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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

he should not dye though he did transgresse the commaundement of God doth also tell these fellowes that whatsoeuer the Scriptures say or Preachers babble as they say yet they shall not dye the death But what could Eue say at the last The Serpent deceiued me So will these cry one day Sathan hath deceiued vs. Well leaue them to the Lord and let vs know for certaine truth that whatsoeuer is written before hand in the Scripture is written for our learning as the Apostle saith and therefore this Scripture also is written for our learning as well as any other God hath not taken such paines as I may say in making and setting forth Belials picture in this liuely sort as you see to that end that we should do nothing but stand and gaze at his picture but that we should note him well and learne to know him when we see him and to auoide him when we know him For Belial is like a runagate who hath done that which he is ashamed of hauing stolne the cloke of vertue and honestie is runne away with the same vpon his backe seeking how to hide himselfe in the world And for feare of being taken he hath gotten himself into seruice with great mē of the world like Elimas with the Deputy And hath so won their fauors that he walketh with them in the fields strowteth it with them in the streetes he feasteth with them at their tables he buyeth and selleth for them in their shops he tradeth for them beyond the seas he courteth with the most gallant in the court He hath found a place in the Vniuersities amongst scholers in Cities amongst merchants in Churches amongst Preachers in iudgement hals amongst Lawyers in Consistories amongst Doctours and proctors at Theaters amongst players in housholds amongst seruants and children in Gentlemens houses amongst seruingmen and their maisters He hath learned to insinuate himselfe into the company of all states and degrees and hath found the fauour to be shrowded amongst Captaines and souldiers amongst Lords and Ladies amongst Knights and Esquires amongst yeomen and artificers amongst prentises and iourny-men and where not And if need be he can haue a licence to go beyond the seas amongst Italians Barbarians and to come from all places of the world and be welcome at his good leasure and pleasure and all this can Belial do and more then this too for he hath a great number of foule deformed vices and monstrous vgly abuses which are all begotten of his owne body both male and female which he can easily preferre into seruice And so well are they brought vp by the double diligence of his brother Machiauell that many become sutors vnto them and glad is he that can match his son or his daughter with one of them when vertue and godlinesse may go through the world and can harldy get a seruice except in the iayle or in some beggers cottage much lesse can they get a good mariage and if they do hit vpon a good mariage it will not be long before they shall be diuorced againe But Belial with his cubs because they are euery where are thought to be no where but the Lord from whom they are run away he knoweth them well inough And here he hath made out a warrant you see to attach them wheresoeuer they can be found and to summon them to answer for themselues before Gods iudgement seate which warrant is committed to all Magistrates Ministers and other of his faithfull people and subiects And because many say they cannot know Belial and they must take heede how they detect any by that name therefore the Lord hath well prouided here for his people and in this his attachment hath put downe such markes and notes of his talke of his name of his gestures c. that vnlesse men will be wilfully blind they cannot chuse but know him although he goeth neuer so disguisedly and denieth his name neuer so stoutly And indeed let Belial be arrested at Gods sute for dishonouring him or at Christs sute for crucifying him or at the Churches sute for persecuting her or at the Gospels sute for slandering of it or at Religions sute for contemning of it as all these actions and many more will come against him one day he will straight way deny his name and say You mistake me sir I am not the man that you looke for c. Then those men which want either will or skill or courage or all nor greatly regarding the words of their warrant take his word for the matter and so let him go for an honest man but those that are wise in God can easily discerne Belial from an honest man as King Salomon could well descry the harlot from the true mother of the child because the wisedome of God was with him And the godly wise haue learned to say to Belial as the damsell sayd once vnto Peter Surely thou art one of them for thy voice bewraieth thee So thou art one of the men of Belial for thy filthy speeches bewray thee thy outragious oathes bewray thee thy proud and profane gestures bewray thee thy lewd and contentious behauiour bewray thee therefore it is but a folly to denie thy name for as the Asse is knowne by his braying and the length of his eares to be an Asse though he iet it in a Lions skin so thou art knowne by thy conditions to be a man of Belial although thou goest in the habite of an honest religious or religious honest man When our Sauiour Christ said that one should betray him who was then in presence with him there was looking one vpon another and euery man was iealous ouer himself saying Is it I Is it I But what saith our Sauiour Christ He that dippeth his finger with me in the dish that is the man that shall betray me He named no body but that was inough for thus might any one conclude vppon Christs words He that dippeth his hand now with Christ in the dish is the traytour but Iudas dippeth his hand now with Christ in the dish therefore Iudas is the traitor In like maner when God saith there be wicked men of Belial and vaine men lawlesse persons and vnprofitable that must be destroyed speedily sodenly and without recouery now euery man will put it off from him selfe and say that he is not that man of Belial c. But what saith the Lord he nameth none but noteth them thus The man of Belial and the vaine man walketh with a froward mouth he maketh a signe with his eyes c. that is he that walketh with a froward mouth he that is lawlesse in his affections he that is vnprofitable in his conuersation he that imagineth euill at all times and raiseth vp contentions he is that man of Belial that must be destroyed if he repent not then may we conclude thus But such a one walketh with a froward mouth

when themselues are most vaine This humour waiteth vpon vs all and maketh all that we do fruitlesse before God and therefore in all our actions ought carefully to be prayed against as we are taught by our Sauiour himselfe saying hallowed be thy name Lord and with Dauid Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name let the praise be giuen for to vs belongeth nothing but shame of faces This humor of vaineglorie doth steale craftily vpon vs and doth subtilly beguile vs therefore take heede of it saith Christ. It lurketh in the heart as dregges in their vessell if great heede be not taken it will rise vp and marre the wine It is like a faire spoken theefe at the doore who if thou take not heed of him will get in and spoile thee before thou be aware It is like a heard of Players who with their varietie of bewitching vanities do cause men willingly to be robbed of them It is like a moth that if thou take not heede of it will breede in thy soules garment and spoile it It is like leauen a litle whereof will sower the whole lumpe of dough It is like Ioab and Iudas who kill when they kisse and stab when they embrace In a word it is a disease that maketh many to die euen laughing and sometime depriueth them of their wits Therefore take heede of it saith Christ it is a very daungerous euill take heede you giue not before men to be seene of men Therefore when thou giuest thine almes thou shalt not make a trumpet to be blowne before thee c. As before our Sauiour Christ forbiddeth all inward affectation of worldly praise so here he condemneth all outward shew of vaineglorie and all ostentation of a vaineglorious mind in giuing of almes According to which rule the Apostle saith Abstaine from all appearance of euill Now this was in the Scribes and Pharisees very grosse hypocrisie and palpable For first they must haue their almes giuing proclaimed by sound of trumpet Secondly not in any priuate place but in the sinagogues the most publike and notorious places that were For their proclamation of the matter by sound of trumpet they might pretend some excuse and that reasonable in shew too as thereby to call the poore together for hypocrites are neuer without their pretences and excuses Saul he reserueth of the Amalekites beasts contrarie to Gods commaundement to offer sacrifice forsooth Adam hideth himselfe and pretendeth the cause to be his nakednesse Iudas grudgeth at the cost that was bestowed vpon his Lord and maister Christ and to saue his credite pretendeth care for the poore Absalon intendeth treason but pretendeth a vow made at Hebron But pretences are no better then couers made of fig-leaues which the Sunne will soone drie and the wind will quickly blow away Whatsoeuer those hypocrite● might seeme to pretend for their trumpet it would not serue their turne neither before God who knoweth the thoughts and intents of the heart long before they be conceiued nor yet before men who by the light of common reason are able in some measure to descrie hypocrisie in that and the like action And doubtlesse it could not be otherwise then an euident note of vaineglorie in them for what needed they make any proclamation for the matter had they not their Elders had they not also their Deacons and ouerseers for the poore that knew well who had neede of almes might they not enquire of them or could they not trust them with their contribution or if they must needes make it knowne to all the world when they would deale their dole had they no other way to publish it by but by sound of trumpet A bell might haue bene tolled if they had any or if they had none a bill might haue bene set vp or a messenger might haue bene sent to the houses of the poore yet none of these waies would serue the turne but a trumpet must be blowne before them whereby they might be honoured and admired after a mere stately and princely manner Whereby likewise they did sufficiently bewray their ambitious humor and therein did they not a little forget themselues for they knew by the lawe of Moses which they had amongst them and was read daily in their sinagogues that trumpets were not appointed to any such end or vse as they put them vnto For in the tenth of Numbers from the second verse to the ninth it is euident that trumpets were appointed onely for the assembling of the congregation and for the remouing of the campe the manner of vsing them is more at large there set foorth to which place I referre them that are desirous to know the same more fully Againe in other places of the Scripture we shall see that they were vsed at the coronation of Princes in managing of warre and solemnizing of Princely affaires or businesse of State and not otherwise as when Salomon was proclaimed King at Gihon they blew the trumpet and cried God saue King Salomon So likewise when Athaliah was deposed and Ioash made King in her steade it is said that the King stoode by a pillar in the house of God as the manner was and all the Princes and trumpetters by the King And the Apostle commending the vse of knowne tongues in the congregation and condemning the contrarie vseth a similitude of the trumpet in warre saying that if the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battell By which both they might know and we also may vnderstand that the trumpet is an instrument of state and therefore not to be made common to euery one nor for euery thing There be certaine ornaments and dignities peculiarly belonging to certaine persons and in no wise to be made common vnto all as Coronets chaires of State cloth of State garters of Honour Trumpetters Pages Chariots c. Neither is it fit for euery obscure Gentleman neither is it seemely for euery or any base artificer or man of trade and occupation to ride in Coches to haue Pages runne by their horse side nor to solemnize the mariages of themselues or their sons and daughters with sound of trumpet as if they were some Princes or persons of State and high calling It is too intollerable pride and too manifest a note of Pharisaicall ambition whereby they which do so make themselues odious and ridiculous before God and all wise men When the malicious Iewes saw Christ in life and doctrine to excell other men they blasphemously said in derogation of both Is not this the carpenters sonne But we when we see such princely ornaments and solemnities taken vp amongst countrie clownes or other inferiour persons of base estate and meane calling may well say in defacing of such insolent fooles Is not this the Carpenter and is not that the bramble that hath so exalted himselfe aboue the trees of the forest What would these persons do and how would

shall he not see and he that made the eare shall he not heare And againe by Ieremie the Lord saith I the Lord search the hearts and trie the reines A point this is very necessarie to be vrged For first the wicked either beleeue it not or they regard it not Many will confesse that there is a God which yet are not ashamed to say with the wicked in the 10. Psalme Tush the Lord seeth vs not or if he seeth what we do he doth not regard and thereupon they make themselues bold to commit all wickednesse with greedinesse for would so many so desperately else giue ouer themselues some to theft some to whoredome some to drunkennesse some to practising of murther and some to the contriuing of treason if they were perswaded that the Lord of heauen and earth did looke vpon them in secret and take a note of that which they do in secret and heape vp vengeance as they heape vp sinne Would the foule mouthed blasphemer sweare againe when he is reproued for his swearing in despite of God whose most holy and fearefull name he doth abuse and of him that in the name of God doth reproue him if he were perswaded that the Lord did heare him marke how he doth abuse his name would so many beate their braines and studie so hard as they do in secret to practise all kind of wrong and oppression and how to couer it with flatterie and deceipt if they beleeued that God did see them or regard In a word would so many come to the Church and make a shew of great deuotion and play the hypocrits hardening their hearts against the word of God and imagining euill and descanting vpon euery word at their pleasure if they did beleeue that God did see them in secret And what is this but plaine Atheisme to say there is a God and not to beleeue that this God seeth in secret What is this but to make an idoll of the true God If this be Atheisme as doubtlesse it is though not in the highest degree then how many Atheists are there which liue so as if God did not see them in secret for in secret they conceiue their wickednesse and in publike they bring foorth vngodlinesse for why they thinke themselues cocke sure so long as God as they imagine doth not see their secret deuises or not regard them They thinke that because they see not the Lord therefore the Lord seeth not them like Balaam who feared not the Angell because he saw not the Angell but it is said that his beast feared him and stayed so soone as he saw him to shew that those which know that God doth see them and yet go on still in their wickednesse are worse then the beast and that asse shall condemne them This doctrine is also to be vrged in regard of the godly themselues who though they know and confesse it to be most true and can alleadge many Texts of the Scripture to proue that God hath all knowledge and seeth all things that are done in secret yet they haue not so powerfull vse of this doctrine as they should Then is it powerfull vnto vs when by the Spirite of God our hearts are kept in awe and made afraid to do those things that will offend his Maiestie as Ioseph who knowing this point well feared therefore to yeeld to the lewd motion of his light mistresse How many sinnes do of a sudden steale vpon vs and slippe from vs when we thinke not of this that God seeth in secret How many againe are arrested as it were and taken in the manner yea and staid from going forward when once this meditation commeth to mind God seeth in secret We are alwaies conuersant in his eyesight neither can we possibly do or conceiue any thing be it neuer so secret but that he seeth it It is a signe of great rashnesse and impudent audacitie if a sonne without feare of his fathers displeasure dareth do a fault in the sight and presence of his father Nay what strumpet so impudent that in her husbands sight dareth prostitute herselfe before another yea would she not be ashamed and afraid too if but a little child were in presence What then shall we thinke of our selues that dare boldly without feare confidently without doubting impudently without blush ing and continually without ceassing do those things in the sight of Almightie God our heauenly Father which we feare and shame to doe in the presence of a mortall man or a little child The breath of man is in his nosthrils but the least glimpse of Gods diuine imperiall and immortall Maiestie is able to confound and crush in peeces tenne thousand worlds at once As God doth see his children in secret so he doth looke vpon them as a heauenly Father and not as a cruell enemie or rigorous Iudge when they do well and being well pleased with Christ Iesus his naturall sonne doth also take great delights in the indeuours of his adopted children which are in Christ Iesus and therefore doth he delight in them because they are in Christ Iesus and else not Therefore whatsoeuer deuotion or seruice we offer vnto God in secret or otherwise it must be offered in and through Christ for whose sake alone it is acceptable or else it being without Christ is vnto God most abhominable Secondly it is said that our heauenly Father will reward his childrē for that they giue in secret And this is a good encouragement to the godly For flesh and bloud vnlesse it hath some hope of reward thinks it altogether lost which is giuen to the poore It is not lost saith Christ it shall be rewarded of your heauenly Father Therefore well saith a learned man Eleemosina non est dispendium sed negotiatio Almes giuing is no losse or damage but a kind of traffique or merchandise from heauen For whatsoeuer we lay out here vpon Christs poore needie members it shall be payed againe with aduantage Cast thy bread vpon the waters saith Salomon for after many dayes thou shalt find it that is feare not to bestow thy liberalitie vpon the poore which can giue thee nothing againe and though it seeme to be lost as that which is cast into the sea yet after many daies that is when thou doest least looke for it and thinkest that it is forgotten and worne out with time thou shalt find it againe thy heauenly Father with whom a thousand yeares are but as one day will reward thee for it if thou giue of faith in his sonne Christ. Lastly because we naturally affect popular praise and desire to be famous Christ saith that our heauenly Father will not onely reward vs but it shall also be openly This our Sauiour Christ plainly sheweth in Luk. 14.13.14 When thou makest a feast call not thy friends nor thy brethren nor thy acquaintance nor thy rich neighbours least they also bid thee againe and a recompence be made thee but call

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

my clothes how shal I put them on againe I haue washed my feete how can I defile them That is whē we haue no list to heare the Sermon or to call vpon God or to receiue the holy Sacrament a small excuse will hold vs backe a shadow is euen as good as a wall to stop vs. And otherwise it will not be so long as we consult with flesh and bloud about Gods matters therfore saith Christ Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth And that we may do al indeed with our right hand that is with our best affections cheerfully and comfortably and prosperously let vs still consult with the word of God that we there may learne what is to be done for our good workes if they be not warranted by the word are abhominable vnto God as glorious sinnes And next let vs confer with him by praier that we may be enabled to do that good we know must be done as for carnall reason and worldly perswasions shut them out and do not once call them to counsell about the matter for they wil both hinder thee and spill thy good deed THE X. SERMON MATH 6.4 That thine almes may be in secret and thy father that seeth in secret he will reward thee openly THat thine alme that is betweene God and thy owne conscience let it be done that thy conscience may witnesse for thee vnto God that thou hast sought nothing lesse then the vaine applause of men and God that seeth thy secret thought and intent of hart may approue of the same and witnesse for thee against Sathan and all the world that thou hast vprightly in thy secret thoughts and affections serued him and sought nothing more then his glorie In this case we may learne of Ioseph who caused euery mans money of his brethren to be secretly conueied into his sackes mouth with their prouision which when they saw by the way at their Innes they maruelled giuing God the glorie who as they confessed had sent it vnto thē but by whose meanes they knew not Some are secret inough and too secret in giuing to the poore for that which they giue is onely in conceipt that it may be in secret and knowne to no man and most prophanely and scoffingly abusing this place as they do all other holy things and the whole body of religion they will giue nothing at all lest as they like themselues most wretchedly pretend that their left hand should know what their right hand doth as though the purpose of our Sauiour Christ had bene to disswade men from giuing any almes at all These men are like the Frier that would prouide well ouer night against the next day by carrying with him the remainder of his supper scoffingly alleadging or rather blasphemously abusing the wordes of Christ in this chapter Be not carefull for to morrow and therefore I do it saith he because I would haue no care for to morrow These persons haue learned this lesson of Christ to the halfes they haue learned to be secret but not to giue almes in secret as the Papists haue learned another lesson of Christ so haue these men learned this Christ saith Pray for your enemies blesse them that curse you and if thy enemy hunger giue him meate if he be thirsty giue him drinke c. In so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head This latter part they haue learned well namely to heape coales of fire vpon the heads of their enemies yea of Gods deare Saints and faggots too and to burne them to ashes too but the former part which containeth workes of loue and charitie is yet to learne they can no skill of that And if some of them be told of their hard dealing they will not sticke to alleadge this Text and say why doth not Christ say we must heape coales of fire vpon our enemies heades Such gibers and scoffers at the word of God I couple with Iulian and Lucian their predecessours wishing them in time to take heed and pray vnto God if it be possible that they may truly repent them of their blasphemous courses their state is fearefull and daungerous for that they go on plodding and scoffing at religion Blessed is the man that commeth not into their way for it leadeth as directly as can be and in time will bring men vnto the sin against the holy Ghost which is vnpardonable Now for the consolation of those that do all their good workes as in the sight of God debarring themselues from all vaineglorious applauses and commendations in the world and in themselues too it is said further that thy father which seeth thee in secret will reward thee openly to shew first that we must indeuour to approue our selues vnto God and not vnto the world like an honest wife that will so attire her selfe and so behaue her selfe in all things as she may please her owne husband and not other men And next that the best way to weane our selues from these vaine desires of worldly praise is to consider effectually and to remember continually that we are still at all times and in all places in the sight of our heauenly father to whom we either stand or fall and of whome we shall be abundantly rewarded openly according to his gracious premise for that which faithfully we haue done in secret And lastly to shew that those which seeke for open praise of men or giue vnto themselues any secret praise to the impeachment of Gods glorie cannot look for any open reward at Gods hand in the day of iudgement but those that are perswaded of that and moued effectually with that do not care which way it goeth with them in the world so that they may be approued of God their heauenly Father and carry a good conscience vnto their graues Here be three things attributed vnto God our heauenly Father First that he seeth those things that are done in secret Secondly that he will reward the good that we do in secret Thirdly that he will reward it openly Fitly are these things propounded to the children of God that they may accustome themselues to do whatsoeuer they do as in the sight of God and to approue themselues vnto their heauenly Father And as fitly are these three opposed to the vanitie of the flesh all which men do so hunt after For the first that God seerh and knoweth all things that are done in secret the Scriptures in many places do witnesse Whither shall I go from thy presence saith the Psalmist If I go vp to heauen thou art there if I go downe to hel thou art there If I go beyond the sea thy right hand will there find me out if I say that darkenesse shall couer me behold darkenesse and light to thee are both alike thou art about my bed and spyest out all my waies and thou knowest all my thoughts long before meaning before they are conceiued Againe He that made the eye

no scholler if he please their humor he is the onely man and no man may come neare him If he vse to repeat his doctrine then he is tedious and wanteth matter if his deliuerie be mild then he is afraid to displease if it be bold and seuere then he is peremptorie and proud If a man vrge the law then he driueth men to desperation if mortification he driueth men into melancholy dumpes and frayeth them out of their wits If we vrge iustification before God by faith in Christ onely then they imagine that we denie good workes If we preach good workes then we are Popish if we teach that men must not pray to Saints nor for the dead then they imagine we deny prayer if we say that the salutation of the Angell to Mary is no prayer then we deny part of the new Testament if we say the Creede is no prayer then we deny the Creede if we preach against common vaine and needlesse swearing then they imagine vs to be Anabaptistes and deny both the vse of an oath and magistracie if we speak against gaming dancing other prophanations of the Lords day then they imagine that we allow Christians no manner of recreation If we preach against any sin that they vse then we preach of malice and against them if we teach doctrine which they conceiue not then there is no edifying in our sermons if they like it not then they imagine that no body else doth regard it if they come to heare vs then we are beholding to them for their presence if they wil not heare vs yet they imagine that we must speake though it be to the wals If they let their children or seruants be catechized by the Minister then they imagine that they do their Minister a great part of friendship in gracing of him if they say ouer their stint of prayers then God is beholding to them and heauen they must haue of merit If they heare sermons then they imagine all is well as though God were pleased with eare-seruice onely and alwayes they imagine grossely of spirituall things like Nicodemus who when Christ spake of being borne againe imagined that he must go againe into his mothers belly And as these Belials are themselues such do they imagine all others to be for as to him that hath an ague all things seeme vnsauourie so to him that hath an euill heart of his owne all mens doings seeme to be euill to verifie the saying of the Apostle in Titus 2.5 To the pure all things are pure but to the vncleane and impure nothing is pure but euen their minds and consciences are defiled and that is the cause why all things seeme euill vnto them because their minds and consciences are defiled But who are pure wil some say are not all men sinners and doth not sinne defile euery mans minde It is true that all men naturally are defiled with euill imaginations Gen. 6.5 but by faith which is through the grace of God in Christ the hearts of the elect are regenerated and purified because it apprehendeth the bloud and spirit of Christ to cleanse vs from sinne past and to preserue vs afterward from the dominion at the least of sinne to come like physicke restoratiue and preseruatiue For where a iustifying faith is there is a fanctifying grace And where faith is Mistresse there is charity handmaid which is of that excellent nature and disposition through the education and instruction of Gods Spirit who begate her that she iudgeth the best of euery thing that may be well interpreted 1. Cor. 13. And so much for the qualitie of Belials imaginations which is euill for so saith my Text and experience confirmeth no lesse but that he imagineth euill Now let vs consider of the other adiunct of Belials imaginations and that is adiunctum quantitatis an adiunct or circumstance of quantitie the euill of his imaginations is of an exceeding great quantitie for he doth not onely imagine euill and make the worst or euery thing but he imagineth euill continually Continually saith the holy Ghost to shew that the man of Belial is alwayes at worke This word noteth in the wicked man two things First diligence Secondly perseuerance in euill Great is the diligence of wicked men in sinne for they lose no time They cannot sleepe saith Salomon except they haue done some euill No Sleepe departeth from their eyes vntill they haue caused some to fall Like gamesters who cannot find the way to bed vntill either they haue lost all their money or caused others to lose all They continue day and night they are as diligent in the seruice of the diuell as the diuell himselfe is is hunting after mens soules for he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure and so do his men of Belial seeke whome to deface and deuoure This note of continuance cometh in like a barre in the armes of the wicked to put a difference betweene them and the godly For though the godly or regenerate do sometime fall into euill surmises and bad imaginations through naturall weakenesse and corruption of heart yet they continue not in it Shall we continue still in sinnes saith the Apostle that grace may abound God forbid No they dare not continue in a sinne they are euer checking and controlling their wayes and confessing their sinnes and condemning themselues and forsaking their euill imaginations And if they fall againe into the same sinne as oftentimes they do it is with a greater detestation and lothing of the same sinne and with a greater and more earnest striuing against it afterward And yet the godly are not so simple and foolishly credulous as to beleeue euery faire tale or to be in league with euery flattering face or to shake hands presently with euery new acquaintance nor to trust euery promise and protestation without any maner of trial nor to make the best of that which is of it selfe naught and apparantly euill nor to be free from all suspition where there is iust cause to suspect and in so doing they are not to be condemned but rather to be commended for as charitie is not suspitious without cause so is it not foolish and blockish when there is cause And seeing as our Sauior Christ himself hath ioyned the innocency of the Doue and the prudency of the Serpent together simplicitie and discretion as a most fit match and well beseeming a Christian soule let no man separate them asunder but be simple wise too And hereof we haue diuers examples in the Scriptures Abraham imagined that in Gerar his wife might be abused and he slaine for his wifes sake and not without iust cause for he saw that the feare of God was not in that place to shew that when good men haue to deale with those that feare not God they may very iustly imagine that they shall not be well dealt withall Iacob suspected that al