Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	heart_n	lord_n	way_n	4,954	5	4.7237	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17330	Ten sermons vpon the first, second, third and fourth verses of the sixt of Matthew containing diuerse necessary and profitable treatises , viz. a preseruative against the poyson of vaine-glory in the 1 & 2, the reward of sincerity in the 3, the vncasing of the hypocrite in the 4, 5 and 6, the reward of hypocrisie in the 7 and 8, an admonition to left-handed Christians in the 9 and 10 : whereunto is annexed another treatise called The anatomie of Belial, set foorth in ten sermons vpon the 12, 13, 14, 15 verses of the 6 chapter of the Prouerbs of Salomon.	Burton, William, d. 1616.	1602 (1602)	STC 4178.5; ESTC S261	267,037	263

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 though●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 thē 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

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

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

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

the word of God a painefull searcher of the Scripture a seuere reprouer of sinne and a strict man in his life and conuersation what is their verdict of such a one Forsooth such a one is an hypocrite a Puritane a Precisian oh fie vppon him none are worse then these professours a busie fellow I warrant you a dangerous man an enemy to the state c. But if a man will serue the time and play the pot companion and become an vnthrift a gamster a tauerne hunter or a whore hunter and blaspheme the sacred name of God at euery word and scoffe handsomely at religion then their verdict is this and their bolt is leuelled in this manner Such a man is euen the honestest man that liueth a notable good fellow and no mans foe but his owne A preposterous iudgement they giue on both sides like the Barbarians with whom Paule was either a murtherer or a God But now heare the iudgement of the word concerning these swift iudges their crooked measures Wo be vnto them saith the Prophet Esai that speake good of euill and euill of good which call light darkenesse and darkenesse light sower sweete and sweete sower He that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the innocent euen both these are abhomination vnto the Lord saith Salomon And in another place He that sayth to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude shall abhor him All which places do teach vs two things First that it is lawfull for a man to iudge betweene a godly man and a wicked but then we must beware how we iudge that we condemne not or commend not one for another Secondly that those which rashly and vnaduisedly iudge of men at their owne pleasure are the worst men that liue Let vs learne then to iudge the Lords iudgements It is an easie way that Christ hath taught The tree is knowne by his fruites He that cannot iudge of meate by his taste is sicke So they that cannot iudge of sinne for want of spirituall taste are verie dangerously sicke When God hath set vp a torch and lighted it at noone day and yet we blindfold our selues and will not see it is vnthankfulnesse most peeuish and intollerable which calleth for a most seuere iudgement euen depriuation ipso facto of all spirituall vnderstanding and to be giuen vp of God vnto a reprobate sence But here now groweth a question whether may we iudge of reprobates vnreuealed or no Verily that is a matter that belongeth not to vs but to the high Iudge of heauen and earth Neither doth it follow that because I see such a one is a wicked man therefore such a one is a reprobate and a damned wretch God forbid we should reason so for though I see now what he is yet what he shall be hereafter I know not neither do I know what God hath decreed of him from euerlasting A Iurie of twelue sworne men do find being led thereunto by their euidence that such a one is a theefe and guilty of felonie but further they cannot go to say for certaine that such a one shall dye for it they cannot for the booke may saue him or the Iudge may repriue him or the Prince may pardon him for any thing that they know So a Christian by the euidence that Gods word giueth may find such and such to be guiltie of wickednesse and for the time may by his fruits pronounce that he standeth in the state of reprobation so long as he so continueth but that he shall dye in that case is more then he knoweth for the booke of God may be a meane of his conuersion and God the iudge of quicke and dead may repriue him to a further time of repentance and in the end God for his mercies sake in Iesus Christ may pardon him all his sinnes and so receiue him to mercy but this is more then any man can assure himselfe of if he continueth in his wickednesse therefore let no man presume to be a wicked man still in hope of mercy for he may so deceiue himselfe The Church perceiued that Iulianus the Apostata or backesliding Emperour had sinned against the holy Ghost and therefore was a reprobate that way whereupon they made a decree that all the Church should pray against him Paule by a speciall spirite of discerning discerned of Alexander the Copper-smith to be a reprobate and so did our Sauiour Christ discerne of Iudas to be a diuell incarnate and so a reprobate but these are no presidents nor warrants for priuate persons to hold by while they giue finall sentence vpon any And so much shall suffice for the second point where we see how farre we may safely go in the iudging of other men by the description of Belial and how farre not and now let vs come to the third circumstance and see what we may learne from the coherence or ioyning of this text with the rest of the Chapter In this Chapter Salomon maketh a diuision of sinnes and dealeth against diuerse kindes of sinne as namely against rashnesse and vaine-glorie in suretiship but not against suretiship it selfe as more at large I haue shewed in my Caueat for sureties and then he taxeth those that liue idlely for want of a lawfull calling and negligently in their calling and vnprofitably both as before I haue declared according to my poore measure in my Rowsing of the sluggard the greatest enemy I confesse one of them that euer I had to deale withall in my selfe And these sinnes he prosecuteth vnto the 12. verse From those he ariseth and encountreth with greater and grosser sinnes both of men and women vnto the ende of the Chapter from whence we may note that the fanne that God sifteth sinne withall shall find out all and is like the net that bringeth all to the shore Some thinke to go away with their sinnes as many theeues do with their pilfers and not to be espied but it cannot be for if Gods word may haue free passage it will find them out How fondly then do they deceiue themselues which will haue the word to be sincerely deliuered and throughly applied and yet thinke that they should be exempted from the censure and reproofe of the word and not be touched Of such we reade in the Gospell and namely of a certaine Lawyer who hearing our Sauior Christ inueying against some great fault amongst that profession steppeth vp and bestirreth himselfe as a fish that felt himselfe masked in the net and sayth Maister in so saying thou puttest vs to rebuke also Where we see that there are some sinnes that can be contented to sit stil see their fellows arrested but being attached themselues they storme and startle at the very sight of the officer yea at the very glimering of the light when it commeth to them supposing themselues to be priuiledged by reason that they belong some to Princes

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