Sathan the Christian as he will not speake filthie language so he will not heare it As he will not murther with his hands so stops his eares from hearing of bloud Esa. 33. and as hee will not slander with his tongue so will hee not receiue in his eares a false report when another hath made it Psal. 15. For I pray you what difference is there betweene the willing reporter and receiuer of a false tale but that where the one carryeth Sathan in his tongue the other carryes Sathan in his eare The forger of falshood is the striker of Sathans coine the willing hearer is Sathans resetter and hee that after hearing reports it for a truth which he knowes not to be true is Sathans ventor this man turnes his eares into his eyes while as that which he hath heard hee giueth out for as vndoubted a truth as if he had seene it Therefore is it that as the mouth tastes the meat and lets none goe downe to the stomack vnlesse it be approued so the eare of the godly tastes words and lets none goe downe to the soule which is not from God And herein the Christian takes not so much heed to the speaker as to that which is spoken were the person neuer so honourable yea like an angell of God the heart that feares God receiues not his speech without examination so Mary discussed in her minde the words of the Angell and thought with herselfe What manner of salutation may this be And if otherwise for outward estate the person were neuer so contemptible yet if he speake the words of God he is reuerenced of the Christian for euen the feet of him that brings the glad tidings of peace are beautifull to him No man despiseth good corne because he finds it in a contemptible sack nor reiects precious pearles because they are in earthen vessels far lesse will the Christian refuse the message of grace because it is brought by a base messenger As the eare was the first port by which the Seducer entring in brought death to the soule so is it the first by which our Sauiour enters and restoreth life vnto it Hearing must goe before seeing wee must sit downe and reuerently heare the Lord on earth that wee may ascend and ioyfully see the Lord in heauen then shall wee sing that song As we haue heard so haue we seene in the citie of our God but if wee will not heare the Lord speaking in his word on earth we shall neuer see the Lord shewing his ioyfull face in heauen The Lord Iesus accounts our voyce sweet to him delights to heare it My Doue let me heare thy voyce for it is sweet Cant. 2. 14. And shall not we esteeme his voyce sweet vnto vs and delight to heare it Certainely if wee delight not in his word whereby hee speakes to vs hee shall take no pleasure in our prayers whereby wee speake vnto him For hee that turnes away his eare from hearing of the Law his Prayer shall be abhominable Yet it is not inough to heare Our Sauiour also warnes vs to take heede how wee heare Some heare malitiously such as come to trap the Preacher as the Pharisees often heard Christ that they might snare him This now is a common sinne that men resorts to preaching as if they come to amend the Preacher and not to amend themselues Others heare for curiositie seeking rather tidings of occurrents among men then the glad tidings of peace sent from God these are like vnto Herod who hauing our Sauiour Christ present before him sought a miracle to feede his curiositie but sought not grace whereby hee might be saued Some againe are not so euill disposed as any of the former two yet they heare vnpofitably for the present they are somwhat moued but carry nothing away whereby they may be mended these goe out of the Church as the vncleane beasts went out of the Arke that is they go out vncleane as they came in vncleane The Apostle compares them to vessels that runne out or to the sieue â—…ribrum which as long as it is in the water is full but if you take it vp no water remaines in it something they haue while they heare but so soone as they goe out it goes from them the remedie of this euill were to lay vp the word in our heart as Mary did The last sort of euill hearers are they who heare the word remember it and can report much of it to others but not as of a thing that concerneth their life and therefore while they speake of it to others they forget to doe it God hath placed in the body the eare the tongue and the hand not far asunder to teach vs that what wee heare with our eare and professe with our mouth we should practise with our hand The Censure And of this also it is euident that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER III. Of his Eyes The Lords Command THe eyes of a foole are in the corners of the world Prou. 17. 24. but the wise mans eyes are in his head Eccles. 2. 14. Cast not thine eyes vpon that which is nothing Pro. 23. 5. For all that is in the world as the lust of the slesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but of the world Ioh. 2. 16. As the graue and destruction can neuer be satisfied Pro. 27. 20. so the eyes of man are not satisfied with seeing Eccles. 1. 18. Let not therefore thine eyes and heart be for couetousnesse Ierem. 22. 17. neither full of adulterie Iude. 7. Haughtie eyes the Lord abhorreth Pro. 6. 17. and the high looke of the proud shall be humbled Esa. 2. 11. The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley pick it out and the young Eagles eate it Pro. 30. 17. Cast away therefore the abhomination of thine eyes Ezech. 20. 7. Let not my word depart from thine eyes but obserue wisedome and counsell Prou. 3. 21. that thine eyes may behold the right and thine eye-lids direct thy way before thee Prou. 4. 25. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command BE mercifull to mee O Lord and blesse mee cause thy face to shine vpon mee that I may know thy way vpon earth Let mee not be like the wicked who haue not the feare of God before their eyes But as thou hast made both the eares to heare and the eyes to see so I pray thee good Lord to teach me thy feare Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanitie and let not mine heart walk after mine eye except when I looke to my Maister and when mine eyes are toward the holy One of Israel that so I may be deliuered from euery euill worke and preserued to
in time he repent and turne from his euill wayes And wonderfull it is how this shall conuince the wicked man in the houre of death when their conscience shall stand vp before the supreame Iudge and testifie against him in this manner O Lord I haue giuen this man according as thou deputed me warning euery day for his sinnes and hath terrified him for them but hee would not receiue my correction Oh that impenitent men could consider how this despising of Conscience shall be a great augmentation of their iudgement But on the other part to the children of God Conscience of his speciall mercy is giuen for these two vses first it is as a Paedagoge appointed by God to guide his children in the right way Secondly when they goe wrong it is a diuine warner within them which suffers them neyther to eate nor sleepe long in rest till they returne to the Lord by repentance for as Peter was wakened by the crowing of the Cock and made to weepe bitterly for his sinnes so is the crowing and accusing voyce of Conscience to the godly Thus we see how it is a great benefit to Gods children to haue a liuing feeling and wakeing Conscience for eyther it keepes them that they do not euill or that they continue not in it as we may see in Dauid whose Conscience was more troubled for cutting the lap of Sauls garment then Saul was for cutting off the liues of fourescore seruants of the Lord. Wheras on the contrary the Lord in his anger suffers Sathan so to benumbe the conscience of the wicked as if they were burnt with an hot yron whereof it comes to passe that being past feeling they commit iniquitie with greedines Surely a good conscience is mans paradice vpon earth therefore Salomon called it a continuall feast it is the fruit of righteousnesse and euer bringeth out peace and ioy in these three stands the beginning of eternall life But as Sathan enuyed Adam dwelling in his Paradice so doth he enuy euery Christian that dwels in the Paradice of a good Conscience and therefore doth what he can to entise him to sinne that so he may driue him out of it for which cause we haue neede by daily repentance to take away the euill wee haue done and by godly circumspection to eschew his snares in time to come The Censure But now the small regard which is made of a good Conscience proues that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christians name CHAPTER V. Of his Affections And first Of his Loue. The Lords Command LOue ye the Lord al his Saints Psal. 31. 23. for they who loue him shall he as the Sun when he riseth in his might Iudg. 5. 31. If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration yea excommunicated to the death 1. Cor. 16. 22. Loue not the world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him 1. Iohn 2. 15. Hee that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruit thereof Eccles. 5. 9. but keepe you your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Iude. 21. A new commandement also I giue vnto you that you loue one another Iohn 13. 34 yea that you serue one another by Loue Gal. 3. and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which you are called in one body and be ye amiable Colos. 3. 15 He that loueth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of euill in him 1. Iohn 2. 10. but hee that loueth not knoweth not God for God is Loue 1. Iohn 4. 7. and Loue commeth of God Euery one that loues is borne of God 1. Iohn 4. 7. therefore loue one another without faining with a pure heart and feruently 1. Pet. 1. 22. that your loue may be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. not in word nor in tongue onely but in very deed and in truth 1. Iohn 3. 18. Moreouer loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that persecute you for if ye loue them that loue you what reward shall yee haue doe not the Publicanes the same Mat. 5. 44. Finally let all your things be done in Loue. 1. Cor. 16. 14. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord I know that though I speake with the tongue of Angels if I haue not loue I am but as a sounding brasse or tinckling Cymball and though I had the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had no loue I were nothing therefore guide thou mine heart in thy Loue Encrease me also and make me to abound in Loue towards all men Another O God of all patience and consolation grant vnto vs that wee may be all alike minded one toward another according to Christ that with one minde and with one mouth wee may praise thee endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace and so our Loue may yet more and more abound in all knowledge and in all iudgement to the glory of thy name through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command I Loue thee dearly O Lord my God Psal. 18. 1. the desire of my soule is to thy name to the remembrance of thee whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none on earth with thee Psal. 73. 25. Surely as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God Psal. 42. 1. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Psal. 143. 6. and waites on thee more then the morning watch waites for the morning Psal. 130. 6. Yea it fainteth O Lord for thy saluation Psal. 119. 81. And as for the Lord Iesus Christ albeit as yet I haue not seene him yet I loue him and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. And as for thy Law except it had beene my delight I should now haue perished in my affliction Psal. 119. 92. for thy promises are sweeter then hony to my mouth Psal. 119. 103. and I loue thy Commandements aboue gold Psal. 119. 127. O how loue I thy Law it is my meditation continually Psal. 119. 97. yea for the loue I beare to thy Law I loue the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honor dwelleth Psal. 26. 8. and I desire nothing more then this one that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy temple Psal. 27. 4. for thy Tabernacles are amiable to mee blessed are they who dwell in thy
beleeues in me should not abide in darkenesse vers 46. While therefore ye haue the light walke in the light that ye may be the children of light Ioh. 12. 36. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this command LOrd remoue from me that curse that in seeing I should not see and in hearing I should not vnderstand quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth Specially worke faith in my heart for it is thy gift I beleeue O Lord but help thou my vnbeleefe Increase my faith that mine eyes may be opened to see the wonders of thy law Speake to the heart of thy seruant that I may get cares to heare what thy Spirit saith that I may tast how gracious thou art that I may smell the sauour of life in thy Gospel and may so touch thee that in beleeuing I may get life through thy holy name and may so bee ioyned with thee that I may become one spirit with thee through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for euer The Christians Practise of this command I Was borne of my naturall mother deafe dumbe and blind but now the Lord hath opened mine eares Esa. 50. 5. so that I discerne the voyce of my shepheard and will not heare the voyce of a stranger Ioh. 10. 5. for the Lord hath giuen vnto me eares to heare what the spirit saith Reuel 2. he hath also annoynted mine eyes with eye-salue Reu. 3. 18. I looke not on things which are seene but on things which are not seene 2. Cor. 4. 18. And haue attained to some in-sight of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints Eph. 1. Yea with open face I behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord 2. Cor. 3. 18. I haue smelled the sweet sauour of his garments Psal. 45. 8. and of his oyntments for which I loue him Cant. 1. 2. I haue tasted how gracious the Lord is Psal. 34. 8. his word is sweeter to my mouth then the hony or the hony combe Psal. 119. And I haue touched my Lord and his vertue hath staied the filthy issue of my sinne Luk. 8. 44. THE OBSERVATIONS THe Naturall man liues not till fourtie and fiue daies after his conception be expired but the Christian begins to liue as soone as he is conceiued The principall effects of life are Sense and Motion and the more excellent the life is the Sense and Motion is In the Naturall man Motion goes before Sense at least before the vse of the Senses but in the Christian Sense goes before Motion For it is the new Sense which causes the heart to moue and stirre in a new manner Therefore is it that first wee will speake of the Christians Senses and then of his motion or disposition Naturall parents often times bring out their children either dead or wanting some Sense or mutilate of some member but in the new generation it is not so for the Lord begets no dead no senselesse no imperfect children but liuing indued with all their Senses and perfect in regard of the number of their parts The first Sense by regeneration restored to the Children of God is the Sense of Hearing As the eare was the first port by which death was conuayed to the soule so is it the first by which life enters into it Euah by hearing what the Serpent said was brought to a delectation in sinne and the Christian by hearing what the Spirit saith is brought to a contrary hatred of sinne The Spirit of God opens our eares before he open our eyes if we refuse to heare the Lord wee shall neuer see him Auditus est gradus ad visum Hearing is a step to Seeing As Adam after his Apostacie heard the Lord when he cried to him but saw him not so is it with all his children we may liue in the body and heare him but no man can liue and see him It is the order appointed by God that wee should heare him before we come to see him Auditus aspectum restituet we lost our sight by transgression of Gods word we get it againe by obedient hearing thereof Sanet itaqúe auditus oculum qui turbatus est vt serenus vi leat quem turbatus non potuit Let vs therefore by hearing learne how to cure our eye that the eye being made cleare may see the Lord whom it cannot see so long as it is troubled then shall wee sing As we haue heard so haue wee seene in the citie of the Lord of Hoasts Oh what a fearefull sentence they seale against themselues who delight not to heare the word of the Lord Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing of the Law euen his prayer shall be abhominable for if on earth they get not accesse to God when they pray to him how shall they in heauen get accesse to see him A iust punishment of mans rebellion if hee will not heare when God speakes God shall not heare when he prayes and shall neuer admit him to see his face in heauen But the eares required in the Christian are internall by which he may heare what the spirit saith Of these speakes our Sauiour He that hath eares let him heare All that heard him saith Augustine had eares and yet few of them had eares Omnes habebant aures audiendi paâ—…ci aures obediendi Eares to heare but not eares to obey like those of Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth and of Dauid I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speake peace to his people and Saints that they turne not againe to follie And they who haue receiued these eares doe heare in such sort that they are sanctified by hearing according to that of our blessed Sauiour Now are ye cleane through the word which I haue spoken to you But alas how great is the number of them who after so long a hearing of the Gospel doe still retaine the filthinesse of their old sinnes they are hearers onely and not doers of the word deceiuing themselues for either else when they heare the word they vnderstand it not or if they vnderstand it they are not moued with it or if they be mooued they are not mended by it their motion beeing but like that of Foelix and their repentance like vnto the morning dew but few they are whose ears God hath opened by the grace of Regeneration The second Sense we receiue in the Regeneration is the Sense of Seeing Sathan promised to our parents that if they would eat of the forbidden tree they should become like God in knowledge but like a false deceiuer as he is hee made them like vnto himselfe for the knowledge of good which they had by creation instantly they lost it by their transgression and
learned by experience that euill which before they knew not for their eies were opened to see their nakednesse and they were ashamed of it The eye of the body was made to behold the light that by it wee might see the rest of the creatures and in them the goodnesse of the Creator but if the eye be hurt and wounded non solum auertit se a luce sed etiam poenalis illi sit lux It doth not onely turne away from beholding the light but the light also which otherwise is delightfull becomes painefull to it Sic oculus cordis perturbatus sauciatus auertit se à iustitiae lumine nec audet eam contemplari nec valet So the eye of the soule being hurt and troubled turnes it selfe away from the light of righteousnesse neither dare it neither can it behold it An example whereof we may see in our first father Adam who reioyced at the presence of God so long as he kept a good conscience but from the time the eye of his soule was wounded with transgression he ran away from God hee could not see the Lord as he was woont to doe but was afraid to heare him So cursed and consuming a canker is sin that it changes our sweetest comforts and makes them becom bitter terrors vnto vs. But this sight which wee lost by the sinne of Adam is restored againe vnto vs by the grace of Christ who annoynts our eyes with eye salue by which we are made to see and discerne things that are excellent in a word he indues vs with the gift of faith by which we haue fellowship with God so that we dare in assurance draw neere the throne of his grace Now the eyes of Christs spouse are two by the one we know our miserie which causeth vs denie our selues by the other we know his mercies which causeth vs to runne vnto him Apostate Adam before his restitution by grace had his eyes opened to know his miserie for the knowledge of that good which hee had in the estate of innocencie made him incontinent sensible of that euill into which he had fallen by his Apostacie But now man cannot know his miserie till by the grace of Regeneration his eyes be opened for till that be he knowes no other estate but the estate of sinne wherein hee was conceiued borne and brought vp and which in his darkened cogitation hee esteemes to be good enough vntill such time he be translated into a better Sight once receiued should be diligently conserued for as the eye of the body is very tender and easily offended for which cause God hath guarded it with liddes which close and open most speedily at the pleasure of man so is it with the eye of the mind and therefore the good that may preserue it should be much esteemed and the euill that may hurt it carefully eschewed Three things are required for the help of those spirituall eyes by which the Lord is seene first that wee haue another light beside the light of our owne vnderstanding for sicut Sol sine Sole non videtur ita nec Deus sine deo videri potest as the eye albeit it were neuer so cleare yet can it not see without the light of the sunne so our vnderstanding though it were neuer so quicke cannot attaine to know the Lord vnlesse that he by his owne light reueale himselfe vnto vs in his word And therefore is it that the most wise Naturalists being destitute of this light had their foolish hearts ful of darkenes and became vaine in their owne imaginations The second thing required is that we haue some conformitie with God in holinesse for as no member in the body can perceiue the light of the sunne but the eye by reason of a similitude which is betweene them both of them being appointed vessels and organes of light the one in the great the other in the little world so can no man see the Lord except in some measure he be like him Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see him but without peace and sanctification no man can see the Lord. The third thing required is attention for euen as a tumbling and rowling eye seeth not those things which are before it so a wandring mind not stablished by consideration and diuine contemplation cannot see the Lord. The bodily sight is two manner of waies offended either by exterior dust cast into it or by interior humors stopping the opticke nerues within so Sathan either casteth into our eyes the dongue of the world to blind vs by it or then by our owne grosse and carnall affections stops the conduits of our sight that wee should not see the Lord and therefore both the one and the other should carefully be eschewed If the eye be once offended with the smallest mote we delay not to remedie it but doe implore the help of such as are neerest vs to take it out Since by nature we are so carefull to keep the eye by which we see the sunne how carefull should we be to conserue the eye by which we see him who made the sunne The third Sense restored in the Regeneration is Smelling All the garments of our Bridegroome smell of Myrrhe and Cassia but the virgins onely feele the sauour of his oyntments for which they runne after him they smell in the Gospel the sauour of life and therefore as the Eagle smelling the carrion a farre off resorts vnto it so the Christian senting liuely in the word of Christ Iesus slees speedily after him ascending after him in his affection there where hee is to wit at the right hand of God in heauen But miserable are the wicked for they sauour onely those things which are after the flesh like those vncleane beasts in the Law which creep with all their foure vpon earth senting nothing but dongue the puddle being more pleasant to such filthy swine then the pearle Woe be to them for euen in the Gospel of grace they smell no other thing but the sauour of death The fourth is the Sense of Tasting by which the Christian so tastes the sweetnesse of Gods mercy the sauing grace of Christ in the Gospell that it descends into his bowels to nourish him and make him grow in godlinesse where as the wicked if at any time they taste thereof yet they neuer digest it the corruption of their nature being so strong in them that it suffocates and choakes the seede of the word so that it profits them not to saluation And the last is the sense of touching which in effect is done by beleeuing for tangere Christum est credere in Christum like as the rest of the senses are comprised in faith that iustifies a supernaturall gift which Adam in his innocencie had not but in Christ is giuen vs a most ample gift for it not onely makes
thee hearken to the prayer of thy seruant who desireth to feare thee Giue me good Lord that holy feare of thy Name which thou hast commanded that I may not erre from thy wayes nor harden my heart from thy feare for I know that great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee Lord therefore knit mine heart vnto thee that I may feare thy Name and may receiue grace to serue thee so that I may please thee with reuerence and feare through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command VVHo would not feare thee O King of the nations for to thee appertaines dominion Iere. 10. 7. Surely I tremble for feare of thee and am afraid of thy iudgements Psal. 119. 120. My whole conuersation hath beene in weakenesse feare and much trembling 1. Cor. 2. 3. I haue had fightings without and terrours within 2. Cor. 7. 5. Yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life Psal. 61. yet will I not feare what Flesh can doe vnto mee Psal. 56. 4. nor be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Psal. 3. 6. Neyther will I be afraid of euill tidings because mine heart is fixed and beleeues in the Lord Psal. 112. 7. hee is mine hope and strength in trouble ready to be found therefore I will not feare though the earth be moued and the mountaines cast into the sea Psal. 46. 1. Yea though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I feare none euill for the Lord is with me his staffe and his rod they comfort me Psal. 23. THE OBSERVATIONS FEare among the rest of our Affections is also disordered by Nature so farre that now wee feare where there is no cause and do not feare where we haue cause to feare Naturally men are more afraid of Sathans shadow then of Sathan himselfe his apparition without terrifieth men but the power of his kingdome commanding their affections within is not feared It is now the matter of mans feare which should be the matter of his ioy Adam in his innocencie placed not his ioy in the creatures which were vnder him and gaue him obedience but in the Lord who was aboue him and with whom hee had his familiar conuersation but now after his apostacie it is become far otherwise the Lord is become a feare and terror vnto man who before his fall was his principall ioy And where it shall be our ioy in heauen to see that glory of Christ which hee had with his Father from the beginning wonderfull it is that those three Disciples who were pillars of the Church should haue beene confounded and afraid at the onely representation of that glory which was made to them on mount Tabor so vnmeet are wee now to haue fellowship with God by reason of our sinnes that as I said the matter of our ioy is become the matter of our feare Yea so farre are wee now fallen away from a similitude with our God that wee are afraid at the sight of one of those holy Angels that minister vnto him Nay if a man like our selues in regard of our bodies should come from him illuminate with his brightnesse we might not abide him no more then Israel could abide the shining face of Moses when he came down from the Lord but ranne away from him therefore doth Basile call our corrupted feare a certaine ebrietie which makes vs be strange with our friends and start at shadowes that is to say feare where no cause of feare is We are therefore to consider how in the regeneration this affection is renewed and rightly ordered and how in holy Scripture there is a feare commanded and commended which we must embrace another forbidden and condemned which wee must eschew Feare renewed in our regeneration is the daughter of Faith the sister of Loue the mother of Humilitie and Obedience Therefore Moses Deut. 10. 12. ioynes these three together that to feare the Lord to loue him and to serue him is all that God requires of Israell The obiects of godly feare in the man regenerate are either in God in our selues or in the creature without vs. The obiects of our feare in God are first his iudgements secondly his mercies For first we are taught to feare him as our iudge then to feare him as our Father For the holy Spirit in the work of our regeneration keeps this order first he rebukes vs for sin terrifies vs with the iudgements of God due to them and then comforts vs with the sense of his mercie in Christ. This feare of Gods iudgements primus est incipientium gradus it is the first steppe of them who are beginning to learne godlinesse If thou hast not yet learned to loue God deerely yet it is a good beginning if thou feare him If thou loue not the pleasures of Paradice yet be afraide of the torments of Gehenna Sicut enim aqua extinguit ignem c. For as water quencheth the fire so this feare queneth the heat of sinne And this feare of iudgement in the Christian begets at length a feare of God for his mercies therefore Basile called it a Paedagogue that instructs the man to godlinesse Timor transit in Charitatem said Gregorie Vincat itaque in te pius timor erit amor let therefore godly feare ouercome in thee and at length there shall be loue feare shall not abide in thee but as a Master shall lead thee vnto loue Therefore said I that the second obiect of our feare in God is his mercy according to that in the Psalmist Mercy is with thee that thou maist be feared And this reconciles that apparant discord between the Psalmist and the Apostle The feare of the Lord is cleane and endures for euer saith Dauid Perfect loue casts out feare saith Saint Iohn If feare be cast out how doth it endure but the answere is that feare whereby we feare the iudgements of God and is as I said in the godly an introduction to the loue of God shall be cast out when our loue is perfected but that feare whereby wee feare him for his mercies and reuerence him as our Father shall endure for euer In heauen wee shall haue no feare of Gehenna wee shall be so filled with his Loue yea euen on earth the more wee grow in the loue of God the lesse feare of his iudgements is in vs Maior est peregrinantium timor minor propinquantium nullus peruenientium The obiects of Feare in our selues are our sinnes which wee haue done and our infirmities by which wee are ready and prone to sinne againe This feare ariseth in the godly from the feare of God for his mercies for the sweeter and more desired his mercies are vnto vs the more fearefull vnto vs are
Manna wherewith God fed Israel in the wildernesse called Angels food surely not because the Angels did eyther make or eate it but were onely the stewards of God to conuay it to his people Thus are we taught that it is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue if eyther we will follow the Lord or his most excellent creatures in heauen and earth But strange it is to see how many wretched worldlings there are like vnto Nabal monsters of the earth liuing so in it as if their mouthes were wide enough for all Gods creatures and whatsoeuer were giuen them were giuen them for themselues onely Or like that cursed gulfe in the salt and dead sea which swalloweth vp the whole riuer of Iordan into her bosome and is neither her selfe bettered thereby neyther yet sends out any part thereof againe to the good of others such cursed creatures are they who receiue good things from God in great abundance and are neyther changed by them in themselues neyther yet will suffer any of those goods to flow from them to the benefit of others their barraine hearts hauing caused to them withered hands which are able to giue nothing Or if at any time they giue it is as if their right hand should giue vnto their left that is they giue to their owne onely Or as if the Cloudes being full of raine and standing ouer some thirstie ground should be carryed away by the winde to disburthen her treasures of water in the Sea so doe they while all they giue is bestowed on such as haue more then themselues and that vnder hope of a greater benefit to returne to themselues againe To moue vs therefore to the performance of this christian dutie wee will shortly consider the losse that comes by neglect thereof and the great vantage by the faithfull discharge of it The losse is euident if wee will keepe that which God bids vs giue be sure wee shall lose it As Manna gathered more then God commanded turned into wormes so riches kept more then God allowes becommeth vnprofitable to the possessor Yea where men will not pay to God that dutie for their goods which hee requires it is a righteous thing with him to send his officers to punish them such as the Caterpiller the Canker-worme and the Grashopper Many haue cast their wares vnprofitably into the Sea with the marriners of Ionas ship which they would not profitably bestow vpon the land and by pestilence many haue beene compelled to cast out the prouision which they had gathered for their owne mouthes to the vse of others for whom it neuer came into their mindes to prouide it The gaine againe wee get by giuing is euident out of that place Psal. 112. Hee that distributeth and giueth to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer if wee compare that which wee giue vnto others with that which remaineth to our selues that which wee giue is a perishing thing but that which remaineth is induring And this shall yet appeare more clearely if we consider the example of Elijah and the widdow of Sarepta the Lord â—…ed his Prophet sometime by Angels sometime by Rauens and so hee might haue done still all the time of the famine but it pleased him to change his steward and to send him to the widdow of Sarepta not so much that Elijah should be nourished by the widdow whom before without her hee had nourished as that the widdowes portion might be blessed by Elijah Thus is it true that the giuer of almes if hee giue it rightly gets more then he giues as Abraham and Lot gaue perishing meate but receiued immortall Angels Plus pauper tibi confert quam à te accipit the poor giues thee more then hee gets from thee said Ambrose Si nudum vestias teipsum induis iustitia if thou clothe the poore thou dost clothe thy selfe with righteousnesse Si peregrinum sub tectum inducis ille acquiret tibi sanctorum amicitias aeterna tabernacula if thou bringest the stranger vnder thy roofe hee shall purchase to thee the friendship of the Saints and eternall tabernacles Therefore S. Paul when he was going to Ierusalem to relieue the necessitie of the Saints there with a contribution from the Churches of Grecia besought them to pray for him that his seruice at Ierusalem might be accepted What is this he commeth to giue almes and yet prayeth that his gift may be accepted Surely because the seruice by which we minister to Gods Saints brings more good to vs then any thing wee giue is able to doe vnto them vtilior est eleemosyna danti quà m illi cui datur The Censure But now the hands of many which are eyther stained with idlenesse or blotted with bribery bloud tricks of deceit and all sorts of vncleannesse proues that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER VII Of his Feete The Lords Command GOD pondereth all the pathes of men Prou. 5. 21. therefore ponder thou also all the pathes of thine owne feet and let all thy wayes be ordered aright turne not to the right hand nor to the left but remoue thy foot from euill Prou. 4. 26. Make straight steps to your feet least that which is halting be turned out of the way Heb. 12. 13. Refrâ—…ne thy feete from the path of the wicked Prou. 1. 15. and keepe the way of the righteous Prou. 2. 20. The path of the righteous is to decline from euill and hee keepeth his soule that keepeth his way Prou. 16. 17. But aboue all take heed to thy soote when thou entrest into the house of God Eccles. 4. 17. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord thou who keepest the feete of thy Saints and hast prepared an holy way by which they who are polluted cannot passe I beseech thee to make thy way plaine before my face that my feet slide not from thy pathes Direct my wayes to keepe thy statutes and guide my feet in the way of peace to the glory of thy name through Iesus Christ Amen Another I Know O Lord that the way of man is not in himselfe neyther is it in man to walke and direct his steps Therefore I pray thee send out thy light and thy truth let them lead mee and bring me to thine holy mountaine and to thy tabernable that so my goings being ordered by thee my steps may be directed in thy word and iniquitie haue neuer dominion ouer mee for Iesus Christs sake Amen The Christians Practise of this Command MY feet haue followed thy steps I haue kept thy way and haue not declined Iob. 23. 11. my feete haue not made haste to deceit Iob. 31. 5. and I will still refraine them from euery euill way that I may keepe thy word Psal. 119. 101. for thy word is a lantherne to to my feet and a