All creatures in their kinde glorifie their Maker Motiues to seeke after Gods glory and employ themselues in the setting forth of his praise h Psal 19.1 The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke by their admirable structure motions and influence they preach his praise and that 1. All the night and all the day without intermission for i vers 2. one day telleth another and one night certifieth another 2. In euery kinde of language for k vers 3. there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard and 3. In euery part of the world in euery Country Citie Towne Village Parish for l vers 4. Their sound is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Thus m Bellarm. in Psal 19. saith one they be diligent Pastors preaching at all times And learned Pastors as preaching in all tongues And Catholike Pastors preaching in all Townes And the subiect of all their preaching is no other than the glory of God And as the Heauens so doe the Fowles of the Heauens as the n Ier. 8.7 Storke Crane Turtle Swallow And so also the beasts of the field for o Isay 1.3 the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib as I say sheweth Remember againe how little glory God getteth at the hands of most in the world which I thus make euident Put case the whole world should be diuided into foure parts three of the foure we shall finde to be ouerspread with Turcisme Paganisme c. they not so much as professing the true God in Christ and therefore amongst them God can get no glory but is continually dishonoured by their liues and actions so that there is but a fourth part of the world if that which doth professe him in his Sonne and amongst those though all professe him in word how many are there which denie him by their workes Should we make a subdiuision and againe diuide that fourth and least part into foure parts more we shall finde the least part truly to seeke his honour One part we shall finde are Hereticks who rob him of his glory by their superstition and Idolatrie A second part are Atheists and notorious euill liuers who are so farre from honouring him as that they daily belch out blasphemies against him A third part are Hypocrites and carnall Protestants backsliders and luke-warme Christians who p Isay 29.13 honour him with their lips but haue their hearts farre from him Now there is but a fourth part and hardly that who are sincere and faithfull and if they should not bend themselues with all their might to maintaine and aduance Gods glory it would be trodden vnder foot of all Should not this consideration be a spurre in our sides to make vs forward in this dutie Call to minde the practices of Gods Saints Moses that man of God q Exod. 32.32 preferred it before his own saluation no maruell then if he preferred it before r Heb. 11.24 the honours and treasures of Egypt the like did blessed Paul Å¿ Rom. 9.2 who professeth that for Gods glory in the saluation of the Iewes he could wish himselfe accursed or separated from Christ Remarkable also is the Apostles care in the cure of the Creeple t Acts 14.11 that the least part of Gods praise might not cleaue to their fingers but all might be ascribed to the Lord. The 24. Elders u Reuel 4.10 cast their Crownes before the Throne they emptie themselues of all glory merit and worthinesse whatsoeuer that they may giue all praise vnto the Lord. And lastly haue we not our Sauiours owne example for our imitation who both by praier and practice sought his Fathers glory and only it * Iohn 12.28 Father saith he glorifie thy name and againe x 8. 49 50. I honour my Father and seeke not my owne glorie And in that sweet praier of his y Iohn 17.4 I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which that gauest me to doe Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses and haue so many examples before vs for our encouragement let vs lay aside all pride of heart selfe-loue vaine-glorie and euery such like weight and sinne which doth so easily beset vs and in simplicitie of heart aime at our masters praise in all we vndertake Euery dull iade will follow though he will not leade the way we are but iades in Christianitie and godlinesse if we continue carelesse when so many haue gone before vs in this dutie Remember further how we pray Doe we not desire daily the hallowing of Gods name now to say it with our mouthes and not seeke it in our liues is damnable hypocrisie a sinne that God abhorres Doe we not likewise pray that Gods will may be done in earth as it is in heauen Now tell me how doe the Angels spend their time doe not they cry continually one vnto another z Isay 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hoasts the whole earth is full of his glory Oh take heed lest thou multipliest lies as thou multipliest praiers see that thy heart and tongue be not at variance what thou praiest for with thy lips see thou practisest in thy life Let not your workes giue your tongues the lye Againe for our further encouragement hereto consider we the benefit that comes hereby For by glorifying God we bring glory to our selues the greatest fruit thereof redounds to vs His glory is as himselfe eternall infinite and so abides in it selfe not capable of our addition to it or detraction from it As the Sunne which would shine in its owne brightnesse and glory though all the world were blinde and did wilfully shut their eies against it so God will euer be most glorious let men be neuer so obstinate or rebellious Yea God will haue glory by Reprobates though it be nothing to their ease and though he be not glorified of them yet he will glorifie himselfe in them Yet notwithstanding this he will trie how we prize his glory and how industrious we are to magnifie and exalt it wherein if he finde vs painfull he will plentifully reward it and returne glory for glory according to his promise a 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me will I honour Lastly if all that hath beene said worke not vpon vs yet let the danger that followes vpon the neglect of this dutie moue vs. How many examples are recorded in Scripture of Gods iudgements vpon such as did either derogate from God or arrogate to themselues any part of that praise which was due vnto his name Moses and Aaron yet his owne deare seruants b Numb 20.12 were debarred out of the Land of Promise because they glorified him not at the waters of strife The high-Priesthood c 1 Sam. 2.29 31. 3.13 was remoued from the house of
the high God Though Plinius Secundus be an enemie to Christians and a persecutor of them yet their holy and godly conuersation shall make him to certifie the Emperour his Master Traian that they are harmelesse persons Thus let thy life bee holy and innocent and then thou maist fetch a testimony from the conscience of the very enemie And as Dauid said sometimes to Micol obiecting vnto him that euen his owne seruants contemned him for his dancing before the Arke p 2 Sam. 6.22 Of the seruants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour So say I euen those wicked ones that outwardly traduce thee and reuile thee cannot but inwardly they must acquit thee and commend thee their heart and conscience shall speake for thee euen then when their tongue and lips doe speake against thee And when euer it shall please the Lord to set their consciences on the racke or to compasse them about with the snares of death then shall their tongue be constrained will they nill they to discouer what now lies hidden for the iustification of thy righteousnesse Then they crie out oh send for such a man or such a woman they will pray for me and doe me good and giue me comfort and doe we not see daily that they sooner trust for all their talke such as they terme Hypocrites Dissemblers and Precisians with their goods and with their children and with their portions yea and with their soules also before any other The last thing propounded to our consideration in this Appeale is the Parties betweene whom the variance is and they are the Lord and Israel God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and the whole body of the people euen all Israel and Iudah the Defendants As vnequally matched as euer were Earth and Heauen Strength and Weaknesse or the great Beemoth and the silliest worme that creepes in the chinkes and crannies of the earth God contends with man he that is excellent with them that are but dust who then is like to haue the day Text. Betweene mee and my Vineyard And is it possible that there should be a controuersie betweene God and his Vine which he planted with his owne right hand Betweene him and that people whom he had so highly honoured Then it will follow that Doct. Sin is a make-bate betweene God and man Sinne will make bate and stirre vp strife betweene God and his dearest people There is no Citie no not Ierusalem no people no not Israel nor Iudah be they graced with neuer so many priuileges crowned with neuer so many blessings but sinne will set the Lord and them at variance The Lord hath a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land saith Hoseah q Hosea 4.1 2. because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land c. Sinne was the breeder of it Babylon r Isay 13.19 the glory of the Kingdomes the beautie of the Caldees excellencie yet her pride set her and God at variance so that her Palaces were made dens of Dragons wilde beasts of the field did lie there their houses were cages for vncleane birds Owles did dwell there Satyres did dance there with dolefull creatures were they filled And thus Sodome Å¿ Gen. 19.24 sometimes as faire and beautifull as Paradise it selfe was set at variance with the Lord by reason of her sinnes t Ezek. 16.49 Pride Idlenesse and Fulnesse of bread c. bred the quarrell and was the cause that shee was made u Zeph. 2.9 a perpetuall desolation And will not those seuen famous Churches of Asia * Reuel 1. 2. 3. Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea Philadelphia Sardis in the midst whereof God is said to haue his walke witnesse as much Did not their sinnes cause the Lord to contend with them a long time and in the end make him to giue vp their Land to be inhabited by Zijm and Ochim Turkes and Infidels What shall I need to say more Such a variance it made betweene God and the Angels x Iude 6. as that they were turned out of Heauen Betweene God and our great Grand-father as y Gen. 3.22 that he was droue out of Paradise Betweene the Lord and Moses z Deut. 32.51 52. as that it kept him from Canaan And such a contention daily it breeds betweene God and men as that infinite thousands are thereby kept a 1 Cor. 6.9 Reuel 21. out of the Kingdome of Heauen Let all wicked ones hence take notice of their estates Vse 1 which by this Doctrine they may as clearely see as in a glasse For doth sinne set God and man at oddes and is it a make-bate betweene them Then certainly such as liue in it and harbour it cannot be at peace with God What peace saith Iehu to Ioram b 2 King 9.22 so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many So say I What peace so long as that make-bate is harboured in thy brest Nay c Isay 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God For what d 2 Cor. 6.14 fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is thy enemie and e Matth. 5.25 hath against thee and therefore see thou agree quickly with thy aduersarie We say in a prouerbe He is poore that God hates true none so poore as the wicked are for what though they haue riches honours friends c. when there is a controuersie betweene God and them f 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge for him said old Ely to his sonnes but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him Seeke therefore reconciliation cast that make-bate our of thy bosome which stirs vp all this strife Sinne is thy owne creature destroy that and God must needs loue thee who art his creature but if thou wilt not then expect no peace but contention and destruction If the Pot will needs contend with the Potter it cannot be but it must be broken Thou art but an earthen Pitcher in the hand of thy Maker and he can full easily dash thee against the wall and stampe thee into powder It is good counsell that the Wise-man giues thee g Eccles 6.10 Contend not with him who is mightier than thy selfe and if thou beest not a foole I aduise thee to follow it lest Woe and Alas come too late Vse 2 And secondly See here the reason why the Lord doth so often bend his browes and turne away his face from his owne people in displeasure Sinne is it that bred the quarrell that was it which causeth it The fashion of many in the day of affliction is to crie out of euill tongues that haue forspoken them and surely say they we are bewitched but if we looke well about vs we shall finde the grand-witch to lie
to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his vineyard c. q. d. I see indeed they lightly set by my ordinary Sermons and therefore I purpose to leaue my accustomed manner of prophesying and fall to singing being vnto them rather as a Poet k Ezek. 33.32 than as a Prophet that so by their owne delights they may be allured Obser Thus God seekes to draw vs to himselfe with those baits which are somewhat agreeable to our pallat he doth compose himselfe to our disposition and euen as face answereth face in a glasse so doth he apply himselfe to fit the humors of mortall men Doe the Sages loue starres and dreames l Matth. 2. a bright shining starre and a dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God and direct them vnto Christ Doth Saint Peter loue fishing m Luke 5. he shall be wonne by a great draught of fishes Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose by his eloquence shall catch him at a Sermon What is it that can win vs which way soeuer our desires stand that is not sinfull God doth in his word allure vs The best things in earth and heauen are made our bait Let vs yeeld our selues therefore to be caught for with these doth the Lord seeke vs not for any need that he hath of vs but for our owne saluation In which Song we haue a Parable proposed of a fruitlesse Vineyard which after great care and cost of the painfull Husbandman bestowed on it is left desolate and forsaken for its barrennesse The Argument of it seemeth not to differ from that of the fore-going Chapters here being nothing said Argument of the Song that for substance was not before taught Luther The difference that is is only in circumstance the stile and method only being altered and changed The Scope and drift of the Prophet is The scope is three-fold first to get audience and attention And therefore he chooseth to deliuer his message in the sweetnesse of verse rather than in prose that so the eare hauing that which delighted it might without tediousnesse listen to that which was taught which being listened vnto might the better and more kindlier worke vpon them And questionlesse by this course he got him hearers for many would flocke to heare him sing who would not step ouer the threshold to heare him in his wonted veine Secondly that they might the sooner learne and better retaine what he did teach them For Verse being composed of certaine Musicall proportions both in the number and measure of feet and syllables are sooner and with greater delight learned and once being learned are longer retained as by experience we finde that our common people haue many vnwritten songs which are older than their great Grand-fathers Father those they learnt being children and neuer forget againe vntill their death yea by this meanes the remembrance of some things haue beene kept from many ages past which both Historie and Tradition had else for euer left neglected and forgotten Thirdly that he might bring them to a sight of their ingratitude and draw from them an impartiall sentence against themselues For looke as it is with the eie which both seeth and correcteth all other things saue it selfe so is it with the sinner when his owne case is proposed to him not as his owne but in the person of another he will soone see the fault and passe a iust sentence on it but else it cannot be espied Whiles n 2 Sam. 12. wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forcibly taken away the only Lambe of his poore neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the storie and how sharply euen aboue law doth he censure the fact o Vers 5. As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die See how seuere Iusticers we can be to our very owne crimes in others persons Had he knowne on whom the sentence would haue light it should not haue beene so heauie but now he is selfe-condemned The like was our Sauiours practise with the Scribes and Pharises in propounding p Matth. 21. that Parable of perfidious Husbandmen who beat the Seruants that were sent to receiue the fruits of the Vineyard and slew the heire and not without the like successe For being q Vers 40. asked what the Lord of the Vineyard would doe to such they answer 41. He will cruelly destroy them and let out the Vineyard to others 43. Then Christ infers Therefore I say vnto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof And this is the reason why our Prophet doth not only sing but sings a Parabolicall song propounding the truth in such an obscure manner vnder a continued similitude or allegorie like some expert Physitian who so cunningly wraps vp his pils and conueyes his dose that it begins to worke ere it be tasted And surely there is no one thing wherein is more vse of wisdome than in the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuery helps the disease in an vnwise destroies nature Diuision In which Song consider we First the Prooem or Preface to it verse 1. Secondly the Poem it selfe or body of it verse 1.8 The Prooem in these words Now will I sing to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his Vineyard wherein these particulars are obseruable First the Inditer or Author Instrumentall intimated in this particle I. Secondly the kinde of Treatise indited A Song Thirdly the manner of the Prophets publishing and deliuering it Will sing Fourthly the Dedication of it To his well-beloued Fifthly the warrant and authoritie for the publishing of it Of my well-beloued Sixtly the Subiect matter thereof Touching his Vineyard These in the Prooem As for the Poem we will then limb and branch it forth when we come to the handling of it Let vs now goe to the sickle of the Sanctuary and there weigh those words which we haue already numbred Now Some reade it Goe to or Goe to yet Exposition Muscul Moller As if the Prophet should stirre vp himselfe to sing and like the watchfull Cocke first clap his wings to awake himselfe before he crowes to awaken others Others reade it as we haue it Now or Now I pray hereby stirring vp his people to attention which reading is the best for the Hebrew particle Na noteth the motion of the minde to perswade or intreat Will I sing id est I will lift vp my voice and make a melodious sound modulating and singing the Song I haue composed To my well-beloued id est To the grace or praise of his well-beloued or as some in his defence Calu. Vrsin in loc Well-beloued Some there are who would haue Gods Israel to be meant hereby He so terming them in regard of the great loue he bare towards them and great care he had ouer
man to heauen Baalam and many other wicked wretches who are now in torments would haue gotten thither long agoe The fiue foolish Virgins intended to goe in with the bridegroome but before the time their lights dropt out If a bare Intention would serue the turne Gods Church on earth would be fuller of Saints and his Court in heauen fuller of Soules Good motions and resolutions are to be respected but thou must vp and be doing else God distasts them A fift property of good fruit is vniuersalitie It must be c Esay 27.9 All fruit as Isaiah speaketh fruits of the first and second table of holinesse towards God and righteousnesse towards man for what God hath ioyned may not be diuorced Particulars were infinite Fruits inward as good Thoughts motions purposes good Desires longings faintings after God and his graces good Affections as Loue Ioy Feare Sorrow Patience Compassion c. Fruits outward as Good words sauourie speech pure and wholesome language And good workes such as we are bound to performe within the compasse of our calling whether Generall or Speciall In a word d Phil. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report those things must we thinke on to doe and as Mary said to the seruants e John 2.5 Whatsoeuer hee saith doe it so say I Whatsoeuer the Lord commands that must be done wee may not picke and chuse and doe what best likes vs but as once Israel said so must we alwaies f Exod. 19.8 24.3.7 Whatsoeuer the Lord commandeth that will we doe True it is many points of our Masters will wee know not but our desire must be to know And many things we doe not but our desire must bee to doe for our obedience must reach to Gods whole reuealed will Euery Christian duty thou must make account belongs to thee as well as to any other and therefore as a man that is to plant an Orchard will be sure to get of euery good fruit some so doe not heare of any fruit that good is but carry it home and set thy heart therewith Memorable was the practise of blessed Bradford who was content to sacrifice his life in Gods cause g See Master Sampsons Preface to Bradfords Sermon of repentance He vsed to make vnto himselfe a Iournall or day-booke wherein he vsed to set downe all such notable things as either hee did see or heare each day that passed If he did heare or see any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe and added a short prayer wherein hee craued grace and mercy that hee might amend If he did heare or see any plague or misery hee noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercie vpon me Oh that wee would tread in this Saints steps how much more fruitfull should we then bee than now wee are Lastly our fruit must bee constant fruit Constancy crownes all Thus it is said of the blessed ground h Luke 8 15. It bringeth forth fruit with patience And herein wee may not bee like to other trees wihch grow barren with their age but we must bring forth fruit in our old age i Psal 92.14 and continue fat and flourishing nay not so much as a leafe must fade or faile k Psal 1.3 there must not be any appearance of being out of the state of grace l Heb. 4.1 none of vs must seeme to be depriued or come short of entering into Gods rest Alas for such who haue left bearing yea lost their very leaues and shewes of profession which formerly they haue made being now worse than that cursed fig-tree which was greene what hope haue these who come short of those that come short of heauen Shall the former fruitfulnesse of such professors be regarded or rewarded Surely no m Ezek. 18.24 All their righteousnesse which they haue done shall neuer be mentioned but in their trespasse that they haue trespassed and in their sinne that they haue sinned in them they shall die And if euery man shall receiue according to his fruits then such shall one day feed vpon the bitter fruit of their Apostacie and Back-sliding and finde how bitter a thing it is to forsake the Lord and feele what they will not now be brought to beleeue n 2 Pet. 2.21 That it had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of truth than thus to haue departed from the holy commandement Looke then thou walke not in a good course for a fit but bee constant to the death o Reuel 2.10 and so receiue the crowne of life For p Rom. 2.7 glory and immortalitie is the part and portion only of such as by constancie in well-doing seeke it To you q Luke 22.24 saith our Sauiour which haue continued with mee in tentations haue I appointed a kingdome as my Father hath appointed me a kingdome And thus we haue seene what is necessarily required that our fruit may be acceptable and pleasing vnto God Now then thou that braggest of thy faithfulnesse and fruitfulnesse tell me darest thou abide the triall Why then answer me to these Interrogatories which I propound vnto thee Is thy fruit thy owne Is it done by thy owne selfe and in thy owne person Dost thou rest and rely vpon thy owne faith and liue by it and by no mans else Againe tell me is thy fruit kindly answerable to the good seed that hath oftentimes beene cast into thy heart and beseeming the stocke wherein thou saist thou art engrafted Is not swearing lying cogging and dissembling and such stinking fruit as this the fruit thou bearest I demand againe dost thou obserue the time and season not contenting thy selfe in doing good for matter vnlesse also thou doe it then when God may haue most glory by the doing of it Answer me yet further Dost thou labour that thy fruit may come to some perfection Not resting thy selfe in this that thou bloomest blossommest but still art striuing that euery bud may bee brought to maturity and ripenesse Besides all this dost thou truly and vnfainedly desire and endeuour to bee fruitfull in all good workes making no exceptions like a lazie seruant at any of Gods Commands seeme they neuer so hard or harsh so meane or base And lastly tell mee dost thou continue constant in bearing fruit not giuing ouer in the yeere of drought but euen then continuest fresh and flourishing What answerest thou Canst thou stand out this triall And doth thy conscience witnesse that these things are so Why then indeed thou art a fruitfull branch and hast whereof to reioice in as much as thou bearest fruit to God who doth so accept it that he will reward it r Hebr. 6.7 For the earth that drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth
Reason And no wonder for God respecteth truth in the inward parts and not outward titles he regardeth substance more than shadowes Vse This being so let none content themselues with their good names or outward titles of honour that are giuen them but let them vse them as a spurre to stirre them vp to imitate such good men as haue beene before so named and surely this was one reason why this people were thus called by the name of Israel that they might hereby be put in minde of their pedegree and so of their predecessors pietie and consequently to make them ashamed of their owne apostacie who were so far degenerated from those religious men of whom they were descended Neither content thy selfe with that honorable title of a Christian or of a Professor or of a Protestant vnlesse thou makest good those names by a holy and godly life Tell me then thou that art thus called hast thou those gifts and graces which those names import hast thou receiued an ointment from that holy one hath he opened thy eies quickened thy dead heart sanctified thy vncleane affections If it be thus then indeed these names and titles are well befitting thee but if it be otherwise with thee if thou liuest loosely and prophanely thou maist blush so often as thou hearest thy selfe called Christian or Professor or the like for thou art nick-named and miscalled It is as if a Cobler should be called worshipfull or a Carr-man honourable and who could away with that Nay more it is a kinde of sacriledge vnder those holy names to liue an vnholy life Belshazzar sinned against God by excesse and intemperancie in his eating and drinking but in that he abused the holy vessels of the house of God to serue him to such prophane and vnholy vses was a sinne more fearefull and sacriledge most horrible Thus for thee as thou art a man to sinne prouokes Gods wrath and deserues damnation but to sinne vnder the Christian name and commit wickednesse as thou art a Gospeller it is with Belshazzar to abuse and prophane the holy vessels of Gods house and this must needs plunge thee into the hottest fire of hell Mountaignes Essaies To conclude this vse let me tell you what I haue read of a libidinous Gentleman who sporting with a Curtezan in a house of sinne happened to aske her name which she said was Mary whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not only cast off the harlot but amended his future life Art thou called a Christian and yet followest drunkennesse swearing c. let that very name cause thee to be ashamed of thy folly Let all apply what I forbeare to amplifie Further in that these people haue these titles Israel Iudah the names of their forefathers giuen them as titles of honour and names of excellency we learne a third lesson And obserue another note viz. Good Parents and Progenitors are great ornaments to their posteritie Doctr. Good Parents are ornaments to their posteritie Parents that are godly and religious doe no whit at all disgrace their children by their pietie and godlinesse but much countenance and grace them by it insomuch that it is an honour for posteritie to descend from such worthie Ancestors Solomons Prouerbe may be a sufficient proofe hereof r Pro. 17.6 Childrens children are the crowne of the elders and the glory of the children are their fathers to wit if they be godly and pious Besides sundrie instances and examples that might be brought for the confirming of this truth as of Abraham what an honourable title was it accounted to be called the son of Abraham and childe of Abraham The Iewes brag and boast therefore Å¿ Iohn 8.33 Matth. 3.9 They were Abrahams seed and they had Abraham to their Father And so it was indeed to them that walked in his steps and were like him in grace And so afterwards in Dauid what an excellent prerogatiue was it accounted to be to descend from him and be of his Family Reas For such are the seed of Princes and linage of Kings for thus hath God aduanced the godly to be t Reuel 1.6 Kings Priests and Prophets vnto himselfe they come of the noblest House and Family that is whose originall commeth not out of some corner of the earth but they spring of Christ of whom all the Families in heauen and earth are called And this is right and proper Nobilitie indeed Vse 1 This being so it first reproueth such Parents as hope to bring credit and renowne to their posterities by their lewd and sinfull courses they liue miserably and deale vniustly and open the mouths of all to crie out vpon their falshood and deceit their couetousnesse and extortion and yet thinke to raise vp their houses and aduance their names and adorne their children with glorie and estimation But this truth may discouer vnto such parents their folly and great madnesse for this is not the way to bring credit but disgrace to their posterities yea when they are dead and rotten their euill courses will be cast as dung in the faces of such as they leaue behinde as experience makes good Such a man saith one was this childes father What that Vsurer that Worldling that Extortioner that Drunkard that Whore-master saith another How can thy childe stand by and heare this without red cheekes it must needs be matter of shame and griefe vnto him First step to Heauen 42. Wouldst thou indeed be an ornament to thy childe and childs childe after thee then see thou be righteous and religious and so thy name shal be remembred in them when thou art dead Oh what a credit is it now accounted to be of the posteritie of Latimer Bradford Ridley and other of those men of God who suffered for the truth How are such esteemed and accounted of amongst all Let experience make thee wise and so liue thou that thy children also may account it their honour not their shame to name thee when thou art raked vp in the dust Secondly let Children who haue had or haue godly Vse 2 and religious parents be thankfull for them and repose their Gentry more in their forefathers vertues that they had than in their great lands and reuenewes that they possessed esteeming them the worthiest of all their Ancestors who were the godliest rather than they who were the wealthiest And withall let such be stirred vp to tread in their fathers steps for all that hath beene said is with this prouiso that we their children be adorned with their gifts and vertues For though wee descend from godly and worthy Ancestors yet if wee u Ezek. 18.10.13 degenerate from them as a base and bastard brood it can be no honour credit comfort nor commendation to vs. Put case a man haue a thousand pound land a yeere left him by his friends and he spend it all like the Prodigall * Luke 15. in riotous and voluptuous