the mother the second is the daughter The first is the poyson the other is the signe thereof or the breaking out The first is the fountaine the second is the streame The first is the coale the second is the flame The first is the cause the second is the effect of the same The first is the theefe the second is his accessary The first robbeth God of his honour the second doth publish it Therefore both the first and the second be damnable neither the first nor the second are sinnes veniall as the Papists say but both the first and the second the mother and the daughter without faith and repentance are sinnes eternally mortall And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith here Take heede of them as if they were some dangerous enemies to the soule The first thing therefore to be taken heed of is all inward desire of vaineglory or worldly praise and that is forbidden in the first verse where our Sauiour saith Giue not to be seene of men that is with an intent purpose or desire that men should see thee and commend thee for it Publicke giuing is not forbidden for Christ saith Let your lights shine before men that they may see c. But vaineglorious giuing in publicke is forbidden and therefore he doth not simply say Do not your almes before men but addeth to be seene of them condemning that end which is first in heart though last in act So in Math. 5.16 he saith not Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie you but that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God your heauenly father who worketh both the will and the deed So then we see that it is not simply euill to do good workes in the view of men nay rather it is good so to do to glorifie God and encourage others God is much glorified when his children walke like their father being mercifull as their heauenly father is mercifull though not in that degree of mercie yet in mercy of the like nature heauenly bountifull free and harmelesse By the death of Christ he was knowne to be the naturall sonne of God and by the good life of Christians aswell as by their death it may be knowne that they are the adopted sonnes of God For when Christ died there was a strange alteration of nature the earth did shake the powers of heauen lost their power the graues opened the dead arose there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth as if day had bene turne into night which when men saw they confessed yea the very enemies of Christ himselfe confessed to the glorie of the diuine power saying doubtlesse this was the sonne of God So when Christians dye to the world and liue vnto God when they by the power of Gods spirit do crucifie sinne and quicken righteousnesse there is also a great alteration in nature their nature is refined by grace their night is turned into day and their day into night their present shame is their glorie and their former glory is their shame their dead affections are raised vp the deuowring graues of their hard harts being opened and now they speake and do and studie otherwise then they did and not like other men In a word as Christs death was not like other mens death so Christians liues are not like other mens liues Christs funerals were solemnized by the Sunne and the Moone by the powers of heauen by the graues and the dead by the earth and the stones and all the insensible creatures whereof in their kind some blushed some trembled some fainted and all mourned for the death of their Lord and feared seeing such things happen to their Soueraigne an vtter dissolution of themselues and all nature These things were not looked for in the world nor regarded at worldly mens funerals yea such as beseeme not the Princes of the nations so Christians liues and deaths too are solemnized and graced with the ornaments of the spirit and the ioy of heauenly Angels with the fruites of righteousnesse the applause of the godly things not regarded of the wicked nor beseeming the helhounds of this world But doubtlesse when men see these lights they must needes glorifie God and say God hath done great things for them and when the wicked themselues see such an alteration in them as they may stand a farre off and wonder at but neuer attaine vnto they must be enforced spite of their hearts to giue God the glorie as Achan did saying this is the truth and so it was and as the Iewes did doubtlesse these were good men the sonnes and daughters of God A man may by their behauiour know of whose bringing vp they were by their habite and spirituall attire a man may discerne them to be the Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be God in so much as they must go a little farther with the wicked in the book of Wisedome and say we are fooles and they are wise howsoeuer we counted their life madnesse before we are they that played the madmen and haue wearied our selues in the wayes of vnrighteousnesse And with Balam Oh that we might dye the death of the righteous and that our last end might be like vnto theirs And thus we see how for the glorifying of God in this life it is necessary for Christians to exercise workes of mercy as giuing of almes and other good workes appointed of God in his word euen before men As it is necessary for the glory of God so also is it as necessary for the encouragement of the godly And first of the painefull Pastor and Minister of the word and then of other Christians To the godly Minister it is no small comfort and encouragement when he shall see the Lords people vnder his charge fruitfull in good workes aswell as in good words For then shall he see the fruite of his labours when after his labour he seeth them fruitfull in all maner of good workes and on the other side when they receiue the word in vaine he may feare that he hath laboured in vaine in vaine I say as touching their conuersion though not simply in vaine otherwise for the word of God is neuer preached in vaine whether men beleeue it or no heare it or no being euer either a sauour of life to life or of death vnto death and comming as the raine which neuer returneth in vaine but either watereth the earth or drowneth it and maketh the ground to bring forth either corne or cockle sweet flowers or stinking weedes whereof the one shall be preserued and the other rooted vp and cast out vpon the dunghill The husbandman is encouraged to follow his husbandry when his vines are fruitfull and his haruests plentiful growing timely ripening kindly yeelding abundantly and no lesse is Gods husbandman the minister of the word encouraged by the timely growing kindly ripening and plentifull yeelding of his charge the Lords husbandrie after he hath taken
euery one that praieth in publike assemblies and heareth the word diligently and turne ouer their Bibles and sing reuerently the holy Psalmes and praises of God confer of that which they heard and call their families to account for that which they haue heard at the Sermon c. all most holy actions but take heed now when thou doest all these or any of these that the messenger of Sathan come not like a cunning companion and poison all these Take heed I say euen then when thou art about these seruices for euen as cut-purses and pilfering rogues watch their times till they see men busie in buying and selling or come in a preasse so do these vagrant affections watch our harts when we are about holy businesse and in deuout conference with our God to rob God of his honour and to poison that which we offer him and if it be poisoned he will none of it A strange thing and a hidden mysterie this is that a man should then rob the Lord of his honour when he is honoring and seruing him that we should take from him that which we giue vnto him Verily so we do if we take not heed and nothing is more common then that euil Thou art deuout in thy prayer in hearing in sighing in singing in eleuating eyes and hands to heauen it is well done but then take heede of the theefe with the poison that thou seest not and that is that affection that maketh thee to cast thy eye aside perhaps to looke whether such a man seeth thee or no and that affection that tickleth thy heart and saith now I am a good man I shall be counted a zealous professor for this I shall be well esteemed for this I shall by this meanes get familiaritie and so commoditie with him her and a thousand such odde conceits that come wharting and crossing of thy heart in the best things that thou canst do All which if thou take not heede of them euen then at that instant and pray against them they will get within thee and plucke off the garment of puritie and holinesse which in Christ Iesus should commend thy action vnto God And thus thou seest how God is robbed when he is serued and therefore euen then without any further delay or dallying take heed and watch ouer thy heart and pray against these vile and vaine affections desiring God to reforme and correct them that so thou maiest giue him his due clad in such holy and pure affections as are desirous that all the glorie should be giuen vnto him from whom and for whom all things are and shall be And in so doing thou maiest safely shew what God hath done for thee Take for example in the old Testament Iacob and in the new Testament the Virgin Mary and Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist. Iacob he sheweth his brother how God had blessed him since his comming ouer Iordan with onely a poore staffe in his hand and now had giuen him troupes or bands of children and seruants and blessed him with flockes of sheepe beeues and camels but in all these things his desire was that God might he glorified and therefore he said I am not worthy of the least of these mercies that is all that I haue set forth the great and vndeserued fauour of God vnto me So farre was he from seeking thereby to be counted a great man as the maner of the world is So when Elizabeth reioyced with her cosin for the great fauour and goodnesse of the most high in chusing her to be the mother of the Lord Iesus and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women she was not proud thereof but presently gaue the glorie vnto God and sayd My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour I shall be magnified indeede but he that is mightie hath magnified me and holy is his name and so made that whole song to set forth the glorious praises of God in that singular worke which he had done to her In like sort when Zachary knew that Iohn was borne to be the forerunner of Christ he presently gaue the glorie to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people c. And thou ô child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare the way before him to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes But then commeth forth the holy affection wherein God is delighted and saith Through the tender mercy of our God c. And this shall we do if we take heed and still watch ouer our hearts in euerie action by secret prayer vnto God that his name may be hallowed This wise course being taken we shall be able by the grace of God in a short time to discerne a false harted affection from a true and a holy affection a double heart from a single and sincere heart for in euery man that is regenerate there is a double motion the one of the flesh the other of the Spirite the one of God the other of Sathan and in euerie action if he watch narrowly he shall find and feele a striuing betweene them Now here is wisedome to discerne how much is of God and how much of Sathan that we may cherish the one and crush the other in the head before he grow to any strength There will be two fires kindled and both burning together in one heart the one must be quenched and not maintained the other must not be quēched but be maintained for so saith the Scripture quench and quench not quench the firie darts of the diuell but quench not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption Now then seeing the glory of God is set vp for one marke to aime at and the good of the Church of God for another let vs learne by our leuelling and aiming at them or besides them to iudge of our affections and cogitations If thy cogitations be studying and deuising how to auoide vaineglorie and how to get glorie to God by casting about to make others to praise God in thy graces and to loue and feare him for the same then is that cogitation kindled by Gods Spirite quench it not but cherish it If thy affections be longing and desiring to bring the same to passe which thy minde by Gods Spirite hath deuised then is that a holy affection of God quench it not but maintaine it reioyce in God for it But if one the contrarie thy mind be deuising what to do and what to say and how to bring things to passe to please men and not God and to win credit and estimation amongst men Gods glory being cast behind thy backe know that those thoughts and affections are fierie darts of Sathans kindling quench them and cherish them not take heede of them in time In taking this
or cease to be God The Prince promiseth to pardon a traytour and he keepeth promise with him this is of the Princes goodnesse and not of the traytors desert We are all traytors to God he hath promised vppon our true repentance to pardon vs it is of his goodnesse to make vs such a promise and not of our desert childish therfore are the Papists who whensoeuer they reade of a reward comming from God do straite way dreame of some desert or merite to proceede from man and fetch the same Againe in that it pleaseth God so liberally and aboundantly to reward the poore trauels and endeuours of his children and so gloriously to crowne his owne gifts in them when notwithstanding they are so stained and abused as they are let no man maruell thercat for that is done according to the worthinesse of his Maiesty and the greatnesse of his owne honour and not according to the basenesse of our persons This did Alexander the great consider when a poore souldier came vnto him to begge a reward for his seruice that he had done What wouldest thou haue quoth he A hundreth crownes quoth the souldier Well quoth the King though that be too much for thee to aske and more then thou deseruest yet is too little for me to giue that am thy Emperour so we according to the basenesse of our mindes and cogitations would begge of God worldly preferment and credit in the world gold and siluer house and land honour and worship Well content thy selfe saith our Soueraigne and heauenly father that is too much for thee to aske and too litle for me to giue being Lord of heauen and earth I will giue thee that that is fit for thee here and a kingdome hereafter if thou serue me in sinceritie and truth of hart respecting more my glorie then thy owne glorie or thy life either For it standeth not with the honour of Gods Maiesty to recompence trauels of his seruants with trifles God dealeth with his children that are most sincere harted in this world as great men deale with their children in their minoritie whom they intend to make their heires they put them to schoole and giue them correction and allow them from hand to mouth and abridge them of their libertie and keepe them in awe but when their fathers are dead and they come to mens estate they are then rewarded with no lesse then all their fathers lands which if they should haue had before they would haue spent riotously and wantonly so God keepeth his children here in this world vnder schooling and nurturing them correcting and crossing them and giueth them their stint and allowance of wealth of health of credit of friends c. But when they come to a perfectage and are perfect men growne in Christ which will not be vntill after tearme of this life then loe they are made fellow heires of the kingdome of heauen with the Lord Iesus himselfe blessed be his name for euer Now by this time my good brethren you haue I hope well considered of the matter and will not denie but that the reward of sinceritie is a great reward like vnto him that giueth it a fathers reward yea a heauenly fathers reward and a heauenly reward Consider well you whose hearts yet long for the vaine praise and estimation of men like sucking weanlings that cry still after the breast can the world affoord you any such reward Can your father and mother can your friends an kindred can Kings Princes can al the world Let vs see sincerity is rewarded with sound comfort as Christ sayd to the sicke man Sonne be of good comfort You that desire to be seene of men you desire sound comfort can the world giue it you when God denieth it you Or can the world take it from you if God doth giue it you Sinceritie is rewarded with courage in prayer and boldnesse before Gods throne of grace You that desire to be seene of men desire also to stand boldly before the face of God but consider can all the commendations of the world giue you that boldnesse and courage when God doth denie it you or can al the condemnations and euill speeches of the world take it from you if God doth giue it you Sincerity preuaileth with God You that desire to be seene of men you desire also to preuaile with God but consider well can all the praises of men make you preuaile with God if God himselfe doth not like you or can all the world by disgracing of sincere harted Christians hinder their suite in the Lords Court if God doth like of them Sincerity is rewarded with a cōtinual feast of the loue of God of ioy in the holy Ghost of peace of conscience◠of the merits of Christ. About whose dwelling places God hath charged his owne gard of Angels to pitch their tents that the man of earth may not make them affraid nor the sonne of violence do them any harme You that desire to be seene of men you commend this feast you also desire to be at such a feast but consider well can all the men Princes in the world make you such a feast when God will make you fast or can all the world cause you to fast or to want when the Lord hath prouided you such a feast Sincerity shall be rewarded with a crowne of glorie and inheritance immortall the kingdome of heauen for our heauenly father giueth heauenly rewards and infinite like himselfe Now you that desire to be seene of men desire also such a reward as the sonnes of Zebedeus did desire each of them a place in the kingdome of heauen but consider well when you haue won the commendations of all men yet cannot all the men in the world giue you that reward for Christ sayd it was not his to giue if not his to giue as he was man then much lesse is it the worlds to giue vnto men neither can all the world with the helpe of all the diuels in hell take it from you nor molest you in it when God hath giuen it vnto you But least any man should yet stand in doubt of that I say let witnesses be examined let their records be searched aske Enoch he walked with God that is he had his conuersation as in the sight of God his care and study was to please God and not men and he was translated from men vnto God Aske Ioseph thy heart was vpright toward thy maister as in the sight of God insomuch that thy maister tooke no account of thee for anything neither didst thou care for the loue of thy light mistresse but in the feare of God didst chuse rather to please him then hir It is true saith Ioseph neither did I loose any thing by my vprightnesse and sincerity for though I was a while in trouble and disgrace for it yet the Lord that gaue me the gift of sinceritie he tooke my part caused me to be set at liberty and
brought me with my great credit her great shame to high preferment and now am I free from all troubles and liue like a king in heauen as sometime I was a ruler in Aegypt Aske Dauid and he will tell thee that when he could say vnto God With my whole heart I haue sought thee then could he most boldly call vpon God and say Let me not wander from thy commandements Aske Saint Paule and he will tell thee that he would not presume to craue for the prayers of the Church but when he could also certifie them that he had a good conscience in all things and desired to liue honestly Againe Paule speaking of himselfe and his fellow labourers saith thus We are not as many which make marchandize of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we speake in Christ. We walke not in craftinesse neither handle we the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approoue our selues to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God And what hast thou gotten Paule for thy labour In how many dangers hast thou bene both by sea and by land By thy owne confession thou hast bene whipped and beaten with roddes cast into prison stoned and laied for dead hunted from one place to another and at the last lost thy head hadst not thou beene better to haue pleased thy honest neighbours by preaching Christ after their fashion No no sayth Paule neuer tell me of these matters I was crucified to the world and the world to me that is I cared no more for the world then the world did for me the power of God did appeare in my weaknesses when I was in prison I was at liberty when I went from the whip to the dungeon I sung Psalmes yea all this was an honour vnto me that I was not worthie of From all my daungers the Lord deliuered me And where I lost my life there I found it againe euen euerlasting life In a word I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith For henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing Aske King Hezechiah what was most comfortable to him in his sicknesse when he looked for nothing but death Oh sayth he I payed and sayd I beseech thee ô Lord remember how that I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is a sound and vpright heart without dissembling and haue done that which is good in thy sight to shew that when all faile yet sincerity and truth of heart shall comfort vs like a good keeper and kind nurse at the houre of death Now then what remaineth for this point but that we gather vp the summe of all that hath bene sayd of it and make the conclusion and that is this Seeing that sinceritie shall be rewarded by our heauenly father both in this life with sound comfort in time of trouble with courage and boldnesse in time of prayer with the prayers of the Saints in time of neede with a continuall feast in the time of affliction with heauenly consolation in the time of death and in the world to come with the kingdome of heauen let euery man confesse that the reward of sincerity is a great reward And seeing as it is so great for quantitie and so good for qualitie that all the world cannot affoord so much as a shadow thereof nor tell how to commend it let euery one of vs be more moued therey to embrace sinceritie and to seeke praise at Gods hand rather then all the vaine praises of the world And seeing as sinceritie is of all vertues the chiefest and that which graceth all our vertues before God and man let vs aboue all looke in all our affaires that nothing be done without it Lastly seeing as both Enoch and Ioseph and Dauid and Hezechiah and Paule besides many else haue giuen such testimonie thereof let no man doubt to beleeue nor feare to follow it for out of all doubt those that are approued in Gods sight shall be well rewarded of their heauenly father And so much for the reward of sinceritie THE IIII. SERMON MATH 6.2 As hypocrites do in the Synagogues and streetes to be seene of men WE haue heard heretofore the excellent nature and heauenly reward of sinceritie now brethren that we may be as much out of loue with hypocrisie as we are in loue I hope with sinceritie let vs see the nature and reward of hypocrisie because contraries being layed together do the better appeare And first of the nature of of hypocrisie vpon these wordes as the hypocrites do c. Of the second branch when we come to the next words Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward At this time onely of these wordes as hypocrites do wherein our Sauior Christ doth giue vs to vnderstand two things First that whosoeuer professeth a shew of that which he is not is an hypocrite secondly that the doings of hypocrites are to be made knowne that euery one seeing the hypocrite laid out in his colours with his reward that belongeth to him may take heede that he play not the hypocrite or if he hath played that part to be ashamed thereof and repent and follow the Lord euer after in sinceritie and truth of heart Now seeing as our Sauiour Christ would haue hypocrites knowne by their doings I will endeuour my selfe at this time by Gods helpe to vncase the hypocrite who hath plaid his part so long so impudently and so vncontrolledly carying away all the credit of the world euen to the vndermining of the house of God endangering the whole estate of Christian Religion And call this Sermon if you list the vncasing of the hypocrite for I will if God will do my best endeuour to vncase him Wherein perhaps I shall not behaue my selfe so handsomly and finely to please all parties as some could do but yet I hope both soundly and plainly I shall go to worke You know brethren that plaine dealing is my profession though it be counted a iewell for beggers flattery and curiositie and hypocrisie I leaue to them that will dye rich men and therefore I speed accordingly and I must needes confesse that I am wellinough serued to be so well belaboured as I am with the strife of tongues Well if I could handle this matter more learnedly then I can yet I would of purpose deceiue all such itching eares as come rather to haue their humours fed then their liues reformed A peece of worke both thanklesse and dangerous yea a most vnpleasant argument haue I taken in hand especially as the case standeth now when most men come to catch and to cauill and quot homines tot sententiae euery mans head swarming with as many odde
the word of God a painefull searcher of the Scripture a seuere reprouer of sinne and a strict man in his life and conuersation what is their verdict of such a one Forsooth such a one is an hypocrite a Puritane a Precisian oh fie vppon him none are worse then these professours a busie fellow I warrant you a dangerous man an enemy to the state c. But if a man will serue the time and play the pot companion and become an vnthrift a gamster a tauerne hunter or a whore hunter and blaspheme the sacred name of God at euery word and scoffe handsomely at religion then their verdict is this and their bolt is leuelled in this manner Such a man is euen the honestest man that liueth a notable good fellow and no mans foe but his owne A preposterous iudgement they giue on both sides like the Barbarians with whom Paule was either a murtherer or a God But now heare the iudgement of the word concerning these swift iudges their crooked measures Wo be vnto them saith the Prophet Esai that speake good of euill and euill of good which call light darkenesse and darkenesse light sower sweete and sweete sower He that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the innocent euen both these are abhomination vnto the Lord saith Salomon And in another place He that sayth to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude shall abhor him All which places do teach vs two things First that it is lawfull for a man to iudge betweene a godly man and a wicked but then we must beware how we iudge that we condemne not or commend not one for another Secondly that those which rashly and vnaduisedly iudge of men at their owne pleasure are the worst men that liue Let vs learne then to iudge the Lords iudgements It is an easie way that Christ hath taught The tree is knowne by his fruites He that cannot iudge of meate by his taste is sicke So they that cannot iudge of sinne for want of spirituall taste are verie dangerously sicke When God hath set vp a torch and lighted it at noone day and yet we blindfold our selues and will not see it is vnthankfulnesse most peeuish and intollerable which calleth for a most seuere iudgement euen depriuation ipso facto of all spirituall vnderstanding and to be giuen vp of God vnto a reprobate sence But here now groweth a question whether may we iudge of reprobates vnreuealed or no Verily that is a matter that belongeth not to vs but to the high Iudge of heauen and earth Neither doth it follow that because I see such a one is a wicked man therefore such a one is a reprobate and a damned wretch God forbid we should reason so for though I see now what he is yet what he shall be hereafter I know not neither do I know what God hath decreed of him from euerlasting A Iurie of twelue sworne men do find being led thereunto by their euidence that such a one is a theefe and guilty of felonie but further they cannot go to say for certaine that such a one shall dye for it they cannot for the booke may saue him or the Iudge may repriue him or the Prince may pardon him for any thing that they know So a Christian by the euidence that Gods word giueth may find such and such to be guiltie of wickednesse and for the time may by his fruits pronounce that he standeth in the state of reprobation so long as he so continueth but that he shall dye in that case is more then he knoweth for the booke of God may be a meane of his conuersion and God the iudge of quicke and dead may repriue him to a further time of repentance and in the end God for his mercies sake in Iesus Christ may pardon him all his sinnes and so receiue him to mercy but this is more then any man can assure himselfe of if he continueth in his wickednesse therefore let no man presume to be a wicked man still in hope of mercy for he may so deceiue himselfe The Church perceiued that Iulianus the Apostata or backesliding Emperour had sinned against the holy Ghost and therefore was a reprobate that way whereupon they made a decree that all the Church should pray against him Paule by a speciall spirite of discerning discerned of Alexander the Copper-smith to be a reprobate and so did our Sauiour Christ discerne of Iudas to be a diuell incarnate and so a reprobate but these are no presidents nor warrants for priuate persons to hold by while they giue finall sentence vpon any And so much shall suffice for the second point where we see how farre we may safely go in the iudging of other men by the description of Belial and how farre not and now let vs come to the third circumstance and see what we may learne from the coherence or ioyning of this text with the rest of the Chapter In this Chapter Salomon maketh a diuision of sinnes and dealeth against diuerse kindes of sinne as namely against rashnesse and vaine-glorie in suretiship but not against suretiship it selfe as more at large I haue shewed in my Caueat for sureties and then he taxeth those that liue idlely for want of a lawfull calling and negligently in their calling and vnprofitably both as before I haue declared according to my poore measure in my Rowsing of the sluggard the greatest enemy I confesse one of them that euer I had to deale withall in my selfe And these sinnes he prosecuteth vnto the 12. verse From those he ariseth and encountreth with greater and grosser sinnes both of men and women vnto the ende of the Chapter from whence we may note that the fanne that God sifteth sinne withall shall find out all and is like the net that bringeth all to the shore Some thinke to go away with their sinnes as many theeues do with their pilfers and not to be espied but it cannot be for if Gods word may haue free passage it will find them out How fondly then do they deceiue themselues which will haue the word to be sincerely deliuered and throughly applied and yet thinke that they should be exempted from the censure and reproofe of the word and not be touched Of such we reade in the Gospell and namely of a certaine Lawyer who hearing our Sauior Christ inueying against some great fault amongst that profession steppeth vp and bestirreth himselfe as a fish that felt himselfe masked in the net and sayth Maister in so saying thou puttest vs to rebuke also Where we see that there are some sinnes that can be contented to sit stil see their fellows arrested but being attached themselues they storme and startle at the very sight of the officer yea at the very glimering of the light when it commeth to them supposing themselues to be priuiledged by reason that they belong some to Princes
and the paines that follow sinfull pleasures and then let our soules be fed and nourished with the sweet foode of the heauenly word of God And then feare not for as Abraham found a sacrifice where he looked for none euen so if we be as readie to sacrifice our sinnes as he was to sacrifice his sonne at Gods bidding we shall find new comforts and pleasures where we looked for none And as Sampson first slue the lion and afterward found a sweet hony combe in the dead lions belly so if we wil arme our selues to slay our sinnes which like ramping lions do meete vs in the way we shall by the power of Gods spirit ouercome them and after that find a most sweet hony comb of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus by whom we haue ouercome sinne and Sathan to our euerlasting peace and consolation He that can truely say with Dauid vnto God Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell shall follow with Dauid and say assuredly Afterward thou wilt receiue me to glorie And he that is not come to that point is as yet at a miserable passe for the Lord in the first of Prouer. sheweth that because he hath called to the foolish to make them vnderstand his words and they haue refused to be instructed or to be guided by his counsell he will laugh at their destruction and mocke when their feare cometh vpon them yea when their feare shall come vpon them like desolation and their destruction like a whirle wind When affliction and anguish shall come vpon them then shall they call vpon the Lord and he will not heare them they shall seeke him early but they shall not find him Thus saith the holy Ghost they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way and be filled with their owne deuises To which the Apostle agreeth and telleth the men of Belial that as they regard not to know God euen so God wil deliuer thē vp to a reprobate mind to do things that are not conuenient And moreouer saith Christ Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me A fearefull thing therfore the children of God pray heartily Thy will be done in earth ô heauenly Father as it is in heauen and with the Church in the Psalme Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the praise fighting continually against their affections because they fight against their soules And as the oxe is not readie to worke vntill he be vnder the yoke so Gods children thinke not themselues readie to serue God vntill they haue put on the yoke of Christ and then they say as Dauid said I am readie ô Lord to do thy will And this shall be a singular comfort vnto vs at the houre of death to remember that we haue striuen against our affections and earnestly laboured and prayed to obey God which the man of Belial or lawlesse dissolute person neuer did And so much of the wicked mans first name The second tearme or name that is here giuen to the wicked man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish auén vir nihili saith Tremelius that is a man of no worth Auen signifieth both iniquitie and vanitie therfore the house of idols is called Beth-auen because idols are vaine things and idolaters are vaine wicked persons therefore lawlesse loose men are called Ishim auen because such are both vaine and wicked yea more full of vanitie and iniquitie First they are vnprofitable pursuing as it were the wind and the smoke secondly they are practisers of mischiefe and wrong This is profanenesse from which the Apostle dehorteth vs in the twelfth to the Hebrewes and 16. verse where Esau is propounded as a most liuely image of such prophane persons as preferre earth before heauen the world before the word gold before godlinesse the bodie before the soule and the shadow before the bodie as Esau did a messe of pottage before his birthright and as the Israelites preferred onions before Manna and as the Iewes did Barrabas before Christ. Such were they that said in Ier. 43. It was well with vs when we made cakes for the Queene of heauen as many say now adaies It was neuer merry world since we had so much preaching it was a good world when we could go to the Abbeys and other religious houses and haue our bellies full of good cheare for nothing Ieremie is a babler said they and preaching is babling say these But what were they and these too Surely but Ishimauen prophane persons This vaine profanenesse and prophane vanitie is called finenesse of wit now adaies whereby many prophane and vaine persons get their liuing which is nothing else but plaine and lewd shifting This is a matter that men make no reckening of but such a one is viler then the earth Yet the custome of the wicked is to commend such saying such a one is a good honest man and doth no bodie any harme which is vntrue For Ish-auen the vaine man is also a wicked man that is hurtful vnto others And if it were granted that he did no man harme yet is he no good man but a prophane beast and most wicked to Godward An honest man they say he is but of what religion is he what religious exercise doth he frequent How doth he serue God with his familie what striuing hath he against his imperfections When doth he enter into priuate prayer for strength against his speciall sinnes and temptations What care hath he to bring vp his children in the feare of God He may be an honest man and yet a prophane man for honestie is two fold ciuill and religious Some are ciuill honest men and not religious some are religious honest men and scarce ciuill some are neither ciuill nor religious and some are both ciuill and religious Examples we haue in the Scriptures of all these The Barbarians in Miletum were ciuill honest men whose ciuill courtesie and courteous ciuility appeared in that kind entertainment which they gaue and that abundance of necessaries which they ministred vnto Paul and his weather beaten company But religious honest men they were not that is to say such as giue God his due for they had not so much as the knowledge of the true God amongst them as doth appeare by those extremities that they ran into at the sight of Paul For one while they rashly iudged him to be a murderer and that was when the Viper leaped vpon his hand another while they did superstitiously suppose him to be a God and that was when he shooke off the Viper and had no harme In the first of Kings the 14. chapter and thirteenth verse it is said of Abijah the sonne of Ieroboam that when he dyed all Israel mourned for him because there was found in him some goodnesse toward the Lord God of Israel that is he was a man carefull to giue
will not come yet saith the wicked to himselfe I may liue and repent when I am old or when I lie a dying Indeed so the wicked mockers and deriders of Gods iudgements vse to speak as S. Peter sheweth Where is the promise of his comming all things continue still at one stay but the Lord is not slacke saith the Apostle as men count slacknesse when the sinne is full ripe then wil the Lord cut it downe yea and such wretched speeches and vngodly conceipts of the Lords long suffering do ripen the sinne of the wicked blasphemer and hasten the comming of the Lords hand vpon them as a blow to a sicke man doth increase his paine and also hasten his death Indeede the wicked do promise vnto themselues a long time but God sayth they shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal. 55.23 That is not halfe the time that they haue appointed or that they dreame of for when they shall say to themselues Soule be at rest thou hast goods inough for many yeares the Lord shall deny it and say Thou foole this night shall thy soule be fetched away from thee c. Luke 12.19.20 And in the booke of Iob it is said by Zophar one of Iobs friends that the reioycing of the wicked is short and the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen and his head reach vnto the clondes yet shall he perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say Where is he He shall flie away as a dreame and they shall not find him and shall passe away as a vision of the night so that the eye that had seene him shal do so no more and his place shall see him no more A destruction shall come speedily so also shall it come suddenly when the wicked looke not for it The fall of the house vpon the Philistins was sodem to them when they looked not for it The fall of fire vpon the Sodomites was sodaine to them when they looked not for it Death came sodeinly vpon Ananias and his wife euen when they lied to the holy Ghost and looked not for it Did Zimri and Cozbi look to haue bene pierced through with Phineas his speare when they played the open naughtie-packes together Or did Corah Dathan and Abiram looke for the opening of the earth vnder them when they were swallowed vp for their rebellion against Moses Aaron Or did Ieroboam looke for a leporous hand when he put it forth against the Prophet of God Or did Sisera looke for death when Iael tooke him napping and knocked a naile into his head All these are gone before vs and crie vnto vs that we must be alwayes in a readines because the Lord wil strike down his trees no man can tel when and they that are not readie for the Lord wheÌ„ his axe cometh shal be cut down and cast into the fire This is Christs caueat Be ye ready for ye know not when the houre is how we shal be made ready he sheweth when he saith Take heâ—d watch pray lest that day come vpoÌ„ you vnawares to teach vs that if we be careles look not for Gods visitatioÌ„ it wil take vs vnprouided This circumstance of sodainnesse or iudgement vnexpected doth make the destruction of the wicked the more fearefull Do not men start and feare when of a sodaine they meete with their friends as oftentimes we do in the darke or at short turnings and sometimes haue them ouertake vs and speake sodainely vnto vs doth it not amaze vs insomuch as many will say You made me start my hart doth yet shake in my bodie my haire began to stand right vp on my head much more are men amazed when their enemies sodainly set vpon them but most of all when some officer commeth sodainly vpon them from the Magistrate if their cause be not the better But oh what vnspeakeable feare and horrible amazednesse of thoughts and senses wil there be vnto the wicked when the Lords hand shall on a sodaine be layd vpon them they not once dreaming of any such matter as it fell out with Balthashar King of Babylon when in the middest of his cups and meriments he saw a hand writing vpon the wall against him But may we conclude of euery one that is sodainly taken away that he died a wicked man in the number of such as this text speaketh of Surely no such kind of reasoning is not good the argument followeth not God wil destroy suddenly the wicked men of Belial that is before they look for any such thing ergo whosoeuer dieth suddeÌ„ly is a maÌ„ of Belial it followeth not for many times God taketh away his children on a sodain in the accouÌ„t of the world but not before they be ready for him therfore though they be sodainly affrighted yea and smitten down yet they recouer againe by Christ in them for it is not possible for any to perish that is in Christ or hath Christ the Sauior in him but of the wicked it is said they shall neuer recouer themselues againe The conuersation of the godly being in heauen as S. Paul sheweth they do stil waite and looke for the comming of the Lord Iesus from thence therfore the comming of Christ is not sodaine vnto them but to the wicked and reprobates which will take no warning but still put off the euil day saying as it is in Esai Though a plague come it shal not come at vs all is sodaine to them and not so sadaine as fearefull Lots wife was suddenly taken yet who shall conclude that she is damned seeing as God exempted her from those that should perish but rather let vs think that she was made a piller of salt to season vs withall Enoch was translated Elias was taken vp by a whirlewind into heauen and yet here was no sodaine comming vnto them The Prophet was deuoured of a Lion by the way as he returned because he had made a stay contrarie to Gods commaundement and yet is he called the man of God and might be saued There were eighteene persons at one time sodainly slaine with the fall of a tower in Silo yet Chrisâ— saith they were not greater sinners then they which escaped One reason of Gods sodaine comming vpon his children to their feare and astonishments is to shew the wicked what they for certain may look for for If iudgement beginneth at the house of God saith Peter where shall the sinners vngodly stand 1. Pet. 4.17 And if they do thus vnto the green tree saith Christ what shal be done to the dry tree But Salomon hath well decided this controuersie in his book of the Preacher By no outward thing saith he can a man know loue or hatred speaking of the loue and hatred of God for all things come alike to all and the
same condition is to the iust and to the wicked 12. Neither doth man know his time but as the fishes which are taken in an euill net and as the birdes so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falleth vpon them suddenly Yet this difference remaineth between the wicked and the godly whensoeuer wheresoeuer or howsoeuer they be suddenly taken to the godly death is a vantage to the wicked it is a losse for then the one changeth his hellish earth for heauen and the other then changeth his earthly heauen for hel and therefore of the godly sort it is said commonly that they sleepe when they die as Christ sayd of Lazarus he is not dead but sleepeth but of the other it is said that they perish and are destroyed The one shall recouer the other shall neuer recouer Without recouerie desperate is that disease that will neuer be recouered fearefull indeed is that estate which is alwaies feareful The wicked man dreameth of long life and repentance at the last gaspe but what promise hath he of repentance at that time if he despise the long suffering of God al his life long and neglect or abuse the meanes of repentance or what charter hath he of his life one houre longer then he doth now liue God may and will no doubt haue mercy vpon whom he will but yet that he will haue mercie vpon thee that goest on stil in thy wickednesse without any feare of wandring or any desire of returning is more then thou knowest He that doth so is threatned with the contrarie for custome of sin saith S. Paul breedeth impenitencie and impenitencie maintaineth custome in sin and both do heape vp wrath against the day of wrath and the reuelation of the iust iudgement of God Why did not Cain and Iudas and Elymas and Ananias and Saul and Esau diuers others repent that they might haue bene saued If it had bene in their power when they had listed as miserable Papistes dreame doubtlesse they would haue repented for they were as vnwilling no doubt to be damned in hell as any other but wicked Balaam knew and confessed that the end and death of the righteous is so blessed that it is to be wished of all men No no for the most part it falleth out otherwise then men looke for in stead of repenting and confessing their sinnes they lie rauing and cursing and blaspheming and talking leudly of their wickednes lying like blockes and dying like beasts that so Gods prouerbe here may be verified vpon them he is destroyed suddenly without recouerie And howsoeuer it be that God is good to Israel and mercifull to those that call vpon his name in truth of heart and faith in Christ which feare his name and keepe his couenant which are displeased with themselues and breake off their wickednes by righteousnesse as it is in Daniel yet is he most wise and seuere against the obstinate and lawles against their faces he hath set his bow and prepared his instruments of warre vpon their heads will he raine fire and brimstone and stormes and tempests and snares this shall be their portion to drinke yea and as Iob saith When wickednesse is sweete in his mouth and lie hidden vnder his tongue when he sauoured it and will not forsake it but keepe it close in his mouth then his meate in his bowels shall be turned the gall of Aspes shall be in the middest of him he hath deuoured substance and he shall vomit it out for God shall draw it out of his belly He shall sucke the gall of aspes the vipers tongue shall slay him he shall not see the riuers nor the flouds and streames of hony and butter he shall restore the labour and shall deuoure no more for he hath vndone many he hath forsaken the poore and destroyed houses that he builded not Surely he shall feele no quietnesse in his bodie there shall be none of his meate left therefore shall none hope for his goods In abundance he shall be filled with paine and the hands of all the wicked shall be against him when he is about to fill his belly God shall raine vpon him his meat in his fierce wrath He shal flie from the iron weapons and the bow ef steele shall strike him through The arrow shall be drawne out of his body it shall shine of his gall and so shall feare come vpon him All darknenesse shall be in all his secret places the fire that is not kindled shal deuoure him that which remaineth in his tabernacle shal be destroyed The heauen shall declare his wickednes and the earth shal rise vp against him the increase also of his house shal go away it shal flee away in the day of the Lords wrath Lo this is the portion of the wicked man from God and the heritage of God for his words If then this be the portion of the wicked man from God what reason haue the wicked to hope for saluation and not to feare destruction how can he imagine that he should recouer when the hand of the Lords wrath shall thus cast him downe if not in this life then not at all For from hell there is no redemption meaning for those that are there And as the tree falleth saith the Preacher so shall it lie therefore both falsly and wickedly do the Papists talke of helping and releeuing mens soules by their Dirges and Masses and Mattens and I wot not what else after their departure out of this life Falsly I say because they crosse the course of the Scripture in broching such an errour and wickedly because by such kind of vaine and false hope they do strengthen the hands of the wicked that they care not for repenting in this life neither do they regard the iudgements of the Lord when they are threatned because they hope to be releeued and released for their money when they are dead Therfore is that fire which shal deuoure the wicked called vnquenchable which it were not if dirges and other popish dirt or any thing else in the world could quench it Some kind of fire is quenched with water some with vineger and some with milk but nothing wil quench Topheth which is prepared of old saith the Prophet euen for the King the Lord hath made it large and wide the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it And if his wrath be once kindled yea but a little happy are they that kissed the Sonne of God before he was angrie and blessed are all they that put their trust in him for as by faith in his bloud they quench the firie darts of Sathan here so by the same faith shall they and do they quench those firie flames of hell which shall burne torment the wicked and vnbeleeuers for euermore Therefore if any here are or haue bene such as haue bene described by
CapernauÌ„ was lifted vp to heaueÌ„ but they should be a cast downe to hell Secondly seeing that the life of the wicked in regard of their wickednes is so base and miserable and their end so wretched and fearefull let vs not desire to liue their life in regard of their pleasure but let vs chose rather to suffer affliction with the godly for righteousnesse sake as Moses did assuring our selues that as God doth lift the wicked vp to cast them down and to make them haue the sorer fall so doth the Lord cast his children downe to lift them vp againe This point is confirmed by our Sauior Christ in Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne now for they shal be comforted and this vfe are we taught to make of the wicked mans end Psal. 37.21.22 where Dauid confesseth that before he knew the end of the wicked which he learned in the house of God his heart was vexed at their prosperitie but when he saw whereunto they were going and what was their end then he saith that he in desiring their estate shewed himselfe both foolish ignorant and beastly before the Lord. Thirdly seeing as these outward things are common both to good and bad this should teach vs to suspend our rash iudgement of the godly that are vnder the hand of God because we know not for a certaintie whether he be so afflicted for his wickednesse or for some other cause as the blind man in the Gospell by the testimonie of Christ was blind neither for his own sin nor for the sinne of his parents but for the glorie of God And this vse are we taught in Mat. 7.1 Iudge not lest ye be iudged that is iudge not rashly And blessed is he saith the Psalmist that considereth wisely of the poore needie the Lord shall deliuer him in time of his distresse Fourthly seeing as God doth plague the wicked for our warning and as it were hang them vp in chaines before the world let vs feare at Gods iudgements vpon wicked men and not ioyne our felues vnto them least we be partakers of their iudgements like those that were ioyned in the conspiracie of Corah c. Num. 16.26 nor stand and gaze or wonder at them as the maner is but learne by their examples to auoide their wayes least we not repenting do also perish Fiftly and lastly seeing as this fearefull vengeance commeth vpon the wicked in this life for sin whensoeuer we feel the hand of God vpon vs let vs examine our selues for our sins which are the cause thereof and not do as the wicked who neuer looke into that cause but into secondarie and outward causes like the dog who biteth the stone but looketh not vnto the hand that cast it And as we dayly fall so let vs pray dayly and hourely for the renuing grace of Gods Spirit that we may rise againe and recouer our selues by true repentance and liuely faith in Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all glorie and praise for euer Amen FINIS Faults escaped in the printing PAge 5. line 35. for commeth reade commendeth p. 10. l. 37. monet r. mouet p. 11. l. 17 two r. too p. 14. l. 5. lothsome r. toothsome p. 36. l 33. gaue r. giue p. 49. l. 1. censurers r. censures p. 55. l. 10. ias r. iah l. 18. r. Pashur l. 19 r. Naomi p. 68. l. 19. r. this is not well p. 89. l. 36. r. buried p. 92. l. 30 r sinners p. 94. l. 1. r. attaine p 96. l. 11. blot out Mo maruell though p. 98. l. 19. r. God will be more mercifull p. 154 l. 16. swimming r. â—inning p. 156 l. 27. we r. were p. 163. l. 15. not r. but. p. 170. l. 24. r. do shew vs how to reforme c. p. 191 l. 32. cannot r. can p. 206. l. 36. is r. in p. 225. l. 1 r. we haue heard to what ends c. Ibid. l. 7. blot out at all p. 233. l. 3. Apostle r Prophet p. 243. l. 32. r. Nehustan p. 248. l. 32. out r. vp p. 250. l. 40. r. vpon p. 253. l. 13. r. into l. 33. r. so to be clothed Mat. 5.16 2. Cor. 8. 2. Cor. 8.1 2. Pro. 27.17 Ioh. 1.43 Psal. 116 10. Pro. 16.2 2. Cor 9.7 2. Cor. 12.7 Psal. 115. 1. Thes. 5.22 1. Sa. 15.21 Gen. 3.10 Ioh. 12.5.6 2. Sam. 15.7 1. Kin. 1.39 2. Ki. 11.14 1. Cor. 14.8 Mar. 6.3 Iud. 9.15 2. Point Mar. 13. Mat. 26. Eccles. 9. Luke 8. 1. Cor. 11. Heb. 2.12 Luke 12.1 Mar. 13. Mat. 24. Gen. 32.10 Luke 1.46 Psal. 41. Psal. 19.11 Deut. 6.5 Psal. 103. 1. King 3.6 Iob. 14. Ioh. 6.60 Iob. 4.10 Psal. 21.4 1. Kin. 3.13 Cant. 5.10 2. Sa. 13.18 19. Pro. 15.15 Psal. 51. 1. King 10. Gen. 5.24 Psal. 119.10 Heb. 13.18 2. Cor. 2.17 Chap. 4.2 2. Tim. 4.7.8 Esa. 38.3 2. Cor. 6.8 Gal. 4.6 Cal. Har. Iam. 1.27 Mat. 23.13 Verse 14. Verse 15. Verse 16. Verse 17. Verse 23. Act. 5. Ier. 43. Act. 5. Schismatiks 2. Chron. 36.15.16.17 Iosh. 14. Verse 25. 27. 28. Cal Hâ—â— Euang Mat. 23. Iudg. 18. Verse 33. Verse 34.37 2 Chron. 24.22 2. King 8.12.13 Math. 7. Math. 22. Obiect Answer Mat. 5. Ier. 20. Eze. 33. Act. 16. Mat. 22. Mat. 18.6 1. Cor. 3. Mat. 8.22 1. The. 5.12.13 Priuate hypocrites Pro. 7. Iob. 1.1 Obiection Answer Pro. 22.1 1. Tim. 6.9 2. Cor. 9.2 Pro. 23.5 Iob. 12.3 Mar. 143. Luk. 10.34 Pro. 15.30 Aug. de bono viduita Iob. 12.3 Mat. 9.26 Heb. 11.39 Luk 6. Mat. 5. 1 Pet. 4.4 Pro. 28.3 Hest. 4 16. The deceiptfulnes of worldly praise Of the breuity of praise The vnprofitablenesse of worldly praise Mat. 16.26 The danger or it Pro. 17.4 1. King 22. Act. 12. The miserie of the hypocrite Gen. 31.40 Gen. 31.5 Gen. 11. 2. Sam. 1.15 2. Sam. 10. 2. Sam. 10. 2. Sa. 17. â—3 2. Cor. 6. Simile A double feare when the wicked commend the godly Mat. 22.18 Act. 16.18 Psal. 69.22 1. Tim. 4.8 The godly shall haue praise and renowne in this life 1. Sam. 2.30 2. Cor. 8.18 1. Pet. 2.19 Phil. 4.8 Mat. 26.13 1. Sam. 2.30 1. Kin. 3.12.13 Psal. 115.1 Math. 25. Pro. 10.7 Pro. 13.9 Simile Simile Their iudgemeÌ„t Mat. 24.51 The vse of the former doctrine 1. It sheweth the sottish vanitie of men that seeke after praise of the world Building Apparell Dainty fare Great gifts Play The hypocrite is more to be pitied for his misery then the beast Mat. 25. Psal. 56. Psal. 95. Hab. 1.16 Luke 18.11.12 1. Cor. 7.30.31 2. Cor. 6.9.10 Gal. 5.17 Esa. 64.6 Ioh. â—6 29 Philip. 1.29 Philip. 1.9 Philip. 1.11 Ioel. 2. Psal. 51. 1. Cor. 4.7 Nâ—h 13.22 Luk. 17.10 Exod. 3.5 Eccl. 4.17 Exod. 35. Ioh. 12.3 Mar. 12.42 Neh. 13. 2. Sa. 23.16 1. Sam. 25. Act. 5. Ioh. 12.4 Pro. 26.13 Cant. 5. Abusers of these words Psal. 139. Psal. 94. Ier. 17.10 Num. 23. Eccles. 11.1 Luk. 14.13.14 Mat. 25.24