your pensioner hangbies and luke warme professors papisticall Atheistes which come to our Churches to sleepe and there dreame who being come vnto you make you beleeue that their dreames were the preachers sermons and you that are apt to beleeue lies beleeue liars But to come to the purpose you accuse vs for condemning good workes when we attribute no merites vnto them this we deny for the reason is like this None will become a papist but hee that hopeth to bee Pope so none will do good workes but hee that hopeth to bee saued or crowned by them If they graunt the latter then they must giue the former which I am assured many honest minded papistes would not bee though they might haue as much as the Popes father the Deuill offered Christ which was all the worlde Therefore as a papist is not a papist because hee woulde be a pope so good workes must not bee done that men might bee crowned by them Euery Catholike which beleeueth as the Church beleeueth must not presently steppe into Peters chayre no more euery one that doth a good worke must by that ascend vp into heauen Good workes haue another vse then to iustifie Because the eye cannot smell shall it therefore bee puld out noe it was created to see and not to smell because good works iustifie not shal no man do them God forbid they were giuen to the faithfull for outwarde testimonies of fayth and of God his spirite that by them they they might assure themselues and others to be sanctified and elected not that they should helpe in their saluation As the tree dyeth without the barke and fire is nothing without heate so workes without faith and faith without workes is cursed and vnprofitable Therefore wee say let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie eschewe euill and do good feede the hungrie cloath the naked visite the sicke and imprisoned harbour the harbourles prouide for children and widdowes yea and builde Churches and Colledges for the maintenance of God his worship and learning Yet we say we are iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ by whome we were brought to this grace through which we stand glorie vnder the hope of y e glorie of God for all the works in the world cannot satisfie for one sin because there is none other name vnder heauen by which wee may bee saued but onely by the name of Christ Out of this first wee gather the goodnesse of God which of his owne promise and owne mercie accepteth that little obedience of faith which wee offer vnto him What can we doe to the fulfilling of the lawe if we keept all and yet fayled in one we had lost all our labour but if we kept one point onely and faulted in the rest it were like to a man that was bounde to pay ten thousand pound and should offer a shilling but we keepe none and yet hee accepteth vs in the death of his Sonne that our righteousnesse might abound to euerlasting life Nowe the vse of the mercy of God is that hereby wee shoulde bee made more fearefull and carefull not to offende him not as some imagine that hereby is giuen the greater libertie to sinne because the Lorde speaketh peace vnto vs in his beloued Christ for this is as the prophet speaketh being escaped out of a ditch to fall into a snare and as a man which is drawne out of a riuer should cast himselfe into the sea But the regenerate must bee more affraide to offend the mercy of God then the vnregenerate at his threatning iudgementes They will not sinne because they loue God the other will abstayne feare of punishmente the promises of the Gospell terrifie them more then all the terrors of the lawe for they find a sweeter comfort in the presence of the spirite then to rest in all the gardens of pleasure when they finde accesse to the throne of grace through the blood of Christ and by him all their infirmities couered their petitions graunted their sinnes remitted they at peace with God like ioyfull men discharged from euerlasting imprisonment they walke in holines and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Oh that these mercies would sinked deeper into our hard harts that the force of the cogitation of the blood of Christ might both soften and mollifie purge and cleanse them from wauering and doubting wantonnes and presumption and prepare our fallow groundes fit to receiue the Lords owne feed his euerlasting word which is able to saue our soules Secondly by this when he saith vnder whose winges thou art come to trust the dignitie of the faithfull is commended vnto vs for they liue vnder the wings of the Lord Which is a Metaphor or borrowed speech comparing him to a hen which couereth her chickens with her winges shewing vnto vs that then wee are in safetie when wee are couered with the winges of the Lord. This our sauiour noted when hee saide that hee woulde haue gathered the Cittie of Ierusalem as a henne gathereth her chickens This dignitie of the faithfull is by many such speeches manifested in the scripture wherein the Lorde sheweth vs the care hee hath for our safety when he calleth vs the apple of his eye He sheweth his loue when he calleth vs his childrē his brethren and spouse to teach vs our dueties he calleth vs the braunches of a vine which are good for nothing but to bring forth grapes euen so are the godly pleased with nothing which they doe saue onely the worshippe of God This consisteth in the holy fellowship which the faithfull haue with God which Dauid faith bringeth life for euermore with whome is a well of life and the fulnes of all ioy And in another place the Lord saith Behold I stand at the dore and knocke if any man open I will come in and suppe with him and he with me and Iohn saith He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the Son Here is the comfort of the spirit that dwelleth in vs the assurance of faith which ouercommeth all the worlde the euidence of our saluation euen the confession of the Gospel with the mouth and the beleeuing in the hart the hearing of it when it is preached and praying in the assemblies of the faithfull for wheresoeuer are two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them saith the Lord for he dwelleth among his saints the Arke is with his ministers the couenaunt or tabernacle of presence with them that feare him for euermore Oh who will not be drawne to be the member of Christes owne bodie the heauenly Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in the sincere professor of true religion that they may haue both the Father and the Sonne Who will not open to the Lords knocking that hee may receyue the king of glorie for his guest
cōfession of folly for al their light of lerning they groped in a Cimmerian darknes being shadowed with ignorance like the Countrie Odessae in Greece which by reason of mightie hils therto adioyning neuer felt the beames of the Sun The fourth head or fountaine of vngodlinesse is called Samaritanisme of the Samarians which mingled themselues with the profession of the Iewes and receiued some parte of the Bible yet like the Anabaptistes of our daies without any difference or conscience kept companie with Iewes and Gentiles Of these came many accursed sects from whom sprang many detestable opinions and thus the world laboured with damnable deuises while the Deuill laughed at their dayly destruction whereby this is euident that Philosophie or Paganisme is the corruption of our Religion But some peraduenture will obiect vnto me that they had very excellent and worthie men who Crowned their Countrie and kindred with endlesse memorie Mutius left his right hand on the Altar Empedocles willingly cast himselfe into the burning flames of the mountaine Aetna one of the builders of Carthage to auoide a second marriage cast her selfe into the burning graue Regulus being freed from the Carthaginians chused rather to suffer death himselfe in most cruel torments then to discharge their prisoners at Rome Menocaeus seeing his Cittie of the Thebes besieged by the Grecians which they threatned to destroie except one of them would giue himselfe for all did ascend to the wall of the Citie and there pearcing his body with a sword fell downe dead among his enemies wherewith they contented departed Alcestis the wife of Perilaus seeing as she supposed the fiendes come for her husband who lay sicke slew her selfe bidding them to take her shaddow and spare her husbands life To speake nothing of Lucretia Dyrachia Aria Cyane and many others only let this suffice Eleates being asked of Dionisius the tyraunt what was better then Philosophie answered death whereupon hee was commaunded to be scourged to death which for the defence of his speach and contempt of death he most patiently endured Yet Tertullian a Christian father speaking of such like actions hath these wordes O lawfull commendation because humaine to whome neither wilfull presumption nor desperate perswasion is imputed to whome it is permitted to die in contempt of death and all manner of crueltie to whome is giuen more libertie to suffer for his countrie kingdome or friends then for God Who is hee that cannot with one eye espie the meaning of this father Improuing this kinde of death as presumption or desperation which may neuer haue any harbour in the hearts of the faithfull what shall wee then say of all these worthie persons Surely whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God We must not regard what man doth but what God commaundeth as the Emperour Constantine once said it is not death but the cause of death that deserueth commendation as Agesilaus the best Grecian Prince that euer was was wont to say The purest Adamant is not worne with yron nor wasted with fire yet a little Goates bloud will consume it euen so if one man could suffer al the tryals in the world and abide many thousand deathes by fire and torture yet it shall no whit profit him except the bloud of Iesus Christ loose the fetters of sin and breake the chaines of the Deuill now the mercies of God in Christ are not communicated to any but to such as know them and who can know them without the word of God This is the fountaine of water of life and all other are but poysoned puddles stinking more filthyly in the presence of God then the Lake of Camarina in the nostrels of men They reporte that in Sycilia there are two springs whereof one will make a fruitfull woman barren the other a barren woman fruitfull if this were so I thinke all the world would haue recourse vnto it Yet in this word of God there is a greater commoditie declared vnto vs for here wee learne the true cause of barrennesse which being knowne the disease is the more easily remoued here wee learne the meanes whereby it is cured as in Rebecca Annah Elizabeth and others which might as easily bee practised as true Religion vnfainedly professed Moreouer they tell vs that in Epirus at the foote of the hill Tomarus there is a holy Well which of it selfe will kindle a Torch being put vnto it quench it being brought burning therto graunt this to be true it will represent vnto vs the nature of this holy Wel the word of God which with the water of our Baptisme doth fire our hearts by the holy Ghost but comming vnto it burning in the heate of our owne lust quencheth the flame of our owne concupiscence Also wee finde in Varro that there are two streames in Boeotia whereof if sheepe drinke the one burneth their coulour in Russet and the other maketh them while againe if this be possible as al things are possible to the creatour of the world what maruaile though we are regenerated not new couloured by the immortall seede of his heauenly word Which are his sheepe and the corruptions of our nature so washed in the same that our garments of righteousnesse are as white as snow in his presence Solinus telleth that at the Cittie Debris among the Garamantes there is a spring which at the rysing of the sunne congealeth to Yce but at the setting thereof resolueth to water againe which is contrarie to all the world beside freezing with heate and thawing with colde yet we may make this vse thereof that it is no wonder to see our heauenly Well to worke these contraries to be the sauour of life vnto life or else the sauour of death vnto death that vnto some it is a two edged sword to giue them mortall wounds vnto other a broad Target to defend them from danger that it wrought so effectually in the daies of persecution when it was oppressed in darkenesse but now freezeth and hardneth in these daies of peace when the sunne of prosperitie shineth to all Surely as the Albeste stone once set on fire can neuer be quenched so if we could but once burn in loue vnfainedly with the Gospel our profession should not be so luke warme nor our deuotiō so smal in the cause of religiō And thus I haue bene bold with your Ho. to proue my first assertion wherein if I haue beene too long let me craue pardon and I will promise greater breuitie in my seconde proposition which is this that Poperie is a confusion of Heathenisme Heresie and Christianitie And that I may methodically proceede I will begin at their highest degree and so in order lightly touch so many things as may certifie your Ho. of the truth of their Religion Numa appointed one to bee a high Priest at whose iudgement all temporall and spirituall thinges were administred the same is retained in the Church of Rome for the Pope
of the earth Of all these mistryes you may see in the booke of Iudges Samuel and Kings to which I referre you at your leasure as of Saul Dauid Ieroboam Achab Zidkia others as in this present place where they are oppressed ten yeares together so that heauen and earth may passe but the word of the Lord abideth for euer For this cause the prophets adde to their preaching of iudgmentes Thus sayth the Lorde as if they had said it shall neuer bee altered And if the lawes of heathen men such as the Medes and Persians might not alter much lesse the word of the Lord which is like siluer purified seuen times should haue any drosse or changeable substaunce in it Wee see the law of nature stand inuiolable for euer and shall not the law of him which made nature be also immutable when the fire ceaseth to bee hote and the water to be colde then shall be exception taken against God his iudgments and not before The vse of this doctrine is to cast downe the presumption of notorious sinners who to auoyd the terrors of God his iudgmentes deceiue their owne soules vvyth this that God is mercifull So that in theyr most singular sinnes they will flye to the mercyes of God as if they were the verie bonde of all iniquitie yea and these kinde of people perswade themselues to bee as good Christians as anie in the worlde because they can saie the Lord is mercifull But heare me a little in one word I praie you I am perswaded that I speake to many these people this daie What hurt hath the Lorde done vnto you that you rob him of his iustice Shall the Prophet be found a liar that sayth The Lord is iust in all waâ—es and holy in all his workes Or shall the Apostle speake vntruth that sayth It is a iust thing with God to render affliction to them that afflict you release to you that are afflicted Why shall we then spoile God of his iudgements vnlesse wee wyll depriue our selues of our owne saluation But you will saie this serueth for the wicked as Atheists Turkes Pagans Infidels and such lyke which shall haue no part with Christ I answere what greater wickednes can there be than to depriue God of his iustice Would a mortall man indure to be accounted without honestie and shall the euerlasting king abide to be spoiled of his righteousnesse Nay the iustice of God pertaineth to such as you would be holy persons as well as to anie For what saith the Prophet When the iust man turneth from his righteousnesse to doo iniquitie he shall die in it And Peter sayth that iudgement must begin at the house of God And a father once saide God of his most deere iustice hath decreed the summe of all discipline both in exacting and in defending as if he had sayd there is no correction of the Lord but it proceedeth from his iustice now the children of God are corrected for hee scourgeth euerie child whom he receiueth And therfore the iudgmentes of God must bee thundered out as well for the confirming of the faithfull as the confusion of Infidels But others there are that are so farre past feeling of either mercies or iudgements that as soone the deafe adder wil heare the voice of the charmer as they anie impression of terrour for sinne Hence commeth this custome of sinning which euerie sabboth commit their wonted iniquitie euerie houre vomit out their poison of blasphemies and euerie daie violate the lawes of charitie who through their dayly staring on the sonne of righteousnesse are nowe become starke blinde and with the continuall noise of God his waters are made so deafe that they can heare no goodnesse Vnto both these sortes of people hearken what the Lorde sayth in his Gospell But if that euill seruant shall saie in his heart the Lorde deferreth his comming and shall begin to finite his fellow seruants and to eate and drinke with the dronken The Lord of that seruant shall come in a daie that hee looketh not for and in an houre that hee knoweth not and shall separate him and giue him his parte with vnbeleeuers there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth This shall be the end of secure christians and contemptuous sinners carnall Atheists despisers of wholsome doctrine which haue no part but in this present life with endlesse and fearefull damnation in the world to come Thus much of the first parte the circumstance of time now let vs go to the thing which is the second parte of the occasion There was a famine in the land This was the chiefe cause which moued these persons to trauell the auoiding of the pinching penurie of fearefull death by lingering till the end of this pining famine Of all the punishments of sinne which happen in this life theâ—e is none more vehement than famine Therefore the Lord by the Prophet threatneth to send his arrowes of famine to breake the staffe of bread Where he alludeth to a maine battell signifying vnto vs first as the arrow is the fittest instrument to break the ranke so a famine is the sharpest weapon to dismaye the couragious stomackes of rebellious sinners For as the arrowe is alwaie in sight so a famine euer in sense the arrowe hurteth but not with a speedie death a famine spoileth yet with tedious miserie the arrowe entered doth procure more paine and greater wound at the pulling forth than the falling in euen so abundance of meate sooner dispatcheth a famished person than lingering hunger Therefore Dauid put to his choice of three plagues famine flying and pestilence chose the last as the most sodainest and therefore accompanied with lesse griefe for that disease by the rule of phisicke is most daungerous which is the longest in growing Now wee may reade of many famines in the Scripture one and the first we read of was in the dayes of Abraham another in the daies of Izhak his sonne Seuen yeeres famine was in Egypt where Ioseph by the hand of God succored the Church in his fathers familie And to omit that in Dauids time and that in Ahabs time with those in the dayes of Iehoram and Zidkia with many others VVee reade in the new Testament of a vniuersall famine in the dayes of Claudius Caesar prophesied by Agabus when the Church dyd most notably releeue one another Vnto the which wee may adde that at the destruction of Ierusalem about fortie yeeres after Christe All which are most worthie spectacles of humane miserie and worthy examples of God his iudgementes to terrifie all them which saie in theyr prosperitie they shall neuer be moued There wee may reade of the pittifull death of many thousands which starued in the streetes in the face of theyr dearest friendes and yet were not able to releeue them There wee may see howe men were driuen to eate dogges cats rats mice and horse
Lorde were not able to releeue vs or else were vniust in punishing our sinnes howe can that bee seeing hee calleth for repentaunce and amendement and then promiseth plentye and abundaunce These saintes endured some three some seuen and other tenne yeeres famine and yet wee saye was there euer such a people thus afflicted like to vs with one yeres dearth They were driuen to wander abroade in their enemies Countrie for manie yeeres together shall wee then thinke it such a miserye to goe two or three miles for our corne They aduentured the losse of their liues and wee are afraide of the lessening or diminishing of our goods And shall wee yet saye there was neuer anye people tormented like vnto vs Yea I adde this that euen at this daye there are people in the worlde which sâ—ant in all their liues doe eate anye bread but onely the barke of trees with some other vnseasonable fish others liue on the rootes of the earth some on the fruites of trees And what shall I saye more our wickednesse is greater then our want our sore is smaller then our sinne our transgressions haue deserued to bee punished with the scourge and yet wee are scarce corrected with the rodde our complaintes are greater then our huâ—te and our murmuring exceedeth our misery therefore wee haue greater cause to tremble at that which hangeth ouer our heades then to feare or crye for this which wee already suffer for it is hardly the beginning of sorrow So Mahlon and Chilson Now when they were compassed about vvith the friendes of their vviues vvhich did promise securitie then after a fevve yeeres spent in safetie the Lorde called them avvay after their father Where vvee see our former doctrine iustified that the end of one sorrovve vvas the beginning of another When they were most like to continue then they gaue ouer as it were in the armes of theyr wiues and the sight of their aged mother to whome no doubte this was the greatest griefe of all other that now beeing lefte destitute both of husbande and children she should without comfort liue with the Moabites and without ioye returne agayne vnto her owne Countrey as a bird robbed of her young ones Yet seeing this is our worldly lot still to endure misery let vs set both our shoulders vnder the burthen if it be too heauy let vs flee to the finisher of our faith with zealous and earnest prayers desiring him eyther to ease or to remooue his hande But seeing wee haue spoken of this before this shall suffise at this time to serue for a remembrance Then shee arose When her friends were departed and her selfe lefte comfortles yet the Lord remembred her for euen then came the rumor vnto her that the famine was ceased in Iewry that the Lord had visited the sicknes of his people and restored the plenty of the earth againe and therefore it is time for her to bee hasting home againe for here the holy Ghost setting downe her returne and the cause of the same sheweth that it was euen then when her children were dead for what should a godly woman liue there where were non that could strengthen hir in the wayes of the Lord but rather prouoke her to imbrace infidelity And againe euen at that time when shee was most comfortlesse for the losse of her children came this rumor vnto her of the restoring of her Countrey so that now Naomi thou art here in Moab a sorrowfull pilgrime go home to thy Countrey and bee a ioyfull inhabitant indeede thy children are dead but thou shall haue greater comfort of thy ancient acquaintaince What knowest thou but now the Lord hath called thee to consolation whereas of late thou mightest thinke hee had wrought thy confusion By this wee note that the Lord deferreth to helpe till greatest necessity euen as hee stayed the stroke of Abraham when hee was at the verie instant to cut of little Isaks necke So wee read that when the king of Assiria had inuaded the kingdome of Ezechia wonne his cities subdued his Country conquered his people and had not lefte him two thousand horsmen being destitute of all helpe then the Lord raised vp the king of Ethiop who called the Assyrians from the siege of Ierusalem What shall I saie of Lazarus raised from death Of the deliuerance of Peter out of the handes of Herod the daie before he should haue bene martyred Of the shipwracke wherein Paul was and yet not one of them were lost And excellent is that of Christ sleeping in the shippe on a pillowe suffered his disciples to bee so long tossed with the violence of the sea till they cryed out Lord saue we perish and then hee awaked rebuked the rage of the windes and stilled the stormes of the sea and a peaceable calme followed This is that preseruatiue agaynst desperation which must staie our mindes on the leasure of the Lorde wee must not at the first look for our desires but as Abraham and Zacharia were old before they had any children and yet in the end the Lord promised and also perfourmed euen so when wee haue least hope for obtaining of our desires wee most often receiue them For the Lord desireth our requests for the triall of our fayth and pacience that like as the wheate corne groweth not till it bee dead euen so his works doe not answere our expectation till they seeme to vs impossible that as the most precious pearles are farthest brought and longest in comming when wee haue them we keepe them more carefully euen so his excellent mercies being with difficulty obtained should be esteemed more thankfully Therefore be of good comfort you that now sorrow for you shall bee comforted you that now hunger for you shal be satisfied you that nowe weepe for you shall laugh the Lord will shortly come beare but a litle and he will wipe away all teares from your eies then oh how happy shal they be which haue trusted in him That the Lorde had visited This is the last parte of this scripture being the reason that moued her to returne into her Countrey O it is as if the holy ghost had sayd The Lord looked vpon the afflicted estate of his people supplied their want of food To visit in the scriptures is taken two wayes first to punishe as when God sayth in the second commaundement that he will visite the sinne of the fathers vppon the children vnto the third fourth generation secondly it signifieth some times to pardon or to show mercy as that of Zachary The Lord hath visited and redeemed his people that is hee hath shewed mercy in redeming his people In this later sense it must be taken in this place Now the word properly signifieth to goe to see and is referred to them that are sicke which by a metaphor is applied to sinne for sinne is the sicknes of the soule and is very fitly applied to punishments sent
sorrow her comfort that God with whom is mercy hath wounded her heart The hand of the Lord is taken in the scriptures many wayes but generally it signifieth the meanes whereby he accomplisheth his counsell and is referred eyther to his mercy and fauour as when it is said the hand of the Lord was with Iohn Baptist or els to his iudgements punishement or chastisement so the hand of the Lord was against the Israelites when they had forsaken him and serued Baalim So when the Arke of God was in the house of Dagon the god or idoll of the Philistines the Lorde ouerthrewe their god cut of his hands and head and smote the Priests with Emerods then they confessed the hand of God to be sore against them so in this place it is taken for his chastisement or correctiō vpon Naomi Out of the which we note many profitable doctrines First that all our afflictions come from the Lord that he might chastise his owne and confounde the vngodly Reade but the 34. 36 Chapter of Iob most excellently intreating of this matter wherein is shewed that neyther the godly escape nor the wicked goe scot-free This is the confession of Moses to terrifie the Israelites of Iosuah to keepe them in obedience and of Dauid a man more exercised in trouble then all the world beside This must we accompt with ourselues in all our miseries we are robbed by theeues spoiled by murtherers stroke by bruite beastes reproched by slaunderers euill intreated by the worlde hurte by our enemies sustaine the losse of our goodes the daunger of our health and are oppressed with sickenesse surely in all these thinges say The Lorde gaue and the Lorde hath taken away euen as it hath pleased the Lorde so commeth thinges to passe But men will say we knowe it well ynough alreadie we confesse it And doe you knowe and confesse and will you not practise A man being sicke at the beginning neuer thinketh on the Lorde but posteth to the Physition for counsell without crauing the forgiuenesse of his sinnes the cause of his sicknesse yet you say God hath sent it and laide vpon vs as if the Lorde sendeth sickenesse to helpe the Physition to money for with him you agree for his paynes and cunnning but with the Lorde you agree not for your owne paynes which you endure But you will say we find ease by medicines our sickenesse is a bated I aunswere so the Lord suffreth witches and coniurers to tell them that come vnto thē the things they desire yet you will not say they are guiltlesse I speake nothing against the excellent and commendable profession of Physicke but rather for the commendation of it seeing God so accepteth it as that thereby he seemeth to salue vp the sinnes of many doing away their paynes and also to giue them longer time of repentance But this I wish both in this in all other miseries of mankinde that first we purge our consciences from notorious crimes and then the Lorde will stay his hande from striking our hearts from wauering our goodes from wasting our bodies from pining and our soules from euerlasting dying Secondly by this we note whence it commeth that the godly are so patient in all their tribulations euen frō this consideration that the Lordes hand afflicteth them This is worthie to bee noted in the example of Dauid when Shemei cursed him Abishai standing by wisheth Dauid to punishe him but Dauid answereth him what haue I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zeruiah hee curseth because the Lorde hath bidden him to curse me as if he had sayde I may punish the Lord as wel as Shemei The very like did Iob aunswere his wife when she would haue him curse God and dye Thou speakest like a foolish woman what shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not euill as if he had sayd wee are bounde to receiue euill at the hand of God as well as good if we receiue the one with blessing let vs not curse him for the other This was it that made the Apostles to reioyce that they were accompted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ and this must sincke into our ignoraunt and rebellious heartes that we may learne at the first to humble our selues least as wee now suffer for sinne so anone we be punished for impatiencie The patient abiding of the righteous auaileth much in the sight of the Lorde men thinke they be forgotten if they bee a little afflicted and crie out like desperate persons Lord Lord but they neuer pray for patience but all for deliuerance Oh howe excellent is this example of Naomi which being in many miseries in a straunge countrey hauing buried husbandes and sonnes being now to departe from her acquaintaunce to take a tedious iourney into her owne countrey poore wearie and desolate yet all her woordes are these The hand of the Lorde is gone out against mee as if she had said hee that gaue them tooke them and he that tooke them lefte me patience Thus must we stay our mindes on the worke of the Lorde as the Arke was stayed by the Priestes in the middest of the riuer Iordan which made the waters to flie backe till all the children of Israel were passed thorow euen so the the floudes of great troubles shall not ouerthrowe vs if we stay our minds on the hand of the Lorde and safely escape the dangerous destruction of worldly affliction Then they lift Now cōmeth the effect of this cōmunication wherein is shewed how sorrowfully these daughters tooke it yet diuersly minded for Horpah notwithstanding her gentle proffers to her mother in law her bitter teares pitiful lamenting yet she taketh her leaue with a sweet kisse returneth back to her idolatrous friends Naomi vsed no perswasions but worldly reasons taken from marriage to perswade thē both she seeth her sister remaine constant she that euen nowe for the loue of people mother in law would goe as far as the farthest now for the cogitation of a heathē husband forsaketh both God people mother and sister Who would haue thought that Horpah which bid her friends farewell her countrey adieu her kindred forsake idolatry abhorre would thus cowardly as I may tearme it flie back again in hope of a husband But yet we see she doeth and out of her example we may note many thinges First that the world carnal reasons are feareful hinderances vnto vs in Religion We see this woman how doth she fall away from God his people all the Church that she knewe her mother and sister We knowe how many being sent for to the great Mans supper which is the Lorde they excused their absence one for his farme another for his oxen another for his wife as Horpah doeth for her husbande What shall I say the loue of the worlde is the hatred of God and Iohn saith Loue not the world
fines defrauders of simple persons bargaining who all are condemned in the last commaÌ„dement as the couetors of other mens goods and therefore guiltie of eternal damnation And do you These words are the seconde part of his coÌ„mandement whereby the former point is confirmed that Bohaz knew Ruth would not picke the sheaues therefore willeth to let fall on the grounde plentifully for her to auoide her farther and more vnprofitable labour which he therefore doth that he might testifie his goodes to bee not onely his but all theirs that feare the Lord for no doubt but there were many that did gleane in the field beside Ruth with whom Bohaz did not thus deale shewing vnto vs that there may be a difference in giuing and that we are not bounde to giue equally to all but as the persons are so must bee the gift the poorest must not haue the greatest share but the godliest for pouertie without godlines is like the apple of Sodome which is as fayre to looke on as any other but being taken in the hand resolueth to smoke and powder so if vngodly poore folks be a little examined they shal be found as the apple not worthy eating so the other not worthy to be giuen to although they crie like the horseleaches daughters giue giue yet wee must answere theÌ„ w t spare spare But Bohaz doth in this place as Ioseph did to his brethren he feasted all of theÌ„ but Beniamins part was fiue times so big as the residue afterward he gaue to euery one chaunge of garmentes but vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundred shikles and fiue change of garments the reason of all this was because hee was Rachell his owne mothers sonne but all the other were his fathers children onely euen so must we do good to all that are our fathers children by creation but to our mothers children which is the Church of Christ the houshold of faith whereof Rachel was a tipe we must w t special portions for feeding their hunger and clothing of their nakednesse compasse their wantes with the supply of our beneuolence for which cause Sainte Paule in his preaching was willed by the other Apostles to haue speciall and heedfull care ouer the poore brethren which if it were put in practise wee should be more able to do good vnto the godly and to denie the contrary minded This one thing is aboue all other to be required y t euery one giue where God may most of all be glorified but the vngodly sort take their reliefe as the hungry houndes their feeding if they bee hindered they will flye vppon their owne maisters in like sort the wicked will blaspheme God liberally and not humbly thanke or praise him for anye thing they receiue What if they murmure against thee and saye my part is not so good as thine you giue him more then to mee and you care for none but for these precise fellowes Tell them againe it is lawfull for thee to doo with thy owne as thou wilt neyther ought thy eye to bee euill because my hand is good the vnworthiest in the world shall haue the worthiest portion they which with them are last with thee let be first the first with them be last with thee for spirtuall men must looke for spirituall hearts to cast the seed of their almes into good ground where the fruit may be increased the want of the faithfull may be relieued the glorie of Christ may be magnified thy owne duetie may bee discharged a good conscience satisfied and thy soule for euer comforted Secondly by this wee obserue that Boaz might haue admitted many hinderances whereby hee might haue bene better aduised before he gaue such large liberty either to Ruth or to his seruants for her as to gather among the sheaues or to let fall handâ—ulls vnto her Hee might haue thought thus with himselfe it was lately a derth for a long time together it may be shortly y e Lord wil send such another then all that I haue will be too litle for my selfe and my family and therefore I must be wise and giue not so much till I knowe what I shall lacke but all this coulde not turne away the heart of Boaz from doing good vnto Ruth for he esteemed more of one godly Ruth then of all the possessions hee had neyther ought any of the godly once to admit any such doubt in their minde as to be vexed in distrust of the mercye of God to come They must pray with Dauid o Lord incline my hearte to thy testimonies not to couetousnes The widdow of Zareptha might haue so answered Eliah that she had but so little lefte as would onely suffise for one meale and giue him nothing yet she was obedient and beleeued the worde of the prophet and her store increased that she wanted no more The church of the Macedonians might haue said that they were poore saints as wel as the residue therefore as they asked nothing but were content with their pouerty so none should charge them in giuing to other but yet the Apostle Paule said they supplied the want of the Cornithians and gaue more then they were able And euerlasting is the commendation which hee giueth of Onesiphorus how often hee refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaines but came to Ephesus and visited him there and followed him to Rome many hundred miles that there also he might succor him with his charity Which teacheth vs when wee haue to deale with the godly as all these persons had no coste must be spared couetousnes not admitted no feare of want suspected for he which is Lord ouerall is also rich vnto all Obadiah in a famine fedde an hundered prophets yea and hidde them in caues from the wrath of Iezabell What want did he sustaine thereby surelye none for distrust causeth want and not liberalitye for hee which maketh thee to feede his saints nowe will also prouide another to feed the when thy store is wasted Oh hearken to this you possessors of the earth vppon whome in this time of dearth the eyes of the poore doe looke as on the handes of the Lord whereby hee filleth euerie liuing thing with his plenteous goodnes Open your gates wider that more poore maye come into your houses to bee refreshed with breade open your purses farther that more beneuolence maye come out to bee caste into the fruitefull lande of the famished poore for after manye dayes you shall finde it againe put on the bowels of compassion and let not your owne bretheren want seeing you haue inough Hee that willeth you to doo this for his sake will commaunde heauen and earth to restore his owne debte which you haue lent him feare not that you shall want for the Lorde is the owner of the earth this is senâ—e vppon vs to trye your charitye and compassion towarde the poore for his sake if you nowe bee liberall Paule hath prayed for
you that you may finde mercye in the daye of the dissolution of all thinges and the Lorde hath promised to the mercifull mercye at that daye when hee lyeth sicke vppon his death bed Make you treasures therefore of this worldely wealth and sende them by the handes of the poore into God his kingdome before you spare not the sheaues in the barne the eares in the fielde nor the heapes in your garners for hee that spendeth for the members of Christe shall receiue the greater aduantage Remember you are the partakers of the same faith which they had that sold their possessions to giue to the saintes and to gaine heauen but you neede not to sell any landes onelye deliuer your corne plentifully to the poore which if you doo not they shall rise in iudgemente against you at the latter day because they spared neither landes nor liues and you will not giue a little corne for the name of Christ And so shee gathered This is the last parte of that which Ruth did in the field shewing her diligence shee vsed in her labours by working out the whole daye vntill the euening and gathering an epha of barley for by this appeareth that shee laboured as faythfully for her selfe and her mother as if shee had beene an hired seruant or her mother looking vppon her By the which is noted vnto vs the diligence of children and seruants in the labours and busines of their maisters and parentes for they must not seeke or couet to please them with eye seruice but their duetyes are required as well in the time of their absence as in their presence Bee Ruthes my beloued in this pointe whosoeuer are bond or free for they w c are faithfull in a little shal be made great rulers and they which haue not beene faithfull in the earthly treasures shall neuer be trusted with the heauenly By this also they may learne which thinke they may lawfully take their ease in their owne busines but we see by this example of Ruth that religion bindeth vs to be as diligent in our owne as in another mans trauaile committed vnto vs vppon trust for as to him we are faithfull because wee receiue wages so in our owne we must bee painefull least the Lord arise against vs for the mispending of our time and wee owe more duety to our heauenly father then to all the earthly maisters of the world Againe the quantity of her gathering is here described to be an epha of barley for the vnderstanding whereof we must note that there were three kindes of measures among the Hebrewes which are mentioned in the scripture the first was an homer which was the measure of Manna that the Lorde allowed to euery houshold when they were wandring in the wildernes and contained of our English measure sixe pintes somewhat more the second measure was a bin which after our measure contained ten pints and somewhat more the third was an epha which is this that measured the barley of Ruth and it contained ten homers which commeth to sixtie pintes which being deuided by eyght amounteth to the quantity of seuen gallons and one pottell which is a bushell lacking one pottel after our English measure By the which wee may obserue howe largely the Lord prouided for Ruth by the liberality of Boaz for shee gathered more in one daye then otherwise shee coulde in two or three where the Lord himselfe sheweth vs how she tooke the curtesie of Boaz and the seruants scattred for her according to their maisters coÌ„maundement that her hand might bee quickly filled her trauaile the more eased her labour better rewarded finally mother daughter be both more comfortably refreshed w t their kinsmans kindnes And when she tooke vp The day being ended and Ruth wearied with her vnwonted and yet diligent trauaile vp the taketh her bundel of corne and the scraps of meate she had reserued trudgeth to her mother that shee might vnderstand of her good hap and they both together reioyce for the corne Ruth had gatherred and the good will which Boaz had offered Out of the which we may first of all obserue a heauenly and godly example of obedience and loue toward her mother in lawe for we see in this place that shee doth not onely labour for her liuing but refresheth her with that which was giuen her to satisfie her owne hunger while she was in the field in her diligent labour Was it not sufficient for Ruth that she left her people and countrey to come with her mother in lawe but shee must also go for her she sitting at home in a poore and contemptible manner to gleane in the field or if she did that willingly yet must she saue the meat from her owne mouth and put it into Naomies Here we see she failed in nothing that might eyther commend her loue declare her obedeince signifie her care toward poore and old Naomi her deere and godly mother And this teacheth vs that we must be Ruthes to our aged parents we must labor abroad they must tary at home we must set our nimble bones to the heauy busines and their wearied bodyes must rest in the houses It is vngodlynes to saye that the old man or woman shall labour and care for our wretched riot and careles expenses but rather let the young gallant take his owne parents vppon his backe cary them from their house of trouble to the harbour of peace Let Esau and Iacob hunt venison for Izaack for hee is old and must tary at home Let Iacob and little Ioseph tary in their tents and the lusty youthes his sons and brethern lie in the fieldes and keepe their fathers sheepe and rather then old Iacob should go let yong Ioseph tâ—udge to his bretheren though he bee sold for his labour Let Ruth go gleane for Naomi and not Naomi for Ruth for this is the first commaundemente with promise But oh the gracelesse generations of our vngodly age where men are become so tender ouer their disobedient broode that in their labours they will spare their wanton children and weare their crazed carkases they had rather put both feete into the graue by their ouer labours then bring their vntamed steeres and vnrulye heyfers their sons and daughters to the yoke of diligent trauaile And these gracelesse impes will looke and laugh vppon theyr parents and say it doeth their olde bodyes good And doeth it so why is it better for a tyred horse to runne a race then for a reslye palfreye You are ready inough to catche that which is good from your parentes why take yee not their labours if they bee so good for them No no you are the heauines of your parents you shoulde bee oliues to make them looke cherefully but you are onions that make them weepe bitterly But yet let not Ruth and the godlye exhorte vs in vaine for if wee doo the labour wee shall haue the hire if wee honour our parentes
to giue euery beggar that asketh an almes of vs but if we absolutely craue without this exception we breake the lawe of prayer and bring the maiesty of God into bondage by our petitions This teacheth vs this profitable lesson that before we pray wee shoulde learne and consider our wantes by the worde of God that we aske not at the handes of the Almighty any thing beside that which is godly honest and lawfull for many I am perswaded doe sodainely and vnaduisedly starte vp into the presence of the Lorde with rash and vngodly desires because they want the knowledge of the word of God and the due consideration of those thinges which they wante Of this sort are all the prayers of the papistes for they neither vnderstand their prayers in a straunge tongue nor yet will examine them by the worde of God Vnto these I adde the prayers and wishes of the ignorant multitude which are as farre from the 〈◊〉 yers of the faithfull as the Moone is from the earth For as it is impossible for a man to go without his legges or to see without his eyes so is it impossible for these to praye without the knowledge of the Gospell For in our prayers wee must speake to the Lorde in his owne tongue as he speaketh in his worde but what can these personnes bring out of the treasures of the holy scriptures scant one sentence in the whole gospel rightly vnderstood how theÌ„ can they bring the matter of theyr whole prayers if they want but one thing that will suffice but who is liuing which standeth not in neede of many thousande mercyes But I knowe their olde excuse for they say they praye according to the Scripture when they repeate the Lordes prayer which is set downe in the scripture to whom I aunswere they doe well if they vnderstand it but where doe they finde those wishes to grow rich those curses vpon them with whome they are angry whether it be man or beast and tell me the vnderstanding of one petition in the Lordes prayer Therefore beloued pray in spirit but pray in vnderstanding also vse the scripture for the rule of your supplication for as no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but onely by the Spirit of God so none can pray rightly but by y e knowledge of the Gospel If you once entertain this knowledge of God his worde then you will doe with it as a cunning workeman in his trade hee will euer take delight in his work occupation euen so if you had this this feeling you woulde delight in prayer which now is a hel vnto many then your harts both priuatly would bee as studious in meditating goodnes as euer they were desirous of worldly pleasure and woulde publikely breathe after it as the Harte in his chase doth after the well springes But oh dearely beloued this condemneth the worlde of hatred of God of the pride of themselues of ignorance in the trueth of coldnesse in religion of truâ—â—ing in the worlde mispending of time louing of pleasure and lacke of deuotion that they are as hardely drawne to praier according to the common Prouerbe as a hare taken with a tabret Think you that these persons which absent themselues from publique petitions and priuate prayers haue any loue of God in them nay are not those condemned which are drawne to them agaynst their will and where shal these cursed companions appeare which forsake sermons goe out of Churches lye idlie at home and are disporting themselues in brauery abroade when the time of prayer calleth for their presence at home or in the Church doe they not seperate themselues from the faithfull in this life and therefore they shall bee miserably damned with the Deuill and his aungelles and euerlastingly excluded from Christ and his Saintes Fourthly by this prayer of these elders wee obserue that we must especially pray for the multiplying augmenting of the faithfull for they pray that Ruth may bee like not to the daughters of Lot of whome came the cursed Moabites and Ammonites nor yet to Rebecca of whome came the vngodly Edomites nor yet to Keturah from whom came the godlesse Madianites and Arabians but to Rahel and Leah which builded the house of Israel that is which increased the Lordes people which multiplyed the heyres of the promised land and augmented the number of the faithful This our sauiour commanded to be done next to the glorifying of God for first wee say hallowed bee thy name and then thy kingdome come which is first that the spirit might raign in our harts theÌ„ that mo saints may be added to the Church For we must pray for the frends not for the enemies of Christ For this cause Paule compareth marriage to y e coniunction betweene Christ his Church for as the one ingendreth many saints so the other must beget many faithfull members truly as one pearl is worth ten thousand pebles so one good child is better to the parents then many thousands of euil The vse of this doctrine is that we should not bee like the Iewes desirous of many children because our families shoulde grow great but like the doues which bring forth few which might be the children of innocency the Elephant being the greatest and yet the meekest beast conceaueth but once in all her time whereas the lesser and more hurtful creatures encrease many yet it is better for the first to haue but one w c are good hurtles then for the latter to haue many which are euil and harmefull euen so beloued it is good to increase doues and not serpentes Elephantes and not Tigers and better is one Isaacke the sonne of promise then a thousand Ismaels the children of bondage We know the most precious hearbes bring the least fruites and that is not the best which doth most of all multiply so the godly like good trees must rather desire one or two children like themselues and to bring forth grow in issue sparingly by little little then sodainly to swell vp like the waues of the sea Wee reade that Ismael had twelue sonnes all princes but Isaacke his brother had onely twaine Iacob Esau and them he obtained by prayer so hardely the godly are borne and conceyued when with the wicked they come as thicke as the hailestones in Egipte for the confusion of the fruite of the lande Therefore as the seede is cast in vaine vpon the lande which the soules doe presently deuoure so those children had beene better they had neuer beene borne whom darknes blindeth ignorance possesseth mallice ruleth vngodlines leadeth and Sathan tormenteth for the fewest number are the godliest posterity in whom light shineth knowledge dwelleth meekenes raigneth godlines guideth Christ eternally blesseth Fiftly by the praier of these people we note y e second blessing of a godly mariage which is to gather by lawfull meanes much wealth for that which in the English is doe worthely in Ephrathah
be by his blessing increased with his fauour preserued and to his glory bestowed Nay nay if none had no more wealth then that which they had gotten by prayer their glorious shewes would in little space grow as bare as the trees in the winter when they haue neyther fruite nor leaues to couer them This I speake not to the discredit of any wealthy persons but shew them the way to attayne the end of their desire the continuance of their posteritie in godlines and wealth which is by prayer For as Christ prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile him so parents must pray for their posteritie that their names may not decay in them If any thinke when theyr barnes are inlarged their corne gathered they filled health enioyed wealth increased and rest obtained that eyther soules or children shall haue the greater rest like that foole in the Gospell their markes are much amisse for wealth and issue are lost both in an houre looke vpon the example of Iob the death of his children and decay of his wealth Againe none must be hereby emboldened to present their prayers before the face of the almighty for the maintenance of their children in worldly vanitie to make that the onely end of all their desire which is to be more carefull for the shoe then the foote for the rayment then the body and for the body then the soule but this must be their direction as the Lord commaunded the Iewes if they kept his statutes then should their oxen be strong to labour their sheepe bring foorth thousands and ten thousands in their streetes their daughters like the polished corners of the temple and their sonnes as their fruitfull garners which neuer are emptye For vngodly Haman was hanged though he were the prince of the princes but godly Mordecay was aduaunced which was as poore as the basest Shebna was depriued of his office because he was wicked when godly Eliakim was promoted to his place euen so it is not honour but the feare of God that bringeth and sustaineth honour that you must pray for your children Kings for vngodlines were depriued of their seates and thrones of maiesty whereunto they were borne much more will the Lord execute his iudgements of pouertie and slauery vpon those that would be aduaunced and yet are wicked for Salomon sayth that the prosperitie of fooles slay them and the crowne doth not endure from generation to generation yet the feare of the Lord abideth for euer Secondly by this verse we may note when they expressely make mention of Thamar the mother of Pharez and wish the posterity of Boaz to be like his the great blessing of God vpon that incestuous birth for we know the history how that Thamar was y e daughter in law of Iudah the wife widdow of his eldest son dissembling her selfe to be a whore by her apparell and place had the company of her father in law by whome she was conceiued of two sonnes the elder was this Pharez and the yonger Zerach yet wee see how y e Lord doth magnify this Pharez with a glorious and godly posterity By the which he teacheth vs these two profitable lessons that the sinnes of the faithfull are forgiuē though they be neuer so great We see this Iudah an excellent man yet ouercome in this action had not any such plague inflicted on him as Ruben his eldest brother or Simeon Leui but he which couered and omitted that sin of Abraham with Hagar of Iacob with Bilhah and Zilpah of this Iudah with Thamar Lot w t his own daughters and such like wil also forgiue all the defaults of the godly vnto the end of the world By the which we gather exceeding comfort when we come to this persuasion that there is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the mercies of y e Lord that the victory of our faith shall conquer the world when Noah shall be cleansed from his drunkennes Moses and Aaron frō their doubting Miriam from her murmuring Dauid from his murther Peter from his deniall of Christ and all because the Lord will couer the sins of his Saints be they neuer so great when he punisheth the faults of many thousand wicked persons with eternall damnation although they haue not sinned with the like transgression Secondly by this we learne that the Lord doth not punish the childrē for the parēts faults if they commit not the like themselues for this Pharez begotten in incest was blessed by the Lord not only with temporal glory in himself and his issue but also with this that he was made one of y e fathers of Christ And this teacheth vs that this vpbraiding of men for their birth be they base borne or free borne is no fruit of the word of God but the malice of the deuill which first deceiued the parents and now would discredit the childe Let it not therfore beloued be any speech in our mouths to shoot at them whom the Lord hath wounded by nature any thought of our hearts to enuy their welfare were their parentage neuer so base but pray for them that though they proceede not of a sanctified birth yet they may grow vp to a sanctified and holy life to make a godly a blessed end And finally let vs be encouraged vnto religion by the fauour of God which dealeth thus mercifully with his Saincts neuer suffering any thing to be laid to the charge of his chosen stopping the mouth of the deuill himselfe y t he neuer rise in iudgement against y e faithful or bring any litle sin of theirs into the remembrance of God but washing them all in the lauer of regeneration y e bloud of his sonne and will giue thē white robes clensed frō al filthines y t they may be chast virgins for y e Lords seruice and feed at his own table for euermore this cōsideration made Dauid to cry out and say oh whē shal I come and appeare before the presence of God it made Simeon to say now Lord let thy seruant depart in peace it caused Paule to vtter these words I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ for blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Thus much for this verse Now let vs goe to the verse following In these three verses following the holy Ghost declareth the blessing of God vpon this mariage of Boaz and Ruth The words containe in them two parts the first part is of Boaz ver 13. the second is of the women that were present at the trauaile of Ruth The first part sheweth how Boaz taking Ruth and vsing her as his wife had the blessing of God in conceiuing and bearing him a sonne the other part of the women is their reioysing with Naomi for this fruitfulnesse of Ruth it comprehendeth two partes the first theyr
of spring and children of Bohaz which succeeded him first Hobed secondly Ishai and thirdely Dauid the king Of these parts and persons let vs briefly speake so much as serueth for the exposition of the Scripture and the satisfying of the tyme through the assistaunce and help of the spirite of God These are the generations Now that the holy Ghost had declared vnto vs this history of Ruth though briefly and in a fewe words yet in ample and large circumstances for the vnderstanding of his minde at the ende hereof hee annexeth the kindred of the personnes whome it chiefly concerneth that he might shew vnto vs that they were no meane or base persons for whom this history was compiled but such as descended of the noblest family in all y e world who were the appointed fathers of many kinges and that which is most of all the persons of whose seede our sauiour Iesus Christ tooke the beginning and substaunce of his humane nature And therefore in this place wee must declare the causes that moued the holy Ghost to be so careful in the rehearsing of the genealogies of the fathers for we must not imagine◠that hee mustereth not the names of those auncient persons to worke any wonder in our mindes at the recitall of them or that the scripture coulde haue beene perfecte without the seuerall generations therein described but wee must knowe that there were dyuers necessary and waighty causes by the iudgement of the auncientest and most approued wryters which moued the Spirite of God to intersert these genealogies First therefore according to the condition of all mankinde there is equally described the generations both of the godly and vngodly in the scriptures for this cause to shewe the multiplycation of mankinde of this sort are the generations of Adam Seth and Cain reported by Moses that hearing the number of mankinde so quickely multiplyed wee might the more earnestly giue prayse vnto God Agayne the genealogies of the sonnes of Noah are described vnto vs to shewe the replenishing of the earth the destruction of countryes and the restoring of the worlde But to come neerer vnto the matter wee must take this for a generall rule that the genealogies of the wicked are reported in the scripture for to shewe the blessing and loue of God vpon the godly and righteous men as for example the Lorde reckoneth vp the posterity of Ismaell the sonne of the bonde woman shewing vs howe great a people hee became and howe many Dukes or princes proceeded out of his loynes to shewe vnto vs the promise and couenant which hee made to his father Abraham that hee shoulde bee a great people was fulfilled and this serued to magnify and exalt the name of godly Abraham We read that the Lorde bestoweth a great genealogie vppon wicked Esau or Edom numbring or reckoning vp his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes his kingdome and the kinges of his seede that raigned after him for no other ende but to report and to manifest the blessing vppon godly Isaacke and Rebecca his parentes according to the oracle that hee gaue to his mother when shee demaunded and enquired the cause of the strugling or striuing in her wombe The like may bee saide of godlesse Cham for Noah his fathers sake of the sonnes of Iacob for Israels sake of Ephraim and Manasses for Iosephes sake By the which we gather and note this excellent doctrine that if the wicked haue any good it is for the sake of their godly and righteous parentes or frendes Wee see they should not haue so much as a name in the booke of God were it not for the cause of the righteous and godly we reade that when the Sodomites were ouercome in warre their people lead captiues and their goods spoyled by the company of Cedorlahomer then for Lots sake the Lord stirred vp Abraham and armed him with men and courage who wonne the victory recouered the spoyle brought backe the prisoners restored their goods and gaue them all libertie for godly Lots sake who was shortly after despised by them but they for their wickednes were burned in brimstone when righteous Lot was deliuered from them If Ioseph had not beene they had had no corne in Egipt If Moses had not beene the Lord had often destroyed the Israelites while they wandered and wauered in the wildernes For Iacobs sake the Lord increased the flocks of Laban For Iosephs sake he blessed the affaires of Potiphar for Paules sake he saued all them that suffered shipwracke at Myletum Euen so also he blessed the house of Obed-edomi because the arke was kept therein and at this day giueth greatest peace to those Countreys where his Gospell is promoted Let the atheists thinke if there were none that feared God they should quickly be condemned let the drunkards know if there were not some temperate persons their bodies should be quickly consumed let the couetous wretches assure themselues if there were not some liberall men their owne goods would turne to their death let the profaners of sabbaoths remember that if there were not some sanctifiers thereof their delightfull vanities would long agoe haue wrought their sorrowfull destinies let the contentious plaintifes be certified that if there were not some peaceable Christians among them their wealth had long agoe beene wasted for the prayers of the faithfull are like the walled Cities against the rage of enemies to keepe the vengeance of the Lord from falling vpon vs as the bloud of the Lamb spotted vpon the posts of the Israelites houses caused the angell to passe by them when all the first bornè in Egipt were slaine euen so the bloud of the lambe of God which is shead in the hearts of the godly maketh his messengers of death to depart from our countrey and kingdome If there were not a remnaunt among vs that are in league with the Lord that dayly are the hearers of his word the beseechers for his mercy and as the ambassadours of peace to disswade him from punishing our contempt of his word with condemnation our abuse of his creatures into pining famine our wantonnes in peace into lamentable warres our riotous liues into forraine captiuitye and our pampered bodyes to the slaughter of the sword You euen you that blaspheme the name of God if there were not a number that reprooue your abhominations the heauens would raigne downe stones to reuenge your accursed tongues you euen you that spend the Sabbaoths in dauncing and playing if there were not a company that refraine your pollutions you had beene cut off from your pleasure with some fearefull death before you had passed thus many dayes of securitie you euen you that thinke the preaching of the Gospell like the voyce of one that singeth whereunto you owe no more obedience then eare-seruice if there were not a remnant that heard the word of power which they beleeue is able to saue their soules you had beene many yeares since suffering the reward