that knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to liue Howbeit more truly it is said and by warrant of Scripture Qui vadit planè vadit sanè He that walketh plainely walketh safely Prou. 10. He that walketh vprightly walketh safely but he that peruerteth his wayes shall be knowne namely as an example to others The highest degree of this deceit is that which we call cony-catching or cousenage when as a man by cunning trickes and artificiall fetches ouerreacheth his neighbour when with his tongue concinnat dolum he trimly forgeth deceit and in his deeds layeth wait for his brother setting snares and nets to catch men as fowlers doe for birds or as cony-catchers doe for rabbets bunting his brother with a net as the Prophet Micah speaketh Now as simplicitie in the Scriptures is commended vnto vs as a note of the true sheepe of Christ imitating the simplicitie of the lambe of God so deceit and guile is condemned as a propertie of those who resemble the image of Satan the old serpent the forger of deceit and the father of lies For if he be a true Christian in whom there is no guile what is hee in whom no simplicitie or plaine dealing is to be found If in the remnant of Israel a deceitfull tongue shall not be found then belong not they to the Israell of God who with their tongues doe forge deceit If true Christians be the sheepe of Christ resembling his simplicitie in whom there was found no guile what then are those foxes and wolues who imitate the old serpent in subtiltie and deceit If those which shall rest in the holy mountaine of God be such as doe walke in vprightnesse and simplicitie then haue they no inheritance in the kingdome of heauen who walke in dissimulation and deceit And this may further appeare by the Lords prohibitions censures and threatnings denounced against deceit It is forbidden Leu. 19 You shall not lie nor vse deceit one towards another And 1. Thess. 4 We are charged not to goe beyond or ouerreach our brother or to defraud him in any matter It is censured as a sinne odious vnto God A man of deceit God hateth It is reckoned Rom. 1 among the crimes of the Gentiles giuen ouer to a reprobate sence that they were full of guile And Ezec. 22 among the abhominations of Ierusalem for which destruction is threatened against it that they made gaine of their neighbours by deceit And lastly the judgements of God are denounced against it Psal. 55 The deceitfull men shall not attaine to the halfe of their dayes 1. Thess. 4. 6 The Lord is a reâ—enger of such things namely of cousenage and deceit And in the place before cited shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule be auenged on sucâ— a nation as this To conclude therefore this first note seeing vprightnesse is made a proper marke of the true child of God and citisen of heauen whereas contrariwise dissimulation and deceit are the brands of the wicked it behooueth euery one to apply this note to himselfe Doost thou walk vprightly without hypocrisie towards God without guile towards man happy and blessed art thou for thou shalt see God and as thou now art a sound member of the Church militant so shalt thou be an inheritour of glory in the triumphant Doest thou not walke in sinceritie towards God and simplicitie towards men but in hypocrisie and dissimulation then most fearefull is thine estate vnlesse thou repent for thou hast no part or fellowship in the doctrine of saluation or in the communion of Saints but thy portion shall bee assigned thee with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth The second note of a citisen of heauen is Righteousnesse For to the Prophet demaunding who is a sonne and heire of God the Lord answereth He that worketh righteousnesse Where first we are to consider the sence of the words and then are wee to shew that the working of Righteousnesse is a proper marke of those who liuing in the Church are appointed to eternall life Iustice is that vertue which giueth to euery one that which is due vnto him And it is either vniuersall or particular The vniuersall summarily compriseth al those duties which we owe to our neighbour and is therefore said to containe all other morall vertues within it according to the testimonie of the auntient Poet which to this purpose is alleadged by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In iustice is all vertue summarily comprised The particular Iustice is either Distributiue or Commutatiue The Distributiue is that which hauing place in distributing rewards or punishments obserueth a Geometricall proportion according to the worthinesse of men or their deserts The Commutatiue iustice is that which hauing place in Contracts obserueth an Arithmeticall proportion in the equalitie of the things commuted But of the vniuersall righteousnesse this place is especially to be vnderstood the summe whereof is that law royall as Saint Iames
The righteous shall neuer be remoued And so certaine is the saluation of the righteous that the booke of the liuing is the booke of the just eternall glorie is the crowne of righteousnesse the rising againe vnto glory is the resurrection of the just And as justice containeth all those vertues which haue reference to our neighbour so the reward of it is the heape of all rewards namely blessednesse For as the Scriptures testifie blessed are those that worke righteousnesse and not onely they but those also which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse are blessed Wherefore seeing not onely in this place but elsewhere also in the Scriptures eternall life is promised to those that worke righteousnesse the consideration of this reward ought to be a motiue to prouoke and stirre vs vp to the exercise of justice Which I do not speake to this end as though the workes of justice were to be performed with that mind as that we should hope thereby to be justiâ—ied before God or by them to merit eternall life for that is an opinion sacrilegious and blasphemous against Christ whose justice alone apprehended by faith justifieth vs before God and maketh vs accepted vnto eternall life In respect of which justice we are to esteeme all our owne merits if we had any as dung that we may gaine Christ and may be found in him not hauing our owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is by the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God through faith And therefore if we desire that the workes of righteousnesse which we do performe should be acceptable vnto God they are not to be performed to that end that we might by them attaine to justification or saluation for good works performed to that end are glorious sins but in doing the workes of righteousnes these ends are to be propounded First in respect of God that we may glorifie him for which end we were elected created redeemed regenerated For by the workes of righteousnesse God is glorified Herâ—in saith our Sauiour Christ is my father glorified that ye beare much fruit For which cause Paul prayeth for the Philippians that they might be filled with the fruit of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Neither is God glorified in vs alone but in others also which are the witâ—esses of our good deeds Therefore Christ exhorteth vs so to let our light shine before men that they seeing our good workes may glorifie our father which is in heauen And Peter likewise counselleth vs so to haue our conuersation honest among the Gentiles that by our good workes which they shall see they may glorifie God in the day of the visitation Secondly that we may testifie our thankfulnesse vnto God for all his benefits bestowed vpon vs and may auoid the punishment which is due to vnthankfulnes For whereas the Lord in lieu of all his benefits both temporal and spirituall as election vocation redemption regeneration expecteth at our hands these fruits alone of holines and righteousnes assuredly it were vnthankfulnes vntollerable if either we should be barren of good fruits or bring forth euill fruit For wherefore hath the Lord elected vs that we might be saued howsoeuer we should liue No but he hath elected vs that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue Why hath Christ redeemed vs from the hand of our spirituall enemies that being freed from them we might sinne the more freely No but that being deliuered from the hand of our spirituall enemies we might worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Wherefore hath he freed vs from the seruitude of sinne that we might haue freedome to sin No he hath freed vs from sinne that we might be the seruants of righteousnesse and being now freed from sinne and made seruants vnto God we haue our fruit in holinesse and the end euerlasting life Why did he beare our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse that we liuing in sin should not die for them No he bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne might liue in righteousnesse Wherefore doth he regenerate vs by his spirit and as it were create vs anew that we should doe nothing our selues NO Wee are the workmanship of God created in Christ Ksus to good workes which God hath prepared that we should walke in them Why doth hee bestow his temporall benefits vpon vs that like well pampered horses we should kicke against our Lord and Maister No he crowneth vs with his manifold blessing to this end that we might keepe his statutes and obserue his lawes For what else doth the Lord require of thee which art the people of God in lieu of all his mercies but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thoukeepe the Commandements of the Lord and his ordinances which he commaundeth thee for thy wealth Let vs remember that we are trees of righteousnesse which the Lord hath planted in his garden that is his Church that we may bring forth the fruit of righteousnesse But if he shall come to seeke fruit as euery yeare he commeth and shall find none howsoeuer he may forbeare for a time yet at the length he shall cut downe the vnfruitfull trees for he cannot abide that they should cumber the ground and make it also barren Let vs remember that we are the branches of the vine which if we be vnfruitfull the Lord wil cut off Let vs consider that the axe is layd to the root of euery tree that euery one which bringeth not forth fruit may be cut off and cast into the fire Againe in respect of our neighbour we are to worke righteousnesse that we may helpe him either with the benefit or the example of our good worke For the benefit of justice belongeth to others For whereas other vertues are referred to the good of him that hath them justice onely seemeth to be the good of another man for justice attendeth the duty of one man to another but in other vertues is attended the duty of the inferiour faculties vnto reason as one saith But thou mayst helpe thy neighbour also by the example of thy good worke For when thou goest before thy brother with the light of thy good example thou shalt gaine him vnto Christ if he be not already wonne vnto him that he also may glorifie God in the day of the visitation Or if he be already ingrafted into Christ by thy good example thou shalt edifie him and as the Apostle testifieth of the Corinthians thou shalt prouoke him to good workes Lastly we are to performe the workes of righteousnesse in respect of our selues