this is the badge of Christians whereby they are distinguished froÌ„ the douils company VVhen our Sauiour Christ taught his disciples the time he was conuersant with them humilitie patience contempt of the world and other christian vertues and duties the perswasion of loue charitie and good will he reserued to his last supper to the intent that hee might most firmly imprint the loue of our neighbour into the harts and memories of his disciples For this is giuen vs by nature that looke what our friend doth giue vs last in charge wheÌ„ he departeth from vs that stickest longest in our remembrance In this duty of loue consisteth the perfection of al christianity Therefore S. Paule sayth that the whole lawe is comprehended in this one thing Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe He that fulfilleth both these commaundements as he ought may without blushing appeare before God Dauid saith ô Lord I haue loued thy commaundements and therefore he desired the presence of God but Adam beeing called fled from God hid himselfe because hee had disobeyed God and therefore durst not come into his presence The prophet saith not I haue knowne thy law or I haue kept thy lawe but I haue loued thy lawe To keepe thy lawe is of necessity and feare but to loue proceedeth from inward affection The loue of God is perpetuall but the loue of the worlde or of our selues is but for this life for the loue of the worlde and of our selues we indanger our selues but for the loue of God we finde a meanes to be pertakers of the kingdome of God and of euerlasting ioyes The especiall cause of louing our neighbour is in respect of his soule And a good shepheard wil not spare to lay downe his life for his sheepe and many haue been content to be offered vp for the confirmation of the faith of others This doâ— and thou shalt liue See how Christ doth prouoke vs vnto good works This do c. teaching vs that we should walke in them He saith not Say this or beleeue this but doe this That is loue God and loue thy neighbour and shew forth the vvorkes of charitie As the Apostle speaketh 1. Ioh. 3. Let vs not loue in word neither in tunge onely but indeed in truth Hee that seeeth his neighbour in necessity shutteth vp his compassion from him how remaineth the loue of God in him Hee that loueth his neighbour hath life and hee that loueth not abidâ—th in death 1. Corin. 13 Though wee speake with the tongue of men and Angels haue not loue it were nothing As the body is sustained by naturall heate so is charitie the life of the soule without the which it is as dead If thou hatest thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead and if thou findest thy selfe thus dead loue and liue We are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethren Nothing is so precious vnto vs as life whereof this is an cuident token that for the same we can be coÌ„tent to haue an â—r me or a leg cut off and to drink most bitter potions Yet is this life no true lyfe but rather a shadow an image of death If we can be content to endure such things for this life which is of so short continuance how should we bestirre our selues what should not wee vndertake to attaine the glorious life euerlasting For Christ speaketh not heere of this transitorie lyfe but of euerlasting life which is the seate dwelling place of the blessed The Gods of the Gentiles require the death of infants and that men should sley themselues but the Lord saith by the prophet Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he returne liue Oh how good is our God who I would were loued of vs as meete is and that wee could frame our selues to obey his holy will and for thys our loue and holy obedience requiteth vs not onely with this transitory life but will crowne vs hereafter with eternall ioyes But hee willing to iustifie himselfe sayd vnto Iesus Who is then my neighbour But. c. Heerein he sheweth himselfe to be an hypocrite that he would iustifie himselfe as though he had fulfilled the whole lawe of God perfectly and left nothing vndoone Our hypocrisie is especially founde in the keeping of the second table for that is the sold giuen to the poore not being moued there-vnto through charitie but because hee was a thiefe and bare the bagge The sonne of Iacob when they sold their brother Ioseph willing to iustifie themseluâ—s before theyr Father and to cleere themselues from all offence brought their brothers garment stayned with blood as though nothing might be lay de to theyr charge So Herod purposing to kil Christ made a shewe that he would goe vvorship Christ The wicked Iudges woulde haue cleered themselues to be farre from the offence which they lay de to Susannas charge But let all these vnderstand which dissemble with their double hart that there will come a time when all shall bee reuealed as the trechery of Absolon Heliodorus Herods was if not in this world yet in another He sayth he loueth God and yet maketh question who is his neighbour But he that loueth not his neighbour whom hee seeth daily how shall hee loue God whom hee hath not seene He speaketh suspiciously as though a man might loue God and yet neuer thelesse be cruell and hurtfull to his neighbour The Iewes they had onelie respect to them of their owne nation supposing it was lawfull for them to hate allants and forrenners and to let them alone without dooing them any benefit on good at all But the name of neighbour dooth extend it selfe to a further compasse to wit vnto all men Forasmuch as oftentimes it chaunceth that hee which is nighest to vs in birth or country is farther from vs in affection and loue then our very foe And Iesus aunswered and said A certaine man went downe from Ierusalem to Icricho This might bee for Ierusalem was in the high mountaine Sion and Iâ—icho in a low place Besides there was a desert betwixt Ierusalem and Iericho where passengers were spoyled by theeues and where Zedechias the King vvas taken by by the Captaines of the king of Babel when he fled from Ierusalem Some apply this man that was wouÌ„ded by theeues vnto Adam and vnto man-kinde the priest and the Leuite vnto the sacrifices of the old lawe and Christ vnto the Samaritane which healed man-kind being spoiled by the deuils temptations of the gifts graces of God the denill beeing compared heere vnto theeues Some compare the man that came from Ierusalem to Iericho vnto a sinner that falleth from the estate of grace vnto the deformity of sin But how far this is from the sence and true meaning euery man may perceiue For the chiefed cope that our Sauiour aâ—â—eth at 〈◊〉 to shewe vvho is our neighbour
it proceedeth namely from affliction the knowledge and feeling of his owne misery Seuenthly how Christ is our present Aduocate in our distresse and misery when we call vpon him earnestly and vnfainedly and in truth and sincerity Because through the humble sure of Christ the prodigall son obtained mercie Eyghtly the infinite mercy of GOD which is not ouercome by the multitude of our sinnes to remoue all despaire Ninthly the great solemnity that God and all the holy Angels doe make at the conuersion of a sinner Lastly an incouragement to them that liue well that they may continue in well dooing and be godly stil As also an instruction to them not to murmure at Gods works but rather to reuerence them and to reioyce that it hath pleased him to deale so graciously with sinners and to call them home that went so far astray Whereby vvee are further taught not rashly to iudge of any but to hope the best and in charitie to pray for their amendment There is no parable in the gospell more full of comfort consolation Whereby I am perswaded that there is no such greeuous sinner nor hainous offender vvhich would not turn vnto God if he consider in this example gods goodnes boūtifulnes and the entire loue of so mercifull a Father which of his own gracious accord went out to meete his prodigall sonne and to receiue him without any shew of deniall contrary to the custome of earthly Fathers vvhich fret and fume and are hardly drawne to such mercy How kindly doth he embrace him array him put a ring on his finger kill the fatted calfe for him make merry reioyce for him And howe farre of hee was frō casting in his teeth his former euill life that he maketh no mention thereof but rather findeth fault vvith the elder brother that repined thereat seeking to satis-fie and appease him The younger sonne not in age but in manners not in yeeres but in want of wisdome whereby he is the more easily inclined and drawne vnto bad wayes Some aged men are but young in theyr wordes gesture and conuersation and these the prophet Esay 65. calleth young men of an hundred yeeres old Some are young men concerning their time yet are aged men in good behauiour as Ioseph Dauid Samuell Daniell Iohn Baptist According to that the Lord said vnto Moses Numb 11. Gather vnto me seuenty men whom thou knowest to be auncient in discretion giuen to be vertuous and godly well disposed The foolishnes and lightnes of a sinner is heere set forth in that he is termed a young man For for the most part they know but little and haue experience but of a fewe matters they are vnskilfull in theyr owne affayres and stand in great neede of counsell If this prodigall Sonne left his Fathers house Foolishnes and sought his owne decay and destruction it was through his owne folly where-with hee was ouer-ruled and headlong carried away As fore-cast is more worth then great maintenaunce so is wisedome the disposer the continuer of great wealth Children consider no more then that which is before theyr eyes neyther doe they fore-cast things to come Deut. 32. O that they were wise then woulde they vnderstand this they would consider theyr latter end And our Sauiour Christ saith Luke 19. O that they had known the time of theyr visitation at the least in thys theyr day The Apostle Saint Paule wisheth euery where vnto the faithfull that they bee filled with the knowledge of God For it is no meruaile if God be forsaken of them to whom hee is not knowne which neyther heare the worde of God nor haue it nor make any care or regard thereof The prodigall sonne vnderstood not the great blessings that vvere in his Fathers house but afterward affliction gaue him to vnderstand when he felt the want thereof So we leaue God fall into sinne Blindnes because we know not the mischiefes that flow from thence Were it not that the Hawkes eyes were hidde and his feete tyed hee would mount aloft into the skies so if the eyes of our minde were not blinded with worldlie pleasures and vanities wee should sure be lifted vp with heauenly thoughts to despise these earthly delights For all the commodities and pleasures of this life haue but a short time of continuance Phil. 3. Sinners continuing in theyr sinfull race are inwardly blinded that they cannot see the light of God nor finde the way to come out of theyr lothsome darknesse For although there be many sins some of weaknes and some of malice yet ignorance is the roote of all For when we know not whether there be a God or a deuill heauen or hell ioyes or torments no meruaile if wee wilfully runne into all wickednesse All vvhich if the sinner did well knovve and beleeue hee would not so easily offend as he doth at least-wise hee would not fall into so many and so great and dangerous sins as he doth and that daily No man sinneth but hee that seeth not what hee looseth by sinning Therefore let vs pray with the prophet psalme 12. Lord lighten mine eyes that I fall not in death And psalm 118. Giue mee vnderstanding and I will search thy law yea I will keepe it with my whole hart Let vs desire true knowledge that we doe not leaue GOD that wee may remaine with him and be in his house be content to be ruled by him keepe his commaundements Not onely ignorance of Gods goodnes blessings gyfts and graces doth turne vs away from God Confidence in his owne wisedom but also the confidence in our owne strength our owne selfe will and our owne selfe-loue No perswasions can alter a young mans mind and a wilful sinner vntill he haue fully tryed his own way Beyond all measure they trust too much to themselues to their own strength and wisdome policy and fetches thinking themselues to be of such good gouernment that they know well enough how to order to dispose their owne matters And this selfe wisdom is the cause that many forsake god Therefore the Lord saith Reuel 3. Thou sayest I am rich and want nothing and knowest not that thou art miserable and poore and blind and naked But how little wee are able to doe without Gods helpe and grace shall be shewed hereafter Peter was bold and presumed saying Though all men be offended yet will not I be offended who because he trusted too much to his owne strength was ouer-come by a filly maid Mat. 26. So also Dauid heerein confesseth his owne fault Psal 29. I sayde in my prosperitie I shall neuer be remooued and presently after Thou turnedst away thy face from me and I was troubled And hauing full tryall in himselfe hee reproueth them which put not theyr trust in God Psal 52.8 Loe this is the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches and strengthned himselfe in his wickednes But
O Lord breake all our stubborne harts and make vs to sigh grone vnder the most heauy burden and waight of sin who are maruailously loden yet thinke our selues in great ease and at great libertie Make an end of thy sin and looke vp to God who will ease thee For when thou night and day doost thinke vpon nothing else and doost set thy selfe to nothing else but to offend and displease God he dailie hourely heaping vpon thee a thousand meanes of his mercy waiteth for thy returne and daily looketh for thy happy repentance The happy remēbrance whereof did make this prodigall sonne to say Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son Great sinnes great griefe but a short confession and this is a waightie poynt of repentance when with the sence the feeling and remorce of sinne is ioyned both sadnesse and shamefastnesse And where there is not this sadnesse and shamefastnes the sinner can neuer returne to goodnes Therefore there must goe before repentance a holy anger and inward griefe and discontentment that wee haue displeased God For following our owne wayes we grow to great forgetfulnes but returning vnto God then are we brought to true remembrance Truly did the Apostle S. Paule speak 1. Cor. 15.9 I am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God ioyfully remembring gods mercy and his own happy returne For the more graciously the lord doth visit a sinner with his mercy the more deeply doth it sink into the hart of a true penitent sinner the more doth he hūble himselfe before God the more greeuously doth he accuse his owne wicked nature and disposition The more cleerly that he doth perceiue Gods mercy and compassion and doth behold his maiestie holines comparing there-vnto his own vn worthines ingratitude frowardnes and his most sinfull inclination the more doth he detest the same the more plainly doth hee confesse his fault All vvhich matters when the prophet Esay did euidently behold hee cryed out of himselfe chap. 6.5 saying Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lyps Iob also 42.5 saith I haue heard of thee by hearing of the eare but now my eye seeth thee Therefore I abhor my selfe and repent in dust ashes When the Apostle Saint Paule savve so much in him-selfe Rom. chap. 7. he cryed out O vvretched shooes on his feete Heere commeth the ninth matter to be intreated of namely the great solemnitie that God all the holy Angels do make at the conuersion of a sinner His Father doth not speake any thundering words of crueltie nor threaten to beate him or to cast him off nor to cast him in the teeth with his bounteous goodnes shewed vnto him neyther doth he lay vnto him his going away nor burden him with his gluttony or other abhominable poynts of lyuing he remembreth none of all this geare he doth so greatly reioyce that he hath got his Sonne againe The Son thought himselfe vnworthy the title or name of his son yet the father restoreth him to his old state and degree againe The sonne doth vtterly condemne himselfe and the father doth absolue and quit him The sonne did cast himselfe downe to be a seruaunt and the father setteth him perfectly againe in his old state dignitie Him that had cast him selfe into the bond seruice of abhominable maisters that is the filthy pleasures of the body him did his father vouchsafe to embrace in his armes to him that had deserued to bee scourged vvith many a sore stripe is giuen a kisse for a token of perfect loue and attonement Happy is that sinner whō the Lord vouchsafeth to kisse and embrace because he confessed his sins and refused the name of a sonne for that in his conscience he knew himselfe faulty there was brought forth the best robe and restored vnto him How-soeuer hee hath behaued himselfe saith his Father my son he was he hath beene dead and nowe is he called to life againe For sin is the death of the soule and hee runneth toward death which leaueth and forsaketh the Authour of life Hee leaueth and forsaketh the Authour of life whosoeuer is in loue with the things of this world for the worldly pleasures are farre wide from Gods schooling And such a one is reuiued againe as dooth repent and reforme his sinfull life He was lost without any hope euer to be recouered againe if he had be one left to himselfe howbeit he was found and gotten againe To depart away from the fathers house is to perrish for out of the same house there is no health The Father speaketh not to the Son but to the seruaunts he that repents prayes for Gods goodnes receiueth no aunswere Nowe when I passed by thee and looked vppon thee behold thy time was as the time of loue and I spredde my skirts ouer thee and couered thy filthines yea I sware vnto thee and entred into a couenaunt with thee saith the Lord God thou becammest mine Then washed I thee vvith water c. Thus doth our heauenly father not onely forgiue our sinnes in burying putting quite out the remembrance of them but also hee restoreth vnto vs those gyfts which we had lost As he dooth depriue vs of them and take them away punishing our vnthankfulnesse thereby and driuing vs to shame by the reproch of our nakednes Now by these tokens of Gods loue the true and effectuall forgiuenes of our sinnes is signified The father willeth the seruants to bring forth the best robe and giueth no time of delay for in this case delay breedes danger When a sinner in this sort dooth recount his manifold offences Despayre and is vexed with the torment of conscience it is high time to yeeld help for feare least through despayre he be cast away There is no stay betwixt forgiuenes of our sins and Gods grace and fauour The health of the body is not recouered but by little and little because the matter is not of so great waight but the distressed estate of the soule must be releeued with all speede that may conueniently be offred and affoorded When the body is sicke wee are meruailous diligent to haue health yea if it bee but the head-ache we can suffer no delay seeking for helpe and calling for Phisitions according as our power and abilitie vvill stretch So after our sinne committed we shoulde be as hasty to rise and to repent Repentance but heerein euery little excuse stayeth vs backe and wee are content to delay thys time of our conuersion a great deale longer then we should so much the more beeing intangled in wordly affaires and altogether drowned in forgetfulnes In so dooing thou loosest the practise of good workes and art troubled for want of the peace and quietnes of conscience Againe thou knowest not hovve suddainelie thy lyfe shall be taken from thee The humble
ioyne with vs in the same busines but if that will not seâ—â—e to vse open reprehension and if that preuaile not to commit the matter to the censures of the church to leaue theÌ„ to Gods indgment either in mercy to be conuerted or in iustice to be confounded and so to auoid them as those in whom there is little hope of amendment Our admonitions reprehensions must be tempered with wise moderation least if they be too hard strait too seuere som be vtterly cast down ouerthrowne For there are that yeeld themselues so humbly vnto the worde preached that when anie thing is denounced their hart melteth and their flesh trembleth And though it be not applied by the preacher yet they apply it very strictly vnto themselues And if any fault wherof they are guilty be amplified or a comfort not presently ministred they are in the horrors of death brought almost to desperation Now because these are the best people and nâ—erest vnto the king dome of God Psal 51.17 Esay 61.2 and 66.2 Math. 11.28 therefore the more wisedome must be vsed For as in a purgation in some poyson but great preseruatiues mixed there-with all so reproofes giuen to tender consciences and trembling harts must haue consolations to comfort we are no whit glad of their faults but rather greeued at their falls Our reproofes must proceede from a hatred of sinne and a conscience and care to amend our brethren and not of a stomack to reuenge or vtterly to disgrace them thereby making them more obdurate and in a manner desperate Paul speakes to King Agrippa Acts 26 27 as though he would teach vs a way to winne sinners euery worde is a motiue shewes that he which fisheth for soules had neede to haue many nettes and obserue time place and calling and fitte all words before in his mind least he loose his baite He that hath Pauls spirit knoweth howe to handle all in due order both the froward the gentle disposition is wel instructed both to apply comfort as well as reproofe Of all professions the Deuine must be ready to lay his hande in a manner vnder their feete to winne them vnto GOD as the the Apostle speaketh 2. Coâ—â—â—th 4.5 Wee preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lord and our selues your semaâ—â—â—s for Iesus sake And reading the Historie of Queene Katherine Patre in the booke of Martyrs hee may learne some-what thereby By nature wee would haue others humble themselues to vs but Paule humbled himselfe to his inferiours to make them humble themselues to GOD. Hee that beseecheth which is for the most part the Apostles phrase shall easter perswade then he that thundreth and many haue beene drawne with the cordes of loue which could neuer be hawled with chaynes of iron God is loue and his Ministers must speake in loue or else they doe not speake lyke Paule Hee that fisheth for soules and dooth not take this nette shall fish all day as Peter fished all night and caught nothing Be wise to beare vvith infirmities shew thy selfe gentle that thou mayest the better winne them and not onely to be as a Father to teach them but as a Nurse to weane them from vice as the child is weaned from the breasts vvhich is doone by all faire meanes Knovving this that perfections come not vpon a sodaine Rome vvas not built in a day nor Troy vanquished in a yeere stay the time and the effect vvill shevve great wisedome In the means time vvatch all occasions and aduantages and vse all meanes to recouer them of whom there is any hope as for the obstinate and the scorner leaue them to God who eyther for their further punishment will giue them vp or else in his good time will conuert them and amend what is amisse And that his doctrine reprehension admonition and exhortation may be of more force let him remember that he is no priuate but a publique person and therfore he must behaue himselfe with all grauity In this vocation labours are to be endured greeuous dangers hatred and persecutions are to be expected so much the more by how much more faithfully we shall discharge our duty The which things our flesh doth meruailously abhorre all which notwithstanding wee are not therefore to refuse the ministerie but with a good mind and courage to vndergoe all dangers that may fall out consecrating our selues goods and liues and all that ere we haue vnto God More heereof might be spoken but I referre it vnto another time when I shall haue leasure to set it downe more orderly Applications are as necessary as reprehensions Application but many deliuer generall doctrines without applications forgetting or at least not vnderstanding they doe but little good when they speake not to the hart For this is one of the chiefest points and parts of the ministerie which hath his vse in teaching comforting confuting exhorting and the like Which ought to be done both publiquely in the congregation and also priuatly in cases of sicknes and all other afflictions against the tentations of the deuill especially in the troubles of a distressed conscience when as the wisedom of the Minister shal most appeare His wisedom must be seene also in laying the foundation of his building Wise in the order of teaching and in his order of teaching which at his first entrance ought to be obserued Wherein if his auditorie be learned it were good to deliuer the principles of Religion briefly if his people be vnlearned to speake of theÌ„ more at large and so to ground all his doctrine there-vpon and to shew how euery thing may be referred to some part thereof And they that are most learned may take it in good part to heare those thinges which their children and seruants are to be instructed in and which they themselues had wel-neere forgotten Our Sauiour spake many thinges vnto the people but yet in such sort as they were able to heare it Mar. 4.33 We haue many things to say saith the Apostle Heb. 5.11 which are hard to be vttered because ye are dull of hearing 1. Cor. 3.2 I gaue you milke to drinke and not meate for ye were not able to beare it neither yet now are ye able According therfore as the congregation is so ought we to apply our selues not to teach misteries where principles are to be deliuered vntill by long custome they haue been throughly exercised Still we ought to regard the capacity of our auditory 1 Cor. 3.1 Vnderstanding is to be referred to the mind but wisedome is the directour of our particuler affaires and daily actions which teacheth what when and how euery thing is to be done And they are said to be vnvvise vvho frame not themselues accordingly although they know what is to be done a great difference there is betwixt contemplation and action and they that are well learned are often-times farre to seeke heerein Sometimes he must shewe himselfe sober and grane that hee