then by ill meanes to increase their wealth Blessed are ye that are impoverished for Christs sake for great is your reward in heaven And so of them that refuse not a nickname or reproach for profession of the truth Blessed are yee that are reproached for Christs sake for great is your reward in heaven And to them who had rather lose a preferment or a great friend then offend God and a good conscience Blessed are ye that are stripped of your friends and means for Christs sake for great c. And to them that had rather endure sicknesse and death then seek to wisards and soothsayers for recovery of health Blessed are ye that are tortured with sicknesse and diseases for Christs sake for great c. And so I would say as by the like reason I may say of all others who prefer the peace of their consciences before the profits and comforts of the world They are blessed even while they are distressed for Christs sake for great is their reward in heaven And this how should is comfort all disconsolate soules who in the midst of troubles serve God without fainting A learned and holy man of God when a friend of his was pained with a grievous sicknesse wrote to comfort him in these words * A letter written to ones friend in his sicknesse in the midst of Master Smiths Sermons I marvell not said he that you are pained for you are sick but I marvell that you are impatient who have learned to know Christ and to professe his Gospell For tell me Patient said he how many stripes is heaven worth And then turning his speech unto God hee prayeth Teach the Happy O Lord to see his happinesse through troubles Thus hee comforted his sick friend and thus every Christian that desireth to serve God may comfort himselfe in sicknesse and travells and troubles let him but think how much heaven is worth toward which he is sailing in this tempest and it will glad his soule in the midst of his greatest agonies God give us grace to make use of such comforts that in the end we may partake of his glory CAP. V. Gods word hath vertue in it to make a man blessed Cap. 5 OUr Lord in his correction of the womans speech saith of the true blessednesse that it is to be had by hearing and doing of Gods word and thence it followeth that Gods word hath vertue in it to make a man blessed This is further proved to be so 1. By Testimonies of Scriptures such as these are S. Iohn saith of his Gospell These things are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name Ioh. 20.31 In these words S. Iohn telleth us that he wrote his Gospell for this end that men by it might be brought to beleeve in Christ and to be saved And from hence it followeth that either the holy Ghost propounded to himselfe a wrong end in delivering this Gospell which no Christian dareth imagin or else that this Gospell hath vertue in it to bring men to salvation Again S. Paul saith of the Gospel of Christ that it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1.16 And S. Iames exhorteth Receive with meeknesse the ingraffed word which is able to save your soules Iames 1.21 And our Saviour to the like purpose Search the Scriptures saith hee for in them yee think ye have eternall life and they are they that testifie of me In all which sayings there is a saving vertue ascribed unto the Scriptures and in this last is intimated unto us that it was the known opinion of Gods people in those dayes Yee think in them ye have eternall life saith Christ It is as if he had said not I onely but your selves also do agree that eternall life is to bee found in the Scriptures and therefore there is reason yee should search them 2. The same truth may be gathered from the Titles which are given to Gods word It is called the Gospell of the Grace of God Acts 20.24 and the Gospell of the Kingdome Mat. 4.23 and the Gospell of salvation Ephes 1.13 Implying that the grace of God and the Kingdome of heaven and salvation is there to be found and from thence to be derived Again it is called the word of Gods grace Acts 14.3 and the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 and the word of salvation Acts 13.26 and 1 Pet. 1.23 the immortall seede by which we are new born All which names and titles given to the word what doe they else import but that therein there is meanes contained to work grace and reconciliation and eternall life This is proofe enough for the point yet it will bee worth the labour to consider how Gods word may bee said to contain this vertue and wherein it sheweth it selfe And thereto the answer is that this vertue of Gods word sheweth it selfe by three things 1. By teaching the ready way to blessednesse 2. By perswading men to walk in that way And 3. by enabling them with grace both to beleeve what it teacheth and to do what it perswadeth I. It teacheth the right way or it teacheth what to beleeve how to live and by what meanes we may be saved So S. Paul saith of this word that it is able to make one wise to salvation through faith in Christ Iesus and that it is profitable for doctrin for reproofe for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good works 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. In these words we have three things to be noted for this purpose First there is the main scope and end for which the Scripture serveth namely to make one wise to salvation Secondly there are the particular uses of this word by which it maketh men wise to salvation and they bee these first it is profitable for doctrine to teach whatsoever we neede to beleeve Secondly for reproofe or to confute and detect all contrary errors that gainsay the doctrine of truth Thirdly for correction or to reprove all sins that are against Gods will manifested in his word Fourthly for instruction in righteousnesse or to inform us in every duty belonging to our callings In summe it teacheth the truth which we ought to beleeve and the duties that we must perform with conviction and confutation of whatsoever is contrary to either of these two so that wee may neither be misled with any error against the faith nor misperswaded to any sin against Gods Law These be uses for which the Scripture is profitable Thirdly there is the sufficiency or ability which men gain by these uses and that is that the Man of God even he that is bound to know and doe most may want no direction that may serve either for instructing of his faith or ordering of his life Now by all this we have a punctuall and plentifull
neglected or at least omitted to speake of The summe of which correction is as if hee had said Thou sayest Blessed is the womb c. Which though I deny not to be true yet I will tell thee of a farre greater blessednes then that is Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keep it 2. This woman made not so good an use of our Saviours doctrine as shee might have done When she heard him preach with great wisdome and evidence of the Spirit she brake out into the praises of the preacher which were justly deserved by him but she said nothing perhaps she thought nothing of amending her life or of performing what she was taught And herein our Lord amendeth her speech by telling her what better use shee might make of his Sermon Shee commended him for his good Sermon when she had done better if shee had amended her selfe by his instruction She said Blessed is the mother that bred such a Preacher but he said Nay rather blessed is the hearer that maketh use of his doctrine The Text being thus explained I now proceed to speake of the points that I propounded omitting other by-notes which though they bee profitable in their season yet are not pertinent to my purpose CAP. II. By earthly things a wise Christian may bee occasioned to seeke after heavenly blessings Cap. 2 OUr Lord from this womans speech concerning the happinesse of his mother for breeding such a childe taketh occasion to discourse of the true happinesse that accompanieth Gods service And hence I observe that it is a point of holy wisdome to take occasion for heavenly meditations by the mention or sight of earthly things My proofes for this are two the constant practice of our Saviour and the helpes that it yeeldeth us to a godly and an happy life I. The constant practice of our Saviour related and commended to us in Scriptures for there wee reade that when he saw Peter and Andrew busied in fishing he tooke occasion by the trade that then they did use to tell them of an heavenly trade of fishing for the souls of men He saw them casting a net into the Sea for they were fishers and he said unto them follow mee and I will make you fishers of men Mat. 4.18 19. Againe when some told him of his mother and his brethren desiring to speake with him he tooke occasion from the mention of his earthly kindred to instruct us in the spirituall kindred that is betweene him and every good Christian It was told him by certain which said Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee And hee answered and said unto them My mother and my brethren are these which heare the word of God and doe it Luke 8.20 21. And againe when the woman of Samaria came to draw water out of Iacobs Well out of this accident he fetcheth occasion to instruct her in the living water that would refresh her soule unto eternall life There commeth a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus saith unto her give me to drinke Then said the woman how is it that thou being a Iew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria Iesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drinke thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Of which water whosoever drinketh shal never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall bee in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Ioh. 4.7 9 14. And yet againe when the people followed after him that they might eate of his bread he taketh occasion from their desire of earthly meate to instruct them concerning the bread of life When the people came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus Iesus answered them and said verily verily I say vnto you Ye seeke mee not because you saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth to everlasting life Iohn 6.26 27. Thus our Saviour by a constant custome taketh occasion by the words that are spoken and occurrences that happen in the world to raise mens thoughts from earth to heaven and from things that concerne this life to teach them spirituall lessons for obtaining of eternal life By which practice of his hee lifteth up men to heaven while they remaine upon earth and breedeth in them heavenly mindednesse while they are occupied about their worldly businesse And this being his constant practice who is the wisdome of his father it proveth the truth of my conclusion that it is a point of holy wisdome to take occasion for heavenly meditations by the mention or sight of earthly things II. The same point is further proved by the helps that we may receive from it towards holinesse and an happy life In which kinde I may reckon these that follow 1. It will make every creature that we see and every occurrence that wee meet with in the world to serve us as Schoolemasters to lead us unto Christ and as a Monitor to remember us of some duty The meat on our tables will teach us the necessity of the meate that never perisheth and our hungring after that will admonish us how wee should desire the food of Gods word that we may grow and bee strengthned in grace by it The clothes we put on will remember us of putting on the Lord Iesus and of the glorious robes of righteousnesse with which Gods children are adorned The tender affection which we shew to our children will bring to remembrance the great love of our heavenly father towards his sons and daughters The duty and service that wee require of our servants will tell us what greater duty we owe to our Lord in heaven and their failings towards us will remember us of many defects of our owne in Gods service and of our rebellions against his commandments And the like may be said of all other the like occasions and occurrences so that not a crumme of bread nor a corne of salt nor a drop of drinke but as they serve to refresh nature so they may serve also to increase and confirme grace in us And all the creatures will have not onely a naturall use for this life but also a spirituall use towards eternall life and the happinesse of the world to come 2. This practice of gathering holy meditations from worldly occurrences will help to preserve us from abusing the creatures in a sinfull sort Hee that when he eateth his meate for refreshing of his body shall think withall Yea but how much more necessary and comfortable is the food of Gods word to the famished soule will not likely abuse the creatures to surfetting and excesse And hee that when he putteth on his best clothes shall think Yea but how much more glorious are the garments of righteousnesse and the fine linnen and silkes with
And first for rules Ludovicus Vives a man renowned as well for piety as learning among other learned workes of his hath published a Treatise which hee calleth Excitationes animi ad Deum that is The liftings up of the soule unto God In this book he prescribeth us rules of meditation and prayer upon every incidentall occasion for example when we awake out of sleep in a morning and finde our selves refreshed by our rest then hee biddeth us think how joyfull and blessed a thing it will be to bee raised up to eternall life after our sleeping in the grave and to pray withall that as God hath raised our bodies from their sleep that wee may do the works of this life so hee would raise up our soules from the sleep of sin that we may do the works of piety and a godly life And when wee are going on a journey then we should think that our life here is a pilgrimage on earth in which we are separated from our owne countrey and our dearest friends that is from heaven and the blessed soules that be there and then wee should pray that God will teach us to live here as pilgrims and strangers that are travelling toward a better countrey and that our conversation may be in heaven while our bodily mansion is on earth And when we see a candle lighted in the evening to be a comfort against the dismall darknesse of the night that then we should think how necessary the knowledge of Gods word is which is a light to our eyes and lanterne to our feete and pray withall that God would keep this candle still shining before us that wee may know how to serve him aright The like rules of good thoughts and prayers he prescribeth us when we put on our clothes when we go out of doores when we sit down to meate when we prepare to bedward and upon other the like occasions leaving us no part of the day nor no occasion of our life without some holy thoughts that may make us like to the Saints that be in heaven This book of Vives and the meditations and prayers contained in it that worthy Martyr M. Bradford hath translated or the greatest part of them into our English tongue and hath presented them to the view of the world in a book of his called Bradfords Meditations and prayers And after him M Henry Bull who hath gathered together many sweete flowers of such like devotion hath also for the benefit of his countrey-men printed these meditations and prayers among the rest There if ye please yee may reade them and I dare say if ye reade them with attention and care you will not think your labour either lost or ill bestowed Besides these books there is one also of late yeares penned by a reverend and learned Prelate of our Church called Occasionall Meditations In it you are directed how on ordinary and triviall occasions yee may raise up your thoughts to heaven-ward But that book I suppose is in the hands of most men and the known worth of the Author will sufficiently commend it to their reading I onely will say thus much that who so shall peruse these books and make use of them accordingly I doubt not but he will finde in them good helps to heaven and great comfort to his soule And so I leave the Rules 2. The examples that I make choise of for this purpose are two 1. Examp. The first of one Pambo an ancient and religious man Of him * Socrat. hist l. 4 c. 18. pag. 660. Rosw de vitis Patrum l. 3. num 164 pag. 524. v. etiam l. 1. c. 3. in vita S. Pelagiae pa. 377. de Nonno Episcopo Socrates reporteth that seeing a light woman finely tricked up and sumptuously adorned that shee might please and allure lovers unto her hee burst out into teares and being asked why he wept he gave these two reasons for it 1. because he saw in what miserable state that woman was in it grieved him that so goodly a creature of Gods making should be in so ready a way to hell and destruction and 2. because said he I do not take so much paines to please my good God as she doth to please sinfull men This example if we wil follow we may make use of it divers wayes for our good namely thus when we see a Porter sweating under his burden that he may earne a poore wages we may check our own dulnesse who are so soone weary of labouring for an eternall Kingdome that we grudge to spend a quarter of an houre in prayer or a whole houre in hearing of Gods word or a day in abstinence and fasting for our sins For what a shame is it that a labouring man should willingly take so much paines for a tester or a shilling when we think so little paines to be overmuch for obtaining of eternall life and the Kingdome of heaven And when we see a Shopkeeper abridge himself of his meate and of his sleep that hee may attend his customers and make gaine of his trading wee may justly blame our selves for our backwardnesse in Gods service and that we cannot abridge our selves in our eating and in our sleeping and in our sporting and in our clothing that wee may bee the fitter and more expedite for good duties and for the Kingdome of God And when we see a man that taketh physick fast aforehand and after the taking of it to content himselfe with a thin supping that the medicine may work the better wee may think every man with himselfe what a foole am I that on the Lords day when God prepareth and giveth me physick for my soule I do so fill my stomach with meate and my head with strong drink as maketh my selfe unfit for Gods service and my praying and hearing and reading unprofitable for my soule And when wee see men and women look thēselves in the glasse every day that they may carie with them no spots or deformity in their faces that may shame them when they goe abroad among men wee should accuse our shamelesse security in matters of our soules and that we doe not examine our consciences and look our soules in the glasse of Gods Law that there bee no deformity in our lives that may shame us before God and his Angels I might make many such applications of Pamboes practice to our selves and gather such collections to shame our selves for our indevotion and want of feeling but out of these there is direction enough for them that are willing to make use of it too much for them who shal despise it 2. Examp. The second example is of a Cook in a Colledge of religious men Of him Climacus a Greek father in the anciēt Church relateth that hee was very devout in serving God and often moved with compunction to mourne for his sins Which Climacus observing importuned him to know by what meanes he had attained to such a degree of sanctitie and holinesse and
us his mercies and blessings And that thus the blessed man doth enjoy God I take it to be plain when it is said in the Gospel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5.8 For to see God includeth two things to enjoy him and to live in his presence in his glory That it signifieth to enjoy him appeareth by the custome of Scripture phrase In which to see good is to enjoy it Psal 34.12 and to see good dayes is to enjoy good dayes 1 Pet. 3.10 and to see corruption is to partake of it Psal 16.10 and to see death is to suffer death Iohn 8.51 and Heb. 11.5 and not to see good or evill when it commeth is as much as not to partake of it Ier. 17.6 8. And if in the Scripture phrase to see good and to see evill and to see death and to see corruption bee to partake of them and when the speech is of that which is good to enjoy them then I doe but speak according to the phrase of Scripture if I say that to see God in that place of the Gospell is to enjoy him and so to see and enjoy him is the Blessed mans portion And therefore I say in the first place that Blessednesse doth consist in the fruition of God B. Secondly I say that this fruition belonging to the blessed man is the immediate fruition of God For understanding hereof wee must note that there is a two-fold enjoying of God the one mediate and the other immediate Mediately we are said to enjoy God when hee communicateth himselfe unto us by secondary meanes and by interposition of the creature between him and us as namely when he feedeth us by meate and drink lightneth us by the sun instructeth us by his word strengtheneth us in grace by the Sacrament When thus God communicateth his blessings unto us as he still doth in this life then we are said to enjoy him mediately Secondly we are said to enjoy God immediately when he communicateth himselfe unto us without any other thing between And thus wee are said to enjoy God immediately two wayes 1. In respect of presence and 2. In respect of influence In respect of presence our enjoying of God is said to be immediate when wee live with him in the place of his residence and where his honour dwelleth and that is in heaven above as Solomon saith to God Heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place 1 Kings 8.30 39 43 49. For while wee live here in this world wee are said to be absent from the Lord because we are out of the place of his dwelling 2 Cor. 5.6 But when once we have left this world and are gone to heaven then we are said to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 And then saith the Apostle Wee shall ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes 4.17 And from hence it is that the wicked are said to bee punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 and that of the godly it is said Thou wilt shew me the path of life for in thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and that where Christ is there shall his disciples be also Ioh. 14.2 3. and that they follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Apoc. 14.4 Which speeches doe prove that the Saints in heaven do enjoy God in another manner then they here did while they lived in the flesh namely that in heaven they enjoy him in his palace in the place of his proper dwelling without separation or distance of place which is found in all them which enjoy God most nearely in this world And this also as before I said is implyed in that saying of the Gospell Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God For this to be meant or intimated by the seeing of God in this place may clearly be gathered from other places of Scripture in which it is said that now we see in a glasse but then wee shall see face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 and in which we are said in this life to walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 He meaneth that here wee are led by an inevident and obscure kinde of knowledge for so the Learned define faith to be agreeably to that of the Apostle Faith is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 but in heaven we shall walk or live by sight having there the immediate and open view of Gods face in Glory In heaven then where all they that are the blessed of God shall bee there men enjoy God immediately in respect of presence Secondly they enjoy him immediately in respect of influence For there God communicateth himself unto them by immediate vertue received from himselfe without the use of any meanes This is signified by that in the Revelation where S. Iohn speaking of the Great City the holy Ierusalem he saith of it And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the sun neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Apoc. 21.22 23. Where 1. when he saith I saw no Temple in it he giveth us to understand that in heaven there will bee no use of the outward meanes of salvation For if there be no Temple then there are no priests nor no preaching nor no Sacraments nor no solemn assemblies for where there is need of these there there is use of a Temple also In this world where we are absent from the Lord these things are necessary and by them God communicates himselfe to his servants But in the life to come prophecying shall faile and the use of tongues shall cease and the meanes of knowledge and instruction shall vanish away as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 13.8 2. When hee saith that this City had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it he implyeth that the outward meanes of our naturall life should cease Here in this world the sun giveth us light by day and the moon by night and here meate and drink do nourish us and clothes keep us warm but in heaven there will be no neede nor no use of such things The children of this world marry and are given in mariage but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain the world to come and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in mariage neither die they any more Luke 20.34 By all which wee learn that all natural meanes now used for preservation of mans life shall then be at an end 3. When S. Iohn saith There shall be no Temple in it for the Lord God and the Lamb are the Temple of it and againe There is no neede of the sun c. for the glory of God doth shine in it and
one offence once committed doth condemne a man without leaving him any way or meanes of recovery but the Gospell on the contrary side accepteth of a mans repentance and upon his repentance giveth him a pardon This rule of the Gospell is delivered by our Saviour when he saith I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matt. 9.13 And by the Apostle when speaking of the new Covenant made in Christ hee saith in the person of God who is the Author of this Covenant This is the Covenant that I will make with them I will put my Law into their minde c. Heb. 8.10 And then going on to reckon up the priviledges of this new Covenant ver 12. he addeth I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more And to the same purpose the Prophet Ezekiell for it is a sentence of the Gospell though it be written in the olde Testament as many other are If saith he the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right all the transgressions that hee hath committed they shall not bee mentioned unto him or shall not be named against him Ezek. 18.21 And vers 30. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your ruine By all this it appeareth that in the Covenant of grace confirmed by CHRIST our Redeemer there is place left for repentance even after knowen and reigning sinnes committed and upon this repentance joyned with forsaking of sin free pardon is promised to the offender The summe of all is that the Gospell though it require obedience to Gods commandements as the Law also doth yet it qualifieth the exactnesse and rigour of the Law partly because it doth not cast men off for sinnes of infirmitie and partly because it accepteth of repentance for voluntarie and reigning sinnes And let this be said for answere to the second question 3. Quest The third is whence and how is it that men are able to do thus much that is so to keepe the Law as in the favourable construction may bee accepted Ephes 2.1 3. For the Apostle saith that by nature wee are the children of wrath and if of wrath how is our service accepted And againe as the same Apostle saith Wee are dead in sins and trespasses and can the man that is dead in sin doe the workes of spirituall life or such as hee doth who is alive to God Ans In Scriptures we find two principles of obedience or of serving of God aright the one is nature and the other is grace By Nature I meane all the endowments of the reasonable soule which wee have as men by naturall generation from Adam And by Grace those heavenly qualities and endowments which wee receive by spirituall regeneration from CHRIST Both these are mentioned in Scriptures as principles of obedience to Gods word but the former as a false principle by which men may imagin themselves enabled for Gods service and for the performance of his will but indeede are not The later of these that is Grace is the true principle of obedience that wheresoever it is planted doth enable the soule to keepe Gods commandements according to the Evangelicall and favourable construction of the Gospell This is proved in both the parts thereof by that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.15 Where speaking of the abilities of nature hee saith The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned In which passage of the Apostle wee may note 1. the truth delivered by the Apostle The naturall man doth not neither can hee receive the things of Gods spirit He meaneth that though a man should teach and instruct him in the mysteries of salvation yet hee is uncapeable of instruction hee doth not acknowledge their truth neither can he conceive the mystery cōtained in them And if he cannot know and acknowledge them much lesse can hee do and performe what they require at his hands 2. we may note the reason or the proofe hereof and that is because the mysteries of heaven are foolishnesse to the naturall man and the reason againe thereof is because they are spiritually discerned By this it appeareth that the onely principle which enableth a man for the right judging and discerning of heavenly things is the grace of Gods Spirit which the naturall man wanteth And hence it followeth that as a man cannot live without a soule nor see without an eye nor heare without an eare because these are the grounds principles from which life and sight and hearing do flow so no man can know and serve God aright without Gods Spirit enlightening and enabling him by his grace because this is the principle from which all both spiritual actions and abilities do spring The like to this wee have againe in the same Apostle 2 Cor. 3.5 Wee are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Here the Apostle first removeth the false principle Wee are not sufficient of our selves No not to think a good thought much lesse to do the good workes that are commanded in GODS Law 2. Hee laieth downe the true principle of all our abilitie in Gods service Our sufficiencie is of God And hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe I can do all things through CHRIST that strengtheneth mee Philippians 4.13 And 1 Corinthians 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace was not in mee in vaine but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God that was with mee Where 1. when hee saith His grace was not in me in vaine but I laboured c. he sheweth what he could and did do that is hee served God with great zele in the ministery of the Gospell And 2. when he saith Yet not I but the grace of God c. he sheweth what the ground of this labouring facultie in him was and that both negatively by removing the false ground Yet not I that is not I as I or not I of or by my selfe and affirmatively by setting downe the true ground Not I but the grace of God The conclusion of all is By nature and of our selves we can not do Gods will or keepe his word so as may be accepted of him because by nature we are dead in sinne by nature we are children of wrath but by the grace of God in JESUS CHRIST enabling us thereto we can and do keepe the word of God according to the rule of the Gospell and so as it is accepted of God to eternall life From hence wee may see the great priviledges that a Christian man and woman hath by being in CHRIST more then the rest of the world have for example to give the
By vertue of Gods promise I grant it to be due For God hath promised heaven to good works as hath beene shewed already and promise is due debt as wee use to speake and all men do acknowledge Even a mans word tieth him to performance Gods word must needes tie him much more From hence it is that the Apostle speaking of the crown of glorie laied up in heaven for theÌ„ that serve God aright stileth God by the name of a righteous or just judge in bestowing of that reward 2 Tim. 4.8 And in an other place God saith hee is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 Where 1. when hee saith that God doth not forget their good works hee meaneth that he leaveth them not unrewarded And 2. when he saith that God is not unjust to forget them he implieth that God should bee unjust if he did not reward their labour in his service But he speaketh more directly to the same purpose 2 Thes 1.6 7. It is a just thing with God saith he to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with us Where wee may note that it is a point of justice in God as well to reward the patient suffering of Martyrs and Confessors as the wrong oppressures of persecutors and evill doers Be it granted then that a reward is due to well-doing by vertue of Gods promise who for our encouragement hath tied himselfe by this bond But yet notwithstanding there is no merit or worth in our best works by which wee may laie claime to such a reward This is cleare by the words of a S. Paul who speaking of Martyrdome and patience in persecution for CHRISTS sake which is one of the most glorious works to which CHRIST hath promised his reward yet even of this hee saith I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory that shall be reveiled Ro. 8.18 And 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction saith hee worketh for us a more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Where by elevating our service in suffering for CHRIST and amplifying the reward that is given unto us for it he plainely sheweth that there is no equality or proportion betweene the work and the reward Our Saviour also when we have done all things that are commanded us And yet who is there that doth so but upon supposition that we have done all yet he teacheth us to say unto God Wee are unprofitable servants wee doe that which is our duty to doe Luk. 17.10 Hee meaneth that because it is no more then our duty doth binde us to therefore we cannot plead merit or desert God oweth us no thanks for it no more then a master oweth thanks to his servant when he hath done what he is bound by his place to do I conclude then that the reward of blessednesse promised to well-doing is due by Gods promise and not for the worth of any works And now out of all these things laied together the conclusion followeth which I propounded in the beginning that the keeping of Gods word is availeable to happinesse as a service to which eternall life is promised for a reward And hence we have these deductions for our further use 1. Seeing holinesse is a necessary condition required unto blessednesse this may be for an Admonition to all evill doers who live in any sin against conscience They may hence take notice how fearfull their state is for the present and how needfull it will be for them to begin a better life For I suppose there is no man living so desperatly madd but desireth that he may be happy nor is there any man among Christians but knoweth that happinesse is no where to be had but with God in heaven and now it appeareth by the declaration of this point that no evill doers shall ever enter into that place Take a view if ye please of all the ungodly men in the world and ye will not finde that ever any one of them hath been heretofore or shall hereafter bee received in at heaven gates In heaven I confesse there are a great multitude which no man can number of all nations and kinreds and peoples and languages but among all these there is not one drunkard nor one adulterer nor one slanderer nor one oppressor nor one deceiver nor one lier nor any one evill doer Again in heaven there is no defect or want of roome In my Fathers house said our Lord there are many mansions Ioh. 14.2 There is a mansion for the Prophets they are in the Kingdome of God Luk. 13.28 And there is a mansion for the Apostles They shall eate and drink with CHRIST in his Kingdome and sitt on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luk. 22.30 And there is a mansion for the Martyrs they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Apo. 14.4 There is a mansion for the penitent thiefe this day saith our Saviour shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Luk. 23.43 And in a word there is a mansion for every righteous man they shall shine forth as the sun in the Kingdome of their father Matt. 13.43 And in these mansions are lodged all nations and countries in the world They shall come from the East and from the West from the North and from the South and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Luk. 13.29 But now on the contrary side search the book of God throughout from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation and see whether ye can find any mansion any roome any hole reserved for drunkards or harlots or whoremasters or deceivers or slanderers or any other such wicked and ungodly mâ—n Oh then think upon this all ye that forget God turne unto him betime wash yee make you cleane put away the evill of your doings cease to do evill learne to do well that your sins may be made as white as snow and your soules deare in Gods sight and your selves my abecome citizens of the holy City which is above with God 2. Seeing Gods rewards in heaven are squared and proportioned according to our services good works this may be for the comfort and encouragement of all well minded people They may bee comforted in that good which they have done already as Ezekiah coÌ„forted himselfe with the remembrance of his upright life When he was in his greatest sorow and sicknesse he cheared himselfe by saying unto God Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Is 38.3 And so Nehemiah Remember me O my God saith he concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof Nehem. 13.14 And so may every good Christian pray and expect a blessing from God for the
no better use of a preacher then a man would do of a minstrell that is to delight themselves with his voice but not to follow his direction 2. Ex. The second example that fitteth this purpose is that in Ezekiell chap. 14. set downe at large in many verses together but summarily comprised in the 7 and 8. verses The words are Every one which separateth himselfe from me and setteth up his idol in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquitie before his face and cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning mee I the Lord will answere him by my selfe And I will set my face against that man and will make him a signe a proverb c. In this passage there are two things considerable 1. A case propounded concerning the people And 2 the answer that God maketh unto it The case is this It is supposed that a man doth not only repaire to the Prophets Sermons in publick but besides goeth to him in privat and asketh his direction in points of religion and Gods service and yet this man setteth up an idol in his heart and a stumbling block before his face that is he hath some one thing or other that he maketh his idol loving and adoring it looking towards it as the desire of his eyes more then he loveth or adoreth the true God whose word he cometh to enquire after This is the case Now the answer that God giveth hereunto is I will answere him by my selfe I will set my face against him c. Applie wee this to our times it is thus much in effect They that pretend to be more zelous religious then other men be these do not only come to heare our sermons in publik but they desire also to have our counsell in privat and propound cases of conscience desiring our direction therein And it is a commendable course and a ready way to gaine knowledge and understanding by But if such a man thus zelous in his way do notwithstanding set up an idol in his heart that is if he have a purpose or do live in any knowen sinne against his conscience God will meete with that man in his anger and cut him off with the wicked that never enquired after God 3. Ex. A third example may be that spoken of by our Saviour Luk. 13.26 They shall say unto me saith our Lord we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence ye are depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie And as it is Matt. 7.22 Many will say to me in that day of the great judgment Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out divels and in thy name have done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from mee ye that work iniquity Here I consider two things 1 What these great pretenders to religion did alledge for themselves and that was that they had heard CHRIST himselfe preaching unto them in his own person yea that themselves did preach in his name and which is yet more in his name had cast out divels And hereupon they thought that they had a speciall interest in Christ and his Kingdome 2. I consider what our LORD answered to these allegations hee denieth not but that it was true that they had heard CHRIST preaching among them and that they had taught and done miracles in his name all this he grants to be true But he denieth that for any or all of these they had any right in him or in his Kingdome I never knew you depart from me And why why even because ye are workers of iniquity The application hereof is obvious and easy If men be workers of iniquity that is if they live in any knowen sinne which they will not presently forsake no hearing of Gods word though CHRIST himselfe were the preacher nor no preaching of Gods word though themselves were honored with that holy calling no nor no casting out of divels as some even in our daies have pretended to do neither any nor all of these things can gaine them a title to heaven or a right to blessednesse eternall life Let every good Christian then take heede that himselfe be not caried away with errour of the wicked who think highly of themselves for their hearing of Sermons and reading of Scriptures and reasoning of religion These are good if they be well used that is if they be made to serve as meanes of pietie and a godly life if they make us more just more sober and more peaceable and more charitable and more conscionable in all our wayes and dealings then they are the blessings of God and prepare men by holinesse to a blessed life But if they bee separated from sanctitie and a godly life then the curse attendeth them Depart from mee ye workers of iniquity and Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his Angels from which God will deliver all them that feare and serve him Vse 2. Seeing Hearing is of no further use then as it fitteth us for doing hence we have a good rule to judge of the goodnesse of a Sermon by For if hearing be no more worth then as it furthereth us to doing then preaching is of as litle worth if it bee not fitted for the same end The reason is because preaching and hearing are both of them ordained for the same end nor would there be any use of preaching if there were no neede of hearing No man ever preached to an infant because he wanteth wit to learn what is taught nor will any man ever preach to the glorified soules that bee in heaven because they have no neede of teaching Preaching onely is for this purpose that men who haue neede of instruction may learne and make use of what is taught And therefore if that hearing bee vaine which doth not further a godly life then that preaching is no better then babling which is not fit to beget godlinesse and vertue And this note yeeldeth us two practicall rules one for the Preacher and an other for the Hearers 1. Rule The rule for the Preacher is this that in framing and composing of his Sermon he should aime at the peoples profiting in an holy life all his thoughts and words should be such as may worke men to the obedience of Gods Law For confirmation hereof wee have Gods owne example Isa 48.17 I am the LORD thy God saith hee which teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest goe I note two things 1. When hee saith I am the Lord which teacheth thee hee professeth himselfe to bee a preacher whose office is to teach men the way of eternall life And 2. when he saith I am the Lord which teacheth to profit the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Montanus rendereth it
remember the things of the world 2. I say It is true that all mens memories are not alike good For some mens memories are ill disposed by nature others are weakned by sicknesse or olde age others are deaded through intemperance and ill diet And if any man be disabled by these or any other accident so that indeed hee cannot remember what he doth heare I must needs say that man wanteth a great help to godlinesse which others do enjoy But yet notwithstanding if he do his endevour both for the helping of his memorie and for recalling to minde that which hee hath heard hee may comfort himself in this that our God whom wee serve is gratious and will not require more of his servants then hee hath made them able to performe But as the Apostle said of liberalitie and almsdeeds If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that which hee hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 So it is true of all duties and good performances if there be a willing minde so that we performe what we are able to do God accepteth of our endevours though they be weak and poore in the performance And therefore he or she who complaineth of a weak memorie should first take care that the defect be not in his own negligence or disorderly carriage as namely because hee did not attend when hee did heare or because hee doth not rubb up his memorie and call it to account after he hath heard or because hee did or doth entertaine idle thoughts of by-businesses when hee should minde the instructions that were given him And if the defect be not in himselfe hee may comfort himselfe in GODS mercie which is nor denied to them who endevour to serve God in sinceritie and truth 3. I say It may be that a tender conscience may in this case think worse of himself then there is cause For perhaps he remembreth not the words but hee can remember the matter and speak of it in a ruder phrase of his owne or perhaps he cannot remember any orderly processe concerning the matter but yet he can tell that such a sin was condemned and such a duty enjoyned by which he is perswaded to serve GOD better or perhaps againe when he beginneth to think nothing will come to his minde yet if one should question him concerning this or that point handled in the Sermon or if himselfe should have occasion to practice it in his course of life he could then call to minde that he had heard it and can tell now how to make use of it And if there be but thus much it is not to be accounted as nothing Tender consciences who disquiet themselves with feares for their disabilitie of memorie may consider of a storie related in the life 's of the old Fathers (a) QuidaÌ„ frater dixit ad Senem Ecce Abba frequenter interrogo seniores Patres ut dicaÌ„t mihi comonitionem pro saâ—ite animae meae quicquid dixerunt mihi nihil retineâ— EraÌ„t auteÌ„ Seni duo vasa vacua dixit ei Senex Vade alfer unuÌ„ ex illis vasis mâ—tte aquaÌ„ lava illud effuÌ„de pone nitidum in locum suum The storie is this One of the fraternitie came to the old Father and Father said he I do often desire of the ancient fathers some instruction for the good of my soule and whatsoever they tell me I forget all The olde man had two emptie vessels and bade him bring the one and powre water into it and wash it cleane and then powre out the water and set it up clean in its place Which when the young man had done accordingly hee demanded (b) Quale est ex utrisque mundius Respondit frater Ubi aquam misi lavi Tunc Senex dixit ei Sic est anima fili quae frequenter audit verba Dei quamvis nihil retineat ex his quae interrogat tamen plus mundatur quam illa quae non requirit Rosw de vitis Patrum lib. 3. num 178. pag. 526. Which now of the two vessels is the more cleane The yong man answered that into which I powred water and washed it And then the old father replied So my son is the soule which oftentimes heareth Gods word though it remember not what it hath heard yet it is more cleansed from sin then that soule that never came to heare at all And so if any man or woman among us have a weak memorie and cannot give so good an account of a Sermon as others can do they must doe their endevour to amend their imperfections and if still they come short and faile of their desire yet they may comfort themselves with this thought that all is not quite lost but somwhat sticketh in the minde which though it appear not at the present yet may do them good for afterward as the vessel into which the water was powred was cleaner moister then that which stood drie without any water powred into it at all The conclusion of this point is Let men do their hearty endevour and not frame excuses of weaknesse when it is their owne idlenesse and want of affection to the work and then I dare say that no mans or womans memorie is so bad but though they cannot make any orderly repetition of their hearing yet somewhat is laied up in them which when occasion is offered will shew it self and may direct them by a holy life to eternall glory And thus much for the second benefit which is the helping of memory or remembrance 3. A third is Our recalling to minde after Sermon what we heard in the Sermon-time will bee a meanes to better our judgment and will enable us to fee what passages are useful and profitable for a godly life For if wee think that every passage in a Sermon doth alike profit us as it doth please us wee greatly deceive our selves For in common experience we see that fine and well shaped clothes put upon a mis-shapen body do make him seeme more handsome to a vulgar eie then the comeliest man that is clothed in rags And so elegancie of phrase and cadencie of sentences and lively expressions of the minde especially being graced with comliness of gesture also which things are the ornaments and the attire of a Sermon do usually more cary away the eares and hearts of the vulgar then sound rules and solid reasons possibly can do But now if a man would know which of the two is the more personable and better proportioned man hee must strip them both out of their clothes and then hee shall see them such as indeed they be And so if our Hearers would know what is solid and substantiall in our Sermons they must turne them out of their attire of utterance and eloquence and then they may see what profitable notes they containe that may further a godly life If there be