faire day We should learne hence not to mistake the wayes of God for though the wayes of God bee full of crosses then certainly that is not the way to heaven which most men goe it is not for naught that our Saviour saith cursed be you that have your heaven here and that laugh here the meaning of those words is this as if he should say it is impossible to bee a true Christian indeede and enjoy that carnall pleasure wealth and ease that others doe otherwise there were no end of those words if they might bee joyned together The rich men are blamed for that they lived in pleasure on the earth yee have lived in pleasure upon the earth and in wantonnesse you have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter that is you may looke for pleasure in heaven but if you looke for pleasure here on earth you shall never goe to heaven And if you goe to a place and if it should be told you that the way is full of danger of narrow bridges and stiles full of theeves and syrens baytes to entice you away if you meete with none of all these you may justly suspect you are put out of your way so it is here for if the way of God be such a way a way full of difficulties and full of crosses and you enjoy pleasure and ease you may conclude you are out of the way I but this is to such as are indiscreet that know not when to speake and when to hold their peace but will not discretion helpe me yet if not that will not a mans innocency and good parts helpe him out I answer none of all those will doe it If you looke upon David he was a man of as great wisedome and discretion as men are usually capeable of and it is sayd of him that David behaved himselfe wisely and was accepted in the sight of all the people and hee was a man of excellent parts an excellent souldiour an excellent musitian and he had honour enough too David hath slaine his 10000. and yet for all this he was subject to the obloquies of men And if this example will not serve the turne then looke to Iesus Christ in him there was no want of wisedome in him there was no want of goodnesse and yet hee was thus opposed therefore you must be so farre from thinking your selves freed from troubles and crosses by your discretion innocency and good parts that you must bee resolved on the contrary that the more you have of these the more you are liable to the crosse and there is good reason for it for if the object be greater the more the facultie is exercised above it Now goodnesse and holinesse is the object of the worlds hatred the more of this goodnesse and holinesse you have the more the world hates you And the more you grow in grace the more opposition you will have The world loves her owne therefore in what measure a man is not the worlds in that measure the world hates him and therefore take heed of mistaking the wayes of God and you have more reason to looke to it now at the receiving of the Sacrament for if you bee in this way many thinke if they sinne and aske God forgivenesse they may come to the Sacrament but that is not enough you must remember that whosoever takes Christ as a Saviour must take him as a Lord too you finde these two words joyned together the Lord our Saviour and what God hath joyned let no man seperate that is he that will have Christ as a Saviour must have him as a Lord too many will serve Christ as retainers doe they will attend on their Master on Sabboth dayes and Holy-dayes and weare their Liveries but will not doe any other service all the weeke so wee would take Christ for our Saviour to have the use and benefit of him but wee are not willing to serve him wee are loath to take him as an husband for better for worse to subject our wills to his some come to the feast without their wedding garments of their conjugall love There are two things in that wedding garment First shee that will marry another must divorce her selfe from all other Secondly she must love her husband So it must be in the love of Iesus Christ If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be an Anathema Maran-atha wee must love him indeede downe right wee must love him in good earnest as a chast wife loves her huâ—band wee must not part with him where there is error personae there is no marriage so many men marry themselves to an imaginary Christ they mistake Christ and therefore the marriage hold not except your righteosnesse that is you that are in Christ and are justified by him except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot bee saved There must bee Pauls disposition in us Lord what wilt thou that I doe what should I suffer for thee Hence wee learne not to bee discouraged from any exercise for any crosse that followes it or difficultie that is in it because these are necessary companions of doing good they will not be seperated for it may be many a man hath a good meaning hee would doe such and such a thing but hee shall loose such and such an advantage he shall suffer such and such a disgrace but this you must not doe for these are knit together duties crosses and difficulties we finde it in the Scriptures sayd of good Kings that they turned not to the right hand nor to the left that is a man must walke in a streight course he shall meete with Lyons and with stormes but hee must not bawke them but he must grapple with the Lyon if hee withdraweth himselfe as the Apostle speaketh in the name of God my soule shall have no pleasure in him simple doing is not worth the doing but the crosse hath the blessing Againe to what end have we grace and the Spirit but to raise us up to higher degrees of parts we heare of men that shall seeke out adventures Souldiers are glad when they have occasions who shall scale the walls who shall first set upon the breach For ought I see Luther was so farre from fearing disgrace as that he rejoyced in it and the Apostle not to bee excepted against thus Saint Paul counted it a great grace and counted the Philippians happy that they had occasion to exercise this grace Let us not draw our selves into difficult matters for Christ knowes our worke and our opportunitie And you know this you shall be punished as well for omission as for commission for sinfull silence as well as for corrupt talke There is a prize in the hand of a foole and he knowes not how to use it for every opportunity to doe good is as a particular talent as a prize for the use of which wee must
offered a masse of Gold to the building of the temple out of my poverty saith he I have offered unto thee Why because hee thought God worthy of all and more then hee had therefore he thought himselfe poore Secondly Faith labour to act that consider the reasons of those great denyers of themselves they did so more then wee because they beleeved more what was the reason of Moses selfe denyall Hee feared not the fiercenesse of the crosse because hee saw him which was invisible that is hee beleeved the anger of God was greater then the anger of Pharaoh And that the love of God was greater then the love of Pharaoh and therefore hee had an eye unto the recompence of reward Goe and sell all that thou hast and thou shalt have treasure in heaven Christ bids the young man in the Gospel if hee had beleeved he would have done it for the Saints they suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves how they have a better and more enduring substance So Paul they wondered that hee had endured so much but he saith therefore wee labour and are rebuked because wee trust in the living God which is the Saviour of all men especially of such as beleeve Let a man stirre up his love that will make him move him to deny himselfe we know what is sayd of love there Love suffers long it is bountifull it seeks not her selfe it will deny her selfe for Christs sake as Paul did The love of Christ carryed him thorough all bonds and afflictions were nothing to him if a man would labour to encrease his love the more love the more selfe denyall and the more knowledge the readier wee are to deny our selves Lastly when you come to any particular case wherein you come to deny your selves bring arguments give not over till you have brought your selves to some conclusion For this consider these things First put case you deny your selves in any pleasure you gaine more pleasure by it for no man ever loosed by denying himselfe for he doth gaine peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost Secondly consider if you deny your selves you doe wipe away your blot and it is a great matter to keepe your selves blamelesse with God and spotlesse with the world Thirdly if you give way to your inordinate desires you shall bee subject to a hundred indigences and it is a mans happinesse that he meets as little as he can but to stand on his owne bottome Againe consider if you deny your selves in such a case you are freed from the greatest bondage that can be as Paul said you will not be brought under the power of any thing by denying your lusts you gaine the greatest freedome that can be Againe consider if you yeeld to your selves in any thing where your affection is inordinate there your crosse will be as Ammons crosse was in his Tamar Absoloms in his kingdome David in his Absolom strong affections bring strong afflictions Last of all consider if you yeeld to such a desire it will never make an end for you doe but adde fewell to the fire the greater the fire is the more fewell it requires and there is no way to extinguish our desires but to put out the very sparkes of our lust therefore in any particular case of lust never give over till you have brought your selves to this resolution whether it is best to deny my selfe or not to deny my selfe FINIS GRACE TO THE HVMBLE The fifth SERMOâ— LVK. 9.23 And he sayd to them all if any will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse daily and follow me A Second doctrine is this that the wayes of God are full of crosses and difficulties for Christ would not give them a warning to no purpose hee would not tell men that they that come to him must take up their crosse daily and follow him unlesse his wayes were full of difficulties The third Doctrine is That notwithstanding this difficulty wee must goe thorough the wayes of God though they bee never so full of difficulty and crosses They are full of crosses and that in foure respects It must needes be so from Gods providence hee hath ordeined so it is his will that all those that are members of his sonne and have interest in him should bee made conformable to his sonne And hee through many tribulations entred into the kingdome so should they and if there were no other reason wee should rest in this for in many things wee have no reason but Gods will As thou hast hid these from the wise and men of understanding and hast revealed to fooles even so Father for thy good pleasure was such and partly hee doth it that there may bee a witnesse borne to the truth Now there is a twofold witnesse First a witnesse in words which may bee done without crosses Secondly a witnesse in deedes when with mans blood there is a witnesse borne to the truth and this is called a good witnesse Christs witnesse is a good witnesse before Pontius Pilate for it is better then that which is in word onely And to this end God sendeth crosses that hee might give witnesse to the truth And againe that those that are appointed might be tryed that those that are good might bee knowne As it is sayd of heresies there must be heresies even among you that they which are approved among you might bee knowne So it may be said of crosses there must bee crosses that the true members might be distinguished from the worldlings the Gold from the Copper It must needes bee so if wee looke upon the nature of the thing No duty but hath one crosse joyned with it If wee come to reprove a man which must be done yet this will bring losse of credit friends liberty and life as it did Iohn Baptist It cost him his life wee must preach and professe Christ which will bring trouble ignominy and persecution as it did Paul as it did Christ as it did Daniel wee must keepe the Commandements and walke downe right with God and yet this will breed us much trouble this will cause us to be loosers when others are gainers it will cause us to loose many advantages which we might gaine with wicked consciences It must needes bee so in regard of the world the world hates them the world loves her owne and they are opposite to them if they were not opposite to the world or able to resist their forces it might be otherwise but the Saints are of low estate and where the hedge is low every beast will leape over The godly are Antipodes to the world they are of a contrary condition and disposition to the world and therefore it fareth with them as it did with Christ when Christ is come then the thoughts of many hearts shall be opened that is to oppose for before Christ came they thought no
mens sins especially in ministers labour to have a love to all mankind for it is love that edifies knowledge that puffeth up and it is that which Saint Iohn moveth us unto in his Epistles love one another yea transgressions and any offences wee must forgive them even as Christ forgave us our sinnes If there be any infirmities we must passe by them as Christ passed by ours that is your failings towards Christ are ten times more then mens failings towards you he forgave you therefore doe you forgive them and this love must be renewed at the Sacrament c. Hee was one that sought no praise of men no applause no vaine glory hee desired not to be some body in the eyes of men which appeares by this all which he did hee laboured to hide that which was excellent in him observing his miracles charging those in whom he wrought them to be silent Hee endured the Crosse and despised the shame that is when he was mocked he despised it so should we despise the shame marke the word despised the shame endured the Crosse because that was a heavy burden and he endured the shame There will still be Ishmaels that will mocke the Isaacks of God false nicknames and approbrious speeches will be cast on such as make profession of Religion But despise the shame alas shame is but a chip of the Crosse but why did Christ despise it hee had an eye to the recompence of reward that is when a man beholds God and lookes upon heaven having such great things in his eyes hee cares not what men say and if you despise you wâ—ll despise credit as Christ did as that deede of his shewes more plâ—inely Herod desires to see him Pilate sent him to him and so expected some miracle of him but Christ would doe no miracle so that Herod his men of warre despised him Now here a man is more put to it when men expect somthing from him when hee is ingaged for his credit to doe something then to despise this and omit this opportunity is a great thing Hee was despised of Herod and of his men of warre hee despised obloquies the reproach of men and also praise of men for it was but an empty thing but let the prayse of God bee great in your eyes Thirdly hee was exceeding obedient to his Father if God would have him dye on the Crosse which was a great matter hee would doe it So in drinking of the cup hee seemed unwilling something but yet since his Father had mingled it hee would doe it this is obedience when we doe what God would have us doe wee would have health but God puts us in sicknesse hee afflicts us with sharpe diseases this is the cup that my Father hath mingled for me and I will drinke And another part of his obedience is in this when he had sent forth his Disciples when they brought in poore fellowes he thanked God for it of which there could bee no other reason rendred but his Fathers will FINIS Doct. Quest. Answ. 2 Cor. 4.5 2 Cor. 12.5 Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Gal. 6.6 Mar. 10 3â— Mark 10.30 Matth. 6.24 Mat. 6.24 Object Answ. Matth 3.2 Matth. 10 28. Prov. 3.17 Matth. 15.13 Vse 1. Quest. Answ. Mark 10.28 Ioh. 5.44 Matth. 6.22 Iam. 1.8 Vse 2. Matth. 8.19 20. Mark 10.2 Quest. Answ. 2 Cor. 6.16 Object Answ. Rom. 14.15 Object Answ. Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 Object Answ. Gal. 5.9.22 Rom. 6.24 Iam. 3.15 Act. 21.13 2 Sam. 16.9 10. Mark 8.32 Matth. 16.23 1 King 13.1 Vse 3. Iam. 4.5 Ier. 17.19 Object Answ. Gen 30.1 Psal. 119 59. Hos. 7.14 Ioh. 6.26 Vse 4. 2 Sam. 16.10 2 Sam. 6.22 1 Pet. 5.5 1 Sam. 24.7 Dan. 6.10.11 Gen. 22.12 Num. â—2 23 Ier. 42.5.6 Ver. 20. 2 Cor. 4.2 Ioh. 3.21 Quest. Rom. 7.17 2 Cor. 5 1. Matth. 19.39 Matth. 16.25 Mark 10.30 Matth. 19.29 Object Answ. 1 King 3.9 Gen. 39.20 Gen. 49.3.4 Ier. 4.24 1 Cor. 1.12 Matth. 19.21 Heb. 10.34 1 Cor. 13.4.5 Act. 21.33 1 Cor. 6.12 2 Sam. 13. 2 Sam. 18.33 2 Sam. 18. Doct. 2. Doct. 3. Reas. 1. Matth. 11.25 26. 2 Tim. 6.13 1 Cor. 11.19 Matth. 14.10 Luk. 2.35 Reas. 1. Quest. Prov. 3.17 Mat. 11.30 Answ. 1 Cor. 2.6 Quest. Answ. 1 Cor. 15.17 Iam. 1.10 Luk. 16.11 Vse 1. Ioh. 16.33 Vse 2. Luk. 6.25 Object Answ. 1 Sam. 18.5 1 Sam. 18.5 Matth. 10.5 1 Cor. 16.22 Vse 3. Heb. 10.29 Reve. 21.8 Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Ezek. 22.30 Vse 5. Vse 6. Doct. 4. Rom. 8.29 Iudg. 8.17 Iudg. 9.48 Quest. Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.9 Object Answ. Object Answ. A description of following Rom. 6.17 Heb. 12.1 Rom. 2.7 Act. 9.16 Ioh. 21.18 Answ. Ruth 1. Rom. 5. Acts 20.35 Matth. 9.36 Mark 6.38 Col. 3.12 13. Object Luk. 23.8.11