wee euer finde mercy in time of need which the same God grant for his Sonnes sake to whom with the holy Ghost be ascribed all power and glory for euer Amen Text. And be doing good c. FRom piety to pity is a iust consequence the gradation of the Prophet is excellent from sure confidence to ready obedience in which hee requireth that the inward and outward man may be both exercised The former words strooke at the heart Trust in the Lord but these at the hand at the outward conuersation and hee doing good The streames cannot chuse but be wholesome if the fountayne be sweet For euen as the Sunne cannot bee without lire the fire without heat the body without a shadow no more can sayth and good workes be separated hence it is that S. Iames challengeth an outward obedience answerable to an inward confidence Shew mee thy fayth by thy works thou sayst thou beleeuest shew it by thy doing good This beneficence which we ow to men by doing good is not onely in this place glanced at or barely repeated by the Prophet but called for in many more places of the holy Scripture as Heb. 13. To doe good forget not and in many more places and is expressed in the variety of no lesse then foure epithites 1. Doing good 2. being rich in good workes 3. ready to distribute 4. willing to commun cate diuers words all to one sence all is but beneficence doing of good This ingeminating lest any Atheist might quarrell at this waste is not any way superfluous The Scriptures redouble the same wordes without fault of Tautologie a redoubling of the same sence in diuers words without idlenesse Aug. Verbatoties incul ata viua sunt vera sunt sana sunt plana sunt as an ancient well sayth There is feruour in these repetitions not loosenesse God would haue our duty so plainely set downe that hee that runneth may read it As it was wont for this cause to be obserued both in counsels and acclamations to Princes how oft the same word was reiterated that by the frequence they might iudge of the vehemency of affection It were easie to instance in many of this kinde as especially Exod. 25.35 Psa 89.30 Ioh. 1.20 and in many more places This heape of words therefore shewes the vehement intention of his desire of good workes whence I obserue That it is not left arbitrary to vs Doctr. that wee may doe good if we will but there is an important necessity of the performance of good Illustr That it is layd vpon vs as our charge and duty it is euident from hence in that it is positiuely by way of precept set downe hoc fact be doing good The very maner of the expression heereof in Timothy enforceth no lesse where it is sayde Charge the rich that they doe good and be rich in doing good in which place as in this text confidence in God and beneficence to men goe hand in hand together neyther as I spake is it left as arbitrary to vs to doe or leaue vndone but if wee sayle in this latter we are guilty of the former For this is our charge and our duty we must be doing good and woe be to vs if wee doe not This is nor a counsell but a precept although I might say of God as we speake of Princes Sic volo sic iubeo stat pro ratiom voluntas his will is his command And forasmuch as you see them linked together and coupled in the text I may iustly conclude the same necessity that there is of trusting in God the same is in doing good to men Hence it is that the Apostle S. Iames so often calleth for deeds Quid verba audiam cumfacta videam What auayleth Iacobs voyce when we haue none other then Esaus hands Not the hearers but the doers of the law are iustified And againe See that yee bee doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues wherein the Apostle sheweth that God is better delighted with obedience then sacrifice with doings rather then sayings a lesson fit for our time wherein too many make perfunctory hearing of Sermons both duty and fruit of their Religion neuer doing any other good then hearing how to doe good hauing a contemplatiue but cold Christianity in them as if they did ow nothing but their cares vnto the Lord whereas he who speaketh by eare to the heart speaketh to the eare but for the heart that we may heare with reuerence and beleeue to obedience and make them both perfect by our doing good And not onely S. Iames is for doing good but all the belles of Aaron and Christ ring the same peale For Deut. 4.1 Hearken O Israel vnto the Lawes which I teach you to doe Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers but the doers are righteous before God Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Ioh. 14.21 Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth me To which purpose S. Aug. speaketh notablie Tract 75. in Ioan. Qui habet in memoria seruat in vita qui habet in sermonibus seruat in moribus qui habet audiendo seruat faciendo aut qui habet faciendo perseuerando ipse est qui diligit me He that hath my word in memory and sheweth it in his life which hath it in mouth and sheweth it in his maners that hath it in hearing and sheweth it in doing that hath it in doing and sheweth it in perseuering this is he that loueth me For as the same Father saith Lex Dei tenetur non audiendo sed obediendo Eyist 107. non lectione sed dilectione So S. Hierome Scripturarum cupimus verba in opera vertere non dicere sancta sed facere So the rest of that sacred society haue well obserued that Christian Religion consisteth in practise more then in theorie being an occupation rather then a meere profession of doing good De virtute loqui minimum virtutibus vti Hâ—c â—â—bor hoc opus est as Persius spake hoc Sampsonis opus est as Tertullian And not the worke of Sampson but also of Solomon not onely of a strong man but in very deed of a wise man euen as our Sauiour in the Gospell sheweth saying Whoso heareth my words and doeth them I will liken him to a wise man which had built his house on a rocke Matth. 7.24 Moreouer the Prophet Dauid sheweth what priuiledge belongeth to him that escheweth euill and doth good in his Ep phonema or conclusion of the 15. Psalme Whoso doth these things shall neuer fall In which words as iudicious Caluin notes the Prophet doth not say he that hears these things or he that knowes these things or he who can discourse of these things but he that doth these things for as we iudge of the corporall health of the heart not by the words of the mouth or colour of the countenance but by
the precept as touching our faith trust thou in the Lord. Hauing then thus farre acquainted you with the scope of the holy Ghost at large that the children of God when they see themselues in great misery and the wicked flourishing as a greene Bay tree ought not to bee amazed at this nor to fret hereat or be filled with indignation or because they are like a fat Oxe fatted for the day of slaughter whereas the children of God must bee exercised with many afflictions lest with the world they should be condemned 2 That their light afflictions which are but temporall may be crowned with glory which is eternall And for this cause to trust in the Lord whence I obserue that in all troubles and trials whatsoeuer Doctr. and at all times we ought confidently to trust in the Lord. 1. The place is a confirmation of this truth Illustr as it is vsed here by way of precept trust thou in Iehouah To this purpose is that of Dauid in God is my saluation and my glory the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God Trust in him at all times yee people poure out your hearts before him God is a refuge for vs. In which the Prophet not only biddeth and exhorteth vs to trust in him but moreouer addeth a reason drawne from the profitable effect of such confidence because he is a refuge to helpe vs and deliuer vs. To this place is that of Solomon Pro. 3.5 trust in the Lord with all thy heart and leane not to thine owne vnderstanding 2 This hath beene the practise of the children of God in all troubles and in all times as is proued from the example of that godly and faithfull King who when the Moabites and Ammonites came against him to battell after he had prayed vnto the Lord for helpe and deliuerance as the people went forth into the wildernesse of Tekoa 2 Chro. 20.20 Iehosaphat stood and said Heare me O Iudah and yee inhabitants of Ierusalem trust in the Lord your God so shall yee be established beleeue his Prophets so shall yee prosper An example we haue in good Iacob who trusting in the Lord was not afraid to returne to his owne Country notwithstanding the malice which his brother Esau had conceiued against him Gen. 31.3 because hee beleeued that God who commanded him to goe would also defend him The like might I say concerning the rest of the Patriarchs Noah Abraham Lot Isaac Ioseph Dauid Daniel together with the sacred quire of reuerend antiquity summoned by the Author to the Hebrewes who through faith subdued Kingdomes Heb. 11 3â— wrought righteousnesse obtained the promise stopped the mouth of Lions quenched the violence of the fire escaped the edge of the sword waxed valiant in battell and turned to slight the armies of Aliants By euidence whereof we see that if we trust in God and cast our care on him he is such a father of mercies and God of all comfort that he will also care for vs. For which cause our Sauiour said to his disciples let not your hearts be troubled you beleeue in God beleeue also in me Ioh. 14.1 c. A little faith then euen as small as a graine of Mustard seed is able to make vs list vp our heads in the middest of all troubles and to remoue euen Mountaines of distrusts out of our soules Therefore in the description of the spirituall armour faith is compared to a buckler or shield Ephes 6.16 which guardeth especially the head and heart that is as it may be construed the vnderstanding and will ut non turbetur intellectus Diez com 1. in fest Phil. Iacol non formidet affectus that we be not troubled in our vnderstanding nor made fearfull in our affection By faith the children of God haue beene more bold then Lions and enabled to doe euen all things When Taxaris saw his Countriman Anacharsis in Athens he said vnto him I will at once shew thee all the wonders of Greece Lucianus in Scytha visâ— Solone vidisti omnia in seeing Solon thou seest all euen Athens it selfe and all the glory of the Greeks In like manner I may tell a true Christian hast thou saith and assured trust in the Lord thou hast more then all the wonders of Greece vpon the point all the wonderfull gifts of grace for faith is a mother vertue from whence all other spring and without which our best actions are but splendida peccata shining sinnes Rom. 14.24 most necessary then that we trust in the Lord. And not without great reason 1 Because if we trust not in the Lord as touching grace we are dead 1 Reason as long as we liue we breath and labour for life euen in death faith is the life of grace the death of all sinne Hab. 2.4 hence it is said the iust man liueth by his faith and liuing hereby his soule trusteth in the Lord hee looketh cheerfully to God hauing the spirit of boldnesse insomuch that we may say of him Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum ferient ruinae if the mountaines should be remoued and cast headlong into the Sea still hee standeth his ground yea Terra fremat regna alta crepent ruat orcus ortus Si modo firma fides nulla ruina nocet If that all the world should crack in peeces neuerthelesse he standeth fast and firme grounded on the rock fixed like the Mount Sion Psal 129. not to be remoued at any time by any meanes for he trusteth in the Lord and vnder the shadow of his wings is the righteous mans refuge till the tyrannie of Satan Psal 57. sinne death and hell be ouerpast for he hath if I may so say the life-blood of the soule true faith in the Lord and relieth on his promises and therefore cannot miscarrie Whereas on the other side a faithlesse man and distrustfull in all troubles whatsoeuer is ready not onely to sincke vnder his burden but also to giue vp the ghost It is with them as it was with Nabal a distrustfull person hath a head like Nabal a heart like Nabal when he heareth of any troubles and crosses not to be vndergone but which hee hath escaped ignorantly â— Sam. 25.37 His heart presently dieth within him and he becommeth as a stone Physitians tell vs that in mans body the arteres running along the veines do beat vpon them and stir vp the blood lest congeling it should waxe cold so in the soule of the godly true fayth beateth in time of all distresse and keepeth it aliue in the wicked as in Nabal it moueth not and therefore in necessity either they die with griefe as he did or with Achitophel hang themselues or with Saul run in distresse to the witch of Endor to hell for helpe whereas the children of God wait vpon him for deliuerance with patience and with confidence trust in the Lord. Because fayth is the only meanes wherby
l. 1. c. 13. Deus uâ—que laborat in maximis neque fastidit in minimis Amb. in Hexam lib. 5. cap. 2. Indeed the Poet sayd Non vacat exigu is rebus adesse Iovi But the Scripture otherwise that the very haires of our head are numbred Mat. 10.30 and that not so much as a sparrow which is sold for a farthing can fall on the ground without our heauenly fathers prouidence Disponit membraculicis pulicis as Augustine In Psal 148. For besides his generall prouidence which is seene in the gouernment of the whole vniuerse Calvin Instis lib. 1. c. 16. he hath a speciall also mode rating euery singular action and accident Who dwelling on high Aquin. 1. part quaest 22. art 2. Caiet ibid. Heb. 1.3 Wisd 8.1 beholdeth vs as Emmots vpon the mole hils of the earth in whom we liue and moue and haue our being For it is written he supporteth all things by his mighty word He reacheth from one end to another and ordereth all things sweetly Omnia non solum permissa à Deo sed etiam immissa as one saith Lip sius Constâ—nâ— lib. 1. Cap. 14. so that nothing falleth out by blinde humane chance but by diuine choise The Lord doeth not onely suffer and see what is done heere below but also disposeth of euery particular euent to the glory of his name and good of his children He beheld Dauid in his trouble Daniel in his dungeon Peter in his prison and ordered their short affliction to their endlesse consolation In that then though he dwelleth on high hee humbleth himselfe to behold the things below In that he keepeth Israel Psal 121.4 which doth neither slumber nor sleepe In that he graueth his children on the palmes of his hands Isay 49.16 In that he heareth the very grones of his children in their closets Psal 38.9 and maketh their beds in their sicknesse Psal 41.3 In that as Augustine sweetly hee taketh care for all his children as if all were but one Confes l. â— c. 11. and for euery particular as if one were all Because of this diuine and most blessed prouidence Trust in the Lord. Vnto these we might further adde many more forcible reasons grounded on the person in my text as namely sixthly from the power seuenthly from the mercy eightly from the loue ninthly from the wisdome tenthly from the goodnesse adde also the truth of Iehouah and looke how many meditations you may conceiue concerning God so many reasons you haue to Trust in the Lord. Whatsoeuer he is he is it to vs and for vs because hee is the Lord Iehouah our God wherefore let vs trust in the Lord. Thus farre of the Doctrine and the Illustration thereof by Scripture and by reason Proceed wee now to the vse of this Doctrine which is diuerse Vse 2 It serueth first for our information I. Iohn 14.1 we ought alwayes to trust in Iehouah Our Sauiour so enformeth and comforteth his disciples Let not your hearts be troubled yee beleeue in the father beleeue also in me in whatsoeuer dangers of soule or of body of life or of death ye may bee yet be not discouraged but trust in the Lord. Dolosum aerumnosum est cor hominis as the heart of man is aboue all things deceitfull so is it distrustfull For as S. Basill to this purpose speaketh In Psal 44. we are of one condition in prosperity but of another in aduersitie as it is most plainly exemplified vnto vs in that example of Peter in Matth. 26.33.69 Fortune saith Seneca freeth many from punishment Epist 61. 79. but none from feare many and manifold dangers like waues comming fast one on the backe of another one griefe calling on another as the clouds burst foorth with raine Many and fearfull are those dangers whereunto the life of man is liable yet if God be for vs what shall be against vs if our trust be grounded on the Lord Psal 46.2.3.4 if our confidence be sure we need not feare though the earth bee remoued and though the mountaines be cast into the middest of the Sea though the waters thereof roare and bee troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof though the world be lifted off the hinges and all things be turned vpside downe though all things goe the cleane contrary way in a word though the Sunne be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood though the pillars of the earth and the powers of heauen be shaken yea though the frame of the world like the temple of Dagon fall ratling vpon our heads yet we will not feare for as Dauid saith Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and my deliuerer my God my strengh in whom I will trust my buckler and the horne of my saluation and my high tower God is our Captaine therefore like Souldiers wee will rely vpon his warinesse and watchfulnesse God is our Shepheard therefore like sheepe wee shall sleepe in peace vnder his staffe God is our Pilot therefore like passengers sayling in great waters we shall be without feare vnder the protection of his care and experience God is our King therefore like subiects we will feare no inuasion of enemies no want of prouision vnder his so well-ordered gouernment God is our father therefore like to his children we will feare no ill vnder his armes O trust in the Lord for he is the Lord of hosts 1 Sam 15.45 Antigonus King of Syria as Plutarch speaketh being ready to giue battell by sea bard by the Isle Andros In Pelopida answered one of his men who told him that his enemies had more ships then he For how many men reckonest thou me indeed the dignity of the Generall is much to be esteemed when it is sorted with prowesse and experience But where is there prowesse where experience if it be not in the Lord Therefore Iob excellently saith hee is wise in heart and mighty in strength Who hath hardned himselfe against him and hath prospered Iob. 9.4 Surely saith Dauid Psal 3.8 Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord. And the Prophet Esay saith Esay 43.11 I euen I am he and besides me there is no Sauiour For as none can deliuer out of his hand so none can deliuer as he can To the righteous he is a shield Psalme 5.12 To the weake strength Psalme 22.12 To the oppressed a refuge Psalme 9.9 To the persecuted a fortresse Psalme 91.2.9 To the Sun-burnt with afflictions he is a shadow To those that are exiled for righteousnesse sake bee is a well furnished habitation To the thirsty he is a well of water as to Sampson To the pursued he is a wall of defence as to the Israelites To the hungry hee is the bread of life To the faint he is a bed of downe To the miserable he is a deliuerer neither are his deliueries palliatiue cures easing as cold water in a feuer onely for the
Next vnto God what greater loue can be shewed then to our selues But wherein can greater loue to our selues bee shewed then in quieting of our consciences whereby our election may bee made sure This latter as touching our selues depending vpon the former viz. the peace of conscience this againe depending vpon our doing of good which by more then a multitude of examples might bee shewed what was that which quieted the conscience and sealed the election of good Hezekiah but onely this comfortable consideration of his well doing Remember O Lord how I haue walked before thee with an vpright heart Esay 38. And not onely Hezekiah but all the children of God in the middest of many fold temptations and spirituall conuulsions haue beene so mainly sustayned that with Paul Rom. 14. they haue beene comfortably resolued and constantly assured that whether we liue we liue vnto the Lord or whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether we liue therefore or die we are the Lords Except then wee endeauour our selues by doing of good we cannot haue a good conscience without a good conscience and peace with it selfe there is no peace to be had with God Hence in a common popular apprehension a good conscience is said to be a ioyfull remembrance of a well-led life ioyned with an hopefull expectation of a comfortable death and a glorious resurrection In respect whereof it hath beene termed the paradise of the soule the iubile of the heart laetitia cordis quasi latitia a surpassing inward solace so dilating and enlarging of the heart for some good in possession more in expectation that the ioy thereof can neither be suppressed nor expressed Bona conscientia saith Bernard is titulus religionis templum Solomonis ager benedictionis hortus deliciarum gaudium angelorum A good conscience is the title and crowne of religion the temple of Solomon the field of benediction the garden of delight the ioy of Angels and Sanctuary of the holy Ghost the tranquility of the minde that heauenly musick whereon the old Philosophers doubtfully harped but the good Christians heart only heareth it and antwereth it with iust measures of ioy which spirituall harmony as a song of three parts consisteth in a throefold peace supra with God aboue vs. extra with men without vs. intra and the soule within vs. O heauenly peace whereby we are at league with God with our neighbours with our selues O peace passing all vnderstanding which in respect of the minds tranquillity ioyned thereby is like to the hidden Manna and white stone wherein a name is written which no man knoweth but he that enioyeth it Reu. 2 17. O royall feast farre excelling that of Ahasuerosh which lasted but ninescore daies for this is for eternity whereat Angels are Cooks and Butlers and the blessed Trinity gladsome guests as Luther boldly speakes without intermission of solace or interruption of societie A feast in life refreshing the soule with daitnty cates of diuine comfort A feast in sicknesse when worldly hopes hang downe their head like a bulrush A feast in death when world and worldly comforts and comforters forsake vs. A feast in the resurrection and after that a feast for euermore If then this be not a sufficient motiue and reason to mooue vs to the doing of good let me shew you another Reason 3 Because in doing good we shall so shew our loue to our neighbours and that in a twofold respect 1 to witnesse our faith vnto them 2 to winne them to Christ That we shall thus make a reall manifestation of our faith Saint Iames sheweth when he saith Shew me thy faith by thy works Iames 2.18 Faith if it haue not works is dead being alone Yea a man may say thou hast faith and I haue works shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works And againe Without works faith is dead And as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also vers last Man can iudge no further then hee hath warrant from outward appearance although God doth iudge the heart it is necessary therefore that of a good tree there be also some good fruits So Christ either make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree euill and the fruit euill and that we should witnesse our faith to men our Sauiour most plainely sheweth where he saith Le before men that they may see your good works And that thereby they may bee wonne and so glorifie your Father which is in heauen To this purpose is that of the Apostle S. Paul 1. Cor. 7.14 The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife by the husband else were your children vncleane but now they are holy And in the 16. verse For what knowest thou ô man whether thou shalt saue thy wife or what knowest thou ô wife whether thou shalt saue thy husband As if he had sayd Thou maiest by thy holy life and good conuersation be a meanes to winne him or her to Christ Euen as the barke of the tree is a beauty or ornament and secondly a couer to it so for men are likened to trees a good conuersation is an ornament to a Christian corpus tegens cor protegens decking the soule inwardly and protecting the body outwardly and moouing good respect to both A good outside though not alwaies argues a good inside a good conuersation a signe of sanctification Vertuous and holy maners are compared to precious treasures which are commodious to our selues and others To our selues ad iustificandum but not effectiuely for so we are iustified by Christ But not apprehensiuely for so wee are iustified by fayth But yet declaratiuely by iust and holy workes So our Sauior of himselfe The works that I haue done beare witnesse what I am 2. To others ad adificandum that they seeing our good workes may glorifie our father which is in heauen and so be wonne by our godlie life and conuersation For Vinitur exemplis man is led by practise more then instruction like pliable wax for any impression Nothing more forcible and perswasiue with the vulgar then examples which are as looking glasses to the eies of men Validiora sunt exempla quam verba as Bernard A good man saith a good Father carbo lampas est Grag in Ezech. bom 1. he is a coale burning and a lampe shining sibi ardet alijs lucet He doth warme his owne conscience and heats himselfe well and sheweth a good light vnto others also Euen as by the bush wee iudge that there is wine so men iudge of our hearts by the outward countenance and God of our workes by the inward conscience For Sermo interpres cordis apud virum cor interpres sermouis apud Deum saith Philo Iudaeus Men according to our outward parts but God according to our inward hearts Paul for this cause exhorteth those which professe Christ to haue their