good for vs as the Nurse knoweth better then the child when the milke is readie for it Therefore Christ saith in Mathew 6. 32 Your heauenly Father knoweth what you haue need of He sayth not that we know what we haue neede of but that our Father knoweth as if hee should say When you haue neede of health your Father will send you health when you haue neede of riches your Father will send you riches when you haue neede of libertie your Father will send you libertie for hee sayth not onely that his Father knoweth what wee haue neede of but that Hee will giue vs the things which wee neede Matth. 7. Verse 11. Therfore as children take no care for their apparell what cloathes they shall weare nor for their victuals what meat they shall eate but leaue this care for their father so sayth Christ Take you no care for my father careth for you He was not content to cal Godlinesse gaine but he calleth it Great gaine as if hee woulde say gaine and more then gaine riches and better then riches a kingdome and greater then a kingdome As when the Prophets would distinguish betweene the idoll Gods and the liuing God they call him the Great God so the gaine of godlines is called Great gaine The riches of the world are called earthlie transitorie snares thornes dung as though they were not worthie to be counted riches and therfore to draw the earnest loue of men from them the holy-Ghost brings them in with such names of disdaine to disgrace them with their louers but when hee comes to Godlines which is the riches of the soule hee calleth it great riches heauenly riches vnsearchable riches euerlasting riches with al the names of honor and al the names of pleasure and all the names of happinesse As a woman trimmes and deckes her selfe with an hundred ornaments onely to make her amiable so the holy-Ghost setteth out godlinesse with names of honor names of pleasure and names of happines as it were in her Iewels with letters of commendation to make her to bee beloued Lest anie riches should compare with godlinesse he giues it a name aboue other and calleth it great riches as if hee would make a distinction betweene riches and riches betweene the gaine of couetousnes the gaine of godlines the peace of the world and the peace of conscience the ioy of riches and the ioy of the holy Ghost The worldly men haue a kinde of peace and ioy and riches but I cannot call it great because they haue not inough they are not contented as the godlie are therefore onely godlinesse hath this honour to be called great riches The gaine of couetousnesse is nothing but wealth but the gaine of godlinesse is wealth and peace and ioy and loue of God and the remission of sinnes and euerlasting life Therefore onely godlines hath this honour to be called Great gaine Riches make bate but godlines makes peace riches breede couetousnesse but godlines brings contentation riches make men vnwilling to dye but godlines makes men readie to dye riches often hurt the owner but godlines profiteth the owner and other Therefore onely godlines hath this honour to be called great riches such gayne such ioy such peace is in godlinesse and yet no man couets it for this is the qualitie of vertue it seemeth nothing vnto a man vntill he hath it as Salomon saith of the buyer while hee is in buying hee dispraiseth the thing which hee buyeth and sayth It is naught it is not worth the price which ye aske but when he hath bought it so soone as he is gone he boasteth of his peni worths and saith it is better than his money So godlines before a man haue it hee saith it is not worth his labour and thinks euerie houre too much that hee spendeth about it but when he hath found it he would not lose it againe for al the worlde because hee is nowe come to that which followeth To be contented with that he hath Heere Paule sheweth with what a man should bee contented not with a thousande poundes nor a hundred pounds nor twentie poundes but with that hee hath and there is great reason why hee should so because no man knoweth what is fit for him so well as his Caruer And therefore euerie one should esteeme so reuerently of God that hee thinke nothing better for him for that present time than that which God measureth forth vnto him For when Christ had no money hee was contented and when hee wanted money to paie tribute hee sent for no more than hee needed hee might haue commanded twentie poundes as well as twentie pence But to shewe that we should desire no more than will serue our turne hee would haue no more than serued his turne Now because Contentation is of such a nature that it can please it selfe with pouertie as well as riches Therefore it is called the great gaine as though it had all which it wanted And this Contentment saith the Apostle Paul we owe to Godlines because it is not possible for a wicked man to be contented for as he is not satisfied with sinne so he is satisfied with nothing Riches come and yet the man is not pleased honor comes and yet the man is not pleased libertie comes yet the man is not pleased pleasure comes and yet the man is not pleased vntill God come and then he saith My cup is full Shewe vs thy Father sayth Phillip and it sufficeth Iohn 14. 7. Nay shewe vs thy trueth and it sufficeth Now my soule sayth the Churle take thy rest Nay now my soule take thy rest for thou hast laide vp for many yeares The godly man hath foūd that which al the world doth seeke that is inough Euery word may bee defined and euerie thing may bee measured but inough cannot bee measured nor defined it changeth euerie yeare when we had nothing we thought it inough if we might obtaine lesse than wee haue when we came to more we thought of another inough now we haue more we dreame of another inough so inough is alwaies to come though too much be there alreadie For as oyle kindleth the fire which it seemes to quench so riches come as though they would make a man contented and make a man more couetous Therefore seeing Contentation was neuer found in riches the Apostle reacheth to seeke it in godlinesse saying Godlinesse is riches as though it did not onely make a man contented but make a man contented with it selfe Hee speakes as though hee had found a newe kinde of riches which the world neuer thoght of that are of such a nature that they will satisfie a man like the water that Christ spake of Hee that drinkes of this water shall thirst no more so they that tast of these riches shal couet no more but as the holie Ghost filled all the house so
and the wicked are as neare kinne as Christ and the faithfull Now as Dauid saith Seemeth it a light thing vnto you to be the Sonne of a king seeing I am a poore man and of small reputation So may I saie seemeth it a light thing vnto you to be the sonnes of the king of kings seeing you are poore men and of smal reputation It is counted a great honor to Abraham Isaac Iacob that God was not ashamed to be called their God What an honor then is this that God is not ashamed to be called our Father nay our brother as though we were matched with him If the Israelites had such care to match with the seruants of God what a blessing is this to marrie with the sonne of God Therefore if any affect rich kinsmen or great marriages heere is a greater then Salomon marrie thou him This kinsman of ours is now gone vp into heauen that we may haue a friend in the Court. Ioseph desired the Butler to remember him when hee stood before Pharaoh and hee forgot him though hee had pleasured him But a Theefe desired Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdome and hee receiued him into paradise the same day though he had alwayes offended him to shewe that although wee haue beene as bad as theeues yet we may hope in Christ Therefore now I may conclude you haue heard the word if you goe away and doe it then you are the Mother and Brethren and Sisters of this heauenly King To whome with the Father and the holy spirit be all praise maiestie and dominion now and euermore Amen THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE To my late Auditors the congregation of Clement Danes all the good will which I can wish BEloued in Christ Iesus my first fruites I haue nothing but this myte to leaue with you which is the summe of all my Sermons ye haue heard it alreadie and as the Apostle calles the Corinthians his Epistle so ye should be my Sermon that is my Sermon should bee printed in your hearts as this is printed in paper If you haue not giuen your hearts to him which sent for them now thinke that God hath sent for them againe and heare mee writing whom yee cannot heare speaking Take not custome for Religion shunne occasion aswell as sinne seeke the vse of euery thing desire not to haue your Kingdome here And so I leaue you all with Christ whom I haue preached to bring forth the fruite of that seed which is sowne beseeching you for all the loue that you haue of heauē that ye would not count any thing in this world worthie to keepe your hearts from God but thinke of the day when ye shall giue account for euery lesson which ye haue heard and he which hath called you in this prison will glorifie you in his Pallace where ye shall see him to whom ye haue giuen your hearts and enioy that blessing of blessings which makes all the world to worship him The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath begun to draw you to his kingdome neuer leaue you vntill you come vnto it Amen Your late vnworthie seruant for the Lord Henrie Smith THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE Prouerbs 23. 26. My Sonne giue me thy heart TO binde all the lessons together which yee haue learned since I came this sentence came to my mind My Sonne giue me thy hart which is the summe of all that yee haue heard and shewes in what chest you should lay vp these treasures in your heart and then giue that heart to God he wil keep all safe A supplication is come as it were frō God to man that man would send God his heart penned by Salomon vnder the name of Wisdome and directed to her sonnes Wisedome intreateth her sonnes that they would giue her their hearts this Wisedome is God we by adoption are his sonnes and our heart is that which Christ calls spirit and truth without hypocrisie Giue me that heart saith God He which giues anie thing to another considers before what he loues giues that which he thinkes will be accepted that he may bee loued for the gift therefore Dauid as though he were at a stand sorrowed that he could not do enough for God breakes forth to him selfe What shall I giue vnto the Lord for all that he hath giuen me The Lord hearing as it were these sighs of his seruants which care studie what they may do to please him comes in their suspence and like a friend which desires nothing but good will answers from heauen My sonne giue me thy heart Vnder which sute he taxeth them beside which are suters alwayes to him and looke still to receiue like the Publicans but neuer cast in their minds what they should giue therefore their tribute is set downe by equall measure vnder the kings seale euerie man must homage his heart Hee which alwayes gaue nowe craues and hee which craued alwayes nowe giues Christ stands at the doore like a poore man and askes not bread nor clothes nor lodging which we should giue to his members but our heart that is euen the continent of all and Gouernour of mannes house which sits on the Bench like a Iudge to giue the charge and teach the tongue to speake the hand to worke the foote to walke the eare to attend the eye to obserue the minde to choose and the flesh to obey That wee must present to God like a burnt Sacrifice wherein all is offered together a wise tongue a diligent hand a warie foot a watchfull eye an attentiue eare an humble minde an obedient flesh put all together and it is but the heart My sonne saith God giuee me thie heart Here thou art the giuer God the petitioner thy heart the gift which he claimeth by the name of a Son should God be a suppliant vnto thee me but that our vnthankfulnesse condemnes vs that for all the things which he hath giuen vs we neuer considered yet what we should giue vnto him before he asketh He is faine to put in his petition like a Suter and say Giue me thy heart Marke what God hath chosen for himself not that which any other shall loose by like the demaunds of them which care for none but themselues but that which being giuen to God mooues vs to giue vnto euerie man his due as Zacheus when hee gaue his heart to Christ parted his goods to the poore and restored to all that which he had gotten by wrong Once God required offerings and sacrifices which men were vnwilling to giue because it was a deare seruice of God but now he saith that the heart is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices Iacob loued Ioseph more than all his brethren so God loueth the heart more than all her fellowes this myte God will haue for all his benefites which we may best affoord him thy
vnnaturall they may say thou followest thy mother for she was vnnaturall first in locking vp her brests from thee and committing thee forth like a Cuckow to be hatched in a Sparrowes nest Hereof it comes that we say He suckt euill from the dug that is as the Nurse is affected in her bodie or in her minde commonly the childe draweth the like infirmitie from her as the egges of a Henne are altered vnder the Hauke yet they which haue no milke can giue no milke But whose breastes haue this perpetuall drought Forsooth it is lyke the goute no beggers may haue it but Citizens or Gentlewomen In the ninth chapter of Hosea thy brestes are named for a curse what lamentable happe haue Gentlewomen to light vpon this curse more then other sure if their breasts be drie as they say they should fast and pray together that this curse migro be remoued from them The next dutie is Catechize a childe in his youth and he will remember it when he is olde This is the right blessing which fathers and mothers giue to their children when they cause God to blesse them too The wrong mother cared not though the childe were deuided but the right mother would not haue it deuided so wicked Parents care not though their children be destroied but godly parents would not haue them destroyed but saued that when they haue dwelt together in earth they may dwell together in heauen As the Midwife frameth the bodie when it is young and tender so the parents must frame the minde while it is greene and flexible for youth is the seed time of vertue They which are called fathers are called by the name of God to warne them that they are in stead of God to their children which teacheth all his sons What example haue children but their parents and sure the prouidence of God doth ease their charge more than they are aware for a childe will learne better of his father than of anie other And therefore wee read of no Schoolemaisters in the scripture but the Parents for when Christ saith to the Iewes If yee be the sonnes of Abraham yee will doe the workes of your Father Abraham he sheweth that sonnes vse to walke in their Fathers steppes whether they bee good or bad It is a maruellous delight to the father and mother when people say that their children are like them but if they be like them in godlinesse it is as great delight to other as to the parents or else we say that they are so like that they are the worse for it Well doth Dauid call children arrowes for if they be wel bred they shoote at their parents enemies and if they be euill bred they shoote at their parents Therefore many fathers want a staffe to stay them in their age because they prepared none before like olde Eli which was corrected himselfe for not correcting his sonnes Are not children called the fruite of their parents Therefore as a good tree is knowne by bringing foorth good fruite so parents should shewe their godlinesse in the education of their children which are their fruite For this cause the Iewes were wont to name their children so whē they were borne that euer after if they did but thinke vppon their names they would put them in mind of that religion which they should professe for they did signifie some thing that they should learne An admonition to such as call their children at all aduentures somtime by the names of dogs euen as they proue after In 1. Kings 2. 2. we haue Dauid instructing his sonnes In Gen. 39. Iacob correcting his sonnes and in Iob. 1. Iob praying for his sonnes These three put together instructing correcting praying make good children and happie parents Once Christ tooke a childe and set him in the midst of his disciples and sayd He which will receiue the kingdome of heauen must receiue it as a little childe shewing that our children should be so innocent so humble and voide of euill that they may be taken for examples of the children of God Therefore in Psalme 127. 4. children are called the heritage of the Lord to shew that they should be trained as though they were not mens children but Gods that they may haue Gods heritage after Thus if you doo your seruants shall be Gods seruants and your children shall be Gods children and your house shall be Gods house like a little Church when others are like a denne of theeues Now I speake to one which is a mother so soone as she is married therefore peraduenture you looke that I should shewe the dutie of stepmothers Their name dooth shewe them their duetie too for a stepmother doth signifie a stedmother that is one mother dieth and another commeth in her stead therefore that your loue may settle to those little ones as it ought you must remember that ye are their stedmother that is in sted of their mother and therefore to loue them and tender them and cherish them as their mother did She must not looke vpon them like Rehoboam who tolde his people that hee would be worse vnto them then his predecessour for then they will turne from her as his subiects did from him but she must come to them as Dauid came to the people after Saules death and sayd Though your master Saul be dead yet I will raigne ouer you so she must say to them though your mother be dead yet will I be a mother so the children will loue her asmuch as their father Further these children are orphanes and therefore you must not onely regarde them as children but as orphane children Now God requireth a greater care ouer widowes and Orphanes than ouer anie other women or children Lastly you must remember that saying As you measure vnto other so it shall be measured vnto you againe that is as you intreate these children so another may come after and intreat your children for he which hath taken away the first mother and sent you can take away the seconde mother and sende a third which shall not be like a stepmother to yours vnlesse you be like a stepmother to these If these duties bee performed in marriage then I neede not speake of Diuorcement which is the rod of mariage and diuideth them which were one flesh as if the bodie and soule were parted asunder But because all performe not their wedlocke vowes therfore hee which appointed mariage hath appointed diuorcement as it were taking our priuilege from vs when we abuse it As God hath ordained remedies for euery disease so he hath ordained a remedie for the disease of mariage The disease of marriage is adulterie and the medicine hereof is diuorcement Moses licensed them to depart for hardnesse of heart but Christ licenseth them to depart for no cause but adulterie If they might be separated for discord some
doers If you aske God who shall dwell in the holie Mountaine he saith The man which walketh vprightly Here are none but dooers If you aske Christ who shall enter into the kingdome of heauen he saith Not they which crie Lord Lord though they crie twise Lord but they which do the will of my father here are none but dooers If you aske him againe howe you may come to heauen hee saith Keepe the Commaundements here are none but doers If you aske him againe who are blessed he saith Blessed are they that heare the word of God and do it here are none but doers If you aske an Angell who are blessed he saith Blessed are they which keepe the words of this booke here are none but dooers If you aske Dauid who are blessed he saith The man is blest which keepeth iudgement and doeth righteousnes here are none but doers If you aske Salomon who are blessed hee saith The man is blessed which keepeth the law here are none but doers If you aske Esay who are blessed he saith Hee which doeth this is blessed here are none but doers If you aske Iames who are blessed he saith The doer of the word is blessed in his deede heere are none but dooers Thus blessing and dooing runne together Least any man should looke to be blessed without obedience Christ calleth Loue the greatest commaundement but Salomon calleth Obedience the end of all as though without obedience all were to no end When Michah had got a Leuite into his house Now saith hee I know the Lord will be good vnto mee seeing I haue a Leuite in my house So many thinke when they haue gotten a Preacher into their parish Now the Lorde will be good vnto vs now Christ will loue vs now we are good sonnes seeing we maintain a Preacher amongst vs. But Michah was not blessed for a Leuite nor you for a Preacher but as you would haue vs do as we teach so God woulde haue you doe as you heare for you shalbe no more saued for hearing than we are for speaking When God created the Tree hee commanded it to bring foorth fruite so when he createth Faith he commaundeth it to bring foorth workes and therefore it is called a liuely Faith VVhen our Sauiour woulde prooue him selfe vnto Iohn to be the true Messias indeed he sayd to his Disciples Tell Iohn what things you haue heard and seene Matth. 11. 4. not onely heard but seene So if wee will prooue our selues to be Christes kinsmen indeede we must worke that thing which may be seene as well as heard Iohn was not onely called The voyce of a Crier Luke the seuenth Chapter and two twentieth verse but Aburning Lampe Mathew chap. 3. verse 3. which might be seene so all which are crying voyces must be burning Lampes Iames dooth not say Let me heare thy faith but Let me see thy faith As the Angels put on the shape of men that Abraham might see them so faith must put on works that the world may see it The workes which I do saith Christ beare witnesse of me So the workes which wee doe should beare witnesse of vs. Therefore Christ linketh Faith and Repentance together Repent and beleeue the Gospell Marke the first chapter verse fifteene Therefore I conclude That which Christ hath ioyned let no man separate Marke chap. 10. ver 9. Thus I haue shewed you Christ preaching a great prease hearing his Friends and Kinsfolke interrupting and Christ againe withstanding the interruption By this you may see what a spirite the diuell hath to hinder one Sermon therfore no maruell though he cause so many to be put to silence no maruell though he stand so against a learned Ministerie no maruell though he raise vp such slaunders vpon Preachers no maruell though he write so manie bookes against the Christian Gouernment in the Church no maruel though he make so manie Non-residents no maruel though he ordain so many dumbe Priestes for these make him the God of this world The Diuell is afrayde that one Sermon will conuert vs and we are not moued with twentie So the diuell thinketh better of vs than we are Againe by this you may learne howe to resiste and withstande temptations whether it bee thy father which tempteth thee thy mother which tempteth thee or thy brother which tempteth thee or thy sister which tempteth or thy kinsman which tempteth or Rulers which tempteth or Master which tempteth or wife which tempteth As Christ would not know his mother against his father so thou shouldst not know any father or mother or brother or sister or friend or kinsman or master or childe or wife against God If the mothers sute may be refused sometime a noble mans letter may be refused too Hee that can turne his hinderance to a furtherance as Christ did heere may make vse of euerie thing Againe by this you may learne how to choose your friends As Christ counted none his kinsmen but such as heare the worde of God and doe it so we should make none our familiars but such as Christ counteth his kinsmen Againe you may see the difference betweene Christ and the worlde Christ calleth the godly his kinsmē be they neuer so poore and we scorne to call the poore our kinsmen be they neuer so honest so proude is the seruant aboue his master Againe by this you may see how Christ is to be loued for when hee calleth vs his mother hee sheweth vs the way to loue him as a mother for indeede hee is the mother of his mother and his brethren too Againe by this all vaunting and boasting of Kinred is cut off Glorie not in that thou hast a Gentleman to thy Father glorie not that thou hast a Knight to thy Brother but glorie that thou hast the Lord to thy Brother He which called Abraham his Father fried in Hell because GOD was not his Father If Marie might not bee prowde of such a Sonne as our Sauiour Christ much lesse may you bragge of any friend or Sonne that you haue Againe by this you may know whether you be kinne to Christ As those Priestes were shut out of the Temple which could not count their Genealogie from Aaron so they shall bee excluded out of Heauen which cannot reckon their Pedegree from Christ Heere are the Armes now whereby you may shewe of what House you come If you heare the woord of God and doo it then Christ saith vnto you as hee said vnto them These are my Mother and my Bretheren and my Sisters You women are his Sisters and you men are his Bretheren and if you be Christs Brethren then are you Gods Sonnes and if you be Gods Sonnes then are you his Heyres for all Gods Sonnes are called heires Rom. 8. 7. Lastly by this you may know the Diuels Kinsemen and therefore our Sauiour Christ saith You are of your father the diuell Shewing that the diuel
him in the streetes as they doe at his apes and say there goeth a deepe fellowe he hath more wit in his little finger then the rest in their whole bodie You talke of Sectaries how fast they growe and how fast they breed I warrant you where any Sectary hath one sonne Machauil hath a score and those not the brats but the fatlings of the Land which if they had but a dram of religion for an ounce of their policie they might goe like Saints among men But wee speake to the belly that hath no eares Now let vs see the parts of this kings confession that we may see how his thankfulnes did answere to his sinne before he had robbed God of his honor now as though hee came to make restitution he brings praise thankes and glorie in his mouth First he aduanceth Gods power and saith that his kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome in which wordes he confesseth that God was aboue him because that his kingdome was not an euerlasting Kingdome but a momentanie Kingdome like a sparke which riseth from the fire and falleth to the fire againe Therefore he sheweth what a foole he was to vaunt of his Kingdome as though it were like Gods Kingdome which lasteth for euer Secondly hee magnifieth the power of God and sayth that God doth what he listeth both in heauen and in earth and nothing can hinder him or say vnto him what doest thou Vnder which words he confesieth againe that God was aboue him because hee could not raigne as he listed for when hee thought to liue at his pleasure hee was thrust out at doores and God said not to him what doest thou but Thy kingdome shall depart from thee therefore he sheweth what a foole he was to vaunt of his power as though it had beene like Gods power which cannot bee checked Thirdly hee commendeth the iustice of God and saith that his workes were all truth and his waies were all iudgement Vnder which words he confesseth againe that God was aboue him for his waies were all errors and his workes were all sinnes as the ende prooued Therefore he shewes what a foole he was to vaunt of his workes as though they had been like Gods workes which cannot be blamed therefore hee concludes I Nabuchadnezzar praise and extoll and magnifie the King of heauen When hee lighted vpon the right string marke how he harpes vpon it and doubles it and trebles it like a bonde which is ratified with many wordes of like sense so he ratifieth his bonde to God with many words of like meaning I will praise and extoll and magnifie the King of Heauen as if hee would praise him and more than prayse him They which loue with the heart and repent from the bottome praise praise praie and pray giue and giue serue and serue that is when they haue serued him they are ready to serue him againe Here is a glasse for al the children of pride First looke vpon Nabuchadnezzar you that are great men like Nabuchadnezzar For thus will GOD make his example of great men because they should bee examples to others Many wicked men died in Iurie and scarse a man was by to see their ende but Herode was striken before the people that all might see because hee was a wicked King There were many in Babel as proud as Nabuchadnezzar but none but Nabuchadnezzar was made like a beast because hee was a proud King so God doth stomacke sinne in those that beare his owne person As Princes vse to picke those that are principall and chiefe in rebellion to make them examples of terrour to others which were ringleaders in the treason so God doth bend his shot against the captaines of his enemies like the King of Aram which charged his souldiers that they shoulde fight with none but against Achab the King as it is written in the second Booke of Chronicles the eighteenth chapter and thirtieth verse For as Salomon saith in the nineteenth Chapter of his Prouerbes and fiue and twentieth verse Strike the strong and the rest will beware so Iustice shewed vpon a Ruler or great personage dooth terrifie manie If we could see but one of our Nabuchadnezzars so degraded it would make all the rest better in their office thinke when they sit in their maiesties as Queene Hester did that their power is giuen them for the Church and not against the Church Paul being before Festus and Agrippa wisheth not vnto the King Agrippa more wealth or more honor or more riches but more religion which is the greatest want of Princes and Magistrates They sitte in Gods chayre and are called Gods but are not like God but like Mammon except their names and their crownes peraduenture a Dauid or a Salomon or a Iosua that is a few that remember whose person they beare the rest are like Saul and Herod and Nabuchadnezzar which know not frō whome their kingdomes come Nabuchadnezzar built for his honour and they built for their honour Nabuchadnezzar gathered for his wealth and they gather for their welth Nabuchadnezzar sought after his pleasure and they seeke after their pleasure Nabuchadnezzar vaunted of his power and they vaunt of their power what did Nabuchadnezzar which they do not but repent which they doe not I cannot wish them beastes to doe them good like Nabuchadnezzar because it is a question whether they are worse than beasts already but if we could driue them out of their pallaces to liue like beasts in the wildernesse it were a good riddance for there they shoulde doe lesse harme where now their proude hornes doe gore others their hoof is vp to strike euery one that is better than themselues which maketh many flie into the wildernesse from their house and church and calling lest they should fall into their clutches The Lorde which restored Nabuchadnezzar from the likenesse of a beast restore them to the likenes of men or els fright them like Nabuchadnezzar to runne from their roomes that better may haue their places Thus you see Nabuchadnezzar was made like a beast that he might die like a man for he could neuer learne from whence his kingdome came vntill he had beene apprentice seuen yeares vnto the crosse and when hee perceiued who took his kingdome from him then he perceiued also who gaue his Kingdome to him and learned his thankefulnesse in the wildernesse when al the blessings were gone which he should haue been thankfull for he thought that God was no body vntill he became like no body himselfe and then who but God no power but of him no honor but from him his first honor came from God as well as his last but when he was like a beast which knew not his owner like a babe which knewe not his Father like an Image which knowes not his maker but nowe hee knoweth from whom Kings raigne and hath learned to say thy Kingdome as well as my Kingdome and is like the elders in the Reuelation which cast
him in another Countrey where he had no sepulcher prouided Herod hoped when the people cryed at his words It is the voyce of God that hee should be worshipped euer after as God but God resisted his pride and before he descended from his throane the wormes so defaced his pompe that none which called him God would be like vnto him so whē women take more paines to dresse themselues then they doe all the day after and pay deerer to maintaine one vice than they neede to learne all vertues they thinke to please men by it but God resisteth their pride and al that see them though they cap and curtsie to them yet they iudge worse of them and thinke that they would not weare these signes of lightnes and pride vnlesse they were light and proud indeede Thus if their apparell condemne them before men how will it condemne them before GOD If sinne did not blinde them would they so deceiue themselues to take the contrary way and thinke that should honor them which disgraceth other But as Balaam was stopped knew not who stopped him so they are resisted and know not who resisteth them Though they doe al to please yet they can please none they please not God for God resisteth them they please not the humble for the humble are contrarie to thē they please not the proud for the proud doe enuie them which striue to bee as proude as they they please not themselues because they cannot bee so proud and braue as they would bee onely they please the diuell because their pride doth intitle him to them Thus much of Gods battailes against the proud Heere Peter leaueth the proud with this brand in their forehead This is the man whom God resisteth then hee turneth to the lowly and comforteth them But he giueth grace to the humble as if hee should say you are like Iohn the beloued Disciple which leaned on Christs bosome Iohn 13. 23. though God resist the proud yet hee will not frowne vpon you but when he resisteth them he wil giue grace vnto you as if hee should say the proud are without grace for God giueth not grace vnto the proud but to the humble according to that to Esay 66. 2. To him will I looke euen to him that is poore of a contrite heart and trembleth at my wordes therefore Learne of me saith Christ to be hūble meek as though the humble and meeke were his schollers Therefore God must needes loue the humble because they are like his sonne they shall haue his best giftes of which hee sayth 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient as if hee should say hee which hath giuen you his grace can he denie you any thing as Christ saith Hee which hath giuen vs his Sonne will he not giue vs all things with him Therefore grace may be called the gift of gifts because all gifts come with grace as the Court goeth with the Queene Therefore feare not to bee humble least you be contemned for all the promises of God are made to humilitie and yet men feare to be humble lest they shuld be contemned Humilitie did not make Iohn contemptible but when he refused the name of a Prophet Christ saith that hee was more then a Prophet Mat. 11. 2. Humilitie did not make Moses contemptible but as he was the mildest man vpon earth so he was the greatest vpon the earth Numb 12. Humilitie did not make Dauid contemptible but when he humbled himselfe hee said vnto Micol I will be more humble yet and lowly in my owne sight yet thou and thy maides shall honour me 2. Sam. 6. 22. As Christ ceased not to be a king because he was like a seruant nor to bee a Lion because he was like a Lamb nor to be God because he was made man nor to bee a Iudge because he was iudged so man dooth not loose his honour by humilitie but he shal be honored for his humilitie as the Son was honoured when he was humbled Luk. 15. 8. Thus humilitie hath found that which pride sought like little Dauid which was least accompted of and yet gotte the victorie yea when no man durst encounter with the Gyant 1. Sam. 17. 28. This is the ladder whereby we must ascend Gen. 28. 12. pride did cast vs downe and humilitie must raise vs vp As the way to heauen is narrowe Mat. 12. 13. so the gate is lowe and he had neede to stoope which entreth in at it therefore be not proud least God oppose himselfe against you but be humble and the grace of God belongeth to you So long as thou art proude and readest this sentence GOD giueth grace to the humble thou mayst say to thy soule Soule thou hast no part herein for grace is the portion of the humble and the dowrie of the meeke and the treasure of the lowlie but to thee it is saide The Lord resisteth the proude as if he should say Auoide Sathan Math. 4. or Departe from mee ye wicked Math 25. 45. Thus you see howe you may haue GOD your friende or your enemie Hee resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble if thou disdaine to learne humilitie of man learne it of GOD who humbled himselfe from heauen to earth to exalte thee from earth to heauen to which Kingdome when the proud shall be shut out the Lord Iesus bring vs for his mercies sake FINIS THE YOVNG MANS TASKE Ecclesiastes 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth IF it be so as they say that none but young men do heare our doctrine then this Text is well chosen for the auditory to teach young men that which if they learne they may say with Dauid I haue more vnderstanding then the auncient Psalm 119. 100. All Scripture is mans duetie and answeres like Iohn Baptist to What shall wee doe In the first of Iohn the second and the twelfth Iohn sayth I write vnto you babes I write vnto you children I write vnto you fathers I write vnto you youngmen I write vnto you old men So the word which is called aflying booke flyeth from one age to another from one sexe to another from one calling to another till like a Iudge it hath giuen euery man his charge Among the rest I may call this Scripture The young mans taske Wherein the Wise man sheweth when is the best time to sow the seede of vertue that it may bring foorth the fruite of life and make a man alway readie to die Let him remember his Creator in the daies of his youth and all his life shall runne in a line the middle like the beginning and the ende like the middle as the Sunne setteth against the place where it rose After Salomon had described man like Martha troubling and toyling himselfe about many things at last hee bringeth him to that one thing necessarie which Christ taught Marie and shewes him that if he had begun there at first he had found that which
young man to behold as if he should say looke my sonne is this man fit to learne which cannot heare nor see nor speake nor goe Therefore remember thou thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth before this dotage come This then is the leuell of our message to hasten them forward which trauell towards heauen because there is a great space betweene God and vs and much a doe to aspire the toppe of mount Sion but more a doe to aspire the top of the mount of heauen Therefore as Abraham rose early to sacrifice his sonne in the morning so in the morning of thy life sacrifice thy selfe to God and let him which is Alpha in euery thing be Alpha in thy conuersion that is the beginning as well as the ende Because wee are giuen to set the best last that wee may haue a longer time for our sinnes and pleasures like the Iewes in the 1. of Agge 2. which said alway the time was not yet come when they should build the temple Therefore the holy Ghost crieth so often This is the acceptable time this is the day of saluation to day heare his voyce like Rebeccah which taught her sonne the nearest waie to get the blessing When Christ went about to cast out diuels they said that he tormented them before the time so whensoeuer thou goest about to dismisse thy sinnes and pleasures though thou stay till thou bee an olde man yet they will say still that thou dismissest them before the time But then is the time when the diuell saith the time is not yet for the diuell is a lier knoweth that with what liquor our vessels be seasoned at first they will tast of the same euer after whether it be good or bad Therefore as God sueth to haue vs begin at goodnesse so the diuell wooes vs to begin at wickednesse alledging either that wee are not resolued yet to leaue our pleasures or els that God is exceeding mercifull to sinners or else that we shall haue space enough to serue him hereafter So he stands as it were at the ladder foote and keepes vs off with these weapons that wee cannot get vpon the first staffe but one thought or other pulleth vs backe when the foote is in the stirrop ready to ride away from all our sinnes at once Thus wee haue long purposed to serue God and euery man thinketh that hee should be serued but wee cannot accord of the time when to beginne One saith when I am rich an other saith when I am free another saith when I am setled an other saith when I am olde then my pleasure will leaue me and I shall be fitter to fast and pray and sequester my selfe but now I shal be mocked if I be not like others Thus like bad borrowers when our day is past alreadie we craue a longer and a longer and yet a longer til we be arrested with death so the prince of creatures dieth before he considered why hee liued for as no discipline is vsed where Christs discipline is neglected so no time is obserued where Gods time is omitted It is an olde saying Repentance is neuer too late but it is a true saying Repentance is neuer too soone Therefore we are commaunded to runne that wee may obtaine which is the swiftest pace of man The Cherubines were portraited with wings before the place where the Israelites praied to shew how quickly they went about the Lords businesse The Hound which runnes but for the Hare girdes foorth so soone as he sees the Hare start the Hawke which flyeth but for the Partridge taketh her flight so soone as she spyes the Patridge spring so we should followe the woord so soone as it speaketh and come to our Master so soone as hee calleth For God requiring the first borne for his offering and the first fruites for his seruice requireth the first labours of his seruants and as I may say the maidenhead of euery man Therefore so soone as man was created a law was giuen him to shew that hee should liue vnder obedience from the day that hee is borne So soone as he is borne hee is baptized in the name of God to shew that when we cannot runne to Christ we should creepe vnto him and serue him as we can in youth and age so soone as hee beginneth to praye hee saith Thy name be hallowed thy kingdome come thy will be doone before hee aske his dayly bread to shew that wee should seeke the will of God before the food which we liue by much more before the sinnes and pleasures which we perish by so soone as the Lord distributed the Talents he enioyned his seruants to vse them Who is so young which hath not receiued some talēt or other therefore youth cannot excuse him because the talent requires to be asked of euery one which hath it So soone as God had created the man and the woman hee commanded them to increase and multiplie shall we increase and multiplie in the flesh before we encrease and multiplie in the spirit the first thing which God did after hee had created heauen and earth he did separate light from darkenes to shew vs how we should separate good from euill before our good become euill The first lesson that Iohn taught was Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Math. 3. 2. The first lesson that the Disciples taught was Repent too for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Matth. 10. And the first lesson that Christ taught was repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Matth. 4. 10. to teach vs what we should do first Repent was the first lesson to yong and old For what can we owe God to morrow which wee are not indebted to day Therefore Dauid prayed Teach mee O Lord to number my dayes not yeares nor my moneths nor my weekes but my dayes shewing that we shall answere for daies as well as yeares for to day as well as to morrow and for our youth as straightly as our age which made him cry Remember not the sinnes of my youth which hee would not haue spoken if God did not marke the sinnes of youth as well as age Therefore he calleth children vnto him as Salomon dooth and saith that hee will teach them the feare of the Lord. For should children honor their father and not honour God It was a sweete comfort when the children went before Christ to his temple and sang there Hosanna to make their fathers ashamed which did not know the Messias when he came when their little children knew him It is written that when Christ heard a young man answer that hee had kept the commaundementes from his youth Christ beganne to loue him which shewes how Christ loueth these timelie beginnings when wee make him our nurse and drawe our first milke from his brests There is not one confession for olde men and another for young men the old man saith not I did beleeue
followeth that all the rest might bee cast vpon him as when Salomon desired wisdome before honour God gaue him wisdome and honour too because he sought the best first There was a poole in Iurie where the sicke and Leprous laye for at one time of the daye the Angell came and stirred the water and then he which stept in first was healed of his disease hee which stept in first was healed saith Iohn none but hee which stept in first so he which taketh time is sure but he which foresloweth time oftener faileth then speedeth For when golden opportunitie is past no time will fit for her If Elias would bee serued before the widdow when shee had but a little cruse of Oyle which was not enough to serue her selfe will God be serued after Elias will God bee serued after thee Nay after the flesh and after the diuell Thou maist reade in the 19. of Leuit. and the 13. that GOD would not haue the labourers hire staie in thy hands all night but would haue thee pay him before thou sleepe If God would not haue the labourers due stay in thy hands one night how darest thou keepe his due from him day and night so many dayes and nights and weekes and moneths and yeares together where is the morning sacrifice which God requireth nay where is the euening sacrifice which God requireth the glomy morning hath ouercast the whole day doest thou thinke it enough if thou do not sit in the chaire of scorners or if thou do not staÌ„d in the waie of sinners hee which standeth stayeth not he which sitteth taketh his ease but he which walketh goeth his way Yet he which walketh in the way of sinners though hee neither sit nor stand is not of the blessed number But hee which neither sitteth nor standeth nor walketh is blessed saith Dauid Psalm 1. ver 1. Alas then why doe we sit if they which stande are accurssed and they which walke are not blessed Christ saieth First seeke the kingdome of God and wee say first let mee burie my father first let me bid my friendes farewell and so many things first So long in burying our Father and bidding our friends farewell that is the riches and honours and pleasures of this worlde that there is no time left to seeke the kingdome but followe mee is turned to followe vs Christ must followe our sinnes and come after our pleasures or else he shall not be serued at al. When we were Children we deferred tyll we were men when we are men we deferre tyll wee bee olde men when wee are olde men wee deferre tyll death in all our lyfe wee finde no leasure to liue well but flit from sinne to sin from wicked thoughts to wicked speeches from wicked speeches to wicked deedes as the flie skippeth from scab to scab vntill wee bee cast so farre behinde that we haue no courage to goe forward or else straied so far out of our way that wee care not to seeke it againe Therefore I cannot say to you as Christ saide First seeke the kingdome of heauen for then you should haue sought it long agoe but now I must say with the Apostle Redeeme the time and at last Seeke the kingdome of heauen For it is to be feared that as little flies when many came together plagued and destroyed the Egyptians so short houres but many in sinne and securitie will steale away our whole life and deceiue our repentance while wee liue like beasts longer then Nabuchadnezzar There be not many Lots but many linger like Lot loth to depart vntill they see the fire burne If the Angell had not snatched him awaie Lot had perished with Sodome for his delaye There be not fiue foolish Virgins and fiue wise but fiue for one knock when the doore is shut There bee not many Simeons but many as old as Simeon which neuer yet imbraced Christ in their hearts They thought to repent before they were so olde yet now they doate for age they are not olde enough to repent yet Naye I answere many Masters of Israell Maiors Aldermen Sheriffes Iustices Baâ—liffes Constables Gentlemen know no more what it is to be borne againe than Nicodemus which came by night line after line sermon after sermon and the Black more like himselfe All their tearms are vacations all their religion promises and all their promises hypocrises In stead of catechising their children as Salomon teacheth them they catechise them to hunt hawke to ride and vaute to ruffle sweare to game and daunce as they were catechised themselues least the childe should prooue better than his father and then he is qualified like a Gentleman Is this to seeke the kingdome of heauen first or last or not at all Woe to the securitie woe to the stubbornnesse woe to the drousinesse of this age The theefe commeth at midnight and we sleep till the dawning of the day we let in sathan before wee bid him auoyd we sell our birthright before it come to our hands we seek for oyle when our lampes should burne this daye passeth like yesterday and to morrowe we will spend like this day So hee which should haue the first fruites can get no fruites because we mar the ground before we sowe it Consider this ye which might haue known a thousand things more than yee doo if yee had begun when Salomon taught you God will not alway knocke at the doore Christ will not alway clocke like an Henne Iohn will not alway crie in the wildernesse but mercy is in the foreward and iudgement in the rereward They which can saye now We haue a prophet shall say We had a prophet but wee entertained him like the Gergesites so God sent him awaie from vs like Ionah to the Niniuites when the Israelites despised him Yet Wisedome cryeth in the streetes Let euerie Ioseph store vp before the famine come for he which promiseth thee pardon when thou doost returne dooth not promise that to morrowe thou shalt returne Repentance is a gift and a gift must be taken when it is offered The time past is gone and thou canst not recall that to repent in the time to com is vncertaine thou canst not assure that to repent in the present time is onely thine and thou maiest repent in that but anone that will be gone too Therefore as Samuell began to serue God in his minoritie as Timothie read the Scriptures in his childhood and Iohn grewe in spirit as hee rypened in yeares so whether thou be olde or yong thy repentance caÌ„not come too soone because thy sinne is gone before If thou lackest a spurre to make thee runne see how euerie day runneth awaye with thy life youth commeth vpon childhood age commeth vpon youth death commeth vpon age with such a swift saile that if all our minutes were spent in mortifying our selues yet our glasse would bee runne out before wee had purged halfe our corruptions All these examples sentences and Prouerbs and
I will be as Ioshua which stoode alone and as Elkanah was in stead of children to Annah so Christ shall be in stead of comfort in stead of wealth and health and libertie to mee For manie were the troubles of Ioseph and the Lord deliuered him out of all many were the troubles of Abraham and the Lord deliuered him out of all many were the troubles of Dauid and the Lorde deliuered him out of all manie were the troubles of Iob and the Lorde deliuered him out of all therefore he can deliuer me out of all But if he doe not say Sidrach Misaac and Abednego yet wee will not doe euill to escape daunger because Christ hath suffered more for vs. Therefore if I perish I perish saith Hester She was content that her life should perish but if my purse suffer my money doth but perish if my bodie bee imprisoned my pleasures doe but perish and who can tell wheÌ„ he hath suffered that which is appoynted Therefore God sayth When I see conuenient time will I execute iudgement Not when thou doest thinke it a conuenient time but when he doth think it a conuenient time Therefore saith Dauid to the Lord In thee doe I trust al the day that is if he come not in the morning he will come at noone if he come not at noone he will come at night at one houre of the day he will deliuer me and then as the calme was greater after the tempest than it was before so my ioye shall bee sweeter after teares than it was before the remembrance of Babylon will make vs sing more ioyfull in Sion Thus Dauid describeth the iourney of the righteous as if they should goe through the sea and the wildernesse as the Israelites went to Canaan Looke not for ease nor pleasure in your way but for beasts and serpents and theeues vntill ye be past the wildernesse all is straight and darke and feareful but so soon as you are through the narrowe gate all is large and goodly and pleasant as if you were in Paradise Seeing then your kingdome is not here looke not for a golden life in an iron world but remember that Lazarus doth not mourne in heauen though he suffered paines vpon earth but the glutton mourneth in hell that staied not for the pleasures of heauen To which pleasures the Lord Iesus bring vs when this cloud of trouble is blowen ouer vs Amen FINIS THE CHRISTIANS Practise Rom. 12. 2. Be yee changed by the renuing of your mindes that yee may prooue what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect WHen Christ sent foorth his Disciples he said vnto them Goe preach and baptize ioyning these two together Preaching and Baptizing This being the occasion of our exercise because I am to speake of Baptisme which is the Sacrament of Regeneration I could not choose a fitter Scripture then this which I handled last which speakes of the renuâ—ng of our mindes for when our mindes are renued then the vow which we made in Baptisme is performed When Paul had forbidden the Romanes to fashion themselues vnto the world he sheweth them another fashion which hee calles The renuing of the minde As the Eagle renueth her youth so men must renue their mindes This fashion is called the Wedding garment which euery man must weare that comes to the banquet of the King As when men haue gone ouer one fashion after another at last they come to the olde fashion againe so here Paul calles them to the olde fashion again which was vsed in Adams time that is the Image and fashion wherein they were created Nowe the reason followeth That they might proue what the wil of God is as if hee should say This shall be the fruit of your regeneration when your mindes are renued you shall know many thinges which are hid from you you shall bee able to iudge doctrines who preach truth and who preach error and you shall vnderstand the will of God what he would haue you doe and what hee would haue you flie as if you were in his bosome As new wine will not abide but in new vessels so this new knowledge will not abide but in new mindes The minde renued knoweth God so that this Scripture may be called the path to knowledge or the waie to sound the minde of God which is a secret that euery man longs to know but the most turne a wrong leafe to finde it as Paul sayth of Peter He lookes a wrong way to the Gospel When the serpent taught knowledge he said If ye eate the forbidden fruite your eyes shalbe opened and you shall knowe good and euill but Paul sayth If ye will not eate the forbidden fruite your eyes shal be opened and you shall know good and euill This is one reason why Paul would haue them renue their mindes That they might know the will of God Why doth not the word of God teach vs the wil of God Yes but no man doth vnderstand this word but hee which hath a new minde because as the Sunne is not discerned by any light but by his owne light so no spirite can interpret the Scripture but the same spirite which wrote it which is called the holy spirite because it is holy and because it makes holy Sinne was the first vaile which obscured mans vnderstanding and till the cause of this eclipse be taken away the Apostle sayth that we shall see but in part that is as the Sunne may be seene in his eclipse but he seemes liker to darknesse then to light so vnderstanding may be seene in the wicked but it is liker ignorance then knowledge therefore Paul makes knowledge one of the fruites which bud out of righteousnes They which haue renued their mindes saith he shall proue what the will of God is that is they shall trie all that they doe heare and learne by all that they see vntill they tract out the will and meaning of GOD. As the water ingendreth Ice and the Ice againe ingendreth water so knowledge begets righteousnes and righteousnes againe begetteth knowledge according to that in Eccles 2. 26 To a man that is good in his sight God giueth wisedome and knowledge therefore though ye haue seene cunning Lawyers by much reading and expert Phisitians by long study yet you could neuer see a perfect and sound and iudiciall Diuine without holynesse I cannot tel how this knowledge is rather feeling than learning in the aboundance of the heart or an extreame study sent by God vnto good men like the Ramme which was brought vnto Abraham when he would sacrifice his Sonne As Salomon sayth The knowledge of good things is vnderstanding so none but they which are holy haue this vnderstanding He which can say with Dauid I loue thy lawe and I keepe thy precepts may follow with Dauid I haue more vnderstanding than my teachers and know more then the auncient
doe as they doe if they did but thinke that these speeches and deeds should come to iudgement As the bird guideth her flight with her traine so the life of man is best directed by a continuall recourse vnto his end The thoght of death hath made many sinnes auoid like the diuel when Christ alleaged Scripture it is like a strainer all the thoughts and speeches and actions which come through it are clensed and purified like a cloth which commeth out of the water Seeing then that so much fruit growes of one stalk which is the numbring of our daies let vs consider what an haruest we haue lost which happily before this day neuer prayed with Moses that the Lord wold teach vs to number our dayes What if we had died in the dayes of our ignoraunce like Iudas which hanged himselfe before he could see the Passion or Resurrection or ascension of Christ But God hath cared for vs more then we haue cared for our selues We should haue numbred our dayes and sinnes too but alas howe many dayes haue wee spent and yet neuer thought why any day was giuen vs But as the olde yeere went and a newe yeere came so we thought that a new would follow that and so we think that another will come after this and so they thought which are dead already This is not to number our dayes but to prouoke GOD to shorten our daies there are few here which haue not seen twentie years now if we had but euery yeare learned one vertue since we were borne we might by this time haue been like Saints among men but the time is yet to come when we must applie our hearts to wisdome To riches pleasures we haue applyed our harts and our eyes and our eares and our handes too but to wisdome we haue not applyed our hearts There may be many causes but there shuld be no cause if wee had numbred our dayes For surely if a man could perswade himselfe that this is his last day as it may be he would not deferre his repentance vntill to morrow If he could think that this is his last meale that euer he shall eate hee would not surfet if he could beleeue that the words which he doth speake to day should be the last that euer he should speake he would not offend with his tongue if hee could be perswaded that this sermon should be the last sermon that euer he should heare he would heare it better then euer he heard any yet Yet breath is in the bodie and the heart may applie it selfe and the eye may applie it selfe and the eare may applie it selfe and the hand may applie it selfe Worke while it is light I can but teach you with words as Iohn Baptized with water As Moses prayed the Lord to teach him to number his dayes so you must pray the Lord to teach you to number your dayes And now I lead you to number your dayes It may bee that thou hast but twenty years to serue God wilt thou not liue twenty yeares like a Christian that thou maiest liue a thousand yeares like an Angel It may bee that thou hast but tenne yeeres to serue him wilt thou not serue tenne yeares for heauen which wouldst serue twenty yeares for a farme It may be that thou hast but fiue yeares to serue God wilt thou spend fiue yeares wel to redeeme all thy yeares for fiue Yet GOD doth knowe whether many here haue so long to repent for all the yeares which they haue spent in sinne If thou were borne but to day thy iourney is not an hundred yeares If thou be a man halfe thy time is spent already if thou be an olde man then thou art drawing to thy Inne and thy race is but a breath therfore as Christ said vnto his Disciples when he found them sleeping Could ye not watch one houre So I say to my selfe and to you can we not pray can we not suffer a little while He which is tyred can crawle a little way a little farther one steppe more for a kingdome For this cause God wold not haue men know whē they shall die because they should make readie at all times hauing no more certaintie of one houre than another Therefore our Sauiour saith watch because you know not when the Lord will come to take you or to iudge you Happy are they which hear the word and keepe it Thus you see that death is the last vpon earth that the time of man is set that his race is short that he thinkes not of it that if he did remember it it would make him applie his minde to good as he doth to euill and nowe I ende as I began The Lord teach vs to number our dayes that wee may applie our hearts to wisedome Amen FINIS A LOOKING-GLASSE for Drunkards Gen. 9. 20. 21. 20 Noah also began to be an husbandman and planted a vineyard 21 And he drunke of the Wine and was drunken and was vncouered in the midst of his Tent. FIrst we are to speake of Noah then of Cham his wicked sonne after of Shem and Iapheth his good sons In Noah first of that which he did wel thē of his sin In Cham first of his sinne and then of his curse In his brethren first of their reuerence and then of their blessing Nowe wee will speake of the Father and after of his Children Then sayth Moses Noah began to bee an husbandman This is the first name which is giuen to Noah after the flood hee is called an Husband-man and the first worke which is mentioned was the planting of a Vineyard One would thinke when all men were drowned with the flood and none left aliue to possesse the earth but Noah and his sonnes that he should haue found him selfe something els to doe than to plant Vineyards and that the holy Ghost should haue intituled him king of the world and not an husband-man of the earth seeing there bee no such men as Noah was which had more in his hand than any king hath in the world or shall haue to the worlds end but hereby the holy Ghost would shew that God doth not respect kings for their titles nor men for their riches as we doe and therefore he nameth Noah after the worke which he did not after the possessions which he had an husbandman It seemeth that there was great diuersitie between their age and ours For if we should see nowe a King goe to plough a Noble man driue the teame a Gentleman keepe sheepe he should be scorned for his labour more than Noah was for his drunkennes yet when we reade how this Monarch of the world thought no scorne to play the husband-man wee consider nor his Princely calling nor his auncient yeares nor his large possessions to commend his industrie or modestie or lowlie minde therein which may teach vs humilitie though we learne to disdaine husbandrie of whom will we learne to be humble if Kings
A seruant of seruants shall he be as if he should say a seruant and more than a seruant that is of a seruile condition and seruile minde As the Sabbaoth of Sabbaoths signifieth a high Sabbaoth and as the Song of Songs signifieth an excellent Song and as the Holie of holiest signifieth the holiest place and as the Lord of Lords signifieth the chiefest Lord so Vanitie of Vanities signifieth the gretest Vanitie and seruant of seruants signifieth the vilest seruant Seeing then that the Pope taketh this name vnto him and writeth himselfe The seruant of seruants in all his Indulgences as thogh he did ground vpō this curse of Cham it seemeth that the Lord would shew thereby who is like Cham and who is cursed therefore let not vs denie him that which the holy Ghost dooth giue him but as hee taketh Chams name so let him take his curse too Cursed be Canaan c. It was not Canaan which tempted Shem and Iaphet to gaze vpon their fathers nakednesse but it was Cham. How commeth it then that Noah dooth curse Canaan and not Cham In the 22. verse Cham is called the father of Canaan so that Canaan was Chams sonne therefore God not content with the punishment of Cham alone saith Cursed be Canaan also shewing that both Cham and Canaan the father and the children shall bee cursed for this impietie because Cham had shewed himselfe a rebellious childe to Noah God sheweth that his children shall doo the like by him Heere is to bee noted that whereas Cham had elder sonnes then Canaan and Canaan was his yongest yet God for a purpose nameth the yongest in the curse shewing that his wrath should last euen to the yongest and be a great while before it were forgotten Here is to be noted againe that whereas the countrey of Canaan was so fruitfull so blessed a countrey that it was called the land that floweth with milk honny yet vnder the name of Canaan Chams youngest sonne of whome the countrey of Canaan tooke the name God sheweth that the Canaanites shall be cursed in this blessed land as Cain was a vagabond vppon his owne ground to shew that the ioye of heart and peace of conscience commeth from God and nothing else Now the issues which followed vpon this curse doe shew that Noah spake not from the spleen but from the spirite of God For first you read how the Canaanites who came of Canaan were slaine of the Israelites then you reade how the Gibeonites which came of Canaan were made slaues to the Israelites then you reade how the Egyptians and Ethiopians which came of Canaan were taken captiue by the king of Ashur then you reade how Nemrod and his complices that came of Canaan were confounded at Babel when they went about to exalt themselues Beside where as length of daies is a blessing to them which honour their father Cham which dishonoured his father had not one sonne of his line which liued aboue an hundreth yeares so as Isaac said Iacob haue I blessed and hee shallbee blessed so Noah may say Cham haue I cursed and he shall be cursed for he was cursed indeede cursed in himselfe and cursed in his children cursed in heauen and cursed in earth cursed with God and cursed with men for after this he began to bee abhorred and they that came of him Therefore Abraham commaunded his seruant that hee should not choose a wife for his sonne of the Canaanites Isaac giueth the like commaundement to his sonne Iacob because they were a cursed nation and hated of God euer since Noah saide Cursed bee Canaan Thus when Cham saide vnto his brethren Come and I will shew you my father naked he might haue saide Come and I will shew you my selfe accursed If GOD haue such wrath against a scorner think whether thou followest not some sinne worse then scorning Now after Noah had cursed Cham hee blessed his brethren Blessed bee the Lord God of Shem c. Of Shem came the Iewes which had the first blessing and therefore Shem is blessed first of Iaphet came the Gentiles which had the latter blessing and therefore Iaphet is blessed after the forme of Shems blessing is Blessed be the Lord God of Shem c. One which heareth this blessing would thinke that Noah did not blesse Shem but that hee blessed God for he saith not blessed be Shem but blessed bee the Lord God of Shem. This is to signifie that as cursed Canaan came of Cham so the blessed Messias should come of Shem which though he were Shems sonne yet heere hee is called Shems Lord as hee was called Dauids sonne and Dauids Lord. Then to shew that Noah dooth not blesse Shem but God dooth blesse him and Noah prayed that hee might bee blessed as Christ gaue the spirite and Iohn ministred but the water Thirdly to shew that God for blessing vs should be blessed of vs and therefore Noah said Blessed bee the Lord God of Shem c. as if hee should say blessed bee the Lord which blesseth Shem. Further this sheweth the difference betweene Shems blessing and Iaphets blessing that is the Iews and the Gentiles for he saith God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem as though Iaphet were not blessed yet but should bee blessed but he saith of Shem Blessed bee the Lord Gods of Shem as if hee should giue him possession and say take thy blessing for to assure him of Gods blessing he calleth God Shems God As were say my landes or my goods so hee might say my God and my Lorde such a propertie the faithfull haue in God As Paul saith God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing so I may say God is not the God of the wicked but of the righteous and therefore he is called The God of Abraham the God of Isaak and the God of Iacob which were all good and righteous and holy men The next blessing is Iaphets the forme of his blessing is God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem that is God perswade the Gentiles which come of Iaphet to imbrace the Religion of the Iewes which come of Shem. See how God counteth it for a blessing to be in the true Religion and how men should bee perswaded vnto it because it is loue which cannot bee forced this is the first prophecie in scripture of the calling of the Gentiles that is of our calling to Christ And to put vs in minde that we were once out of the couenant and but added to the couenant the name of Iaphet which was the father of the Gentiles dooth signifie perswaded or inlarged as it were added to the Church as though the time were when wee were out of the Church therefore first wee are indebted to our good mediatour which added vs to the kingdome when we were out of the kingdome and then that hee did it by persswasion not by compulsion As Noah prayed God to perswade Iapheth so he
and so shall the people be left without a guide to goe in and out before them and then shall they be readie and a fit pray for the Wolfe Well we see that Iosua here is better incouraged and it is not without a cause that God would haue Iosua thus incouraged For if hee had an eare at euerie mans mouth hee would rather wish to die with Moses vpon the mount than take in hand to bring such wicked Caines into the lande of Canaan That which olde Ieâ—hro taught Moses that a gouernour had neede to be a man of courage heere he findeth true for nothing more burteth Iustice than feare Therefore a Magistrate had need to be such a one as shall not feare the face of any whatsoeuer which caused Moses to speake so ofteÌ„ to Iosua bidding him to bee of good courage And to that end God commaundeth Moses againe and againe to incourage him vsing these three words Charge incourage and imbolden him as the cock crowed thrise that if Peter were sleepe the first and the second time yet he might at last awake him Now it resteth that I shoulde incourage Iosua which succeedeth me But how should I begin to incourage him or where shoulde I begin shall I tell him that he shall liue now at ease and in security No. Why how should I incourage Iosua shall I tell him you will loue him and follow him and that hee shall finde you willing and forward in euery good action If I promise it shall I not lie If I become bounden for you shall I not forfeit I feare yes Why how then should I incourrage Iosua shall I tell him all will speake wel of him or shall I tell him none will slaunder him No. For if he be as righteous as Christ yet some of the Scribes and Pharisies will seeke to persecute him If hee will liue in quietnes he must not vtter all the Counsell of God though God commaund him Nor he must not reprooue some sinnes for then he shall be thought to enuie against some persons Nor he must not keepe company with the godlie for then shal he be accounted a partaker No he must not denie the company of the wicked for then he shall be accounted a Precisian a Puritane and I knowe not what But thou wilt saye what then is there no comfort for Iosua I answer yes And that is it may be after some 3. or 4. yeares labour and trauaile he shall winne some 2. or 3. vnto Christe which shall extinguish al griefe For God will one day reward him for his labour glorifie him in heauen But if Iosua should bee in trouble as he cannot almost otherwise choose if hee keepe a good conscience and reprooue the mightie vnder his charge then he shall see most of the great ones wil quite forsake him which now seeme to fauour him they wil see him persecuted like Christ and stand a farre off like Pilate and wash their handes as though they were innocent when it is in their power and authoritie to amend it If he stand out like a valiant souldier preuaile then all will draw vnto him But if hee faint for lack of strength although he weepe like Peter yet none will pitie him Therefore stand you to him both in prosperity aduersitie Loue him obey him in all righteousnes as the Iewes did their Iosua and heere I deliuer you vnto him with my loue leaue and good will I giue him my possession my labors my twelue moneths trauailes And here because I woulde not keepe you ouerlong like as Iosua kept the people before his death with an exhortation to feare God or as one friend holdeth another by the hand being loth to part I wil make an end beseeching you as Iosua besought the people of Israel that you will henceforward feare the Lord serue him in truth and put away all enuie and vngodlines that it may not be said they haue returned with the dog to his vomit or with the swine to their puddle but that you may go on forward in all goodnes seruing the Lord in spirite and trueth Then shall the God of heaueÌ„ blesse prosper you in all temporall graces and in the end glorifie you in the kingdome of heauen to the which the Lord for his mercies sake bringe you all Amen This was the last Sermon that Henry Smith made at Clement Danes FINIS The Dialogue betweene Paul and Agrippa Acts. 26. 27. O King Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleeuest Then Agrippa said vnto Paule Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian Then Paule saide I would to God that not onely thou but also all that heare me this daie were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bands IN this Dialogue betweene Agrippa the King and Paule the Apostle first you shall heare what Paule saith then you shall heare what Agrippa aunsweres after you shal heare what Paul replies In Agrippa you shall see what we are In Paule you shall see what we should be For the king shewes that hee is almost a Christian and the Apostle shewes that he should be altogether a Christian This is the summe of their confession First Paule begins and speakes as though he would teach vs a way to win sinners euery word is a motiue and shewes that hee which fisheth for soules had neede to haue many nets and obserue time and place and calling and fit al words before in his minde lest he lose his bait For vnlesse he seeke the vantage and get the vpper ground of sinne before he incouÌ„ter it is liker to giue him the foile as the Diuels did to the Exorcists than to be driuen out by him Therefore as Iacob came to Esaâ— with seuen curtesies to prepare his heart and turne his wrath before they met together so Paul vseth as it were three preambles before he imbrace this King First with a reuerent title O King Agrippa Secondly with a profitable question Doest thou beleeue the Prophets Thirdly with a fauorable preuention I knowe that thou beleeuest With these three congies he closeth so with King Agrippa that he could not start out of his circle the holie spirit so placed euery word when he ment to doe good that it was not possible to correct them so they hit in their speeches which haue that proÌ„pter and seeke not themselues but woulde faine speak that which might touch the hart win the hearer to God O King Agrippa I note here a questioÌ„ an obiectioÌ„ as though he were opponent correspondent too for he askes the question answers himselfe O King doest thou beleeue Now Agrippa should say I or no Paul takes the word out of his mouth lest he should say no hee answers for him I know thou beleeuest This is his preparatiue to Agrippa before hee come with that hard lesson to be a Christian altogether Before Paul had to deale with Festus
Hee which forbiddeth vs to trust in our riches and in our friendes in our strength forbiddeth vs to trust in our wisedome Trust not in thine owne wisedome Wee count the simple fooles but God countes the craftie fooles He which thinkes himselfe wise is a foole ipso factâ— And to shew that they are most fooles of all the Apostle saith that God chooseth the foolish to confound them It is said Be merrie and wise but it may be saide Be wise and wise for euerie wisedome is not wise As the wise men went no further than they were guided by the starre so a wise maÌ„ shoulde runne no further than hee is led by the worde When God hath brought thee vnto goodnes hee saith acquiese set downe thy rest goe no further than goodnesse So when thou art come to wisedome rest where thou are well as the Doue did in the Arke The first blessing which Christ pronounced to anie is to the poore in spirite As Paule woulde haue you rich in knowledge so Christ woulde haue you poore in spirite that is humble in your knowledge for the proude knowledge is the diuelles knowledge and wisedome to the wicked is like the Arke vnto the Philistines which did them more hurt than good Therefore as God appointed the people their boundes which they might not passe when he talked with Moses in the Mount so he hath appointed certaine precinctes of wisedome which when wee transgresse we may bee said to exceede our commission like Shemei when he went beyond the riuer which Salomon forbad him The Rayle or Pale of wisedom is Sobrietie As wisedome is made ouerseer of all other vertues so Sobrietie is made ouerseer of wisdome to measure it foorth in euen portions and due reasons that none of Gods gifts be lost as water is vnto the wine to delaie the heate of it and salt is to meate to make it sauourie So Sobrietie is to wisedom to make it wholesome and profitable to him which hath it and them which seeke it of him If thou hast found honie saith Salomon take not too much lest thou surfet Nay if thou haue found wisedom take not too much lest thou surfet There is a surfet of wisedome which is the daungerousest surfet of all other When a man beginnes like Paul to bee puffed vp which was Aaron and Miriams disâ—ase when they murmured against Moses because they thought themselues fitter to gouerne than hee No vertue is better than wisedome and humilitie but if a man bee proude of his wisedome and humilitie then the vertue is turned into a vice If the light bee darknes saieth Christ howe great is that darkenes So if our humilitie be pride howe great is that pride If our knowledge be ignorance how great is that ignorance Therefore as we remember Bewise as Serpents so let vs remember Be simple as Doues or else we drowne in our wisedome like a light that quencheth in his owne tallowe Nowe that yee may knowe howe to bee wise according to Sobrietie there be certaine properties of his sober wisedome which I will shewe you The first is not to arrogate to our selues more than GOD hath giuen vs. As the man saide I beleeue Lorde helpe my vnbeleefe So the wise man may saie I vnderstande Lorde helpe mine ignorance For one thing which wee knowe wee are ignorant of a thousande thinges which we shoulde knowe yet the foolish virgins woulde be thought as wise as their sisters No man can abide to be disgraced of his wit wee had rather seeme wicked than simple As euerie birde thinkes her owne birdes fairest so euerie man thinkes his owne wit ripest There is a generation saith Salomon which are pure in their owne conceipt but they are not cleansed from their filthines So there is a generation which are wise in their owne conceipt but they are not cleansed from their foolishnes There is a generation of such wise men but he which is wise in deed saith I am more foolish than any man He which is called wisedome saith Learne of me to be humble And hee which was counted the wisest man before Salomon is called the midest man vpon the earth Therefore Iames describing the wisedome which is from aboue saith that it is a gentle wisdome the gentle are not arrogant but the scornefull The second propertie is not to glorie of any thing in our selues as Iames saith Let him which is merrie sing Psalmes So Paule saieth Let him which glorieth glorie in the Lorde For as wee saie Thine is the kingdome so wee say Thine is the glorie and therefore Dauid saith Not vnto mee Lord not vnto mee c. Oh saith Sathan this is a thing to glorie of knowledge and learning and wisedome or els what should a man bee proude of But when Christ heard his disciples glorie that they had the gift of miracles which is a greater matter than knowledge yet hee said Glorie not in this that yee can worke myracles therefore glory not in this that ye know him which can worke miracles If thy wisedome be giuen thee then thou hast receiued it if thou hast receiued it then I say with Paule Why doest thou glorie as if thou hadst not receiued it Wisedome is not so base a thing that thine owne glorie should be the ende of it but as Hester thought that her honour was giuen her for the glorie of God so the learned shoulde thinke that their learning is giuen them for the glorie of God the rich shoulde thinke that their riches are giuen them for the glorie of God the wise should thinke that their wisdome is giuen them for the glorie of God the value and praise and honour of wisedome is to doe good if we be wise to doe euill wee are not as wise as serpents but wise serpents The third propertie is not to despise other therefore Iames calleth the true wisedome a peaceable wisedome because it makes no strife as hee which had fiue talents did not disdaine him which had but one so they which haue moe giftes should not contemne them which haue fewe For as the Vnicorne dooth more good with one horne than other beasts do with two so some man doth more good with one gift than other do with fiue because they choake them with pride When the Pharisie said I am not like this Publican hee said true for then hee was not like the Publican in deede because the Publican was better than he The fourth propertie is to keepe within our calling he which medleth with that hee hath not to doe is compared to one that catcheth a dogge by the eares and dare neither hold him still nor let him go so he can neyther go forward for waÌ„t of skil nor backward for shame Paul saith hee was set a part to preach the Gospell so to euerie worke God hath set some men apart and fitted them to that work as he did Bezalred to the building of the
that is wise saith Salomon is wise to himselfe but he that is ouer wise is wise against himselfe heere you may see that note aboue Ela is a iarring note and alwaies maks a discord in the harmony Christ would not haue vs wise Serpents but as wise as serpents lest they which are like serpents should circumuent vs to be wise to euil is an euil wisedom and there is no such enemie vnto knowledge as the opinion of knowledge for one which is wedded vnto his owne witte wil neuer be counselled of any Therefore how necessarie it is to remember this doctrine and God graunt wee may remember it I cannot tell howe no man can serue GOD vnlesse hee knowe GOD for none doe obey him excepte they which doe knowe him and yet it is saide that there was neuer so much knoweledge and so little goodnes Surely as Christ saide to his Disciples O ye of little faith so he might say to vs O yee of little vnderstanding for there is not too much wisdome but too much ostentation Humilitie is none of our vertues They which should teach others to be wise according to sobrietie passe the bonds of sobrietie themselues euerie man hath a common-weale in his head and trauels to bring foorth newe fashions As the Iewes were not content with such rulers as God had appointed them but would haue a king like the Gentiles As the Papists are not content with such lawes as God hath appointed them but they will haue traditions like the Iewes So the wisedome of this worlde is to deuise better orders better lawes better titles better callings better discipline than God hath deuised himselfe Euery plant saith Christ which my father hath not planted shall bee rooted vp that is euerie title and euerie office and euerie calling which God hath not planted shall be rooted vp to bee wise according to this booke is to bee wise according to sobrietie Therefore seeke the wisedome of Christ for the wisedome of the serpent is turned to a curse the wisedome of the Pharisies is turned to a woe the wisedome of Achitophell is turned to folly the wisedome of Nimrod is turned to confusion the wisedome of the stewarde is turned to expulsion the wisdome of Iezabel is turned to death This is the ende of the deceiuers wisedome of the extortioners wisedome of the vsurers wisedome of the persecutors wisedome of the flatterers wisedome of the sorcerers wisdome of the hypocrites wisedome of the Macheuelians wisedome As Moses serpent deuoured the sorcerers serpent so Gods wisdome shall deuoure mans wisdome Wherefore by the grace of God which is giuen vnto me I say vnto euery one of you with Paule Be wise vnto sobrietie bee not ashamed to seeme ignorant of some things but remember that it is better to seeme ignorant than to bee proude Thus you haue heard what wisedome is now let vs pray vnto God for it Food for new borne babes 1. Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes disire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow by it THis Scripture beloued in the Lord containeth an exhortation to inâ—â—re and stirre vp the beleuing Iewes that as God had illightned them with some knowledge of his trueth and sanctified them in some measure with the grace of his spirit so they would proceed grow on and dailie increase more and more in the faith and feare of Iesus Christ like the glorious sunne which still augmenteth and redoubleth his heat and light till it bee come to the middest of heauen where is perfect daie Nowe the meanes whereby we receiue all our grouth and increase in God is the liuelie preaching of the word of trueth And therefore the Apostle by a figuratiue and borrowed kinde of speech earnestly pressing them to thirst to long for the word of God euen the foode of their soules as little infants which are new borne crie for the mothers milke to nourish and sustaine them For there are two birthes mencioned in the Scripture the one fleshly and naturall by propagation from the first Adam whereby originall and our birth-sin as it were a Serpentes poison passeth and transfuseth it selfe into vs the other heauenly and spirituall by renouation from the second Adam which is Iesus Christ whereby grace and holinesse is deriued and brought vnto vs. In this latter and better birth God is our Father to beget vs the Church his spouse our mother to conceiue vs the seede whereby we are bredde and borne againe is the worde of God the Nurses to feede and to weane and to cherish vs are the Ministers of the Gospell and the foode whereby we are nourished and held in life is the milk of the worde as in this place And therefore in as much as children which are newe borne cannot increase in grouth and stature but must needes die and come to dissolution vnlesse they bee continuallie fedde and nourished with wholesome foode it behooueth all the faithfull and godlie who are quickened and reuiued in the life of God as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the worde that they may grow by it I thinke we neede not many words to cleare the generall drift and scope of this Scripture as we need not many fingers to pointe at the shining sun Let vs now therefore discend to the particular doctrines which issue and spring from the seuerall branches of this scripture First here is noted a preparation if we wil be bettered and increased by the worde wee must bee as new borne bares Secondlie our affection and duetie when we are newe borne we must desire Thirdly the matter obiect of our desire the milke of the worde Fourthly the qualitie of the milke it must bee sincere Lastly the ende and vse for which we desire it that we may grow thereby For the first point we must be as new borne babes Children wee know are principally commended for simplicitie and harmelesnes and therefore all those which will profite in the schoole of Christ and receiue light and comfort by the preaching of the worde are here taught to become as babes to laie aside all maliciousnesse and to bring holy and sanctified hearts to the hearing of it Suffer the little babes to come vnto mee saith our sauiour and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heauen as if we were neuer fit to heare learne of Christ til we be reformed newly changed into little babes againe For the secrets of the Lord as the Psalmist speaketh is with them that feare him to teach vs that as Dauid would admit no vile person into his couÌ„sell So God will admit no sinfull soule into his secretes If any man will doe Gods will saith our Sauiour he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no because no man can learn this doctrine but he that doth it as no man could learne the Virgins song but they which sang it And Salomon to the
what passion expelled what sin repented what good performed since we began to receiue thy benefites this day wee must confesse against our selues that all our works words thoughts haue been the seruice of the world the flesh and the diuell we haue offended thee and contemned thee all the day and at night wee pray vnto thee Father forgiue vs all our sins which haue dishonored thee while thou diddest serue vs run from thee while thou didst call vs and forgotten thee whilest thou didst feede vs so thou sparest vs so we sleepe and to morrow we sinne againe this is the course of al our pilgrimage to leaue that which thou commandest and doe that which thou forbiddest Therefore thou mightest iustly forsake vs as we forsake thee and condemne vs whose conscience condemnes our selues but who can measure thy goodnesse which giuest all and forgiuest all Though we are sinfull yet thou louest vs though wee knocke not yet thou openest though we aske not yet thou giuest what should wee haue if wee did serue thee which hast done all these things for thine enemies Therefore thou which hast giuen vs al things for thy seruice O Lord giue vs a heart to serue thee let this be the houre of our conuersion let not euill ouercome good let not thine enemie haue his will but giue vs strength to resist patience to endure and constancie to perseuere vnto the end Instruct vs by thy word guide vs by thy spirite mollifie vs by thy grace humble vs by thy corrections winne vs by thy benefites reconcile our nature to thy will and teach vs to make profite of euery thing that wee may see thee in all things and all things in thee because O most mercifull father we walk between thy mercie and iustice through many temptations gouerne our steps with such discretion that the hope of mercie may preuent dispaire the feare of iustice may keepe vs from presumption that in mirth wee bee not vaine in knowledge we be not proude in zeale we bee not bitter but as the tree bringeth foorth first leaues then blossomes and then fruit so first wee may bring foorth good thoughts then good speeches and after a good life to the honor of thy name the good of thy children the saluation of our soules remembring the time when we shall sleepe in the graue and the day when wee shall awake to iudgement Now the time is come O Lord which thou hast appointed for rest and without thee wee can neither wake nor sleepe which hast made the day and night and rulest both therefore into thy hands we commend our soules and bodies that thou hast bought that they may serue thee restore them O Lorde to their first Image and keepe them to thy seruice and resigne vs not to our selues againe but finish thy work that we may euery day come neerer and neerer to thy kingdome till we hate the way to hell as much as hell it selfe and euery cogitation and speech and action be so many steps to heauen For thy names sake for thy promise sake for thy sonnes sake O Lord wee lift vp our hearts hands voyce vnto thee in his name which suffered for sinne and sinned not Our Father c. A Prayer for a sicke man ALmightie God and all mercifull Father which art the Phisition of our bodies and soules in thy hands are life and death thou bringest to the graue and pullest backe againe we came into this world vpon condition to forsake it whensoeuer thou wouldest call vs and now the Somners are come thy â—etters hold me and none can loose me but he which bound me I am sicke in bodie and soule but he hath stroken me which in iudgment sheweth mercie I deserued to dye so soone as I came to life but thou hast preserued me till now and shall this mercie bee in vaine as though wee were preserued for nothing Who can praise thee in the graue I haue done thee no seruice since I was borne but my goodnesse is to come and shall I dye before I begin to liue but Lord thou knowest what is best of all and if thou conuert me I shall be conuerted in an houre and as thou acceptedst the will of Dauid as well as the act of Salomon so thou wilt accept my desire to serue thee as well as if I did liue to glorifie thee The spirit is willing but the flesh is fraile and as I did liue sinfullie whensoeuer thy spirite was from mee so I shall dye vnwillingly vnlesse thy spirite prepare mee therefore deare father giue mee that minde which a sicke man should haue and increase my patience with my payne and call vnto my remembrance all which I haue heard or read or felt or meditated to strengthen mee in this houre of my triall that I which neuer taught any good while I liued maye nowe teach other how to dye and to beare theyr sicknes patiently apply vnto me all the mercies and merites of thy beloued sonne as if he had dyed for me alone Be not from me when the enemie comes but when the tempter is busiest let thy spirite bee busiest too and if it please thee to loose me out of this prison wheÌ„ I shal leaue my earth to earth let thine Angel carrie vp my soule to heauen as they did Lazarus and place me in one of those mansions which thy sonne is gone to prepare for me This is my mediator which hath reconciled me and thee when thou didst abhorre mee for my sinnes and thou didst send him from heauen to vs to shew that thou art bound to heare him for vs. Therfore in him I come vnto thee in him I call vpon thee O my redeemer my preseruer and my sauiour to thee be all prayse with thy father and the holy spirite for euer Amen What shall stay me from my Father my brother and my Comforter A comfortable speech taken from a godly Preacher lying vpon his death-bed written for the sicke I Owe to God a death as his Sonne died for me Euer since I was borne I haue been sailing to this hauen and gathering patience to comfort this houre therefore shal I be one of those guestes nowe that would not come to the banquet wheÌ„ they were inuited what hurt is in going to Paradise I shal loose nothing but the sence of euil and anon I shall haue greater ioyes then I feele paines For my head is in heauen already to assure mee that my soule and body shall follow after O death where is thy sting why should I feare that which I would not escape because my chiefest happinesse is behinde and I cannot haue it vnles I go vnto it I would go through hell to heauen and therefore If I martch but through death I suffer lesse then I would suffer for God My paines doe not dismay mee because I trauaile to bring forth eternall life my sinnes doe not fright me because I haue Christ my redeemer the iudge doth not
downe their crownes before the Lambe Such a schoolemaster is affliction to teach that which Prophets and Angels cannot teach For the Prophet and his dreame had tolde him as much before yet he could neuer say the Lord hath giuen before he did see how the Lord had taken they say a friend is neuer knowne before hee bee lost so when God fled then Nabuchadnezzar followed but when God called then Nabuchadnezzar contemned when he hath all things he is vnthankfull and when he hath nothing hee beginneth to be thankefull So wee must learne Gods loue out of his wrath and spel his goodnes out of his iustice therefore we preach iudgement vnto you to make you flie vnto mercie wee denounce the law against you to make you loue the gospel we shew you hell to make you seeke heauen Because we are all like Pharaoh his sorcerers though we receiue neuer so much yet we neuer say the finger of GOD hath done this but when he begins to plague vs then we cry the finger of God hath done this therefore if we will not be inuited it is good to be compelled to conclude he which made Nabuchadnezzar a King when he was like a beast is hee which makes them rich which were poore and he which makes them free which were bounden and hee which makes them beloued which were hated and hee which makes them wise which were rude and hee which makes them whole which were sicke they must staie a time seuen dayes or seuen weekes or seuen moneths or seuen yeares as Nabuchadnezzar did and when they are ready for it it will come sodainly as the Angels came to refresh Christ so soone as he was hungry yet a little while a little longer comfort is on foote and that goodnesse which is comming will come as the sunne which was rising is risen for as Nabuchadnezzar saide mine honor was restored to mee so I am sure many here may say my right was restored to mee my libertie was restored to mee my health was restored to mee my good name was restored to me in lesse time than Nabuchadnezzars honour was and what then Therefore I Nabuchadnezzar prayse and extoll and magnifie the King of heauen whose workes are all trueth and his waies iudgement and those that walke in pride hee is able to abase This is the conclusion of all Gods benefites they which doe not prayse and extoll the King of heauen are worse than Nabuchadnezzar Therefore let all which sayd in their harts like Nabuchadnezzar is not this the house which I haue built is not this the land which I haue purchased is not this the monie which I haue gathered are not these the children which I haue be gotten say now with Nabuchadnezzar for all I praise and extoll and magnifie the King of heauen which can take all againe as hee did from Nabuchadnezzar Thus you haue seen pride and humilitie one pulling Nabuchadnezzar out of his throne the other lifting him vnto his throne whereby they which stand may take heed lest they fall and they which are fallen may learne to rise againe FINIS A DISSWASION FROM PRIDE AND AN exhortation to Humilitie 1. PET. 5. 5. God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble SAint Peter teaching euerie man his dutie how one should behaue himselfe to another exhorteth al mē to bee humble abstayne from pride as though Humilitie were the bond of all duties like a list which holdeth men in a compasse pride were the makebate ouer all the world to which Salomon giueth witnes Prou. 13. 10. saying Onely by pryde man maketh contention because pride maketh euery one thinke better of himselfe then of others whereby he scorneth to giue place to the other and therefore when neither partie wil yeeld as Abraham did to Lot how should there be any peace Thus pride doth breake the peace and humilitie doth set it againe therefore to toll men from pride to humilitie as it were from the concubin to the right wife the Apostle sheweth how God is affected to pride and what minde he beareth to humilitie God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble as if he should whisper men in the eares say take heed how you companie with pride or giue entertainment to her for she is not Caesars friend the king counteth her his enemie all that take her part she hath been suspected euer since the Angels rebelled in heauen and Adam sought to bee equal with God therfore his maiestie hath a stich against her as Salomon had to Shemei would not haue her fauorites come in his court vnlesse they hold downe their mace stoope when they enter But if you can get in with humilitie and weare the colours of lowlines then you may goe boldly and stand in the Kings sight and step to his chamber of presence and put vp your petitions and come to honor For humilitie is very gracious with him and so neere of his counsell that as Dauid and Salomon say he committeth all his secrets to her This is Peters meaning that the humble shall finde grace with God and men as wee read of Dauid and Iohn Baptist according to that in the first Psal vers 4. All things which hee doth shall prosper but the proude shall bee troubled and crossed and when they would doe best they shall doe worst when they would grace themselues they shall shame themselues and God will be to them like the spirit of Saul which tormented him wheresoeuer hee went This sentence is repeated againe Iames 4. 6. the like sentence to this is in Prouerbes 3. 34. where he sayth with the Scornefull he scorneth but he giueth grace to the humble the like sentence is againe in the 16. of Prouerbs 18. where he sayth Pryde goeth before destruction and in the 15. of Prou. 33. before honour goeth humilitie The like sentence is againe in the 29. of the Prou. vers 23. where he saith the pryde of man shall bring him lowe but the humble in spirit shall enioy glorie The like sentence is againe in the first of Luke 46 where the Virgin sings He hath put downe the mightie from their seate and hath exalted the humble and meeke that as it were by two or three witnesses pryde might bee condemned and humilitie acquited One is to GOD like Iacob of whom hee sayth Iacob haue I loued the other is to God like Esau of whom he sayth Esau haue I hated Iacob loued Esau because hee loued venison but Rebecca loued Iacob because he was loued of God So the proud are in the Kings Court because they seeke honour but the humble are in Gods court because they contemne honour as he sayth in the third of the Prouer. ver 34. with the froward he will shew himselfe froward So he threatneth here that with the proude he will shewe himselfe proud that is if they chalenge he wil defend if they