by resisting that cruell raging Lyon Sathan who daily seeketh how to deuoure our soules and bodies which the Lambe of GOD hath bought to himselfe Let vs by the strength of Gods Spirit redeeme our selues froÌ„ his destroying iawes and in our youth shewe Gods strength in vs and while wee are young men let vs cast off the olde man of sinne and concupiscence of the flesh and put on Iesus Christ the new man walking with him in righteousnesse holinesse of life a glorious garment and blessed companion As Sampson being a young man killed the Philistims the enemies of God and his people so in our youth let vs endeuour by the speciall assistance of Gods grace strength of his powerfull Spirit to kill ouercome and subdue the cruell enemies of God and our owne soules saluation sin and our corrupt affections whom we beare about in our mortall bodies and who dippeth in the platter with vs yet like so many Iudases seeking to betray vs in the hands and power of our malitious and cruel enemie Sathan they giue vs their sweete milke to drinke but for our destruction they make vs sleepe vpon their knees but to abrace our strength and to make God abrace our name out of the booke of life to betray vs trecherously into the hands of our persecuting enemie and to cut off our heads in the midst of our drunken sleepe of sinne yea they sleep with vs as a snake in our bosom to sting vs to eternall death suspect then their venome and theâ—â— deceitfull wicked purpose let them not keep thee vnder the yoake of their slauerie but keepe them vnder thy commandements rule and subjugate thy necke vnder the light and easie yoake of Iesus Christ to obey him in all the powers of thy soule and members of thy body that so here on earth thou maiest be a member of his body militant and suffering in heauen hereafter a glorified triumphant member in eternal ioyes so thou shalt be happy reioyce that euer thou didst suffer the yoake in thy youth Saul Dauid SalomoÌ„ with many others in the Scripture were called to be Kings being yong men but wee in our youth are called to a more ample glorious and permanent a kingdome to bee kings and coheyres with Iesus Christ the onely begotten and welbeloued Sonne of God in that eternall kingdome of his Father which hee hath prepared for vs taken possession himselfe before vs and granted vs here on earth the pledge of his holy Spirit to begin our ioyes and his holy Sacraments as seales of his kingdome who will then deny such a honour in his youth to be a glorious King with Iesus Christ Salomon in his greatest glory was not so gloriously clothed as one of the white Lillies of the field but when thou shalt bee cloathed with the white long robe of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ crowned with an incorruptible crowne of glory and life in euer-permanent ioyes eternally to remayne to behold the glorious face of the lambe of God associated to the blessed Angels and infinite companies of the glorified spirits Saynts praising continually and extolling his iustice and the infinite mercy and loue of the Lambe before his Throne in light perpetuall in glory vnspeakeable ioyes that cannot be expressed how blessed and happy shall bee thy estate in this kingdome to day thou art called to it yong to morrow thou knowest not if thou shalt enter by the passeouer of death in full possession thereof while then it is offred possesse thy selfe to day with the pledge and rights of it walke in the true way to it that at thy iourneyes end thou mayst be crowned an immortall King procrastinate therefore no time it is a gift and a great gift when God holdeth out his hand in thy youth to offer thee the rights and pledges of his kingdome the sooner thereby to thy greater comfort to possesse thee with them and yet in the meane time thou pull in thy hand from receyuing them vntill thou prooue the diuels slauerie verily when he hath pulled in his hand agayne froÌ„ offering albeit thou neuer so oft put out thine to receyue when thou shalt seeke it thou shalt not find it but as thou refusedst of God in thy youth to be a king and accepted of Sathan to be a slaue as thou refusedst to remaine in thy fathers house and to eate at his table but wandring in a farre countrie yeelded to be a Farmers hyreling and to eate with swine so except Gods extraordinary mercy the beams of his vnsearchable loue shine vpon thee thou maiest expect in age but terrour and fearefull torment of conscience and hereafter to receyue the iust reward and hyre of thy slauery in the bottomlesse sinck and deepe pit of perdition in endlesse and easelesse torments with Sathan thy master In thy youth then accept to be a king of God receyuÌ„e the rights and pledge of the Kingdome in thy heart shew that thou hast them by thy speeches thy workes and an holy life speake the language of the Kingdome learne it dayly more and more which is prayer and praysing of God the kingdome whereof thou art made an heyre is Heauen wilt thou know thy selfe and make others also know if truely thou belong to this Kingdome let thy thoughts bee heauenly thy words be heauenly gratious to God and man and offensiue iustly to none thy works and actions also heauenly and vpright before God man doing good according to thy power to all euill or the least iniury to none no not to thy enemy but good for euill in word and worke let all thy conuersation and course of life priuate and publike be heauenly as a lampe shining before others that resembling thy Fathers conditions and bearing his image in thy life thou maiest bee knowne to be a childe and sonn of the King of heauen and sometimes to bee a crowned king there thy selfe when thy father shal call thee home from thy trauelling to thy natiue country and kingdome as on earth in good example thou shined as a lampe before others so then in heauen to shine in glory as a bright lampe before his throne But some would thinke that this exhortation of redressing our waies had beene fitter for olde men then for youth because they are nearer death giuing of account of their waies where young men seeth that they may die they â—ee that they die and youth must haue it owne course and therefore their faults are not so much to bee obserued seeing they are rather â—tatis then hominis and so in time enough they may returne from their yong courses when age breaketh them and become good and graue men at last To such I answere that such excuses as these are but impostures of Sathan and the flesh age hath neede to see they end well the claudite of their life with a ioyfull plaudite of the assurance of Gods fauour and youth must take heede also
and curseth them that keepe not his commandements as God hath commanded in the first precept of the second Table of his Law that children shall honour theyr Parents with a double promise of this life and the life to come then command thou likewise and instruct thy children to honour God also and let this be thy first and chiefest care in the table of thy heart so shew thy selfe thankefull to God agayne When Salomon was to trie whose was the liuing childe for which the two women stroue to find out the same by the naturall affection of the true mother hee commanded the child to bee diuided in two wherewith as the true mother was much moued and displeased so the wrong mother cared not but was cōtented it should be so and so the veritie for the adjudging did appeare It is euen so with godly wicked parents and by this they may be knowne the wicked parents not hauing any conjunction with God thēselues they cannot know nor apprehend the ioyfulnesse thereof in others as in their children therefore they care not though they be destroyed by sinne and diuided asunder from the body of Iesus Christe but godly and true parents feeling in their owne hearts the sweet ioy of that blessed vnion with God through Christ they endeuour onely so to bring vp their children in the true feare and loue of God that they may be partakers also of that vnspeakeable comfort ioy of that conjunction with themselues and so haue true life in them yea before they should bee diuided from that comfort and life which they haue in that conjunction with Iesus Christ they rather would giue ouer that naturall title and right of comfort which belongeth iustly vnto them as parents as they did naturally beget them in sinne by the seed of man in the flesh to their owne image so their chiefe care and desire is that they may be begotten of a new supernaturally in the spirit vnto righteousnesse by the spirit of God to Gods image and by the immortall seed of the word of Iesus Christ God man and as they did dwell together on earth so for euer in heauen also they desire together to remayne This I say is the wish care and note of all godly and true parents and which euery one should haue or be knowne by and truely wee see oftentimes that children take example of their parents and walketh in their footsteps pressing to imitate them that they may the more be loued by them so that if the father bee carefully and godly disposed his sonne will feare lest the contrary disposition be deprehended in him at least by his father if he see that his father hate and detest drunkennesse fornication swearing or such sinnes surely if hee bee a naturall sonne and not a castaway hee will bee loth to commit any such or at least to his fathers knowledge or face and if he haue grace in him hee will doe that rather which hee knoweth to be liking and acceptable in his fathers sight the example whereof first consider in a truly godly obedient sonne Iacob who knowing that the daughters of Canaan displeased Izhak and Rebekah his parents he would not ioyne with thē in mariage but with his owne kindred commanded by his fathee as also the like after a maner in a counterfeit cast-away Esau his brother who seeing that to marry with the daughters of Canaan as hee had notwithstanding already done was displeasant and grieuous to his parents and that his brother Iacob had obeyed his father to doe otherwise in going to Padan Aram he went also tooke Ishmaels daughter to wife of his own kindred albeit a bastard generation such was the care albeit hypocriticall euen of this cast-away to please his parents Elies wicked sonnes also seeing their fathers godly disposition durst not before him commit such enormities as they did or to his owne knowledge vntill by the people it was reported so vnto him so that the good inclination of the father is a great awe band vnto the sonne as of the contrary the nature of the sonne is more apt to follow a lasciuious and impious father to wickednesse and vanitie then a godly graue father to piety and true wisedome Concerning this aptnesse of children to imitate their parents example in good or euill Christ himselfe also saith to the Iewes If ye were the sonnes of Abraham ye would doe the workes of your father Abraham but ye are of your fafather the diuell and the lusts of your father ye will doe therefore let all fathers in the good education of their children be as lampes themselues in their life that they may be followed by them and doe such things that therein they would desire their childrens imitation It is a great delight to parents to heare that their children are like vnto them but if they be like them in godlinesse it is a great ioy and comfort to others also For then they represent and resemble the Image of Iesus Christ the common Sauiour and Father of all men as he was the character and expresse Image of his Father in Iustice Mercy and Holinesse so they being likewise the image of Christ againe in holines and sanctity of life being holy as he is holy and hauing that honour to be like the King of all kings thereby brother to the Prince of princes of whose kingdome it may be truely said His ego met as nec tempor a pon◠without limitation or prescription of time Ioy infinite and Eternitie without end In the 127. Psalme Dauid calleth children by three titles First Behold saith he children are the inheritance of the Lord to shew that they should bee educated and brought vp by their parents with such care as though they were not the children of men but of God and consider what care a man hath and respect vnto his inheritance that it be not abused any way or spoyled the like greater care hath God our heauenly Father that our children which are his inheritance for of these is the kingdome of heauen be not negligently or euilly brought vp to dishonour his name who should honour him The heyre of a king and kingdom must be so educated that hee may be found worthy of the crowne The children of the faithfull are heyres to the King and kingdome of Heauen Therefore their parents as tutors to whom they are concredit for a time must trayne them vp so carefully in pietie and and the obedience of God their heauenly father that they may bee found worthy of the inheritance of that Kingdom and Crowne of glory purchased by the blood of Iesus Christ our Lord their parents may bee found faithfull so in discharging their dutie therein to God and them Secondly Dauid calleth children the Lords Reward shewing that as God of his grace doth giue to parents children as a testimony of his loue to their earthly pleasure comfort and seruice so
them lost a kingdom to the which he was called by the wicked and furious hote counsellers of our lusts and affections in our youth let vs not also loose the glorious kingdome of heauen to the which wee are likewise called by Gods word Neither as the yong mans loue to his riches made him to forsake Christ let the vncleane loue or desire to follow our youthly pleasures or to fulfill our filthy lusts and affections draw vs from following Iesus Christ our Sauiour and these godly examples and patterns of youth which in his word wee haue here set before our eyes but with yong Samuel when the Lord calleth vs in his Church to heare and do his word let vs so oft answere Lord here am I thy seruant to doe thy godly will speake for thy seruant heareth while the spring and seed time is of our tender yeeres let vs so sowe as wee would reape and so bud as wee would ripen our youth is the day to doe our works in the night of age commeth wherein wee cannot worke in that time wee shall say onely I might haue bin learned I might haue bin so or so if I had vsed my time aright but winter is come before I thought on seed-time and Times bald backe-side is turned to mee but the heary forehead which I might haue caught holde by is already past therefore the wise man saith Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them whiles the sunne is not darke nor the light nor the moone nor the starres nor the cloudes returne after rayne when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shal â—ow themselues the grinders shall cease because they are few and they waxe darke that looke out by the windowes c. describing so metaphorically the infirmities of old age They who stept in first when the Angel came downe and troubled the waters of the poole Bethesda were cured of their disease so if we would be cured of our soules disease and leprosie of sinne wee must striue to step in first before others in our youth without lingring to be washed with the blood of Christ and liue a pure vnspotted life Ioseph before the time of famine came laid vp aboundance of corne prouidently for the same so before the leane and crinkled yeeres of age come we must prouidently in the Sommer of youth with the Bee and Ant gather and lay vp food for our soules filling the store-houses of our heart full with the knowledge and true feare of God to be our comfort and ease in that time that here in the world to come we may bee accounted among the number and of the sort of those forenamed who dedicated their youth and first fruites thereof to God their heauenly Father and now do enioy the ioyful recoÌ„pence of their labours with Iesus Christ in the presence of the Lambe for euer to remaine The answere that is made vnto this question is this In taking heed thereto according to thy word that is by these meanes a yong man may redresse his wayes and course of life if according to the rule and prescript of thy holy worde O Lord hee take heed thereto diligently and straitly marking examining and iudging the same and rectifying all his waies and actions by the direct line and rule of thy commandements This answere is made by way of prayer or confessioÌ„ to God or as it were by resolution froÌ„ God In taking heed thereto according to thy word thereby shewing and teaching all men that to know will or doe aright as God hath commanded according to his word is not of our strength neither can flesh and blood reueale it vnto vs but our heauenly Father it is the gracious worke of his glorious Spirit who as the knowledge of Gods will proceedeth of his speciall Illumination so the acting and doing of the same in an holy and vpright life is of his speciall grace and powerfull operation also who giueth thee knowledge will and power to doe the same Velle perficerâ— by enlightning our vnderstanding reforming our wicked will and conforming the same vnto the holy and perfect wil of God and with his coÌ„mand to rise from the sleepe and death of sinne to a new and sanctified life giuing vs a power and flowing light and life from himselfe to doe so as when Christ our Sauiour said Talitha cumi or Lazarus arise c. and at that last day when it shall be said Rise dead folke come to iudgement and so in all Gods word when hee commandeth to repent beleeue bring forth good fruit or so we must not thereby thinke because God commandeth so therefore that we haue knowledge or free-will to doe or not doe so but with the command there floweth a concomitating power and vertue from Gods spirit to the hearts of the faithfull predestinate for saluation to doe this command as a further induration to harden the hearts of the sonnes of reprobation in their stiffe-necked disobedience to Gods will euen as at the words of Christ the fig-tree withered free wil then and strength of our selues to know and doe euill wee haue for it is according to our nature for by nature wee are the children of wrath and all the imaginations of our heart are onely euill continually from our very infancie and it is the worke of our flesh for the flesh coueteth against the spirit but to know will or to do well we haue no power at all but it is Gods sanctifying Spirit who giueth both and it is aboue nature yea it is the worke of the Spirit against nature Therefore let vs not trust to our owne knowledge or wisedom for it is darkenesse foolishnesse nor thinke of our owne will or strength that we can doe or truely desire or know that which is good being so peruerse and wicked but with the Prophet after his example acknowledg al our knowledge of his will or of the right way to saluation to proceed onely from the illumination of his good spirit and that the will or strength to doe and performe the same is onely his owne free worke in mercie also and let vs by earnest prayers as in all ages so chiefly in our youth implore his holy helpe to teach vs according to his word how to walke in his wayes and to take heed to our owne in greatest difficulties consult with him who is true light and wisedome and in whom is no changing in greatest tentations by continuall prayer let vs flie to him that with his all-sufficient grace he may euer assist vs when Sathan would not only buffet but kill deuoure our soules with the poyson of sinne and our owne lusts and in all things let him be our onely refuge resolution and comfort continually In taking heed thereto c. this action of taking heed to our wayes in the answere
hath landes or ample possessions that therefore thou needest not nor should apply thy minde to vertue or thy hand to worke the truely noblest that euer was Iesus Christ God man whose creatures and worke all Nobles and Kings are wrought with his hands vnder his supposed father Ioseph in the craft of carpentarie in all subiection till the time of his publike ministerie came wherein hee behoued to goe about his true Fathers businesse Iacob a great Patriarch and borne to great possessions eueÌ„ the whole land of Canaan which flowed with milke and hony yet sent to seruice by his parents who loued him more deerely and wisely then many who cocker vp their children now and thinke it an indignitie to put them to handie-crafts or seruice being a great deale lesse able to sustaine them nor hauing so sure a promise that God wil so prouide for them yet hee being so great a mans sonne thought no shame nor griefe to serue full 21. yeares in the colde frost of the night without sleepe and hote sunne burning of the day and when hee had many seruants and goods yet still serued painfully albeit vnder an vnthankfull Maister Moses sometime called the sonne of King Pharao was called by God to bee the leader of his people to Canaan from keeping of sheepe in the field Gideon sonne to Ioash father or chiefe of the Ezrites who had many seruants as is euident Iudges 6. 27. was found threshing wheate himselfe when the Angell called him to bee Iudge of Israel Saul who is called 1. Sam. 9. 1. the sonne of a man of Beniamin mighty in power named Kish was sent to runne through many countries with one seruant onely a foote to seeke his fathers Asses that were lost with no great prouision of money or victualls as appeareth vers 7 8. and thereafter called to bee King of Israel Dauid likewise from keeping of sheepe Elisha that great Prophet called from the Plough Amos from keeping of cattell many of the Apostles of Iesus Christ who shall iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel and whose doctrines are the twelue foundations of the wall of that spirituall Ierusalem were called from painefull fishing Paul a man of great learning and authoritie yet a Tent-maker and if thy parents how noble or gentle soeuer they bee thinketh thee better then these or thou thy selfe then indeede thinke shame to worke or to apply thy minde to some kinde of vertue or vocation neither trust onely to thy lands or possessions for God may giue Sathan power as hee did concerning Iob to try thee and take thy goods from thee many waies vnexpected and neuer thought of Seeing also he hath giuen them to thee freely as sufficient meanes to increase and imploy thy talent as Salomon saith Prou. 17. 16. As a price in thy hand to get wisedome if in idlenesse notwithstanding without any vocation thou suffer the same to perish and waste the means price improfitably they shall make thee howsoeuer for a time the more honored acceptable before meÌ„ yet the more inexcusable and vile before God whoÌ„ thou so dishonourest for many of these forenamed had greater possessions then thou canst haue yet laboured with their hands It is not thy landes that maketh thee noble or gentle it is onely vertue Nobilitaâ— sola est atque vnica virtus and thy predecessors obtained this title only by some vertuous acts which is deriued to thee increase therefore the same by vertue impaire it not We reade of an ancient custome and most laudable amongst the Romans that none was suffered to goe in the publike streetes without some instrument in his hand to be thereby known of what vocation he was of to shew he was not an idle drone in the bee-hiue of the CoÌ„monwealth to teach him that whatsoeuer hee was not to be ashamed of his calling And amongst the Indians in these daies before they eate they vse to take an account what they haue earned or wonne Iustinian the Emperour of Rome exercised himselfe in the lawes and perfited the law of Nations Mithridates king of Pontus was a Phisitian who first found out that excellent compound called froÌ„ his own name Mithridatum Quintus Cincinnatus was called froÌ„ the Plough to be Dictator of Rome And we read of Dyonisius who being expelled from his Kingdome that by the vertue he learned in his youth hee liued in teaching a few youths in a schoole and therefore onely was called backe to his Kingdome againe Homer in commendation of Vlisses accounteth this as a note of great honour mentionating that he could make his owne ships himselfe Quintus Fabius a most noble Roman with his owne hands painted the walls of the Temple of Salus and not thinking shame thereof but rather couÌ„ting it a laudable and auowable thing agreeable with his honour degree affixed thereto vnder wrote his name Achilles is recorded to haue bin so cuÌ„ning in cookery that he thought it no dishonor at a certaine time to shew the same in dressing a royall and sumptuous supper to certaine Ambassadours who came to him Constantine the Emperour also had his liuing a long time â—as it is reported by drawing And a certaine learned Philosopher in Grecia vaunted that his cloake the ring hee wore on his finger were of his owne making esteeming it a great praise he could doe so Therefore take example of these that by thy owne vertue thou maiest rather shine before thy predecessors then to glance onely by their light studie to bee called not onely one of such a race which is by thy parents but a vertuous one of such a race which is by selfe By trusting to lands or possessions oft times vertue is neglected and infamie or no fame followeth when poore mens sonnes not hauing lands to trust to but leaning only to vertue and Gods grace come to great honour riches and renowne both which experience teacheth to all men The pouertie of such as are idle without any vocation commeth as Salomon saith like a traueller in the hie way or the necessitie of an armed man which is suddenly or hastily and therefore it is that so many Noblemen or Gentlemen make away with their lands which their antecessours by their vertue and hard purchase obtained and left to them they by vertue got it they by idlenesse vice consume it Hence aso it is that so many old and young sturdie beggers are in a kingdome or citie education without vocation From idlenesse also in youth it is that so many miserable spectacles are seene of so many that goe to the gallowes who behoued to steale because they applied not their minde to any vertue being young dum vires annique sinebant and now could doe nothing else Hence it is that so much wickednesse aboundeth and is committed in the world as in the time of Sodome and the primitiue world Whereby wee may know that the second destruction by fire as the first was by water is not farre
will which is in heauen Many will say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great workes And then will I professe to them I neuer knew you depart from mee yee that worke iniquitie Whosoeuer then heareth my words and doth the same is like the wise man that buildeth his house vpon a rocke c. Seeing God soweth the seede of his word in our hearts hee looketh for a ripe haruest of good works if he hath planted vs as vines in his vineâ— yard or oliue branches in the stock Christ he looketh that in him wee should bring forth sweete grapes and shew that wee liue in him by bringing forth good and pleasant fruit in him Gal. 5. 25. If we liue in the spirit let vs walke also in the spirit Wee must not like that barren and vnprofitable fig-tree Luk. 13. 7. delay to giue fruite to our Maister from yeare to yeare lest we be cut down and throwne ouer the hedge for euer in his fierce wrath but in our youth and tender age we must bud and bring forth sweete pleasant fruits such as he expecteth Christ Iesus abolished the curse of the Law by his comming but hee came not to take away the Law it selfe and the Prophets but to fulfill them As hee therefore perfitly obeyed Gods Lawe so that there was no sinne at all found in him so must his members here on earth striue in some measure to obey Gods Lawe and to come to that perfection that is here permitted by Gods Spirit to the elect to attaine vnto and that there be no sin found raigning in them For there is none no not one man in this world but sinne is found in him neither was there euer any other waies except Iesus Christ God and man but wee must striue and endeuour by the powerfull operation of Gods sanctifying Spirit assisting vs euery one of vs that if sinne abide in vs and the law of sin bee in our flesh yet that it beare not dominion or ouer-rule ouer vs but that in the spirit wee may haue the law of righteousnesse subiugating and weakening the other daily more and more till at the last by grace both soule and body bee captiuated vnto Christs obedience and take on his yoake that both likewise hereafter may bee in and with Christ victorious and triumphant in glory Amongst Pastours Whosoeuer shall obserue and teach Gods Commandements their reward shall be great they shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen so amongst the hearers and flocke Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The true Pastour maketh his voice sound like Arons bells before his flocke And the sheepe heare his voyce and hee calleth his owne sheepe by name and leadeth them out And when hee hath sent forth his owne sheepe hee goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voyce Where to see the necessity of good works doing of Gods word therin we may consider the dutie both of the true Pastours of Christ and of the true sheepe of Christ with both their markes whereby so they may bee easily knowne the one not to bee Woolues in Lambs skins theeues robbers and hirelings the other not to bee sheepe of another Pastour or pasture True Pastours here then must goe before their sheepe first by an incorrupt doctrine or voyce and secondly by the footesteps of an incorrupt conuersation and life Concerning the first Christs charge to Peter is Louest thou me tâ—en feede my flocke So that Pastours loue to Christ is approued before God to their owne conscience and before men by feeding only his flocke the woe of the contrary whereof is set downe plainely Ezek. 24. 2. Wo â—ee to the shepheards of Israel that feede themselues should not the sheepheards feed the flockes Also 2. Tim. 4. 1. Pauls charge to Timothie I charge thee therefore before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and in his kingdome Preacâ— the word be instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering doctrine So here is Christs charge and the Apostle of Christs charge the one to Peter the other to Timothy and so to all Ministers that they should make their flockes heare their voice and sound the same before them For as Iohn was a voice in the wildernesse to prepare the way of the Lord at his first comming in humilitie so they must bee now voices crying in the desart of this world to prepare the way against the Lords second comming in glorie by Repent bringing low euerie high vnhumbled hill and by Beleeue exalting and comforting againe euery low valley and humbled soule in Gods presence so they must loose and binde open and shut set life and death before euery one and Wâ—e bee to them if they preach not the Gospell or therein loue their owne glory and praise of men more then the glory of God seeing the King hath sent them out to call all men to his banquet to eate of the fat calfe God hath made them Angells to cry before that last day Rise dead folke in sinne prepare to come to Iudgement cast off the corruption of the lustes of the flesh put on renouation of the spirit be sanctified in body and soule that in both hereafter you may be also glorified they haue concredit to them the trumpet of Gods voice at whose sound the high and proud walles of the Iericho of euery mans heart must fall and therefore must compasse them blow the trumpets diligently and often They are sent that they should preach the Gospell to the poore heale the â—roken hearted preach deliuerance to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blind that they should set at libertie them that are bruised and that they should preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. This then is the voyce that they should vtter and this is the voyce the true sheepe should follow and know Concerning the second marke of true Pastours to wit their going also before their flocke in good example and holy life according to their owne voyce doing the same Christs charge likewise to his Apostles is Matt. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen The neglect and transgression whereof hee sheweth in the Scribes and Pharisies whose righteousnesse except theirs exceeded hee telleth his Disciples they should neuer enter in the kingdome of heauen Matt. 23. 2. in these wordes saying The Scrbes and Pharisies sit in Moses seate and therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doâ— but after their workes doe not for they say and doe not as alas too many such in these our daies doe The Apostlte Paul also Rom. 2. 21. to this effect saith
is so restrained in many places the mouths of Gods seruants so shut vp and the veritie repressed and bound as it were is Alexander the Copper-smiths profite will cease if Paul preach where Gods Arke commeth in place Dagon must fall and if Iesus Christ in such humilitie be suffered to bee acknowledged the Sauiour the Hie Priests honour iurisdiction and profit must cease if Daniel be suffered hee will discouer the Priests knaueries and Elias will shew that Baal is no God nor heareth not when Moses commeth with the Tables of the Law from the mount the golden calfe must downe if when Michaiah commeth to speake the truth freely he beleeued Zidkiiah the falsflattering Prophets with their hornes of yron should be put out of credit fauour and authoritie if Iohn the Baptist should be obeyed then Herod must put away his Herodias And where Gods sincere and pure word only getteh place and libertie downe must goe idolatrie and not a relict or hoofe thereof remaine tyrannicall authoritie of these who with Diotrephes loueth the preheminence and to rule as lords ouer the Lords inheritance must bee trod downe vnder the humble feete of Iesus Christ and of his word who pratleth against Gods true seruants with malitious words not therewith content neither they themselues receiue the brethren but forbiddeth them that would and thusteth them out of the Church The triple crowne must yeelde to the crown of thornes al popish ethnish apish ceremonies must fall downe before this Arke of Gods pure worde where the worde of Christ who came to serue getteth right place gracious Lord must cease Caeser must haue that which belongeth to him and all pastours with Paul must graunt themselues to bee seruants onely to Christs flocke for his cause their right title is the most honorable that they can haue euen the title which Iesus Christ is called by to bee Sheepheards of soules where Gods word shineth their shining before the flock must not be in gold silkes but in good workes where Gods word ruleth their rule and gouernement must be onely by Gods word their scepter that scepter which subiects scepters to it selfe their crowne their flocke you are my crowne saith Paul their sword not temporal nor Caesars but that two-edged sword that is in Christs mouth Gods and all their authority from Christs commission onely As my Father sent me so I send you where Gods sacred Law commeth there they must not worship the golden calfe of profit onely neither can Alexanders Diana bee so fat vnto him but with Moses they must looke onely for the reward of God Christs kingdome is not of this worlde in it then they must not looke for any recompeÌ„ce Paul saith I haue fought a good fight c. from henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne c. there is the reward hee looked for I goe saith Christ to my Father to prepare a place for you this is Christs promise For in the world you shall haue affliction and if you were of the world the world should loue you but because you are not as I am not therefore it hateth you In it then nor of it Pastours must not thinke their reward to bee and if in the world of the same they haue here their reward it is to bee feard that they shal neuer haue any other but as the world loueth theÌ„ they the world again that their coÌ„demnation is like to bee with the world also Therfore where Christs word taketh place worldly profite and full bagges must depart and albeit the Minister must liue of the Altar to supply necessitie yet Christ for Christ and his glorie onely must bee preached pride in the hie Priests and auarice in Iudas was the first betraier of Christ pride and auarice now is and euer shall be the only betraier of Christ and his cause and they know little the power of Christ in their heart or soule as they preach his name with their mouth who with Zebedeus sonnes here seeketh onely for their prefermeÌ„t because they haue followed him but they who truely follow him must denie here se suos sua take vp their crosse and follow him The same is his answere to all Ministers as it was to Peter who when hee asked what they should haue because they followed him he answered that they should sit on twelue seates with him and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel so he saith to euery Minister that followeth him truely as they did not that hee shall be so or so powerfull in the world for hee hath chosen the weake ones of the world but that hee shall sit at his right hand with him in his kingdome when he shall iudge all the Tribes and Nations of the world they then who pertaine vnto that kingdome will desire that great reward honour only more then all the honour and kingdoms of the world with their glory esteeming all as dung to win Christ many soules vnto Christ to know the power of his death resurrection in themselues and see it in their flockes But who pertain not to this kingdome they wil preferre their owne profite before all things if the preaching of Gods word hinder or take away their profit with Alexander that Diana goe not downe they will stirre vp kings kingdoms cities rulers and people against Paul and his preaching and if thirtie pennies may be had Christ Iesus shall be betrayed with a kisse If this light and fire of Gods word should come in place it would consume like Moses rod or serpent the serpentine and profitable fire of purgatorie If it were preached plainely vnto Gods people and to the soules of men that we must come onely to Christ who callâ—th and commandeth vs aske of the Father who can denie vs nothing through him according to his will and that the King against whom wee commit the offence onely can forgiue the same Where should the golden pardons of the Pope goe or the profit of the confessors if it bee preached that Christ the Master had not a hole to repose his head in nor so much mony as could pay tribute for him and â—or Peter And if it be reported how Peter Acts. 3. said Siluer or golde haue I none where shall the princely pallaces of the seruants goe the great treasured heapes of golde they lay vp Paul soiourned in a poore Tanners house that dressed leather and when hee sent for his cloake and his scrolles he maketh no mention of any great treasure but hee laid vp his treasure in heauen where the moath the canker nor the theefe coulde not come gaining and treasuring by his Talent many soules to God Peter got a great treasure and conquesed much when at his Sermon so many soules were conuerted to Christ ioyned to the Church But these fat woolues and dumbe dogges they care not for such a treasure or conquest woe be to them for they doe not the worke of the Lorde at all