by resisting that cruell raging Lyon Sathan who daily seeketh how to deuoure our soules and bodies which the Lambe of GOD hath bought to himselfe Let vs by the strength of Gods Spirit redeeme our selues froÌ„ his destroying iawes and in our youth shewe Gods strength in vs and while wee are young men let vs cast off the olde man of sinne and concupiscence of the flesh and put on Iesus Christ the new man walking with him in righteousnesse holinesse of life a glorious garment and blessed companion As Sampson being a young man killed the Philistims the enemies of God and his people so in our youth let vs endeuour by the speciall assistance of Gods grace strength of his powerfull Spirit to kill ouercome and subdue the cruell enemies of God and our owne soules saluation sin and our corrupt affections whom we beare about in our mortall bodies and who dippeth in the platter with vs yet like so many Iudases seeking to betray vs in the hands and power of our malitious and cruel enemie Sathan they giue vs their sweete milke to drinke but for our destruction they make vs sleepe vpon their knees but to abrace our strength and to make God abrace our name out of the booke of life to betray vs trecherously into the hands of our persecuting enemie and to cut off our heads in the midst of our drunken sleepe of sinne yea they sleep with vs as a snake in our bosom to sting vs to eternall death suspect then their venome and theâ—â— deceitfull wicked purpose let them not keep thee vnder the yoake of their slauerie but keepe them vnder thy commandements rule and subjugate thy necke vnder the light and easie yoake of Iesus Christ to obey him in all the powers of thy soule and members of thy body that so here on earth thou maiest be a member of his body militant and suffering in heauen hereafter a glorified triumphant member in eternal ioyes so thou shalt be happy reioyce that euer thou didst suffer the yoake in thy youth Saul Dauid SalomoÌ„ with many others in the Scripture were called to be Kings being yong men but wee in our youth are called to a more ample glorious and permanent a kingdome to bee kings and coheyres with Iesus Christ the onely begotten and welbeloued Sonne of God in that eternall kingdome of his Father which hee hath prepared for vs taken possession himselfe before vs and granted vs here on earth the pledge of his holy Spirit to begin our ioyes and his holy Sacraments as seales of his kingdome who will then deny such a honour in his youth to be a glorious King with Iesus Christ Salomon in his greatest glory was not so gloriously clothed as one of the white Lillies of the field but when thou shalt bee cloathed with the white long robe of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ crowned with an incorruptible crowne of glory and life in euer-permanent ioyes eternally to remayne to behold the glorious face of the lambe of God associated to the blessed Angels and infinite companies of the glorified spirits Saynts praising continually and extolling his iustice and the infinite mercy and loue of the Lambe before his Throne in light perpetuall in glory vnspeakeable ioyes that cannot be expressed how blessed and happy shall bee thy estate in this kingdome to day thou art called to it yong to morrow thou knowest not if thou shalt enter by the passeouer of death in full possession thereof while then it is offred possesse thy selfe to day with the pledge and rights of it walke in the true way to it that at thy iourneyes end thou mayst be crowned an immortall King procrastinate therefore no time it is a gift and a great gift when God holdeth out his hand in thy youth to offer thee the rights and pledges of his kingdome the sooner thereby to thy greater comfort to possesse thee with them and yet in the meane time thou pull in thy hand from receyuing them vntill thou prooue the diuels slauerie verily when he hath pulled in his hand agayne froÌ„ offering albeit thou neuer so oft put out thine to receyue when thou shalt seeke it thou shalt not find it but as thou refusedst of God in thy youth to be a king and accepted of Sathan to be a slaue as thou refusedst to remaine in thy fathers house and to eate at his table but wandring in a farre countrie yeelded to be a Farmers hyreling and to eate with swine so except Gods extraordinary mercy the beams of his vnsearchable loue shine vpon thee thou maiest expect in age but terrour and fearefull torment of conscience and hereafter to receyue the iust reward and hyre of thy slauery in the bottomlesse sinck and deepe pit of perdition in endlesse and easelesse torments with Sathan thy master In thy youth then accept to be a king of God receyuÌ„e the rights and pledge of the Kingdome in thy heart shew that thou hast them by thy speeches thy workes and an holy life speake the language of the Kingdome learne it dayly more and more which is prayer and praysing of God the kingdome whereof thou art made an heyre is Heauen wilt thou know thy selfe and make others also know if truely thou belong to this Kingdome let thy thoughts bee heauenly thy words be heauenly gratious to God and man and offensiue iustly to none thy works and actions also heauenly and vpright before God man doing good according to thy power to all euill or the least iniury to none no not to thy enemy but good for euill in word and worke let all thy conuersation and course of life priuate and publike be heauenly as a lampe shining before others that resembling thy Fathers conditions and bearing his image in thy life thou maiest bee knowne to be a childe and sonn of the King of heauen and sometimes to bee a crowned king there thy selfe when thy father shal call thee home from thy trauelling to thy natiue country and kingdome as on earth in good example thou shined as a lampe before others so then in heauen to shine in glory as a bright lampe before his throne But some would thinke that this exhortation of redressing our waies had beene fitter for olde men then for youth because they are nearer death giuing of account of their waies where young men seeth that they may die they â—ee that they die and youth must haue it owne course and therefore their faults are not so much to bee obserued seeing they are rather â—tatis then hominis and so in time enough they may returne from their yong courses when age breaketh them and become good and graue men at last To such I answere that such excuses as these are but impostures of Sathan and the flesh age hath neede to see they end well the claudite of their life with a ioyfull plaudite of the assurance of Gods fauour and youth must take heede also
and curseth them that keepe not his commandements as God hath commanded in the first precept of the second Table of his Law that children shall honour theyr Parents with a double promise of this life and the life to come then command thou likewise and instruct thy children to honour God also and let this be thy first and chiefest care in the table of thy heart so shew thy selfe thankefull to God agayne When Salomon was to trie whose was the liuing childe for which the two women stroue to find out the same by the naturall affection of the true mother hee commanded the child to bee diuided in two wherewith as the true mother was much moued and displeased so the wrong mother cared not but was cōtented it should be so and so the veritie for the adjudging did appeare It is euen so with godly wicked parents and by this they may be knowne the wicked parents not hauing any conjunction with God thēselues they cannot know nor apprehend the ioyfulnesse thereof in others as in their children therefore they care not though they be destroyed by sinne and diuided asunder from the body of Iesus Christe but godly and true parents feeling in their owne hearts the sweet ioy of that blessed vnion with God through Christ they endeuour onely so to bring vp their children in the true feare and loue of God that they may be partakers also of that vnspeakeable comfort ioy of that conjunction with themselues and so haue true life in them yea before they should bee diuided from that comfort and life which they haue in that conjunction with Iesus Christ they rather would giue ouer that naturall title and right of comfort which belongeth iustly vnto them as parents as they did naturally beget them in sinne by the seed of man in the flesh to their owne image so their chiefe care and desire is that they may be begotten of a new supernaturally in the spirit vnto righteousnesse by the spirit of God to Gods image and by the immortall seed of the word of Iesus Christ God man and as they did dwell together on earth so for euer in heauen also they desire together to remayne This I say is the wish care and note of all godly and true parents and which euery one should haue or be knowne by and truely wee see oftentimes that children take example of their parents and walketh in their footsteps pressing to imitate them that they may the more be loued by them so that if the father bee carefully and godly disposed his sonne will feare lest the contrary disposition be deprehended in him at least by his father if he see that his father hate and detest drunkennesse fornication swearing or such sinnes surely if hee bee a naturall sonne and not a castaway hee will bee loth to commit any such or at least to his fathers knowledge or face and if he haue grace in him hee will doe that rather which hee knoweth to be liking and acceptable in his fathers sight the example whereof first consider in a truly godly obedient sonne Iacob who knowing that the daughters of Canaan displeased Izhak and Rebekah his parents he would not ioyne with thē in mariage but with his owne kindred commanded by his fathee as also the like after a maner in a counterfeit cast-away Esau his brother who seeing that to marry with the daughters of Canaan as hee had notwithstanding already done was displeasant and grieuous to his parents and that his brother Iacob had obeyed his father to doe otherwise in going to Padan Aram he went also tooke Ishmaels daughter to wife of his own kindred albeit a bastard generation such was the care albeit hypocriticall euen of this cast-away to please his parents Elies wicked sonnes also seeing their fathers godly disposition durst not before him commit such enormities as they did or to his owne knowledge vntill by the people it was reported so vnto him so that the good inclination of the father is a great awe band vnto the sonne as of the contrary the nature of the sonne is more apt to follow a lasciuious and impious father to wickednesse and vanitie then a godly graue father to piety and true wisedome Concerning this aptnesse of children to imitate their parents example in good or euill Christ himselfe also saith to the Iewes If ye were the sonnes of Abraham ye would doe the workes of your father Abraham but ye are of your fafather the diuell and the lusts of your father ye will doe therefore let all fathers in the good education of their children be as lampes themselues in their life that they may be followed by them and doe such things that therein they would desire their childrens imitation It is a great delight to parents to heare that their children are like vnto them but if they be like them in godlinesse it is a great ioy and comfort to others also For then they represent and resemble the Image of Iesus Christ the common Sauiour and Father of all men as he was the character and expresse Image of his Father in Iustice Mercy and Holinesse so they being likewise the image of Christ againe in holines and sanctity of life being holy as he is holy and hauing that honour to be like the King of all kings thereby brother to the Prince of princes of whose kingdome it may be truely said His ego met as nec tempor a pon◠without limitation or prescription of time Ioy infinite and Eternitie without end In the 127. Psalme Dauid calleth children by three titles First Behold saith he children are the inheritance of the Lord to shew that they should bee educated and brought vp by their parents with such care as though they were not the children of men but of God and consider what care a man hath and respect vnto his inheritance that it be not abused any way or spoyled the like greater care hath God our heauenly Father that our children which are his inheritance for of these is the kingdome of heauen be not negligently or euilly brought vp to dishonour his name who should honour him The heyre of a king and kingdom must be so educated that hee may be found worthy of the crowne The children of the faithfull are heyres to the King and kingdome of Heauen Therefore their parents as tutors to whom they are concredit for a time must trayne them vp so carefully in pietie and and the obedience of God their heauenly father that they may bee found worthy of the inheritance of that Kingdom and Crowne of glory purchased by the blood of Iesus Christ our Lord their parents may bee found faithfull so in discharging their dutie therein to God and them Secondly Dauid calleth children the Lords Reward shewing that as God of his grace doth giue to parents children as a testimony of his loue to their earthly pleasure comfort and seruice so
they should as it were reward God by giuing and dedicating them againe with Hannah vnto his seruice and pleasing of him by an immaculate and pure life as a token and testimony of their loue to God againe And thirdly Children are compared to arrowes in the hand of the strong man who if they bee well and godly brought vp framed they wil shoot at their parents enemies and be a griefe to their heart to see them prosper so in the feare of God by his blessings and blessed is the man that hath his quiuer full of them but if they be carelesly and too indulgently broght vp as Elies sonnes and Absolon they will be the darts to pearce their fathers heart with griefe and bitter sorrow to them In Latine Children are called pignoâ—a and pueri the one because they are the pledges of Gods fauour to the parents as also naturall pledges of the mutuall loue of the parents betwixt themselues beeing the surest bond in marriage to knit and continue the loue of man and wife betwixt theÌ„selues which Leah well did know when beeing conceyued shee said Now my husband will loue me If therefore they be the pledges of Gods loue to their parents in giuing them of his grace for their worldly pleasure then by their good education let them be the pledges of the parents loue to God likewise in giuing and dedicating them againe vnto his heauenly pleasure and seruice as an vnspotted and cleane sacrifice being puri sicut pueros decâ—t and in the meane time let parents be aware to esteeme or loue the pledge or gift more then God the giuer thereof for if they loue their children too much dallying and delighting onely with the gift God the giuer will eyther make them of a blessing in his loue turne to a curse in his anger or else separate them one from another in making eyther the father childlesse shortly or the child fatherlesse which experience oftentimes proueth manifestly let children therfore be only as cords to draw the parents hearts more and neerer vnto God in increase of loue and thankefulnesse to him and God wil heape his blessings more abundantly on them both also let their parents chiefe care bee to trim and adorne their hearts and minds so with pietie and vertue as becommeth a gift or reward which is to bee presented to the King of al kings before whose eyes no vncleane thing can stand therefore Christ once beeing to shewe who should inherite the kingdome of heauen tooke for example a little childe and set him in the middest of his disciples saying Whosoeuer receyueth not the kingdome of heauen as a child he shal not enter therein thereby shewing that our children should be so innocent so humble and voyd of all euill that they may be takeÌ„ for example of the sonnes and heires of God not as many are now wofull to see made proud in their cradle learned to curse and sweare before they can well speak or aske their parents blessing and full of euill before they haue reason to discerne good or euill therefore set tender and wise parents not excuse their childreÌ„ in their faults saying They are tender or haue no wit to doe otherwise if they bee tender let not the worme of sinne so sticke vpon them for the danger is the greater lest the sooner it eate thorow their heart and it is fearefull when they haue wit to doe or speake euill and goe in the wrong way before they haue wit or are taught to speake or doe well and enter in the right way As they were before compared to arrowes we know as the arrow is directed at the first so it flyeth all the way ouer or vnder or beside but it neuer commeth vnto the right marke or butte vnlesse it be directed right at the first in the letting foorth out of the Bow so it is that except froÌ„ the first comming forth out of the wombe children be directed in the right way they shall hardly or neuer attayne to the end of the way which is true happinesse in Iesus Christ we know also if our children bee deformed in their youth we neuer expect that they will bee well fauoured in their age and when a yong Plant sprouteth vp if there bee a worme that lyeth at the roote thereof we know except we remoue and kill the same the tender Plant will neuer thriue nor grow forward doe we know and beleeue so in respect of our childrens bodies plants of our gardens then let vs know and beleeue the same in respect of their minds if sin grow beâ—ore pietie the weed will smother the good corne if vice be sowen and appeare before vertue in youth no appearance of a good or ioyfull haruest in age remoue and kill the worme of sinne from the tender plant of childhood lest it gnaw out the life thereof ere thou be aware kill the serpent in the egge lest wheÌ„ he is hatched hee kill thee who is the parent with griefe and thy child with his poyson yea we teach a dogge while hee is a whelpe wee tame a bird while it is yong wee breake a horse while he is a colt and bow the tree while it is a twig so with wise Salomon Teach thy child in his youth that he may remeÌ„ber it when hee is olde the birdes of the ayre teach parents their dutie they flie before their yong ones to teach them to follow as parents should by good example and godly education teach their children to flie to God also by faith and holinesse of life wee haue a care to feede our beasts see their education carefully who if they starue or die we haue onely lost a carkas but when carefully we ouersee not the education of our owne children and seed the feeding of their soules by instruction curing of their sores of vice by correction wee loose their bodies and soules which is more precious then all the worlde and their blood shall be required at our handes and of this vice complayneth Isaiab 1. 3. that the oxe the asse were taught to know their masters but his people did not know him as Gods Ministers may now also iustly complayne of the same Wee haue three notable examples of parents for good education in the Scriptures 1. King 2. wee haue Dauid instructing his sonne Gen. 34. Iacob reproouing and correcting his sonnes and Iob. 1. Iob praying for his sonnes put these three together instructing correcting praying they will make blessed children and thrice happy parents and as it was a sweete and comfortable thing to see children goe before Christ to the Temple of Ierusalem singing Hosanna to the most highest that it might be fulfilled that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings Gods prayses should sound so it shall be to the great ioy and comfort of their parents hearts when in the temple and congregation of the faithfull they shall see their childreÌ„ beeing well brought vp singing prayses to
name written which no man knoweth sauing he that receiueth it He that ouercommeth shall bee clothed in white aray and I will not put out his name out of the Booke of life but I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels Lo◠many rewards diuers recompences great liberality vnspeakeable mercy and infinite matter of comfort and encouragement in thy youth to walke in this narrow way that in age thy ouercomming may bee fulfilled and finished Christ who promiseth hee is the way that cannot erre walke in him hee is the trueth that cannot deceiue walke by himselfe and hee is the life that hath swallowed vp death walke therefore to him make him wholly thy whole way and wholly holily insist and persist in him redressing all thy owne waies according to his Be importunate with Moses that the Lorde would shew himselfe vnto thee wrestle with Iacob for the blessing that thou maiest preuaile with God and by his grace he may preserue direct thee in all thy waies◠according to his own way striue to enter in at the straight gate as Christ the way cōmandeth thee pray with Paul 7. times yea 70. times 7. times and be instant that his grace may suffice thee with the widow weary the Iudge of al flesh that iust willing Iudge to heare thee and grant thee thy desire with the poore Samaritane woman begge earnestly at Christ to cure thy owne sicke soule to redresse thy waies to direct thee in his and to giue thee of the childrens bread that hid Manna to eate The kingdome of heauen and end of the straight way suffereth violence inferre violence therefore to enter in at the same neither delay any time Iacob was desired by Ioseph to make his iourney speedily to come to the kingdome of Egypt where hee was second person Iesus Christ our brother whom we sold by our sinnes desireth and willeth euery young man to make his iourney speedily likewise in the right way to come to the kingdome of heauen where he is the second person also Iacob except that he had made haste to get the blessing of his father hee had beene in perill to loose it for presently as hee went out from the presence of his father his brother Esau came in so except thou make speed in thy youth to obtaine the blessing of God thy heauenly Father by redressing thy wayes and walking in his thou art in great perill to loose the same this narrow and strait gate of grace is opened before thy eyes then striue that thou maist enter in thereat bee not slow then but make speede in thy way here lest hereafter with the foolish Virgins thou call and knocke at the gate of glorie but bee not admitted to that Ioy say not in thy youth with sluggard Pro. 6. 10. Yet a slumber and vnfolding of hands but vp and walke with Iesus Christ in the way of godlinesse at the first call according to the rule of Gods word purge redresse thy wayes when that cloudy pillar warneth thee to goe forward goe and walke hauing it before thy eyes in the way of holinesse and when it warneth thee to stay then stay thy course in repressing thy affections brideling thy lusts and their precipitate course redressing thy wayes restrayning the liberties of the flesh conforming thy will to Gods will and walking in a strait and narrow way of life follow young Abell who walked innocently and holily before God offering the first fruits of his flocke as thou must of thy youth to the Lord and not the broad way of Cain in murther wrath and despising of God or of Lamech in vaunting and bragging of thy strength in youth to commit sinne as many yong men do Follow godly Noah in the strait way of holines and of curbing the liberties of the flesh who in that generall corruption of time was onely found iust and found fauour in Gods eyes when the rest drinking and eating taking of those whom they liked best reioycing and walking in the broad way of iniquitie and libertie of the flesh were destroyed with all flesh in that generall Deluge Follow iust Lot in this true way who remained onely vndefiled with the filthie lusts of the Sodomites and in vprightnesse of conuersation walked onely before GOD afflicting his soule euery day for their abominations and eschued the broad way of their vncleannesse whoring oppression drunkennesse c. wherewith yong old was infected and cryed downe from heauen feareful destruction vpon them Follow Abraham who obeyed and beleeued God godly Izaak who in his youth was diligently occupied in prayer in the field and liued chastly in the feare of God vntil a lawful wife was prouided for him Follow plaine Iacob who esteemed Gods blessing better then all the world and did cast all his care vpon God as the Apostle commandeth and serued in a painefull seruice long and truely without sleep in the cold frost of the night and burning heat of the day also suffered many iniuries and euer rewarded good for euill Follow yong vpright Ioseph who beeing greatly tempted to enter in that broad way of liberty and lust by his mistresse refused to commit that vild sinne of adultery with her and chose to walke on in the strait path of holinesse he walked so wisely that he found fauour in all mens eyes and was loued greatly for his gentle and courteous behauiour and at last was promoted by Gods prouidence to be the second person in all Egypt after his straitnesse in prison there Follow faithfull Moses enter in at this strait gate with him who chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God walking in the narrow way then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season walking in the broad way esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt the reason is for hee had respect vnto the recompence of the reward the end of this narrow way Israel whom hee did leade went out of Egypt to Canaan the land of their rest thorow much straitnesse and a narrow passage as the true Israel of God must go out from the Egypt of this world to that spirituall Canaan the land of their eternal rest Follow couragious Ioshua who went thorow a narrow passage ouer Iorden vnto the land of Canaan with Gods Arke before him by many battels ouercame and obtayned the same as thou must by many battels betwixt the flesh the spirit obtaine that eternal Canaan walking towards it in a narrowe passage and hauing Gods worde continually before the eyes of thy heart to redresse and conforme thy wayes according thereunto Yong Dauid after he was elected king of Israel hee walked in this narrow path thorow many tentations to draw him from Gods feare and seruice and thorow much straitnesse before he came to the possession of the kingdome as after thy election to that euerlasting kingdome of heauen in this world during that Prince of darkenesse raigne thou
hath landes or ample possessions that therefore thou needest not nor should apply thy minde to vertue or thy hand to worke the truely noblest that euer was Iesus Christ God man whose creatures and worke all Nobles and Kings are wrought with his hands vnder his supposed father Ioseph in the craft of carpentarie in all subiection till the time of his publike ministerie came wherein hee behoued to goe about his true Fathers businesse Iacob a great Patriarch and borne to great possessions eueÌ„ the whole land of Canaan which flowed with milke and hony yet sent to seruice by his parents who loued him more deerely and wisely then many who cocker vp their children now and thinke it an indignitie to put them to handie-crafts or seruice being a great deale lesse able to sustaine them nor hauing so sure a promise that God wil so prouide for them yet hee being so great a mans sonne thought no shame nor griefe to serue full 21. yeares in the colde frost of the night without sleepe and hote sunne burning of the day and when hee had many seruants and goods yet still serued painfully albeit vnder an vnthankfull Maister Moses sometime called the sonne of King Pharao was called by God to bee the leader of his people to Canaan from keeping of sheepe in the field Gideon sonne to Ioash father or chiefe of the Ezrites who had many seruants as is euident Iudges 6. 27. was found threshing wheate himselfe when the Angell called him to bee Iudge of Israel Saul who is called 1. Sam. 9. 1. the sonne of a man of Beniamin mighty in power named Kish was sent to runne through many countries with one seruant onely a foote to seeke his fathers Asses that were lost with no great prouision of money or victualls as appeareth vers 7 8. and thereafter called to bee King of Israel Dauid likewise from keeping of sheepe Elisha that great Prophet called from the Plough Amos from keeping of cattell many of the Apostles of Iesus Christ who shall iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel and whose doctrines are the twelue foundations of the wall of that spirituall Ierusalem were called from painefull fishing Paul a man of great learning and authoritie yet a Tent-maker and if thy parents how noble or gentle soeuer they bee thinketh thee better then these or thou thy selfe then indeede thinke shame to worke or to apply thy minde to some kinde of vertue or vocation neither trust onely to thy lands or possessions for God may giue Sathan power as hee did concerning Iob to try thee and take thy goods from thee many waies vnexpected and neuer thought of Seeing also he hath giuen them to thee freely as sufficient meanes to increase and imploy thy talent as Salomon saith Prou. 17. 16. As a price in thy hand to get wisedome if in idlenesse notwithstanding without any vocation thou suffer the same to perish and waste the means price improfitably they shall make thee howsoeuer for a time the more honored acceptable before meÌ„ yet the more inexcusable and vile before God whoÌ„ thou so dishonourest for many of these forenamed had greater possessions then thou canst haue yet laboured with their hands It is not thy landes that maketh thee noble or gentle it is onely vertue Nobilitaâ— sola est atque vnica virtus and thy predecessors obtained this title only by some vertuous acts which is deriued to thee increase therefore the same by vertue impaire it not We reade of an ancient custome and most laudable amongst the Romans that none was suffered to goe in the publike streetes without some instrument in his hand to be thereby known of what vocation he was of to shew he was not an idle drone in the bee-hiue of the CoÌ„monwealth to teach him that whatsoeuer hee was not to be ashamed of his calling And amongst the Indians in these daies before they eate they vse to take an account what they haue earned or wonne Iustinian the Emperour of Rome exercised himselfe in the lawes and perfited the law of Nations Mithridates king of Pontus was a Phisitian who first found out that excellent compound called froÌ„ his own name Mithridatum Quintus Cincinnatus was called froÌ„ the Plough to be Dictator of Rome And we read of Dyonisius who being expelled from his Kingdome that by the vertue he learned in his youth hee liued in teaching a few youths in a schoole and therefore onely was called backe to his Kingdome againe Homer in commendation of Vlisses accounteth this as a note of great honour mentionating that he could make his owne ships himselfe Quintus Fabius a most noble Roman with his owne hands painted the walls of the Temple of Salus and not thinking shame thereof but rather couÌ„ting it a laudable and auowable thing agreeable with his honour degree affixed thereto vnder wrote his name Achilles is recorded to haue bin so cuÌ„ning in cookery that he thought it no dishonor at a certaine time to shew the same in dressing a royall and sumptuous supper to certaine Ambassadours who came to him Constantine the Emperour also had his liuing a long time â—as it is reported by drawing And a certaine learned Philosopher in Grecia vaunted that his cloake the ring hee wore on his finger were of his owne making esteeming it a great praise he could doe so Therefore take example of these that by thy owne vertue thou maiest rather shine before thy predecessors then to glance onely by their light studie to bee called not onely one of such a race which is by thy parents but a vertuous one of such a race which is by selfe By trusting to lands or possessions oft times vertue is neglected and infamie or no fame followeth when poore mens sonnes not hauing lands to trust to but leaning only to vertue and Gods grace come to great honour riches and renowne both which experience teacheth to all men The pouertie of such as are idle without any vocation commeth as Salomon saith like a traueller in the hie way or the necessitie of an armed man which is suddenly or hastily and therefore it is that so many Noblemen or Gentlemen make away with their lands which their antecessours by their vertue and hard purchase obtained and left to them they by vertue got it they by idlenesse vice consume it Hence aso it is that so many old and young sturdie beggers are in a kingdome or citie education without vocation From idlenesse also in youth it is that so many miserable spectacles are seene of so many that goe to the gallowes who behoued to steale because they applied not their minde to any vertue being young dum vires annique sinebant and now could doe nothing else Hence it is that so much wickednesse aboundeth and is committed in the world as in the time of Sodome and the primitiue world Whereby wee may know that the second destruction by fire as the first was by water is not farre
is so restrained in many places the mouths of Gods seruants so shut vp and the veritie repressed and bound as it were is Alexander the Copper-smiths profite will cease if Paul preach where Gods Arke commeth in place Dagon must fall and if Iesus Christ in such humilitie be suffered to bee acknowledged the Sauiour the Hie Priests honour iurisdiction and profit must cease if Daniel be suffered hee will discouer the Priests knaueries and Elias will shew that Baal is no God nor heareth not when Moses commeth with the Tables of the Law from the mount the golden calfe must downe if when Michaiah commeth to speake the truth freely he beleeued Zidkiiah the falsflattering Prophets with their hornes of yron should be put out of credit fauour and authoritie if Iohn the Baptist should be obeyed then Herod must put away his Herodias And where Gods sincere and pure word only getteh place and libertie downe must goe idolatrie and not a relict or hoofe thereof remaine tyrannicall authoritie of these who with Diotrephes loueth the preheminence and to rule as lords ouer the Lords inheritance must bee trod downe vnder the humble feete of Iesus Christ and of his word who pratleth against Gods true seruants with malitious words not therewith content neither they themselues receiue the brethren but forbiddeth them that would and thusteth them out of the Church The triple crowne must yeelde to the crown of thornes al popish ethnish apish ceremonies must fall downe before this Arke of Gods pure worde where the worde of Christ who came to serue getteth right place gracious Lord must cease Caeser must haue that which belongeth to him and all pastours with Paul must graunt themselues to bee seruants onely to Christs flocke for his cause their right title is the most honorable that they can haue euen the title which Iesus Christ is called by to bee Sheepheards of soules where Gods word shineth their shining before the flock must not be in gold silkes but in good workes where Gods word ruleth their rule and gouernement must be onely by Gods word their scepter that scepter which subiects scepters to it selfe their crowne their flocke you are my crowne saith Paul their sword not temporal nor Caesars but that two-edged sword that is in Christs mouth Gods and all their authority from Christs commission onely As my Father sent me so I send you where Gods sacred Law commeth there they must not worship the golden calfe of profit onely neither can Alexanders Diana bee so fat vnto him but with Moses they must looke onely for the reward of God Christs kingdome is not of this worlde in it then they must not looke for any recompeÌ„ce Paul saith I haue fought a good fight c. from henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne c. there is the reward hee looked for I goe saith Christ to my Father to prepare a place for you this is Christs promise For in the world you shall haue affliction and if you were of the world the world should loue you but because you are not as I am not therefore it hateth you In it then nor of it Pastours must not thinke their reward to bee and if in the world of the same they haue here their reward it is to bee feard that they shal neuer haue any other but as the world loueth theÌ„ they the world again that their coÌ„demnation is like to bee with the world also Therfore where Christs word taketh place worldly profite and full bagges must depart and albeit the Minister must liue of the Altar to supply necessitie yet Christ for Christ and his glorie onely must bee preached pride in the hie Priests and auarice in Iudas was the first betraier of Christ pride and auarice now is and euer shall be the only betraier of Christ and his cause and they know little the power of Christ in their heart or soule as they preach his name with their mouth who with Zebedeus sonnes here seeketh onely for their prefermeÌ„t because they haue followed him but they who truely follow him must denie here se suos sua take vp their crosse and follow him The same is his answere to all Ministers as it was to Peter who when hee asked what they should haue because they followed him he answered that they should sit on twelue seates with him and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel so he saith to euery Minister that followeth him truely as they did not that hee shall be so or so powerfull in the world for hee hath chosen the weake ones of the world but that hee shall sit at his right hand with him in his kingdome when he shall iudge all the Tribes and Nations of the world they then who pertaine vnto that kingdome will desire that great reward honour only more then all the honour and kingdoms of the world with their glory esteeming all as dung to win Christ many soules vnto Christ to know the power of his death resurrection in themselues and see it in their flockes But who pertain not to this kingdome they wil preferre their owne profite before all things if the preaching of Gods word hinder or take away their profit with Alexander that Diana goe not downe they will stirre vp kings kingdoms cities rulers and people against Paul and his preaching and if thirtie pennies may be had Christ Iesus shall be betrayed with a kisse If this light and fire of Gods word should come in place it would consume like Moses rod or serpent the serpentine and profitable fire of purgatorie If it were preached plainely vnto Gods people and to the soules of men that we must come onely to Christ who callâ—th and commandeth vs aske of the Father who can denie vs nothing through him according to his will and that the King against whom wee commit the offence onely can forgiue the same Where should the golden pardons of the Pope goe or the profit of the confessors if it bee preached that Christ the Master had not a hole to repose his head in nor so much mony as could pay tribute for him and â—or Peter And if it be reported how Peter Acts. 3. said Siluer or golde haue I none where shall the princely pallaces of the seruants goe the great treasured heapes of golde they lay vp Paul soiourned in a poore Tanners house that dressed leather and when hee sent for his cloake and his scrolles he maketh no mention of any great treasure but hee laid vp his treasure in heauen where the moath the canker nor the theefe coulde not come gaining and treasuring by his Talent many soules to God Peter got a great treasure and conquesed much when at his Sermon so many soules were conuerted to Christ ioyned to the Church But these fat woolues and dumbe dogges they care not for such a treasure or conquest woe be to them for they doe not the worke of the Lorde at all