Catholicke or vniuersall Church For the Tabernacle signifieth the Church militant vpon earth the holy Mountaine the Church triumphant in heauen By sojourning in the Tabernacle is vnderstood the short and transitorie abode of Christians as it were pilgrims in the earth as in a strange land by dwelling in the Mountain of God is signified their perpetuall eternall rest in heauen as in their owne countrey Wherein the Prophet alludeth vnto that materiall Tabernacle which was called the Tabernacle of the assembly or congregation and to the mount Moriah where the Temple was placed the one whereof was a type of the Church militant vpon earth the other was a figure of the Church triumphant in heauen I am not ignorant that both members are by some expounded of the Church militant and by others of the Church triumphant but I follow that exposition which seemeth best to agree with the words and meaning of the holy ghost For the varietie of phrase plainely argueth diuersitie of matter sojourning in Gods Tabernacle being much different from dwelling in the Mountaine of his holinesse And the conclusion of the answere in the last words of the Psalme which without doubt doth render the true meaning of the question belongeth both to this life and to that which is to come He that doth these things shall not beremooued for euer that is he shall neither fall away from the grace of God in this life nor be excluded out of Gods glorious presence in the life to come The sence therefore and meaning of the question is this Lord thou searcher and trier of the hearts and reines of men who art acquainted with all secrets and best knowest who are thine for as much as there is so much vnsoundnesse and hipocrisie among them that professe thy name and frequent the places of thy worship that many deceiue others with a counterfeit shew and some beguile themselues with a false opinion of religion declare I beseech thee vnto thy Church some tokens and cognisances of a true and sound Christian whereby the sheepe may be discerned from the goats and the wheat from tares shew vs Lord who is a sound member of the Church militant here on earth and shal be an inheritor of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen who is a true subject of thy kingdome of grace and shall be an heire of the kingdome of glory And this was the meaning of the question Now let vs come to the words of this text Wherein wee are to consider two things the parts of the question and the partie to whom it is propounded Of the parts wee are to speake first seuerally of either and then joyntly of both together The former part Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle By Tabernacle some as I said vnderstand heauen which elsewhere in the Scriptures is called Gods Tabernacle and not vnsitly seeing the Lord stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in But howsoeuer the name Tabernacles is sometimes figuratiuely vsed to signifie heauenly and euerlasting habitations Notwithstanding it more properly signifieth tents in warre and the flitting habitations of warfaring men And that by Tabernacle is here meant the Church militant the other word of soiourning doth import For heauenly Tabernacles are not tents to sojourne in but mansions of perpetuall habitation and euerlasting rest Basill by Tabernacle vnderstandeth our flesh which the Apostle calleth the â—arthly house of our Tabernacle for our bodies are not onely Tabernacles but Temples also of God As if this were the sence Lord who is he who hauing sojourned as a stranger in this flesh of ours shal at the length rest with thee in thine heauenly kingdome And surely the sence which he giueth is godly for it teacheth that those which shall for euer rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse do liue in this flesh as pilgrims and strangers mortifying their earthly members Notwithstanding his exposition is not fit For according to this interpretation the former part of the question containeth the answere to the latter for so hee sayth He that hath soiourned as a pilgrim in the flesh he shall dwell in the holy mountaine Most fitly therefore by Tabernacle we may vnderstand the Church militant which elsewhere is called the Tabernacle of God and sometimes the house sometimes the Temple of God For a Tabernacle is a militarie mansion and as it were a portable house which hath no fixed seat or setled place Now whereas the holy ghost calleth the Church of God a Tabernacle we learn first that the life of a Christian is a warfare as Iob saith wherein we are to fight against the enemies of our saluation which fight against our soules namely the flesh the world and the diuell Whereupon the Church of God vpon earth is called the Church militant It behooueth therefore euery one of vs that would bee esteemed a true member of the Church to behaue our selues as Christian souldiours fighting vnder the banner of Christ. And for as much as our aduersarie the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour and seeing the flesh lusteth against the spirit sending out of the heart as it were a furnace the sparkles of foolish and noisome lusts which fight against our soules and the world likewise partly by the desires thereof partly by bad examples carrieth vs away to embrace the world to mind earthly things to serue Mammon and to place our paradise here on the earth It behooueth vs therfore both to prepare our selues to this combat and therefore not to bee secure or to sleepe as others but to stand vpon our guard to be sober and vigilant and to arme our selues with that complete armour of God described Eph. 6. and also in the fight valiantly to encounter and constantly to withstand our spirituall enemies to resist the diuell and hee shall flie from vs with the shield of faith to quench his fierie darts and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to refell his assertions and repell his assentations So to vse the world that we doe not ouer-vse it so to possesse worldly things that we be not possessed of them but rather renouncing worldly lusts and being wained from worldly desires to meditate and mind heauenly things To crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie our members which are on the earth liuing not according to the flesh but according to the spirit This warfare is to be entertained this warre is to be maintained of vs if we would be esteemed sound members of the Church militant who sojourning in the Tabernacle of God doe fight in his campe against our spirituall enemies But on the other side if we execute the workes of the diuell giuing our selues ouer vnto sinne and iniquitie if with Demas we embrace
vnfaithfull shall be excluded but so many as beleeue shall enter into that rest And as Iosua who also is called Iesus brought the Israelites into that rest so Christ the true Iesus and Sauiour of his people bringeth all those that beleeue in him into this eternall rest For he not onely died that hee might purchase by his bloud this rest for vs and ascended into heauen to prepare eternall mansions for vs but also when wee are to leaue this earthly Tabernacle of our bodies he sendeth his holy Angels to conuey our soules into the bosome of Abraham and to place them in this mountaine of God By that which hath beene said wee see what difference there is betwixt the Church militant on earth and triumphant in heauen For this is a Tabernacle of warre that a mountaine of peace In this we sojourne for a time as pilgrims from God or as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that being remooued from the bodie we dwell with God or as the same Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here is trouble there is ease here is the valley of teares there is the kingdom of happines glory here is the combat and fight there is quiet perpetual rest here we are in our way there in our countrey Hitherto we haue spoken of the parts of this questiō seuerally now we are in a word to intreat of thē ioyntly together For both parts are to be vnderstood of one the same party or subiect out of which cōiunctiō we gather two things the first that those which shall dwell in the holy mountain do first sojourne in Gods Tabernacle the second that those which do here sojourne in the Tabernacle of God shal also rest in the mountain of his holines The former serueth for our instruction teaching vs that none shal be mēbers of the Church triumphant but those which haue bin mēbers of the Church militāt none shal be heires of heauē but those that haue bin pilgrims on earth All men desire to rest in the holy mountain of God but how few behaue thēselues as pilgrims in his Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil such men are geason all desire with Balaam to die the death of the righteous but few do care to lead the life of the iust all desire glory but few do care for grace al are desirous of the end which is saluatiō but few are careful of the subordinat means The latter serueth for our consolation assuring vs that all the true mēbers of the Church militant shall be members of the Church triumphant that all the children of God as all the faithfull are be also heires of eternall life that those which are obedient subiects in the kingdome of grace shall be inheritors of the kingdome of glory that those who are pilgrimes on earth shall be citisens of heauen For this is the priuiledge of a true Christian noted in the end of the Psalme that being once in the state of grace he shall neuer be vtterly remoued Herein therefore the faithfull may solace themselues that although they are despised and abused in the world yet they are heires of eternall life and citizens of the kingdome of heauen And so much of the parts of the question now we are to consider of the party to whom it is propounded For as touching this most weightie question the Psalmist consulteth with the Lord the collector of his Church and the giuer of eternall life And there may two reasons be giuen why in this question he appealeth vnto the Lord. First because in determining this question we are not to stand to the iudgement of men but of God onely For mens iudgement whether they deliuer their opinion concerning others is very vncertaine or touching themselues it is many times deceitfull For as touching themselues how many are there especially in the Church of Rome who boast of the name of the Church and in comparison of themselues contemne all others as heretiques or schismatiques because they presume that they are in the Catholique Church obseruing the rites of their Church and beleeuing as their Church beleeueth when as in truth they are members of Antichrist and nothing lesse than the true members of the Catholicke and inuisible Church of Christ. And therefore no maruell if many who liue in the face of the true Church do falsly iudge themselues to be sound members of the same Neither are we to stand to mens iudgement concerning others For the iudgement of the vngodly is corrupt and of the godly vncertaine The wicked iudge the true members of the Church indeed to be the scum of the world and off-scouring of all things them they hate contemne persecute excommunicate either as impious or as hereticall euen as our Sauiour Christ hath foretold They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God good seruice The world doth loue her owne but hateth those which are Christs as our Sauiour sayth the world hateth them because they are not of the world euen as I am not of the world And againe if the world hateth you know that it hated me first if you were of the world assuredly the world would loue her owne But now because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world doth hate you But the iudgement also of the godly concerning others is vncertaine For there is a twofold iudgement the judgement of Charitie Certaintie By the iudgement of Charitie◠the faithfull judge euery professed member of the visible Church when they speake of the particular persons to be a member of the inuisible elected called justified sanctified howbeit they know in generall that many are in the Church which be not of it and that many be called but few are chosen The judgement of Certaintie appertaineth only to God who onely is the searcher of the heart As the Prophet Ieremie sayth The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines that I may giue to euery man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his workes Seeing therefore wee are to stand to the judgement of God and not of men let vs labour to approoue our selues not to men but to the Lord who trieth the heart Secondly the Prophet deuolueth this question to Gods judgement that we may vnderstand the answere which ensueth to be without exception as being the aunswere not of man but of God who best knoweth who are his who also in the end of the world shall separate the sheepe from the goates Whe◠〈…〉 let no man deceiue himselfe any longer either 〈…〉 title of the Church or with a faire shew of an outward profession c. but let him know this for a certaine truth as it were from the Oracle
man that there is lesse hope of an hypocrite than of an open sinner first because he sinneth against the light of his conscience secondly because by his outward shewes he bleareth the eyes of men wherby he escapeth those admonitions and reproofes whereby the open sinner many times is reclaimed And lastly because in his pride and selfe-loue hee posteth ouer all publick reprehensions and exhortations to the open sinners because he is assured that in the opinion of others they belong not vnto him And this is that which our Sauiour Christ sayth to the hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisies That Publicans and harlots should goe into the kingdome of God befâ—re them Seeing therefore vprightnesse is a grace so excellent that it goeth vnder the name of perfection and is esteemed as the beautie of Christs spouse wherewith hee is especially delighted so profitable that to them which walke vprightly the Lord denieth nothing that is good but giueth them Grace in this life and Glory in the life to come and not onely maketh them blessed but their posteritie also after them so necessarie as that without it our best graces are counterfeits and our best worship of God hypocrisie and our selues hypocrits who shall neuer see God but shall haue our portion with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth how doth it behooue vs to labour for this grace which is so excellent in it selfe so pleasing vnto God so profitable and necessarie vnto vs and contrariwise to auoid the contrary sinne of hypocrisie which is so odious vnto God so foolish in it selfe and so pernicious vnto vs And to this purpose that wee may come to the fifth and last thing let vs obserue these few rules first let vs according to the example of Dauid learne to set God alwayes before our eyes and our selues in the sight and presence of God And to this end let vs meditate euermore both of his omnipresence remembring that he is alwayes present with vs in all places neither can we possibly auoid his presence as the Psalmist teacheth as also of his omniscience remembring That the eyes of the Lord are in euery place beholding the euil and the good and not only looking vnto the outward actions and speeches but also beholding the inward affections of the heart and cogitations of the mind euen before wee conceiue them that so we may learn to walke with our God approouing our selues vnto him and so behauing our selues as those which haue their conuersation in the sight and presence of God Who knoweth not how decently and reuerently we carry our selues whiles wee are in the sight and presence of our superiours especially of our prince Therefore Senec a admonisheth his friend Lucilius that he would set before him Cato or Laelius or some other graue and reuerend man that he might liue as in his sight for as he sayth Magna pars peccatorum tollitur si peccaturis testis assistat a great part of our sinnes is taken away if when wee are about to sinne there bee a witnesse by vs. How much more would the presence of almightie God strike a reuerence into vs if we had the eyes of Moses the eyes of faith whereby he saw him that is inuisible and is alwayes present with vs especially if wee considered that the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vnto the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart and that not onely the bodies of men but the soules also are manifest before him Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sonnes of men By this argument Dauid exhorteth Salomon his sonne to vprightnesse 1. Chron. 28. And thou my sonne Salomon saith he Know thou the God of thy father serue him with an vpright heart with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts Secondly to the meditation of his omnipresence and omniscience let vs adde the consideration of his omnisufficiencie remembring as the Prophet Hanani said to Asa That the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of an vpright heart towards him and that as Salomon saith He is a shield to them that walke vprightly and not that onely but as Dauid sayth He is the Sunne that is author of all comfortable blessings and a shield that is a preseruer and protectour from euill the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly And this is the argument which the Lord vseth to moue Abraham to integritie Gen. 17. I am God all-sufficient walke before me and be vpright For assuredly if we did effectually call to mind Gods all-sufficiencie we would neuer be so foolish as to play the hypocrits approouing our selues to men rather than to God seeing he is all-sufficient to crowne vs with blessings to shield vs from euill Whereas men can neither doe vs good vnlesse God bee pleased to vse them as his instruments whereby hee will conuey his blessings vnto vs neither can they do vs harm vnlesse God doe vse them as his rods whereby to correct vs. Thirdly to the former let vs joyne a serious meditation of the last judgement namely that God all-sufficient who is euery where present and is acquainted with al our secrets shall one day iudge the secrets of men and will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it bee good or euill Let vs therefore set God before our eyes sitting in judgement remembring that we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that â—uery man may receiue according to those things which he hath done in the body whether good or euil whether open or secret whether alone or with others whether in light or darkenesse by day or by night For darkenesse hideth not from God but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and light are both alike Let vs not therfore content our selues with an externall profession of religion and outward shew of vertue when as our hearts be not vpright within vs but are possessed with hypocrisie and abound with secret sinnes For an externall profession seuered from vprightnesse of heart shall no whit auaile thee at the day of judgement for God shall judge the secrets of men but it shall be very prejudiciall vnto thee increasing thine horrour and confusion For how shalt thou be confounded thinkest thou who hast made a profession of religion when the bookes being opened and thy secret sinnes laid open before all the world thou shalt be conuicted of hypocrisie condemned of many foule sinnes vnrepented of which thou hadst laboured to conceale from the world And with what horrour shalt thou be striken supposest thou when thy portion shall be assigned thee with the hypocrits where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Remember that many
LECTVRES ON THE XV. PSALME Read in the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in London Wherein besides many other very profitable and necessarie matters the question of Vsurie is plainely and fully decided By GEORGE DOVVNAME Doctor of Diuinitie Whereunto are annexed two other Treatises of the same authour the one of Fasting the other of Prayer LONDON Printed by Adam Islip for Cuthbert Burbie and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swan 1604. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY KING IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING of great Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland defender of the Faith c. YOVR Maiesties gracious acceptance of my Treatise concerning Antichrist hath emboldened me to dedicat these my labours vnto your Highnesse which are in no other respect worthie of your royall patronage but that they haue bene imployed in the explanation of an excellent Psalme of the royall Prophet Dauid whose writings the holy Ghost hath the rather commended to posteritie that by his example Kings and Princes might be admonished to spend part of their time which they may spare from their royall administration in heauenly meditations and spirituall exercises whereby they might gather assurance to themselues that after their earthly kingdome is ended they shall inherit an euerlasting kingdome in heauen for although it be a singuler fauour of God vouchsafed vnto them that they should so beare the image of his power and authoritie amongst men as that they should bee called Gods yet godly and Christian kings are not so much to glorie in the fruition of their temporall crownes and kingdomes as to solace themselues in the comfortable expectation of that incorruptible crowne of glorie which is laid vp for them in heauen For which cause King Dauid thought it to be his dutie to giue all diligence as Peter since hath exhorted vs all to make his calling and election sure and by vndoubted testimonies and infallible tokens to gather assurance vnto himselfe that hee was the true child of God And that he should not take his marks amisse as men are apt to deceiue themselue in this point he intreateth the Lord in this Psalme to reueale vnto him the vndoubted marks of the sons heires of God which hauing learned by the information of the holy Ghost he publisheth them to the common good of the Church Shewing as it were from the Oracle of God that not all that professe the true religion nor all that are able to discourse therof but those that walke worthie of their calling that behaue themselues as it becōmeth the children of the light that is that liue vprightly worke righteousnesse speake the truth from their hearts c. are the sound members of the Church militant vpon earth and shall bee inheritors of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen The meditation and practise of which things I do so much the more boldly commend to your Maiestie because it euidently appeareth by your former both studies in priuat and also speeches in publicke and writings published you haue propounded Dauid to your selfe as a patterne for imitation And now as a Minister of God I exhort your Highnesse to immitat him still as in speaking and writing so especially in the conscionable practise of Christian duties that you may bee more and more as he was a man according to Gods owne hart walking before the Lord as he did in truth and righteousnesse and vprightnesse of heart and gouerning and guiding the people of God according to the integritie of his heart and the singuler wisedome of his hands So shall the Lord take pleasure in you as he did in him and will not onely giue your Highnesse long and prosperous dayes but will also blesse your posteritie after you and establish them in the throne of these kingdomes for euer to the euerlasting glorie of his name and the perpetuall good of his Church which mercies the Lord graunt for his Christs sake Amen Your Maiesties obedient and loyall subiect George Downame LECTVRES ON the 15. Psalme Verse 1. A Psalme of Dauid Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse THis Psalme of Dauid is a Psalme of doctrine wherin the Kingly Prophet sheweth by what markes and notes a sound member of the Church militant and a true citizen of the kingdome of heauen may bee discerned and knowne And it is set downe in forme of a dialogue betwixt Dauid and the Lord consisting on two parts Dauids question Verse 1. and Gods answer in the rest of the Psalme The occasion of the question seemeth to haue beene the disguising and counterfeiting of many professors in all ages who liuing in the Church and not being of it but as goats among the sheepe and as tares among the corne doe notwithstanding by an externall profession of religion and false opinion of true pietie deceiue not only others but sometimes themselues also For many there are who place all religion in the performance of the outward worship And therefore such persons if they frequent the Church heare the word receiue the sacraments call vpon God with the rest of the congregation they imagine that they haue sufficiently discharged their dutie though their life and conuersation be irreligious and vnrighteous Yea and not a few seeme to repose such trust and affiance in the very name of the Church that if they imagine themselues to bee in the true Church and doe not gaine say the doctrine therein professed they take no further care for their saluation but liue securely as though all the members of the visible Church were also members of the inuisible and as though all which haue the externall Church to their mother had also God to their spiritual father in Christ. Wherefore to the end that men should no longer deceiue themselues with vaine opinions fond conceits the Prophet hauing first consulted as it were with the Oracle of God setteth downe certaine marks or notes of a true Christian and citizen of heauen wherby euery man may discerne himselfe And withall he teacheth that in a sound and liuely member of the Church an externall profession of the faith and an outward communion with the Church of God is not sufficient vnlesse the vprightnesse of our life be answerable to our profession And the same is confirmed by our Sauiour Christ Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Many shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord haue not wee prophecied in thy name and cast out diuels in thy name and done great wonders in thy name And then will I professe vnto them saying I know you not depart from me you workers of iniquitie But now let vs search out the true sence and meaning of this question By the names of Tabernacle and Mountaine we are to vnderstand the two parts of the
or passing on in hope of transâ—ation to a better estate This word therefore the holy-ghost doth vse to signifie that a citizen of heauen is a pilgrim on earth and that his life here is a pilgrimage And so Peter calleth the time of our life the time of our pilgrimage And Iacob professeth that the daies of his pilgrimage meaning his life were few and euill And likewise Dauid I am a stranger saith he before thee and a pilgrim as all my forefathers were In a word it was the profession of all the faithfull That they were strangers and pilgrims vpon the earth Here therefore wee are taught so many as desire to be citisens of heauen to behaue our selues as pilgrims on the earth Who being exiles in a forraine land desire to come vnto our owne country He that hath a good patrimonie in his owne countrey great wealth kind and able kinred and friends and is forced for a time to sojourne in a strange land where he is ill intreated disturbed molested assailed by his enemies on euery side hee will affect nothing in that strange countrey neither will he set his heart vpon any thing there but his mind is vpon his countrey desiring nothing more than to returne thither But our countrey is in heauen where we haue an euerlasting inheritance an incorruptible and inestimable treasure where is God our heauenly father Christ our eldest brother and the rest of our brothers and sisters the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the quire of heauenly Saints and celestiall spirits and wee are pilgrims for a time here vpon earth where we are hated ill intreated assaulted with the temptations of Satan the world and the flesh subject to many inward infirmities and outward troubles And therefore it behooueth vs not to set our hearts on worldly things or to place our paradise vpon the earth For if our hearts be on the earth how is our treasure in heauen if the earth be our countrey how are we citizens of heauen Wherefore if we bee pilgrims in the world let vs not bee addicted to worldly desires let vs not mind earthly things but being wained from worldly cogitations let vs mind those things which be aboue Let vs vse the world as though we vsed it not and let vs be so affected towards earthly things as pilgrims and wayfaring men are toward such delights or commodities as they see in their journey or at their inne Which if they vse as meanes to further them in their journey yet they set not their hearts vpon them And yet assuredly our abode in this life in respect of our continuance in the mountaine of Gods holinesse is not so much as the time of our lodging or bait in an Inne Therefore howsoeuer such as be but earth-wormes doe crawle as it were vpon the earth and mind earthly things Yet must we remember that we are citisens of heauen and pilgrims on the earth Are wee pilgrims liuing as it were exiled from our celestiall countrey and heauenly father What ought wee then more feruently to desire than to be in our country and that this earthly Tabernacle of our body being dissolued wee might dwell in that habitation made without hands eternall in the heauens Are we such pilgrims as indeed desire to be in our countrey Let that then bee our chiefest care and indeuour to trauell into our countrey Let vs first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and carefully vse the meanes of our saluation And let vs thinke that if wee bee pilgrims wee must also be wayfaring men Are we wayfaring men in this life then will wee vse hac vita vt via This life as a way and the things of this life as they may bee helpes vnto vs in this way Let vs make choise of the high and as it were the Kings way which leadeth vnto heauen the way of true faith and vnfained repentance Let vs insist and persist therein though it bee a narrow and an afflicted way Let vs walke before God in the duties of our lawfull callings and in those good workes which God hath prepared for vs. This is the way let vs walke therin Let vs not returne to our sinnes let vs not deâ—â—â—ne from the way of Gods commaundements either to the right hand or to the left let vs not stand at a stay nor looke backward with Lots wife and much lesse goe backward but with Paule let vs doe one thing forgetting that which is behind and striuing to that which is before let vs make on towards the marke vnto the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ knowing that whosoeuer perseuereth to the end he shall bee saued And this was the former part of the question concerning a true member of the Church militant which the holy ghost hath expressed in these wordes Who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle calling the Church militant the Tabernacle of God and teaching that hee which is an heire of the kingdome of heauen is a pilgrim on earth Now followeth the later part of the question which is concerning the member that shall bee of the Church triumphant and inheritour of the kingdome of heauen in these words Who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse The kingdome of heauen by a metonymy of the signe he calleth the mountaine of God For the mountaine of God was a type of the kingdome of heauen And this mountaine was either the land of Canaan which was a type of the coelestiall Canaan as it is said Exod. 15. Thou shalt plant them O Lord in the mountaine of thine inheritance in the place which thou hast made for thine habitation or else the mount Sion which elsewhere is called the mountaine of Gods holinesse and was a type of the heauenly Ierusalem or lastly the Mount Moriah where the Temple was placed which is somewhere called the mountaine of the congregation standing on the North part of Sion and is therefore called the holy mountaine because it was the place of the holy assemblies which the Lord sanctified for his habitation and for his worship and this alâ—â— was a type of the temple of God that is to say of heauen Whereas therefore heauen is called the mountaine of God it is a metonymy such as wee find elsewhere in the Psalmes I cried vnto the Lord and he heard me out of the mountaine of his holinesse that is heauen And thus the most interpret this place as namely among the Greekes Basil saith this mountaine doth signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The supercelestiall religion which is euery way conspicuous and bright which some call Coelum Empyrium wherof the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. Among the Latines P. Lombard in thy holy mountaine that is saith he In euerlasting blisse where is the vision of peace signified in the name Ierusalem and the supereminence or height of
dwell in the holy mountaine of God are such as walke vprightly that is without hypocrisie towards God without guile towards men Now this guile or dissembling or doubling or hypocrisie for so sometimes it is called which is opposed vnto simplicitie is twofold in word and in fact in word when one thing is said and another thought which in the Scriptures phrase is speaking with an heart and an heart This diuorce betwixt the mind and the tongue is detestable vnto God and odious to ingenious men sometimes also it is called in the Scriptures a deceitfull tongue which the Lord sayth should not be found in the remnant of Israel Sometimes a mouth of deceit as Psal. 109. such as is described Psal. 55. The words of his mouth are softer than butter whiles warre was in his heart his words were more supple than oyle yet were they swords and Ieâ—em 9. their tongue is an arrow shot out and speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in his heart he layeth ambushments for him But what followes shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this If therefore wee would escape the judgements of God and desire to liue a long and prosperous life We must keepe our tongues from euill and our lips that they speake no guile following as I said before the simplicitie of the lambe of God in whose mouth there was found no guile Dissembling in fact is when one thing is pretended and another intended or as Augustine speaketh Dolus est cum aliud agitur aliud fingitur In which doubling the wisdome of our Polititians brought vp at Machiauels feet doth principally consist the practise whereof is now growne so vsuall that commonly it is said Qui nescit dissimulare nescit viuere he that knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to liue Howbeit more truly it is said and by warrant of Scripture Qui vadit planè vadit sanè He that walketh plainely walketh safely Prou. 10. He that walketh vprightly walketh safely but he that peruerteth his wayes shall be knowne namely as an example to others The highest degree of this deceit is that which we call cony-catching or cousenage when as a man by cunning trickes and artificiall fetches ouerreacheth his neighbour when with his tongue concinnat dolum he trimly forgeth deceit and in his deeds layeth wait for his brother setting snares and nets to catch men as fowlers doe for birds or as cony-catchers doe for rabbets bunting his brother with a net as the Prophet Micah speaketh Now as simplicitie in the Scriptures is commended vnto vs as a note of the true sheepe of Christ imitating the simplicitie of the lambe of God so deceit and guile is condemned as a propertie of those who resemble the image of Satan the old serpent the forger of deceit and the father of lies For if he be a true Christian in whom there is no guile what is hee in whom no simplicitie or plaine dealing is to be found If in the remnant of Israel a deceitfull tongue shall not be found then belong not they to the Israell of God who with their tongues doe forge deceit If true Christians be the sheepe of Christ resembling his simplicitie in whom there was found no guile what then are those foxes and wolues who imitate the old serpent in subtiltie and deceit If those which shall rest in the holy mountaine of God be such as doe walke in vprightnesse and simplicitie then haue they no inheritance in the kingdome of heauen who walke in dissimulation and deceit And this may further appeare by the Lords prohibitions censures and threatnings denounced against deceit It is forbidden Leu. 19 You shall not lie nor vse deceit one towards another And 1. Thess. 4 We are charged not to goe beyond or ouerreach our brother or to defraud him in any matter It is censured as a sinne odious vnto God A man of deceit God hateth It is reckoned Rom. 1 among the crimes of the Gentiles giuen ouer to a reprobate sence that they were full of guile And Ezec. 22 among the abhominations of Ierusalem for which destruction is threatened against it that they made gaine of their neighbours by deceit And lastly the judgements of God are denounced against it Psal. 55 The deceitfull men shall not attaine to the halfe of their dayes 1. Thess. 4. 6 The Lord is a reâ—enger of such things namely of cousenage and deceit And in the place before cited shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule be auenged on sucâ— a nation as this To conclude therefore this first note seeing vprightnesse is made a proper marke of the true child of God and citisen of heauen whereas contrariwise dissimulation and deceit are the brands of the wicked it behooueth euery one to apply this note to himselfe Doost thou walk vprightly without hypocrisie towards God without guile towards man happy and blessed art thou for thou shalt see God and as thou now art a sound member of the Church militant so shalt thou be an inheritour of glory in the triumphant Doest thou not walke in sinceritie towards God and simplicitie towards men but in hypocrisie and dissimulation then most fearefull is thine estate vnlesse thou repent for thou hast no part or fellowship in the doctrine of saluation or in the communion of Saints but thy portion shall bee assigned thee with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth The second note of a citisen of heauen is Righteousnesse For to the Prophet demaunding who is a sonne and heire of God the Lord answereth He that worketh righteousnesse Where first we are to consider the sence of the words and then are wee to shew that the working of Righteousnesse is a proper marke of those who liuing in the Church are appointed to eternall life Iustice is that vertue which giueth to euery one that which is due vnto him And it is either vniuersall or particular The vniuersall summarily compriseth al those duties which we owe to our neighbour and is therefore said to containe all other morall vertues within it according to the testimonie of the auntient Poet which to this purpose is alleadged by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In iustice is all vertue summarily comprised The particular Iustice is either Distributiue or Commutatiue The Distributiue is that which hauing place in distributing rewards or punishments obserueth a Geometricall proportion according to the worthinesse of men or their deserts The Commutatiue iustice is that which hauing place in Contracts obserueth an Arithmeticall proportion in the equalitie of the things commuted But of the vniuersall righteousnesse this place is especially to be vnderstood the summe whereof is that law royall as Saint Iames
as being both profitable and necessary forts profitable First because by them we may make sure our calling and our election as Peter teacheth they being so many testimonies vnto vs thereof True indeed it is that we were elected without respect of workes and we are called by grace not according to workes we are justified by faith without workes and by grace we are saued through faith and not by workes But if a man would know whether he be elected called justified and shall be saued as we are bound to giue diligence that we may haue a firme knowledge of these things we are not to pry into the secret counsell of God but we are to examine our selues by our fruits for both we and others are to be discerned by our fruits As our Sauiour saith by their fruits you shall know them do men gather grapes of thornes or â—igges of thistels a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit By the fruits therefore of righteousnes we may euidently discerne our selues to be sanctified And none are sanctified but such as first are justified and whosoeuer are justified are effectually called and none are effectually called but such as are elected and none are elected but such as shall be saued To this purpose Iames sheweth that the faith whereby we are justified must be demonstrated by good workes And Iohn affirmeth that by the the loue of our brethren which is all one in effect with righteousnesse we know that we are translated from death vnto life Againe good workes are profitable because they haue the promises both of this life and of that which is to come They are also necessary not as the causes of our justification and saluation as though we were either justified by them or saued for them but as necessary fruits of faith and testimonies of our justification according whereunto the sentence of saluation shall be pronounced for although vnto the act of justification good workes do not concurre as any causes thereof yet in the subject that is the partie justified they concurre as fruits of our faith and consequents of our justification For as breathing is such a fruit or consequent of life as where that is we judge the body to liue where that is not we judge it to be dead so is the exercise of righteousnesse and performance of good workes such a consequent of faith as that where good workes are the faith is liuely where they are not at all the faith is dead They are necessary also in respect of saluation not as the causes thereof but partly as the way for we are his vvorkmanship created vnto good workes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in them and therefore they are fitly sayd to be Vni regum non causa regnandi The way to the kingdome not the cause of reigning and partly as the euidence according vnto which the Lord proceedeth in judgement to the sentence of saluation Come you blessed of my father sayth Christ the judge inherit you the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungrie and you gaue me meat I thirsted and you gaue me drinke c. It is most certaine that Christ our Sauiour by his obedience hath merited and purchased eternall life for all those that beleeue in him according to the maine promise of the Gospell that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall be saued By that righteousnes and obedience of Christ apprehended by faith not by or for any righteousnes inherent in vs or obedience performed by vs are we made sonnes heires of God entituled vnto the kingdome of heauen acquitted from our sinnes and accepted vnto eternall life Notwithstanding seeing all that be in the Church professe themselues to beleeue whereof many deceiue either themselues with an opinion or others with a profession of faith therefore the Lord proceedeth vnto judgement according to the fruits either of faith or infidelity taking for granted that in those who are members of the true visible Church where good workes are there is faith and where are no good workes there is no faith And therefore it behoueth vs as we desire either to haue assurance of our saluation whiles we liue here or to heare the comfortable sentence of saluation pronounced to vs in the day of judgement so to be carefull to demonstrat our faith by good workes And hereby it appeareth against the malicious slaunder of the Papists that although we deny good workes to be meritorious of euerlasting life yet we do not teach men to cast off all care and well doing Now for the auoiding of errour Whereas the workes of righteousnesse are made a proper note of the sons and heires of God we are first to restraine this part of the Lords answer to that subject whereof Dauids question is propounded namely to those who liue in the true visible Church and professe the name and religion of God Of these because there be many hypocrites and vnsound professors among them Dauid desireth to be informed who are the true professors The Lord answereth He that worketh righteousnesse and so by his good workes doth demonstrat his faith There are many workes materially good to be found not onely among heretickes and idolatours as the Papists but also among Turkes and Pagans But we speake not of those that are without for they are not within the compasse either of Dauids question or Gods answer And secondly we are to know that all works in respect of the matter or the thing done seeme to be good workes are not straightwayes the workes of righteousnesse neither doth he which performeth them alwayes worke righteousnesse For it is not a good and a true worke of righteousnesse indeed vnlesse it proceed from the right fountaine vnlesse it be done in a right maner and to a right end As touching the fountaine it is a good rule of Gregory That the streames of righteousnes towards our brother must be deriued from the fountaine of pietie towards God For we loue not our brother aright vnlesse we loue him in and for the Lord and we cannot loue him in and for the Lord vnlesse we loue the Lord much more and we loue the Lord because we are by faith persuaded that he loueth vs first his loue being shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost and we cannot beleeue in God and Christ our Sauiour vnlesse we know God aright and vnderstand the mysterie of our saluation by Christ. If therefore we be ignorant persons we haue no faith if we be vnfaithfull persons we haue no true loue or feare of God nor any other sanctifying grace If we haue no true loue of God we haue no true loue of our brother For euen as the loue of God seuered from the loue of our neighbour is hypocrisie so is the loue of our neighbor seuered from the loue of God counterfeit The good workes therefore that are done either by an ignorant
And this priuiledge doth so truly and properly belong to euery sound Christian as that to the holy ghost in this place it is one the same thing to be a sound Christian and to be such an one as shall neuer be remoued For when Dâ—uid had demanded Who shall soiourne in tby Tabernacle and who shall rest in thy holy hill that is Lord by what tokens may a sound Christian and heire of the kingdome of heauen be discerned The Lord maketh answere He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth which is in his heart c. he is a sound Christian and heire of the kingdome of heauen But he vseth not those words but in stead of them he vseth these to the same sence He shall neuer be remoued Whereupon it plainely followeth that euery vpright and sound Christian is such an one as shall neuer be remoued These words therefore affoord this most comfortable doctrine That the perseuerance consequently the saluation of the vpright of the righteous of the faithful and sound Christian is certaine And this truth is elsewhere in the Scriptures most plainely and plentifully taught as shal be shewed when my treatise of Perseuerance which I haue alreadie finished shall be thought fit to be published In the meane time let vs from this doctrine gather this vse That seeing it is the priuiledge of the vpright sound Christian neuer to be remoued we ought therfore by walking vprightly by exercising righteousnesse by speaking the truth from our hearts c. labour to make our calling and election sure for if we doe these things wee shall neuer fall FINIS The Faults escaped are thus to be corrected PAg. 8 lin 20. care p. 9. l. a fine 10. jagur in Mar. l. a f. 5. are p. 13. l. 1. region l. 15. concauam l. a f 10. now l. a f. 5. vanitie and p. 15. l. 18. 19. the short light p. 16. Marg. for Heb 6 11. â— Heb. 4. 11. p. 19. l. 12. Charitie p. 23. l. 10. foure are p. 24. l. 8. I said the p. 25. l. 2. make l. 11. with perfect righteousnes p. 27. Mar. l. 8. Be lo-leb valeb p. 40. l. 2. 3. Salomon p. 43. l. 22. for righteousnes r. vprightnes p. 59. l. a f. 6. p. 79. l. 16. 27. ingenuous p. 67. l. 15. fruits p. 69. l. 22. for vs. Profitable p. 70. l. a fâ— viâ— regni p. 71. l. a f. 8. care of well p. 72. l. 10. workes which in l. vlt. meere ciuile p. 73. l. 13. they are fained l. 11. bribe l. 23. but splendida l. a. f. 8. By this l. a. f. 6. of meere p. 74. l. 18. child of God p. 75. l. a. f. 10 in his heart p. 76. l. vlt. But yet p. 79. l 15. seuenthly herunto p. 80. l. 3. eightly if p. 90. l. a f. 13. pereundo quaerat p. 91. l. 17. and therefore a vice p. 93. l. 14. celebrate l. 18. serpents p 101. l. 21. we are freely p. 102. l. 7. Scripture l. 14. is the pr. p. 103. l. 12. premonished p. 117. l. 9. 10. to reuenge answered p. 121. l. 18 are not onely mal l. 24. peculier p. 125 l. 20. howsoeuer all p. 129. l. a. f. 5. indices p. 137. l. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— 15. we haue p. 145 l. 18. implied in p. 146. Ma. l. a. f. 8. peierare p. 147. l. 9. 10. void and of p. 154. l. 5 by this p. 155. l. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 136. l. a. f. 5. whatsoeuer p. 159. col 2. l. 2. coÌ„modation p. 164. l. 7. contracts p. 166. l. 9. as belonging l. 19. thy default l. 22. quanti l. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 167. l. 3. cause as it l. 12. certain or p. 170. l. vlt. of the drachmae p. 171. l. 10. diuerse rates l. 16. decunx l. 17. quincunx Mar. l. 5. sesquialtera l. 10. foeneratâ—rum haec p. 172. l. 9. Antoninus l. 11. helpe p. 179. l. 16. Rome made p. 180. l. 3. to giue 182. l. 11. restored p. 183. l. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 184. l. 8. thereof p. 186. l. 6. who making l. 12. twentie shillings l. 19. then in p. 187. l. 9. some few p. 191. l. 19. pro rata temporis p. 192. l. 22. Nubibus As p. 196. l. 7. excelsiue l. a f. 5. in hiphil p. 198 l. 7. 9. l. a f. 9. l. 199. l. 5. Nashah p. 203. l. 4. generally 207. l. 14. shal men p. 208. l. a f. 3 4. hostis p. 209. l. 22 would p. 216. l. 3 the Lord answereth he that p. 222. l. 22. because his p. 235. l. a f. 3. commuted p. 238. l. 15. of horses p. 244. l. 6. interusurium p. 252. l. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 259. Mar. l. 1. Epod. 2. p. 260. l. 11. wealthier p. 262. l. a. f. 4. trientes p. 263. l. 12. Alcoran p. 264. l. 16. forbidden p. 287. l. a. f. 3. brought p. 301. l. af 8. cariage Of p. 306. l. 2. secondly the lender p. 308. l. 22. but of other p. 310. l. 4. reuerend p. 311. l a f. 13. imprecation In Marg. l. 11. danisticum p. 313. l. a f. 9. 10. do not repent p. 314. l. a f. 12. all-sufficient p. 317. l. a f. 8. lesse p. 330. l. 4. acknowledged in the Scriptures to be no sinne p. 339. l. 10. and too p. 345. l. 18. n vsurie p. 350. l. 4. praemittimus Psal. 8â— 6. Exod. 22. 28. 2. Pet. 1. 10. 1. King 3. 6. Psal. 78. 71. 72. The Argument of the Psalme Mat 7. 21 22 23. The meaning of the words Ver. 1. 2. Chro. 3. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 19. The diuision 〈◊〉 the text Vers. 1. Esay 40. 22. Psal. 104. 2. Luke 16. 9. In Psal. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 13 14. 1. Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Col. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 61. 5. c. Thâ— Church militant is the Tabernacle of God The first vse Iob. 7. 1. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Iob. 1. Gal. 5. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Pet. 2. 11. 1. Cor. 7. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 58. Eph. 6. 14 15 16 17. sam 4. 7. 1. Cor. 7. 31. Tit. 2. 12. Psal. 131. 2. Col. 3. 2. Gal. 5 24. Col. 3. 5. Rom 13. 14. The second vse 1. Cor. 10. 2. Chron. 3. 1. 5. 5. Heb. 11. 37 38. The third vse 1. Tim. 3. 15. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. 2. Thess. 2. 4. Exod. 25. 8. Leuit. 26. 12. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Esay 12. 6. Deut. 13. 14. Psal. 9. 12. 132. 13. Apoc. 2. 1. Deut. 20. 3. Deuâ— 9. 3. Deut. 6. 15. Deut. 23. 14. God more especially present in the assemblies of the Church Mat. 18. 20. Gen. 4. 15. Psal. 27. 4. Psal. 42. 1. 2. 4. Psal. 84. 1 2. c