can take any delight in them further than hee looketh to the end and is refreshed with comfortable effects in the way Thirdly no man can desire the holy knowledge of God with truth and feruencie vnlesse he haue had some taste of the fruit of it and he that hath tasted of the fruit hath profited by the means and he that hath profited by the meanes will loue them euer afterwards They that finde the comfort of life haue formerly felt the benefit of food and they that are desirous to continue their life are not vnwilling to receiue their foode and they that hunger after foode for the continuance of life haue also an appetite to it in regard of the relish Vse 1 Refutation of their boastings that goe before all in speaking of their desire and forwardnes to please God and be saued and come behinde euery one in shewing any good notes of it They make their mouthes and not their hearts the principall seate of their loue and likewise their words and not their deedes their onely arguments doe proue that they doe loue It is very burdenous for them to liue constantly vnder a faithfull Ministerie Euerie godly sermon is tedious vnto them for length if it bee not ended within the houre for the manner if it sauour not of humane wit and eloquence for the matter if it be wholesome and liuely and come home to the rebuking of any sinne which they are not minded to forsake And yet they would haue vs all to know that none are better friends than they to knowledge And yet they must giue vs leaue againe to tell them that euery friend of knowledge is better affected than they are to instruction Consolation to them that thinke it no paines to be painfull in labouring for the bread of life They feele not they say the loue of the word of God the desire of faith and care of repentance c. But from whence proceedeth that is it not hence that they are greedie and couetous of getting abundance of loue and desire and therefore they thinke that which they haue to bee nothing in comparison of that which they would haue But these men must be well confuted their troubles their attention their meditations their paines their reading their questions their conference their ioy in Christian companie their diligence in all good exercises with willingnes doth manifestly shew the error of their doubts and feares But may not an hypocrite do all these things and yet haue no touch in him But may an hypocrite doe all these things in good earnest with resistance of hypocrisie May an hypocrite continue an hypocrite and yet bewaile his want of sinceritie in the presence of God alone with promise and purpose to performe euery seruice more sincerely if possibly by any meanes he may be able It was an argument wherewith Dauid confirmed his owne heart in assurance that he truly loued the Lord and vnfainedly sought his owne saluation because he loued the law of the Lord meditated in his word and kept his precepts And Iob taketh it for a sure effect of his vprightnes that he had not departed from the commandements of Gods lips but esteemed the words of his mouth more than his appointed foode Doct. Is brutish c. They that will not be schooled of God to learne Christian knowledge are no better than if they had no manner of knowledge They are not all children that hate this kinde of correction they are not all naturals they are not all idiots but they are all starke fooles Then many haue been fooles and yet learned Philosophers and many haue been fooles and yet deep Politicians and many haue bin fooles and yet euery way worldly wise men This doth God charge vpon the multitude the greater number of a whole people They are a nation voide of Deut. 32. 28. 29. counsell neither is there any vnderstanding in them Oh that they were wise then they would vnderstand this they would consider their latter end Yea the wittiest of them are so reputed in the prophecie of Ieremy My people is foolish they haue not knowne me Ierem. 4. 22. they are foolish children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Reasons 1 First their carnall wisedome is altogether vnsufficient to make them seruiceable to God or any thing which they doe to be acceptable vnto him and it standeth them in no steed for their credit For those which bee vile in his eyes shall in time be base in the sight of men and the punishment of their follie in the end shall make it appeare they were fooles all the time before Of this point speaketh the Prophet The wise men are ashamed they are afraide and taken loe they haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Ierem. 8. 9. Secondly their carnall wisedome can neither preserue them from death nor prepare them to die blessedly It cannot stay their life from going neither can it stop the curse from comming Thirdly it cannot deliuer them from damnation in the world to come but rather increase the grieuousnes of their punishment It hath kept possession against this holy vnderstanding it hath made them vncapable of all good instructions it hath made them impatient of any rebuke it hath held them in ignorance and disobedience al their life and see what their ignorance will bring them vnto after their death The Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring 2. Thess 1. 8. vengeance to them that know not God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Now lay all these things together and see wherein any man is bettered by any knowledge or wisedome which is ioyned with contempt of grace Doth hee thinke to please God the better the more is he offended Doth he hope to winne credit by it it will bring him to shame Would he haue it to keepe him from troubles it will draw him into them His death is made the more vncomfortable and bitter and his destruction following much more horrible and fearfull Vse Admonition to take heed that we conforme not our opinions to the iudgement of the world for that is directly contrarie to the testimonie of God Carnall reason and sturdie affections and vnbrideled tongues say that they are fooles which will digest reproofes and checks and suffer themselues to be censured but the heauenly wisedome and diuine trueth the sacred scriptures say that they are wise which hearken to the rebukes of Gods holy word and fooles as bad as beasts that despise them Ob. But men will laugh at our simplicitie if wee sit downe by such indignities Resp But God will laugh at our miseries if we quarrell with admonitions and counsels when hee vouchsafeth them vnto Prou. 1. 26. vs. Verse 2. A good man getteth fauour of the Lord but a man of wicked imaginations will he condemne A
case is their owne they prepare for themselues whatsoeuer they impose vpon others The burdens which they lay vpon their neighbours shoulders must be transferred to their owne backes the bread of affliction which they prouide for their brethren in time will turne to their owne foode the little-ease and dungeon wherein they shut vp the innocent must in time be made their owne habitation Terror to vngodly persons in regard of their dangerous condition Onely troubles they flie from fearing them more then anie manner of sinne and therfore account the life of afflicted Christians to be most miserable and trouble is that which flieth as fast after them to make a pray of them which also will make their state ten thousand times worse than any Christians can be And if it so come to passe in this life as many times it doth that the godly are lifted vp to prosperitie and the vngodly into grieuous aduersitie what a change will there be and contrarietie of their estates in the life to come Which appeareth in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus Here the rich man receiued his pleasure and Lazarus paine but there is Lazarus in heauen and the Luk. 16. rich man in hell Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome and the rich man in the flames of fire Lazarus is comforted and the rich man tormented The best man in his best state here on earth hath not a full inlargement but onely inioyeth libertie of the prison and the worst man in his worst state is not yet come to execution but onely sitteth in the stockes But the most perfect and absolute difference and change will be at the day of the Lord Iesus when soule and bodie of the saints shall bee filled with glory and immortalitie and soule and bodie of sinfull creatures shall be ouerwhelmed with shame and perpetuall contempt And herewith the Apostle comforteth the poore persecuted Thessalonians It is a righteous thing with God saith he to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus Christ shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels c. 2. Thess 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Consolation to poore helpelesse persons if they bee also harmeles that can find no friends which wil or can procure them deliuerance out of troubles Few good are to bee found that take to heart the sufferings of poore innocents and few of those that take them to heart are able to preuaile any thing for them But are there no wicked which may be heard of Haue they no enemies which doe molest them Alas there be too many of these euery where the world swarmeth with them Then be of good comfort you must come forth that they may come in the place must be yeelded vp to the right owners Cannot ye get a release freely will not intreatie worke your libertie A price then shall be giuen a ransome shall be payd for it and you shall be discharged For such a promise we haue from God in this booke the wicked shall bee a ransome for the iust and the transgressour for the Prou. 21. 18. righteous Verse 9. A hypocrite with his mouth corrupteth his neighbour but the righteous shall be deliuered by knowledge DIssemblers and such as make a shew of godlines but denie the power thereof are commonly most hurtfull seducers corrupting mens hearts with hurtfull speeches either deprauing that which is good or iustifying that which is euill and so they infect their mindes with erronious opinions and stirre vp their hearts to sinfull lusts and peruert their waies with vngodly behauiour But now to preuent the feares of the good that they also are like to be drawne into mischiefe because there are so many hypocrites and to take away the cloakes and shifts from the wicked which lay all the blame of their sinnes on others which mislead them he sheweth the meanes whereby this hurt may bee auoyded and that is by getting knowledge and being righteous Doct. 1 Vngodly men are neuer more mischieuous then when they put on the vizzard of godlines Though this may be proued by manifold testimonies as well out of the old testament as the new yet we will rather exemplifie it by the experience of the times then by allegations of scriptures Through all the bookes before Christ the false prophets are almost euery where complained of In the time of our Sauiour the Priests Scribes and Pharisies of all others were his bitterest enemies The Apostles found none so dangerous as false Apostles and such as tooke vpon them to bee professours and preachers Paul Peter Iude and Iohn are most ample in giuing admonitions to beware of them Euer since that time there haue been springs streames flouds and seas of superstition idolatrie violence and all abomination in the kingdome of Antichrist and all vnder pretence of the Churches authority zeale deuotion and good intendment Reasons First such are very forward and busie in this seruice of Sathan for diligent they are not to be esteemed vnlesse they were better exercised and therefore the more hurt and mischiefe they doe That Ieremy obserued in the wicked deceiuers of his age that they Ierem. 9. 5. taught their tongues to speake lies and tooke great paines to doe wickedly And that our Sauiour repooued in the cursed Scribes and Pharisies of his age that they compassed sea and land to make one Matth. 23. 15. of their profession and when hee was made they made him twofold more the child of hell then themselues Secondly they are very deceitfull and cunning and therefore the scriptures compare them to craftie gamesters and fowlers which catch more birds artificially by lime-twigs grinnes and nettes then they kill violently by throwing stones at them Of these guilefull persons the Apostle speaketh saying such false Apostles are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the 2. Cor. 11. 13. Apostles of Christ And no marueile for Satan is transformed into an Angell of light Therefore it is no great thing though his ministers transforme themselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnesse They are the more venemous by how much they are lesse mistrusted for the opinion that is had of them for pietie and goodnesse doth prepare a passage for their poison to enter into the bowels of mens soules When they are are reputed for godly religious wise and iudicious all is receiued which they set abroach all is disliked which they set against It is an easie matter for a man to lose his purse when hee followeth the robber as guide of his way It is an easie matter for a man to lose his life when he maketh a poysoner and his enemie to be his Physition Vse 1 Instruction to be very wary that their pestilent breath infect not our hearts to keepe our eares from hearkening to our perswasions as much as we would refraine from one that had the plague sore vpon him When Woolues will put on Sheepe
for redresse of wrongs at his hands Herod thought that it would be too late for all the friends which Peter had to minister helpe vnto him when hee had clapt him vp in so sure a prison But hee remembred not how swift the godly be to prayer and how soone a prayer can come to God and in what readines God hath his Angels and what speede an Angell can make to succour them that are in danger Yet this is not the greatest comfort of Gods afflicted seruants but this that the Lord Iesus Christ is infinitely more righteous and mercifull than any man or all men possiblie can be and he will vndertake their cause and either minister help to their state or grace to their soules to beare their troubles till the fittest time of freedome from them He will preserue them from sinne and Satan which lie in waite for their eternall destruction The spirit of God is large in one of the Psalmes in setting foorth the tender care which he hath of his people He shall deliuer the poore when he crieth the needie also and him that hath no helpe He shall be mercifull to the poore and needie and shall preserue the soules of the poore He shall redeeme their soules from deceit and violence and deare shall their blood be in his sight Psal 72. 12. 13. 14. Verse 7. God ouerthroweth the wicked and they are not but the house of the righteous shall stand VVHen the state of the vngodly which are not Gods chosen changeth from prosperitie to aduersitie it seldome staieth till they be vtterly destroyed both themselues their houses This word are not signifieth a slaughter and killing as it is spoken of the murdering of the infants by Herod Mat. 2. 18. Ier. 31. 15. But here is more vnderstood than the losse of naturall life and that is the perdition of soule and bodie And yet not the extinction of either for the soule shall neuer vanish away nor the bodie for euer they shall not finde so much mercie at Gods hands Their being shall not cease but their comfortable and well being They shall be euerlasting euerlastinglie to beare the burden of Gods wrath and to suffer the vnsufferable torment of death and damnation But the house of the righteous that is he and those things which appertaine vnto him shall bee preserued from being ouerthrowne to ruine Doct. They that will not keepe themselues from wickednesie cannot keepe themselues from desolation They may rise but not stand for vnlesse they fall to repentance they shall be made to fall to destruction They may grow great but for a small time for they will soone bee brought to nothing The prophet thought too well of their state at the first as though they had bin in better case then any other men but he conceiued as hardly of it at the last when he had seene their end in the sanctuarie and deemed them of all to bee most miserable Surelie saith he to the Lord thou hast set them in slipperie places and castest Psal 73. 18. 19 them downe into desolation How suddenlie are they destroyed perished and horriblie consumed The Scriptures flow with testimonies and similies to declare both the certaintie and suddennesse and grieuousnesse of their decay as the withering of plants the putting out of lights the vanity of dreames the vanishing of smoake and many others to the like purpose Reasons 1 First they haue all the threatnings of God against them and euery threatning sendeth forth many curses and euery curse bringeth many plagues Secondly their owne deserts which in respect of any creature are infinite doe draw vpon them iudgements and miseries that are in explicable Thirdly the loue and trueth of God to his owne seruants will not permit a perpetuall prosperitie to his enemies By this hee perswadeth them not to faint in their owne afflictions because a reward remaineth for them and their end will be peace By this he perswadeth them not to fret at wicked mens successes because Psal 37. 38. there remaine punishments for them their end is to be cut off Vse 1 Admonition to sinfull men to tender their loue more that pitie them and desire that their case may be better If others tremble at their fall that is comming which yet neither feele the paine nor be in the perill thereof is it wisedome for them to cast off all care of themselues and onely picke quarrels against them that seeke their safetie When their wound is incurable they will wish that they had better regarded the plaister and the hand that applied it When the disease is remedilesse they will rue the reiection of the medicine and physition When hell shall haue them in hold they will bewaile the refusall of their friendship that would haue directed them to heauen It was good counsell of Philip and well followed of Nathaniel when hee perswaded him to come Ioh. 1. 46. and see whether Iesus were not the Christ And it was an indulgence of Christ to Thomas to helpe his faith in his resurrection Ioh. 20. 27. by the senses of sight and feeling but for matters of punishment and damnation it is good to goe from them and not to come at them to heare Gods testimonie and not to see it fulfilled vpon themselues to beleeue the trueth of that which is spoken and not to feele it by their owne experience Consolation that sinfull men shall not alwaies be molesters of the godly because they shall not alwaies be They shall not continually ouershadow the faithfull because they shall not stand continually Though their shew bee great now and terrible to Gods people yet their change will bee greater and fearefull to themselues He will speedilie ouerturne them and all their power of hurting shall be taken from them Now their rootes are low their toppes aloft and braunches broad and thereby ouer-droppe all that is vnder them then must their toppes come downe and rootes rise vp and all their braunches wither Now they are vessels that are full of power and wealth and malice but then must bee there a transposition the bottome must bee vpward and the brimmes must bee downeward and all their fulnesse be shed on the ground like water The ground of this comfort is neither vaine nor weake for God himselfe doth vrge it as a forcible reason to confirme the hearts of his people Feare thou not saith hee for I am with thee bee not affraide for I am thy God Behold all they that prouoke thee shall bee ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that striue with thee shall perish Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them to wit the men of thy strife for they shall be as nothing and the men that warre against thee as a thing of nought Isai 41. 11. 12. For the firmenes of the righteous man and of his house see chapter the tenth vers 2. 25. Verse 8. A man shall bee commended according to his wisedome but