for example our Sauiour himselfe who being the author and finisher of our faith vsed this helpe through all his way as wee may reade Heb. 12. Who for the ioy which was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Againe this helpe that worthie light of the Church the Apostle S. Paul vsed Philip 3. I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus But what is this marke and what is this price which is alwaies so in the eye of the Apostle that he forgetteth all other things and regardeth nothing but it This marke is that palme branch which is giuen vnto all those faithful seruants of Christ Iesus who haue ouercommed all the difficulties and hardnes of this life and this marke is that immortall inheritance and vndefiled and which withereth not reserued in the heauens of which S. Peter speaketh 1. Epistle 2. chapter and this marke is the fulnes of ioye as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psalm 16. In thy presence is the fulnes of ioye and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore and this marke and this blessed hope is the crowne of righteousnes layd vp for all Gods faithfull seruants against the day of this appearing of the glorie of this mighty God our Sauiour Iesus Christ From hence forth is layd vp for me sayth the Apostle the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to mee onely but to all those that loue that his appearing 2. Tim. 4. O if a man had a crowne alwaies in his eye what would hee not doe to come by it Why doe wee then stagger vnder our burthens and why doe we waxe faint in the Lords seruice why wee doe not looke vppe vnto our blessed hope and wee doe not set that glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ Iesus alwaies before our eyes whose presence shall wipe away all teares from our cheekes This would holde vp our hands if there were any life in vs. Cast your eyes then vpon your inheritance which shall not wither What seruice can be sufficient for a kingdome what dutie for the crowne of heauen what loyaltie for the adoption of the sons of God and what paines taking for the fulnes of ioye O you Christians that you saw and knew your happines that you might loue and serue the Lord. 2. The second motiue is taken from that exceeding loue of Christ in giuing himselfe so freely for vs and therefore now we should giue our selues and all our things vnto him againe as wee are taught of our mother the Church Canticles 6. I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine O if Christ Iesus that heauenly bridegroome hath bestowed himselfe vpon vs and giuen himselfe for vs which sometimes were more vile then the clay in the streete how can wee now denye him any seruice or any thing which is within vs shall the heire of eternitie and the son of God bestow himselfe vpon vs with a full dowrie of the kingdome of heauen and all the ioyes of the life to come and with the fruition of the diuine nature as S. Peter saith and shall not we now bestow our selues and our liues vpon him againe for that loue of Christ constraineth vs sayth the Apostle because wee thus iudge that if one bee dead for all then wee are all dead and hee died for all that they which liue should not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose againe O had not wee neede now bee a deare and louing spouse vnto our husband Christ who hath bought our loue with his owne death would not this meditation constraine any reasonable heart vnto all duetifull seruice wherefore now I speake like a troubled soule out of the affection of my heart I had rather be hanged in the ayre I had rather bee burnt in the fire I had rather bee torne with the racke yea I had rather run through hell it selfe then I would willingly offende and displease this mercifull Lorde who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee For I was dead but now I am aliue I was lost but now I am found I was forsaken but now am I beloued What doe you weeping and breaking my heart saith the Apostle for my life is not deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioye Oh we haue not halfe franke hearts to deale with God wee thinke much to serue God with our persons our soules and our bodies and as for our goods we lay them to aside they may not goe with vs into the Lords Sanctuarie for feare of losing and yet our Lorde hath not only giuen soule and bodie to raunsome vs but also hath stripped himselfe naked of al his heauenly royaltie and riches and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. O where is now that constraining loue of the Apostle to stirre vp our dull and cold hearts 3. The third motiue to stirre vs vp with al cheerefulnes vnto Gods seruice are those great and vnspeakeable paines and labours which our deare Sauiour hath taken vpon him to beare and goe thorow with for our redemption Who gaue himselfe for vs sayth the Apostle that is who gaue himselfe to endure all manner of torments calamities and sufferings for our redemption and all manner of painefull seruice for our iustification Now hath Christ our Sauiour giuen himselfe to doe so much for vs and shall wee giue our selues to securitie and liue as wee lust hath Christ watched for vs and shall wee giue our selues to sleepe hath Christ fasted for vs and shal we giue our selues to banquetting hath Christ bin tempted for vs and shall we yeeld to euery suggestion hath Christ suffered persecution shal we look to line at ease and hath Christ so liued here vpon earth for our sakes that he wold not please himselfe Rom. 15. and shall wee sport in the delights of this life and the sensualitie of our owne flesh and hath Christ not onely suffered all the troubles of this life but also tooke vpon him the torments of the life to come to free vs from that dreadfull lake of eternall iudgement now shall we cast our selues down vnder the greene boughes of the pleasures of this world and shunne the heate and burden of the day and giue our selues to idle loytering when God calleth vs foorth to labour in his vineyard O what a shame were this to Christians at whose hands the Lord hath deserued so great duties through his infinit labours and sufferings If Christ our Sauiour had redeemed vs without any paines taking as easily as a rich man pulleth out twentie pounds out of his pocket to ransome a poore captiue whom
daies of thy life that thou maist make them knowne vnto thy sons and thy sonnes sonnes Take heede saith he as if he should haue said it is not a little matter that I commaund thee but great and weightie and therefore I would haue thee to take speciall care of it and that thou mightest doe this diligently in deede I would not haue these things which I haue shewed thee to depart from thy heart all the daies of thy life that is to say any one day of thy life that so thou mightest teach them to thy sonnes and thy sonnes sonnes continually The Lord would not haue his holy word and his wonders which he shewed vnto his people at the giuing of his law to be one day absent from the heart of the parent that so no one day might passe without instructing of their children If this one precept which the Lord here so carefully commandeth were drawne ouer the hearts of parents now a daies how many might it shame and condemne of too great negligence which scarse once in halfe a yeere giue any one word of instruction vnto their children Againe in the II. chapter of Deut. the Lord stil calleth vpon parents in this dutie Therefore lay vp these words in your hearts and in your mindes and teach them to your children talking of them when thou art at home in thine house and when thou goest abroad and whē thou liest downe and when thou risest vp Here the Lord commendeth to parents his deere and pretious word to bee treasured vp for their childrē as if the Lord should haue said you parents vse to lay vp for your children the most pretious iewels and the best things you can get here are iewels passing al earthly treasure my wordes the instruction of your liues and the light of your soules lay vp these in your hearts and keepe them for your children and because your children are deere vnto you be alwaies imparting of them vnto them teach them vnto thy children talking of them when thou art at home in thy house and when thou goest abroade and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp As if the Lord should haue said take all occasions and vse all seasons and opportunities to instruct thy children The Lord would haue vs to begin the day with teaching our children and hee would haue vs to end the day with the same O wonderfull care of our God oh louing father of heauen that so dearly louest our children But how do we answere this carefulnes of our heauenly father when wee rise in the morning is our first care for our childrē No the Hogge and the Horse and the Cow shall be first serued and as for our children whose soules stand more in neede of good nurture and education then the bodies of beasts doe of corruptible food they are forgotten al the day long A pitifull thing it is that the vnreasonable creature whose spirit perisheth with the bodie should haue his iust tending and looking to and that the soule which is made after Gods image should be suffered to run into al manner of danger and vndoing without regard Oh that wee should be so earthly minded as to regard these transitorie things aboue that which is to last for euer Consider with thy selfe beloued and God giue thee feeling if thy cattell or beast want his tending and looking to happily it shall pine away for want of food happily it shall stray so farre that thou shalt neuer see it againe or happily it shal fall into some pit where it shal either drowne it selfe or breake his necke what hast thou lost now thou hast lost but a carcase but if thou through thy negligence or ill gouernment sufferest thy child to stray away from the Lord thy God and he fall into the pit of hell thou hast lost a soule more worth then all the world and the Lord shall require his bloud at thy hands because hee hath committed him to thy safe keeping and thou in that thou hast not kept him hast cast him away Oh danger to be flyed and looked vnto before all dangers And yet such is the blind miserablenes of many parēts that they had rather see their sonnes swearers drunkards whoremasters or any other prophane person then to beholde one of their beasts hides to hang on the beame whereby it commeth to passe that the very brute beasts are eftsoones better taught then the sonnes of men as the Prophet Esay lamentably complaineth of the children of Israel The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood Againe S. Paul in the 6. of the Ephesians giueth this same charge vnto parents And ye fathers prouoke not your children to wrath but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lord. And the Prophet in the 78. Psalme saith He established a testimonie in Iacob and ordained a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should teach their children that the posteritie might know it and the children which should be borne should stand vp and declare it to their children Many other places of Scripture might bee brought but these shall be sufficient to shew vnto euery parent to whom the Lord heere speaketh Teach a child and also to shew him how great charge and weight the Lord laieth vpon this commandement But now because this duty of parents is cōmunicated to many as to Rectors of Schooles to masters of families to dames to patrons and guardians and such like let all they here vnderstand whosoeuer they be that haue the gouernment of children or any youth committed to their charge that they are here bound by the voice of the Almightie and that they must doe the duetie of parents vnto them as if they were their naturall children Teach a childe in the trade of his way that is thou parēt teach thou master teach thou dame teach thou mistris teach thou tutor teach and in a word al you that haue the duty of parents committed vnto you Now the vices which are committed about this commaundement and ought to be flied are these 1. First the ignorance of the parent as if the parent bee so rude that he is not able to teach his child he breaketh this commandement of almightie God and is heere sent to schoole himselfe teach a child that is get thee so much nurture knowledge as that thou maist be able to instruct others vnder thee 2. The second vice is the prophanenes of many parents who so they may prouide liuelihood and necessaries for their children they care for no more Of this fault of parents writeth Chrysostome Mothers be louing to the bodies of their children but the soule they despise they desire them to welfare in this world but they take none heede what they shall suffer in the other the lust of their bodies they would buy deere but the health of their soule they make no reckoning of
which God hath promised vnto them for it Honour thy father and thy mother that thy daies may bee prolonged in the lande which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee This is the first commaundement with promise saith the Apostle Ephes. 6. that he might especially allure vs to the obseruing of it But here we must vnderstand that as this commandement is a commaundement with promise so the promise is with a condition which is of honouring our parents so that if children do not honour their parents they haue no promise of life but stand subiect euery houre and moment to haue Gods wrath powred downe vpon them O then you that are parents haue pitie vpon your dear childrē teach them their dutie teach them good nurture teach them reuerence both towards your selues and others for if you do not you do as much as in you lieth cut off your childrens liues For God beloued hath care of his Church and if hee should suffer rude children to increase they would become rude parents rude parents would againe bring vp rude children and thus confusion would spread it selfe ouer all the world and therefore the Lord to meete with this mischiefe hath promised his blessing onely to the dutifull and obedient and all other stand out of his protection subiect to the violence of euery danger The 3. and last part of the trade of the way in which the Lord here commandeth parents to bring vp their children is godlines namely that they should teach them to know God their dutie towards him And this instruction is that which parents ought aboue all things to regard The former instruction serueth to teach them how they might liue ciuilly and decently with men but this instruction prepareth them to liue and walke with God Wherefore this trade is the head of all trades and happie is that soule which can learne it Salomon saith The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Although a man hath neuer so much worldly wisedome and policie and ciuilitie yet if hee want this the feare of God and true godlines he is the greatest foole in all the world for the more wise that he is without religion the more foole he is because he doth not apply his wit vnto that which is the head originall of al wisedome and without which al other wisedome is foolishnes and confusion Againe Salomon saith worthily Pro. 14. The feare of the Lord is as a well spring of life to auoyd the snares of death And againe in the 3. chapter speaking of this diuine heauenly instruction he saith Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome that is this godly wisedome whereby a man learneth to knowe God and his duetie towards him For saith he The marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is better then golde it is more pretious then pearles and all things that thou canste desire are not to bee compared vnto her Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glorie Her waies are waies of pleasure and all her paths prosperitie She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that retaineth her O what honorable profits and commodities come by this instruction this is that which I said vnto you before that this trade is the head of al trades O you parents that are wise-hearted come you hither I know that euery parent would gladly haue his childe brought vp in the best trade and that which shall one day bee most profitable for him O here is a trade that hath the profits of all other trades vnder it Godlines saith saint Paul is profitable vnto all things and hath the promise of the life present and of the life to come O you parents you are more then mad if you finde not out this trade for your children First it is a rich trade Salomon saith that the marchandise of it is better then the marchandise of siluer and the gaine therof is better then gold it is more pretious then pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto it Secondly it is an easie and pleasant trade Her waies are waies of pleasure saith Salomon and all her paths prosperitie Thirdly it is an honorable trade because Salomon saith that glorie is in her left hand If glorie be in her left hand then what is in her right hand but the life eternal Fourthly this trade is not like vnto other trades which if they bee hardly followed in time weare away mans strength but this increaseth life and vigour to al those that occupie it it is a tree of life to al those that lay hold on it Fiftly and lastly this trade is the most certaine trade in al the world it neuer faileth and it neuer changeth because S. Paul saith it hath the promise of this life and of the life to come All other trades be they neuer so profitable yet they are subiect to the course of this world now good now bad now profitable now againe as beggerly besides how many ventures and casualties they are subiect vnto such as haue experience in them can better tell then I can but this trade I know wel can neuer faile because God hath sealed vp his promise to it S Paul saith it hath the promise of blessing both of the life present and of that which is to come O you wise children heare my words though your parents will not bind you to this trade yet come you offer your selues of your owne accorde embrace it and catch hold on it with both your hands for if euer you will come to happines this is the way Now then I hope you that are parents see the scope of this text and what the Lord here requireth at your hands Teach a child in the trade of his way that is first teach him the trade of occupation that thereby he may get a competent maintenance of things necessarie for this life that so he may liue well among his neighbours another day without iniuring any man or vsing any vnlawfull meanes or if he hath no need of this that thē by the trade of his education hee may bend his endeuour to profit the Common-wealth which will alwaies haue neede of men well trained vp in some good Art or other Secondly Teach a child in the trade of his way that is teach him nurture and good manners teach him his dutie towards all men that so hee may another day liue an honest comely and well ordered life amongst his neighbours without contentions braules and quarrels which are the diseases both of Church and Common-wealth And thirdly and chiefly Teach a childe in the trade of his way which is as much to say as teach him godlines and the feare of the Lord that hee may liue and dye Gods seruant that he may know his saluation in Christ Iesus continue in his
these things haue I obserued from my youth Of this sweete dutie of fayre speech Salomon giueth this commendation Prouer. 16. Fayre wordes are as an hony combe sweetenes to the soule and health to the bones Here on the contrarie parents must haue a speciall care to keepe their children from al foule and vnseemely speech for this is contrarie to faire speech and forbidden Ephes. 4. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouthes Now this corrupt speech are those foule tearmes which are so common in the mouthes of vnnurtured children as knaue drab whore theefe this is rotten and corrupt speech most vnseemely for the mouth of any Christian and this is that that destroyeth good manners as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 13. Euill wordes corrupt good manners And here further I must put you in minde to keepe your youth from speaking contemptuously of those which are in authority yea though they he euill men for wee are to reuerence them not so much for themselues as for Gods ordinance and weaken once the maiestie and good estimation of gouernours and then all will goe awrie Iude maketh this vice a marke of a reprobate These sleepers also defile the flesh and despise gouernment and speake euill of them which are in authoritie and wee reade in the 2. Kings 2. that two and fortie children were deuoured of two beares for mocking Elisha Gods Prophet Againe on the other side children must not onely be compelled to leaue this filthie corrupt speech but also they must bee commaunded to vse fayre and gentle words the child must louingly intreate the seruant the seruant must againe gently answer the childe this is commanded Ephes. 4. Bee yee courteous one to another and tender harted We must therefore vse curteous and louing speech one to another for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh if the heart bee tender the speech cannot be rough and hard If this discipline were practised amongst vs oh what sweete and comfortable houses should wee haue euen like vnto the amiable communion of Gods saintes it would doe any man good to liue in such a family which is like vnto Gods dwel there where skoulding brawling and cursed speech runneth to fro like y e yelling of the wicked spirits in that infernal dungeō 2. The second duty of good nurture about the gouernement of the tongue in fayre and comely speech is not only to speake well and honorably of others but also to speake modestly and humbly of our selues this poynt of good manners we learne of that wise matron Abigaile in 1. Sam. 25. where we reade that when she was sent for of Dauid to be his wife she first bowed her selfe to the seruants and then made this lowly answer to him that brought the message beholde let thine handmaide bee a seruant to wash the feete of the seruants of my Lord. 3. The third dutie of Christian manners in fayre speech is louingly to salute our friendes and acquaintance and generally all others whom we take to be brethren This salutation is to pray well to others wishing health and prosperity vnto thē exāple of this we haue in the Angel Gabriel who being sent of God in message to the virgin Marie he first saluted her in these words Hayle thou that art freely beloued the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongst women And againe as we read afterward in the same chapter thus Marie y e mother of our Lord went and saluted her cousē Elizabeth who was then with child of Iohn Baptist where to the great cōmēdatiō of this kind dutiful salutatiō we read that y e babe sprang in her belly for ioy according to that which before we repeted out of the Prouerbs Faire wordes are as an hony combe sweetnes to the soule health to the bones Now our salutations are either common vpon euery meeting or extraordinarie vpon some new occasion Common as God giue you good morrow God speede you well extraordinarie as I pray God giue you much ioy of your aduancement And example of this wee haue 1. Kings 1. where it is sayd that the people came to blesse or salute King Dauid vpon the annoynting of Salomon his sonne king and in their salutation they sayd God make the name of Salomon more famous then thy name and exalt his throne aboue thy throne 4 The fourth dutie of faire speech is to acknowledge a benefit where we haue receiued it with giuing of thankes And this dutie is counselled of the wise man Eccles. 29. Forget not the friendship of thy suretie for hee hath layd his life for thee And example of this duetie we haue in Laban towards Iacob Gen. 30. To whom Laban answered If I haue now found fauour in thy sight tarry I haue perceiued that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake So if men would acknowledge with thankfulnes vnto their good friends that they had receiued a blessing from God by their means this would encourage them to continue their bountie good will towards them as Iacob was now contented to dwell still with Laban but this rude vnthankfulnes rendeth vs from al good being abhorred of God and hated of man 5. The fift duetie of faire speech is to confesse an offence where it is committed with humble crauing of pardon And example of this we haue in that vertuous and faire spokē matron Abigaile as we may read 1. Sam. 25. where she taking vpon her the person of her loutish husband Nabal appeaseth the fierce wrath of Dauid and redeemeth the liues of all her familie with this one duetie of good manners And when Abigaile saw Dauid she hasted and lighted off her asse and fell before Dauid on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground and fell at his feete and said Oh my Lorde I haue committed the iniquitie and I pray thee let thine handmayd speake vnto thee Let not my Lord I praye thee regard this wicked man Nabal for as his name is so is hee Nabal is his name and folly is with him c. Then Dauid sayd to Abigaile Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meete mee and blessed bee thy counsell and blessed bee thou which hast kept mee this day from comming to shead bloud and that mine hand hath not saued me c. Oh that men saw what great daungers they draw vpon them by the neglect of this duetie and might preuent and also what gratious blessings they might procure both to themselues and others by meanes of it as this vertuous Abigaile kept Dauid from sheading innocent bloud saued her owne life with the liues of all her familie and in the ende was receiued to be a Princes wife for the wise carrying of her selfe in this matter as wee may reade in the ende of the chapter Now the second thing which wee are to obserue in our speech 1. For
our text I will shew you why the holy Ghost here rather vseth the word feare then the word seruice saying that thou maiest be feared rather then that thou maiest be serued This is for that the Lorde thereby might the better prepare vs vnto his seruice and being prepared might continue and hold vs in the same as it were with a bridle from running out And therfore we see in holy Scripture that when the Lord would make any man fit for his seruice he as it were manureth him first by his feare as we may see first in the Prophet Esay as wee may reade in his 6. chapter where when the Lord called him to beare his hard message vnto the children of Israel he appeared vnto him in a fearfull vision sitting on his throne of maiestie to the ende that this sight might strike so deepe an impression into his heart that neuer after hee might forget the bounds of his calling Woe is me sayth hee for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes for mine eyes haue seene the King and Lord of hostes Againe in the calling of Ezechiel as we may reade in his first chapter wee may see what a fearefull vision hee had so that he fell downe vpon his face before the Lord and could not stand vp any more vntill Gods spirite had entred into him and helde him vp And againe in the 19. of the first book of the Kings when the Lord called his seruant Eliah to go about a dangerous and hard peece of seruice which was to annoynt two Kings and both against his Lord and soueraigne Achab to be auenged of him and his bloudie wife Iezebel for destroying his Prophets y t he might not at any time flye out from his charge as Ionah did the Lord prepared him before with fearefull signes first he sent a mightie strong wind which rent y e mountaines brake y e rockes before him 2. after the wind he sent an earthquake after the earthquake there came a fire after the fire whē Eliah was now sufficiētly humbled prepared came a still and a soft voice then he receiued his message In like māner also whē the Lord gaue the law of this his seruice vnto his people vpō moūt Horeb what fearefull signes did he send before there were thunderings lightnings y e earth quaked vnder thē the ayre was rent aboue thē by reason of the horrible noise of the trumpet of God and fearefull thundercracks and before their eyes all was of a smoake and burning fire in so much that Moses himselfe though hee was a man very well acquainted with God and accustomed with wonders yet he also feared and quaked as the author to the Hebrewes sayth and all the people fled back Thus then you now see euen by the Lords owne methode and proceeding how necessarie the feare of God is for his true and faithfull seruice yea so necessarie is it that without it there is no seruing of God aright The wise man Salomon in the first chapter of the Prouerbes sayth The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and the Hebrue phrase saith it is the head of knowledge which signifieth not onely the beginning but also the chiefe and principall parte thereof from whose fountaine the very life of all good vnderstanding is deriued euen as the head giueth continuall sense and mouing to all the members of the bodie 2. Secondly this feare of God is not only the beginning of Gods seruice but it is also the continuer and conseruer of it holding vs alwaies within our limites who like wilde horse are readie at euery step to runne out of the way For this cause Moses after the giuing of the law as wee may see in the 20. chap. of Exodus teacheth the Israelites the true vse of those fearefull sightes which they had seene which was that Gods feare might continue with them to be euer after a bridle vnto them to withhold them from sin and that his feare may be before you that you sin not So that now take away gods feare from before our eies presently we wil fal into sin break off gods seruice though we haue made neuer so good an entrance The force of this bond of feare when Iacob behelde hee toulde his vncle Laban plainelie Genesis 31. that except the feare of Isaac had beene with him meaning the feare of God who was Isaacs feare hee would haue sent him away empty and euen so beloued it is with vs all except Gods feare remaine and continue with vs though the Lorde hath deserued neuer so much at our handes yet wee like vnthankefull Labans would send him emptie away and robbe him of the praise of all his blessings and graces bestowed vpon vs. Moreouer this feare of God was of such account amongst the holy Patriarches that it was taken then to be the onely bonde in the worlde and therefore when Ioseph would perswade his brethren before they knew him to leaue one of them behinde in prison till they had cleared themselues of suspition which was obiected against them as wee may reade Genesis 42. he also to giue them to vnderstande of faithfulnes on his part vsed this onely reason vnto them For sayth hee I feare God as if hee should haue saide I dare not doe to the contrarie Againe in the 50. chap. of Gen. when Iacob their father was dead Iosephs brethren fearing then that hee might seeke to bee reuenged of them for their vnkinde and inhumane handling of him they came to make supplication vnto him prostrating themselues before him desiring him to forgiue them their offence to whome hee answered Feare not for am not I vnder God as if he should haue said I feare God and therfore you neede not feare me 3. The feare of God is not onely the beginning of Gods seruice and the continuance of Gods seruice but also it is the end of Gods seruice and endureth for euer as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal. 19. The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer and our text sayth that thou maiest bee feared Againe Salomon in the 14. chapter of the Prouerbes extolling the excellencie of the feare of God sayth The feare of the Lord is as a well spring of life to auoid the snares of death Here then is the fountaine from whence all the streames of Gods seruice and euerie parte of his worship are first fetched And againe in the 16. chapter hee saith By the feare of the Lord we depart from euill So that now as you see all goodnes commeth by Gods feare it is the beginning of Gods seruice it is the continuance and conseruation of Gods seruice it is the end of Gods seruice it is the walles of Gods seruice whereby both the enemie is kept from vs and we from running to the enemie and what shall I saye more it is the irons and boltes wherewith
art that wilt bee a good souldier of Christ Iesus and doe him true and faithfull seruice because he hath raunsomed thee from the tyrannie of the diuel thou must renounce and denie from thy heart all vngodlines and that is all that prophanenes of mind wherein before thou diddest liue whē thou regardedst not God nor religion and all worldly lustes that is all the lustes of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as Saint Iohn teacheth vs 1. Epist. 2.16 all which are the verie armes ensignes which the deuill the prince of darknes beareth against thy deere Sauiour and redeemer Now after that thou hast washed thy hands from all vncleanenes and renounced the deuill with all his adherents the world the flesh art now become embāded in the Lords troups now thou must next learne how to stand in Gods aray what is the whole duety seruice which he requireth at thy handes This consisteth in these three parts as we are here taught in this text first in liuing soberlie to our selues secondly in liuing righteouslie to our neighbours and thirdly in liuing holily or godly towards god In these three points wholy standeth the seruice of God so much as of man is required The first second parts are contained in the second table of Gods law the third is contained in the first Now in the first part of Gods seruice following the order of our text beginning at our selues and rising as it were by steps from the lowest to the highest is to liue soberly towards our selues this is to gouern our own bodies and persons in such measure and comely behauiour as that the Lord who is the continuall beholder of all our actions as well priuate as publike and as well secrete as open bee not offended at vs. Wherefore here euery man must learne to temperate and moderate himselfe in his speech in his gesture in meate and drinke in apparell in pleasures in paines and labors and generally in whatsoeuer concerneth a mans owne person and in all his lawfull liberties so that our speech may not be too rough nor too ridiculous our gesture may not be too light nor too lowring our meate and drinke neither too much nor too delicate our apparell not too gay nor too sluttish our pleasures neither too long nor in bad causes our sorrowes not for euery vain losse nor in any defect or excesse and our labours such as may rather preserue life then quench it in all which we must alwaies hold this rule to consider not what we are able to doe but what is most meete to bee done agreeable with our estate wherein wee may not flatter our selues and seemelie both before God and man This sweete sobrietie is the honest grace and flower of our life which whosoeuer wanteth hee commeth too short of that duetie which God requireth at his handes being vnthankefull to God who hath redeemed him to liue in such an honorable estate offensiue to men and angels and hurtfull to his owne soule and body For what is the cause why our soules corrupt and stinke in the filthie lustes and pleasures of the flesh in al manner of excesse riotous kind of liuing but because they want this sale of sobriety wherby they shold be kept sweet why canst thou not endure to beare the labours of Gods seruice why dooest thou waxe faint in prayer why doest thou thinke it long to heare why doest thou thinke much to streine thy heart vnto God in the zeale of thankesgiuing and why canst thou not away to carie patiētly the easie yoke of Christ Iesus why thou hast not beene acquainted with sobrietie which is as it were the yoke to holde all men within their religious and vertuous endeuours Againe let vs come to the duties of the second table and aske what is the cause why wee cannot liue within the compasse of them Why doe some lift vp the heele against their gouernours like the vntamed horse why doe others liue in continual contentions and fightings like the sauage wolues and Tygers Why do some wast their strength in pleasures as the flame which consumeth the tallowe and why doe other neglecting the tender budde of their decaying stocke draw all through their owne throats while their wife and children starue for hunger and why doe other enuying the age to come gape vpon all things present like Behemoth as though they would make an end of the world with themselues and why do other some kindle such discord amongst their neighbours by that fire of the tongue as Saint Iames calleth it that it can neuer after bee quenched vnto the death and why is hell let loose within our selues to disturbe all the powers and sences about vs with wicked thoughtes lusts why this vertue of sobriety is absent from vs. So that take away sobriety and you vndoe all Religion Wherefore you good parentes you which haue a care of the posteritie and of the Church of God to come and you which thinke nothing too deere for the redemption of your own soules and the soules of your children shewe your thankefulnes vnto GOD in instructing your houshold teach them holines towards God and righteousnes towardes men and teach them not onely holines and righteousnes towardes God and men but also traine them vp in sobrietie towards themselues for this is the locke and key to religion it is the yoke of our life it is the salt of our soules it is the grace of all our actions O you good youth I call to you which loue the Lorde I call to you which honour all those which giue you good instruction and I call to you who had rather dye an honest and godly death while you are young then to liue in the filthie pleasures of sinne for a season and in the ende to bee cast awaye eternallie embrace this noble vertue of sobrietie if there bee anie vnderstanding if anie loue of vertue if anie zeale of chastitie if anie courage for good thinges fulfill my desires in the Lorde who loue your soules so deerely and God almightie raine downe a blessing vpon you 2. The second part of Gods seruice is to liue righteously towardes men and that is to giue euery man his due and right Giue to euerie man his due saith the Apostle Rom. 13. Tribute to whome yee owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whome feare honour to whome vee owe honour Owe nothing to anie man but to loue one another for hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Nowe this whole duetie of louing our brethren and in giuing euery one his due we may generally comprehende in this diuision First in honouring and obeying our superiours and gouernours secondly in relieuing our inferiors and all such as stand in neede of our helpe and thirdly in being kinde to our equalles and louing to all For the dueties towardes our superiours the subiect must honour his magistrate with obedience
hee taketh pitie on yet respecting the vnspeakable miserie from which we are deliuered and the greate freedome into which wee are brought that is into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and to the inheritance of the Saints and to be citizens of heauen this would deserue infinit duties of thankfulnes but now this was not our deare Sauiours case alas it was no ease for him to saue vs as the monument of this day can well witnesse vnto vs at what time he finished the terme of 32. yeares seruitude and halfe hauing troden the wine presse of the Almighty borne the fierce wrath of God his father sweat water and bloud with strong cryings and teares and now hauing passed the yron gates of death hee appeared vnto vs bringing saluation through no little sorrowe and therefore now as the matter thus standeth who is sufficient for these things and who shall giue vs thankfulnes and dueties and seruice for so great deserts 4. The fourth motiue are all those sweete graces and blessings both temporall and spiritual which are bestowed vpō vs by Christ in giuing himselfe for vs. For as the Apostle sayth Rom. 8. Seeing hee spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs how shall hee not with him giue vs all things also So then when God gaue vs his sonne and Christ gaue vs himself all good things were giuen vnto vs to Haue I beene as a wildernesse vnto Israel sayth the Lord Ierem. 2. Hath the Lord been barren vnto vs or as a land of darknesse is not hee that God who hath made the light of England to shine tenne times brighter then euer it did before is not hee that God who hath planted peace in all our borders hath not hee in our daies crowned the earth with foyson of all things hath not he made the plowman to touch the mower and the treader of grapes him that soweth seede hath not hee made the hilles to droppe fatnes and the furrowes to reioyce and sing hath not he made our desert like Eden and our wildernesse like the garden of the Lorde and is not hee that God who hath taken away from vs that famine of the word which heretofore oppressed the land more then the dearth of AEgypt and made our soules like a well watred garden and giuen vnto vs abundance of spiritual blessings and set our Priests and our Leuites as in times past Now beloued seeing it is thus and our eyes are full of Gods blessings which way soeuer wee turne vs can we forget our duetie towardes our gracious God who hath opened his hand so wide vnto vs Can a maide forget her ornament sayth the Lord or a bride her attire yet my people hath forgotten me daies without number O good brethren let vs not prouoke the Lorde to speake vnto vs by his iudgements complaining as hee did sometimes of the children of Israel Esay 1. Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath sayd I haue nourished and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me And againe in the fift chapter What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it and when I looked that it shoulde haue brought foorth grapes it brought foorth wilde grapes 5 The fift motiue is that great and plentifull reward which God that cannot lye and with whom is no variablenes nor shadow of turning hath in his word promised and will hereafter performe to all his faithful and diligent seruants Though the Lord hath alreadie deserued our seruice and ten thousand times more thē we cā do in sauing our soules which were lost yet such is the magnificent franknes of our God that hee will not receiue the least dutie at our hands for nought no not so much as a cup of cold water bestowed vpon his seruants for his sake but hee will render a double reward for it O is it not good seruing of such a master where all things are still comming in and where nothing is layde out and no time spent but bringeth in double gaine both in this life and in the life to come Verely I say vnto you sayth our Sauiour Christ Mark chapter 10. verse 29. there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred fold now at this present houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life O if men would serue the Lord what plentie of al good things should we enioy Proue mee now herewith saith the Lord of hostes if I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you and power you out a blessing without measure Malac. 3. Againe Esay 48. Oh that thou haddest harkened vnto my commandements then had thy prosperitie beene as the floud and thy righteousnes as the waues of the sea Furthermore the Prophet Dauid vseth most excellent similitudes to set foorth this estate worthie of due meditation Psal. 92. The hornes of the righteous shall bee exalted like Vnicornes they shall be annoynted with fresh oyle they shall flourish like a palme tree they shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon they shall be fat and flourishing and they shall bring foorth fruite in their age that is they shall haue a power euen aboue nature loe thus shall the men bee blessed that serue the Lord and men shall say verily there is fruite for the righteous 6. The sixt and last motiue to stirre vs vp to this industrie in Gods seruice is the Lords ende and as it were the marke and butte whereat hee shooteth in sauing vs which is that wee should giue ouer our liues whollie vnto him in the zeale of good workes thereby to set foorth the praise of his glorious working towards vs. And this is expressed in the 130. Psalme But with thee is mercie that thou maiest bee feared And secondly in this our text Who gaue himselfe for vs that hee might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes And thirdly S. Peter in his first Epistle and second chapter sayth That wee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holie nation and a people set at libertie that wee should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknes into his meruailous light This is the end then of Gods redemption Now beloued shall the Lorde lose his ende by our negligence and bestow all his labour in vaine and shoote as it were at a wrong marke hath he culled and picked vs out of all the world to bee a speciall and peculiar people vnto himselfe to be zealous of good workes to excell all other in vertue and to holde out his glorious vertues vnto all the world and shall we now neglect the high caller and contemne his