honoured and rewarded of God then all the world beside Oh happie man and woman that professing Christianitie or faith in Christ or repentance for sinne or patience in affliction or contempt of the world or zeale to Gods glorie or deuotion in Gods worship or liberalitie to the Saints or mercie to the miserable can in all these haue the company of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart then may they say thus nay our suretie the Lord Iesus wil pleade for vs in this manner Father despise not these little ones they are my friends and though their faith and repentance be weake and imperfect and other graces of thy Spirit be but small and feeble and for want of nourshing and good looking vnto be not so well growne nor so well ordered as they should haue bene yet forasmuch as they come before thee and haue called vpon my name in sinceritie and truth which thou louest without counterfeiting dissembling and hypocrisie which thou abhorrest thou wilt not despise them Their fruit though they be but little in quantitie like a graine of musterd seed yet it is right fruite of the Spirit true faith though little faith true loue though litle and small loue not like the fruites of hypocrites which are like the apples of Sodome faire in shew and ashes in substance What hath soundly comforted all the Saines of God here on earth but the testimonie of an vpright heart And is not sound comfort a good reward What hath encouraged and emboldned them to come before God in prayer but the testimoniall of a sincere heart and holy affection And is not boldnesse in Gods presence a good reward What hath made the prayers of the faithfull auaileable with God for other but the sinceritie and vpright affection of them that haue craued their prayers and are not these sweet odours that is the prayers of the Saints a good reward What made Iacob to be honoured with the new name of Israel that is preuailing with God for a blessing but that his wrestling was not in shew but in good earnest in sinceritie and truth of heart with a constant purpose of perseuering till he had gotten that which he stroue for And is not preuailing with God a good reward All the daies of the afflicted are euill saith Salomon that is troublesome grieuous and bitter to flesh and bloud but a good conscience is a continuall feast that is he that hath an vpright heart and sincere affection before God feeleth no want Now such a feast as it is continuall so is it prouided by God himselfe serued in with the Spirit of God where the Angels do waite and reioyce and the worst dishes are the assurance of Gods loue forgiuenesse of sinnes peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost There all the communication is secret and heauenly between Christ and the soule the Musitians are the faithfull and their musicke is praising of God and their harmonie is the communion of Saints and all are of one heart and mind and is not such a feast a good reward Nay more then this if this be not inough whosoeuer will earnestly hegge this gift of God by prayer and louingly embrace and keepe her as his deare spouse shall haue with her a large dowrie a great reward in heauen in heauen saith Christ. For such gifts come not without crauing and of our selues we cannot haue it for if a good wife be the gift of God much more is a good heart which God in creating doth giue in giuing doth create therfore Dauid saith Create in me ô Lord a cleane heart to shew that we can no more make the hart sincere then we can create a hart But whē such a hart is created by God he giueth thee a singular gift a great portion belongeth vnto it Part of it shall be payd thee in this life but the greatest part in the life to come In this life thou shalt be loued of Christs friends and moned of good men when thou art wronged the more thou dost seek to honor God the more he will honor thee as he told Samuel The more thou fliest the vainglorie of the world for sinceritie sake the more wil true glorie follow thee according to the Prouerb Honos fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit It followeth those that flye from her like friends which enforce gifts and other curtesies vpon modest persons which refuse them but flyeth them that follow her as men do impudent beggers But besides al this when death comes thy deare friend sincerity shall more comfort thee then all the Phisitions in the world And after death thy name shall liue and walke vp downe in the world to warne some to comfort some to admonish some and to shame some and to condemne many But yet here is not all for then shalt thou first receiue commendation of God whom thou hast serued and secondly enter into full and euerlasting possession of thy maisters ioy which is no lesse then a weightie crowne of glorie immortall then a kingdome and inheritance of eternall blessednesse with the Saints and Angels and God himselfe where all teares shall be wiped from thy eyes and thou shalt reioyce for euermore Where thou shalt enioy for euer and euer such things as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard nor heart to man can conceiue and nothing shall euer obscure or eclipse the same nor crosse nor diminish the same And what is all this or whatsoeuer else can be sayd of it but scarce a shadow of sincerities reward Alas a drop taken out of the sea and a moate out of the mountaines like the hem of Christs garment which did comfort the woman that touched it but she found more comfort in him then in the hem So the description of sincerity is delightsome the picture is pleasing but whosoeuer hath sincerity it selfe shall find at his left hand the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasure for euermore Whosoeuer after this Sermon shall find so much fauour with God as to meete with sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart in all his actions and such an affection that preferreth Gods glorie before his owne and seeketh praise of God and not of man shall say as the Queene of the South sayd when she came to King Salomon That which I heard of thee I did hardly beleeue it but now I perceiue that the report which went of thee is nothing answerable to that which thou art indeed And though no man deserueth such a reward at Gods hand no nor any reward at all but shame and confusion which is our due desert yet both for his promise sake as also for his honour sake he will so reward his children If mortall men will keepe their promise one towards another as all that haue but common ciuility and honestie will them much more will Almightie God who is all truth and righteousnesse it selfe and can no more breake his promise then he can denie himselfe
bookes and restrained of their libertie they are weary of that Maister and desire to go to another or else no more to schoole so hypocrites when they are required to take a setled course for their profiting in religion and are restrained of their liberty in sinne in vanity in riot in pride and are pressed with the doctrine of mortification and truth of heart they are weary of such a teacher and must go to another or else come no more at schoole so that it appeareth that they haue no more gouernement of themselues nor strength of the Spirite nor stayednesse of affections then little children haue As it is both schismaticall and so danderous and childish and so ridiculous so it is also vnprofitable For they that leaue the ordinary and standing Ministery of their owne Pastour and none certaine gather here a peece and there a peece but neuer lay any sound foundation nor make any orderly building as they do that tye themselues to one man who keepeth an orderly proceeding laying all the principles of religion one after another and one by another and euerie one in order till all be finished I deny not but that vpon some special occasions a man may be somtime drawne away from his ordinarie teacher as trauelling from home or being requested by our faithfull friends of another congregation to answer for their children as they call it at their Baptizing or to accompanie some of our friends or our Magistrates departed out of this world vnto their graue and such like if Christ be preached there that we may follow him otherwise I see no great necessitie to enforce a man to leaue his ordinarie teacher to go to a bare reader for a ciuill dutie performing but rather to remember what our Sauiour Christ answered to one that sayd he would follow Christ but first he would go and burie his father Let the dead burie the dead saith he follow thou me To shew that those that haue no list to follow Christs doctrine are no better then dead men as touching the life of the spirite in the soule and they may serue for such a purpose well inough it is pitty to interrupt those that are better disposed and deuoutly addicted to the heauenly doctrine of the Gospell And further I hold it a thing very expedient and fit that there be sometimes also an entercourse of Ministers labours that is that other Ministers be sometimes admitted yea procured also to exercise their gifts in their brothers charges both for the confirmation of doctrine as also for the quickening of the auditorie for consent of teachers is a great confirmation of the truth in regard of our weakenesse and vnbeleefe otherwise the truth is strong inough of it selfe and will preuaile against all the world And as variety of meates sometime doth make a man haue a better appetite to his ordinarie diet euen so is it not amisse that sometime our ordinarie auditours should haue change of teachers that so they tasting that varietie of Gods gifts and graces which is in diuerse men they may haue a better spirituall appetite vnto the ministerie and doctrine of their ordinarie pastours and teachers But to runne hither and thither and commonly to leaue our ordinary teachers onely either of a fanstasticall desire to heare new things or of a loathing the plaine simple maner of deliuery of the truth or of stomach in contempt and way of disgracing and discouraging those that God hath set ouer vs because they haue more sharply reproued their sinnes or more neerely applied the doctrine to their consciences then others do a blessed fauor of God indeed if men had grace so to take it this is it that I say is both carnal schismatical childish and altogether vnfruitfull and further it is flatly repugnant to the commandement of Christ deliuered by his Apostle in the 1. to the Thessalonians the 5. Chapter and 12. verse where he beseecheth the Thessalonians to know them that labour among them and are ouer them in the Lord and admonish them and that they haue them in singular loue for their workes sake And lastly is the practise of such as neuer professed the Gospell of Christ in sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart with an humble spirite and a holy desire to haue both their iudgement informed and their liues reformed by the word of truth But on the contrarie in palpable and damnable hypocrisie with shewes shadowes and flourishes to be seene and well esteemed of men as hypocrites do Besides these publike and open hypocrisies there be also many other lurking in priuate corners which deserue to be vncased as in housholds where betweene man and wife many times much loue is counterfeited onely before men and in heart much bitter malice and hatred maintained against each other which betweene themselues breake out in open and bitter extremities and behind each others back into foule adulteries and cursed vndoing of the whole family such an hypocrite is the harlot that Salomon vncaseth in the 7. of the Prouerbes Who when her husband is from home calleth in her louers and companions to lewdnesse and coloureth her villany by prating and telling him of her peace offerings and vowes that she hath performed that day that is by talking of religion I say nothing of those that in shops and markets selling wares will pretend great loue saying If it were not to you I would not sell it so another should not haue it so c. when for the most part all this is but meere cunning and counterfeiting I also let passe those that spying a bargaine that they hope to reape a great benefit by will earnestly protest and pretend vnto the partie with whom they meane to deale great care that they haue of his good and his ease rather then of their owne benefit too many such there be in the world Well God will pull off their visour one day and lay them open to the world What should I say of those that being to followe and further mens suites with great persons or otherwise at law haue still one tricke or other to delay the time withall pretending great care to do their friendes businesse and to followe their clients causes in the best manner that may be and for their best aduantage when all their doing is but a cunning kind of fishing for more money like Felix who often sent for Paule before him hoping that some bribe would haue bene giuen him to haue enlarged Paule And a thousand more such partes are played in the world which men in continuall practise and conuersing one with another in Church and common-wealth abroad and at home shall haue occasion to meete withall But for the vncasing of the hypocrite at this time this shall suffice Those that feare God vnfainedly and detest this vgly beast the hypocrite will make of that which hath bene sayd as for those that say they could make good vse of it if it had come out of
their soules health in English Well let vs take heede that we continue not stil so vntoward to serue God to learne his most glorious will least God giue vs ouer againe in his iust iudgemēt to walke in ignorance to beleeue lies Popery groweth apace in many places Papists are very bold doubtlesse they see it is to be feared too much inclinatiō aptnes both in som teachers much of the people to receiue their Popish trash again that is the matter Popish pictures shew thēselues in euery shop street almost many think there is great deuotiō stirred vp by the sight of thē yea they hope of a mery world towards And doubtlesse the Papists cannot brew so fast but as they hope others will be as ready to drinke Well the Lord in mercy looke vpon vs our Christian gouernors that we may be more more forward apt to the embracing setting forth of his holy truth Gospell to our liues end Amen Now let vs pray THE V. SERMON PROV 6.14 Leud things are in his heart WE haue heard before how vaine and lawlesse the man of Belial is how froward and peeuish how counterfeit cunning in his outward behauiour now we are come to the cause of all and to the digging vp of that which is the fountaine of all his distemperature and disorder and that doth the holy Ghost here shew vs when he saith Leud things are in his heart as if he should say it is no maruell though his behauiour be so bad and barbarous so vile and full of leud actions when his heart which is the fountaine of all his actions is full of leude things Then first here let vs consider what is meant by the hart And next what profitable doctrines may be gathered from this sentence and the coherence thereof with the rest of the wicked mans description By hart in this place he meaneth not the fleshly and materiall heart which is the good creature of God but the corrupted and depraued qualities of the heart For the heart is put sometime for the whole inward man as in 1. Pet. 3.4 Let the hid man of the heart be meeke and quiet sometime for the thoughts and affections for the will and vnderstanding as in 1. King 3.9 Giue me an vnderstanding heart the prayer of Salomon That is giue vnderstanding vnto my hart mind or soule for hee had a hart before So that in the heart is vnderstanding but in the wicked it is leud vnderstanding because he vnderstandeth leude and vile things best And in Gen. 6.5 it is said The imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were euill continually to shew that thoughts and imaginations lodge in the heart but in the man of Belial they are leude and wicked In the 23. of the Prou. 26. the Lord saith My sonne giue me thy heart that is the affections of thy heart as thy desire thy loue thy ioy thy feare thy trust thy zeale thy delight thy sorrow as if he shold say if thou desirest any thing desire me if thou louest any thing loue me if thou ioyest in any thing ioy in me if thou fearest any thing feare me if thou trustest any trust me if thou be zealous for any thing be zealous for me if thou sorrowest for any thing be sorrowfull that thou canst not do thy dutie to me as thou oughtest and these things I leaue not to thy choise but see thou do them indeed Now all these affections are in the wicked man of Belial but they are leud and not for the Lord. In the fourth of the Hebrewes 12. the word of God is called a deuider of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that in the heart lye thoughts and intents that is purposes conclusions and determinations but in the wicked they are all leud and naught So that the meaning of these words Leud things are in his heart is that the man of Belial vnderstandeth leud things he thinketh and studieth leud things he purposeth and intendeth leud things he desireth and affecteth leud things yea he deuiseth and contriueth nothing else but leud things This anatomizing and discouering of Belials hart in this sort with the rest of his behauiour in other parts of his bodie teacheth vs many excellent pointes of doctrine for our instruction 1. That the man of Belial is no better within then without 2. That whatsoeuer a man is without yet God doth iudge of him by that which is in his heart 3. That the cause of all outward disorder is in the heart 4. That a man cannot be a good man vntill the hart be reformed 5. That the word of God is of that nature that it discouereth the hidden things in the heart 6. That the same word of God which sheweth vs the corruptions of our hearts doth also shew vs to reforme the heart Of the first That a wicked and prophane man such as Salomon here speaketh of is no better within then he is without but rather worse is euident both by this and diuers other places of holy Scripture Here he saith that as he is froward in his speeches and dissolute in his outward behauiour so his heart is leud and wicked So that if the hart be naught all is naught If there be any goodnes in his heart it must be either in his vnderstanding or his will or his affections but the subiect of all these is leudnes therfore within there is no better then without but rather worse In the 6. of Gen. verse 5. it is said That mans wickednesse is great and his heart is also euill continually The Psalmist saith The foole meaning a wicked man hath said in his heart there is no God his waies are corrupt and become abhominable there is not one that doth good no not one The Apostle Paul searcheth euery part of the naturall man within and without and findeth all alike Roman 3. from verse 11. to 19. Let him be asked the question and heare his answer And first of his vnderstanding What vnderstanding hath the vnregenerate or naturall man None There is none that vnderstandeth saith he meaning the things of God How are their affections bent What do they not desire to know God No saith the Apostle There is none that seeketh God What is there none better then another No saith the Apostle They haue all gon out of the way they are made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one But let vs make a better search it may be there is some goodnesse in some secret corner or in some of their members What say you of their throat Their throat saith the Apostle is an open sepulcher from whence proceedeth nothing but stinke and rottennesse to infect the aire How are their toungs vsed To deceipt saith the Apostle What is vnder their lippes The poison of Aspes And what in their mouths Abundance of cursing and bitternesse They are swift
in his heart whatsoeuer shew he maketh outwardly Thirdly that the cause of all outward disorder and scandalous behauiour is in the wicked mans owne heart Now it remaineth that we consider of the three other points which being propounded in the former Sermon for want of time I could not intreat of Whereof the first is this that so long as the heart is vnreformed and continueth stored with leud things it is not possible to be a good man For vntill then as we may perceiue by this anatomie of Belial the affections will be rebellious and lawlesse the speech will be froward and peeuish our religion will be hypocriticall and counterfeit our prayers will be lippe-labour and cold babling our zeale will be either none at all or very bitter rash our faith will be meere historicall our loue will proue onely self-loue our anger reuengefull and iniurious our life dissolute and scandalous our repentance desperate and faithlesse and our death dreadfull and comfortlesse Therefore if any would reforme his life he must first reforme his heart from whence as from a spring floweth continually a streame of corruption and vnrighteousnesse vnto death if it be not reformed and altered or of holinesse and righteousnesse vnto life if it be well reformed and kept Therefore Salomon pointing to the right way that leadeth to the reformation of maners saith Keepe thy heart with all diligence and addeth this as a reason for thereout cometh life and thereout cometh death And out of the heart saith our Sauiour Christ proceede euill thoughts adulteries murthers fornications debate strife c. speaking of an euill and vnregenerate heart to shew that a wicked mans heart is like a filthie dunghill which both breedeth and harboureth all kind of venimous vermine and as a snake on a sunnie day commeth foorth of her hole so the wicked when fit time and occasion serue do set foorth and shew the ware and stuffe which was hidden in their heart saying in the meane time as Esau did When the daies of mourning for my father Isaac do come then I will kill my brother Iacob which agreeth with that that Dauid speaketh of his enemie in Psal. 41.6 His heart heapeth vp iniquitie within him and when he commeth foorth he vttereth it Many counterfeit holinesse deuotion sobrietie loue and kindnesse and indeede they do but counterfeit for holy and deuout and sober and louing and kind c they cannot be so long as the heart or inward man is vnreformed In vaine do we sweepe the channels of the streete except we stop the fountaines from whence they flow In vaine do we crop the weedes except we dig vp their rootes from whence they receiue their nourishment In vaine do we plaister the sore except it be searched and cleansed to the bottom So in vaine do we labour to bring forth good actions without except first we labour to beget good affections within How canst thou say that thou louest me when thy heart is not with me said Dalilah to Sampson which she vttered as a common knowne principle in nature to be denyed of none that all loue is but counterfeit and false which cometh not from the heart And therefore whosoeuer will loue indeed must beginne first at his heart and frame that to loue And the like is to be said of other affections and all the actions or effects that proceed froÌ„ them The hart among the members of the bodie is like a great commaunder among his souldiers looke which way he goeth that way go they Well may we preach and long may we heare of the reforming of our liues of mortifying our pride our strange fashions our wantonnesse our couetousnesse our malice c. the tongue will make but a iest at the matter so long as the heart is vnreformed as appeareth by the testimonie that the Lord giueth against Ezechiels Auditours They heare thee saith the Lord as my people vse to heare but with their mouths they make iests at thee and thy Sermons their hearts run after their couetousnesse to shew that there is no outward obedience to be looked for where the heart yeeldeth not to obey for all actions outward wil follow the affections of the heart On the other side winne the heart and all is wonne without which there is no rowing but against the streame A readie heart maketh a readie hand to giue a readie tongue to speake a readie eare to heare and a readie foote to goe And a holy religious heart maketh a holy and religious hearing speaking and liuing Who were they that brought so bountifull gifts to the building of the Lords holy tabernacle among the Iewes as we reade in Exod. 35.21.22 verses It is said in the 29. verse Euery one whose hearts moued them willingly to bring brought some gold some siluer some silke some badgers skinnes some stones c. yea vntill they were forced to stay by proclamation to shew that when the heart is wonne to be willing and to like of the worke the worke shall go well forward and nothing will seeme hard to a willing mind When Dauids heart was enditing or framing of a good matter then was his tongue readie like the pen of a swift writer to declare the same And whosoeuer can say with Dauid O God my heart is prepared shall follow with Dauid and say so is my tongue also I will sing and giue praise to shew that when the heart is not readie to serue God nothing is readie for all tarrie for the heart Therefore it is that the Scripture doth so much call vpon vs to reforme our harts In the three and twentieth of the Proverbs the twelfth verse Salomon saith Apply thy heart to instruction and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge But first the heart and then the eares will follow and in the seuenteenth verse Let not thy heart be enuious against sinners but let it be in the feare of the Lord continually In the nineteenth verse O my sonne heare and be wise and guide thy heart in the way And in the 26. verse My sonne giue me thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my wayes And no maruell for what shall the Mariners do if the Pilote be false at the helme of the ship What shall the souldiers do at the hold if the captaine of the hold be a traitour A false heart is like such a Pilote and such a captaine yea a false heart is like Iudas among the disciples who carried the purse and made the prouision for all the rest laying vp one groate for his maâ—ster and tenne for himselfe A bad Cater being a cunning theefe and a secret traitour So the heart is the storer if that be secretly false and trecherous it will store the bodie with leudnesse and if it chaunce to speake one word for Gods glorie he will addresse and set foorth in most braue sort a thousand for
his own Here is much ado when the Lords day cometh to reforme and decke the bodie the apparell must not haue a spot or wrinckle the house fine and euery thing neate and trimme but no care to reforme the heart and therefore the word of the Lord is vnto vs as a tale that is told which we like not in at one eare and out at the other or as water to the Blackemoore great washing but we neuer the whiter When we go to a feast and when we meete our friends we haue much care to set our gestures our words and our lookes after the ciuillest manner but the heart is still after the old fashion badde inough leude things are in that reforme that and all the rest will be well Thou wouldest serue God but thou thinkest that thou art not fine enough nay rather thinke that thou hast a proude heart and seekest thy owne selfe Thou wouldest giue to the poore but for feare of wanting for thy selfe nay rather feare that thy heart is not enlarged with the bowels of mercie and liberalitie Thou wouldest goe to thy neighbour that hath offended thee and is offended at thee but for feare that he should thinke thou art glad to seeke vnto him and so shouldst be more contemned of him but rather thinke that thy heart is not humble and peaceable Thou haddest not committed such nor such sinnes but for such and such persons thou sayest who enticed thee thereunto Nay rather say that thy heart was not well bounded with the feare and loue of God but lay open like a common field whose hedge is plucked vp to the ground for all vnchast vnpure and vile thoughts to breake in Iosephs heart was surely grounded in the knowledge of Gods will in the obeying of his word and strongly bounded with the feare of God and therfore do his mistresse what she could she could not by any meanes breake into the hold of his chastitie though she did strongly assault it Let religion be in thy heart and that will make thee serue God with the congregation of his people in such as thou hast yea through heate and cold no weather will keep thee from the publique seruice of God It will make thee with Zacheus to climbe a tree to see Christ and with the creeple in the fifth of Iohn desire some bodie to carrie thee into the poole of the heauenly waters and liuely fountaines of Gods word when the Angell Gods Minister doth stirre them So farre thou wilt be from saying the weather is too cold or too hote I am not well I am troubled with a murre and I know not what as the manner of many daintie ones is to do when they haue no loue of God or his truth in their hearts So also let loue and humilitie and mercie and zeale be in thy heart and they will cause thee to giue to forgiue and to seek peace and to speake of the Lords statutes euen before Kings and wilt not be ashamed except it be that for want of those graces thou couldest not performe those duties any sooner And so much for that point in discoursing whereof we see plainely that vntill the heart be reformed a man cannot be a good man nor an honest man and how they take a wrong course that beginne to reforme their outward partes and not their hearts first i the next place we are to consider of the piercing nature and searching power or powerfull searching of the word of God which dealeth with the heart searcheth the heart maketh lawes for the heart findeth out the leudnesse of the heart and reproueth the thoughts of the heart searching and discouering euen the most secret corners and closets of the heart to see how those lawes are kept or broken for as the Lord doth see the heart himselfe and cannot otherwise do because he maketh it and ruleth it so by his word he searcheth and gageth the same Not to be better enformed himselfe of any thing that is there for he from euerlasting at one instant had and for euer hath all the thoughts intents imaginations and purposes of all hearts in the world open before him knowing them all before they be conceiued with the meanes and maner of their entrance and all the effectes of them being conceiued but it is to shew vs his poore creatures and vnworthy children that we serue such a God and Father as doth know vs truly euen to the very heart and the most secret thoughts thereof and further that we also might hereby learne to know our selues and reforme our owne hearts which without the light of the word we could neuer do And therefore Dauid asking the question how a yong man may reforme his wayes meaning how he shall bridle his affections and order his wordes and his deedes he maketh no other aunswere but this Euen by taking heede thereunto according to thy word And to this end he hath giuen giftes vnto men Ephes. 4. euen his spirite of wisedome and of vnderstanding and of counsell and of courage Esa. 11.3 Nowe therefore whosoeuer being endued with that searching and powerfull spirite in any measure handleth and deuideth the word aright cannot choose but rifle the very thoughts of the hart Yea the faithfull Minister of God shall search the hearts of his hearers whether he will or no and sometimes shall be in their bosomes when he hath no such purpose Some say to themselues as Ieremy did when he was had in contempt and hatred for speaking against the speciall sinnes of his time They will not make any more mention of God nor speake any more in his name but the word of the Lord is in their heart as a burning fire shut vp in their bones and they are wearie with forbearing yea they cannot stay but must vtter it And then they speake so to the consciences of men that if a stranger or an vnlearned man come in in the meane time he feeleth his heart discouered and is rebuked of all men as he thinketh for he thinketh that his secret thoughts are then knowne to all men and he confesseth plainely that God is amongest them as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14.24 which is a very sure argument that this word which we preach is the word of God for what lawes or writings can deale so with the heart and consciences of men but onely the lawes and Scriptures of the most high who onely searcheth the heart Of this point we may make a double vse first it may teach vs for a certaine truth that there is no thought in the heart but that God is priuie to it for when he shall giue man a spirite to search and knowledge to iudge the hearts of men which aboue all thinges are so deceiptfull that they cannot be knowne as the Prophet Ieremy telleth vs meaning that no man by his owne skill can throughly sound the depth of any mans heart nor
repentance may be soueraigne and not deadly there must be faith ioyned therewith whereby we applying the promises of God to our hearts may be assured that our sinnes are both fully punished and freely pardoned in Christ Iesus For by faith our harts are purified sayth Saint Peter For our preseruatiue against the corruption and contagion of a leud heart in time to come there are also two things required The first is heedfull watchfulnesse The second is continuall prayer and calling vpon God That this is true it is very euident by the words of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Take heede watch and pray sayth he least ye fall into temptation To shew that if we be carelesse and negligent in prayer we shall soone fall into the hands of the tempter And in another place Take heede least at any time your hearts be surfeted and ouercome with the cares of this world To shew that our hearts must be kept and looked vnto like little children which else would euery houre eate and drinke that which should hurt them or fall into the fire or water or incurre one mischiefe or another And this is that which Saint Paul meaneth when he requireth vs to walke circumspectly and is all one with that of Salomon in the fourth of the Prouerbes Keepe thy heart with all diligence as if there were no hold in the world so much assaulted nor any mans daughter or goods so much layed for as the heart of man is and therefore that must be kept with all diligence and watched most narrowly This diligent keeping and heedfull watching of our hearts must be after the manner of souldiers with our armour and weapons about vs. And what those are the Apostle teacheth vs in Ephes. 6.12 c. and he calleth it the armour of God because all the world could not tell how to make an armour for the soule but God who created it and knoweth what enemies and assaults it is subiect vnto A helmet she must haue but that must be of hope which causeth her with patience to expect the performance of Gods promised saluation and this beareth off all the blowes of Sathan Then a brest-plate she must haue but that must be of righteousnesse to shew that the louers of vnrighteousnesse and wrong are easily thrust through and spoyled yea as Paule saith they pierce themselues through with many noysome lusts and temptations Then she must haue a girdle to keepe all her armour close about her and that must be of truth and sincerity or soundnesse of heart and a good conscience which is opposite to hypocrisie Then a sword she must haue in the one hand and a shield in the other to defend her selfe withall and to offend her enemies But this sword must be the word of God not the Popes Legenda aurea which hath wel-neare as many lyes as lines in it nor any of his dirtie Decrees And her shield must be a liuely iustifying faith which must still apply Christ and his merits and oppose him against all that euer Sathan cannot obiect against her Then she must be shod with shooes but they must be affections prepared and alwayes in a readinesse to heare and beleeue the Gospell whereby she shall speedily and easily trauell and come to all the rest And to all these she must ioyne continuall and feruent prayer both for her selfe that she may betime put on and skilfully vse this armour as also for others and namely first for her Captaines and Leaders the Ministers of the word and next for all the Saints and members of the Church that be her fellow souldiers And thus we see a Christian man in armes appointed to keepe diligent watch ouer his heart being thus appointed with armour of Gods making and of the Spirits putting on he is diligently to examine euery thought before it enter and euery word and gesture before it passe from him hauing the feare of God in stead of a gard alwayes to keepe the doore and passage Now further that we may watch and pray to good purpose we must know and remember First what we are to pray for Secondly what we must pray against The things that we must pray for are principally foure First that God would create in vs a cleane heart and renue a right spirite within vs Psal. 51.10 That is in stead of an ignorant heart to giue vs a heart endued with knowledge in stead of a dull heart an vnderstanding hart as Salomon prayed 1. King 3.9 in stead of an adulterous heart a chast heart in stead of a subtill and crafty heart a simple and discrete heart in stead of a proud and high minded heart an humble and lowly heart in stead of a foolish heart a wise heart in stead of a malicious hart a charitable hart in stead of a hard hart a soft tender hart in stead of a vaine and profane heart a holy and religious heart in stead of a stubburne and rebellious heart an obedient and tractable heart and in stead of a counterfeit and dissembling heart an vpright and a sound heart And a heart thus altered and renued by God Dauid calleth a heart new created to shew first that we can no more of our selues reforme our owne hearts whatsoeuer Papists prate then we can create a heart Secondly that vntill our hearts be renued by the grace of Gods Spirite they are as if they were not at all And thirdly that as all the workes of creation belong to God onely so doth also the reforming and altering of the inward man and euery affection and power belonging to the same The second thing that we must pray for is that it would please his diuine Maiesty to ioyne sanctification and illumination together in our minds that is not onely to enlighten our hearts with the vnderstanding of his will but also to worke in vs the loue of righteousnesse and obedience to his will yea that he would to that ende giue vs an vnderstanding heart or a heart enlightened that we may keepe his law with our whole hearts So Dauid prayeth in Psalme 119.34 Giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law yea I will keepe it with my whole heart And that is the way indeed to come vnto a sound and a sauing knowledge of God as our Sauiour Christ sheweth in the seuenth of Iohn verse 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God of no. Not the idle hearer or vaine disputer or the carping cauiller c but the doer yea he that is resolued to followe Gods counsels shall know Gods counsels and none else And vntill we haue an actiue vnderstanding in the law of God not the forme of doctrine onely or a formall knowledge of the same but the power of it as the Apostle teacheth vntill then I say we be like
euery one that praieth in publike assemblies and heareth the word diligently and turne ouer their Bibles and sing reuerently the holy Psalmes and praises of God confer of that which they heard and call their families to account for that which they haue heard at the Sermon c. all most holy actions but take heed now when thou doest all these or any of these that the messenger of Sathan come not like a cunning companion and poison all these Take heed I say euen then when thou art about these seruices for euen as cut-purses and pilfering rogues watch their times till they see men busie in buying and selling or come in a preasse so do these vagrant affections watch our harts when we are about holy businesse and in deuout conference with our God to rob God of his honour and to poison that which we offer him and if it be poisoned he will none of it A strange thing and a hidden mysterie this is that a man should then rob the Lord of his honour when he is honoring and seruing him that we should take from him that which we giue vnto him Verily so we do if we take not heed and nothing is more common then that euil Thou art deuout in thy prayer in hearing in sighing in singing in eleuating eyes and hands to heauen it is well done but then take heede of the theefe with the poison that thou seest not and that is that affection that maketh thee to cast thy eye aside perhaps to looke whether such a man seeth thee or no and that affection that tickleth thy heart and saith now I am a good man I shall be counted a zealous professor for this I shall be well esteemed for this I shall by this meanes get familiaritie and so commoditie with him her and a thousand such odde conceits that come wharting and crossing of thy heart in the best things that thou canst do All which if thou take not heede of them euen then at that instant and pray against them they will get within thee and plucke off the garment of puritie and holinesse which in Christ Iesus should commend thy action vnto God And thus thou seest how God is robbed when he is serued and therefore euen then without any further delay or dallying take heed and watch ouer thy heart and pray against these vile and vaine affections desiring God to reforme and correct them that so thou maiest giue him his due clad in such holy and pure affections as are desirous that all the glorie should be giuen vnto him from whom and for whom all things are and shall be And in so doing thou maiest safely shew what God hath done for thee Take for example in the old Testament Iacob and in the new Testament the Virgin Mary and Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist. Iacob he sheweth his brother how God had blessed him since his comming ouer Iordan with onely a poore staffe in his hand and now had giuen him troupes or bands of children and seruants and blessed him with flockes of sheepe beeues and camels but in all these things his desire was that God might he glorified and therefore he said I am not worthy of the least of these mercies that is all that I haue set forth the great and vndeserued fauour of God vnto me So farre was he from seeking thereby to be counted a great man as the maner of the world is So when Elizabeth reioyced with her cosin for the great fauour and goodnesse of the most high in chusing her to be the mother of the Lord Iesus and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women she was not proud thereof but presently gaue the glorie vnto God and sayd My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour I shall be magnified indeede but he that is mightie hath magnified me and holy is his name and so made that whole song to set forth the glorious praises of God in that singular worke which he had done to her In like sort when Zachary knew that Iohn was borne to be the forerunner of Christ he presently gaue the glorie to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people c. And thou ô child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare the way before him to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes But then commeth forth the holy affection wherein God is delighted and saith Through the tender mercy of our God c. And this shall we do if we take heed and still watch ouer our hearts in euerie action by secret prayer vnto God that his name may be hallowed This wise course being taken we shall be able by the grace of God in a short time to discerne a false harted affection from a true and a holy affection a double heart from a single and sincere heart for in euery man that is regenerate there is a double motion the one of the flesh the other of the Spirite the one of God the other of Sathan and in euerie action if he watch narrowly he shall find and feele a striuing betweene them Now here is wisedome to discerne how much is of God and how much of Sathan that we may cherish the one and crush the other in the head before he grow to any strength There will be two fires kindled and both burning together in one heart the one must be quenched and not maintained the other must not be quēched but be maintained for so saith the Scripture quench and quench not quench the firie darts of the diuell but quench not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption Now then seeing the glory of God is set vp for one marke to aime at and the good of the Church of God for another let vs learne by our leuelling and aiming at them or besides them to iudge of our affections and cogitations If thy cogitations be studying and deuising how to auoide vaineglorie and how to get glorie to God by casting about to make others to praise God in thy graces and to loue and feare him for the same then is that cogitation kindled by Gods Spirite quench it not but cherish it If thy affections be longing and desiring to bring the same to passe which thy minde by Gods Spirite hath deuised then is that a holy affection of God quench it not but maintaine it reioyce in God for it But if one the contrarie thy mind be deuising what to do and what to say and how to bring things to passe to please men and not God and to win credit and estimation amongst men Gods glory being cast behind thy backe know that those thoughts and affections are fierie darts of Sathans kindling quench them and cherish them not take heede of them in time In taking this
brought me with my great credit her great shame to high preferment and now am I free from all troubles and liue like a king in heauen as sometime I was a ruler in Aegypt Aske Dauid and he will tell thee that when he could say vnto God With my whole heart I haue sought thee then could he most boldly call vpon God and say Let me not wander from thy commandements Aske Saint Paule and he will tell thee that he would not presume to craue for the prayers of the Church but when he could also certifie them that he had a good conscience in all things and desired to liue honestly Againe Paule speaking of himselfe and his fellow labourers saith thus We are not as many which make marchandize of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we speake in Christ. We walke not in craftinesse neither handle we the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approoue our selues to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God And what hast thou gotten Paule for thy labour In how many dangers hast thou bene both by sea and by land By thy owne confession thou hast bene whipped and beaten with roddes cast into prison stoned and laied for dead hunted from one place to another and at the last lost thy head hadst not thou beene better to haue pleased thy honest neighbours by preaching Christ after their fashion No no sayth Paule neuer tell me of these matters I was crucified to the world and the world to me that is I cared no more for the world then the world did for me the power of God did appeare in my weaknesses when I was in prison I was at liberty when I went from the whip to the dungeon I sung Psalmes yea all this was an honour vnto me that I was not worthie of From all my daungers the Lord deliuered me And where I lost my life there I found it againe euen euerlasting life In a word I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith For henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing Aske King Hezechiah what was most comfortable to him in his sicknesse when he looked for nothing but death Oh sayth he I payed and sayd I beseech thee ô Lord remember how that I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is a sound and vpright heart without dissembling and haue done that which is good in thy sight to shew that when all faile yet sincerity and truth of heart shall comfort vs like a good keeper and kind nurse at the houre of death Now then what remaineth for this point but that we gather vp the summe of all that hath bene sayd of it and make the conclusion and that is this Seeing that sinceritie shall be rewarded by our heauenly father both in this life with sound comfort in time of trouble with courage and boldnesse in time of prayer with the prayers of the Saints in time of neede with a continuall feast in the time of affliction with heauenly consolation in the time of death and in the world to come with the kingdome of heauen let euery man confesse that the reward of sincerity is a great reward And seeing as it is so great for quantitie and so good for qualitie that all the world cannot affoord so much as a shadow thereof nor tell how to commend it let euery one of vs be more moued therey to embrace sinceritie and to seeke praise at Gods hand rather then all the vaine praises of the world And seeing as sinceritie is of all vertues the chiefest and that which graceth all our vertues before God and man let vs aboue all looke in all our affaires that nothing be done without it Lastly seeing as both Enoch and Ioseph and Dauid and Hezechiah and Paule besides many else haue giuen such testimonie thereof let no man doubt to beleeue nor feare to follow it for out of all doubt those that are approued in Gods sight shall be well rewarded of their heauenly father And so much for the reward of sinceritie THE IIII. SERMON MATH 6.2 As hypocrites do in the Synagogues and streetes to be seene of men WE haue heard heretofore the excellent nature and heauenly reward of sinceritie now brethren that we may be as much out of loue with hypocrisie as we are in loue I hope with sinceritie let vs see the nature and reward of hypocrisie because contraries being layed together do the better appeare And first of the nature of of hypocrisie vpon these wordes as the hypocrites do c. Of the second branch when we come to the next words Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward At this time onely of these wordes as hypocrites do wherein our Sauior Christ doth giue vs to vnderstand two things First that whosoeuer professeth a shew of that which he is not is an hypocrite secondly that the doings of hypocrites are to be made knowne that euery one seeing the hypocrite laid out in his colours with his reward that belongeth to him may take heede that he play not the hypocrite or if he hath played that part to be ashamed thereof and repent and follow the Lord euer after in sinceritie and truth of heart Now seeing as our Sauiour Christ would haue hypocrites knowne by their doings I will endeuour my selfe at this time by Gods helpe to vncase the hypocrite who hath plaid his part so long so impudently and so vncontrolledly carying away all the credit of the world euen to the vndermining of the house of God endangering the whole estate of Christian Religion And call this Sermon if you list the vncasing of the hypocrite for I will if God will do my best endeuour to vncase him Wherein perhaps I shall not behaue my selfe so handsomly and finely to please all parties as some could do but yet I hope both soundly and plainly I shall go to worke You know brethren that plaine dealing is my profession though it be counted a iewell for beggers flattery and curiositie and hypocrisie I leaue to them that will dye rich men and therefore I speed accordingly and I must needes confesse that I am wellinough serued to be so well belaboured as I am with the strife of tongues Well if I could handle this matter more learnedly then I can yet I would of purpose deceiue all such itching eares as come rather to haue their humours fed then their liues reformed A peece of worke both thanklesse and dangerous yea a most vnpleasant argument haue I taken in hand especially as the case standeth now when most men come to catch and to cauill and quot homines tot sententiae euery mans head swarming with as many odde
in deede only to watch and catch at a word and a halfe taking only what will serue their turne like the diuell himselfe to intangle thereby the preacher if they like him not You shal haue many of these come orderly and marke attentiuely as if they would latch euery word with their mouthes but as it was with the Prophet Ezechiels auditors so is it with them their harts runne another way and they meane not to follow any thing that is giuen in charge and therefore when they are gone with their mouthes they make iestes of the Sermon And to the Minister of Christ commonly their answer is you do well sir to tell vs our dutie and to tell euery man his owne well fare your heart you do well sir you do well to discharge your conscience and if we do not as you bid vs that is our fault we must answer for it and though we do as our honest neighbourt do yet we hope God is a good God will hold vs excused he is not so hard as many would make men beleeue The last sort of open hypocrites that are not yet vncased are common cauillers deprauers of the truth and of those that teach the same Some carpe and cauil at that which they vnderstand but like not as the Lawyer in Luke 14. Maister in so saying thou puttest vs to rebuke also when Christ touched Lawyers and as the couetous Iewes which mocked Christ when he preached against couetousnesse Luke 17. Some cauil at that which they vnderstand not as the Iewes which called Paules preaching babling and new doctrine when he preached the resurrection Oh but will some say he reuengeth his owne priuate quarrels and grudges in the pulpit yea he speaketh of malice and therefore we cannot regard that which he preacheth Doth he so verily the greater is his sinne if he doth so But if those be Gods quarels which thou callest his quarrels and if that be spoken in the euidence of the Spirite with plaine demonstration of the truth which thou sayest is in malice against thee then is it euident that thou hast played the grosse hypocrite so vncharitably to accuse so rashly to iudge and so wrongfully to condemne the Minister of the truth and pretendest thou carest not what and all to put by the blow of Gods sword that so thy sinne might not be launced and yet in the meane time be a professour of religion And what art thou oh man sayth the Scripture that thou iudgest another mans seruant whose heart is knowne to his God and not to thee and to God he either standeth or falleth and not to thee Alas this is an old obiection and slaunder of great antiquity common to all the true Preachers of the word and it hath euer bene the common practise of all hypocrites which meant to liue and dye in their sinnes when they knew not what to say for themselues and fearing that the truth would choke them if they should swallow it to cast it vp againe saying that it was spoken of malice and reuenge So played king Achab who had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse he could not deny but that Micaiah was a true Prophet a plaine dealing man but yet he could not away with him and why so forsooth because he doth not prophecie good but euill vnto me that is he speakes that that likes me not so many cry now adaies he hath not the good-wil of his hearers and why because he doth not seek to please them he is too tart he hath a bitter spirite he doth not heale but wound they do not complaine that he hath a flattering spirite or a lying spirite or a soothing spirite or a fearefull spirite or a pleasing spirite for all this hypocrites can away withall well inough because such a spirite is toothsome but that he hath a quicke and sharpe spirite and his reproofes are sensible and bitter this is wholesome but not toothsome and therefore not to be brooked of hypocrites But now let vs consider my brethren whether this will go for currant payment in the day of the Lord or no Why hast thou cast my word behind thy backe will the Lord say Our aunswer will be because we did not loue him that deliuered it But why did you hate him Because he did not please vs. Not please you why did he preach errours and lyes No we could not find any fault with his doctrine that is sound but yet we cannot away with him he was too plaine and round with vs. Too plaine why that was for your good if planè and sanè if both plaine and sound Oh but Lord we like not his life he was couetous and hard and proud and had no loue in him he was not sociable no good companion not one of his neighbours do loue him Well shall the Lord say thine own conscience thou hypocrite shal giue euidence against thee and conuict thee of false witnesse bearing against many of my seruants in these respects if I now do acquite them what are they the worse for thy bad constructions and hard words And if thy conscience do now proue to thy face that all these allegations were but counterfeit deuises to couer thy sinne withall what art thou the better though all thy neighbours take thy part for thou knowest and I know it much more that many of my seruants haue sought peace at thy hands and then hast thou prepared thy selfe to warre they haue vsed all good meanes to procure thy loue and good liking in the truth and thou hast then construed euery thing in the worst part against them that thou couldest imagine to their faces thou hast spoken faire words and behind their backes thou hast vsed all lying slanderous speeches wherby thou hast made them odious in the world when they would haue taken al paines to do thy soule good thou hast complotted by al waies and meanes to discourage them and to greeue and quench my spirite in them So doe hypocrites which loue not the pure light of truth and so hast thou done And admit that all this were true which thou pretendest yet so long as they came in my name vnto thee with my message reuealed in my word which thou couldest not disproue but carpe at yet oughtest thou to haue heard them to beleeue them and to feare at my word comming out of their mouthes in charity to haue iudged the best of their affections or praied for thē knowing that I which am the searcher of the hart would surely call them to reckning for their affections if they were not vpright in my sight but now in that thou hast deuised mischiefe of thine owne head and put it before thee as a stumbling blocke of purpose to fall vpon and to cause others to fall with thee seeing as thou hast through my seruants sides euen pierced my name my glory and not stayed there but pearked vp Lucifer-like into my seate to
of hell such a louer is Belial and such is his loue In a word true Christians are vnder Christs law they draw his yoke they mortifie the lusts of their flesh they trauell in paine to bring foorth the fruites of Gods spirite but Belial is lawlesse dissolute and carelesse and shamelesse therefore there can be no concord betwixt Christ and Belial The vse of this doctrine is twofold first it bewrayeth the blasphemous slaunder of Poperie that chargeth vs with preaching libertie to sinne because we preach iustification by faith in Christ onely Wheras we are so farre from that slaunder that we affirme cleane contrarie that no Libertine Protestant or dissolute professor of the Gospell hath fellowship with Christ more then the Diuell hath But indeede they know not what faith is except the diuels faith for the diuels do know and beleeue that Christ dyed for sinners and they beleeue all the articles of the Creede and tremble thereat but yet are they Diuels still Looke to their liues which liue vnder the Popes yoke and we shall see that they are the children of Belial for what sinne is there that they are not sold vnto like Achab And what sinne can be named almost that is not bought and sold in the market of the Romish church And the Pope may pardon all as they say for a thousand yeares yea if they will pay well for his pardon for euer And what are their Popes themselues who beare the glorious title of holy Fathers Haue not some of them bene Necromancers sorcerers and coniurers and some of them Sodomits buggerers and most of them common whoremongerers Was not one of thē a harlot did she not trauell of a child in going their Procession And is it not recorded by Platina and other Writers of their owne to their euerlasting shame What should be thought of those sixe thousand skulles of children which were found in another Popes Mote What need they care what they do so they may be forgiuen for giuing of a litle Apostolicall gold They are not ashamed nor afraid when they take a solemne oth to murder Princes yea Christian Princes yea their owne most Christian Soueraignes for they are pardoned aforehand as he was that poisoned King Iohn and the Prince of Orange and that cursed Frier that trecherously stabbed the late French King and therefore they are Belials and not we their religion giueth libertie to sinne and not ours they may do what they list and not they which are iustified by faith in Christ onely The second vse of this doctrine is to teach those that are entred into the bodie of Christs Church and are called by that excellent glorious name of Christians to put on the yoke of Christ and neuer while they liue to put it off againe for though Christ saith Come vnto me and ye shall haue ease yet it is vpon this condition that we labour and feele our selues heauie laden yea though he promiseth to refresh vs yet it is vpon condition that we put his yoke vpon vs and beare his burden Whosoeuer then will haue ease by Christ must not be like the man of Belial without the yoke of Christ but must put on his yoke and carie his burden that is to say he must submit himselfe to the censures of Christ his Church and to the doctrine of the Gospell and to the reproofe of the word and in all things yeeld obedience vnto the truth yea he must labour by all good meanes to mortifie all carnall lustes to ouerrule all his vnruly affections But this is as hard a saying to flesh and bloud as can be yea who can endure it The mother of Zebedeus children thought for the asking she might haue a place in Christes kingdome for her children but Christ told her of two hard things which she dreamed not of and that was drinking of his cup and to be baptized with his baptisme before they could come into heauen so we thinke many of vs to haue heauen for the asking but there belongeth more to the matter then so And as the Papistes thinke to earne heauen with a Kerelyson a Pater noster and a Creede so many Protestants thinke that a sigh and a little lip-labour and eare-seruice will bring them to heauen But when they heare of mortifying their beloued sinnes which bring them in pleasure and profite and of yeelding obedience vnto the Gospell it fareth with them as it did with that young man who went away from Christ with a heauie heart and a sorrowfull countenance He would follow Christ but he would not part from his goods so many will heare Christ preached and looke to be saued by him too but they will not leaue their sinnes If they may be Gospellers and vsurers too and gamesters too and adulterers too and swearers too then so it is otherwise Christ shall go alone for al them These are yet but men of Belial and without the yoke content they are to trauell toward Canaan so they may meete with the commodities of Egypt by the way Manna without the fleshpots of Egypt was lothsome to the Israelites so the Gospell without goodfellowship and carnall delights is irkesome to the man of Belial Lots wife was content to leaue Sodome and go to Zoar as she was bidden but yet she must looke backe though she were forbidden so many are content to leaue Poperie and embrace the Gospell yet not without some looking backe like those which once openly gaue account of their profiting in religion with comfort and commendation but now because their backsliding friends like it not and prophane persons scorne them for it they will shew their faces no more in that conflict The carnall Capernaits would heare Christ till he spake of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud and then because they vnderstood it not they said that saying was a hard saying and taking offence thereat came no more So many now a dayes as carnally minded as they will heare the Preacher till they heare something that doth offend them either for want of good vnderstanding or good affection and then they say that either the preacher found not that in his text or it might haue bene spared or in such a thing he went too farre all which in effect is no lesse then as the Capernaits said this is a hard saying who can abide it And so like bleare-eyed men which are offended at the brightnesse of the Sunne will walke no more by the light thereof except it be once a moneth or vpon a sabbath day for feare of law or for shame of the world And many that do keepe the sabbath day do vse it as the vnnaturall harlot would haue vsed the child for which there was such pleading before Salomon Let it be neither hers nor mine but let it be deuided So they deuide the Sabbath in the forenoone they are at the Temple in the afternoone at home The one halfe shall
was not wel towards him and not without iust cause for he saw that his vnkle Labans countenance was not towards him as in times past and againe he marked how Labans sons murmured against him Iudah imagined Thamar his daughter to be a whoore though he knew not then who she was and not without iust cause for she sate by the waies side with her face couered after the maner of whores in those daies in that country The watch-men of the tower in Israel imagined rightly that it was Iehu who came towardes that place because his marching was furious like the marching of Iehu who belike was knowne to be a hote man All which examples do teach vs that when there is iust cause of suspition and likely tokens of danger and euill we should not be secure simple but wise to see danger and prouident to auoide it for that is the part of a wise man saith the Wise man to see the plague a farre off and to flie from it as Eliah saw by a cloud that arose raine comming a farre off and caused the King to prouide for it before it came And someime the godly haue imagined in good pollicie of a thing otherwise then they haue known the thing to be as Ioseph did when he made his brethren beleeue that he tooke them for spies when he knew them to be no spies And somtime by the outward likelihoods as they coniecture of a thing and are deceiued as Isaac by feeling of Iacob in rough skins imagined it had bene Esau and Samuel by the countenance and stature of Eliah imagined that he was the man that should be the Lords annointed but he was deceiued So Elijah seeing none to stand for the glory of the God of Israel but himselfe imagined that he in that case was left alone but he was deceiued In the imaginations also which commonly men haue of themselues there is great difference betweene the wicked and the godly for the godly being in some measure through the grace of God priuy to their owne corruptions and infirmities do still imagine and that truly that they come short of doing their dutie to God suspecting and fearing their owne ignorance and negligence as that godly zealous and couragious reformer of religion Nehemiah did who when he had most exactly and stoutly reformed the Saboth day he desired God to be mercifull vnto him euen in that point And though S. Paul that worthy Apostle of Christ knew nothing but wel by himselfe in his ministerie yet did he imagine and that rightly that something might be amisse and therefore said Though I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified And sometime the godly do imagine that they are forsaken of God when they are not forsaken which fearefull coniectures and desperat imaginations do arise somtime by the slie suggestions of Sathan through want of faith to resist him sometime of melancholy impressions in the godly and those are to be helped by phisick and good company keeping and sometime from the affliction and wound of conscience groning vnder the hand of God especialy after some relapse into some old sinne againe Which kind of imaginations are to be altered into more comfortable and wholesomer perswasions by spirituall phisicke that is by the wise handling and discreete applying of the promised mercies of God in the Gospell tempering therewithall the threatnings of the law either more or lesse according as the spirituall phisition shal see the partie more or lesse humbled or not at all if he be too much humbled and cast downe alreadie But the wicked being blinded with selfe-loue and bewitched with the vanities of this world and benummed with the long custome of sin go on still drinking in sinne as the horse drinketh in water and imagineth that he is well when he is gotten into the fooles paradise and goeth after his filthy pleasures as a bird to the snare and like an oxe to the slaughter Pro. 5. Nebuchadnezzar the King of pride strouting himselfe in his pallace imagined that he was admired of all the world but was deluded as it were by his owne shadow and derided of God and man In like maner vaine men and women ietting vp and downe in the world like hobby horses in all brauerie with their traines after them and pedlers packes about them with a companie of circumstances in strange and wild fashions imagine that they are honored and admired of all men whereas indeede they are wondred at of the wise and almost of all men for their vanitie and excesse Againe where there is no feare they imagine feare to be and where there is both feare and shame and deadly danger too they promise vnto themselues al peace and security suspecting nothing like the mother of Sisera the Ladies of King Iabins Court who imagined and could imagine no otherwise that the cause of Sisera his long staying was for no other end but to deuide the spoile when indeede he was spoiled himselfe and that by a woman too So the rich man in the Gospell hauing gotten much wealth about him imagined that he should liue many yeares at ease but he was deceiued for euen that very night following was his soule fetched away Wherein is verified the prophecie of the Psalmist The wicked whatsoeuer they imagine vnto themselues shall not liue out halfe their dayes namely that themselues dreame of Therefore to shut vp this point as before we haue bene taught by the names of Belial which signifie lawlesnesse and prophanenesse to looke to our selues that we be not lawlesse and prophane by the mouth of Belial to looke to our speeches that we walke not with a froward mouth by the gestures of Belial to looke to our outward behauiour that it be in sobrietie and simplicitie and by the heart of Belial to watch ouer our owne hearts that leud things haue no residence in them so now by the imaginations or mentall images of Belial framed in the shop of his braine of the leud stuffe in the store-house of his heart let vs be admonished to looke carefully vnto our imaginations that they be not euill false vncharitable vaine wrong crooked Let vs take heed that we make not our hearts which should be the temples of God Sathans ware-houses or store-houses nor our heads his shops and worke-houses let vs learne to iudge the best and alwayes charitably of other mens persons and actions where it is possible to affoord a good construction And where there is iust cause of feare and suspition there let vs learne to be wise and not too simple and carelesse Let vs take heed that we be not deceiued with the enchantments and bewitching vanities of the world nor yet blinded with the false loue of our selues In a word seeing as the imaginations of Belial are for their qualitie euill and for their quantitie vncessantly euill and seeing that continuance or dwelling in
they be enforced bow downe their neckes vnto the yoake Such are those that say in the 2. Psalme 2.3 ver Let vs breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from vs. Such are those also that say in the 19. of Luke ver 37. We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. Such are all those who allow Christ to be their Priest to die for them but not their Prince to beare rule ouer them Such also are all those that say as in Psalme 12. ver 4. With our tongue we will preuaile our lips are our owne who is Lord ouer vs And all such are called here in my text men of Belial men of vanity and wickednesse as if obstinate stubburnnesse were their father and vaine wickednesse or wicked vanity their mother deriuing their reprochfull names from their peruerse nature and crooked conditions that as Abigaile said Nabal is his name and folly is with him so a man may say Belial is his name and stubburnenesse is with him yea Auen is he called for both vanitie and iniquitie are with him that is he hath not his name for nought He hath beside these as many names as his grandfather the Diuel hath he is called a diuell that is an accuser so is Belial also an accuser especially of the brethren as the diuell is Apoc. 12.10 He is called Sathan which signifieth an enemy for he doth enuy the glory of God and the peace of Gods people and such an enemy is Belial He is called a compasser of the earth Iob. 1.7 So do the wicked also which haue shaken off the yoake of Christ compasse sea and land to make one Proselite as our Sauiour Christ speaketh in Math. 23.15 that is They take great paines like the diuel to frame others vnto their conditions He is called a sifter of men Luke 22.31 Simon Simon saith the Lord behold Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheate is sifted and who hath a greater felicity in sifting of men and prouing by all meanes to make them fall then Belial hath He is called a deceiuer Gen. 3.13 And the woman said the Serpent deceued me but that was the Diuell So is Belial a deceiuer too But euill men and deceiuers saith the Apostle shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued 2. Tim. 3.13 He is called a Serpent for his subtilty So likewise are lawlesse Belials for their noysome nature and dangerous conuersing among men compared to serpents Their poyson saith the Psalmist is euen like the poyson of a Serpent Psal. 58.4 He is called the wily fox so are the wicked and lawlesse Belials both for their crueltie and for their subtilty called foxes Go tell that foxe saith Christ of Herod what ye see And in the 2. of Canticles the 15. verse the Church saith Take vs these foxes the little foxes which destroy the Vine for our Vine hath but small grapes He is called a hunter Psal. 91.3 and so is Belial too a hunter for they hunt men as Saule did Dauid from one place to another I haue not sinned against thee saith Dauid to Saule yet thou huntest after my soule to take it 1. Sam. 24.12 And at another time Dauid sayd vnto him The King of Israel is come out to seeke a flea as one would hunt a Partridge in the mountaines 1. Sam. 26.20 He is called a red dragon for his cruelty Reuel 12.3 So are the wicked called dragons Thou hast smitten vs downe in the place of dragons saith the Church of God in Psal 44.19 He is called a roring Lion Your aduersarie the diuell walketh about like a roring Lion therefore be sober and watch saith Peter in his first Epistle the 5. Chapter and 8. verse So the wicked are called Lions too for Dauid saith That his soule was among Lions Psal. 54.4 He is called a Prince of darknesse Ephes. 6.12 And the wicked also are called louers of darknesse Light is come into the world sayth Christ and men loued darknesse rather then light Ioh. 3.19 And of the Heathen the Apostle saith They haue their cogitations darkned Ephes. 4.18 He is called a father of lyes Ioh. 8.44 When he speaketh a ly he speaketh of his owne saith Christ for he is a lyer and the father thereof So the wicked are also called lyers Thou doest loue euill more then good saith Dauid to Doeg and lyes more then truth Psalm 52.3 And one name more we find that the diuell gaue himselfe à quantitate from the great multitude of them My name is Legion saith the vncleane spirite to Christ for we are many Marke 5.9 So the man of Belial may say his name is Legion for there be many of them and that liketh them well for they haue nothing else to glorie in but their great number or vniuersality one glorious marke of the Popes Church which is the glorie of them whose glorie is their shame as the Apostle speaketh Philip. 3.19 And thus much for the meaning of the first word Adam Belijagnall the man of Belial Now let vs see what we may profitably learne from the same This name noteth out such as are enemies to Christ and haue Christ an enemy to them they cannot agree with him nor he with them For saith the Apostle What concord hath Christ with Belial 2. Cor. 6.15 As Dagon fell downe when the Arke came in place so Belial falleth downe when Christ comes in place Christ hath a burden to beare but Belial will beare none of his burdens Christ hath a yoke to put on his seruants but Belial will put on none Christ hath a crosse to be taken vp but Belial will take vp none Christ hath freed vs from the curse of the lawe but not from the keeping of the lawe Belial will be free from both Christ will haue his sheepe to heare his voice Belial wil come at none of his Sermons Christ will haue his people often to visite his table in remembrance of him Belial saith once a yeare is inough and otherwise he will come when he lift Christ saith if ye loue me keepe my commaundements Belial saith he will keepe none of his commaundements and yet loue him well inough Christ saith by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one another as I haue loued you Belial by the contrarie is knowne to be none of Christs disciples because he hateth the brethren as Esau hated Iacob because of his blessing Christians loue is Christs loue that is heartie and vnfained heauenly and vehement found and permanent Belials loue is onely tongue loue lip loue false loue dissembling loue no true loue at all but like the loue of the harlot whose mouth is sweete as hony but her end is bitter as wormewood whose lippes drop as the hony combe but her feet go downe to death and her steppes take hold