sayde to bee Christ and the saintes vnder the Altar are sayd to haue long robes shewing that nothing must be seene in the Saintes of God which is stained or polluted they must be all couered Their robes are said to be white shewing that the soules which rest in Christ must be clothed with innocency after the perfection of Christ A roab was giuen to euery oue of them shewing that one was not couered with the robe of another one soule might not be clothed with the perfection of another for the iust shalliue by his owne faith In the seuenth chapter the fourtenth verse it is said they had washed their â—obes and made them white shewing there is no clensing of sin but by his bloud that died for sin Being now made cleane and white let vs not pullute our selues againe let vs not anie more runne to the vomit of sinne for then we greeue the spirit of God and our ende is worse then our beginning Cant. 5 3. Let vs rather learne the song of Christes Spouse in the Canticles I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them againe I haue putte off my coate how shall I put it on And thus haue you seen the sinner wouded and salued sicke to death and yet recouered to life again like the Sunamites child Be not like those 9. Leapers who being cleÌ„sed forgot him that cured them are noted â—o all posterities of monstrous ingratitude Little will he yeeld which will not yeeld Iohn 8. 11. thankes which makes thee nothing the poorer nor him the richer that receiueth them As Christ sayde to the woman taken in adulterie Goe away and sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee so I saye that you are washed nowe and purged and clensed from all your sinnes goe and defile your selues no more lest some euill ouertake Heb. 10. 26 you and then no more sacrifice for sinnes shal preuaile as Christ said Remember Luk. 17 32. Lots wife so I say remember Esau who Gene. 27. could not gaine the blessing though he sought it with teares All will be learned if you thinke on this lesson that wee haue taught or rather which God hath deliuered vnto you If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse The God of peace make vs perfect in al good workes to do his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whome be praise for euer Amen The forming of Eue. ¶ Allso the Lorde saide it is not good that man shoulde bee alone I will make him an help meete for man There fore the Lord caused an heanie sleepe to fall upon the man and he slept and hee tooke one of the ribbes and closed vp the flesh insteede thereof and that ribbe which he had taken made he a woman Gen. 18. 21 22. THe philosophers being but profane men such as neuer acquainted themselues with Diuinitie the true sauing knowledge yet could say beeing guided by a naturall instinct of reason only that contemplation is the chiefest felicitie or the onely good thing whereunto all men of all sort should sacrifice their well bestowed labors This Idea was a continuall insight or serious consideration both of God and of his creatures And this in them was but a voyce of humanitie but certainely it conuaâ—es vnto vs Christians my sticall matter of deepest diuinitie for it is the very loadestarre that by a speedie and easie course guides vs along to the hauen of true felicitie like those Angels that led foorth Lot to the place of refuge when others disdaining so good a guide perished worthily in the flames of Sodom This consideration wee find to be first planted in God himselfe and secondarily from him deriued vnto men It mooued God when hee did contemplate his owne glorie for the further promoting thereof to create the world the heauens and the earth and the creatures therein all to set foorth his glorie according to that in the nineteenth Psalme The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handy workes c. Diuine speculation performed this and the same in another sort but far inferior to this must prouoke vs carefully to meditate and consider of the Lords goodnes in creaâ—ing vs and gouerning vs which are so wonderfully made happie are we and then doe we shew forth the shining maiestie of God in vs yea then are we come to the full period of this Summum bonum this so great felicitie when we meditate how to glorifie God for his goodnesse And this holy lesson being indeede the Alpha and Omega of all perfection we can neuer haue learned till we can say as Dauid sayth I studie alwaies vppon thy lawes yea and I make it my continual exercise so holy a song could this sweete singer soundâ— forth would all Christians could sing the like song with the like spirit To presse a little neerer to the matter in hand as the creating of the world and after that the creating of man doth shew the gracious care and prouidence of God ouer vs so in this place we find a fresh president of the Lordes like goodnes towards vs noted in the words of my text Also the Lord said it is not good that man should be himselfe alone I will make him a helpe The words do offer these three things to our consideration First the consultation or conference had betweene God and his wisedome for the creating of the woman Secondly the effect of his conference in the 21. verse Thirdly the maner of the womans creation in these wordes God caused an heauie sleepe to fal vpon the man In this consultation or conference the loue of God and his prouident care vnder mankind is most liuely discouered After he had made man the worlds wonder and the most excellent of all his creatures beeing but a little inferior to the Angels and had made him Lord ouer the earth all things in it contained to gouerne the same by the diuine wisedome wherwith God had indued him hauing also placed him in Eden that so glorious a seat and so full of maiestie so plentifully stored with infinite varieties of rauishing pleasures For out of it made the Lord to growe euery tree pleasant to the sight and good for meate the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and euill all this felicitie notwithstanding that Adam now possessed and more might not seeme to be required for the bettering of his estate for what can a man haue more then the whole world to command as Adam had after him Noah yet the Lord abounding in mercy as he is all compounded of goodnes and mercy saw some thing wanting Adam had not yet a companion that might pertake with him in this his felicitie al his ioy and pleasure and solace seemed nothing in regard of this one defect
Iewes and to makâ— a worse rent in his body then the Iews did in parting his garments Auerroys his interpreter of the Papistes speakes thus that he compassed al lands almost and yet could not find a worse sect theÌ„ these Antichristian heresies for saith hee they rent and teare with their teeth him that made them and so do dishonor him whom they should honour All the reason that they build vpon is but the words only of the institution Christ said This is my body ergo they say we must beleeue it is his bodie nothing indeed maketh more against them for marke the wordes Iesus tooke bread c. I will demand of them by interrogatories thus What did Christ take Bread What did he breake Bread What did hee giue Bread What did they eate Bread What did hee call his Body euen that which he tooke in his hands which also he brake and gaue to his disciples viz. bread This is my body then must thus be construed viz. This bread is my bodie which is a figuratiue speech And the verie same Phrase is vsed by the Lord himselfe in the olde Sacraments of the law The Lord speaking of circumcision saith This is my couenant between you and me Gen. 17. yet circumcision is not the couenant but a signe of the couenant So in the Phrase it is all one This is my body that is this bread is a signe of my body Pascha item Iehouae transitus The Paschal Lambe is called the Lords Passeouer yet is it not the passeouer but the signe of the Passeouer And Paul in the first to the Corinths the tenth saith the rocke was Christ So God the father is called an husbandman God the sonne a vine a doore Peter is called Satan Satan is called a Lion All are figuratiue or tropical speeches S. Paul decides this controuersie when thrise after the consecration hee repeates the word bread But they affirme further finding this argument to be weake that this bread and wine is turned miraculously whom we aunswer Austin wirh S. Augustine Sacramenta honorem tanquam religiosa habere possunt sed stuporem tanquam mirae non possunt And againe saith the same S. Augustin non dubitant Dominus dicere Hoc est corpus meum cum signum daret corporis suiâ— If it were a miracle there could be no error it would appeare to be truly altered The bread would take the forme of flesh and the wine would appeare to be bloud but in quantity and quality we see they remaine al one without alteration of substance more than in vse Search the scriptures laid out in the scripture and we shall find no conueniency betweene this and them The rod was turned into a serpent the Israelites Exod. 4. saw it Water was turned into wine in the mariage Iohn 2. 9. at Canah the guests saw it and tasted it The auncient fathers are against them Theodoret saith Mistica signa non amittunt propriam naturam the mistical signes do not lose their proper nature Will they heare the testimony of one of their owne fraternitie Macarius a monke saith in the church is offered bread wine viz. Exemplaria corporis sanguinis Christi I say according to the truth of Gods word there is no alteration but the bread and wine stil remaine al one both before and after the words of consecration The mutatioÌ„ is not in substaÌ„ce but in vse for they be as seales of Christs merits for vs as for exaÌ„ple take wax fastned to a writing and it differeth not from other waxe but in vse only not in nature but by the ordinance of man But the sacraments are ordained for a more excellent purpose And being only in vse after the administration they haue no place but during the action The things in these visible signes represented vnto vs are Iesus Christ and al his graces and treasures for the vertue of our faith is such that it ascendeth from the earth into heauen and there doth knit and vnite vs with Christ which is the cause that the Primitiue church sâ—ng surâ—um corda lift vp your hearts signifying that we should prepare not dentem but menteÌ„ not our mouthes but our hearts to apprehend Christ and the benefits of his death Not poring vpon the Pix looking for Christ to be there like as the shaueling priests did in the time of blindnesse For they after they haue blasted and breadied and blowed vpoÌ„ the bread they kneele down to it and worship it saying Agnus dei qui tollis thrise do they call the bread holden in their hands the lamb of God was not this abhominable Idolatry The author of this idolatrous leuation of the bread was Pope Honorius about the yeare of our Lord 1210 yet the aduersaries dare bragge that their masse came from the Apostles like the old Arcadians who hold themselues to be a day elder than the Moone forgetting how they themselues call it Sacrificium nouum wherein they strangle the antiquity of it For a better resolution note the force of these arguments ouerthrowing the Papists doctrine of transubstantiation The first Argument It is against the nature of a naturall body to be in more places than one at once Christs body being in heauen cannot be in the Sacrament too that it is in heauen and there abideth that pregnant place in the third of the Actes proues it whom it behooueth the heauens to conteine vntill the restoring of all things Besids the Article of our faith proues his being there and his owne testimonie in the fourteenth of Iohn I must go to my father Vntill Pope Vrbane this error of the Papists was neuer receiued in the church he first compelled men by fire and fagot to receiue this abhominable doctrine it is not much more then fiue hundred yeares agoe The second Argument S. Augustin saith that Abraham Moses and the Prophets receiued the body of Christ truly and effectually before Christ was incarnate of the Virgin Marie euen the same body we receiue now S. Paul proouing as much they did eate all one spirituall meate and drinke one spirituall drinke all this notwithstanding yet our aduersaries do vrge except you eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud there is no life in you what life then hath Abraham and Dauid and all the holy men that died afore Christ Note the absurdities of the Papists doctrine they ouerthrow the nature of a sacrament in confounding the signe with the substance they make their maker they draw Christ from heauen to the table at their own pleasure they giue him infinite bodies Which is giuen for you This is the fruit of it this sacrifice were nothing auaileable if it concerned not our good This was the end of this institution of Christs Supper his body was giuen for vs. Christ died not for himselfe but for vs this was that holy sacrifice which the sacrifices of the old law shadowed the bloud of oxen and of sheep did purport that
but the forbidden fruit and so he swallowed the bait that proued to be his bane As the Prophets children cried death is in 2. kin 4 40. the poâ— so Adam might haue cried death is in the apple The belly hath no eares and therefore is apt to receiue no instruction And this was the first hooke that euer Satan baited to intrappe vs in the belly He well knew mans daintines and therefore he applied himselfe to his humor and so we were neuer ware of the hooke he had so subtily couched it till it was in our throates The belly will tempt vs to incredulitie and distrustfulnesse as it tempted that Prince on whose shoulder the King leaned 2. King 7. who though he had heard it proclaimed by the Prophet Elisha that there shuld be plenty of vittels that a measure of flower should be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel by the next morrow yet he was faithles said it could not come to passe though the Lord should make windowes in heaueÌ„ but it came to passe and as a iust punishment of his incredulity he was â—oden to death in the gate and he saw it but might not taste of it Let this Prince be a president of terror to all vnbeleuing wretches that will distrust the diuine prouidence Why should we distrust God since we know that he careth for sparrowes and how much better are we than many sparowes Iob. 39 3. Yea he feedeth the rauens that cry vnto him and himself chargeth vs not to be carefull for our bodies what raiment we shall put on nor for our bellies what meate we shall prouide for after all these things do the Mat. 6 25. Gentiles seeke He that spake vnto Paul saying my grace 2. cor 12 9 is sufficient for thee saith the same vnto vs and to all the godly my gace is sufficient for you And therefore why are ye carefull O ye of little faith The belly made the Israelites distrust God in the wildernes when they murmured and wished themselues among the flesh pots in Aegypt for there say they wee ate Num. 14. bread our bellies full but now we must die with famine they would not rely vpon God longer than he fed them with bread from heauen or gaue them water out of the hard rocke God requireth that his children do waite his leisure for he staieth and restrayneth his blessings from vs for a season because our faith and our pacience may be sounded It is no maruaile if their faith stand sure who liue at ease and are not humbled with any crosse of affliction that haue all their heart can desire that haue long life like Methusalah great store of wealth like Salomon honor like Haman lands and possessions like the rich yong man in the Gospel These were neuer driuen to the desart but let God lay his hand vpon theÌ„ take from them all that euer they haue returning them to the world as naked as Iob let him take away first their children after that their goods then touch them in their bodies with sicknesse and it will appeare whether they haue faith or not and that constancy that was in Iob who after al his losses yea his own wife standing at his elbow tempting him to curse God yet could say shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not euill Iob. 2. 10 I rather suppose that a great sort beeing tempted with the losse of goods or any such like triall would rather shrinke away from God like Demas or like the accusers that ranne from Christ or like the young rich man that went away sorrowfull when hee heard that he must part with his goods if he Mat. 19 22 wold inherite life Hee loued his riches better then Iob did his and therefore hee mist that which Iob found viz. a better Paradise then Adam lost O let vs be warie and circumspect when we shall at anie time be thus tempted that we shake not the profession of our faith as 2. Tim. 4 10. Demas did when he imbraced the present world nor let vs yeelde to Satan though he driue vs to the desart Hee hath driuen Christ thither afore vs and he in getting the victorie ouer Satan in this his temptation hath promised to giue vs the victorie likewise when we shal be in like maner tempted We are not better then the Apostles and Disciples of Christ they haue been led into the desart Ducti fuerunt in desertum sed non deserti Looke the eleuenth to the Hebrues they Hebru 11 were stoned hewen asunder tempted slaine with the sword they wandred vp and down in sheep-skins goatskins being destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in wildernesses in mountaines and dens All this did they indure in patience knowing that they should finde in heauen a better and a more induring substance Faith must sustain vs as it sustained them for the iust shall liue by faith and this fayth Rom. 1 17 shall neuer fayle till the heauens bee no more For he that said vnto Peter I haue prayed Luk. 22 23 for thee that thy faith faile not saith the same vnto vs also and to all the faithfull I haue prayed that your faiths faile not And when he had fasted fortie dayes and forty nights c Here is set downe the miraculous abstinence in fasting fortie dayes without meate which is not therefore pende to the end we should imitate the same for our indeuour would faile in the attempting of it for who is able to fast forty daies without receiuing any nourishmeÌ„t but it is rather set down for our comfort the strengthning of our faith which is the end and scope of al his other miracles Howsoeuer our aduersaries the Papists haue in a superstitious coÌ„ceitednes supposed that our fast of fortie daies in the lent time vsually holden hath his warraÌ„t from this fast of Christ in the desart But they are vtterly deceiued and this opinion of theirs hath not any shadowe of truth or probabilitie Christ rather in this sheweth the harmonie and consent betweene the newe and old testament as Moses the seruant of God receiuing the lawe on mount Sinai did fast fortie daies without meate so would Christ fast so many daies bringing to vs the newe law viz. the Gospel This fast then of fortie daies which wee celebrate hath not his ground from hence but it is a meere ordinance of man and if it be not obserued as it ought in his true vse viz. being taken onely for a ciuill ordinance profitable to the coÌ„mon-wealth for preseruing and increasing of that which otherwise would be extraordinarily consumed it will carry with it matter rather of foolish superstition then of any sincere deuout religion Further if it had been expedient for vs to haue imitated this fast of fortie daies Christ would haue in his Gospel commaunded it but we finde no such commandement nor can any probable collection
can witnesse for if we liued by bread onely it were necessary that we should be continually and at all times filled there with but it is indeede the woord that feedes vs and the blessing of God lapt vp in the word that giues vs strength makes vs able to receiue the good creatures of God I meane bread and drinke and such necessary foode who also maketh our meate so receiued to be nutritiue to our bodies When we are healthie and strong and able to receiue our daily sustenance why then we must acknowledge that this strength proceedes from God If contrarily we be sicke and weake and can neither receiue our foode nor disgest it after we haue taken it then we must know that God hath taken our strength from vs so that we are no longer capable of it and he hath also taken the gifte of nutrition from thy meate that it shall not feede thee and so thou art vnfit for thy meate and thy meate for thee Therefore still acknowledge this reply of Christ in this place man shall not liue by bread only but by euery word proceeding out of the mouth of the Lord. Bread flesh and other prouision would seeme but slender instruments to worke our health and to nourish in vs that life which God hath giuen vs. Because they are common things we make no mysterie of them yet haue they matter of wonder and astonishment if we weigh them aright We could not liue nor be increased by such weake meanes if God had not giuen them a speciall blessing to strengthen our bodies This together with that which already hath bin spoken proclaimes vnto vs that man liueth not by bread onely and for this cause do we vse to sanctifie our meates afore we receiue them and after which we call the saying of grace wherein we pray God by those his good gifts our bodies may receiue strength and withal to teach vs that bread without the woord cannot feede vs for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer To draw towards an end we learne two things by these words of Christ he that hath faith shall taste of two things When he wantes sustenance and is hungry he shal be so strengthned with the word of God as if he had stuft himselfe with the abundance of all delicates The second is this whosoeuer hath a stedfast confidence in god shal not be left so destitute but that God will vndoubtedly supply all necessaries vnto him as if he be pinched with extremitie of hunger rather than he shall perish in his etremitie God will giue him bread at length though he must raine bread from heauen as he did for the Israelites when they liued in the desart being a place where no foode could be gotten Let euery Christian man promise himself vndoubtedly these two thinges for he cannot be deceiued of his hope eyther he shall haue sufficient to eat or his hunger shal be so tolerable vnto him that he may wel indure it without fainting for Gods word shall sustaine him If thou be naked and haue nothing to couer thee rather than thou shalt perish so God will conuert the leaues falling from the trees into coates and clokes for his children he can as well do this as cause the Israelites Deut. 8. 4. garments to continue fresh vpon them the space of fortie yeares togither Their clothes waxed not old nor did their feet swel the space of fourty yeares It is spoken and I do partly beleeue it that there are not so manie sheaues of corne as there be people in the worlde and it were not possible I speak after the maner of men that there should be bread enough to suffice so many were it not so that God doth dayly blesse and increase the corne in the graine and the meale in the dowe and the bread vpon the table yea and in the mouth too when we eat it as was done by our Sanior Christ and S. Iohn recordes it in the sixteenth Chapter Besides we see poore men and their children in as good liking and as wel to see to though they fare hardly and scant as the rich and their children who glut themselues with abundance Dan. 1. 15 Daniel and his felows fed vpon pulse and yet they looked as ruddy and well coloured as they that fed at the Kings trencher Thus you haue seene Satan tempting but not preuailing fighting but yet foyld and so rendring to Christ both field and victorie Iohn 16 once the world combated with Christ and he ouercame the world and triumphed saying I haue ouercome the world here the diuell the worlds partner stands as chalenger and came furnished with many dartes to incounter with Christ and Christ vanquisheth him too so now he may make a second triumph and say as before I ouercame the world so now I haue ouercome the diuell that redde dragon that with his taile drew down the third part of the starres of heauen Christ snared him in his owne snares and with his owne swoorde cutte off his head as Dauid strook off the head of Goliah Christ entered into this battaile with Satan and ouercame him and all for vs by the word he became victor to shewe what munition we must vse if we will looke to ouercome as he did 1. Sam. 17 4◠Dauid vsed neither swoord nor speare nor armor but a sling and stone onely This is the sling that must confound our spirituall Philistin euen the word we shall find our selues better garded and fenced with this single furniture than Dauid was with Saules armour God graunt we may so carry our selues so passe as strangers through the desart of this desolate world that hauing fought like good souldiers vnder the banner of Christ in this spiritual Combat with sin satan hauing finished our faith in much pacience we may be translated to that promised land in the generation to come which I trust in Christ doth approach apace to him with the father and holy ghost bee rendred all honour and power and maiesty with thanksgiuing now and euer Amen The Sea-mans Carde And when they were entred into the shippe his Disciples followed him and behold there arose a great tempest in the Sea so that the shippe was couered with waues but he was asleepe then his Disciples came and awoke him saying Maister saue vs we perish and he sayd vnto them why are ye feareful O ye of little faith and he arose and rebuked the windes and the sea so there followed a great calme Mat. 8. 13 c. CHrist beeing wonderfull in his natiuitie wonderfull in his ascension and wonderfull in his transfiguration is wonderfull here by his miracles In this Chapter are laid downe foure feuerall miracles 1 The healing of a lèprous man 2 The healing of a woman troubled with a feuer 3 The healing of the Cēturians seruant 4 The strange appeasing of the wind as in my text and therefore this may be called Scriptura
he had none like himselfe that might conuerse with him or to whome hee might communicate these his ioyes No man knew Adams state but himself which made the sunshine of his glorie in some sort eclipsed yea the vnreasonable creatures the beastes of the fields the fishes in the waters and the foules in the aire seemed to be in better case then Adam for that they were not solitarie euerie one being yoked with his like beastes foules and fishes were multiplied in their kinde but for Adam found he not an help meete for him The wisedome and learning of a man which are the diuinest parts in man al these are nothing worth if they be not communicated to others what good issues from them if a man keepe them to himselfe if one be wise to himselfe learned to himselfe what profiteth it No profit is in these more than in the hauing of them for they lie dead within vs not being drawne forth to the benefit of others like fire that is hid in a flint-stone without heate or perfume in a pomander without smell except the one be stricken and the other be pounded Man was borne for man one man to help and support another and therefore most diuinely spake Tullie in this though profanely in other matters Non nobis solum nati sumus sed partem patria vendicat partem parentes partem amici God hath not giuen vs life to the end we should liue only to our selues and be nothing helpefull to others but our country doth challenge a part of vs and our friends a part of vs and our parents a part and the least part is our owne And therefore most wise is this consultation or conference of God in this place It is not good that man should be alone God in regard of his praescience or fore-knowledge knew it was not expendient and we since by experience do find it to beso that it iâ— not good for man to be alone It â—s not good As if we should say man is not yet so wel as I wold haue him I must yet performe somewhat more for the bettering of his estate as Christ tolde the young rich man one thing was lacking so here God tels Adam one thing was lacking Adam wanted a help-fellow This huge frame of the world whereof vnder me he is the alone supreme Commander would better content Adam and the fruition of it would be reputed more delightfull and gladsome vnto him if he might find a mate or companion to participate with him in this his Angel-like life and incomparable happinesse Adam was yet alone in Paradise and therfore the world and the creatures therein the ayre with the foules the earth with the beasts trees and hearbs the sea and al waters with the fish and whatsoeuer liueth therein being all good for the good God made all things good and himselfe hauing finished the creation surueyed all that he had made and loe it was exceeding good Yet all these seemed not so good in a sort to Adam being alone for their goodnes became as it were clowded and couered as with a veile bicause the pleasure and felicity of them descended only to one eueÌ„ Adam But since the word of God apeared in multiplying maÌ„kind this goodnes of Gods creatures extended it self to a more general or vniuersall coÌ„munitie so as euery man without exception God that gaue them make vs thankful for them from the marchant to the porter high and low of what degree soeuer rich and poore of what ability soeuer the weake and potent of what power soeuer may taste the sweetnesse of them all may stretch forth their hands to apprehend what soeuer goodnesse is lapt vp in them as freely as Adam did when scope was giuen him to eate of euery tree in the garden saue the forbidden tree It is not good that man should be alone See the loue of God and his care ouer man which no tongue nor pen can amplifie But euen now as it were God was carefully imployed I speake after the manner of men in that supernaturall worke of the frame of the world and that for Adam loe that being finished he deuiseth yet againe to augment Adams felicitie in furnishing him with fresh matter of comfort a greater comfort than the creation of the world I wil saith the Lord make a companion for Adam For â—t is not good that man should be alone In beholding this great blessing that God was ordaining for Adam for in it was the greater blessing shadowed and of greatest comfort euen the continent of all blessings Christ the Messiah the promised seed of the woman that breaks the serpents head In taking a cleere view of this inestimable benefit a sight more glorious than Moses saw when he stood on mount Nebo euery maÌ„ hath cause to cry out with David O God what is man thou art so mindfull of him but looking vpon our selues and sounding our consciences fraught with ingratitude we haue eause to cry out O man what is God thou art so vnmindfull of him O Adam how was it possible thou shouldest forget him so soone that was so carefull of thy wel-fare in powring vppon thee such an heap of vnspeakeable felicities How couldst thou by transgression hazard the incurrence of his implacable displeasure as after this thou didst since he so bountifully brake vp all the treasures and riches of his goodnesse What blessing withheld he from thee with the absolute indowment whereof he did not in a more than fatherlike affection inuest â—hee He made this world for thee this world which before was without forme voide and wrapped vp in obscurity and darknesse till God had said whose word was a worke let there be a light He made the firmament that asurde skie the beholding of whose christaline clearnes may wel procure amazednes and astonishment from a diligent speculator it dooth so graphically set forth the shining maiestie of him that created it And in this firmament hath he placed two great lights to distinguish times and seasons daies and yeares and yet he made the same more resplendent glorious by beutifying it with starres and all this the firmament the greater lights and lesser lights the sunne moone and starres and all for thee He made the earth also for thee that it should bring forth cattell and euery thing that hath life according to his kind euery greene tree and hearbe for the seruice of man The heauens and the earth withal the host of them being finished last of all as the perfection of all did he fourme thee O Adam out of the earth euen redde earth and gaue thee a name answerable to the matter whereof thou wast made And for that all this was too litle for thee the Lord committed the whole world to thy gouernment that thou mightst rule ouer the fishes of the sea and ouer the foules of the heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery thing that creepeth and moueth vpon the earth
the performance of my duty to God-wards consist in louing God why it is a matter of no great difficulty I can do so much euer from my youth haue I loued God Indeede it may seeme to be a lesson soon learned but if thou discusse it aright if thou examine what this loue is and where in it consists and how many circumstances depend on it being exposed I say to the vttermost herein as Christ exposed the rich yong man in the Gospel thou wilt go away forrowfull finding thine insufficiency as he did and cry out vppon thy selfe clapping thy Luk. 18. 13 brest like the publicane God be merciful to me a sinner wilt thou know then what this loue is that God requireth that thou maist see how farre thou wadest into the same or how farre short thou comest of it hearken a while and I will make a scrutiflie in to thy conscience by sounding the very bottome thereof if possibly I may find that loue there which thou wouldst seeme to bragge of First then and principally to proceede The first commandement from the first to the last I wil appose thee in the first table and first commaundement thereof If thou loue God as thou shouldst thou wilt haue no other gods but him Thou wilt worship none but him Thou wilt call on none but him Thou wilt pray to none but him The worshippe of God stands in foure points In fearing God aboue all In honouring him aboue all In praying to him alone In acknowledging him to be the giuer of all things and therefore to put our trust only in him A son honoreth his father and a seruant his master if then I be a father where is my Malac. 1. ◠honour if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes there goeth honor and feare When ye pray saith our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples say on this manner Our Mat. 6. 9 Father with art in heauen hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And leade vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from euill Amen Acts 17. 25 26. Paul and Silas being in prison trusted in God that he would deliuer them and therefore at midnight they made their praiers vnto him there goeth confidence and prayer God is a iealous God and will not haue his glory communicated to any other thou must inuocate no other neither saint Angel nor any other creature Thou neuer louest God as thou oughtest thou hast learned to say with Dauid whom haue I in heauen but thee Dauid knew that Abraham Noah and the Patriarches were in heauen yet he knew that they in heauen did not know him being on earth according to that in Esay 63. 16 Abraham hath forgotten vs and Israel knowes vs not It is a point Ilc not say of ridiculous folly but of extreme madnesse to pray to them that cannot heare vs. The Saints themselues haue no accesse to God but by Christ the virgin Mary her selfe calles Christ her Sauior what warrant haue they then that pray to the virgin Mary since she her selfe sends them vnto Christ looke the first of Iohn 2. Christ is our onely Ephe. 4. ◠aduocate there is one only mediator Why should we flie vnto a Saint rather than vnto Christ vnlesse we thinke that either Christ is not sufficient or else that he is too seuere and in thus thinking we robbe him of his most glorious title of Mediator that most singular prerogatiue giuen him of the father we obseure the glory of his birth we make his crosse frustrate in a word what soeuer he hath either done or wrought for vs all is made vaine and voyd by this derogatory kind of false worship And lastly we robbe God of his bountifulnesse who exhibites himself a Father vnto vs how can God be our Father when we will not haue Christ for our brother To be short and to vse the words of S. Austin Christ is our only mouth through whom we speake vnto the father he is our eie by whom we see the father he is our right hand by whome we offer vnto the father who if he should leaue to pleade for vs neither should we nor the saints haue ought to do with God Notwithstanding this sunneshine of Gods truth yet al are not lightned al open not their hearts like Lydia to receiue this doctrine especially the elder sort who haue suckt this superstition as it were from the dugge and they cannot leaue it because they haue bin nuzled in it Thus many that haue eies will not see but do wander out of the truth like the blind Aramites groping at noone day If when we should flie to Christ we run to a Saint we are not like the man in the gospel who threw away his cloake to runne to Christ but we are like Samuel that ranne to Eli when God called him ◠kin 2. 17 When Eliah was taken vp into heauen yet some sought for his body vpon the earth but they found him not No more shal they find Christ that seeke him in the Saints where he is not to be found as the father mother of Christ could not find him thogh they sought him three whole dayes till they came to the temple Iohn 1. 29. and 36 Looke vnto Iohn Baptist and we shall see him pointing not to a Saint or an Angel but vnto Christ the Lamb of God Let this be the conclusion of this one subiect or principal mater of substance cōteined in this first and greatest commaundement which concerneth the true worshippe of God None may be prayed vnto but such as can both heare and grant the thing we aske none can do so but God only most notable is that saying in Psal 65. because thou hearest the praier therfore vnto thee shal al flesh come Neither Saints nor Angells ought to be worshipped Ergo not to be prayed vnto Reue. 19 Since the Scripture therefore in the true worship of God doth especially commend vnto vs that we inuocate God onely we may not without manifest sacrilege direct our prayers to any other If we lift vp our hands to any other will not God require it concerning the office of intercession we see it peculiar to Christ only and that no praier is acceptable vnto God but that which our mediator doth sanctifie for him hath God the father sealed I will shut vp all with that in the seuenth to the Hebrewes 25. God is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto him by his Son Christ because he euer liueth to intreat for You haue heard this error conuinced by the word therfore as our Sauiour said to the woman taken in adultery Go thy way and sinne no more so I say vnto you that haue bene supersutiously affected Now you know it to be a sinne do
in lying to them But wilt thou receiue O thou sorcerer be thou wise man or wise woman alas we call them wise but they are fooles for they destroy their owne soules Wilt thou receiue I say thy full fraught at once and the totall summe of all thine infelicities thou hast no interest in God no society with the Saints no fellowship with the beleeuers no parte or portion in any the good creatures of God ful of terror and astonishment is that saying of Saint Iohn Reu. 21. 8 the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and abhominable and murtherers and sorcerers and all lyers shall haue their portion in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Cursing and swearing I will but point at and yet are these sinnes little inferiour to that which we haue already spoken of but what dare not prophane wretches commit when they may scape with immunity of punishment our common wealth looks not to the weight of these sins nor doth the magistrate care to shew his authority in suppressing them which makes these sinnes to walke in the high streetes vncontrowled What heart is so stony like the Adamant that would not bleede to thinke vpon or what eare would not tingle to heare the wicked bannings and blasphemous oathes of many a desperat wretch heart bloud nailes wounds flesh euen by all the parts of his glorious body as if they would crucifie Christ anew like the Iewes Who is it among vs that is not ginen in some measure to this sinne olde and young and all Children that haue not learned to go haue learned to sweare and is this to loue God nay is not this to hate God Let vs leaue this sinne betimes or God wil haue his day with thee too O thou swearer The wise man hath spoken it that the Ecclus. 23. 11. plague shall neuer depart from the house of the swearer The son of a certaine Israelitish woman for blaspheming the name of the Lord and Leui. 24. 14 for cursing was stoned to death without the host Againe if this loue of God be planted The fourth commandement in thy heart thou wilt keepe his Sabbaoth thou wilt remember that as a principall duty among the rest thou wilt both rest thy selfe and cause thy family al that belongs vnto thee to cease from labor and to sanctifie the same Thou must vppon that daye doe holy things for it is the Lords holy day thou must not doe thine owne waies nor seeke thine owne will nor speake a vaine worde that day must be bestowed vppon exercises of holinesse as in hearing the word read and preached in praying receiuing the Sacraments singing of Psalmes godly conference and meditation Thou must come to the church the house of prayer keep my Sabbaoth and reuerence my sanctuary There you are tied to come and when you come come with reuerence as you cary with you your holy day cloathes so must you carry with you your holiday affections This Sabbaoth is called in Esay the Lord Esa 58. 13. his day but if you follow vanities vpon that day or do your owne vnnecessary businesse on that day you make it your owne day and not the Lords day and so you honour not God but you honour your selues as Ely honoured his children The Lord hath giuen vs six whole daies and hath reserued onely one for himselfe and yet we would haue that from him too at the least we take the greatest part of that from him and doe bestow it vppon our lustes If we offer vnto the Lorde the morning sacrifice yet we are not ready to giue him the euening incense where God requireth both and will not be serued by peecemeales If we giue God but a peece of the day wee are like the vnnaturall mother who sayde of the child let it be neither hirs nor min 1. â—in 3. â—â— but â—et it be diuided so we seeme to part stakes as it were with the Lord by diuiding the Sabbaoth day making it neither Gods wholy nor our owne This is the last Commaundement of the first table but it must be chiefe in request no commaundement carrieth with it such a charge as this for it runnes with a speciall Memento Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbaoth day as who should say in any case see thou obserue this commaundement for if thon keepest this thou keepest all For in comming to church to heare and learne the word of God to praise and glorifie him thou art taught thy whole duetie both howe to obserue this and all the rest The second table expresseth the dutie The fifth commandement of one man towardes another it sheweth what loue thou oughtest to beare thy neighbour The principall duetie braunching out of this loue is the duetie to parents If thou loue God thou wilt also loue thy parents thou hast one father in heauen who must especially be honoured in manner as thou hast heard thou hast an other father in earth and God thy father in heauen commaunds thee to honour him that is thy father on earth And this honour hath God imprinted in his name by giuing them his owne name the name of father He is thy father therfore honour him as God gaue our fathers their beginning so hast thou from thy father thy beginning it hath pleased God to vse them as instruments to beget vs. This loue contaynes in it honour feare obedience and reliefe We read of the young stork that he carrieth the olde one vpon his backe when for age he is not able to flie This is recorded of the storke to condemne vs men that will not be careful to releeue our parents as they were carefull to releeue vs. God and nature and reason common sence do call vpon vs for this duty to parents therfore I wil not discourse further vpon it And in this commandement thou art not onely called vppon to be dutiful to thy naturall parents but also to the fathers of thy countrey or of our houses the aged and our fathers in Christ and vnto them that performe this honour a speciall blessing is promised which is long life Further if thou loue thy neighbour thou wilt euer bee doing him good and not euil all the dayes of thy life Thou wilt procure all the meanes thou canst to worke his safety thou wilt defend him from iniury offered him by others and if thou defend him thou wilt much lesse seeke to hurt him and if thou wilt not hurt him much lesse wilt thou maliciously proceede to kill him for all this is charged in that commandement Thou shalt not kill As the loue of God appeared in creating vs so it appeareth in preseruing vs God that gaue life will haue vs preserue life The Lorde will not haue thee so much Leui. 19. 17 Mat. 5. 22. as to be angry with thy brother vnaduisedly nor yet to haue him nor will he haue thee to mocke or quarrel with thy neighbour Whosoeuer sayeth vnto his brother Rachah