that haunt both land and sea do tremble at Gods scourge vnder whom the whole worlde doeth quake These Atheists therefore are more incredulous than the verie deuils and least they shoulde tremble with the deuils do choake vp all remembrance of God yet hath experience from time to time euen to this daie taught vs that they which most impudently would seeme to beleeue no diuinity haue bin are the first loudest confessers of the same wheÌ„soeuer it vouchsafeth to be reueled by thuÌ„der earthquakes such other extraordinary works for the horrible terror which then affrighteth theÌ„ forceth theÌ„ euen to cry out and confes that their deniall of God groweth onely of their drousines in his ordinary workes considering that being wakened by the extraordinary effectes of his power with trembling and terror they acknowledge that there is a God Againe euen in Gods ordinarie workes they doo by speech confes that which they wil not beleeue For wheÌ„ they say it raineth it snoweth it haileth it blustreth it is hot it is cold c. If a man should demand who doth all this it would amaze them And why Because it is a common perswasion with all men that it is God that those workes are proper to God onely As contrarywise when at the entering into or beginning of anie communication if a man shall saie he writeth he commandeth he walketh hee eateth hee commeth This were an inconsiderate phrase of speech and would minister occasion to demand who it is that writeth commandeth walketh eateth or commeth And why Because those actions are common to many But the other being proper to God only men neuer aske who haileth who raineth who snoweth c. because euerie man referreth those workes to God Those likewise who to the end to denie God doo referre such workes to nature doo euen in their owne speech condemne themselues in that they saie not she raineth shee snoweth shee haileth as speaking of nature but doo saie it raineth it snoweth it haileth as speaking of God Concluding therefore this purpose first all Iewes and Christians secondly all Heathen throughout the whole worlde doo with one voyce confesse that there is a God And lastly the verie Atheists them selues both in trembling and speech doo many times acknowledge that which willingly they would deny namely that there is a God 13 Now let vs go forward and come to other creatures yet comprehending man also who all without speaking shal testifie that there is a God Of these there are four sorts The first haue essence onely as the elements the sunne the moone the earth the stones and the water The second haue essence and life and are called Vegetatiue as hearbs trees and all plants The third haue essence life and sense as soules fishes and other beasts Finally others haue essence life sense and reason as man Now to begin with the first if we aske which was first Essence or no Essence The answere is plaine and by all men confessed namely no Essence and this doth necesâ—itie require for otherwise the elements the earth the sea to be briefe euen euerie thing that is must haue beene from all eternitie and haue had no beginning Beholde heere is alreadie one absurdity which mans vnderstanding doth gainsaie As also it is a most resolute point that whatsoeuer is eternall and without beginning is also immortall and without ending That which is from euer is also for euer But euery thing that is God excepted is by nature subiect to change corruption death and end Nothing therefore that is is eternal without beginning but God who giueth beginning essence to euerie thing that is Moreouer if that which is had bin from all eternitie and without beginning then must it of necessitie ensue that the elementes the earth the water euen so many things as are must bee so many Gods considering that nothing can be from all eternitie or without beginning but that which hath his essence of himselfe and consequently God onely And therfore to denie a beginning in any thing that is is to acknowledge the same to be a God whereof it would followe that for the denying of one God wee should bee forced to confesse that there be as many Gods as there be elements stars stones grains of sand vpon the earth or drops of water in the sea If then wee must confesse that anie thing that is hath not euer bin but haue had some beginning then must it ensue that there is a God who of nothing hath made that that is euen as it is written In the beginning God made heauen and earth Gen. 1.1 Thus wee see how that which hath essence onely euen without life sense or reason doeth neuerthelesse without speaking euidently testifie that there is a God that gaue vnto it essence and beginning And in deed anie thing that is is either a creature or a creator But if the creature presupposeth and acknowledgeth a creator and consequently a God Then do the elements the earth the sea the stones and in briefe euery creature by his essence testifie against the Atheists that there is a God their creator 14 If they replie that euerie thing that is is of it selfe we will demand since when If they answere from all eternitie how can they proue it Besides they must make as many Gods as there be things that haue essence as is afore shewed Otherwise it cannot be chosen but that they haue bin since some time Which if they graunt then let them tell vs since what time that that is and before was not made it selfe and thereof lay downe some proofe But contrariwise if of nothing nothing be made as the Philosophers do define then could not that which was nothing make it selfe some thing and assume anie essence considering it was nothing Thus it followeth that it is contrarie to all reason and mans capacitie to saie that anie thing that is is come of it selfe And therefore we must grow to acknowledge a God who only hauing beene from all eternitie Exod. 3 giueth essence to all that is As also in respect thereof hee is called among the Hebrewes Iehoua Apoc. 1 8 signifiyng this worde Essence and with the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifiyng he that is because God is of himselfe Essence Rom. 11.36 and giueth essence to his creatures as it is written Of him and through him and for him are all things 15 But let vs farther consider euerie thing that is in state as it is The Philosophers are of opinion that the earth together with the sea doo containe in compasse or circuit sixe thousand three hundred Dutch miles Also that the bodie of the Sunne is a hundred sixtie and sixe times greater than the earth How great then is that heauen wherein the Sunne is contained Or rather how great is the highest heauen which inuironeth all other heauens that doo compasse the same wherein the Sunne hath his habitation yea and with a meruailous
tree and hearb should bring forth seed to increase according to his kind And therefore so many hearbes and trees as we see in gardens medowes forestes are so many witnesses against the Atheistes that there is a God 20 Now let vs speake of those creatures that haue not onely essence and life but also sence or seeing As fish soules and other creatures First as concerning their generation For example wee might demaund of those men that do belieue that ther is no God whether was first the henne or the egge For the egge commeth from the henne and the henne out of the egge If they answere the egge How came that egge without a henne Or how could that which was not make it selfe an egge Or how did that which was an egge hauing onely essence giue it selfe life Sith also that feeling commeth of sence how could a thing that had onely essence giue it selfe sence to heare see tast smell or feele either cold or heate Againe if there bee not also a cocke with the henne or that the henne sitteth not vpon the egge the egge wil rot bring forth nothing How therefore could the egge if it were before the henne bring forth the henne considering there was neither cocke nor henne as also that the egge had onely essence but neither life nor feeling If they say the henne was before the egge yet wil not that suffice For of necessitie there must also haue beene a cocke with the henne before the egge for otherwise the egge would neuer haue yeelded a henne It must needs then be that God hauing created heauen earth of nothing of that which neuer was either egge or henne Gen. 1. hath created the cocke the henne to bring forth egges froÌ„ whence the hens haue their originall as Moses teacheth 21 But yet let vs marke how the henne proceedeth from the egge Imagine the egge to be vnder the henne what is in the egge A substance hauing onely essence but neither token of life oâ— forme of soule Come againe within a few daies ye that perceiue the head of a litle chicken piercing the egge â—heâ—â— with her head and clouen beake Looke vpon the eyes and shape of the head Marke what is in it heare the voice Come to the body consider the winges and the feete What is in the body the â—â—â—ers the diuersitie of colours and to conclude the life and motions thereof Remember that al this was wrought within the egge shell whereto 〈◊〉 any man set hand or vnderstanding Who theâ— without touching the inner side of the egge hath formed such a creature onely through the hens warming of the egge who knew not what the did Who so will not acknowledge it to be onely God doth combat against his owne conscience and reason Moreouer who is the cause that hennes egges alwaies do yeeld chickeÌ„s the egges of other soules young ones according to the kinde from whence they came Doth this diuersity of soules rest either in the egges or in their substance Euery man knoweth no. The small chickens therefore issuing out of their shels are witnesses sufficient against the Atheists that ther is a God who hath created formed them 22 Next let vs behold other soules flying in the aire Al waightie thinges fall toward the earth What is it then that beareth vp the soules in the aire If they say the wings Put the winges of a swanne vpon a dead sparrow and cast it vp into the aire yet will it fall to the ground wings and all The soule therefore must haue life neither is that enough For in her winges she must also haue very artificiall motions together with a wonderfull industry to flie maruailous swift Some times to turne short some times to mount aloft as the larke and sometimes to stoope very low as the swallow And whence proceedeth this industry and skill but from God Againe who created the aire to beare them vp Meate to nourish them indued them with industry to make their neasts but God But this may suffice for soules Neither shall wee neede to aledge like testimonies for the diuinitie as may bee noted in fishes and other creatures who all with one consent doe agree in their generation shape life nature propertie and other considerations to proclaime that ther is a God from whom they take their essence life feeling and motions 23 Lastly let vs come to the chiefe handiworke of God which is man of the philosophers termed the little world because that in him we may discerne as it were an Abridgement of the whole world yea more then is to be seene in all the world besides For man besides his essence life and sence or feeling hath also reason vnderstanding The frame of mans body in euery part therof both internal externall considered doth sufficiently testifie him that created it to be a master workman And in deede who could so exactly proportion all the members of the body So dispose order it that euery part theâ—of hath relation to the vse seruice one of another together with the preseruation of the body vnder the conduct of a spirit that gouerneth the whole which without motion giueth seuerall motions to all the members of this body with reason and vnderstanding to guide euery member in his action representing to it selfe thinges pasâ— present and to come neere or farre off concealed and â—â—dden in the sea within the center of the earth aboue the heauens or in the bodies or heartes of men and declaring the imaginations thereof by the diuerse motions of the tongue And albeit such a spirit be in vs yet can we neither see nor comprehend it Howbeit man composed of such a bodie of such a spirit or soule cannot bee from all eternitie as in other creatures we haue proued The time was that man was not that he liued not that he had neither feeling nor reason Whence theÌ„ came the first man who was nothing How could that which had neither life feeling nor reason giue it selfe that which it had not How could that which was no spirit make it self a spirit How could that which had neither vnderstanding nor reason make it selfe vnderstanding and reason When thou seest a man Gen. 1. thou presupposest a father and to that father another father and so vpward vntill at last thou commest to Adam There art thou put from thy naturall discourse and presupposing a father for him and so art driuen to acknowledge God to haue created the first man as Moses also rehearseth Hee that seeth onely the portraiture of a man doth immediatly conceiue a painter and if it be a faire peece his first question is Who made it If a dead peece of worke shall make vs conceiue a liuing worke-man much rather should a liuing peece of worke namely Man make vs to conceiue a quickning worke-man euen God who onely is able to giue essence life feeling and reason 24 Now let vs proceed to the
distance How many stars bee there in the skie How many drops of water in the sea Or how many graines of sand vpon the earth If all the men in the world kings or philosophers who haue not onely essence but also life sense and reason cannot without matter precedent make one drop of water one stone or one candle How can these creatures of such incomprehensible greatnes as are the heauens of such wonderfull brightnes as are the Sunne the Moone and the starres and so abundant as are both lande and sea hauing not so much as essence giue to themselues essence yea and such essence as they now haue Yet speaking onely of essence common sense doth also denie that Let vs therefore conclude that there is a God almightie who being of himselfe from all eternitie in his time hath of nothing created both heauen and earth according as Moses hath affirmed saying Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God made heauen and earth 16 Moreouer experience teacheth that the heauens haue their motions But whence come those motions euen motions of such incomprehensible swiftnes that as we see by daily practise the Sunne in foure and twentie houres compasseth the whole earth and consequently in one houre runneth two hundred sixtie Dutch miles Besides the heauen where the Sunne hath his abode is from the earth 1202700. leagues How many leagues then doeth hee dayly runne in his owne heauen A matter incomprehensible to mannes capacitie But euerie motion especially in thinges that haue essence onelie and no lyfe doeth of necessitie presuppose a moouer that causeth the motion And this doo wee plainelye see in the Earth in Starres in Water c. which haue no motion but from others The motion therfore of the heauens doo euidently testifie that there is a God who being of himselfe immoueable giueth motion to all his creatures But who disposed the wonderfull order which we find to be in all creatures that haue but essence onely that an inferior heauen should be comprehended in a greater and that againe in an other greater and so consequently of the rest Who placed the Sun the Moone and the Stars in their heauens and places Who formed and continueth the double motion of the Sunne in all seasons from East to West from one pole to another Who so established the foure elements vnder the heauens that the region of fire enuironeth the aire the aire the water and the water the earth The nature of contrarieties is one to destroie another as the water to quench the fire and the fire to drie vp the water yet are these four elements kept in such accord that of the same being mixed and vnited together all bodily creatures are formed and doo consist not consuming or disordering one of another It must their needs be that there is a God the creator preseruer and conducter of the elements 18 Who guideth the course of the heauens in so certaine inuariable a measure that a man may foretell at what houre a hundred yeres hence the Moone or Sunne shall bee eclipsed Who placed the heauie lumpe of the earth as a center to the world hanged it in the aire What handes do withholde the sea which lyeth higher than the earth from drowning the same Can this wisedome conduct and power which doo thus shine in these workes be found in anie thing that was not to place it selfe in essence and so to direct guide and maintaine it selfe Had these creatures had their essence from all eternitie yet coulde that which had onely essence without life sense or reason haue established such an order course and consent to bee briefe this worke of such incomprehensible wisedome and power Wee must therefore confesse that anie thing that hath onely essence considered as is aforesayd doth exclime against the Atheists and crie out that there is a God the author of the same as Dauid saith Psal 19 1 The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Againe The pillers of the earth sayth Hanna the mother of Samuel Sam. 2.8 are the Lordes and hee hath set the earth vpon them Psal 104 9 And Dauid saith But God hath set the sea a bound which it shall not passe neither shall it returne to couer the earth As also Iob doth more at large declare Iob. 3â— 19 As for those creatures which haue Vegetatiue life as hearbs and all plants the same are also so many vnreproueable witnesses that there is a God No man can giue that which he hath not but the earth hath onely essence and no life Likewise the Sun which warmeth the earth the raine that watereth it or the seed whereof the plant doth come The life therfore of hearbes and plants doth loudly testifie that there is a God the author of the same Againe whence came such diuersitie of hearbs plaâ—ts in one self ground So many kindes of trees some fruitfull some vnfruitfull And among the trees that beare fruit so many sundrie sortes as apples peares cheries plums c. Also among apple trees so many kindes of apples among peare trees so many sortes of peares likewyse of chery trees plum trees and all others that beare fruit Each sort notwithstanding either of apples peares or cheries c. bearing some diuersitie in forme colour and sauour or tast The lyke in hearbes Come into a medow looke vppon a garden howe manie kindes of hearbes shall you see of seuerall formes colours tastes or smels And whereof proceede all these hearbes and trees theyr leaues and fruit their shape colour and smell and their seuerall properties vertues They proceed neither from the earth from the sunne from the raine no neither from the seed The eie seeth it the capacitie knoweth it The whole therfore proceedeth from God And in deed sow in one selfe ground one selfe hearbe vnder one selfe forme and let it be watered with one selfe water yet do no other kinde of hearbes spring vp But some wil saie that it is of the seed that the life and diuersitie of hearbes trees flowers and fruites doth proceed Yet keepe the seed out of either the earth the sunne or the raine and it wil lie dead and bring forth nothing And open the seed therein peraduenture may you discerne some small sprout hauing essence yet wanting both life forme of hearb colour or fauour thereof It must needs then haue some other originall than from the seed onely And whence but euen from God Againe what is the cause that one kinde of seede still bringeth forth one kinde of hearbe with all the stems leaues colour sauour propertie and vertue a like Haue these small sprouts which haue onely essence vnderstanding also to agree to bring forth hearbes alike Are they able to doo it either to giue that which they haue not If not then some other must imploy his power and wisdome and that is God as it is written Gen. 1.11 In the beginning of the world hee ordained that euerie
man is content wyth the same estate that hee hath attained vnto but seketh a higher Man is neuer satisfied so long as one may go before him for Ambition suffereth him not to see whence hee came howe farre thee is gone or whether hee doeth aspire Euerie souldier desireth to be Captaine beeing a Captaine he climbeth higher and seeketh from degree to degree to come to bee a king yea if hee might attaine to be Emperour of all Europe he then would couet to be Emperor of the whole world Great Alexander was not content wyth the realmes that his father left him therefore vndertooke the conquest of all the world yea when he had obtained a great victorie agaynst Darius king of Persia refusing the offer that he then made of his daughter in marriage and halfe his dominions he answered That as there was but one Sunne in the world Iustin in his 11. booke so would he bee the onely king in the world How many such Alexanders are there in these latter daies Whereto tended this roiall deuice taken of the increase of the Mooâ— Vntill shee fill her whole compasse Also of an Emperour Farther Bee not these euident testomonies that mans heart is ambitious and vnsatiable that it is so farre from beeing satisfied by increase that the same increase doth whet the appetite and still minister more increase to the vnsatiable coueting of more honor and glorie 2 There is not anie that in estate or dignitie either in towne prouince or kingdome is second but hee aspireth to climbe and to bee first if not in the principall degree as king yet to bee next to his person as Ionathan sayde to Dauid Thou shalt raigne and I will bee next to thee 1. Sam 23 17. Math. 20.20 The mother of the Apostles Iohn and Iames made a petition to Iesus Christe that in his kingdome the one might sit vppon his right hande 3. Iohn 1.9 the other on his lefte Saint Iohn also taxed one Diotrephes that coueted to bee chiefest in the Church Plu. in the life of Iuli. Caesar The Romane Emperour Iulius Caesar when some maruelled that in a little towne where they passed through there was strife who shoulde be greatest freely sayde that himselfe had rather bee the chiefest in that litle towne than the second at Rome Were not the Apostles at controuersie who shoulde bee greatest And dyd not they demaund of Iesus Christ who shoulde be greatest in the kingdome of heauen Mark 9.34 Math. 18.1 They imagined that Christe shoulde raigne vppon earth as Salomon before had doone and before they saw the crowne vpon his head they demanded which of them shoulde haue the chiefest offices Which is more he that might attaine to the soueraigntie of the whole worlde woulde yet seeke to bee greater and if it laie in him to climbe euen into heauen and as Adam dyd to bee lyke vnto God Some are of opinion that the sinne of the Angels that were turned to deuils proceeded of the lyke ambition Esa 14.13 taking it to be the same which Esaie noteth where hee speaketh not directly of them but of Nabuchadnezzer king of Babylon declaring him to be in deede of the race of Adam in these woordes I will ascend into heauen and exalt my throane aboue besydes the starres of God I will syt also vppon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the North I will ascend aboue the height of the cloudes and I will bee lyke to the most high All the kingdomes of the earth coulde not satisfie the ambition of greate Alexander Valerius in his first booke who by the readinges of Anaxarchus vnderstanding that his master Democritus maintayned that there were sundrye worldes cryed out saying Woe is mee wretch that I am that haue not yet attained to the possession of one of them Wherevppon Valerius fitly noteth yet speaking as a Heathen man that mortall man esteemeth his glorie to bee straighted because it is bounded in one worlde which neuerthelesse might suffice for the habitation of all the Gods Hee also writ to the Lacedemonians requiring them to place him among the Gods and to offer sacrifice to him Plutarch in his Apotheg as vnto a God Wherevppon one named Damis scorned his ambition and sayd Well let vs giue Alexander leaue to bee called God 3 It is no maruell that the Heathen so exalted themselues considering that some who not onely take vppon them the name of Christians but also doo boast to bee Saint Peters successors haue growen to as great ambition For the Bishops of Rome not contented with the title of Bishops of the first sea haue taken vppon them to be called vniuersall Bishops heads of the Church vppon earth placed themselues aboue kinges and Emperours compared themselues to the Sunne and Kings and Emperors to the Moone because as the Moone hath no light but from the light of the Sun so kings and Emperors do hold their power dignity from them yea they proceed farther share with God Cap. Satis Dist 69 suffering themselues by their parasites to be called Gods vpon earth Whervpon Pope Nicholas concluded that sith God might not be iudged by man neither might the Popes And this is it which Saint Paul foretold 2. Thes 2.4 that Antichrist should exalt himself against al that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God Thus we see that the ambitious man is vnsatiable and cannot be satisfied with all the glorie of the world but that hee must also climbe into heauen to become God euen hee who beeing a poore worme vppon the earth and coueting to bee great like vnto God through his ambition fell so lowe that he is not now worthie to be mentioned among the least creatures in the world 4 As this ambition burning in the hart flameth euen vp to heauen so is there no vice corruption sinne or iniquitie Bern. in his 40. Serm. but it engendereth and in deede the eldest daughter of the first sinne namely of the incredulitie of Adam and Eue coulde not but bee a fruitfull mother and plentifull in vicious pernitious and damnable children Ambition sayth Saint Barnard is a secrete poyson a hidden sinne a forger of fraude a mother of hypocrisie a spring of enuie a fountaine of all vice a moath to holynesse a blinding of the heart conuerting remedyes into diseases and medecines into languishing First what poyson or plague is more mortall than ambition whereby man seeking to bee equall wyth God was made lyke vnto the deuill not onelye worthie of death but also so vicious and corrupt that at euerie moment hee hastneth more and more to death Psal 51.7 Ephes 3.2 2. Sam. 15.2 â— 4.5 This vnthankefull ambition which was also the breeder of disobedience hath infected vs with this plague and scabbe that wee are conceiued in sinne borne in iniquitie and by nature the children
this when he beheld the glorie of Iesus Christ 15 According to the purpose of the premises we saie that whereas God hath chosen some euen whome hee woulde and not other some and in all that God in his prouidence hath ordained done for the execution thereof there resteth such wisedome goodnesse mercie and iustice that for the approuing of that which in the wisdome of mans flesh seemeth strange vniust it sufficeth to shew that the same was so ordained and decreed in the eternall and determinate counsel of God And indeed if anie man ask why the gospell is preached rather to some than to other some also why among those to whom it is preached some doo beleeue some do rest vnbeleeuers it is reason sufficient to aunswere that some are chosen and other some are not So many saieth Saint Luke did beleeue as were ordained to life euerlasting You beleeue not saieth Iesus Christ because yee are not my sheep Acts 13.42 Iohn 10.26 My sheep heare my voyce and follow mee When the Apostles asked Iesus Christ why he taught the people by parables wherein they had no vnderstanding which afterward hee opened to them alone hee lifted them vp into this consideration that they were chosen and the other not To you sayth he it is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen Marke 13.10 but it is not giuen to them And therefore when we reade that some euen in lieu of conuerting and beleeuing haue bin hardned and become more wicked whereby the preaching of the Gospell hath bin vnto them a sauour of death vnto death It sufficeth that we aunswere that this befalleth not the elect but as Saint Paule saith 2. Cor. 2.15 those that perish and are vessels of wrath prepared to perdition And therfore the preaching of the Gospell whereby some are hardned is neuerthelesse of a sweet sauour before God as hee doeth expresly affirme 16 Let vs therefore conclude that all that God hath willed in the election of some and not of other some and in his prouidence and the execution of the same is good righteous holy and commendable And albeit we cannot comprehend it yet let vs beware that of our ignorance we take no occasion to blaspheme God but rather let vs acknowledge that it is because we doo not yet know anie thing of the incomprehensible holynes of Iesus Christ namely that he hath an infinite power to dispose of his creatures as hee will an incomprehensible wisedome to ordeine most wisely mercie and iustice which in him are but one essence wherby he can do nothing but in mercy iustice This if thou doest not vnderstand I saie to thee againe accuse thine owne ignoraunce and reuerence this holynesse which passeth thy vnderstanding Beleeue so much as in his word he testifieth vnto thee and permit this infinit power and wisedome to doo and to know euen that which thou canst not comprehend Remember that he dwelleth in an vnaccessible light which thou must reuerence but not enter into Beware thou beest not an aduocate for so wicked a cause 1. Tim 6 16 Rom. 3.4 Psalm 51 6 as is the cause of the reprobate to iustifie it in the sight of God For howsoeuer thou thinkest it to be he will alwaies as Dauid saith ouercome when he is iudged 17 In the meane time for the better vnderstanding of our intent knowledg in this doctrine we saie that if we stād vpon the consideration of mans creation to the image of God both hee and all that are descended of him were created to life for in man created to the image of God there was no matter or argument of death But if wee speake of the predestination hidden in the eternall counsell of God the same is a profound deapth that should euen rauish vs into admiration And whereas Saint Paule calleth those that are not elect vessels of wrath prepared to destruction he hath regard to theyr first original and nature of men Rom. 9. 22 Heb. 7.10 Rom. 5.12 according as all beeing yet in the loines of Adam when he transgressed Gods commandement dyd all sinne in him and are all guiltie of death and infected with mortall corruption Not that there was not in God a former counsell which went before wherby he had decreed and disposed of his creatures vpon certaine causes to vs vnknowen but for that from the transgression of Adam proceeded the curse and death of mankinde Saint Paule sayth that God prepared vessels of mercie for his glorie because that all that the elect haue to guide them to life euerlasting proceedeth of the grace of God Rom. 9.13 but others are prepared to perdition because they are giuen ouer to themselues so that following their owne corruptions they go according to the eternall decree of God to destruction And heereof do we gather that albeit God had iust cause to vs vnknowen thus to dispose of his creatures by choosing some and reiecting other some yet did hee not hate or condemne anie thing but sinne and corruption It is not therefore fit that wee should seeke the cause of the destruction of the reprobate in heauen when wee see that it resteth in earth neither that we should impute that vnto God which is in man himselfe neither should the reprobate also murmure at the mercie of God poured vppon the elect considering that God may doo good to whom he wil either at their owne destruction whereof there resteth a twofold occasion in thēselues namely original sin the iniquities that do therof daily proceed 18 Moreouer as concerning the transgression of Adam Eue 1. Sam. 2.6 Amos 3.6 Iere. La. 3.38 Iob. 30.39 Psalme 104. 105. 106 107. 136 Math. 10.29 it is certaine that the same neuer came to passe without the decree and ordinance of God And in deed the holy Scripture in infinite places doth testifie that all things depend vpon his prouidence decree If a sparow falleth not to the ground without the will of God shall man so excellent a creature created after the image of God take so horrible a fall without his prouidence and decree A man may giue a little child some small stripe with a rod without the parents appointment which notwithstanding they would peraduenture dissemble and winke at but none dare vndertake to cut him of the stone or to cut off any lim without his fathers good will and authority Euen so the greater that the importance of Adams transgression was in that it tended to destroie ouerthrow so excellent a work of God namely man created to his image the more are we to beleeue that it was neuer doone without his counsell or decree Moreouer if in his prouidence hee hath ordained what he will haue done with all other creatures hath he not think you ordained what shall be done with the principall and most excellent for which he created all the others Again if God creating all the world
first reason of this commandement tended by the ceasing from manuall labour to figure vnto vs the spirituall rest namely the mortification and ceasing from all desires willes workes and wordes of the flesh Esa 58.13 as the Prophet Esay also declareth saying If thou refrainest vpon the sabaoth from dooing thy will vpon my holie daie and doest consecrate it to bee a holie and pleasing Sabaoth to the Lorde of glorie and that thou glorifie him in not dooing thy owne workes and that thy owne will be not found therein thou shalt prosper in God Besides this figure hath farther relation euen vnto Iesus Christ as to the truth thereof because it was hee who dying for vs purchased vnto vs the grace so to mortifie the olde man that beeing dead vnto sinne Col. 2.16 wee might sanctifie this Sabaoth in resting from our workes and labours And to that purpose wee reade in Exodus Obserue my Sabaoth for it is a signe that I am the God that sanctifyeth you Exod. 31.13 Ezech. 20.12 Now how necessarie this amendement sanctification of life is it doth appeare in this that God neuer required anie thing more strictly than obedience to this commandement of the Sabaoth Ezech. 20.13 22.8 23 38. Iere. 17.21.27 For wheresoeuer he wil note that all religion is subuerted he complaineth that his Sabaoth is defiled and violated 9 Where God also commaundeth that hee that had gathered a few stickes vpon the saboath day should be put to death he plainly sheweth that the least will word or work of our sleth deserueth euerlasting death And in deed this Emanuel perfectly and infinitly holy cannot indure any filthynes and sinne in that which is ioyned and vnited vnto him As we doo also reade that when the soâ—s of Aaron Nadab and Abiu offered strange fire before the Lorde the fire proceeded from the presence of the Lorde and deuoured them Leuit. 10. 1 and they died before the Lord whereupon Moses said vnto Aaron This is it that the Lord pronounced saying I will be sanctified in those that come neere vnto me and I will bee glorified in the presence of all the people Therby shewing that the neerer that Emanuel commeth vnto men or draweth men vnto him the lesse will hee beare with their corruptions and the sooner will he punish theÌ„ as doth appeare in a lump of waxe which the neerer that it is laid to the fire the more doth the fire shew his heate in melting it And in this respect when God appearing out of the burning bush to Moses commanded him to put of his shooes of his feet he addeth this reason For the ground whereon thou standest is holy not by nature more than anie other Exod. 3.5 but in regard of the presence of God 10 In olde time God dwelt in the midst of the people of Israel and the Arke and the Temple were testimonies of his presence which presence tended to assure them either of his sauor to blesse those that yeelded due obedience by amendement of lyfe oâ— of his wrath to punish those most grieuously who contemning this grace should rebell against him And this dyd Iosua most liuelye represent to the people of Israel For when they had protested that they would serue God and no Idols hee sayde vnto them You cannot serue the Lord for hee is a holy and iealous God and will not pardon your sinnes and transgressions so that if you forsake him hee will roughly intreate you Ios 24.19 When God named his sonne Iesus Christ Emanuel hee thereby declared vnto vs that hee is in the middest among vs and with vs after a more excellent fashion as beeing vnited and conioyned in our flesh and consequentlye vnto vs. And therefore we are also the more bounde in duetie to liue in holynesse by amendement of lyfe as beeing assured that as hee is come neerer vnto vs and more excellently into vs thorough his sonne Emanuel so will hee shew himselfe more seuere and iealous in punishing vs when wee turne from him and serue his enemies the world and the flesh So often therefore as wee shall heare or reade this name Emanuel attributed to Iesus Christ let vs remember that the same is a summon to vs to amend our liues that separating our selues from all filthinesse and corruption wee may bee consecrated and wholy dedicated to the seruice of God who is with vs in praying him fully to sanctifie vs both in bodie in soule and in minde that wee may bee preserued without reproch vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Hee sayth Saint Paul that hath called vs to this sanctification ioyning vs vnto Iesus Christ 1. Thes 5.23 is faithfull and will doo it 11 Secondly this name Emanuel teacheth vs that God is with vs wheresoeuer wee bee and consequently that he seeth and knoweth all our thoughts wills wordes and workes For as wee haue before sayde his diuinitie is in all places and consequently by vs with vs and in vs. Not that we should rest vpon the bare contemplation of this diuine essence to vs incomprehensible but that we should referre all to his prouidence by beleeuing that it is he that seeth knoweth guideth and gouerneth all that is done in heauen in earth neither that he should need to stand neere vs to looke vpon our affections and works And in deed marke how he reproueth hypocrites Iere. 23.23 that thought that they had to do with a God of a short or a dim sight Weenest thou sayeth he that I am a God neere at hand and not a God a farre off Can anie hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him sayth the Lorde Doo not I fill heauen and earth sayth the Lord Hypocrits did imagine such a God in heauen that withall they represented him to themselues to be like a man yea euen short sighted such a one as could not see farre so perswaded themselues that God did not see theyr wicked thoughtes and workes But hee reproued them saying that hee is not a God at hand only that is to saie such a one as is lyke vnto men that had need to stand by when they will see anie thing but that hee seeth a farre of As Dauid also representeth him vnto vs saying Psalme 33. 13 Hebr. 4.13 The Lord looketh from the heauens hee beholdeth all the sonnes of men and from his dwelling hee seeth all the inhabitants of the earth And the Apostle plainly declareth that no creature can be hidden from him but all things lie open and bare to his sight that wee haue to doo withall In the meane time because that men according to theyr nature doo more easily beleeue that such as are neere them do see them let them thinke that in whatsoeuer place they be God is neere them as this name Emanuel doth admonish which signifieth that God is with vs yea euen in vs as hauing ioyned and vnited vs to himselfe and therefore that
reformed and the goodnesse wisedome and wonderfull iustice of God be reuealed 5 True it is as Saint Peter saith that in the later times there shall come scorners that shall walke after their owne lusts say Where is the promise of his comming 2. Pet 3.3 For since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation And in deed we now see but too many that are not touched with the apprehension either of the kingdome of heauen or of the torments of hell but are possessed with prophane and deuilish spirits that take al to be but fables that is spoken as well of the kingdome of heauen promised to the faithfull as of the tormentes of hell prepared for the wicked And this is a pernitious pollicie of Sathan wherewith he discourageth the faithfull from walking in the feare of God from amending their liues Psal 73 13. from cleansing their harts and as the Prophet saith from washing their hands in innocencie But to the contrary hereof let vs stand stedfast and be wel assured that there is a kingdom of heauen prepared for the children of God and a hell for the disobedient and therfore let vs labour to grow in faith to fructisie in good workes 2. Cor. 15 58 and so to amend our liues as knowing that as S. Paul saith our labour shall not be in vaine in the sight of the Lord. 6 This is the foundation whereupon the Apostle laieth holde to perswade men to repentance and amendement of lyfe God sayth hee Act. 17.30 nothing regarding this time of ignorance now admonisheth all men euerie where to repent because hee hath appoynted a daie in the which hee will iudge the worlde in righteousnesse But how in righteousnesse Euerie man shall as else where it is sayde receiue the thinges that are done in his bodie 2 Cor. 5 10 according as hee hath done whether it bee good or euill and God will render to euerie man according to his workes That is to them which by continuance in well dooing seeke glorie honour and immortalitie Rom. 2.6 eternall life but vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes shall be indignation and wrath 7 Albet we see not this kingdome of heauen Rom. 8. Heb. 11. yet let vs remember that the goods saluation of Gods children consisteth in faith and hope and that as well the one as the other doth appertaine to things to come which we see not so that not to beleeue or hope for more than we see is to be short the abolishment of faith and hope and so consequently the subuerting of the assured foundation of our saluation Let therfore this faith the mother of hope and hope her mothers nurse cause vs patiently to attend the fruition of this kingdom of heauen and our assured attendance for the same make vs to amend our liues Apoc 19.9 T it 2.11 that we may cloath our selues in garmentes beseeming those that purpose to come vnto the marriage and to haue a seat at the banquet of the lambe Iesus Christ The grace of God saith S. Paul that bringeth saluation to al men hath appeared teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlynes and worldly lusts and that we should liue righteously soberly and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of God which is our sauiour Iesus Christ The same Apostle gaue thanks to God for the Colossians when he heard of their faith and loue for the hopes sake which was laid vp for them in heauen Col. 1.4 1. Iohn 3 And in this sense saith Saint Iohn Welbeloued we are now the children of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shal be and we know that when Iesus Christ shal appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure 8 But to the end the more earnestly to incourage vs to amend our liues in hope of the kingdome of heauen wee are moreouer to apprehend the incomprehensible excellencie of the glorie and ioye that we shall inioy in this kingdome when our bodies being risen againe vncorruptible and immortall like vnto the image of the glorious bodie of Christ reunited to their sanctified souls shall be lifted vp into the house of God our father aboue all heauens wher we shall see the face of God as the Sun in his brightnes shall inioy the fruit of the praiers of Iesus Christ when he said Iohn 17.24 Father I wil that they which thou hast giuen mee bee with me where I am 1 Cor 15.28 that they may see my glorie which thou hast giuen me When Iesus Christ hath rendered the kingdome to God his father then shall God the father the son the holy Ghost be vnto vs all in all yea euen such a fulnes of good and felicitie that as sundrie vessels cast into the sea are so filled with water that they can desire or hold no more so this sea of diuinity being in vs all in all we shall be replenished and satisfied with life glorie and ioy so as we shall not bee able to desire or haue anie more Apoc. 21.18 Euen when wee shall bee truely burgeses of the heauenly and holy Citie that shall be of fine golde like vnto pure Christall the foundations of the walls set with precious stones the twelue gates made of twelue pearles which shal need neither Sun nor Moone to shine therein for the light of God shall illuminate it and the lambe himselfe shall be the candle To be short when we shall be in the fellowship of the Angels shining as the Sunne in his pride and rauished with ioy that shall neuer be taken from vs. A ioy I saie not onely for our owne felicitie but also for the felicitie of all the elect for wee shall loue them all as our selues and so shall reioyce as much for their felicitie as for our owne And this ioy shal be infinitly corroborated by the contemplation as well of the glorie of Iesus Christ whom iustly we shal loue better than our selues as also of the glorious maiestie of God whom we shall loue with our hearts our strength and our mindes 9 If the representation remembrance of this kingdom of heauen doth not kindle our heartes with a feruent desire to attaine thereto and by desiring the same to amend our liues that we may take the path that leadeth to such felicitie the same is an assured testimonie that wee account of our selues as of beastes that looke for no goodnesse after death And on the other side if the apprehension of the fire that neuer shall be quenched of the wormes that shall be alwayes gnawing of the terrible darknes of the weeping and gnashing of teeth through the feeling of the heauy wrath of the liuing God doth not moue our harts to feare to offend
him and in offending him to cast our selues into the gulfe and bottomlesse pit of this eternall wo The same is an euident token that wee are either Atheists or Saduces that beleeue neither the resurrection of the bodie nor the immortality of the soul To be short neither heauen nor hell 10 When therefore we heare that Christ to the end to induce vs to amendement alleadgeth this reason For the kingdome of heauen is at hand Let vs stedfastly beleeue that there is a kingdom of heauen replenished with glorie immortall ioy let the apprehension of such a felicitie inflame our harts with a feruent resolute desire to denie our selues the world and the flesh so to amend our liues that louing God and our neighbors and endeuouring to yeld vnto him all obedience we may conforme our actions to his holy and good will as in hart to seeke nothing so much as to please him and to abhorre nothing more than the offending of him Let vs alwayes thinke with our selues that wee are no beasts who after death haue no feeling of good or euill but contrariwise let vs consider that at the seperation either of the body or of the soule the soule must goe either to heauen or to hell also that the bodye must followe after yea night and day let vs thinke and meditate vpon the difference that shal be betweene those that shall goe into the kingdome of heauen and the others that shall departe into hell 11 Let vs remember that not for a thousand yeares but euen for euer and infinitely we shal be either in soueraigne blisse or in extream misery Can we then possibly apprehend the glory and felicity of this kingdome of heauen Mat. 7.13.21 Luke 13 2◠without vnspeakable ioye and feruent desire to attaine thereto either consider of the cursed estate of the reprobate without trembling and feare let vs therfore think vpon the saying of Christ Labour to enter in at the narow gate least when you shall say Lord open vnto vs the gate of the kingdome of heauen that we may come in he answereth I know ye not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie There shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth when he shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the prophets in the kingdome of God and your selues shut out at dores Let vs beholde the difference betweene the two theeues that were hanged on either side of Iesus Christ of whom the one departed into hell Luke 23.39 and the other ascended into the kingdome of heauen as Iesus Christ sayde vnto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Let vs looke vpon the soule of Lazarus by the Angels caryed into Abrahams bosome where it rested in ioy as hee testified Luke 16.19 and the soule of the cursed rich man cast into torments as S. Luke witnesseth and himselfe confesseth saying I am tormeneted in this flame When he praieth to be refreshed with a little water but was denyed To be short let vs beholde the great multitude of the blessed that stood before the throne and in the presence of the Lambe clothed in long white garments with branches of palmes of victorye in their handes seruing God day and night gouerned by the Lambe and by him leadde to the liuely springes of water Apoc. 7. 9. and withall let vs looke vpon the others speaking to the rockes and mountains saying Fall vpon vs and hyde vs from before the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Let vs I say beholde them cast into the lake of fyre and brimstone to be tormented day and night for euer Apoc. 6.16 Apoc. 19.20 and 20.15 For who is it that will not be earnestly touched in hart hastely to departe and retyre out of the way into hell and diligently and constantly to walke by amendement of life into the kingdome of heauen Can it be possible if we should not think vpon them or can God think vpon them and not amend either can we amend and not feel our selues blessed by being gotten into the way of such a felicitie Apoc. 6.16 that wee may constantly perseuere vntill that God fulfilling his worke in vs doe receiue vs into the fruition of this kingdome of heauen to enioy the same for euer and euer The ninth cause of amendment taken hereof that the kingdome of God which we looke for in heauen doth admonish vs that we are strangers pilgrimes and trauelers in this life Chap. 9. THe holy scripture doth many times tearme vs strangers pilgrims and trauellers neither is it onely as it was with Abraham Gen. 23.4 when he spake to the Cananites saying I am a stranger and a forrener amongst you and as it is daylye with those who flying from persecution and forsaking the land of their natiuitie doe goe to dwell in another prouince and kingdome wherein they are strangers but we are so tearmed in respect of the kingdome of heauen our true and eternall countrey And indeed if we be Burgesses of heauen Eph. 2.10 Prosper in his sentences out of August Sent 17. as S. Paul teacheth we are strangers to the earth according to the saying of S. Augustin also All they that belong to the heauenly Cittie are pilgrimes and strangers in this worlde so long as this their tēporary life doth continue they do liue in an others countrey And that wee maye the better vnderstand this we call that land our countrey wherein we were borne and brought vp wherin our parents and ancestours successiuely haue made their abode and wherein we haue our principall goods possessions and inheritances Now whence doe we take our spirituall birth but frō our father which is in heauen Phil 3.20 where doe we receiue the soule of our spirituall birth but in the Church which is the kingdome of God or where is the house of our father but in heauen and there dwelleth our eldest brother Iesus Christ and al other our brothers and sisters in him 1. Pet. 1.4 Moreouer our treasure immortal inheritāce vndefiled and vncorruptible are reserued in heauen as saith S. Peter for vs that beleeue in Iesus Christ heauen is then our true coūtrey and in respect thereof are we here called strangers pilgrimes and trauellers on the earth 2 This doth the Apostle writing to the Hebrews euidently declare Heb. 11.13 where speaking of the ancient fathers he saith All these died in the faith and receiued not the promises but saw them a farre of and beleeued them and receiued them thankefullye and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey And if they had beene mindefull of that countrey from whence they came out Gen. 12.1 they had leisure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heauenly Wherfore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God for he
talke with their parents and feele a feruent desire to be soone there euen so we if we remember that in heauen we haue treasures of eternall riches an vndefiled inheritance immortall and incorruptible which is reserued for vs a heauenly father that loueth vs in his welbeloued son our elder brother Iesus Christ in glory the angels holy spirits in ioy and that wee their fellow burgesses haue our portion in all these goods and are euen vpon the point to be really in heauen with them why should we not be rauished with a feruent desire to be lifted vp thether and with S. Paul to say I couet to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 what letteth vs when wee feele how hardly wee are entreated and what mortall wounds our soules doe daylye receiue by offending God through their corruptions to say with S. Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched men that we are who shall deliuer vs from this body of death Shall not the very feeling of so grieuous and so many bodily afflictions whereto we are subiect in this strange land cause vs seruently to pray to be deliuered from the same 2. Cor. 5. 1. especially considering that we know as S. Paul saith that when the earthly habitation of this lodge is destroyed wee haue a building in God euen an euerlasting house in the heauens which is not made with mans hand And in this respect we that abide in these earthly dwellinges doe groane vnder our burdens for we desire to bee clothed with our habitation which is in heauen as knowing that remaining vpon earth wee are absent from the Lord for we doe walke in saith and not by sight albeit we trust loue rather to be estranged from this body and to dwell with the Lord. 7 Howbeit attending vntill we may be really there both in body and soule let vs be there in spirit let vs be conuersant in heauen and begin to feele the felicity wherof we shall hereafter haue full and perfect fruition in this conuersation with God with the angels and with the holy spirits let vs more and more learne the language and maners of heauen to the end wee may resemble the angels saints there dwelling When Moses had conuersed with God forty daies vpon the mountaine Exod. 34.29 at his comming downe his face shined and glistered with the heauenly glorye so will it bee with vs by then we haue for twenty or thirty yeares bene conuersant in heauen we shall become heauenlye and spirituall both in worde and deed euen as by experience wee see that when a countryman hath dwelled some twenty or thirty yeares in the Court he forgetteth his country speech and course of life and groweth to be as good a courtier as if he were borne in the Court Our earthly talke and communication our worldly course of life and the corruptions of the flesh that beare but too much swaye in vs doe but ouer manifestlye shew how little we are conuersant in heauen and consequently doe testifie that we account our selues Burgesses of earth and not of heauen That wee may therefore amend let vs continually thinke that heauen is our true countrey that wee are Burgesses thereof that there we haue our parents and blessed brethren the treasures of ioye and glory an immortall and incorruptible enheritance and that we are at the very point of going thither to take possession as in truth wee doe euery houre looke for the time of our departure let this holye meditation make vs to conuerse in heauen and to liue as heauēly people setting our harts vpon our treasure let it euen make vs to forsake the speeche habit fashions and manners of those among whom wee are for a short time strangers that we may enure our selues to the language and holy life of the burgesses of heauen and angels with whom we shall liue for euer Let it withdraw our affections from all that we must leaue at our departure out of this forrain country least otherwise we lose the incomprehensible goods that are prepared for vs in our heauenly and eternal country let it cause vs to renounce al that might detaine vs in this country replenished with misery and calamity that cheerefully we may aspire to our country which aboundeth in ioy glory and al felicity Let it enforce vs to say with Dauid Woe is me that I remaine in Mesech Psal 120.5 and dwell in the tentes of Keder That is to say among barbarous nations that loue not the Burgesses of heauen let the hard vsage of the prince of this world in this strange country make vs to couet to liue among the blessed Cittizens of the kingdome of heauen let all our thoughtes words cōmunication testifie that in spirit we are already there yea let all our works be preparatiues and pathes to lead vs therinto and to these ends let vs ouercome all that might break of or hinder our so happy iourney from earth to heauen 8 We must moreouer remember that we are pilgrimes and trauellers and therefore for the attaining to the place whereto wee are trauelling wee must beware of three points First of turning backe againe Secondly of turning either to the right hand or to the lefte Thirdly of standing still The offending of God and transgressing his commaundementes is a going backe againe for as in walking after his woorde and in his feare wee goe to God to heauen and to euerlasting life so by sinning in liewe of going forwarde wee slippe backe and drawe toward death as we haue before more at large declared We cannot therefore turne backe that is to saye offend God but with this condition that wee shall fall into ruine and euerlasting perdition much like vnto him who flying from his enemies that pursue him in liewe of sauing himselfe in some towne turneth backe towardes them and so putteth himselfe into their handes neither are we without many and mighty enemies that pursue vs and labour to make vs to turne backe by offending God and these must wee fight against Deerely beloued saith the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrimes abstayne from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule Let vs diligently note that hee heere saith not against our goods to rob vs of them neither against our bodies to murder vs but against our soules to induce thē to offend God so to drawe them into euerlasting damnation And heereof haue we a notable example in the person of Iob Iob. 1. he was a iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill and so walked in the waye to heauen but Satan would withstand him and therefore commenced warre against his soule but how true it is he seemed as if he would haue fought against his goods in causing them to bee taken away against his children in procuring their death and against his body in vexing it most cruelly yet was it properly the soule that he assaulted as himselfe
declareth where he saith Doth Iob feare God for nought Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on euery side Thou hast blessed the work of his hands and his substance is increased in the land But stretch out now thy hand and touch all that he hath to see if hee will not blaspheme thee to thy face He therefore fought against the soule seeking by out ward tribulation to induce the same by blaspheming to offend God 9 This is a strange war for any other may haue an end either by making peace with the enemy by flying farre from him or by ouer comming him in fight but in this spirituall warre wee can not lawfully make any peace or agreemēt with our enemies the deuil the worlde and the flesh God doth forbid it and it would be our ouerthrow and destruction for they be euen so many traitors and i◠reconciliable murderers yea it would be worse for vs then for the sheepe to make peace with the woolse neither can we fly and so get from these enemies for the deuill will follow vs into al places who hath a whole army of Souldiers within vs euen our affections and couetous lustes that we beare about vs. Likewise whersoeuer we become we shall still finde the worlde an enemy it resteth therefore that onely we sight and ouercome in battell Thus doth this warre somewhat resemble the same that the Children of Israel prosecuted against the Kinges of the land that was promised vnto them when they went to take possession and inheritance thereof Deut. 27. and 20.16 for in respect that God had commanded them to destroy them they might not make peace with them or make them tributaries as also forbidding his people to feare them he would not suffer them to retyre or to returne into Egipt they were therefore of necessitie to fight and ouercome them True it is that if we consider our owne weakenes to withstand such mightye enemies Ios 1. it may breede some cause of feare but as God in olde time commaunded Iosua that hee should not feare the Cananites and assured him that he would be with him and that by ouercomming them hee would bring his people into the land of promise so likewise let vs giue eare vnto God that calleth vs to this battell with assurance that hee will stand with vs for vs and in vs to the end that couragiously fighting vnder his banner against our enemies that labour to turne vs back and to recoile we may finally by his grace and power obtaine full and perfect victorye and so ending this blessed voyadge attaine to the fruition of the heauenlye Cittie and our true countrey that we may liue with him in glorye for euer 10 As we must therfore beware of turning back by offending of God so is it our duety to take heede that in this blessed iourney wee turne neither to the right hand nor to the lefte By those that turne to the right hand wee vnderstand such as doe indeede fulfill Gods commaundement yet not to glorifie him but either to glorifie themselues or to merite Mat. 6. and by those that turne to the lefte such as following the traditions of men doe forsake the straight and assured path of Gods woorde Praier to God almes fasting and other like workes are commendable and ordeyned by God to the end by them to walke toward heauen 1. Cor. 13. but such as do them that they may be seene and praised of men doe turne to the right hande and depriue themselues of all reward in heauen because they receiue it vpon earth as our Sauiour Iesus doth teach It is also a straying to the right hand when hauing receiued the gifts of speaking the tongues euen of the Angels of prophecying of knowing all secrets and misteryes of hauing faith to remoue mountaines of destributing to the poore and of abandoning the body to the fire when I say all these giftes and graces are not accompanied with loue Such likewise as in the olde time among the Iewes did obserue the lawes and ordinances of God to the end to merite did also stray to the right hand and turned out of the way of saluation as S. Paul testified of them that they had zeale of God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 Rom. 11.9 and this sentence doth hee pronounce of them They strayed out of the right way Their table shal be made a snare and a stumbling blocke On the other side such doe turne to the lefte hand as doe thinke to come to heauen by the path of mens traditions and seruices or voluntary deuotions not commanded by God as S. Paul tearmeth them Col. 2.21 as likewise Iesus Christ obiected to the Scribes and Pharisees that in their ordinances they ouer went Gods commandement wherto he addeth This people draweth neere me with their mouth Mat. 15.38 Esay 29.1.3 and honoureth me with their lippes but their hand is farre of from me But in vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines mens preceptes In as much therfore as God hath so farre fauoured vs as to teach vs the way wherein we should walke to heauen let vs beware that wee turne not either to the right hand or to the lefte but reiecting mens traditions let vs walke in that path which God in his worde hath shewed yet not to seeke any praise or commendation to our selues but to the end to glorifie our God 11 Thirdly by this name Trauellers we are taught that we must not stand still in the way but still goe forward that we may fructisie more and more in good workes and by amendment approche and enter into heauen and indeed such is the way to heauen that he that goeth not forward slydeth backward we nursse vp little children to the end they may grow great and waxe strong and it were a wonder to see a child continue as little and weake as at the birth euen so if we who being members of the Church of Christ and consequently entred into the path that leadeth to the kingdome of heauen and dayly do receiue the food of Gods word and sacraments should not encrease in faith working in loue amēdment of life it were a great ingratitude and vnexcusable obstinacy which should not escape vnpunished to stand still in the way and not to goe forwarde for hauing put a childe to schoole if at the end of foure or fiue yeeres he can neither read nor write any better then the first day that he went there is then good cause to take him away whereby he shall forget euen that little which he had at the first Neuertheles of how many euen of our selues may we make the like complaint as did the Apostle of the Hebrues to whom he writ saying When as concerning the time we ought to be teachers Heb. 5.12 yet haue ye need againe that we teach you the first principles of the word of
word may be confirmed And if he will not vouchsafe to heare them tell it vnto the Church if hee refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as the heathen and publicans Verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose vpon earth shal be loosed in heauen This sentence threatning ought so neerely to touch our harts that we shold not despise the exhortations admonitions that tend to amendment For if the impenitent be detained in the bonds of Satan vntill by amendment they be vnbounde As their estate is truely wretched miserable so is there nothing that we should haue in greater regard then by amending our liues to be dissolued and vnbound Thus may we see how the holie ministerie signified by the kingdome of heauen considered in all the principall parts thereof ought to bind vs in all affectionate desire to amend The twelfth cause of Amendement taken of this That by the kingdome of heauen is signified the most blessed felicitie of the children of God in heauen The kingdome of God in vs and the holy ministerie in the Church Chap. 12. THis is one thing worthy the noting that by the kingdome of heauen or of God is signified the felicitie of Gods children in heauen the kingdome of God in vs and the holy ministrie or the Church This title The kingdome of heauen common to these three seuerall estates doth sufficiently shew that albeit there be a great binding coniunction betweene thē yea euen such that as being in the kingdome of heauen that is in the Church and vsing the holy ministerie we are in the waie to heauen so the kingdom of heauen proceeding there hence being in vs we are assured to enter into the kingdome of God which is in heauen And in deede these are as it were two steps to climbe vp and two gates which we must passe through to get in And therefore who so desireth to be resolued whether hee bee of the number of the elect and heires of the kingdome of God let him seeke the certaintie knowledge therof in himselfe For if he be a member of the Church and inioy the holy ministerie men may haue some ground and are euen bound to account him a child of God belonging to his kingdom but if he be gotten vp the second step and seeleth the kingdome of God in his heart let him bee assured that God accounteth him his child and that he shall enter into his kingdome of eternall glorie Nowe as there is no greater felicitie than to inioy the kingdome of God in heauen so is ther nothing to be more desired than to enter thorough both the first and second gate of this kingdome of heauen This is one sharpe spurre to induce vs to practise this commandement of Iesus Christ First seeke the kingdome of God Math. 6.36 and the righteousnes thereof and consequently let vs amend our liues For if the apprehension of the kingdome of glorie that is in heauen ought euen to rauish vs into a feruent desire to attaine theurnto Likewise that we cannot attaine thereto vnles the kingdome of heauen bee also in vs that is to saie if wee haue not faith fructifying in good workes amendement of life Furthermore that we cannot haue this kingdome of heauen in vs vnlesse we also be members of the Church and vse the holy ministerie It followeth that there is nothing that we should so feruently desire and so earnestly seeke for◠as the kingdome of heauen that is to inioy the holy ministerie in the Church and by the vse thereof to establish the kingdome of heauen in vs and thereby finally to enter into the fruition of the kingdome of God in heauen 2 But ordinarily wee doo the contrarie Wee seeke first the things that concerne this present life and as for those that belong to the kingdome of heauen we seeke after them but seldome slightly and as it were for a fashion Our reason Because wee doo naturally loue the bodie more than the soule and the goods and commodities of this temporall life more than the treasures of spirituall riches Wee resemble little children that esteeme more of an apple or morsell of Sugar than of an assuraunce of rents Neyther need we to open our eyes verie wide or to vse any spectacles to see this corruptiō in men experience doth but too plainly shew it And for our more manifest conuiction heereof let vs consider fiue proofes which wee may note vppon all the fingers of one of our handes that we may the better remember them and so take some care to correct them First wherupon we do first think when we wake that is what is neerest to our hands for sometimes euen the care of some matter doeth waken vs. If thou findest that thy first cogitations when thou doest awake are such as concerne the bodie and this present lyfe and do nothing concerne the kingdome of heauen the dutie saluation and comfort of thy soule this is one pin vpon the sleeue and a pricke in one finger to make thee to remember that thou carest more for earth than for heauen for the bodie than for the soule 3 Secondly Iesus Christ sayth that of the abundaunce of the heart the tongue speaketh Mat. 12.34 When therefore thou goest to bed thinke what speech communication thou hast had all that daie so shalt thou be forced to confesse that peraduenture thou hast spoken little of the kingdome of heauen or of the saluation of thy soul but rather or at the leastwise that the greatest part without comparison hath concerned the bodie and this present life The third point concerneth the care and affection that in many doth appeare to be greater for the getting of goods and other the appurtenaunces of this life than for the obtaining of the kingdome of God his righteousnes And in deede most men and the wisest in the worlde doo not so much as vnderstand the meaning of the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes thereof so farre are they from seeking it rather than the riches commodities of the flesh wherewith they be better acquainted and which naturally they doo more desire The fourth resteth in the care which without comparison is greater for the preseruation of the bodie and this life present than for the keeping of the soule or anie thing that concerneth the kingdome of heauen And indeed al men do take more care to nourish the body than the soul also to preuent the diseases or woūds of the bodie rather than of the soule The fifth consisteth in this that according as our loue or inclination to any thing is great or small so is our sorrow for the losse thereof more or lesse If through dronkennes falling into the fire we chance to burne our face it troubleth vs more than when by dronkennes we lose the image of God and cast our soules into hell fire The loosing of
vs in that drunkennes vnreadye and vnprepared to expect this kingdome of heauen in assurance ioy Let vs take heede that we doe not wittingly abuse our selues saying When I haue attained to such wealth or to such dignity I wil take my ease and come forth of this tauerne to serue God First it is an ordinary course that the more beere or wine that a man drinketh the more he may and the more the drunken man drinketh the more drunke he will be Euen so the more wealth and dignitie that thou hast the more shalt thou find thy cares to encrease and the more they encrease the more drunken in them thou wilt be Secondly we must take great heed that when God calleth vs to repentance and amendmeÌ„t we appoint him no time Prosper in his Sent. out of Aug. Sent. 71. He saith S. Augustine that hath promised forgiuenes to him that repenteth hath not promised another day to him that deferreth his amendement â—â—â—sius in 〈◊〉 Hebrew â—â—â—bian apoâ—â—â— lib. 1. Among the sentences of the wise men that liued among the Iewes after their return from the captiuitie of Babylon we reade of one Eleazar the sonne of Hircanus who being demanded when it woulde bee time to repent and amende aunswered One daie before death And when the other replied that no man knew the daie of his death he sayd Beginne then euen to daie for feare of failing 12 Inasmuch then as dayly we expect not onely death but also the day of iudgement that in that respect the kingdome of heauen commeth two solde vpon vs that we may the more earnestly be moued to our duty to amend let vs remember this saying of Iesus Christ Mat. 24.43 If the good man of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to be broken Therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the son of man surely come And therefore he addeth Blessed is that seruant whom his master when he commeth shal finde doing his dutie And this is also represented vnto vs in the parable of the virgins For the foolish ones that tooke no oyle in their lamps were shut from comming in to the marriage Mat. 25. but the wise that had made their prouision came in Sith therefore that the kingdome of heauen is at hand let vs amend our liues and make good prouision of holy oyle increasing in the knowledge of God in faith loue holynes and all other good works let vs in time put on our wedding garments that when the bridegrome commeth if it be so dainly as himselfe hath warned vs we may be readie and prepared to enter into the marriage with him Neither let vs forget that as Iesus Christ doth aduertise vs Apoc. 22.20 It shall as a snare come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth And as he addeth Let vs watch and praie continually that we may be accounted worthie to escape all these thinges that shall come to passe Luke 21.34 and that we may stand before the sonne of man Your selues doo know perfestly sayth S. Paul that the daie of the Lord shall come euen as a theefe in the night 1. Thes 5. 2. For when they shall saie Peace and safetie then shal come vpon them sodaine destruction as the trauell vppon a woman with child and they shall not escape And then to comfort the faithfull hee sayth But ye brethren are not in darknes that that day should come vpon you as a theef ye are all the children of light and the children of the daie And thereupon he also taketh occasion to exhort them to theyr duties saying Therfore let vs not sleep as doo other but let vs watch be sober putting on the brest plate of faith and loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet Let vs beware that we folow not the euill seruant who seeing that his master was long in comming saide in himselfe that he wold not come therupon gaue himself to work wickednes Mat. 24.48 But as Iesus Christ addeth His master comming at an houre when he looked not for him cut him off and punished his iniquitie and incredulitie 13 Saint Peter warneth vs. that in the later daies there will come lyke people whoÌ„ he termeth mockers which will walke after their lusts saie Where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers slept 2. Pet. 3.3 all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation But by a notable example he sheweth that they doo wittingly and willingly deceiue themselues in such discourses For when Noah foreshewed the floud and built the arke for his owne safetie the like mockers rise against him who seeing no apparance of the flould for aboue a hundred yeres thereof concluded that the world continuing in that estate shoulde not perish but were surprised and swallowed vp in the floud Inasmuch therefore as Iesus Christ commanding vs to amend doth affirme that his kingdom is at hand lest seeming to be long in comming we should therfore falsly conclude that it will not come let vs diligently note what S. Peter addeth Derely beloued be not ignorant of this one thing that a thousaÌ„d yeres is with the Lord as one daie and one day as a thousand yeres The Lord is not slacke as concerning his promise as some men account slacknes God is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance But the day of the Lorde will come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe awaie with a noise and the elementes shall melt with heate the earth with the workes therin shall be burnt vp Then doth he thereof gather this earnest exhortation to repentance amendement of life Seeing therefore that all these things must bee dissolued what maner of persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynes Looking for and hastning vnto the comming of the day of God wherein the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and the elements shal melt with heat But we loke for new heauens new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse c. 14 Albeit therfore it seem to our flesh that this kingdome is long in comming yet let vs not slacke our amendement Ioel. 2.12 but let vs euen this daie conuert and thinke vpon the saying of the prophet Ioel Euen this daie conuert vnto me sayth the Lord. Wherein he sheweth that he yet giueth vs this daie to repent but assureth vs not of to morrow Let the remembrance therfore of the drawing neere of the kingdome of heauen induce vs to amend 2. Tim. 4.8 to the end that in amending we may gather argument to long after the comming of Christ as it is the dutie desire of all the children of God Luke 21.28 And when we shall see the signes of his comming more more fulfilled let vs lift vp our heads reioyce because our deliuerance is at hand and that shortly wee shall be gathered and brought into the fruition of his kingdome and eternall glory FINIS
more of man than of God and that confessing God with our lips we renounce denie him in our hearts and workes That we may therefore Amend our liues let vs renounce this so pernitious solly to esteeme more of man than of God And contrarywise let vs loue and feare God reposing our whole confidence in him onely as in him who only is vnto vs all in all for man is nothing but in God The third Folly To thinke that we shall liue euer Chap. 4. ANtigonus who succeeded Alexander the great in parte of his dominions beeing recouered of a certaine sicknesse sayde Plut. in his Apothegines That by the same among other documentes hee had learned that hee was mortall Wherein hee layeth open the common opinion of man who thinketh that hee should liue euer And in deede such is our inclination to incredulitie that vppon the long delaâ—e of anie thing that wee haue a while expected wee conclude that it will neuer come to passe So the euill seruant mentioned by Saint Mathewe seeing his master tarrie awaie so long Mat. 24.48 imagined and concluded that hee woulde neuer come 2. Pet. 3.3 Heereto hath the saying of Saint Peter relation In the last dâ—ie there will come mockers which will saie Where is the promise of his comming for since that our fathers dyed all things continue alyke from the beginning of the creation Thus wee see how the scorners only of the delaâ—e of the comming of Christ can take occasion to beleeue that hee wyll not come at all As also when God himselfe by his seruants threatneth them wyth death they turne it to a scorne saying Let vs eate and drinke Esa 22.13 Esa 28.15 to morow we shall die Again We haue made a couenant with death and with hell we are at agreement Though a scourge run ouer and passe thorough it shall not come at vs. Euen so we likewise when we heare of death yea and dayly see the examples thereof yet because it forbeareth vs a while taketh no hold of vs do imagine with our selues Cicero in hiâ— booke of old age that it shall neuer come at vs. And this is it which a certain Ethnike the prince of all Latine Orators signified Where he sayde that there is no man so ouer taken with age but that hee weeneth to liue yet one yere longer Thus doth he thinke to liue euer considering that albeit he hath liued a hundred yeres yea two hundred yet still he is of opinion that hee may liue one yere longer and when that is past yet one yere more and so by one and one for euer 2 This doth the common course of man confirme Wee all with our lippes do confesse that once we must die and that death is the gate either to heauen or to hell which not withstanding what one person doth liue as either hoping to goe to heauen or fearing to goe to hell If we see that resolutely within two or three dayes we must die then is there none of vs but is sorrie that he offended God that euer he liued in fornication drunkennesse deceit ryot and other excesse in a bad conscience deuoide of the feare of God Then will we desire to recouer that we may Amend Then will we vow to God that if he will prolong our liues we will walke vprightly Then will euery one with that he had cut off some of his pleasures and excesse to the end therewith to haue releeued the necessitie of the poore Then who could not be content wholy to haue beene giuen to the seruice of God to haue had more care of his soule then of his bodie of the life to come then of the life present We confesse that when death draweth neere we will vse these and such like complaints and lamentations Yet now whiles God graunteh vs time and meanes to liue according to the same why doe we it not Wherefore do we not make hast to liue in like sort as being at deaths doore we wish we had Surely because wee neuer thinke to die 3 When a man after condemnation is returned to prison all his mind runneth vpon death he detesteth his former life he falleth vpon his knees to pray to God he regardeth no soft bedding delicate fare or costly apparell Yea if he bee such a one as feareth God all his cogitations are bent to life euerlasting and forgetting the world and worldly businesse hee conceâ—â—eth great ioy in that he is so neere the gate and possession of the kingdome of heauen This sentence of death passed vpon vs the first day that wee came into this world Our soules are as in a prison in our bodies wee attend onely the time of execution wee all confesse wee must die yet wâ—t wee not whether within a day or an houre All this notwithstanding who either feeleth or sheweth himselfe readie or who prouideth to die as doth he that hath receiued his sentence from an earthly iudge But what is the cause of this our dulnesse and folly Euen because wee thinke not to die but doe imagine that our liues shall last for euer 4 If either woman or maiden preparing costly rayment with exquisite attires wherein to shew her selfe at some marriage feast shoulde beginne to finde her selfe euell at ease and withall that her Doctor or Phisition hauing felt her poulse shoulde assure her to dye within one fortnight would shee thinke any longer to proceede with her pompe feasting and pastimes No shee would then fall to weeping and prayer to giuing of almes and reprouing the vanitie of the world shee would aduertise her coÌ„panions to beware and to auoid the same But God who knoweth the length of our daies hath alreadie warned vs of our death hee saith it is at hand he hath not promised fourteene dayes neither two nor one no not one houre Wherefore doe our mindes then runne vpon the course of the world Why doe we so delight in vanitie ryot and excesse Wherefore doe wee not rather employ our selues vpon meditation of heauenly and eternall felicitie And why doe we not bestow our time in such workes as in our death may minister comfort and ioy Forsooth because we thinke to liue euer 5 Wee do reade of Philip king of Macedon and father to great Alexander that euery morning one of the gromes of his chamber at his first waking saide vnto him O king remember thou art a mortall man There is also a common posie written vpon many tablets and ringes Cogita mort that is Thinke to dye Why Was kinge Philip so forgetfull of his mortalitie that hee must be put in minde thereof euery day Or must wee Christians bee put in minde of death by painted tablets or ringes But as the end as well of the speech to the king as of this tablet tendeth onely to aduertise vs to liue as wee shoulde dye so are they likewise obiections to conuince vs of such folly and giddinesse as maketh vs to thinke that we
in matter appertaining to life euerlasting thinketh himselfe wise and is in deed but a foole because he is wise in the lesse and a foole in the principall wise as concerning men and this temporall life but a foole as concerning God and life euerlasting And we shall finde many presidents counsellors aduocates phisitions philosophers marchants and artificers wise discreet and aduised in their arte and vocation who all in the vocation of Christianitie are but fooles ignorant and senselesse They are verie perfect in matter concerning this present life but ignorant and foolish in matter of lyfe euerlasting Neither is it anie maruell For euerie man in youth learneth a phrase mysterie or arte whereby to grow wise expert in his vocation and so to prouide for this present life but few there are that learne the skill to bee true Christians wise and well aduised Beholde therefore how weening to be wise because they bee wise men they be but fooles in that they be ignorant vnaduised Christians 3 By experience we see that the aduocate can be skilfull learned in the vnderstanding of the ciuill laws pleading other mens causes yet vnderstandeth nothing in Gods law whereby to plead his owne cause against the deuill and so be iustified in the sight of God The phisition can be skilfull and expert in the cure of bodily diseases and yet not know wherein the cure of so many the diseases of his owne soule doth consist The Arithmetician can multiply numbers yet wotteth not how to reckon to 70. or 80. yeres of his life Psal 90 12 but as all the rest must bee forced to praie to God to giue him grace to vnderstand how to count his daies that he may apply his heart to true wisedome The Geometrician can bee skilfull in measuring the earth yet hath no knowledg of heauen either of Iesus Christ who is the way to come thereunto The Astronomer is well seene in the course and greatnesse of the Sun yet hath no skill in the Son of righteousnes our Lord Iesus Christ The philosophers perfect in a number of the secrets of nature are neuertheles ignorant in the mysteries and secretes of the eternall saluation of the soule reuealed in the Gospell The marchant can keepe his booke of accounts to know his estate who is indebted to him yet wotteth not hee what account hee must make to God of his life The Smith is skilful in making of keies yet vnderstandeth not what the keies of the kingdome of heauen are Euery one can tell what fruit apple trees pearetrees plumtrees c. do beare yet few know what fruit Christians should beare To be brief there be men enow wise and aduised but few Christians wise and well instructed What is it for an aduocate a phisition a marchant or an artificer to be wise in his profession and yet in Christianitie to be a foole ignorant and vnaduised To bee accounted wise among beasts that haue no immortall soule yet to be so much the more foolish and vnaduised as that in seruing men wisely and God foolishly hee looseth both bodie and soule for euer Augustine in his myrrour for sinners cap. 6 S Augustine reproouing those that take greater delight in the writings of Plato and Aristotle than of the Apostles calleth them fooles His reason because they reaped knowledge like to their study leaues in sted of fruit that is to say words and no vertue So men generally thinking themselues wise because they be so in matters of this life are yet foolish sensles in that they vnderstand not what is requisite for the obtaining of lyfe euerlasting 4 What doth it auaile vs saith S. Augustine subtilly to search out Augustine in his booke of the spirit and the letter cap. 1. 2 and plentifully to comprehend the nature of all things if wee haue no knowledge of our selues This sentence Know thy selfe for the excellencie thereof was thought to be brought from heauen The rather to the end that man standing in necessity of the knowledge of himselfe his ignorance pouertie miserie might humble himself seeke his felicity from other than himselfe The wise Socrates said that he knew but one thing viz. that he knew nothing And therein he spake better than hee was aware For if man knowing much as hee did must notwithstanding confesse that hee knoweth nothing in comparison of so much as hee is ignoraunt of euen in such sciences as concerne not life euerlasting how much rather must he were he double as wise as euer was Socrates confesse that he knoweth nothing if he haue no knowledge in the heauenly knowledge requisite to the saluation of our soules It is therefore a hellish opinion for a man to think himself wise when he is a fool likewise to be a wise man yet a foolish vntaught christian Iesus Christ speaking to the pharisies who thinking themselues skilful said Are we also blind Said vnto them If yee were blind Ioh. 9 40 you should haue no sin But now you saie We do see therefore your sin abideth in you Thereby shewing that as the beginning of a cure consisteth in the knowledge and feeling of the hurt so the beginning of our sight resteth in the knowledge that we are ignorant and fooles That we may therfore Amend our liues we must giue ouer this folly wherby we thinke our selues wise and heereafter being better aduised confes that we know nothing so long as we know not Iesus Christ Besides that how wise discreet and expert so euer we be in worldly matters yet knowing our selues to bee fooles and senselesse in thinking our selues wise while we are ignorant Christians we may be better aduised increasing in whatsoeuer may make vs become true Christians and consequently the children of God and inheritours of life euerlasting 5 This is the knowledge of all knowledge and consisteth in two poyntes First in that which Saint Paule sayeth I am not determined to know my other thing 1. Cor. 2.2 but onely Iesus Christ and him crucifyed Therin declaring that he that knoweth not Christ knoweth nothing but is a foole deuoid of sense how wise discreet so euer he is in the sight of the world so he that truly knoweth Iesus Christ how simple so euer the world accounteth him is perfectly wise and well aduised Secondly this knowledge consisteth in the beginning of wisedome Pro. 1.7 as the holy Ghost calleth it namely in walking in the feare of God Whereupon Dauid addeth that they which walke in the feare of God and keepe his commandements Psa 111.10 are wise And on the other side SalomoÌ„ protesteth that such as despise this wisdome discretion are fooles Iob. 28. â—5 Iob more largely speaking therof sayth Wisedome is more to bee esteemed than siluer golde precious stones or any worldly goods Then discoursing vppon the wonderfull workes of God in the knowledge whereof it seemeth there resteth great wisdome he concludeth his speech
coÌ„sciences for their own harts do conuince theÌ„ that it is only selfe loue with the feare of the losse of their goods dignity country kindred frends that induceth them to such dissimulation Moreouer that contrariwise they do by their going to masse worshipping the Idols offend their neighbours For what is offence but to cast a stone in a blind mans way to make him to stumble that is to say to giue the ignorant occasion to offend God by confirming them in their error 1. Cor. 8.9 becomming an example to such as haue some knowledge of the truth to induce theÌ„ to commit Idolatry with vs It is therefore a double offeÌ„ce deserueth double punishmeÌ„t in the sight of God S. Paul sharply reprouing such as did eate of things sacrificed to Idols sheweth what a stumbling block they therby make theÌ„selues to the ignorant Take heed saith hee least by any meanes this power of yours to eate indifferently of al things be an occasion of falling to theÌ„ that be weake For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at the table in the Idols temple shal not the conscience of him which is weake be boldned to eate those things wich are sacrificed to Idols And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish Rom. 14.23 for whom Christ died Because that thou who knowest that the Idol is nothing therfore that the flesh sacrificed therto is not polluted therin abusing thy power that otherwise thou hast to eate dost by thy example induce the ignoraÌ„t to eate without faith so â—o sin If then the eating of the thing which in it selfe is lawful is an offence to thy neighbors a meanes to make him to perish because after thy exaÌ„ple he eateth without faith how much more grieuous is the offence of those who by assisting at the masse other Idolatries in their own knowledge damnable before God do coÌ„firme the ignorant in their error wherby they continue their offence to God enduce others to follow them in the same That good old man Eleazar chose rather to die 2. Mac 6. theÌ„ by his dissimulation to induce the Iewes to eate swines flesh so to offend God Yea this fauor they offered him that he should eate flesh alowed in the law that he might commit nothing prohibited therein onely hee shold dissemble make the world belieue that it was swines flesh This is a wonderful constancy notable example to condemn al such as by their dissimulation giue others occasion to offend God 6 They also make abuckler of the example of NaamaÌ„ the Assirian but according to the prouerb 2. King 5. they couer theÌ„selues with a wet sacke First wher he speaketh of bowing himselfe in the temple of Remmon wheÌ„ his master leaneth on his arme he therin doth seruice to his king not to the Idol so it was but a ciuil bowing in respect of his office tended not to religion This doth he coÌ„firme plainly protesting he wil worship no strang Gods besides that he praieth that the bowing bee not imputed to him Such therefore as will excuse their adoration of Idols by his example ought rather to confesse their sin to craue pardoÌ„ at Gods hand not for a politick bowing proceeding of som office but rather for their worshipping of Idols Yet is ther thus much more This NaamaÌ„ not only protesteth that he wil not worship any strange Gods but also he craueth two Asses laden with the earth of Iudea that at his return into Syria he might ther vpoÌ„ worship the true God so make profession of the true religioÌ„ but these men do not abstaine from sacrificing to strange Gods so farre are they from forsaking the false worship of Idols publike worshipping as Naaman did of the true God according to his word But albeit there were as there is not some colour in this example of Naaman yet what reason haue they leauing a path alredie beaten by the example of so many martyrs and approued by so many testimonies of Gods worde to enter into a blinde waie where they see the steppes but of one heathen man who was but newly entered into the knowledge of the true God 7 As for the example of S. Paul Act. 21.26 in causing his head to be shauen in Cenchrea purifieng himselfe in the temple with other Iewes The same is but badly alledged and woorse argued from a matter indifferent as at that time these ceremonies wer Christ being new risen to manifest abhomination and Idolatry As also it is an abusing of Pauls zeale and charitie who conformed himselfe in this matter indifferent to the Iewes that he might win them to Christ to execuse their loue of themselues in that they conforme themselues to the Idolatrous onely for the preseruation of their goods dignities and other carnall commodities 8 As concerning that which they alleadge out of Baruch Baruch 6.3 where he sayth When being captiues in Babylon yee shall see Gods of siluer of golde and of wood borne vpon mens shoulders and the multitude before and behinde worshipping of them beware that ye be not like vnto them but saie in your harts O Lord we must worship thee First Ieremy saith not Bowing your bodies before the Idols saie in your hearts But rather this sentence as also the whole sequel of the Chapter is a condemnation vnto them For it doth euidently appeare that the authors intent was to perswade them that these Idols were false Gods and therefore that not they were to be feared or worshipped but only the true God Likewise speaking of the Babilonians that carried worshipped their Idols he sayth expresly to the Iewes Bee not yee like vnto them As in deede with what conscience coulde they haue worshipped those Idolles before men when in theyr heartes they sayde and protested before God that hee onely and not the Idols was to be worshipped Moreouer where the Author in the same Epistle addeth that all they that do serue them shal be confounded By that threatning he indeuoreth to diuert the Iewes therefro In briefe his intent is to teach the Iewes beeing strangers among the Babilonians in their persons all those that shall hap into the like condition estate when they shal chance to see the ignorant carry their Idols in procession serue adore them not to do as they do neither to fall vpon them to beate downe their Idols but rather to lift vp their harts to God to say O Lord thee nly must we worship Let theÌ„ therfore in liew of wresting this sentence of Baruch to dispence with theÌ„selues to be Idolaters with their bodies whereby to perswade that they be so in their harts obey Ieremie who enioyned those poore Iewes captiues in Babilon to make coÌ„fession of their religion by condemning the Idols mainteining the true God Iere. 10.11 You shal say thus saith Ieremie The Gods that haue not made the heauen the
earth shall perish from the earth from vnder these heauens He hath made the earth by his power c. Wherein we are to note that albeit Ieremie writ al his prophecies in Hebrew yet this one sentence is set downe in the Caldean or Babilonian speech therby admonishing the captiue Iewes to disaduow Idols to cōfesse the true God plainly sensibly in a language knowen to the Idolaters If this confession bee required of these poore captiue Iewes how can these men be excused who being at libertie to depart from among the Idolaters do assist at their Idolatry thereby to giue the world to vnderstand that they also are Idolaters therefore dare not vtter one word in reproofe of the Idols 9 Sith therefore that the first sermon both of Christ of Iohn the Baptist do notably proclaime Amend your liues Let all such as haue attained to the knowledge of the truth resolue with thēselues to renounce all Idolatrie superstition vtterly to denie all assistance participation whatsoeuer therin either in hart or body Let them remember that all abandoning of their bodies to Idolatrie is a prophanation of the temple of God That the yeelding of the body to the deuill reseruing the hart to God is intollerable sacriledge That the denial of the true God the worshipping of the deuill is detestable hipocrisie That thereby they blaspheme Iesus Christ honor the Idol that they giue offēce to their neighbours as well by confirming some in their errors as by inducing others to follow their examples But especially let them remember that their pretended excuse will redound to their double damnatiō For if he who thinking to worship God yet of ignorāce throgh worshiping an Idoll offendeth deserueth death surely then he that boweth his body to worship that which he knoweth to be an Idoll 1. Con. 10.20 Luk. 12.47.48 yea a very deuil as S. Paul calleth it offendeth in far greater measure deserues greter punishmēt And so doth Christ himself pronounce concerning the disobedient seruant who knowing his masters wil not doing it Exod. 20.5 shall be beaten much more grieuously thē he that was ignorāt therof And indeed it is not only a simple sinne and transgression as in the ignorant but more contempt and misprision against the maiestie of the law-giuer as God in many places complaineth of his people that they haue dispised him Rom. 5.20 yea euen hated him as himselfe faith in his law And hereto likewise may be referred the sentence of the Apostle where hee saith That God gaue the law that sinne might abound because the knowledge of the law taking away ignorance maketh the transgression to be conioyned with contempt and despising of God 10 The more therfore that we know the inconuenience of Idolatrie the more we are to detest abhor and flie from it and neuer flatter our selues in the presence of God who knoweth our hearts It is but a foolish enterprise to vndertake to deceiue the Lord or to thinke to prosper by offending him We feare the losse of our goods dignities countrie and life if we go not to masse with other men and counterfeate our selues to bee Idolaters as they are yet we feare not to loose the treasure and inheritance of heauen life euerlasting and the kingdome of God by polluting our bodies in Idolatrie euen by the assured testimonie of our owne hearts We are not to order our duties after the easements of our flesh but according to the word of God The meanes to obtaine safetie and felicitie consisteth not in prouoking God to wrath by seruing of Idols but if we desire his mercie and fauour towardes vs wee must renounce and denie our selues and the world that wee may worship and serue him onely Let vs obey S. Iohn who saith 1. Ioh. 5.21 Psal 97.7 1. Cor. 6.20 My little children keepe your selues from Idols And let vs remember that the holy Ghost pronounceth woe to all those that worship Idols And contrariwise blesseth all those that adore and glorifie God both in hart and minde That it is not enough that we seperate our selues from Idolatrie vnlesse we also ioyne with the Church of Christ by frequenting Sermons communicating in the Sacraments and comming to common prayer Chap. 2. AS repentance and Amendement of life consisteth in this that we forsake sinne and applie our selues to goodnesse So it is not enough that we keepe both bodies and soules from Idolatrie and superstition vnlesse that also seperating our bodies from Idolaters we adioine our selues to the Church of Christ by hearing his word receiuing the Sacraments calling vpon God in the name of Iesus Christ The titles that the holy Ghost attributeth to this Church do euidently declare vnto vs of how great importance to the glory of God saluatiō of mankind this duty of ioyning with the true Church is First it is in many places called the kingdom of God yet not without great cause For as this kingdome consisteth in euidēt assured knowledge of the true God of his Son Iesus Christ in faith righteousnes peace and comfort of the holy Ghost in sanctification to be briefe in euerlasting life glory So is it in the church wherin God manifests himself reueales his truth pleasure To the mēbers therof he giueth faith righteousnes holines peace ioy and finally life glory euerlasting Contrariwise the kingdom of Sathan cōsisteth in ignorance Mat. 13. infidelity corruptiō vice sin iniquity in a bad conscience trouble of mind dispaire death damnation The members therfore of Christs Church are the kingdome of God retired from the power dominion of Sathā to the end that God may raigne in them by his spirit the scepter of his word as contrariwise al that are without the Church do belong to the kingdome of Sathā as S. Paul also doth say of the excōmunicate that they be deliuered to Sathā who raigneth without the Church of Christ 1. Cor. 5.5 1. Cor 6.9.10 Luk. 13.28 Act. 1.47 This likewise is confirmed in that the same title of the kingdom of God wherby the Church is signified is also attributed to that blessed glorious estate which the elect shal enioy after the resurrection Wherin we are taught that theris such a cōiunction betweene the Church that glorious kingdom of Iesus Christ that it is as it were the suburbes gate thereinto wherupon also al they that refuse to ioyne with the Church can pretend no portion in this kingdom of heauē For the path to felicitie importeth an ascention frō the kingdome of God vpon earth to the kingdome of God in heauē And that doth S. Luke note saying that God did dayly adioyne vnto the Church those that should be saued thereby signifying that such as refuse to adioyne themselues therto do minister no occasion to imagine that they haue attained the way to saluation and life euerlasting 2 By another title are the
gaue giftes vnto men And what giftes He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists Ephes 3.8 some Pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ If therefore wee desire to be reestablished into life gathered vnto Christ and made liuely stones in the temple of God Iohn 21.15 1. Pet. 4.2 Act. 20.28 wee must vse this gift of Christ euen to heare sermons by the ministerie of the pastors Iesus Christ commandeth Saint Peter to feed his lambes and Peter exhorteth his companions in the holy ministerie to feed the flocke of Christ As also Saint Paul speaking to the Bishops of â—phesus who were come to Miletum sheweth them that the holy Ghost had established them in that vocation to the ende they should seede the Church of God which he had purchased with his bloud Hee therefore that seeketh the foode of his soule least it should famish die Math. 16 15 must labor that it may be fed with the worde of God through the preaching of the same Which is more Preaching is named the key of the kingdome of heauen thereby to declare that as by preaching of the Gospell heauen is opened to all that giue eare thereunto and do beleeue the word preached so al such as condemn the hearing therof are excluded from the same 3 Experience hath euermore borne witnes and euen to this day do testify what numbers haue bin illuminated reconciled to God and drawen to saluation life euerlasting through the preaching of the Gospell In one daie saith S. Luke by the preaching of the Apostles there were added to the Church about three thousand persons This efficacie of the preaching of the Gospel Act. 2.41 Luke 10.18 doth Christ confirm saying that when his disciples did preach it he saw satan like lightning fall downe from heauen therein shewing vs that satan by the ministerie of the pastors preaching the Gospell is banished destroied Doo we not euen in our daies see how by the ministerie of men Math. 13.31 preaching the Gospell the little graine of mustard seede as Christ tearmed it is growen into a great tree that with the branches and fruit thereof ouerspreadeth many prouinces and kingdomes As therfore there is no famine more dangerous than is that whereof Amos speaketh Amos 8.11 Math. 9.48 saying God shall send a famine not of bread but of the hearing of the word of God so is there no haruest more necessarie and blessed than that which is reaped by the workemen of Christ when they preach the Gospell 4 And in deede albeit men when they preach the worde haue not in them vertue and power to illuminate to giue faith to conuert harts and to saue soules 1. Cor. 3.7 for he that planteth and he that watereth as S. Paul saith are nothing but he that giueth increase yet is this one point which most soueraignlye commaundeth the holye ministerie of the worde that God who hath ordayned it doth also accompanie it with the efficacie of his holy spirit that it may illuminate and saue men Esa 59.21 This is my couenant with them saith the Lord My spirit which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not departe out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed from henceforth for euer 2. Cor. 3.8 Gal. 3.2 And this is most singularly performed in the preaching of the Gospell Heereupon Paule calleth it The ministery of the holy Ghost And in another place he sayth that the Galathians receiued the holy Ghost by hearing of the faith preached And therefore speaking of himselfe and his fellowes 1. Cor. 3.9 he saith thus We are Gods laborers because that God imploying them in his seruice wrought in them by his spirite 5 Yet for the more commendation and authoritie of the ministery of the word Luke 10.16 Iohn 13.30 Iesus Christ aduertiseth vs that it is not so much that mortall men speake vnto vs as in deed it is God in them and by them He that heareth you saith Iesus Christ to his Apostles consequently to all preachers heareth me and hee that receiueth you receiueth me In this sense did the Prophets vsually begin their sermons Ier. 1.9 saying Thus saith the Lord Heare the worde of the Lord and made an end saying For the mouth of the Almightie hath spoken it And where Ieremie rehearseth that God speaking vnto him sayd Ezech. 33 I haue put my wordes in thy mouth it importeth the same that Ezechiel setteth downe Apoc. 10.8 saying God gaue me a scrowle to eate commanded me to declare his wordes thereby signifying that his preaching was but an vtterance of the words declared in the scrowle that hee had deliuered him to eate As also S. Iohn at the commandement of the Angell eate a booke which the Angell gaue him with this addition Thou must yet prophesie to many nations Therein declaring that his sermons were a deliuerie of that which God had written in that booke Psal 95.1 Heb. 7 18. 4.7 2. Cor. 5.20 1. Thes 2. Dauid likewise exhorting the people of his time to conuert to the Lord for the authorizing of his doctrine saith thus If at this daie ye will heare the voice of the Lord harden not your hearts The Apostle exhorting the Hebrewes to giue credit to the Lord vseth the same sentence saying This daie if ye heare the voice of God harden not your hearts The same doth S. Paule expresly confirme saying We are the embassadors of Christ as if God exhorted by vs. And thereupon he testifieth to the Thessalonians that they receiued his doctrine not as the word of man but as the word of God Adding as in truth it was True it is there is a difference betweene the ministers of the word and the Prophets Apostles neuerthelesse if we be bound to receiue the doctrine of the Apostles Prophets as the word of God and that the faithful ministers preaching their doctrine do likewise preach the word of God then they that in these daies do contemne the preaching of the faithfull ministers doo as Christ said to his Apostles contemne and reiect God in them and therfore the vengeance by Iesus Christ himself denounced against those that would not heare his Apostles who said That it should be easier for Sodome Gomorrha in the daie of iudgement than for them Math. 14. will likewise fall vppon the contemners of the preachinges of the faithfull pastours of our time And they who for their contempt incredulitie and obstinacie in euill dooing shall at this day bee bound in earth by the ministery of the word Math. 16.19 shall also be bounde in heauen It is not therefore because man hath this power in him selfe neither is it so great an offence not to heare men
the head our steadfast abiding in the doctrine of truth and vnion in the faith of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe are all wrought by the ministerie of the woorde which Iesus Christ hath ordained in his holye Church To bee short that preaching is as it were the knitting and ioyning of the sinewes to vnite the faithfull into one bodie Whosoeuer therefore despiseth or reiecteth this order and benefite of Iesus Christ hee tendeth onely to scatter the Church or vtterly to destroy it Neither is the light of the sunne yea euen meat or drinke so necessarie and profitable for the preseruation of this present life as is the ministery for the vpholding of the church and bringing vs to saluation and life euerlasting 10 The premises throughly considered do also teach vs the reason why God where he might haue vsed the seruice of Angels to reueale vnto vs the doctrine of saluation Act. 8.26 and to instruct vs by the reading of his word vouchsafed to speak vnto vs by the ministerie of men like vnto our selues whereof we haue sundrie notable examples The Eunuch treasurer to Queene Candâ—ces read vppon his chariot the booke of the prophet Esaye Act. 9.9 God was not satisfied with this his affection and dutie neither did he send an Angell to expound it vnto him but imploying the ministerâ—e of man he sent him Philip. When Iesus Christ appeared to Paul and conuerted him yea euen spak vnto him he could also haue instructed him himselfe Act. 10.3 or haue sent some Angell to doo it but he contrarywise sent him to Ananias that at the mouth of an aÌ„ he might learn his will The Angell sent to Cornelius the Centurion to declare vnto him that his praiers and almes were come vp before God in liew of teaching him appointed him to send for Saint Peter that of him he might vnderstand the doctrine of saluation What man therefore is he that now dare either by expectation of reuelation from heauen or by contenting himselfe onely with reading presume to reuerse or controll the order established in the wisdome of God for the teaching of men and the bringing of them to saluation by the ministerie of men What confusion might insue of such rashnes and presumption What ingratitude against God to contemne such an honour and reuerence doone vnto men and a benefite of such greate excellencie yea euen of profite and necessitie Truely therefore inasmuch as the preaching of the Gospell is tearmed the kingdome of God Col. 4. such as doo despise and reiect it doo make themselues not onely vnworthy thereof but also most wretched and accursed instrumentes to aduance the kingdome of sathan Rather therfore apprehending the incomprensible treasure of the ministerie of the woorde let vs with the Prophet Esay and the holye Apostle Saint Paule saye O howe beautifull are the feete of them that bring gladde tidinges of peace and doo also bring gladde tidinges of good things 11 Neither must wee imagine or thinke with our selues Esa 52.7 Rom. 10.15 that being a little entered thereinto we neede not to heare anie more preaching for euen all the daies of our liues must wee be Christs schollers in the schoole of his Church vnder the ministerie of men As also the faithfull in olde time were called disciples whereby the holy Ghost signifieth vnto vs Act. 11 26. that the children of God must continue daily disciples and so learn in Christs schole vntill that departing out of the same they ascend into heauen And in deede such as being impotent and weake when they haue some voyage or iourney in hande and therefore doo take a waggon or a horse and when they haue ridde some fifteene or twentie leagues doo not straight waie without consideration of they businesse leaue theyr horse or chariot but doo retayne the same vntyll they come to theyr iourneyes ende but our iourney wyll neuer bee at an ende vntyll that by death wee bee lyfted vp into heauen The forwardest among vs as the holy Apostle Saint Paule saith doo yet knowe but in parte 1. Cor. 12.13 Ephes 4.13 And the ministerie is ordayned to profite vs vntyll wee become to bee perfect men and haue attayned to the perfect measure and full age of Iesus Christ as the same Apostle more at large doeth teach vs. And this perfection and age of man is neuer accomplyshed vntyll death And truely as the office of the ministerie consisteth in feeding the flocke of Iesus Christ by the preaching of his holie woorde so this woorde Foode doeth teach and admonish vs that as for the time of our lyuing and beeing in this worlde wee doo stande in neede of foode for our bodyes so can wee not forbeare preaching and teaching for the feeding and nourishment of our soules vntill we be lifted vp into heauen 12 But wert thou as skilful as Saint Paul yet must thou confesse that thou still standest in need of the holy ministerie 1. Cor. 14.3 2. Tim. 3.16 For preaching is ordained not onely to teach vs that which wee knowe not but also to reprehend our vices to exhort vs to our duties to comfort vs and to strengthen vs in the faith and obedience of God Whatsoeuer hee bee therefore that knoweth himselfe hee doeth sufficiently by these reasons and considerations vnderstande that hee hath neede of the holy ministerie all the dayes of his lyfe Schollers haue nothing to learne but knowledge and that euen of humane doctrine and therefore theyr studies haue a limitation but preaching is ordayned not onely for increase of knowledge but also to teach vs to put our knowledge in practise that is to say to aduaunce vs continually more and more in faith and amendement of lyfe wherein we shall neuer be perfect vntyll death By the premises then it doth appeare that euerie one that hath anie purpose to obeye this exhortation of Iesus Christ and of Saint Iohn where they saie Amend your liues must resolue to ioyne with the Church of Christ that diligently and carefully they may heare his worde all the dayes of theyr lyfe Also that it is the duetie of euerie Christian to put in practise this saying of the Prophet Esaie Esa 2.2 In the latter daies the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall bee prepared in the toppe of the mountaines and all Nations shall flow vnto it and many people shall go and saie Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes And that wee may inioye such a benefite let vs euen feele in our selues that burning affection and desire which that excellent Prophet Dauid had Psal 27.4 that with him we may praie to God to giue vs grace that wee abide and remaine in his temple all the dayes of our liues 13 Some there are that confesse that indeed it is their duetie to doe this but they can not
of sweete sauour vnto the Lorde Besides wee ought to account his promises more certaine than monie in our purses and bread in our cupboordes They should bee vnto vs as a spring alwayes running wherein our purses should serue but as cesterns and those all broken and crackt in many places This confidence in Gods promises should more content vs and make vs thinke our selues better prouided of wealth and assurance than such as abound in all wealth and haue theyr houses furnished therewith The widdowe of Sarepta was more rich and better assured of foode than anie in all the Countrie 1. King 17 because by Gods promise shee was certefied that her cruse of Oyle and her barrell of Meale shoulde not fayle her 19 Others doo extend their reasons farther namely to theyr children Plu. of the couetousnes of riches for whose sakes they cut off the due reliefe of the poore to the end to leaue them the more riches But these men deserue to bee sent to schoole among the Heathen who without respect to this dutie of Charitie did neuerthelesse reproue and condemne this excessiue and dangerous care And in deede many times it commeth to passe that when the parents doo leaue to their children great wealth before the second or third generation one vnthriftie successour shal squander awaie and wast all that they haue gathered by wronging both themselues and the poore Besides What can children learne in such a schoole but likewise to keepe theyr goods after the example of theyr parents without anie care of the poore Better it were to induce and frame them to Charitie by giuing liberally to the needie The loue and reliefe of the poore is a goodly inheritance and fauour of God Blessed is hee that trayneth vp his children therein better it is to be charitable than rich In the time of a great famine in Israel the aforenamed widdowe of Sarepta had but one handfull of meale for her and her sonne 1. Kin. 17.10 yet the Prophet Elyas comming vnto her willed her to make him a cake and promised her that her meale in her barrell shoulde not faile her Shee beleeued him and brought him the cake albeit it was all that was lefte for her selfe and her sonne This was a notable example of faith and of Charitie And in deede soone after shee founde the truth of the Prophetes promise for in her barrell she had as it were a fountaine of meale whereof she and her sonne liued so long as the famine lasted If therefore thou hast many children Ciprian of workes and almes sayeth Cyprian bee the more carefull to bring vppon them Gods blessing and fauour by distributing to the poore Deliuer vnto him the goods that thou wouldest keepe for thy children let him bee their tutor guardian and protector No man shall wreast out of his handes the patrimonie that thou hast deliuered him to keepe This doeth the Prophet Dauid by experience confirme saying I was young Psal 37.25 and nowe am olde yet did I neuer see the righteous man forsaken neither his seede begging their bread Hee daylie giueth to the poore and lendeth and his seede is blessed And in another place he saith Psal 112.5 The good man giueth almes and lendeth hee distributeth to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer and his horne shall bee exalted Contrariwise sparing and keeping from the poore to make his children rich is the subuersion of himselfe his house and his children Of what heauenly and euerlasting treasures doest thou voluntarily depriue thy selfe for the leauing of worldlie riches to thy children who peraduenture may abuse them to theyr confusion and euerlasting dampnation Must the inriching of thy children bee a cause to suffer Gods children to die for hunger Must thou leaue the members of Christ naked that thou mayest cloath those with excesse who peraduenture thereof maye take occasion to offend God yea it may bee euen to denie Iesus Christ What answere wilt thou make in the daie of iudgement when he shall obiect vnto thee that thou diddest denie him meate drinke and cloth Will hee thinkest thou accept of this excuse I spared my goods to inrich my children Hee commaunded thee not to leaue them wealth but to releeue the poore If thou louest thy children better than God canst thou thinke that he will acknowledge thee to bee his childe What is it to thee although thy children inherite but six or seuen hundred in sted of a thousand Or how many sacrifices of sweete sauour maist thou offer to God out of the two or three hundred that thou shalt diminish from them which vnto thee will bee a mightie treasure to euerlasting life 20 Some againe seeing the manifest and euident sparing of such as they take to bee better prouided for than themselues wyth murmuring complaintes will giue out and tell those that come to demaunde anie thing for the poore that they must solicite and call vppon the others and so seeke by all meanes to excuse themselues that they wyll by theyr good wills giue verie lyttle or nothing at all But Chrisostome doeth verye fitlie make them aunswere saying Chri. hom 65 vpon Math. cap. â—9 tom â— Thou wylt saie that such a man is rich and gyueth nothing or verie lyttle But what is that to thee So much the more wonderfull and commendable is thy charitie if thou hauing lesse than hee art more lyberall than he Neyther maruelled the Apostle at the Macedonians because they gaue but because being poore they gaue so liberally Iudge not another but of thy selfe make thy selfe so commendable that thou maist eschue all accusation For the greater tormentes do attend thee if in that whereof thou condemnest others thy selfe doest not thy duetie but art guiltie of the same fault Let vs not iudge others neither let vs haue an eie to their slouth but let vs looke vppon our Lorde Christ and of him take example of all good woorkes Haue not I sayth hee giuen vnto thee heauen he benefites Haue not I redeemed thee that thou mightest looke vppon mee Wherefore then leauing thy Lord doest thou looke vppon the worke of thy fellowe seruant I haue set you an example that you should doo as I haue done Moreouer seeing among men thou hast examples of charitie in Abraham Iob and others why doest thou not imitate them rather than stumble at those whom thou doest looke vnto 21 Others againe to excuse themselues from giuing of theyr goods to the poore will plaie the good husbandes and saye that many doo abuse almes This is in deed but too true yet no doubt as well they that take almes without neede as they that doo abuse it 2. Thes 3 shall one daie as sacrilegious persons feele Gods iudgementes for it But as Saint Paul reproueth such people and exhorhorteth them to their duties so hee commandeth vs that we shuld not notwithstanding desist from wel doing The husbandman neuer looketh that all the seed which hee soweth should bring
those that flie frō it Also as the eares of corne that hang theyr heads are ordinarily wel taken and full and those that stand vpright do make vs to thinke that there is little in them so they that walke in humilitie and exalte not themselues neither seeke for glorie are most endued with vertue and other commendable qualities when contrarywise the greate boasters by theyr proude speeches doo shew themselues deuoyde of the same Experience also teacheth that as the vallies are ordinarily fruitfull so the hills the higher they are the more is theyr barrennesse Let these men therefore no longer deceiue both the world and themselues neyther let them bee such fooles as to bee content wyth the false apparance and no effect Let them endeauour to bee in deede that which they would seeme to bee namely wise holie and vertuous otherwise wee may liken them to such as couet rather the name of a king than the kingdome or to bee king in deede Withal let them remember that as such impudencie and boasting is intollerable among men so when it is practised in matter concerning the seruice of God it is no lesse than detestable hypocrisie in his sight 13 We haue alreadie declared that ambition and desire to bee mightie together with such arrogancie and pride as maketh man to glorie of himselfe to reioyce when glory is giuen vnto him and to grieue when it is denied him taken from him or diminished are common faultes and deeply rooted in mens heartes and wythall very dangerous as also is boasting as when a man seeketh to seem to be more thā he is or more than he hath What more is ther now to bee done but that as Iesus Christ exhorteth vs to amend so to the end to obey him wee consider vpon all conuenient meanes to correct and vtterly to mortifie this cursed ambition pride boasting Plutarch of selfe praise Plutarch hath in writing left vnto vs many good rules and aduertisements to helpe vs herein First he willeth vs to beware that wee take no occasion to praise our selues when we heare the commendations of others especially of our equals and inferiours for then doth our ambition naturally desire that they shoulde also speak of vs. As when we see another feed sauorly before vs it maketh our mouthes water to eate with him Or as experience sheweth when another man yauneth we open our mouths yaun with him but we are more inclined to praise our selues when others do report our vertues commendable works for therin are we tickled vntill we laugh again and clawed where it doth itch Likewise if the reporter thereof speaketh soberly or with the least wee can not longer forbeare but as if we meant to reueale some theft and sought to recouer the same wee are straight vrged to tell the rest yea and rather than to loose one iot of our commendation more than all Many times also it chanceth that vnder pretence of praising the vertues of another we cunningly doo slip in shew forth our own As when a man exalting the humilitie and affabilitie of a king or prince reporteth that he gaue him his hand thus thus honoured him pretending therby to let men vnderstand that him selfe is of good estimation and worthie honor And herein do wee Christians many times offend when vnder colour of praising God for his gifts and graces poured vpon vs wee rehearse them to the end our selues may also haue some part of the glory This is a counterset glorie giuen to God that our selues may haue a share therin Some there are that reproue others and sharply rebuke them of their faults and infirmities propounding themselues for examples of the contrarie vertues and this is common with age who therein seek to set a face vpon their owne glorie to the dishonor of others Others we shal also finde who vnder pretence of humility do minister occasion of their own praise so make their humility abait to catch their praise They will abase their giftes graces vertues and commendable actions in the presence of such as knowe them well inough thereby to giue occasion to gainsaie them and so the more amplie to commend them yea they woulde bee loth a man shuld consent to their own speeches These aduertisements might suffice to warne vs to beware of praising our selues To conclude we are to imagine that as it is a griefe and trouble to vs to heare the boasting and proud speeches of others so least we should giue like cause of trouble to others that heare vs and withall incur the reputation of vaineglory wee are to beware of praising our selues These be good aduertisements deliuered by Plutarch But in as much as they tend chiefly to frame a requisite modestie and seemlynesse among men that shunning the obloquy of ambition arrogancie they may purchase the praise due to humilitie and modestie wee wyll stand no longer vppon them but proceede to the consideration of such things as may vtterly vncloath vs of ambition vainglorie and boasting in the sight of God 4 First let vs remember the horrible vengeance that God in old time hath executed vpon the ambitious and proud What a fearefull punishment was inflicted vppon Adam and Eue Gen. 3 when they laboured to bee like vnto God 2. Ephe. 3 Psal 51.7 That by birth wee are the children of wrath conceiued in sinne borne in iniquitie subiect to a thousand both bodily and spirituall corruptions and tribulations bond slaues both to temporall and eternall death and by nature more miserable and wretched than bruite beasts These bee the accursed fruites of this root of ambition which might cause vs to abhorre and detest it What iudgement dyd God execute vppon Haman the enemie of the Iewes Herste 7.10 2. King 11. 2. Sam 18 who was hanged vpon the same gallowes that hee had erected for Mardocheus What reuenge did hee take of Athaliah who hauing murthered all the kings seed for to raigne was her selfe slaine How fearefull and horrible was the death of Absolon who hanging vpon the tree Esay 14. Dan. 4 was stroke thorough and slaine when with his armie hee pursued his father Dauid What iudgment did Esaie denounce agaynst Nabuchadnezzer And as Daniel declareth it was put in execution when after hee had exalted himselfe in pride hee was driuen from among men and eate grasse lyke an oxe for the space of seuen yeeres his bodie beeing watered with the deaw from heauen vntill his haire grew like to the feathers of an Eagle and his nailes like the clawes of birdes Neither must we omit the notable example of Herod who after hee made a plausible Oration and that the people commended him saying It is the voice of God and not of man Act. 12.21 was presently stroken with Gods hand because accepting and allowing of the glorie giuen to himselfe hee gainesaide it not neither gaue it to God and was eaten with wormes and died miserably Let these iudgements and
to another whereto they inuited their sisters Iob 1. they could not beare themselues so soberly and modestly as were to be wished Yet their father Iob a man that feared God sent vnto them and purified them and rising earely offered sacrifice according to their number saying in himselfe Mat. 12.36 It may bee my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their harts Thus did Iob euery day And vndoubtedly we also do diuersly and in sundry maners offend God in our feastes if it be but in a number of vaine friuolous speeches of the which wee must giue accompt in the day of iudgement 5 We are moreouer for feare of offending God in our feasts Plu. in his banquet of 7. Sages to stand vpon our guard least we there meete with dissolute persons Chylon one of the seuen Sages of Greece had such a regard hereto that when he was inuited to any feast he would neuer promise to come before he knew who should be there For said he of necessitie a man must light vpon such coÌ„panie as in a ship or in the wars yet is it not the part of a wise man voluntarily at feastes to medle with any whosoeuer In like maner we reade that Antigonus the sonne of Demetrius being inuited to a banquet at the which hee knew there should be some insolent light women asked the aduice of the Philosopher Menedemus who answered only that hee shold remeÌ„ber that he was a kings son by that saying admonishing him to refraine and beware of all vnhonest companie occasion of euill How much rather ought wee who are the children of the king of heauen earth to remember to refraine froÌ„ banquets or any other coÌ„panie wher ther may be cause of riot vnthriftines 6 Why Will some men say is it not lawfull at feastes to haue any talke but of God or to vse any communication but of religion There is great difference betweene euer and neuer Men vse to water their wine for feare of drunkennes and put salt in their meate to season it euen so must our speeches sauour of sobrietie Christian reformatioÌ„ We may reioice together yet in the Lord in al modesty beseeming the childreÌ„ of God Besides in our plenty we must remember the poore and the saying of Iesus Christ to this purpose Giue Almes of those thinges which you haue and all things shall bee cleane vnto yow Luk. 11.41 Thereby declaring that the meate at our feasts and other al our goods shall be vnto vs vncleane vnlesse during such plentie wee take care of the poore to releeue their necessities by cutting off of our superfluitie to helpe their miserie In the daies of Assuerus King of Persia when Haman had obtained and published a decree whereby all the Iewes that dwelt within the seuen and twentie prouinces of the Kinges dominions should the thirteenth day of the twelfth month haue beene slaughtered God by his wonderfull prouidence reuersed that bloudie decree vpon Haman his children and their adherentes that hated the Iewes And such was this victorie and deliueraunce Ester 9.22 that Hester and Mardocheus ordained in remembraunce of so great a benefite that among all other matters yeerelie the fourtenth and fiftenth of this month should be ioyful and feastiuall daies wherein they should send giftes to the poore that they together with the rich might all reioyce in the Lord. Among the Romaines they had one law which inuiolably they obserued namely that no man should make any publique feast before hee had prouided for the poore in his quarter Where Iesus Christ sayth Luk. 14. 13. When thou makest a feast call the poore the naked the blinde and the lame and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Hee thereby sheweth that inuiting those that inuite vs wee reape a simple reward for our paines and expences in our feasts For our payment is but I thank you or a dinner or a supper But contrariwise when we giue to the poore euerie dinner and supper is a treasure in heauen Yet are we not forbidden to inuite those that are able to requite vs But Iesus Christ teacheth vs that it is a wiser way to bestow the charges of our feast vpoÌ„ the reliefe of the poor for where they want wherewith to requite vs we know that Iesus Christ hath promised to recompence vs in heauen 7 To this purpose are we to remember that wee are not Lordes but stewardes of the goods which wee haue receiued vpon condition to render accompt to him that seeth all and most carefully commendeth to vs the feeding of the poore And therfore it is not lawfull for vs to spend so much as wee list but so much as we imagine in our perticuler of expences shall bee alowed in the recorde of the liuing Lorde Delâ—uering to thy seruaunt three or sower bushels of salt is it to the end she should put the more into the pot and so by casting in of whole handfuls ouer salt theyr pottage Yet the reprouing of her and saying that thy meaning was that shee should take so much as was requisite sufficiently to seasen thy meate will redound to thy condemnation In this pointe may the heathen make vs ashamed Agasicles being demanded wherefore he liued so sparingly considering his plentie of goods aunswered that hee who is able must not spend according to his lustes or couetousnesse but in reason and as neede requireth The Lacedemonian feasts were so wel ordered that they were termed scholes of sobrietie and abstinence But such are the feasts of Christians that lesse then the reuersion might suffice the whole companie which notwithstanding we suffer the poore to starue who might be well fed with the superfluitie thereof Plu. in his banquets of the 7. Sages Plutarch writeth that Perianders feast to the seuen Sages was moderate and more sober then this ordinarie diet because hee had inuited wise men Much rather shoulde our banquetes whereto wee inuite the children of God and professors of reformation bee sober and moderate to the end that the companie of honest and vertuous personages as Diocles one of the same seuen euen there noted shoulde bee no encrease but rather a deminishing of expenses 8 Some men to excuse their aboundaunce in banquetes doe aledge custome But custome contrarie to reason is a tyraunt who to get dominion reuerseth all law Others will demaund who shall first beginne to breake the custome of excesse and superfluitie But men should enquire who shall first leaue wickednesse and doe well and while others continue in euill deferre to doe good In a case of mischiefe or wickednesse wee are not so long in deliberating Wee neuer tarrie for another to beginne Wee make post hast to euill If a man speake of worldly gaine euery man will be foremost but if of losse last Yet in profiting the soule wee tarrie for another to beginne 9 Besides
God loue of the world neglect of heauenly felicitie wil cry out for euerlasting vengeance against their parents so that if they account not their children as beasts without soul or if they loue them with the due loue belonging to parents let them declare their loue especially to the soule the Christian instruction whereof surmounteth all worldly treasure An ancient Philosopher said that hee could haue bin content to haue gone vp into the highest pinacle in the towne Crates Plut. in thâ— bringing vp of children thence to haue cried O fathers what meane you that imploy your whol indeuors to get riches why are ye so carelesse for the instructing of your children to whom ye leaue theÌ„ It is as if parents wheÌ„ their childe were sicke to the death without prouiding for his health should prepare him new garments Some say it would be a great comfort for them in heauen to know their neere kindred consequently their children and this commeth of natural affection But might it not be a greater discomfort for them eueÌ„ in their life time to see them go to hell for want of instruction Tâ—e Lacedemonians were very careful to bring vp their children in vertue according to the lawes of Lycurgus their law giuer therby grew to this custome that if anie man committed anie trespasse it was lawfull for anie that sawe him freely to reproue him and it was a great reproch to mislike of such reprehension 13 Some charge their childreÌ„ to be dulwitted hard to be bowed or brought to vertue Albeit naturall inclination bee a great helpe to profiting yet exercise custome to do wel is a mightie meanes to bend and shape them that waie yea euen such that by experience wee finde this olde prouerbe true Vse ouercommeth nature And this dyd Lycurgus the Lacedemonian lawe giuer verie aptly demonstrate to his people Plut. in his Lacon Apotâ—eg Hee tooke two whelpes the one of a hunting kinde the other of a mastiffe that followed the kitchin Then dyd hee bring vp the mastiffe to the game and the hound to the kitchen Afterward meaning to make demonstration and so to perswade the people to his purpose hee caused them to bee assembled and brought forth his two dogs where setting downe a dish of pottage and withall casting off a hare the hound fell to the pottage the mastiffe followed the hare Behold then sayth he what it is of doctrine vse he that came of a hunting kind yet vsed to the kitchin followeth his pottage and the other come of a mastiffe following the kitchin being now vsed to the game followeth the hare The wheele-wright doth by strength bow his timber letting it he long in that bent it abideth crooked Barren ground wel tilled soyled and sown with good seed groweth fruitfull yeeldeth good increase Iron weareth with handling The water by continuall dropping weareth the stone Wilde beasts may bee tamed and wilde coltes by custome bee brought to the saddle and are content to bee lead by the bridle The Greekes named Manners by a word that signified Custome Thereby to declare that euen the dullest capacities may by instruction and custome bee fashioned to vertue As contrariwise the wit most inclined by nature to vertue may by bad instruction and the conuersion of the wicked be peruerted and grow vicious 14 Parents therefore are heerein to respect two pointes First to begin to frame and bend their children in their tender youth to vertue remembring that a seale entereth deepest into softest waxe Plato warneth mothers and nurses from telling foolish tales to theyr children least they infect theyr tender wits with folly astonishment Experience sheweth that children will sooner learn anie language by conuersation thaÌ„ older folkes Also that the yonger the twigge is the sooner it is bent or made straight Secondly it is the parents duetie to restraine their children from haunting conuersing with such as bee vicious and peruerse And in deed we see that they doo soone learne villanous and vnseemely speeches and malitious and leaude actions wyth theyr corruptions and as the olde prouerbe sayth Halting with the lame they shal learne to halt A child that naturally speaketh well by conuersing with such as corrupt theyr speech shal degenerate and speake as badly Tie a young twigge that is crooked with a straight one that is stronger than it and in growing it wil become straight so continue when it is vndone And contrariwise a straight one tied to that which is crooked and stronger than it selfe will grow continue crooked 15 The Lacedemonians were maruellous carefull to prouide that their children should not be corrupted by euill companie And in regard thereof Plutarch in his Laconicalâ— we reade that when Antipater demanded of them fiftie children for hostages one of their chiefe magistrates named Etheocles aduised theÌ„ not to condescend thereto least they being brought vp in the societie of such as were wholy giuen to pleasure and vice might peraduenture grow vicious and so bring home afterward to their countrie nothing but corruption and miserie and therupon in lieu of fiftie children they offred the double number of men and women and so of aged persons alreadie formed of strength and discretion to withstand vice and corruption Lastly when Antipater still vrged them to send their children and vsed great threates in case they should disobey they plainly answered saying Let him if he can require anie thing more grieuous than death for rather will we condiscend thereto than to send our children O wonderfull constancie and care to preserue their children from vice and corruption If the heathen had such regarde to this vertue importing the training vp of their children in the obseruatioÌ„ of the laws of a mortall man what a shame may it be vnto christian parents that are so negligent in bringing vp theyr children in the heauenly doctrine and forming theyr manners and behauiors to pietie and godlynes in the feare and obedience of God Moreouer by this example may parents take warning when they mean to put forth their children to anie trade or occupation eyther to learning carefully to see and enquire whether such as they thinke to place them withal be vertuous or endued with the fear of God In the admittance of a seruant the feare of some temporall or carnall inconuenience causeth thee to enquire of his or her truth or other qualities Therefore if thou committest a childe to the instruction of a master before thou enquirest of his vertues thou shewest that thou hast lesse care of corrupting or infecting thy child with vice than of some small incouenience that might happen by an vnthriftie seruant When thou buyest an earthen pot thou soundest vpon it to see whether it be broken least thou shoulde be deceiued in a small peece of monie yet doest thou not sound whether the master to whome thou committest thy child be vicious or vertuous albeit by putting him to one that is
body and the kingdome of heauen more precious then earthly treasures so doth the chiefe and principall end of the magistrates charge and office consist in the establishing and maintaining of the puritie of Doctrine the holy administration of the Sacramentes the inuocation of Gods name 1. Cron. 15. the order of Ecclesiasticall Discipline In brief in the holy ministerie and seruice of God How carefull was Dauid to bring the Arke of God into his Citie How ioyfully with praises and blessings of the Lord did he conduct it He commanded the priests and Leuits to sanctifie themselues and to prouide to carie it Hee ordained them to appoint of their brethren to sing and play vpon instruments before it And how zelously did hee establish an order for the seruice of God How affectionate did hee shew himselfe to builde an house to God 2. Cron. 19. 2. Sam. 7. 1. Cron. 22. And vnderstanding that God woulde not that it shoulde bee built by him but by his sonne Salomon What summes of golde and siluer did hee leaue towards the building thereof 4 Asa king of Iuda touched with the like zeale put downe the straÌ„ge alters the high places other idolatries 2. Chro. 14 He coÌ„maÌ„ded Iuda to praie to the Lord the God of their fathers and to fulfill the law the commandements And God for the same blessed him mightily and gaue him victory ouer Zara the Aethiopian 2. Chro. 15 and rest from his enemies Yea many other kindreds namely of Ephraim Manasses and Simeon perceiuing that the Lord his God was with him came to him as to a refuge and made a couenant to seeke the Lord God of theyr fathers with all their harts and wyth all theyr souls 2. Chro. 14.2 yea that they should slaie all such as would not seeke the God of Israel And of him it is said that he did that which was good in the sight of the Lord his God 5 Iehosaphat his sonne likewise gaue himself couragiously to re-establish the seruice of God namely in the third yere of his raigne 2. Chro. 17 when hee sent men of authoritie to cause it to bee taught throughout all the townes of Iuda yea hee sent with them Leuites and Priests to teach the inhabitants of Iuda who carryed with them the bookes of the lawe of the Lord and went thoroughout all the townes of Iuda to instruct the people And God so blessed him in this good zeale that the feare of the Lorde fell vppon all the nations and kingdomes round about Iuda and they durst not make anie warre agaynst Iehosaphat He also in Ierusalem ordained the Leuites and priestes with the princes of the kindreds of Israel for the iudgement of the Lord and for controuersies that they might iudge according to the lawe of God and appointed Amarias the high priest to haue the ouersight ouer them 6 As for king Ezechias the holy Scripture greatly testifyeth his godlynes and feruent affection to the seruice of God Hee gathering together the Priests and Leuites gaue vnto them this admonition and exhortation Heare me ye Leuites sanctify now your selues 2. Chro. 29. and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers Our fathers haue trespassed and done euill in the eies of the Lord our God and therefore his wrath hath bene vpon Iuda and Ierusalem But now I purpose to make a couenant with the Lord God of Israel that hee may turne awaie his fierce wrath from vs. Now my sonnes be ye not deceiued for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him to serue him And when the priests Leuites had cleansed sanctifyed the temple of the Lord king Ezechias rose early gathered the princes of the citie went vp to the house of the Lord the priests Leuits offered sinne offerings for the kingdome for the sanctuarie and for Iuda And when they had made an end of the burnt offering the king all that were with him bowed them selues and worshipped The king and the princes commanded the Leuites to praise the Lord with the wordes of Dauid and of Asaph the seer so they praised with ioy and they bowed themselues and worshipped Neither dyd this good king take care for the tribe of Iuda onelie ouer the which himself raigned but also when he was to celebrate the passeouer 2. Chro. 30 hee sent poastes throughout the other tribes of Israel to inuite them to come vp and to celebrate the feast and to serue God And to that end by his messengers hee made to them an excellent exhortation and admonition whereupon albeit some did laugh them to scorne 2. Chro. 31 yet neuerthelesse diuerse of Assur of Zabulon and of Manasses submitted themselues and came to Ierusalem Hee afterward also renued the seruice of God according to the order established by Dauid and made a decree whereby the king should be charged with a contribution taken of his treasurie for the morning and euening sacrifices for the saboths the new moones the solemne feasts according as it is written in the law of the Lorde â— Chr. 34. 35 7 The like zeale and dutie to the seruice of God is also set down in Iosias king of Iuda But the premises may suffice to declare vnto kings princes and other Christian magistrates with what affection and zeale they are bound to purge their dominions of Idolatrie superstition to establish among theyr subiects the pure and holye seruice of God with the holy ministerie of his word and to imploy theyr authoritie and meanes in the maintenance thereof To bee short in theyr owne persons to giue example of all godlinesse Sundrie kings euen of the Heathen haue somewhat vnderstoode and put it in practise as Nabuchadnezzer when hee beheld the wonderfull worke of God in preseruing the three Hebrew princes in the fierie furnace and therby conceiued some sparke of the knowledge of the true God did immediatly make a decree in honour of the true God in these wordes Therefore I make a decree that euerie people nation or language that speake anie blasphemie against the God of Shaaâ—achâ— Dan. 3 24 Masach and Abednego shall be drawen in peeces then houses shall be made a takes for there is no God that can deliuer after this sort Dauids likewise beholding the miraculous deliuerie of Daniel from the lyons immediatly writ forth his Letters to this effect Vnto all people Pro. 25. nations and languages that dwell in all the world peace bee multiplied to you I make a decree that in all the dominions of my kingdome men tremble and feare before the God of Daniel for hee is the liuing God and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shall not perish and his dominion shall bee for euerlasting Hee rescueth and deliuereth and he worketh signes and wonders in heauen and in earth who hath deliuered Daniel from the power of the lions These are excellent prayses of God deliuered by a Heathen king and doo
righteousnes What else haue wee therefore to doo but still to haue this name Iesus whereby wee bee aduertised that hee hath saued vs from our sinnes and consequently from eternall death before the eies of our vnderstanding that wee remembring that he hath withdrawen vs out of hell from eternall fire darknesse weeping and gnashing of teeth maye in heart bee feruently inflamed in his loue And that the remembrance that he hath paide so many deadly debts to discharge vs maye more and more inforce his loue Finally let the representation of the death of our olde man crucified with this Sauiour make vs so to abhorre sinne and corruption that we suffer it not to liue in vs to our owne death Thus shall the name Iesus beget in vs a feruent desire to loue him to please him and to obey his commaundement wherein hee willeth vs to amend our liues Acts 10.38 Luke 4.18 Esay 61.1 Iohn 1.16 1. Ioh. 2.27 8 Now let vs come to the title Christ. This name in Greeke as also the name Messias in Hebrue doeth signifie as much as if wee should saie Annointed And by this annointing is meant the fulnesse of the holie Ghost which he hath receiued as Saint Luke noteth and himselfe doth acknowledge where hee applieth to himselfe this saying of Esaie The spirite of the Lorde God is vpon mee for he hath annointed me He was fulfilled to the end wee might be partakers of his fulnesse as Saint Iohn saith who also speaketh of the holy Ghost saying The annointing that you haue receiued from him abideth in you 1. Cor. 3.16 and you need not to bee taught but as the same annointing teacheth you all thinges and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you yee shall abide in him Saint Paul calling vs the temples of God addeth this reason Rom. 8 9. that the holie Ghost dwelleth in vs. This name Christian deriued from Christ and proper to his disciples confirmeth the same For likewise as the same Apostle sayth They that haue not the spirite of Christ are not his But as there is no true or naturall fyre but yeeldeth heate or light so the holye Ghost cannot bee in vs wythout the feeling and shewing forth of effectes beseeming his holynesse And therefore this name Christ aduertising vs that wee are partakers of the annointing of his holy spirite should be vnto vs a mightie and liuely argument to amend our liues And this shall wee the better vnderstand by considering the names attributed to this spirite to represent vnto vs the effectes of the same 1. Pet. 5.2 First hee is called Holy because that of himselfe and in him selfe being holy euen in al perfection it is he that sanctifieth vs by separating vs from the common degree of other the children of Adam to the end we may be dedicated and consecrated to God Whereupon Saint Peter sayth that wee are elect through the prouidence of God in the sanctification of the spirite to obey and be sprinkled with the bloud of Iesus Christ And that as being made the children of God through faith we must be wholy renued Saint Paul teacheth vs that this commeth of the holy Ghost He sayth he that hath raised Iesus Christ from the dead Rom. 8.11 1. Cor. 15.45 shall quicken your mortall bodies with his spirit dwelling in you In this sense is he named the second Adam that proceeded from heauen in a quickning spirite For the Apostle compareth the spirituall life that Christ by his spirit imparteth to the beleeuers with the sensual life that men receiue from the first Adam And therefore we do in vaine boast of Christianitie and the spirit of Christ so long as we are not so renued as to haue nothing in common with the vnbeleeuers that dwell vnder the tirannie of the vncleane spirit which infecteth with all corruptions defilings all those that haue not the spirit of Christ 9 Particularly he is named the earnest pennie of our inheritance As when a man doth purchase an inheritance hee first giueth earnest that is some part of the monie promised Ephe. 1.14 that serueth as a beginning to the paiment of the total summe so God hauing redeemed vs by the bloud of Iesus Christ giueth the earnest penie of his holy spirit that is to saie a beginning of knowledge of the true God of sanctification of loue to God of righteousnes and of peace ioy in the holy spirit attending vntill he finish in vs the communication of that light ioy holynes and glory that we shal haue perfectly in heauen Whereby it appeareth that wee wrongfully boast our selues to be christiās annointed with the spirit of Christ so long as we be not indued at the least with some beginning of this heauenly light sanctification loue of God spiritual peace and ioy which are the earnest of the spirit do not indeuor daily to increse in these spirituall giftes and graces He is also called Water Esay 55.1 44.3 for of the holy Ghost doth Esaie speake saying Come vnto the waters all yee that thirst Againe I will poure my spirite vppon the thirstie and my riuers vpon the drie Then to expound the same he sayth I will poure forth my spirite vpon thy seede Heereby doth hee shewe vs that as raine with the moisture thereof fatteth the earth to make it fruitfull so doth the holy spirite with his inuisible grace make vs fruitfull to produce the fruites of righteousnes as Iesus Christ also declareth saying He that beleeueth in me Iohn 7.38 out of his belly shall flowe riuers of the water of life This saith S. Iohn he spake of the spirit that all they should receiue that beleeued in him As therefore if hearbs watered do stil continue drie we iustly saie they are dead so can we not aduow our selues to be Christians watered with the spirit of Christ so long as in sted of bearing fruit by amendement of life and giuing our selues to good workes we continue drie and withered 10 Sometimes hee is also called Water to signifie his power to purge and cleanse our filth and corruption as Ezechiel sayth I will poure vpon you cleane waters and yee shall bee cleansed Ezech. 36. 25 I will cleanse you from all your filthines and from your Gods of doung And will giue vnto you a new heart and will put into you a new spirite and I will take your stonie heart out of your flesh and will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit into you and cause you to walke in my statutes and to keepe my ordinances and you shall doo them But if we in lieu of amending our liues do abide in our filthinesse and corruption with stonie heartes and keepe not the ordinances of the Lord it is in vaine for vs to intitle our selues Christians watered with the holye waters of his spirit And because that by watering vs with the liquors of his graces hee maketh vs strong
whereof the one doth signifie Be ye better aduised or learne to know your ignorance or fault and the other as much as if wee should saie Returne and conuert By the first the holy Ghost teacheth that it is a great folly to offend God considering that God exhorting vs to amend commandeth vs to be wise and aduised And the other confirmeth it to be in truth a great folly For when God saith Conuert returne to me namely by amendement he giueth vs to vnderstand that by transgressing his law we go to the deuill by amending we turne backe and go from the deuill to the liuing God And in deed if anie man list to demand what waie the idolaters fornicators whoremongers dronkardes couetous persons dreamers blasphemers and to bee short all they that giue themselues to the world and to the lusts of the flesh doo take the aunswere is certaine and readie euen they that take the waie that leadeth to hell that forsaking life they go to death and running from God they draw neere to the deuil Saint Paul making a catalogue of these people doth resolutely pronounce 1. Cor. 6.10 Rom. 6.23 Deut. 27.26 that they shall not inherit the kingdome of God also that the reward of sinne is death and cursed is he that keepeth not the commandements of the law And because there are few that take care to obey God to amend their liues Math. 7.13 our Lord Iesus Christ pronounceth that broade is the gate and path that leadeth to destruction As therefore if a man departing from Paris taketh his waie into Spaine and yet giueth out that hee wil take his waie through Flanders or Holand euerie man will scorne him as a foole or take pittie of him as if he were a senselesse person that goeth farre amisse euen so is it with him who taking no course to amend but continuing in offending of God doth neuertheles say vphold that he will go to heauen for euery man may iudge him to be senselesse and greatly out of the waie because he taketh the contrarie course which leadeth to hell 2 Now if there be no greater madnes or pernitious folly than by offending God to take the waie to hell and euerlasting fire Iesus Christ in commanding vs to amend doth iustly saie Be ye wise better aduised and conuert returne to me And in deed if God should aske the sinner Wilt thou amend Wilt thou go to hel fire into weeping and gnashing of teeth with the deuills There is no man so desperate but that he will answere No Lorde God forbid yet hath not God good cause to replie Why thou takest the way thether thy workes doo leade to hell and euerlasting destruction and therefore amend But how Lord be better aduised As now thou turnest thy backe to me and thy face to the deuill so turne conuert thou to mee Where thou goest from heauen and drawest neere vnto hell turne backe leaue the world the flesh and all the corruptions of the same walking in my commandements amend thy life Thus turning thy backe to the deuil thy face vnto me going from hell thou shalt come to me the fountaine of life euerlasting And in deed saith S. Augustin we draw neere vnto God who is euery where Prosper in his sentences out of Augustine Se. 91. Sc. 195 not by remouing from place to place but by alteration of manners For as dissimilitude separateth vs frō him so doth resemblance and imitation conioyne vs with him And what a woe is this saith he by displeasing God to abandon this soueraigne felicitie which is in all places Let this commandement therefore Amend that is to saie Be ye better aduised and conuert vnto me waken and inflame our hearts to amend our liues and to be wise and aduised to conuert vnto God If a marchaunt seemeth willing to trust another that is redie to be banquerout with all his goods one warning will be inough to reclaime him ye shall not need to praie him to beware or to alleadge many reasons to withhold him The only feare apprehēsion of the losse of all his goods wil be reason and exhortation sufficient What shall wee then doo when Iesus Christ saith Be ye better aduised that is Amend and note that by offending God so taking the waie to hel we indanger our selues yea we do euen assure our selues to loose both bodies and souls for euer Is it not meere madnes and vngrateful rage to continue and not to be wiser and better aduised that wee may conuert to God and by amendement preserue our bodies and souls vnto life euerlasting The eight cause of Amendement taken of the reason added by Iesus Christ where he saith For the kingdome of heauen or of God is at hand Chap. 8. NOw let vs especially consider the reason added by Iesus Christ For the kingdome of heauen or of God is at hand And for the better vnderstanding therof let vs note three significations of the kingdome of heauen First by this kingdome is signified the blessed estate and incomprehensible felicitie that wee shall inioye after the resurrection is when Iesus Christ sayth Math. 8.11 Many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit at the table in the kingdome of heauen with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Agayne Math. 7.21 Not euery one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of my father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Againe Suffer little children to come vnto mee Math. 19.14 for vnto such belongeth the kingdome of heauen And so in many other passages Secondly by the kingdom of heauen is signified the estate of the regenerate man which consisteth in the true knowledge of God in faith in mortification of the olde man and in newnesse of lyfe As when Iesus Christ sayth The kingdome of God is in you Luke 17.21 Also in this saying of Saint Paul The kingdome of God is not meate or drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Thirdly Rom. 14.17 the kingdome of heauen many times signifieth the ministerie and preaching of the Gospell As when Saint Paul speaking of certaine faithfull seruants of Iesus Christ sayd Col. 4.11 Math. 11.11 These onely are my companions in the worke of the kingdom of God Againe as where Iesus Christ saith He that is best in the kingdome of heauen is greater than Iohn the Baptist Whereto wee also refeere this saying of Iesus Christ Math. 13.3 13.44.45 The kingdome of heauen is like vnto seede that fell in diuerse groundes Thereby signifying that the holy ministerie bringeth not fruit in all men Likewise where he compareth the kingdome of heauen to a treasure hidden in the earth and to a marchant that sought for good pearles thereby to shew how highly wee are to esteeme of the holy ministerie 2 All these significations of the kingdome of heauen ought
mightily to moue vs to amendement First when by the kingdome of heauen is signified the blessed estate and incomprehensible felycitie that wee shall inioy in heauen therein are wee taught that our estate is farre different from the estate of bruite beastes who by their death are reduced to naught For as for men when they die all is not death with them but they that beleeuing in Iesus Christ haue amended their liues shal depart into a life replenished with all glorie ioy and incomprehensible eternall felicity heere signified by the kingdome of heauen as contrariwise they that remaine hardned in theyr euill doinges shall for euer bee tormented with the fire of Gods wrath Dan. 12. Many saith Daniel that sleepe in the dust shall awake some to life eternall and others to eternall reproch and infamie Iohn 5.28 This sentence doth Iesus Christ confirme saying The houre shall come that all that are in the graues shal heare the voice of the sonne of man and shall come foorth euen they that haue done good to the resurrection of life they that haue done euil to the resurrection of condemnation And to this end shall Iesus Christ come to iudge the world that the childrē of God that haue amended their liues may be exalted into the fruition of the kingdome of heauen contrariwise the disobedient swallowed vp with the deuill his Angels in hell That we may the better feel the efficacie of this reason For the kingdom of heauen is at hand we are vndoubtedly to beleeue it is in deed an article of our faith that Iesus Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead And in this respect S. Paul writing to Timothie 1. Tim. 4.4 saith I summon thee before God before the Lord Iesus Christ who in his appearance and kingdome shall iudge the quicke the dead Acts. 17.31 As also the same Apostle in another place saith God hath ordained a daie when he shall iudge all the world in righteousnes This was an old resolute point of the Iews religion as it appeareth by these sentences of Iesus Christ The men of Niniue shall rise in the day of iudgement to condemne this generation Math. 12.41 Math. 10.15 Againe If it shall be more easie for Sodom in the daie of iudgement than for those townes that woulde not receiue the Gospel These threatnings wold haue bin of smal waight with the Iewes had they not bin perswaded that there was a daye of iudgement wherein the children of God should be receiued in to the kingdome of heauen and the vnbeleeuers and obdurate in wickednes cast into euerlasting death 3 To the end the rather to confirme vs in the expectation of this daie of iudgement so much to be desired and so blessed for those that do amend their liues but so terrible to the rebellious obstinate Math. 25.31 S. Mathew representeth vnto vs the form therof saying Whē the son of man shall come in his glorie all the angels with him then shal he sit vpon the throne of his glorie and he shal separate the sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand the goats on his left to thē on his right hand he shal say Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And to them on the left hand hee shall saie Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels and they shal go into euerlasting paines and the righteous into euerlasting life Let vs therefore bee fully resolued that the daie will come that such as haue amended theyr liues increasing in faith working in loue and fructifying in good workes shall bee gathered into the fruition of the kingdome of heauen and the others into euerlasting fyre And in deede sith it is so sayth Saint Augustine that all thinges before prophesied in the holy Scriptures August in his Epist 42. to Mandarens haue come to passe and beene fulfilled in theyr season as the floud the bondage of the seede of Abraham in Egypt and theyr deliuerie the captiuitie of Babylon and the returne from the same the comming of Christ in the flesh and all that concerned his passion his resurrection and ascension into heauen his promise to send the holy Ghost to the Apostles the calling of the Gentiles other like matters what reason haue we to doubt of this day of iudgement which hath bin foreshewed in so many passages of the holy Scripture 4 Neither can we anie way doubt thereof if we haue anie reason or vnderstanding For if we beleeue that there is a God which all nations in the world doo confesse we must also beleeue that hee is righteous if he be righteous hee will reward the righteous that amend their liues punish the disobedient that are giuen to wickednes But this reward or punishment is not performed in this life but in part and that verie seldome as both the Prophet manifestly declareth in the 71. psalme and experience doth dayly teach It followeth therefore that after this life there is another wherin the righteous haue their reward euen the fruition of the kingdome of heauen and the disobedient shal be punished with euerlasting torments This discourse doth S. Paul confirme in expresse words for he seeing the persecutions of the faithful 2. Thes 1.5 and their grieuous afflictions least they should be shaken with some opinion that there were no prouidence or iustice in God he vpholdeth to the contrarie doth shew that the persecutions afflictions that they suffered were a manifest demonstration of the iust iudgment of God To the end saith he that ye may be accounted worthie the kingdome of God for the which ye do also suffer For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with vs. But when shal that be Euen when the Lord Iesus shal shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels In flaming fire rendering vengeance to thē that do not know God which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saincts to be made maruellous in all them that beleeue If then it bee a righteous thing with him to recōpence tribulation as is aforesayd to those that trouble vs euen vs I say that are pore vpon earth how much more righteous will it be with him most horribly eternally to punish those that haue persecuted euen the person of Iesus Christ the welbeloued sonne of God In this sense is this daie called the daie of the restoration of al thinges because the disorder and confusion that seemeth now to be in the gouernment of the world Act. 3 21. shall bee then
our bodie lyfe or earthly goods for anie offence coÌ„mitted by vs doth without comparison more daunt and quaile vs than the desert of euerlasting death and the losse of the kingdome of heauen 4 Let vs therefore plainly confesse the truth that naturally wee loue the bodie better than the soule the goods commodities of this temporal life better than the tresures of eternity And consequently that in lieu of seeking first the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes thereof and thereupon expecting that all other things shall be giuen vs according to the promise of Christ wee contrarywise setting the caâ—t before the horse doo first and much more seeke that which concerneth the bodie and this present life than anie thing that toucheth the soule the kingdom of heauen And yet he that knoweth not that the body is more than the soul hath no soule neither hath anie vnderstanding or reason and is no man but a beast And he that confesseth not the kingdome of heauen to be infinitly better than all the kingdomes of the world sheweth himselfe to bee most peruerse and malitious 5 That we may therefore correct these corruptions so amend our liues Math. 13.44 45. let vs remember that Iesus Christ likeneth the kingdome of heauen to a treasure hidde in the field which when a man hath sound he hideth it and for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that he hath buieth that field Also to a pearle of great value for the purchase wherof the marchant selleth al that he hath But what was this so excellent treasure or pearle of so great price euen the Church or holy ministerie The kingdome of God in vs and the kingdome of glorie in heauen This kingdome of heauen therfore must we first especially seeke after and after the example of those marchants sell all we haue that is to saie forsake all that we account to bee precious concerning this life that wee may inioy this kingdome of heauen 6 And in deede first they that beeing members of the Church doo vse the holy ministerie are accounted to bee the children of God and members of Iesus Christ who also imployeth this holie ministerie to driue from them the kingdome of Sathan and to establish his And so are they gotten on to the first step and entered in at the first gate In the meane time because there be also hypocrites that do enter and abide there for a time in shew keeping the place of Gods children it is requisite moreouer that the kingdom of heauen be in vs. For as all they that are possessed with righteousnesse Rom. 14.17 peace and the ioy of the holie Ghost which Saint Paule calleth the kingdome of God are certaine to enrer into heauen so is it in vaine to pretend to enter into the kingdome of God which is in heauen vnlesse the kingdome of heauen which is the gate be first in vs that is to saie if we haue not the true knowledge of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ a liuely fayth a feruent charitie vnles wee increase in sanctification of bodie of soule and of minde vnles in our selues wee do feele a good conscience conioyned with peace and ioy in the holie Ghost and vnlesse wee bee regenerate in newnesse of lyfe As also Iesus Christ himselfe doth plainly say That vnlesse wee bee borne againe wee cannot see the kingdome of God And in deede it is written Iohn 3.3 1. Cor. 6.9 That neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor theeues nor couetous men nor dronkardes nor euill speakers nor rauishers shall inherite the kingdome of God Yet before hee pronounceth this sentence hee wakeneth vs saying Deceiue not your selues to the end that casting off all illusions and sweete baites of the world the flesh and the deuill we may be assured that by amendement correcting of these vices and other lyke corruptions we shall inherite the kingdome of God Wherefore as where there bee two gates to a towne it is not inough that wee enter the first vnlesse wee also passe through the second so is it not inough that wee beeing members of the Church vsing the holie ministerie which we haue sayd to be as the first gate to the kingdome of heauen vnlesse wee thence proceede to the second in liuing as true and liuely members of the Church declaring the effectes of the holy ministerie by the testimonies of our faith mortification of the old man newnesse of lyfe in briefe by dayly amendement For albeit wee haue preached the worde of God yea and wrought myracles yet shall wee not therefore enter into the kingdome of heauen vnlesse wee also amende our liues as Iesus Christ also sayd Not euery one that saith Lord Lord Mat. 7.21 shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee which doth the will of my father which is in heauen Manye will saye vnto mee in that daye Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out deuils and by thy name done many great workes Then will I professe vnto them I neuer knew ye Departe from me ye workers of iniquitie 7 The parable of the seede sowen in sundry sorts of ground doth euidently declare that for the establishing of the kingdom of heauen in vs Mat. 13. also that we may assuredly enter into the kingdome of God which is in heauen we are to amend in three points First as the seede that fell by the way side and so was deuoured by the soules of the aire so must we beware that our harts be not so hard and impenitent that the woorde heard when it cannot enter into theÌ„ vanish away and be as it were euen violently caught away by satan Secondly we must be so firmly resolued to beare in patience the losse of parents brethren sisters goods dignities yea euen of life that being possessed with this good humour of patience a good conscience and faith the sunny heat of persecution may not make this sacred seede vnfruitfull or vnprofitable or cause vs to forsake the Church which is the kingdome of heauen and so fall againe vnder the tiranny of Satan as a dogge to his vomite or a washed sow to her myre Thirdlye 2. Pet. 2.12 as the seede that fell among thornes coÌ„meth at the last to be choaked vp and stiffeled so must we beware that the cares of worldly affaires the earnest desire of the coÌ„modities of this transitory life do not choak vp the good seede of the heauenly doctrine These three pernicious inconuemences must we auâ—id and amend in case we desire to enter into the kingdome of God that is in heauen 8 Now where it is said in this parable that only the fourth part of the seed did bring forth fruite we are thereof togather for the inducing of vs to ameÌ„dmeÌ„t of life that the number of those that shal be saued in the kingdom of God which is in heauen shaâ—be small and this doth our
Lord Iesus Christ cōfirme saying Luke 12.32 Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome of heauen And in another place Wide is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in therat Mat. 7 13. Luke 13.23 and contrariwise Straight is the gate and the way narrow that leadeth to life and few there be that finde it This doth he speake as S. Luke noteth in an answere to one that had asked him saying Lord are there fewe that shal be saued Those men therfore are not the disciples of Iesus Christ but rather most pernitious instrumentes of Satan that affirme that the gospell is no ioyfull tidings because many doe perish for want of especiall grace that all men shal be saued by a certaine kinde of faith which they haue by nature of God the creator of heauen and earth euen they that neuer heard the Gospel or beleeued in Iesus Christ alwais excepting such as euen in this life by their owne mallice and perpetuall ingratitude haue purchased eternall paines for they doe maintaine merites they forge a faith to saluation without Gospell and without Christ they promise eternall life to hypocrites and to such as think themselues either to be no sinners or to be saued with their sinnes or to haue remission of their sinnes without Iesus Christ to be short they giue assurāce of saluation to all idolaters and sinners in the worlde in case by their workes they obstinatly make not neither shewe themselues abhominable truely they belye Iesus Christ for so should the gate of heauen be very large and wide and not onely many should enter in therat but euen the most part of the worlde as these men doe verily inferre albeit contrary to the expresse protestation of Iesus Christ 9 This is a pollicy of the deuill wherby he seeketh to rock men on sleepe in their sins and to lead them to death vnder colour of sauing them Eph. 2.12 First where S. Paul speaking to the Gentiles saith Before yee beleeued yee were without Christ and were aliants from the common wealth of Israell and were strangers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were without God in the world Doth he not euidently shewe that all heathen that knew not Christ to beleeue in him and so not they onely that were more wicked then the rest are out of Christ the onely sauiour of the worlde are depriued of the promise of the couenant and are without hope and without God Phil. 2.16 Acts. 5.20 Eph. 6.15 Act 14.3 and 20 32. and 13.26 what reason or ground can they then lay holde of whereby to the contrary to maintaine that such men can haue any hope of saluatiō or that they shal be saued in the kingdom of Christ Moreouer as the gospell is called the worde of life of peace of grace saluation so can ther be no other faith that shal bring forth peace life and saluation but that which is grounded vpon the Gospell Faith therfore in God the creator vnknowen as a redeemer in Iesus Christ can bring no saluation or life euerlasting doth not this errour likewise abolish the holy ministery that is to say preaching and the vse of the sacraments sith men may be saued without thē Is it not also a dispensation to all the corruptions and vices of the soule euen to an infinite number of sins cōsidering that only those men shal be damned that of their perticular malice shall haue declared a perpetual ingratitude against God the creator or that hauing heard the gospel haue publickly reiected it and so what a folly is it or may it be to suffer for the name of Iesus Christ for let a man be an idolater let him neuer come at Sermon let him neuer cōmunicat the sacraments let him make profession of no religion let him burne in couetousnes and ambition yea let him foster vp hatred malice and enuy yet if otherwise he liue honestly after the maner of the world it is enough in their doctrine for his saluation 10 These are such monstrous opinions that the very shew of thē may suffise to confound them Now let vs returne to our purpose and with Iesus Christ conclude to the contrary namely that the number of those that shal be saued is very small for if vnto men there be giuen no other name whereby we may be saued Act. 4.12 but only the name of Iesus Christ such as boast that they beleeue in God and obey not Christ who commaundeth that wee should also beleeue in him can be no pertakers of the saluation that is in him Likewise if vnto those that know not Christ wee doe adioyne all those that albeit he be preached vnto them Iohn 14.1 doe not beleeue in him neither liue as the members of Christ euery one may easilye vnderstand the truth of his sentence who is the self truth namely that few shal be saued and that in respect of the others it is a small flocke that shal be partakers of the eternall kingdome And herein doe we gather two points that should mightily induce vs to amend our liues First that we must practise the exhortation that Christ himselfe gathereth thereof when he saith Labour to enter at the narrow gate but how by putting of the olde man by denying our selues and the worlde in breefe by daylye amendment Luke 13.24 Let vs therefore beware of the broad way and consequentlye of these cursed dispensations to offend God when we are attempted hereto let vs remember that as sin leadeth vnto death so must we seperate our selues from the multitude that walketh in the broad way that leadeth to destruction euerlasting neither must we hearken to those that say all the worlde doeth thus most men doe liue thus we cannot make a world apart if thou followest this world take the broad way thou shalt with the world go into destruction 11 Secondly the more stedfastly that we vnderstand and beleeue that there shal be few saued the more earnestly let vs praise God who hath chosen vs to be of that small number and hath called vs to bring vs in at the narrowe gate to be of his euerlasting kingdome let vs beholde the multitude that goe by the brode gate to destruction let the horror of their woe kindle our harts that we may praise God for his great mercy toward vs and walke cheerefully in the straight way that leadeth to heauen let vs couragiously reiect all desires of the flesh allurements of the worlde and all other temptations to the ende that by dayly amendment of life we may finally enter at the narrow gate that leadeth to the kingdome of eternall glory Thus we see how the consideration of this title of the kingdome of heauen attributed to the Church to the holye ministerye to the restauration of man consisting in righteousnes peac e and ioy in the holy ghost
and to the felicity of the Children of God in heauen doth admonishe and teach vs that we must first enter into the Church and vse the holy ministery secondly thereby increase in faith and amendment of life and so attaine to the fruition of the incomprehensible felicity and glory prepared in heauen for the children of God The thirteenth cause of amendment deriued of this saying of Iesus Christ The kingdome of heauen is at hand Chap. 13. THis saying of Iesus Christ The kingdome of heauen is at hand may be referred first to the kingdom of glory which we waite for in heauen Secondly to the renewing restauration of man and thirdly to the preaching of the gospel And indeed the kingdome of heauen considered in these three points Gen. 3. 23. did truely at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ come very neere vnto man As concerning the kingdome of glory that is in heauen we know that our first parents Adam and liue when they had transgressed the commaundement of God were driuen out of the garden of Eden also that God placed the Cherubins on the east side of the garden with a flaming sworde continually mouing to keep the way to the tree of life Then God thereby hauing shewed that man was put forth and banished out of heauen and life euerlasting by the building of the tabernacle and afterward of the temple in Hierusalem gaue vnto his people some figure of a passage into heauen through the Messias that was to come For in that the people remained in the porch might haue no accesse into the holy sanctuarye Exod. 28.9 the figure of heauen God gaue them to vnderstand that they were vnworthy to come in but in that the high priest once in the yeere did enter with the twelue names of the twelue tribes vpon his shoulders and his breast God thereby signified that when Iesus Christ figured in this high priest should come he by his death should open vnto them the gate of heauen and should enter thereat not for himselfe onelie but as it were carying his people in with him And thereupon at the death of Christ the vaile of the Temple that seperated and did hide the holy Sanctuary did cleaue and rent to the bottom Mat. 27.51 Heb. 9.8 thereby to shew that the way of heauen was now open to the members of Iesus Christ which was not before reuealed as the Apostle saieth to the Hebrews Thus did the kingedome of heauen beginne to be at hand 2 Yet drew it nearer when Iesus Christ rising from death ascended into heauen For as the high Priest entring into the holy Sanctuarie vpon his shoulders and brest carryed the twelue names of the twelue tribes of Israel So Iesus Christ entred not alone into heauē but we also with him as saith Saint Paule Eph. 2.5 That God quickened vs together with Christ and raiseth vs vp together and made vs sit together in the heauenlie places in Iesus Christ And in an other place the same Apostle saieth If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and coheyres with Iesus Christ And this he sayeth to assure vs Rom. 3.17 that Iesus Christ hath so taken possession of heauen that it is not onely for himselfe but also for vs his coheyres As if vpon the confiscation of an inheritance common to many brethren when the prince afterward maketh a release the eldest brother taketh the possession for assurance that himselfe and his bretheren are restored to their goods the same is an assurance to the coheires with the eldest that in the person of their eldest brother themselues are put in possession of the inheritance common to them all Thus did the kingedome of heauen draw neare at the comming of Iesus Christ and this is it that he first wisheth vs to note for our amendment when he saith Amend your liues for the kingdome of heauen is at hand 3 The auncient fathers could neuer discerne this kingdome but a farre off and very obscurely God promised to Abraham Isaac and Iacob the land of Canaan Not that they should settle their minds vpon the fat of the earth but that it might be to thē as an image of this kingdome of heauen wherto they should aspire Heb. 11.13 But saieth the Apostle They are all dead and receiued not the promises but saw them a farre off and beleeued them and receiued them thankfully And this he meaneth not simply by the land of Canaan but principally by the opening of heauen approching of this kingdome of heauen fulfilled at the comming of Iesus Christ Howe neare then is this kingedome of heauen commen vnto vs by the comming of Iesus Christ in respect of them sith he toke possession both for himselfe and vs whom also we cannot behold in the fruition of this heauenly kingdome but we must withall behold our selues with him because he is our head and keepeth his members vnited to himselfe and our spouse who communicateth with vs all his goods in which sence Saint Paule also calleth vs Burgesses of heauen Doth not Iesus Christ therefore when he saieth Amend your liues iustly alledge this reason For the kingdome of heauen is at hand Ephes 2.19 And in deed If Abraham Isaac Iacob the Prophets Iohn 8.56 and the rest of the faithfull before the comming of the sonne of God in the flesh whilest the kingdom of heauen was yet so farre from them and from their view did notwithstanding reioyce as it is written of Abraham and accounted themselues Pilgrims and strangers in this world and lyued deuoutly righteously and religiously to be short did amend their liues as aspiring to this kingdome of heauen How much more earnestly ought we to feele in our selues that we are strangers pilgrims vpon the earth whereto his kingdome is come so neare that we do therein behold Iesus Christ and our selues with him Howe much rather I say should we be euen rauished to asp re to this kingdome which we see open by denying the world the flesh and all that might keepe vs backe that by amending our lyues we might increase in faith loue holynesse in euery good thing that might be vnto vs as a path a Chariot horse to transport vs really into heauen When winter is ouer the nearer that the Sun draweth vnto vs the more doth the earth being warmed by the heat therof fructifie And the longer that the dayes are the more worke may we do Euen so the nearer that the kingdome of heauen doth draw vnto vs by the cōming of Iesus Christ especially by his ascention into heauen the more should we be heat in the loue of God and charity to our neighbors to bring foorth the more fruite of holines be the more adicted to al good works 4 Secondly we are to consider the drawing neere of the kingdom of heuen in the restauratiō renewing of man Whē Christ died for our sins Rom. 4.25 Rom.
6. Heb. 2.14 rose againe for our iustification when by dying he mortified our old man by rising againe raised vs vp into newnes of life when by his death he destroyed him that had the empire of death did he not by destroying this kingdome of Satan bring the kingdom of heauen nearer vnto vs And in deed this kingdom of heauen was neuer so neare our fathers other the beleeuing Iews in old time Wel had they the promise that the seed of the woman should bruse the serpents head but we do see the performance thereof in Iesus Christ who by his death hath ouercomen the deuill and the power of Hell Well had they the pascall lambe to figure vnto them that for the auoyding of eternall death they must be washed in the bloud of Christ But as Iohn the Baptist euen with his finger pointed to this Lambe Iesus Christ saying Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1 2â— so this lambe did afterward really shed his bloud for the remission of our sinnes to free vs from eternall death Well did they stay and ofter innocent beastes in sacrifice as it were laying their sinnes vpon them that by their death signifying the death of Iesus Christ to come they might haue as it were an assured pledge of the remission of their sins consequently hope of life But there was not as yet any payment or satisfaction for sinnes And therefore these sacrifices were as it were bonds with sureties wherein man the principall debtor Coloss 2.14 acknowledgeth the debt Iesus Christ vndertooke as a pledge and surety 5 In this sence did Iesus Christ in his death make ful paymeÌ„t for the sins of al the elect consequently also of those that liued vnder the first testament as the Apostle saith which also S. Paul vnder the same coÌ„sideration termeth the former sins Coloss 2.14 Heb. 9.15 Rom. 3.24 not that they were not pardoned to the beleeuing Iews But because vntil that day there was no price laid downe for the satisfaction of Gods Iustice And in that sence dothe the same Apostle say that he nailed those obligations to his crosse as hauing then satisfied discharged the same And therefore were the expiatorie sacrifices circumcision with other like ordenances of the law abolished at his death Neither could they haue been kept as necessary but that they would still haue been witnesses that Christ stood yet bound Besides not content to haue by this abolition as it were canceled these obligations he hath also ordeined Baptisme and his holy supper to be vnto vs as it were authenticall acquittances and witnesses of payment made 6 It is likewise the benefite for the which he coÌ„mandeth vs to amend adding this reason For the kingdome of heauen is at hand For it is as if he had said Behold this is the time that I will breake the serpents head and destroy him that hath the empire of death and banish the prince of the world Now do I goe to make payment for al the sins of the elect to crucifie the old man that he may no longer raigne in them to purchase for them newnesse of life To be short to reestablish them in state requisit coÌ„uenient for the children of God Is not the kingedome of heauen then very neere at hand Amend therefore for it is time that you feeling your iustification and attonement to be made with God shold be at peace in your consciences should renounce the deuil the flesh the worlde and your selues mortifie the olde man who is crucified with me and become new creatures by vertue of my resurrection But if contrariwise you remayne hardened in your sinnes and will not giue ouer and mortifie the ambition pride couetousnes fraude whore dome insolencie dronkennes ryot hatred enuy malice and other corruptions and doe not amend by growing in al good workes shal you not so much as in you lyeth quench the kingdome of heauen that is in you and with most villanous ingratitude treâ—d vnder foote this incomprehensible benefit heere offered The heathen that neuer heard speaking hereof for their continued impenitency shall be iustly coÌ„demned The Iewes who had some knowledge albeit obscure and a farre off shal be more grieuously punished because they did not amend But you to whom this kingdome of heauen is neare at hand vnlesse ye amend shall incurre a condemnation without comparison more horrible and fearefull And the beleeuing Iewes who neuer sawe this kingdome of heauen but from far off and obscurely and yet as the Apostle saieth to the Hebrewes did beleeue it and reioyced and walking in the feare of God did amend Eph. 3.9 shal be your iudges to your confusion 7 We are furthermore to consider the preaching of the Gospel signified also by this kingdome of heauen Iesus Christ saieth Verily I say vnto you among them that are begotteÌ„ of women arose not a greater then Iohn Baptist Heb. 11. notwithstanding he that is the least in the kingdome of heauen is greater then he He doth not heere meane that the least in the christiaÌ„ Church shal either in piety or in glory in the kingdome of heauen excel Iohn Baptist but that they shal be greater Prophets then he that is to saie that they shal be able more amply perticulerly and euidently to speake of euery thing that concerneth our redemption saluation in Iesus Christ And indeed what euident assured knowledge hath there been reuealed to the Christian Church concerning the person of Iesus Christ that he was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the virgin Mary very God and very man likewise of his offices that he hath receaued the anoynting of the holy Ghost to be our Priest king Prophet Consequently of his sufferings death resurrection ascentioÌ„ into heaueÌ„ of the certitude of our iustification saluatioÌ„ not by workes but by grace by the merits of his death Moreouer how the Gospel of saluation was directed to the Gentils wherby there was reuealed to the world a mistery secret Mat. 11.11 which as S. Paul saith hath from the beginning been hiddeÌ„ in God coÌ„teining a wonderful wisedome then reuealed to the Angels And albeit the ancient fathers weâ—e neuer destitute of the spirit of God Yet had they it not euer without coÌ„parison so plentifully as it hath bene communicated by the preaching of the Gospell 2. Cor. 3.8 And therefore doth S. Paul call it in excellency the ministery of the spirite And Iesus Christ termeth it regeneration Mat. 19.28 as wheÌ„ he saith to his Apostles ye that haue followed me in regeneration shall sit vpon twelue thrones Truely therefore in regarde of the preaching of the Gospell Iesus Christ did saye that the kingdome of heauen was at hand and that therefore we must amend As indeed Mat. 19.28 what excuse may we pretend if hauing such a sonne of light before our eyes we be neuerthelesse giuen
to the workes of darkenesse What an ingratitude will it be in vs who by nature are Gentils if when the kingdom of heauen is thus come vpon vs by the preaching of the Gospell we make no accompt thereof neither haue any care to amend our liues according to the cōmandemēt of Iesus Christ how mightily wil the deuil possesse vs vnlesse by the ministerye of the holy ghost he be expelled to the end to make roome for the kingdome of heauen in vs 8 Iesus Christ saith The men of Niniue shall rise in iudgement with this generation and condemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and beholde a greater then Ionas is heere Againe Mat. 12.41.42 The Queene of the south shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it For she came from the vtmost partes of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater then Salomon is heere Woe thē be vnto vs if hearing the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13.12 we doe not obey his commandement and amend It is now time that we should arise from sleep saith S. Paul for now is our saluation neerer then when we beleeued by the preaching of the gospell and were before vnbeleeuers The night is past and the day is come let vs therfore cast away the works of darknes and put on the armour of light so as we walk honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennes c. 9 This kingdome of heauen is at hand and dayly gathereth vpon vs in two maners which for a conclusion wee will heere adde First all faithfull beleeuers doe know and are assured that at the separation of the soule and the body the soule shal be exalted into heauen with Christ Now as dayly this seperation doth by death drawe neerer and neerer to the faithfull so doth the kingdome of heauen also come vpon them how carefull therfore should we be to amend our liues and to prepare our selues to make our entry into heauen the holy Ghost protesteth that there shall enter no vncleane thing Apoc. 21.27 neither any that worketh abhomination or lyes We must therefore put of all the workes of the flesh which are as S. Paul noteth adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse idolatrie Gal. 5.19 witchcraft hatred debate emulation wrath contention sedition heresie enuie murther dronkennes gluttonie and such lyke And afterward protesteth that they which commit these things shall not inherite the kingdome of God Let vs then beware of delaying of this amendment least in a matter of such importance we bee surprised we haue not two soules that we may hazarde one If the day of death findeth vs a sleepe in our sinnes woe be vnto vs let vs remember the saying of S. Peter The end of all thinges draweth neere 1. Pet 4. Be ye therfore sober and watchfull in praier Euery of vs shall in our death finde this end of all things and indeed let vs look vpon a rich man caried dead out at dores and we shall see that all is at an end with him neither hath his body any more then his length of ground 10 Let vs therefore remember to be sober not in workes of pietie for in them we cannot be too plentifull neither in sinne for we must vtterly abstaine therefro wherin then euen in thinges appertaining to this present life 1. Cor. 7.29 by practising this admonition of S. Paul And this I say brethren because the time is shorte hereafter that both they which haue wines be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not And they that reioyce as though they reioyced not And they that buy as though they possessed not And they that vse this worlde as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this worlde goeth away And I would haue you without care Here doth he shew that the sobriety whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs doth admonish vs that there is drunkennesse not onely of the body but also of the spirite And indeede where Iesus Christ saith See to your selues Luke 21.34 that your harts be not ouercome with gluttony and drunkennesse neither with the cares of this life He doth sufficiently declare that there is another kinde of drunkennesse then either with beere or wine And that is when the care for the things of this life whether of warre or marchandise or of landes and possessions of wiues or of children doe so feaze vpon and entangle our mindes and affections that we are diuerted letted frō that which is required for the seruice of God and the saluation of our soules if a man rise in the morning and goe to the Tauerne and tarry there all day and at night commeth home drunke and so againe the next day and the next and all the weeke long and neuer thinketh vpon his famely but letteth his wife and his children sit staruing at home wil we not say that he is a drunkard and in case he continue this course a moneth or two will we not reporte of him as of a perfect and desperate drunkard What shall we then say of those that doe so set their harts and mindes vpon the affaires of this life that so soone as they are vp in the morning they are presently at the Tauern of those cares wherein they delight and whereto they so giue themselues that they care neither for the kingdome of heauen the seruice of God nor the saluation of their own soules which is more during this repast at home their mindes are in their tauernes yea and which is worse whether they speak to God in their praiers or that God talketh to them by sermons their mindes are so wandering that immediatly they are in this tauerne of worldly cares and affaires and that so deepely that they neither hear God speaking to them neither wot what themselues doe say to him for there is no more but the body that speaketh or heareth euen a body as it were without a soule for their minde is in their Tauerne If they then follow this course not one moneth or sixe or tenne neyther one yeere but ten twentie thirtie yea euen to the death may we not well call them perfect drunkards Likewise as to that tauerne that beareth the name to haue the best drinke or wine the drunkards will soonest resort as seeking occasions to be drunk so these spirituall drunkards doe seeke after townes and places of most practise where there is great dooinges which breede encrease of cares that likewise they may be the more drunken in them 11 This is an excessiue and most pernitious drunkennesse yet ouer common among christians and therefore let euery man examine him selfe that knowing it he may amend And indede sith the kingdome of heauen doth dayly approch to the faithfull by death we are in duty to beware according to Christs admonition that our harts be not ouercome with this drunkennesse of cares least that day ouertake
of our Lord Iesus Christ at the least once a yeere they seperated not themselues from the Idolaters and heathen shewing some testimonie of their Christianitie Let them that we speake of therefore consider by what title they may be called Christians sith they neuer communicate in the supper of Iesus Christ Neither may they replie as some doe that in ioyning with one Church they condemne all others for it is true that all assemblies that entitle themselues the Church of Christ are not so yet to acknowledge or alow of none for feare of condemning of the rest is to denie and condemne Christ in not condemning those who calling themselues Christ are Antichrists If a man bring a payment in golde where among there bee some peeces that seeme light or counterfaite thou doest not straight say I will take none least by taking so much as I take to be waight and currant you should complaine that I reiect the rest but thou wilt bring thy ballance and touch-stone and then wilt thou take so much as thou findest to be waight and currant and boldly refuse the rest Let these men therefore set before their eyes the markes of the true Church as their touch-stone and scales and by them consider where they are thereto also adioyning prayer to God that he will direct them by his holy spirit and so knowing the true Church and ioyning themselues therto Amend their liues by communicating in the holy supper of the Lord. Of our dutie to assist at publique Prayer Chap. 5. AS concerning publique or common prayer Gen. 17.7 Act. 9.14.21 2. Tim. 2.19 Psal 14.4 Esa 56.7 Mat. 21.13 Ioh. 16.23 Mat. 18.19 considering that thereby the holy Scripture signifieth the whole seruice of God also that his seruants are called people calling vpon God it alreadie appeareth that such as despise the same do cut off themselues from the degree of Gods seruants Where God calleth the temple the house of prayer he sheweth that the principall part of that seruice which he requireth of vs is that wee should assemble to pray and call vpon him as indeed these publique praiers are of great efficacie For albeit all priuate praiers directed to the heauenly father in the name of Iesus Christ haue promise to be heard yet is it not without cause that Iesus Christ aduertiseth and promiseth vs that if two faithfull doe agree vpon earth whatsoeuer they demaund of their heauenly father it shall be graunted This is a fauour as it were peculiar to the Church and noted by Dauid where he saith Praise waiteth for thee in Sion Psal 65.2 and vnto thee shall the vow be performed Herein he sheweth that the praiers of the Church signified by Sion are so sure to bee heard that God who heareth them looketh for praise in theÌ„ as indeed it is his dutie whose prayers are heard to yeeld thankes praisings to God And truely as when a whole Burgeoysie of a Citie doe come before their Prince and with one voice craue pardon for some offence or begge some grace or fauour the Prince will be more moued then if they being absent some one maÌ„ should speake for the whole Euen so wheÌ„ the whole Church assembled together doth with hart and minde in the presence of God accoÌ„panie the praiers which the preacher as the mouth of the congregation poureth forth let them be assured that those praiers do penetrate the heauens and that God is moued to heare them Not that he is subiect to passions as we but that by the feeling of our affections hee vouchsafeth to assure vs of his mercy goodnes toward vs. WheÌ„ Amb. de paenitent diuers how few so euer saith S. Ambrose are assembled together being vnited they are great And the praiers of a gret multitude cannot possibly be coÌ„temned 2 Likewise all people and nations in the world euen the Idolaters haue euermore had their assemblies therein publique prayers This sence or feeling being grauen in all mens harts that haue any religion that they ought to call vpon their God that it is an honour that God requireth at their hands and the true meanes to purchase his blessings toward them But in Christian Churches there is also this farther reason That their publique praiers are as it were a publique renouncing of all sects and societie with Idolaters and prophane people an acknowledgement and confession of the true God a publique sanctification of his name to his glory And therefore Act. 16.13 as the Iewes in old time so since haue the Christians euermore very carefully obserued this dutie of pietie and seruice to God as appeareth by the writings of the Apostles Prophets and by al Ecclesiasticall histories And to this purpose doth S. Luke rehearse that Paul and his companions being at the towne of Philippos came forth vpon the Sabaoth day and went to the riuers side where they vsed to pray This vndoubtedly was some out corner where the faithfull vsed secretly to meete to call vpon God So that albeit euery man priuately might haue prayed in his house Act. 21.5 and so haue auoided both the paine and daunger yet knowing that in dutie they were to separate themselues from Idolaters and the efficacie of the praiers of the congregation they ouercame the feare of the danger met in that place especially to pray and with one consent to poure out their praiers to the Lord. When S. Paul and his companions departed from Tirus all the congregation with their wiues and children brought them out of the towne and kneeling with them on the shore prayed Shall wee in these daies find this zeale among Christians No men will bee ashamed to imitate it and to kneele downe vpon a shore to pray to God publikely And yet the faithful of those times neuer did it without both reson fruit It is therfore a holy ordinaÌ„ce of God a most profitable exercise to come together to call vpon the Lord. As also it is ytâ—uty of al faithful carefully to come to such praiers that they may be pertakers of the fruits of the same especially in time of gret calamities or vpoÌ„ feare or liklihood therof We should eueÌ„ extraordinarily come together to call vpon God as we read that the prophet Ioel in the name of God coÌ„maunded Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast Ioh. 2.15 cal a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and together cry vnto the Lord in praiers feruent and extraordinarie old and young none exeÌ„pted And as euery one in respect of himself is therto bound so is it not enough that he faithfully employ himselfe only vnlesse he sollicit exhort others according to the prophesie of Zacharie saying The enhabitants of one Cittie shall say to another Vp let vs goe and pray before the Lord and seeke the Lord of hoasts I will go also Zach. 8 21. 3 Neither is it inough that in body we
be present at praiers vnles we also lift vp our minds to heauen 1. Cor. 14.16 For if when the Pastor speaketh in the name of the Church euery man at each petition saith not in hart Amen feeling a feruent desire to haue his petitioÌ„ granted then is ther both vanity hypocrisie eueÌ„ in this point may we find great corruption infirmitie in many For how many are ther who all the time of praiers do staÌ„d as men without life thinking vpon nothing How many be there whose minds are wandring How many that haue no feeling or desire of the benefits that wee craue at Gods hand To be short how many be ther whose harts minds are entangled buried in earthly affaires euen when their hands are lifted vp to heauen As this vanitie therfore is odious in the sight of God so for the ameÌ„ding therof let vs be both diligent comers to common praier and so touched with a liuely feeling of the same that we may reape the fruits thereof And to this purpose let vs remeÌ„ber that the deuil feareth nothing more theÌ„ the praiers of the Church that ther is no exercise of godlines wherin we are more often more feruently or more attentiuely to employ our selues For albeit the deuill be alwaies at hand ready to induce vs to wickednes yet is his readines most wheÌ„ he seeth vs disposed to pray that then intruding himselfe into our harts drawing away our cogitatioÌ„s he may hinder the sanctificatioÌ„ of the word of God the most excelleÌ„t fruit of our praiers Let the experience of this corruption vanitie in all praiers both publique priuate with the difficulty in amending the same albeit it be troublesome vnto vs yet make vs more wary the better to stand vpoÌ„ our gard to the end that so soone as we feele our selues amisse our thoughts otherwise distracted we may remember that Sathan is at hand among other our praiers beseech God to driue him from vs to giue vs grace to lift vp our minds to heauen with one hart call vpon him that finally we may receiue the fruit of our praiers 4 By this deduction of the titles markes of the Church afore mentioned it doth manifestly appere that they which refuse to ioyne therto become meÌ„bers therof are not in the kingdome house of God that denying to take the Church for their mother they caÌ„ not call God their father that they deserue as coÌ„cerning the soule to languish die because they reiect the food therof that they are worthy to incur the vengeance pronouÌ„ced by Christ importing that in the day of iudgement he wil denie them before God his father because they would not coÌ„fesse him before men We can with S. Austen confesse that there be wolues in the sheepe-fould and sheep without Mat. 10.32 neither must we deny but ther be many hypocrites in the Church whom God will finally disclose and reiect to their confusion or cast headlong into grieuous damnation because they prophaned the honour graces to them presented by the Lord in his Church 2 Tim. 2.19 Likewise God forbid wee should say that all that are out of the visible externall Church should be reprobates in the sight of God God knoweth his he waiteth he beareth with them finally he calleth them touching their harts he maketh them to feele their fault either inserting them into his visible Church or euen in the middest of the Idolaters through his great mercy and power sauing them in his kingdome glory when vntil the very houre of their deaths there is no shew or appearance that they be the children of God as it happened to the theese that was hanged by Christ Iesus But as by the iudgement of loue we are bound to thinke all to be elect that are ioyned to the Church vntil they minister occasion either by reuolt or bad coÌ„uersation to think otherwise so haue wee no ground to accompt those that refuse to ioyne therto to be members of Christ because they beare not his marks or tokens vntill by amendement they renounce the kingdome of Sathan which is without the Church and settle themselues in the house of God as his children there to call vpon him and to be fed with his spirituall food to life euerlasting And in deed Sith in hart we beleeue to righteousnes with our lips do make confession to saluation Rom. 10 10. as S. Paul saith it is in vaine for vs to boast of faith whereby to be iustified vnlesse we confesse Iesus Christ that we may obtaine saluation by true faith iustifieng vs in Christ 5 Sith therfore that the Church called the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a precious pearle Mat. 13.44 and a treasure hid in a garden which when a man findeth he selleth al that he hath to buy enioy it Let vs accompt nothing so deare or precious but that we may be ready resolued to leaue it to get into the Church of Christ To this purpose let vs remember the zeale of Dauid who being depriued of this benefit bitterly complained saying As the hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth after God saying When shal I come appeare before the presence of God Psal 42.1 Psal 84.1 Psal 26.8 In another place also what a desire sheweth hee to bee in the temple of God O Lord of hoasts saith he how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea fainteth for the courts of the Lord for my heart and my flesh reioyceth in the liuing God Blessed are they that dwellin thy house praise thee continually And in another Psal O Lord I haue loued the habitations of thy house the place where thy honour dwelleth If Dauid a man yea a Prophet so excellent in faith vertue so plainly so often doth confesse how needful it was for him to be in the Church of God feeling himselfe as it were rauished with a feruent desire to enioy such a benefit What may we feele euen we who are so ignorant so weake so corrupt among so many dangers and assaults Will we how health-some necessarie this grace for vs to be in the Church of Christ is so far would we be from retiring therefro or deferring to ioyne thereunto that contrariwise we would euen run chearefully to get a roome therin Yea we wâ—uld reioyce boast of such a benefit and sauour Esa 44.5 saying with the Prophet Isay One shall say I am the Lords another shall be called by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand vnto the Lord name himselfe by the name of Israell When therefore we heare Iesus Christ and S. Iohn crying Amend your lines Let vs know that the principall point wherin we are to Amend consisteth in renouncing and denying both in hart body al Idolatry superstition