former glorie promised may be the more inlarged in you And verily ye haue the more need so to doe because the enemies of the Gospell doe not onely increase and swarme but also they thinke they doe God best seruice that doe most persecute it and the Ioh. 6. 1. 2. professors Ministers therof even to death it selfe But hereof the Lord Iesus hath told vs before that when it should come to passe we might not be offended neither meruaile at it Heereby also all that loue the Gospell may be the better assured that they Ioh. 15 19. Phil. 1. 28. are not of the world but of God This to such aduersaries is a most sure token of perdition but to them that are so persecuted of saluation Finally this plainely bewrayeth that religion that is so bloudy and mercilesse Iam. 3. 15. 17. to be the wisedome that is earthly sensuall and deuilish because that that is from aboue is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy Lastly heereby therefore all men may be the more encouraged to put forth their hands for the vpholding of the Gospell heere professed by vs and of the professors and Ministers thereof as likewise to do what els they can and may for the opposing oppugning and ouerthrow of poperie and of the champions thereof as whose cheife weapons for vpholding their abominations are slaundering of Gods seruants crueltie and treacherie all which the Prophet Psal 5. 6. saith the Lord abhorreth If there were nothing else to condemne papists and to discouer them to be of Ioh. 8. 44. the deuill who hath bin a murderer and a lyer from the beginning these onely were sufficient And there fore these should the more prouoke all that loue the Lord Iesus to set themselues against Rome the daughter Psal 137. 8. of New Babilon and to reward her as she hath serued others The rather because she shall as certainly fall as old Babilon is long since fallen Yea I doubt not Reu. 18. 3. also but that some yet striuing tooth and naile to support her shall at the last and ere it be long either in the sight of the truth or in the loue of her riches be principall agents in her destruction He that inquireth Psal 9. 12. for bloud and that daily bringeth to light the most secret murthers that are and causeth such murtherers bloud to be shed and in iustice to be spilt on the ground will at the last much more be reuenged of that Roman Antichristian bloudy and trecherous brood that hath betrayed and murthered and dayly doth betray and murther so many thousands and millions of his Saints whose death is most deare and Psal 116. 15. precious in his sight The greater any are the forwarder should they be in repressing this generation Whose teeth are as swordes and whose iaw teeth are as Pro. 30. 12. kniues to deuoure the poore of the earth and yet are pure in their owne eyes To behold one to murther another and not to resist the murtherer what may be is as I heare by our law and as I am sure by the Law of God to be an acter in shedding of bloud How much more are they to be oppugned that liue by the bloud and death of other Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants Iudg. 5. 23. thereof because they came not to the helpe of the Lord to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie If they be cursed that came not to helpe the Lord or that came not to helpe when the Lord helpeth in such a case and that against the mightie how shall they escape that come themselues forth against the Lord and against his people and yet for all that say they are for the Lord and that themselues onely are his people As they that are blessed of the Lord shall be Gen. 27. 33. Num. 23. 8. vers 19. blessed so they that are cursed of the Lord shall be cursed Hath the Lord said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good In this respect therefore as all men should be the more ready to oppugne that man of sinne and to helpe them whom he persecuteth so especially they ought to feare the putting their hand or little finger in the least degree to ayd him and to vphold and repaire his state so long since decaied and begun to fall If Ioshua cursed Iosh 6. 12. before the Lord the man that should rise vp and build Iericho which notwithstanding we neuer reade to haue bin a bloudie Cittie how much more may all they looke for a curse that rise vp to support Rome that alwayes not so much before as since it hath beene the seate of Antichrist I meane of the Pope hath bin a most bloudy Cittie and hath murdered more men women and children of the Saints and of other then euer had dwelt in Ierecho before the said curse of Ioshua from the first foundation thereof to the time of Ioshua The bloud of one Abel cryed to the Lord from the earth for such Gen. 4. 11. c. vengeance that the Lord so cursed the earth and Caine himselfe for shedding the same that he being made a fugitiue and vagabond vpon the earth cryed out vnto the Lord and said My punishment is greater then I can beare Oh then how lowd is the cry of the bloud of so many thousands as that man of sinne hath shed and dayly doth shed Verily as he hath a long time shewed himselfe to be the man of sinne so all 2. Thes 2. 3. men shall shortly see him to be also the child of perdition The longer the Lord hath suffered him to rage and reigne and to exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God c and to sit in the Temple of God and to shew himselfe as God presumptuously forgiuing sinnes dispensing with sinnes casting downe to hell those whom God hath prepared for heauen aduancing them to heauen and canonizing them for Saints that were traitores and rebells heere in earth against Princes and so speaking great thinges and blasphemies Reu. 13. 5. 6. 17. 3. yea being full of blasphemies the longer I say the Lord suffereth him thus to do the greater certainly and that speedily will be his condemnation This is so much the more manifest by how much the more now he rageth and stormeth as a man hauing the panges of death vpon him The deuill himselfe rageth the more and did the more rent and teare Mark 9. 20. the child possessed with him by how much the nearer he saw his eiection to be yea when Christ charged him to come out of him and to enter no more into him euen then did he rent him sore and vers 25. vers 26. laid him for dead so that many said he was dead Pharao and the rest of the Aegiptians notwithstanding all the great signes wonders the
of the number and power of our said aduersaries but also in repect of their great craft and subtiltie With these mercies of God concerning the life to come we may also ioyne the afflictions wherewith the Lord doth chastise our outward man because by them he schooleth vs to make vs the fitter for the life to come and humbleth vs to make vs more capable of his graces accompanying saluation In which respect the Prophet saith It Psal 119. 71. is good for me that I haue bin afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the Lord threatning that if his people would not hearken vnto him to do all his commandements he would Leuit. 26. 14. c thus and thus afflict them and if by such afflictions they would not learne to refraine their wayes then he would send seuen times more plagues vpon them according to their verse 21. sinnes c. The Lord I say threatning these things doth not onely teach vs that afflictions are for sinne but that also they are medicines to cure vs of sin and so to reforme vs that we may present our selues such a sacrifice as here we are exhorted vnto The same is manifest by other places Iob 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. Pro. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 5. Reuel 3. 19. that in the former considerations pronounce him blessed whom the Lord chastiseth as also that teach the Lord to loue them whom he correcteth By all these things we see that we may well reckon the Lords chastisements among his mercies And therefore the more the Lord hath exercised any in such maner the more euery such man should labour to present himselfe such a sacrifice to God lest he send seuen times more such plagues vpon him Leuit. 26. 18 c such chastisements not being the least of Gods mercies For whom he loueth he will not leaue but though he make no vse of one affliction to the bettering of himselfe yet he shall haue another till he be reformed of such euils as for the which the Lord hath so before once or twice or thrice afflicted him Let euery man therefore be admonished by Gods chastisements not onely according to these Scriptures before alledged but also according to the counsell of our Sauiour to him that had bin so impotent for 38 yeares that he was not able to helpe himselfe and Ioh. 5. 14. whom he had restored with a word of his mouth Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee But of this somewhat more afterward All the former mercies and euery one of them concerning the life to come are so great that he is more then stonie yea of a steely heart that will not be prouoked by them to giue himselfe such a sacrifice as here is commended Notwithstanding although the Apostle in the former part of the Epistle hath treated onely of Gods mercies for the life to come and from them especially doth in this place exhort the beleeuing Romanes and all other to giue their bodies a sacrifice vnto God yet Gods mercies also of this life being appendices of them and appurtenances vnto them ought to moue vs so to do the rather because that God by the giuing of Christ for vs as the fountaine Rom. 8. 32. of all mercies hath assured vs freely with him to giue vs all things If all things then also the mercies of this life Hath not Christ also promised also all mercies euen for this life to be cast vpon them that first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse And indeed the blessings of Math. 6. 33. this life great and small are not onely free gifts in respect of our vnworthinesse of them but they are also mercies both in respect of that miserable state wherein all men are first borne euen the children of Princes as well as of the poorest yea more weake and miserable then any other creatures at their first comming into the world and also because the first parents of all mankind by their first sinne brought themselues and all their posteritie into all miseries of this life depriuing themselues and all theirs of all those blessings euen of this life that before the Lord had most richly endowed them withall In this regard therefore we here in England haue greater cause thus to present our selues a sacrifice vnto God because as the Prophet after enumeration of many blessings and mercies bestowed vpon the Israelites whereby he had prouoked them to praise the Lord he concludeth with these words He hath not dealt so with any nation so we may truly say Psal 147. 20. that the Lord hath not dealt so with any nation in his bountifull blessings and mercies euen of this life as well as of the life to come as he hath dealt with vs here in England especially at this time may we say so because we daily heare and almost see all our neighbors round about vs as sheepe appointed to the slaughter to be killed all the day Psal 44. 22. Rom. 8. 36. long without all mercie according to the religion now of that man of Rome and contrary to the religion that is of God or else to be forced to flie for their liues Iam. 1. 27. and 3. 17. whereas we with our children in the meane time dwell safely here euery man vnder his fig-tree from Dan euen to 1. King 4. 25. Beersheba that is from one end of the land vnto the other all the dayes of our present Soueraigne and of our former most renowmed Queene Oh that we had hearts to consider of these mercies as we ought to do so by them to prouoke our selues to offer our selues such a sacrifice to God as also we ought and so much the more by how much the more vnworthy we are of the least of them But do we so Oh that we did Nay rather we are all the more seâ—ure and do the more adde sinne vnto sinne soothing our selues in our said mercies saying with old and new Babylon I shall be a Ladie for euer and giuing our selues Isai 47. 7. 8. to pleasure and dwelling carelesly and with them saying also in our hearts We are alone viz. honorable and happy and none else besides vs we shall not sit as a widow neither shall we see the losse of children We are also like to them that were at ease in Sion â—and trusted in the mountaine of Samaria Amos 6. 1. c. Ezek. 12. 27. putting farre away the euill day c. But oh that at length we would be wiâ—e and see the euill to come and hide Pro. 22. 3â— 27. 12. our selues from it Oh that we would take heed lest we feele that which the Prophet Isaiah in the place before mentioned threatned euen in a moment to come to that old Babylon in one day the losse of children and widowhood that is those euils that she neuer dreamed of yea that she in her pride and securitie boasted she
Salomon spread forth his hands 1. King 8. 22. toward heauen A speciall point of hands sacrificed is in distributing and giuing to the poore In which respect a vertuous woman is commended for stretching out her Pro. 31. 20. hands to the poore Is it not also before shewed to be the end why the Apostle would haue men to labour with their hands namely that they might haue to giue to him that needeth There be many that labour and take great paines with their hands but either they spend all in drinking or playing or whoring or else they keepe all to themselues not one of twentie so labouring hath sacrificed his hands to God for giuing to them that need The feete also must be sacrificed both by restraining To sacrifice the feete Esay 54. 7. Rom. 3. 13. them from swiftnesse to bloodshed or to commit any other euill and also by being nimble for performance of any good particularly to do any worke of kindnesse or mercie What haste made Abraham to his tent to make Gen. 18. 6. prouision for entertainment of the Angels What haste and 20. 20. also made Rebecca to shew kindnesse to Abrahams seruant before she knew the said seruants errand What haste did Zaccheus make out of the Sycomore tree for entertainment Luk. 19. 6. of our Sauiour Most worthy especially of our obseruation is the example of Abrahams haste about a work most heauie and dolefull to flesh and blood euen the sacrificing and slaying with his owne hands his owne sonne Gen. 22. 3. his onely sonne his sonne whom he loued most dearely his son in whom the promise was made for the blessing of all nations yea and that immediatly after that at the Lords commandement he had sent away his sonne Ishmael borne of the bondwoman yea further whilst Isack was yong and before he had any issue in which all natioÌ„s might be blessed And is not this haste with our feete and whole man the more necessarie in respect of this dull slow age wherein men are as hardly perswaded to any good worke especially of mercie as we say The Beare is drawne to the stake and wherein we may sooner catch a Hare with a pipe and a tabret at least with many pipes and tabrets set in diuers places for the scaring and wearing of her then we can perswade most men to any such worke what necessitie soeuer require the same Yea sometimes prophane persons of a ciuill disposition onely are more easily perswaded to shew kindnesse then some that are great professors Alas also that the wicked should be hastie to commit any wickednes against God and men as the daughter of Herodias Mark 6. 25. 27. being instructed by her mother made haste straightway to aske of Herod the head of Iohn Baptist and Herod himselfe to grant that diuellish request and immediatly to send an executioner to cut it off and that Christians should be so slow to any good worke either towards men or for the comfort of men If these men had learned that of Salomon As vineger is to the teeth and smoake to the eyes Prou. 10. 6. so is a slothfull messenger or a sluggard to him that sendeth him or if they had learned that the Lord saith I will haue Hosea 6. 6. mercie and not sacrifice would they be so slow in that work of the Lord to the doing whereof the Lord sendeth them whether Ministers of the word or any other As therefore the Prophet and Apostle doth exhort vs To day if we will Psal 95. 7. Heb. 3. 13. c. heare his voice not to harden our hearts and as another Prophet saith Seeke the Lord while he may be found So while Isai 55. 6. we haue time to do good euen any thing the Lord requireth of vs either concerning his worship and glorie or concerning our neighbour lâ—t vs make haste to do it lest that light we do yet enioy be taken from vs and the night Ioh. 12. 35. 36. and 11. 9. 10. come vpon vs when either we shall not see to do anything as we ought to do or that in doing it we stumble Who Eccles 11. 2. knoweth what euill shal be vpon the earth and what need himselfe may haue of the mercie of others If the Lord pronounce him accursed that did his worke negligently and Ier. 48. 10. that kept backe his sword from blood for execution of iudgement and vengeance vpon his enemies the Moabites what may they look for that negligently do and that withhold their hands from the workes of mercie Touching other particular parts of our bodies I shall not need to speake of the sacrificing of them the former parts being the principall by that which hath bin said of them we may haue direction for the rest Let this generally suffice that we do not apply them to any thing whereto the Lord hath forbidden vs to apply them but onely to such things as the Lord hath coÌ„manded or allowed them to be applied vnto and that also in such maner as the Lord hath prescribed We must not apply any meÌ„ber of our bodies to euery thing for doing whereof it hath strength but for doing whereof the Lord hath giuen order and according to that order that God hath gâ—uen so must our whole bodie and euery member thereof be vsed In all that hitherto I haue said of the actiue sacrificing of those former members of our bodies that I may not seeme too singular in particularizing those former parts of our bodies let it be considered that I haue but troden Chrysost in Rom. 12. 1. and tom 1. pag. 980. in Psal 150. in the steps of Chrysostome who writeth thus Quomodo corpus hostia nihil mali respiciat oculus factus est hostia nil turpe loquatur lingua facta est oblatio c. How is our bodie a sacrifice let thine eye behold no euill and it is made a sacrifice let thy tongue speake no filthinesse and it is made an oblation let thy hand commit no inquitie and it is made a burnt offering Imo non sufficiunt ista sed bonorum nobis studio lucro opus est c. Yea let not these things suffice but we haue need also of a desire and of the benefit of doing good namely that the hand giue almes that with the mouth we blesse them that raile on vs that our hearing do continually attend to diuine words For a sacrifice hath no vncleannesse it comprehendeth the first fruits of all other and therefore let vs render vnto God the first fruits of our hands of our feete of our mouth as well as of all our other parts such a sacrifice pleaseth God when in the meane time the sacrifices of the Iewes are vncleane And againe when we haue mortified our members then we shall begin to liue For this is a new law of this our sacrifice and therefore here is a maruellous kind of fire for
should neuer see were not this iust with the Lord so to deale with vs that like to the sonnes in law of Lot haue thought them that haue preached Gen. 19. 14. iudgement to come thereby to moue vs to repentance to haue but mocked Verily it were most iust But let vs at the last make this right vse of the mercies of God for this life that Samuel commended to the Israelites saying 1. Sam. 12. 24. Feare ye the Lord and serue him c. and consider how great things the Lord hath done for you If we still go on in our sinnes and securitie and do wickedly not presenting our selues such a sacrifice vnto God as here the Apostle exhorteth vs vnto let vs beware of that which he threatneth vers 25. in the next verse As this argument from these outward mercies towards vs here in this Land is generally to be applied vnto all because all haue a share in them so let euery man particularly consider that the greater measure of these outward mercies the Lord hath bestowed vpon him the more he endeuours to present himselfe such a sacrifice to God as here we are called vpon to present For if to whom Luk. 12. 48. men haue committed much of him they will aske the more wil not the Lord do the like But doth euery man make this particular vse of Gods mercies for this life particularly receiued from the Lord Alas no but cleane contrary he withdraweth himselfe the more from God and the greater that any man for the most part is in outward blessings the more he hardneth his heart and face against God and the more he thinketh he may sin both against God and also against men Therefore if there be any goodnes in any great men though it be neuer so poore and little we vse to say Little is much in such a man Whereas indeed we should rather say It is nothing in such a man as for whom the Lord hath done so much For doubtlesse for the least of Gods blessings for this life a man is more in his debt and the more he dayly receiueth of that kind into the greater arrerages he runneth with him euen such as he shall neuer be able to discharge so that he may well say What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards Psal 116. 12. me And if we make this vse of such blessings for this life then shall they also be mercies of the life to come but if we do not then shall they be iudgements of this life and of the life to come And when we haue deliberated neuer so long what to render vnto the Lord for these or for other sorts of his mercies we must not dreame of making God any recompence for how can a man be profitable Iob 22. 2. vnto God but we must altogether thinke of receiuing more and euery one say with the Prophet in the former place I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon Psal 116. 13. the Name of the Lord. VVe must still prepare our selues to beg more at least heauenly and spirituall blessings and to magnifie his Name for those that already we haue receiued and not to boast or prate of any merits by any thing we haue done but acknowledge that whatsoeuer we haue done yet we are but vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17. 10. By the premises hitherto spoken we see that they do abuse the mercies of God that are made the more secure by them and that take libertie to commit sinne vpon sin either from the mercies already receiued or from the certaintie of Gods mercies to come For his said future mercies are not promised to any but to such as feare him and Psal 103. 11. 13. 17. 18. keep his couenant and remember his commandements to do them Yea certainly they that rightly consider of Gods mercies but towards other be they neuer so meane will thereby prouoke themselues though liuing and wallowing in their sinnes to confesse and forsake them and to returne Pro. 28. 13. Ier. 4. 6. vnto the Lord in hope they shall find mercie Did not the prodigall sonne so do by remembring the plentie of Luk. 15. 17. 18. the poorest seruant in his fathers house Oh that all prodigall and lasciuious sonnes would do the like such as are swaggerers drunkards or great drinkers though not vnto drunkennesse riotous waste-goods stubburne rebellious Isai 5. 11. Luk. 18. 2. neither fearing God nor reuerencing men no not their fathers that begat them nor their mothers that bare them with great paines and gaue them suck with many a pinch and in their age haue more sorow of heart by them then euer they had ioy before Oh that all other vngodly persons would do the like If they be very gracelesse children as there are too many that will not submit themselues to their parents and performe dutie vnto them from consideration of such before mentioned fatherly and motherly kindnesses how gracelesse are they to God how wicked how rebellious that from these his mercies will not be prouoked to yeeld their bodies a sacrifice vnto him They therefore are enemies to all pietie and to these mercies of God and to all grace of God that from the same do argue for all libertie and impietie saying being admonished of their sinne and exhorted to reformation What God is mercifull he is not so hard as you make him Moreouer if Gods mercies be so great and certain vnto men most vnworthy of them how should this prouoke one man to shew mercie to another in imitation of this mercie of God according to that of our Sauiour Be ye Luk. 6. 36. Math. 5. 7. Iam. 2. 13. mercifull as your Father also is mercifull And hath he not said Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receiue mercie Hath not the Apostle also said There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie but mercie reioyceth against iudgement God hath no need of vs but we haue need one of another We cannot be profitable to God but Iob 22. 2. we may be beneficial one to another yea the poorest that is to the greatest as diuers other wayes so especially by praying for him as the Prophet of Iuda was vnto Ieroboam 1. King 13. 6. by his prayer curing his withered hand Yea we may deserue kindnesse one of another but as in part hath bin shewed before we cannot recompence God for that we haue had of him much lesse can we merit any new blessings Besides all the premises if Gods mercies be so great as we haue heard how highly are we to esteeme of the word of God the cabinet or casket wherein all the said mercies of God are contained and whereby likewise the Lord conueyeth them all vnto vs and the which it selfe is one of the principallest mercies Yea further how highly are all Gods Ministers to be regarded that faithfully bring those mercies vnto vs euen so
let vs in that respect begin with the actiue sacrificing of our bodies and then speak of the sacrificing of our soules and of both as briefly as we may Touching our bodies I may first of all consider the The actiue sacrificing of our bodies sacrificing of our heads wherein let vs onely remember that sober and modest wearing of our haire which the Apostle by the testimonie of nature it selfe commendeth 1. Cor. 11. 14. 15 vnto vs namely that men weare short haire because it is a shame for them to haue long haire and that women likewise account of their long haâ—re to be an ornament vnto them and on the contrary that it is a shame for them to be shauen or polled These premises do plainly shew first of all that all men that accordingly do not so weare their haire do not therefore sacrifice their heads so vnto God as here the Apostle commandeth for what is it to sacrifice our bodies and euery member of them but to frame and conforme them according to the word as afterward we shal heare more at large The same is to be said of women either impudently cutting off their haire and so making themselues like to beardlesse yong men or not wearing their haire in such modestie as the word prescribeth But of these things more afterward vpon the second verse To come now to the particular members of our heads Our eares Our eares are to be sacrificed to God first by restraining them from hearing any false doctrine That which the Apostle requireth of Timothy namely to withdraw himselfe froÌ„ disputings with men of corrupt minds c. belongeth 1. Tim. 6. 5. 2. Tim. 2. 16. 2. Tim. 4. 3. to all other as also the shunning of prophane and vaine babbling yea our eares must not so much as itch after teachers of such things because to do these things is the beginning of turning away our eares from the truth As we must turne away our eares from all false doctrine Ephes 4. 29. Ephes 5. 4. 1. Cor. 15. 53. so also must we from all filthy talking and corrupt communication yea also from all foolish talking because such communications corrupt good manners and them that otherwise are well affected For there is none so well affected but that still he hath some reliques of the old man that is altogether apt to heare euill and to stop the eares against all goodnesse like the deafe Adder against the charmer not Psal 58. 4. 5. hearkning to his voice charme he neuer so wisely The Lord Deut. 13. 1. by Moses commanded the Israelites not to heare the words of false Prophets And doth not our Sauiour admonish his Math. 16. 5. Mark 8. 15. Disciples to take heed and beware of the leuen of the Scribes and Pharisies that is of their doctrine If the Israelites that had heard God to giue his Law in most glorious maner and had seene the great works of God in Egypt and their owne most wonderfull passage through the red sea and the mightie ouerthrow of Pharaoh and all his hoast therein and many other great works of God if the Disciples that had bin so taught by Christ himselfe and had seene all his miracles if Timothy that had knowne the holy 2. Tim. 3. 14. chap. 1. 5. Scriptures from a child and in whom dwelt the vnfained faith of his grandmother Lois and of his mother Eunice if all these needed such admonitions how much more need haue we and all that liue now in these perillous times wherein lesuites and other false Antichristian teachers as also Anabaptists and other heretiks do so swarme much more dangerous and hurtfull then all the flies frogs grashoppers and lice that were in the land of Egypt Hitherto belongeth that graue admonition to the Hebrewes before by the Apostle commended to haue had such things as did Heb. 6. 9. accompanie saluation that they should take heed as they feared falling away from the grace of God lest any roote neuer so small of bitternesse did spring vp or peepe out whereby they should be troubled and many defiled And alas who seeth not the necessitie of this admonition in these dayes and in this our land not onely by the swarming of these Romish and bloody caterpillers before mentioned but also by their perillous effects in many like children of disobedience euen by the falling away of many to Poperie that haue bin borne of Protestant parents and instructed in the truth How many also are corrupted in their manners by hearkning vnto vain foolish and filthy ballads and by other the like corrupt communications against the first and against the second Table Neither is it enough for sacrificing of our eares to God onely to restraine them from hearing that which is euill but they must also be applied to heare that which is good This the Apostle intimateth when he saith Be swift to Iam. 1. 19. heare Hereunto belong many precepts in the Prouerbes Prou. 2. 2. and 4. 1. 20. Pro. 22. 17. Math. 11. 15. and 13. 9. 43. Reuel 2. 7. 11. 17. 19. and 3. 6. 13. 22. for inclining our eares to wisedome c. for hearing the instructions of fathers c. How also doth our Sauiour both in the Gospell and in the Reuelation say Whoso hath eares to heare let him heare and He that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith vnto the Churches How comfortable soeuer the eye is for the direction of the bodie in matters of this life yet the eare is more necessarie for the life to come because Faith both cometh and also is increased especially by hearing That which hath bin said of sacrificing our eares is also To sacrifice our eyes Psal 119. 37. 21 Pet. 2. 14. Math. 5. 28. Gen 6. 2. to be said of sacrificing our eyes by praying that they may be turned away from beholding of vanitie and by taking heed they be not eyes full of adulterie neither do behold a woman with intent to lust after her or by whom to be prouoked to vnlawfull mariage as the sonnes of God were before the flood or to any other breach of the seuenth commandement such as Shechem committed or Gen. 34. 2. Gen. 39. 7. 2. Sam. 11. 2. Potiphars wife inticed Ioseph to commiti and as Dauid himselfe did commit as also that they be not too much fixed vpon any obiect either of couetousnes as the eyes of Iosu 7. 21. 1. Kin. 21. 1. Achan vpon the Babylonish garment c. and Ahabs were vpon the vineyard of Naboth or of envie in which respect an enuious man is often called a man of an euill eye Pro. 23. 6. Math. 20. 15. Mark 7. 22. because the looking too much vpon the prosperitie or mercies of God bestowed vpon another doth prouoke such lookers to enuie and fretting as these words of the Prophet do plainly shew I was enuious at the foolish when Psal 73. 3. I saw the
greatnesse of them as also our long continuance in them and let vs measure our said sorrow by the mercies of God towards vs by our knowledge by our callings by the offences we haue giuen to other by our said sinnes especially by our causing the name of God and his doctrine to be blasphemed and euill spoken of Yea in these and other the like respects let vs mourne Psal 37. 4. and 107. 37. c Ierem. 30. 15. more for our sinnes then for any outward losses indignities wrongs iniuries sicknesses or other afflictions of this life whatsoeuer because all such things come for sinne Of this sorrow for sin the Prophet saith The sacrifices of God Psal 51. 17. are a broken spirt a broken and contrite heart O God thouwilt not despise Notwithstanding in this sorrow for our sinnes we must always haue an eye to the mercies of God before mentioned lest we be swallowed vp of sorrow and fall into despaire Therefore the Apostle bâ—ddeth vs to Rom. 11. 22. behold the goodnesse and the seueritiâ— of God not the goodnes of God alone nor his seueritie alone but both together the one with the other the goodnes of God that we do not despaire the seueritie of God that we do not presume As hitherto I haue generally spoken of the actuall sacrificing The sacrifice of righteousnes and prayse Psal 4. 5. of our selues soules and bodies and as we are in this sacrificing of our selues to remember the generall sacrifice of all righteousnesse that is of all obedience to the first and second Table so let vs not forget to offer the sacrifice of praise vnto God which is called the calues of our Psal 50. 14. Hos 14. 2. â— lips The more the mercies of God haue abounded towards this land aboue all other lands in his word in our peace in our wealth c. the more must we abound in the calues of our lips in that behalfe yea so much the more must we abound therein because thereby we shall please the Lord better then they did in the Law that offered Psal 69. 31. 1. Cor. 13. 13. oxen and bullocks that had hoxnes and hoofes yea as the Apostle preferreth loue aboue faith and hope in respect of the continuance thereof when faith and hope shall haue Praises more excellent then prayers an end so in the same respect this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing may be preferred before prayers themselues because when prayers shall cease as whereof there shall be no need euen then shall thanksgiuings and prayses remaine and continue As the glorious Angels of heauen Luc. 2. 13. Reuel 5. 11. are already employed in this dutie and are alwayes readie to performe the same vpon euery occasion so shall all the elect being glorified glorifie God without ceasing for their said glorification The more difficult also any duâ—ie is and the more hardly performed the more excellent without question the same is to be acknowledged But the difficultie and hard performance of this dutie aboue prayers appeareth by the ten Leapers all ioyntly crauing Luk. 17. 12. c. helpe of our Sauiour and being healed one onely returning to giue thanks Yea this greater difficulty of thanksgiuing aboue prayers is manifest by all experience For who being vnder any affliction is not ready to craue release but release being granted who almost is as ready to giue thankes The more that God hath dignified any of his children with his mercies of this life or of the life to come the more such ought to abound in these sacrifices of praise and of the calues of their lips for the same With those notwithstanding in the second ranke of The sacrifice of prayers Col. 4. 2. 1. Tim 2. 1. 1. Thes 5. 17. 18 these particular sacrifices whiles we liue in this world let vs ioyne the sacrifice of prayers and supplications and intercessions as the Apostle ioyneth them together And although the Apostle to Timothie vseth more words touching this sacrifice then touching the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing yet that is not for the excellencie of prayers aboue praises or thanks but because whiles we liue here our wants are greater then the mercies we haue already and future mercies are more and greater then all that we haue receiued These prayers are by the Prophet called incense and the lifting vp of our hands an adiunct of Psal 141. 2. them and put for them is compared to the euening sacrifice As we are to praise God for his mercies receiued so we are to pray both for the increase of them and also that we may still enioy such as we haue and that God will alwayes so shut the gates of our kingdome and make the Psal 147. 13. barres thereof strong and so bolt them as Amnon commanded 2. Sam. 13. 17. his seruant against Antichrist and all his champions Iesuits Priests and other greater then they that hauing bin long from hence banished and abandoned they may neuer returne and be entertained by vs againe lest by their returne we become worse then before as our Sauiour speaketh of him out of whom the vncleane spirit being cast and returning againe and finding the place Mat. 12. 43. c. from whence he was cast swept and garnished he taketh seuen other spirits more wicked then himselfe and entreth again and so maketh the last state of that man worse then the first We haue the more cause to feare this because all the Iesuites and their consorts are euen of the same disposition that such vncleane spirits are yea euen possessed with 1. King 22. 22. them as the prophets of Ahab were possessed with that lying spirit whereby they deceiued Ahab to his ruine and ouerthrow With those our prayers oh that we would also ioyne Fasts holy fasts as the which haue bin often commanded and highly commended in the Scriptures by the admirable successe of them and which be reckoned also among the Leuit. 23. 27. feasts of the Lord and finally the which rightly performed haue alwayes ended with ioy and feasting Is not this 2. Chron. 20. Ezra 8. Nehem. 1. Ester 4. euident by the fasts of Iehosophat of Ezra of Nehemiah of Ester and diuers other Yea haue not we our selues often had experience hereof Oh therefore that we would turne some of our riotous feastings into such religious fastings lest as the Lord hath threatned he turne our feasts Amos 8. 10. into mournings and our songs into lamentations and bring vp sackcloth vpon all loines and baldnesse vpon euery head and make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter day Yet fie vpon all the hypocriticall and detestable fasts of the Papists which are plaine mockeries of the fasts of the Lord yea which are so much more detestable in the eyes of the Lord by how much the more in number they exceed the fasts of the Lord. For whereas the Lord
first also seemeth two-fold either for some speciall sinne or for the demonstration of some speciall worke of Gods power or mercie for the greater glorie of his name This distinction I gather from the answer of our Sauiour to his Disciples asking him of the man borne blind whether he or Ioh 9. 2. his parents had sinned that he was borne blind that is whether he or his parents had committed any speciall sinne for which the Lord had laid this blindnesse vpon him To this our Sauiour answereth Neither hath this man sinned ver 3. nor his parents but that the worke of God should be made manifest in him Our Sauiour thus answereth not altogether to free him and his parents from sinne for there is no man 1 King 8 46. Iam. 3. 2. that sinneth not and in many things we offend all and euery man must daily aske the forgiuenesse of his trespasses neither to teach that this blindnesse was not from sinne and for sinne For â—â— death entred by sinne so also all afflictions Rom. 5. 12. Psal 38. 3. 4. are the fruites of sinne This answer therefore was onely made according to the supposition and opinion of the Disciples and other that thought not onely all afflictions to come from sinne but also euery speciall affliction to haue some speciall sinne for the cause thereof and that the greater afflâ—ction any had the greater sinner he had bin as Iobs friends thought of him Howsoeuer the Lord afflicteth any man whether for some speciall or personall sinnes of himselfe or onely generally for sinne but yet for manifestation of some speciall worke of God for his owne further glorie thereby all must be patiently and without grudging or murmuring borne in respect both Heb. 11. 6. of the cause thereof in God namely his loue and also in respect of the desert thereof by mans sinne and in respect of the end of such afflictions namely that the person so chastised might either be reclaimed and conuerted from sinne wherein before he had altogether liued as Manasses the greatesâ— sinner that euer we reade to haue bin conuerted was notwithstanding by his captiuitie and bonds so 2. Chron. 32. 12 greatly humbled before the God of his fathers that he prayed vnto him and found mercie and became a most worthy conuert for euer after either I say that the person so afflicted Psal 94. 12. might be conuerted or that hauing before bin conuerted he might be better instructed in the law of Heb. 12. 1. Ioh. 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. God and made more plentifully partaker of the holinesse of God In all which respects a man so afflicted being said to be blessed what great reason hath euery man so afflicted patiently to beare such affliction This being added that such afflictions are as fire to purge vs of all our drosse as gold is tried and made finer by the fire whereby we may 1. Pet. 1 7. be the fitter sacrifices for God and the said triall of our faith may be found to our praise honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ Most cause especially haue such to be patient how many how great and how heauie soeuer their said afflictions are that before haue enioyed great mercies according to those excellent words of Iob to his Iob 2. 10. foolish and troublesome wife What shall we receiue â—ood at the hands of God and shall we not receiue euill In such afflictions also euery man ought to make so much more vse of them that by them he mâ—y more mortâ—fie his old man with all the lusts thereof in him and be the more renewed in the inward man that so his whole man may be a sacrifice to God more liuing holy and acceptable as here the Apostle speaketh Of this passiue kind of sacrifice Iob is a Iam. 5. 11. most worthy example highly commended to our imitation so also is Dauid who notwithstanding he had many Psal 39. 9. afflictions yet was dumbe and opened not his mouth because the Lord did it and though many sought after his life laying Psal 38. 12. snares for him and speaking mischieuous things against him yet as before he was as a deafe man not hearing and as a dumbe man not opening his mouth How did he manifest this euen when he was King and when wicked Shimei 2. Sam. 16. 5. not only most impudently railed of him and rauâ—d against him in the rebellion of Absolom but also most villanously cast stones at him All which was the more grieuous in respect of his other great calamitie by the rebellion of his owne sonne against him Thus much briefly of the first kind of our passiue sacrificing of our selues to God The second passiue sacrificing of our selues is by suffering The second passiue sacrificing of our selues persecution both in word and deed for Christ and his Gospell the which as it is often commanded to all that will be indeed his Disciples euen to take vp his crosse Math. 10. 38. 16 24. and follow him he being pronounced vnworthy to be his disciple that will not so do and that by the example of Christ himselfe suffering for sinnes and for the vniust himselfe 1. Pet. 3 18. being without all sinne and most iust as I say this is often commanded so is it likewise commended they being pronounced blessed that suffer persecution and be railed Maâ— 5. 10. 11. on for Christs sake because theirs is the kingdome of heauen 1. Pet. 4. 13. 14. and the Spirit of glorie resteth on them By such sufferings Christ himselfe entred into his glorie Would we be partaker of his glorie more easily then himselfe So indeed we shall Luk. 24 26. 1. Pet. 1. 11. be because our sufferings how great soeuer are but flea-bites in comparison of his For though we had the strength of all Angels we could not suffer so much for him as he hath suffered for vs. Notwithstanding if we will be glorified Rom 8. 17. ver 29. together with him we must also suffer with him And whom God before knew them he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Sonne And alas what are the sufferings of this present time verily not worthy to be compared reckon ver 18. how we will or can to the glorie that shall be reuealed Yea the sufferings of Christ were the more in respect of the eminencie Phil. 2. 6. c. of his person he being in the forme of God c. and yet taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and humbling himselfe to the death of the crosse euen to such a death as would haue broken the backs of men and Angels The sufferings also of Christ for vs were the more because though he suffered them of necessitie as before we heard yet that necessitie was by the decree of himselfe with his Father and the holy Ghost neither was it by any coaction or constraint but most freely most