by thy self and thy friends to performe that condition This life is as it were an houre neither canst thou assure thy self of one houre it is promised thee of God that thou shalt obtaine the euerlasting in heritance if thou watch and pray Why then dost thou cease to watch against sin to pray for Gods grace mercy that thou maist be counted worthy to escape all these things to staÌ„d before the Sonne of man That is to appeare boldly to obtaine fauor of the iudge and not to be reiected either in the general iudgment when all flesh shall receiue their doome or in the particular iudgment of thy soule when it shal be separated from the tabernacle of the bodie by death But perhaps because thou seest many to liue long thou doest promise to thy selfe ling life therefore dost deferre to prepare for thy iudgement And doest thou not also sée that many are takeÌ„ hence in their flourishing Age and on the sudden Who will not beware of a madde Dogge that bites all that passeth by Death is like a furious Dogge that spares none and warnes fewe But in this regard we are like vnto Swine For when Swine sée their fellowe killing and heare his grunting they all run about him and grunt and make a great sturre but when their Fellowe is killed and cryes no more presently they returne to the dyrt and dongue and care no longer for it So worldly carnall and voluptuous men when one of their acquaintaÌ„ce dyeth as long as the Funerals last they are mooued and serrified and troubled but anon after the Funerals are finished they soone forget it and returne againe to the filthinesse of their pleasures and former iniquities The deferring of repentance and doubling of sinnes is most perillous A Shippe bâ—eares many burdens yet it may be laden so long till it sincke againe God is gratious but if he be prouoked euery day he will whet his sword and bend his Bowe and shoote his Arrowes against the obstinate offenders Patience too much wronged Psal 7. â—â— is turned into Furie at last It is reported of the Diamond that it is the hardest of all stones but when it is broken it is scattered into most smal pieces that can hardly be discerned with the eyes and can neuer be ioyned together againe Let vs beware that the Lord be not by so much the more seuere against vs if we abuse his louing kindnes by how much the more fauour he hath formerly shewed vnto vs. He that heares the Thunder is afraid of the lightning The preaching of the word is a thundring of the iudgemeÌ„t to come Let vs next feare the lightning of the iustice of God The loÌ„ger we haue liued and the more punishments we haue escaped that were due to our sinnes the more let vs expect the iudgement that will come spéedily and surely Tâ—eramenes a Citizen of Athens when he had auoided the fall of an house which fell as soone as he was out of it cryed out Aelian de vaer histor l. 9. O Iupiter cuinam metemporâ—reseruea ô God for what time doest thou keepe me And anon after he was compelled by the thirtie Tyrants to drinke poyson and so dyed The like thing must the sinner expect that remaines impenitent and hath not yet felt the hand of God Wherefore say not Ecclus â— 4 5.6.7 I haue sinned and what euill hath come vnto me for the Almightie is a patient rewarder but he will not leaue thee vnpunished because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne and say not the mercie of God is great he will forgiue my manifold sinnes for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance Thirdly Let vs sée to what the remembrance 3. To what the remembrance of the iudgement auaileth the Feare and the expectation of the last iudgement auaileth To meditate on the day of iudgement will bridle and refraine the desire and delight in sinning And therefore Saint Basil saies well If thou perceiue thy selfe to be prouoked to any sinne saith he call to minde that fearefull iudgement of Christ which no mortall man may endure and stay thy soule as it were with this bridle For as the Sunne obscures and darkens all the Starres with his brightnes In Psal 33 So the remembrance onely of this iudgement puts out all the concupiscences of the soule by the terriblenes thereof And therefore the Prophet Dauid shewes that the forgetting of this iudgement is the cause of sinne For when he had said that the vngodly doeth persecute the poore make boast of his owne hearts desire is so proud that he cares not for his God hath his mouth full of cursing deceit and fraude He yéeldes the reason Psal 10.6.11 when he saies That Gods iudgements are farre aboue out of his sight For he hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see it I shall neuer be mooued nor be in danger Therefore when we are allured and tempted to euill let vs resist temptations and say to our selues I will not doe this euill and I will not commit this sinne For a day will come wherein I shall not be able to answere for it in which the Heauen and Earth the Aire and water and whole world will stand vp and giue witnesse of my sinnes and though all things should hold their peace yet my very thoughts and workes shall be before mine eyes and shal accuse me before the Lord. When Sathan shall perswade vs that we shall finde fauour in that day though we persist and wallow in vngodlines let vs oppose and set against this assault the sort and qualitie of the last iudgement which shall be horrible intollerable vnauoydable sudden and wherein the iudge shall not be miscarried by fauour and entreatie For on the right hand shall be sinne to accuse On the left hand infinite Diuels to torment Vnder the hydeous Gulfe of Hell Ouer an Angrie Iudge Without the World flaming Within Conscience burning There the Righteous shall onely be saued Ah wretched Sinner whither wilt thou flie being so taken To be hidden it is impossible To appeare it is intollerable Nothing can be so auaileable to leade our life in the feare of God Ambros de Gffic as firmely to beléeue that he shall be the iudge whom no secret thing can deceiue and none offence hurt and who is delighted with vertue godlines the feare of the Lord. And if when our cause is to be heard of an earthly iudge we be so heedefull to prepare an Aduocate and to make readie all prooâ—es that may doe vs good how diligent should we be to haue our faith fixed
poore the maimed the lame and the blinde and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the Resurrection of the iust And this commaundement to shew mercy to the néedie is perpetuall and still stands in force and therefore the poore we haue alwaies amongst vs as God said to the Israelites Because there shall be euer some poore in the land therefore I commaund thee saying Deut. 15.11 thou shalt open thine hand to thy brother to thy needie and to thy poore in thy land The commaundement to loue one another and consequently to aid and succour one another is both new and old old because it was giuen in the lawe written by Moses Leu. 19.18 and engrauen by the finger of Naâ—ure in the tables of our harts and new because it was renued by our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell Ioh. 13.34 and therefore must neuer waxe old or decay Is it not méete that we should acknowledge that good things come vnto vs not by chaunce but by the good prouidence of God and how can we acknowledge this better then by yéelding obedience to Gods commandement that requires to impart of our store on the necessitie of other If thou confesse Hom. 1. that temporall good things saith S. Bâ—sill procéed from the diuine ordinance canst thou thinke that God is vniust in distributing vnequally these temporall things vnto vs Why doest thou abound and another beg but that thou maiest be recompenced for thy bountie he be adorned with the strength and arme of patience It is the bread of the hungry which thou withdrawest it is the garment of the naked that thou layest vp in thy wardrope it is the shoe of the bare-footed which rottes in thy custodie it is the siluer of the needie which thou possessest and therefore in not distributing thou destroyest all those whom thou mayest assist and succour Shall we daily and hourely receiue good things from our heauenly father and shall we denie benefits to our brethren Ecclus. 28.3.4 or shall we expect mercie from our maker that withhold mercie from men like to our selues Bernard reduceth the mercies of the Lord towards vs vnto the number of seuen In Cant. ser 88. saying that The first mercie is that God doth stay vs from failing into many sinnes into which otherwise we should fall the second is that God doth beare with vs when we sinne and doth patiently expect our conuersion the third is that God doth visite our heart with his holy spirit and cause vs to loath the sinne which before we loued the fourth is that God doth mercifully receiue vs when we repent so as we may be found among them of whom the Psalme speaketh Psal 32.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen the fift is that God giues vs power to liue more circumspectly héereafter and not to commit a relapse least the last error be worse then the first these fiue mercies are in deliuering from euill the other two are in bestowing of good for the sixth is in that God giues vs the grace to liue in new and holy conuersation and the seuenth is in that vpon so often experiment of his goodnes he permits vs vnworthy and sinfull wretches to assure our selues of heauenly good things Are these the mercies of the Lord towards vs and shall we be vnmercifull to our afflicted brethren Hâ—th God so loued vs 1. Ioh 4.11 and shall not we loue one another If thou were distressed and in necessitie thy selfe wouldest thou not be glad to be comforted and wouldest thou not desire and expect aide from other that could doe it Matt. 7.12 Therefore whatsoeuer thou wouldest that men should doe to thee euen so doe thou to them for this is the lawe and the Prophets And that more is doest thou know what may betide thée before thou die Art thou sure of the permanencie of thy flourishing estate Wilt thou in miserie looke for reliefe that in prosperitie wert merciles Wâ—th what measure thou metest Matt. 7.2 Nazianz. in Oratione de panperibus amandis it shall be measured to thee againe It was grauely spoken by that great Diuine long since as he that saileth is néere to shipwracke and the néerer the more audacious he is so he that is cloathed with this mortall body is obnoxious and subiect to bodily calamities and the more the prouder he is and the more disdainefull hee is toward those that lie vnder his féete While thou say lest saith he with prosperous windes stretch out thine hand to him that hath suffered shipwracke while thou art helthy and welthy aide the miserable Stay not so long till thou learne in thy selfe how great an euill in humanitie and vnmercifulnes is and how great a good thing it is to open the bowels of compassion to the distressed How requisite and necessarie then is it for Christians to shew mercie that receiue of God such continuall mercie stand in continuall néede of mercie and how highly is the commaundement of shewing mercie to be estéemed of vs since both the law and gospell doe enioyne it so strictly and since Paul as a learned father well obserues doth not barely say Chrys hom 35. ad Heb. Col. 3.12 Antisthenes apud Stob ser 1. de prud that we must shew mercie but that we must put on the bowels of mercie to teach vs that Almes must be as a garment which is still about vs and since the Pagane Philosopher could affirme that they are alike impious that remoue the Altar out of the Temple and that remoue compassion out of mans nature and since the Latine Orator could giue no greater commendation to Caesar then to praise him for his mercie when he said vnto him Cic. prâ— Lagar that among his manie vertues none was more admirable acceptable then his mercie For men approach by nothing so neere vnto God as by sauing and succouring of others that in his estate there was nothing greater then that hee was able and in his Nature there was nothing better then that hee was willing to saue and shewe mercie This then is the precept and commaundement 2. Motiue to mercie to bee liberall and compassionate to the afflicted and poore but who hath performed it Holie religious and faithâ—ull men and women in all Ages Looke vpon Iob Iob. 29.12 13.15 â—6 who in his Golden and Halcyon dayes deliuered the poore that cryed and the fatherles him that had none to helpe him had the blessing vpon him of him that was readie to perish and caused the widowes heart to reioyce and was the Eyes to the blinde and the feete to the lame Iob. 31.16 17.19.20 and a Father to the poore and restrained not the poore of their desire nor caused the eyes of the widow to faile and ate not his morsels alone but the Fatherles ate with him and suffered none to perish for want of clothing but
the money not to regard so much as religion in the poore but only to haue an eye to this that the néedie might be sustained not to prefer those that do liue as Christians should liue yet he addes wtall that they should haue most giueÌ„ to them that did blush to beg not that did make a trade trafficke to beg Ad Olympiad for the filling of their bellies S. Chrysost also prescribing a forme of giuing Alms saith among other things that Bountifulnes is to be measured by the need of those the craue This is the sum Nazianz. It is far better to do good to the vnworthy for the sake of the worthy then not to do good to the worthy for the sake of the vnworthy For what if the poore do not their dutie wilt that therfore not do thy duty Althogh in many respects they are not worthy of alms yet giue them for Gods sake for the CoÌ„mandements sake for Christs sake for the declaration of the faith godlines If that caÌ„st not giue to them as they are faithful belieuers people worthy of liberality yet giue to them as they are men womeÌ„ created of the same God coÌ„sisting of the same substaÌ„ce drawing the same ayre attainted with the like passions infirmities subiect to the same dissolution death and due to the same earth the generall Mother of euery mothers sonne daughter Matt. 5.45 Herein thou shalt imitate thy heaueÌ„ly father be merciful as he is mercifull making his Sun to arise on the euil the good sending raine on the iust and vniust The force of which reasoÌ„ is so pregnaÌ„t that if coÌ„pelled euen a Pagan to say that it is the part of liberalitie to giue to euery one that asketh Sen. lib. de beneficijs therin to imitate God If thou doest imitate God saith he giue also to the vnthankfull For the Sun arisetth vpon the wicked the Seas are open to Pyrates God the good author of things begins to bestow benefits vpon them that know it not holds on to bestow benefits vpoÌ„ the vngratefull God ceaseth not to heape vp his blessings onely with this intent that he may doe good let vs therfore imitate him let vs giue though many things be giuen in vaine WheÌ„ thou hast seriously considered the néedie caÌ„st find in them nothing worthy of reliefe yet call to mind that thogh they are vnworthy of help yet they were created after the image of God as thy selfe wert and therefore weigh whether Lactantius speake not fitly wheÌ„ he saies that if the worshippers of the false Gods doe adorne the senseles Images Lib. 6. c. 13. de vero cultu and bestowe all their pretious things on that which can neither vse it nor render thankes for it how much méeter and righter is it to adorne the liuing Images of the true God which as they make vse of it and yéeld thankes so God in whose fight we doe good will both allowâ— of it and also reward our pietie It is to be wished that when this obiection is cast against the most part of the poore it might be answered with a single deniall that it is false and slaunderous But he should be conuinced by daily experience that should absolutely denie it Wherfore as the rich haue bene exhorted to be liberall to the poore so the néedie are to be admonished that they endeuour to be worthy of liberalitie and to be thankfull for charitie deuotion extended towards them and to pray for the happie state of their benefactors and to carrie themselues soberly and truely and humbly and contentedly in their state of life that so the graces and blessings of God may be multiplied vpon all both rich and poore in this life and at last we may be all inheritors of eternall blessednes in Heauen through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PITTIFVLL PERSONS LEND TO the Lord. Prou. 19.17 He that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen THis goldeÌ„ Aphorisme and sentence of Salomon the wise king of Israel is a most pithie commendation of liberalitie towards the poore and néedie and therewithall an effectuall exhortation to embrace the same In which spéech two things are presented to our consideration the first is a description of mercie to the poore what it is the second is the fruite and profitablenes thereof what it brings vnto vs. If any would knowe what mercie to the poore is he heares it called héere A lending to the Lord he that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord. If any aske what commoditie redounds to the mercifull he heares it heere affirmed that the mercifull giuer of Almes shall be rewarded The Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen So that the wise man mounts by degrées almes on the poore is no léesing of our goods saith he but a giuing it is no giuing away of our goods neuer to haue them againe it is but onely a lending of them it is no hazardous lending of them to a debter either beggarly that cannot repaye or careles that will be bankrupt or deceitfull that will defraude his Creditor or denie his due but it is a lending to the Lord of heauen and earth who is both a faithfull God and therefore will performe his promise made to the mercifull and an almightie Lord and therefore is able to recompence what is bestowed on the néedie As if Salomon had thus spoken Hoorde not vp treasure in this world neither fixe your hearts on the riches of the earth which is the broken bag that cannot holde For if treasure be heaped vp on earth it is vncertaine it prouokes enuious eyes it stirs vp those of a mans owne house and that conuerse familiarly with him to endeuour to spoyle him But if you desire to haue your riches safely kept why do you desire and seeke mens helpe The Lord is readie to receiue them and to kéepe them and to recompence them with large vsurie None can take them out of his hands for he will keepe you and your riches safe and when he hath done it he craues not a recompence for kéeping as men doe but he himselfe will bestowe a reward vpon you If you respect gaine and wish that your coyne may encrease with great vsurie behold rare and vnheard of gaine promised by him that cannot lye namely a large recompence from the Lord of Lords Men doe oftentimes lend great summes of monie vpon hope of gaine and aduantage and they take but the word or the band of a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils but you that giue to the poore lend not to men nor haue not assurance from men to be repâ—ied but you lend to the Lord and you haue his word that abideth for euer and his obligation and hand writing for repaiment If some great Prince or Potentate should commaund a crier
of God the onely comforter doth swéeten the bitternes of affliction and doth strengthen our féeble knées and stablish our fainting hearts we may iustly say O Lord wee are not worthy that such consolation should come vnder the roofe of our soules Besides this as the Centurion said Maister I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe so we may inuert and turne about and stretch his spéech farther and say O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder thy roofe And why The world in which we inhabite is Gods house and we are all Tenants at will to be put out at our liue lords pleasure In this house of the world Man is a great commander hauing dominion ouer the workes of Gods hands and hauing all things put vnder his féete The Sunne and the Moone giue him light the shéepe and oxen and beasts of the field the foules of the aire and fishes of the Sea yéeld him sustenance the birds delight him with singing the flowers solace him with smelling all the workes of Gods fingers serue either for this profite or pleasure or both In that then Man a worme and the sonne of rottennes and corruption is brought into such a spacious and specious a great and gay house of God as the world is and made little lower then God and crowned with glorie and worship we may iustly say Psal 8.4 O Lord our Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him We are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of thy house Nay when we consider our houses that protect and shroud vs from the furie and violence of the weather our beds whereon we case our selues when we are wearie and sicke our liuings and goods by which we sustaine our selues our children which are an heritage and gift that commeth from the Lord and which possesse the fruit of our labours and which preserue our memoriall on earth when we consider these and many other blessings which God bestowes on vs that daily and hourely offend him and transgresse his commaundements and which many others doe want who notwithstanding are redéemed with the pretious blood of Christ aswell as we may we not procéed farther and say O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of our owne house Furthermore the materiall temple and Church is called the house of God For why In the Church we are taught the statutes and lawes of God and God speakes vnto vs in his sacred word In the Church we speake vnto God by praier and we worship God by singing foorth the swéet praises of his mercie and goodnes In the Church we are by Baptisme clensed from our sinnes and receiued into Christs Church and congregation which is the spirituall house of God and we are incorporated into Christs bodie made members thereof In the Church we spiritually feede on the body and blood of our Sauiour Christ and we are thereby partakers of Christs merites righteousnes to the fruition of eternall life In that then the materiall Church is the house of God and the soueraigne Apothecary shop where euery sinner may finde a spirituall medicine and salue to cure the maladies infirmities of his soule we may truely say when we are going into the temple and Church where we participate of so many diuine things O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of thine house Lastly let vs contemplate on the ioyes and felicitie of Heauen where is ioy without sorrowe plentie without scarsitie glorie without enuie life without death where is the trée of life and the riuer of the water of life where the Seraphins sing continually Holy holy holy and all the Angels and Saints praise God vncessantly with most sugred and harmonious melodie where the elect receiue the pennie of immortalitie for working in the vineyard and sit downe with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and where are those vnspeakable good things which eye hath not séene nor eare heard nor heart of man can conceiue In that then God hath ordained vs to this eternall rest and from the dust hath exalted vs to his heauenly kingdome we may truely say O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of Heauen Thales Milesius being old and hauing deuised some admirable inuention of the motion of the Heauens he did communicate it with Mandrita another Philosopher who gaue him thankes for the instruction and asked what recompence he should giue him for the document to whom Thales said O Mandrita it shall be sufficient to me if when thou wilt vtter this which thou hast learned of me thou doe not ascribe it to thy selfe but confesse that it was mine inuention This a man craues of a Man how much more iustly doth God require of vs that if we haue any vertue or any knowledge or any wisedome or any strength or any good thing when we make vse of it we attribute it not to our selues but acknowledge that it is receiued from him Wherefore let vs humble and prostrate our selues with this Noble and godly Centurion let vs praise the Lord for all his blessings with vnfained thankefulnes let vs confesse our vnworthines either that God should come vnder our roofe or that we should come vnder Gods roofe let vs amend our liues repent for our iniquities and expresse true gratitude by our good workes that God may augment and heape his mercies vpon vs continually and that Christ may heare vs as he heard the Centurion and that as by the mercy of God we entered into the house of God the world and dwell therein and as by the same mercy we enter from time to time into the materiall Church which is the house of God so at last by the fauour and grace of Christ we may ascend and mount into the glorious and magnificent house of Heauen there to remaine with him for euermore Amen CONSTANCIES CROWNE Gal. 6.9 Let vs not therefore be wearie of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not THe holy Apostle Paul in these words doth admonish the Galathians and in the Galathians all other Christians to be plenteous in good works and to bring foorth the fruits of the Spirit neither this onely but to persist and perseuere in well doing that they may obtaine the reward of eternall life The spéech containes first an exhortation to continue in well doing secondly a reason and motiue why we should not faint in well doing The exhortation is this Let vs not therefore be wearie of well doing If we refer this well doing to beneficence and liberalitie towards the néedie which is spoken of in the verse following where the Apostle saith While we haue time Calon poioûntes 1. eupoioûntes euergetoûntes let vs doe good to all men as if well doing were doing well and bestowing well on the poore then where Paul saith Let vs not be
eares that they should not heare yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hoasts sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the Prophets There is no stone so hard as the Diamond yet the disobedient were as hard as the Diamond Let not vs Christians equall their hardnesse and let not vs be found harder then the Diamond so that the spéech of an auncient Father may be appropriated to vs when hee sayes that the Diamond though most hard Cyp. de dâ—p martyriâ— yet it is mollified and maistered with the blood of an hee Goate but that we doe not east aside our hardnesse nor as yet are softened by the blood of Christ who was the true scape goate Leu. 16.21 shadowed out in the types of the olde sacrifices vpon which Aaron was to put his hands and to confesse ouer him all the iniquities and trespasses and sinnes of the children of Israel and to send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernesse and which was a true figure of Iesus Christ that beareth the sinnes of the people Moses strake the rocke with his rod Isai 53.4 Psal 78 2â—.2 and the waters gushed out so let the remembrance of Christes sufferings and the infinite benefites that wee receiue thereby pierce our hearts and draw forth teares of true repentance and of amendment of life Psal 78.8.9.10.11 For as the Israelites were a rebellious generation a generation that fet not their heart aright and whose spirit was not faithfull to GOD and the children of Ephraim being armed and shooting with the bowe turned backe in the day of battell and kept not the couenant of God but refused to walke in his law because they forgot his Acts and his wonderfull workes that hée had shewed them so what truer reason can be giuen of rebellion against Gods ordinances but our forgetting of Gods incomprehensible loue Rom. 8.32 Ioh. 3.16 who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death and that so loued the world that hée gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whoseuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Shall wee so long exhilerate and encourage our spirituall foes by wallowing in the filthinesse of sinne and giue them occasion to say in their hearts O our soules reioyce Psa 35.25 wee haue deuoured them And shall wée not by our conuersion procure ioy to the holy Angels of GOD Luk. 15.7 that reioyce more for one sinner that conuerteth then for ninety and nine iust men that neede none amendment of life Let vs dash the young children of Babylon against the stones that is Psa 137.9 let vs destroy the broode of sinne in the cradle and infancie before it wholly possesse vs and let vs spéedily driue away the tentations and enticements to wickednes that wee may say with the man of God Psâ—l 18.37.38 We haue pursued our enemies and taken them and haue not turned againe till we haue consumed them â—e haue wounded them and they were not able to rise they are fallen vnder our feete Let vs beware how sinne take roote in vs for as inueterate maladies of the body craue long and sharpe curing and as cloath often and deepely dipped in the fatte hardly or neuer leeseth his colour so the inâ—eterate vices of the soule are not easily remooued and the corruption of the minde that becomes an habite cannot be washed away without much adoe Ier. 3.23 Can the blacke Moore change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may they also doe good that are accustomed to euill saith the Lord by his holy Prophet Let vs breake the bands of Sathan and escape out of his snare wherin he would hold vs at his pleasure and let vs not suffer him to deale with vs as the childe deales with the bird which he tieth with a threede by the foote permitting it sometimes to skip fréely but then pulling it backe when it thinkes to escape so let not Sathan tie vs by the vse and custome of iniquitie that though we séeme likely sometimes to flie from him yet he may drawe vs backe because we are fettered in the traps of sinne Let vs auoid and shun the baite of wickednes with the warie fish least if we swallow downe the baite the hooke also catch vs and then our ghostly Enemie leade vs hither and thither as the fisher drawes and carries the ensnared fish according as himselfe desireth At a word 〈◊〉 not the tumults of our sinfull desires breede in vs a spirituall deafeneâ— that we cannot heare the distinct and piercing sound of the word of God that doth admonish vs Heb. 12.1 To cast away euery thing that prâ—sseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on as the dwellers by some places of the Riuer Nâ—us in Egypt Cic. in sâ—m Scip. called Catadupae can heare no sound because they haue gotten a deafenes by the continual rumbling of the Riuer that rusheth downe from high mountaines but let vs beseech God to open our eares both inwardly and outwardly that we may abandon vngodlines learne to doe well and pray vnfainedly vnto the Lord Psal 69.14.15.16 that he would deliuer vs out of the mire that we sinke not and that he would deliuer vs from them that hate vs and from the déepe waters and that the water floud may not drawe vs nor the deepe swallowe vs vp nor the pit shut her mouth vpon vs and that the Lord would heare vs For his louing â—iâ—dnes is good and turne vnto vs according to the multitude of his tender mercies Contrarily to them that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse to them that haue taken vp the crosse of Christ and follow him to them that sigh vnder the burthen of iniquitie to them that are desirous to remooue hence and to dwell with the Lord to them that loue prayer the word and all good workes this spéech of the Apostle is to be proposed Let vs not be wearie of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not Hast thou begun to renounce sinne and to embrace righteousnesse Let not the old Prouerbe be verified of thee 2 Pet. 2.20.21.22 The Dogge is returned to his owne vomite and the Sow that was washed to the wallowing in the miâ—e For if thou after thou hast escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the acknowledging of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ art yet entangled therein and ouercome the latter end is worse then the beginning for it had béene better for thée not to haue acknowledged the way of righteousnesse then after thou hast acknowledged it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto thée As the Scripture doeth witnesse that Christ should not surcease in the progresse of Mediatorship Math. 12.20 Luk. 1.74 75. till â—ee brought iudgement into victorie that is till hee shewed
sweate of our browes And to cast off this oldnesse and corruption we must fight many skirmishes we must ouercome many temptations we must beare many tribulations Secondly we séeke eternall glorie not a Consulship of one yeare And the afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shal be reuealed vnto vs. Rom. 8.18 Who would not liue a poore and a priuate life ten yeares that he might be sure to abound in glorie and riches fiftie yeares 1. Cor. 9.25 Shall wee murmure then to brooke the short afflictions of this fading life that we may liue nay raigne for euer in glorie euerlasting All those that striue for a Maistery abstaine from all things they doe withdrawe from their bodie meate drinke and cloathes and annoynt themselues with oyle that they may striue and struggle naked nimble and giue their aduersarie no occasion to hold them for the flesh annointed with oyle is very hardly holden So wée must cast away the immoderate care for meate and cloathes and we must be annoynted with the oyle of Faith Loue and Mercie that earthly things hinder vs not and that Sathan get no opportunitie to lay hold on vs for he layes holde on vs by meanes of our sinnes And they that annoynt their bodies doe this to receiue a crowne that perisheth and to winne praise short fraile momentanie and vaine but we to receiue glorie endles incorruptible sound and stable At Rome the way to the Consulship was to be popular to deserue well of the Common-wealth and to bestowe manie priuate benefites But our way to heauenly glorie is holines vprightnes innocencie of life continuall worshipping of God and sincere loue of our neighbour For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Soberly and temperately in respect of our selues righteously and iustly in respect of our neighbors and godly holily in respect of the seruice and worship of GOD. This is the way to Gods kingdome which Christ expressed in one word when he saide that Wee must seeke the kingdome of God and his Righteousnes For it is not enough to séeke Gods kingdome or to wish for it but we must séeke and labour to performe that Righteousnes that is pleasing to God The pennie of immortalitie is not giuen to Loyterers in the market-place but to those that labour in the Lords vineyard Lastly it is Heauen to which we goe Matt. 11.12 and in which we séeke to raigne with GOD. But the Kingdome of God suffereth violence and they that take it must take it violently and perforce Wilt thou knowe the waye to Heauen Hebr. 11.36.37 Aske of them that haue walked in that way They will tell thée that they haue bene tried by mockings and scourgings by bondes and prisonments that they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sworde they wandred vp and downe in Wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth clothed in sheepes-skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented He that will goe to the Indies to trafficke doth not refuse the labour of sayling He that will be cured of a grieuous disease reiecteth not a bitter medicine Hee that will buy a Farme first thinkes of the price So he that séekes for the kingdome of GOD must séeke and first thinke of his Righteousnes which is the way vnto it and of the Merites of CHRIST which are the price thereof and of a liuely and effectuall Faith whereby wée are made partakers of the glorie to come As for worldly cares what doe they auaile vs Nay how much doe they hinder vs Saint Basil sayes Epist 64. as a polluted glasse can receiue no impression of Images and visages so the soule possessed of worldly cares is not capable of the Illumination of the holie Ghost And Saint Austin sayes excellently Amor rerum terrenarum est viscus spiritualium pennarum that the loue of earthly things is the Birdlime of our spirituall feathers Let euery worldling knowe that spirituall things are onely néedefull and that Christ saith to euery one as to Martha Martha Martha thou carest Luk. 10.41.42 and art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Can the globe of the earth be mingled with the globe of the heauen how then can the soule containe the carefull loue of celestiall and earthly things Diuine thoughts flie from a soule that is forestalled with worldly desires Bâ—r. 〈◊〉 77 â—â—cat Nec misceri poterunt vana veris aeterna caducis spiritualia carnâ—â—buâ— summa imis neither can vanitie be ioyned and confounded with truth things eternall spirituall and high with things transitorie carnall and base so as at one time we may conceiue and perceiue things aboue and things beneath We sée how the Iuy doth claspe about the trée spreads it selfe and mounts vpward by the helpe thereof but at last it sucks and drawes away the iuyce and moysture of the trée and causes it to wither so excessiue care and pensiue care for worldly things doth loade the minde and choake the soule and make them vnable to aspire to heauenly felicitie Therfore we must imitate the custom of hawkers and hunters for hawkers are woont to couer their hawkes heads with hoods and suffer not their eyes to wander hither and thither least striuing to flie after the things which they desire naturally they be not so héedfull to their preie when time and occasion shall serue and hunters doe tie and couple their dogges that their sent may be sound and perfect for the game which they shall hunt So must we doe We must containe our mindes in the loue of God and in the care of heauenly things and not permit our affections to straie aside to the anxieties and distrustfull cares of this world Heauen is the preie which mans soule must follow this it must desire this it must take by violence this it must be carefull of and on this it must bestowe her chiefe desire and studie If it flie or runne out to other things it will not care for eternall things Therefore let vs remember the exhortation of the blessed Apostle Paul Col. 3.1.2 Seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth If we must séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse then those are to be reprehended who chiefly séeke search and hunt after the good things of this world and the delights and ioyes thereof pampering the fraile and sinfull body and neglecting the soule which is the mistresse and gouernesse of the body and neuer dieth It is
name of God and that they may be kept from euill and that they may be sanctified by the word of truth and that they may liue in vnitie and concord and that at last they may be with him in heauen to be hold his vnspeakable glorie This is he Matt. 13.2 vnto whom the multitudes resorted and that taught with authoritie and at whose doctrine they were astonied and at whose gratious words they maruailed And Christ is he whom the Apostles preached Act. 4.11.12 namely that he is the stone cast aside of the builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen 1. Tim. 2.5.6 whereby we must be saued And that there is one God and one Mediator betwéene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus which gaue himselfe a ransome for all men to be that testimonie in due time 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 And that if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Ioh. 14.6 So true is it which our Sauiour saies to Thomas I am the way and the truth and the life Aug. super Ioan. Which words Saint Austin thus interprets Ambulare vis ego sum via falli non vis ego sum veritas mori non vi◠ego sum vita Wilt thou walke I am the waie wilt thou not be deceiued I am the truth wilt thou not die I am the life Man is héere a pilgrim and a soiourner and a traueller and hath no abiding Citie and the place we séeke for and aspire vnto is Heauen Euery Christian aimes at this marke and sailes to this Harborow and runnes to this goale yet there is but one right way path course Namely CHRIST IESVS And therefore Christ sayes to Thomas that hée is the way to the heauenly Father and to euerlasting ioyes If any be trauelling towards Rome Cōstantinople Ierusalē or any other famous place that he may trauell the beter he enquires the certaine way So they that will trauell to Heauen must learne the true way which is to walke in Christ and by Christ through Christ Man is sinfull and heauen is purer man is mortall the ioyes of Heauen eternal man is carnall and cannot discerne spirituall things And therefore since flesh and blood as it is méerely naturall vnregenerate cannot inherite the Kingdom of God man must néedes walke in the right and straight path CHRIST IESVS And Christ is mot onely the way to Heauen but also the doore of Heauen as he sayes Ioh. 10.9 I am the doore by mee if a man enter in hee shall be safe and hee shall goe in and out and finde pasture Christ is not onely the doore of heauen but he hath the Keye of heauen Reu. 3.7 for hée is the holie one the true one who hath the key of Dauid who opēs none shuts shuts none opēs CHRIST hath not only the key of heauen but hée is the Light of heauen For that Citie néedes nor Sunne nor Moone to lighten it Reu. 21.23 but the glorie of God doth enlighten it the light thereof is the Lambe Christ Iesus CHRIST is not only the light burning lampe of Heauen but the leader féeder of the heauenly Saints for they shall hunger no more nor thirst no more neither shall Sunne or any heate scorch them because the Lambe which is in the mids of the Throne Reu. 7.16 17. shall féede them leade them to the fresh and liuely Fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes CHRIST is not onely the gouernour and leader of the heauenly soules but heauen is his kingdome And therefore the théefe saide to Christ hanging on the Crosse Lord remēber me when thou cōmest into thy kingdom And Christ presently answered him Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luk. 23. to teach vs that as the first Adam for sin was shut out of earthly Paradise the Cherubims or Angels kept the gate thereof with a flaming sword Gen. 3. So Christ the secōd Adam hath satisfied for sin hath sheathed the sword of Anger in the scabberd mercie hath opened the heauenly Paradise to all belieuers CHRIST is the true Iordane that doeth wash away the spots of our sinnes like Naamans leprosie and the true Arke that saues our soules frō sinking in iniquitie and the true ladder of Iaacob whereby we mount to heauen and the true Ioseph that féeds our soules in the naturall famine and scarcitie of grace and godlines and the true Moses that conducteth vs through the wildernes manifold Assaults of this wicked world the true Ioshuah that leades vs into the land of Promise and the heauenly Canaan flowing with milke and honie the tender-harted compassionate Samaritane that powreth into our wounds of minde both corrasiue wine to fret clense them restauratiue oyle to heale cōfort them Therefore since man is by nature odious in the sight of God since man cannot saue himself since sacrifices oblatiōs are vnauaileable since Christ is that alone recōciler of God man promised before the law expressed represented in the ceremonies of the law preached vnto all Belieuers by God himselfe frō heauē by the blessed Apostles in their sermons writings Let vs all relie on this sure foundation say with Paul God forbid that wee should reioice but in the Crosse of Christ Iesus Gal. 6.14 For this is a true saying that we sinners are saued not by our own works of righteousnes but by the bountifulnes mercie of the Lord in Christ Iesus our Sauiour 2. Tim. 3.16 And without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlines which is GOD is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirite séene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles belieued on in the World and receiued vp in glorie Secondly the holy Apostle stops the securitie libertie of the flesh when he saith These thinges I will thou shouldest affirme That they which haue beleeued God might bee carefull to shew foorth good works It is naturally engraft in all men to pamper the flesh and the concupiscences thereof and they are loth to haue their pleasing Appetites and Affections brideled But it is the dutie part of the minister to rebuke sinne and to perswade to holines of life Trusse vp thy loynes saith the Lord to Ieremiah Ier. 1.17.18 And arise and speake vnto them all that I commaund thee Bee not afraide of their Faces least I destroy thee before I destroy them For I behold I this day haue made thee a defenced Citie an yron Pillar and walles of brasse against the whole land against the Kings of Iudah against the Princes thereof against the
was defiled and that he was cast downe to the pit and died the death of a man Where is Nebuchadnezar Dan. 3.15 that said who is that God that can deliuer you out of mine hands Is not this great Babel that I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power for the honour of my Maiestie Where is Edom 4.27 Obad. that because he dwelt in the clefts of the rocke and on high said in his heart Who shall bring me downe to the ground Though thou exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and make thy nest among the stars theÌ„ce will I bring thee downe saith the Lord. Where is the reioycing citie Niniueh Zeph. 2.13.14.15 that dwelt careles and said in her heart â—am and there is none bâ—sideâ—â—e how was she made wast and â—esolate like a wildernes for the flocks did â—â—e in the midst of her and all the beasts of the nations and the Peâ—câ—ne and the owle did abide in the vpper posts and the voice of birds did sing in the windowes and desolation wa vâ—oÌ„ the posts 2. Macc. 9.8.10 Where is Annochus that was so proud beyond the condition of man that he thought he might commaund the flouds of the Sea and weigh the high mountaines in the balance and reach to the stars of heauen Matt. 3.9 Io. 8.23.39 9.28 Where are the haughtie Scribes and Pharises that gloried of their honorable discent and that they were the disciples of Moses were not all these consumed in their pride and compelled to féele the puissant and yron scepter of the Lord and forced to confesse that all honour and glorie is to be ascribed to the highest If then the proud haue still vanished away as a vapor and cloud and haue perished in the imaginatioÌ„s of their owne harts let vs learne to be humble Gregor l. 25. Morâ—l either remeÌ„bring our miseries coÌ„sidering where we haue bene or fearing the senteÌ„ce of Gods iudgmeÌ„ts considering where we shall be or hauing an eye to the afflictions of this life considering where we are or contemplating the ioy of the supernall countrie considering where we are not by which fower considerations one saith Ieâ— 9.23.24 That humilitie is engraft in our minds and let not the wife man glorie in his wisedome nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth the Lordâ— and let euery one say with the humble Centurion Maister I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe For why our soules naturally are depraued and corrupted with the pollution of originall sinne which is deriued from Adam our great grandsire by which originall pollution the Image of God after which we were at first formed is deformed in vs and all innocencie is defaced in vs and we are depriued of the knowledge of God and spirituall things and we are fraught with pride darkenes ignorance and vnholines Our soules being thus originally by the grace and mercie of the Lord they are made temples and dwelling places of the holy Ghost who formes and frames vs anew who shuts out at doores the old man with his deceiueable workes and brings the new man in possession which is created in holines and true righteousnes after the Image of him that at first created him and who refines our thoughts and casteth our mindes in a newe mould Isa 11.6.7.8 so that the Wolfe forgets his greedines and the Leopard his fiercenes and the Lyon his sauagenes and the Beare his rauenousnes and the Cockatrice his poyson Mic. 4.3 and the warriour turnes his speare into a sithe and sword into a mattock that is by the spirit of God we are regenerate new borne and made new creatures In that then our mindes which naturally are cages receptacles of pollution and vngodlines are made mansions pallaces and temples for the holy Ghost his sacred motions to dwell and lodge in we may iustly say Lord we are not worthy that thy grace and holy spirit should come vnder the roofe of our soules Againe by nature we are the children of wrath subiect to eternall death and of our selues we had no power or meanes to deliuer and saue our selues But God so loued vs that he gaue not an Arkangell or an Angell or a Patriarke or a Prophet to pay our ransome but he gaue his only and beloued sonne Iesus Christ to the death and the cursed and ignominious death of the crosse for vs wretched sinners that sate in darkenes and in the shadowe of death Christ is our Redeemer our mediatour our aduocate our Moses that stood in the gap betweene vs and Gods anger that made peace betweene God and man that cancelled the handwriting of the law that was against vs that brake downe the partition wall and of strangers made vs fellow citizens with the Saints and that combines and vnites our soules as members to himselfe by a liuely and sauing faith By this faith we apply the promises of mercie and Christs merites and worthines to our soules by this faith we appeare iust and vnblamable in the fight of God by this faith in Christ we are accounted as holy and righteous before the Tribunall seate of God as if we had neuer committed any sinne and as if we our selues had wrought that atonement satisfaction which Christ hath wrought for vs. In that then we are so metamorphosed and altered that of sonnes of damnation we are become heires of saluatioÌ„ we may iustly say O Lord we are not worthy that this vnconceiueable loue of God this all-sufficient satisfaction of Christ this iustifying faith should come vnder the roofe of our soules Againe who knowes not how manifold the afflictions of the godly are in this present world Sathan coÌ„tinually séekes to pray vpon vs the world labours to fashion vs like it selfe the flesh which we carrie about vs like an intestine traitour is readie to beguile vs and to draw vs from the narrowe way of life to the wide way of destruction Vnto these may be added the vnfaithfulnes of men the ingratitude of the world the maladies and sundrie infirmities of the body the anguish terrors of conscience the variable crosses and tribulations which coÌ„tinually succéed one the other as Iobs messengers reported il newes one vpon the other Iob. 1. If the God of coÌ„â—olation did not arme vs with strength to quench and repell the firie darts of the wicked with constancie to fight valiantly till we be more theÌ„ Conquerors in all tentations with patience to submit our selues to the blessed will of God in all changes chances of this mortall life and with firme hope of remission of sinnes by the blood of Christ and of obtaining eternall life by his intercession theâ—e surging and swelling flouds of tribulation would goe ouer our soules and ouerwhelme vs. In that then the holy spirit