behold the Light and Loue is as the precious oyntment which was powred on the head of Aaron Wherefore good workes beeing a Diuine heauenly off-spring let them bee highly respected and carefully cherished by vs. Againe workes are to vs strong euidences of the Spirit of Life and therefore as sure as wee would be of our saluation so carefull let vs be of good works shamefull it were for them who are so scrupulous and eagre for security cōcerning temporall things not to bee more eagre for the ensuing of their Election Lastly they are excellent in regard of the benefite they doe to mankinde which also is manifold They doe good by the worke wrought and so they are as the dewe of Heauen which refresheth and nourisheth the drie and thirstie land Surely to a good Christian there is nothing more pleasant then to do good For as he especially delighteth therein to please his Maker so he exceedingly reioyceth thereby to profit his neighbour They doe good also by example for they come before men as patternes their sound goes forth and tels mankinde what should bee done what may be done and so they palpably perswade men to be followers of them that are followers of Christ. Againe workes doe good vnto men while they are mooued by them to lift vp their hearts and eyes vnto the heauenly Father to glorifie him that giueth such gifts to earthen and corrupted vessels And whensoeuer God is glorified by man man that glorifies him shall be blessed of God whensoeuer glorie is giuen to God on high peace and good will shall be bestowed on Men below If these things will not yet mooue vs at least let vs preuent the taking away of our candlesticke the remoouing of it to a nation that will bring forth more fruite Let vs preuent the scandall and shame which we purchase to our selues from the enemies of our Religion Let vs preuent the vpbrayding of Chorazin and Bethsaida Finally let vs preuent that fearefull sentence I know ye not depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie This shall we doe if wee becom right Christians in whome faith worketh by loue For the soule that is rooted in Christ hath from this root the life of Loue Diuine and Humane which expresseth it selfe outwardly in the fruite of good actions 2 It is a great vnhappinesse to many that they mistake good nature for grace For so doing they set vp their rest in it thinking they are gone farre enough towards God because they wish all well no hurt to any But it must bee knowne that good nature at the best is not grace yea it is full of enmities that fight against Grace For though it bee somewhat apt and appliable to the second Table yet it is euer far short of the first not hauing in it that true knowledge loue of God nor that inward purenesse which therein is required So the obseruing of the second Table is faulty for want of the first for if a man do neuer so many seeming good workes if they proceede not from a heart truely sanctified by God they are glittering sinnes issuing from a corrupt fountaine and tending to the sea of death For nature is exceedingly blinde toward God neither beholding nor worshipping him as god yea it is peruerted from God against God chuseth many things to it selfe in stead of God Now that which is blind cannot leade vs the right way and that which straieth leadeth vs a false way euen a way from life Therefore let-vs employ our iudgements vpon our owne estates that we may know whether there bee in vs something more then Nature and by which Nature it self may be rectified and directed to the true scope and marke which is God If there be in vs this godly and immortall seede let vs water it let vs cherish it as the life of our life if it be not in vs let vs violently knock at the doore of heauen with grones with panting desires with vehement supplications vntill there be an opening to our knocking a giuing to our asking and vntill they that thirst may drinke freely of the waters of life Otherwise if in a lazy contentednesse we lie along vpon the streame of Nature suffering it to carry vs whither it listeth certainly it slideth along to death and all the benefit wee can pick out of it is this that we go thither pleasantly 3 The goodnes of any worldly thing which so much pleaseth and moueth vs is but a spark of infinite goodnesse which dwells in God the author of it If then wee loue these small and transitorie things with so great an affection proportionably should wee raise our affection if it were possible toward God as much aboue it as God is aboue his creature At least let the creature when it giueth vs any comfort bee a remembrancer vnto vs of God pointing to him as the Author of euery good thing and our soueraigne Good 4 Hauing vndertaken the profession of Christians and considering in our owne thoughts the persecutions and tentations that may befal vs or cōferring of them with others let vs not promise to our selues or others ouermuch strength or constancy let vs not promise ouer confidently what we will do lest with Peter wee performe nothing of that which we promise For the strength which must do this worke of resisting and ouercomming temptation is not our owne but Gods and how canst thou promise that which is anothers That which is ours is onely the strength of flesh and bloud now flesh and bloud bee it neuer so lusty is no match for temptations and persecutions Indeede the spirits of men in prosperitie are prompt and forward their imaginatiōs of themselues are high and they dare boast of great things But let vs know that the diuell ouercame man at the best and what may wee not doubt of our selues the weake issue of man fallen to the worst Let vs therefore rather mistrust our owne strength confessing it to be weakenesse and in humility and confession of our weakenesse runne to God call him our Rocke and our strength Let vs say By my God I can break through an hoste and by him I can leape ouer a wall of temptations And that we may obtaine God to be our strength let vs instantly beg of him that Spirit of Fire which makes men strongly to endure the fiery tryall Let vs pray to him that he will continue to do in vs what hee hath bin accustomed to do in others euen in infirmitie to make his strength plaine and euident And that we may be fully capable of the grace we pray for let vs present our selues as vessels empty and altogether voide that of fulnesse we may receiue fulnesse In summe let vs so speake let vs so thinke of our selues as holy Paul In vs that is in our flesh there is no goodnesse but wee hope and desire to doe all things through Christ that strengthens vs euen to be more then Conquerours
what estate this enioying is greatest we shall finde in that wherein naturall and as we terme them kindly affections and desires haue most satisfaction For indeede what comparison is their betweene the imagination of being pointed at for greatnesse and the solide sweetnesse of being loued of a wise and honest friend What comparison betweene the officious and hartles complements of seruice-offring-flatterers and the obsequious loue of a chaste wife and dutifull children what equality betweene the delicate inuitations of a dainty feast vnto a cloyed stomacke and the sweetnes of plaine fare to a naturall appetite which desireth it not beeing desired of it If these be the better comforts of life and that life is better which hath most of them then in a meane degree and not still in the greater is the best portion of life Therefore it is not amisse for men sometimes to aspire downwards euen to the conditions of an estate beneath them selues This I set forth not as perswading an vniuersall priuatenesse which as mans ouer-spreading ambition will euer make impossible so it needeth not but only in a publike fortune to carry a priuate minde not swilling in too generall and large desires but bounded within naturall and becomming affections And this not to make a heauen of it on earth as the Philosopher in vaine assayed in a world so throughly tempered and seasoned with misery but to draw men vpon profitable and aduantageable termes into the most quiet and orderly compasse of life that the order and quietnesse thereof might allow roome for the practise of some course profitable to the Commonwealth and especially to the contemplation of a better life For these are too much put out of minde by swolne Ambition that oft so takes vp the whole heart that it thrusts this present life the countrey wherein life was receiued and that country where only true life and happinesse shall bee beyond all care and remembrance 37 The pleasures of this world after they are past and after they begin they are going to be past are as much nothing as if they had not beene Therefore whē sinfull pleasures tempt vs let vs thinke that if we by Religion put them not from being they will euen by beeing put themselues from being Wherefore let vs much rather choose that grace should make them to bee nothing and to performe an acceptable worke to God which shal haue his reward then giue them leaue by their owne nature to bring themselues to the same nothing and yet to leaue guilt behind and obligation to punishment But if the mind will needs dote on dying pleasantnesse let the same mind at that same time know and beleeue the pleasure of seeing Gods face infinitely to exceede this both in quantitie and in qualitie and that it shall as certainely appeare to vs hereafter as these doe now if wee refuse these for it There is no ods that may disswade vs but presentnes of the one and futurenesse of the other which being againe vnmeasurablely ouerwaied by aduantage of excellencie and eternitie should so mainely carry vs that we should despise the presentnesse of all sinfull pleasures much more then Iacob his next present seuen yeeres libertie for Rachel or one that proueth masteries his present ease and pleasure for a corruptible crowne 38 The affections of man are vsefull and commendable meeting with fit occasions and limited by due measure But they are commonly inordinate among vs and lay hold on wrong obiects or on true in wrong measure Ioy is good yea necessarie when Gods loue is beheld and considered And ioy is good when Gods blessings are powred vpon vs for euen that ioy is the gift of God but ioy oft transgresseth for it reioyceth more in the blessings then in God and it is too liuely in temporall things and too dull in eternall Yea it reioyceth somtimes in sinne our owne or others which is a ioy in the place of sorrow For sorrow though hated is also very profitable and excellently meete for the sinfull and miserable estate of man Sinne when it hath myred the soule by repentant sorrow hath the filth though not guilt washed away and indeed the guilt is not washed away by Christ vntill the filth bee washed away by spirituall sorrow For as long as the dregges of sinne lie on the soule vnbathed in repentance so long the blood of Christ as it were lotheth to come neere it Againe sorrow fitteth excellently the estate of vanity and misery that our looke being sad our heart may be made better and that griefe may stirre vs vp to apply our hearts to wisedome whereby wee may escape through vanitie and misery into immortalitie and happinesse But sorrow is often faulty when it sorrowes more for losses then for sins which in effect is more for losses of this life then of life eternall It is faulty also when it is stubborne against spirituall ioy and will not let the hart reioyce in the mercy of God though he bid it reioyce continually yea hatred it selfe is good yet in one only cause when it is against men that hate God for then may we hate both their wickednes and them as our vtter enemies Yet wee must beware wee hate not men for some single sinne who otherwise striue to liue vprightly for in many things we offend al and haue need our selues in such cases often to be spared To such belongs the Spirit of meekenes to restore them and if Dauid say I haue sinned against God the Prophet must say Thy sinne is also forgiuen thee But the habitual and greedy sinner that putteth God far from him and in defiance saith Who is the Lord this man is odious and Iehosaphat shall be bitterly chidden if he loue them yet the bond of charitie may still hold on which must watch that our hatred be for Gods sake onely and not our owne for man ought not to hate man in his owne behalfe Beside this charitie must pray for the amendment of him for charitie to man desireth the preseruation not the destructiō of man as farre as it may without offending the charitie of God But summarily to bring all affections into their true vse and proportion let vs finde out both their vse and measure in the word of light kindling or quenching them lengthening or shortning them according to the direction and line thereof 39 The best knowledge hath been anciently thought to be mans knowledge of himselfe but the best knowledge indeede being the knowledge of the best which is God the knowledge of man comes next in worth who is the next best in this lower world and whom God knowne teacheth and commandeth to know himselfe and who by knowing himselfe shall the better know God Now the immediate vse of this knowledge being to better the knower hee that will make most vse therof must learne to know himselfe most in those parts and faculties which are of most vse and excellence Therefore on the soule let the soule of man
MEDITATIONS OF INSTRVCTION OF EXHORTATION OF REPROFE INDEAVOVRING THE edification and reparation of the house of God 1. PET. 4. 10. As euery man hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God LONDON Printed by I. L. for George Gibbs and Francis Constable 1616. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE THE SONNES of the most High his blessed Brethren by the best that is the second Birth TRuly Honorable whose Father is God and whose Inheritance a Kingdome the diuers sparks of holy fire which haue issued from the Spirit that baptizeth with fire I haue gathered together by their vnited heate to kindle a flame where is none or to increase it where it is alreadie kindled This blessing must come from God and therefore of God haue I desired it And surely the best as ye well know haue turnes of winter euen vpon their hottest zeale and then woe to him that is alone for how should he haue heate Therfore if in the time of cooling some spirituall worke be ioyned to the heart it may bee warmth will grow betweene them So haue I often from Elisha applied euen some Prophet of God receiued life and I wish that some quickning may proceede also from this worke which in all writings is more or lesse as the Spirit therein more or lesse speaketh These Meditations are indeede diuers in their matter being diuersly borne both in regard of time and occasion yet tend they to one ende and this profit often comes from variety that some one thing among many fitteth euery one and giues an answere to the particular question of his heart The glorie of God by your benefite is that which I seeke desiring also to be holpen by you both in prayer and exhortation As for an idle name made vp still of perishing and often of corrupt breaths I leaue it to them for an end to whom God is not an end sufficient But let our chiefe ioy and glory be to glorifie God and by being written in heauen to bee admitted vnto the beholding of his glory To that mark my beloued let vs steadily aime and sending our hearts before vnto Christ let vs goe on lustily to ouertake them Let vs draw hard vp the hill toward heauen and though the flesh presse downe the world and Satan draw backe yet strengthened by the Spirit incouraged by the word and fortified with the mutuall and vnited force of mightie loue let vs carry the Arke of God euen the soule wherein Gods Image dwells and his will is written from the Countrey of the Philistims to the Land of promise And though heere our fleshly brethren Ismael and his heires mocke and despise vs though Esau with his foure hundred men looke big vpon vs yet are we sure that their time is short and but for life whereas wee haue an inheritance eternally glorious Thither the sonnes of the flesh though with long pedegrees and large treasures can neuer enter but sitting without where is weeping and gnashing of teeth they shallsee despised holinesse triumph vpon magnificent and powerfull wickednes God our strength whose cloud and pillar guided Israel to Canaan guide vs to the heauenly Ierusalem by the grace of his Spirit This I humbly desire through Christ his first borne the purchaser of our inheritance and doore of all the mercy that issueth from God vnto man One of your least worthy brethren but a great louer of you and your peace F. R. 1 THe maine Faultinesse of these Times is a Disproportion betweene Knowledge and Action or rather a meere resting in knowledge short of Action So are we come from no knowledge to knowledge alone which will not lessen but increase our iudgement and from the ouerualuing of workes to the Neglect of them Surely the errour of workes without knowledge is lesse dangerous then the error of knowledge without works But this is the best of it it is the doctrine of our Nature not of our Diuinitie For while it is taught that workes deserue not some are content to thinke they are vselesse others being truly perswaded of their vse yet slouthfull to goodnesse lie down in knowledge and will not goe on to the labour of action But as hereafter the paine will follow the fault so now let the shame for certainly it is a great shame that so much knowledge should be idle and that skilful men should sleepe in this Midday light for the light was made for walking and working not for idlenesse The Father sheweth his will because he will haue it done wee are called to be sonnes because we should do the will of our Father and Nebuchadnezzar giues the greatest title when hee calls the three children the seruants of the most high God In the Spirit wherein is Life is also Actiuenesse If we nourish not the actiuitie of it we decay the Life so kill our selues with eternall Death Christ hath no dead or vnprofitable Limbes they all beare fruite or are not his and Faith which our slouth would magnifie by resting in her thrusts vs on for her life to action for shee liues onely when she is actiue If then faith not working bee dead and dead faith quickens not the vnactiue beleeuer may speedily with a Heathen see himselfe without life As these things may driue vs so the value of workes may draw vs for by Christ who worketh them in vs they are accepted of God and haue a valuation stamped vpon them by his Grace for Grace And first though workes iustifie not vs they iustifie our Faith in the day of iustice they shall goe so farre toward iustifying vs that they shall declare vs iust In the meane time they please and glorifie God the giuer of such gifts vnto men and then euen the least of them shall haue a reward of glory which they shall set as a crowne on their heads that wrought them Let vs not therefore bee wanting to this glorie belonging to God from vs and issuing from God to vs. Besides if we will cōsider what works are in themselues we shall finde that they are streames of the Deity their fountain and sparkes of that heauenly and eternall fire Accordingly they present and expresse something that is Diuine and supernaturally excellēt whence it was that a Reuerend Ancient wel said The deedes and conuersation of the Primitiue Christians had in them a perfume and sweetnesse wherwith they exceedingly delighted those with whome they conuersed And how can it otherwise be for whē he that is blessednesse and excellence powreth vertue from himselfe into these workes they must needs haue a resemblance partaking of their original And surely there are two things in them which as they are the most pleasant of all other so they most resemble and approach to the Creator One of these is Light and the other is Loue both which put life and soule into euery good worke God is Light and God is Loue and it is a pleasant thing to
through Christ that loueth vs. 5 All sorts of men propose to themselues a happinesse hauing proposed it they seeke it with al their might neglecting all things in coparison of it The happinesse of the Gentiles is this world and therefore they striue toward it with all their strength neglecting the kingdome of heauen in regard of the world But the happinesse of a Christian is the kingdome of God and setting his heart thereon he despiseth the world in comparison of it and endeauours wholly for faith and regeneration the meanes to attaine it Now the Christians haue great aduantages of the Heathen For besides that our happinesse is eternall their 's transitory ours increaseth a man theirs addeth nothing to man wee haue euen their happinesse for an aduantage though not for an happinesse For this world was made for the next whosoeuer haue a right to the next they only haue a right to this and a promise that so much of this world shal be added to them as is necessarie for them in their way to the next Hee that sets vs in a Iourney will giue vs foode in the Iourney as hee did Manna to the Israelites trauailing to Canaan bread and drinke to Elias when he was to go the great iourney to the Mount of God Surely if the Creator giue himselfe to vs how shall he not giue his creatures with himselfe Therefore as we auoide the loue of the Gentiles so let vs auoide their feare as we loue not the world as our chiefe good so let vs not feare the losse of the world as a chiefe euill especially since we haue a sure stedfast and vnmooueable word God will not faile vs nor forsake vs. Surely they that know thy name will trust in thee O Lord for they haue seene and felt that thou hast not failed them that seeke thee 6 The Sunne of the soule is God while shee is here therefore without God she hath but her owne light which is but as the light of the eye without the Sunne is little more then blindnesse Let vs therefore still aspire to that high and perfect light where the soule looking out with open sight shall behold a Sunne infinitely more passing this Sunne then the soule doth the eye In the meane time let vs be farre from setting our content on this dungeon where the soule dwelleth in darkenesse but in a godly discōtent let vs striue here to get some ray of that purest light which may guide vs through this darkenesse and from it vnto that glorious citie wherin God is the Sunne 7 The nature of man being subiect to passions is very apt to amend one vice with another and to runne from one extremity iust as farre as another The ciuill and spirituall powers are two that may and would well liue together in mutuall comfort and vnitie But in the first times after Christ the ciuill power mightily destroyed and diminished the spiritual hunting the possessors thereof as partriches on the mountaines After this the cleargie hauing gotten power enough at least to right themselues aduanced toward the limits of the temporalty and at length inuaded the very sword and scepter thereof This being the disease of the cleargy it was mightily purged and now it concernes the Laity whose turne is next to be faulty to looke to it self that it continue not these circular euils Likewise the Papists digged downe the foundation to build vp the walles they tooke from Christ to magnifie workes Now let vs take heede that we make not all foundation and so indeede make no foundation for Christ is not a foundation to them that build not vpon him The Popish Cleargie couered their people with blindnesse and then gaue them a line which they willingly followed ours desireth to guide and fill vs with light now farre bee it from vs so to hate blindnesse that we doe nothing but stare on the light Light on earth is a guide to light in heauen but it is no guide to them that doe not follow it yea to such in the day of darkenesse it shal become an accuser But thogh darknes should bring forth more workes then light yet Hagar may not boast against Sara nor ignorance against knowledg For first these workes of ignorance are the children of the bondwoman euen of our naturall corruption therfore shall not inherite with the children of grace the freewoman neither shall they obtaine any reward Secondly nature spreads ouer all mankinde but true sanctifying grace comes into few Now superstition is rooted in nature and so is generall with nature and therefore it is no wonder if that which is general bring forth more general and cōmon fruits neither if grace which dwels but in the few that enter in at the narrow gate makes the lesse muster and outward apparence 8 A Christian man hath as much neede of Christs Spirit to be a Christian and to liue eternally as a naturall man hath of a Spirit to be a man and to liue temporally For as the soule and the bodie are a man so Christs Spirit and man are a Christian which is a holy eternall and happy thing 9 When a Christian hath committed some notable sinne there presently open before him two dangerous gulfs ready to swallow him one of them is Despaire the other Presumption Hee is tempted to beleeue that he cannot be forgiuen or that he is very easily forgiuen and so Gods mercy is too much assumed or refused But against presumption should bee set as a counterpoyse the Maiestie and Iustice of the great God that is offended the foulenesse and deformitie of sinne in the sight of that God the breach of the Couenant made with God both at the outward and inward Baptisme the grieuing of the Spirit with which wee are sealed vnto redemption and finally the temporall punishments wherewith God chastiseth his transgressing seruants especially not iudging humbling or chastising themselues Surely God is infinite in Maiesty the heauen of heauens cannot containe him the Angels cannot fully behold him the Sun and Starres are not pure in comparison of him The same God is a iust iealous God visiting sin and iniquity for sin is more lothsome in his sight then the most abhorred filthinesse or foulest soares are in the eies of mē As for thy Couenant thou hast mightily brokē it thou gauest thy selfe to God in generall and now thou takest thy selfe from him in particulars thou madest an agreement with him to bee his seruant if he would bee thy God he is become thy God and thou failest in thy promised seruice Besides thou grieuest the Spirit that cōforts thee thou art a great vexatiō to him who is thy chiefe consolation thou frettest that which is thy life eternall and goest about to quench him who would quicken thee vnto glorie euerlasting Lastly that the punishments of sin may come within thy consideration remember Dauid for whose adultery and murder his child of adultery died his wiues were polluted with
second for he that commeth after is preferred before for he was before Then are we translated from death to life then are we Citizens of the new Ierusalem wee are passed from the old things which must be blotted out and are come into the new world which abideth for euer Where bee now these pedegrees from Adam and the sonnes of Adam with their swelling glory They often come forth to amate Gods children of low degree yet are these the pedegrees of death they prooue their owners to be the glorious sonnes of sinne and mortalitie But O the infinite happinesse and priuiledge of the sons of God borne of the best Father in the best image to the best inheritance God their Father begets them to his owne image and becomes their inheritance in whom is the fulnesse of glory beyond whome is nothing and therfore nothing to be sought beyond him Let vs in comparison of this new birth and life despise the glory of earthly birth and earthly life not as if we had neither eminence of birth nor pleasures of life which perchance was a reason to Philosophers but must not be to Christians and to many it needs not but because they are grosse miserable and base in respect of the other For this cause let vs especially dote on our heauenly pedegree and celestiall happinesse growing still stronger in loue with heauen as we grow nearer vnto it Let vs refuse to be called the sonnes of Pharaohs daughter in respect of being the sonnes of Pharaohs Creator And though this descent and inheritance be inuisible yet therefore are they the better for that which may be seene shall vanish away but that which may not bee seene endures for euer that which may be seene is grosse but that which may not be seene is pure and glorious and only discernable by a glorified sight 20 Gods time and our time are often different but surely he that is wisest appointeth the fittest times Accordingly God who is wisedome giueth both meate and all things in due season Let vs therfore with patience surrēder our selues vp to him in all our necessities suffering willingly his time to be ours For he will come though he seeme to tarry and that in the fittest time Luk. 18. his comming being quicke enough in his iudgement when sometimes it seemes slow to ours 21 The children of Anak and Achitophel out of the acknowledgement of their owne strength and cunning thinke that if God would haue any seruants he would chuse such able men as themselues and not the meaner sort whome they despise with the Pharisies saying Doth any of the Pharisies beleeue in him but this base people which is accursed Againe they are perswaded that if God would not finde out them they could finde out God sooner then the simple swaine that beleeues as they thinke only out of a low spirited feare But let them know that the more earthen the vessell is the more is the glory of him that doth great workes in it For the basenesse of the vessell puts away all the glory from it selfe vnto God Therefore according to Gods speech of Gideons armie They are too many for me to ouercome Midian by them wee may say of these iolly men They are too good for God to worke his glory by them yet humility acknowledging all sufficiency to bee from God and to bee nothing without him might take them downe and so make them fit for God But as for the finding of God in Christ without his owne light surely they may as well finde the Sunne in the night and the secrets of the spirit of man when the man himselfe is silent God must shine if hee will bee seene he must both tell his secrets and giue an vnderstanding to conceiue them if man shall receiue them As no man can see God liue so no naturall man can see Christ who is God as long as he liues a meere naturall man He must dy and especially to his owne wisedome and his very sight which hee magnifies for clearnes must be acknowledged for blindnesse and be brought to be cured by the lightsome Spirit of Christ which then will shew him from whome it selfe proceeded 22 We are gods and not our owne so are our children by creation if not by sealing Why should we doubt that God will not prouide for his owne and in this doubt seeke to piece out his prouidence with a distrustfull prouidence of our owne which indeed at the best is but a shrid of his Surely our selues and our children being more his then ours and his loue to his owne being purer and wiser then ours we might rest well contented with that portion which is granted by him to our lawfull endeauours For the heauenly Father giueth good yea the best gifts though the earthly fathers would faine sometimes giue greater ones But the greatnesse which the earthly desire is earthly but the good which also is great that the heauenly giues is heauēly And this God knows to be a substantiall blessing for it is blessednesse it selfe stretching beyond time reaching in place aboue moth and rust Be we then thankesgiuers not murmurers when wee or our children haue store of grace though with little wealth for we are then very rich in the true treasure though not in the vanishing and our Father hath prouided for vs many cities and a large inheritance Luk. 19. 17. in the land of the liuing 23 The Scripture hath authority selfe-vpholding in it selfe because it is the word of God and this it hath and is whether men receiue it or not Truth is as much truth whē it is not acknowledged as when it is But the true manner of receiuing it is this At first the Church inlightned by Gods Spirit saw beheld in it the truth of God receiued it and commended it to all to be beleeued Now the learners of Christianity receiue it first on this commendation of the Church before by it they receiue the Spirit to discerne it As children beleeue rules giuen by their Masters vpon trust before that by the rules they come to the knowledge that they are right rules But after hauing beene inlightned by the Spirit they receiue it then vpō their own knowledge as the first Church did And thus proceeding they come at last to iudge the Church it selfe by that word which before they receiued from the Church So while I am a naturall man I receiue the word of men but when I become a spirituall man which discerneth all things I then discerne it to be the word by the Spirit And the beleefe which comes from this spirituall discerning is truly and onely faith the former is only credence and trust the one hath the very word for the obiect thereof the other the persons of men Now miserable is the estate of that Church that hedgeth in men within that trust and neuer doth suffer them or at least incourage them to proceede to faith Where it is taught
that it is sufficient to beleeue the Church there mans minde is perswaded to rest in that beleefe and careth not to beleeue the word for it selfe Such a perswasion fastneth the eye on men and turneth it from the word of light which giueth light to the simple and might and would be seene it selfe Indeede it is an excellent couer for a bad Religion for it keepes men within the pale of securitie since they must aske their teachers only whether their teachers bee deceiued By the same rule may the Alcoran also be established or any the most pestilent Herisie if men must bee bounded by their teachers and not looke beyond their teaching But farre more blessed are they if they be also blessed with thankfulnesse who may looke Diuine truth in the face and loue it for the beauty which themselues behold in it And as men haue happinesse hereby so hath God his glory who scorneth that his word should haue men to giue their word for it It is a word that standeth by it selfe it approoueth it selfe And lest men should say that the former trust helpes the weakenesse of men and not of the word they shold know that God hath taken course himselfe that man should not still continue in such a weaknesse that still might neede such helpe For as he giues the word to shine from without so hee giues his Spirit to shine within that the light of the Spirit might apprehend the light of the word Let vs not therefore forsake this inuincible rocke of Christian religion euen a self-approuing and selfe-establishing authority of the word For as hreby it is strong in it own strength so beareth it selfe vnmoueable against all exception so herein it excelleth all errors and heresies since none of them can stand in their own power Bee this then the priuiledge of the word neuer to be lost 24 There are in man naturally three knowledges of good and euill one of reason which is true as farre as reason guides it Another of instinct imprinted into the nature of man at his creation such a knowledge thinks it good to loue our children to relieue the distressed and thinks the contrarie euill Hereto is ioyned that naturall affection which Paul commends Rom. 1. but in this sometimes is excesse sometimes defect and therfore it must be aduanced or lessened as the measure of reason requires A third is of lust and somtimes called by vs humour which esteemes things good or euill out of some blind affection not for any reason or iust cause So some loue killing and hate mercy some loue trouble and hate quietnes some loue nothing but wealth some vtterly neglect it some thinke fame to be good and honestie foolishnesse This came with the fall and hereof we must take heed in all our actions for this is that darknesse which brings foorth the workes of darknes and leades to eternall darknes 25 The things of the next world are as certaine as these heere for the same word that said Let these be and they were saith also There are such incomprehensible things prepared for them that loue God They are as certainely known by faith as these by sight as truly though not so largely For Moses saw them certainely else perchance for them would he not haue forsaken the certaine pleasures of sin And the Word saith that his faith truly saw God and no one true thing is more true then another Againe the things inuisible are certainly better then the visible for holy men haue euer despised the present for those to come The hart can conceiue temporall things but not eternal and that which is of God is infinitely inferior to God himselfe But what is the reason then that we chuse them not being certainly knowne and farre better The reason is because our station is natural elementarie and grosse and likenesse makes loue onely to like Therefore also the things aboue being supernatural and pure must haue a minde of like temper to loue them There must be a new station a second worke euen stinting and crossing nature Yea wee must haue a minde lifted aboue nature to loue things aboue nature wee must bee raised aboue flesh into an heauenly knowledge to see heauenly truth not sinking with beasts into the low region of seeing touching and tasting Thus lifted vp and made spirituall we shal discerne and approue spirituall things as the naturall man doth the obiects of nature Therefore let vs importune God the Father of this better nature that hee will distill into vs some drops of that heauēly dew which may giue vs heauenly mindes and make vs to loue the things of heauen as much as flesh and blood doth things of earth Surely vntill then the wise Naturalist thinks happinesse folly and then the spirituall man demonstrably seeth and prooueth all present things to bee vaine vanitie Vntil then we are but great children or brute beasts concluded vnder the senses and we then onely are men whē we get the image of God our Father which both knowes him and is knowne of him Such were they whom God made at first such are they whom God now makes againe 26 If euery thing bee desirable according to the benefit thereof then either prosperitie or aduersity may be loued and neither determinately hated or cōdemned For either is very profitable to a man and most commonly aduersitie Let vs therefore cease to despise it in others or impatiently to beare it in our selues since aduersitie hath whipt many to heauen when prosperity hath coached more to hell Let vs leaue off with children onely to desire pleasant things and growne into men in Christ let vs desire wholesome things It is better in good sadnesse to be saued then in good fellowship to be damned 27 The Church truely and rightly calleth God her saluation By God is not one person only meant but the whole three persons For God the Father through his Son by the holy Ghost saueth vs. God the Father principally out of a fundamentall loue elected vs appointed gaue the means by which this election might produce saluation God the Sonne principally did put himselfe into the very work of our saluation and became the maine matter meanes and treasurie thereof God the holy Ghost principally distributeth and imparteth by particular gift and application the saluation which was fore-ordained by the Father and is treasured vp in the Sonne So the whole Trinitie ioyneth together in this our happinesse it being absolutely necessarie toward our saluation that there should be an election and appointment of the meanes an actuall exhibition of the meanes appointed and an actuall application of the meanes exhibited Therefore when wee say we are saued by Christ we meane not that wee are saued by the second person onely and the humane nature vnited to him but with Saint Paul we meane that whole God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe Accordingly in our due thanksgiuings whē we praise God for his gifts toward
action had not come to passe whereas we should reason this If this action had not beene appointed to come to passe these effectual meanes had not falne out Then run we to see the true cause of things euen to Gods prouidence and purpose which to the godly is a sure rest and refuge since therby al euents must turne to the best to Gods children though effected by the malice and wickednesse of men For this purpose of God is rooted in Loue and loue purposeth all for the good of that which it loueth so through whatsoeuer kinde of actions it passeth it still remaineth one vnchangeable bringing forth stedfastly fruit proportionable to the roote of loue Gods purpose cannot be hindered or altered by men but passeth along conquering and preuailing vnchanged it selfe and changing all things to it selfe and it owne goodnesse So Shimei his cursing might produce a blessing to Dauid and Iudas treason did procure the saluation of mankinde 59 Consisting of Parts 1. Part. It is a strange thing that in this broad day light any man should stumble at the Popes supremacy in spirituall much lesse in temporall matters If with the Apostles wee will but testifie what we see we on whom the truth clearely shineth cannot chuse but see that this supremacy is a thing much yonger then the Christian Religion which prospered before it was and that much better then since Religion was put out to nurse vnto it If we will begin with Christ Christ equally endoweth his Apostles with power of binding and loosing and equally appoints al nations vnto them If Christ should haue said That on Peter he would build his Church which he speaketh of him only who only is the Rock 1. Cor. 10. yet Peter answering for all should receiue this in the behalfe of all for whom hee answered For since it was forbidden to all of thē to tell who Christ was it seemes all ioyned with Peter in the knowledg and confession of Christ and so all had interest in the benefit of that knowledge and confession Againe if at that time it should only haue beene spoken only to Peter wee haue another Scripture which equalleth the other Apostles with him euen in the building of the Church while it sayeth the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles so that the Apostles are ioyned together promiscuously not differently towards the making vp of the foundation Besides Paul plainely answereth that he is not a whit inferiour to the chiefest of the Apostles that he had of Peter the right hand of fellowship not of inferiority which most cuts off the Pope from claiming vs who are Gentiles by Peter and turnes him ouer to fetch his especiall claime by Paul Paul saith that the Apostleship of the circumcision or Iewes was committed to Peter and of the Gentiles especially to him To this Eusebius giues his testimony saying that Peter though cōming among the Gentiles yet preached only to the Iewes withall brings forth his first Epistle as that which was directed particularly to his own charge the Iewes And this indeede best fitteth with the History which reporteth that Peter and Paul exercised their Apostleships together at Rome which might most orderly be performed if the one taught there the Circumcisiō the other the Gentiles Therefore let the Pope take heed how he robs Paul to giue vnto Peter for hee robbes his best title to giue to his worse but hereafter let him find some new exposition of building the Church so vpon Peter that Paul also may haue a great part in the foundation wheron the Church is built Now if we descend from the Apostles betweene whome if there be any oddes in right to vs it appeares to be on Paules side to examine whether any such supremacy descended from among them to the succeeding ages wee shall finde none in diuers hundred years The church of Rome indeede was a famous Church founded by the Apostles flourishing with godly Bishops and Martyrs and full of Saints and therefore by many holy men great and large titles were giuen to her and her Bishops in letters and writings So might shee for the eminencie thereof be called the first Church or the chiefest Church and the Bishops the Bishops of the chiefest Church but a meane vnderstāding knows there is great oddes betweene being first in order and a head in gouernment And this the practise of those times plainly declared for though they had giuen neuer so many good words to the Bishops and Church of Rome yet as soone as the Bishop of Rome intermedled with their gouernment they presētly rose vp against him so did Cyprian yea a councell of African Bishops and among them Saint Austin walled vp their countrey from the command of the Romane Bishops Euen in the very matter of excommunication wherein is the pretented eminēce of their power Irenaeus a Bishop of France the Popes neighbour reprooued Victor a Bishop of Rome for excōmunicating the Churches of Asia vpon the obseruation of Easter And when Constantinus vniustly checked Liberius the Bishop of Rome for maintaining the cause of Athanasius with these words How great a part of the world art thou that thou alone shouldest iustifie a wicked man and trouble the peace of the world neither Constantinus acknowledged any supremacy in Liberius neither did Liberius in his answer though hee had occasion giuen to tell how great and Catholike a head hee was thereby iustifie his doings To conclude for particulars are infinite and this matter is commonly handled at length by a councel Christendome was committed to fiue Patriarches of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem of which Rome was the first but had no more authoritie ouer the rest then the second had ouer the third the authoritie of no one being subalterne or subiect to other And the proportionable practise of diuers of these Patriarches yet standing giueth hereunto confirmation But the same corruption of mans nature which in a clowne stirreth vp an ambitious desire to be a gentleman of a gentleman to become a nobleman and of a nobleman to become a king being in a Pope as much as in other men hath wrought the same effect in him that it hath in others And so from being a Patriarch he hath laboured to bee the head of the Patriarches that is an vniuersall Patriarch and from being and vniuersall Patriarch to be an vniuersall Emperour So Ambition still ascends making one degree of honor but a stayre whereon to mount it selfe vp to another and by this meanes at length hee is come to that all-comprehending toppe wherin he meetes iust with the title prepared for him by Saint Paul As God in the temple of God aboue al that is called God But he must remember that thereunto are annexed these two other titles the man of sin and the sonne of perdition 2. Part. These things beeing so euident most lamentable it is that there should bee plotted and deuised an ignorance so grosse that it
cause loue the effect Therefore is earthly Paradise wiped out and the Sunne shall be taken away and worldly pleasure eaten vp by death And from hence haue wee infinite cōfort for besides the blessed end which comforteth all labours wee haue other comforts in our way thither For if some temporall effects of God be now wanting yet in God they are ready for vs and farre more excellent things when it shall be best for vs for God hauing cōmunicated himselfe to vs we may certainly beleeue he cannot denie things small in comparison of him when they shall be for our good Therefore when he withholds them hee doth it as not beeing good for vs yea we may reioyce in griefe knowing that a louing God and our God is the very cause of it and that to our good So while our flesh by nature is sad at the effect our heart by grace may reioyce confidently in the cause For God vnchāgeable through all our changes aymeth vnchangeably to this end our good Let all seeke God with their whole heart since himselfe is our exceeding great reward since all things attend vpon him ready to cast themselues vpon them whom they see fauored by him And since all things of what time soeuer that are cast on vs are turned into good by him who dwelleth in vs. 79 If a good name be better then a small parcell of goods then he that sits as iudge of a mans good name ought to proceede to sentence vpon as firme euidence as the iudge of a mans goods If this were obserued men would heare sufficient witnesses before they fall to their censures Surely it is a great fault of these times that men are sooner condemned to bee wholly naught then a publikely accused-man is to haue stollen a sheepe The reason hereof is There is a drop of the great Serpents venome powred into our hearts which breeds in vs a willingnesse to heare euill of our neighbours But let vs thirst for the medicinable drops of grace sucke thē into our hearts which will fill vs with that loue which reioyceth not in euill It is a pitiful thing that creatures of one forme of one condition should delight in the blemishes and miseries of each other But when the diuell brought vs to fall out with God he also brought vs to fall out among our selues that loue the fulfilling of the Law might be perfectly broken Yet they that are new made by Christ must learne Christs new commandement which is loue and be slowly and vnwillingly led to beleeue euill of their neighbour 80 It is a good degree of happinesse to haue a nature inclining yea in different to those waies to which the spirit bends it selfe and would bend it Thence it seemes a great aduantage when a man hath in his nature a coldnesse to Ambition to the glory of this world to the pleasures of the world and when it draweth and contracteth it selfe into a narrower content being satisfied euen with things necessarie For if we haue not this naturally in vs we must striue to make it naturall by custome because there is an absolute necessity that wee be such or still striue to bee such For God must reigne in vs if we will reigne with him how doth he reigne in vs but by moderating guiding the minde within the compasse of reason curbing and restraining wilde and inordinate affections And this it seemes is much the end of afflictions on the men whom God loues that there by taming swaging and cooling their nature and as it were washing and taking away by a priuation the head-strong affections which it beareth to the world the spirit may vnresisted enter in and quietly worke his nature into the afflicted And as for these naturall vertues though they bee not Christian nor in themselues acceptable to God while they are meerely mooued by nature to a naturall mans ends yet when nature is mooued to do them by the spirit from a right cause which is the loue of God vnto the right end which is the glory of God then the actions so done by the seruice of nature are good acceptable to God As for those whose crooked and more vnmannagable nature standeth stiffe against the discipline of the spirit and their owne desires let them not therefore despaire because their euill ground bringeth forth lesse fruite more bryers then the others It pleaseth God indeed to make thee one of those to whom he appointeth more labour for the promised penny yet be not wearie of well doing for if thou faint not thou shalt in due time receiue thy wages If thou striue heartily against thy euill and hate it God is pleased with thy will and affection as much as the others action Therfore striue hopefully according to the might which thou hast praying for more and his grace is sufficient for thee 81 The wisedome of man and the wisedome of God are exceeding different and no maruaile one being infinitely pure and purely infinite the other narrow but great in corruption As in all things therefore wee should forsake our owne wisedome and leane vnto Gods so not with the least care in the matter of reuenge when thou hast suffered some euill thine own wisedome bids thee returne euill to the doer but the wisedome of God bids thee to returne him good notwithstanding this euill Hereat thou wondrest and thy flesh finds no wisdome in this to returne good for euill to helpe him who hurts thee yet is the counsell of thy wisedom indeed folly this of Gods excellently wise For 1. in reuenging thy self thou dost foolishly for God hauing taken to him self alone the name power of being iudge of the world thou steppest into this place and wilt bee thy owne iudge And God hauing delegated part of this power for a time vnto Magistrates thou intrudest into their place and so art Rebellious both against God and man And indeed as thou hast made thy selfe a iudge so thou makest thy selfe an executioner and art the hangman to execute the sentence of thy own malice surely if a man had robbed thee though with some blowes and were apprehended and condemned by the Magistrate thou wouldest take it a great disgrace to be appointed for a hangman or executioner of him who thus offendeth thee yet heere is nothing but iustice but when thine owne wrath vsurping the place of Iudgement condemnes a man for a blow or a word to die then it is a part of honour to bee the executioner of thy own vniust and vnlawful sentence Be not deceiued this latter is the worse hangman of the two But to examine thy folly neerer how art thou indeede auenged by this which thou thinkest and callest reuenge By intruding into Gods office thou hast taken the matter out of Gods hands into thine owne but so where before a God and an offended God was thy enemies Iudge who in his wrath could cast both soule and bodie into hell fire now a man hath
Christ alone He walkes along treading on earth and earthly things with his eies and heart fixed on his Sauiour in heauen To conclude he is so farre from selling Christ to get any thing y t he will sell al things to obtaine Christ Now true loue the fruite of a true faith makes this yoke easie and this commandement light 85 The naturall man hath in him an inclination to be proud in the enioying of such things as haue any excellence though himself be not the Author of that excellence and sometimes though he haue therby no addition of worth to his owne person So in the first kinde he is proud of a good wit and in the second is he proud of a proud horse of a rich iewell of an imbrodered garment And accordingly hee attributeth more glory to himselfe for possessing them then to the Author and giuer for creating and giuing them yea commonly all the glory to himselfe the standing poole and none to the spring But the true Christian euen the new borne sonne of God rips vp this swelling deceit and striues to free his soule from it and to bring her to a true and iust discerning of things To this end bending her eye to the contemplation of truth shee findes that chiefe and only glory belongeth to the giuer not to the receiuer to the Creator not to the thing made Shee sees no reason that she should boast of anothers worke nor that shee should be proud of what shee hath receiued but rather shee seeth great reason that the creature should giue all glory to the Creator and the receiuer to the giuer For the borrower is a seruant to the lender his receiuing is an implied subiection and hee oweth to him the thing lent much more the glory of the thing Accordingly the sanctified cry out Sing ye loud to the Lord all the earth for the Lord is God he hath made vs and not wee our selues And Thou art worthie ô Lord to receiue glory honour and power for thou hast created all things This if puft vp man would rightly consider hee would remember by the benefits of God to glorifie God his Benefactor not himselfe the almesman of God And thogh knowledge by mans corruption is made an instrument of puffing vp yet knowledge pursued to this point by sanctification would humble and abase For it would shew vs that wee must glorie in our owne not in our debts Rather thereby as borrowers and owners wee should become humble acknowledgers of our owne subiection and obligation to him who lendes and bestowes But miserable and distracted man how farre dost thou wander from this dutie thou art proud of a chaine borrowed of thy neighbour howmuch more wilt thou bee of a greater thing giuen thee of thy God Rather breake off thy sins by repentance humble thy false swelling abate the wisedome of thy foolish flesh yea let all glorie which other giue thee reflect from thee to thy maker who only is the true rest of glory Then if thou glorifie him thou shalt be glorified by him w c is the glory thou especially shouldest seeke for vnto thy self so maist thou aspire by humility which is the only honour yea most ready way of aspiring But if thou doe it not know that pride is the especiall barre of Gods mercies Pride keepes out God and many might haue beene farre more sanctified if they had beene farre lesse proud For God enters not into the soule that acknowledgeth not him nor his benefits those that are farre from beholding him hee beholdeth afar off But into the humble soule that giueth him abundance of glory he enters with abundance of grace sowing there and there only plenty of grace where he is assured to reape plenty of glory Now let vs beware that what God soweth for himselfe wee reape not to our selues lest we be found robbers of God but being as labourers in that haruest only for him let vs be content with our wages of labouring which wil be sufficient yea an exceeding great reward to vs for great glorie shall be giuen to those in the next world to whom God giueth grace to bee humble in this world 86 It is pittie we haue so wholly taken vp our minds with the controuersies betweene vs the Pope that wee haue much neglected the more immediate controuersie between vs the diuell It is good that thou lay thy hand on this and forget not the other The chiefe superedification on Faith is Loue and this loue tends to the fulfilling of the commandements Herein are the children of God knowne and the children of Satan Hee that loueth is borne of God and he that loueth not hath not seene God but the wrath of God abideth on him But as loue must bee had so must it be had to some purpose it must bee vseful bring forth the naturall kindly fruite thereof which is keeping the commandements But the blacknesse of darkenesse is so thicke on the soule of man by his fall that he cannot see the good which he would doe and hence it is that often loue brings the children of good workes to the birth but there is no strength of knowledge to deliuer them Many there are who haue consciences great with charitie yet in many things for want of knowledge they either abstaine from doing at all because they know not what is right to be done or somtimes mistake euill for good and so offend God instead of pleasing him Now lamentable it is to see zeale and deuotion mispent to see a good minde bring forth euill fruits the holy but diuine soule to goe cleane contrary to y t way it purposeth And this thogh neglected very much abateth y e glorie prosperitie of the light and enlargeth the power and limits of the kingdome of darkenesse And as much darkenesse as is left so much roome is there left for Satā so much territory is there allowed to him which as we should striue wholly to gaine from him so especially in those which belong not to him but haue giuen themselues to the God of light to walke as children of the light Be it therefore the precious worthy labour of some Bezaleel or Aholiab some one whose heart God hath touched and inlightned to lighten and kindle many of the yet-dim-shining lampes which are in the house of God Let them be eies to the blinde and let them ioyne with the spirit of God saying in the voice thereof This is the way walke in it Let them breake abroad the commandements of God into their seuerall branches of things forbidden and commanded that he which runneth may reade and hee which readeth may runne aright Then shall many a worke of darkenesse be preuented and the workes of light shall spring in farre greater aboundance Then shall the Prince of darknes bee chased much farther from vs and the God of light shall dwell more powerfully and fully in vs. Then shalt thou whosouer thou art that turnest a soule