his course The earth neuer resteth but yeerely yeeldeth his natural encrease Psal 104 bringing forth fodder for the cattell and greene hearb for the seruice of man wine oyle liquors of all sorts with long standing stil are corrupt and wax sowre and vnfit for any seruice Gold siluer and mettalls of all maner doe fret and canker through disuse being vnoccupied Euery thing generally in his naturally vse thriueth and for want thereof perisheth The horse and other cattell through want of trauel are seebler in the feete and vnfitter to trauell The bird that lieth is not in such danger but sitting stil is shot at with an arrow The souldier that is the greatest sluggard is the greatest coward and thus we may extend and drawe out our discourse with innumerable particulars Wherfore since the case standeth thus Ephes 5 Isai 60 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life idlenesse being nothing but a paynted toombe and sepulchre which burieth vs quicke We heare heere of a great purchase of a Treasure Psal 119. and a Pearle farre better than our life Psal 108 Vp therefore why sittest thou stil why dooth thy flesh cleaue vnto the pauement summon with Dauid harp and lute to awake and say Rom. 13 I my selfe wil awake right earely Now euen now Phil. 2 our saluation draweth nigh Oh worke we our saluation with feare and trembling Now are wee called to woorke in the Lordes vineyard why then doe we stare one vpon an other Math. 20 and stand ydle in the market place All riches and plenteousnes is heere offered vnto vs for our labour and paynes wherefore let vs for the reward sake cheerefully vndergoe them And in this case be aduised by wisedome who giueth vs this instruction Call afterknowledge Prouerbs â— and crie for vnderstanding seeke for her as siluer and search for her as treasure and this wil be the issue We shall vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of our God Shall Iacob for the loue that he did be are vnto Rachel serue two prentise-hoods Oen. 29. c. twice seuen yeares together a most miserable master vnckle I will not call him he was so absurd and of that bald behauiour euery kind of way as foysting in his bleared bird Leah for Rachel and ten seuerall times hucking and dodgeing with him for his wages and shall we scotch to serue God so long for the beautie brauerie and bountie of a kingdome who payeth vs such great exceeding wages neuer sticketh with vs but euer giueth vs more then he doth promise vs Nay rather then through idlenes we will loose such blessednes O Lord by thy grace we are votaries with Dauid not to suffer our eies to sleep Psalme 13â— or our eie liddes to slumber or the temples of our head to take any rest vntill we find the temple of the Lord the habitation of the mighty God of Iacob we shall shake off the sluggards sicknes who euer finds some fault or other with the season of the yeare which is either too hot Prouerb 1â— or too cold so as he is not able to giue himself to work or else he feares a lion lurking by the way or a beare in the streete so as he cannot go forth out of his house We can go to bed late and arise early in the morning and eate the bread of sorrow and grudge at no pains in plodding Psal 127 and prowling after paltry worldly pearle and treasure that is transitorie and shall we stomacke to labour in Gods worke the worth thereof surmounting beyond the imagination of man al the wealth whatsoeuer in the world If a man should offer thee a huge heap of mony A similitude vpon condition that thou shouldest run one holy day on his crand and he should promise thee at thy returne at the daies end to giue thee this mony I know thou shouldst not need to haue spurres to pricke thee forward thou wouldst poste it away cheerfully It is thus with vs our life is called a day our way which God hath set vs to walke is long the wages and hyre of our trauaile is incomparable runne we therfore with Dauid Psalme 119 the way of Gods commandements and let our whole labour be imployed therevpon Hypocrates saith of the art of Phisick that the study of it is long the experience of it doubtfull and our life but short which he said not to discourage any from this laudable profession but to incite vs to follow after it with a more earnest contention the like may be said of our diuine study the phisick of the soule to animate vs to all painfull labour in this businesse for the obtaining of this true treasure and inestimable iewell that is set before vs. Salomon spent double more time in building his own house 1. King 6 then he did in erecting setting vp Gods temple he did set it forward with such speed and diligence A perfect presidence for vs to do the like teaching vs to spend all the paines we can about the affaires of Gods worship and to be more carefull of heauenly matters then we are of our priuate and worldly commodities If we would but consider and weigh with our selues how we run vpon the score into what a deep debt with God and arrerages we are falne the palpable and damnable security we take in maters of religion cannot but seem admirable The Romane Emperour Augustus hearing how a noble-man of Rome was behind haÌ„d yet for al that took his sleep kindly snorted of both eares spending no thoght of acquittancing of any of it was very desirous â—o buy the couch and pallet that he slept on for he could but muze mainly at the matter now a man in such deep debt should take such deep rest If we would bethinke our selues what bonds of duty we haue broken and forfeited to God our country and our houshold chiefly to those of the houshold of faith it is not possible that we should passe away our time in such dalliance pastime and pleasure as we do a great audite being nigh at hand Matthew 12 wherein we must giue vp a very streight account not only for workes but for euery idle word and for euery vain thought Oh then what sower sawce shall euery banquet haue which we haue had here at which so rifly euil words haue bin vttred well wel when Gods sernants shal return this message to their master that sent them Zach. 1 Wee haue goue through the world and beholde it sitteth still and is at rest What will Gods answer herunto be but this that their security shal yeeld them â—â—tle safety 1. Thes 5 for when they shal say Peace peace all things are well then shall come sodaâ—â— destruction vpon them as trauaile vpon a woman labouring with childe and they shall not escape it Was this
is chiefly to be regarded And because that Cain was carelesse of the manner the Lord looked not to the matter of his sacrifice If thou wouldest bring thy actions to perfection let God be the end of them The Mathematicians hold that the circular figure is the perfect figure because that in a circle the beginning and the end do iump and meet together we shal be perfit christians if God the first cause and beginning of all of whom Rom. 12. in whom and by whom are all shal be the consummation and end of all if we shall set this watchword before all our doings whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer else we do we do all to the glory of God Haue an eie therefore to the end of euery thing that thou goest about that thou maist not do amisse Artificers by a line and leaden plummet A similitude do measure and suruey the proportion of their worke our leuell and square must be this heauenly word so as our life being conformed to this rule it is euen in euery part and of perfit dimensions God expresly willeth that all valuation shall be according to the shekell of the sanctuary Leuitic 27 The loue of God and the glory of his name is this shekell and weight that weigheth all our actions so that wanting this they are reiected as the gold that wanteth weight and as the corne that wanteth measure They may like the smoake climb towards heauen but like the smoak they shal vanish away and neuer come to heauen Whatsoeuer action thou giuest thy self vnto Psal 37 whether to praying fasting giuing receiuing suffering weigh aright with this shekell of the sanctuary in what spirit purpose and deuotion thou takest it in hand For be thou wel assured if it tendeth not to his glory but be without that it shall also be without his reward A fearefull woe shall be thundred out against them Math. 23 as we reade in the like case was denounced by Christ against the Scribes and Pharises As no man might enter into the court of King Ahashuerosh â—â—est 4 that was cloathed in sackcloath so no man not cloathed with a wedding garment that is with Gods loue may presse into Gods presence Christ many times in his actions Mat. 22 did eleuate and lift vp his eies to heauen Iohn 11 to teach vs in our actons and all our intentions to looke vp to heauen Mat. 6 for the eye is taken for the intention according to that our Sauiour Christ saith Luke 11 if thine eye be simple that is thy end and intention of thine action set before thine eye These two I hold as good conclusions First that all our sorrowes for our sinnes though our contrition were as great as the sea if it be only for the feare of hell and not for Gods loue and the loue of heauen can do vs no good A similitude For as the confession of a traitor is constrained who for feare of the racke and not for any dutifull affection to his prince bewrayeth and bewaileth his mischeuous designements and this confession and lamentation turneth not to comfort but to his certaine destruction so such contrition as commeth by coaction maketh not vnto saluation but vnto endles perdition For in sin there are alwaies these two things chiefly to be coÌ„sidered The first is the euil thou hast wrought against God The second is the euil that thou hast brought vpon thy selfe which is eternal damnation Now if thou beest grieued for thine owne mishap only and not for the high and mighty indignity offered vnto God is it not manifest that thou wouldest only escape that which maketh against thee not caring for that which maketh against God and therfore thy repentance is repelled of God This is made euident by a paire of examples of Saul and Dauid they were both of them Kings both of them sinned 1 Sam 15. 2 Sam. 12 both of them were reprooued and both of them repented and yet the Lord who accepteth no persons accepteth Dauids Acts. 10. excepteth iustly against Sauls repentance for it was defectiue and faulty in the end and it was not done aright there was as great oddes and difference as might be betweene their intents and purposes of repentance Dauid repenting that he had lost God and Saul repenting only because he had lost his kingdome For he openeth his mind plainly enough by his wordes to Samuel 2. Sam. 15 saying Honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel So Saul might haue bin safe and setled in his kingdome and men might do him worship little did Saul esteeme how his GOD was woorshipped For this cause Esau went without his blessing Heb. 12 though he sought it with teares and extreame passions because they proceeded not from sincere affections The loue of God which should haue made them forcible was wanting to them The second proposition is as plain as this that is that although we doe conforme our selues to the Canons of his word and doe his commandements honor his name auoid prophane swearing sanctifie his Sabbaoth and come as nigh to the perfect obedience of his law as possibly we can if with this Merchant we renounce all our worldly both profits and pleasures and haue not the intention of this Merchant in our minds to illustrate Gods glorie and let our end be God God will not blesse or fauour these our doings or giue them enteraunce and passage vnto him For as before in sinne so in euery good worke there are two chiefe respects The one is the honour which redoundeth vnto God The second is the profit that returneth to our selues If therfore in a good action we rather haue an eie to our priuate aduantage then to the publike praise of God we discouer therby our worldly minds too much that gold more then God the world aboue the word is esteemed of vs. Wherefore let vs looke that as we serue him so he will serue vs if we serue him with the worst and with the last he will serue vs with the dregges and bottome of the cup of his wrath Psal 73 and will make vs sucke them vp The end before God is of more valew then either the greatnesse or excellency of the action for euery action shall be weighed by the intention and respected and recompenced according to the end This the subtile serpent knoweth well wherfore as he broght Adam to another tree Gen. 1 that he might not taste of the tree of life so he bringeth vs to any other end that we might not follow the true end which God hath commanded vs to set before our eies in al our enterprises When he cannot strip vs of such excellent works as the Lord worketh in vs he depraueth theÌ„ by disgracing our intentions in them suggesting that they were wrought to some priuate worldly end For thus he sophisticated and glosed with God vpon the inclination of Iob
a Kingdom The wealth of this world is a burden fit for asses it is meet that we should disburden our selues of it being called to a Kingdome Abraham made no reckoning of Vr of the Chaldeans Gen. 12 of his own kindred or his fathers house when the Lord did preferre him to a better exchange multiplying his nation and increasing his ioy Dauid no more followed his ewes bigge with yoong Psal 78 when the Lord had called him to goe before his people The Baptist hunted not for honour of the world Math. 3 when the spirite gaue him summons in the wildernes of Iudea to be a Fore-runner and Preacher of his word Mathew being called to the chaire Apostolike Matth. 9 left his custome seate Peter to embarke himselfe in Christs shippe and to be of his houshold forsooke his torne nettes his fishermans boat and the affaires of this world Zacheus preferred the vsury of godlinesse Luke 19. before the vsurie of sinfulnesse Moses would no longer abase himselfe to keepe Iethro his sheepe when his heauenly father imposed vpon his shoulders a charge of greater weight euen the keeping of his people One thing that was necessary Mary more setteth by which was spiritual Luke 10 than those many things about which her sister plodded which were but onely temporall Tu nanigas sedilla iam in portu est saith Saint Augustine Aug. Tom. 1◠in haec verba Lucae Martha sailed in the troblesom sea but Mary was arriued quietly at the hauen Erant in illa domo istae duae vitae ipse fons vitae In Martha erat imago praesentium in Maria futurorum Quod agebat Martha ibi sumus quod agebat Maria hoc speramus hoc agamus benè vt illud habeamus plenè Againe saith the same father There was in this one house twoo kindes of liues and in the midst of them the fountaine of all life In Martha are figured those things that are present but Mary beares the image of things that are to come That which Martha did we all enioy That which Mary did we all doe hope for Let vs do this dutifully to obtaine the other plentifully He that laboureth for the world A similitude is like a souldier pressed to the warres and but putting on his harnesse and hyred but for very slender wages and that not duely paid him obiect and subiect to all kinde of danger but hee that laboureth about the woord and doctrine is like the souldier that hath wonne the field that putteth off his harnesse and is out of gun-shot and triumphantly and ioyfully diuideth the spoyle God is in vs God is with vs and wee are with God in our godly exercises whenas we are in prayer wee talke with God when we sitte at the Preachers feete God speaketh vnto vs. What a blessing is this what is dust and ashes Gen. 18 that the Lord shoulde speake vnto him or he speake to the Lord When this Ieweller sawe the beautie and riches of Gods house A similitude hee cared not for seeing any more his owne house It is with him as with those that behold the Sunne in his orient brightnes who hauing fully fixed their eies vpon it it so dazeleth their sight wyth his radiant beames as when they come home and doe goe apart into any inward closet the roome seemeth darknes vnto them So such as looke vpon with the eie of faith the sonne of righteousnesse and are dazeled with the corascant surpassing hew of it the thinges of this world seeme obscure vnto him as soone as againe he shall set his eyes vpon them He that hath a taste of the good spirite of the ioyes that are to come in an other life letteth fall the loue of the worlde from him as Elias rapt to heauen 2. Reg. 2. didde let fall his Mantle from him to the earth In the beginning of the creation God him selfe diuided light and darkenesse asunder Gene. 2 to teach vs to distinguish to put a difference betweene the workes of light and darknesse and not to confound and iumble them together The first thing that God willed Gen. ◠after that he made man was that hee shoulde increase and multiply But this propagation and fruitfull increase must beginne in the best maner not in the flesh or worlde but in the spirite Christ in his copy or rule of prayer prescribed vnto vs telleth vs what thinges are to bee first sought for in willing vs first to pray for such things which concerne God as the halowing of his name the comming of his king dome the fulfilling of his will before wee preferre any sute for our selues that respect the worlde and appertayne vnto the flesh as daily bread and such other thinges as followe It pleased Christ Luke 6 not to found his Church vpon the earth Math. 16 8. Corin. 10 but vpon a rocke to teach vs not to build vpon the thinges of this worlde but vpon the rocke which is the Spirite We are willed to lay vp this treasure which is heauenly but that which is earthly is not to be kept for times that are to come which wee may neuer see Therefore the same day that the oblation was offred Leuitle 7. Exod. 12. Exod. 18 it was by the Lorde commaunded to be eaten As likewise there was nothing of the Pascall Lamb to be referued to the morrowe by his positiue iniunction The Manna that putrified and swarmed with wormes hatched vp by the Israelites for the day folowing is not an obscure argument of the iudgement of God hanging ouer such who carke and prowle so miserably for this world The great Doctor of the Gentiles illuminated round about him Actes ◠with an heauenly light woulde no more post with letters and epistles to Damascus against the Saintes of God and dwell in former darkenesse but hauing sauoured the sweetenes of Christ hee accounteth as doung Philip. 2. the sweetenesse of this earth Such as are besotted in the inward man A similitude hauing their cogitations darkened the god of this world blinding their mindes and their eyes of vnderstanding troubled with the sand and dust of the earth that is gone into them so as they can not see the thinges that are of God but look downe vpon the ground and loath the world in comparison of the world they are like babes newly weaned from the breast esteeming more of an apple and of a nut than of a peece of golde or of a pretious pearle Or like children in the market place A similitude who thinke better of their riding reed than of the greatest stateliest steed that the prince hath Or like the yoong minion that more fancieth her puppet that is made of clowtes than all the beautiful women that shee seeth It is wonderfull how this worlde runneth a madding as Samson without eies Iudg. 16 not able to finde out the pillers of the house not able to comprehend
haue so filled themselues before with their grosse diet at home as they can eate nothing nor take any pleasure in this banquet when they come Our stomackes are so charged and full of worldly thoughts as we haue almost no roome for any heauenly cogitation Dauid setteth vs out in our colours Psalme 62. and hitteth our vaine right whenas he saith that we are deceitful on the wayghts For from this deceit proceedeth this wrong iudgemēt that we haue of the word when we set the world before it The scales are false and deceiueable two waies First whenas those things that are put into them are weighed hastily and time is not giuen to see the ful weight of thē Or els whenas one part of the ballance or weight is heauier then another we put Gods lawes and our lustes together in the ballance of our foule and we are too hasty and rash a great deale in taking the world to be of more weight and substance then the word Again one part of the ballance is too heauy the heauinesse of the world weighing vs downe and weigheth more with vs then the treasure of Gods spirite Iohn 18. we preferre Barrabas before Christ sinfulnes before dutifulnes gaine before godlinesse If we would discreetly with mature aduice consider of them both not define of them with forestalled affections but heare what God and the world can say indifferently thy voice no doubt will passe on Gods side and this treasure shall be more esteemed of thee then all the treasure that the worlde giueth thee We fight therfore as Paul with the beasts at Ephesus 1. Cor. 25. after the maner of men whilst we dispute the case with those who set all their hope vpon the things of this life and place them before those of the life that is to come For what is the nature condition of beasts but to looke vpon the ground whose whole care is to satisfie their bellies and to couch in the holes and caues of the earth Such mens case is extreamely miserable Num. 16. and they are in the taking of Dathan and Abyron Psal 106. whom the earth deuoured For doth not the earth deuoure vp him whose whole cogitations are fixed vpon earth whose desires onely are of earthly things whose eies doe looke neuer aboue the earth who hath no feare of God no hopes of his promises no beleef of the soules immortality and no expectation of any future felicitie Surely faith Origen wheresoeuer thou seest such tell them flatly to their faces that the earth hath deuoured them CHAP. IX That God and the world cannot goe together THE practise of this Merchant concludeth this point whom I should not hold wise for doing away the world for the purchase of heauen if heauen and this world might be enioyed together By selling therefore one for the buying of the other it is insinuated that he was not able to keepe them both together There be many states and gouernements vpholden ordered by sundry constitutiōs differing each from other yet are they not so contrary but a man may haue his freedome in diuers of them together but God lawes and mans lawes the lustes of the flesh and the desires of the spirit the Ark of the Lord and the Philistines Dagon God and Mammon 1. Sam. 5 Math. 6 2. Cor. 6 Christ and Belial light and darknes are at such enmity and deadly food between them as no composition or conclusion of peace is to be looked for between them For the nature of things disclaimeth it our ciuill course of life gainsaith it and the Scriptures euery where flatly are against it What motions and commotions are in the ayre between lightning and thundring heat and cold without reconcilement euer to be had experience often sheweth vs. Light succeedeth darknes Math. 9 and darknes light and they two will neuer be consorted and matched together Old wine and new vessells cannot agree the patching of new cloth with old can not be sutable There were laws and statutes in this behalf enacted that cattell shuld not be permitted to ingender with those of diuers kinds that our fields should not be sowed with sundry kinds of seed Leuit. 19 and that a garment of Linsie wolsie which is of two substances that are contrary should not be worne of vs. A weake Oxe and a strong 1. Cor. 6 cannot draw equal yokes Iacobs voice and Esaus garment are easily distinguished the kingdom of God cannot go in fellowship with the kingdom of this world 1. Cor. 10 we cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of the diuel The Scriptures do make that report of the Samaritanes 2. King 17 which we admire and laugh at that with the worship of God they adored and worshipped their prophane idolls Is not this the bias and fashion of the world it will seeme holy and professe both a knowledge and seruice of God but they will not leaue couetousnes which is worshipping of images they prostrate themselues before the idol of this world This kind of people doth take two crosse and contrary waies and do go out of the way and their labour is in vaine A similitude For what voyage can he make who intending one way goeth another pointeth at heauen and looketh to the earth Et manu committit solaecismum erreth with his finger with such doth Elias expostulate the case thus censureth their folly 1. King 18. How long will ye halte between two opinions if God be God worship him but if Baal be God follow after him The Lords iealousie burneth like fire against such deceitful people vtterly to consume them who wil be vnited and wil marry themselues vnto these two contrary commāding husbands hauing espoused vs to Christ before who is our only husband For thus he breaketh out into this deep protestation I wil cut off the remnant of that place Soph. ◠that sweare by the Lord and sweare by Malcham Whenas Pharao could permit the Hebrew people to sacrifice to the Lord so as they would sacrifice out of the land of Aegypt Ho there saith Moses Exod. ◠this may not be indured to sacrifice vnto God the abhominations of the Aegyptians Superstition cannot possibly stand with true religion The lawes of God may not be lincked with the lusts of this world The Philistines tooke great paines hereabouts to couple their Dagon 1. Sam. 8 with the Arke of the couenant but it could not be effected For Dagon fell groueling to the ground before the Arke and could not stand before it The Israelites neuer knew what heauenly Manna meant Exod. 16 before all their meale which they carried from Aegypt was vtterly spent vntill thou hast consumed the worldly affections looke not to be partaker of Gods heauenly blessings The stomack that is distmpered with diseases A similitude and surcharged with euill humors relliseth and tasteth not the sweetnes of his meat The