mercy and compassion yea he onely forgiueth because he onely is offended I euen I saith he am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Yea though they were as redde as scarlet and as a menstruous cloth as the starres of the skie and as the sande of the sea-shore which is innumerable Euen originall sinne which Originall sin is the roote of all mischief within togither with al the branches thereof the lusts of the heart the euill motions of the minde the consent of reason the déed performed He forgiueth all our negligence in not kéeping his commandemeÌ„ts and our transgression and rebellion against them he hath deliuered vs from the guilt and from the punishment and hath fréely inriched vs with life eternall by the merites and intercessions of Christ Iesus our mediatour who is our redemption and sanctification and satisfaction that we might bee deliuered from condemnation for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenesse of sinnes that are passed This is that righteousnesse of God through the faith of Iesus euen the remission of sins wherunto all the prophets witnesse The Apostle speaketh by way of proclamation Be it knowne vnto you therefore men and bretheren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenes of sins and from all things from which ye cannot be iustified by the lawe of Moses by him euery one that beléeueth is iustified By way of consolation and comfort for they are glad tidings Litle children I write vnto you because your sinnes are forginen you for his name sake By way of doctrine And ye knowe that he was made manifest that he might take away our sinnes In whome we haue redemption through his blood that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Neuerthelesse though we be fréed from the punishment yet are we subiect Affliction and correction to the correction which it pleaseth god to lay vpon vs either for the triall of our faith and patience or to bring vs to humilitie or for some other occasion which he in his wisdome best knoweth The second branch of the righteousnesse of God by faith 2. Imputation of Christ his righteousnes is the Imputation of Christ his righteousnes wherby we are iustified stand as righteous before the iudgement seat of God not being cloathed with our merits but being inriched with his mercy In coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of which righteousnes we are to cite to summoÌ„ our selues before the tribunall seat of Gods iudgement where we shal vnderstand what is that righteousnes which is required at out our haÌ„ds eueÌ„ a most perfect and absolute obedience of the lawe which reqireth VVhat is the true righteousnesse Man is altogither sinne the heart and a most heauenly purenesse And séeing that man is full of corruption and wickednesse and from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing in him but wounds and swellings and sores and that the head is sicke and the whole heart is heauy contrariwise Christ being man and taking our sinfull flesh vpon him yet being without sinne is in most glorious sort apparelled with righteousnesse yea euen the hemme of his vesture lacketh not vertue being so gloriously arraied in a vesture of broydered gold and néedle worke as the Prophet speaketh from Christ haue we all our clearnesse and puritie all our attire wherein we shine as Angels of light by whom all righteousnesse is deriued vnto vs which the prophet in the person of Iehoshua liuely Zacharâ—ah 3. 3. expresseth Now Iehoshua was clothed with filthy garmeÌ„ts and stood before the Angel and he spake vnto those yâ— stood by him saying Take away the filthie garments from him And vnto him he said Beholde I haue caused thine iniquitie to depart from thee I will cloath thee with change of raiment And I said let them set a faire diademe vppon his head so they set a faire diademe vppon his head and cloathed him with garments and the Angel of the Lord stood by What may be the filthie garments Euen the vncleannesse of our wickednes the impurity of our thoughts our abhominable and daily weltring in our sinnes and vntill they are taken away howe ougly and contemptible are we in the sight of God Which place of the Prophet though some interpret it of Christ in that he was cloathed in our flesh and bare our sinnes yet in respect of vs it may haue this sence and meaning For what are wée else before it please god to take mercy vpon vs He it is that cleanseth vs from our sinnes for his name sake he it is that sawe vs when when we were polluted in our bloode and then he said we should liue euen when we were polluted in our blood he said Thou shalt liue Behold I haue caused thine iniquitie to depart away from thée and I will cloath thée with change of raiment For hee What the rich garment is wherewith the polluted sinner is aâ—â—aied was made sinne for vs that knewe no sinne that wée should be made the righteousnesse of God in him Yea where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raigne by righteousnesse to eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lorde Which righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ is imputed vnto all and vpon all that beléeue By this imputation we are cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ through whome we behold the face of God to be vnto vs most chéerefull by whome we haue an enteraunce vnto the father by whose puritie and holinesse all our spottes are couered Without which imputation all our workes are vnrighteous for by the righteousnesse of faith are all our workes made perfect and being ingraffed into Christ and made partakeres of his righteousnesse our The effect of this righteousnesse workes are accounted before God as iust and righteous in whome all our imperfections are blotted out and those workes which are done of faith are accepted through the imputation of Christ his righteousnes For as in vs there is nothing but sinne so in Christ is all our sufficiency vpon whom as vpon the sacrifice was cast that curse of man that his condemnation might be our absolution and our happinesse his righteousnesse according to that of the prophet Dauid who knew it by his owne experience to be most true that the man is blessed vnto whome God imputeth righteousnesse without workes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not sin that the lord might only be iust and a iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus Who tooke vpon him our person was accused for vs and iudged as a sinner not for his owne but for the faults and transgressions of other being himselfe pure and
looking for of iudgement Vppon this gift of faith and perseuerance the godly doubt not to call vpon God in all afflictions Rom. 8 38. 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor any creature shall be able to seperate mée from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 2. Cor. 1. 21. 22. It is God which stablisheth vs with you in Christ and hath annointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Iom 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. He that wauereth is like a waue of the sea tost of the winde and carried away Neither let that man thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. A wauering minded man is vnstable in all his waies Hebr. 4. 16. Let vs therefore go boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and find grace to help in time of néed Hehr. 10. 21. 22. Séeing we haue a high Priest which is ouer the house of God let vs drawe neare with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinckeled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bedies with pure water 1. Iohn 4. 17. Herein is the loue perfect in vs that we should haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement by reason of this perseuerance wherewith he hath inabled vs. Yet the godly may swarue and fall as did Moses Aaron Dauid Peter but at length by Gods grace they returne againe 1. Iohn 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not finally For his séed remaineth in him neither can he sin because he is borne of God Through the power of his word and the operation of his holy spirit 2. Pet. 1. 10. Wherfore brethren giue diligence to make your calling and election sure For if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall No man is made righreous but hee that is made holie and framed to good workes Ephe. 2. 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Ephe. 1. 4. He hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy without blame before him in loue The way whereby God by his mercy doth prepare his elect to his kingdome is by the mediation of our sauiour Christ while they stedfastly beleeue not onely that he is their perfect sacrifice but their aduocate and intercessor to God for them Heb. 9. 13. 14. 15. 16. For if the blood of Bulls Goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinckling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifieng of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God And for this cause is he the mediatour of the newe Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance 1. Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator betwéene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus As concerning infants which die assoone as they are borne who are elected and chosen vnto life by Gods secret purpose the way is more speedie For they are presently in the hands of God Because he accepteth the children of the faithfull Gene. 17. 7. Moreouer I will establish my couenant betwene me and thée and thy seede after thée in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be god vnto thée and to thy seede after thée Exo. 20. 6. Shewing mercy vnto thousands to them that loue me and kéepe my commandements 1. Cor. 7. 14. For the vnbeléeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeléeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but nowe are they holy Chap. 5. After what sort almightie God doth execute and effectually declare his counsaile touching Reprobation BY these things whereof we haue spoken it may easily The old Adam is the foundation of the reprobation which mans iudgement can attaine vnto appeare howe God maketh them to goe to their owne place whom he created to that end that he might be glorified in their iust condemnation For as Christ the second heauenly Adam is the foundation very substance and effect of the elects saluation so also the first earthly Adam because he fell is the first author of the hate and so consequently of the damnation of the reproued For whē god moued with these causes which he onely knoweth had determined to create thē to this end to shewe foorth in them his iust wrath power he did likewise orderly dispose the causes and meanes whereby it might come to passe that the whole cause of their damnation might be of themselues as hath bin declared before in the third chapter Whē man then The iudgement of God towards infants that are reprobate was fallen willingly into that misrable estate whereof we haue spoken in the chapter before God who hateth iustly the Reprobate because they are corrupt in part of thē he doth execute his iust wrath assoone as they are borne and towards the rest that be of age whō he reserueth to a more sharpe iudgement he obserueth two waies cleane contrary one to the other For as concerning some he sheweth How Reprobaton is first manifested No calling to the Cospell them not so much fauour as once to heare of Iesus Christ in whome onely is saluation but suffereth them to walke in their owne waies and runne headlong to their perdition And as for the testimonies that God hath left to thē of his diuinitie serue them to no other vse but to make thē without all excuse yet through their owne default séeing their ignoraunce and lacke of capacitie is the iust punishment of the corruption wherein they are borne And surely as touching that they can attaine vnto in knowing God by their light or rather naturall darkenesse albeit they neuer failed in the way but so continued yet were it not in any wise sufficient for their saluation For it is necessary for vs that shall be saued that we know God not onely as God but as our father in Christ The which misterie flesh and bloud doth not reueale but the sonne himselfe to them whome his father hath giuen him As An vnprofitable calling or of none effect concerning others their fall is more terrible For he causeth them to heare by preaching the outward worde of the gospell but because they are not of the number of the elect being called they are not And forasmuch as they are not able to receiue the spirit of truth therefore they cannot beléeue because it is not giuen vnto them Wherefore when they are called to the feast thy refuse to come so that the worde of life is folly vnto them and an offence finally the sauour of death to their destruction There
from the secrete and malicious conspiracies treasons and trecheries of vnnaturall subiects and from the sauage cruelties of forraine foes doo giue sufficient cause not only to vs but euen to the enemie also to say That there is no God that can deliuer after this sorte but onely the Almightie that hath established her All these benefites O Lorde wée confesse doo procéede from thy goodnesse and from thy mercy toward vs. To thée belongeth praise and honour and power but to vs shame and confusion Yet grant vnto vs good Lord that we may both receiue these thy benifits thankfully and that we may performe our duties accordingly Increase her daies continue her gouernment defend her from her enemies keepe her in thy feare and after this life grant her all happinesse euen to rule and raigne with thée for euer among the blessed soules Grant also to vs that we may haue the benifit of thy truth and Gospell long among vs and that thy blessings of peace and prosperitie may be séene in this land So shall we be bound more and more to praise and magnifie thy name for thy great and infinit goodnesse towards vs For her Maiesrie and for vs thy seruants and her faithful subiects thus we conclude our praiers O Lord blesse and kéep vs O Lord make thy face to shine vpon vs and be mercifull vnto vs O Lord lift thou vp thy countenance vpon vs and giue vs thy peace All which benifits and blessings we begge of thée O heauenly Father for Iesus Christ his sake in that forme of prater which he himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father c. A secret Meditation to God before the deliuery of the word LEt the words of my mouth O Lord and the meditation of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight Set thou a watch before my mouth and so kéepe the doore of my lippes that speaking before this congregation assembled here in thy holy name I may specially intreat of those things which tend to thy glory the good of thy Church the discharge of my dutie the comfort of the afflicted conscience the euerthrow of sinne and the aduauncement of vertue through Iesus Christ our Lord. So be it I. D. A publque forme of Praier O Most mightie God most gracious and mercifull father we stand before thy maiestie defiled with the filthinesse of many and most gréeuous sinnes whereof we confesse we are not able to answere thée one of a thousand if thou O Lord shouldst enter into iudgement with vs. For in sinne were we conceaued and borne and therefore are guiltie of originall corruption and in sinne haue we liued and continued and therefore stand guiltie of actuall transgression which hath broken foorth vppon vs in thought word and déede from time to time continually euen vnto this present Wherefore we humbly craue thy mercy and the grace of forgiuenesse in Iesus Christ for therein we confesse standeth the only hope of our comfort and welfare And forasmuch as it hath pleased thée to giue thine owne sonne to be a flaine sacrifice for our sinnes and to offer the grace of reconciliation by the preaching of the Gospell to all them that repent and beléeue the same good Lord we beséech thée vouchsafe to make vs of that blessed number worke true repentance in our hearts increase our faith and giue vs grare to bring foorth the frutes thereof that so it may appeare that we haue not receiued thy holy grace in vaine And for this purpose good Lord we beséech thee blesse the Ministery of thy word at this present gius me grace to speak it as it ought to be spoken sincerely and boldly giue grace to this people to he are it attentiuely and reuerently giue grace to vs all to beléeue it stedfastly to follow it obediently and constantly to continue euen to the end That seruing thée faithfully in this life we may liue and raigne with thée for euer in the life to come through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Praier which M. Deering vsed before his Lectures O Lord God which hast left vnto vs thy holy word to be a lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our steppes giue vnto vs all thy holy spirite that out of the same word we may learne what is thy eternall will and frame our liues in all obedience to the same to thy honour and glorie and increase of our faith through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen An excellent speech of M. Deering a little before his death whereby thou maist clearly see and learne that there is a sweete peace in death to all such as painfully serue the Lord in life For he being raised vp in bedde and his friend requesting him to speake the Sunne shone on his face and thereby tooke occasion thus to say THere is but one Sunne that giueth light to the world there is but one righteousnesse there is but one communion of Saints If I were the excellentest creature in the world If I were as righteous as Abraham Isaac and Saâ—ob for they were excellent men in the world yet we must all confesse that we are great sinners and that there â—â—â—o saluation but in the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ And we haue all néed of the grace of God And for my part as concerning death I féele such ioy of spirit that if I should haue the sentence of life on the one side and the sentence of death on the other side I had rather choose a thousand times séeing God hath appointed the seperation the sentence of death then the sentence of life Soli Deo laus gloria gratia IN euery Sermon for the most part these points are to be vsed The declaration of the order of the text by opening the circumstances The diuision The doctrine The confutation The vse and application Exhortation or reprehension or both The Conclusion wherin the chéefest matters must be remembred and briefly collected that the auditorie may the better kéepe and carry away those things which are necessary and for their vse All which although I haue not vsed I haue left the matter to the discretion of them that shall haue knowledge better to handle their matters then I haue handled mine Let thy text be applied to thy auditorie and haue care to vtter those thinges that are most waightie to be touched and of thy auditorie to be remembred Be circumspect wise and discréete Endeuour to be briefe and pithie There is an other Methode as profitable which Maister Vdall vseth in his Commentary vpon the Lamentations of Ieremy Consisting on these thrée points the Doctrine Reason Vse Some only learne for knowledge sake but that is curiositie And some for praise great paines do take but that is foolish vanitie Some learne for gaine but lightly those do leaue the text and vse the gloze But learning ioynd with vertues lore doth leade to Christianitie The glory of God and people taught the way is to eternitie To the Right Worshipfull and one
tribulation reioycing in persecution reioycing in torments reioycing in death because they haue bin so well learned in gods schoole in gods booke that the loue of God is throughly shed abroad in their harts by the inward secret and most heauenly working of his holy spirit Triumphing against the world and the cruelties thereof being fully perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing else shall be able to seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus We learne that we are the children and beloued of god and that we are heires euen the heires of god and fellow heires with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him For the afflictions that may fall out vnto vs are not worthie of the glorie that shall be shewed vnto vs and that we shall receiue in the kingdome of heauen If it were not so saith the Apostle we were of all men the most miserable if our hope were ended in this life and if that persecution had not a ioyfull recompence He that striueth not shall neuer be crowned and he that doth not take vp Christ his crosse euen to the death shall neuer come where he is To them that thus endure trouble and are thus hated reuiled and slaine of the world they know and are assured by gods word that there is a crowne reserued for them which the Lord shall giue them at that day dreadfull to others but ioyfull to them When it shall be said vnto them Come ye blessed enioy the kingdome prepared of my father for you from the beginning of the world Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue etrnall life And thus they do performe it It followeth in those words which I haue reade vnto They testifie of Christ you touching the effectuall reason that should moue vs to the reading of the scriptures And they are they which testifie of me In them ye thinke to haue euerlasting life because they direct vs vnto the knowledge of Christ wherein consisteth life According as he saith of himselfe I am the way the truth and the life To him saith the Apostle Act. 10. 43. giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beléeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes This is life euerlasting saith the Euangelist S. Iohn 17. 3. that they know thée to be the onely very god and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ And thus the word of god doth testifie of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 3. 16. That God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne for the redemption of the world that whosoeur beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting They are they which testifie that I am the onely life to true repentant sinners to giue them ease and comfort that are swallowed vp and ouerwhelmed with heauie sorrowes and as it were vtterly cast away through griefe and distresse of minde for their sinnes According as the Apostle saith Christ came into the world to saue sinners Come vnto me saith Christ all ye that be heauily loaden with the burthen of your sinnes and I will ease you and I will refresh you For I came not to saue the righteous but to call the sinners to repentance They are they which testifie of his holie and vndefiled conception being conceiued by the holie Ghost and borne of a virgine and so being without all blot of sin to the intent that we might be freed from our vncleannes which we draw from our parents being born in sinne and conceiued in iniquitie being defiled by originall sinne and naturall corruption which testifie of his life and conuersation that it was altogither vnrebukable blamelesse and that in euery point he fulfilled the law of God y◠his righteousnes perfect obediēce might be imputed vnto vs which are otherwise vnder the curse of the law that our sinne and disobedience might be couered and that we might not be called to account for the same which testifie that hée was condemned before an earthly iudge to acquite vs from the dreadfuil sentence of the heauenly iudge which testifie that in bodie soule he suffered gréeuous torments that the wrath of god might not take hold of vs which testifie of the wonderful worke of his resurrectiō of his triumphing ouer death sin hell and the diuel to make vs ioyful conquerers which testifie of his glorious ascention into heauen to giue vs assurance of y◠heauenly possession which he hath purchased for vs which testifie y◠he shal be y◠iudge of quick dead to giue vs euerlasting comfort which haue put our whole trust in him when all other vnbeléeuers wicked vngodly people shal stand in his presence with great horror séeing his comming shall bee to be reuenged of their vnbeliefe and contempt Finally in an other consideration we may say that they They bring vs to the knowledge of God our selues are they that testifie of him For first and principally they teach vs the knowledge of God Secondarily and consequently the knowledge of our selues The knowledge of the Almightie power of God in the creation of all things of his infinit wisdom in disposing them in their due order of his great goodnes in doing al these things for the vse and benefit of mankinde Indéed the creation of the world and all the creatures therein do bring vs to the knowledge of God and this is onely the scripture of the heathen people but yet this doth not shew vnto vs sufficiently how God is our God and our father in Iesus Christ which knowledge we do only attain by reading the word of God And this is the scripture of the Christians Through which knowledge of God in respect of Christ we learn that God hath entred into a couenant with all faithful people that he would be their God and that they should be his people And that therfore they ought to performe vnto god his due scruice which especially consisteth in these thrée points First to worship the true God and to detest all idolatry and false gods to make our praiers to God alone and religiously and deuoutly to serue him Secondly that the worship of God doth cōsist in spirituall matters as faith hope charitie obedience righteousnes holines innocency patiēce truth and all godlines Thirdly to improue accuse and condemne all wickednesse and sinne infidelitie desperation disobedience impatience lying hipocrisie hatred slaunder iniurie and wrongfull dealing vncleannesse lust gluttony and all other vngodlinesse and iniquitie Furthermore that God doth in mercy and fauour reward the good and according to his iustice punish the offendors and that therefore he hath prepared ioyes and torments after this life For our soules are such that they neuer die and our bodies shall rise again to be ioyned to our soules at the latter day In respect of which knowledge of God the scriptures do perswade vs so to liue in this world that
heauen which shall be immutable and without chaunge and without swaruing For then shal we do nothing but that which good is and that with a constant minde alwaies to perseuere and to continue in laâ—ding and praising God and dooing his will as now the Angels of heauen doo And this may suffice concerning Freewill both that we may know what power of Fréewil was giuen to man in his first creation and also what is to be thought and how we ought to be perswaded of it When by mans Fréewill he came to his downefall then he proued Gods word to be true Thou shalt die the death whereas before he was in the state of life and immortalitie For he was created immortall with this condition if he had continued in Gods obedience but being wilfull and carelesse he came to his death and was in the way to hell when he thought to climbe vp into heauen When he was immortall he knew not what it meant but when through his follie hee perceiued his dayes to bee shortened he wondred at the one and gréeued to remember the other The estate of immortalitie wherein our first parentes were created was nothing else but a continuance and endurance of life and a freedome from death And although it be now vsuall and common and nothing more common then for euerie one of vs to die yet at the first it was not so If our first parents had obeied they had neuer suffered death but when they gaue themselues to sin and to deceitfull vanities then they knew themselues to be mortall and then death came vpon them As we read Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death but euerlasting life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lorde And in the first Chapter of the same Epistle verse 12. As by one man meaning Adam the first man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned so that the cause and only cause of death is sinne And because the best sort of men and women are sinfull though not in that degrée and in that measure as the wicked and vngodly are yet because euen they also haue procured the wrath of God through their sinne they must néedes vndertake the punishment of sinne which is death But there is a great difference to bee considered off For death to the godly is life and happie are they that are deliuered out of this miserable and wretched world For they knowe that while they are here they are absent from God that is from the enioying of his presence And againe they know that if their earthly house their bodies of dust and claie be destroyed they shall haue a building giuen of GOD that is an house not made with handes but eternall in the heauens For therefore they sigh desiring to be cloathed with their house which is from heauen that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of life and their earthly mansion chaunged for an euerlasting habitation In the godly there is a great desire of death what moueth them hereunto Euen this that they may enioy immortalitie and be made partakers of that part of the image of God which by the meanes of sinne they were depriued off and put from But as for the vngodly it is nothing so with them For they tremble and shake at the remembrance of death as we reade of Naball who when his wife tolde him heauie newes which was toward him his hart died within him The sea men when they are tossed vp and down with the waues of the sea and néer to be cast away their ship drowned their soule melteth within them so the wicked their hart dieth within them al the parts of their body quake their soules within ar sore vexed miserably tormented with yâ— present forethought as it were feeling of yâ— euerlasting death and those endlesse torments which they shall endure And this moueth them in a wonderful secret sort to that feare they are in that they know by death they shal be taken from all their ioy and that they shall passe from this short life which they haue here in this world to death and from this light death which is no more but a seperation of the soule from the bodie to a second death which is euerlasting death And from death to these torments which are the worme of a continuall guiltie conscience the wrath of God increasing their punishment from time to time the restlesse crueltie of the diuell and hellish spirits to punish them where there shal be nothing else but wringing of hands weeping and gnashing of teeth Felix the gouernour shooke and trembled when he heard Paule disputing of righteousnesse and temperaunce and of other waightie matters as of death the resurrection and of the iudgement to come and willed him to depart out of his presence Much like to king Belshazzar who when he sawe a hand writing vpon the wall wherby was declared the end of his kingdome and the ende of his life his countenance chaunged his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his loines were looced and his knees smote one against the other The feare of death is in them as it was in king Saul 1. Sam. 28. 20 who when he was tolde howe neare his death did approach he was sore affraied his soule fainted within him and he fell along on the earth neither was there any strength in him he refused meate and would not be comforted because through the sorrow of his death he had a taste of the death and torments which were to come The cause why we lost this benefit of immortalitie is sin and disobedience which brought vs to our death and to our last home The difference of death betwixt the godly and the wicked is this the one sort is greatly desirous to die the other are greatly affraied of death That man was created vnto immortalitie we may perceiue in that one part of man neuer dieth which is his soule Furthermore the bodie also shall receiue immortalitie at the day of resurrection when the generall iudgement shall be and when all flesh by the sound of a Trumpet shal be summoned togither from the foure quarters of the earth Then the bodies of all that haue bene departed from the beginning of the world togither with them that shall die vnto the end of the world being raised vp shal be ioyned vnto their soules and both shal be immortall and shall liue for euer either to receiue ioyes and euerlasting blisse or torments which shal neuer haue end The one sort to liue with God and his Angels the other sort with the diuel and the fiends of hell Which immortalitie of the bodie is confirmed by that of the Apostle writing to the Corinthians 1. Cor 15. 52. 53. In a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last trumpet shall the dead be raised vp incorruptible and we shall bee chaunged For this corruptible must
sathan vnder their féete For this From whence is victory in this fight victory is in Christ and therefore S. Paul with a gladsome voice breaketh out I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Who indéed is sufficient wel able to endue vs with that strength that we may valiantly ouercome the assaults Armour of proofe and firy darts of satan For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holds principalities and powers euen the prince of darkenesse of this world and al spiritual wickednes which is in high places as it were on the higher ground and hath maruellous vantage ouer vs. Wherefore we ought to be more héedfull We ought to watch and be diligent and diligent alwaies and watchfull that the enemy take vs not at vnawares séeing not only our enemies without vs are very strong but also our owne flesh is ready to betraie vs and to take armour against vs. And who knoweth not how hard a thing it is to behaue himselfe wisely and warily in a ciuill warre Wherein although wee knowe not which part shall haue the vpper hand yet to fight with an expert and renowned Captaine it séemeth vnto vs that the victorie is written in our handes yea and our hearts are fully perswaded and reioyce in hope thereof In this fight we cannot want a wise and expert Captaine whiche hath borne the brunts of this warre and ouercome the daunger by a greater force from aboue then euer was séene to be in man Whose The best coūsel in this fight is continually to resist sinne and to meditate and practise mortification counsell is that by all meanes continually wee resist sinne giuing vs to knowe and vnderstande that hée that obeyeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne vnto death But wée are neither seruants nor debters vnto the flesh to liue after the flesh for if wée liue after the fleshe wee shall die for euer but if wée mortifie and kill the déedes of the bodie by the spirite wee shall liue If wee desire to beare about vs the dying of our Lord Iesus Christ the life of Iesus shal be made manifest in our bodies euen in our mortal flesh We are baptised in Christ euen into his death that as he was raised vp from the dead to the glory of thy father so we should walke in newnesse of life that our olde man being crucified the bodie of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sin in that we are dead thereunto Therefore because our life is hid with Christ in God let vs set our affections on those things which are aboue and let vs mortifie our members which are on the earth fornication vncleannesse inordinat affections euill concupiscence couetousnesse which is idolatry As the victory ouer sin consisteth in the mortification of our sinfull flesh So the way to happinesse is viuification and holinesse of life togither with all those workes of the flesh which the Apostle nameth Galat. 5. 19. 22. or elsewhere yea and all those which are contrary to the wholsom doctrine of Christ knowing that the wrath of God commeth vppon the children of disobedience and that the end of sinne is death and that the frute of holinesse and the end therof is euerlasting life for the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Thinke ye therefore that ye are dead to sinne but are aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lorde whome God hath raised vp and sent to blesse vs in turning euery one of vs from our iniquities that we might walke in the spirit and in all godlinesse of life whereby we may auoyd the lusts of the flesh and walke worthie of that vocation whereunto we are called being followers of God as deare children approuing that which is pleasing vnto the Lord By all meanes auoiding the fellowship of the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse and that as children of light we may fulfill the workes and bring forth the frutes of light and of the spirit in all godlinesse righteousnesse and truth hauing peace in our conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost to godward through Christ giuing thankes alwaies with spirituall songs singing and making melodie to the Lord in our hearts Now seeing we By this sanctification we are inabled to performe our dutie to are in Christ let vs be as new creatures for olde things are passed away behold all things are become new For whereas before we were haters of God and maliciously set against him now through his mercy who hath written his lawes in our harts and giuen vs a hart of flesh through the grace which we haue in Christ we are readie and willing to loue God to feare him and to kéepe his commaundements God whereby he dwelleth in vs and we in him ready to acknowledge him to be the giuer of all good thinges readie to giue him thankes for all his benefites readie in all necessities and agréeuances to pray vnto him and to séeke helpe at his hands to put our trust only in him Yea the image of God in a measure is renued and restored in vs that we might walke in newnesse of life because he is holy And as our life and conuersation is renewed to the glory of God so is it also profitable to the furtherance of our neighbour whome in all charitable order we are as Our neighbour willing to helpe as our selues being mercifull humble long suffering forbearing one an other forgiuing one an other as Christ forgaue vs. Prouiding for the necessities of one an other as Christ is plenteous toward vs in all good things hartily louing one an other laying aside all filthinesse not only for the loue of God and hatred of sinne but also for feare of offence least our brethren by our example should be drawne to euill Dealing in all simplicitie in that the old man is put off with his workes putting away all hatefull and cursed speaking for that the gospell and doctrine of Christianitie is in all kindnesse and brotherly loue which is euen the full accomplishment of the law submitting our selues one to another in the feare of the Lord. Having the peace of God ruling in our hearts the word of Yea we are instructed how to behaue our selues in all wisedome God plenteously dwelling in vs in all wisedome procuring all things honestly in the sight of God men hauing peace as much as in vs lieth with all men vsing this worlde as though we vsed it not neither being too much axalted in prosperitie nor cast downe in aduersitie but as the children of God we commit our waies vnto him yéeld our selues to the direction of his holy spirit in all obedience depend vpon his prouidence trust in his promises waite patiently for the day of reuelation the comming of Christ endure and perseuere vnto the end Yea we are mortified in the body because of sinne hauing our
through him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things prâ—sent nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The sâ—â—â—ne of all is this that the righteousnesse of man by reason of idolatry and wickednes procéeding from his corrupt nature is abhominable in the sight of god and that by no excuse or deuise he may acquit himselfe before the iudgement seate of God but hée is subiect both Iewe and Gentile to the condemnation which the iustice of God doth require Therefore lieth it not in mans power by the lawe of the workes thereof to attaine vnto righteousnesse because in his hart hée hateth the lawe he being carnall and the lawe spirituall As hée desireth to hide his sinne so by the lawe is the knowledge of sinne and as he séemeth to himselfe to be iust before he examine his life by the lawe not but that by the lawe hée is condemned but he putteth his condemnation farre from him and thinketh not of it so is the lawe the cause of transgression of sinne and of death Yea the regenerate man is stained with sin therefore neither can he be iustified by the lawe So that the righteousnesse of man is that which is from God by faithe in Christ vnto all that beleeue Of which righteousnesse there are thrée braunches Remission of sinnes which is not frée from correction though there be deliueraunce from eternal punishment and damnation The second braunch is the Conclusion Imputation of Christ his righteousnes whereby the filthy garments of our sinnes are taken from vs and we arraied in a vesture and garment of broydered gold I meane hauing not only our sinnes forgiuen vs but the righteousnes and holines of God also imputed vnto vs. The third branch is sanctification and holines of life by the which we are made fit to fulfill the lawe Yea séeing that while we are cloathed with this body of flesh sinne remaineth and that the flesh fighteth against the spirit we are to meditate and practise the mortification of our sinfull flesh Hauing this aduantage that we are vnder grace and that also by Christ we obtaine victory And not only to practise mortification but to bring forth the frutes of the spirite and of the inner man euen the loue which we do owe vnto God and that charitable duty which we are bound to extend to our neighbour And at all times we offer vp our selues as an acceptable sacrifice vnto God séeking the glory of his name as well by our death as by our life knowing this that in afflictions whatsoeuer if so be it we endure with patience we shall not be destitute of comfort and consolation Yea such that may swallow vp the bitternesse of all torments beside that rich reward that is reserued for them in the life to come who with all confidence and boldnesse willingly and readily confesse Christ before men standing to the triall of their faith and the assurednesse of their vndoubted hope euen to the sheading of their blood Now the God of all comfort and consolation euen the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus Christ the great shepheard of the shéepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make vs perfect in all good workes to doo his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise dominion and power both now and for euer Amen Deo soli laus gloria Of Predestination A briefe declaration of Predestination set forth by that learned man and principall member in Christs Church M. Theodore Beza A waightie and most necessary matter for euery true Christian to know containing the very ground and principall scope of religion which the more we read the more we may both for the sweetnesse and singular profit that it yeeldeth to them whose harts it pleaseth God to open and whose mindes are lightned by Gods good spirit He that hath eares to heare let him heare Mat. 13. 9. They which pertaine to the kingdome of God to them it is giuen to know this and all other secrets and misteries belonging to saluation and euerlasting life As for the rest and them which are without all things are spoken in parables there is a vaile before them that they seeing should not see and hearing should not heare and hauing hearts to perceiue should not vnderstand Mat. 13. 11. Act. 28. 25. 26. 27. The first Chapter The question of Gods eternall Predestination is not curious or vnprofitable but of great importance and very necessary in the Church of God SAint Augustine in his booke of Perseuerance De bono perseuerantiae Obiection chap. 14. saith that they which were against him as aduersaries in this question did alledge that this doctrine of Predestination did hinder the preaching of Gods word and caused that it could not profit As if saith he Answere this doctrine had hindred the Apostle Saint Paul to do his dutie who so oftentimes doth commend vnto vs and teach Predestination and yet neuer ceaseth to preach the word of God Also saith moreouer As he that hath receiued the gift can better exhort and preach so he that hath receiued this gift doth hear the preacher more obediently and with greater reuerence c. We do therefore exhort and preach but they only which haue eares to heare do heare vs quietly and to their comfort and in those that haue them not this sentence is fulfilled That hearing with their eares they do not heare for they heare with outward sence but not with the inward consent Now why some men haue these eares and others not it is because it is giuen to some to come and to others not Who knew Gods counsell must that be denied which is plaine and euident because that cannot be knowne which is hid and secret Againe in the 15. Chapter I pray you saith he if some vnder the shadow of Predestination giue themselues to slothful negligence and as they are bent to flatter their flesh to follow their owne lusts must we therefore iudge that this which is written of the foreknowledge of God is false Now surely this is verie handsome and to the purpose that we shall not speake that which by the scripture is lawfull to speake Oh we feare say you least he should be offended which is not able to vnderstand and take it And shall we not feare say I lest while we do hold our tongues he that is able to take the truth be taken and snared with falshood and error Also in the twentie chapter of the same booke he writeth in this sort If the Apostles and Doctors of the Church which came after them did the one and the other both teaching the eternall election of God purely and truly and
God heard vs whose hart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things that Paul spake Our election is made sure vnto vs by the testimony of the spirit 1. Cor. 2. 12. Now we haue receiued not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Ihon. 3. 24. Hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. 1. Ihon. 5. 20. We knowe that the Sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a mind to know him And by the testimony of our conscience Ro. 8. 15. 16. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Pal. 4. 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your harts which crieth Abba Father Ko 8. 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God By the vertue of Gods spirit the elect are deliuered from the slauerie of sinne and it doth perswade and conduct them to will and worke the things which please God Phil. 2. 12. 13. Wherefore my beloued as ye haue alwaies obeied not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence so make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling For it is God which worketh in you both the will and the déed euen of his good pleasure Ihon. 8. 36. If the sonne therfore shall make you frée by his spirit ye shall be frée indéed Rom. 6. 18. Being then made frée from sin ye are made the seruants of righteousnesse But because this faith is but weake and only begun in in this life that we may not only perseuere in it but also profit by it it is sealed in our hearts by the vse of the Sacraments Mar. 16. 16. He that shall beléeue and be baptised shall be saued but he that will not beléeue shall be damned Act. 2. 38. Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptised euerie one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Rom. 6. 3. 4. Know ye not that all we which haue bene baptised into Iesus Christ haue bin baptized into his death We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life Gal. 3. 26. 27. Ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus For all ye that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ verse 29. And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams séed and heires by promise Gal. 2. 11. 12. In whom also ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinful bodie of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ In that ye are buried with him through baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp togither through the faith of the operation of God which raised him from the dead Ephe. 5. 26. 27. 28. Christ so loued the church that he gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word that he might make vnto himself a glorious church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it shuld be holy without blame The note thereupon Baptisme is a token that God hath consecrated the church to himselfe and made it holy by his word that is his promise of frée righteousnesse and holinesse in Christ 1. Pet. 3. 21. Noahs flood To the which also the figure that now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 10. 16. 17. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ For we that are many are one bread and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread Rom. 4. 11. After he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had For this occasion it is mentioned that we being iustified by faith haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whō also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of GOD. Neither do we so only but also we reioyce in tribulations Where faith is there is also perseuerance and a stedfast purpose to continue Phil. 1. 6. And I am perswaded of this same thing that he that hath begun this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Nomb. 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repent Hath hée said and shall he not do it And hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Psal 23. 6. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. Psal 27. 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lorde all the daies of my life to beholde the beautie of the Lord and to visit his Temple Mat. 24. 24. And except those daies should bee shortened there should no flesh be saued but for the elects sake those daies shall be shortned Lest they should fall away as it is said of Enoch that he was taken away lest he shuld be deceiued by wickednesse and sinne Iohn 6. 37. All that the father giueth men shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away Iohn 17. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou kéepe them from euil Iohn 10. 27. 28 My shéepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand Iohn 13. 1. As he loued his owne which were in the world vnto the end he loued them Hebr. 10. 23. 24. c. Let vs kéep the profession of our hope without wauering For he is faithfull that promised And let vs cōsider one an other to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Not sorsaking the fellowship that we haue among our selues as the manner of some is but let vs exhort one an other and that so much the more because ye sée that the day draweth neare For if we sinne willingly there remaineth a fearefull
againe to themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him For the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth hearbes méete for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God But that which beareth thornes and briars is reprooued and is néere vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Yea for a time they seeme to haue receiued the seede and to be planted in the Church of God Mat. 13. 20. He that receiueth séede in the stony ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it yet hath no roote in himselfe and dureth but a season And also shewe the way of saluation to others Acts. 1 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Ye men and brethren this scripture must néeds haue bene fulfilled which the holy Ghost by the mouth of Dauid spake of Iudas who was guide to them that tooke Iesus For he was numbred with vs and had obtained fellowship in the ministration He therefore hath purchased a field with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he had throwne downe himselfe headlong he brast asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne vnto all the inhabitants of Ierusalem insomuch that that field is called in their owne language Aceldama that is the field of blood For it is written in the booke of Psalmes Let his habitation be voyd and let no man dwell therein Also Let an other take his charge But this is plaine that the spirit of adoption which wee haue said to bee only proper vnto them which are neuer cast forth but are written in the secret of gods purpose is neuer communicate vnto them Ezech. 13. 9. And mine hand shall be vppon the Prophets that sée vanitie and diuine lies they shall not be in the assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel neither shall they enter into the land of Israel Iohn 6. 37. All that the father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away For if they were of the Elect they should remaine still with the Elect. 1. Iohn 2. 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs For if they had bene of vs they would haue continued with vs. But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. 1. Cor. 15. 58. Therfore my beloued brethren be ye stedfast vnmooueable aboundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Iude. 20. 21. Ye beloued edifie your selues in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost And kéepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life 2. Pet. 3. 17. 18. Beloued Beware lest ye be also plucked away with the error of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to him be glory both now and for euermore Amen All these therefore because of necessitie and yet willingly as they which are vnder the slauery of sinne returne to their vomit and fall away from faith are plucked vp by the rootes to be cast into the fire Iohn 8. 34. Verily verily I say vnto you he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne And the scruant abideth not in the house for euer Ephe. 4. 17. 1. Pet. 4. 3. 4. 5. Ro. 1. 28. As aboue looke in the margent for this marke ff Ro. 7. 14. For we know that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne Ro. 8. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. They that are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirit is life and peace Because the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indéed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please god Because the workes of the flesh beare such swaie with them 2. Pet. 2. 19. Of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome euen vnto the same is he in bondage For if they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ are yet intangled againe therein and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had bene better for them not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowen it to turne froÌ„ the holie commandement giuen vnto them But it is come vnto them according to the true prouerbe The dog is returned to his owne vomit and the sowe that was washed to the wallowing in the mire And fall away from faith 1. Tim. 4. 1. Nowe the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue héede vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels Are plucked vp by the rootes Mt. 15. 13. Christ answered and said Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Iohn 15. 2. Euery branch that beareth not fruite in me he taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite Mat. 3. 10. And now also is the axe put to the roote of the trée therefore euery trée which bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Iohn 15. 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a braunch and withereth and men gather them cast them into the fire and they burne I meane â—hey are forsaken of God who according to his will the which no man can resist and also according to their owne corruption and wickednesse their hearts are hardned their eares stopped and their eyes blinded Rom. 1. 24. Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts and vnto vncleannesse Acts. 14. 16. Who in times past suffred all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies Whose will no man can resist Rom. 9. 19. For who hath resisted his will Sée more in the notes of the first chapter Hardeneth them through their corruption and wickednesse Rom. 1. 27. 28. And likewise also the men left the naturall vse of the woman and burned in their lusts one toward an other and man and man wrought filthinesse and receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was méete For as they regarded not to know God euen so God deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate mind to do those things which are not conuenient Maketh their hearts fat stoppeth their eares and blindeth their eyes Esay 54. 7. There is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himself to take hold of thée for thou hast hid thy face from vs. And chapter 6. 9. And the Lord said Go and say vnto this people Ye
he had fully and perfectly instified and sanctified them in his sonne And most mercifull forasmuch as he fréely appointed with himselfe to elect them and according as he had purposed chose them fréely in his sonne by calling iustifying and glorifying them by meanes of that same faith which he had giuen them through the same grace and mercie On the other God is perfectly iust ther side touching the reprobate their corruption and infidelitie with such frutes as come thereof and testimonie of their owne conscience shall so reprooue and accuse them that although they resist and kicke against the pricke yet the most perfect iustice of God shall be manisest and shine by all mens confession in their iust condemnation The chiefe notes with proofes As God is iust so it is necessarie that he should saue the iust and condemne the vniust Nowe amongst men none are iust but by faith being by faith ioyned to Christ grafted rooted in him and made on body with him and thereby also iustified sanctified by him and in him Whereof it followeth that the glory to the which they are destinate to the glory of God appertaineth to them as by a certaine right or title Ge. 18. 25. Be it farre from thée from doing this thing to flay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be euen as the wicked be it farre from thée shall not the iudge of all the world do right Ro. 11. 19. 20. Thou wilt say then The braunches are broken off that I might be graft in Well threugh vnbeliefe they are broken off and thou standest and are graft in by faith be not high minded but feare Colloss 2. 6. 7. 8. 9. As ye haue therefore receiued Christ Iesus the Lord so walke with him rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith as ye haue bene taught abounding therein with thanksgiuing Beware lest there be any man that spoile you through Philosophie and vaine deceit through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ Made one bodie 1. Cor. 10. 16. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ For we that are many are one bread and one bodie because we are all partakers of one bread Iohn 17. 21. I pray for them that they all may be one as thou O father art in me and I in thée euen that they also may be one in vs and the world may beléeue that thou hast sent me And thereby sanctified and iustified in him and by him Rom. 8. 30. Moreouer whom he predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he gloried 1. Cor. 1. 30. But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenesse of sinnes that are passed through the patience of God To she we at this time his righteousnesse that he might be iust and a iustifier of him which is of the faith of Iesus And also glorified Rom. 9. 23. And that he might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory Ro. 8. 30. And whom he iustified them he also glorified Iohn 17. 22. 23. 24. 25. And the glorie that thou gauest me I haue giuē them that they may be one as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loued them as thou hast loued me Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may be hold my glorie which thou hast giuen me On the other part they which remaine in Adams pollution and death are iustly hated of God and so condemned by him not excepting so much as them which die before they sinne as did Adam Ro. 5. 14. But death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam Ephe. 2. 3. We were by nature the children of wrath as well as others The elect in that same moment that they haue receiued the gift of faith haue after a cerraine sort passed from death to life Ihon. 5. 24. Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my word beléeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life Whereof they hane a sure pledge the Spirit of God that dwelleth within them and certifieth their hearts 1. Cor. 1. 22. It is God which stablisheth vs in Christ who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts And chap. 5. 4. 5. For indéed we that are in this tabernacle of this earthly body sigh and are burthened because we would not be vncloathed but would be cloathed vpon that immortalitie might be swallowed vp of life And he that hath created vs for this thing is God who also hath giuen vnto vs the earnest of the spirit Ephe. 1. 12. 13. 14. That we which trusted in Christ should be vnto the praise of his glory In whom also ye haue trusted after that ye heard the word of truth euen the Gospell of your saluation Wherein also after ye beléeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glory But this their life is hid in Christ 1. Cor. 1. 7. 8. Ye are not destitute of any gift waiting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Who shall also confirme you vnto the end that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 2. By whom also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God and chapter 8. 23. 24. 25. 26. And not only the creature but we also which haue the first frutes of the spirit euen we do sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodie For we are saued by hope but hope that is séene is not hope For how can a man hope for that which he seeth But if we hope for that we sée not we do with patience abide for it Colloss 3. 3. 4. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ which is our life shal appear then shall ye also appeare with him in glory Vntill this corporall death make them to step a degree further and that the soule being loosed out of the bands of the bodie enter into the ioy of the Lord. Ephe. 2. 6.
God for if righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Rom. 10. 4. For Christ is the end of the lawe for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beléeueth And chapter 11. 5. 6. Euen so then at this present time is there a remnant through the election of grace And if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Ephe. 2. 4. 5. 8. 9. 10. But God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs togither in Christ by whose grace ye are saued For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of god Not of woorkes least any man should boast himselfe But that we should be carefull to shewe foorth good workes therefore hée speaketh in the next verse Verse 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them 1. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was 1. Pet. 2. 12. And haue your conuersation honest among the gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifle god in the day of the visitation Perseuerance in faith is requisite vnto saluation Mat. 10. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name But hee that endureth to to the ende shall be saued Mat. 24. 45. Blessed is that seruant whom his maister shall finde so doing Now we need not feare lest this doctrine make vs negligent or dissolute For this peace of conscience whereof we speake ought to be distinct and seperate from foolish securitie and he that is the sonne of God seeing he is moued and gouerned by the spirit of God wil neuer through the consideration of Gods benefit take occasion of negligence and dissolution Rom. 5. 1. 2. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace toward god through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherin we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of god Rom. 8. 12. 13. 14. 15. Therfore brethren we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the déeds of the body by the spirit ye shall liue For as many as are ledde by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Ephe. 1 4. Aâ— he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue 2. Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not giuen to vs the spirit of feare but of power and of loue and of a sound mind 1. Iohn 3. 20. 21. 24. If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Beloued if our heart condemne vs not then haue wée boldnesse towards God For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby wée know that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which hée hath giuen vs. This matter of Predestination is obscure aboue all others vnto the wit of man but opened and reuealed vnto vs by the word of God The Scripture therfore witnesseth that they that are predestinate vnto saluation are first called and that so effectually that they heare and beleeue and fructifie then also are they iustified and sanctified and in the life to come glorified Iohn 6. 44 45. No man can come vnto me except the father which hath sent me drawe him by the force of gods word and by the secret working of his spirit And I will raise him vp at the last day As it is written in the Prophets And they shall be taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me Acts. 2. 47. And the Lord added to the Church by the Apostles preaching from day to day such as should be saued Iohn 10. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. â—ée beléeue not for ye are not of my shéepe as I said vnto you My shéepe heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall ueuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand My father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand Acts. 13. 48. And when the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained vnto eternall life beléeued And chap. 16. 14. And a certaine woman named Lidia a celler of purple of the city of the Thyatirians which worshipped God heard vs whose heart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things that Paul spake Hebr. 3. 7. 8. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye shall heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation according to the day of temptation in the wildernesse And. chapt 42. For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Consider by litle and litle and try diligenly if thou be iustified and sanctified in Christ through faith For these two be the effects or ftuites whereby the faith is knowne which is their cause 2. Cor. 13. 5. Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues except ye be reprobates Rom. 8. 30. Moreouer whom he predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified As for this thou shalt partly knowe by the spirit of Adopion which crieth within thee Abba father Gal. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. That hée might redéeme them which were vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes And because ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts which crieth Abba father Wherefore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne Nowe if thou be a sonne thou art also the heire of GOD through Christ Rom. 8. 15. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father And partly by the vertue and effect of the same spirit which is wrought in thee Rom. 16. 17. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of god and heires annexed with Christ 1. Iohn 3. 24. For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he
11. 12. According to the eternall purpose which he wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord. By whom we haue boldnesse and entraunce with confidence by faith in him 1. Thes 5. 24. Faithfull is he which calleth you which will also do it Hebr. 10. 23. Let vs kéepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithfull that promised Rom. 8. 38. 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And therefore I cannot nor I may not doubt of my saluation So farre then it is against reason to say that this doctrine maketh men negligent or dissolute that contrariwise this alone dooth open vs the way to search out and vnderstand by the power of the holy Ghost Gods deepe secrets 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. The things which eye hath not séene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirit For the spirit searcheth all things yea the déepe things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him Euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we haue receiued not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God It maketh vs painfull in good workes Ephe. 2. 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them 1. Iohn 3. 24. For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him and thereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit that he hath giuen vs. Gal. 5. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that we cannot do the same things that we would Knowing this infirmitie to be in vs it stirreth vs to good workes And chap. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Be not deceined God is not mocked For whatsoeuer a man soweth that also shall he reape For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption And he that soweth to the spirit shal of the spirit reape life euerlasting Rom. 6. 1. What shall we say then Shall we continue stil in sin that grace may abound God forbid Hebr. 10. 24. And let vsconsider one an other to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Iam. 3. 17. The wisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peâ—â—eable gentle easie to bee intreated full of mercy and good workes without iudging and without hipocrisie It maketh vs inuincible against all temptations and vexations For how shall he stand sure and constant against so many grieuous temptations both within and without against so many assaults of fortune as the world doth terme it that is not well resolued in this point of Gods predestination toward him and of his election in Christ Iob. 13. 15. Loe though hée slaie me yet will I trust in him Rom. 8. 28. Also we know that all things worke togither for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose Verse 31. What shall we then say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs Verse 35. 37. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword In all which things we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. Iohn 16. 33. Maruell not though the world hate you In the world ye shall haue affliction but in me ye shall haue peace Be of good comfort I haue chosen you out of the world and none shall take you out of my hands Rom. 15. 3. Through Christ we reioyce in tribulations that we may say with the Apostle We are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but we perish not Ia. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuerse temptations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience haue her perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire lacking nothing Of the which number of the elect he is that findeth himselfe in this daunger and trouble Rom. 8. 16. 17. 18. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him For I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs. Luke 23. 43. Iesus said to the théefe on the crosse Verily I say vnto thée To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice This part is to be considered and weighed and that with great modestie principally in these two considerations First that the height of Gods iudgements may at all times bridle our curious fancies Secondly that we doo not apply it to any man particularly or any certaine company For the first let it be sufficient that we vnderstand generally that there be vessels prepared by Gods iudgement and appointed to destruction The which séeing God doth not reueale vnto vs who they are we ought both in example of life and praier diligently to endeuour to winne and recouer to their saluation yea euen very such of whom by séeing their horible vices we almost dispaire Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may sée your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 1. Pet. 2. 12. Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euil of you as of euill dooers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifie God in the day of the visitation And chap. 3. 15. 16. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be readie alwaies to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you And that with méekenesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that when they speake euill of you as of euill dooers they may be ashamed which blame your good conuersation in Christ 1. Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. For though I be frée from all men yet haue I made my selfe seruant vnto all men that I might winne the moe And vnto the Iewes I become as a Iewe that I may winne the Iewes to them that are vnder the lawe as though I were vnder the lawe that I may win them that are vnder the lawe to them that are without the lawe as though I were without the lawe when I am not without the
perceiue the gréeuousnesse of our sinnes and haue a desire to leaue and forsake them before we hunger and thirst for this grace This is euen the light of the world which did shine abroad and yet the world knewe it not Christ came vnto his owne his owne receiued him not Oh howe secret are God his iudgmeÌ„ts that his grace is hid from some and appeareth vnto other And yet howe is this grace hid But froÌ„ them that make more account of their pleasures and fulfilling of their lusts who make more account of their wealth and riches as it is set downe in the parable of the séede cast in the earth then they do of this grace yea of this rich grace who cleaue vnto the world and loue the world more then God In whose mindes and hearts the God of this world that is to say the diuil doth raigne by his temptations As the Apostle witnesseth writing to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 4. 4. If our gospell and if this grace of God be hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not shine vnto them And as the world knew him not and his owne people to whom he was sent receiued him not so as many as did receiue him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beléeue in his name and so are partakers of his grace Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Which grace although it hath bine a mistery hid since the world beganne and from all ages yet nowe is made manifest to his saincts to his beloued and those that do receiue him To whom God would make knowne what is the riches of this glorious mistery among the gentiles which riches is Christ the hope of glory in euery one of vs that are saued Whom we preach saith the Apostle admonishing euery one and teaching euery man in all wisdom that wée may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus and that euery one may be capable of this grace For God that commaunded the light to shine out of darkenesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ hath sent vs foorth to preach that this his grace may euery where appeare Which doth appeare and shewe it selfe to all but so that the repentant sinners the faithfull beléeuers those onely that are made righteous in Christ do receiue the same Who as by this grace they are receiued into the fauour of God their sinnes being forgiuen them so are they not in any sort to take a libertie vnto themselues to sinne againe The lawe entred hereupon that the offence should abound and be made notorious neuerthelesse where sinne abounded their grace abounded much more That as sin had raigned vnto death so might grace also raigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then Shall we continue still in sinne yâ— grace may abound God forbid How shal we yâ— are dead to sinne liue yet therein After the Apostle had shewed that by grace the mercy of god wée were saued fréely beloued fréely iustified and made righteous he sheweth also howe we are sanctified that is by practisiing all good workes so continning in this grace As we reade Tit. 3. 8. This is a true saying these things I wil thou shouldest affirm teach that they which haue beléeued in god might be carefull to shew foorth gods workes The good spirit of god and his grace it teacheth vs how we should be sanctified that is by denieng all vngodlinesse worldly lusts also by liuing soverly righteously godly in this present world They who beléeue are also iustified made righteous and they who are iustified yâ— is made righteous are also sanctified made holy This worke therefore of sanctification procéeding from the grace of god is liuely expressed in this text which I haue read vnto you And so much for the generall proposition The grace of God hath appeared vnto 〈◊〉 Vnto this generall proposition may be added thrée other principall parts of this text As first what is the effct of this Diuisicâ— grace that is sanctification wherein this sanctification coÌ„sisteth which is mortification viuification or yâ— I may vse more plaine euident termes in vtterly foresaking the lusts of our flesh our owne will desires imbracing all the is good leading a life agréeable to God his will Which part is set downe in these words teacheth vs to deny vngodlinesse worldly lusts and yâ— we should liue soberly and righteously godly in this present world The second part is a perswasion reason mouing vs to this sanctification that is the glorious inheritance of the kingdome of god set downe by the circumstance of Christ his comming At which time the godly shall be receiued in to the kingdome of god in these words looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty god of our sauiour Iesus Christ The third part setteth downe the cause of this sanctification and yâ— is Christ who hath redéemed and purged vs to his purpose yâ— we might performe all good workes in these wordes Who gaue himselfe for vs yâ— he might redéeme vs from all iniquitie purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes The grace of god hath appeared vnto all and teacheth vs. In the life of man there are two teachers There is the wicked spirit of the diuil being accompanied The eâ—fect of this grace with our be â—raâ—eng flesh the naughty examples wicked 〈◊〉 of the world this teacher moueth vs to all 〈◊〉 worldly luâ—ts which fight against the soule this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath an 〈◊〉 multitude of schollers The other teacher is the spirit of God the grace of God which hath but a fewe followers because yâ— fewe imbrace the godly 〈◊〉 Mortification which 〈◊〉 Of which distinction I might 〈◊〉 stand on bring 〈◊〉 matter of godly edifieng but I leaue 〈◊〉 The grace of God teacheth vs howe farre héeretofore wee haue gone astray and openeth vnto vs howe loâ—t 〈◊〉 but â—aies haue bene wherein wée haue so â—elighted and howe greatly wée haue offended GOD. Whereas otherwise the eies of our vnderstanding are shut vp and we togither with the world and wicked company are carried away And first it sheweth vs how greatly we haue offended concerning religion and the seruice of God mentioned in these words Teaching vs to deny vngodtinesse which hath respect to that dutie we owe vnto God comprehended in the foure first commandements God hath created vs to serue and to worship him and to come to the knowledge of his wil as he
bread and they that know the right vse therof will be also readie to giue thanks to God when they haue refreshed themselues Whereas they that are giuen to their pleasures are like to swine that are gréedie of the maste so that their flesh being prompt their lusts may abound In the Epistle to the Gal. where other sinnes are noted by one name the sin of lecherie is expressed by diuers names as adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse to note vnto vs the pronesse of mans nature and their gréedie desire to sin Watching and waking night day deuising and casting how to bring their naughtie purpose to passe making only account of them that shall further them in their desires and serue their turnes spending all their wealth nay further then that wasting al their strength and yet more laying their soules to pawne for the enioying of a little pleasure vntill their wealth bee turned to pouerty their strength to weaknesse sicknesse and loathsome diseases vntill all hope bee turned to dispaire life to death and saluation to damnation Wherefore the holiâ— spirit of God knowing the sinfull hastinesse and vnsatiable desire of mankind herein draweth the excesse into a meane and for extremitie enioyneth vs sobrietie and for auoiding all mischiefes dooth set vs downe a remedie For sobrietie is the moderatour of the minde and dooth restraine our vnbrideled affections It is a gift that dooth kéepe the mind from pleasures altogither and in those that be lawfull it kéepeth vs from the excesse and abuse of them The gift of chastitie is rare and the coÌ„trary is to rife which causeth the Apostle to vse these words Good it were for a man not to touch a woman and I could wish it were with other as it is with my self neuerthelesse to auoid fornication let euerie man haue his wife and euery woman her owne husband And againe if they cannot abstaine let them marry for it is better to marry then to burne And that they might vse the benifit of marriage soberly and not in excesse as a remedy to theire concupiscence and not as a libertie to the flesh he giueth counsaile further This I say brethren because the time is short Let them that haue wiues be as though they had none Vnto the which agreeth that of the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epi. 4. 7. Now the ende of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in praier As if he had said as much as is possible let the whole time of our life be spent in holinesse knowing this that no vncleane thing shall enter into the kingdome of God Let vs walke honestly not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse but let vs put on the Lord Iesus Christ and be clothed with the garment of holinesse neither let vs take thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it I beséech you receiue not the grace of God in vaine Pride and brauery in apparrel excesse in building no Apparrell measure in expences this is the fashion of the world And the ouerplus and ouerlashing that euerie one is giuen vnto declareth howe farre we are by nature from sobrietie and that sobrietie and a measure is the gifte of the grace of God True it is that men are too too giuen to pride and braue apparrell and many doo set their glorie and their felicitie therein whose glorie is to their shame and whose felicitie and happinesse is sinfull Lightly they are but scorned and contemned in the sight of others who shall beholde theire vanitie while they thinke thereby to be honoured And as we reade that God regardeth the humble so he beholdeth the proud afarre of The prophet Esay the apostle S. Paul séeing the excesse of apparell and this vice of pride more to abound in women dooth especially note it and rebuke it in them The Prophet Esay in his third chapter sheweth the vanitie of the women in his daies and howe God would punish theire excessiue desires his words are these The Lord also saith Because the daughters of Sion are hautie and walke with stretched out neckes and with wandring eies walking and musing as they goe and making a tinkling with theire féete Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Sion bald In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calles and the round tiers the swéet balles and the bracelets and the bonnets the tiers of the head the tablets and the earings the ringes and the muflers the costly apparrell and the vailes and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses the fine linnen and the hoods and the launes And in stéed of swéete sauour their shal be stincke and in stéed of a girdle a rent and in stéed of dressing of the hair baldnesse and in stéed of a stomacher a girâ—ing of sackcloath and burning in stéed of beautie No man can be ignorant that apparrell was ordained to couer our nakednesse to kéepe vs warme and to preserue our health and not to shew our brauery or to spend our thrift thereon And because the Apostle did perceiue that women were more faultie herein therefore he counsaileth them 1. Tim. 2. 5. That if they will be accounted to be godly and sober that they should lay aside all brauery and array themselues in comely apparel with shamefastnesse modestie not with broidered hair or gold or pearles or costly garments but as becommeth women that professe the fear of God that they shuld deck themselues with good works and shewe their brauerie in their almes and relieuing those yâ— stand in néed The Apostle S. Pet. 1. Epi. 3. 3. Likewise hath almost the same words and giueth a little more light to this perswasion The apparrelling of women let it not bee so much outward saieth hée in breivered haire and gold put about and in glorious apparell But if they will be commended for their modestie and sobrietie let the hid man of their hearts be vncorrupt with a méeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by And if they delight in braue apparrell let this be theire apparrell and no other For euen after this manner in time past did the holy woman which trusted in God tier themselues and were subiect to their husbands A note well put in And were subiect to theire husbands For many of them being too wilfull and too stately altogither against the wills of their husbands and beyond their husbands power and abilitie bring them into debt and pouerty and make them oftentimes to vse vnlawful meanes to maintaine their brauery Which is a token of incontinency that they had rather please the eies of others then their owne husbands For commonly lewde women are noted by their braue attire Braue without and foule within painted sepulchers and rotten bones Better it were braue within and comely without modest and sober at home and abroad in euery place To this warning which is giuen to
and will not tarrie Let no man bee wearie of well dooing For in due season wee shall reape if wee fainte not Let none of vs deceiue our selues God will not bee mocked For if our life be godly wee shall hereafter reape life and ioyes eternall If otherwise death standeth at the doore The crop must bee sowed in this worlde the haruest must bee in another worlde and then shall the Angelles bee the reapers For they shall seperate and diuide the good from the bad The grace of God teacheth vs to liue soberly righteously Present world and godly in this present world For all the doubt is in this present world where it is a hard matter for vs to goe upright and to behaue our selues in the feare of God as we ought to do For the life of man may well be compared vnto the passage of a ship in the sea which through tempestuous weather may be ouerturned by the mounting waues of the sea or torne in pieces by the gunshot of the enemie and théeuish and mischieuous pirates or else may be dasht in pieces against the rockes or suddainly sunke in the quicke sands or vnawares taken within the compasse of a whirlpoole and by the force and strength thereof carried violently into the bottome but after it hath once arriued at the hauen there is no such doubt there is no such feare So is our life in this present worlde subiect to many an ouerthrow the life of the bodie I meane not but the life of the soule whereof we ought to haue especiall care sinne within vs abounding like the force of the enemie the pirate or the mounting waues frailties infirmities like the quick soft sands euill examples of other and their wicked counsailes like the dashing of the rockes the temptations and snares of the diuel like the force of a whirlepoole which neuer leaue vntill we be brought to the bottome If any of these take hold of vs in this present world so that they preuaile against vs we are gone Therefore thrice happie is he who by a godly life can auoyd all these and at last arriue at the hauen and take vp his euerlasting rest in heauen Oh that we could be godly and watchfull in this present world for in the world to come we shall haue no hinderance and nothing to let but that most freely we may serue God and leade a godly life Let vs pray that the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ may be with vs and that it may abound who gaue himselfe for the sacrifice and satisfaction of our sinnes that hee might deliuer vs from this present euill worlde Gal. 1. Before that he suffered his passion he praied for vs Iohn 17. that in this present euil world we should not fall away from God I pray not saith he that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou kéepe them from euil And herehence groweth the exhortation of the Apostle written to the Phil. chapter 2. 15. wherby he warneth them and vs also by them that we should behaue our selues blamelesse and pure as the sonnes of God without rebuke and that we should endeuour to shine as lights in this present wicked world dwelling in the midst of naughtie and bad people Who by our example of godly life may be won to be godly in the day of Gods visitation whom the grace of God shall teache and touch their hearts and call them throughly A great comfort we haue and a great incouragement to be godly because we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace that is we are frée from the curse of the law that we may the more chearfully giue obedience therunto being furthered assisted by the grace of God which strengthneth vs to doo his will For the lawe is not giuen to the righteous but to the vnholy and to the prophane The curse to the one and the blessing to the other Let vs be sanctified and holy and kéepe our harts from an euil conscience let vs hold out our profession without wauering séeing that we looke for the performance of great promises which he hath made vnto vs that will not deceiue vs. The deceit of sinne is readie to harden our hearts and make vs continually fall away The best are mightily tempted and much adoo they haue to kéepe and hold their owne How necessary therefore is it for euerie one of vs to prouoke one another to loue and to good workes Let euery one of vs striue aboue our strength with praier for Gods assistance and so much the more because the day of the Lord the comming of Christ draweth néere And i◠this do not perswade vs yet that which may follow and fal out through our backsliding may through feare inforce vs. For if we sinne willingly after that we haue vndertaken the course of a godly life there remaineth for vs a fearfull looking for of iudgement which God in his wrath and heauy vengeaunce shall powre out And better it had béene for vs not to haue knowne the way of godlinesse then after we haue knowne it to turne away Rather let vs bee stirred vp and incouraged by the words of the Apostle S. Peter 2. Epist 1. 10. 11. Wherefore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure by your holy life and godly connersation For if ye do these thinges ye shall neuer fall And furthermore by these meanes an entring shal be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ And if we finde that we are risen with Christ let vs séeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Our affections must be aboue and not on things beneath which are on the earth And if we be dead vnto sinne our life is hid with Christ in God So that when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie Thus by gods help I haue set downe vnto you the effect of sanctification contained in these words of the Apostle The grace of God hath appeared teaching vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Now followeth the second part of my diuision noted in the text which is a perswasion and a reason mouing vs to this santification A perswasion vnto sanctification and that is the glorious inheritance of the kingdome of God expressed by the circumstance of Christ his comming at which time the godly shal be receiued into the kingdome of heauen their ioyfull dwelling place gathered out of these wordes Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ We cannot giue our selues vnto the duties of godlinesse vnlesse we shal be in the expectation and looking after the hope of another life and therfore very fitly doth the Apostle ioine vnto the duties of a godly life this spéech Waiting for
the blessed hope c. Faith must giue vs assurance of greater glory froÌ„ god ere we can let go the hold we haue here beneath Therfore it is made a speciall note of gods childreÌ„ and necessarily toyned vnto his worship to be in expectation of the latter day and the glorie and of Christ his comming who shall bestow this benefite vpon the godly as to deliuer them from the wrath to come The Apostle going about to perswade the Thessalonians taketh his effectuall reason from that which was in most reuerence and regard with them and likewise to bring them into the earnest consideration of his words framing his speach thus 2. Thes 2. I beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering togither and vniting vnto him So that the looking for of the last day séemeth to him to be in great reuerence regard and assured expectation among them And when hee laboureth to lift them off the earth commonly he reareth them vp with no other instrument then this that is the waiting for the glorie and hope of another life And in the third to the Phil. opening the meane of their stay from hunting after worldly and transitorie matters with the false Apostles which minded earthly thinges he saith thus But our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a sauiour euen the Lord Iesus who shall change our vile bodie that it may be like his glorious bodie In the 11. to the Heb. the obedience of Abraham in leauing his own countrey not knowing whither he should go nor what should become of him is ascribed to this that he waited for a citie that had a foundation whose builder and maker is God For all thinges in the world are subiect to corruption and alteration The great thinges that are spoken of Moyses in accompâ—ing the rebuke of Christ to be of more value than the treasures of Egypt and his not fearing the furie of the king is onely imputed to this that he was as if he had séene him that is inuisible The comming of the glory of the great God was alwaies before his eies The greatnesse of the thing and the excellency of it is noted in these wordes The glory of the great God our sauior Christ The same glory which the great God our sauior Christ inheriteth is that which we waite for and hepe in due time according to our measure to be partakers of Most worthie it is the waiting for and great cause there is why we should be moued to sanctification and holinesse of life hauing so great things in expectation We beséech you saith S. Paul 1. Thes 2. 12. that ye would walk worthie of God who vouchsafeth to call you vnto his owne kingdome and glory The glory of this world dazeleth our cies and therefore must we be drawne vp by meditation of greater things before we shal be able to let these be of smal reckning and account with vs. The greatnesse of the glorie once throughly digested would set these in a base and lowe place it would make the things of this life vanish as smoake from our presence While in minde and inwarde thought we behold and looke not on the things which are séene but on the things which are not séene For the things which are séene are temporall but the things which are not séene are eternall If it be but the expectation of a transitorie kingdome when it is once deuoured and digested by hope we sée it maketh men neglect liues goods landes friends wife and children and so to hazard all The Merchant that is in expectation of some great gaine we sée into what vnknowne countries into what dangers by sea he wil commit himselfe The great regard and care that is had euery where to the things here belowe the gréedie following after them the carefull pursuing of pleasures profits and honors doo plainly speake that the hope of another life is not yet setled in the hearts of a number and that is the cause that godlinesse and a holy life is so litle practised and performed Let vs call to remembrance how that in this life is our day to wait and this is our time to serue and we must assure our selues with the holy Apostle S. Paul 2. Tim. 4. that we haue fought a good fight against our ghostly enemies sinne the world and the diuel and that we haue led our liues in the feare of God before we can or shal truly say and our conscience witnesse vnto vs that from hencefoorth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse And if our consciences and the good spirite of God can warrant our hearts herein without all doubt and feare then when Christ which is our life shall appeare shall be glorious and appeare with him in glory There is no pleasure in this world which the Lord hath not matched with some griefe and paine to take away and remoue if it might be our delight and to place it in thinges of greater estimation and which shal be more sure vnto vs. If the glorie of God cannot preuaile against vs â—â— it cannot change our taste and that the pleasures of this life be more swéete vnto vs this sweete shal not alwaies 〈◊〉 but as after a faire day commeth a foule and after a calme a tempest and so miserie in the world to come shall follow earthly delightes and this our transitorie worldly happinesse If so great hire as is Gods owne glory cannot allure vs brutish and sencelesse must then our nature néedes be what a greater argument and proofe can we haue of our blockishnesse then that so great thinges can get no more attendance of vs The truth is that we are too much perswaded of the excellencie of these worldly matters as pleasures honours riches and such like And therefore in all places that are alleadged and which speak of the waiting for of Christ his comming there the benefite is set sorth with it and the greatnesse thereof remembred which pointeth at our darknesse and vnbelief herein and telleth vs that the glory of this world standeth as a cloud betweene the great glory which is to come and our blinded sight Wherefore let ve inlarge our hope and by meditation and praier enter into some serious and waightie consideration of the length bredth depth of that glory So shall we sée such a portion of it as will comfort vs euen in our great afflictions and deepest extremities counting â—â— a great honour that we are vouchsafed his seruice as the Apostles heretofore haue reioyced herein And if the waiting for of that glory be so great as shall swallow vp all griefe and sorrow which afflictions may bring with them how much more shall the same incourage vs to a holie and sanctified life and to all duties of godlinesse And now am I come to the last part of my text which I purpose God willing in a few words to end least ye should be 〈◊〉 much wearied and too
forgetfull This third part setteth downe the cause of our sanctification in these wordes Who gaue himselfe for vs that hee might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to bee a peculiar people zealous of good workes The cause of our sanctification lieth The cause of sanctification partly in the death and passion of Christ and partly in the power of his holie spirite who is his vicegerent and deputie here on earth Before it pleased our sauiour to die for vs and by the shedding of his pretious bloud to clense vs from our sinnes we were altogither polluted and as the Prophet saith lying in our bloud Gréeuous sinnes in the sight of God miserable wretches appointed to death because through our iust desertes we were to looke for nothing els but eternall tormentes In which miserable and wofull estate our pitifull Sauiour séeing vs to be in gaue himselfe and offered himselfe most willingly to doe vs all the good he could and to make vs of a defiled and vnclean◠people cleane and holy And because in the lawe of Moses sacrifices were offered vp for the sinnes of the people and beastes slaine and bloud shed as we reade Heb. 9. 22. All thinges were by the lawe purged with bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission and forgiuenesse therefore it pleased our Sauior Christ to shed his dearest bloud that as the Prophet Esay ca. 53. saith by his stripes we were healed so by his bloud we might be clensed Which thing the Prophet Dauid meaneth in his 51. Psal which is the Psalme of his repentance wherein he sheweth his heartie griefe and his vnfeigned sorrow for those hainous sinnes whereby he had prouoked Gods wrath against him Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to thy compassions put away mine iniquities Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne Purge me with hisope and I shal be cleane wash me and I shal be whiter then snowe Now if the bloud of bulles and goates and heiffers in the time of Moses lawe which law God ordained though Moses was the minister if the bloud of these beastes in Moses lawe sprinckling them that were vncleane did sanctifie and clense them by an outward kinde of clensing and sanctification Howe much more saith the Apostle Heb. 9. 14. shall the bloud of Christ that most perfect and absolute sacrifice who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God At the time of his death and passion this matter was most notably declared when as his side being pierced through with a speare there issued out from thence both water and bloud to giue out a most effectuall signification that hée was the cause of our sanctification and cleansing from our sinnes Which is prooued by that which we reade I. Corinth 6. Knowe ye not saith the Apostle that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkardes nor railers nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God And such were some of you and who can say my heart is cleare But ye are washed but ye are sanctified and made cleane in the name of the Lord Iesus that is by the shedding of his bloud and also we are sanctified and made cleane saith hée by the spirite of our God According to that of the Prophet Dauid in the Psalme aforesaide Wash me throughly and cleanse me from my sinne and establish me with thy frée spirit which may assure me that I am drawne out of the slauery of sin and that my guiltinesse shall be no more laid to my charge The law entred thereupon that the offence should abound that is the it might be known to be notorious neuerthelesse where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more That as sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raign by righteousnesse and sanctification vnto eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The which grace that is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes through the blood of Christ the good spirit of God the holy Ghost doth certifie vnto our hearts And therefore it is well said to be the comfortor as our Sauiour Christ promised that after his ascention vp into heauen hée would send the comfortour Ib. 14. 16. and 16. 7. By the vertue of which spirite the power of sinne is beaten downe and our hearts are renued our mindes altered our liues chaunged and we become new creatures which before were foule and filthie ougly and loathsome through the deformitie of sinne and now are we sanctified and made holy But wherefore hath Christ redéemed vs from all our 〈◊〉 of good workes iniquitie and purged vs that we might be a peculiar people vnto himselfe if it bee not to this intent and purpose that wee should bee zealous of good workes A thankfull minde would aske how so great benefits might be requited and if no recompence could be made as certainly it cannot it would be desirous to know how part of a mends might be made and would be maruellous readie to put in practise any dutie which might shewe the thankfulnesse thereof Thou néedest not in this matter to go farre to enquire and search it out only this is required of thée that thou maiest shewe thy thankfulnesse bee zealous of good workes For we are the workmanship of God esperially by grace created anew in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them Heere are all carnall gospellers condemned who liue in hope that vnder the countenance of their profession all libertie of life will be borne out well inough Who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and make their profession their shame making Christ his death to bee nothing else but as it were a boude vnto their lewde life Here may we sée that the Lord hath not laide downe his life to purchase no other thing at our hands besides a profession of the truth but that he bought with his bloud a zealous addicting of our selues to Christian conuersation It is a wonder to sée how the wicked will boast of the benefite of Christ his blood how mightie it is to merite how sufficient to saue from sinne But for all that they will not giue ouer any libertie of life that before they haue enioyed whereas the life of Christ was giuen to purchase a new conuersation as well as a new profession For he gaue himselfe for vs that we might giue our selues vnto him being a peculiar people zealous of good workes Let vs marke it then my brethren that he gaue himselfe for vs that our life might be let out to honour him He made not so slender a purchase with so great a price as if he had a déep and sorrowfull sigh or a good word at our last breath that would suffice him no his life was
so certaine that it is prepared for vs before the beginning of the world and before the foundations of the world were laid The elder brother to forgo his inheritaunce and to giue it to straungers wée should hardly beléeue it were it not that he had giuen so manifest a triall in that hée gaue his life for vs which is more then his inheritance Howe then shall hée not therewith giue vs all thinges also Hée that hath made vs Lordes ouer all his creatures here on earth should we doubt that he will not vouchsafe vs an heauenly dignitie The Angels are they not all ministring spirites sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation Hebr. 1. 14. Hée that hath appointed the Angels in this life to watch to our good to guide and to guard vs shall hée not also in the life to come make vs fellowes and companions with the Angels The Angels are seruaunts and we are brethren â—rethren nay crowned Kings because the kingdome of heauen shall bee our inheritaunce According as the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Epistle 2. 9. informeth vs Yee are saith he a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holie nation a peculiar people graced foorth with a singular excellencie and preheminence in that wee are said to bee the thrones of God and that wee shall fit vppon throanes What comfort then is it for vs all that of the sonnes of darknesse we are made the sonnes of light of the enemies of God reconciled friends of the seruants and children of the diuell of Gods wrath being altogither fearfull and doubtfull of the children of this world and of euerlasting perdition that wee are made the seruants of God fully partakers of his grace and certainly staied and confirmed therein citizens of heauen and heires of euerlasting consolation Which serueth mightily and standeth vs greatly in stéede to raise vp our weake mindes and faint heartes which are cast downe through the remembraunce of our gréeuous sinnes and which shall kéepe vs from falling into dispaire that when Sathan togither with our owne guiltie consciences shall perswade vs that wée are none of Gods children euen then that the spirite of God shall certifie our hearts that we be heires of the kingdome of God This that we are heires hath two profitable lessons to lift vp our mindes and also to humble vs lest we be too much exalted For this inheritance commeth not vnto vs by desert but through grace and mercy that we may rather giue God the praise and thankes then boast in our selues who haue nothing but that which is giuen granted nothing but that whereof we be vouchsafed To humble vs being put in minde of our dutie as the Apostle warneth vs. 1. Peter 1. 17. And if wee call him father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euerie mans worke let vs passe the time of our dwelling heere in feare And séeing God hath made vs his sonnes by adoption so much the more are we bound to feare and obedience because he hath adopted vs of his only fauour when he might worthily haue cast vs off and put vs by for our vnthankfulnesse Vnto these two profitable lessons we may adde two singular comfortes the one concerning our afflictions and troubles and distresses in this transitorie life the other concerning our blottes and blemishes our sinnes and offences And therefore verie fitly and very well saith a godly writer in this respect All thinges yea gréeuous afflictions and sin it selfe turne to their good and bettering who are chosen to be heires Afflictions sinne death are very profitable vnto them howe hurtfull soeuer they be in their owne nature Death which séemeth to be the worst of all yea most terrible is not an entrance into hell as it is to the worst sort and to the vngodly but to them it is a narrow gate to let them in into euerlasting life and therfore most ioyfully and most chéerefully they vndertooke it being glad that the time of their dissolution doth approach and that their miseries shall haue an end and that the course of sinne shal be cut off As for afflictions vnlesse they did tend to the good of the godly and the adopted children of God God would not lay them vpon them and put them to such hazardes and distresses Yea the godly are so affected that with Iob they can say If God doe kill me yet will I put my trust in him And because his loue is shead abroad in our hearts therefore shall no discomfort vtterly dismay vs. Wherein also this comforteth our heartes that God wil lay no more vpon vs then that he will make vs able to beare and further that he will giue a ioyfull issue to all our troubles and vexations and temptations For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour and to helpe them that suffer affliction and are tempted So that we may looke for comfort at Gods hand euen such as shal be grounded vpon the certaine and infallible promises of God and such as shal be answerable to the measure of our afflictions troubles vexations and temptations If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him For I count saith the Apostle that the afflictions of this present time and of this present transitorie life are not worthy yâ— glorie which shal be reuealed and shewed vnto vs whereof in due time we shal be partakers Now as for our sinnes it is so farre off that they shall The remembrance of sins no hurt to the adopted to dismay them and to put them beside their hope bréed any trouble vnquietnesse or vexation of minde to remooue vs from the hope of our inheritance that the remembrance thereof shal be as a goade or a spurre to hasten vs on to persorme all good workes And as we haue giuen our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne so shall we with all readinesse giue our selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead and as they who by the power of Christ their sauior haue fully triumphed ouer the world and the flesh and the deuill ouer sinne and death and hell For behold this thing that we haue béen great offenders what care it will worke in vs least we should fall into sin againe what holy anger and indignation against our selues for our sinnes past what a desire to please God what a zeale and forwardnesse in all goodnesse and greatly indeuouring also the contrary to those sinnes wherein we haue greatly offended If in drunkennesse auoiding all occasions and vsing all sobrietie if in filthinesse and vncleanesse in whoredome and wantonnesse hating the sin auoiding the meanes of our fall and framing our selues to all holinesse and christian conuersation and so likewise in all other sinnes After king Dauid had committed adulterie and murder how did he repent him how zealous
sée that nothing is so rife there as corruption sinne and vanitie desiring to be deliuered from this bodie of sinne and from this vale of misery Let him that hath bought a yoke of oxen reioyce to proue them let him that hath purchased a farme make hast to furnish it and to possesse it let him that hath newly married a wife weary himselfe in his blinde pleasure let him that hath store of corne take care to build new barnes let him that hath wealth and riches and great store rest himselfe thereupon But let as many as are well minded with the Prophet Dauid say The greater sort craue worldly goods and riches do imbrace But Lord grant vs thy countenance thy fauour and thy grace For thou thereby shalt make my heart more ioyfull and more glad Then they that of their corne and wine full great increase haue had The Apostles wishing ioy to them that they wrote vnto mention not any worldly matters but the things that they wish vnto them are Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ They pray that God would open the eies of their minde and increase his knowledge in them How without our desert he hath chosen vs vnto life before the foundations of the world how through his mercie and precious death of his deare sonne we are redéemed and saued How of the enemies of God we are made his deare children by adoption howe by his grace and holy spirit we are not only called but also directed into newnesse holinesse of life how by his prouidence he suffereth vs not to want as also by the same how he turneth away all hurtfull things from vs and lastly how he nourisheth and cherisheth within vs the stedfast hope of the life to come That we may reioyce with the Apostle Eph. 1. 2. Blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ Wherein although our chiefest ioy ought to be placed in heauenly things yet are we to be aduised that we do not make too base account and too vile a reckoning of those comforts and blessings which God hath graunted to vs in this world As to enioy publike peace and quietnesse to haue obedient wiues and tractable children trustie seruants and faithfull friends and such like tokens of Gods fauoure toward vs. And therefore hath God granted vs wisedom to estéeme of euery thing in his due place For if concerning those creatures of God which we think to be altogither vnprofitable the wise man willeth vs not curiously and disdainfully to aske What is this wherefore is that For God hath made all things for their owne vse howe much more concerning the blessings of this life ought we reuerently to be affected and also thankfully to accept of them But al the ioy of the godly concerning these worldly matters and blessings of this life is in the sober moderat vse of them wheras the wicked do abuse them to riot and excesse Wresting them from those ends for the which God hath appointed them which are his glorie our comfort and the mutuall benefit one of an other Wherin the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. 29. doth wisely counsel vs. This say I brethren because the time is short heereafter that both they which haue wiues bee as though they had none and they that reioyce as they that reioyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not For the fashion of this world goeth away and here we haue no certaine dwelling place Whereas the ioy of the wicked in these worldly blessings which are no blessings to them but matters of further condemnation for their abusing of them is out of measure and altogither sinful Such as was in the daies of Noah they ate they dranke they married and gaue in marriage and such as was in the daies of Lot they bought they sold they planted they built their hearts being oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and they altogither ouercome and drowned in the cares of this life euen then when the latter day and the day of their destruction did suddeinly come vpon them To these may be added another ioy as comfortable to the Reioyce in infirmities soule conscience of a godly man as any of the rest And the is when they reioyce of their infirmities Not y◠any should reioyce in their sins but y◠by the grace of God by the power of his holy spirit we haue the mastry ouer those sins wherof we haue manifest proofe in our selues y◠they would haue the mastry ouer vs wherby we should become y◠bondslaues of y◠diuel and wherby we shuld throw our selues headlong into hell Wicked inclinations grow with vs euen from the cradle which as time age and yéeres procéed come on take strength begin to master vs and rule vs. Our field is all growne ouer with thistles and thornes and our life is nothing else but a platforme of vices And as the foure complexions in man are mingled in the constitution of the nature of man yet one quallitie is predominant ruleth the rest for either we are sanguine and pleasant or cholericke and angry or melancholicke and sad or phlegmaticke and heauie so is the soule of man infected with the pollution of sinne and with the mingle mangle of naughtie corruptions that he can discern no remnant of that perfection wherin it was first created that you may well say the soule of man is nowe become a mixture of sinnes yet one sinne among the rest challengeth the chéefest roome and beareth the greatest sway One is giuen to pride and euerie one noteth him by that vice another to drunkennesse and hée is knowne to be a tosseposse another to theft and robbery and he is pointed at and priuily marked for that another to fighting and he is called a slasher and a swingbuckler another to whoredome and the beast is spued at and his company loathed for suspition of a French disease and so in all vices if a man list to runne through them Wherin the wicked folow the course of their wicked nature and y◠with a great delight felicitie as though it were the only ioy to be desired and y◠with such gréedines as though they could neuer be satisfied and withal such blindnes headlong affection that may wel be pitied but it is a doubt it will neuer be amended y◠in mercy they might be saued That the Apostle might wel say of them 2. Tim. 2. 26. that they are in the snare of the diuel are taken of him at his wil. Yea they reioyce in his seruice and wil by no means be deliuered although they be neuer so much perswaded therunto no not after seuen seuen yéeres but offer their eares to be bored through in token of perpetual seruice and sell themselues to worke wickednesse as
will write vpon him my new name Mary hath chosen the better part which shall neuer be taken from her he that drinketh of the fountaine of life shall neuer thirst againe The despised of the world and the beloued of the Lord shall be to the Lord for a name and for an euerlasting signe that shall not be taken away He will make them an eternall glorie and a ioy from generation to generation the Lord shall be their euerlasting light and God their glorie For God shall appoint comfort to them that mourne and giue them beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse Esay 61. 2. 3. For their shame and vnworthie reproach they shall receiue double euen aboundant recompence and for confusion they shall reioyce in their portion In the holiest land of all where none but the chosen shall dwell they shall possesse the double euerlasting ioy be vnto them This is the heritage ◠Esd 2. 27. of the Lordes seruaunts It is a ioy that their miseries shall haue an ende and their sorrow shall quite bee taken away but howe much more may they reioyce that their ioy when it commeth shall neuer be taken away And all that haue this hope may well say with the Apostle with great comfort and gladnesse of heart Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all day long we are counted as shéepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these things wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. Wherefore I am now perswaded and fully resolued that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principallities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate me from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. To conclude let vs with all loue and zealous affection vndergoe this burthen that it shall please God to laie vppon vs howe heauie so euer For God will not faile those that trust in him but will giue them a comfortable issue neither will hée laie any more vppon vs then hée will make vs able to beare Admit the burthen bee verie heauie yet séeing we are sure to be well paide for our laboure and againe that we haue but a little way to beare the same and shall after a while and that a little while bee eased who is it that would not straine himselfe greatly to go through to his waies end rather then for sparing so short and so small a labour to loose so great and so present a reward Wée are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time and at the day of iudgement Wherein wée reioyce though nowe for a season if néede require we are in sorrow and heauinesse through manifold temptations That the triall of our faith béeing much more precious then golde that perisheth though it bee tried with fire might bee founde vnto our praise and honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ Who hath purchased an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for vs. And if through hope and patience being strengthned by Gods spirit we hold out in all sorrowes troubles extremities and persecutions we may be well assured that all our sorrow shall be turned into ioy and such ioy that shall neuer be taken from vs. All which vertues and supernaturall and celestiall qualities which is the glory and crowne of the godly God in mercy bestowe vpon vs. Which glory hauing receiued we may surrender it into his hands that gaue it vs and in all humility with the Elders spoken of in the Reuelation we may cast downe our crownes before the throne saying Praise and honour and glory and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Amen A meane to moderate our ioy and to abate the excesse thereof and to moue vs to preparation of minde R. T. IF we consider how the mallice of the whole world and the hatred of the greatest princes men of might is kindled and inflamed against vs partly through enuie of our wealth and partly for the hate they haue to true religiō and how they are confederate and haue combined themselues against the truth of God and against the Lords annointed for the defence of the same who by secret conspiracies and open attempts of horrible treason by raising the subiects against the Prince and the people against their lawfull soueraigne haue at many times by diuers waies endeuoured the death of her royall person decay of religion destruction and calamitie of this our natiue country shall not our laughter be turned into mourning and our ioy into heauinesse Whose determination had they effected according to their minds our stréetes had run with streames of bloud our children had béen slain before our faces our daughters rauished in our sights our wiues abused before our eies our houses on flaming fire in our presence our selues finally murthered in most cruel manner Gods truth had perished from among vs religion and the gospell had béene put to flight romish superstition had inuaded this land againe to the destruction of innumerable soules When with carefull diligence we recount these dangers and with thankfull hearts for that miraculous deliueraunce out of the iawes of so cruell lions and gratefull memorie to God for so wonderfull safetie from so bloudie enemies wee shall remember these thinges shall not our laughter be turned to mourning and our ioy into heauinesse When we consider besides this that the hope of our happinesse the state of our wealth the continuance of the Gospell in mans opinion with vs the terme and time of our peace the prolonging of our prosperitie standeth in the life of one most tender woman and vertuous Princes vnder the shadow of whose winges by the great prouidence of God we haue these thirtie seuen yeares bene shrouded from many daungers and mightily protected from suddaine perilles at home and abroad by our open professed enemies and our owne vnnaturall Country-men by whose godly zeale religion hath bene erected the truth of Gods word established the glorious Gospell of Christ maintained though the princes of the world haue snuffed and raged fretted and fumed stampt and stared thereat by whose gracious gouernment euerie man hath hitherto in peace eaten the frutes of his owne orchiard the grapes of his owne vine the commoditie of his owne land not the least of Gods blessings among men without either hostile inuasion or ciuill discention to any great damage whose terme of daies cannot be but the ende of our prosperitie whose day of death shall be the beginning of our wofull wretchednesse whose rest with God in eternall peace our enterance into troubles in this Common-wealth her yéelding to nature which the Lord deferre long to his glorie and her endlesse comfort the first steppe and degree as it were to our miserable calamitie this I say when we do consider shall not our laughter be turned into mourning and our ioy into heauinesse to sée the vncertaine ticklish and hard condition whereinto we are driuen Gloria Deo soli gratia FINIS LONDON Printed by Tho. Creede dwelling in Thames streete at the signe of the Katheren-wheele neare the olde Swanne 1595.
VVisedome heauenly gifts and graces and see how by the feare of God we are furthered in them that we may fully and perfectly knowe that there is no happinesse that man can desire which the feare of God doth not reach vnto And first concerning that excellent gift of wisedom It is said that The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome and a good vnderstanding haue all they that do therafter And what greater commoditie can there be then wisedome For it maketh men gracious among Princes and great men And by daily experience we sée that they that excell in wisedome excell in credit also Whereas Kings and Princes haue bene despised of their subiects Nobles also mightie men haue bene little set by of their inferiours for want of wisedome applying themselues to their lusts and to the vanitie of their humours whereby they departed from the seare of God so that there was no wisdom found in them Wherby they became as the Prophet doth set them forth Psa 49. 20. Man being in honor hath no vnderstanding but is compared vnto the beasts that perish And againe as we read Pro. 3. 35. The wise shall inherit glory but fooles dishonour though they be exalted When king Saul saw that Dauid 1. Sa. 18. was very wise he was affraid of him and whē he vnderstood that the Lord was with him then was hee more and more affraid and Saul became alwaies Dauids enemy And when Ecc. 24. 11. the Princes of the Philistins went forth at their going forth Dauid behaued himselfe more wisely then all the seruants of Saul so that his name was much set by No other cause was there that brought Ioseph from a prisoner to the estate of a Prince but that the feare of God had planted wisedome in his heart for the which he was so highly honoured among straungers The feare of the Lord is the onely step to wisedome as we read Psal 25. 12. What man is hee that feareth the Lord him will hee teach the way that hee shall chuse Nay further The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding All earthly secrets may be found out but as for The hidden mistery of saluation the wisedome of God and the secret of the Lord concerning the spirituall vnderstanding of his heauenly will and secret blessings Let the depth say It is not in me and the heigth say I cannot attaine vnto it Onely he that feareth God is partaker therof So saith that worthy seruant of god Iob. 28. Behold to man he said the feare of the Lord is wisedome The feare of God doth not onely leade vs to that wisedome which may serue for this present life but by steppes and degrées it dooth bring vs to that wisedome which maketh vs partakers of saluation which is a most principall benefit and blessing Ye men and brethren saith the Apostle Act. 13. 26. Children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this saluation sent For the word of God may well be termed the word of saluation because it is the foode of our soules and sheweth vs the way to life and how wée should be partakers thereof Which heauenly wisedom no doubt the heathen people haue and as yet do want because they are such of whom the Prophet speaketh The feare of God is not before their eyes And as one saith Stultorū plena sunt omnia They all run after vanitie and such things that cannot profit whereby they can neuer attaine vnto true happinesse which ought to be their chéefest delight And that especially if they had the grace to cōsider what notable and worthy effects it hath to make them partakers of that happinesse which they would full gladly enioy For it worketh A remedie against sinne in the people of God thus much that it expelleth driueth out sinne it kéepeth the deadly poyson of the diuels temptations from our hearts and mindes It bringeth the quiet frute of peace and maketh a merry and chéerfull A quiet conscience Long life heart whereas the guiltinesse of sinne doth make the heart heauie and the countenance sadde It giueth long life and increaseth the dayes of man who so desireth to sée good dayes let him resort vnto her The treasures of wisedome are with her and shée raineth downe knowledge and vnderstanding Yea it greatly furthereth vs in that which is our excéeding comfort and that is That Our requests heard granted God will performe the lawfull requests and godly desires of them that thus feare him For it is no more with them but séeke and finde aske and haue Whereas all other are neuer partakers of their desires especially to their good For as they that were found without the Arke of Noe had no life So they whose hearts the feare of God doth not possesse reape and receiue no blessing from God Hée that possesseth her shall thus bee blessed in this life And furthermore also he shall be happie at his latter end A happie death Ecclesi 1. 13. 18. O well art thou and happie shalt thou be saith the wise man Whosoeuer feareth God it shall go well with him at the last and hee shall finde fauoure in the day of his death and in the end he shall be blessed What a great commoditie and aduantage is this that how troublesome soeuer the life of them that feare God shall bee in this worlde yet their latter ende shall bée blessed Happie is the man whiche feareth the Lorde For hée will place his minde vppon his Commaundements therein dooth the feare of God consist and in that feare there is our happie estate The feare of God is the fountaine of life the roote of wisedome the Crowne of ioy yea heauen it selfe to them that looke for heauen And these are the principall commodities which the feare of God dooth bring béeing sufficient and forcible inough to make vs in loue therwith and to set our whole mindes thereon Which being so furnished sheweth it selfe vnto us as it were crowned with a garland of all the blessings gifts and graces of God much like a Princes Diademe which is set out and garnished with precious stones of all sorts and those also of high account But who can sufficiently commend it and set foorth the praises thereof as it deserueth sitting as it were a Ladie and a Quéene about the throne of God whose commendations well we may admire and wonder at but who can reach so farre as fully to expresse them The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome and a The commēdation of the feare of God is that the praise thereof endureth for euer good vnderstanding haue all they that do thereafter The praise thereof endureth for euer Amongst the rest this séemeth to be the only commendation of the feare of God that the praise thereof endureth for euer All flesh is as grasse and fadeth the
goe out againe The Lorde hath giuen and the Lord hath taken Blessed be the name of the Lord. Againe it is not without great cause that they are called Riches of iniquitie because for the most part they are gotten by wrong and oppression by fraude and deceit And therefore no maruell if the Apostle giue this counsell 1. Tim. 6. 8. Let vs saith hée alwaies carry contented mindes For they that will bee rich fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of mony is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pearced themselues through with many Lands purchased for a name sorrowes Some there are that heape vp riches to purchase lands to get themselues a name and to leaue the same to their posteritie which thing the Prophet Dauid noteth Psal 49. They trust in their goods and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches They thinke their houses and their habitations shall continue for euer euen from generation to generation and call their landes and houses by their owne names The chiefest delight they haue is to leaue these goodly possessions to their heires that they may kéepe their name and that they be not forgotten on the earth neuer séeking the Lordes fauour and mercy to direct and make strong their desires neither euer séeking to plant his feare in them that must enioy those things But their issue is thereafter and the Lord turneth all crosse in his iudgement so that they are dispearced and driuen often to forsake not onely the place but the verie land For being brought vp in all idlenesse loosenesse and libertie they soone ouerlash and run beyond their compasse and through leaudnesse and ryot they bring all to nothing and being pinched with scarcitie and penury they commit some mischiefe or other whereby they are enforced either to flie their natiue Country or to end their liues both lamentably and fearefully He that neuer knew the getting can kéepe no measure in spending as also euill gotten goods come neuer to the third generation as the wise man saith She begetteth a sonne and in his hand is nothing We thinke them best beloued of God who enioy most The blessing of God in heauenly gifts wealth and substance but if we haue eyes to sée the blessing of God consisteth in heauenly gifts and graces which the common sort doo not enioy albeit their wealth may bee without number What is it for him that had such store of goods to reioyce and say to his soule Soule liue at ease and take thy rest for thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares when that he could not enioy his life a night to an end yea further it may be feared that with his life he lost not only his goods but his soule too In respect wherof we may well say with the Prophet Dauid The greater sort craue worldly goods and riches do imbrace But Lord graunt vs thy countenance thy fauour and thy grace For thou thereby shalt make my heart more ioyfull and more glad Then they that of their corne and wine full great increase haue had When I saw that such delight had such heauinesse I turned aside to behold the excellencie of wisedom and there VVisedome I found but vanitie and vexation For he that séeks by learning to come by wisedome behold how he is incombred before he come to the goale and though all runne yet but one receiueth the prize that is fewe there be that do excell Yet by the way we must not therefore leaue off but run on with a good courage in hope that at last we may obtain The eye is neuer satisfied with reading and the mind searcheth till it be weary our spirits faint before they come to the depth and when they are nearest then are they far off Which maketh the holy man Iob say Cap. 28. Where is wisedome found and from whence commeth it and where is the place of vnderstanding Man knoweth it not and it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing Here is the vexation of the spirit For in the multitude of wisedom is much grief And he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow hée searcheth after it and cannot find it According to y◠saying Maxima pars eorum quae scimus est minima corum quae ignoramus Although we know much yet our ignorance is as great if not greater as if the vnderstanding of man were nothing else but couered ouer with darknesse Many there are who being too desirous to know more then is méete and conuenient for them to search after haue bene so bold as to clime into Gods secrets but with Lucifer they haue had their falles And yet because they cannot be partakers of their vnlawfull desires by lawfull meanes they enter into couenant with the diuel to shew them hidden matters and to helpe them to their desires damning thereby their soules for euer for a worldly delight which cannot long endure Againe some being as it were wrapt into the heauens with a foolish conceit of their owne wisedome thinking none so excellent as they exalted in their imaginations being ouer and aboue rauished with selfe loue rather then there should want any to praise them admire and extoll themselues But euen as it was said to King Nabuchodonozor O King to thée be it spoken thy kingdome is departed from thée so in a manner as by experience we see the self same voice soundeth into their eares To thée that doest admire and exalt thy selfe in thy wisedom to thée be it spoken thou art bereft of thy wit and sences and thy vnderstanding and wisedome is departed from thée Whereby such become a gazing stocke and wonder to men and Angels and a wretched and wofull spectacle to themselues Being thus satisfied with the view of wisedomes vanitie I went along and followed my guide and he brought Honous me to the mount of honour and made me behold the vanitie of this high and mounting delight To sée what créeping and crowching what capping and knéeing and how as seruants and slaues men were sutors to honour and yet behold againe their slippery estate much adoo to come thither and yet soone throwne downe and dispossessed What is the estate of Kings and Princes in their thrones who although they haue many and sundry delights yet are they recompenced with infinit cares and troubles and still in daunger of treachery and treason The Magistrates Iudges and highest Officers in a realme although God hath vouchsafed them in his owne title and called them Gods yet shall they die like men nay for the most part they liue corrupted men Which thing if King Salomon had not séene in his dayes and foreséen what would haue falne out in time to come he would not so resolutely haue set it downe Eccle. 5. 7. If in a country saith he thou seest the oppression of the poore
and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice maruell not For so it is like to come to passe So that there are feares and cares inough and matters to make them guiltie and their soules heauie that haue set their hearts vppon honour howsoeuer at the first it haue a glorious shew in the sight of the world but as for delight to speake and say it truly there is none When the wise King had shewed me thus much what Pleasure flawes crackes and rents there were in the chéefest delights of worldly men it was a matter too easie to iudge of the rest and of the meaner sort Which could terme no otherwise but méere foolishnesse and madnesse toyes and trifle The viole and harpe and musicall instruments how do they delight the hart What a ioy is it to spend our time in minstrelcie and dancing But what if musicke haue his mourning and that such foolish mirth doo ende in heauinesse What is beautie but the prouoking of lust and the forgetfulnes of God which maketh vs with an impudent face to say when we are called to God from this and all other earthly vanities I am maried to bewtie haue set my hart on vanity therfore he saith not haue me excused but in plaine tearmes I cannot come And when we thinke of braue apparell and delicate fare as though that were a thing to be desired let vs remember the rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euerie day who though hée flaunted on the earth and made the worlde his chiefest heauen yet afterward fried in torments and found the dolefull hell to he his dwelling place for euer Now what purpose is it for vs to desire to liue long Long life when there are no true delights but shewes and shadowes thereof When all things in our life are vaine what pleasure is it to liue séeing that as it is most certaine the longer we liue the more sinfull wée are This life of ours must haue an ende and peraduenture a fearefull or an vngodly end which if we could but remember and thinke vpon it would abate and pull backe our reioycing hearts although all our delight were to liue How much better were it to prepare our selues against the day of death Séeing that a short life is sometime a great blessing of God when as the course of sinne shall be cut off in vs And againe when we are taken away from wofull times to come and from those miseries which fall vppon the world VVisedome 4. Enoch was taken away least wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding For wickednesse deceiueth and bewitcheth the minde and the vnstedfastnesse of concupiscence doth soone peruert the simple heart And because the soule of this holy man pleased God therefore hasted he to take him away from wickednesse Yet the people see vnderstand it and consider no such things in their hearts how the grace and mercy is vpon his Saints and his prouidence ouer the elect The wicked and vngodly although they liue long in great prosperitie and sée not the graue in many yeares yet is their estate accursed and they liue long to their greater vengeance and condemnation vntill the measure of their sinne be filled vp to the brim and that the iudgement of GOD wayt for them at the doore Séeing then that these delights which worldly minded men make so great account of come to nothing and are in themselues but méere vanities and as it were shaddowes without a bodie and therfore may fitly be compared to Sâ—dome Apples which in outward sight and shewe are very faire and beautifull but when we come neare to touch them they fall to ashes Let vs returne to the true delight and only paradice of the soule I mean the word of God in VVord which paradice is the trée of the knowledge of good euil the trée also of life and immortalitie wherein are perfections to be found and such as may well content the heauenly Angels and blessed soules Which is the onely instruction of wisedome the guide of our life the light in darknesse which sheweth vs a way to enter into paradice although Cherubins and the blade of a sword shaken be set to kéepe the way of the trée of life I meane it sheweth vs the way into the highest heauens although there be many lets and hinderances to kéepe vs backe And the way that it onely Feare chaulketh out vnto vs is this The feare of the Lord and the especiall regard of his wil and commandements which hath the promises and blessings of this life and of that also which is to come By which direction of the feare of God we reade that the famous Patriarch Abraham was safe from the iniuries of straungers Lot deliuered from the deuouring fire that came downe from heauen and from those dreadfull iudgements Noah escaped the drowning flood and perished not with the vngodly Iob that worthie mirrour of all succéeding ages preserued from the rage wicked intent of the diuel Iacob set frée from the murthering hand of his brother Esau Ioseph from misery exalted to honour Enoch taken from the wicked world and translated into heauen By which examples and testimonies drawne out of the word of God we sée the high and great commendations of the feare of God and that there is no worldly delight to be compared vnto it In a word the chiefest commodities and blessings that the heart of a naturall man can desire and the greatest glory that he can wish to rise vnto all are included and comprehended within the feare of God Vnto the which that I may as I would exhort you let vs call to our remembrance the words that God spake vnto his people by his seruant Moses saying O that there were such a heart in them to seare mee and to keepe all my commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and with their children for euer O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this then would they know that the feare of God doth make a blessed life and a happie end That we may perceiue that the fear of God doth teach vs to be vpright and iust and to eschue euill as it did Iob that so God may grant our requests as he heard and granted the praiers of Cornelius that it may come to vs as it did vnto Iudeth that none be able to bring an euill report of vs because we feare God Finally that it may be said of vs as it was of King Dauid that hée was a man after Gods owne hart because that with all the power that was in him he did performe those things which God woulde haue him and that we may be minded as he was I had rather be a doore keeper saith he in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the Pallaces of Princes And so as people indued with wisedome and with an heauenly spirit let vs passe by these delights of the world which
are rather nullities then nouelties of account and let vs leaue them to the world and worldly minded men To conclude let vs consider how the wise man doth exhort vs to the loue and admiration of the feare of God the delight wherein is no vanitie and the happie ioy which alwayes shall endure Eccle. 40. To labour saith hee and to be content with that a man hath is a sweete life but hee that findeth a treasure is aboue them both Wine and Musicke reioyce the heart but the loue of wisedome is aboue them both Gold and siluer fasten the feete but counsell is esteemed aboue them both Riches and strength lift vp the minde but the feare of the Lorde is aboue them both There is no want in the feare of the Lord and it needeth no helpe The feare of the Lord is a pleasant garden of blessing and there is nothing so beautifull as it is In which feare God giue vs grace in this our transitory life long to continue and hold out in the same euen to the end of our liues To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost thrée persons and one euerliuing God be rendered all praise dominion and power now and for euermore Amen The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome and a good vnderstanding haue all they that doo therafter The praise thereof endureth for euer Deo gratia solique gloria But to the intent ye may be confirmed in that whereunto I haue perswadeâ— you although I haue done my best endeuour to shew the vanitie of earthly delights yet doubting that this would not satisfie I thought good to drawe aâ—ide the Curtaine and to she we you the picture of Vanitie it selfe as though none but Appelles had painted it and therefore haue of purpose inserted it The Glasse of Vanitie Eccle. 1. 2. Vanitie of vanities sath the Preacher Vanitie of vanities All is Vanitie THis booke begins with all is Vanitie and ends with Feare God and keepe his Commandements If that sentence were knit to this which Saloman kéepeth to the end as the hauen of rest after the turmoyles of Vanitie it is like that whiche Christ saide to Martha Thou art troubled about many things but one thing is necessaire That which troubleth vs Salomon calles Vanitie That which is necessary he calles the feare of God from that to this should be euery mans pilgrimage in this worlde we begin at Vanitie and neuer know perfectly that we are vaine vntill we repent with Salomon Therefore this is his first gréeting and lesson to all after his conuersion to warne them that all is Vanitie as if God had said to him as he said to Ezechiel Cause Ierusalem to know her abhominations as though men did not know their sinnes how vaine they are as Eliphaz saith He beleeueth not that he is vaine which makes euery man deferre his repentance vntill the verie houre that sinne maketh preparation to leaue him and then fainting he is vnwilling to depart because he is not readie Therfore I haue chosen this sentence which speakes of nothing but Vanitie to shew how we take the way to misery for the way of happinesse and turne the day of saluation to the day of vanitie Let cuery man think as I go in this matter why he shuld loue that which Salomon repenteth if he thinke Salomon happier after he repented than he was before This verse is the summe or contents of all this booke and therefore Salomon begins with it and ends with it as if he should say First this is the matter which I wil proue and after this is the matter which I haue proued Now you sée whether I told you true that all is Vanitie I may call it Salomons Theame or the fardle of Vanities which when he hath bound in a bundle he bids vs cast it into the fire for after he hath done with them in his last Chapter and thirtéenth verse as though hee woulde haue no more thought of them he turnes away from them as if hée had buried them and goes to another matter saying Now let vs heare the end of all Feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole dutie of man As though hée were excéeding glad that after so many daungers through the rout of Vanities yet God let him sée the hauen of rest and brought him to the right ende and set him vppon the shoare where he might sée his vanities as Moses looked backe vpon his enemies and saw them drowned behinde him The whole narration doth shew that Salomon wrote this booke after his fall When he had the experience of vanities and séene the folly of the world what euill comes of pleasure and what frute groweth of sinne he was bold to say Vanitie of vanities c. which he auoucheth with such protestation as though he would iustifie it against many aduersaries sor all the world is in loue with that which he calls vanitie Therfore he puts too his name in the midst of his sentence as if he wold defend it against all commers if any man ask who broched this strange doctrine the Preacheâ— saith Salomon to testifie his hartie conuerfioÌ„ to God he calles himselfe a Preacher in the witnesse of vnfained repentance as if God had said vnto him Thou being conuerted conuert thy brethren and be a Preacher as thou art a King So when we are conuerted we should become Preachers vnto other and shewe some frutes of our calling as Salomon left this booke for a monument to all ages of his conuersion Therefore they which write that Salomon died in his sinne and that suche a famous instrument of God went to the damned doo great wrong to the worthie King which giue them such an example to repent and would correct their rash iudgement if they considered First that he was the clearest figure of Christ except Melchisedes which passed all Kings in his prosperitie and all men in his wisedome Secondly that he was inspired by the holy Ghost lyke the Prophets to be one of the pennes of God to write his holy word the word of saluation which was not fit for a reprobate Thirdly that God promised to his father that he would not take his spirit and his mercy from him as he did from Saul nor forsake him as he did Saul but correct him in another sort Fourthly that God is said to loue him therefore as Paul concludes that Iacob was elected because God saith Iacob haue I loued So we may conclude that Salomon was elected because God saith Salomon haue I loued Fiftly that in Luc. 13. 28. All the Prophets of God are sayd to be in heauen and therfore Salomon being an holy Prophet must be holden to be in heauen To shewe that he was a holy Prophet in 2. Pet. 3. 2. Peter calleth all the Prophets which wrote the scripture Holy Prophets Lastly we may gather out of the seuenth Chapter of this booke and the 30. verse and out of the
through our sin and vngodlines we lose not our happie estate in the world to come As touching the knowledge of our selues that is of our The knowledge of our selues excellent estate wherein we were created of our fall wherby we lost and forfaited that estate and howe againe we are restored vnto the same the word of god doth thus instruct Mans excellent estate vs. That god by his infinit goodnesse created man according to his image and likenes to this end that he should be good holy immortall happie and partaker of all his benefits hauing then and in his time of innocencie Fréewil to fulfill and performe those things which god required at his hands and to do his will and commandements Lastly in graunting him the rule gouernment ouer all his creatures The knowledge of our fall consisteth herein and so His fall we are taught that man being created in so excelleÌ„t estate continued not in his innocencie and vprightnesse but fell away by his disobedience from god and from his excellent estate The causes of whose fall were the temptations of the Diuel the enemy of all mankinde the enticement of Eue his wife his infidelitie in not veléeuing gods word to be true and doubting the punishment which god foretold lastly his own high mind and wicked wil by which means he disobeyed god and so became sinfull The sequele and effects of his disobience sin and fall were theirs that thereby he prouoked gods wrath against himselfe that according to his deserts he was vexed with infinit miseries and that he brought death vppon himselfe and vpon all his posteritie And so through sin he chaunged the image of god into the image of the diuel and caused that his ofspring and posteritie should be by nature the children of wrath and subiect to miserie death and damnation Concerning the restoring of man we reade that gods His restoring mercy herein is great and singular who according to his infinit and vnspeakable goodnesse pittying mans miserie of his méere grace â—nd fauour did giue his owne sonne to death for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And that the meane whereby man should be restored was that the sonne of god should be incarnat and take our flesh of a godly woman and pure virgin being conceiued of the holy ghost and thereby pure and without sin Who in our flesh performed perfect obedience to make vs acceptable who by dying in the flesh did satisfie Gods wrath and by death ouercame death and him that had the power of death that is the diuell who deliuered the faithfull children of Adam and set them frée from the bondage of Sathan who procured them to be adopted the sonnes of God being by nature the children of wrath who sanctified them and inducd them with the gifts and graces of his holy spirit that they might be framed to expresse the image of God in their liues and conuersation that they might be holy both in bodie and soule and so recouer their former estate and become fellowe heires with Christ of euerlasting life being immortall and blessed and eternally glorified And thus when in our painfull endeuours we shal perceiue that God hath graunted vnto vs to vnderstand his will and his word it will bréed an inward comfort in our hearts and consciences which shall be a sufficient witnesse vnto vs both of Gods loue and fauour and of his sauing and euerlasting mercies toward vs. God gaue the heathen people a land wherein were riuers Conclusion of waters and fountaines a land of wheate and barley and of viniards and figge trées and pomegranates a land of oyle and honie a land wherein was no scarcitie a land whose stones were iron and out of whose mountaines they dig brasse they possessed great and goodly citties and houses full of all manner of goods they wanted no earthly commodities that their hearts could desire All which blessings although they enioyed them to the full yet in respect of the word of God they were all but as vaine shadowes The great blessings of his word and of his lawes he gaue onely to his owne people He dealt not so doth the Prophet say with the Heathen nay he dealt not so with any nation vnder the Sunne neither had the Heathen knowledge of his lawes Which great blessing and the onely treasure of all treasures we enioying through the mercy and fauour of God shall we be found so negligent as not to search and spend some time and studie therein The time shall come saith Christ that ye shal desire one of the daies of the sonne of man and shall not sée them What if God should send a famine not of bread nor of bodily foode but of his precious word What if he should punish vs by Idolatry by giuing power to a straunge nation to ouerrunne vs. We may wander from sea to sea and from the North euen to the East then we may runne too and fro to séeke the word of the Lord and yet not be partakers of our desires Now we may reade let not the opportunitie slip vntill the time come that we may wish and want We neuer lightly know what health is till sicknesse come and then we may be nearer to death then to recouer our health What was it to Moses that he could sée that pleasant land and goodly lebanon and could not enter into it And what comfort will it be to vs to thinke that we had time to reade and search the word of God when we shall be debarred from the vse therof O that we could be perswaded to reade and search that we might finde eternall life or that the loue thereof were planted in our hearts that we might bee desirous still to heare reade and meditate in the same who in so doing are pronounced blessed Blessed is the man whose delight is in the lawe of the Lord and therein doth he meditate that is continually spend a great part of his time in that holy and heauenly and sauing exercise Which blessing God of his mercy grant vs and frame our mindes to the earnest desire of reading and vnderstanding his wil and and his word and I pray God giue effect to the same and prosper it To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost c. Some reade the word for fashion sake Idle readers Mat. 13. 19. Much like the high way seede And some being touch't by gods good grace Christian workers Mat. 5. 6. Do reade it for their neede Yet is the wisest naturall man 1. Cor. 2. 14. Herein but ignorant and blinde And daily must we pray to God Praier for vnderstanding Eph. 1. 16. 20. Iam. 1. 5. Colloss 1. 9. To light our darkned minde And if that profit we do meane To get and gaine thereby We must not reade but once and twice To satisfie the eye But often must the cud be chu'd Read often if we minde truly to profit Ps
and I will make this Cittie a curse to all the nations of the earth The destruction of this Citie shall be a matter of feare and wonder and shall be continually in euery mans mouth as an example of the reuenge that the lord hath wrought Worship the lord in the glorious Sanctuary tremble before him all the earth Say among the nations The lord raigneth surely he shall iudge the people In the tenth Chapter to the Hebr. The Lord shal iudge his people Before whose iudgement seate we shall all appeare to receiue those things which we haue done in our bodies according to that we haue done whether it be good or euill As the wise man in his booke called Eccle. putteth vs in mind Reioyce ô yoong man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but knowe that for all these thinges God will bring thee to iudgement If thou set light by and disobey that which I command thee I am the Lorde thou shalt not escape when I shall shewe my selfe from heauen with my mightie Angelles in flaming fire rendering vengeance and paying euerie one according to his desertes The Lorde the Lorde shall appeare in glorie when hee commeth to iudgement and all his holie Angels with him And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall seperate them one from an other as a shepheard seperateth the shéepe from the goates and he shall set the shéepe on his right hand and the goates on the left Vnto the goates that is to them that haue disobeyed him he shal say Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuel and his angels And if god spared not the angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darknesse to be kept vnto damnation and spared not the old world but brought the floud vpon the vngodly and turned the Citties of Sodome and Gomorra into ashes coÌ„demned them and ouerthrew them and made them an ensample vnto them that after should liue vngodly Surely the Lord as yet and from this day vnto the end of the world will reserue the wicked and vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnto punishment The Lord shall consume them with the fire of his wrath and render vppon their heads their owne waies and they shall knowe how true and certaine this is that he is the Lorde For in his hand is a cuppe and the wine is redde it is full mixt and he powreth out of the same Surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke the dregs thereof Therfore are we willed to lead our liues before the Lord in feare and trembling considering how dreadfull the Lord is As saith the Prophet Dauid My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am affraid of thy iudgements Knowing therfore the terrour of the Lord and his fearfull iudgement we perswade men that they haue a diligent regard to that which the Lord hath commanded And séeing that the Lord shall come in such dreadfull maner to iudge the vngodly and disobedient what maner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse And being fully perswaded thorof let vs be diligent that we may be found of him without spot and blamelesse And let vs marke what is written in the last words of the book of Salomon called Ecclesiastes his words are these Let vs heare the end of all Feare God and keepe his commandements For this is the whole dutie of man For God wil bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Thus much you haue heard concerning his sacred and Strong fearefull maiestie wherein also the force of his power doth shewe it selfe and yet it is further expressed in that hée is said to be strong Which especially is to be séene in his punishments where I might bring in manifolde and infinit examples of plagues against the wicked procéeding from his iust anger whereby the Lord hath shewed his mightie power and declared his maiestie to be most dreadfull and full of force As among the rest were most notorious the drowning of the old world and the burning of Sodome and Gomorrha with fire and brimstone from heauen This his mightie power did not the Lorde make knowne onely to straungers but euen to his owne people in making the earth to open and swallow vp some the fire to burne and consume others a mightie great plague to make a riddance of them firie serpents to sting them to death for their murmuring and rebellion that they also might confesse and acknowledge the mightie power of the Lord. And to declare howe strong hee is he maketh mention of his thrée great plagues the Sword and Famine and the Pestilence wherby not a fewe but thousands and infinit multitudes perish when it pleaseth God to strike by them as we may read in diuers places of the scriptures well knowne to them that are but meanely séene in them Againe this is a great argument to proue how strong he is that when one punishment is sent and past and gone he can send another and another in the necke of the same and still increase his power by adding and doubling and multiplying For as his mercies haue no ende so his iudgements cannot be numbred And where his anger is â—â—â—led there his power groweth stronger and stronger In the Prophecie of Iere. cap. 15. 2. 3. The Lord instructeth the Prophet what he shall answere the Iewes that had so greatly prouoked his wrath And if they say vnto thée Whither shall we depart then tell them Thus saith the Lord Such as are appointed vnto death vnto death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captiuitie to the captiuitie And I will appoint ouer them foure kinds saith the Lord. The sword to sley and the dogs to teare in pieces the foules of the heauen to deuouâ— and the beasts of the earth to destroy He might haue gone further in reckoning vp his plagues and neuer bene wearied in throwing downe his thunderbolts That proud and hard hearted king Pharaoh that said Who is the lord that I should heare his voyce I know not the lord The lord that he might make manifest his power shewed himself to this wicked king in diuers plagues punishments Which were such that one excéeding an other one was more greeuous then an other The waters of his land being turned into blood the earth couered with frogges the dust of the earth chaunged into lice the aire replenished with great swarmes of flies the hand of the lord was vpon their beasts and cattle and they died by a mightie great murrain there came a scab-breaking out into blisters vppon man and vppon beast the lord sent lightning and thunder and haile mixed with
the blacke Moore which was in the kings house heard that they had put Ieremiah in the dungeon And he went vnto the king and said My Lord the king these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to Ieremiah the Prophet whome they haue cast into the dungeon and he dieth for hunger in the place where he is for there is no more bread in the citie Then the king had compassion and committed the matter vnto the Eunuch to take order for Ieremiahs reliefe The widow of Zarephath in great famine hauing but a handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse when she and her sonne had spent that she looked for nothing else but present death But the Lorde did comfort her by the mouth of his Prophet Eliah saying The meale in the barrell shall not be wasted neither shall the oyle in the cruse be diminished vntill the time that the Lorde send raine vpon the earth and there be plentie And according to the words of the Prophet it fell out so vnto her When the Prophet Eliah had thought to haue giuen vp his life being in distresse the Angel of the Lord had brought him a cake and a pot of water and set the same at his head and touched him and awaked him out of his sléepe and sayd vnto him Vp and eate So hee arose and did eate and drinke and walked in the strength of that meate fortie dayes and fortie nights And if it bee lawfull to bring in forraine histories into suche wâ—â—ghtie matters I will shewe you a thing as straunge as the former which is recorded in the historie of the warres of the lowe Countries Page 79. The words of the Author are these Now when I call to mind the wonderful workes of God I cannot passe ouer but tell you how that after the murther and massacre of Narden and the whole towne on a flaming fire a yoong Lad was saued by running out of the gates of the towne into a little gardain full of rootes The father of this boy was murthered and his mother being rauished was hanged vp by the armes of the Tyrantes Spaniards and when the fire came and tooke holde of her house shée beeing tied by the armes could not get away so that shée was burnt in her owne house The yoong Lad hauing not eaten any thing for the space of thrée whole dayes togither wept bitterly both for the death of his parents as also by reason that he was hungerbit But God who neuer forsaketh his sent him reliefe For the very same night there came vnto him a wel-fauoured yoong man in white apparrell who gaue him whereon to féede and said Wéepe no more my fatherlesse childe for I will neuer leaue thée Eate and be of good cheare for they that haue murthered thy father and mother shall haue a double plague light vppon them Thy teares shall be turned into ioy and gladnesse and their laughing into teares and mourning and forthwith the yoong man vanished out of sight When my father and mother forsake mee saith the Prophet the Lord taketh me vp And there ye sée that they that haue neither father nor mother want not no not when they are in great distresse Wonderfull are Gods woorkes and infinite are his mercies and his wayes past finding out Oh what is man fraile man wretched and miserable man that God should thus regard him may we well say with the Prophet And shall that God that prepared for man ere euer he was now forsake man when hée is if hée be not most vnkindly and too vnkindly forsaken of man It cannot be it can nâ—â—â—r be And therefore in all distresses let vs cast our eyes vpon him and thinke of such examples of his loue and rare prouideÌ„ce as these are which I haue recited vnto you and be sure that he knowing what we haue néed of will neuer forsake vs. All this it pleaseth God to worke in our behalfe God worketh for his owne glorie to the intent that he should be praised and honoured of vs. O Lord our God saith the Prophet howe excellent is thy name in all the world And againe Psal 146. 7. 9. Blessed is the Lord which giueth bread to the hungrie that relieueth the straungers the fatherlesse and the widow When Iacob met his brother Esau in token of good will he gaue him a rich present and therwithall acknowledged Gods bountifulnesse toward him in these words God hath had mercy on me and therfore I haue all things When Daniel was relieued by gods prouidence he gaue thanks and said O God thou hast thought vpon me and thou neuer failest them that seek thee and loue thee When our Sauiour Christ fed the people euen a great multitude with 5. loues 2. fishes he looked vp to heauen and gaue thankes We are earnest to craue good thinges of God but slowe to giue thankes To giue thankes for that which is receiued is a way to helpe vs to more in time to come to be thankfull for the old brings with it a new benefit and a new good turn But bicause by nature we are very backward in this dutie therfore God putteth his people in mind thereof by his prophet Moses When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe saith he thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God lest when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein and thy beastes and thy sheepe are increased and thy siluer and gold is multiplied and all that thou hast is increased then thy heart be lifted vp and thou forget the Lord thy God who fed thee in the wildernesse with Manna froÌ„ heauen who brought forth water for thee out of the rocke of flint And again Bewaâ—â— as though he could not speake it too often to such as were dull of hearing as Christ had his disciples Watch twice or thrice and yet found them sléeping Beware least thou say in thine heart My power and the strength of mine owne hand hath procured me this abundance But remember the Lord thy God for it is he and he onely which giueth thée power to get substance and onely in his blessing is all abundance Let not this be our first care if our store be increased to pull downe our barnes and make them larger but rather let vs lift vp our eyes to heauen in consideration that God hath so blessed vs and let vs pray that god will vouchsafe to giue vs the vse of his blessings to his glory and our comfort For to euery one to whom god hath giuen riches and giueth him power to eate thereof and to take his part and to enioy his labour this is the gift of god Otherwise a man may sée much good and peraduenture reioyce and boast of it but he shall neuer come to enioy it And then what profit and comfort is it to him that
that which followeth marke their mischéeuous intents But he thinketh not so neither doth his heart estéeme it so but hée imagineth to destroy and to cut off not a fewe nations Gods woorke héerein is to chastise his people for their amendment and he hath respect vnto his iustice the wicked Assirians they purpose to destory them to inrich themselues and in them is nothing to be séene but the worke of malice and of the diuel But to let you vnderstand that God hath as it were a bridle in his hand to restraine them the Prophet vseth these wordes Shall the axe boaste it selfe against him that heweth therewith Or shall the sawe exalt it selfe against him that mooueth it When they shake the rodde shall it magnifie it selfe against them that take it vp When they lift vp a staffe is it not wood True it is and most true that no creature is able to doe any thing but as God appoynteth him and that they are all but his instruments to doo his woorke though the intentions be diuerse When he wil he sendeth warres and again at his wil they cease as the Psalm saith Hee breaketh the bowe and knappeth the speare in pieces Though Sanacharib come with multitudes as the dust of the earth against poore King Hezekiah and his people and thinking to deuoure them at once yet shal God put a hooke in his nosthrils and a bridle in his lippes and shall bring him back again the same way he came his whole army shal be destroied in a night and he shalve amazed at gods wonderfull worke Ammon and Moab and the inhabitants of mount Seir come vp against Iudah and their king Ichoshaphat 2. Chro. 20. Wherefore they fearing pestilence famine and the sword with other mischiefes that warre doth bring with it and séeing themselues vnable make their prayers vnto God saying O our God there is no strength in vs to stand before this great multitude that commeth against vs neither do we know what to do but our whole trust is in thee Then God sent them comfort by a Prophet saying Feare not for the battaile is not yours but Gods Stand still mooue not and beholde the saluation of the Lorde And now behold Gods prouidence and his worke When they of Iudah beganne to shout and to praise God for his great mercy then the Lorde layd ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir to flaie and to destroy them And this is straunge when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir euery one helped to destroy an other till there was not a man left as though euery one had sworne his owne death The lyke example is in the booke of Iudges cap. 7. For when Gedeon whom the Lord had strengthned came against the Midianites and the Amalekites whose number was as it were without number so many were they Gedeon caused the trumpets to blow and the people cried The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon And the Lord set euery mans sword vpon his neighbour and vpon all the hoste Not only in matters of warre but in all other punishments God hath his worke according to that of the Prophet Amos Shall there be euill in a citie the Lord hath not done it As if he had said Can any aduersitie come without gods appointment Read the 28. cha of Deu. sée whether it be not so Which thing holy men heretofore well considering did not impute their distresses miseries to any other cause but only to y◠prouidēce of god Ioseph had great wrong mischief wrought against him by his own brethren Doth he blame his brethren or reuenge himself on thē No. But the vseth them wel when he might haue procured their trouble He kissed them wept vppon them made himself knowne vnto thē did not discomfort or discourage them Come néer my brethren saith he I am Ioseph your brother whom ye sold into Egipt Be not sad neither gréeued with your selues y◠ye sold me For God did send me before you for your preseruation Whē ye thought euil against me God disposed it to good Feare not I will norish you your childrē he comforted them spake kindly vnto them VVhen Shimei cursed king Dauid they that wer about him wold haue slain Shimei for so doing Suffer him to curse saith he let him alone for he curseth euē because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid Who dare then say wherfore hast thou done so Dauid remembred y◠words of the prophet I wil raise euil vnto thee out of thine own house Behold my son which came out of mine own bowels séekes my life how much more a stranger Suffer him It may be that the Lord wil looke vpon my affliction do me good for his cursing this day send me comfort in due time Iob in a godly mind when he was driuen to great aduersitie miserie repineth not neither curseth as the fashion of the world is whē they méet with such heauy crosses but he looketh vp to heauē saith Naked came I out of my mothers wombe naked shall I go hence The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken it Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all his affliction did not Iob sin nor charge God foolishly by rash and vnaduised by grudging wicked and reproachful spéeches If Ioseph and Dauid had set their eyes vpon them that did them wrong they should haue thought vpō reuenge But because their trouble was by gods wil from his sending therfore they take it in good part both reuerētly patiently not only because they cannot resist but because god willeth nothing but that which is iust and for the good benifit of them whom he so afflicteth As the prophet saith It is good for me that I haue bene in trouble Let passe therefore the iniury of men which might increase thy sorow grief of mind and hasten thée to reuenge and consider gods will who hath breught that to passe which thy enemies haue done against thée Maruel not but commit the matter to gods infinit wisdome whose will as it is often most manifest so is it more often hid vnknowne Let vs only harp vpon this string y◠as by his benefits he doth moue vs to serue him so by his crosses and punishments he driueth vs to repentance When miseries come we can sée Gods prouidence God graunt that when hee sendeth prosperitie wee may acknowledge his goodnesse and not be forgetfull So much for the gouernment of God in the affaires of men Now let vs consider the same in men themselues A sect of Philosophers called Pripatetickes although peraduenture they did acknowledge the prouidence of God in many things yet rather then they would haue man subiect to the same would deny that there were any prouidence at al as if it gréeued them that gods prouidence should stretch further then their owne reason did lead them And so long as they tried the
he hath purposed in him In whom also we are chosen when we were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the counsell of his own wil. Gal. 1. 4. Iob. 9. 10. God doth great things and vnsearchable yea maruellous things without number Rom. 9. 20. O man who art thou which pleadest against god shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus That God hath the ordering of mens affaires as also of hardning the heart Gene. 45. 7. 8. Ioseph to his brethren God saith he sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land and to saue you aliue by a great deliuerance Now then ye sent me not hither but God who hath made me a father vnto Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and ruler throughout all the land of Egipt Esay 10. 5. 6. 7. 8. 11. 12. 13. 15. O Ashur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hand is mine indignation I wil send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoile and to take the pray and to tread them vnder féete like the mire in the stréete But hée thinketh not so neither doeth his heart estéeme it so but he imagineth to destroy and cut off not a fewe nations For he saith Are not my princes altogither Kings Shall not I as I haue done to Samaria and to the idoles thereof so do to Ierusalem and the idoles thereof But when the Lord hath accomplished all his worke vpon mount Sion and Ierusalem I will visit the frute of the proud hart of the king of Ashur and his glorious and proud lookes Because he said By the power of mine owne hand haue I done it and by my wisdome because I am wise Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith or shall the sawe exalt it selfe against him that moueth it As if the rod should lift vp it selfe against him that taketh it vp or the staffe should exalt it selfe as it were no wood When God hath punished his children with the rod he casteth it into the fire Iere. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his stepps For though man may purpose yet God will dispose 1. Kings 12. 15. The king Rehoboam Salomons sonne a wise father and a foolish sonne following the counsaile of young men and gréene heades harkened not to the lawfull request of the people For it was the ordinance of the Lord the he might performe his saiyng which he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat 2. Chro. 10. 15. A note out of the Geneua bible vpon this place of scripture concerning Rehoboam who yéelded vnto young mens counsaile Gods wil imposeth such a necessitie to the second causes that nothing can be done but by the same And yet mans will worketh as of it selfe so that it cannot bée excused in doing euiil by alledging that it is Gods ordinance 2. Chro. 11. 4. When Rehoboam had gathered nine score thousand chosen men of warre to fight against Israell that is those his subiects which did rebell against him the Lord warned him them by his prophet Shemaiah saiyng Ye shall not goe vp nor fight against your bretheren returne euery man to his house For this thing is done of me saieth the Lord. They obeied therefore the worde of the Lord and returned from going against Ieroboham 2. Chro. 22. 7. And the destruction of Ahaziah came of god in the he went to Ioram For when he was come he went forth with Ioram against lehu the sonne of Nimshi whom the Lord had annointed to destroy the house of Ahab 2. Chro. 25. 19. 20. King Ioash sent vnto king Amaziah and said Thou thinkest lo thou hast smitten Edome thy hart lifteth thée vp to brag Abide nowe at home why doest thou prouoke to thine hurt the thou shouldst fall Iudah with thée But Amaziah would not heare for it was of God that he might deliuer them into his hand because they sought the Gods of Edom. The note vpon the place Thus God oftentimes plagueth by these meanes wherein men most trust to teach them to haue their recourse only to him And to shewe his iudgements he moueth their hearts to followe that which shal be their destruction The ordering of the iourney of Abrahams seruaunt and of the thrée wise men that sought Christ by the leading of a starre the circumstaunces also of Christ his death and passion shewe how God ruleth the affaires of man Psal 64 8. 9. Their owne tongs shall make them fall insomuch that who so seeth them shall laugh them to scorne And all men that sée it shall say This hath God done for they shal perceiue that it is his worke Pro. 19. 33. The lot is cast into the lappe but the disposition thereof is of the Lord. Which thing is wonderfully expressed in the story of Ionas God ordereth not only their affaires but their affections also as hatred good-will ioy and sorow Pro. 21. 1. The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of waters he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him Ge. 21. 22. 23. Esther 15. 11. Acts. 4. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. Why did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vaine things The kings of the earth assembled and the rulers came togither against the Lord and against his Christ For doubtlesse against thine holy sonne Iesus whom thou hadst annointed both Herode and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues togither to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsaile had determined before to be done 2. Sa. 16. 11. Dauid saide to Abishai and to his seruants Behold my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels séeketh my life then how much more now may this sonne of Iemini Suffer him to curse for the Lorde hath bidden him It may be that the Lord will looke vpon my affliction and do me good for his cursing this day Pro. 16. 7. When the waies of a man please the Lord hée will make also his enemies at peace with him Gen. 31. Now Iacob heard the words of Labans sonnes saying Iacob hath taken away all that was our fathers and of our fathers goods hath he gotten all his honor Also Iacob beheld the countenance of Laban that it was not towards him as in times past And the Lord said vnto Iacob Turne againe into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I wil be with thée Then Iacob called his wiues and said I sée your fathers countenance that it is not towards me as it was wont and the God of my father hath bin with me And ye know that I haue serued your father with all my might But your father hath deceiued me and changed my wages ten times the is oftentimes but god suffered
sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill So that the iustice of God shall appeare to his glory euen in the destruction of the wicked Ro. 3. 5. Nowe if our vnrighteousnesse commend the righteousnesse of God what shall we say Is God vnrighteous that punisheth I speake as a man For thus the wicked vse to reason and yet them selues shal be found in fault and the workers of their ouerthrow Ro. 9. 19. The wicked say Why doeth he yet complaine and find himselfe agrieued at vs For who hath resisted his wil séeing he hath thus determined of vs The Apostle aunswereth them O man who art thou which pleadest a gainst God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour What and if God woulde to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction In this matter we ought not to dispute or to be inquisitiue but rather in high estimation to reuerence the will of God and perswade our selues that we are of the number of those on whom Gods mercy shall be shewed and labour by all meanes by praier and all other holy and vertuous exercises to assure our selues of the same Election proceedeth only from the will of God but not because he did foresee what was in vs. Deut. 4. 37. And because he loued thy fathers therfore he chose their féede after them and hath brought thée out of Egipt in his sight by his mightie power Ezech. 16. 59. 60. Thus saith the Lord God I might euen deale with thée as thou hast done Neuerthelesse I will remember my couenant Ioh. 15. 16. Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordeined you that ye go and bring foorth frute and your frute remaine Rom. 9. 10. Rebecca when shée had conceiued by one euen by our father Isaac ere that the children were borne and when they had done neither good nor euil that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth It was said vnto her The elder shall serue the yoonger As it is written I haue loued Iacob and I haue hated Esau For he saith to Moses I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shewe mercy and I will haue compassion on him on whom I will haue compassion So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 11. 5 Euen so at this present time is there a remnant through the election of grace And if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace But if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke What then Israel hath not obtained that he sought but the election hath obtained it and the rest haue bene hardened According as it is written God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eies that they should not sée and eares that they should not heare vnto this day Tim. 1. 9. Who hath sauid vs and called vs with a holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was Ephe. 2. 8. For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast himselfe For wée are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them He hath chosen vs to doo good workes and not to be carelesse because we are chosen but rather to assure to our consciences our election by good workes According as we read Collos 1. 10. That ye might walke worthie of the Lord and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of god strengthned with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse Giuing thanks c. Ephe. 1. 5. 11. Who hath predestinate vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his wil In whom also we are chosen when we were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the counsaile of his owne will Although the causes of Reprobation procéed principally from the secret and hidden purpose of God yet are there also sufficient causes in our selues Among the rest these thrée Driginall sinne that is that naturall corruption wherein we are born Secondly the daily sinnes and offences which we commit Thirdly Vnbeliefe Gods hidden purpose Rom. 9. 13. I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Where he saith not only that Esau was ordained to be hated before he did any euil for in so saying he should not séeme to exclude any thing but actuall sinne and incredulitie but also saith expresly before he was borne Wherefore he excludeth originall sinne also If the Apostle had grounded reprobation vppon mans corruption the case had bene cleare and resolute if it had bene true But forasmuch as he saith plainly if so pleased God and it was not in their power to change this his good pleasure he bridleth mans wisdom that it might reuerence and wonder at Gods misteries as it is most iust to do And also encourageth the elect to honour the grace of god which is declared and made famous by such a comparison Causes in our selues of reprobation Originall sinne Psal 51. 5. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Ephe. 2. 3. By nature we are the children of wrath Iohn 3. 19. And this is the comdemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse rather then light because their déedes were euill Their owne corruption is a cause in themselues of their owne damnation Actuall and daily sinne Ephe. 4. 17. Hencefoorth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their mindes hauing their cogitations darkened and being strangers from the life of god through the ignoraunce that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hart which being past féeling haue giuen themselues vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse euen with gréedinesse 1. Cor. 9. 10. Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of god Gal. 6. God is not mocked For whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Rom. 8. 13. If we liue after the flesh ye shall die But if mortifie the déeds of the bodie by the spirit ye shall liue Vnbeliefe Exod. 5. 2. And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should heare his
quarrelling Let vs rather reuerence yâ— which passeth the reach and compasse of our wits and turne our mindes wholy to praise his mercy who by his onely grace hath saued vs when we deserued the like punishment and damnation and were no lesse sinners and wicked theÌ„ they The chief matters with places of Scripture for proofe God hath appointed a way to his infinit wisdome and to the execution of his predestination shutting vp al vnder disobadience sinne and vnbeleefe Gall. 3. 22. But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beléeue Rom. 11. 32. God hath shut vp all in vnbeléefe that he might haue mercy vpon all that beléeue So that the way to the Godly to be partakers of mercy is to beleeue wherein we must vnderstand that faith is a gift of God peculiarly belonging to the elect and chosen children of God Acts. 13. 48. And when the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained vnto eternal life beléeued Ephe. 2. 8. For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Titus 1. 1. Paule a seruant of God and an Apostle of Iesus Christ according to the faith of Gods elect which is proper and peculiar vnto them so that they that are partakers of faith may assure themselues yâ— they pertaine to god Philip. 1. 29. For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not only ye should beléeue in him but also suffer for his sake Gal. 5. 22. The frute of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffring gentlenes goodnes faith Iohn 6. 65. No man can come vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my father As also they that doe not beleeue nor knowe God are iustly condemned 2. These 3. 2. Pray for vs that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men For all men haue not faith Mat. 13. 11. It is giuen vnto you saith Christ to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen For the gospell and meanes of saluation is hid to them that perish 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. 2. Thes 2. 10. Ihon 12. 37. And though Iesus had done so many miracles before them yet beléeued they not on him That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fulfiled c. Man created in innocency puritie and holinesse Gene. 1. 27. Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female And what vertuous and holy qualities were there which were not in the image of God according as it is at large set downe Ephe. 4. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes true holines and so forth to the end of the chapter Man fell not from God by constraint or necessitie but became seruant of sin through his owne will Gen. 3. 6. So the woman séeing that the trée was good for meat and that it was pleasant to the eies and a trée to be desired to get knowledge tooke of the frute thereof and did eate and gaue also to her husband with her and he did eate which thing was contrary to the commaundement of God and a penaltie of death set vpon them if they did eate as we reade chap. 2. 16. 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying Thou shalt eate fréely of euery trée of the garden but as touching the trée of knowâ—edge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it For whensoeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death By which fall and and disobedience he did binde and drawe the whole nature of man to sin and so consequently to the death of body and soule Ro. 7. 20. Nowe if I doe that I would not it is no more I that do it but the sinne that dwelleth in me Ro. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned This fall of man came not by chaunce or fortune because the prouidence of God reacheth euen to the smallest matters Mat. 10. 29. 30. Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father yea and all the haires of your head are numbred Pro. 16. 33. The lot is cast into the lappe but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. What matter God hath so ordained to shewe his glory by mercy to the one and wrath to the other Ro. 9. 21. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe on vessell to honour and an other vnto dishonour What and if God would to shewe his wrath and to make his power to be knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction And that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorie Pet. 2. 6. 8. Behold I put in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious and he that beleueth therein shall not be ashamed A stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence euen to them which stumble at the word being disobedient vnto the which thing they were eueÌ„ ordained Neither saluation nor damnation is the finall end of Gods counsaile but his owne glory Ro. 9. 17. For the scripture saith vnto Pharaoh For this same purpose haue I stirred thée vp that I might shewe my power in thée and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth Pro. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill For ere the children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth it was said vnto Rebecca their mother The elder shall serue the younger As it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau Well in this cause may men pleade against God but it shall not preuaile Ro. 9. 19. 20. Thou wilt say then vnto me Why doth he yet complaine For who hath resisted his will But O maÌ„ who art thou which pleadest against God shal the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus But rather we ought to reuerence that which is past our reach and turne our minds wholly to praise god in his workes especially for his mercy toward vs. Ro. 11. 33. O the déepenesse of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! howe vn searchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Ps 107. 8. O that men would therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes and praise him for his wonderfull workes that he doeth for the children of men The fourth Chapter By what order God proceedeth to declare and
execute his election VVHen God determined with himself the things before The foundation of that election which is manifest vnto vs. meÌ„tioned he by a more manifest order of causes which notwithstanding was eternal as all things are present to him disposed orderly all the degrées whereby he wold bring his elect vnto his kingdom Forasmuch therfore as he is merciful yet could not forget his iustice before al other things it was necessary that a mediator shuld be appointed by whoÌ„ maÌ„ might be perfectly restored and that this shuld be done by the mercy grace which doth appear in the saluation of his elect But maÌ„ being so weak that he cannot abide the waight of gods wrath doth so much flatter himselfe in his most miserable blindnesse that he cannot perceiue it because he is wholly in bondage to sin so that the lawe of god is to him as death so farre is he vnable of himselfe to recouer his liberty or to satisfie the lawe of God in the very least â—ote God therefore the most mercifull father of the elect moderating in such sort his iustice with his infinit Iesus Christ our mediator mercy appointed his onely sonne who was the very same substance and God eternall with him that at the time determined he should by the power of the holy ghost be made very man to the end that both the natures being ioyned in Iesus Christ alone first all the corruption of man should Iustification and santification in christ be fully healed in one man who should also accomplish all iustice and moreouer should be able inough to sustaine the iudgement of God and be a Priest sufficient and worthy of himself to appease the wrath of God his father in dying as iust and innocent for them that were vniust sinners couering our disobedience purging all our sinnes which were laid vpon him And finally with one onely offering and sacrifice of himself should sanctifie al the elect mortifieng and burying sin in them by the partaking of his death and buriall quickening them into newnesse of life by his resurrection so that they should finde more in him then they had lost in Adam And to the intent this remedy should not be found ordained in vaine the Lord god determined to giue his son with al things appertaining vnto saluation to theÌ„ whoÌ„ he had determined in himself to choose on the other side to giue theÌ„ vnto his son that they being in him he in theÌ„ might be coÌ„summate made perfect in one by these degrées that follow according as it pleased him to bring foorth euery one of his elect into this world For first when it pleaseth him to disclose that secret which he had purposed froÌ„ before al beginning at such time as meÌ„ least looke for it As meÌ„ are blinded and yet think they sée most cleare when as in very déede death and damnation hangeth ouer their heads hée commeth suddenly setteth before their eies the great danger Externall vâ—caâ—ionâ— wherein they are and that they might be touched more sharply and liuely he addeth to the witnesse of their owne conscience being as it were a sléepe and dead the preaching of his lawe examples of his iudgements to strike them The lawe with the horrour of their sinnes Not that they should remain in that feare but rather that beholding the great danger thereof should flie to that onely mediator Iesus Christ In whom after the sharpe preaching of the lawe he setteth The Gospell foorth the swéete grace of the Gospell but yet with this condition that they beléeue in him who onely can deliuer them from condemnation and giue them right and title to the heauenly inheritance Yet all these things were but vaine if he should only set before mens eyes these secrets by the externall preaching of his word written and published in the Church of God which notwithstanding is the ordinary meanes whereby Iesus Christ is communicate vnto vs. Therefore as touching his elect vnto the externall The inward calling preaching of his word he ioyneth the inward working of his holy spirit the which doth not restore as the Papists VVhat Free-will is after the fall of Adam imagine the remnants or residue of Fréewill For what power soeuer of Fréewill remaineth in vs serueth to no other vse but willingly to sin to flie from God to hate him and so not to heare him nor to beléeue in him neither yet to acknowledge his gift no not so much as to thinke a good thought and finally to be children of wrath malediction But contrariwise changeth their hard hearts of stone into soft hearts of flesh draweth them teacheth them lighteneth their eyes and openeth their sence their heart their eares and vnderstanding First to make theÌ„ to know as we haue said before their own misery and next to plaÌ„t in them the gift of faith wherby they may perform the condition which is ioyned Faith hath two parts Faith which doth apprehend iustificaon by Christ and sanctification to the preaching of the gospel And that standeth on two points the one wherby we know Christ in generall beléeuing the story of Christ and the prophecies which are writ of him the which part of faith as we shal declare in due place is sometimes giuen to the reprobate The other which is proper and only belonging to the elect consisteth in applying Christ who is vniuersally and indifferently preached to all men to our selues as ours And that euery man make himselfe sure of his election which hath bene hid before al time in Gods secret and afterwards reuealed vnto vs partly by inward testimony of our conscience through the holy Ghost ioyned to the externall preaching of Gods word and partly also by the vertue and power of the same spirit who deliuering the elect from the seruitude of sinne perswadeth and conducteth them to will and worke the things which pleased God These then be the degrées whereby it pleased God to create and forme by his especiall grace that precious and peculiar gift of faith in his elect to the intent that they may imbrace their saluation in Iesus Christ But because this faith in vs is yet weake and only begunne to the end that we may not only perseuer in it but also proffit which thing is most necessary for all men to do first according to the time that our adoption is reuealed vnto vs this Baptisme faith is sealed in our hearts by the sacrament of Baptisme and afterward euery day more and more is confirmed and sealed in vs by the sacrament of the Lords supper Of the The Lords supper which two Sacraments the principall end is that they bée sure and effectuall signes pledges of the communion of the faithfull with Christ who is their wisdome iustice sanctification and redemption For this occasion it is so oftentimes mentioned by Saint Paul that we being iustified by faith haue peace with
25. 26. Instructing them with méekenesse that are contrary minded shewing their faults out of the lawe of God prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the trueth And that they may come to amendement out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will Acts 2. 37. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their heart and said vnto Peter the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Not that they should remaine in feare but beholding their danger might flie to Christ 1. Ihon. 2. 1. 2. My babes these things write I vnto you that ye sinne not and if any man sinne we haue an aduocat with the father Iesus Christ the iust And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes Ihon. 2. 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beléeue in his name Ihon. 3. 16. 17. 18. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued He that beléeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beléeueth not is condemned alreadie Mat. 9. 13. I came not to call the righteous but the sinners vnto repentannce Ro. 1. 16. The gospel is the power of saluation to euery one that beléeueth And so almost in euery leafe of the whole scripture Called they are to comfort by the preaching of faith Ro. 8. 17. Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Ro. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Chap. 5. 1. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Chor. 5. 18. All things are of God which hath reconciled vs vnto himself by Iesus Christ and hath giuen vnto vs the ministery of reconciliation For God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now theÌ„ are we imbassadours for Christ although God did beséech you through vs we pray you in Christ his stéede that yée be reconciled to God For he hath made him to be in sinne for vs that knowe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne anew not of mortall séede but of immortall by the worde of god who liueth and endureth for euer Coloss 1. 27. 28. God would make knowne which is the riches of his glorious ministerie among the Gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glorie Whome we preach admonishing euery man in all wisedome that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus Gene. 3. 8. Adam and Eue heard the voice of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the coole of the day So God chooseth his best time to winne vs not in the time of our offence when indéede he might iustly destroie vs but after we haue committed sinne in mercy he calleth vs that we shall remember and haue remorse for that which we haue done Iohn 6. 47. Verely verely I say vnto yâ—â— He that beléeueth in me hath euerlasting life The outward preaching profiteth not vnlesse the inward working of Gods good spirit be ioyned vnto it Ihon. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me drawe him by the power of his spirit â—â—d v. 65. Iesus said no man can come vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my father Mat. 13. 10. 11. His disciples said to him Why speakest thou to the people in parables And he said because it is giuen vnto you to know the secrets of the kingdome of god but to them it is not giuen Iohn 4 10 Iesus said vnto her If thou knowest the gift of god who it is that saieth to thée Giue me drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thée water of life Iohn 3. 3. Iesus said vnto Nicodemus verely verely I say vnto thée except a man be borne againe he cannot sée the kingdome of god 1. Cor. 2. 11. 14. For what man knoweth the things of a man sauing the spirit of a man which is in him euen so the things of god knoweth no man but the spirit of god But the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of god For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he knowe them because they are spiritually discerned 2. Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of god Ezek. 11. 19. The spirit of god worketh in vs by altering our hearts And I will giue them one heart and I will put a new spirit within their bowels and I will take the stony heart out of their bodies and I will giue them a heart of flesh Chap. 36. 26. Iohn 16. 13. When the spirit of truth is come he will leade you into all truth Psal 119. 18. Open my heart that I may vnderstand the wondrous things of thy lawe Ephe. 1. 9. 16. 17. 18. Hee hath opened vnto vs the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure which hee had purposed in him I make mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory might giue vnto you the spirit of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him That the eyes of your vnderstanding may be lightened that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in the saints And what is the excéeding greatnesse of his power toward vs which beléeue Esay 50. 5. The Lord God hath opened my eare and I was not rebellious neither turned I backe Psal 119. 73. Thine hanâ—s haue made me and fashioned me O giue me vnderstanding therefore that I may learne thy commandements Collo 1. 9. We cease net to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding Iere. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying Knowe the Lord For they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I wil forgiue their iniquitie and will remember their sinnes no more 2. Tim. 2. 25. Prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance and open their hearts Luke 24. 16. 45. When our Sauiour Christ talked with the two disciples that went to Emaus their eyes were holden that they could not know him Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Acts. 16. 14. And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the citie of the Thyatirians which worshipped
shall heare indéed but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall plainly sée and not perceiue o The Genena note vpon that place Whereby is declared that for the malice of man God will not immediately take away his word but he wil cause it to be preached to their condemnation when as they will not learne thereby to obey his will and be saued Hereby he exhorteth the Ministers to do their dutie and answereth to the wicked murmurers that through their owne malice their heart is hardened Mat. 13. 14. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Verse 10. Make the heart of his people fat make their eares heauy and shut their eies lest they sée with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstande with their hearts and conuert and he heale them And to bring this to passe he vseth partly their owne vile concupiscences to the which hee hath giuen them vp to be ruled and led by Rom. 1. 26. For this cause God gaue them vp to vile affections c. Sée more in that chap. And Esay 64. 7. And partly also the spirit of lies who keepeth them wrapt in his snares 2. Thess 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Euen him whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they may be saued And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beléeue lies That all they might be damned which beléeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Iohn 3. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light because their déedes were euill Ezay 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs erre from thy waies and hardned our heart from thy feare Ro. 11. 32. For God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe Acts. 7. 42. Then God turned himselfe away and gaue them vp to serue the host of heauen 1. Kin. 22. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. The Lord said Who shal intice Ahab that he may go fall at Ramoth Gilead And one said on this maner and an other said on that manner Then there came foorth a spirit and stoode before the Lord and said I will entice him And the Lord said vnto him Wherewith And he said I will goe out and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Then he said thou shalt entice him and shalt also preuaile goe foorth and do so Nowe therefore behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath appointed euill against thée 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. If our Gospell be then hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them By reason of their corruption from the which as out of a fountaine issueth a continuall flowing riuer of infidelitie ignorance and iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 26. And that they may come to amendment out of the snares of the diuel which are taken of him at his will Whereby it followeth that hauing as it were made shipwracke of their faith 1. Tim. 1. 19. Hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put away and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke Can by no meanes escape the day which is appointed for their destruction that God may be glorified in their iust condemnation Prou. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euil Rom. 9. 21. 22. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other vnto dishonour What and if God would to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The sixt Chapter Of the last and full accomplishment of Gods eternall counsell as well towards the elect as the reprobate FOrasmuch as God is iustice it selfe it is necessary that The full execution of god counsaile he should saue the iust and condemne the vniust Now they among men are only iust who being by faith ioined to Christ grafted rooted in him and made one bodie with him are iustified sanctified in him by him Wherof it followeth that the glory to the which they are destinate to the glory of God appertaineth to them as by a certain right or title On the other part they which remaine in Adams pollution death are iustly hated of God and so condemned by him not excepting so much as thē which die before they sin as Adam did But both these manners of executing Gods iudgements as well in these as in the other which are elected are in thrée sorts whereof we haue already declared the first For the elect in that same moment that they In the elect haue receiued the gift of faith haue after a certaine sort passed from death to life whereof they haue a sure pledge But this their life is hid in Christ till this corporall death make them to steppe a degrée further and that the soule being loosed out of the band of the body enter into the ioy of the Lord Finally in the day appointed to iudge the quicke and the dead when that which is corruptible and mortall shall be clad with incorruption and immortalitie and God shall be all in all things then they shall sée his maiestie face to face and shall fully enioy that vnspeakable comfort and ioy which before all beginning was prepared for them which is also the reward that is due to the righteousnesse holinesse of Christ who was giuen for their sinnes and raised againe from death for their iustification By whose vertue and spirit they haue procéeded and gone forward from faith to faith as shall manifestly appeare by the whole In the Reprobate course of their life and good workes Whereas altogither contrary the reprobate conceaued and brought vp in sin death wrath of God when they depart out of this world they fall into an other gulfe of destruction and their soules are plunged in that endlesse paine vntill the day come that their bodies soules being ioyned againe they shall enter into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Then by these two waies which are The glory of God cleane contrarie one to an other the last issue and end of Gods iudgement shall set forth manifestly his glory to all men foramuch as in his elect he shall declare himselfe most iust and most mercifull Most iust I say for that he Perfectly iust and perfectly mereifull hath punished with extréeme rigour seueritie the sinnes of his elect in the person of his sonne neither did receiue them into the fellowship of his glory before
God hath raised vs vp togither and made vs sit togither in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus Philip. 1. 23. For I am greatly in doubt on both sides destring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Luke 23. 43. Iesus said to the théefe that repented Verily I say vnto thée To day shalt thou be with me in Paradice And chapter 16. 22. And it was so that the begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Wisâ— 3. 1. But the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them Eccle. 12. 7. And dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit returne to God that gaue it Then shall they enioy fully that vnspeakeable comfort prepared Rom. 8. 18. For I account that the affictions of this present time are not worthie of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Mat. 25. 34. Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world 1. Cor. 15. 42. 43. 53. The bodie is sowne in corruption and is raised in corruption It is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie 1. Cor. 2. 9. The things which eye hath not séene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him By whose vertue and spirit they haue proceeded and gone forward from faith to faith as shall manifestly appeare by the whole course of their life and good workes Rom. 1. 17. The righteousnesse of God is reuealed from faith to faith â—â— 2. Reâ— 1. 2â—1 2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you by the knowledge of God of Iesns our Lord. According as his godly power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse through the knowkledge of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers of the godly nature in that ye flie the corruption which is in the world through lust Therefore giue euen all diligence thereunto Ioine moreoner vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperaunce and with temperaunce patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue For if these things be among you and abound they wil make you that ye neither shal be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ For he that hath not these things is blinde and cannot sée farre off and hath forgotten that hee was purged froÌ„m his olde sinnes Wherefore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure For if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall For by these meanes an entering shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the cuerlasting kingdom of out Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Whereas altogither contrary the Reprobate conceiued borne and brought vp in sin death and the wrath of God when they depart out of this world they fall into another gulfe of destruction and their soules are plunged in that endlesse paine vntill the day come that their bodies and solues being ioined again they shall enter into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuel and his angels 〈◊〉 Psal 5 â—â—â—5 Behold I was borne in iniquitle and in sinne hath my mother conceaued me Ephe. 2. 3. And were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Rom. 7. 14. sold vnder sinne Rom. 5. 14. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned Dani. 12. 2. And many of them that sléepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt Iohn 5. 28 29. Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done cuill to the resurrection of condemnation Luke 16. 22. 23. 24. The rich man also died and was buried and being in hell torments he lift vp his yes and sawe Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his hosome Then he cried and said Father Abraham haue merry on me and send Lazarus that he may dippe the tippe of his singer in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame But Abraham said Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore is he comforted and thou art tormented Mat. 25. 41. Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuel and his angels The seuenth Chapter After what sort this doctrine may be preached with most profit SInte wee haue nowe declared the effect of this doctrine VVhat discretion the matter requireth it remaineth also that wee shewe what order we thinke best to be obseruâ—â— in preaching and applying the same to euery particular man Whereas many find this matter so sharp and strange that they flie from it as from a dangerous rocke it is partly to be attributed to the malice and arrogancy of men And partly to the rashnesse and lacke of discretion of them that teach it and thirdly it is to be imputed to their ignoraunce which cannot orderly apply the same to themselues which faithfully and truly hath bin taught of others Concerning them which sinne of malice it onely appertaineth to GOD to amend them Which surely he hath done alwaies in his reason and likewise will do from time to time to whom he hath appointed to shewe mercy But for others which remainâ— obstinate in their sinne and wickednesse there is no cause why we should be moued either for their number or authority to dissemble Gods truth And as touching the second sorte I haue thought these things principally to be obserued in preaching this misterie First as in all other things so chiefly in this matter of predestination they ought to take diligent héede that in stéede of Gods pure and simple truth they bring not soorth vaine and curious speculations or dreames Which thing they cannot choose but do which goe about to compasse and accord these secret iudgments of God with mans wisdome so do not onely put difference betwirt predstinatioÌ„ and the purpose of god which thing they must néedes do but seperate the one froÌ„ the other For they either imagine a certaine naked and idle permition or else make a double purpose and counsell in God From the which errors they must néeds fall into many and greate absurdities For sometimes they are constrained to diuide
lawe as pertaining to God but am in the lawe through Christ that I may winne them that are without the lawe to the weake I become as weake that I may winne the weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes saue some And this I doo for the Gospell sake Rom. 1. 14. I am debter both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and vnto the vnwise Philip. 2. 12. 13. Make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling lest that through the deceit of sinne ye should fall away or else lest ye be any offence to the weake For it is God that worketh in you both the will the déed euen of his good pleasure Concerning the second that we do not apply this doctrine to any man particularly or to any certaine company For in this also it differeth from election Because election as hath beene said is reuealed to vs by the spirit of God within our selues not in others whose hearts we cannot know And Reprobation is euer hid from men except it bee disclosed by God contrary to the common course of things For who can tell if God haue determined to shewe mercy at the last houre of death to him which hath spent all his life past lewdly wickedly But this trust ought not to incourage any man to maintaine and continue in his sinne vngodlinesse For I speake of those things which we ought to consider in others For the examples of such mercy of God are very rare Neither any man that is wise will promise to himselfe through a vaine securitie and trust that thing which is not in his owne power Iam. 4. 13. 14. 15. 16. Goe too now yée that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a citie continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine And yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrowe For what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and afterward vanish away For that yée ought to say If the Lord will and if we liue we will do this or that Now if we cannot promise the continuance of life vnto our selues how much lesse may we assure our selues of Gods mercie at our pleasure Luke 12. 19. 20. The rich man said vnto his soule Soule thou hast much good lain vp for many yéeres liue take ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But God said vnto him O foole this night will they setch away thy soule from thée 2. Tim. 2. 25. The minister is willed to instruct the euill disposed with méeknesse and such as are contrary minded prouing if GOD at any time will giue them repentance Therefore repentance is not at our pleasure or leasure 1. Pe. 1. 14. 15. 16 17. 18. 19. Fashioning not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance But as he which hath called you is holy so be yée holy in all manner of conuersation And if yée call him father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling heere in feare Knowing that yée were not redeemed with siluer and gold and such corruptible things Hebr. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holinesse without the which no man shall sée the Lord. And if we obserue this order wee shall receiue great fruite of this doctrine especially in these foure considerations First it maketh men humble and to submit themselues to God Secondly it maketh the grace of God to be better knowne of the elect seeing it is not common to all Thirdly it bringeth a godly care to receiue faith when it is offered and to labour to increase it Fourthly it doth confirme vs against all offences All which reasons are more plainly set downe in the last part of this eight chapter Deo gratia A Praier for the Queenes most excellent Maiestie O Most gracious God and heauenly Father by whose disposition Kingdomes and Kealmes are gouerned and by whose power Kings Princes raigne we giue thée hartie thanks that in thy great mercy thou hast set such a Prince and Quéene ouer vs vnder whose godly and peaceable gouernment we enioy glad tidings of thy Gospell and the truth of thy word in manifest sort deliuered vnto vs with peace and quietnesse and other worldly great blessings of thine in a plentifull measure Endue her so with heauenly gifts that her heart may be alwaies framed to the obedience of thy will that by her godly and gracious gouernment thy name may be glorified thy Church edified the poore members of Christ relieued vertue aduanced and vice beaten downe and punished that so in wealth she may surpasse that prosperitie y◠was in the daies of King Salomon and that in life and health she may so be preserued long among vs to thy glorie and our comfort that the yeares of her royall fathers gouernment may bee doubled vpon her And although we for our parts haue and doo daily prouoke thy wrath against vs and haue worthily in respect of thy blessings deserued the contrary as for the heauenly vlessings of thy Gospell and truth ignorance idolatry and superstition for wealth and prosperitie penury and scarcitie for peace and quietnesse troubles and warres for our health and the continuance of our life diseases and death yet in thy mercy be fauourable vnto vs mollifie our hard and stonie hearts that we may repent mortifie sinne in vs that there may be séene amendment in our liues and conuersation that we may yéeld our soules and bodies to the obedience of thy blessed will and commaundements whereby thy manifold and good blessings and benefits may be both increased and continued toward vs. That the heauens may send downe their raine that the earth may giue forth her plentifull encrease that our garners may be full and plenteous with all maner of store that our shéepe may bring forth thousandes that our oxen may be strong to labour that there be no decaie no leading into captiuitie and no complaining in our stréets wherein we shall be blessed who haue the Lord for our God As for her enemies who séeke her destruction let them fall into the pitte that they haue digged for others and let their owne shame light vpon them And let thy crowne florish vpon her head whom thou hast annointed that in the maintenance of thy truth and of thy people it may be knowne that though the heathen rage so furiously togither and the Kings of the earth stand vp in armes against thée and against thine annointed that thou breakest the bowe and knappest the speare in pieces that thou art able to turne the swordes of her enemies to murther themselues And though the horse bee prepared vnto the battaile yet the victorie is from thée who can mightily confounde her foes and put a hooke in their nosthrilles and turne them backe the same way they came The straunge deliuerances which thou hast wrought in her behalfe both
We must learne our hearts to bee content with it nay to take it as a rich and liberall portion what euer it be and as a barre to hold in our affections from raunging into gréedie desire For our affections are as gulfes that are most insatiable which would neuer rest with contentation in any thing but still be inflamed with the desire of more and drawe and hale vs forward and so hold vs in continuall torment The remedie whereof the Lord hath appointed our owne estate to be whatsoeuer it is that it might appease our affections and settle them with rest peace and good liking as in the seate which our good God hath séene to be conuenient for vs and therefore hath set vs in it to finde ease quiet comfort and contentment therein For if thine heart be not setled in thine estate with good liking and contentation as in a good prouision it is impossible that euer thou shouldest become thankfull for it For to séeme to ioy without ioy is to play the hipocrite and to dissemble with God Now if there be any of vs who are so loaden with infirmities and ouercome of their owne weakenesse that this godly sobrietie cannot take place in euerie respect as it ought let him or them become earnest sutors vnto the Lord to preuaile against their corruption which dooth so abounde that it cannot neither will of it owne accord entertaine sobrietie and contentation And let them bee well assured that the vnfained petition and praier of them that are so loaden with the burthen of their wants their praiers being continued cannot returne emptie from that God who by name calleth out such to come vnto him with promise that he will heare him and them whosoeuer For he that hath begunne this grace within them will also in good time make it perfect So that all vnséemly behauiour all vncleannesse pride and excesse couetous desires and discontentments shall vanish away by litle and litle when as the grace of God hath fully taught vs to liue soberly 2. After we be fully perswaded to liue soberly then also Righteously shall we be desirous to liue both righteously and godly For the grace of God cannot be without his true effects To liue righteously is so to order our life as euery man may haue his owne at our hands for iustice and equitie is a vertue that giueth to euery one his due This vertue doth first and principally touch Kings Princes Magistrates Iudges and Lawiers whome God hath made the Lordes and Rulers of right and to minister true iustice vnto the people Secondarily and more nearly it concerneth euery one particulerly and namely by this generall rule of Right that we should wish and do to euery one as we would that King other should wish and do to vs. The King and Prince in a realme ought chiefly to take care that he make and ordain no lawes wherby his subiects should be iniured and wronged and that it may be said of him as it was of King Dauid who ruled the people committed to his charge prudently with all his power And that the King might deale vprightly therefore God commanded that his lawe should be written in a booke that the King might haue it alwaies before his eies and that in ruling well and vprightly he might prosper According to that we reade Ier. 22. concerning the King Iehoiakim Shalt thou raigne saith the Prophet to Iehoiakim because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Did not thy father eate drinke and prosper when he executed iustice and iudgement when he iudged the cause of the poore he prospered Was not this because he knew me saith the Lord But thy eies and thy heart are only for couetousnes and for oppression Therefore thus saith the Lord of Iehoiakim he shall be buried as an asse is buried Prou. 20. 8. A King that sitteth in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eies The care of iustice shall preserue the King and establish him in his throne For a King by iudgement maintaineth the countrey Prou. 29. 4. yea so much the more ought the King to haue care hereof because his whole land shall be punished for the want of it as where it is vsed the land shall prosper the better for it Iustice and iudgement they are the strong holdes and fenced places of the land they are the keies of the country and they kéep vs better then all the block-houses or places of defence whersoeuer They are better able to encounter with our enemies then any garrison of men how well practised or prepared soeuer they may be But contrariwise the neglect of iustice is worse then rebellion it pulleth Princes out of their throanes maketh the land cast out her inhabitants ioyneth with forreine power openeth the gates of all our castles and holds taketh the weapon from the warriour the heart from the valiant souldier wisedom and forecast from the wise counsailour and poisoneth al our munition What is it for Kings and Princes to take care for a mightie nauie or a valiant army or forcastles and bulwarkes for shot and ordinance if Gods ordinances bee not fulfilled accordingly and iustice and equitie be not executed in the land For God can giue ouer a great number into the hands of a fewe and make things impossible séeme very easie Next to the King and Prince are they to looke to the Iudge due ministration of iustice whom the King doth put in his place and whom he doth put in trust to see all things rightly performed That they may haue regarde to bee men of courage to feare God to deale truly and to hate couetousnesse Yea such as that godly King Iehoshaphat would haue to be vnder him as we reade 2. Chro. 19. whom he did vnto his great commendation worthily exhort vnto their dutie that through the counsaile and countenance of the King they might haue heart to do it And he said to the Iudges whom he had set in the land throughout all the strong citties citie by citie Take héed what ye do for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord and he wil be with you in the cause iudgement Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be vpon you take héed and do it for there is no iniquitie with the Lord our God neither respect of persons nor receiuing of reward That the Iudges should not be danted or corrupted they know séeing they are men of reuerend grauitie and great wisedome that they beare the person of the King as though the King himselfe were there in presence The Princes armes are hung ouer them the best of the shire do homage and reuerence vnto them they countenance them out before the people the Sheriffe waiteth vppon them with all his power Yea more then this God hath appointed them in his seate and calleth them by his owne name Gods that they may be put in minde that God in all rightfull causes will maintaine them
giuen for the purchase of a zealous giuing of our liues to those workes And therefore doth the Apostle tell vs that we are not our owne as to frame our liues after our owne liking but we are to serue the Lord both with our bodie and with our spirite because they are the Lords who hath bought them with a price If we humble not not our selues to a zealous following of good works we withhold the Lords due for he hath paide a great price to purchase a good life at our hands and dearly paide for a life ledde in zealous obedience vnto his word For we are not barely to giue some good words either to shewe some good countenance towards religion and Christian conuersation but to haue our conuersation declare that we are affected with the same and become studious of such an estate of life And such are they which declare themselues to be the peculiar people for whome the Lord laide out his life As for those who walke so indifferently betwéene true religion and false that a man cannot discerne whether they are more inclined vnto as also those that walke so euen betwéene a eiuill life and a Christianlike behauiour that the difference is not easily perceiued they doo declare themselues as yet not to be affected in desire toward those dueties which the Lord hath laid vpon his people to performe Now where this purchase of his hath taken place and effect they are become a peculiar people zealous of good workes And if cold and luke-warme christians may haue but litle comfort froÌ„ the death of Christ what shall become of them who are sworne enemies either to true religion or els to a good life and christian behauiour It is said here that we must be purged and so the Apostle would haue vs to become a peculiar people vnto our God zealous of good works Which agreeth with that of S. Peter 1. Ep. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his maruellous light Which in time past were not a people yet are now the people of God which in time past were not vnder me rcie but now haue obteined mercie He gaue himselfe to purge vs which office of purging the holy ghost performeth not by miracle but by meanes as I haue said afore Which spirite of God pray we that it may so worke togither with his grace in our heartes yâ— we may be throughly taught and also perswaded vtterly to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lustes as we haue made a vow and faithfull promise thereof in our baptisme so that we may liue soberly without excesse and riot righteously without doing iniurie and wrong and godly with a care to do all good workes whereby we may please God and liue in fauour and credit among men Spending as much time as remaineth in this life not after the lustes of the flesh or the vanities of the world or after the temptations of the diuell but after the will of God knowing this that if we liue after the flesh we shall die but if we mortifie the déeds of the body by the spirite we shall liue And what though some should mocke at vs for our reformed life and godly and holy conuersation for the diuell will stirre vs vp enemies inough for al such matters we must be prâ—uided prepare our selues before-hand And this is a great comfort vnto vs in that matter to teach vs not to be dismaied but still to hold on our course constantly considering that they that are so wilfully and so maliciously bent against vs shall giue account of their doings to him that is readie to iudge them Rather let vs be contrarily minded vnto them and let vs learne to set out our selues against all worldly hinderaunces whatsoeuer framing our selues to be such as looke for the blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the Almightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ And let vs not make the death of Christ of so small account as not to be zealous and carefull of good workes séeing he tooke vpon him a bitter death for our sakes not only to deliuer vs from our â—innes but also that we should leade a godly a holie and sanctified life Which God graunt and giue vs the grace that we may so doo And the Lord guide our hearts to the loue of God and to the waiting for of Christ To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost thrée persons and one euerliuing God be rendred all praise dominion and power now and for euermore Amen Deo gratia solique gloria Here endeth the Patterne of Sanctification To the Right Worshipfull and one of his chiefest friends M. Francis Newport Esquire Iustice of Peace and Quorum in the Countie of Salop S. I. wisheth blessings of God in this life and the ioyes of that which is to come THe remembrance of your former curtesies Right Worshipfull makes me that I caÌ„not forget you when I remember my chiefest friends Wherefore deuising with my selfe how I might in some sort shewe my thankfull mind toward you I could not do it otherwise then by presenting this slender gift of my studie before your eyes wishing praying that the effect and meaning thereof might take so deep a consideration in your hart that it may worke your heauenly consolation assurance VVhose patronage likewise I humbly desire may giue credit and countenance thereunto I should haue remembred the right worshipfull my Ladie your mother but the matters of learning are more fit to bee directed to men of knowledge then vnto that sexe which is not so well acquainted therwith Only this I may say to shewe my good will from my heart and to giue vnto her Ladiship her due that although her estate be worshipfull yet is her report and remembrance honorable As long as she liueth she shall increase it when it shall please God to take her to himself she shall not loose it God requite vnto her and comfort her in her most need as shee hath bountifully relieued and comforted my father and mother and vs his children euen all the houshold of vs. And I doubt not but that many housholdes in Shropshire especially in Shrewesbury may saie the same Yet ought this so much to bee her comfort as that her onlie staie I meane her saluatioÌ„ is wrought by the death and precious blood-sheading of Iesus Christ our Sauiour onlie of his mercy without any desert of ours and by no other meanes whatsoeuer I would to God that many both honorable and worshipfull women in the lande whom God hath inriched no doubt to do good to others and to supplie the wants of those that stand in need would take her course that they might deserue the like commendation and haue the praiers and hearts of the people which is more woorth then all their landes and treasures or
was he in all goodnesse after that God had giuen him a newe heart insomuch that the scripture testifieth of him that he was a man after Gods owne heart The Apostle S. Paul the remembrance of his earnest and cruell persecution made him most earnest in his office and profession I thank God saith he which hath made me valiant to fight vnder his banner and strong to indure all trouble and persecution when as before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor And againe 1. Cor. 19. 9. 10. I am the least of the Apostles which am not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the church of God But yet by the grace of God I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine for I laboured more aboundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me The remembrance of our sinnes is no hinderance to godlinesse but it maketh vs the more forward If I haue done any wrong to any man saith Zacheus I restore him fourefold This effect also had the remembrance of sinne in that sinnefull woman Marie Magdalene out of whom our Sauiour Christ cast seuen diuels euen she that was notorious for her lewde and light behauiour Who as by repentance she died vnto sinne so the memory of her sinne is dead and buried vnto her in this respect because she liueth still in the glorious remembrance of that righteousnesse which penitent sinners obtaine by faith She is honorably mentioned wheresoeuer the gospell of Christ is read and heard of all men speake of her teares of her sins no one is mentioned and knowne But touching the remembrance of her former sinnes sée what it wrought The precious oile wherewith she was wont to annoint her selfe y◠she might be more pleasant to the sences of her louers she nowe poureth out and for loues sake bestoweth it vppon her Sauiour The eies which were wont to cast wanton lookes vpon the dissolute did now gush out with water serued as conduits at the féete of Christ The haire which before had béene wrapt in gold had bene coloured pleated broidered laid out and beset with pearles was now imploied to a farre other vse that the honour receiued from the féete of Iesus might put out the shame which before it had taken from the eies of leaud amorous beholders Hauing washed and dried she could not satisfie her selfe till she had also kissed her sauiours féete whose mercy now had eased her heart of that deadly sting which the lippes of wantons had imprinted and left behinde them The remembrance of sinnes past is gréeuous that vertue practised in stéede thereof may be more comfortable The one burthensome the other ioyfull Yea what is it that should procure our trouble séeing we are vouchsafed so great a priuiledge as to be accounted of God to be his children What ioy should it be vnto vs that wee are lifted vp vnto this high dignitie as to be the saints of God temples of the holy ghost members of Christ Lordes ouer all the Angels of God to bee our friendes our helpers and aiders the watchmen appointed of God to watch ouer vs that no hurt should come vnto vs otherwise then it pleaseth our good and gracious God who as we may fully perswade our selues doth all for our good and all for the best citizens of heauen thrones of God heires of God brethren and sisters of Christ and fellow heires with him in the kingdome of heauen Finally whether it be the world or life or death whether it be Angels principalities or powers whether they be things present or things to come euen all ours and we Christs and Christ Gods And yet beholde this is not the one halfe of that dignitie the one halfe of that excellent glorie whereunto hereafter we shall attaine being heires with Christ and members of his bodie For where the head is there shall the members be And as we haue receiued of the fulnesse of his grace so shall wée also be partakers of the fulnesse of his glorie Hauing giuen vs an assuraunce thereof alreadie because hée is gone to prepare vs euerlasting dwelling places in such sort that in time to come when all things are prepared for vs he will come againe Iohn 14. 3. to receiue vs vnto himselfe and to entertaine vs most friendly most bountifully most honourably most roially Dearely beloued saith Saint Iohn 1. Epistle 3. 2. now are wee the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be And we knowe that when hée shall appeare we shall be like him being glorious members of a glorious head The certaintie of our adoption and this dignitie that wee are heires in hope and shall be hereafter in sure possession is a steppe to our glorification The full fruition and enioying wherof wée shall not receiue till this life bee ended For by death wee must bee translated to the possession of so great and waighty matters and of such a wonderfull glory Our life is hid with Christ and vntill we come to Christ as the Apostle S. Paul desired to haue his bodie dissolued and to be with Christ our life and our glorie shall not appeare And euery one that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hée is pure Touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters sath the Lord Almightie Séeing then we haue these promises dearly beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God remembring that we are heires let nothing hinder or barre vs from our inheritance which is so glorious that it shall excéed in glory Being heires of that saluation which is most precious of that kingdom which is most glorious of those ioyes which euer shall be endlesse Vnto the which the Lord in his good time bring vs and whereof in his sauing gracious mercies it may please him to make vs partakers To God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost thrée persons and one euerliuing God be rendred all praise dominion and power now and for euermore Amen Gratia Deo solique gloria TO THE RIGHT REVEREND AND venerable Minister of Gods Church Maister Alexander Nowell Deane of Paules S. I. wisheth all the blessings of God in this life and in the life to come perpetuall ioyes WEake meates are fittest for weake stomakes and strong meat for valiant people and bitter potions are most welcome to them that knowe and vnderstand what their effect and operation is To write of the remedie of sorrow and to perswade to the bearing and enduring of bitter sorrow might seeme a paradoxe in most mens mindes were it not that your Worship knew these matters better then I am able to set them downe and expresse them But I thought good to direct these vnskilfull Treatises vnto
his Isaac youth and to perish in the sloure of his age tried also with famine in a straunge land This thought of minde grieued him being among strangers whose dispesition he knewe not but shrewdly did suspect what would fall out It may be saith he to his wife I shall die for thée because some other would possesse thy beauty So he perswaded her to call him brother His last and no doubt not the least sorrowe was to sée his desire preuented For he thought to poure aboundance of blessings on his eldest sonne Esau but God turned it otherwise What passions and seas of sorrowe possessed his hart to heare his sonne Esau whome he made so great account of to cry out in bitter teares and that out of measure Insomuch that betwixt feare and anger his mind was sore vexed For he was stricken with a maruâ—lious great feare and his anger enforced him to say who and where is he And after long absence when Iacob came to sée his father we reade not of any comfortable words that his father gaue him Yet was this Iacob for all his fathers Iacob blessing a patterne of sorrowe Iobe and Iacob all one The very first time of his sorrowe two mightie distresses the hazard of his fathers curse and the feare of death by his brother Esaus sword Next he that should be heire of so great possessions and blessings must vnder go a seruile life for seuen yeares and for seuen watching night and day in heate and cold a faithfull seruant and yet mistrusted to be false he that should haue béene most plentifully rewarded groind and grudged at and pursued with hatred His heart and cheefest ioy for whome he serued fourtéene yeares taken away in bitter sorrow of child-birth His sorrowe increased with wâ—â—ull griefe to sée his eldest sonne Reubin to commit incest his daughter Dina to be deâ—loured by a stranger Two other of his sonnes imbruing their hands with murther and thereby putting him in feare of his life Pincht with famine brought into a strange country where his posterity should liue in sorrowe And if his youngest sonne Beniamin be taken from him then do they bring his heare head with sorrow to the graue As though he had begunne and ended his life in sorrowe Ioseph put Ioseph in feare of his life among his owne brethren solde vnto merchants and as it were vtterly bannished from the presence of his father and all his kindred falsly accused and slaundered cast out of fauour and throwne into prison in a strange country wher was no hope of help to be looked for Moses in his youth like to be cast away and drowned like Moses to be put to death by withstanding the mighty king Pharao hated of his owne people who being sent for their deliuerance thought him to be the cause of their oppression whom they grudged against saying Why hast thou brought vs into the wildernesse to slay vs enuies reprochfully vsed especially of Core Dathan and Abiram the princes of the people My penne would faile mée and I should be too tedious vnto you if I should write this matter to the full And what should I more say for the time will not serue mée to tell of Dauid and all his troubles being worst thought on Dauid of whome he best deserued his guiltlesse blood sought for of him whose honour and life he had preserued readie to be cast out of his throne by him whome he could haue vouchsafed his throne his rebellious sonne Absolon and for whom he wept bitterly Murther and incest among his owne children Oh sorrows more then tragicall Iobs sorrowes Iob. are knowne to euerie one losse of goods the vntimely death of his children greuous sores on his body from top to toe the heauie temptation of his wife the strangenesse of his familiars enmitie of his friends Yea his sorrow was so great that he cursed the day of his birth Michaiah Ieremiah Daniel and all the prophets examples of sorrow to Prophets Christ succéeding ages Our sauior Christ fainting and as it were ouercome of sorrowe his sorrowes being surpassing great Apostles and more then straunge and wonderfull The Apostles appointed hereeunto especially the Apostle S. Paule who may stand for all the rest and in whome you may perceiue all the sorrowes that might befall them As is worthely set downe 2. Cor. 11. 23. In stripes aboue measure in Paul prison plentiously in death oft once stoned and left for dead night and day in the déepe sea and almost cast away by shipwracke In perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils of mine owne nation in perils among the Gentiles in perils in the cittie in perils in the wildernesse in perils among false brethren In wearinesse and painfulnesse in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and in nakednesse A learned man writing of the sorrowes of the godly in this worlde compareth them vnto a shippe tossed on the sea hauing alwaies weather and winde against them Our life is but short and in this shortnesse good Lord how many chaunges how many stormes and how many tempests Abel Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph the Israelites chasticed in the wildernesse of the Lord and in continuall stormes warre and battaile before they could be placed in the land of Canaan And when they were come thither and long had dwelt there in the end their temple was spoiled their people murthered their cities rased and they led captiues into straunge countries Let euery one looke into himselfe and behold what cause of sorrow our own rebellious and disordered desires which neuer suffer vs to enioy any long rest of mind which bring vs sometimes more sorrow theÌ„ we can put off moue vs vnto Some are troubled with one vnquietnesse some with an other Some cannot rest for cares of the world som swel with pride and come to their fall some boile in rancer consume themselues some fry in lust and end their daies in sorowful diseases being spectacles of sorow some carried away headlong with anger and sléepe goeth from their eies to thinke howe they may bee reuenged Such procure sorrowe to themselues and néede no sorrowe to be laide vpon them The daies of this world to the godly are nothing else in a manner but dismall daies and sorrowfull times yea the estate of all in this world is but sorrowfull Either we are hated of the world or else which is worse of God assaulted of Sathan subiect to the manifold diseases both of body and soule the one miserable the other most daungerous and intollerable Many in number and diuers in nature are the sorrowes that fall out in the world Some are afflicted by exile and banishment some by captiuitie and imprisonment some by famine and nakednesse some by perill persecution some by slander and reproachfull contumely some by rackings tearing in péeces some by slaughter sword some by fire and fagot some by
lament Which although we ought not to wish for yet being laide on our shoulders wee must both patiently and thankfully beare it According to the answeres of Ely the Priest and Hezekiah the King though in an other case It is the Lord let him doo what seemeth him good The Iere. 10. 19. word of the Lord is good which thou hast spoken The will of the Lord be done Act. 21. 14. 2. The next thing mentioned in the text is the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked concerning ioy and sorrow in these wordes And the world shall reioyce and ye shall sorrow Wherein it is worthy the consideration to know and vnderstand what is meant by this word world VVhat is meant by this word world Which generally is taken for the heauen the earth the sea and all thinges therein contained Yet more néerely it is taken for the people that dwell in the world Also the customes and fashions of the people are meant by this word world According to our prouerbe and vsuall phrase This is the world that is this is the dealing of the men in the world and this is practised now adaies Againe it is taken for a spéech of woonder It is a world to sée that is it is a maruellous matter Also for those chiefe desires wherwith men are much led and ouertaken in the world as honour dignitie and promotion riches pleasures All which are of chiefest account and doe most raigne in the world Confirmed by S. Iohn 1. Ep. cap. 2. ver 15. Loue not the world neither the thinges that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him For all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life that is ambition promotion and honour is not of the father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Elswhere it signifieth the wisdome of worldly minded men 1. Cor. 1. 21. For seeing the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue ca. 26. And we speake wisedome among them that are perfect not the wisedome of this world neither of the Princes and great men of this world which come to nought Sometimes it is taken for the elect people of God according to that we reade Iohn 3. 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting And although it be manifest that Christ his death is sufficient for all yet this benefite of his death doth rather properly pertaine to the elect that is to them that truely and vnfainedly haue repented them of their sinnes applying the mercies of God in Ieus Christ to the comfort of their distressed soules and relying and depending wholly vpon Gods promises But most commonly it is taken for the worser sort of the people in the world As it is said that Sathan is the prince of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. Nay the God of the world because the most part serue him more then then God and in whose heartes and mindes and consciences he doth both rule and raigne The godly are against him and against his procéedinges and therefore by this word world the godly in the world are not meant but rather opposed against them that liue in the world Which is confirmed by the spéech of our Sauiour in his praier to God for the elect and godly Iohn 17. I pray for them which haue knowne me beleeued in me I pray not for the world The world hath hated them because they are not of the world as I am not of the world And in the fiftéenth chapter of the same Gospell verse 19. If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but because yee are not of the worlde but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you And in this last sence this word World is taken for wicked and naughtie men for the haters and persecutors of Gods truth and his Gospell We know we are of God saith Saint Iohn 1. Epist cap. 5. 19. and the whole world lieth buried in wickednesse and is giuen ouer to euill doing In the world saith Christ ye shall haue trouble afflictioÌ„ persecutioÌ„ ye shal be hated of al men for my sake the Gospels be of good comfort I haue ouercom the world Hauing opened vnto you what is meant by the world The ioy of the world and of the wicked it followeth that I should shew you the difference concerning ioy sorrow betwixt them that are of the world and them that are not of the worlde The worlde hath many things wherein it reioyceth but it is an vsurped and a couâ—erfeit ioy no true and sound ioy For the kingdome of God is not meate or drinke or any thing that the world yéeldeth but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Ro. 14. VVorldly matters 17. As they are of the worlde so are worldly matters the chéefest cause of their ioy as to be in honour and high promotion with Haman and Absolon although they know not how neare they are to the fall to swimme in wealth and riches to fare deliciously euery day and to go in purple fine silke with the rich glutton spoken of in the Gospell to enioy large dominions and great possessions faire houses and pleasaunt orchiards swéete gardens with all things that may satisfie the eie and fill the soule with pleasure like to King Nabuchodonosor that bâ—sted of his beautiful pallace Yea they imagine such continuance that they call their houses lands after their owne names as though they should endure for euer The viole tabret singing and dancing feasting banquetting riot and brauery this is the life the ioy of the world while the troubles of Ioseph are not remembred and the poore altogither forgotten in their sight This was the sinne of Sodom Pride idlenesse fulnes of bread contempt of the poore and néedie So that although the people of Sodome be consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen yet it séemeth that their posteritie remaineth and will remaine vntill the wordes ende till fire come downe from heauen the second time and make a wofull and finall destruction The iestures also and dispositions of the world are giuen vp to foolish reioycing and if any be sober and sadde they are not for their company Childish and péeuish gigling prophane laughter dissolute mirth wanton striking out disordered lifting vp the voice and mirth with incontinencie in euerie place All their life is spent in meriment and pastime as though God had not called euery one to painfulnesse and labour in that course of life wherein he hath placed them In time of diuine seruice when we should
Achab did that wicked King of Israel Some will say it is an eafie matter for a man to ouercome his sinfull affections and wee may doo well if wee will But I aske them who was more able and better furnished then the blessed Apostle S. Paul yet he findeth the matter so hard to performe that he confesseth it to the whole world Rom. 11. 22. I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other lawe in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members that is in all the sences and in all the parts of my bodie Yea he seeth it to be a matter so impossible that he is faine to crie out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me And seeth no other meane of deliueraunce but only praier for Gods helpe that it would please God to beate downe the power of sinne in him I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And answere was made My grace is sufficient for thee and my power is made perfect through thy weaknesse For that which is impossible to man is most easie for God to bring to passe Most truly therefore might he say Very gladly will I reioyce rather in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me and master and mortifie sinne which would full faine haue the better hand ouer me Many will not be knowne of their sinnes when they be admonished of them because they are loth to leaue them yet some of a better minde and more tractable will acknowledge them and in their minde will mislike them and also will not sticke to confesse that they would faine leaue them and would thinke themselues happie if they might be rid of them yet find in themselues no power at all to forgo them No maruell then though the Apostle Heb. 12. perswadeth vs to cast off sinne which cleaneth vnto vs and hangeth on so fast But how may we forgo them how may we be rid of them we cannot it is impossible to vs. Craue it and beg it as the apostle did once twice thrice yea often euer at the hands of God in earnest and humble praier and he will performe it vnto thée and after a while thou shalt perceiue how weake the power of sin will begin to be in thée So that thou shalt be daily lesse proude lesse giuen to drunkennesse to theft to whoredome and the like till thou growest at the last to hate that sin that troubled thy soule so much till in time thou hast gathered that strength that thou maiest dispossesse and throwe out that strong man Behold then how great cause the godly haue to reioyce at their infirmities in that not only the power of their ruling sinnes is abated but also by the power of Gods good spirit and by the grace of Christ who dwelleth in the harts of the godly they are quite ouercome and ouerthrowne Whereby we may gather these two comforts First that this is a sure token vnto vs that we appertaine vnto God and secondly that the diuel shall haue no power to destroy vs séeing that we haue escaped his snares and that his bands that held vs in so fast are loosed burst and broken I will adde but one ioy more which is most pertinent To do good for euill and for the present purpose And that is that the godly reioyce to do the wicked good as the wicked reioyce to hurt them and sport and solace themselues in their sorrowes At the conuertion of the sinner and wicked the Angels in heauen reioyce and it is not to be doubted but that the godly beare them company heerein and are as greatly ioyfull The enemy of the Prophet Eliseus sought his death but he set bread water before them and sent them away in peace when they were al in his hand and at his word they might haue bene put to death When Dauid might haue saline Saul yet he reioyced in preseruing his life The Prophet Ieremy counselled the Israelies to pray for the life of King Nabuchodonosor who held them in captiuitie although he were a wicked and an idolatrous King Our Sauiour Christ praied for the life of his persecutors O Lord laie not this sinne to their charge for they know not what they do So did the blessed Martyr S. Stenen when the stones flue thicke about his eares Thus doo they pray for them that persecute them that God would turn his wrath from them and that in mercy he would call them as the Apostle Saint Paul was called from persecution to profession thus doo they speake well of them that hate them blesse them that curse them thus do they good for euil and séeke the preseruation of their liues who gréedily hunt after their ouerthrow death According to the examples of the Apostles 1. Cor. 4. 12. We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer it we are euill spoken of and we pray I say the truth in Christ saith S. Paul Rom. 9. 1. I lie not my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holie Ghost that I haue great heauinesse and continual sorrow in my heart For I would wish my self to be seperate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh but his professed and vtter enemies by persecution Yet he calleth them brethren Brethren my hearts desire and praier to God for Israel is that they might bee saued Accounting the good and welfare of his enemies the greatest ioy that might befall him More might be said but I haue stood vpon this point of the ioy of the godly somewhat too long Wherefore as a matter more proper to the godly I will The sorrow of the godly returne vnto the words of my text and intreat once againe of their sorrow The world shall reioyce and ye shall sorrow as if they were both borne and bred to it and should end their liues in the same For as the oxen appointed to the slaughter are let runne a fatting at their pleasure and other oxen kept vnder daily labour of the yoke so fareth it with the godly that are exercised with trouble all the daies of their life while the wicked escape run at randam gathering fat and growing grosse dying shortly nay more then that eternally If the godly haue any comfort in this world it continueth not long and therefore their life may well be said to be a mixture of swéet soure and a continual interchange of sorrow comfort comfort sorrow Which if they consider wel is a benefit vnto them so far forth as to draw their minds frō earth to heauen from y◠world to God Wherunto they are the more moued bicause the world maketh a wonder of them a gazing stock a matter of contempt and derision As the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 13. hath foretold We are counted as the filth of the worlde and the
the wicked rise vp men hide themselues but when they perish the righteous increase Prou. 28. 28. When the righteous are in authoritie the people reioyce but when the wicked beareth rule the people sigh If it vexe thy minde to sée the wicked in great prosperitie The godly to be oppressed and to flourish much more ought it to grieue thée to sée the good oppressed troden vnder foote despised yea and destroyed Which made the Prophet Abacuc to crie out and say O Lord how long shall I crie and thou wilt not heare euen crie out vnto thee for violence and thou wilt not helpe Why doest thou shewe mee iniquitie and cause me to behold sorrow for spoyling and violence are before mee and there are that raise vp strife and contention Therefore the lawe is dissolued and iudgement doth neuer goe foorth For the wicked doth compasse about the righteous therfore wrong iudgement proceedeth The oppression of the poore and of the godly is a crying sinne and pierceth the cloudes and howe can it but pierce thy heart to heare of it much more to behold it This made Quéene Hester when shée heard of the cruell decrée against the Iewes to be so sadde and heauie yea furthermore to venture her life for the safegard of her people If I perish saith she I perish Alasse how can I suffer and sée the euill that shall come vpon my people So she spake for them vnto the King and preuailed The Prophet Ieremiah being cast into the dungeon and like to perish it gréeued Ebedmelech the blackmore and hee pittied his case and spake for him vnto the King and did himselfe helpe him out of the prison My Lord the King saith he these men haue done euill in all that they haue done to Ieremiah the Prophet whom they haue cast into the dungeon and he dieth for hunger in the place where he is for there is no more bread in the citie Wâ—e is me saith Mattathias the Priest wherefore was I borne to sée this distruction of my people Macc. 2. 7. 13. 14. What helpeth it vs to liue any longer And hee rent his cloathes and put on sackcloth and mourned verie sore If in a countrey saith the wise man Eccle. 5. 7. thou seest the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice be not astonied at the matter For he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they He doth not forbid them to grieue and mourn at it but willeth them not to be dismaid nor vtterly to be discouraged and discomforted because that God did regard it And in the fourth chap. ver 1. So I turned considered all the oppressions yâ— are wrought vnder the sun and behold the tears of yâ— oppressed and none comforteth them And â—o the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them and none comforteth theÌ„ And if the world do not regard it should not yâ— godly pitie it and pray for the comfort of the afflicted and put to their helping hands to relieue them If one member of the body reioyce al the members reioyce with it and likewise is it so in grief and pain Now if we be members of Christ his bodie why should not the miserable estate of others grieue vs as if it were our own Again what more apparant cause may there be of griefe Sinne to be so rife and vnpunished and sorrow in the godly then to sée sinne so rife and vnpunished Mine eies gush out with teares saith Dauid because Psal 119. 158. the vngodly keepe not thy lawe When we not only heare but sée and behold the cruell dealings of the world their intollerable pride their filthinesse of the flesh and riotousnesse of life their great falshood lying deceit vndermining one of an other their enuie hatred mallice their slanders reproaches backbiting and all iniquitie which nowe raigneth Ezâ— 9. 4. 2. Kin 22. 19. Esd 8. 70. 71. in our whole life mercifull God what fountaines and what wells of teares should it cause in vs Hos 4. 1. Heare the word of the Lord saith the prophet ye children of Israel for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood therefore shal the land mourne And if the sence lesse creaturres be so affected howe should not we be moued They that endeuour to liue well are a pray vnto others and wicked men are countenanced out and mighty sinnes are borne withall theft robbery adultery murder O Lord that a murderer shuld find any one friend in a christian common weale But of nobles of Iudges of magistrates it were too intollerable A poore thiefe packs to tiburne but a manqueller and a murtherer can shift his legs out of the shackles and his necke out of the haulter Oh that the chiefest were not guiltie in all the trespasses aforesaid The multitude of offendoures doth proue them to be guilty And a fearefull thing it is and a lamentable for want of due punishment and due execution of lawes will pull downe gods vengeance on the land All which doe moue vs not only to be sorry and agréeued but to pray that God would turne his wrath from vs because of those grieuous sinnes wherewith the whole land is ouerflowne Where hence ariseth another great sorrow to sée that Gods threatnings not to be regarded nor his mercies accepted Gods threatnings are not regarded neither are his mercies accepted For if they were our liues should not be vnreformed and sinnes should not goe vnpunished This made the prophet Ionas aweary of the ministry prouoked Christ himselfe to shed forth teares for Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem howe oft would I haue gathered thee together as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not Oh if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thy eies For where Gods mercy patience and long sufferance can take no place neither yet the threatnings of his iudgements preuaile then doe gréeuous punishments hang ouer the heads of that people and it is to be feared and doubted howsoone God will powre downe his wrath vpon them A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himself but the foolish goe on still and Ezek. 11. 13. are punished The pitiful man the godly minded foreséeth heauie punishments and praieth for the offendours Oh that my head were full of water saith the prophet Ieremy chap. Iere. 14. 17. 9. 1. and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people This destruction was not yet come but the Prophet foresawe that it would come and therfore he wept for sorrow But one of the greatest griefs and sorrowes is to sée religion Religion and the feare of god to be scorned mockt at and them
to be scorned whose desire is to liue according to Gods will and commandements And this is a greate cause of the fall of many that otherwise would doe well let them that vse it refraine it they knowe not what hurt they doe The least of vs are readie to fall away and therfore the Apostle willeth vs to exhort and Esd 10. 50. prouoke one another vnto good workes daily This mocking and taunting the Apostle doubteth not to call by the name of persecution wherewith Isaac was vexed by Ismael In consideration whereof it gréeueth the godly that they are aliue among the wicked whose reproachfull spéeches and vngodly behauiour haue bin pricks in their sides and thorns in their eies if not knines to their throats and as grieuous as the point of a dagger to their hearts For if they looke into the world and take a viewe of the fashion of men amongst whome they must liue they shall sée the mallice of Caine reuiued the hatred of Esau set on foote flattering tongues like Ioab but murdering minds Some as proud and as diuellish as Haman some as trecherous as Iudas some as cruel as Iezabel as incroching and gréedily hunting after other mens mainteuance and liuings if not their liues withall as euer was wicked Achab Naboths vineard litle kindnesse and much churlishnesse as bad or worse then that of Nabal many dissemblers as Ananias and where is the man that speaketh the truth from his heart For the most part all the conuersation of the wicked stanvpon Vncleannesse to beare so greate asway baudry and vncleannes Iust Lot was vexed with the vncleanly conuersation of the wicked For he being righteous and dwelling among them in séeing hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull déeds In respect of all which snares and incombrances the godly are vexed with sorrow euē to the death I am aweary of my life for the daughters of Heth saith Rebeccay Abrahams wife It is inough now O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers séeing I only am aliue and the rest hath forsaken thée saith Elias Woe is me saith the Prophet Dauid Ps 120. 5. that I must dwell with Mesech and haue mine habitation among the tents of Cedar My soule hath too long dwelt among them Yet hath God so appointed that we should shine as glistring starres amongst a naughty generation Whose behauiour shall make vs more wary and circumspect as also our good workes which they shall sée and behold shall turn either to their happy conuersion or most iust confusion and endlesse condemnation The weake minds which are not as yet throughly strengthned wish daily continually although it be godly and wel with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Hitherto of the sorrowes of the godly And y◠I may make perfect this part touching the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked concerning ioy and sorrow as also that ye may be the better comforted and encouraged to vndertake and endure sorrow I will let you vnderstand howe that the world hath his sorrow also And séeing I haue begun to be tedious beare with mee a while I hope you will not thinke your labour altogither lost in reading which may be at your leisure though it cost mee some studie to gather it Who would thinke that the wicked should haue any sorrow in this world howsoeuer they are like to spéed in the world to come séeing they haue the world at will and as the Prophet saith they come in no misfortune like other men And yet it falleth out sometimes that they haue sorrow but what is the cause of their sorrow No other but for worldly matters for temporall losses and that their transitorie ioyes are abated and diminished As for example when their goods are taken by pirates their wealth consumed by shipwracke their houses burnt with fire their landes taken from them by violent oppression their riches wasted by vsurie their libertie restrained by imprisonment their children to miscarry suddeinly their friends either to die or to fall away from them daily as the wise man saith In prosperitie a friend cannot bee knowne and in aduersitie and calamitie a mans verie friend will fall away from him and forsake him Now when these miseries and these worldly calamities come vppon them what crying what wringing of hands what lamenting what wéeping is there among them But that God by their wickednesse is offended his name through them blasphemed his lawe and holy word contemned his patience and long sufferance daily prouoked and abused his threatnings his admonitions his counsels neglected his louing mercies forgotten and his great benefits not remembred that many good things pertaining to our dutie haue bin through our follies omitted and many wickednesses whereof we should haue bene cleare committed by vs who wéepeth for these matters who lamenteth for these causes The world reioyceth in hurting the godly and if their mischiefe and their mallice be preuented then are they sorry for nothing more then that they can do no more hurt nor any more mischief where the godly pray for them their cōuersion How do they enuy maligne those persons in whō they sée Gods gifts graces This was the cause y◠Iosephs brethren hated him that Core Dathan and Abiram did set themselues against Moses that king Saul did enuy and séeke the destruction of Dauid Whereat the godly are not to take any discomfort for their enuie shall not hurt them no more then Ioseph and Moses and Dauid was hurt For God shal turn all to his glorie and their good as is in his good pleasure determined of them And as they cannot abide the godly so secretly in their hearts they hate God as their déedes and workes declare for if the loue of God were in them the fruites therof would also appeare For who are more backward to heare Gods word to be present at his diuine seruice who make lesse accompt of christian profession yea they hate it they scoffe and scorne it and they that counsell them to religion goodnesse are their chiefest enemies King Dauid bearing the person of the godly was otherwise minded who counted it his great sorow that he was debarred for a time from Gods seruice Ps 48. 3. O Lord of hostes how amiable are thy tabernacles my soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courts of the Lord for my heart my flesh reioyce in the liuing God Yea the sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a neast for her where she may lay her yoong ones euen by the altars ô Lord of hostes my king and my God But because the wicked are so set against God good men therefore the Prophet said truely of them Many are the sorrowes and great are the plagues that remaine for the wicked Psa 32. 10. Which is most effectually set downe Eccles 40. Great trauell is created for all men
hath many dumps and amidst their ioyes doe often wéepe but the sorrowes of the godly are such that neither make them to breake their sléep nor yet to be heauy hearted For Paul Silas being in prison in fetters and cold iron Act. 16. Sung a Psalme and praised God The reason that may mooue them both so to do is great waightie the one remembring that their ioyes shall end in perpetual sorrowes the other reioyce knowing that their sorrowes shal not alwaies last and yâ— their crosse and their crowne are ioyned both togither as matters inseparable For of all other they were the most miserable if their hope were onely in this life Mat. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Luke 6. 21. Blessed are they that weepe now for they shall laugh Looke vpon Lazarus wéeping on earth and reioycing in heauen In the midst and in the multitude of my sorrowes that I had in my heart saith the Prophet Psal 44. 19. Thy comfortes haue refreshed and reioyced my soule In the Lords word will I comfort me which is so full of heauenly promises Phil. 4. 4. Reioyce in the Lord alway and againe I say reioyce The sorrowes of persecution turned into ioyes let your patient minde be knowue vnto all men The Lord is at hand to succor you to giue you ioy What bréedeth patience in troubles so much as that when they know that their sorrowes shal be turned into ioy Ye sorrowed with me for my bandes saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 34. and suffered also with ioy the spoiling of your owne goodes knowing in your selues how that ye haue in heauen a better and induring substance Whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethreÌ„ or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands and possessions for my names sake he shal receiue a hundred fâ—â—d more and shall inherite euerlasting life And who would not be patient in trouble and persecution seeing it shal be requited with such icy No trouble so bitter as the trouble of persecution yet this is the comfort that it is but short though it séeme vnto vs long Else the Apostle would not haue vsed this spéech Yet a while and that a very little while and that shall come will come and will not tarry yea and bring his rewardes with him The flesh is fraile and rebellious the world is cruel persecution is most gréeuous and therefore ye haue great néede of patience that after ye haue done the will of God yée might receine the promise Through which and other like waightie causes and considerations the same Apostle being mooued praied for the Collossians that they might be strengthened with all might through the glorious power of God vnto all patience and long sufferance and that with ioyfulnesse Which ioyfulnesse hée himselfe expressed in his owne person most liuely speaking thereof more then once and twice To the Collossians chapter 1. 24. Now reioyce in my suffrings and to the Cor 2. epist 7. he writeth thus Ye are in our hearts to die and liue togither I vse great boldnesse of speech toward you I reioyce greatly in you I am filled with comfort and am exceeding ioyous in all our tribulation For if there be any bitternesse in persecution as certaine it is that it is most great it is altogither swallowed vp of spirituall ioy for worldly ioy cannot attaine to that strength as to endure it Through faith we haue accesse vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God neither doo we so only but also we reioyce in tribulations For wheÌ„ we are most weake then is God most strong and able to giue vs strength to endure our triall 2. Cor. 4. 8. We are afflicted on euery side yet are we not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie We are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but we perish not Neither do wee faint though our inward man perish because our inward man is renewed daily and strengthned comforted in hope which maketh vs not ashamed although the world would laie shame inogh vpon vs. And in an other place he speaketh of himselfe and of all the faithful 2. Cor. 6. 8. We must approue our selues as those that haue hope in God by honor and dishonor by euil report good report as deceiuers yet true as vnknowne and yet knowne as dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alwaies reioycing The vine the more it is pressed the more it riseth the spice yâ— more it is beaten the swéeter it smelleth the fire yâ— more it is kept vnder the more it bursteth out the Israelites the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and so is it with the godly the more their outward sorrowes be the more are their inward ioyes In this matter the Apostle S. Iames is of the same mind with the Apostle S. Paul who in the beginning of his epist maketh persecutioÌ„ one of his chéefest matters to speak of giuing it a great coÌ„mendatioÌ„ encouraging other therein by shewing them what shall ensue My brethren count it excéeding ioy when ye fall into this especiall temptation of affliction and persecution Excéeding ioy he termeth it because no earthly ioy may be compared to that which they that are afflicted and persecuted both féele and shall also be partakers of As in the same chapter is declared Blessed is the man that suffereth temptation that is affliction and persecution for when he is is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life because the Lord hath promised That he may be bold to say I haue runne my race I haue fought a good fight and henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse And because of this ioy which was fully setled in their mindes and hearts Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles as we shall reade Actes 5. 41. when they were reuiled threatened and beaten departed reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for his name The world saith Christ shall hate and excommunicate you and thinke they please God highly in killing you And because I haue saide these thinges vnto you your hearts are full of sorrow But marke againe another spéech of his and sée howe hee dooth raise vs vp in comfort and in ioy Hee that will follow mee must take vp his crosse and follow mee and whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters father mother wife children landes possessions yea bid farwell to the world and hate and despise his owne life for my sake hee shall receiue an hundreth folde more and shall inherite euerlasting life For the ioy of conscience which Gods children féele euen in their afflictions is a thousand fold more worth then all worldly treasure These things saith Christ haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy might remaine in you and that your ioy might be full The prince of our peace and saluation was consecrated
ioy and to her crowne who was ful néere her death The greatnesse of our peril can be no stop to our deliuerance because the power of our deliuerer is infinit Indéed we sée that men are altogither amazed and in a manner berest of wit and vnderstanding when they féele themselues daungerously tossed too and fro But do we not also sée that when they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble he bringeth them out of distresse hee turneth the storme to calme so that the waues thereof are still Do we not sée how that they passe through tribulations to the kingdome of heauen and through stormie tempests are brought to the hauen where they would be This the Lord doth that we might confesse his louing kindnesse before him and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men God for diuers secret causes leadeth his church through many bitter afflictions as it were to no other purpose then by trying them by the crosse to make them true to his crowne and then either in death doth giue them patience and constancie or by deliuerance doth send them ease and libertie Psal 38. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all It is euen the time of Iacobs trouble saith the Lord yet shall he be deliuered from it and shall be in rest and prosperitie and none shall make him afraid And there shall be a day Zacha. 14. 7. it is knowne to the Lord neither day nor night but about the euening time it shall be light And loe in the euening there is trouble but afore the morning it is gone Esay 17. 14. The wrath of the Lord endureth but the twinkling of an eie and his pleasure is life heauinesse may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning Ps 30. 5. The thoughts of the Lord are thoughts of peace and not of trouble to giue you an ende and your hope Ieremy 29. 10. Then shall ye cry vnto me and I will heare you ye shall seeke me and find me because ye shall seeke me with all your heart And if hee come out presently at our call it is most méete and conuenient that wée should waite his pleasure Knowest thou not or hast thou not heard that the euerlasting God the Lord hath created the ends of the earth neither fainteth nor is weary there is no searching of his vnderstanding But he giueth strength to him that fainteth and vnto him that hath no strength he increaseth power Euen the yong men shall faint and be weary and they shall stumble and fall Eut they that wait vpon the Lord shall renue their strength they shall lift vp theire winges as the eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint Somtimes it pleaseth God to send his people deliueraÌ„ce by turning the hearts of the percecutors So was the firie and fierce wrath of Nabuchodonozor turned to great good will toward Shadrake Meshake and Abednago Saul breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the saints of God was conuerted miraculously and Saule a persecutor became Paule the professor and then had the churches rest in those daies King Agrippa beganne to yéeld and from iudging was readie to defend Paule Pontius Pilate spake for Christ when all the Iewes were against him saying I finde no fault in him at all Sometimes by sending danger and trouble to the persecutors Themselues in danger themselues As when Dauid was almost taken and like to come into the hands of Saul his enemy then he heard that the Philistines had inuaded his land Lastly God sendeth comfort and ioy by powring foorth Gods ven gâ—ance being powred out his vengeance on their enimies Vengeance is mine I will repay faith the Lord. God in time will reuenge our cause According to that we reade in the prophet Ieremie against king Nabuchodonozor and his land Iere. 50. 22. Acrie of Eze. 25. 17. 26. 5. 28. 22. 23. battell is in the land and of great destruction How is the hammer of the whole world destroied and broken how is Babel become desolate among the nations At the noise of the winning of Babel the earth is mooued mooued and the cry is heard among the nations Make bright the arrowes gather the shields the Lord hath raised vp the spirit of the king of Medes For his purpose is against Babel to destroy it because it is the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his temple Iere. 5. 11. Re. 16. 19. Great Babylon came in remembrance before God to giue vnto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath 18. 20. Oheauen reioyce of her and ye holy Apostles and Prophets For God hath giuen your iudgement on her and reuenged your cause in punishing her and in one houre shee is made desolate But let vs come a little néerer and behold Gods iudgementes vpon persecutors and the ouerthrow not of the And his iudgmentes being put in execution meanest but of the greatest and mightiest in the world kinges and emperours Ioas slaine of his seruauntes after he had caused Zachariah to be put to death by stoning Senacharib murthered by two of his owne sonnes after that he Eze. 28. 26. 35. 11. ca. 39. 21. 22. had blasphemed God and done his worst against godly Ezekiah Antiochus perished by grieuous tormentes in the bowels so that wormes came out of his bodie in aboundance and being aliue his flesh fell from him for paine and torment and all his armie was gréeued at his smell yea and he himselfe might not abide his owne stinke When Nero one of the Emperours of Rome went about by all meanes to extinguish and blot out for euer the religion of Christ and had caused both Paul and Peter and many holy martyrs to be murdered at length he also receiued reward according to his crueltie For being left of all his prouinces souldiers and acquaintance being iudged of the Romaine Senate an ennemie and condemned by most ignominious death to suffer flying at midnight with Sporus his page there fell before bis féete a thunderbolt whereat afraid and hiding himselfe and falling into vtter dispaire he vttered these words Filthily haue I liued and worse shall I die and so taking his dagger with the helpe of Sporus he cut his owne throate and perished What punishments Domitian Traiane Antoninus Verus Seuerus Maximinus Decius Valerianus Emperours yet bloodie and cruell persecutors of Gods church haue suffered time would faile to declare vnto you Most euident it is that Aurelian for his crueltie against the Saints was slaine of his seruaunts that Dioclesian after he had shead much Christian blood druncke poyson in extreame desperation and so perished that Maximian was hanged at Massilia by Constantine and Maximine strooken for his crueltie with Antiochus his disease wormes growing in bodie and deuouring him vp Infinite the like examples might be alledged of the iust iudgements of almightie God vpon such as
come home with Salomon and may be Preachers vnto other Thus I haue shewen vnto you as it were a limme of Vanitie you may looke about you and sée the whole bodie For if shée bee any where in this lande this is her pontificall Sea where shée is neuer Nonresident Now I will leaue you to examine these sayings whether all things haue not bene in vaine vnto you yet If they haue bene vaine to you and yet are good in their owne nature then thinke how vaine you are who haue turned so many good things to vanty Yet to set you in the way before I end I will answere them which aske if All things be vanity As Salomon saith Tell vs what we should choose that we be not vaine Christ saith That one thing is necessary Is Salomon contrary to Christ No Therefore Salomon excepts one thing too To feare God and keepe his Commandements Therefore if all bee vaine but this let the tempter take thée vp againe and shew thée the kingdomes of the world when he saith All these wil I giue thée thou maist say All this I contemne for All is vaine What then Turne away my eyes saith the Prophet Dauid and my eares and my heart too from vanitie Trie and proue thou no longer for Salomon hath proued for thee it is better to beléeue him than to trie with him Therfore it remaineth that as they brought forth their vaine bookes after Paules preaching and cast them into the fire so ye should cast out all your vanities this day and sacrifice them to God for they haue bene your Idoles that neuer man may sée them after And as God gaue Iob other children so they will giue you other treasures feare not that your ioyes will goe away with your Vanities as many thinke they should neuer be merry againe if they should be conuerted to Religion But as Dauid daunced before the Arke as merrely as Herodias daunced before the King so knowe vndoubtedly that the righteous finde more ioy in goodnesse than euer the wicked founde in filthinesse nay saith Dauid more than they can finde in riches and Honours when their Wheate and Wine â—bounde As a Horse is a vaine thing to saue a man so all these thinges are too vaine to make a man happie I appeale to your selues if ye haue tried the pleasures of Vanitie alreadie as I know ye haue whether ye may readily say with Saint Paul What profit he loued her before so when the sport is past and Death lookes vs in the face we shall hate our Vanities more than we loue them now all this dooth conclude that our Sauiour saide to Martha But one thing is necessarie Which God graunt we may choose for his sonne Iesus Christ and then we haue learned this lesson FINIS Of the Word of God Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures For in them ye thinke to haue eternall life And they are they which testifie of me A Heathen King and that famous Monarch that mighty conqueror knowne and renowmed throughout all the world for his victories Alexander the great among all his martiall affaires had great desire to search for wisedome and to increase his courage by reading the writings of learned Homer Quéene Sheba hearing the praise of Salomons wisedome could neuer rest vntill shée came into his presence to heare him Which signifieth a great desire of wisedome to be ingraffed in vs by nature and that the praise thereof doth passe with admiration For he that searcheth after wisedome and knowledge desireth more then gold if it were as pure as fine and precious as that of Ophir the eye may be satisfied with the glistering shewe of the one but it can neuer be weary in searching after the other which if indéed it might be séene with bodily eyes would stir vp a wonderfull loue and admiration therof in our hearts and mindes To heare a man of wisedome and grauitie speake what thronging woulde there bee to heare what heedfulnesse and attention to vnderstand If an Angel from heauen or God himselfe might bee heard to speake what a rare and singuler matter were it Doubtlesse it should bee heard with a shout greater then that of Herod when the people cried The voyce of God and not of man Yea with a farre more resounding voyce then that of the Idolaters mentioned Acts 19. who in commendation of their Idole god Diana gaue a shout almost for the space of two houres all crying out with one voyce Great is Diana of the Ephesians But so it is that although in the first age God spake to Abraham Noah Moses and other holy men yet now it hath pleased him to take an other course and that is that we should heare him speake out of his word And therefore it was well answered vnto the rich man in the Gospell that would faine haue his brebren that were aliue to be taught and instructed concerning the way of God if not from God himselfe yet by an Angel or at leastwise by one that should come vnto them from the dead that so they might amend their liues I say it was well answered They haue Moses and the Prophets they haue the word of God let them heare them if they wil not giue care to this word it is because there is no life in them if they yéeld not vnto it they will not be perswaded though one rise from the dead againe We cannot say it is farre off what may it be Say not in thy heart saith the Aposte Who shall ascend into heauen or who shall descend into the deepe For the word of God is nearer thee euen before thy eyes Thou néedest not to wander a long iourney as Quéene Sheba did to heare King Salomons wisedome for thou hast it at home and euen within thy owne doores When Quéene Sheba departed as one sorie that she could not alwayes bee present with him to bee further taught and instructed she pronounced his seruants to be happie that were alwayes about him to heare his wisedome Blessed are they saith our Sauiour Christ that heare the word of God and keepe it and as well it may be sayd as Sheba did of Salomons seruaunts O howe happie are they that haue the Word of GOD before them and in their presence to reade and search for wisedome farre greater then that of Salomons For behold a greater then Salomon is here As in the Gospel Mary that heard Christ preach the word is greatly commended aboue her sister Martha that was troubled with worldly cares and neglected the hearing of Gods word So doth the Prophet Dauid wonderously encourage vs not onely to the hearing but also to the reading of the word of God and searching the scriptures Psal 119. Lord saith he what loue haue I vnto thy law all the day long is my study in it No maruell then if the King were commanded to haue this booke this word and the scripture of God and that he should reade therein all the dayes of his life
that he might learne to feare the Lord his God No maruell if the Quéen of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernour Acts. 8. had a desire to read the scripture hauing happily heard the commendation therof No maruell if the noble men of Berea did diligently reade the scripture because they were throughly perswaded that it was the doctrine of life and the power of saluation And this is one of the waightiest and most profitable spéeches that euer our Sauiour vttered Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life And they are they which testifie of mee Which sentence diuideth it selfe into these two principall parts whereof the first is a commandement Search the Scriptures The second is an effectuall reason to moue vs to the fulfilling of that commandement For in them ye thinke to haue eternall life c. In the commandement we may consider our vnwillingnesse to search Secondly the manner how we should search Thirdly the great hinderances that keepe vs backe from searching The connsel of a friend is good but the heart of a man is froward against good counsell so that where he loueth dearly he wisheth that to his counsell he could adde a commaundement Therefore the holie spirit of God and our redéeming friende knowing howe slowe and howe vnwilling we are to take good counsell taketh vppon him to commaund vs to so good a worke as is greatly for our behoofe as though counsell were not sufficient nay scarce to commaund would serue For as the flesh and the world for the most part haue the vpper hand and Gods good spirit is welny quenched so heanenly matters are of base account and the desires of the world preuaile and carry vs whither they would Forgo all saith Christ to the young man and giue to the poore but he went away sad and heauy They that are worldly minded and are not touched with yeloue of God cannot loue his word and if they be willed and spoken to neuer so much to search the word of God yet they cannot heare Wisedome crieth in the stréetes to them that passe by and euery one passeth by and do not regard because that vanitie is in their eyes and in their mindes and in their hearts so that wisedom can find no place nor such a soule as shall bid it welcome and giue it entertainment If we had had but half a word or half a counsell to search after wealth and riches although it were into far countries we should refuse no labour if to séeke for honour and promotion euery one wold haue thought himself worthie to weare a crowne if to séeke for pleasures who would not haue followed the lure Nay who would not prease and throng to get in although the gate were neuer so straight But whē it comes to search the scriptures to learne the word of God euerie one hath this shift I pray thée haue me excused As though the waies of death were the waies of life and he that shuld counsell vs to search the word of God were rather our enemy then our friend As the Apostle speaketh to the Galathians Am I therefore become your enemy because I wish you well He that reproueth a man shall finde more fauour at the last then he that flattereth with his tongue and he that searcheth the word of God shall finde more comfort at the last then all the delights of the world could affoord him Many that haue gone astray and liued in the displeasure of God when they haue harkened vnto the word of God they haue bene so altered in minde and purpose that thencefoorth they haue determined with themselues to take a new course and to liue in the feare of GOD. For the word of God is forcible to beget vs a new life What age is more licentious and giuen to naughtie wayes then youth is and yet the word of God is of such vertue that it is able to tame their disordered humours Else the Prophet Dauid would not haue verified the same Psalme 119. 9. Wherewithall saith he shall a yoong man redresse his way euen by taking heede thereto according to thy word And the Apostle Saint Paule also witnesseth the like effect in the commendation of Timothy in that he had knowne the holy scriptures of a child which had made him forgoe and forsake the disordered course of vnbrideled youth and had furthermore made him wise vnto saluation Well wée are counselled and commaunded to search the word of God yet where there is one to giue vs that counsell there is a hundreth to drawe vs backe For as where God hath his Church the Diuell also hath his chappell so as God hath his sauing the word the diuell hath destroying bookes inough Hée workes with the flesh and the flesh ouercommeth the spirit as Eue did Adam when she brought him to his destruction When the Preacher is at his Sermon you shall sée some fewe to heare but goe to the stage Playes and you shall finde multitudes If it be an amorous booke or of pastime and mirth euerie one hath it in his hand but if the word of God be laide before vs we count it a matter too solemne and will not vouchsafe to reade it The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to God and the nature of man is giuen to hate that knowledge that leadeth to God But as for the want of the knowledge of the word of God many perish so because they refuse to search it whereby their euil waies may be redressed and they kept in the feare of God therefore god giueth them vp to a reprobate sence to followe wickednesse euen with gréedinesse and to fall into foule and hainous offences Because there is no knowledge of God in the land saith the Prophet Hosea 4. 12. they breake out by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring and bloud toucheth bloud and one sinne and mischiefe commeth after an other What followeth such matters our consciences will giue vs to consider and we cannot be ignorant what is like to fall out If they were wise saith the Prophet Moses they would consider their latter end and if the vanitie of folly did not too much raigne within vs we would séeke after wisedome and not be slow to search the word of God But let vs leaue them that care not for this knowledge The maner how to search and so care not for an other life so that they may liue in this world at their pleasure let vs leaue them to their fancies which at length will deceiue them and to their vanities wherein they are delighted And as for them who haue any hearts to read the word of God indéed whose hearts God hath touched and moued thereunto let vs searche and set downe the best way how they may bee directed in the reading thereof that it may tende moste to their profit First therefore as holy things must not be touched with VVith reuerence vnwashen hands according to the prouerbe so must we