them arraigne them endite them and condemne them and feare them not but still pray for prayer is flagellum diaboli as Augustine calleth it the whippe of the Diuell which he more feareth then all the coniurations of Poperie then all holy water and crossings yea more then the dog doth the whip and as when the dogge heareth the bell at the whips end he runneth out of the house so when Sathan perceiueth a Christian addresse himselfe to prayer though it be neuer so weakely and with great striuing yet he then feareth the rebuke of God and giueth place Oh then let vs pray good brethren euen then then when we are about to giue almes or to heare a Sermon or to preach the word or to reproue sinne boldly or to handle doctrine soundly or to deale roundly with the consciences of men and in all other spirituall exercises and not only in them but also in our ciuill affaires in buying and selling if thou meanest to deale truly and vse plaine and simple dealing and to be at a word Oh then pray also in inuiting thy friends and neighbours to thy house when thou entertainest the preachers of Gods word at thy table when thou art troubled in making prouision and to haue all things cleane and handsome oh then pray when thou callest foorth thy children to shew their wit their aptnesse and towardnes to learne their profiting in learning and such like oh then pray too when thou cariest thy friend to shew him thy house and thy roomes and thy riches and the workes of thine owne hands and thy fine gardens and walkes and thy fruitfull Orchards and thy fatte cattell and thy great dealings and thy daily expenses c. Oh in all these go not without thy whippe of prayer to driue away Sathan and all his theeuish suggestions and vaineglorious cogitations for euen then when thou thinkest to do all for the best thou shalt be circumuented and deceiued of thy reward before thou be aware if thou then euen then I say do not take heede Then shalt thou heare the whispering feel the tickling of a number of spirituall and inuisible theeues in thy hart Oh saith one to him that studeith for a Sermon when he readeth a trim discourse or fine simile that pleaseth himselfe Oh this will do well to grace thy Sermon withall oh men will commend thy wit and thy inuention for this and thy boldnesse for that and thy iudgement in that c. Oh here is a tickling theefe in the heart driue him out by prayer take heed of him yeeld not vnto him but pray then and say Lord none of all these come of my selfe thou art the giuer of them they are thy mercies to me ô Lord I am not able nor worthie my selfe to carrie such treasures of thy Spirite to thy people Lord be mercifull vnto me and sanctifie my heart that I may seeke thy glorie and not my owne Oh hallowed be thy name Lord hallowed be thy name not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name let the praise be giuen Lord humble my swelling heart with the feeling of my sinne and my speciall corruptions Oh Lord driue out these proud thoughâ—s these vaine imaginations these wicked and sacrilegious affections which go about thus to rob thee of thy honour both in me the speaker and in others the hearers let them not commend thy gifts in me or in any man but alwayes to thy praise and glorie And thus must we be exercised continually while we liue In like sort when thou art about to shew thy reading and discoursing veine at the table pray for then a theefe within thee will be ready to tell thee that all the company will and do admire thee for thy gift that way Yea or if thou sit still and be silent and neuer speakest but when thou art required and then very modestly too yet then watch and take heede for euen then commeth a spirituall theefe perswadeth thee to thinke with thy selfe surely men will commend me aswell for my silence and modestie as such a one for his learning wit but where is the Kings Atturney all this while to pleade for Gods right I meane the spirite of sanctification to perswade thy soule to giue the glorie to God who gaue thee those gifts and that grace with God and man where is he Oh therefore then when thou doest these things euen then I say take heede watch and pray Hallowed be thy name Lord rebuke Sathan quench these his fierie dartes humble my proud heart make it to affect thee and thy glorie aboue all things and in all things In like sort in doing the parts of a ciuill man entertaining of preachers or thy honest friends and neighbours in shewing them thy faire houses thy well contriued roomes thy wealth thy gaines thy great expences thy great reuenewes thy toward children c. doest thou not feele a theefe within thee tickling and dallying with thy false heart and telling thee that thou shalt be highly commended for these things and thy fame shall be spread farre and neare and thou shalt be spoken of for it and reuerenced and admired c. doest thou not feele such a theefe within thee speaking such things And what is all in effect but to perswade thee to rob him who hath enriched thee to disgrace him who hath graced thee and to wound him who hath healed thee whereas thou oughtest then to say I will shew these things and tell what goodnesse I haue receiued of my mercifull God and heauenly father that men may commend his goodnesse therein and spread the fame of his name farre and neare and may reuerence and admire his wisedome and power and mercifull workes towards mortall man and may both feare and loue his Maiestie for the same And to this end let vs watch pray that God in al things and for all things may haue his due praise and glorie In like manner when thou giuest thine almes or buildest anie hospitall or giuest any thing to the poore of such and such a parish c. if thou doest not take great heed and examine thy heart and stand with prayer at the doore then will Sathan be busie and a spirituall theefe will stand vp in thy hart and say Oh now this being knowne how will the poore commend me how will the world commend me I shall now get a name that I am a good man to the poore I hope to come into the Chronicles for my good deeds one day c. Oh then scourge these corrupt and diuelish affections chase them away by prayer let them not dwel in thy heart giue theÌ„ no entertainement desire to giue all the glorie to God and desire others to do the same for thee for that he hath made thee both able and willing to giue and hath made thee his steward and deputie to giue euery one his portion that his fatherly goodnesse hath appointed them The like is to be done of
his own Here is much ado when the Lords day cometh to reforme and decke the bodie the apparell must not haue a spot or wrinckle the house fine and euery thing neate and trimme but no care to reforme the heart and therefore the word of the Lord is vnto vs as a tale that is told which we like not in at one eare and out at the other or as water to the Blackemoore great washing but we neuer the whiter When we go to a feast and when we meete our friends we haue much care to set our gestures our words and our lookes after the ciuillest manner but the heart is still after the old fashion badde inough leude things are in that reforme that and all the rest will be well Thou wouldest serue God but thou thinkest that thou art not fine enough nay rather thinke that thou hast a proude heart and seekest thy owne selfe Thou wouldest giue to the poore but for feare of wanting for thy selfe nay rather feare that thy heart is not enlarged with the bowels of mercie and liberalitie Thou wouldest goe to thy neighbour that hath offended thee and is offended at thee but for feare that he should thinke thou art glad to seeke vnto him and so shouldst be more contemned of him but rather thinke that thy heart is not humble and peaceable Thou haddest not committed such nor such sinnes but for such and such persons thou sayest who enticed thee thereunto Nay rather say that thy heart was not well bounded with the feare and loue of God but lay open like a common field whose hedge is plucked vp to the ground for all vnchast vnpure and vile thoughts to breake in Iosephs heart was surely grounded in the knowledge of Gods will in the obeying of his word and strongly bounded with the feare of God and therfore do his mistresse what she could she could not by any meanes breake into the hold of his chastitie though she did strongly assault it Let religion be in thy heart and that will make thee serue God with the congregation of his people in such as thou hast yea through heate and cold no weather will keep thee from the publique seruice of God It will make thee with Zacheus to climbe a tree to see Christ and with the creeple in the fifth of Iohn desire some bodie to carrie thee into the poole of the heauenly waters and liuely fountaines of Gods word when the Angell Gods Minister doth stirre them So farre thou wilt be from saying the weather is too cold or too hote I am not well I am troubled with a murre and I know not what as the manner of many daintie ones is to do when they haue no loue of God or his truth in their hearts So also let loue and humilitie and mercie and zeale be in thy heart and they will cause thee to giue to forgiue and to seek peace and to speake of the Lords statutes euen before Kings and wilt not be ashamed except it be that for want of those graces thou couldest not performe those duties any sooner And so much for that point in discoursing whereof we see plainely that vntill the heart be reformed a man cannot be a good man nor an honest man and how they take a wrong course that beginne to reforme their outward partes and not their hearts first i the next place we are to consider of the piercing nature and searching power or powerfull searching of the word of God which dealeth with the heart searcheth the heart maketh lawes for the heart findeth out the leudnesse of the heart and reproueth the thoughts of the heart searching and discouering euen the most secret corners and closets of the heart to see how those lawes are kept or broken for as the Lord doth see the heart himselfe and cannot otherwise do because he maketh it and ruleth it so by his word he searcheth and gageth the same Not to be better enformed himselfe of any thing that is there for he from euerlasting at one instant had and for euer hath all the thoughts intents imaginations and purposes of all hearts in the world open before him knowing them all before they be conceiued with the meanes and maner of their entrance and all the effectes of them being conceiued but it is to shew vs his poore creatures and vnworthy children that we serue such a God and Father as doth know vs truly euen to the very heart and the most secret thoughts thereof and further that we also might hereby learne to know our selues and reforme our owne hearts which without the light of the word we could neuer do And therefore Dauid asking the question how a yong man may reforme his wayes meaning how he shall bridle his affections and order his wordes and his deedes he maketh no other aunswere but this Euen by taking heede thereunto according to thy word And to this end he hath giuen giftes vnto men Ephes. 4. euen his spirite of wisedome and of vnderstanding and of counsell and of courage Esa. 11.3 Nowe therefore whosoeuer being endued with that searching and powerfull spirite in any measure handleth and deuideth the word aright cannot choose but rifle the very thoughts of the hart Yea the faithfull Minister of God shall search the hearts of his hearers whether he will or no and sometimes shall be in their bosomes when he hath no such purpose Some say to themselues as Ieremy did when he was had in contempt and hatred for speaking against the speciall sinnes of his time They will not make any more mention of God nor speake any more in his name but the word of the Lord is in their heart as a burning fire shut vp in their bones and they are wearie with forbearing yea they cannot stay but must vtter it And then they speake so to the consciences of men that if a stranger or an vnlearned man come in in the meane time he feeleth his heart discouered and is rebuked of all men as he thinketh for he thinketh that his secret thoughts are then knowne to all men and he confesseth plainely that God is amongest them as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 14.24 which is a very sure argument that this word which we preach is the word of God for what lawes or writings can deale so with the heart and consciences of men but onely the lawes and Scriptures of the most high who onely searcheth the heart Of this point we may make a double vse first it may teach vs for a certaine truth that there is no thought in the heart but that God is priuie to it for when he shall giue man a spirite to search and knowledge to iudge the hearts of men which aboue all thinges are so deceiptfull that they cannot be knowne as the Prophet Ieremy telleth vs meaning that no man by his owne skill can throughly sound the depth of any mans heart nor
all that they desire or delight in Giue me the substance of religion saith sinceritie and me the ceremonie saith hypocrisie giue me the bodie of Christianitie saith sincerity and me the shadow saith hypocrisie let me haue praise of God saith sinceritie and me the praise of men saith hypocrisie let not me lack the thing without which I cannot serue the Lord saith sinceritie and me to serue the time and my owne turne saith hypocrisie giue me a good conscience before God saith sinceritie tush conscience was hanged long ago giue me goods and worldly riches saith hypocrisie giue me vertue and honestie saith sinceritie and let me borrow their clokes to play my part in and that shall serue my turne saith hypocrisie giue me peace with God saith sinceritie and me with my honest neighbours saith hypocrisie as for God I shall do well inough with him Handle the matter castè that is purely saith sinceritie cautè that is warily saith hypocrisie Take heede for God seeth thee saith sinceritie nay take heede that the world see thee not and then good inough saith hypocrisie It is against the word of God saith sinceritie therefore leaue it tush so long as he can haue no vantage against me by law I care not saith hypocrisie Qui vadit planè vadit sanè that is he that goeth plainely to worke goeth safely to worke saith sinceritie Qui nescit dissimulare nescit viuere that is he that cannot tell how to dissemble cannot tell how to liue saith hypocrisie You see then the difference between the nature of sinceritie and the nature of hypocrisie The one you see is like a rich King in a beggars cote amongst men Because as Christ our head said of himselfe when he liued poorely and contemptibly vpon earth My kingdome is not of this world and I haue meate to eate that you know not of so must Christs members say we are poore and despised in this life because our riches are not of this world and we haue friends that the world know not of The other is like a King in a play who for the time maketh a braue shew domineering ouer such counterfeits as himselfe is hauing vpon him cloth of gold and with the same perhaps are couered a number of scurfe and scabbes lice and vermine and when the Play is done the poore beggarly fellow must be faine to returne home his borrowed coat againe to the right owner and pay well for the hire thereof Now you haue heard the difference consider the matter consult and giue sentence whether this honest man the hypocrite hath so plaied his part before God or mā that he deserueth stil to go on without noting and neuer to be vncased or no. And so much shall suffise for the vncasing of the hypocrite and descrying of his nature Now it remaineth that you see his reward by that time I hope you wil not greatly desire to be an actor in his Play but of that in the next Sermon Now as for those that thinke I haue too particularly applyed this doctrine let them know that if Eliah did well in telling of Achab that it was he that troubled Israel and if Iohn Baptist did well in telling King Herod that he might not haue his brothers wife and the Ministers of the Gospell haue the same authoritie that they had then do we not amisse to make speciall application of our doctrine as they did Againe if the Apostle said well when he said Those that sinne openly rebuke openly that others may feare 1. Tim. 2. then do not they well which find fault with vs for following the Apostles rule For whom haue I admonished or reproued but publike persons by office and publike abuses and scandals by them committed and giuen to the great dishonour of God and hurt of this Church Lastly if a Preacher may speak to the Prince when he preacheth before the Prince and to the Iudges of Assizes and to the Iurours and to the Lawyers particularly and to the Bishops and to Iustices all being publike persons and charge them in Gods name to looke to their office and amend that which is amisse and that safely without daunger yea boldly with good warrant then do not I see but that any Pastour by his pastorall authoritie may in his owne congregation speake particularly to a Churchwarden or a Sideman and tell them what they ought to do yea more and charge them to do their office faithfully too yea and more then that if they haue bene admonished priuately and friendly and yet will not be admonished but take vpon them still to dispense with their oath and suffer Gods Church as much as lyeth in them to go to wracke then to reproue them both openly and roundly that themselues may repent if they belong to God or others may feare as the Apostle saith And vntill the Maior of a towne and the Churchwardens and other officers of a parish can shew me by Scripture or common reason that they be of greater state then Kings Queenes and Princes be of or then Noblemen Iudges and Bishops be of or that they be more priuiledged and exempted from the reproofe and censure of the word especially when their offences are publike and desperate then others be whom I haue named before and take to be farre aboue them surely I must and shall by Gods grace both hold my former opinion and as occasion shall serue declare the same by practise that is by making of speciall application of the doctrine to the generall and publike offenders and offences of this congregation Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what I say and let him that hath an heart sanctified consider well of it and let him that hath grace from God make a good vse of that that hath bene said As for the rest I say as Ioshua said let them chuse what they will do whether they will make a conscience of their dutie or dispense with their oath as they haue done I for my part will surely by Gods grace do that which belongeth to a true Pastor of Iesus Christ. And as Saint Iohn said he that is filthie let him be more filthie and he that is froward let him be more froward and he that will be obstinate let him be more obstinate and he that will be an hypocrite let him be more hypocriticall that their sinnes may be full ripe against the day of Gods vengeance But so many as feare the Lord in truth of heart and are truly humbled to endure the sifting and triall of the word of God and are desirous vnfainedly to yeeld obedience to the holy will of God let vs go on forward in our good courses without feare or fainting and God our heauenly Father in whom is our trust will surely keepe vs from finall falling away and in his rich mercie will pardon all our sinnes in the merite of Christ his bloudy passion blessed be his name for euer Amen Now let vs praise God THE VII
the poore the lame the maymed and the blind and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust that is if thou regardest a good reward indeed then rather call the poore then the rich What recompence this is that shall be giuen in behalfe of the poore Christ also sheweth in Mat. 25.34 where he sheweth that it shall be said to them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was a hungred and ye gaue me meat c. for in asmuch as ye haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me that is I take it as done vnto my selfe which you haue done vnto these poore ones that beleeue in me and for whom I haue died What manner of reward is this We may well wonder at this reward as Mary did at the Angels salutation for the Angell did not salute her as her neighbours vsed to salute her and God doth not reward his children in whom for his beloued Sons sake he taketh delight as men reward their friends Amongst men ye shall haue a dinner for a dinner and one good turne for another but here is a kingdom giuen for giuing a peece of bread or cloth or drinke or cōfortable speeches which they haue not giuē neither as owners therof but as stewards put in trust from God And what kingdome No lesse then the kingdome of heauen And how not as a lease or a farme or a coppie hold for yeares but as an inheritance of their Father for euer And this shall be giuen them in possession with al the grace and glorie that can be not in the presence of some few persons of this place or that countrey but before all the inhabitants of the whole world at the sight and hearing wherof the wicked and vngodly hypocrites who sold their good deedes for worldly praise and filthie lucre as prophane Esau did his birthright for a messe of pottage shall euen gnash with their teeth for griefe and consume away like the smoke against the wind through extremitie of feare griefe and shame being withall at the same instant ouerwhelmed with the most dreadfull and intollerable sentence of Gods euerlasting curse which in like manner is set downe alreadie Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels from which the Lord for his rich mercies sake in Christ Iesus deliuer vs all Now my brethrē by this time I hope you be perswaded that there is nothing lost by that which a man doth vnto God in secret or vnto any of Gods Church for the loue of God For God that is loue it selfe and infinite in loue cannot but infinitely reward the loue of his children which any way they haue shewed vnto his Maiestie especially seeing as he crowneth not our gifts to him but his owne gifts in vs which we receiued first of him And what can we desire more Would we be seene when we do well behold who seeth vs euen God our heauenly Father who is all in all who cannot deceiue any nor be deceiued by any Wouldest thou be rewarded for that thou doest and would we not loose our labour for a toy or a trifle as many do then behold our heauenly Father is readie able and willing to reward vs with a kingdom of eternal happinesse onely let vs be content with his reward and tarrie his gracious leisure Would we be openly rewarded and graced by some great person before many and before our enemies that they might be ashamed and before our friends that they might with vs reioyce and triumph ouer them then behold we haue our hearts desire our heauenly Father will not onely most bountifully reward vs but also in the open presence view and hearing of all the whole world will blesse vs where all Kings and Emperours and Tyrants shall appeare and stand naked and many of them shall shake and tremble for extreame feare and horrour of their owne conscience and Gods vengeance Blessed be the most glorious name of our heauenly Father for euer Amen As we haue heard what is to be shunned and what is chiefly to be respected in giuing of almes so now it will not be amisse to speake something though but briefly of almes it selfe and therein to see first what this word almes doth signifie Secondly to what end or for what cause God did ordaine that almes should be giuen and taken or why he would haue any occasion thereof in the world Thirdly how men may be moued or induced to giue almes And lastly to whom almes must be giuen For the first the word almes is deriued of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth mercie Therefore as that is called grace which is giuen of grace so that is called mercie which is giuen of mercie Almes then is some benefite that is bestowed freely vpon the poore and needie onely of a mercifull and pitifull affection and fellow feeling of his griefe and want So the Samaritane is said to haue shewed compassion and mercie vpon the wounded man when he powred oyle into his woundes and holpe him vp to his beast and laid out money for him at the Inne and gaue his word for him this was a right almes giuer which gaue of pitie and was moued by mercie which is nothing else but a griefe and sicknes of the mind for anothers miserie and makes a man readie to releeue the same And of almes some is true and some is false that is true almes which comes from them that giue of mercie and compassion or feeling of anothers miserie who is sicke and troubled in his mind vntill his brothers miserie be releeued That is a false almes which comes from hypocrites who giue not of any mercie or compassion but of some other straunge affections seeking either to winne fame or to auoid shame or because they are compelled by law to giue something For otherwise if they should see their poore brother in neuer so great need alone and no bodie by them to see them when they giue or if there were not others to giue before them and to wonder at them for their hardnesse of heart or some law to compell them they would go by him and come by him too often inough and let him die too for want before they would part with any thing to saue him That our almes may be true almes or mercies gift indeed it is not so materiall how honest or dishonest how good or how bad he be to whō we giue nor whether it be much or little that we giue but with what mind we giue Discriminat in hac causa non dati sed dantium diuersitas saith a learned Writer It is not the diuersitie of gifts but the diuersitie of giuers that make the difference in this cause
perfectly know his owne how much more doth God himselfe search and know them most perfectly and exactly who is all wisedome it selfe Elijah was a sharpe sighted Prophet as any was in all Israel yet he could see no more then himselfe left which stood zealously for the glorie of God and hated Baal but the Lord saw 7000. in Israel which neuer bowed their knees to Baal more then Elijah saw So the Ministers of the word of God may see and shew vs a little corruption but God will find 7000. times more then they can find Dauid was priuie to his owne heart as much as any man and yet he could not see all the sinnes that lurked there and therfore he prayeth against his secret faultes And if our hearts condemne vs sayth Saint Iohn God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Therfore when by the light of the word of God shining in our hearts we see more corruption in our selues then we did before let vs thanke God and repent of it for to that end doth the Lord hold forth that candle to discouer vnto vs our hidden corruption and to draw vs to repentance and not to stay there neither but pray against more that we know not of by reason of our ignorance negligence and not to thinke ourselues well when we haue repented that which we know Secondly seeing as this knowledge is conueyed vnto vs of Gods mercie and fauour by the right deuiding of the word of God let vs learne so to take it and embrace it as a mercie and fauour of God who doth thus seeke vs out when we loose ourselues And whosoeuer would be throughly well acquainted with his owne heart let him be a diligent searcher of it by the continuall reading of the Scriptures hearing of Sermons and dayly meditation in that which he readeth and heareth for want wherof the wicked blind Atheists and Epicures and other profane persons which care not for the word of God know no more the deceipt of sinne nor the corruption of their hearts then the bruite beast doth but glorie and reioyce in that which is their vtter shame and how can they repent them of that which they glorie in and that is the leud things of their hearts which for want of the heauenly light they cannot discerne And this is that which Salomon meaneth when he saith the wicked shall die for want of instruction and go astray through his great folly And as for their owne naturall light it is in comparison but meere darknesse and a false light that like a Drapers shop light doth deceiue men with false colours And further let no man be offended with the minister of God who doth but hold forth the glasse which doth shew vnto them the spottes and deformities of their soules Nay rather let vs accompt him the best teacher that commeth nearest our consciences and that a good Sermon that rippetth and tumbleth vp all our hearts And if we go from a Sermon which doth not trouble vs and like a purgation worke strongly in discouering and disturbing our hearts and the sinnes that lurke there then let vs thinke that either we haue dead hard harts or else that the speaker wanted either will skill or courage or that his weapons had no edge and his phisicke no strength But many in steed of making this vse of it do presently thinke that some body hath told the Preacher some tales of them as the proude men of Ierusalem sayd that Ieremy spake as Baruch the son of Neriah had prouoked him against them and do maruel how he came to the knowledge of their thoughts and of their wordes which in secret they haue vttered as the King of Aram maruelled who disclosed his secrets to the King of Israel Now Elisha hauing the spirite of prophesie was able to do it and did it so likewise the Ministers of Christ hauing the light of the word with the direction and power of the Spirit of God can in some measure also disclose vnto vs when we heare them the secrets of our hearts and that we should be out of all doubt for this matter the Apostle telleth vs plainely that this is the powerfull working of the word of God Which sayth he is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through euen to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and of the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Then as for God himselfe in the next verse he sayth That all things are naked and open vnto his eyes And so much for this first point namely the power of the word of GOD which telleth vs what is in Belials heart Now it will be time to see what remedie may be had against those leud things that breede in the heart whereby we may approue our selues in the sight of God such as need not feare that sudden and irrecouerable vengeance which is to fall vppon the man of Belial And surely whither shall we go for a remedy but vnto him that hath told vs the state of our harts and that is to God himself who doth not only by his word tell vs what we are but also what we ought to be and by what meanes we may be as we should be That which Dauid appointed to redresse the young mans wayes is the onely meane both for young and olde to reforme themselues by and that is the word of God That which discerneth and sheweth vs the diseases of our harts is that which also prescribeth a remedy against the same but the word of God hath shewed vs that leud things are in the heart therefore the word of God also will shew vs how to reforme the heart and is like a skilfull Phisition who both sheweth the disease and the remedy Now the meanes which are prescribed in the word are of two sorts either Restoratiue in regard of the time past or Preseruatiue in regard of the time to come and both of God which the holy Prophet Dauid acknowledgeth when he sayth My soule prayse thou the Lord which forgiueth thee all thy sins and healeth all thine infirmities And the same doth Ieremy also confesse when he saith Heale me ô Lord and I shall be whole saue me and I shall be saued for thou art my praise For the time past forgiuenesse is to be had for the time to come deliuerance from euill To obtaine forgiuenesse of our leudnesse and wickednesse past two things are requisite Repentance and prayer So much doth the words of Peter to Simon Magus import Repent thee of this thy wickednesse saith he pray God that if it be possible the thought of thy hart may be forgiuē thee So our Sauiour Christ also taught vs in that prayer which we therfore call the Lords prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses and deliuer vs from euill That our
timely heed thou shalt by the grace of God be able easilie to espie the beginnings of thy speciall sinnes and all the degrees of them and the growth of them and all the shifts and sleights of Sathan and shalt euer get the victorie ouer them in Christ Iesus And albeit thou be haunted and molested and buffeted with such messengers of Sathan and pained and humbled by such prickes and goades in thy flesh while thou liuest yet here remaineth thy comfort when death commeth thou shalt be able to say with the Psalmist By this I know ô Lord that thou louest me because these my spirituall enemies haue not triumphed ouer me blessed be the name of the Lord God for euermore But one other side if thou be carelesse and put off the matter still from time to time thinking to repent and leaue thy sinne when thou art olde or a dying as many do thou doest miserably deceiue thy selfe for doubtlesse any one sinne that is growne into a custome will be too hard for thee before age come or sicknesse come And for proofe of that I say do but try thy strength with one of thy sinnes which thou hast accustomed thy selfe vnto and when thou wouldest leaue it see how many shifts and delayes and deuises and excuses it hath still pulling thee backe againe when thy foote is in the stirrop and thou ready as thou thinkest to ride away from it Now if it be so with one sinne that thou hast bene familiar withall what wilt thou do when all thy sinnes are proued customes Is it not an vsuall answer of most men that haue vsed swearing or lying or prophane mirth or sluggish seruing of God c. It is my custome I cannot leaue it Those young men which were Ieroboams companions before his raigne would be his Counsellors when he did raigne so those sinnes which are thy companions now will be thy Counsellors and maisters too hereafter Therefore say not thou wilt take heed of them hereafter for hereafter thou art likely in all common sense and reason to be euery way more vnfit and vntoward then thou art now but when time and occasion serue watch sinne and thou take him and destroy him which else in time will ouerthrow thee THE III. SERMON WE haue heard what it is that Christians must take heede of in doing of good deedes and the manner how to take heed thereof Now we are further to consider of the reasons which our Sauiour giueth hereby to make men the more fearefull of that which he warneth them of and more carefull to follow his counsell And his reasons containe two propositions the one is negatiue the other is affirmatiue The first is these words For else you shall haue no reward of your heauenly father The other is in these words Verily I say vnto you they that is hypocrites haue their reward The first reason is very soueraigne and auaileable against the inward euill namely all inward desire and affection of popular praise and vaineglorie and the other is as forcible to disswade from the outward euill that is ostentation and shew of vaine-glorie The former telleth vs what we loose if we take not heed and keepe not good watch ouer our hearts against vaineglorious affections and that is Gods reward Our fathers blessing a heauenly reward and in the second reason we are told what we shall get in stead thereof namely the reward of hypocrites and no more and that is the praise of men the wind of mens mouthes the good opinion of mutable minds then the which there is nothing more vaine nor transitorie nor friuolous nor ridiculous a miserable reward indeede a punishment and a torment to a godly mind Now we see that by this bargaine a man if he take not heede may be a great looser and by taking heed he may be a great gainer Againe we see that the vaineglorious Christian that is to say a plaine hypocrite is a gainer by his hipocrisie but his gaine is nothing to that which he expecteth and nothing comparable to his losse These reasons are vsed by our Sauiour Christ in most high wisedome as proceeding from one that best knoweth euery mans disease and euery ones humour and euery ones delight and accordingly he fitteth both his medicines and his motiues Now seeing as all men are much moued with hope of rewards especially when for a small matter they are in hope to obtaine a great and a good reward what could our Sauiour Christ propound of greater force to moue men to embrace sinceritie in all their actions then Gods reward which is the greatest and the best And because hypocrisie is of that bewitching nature and besotting humour that it maketh her suters attendants beleeue that they shal be both honored here amōgst men and glorified hereafter amongst Angels in heauen and so by feeding them with a vaine hope of a double reward for their double dealing our Sauiour Christ here doth notably coole their courage by abating no lesse of their wages then heauen commeth to assuring them that whatsoeuer they dreame of it wil proue but a dreame And least any man should thinke that it is otherwise and God will be better to them then so as all hypocrites do our Sauiour Christ bindeth vp the matter with an earnest asseueration or constant affirming the matter and saith not I feare me they haue their reward I doubt they will loose their reward in heauen I cannot tell but I stand in great doubt of the matter for then yet there were some little hope left like a bone for the hypocritie to picke vpon but the goeth more directly to the point then so saying verily and out of all question build vpon it know for a certaine what to trust vnto if you take not heede of hypocrisie you haue your reward here there is nothing to be looked for hereafter at Gods hand but the hypocrites portion and that is hell fire with the diuell and his Angels for euer for when men haue rewarded them God will punish them And thus you see the force of Christs reasons and the drift of his words wherein we haue two excellent points offered vs to consider of First the reward of sinceritie secondly the reward of hypocrisie The reward of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart verily is great for the Psalmist saith that in keeping of the commandements of God there is great reward Sinceritie is commaunded in the first commaundement of the first Table and more largely in other places of Scripture which bid vs to serue God with all our hearts and with all our soules and to praise him with all that is within vs. And therefore out of all doubt there is a great reward laid vp for those that are sincere harted Christians and vpright professors of the Gospell of Christ. Thou hast shewed great mercy to Dauid saith King Salomon when he walked before thee in truth and vprightnesse of heart to shew that great mercies belong
honoured and rewarded of God then all the world beside Oh happie man and woman that professing Christianitie or faith in Christ or repentance for sinne or patience in affliction or contempt of the world or zeale to Gods glorie or deuotion in Gods worship or liberalitie to the Saints or mercie to the miserable can in all these haue the company of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart then may they say thus nay our suretie the Lord Iesus wil pleade for vs in this manner Father despise not these little ones they are my friends and though their faith and repentance be weake and imperfect and other graces of thy Spirit be but small and feeble and for want of nourshing and good looking vnto be not so well growne nor so well ordered as they should haue bene yet forasmuch as they come before thee and haue called vpon my name in sinceritie and truth which thou louest without counterfeiting dissembling and hypocrisie which thou abhorrest thou wilt not despise them Their fruit though they be but little in quantitie like a graine of musterd seed yet it is right fruite of the Spirit true faith though little faith true loue though litle and small loue not like the fruites of hypocrites which are like the apples of Sodome faire in shew and ashes in substance What hath soundly comforted all the Saines of God here on earth but the testimonie of an vpright heart And is not sound comfort a good reward What hath encouraged and emboldned them to come before God in prayer but the testimoniall of a sincere heart and holy affection And is not boldnesse in Gods presence a good reward What hath made the prayers of the faithfull auaileable with God for other but the sinceritie and vpright affection of them that haue craued their prayers and are not these sweet odours that is the prayers of the Saints a good reward What made Iacob to be honoured with the new name of Israel that is preuailing with God for a blessing but that his wrestling was not in shew but in good earnest in sinceritie and truth of heart with a constant purpose of perseuering till he had gotten that which he stroue for And is not preuailing with God a good reward All the daies of the afflicted are euill saith Salomon that is troublesome grieuous and bitter to flesh and bloud but a good conscience is a continuall feast that is he that hath an vpright heart and sincere affection before God feeleth no want Now such a feast as it is continuall so is it prouided by God himselfe serued in with the Spirit of God where the Angels do waite and reioyce and the worst dishes are the assurance of Gods loue forgiuenesse of sinnes peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost There all the communication is secret and heauenly between Christ and the soule the Musitians are the faithfull and their musicke is praising of God and their harmonie is the communion of Saints and all are of one heart and mind and is not such a feast a good reward Nay more then this if this be not inough whosoeuer will earnestly hegge this gift of God by prayer and louingly embrace and keepe her as his deare spouse shall haue with her a large dowrie a great reward in heauen in heauen saith Christ. For such gifts come not without crauing and of our selues we cannot haue it for if a good wife be the gift of God much more is a good heart which God in creating doth giue in giuing doth create therfore Dauid saith Create in me ô Lord a cleane heart to shew that we can no more make the hart sincere then we can create a hart But whē such a hart is created by God he giueth thee a singular gift a great portion belongeth vnto it Part of it shall be payd thee in this life but the greatest part in the life to come In this life thou shalt be loued of Christs friends and moned of good men when thou art wronged the more thou dost seek to honor God the more he will honor thee as he told Samuel The more thou fliest the vainglorie of the world for sinceritie sake the more wil true glorie follow thee according to the Prouerb Honos fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit It followeth those that flye from her like friends which enforce gifts and other curtesies vpon modest persons which refuse them but flyeth them that follow her as men do impudent beggers But besides al this when death comes thy deare friend sincerity shall more comfort thee then all the Phisitions in the world And after death thy name shall liue and walke vp downe in the world to warne some to comfort some to admonish some and to shame some and to condemne many But yet here is not all for then shalt thou first receiue commendation of God whom thou hast serued and secondly enter into full and euerlasting possession of thy maisters ioy which is no lesse then a weightie crowne of glorie immortall then a kingdome and inheritance of eternall blessednesse with the Saints and Angels and God himselfe where all teares shall be wiped from thy eyes and thou shalt reioyce for euermore Where thou shalt enioy for euer and euer such things as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard nor heart to man can conceiue and nothing shall euer obscure or eclipse the same nor crosse nor diminish the same And what is all this or whatsoeuer else can be sayd of it but scarce a shadow of sincerities reward Alas a drop taken out of the sea and a moate out of the mountaines like the hem of Christs garment which did comfort the woman that touched it but she found more comfort in him then in the hem So the description of sincerity is delightsome the picture is pleasing but whosoeuer hath sincerity it selfe shall find at his left hand the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasure for euermore Whosoeuer after this Sermon shall find so much fauour with God as to meete with sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart in all his actions and such an affection that preferreth Gods glorie before his owne and seeketh praise of God and not of man shall say as the Queene of the South sayd when she came to King Salomon That which I heard of thee I did hardly beleeue it but now I perceiue that the report which went of thee is nothing answerable to that which thou art indeed And though no man deserueth such a reward at Gods hand no nor any reward at all but shame and confusion which is our due desert yet both for his promise sake as also for his honour sake he will so reward his children If mortall men will keepe their promise one towards another as all that haue but common ciuility and honestie will them much more will Almightie God who is all truth and righteousnesse it selfe and can no more breake his promise then he can denie himselfe
fisted as many are against poore Christians considering what Christ hath done for them for whose sake they ought to open their hand yea and euen to powre out their very hearts with al the bowels of mercie and compassion that can be Christ doth feede vs with heauenly bread namely with his owne flesh and bloud to eternal life and shall not we againe feed him when he is hungrie with earthly bread Christ doth cloth vs with garments of immortalitie and shal not we cloth him when he is naked with garments which soone weare out and come to nought Christ will receiue vs into his euerlasting and heauenly habitations and shall not we receiue him comming as a poore pilgrime amongst vs into our earthly mansions Christ came downe from heauen to vs not onely to visite vs but also to cure vs and shall not we visite him when he is sicke in his members Christ was imprisoned to set vs at libertie he was wrongfully condemned to acquite vs and miserably accursed to blesse vs and deepely impouerished to enrich vs and shamefully crucified to redeeme vs and cruelly tormented to ease vs and shall not we vouchsafe to visite him in prison and endure some paine for the ease of his poore members Yes verily and wo yea ten thousand woes be to them that are ashamed of his bands All this doth euery one professe that saith I beleeue the communion of Saints Many do speake those words but few shew the power therof most professe but fewest practise the Communion of Saints which sheweth plainely that many moe professe the name of Christ then do indeede belong vnto him For none of his members be dead and sencelesse but are all of them fellow and feeling members suffering one with another like the members of a mans bodie and helping one another as they would be helped themselues To conclude this point let vs imagine there is some rich man of whom we haue receiued more benefits then euer we are able to recompence He hath no need of our reward but onely commendeth vnto vs some poore friend of his whom he specially loueth would require at our hands in token of our thankefull mind to bestow somewhat vpon that his poore frind would not al the world cry shame of vs if we should refuse it Christ himselfe is that rich man vnto whom for infinite benefits we ow not only great thankfulnes but euen our selues And this one thing especially he requireth at our hands that what we could find in our hearts to do vnto him we would for his sake do it vnto the poore whō by speciall charge he hath committed to our care for which cause he said when Iudas grudged at the ointment which Mary bestowed on him Let her alone why trouble ye her she hath wrought a good worke on me to shew that those should not be hindred which are about to shew the fruits of loue to Christ and addeth withall as a reason why shee should not be hindered For ye haue the poore with you alwaies and whē you will ye may do them good to shew that as he was once annoynted honoured in his owne person so he lookes still to be annoynted and honoured in his members which who soeuer refuseth what loue can he imagine that he beareth vnto Christ For if the loue of Christ were in him he would count nothing too deare to bestow vpon Christ nor yet too hard to suffer for Christ. As it is said of Iacob that he suffered twice seuen yeares for Rahel and they seemed vnto him but a few daies because he loued her to shew that such is the nature of loue that it will make the most hard things become easie and the most heauie things light for their sakes whom we loue Lastly it is requisite that the poore moue the rich vnto the workes of mercie by their good behauiour shewing themselues thankefull and contented for whatsoeuer is giuen them and not to harden the harts of men against them by shifting for themselues or by pilfering and filching nor by idle loytering nor by impudent outfacing nor by slaunderous backbiting nor by busie tale-carying nor by taking in ill part that which is giuen them as too too many do For as many husbands which obey not the word are wonne to loue their wiues without the word while they behold the pure conuersation of their wiues coupled with feare 1. Pet. 3.1.2 euen so many rich men which are not yet moued by the word to loue the poore may in time be wonne without the word while they behold the honest conuersation of the poore coupled with thankefull reuerence and faithfull diligence Now in the last place it remaineth onely that in a word wee consider to whom almes must be giuen and that is generally to euery one that craueth the same hauing need therof according to Christs commandement giue to euery one that asketh of thee Meaning if he hath need and thou be able to supply his want but more especially to those that are godly and well disposed according to the restraint that the Apostle hath made in Gal. 6.10 Let vs do good vnto al mē but especially to those that are of the houshold of faith but most especially vnto those faithfull ones that are of our own houshold stock or kinred As Ioseph gaue messes of meate vnto all his brethren and change of raiment but vnto Beniamin whom he loued better then the rest he gaue three hundred peeces of siluer and fiue suits of raiment and vnto his father who was dearer vnto him then his brother Beniamin he sent tenne hee Asses laden with the best things of Egypt and tenne she Asses laden with wheate and bread and meate for his father by the way And they are no men but monsters that being able suffer their parents and kindred to perish for want of releefe And yet it is not meant that we must giue to euery one that shall aske of vs without exception for then we shall in short space go a begging our selues yea if we had the treasures of a King This did a certaine Emperour well consider to whome on a time as they say a certaine bold faced companion came and desired his Maiestie to bestow some reward vpon a poore kinseman of his I am your kinseman quoth he both by father and mother for we come all of Adam and Eue. Indeede thou saiest true quoth the Emperour and with that drew foorth his purse and gaue him a peny A penie quoth the other shall I haue no more but a penie a simple reward from an Emperor Hold thy selfe content quoth the Emperour if I should giue to euery one of my kinsemen a peny I should soone become a poore Emperour Euen so if we should giue to euery one that would aske of vs we should soone emptie our selues and begge too But it is meant that we must giue as we are able hauing respect to time and place and occasion
c. and hath all the markes of Belial and therefore he is a man of Belial And thus we se to what end this description of Belial is set forth namely to that end that we might know him when we meet him and auoide him when we know him And now let vs go to another point and see whether it be lawful for Christians to iudge of another by this description or no. It is no small mercy of God so exactly to anatomize or describe the wicked man for by this meanes one shall not be taken for another and Christians knowing for certaine a wicked man by his picture may more easily auoide him more safely reproue him and more freely giue Vertue her robes and her ornaments againe when Belial that runagate is stript out of all and turned out naked as he deserueth But intollerable is the vnthankfulnesse of many and by this doctrine to be reproued that so abuse the mercy of God as to outface the truth euen now in the day light of the Gospell and glorious truth of the Lord. So shamelesse and impudent are the fauourites of Belial that they will not sticke to say How know you that he is a wicked man or a wicked woman Oh you may not iudge you may not iudge when we do but iudge the tree by the fruites and pronounce that which God hath set downe Now he that taketh the notes which God hath giuen him doth not iudge but onely pronounceth the iudgement of God Whatsoeuer the wicked do yet when they daunce in this net You must not iudge c. they thinke themselues safe like the foolish bird called the Ostrich which putteth her head into a bush and then thinketh that no body seeth her though all her body be out of the bush If a wicked man be reproued for couetousnesse what is his defence but this How know you that I am couetous you may not iudge when all his life fauoureth of nothing else but greedy couetousnesse all his talke is of worldly matters for heauenly things he can find no leisure no time to heare the word and yet how know you that he is couetous He getteth al mens trades into his hands to the spoile and decay of many that would liue by him he will be a mercer a grocer a draper a cutler an armourer a girdler a malster a brewer a corne-bodger a gamester and what not and so ouerdroopeth all occupations about him and vnder him that none can thriue but he and yet how know you that he is a worldling In the like sort if the wicked Belial be reproued for pride he will straight be at defiance with you and for his defence this shall be his plea How know you that he is proud you may not iudge c. when all their whole life bewrayeth nothing else euery day a new fashion all the day little inough for their curling and crisping and frisling and pluming and setting c. Their gate must be counterfeit their speech is counterfeit their beauty is counterfeit their haire is counterfeit and yet how know you that teyh be proud In like manner will the lasciuious and incontinent person pleade for himselfe you may not iudge when all his life doth stinke of his filthinesse when he hunteth harlots houses yea though the streetes swarme with his bastards though he doth daily vomit out filthy shamelesse and ribaldry speeches yet he may be an honest man will some say Oh it is hard to iudge These are such as claime patronage one of another claw me I will claw thee They will stand out with it at the barre with God himselfe as in Math. 3.8 Your words haue bene stout against me sayth the Lord But they aunswere What haue we sayd But they that make no conscience of iustifying wicked men will make no conscience to iustifie wickednesse it selfe in time as Salomon made no bones of idolatrie when once he liked idolatrous women It is sayd indeede Iudge not that ye be not iudged Math. 7.1 But that place is to be vnderstood against rash iudgement not iudgement simply for other places do allow of iudging but no place alloweth rash hastie and peremptorie iudging The Apostle Saint Paule handling the doctrine of the Lords supper sayth vnto his auditours the Corinths Iudge ye what I say to shew that Christians must be able to iudge of doctrine And speaking of the preparation of Christians before they come to the Lords table he saith Iudge your selues to shew that Christians must be able to iudge of their owne estate In another place he prayeth that the Church of Christ may abound in all knowledge and iudgement and giueth a reason that they may be able to discerne things that differ In another place the Lord himself saith Iudge righteous iudgemēt All which places besides infinite more to the like effect do shew that our Sauior Christ for bad not all kind of iudgement they may as well conclude that there must be no Iudges nor iudgement seats no courts nor verdicts no Assises nor sessions because Christ hath sayd Iudge not and so we should make a good peece of worke quickly But harken now what common reason sayth to the matter Shall not the Goldsmith iudge of mettals because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Shall not the Phisition iudge of a sicke body because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Shall not a iury of twelue men iudge of a fellon because Christ hath sayd iudge not Shall not the Iudge giue iudgement vpon a malefactour because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Shall not the eare iudge of sounds and the eye of colours and the nose of smels and the pallate of meates because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Yes you will say all Very well And shall not a Christian also by the powers of his inward man discerne betweene a good man and a wicked man because Christ hath sayd Iudge not Or doth all power of iudging and ability of discerning belong onely to the outward man and none to the inward man or shall the inward man be able to iudge of euery thing sauing of mens actions and behauiour That is very absurd The naturall man perceiueth not the things of God sayth the Apostle because they are spirituall and must be spiritually discerned but the spirituall man iudgeth all things and is iudged of none that is of no carnall man is he rightly iudged for the carnall man can no more iudge of the spirituall man and his actions then a blind man can iudge of colours Therefore though Christ hath sayd Iudge not yet will no man loose his authority in place of iudgement nor the priuiledge of his sight nor of his hearing nor of his tasting nor the vse of naturall reason Nay more though Christ hath sayd Iudge not yet these fellowes will not sticke to be most swift iudges of others themselues for do they see another man zealous in religion deuout in prayer a diligent hearer of
some to Noblemen some to Gentlemen some to Lawyers some to Bishops and some to their officers and all retaining to great men in the world that they should be spared for their maisters sake which partiall dealing may well befound in the world but in the word it cannot be for the word of God is of that largenesse that it compasseth all of that brightnesse that it discouereth all of that maiesty that it astonisheth all of that power that it apprehendeth all and of that authority that it commandeth all Neither can any sinne or sinnes withall the shiftes and deuises in the world escape the power and censure of that word which hath once spoken the word and proclaimed it to all the world that whatsoeuer is done in secret shall be preached on the house top that is shall be made knowne to all the world Therefore thinke it not strange good brethren if you find your selues touched and rifled too when you heare a Sermon for the word of the Lord being deuided aright will do both Say not as Achab sayd to Eliah Hast thou found me ô my enemy when your secret and deare sinnes are by the power of the word rightly handled and applied by your Pastour or whosoeuer else for God hath found you out as he did find out Adam hidden amongst the trees of the garden or else we should haue lost our selues for euer and therefore let vs be thankfull to his Maiesty for so great a mercy for it is great indeed and not be angry with his ministers who do but hold vs the glasse while we see therein our spots Neither say you as the proud Iewes did to Ieremy This is not the word of the Lord which Ieremy speaketh but he speaketh as Baruch the sonne of Neriah prouoketh him For it is the nature of the word to tell you all that you haue done as Christ told the woman of Samaria Againe here we may further obserue how great sins and small sins are knit together as great theeues and little theeues lye all in one prison go all in one line stand all at one barre and haue all one maner of triall where we are to note that Gods Spirit is not so carefull to sift out the lesser offences of men but the greater also For as he is the Iudge of all men so he dealeth vprightly in equity with all men and not as the Scribes and Pharisees nor as their Apes the Papistes who straine gnattes and swallow camels while they vrge the tithing of mint and cummin and rew and let the weightier matters of the law go by who make the breaking of a Popish ceremony or dirty traditions of men a mortall sinne but neuer vrge matters of substaunce either in matters of faith or manners Neither are Gods lawes like the Spiders webbe that catcheth onely little flies but like the net that taketh the Lion as well as the Hare which straightnesse and vprightnesse bewraieth the crookednes of men For first how contrarie to Gods course is the practise of Antichrist and Papists For how precise are they in the searching out of toyes and trifles ceremoniall and circumstantiall things and punishing men for the omission of them But for the profaning of the Sabboth for the insufficiency of vnpreaching Ministers for the contempt of Gods word and such like things they are not so precise nay scarse do they account of them as of sinnes This also reproueth many professours of the Gospell which will seeme to make a conscience of many matters of lesse moment in others and dispence with very foule abuses as of swearing gaming c. both in themselues and in their families Whereby all of vs are to be admonished to take that course that Gods Spirite taketh here and that is to be as zealous agaynst one sinne as against another and to bend our force against the greatest as well as against the least and to pull out as well the beames as the motes out of our owne eyes as well as out of other mens And so much for the doctrine that ariseth of the coherence or ioyning of this text with the rest of the Chapter Now let vs pray THE II. SERMON PROV 6.12 The vnthrifty man or the man of Belijal and the wicked man or the man of vanity IN the former Sermon we haue heard to what end this description of a wicked man is made and how far we may go in iudging him Now let vs cōsider of his marks by which he is known as the Leopard by his spots and the blacke Moore by his skin And first of his names and they be two The first is Adam Belijahall the second is Ish-auen which in our English Bibles are translated the vnthrifty man and the wicked man the wordes in the originall text are more significant Adam Belijahall is a phrase whereby the Hebrewes do vse to note out a dissolute and loose man a lawlesse person without a yoake that giueth himselfe to do what he list and is not vnfitly translated an vnthrifty man ab effectis from the effects of lawlesnesse because such commonly neuer thriue nor come to any good end So is this word Belial taken in diuerse other places of the Scripture as in Deut. 13.13 Wicked men are gone out from among you meaning children of Belial as they are called in the originall These like lawlesse persons haue drawne away saith the text the inhabitants of their city vnto other Gods So likewise is it taken in the 19. of Iudges verse 22. where it is sayd That as the Leuite and his wife were making merry at an old mans house who gaue them entertainment in their iourney the men of the city euen men of Belial sayth the text meaning dissolute and lewd persons giuen to all wickednesse beset the house round about and smote at the doore and enforced the old man the maister of the house to bring foorth his guest vnto them where most villanously they abused the Leuites concubine all night vnto death In like sort it is taken in the first of Samuel 2. Chapter 12. vers where it is sayd that the sonnes of Ely were men of Belial that is giuen to all wickednesse In this sence it is vsed also or abused rather in the 2. of Samuel chap. 16. ver 7. where that cursed Shimei being a man of Belial himselfe doth most vndutifully raile vpon King Dauid his Lord and Soueraigne saying Come foorth thou man of bloud and man of Belial And in the new Testament it is also so taken in the 2. to the Corin. the 6. Chap. and 15. vers where the Apostle saith What fellowship is there betwixt Christ and Belial That is there is no fellowship betwixt Christ and lawlesse persons that are giuen to wickednesse And thus were dissolute persons called among the Iewes The Lord calleth such a kind of persons A stiffe necked people in Exod. 32.9 Alluding to vntamed oxen which will not vnlesse