as the couetous minded Worldling to whome it was said Thou Foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee Luke 12. 20. that such as are couetous are Earthly minded Philip. 3. 19. and thereby haue their heartes cleauing vnto the Earth for which cause must they much more become an Abhomination vnto the LORD then those Creeping thinges which naturally go with their Bellies vppon the ground Leuit. 11. 20. that though they haue some Kingdome yet haue they but a small portion of the Earth and that the least fixed Star in the Firmament as the Astrologians testifie is eighteene times bigger then the whole Earth that the Heathen Man could say by the Light of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An vnsatiable desire of getting is the greatest mischiefe among men that Couetousnesse worshippeth Angels not of Glory but of Gold euen the Creature for the Creator making Goods as they call them their Chiefest Good and Gold a God because Couetousnesse is Idolà try Coloss 3. 5. That to conclude â—iuitiarum hommâ— non sints ponitur vllus Man hath no end in getting or in his desire to gette But as hee which hath the dropsie the more hee drinketh the more hee thirsteth So the Earthly-minded Cormorant the more hee possesseth the more hee coueteth multiplying his possession but not increasing his ioy as we read Esay 9. 3. of multiplying the nations and not increasing their ioy Secondly this Meditation would beat and beare downe the Monster of Ambition by pondering that though the Ambitious man be growing so long as he is liuing yet doth hee no more then the slimy and brutish Crocodile that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Thus resisted hee proud Nimrod Saul 1 Pet. 5. 5. Haman Holofernes Herod c. Thus gaue hee grace to humble Abraham Dauid Mordochee Iudeth Iohn Baptist That it is not the Sweete Figge-tree nor the Fatte Oliue-tree nor the Pleasant Vine but the tearing and renting Bramble that presumptiously vsurpeth The dignity Judge 9. 8. 9. 10. Phauorinus of a Kingdome that the ambitious man according to the fage iudgement of a wise Gentile is Ridiculus odiosus miserabilis to bee laughed at to bee hated to bee pittyed To be laughed at is hee because hee seeketh after honors not measuring his owne strength whether he can bee able to beare them to bee hated because hee coueteth to bee aloft rather for the glory and honour of him-selfe then for the good and lucre of his Country to bee pittied is hee because it fareth with him for the most part as with the Snaile who it may bee climbeth vppe to the highest branch of the tree yet neuer attayneth to the full toppe thereof because the windes happely vnto whose force it is then most exposed puffeth and bloweth it downe in whome is verified that saying Tolluntur in altum Vt lapsugrauiore ruant Ciaudia lib. 1. They are more aduanced in their raise that they may be more bruised in their fall The Ambitious man is an eye-sore to others and a sore to him-selfe as one saith Honores tumores Honors are Tumors and Tumors are sores Esay 1. 6. Thirdly this Meditation would beate and beare downe the Monster of drunkennesse by weighing that it maketh a Man a Beast yea worse then a Beast for as much as a Beast taketh that measure which is conuenient for Nature and then is satisfied but Man seeketh not onely to content Nature by Naturall appetite but to quench Nature by Artificiall quaffings beeing heerein farre more beastly then the Beast in that the Beast is still susteined on his legges whereas Man cannot stand but while his head waueth Braine swimmeth Heart faileth him hee reeleth falleth by his reeling and lieth still beeing fallen that on a Drunkard which cannot beare it the world cryeth shame as on him whose legges foundereth hands shaketh head reeleth countenance is disfigured eyes inflamed tongue swolne belly belcheth and whole man to conclude is become a scorne of men because hee seemeth to bee the out-cast of the people that against a Drunckard which can beare it God denounceth a Woe Woe be to them Esay 5. 20. that are mighty to drinke Wine and to them which are strong to powre in strong drinke that Saint Chrysostome calleth Châ—â—st Senâ—ca the Drunkard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Liuing not Body but Carkasse That Drunkennesse is nothing else as one speaketh but a voluntary madnesse a madnesse is it so dangerous as it hath caused the great Conquerour of the World Alexander the great neuer therein to conquer him-selfe but to bee conquered by his passions so as hee slew his most deere friend Clytus burnt the renowmed Quint. Curâ—â— Citty Persepolis stabbed his Physition and committed many other filthy and infamous deedes that to conclude the Drunckard as writeth Saint Ambrose Though Ambros hee swalloweth downe the Wine is swallowed vp of the Wine abhorred of God despised of Angels derided of men destitute of Vertue confounded of Denills and trampled vpon by the feete of all men The like may bee said that this Meditation will doe with Gluttony Incontinencie Malice and that grand sinne of which Trismegistus saith that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great disease of the Soule I meane of Mercurius Trismegist Atheisme which execrable rather then miserable sect though they bee both because they giue little heede to the Booke of GOD or the sacred volume of the holye Scriptures if they would a little more strictly draw home the loose reines of their inconsiderate Sensuality and meditate some-what more seriouslye on the bookes of Nature conteined in the greater volume of the great World and the smaller Tome of Man him-selfe who is called the Little World they could not choose but assume and challenge to them-selues that name which the Scripture giueth them that they are fooles The foole hath said in his heart there is no God By this then which hath beene spoken may in some Psal 14. 1. measure appeare the danger which commeth by the neglect the good that ariseth by the Practise of Meditating If Philosophy bee the study of Wisdome and the knowledge of Christianity bee the true Wisdome then bee Christians alone the true Philosophers one saith of the life of a Philosopher that it is a perpetuall Meditation much more then ought the life a Christian so to bee as heere wee see that the taske of the Godly man in his paines is to meditate The second thing is the subiect of his paines in his lawe before we mentioned the aâ—te of meditating out-spread and at large more generally â—now are wee to consider the same as it is reduced and bound vp vnto the subiect more specially in his lawe doth hee meditate Dauid doth measure the mannage of a Godly mans behauiour by the cariage of his owne vertue I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy wayes Yea and his meditation hath Psal 119. 15. beene
Marke 9. 44. A Tophet Esay 30. 33. for the antiquity of it Prepared of old for the equity prepared not onely for the Begger but for the King for the capacitie of it in bottome Deepe in compasse Large For the fuell of it Much VVood yea the Burning thereof is said to bee Fire and much Wood where fire is made to bee as fuell to the fire for the bellowes thereof it is the Breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone to enkindle it as the Lord euer liueth so this fire euer lasteth because the bellowes of Gods breath neuer fayleth Seeing the Scripture in this place likeneth vs vnto trees whose end as wee see is eyther to become building in the Lords House of his Kingdome or else fuell for the sulphury flames of Hell Lette vs in the name of GOD whose name is great wonderful and holy and in the feare of God whose iudgments wee perceiue to be so grieuous and terrible labour as blessed beames shining with the beames of most bright glory to bee couched in the building of the Lord and auoyd to become as cursed brandes appointed to be scorched with the hellish fire of euer continuing torments Lette vs make vse of the saying of holy Chrysostome Chrysost who saith that God doth menace vs with hell-fire because hee would not haue vs come vnto it Let men be wiser then children and let warned men bee as burnt children The burnt childe saith the Prouerbe dreadeth the fire though it bee but a fire materiall and quenchable Oh how much more ought wee to dread especially beeing warned that fire which is Immateriall and Vnquenchable that so wee may not be as Trees appointed for Tinder in the Diuells furnace but as Trees ordayned for Tymber in GODS Pallace As hetherto wee haue heard Man compared to a Tree so the godly man is not like vnto an ordinary or triuiall Tree of a common condition but as it followeth in this Psalme hee is as a Tree which first for the originall of it is Planted Secondly for the situation of it By the Riuers of VVaters Thirdly for the fructifying of it VVill bring forth her fruite in due season Fourthly for the flourishing of it VVhose leafe shall not fade First then this Tree is sette downe vnto vs by the originall of it Planted It commeth not vppe then of the own accord but as it is planted by Gods hand If it came vppe of it selfe then were it not of Gods planting if it bee not of Gods planting then must it bee Plucked vpp by the rootes But it is otherwise with this Tree which beeing in the number of those trees of righteousnesse spoken of by the Prophet Esay is with them in that place of Gods planting Esay 61. 3. and therefore come not vp of it selfe This Doctrine first disableth and infringeth the free-will of Man this missticall Tree vnto good because he must bee planted hee cannot plant him-selfe Indeed Man at his first creation had free-will vnto good but since his fall that blessing is fallen from him as writeth Saint Augustine Male vtens predidit se et liberum arbitrium Euilly vsing his free-will hee hath lost him-selfe and his free-will so Angust de libero Arbit that now it so standeth with him that his Sweet is turned into Sower his Righteousnesse into Vnrighteousnes his Light into Darknesse and the Freedome of his Will to that which is Good into a thraldome of the same into that which is Euill in so much as though it mought then bee said of him potuit non peccare hee could not haue sinned yet now it must bee said of him non potest non pecare hee cannot but sinne The truth of this point may appeare vnto vs by the proofe of a plentiful argument First what good can bee willed by him who being considered as hee is a meare naturall man is as a dead man dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephe. 2. 2. Colo. 2. 3. so dead as to bee made aliue hee must bee borne againe Iohn 3. 3. yea created againe Ephe. 2. 10. Secondly what good can bee expected from him as a fruit of his Free-will therevnto who is wholy prone vnto and totally possessed with that which is euill The immagination of mans heart is euill euen from his Gen. 8. 21. youth vp Whereout I may obserue vnto you first that man is euill second that the heart of man the fountaine of all his actions is euill third that the imaginations of that heart the streames as it weare and riuerettes deriued therefrom are euill fourth euer euen from his youth vp Which being necessarily so because the Scripture hath aâ—â—irmed it to bee so what I beseech you is left in man that is sound Yea what is there left in him that is not vnsound The like testimony wee finde Roman 5. 8. They which are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh Sauour the things of the flesh that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their wisedome which should be most sauoury in them is become fleshly that which should be most sauory in them is corrupted If that which is most sauory in man euen his best partes is fleshly and corrupted What may we then conclude concerning that which is almost vnsauory in him but that it is most defiled polluted vncleane Thirdly the proofe of this point appeareth by the Contestations and Witnesse-bearing euen of the Gentiles them-selues who no doubt having deriued the same from the blessed fountaine of the Scriptures doe auouch and testifie the truth of this matter To omitt the residue I will insist on the Authority of two of the chiefest of them Plato writeth that vertues are in-bred in men afflatu numinis by the inspiration of the god-head Plato Arist Ethi lib. 1. Aristotle sayth Si quod donum dei est faelicitatem illud esse statuendum est c. If there be any thing which is the gift of God we must determine that to bee Faelicity or Blessednesse But this Blessednesse is no other thing saith he but the best action which proceedeth from the best faculty of the mind But how Per virtutem praestantissimam by the best Vertue which best Vertue cannot properly intimate any other thing vnto vs But God Fourthly the ancient and most flourishing times of the Church hath both affirmed and confirmed approued and proued the soundnesse of this Truth That Man of him-selfe cannot plant him-selfe in any good course as may be made manifest vnto vs both by Counsels and also by the wrightings of the most Orthodoxall fathers of the Church Amongst other Councells the Councell of Carthage and the Mileuitane Councell may giue vs satisfaction which both concerning this poynt haue beene anciently holden against Pelagius and with a sentâ—nce authorised by the Scriptures haue condemned mans Free-wil vnto good as haereticall Among the Orthodoxall Fathers S. August hath said It is true Man when he was first created receiued great Augu. sâ—r de corp
otherwise considering that their throat is an open sâ—pulchre yâ— their tongues haue they vsed to deceiue the poyson of aspes is vnder their lips their mouth is ful of cursing and bitternes Rom. 3. from ver 12. to 19. That is of execration and scornfulnesse the third root of the scorning of man The second kinde of Scorners are such as scorne God Though the kindnesse of these men bee many yet will I insist onely in three of them Whereof the first is the Couetous Mamonist The second the Sensuall Carnalist The third the Godlesse Atheist wherof the first is possessed with the VVorld the second swayed by the Flesh the third blinded by the Diuel The firstâ—hen of the three is the Couetous Mammonist possessed by the world We read 2. Corinth 4. 4. of a God of the world But these men make the World their GOD appointing gods of gold and siluer to go before them and as Riches increase setting their hearts vppon them contrary to that Psal 62. 10. Of this Mammonist if wee would know him in his right coullors there be these signes 1. an eager and sharpe desire of getting and heaping together for a man that hath a wicked eye hasteth to get riches 2. â— â—rou 28. 22. pinching and niggardly keeping that he hath gotten neuer willingly parting from it though it be to neuer so holy an vse 3. A neglect of holy duties and a coldnesse in Gods matters 4. A trust in ritches A thing which the Couetous minded man is so prone vnto as Timothy is admonished of S. Paul not only to exhort but as if that were too little to charge the rich men in this world not to trust in vncertaine riches If Mammonists then trust in their Ritches 1 Tim 5. 17. what do they but make them their God As if when Ritches â—ee on their side nothing could bee against them Not vnlike the ritch worldling aâ— these professed worldlings Luk 12. 18. 19. who whâ— he had resolued with himselfe that hee would pull downe his barnes and builde greater and therein would gather all his fruites and goodes charged his soule with this vaine Applause Soule thou hast much goods layd vppe for many yeares line at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime To this end Couetousnesse is called by the name of Idolatry Colo. 3. 5. A golden Image is it which though there be no Commandement for it as was for that golden Image which Nabuchadnezzar set vpp yet all nations and language are ready to fall downe and worship Dan. 3. 5. Couetsous men as they cannot serue God and Mammon so doe they forsake God to cleaue to Mammon playing heerein the part of an Adulterer who beeing ioyned to his wife coupleth him-selfe with an other So the Coueteous man howsoeuer he be Married vnto God yet Adultereth in imbracing Gold and then scorneth God as the Adulterous Husband doth his Wife The second kinde of Scorner which doth Scorne God is swayed by the flesh The wisedome of which flesh is emnity against God If it be graunted that it is emnity against Rom 8. 7. God then is there no doubt but that it beareth an Affection of Scorne against him-selfe The sensuall Concupiscence which is found in the carnall-minded man may bee likened vnto Hagar the bond-woman who when she had conceiued Despised Sara her mistresse so when this Lust had conceiued and brought forth Sin then wil it despisea Scorn euen Godâ— him-selfe The third kind of Scorner which doth scorne God is the Godesse Iam. 1. 15. Atheist whom the Diuel hath blinded This hath the diuel done that he may the rather lead them to Hel as Heliah strook the heart of Aramites with blindnes to lead them to Samaria and deliuer them into the hands of their enemies 2 Reg 6. 18. 19. Hence it is that while they gracelesselye yea hellishly maintaine that Gods Omnipotency is Impotency his Wisedome folly his Prouidence ignorance his Iustice partiallity his Truth a lye Him-selfe either not to be at all or if hee bee that he regardeth not humane actions They cause their Heart to waxe bigge against the Searcher of Psal 2. 4. Hearts they lift vppe their heele against Heauen and whett their tongue against their Maker so as they haue him in derision on earth who hath them in derision in heauen and so scorne him who will here-after scourge them for it A kinde of people bee these who may rather bee called Diuells incarnate then people Who as a worthy Historian writeth haue defaced the diuine Character French Hist in Charl 9. of the soule and haue prostrate the same at the pleasure of the stinking gate of Hell A Vermine which as the same Historian mentioneth in the Kingdome of France in the reigne of Charles the ninth attained to the number O ruthful report of thirty thousand men as their chief Leader then confessed but since that time saith hee it hath hadde so great a scope as such as deale with it in great houses are called Phylosophers and Astrologers As this hath beene said concerning France So doe I humbly bend the knee of my soule before the Throne of Gods Maiesty praying both with the vtt-most and in-most zeale of my spirit that it may not once bee suspected of England A brood of hell are they not to bee confuted with wordes of argument but to bee cutte off with swordes of punishment That so without reply both their mouth may bee stopped and breath choaked A iudgement no doubt too mercyful for them who call into question that which Heauen and Earth Angels Men Diuels all Ages of the World all Languages of Nations do affirme auouch attest approue and verifie and the conscience of the Atheist is more then a thousand witnesses to testifie as one writeth affirmant tibi non sibi interdiu non noctu Tney affirme so to thee not to them-selues in the day when they thinke they may be more bold not in the night when feare doth more possesse them Tully writeth of Metrodorus an Atheist of his Tully time Nec quenquam vidi qui magis ea timeret quae timenda esse negaret mortem dico et Deos Neither haue I seene any man man more fearefull of those thinges which hee sayd were not to bee feared I meane Death and GOD. If God be to be Feared then is he not O cursed Atheists to be Scorned The second thing that I am to handle is that there is A chayre of those scornefull ones The Scripture commendeth vnto vs a threefold Chayre of Doctrine of Iustice and of scorning First of Doctrine in this sence our Blessed Sauiour saith of the Scribes and Pharisies that they sitt in Moyses chaire Math. 23. 2. Teaching as hee taught in the same seate but sweruing from the puritie of his Doctrine because they taught with much corruption Secondly wee read of a chayre or seate of Iustice or 1. Reg 10. 18. Iudgement such a one may
he mought neuer reuiue againe He doth with S. Bernard labor Bernard in cant and striue and so neare as he can take a bond of him-selfe that he wil present him-selfe vnto God rather indicatum iudged by him-selfe then iâ—diâ—andum to bee iudged by God In which acceptation the very actions of a godly man in his vices may bee said respectiuely or effectiuely to bee prospered The second kind of actions of the godly man is such as hee vndergoeth patiendo by passion or suffering Which though they bee Passions in regard of the carriage of the burthen of them yet in respect of the godly mans carriage of him-selfe vnder this burthen may they be reduced to the head of Actions Herein all crosses losses afflictings persecutings torturings tormentings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. fire gallowes renting of wilde beastes ripping vppe of bowelles distraction and contrition of bones bruising of members binding â—gnatius â—pist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the whole body yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the punishment of the Diuell him-selfe Which holy Ignatius speaketh off shall become an aduantage to the Godly man and therefore vnder them in regard of his cariage toward them shall hee prosper The whole body of bloody persecutions consist of Tortures Whereof the one is of that nature that it taketh not suddenly our life from vs but lingereth it in torments for a time In this the action of the Godly man doth prosper because there-vnder hee betaketh him-selfe to God by Grace as children then â—unne most to the Parentes when they are in most perill The other kind of torture is of that condition that it speedily and forth-with dispatcheth vs and maketh a separation of our soule from our body In this also the action of the Godly man doth prosper in that calling on God and saying with Stephen Lord Iesus receaue my spirit he shall be brought to God in glory like Eliah who with a whirl-wind and fiery chariot was mounted vp into heauen Oh then how blessed how happy a thing is it to bee A Godly Man the lease of whose outward appearance ioyned with his inward truth shall not perish and what-so-euer hee doth it shall prosper Whether it bee his actions either in vertues or in vices also as they lead him to speedy repentance and make him for the time to come more wise in knowledge and more wary in his cariage or whether they bee his passions and sufferings as meanes to bring him neare vnto God in this life by Grace and to cause him to dwell with God in the life to come in Glory requickning or reuiuing him as the Phaenix out of her owne ashes so out of the ashes of the fiery tryall of bloody persecutions not with the Phaenix to a life of fiue hundred yeares but to an age of Millions yea Millions of ages euerlastingly No maruaile though Ignatius despised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The endes of the world and the Kingdome of this age in comparison of this most glorious aâ—â—heiuement Wher the Apostle saith of Godlinesse that it is great gaine 1. Tim. 6. 6. Hee mought well haue said that it is the greatest gaine which bringeth with it such profits such priuiledges such praefermentes The second generall part of this Psalme is that which concerneth the wicked vers 4 5. Wherein we may please to bee aduised of two poyntes Frst the Introduction into the matter of it in the beginning of the forth vers The wicked are not so Secondly the Declaration of the matter it selfe first by way of Similitude But as the chaffe which the minde scattereth away Second by way of Sentence from thence deriued ver 5 the particular branches whereof shall in there due place be opened and handled First must bee assumed vnto our handling the Introduetion into the matter The wicked are not so The speech is negatiue and excludeth the wicked from al that which the spirit of God in the fore-going part of this Psalme hath witnessed concerning the Godly both touching the Euidence of their Vertues and the Recompence for there Vertues The Euidence of the Vertues of the Godly in the Negatiue part of it was that they walke not in the counsell of the wicked stand not in the way of sinners sit not in the seate of the scornefull but it is Affirmatiue in the wicked which is Negatiue in the Godly because they walke in the counsel of the wicked stand in the way of sinners and sit in the seat of the scornefull The Euidence of the vertues of the Godly in the affirmatiue part thereof was that there delight was in the Lawe of the Lord and in his Law doe they meditate day and night but it is Negatiue in the wicked which is Affirmatiue in the Godly for there delight is in nothing lesse then in the Law of the Lord. Neither doe or will they meditate therein either night or day From the Recompense for the vertues of the GODLY the wicked are also excluded by this Negatiue testimony Blessednesse is the reward of the GODLY but Cursednesse is the wages of the wicked cursed be the man which obeieth not the words of Gods Couenant Ierem. 11. 3. The Godly man is sayd to bee A tree planted of GOD him-selfe by the riuers of waters which wil bring foâ—th her fruit in due season whose very leafe shall not fade But the vngodly man is as a wilde tree planted not by God but growing of him-selfe not by the Riuers of waters but in the waste and barren Wildernesse not that will bring forth her fruite in due season but which will bring forth no fruite at all in any season and his leafe of outward shew of pompe and vanity otherwise then the leafe of the godly shall fade To conclude as it is said of the godly VVhat-soeuer hee shall doe it shall prosper So is it to bee an indubiâ—able and vndenyable speech touching the wicked The wieked are not so But what-soeuer he doth shall not be prospered For the better vnderstanding heereof Let vs I beseech you draw the Actions of the vngodly to those heades vnto the which wee haue formerly drawne the Doings of the godly and we shal vndoubtedly find that as the actions of the godly shall are and haue beene prospered So the doings of the vngodly neither haue beene are or shall be prospered These doings or actions consist as before wee haue heard eyther in that which they vnder-take faciendo by doing or else in that which they vnder-go patiendo by suffering Those actions which the wicked vnder-take faciendo by doing let them be obserued in their Vertues so abusiuely called and in their Vices First for their Vertues They are as August speaketh of the wordes of Infidels but spendida peccata glistering August sinnes The beauty whereof canne no more dispense with them to bee no sinnes then the sweete which it may leaue on the pallate can warrant poyson to bee no poyson The vertues of the wicked they
bee no vertues but the Image of them as the Image of Dauid was shewed by Michol to delude Saul her fathers messengers for Dauid him-selfe 1. Sam. 19. 16. These their vertues are done by the wicked first for shew as Hypocrites like a dung-hill couered with snowe white without but full of stench and pollution within Hypocrites though they be as fire without whot and bright yet bee they as water within first cold as water secondly as we vse to say in a prouerbe Weake as water They haue it may be the coulour and appearance of salt but not the smacke and rellish of it What tast is there 〈◊〉 the white of an Egge Iob. 6. 6. so may we say what tast is there in the salt of an Hypocrite The spirit of GOD witnesseth of an Harlot that Prou. 5. 3. 4. her lips dropp as an hony-combe and her mouth is more soft then oyle but the end of her is bitter as worme-wood and sharp as a two-edged sword That which there is said of the Harlot may also bee verified of the Hypocrite that the sweetnesse of hony and smoothnesse of oyle is in his outward countenance and appearance but within lurketh euen the bitternesse of worme-wood and the dissembling of a double heart like the wounding of a two-edged sword How can then euen the vertuous actions if it bee lawfull so to call them of such as masâ—ke vnder the vizard of Hypocrysie be prospered by GOD who will bee worshipped not in shew and doubling but in spirit and truth Iohn 4. 24. Yea how shall hee not rather not onely defeate and dis-prosper them but also euen vtterly auenge and confound them to giue these Hypocrites their portion With Hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 24. 51. Weeping which commeth of heat and gâ—ashing of teeth which commeth of cold to them which are Luke-warme neyther whot nor cold as it is said of the Church of Laodicia S. Basil likeneth the hypocrite vnto the Idoll Bell externe quideÌ„ habenti aes lutum vero sub aere falgente absconditum Basil Hâ—mil in aâ—quo Script locos Hauing brâ—sse without but clay hidden vnder that shining brasse within Of this also may we be sure that the lott of the Hypocrites shall become by the iust iudgement of God like vnto the lott of Bell who beeing deliuered Dargon Hist Bell into the hand of Daniell which signifieth the iudgment of God was by him destroyed There-fore in regard of these vertuous actions of the wicked varnished ouer with the glosse of Hypocrisie cannot they be said to bee prospered but rather as the Scripture importeth to be confounded and ouer-whelmed The wicked are not so Secondly these their vertues are done by the wicked for praise of men Like vaine-glorious-ones who may deseruedly be censured to haue hunted after the winde and when they haue caught and as they thinke possessed it yet doe they but inherite the winde Prou. 11. 29. Vaine-glory is a limbe of pride and God which resisteth the proud 1. Pet. 5. 5. resisteth also these vaine-glorious actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The giftes of enemies are no giftes so the vertues of the wicked are no vertues vertues in name but not in nature pretending great matters in title but not in truth like Absolon whose name signifieth the Father of peace yet disturbed he his fathers peace and him-selfe became the sonne of rebellion Absolon to gett him-selfe a popular applause among men and a name on earth reared vp vnto him-selfe A pillar in the Kinges-dale to keepe his name in remembrance because he had no sonne which he called after his owne name 2. Sam. 18. 18. So the wicked exercise their vertues euen as the old World builded their Babell to gett them a name and a renowne amongst men But as Absolon was not prospered in his intendment for as much as what hee purposed one way God disposed another his end beeing to bee hanged by the hayre on an Oake to bee pierced through with dartes to be cast into a pitte in a Wood and to haue a mighty greate heape of stones layd vppon him 2. Sam. 18. 17. So these vaine-gloriously vertuous actions of the wicked shall be dispersed not prospered as the true vertuous actions of the godly shall be prospered not dispersed The wicked are not so Thirdly these their vertuous actions are done by the wicked for their owne good consisting eyther in Profit or in Praeferment like Polititians For their owne good consisting in profitt like vserers forbearing the present principall for future aduantage Thus the diuell him-selfe may bee said to bee a Well-doer who will as experience teacheth benefit and help the bodies to the end he may gaine and swallow vp the soules of men The wicked do also vertuous actions for their owne good consisting in Praeferment to gett mens heartes to the end that mens hearts thus gotten may giue them high place and aduancement This was the Diuells case who when he he had Christ vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world and would haue giuen them him also but not of simple charity and true bounty but vpon condition that he mought gaine the greatest honor that euer yet was yeelded to any creature namely that CHRIST the Son of God yea a GOD him-selfe at whose name euery knee should bow of thinges in heauen the good Angels of things in earth Men and of thinges vnder the Earth Diuels Phil. 2. 10. Should bow the knee yea which is more Luke 4. 5. Should fall downe and worship him This likewise is the case of all the wicked which are of their Father the Diuell Who will helpe vppe some-what inwordly pollicy the state of them which are downe to the end they may helpe their owne estate vpp But these vertuous doings of these vngodly dooers cannot be prospered because Christ will ouer-throw such Mony-changers themselues which change small that they may gaine great summes of money as some-time hee ouer-threw the â—ables of the Money-changers in the Temple Iohn 2. â—5 and make a scourge for the backes of such Merchandizers of Profit And for them which by this meanes affect preferment There exaltation shall prooue like an Exhalation mounting aloft and forth-with turned into lightning which shall bee cast downe the estate of Sathan him-selfe and the lotte of his followers who was seene to fall as lightning from Heauen Luk. 10. 18. Therefore though the Luk 10. 18. vertuous actions of the godly shall prosper yet may it bee said of the vngodly The wicked are not so Secondly the dooings of the wicked are those which hee vnder-taketh faciendo by action respecting his Vices Seeing his vertues haue beene found to haue no better successe his vices can much lesse bee expected to bee prospered The vices of the godly not simply but respectiuely were sayd to prosper because they lead him to a speedy wise and wary repentance But with the vngodly
Exod. 14 27 seauenty Kings before as Saul who would haue fastened Iudg 1. 6. 7. 1. Sam. 18. 11. 1. Sam. 31. 4. Dauid to the wall with his Iâ—uelin slew himselfe with his owne Sworde on mount Gilboah as Ieroboam which had defiled the Religion and house of the Lord should himselfe become as that which is most defiled euen as doung and hee which had made molten Images to dishonour GOD him-selfe should not haue a liuing Image or 1. Râ—g 14 1â— Ibid. Childe in his posteritye to continue his name and he which liued as a plague to the Church dyed plagued by God as Ahab who had shed Nahaoths innocent blood 2. Chr. 13. 20 1. Reg. 21. 13. had his bloud also shed and dogges licking vp the same as that Antiochus which despised GOD and Herod which 1. Reg 22. 38 tooke that honor vpon him that was due vnto God were consumed of wormes Against these the rage of the winde 2. Macch. 9. 9 Acts. 12. 23 of Gods iudgement hath beene caryed as against men of an earthy affection inclination disposition which were not in their time as it is said of the Saints of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the word signifieth men singled as it were and sifted from the earth but like the old Giants terrae filâ—i the sonnes of the earth who as they haue fought against heauen so hath heauen fought against them by this winde of Gods iudgement The third consideration which may remembrance vs the Iudgement of God is as the winde it is the quality of the Winde wherein wee may take sundry obseruations First the quality of the winde is to be inuisible to the eye so commeth the Iudgement of God inuisibly when men are least aware of it for when men shall say Peace yea when in a double confidence they shall double their securitie 1. Thess 5. 3. and say peace peace then shall sudden destruction come on them Gods iudgment is securis in securitate inflicta an Axe layde to the roote of the Tree to cut it downe when the Tree thinketh her-selfe furthest from the blowe a stroake which is fealt before it is seene euen as of the winde Nabuchad-nezzar was swollen vp with the winde of his vaine heart boasting in the height of his pride concerning his Babylon Is not this great Babel which I haue Dan 4. 27. built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiesty Where wee may obserue that of the manner of his speech hee vttereth it by way of interrogation or asking of a question examining as it were him-selfe therein that so the great thoughts of his proud heart mought with a secret Affirmatiue make answer vnto him by meanes whereof hee mought further glory that it was so But while hee was thus puffed vp with the winde of vanity the inuisible winde of Gods iudgement seazed on him a winde indeed because as a winde it was heard and felt but not seene Hee sawe nothing but hee heard a voyce from heauen saying O King Nabucchad-nezzar to thee bee it spoaken thy kingdome is departed from thee vers 28. Yea and felt also a stroake which euen the same houre caused that alteration in him that hee was driuen from men hee did eate grasse as the Oxen his body was wette with the dew of heauen till his haires were growne like Aegles Feathers and his natles like Vers 30. Birdes clawes Wee read of the beating of the earth with the sound of GODS thunder Thunder is not seene but Eccle. 43. 17. heard and felt because it hath a sound and beateth the earth so is it with the winde of Gods Iudgement which was both felt and heard of Nehucchad-nezzar but not seene because it came as the winde inuisible Secondly the quality of the winde is to bee swift in his course so the Iudgement of God commeth swiftly when it commeth for it is as a winged booke which commeth flying Zacha. 5. 1. as the winde it selfe is sayd to haue wings Psalm 18. 10. Fiercenesse and swiftnesse they goe together as therefore the wrath of the LORD is a fierce wrath so must it also bee a swift wrath The Iere. 4. â— comming of Nabucchad-nezzar against the people of Izraell for their sinnes is likened for the speedy assault thereof vnto the most swift things as that for his person hee shall come vp as the Clowds for his Charrets ther should bee as a tempest for his Horses they should bee lighter then Aegles Ierem. 4. 13. And Ierem. 4. 11. 12. is this his comming compared First to a winde Secondly to a dry North-wind whose force is most swift and boysterous Thirdly to a mighty winde to shew vnto vs that the Iudgment of God heere called by the name of the winde is and must bee accordingly An Arrowe driuen out of the bow of some Archer among men goeth very swiftly much more swiftly of necessity must the arrowes of Gods iudgement fly which hee sendeth out of the bent-bow of the clouds In which place God by Salomon is described as an armed Champion who purposeth to avenge himselfe on his enemies whose armour is ielousie vers 17. brest-plate righteousnesse helmet iudgement vers 18. inuincible shield holinesse vers 19. sword wrath and the whole world the abetters of his quarrell against the wicked verse 20. arrowes thunderboltes which shall not vainely roue in the aire but fly to the marke out of the bent bow of the cloudes ver 21. Arrowes which wust needs be most swift and peircing being such arrowes deliuered out of such a bow by such an Archer further as if all this were too little it is added verse 22. agreeable to this of my purpose that a mighty wind shall stand vp against them and shall scatter them as a storme like the wind then is Gods Iudgement because swift as the Winde Thirdly the quality of the Winde is to bee vnequall not bearing at all times one and the selfe same force but Intended and Remitted in his strength so fareth it with the Iudgement of GOD which some-times alighteth on our goods which bee neare some-time on our Friends Children Bodies which be nearer then they some-times on our Liues which bee nearest of all Wee wade in the waters of troubles which GOD hath allotted for vs euen as Ezechiell passed through the waters that issued out of the Temple First vp to the ancles then vp to the knees after vp to the loynes and in the ende it became a riuer impassable Ezechi 47. â— 4. 5. Gods Iudgement is as a cuppe mixed with wine and dreggs to shew that as the Wine is better then Psa 75. 8. the Dregges and the Dregges worse then the Wine so there bee degrees and distinctions in the execution of Gods wrath who raineth from heauen vpon the vngodly snares fire and brim-stone and stormy tempest not snares alone nor fire brimstone alone nor
conâ—rition in his soule and spirit conâ—ession in his heart and tongue and newnesse of life in his â—eeds and manners neither doth he onely repent solicite carefully but mature speedily as writeth S. Ambros S. Ambroâ— de 〈◊〉 lib. â— cap. 2. â—east that saith hee that husband-man in the Gospeâ—â— which planted a siggâ—-â—â—ce in his vineyard comming to 〈◊〉 â—râ—ite and finding none sayth to the keeper of the vâ—â—eyarde 〈◊〉 it aowne for what doth it combriâ—g the ground Hee doth as saith â—aint Augustine accuse himselfe Aug. de verâ— Inuocatie that he may be excused in the presence of the iust mercifull Iudge to whom hee is to become accomptable As sinne doth assault his soule when it is weakest so doth he oppose him-selfe against the same where it is strongest that hee may by that meanes root it out This hath beene the practise as it may appeare by their writings of the famous ancient Fathers and Saints of the Church Athenagoras Clemens Iustinus Martir Arnobius Minutius Lactantius and diuers other who made it the first thing they did after their conuersion from gentilisme to the truth to denounce warre most chiefly against that sinne vnto which they haue found themselues most inclined These were pecatores sinners but because they speedily shaked off their sinne as Paule did the â—â—per they weare Hilar. Enarre in Psal â— not impii Godlesse ones as Samt Hillary maketh a distinction â—hese are not the sinners heere spoken of which shall not rise nor stand in the assembly of the righteous The second kinde of sinners bee such as so sinne that they may adde sinne vnto sinne as the theese addeth lying to theft and periury to lying These by their custome of sinning haue made sâ—nne habituall yea rather perpetuall vnto them It is impossible for them not to sinne as it is impossible for the fire not to warme In them hath sinne gotten the colour of a Blacke-Moore which cannot bee â—â—tered and the spotts of a Leopard which cannot bee washed away At the dore of whose heart the gâ—ace of GOD knocketh 〈…〉 all or if it knocketh it is but in vaine for there is 〈◊〉 opening As they are flesh Iohn 3. 6. so this flesh is 〈◊〉 dead flesh altogether vncureable neyther is it to be◠〈…〉 led with sharpe Corrosiues of the lawe neyther 〈◊〉 bee salued by the more gentle Lenitiues of the 〈…〉 pell These are not contrite for their sinne that so â—â—ey may confesse and amend it but they palliaâ—e their sinâ—e that they may still keepe it and committe it Oathes say they are but sparkes of courage Blasphemies but as ordinary speeches Couetousnesse frugality Prodigality bounty Tyranny fortitude Curiosity honesty Adultery a youthfull sport Symony a common trade of merchandise And as in these so in euery sinne haue they a fayre vizard to putte ouer a foule face that they may vaile and couer it To whom their sinne is like Iesabell which made Ahab to sinne whose face was painted and them-selues like Ahab doe sell them-selues to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. These be the sinners meant in this place where it 1 Reg. 2â— 25. is sayd that the sinners shall not rise nor stand in the Assembly of the righteous The sinners of this desperate kind shall not rise nor stand in this assembly of the Righteous First in that part thereof Militant vpon earth which consisteth of that meeting which standeth in hearing the word read or Preached in receiuing the sacraments and in prayers Because how-soeuer they are it may be among the righteous in their Assemblies yet are they not of their Assemblies they be it may be as one of yâ— assembly but for as much as they are vnrighteous they cannot be of the assembly of the righteous For how can it otherwise be considering that they heare the word as Sinners not as yâ— Righteous receiue the Sacraments as sinners not as the Righteous tender vp their praiers vnto God as Sinners not as yâ— Righteous as Lucifer was among the Angels Caine in the house of Adam Ismaell in the house of Abraham Esau in the house of Isaas C ham in the Arke Saul among the Prophets the Tares with the wheate the Goates with the sheepe Iudas among the Apostles so are these in thâ— Assembly of the righteous as Cyphers which signifie nothing not as figures which haue both a number and power with them They beare a shew haply of religion but are furthest from it as Athaliah being her selfe the onely vsurping traytresse cryed out Treason treason 2. Reg. 11. 14. They are in comparison of the righteous but as Waspes compared with Bees which as Tertullian writeth Tertul. make Combes as the Bees doe but neither are Bees nor worke so profitably as the Bees They are within this Assembly of the righteous by hypocrisie but not of it in Sincerity considered in that part of it Militant here vpon earth Secondly they can much lesse rise or sâ—and in that part of the assembly of the righteous which is triumphant in heauen because they shall neuer come thither much lesse stand there If Moses neither could nor mought stand in the presence of God in that holy land which is but a Type of this triumphant assembly vntill hee had taken his shooes from Exod. 3. 5. his feete Oh how much lesse shall these sinfull and reprobate ones stand in the most glorious presence of the Lord in the true holy land the true Canaan it selfe being not onely holy but the holy of holyes of God the holyest hauing the feete of their affections shod with nothing else but defilednesse and pollution Hell must bee their prison for the wicked shall bee turned Psal 9. 17. to hell and the people that forget God Heauen cannot possibly become their pallace for such must stand without the heauenly Ierusalem the city of the great King Apoc. 22. 25. Art thou then a Sinner of this nature vnto whome sinne sitteth as neare as the graft to the stock which concorporateth and becommeth one with it Behold then the fruite of this thy sinne which is not onely shame and reproach but also euerlasting ruine and conâ—usion He which Riseth in the great thoughtes of his owne heart and Standeth as high in his owne conceipt as euer Nabucchadnezzar did Dan. 4. 27 yet if from the crowne of the head to the soule of the foote there is nothing to bee found but woundes and swellings and sores full of corruption Esaâ— 1. 6. then shall hee neither rise nor stand in the assembly of the righteous not onely that part thereof which appertayneth to the Church Millitant here on earth but also that part thereof which belongeth to the Church Triumphant in heauen For what reason may bee alledged why hee should bee admitted into heauen whose mâ—â—d hath beene wholy fixed vpon earth why hee should triumph as a conquerour in heauen which â—euer warred as a souldier vpon earth fighting against the Souldiers
of the Diuell the lustes of our flesh the enemiâ—s of our soules Our losse is greater hereby then there could haue come aduantage by Herodes guift to her to whome it was promised Herodes guift was but Halâ—e a Kingdome for a vaine pleasure Mark 6. 22. 23. But we doe lose a Whole Kingdome for a sinnefull pleasure We lose a kingdome but not an ordinary kingdome but most rich most honorable most â—oyfull most constant most durable First it is a most Rich Kingdome The riches whereof may appeare vnto vs by that discription of the principall and royall citty thereof Apocal. 21 Whose shining is as Iaspar and as cleare as Christall and the Citty it selfe of pure gold and like vnto cleare glasse the twelue foundations aâ—e twelue pretious stones and the twelue gates twelue pearles Siluer is there reputed but as base mettall for it is not so much as mentioned but Pretious Stones and Pearles and Gold onely spoken of Secondly it is a most Honorable Kingdome It was a right honorable report which Cyneas the Ambassâ—dour of Pyrrhus King of the Epirottes gaue concerning the Senators of Rome beeing demanded at his returne from thence of his Lord what hee thought of them to whom hee made this answere that they seemed vnto him a Senate of Kings But farre more honorable is that which may bee reported concerning this Kingdome â— that all the members thereof not seeme but are Kings euen an innumerable multitude of most honourable Kings Aug dâ—verâ— inâ—ocâ—nâ—â— cap. 19â— and yet as Saint Augustine witnesseth The Kingdome shall not bee streightened by the multitude of Kings Thirdly it is a most ioyfull kingdome where our ioy shall bee perfect ioy vnto the which nothing can bee added euen full ioy 1. Iohn 1 4. Fourthly It is a most constant Kingdome because it hath no muâ—inye within no conspiracie with-out to shake it Fifthly and lastly it is a most durable kingdome being indeed the end for which wee were created but hauing no end it selfe as writeth Saint Augustine Quis alius noster est finis nisi peruenire ad regnum â—uius nullus est finis Aug. de â—iuâ—â— deâ— lib. 2â— What other end haue wee but to come to the kingdome whereof there is no end For asmuch as then Sinne by bereauing vs of this triumphant part of the Assembly of the righteous despoileth vs also there-with-all of a kingdome not of an ordinarie sort but of a supereminent condition as that which is most rich honorable ioyfull constant durable Oh! how ought it to stirre vp our secure and to set an edge to out duil spirits that wee may banish sinne and obtaine this kingdome not reteine sinne that wee may bee banished this kingdome There is no man so sinfull but God will bee mercifull if man can bee truely sâ—rrowfull The Iustice of GOD saith Saint Augustine hath looked Augâ—â— Psal 84. downe from heauen saying Let vs spare this man because hee hath not spaâ—ed him-selfe Let vs acknowledge him because hee hath acknowledged him-selfe Hee is turned to punish his sinne and let vs turne to deliuer him from sinne By this meanes shall we not sincke and fall but rise and stand in the assembly of the righteous This Psalme at the first enterance there-vpon suffered a three-fold diuision The first concerned the state of the godly in the three first verses The second the state of the vngodly in the fourth and fift verses The third and last the condition of them bothâ— in the sixt and last verse of this Psalme Which sixth verse as an Epiphomenia or acclamation answereth to the precedent matter of this Psalme For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked shall perish In which words there offer them-selues vnto my further amplification and handling a double branch The former is the branch of Gods fauour toward the righteous The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous The other the branch of Gods rigor toward the wicked The way of the wicked skall perish The branch of Gods fauour to the godly first commeth to my hand and handling This conteineth in it two points First what the way of the righteous here spoken of meaneth Secondly that the Lord knoweth it That wee may the better vnderstand what the way of the righteous meaneth Let vs be aduertised that the righteous haue a three-fold way The first naturall and of Generation The second ciuill and of Profession The third Spirituall and of Regeneration The first of the three is of necessity for their being the other two de bene esse for their well being The one for the well being in the Common-wealth against Idlenesse and want The other for their well being in the Church against Sinne and Punishment The way naturall or of generation of the righteous necessary to their being is that which is both of their birth into this world and life in this world A thing is this common to them with all men not onely with them who liue vnder the happy and blessed awe of Magistracie and gouernment but euen with Barbarians and Sauages them-selues neuer yet swayed or ruled by the Scepter or Sword of any Magistrate In this acceptation waye may be taken Gen. 6. 12. where it is sayd All flesh haue corrupt their way vpon earth their way c. that is the way of their life and being That though GOD at the first had created them in holynesse and integrity yet haue they turned away to froward wayes Eccles 2. 15. that they mought weary them-selues in the way of Wickednesse Wisdom 5. 7. The second way of the Righteous is that which is ciuill or of some profession of necessity to their well-being in the common-wealth Or this the prophet Dauid speaketh Psal 36. 4. They Imagine mischiefe in their bed for they haue set them-selues in noâ— good way Where the prophet maketh it the originall and fountayne-head of sinne and mischiefe in the vngodly because they want the good way of the godly that is a good callinge of ciuill profession or conuersation amonge men This thinge affirme I to bee necessary amonge the righteous to their wel-beeing in the common-weale first in regard of Idlenesse thereby to be auoyded secondly in respect of want to bee shunned First Idlenesse by the Righteous is heereby to bee auoyded Idlenesse is a fault which becommeth a graue of a liuing man and must needs belong vnto him which is not in the way of some calling or profession The Idle then becommeth toward himselfe as Raguell to Tobiah who made a graue for him before hee was dead Tob. 8. â— A sinne of Sodome not of Ierusalem to bee found in the reprobates not the righteous a badge of Sathans sluggards not of Gods seruants nunquam otiosus â—ei seruus saith Saint Bernard the seruant of God is neuer idle in the way of his well-beinge in the common-wealth least Bernard hee should bee in Citties as Drones in hiues rather to bee