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
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
the Anatomie of Belial that is loose lawlesse prophane vaine froward leud surmising suspitious and contentious let them seeke vnto the Lord by timely and vnfained repentance let them embrace righteousnesse and true holinesse and so mercie shall embrace them let them forsake their loosenesse their prophaneness their leudnes and their vanities and by a liuely faith working by loue take hold of Christ as of the hornes of Gods altar and and so assuring themselues of Gods loue in the merites of Christ they may escape this irrecouerable destruction or else not for otherwise my text saith that they shall be destroyed speedily suddenly and without recouerie Many vses may profitably be made of this doctrine but before we come to them I thinke it not amisse to meet with certaine obiections that may be made by Atheists and scoffers against this that hath bene said yea and which do many times arise in the minds of Gods deare children through the weaknesse of their faith in extremity of grieuous temptations sore afflictions Which obiections forasmuch as I find them moued and sufficiently answered by many learned and godly but especially by that excellent learned noble man of France Mornay du Plessy in his booke of the trunesse of religion I wil put them downe euen as he hath done and for answere vnto them will briefly shew you the substance and effect of his answeres supposing them to be so full and sufficient to the purpose that nothing can well be added vnto them to more purpose or of more sufficiency surely whatsoeuer others can I freely confesse my ignorance I see not what I can The first obiection is this if God be iust in his threatnings and that the wicked shall be destroyed and haue such a portion of plagues as hath bene shewed out of Iob. 20 and other places of Scripture then why haue they so much good and the godly so much euill here To this his answere is that if by good we meane riches honour health c. the question is absurd for godlinesse and vertue is the true good The pouerty of Lazarus being a vertuous man is better then the wealth of the rich man the sicknes of a wise man with his wisedom is better then the health of a foole What goods soeuer a man hath he cannot be a good man so long as he him selfe is euil and these outward things are common to good and bad If a man must be termed a good man for hauing these goods then a foole may be termed a wise man in a rich gowne All these false goods are meanes to the wicked to make them worse and worse and riches to corrupt them and others authoritie to do violence health doth make them lustie to do mischiefe so the euils which men terme euils are meanes to the good to make them better as pouertie serueth to bridle lust basenesse to humble them incumbrances to driue them to God and to teach them to succor others But why are these goods common Surely because God cannot be but good insomuch as he maketh his raine to fall and his Sunne to shine vp all A father that keepeth his heritage for his sonne will not apparell him like a slaue in his seruants liueries Princes make their pay common to al souldiers but the garland is giuen to the valiantest Kings cast their largesse at all aduenture among the people but their honors and dignities they bestow on them whom they do specially fauour So God for his honor will not reward the trauels of his seruants with trifles God being liberall and iust will reward thee according to his honour and not according to the basenes of thy heart and that for two causes First because he regardeth not thy workes but his owne in thee Secondly because the reward is not giuen according to thy desert but according to the worthinesse of him that bestoweth it Alexander the great told a seruitour in his warres that a hundreth crownes were inough for him to receiue but not for the Emperour to giue Corne and foode and rayment and money c. are things common to all not peculiar to his children therefore beg not these as the best giftes But what are the goods then that good men haue in this life Many and excellent first they haue grace to make their life allowable to God that knoweth them Secondly in him they repose themselues Thirdly they haue peace in their consciences for if God increase not their present estate they abate their desires Their foes commend their vertues all the world bemoneth their wants those which haue the distributing of goods and honours are blamed for not considering them Lastly the very asking of that question be thou a Christian or a Heathen is vnto them an inestimable treasure If God would not giue me more why haue I forgone those which I had Surely because he saw that if he had not taken them from thee they wold haue taken thee frō him We pluck kniues frō children when they cry to haue them we suffer the Phisition to take from vs our meats which we loue and to abridge vs of our pleasures yea and our of bloud too because he hath seen our water or felt our pulse And shal not God that made vs and gouerneth vs and knoweth best our state what is good for vs haue that honor liberty ouer vs which Phisitions haue Another obiection is this if it be true that the wicked shall be destroyed speedily sodainly and without recouery how is it true that Salomon saith in his booke of the Preacher Chap. 7.17 I haue seene a iust man perish in his righteousnesse and a wicked man continue long in his malice And to this agreeth in shew the complaint of the Prophet The righteous perisheth and noman regardeth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away It should seeme that this plague threatned against the wicked taketh place vpon the godly for they perish and are taken away in their righteousnesse The answere to this is not hard for death is but the common passage and what skils it whether we passe it by sea or by land by our own corruption or by the corruptnes of common weales And if God bring his children to that point for one fault and the iudge for another what iniustice is in God Oh what a thing were it if we could see what fruite the Lord draweth out of their death The child that seeth his father tread grapes blameth him for it thinking they should be kept not conceiuing to what end the treading serueth but the father who knoweth the goodnesse of them better then the child considereth that within two moneths they would wither and drie away and therefore to preserue the vertue of them treadeth them when the child commeth to discretion he museth at his owne folly and yet as then he thought himself wiser then his father After the same maner doth the child when
euery one that praieth in publike assemblies and heareth the word diligently and turne ouer their Bibles and sing reuerently the holy Psalmes and praises of God confer of that which they heard and call their families to account for that which they haue heard at the Sermon c. all most holy actions but take heed now when thou doest all these or any of these that the messenger of Sathan come not like a cunning companion and poison all these Take heed I say euen then when thou art about these seruices for euen as cut-purses and pilfering rogues watch their times till they see men busie in buying and selling or come in a preasse so do these vagrant affections watch our harts when we are about holy businesse and in deuout conference with our God to rob God of his honour and to poison that which we offer him and if it be poisoned he will none of it A strange thing and a hidden mysterie this is that a man should then rob the Lord of his honour when he is honoring and seruing him that we should take from him that which we giue vnto him Verily so we do if we take not heed and nothing is more common then that euil Thou art deuout in thy prayer in hearing in sighing in singing in eleuating eyes and hands to heauen it is well done but then take heede of the theefe with the poison that thou seest not and that is that affection that maketh thee to cast thy eye aside perhaps to looke whether such a man seeth thee or no and that affection that tickleth thy heart and saith now I am a good man I shall be counted a zealous professor for this I shall be well esteemed for this I shall by this meanes get familiaritie and so commoditie with him her and a thousand such odde conceits that come wharting and crossing of thy heart in the best things that thou canst do All which if thou take not heede of them euen then at that instant and pray against them they will get within thee and plucke off the garment of puritie and holinesse which in Christ Iesus should commend thy action vnto God And thus thou seest how God is robbed when he is serued and therefore euen then without any further delay or dallying take heed and watch ouer thy heart and pray against these vile and vaine affections desiring God to reforme and correct them that so thou maiest giue him his due clad in such holy and pure affections as are desirous that all the glorie should be giuen vnto him from whom and for whom all things are and shall be And in so doing thou maiest safely shew what God hath done for thee Take for example in the old Testament Iacob and in the new Testament the Virgin Mary and Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist. Iacob he sheweth his brother how God had blessed him since his comming ouer Iordan with onely a poore staffe in his hand and now had giuen him troupes or bands of children and seruants and blessed him with flockes of sheepe beeues and camels but in all these things his desire was that God might he glorified and therefore he said I am not worthy of the least of these mercies that is all that I haue set forth the great and vndeserued fauour of God vnto me So farre was he from seeking thereby to be counted a great man as the maner of the world is So when Elizabeth reioyced with her cosin for the great fauour and goodnesse of the most high in chusing her to be the mother of the Lord Iesus and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women she was not proud thereof but presently gaue the glorie vnto God and sayd My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour I shall be magnified indeede but he that is mightie hath magnified me and holy is his name and so made that whole song to set forth the glorious praises of God in that singular worke which he had done to her In like sort when Zachary knew that Iohn was borne to be the forerunner of Christ he presently gaue the glorie to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people c. And thou ô child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare the way before him to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes But then commeth forth the holy affection wherein God is delighted and saith Through the tender mercy of our God c. And this shall we do if we take heed and still watch ouer our hearts in euerie action by secret prayer vnto God that his name may be hallowed This wise course being taken we shall be able by the grace of God in a short time to discerne a false harted affection from a true and a holy affection a double heart from a single and sincere heart for in euery man that is regenerate there is a double motion the one of the flesh the other of the Spirite the one of God the other of Sathan and in euerie action if he watch narrowly he shall find and feele a striuing betweene them Now here is wisedome to discerne how much is of God and how much of Sathan that we may cherish the one and crush the other in the head before he grow to any strength There will be two fires kindled and both burning together in one heart the one must be quenched and not maintained the other must not be quēched but be maintained for so saith the Scripture quench and quench not quench the firie darts of the diuell but quench not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption Now then seeing the glory of God is set vp for one marke to aime at and the good of the Church of God for another let vs learne by our leuelling and aiming at them or besides them to iudge of our affections and cogitations If thy cogitations be studying and deuising how to auoide vaineglorie and how to get glorie to God by casting about to make others to praise God in thy graces and to loue and feare him for the same then is that cogitation kindled by Gods Spirite quench it not but cherish it If thy affections be longing and desiring to bring the same to passe which thy minde by Gods Spirite hath deuised then is that a holy affection of God quench it not but maintaine it reioyce in God for it But if one the contrarie thy mind be deuising what to do and what to say and how to bring things to passe to please men and not God and to win credit and estimation amongst men Gods glory being cast behind thy backe know that those thoughts and affections are fierie darts of Sathans kindling quench them and cherish them not take heede of them in time In taking this
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
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
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
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
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
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