doth any good As the Eagle doth account them bastards that cannot abide to looke vpon the Sunne so Christ doth account them bastards which will not take him to bee an example of lowlinesse Euery creature doeth impart his good vnto man but the enuious man he hath separated himselfe from dooing good to any euen as an Apostata Euerie vice is the contrarie of some vertue as intemperance to moderation incontinence to chastitie pride to humilitie but enuie is contrarie to all This is the cognisance of the diuell for God saith By this shal men know that you are my disciples if you loue one another so the Diuell hee saith By this shall men knowe that you are my Disciples if you enuie and hate one another The proud the prodigall the couetous the lasciuious they are loued of some but the enuious man is hated of all And this sinne is so lothsome vnto him that hee cannot abide it in any but in himselfe Therefore if wee loue our selues let vs loue our neighbours for nothing doth more please God than loue so that if the blacke Moore could be cleane here is water inough to wash him But the flesh of man is more strong then all these reasons God hath put enmitie betweene vs and the Serpent and the Serpent hath put enmitie betweene man and man When Ioseph had laden his brethren full of corne and sent them away he bade them not to fall out by the way so I would this lesson when we haue plentie of all things and are full had deepe impression in our hear is that we forget it not Fall not out by the waye FINIS To the Reader WHereas these Sermons of Nabuchadnezzar haue heretofore been printed by an vnperfect Copie and by meanes thereof haue passed through the handes of diuers hauing in some places the minde of the Author obscured in other some the sentences vnskilfully patched together whereby the Authors discredit might bee furthered and the sale of the Sermons haue been hindered Now as I haue caused them to be examined by the best Copies and to bee corrected accordingly so I thought good to certifie thee of the same that the wants which were in the first impression might not cause thee to suspect this impression also and so discourage thee from acquainting thy selfe with the excellent Instructions offered in these Treatises THE PRIDE OF Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 26. 26 At the end of twelue moneths he walked in the royall pallace of Babel 27 And the king spake and sayd Is not this great Babel that I haue built for the house of my kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie I Haue chosen this storie of Nabuchadnezzar wherein is laide downe his Pride his Fall and his Restitution This Nabuchadnezzar was a wicked King and therefore God warned him by a dreame and by Daniel to amend his life but all would not serue hee made many shewes but hee reuolted againe therefore at the last GOD gaue him ouer for a time and he became like a beast vntill he acknowledged his power to come from God A warning to all rulers to put them in remembrance that one ruler is aboue which must bee serued of them all or else all their buildings and treasures and guard will not shield them from iudgement when the stroake commeth no more than they could saue Nabuchadaezzar At the end of twelue moneths saith Daniel this king walked in his royall pallace The Prophet sheweth that hee had deserued this punishment before and that his dreame which he had did tell him that his kingdome should depart from him for his Pride yet this respite of twelue moneths was granted him like the fortie dayes which were granted to the Niniuites to trie what hee would doe vpon his warnings and whether hee would repent as the Niniuites did therefore the holy Ghost sheweth how the time ranne and how he liued after as if he should say If he will returne yet and be warned by the dreames or by the Prophets which I sent him I will stay my hand and his kingdome shal not depart from him But here he sheweth that he forgot his dreame like a dreame and was more desirous to knowe what it meant than to bee warned by it The twelue months ranne moneth after moneth yet Nabuchadnezzar is all one Now his dreames are gone he thinketh that all is ended therefore hee getteth him vp into his pallace amiddest his delights to beake himselfe as it were in the sunne of all his pleasures where indeede hee hastened God to take away all his pleasures and delightes from him when hee should haue repented as the Prophet Daniel willed him and ripped vp his sinnes and bewailed his wicked life and poured foorth teares and preuented his iudgement with prayer vpon his knees then was hee stalking in his galleries and thinking what sinne should bee next to fill vp the number of his rebellions that GOD might not spare him when he iudged so the wicked will not suffer the prophesies of God against them to be in vaine but they will put GOD in minde of their punishments and sinne till the punishment doe come vppon them to fulfill the threatnings due vnto them Some thinke that Nabuchadnezzar walked vppon the roofe of his pallace from whence hee might see all partes of the Citie round about him like the mountaine whither the tempter led our Sauiour Christ to shew him the beauty of the world This the Prophet Daniel would signifie that the King liued in ease as he liued before and pleased himselfe in vanitie still for all his warnings and turned his time of repentance to sinne againe Therefore God would deferre the time no longer but cut him downe like the barren and fruitlesse figge tree to teach vs to take mercie when it is offered and repent while wee haue time and space and that if GOD speake vnto vs but once to lay it vp in our hearts for euer not looking or expecting to be spoken to againe because GOD is not bound to admonish or giue vs any warning at all One woulde haue thought that Nabuchadnezzar woulde haue remembred his warning while hee had liued which had such a strange and fearefull Dreame and after that another dreame being no lesse strange and fearefull than the former dreame to confirme it and after such a Prophet to expound it and the exposition of it threatning such a miserable ruine and downfall vnto himselfe One would haue thought and beleeued that he could neuer haue forgotten it or put it out of his remembrance although he had liued vnto this day But like a wonder which lasteth not aboue nine dayes so is the repentance of them which sinne by custome for when sinne is rooted it sticketh fast and will hardly be weeded out though GOD should send vs dreames though he should shewe vs visions though he should raise vp Prophets Daniel himselfe cannot make this blacke Moore white which alwaies hath been black before
greater number than he had before as all the blessings of God returned to Nabuchadnezzar when he looked vp to heauen so they shall come backe like a riuer vpon you when your eyes can goe by these vanities and looke vpon him which lookes vpon you or els seuen and seuen yeres shall passe ouer you and you shall be neuer the better but worse and worse like Saul which was vexed more and more till he had killed himselfe Therefore as the Iewes looked vp to the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ when they would bee healed Numb 21. 8 so all that woulde recouer that which they haue lost or obtaine that which they want Nabuchadnezzar doth teach them here to lift vp their eyes to heauen from whence sayth Christ commeth euerie blessing of man At the end of these dayes I Nabuchadnezzar lifte vp mine eyes c. Like a man which is wakened out of a long traunce now he began to stirre and lift vp his eyes when the heart is once lift vp it wil lifte vp the eyes and the hand and voice and all to heauen he which neuer looked vp to heauen so long as his comfort was vpon the earth nowe his minde is changed his lookes and iestures speeches and all are chaunged with it As though God would shew a visible difference betweene the spirituall and the carnall euen in their lookes and iestures as there is betweene a childe and an olde man The spirituall mindes are heauenly and looke vp because their ioy is aboue The carnall mindes are earthly and looke downe like beasts because their treasure is belowe As the serpent grouels vpon the ground so doth the serpents seede and hath not so much as the countenance of grace Therefore by lifting vp his eyes to heauen is signified that the time was come which the Lord had set downe that he should bee like a beast vntill he had learned that lesson That the most high beareth rule ouer the sons of men Therfore Nabuchadnezzar sheweth that hee had learned his lesson for he looked not vp to heauen to beholde the Sunne the moone or the starres like an Astronomer but thinking howe hee had set himselfe against Heauen from whence came all his honour in a godly shame holy anger toward himselfe he turnes his face from earth to heauen to magnifie him which had humbled him that so contemneth him which aduanced him Nowe hee talkes no more of his Pallace nor his power nor his Maiestie though it be greater then it was but hee looked aboue his owne pallace to another Pallace from whence that terrible voyce came down vnto him Thy kingdome is departed from thee Which expresseth his contrite hearte and wounded spirit howe many passions batled within as if hee should chide himselfe and saye Vnthankefull man my power euer descended from aboue and I euer looked vpon the earth and mine honour came downe from heauen and I neuer lifte vp mine eyes before But now sayth he goe vp my voyce and my handes and my eyes how long will ye pore vpon the earth like a beast so he lifted vp his eyes vnto heauen After hee had lifted vp his eyes he beginneth to pray praise and giue thanks to God which sheweth that he did not onely lifte vp his eyes but his heart too for vnlesse we can say with Dauid I lift vp my hart Psal 25. 1. it is in vain to lift vp eies or hands or voice as the hypocrits doe because he which is a spirite will be worshipped in spirite Iohn 4. Therefore Marie sayth My heart doth magnifie the Lord. Luke 11. 46. As for the Infidels and Idolaters they haue no heartie seruice but their religion is like an occupation which is done with the body For when we reade of the sacrifice or prayers of the Idolaters and Infidels we doe not find that they lifte vp their hearts to their Idols but their hands or their eyes or their voyce as the Baalites roared to Baal 1. King 18. 28. and the Marriners cryed to their Sea-gods 1. Ionas 5. and the Ephesians showted to Diana Act. 19. 28. But the lifting vp of the heart is the holy seruice and alway appropriate vnto God which saith My sonne giue me thy heart Pro. 23. 26. Therefore now Nabuchadnezzar lifts vp his heart to God shewing that he had learned that lesson which GOD gaue him 7. years to study that The most high beareth rule ouer the sonnes of men c. Now God thinkes the time long enough as he reformed the ground after the flood with fruit and hearbes and flowers agayne so hee reformeth Nabuchadnezzar with vnderstanding and beauty and honour againe As when he repented himselfe and sayd I wil drown the earth no more Gen. 8. 21. so I wil chase Nabuchadnezzar no more nowe he knowes a king aboue him he shall bee king againe nowe he seekes my honour I wil giue him honour now he magnifieth him which debased him I will returne to exalt him So the voyce which thundred from heauen Thy kingdome is departed from thee sounds again Thy kingdome is restored to thee For it was not tolde that he should be like a beast vntill he dyed but vntill he knew that the most high beareth rule ouer the sonnes of men Therefore when he knew this nothing could stay him from his kingdome no more then they could stay him in it before Thus the displeasure of God is but an interim vntill we knowe some thing that we should know and then Nabuchadnezzar shalbe king againe then the sick man shalbe whole againe then the bondman shall be free againe then the poore man shall be rich againe His mercies are called euerlasting because they endure for euer Psal 136. 1 2. But his anger is compared to the clouds because it lasteth but a season whome he loueth hee loueth to the ende but whome hee scourgeth hee scourgeth to repent as Hezekias was sicke vntill hee wepte Nabuchadnezzar was banished but vntill hee repented Now the first cure of the Kings restitution was of his mind Mine vnderstanding saith Nabuchadnezzar was restored vnto me To shewe what an inestimable gift our vnderstanding and reason is whereby wee differ from beasts for which we cannot be thankful enough therefore he records it twise as though his heart did flowe with gladnes and his tongue could not choose but speak often of it as a man thinketh and speaketh of that which he loueth Mine vnderstanding was restored vnto me c. That which was first taken away was first restored againe which so soone as it was gone he was counted a man no more but a beast As Dauid sayth Like Horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding Psalme 32. 9. counting them which are voide of vnderstanding to better then horse and mule Therefore they which haue lost their vnderstāding at the Tauerns as many here haue done somtimes they which vnderstād not yet what is the booke of God are but horse and mule
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
neuer brought Agrippa to altogether Therefore they which fishe for soul 〈◊〉 must take Paules net and remember what God saith to Ieremie 15. 19. Let them bee conuerted vnto thee But be not thou conuerted vnto them for then thou shalt neuer conuert them Signifiing that our constancie in goodnes shall induce others to turne from their wickednes and make him which is but almost come to altogether This is the substance of Paules replie that it is not enough to be a Christian almost that is to haue a kinde of religion a little knowledge a little faith a cold zeale a flattering holines like the touch of the hem but we must march to perfection and doe his will vpon earth as it is in heauen and contend to be holie as hee is holie This is religion saith Iames to keepe thy selfe vnspotted like a glasse which is still wiped To this end saith Paul 2. Tim. 3. The Scripture doth teache and reproue and instruct and comfort That the man of God might bee absolute And in the 1. to the Ephe. 41. To this ende wee were elected that wee might be holie and without blame And Rom. 1. He describes our iourney from faith to faith not from faith to distrust As Dauid describes the waie of the righteous Psal 840. 7. From vertue to vertue as a trauailer goes from towne to towne till he come to his Inne What a foolish thing were it for the Scribe to stay there whē our Lord telles him Thou art not farre from the kingdome of heauen for therefore Christ telleth him that he is not farre from heauen to incourage him lest he should giue ouer before he come to it So if yee staie at almost and repente in some sort as Esau did when hee wept you may hunt for the blessing as Esau did and goe without it for God is not mocked but God is mocked if colours and shewes will serue When GOD said Seeke my face mine heart aunswered said Dauid I will seeke thy face Psalme 27. 8. So wee must aunswere the Lorde to that which he asketh and not when hee biddes vs seeke his face seeke his backe when he requireth al giue him halfe God asketh Art thou a Christian and thou aunsweres O Lord I am almost a Christian What niggardlie aunswere is this to him which deserueth a thousande times more than the best can giue If thy maister aske thee art thou my seruant wilt thou aunswere him I am almost thy seruant If the Prince aske thee Art thou my subiect wilt thou aunswere I am almost thy subiect If thy father aske thee art thou my sonne wilt thou answere I am almost thy sonne If thou art but almost his son then he is but almost thy father And so it is with God a son or no sonne halfe a sonne is a bastard How doest thou know God to be thy God but as thou art his seruant How doest thou knowe God to be thy father but as thou art his son By thy loue thou shalt know Gods loue for according to thy minde towards him is his minde of thee whereby thou maist truelie iudge whether he fauour thee or hate thee and no way else God loueth nothing almost therefore he doth not loue almost Therefore loue as thou maist be loued or else thy loue is lost Thou must seeke as thou maist finde or else thy labour is lost They shall seeke and finde me saith God because they shall seeke with all their hearts as in Ieremie 29. Chapter and the 13. verse as though they should not finde him though they sought him vnlesse the sought him with all their hearts Naaman is not onelie commaunded to wash himselfe in Iordan but to washe himselfe seuen times and then he shall bee healed So man is not onely commaunded to obey God but to obey him while hee liues and then he shall be saued Be faithfull saith the Angell vnto death and then I will giue thee the Crowne of life Reuel 2 10. When Saul was commanded to kill the Idolatrous beasts he was commaunded to kil all and because he spared some God reiected him Yet God hath more mercie on beasts than on sins Would he haue the beasts of sinners die their vices liue No saith Christ Make cleane within that is leaue no filth behind Whensoeuer Christ cast out one deuill we read that he cast out al euē the legion together so when thou castest out one vice cast out all for one is not worthier than another The Prophet doth teach vs to power out our sins like water which leaueth no taste or colour or sent behinde There is a whole old man and there must be a whole newe man The old man must change with the new man wisedome for wisedome loue for loue feare for feare his worldlie wisedome for heauenlie wisedome his carnall loue for spirituall loue his seruile feare for Christian feare his idle thoughts for holy thoughtes his vaine wordes for wholesome wordes his fleshlye workes for righteous workes This is a Christian altogether as if he were cast in a newe mould As a Painter woulde drawe a beautifull picture which should bee fairer than all women in the worlde hee would marke the speciall grace of euerie one and make one beautie of all so we must make vp a Christian and take modestie from him faith from him loue from him patience from him zeale from him and humility from him vntill it be like the Image of Christ This is the building of a Christian First his foundation is laide and then his walles and then his roofe and then a Christian like Adam in Paradise God made all things good therefore if we bee but almost good all thinges are better than wee The wicked man speaketh out of the corruption of his fleshlie heart and shall not the righteous speake of the aboundance of his spirituall heart Hee which is merrie would be merrier if he knew how He which is enuious would looke sterner if he could He which is proud would goe brauer if hee had it and all if wee could bee worse wee would but let them amend which looke to die For what kinde of man should hee bee which must beare the Image of God be the Temple of the holie Ghost and inherite the kingdome of heauen Who is fit for these things saith Paul Nay who is fit for these things Do ye know no enough in riches nor pleasure nor sinne and thinke that you haue enough of religion before yee haue any The good are knowne because none but they which are good striue to be better Wee are inuited to a banquet shall we go but halfe the way vnto it Were it not better that the fig-tree had borne fruites than leaues that the Virgins had carried oyle than lamps So is it not better for vs to be vessels of gold that come to the Lords table than like the image in Daniel part of gold part of siluer part of brasse part of iron part of clay
draw than to drinke rather to heare than to bee bettered and sanctified and increased by our hearing One sort heareth not at all like Eutichus which was sleeping when Paul was preaching another sort forgets all as Nabuchadnezzar did his dreame the most sort remembers all but will make no practise of it as a Carpenter which shoulde square all by rule and sticks it at his backe and workes all by aime But assuredly my beloued it were better you neuer heard then thus in despight of God to abuse your hearing If I had not spoken vnto them sayth Christ they shoulde haue had no sin but now haue they no cloake for their sinne What cloake can yee haue when God offereth grace and ye wilfully refuse it As meat the more a man receiueth the more it distempereth if it be not digested so the more yee learne and the more yee heare the greater is your sin if ye grow not by it if the seruant which hid his talent in a napkin was so handled what shalbe done to them which suffer their talent to perish And therefore euery man must beware how he heareth euery man must take heede that he receiue not the grace of God in vaine that he desire the milke of the word to bee bettered and increased by it Wherefore whosoener thou bee that heareth this and will heare other search thy conscience whether thou be growne in any vertue since thou heardest the last sermon consider what sinne thou haddest the last Sabboath which thou hast not this Sabboath If thou finde no change then the Word hath not had his working in thee thou art not inereased by the food which thou receiuedst Will not a man be angry to set his childe to schoole and finde him alwaies at his A B C. or the first principles of sanctification So will God be displeased if wee be negligent and slacke and neuer take out his lessons but stand at a stay I know many of you will giue me the hearing of this as you haue done many of my brethren heretofore but as the worme stroke Ionahs guord and it died in the morning so by the next morning a greedy worme of couetousnes or the like sinne wil haue perished all If it doe so knowe the Iudge standeth before the doore ready euery houre to summon you by death to make your appearaunce at the barre of iustice and to giue vp your account for euery talent yea for euery lesson that ye haue learned and left vnpractised As for you if any of you walke in dutifull obedience to the word I beseech you in the feare of God and in the bowels and loue of Iesus Christ that yee will abounde and increase yet more and more and contend by all meanes to put in practise exercise those things that yee heare that so at length when yee be ripe for the sickle and the great day of haruest be come ye may be gathered as good corne into the Lords garner and be inuested in the holy heauens with that blessed kingdome which God hath prouided for them that serue and feare him Amen FINIS THE BANQVET of Jobs Children IOB 1. 4. 5. verses 4 And his sons went and banquetted in their houses euery one his daye and sent and called their three sisters to eate and drinke with them 5 And when the daies of their banquetting were gone about Iob sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Iob thought it may bee that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts Thus did Iob euery day THis booke is a story of patient Iob to shew how God can deale with all and how they shoulde receiue all thinges at his hand seeing the most innocent man in the world when God should try him was brought so low that the Diuel had power to lay vpon him what torment he would death onely excepted and yet he stoode to it with such constancy that he saith though the Lord kill mee yet will I trust in him the thirteenth Chapter of Iob and fifteenth verse Such power was giuen vnto his faith and loue and patience that they ouercame the Diuell which saide that if hee might haue leaue to plague him hee would make him blaspheme God to his face verse 11. Therefore God would haue this victory to bee recorded for all such as are sicke or sore or needy or oppressed that whatsoeuer paine we suffer wee may remember that Iobs paine was sharper than this and yet it coulde not make him so impatient but when like a man hee was offended with his torments like an holy man he was more offended with himselfe and angrie with his anger Therefore at last God returned to him and remoued his troubles and made his end more honourable than his beginning as if he shuld say Thus it shal be done to the man which is not offended with my chastisementes Now to our purpose in the first verse of this Chapter the holy Ghost sheweth what a good man Iob was saying that hee was an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill In the second verse he sheweth what store of children Iob had saying hee had seauen sonnes and three daughters In the third verse hee sheweth what store of riches Iob had saying his substance was seuen thousand sheepe and three thousand Camels and fiue hundred yoke of Oxen and fiue hundred Asses c. In the fourth verse hee returneth againe to his children shewing how they were occupied before the winde came and blewe the house vpon their heads saying his sonnes went and banquetted in their houses euery one his daye and called their three sisters to eate and drinke with them In the fift verse hee commeth againe to Iob and shewes a proofe of his vertues which he commended him for before saying that when his sonnes had banquetted hee sent for them and sanctified them and rose vp earely c. So if ye aske what his sonnes did the holy Ghost saith that they banquetted If yee aske where he saith in their owne houses If ye aske when he saith euery one kept his daye If yee aske who were the guests hee saith that one inuited another and the other inuited him againe and they called their sisters to them and so they made merrie together If yee aske what father Iob did the story saith that after euery feast first he sent for his sonnes and then he sanctified them and then hee sacrificed for them the reason is added because Iob thought It may be that may sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts his zeale in this action is declared by three circumstances First that he rose vp early in the morning Secondly that he offered so many sacrifices as he had sonnes Thirdly that he perfourmed this offering euery day while their feast lasted Of euery circumstance a little because some had rather heare many thinges then learne one
gaine against all them in the verse before which hold that Gaine is Godlinesse These two opinions are verie contrarie and here are many against one A man would thinke that Paul should be verie eloquent and sharpe witted and that he had neede to vse some Logicke for hee hath chosen a hard Text. What Paul will you prooue that Godlinesse is gaine You shal haue moe opponents against you then Micaiah had when he forbad Achab to fight If you had taken the former verse which sayth that Gaine is Godlines then you should haue had matters and examples inough the Merchant and Mercer and Lawyer and Landlord and Patron and all would come in and speake for gaine as the Ephesians cried for Diana but if you will be crosse to al and preach Godlinesse is gaine to them which account Gaine godlinesse men will thinke of you as Festus did that you speake you know not what These lessons are for Paul himselfe As Christ sayth All doe not receiue this Word so all do not count this gaine but losse We count him rich which hath his barns full like the Churle his coffers full like the Glutton his table full like Belshazzar his stable full like Salomon his groūds full like Iob his purse full like Craesus You speake against your master for Christ sent word vnto Iohn that the poore receiue the gospell as though the godly were of the poorer sort and Dauid calleth the wicked rich They prosper and flourish sayth he their seede blasteth not their Cow casteth not as if he should say It is not as you take it Paul that Godlines doth make men rich for this I haue obserued in my time that the wicked be the wealthiest and good Lazarus is the poore man and wicked Diues is the rich man Againe we reade that the Officers were asked which of the Pharisies or of the Rulers did follow Christ yet these were counted rich men though they had no godlinesse and if we should examine your owne selfe it seemes you were no great rich man for all your Godlinesse when you did worke with your hands for your liuing therefore if Godlinesse be such gaine how happeneth it that your share is no better So they which are like Nicodemus when Christ sayth that they must be borne againe thinke that hee can haue no other meaning but that they must returne againe into their Mothers wombe and when he calles himselfe Bread that he must needs meane such bread as they dine with As the Iewes hearing the Prophet speake so often of Christes kingdome and call him a King looked for a temporall King that should bring them peace and ioy and glorie and make them like Kings themselues so the carnall eares when they heare of a kingdome treasures and riches straight their mindes run vpon earthly and worldly and transitorie things such as they loue to whome Paul answereth as Christ answered his Disciples I haue another meate which you know not of so there are other riches which you knowe not of I sayd no◠that Godlinesse is earthly or worldlie or transitorie gaine but great gaine He will not onely prooue Godlinesse to bee gaine but great gaine as if hee should saie more gainfull then your wares and rents and fines and interest as though he would make the Lawyer and Merchant and Mercer and Draper and Patron and Landlord and all the men of riches beleeue that Godlinesse will make them rich farre sooner then Couetousnesse I feare this saying may be renewed If a man tel you ye wil not beleeue it nay if God tell you yet you will not beleeue it As the Lorde looked downe vpon earth to see if any did regard him and sayth There is not one so this sentence may go from Court to Cittie from cittie to countrie and say there is sacrce one in a town that wil subscribe vnto it Manie saith Dauid aske who will shewe vs any good meaning riches and honor pleasure which are not good But when he came to goodnes it selfe he leaues out Many prayeth in his owne person Lord lift vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs as though none would ioyne with him Yet wisdome is iustified of her owne children and the godly count godlinesse gaine To make vs loue godlinesse he calleth it by the name of that wee loue most that is Gaine as the father calleth his sonne which he would loue more then the rest by his own name to put him in mind of such a loue as he beareth to himselfe Here we may see that God doth not commaund men to bee godlye onely because it makes for his glorie but because godlines is profitable to vs. For godlines is not called gaine in respect of God but in respect of vs it is gaine to vs but it is dutie to him So it is not called a health in respect of vs because it is the health of our soules so it is not called a kingdome in respect of God but in respect of vs because wee are intituled to the kingdome by this difference from the reprobates Put all the good things in the world together the goodnes of all is found in godlines and therefore godlines is called by the names of those things that men count best to shew that the godly are as well as merrie as content with their loue toward God and Gods loue toward them as other are with health and wealth and pleasures Therefore it is sayd of the godlie The feare of the Lord is his treasure Therefore saith Ieremie The Lord is my portion as though he desired nothing else And therefore it is said of Moses That he esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Egypt If crosses be riches as Moses thought what riches are in godlines But is this all the haruest shall godlinesse be all the godlie mans riches Nay saith Paul Godlines hath the promises of this life and of the life to come that is the godlie shall doe well in heauen and here too And therefore Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of God all the rest shall be cast vpon you euen as the sheaues fell before Ruth so riches shal fall in your way as they did to Abraham and Lot and Iacob and Iob and Ioseph riches were cast to them they knew not how but as if God had sayd bee rich and they were rich straight For al good things were created for the good and therefore they are called good because the good God created them for good men to good purposes and therfore as Iacob got the blessing so he got the inheritance also to shew that as the faithfull haue the inward blessing so they haue the outward blessing too when they are good for them For saith Dauid They which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Now God knowes better then wee what is
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
the man whom godlines doth make rich For When the blessing of the Lorde maketh rich saith Salomon hee dooth adde no sorrow to it but saith hee the reuenewes of the wicked is trouble as though his mony were care Wherfore let Patron and Landlord and Lawyer and all say nowe that Paule hath chosen the better riches which thiefe nor moath nor canker can corrupt these are the riches at last which we must dwell with when all the rest which we haue lyed for and sworne for and fretted for and couzened for and broken our sleepe for lost many Sermons for forsake vs like seruants which change their masters then Godlinesse shall seeme as great gaine to vs as it did to Paule and he which loued the world most would giue all that he hath for a dram of faith that he might be sure to go to heauen when he is dead though he went towardes hell so long as he liued Here then is an answere to them which aske What profit is it to serue God Howe happie was Barzillai that would not be exalted What quiet had the Shunamite which cared not for preferment When did the Disciples seeme so rich as when they were willing to leaue all This shall be your gaine when you are Vsurers of godlinesse Is not the word gone foorth yet which hath killed couetousnesse that I may end my Sermon Either you goe away contented or else you goe away condemned of your owne conscience Before you were vexed with couetousnes but now the word shall vexe you too for you shall neuer couet nor lye nor deceiue hereafter but a sergeant shall arrest you vpon it and some sentence which you haue heard shall gnaw you at the heart with a Memorandum of hell that yee shall wish Oh that I could abandon this sinne or else that I had neuer heard that warning that makes it a corrosiue vnto mee before I can leaue it If they which are greedie still could see what peace and rest and ioye go home with them which are contented although they may say with Peter Gold and siluer haue I none euerie man would be a suter to Godlinesse that he might haue the dowrie of contentation If anie here be couetous still let him alway thinke why Dauid prayeth Turne my heart vnto thy law and not vnto couetousnes he might haue named pride or anger or lust but to shewe that no sinne did so keepe his thoughts from the law as couetousnes when it came vpon him he saith Turne my hart vnto thy law not vnto couetousnes as though a man could not be couetous haue leisure to thinke vpon any good But as Iohn baptized with water so I cā but teach you with words Now you haue heard what Contentation is you must pray to another to giue it you It is said of this Citie that many Citizens of London haue good wils but bad deedes that is you doe no good vntill ye die First ye are vngodly that you may be rich and then you part from some of your riches to excuse for your vngodlinesse It may bee that some here haue sette downe in their wils When I die I bequeath 100 pounds to a Colledge 100 pounds to an hospitall and 100 gownes to poore men I do maruell that you giue no more when you are at that point for Iudas when he died returned all againe so yee die and thinke when ye are gone that God will take this for a quittance Bee not deceiued for God doth not looke vpon that which you doe for feare but vpon that which ye doe for loue If you can find in your heart to do good while you are in health as Zacheus did then God hath respect to your offering but before God hearken how you giue your riches first he examins how ye came by them for a man may be hanged for stealing the monie which he giueth to the poore because if hee should count Godlines gaine much more should he care to gaine by godlie meanes Thus you see the fruits of Godlinesse and the fruits of Couetousnes to stay Balaam posting for a bribe and the sonnes of Zebede suing for preferment least seeking for asses they lose a better kingdome then Saul found If you be couetous you shall neuer haue enough though you haue too much but whē ye pray Thy kingdome come ye shall wish my kingdome come If ye be godlie ye shall haue enough though yee seeme to haue nothing like the Smyrnians of whom God said I know thy pouertie but thou art rich Therefore what counsel shall I giue you but as Christ coūselled his Disciples Be not friends to riches but make you friends of riches know this that if ye cannot say as Paul saith I haue learned to be content Godlinesse is not yet come to your house for the companion of godlines is contentation which when she comes wil bring you all things Therfore as Christ saith If the sonne make you free you shall be free indeed so I say if godlines make you rich ye shall be rich indeede The Lord Iesus make you doers of that yee haue heard FINIS THE AFFINITIE OF THE FAITHFVL Luke 8. 19 Then came to him his Mother his Brethren and could not come neare him for the prease 20 And it was told him by certaine which sayd thy mother and thy brethren stand without and would see thee 21 But he answered and said vnto them My Mother my brethren are these which heare the word of God and do it HEre is Christ preaching a great prease hearing his mother and his friends interrupting Christ againe withstanding the interruption with a comfortable doctrine of his mercies toward them which heare the word of God and doe it When Christ was about a good worke and many were gathered together to heare him the Diuell thought with him selfe as the Priestes and Sadduces did in the fourth of the Acts If I let him alone thus all the world will follow him and I shall be like Rachel without children therefore deuising the likeliest pollicie to frustrate disgrace but one of his Sermons thereby to make the people more vnwilling to heare him againe as he set Eue vpon Adam and made Iobs wife his instrument when hee could not fit it himselfe so he sendeth Christs Mother and putteth in the mind of his kinsmen to come vnto him at that instant when he was in this holy exercise call vpon him while he was preaching to come away and go with them Christ seeing the serpents dealing how he had made his mother his tempter that all his Auditorie might go away emptie and say where they came We heard the man which is called Iesus and he began to preach vnto vs with such words as though he would carie vs to Heauen but in the middest of his Sermon came his Mother and Brethren to him that it might be
And this we may see in our selues for why haue we neede to heare so often of repentance more then of anything else but that it is such a thing as we cannot frame our selues vnto If we bee warned of any thing but of sinne one warning will serue But we are so incorporate and inured to sinne that a thousand sermons will not serue so custome hath made sinne stronger in many than the word of God Well remember or consider or applie it how he will after twelue moneths God wil come take account of his dreames and of his Prophets which he sent him to see what he hath profited by them Although he hath leaden feete which are long in comming yet hee hath yron hands which when he commeth will strike home Now the twelue moneths are expired God comes findes Nabuchadnezzar vpon his towres when hee should haue cast himselfe downe to the ground and thought vpon his dreame and Daniel and so haue humbled his pride hee was pearched vpon his roost and there he begins to crowe of his wealth Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of my kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie See how the man standeth in admiration of his vanitie like a vsurer which doateth of his money as though hee had deserued immortall fame for spending his money vainely Is not this great Babel c. he should rather haue saide Is not this Nabuchadnezzars follie which hee hath built for a mocke to his name and an impeachment to his wisdome for men to say when they passe by look how our King hath bestowed his reuenues heere lie our subsidies tributes in this stone wall But Nabuchadnezzar thinkes that euerie one will praise him for his follie Therefore like a woman when shee is pricked vp in her brauerie thinkes that all doe admyre her and hath as goodly an opinion of her selfe as the Pecocke hath of his feathers and frameth all her lookes and gestures and speeches accordingly so when Nabuchadnezzar sate in his Pallace and sawe such shewes about him now saith Pride thou must frame thy lookes and gestures and speeches accordingly or else the Kings Pallace will be brauer than the King himselfe so hee beginneth to exalt his minde higher than his pallace and to looke and speake stouter than hee did before The temptation was no sooner in his heart but the words were in his mouth and hee pleased himselfe therein so well that he could not refraine being alone but as a foole admyres himselfe in a glasse so when hee was alone and no bodie with him hee strouted alone and bragged by himselfe to thinke what a iolly fellow he was and how men began to talke of his buildings By this we may see how wealth and honours change manners and how a gay coate or a great band or a gold ring can braue a mans mind and make him looke and speake after another manner then hee is accustomed when they are from him It is a wonderfull thing to see what power these pettie vaine toyes haue ouer the minde to alter and change a man sodainelie to make him thinke better of himselfe that day hee weares them than anie other daye besides Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power for the honour of my maiestie Before the holy Ghost laieth downe Nabuchadnezzars words marke how hee commeth vnto them The King spake and sayd Spake sayd was not one enough but hee must say spake and sayd This doubling of the words sheweth that hee spake with a premeditate pride from his heart roote which passed not whether it were a sin or no come what will come of it The holy Ghost doth bring other speeches with He sayd and no more but here he saith Spake and sayd as though he spake twise not as he spake at other times but like a man at defiance which woulde not recall any word but if he could say more he would say more to anger Did I call it great Babel I may call it great Babel Did I say that I built it I will say that I built it Did I adde for the honour of my maiestie let it goe for the honour of my maiestie Thus hee spake and sayde as though he would bee constant in his pride although hee were constant in no other thing Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honor of my maiestie Three things I note in this saying First what a glorious opinion Nabuchadnezzar had of his vaine building out of these words Is not this great Babel The second out of these words which I haue built by the might of my power wherein he tearmeth himselfe the founder of it as if he had done all without a helper The third is that in all his worke hee sought nothing but vaine-glory out of these words for the honour of my Maiestie These three sinnes Nabuchadnezzar doth bewraie in one bragge and in all these three we are so like that the beasts were not so like him when 〈◊〉 became like a beast First we haue not so wonderfull an opinion of GOD or of his word or of heauen as wee haue of our owne acts although we be neuer able to do halfe that Nabuchadnezzar did Secondlie this is our manner to attribute all to our selues whatsoeuer it be riches honour health or knowledge as though all came by labour or policie or arte or literature if wee cannot drawe it to one of these then we think it fortune although we vnderstand not what fortune is If wee did count our selues beholding vnto God for them then we would finde some time to be thankfull vnto him Lastly when we ouer-view these matters this is our solace and comfort to thinke these are the things which make mee famous and spoken of and pointed at and then we end as though it were inough to bee poynted at Is not this great Babel That which one loues seemes greater and more precious aboue all which he loueth not although they be better than it so did these buildings seeme to Nabuchadnezzar One would not thinke that a house were a matter to make a king proude although it were neuer so faire stone wals are not so precious that he should repose al his honour vpon lime and morter But this is a iust thing with God that vaine hope vaine prosperitie vaine comfort and vaine glory that may deceiue them when they trust vnto it therefore as the faithfull soule looketh vp to GOD or vpon the word or vp to heauen and sayth to it selfe is not this my hope is not this my ioy is not this my inheritaunce So the carnall man when hee looketh vpon his buildings or his grounds or his money sayth to himselfe is not this my ioye is not this my life is not this my comfort So while
these galleries stil they would desire no other heauen but Nabuchadnezzar hath shewed the way before them and they must all dance after him though they were as mightie though they were mightier theÌ„ he death will not take his kingdome for a raunsome Now what is Babel and what is Nabuchadnezzar the King thereof Now Babel is destroyed and the King that built it laid in the dust had it not been better to haue built an house in heauen which might haue receiued him when he dyed The name of these pallaces may well bee called Babel that is confusion because they prophesie confusion to them that build them because their foundation is Pride their wals extortion their roofe ambition and all within them vsurie briberie and crueltie If this bee the best that Nabuchadnezzar hath to vaunt of what is the worst which he may bee ashamed of When I see how earnest this King was about his dreame and how loose he sate after in his pallace mee thinkes I see the image of the world in one man how liuely doth Nabuchadnezzar resemble the dreamers of our time He could not rest till hee knew the interpretation of his dream such inquirie such diligence to knowe Gods will that a man would haue thought now if the King meet with a Prophet that can tell him the trueth and instruct him from God that his dreame warned him to amend his life hee will then reclayme himselfe and reforme his realme and become such a King as was neuer in the land before But behold no sooner resolued of his doubt but hee is readie to bee warned agayne and was not so attentiue to the Prophet as hee was to his dreame although hee cared for neither for when hee vnderstoode that his dreame went about to chaunge the course of his life he went away like Naaman in a chafe and cared no more for his dreame after Before the dreame came all would haue sayd that such a dreame would haue humbled his heart for euer Before the Prophet came all would haue saide that such a Prophet would haue conuerted him with a word but Nabuchadnezzar is Nabuchadnezzar and if another dreame come more fearefull than this yet Nabuchadnezzar would be Nabuchadnezzar and loue his Pallace better than Paradice So we thinke if God would send a famine vpon this land that would make vs feare him but God hath sent a famine and yet wee doe not feare him If God would send an earthquake vpon this lande that would make vs feare him but God hath sent an earthquake and yet we doe not feare him If God would send a pestilence vpon this lande that would make vs feare him but God hath sent a pestilence and yet we doe not feare him If God would send warre vpon this lande that would make vs feare him but God hath sent warre and yet we doe not feare him therefore what will make vs feare him There be many which dreame vpon religion as Nabuchadnezzar dreamed vpon his dreame and as hee desired onely to knowe what it meant so they desire onely to knowe Master saith the yong man to Christ what shall I do to come into heauen He would faine knowe the way to heauen but when Christ shewed him the way hee would not take it So they will goe from Preacher to Preacher as Nabuchadnezzar sent from one wise man to another to be resolued in poynts of Religion such a scrutinie such attention such heed as though they would runne out of the world and goe beyond all that a man would thinke they would do any thing as the Iewes came vnto Moses and this young man vnto Christ But when they haue heard what they came for they doe like Nabuchadnezzar as they did before now they saye it was but a dreame because the meaning doth not answere according to their will So Achab enquired of the Prophet to heare what hee would say but it appeares that he neuer ment to follow him except he would answer as he would haue him When it commeth to the act which is euerie mans triall then you shall see who are like Nabuchadnezzar that is which affect onely to knowe and who are like Zacheus that is which practise as they knowe for as the truth is reuealed so it must be witnessed or els the fall of Nabuchadnezzar sheweth what iudgement will follow vpon such neglecting Because hee would not doe as his dreame warned him and as the Prophet counsailed him therefore GOD forsooke him and his Kingdome departed from him and hee was thrust out of his Pallace and â—urned like an Oxe into the wildernesse there he liued like a beast vntill seauen yeares were ended A warning to all to take warning by the word for it is the gentle warner the next will bee harder the third and the fourth harder then it like to the nine plagues of Egypt which did exceede one another for what is he can weigh the wrath of GOD or the grieuousnes of sinne Some men woulde thinke that Nabuchadnezzar might haue spoken all this without any such great offence as was taken at it for he sayde no more but that it was a fayre house and that he builded it and that hee erected it for his honour seeing manie vnder Princes delight in worse vanities than fayre buildings and speake vayner often in a weeke Therefore when you see howe it displeaseth God to vaunt of these earthly thinges or to impute any thing to our selues thinke what shall bee the doome of great sinnes if Nabuchadnezzar became like a Beaste and lodged in the wildernesse for his pride they which beare pride and couetousnesse and lust and wrath and malice in one breast shal lodge in hell and become like Diuels because they are like beasts already Therefore let this bee in stead of Daniels warning if God did take such a straight account of Nabuchadnezzar for his dreame what hee had profited by it what account will hee take of vs what profit we haue made by Nabuchadnezzars fall and punishment Thus you haue heard what the voyce spake from earth now you shall heare what the voyce spake from Heauen for it followeth While the word was in the kings mouth a voyce came from heauen and sayd O King to thee be it spoken thy kingdome shall be taken from thee c. God will warne him no more by dreames nor by Prophets as he did but his Iudgements shall speake Heere is fulfilled that which Elihu sayth to Iob God speaketh once and twice by dreames and visions in the night and man seeth it not at the last God openeth his eyes by the corrections which he had sealed so God spake vnto Nabuchadnezzar first by dreames and after by his Prophet Nabuchadnezzar regarded it not at last God openeth his eyes by corrections which hee had sealed vp that they should not touch him if any other messenger could bring him As the holy Ghost doth note the time when Nabuchadnezzar spake in his pallace so he noteth the
time when God spake from heauen Euen while the words were in the Kings mouth as though he should say God answered before he looked for it when he thought God had been as farre from him as he was all the yeare before Thus God lay as it were in the skowte to watch when he spake treason and to apprehend him vpon it O Nabuchadnezzar thou hast vanted this twelue months since I warned thee I made as though I heard not but suffered thee to doe and speake thy pleasure and vauntest thou still Surely thou shalt scape me no longer I will not heare one word more against my honour So he cutteth him off while the words were in his mouth and pronounceth the word of iudgement against him The first note in this verse is the time when God spake from Heauen Pride sayth Salomon goeth before the fall so when pride had spoken then Iudgement spake euen while the proud word was in his mouth See how God shewes that these brags offended him and therefore he iudges while he speaks How short is the triumph of the wicked When they beginne to crowe God stoppeth their breath and iudgement seaseth vpon them when they thinke no danger neere them So when Baltazar was in his mirth with his Nobles the fearfull hand wrote his doome vpon the wall and presently his mirth was changed into sadnesse that he became as one that was strooken with a palsie so while Herod vanted himselfe and the people honoured him like a God the Angell of God smote him vpon his throane and immediatly he was deuoured of wormes in the face of them which honoured him while the Philistines were triumphing and banquetting Sampson pulled the Temple vpon their head so while the men of Ziklag were feasting and dancing Dauid came vpon them and slew them when the Israelites were at their Manna and Quailes euen while the meat saith Dauid was yet in their mouths God tooke away their liues when Iobs children were making merrie one with another the winde came and blew down the house while the old world was marrying giuing in mariage the floud came and drowned them while the Steward was recounting with himselfe and thinking that his Master Knewe not what policie was in his heart suddenly his Lorde called him to account while the churle was musing of his barnes full of corne and saying to himselfe be merrie my soule that night his soule was taken from him so while we sinne think nothing of it our sinnes mount vp to heauen and stand at the barre and call for vengeance against vs how soone Abels blood cryed for vengeance of Cain We cannot sin so quickly but God seeth vs as quickly Howe many haue beene strooken while the oath hath been in their mouthes as Ieroboam was striken while he stroke that they might see why they were strooken and yet al this wil not keep vs from swearing Though a man sinne often steale his sins as it were without punishment yet at last he is taken napping euen while the wickednes is in his hand and his day is sette when he shall pay for all whether it be after twelue moneths or twelue yeeres when it commeth it will seeme too soone Therefore once agayne let this bee in stead of Daniels warning if God did take so straight account of Nabuchadnezzar how he had profited by his dreame what account will hee take of vs how we haue profited by Nabuchadnezzars punishment Here I ende THE FALL OF KING Nabuchadnezzar DAN 4. 28. c. 28 While the worde was in his mouth a voice came from heauen saying O King Nabuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken thy Kingdome is departed from thee 29 And they shall driue thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the bâ—astes of the field they shall make thee to eate grasse with the Oxen and seuen times shall passe ouer thee vntill thou knowest that the most highest God beareth rule ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will 30 The very same houre was this thing fulfilled vpon Nabuchadnezzar and he was driuen from men and did eate grasse as the Oxen and his body was wet with the deawe of heauen till his haires were growne as Egles feathers and his nailes as birds clawes FRom the 26. verse to the ende of this Chapter is laid down the pride fall and restitution of Nabuchadnezzar The two first verses are like a banner of his Pride which shew him in his ruffling as it were in the ayre before he knew God or himselfe The three next verses are the discouerie of his shame which shewe him in his miserie as it were groueling on the ground after God had cooled his courage The foure last verses are the celebration of his recouerie which shew him in holines as it were rapt into heauen singing with the Saints for ioye that GOD had brought him vnto his knowledge though it were through shame trouble losse of all that he had seuen yeres together Of his pride wee haue heard alreadie yet because we are friends to vices as we are to meÌ„ so loÌ„g as they prosper and flourish but when they decay and fall then we shrinke away and are ashamed of theÌ„ so it may be if ye could see pride take a fall though yee loue her well yet yee would forsake her like a banquerout when ye see that she can pleasure you no longer Therfore ye shall see Nabuchadnezzar vpon his feete againe before you behelde him vpon his knees that when ye see what a king he was in his galleries after find his seruaÌ„ts in his pallace and his subiects in his throane and himselfe like a beast in the wildernesse God may giue you hearts to thinke a little of this sinne what it is which cost so deare and is so common now in euery house as it was then in the kings court After twelue moneths saith Daniel that is twelue moneths after God had warned this king by dreames and by Daniel to repent his sinnes he was strouting in his galleries and thought what sin should be next as though he had neuer heard of dreame or Prophet By this computation of sin wherein the moneths are obserued so exactly how longe Nabuchadnezzar rebelled after he was warned Daniel shewes what reckoning GOD keepes of our moneths and weeks and daies which he giues vs to repent as he did Nabuchadnezzar and what an account wee shall make of theÌ„ as Nabuchadnezzar did though we count no more of our age then the childe dooth of his youth and haue doone no more of our taske at twentie then when we were but tenne nor at thirty then when we were but twenty nor at fortie then when we were thirtie yet we shall giue account of mo hours in the day of iudgement and it shall be heauier to the old then to the young to you which haue the worde then to them which want it and there is great ods betweene Nabuchadnezzar vs for he
him so soon as he slew his brother I know thy works saith God he may say I knowe thy works thy thoughts too for Iudas could not goe so closely about his trechery but that Christ did know when the thought entred into his hart and heard when he conferred also with the Scribes and saw likewise when he tooke the bribe though he kept a time to punish him as he saith Psalm 37. ver 2. When I see a conuenient time then wil I execute iudgement Now the time was come when this King should bee made an example vnto all other Kings after him to amend their liues and reforme their Realmes when as the Prophet commeth from God vnto them to tell them what they should doe When Dreame and Daniel had done what they could now God cals foorth his Iudgements and bids them see what they can do and commaunds them to chase Nabuchadnezzar vntill he haue lost his kingdome vntill he be driuen out of his pallace vntill he be fled into the wildernes vntill he be degenerate like a beast vntill his subiects seruants pages make their sport gaze and wonder at him like a foole which goeth vnto the stockes or a trespasser which is gazed at vpon the pillorie so the king was debased when God heard him but vaunt of his buildings Therefore let vs take heede and be carefull after what sort we speake and what wordes slip from vs lest GOD take vs in our lies or oaths or slanders or ribauldrie as hee tooke Nabuchadnezzar when his tongue walked without a bit for if he had supposed that God had been so neare and that he would haue answered him as he did he would haue held his peace and layd his hand vpon his mouth rather than pay so deare for a vain word which did him no good when it was spoken The second note is of the Iudge A voyce came downe from heauen the controuling voice came down from heauen God is most offended with our sinne for Nabuchadnezzar might haue spoken more than this before any other man and no man could controll him because he was king and kings delight in greater vanities than buildings yet no man saith Why doest thou so because Salomon saith He which repeateth a matter separateth the Prince that is he which tels Princes their faults maketh them his enemies therefore since Iohn Baptist dyed onely God is left to reprooue almost all that sinne by authoritie yet there is one in heauen hath an eare and a tongue and checketh the king as boldly as euer the king checketh his subiects When the voice from earth spake vainly the voice from heauen spake iudgement Here is the king of heauen against the king of earth the voice of GOD against the voice of man a diuine wrath warring with a humane pride the fire is kindled woe to the stubble The Lorde of hoasts is in armes against the Lord of Babel and beginnes to lay handes on him and to thrust him out of his throane First he rattles him like a thunder O King Nabuchadnezzar as if he should say for all thou art a king thou shalt see whether another bee aboue thee Now gard thy person now defend thy honour for he whom thou hast despised threatneth to take thy kingdome from thee goe nowe and walke in thy galleries fetch one turne more before thou bee turned out of doore and walke with the beastes in the forrest Now he comes to the arraignement and cals him to the barre O king Nabuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken He was neuer called king with lesse reuerence nor had such paie for sinne in all his raigne God giues him his title and he tels him his lot he cals him king but without a kingdom as if he said late king of Babel holde vp thy hande Here a king is arraigned in his owne kingdome and no euidence giuen against him but as though hee had witnessed against himselfe as all sinners doe God condemneth him out of his owne mouth and to open his eares he calleth him by his owne name O king Nabuchadnezzar as the prisoner is called when he holds vp his hand at the barre Then he pronounceth the iudgement To thee be it spoken to thee which aduancest thy selfe like God to thee which wouldst not take heed by thy dreame to thee which wouldst not bee warned by the Prophet to thee which diddest all for thine own honor Now hearken to thy iudgement Thy kingdome is departed from thee thou shalt bee driuen out of thy pallace they which should honor thee shall expulse thee thou shalt raigne with the beastes in the desarte there shall be thy dwelling seuen yeares goe now and stalke in the woods as thou diddest in thy pallaces and when thou art among the Lyons and Wolues and Beares looke vnto Babel which thou hast built How dooth this speech differ from Nabuchadnezzars speeche his wordes were but wordes but Gods wordes were He spake and it was done For in the same houre that which was spoken was done saith Daniel whatsoeuer the voyce threatneth vnto our sinnes or vnto the sinner shal be done at first or last To Nabuchadnezzar it was said Thy kingdome shall bee taken from thee To vs it is said Thy life shall bee taken from thee To him it was said Thou shalt be thrust forth into the desart To vs it is said Thou shalt bee throwne forth into darkenes To him it was said Thou shalt be like beasts To vs it is said Thou shalt be like the damned Shall not the voice spoken to vs be remembred with God as well as the threatning menaced to him This voice came from heauen and therefore it spake home not like them which glide by the faultes of Princes whisper behinde their backes as though they would reproue them if they durst but for feare lest the prince or counsellor or iudge or magistrate should take it as he meanes it think that he aimes at them which makes them speake in parables as though they would cast a vayle ouer their reproofe and eate their message before they haue spoken it The holy Ghost teacheth vs here to reproue so that whosoeuer sinneth may knowe that thou speakest to him Hee which speaketh from Heauen as the voyce did must speak like Iohn Baptist among the Publicans harlots and souldiers as though he went from one to another and saide this is spoken to thee this is spoken to thee this is spoken to thee For vnlesse wee come neere these mortall Gods and proud Nabuchadnezzars as neer as Elias came to Achab whē he said It is thou that troublest Israel they wil poast it ouer and thinke that thou speakest not to them vntill thou speakest plainly as the voice spake from heauen To thee be it spoken And they will reforme the matter or else God shew some iudgement vpon them as he did heere vpon this great king Nabuchadnezzar Now the decree goeth foorth that Nabuchadnezzar shall be King no
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
the beginning of his raigne before hee had rebelled a band of men did cleaue to him of whom it is sayd whose hearts God hath touched as though while the Rulers hearts doe stand toward God the peoples hearts should stand toward them and they should carrie them like God to all their desires as it is said of Dauid What soeuer the King did pleased all the people Therefore looking into this Diuine ordinaunce what a power they haue ouer the people which they shoulde neuer haue got from men if GOD had not giuen it them I haue thought it an easie matter to redresse an hundred things which trouble Christendome without reason and none would kicke agaynst it if these Gods would cast downe their Crownes and begin to the rest for all stay vpon them like the alarme which soundeth first to the battell for our experience shewes that there will bee no great good done if the example of the best giue not light vnto the rest Oh woulde that Princely spirite woulde once come vpon them to go before the people which Moses appoynted for the Kings place and not lagge after them like Herod which sayde he would come after the wise men to Christ for if Nicodemus come by night no maruaile though the rest come not at all Thus their name tels them how they should rule and by consequence teacheth how we should obey God calles them Gods therefore he which contemneth them contemneth God God cals them fathers therefore wee must reuerence them like Fathers God cals them Kings Princes Lords Iudges Powers Rulers Gouernours which are names of honor and shall we dishonor them whom GOD doth honour Our first lesson is Feare God the next is Honour the King that is as Paul interpreteth Wee must obey for conscience not against conscience for that were to put a straunger before the King and the King before God which Christ saith haue no power but from God and therefore cannot make themselues Magistrates no more then they can make themselues Gods As none could giue this name but GOD so no man which exalteth himselfe can challenge this honour no more then Simon Magus was great because hee called himselfe a great man But they to whom GOD saith I haue called yee Gods as if he had the naming and appointing of them Euery power is from God for by nature no man can challenge power ouer other but by the Word and therefore euery soule which is subiect to God must be subiect to them for hee which calles them Kings cals vs Subiects this is their patent as the Queene of Sheba sayd to Salomon that God had chosen them kings and set them vpon the throne As he sayd and all things were made so as he saith al things should be Therefore vnles ye heare this I say that ye are Lords Iudges and Magistrates ye are no Lords no Iudges no Magistrates of GOD. And therefore the Pope and his Cleargie to whom God neuer sayd yee are Lords or Iudges or Magistrates are no Lordes no Iudges no Magistrates of GOD but that which the Lorde sayth they are that they are and no more though they put on a triple crowne If they were worthie to bee called as others Pastors Doctors and Teachers wee woulde giue them those titles They which giue them more then the Lord giues them make them proud and insolent and tyrannous more then they which are Lords Iudges and Magistrates indeede But for these vsurped titles and bas-borne honour which they haue encroached from men which puffe them vp and trouble them like Sauls armour they woulde haue intended the duetie of Ministers and Teachers as the Apostles did whereas nowe they are so cumbred and mingled by their vsurping ouer Princes that they are neither good Ministers nor good Magistrates but Linsie wolsie a mingle mangle betweene both nay vtterly falne from both being no shepherds but woolues of whose slaughters all Christian Kingdomes haue been the shambles who seeking a superfluous title they haue for gone all necessarie dueties and but for their formalities a man could not knowe of what profession they are for they neuer preach nor write but to maintaine their kingdome which falles like the Tower of Babel faster then they build Therefore as Naomi sayd Call me no more Naomi which signifieth beautifull but call me Mara which signifieth bitter so they may say Call vs no more Bishops or Pastors or Doctors or Preachers but call vs robbers and sleepers and giants and Pharisies whom we succeed For why should they be called Bishops which doe not watch or Pastors which doe not feede or Doctors which doe not teach or Iustices which doe not Iustice except this bee the reason The Idols were called Gods though they were vnlike God If their bodies had growen as farre out of square since Christs ascension as their titles pompe and honour they might stand in the maine seas and not be drowned for their heads would crowe aboue the water It followeth But yee shall die as a man Heere hee distinguisheth betweene mortall Gods and the immortall God Yee haue seene their glorie now behold their ends They shall all die like others Though they be neuer so rich so goodly so mightie so honourable while their date lasteth yet they may as trulie as Iob call Corruption their father and the worme their mother for the graue shall be the last bed of all flesh As they were borne like men so they shall die like men the same comming in and going out is to all nay if ye respect but the bodie hee might say yee shall die like beastes for Man being in honor saith Dauid may well be compared vnto beasts that perish though hee bee in honour yet he perisheth like the beasts which haue no honour and death will not take his kingdome for a raunsome when GOD dooth but say his time is come When Esay had saide that All flesh was grasse as though hee would correct his speech hee addes and the glorie of it is as the flower of the field As if he should say Some men haue more glorie than other and they are like flowers the other are like grasse no great difference the flower shewes fairer but the grasse stands longer one sieth cuttes both downe like the fatte sheepe and the leane that feede in two pastures but are killed in one slaughter So though the great Man liue in his pallace and the poore man dwelles in his cottage yet both shall meete at the graue and vanish together Euen they which are Lordes and Iudges and Counsailers now are but successors to them which are dead and are neerer to death now than when I beganne to preach of this theame It had been a great Sessions for all other to die but for Magistrates for Princes for Kinges for Emperors to die as they die What a battell is this that leaues no man a liue
which was after broken If the crowne did lie in the midde way then thou needest run but halfe the way but to shew that there is no reward for them that begin well all the promises are made to him that continueth to the end Hee is cursed not onely which doth euill but hee which dooth the worke of the Lorde negligently or by halfes that is hee which offereth a maymed sacrifice for a sound almost a Christian for altogether Therefore Dauid before hee prayes summoneth his thoughts his speeches actions and saith All that is within mee praise the Lorde as a man giueth that which he thinketh wil be accepted that he may be welcome for it If we did serue an vngratefull master then we might thinke almost enough But Christ did not loue almost when he shed his heart bloud for vs therefore he cannot aske more than he gaue and yet the inheritaunce of his blessings is behinde why shouldest not thou giue as much for them as Abraham or Dauid or Simeon which would haue serued God till this time if they had liued still reformed themselues yet thought they had done nothing as Iacob counted his seruice for Rachel nothing because he loued her but thou thinkest that if thou giuest thy pleasures thou shalt want thy pleasures No as Abrahā did not lose his son when he would haue sacrificed his sonne so God can keepe his pleasures when thou resignest thy pleasures Thou thinkest that God will not misse it as Ananias thought that Peter woulde not misse it but if Peter did misse it will not God misse it So we pare the offering like Elies sonnes which kept the best and fatest to themselues which made the people abhor the sacrifices and shall not God abhor such sacrifices If Ely reprooued his sons how wil God reproue them which reproued Ely for not reprouing thē enough A spirituall eare can heare GOD reprouing this land for this mincing of his worship Can the preaching of the word the signes of heauen the shaking of the earth the victorie of your enemies and all the blessings of God make you but almost Christians almost religious almost thankefull Is this my reward saith God as though you were afrayde to bee too good If you thinke that you shall bee mocked if you bee too zealous as Micholl scorned Dauid when he daunced before the Arke Dauid tels you how you shal stop such scorners mouthes O saith Dauid I will be more humble yet before my God When Michol sawe his resolution she mocked him no more but reuerenced him euer after So tell the Diuell and all his mockers I wil be more zealous more feruēt and more holy yet vntill I be like him which said Follow me and they which mocke thee shall reuerence thee as Michol did Dauid This when thou art in the way to heauen remember that thou must goe forwarde or backward for Iacob did see none stand vpon the ladder which ascended vp to heauen but either thy went vp or down they which go not forward go backward They which will not come so forward as altogether shall not stay at almost but fal from their faith loue and knowledge and zeale by descents till Christes threatning be fulfilled That which they seeme to haue shall be taken from them as though they neuer had any taste at al. Thus I haue set you a glasse to beholde whether you are in almost or altogether Yet Paul lured for Agrippa Now he sues to the people When he had caught the King hee spred his net for the people I would to God that not onely thou but all that heare mee were not onely almost but altogether as I am Hee might wish rather than hope and therefore hee praies I would to God that all were Christians As Moses wished that all coulde prophesie Peter was taught both to feede the sheepe and the lambs great and small and old an young rich and poore So Paul praies for the King and for the people too wisheth that they were all Christians This prayer we may say for them that doe not praye for themselues to make them ashamed when they see other more careful for their soules than they thēselues The Pastours care extendeth to all although some are more to be laboured yet none is to be despised which is but a lamb of the flock Paule doth not wish Agrippa more honour or more wealth or more friēds but more religion which is the greatest want of Princes Although they haue receiued a kingdome yet they are not so thankfull as they which haue receiued nothing but from hande to mouth Though they haue done a thousand times more euil yet they are not so penitent as he which hath done least of all They sit in Gods seat are called Gods but are not like God but like Mammon more than their names and their Crownes except Dauid or Salomon or Iosua a fewe which remember whose person they bear the rest are like Herod and Saul and Nabuchadnezzar which know not from whō their kingdoms come As I am saith Paul directly Paul shoulde haue replied altogether a Christian and not altogether as I am but who shall teach the Spirit to perswade Hee chose to say as I am that Agrippa might see his single heart and loue toward him who went not about to seduce him but wisht it vnto him as vnto him selfe Euen as I am If any thing will perswade most fit is the example when he which teacheth vs goes before vs for then we see that hee dealeth plainly and speakes of loue and meanes no deceit when we see him doe as he saith Saul hath slaine his thousand but Dauid his ten thousand So where another conuerts a thousand hee shall conuert ten thousand which can say like Christ Follow mee Oh what is this when a Christian and I am all one that ye might say to your children I woulde to God thou were a Christian when you say I woulde to God thou were like me The king shoulde bee like Paule by this saying How then doe some say with Festus Too much zeale hath made thee mad If the people know the Lords prayer the ten cōmandemēts the Articles of beleefe it is enough is this to be like Paul No Festus the knowledge of the word doth not make a mā mad but makes him wise to saluation Can that which makes a mā wise make him mad Therefore they which say that we are the worse for knowledge or worse for religion or worse for zeale are like Festus which had neither knowledge zeale nor religion in him And they which teach the people that they shall not neede to be as Paul but that a mediocritie will serue incurre that curse of Paule Hee which teacheth another doctrine than that which yee haue receiued of vs which wished all as perfect as himselfe Let him bee Anathema that is accursed They which loue you like Paul doo not wish you zeale by waight and knowledge by
he poares and gapes vpon it by little and little the loue of it growes more and more in his heart vntill at last he haue mind on nothing else This was the first dotage of Nabuchadnezzar the second was which I haue built by the might of my power What a vaunt was this to say that he built Babylon when al histories accorde that it was built by Semyramis before Nabuchadnezzar was borne therfore why doth he boast of that which an other did The answere is easie why doe other men so now wee see that euery one doth labour to obscure the fame of others that they may shine alone beare the names themselues especially in great buildings for if they doe but adde or alter any thing in Schooles or Hospitals or Colledges they looke straight to bee counted the founders of them and so the founders of many places are forgotten So it is like that Nabuchadnezzar did adde or alter some thing in this Citie and therfore hee tooke all to himselfe as the fashion hath bin euer since but if none had built it but he had been the founder of it as some would seeme yet this had been a proude and arrogant speech to say which I haue built by the might of my power for it was not he which could build Babel no more then Nemrod could finish Babel but vnles the Lord build the house the builders build in vaine Therefore when he sayth By the might of my power he should haue sayd by the might of Gods power But by this you plainely discerne how hard and difficult a thing it is to hit vpon a right word or a good worke which hath not a good thought to bring it foorth Therefore make the roote sweete or the fruite will bee sower counterfaite as cunningly as you can Lastly when he putteth in for the honour of my maiestie hee sheweth that he was of Absoloms humour who although he had deserued shame yet he would haue fame because hee had no children to keepe his name in remembrance therefore he erected a piller which hee called Absoloms place so many stately houses and places in England beare their names of those Lords or others that do possesse or owe them for the like vanitie Heere Absolom thought to bee buryed as Nabuchadnezzar thought to dwell in his pallace but he was cast into a pit as Nabuchadnezzar was turned into the wildernesse So Shebna made his sepulchre in one Countrie and was buryed in another for why should pride haue the reward of humilitie Humilitie saith Salomon goeth before honour that is to say honour is the reward of humilitie yet Nabuchadnezzar would bee honoured for his pride What had he or Shebna or Absolom done that they should erect such monuments to bee praised after death which were not worthy to be praised in their life before the building Nabuchadnezzar had done nothing worth speaking of for because he liued alwayes like a beast therefore GOD punished him like a beast and did hee deserue now to bee spoken of in all ages for heaping stones together Wee may see that great men are proude of a small matter and they looke to bee praised for euerie thing they doe But looke how GOD ouerthwarteth them for oftentimes in that they looke to make theyr greatest glorie they shame themselues most of all and that which they practise to exalt them doth disgrace them that which they doe to winne them loue getteth them hatred sinne so deceiueth them like the blinde Aramites that they take a cleane contrarie way to their desires as wee may see in the eleauenth of Genesis they which built Babel said they would build it to get them a name but they got shame for they could not finish it when they had begun it but were cōfounded in such sort that they knewe not what they did so sodainly they vnderstoode not what one another said So when Nabuchadnezzar came to himselfe againe he shewed that when hee sought his owne honour honour departed from him and hee was made like a beast but when hee sought Gods honour honour came to him againe and hee was made a King This would pull away many toyes from womens backs if they did cōsider how God maketh them ridiculous by that they weare to make thēselues amiable if they did thinke that the apparell which they clogge on to please the world by the secret iudgement of God did not please but displease they would be ashamed of their attire as Eue was of her nakednesse would they weare such gardes and paint their faces but to please See now how God doth mocke them for they are not liked but disliked and worse thought of for it than they which go in russet coates seeke no praise at all they think am I not braue others thinke is she not proud they think am I not sweete others thinke is she not light yet they dreame that euerie man praiseth them for their brauery as Nabuchadnezzar thought that euery one would honor him for his pallace If their brauerie condemne them before men how will it condemne them before God Therefore when Nabuchadnezzar saith For the honor of my Maiestie he should haue saide for the honour of Gods Maiestie and then this had been recorded for his honour indeed and his house had bin the house of God for as we should speake and studie labour to Gods glorie so we should build also to Gods glorie that our houses may bee like temples as Obadiahs was But few seeke glorie that way they had rather pull downe than build in such sort Thus you haue heard what Nabuchadnezzar spake in secret as though GOD would display the thoughts and pride of such builders These are the meditations of Princes noble men whē they behold their buildings or open their coffers or lookvpon their traine swinging after them they thinke as Nabuchadnezzar thought Is not this great Babel is not this great glorie is not this the traine that maketh me reuerenced in the streets are not these the things which shall make my children rich is not this the house that shall keepe my name and cause me to be remembred and make them which are childrē now speake of me hereafter when they shall passe by and looke vp and see these antikes and knackes ouer their heads they will say oh he which built this was a great man he bare a sway both in court and countrie who but he while he liued Although this king be dead buried yet his pride is escaped come to vs. Nabuchadnezzar hath children yet aliue which build as high as he looke as high as he goe as braue as he spend as vainly as he and are as proud as he although they bee not Kings nor Dukes nor Earles nor Knights nor yet good Squires looke vpon their pallaces and think whether they bee of Nabuchadnezzars brood Is not this great Babel and is not Nabuchadnezzar Lord of it Oh if they might liue to walke in
more Thy kingdome is departed from thee This is such a saying as if Nabuchadnezzar had thought of it before he would haue wept when he vanted to thinke that his honor was going from him when hee thought it was comming to him and yet his kingdom was departed from him and yet God saith Thy kingdome is departed from thee because the decree was past which should as surely come to passe as if it were past already Therefore because we care not so long as the Prophet sayth we shal die we shal suffer we shal answere he leaueth Shall and saith Now as God said to Abimelec Thou art a dead man not thou shalt dye but thou art dead which roused him more then if hee had threatned him an hundred deaths because he thought that he shuld die presently So the holy Ghost is forced as it were to exceede and speake more then wee thinke he should speake for the hardnesse of our hearts which heare like stones and goe like snayles If we haue but a weeke to repent we will deferre it to the last day that we may sinne all the rest Therefore it was meet to say Thy kingdome is departed from thee That seeing his iudgement should not stay he should not stay his repentance If this voyce had saide Thy Babell shall sinke as Nemrods Babel did it seemeth he would haue thought his honour buried but when he was stript not onely of his pallace but also of his kingdome what heauy newes was this vnto him which thought him selfe equall with GOD and nowe may not be a King But when hee was thrust among beasts to eate grasse with oxen what a downfall was this to be brought vnder all his subiectes which spake euen nowe as though there were none but he and now his seruants seruant would not be like vnto him So the king of kings wil be honored of kings as they are of their subiects or else he will tread vpon their crownes and they shal heare the same at last Thy kingdome shall depart from thee Nowe followeth the execution of his iudgement for Daniell saith The same houre all this was fulfilled So he sheweth the order of it as a prisoner is brought to the barre and lead to a gybbet so this King was drawne from his throne and turned into the wildernesse where he aboade among wilde beastes so long Till his haires were growne like Eagles feathers and his nailes like birds clawes When God began he made hast as it was long before he spoke but when he spoke hee did it and effected in an houre all that the dreame and the Prophet had foretolde Then was fulfilled The pride of man shall bring him lowe Euen in that houre that Nabuchadnezzar aduanced himselfe more than before in the same houre hee was brought vnder all his subiectes all his seruants and pages so he which setteth vp can pull down he which gaue can take he which made can destroy Therefore let no man vaunt though hee were a king of his house or land or farme or children but know that hee should haue nothing if GOD did not regarde him more than other and thinke when thou doest read this storie whether thou be not as proude of thy wealth as Nabuchadnezzar was of his pallace whether thou be not as proud of thy childrē as Nabuchadnezzar was of his kingdome whether thou be not as proud of thy parentage as Nabuchadnezzar was of his honour whether thou be not so proud of thy lerning as Nabuchadnezzar was of his train If thou be not so proud thē God doth say no more O King to thee be it spoken O subiect to thee be it spoken these blessings shalbe taken from thee For hath God takē no mans kingdome from him but Nabuchadnezzars hath he taken no mans office from him but Iudas hath he taken no mans riches from him but Iobs how did Antiochus and Iulian and Herod and Saul and Athalia and Iezabel Richard the third goe from their thrones as if God had pulled thē out by the eares he had no respect vnto their persons but vsed them like beasts as hee did Nabuchadnezzar and fulfilled his threatning The candle of the wicked shall be put out Therefore as Christ saith vnto them which turne backe Remember Lots wife so I may say to them which beare high mindes and proud lookes stout wordes remember King Nabuchadnezzar how God resisted the proud Now if any man long to be resolued how this king was changed to a beast he must not imagin any strāge metamorphosis or popish transubstantiation as though his shape were altered or his manhood remoued or that he put on hornes and hoofe as the Poets faine of Acteon for the voyce doth not saye that hee should become a beast but that he should dwell with the beastes Daniel dooth not saye that his head or armes or legges were transformed but that the haire of his head and the nayles of his fingers did growe like Eagles feathers and like birds clawes as euerie mans haire and nayles will doe if hee doe not pare them Lastly Nabuchadnezzar saith not that his shape was restored vnto him but that his vnderstanding was restored vnto him all which declare that he was not chaunged in bodie but in minde not in shape but in qualitie A sauage minde came on him like that which droue Cain from the companie of men and he became like a Satyre or wilde man which differeth not frō a beast but in shape though hee was not turned to a beast yet this was a straunge alteration to bee so chaunged in an houre that his Nobles abhorred him his subiects despised him his seruants forsooke him none woulde companie with him but the beasts Consider this all that aduaunce themselues against GOD and despise his word as Nabuchadnezzar did Take warning by a King which euen now walkt in his galleries his Nobles serued him in his pallace with all dishes that the ayre or sea or land could afford now he is turned to grase feede like an oxe with the beasts in the wildernesse This was to shewe that God maketh no more account of the wicked then of beasts and therfore the holy Ghost calleth them often by the name of beasts shewing how that sinne and pleasure make men like beasts when they haue abused their wits often and peruerted their reason at last God taketh their vnderstanding from them and they become like beasts lothsome to themselues and others many such beasts wee haue still like Nabuchadnezzar who were fitter to liue in the desart among lions where they might not anoy others then in townes amongst men where they infect more then the plague Thus if you haue not considered the beastlines of sinne looke vpon Nabuchadnezzar like a beast If you would see the guilt of it looke vpon wandering Cain If thou wouldest see the frensie of it looke vpon frantike Saul If thou wouldest see the feare of it looke vpon trembling Baltazar If