sinne brake Dauids heart 144 We must humble our selues to see Heretikes doe more for vaine glorie and for their sect than we will doe for Gods glorie and for his truth 145 If once we giue consent to one sinne we are made readie to fall into many sinnes and making no conscience of one sinne we shall not make conference of many and great sinnes and so being once inwrapped in sinne it is a hard thing to get out of the clawes of the diuell 149 If any man make no conscience to walke vprightly I will not free him from pouertie from sicknes from heresie for as well can and will the Lord punish the minde as the bodie 147 It is the greatest iudgement of God that can be to thriue in sinne 148 When men begin to suffer themselues to be deceiued it is to be feared they will be hardened Heb 3. 12. 13. 149 If you slip backe from the Gospell the stranger sort will be offended either by noting in you singularitie or by suspecting you for inhumanitie But O cursed corruptions of our sinfull nature if we giue libertie they will grant licentiousnes if we affoord consolation they will set on presumption if we call for humiliation they crie to desperation 150 Looke often vpon Christ when you are alone be carefull to please him for carefulnes and cheerefulnes may meete together in a sanctified minde 151 He would giue to others not such things as he loued not but such things as he loued dearely that they might know it to be a gift of loue It is the temptation of the godly to feare whatsoeuer they doe that they doe it in hypocrisie A SHORT FORME OF CATECHISING VVHEREIN ARE BRIEFLY SET DOWNE THE PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION BY MASTER RICHARD GREENHAM SOMETIMES PREACHER OF THE WORD OF GOD IN LONDON HEBR. 5. 12. VVhen is concerning the time yee ought to be teachers yet haue yee neede againe that we teach you the first principles of the word of God and are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate IOB 33. 16. 23. 24. Vers. 16. He openeth the eares of men euen by their corrections which he sealeth Vers. 23. If there be a messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse Vers. 24. Then will he haue mercie on him VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. TO THE RIHT VERTVOVS AND GODLY GENTLEWOMEN MISTRIS ANNE BOVVLES AND MISTRIS A. STEVENS H. H. WISHETH AL COMforts and mercies in Iesus Christ to be multiplied THe holy Apostle S. Iohn saith hee had no greater ioy than this to heare that his sonnes did walke in the truth The same affection all the true Ministers of Christ haue in some measure towards all the sonnes and daughters of God specially such as they haue gained or God by them hath brought to the faith of Christ. I am well assured you remember Master GREENHAMS great care and loue towards you which was vnfained because of the good experience hee had of your vnfained faith in Christ and loue towards him If hee had longer liued hee would haue reioyced yet much more to see your loue so increase in knowledge and the testimonies of your loue in the fruite of righteousnesse and in your godly perseuerance in the truth Now receiue his workes and what you long expected and desired to see This Catechisme I haue sent you that you may teach it your children as Eunice Lois did their children These letters serue wel for your own vse that you may heare them alwaies speake in his absence from you whom you so reioyced to heare being present with you and that you may haue his owne very words written and set before your eyes which you haue heard often to your great ioy sounding in your eares that so in the end you may be able by your good experience to comfort others with the same comforts wherewith yee are and haue beene by him comforted of God For the faithfull are exercised of God diuerslie some by outward some by inward afflictions of minde and some haue both troubles without and terrours within Such as bee not acquainted with the troubles of mind whatsoeuer gift they haue can bring but cold cōfort in time of need to poore soules afflicted as it is very manifest both by Scripture our common experience Now the God of peace sanctifie you both in spirit soule and bodie and keepe you with all yours blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen Yours euer in Iesus Christ HENRY HOLLAND A SHORT FORME OF CATECHISING WHereas all men desire to bee blessed and the most men are deceiued in seeking blessednes tell mee which is the true way thereunto To know God to bee my Father in Iesus Christ by the reuelation of the spirit according to his word therfore to serue him according to his will and to set forth his glorie belieuing that I shall want nothing that is good for mee in this life and that I shall enioy euerlasting blessednes in the world to come How know you this By the working of the holie Ghost and by the meanes of Gods word What call you Gods word It is the reuealed will of GOD set forth vnto vs in the holy Scriptures Which call you the holie Scriptures The Bookes of the olde and new Testament commonly called Canonicall Are all things that are necessary for vs to know contained in them Yea for God being full of all wisedome and goodnesse would leaue out nothing that was requisite for vs to knowe Is it lawfull for to adde or to take any thing from Gods word No for God hath flatly forbidden it and hath pronounced grieuous curses vpon those that doe it Why is it so grieuous a sinne Because it is a very great sinne to alter the last will of a mortall man therefore much more grieuous a sinne it is to change the last Testament of the eternall God Why is it requisite that the will of God should be set forth vnto vs That wee might haue pure rules of his worship and sure grounds of our saluation Is it not lawfull to repose any part of Gods Worship or of Saluation in the doctrine and doings of men No for all men by nature are lyars and defiled with sinne What followeth hereof That all mens doctrines and doings are mingled with lyes and corruptions How farre are wee bound to their doctrine and doings So farre forth as they be agreeable to Gods word May all reade the Scriptures Yea all that be of age able to discerne betweene good and euill ought to encrease in knowledge for their furtherance in saluation as they encrease in yeares Why must all such reade the Scriptures 1. First because euery one must be able to prooue and trie
heare the Apostles speaking the truth was it any marueile if they were seduced by false teachers If men doe not receiue the word in loue is it any marueile if they be deluded with heresie 2. Thess. 1. If men neglect the peace of their mindes offered by the Gospell preached is it any marueile if they haue warres If men neglect the foode of their soules is it any marueile if they finde a famine When we see then that men turne the Gospell into wantonnes and write against it is it marueile if the Lord sendeth troubles No no when men shall see such a confusion let them know that God will cleere his iustice and recompence vengeance to the wicked and restore the godly to their ioyes and yet shew them that here is no place of rest but that they must lift vp their heads to heauen where they shall haue rest without trouble Now let vs consider what these afflictions worke in the wicked and to what end they are sent vnto them Surely to plague them and to leaue them without excuse They are sent to God his children to humble them to bring them to repentance to keepe them from euil to encourage them in good and to recouer them being fallen But they are sent to roote out the wicked to consume them from the face of the earth and therefore he powreth out all the vials of his wrath vpon the wicked remnant And these manifold plagues haue often come to passe where the Gospell hath been preached because as it is the greatest mercie treasure if it be receiued so the vnnaturall refusall of it doth cause the greatest iudgemeÌ„ts So the Israelites in the wildernes were punished first by idolatrie then by plagues were rooted out of the land And after Christ had spoken the Apostles preached the Iewes remained vnprofitable the Lord in his iustice in that they would not beleeue the true Christ suffered them to be deluded by false Christs and that they that would not profit by the true Apostles should be deceiued by false Apostles and then being punished with famine and sicknes they were by the Romanes subdued When the Gospell came to be preached among the Gentiles and was contemned the Lord first punished them by suffering them to fall into vile sinnes and then after gaue them ouer to the Turke We see how in the West-countrie where the Gospell was preached and refused the Pope was sent to them So likewise must we make our profit herein When God his Spirit falleth plentifully in vs yet men by his word will not be reformed the Lord will send heretikes and wicked men to corrupt them And will the Lord thus censure his owne people and will he spare the wicked No when we thinke all is quiet the Lord will send plagues for refusing the health of our soules the Lord will send famines for refusing the food of our soules the Lord wil plague vs with warres for neglecting the peace of our mindes And Matth. 24. the Lord hath set Ierusalem a type in that the Gospell neuer continued quiet or vncorrupt in any one place aboue the space of an hundred yeeres Well if we see not the beginnings of these things we are halfe mad if we will not feare the euents of them we are worse than so if we will not profit by these things wofull experience will teach vs our miserable estate We see how needfull affliction â—s whether we looke to God his children or to the wicked Miserie maketh mercie sweete and trouble maketh grace gratious Christ is then sweete and Iesus is then a Sauiour when we feeling no comfort at hand are driuen and drawne out of our selues to seeke some reliefe abroade And experience teacheth vs that in prosperitie we are readie to nestle our selues here belowe and forgetting the life to come we are blinded with the God of this world so we become worldlings staying wholy in these inferior things Now that God might by euidence prooue how whom he once loueth he alwaies loueth to admonish others a farre off he sendeth corrections to teach vs that we may not stay here belowe For if iudgement begin at the house of God what shall become of the wicked If the Lord so hamper the godly how shall the wicked looke to escape Now in these distresses and miseries it shall be that whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued for so the Lord offereth grace in wrath mercie in iudgements so will the Lord moue his chosen and elect to desire these graces and will cause these iudgemeÌ„ts threatned to fructifie whilest they that pray for the Spirit which shall conuey comfort into them by the word and Sacraments and so shall not onely be preserued from finne and iniquitie but also remaine sounder in iudgement and life passing by these plagues to heauen the wicked going downe by them to hell This is then the third thing which in the beginning wee noted the plaine meaning whereof is thus much If ye will now but ioyne in fellowship in prayer and in God his worship with vs you shall auoide these iudgements threatned and receiue these graces promised the sure pledges of life euerlasting Great is the grace and mercie of God who doth appoint a meane to remedie such miseries and a way to obtaine such mercies and therefore it is worthie further consideration and examination A SHORT TREATISE OF PRAYER VPON THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET IOEL chap. 2. 32 alleaged by Peter Act. 2. 21. WHosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued Ioel. 2. â—2 By calling on the name of God in this place which is but one and a particular part of God his worship are meant and vnderstood the other parts of the worship of God Thus the Scriptures sometime ascribe to this one other parte of God his worship as Genes 3. Then began men to call on the name of the Lord and Gen. 12. Abraham builded an Altar and called on the name of the Lord that is worshipped God Againe Psalme 50. Call vpon me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee In the new Testament we shall see the same For this place is alleaged Rom. 10 and 1. Cor. 1. the Apostle wisheth grace to all theÌ„ that shal call on the name of God that is worship God 2 Timoth. 2. Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord that is worshippeth God let him depart from iniquitie So that vnder this one part of inuocation we see vnderstood all other parts And in our English tongue we rather vse this phrase We will goe to prayers or Are prayers done than we goe to the word of God to heare it we goe to receiue the Sacraments and such like when notwithstanding we frequent other actions of religion in the congregation besides prayer And both Ieremie and our Sauiour Christ calleth the Church an house of prayer as Matth. 21. 13. Mine house shall be called the house of prayer c. It
is an house of hearing the word of receiuing the Sacraments of executing discipline as well as of prayer but yet this one name comprehendeth all Now before we shew the reason of it how commeth it to passe that few care for the word fewer for the Sacraments and fewest for discipline yet all shew themselues friends to prayer yea and Heretikes which in the other things will depart from vs will acknowledge this thing This is God his goodnes that none doe forsake this That by prayer is meant all parts of God his worship it is manifest Matth. 24. 13. where our Sauiour Christ saith But he that endureth vnto the end he shall be saued Now the meanes to auoide these iudgements come after The Gospell of the kingdome must be preached to all nations Iohn 3. Christ by the preaching of the Gospel must be lift vp that who so hearkeneth to the word should be saued These are ioyned both together Rom. 10. where it is sâ—id Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord he shall be saued and a little after But how shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue vnlesse they doe heare So that as faith saueth so faith commeth by the word of God And Eccles 4. 17. and 5 1 When then entrest into the house of God looke vnto thy feete c. In which place the holy Ghost first teacheth men to heare then to pray because as they came into the Temple to pray so also to heare Likewise Psal. 95. first the Prophet saith O come let vs worship and kneele donne exhorting to prayer and after To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearis making mention of the word because these must be ioyned together That the Ministers of God are ioyned to come to the one and to the other the Scriptures shew as Deut. 33. where the Leuites dutie is first to teach Iacob then to offer incense that is to pray as Psalme 141. and 2. Sam. 12. where the people acknowledging their sinnes request Samuel to pray for them who answered them that he would not onely pray vnto God for them but that he would also preach God his word vnto them threaten God his iudgements and proclame God his mercies to them if they would repent Act. 6 wheÌ„ the Apostles found themselues troubled with the ordinarie ministerie of tables they ordained new meanes and they would giue themselues to the word and prayer 1. Timoth. 1. and 2. Paul teacheth Timothie first how he should preach to the people then how he should pray for them and so the Lord would haue the people as well to come to heare the word preached as to pray We shall see this the better if we consider what the Lord requireth of vs in praying First a man cannot be heard vnlesse hee doe the will of God Matth. 7. Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heâ—uen but he that doth the will of my father that is in heauen Matth. 15. 8 9. This people draweth neere vnto mee with their mouth c. But in vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine mens precepts Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is neere to all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in truth And it is saide in the Prouerbs that the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord and his prayer is his sinne Psal. 34. 15. 16. The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are opon vnto their crie But the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill c. But notable is that place Psal. 66 18. If I regard wickednes in mine heart the Lord will not heare me Now if we cannot call on God without faith because Iam. 2. 6. saith we must aske in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth is like a waue c. and as Christ saith whatsoeuer wee aske beleeuing wee shall obtaine seeing he taught his Disciples so to pray Lord increase our faith and Iam. 5. 15. the prayer of faith shall saue because it is grounded on God his promises and infallible truth and seeing with faith the Lord would haue vs ioyne repentance because 2. Timot. 2. 19. euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord must depart from iniquitie we must labour in all our prayers to come with faith and assurance that in Christ we shall bee heard waiting on the Lord in newnes of life If such faith feare and holinesse is required of vs in prayer seeing both faith and repentance are begun continued and increased by the word it is meete that the ministerie of the word should be ioyned with prayer Therfore where it is said Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord it is as much as whosoeuer worshippeth and serueth God although great calamities come yet if hee be a true worshipper beleeuing God his promises repenting of his sinnes and giueth himselfe to serue the Lord aright he shall be preserued from all plagues and either he shall be taken away in mercie if the Lord seeth him to be weake or else if he liue hee shall haue strength to passe thorow them and by them take his voyage to heauen euen as the wicked by them make a way to the hels We stand on this point the rather because most men nowadaies are of this mind that if they come to the Church to pray a little all is wel they haue bin very religious not thinking it in the meane time so necessarie a thing to come to the word preached which may breede in them faith and repentance And therefore in that all will graunt prayer some few forlorne persons excepted we say there is no true prayer where is no faith and no faith without the word and therefore without the word neither faith nor prayer nor repentance Now if wee will aske on the contrarie why the Lord rather nameth prayer than hearing of the word I answere that naturally men had rather heare than pray and then wee are fit truly to pray when wee haue reuerently heard because the hearing of the word inferring prayer when we haue heard we are most readie to pray We shall see that ignorant and superstitious persons much commend prayer but not preaching but come to them that haue knowledge and they on the contrarie are more readie to heare than to pray and they will longer continue in hearing than in praying The holy Ghost then not respecting Turkes Papists or such like but professed Christians which will bragge of their worship to Godward teacheth vs that all is nothing without prayer knowing that neither foundation nor continuance of repentance can be without prayer the word and Sacraments are vnfruitfull without prayer without which wee are vnworthie of any thing because wee will not vouchsafe once to aske it of the Lord. I appeale to the consciences of God his children who that I might passe by other lothsome
of Gods iudgement 3. That we must wisely discerne betweene the true sorrow for sinne which causeth repentance not to be repented of and that worldly sorrow which causeth death For godly sorrow softneth the hart to the obedience of the word but that worldly sorrow causeth men to kicke and spurne against the word to the further hardning of their hearts 4. That many are galled and pricked with pouertie sicknes and other afflictions but few with their sinnes which is the cause of their afflictions But let men be well assured of this saith he that if a man be not troubled for sinne here he is in the way to hell if he be troubled in this life for sinne he is in the way to heauen 5. Lastly that in true repentance the pricking of the heart and sorrowing for sinne must be continued and daily renewed we must be humbled with continuall sorrow that we may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. And thus farre the compendious and short view of all these Sermons This graue and reuerend Father who hath left vs these holy instructions hauing continued for many yeeres with good successe and a comfortable experience of Gods blessing on his holy ministery in preaching the Gospell of Christ his Sermons were many in number and how effectuall let the godly iudge by these fewe which Gods good prouidence hath reserued for posteritie Now right Worshipfull I offer them vnto your good patronage and protection because I am well assured you loue and what you may you further the preaching of the Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Much am I bound to remember your Worship and that vertuous Lady your wife for your great loue to me and mine I can no way require your loue yet by some poore testimonie I desire to make mine affection knowne in the performance of any Christian duty what I may The Lord Iesus Christ that hath knit both your harts by one spirit in one holy faith vnto himselfe and in loue vnfained one to another graunt you the true peace which passeth vnderstanding to keepe your hearts and mindes in his faith loue and feare vnto the end And thus I humbly take my leaue recommending you and all yours to the protection of the Almightie Your Worships euer to command in Iesus Christ HENRY HOLLAND A SERMON PREACHED BY MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM VPON THESE WORDS THE FIRST SERMON Quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. ALl the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heads First how wee may be prepared to receiue the spirit of God Secondly how the spirit may be retained when as wee haue once receiued it And therefore Saint Paul hauing laboured to instruct the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle how they may receiue the spirit doth here teach them how to keepe and continue this spirit vnto the end And this the Apostle doth by giuing them a charge and commaundement that in no wise they doe Quench the spirit thereby doubtles teaching that as the shunning of euill is the first step vnto goodnes so the readie way to continue the spirit of God in our hearts is to labour that it be not quenched Now the Apostle vpon great waightie cōsideration doth here deliuer this precept For first of all though al those be worthily and iustly condemned that neuer tasted of the spirit of God yet as our Sauiour Christ saith A more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come vpon them that hauing once receiued it doe afterward lose the same againe Moreouer without this spirit of God no holy exercise can haue his full effect for the word worketh not where the spirit of God is wanting prayers haue no power to pearce into the presence of God the Sacraments seeme small and sillie things in our eyes and all other orders and exercises which God hath graunted ordained for man they are vnprofitable to man where the spirit is not present to cōuey them into our hearts there to seale vp the fruit of them Last of all we are fit to receiue no good grace at Gods hand nay we doe not esteeme Gods graces when we haue not the spirit to teach vs to set a due price vpon them for speake of the Law or of the Gospel of sinne or of righteousnesse speake of Christ or of our redemption and iustification by him yea speake of that huge and heauie waight of glorie wherewith the elect of God shall be crowned all this moueth not we are little affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of his good spirit to profit by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many great causes are to listen vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs so we depriue our selues of all these fruits Now whereas the Apostle saith Quench not the spirit it may appeare that he speaketh to those that had alreadie receiued the spirit For as the fire cannot be said to be quenched where it is not so they cānot be said to quench or lose the spirit which haue not as yet receiued it Then know that this precept doth properly belong to thē that haue receiued the spirit of God and they especilly are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it cannot profit them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the ground a long time doth afterward budde and become fruitfull so this continue in their mindes till they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breed in them some carefulnes that they doe not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and found the spirit of God in them to them saith S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirit Of this if we doe somewhat seriously consider these two questions will offer themselues and soone arise in our minde First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost againe or no which if they bee well and sufficiently answered they will doubtlesse giue great force vnto this precept For the first then if we will knowe whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth best that he hath life which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him And if wee will further know this by the peculiar working and effects of the spirit then let vs marke these First of all if there bee nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be attained by the art and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the world when he saith We haue
to the posteritie of Abraham but of Adam * Whatsoeuer seuereth â—ither God froÌ„ man as the curse of the morall Law or man from man as the ceremoniall doth the Iew froÌ„ the Gentile that only is abrogated The morall law being made our good friend and guide in and by Iesus Christ doth not separate vs from God nor froÌ„ man Iews or Gentiles which are in Christ. Ergò it is not abrogated * What is abrogated SacrameÌ„ts in the time of the law had two endes Rom. 4. The Sabbath not a signe only of spiritual rest as some would haue it The second reason drawn from the equi tie of the law If the Lord giue vs sixe dayes for our ordinary worke good reason is there he may chalenge the seuenth day for his seruice But he permits vs sixe dayes Ergò it is right we giue him the seuenth Hee meaneth the Cathedrall Churches The tithe of our time to be afforded for Gods worship Not euery day a Sabbath Fasting * Or commanded The 3 reason If the Sabbath be ceremoniall then the Lord gaue but nine commandements But he gaue ten Ergo the Sabbath is not ceremoniall Note The difference betweene the ceremonies and the tenne commaundements Ordinances what they signifie The rest of the Sabbath as needfull for vs as for the Iewes The 4 reason from Gods owne example God gaue a speciall blessing to the Sabbath day Obiection Answere Note Answere to the reasons that by some are brought against the Sabbath 1. Ob. out of the old Testa ment Euery signe is not a figure or shadowe as before To know things morall and ceremoniall Note well How God is said to rest after the creation The second obiection out of the Prophets 1. Out of Esay a resting from sinne The true interpretation of Esay 56. 1. 2. Obiection Answere 1 2 Preaching The interpretation of Esay 58. 1. 3 Fasting 〈◊〉 PresumptioÌ„ The interpretation of Esay 66 2â— A rule for the interpretation of Scriptures Answere to their arguments taken out of the new Testament And Luk. 6. 1 it is said Sabatum secuÌ„dâ— primum so it seemeth this is vnderstood of a ceremoniall and not of a morall Sabbath The examination of Matth. 12. 1. 2. A Sabbath dayes iourney what The second reason Worke of the Sabbath The third reason 1 Prophaning the Sabbath haruest how great a sinne 2 3 Two kind of necessitie The fourth reason The fift argument The sixt argumen Answere to places taken out of the Epistles The exposition of Rom. 13. 14. How the strong is to helpe and not to despise the weake * Yet we reaâ— Acts 28. 17. of Iewes at Rome Of meats When we beleeue we haue the wâ—rd for our warraâ—t * Or more truly read these words thus Another eateth herbs he doth it in weakenes of faith not beleeuing that he may vse other meatâ— The nouices in religion are commonly hastie in iudging The second reason out of the Epistle * Publike fast coÌ„manded by the Magistrates must be kept Simile The interpretation of Hebrues 4. A Sabbath in heauen A generall rule concerning Scripture Of their arguments drawne by consequence out of the Scripture Obiect The Sabbath vnknowne to the Gentiles ergo ceremoniall How the morall and naturall law differ Rom. 3. 1. Psal. â—47 The first obiection Answere The second obiection Answere What things appertaine to the Iewes only and what to vs with them Kindling of fire on the Sabbath day lawful to vs. Out of the Testament The first obiection Answere The second obiection Answere 2 3 4 Aspeciall vse of the Lords day to remeÌ„ber three great benefits Change of the day Of the obseruation of the Sabbath How the Sabbath is truely kept Note Reading and preaching The great ignorance and carnall securitie of the people must cause vs to be more wary whom we admit to the Sacraments Baptisme Children dying before Baptisme Priuate exercises on the Sabbath Preparation to obseruation of the Sabbath Examination Non proficients in the Church Simile To rise early on the Sabbath 2 Exercises after and betweene the publike Meditation Meditation concerning Gods workes Consider how obedient in sixe daies the beasts haue been vnto vs and on the seuenth how disobedient we be to God To auoid dulnes and deadneâ— in the priuate exercises of the Sabbath seeke to the communion and fellowship of the godly Of the duties of loue Collections for the poore on the Sabbath To disgrace others by reports Psal. 15 3. Note Two things in these duties to be obserued Sincerity in all duties Outward actions without inward affections Simile How the Sabbath is brokeÌ„ Workes how farre forbiddeÌ„ on the Sabbath The dressing of meates on the Sabbath Things forbidden on the Sabbath Whether it be hard for some callings to keepe the Sabbath Of seruants Of shepheards heardsmen c. Bakers and Brewers Mariners and Posts Mariners Note Preachers by sea Similiâ— The prophanes of many seafaring men Posts Of Faires Markets Seed time haruest Blindnes of men How wee ought more carefully to obserue the Sabbath in the haruest than any other time of the yeere 1 2 3 4 Simile Double necessitie Of gathering Saffron Of trauelling Of the works of our pleasureâ— Of feasting and banketting â— Sam. 22. 25. Obiection Of pastimes and recreations If trauell be forbidden in seede time and haruest much more pleasures all the yeere long The vnclean sinne of dancing Esai 58. Obiection Answere Sicke persoÌ„s How the Sabbath is prophaned in thought word c. The differeÌ„ce between the not sanctifying and prophaning of the Sabbath Prophanation of the Sabbath Thought Word The nourishing and harbouring of euil thoughts in our hearts on the Sabbath will depriue vs of all fruit of Gods worship Preaching Gods ordinarie meanes to saluation Reading of the Scriptures publikely in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matter Order Simile Time Nulla dies sine linea Feare How to attaine a clâ—â—re vnderstanding sound iudgement and good affections 1. Cor. 2. Good heart Meditation False feares and false ioyes 2. ConfereÌ„nce 3. Faith Supra Of preparation A generall faith 4. Practise Want of practise makes men blinder after some measure of knowledge S. Prayer Many rest in knowledge and want faith why Thanksgiuing Meditations of death A dull kinde of death Great quietnes mâ—â—knes in the death of many sinners Simile The death of Heretikes Note The implicit popish faith cannot helpe in temptation Hereticall opinions concerning the resurrection Few Christians doe truly belieue the resurrection The parts of speciall points handled 1 2 3 Translation of Enoch His opinion concerning Enoch and Eliahs bodie Heb. 11. 33. Matth. 22. 32. Iob. 19. 25. What is meant by soule Psal. 16. Places of the new Testament Note Note this interpretatioÌ„ of Heb 11. 39. 2. Pet. 3. 10. Reuel 10. 11. 2 ConfirmatioÌ„ 1 2 3 4 1 We must beleeu what the Lord saith how contrary soeuer it seem to naturall reason Matth. 25. 33. Luke 16. 23. Gods iustice and mercie
Familie and Fathers 684 Chap. 30. How to profit and examine our selues when friends forsake vs. 685 Chap. 31. Of Godlinesse and by what meanes we must draw neere to God 689 Chap. 32. Of Gods free Grace Iustice and Mercie and how wee may try our loue to God 692 Chap. 33. Of Gods wrath Iustice and Mercie 695 Chap. 34. Teaching vs why we are specially to keepe watch and ward ouer our harts 700 Chap. 35. Where is taught how wee must narrowly watch ouer our hearts and ouer our affections for many causes 703 Chap. 36. Of hearing Gods word 707 Chap. 37. Of Humilitie and pride 711 Chap. 38. Of hypocrisie and hardnesse of hart 715 Chap. 39. Of Heresie and many corrupt kindes of knowledge and how the Diuell pestereth the Churches with euill teachers 720 Chap. 40. Of the Iudgements of God and how iust he is in iudgement and how his promises and threatnings to Israel appertaine to vs. 722 Chap. 41. Of Ioy and Sorrow 724 Chap. 42. Of iniuries offences and controuersies 727 Chap. 43. Of Iudgement and Folly 731 Chap. 44. Of Knowledge and Ignorance and how to seeke God and of Sathans Sophistris c. 733 Chap 45. Of Miracles and how God worketh without and with meanes and how we ought to attend on the meanes 736 Chap. 46. Of Magistracie or gouernment 739 Chap. 47. Of Matrimonie and of the Duties which belong to that state 742 Chap. 48. Of the Ministerie 743 Chap. 49. Of the Ministerie 747 Chap. 50. Of Gods promises excellencie and truth of Gods word and how the wicked abuse Scriptures 753 Chap. 51. Of Murmuring 758 Chap. 52. Of patience vnder the Crosse. 761 Chap. 53. Of predestination perseuerance and presumption 764 Chap. 54. Of Prosperity and Aduersity and of griefe and of the Temptations incident to it 766 Chap. 55. Of Prosperity and Aduersity 769 Chap. 56. Of Prophecie and Preaching 770 Chap. 57. Of Gods Prouidence 773 Chap. 58. Of Prayer and Meditation 775 Chap. 59. Of Repentance 779 Chap. 60. Of Riches and their abuse 783 Chap. 61. Of Sacraments 786 Chap. 62. Of sinne and how to abstaine from the least and of iniquitie and the punishments thereof 788 Chap. 63. Of Phisicke and Diet. 794 Chap. 64. Of Sathans practises of Schisme and security 796 Chap. 65. Of Parents Education of Children Gouernours of youth and care of Posterity 798 Chap. 66. Of Gods worship and of Religion true and false 801 Chap. 67. Of Regeneration and Sanctification 803 Chap. 68. Of the Sabbath 809 Chap. 69. Of Thanks giuing and the right vse of the Creatures 812 Chap. 70. Of Temptation 813 Chap. 71. Of Truth and errors sincerity and contempt of the word 817 Chap. 72. Of Witchcraft and vnbeliefe 821 Chap. 73. Of the word of God and of the confirmation thereof by signes and wonders 822 Chap. 74. Of good workes and our obedience to Gods word 826 Chap. 75. Of Zeale 829 Next vnto these follow other diuine arguments and common places in Religion contained in 22. Chapters Chap. 1. OF Conscience 832 Chap. 2. Of Order how necessary in all things 833 Chap. 3. Of hearing Gods word 834 Chap. 4. Who be Swine and who be Dogges 837 Chap. 5. Of vnmercifulnesse ead Chap. 6. Of Workes 838 Chap. 7. Of Policie ead Chap. 8. Of speciall notes of a man truly righteous and religious 839 Chap. 9. Of the Sabbath 839 Chap. 10. Of Discipline and Excommunication 842 Chap. 11. Of Meanes 844 Chap. 12. Of diuers names applyed to the Diuell in Scripture 845 Chap. 13. Of the contempt of the Ministerie 846 Chap. 14. Of shame and shamefastnesse 847 Chap. 15. Of Iustification 848 Chap. 16. Of Parables and Similitudâ—s ead Chap. 17. Of Gods Prouidence 850 Chap. 18. Of Seeking God 851 Chap. 19. Of Sinne. ead Chap. 20. Of profit and pleasure 852 Chap. 21. Of Christs power 852 Chap. 22. Of Temptation 853 A Short Direction for the comfort of afflicted consciences 854 Rules for an afflicted minde concerning seuerall Temptations 855 Rules concerning the power and priuiledges of Gods word 857 A short direction for one troubled in minde 871 Lastly diuers Letters and a very zealous Prayer of M. Greenhams 881 EPIGRAMMA IN OPERA Pijssimi doctiss Theologi M. Ric. Greenham labore ac studio M. Hollandi diuini verbi apud Londinates Ministri fideliss edita post obitum Authoris per F. Hering D. Med. MEntibus afflictis grauis haec afflictio cessit Greenamum è medio tolli qui saepè solebat Eregius mentis Medicus solatia mira Dexteritate sacris virtus depromere chartis Sicque pias animas vitiorum mole grauatas Implicitas Satanae laqueis misereque agitatas Infernis furijs exemit faucibus Orci Antidotos quippè hic varias ac pharmaca norat Coelica antiqui technasque dolosque colubri Hinc tristes moerent mentes geminant que querelas Quod mala permaneant Medico pereunte sed ecce Hollandus pius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respicit illas Greenamumque loqui rursus post funera fecit Alloquio duros solito muleâ—re labores Gaudete attonitae mentes lamentaque crebris Suspirijs alijsque remissa relinquite vester Grenamus praestò est vobis pretiosaque secum Balsama in Elysijs portat nascentia campis Floruit in terris olim Greenamus in alto Nunc floret coelo terraque virescere rursus Incipit Hollandi studio curaque sagaci Scilicet haec verae merces pietatis vt ipsam Conculcet mortem satanam ruptisque Gehenna Aeteroum vireat vinclis post fata superstet IN OBITVM ET OPVS Richardi Greenhami NOn erat hic celebri Greenhamus stemmate natus Ast pictate sua nobilitatus erat Huius ego laudes si forsan fingere credar Vita fiet testis testis istud opus Vita fiet testis cuius radiante nitore Vtilitas populo gloria nacta Deo Testis istud opus mira pietate refertum Quod digito monstrat Religionis iter A. R. ON THE DEATH AND WORKS OF MASTER GREENHAM SOme skilfull Caruer helpe me to endorse The blessed stone that hideth Greenhams corse Make me a tree whose branches withered beene And yet the leaues and fruit are euer greene The more the stocke dyes let them flourish more And grow more kindly greene than â—arst before Set Time and â—nuie gazing at the roâ—e Cursing their â—ootlesse hand and sliding foote Let all the Graces sit them in the shade And pull those leaues whose beautie cannot fade Greenham if this cannot thy worth descriue That thou once dead thy works are still aliue Would I might say thy selfe could neuer die But emulate thy workes eternitie VPON HIS SABBATH WHile Greenham writeth of the Sabbaths rest His soule inioyes not which his pen exprest His worke inioyes not what it selfe doth say For it shall neuer finde one resting day A thousand hands shall tosse each page and line Which shall be scanned by a thousand eyne That Sabbaths rest or this Sabbaths vnrest Hard
creatures of water bread and wine in the Sacraments but acknowledge all inward grace to proceede from God his blessing and institution so we promise vnto our selues on the Lord his day a greater blessing not for any thing in the day it selfe but by reason of God his owne ordinance and promise of a blessing to the same And as we denie not a blessing from the Lord on priuate prayer reading and conference but acknowledge a greater blessing to be due euen by the Lord his owne promise to these exercises publike in cōparison of the other so wee denie not the grace of God to be vpon those houres redeemed from our outward callings and consecrated to the Lord but confesse a more speciall blessing from God to belong to that whole day which the Lord hath taken vp to himselfe alone and that for his owne promise sake vnto all them which come with simple hearts to obey his holy commaundement Now hauing gone through these reasons which proue the Sabbath day to be morall and that this commaundement is no lesse to be obserued than the other nine before we enter into the exposition of the law it selfe it shal be cōuenient to meet with such reasons as some men bring to preludice the trueth of that which hath beene alreadie spoken which being done by God his grace we will come to the other The reasons against the Sabbath may briefely be reduced into such as either seeme to be drawne out of the expresse words of the Scriptures or else by some consequence to be gathered from the Scriptures The arguments borrowed from the written word are either out of the olde Testament or out of the new they which are contained in the olde are taken either out of the lawe or out of the Prophets Out of the lawe they make much a doe about that which is written Exod. 31. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. where the Lord faith this vnto Moses Speake thou vnto the children of Israel and say Notwithstanding keepe ye my Sabbaths for it is a signe betweene me and you in your generations that ye may know that I the Lord doe sanctifie you Ye shall therefore keepe the Sabbath for it is holy vnto you he that defileth it shall die the death therefore whosoeuer worketh therein the same person shall be euen cut off from among his people Sixe daies shall men worke but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the holy rest to the Lord whosoeuer doth any worke on the Sabbath day shall die the death Wherefore the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath that they may obserue the rest throughout their generations for an euerlasting couenant It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for euer for in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth and in the seuenth day hee ceased and rested Out of these words they snatch these three reasons First they triumph before the conquest and say it is manifest that it is a signe and therefore as they please to conclude it is a figure True it is that it is here called a signe vers 13. as also Ezech. 20. 12 it is plaine howbeit this is no good reason that seeing the Sabbath is a signe therefore it is a figure or shadowe For although euery figure and shadowe be a signe yet euery signe is not a figure or shadow A figure foresheweth a trueth afterwards to be reuealed a shadow betokeneth a bodie hereafter to be exhibited but a signe as it doth sometimes signifie a thing afterwards to be looked for so it doth sometimes assure vs of a thing alreadie performed The figure ceaseth when the trueth commeth there is no vse of the shadow when the body is present but the signe and the thing signified may be ioyned together and both of them serue for a present vse Againe they gather out of the 16. verse of the chapter which we haue in hand where it is said The children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath that they may obserue the rest through their generations for an euerlasting couenant that because the Sabbath of God is his couenant for euer that is vntill Christ it is ceremoniall True it is that the lawe admitteth this phrase of speech sundrie times to say for euer that is vntill Christ in whom al things are fulfilled But we must obserue this general rule as our guide when we will know what figures and ceremonies end in Christ and what morall precepts belong vnto vs. When a thing is vrged to the Iewes and hath a peculiar reason made properly to the Iewe and appertaineth nothing to the Christian then as it begunne with the Iewes as they were Iewes it ceased with the Iewes but when the reason of the thing vrged is not peculiar to the Iewes but also belongeth to the Christians then the thing commanded is not proper to the Iew but common to the Iew and Gentile Wherefore let vs square out the reason by the line of this generall rule It is here added v. 17. For in six daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth and in the seuenth day he ceased and rested Where if it had beene said they shall obserue the rest for an euerlasting couenant because they were brought out of Egypt I would haue graunted it to haue beene peculiar to the Iewes but seeing this is the reason the Lord rested which is common not to the posteritie of Abraham alone but to the whole posteritie of Adam the commaundement must be granted generall both to Iew and Gentile For it is a common instruction to all men in all ages to labour six daies wherein the Lord made the heauen and the earth and to cease from labour the seuenth day because in it the Lord rested The plaine sense then of this place is briefly this as if the Lord should say I made this law in the beginning of the world and it shall last to the end of the world I made it to Adam the father of all generations and it shall endure to the last of all his posteritie from generation to generation I made this law to ease my selfe after my great paines taken in the creating of the world in sixe daies and you shall keepe it to ease your mindes which are fraught with many distractions by reason of your ordinarie callings in those daies Neither would I haue any to thinke that the Lord had neede of any refreshing who being infinite cannot be subiect to distractions or wearines but we must know that where the Lord is said that he refreshed himselfe by taking view of his creatures he commendeth his loue to vs ward in shewing rather what ought to be in vs than what was in him For such alacritie and diligence should we vse in our callings as we should be glad when the Lords day commeth that in it we shall recouer our selues and ease our mindes of those distractions which burthen vs in our outward calling and so
to Agar and Sarah in which place he sheweth that as in Abrahams familie was the image both of the true Church and malignant Church the one persecuted of the other so like should be the estate of the Church continually euen vnto the end In like manner the author to the Hebrues vseth an allusion that as God rested the seuenth day from the workes of the creation so we also should rest from the workes not of sinne as these men would haue it but of our calling For this Adam should so haue done though he had not sinned and thereforâ— it is not meant of resting from sinne Thus we see where the Christian Bee gathereth honey there the heretical Spider sucketh poyson who affirmeth that in this life they rest from sinne and here they haue their heauen And thus much for those reasons which are out of the very words of the Scripture noâ— of those arguments which are drawne by consequence out of the Scripture Their maine reason is this which deceiueth many That which is grâ—ffed in mans nature whereof the Gentiles were not ignorant and which continueth to the kingdome of Christ at his second comming is morall and that which was not naturall vnknowne to the Genâ—iles anâ— lasted but vnto the first comming of Christ was ceremoniall but such was the Sabbath therefore the Sabbath is a ceremonie and not a morall precept I answere first that naturall and morall which they make all one must not be confounded True it is that our first parents had the law of God written in their hearts before it was promulgated in the mount whereunto as we said the ceremonies seruing as rudiments for a time and as appertinances of the law were adioyned And albeit the morall law be the explaining of the naturall law yet it doth not follow that that which is in the morall law is no more than that which is in the naturall law We know our first father Adam besides the law of nature had the Sabbath in expresse words giuen him and although he had the great bookes of Gods workes yet he had the Word and Sacraments also both which were without his nature and had them not in his owne nature So the things here spoken renew that which was giuen besides that which he had by the law of nature The Gentiles then can no more by the light of nature see the true Sabbath of the Lord and the time wherein he will be worshipped than the pure meanes and manner which the Lord hath appointed for his worship and therefore both Papists Heretikes Gentiles are as well deceiued by ignorance in this obseruation of the fourth Commandement as they be in the second Againe I may answere that in some manner both the second and fourth Commaundements are engraffed in mans nature For neuer any were found so prophane which would not grant that God ought to be worshipped and that not onely inwardly but outwardly also by meanes And the Gentiles by the instinct of nature would acknowledge that as there was a God to be worshipped so there should be some time which should be sequestred from other businesse and should be bestowed on matters concerning the worship of God But to discerne aright what these meanes be wherewith the Lord will be serued and what this time is which the Lord will haue for his honour the Heathen were so farre off that how many nations so many heads how many heads so many kindes of religion The Gentiles whose vaine traditions were but disordered imitations of Moses lawes which they had heard of had indeed their holie daies which not being vsed in faith by reason of their ignorance of the word could nothing please God Yea wee may reade how strictly and superstitiously the Gentiles kept their holie daies so that with all other they agreed after a sort in this generall point that there should be both appointed meanes and certaine set times for the worship of God Againe it is like that the Gentiles were not ignorant of the law of fasting as may appeare by the Niniuits but how to order it a right to the glorie of God they were altogether ignorant because they wanted the word Wherefore herein wee count the true glorie of Christians to consist that the Lord hath giuen vs the truth and hath not left vs to our own inuentions in the meanes of Gods worship and herein is Christian dignitie that as wee haue the manner of our religion prescribed of God himselfe so we haue also the time which he for that purpose hath himselfe sanctified It followeth not theÌ„ because the Sabbath is not ingrasfed in mans nature therefore the Sabbath is not morall because in trueth neither were the lawes of the meanes of Gods worship nor of fasting so ingrafted although in some maner they were Their reasons by consequence are either from the old Testament or from the new Their argument from the old Testament is this We reade not the law of the Sabbath was put in practise before the law was promulgated in mount Sâ—nai therefore it is not morall but ceremoniall This is no good reason we find it not written therefore it was not For so they may argue against â—asting and many other things which were vsed and yet the practise of them not left in writing Who can disallow of mariage and of spousals doe not the Gentiles the lawes ciuill and the Romane law approue them and yet what record haue we left concerning these things in writing before the law Look into the historie of the Kings and Iudges in the bookes of the Chronicles where you shall finde mention made but once of the Sabbath and wee haue it once commanded by precept Gen. 2. 2. and commmended by practise Exod. 16. 26. in which place the man of God speaketh in the preterperfect tence Behold how the Lord hath giuen you the Sabbath Their second reason is drawne from the streightnes of the law to be executed Exod. 35. 2. 3. on him that gathered sticks which they say must not be enioyned vs. Concerning this it maketh no more against the morall obseruation of this precept than the other ceremonies did against the other precepts whereunto they were ioyned The Iewes being in their nonage had rules peculiar to themselues with these wee are not intangled how beit they had other generall commandements which being common to vs with them appertaine still vnto vs. As for example to teach our children the coÌ„mandements of the Lord appertaineth to vs Deut. 6. 7. but to bind them vpon our hands for a signe as frontlets betweene our eyes appertaineth to the Iewes to burie the dead belongeth vnto vs but to enbalme them with spices who had not so cleere a testimonie of the resurrection belongeth to the Iewes Is not the law of murder as well enioy â—ed vs as to the Iewes yet we may eate blood which they could not We ought to be as temperate as they
away Thus much therefore we say that as we prescribed in the other callings so for milking of kine making of beds and dressing of meates as for trauailers Bakers and Brewers that their busines if it be necessarie must bee done either early in the morning or lately in the euening There are two kindes of calling of more difficultie the one by sea the other by land the one of Mariners the other of posts For men being on the Seas cannot come conueniētly to the publike places of religion and in ciuill matters there are often great necessities and vnknowne to priuate men Concerning the first we say they are either in necessary affaires or they are not if not they are to be counted as flat breakers of the Sabbath if they be in their lawfull and necessarie callings the times must bee so diuided that their bodies may be cased and their soules refreshed Howbeit if the present necessitie grow to be more violent then holds the generall rule of things that cannot be done before or after To this we adde that in some respect because the Mariners haue intermissions by reason of their oft changing there might be meanes appointed for the worship of God priuately For there be vicissitudes of labouring spent in quaffing drinking and sleeping which leisure they might haue as free for the worship of God priuately as any on the land Besides the proportion of sixe and seuen obserued that they may doe some one day in seuen which they should do on the Sabbath it selfe For then the Lord accepteth the equitie of the law when vpon necessitie we cannot obserue the prescript time of the law Furthermore when their ships lie at roade and at ancker when they either are staied by tempest or mend their tackling or waite long at hauens for their traffique then what time hath before been lost it is now to be redeemed if it be not at the set times yet as we saide at some times obseruing the proportion of the law Thirdly if they were as prudent in heauenly things as politike in earthly though they cannot so conueniently haue accesse to the publike meanes yet in the whole companie for feare of pirates they goe for stronger fence many together by a generall contribution they might allow a Minister among them Againe considering that the Mariners are either such as be of the richer fort or such as bee of a meaner condition we say that the richer and more wealthie Merchants swimme so in their gaines as if they haue but hearts to pay the tithe of their increase they may not onely conueniently finde a Minister in the ship but also liberally prouide for the worship of God on the land As for the poorer fort if they cannot offer an oxe let them offer a turtle doue if they cānot offer a doue let them offer a little fine wheate flower I meane if they cannot prouide a graue preacher yet at the least they may procure some good man to read the holy word of God vnto them to deliuer the plaine and pure sense of the Scriptures to them and to help them in prayer and other holy exercises of religion For if they can in their seuerall ships maintaine a guide skilfull in seafaring to conduct them in ther nauigations then by a generall purse they may farre more easilie sustaine the charges of a teacher who in great dangers may strengthen comfort them in all estates may guide and safegard them to the hauen of heauen Fiftly in respect that they haue greater blessings on the Seas receiue greater testimonies of Gods fauour taste more bountifully of Gods power in imminent and fearfull dangers and more liberally haue experience of his prouidence in their marueilous preseruation than their brethren on the land I thinke they ought not to be lesse zealous but more carefull of the worship of God than others on the land Though then the prescript forme of the law cannot alwaies be vsed and yet the proportion of the law may bee obserued and seeing God is the Lord of the seas as well as he is the gouernour of the land he is no lesse to be worshipped in the one than in the other yet the want of this his worship hath distinguished the seafaring men from others by their monstrous prophanenes and brutish irreligiousnes And yet in that this euill is not so generall but that euen in that calling there are some that feare the Lord it is manifest that the fault is not in the calling which in it selfe is lawfull but in the corruptions of the persons who are degenerated into an hellish atheisme Now concerning Posts thus much briefly Either the Posts trauaile on the Lords day vpon necessitie or without necessitie If they goe on the necessarie affaires of the land and such as by foreslacking would be more dangerous and the speedie dispatching of them would be more profitable to the whole bodie of the realme the libertie is permitted and is greater or lesser according to the grauitie and slendernes of their affaires but if they haue no necessitie the rule of God his lawes take hold on them Howbeit for the most part subiects are not so precisely to iudge of them because Princes matters are not knowne to all men but they are rather to pray that both the Princes heart may be right herein and that the Lord would moue them euermore to vse those waies which are most conuenient And thus much generally of the vsuall workes of our calling It remaineth to speake of those works which haue not the ordinary course of the weeke daies but are neuerthelesse vsed at certaine set times and seasons as Faires in certaine moneths and quarters of the yeere as the seeding in the winter and in the spring time and the haruest in summer in Autumne Hereunto we may adde speciall iourneies taken in hand not vsually but extraordinarily the gathering of Saffron at the time of the yeere Al which things haue their seuerall seasons and are vnnaturally thrust on the Lords owne times howsoeuer men haue pretended a necessitie flesh and blood hunting after liberty disputeth to the contrary First as for Faires and Markets which by politike wise and worldly men on the Lords daies are maintained it argueth the want of godly wisedome where they be vsed because without any preiudice to the worship of God they may not conueniently bee obserued For if no necessitie profit nor pleasure could cause the Papists to haue their Faires on their Christmas day Easter day holy Thursday and Corpus Christi day then it is a shame for vs that in truth and zeale ought to goe before them to defile the Lords day herewith yea I adde it is intollerable because a firme statute ciuill law enforceth a plaine inhibition of all such worldly conuents and assemblies on that day These faires are for the most part either solemne Marts and of greater continuance or petie Markets and of lesse
to accelerate their death or to reade mee as some haue read Plato that thereby they should hasten the time of their deliuerance but that wee should learne when God doth becke for vs wee should bee readie to remoue and that for none other causes but for faith and in hope of Gods promises a full feeling of our sinnes discharged a sure confidence of God his power in raising vs vp againe and a stedfast hope of a more glorious possession after this life By these meanes wee shall so rest in the hands of God that when nature decaieth wee shall haue our departure with calmnes and in a good time shall through a naturall ripenes rather voluntarily fall of than violently bee pulled off Wherefore wee see that this rash and vndiscreete desire off death is either in mindes that are abiect or in men in whose flesh their spirits are alreadie buried as also that the triumph of the godly proceedeth from hence euen a full assurance that he which raised them vp euery morning will raise them in the last day and that hee which raised Christ their head will also raise them his members This is that which will stay all quiuering of the flesh wherewith many are so benummed that they cannot with gladnes drinke of that cup whereunto the Lord allotted them If euer this doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ was needfull it is now adaies most needfull wherein wicked Heretikes would depriue vs of the comfort of it It will not serue in the time of temptation whether it come immediatly from the diuell or medâ—â—tly by his instruments to rest in our infolded faith with the Papists or to say wee beleeue as it is in the Creede wee beleeue as the Church beleeueth But to leaue the diuell himselfe hee hath suborned such priuie and treacherous aduersaries of this doctrine as with impudent faces will agree with vs in matter and in word will graunt the resurrection and yet shift away in their manner and in sense and truth blasphemously denie the power of the same Thus Hymineus and Philetus would not flatly denie the resurrection nay they would graunt it but how they saide it was past Thus cunningly Satan would ouerthrow the manner of the resurrection by permitting them to dally in the matter Againe shall wee thinke that the Sadduces did generally resist it no they had their false glosses and their forced interpretations with whom Satan in policie would pretend a maintaining of that which in purpose hee sought to mangle and marre The Philosophers had many glancing and glorious speeches of the immortalitie of the soule but when they came to this point concerning the rising againe of the flesh nothing was more ridiculous and incredible vnto them In so much that many of them of the Epicures and Stoikes mocked Paul disputing of this matter and said What will this babbler say as wee may reade Act. 17. verse 18. And when hee spake of the resurrection from the dead some mocked and others said we will heare thee againe â—f this matter Surely if the rising againe had been nothing but the renewing of the minde as some fondly dreame and falsely affirme it may bee thought that the Academicks would haue conceiued this doctrine and Platoesidaea hath as great secrets But here is the point which they sticke at and can by no meanes digest it that the naturall bodie after it is consumed into the ayre fire water or earth should afterward reuiue and receiue supernaturall qualities and as Philosophers and Heretikes cannot brooke this kinde of teaching so sure it is that few of the common professors receiue it in truth as their liues doe manifestly proue Besides there is another euill more perillous than these Through the close subtiltie of Satan this mysterie of iniquitie is cunningly conueyed into the heads of the more learned sort to discourse of certane places of the old Testament which godly learned and ancient Fathers haue construed of the resurrection and are denied of these men As these places Iob. 19. 25. 26. 27. and Esaj 26 19. and Daniel 12. 2. It may be and I do thinke their intent and purpose was not to misconstrue the places Howbeit it was Sathans policie to abuse the truth and vndermine our faith it was the secret iudgement of God to suffer Sathan so farre to buffet them Wherefore that we may the better be armed against the day of triall and that we may stand strongly in the day of temptation in our possession we will by God his assistance first set downe those expresse testimonies in the word of God whereby this doctrine is confirmed Secondly we will alleage those reasons out of the Scriptures which implie this thing though they doe not plainely affirme it Afterward wee will vnâ—ase the shifting visard of Heretikes whereby they would counsell men to some liking of their opinions Wherefore that wee may the better answere the diuell and his limmes let vs first consider of that translation of Enoch Genes 5. 24. wherin the Fathers haue obserued a manifest testimonie of the resurrection with whome I agree in part but not in generall because I dare not affirme with them that the body of Enoch is in heauen seeing as yet Christ alone is risen from the dead and was made the first fruites of them that slept And albeit that Enoch and Eliah did not fall asleepe as did the other Fathers yet because it is saide Hebr. 11. 39. that the Fathers in old time among whom Enoch is mentioned receiued not the promise that is the fulnes of the promise it cannot bee that Enoch his flesh is yet in heauen And howsoeuer hee was taken away by vnknowne meanes neuerthelesse that GOD that could so hide the bodie of Moses that euen the diuell looking for it could not finde it hath also laid vp the bodies of Enoch and Eliah in such meanes aâ— are hid from vs. And as the Lord hath infinit meanes of hiding so hath he incomprehensible means of finding as well of the bodie of Enoch as of the bodie of Moses Now whereas it is saide Heb 11. 33. that they suffered that they may receiue a better resurrection it must needes be that there is a rising againe of the flesh Againe we read Exod. 3 6. that the Lord said vnto Moses I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob In which place it may seeme not a sufficient proofe to confirme so great a matter Howbeit our Sauiour CHRIST vseth it as a bulwarke against the Sadduces Matth 22 32. where our Sauiour Christ to prooue the resurrection inferreth the same words adding to them thus much God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing where wee see how Abraham Isaac and Iacob being aliue haue their bodies in the Lord his hands in keeeping as well as their soules Wherefore seeing both the Prophets and Christ himselfe haue vsed this place to that ende wee also
to leade such a strict life they will haue other men liue like Angels and they themselues like Deuils Some more effectuall notes and of more common vse than these are set downe Matth. 23. But some may say and gather hereupon If it be a grosse hypocrisie to reprehend I will not deale with it at all and these are either fearfull or wickedly subtile and they are worse than the other Wee must not mislike the doing of an hypocrite further than God misliketh his misliking must bee our rule and hee blameth him not for the outside but for the inside A reprehension is good but in him it is ill accidentally as the best things in the Gospell may be The Pharisies were reprehenders and our righteousnesse must exceede theirs that is comprehend theirs and more Augustine saith well Sheepe may not therefore cast away their skinnes because wolues sometimes are coated with them Euery outward thing in their hypocrisie was good making of Proselytes keeping Saints memories and hee that hateth them for their abuse shall prooue himselfe a foole in the end Another kinde of men may conclude and thinke that those that are such open offenders and riotous not to be hypocrites and it is all they can boast of I am no hypocrite But we know that he is a singular hypocrite by Christs owne testimony that hath a beame in his eye Surely they are of the brotherhood of hypocrites Esay chap. 9. speaking of young men of wilde youths saith they are all hypocrites Iustine saith Euery euill man is an hypocrite more or lesse none is worse than such And yet if a man should see him in a mantle and heare him to pronounce Iehouah in sixe lines seuen times hee would thinke well of him he being darknesse turneth himselfe into an Angell of light and as hee is an hypocrite himselfe so is his crue The flesh shee complaines she is very weake and cannot rise and the spirits are dull they cannot studie But Dauid omitting his spirituall watch fell seuen times worse than hee did before The world is an hypocrite you may see by the tares which all good writers expound hypocrites that there be bundles of hypocrites though few beare the name Christ saith in the Gospell Hypocrites Esay prophecied well of you you come neere me with your lips c. Of these there be many bundles such are all they as will not goe one inch further in doing their duties thaÌ„ the precepts of men A man might marueile at Saint Paul that he called some the circumcised of God and the Israel of God as though there were any other Israel or circumcision there are indeed the circumcised of Parliaments and the Israelites of Princes Many there are who if Iosias his statutes were abrogated would bee readie to take the statutes of Omry There is another kinde of hypocrites called Heretikes as the Nouatians Anabaptists Familists The worst kind are those in the Church which open well vntil they haue a morsell cast into their mouthes Diuers colour their hypocrisie vnder the cloake of affected popularitie as Absolom The cast of hypocrites is to ioyne to great men that if they make a scape they may not bee medled withall Secondly they will ioyne themselues to good men and if that cloake will not serue they flie to statutes as in Daniel and last of all to the cloake of religion as Pilate to Christ I adiure thee by the liuing God and as the sonnes of Iacob did to the Sichemites they gate them to circumcise them that they might kill them There is a kinde of dissemblers that thinke it but hypocrisie to take vpon one the dutie of admonishing and they say of themselues that they are not cleane fingred but cleane hearted and that they are glorious within for all that the world seeth But Iames saith they must be cleane fingred too One saith to Augustine It sufficeth mee that I haue a pure conscience or that I haue a good conscience Augustine answereth Let not that content thee but remember the words of Christ also Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your heauenly father Matth. 5. This is certaine saith hee if there be a beame in thine eye there is a whole stacke in thine heart How comes it to passe then that they that are more carefull than the rest are called hypocrites Christ indeede might call the Pharisies so for hee knew their thoughts but no Prophet euer called any hypocrite that had not a beame in his eye But this is the pestilent practise of the Diuell to vexe the children of God with that sinne which they cannot with any outward witnesses or compurgators so wel discharge themselues of being a sinne in the heart If a man be accused of adulterie hee might shew the contrarie by circumstance of time and place and so acquite himselfe but for this sinne no oth will serue for then hee is thought to be greater hypocrite Giue me all the Saints saith Augustine and say to them and see how they can discharge themselues Then the matter is this two things are required in a Christian which God giueth Iob that we be both straight without and sound within FINIS A TREATISE OF ANGER MOses in the twelfth of Numbers is coÌ„mended for the meekest man vpon the earth yet Exod 32. 19. he is said to be angrie and also is commended for it and his anger is allowed where wee learne that euery anger is not forbidden in the word of God but that only which is either without or not for a â—ust cause and which is not measured by the word For anger is in vs as other qualities of the minde are that is if it be ruled by our corruption it is euill and is forbidden in the word as a worke of the flesh but if by Gods good Spirit it be sanctified and ruled by Gods word it is a dutie commanded and we ought to bring it â—oorth as a fruit of the Spirit And many of Gods seruants in the Scriptures being angry for good causes and obseruing measure are commended for it whose examples in the like causes we ought to follow That we may therefore know spirituall and Christian anger from fleshly carnall anger and that we may discerne the workes of Gods Spirit in vs from the corrupted workes of our flesh it shall be profitable by some notes to make a difference betweene them that so they may both be knowne The first note or difference betweene these two kindes of anger is this If wee can patiently swallow vp and ouercome iniuries and faults committed against our selues yet in the cause of the Lord we can be very hot earnest and iealous this is a good signe that our anger proceedeth from the Spirit of God within vs. But contrariwise men in their owne causes and quarrels and when the iniurie is done to them will be very hot and angry and marueilously
farre on the other hand doe we vtterly and simply refuse all orders of the Church although sometime there be no expresse word but if by consequence if by cause or effect wee can finde it agreeable or not repugnant to the word after triall had with the holy scriptures wee will receiue it thus to make the word the touchstone the heretikes will not agree Besides as in all other artes it is requisite that whosoeuer will attaine sound knowledge of them hee must credit their principles for otherwise as the verie heathen saw there is no farther dealing in the learning of them so we haue certaine generall truthes and rudiments whereby we traine vp new commers to Christ and trie both old and yong by them which thing our heretikes will not admit We hold then certaine generall rules of the power prouidence and wisedome of God of our redemption and saluation by Iesus Christ of our effectuall sanctification of the forgiuenes of our sinnes of the hope of the glorious resurrection and of a better life of obedience prayer discipline and holy conuersation in despite of all heretikes against which though they dispute declame raile and write wee will neuer leese the hold Secondly which is a thing vnto these men vnacquainted we vse to marke the scope and drift of the writer we compare the things that goe before with the things that follow after wee conferre one place with another the olde Testament with the new the allegories with the plaine speeches we see a perfit harmonie in the scriptures wee refuse all dissenting and disagreeing doctrine to the scriptures all which neither Turke Papist nor Familist will doe and therefore we haue the trueth in these last dayes which neither Mahomet Bishop of Rome nor H. N haue and therefore we will not be iudged by their reuelations traditions and dreames but by the scriptures whereby we iudge them and in this sense we say the last dayes or fulnes of time because we haue the trueth But yet the villanoust wretches which heape vp to the brimme the measure of their sins will not also stick to say with vs that these are the last dayes that is as they interpret it who so cōmeth into the house of loue and is illuminated is now risen againe and hath heard the last trumpe and is become of an Angelicall nature needing no eating drinking or marrying after the manner of men and these are our ranging rogues who will tye themselues to no calling but liue as they thinke in the resurrection See how needefull it is to vnderstand this phrase aright of the last dayes We call not them the last dayes in respect that no further time shall be but in respect hereof that these dayes shall not be ended vntill Christ come and giue vp the kingdome to God the Father and as these last dayes were begun at his first comming in humilitie in the fleshe so they shall ende at his last comming in glorie to iudgement It followeth in our text In the last dayes saith God All the Scriptures are worthie to bee heard because they proceed from God and not from man although man may be the pen of the holy Ghost Wherefore it is said 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21. First knowe this that no prophecie in Scripture is of priuate motion For the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost The Prophets wholy to disauthorise themselues in all their waightie embassages vse to say Thus saith the Lord of hosts Thus saith the Lord the holy one and such like whereby they would purchase the greater credit whilest they remoue the imagination of men from all dreaming of mans doing and set their faith a worke in acknowledging it to proceede from God Wherefore wee must so heare the word as though we heard God himselfe speaking to vs yea as though we either went vp to heauen or God came downe to vs. Likewise whether we reade heare or meditate priuately we must still thinke our selues in the presence of God who narrowly watcheth ouer the pure vse of his holy word remembring that holy speech of Cornelius Act. 10. vers 33. vnto Peter the Apostle Now are we all here present before God to heare all things commanded thee of God It is also said in that exhortation to the Church to praise God Psal. 95. vers 2. Let vs come before his face with praise c. This is that which will humble vs when we know that we come before God and his Angels whose presence is described Ezek. 1. and therefore the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 10. to moue the womē of Cor. the more telleth thē that they are in the presence of the Angels This meditation breedeth religion in hearing without which whilest we behold a man speaking as of himselfe and by himselfe alone we are neuer moued threatē he promise he menace he comfort he exhort he reproue he neuer so much No we cānot throughly be wrought vpon vntil we can say Surely it is the Lord speaketh to vs it is the word of the most high God vttered by man wee will not receiue it as the doctrine of men but of God either as the doctrine to saue our soules or to cōfound vs it is the mightie power of saluation if wee beleeue it is a mightie power to cast vs downe to the hels if we doe not beleeue It is the word of God that moueth not the word of man For if a man were a Turke how should he moue a Papist or how should a Papist moue a Turke If he take away Mahomets dreames from the Turke or the Fathers traditions from the Papist or the eight man his reuelations from the Familist and vrgethem with the word they are gone so that it is the onely word of God maugre the head of the deuill that vnblindfoldeth all their errors and is able to moue them and conuert so many of them to the trueth as God will haue saued Thus we see what the perswasion of God his presence and the authoritie of his word worketh in vs. Now before we goe into the other particulars let vs by the way consider somewhat of the reason here vsed Before he vsed a reason of probabilitie from the circumstance of the time now he commeth to a reason of necessitie because neuer drunken men could speake the wonderfull things of the Spirit This argument is drawne from contraries men full of drinke cannot so shew foorth the workes of God men thus endued with God his spirit cannot bee drunken On this manner Paul thus reasoneth Ephes. 5. 18. Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit As if hee should say if ye be filled with wine there is excesse if ye labour of excesse of wine surely you cānot haue the Spirit Christ also vseth this argument No man can serue two masters c. If a man wholy giue ouer himselfe to God he cannot
few and as it were to an handfull now it is giuen to many and to all nations then to one sexe more specially now to both the other is that then they had knowledge now they haue more and a greater measure both of knowledge and repentance For young men shall see visions and old men shall dreame dreames This I say is the first difference that this grace is offered to moe nations For the first was bestowed onely vpon the Iewes for they onely had the Law Psal. â—47 19. but now al is one Christ is the head both of the Iew and Gentile there is one shepheard and one sheepfold both of Iew and Gentile The second note of difference is that the young men should see visions and the old men dreame dreames This is a great benefit and a singular signe of God his loue to his people that they should some of them see visions and some dreame dreames It is said Numb 12. 6. that the Lord would be knowne to a Prophet among his people by a vision and that he would speake vnto him by a dreame and though then of al some did prophecie some did see visions some did dreame yet now all shall prophecie all shall see visions all shall dreame dreames not that all shall be Prophets as the Anabaptists and Familie of loue doe gather but that now sons and daughters seruants and women should haue as great knowledge as they that among the Iewes were chosen Prophets Now that it cannot be litterally vnderstood there is great danger if it be not rightly vnderstood it is proued thus Because there was neuer any age at one time wherein all were Prophets yet this saying was true and fulfilled in the Apostles time and yet not so literally that we can perceiue that all the Apostles prophecied and saw dreames Peter and Paul indeede saw dreames but where shall we find that all the other Apostles did so and yet this were not so fulfilled vnlesse the hearers also should prophecie But this was not so euen at that time and therefore it was not literally fulfilled in them that all sorts of men had all these gifts and therefore it must needes follow that it was neuer so vniuersally fulfilled because either at that time it was fulfilled or neuer For euen in the Apostles time all were not Teachers neither shall it euer be in any time hereafter because God is a God of order and not of confusion and hath appointed and purposed this diuersitie that some should bee Teachers and some learners Wherefore the Apostle after hee hath set downe the diuers callings of Christians for edifying of the Church 1. Cor. 12. he addeth vers 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Yea Paul proueth that it was not then so For as there be diuers meÌ„bers in one bodie al members haue not the same office so it is in the Church of Christ. For all are not Prophets all are not Apostles all are not Teachers As if he should say Wee see it is not so but God hath otherwise disposed it Ephes. 4. it is saide that Christ when he ascended did ordaine diuers offices some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ vntill the number of the elect be fulfilled and not vntil men become perfit in this life as some men haue foolishly dreamed Here we see some Teachers and the rest the worke of the ministerie Againe Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians intituleth his Epistle to the Saints which was the Church and to the Bishops and Deacons which were the Ministers of the Church all the Saints were not Bishops all the Saints were not Deacons Besides if all were Bishops what neede the rules which Paul giueth to Timothie and Titus for the chusing of Bishops 1. Corin. 14. Paul saith if any man be a Prophet or spiritual that is a disciple where he constituteth two orders to wit a Prophet or Teacher teaching by the spirit and a Christian not of the coÌ„mon sort but taught of God or one that hath receiued of the graces of God And againe it is said that young men should prophecie Were then all yong men Prophets Indeed Titus was yong a Minister but he was chosen by Prophets and foretold of had been instructed in the Scriptures from his childhood For Bishop he is so called of his office because he ouerseeth so he is called an Elder for his grauitie which sheweth that euen ordinarily then the Teachers were olde Christ began not to preach vntill he was thirtie yeeres old and Iohn was old before he began to preach and therefore ordinarily men ought to bee of good age before they come to that calling not that I thinke that none ought to teach before they bee thirtie yeeres of age but that it neuer was ordinarie that any young man should teach for it is giuen in precept that Teachers should not be young schollers But it is one question what God may doe and another what is ordinarily done For God can and doth often raise vp young men to shame the aged as it may be thought he hath done euen in our daies but this was neuer ordinarie neither yet ought it to be Women were not ordinarily admitted to this function yet God to shew his power and to shame men doth sometime raise women Prophetesses It is said here that women should prophecie What was this euer fulfilled did women euer take vpon them the roome of teaching Indeed there was a Prophetesse among them but that was not ordinarily And when the women of Corinth began to be bold and to speake in the congregation the Apostle giueth out a flat rule that women should not speake but learne in subiection It is said further that seruants maids and men should see visions Was this euer fulfilled did they at any time take this office vpon them Indeed if they had had the gifts they had been fit but wee see it neuer came to passe And seeing it was not then fulfilled in the Apostles time then was it not any time fulfilled before nor in any age since Yea let vs drawe an argument from the Anabaptists and from the Familie of loue themselues this is not fulfilled euen in them For are all of them Teachers Indeed if they could doe this that were the way to conuert all vnto them but they are not For some yea and the most of them are learners those men that seeme to be teachers are not yet according to this prophecie full of the Spirit For the abundance of God his spirit maketh his people the bolder Peter was not afraid of the whole Councel Steuâ—n made his persecutors and accusers ashamed and the Apostles were alwaies the first to answere for the defence of the doctrine But it is thus with the Familie of loue No surely
For come to the younger sort of them then nouices and learners they will say openly somewhat and will giue some reason of their doctrine but their Elders and illuminate men cannot be seene they flie the light and goe into corners Are these men full of the spirit who so cowardly forsake the triall of their doctrine and leaue the poore people to stand to it who are not so deepe in their reuelations nor so well grounded in their mysteries of iniquitie Vndoubtedly they are not yea rather the elder heretike the ranker knaue and he is called most notable not which is most wise but which is most subtile to denie a truth and to set a face on a lie Wherefore this is not fulfilled euen among the Anabaptists and Familie of loue themselues This thing then cannot literally be vnderstood they must needs confesse that there is a borrowed speech in the verses following where mention is made of blood fire and vapours of smoake whereby is meant that there shall be great troubles heresies and such like And here the Heretikes will graunt a trope though in the former they will not God spake of the blessings of the new Testament after the manner of the old Testament because that was best knowne to the Iewes This deceiued them in that when they heard of the new Temple they were zealous of the old Temple and reioyced in that Temple which Herod made though it was nothing like that which Salomon made and this deceiueth the Iewes vnto this day The like error are the Papists in For where the Scriptures say that in the time of Christ there should be sweete incense offered in all places then say they behold the daily sacrifice the sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead Neither of these doe consider that the Lord in the old Testament doth adumbrate foretell these things to come and that vnder those termes and phrases which were best knowne to the Iewes and vsed of the old Prophets This folly of theirs doe the Anabaptists see and yet they runne as farre on the other side as also doth the Familie of loue One of them reproueth another and yet neither of them will confesse his fault to the glorie of God nor returne and receiue the truth There may be also another argument why this place should not be literally vnderstood and that is drawne from the interpretation of the like places of Scripture Exod. 19. Moses telleth the people that the Lord hath called them to bee Kings Priests and Prophets This is repeated by the Apostle Peter in the new Testament by Iohn in the Apocalyps and is applied as in this place generally to all Christians Now the Iewes did neuer thinke that euery man was a King sitting in a throne thereby ouerthrowing the politicall estate they thought not that euery man was a Priest taking that office of the Priest vpoÌ„ him but that they had the liberty of their consciences were freed from the bondage of men of sin as also that now through Christ they might offer vp first their prayers theÌ„ their soules and bodies to be an holy and acceptable sacrifice to him Neither doe we at this day think any otherwise of the kingly Priesthood of Christians And why then should wee thinke grossely and literally that indeede wee are become Prophets hauing that speciall calling and so take away that order of Teachers and learners which God hath ordained For as we be Priests so are we Prophets if the speech must be qualified in the one why ought it not so to be in the other Againe we say of prophecies as we say of miracles Before the word was written the Lord taught his people by visions and by dreames and that hee might prepare them to receiue his doctrine and confirme them in it hee both wrought miracles himselfe and gaue power to others likewise to worke as wee may see in Moseâ— Eâ—iah and Elisha yea he gaue power to doe miracles when the Law was written because the Gospel was not yet reuealed and when the Gospell was reuealed hee continued his gift because the holy Spirit was not yet giuen yea and when the Spirit was powred out vpon the Apostles yet this gift was in the Church that as yet the Spirit had not gotten credit But when the Gospell was reuealed the spirit sent downe and confirmed by signes and wonders then the vse of miracles ceased not that there are no miracles at all now for wee doe not shorten the hands of the Lord but yet they be but few and those extraordinarie Now the rules whereby we shall trie them whether they be of God or no bee these If they doe either conuert and winne men to the word or confirme them in the word who are alreadie wonne if they be agreeable to the word and beare the same maiestie in them as doth the word then may they be receiued as from God But when they agree not with these rules though the thing wrought be miraculous yet they are much to be suspected as the miracles of olde time were with reuerence to bee receiued For God in his secret iudgement doth suffer some times such to be wrought that the wicked and vnbeleeuers may the more effectually be deluded Againe we know that Antichrist commeth with signes yea and the same so effectuall that euen the very elect if it were possible should therewith bee deceiued In like manner doe wee say of dreames and visions vntill the Gospell came and had gotten credit in the hearts of men there were visions and prophecies of things to come but these being now ceased it is not ordinarie that the Lord should make all Prophets or teach by visions and dreames But what doe we stand longer to proue that this place cannot be so taken and vnderstood as the words at the first shew might seeme to giue especially seeing that the deuillish ouerthwarters both of Papists and of the Familie of loue are so grosse and papable in this point For such is the spirit of these men and so contrary to the good spirit of God that where the Scripture ought simply and without any trope or allegorie to be interpreted they will there turne it into allegories as wee see many places peruerted by the Papists and almost the whole Scriptures by the Familie of loue and whereas the Scripture by conference of places doth shewe that it ought tropically to bee vnderstood they sticke bluntly to the bare letter as in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum The Papists here would haue no trope yet the whole course of the Scriptures doth inforce the same The Familie of loue will in no place almost admit the naturall sense as it floweth of the words and yet here they doe bitingly abide by the word notwithstanding all the former reasons And this surely commeth to passe by the righteous iudgement of God that seeing they would neither acknowledge nor yeelde to the naturall sense when they might
or raiment or any such other thing For by this meanes he is made our mercifull and louing father which knoweth perfectly what things we stand in neede of and for his power is able euen in greatest extremities to helpe vs and for his loue and good will towards vs will helpe vs and thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed For though a mother should forget her children yet will the Lord neuer forsake those that loue him and in faith call vpon him To this free forgiuenes of sinnes the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs there must be added the sanctification of the spirit as the second part of our redemption which iâ— we be once throughly perswaded of it it shall be a speciall help vnto vs against all impatience and murmuring against the Lord for it is a greater thing to turne a sinner than to worke wonders in nature And therfore if in our hearts we can beleeue that God hath made vs of sinfull and wicked men iust and righteous of vile wretches the vessels of righteousnesse of the mansions of the diuell fit temples of his holy spirit if we doe beleeue that he can make of couetous men liberall men of whoremongers chaste persons of oppressors vpright dealing men yea if we can beleeue that the Lord both is able and willing also to deliuer vs from any sinne that is within vs be it neuer so strong either by nature or by euill custome and last of all if we can beleeue that he is able to make the wolfe and the lambe to lie together the leopard and the kid shall we euer doubt that he will once faile vs or suffer vs to want the thing that is meete for vs seeme it neuer so vnpossible to be attained vnto Thirdly if we beleeue that with Christ we shall be raised vp at the last day we shall as stedfastly beleeue that he will preserue vs for it is a greater matter to raise vp our bodies being dead and consumed to dust than to preserue them whilest they are aliue if he can doe the greater he can doe also the lesse Moreouer if we be perswaded that our heauenly father hath prepared a kingdome for vs in the heauens we must needs beleeue that in this life he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but will mercifully prouide for our necessities for if he will giue vs the greater benefits he will also giue vs the lesse if he in wisedome see it fit for his glorie and profitable for vs. The fift thing we must stay our selues vpon when murmuring doth assaile tempt vs is faith in Gods prouidence This prouidence is generall or particular in both which we must be throughly grounded if we will withstand all occasions of murmuring and not breake out in temptations into impatience The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in creation of all things secondly in preseruing them Doe we then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall wee not beleeue that he will preserue them Now seeing they are made doe we beleeue that God made all men and shall we then stand in feare of men When God created light before the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and when hee made grasse to growe vpon the earth before thâ—re was either raine or dewe to water them he did thereby teach vs first that wee should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if wee should not haue the Sunne wee would thinke that light were taken from vs and if wee wanted raine wee would soone thinke we should neither haue grasse nor corne nor any fruit of the earth but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them hee can as easily helpe vs but for our weakenes which otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodnes Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all as well as he created them yea the small sparrow doth not fall vpon the earth without his prouidence and he hath a great care ouer the very beasts of the field doth the Lord prouide for these and will he not also prouide for man Hath he care of beasts yea indeede hee hath because they were made for man and shall hee not much rather haue care ouer man for whom things were made Men say they doe beleeue all this but whilest there is such doubting of Gods prouidence and such repining against God they doe plainly shewe they doe not beleeue this first article of their faith neither in creation nor in the vniuersal gouernment and preseruation of all things Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God which if wee can bee once throughly perswaded of then shall wee easily ouercome the griefe of all our wants Hath the Lord made any thing in vaine hath he not made all things for his glorie Then if we beleeue that hee hath made our bodies shall wee not also beleeue that he will prouide for them seeing the creation thereof is more wonderfull than the preseruation is as appeareth Psalm 29. 139. Hath he care ouer the wicked to doe them good and will he not much more reioyce ouer his children to doe them good If the Lord loued vs when we were his enemies will he not prouide for vs being redeemed by the blood of his sonne Did hee good vnto vs when we sought him not and will he not much more when we seeke him by prayer in the blood of his Sonne as he hath coÌ„manded If he hath done vs good when he might haue punished vs for our sinnes wil he not be much more fauourable vnto vs now seeing he hath by his holy spirit sanctified vs O that men had hearts to beleeue this they would then giue glorie vnto God in their distresses putting their trust in him looking for helpe at his hands in his conuenient time This prouidence of God must be confirmed vnto vs by the examples of Gods children in all ages whose examples are set downe in the Scriptures that we by them might learne patience If the fathers before the flood eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some 700. yeeres some 800. some 900. yeeres and some more shall wee not learne thereby that man liueth not by these meanes And againe if he nourished them 900. yeeres and that with heaâ—â—es we may be sure he will feede vs 90. yeers with flesh and fish and other greater meanes When he fed the Israelites fortie yeeres with Manna from heauen which after such a sort was neuer seene before whereof if they reserued any without the Lords commandement if straightway putrified and was corrupted but when by the commandement of God it was kept before the testimonie it was not corrupted
seede but of the immortall seede of the word of God who liueth and endureth for euer And therefore it is necessarie that they be obedient vnto their spirituall father which hath begotten them with the word of God that hee may ioyfully extend a fatherly affection towards them which thing the Apostle S. Peter exhorteth them vnto As newe borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that you may growe thereby The Apostle here sheweth a familiar reason why they should be obedient they be as new borne babes We see that little children are not able to guide themselues no not to feede themselues at the first but must be guided and nourished by the helpe of their parents vntill they be able to shift for themselues So must the children of God bee guided and nourished by the word of God that they may grow from strength to strength from faith to faith till they come to a perfect age in Christ. Therefore it is necessarie that the people be obedient vnto the Minister to whome the Lord hath giuen his word to distribute vnto his children and to increase and strengthen their faith in Iesus Christ. But some will say is this giuen to the Ministers onely what if they teach their owne deuises and not the pure word of God and make vs beleeue wee are in an happie case when wee are in most misery and yet desire to be directed in the true pathway vnto saluation I answere that you must therfore trie the doctrine which he bringeth by the touchstone of Gods word and see that it accord therwith for in that the Lord giueth the vnderstanding and interpreting of the scriptures vnto the ministers it is not without great cause that hee doth it when as hee appointeth them by the power of his word as the meanes without which they can doe nothing to bring together his children yea by the sharpe sword of the word to pearce their soules and consciences to the vtter slaying of sinne and with the excellent vertue of the same word to heale them againe which thing if the Ministers for their part shall not faithfully execute in such order as before I intreated of speaking of the duty of Ministers euen that gift the Lorde will so straightly call to account that hee shall beare the danger of euery soule that hath perished through his default Yet shall not the people be hereby discharged for they must try his doctrine as I said before and take heede that they be not seduced for if they be they shall dye in their owne sinnes If any will say that hee is ignorant truly I say he is in a dangerous case but if God hath shewed him such mercie as to make him desirous to bee instructed in the right way to saluation let him craue knowledge at the Lords hand neuer cease but be importunate vpon the Lorde in crauing his holy spirite to worke in him all spirituall grace to worke in him true Faith and to assure him of his saluation all other worldly respects set aside and let him vse great diligence in harkening to the word of God and be obedient vnto the same Moreouer let him withdraw himselfe from all euill company and frequent the companie of the godly and no doubt but the Lord will strengthen him to worke his will whereby he shall know of the doctrine whether it bee of God or not according to the rule which our Sauiour Christ giueth vs to knowe it by Hee that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie but hee that seeketh the glorie of him that sent him the same is true and such must wee obey in the Lord. Now we see as it is our duty to obey the true Minister and such as carefully watch ouer our soules with the most wholsome word of God so must wee beware that we suffer not our selues to be seduced by false teachers and therefore wee must proue their doctrine by the word of God But last of all if any shall preach Iesus Christ sincerely and purely hauing some infirmitie we must not therfore reiect him but obey him for the truth sake and consider that we are all subiect to infirmities and that to some one more than another and therefore it is our dutie christian like to admonish him thereof and no doubt if he be the seruant of God he will giue him more strength against the same Besides this obedience the dutie of the people toward their Minister must extend further and they must also reuerence him and giue him honor else it is most certaine that obedience cannot take place which we may see by the example of the woman of Samaria who notwithstanding the great curtesie of our Sauiour Christ in telling her what he was and what he could do for her yet would she not obey him at the first but tell to taunting and ouerthwarting of him too vnreuerētly but when he had touched her conscience and laid open her wickednes so that she saw plainely he was another manner of man than she tooke him for then she began to reuerence him and said O sir I see that thou art a Prophet and then she obeyed him and desired to learne of him so before she obeyed she conceiued a reuerence of him and accounted of him as a Prophet It is also manifest in the 2. of the Acts when as the wonderfull miracle could not bring the people to obey the Apostles yet afterward when Peter with his sharpe sermon had touched their hearts in such sort that they felt the power that God had giuen them they began to reuerence them and where as before they were not ashamed to say that they were drunken with new wine now they cryed out Men and brethren what shall we doe which words doe plainely declare what a reuerent opinion they haue conceiued of them and after that they became obedient vnto them Common experience sheweth vs the same for which of you will commit your matter to any Lawyer except you haue a reuerent opinion of him that he can pleasure you and a sure trust that he will doe the best he can for the furtherance of your cause Likewise in Physick there is no man that will cōmit his life into the Physitians hand vnlesse he be first perswaded that he can by the help of God ease his griefe and that he is willing also to do what lieth in him except I say a man be thus perswaded of the Physition he will not commit himselfe into his hands nor yet obey those orders that he shall prescribe so is it in this the people must be obedient to the Minister therefore they must reuerence him or else it is not possible that they should obey him The Apostle S Paul doth notably amplifie the honor due to the true and faithfull Ministers The Elders that rule well saith he let them be had in double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine as if he should say let
that they should rather reioyce that Christ Iesus was crucified than that their foreskin was either cut or not cut Againe by circumcision in this place the Apostle meaneth all other ceremonies putting part for the whole whereby he would shew that no ceremonies whatsoeuer no not circumcision whereof their Doctors so much vaunted themselues could do any thing to a new creature Now if Moses his ceremonies which in their time and place had some authoritie from God were not auaileable hereunto then mans traditions which at no time nor in any place are in season or credit in that they neuer were authorised by the Lord can neither be meanes nor fruites neither causes nor effects of regeneration If then the Iewes were deceiued with their ceremonies as the Papists were by their traditions what shall we thinke of our traditions for if the Lord would not suffer his owne ordinances which for their time were lawfull then hee will neuer suffer traditions which were neuer his but mans What shall we then say wee haue pompous Papists and politike Protestants Aske the Papists if they reioyce in the crosse of Christ and if they be new creatures they say they be so and they shew it in their crosses altars holidaies mètallish gods banners roodes resurrrection in finger crosses in crosses at their lying downe in crosses at their rising vp in their oyle salt wafercakes pannes ashes and such like Heere is their reioycing Well suppose wee had to deale with the more learned Papists the Iewes did not only now reioyce in their ceremonies and circumcision but they thought it good policie to retaine these things with the preaching of the Gospell and our more subtill Papists will confesse that their traditions are not specially and only to be reioyced in but they will haue them mingled with the Gospell as necessarie helps and furtherances thereof But in what order soeuer they are placed of them Paul here remembreth them to make nothing for a new creature And as in ciuill matters fooles to auoide one extreame runne into another some seeing the superstitions of these men and that popish religion is more ceremonious than the Iewish religion straight affirme that neither Baptisme nor want of Baptisme neither receiuing of the Sacrament nor want of it neither hearing nor not hearing praying nor not praying is auaileable to a new creature And these Anabaptists and hereticall familie of the doctrine of loue so farre reiect holidaies that they take away the Lords day also and as vnder the pretence of the Gospell they take away the set dayes of fasting which were to the Iewes they reiect fasting altogether and wholy relinquish that exercise vnlesse they maintaine a Sabbath in resting from sinne and continue the fasting in fasting from sinne Thus we see how we sayle betweene two rocks and betweene two flats and therefore neede the sterne of God his spirit and gouernment of the word to sayle aright Wee must not thinke that the Apostle in speaking of a new creature excludeth but rather includeth the meanes to come to this new creature For both our Sauiour Christ and the Apostles teach as well by practise as by precept that we must heare the word offer vp our prayers receiue the sacraments reuerence true discipline First our Sauiour Christ exhorteth vs to search the Scriptures which testifie of him and commandeth them that haue eares to heare speaking most sharply euen against them that heare not fruitefully Paul 1. Thess. 5. forewarneth vs not to quench the Spirit nor to despise prophecying And 1. Pet. 2. 2. the Apostle exhorteth the Iewes as newe borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the word As for prayer besides that our Sauiour Christ did commend the vse of it to his disciples he also prescribed them and vs a forme of prayer whereby we might leuell our requests And Paul often stirreth vp the Churches vnto whom he wrote continually to frequent this exercise Of the Sacraments the Apostle speaketh plentifully 2. Corinth 10. 2. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 15. as also of discipline 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 5. 2. Cor. 10. And although the Apostles abrogated the Iewish Sabbath yet they substituted the Lords day Act. 20. 1. Corinth 16 Reuel 2. And albeit we haue not a prescript time of fasting as had the Iewes yet we know Christ told his disciples that there was a time to fast in as then the Bridegroome should be taken from them the Apostles in their election and instituting of Preachers fasted So that we affirme nothing to helpe to true ioy but a new creature and the meanes to a new creature It remaineth And as many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercie and vpon the Israel of God That the Apostle might shew that this was no speciall prerogatiue to himselfe alone but a benefit common to all not a worke of supererogation in him but a dutie required of others he saith As many c. As if he should say Let no man looke to haue peace in his conscience and mercie at the hands of God vnlesse he can thus reioyce in the crosse of Christ. And by the way obserue this marke of a faithfull Teacher he laâ—eth not any charge vpon others vntill he had applied it to himselfe and from his owne practise he aduiseth vs. The word which he here vseth is a rule whereby he noteth such a thing as a Christian man cannot well want being a chiefe instrument which worketh in vs mortification and sanctification He termeth it not a good counsell or a good aduice which we may take vp and lay downe at our pleasure which if we could doe it were well if we doe it not it is no great matter as the Papists account of the spirituall interpretation of the Law which our Sauiour Christ vseth Matth. 5. For Poperie which is no better than countrie Diuinitie thinketh it were a good thing if we could liue so carefully but it shaketh off this thing as a charge and wil not acknowledge it to be a rule wherewith they stand bound before the Lord. A rule we know is commonly vsed in building leuelling or framing whereby one thing is made fit for another and therefore vsuall to Carpenters Masons Geometers or such who measure all things by square and compasse Now because there is a glorious building in the word and a man needeth continually to be built vp in Iesus Christ to haue his affections leuelled his heart framed to faith and obedience the Apostle borroweth this word rule But what is this rule Be it farre from me that I should reioyce c. So that we must especially reioyce in our sinnes pardoned in the world crucified in our hearts bodies and soules renewed This is the rule of all And why Is it not rather an effect than a rule Yes but it is vsuall to put the name of the effect for the cause and the fruite for the meanes as we may see Iam. 1. 27 Pure religion and
and no condemnation to them that beleeue in Christ and teacheth that we must be crucified to the world and become new creatures though he doth not all other things perfitly and absolutely yet keeping this foundation hee shall finde mercie But if a man destroy the Temple of God that is labour more about the establishing of ceremonies and maintaining of errours than hee doth to maintaine and establish the power of the Gospell the Lord will surely destroy him As then we dare not say that a man purely preaching Christ crucified though he faile in some smaller points of discipline shall be damned so we affirme that a man maintaining corruptions and nothing labouring to preach the crosse of Christ and neglecting the doctrine of being crucified to the world and of becomming a new creature is to feare least that if hee repent not the Lord destroy him For if they destroy the Temple of God that is the people of God by not teaching the truth and by keeping out from entring into the truth not only themselues but others the Lord will vndoubtedly destroy such This place maketh much also for our comfort against heresie and poperie because as God promiseth peace and mercie to them that preach and embrace the doctrine of our saluation by Christ so hee threatneth on the contrarie his curse and vengeance both to the preachers and followers of the contrarie doctrine howsoeuer they hope for a day or cōtemne the flocke of Christ. For the same God that made the Israelites a valiant people in pursuing their enemies so long as they continued in the rule he had appointed them brought them low and made them flie before their enemies when they forsooke this rule so as one chased tenne of them and tenne put to flight an hundred of them Let vs boldly then both preach and receiue this doctrine of Christ and not feare any corrupt Teachers whatsoeuer seeing their supposed felicitie shall be accursed and our supposed miserie shall be blessed Which curse manifestly appeareth in many Papists this day that become rebels traitors and murtherers as also in heretikes who are become mad and frantick the Lord watching ouer them for euill and not for good And vpon the Israel of God Heere with the Preachers the Apostle ioyneth the people of God shewing that they that willingly heare and carefully imbrace the doctrine That by the law we are condemned for sinne and by the Gospell wee are saued through faith in Christ and therfore from henceforth endeuour to haue this world crucified vnto vs and vs to be crucified to the world and to become new creatures shall also be saued and finde mercie and peace Israel properly signifieth one that preuaileth with God Now because there was Israell in the flesh which many did boast of hee heere speaketh of the Israell in the spirit as he speaketh of the Iewes Rom. 2. and therefore calleth it the Israel of God making a distinction betweene that counterfeit Israell resting in the ceremonie and outward title of the name and that true Israell whose praise is of God and not of men Before the Iewes tooke the whole priuiledge of the couenant of God but now the Gentiles also are contained in the couenant because all ceremonies abolished there is one shepheard and one sheepesold This promise then belongeth no more to all professors than to all preachers but to them alone which are truly called to be the true Israel of God Whereby we are to learne that all Christians shall not obtaine mercie and peace but the Christians of God that is true Christians in life doctrine Wherefore all counterfeit Christians are to feare their estate can they neuer so well say their catechisme were they neuer so well baptized or confirmed were they neuer so often comming to the Church to heare the word receiue the sacrament Now if Israel the beloued of God not reioicing in the crosse of Christ not being crucified to the world not being a newe creature shall not finde mercie and peace what comfort are wee to looke for being Gentiles wanting the same things And yet we must remember the consolation aboue named that though Christians be in some points infants in doctrine iudgement life and conuersation yet if they carefully hold the foundation and build thereupon a godlie life in trueth and sinceritie though in some weakenes infirmitie and imperfection they shall obtaine mercie and peace in the ende The truth of this promise and sure wrath of God on the wicked may appeare to vs both in the life and in the death of the true and counterfeit Christians in seeing what mercy and peace appeareth in the one what anguish and impatience breaketh foorth in the other The deare Martyrs of God neither were afraid of death on the one side but reioyced in that they were made worthie to suffer for the truth neither senselesse and blockish as feeling no paine on the other side The learned heretikes which would seeme to suffer either yeelded being ouercome with the paine or else died like stocks stones being halfe dead before they came to be executed As for others that haue died in their beds the Lord hath giuen a manifest distinction betweene the true prophets false teachers betweene christian professors and obstinate Papists The children of God euer haue laboured to make confession of their faith to make knowne their hope to witnesse their abundant ioy at their departure neither ouercome with immoderate feare neither sincking downe in too much blockishnes the other haue died some desperately without hope some presumptuously without true faith some murmuringly without all ioy FINIS THE FOVRTH PART OF THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREACHER OF the Word of GOD containing an Exposition of the 119. Psalme found vnperfect amongst other writings of Maister GREENHAMS and perfected by Robert Hill Doctor in Diuinitie whose obseruations may be knowne by this marke ¶ VVHEREVNTO ARE ADIOYNED OTHER Meditations vpon certaine parts of the Scripture the Titles whereof appeare in the next page following VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. THE MEDITATIONS CONTAINED IN THE FOVRTH part are these hereafter following 1 AN exposition of the 119. PSALME 2 Meditations on PROV 4. from verse 13. to 24. 3 Meditations on PROV 14. vers 5. 6. 7. 4 The summe of the Epistle to the HEBRVES 5 A briefe summe of ECCLESIASTES TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IOHN LORDE STANHOP BARON OF HARINGTON VICECHAMberlaine to the Kings most excellent Maiestie and one of his Honorable priuie Councell Grace and Peace RIght Honourable Though Diuinitie as an Hand-maide attende all other callings and by reason of her pouertie serues manie Masters yet if shee were esteemed according to her worth shee were worthie to become a Mistresse to the most Her Conception is Celestiall her
refuâ—â—th meates the wicked heart the word of God Wil the spice smel vnlesse it bâ— bruised and câ—n the Scripture be comfortable vnlesse it be meditated PORTION 8. CHETH Vers 49. Remember the promise made to thy seruant WHen he had said he would keepe Gods Law hee then prayed that he might doe it Secondly he had the promise for that hee prayed to teach vs to rule our prayers by Gods word Thirdly he sticketh to the promise of the Gospell not to the law Fourthly when he saith remember he doth not reproue the Lord of forgetfulnes but rather prayeth that he himselfe might be kept that he should not fall He had not any particular promise but applied the generall promises to himselfe This must serue to answere the diuell asking what promises we haue of saluation or forgiuenes of sinnes for we haue the promises that are made to the whole Church which we haue applied to our selues So did Abraham Genes 22. the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. Thy seruant the promises are made to vs not that wee should abuse them but thereby should become his seruants Wherein thou hast There is a time betweene the making and the fulfilling of the promise which God doth to trie whether wee will account of the promise and sticke vnto it By this it is manifest that faith feeling are not all one but that is faith which without feeling beleeueth for when feeling is theÌ„ it is an experimeÌ„tal faith Vers. 50. It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned me WHen he felt sweetnes in it then he was comforted for there is a changeable working in Gods children He sheweth the nature of faith which will neither be staied in vaine nor wicked things but all his delight was in the word where though he felt not full comfort yet he had so much as staied him This is contrarie to the men of the world which in their trouble will either seek delight in vaâ—ne things or in euil things This is the nature of faith to feele coÌ„fort then when they are at the point of death This shewetâ— that Gods childreÌ„ haue sometime comfort sometime none And this is true faith that can comfort vs when all meanes faile and when we haue them yet not to stay in them For a righteous man liueth by faith therfore when he feeleth Christ liue in him in forgiuing his sins renewing him giuing him hope of euerlasting life he liueth but if he cannot feele that then he is as a dead man Can we finde comfort delight in the word when we cannot finde comfort in any thing else this is a notable argumeÌ„t of faith And though we feele drowsines yet if we can by feare shake it off finde sweetnes in the word this is faith The word then and prayer are the chiefest comforts in troubles CoÌ„trarily when the word feareth vs because we feele sinne abound in vs and because we finde not that taste in the word which we ought as that the threatnings feare not the promises comfort not c. If I say we can then feare though we haue plentie of all outward things there be no outward occasion to feare this is an argument that we haue faith but if faith be caried with the time then it is no faith but is choked with prosperitie or aduersitie Vers. 51. The proud haue had me exceedingly in derision c. THe Prophet was in great distresse because of the reproches of the wicked as Psal. â—â— yet for all this he was staied by Gods law though their mocks were exceeding great that is often and in grieuous manner It is no new thing then that Gods children are had in derision and it is one of their sorest outward troubles as we see in our Sauiour Christ which heard this he saued others c. after which he cried My God c. and this was the last temptation therefore the greatest For if this come once into the minde that wee suffer for euill doing then will there bee no comfort The Heathen would doe any thing for their countrie yet would not lose their praise And this is the cause why wee see many fall to heresies because they cannot be in estimatioÌ„ as they would The greatnes of this temptation did not driue him from the law Psalm 37. Euery one will bee forward when others will speake well of him but fewe doe learne here with Dauid to doe well though they bee ill vsed And this did the diuel espie in the nature of men therfore he saith of Iob Hast thou not hedged him about c. Then let vs trie our selues whether such reproches will driue vs from our duties for if they doe all is not well but if thou see they doe not then take comfort and know that thou must approoue thy selfe to God and not to men which to doe is an argument of faith as in Samuel 1. Sam. 12. Dauid though his sinne was not knowne yet he crieth Against thee haue I sinned Then if thou canst be sorrowfull for thy secret sinnes though men speake neuer so wel of thee and neither wil nor can accuse thee thou hast saith Thus then briefly reproch and discredit amongst men must not driue vs from well doing neither must praise and credit among men make vs fauour our selues in our sinnes or take greater libertie to our selues He swarued not from God law but we see that if wee be mocked wee will mocke againe if we be reuiled we will reuile againe But Dauid would not so doe as wee see by his doings when Sheâ—â—i cursed â—â—m 2. Sam. 16. These are true notes of repentance when men can charge themselues more sore than others will and that they labour to approoue themselues to God which triâ—th the hearts The proud Faith maketh humble but infidelitie maketh proud Habac. 2. for by faith we know that we haue no goodnes are full of corruption disposed to euill and vnfit to goodnes and this humbleth But they that know not these are proud whatsoeuer they seeme to be Such are those that contemne the threatnings and will continue in their sinnes For faith in the commaundement humbleth and throweth vs downe and faith in the promises doth make vs with feare to waite vpon God and to bee humbled They are humble to their brethren which are humbled to God in their heart and they that are proude and contemne their brethren are not humbled in their heart For if they did see that the Lord had forgiuen infinite sinnes to them then would they forgiue a few to their brethren Secondly if they considered that whatsoeuer they haue they haue it for their brethrens profit then would they be humble to them Thirdly if they knewe that there is no difference but by grace then c. Can we not forgiue then are we proud Can wee not deuour iniuries then are wee proud For our owne sinnes being not forgiuen nor cared for therefore wee cannot forgiue others nor regard
their finall destruction Thus did the Lord deale with them at Ierusalem and thus shall the Lord doe from generation to generation For his word after this sort shall goe from one nation to another people till the Gospell of the kingdome hath beene preached through all the world and then shall the end come Then wee see that the contempt of the word bringeth destruction to cities and nations Vers. 90. Thy trueth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth THe earth as the Philosophers thinke standeth in the middest of the firmament and as the Scriptures teach vs the waters are aboue the earth so that to reason the earth seemeth to be very fickle and readie to fall albeit to our sense nothing seemeth so stedfast How commeth it to passe then that the earth falleth not or is not couered with water but because of the word wherein God hath commaunded it so to be as in the beginning hee made it by the word The Lord gaue bounds to the Sea the which it should not passe and those bounds it kept two thousand yeeres then by the word of the Lord it ouerflowed the earth but after that it hath to this day continued within his bankes because God hath so appointed it And if these be so sure by the word of the Lord the word must needs be sure and stedfast wherein God hath promised that he wil haue his Church to the end The like reason Ieremie vseth chap. 31. and 35. 36. 37. So long as the Sun and the Moone continue in heauen so long will I haue my Church vpon the earth though the wicked rage against it This must stay and comfort vs when these thoughts assault vs Oh if the word should be taken from this place where then should it rest If this King or Queene should dye where should the word become then This must assure vs I say that the Lord will prouide for his Church so that the word may continue amongst them so long as his couenant of the night and the day abideth Vers. 91. They continue euen to this day by thine ordinances for all are thy seruants THese are deputed of God to be his seruants and this answereth an objection Obiect These things are chaungeable Answ This in that they are so it is to seâ—â—e Gods iudgements for the saluation of the good and the confusion of his enemies The Sunne is certaine and yet for the glorious victorie of Gods people vnder Ioshua it stood still So did it turne back for Ezechias The waters also were his seruants to take vengeance on his enemies at the flood so likewise the red Sea saued Gods children and destroyed his foes Then when these creatures keepe not their course it is the worke of God for the good of his people and the hurt of his enemies Much more are the ordinarie workes his seruants as moderate raine drie weather c Leuit 25. for to restifie his fauour to his children as immoderate drought for the hurt of his foes So discord â—amine plague warre c all these waite on GOD to serue him when he will punish any people as peace loue plentie health strength c. are to the comfort of his people All are his Seruants All the creatures round about are readie to serue him at his will from the Angels in heauen to the wormes in the earth therefore hee is called the Lord of Hosts they are not ordered by nature fortune or such like but by Gods prouidence example Psal. 107. If we were perswaded of this then should we be seared if our hearts were not right with God and we should be comforted when our hearts were right before him knowing that these serue to testifie his loue to them that feare him and to testifie his wrath where he is displeased This must driue vs from second causes to looke to GOD If God be with us who shall be against us If wee were perswaded that they shall all beare witnesse with vs or against vs then would we be fearfull and desirous to be reconciled to God for he hath giuen these creatures to vs no otherwise to vse then that wee may be in CHRIST for if we be not then must we giue account for them but if we be recoÌ„ciled to GOD then haue we a speciall comfort that nothing shall burt vs and when they might seeme to hurt they shall helpe vs our enemies shall be our friends and the stones shall be at league with vs and nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God Fire shall burne vs easily and water shall easily drowne vs for though Tyrants abuse these for a time yet they are Gods seruants and they groane with vs for our redemption Doe all creatures groane and shall we be secure Doe they their seruice and shall not wee doe our duties Then most grieuous shall our condemnation be ¶ Vers 92. Except thy Lawes had bene my delight I had euen now perished in mine â—â—â—â—â—ction IT seemeth by many verses in this Psalme that Dauid was much afflicted for his life was in his hand his soule cleaued vnto the dust hee was sore troubled and had it not beene for comfort out of Gods Word doubtlesse hee had perished in his trouble This verse I may call A perfume against a Plague the sicke in â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— the afflicted mans consolation and a blessed Triumph in and ouer all troubles In which note 1. That Dauid was afflicted 2. that hee was readie to perish in his affliction 3. the remedie against his affliction namely Gods Lawe 4. the application of that remedie it was his delight 1. Dauid was afflicted hee was the beloued of the Lorde one of his worthiest Captanes wee reade of in the Bible and indeede a man after Gods owne heart yet the Cup nay the bitter cup of affliction could not passe away from him but because he was made strong enough to beare this mingled drinke and surely all mens braines beare not wine alike therefore did hee drinke vp many a full drâ—ught We ought to thinke of Dauids troubles and to esteeme it as an argument of Gods great fauour towards vs if to the great carowses which we take of Gods blessings it shall please him to adde a purging potion of affliction There is no true sonne but since follie is bound vp by nature in his heart the rod of correction must be laid vpon him From Adam to Christ in whom we all are all haue beene partakers of affliction It was Dauids iudgement In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade it was a part of Christs consecration by affliction hee was made the high Priest of our saluation Exulerat Christus comites nos exulis huius Essedecet cuius nos quoque membra sumits Our head Christ here an exile was We members must this exile trace But why doth God thus visite his dearest and most dutifull seruants Answ. I to shewe how he hateth sinne when he
as wee may shewe as well our infirmities as our excellent graces Againe because hearing is the sense of discipline and many will attend on reading and hearing which will not bestowe time to conferre to pray to giue thankes to meditate or vow their obedience to the Lord he comprehendeth the one in setting down the vse of the other For if in our reading and hearing for want of meditation we doe not profit we are as coloured in the Sunne wherefore wee must admonish and â—ee admonished we must pray and prouoke to pray we must meditate and often thinke oâ— those things which we haue heard or read Indeede knowledge reading and hearing are sweete euen to a naturall man â—ut to conferre to be admonished to pray to giue thankes be things hard and difficult It may be that some can pray to serue the times because of the law which constrained them but how many shall wee finde that doe it priuately in trueth and voluntarily Some read and they rest in the generall rules not making any vse of it to themselues and so learne that which is another mans not appropriating it to themselues for want of meditation Whereof it commeth to passe that wee see many make a learned sermon in generall precepts who when they come to particulars to comfort those that lye sicke or to raise vp them that are tempted for want of practise in themselues can say nothing The very Heathen could grant and you know who speake it that a mâ—â—s life was a cogitation of death But because we can meditate of death for that we ioyne with it the hope of immortalitie I say that a Christian mans life mâ—y well besaide to bee a meditation of the law of God and how hee shall stand before Gods iudgement seate Which meditation in this man of God sheweth that euen from the heart he loueth the law of God If we examine our selues we shall finde our tongues to cleaue to our teeth and to the roofe of our mouthes whereby wee see that we cannot say this with the prophet that from the abundance of the heart our mouth speaketh For we sinde by practise that we heare reade and sing so coldly as we shew that our affections are almost dead within vs. There followeth in the end of the verse continually Wee know by proofe of daily experience that whatsoeuer we loue of that we continually thinke And in that this qualitie or circumstance is ioyned with meditation we are taught that though we must reade heare conferre pray and giue thanks often yet we must meditate continually For as it is absurd to say that a man should be continually reading or conferring so we must know that it is requisite in all these things to examine our selues by meditation whether we reade profitably conferre effectually or pray vnderstandingly That we now haue this continuall meditation we must pray that we may haue a loue to the word Loue indeed were of it selfe eloquent enough if we had it in any good measure but to stirre vp this loue we must vse many reasons about the nature of the word how it is mysticall pure and eternall which when we see in truth we shall loue the word Where he saith in it is my meditation wee must vnderstand that it was no rouing meditation but that it was circumscribed within the compasse of the law of God Now to our profit let vs learne to meditate according to the law of the Lord and so as vnder the generals we may touch the particulars to make the vse of them in our selues Thus we haue seene the cause of this effect to be loue For as the rich men of this world meditate of gathering goods naturall louers of their loue and ambitious men of their preferments so the man of God hauing no greater riches pleasure nor glorie than in the word maketh it his whole delight and studie For where we loue thither loue doth easily drawe our affections with it We haue heard why mention is made only of meditation namely because it is the life of all the other meanes and maketh them more fruitfull and why his meditation was maried to the law euen because it excludeth all vaine collections which proceede of general knowledge Besides therefore is meditation named because it most agreeth with the nature of loue For though we cannot alwaies be reading hearing or talking of those things which we â—â—â—â— we may alwayes thinke and meditate of them Now what is the cause that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is preached and â—o little is practised but because wee vse so little conference prayer and meditation The remedie hereof is to knowe what a sinne this is and that among all 〈◊〉 in the day of trouble none so great to torment our consciences as that we haue tested in a generall 〈◊〉 and â—â—â—â—ng of the word without applying of it to our seuerall practises by meditation He hath shewed now his loue in the verses following hee setteth downe the fruite of his loue For as hee shewed that the word of God is of such nature that aboue all other things iâ— is eternall so also hee sheweth that the effects thereof are eternall And whereas men desire nothing more than that wisedome whereby they may excel their enemies in policie their teachers in doctrine and the aged in counsaile he declareth that hee made this choyse to set his loue on Gods word which performeth all these things As loue then is the mother that breedeth meditation and meditation is the nurse to cherish this loue so here because the argument of the effect doth most with men preuaile hee sheweth the mightie power and operation of the word of God What is the reason why men do not râ—st and stay themselues wholy on Gods law Surely because they are not perswaded that there is such excellent wisedome in the same We see then that wee must learne for the generals to bee wise in sobrietie and according to the word of God knowing that the Scriptures are sufficient to touch to improue and correct and to instruct iâ— righteousnesse that the man of â—â—â—â— may bee absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes 2. Tim. 3. The Wiseman counsaileth vs Eecles 7. 18. that wee should not â—â—â— iust euermuch â—â— make our selues ouerwise least web 〈◊〉 Where he sheweth that this is the way to bring blockishnes to make our selues wiser than God and to deuile to become more iust than the word prescribeth vs. What is the cause why so many are so foolish in their death when they haue ouerreached themselues as Achitophel Surely because the Lord doth inâ—â—uate them whilest they would be wiser than the Lord so that their wisdome is 〈◊〉 into childishnes and their policie commeth to nothing What is the cause that we are no more occupied in the reading and hearing of the word Doubtlesse because it is a base and simple thing in our iudgemenâ—â— and containeth not so high mysteries in it as
they must both ioyne together least that wee considering of them being olde and not on new should think they were not or at least that we resting on the iudgements of God executed of late not lifting vp our eyes to the iudgements of old should ascribe them to euil fortune chaunce and destinie We may then see how they which vsed the meanes of good things encreased in them and how they that resrained not from euill did slide backe vnto wickednesse Wherefore that we may throughly be perswaded of the truth of the Lord in things commanded forbidden threatned promised it is requisite to obserue the proofe of them so oft as God giueth iust occasion thereof For vntill wee looke on these things and see his blessings and his iudgements we shall neuer haue a care to doe good nor a conscience to auoid euil and to looke into them is to looke into the glasse of Gods word Many deny prouidence because they haue not a knowledge of the word or else leaning to their reasoÌ„ giue too much to naturall causes or lastly because they haue not a daily growing in the word For that may well be the sense of this place Thou dost make me to grow in knowledge Here is also commended vnto vs the teaching of the spirit by the ministry of the word For otherwise we may often read the Scriptures and yet be ignorant in Gods iudgements in not ascribing euery iudgement to his peculiar office For when we heare of an heretike wee say what is he an heretike I maruell hee is become such a one I knew him an honest man I neuer knew any euil by him yet the word of God telleth vs that some mens sinnes goe before to iudgement and some mens come after and that it is come to him either for want of good workes or for some secret sinne It followeth Vers. 103. How sweete are thy promises vnto my mouth yea sweeter than â—â—ny vnto my mouth VVEe haue heard in the ninth portion that vntill wee put our whole folicitie in the word wee shall not profit That which here is called promises I take rather for iudgements partly because in the proper tongue the word is left out and partly because he had vsed this word iudgements in the verse immediately going before But so me will say how can the iudgements of God hee sweete which are so troublesome fearefull and grieuous I answere that the godly haue no greater ioy than wheÌ„ they feele either the mercies of God accomplished towards them that feare him or his iudgements shewed vpon the reprobates Vnto my mouth That is I take as greate pleasure in talking conferring and perswading thy iudgements as my mouth or the mouth of any that loueth honie is delighted therewith So he saith portioÌ„ 2. vers 6. I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in â—â— manner of riches The meaning then of the verse is when I feele O Lord such effects of thy promises in my selfe and in others that feare thee and such fruites of thy vengeance on them that despise thee I finde great comfort in thy word The Prophet Dauid found this sweetnes by experience in himselfe and therefore spake by proofe Why doe not we feele the like comfort because we vse not the same meanes we finde not the like effects For if we could see our enemies put to the wall by the word then should our knowledge exceede the knowledge of others if we felt the allurements of the world the inticements of the flesh and the motions of the diuell bitter vnto vs then should wee taste this sweetnesse Wherefore before wee make conscience to vse the meanes of good and to auoide the occasions of euill we cannot profit Thus we haue shewed how the iudgements of God may be sweete that is vnto them that reioyce either to see the promises of God performed to the penitent or his wrath fulfilled in the impenitent This delight made the Prophet out of the abundance of his heart to speake ioyfully of them portion 2. 6. With my lips haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth And because they testifie no small loue to a thing which for affection to it will rise at midnight he addeth portion 8. 6. At midnight will I rise to giue thankes vnto thee because of thy righteous iudgements This is then a true note that a man hath delight in Gods word if from the abundance of his heart his mouth can speake of it and when the word of God dwelleth so plentifully in him that hee can speake it in wisedome Againe if we haue such an earnest and naturall delight being wearie to refresh our selues with fables what a dulnesse is it in vs that wee cannot finde as great comfort in the word of God Wherefore we are to examine our owne hearts that how so euer we haue bin delighted before to heare vaine and friuolous tales so from henceforth we may please our selues in true histories in the word For though other may be corrupt with flatterings yet these histories are true free from all assentation because they register as well the sins of the Kings and their kindreds as their vertues Neither can wee euer sound the Prophet vntil from the experience of our own selues we can proclaime forth the examples both of Gods promises and of his iudgements We shewed that the cause why wee felt not such profit as the man of God did in the word was because wee vsed not the like paines wee vse fewer meanes therefore our loue is the lesse to the truth wee auoide not so many occasions of euill therefore we sinne the more If we then would be more diligent in conference more feruent in prayer more giuen to meditation wee should profit more if wee would refraine from euill and abstaine from occasions of it wee should both bee great in good things and auoide many afflictions The cause then why we either speake not of Gods iudgements at all or speaking speake so coldly is because we are so dead in vsing the meanes of good and so dull in auoyding the occasions of euill The Prophet port 7. 4. saith I haue remembred thy iudgements of olde and haue beene comforted Where we are to note that wee are not at vtter defiance of sinne and in full league with goodnes vntill we haue found comfort when either the Lord shewed mercy vpon his or vengeance on the wicked And then Gods iudgements will bee sweete vnto vs when remembring that no sinne shall be vnpunished we abstaine from sin â—nd seeing that no good thing shall be vnrewarded we are moued to goodnesse For what can strengthen a man more than to consider this that God will punish sinne one day and that in time he will fulfill his promises to his childreÌ„ which walke in truth before him although in great weakenesse We haue also taught that we must vse such a moderation of our affections as we may stay
of the soule how sweete excellent and beautifull a thing it is to beleeue and loue the word and how loathsome and palpable is mistrust and ignorance We must then be perswaded that though we are not in prison we walke in the night and in the darkenes whilest we are in ignorance yet the Lord wil giue vs in time to suspect our hearts of ignorance and worke in vs both a desire and a delight to loue and liue after the word and that we shall find the truth of this verse in ourselues to say with the Prophet Thy word is a lanterne to my fecte and alight to my paths Many there are which doe not so much as acknowledge this doctrine Some are come out of this darknes into the glorious kingdome of Christ and yet swarue so much in life that they shew not themselues to haue this true faith And where mens manners swarue besides their profession we see this sentence more professed in mouth than practised in life and they onely doe beleeue this to be true which enterprise nothing but that which hath it warrant out of the word For these acknowledge that in themselues there is nothing but darkenes and that they stand in need to be inlightned by the ministerie of the word and working of his spirit And as we confesse the truth of this in generall so must we deduce it to particulars and seuerals so that euery man may say I am either in light or in darkenesse if I haue a warrant for this which I doe out of the word I am in light but if I doe it by the motion of mine owne braine I am in darkenes Besides as this doth shew the great necessity of Gods word so also it must humble vs because of our ignorance as also it yeeldeth this comfort that as we thinke we trauell safely in respect of our bodies so long as we haue the light of the Sunne so also we are in the safe way to saluation as long as we are guided by the word And when as some doe obiect that the Scriptures doe containe great difficulties and are hard to be vnderstood we said that though the smallest things were deepe mysteries yet they be plaine to the least of Gods children For Prouerb 8. 9. Wisedome saith that all her words are plaine to him that will vnderstand and streight to them that would finde knowledge And the man of God saith Portion 17. 2. The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple And though all men are not curiously to search into questions yet all men are carefull to seeke the way of saluation No man then can herein complaine of darkenesse but as it is in his owne minde neither neede that so to bee if hee will vse the meanes to auoid it and in a repenting heart craue the light by prayer The cause therefore why the word is a parable and a darke riddle vnto so many is either the pride of their owne wit when they thinke their wit to be so good as they can conceiue euery thing and their iudgement and learning to be such as that they can vnderstand any thing and profit by their owne industrie when as God is the author so he is also the reuealer of his trueth or else they doe not esteeme so reuerently of the trueth nor are so much grieued with their blindnesse and ignorance as they should be Vers. 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements NOw as his faith was the first argument he vsed so the second was his conscience his loue his affection to the word which he sheweth by his oath that we may know it to be no wandring motion of his minde carrying him away but a thing well considered of and constant he protesteth that he will keepe his oath Wherein he declareth that many men haue sometimes motions to good but they either die presently or else they be so cold that they quickely fall away But as we may see he was no such light-headed man We haue here to learne that this is a iudgement of God why many doe not profit in the word because they cannot being void both of griefe for their natural blindnesse as also of the cleere sight and faith in Gods word say in trueth Thy word is a lantorne to my feet c. Now if these things be in vs we must pray that we may be moued with a purpose to continue in them and purposing we must beware we breake it not but be constant I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Concerning this binding of himselfe with an oath which the man of God here vseth it declareth his care to keepe a good conscience in laying the iudgements of God which were past the iudgements of God to come vp in his heart Wee see then that as when men sweare voluntarily it is a token of their good conscience so it appeareth most in good men who setting so much by the glorious name of God can sustaine any priuate discredit and swallow many troubles to maintaine the credit of it Wherefore Gods children though they are carefully to auoid all sinnes yet make a greater conscience of this sinne than of any other and when they take an oath though before they made a conscience of that thing yet now they make a greater conscience If hee had found no weakenesse no mistrust or doubtfulnesse in himselfe then needed he not so streightly to haue bound himselfe For if he had been alwaies carefull what needed he to haue vsed an oath But the care which hee had to meete with this weaknesse was the cause of his solemne couenant which teacheth vs that such infirmities as are in vs were in him who because of the vanitie and sluggishnesse which he felt in his corrupt nature did prouoke and stirre vp himselfe to a greater care by an oath Then if we see that euen the man of God thought this to be a necessary meane to stirre vp his infirmities why should we not thinke it as necessarie for vs when the most diligent amongst vs may thinke himselfe to bee behind him in many degrees But the cause why we make no such oath is because we are fearefull and our delaying of this practise from time to time sheweth that there is not in vs that feeling of our wants that reuerence of his word nor experience of his goodnesse which he felt This must make vs afraid and ashamed of our selues that we hauing the like infirmities haue not the like affections True it is that to be sparing in these othes is a good token of a Christian so that he be but a nouice in Christs schoole for euery man must not vse this oth because he knoweth not his owne strength but we must not alwaies be at A. B. C. and dwell still in the principles of Religion Neither must we thinke that
the Prophet here made any new or strange couenant but rather he iterated that couenant which before he had made in circumcision although we make no such couenant now yet we must know that we haue made them before For this was a renewing of his oth which he made when he was circumcised and entred into Gods familie And because I am not here to enter into the discourse of many particular vowes wee shall speake of our generall vow which wee make in Baptisme which though we doe not renue yet wee are much to be ashamed of it Wee finde that vowes are either generall or particular And here by the way wee must note that that which wee call a compact betweene man and man the same is a vow betweene God and man For as in ciuill affaires a compact is a streight thing and bindeth vs more before men than a baâ—e promise and promises simply made seeme to haue greater libertie than a compact so also promises made to the Lord must keepe vs in obedience but especially vowes as a double bond are farre more neerely and carefully to be performed Concerning generall vowes we know that in the ordaining of Kings vowes were made from them to the Lord as also some passed from their Princes to the people as 2. Chro 23. where Iehoiadâ— tooke the Captaines of hundreths in couenant with him And all the Congregation made a couenant with the King Ioâ—sh in the house of God And as 2 Chron. 34. 31. Iosiah when hee had destroyed the Idols and reformed the Temple after the finding of the booke of the Lawe stood by the pillar and made a couenant before the Lord to walke after the Lord and to keepe his commandements and his testimonies and his statutes c. Also Nehâ— 10. we shall finde a generall couenant confirmed by an oath Concerning particular couenants they are either simply according to Gods word or else taken vp for some speciall end either as meanes to come to some good or else as bridles to auoide some euill as 2. Chron. 15. 12. When the people made a couenant to seeke the Lord c. 14. They did sweare vnto the Lord with a lowd voyce Also Nehem. 10 the people take a new oth and seale it Ezra 9 where wee may see that when Ezra had wept and fasted for the sinnes of the people in that they had taken strange wiues of the people of the Lands 3. Made them to make a couenant with the Lord and to put away their strange wiues as also Nehem. 5. On this sort Ieremie preswadeth his people chap. 34 to make a couenant concerning the liberties of their seruants and denounceth the fierce wrath of God vpon them for breaking their promise Of these two kindes of couenants â—he selfe same rules are to be prescribed If we feele in our selues any speciall dulnes we must bewaile it and when we see that we haue the more streights of minde we must stirre vp our selues and not neglect the meanes Wee speake not here of free vowes but of such as the word of God commandeth and that for feare of relapse and falling from the Lord we may vse these means more surely to tie vs vnto him A contract is betweene man and man which when it is betweene God and man it is called a vow In contracts men leaue some libertie to themselues so that for some circumstances they neede not keepe it but it is meete that euery vow be performed to God These vowes and couenants are either generall such as the King maketh with his subiects as Ioas and Iosias and Nehemiah maketh a generall couenant or particular as Asa made a particular couenant which couenant is either commanded or taken vp for some cause of and in respect of our selues as meanes to auoide euill or to lay hold of goodnes Ezra 9. The particular couenant or vow which is commanded is euer contained vnder the generall and hath respect vnto some speciall part thereof And therefore many godly Kings tooke othes of their subiects to leaue some speciall sinne or to doe some speciall good deedes So men c. So Nehemiah made a particular couenant with the rich men that they should not oppresse the poore Nehem. 5. So Ieremy caused the people to make a particular couenaÌ„t 44. There is the same reason of the generall couenant and the particular that is commaunded for we are bound to doe them therefore if we be slacke in either of them we must be sorie for it if wee haue receiued grace wee must stirre it vp and for the stirring vp of our selues we must not neglect this remedie Now where some take this to be a place from whence they might either draw an argument of free will or proue by it that we are able to keepe the lawe of God they deceiue themselues for first note the word here vsed he saith not that he hath sworne to keepe the law of God but the iudgements of God which he often before after in the second verse from this vseth for the righteous performance of Gods promises or executing of his iust vengeance neither doth hee meane here a simple keeping of them but rather an inward and carefull receiuing of them in his heart and notan outward performance Thus the word keeping is often taken in the holy Scriptures euen for a laying vp of the truth in our minde from whence wee may draw out the vse of it as occasion shall serue as where it is said Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it that is faithfully lay it vp in their hearts with a full intent to practise when God shall giue iust occasion thereof So that the meaning of this word is nothing else but a solemne laying vp of the iudgements of God in his minde mentioned also before portion 3. 6 Remoue from me shame and contempt for I haue kept thy testimonies So that he sheweth how hee did marke diligently how God fulfilled his promises to his children and executed vengeance vpon the wicked And because the fulfilling of Gods promises is to giue strength to his to keepe the word hee sheweth how he would take a view how God performed this grace in his seruants both in forgiuing the sinnes of the repentant and giuing his grace to them that craue it Now there are two things especially which hinder vs from this practise First the subtletie of Sathan thus reasoning in vs I would gladly vow but when I haue vowed such a good thing I am further from performing my vow than euer I was before We answere that this indeede is so and commeth as a iudgement of God for vowing so high a thing vnaduisedly and rashly with a secret presuming of our selues and not of God with want of a prayer to the Lord for grace to performe the same as the Prophet did For so soone as the Prophet had vowed thus to the Lord he immediatly maketh his prayer feruently asking of
with the one so we are cast down with the other by mistrust in Gods prouidence and despaire of his promises Experience teacheth vs that as a little prosperitie maketh vs to forget God so many inconueniences by affliction may befal vs as either dulnesse deadnes blockishnes or wicked shifts or vngodly doubts Wherfore the man of God here teacheth vs that if he vsed such remedies in the greater troubles theÌ„ how much more should we vse them in the lesse We are here besides to accuse our vnbeleefe bewrayed in small things seeing the Prophet in so great extremities exercised his faith against all the reasons of flesh and blood As the Lord giueth not so great graces vnto vs as to him so he will not presse vs with so great temptations as he did him And if the Lord did helpe his Saints in great afflictioÌ„s surely he will also help vs if we likewise striue against mistrust We may see the Saints of God were neuer so delicately brought vp that they neuer wanted so that if the Lord hath so dealt with his most excellent and faithfull seruants what will he do to vs vnfaithfull ones if he did so to theÌ„ which were vnder the law to whom were made greater promises of outward things what will he do to vs to whom are promises made of spirituall things vnder the Gospel as of the forgiuenes of sins of the renewing our hearts of spirituall ioyes of the kingdome of heauen If the Lord then lay on vs such troubles as he laid on our forefathers how much more should we suffer them seeing we may profit by their example who were vnder the Law who were in the dawning of the day or rather in the night in respect of vs vnto whom Christ is crucified and risen again We must then be ashamed of our womanish nature who will shrinke at so little triall think that the Lord should deale more gently with vs than with them They were in the shadow of the Law we in the bright Sunne of the Gospell which if we see we shall accuse our selues of the wants of Gods graces in vs seeing he dealt thus with his dearest Saints In that he addeth quicken me according vntâ— thy word he sheweth that he meant not to escape by naturall meanes although as he would vse them so he stayed not in them he vsed these as accessaries but the word of God as principall For his principall was to be quickned by the word and his accessary was the vsing of ordinarie meanes Then in all afflictions let vs craue of God that we may not vse vnlâ—wfull meanes but rather the promises of God as our chiefest strength feeling them with Gods fauour in vs then may we vse the other to these For then will the Lord giue successe and blessing to naturall and secondary meanes when our hearts being chiefely stayed on the promises of God as our chiefest strength and feeling them with Gods fauour in vs in the forgiuenes of our sinnes and renuing of our mindes we craue a blessing on the creatures as on the second meanes Besides he acknowledgeth in this word quicken the Lord to be the author of life and that without his word he was as dead This life indeed is the shadow of death common with the reprobates and bruit beasts and our life is only in Christ Iesus So Adam was called dead what is that surely in that his soule had notâ—ing to doe with God and although God gaue him a naturall life yet spiritually he was dead Thus the Saints of God thought they were at the last cast ready for the buriers when they could not feele Gods presence and promises According to thy Word that is according to thy promises for wee haue none assurance to come to GOD vnlesse his word be giuen vnto vs. What had he especiall or peculiar promises working in him The diuers places of this Psalme will she we no such thing because this Psalme is an image of Regeneration They were generall promises as are other in many places of the Scripture Reioyce O Syon for thy redeemer commeth Euery man might applie this to himselfe as is also that place Esay 66. 2. I that dwell in heauen will looke cuen to him that is poore and of a contrite heart and trembleth at my words These promises are generall and therefore we must looke to be quickned by them For the Lord saith that though Eternitie be his place yet will he come to them that be of a contrite heart so that sith the Lord hath made this promise we must by Faith vse it Come vnto me saith Christ all that labour and are loaden Behold another generall promise which we must applie to ourselues by Faith making this argumeÌ„t without selues Lord thou hast promised this whosoeuer is wearie and heauie loaden shall of thee be refreshed Lord I am wearie and heauie loaden Lord therefore helpe me according to thy promise I came not saith our Sauiour in another place to call the righteous but sinners to repentance We see that these generall precepts must be belieued and we must craue Gods spirit that we may be quickened and receiue life by them For though they be generall to all yet we must vnderstand that euery man is to applie them seuerally vnto himselfe Howbeit we must first belieue the generall promises and then by prayer we are to craue a speciall vse of them as of them wherein we belieue Vers. 108. O Lord I beseech thee accept the free offering of my mouth and teach mee thy iudgements NOw the Prophet prayeth for the clearer vnderstanding of Gods word This is then his principall which here is set downe more plaine The meaning therefore of this verse is that I may thus be quickned cleare my iudgement that I may see how thou dealest with thy seruants that I may haue comfort in thy promises As the aire being troubled the weather is darkened so the mind of man being troubled with ignorance storms mists clouds of temptations is much distempered Wherefore he prayeth against these port 17. 7. Shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant teach me thy statutes Where we may see how afflictions had hidden as it were the ccuntenance of God shewing also that the face and fauour of God appeareth in nothing so much as in the true vnderstanding of his word And port 8. 8. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach me thy statutes Port 2. vers 4. Blessed art thou O Lorde teach mee thy statutes Whereas God is good he reuealeth it in nothing more then in this pure vnderstanding Teach mee thy iudgements c. As if the man of God should say This is one thing wherevnto I will giue ouer my selfe euen to see how thou doest punish the wicked and conductest thy children So that we must learne that as it is necessarie to vnderstand the law and the Gospell so is it requisite to discerne Gods
that though the wicked seemed to haue an happie time for a while yet through Gods secret curse they had a fearefull end and though Gods children were tried with many troubles yet through Gods secret blessings they had happie issues Thus saith he Was I so foolish and ignorant and as a beast before thee whiles by mine owne wit and reason I would goe about to search out thy secret iudgements Yet saith hee I was alway with thee thou hast holden mee by my right hand and howsoeuer it went with the wicked my faith in thy prouidence did assure me that thou diddest watch ouer me and wouldest not finally forsake me Whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none in the earth but thee Though my flesh should pine away and I should consume yet am I perswaded that thou wilt not forsake me they goe a whoring and thou destroiest them but as for me it is good that I trust in thee that is let all the world fall from thee yet I see their end shall be fearefull and therefore I will still trust and stay on thee Marke what word he vseth to paint forth mistrust in God he calleth it to goe a whoring we know what a grieuous thing it is for a woman to prostitute herselfe to a baude so monstrous a thing it is to giue our trust to any but to God Wherfore we must fight against the corruptions of the world not by the sight of reason but by looking into the glasse of Gods word Let vs search then which be the promises of God to stirre vs vp to doe good which be his threatnings to make vs afraide of sinne what examples we haue of good men that wee may follow them what examples of euil to auoide them For here be the pictures of good men here bee the liuely anatomies of the godly here wee may take delight in beholding them Let vs discerne by the word who are true worshippers who are Idolaters Let vs look what rules the Lord doth giue in his word to know the truth and in whom it is to discerne heresies and in whom they be Then wee shall see that this man is sound in religion and carefull of a good life the Lord is his God this man is voide of true knowledge and breaketh the law of the Lord therfore vndoubtedly God is far from him This man though his knowledge be vnperfect yet he loueth to learne the truth this man is a good companion for me that man is an vnbeleeuer and trusteth not in God I will not therfore meddle with him Well now we haue learned that we neuer cleaue wholy vnto God vntill all the corruptions of the world be not able to dismay vs but rather being stayed and established on the word of God we know assuredly that the Lord wil not be among the wicked We haue bin taught that if we will truely beleeue in God we must beleeue in him according to his word otherwise he is but an Idoll vnto vs or a false God framed vnto vs after the imagination of our owne hearts And if we will truly discerne betweene good men and euill wee must not iudge them by our owne reason the common opinion of men or according to their prosperitie and aduersitie for so the world cannot perceiue who be Gods children because the wicked often flourish and Gods children are vexed but we must look into the word and see there how God setteth himselfe against the wicked and promiseth to bee neare at hand to his saints This may commend vnto vs what a necessary thing the study of the Scriptures is which teach vs to know God and his true worshippers for otherwise we shall iudge heretikes to be true worshippers and count wicked men honest Vers. 116. Stablish mee according to thy free promise that I may liue and let mee not bee disappointed of mine hope HEre the man of God desireth that the Lord would keepe him safe and sure and that he would confirme him and strengthen him in his word where we see he prayeth for a thing mētioned before Faith is not a sleeping thing lying dead in vs but it is quick and is nourished by the word For Gods children doe not so beleeue but that they are often troubled with vnbeliefe yea the Lord doth often suffer them to see their vnbeleefe in themselues to striue against it We see here how the man of God felt some wauering in himselfe he was not alwaies in one estate his faith was not euer at one stay his beliefe had some vnbeliefe with it and beleeuing he was afraid of himself Thus we know Gods childrē are such as do not presume but they suspect themselues thinke humbly of themselues which maketh them often to pray that they may be confirmed to perseuere For when we begin to be secure and to thinke too well of our selues then we cast off prayer and lay aside all trust in Gods word so that God casteth vs off for our pride and Sathan is readie to beguile vs. We must not then satisfie our selues if we beleeue but our faith must make vs to grow in feare to be more carefull to please and more grieued to displease God wee must desire of God to haue his promises cōfirmed and ratified in vs because we are in a very slippery estate For as a man walking on slippery ice and not heedfull to his steps nor fearing himselfe is most readie to fall so we in this world vnlesse we looke very circumspectly to our selues are in great danger of sliding down So fickle and fraile is the world that in euery place we may take a fall and as they which are on an high hill and steepe are in perill of falling down so in the world which hath such a downefall vnlesse wee be very wary and stay our selues on Gods word we are most ready to slippe We may see in former times how the deare Saints of God haue fallen through securitie and for want of this feare of themselues Noah though a man preserued from the corruptions of the olde world was beguiled of Sathan for presuming in his own strength Lot also through his corruptiō and Sathans policy was deceiued not suspecting himselfe Whē Dauid had not this feare but hoped that he was sure as he thought Psal. 30. he should neuer be remooued hee fell fouly and yet so deceitfull that hee could not see his fall in the space of an whole yeere Wee see then how hard a thing it is to keepe on our course in this world and that it is the mightie power of God as witnesseth Peter in his former Epistle that wee are kept in the faith Wee are not our owne guardians we are not able to take the gouernment of our selues nay our Sauiour Christ saide that if it were possible the very elect should bee deceiued so great is the power of the world the subtiltie of the flesh and guilesulnesse of the diuell But because they be
of Gods children are not so sirme as that it is neuer shaken they are not alwaies in the tenour and as the Lord giueth them of his grace in measure so hee giueth them at sometimes more at sometimes lesse he often humbleth them with incredulitie to exercise them in prayer and to confirme them the more by his Spirit whereof they haue had a pledge in his word Wee haue learned that the Prophet thought himselfe to haue no life but as he had the feeling of the life of the Sonne of God to be conueyed to him by the spirit of God through the working of the word of God and that as we breathe eate playe and labour wee haue nothing differing from bruite beasts as we haue fiue wits to discourse of things we haue nothing more than the heathen than the Turkes than the vngodly infidels The Scriptures shew that all that liue in ignorance and sinne are dead for they that liue in ignorance sit in darkenes and in the shadow of death as it is in the song of Zacharie and if we liue in sinne the Apostle witnesseth we are but dead Ephes 2.1 The death of sinne is the life of a man and the life of sinne is the death of a man sinne then I meane to liue in vs when wee giue ouer our selues to sin with pleasure and lye in our sinne with delight And yet here is a further thing for the man of God speaketh of the experience of Gods children who when they feele delight in prayer and their inward man delighted with the word of God they thinke they are aliue and that so long they walke in the land of the liuing but when they fal into some sinne and become vnthankfull or pensiue there comes a dulnes and deadnes of heart they are not able to see any difference betweene themselues and the reprobates and finding in themselues such an heape of ill inclinations they think themselues to be dead It followeth in the verse And disappoint me not of mine hope As if he should say O Lord euen as I trust in thy word so my hope is that thy word shall be accomplished As faith is the mother of hope so hope is the daughter and nurse of faith for faith breedeth hope and hope nourisheth faith faith assureth vs of the trueth of Gods word hope waiteth for the accomplishment of it His meaning then is Lord as I trust in thy word so strengthen my faith and disappoint mee not of my hope for howsoeuer the wicked continue for a while I beleeue that I shall haue a glorious end I beleeue it is not lost labour to serue the Lord O Lord I hope to see them troden downe that breake thy statutes Thus we see how Gods children feare their vnbeliefe and nourish their faith with prayer so the true Minister of God cannot but be zealous to stirre vp his people to feruent and frequent prayer We see the one halfe of this Psalme to bee prayer and that in euery portion two or three or foure verses be prayers And the man of God being willing to bring his knowledge to feeling hath still this prayer Stay mâ—e in thy word teach mee thy statutes disappoint me not of my hope establish thy promises to thy seruant For as reading hearing and conferring doe more increase knowledge than feeling so meditating praying and singing doe more nourish feeling than knowledge Had he that had such a faith in Gods word such ioy such delight such life in the spirit neede so often and feruently to pray then I beseech you let vs pray pray pray Vers. 117. Stay thou me and I shall be safe and I will delight continually in thy statutes THis agreeth with that in the verse going before stablish mee according to thy promise Hadst thou need Dauid to be staied didst thou wauer oh how need we to be stayed and to pray against our wauering he meaneth here thus much although I am well minded and delight in thy law yet I am so brittle and so slipperie that if thou stay mee not I shall sall I am gone Oh man of God feeling his owne wants and infirmities I shall be safe that is If I be not stayed by thine hand I shall be at the last cast Psal. 30. 6 he said hee should neuer be remoued here is another spirit where he saith he should be safe But here wofull experience taught him that he durst not be stayed on himselfe whereby he declareth that as without Gods word he could not be safe so come what come would befall what danger could befall in the Lords word he was staied sufficiently Then we are to learne that the promises of God must engender in vs a care and feare of our selues for if we begin once to be quiet with our selues when wee begin to be secure and presumptuous let vs assure our selues that we are not farre from sinne But if we feare that wee are staggering and reeling persons and that we are very slipperie is there not cause of humbling that this humblenes should breed carefulnesse carefulnesse should cause watchfulnesse watchfulnesse should vse the meanes and the meanes should be sanctified by prayer Then come hell come the diuell come the world come the flesh if the Lord stay vs we shall liue and not die we shall surely not miscarie And I will delight continually in thy statutes Wee see here that there is no free will for he prayeth likewise Port. 5. 1. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Neither did he promise of himselfe before but did hope in the Lord. Such brittlenes is in the world such sleights in the flesh such slinesse in SathaÌ„ such corrupt examples in the world that vnlesse the Lord stay vs we are so farre off from delight in good that we are ready to fall into great sinnes Euery man therefore is to search his owne heart and by the cause we may come to the effects and by the tree may coniecture of the fruite so by the effects we may iudge of the cause and by the fruite we may iudge of the tree Where is now this delight when we heare the word we heare it with such coldnesse therefore it is a manifest proofe we are not staâ—ed in the Lord. For whosoeuer doth not delight in the word he may deceiue his owne soule but surely as yet he is not staied on God If we are not delighted then are we stâ—ied on our own selues but if the Lord work in vs then shal we feele delight This is a griefe of my soule that I see no delight in the Lords day all things are done for fashion but the power of godlinesse is not among vs. The cause is the want of priuate exercises the want of priuate reading and praying and this bringeth a secret curse of publike exercises and therefore I cannot but so often vâ—ge priuate prayer and meditation Vers. 118. Thou hast troden downe all them that depart from
behold here the blessing of God he will blesse â—ts and satisfie the hungrie soules The Lord requireth nothing of vs but to mistrust our reason and to suspect our affections but to be teachable in spirit to hunger in heart and thirstingly to long after his word which if we shall doe we shall receiue increase of knowledge and amendment of life For to them that as meeke schollers wil be taught of Gods spirit and submit their reason to the simplicâ—tâ—e of the word the Lord saith Matth. 5. Blessed anâ— the poore in spirit for theirâ—s is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled But here may seeme to mans reason a great repugnance to the verse aforegoing The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simile For hee had shewed in the verse going before that the testimonies of the Lord were wonderfull not in part â—â—â— meaning that all therein was mysticall and here he saith that the very entrance into Gods word giueth light and vnderstanding to the simple We answere that the law or especially the second table of it may bee conceiued by reason but it is nothing so in â—â—â— doctrine of faith which is here meant in this word testimonies which we shewed to bee taken for the couenants of God The doctors of reason I meane the papists say the word is not to be taught to the common people because it is mystical but they neuer knew not by good experience felt that the Scriptures of God were easie to them that would submit themselues to them and vse them familiarly Others indeed may read see and heare them but they shall be as Parables and enigmaticall vnto them If then wee did see this aright that that which the wisest man cannot conceiue the simplest soules may attaine to if they will be taught of God would it not take vp our affections This made our Sauiour Christ say I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hia these things from the â—â—â—â— and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes euen so O Father was it thy good will and pleasure As if our Sauiour Christ should haue said O Lord I see the wise men haue great conceiuings and yet they attaine not to thy word yet to them that are humble and poore of spirit I see thou makest it knowne Did our Sauiour Christ giue thankes for this thing and shall not we for whose example these things were done We can giue thankes for our wits and for our memories but what is that to the purpose our wit may rather hinder vs than further vs in the true knowledge of the Lord vnles it be humbled and subiect to Gods spirit But here is a great cause of thankefulnesse that the simple shall vnderstand these mysteries not as we shewed before such as haue no conceiuing at all but such as acknowledge their simplicitie and hunger after the word euen as we also grant that wisemen shall haue this vnderstanding if they will denie their reason and stir vp affection For as all wise men shal not be debarred from this priuiledge so all simple men shal not be preferred thereunto For neither wisedome in it selfe nor simplicitie in it owne nature doe either further or hinder hereunto But alas I see how loath men would bee to lose their worldly wit and how they seeke after praise and commendation for the same but few eyther with like affection desire spirituall vnderstanding or sorrow in any like measure when they haue it not Deut. 4. 6. That is your vnderstanding and wisedome in the sight of the people saith A Moses That the Lord permitteth you so neere to approch to him and to bee taught his ordinances and lawes What then meane these speeches of them that hunt so much after worldly wit Why doe you thinke I am a foole Doe you thinke I am an asse and haue no wit to conceiue what things be as well as other men Doe you count me but a dul head Surely they are too proud and too much blinded in their owne conceits Wherfore the Prophet doth shew vs that as the mysteries of Gods word are reuealed to them that are simple of vnderstanding so are they to theÌ„ that are zealous in affectioÌ„ The cause then why we do no more profit by the word is because wee doe not denie our reason wee haue not affections that hunger after it nor loue to make vs pant for it which things if we did we should surely be satisfied Indeed the Lord giueth vnderstanding to whom he pleaseth where he purposeth to bestow so great a blessing hee giueth grace also more aboundantly to suboue their reason And as simplicitio cannot of it selfe bee a cause of spirituall vnderstanding but as it sooner bringeth vs to a sight of our wants and maketh vs the more to long after Gods word so wisedome is no cause of hinderance but as wee resting too much in the feare of reason cannot easily be brought to the simplicitie of Gods word And if the entrance rudiments and principles of religioÌ„ giue such knowledge and the very catechismes yeeld such vnderstanding what is to be hoped for when wee attaine to riper knowledge when wee haue more vnderstanding when wee haue more affections well let vs then examine our owne hearts herein when wee begunne were wee delighted with vnderstanding and did our vnderstanding moue in vs such affections and in our proceedings is our vnderstanding lesse and our affections fewer or doe we not thinke still of our ignorance and desire to haue our iudgemeÌ„t clearer we are in a dangerous estate we must suspect our selues Sathan wil bewitch vs and tel vs that this is a paradoxe that after so long hearing and reading we should still be ignorant and that still we haue neede to hunger after the word It is therfore the great mercy of God that to the receiuing of so singular a benefit he requireth nothing of vs but the acknowleding of our ignorance and bewayling of our wants Hee would that we should still put our selues in minde of this one thing that though we haue not this vnderstanding in the highest degree or in an hundred fold yet we must haue it in some degrees either in threescore fold or in thirtie fold we must vexe grieue and trouble our selues for this affection For where it is the heart is a liberall and free ruler of our affections and where it is not we must learne to lay violent hands euen on our affections We are to shew that which we omitted in the latter ende of the verse going before Because I loued thy law c. Heere the prophet sheweth that the loue which hee did beare to Gods lawe was so great that it could not satisfie him but still hee thirsted after it and thirsting did pant Loue as we say alwaies setteth a price of things nothing is too deare no trauaile
to beleeue and thus to doe And marke here the wisedome of the spirit of God setting down the strength of his Saints for flesh blood might haue obiected what tell you vs of these extraordinarie and priuiledged men but behold he calleth them as we said before witnesses testifying that if we would call for and craue the like graces we should receiue them sufficiently then he biddeth vs to looke to Christ the author and finisher of our faith For what were they this is he from whom al the Fathers receiued their strength Striue saith he death is not yet come ye haue not resisted vnto blood What must euery man be a mâ—rtyr no the meaning of the holy Ghost is that though we haue suffered the scoffing of the wicked the hissing the nodding of the head the mocking of the people yet it is not sufficient if the Lord will haue vs also for his sake imprisoned our blood shed and though he giue vs no remission yet we must not faint herein but euen offer our liues to the Lords pleasure also What can seeme more rare in this man of God his faith than his notable diligence and delight which he had in the word in that as we shewed before he preuented the morning light and the euening watches with his meditations But shall we not finde this commended vnto vs in other places of the Scriptures that we might also in some measure seek these practises in our selues Looke Prouer. 2 1. My sonne if thou wiâ—t receiue my 〈…〉 and hide my commandements â—itâ—â—â— tâ—â—e c. 4. If thâ—se seekest wisedome â—â— silâ—â—â— â—â—â— seâ—râ—hâ—â—â— for her as for treasure 5. Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God And Psalme 19. 10. The iudgâ—â—eâ—tâ— of the Lord are more to be desired than gold yâ—a than much fine gold what doe we now see here in this man of God which the Scriptures doe not teach vs in other places So that here is set down but a patterne of practise of things taught in the word and why doth the man of God set downe himselfe here as a type to be followed surely to shew that like as he was a man subiect to the like affections that we are so we may labour for the like graces as he had And if we will be like vnto him in his sinnes why should we not be like vnto him in his graces And as albeit we are not like vnto him in his greatest sins and yet in some sins so must we though noâ— in the highest measure of his graces yet in some proportion of his graces be like also vnto him It may also seeme extraordinary in him that he was wiser than his enemies wiser than his teachers wiser than the aged but we must know this also appertaineth to vs because in shewing his reason how he obtained this grace he alleageth not the cause to be any extraordinarie or new reuelations but that he attained through the word for he was wiser than his enemies in that he opposed not subtiltie with subtiltie craft with craft forgerie with forgerie and in all his assaires asked not counsell of flesh and blood but of the word as he also testifieth of himselfe Port. 3. 7. 8. vers Princes also â—id sit and speake against me but thy seruant did moditate in thy statutes Also thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers As if he should say when the mightie states vsed their policie and wisedome against me though I had an heauâ—e heart yet I asked counsaile of thy word Likewise Port. 21. 1. Princes haue persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy word That is the great men persecuted me I durst not striue with them in policie for so I was afraid I should haue sinned against thee but rested in thy word and then I gate as great victorie as they which get spoyles We see now whosoeuer as Saint Iames exhorteth vs shall aske wisedome when he wanteth it of the Lord and of his word shall with Dauid be wiser than his enemies not that we must imagine him so to be in all his particular actions but that he excelled them in as great measure as might be by giuing himselfe to be gouerned by the word Is this then proper to the dearest Saints of God alone No for Moses the man of God faith Deut. 4. 6. Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding He speaketh not of the rarest Iewes and of the Magistrates alone but of the common people and telleth them if they wanted wisedome the Lord was at hand to teach them And so the meanest people by the word of God were wiser than the mightie Princes and the great Princes were more doltish than the common people when they asked not counsel of the Lord. The promise which our Sauiour Christ vseth Matth. 10. 19. When they deliuer you vp take no thought how not what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that houre what yee shall say This promise is not made onely to the Euangelists Apostles Disciples Doctors or Magistrates but to all whomsoeuer the Lord shall call to giue such testimonie of his name And we know by experience how this was not onely performed in the Primitiue Church but also in the deare Saints and Marryrs of God of late memorie in Queene Maries raigne who did striue against sinne to the shedding of their blood who all as we see were wiser than their enemies Neither was there any other cause why he was wiser than his teachers but that by meditation he not resting in the booke cases and generall doctrine of his teachers applied their generall rules to his particular state Likewise we if we doe not stay our selues in the generall things which we heare or reade but bring the generall things into particulars singulars and practises shall be wiser though happily not learneder than our teachers Thirdly he was wiser than the ancient in that they made shipwracke of faith and of a good conscience notwithstanding their knowledge whereas he laboured to bring his good learning to good liuing and his knowledge to a good conscience We see at this day how old ancient Protestants grow not in spirituall vnderstanding because they put not in practise the things which they haue knowne On the other side we are not to goe farre but may obserue in our age how young men vnto whom the Lord hath made old men as glasses examples of our infirmities least they fal comming with 〈◊〉 â—elâ—â—e to practise tâ—at which they â—â—â—te are 〈…〉 and are more able to iâ—â—truct the ignorant to comfort them that 〈…〉 the ageâ— Wâ—â—â—oâ—er then will labour to bring the rules into life which hâ—e 〈…〉 y pâ—ecâ—â—ts he shall be at the lâ—aâ—t wiâ—er if not more learned than the auncient 〈…〉 es Mâ—z alâ—â—â—th â—uen coâ—â—umâ—â— me c. This among the rest â—ight 〈…〉 more proper and peculiar to the Prophet but it is is wee
who hearing the word were neither hote nor cold Seeing then we are rather Laodiceans than Dauids wee must crie Lord giue vs vnderstanding that we may liue Then let vs learne by other mens harmes which is a princely and heroicall kind of teaching For as Princes children are taught themselues in their owne persons but are not beaten seeing rather others beaten before them so the Lord preacheth to our persons but punisheth other persons round about vs sparing vs that we by their sinnes and stripes may learne to amend and to repent in prayer There is a winter after haruest after heate colde and it is vsuall with the Lord to tempeâ— his blessings most sweete with some crossings most sower Wherefore let vs pray with our Prophet for the vnderstanding of God his word not onely to be bettered in our mindes but also reformed in our liues Then no diuell no hell no plague no pestilence shall hurt vs yea those troublesome trials which vnto others are testimonies of God his wrath shall be vnto vs seales of his loue which although the world cannot discerne yet by faith we shall both finde it and feele it PORTION 19. COPH. Vers 145. I haue cried with mine whole heart heare me O Lord and I will keepe thy statutes Vers. 146. I called vpon thee saue mee and I will keepe thy testimonies IN the last verse of the former part he set downe the righteousnesse of GODS lawe hee prayed therefore that hee might haue vnderstanding and liue and therefore they that are ignorant haue no life in them because life is onely reuealed in the word Sinners then hauing not receiued the word are dead for the life of sinne is the death of man And our first father was dead when hee had sinned and they who liued in pleasure and all other sinners are dead though they for a while prolong their life on earth yet at death the soule goeth to hell and waiteth there for the bodie and this cuise waiteth on all Cursed are all that continue not in all things c. and after Gods great suffering they shall be cut off Hee knew that the beginning of this life was in the word and hee also knewe that the continuance of it was in the word by the grace of God and therefore hee laboured to haue it increased by the word because he was conuinced by his infirmitie that hee might lose it as Adam did and therefore hee seeketh to finish the course of his saluation with feare If Dauid whose zeale had consumed him did yet in this sort pray how much more ought we which for euery light trouble are discouraged in our dutie He prayeth for the vnderstanding of the word because the diuell wil be ready to allure vs from the word if we be inclined thereto as he dealt with Christ when he laide our scripture against it And yet he liketh not of those that rest in the literall sense but hee craueth the spirit to teach him according to the word for the spirit quickeneth and flesh and blood doth not reueale these things and all that are of God must bee taught of God Isa. 54 yet alwaies agreeable to the word Now in this part he prayeth that he may haue vnderstanding and ease from his trouble this request he groundeth on these reasons first of his earnestnes in the foure first verses secondly in respect of his enemies in the sixt verse and thirdly in respect of Gods mercies in the fift seuenth and eight verses In the foure first verses he setteth downe his earnest desire and zeale that he had and he prayeth that he may haue a good conscience in the first verse and faith in the promises in the second verse teaching that these two were al the comfort that he had in trouble when he suffered for well-doing and had his sinnes forgiuen and had the fauour of God Then if we will stand in trouble let vs labour to be grounded on the promises of forgiuenes of sinnes of a new life of his fatherly prouidence and let this purge vs from sin and if we can doe this then nothing shall seperate vs from God as Paul saith Rom. 8. and againe he saith there is no condemnatioÌ„ to them that are in Christ for they haue his spirit to purge them from sinne and to strengthen their faith The want of these causeth men to step backe and the weakenes of our faith the carelesnes of these causeth such feare in Gods children and such shrinking for the diuel layeth their sinnes to their charge which they see not discharged and their faith is weake and therefore they are diuing vp and down And surely trouble must come to all for so it is ordained though to some lesse than others and therefore when it commeth we are faint if we haue not been carefull to keepe a good conscience and to strengthen our faith But if we haue done thus then shall death be pleasant vnto vs for wee shall be blessed Apoc. 12. and our workes shall follow vs that is our faith and the fruites of our faith Againe if wee suffer for our sinnes c. then wee want faith and a good conscience and therefore we murmur and crie out yea and goe to witches and wisards Yea Gods children though they come not to this grosse sinning yet they inwardly grudge and they haue secret murmurings because they haue failed in strengthening their faith keeping a good conscience but the children of God that make Christ all in all they say the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh this is the patience of Gods children And Iob did not faile till his faith failed and though his three learned aduersaries reasoned against him to proue him an hypocrite yet his conscience sustained him and therefore reckoneth vp his vertues chapter 28. and 31. And he also confessed his faith I know that my Redeemer liueth this was his faith and this was his conscience that in his trouble sustained him These things haue no lesse fruite in prosperitie for the want of them cause men to lift vp themselues on high but the word represseth pride lust and loue of worldly things so that they are â—â—uÌ„â—le in prosperitie for the worldlings seeke after the things of this world because they neuer felt the peace of conscience they seeke their owne glorie because they neuer felt what the glory of God was and neuer seeke knowledge because they know not what the soule is Yea the children of God because they labour not continually to keepe a good conscience and to strengthen their faith they are carried away with the loue of earthly things after the example of the wicked for prosperitie is as a floud which carieth all things with it and as well good as bad and therefore they are often caried away with the loue of these outward things But the children of God which doe diligently labour after these things they behaue themselues so as that God may be glorified by their prosperitie and aduersitie
get no power of our sinnes when we are wauering in our perseuerance if there be in vs any regard of our glorie or any respect of our dignity and our kingdome when Sathan hath so spoiled vs great should be our sorrow But this is the cause why we doe not sooner recouer our selues in fighting because wee feele not the losse of our spoyles and therefore no maruaile if in Christ we feele not our strength renewed It is no smal dignitie to be a companion with the Angels to be the children of God fellow heires with God it is no little prerogatiue to be royall Priests before the Lord it is no smal honour to be counted Prophets it is no little preheminence to wait for a kingdome but shall we looke to be the members of Christ and fellow heires with him and shall we not seuer our selues from the world the flesh and the diuell nay as he offereth to vs the one so he forbiddeth to vs the other If we were redeemed not with gold and siluer but with the most pretious blood of the immaculate Lambe how thankfull should we be in all manner of obedience If we were called to an holy conuersation and not to the lusts of the flesh how holily should we walke Wherefore if the Lord so call vs to the banquet and allure vs to such rich spoyles on the Sabbath day if any shall say I cannot come I must marrie a wife I must goe see my farme I must goe about my businesse Oh how vnworthie guests shall we be and how worthie to be trampled vnder the feete of our aduersaries But here may arise a question how can feare and ioy dwell in a man at once that he should truly feare Gods word and heartily reioyce in the same when as notwithstanding in the holy Scriptures we may often obserue this thing as Psal. 5. 7. I will come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I worship toward thy holy Temple And in Psal. 2. 11. Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling and in this Octonarie which we here haue in hand I stood in awe at thy word and I reioyced at thy word We answere we must know what kinde of feare this is it is not that feare which is of the iudgements of God alone but a feare ioyned with his mercies For there is a feare of his iudgements alone which hindreth the certaintie of faith and there is a feare of his iudgements tempered with a feare of his mercies which beateth downe the securitie of the flesh of which the man of God speaketh Psal. 130 4. Mercie is with thee therefore thou shalt be feared that is Therefore are thine afraide to displease thee because they haue tasted of thy goodnesse and because thou of nature art mercifull He speaketh then of that feare which is assured of Gods mercies as of his iudgements Wherefore as there is a difference betweene the feare of seruants and the feare of sonnes because seruants doe their businesse more vnwillingly and sonnes doe their duties more cheerefully so there is a difference betweene the obedience of the godly proceeding from a childish feare to obey their Father and the grudging obeying of the wicked in a seruile and slauish feare of punishment Vers. 163. I hate falsehood and abhorre it but thy law doe I loue THe meane how the man of God came to this ioy of the word was in that his hart was wel purged of the things contrary vnto it wherin he sheweth that it is not possible for vs truly to reioice in the word vntil we be brought to the perfit hatred of the corruptions By falsehood he meaneth not that breach of charitie which is forbidden in the ninth Commandement but whatsoeuer is opposite to the true word of God In this sense we did also take it Port. 4. and 5. Take from me the way of lying and graunt me gratiously thy law Where lying is nothing else but that which is contrarie to the word either in doctrine or in life Likewise Port. 15. 2. I hate vaine inuentions but thy law doe I loue In this meaning Sathan is said to be the father of lies and we vse to say God onely is true and man is a liar that is as God is good so is he true as man is euill of himselfe so is he false His meaning then is that he hated that which was contrarie to the word I hate and abhorre c This sheweth that he had no light hatred but a thorow hatred of it which is also shewed Psal. 139. 21. Doe I not hate them O Lord that hate thee And doe not I earnestly contend with those that rise vp against thee I hate them with an vnfained hatred as they were mine vtter enemies Prou. 29. 27. A wicked man is an abomination to the iust and he that is vpright in his cause is an abomination to the wicked True hatred hath this nature to abhorre the thing hated as a daintie woman abhorreth to touch a toad And we expresse this thing in our affections breaking oft into these speeches I abhorre it I cannot abide to heare of it I quake I shake I am the worse when I heare it We are here taught then that as loue being cold will soone faile so our hatred being cold will soone slake and as loue must be hot if wee will haue it continuall so hatred must be with abhorring if we will haue it permanent Wherefore we see where our first loue waxeth cold to prayer and the not abhorring of the want of prayer is there we fall into a carelesnesse of prayer and where our zeale is not hot against sinne and sinners and we make but a â—est of it when we should make warre against them to the spending of the heart blood we are often ready to fall into sinne And although we be not maintainers of sinne for that were the highest degree of sinne yet if we be not abhorâ—ers of sinne we may for a time keepe in yet in the eâ—d we shall bewray our selues And thus when we are too smooth and too gentle although I reprchend not that louing rebuking and admonishing of Christians we shall be taught to be zealous We see that we cannot say that we truely reioyce in the word vntill we haue a perfit hatred of falsehood No maruell then though we reioyce no more in God seeing we doe not so abhorre our sinne as we should doe Neither doe we throughly abhorre sinne because we neuer felt the inestimable and vnspeakable treasures of the peace of conscience Wherefore as we must not onely loue God but loue exceedingly so we must not onely hate ill but abhorre it zealously For when abhorring of sinne falleth â—o hating and hating of sinne falleth to misliking and misliking commeth little to esteeme of sin we are in a relapse We cannot then loue God too much nor hate ill too much We must also labour to
this true longing be in vs or no we must see whether it be after that saluation which is to be ioyed or whether it vanisheth away and is nothing but a tormeÌ„t of the conscience Besides this is a sure note of it if our desire be sound it is not satisfied vntill the thing longed for be accomplished As wee may see in naturall and humane things is in them that are sicke with loue they are in continual perplexity of mind vntil they haue obtained their loue likewise must we long after the word For loÌ„ging is a feruent desire and not a thing quickly come quickly gone but a thing that hath bin searched by reason and in iudgement hath bin chosen So that as we shewed before there is a great difference betweene a lightning desire a setled iudgement which causeth vs in truth to long In that he now maketh mention of his longing after his election he sheweth that he had cast his accounts set down how he might be able to meet the mighty man indenter battaile with him as it is in the gospell This longing cannot bee in the wicked for when they long it is for heresies or worldly pleasures and right longing commeth from a right sight iudgement and affection which will bring in the carefull vsing of the meanes For as it holdeth in false longing so also in holy longings that after long debaâ—ing and examining of our selues and casting our accounts what will be the fruite of the good and what will be the end of sinne carefully wil vse the meanes For as the desire vseth meanes so longing vseth meanes carefully Let vs now examine our selues where our feruency is for ioy and hope feare sorrow shew a maÌ„s heart as whatsoeuer we ioy in whiles we haue it that we sorrow for when wee haue lost it And let vs examine our longing whether we can vse the word with delight or no whether praier be pleasant whether the sacraments be coÌ„fortable to vs or no and whether the discipline of the Church be reuerend and precious to vs. If our desire be cold our â—sing of the meanes is also cold if we be feruent in desire wee are also feruent in vsing of â—â—e meanes The Apostle speaking to the Romans cap 6. after the manner of men saith he will not extort so much as he might doe but hee will deale with them more easily and whereas he might require greater obedience he saith as ye haue giuen your members seruants vnto vncleannes and iniquitie to commit iniquitie so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnes in holines This is but an humane thing if we should see how wee haue longed after things naturall and vnnaturall if we should see how wee haue longed inordinately let vs â—ee if our longing be alike after the word and let vs say to our owne soules what was there such a longing in vs after such things whereof wee are now ashamed before God in our prayerâ— and before men when they are but named and haue we such slender longing after our saluation it is to be feared our choise is not yet made for if it were wee should surely long mâ—â—e and longing we should more vse the meanes Vers. 175. Let my soule liue and it shall praise thee and thy iudgements shall helpe mee HEre â—â—â— man of God desireth life to none other end but to praise GOD in keeping of his word as he said before Port. 3. 1. Be beneficiall to thy seruant that I may liue keepe thy Worde In which place hee also desireth none other life but that which is according to the word of God For all other liues haue a vaine title of life but this is true life We see the man of God doth not onely feele with the Apostle that in God wee mooue liue and haue our being but also speaketh of a more excellent thing to wit that in him we liue spiritually Againe he looketh not in himselfe for any naturall life but acknowledgeth that manâ— life is of the word of God Let vs therefore learne with Dauid to commit our liues to the Lord Psalm 31. 15. Into thine hands I commend my spirit c. He speaketh this in his life time and committeth it to the Lord that as he gaue it him so he would vouchsafe to keepe it being giuen Now we shall neuer in truth say the like vntill we perceiue how wee receiued our life of God how he nourisheth it and how to him we must surrender it againe Wherefore we are not to liue as doe the bruite beasts and the heathen but we must liue to enioy our saluation and couet our saluation to praise the Lord because there is no other end of mans life than Gods glorie As for them which liue to any other end Salomon iudgeth no better of the vntimely fruite than of them who enioy many dayes in pleasure and after goe to the darkenes Besides we know how all other inferiour things were created to glorifie God in seruing man and man was made to glorifie God by the true vse of the word Let my soule liue c. This is the vsuall phrase of the Scripture when they vse to set dowâ— a thing more pathetically as Luke 1. My soule doth magnifie the Lord my spirit praiseth Goe my Sauiour And Psalm 103. 1. and 104. 1. My soule praise thou the Lord. Psalm 115. 17. The dead praise not the Lord neither any that goe downe into the place of silence and Psalm 6. 5. In death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee and Esay 38. 19. The pit cannot praise thee the graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot praise thee but the liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I doe this day c. How grieuous a thing it is now euery man may iudge that a man should goe out of this world or euer he knew wherefore he came into the world and this is that which maketh vs so loth to die This was it that made the Saints of God in former times so vnwilling to leaue this life not that they wanted any hope of the life to come or had not the ioy of a blessed resurrection but either they had some speciall sinnes heauily pressed their consciences whereby they had dishonoured God or else they desired to liue in greater measure to glorifie God either in entring into the way of repentance or else growing in the same after they had entred because as yet they could not say in truth I haue fought a good fight I haue runne a good race I haue kept thy faith from henceforth a crowne of glorie is prepared for mee For they knew that whereof we are willingly ignorant that we shall neuer vncessantly praise God in heauen vnlesse wee carefully serue God in earth and we shall neuer praise God in the congregation of Angels which praise not God in the congregation of his saints
haue no good desire or inclination to heare vnlesse GOD by his spirit doe worke it in vs and bore through our eares Secondly there is noted this that wee should heare though it be plaine for vs to doe wee must striue and struggle with our selues that wee may heare when the Lord doth neuer so little stâ—â—â— vs vp therevnto Vers. 21. Let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the middest of thine heart IN these words is a third charge giuen vnto vs and that is this that wee should make a profitable vse for our selues in the reading of the word and in beholding of the creatures for both these wayes we may winne great and good strength to ouercome our corruption and both these exercises are in the word commended vnto vs. The fourth and last precept is contained in the latter end of the verse in these words Keepe them in the middest of thine heart In this precept is prescribed the manner of the vsing and doing of the former duties for all of them must be done with the heart wee must giue attendance to the word not onely with the stilnes and quietnes of the outward members but wee must also be attentiue with our hearts we must heare the word read preached and conferred of not with our outward eares alone but also with our very hearts Wee are not to rest in the simple reading of the word or the bare beholding of the creatures but wee must labour for a fourth thing wee must looke that our hearts be present when wee either reade the word or behold the creatures And yet there is a further thing to bee here obserued for by this commandement we are charged to lay vp in our hearts all the profit which we learne by these meanes It is not sufficient to vse them it is not enough to feele some present vse and profit by them but wee must lay vp in our hearts whatsoeuer gaine wee get that wee may be stored and prepared for the time to come This must be done by prayer and meditations for if wee pray feruently before after and in the vsing of these meanes and if after we haue vsed them we do diligently meditate vpon them both that we may be confirmed in each dutie and also that wee way applie them to our own particular priuate vse then vndoubtedly God will giue a blessing to his meanes rightly vsed and will write the fruite of them in our hearts yea the Lord will giue a further blessing vnto them life vnto vs and health vnto our flesh as it followeth in the 22. verse which before hath beene expounded These verses are very notable and worthie of all remembrance for they commend vnto vs all the meanes whereby Gods word is made effectuall vnto vs as hearing reading preaching praying conferring meditating and such like godly and heauenly exercises In other places of the scripture sometime one sometime another is mentioned But here all are expressely named and this no doubt was done by the great wisedome of God the holy Ghost which by this hath met with the corruption of our owne nature For this corruption much preuaileth and beareth great sway in vs that wee vsing some one meanes diligently doe neglect all the rest Some men doe so rest in their priuate reading that they neglect hearing praying other holesome meanes some do so highly esteeme hearing that they will neuer reade to confirme the thing that they haue heard nor vse any other meanes And so of the rest for there are men of all sorts But the holy Ghost commendeth all vnto vs and chargeth vs with all and that so straightly that we cannot with hope looke for any blessing from God vnlesse wee bee carefull and diligent in all It is the dutie then of euery man to be seriously exercised and occupied in all thos exercises that God may blesse al or if not that sometime one sometime another according to his good pleasure may profit vs. These 9. verses because they giue vs in charge to vse with diligence the hearing and other exercises of the word must bee referred vnto the second commaundement Vers. 23. Keepe thy heart with all diligence for thereout proceede the actions of life IN this verse hee doth call vs from all kinde of inward euill which secretly lieth lurking in our heart for as much as that in very deede is the wel-spring of all wickednesse and because Salomon doth here note the heart as that which is the cause of al sinful actions so that although we should neuer see any man doe euill and although wee should not at any time be tempted to doe euill by any yet our owne hearts would corrupt vs and cause vs to sin We do hereby see that the doctrine both of the Papists and of the Familie of loue is most vntrue for they do teach that a maÌ„ is not naturally inclined vnto euil that his nature is not wholy corrupted with sinne but that hee is corrupted and infected either by the allurement or example and temptation of others True it is that the occasion of euill may be offered by some other man but Salomon doth here teach vs that the cause of our euill is in our selues and for this cause he commaundeth vs aboue all things to bee watchfull ouer our hearts for from them doe proceede the actions of life or of death Now the causes why wee are charged to keepe such straite watch ouer our hearts are in number two The first is because the heart doth carrie with it euery way all our senses so that as the Heathen said It is not the eye that seeth but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but the heart and so the other senses So from hence it commeth that there be oftentimes great sounds and much noyse yet because our eares doe attend vpon our hearts which are earnestly occupied about some other matter wee heare not the sounds we doe not listen vnto the noyse From hence it commeth that we see not goodly sights and shewes when they bee sometimes offered vnto our eyes because our eyes are set vpon that thing about thwich the heart is occupied Yea from hence it commeth that we sometimes stumble in the plaine ground and our feete doe faile vs euen in â—â—â—â— places because our feete are carried with our heart which is earnestly occupied on some other matter Therefore although we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our handâ— our eares and other parts of our body yet doth it most stand vs in hand to keepe all watch and ward ouer our hearts seeing they rule all the rest The second cause why we should watch ouer our hearts is because it maketh or marreth all our actions for if our heart bee pure then all our actions bee pure and accepted of through Christ though some want bee in them and contrariwise if our hearts bee not sound but corrupted and vnpure the things that in their
shall haue a precept for it There is a fellow a controller of Moses the child of Belial that hath a precept Deny nothing that you may win the multitude But if hee had staied there hee had not bin clean contrary to Moses Exo. 23. 2. but he goeth further saith Though they goe wrong thou must go with them and do as they do Oh that this leade not to perdition We are naturally inclined to this euery man is first euil euery one by nature is a Papist a Machiuelist euery one is giuen to follow a multitude Of this doctrine some may haue vse now some hereafter And seeing as Aeschines saith we must learne that now whilest we be yong which we must practise when we be old I shall think the word of God hath it fruit if any shall beware by it practise it hereafter First I note wher the holy Ghost flatly forbiddeth the following of a multitude that it is a thing that commeth to passe daily we must not think the holy Ghost giueth precepts of those things that come not to vse in 7. yeeres this is one chief point in all offices Plato in his Alcibiades had perswaded Alcibiades to liue iustly al his life time he promiseth that he will do so I pray God saith Socrates you may begin and also continue but I feare least the sway of the multitude carrie you away and to an Elder he writeth though the multitude do not change you yet it may be as rubs in your way I will shew you a reason hereof Rom. 7. Paul saith there be many good things that I would doe and cannot and many euill things which I would not do and yet doe them And why because there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of the Spirit But when there is a law of companie comming to then the case is dangerous and in a double perill 2 There is an vse of following and this word follow is often in the Scriptures We must follow with choise iudgement and limitation The wise man saith it is the propertie of a foole to follow vniuersally that whatsoeuer he seeth others do he must needs do the same That eie is very weake that cannot look on a bleare eie but it must be bleared and Seneca saith in his booke of the blessed life We follow the droue like the beasts of the field when we thinke we goe to the pasture it is very like we should go to the shambles S. Iames vouchsafeth not to compare vs to liuing creatures but to the froth of the sea which is caried vp and downe with the water so we be caried and goe not The reason why we doe thus is because it is an hard matter to iudge but an easie matter to giue credit We beleeue how we should liue we iudge not We may see what their iudgement is by the Logicke which they vse they rest only in examples and similies which how weake argumeÌ„ts they be euery man knoweth no man will admit them in disputation Yet when we come to examples see what iudgement we shew we take them by tale and number them not we neuer waigh them as he said No man would so receiue his groats as we doe examples we ought not therefore to follow without choise We must not pleade simplicitie and say we came but behind for if we coÌ„sent it is enough though we be not the foremen Rom. 1. 31. we must not onely eschew those that do euill but those also that consent to euill and Ephes 5. 7. we are charged not to be companions with them And how is that Dauid telleth you Psal 50. 18. thou seest a theefe and dostrun with him 1. Tim. 5. 2â— Lay hands sodainly oâ—no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes Act. 7. Saul threw neuer a â—one at Steuen but kept the clothes of them that stoned him and yet the holy Ghost bringeth him within the compasse of murther And so because the Iewes chose not Christ rather than Barrabas the spirit of God saith They killed the Lord of life wherefore with Augustine I say it is euill enough to follow and consent to euill 3 Many and few be respectiue words for so it is said in one place that Dauid had many sonnes How many seuen and in another place Dauid is said to haue a few souldiers How few seuen hundred So in that respect seuen are a great many and seuen hundred a few Againe least we should thinke a multitude to consist onely of rude and vnlearned and poore people we must know that by vulgus is meÌ„t not only those that haue chlâ—mydes but those that haue coronas also not only those that goe in round caps but them that goe in square caps also we may heare as vulgar speeches of the learned as of the vnlearned The 400. Prophets although they were learned yet they were a multitude and had a lying spirit in them And certaine it is they neuer proue truely learned that lacke religion and the true feare of God their wits serue them but to vulgar vses and to discouer themselues 4 The best things haue not commonly most voyces and it is a great presumption that the things are the worse if they haue a common consent This part is great therefore the worse saith Seneca So Aristotle great and good is not all one the first finder out of mans wisedome found out this and alwaies after made it his poesie The most the worse He found it by the earth seeing much pot-earth and little to make golde so there is much pot-reason And Aristotle giuing a reason of the hardest fairest saith first that they be so by nature and secondly because of the multitude of them that resist it This is a common prouerbe with Lawyers such as be ouercome appeale to the people This is espied out of the heathen and yeâ— our Christians cannot see But let vs come to the scripture Gal 1. 10. If I should please men I should not be the seruant of God i. the most men The Angels come by two or three at the most but the diuels are said in the scripture to come by legioÌ„s the scripture willing vs to flie the wicked saith flie the world because they are the most Hoseah compareth the good to gleaning after the haruest then the great haruest is the diuels a smal number the Lords Againe seeing they are so great a number they must haue a broad way but it leadeth to destruction Indeed it must be a great way in the which most must trauell and the godly haue a narrow way and therefore Dauid saith Lord shew me thy pathes and he lookes at the iournies end In heauen there is roome enough but hell as Ezechiel saith must be enlarged so daÌ„gerous it is to follow a multitude which is alwaies like it selfe ye may see how iudgemeÌ„t passeth on their behalfe when it is put
too much or too long whole daies from morning vntil night til we be set on fire with them We come to be too effuse Nabals feasts are like the feasts of a king he being but a countrie farmer 14 This is a general rule wantonnesse is the beginning of sinne we see in Esau to what great prophanenesse his wanton pleasure in hunting grew So in the Scriptures there can be found none other beginning of Salomons fall but this that 1. Reg. 5. when he had spent seauen yeeres in building the house of God hee spent thirteene yeeres after in building an house for himself This was scarse a good propertie to bestow thirteene yeares on his own house and seauen yeares on Gods house and the Apes and Peacockes that hee brought into the Land set the people on such vanitie that they vanished awaie in their wanton thoughts Idlenes and trifling be the callings of Gentlemen now adaies as also needelesse expenses 1. Tim. 5. CHAP. XLII Of Inuiries offences and controuersies WHen an iniurie is offered thee the Lord doth trie thee what loue patience and meekenesse is in thee to blesse them that curse thee which will followe if thou be the childe of God contrariwise if thou requite euill for euill then doth the Lord shewe vnto thee the corruption which thou must labour to pull out of thee if thou wilt ouercome 2 When we see that others stand in neede of our helpe and wee are able to helpe the Lord requireth our obedience 3 Meditations of GODS promises and prouidence will driue from vs all desire of reuenge 4 We must not tarry vntill others reconcile theÌ„selues vnto vs but as God doth rather oftentimes by heaping his benefits than powring his plagues vpon vs shew vs our sinnes so must we rather by courteous dealing than seuere handling shew others how they haue offended vs. 5 The more Pharaoh restrained the more Moses stood in the thing that was commanded coÌ„trary vnto those which making a mingle mangle in religion yeeld in some things but wee must not yeeld a lot of that the Lord requireth although in worldly matters wee ought for peace to yeeld one to another In religion it skilleth not how little the matter seeme for which we doe contend The least thing that God commandeth is great in the sight of God and Gods children haue been punished for small offences in appearance as Moses and Aaron for grudging were debarred from the land of promise Iosiah was slaine because he asked not counsell to goe to warre which may teach vs to beware of the least offences It ought not to be condemned nor counted precisenesse not to giue consent in the breach of the least thing though we may beare them when they cannot be redressed but not with consent 6 Shall we be contentious I thinke no nature is so misâ—reant that it doth delight in contention if any delight to dwell in Meshâ—ch as Dauid calleth it I would he had a tabernacle there if any delight in contention I wish no more harme than that he may be neuer without it What then shall we blot out controuersies That were to teach the spirit of God wisedome Could he not as well haue said let there be peace as let there be light â—ay God hath ordained there should be contentions and not onely permitted them but saith they must be and such as be about the waightiest matters in truth called heresies 1. Cor. 11. Then it is a dreame of idle braines that any good can be receiued without controuersies and as the Prophet Esaiah saith without the barking of some dog or other It is not so in euill things they are receiued with silence what then shal we play the pots and aske the potter a reason of his doing Albeit I like not that humor of men which wil search out the reason of God his doings when they know his flat wil yet in this we may because he hath set it downe There be three reasons first that those That are stedfast may be approued we will haue it in this As Sathan did to Iob God called him what saiest thou of my seruant Iob Liueth he not vprightly No grandmercie said he for he hath all blessings of thee but take away them and then c. Secondly there are cities to be gouerned and to that ende we must vse our talent Iohn reproued the Scribes and Pharisies and came to reproue Herod Samuel reproued Ely and came to reproue Saul that might haue smitten off his head Thirdly that the Diuell may haue the greater ouerthrow that as God triumphed ouer him in Iob so in our constancie he might doe the like Then controuersies are necessarie How then is it that God is called the God of glorie and peace that Christ is called the prince of peace the Gospell the Gospell of peace the Ministers the Ministers of peace of glad tydings and vnitie commended so generall Surely it is the fault of our age to deliuer the word by halfes and so I say that he that teacheth peace to be good simplie without exception teacheth an errour Therefore peace must be peace in truth and for this cause Christ saith I am the way the life and truth for to haue contention with such as hold not in him is no breach of peace Nay the wicked among themselues haue no peace it is but truce they haue couenanted with hell for a time a day a few yeares or as the rearme of their life and then is great and euerlasting debate we may see it in the first agreement among the wicked The serpent disputed with Heua vntill she had yeelded then all was quiet vntill the euening but then came one brake the truce Separate peace from truth and peace is no peace The reason therefore is set down Ps. 138. Lord thou hast magnified thy truth aboue al things therfore aboue peace And that I fal not into that error aforesaid my selfe I will tell you what truth is We thinke we are at peace haue vnitie perfect among vs if we be of the same religion and we agree that we must and wil be all Protestants but the fathers haue al distinguished truth into three parts First truth of doctrine in religion Secondly of life in our conuersation Thirdly of iustice in giuing preferments Vnlesse a man hath al these he hath none of them and if in all these be peace I will seeke ensue after peace as saith the Psalmist if any offend in these I will not haue peace with him We knowe that veritas doctrinae hath had witnesses martyrs so haue the other two though they send vs not to heauen in a firie chariot but an euil name which euery maÌ„ for their stakes must prouide to suffer we must be in this as Christ when he kneeled before his father in the garden If maÌ„s saluation may be wrought let this cup passe if not thy will be done So
God which is his arme to draw vs to saluation when it hath beene a little while among vs it is a thing smally esteemed wheras cōtrariwise in those places where it is newly recouered they flocke together farre and neare and will make it their talke and songes and whole delights The like reason is of the Sacraments other blessings of God which while men doe vse of fashion and custome or else doe rest in the outward thing not looking into them nor beholding the spirituall grace offered by them it cannot be but that they must needs fall into a superstitious abuse of them or else despise and loath them 7 Our Sauiour Christ giueth two notable titles and commendations to the exercises of the Church Matthew chapter 7. verse 6. he calleth them holy and precious First for holines we know there is no sound holines but in the Lord or of the Lord and therefore it was said holines to the Lord it was the inscription of Aarons miter And it is said in the Gospell that none is good but God that is none is essentially good but God the word the Angels so forth are holy but in respect rather of some thing receiued than of their own nature and so the word is holy after a double manner either for that it commeth from God who is perfitly holy and it is of the nature of him or else for that by it we receiue holines and are made holy For the first it is sure that the law-giuer doth alwaies impart to the lawe something of his owne nature and therefore among the heathen looke what kind of men set downe the lawes the law had a smacke of their disposition Solon a very moderate man his lawes were very moderate and tasted much that way Draco his lawes were seuere like to himselfe and therefore they were said to be written with blood So are the Lord his ordinances they comming from the holiest of all carie frō him in them a sensible rellish of holines and are vnited to the nature of God And as the law commeth from one holy and so teacheth holy things likewise cōmeth holines into our hearts by applying them therevnto our hearts of themselues not being holy and so the law hauing a qualitie of God himselfe it hath it not for it selfe alone but for vs. In this respect as the law is liuely so it is a quickning law making aliue as the word is wise so it maketh wise as it is holy so it is a sanctifying law making vs wise For preciousnes the Scriptures sticke not and cease not to set a price of the word as Psalme 19. and 119. Dauid compares it to spoiles a thing full of precious things wherein are things of great price And yet for that in spoiles are things of all value some more some lesse precious after he compares it to gold then to fined gold afterward to much fined gold yea to thousands of gold and siluer and not contenting himselfe he ioyneth to gold precious stones and least yet he might say too little he compares it to all manner of riches The reason hereof is this that for as much as the soule of a man euen of him that perisheth is precious and the soule of euery good man more precious then the soule of the holiest Christ Iesus is most precious Now for as much as the Gospell hath it foundation in opening of the signe of the blood of Christ therefore the Gospell in a singular degree of excellencie must needs be most precious 7 When some penitent sinners are executed for theft we see they are more grieued fo◠whoredome than for theft because it brought them to theft but most of all they sorrow for neglect of the word which hath made them most loose in al their life Seeing then this is warranted by the experience of our times let vs take heed we neglect it not but see the want and neglect of these meanes to be the cause of other sinnes but if we will not doe this the Lord will punish sinne by sinne which is most feareful for this is the only meanes to keepe vs from sinne to heare the word pray giue thankes heare admonitions receiue the sacraments with reuerence and in truth As these meanes doe keepe vs from sinnes so do they recouer vs from them when we are fallen thereinto as when great trouble is vpon vs pouertie disquietnes against these the word of God doth giue a remedie teaching vs that as it came by Gods prouidence so he must take it away contrarie to the familie of loue who denying the prouidēce of God attribute it to outward causes Example of a man which sayd his sicknes came by Gods visitation they replyed vnto him did you not take cold he answered that is but a meanes to serue his prouidence so the familie left him For we take cold often and yet are not sicke because the Lord hath all things in his hand to dispose at his pleasure and then shall we rest in this when we are certainely perswaded of this doctrine Psalme 32. The Prophet saith that before he acknowledged his sinne moysture was turned into drought but when he confessed his punishment was taken away so Iob. 33. when men wil not profite by his word then the Lord wil seale this former doctrine by a correction which if we profite not by it will lie so long on a man that his bones shall sticke out being in this case if the Lord reueale him this he shal be restored to his former state It is plaine that the cause of these corrections is the neglect of the instruction of God in his word which if we would throughly giue ouer our selues vnto we might be sure that no presumptuous sinne should preuaile against vs. But if we esteeme not the word of God or receiue it so as that we profit not by it then let vs not maruaile though the Lord doe visite vs and that in great mercy too if we can be brought so highly to esteeme of the word and of prayer as of nothing more CHAP. XLVI Of Magistracie or Gouernment AFter that Iethro Exod. 18. 21. had tolde Moses a better course in the gouernment of the people hee describeth what manner of men they should bee and to the properties which are there set downe there may be added three in the first of Deuteron vers 13. First then Magistrates must bee wise that is skilfull in all those causes which shall come before them otherwise if they be not men of knowledge they be not fitte for that place Yea though they bee well minded and willing to doe good yet if they haue not knowledge of those things which they must deale in it is not sufficient For as in handicraft matters a good man is not straightway a good Artificer So and much more is it in this waightie calling 2 Secondly it is required that they bee endued with prudence or experience for Sapientia and
to fall vpon them 7 Where a people hartily desire by prayer the ministerie of Gods word the Lord will send them faithfull ones and will multiplie his graces in them but because people are so full of carnall securitie the Lord sends them such as either for abilitie cannot or for affection will not deliuer the word of God vnto them 8 The Ministers of God are more discouraged by the disobedience of their owne people than by the maliciousnesse of their enemies be they neuer so mighty But let Gods ministers know that they must euer haue some to refuse theÌ„ but let euery child of God take heed that he offend not his godly Minister and if he hath offended let him with submission seeke to please him for as Paul saith If I be sory who can make me glad but those by whom I haue been made forte And let the Minister of the Lord remember that the fruits of his labours amongst the people be as it were the life and crowne of his ministerie so Paul teacheth also in his owne example I doe liue if Christ doe liue in you 9 The Israelites murmured against the Lord though they seemed to repine but against Moses and Aaron Christ saith He that heareth you heareth me c. So loÌ„g as the Ministers of God trust not in themselues nor doe any thing of themselues but that wherunto they are called and ordained if they be resisted the Lord in them is resisted and if we refuse such wee refuse the Lord 2. Sam. 12. But when they be not ordained of God nor bring not the word of God with them then the curse cause lesse shall not fall But if we be assured of their calling or perswaded of their doctrine or if doubting and searching by the Scriptures we finde it true then if we obey not the Lord is highly dishonoured 10 It is necessarie that the Minister of God doe very sharply rebuke the people for their sinnes and that he lay before them Gods grieuous iudgements against sinners for so the Apostle commandeth Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith And again it is needfull for the people that they haue their coÌ„sciences touched and their hearts made knowne vnto them that so they may come out of their sinnes and preuent the heauie iudgement of God 11 The Israelites were sometime at their wits end and therefore could not pray so that they had a singular blessing to haue Moses to pray for them So had Lot when Abraham prayed for him So had the Israelites when Samuel Phineas and Elias were ready to pray for them This must teach vs to set much by Gods seruaÌ„ts among vs which pray for vs and not to haue them in small account Eccl. saith The godly in prosperitie is not regarded but in aduersitie they are sought vnto And indeed they are our chiefest helpe as is said of Elias that he was the chariots horses of Israel this is not onely profitable for whole countries but for euery particular man that when he caÌ„not pray but hath as it were his heart tongue fast looked vp yet then Gods seruants doe pray for them that after they may pray themselues Wherefore let vs euer be readie to pray for others though they be wicked and haue done no dutie to vs yet it is Gods grace that we stand that we might reach a haÌ„d to them and though they haue reiected vs and deale euill with vs yet let vs doe our dutie vnto them as Moses did for this people though they were ready to stone him and so did Samuel pray for the people which had reiected him so that nothing must cause vs to leaue our duties to them but euer labour to haue our harts vpright with God whereof this is a good note if we can pray for others though they haue wronged vs. And that we may do this we must set the glory of God before our eyes which will teach vs not only to loue do good vnto them which loue vs for so do the harlots but euen to help them that hate vs. Therefore when the Lord will haue a punishment brought vpon vs then will hee take the godly froÌ„ vs as he tooke Lot from Sodom And therefore in such cases we haue to feare dangers 12 With what prouision the mightie of the world build their castles and with what consultations the Kings of the Nations proclaime warres with the same prouision with the same consultation and with no lesse should we take the calling of the Ministerie vpon vs which is a masonrie and a warfare both at one time as master Beza well noteth Ephes. 6. 2. continually like the builders vnder Nehemiah holding the trowell in one hand and the sword in the other The ground-worke hereof flesh and blood hath taught vs and set it downe for a corner stone in all serious consultations that whatsoeuer is must be set downe once for all euen for all the life long neuer to be called backe againe That same had need be well breathed vpon and be long in setting downe And this is not onely heathen wisedome but Salomons wisdome a man filled with vnderstanding euen one of his Aphorisms Prou. 25. Prepare thy worke without and make readie all things in the fielde But behold a greater then Salomon Luc. 14. before whom all heathens wisedome all mans wisedome is foolishnes yea brutishnes euen Christ Iesus the only wise God who not in generalitie but in this particular case of the ministerie streightly chargeth and commaundeth vs that not the best of vs all be so hardie as to lift vp an Axe or to stretch a line ouer his building before we haue been at Ephrata and in the woods to see that our prouision be great enough before wee haue set downe and as it were kept straight Audite with our selues and cast all our Reckonings ouer againe and bee sure wee haue sufficient to lay the last stone as wee lay the first If we doe not thus charges will arise more then wee thinke and we shall not be able to holde out to the ende And if wee be not why then all that behold vs all the world all the Angels in heauen CHRIST himselfe shall laugh vs to scorne Christ himselfe shall haue vs in derision this fellow must needes be building c. Oh it goeth sore when CHRIST whose Face was wrinckled with weeping and the shadow of death was on his Eyes for our sinnes when that Christ who in the dayes of his flesh offered supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5 When that Christ who in the bitternes of his soule lifted vp his voyce ouer Ierusalem and cried Oh if thou haâ—st but knowne at the least in this day what belonged vnto thy peace and so was saine to lift vp the rest of the Sentence with teares as it was and as not being able to speake on for weeping the teares comming downe so fast
hell what if there be a punishment So when we haue made vs a commandement to our selues out of that Pasâ—e feede then at length we shall come to say what if Christ his meaning was not sometimes and by another Then they would giue that they got and a thousand times as much more if they had it to be ridde of that if peraduenture In a doubtfull precept note that which is lesse Austin hath this rule This sense is good and godly and so is that holde both for feare of quidsi what if I tooke the wrong sense In a matter of controuersie remember both waies Who would not be their schollers who may be so indifferent but it is not so There is a rule out of Seneca I doe the rather alleage him because the fathers tooke many things out of him and I suppose there was in him something aboue nature One wrote vnto him to knowe how he might knowe riches were not the chiefe felicitie and that vertue was He sent him word that whether vertue were or no is was neuer doubted but whether riches were it hath beene a controuersie chuse that which neuer came into controuersie So whether to do our duties diligently be good or no it was neuer doubted but whether by another or sometimes our selues it was doubted of in the most ignorant times But this subtle dispuring as Paul calleth it will prooue foolish and this shifting of things by distinction vnlesse they be grounded on the word of God Austen held it wisedome to acknowledge a fault where is none the wise man faith I was afraid being sure of the truth I dread all my doings this is the reason of the regenerate man CHAP. L. Of Gods promises excellencie and truth of Gods word and how â—he wicked abuse Scriptures IT is a thing worthie the standing on to consider how the Apostles out of God his propromise deduce arguments of obedience as among many 2. Corin. 7. when the Lord hauing promised that whether wee abide in our houses hee will dwell with vs or whether wee will goe abroad hee will walke with vs or if we be afflicted he will receiue vs out of this promise the Apostle bringeth a conclusion that wee should therefore cleanse our selues This would see me a strange consequence that seeing wee are cleansed wee should cleanse our selues for some haue made a cleane contrarie conclusion laying wee are cleansed let vs defile our selues seeing grace doth abound let vs sinne 1. Corin. 7. The Apostle in the person of the godly reasons thus the time is short let vs therefore vse this world as though wee vsed it not The same Apostle out of the same premisses in the person of the licentious liuer frameth a cleane contrary conclusion as 1. Corin. chap. 15 Tomorrow we shall die therefore let vs eate and drinke let vs vse the world because wee haue it let vs stuffe our selues with pleasure because our time is not long So runnes the tenour of their conclusions Because God hath mercie enough in store and Christ his blood cleanseth vs from our sinnes therefore faith the carnall Gospeller least the blood of Christ should want matter and mettall to worke vpon let vs wallow in sinne for Christ hath blood enough to cleanse vs. Well the Apostle I say reasons in a contrarie manner Christ hath washed vs let vs not therefore defile our selues againe and that which is more strange he deduceth feare out of the promise Wherefore for our vse we must learne whether in reading and hearing the promises of God the same minde be in vs which was in Paul when hee saide and saide truely that hee had the Spirit of God in him and nee that draweth out this conclusion of the promise of God We are raised therefore wee will raise our selues let that man know hee is of the same spirit that the Apostle was But he that concludes on the other manner We haue promises let all goe where it will that man must suspect his estate hee makes not a good conclusion And as that so this is true the nature of God his promises is not to be a placard to sinne but a perswasion a motiue an inducement to holinesse of life and to the feare of God So that they that vse the promises as they doe saying God is mercifull Christ dyed for vs. The Lord will forgiue vs and so stuffe themselues with promises till they haue made them a pillow for sinne they abuse themselues True it is that the sweete Psalmist saith Psal 131. Mercie is with God What Not to make bold with sin but to feare him Such sophisters then shew by their reason of what spirit they are and to whom they belong that is to the diuell For seeing it is of the mercy of God he is become a great preacher and publisher of God his promises and yee shall not haue a promise but he will alleage it hee is a greater enemie against Moses and against those that vrge the law calling them Moses his Ministers and Doctors of Despaire and all to this end to sow promises vnto vs that we might take no thought but still make this conclusion Christ hath died be bold to sinne It is good therefore for a man to watch himselfe whether in hearing the promises of God he hath a cold feare comming on him for his vnworthinesse which if hee haue that man may hope well of himselfe For the nature of a promise from God excludes securitie and therefore it must end in feare 2 We pronounce that the nature of a promise excludeth deserts deserts I say not debt for so wee should heare of it so often as mention is made of praying rewarding and rendering Against the Papists wee say therefore there are two debtes the one of desert as hire is due to a labourer for hee hath deserued it the other a debt of promise which is as well to be rendered as a debt of desert For example because I would make it plaine when the daughter of Herodias daunced before Herod he in the vanitie of his braine made a promise of giuing her any thing she would aske euen to the one halfe of his kingdome and after for the â—endering of his promise he made a coÌ„science of his oath Now no man I suppose that is of any valour thinkes that this vaine exercise deserued half a kingdome in his valuation for it deserued rather another thing far worse but the debt that is due is not of desert but of promise Shee could not come and say giue me because I haue deserued but giue me because thou hast promised No more can wee say vnto God wee haue done this pay vs but thou hast promised to vs therefore graunt vs what thou hast promised though nor to vs immediately yet to Christ by desert to vs for Christ his sake by promise thou hast made it a debt and to goe yet more narrowly to the nature of
of our infirmities hindring our perseuerance are also to be made euen 9 We must not thinke that sinne will goe from vs of it selfe or that saluation will be wrought with a trice but we must deale forcibly with nature because when sinne and the word cannot dwell together Sathan will take such order as he will by all meanes hinder vs froÌ„ the word which if he cannot doe then he stirreth vp a fight in vs like the strugling of the two children in Rebeccaes wombe so as sometime we are readie to say with Rebecca had I knowne of this I would neuer haue done so I would neuer haue heard the word Rebecca had two nations in her wombe Paul had two Princes in him and we haue two Monarches dwelling within vs. We can be content to heare vntill the word rifle vs. But as a purging potion as long as it is a drinking is but as another drinke vntil it work and then we could be content to cast it vp againe or as a drawing plaister seemeth fauourable enough vntill it worketh and after we could willingly put it off againe so we can quietly heare the word vntill it workes vpon vs and then we could forsake it But if ye be such as because ye will not for your health suffer a little paine but wil cast vp your purgation and scratch off your plaister go to ye shall be seered and a crust shall be vpon you and ye shall not feele it but in death the crust shall be taken off This fight must be in vs as it was in Dauid Psal. 42. and in Paul Rom. 7. whose heires if we will be we must follow their steps But here is the helpe many will keepe off the word that it shall not haue a full blow and so they shield and ward that stroke that should martyr and crucifie sin in them Let vs thrust the word vpon him by hearing and meditation but alas many giue so few blowes or so weake strokes in vsing these exercises so seldome that they preuaile little But thou wilt say Christ hath ouercome for thee True it is but had he suffered a thousand times he neuer ouercame for thee vnlesse in some measure he ouercome in thee Now we must ouercome euen as Christ Matth. 4. did ouercome Doe this doe that saith the diuell No saith Christ it is not agreeable to the word But how did Christ ouercome the world euen by being ouercome of the world First of the crosses of the world a strange thing to obserue by being ouercome and so shall we doe How then must we ouercome the flesh By crucifying it Galath 5. We crie against the Iewes for killing of Christ we may crie as iustly against the nayles of the Crosse and say that they crucified him it was the corruption of my heart that crucified him the workes of mine hands did naile him my sinnes were the speare that pierced him What did my faults crucifie him Well I will be euen with them I will haue a Scriptum est for them I will surely naile them and in the reuenge of the death of the Sonne of God Christ Iesus I will neuer make much of them I will certainely persecute them Alas how can we make of our desires seeing they crucified Christ We must kill them and burie them that so caused Christ to be killed and buried Nay if we see one that would kill our sinnes we would kill him and on those sinnes which on Christ did set a crowne of thornes we are not ashamed to set a gorgeous garland But if we can ouercome God may we not easily ouercome the Diuell the world and the flesh What is there a way to ouercome God I surely euen as a poore woman ouercame him this is your victorie euen your faith as thus God hath set downe this rule Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued the woman marking this calleth on Christ Christ would not heare her a hard point he had promised to saue her and now he will not heare â—er Well she comes againe to him what then He saith nothing to her This was strange yet she prayeth againe Now he speaketh but with small comfort I am not sent saith he but to the lost sheepe of Israel The sillie woman replies by the word then he yeeldeth and consesseth himselfe to be ouercome saying O woman goe thy way thy faith hath saued thee See she held still the word of the Scripture more than the word of Christ. Well then faith is the victorie and by it God is ouercome and much more sinne the world the flesh and the diuell 11 This is the plea of the Lord against vs that we dwell in a land where we are vsurpers and haue no right No man is of so reprobate a sense but he will grant that whatsoeuer we haue we haue it at the Lords hand But are these free gifts and without all condition No Come to the land of Canaan Was it giuen to the Israelites vpon no couenant or without any agreement It is not so For it is plaine Psal. 105. The Lord gaue them the possessions of the Heathen What barely No but vpon this condition that they should keepe his statutes There is no man hath a foote of ground or neuer so small a possession to dwell in but he hath it on this condition Whosoeuer inhabits this or any other land he keepes all by violence because he keeps it without performance of the condition but if we keepe the Lords statutes we keepe the condition and consequently haue a good right and the Lord hath nothing against vs otherwise I say we are violent vsurpers because the Lord his grant is vpon limitation and for such a one if the Lord either remoue him from the land or take the land from him he cannot say but that the Lord his action is iust against him Now albeit if we seeke elder times this people of England hath as much been dispossessed as any countrie But it is all one whether this displacing be generall or particular in losing some part of our possessions If we enquire of the reason why it comes to passe that tenures and lands be often alienated so as they be here among vs our verdit is that howsoeuer sinfull the father was the sonne is an vnthrift I aske then why another keepes his inheritance Thus they say he is wiser then this man was a foole True the question is how he comes to be so answere is made the fault is in education But there is no end in these things Men will not see the cause to be sin but they flie to couerings and curtaines Let vs come then to the Lord his awarding and that is because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge but killing stealing and whoring Hos. 4 1. 2. Whether then we know of whole townes or of particular families that haue lost their inheritance we must know the Lord his
meanes 15 Gods iudgements are most suddaine and when men are in greatest delight Euen in the Sun-shine Sodome was destroied and in the banquet time Iobâ— children were slaine therefore wee are to learne to bee most warie and watchfull and then most to suspect our selues when the world thinketh least of euill and is most secure CHAP. LXV Of Parents Education of children Gouernours of youth and Care of posteritie WHen children haue infirmities their parents are to see and consider whether they haue not receiued such sinnes from them If they haue they are rather to pray for their children than too much to correct them least they persecute their own sinnes in the persons of their children 2 When Moses was to goe at the commandement of the Lord into Aegypt he first returned with his wife to his Father in law Iothro to haue his leaue of him thereby shewing his dutie and obedieÌ„ce vnto him that so he might giue no occasion of offence and might auoid all appearance of euill so must all the children of God be carefull in the like case and not to excuse themselues by good meanings 3 The Lord is carefull that his workes should bee recorded and that not for his owne cause for he knoweth them wel not for the age present for that many remember it but for posteritie to whom he would haue it to come that in them thereby hee might bee glorified Therefore the Lord made choyse of Iosua to whom he would haue Moses to rehearse the victories which he had giuen the Israelites ouer Amaleck his people that he might not be proud thereof nor glorie in his owne strength but that hee might giue the glorie wholy and onely to the Lord that gaue it Secondly that thereby he might be prepared to helpe the people and to gouerne them after Moses departure And this must teach vs to pray that the Lord would euer prepare such as may be profitable to posteritie And therefore in the 78 Psalme God commaundeth that the workes of the Lord should bee taught to posteritie and so saith Paul to Timothie deliuer this to men which may be fit to deliuer it to others c. From whence wee may learne that when the Lord will haue a blessing continued to any people he wil also prepare instruments to conuey his blessings to posteritie But when the Lord will not continue his mercie then will hee depriue them of the meanes Seeing then in our time men are carefull onely for themselues and few care for them that shall come after and that so few regard to Catechise their families these things I say are signes that the Lord will not continue those mercies to our posteritie which we doe now enioy 4 Youth especially is to take heede of pleasure for though fire be good yet in flâ—xe or tinder it is not good so though pleasure be good yet pleasure in youth is not good We neede not plough for weedes they will grow fast enough in the fallow But some will take their pleasure in their youth especially and they purpose to become good and to liue grauely hereafter in their age This is to make a couenant with the diuell as the diuell said to Christ I will come out but the time is not yet come so we will leaue pleasure when the time comes and in the meane time he keepeth vs in a purpose Young men make their sinnes of a double die Crimzen sinnes they become a disease of the bones and custome is turned into a necessitie whereupon diuers say I would faine but I cannot leaue them of these if one recouer fortie rotte away 5 If Sathan can make our youth an vnprofitable age in all the ages following little good is to be looked for For if yee once nip the blossome where is the hope of the Autumne Where may we looke for fruite Well if we will needes vse our pleasure then must we set downe some measure The diuels rules neuer haue exceptions but Gods Saints must learne restraint we must neuer make our hearts the stewards of our affections that our thoughts wander not in them and least in desiring things too much we exceed when we haue them There must be the least lusting of these outward things because there is least vse of them If a man cannot want them he will abuse them when he hath them It is true that Ierom saith The beginning is honest but the greatnesse is deformed And that also sinne is very reasonable in the beginning very shamefaced Thamar went first to play the whore with a vaile before her face but now with an open face first honest recreation and then a pleasure of vanitie recreation before labour to play before we study we vse pleasure but to no good end 6 There is a generall rule wantonnesse is the beginning of sinne We see in Esau to what great prophanenesse his wanton pleasure in hunting grew So in the Scriptures there can be found none other beginning of Salomons fal but this that 1. Kin. 3. wheÌ„ he had spent seuen yeeres in building the house of God he speÌ„t thirteene after in building an house for himselfe This was scarce a good proportion to bestow thirteene yeers on his own house and seuen yeeres on God his house and the Apes and Peacocks that he brought into the land set the people in such vanitie that they vanished away in their wanton thoughts Idlenesse and trifling be the callings of Gentlemen now adaies as also needelesse expenses 1. Tim. 5. 7 If euer we would haue the Church of God to continue among vs we must bring it into our households and nourish it in our families 8 A certaine woman saying without pittie at the birth of a poore childe here is the mouth but where is the meate had this saying replied on her at what time she brought forth a child which died here is meate but where is the mouth 9 Wee are not to iustifie our selues before God onely by faith but wee must also iustifie our selues by good workes before men so that we must not onely labour for our selues but endeuour to stirre vp others also and looke one on another as the Cherubins did and tell things one to another as Iohn tolde his brother We must be carefull for one another and that not onely for the time present but for the time to come This we are bound to doe and our common dealings ought to bind vs thereunto We prouide for our children should we not prouide for the Church which is spiritually tied vnto vs Surely if we consider the plentie and peace which we enioy we shall see that it is not for our deserts for we abound in sinne and none iniquitie is wanting in vs but it is the bloud of the Martyrs who haue purchased this so dearely For these daies did they sowe with teares and we haue reaped them with ioy Now if we will not haue our
and to giue a greater light vnto the same As we see in Moses who came to bring the Law vnto this people not a new Lawe nor contrarie to that which was before but hee renewed it confirming and making it more cleare and that which they had before deliuered from hand to hand that hee gaue in Tables and that which they afore had practised he giueth forth vnto them now in Precepts For by the whole story of Genesis it is soone perceiued that not onely the morall Lawe contained in the two Tables but eueÌ„ the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall law were knowne vnto Abraham and others that liued before the law it was neuer lawfull for them to haue any more gods but one only and true God and so consequently that his pure worship which was according to his will The Sabbath was obserued and kept not onely in Paradise but euen of the Israelites when they were in Aegypt before they came to the wildernes which they could not haue done had they not receiued it by traditions The duties also in the second Table were as common and as well knowne as any others were And when we reade in Genesis of Priests and Altars and sacrifices differences betweene cleane and vncleane beasts c. it doth easily appeare that the substance of the Ceremoniall law was long before Moses his time the death of adulterers and the punishment of murtherers doe plainely declare that they had the politicall Law before the dayes of Moses that he was not the first giuer therof vnto the people he taught therefore no new or strange doctrine nor yet contrary to that which was before He was only the means to confirme it and to make it more easily to be vnderstood for he deliuered it in plainer maÌ„ner than it was deliuered vnto the Fathers The Prophets did expound it more plainly then he and as euery Prophet was more nere the time of Christ so did he bring greater light to that which went before Iohn Baptist had cleere reuelations than any of the Prophets For our Sauiour doth prefer him before them not in respect of his person but in respect of his office and calling but the Lord Iesus euen our God and Sauiour our onely Prophet of al others hath brought most cleere light which hee hath reuealed and made knowne vnto the world both by himselfe and the Apostles whose Epistles and writings are by many degrees more plaine and manifest than the writings of the Prophets which were before them And do we not see that since the time that the Lord began to renue the light of the Gospell and to deliuer vs as it were from the darknes wherewith we were well neere oppressed Doe we not see I say that greater light doth more and more appeare that many things are now more manifest than they haue beene in former times and ages Moreouer the law had testimony from the couenaÌ„t made with Ahraham Isaac and Iacob The Prophets did proue their doctrine by the law and the couenants and our Sauiour hath his witnes out of the law and the Prophets and his Apostles did draw their proofe from all The law is in the Gospell and the Gospell in the law and therefore whosoeuer shall not make their doctrine agreeable to the law the Gospel they may nor ought not to be receiued but in the boldnesse of Gods good spirit we may say with S. Paul Let them be accursed For the Lord is not contrary nor vnlike to himselfe As the spirit spake in old time in the Patriarkes and Prophets so spake he in the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ and so will he speake in his true seruants and ministers to the ende of the world there is with him no variablenes nor shadow of change but hee abideth euer the same most like vnto himself and so doth his word which is of the same nature Whosoeuer then shall bâ—ing vnto vs any doctrine not warranted by Gods word or contrarie to that which before hath beene deliuered yea if he bring it in harder and more darke speeches than the word of God is or if hee deliuer it more strangely or obscurely and yet wil beare vs in hand and make vs beleeue that he hath cleerer reuelations we may then iustly suspect him of vntruth and vtterly refuse him further than by certaine grounds reasons out of Gods word he doth confirme his Doctrine And as we may rightly hold all the doctrines of men accursed when they speake or write any thing contrary to the holesome word of truth or else doe adde anything thereto So likewise if any shall take away from the word of God one iot or tittle we may in the feare of God and in the zeale of his truth pronounce against him that sentence wherewith God in great wisedome hath closed vp his holy Scriptures The Lord will take his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and out of those things which are written in this booke 2 Iohn saith the Spirit bloweth where it listeth so also as much as it listeth sometime breathing softly like the coole ayre and sometime like the whirle-winde for man is full of wandring thoughts and imaginations especially when he heareth the word but nothing is more dangerous than the yong mans heart which is in all places of the world at once if you speake not what he thinketh he doth not attend if hee be not astonished and for this cause doth the holy Ghost often offer galling concessions and pinching permissions as Eccl. 10. God seemeth in such speeches at the first to fauour sinne But as we lift vp a thing high to driue it the harder so God vseth such speeches to throw them to eternal destruction to breake them to fitters Yea we would thinke the Lord to be a proctor of euill if hee should not sometimes be very vehement The bitterest kind of deniall is to bid vs go yet so â—â—ine would God worke on our heart that he vseth such vehemencie 3 It is as farre from God his nature to deride any man as it is for him to repent but our sins are so great that if it were possible yee should make him a scoffer But as when saluation is wrought in the highest measure it is wrought in greatest compassion so the highest point of reuenge is derision Wee know the nature of God is full of pitie and vnlesse it be to very euill persons his speeches are full of compassion Speake my people saith he Micah 6. And Esay 5. What haue I not done that I could doe to thee And Oh that my people would haue heard Psal. 81. And when they would not heare he speaketh to the dumbe creatures Heare heauen and earth Esay 1. And Christ saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. These are good and royall speeches which are very sweete and sweetnes it selfe But when he speaketh to the desperate and wicked he changeth his
none there it is good to make many doubts and hence commeth conference all these meanes are to be vsed for God sometime blesseth one and not another we must vse all least we should tempt God some heare and not reade some reade and not meditate some keepe their studie and neuer conferre Faith is a knowledge it is called a demonstration it hath alwaies relation vnto the word as the schollers learning is the Maisters doctrine Wicked men know the Scriptures as it is a knowledge but they cannot applie it and haue the true vse men of God speake as if they were moued therfore the interpretation of the scripture must be of the same spirit no man knoweth the minde of God but Gods spirit CHAP. XII Daemonis appellationes or the diuers names giuen to the Diuell in scripture THE Diuell is called Daimôn of his great knowledge and great experience Diábolos of his slaundering and false accusing peir ázan of sifting boring and broching the faithfull to see what is in them skoloposarkòs of making vs subiect to the rebellion of the flesh the Diuell of doing euill or à diuellendo or else as in the old english monuments the diuels fetched from the Greeke Diábolos for his authoritie the Prince of this world that is of the corrupt estate of the world for his forme and vgly shape the Prince of darkenes for his vntruth a lying spirit for his filthines an vncleane spirit for his hurting a serpent for his experience in hurting an old serpent for his strength a Lion for his greedines a ramping or roaring Lion for his poyson a Dragon for his alluring a tempter for his constraining an armed man hauing store of darts sometimes he ramps and roares in one sharpe with hornes and clawes full of terrour in a Lions skinne which is especially in the euill day at the houre of death Sometimes he transformes himselfe into an Angels shape in bright apparell full of compassion in the mantle of Samuel in a religious habit full of scripture euery other word is scriptum est setting an ambush of Diuels to inuade vs holding the crosse and this is his craft If he be able to change himselfe into an Angell of light much more is he into a shadow of the night for he setteth his nets and diggeth his pits in euery thing to take vs in our flesh by ease or pleasure or pride of the eyes suis mimis by death and the feare of it In our soule he hath his forge and bellowes euill motions lusts suggestions to kindle the fire of concupiscence in our affections bending our feare and our loue and such like to that which they should not be imployed vnto in our reason by casting doubts and planting the roote of bitternes in vs which is infidelitie in the creatures by abusing of them or by vnthankfull receiuing of them in the world by hauing his nets in riches preferments euill examples customes and euill companie in melancholie humors perswading despaire to be true sorrow in cholericke bodies perswading wrath to be good zeale in ciuill wisedome by mingling policie with Christianitie in our best motions by mingling with repentance distrust in Gods mercies with faith securitie in making vs measure Gods loue or hatred by blessings or afflictions of this life in preuenting vs of good by breeding in our hearts a loathsomnes of the word and wearines in the meaner in stripping Christ of his high Priests garments and true office of mediatorship vrging sometime these sayings Except ye also repent ye shall all likewise perish which kinde of sentences are not so properly his as belonging to his office which is a Mediator and true Sauiour 2 Sathan is inuisible changeth himselfe into an Angell of light that he cannot be discerned by the eye no nor by reason he windeth himselfe into our reason Peter thought Christ should not dye what reason was it that the sonne of man should dye CHAP. XIII Of the contempt of the Ministerie 1 IEhu being threatned called the Prophet a madbraine for so they iudged of them that digressed any whit from the set composition of words and orderly precepts of their arte which no doubt therefore hath and will come to passe because men can no longer either lend eye or eare than either they can see by reason or discerne by arte or whiles the speaker keepeth himselfe within this ordinarie course of stile or carieth himselfe euen in an orderly and oratorious period so long as wittie inuention comely compassing of matter proportionable measure of words are afforded but if a man come to cut vp the conscience and in some vehemencie of spirit dealeth more roughly and lesse orderly with their speciall sinnes then he is brainesicke and runneth as they say besides the text Neither are these complainers sillie soules but learned Parthians and wise Arabians men elaborate in arte skilfull in precepts and proud Babylonians who cannot discerne betweene a godly vehemencie of spirit for the Lord of hosts sake and a rayling austeritie of speech for malice or vaine glorie sake If then Paul be misconstrued wrongfully he must recompence such sinnes with meekenes patiently whereby often the Lord hath brought to passe that the proudest heart of most obstinate gainesayers haue beene more broken seeing the mild sufferance of the Ministers of Christ than if they had beene pursued with most hote reuengement which then especially experience hath proued true when the Lord with some crosse and humilation sealing the truth of his faithfull and zealous seruants hath caused many to thinke themselues to haue resisted the graces of God and persecuted the gifts of God in them whom they thought before to be curious precise and seekers of singularitie 2 Grieuous enough it is when our corne our cattell our goods and treasure shall come to the tables of our enemies but what though we be yet freed from such Chaldaeans yet is there a great famine in the land which they little thinke of that are the Church-robbers whom we falsely call Patrons of the Church Little thinke they of it who in stead of feeding to saluation starue many thousands to destruction in whom if there were any loue of God from their hearts I dare say and say it boldly that for all the promotions vnder heauen they would not offer that iniurie to one soule that now they offer to many hundred soules But Lord how do they thinke to giue vp their reckning to thee who in most strict account wilt take the answere of euery soule committed vnto them one by one Or with what eares doe they often heare that vehement speech of our Sauiour Christ feede feede feede With what eyes doe they so often reade that pearcing speech of the Apostles feede the flocke whereof you are ouerseers looke vnto the flock committed vnto you But if none of this will mooue them then the Lord open their eares to heare the grieuous grones of many soules lying vnder the grislie altars of destruction
so in vnaduised ioyes you can find no spirituall profit He was not so much moued at the reproches of his enemies as at the not profiting of his friends Yet herein he had this comfort first if all profited not by his speeches yet so that one among tenne profited he thought he had the winnings that Christ had secondly if they profited not which he spake to presently yet they might profit hereafter thirdly if none of them profited yet he knew the word should not be in vaine It is the policie of Satan as to blinde and beset the world with a quiet possession of an vniust mirth thereby to keepe them from the true sight of their sinnes so to oppresse the sillie flocke of Christ with false and causelesse feares thereby to keepe them from the glorious feeling of their redemption He knoweth to his griefe that your ioy may temporally be interrupted but not finally or eternally be denied you therefore he plieth himselfe though he cannot extinguish it yet to diminish your iust and royall right in your Christ in regard wherof you staÌ„d guiltie of not maintayning the Lords royaltie giueÌ„ to his elect if in the least measure you yeeld to these slauish feares of the aduersarie This subtill Serpent is not ignorant that by these pensiue practises he doth weare to a dulnes the edge of your prayers and that he draweth from you with an vncomfortable tediousnes the fruits of your faith and consequently by these meanes you are depriued of the fruit of a more comfortable seruice to your God the weake ones fearing also by your example the profession of Christ to be strict and comfortlesse Of the power and priuiledges of Gods word THhe Word of GOD is mightie liuely in operation Heb. 4 12. 13. This place commendeth vnto vs the Word by it effects shewing that it is not a sound in the aire to tickle mens eares please their conceits but it worketh with further power like a two edged sword to humble men and being humbled to raise them vp againe Hereunto therefore is due a speciall prerogatiue and honor because the worke of it shal be ratified in mens consciences whether they be good or euill elect or reprobates For the word is the power of GOD to all that an Anatomie of our corruptions laide before vs wee might be driuen out of our selues to IESVS CHRIST First of the words then of obseruations out of the doctrine The word is liuely Therefore not dead as the wisdome of Philosophie It is sharper then a two edged sword This Metaphor is vsed Esay 48. 2. where the Word is compared to a sword or an arrow wherewith men are shot at Also Ephes. 6. it is compared to a sword And entreth to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit c. This declareth how the word reuealeth inward hypocrisie and telleth vs that all our holines is but dissimulation all our wisedome foolishnes all our righteousnes as a defiled cloth And of the ioynts and of the marrow This is added to shewe that though wee hide our hypocrisie and would â—urie it in the most secret parts yet euen the bones shall tremble and the marrow in the bones shall turne to rottennes as Iob. 33. 19. Psal. 51 8 Psal 32. And is a diâ—cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Here we see that where no law of man can take hold of vs there the Lord will finde our intents by his word and will gage vs to the bottome Hence arise three questions First how the word doth thus worke in men It is when we vse good meanes and God his Spirit worketh vpon the meanes The vsuall meanes are hearing reading conferring and meditating and praying This we may see 1. Corinth 10. Proâ— 29. Ephes 4. 1. Thess. 5. by the vertue of the word preached To preaching we must ioyne reading of it Act. 17. As for conference and meditation we must know that neuer any shall come to the marrow of knowledge without this meane For meditation is the life of learning the want where of causeth that the greatest Clerkes are not the wisest men Of prayer Matth. 6. and 11. 1. Cor. 2. how needfull this is so many must acknowledge as confesse the word to be a mysterie and therfore not to be conceiued without the working of God his Spirit which we must pray for 2 Cor. 4. Secondly it is asked of what part of the word this is meant I answere of both that is of the Law and of the Gospell Zâ—ch 12. 1. Cor. 14. Thirdly In whom these effects of the word are found Both in the godly and in the wicked though not alike Where we must know that there is a feeling in both of these men which is inward and not seene Secondly this power is not alwaies presently felt but it worketh in God his appointed time We shall see the word will often strike the vngodly though they be loth to heare and although when they haue heard they would shake it off by inglutting their hearts with eating drinking and sleeping yet it will wring them on their beds at their tables in their chambers when they are with their companions And although God his deare children do not alwaies feele this power to saluation yet they haue it in greater measure at one time or at another Hence obserue three vses First we must come to know the word For the diuell moueth this fearefull question vnto many How knowest thou this is the word rather than any other doctrine To leaue grosse heresies I answere by an interrogatorie Whose words if he were but a man and spake as a man alone did euer driue thee to hell whose words did euer rip vp thy secret and close sinnes who hath drawne teares out of thine eyes and sorrow out of thy heart with a conscience of thy sinne at which thou wert wont to laugh Whose words haue taken thee from the hell of thy conscience to heauen who hath giuen thee ioy in sorrow comfort in trouble What words of Philosophers can make of a Leopard a Lambe of a viper a childe of a leacher a chast person of a couetous carle a liberall man All eloquent Oratours without the word are bare Physitions to a troubled minde Secondly the word needeth none other helpes 1. Cor. â— and 2 and 3. 2. Cor. 2. and 3. and 4. Howbeit we may vse other words besides the bare phrase of the Scripture but we must beware of humane inueÌ„tions take heed we vse not vncertain phrases for certaine If we vse the authoritie of Heathen men we doe ill We may alleadge them but most sparingly and not naming them but by way of an argument we may shew that the Heathen saw this and that and therefore we should not be ignorant of it Similitudes may be vsâ—d if they be naturall and not constrained We must vse them as sauce to prepare vs for better things We must not straine them least we presse
timore poenae si nondum potes amore iustitiae Simile Cùm dicis timeo quid dicturus sum malè times vanè times Dominus ablato timore suâ—jcit timoâ—â—â— dicturus sum â—lanè time Primum timoâ—ne facias deâ—n amor â—â— veâ—â—s faceâ—e â—â—â—â—â—si possis Of the day of iudgement Verbum hoc iudicij vtinam nemo transiâ—er siue iudicio Si iâ— nobis ea essâ—t cura quae coram terreno iudice sistendorum sâ—â—â—iciter ageâ—â—mâ—s 1. IudgemeÌ„t of man 2. The iudgment seate within vs. Iudgement of the conscience The strokes of mans conscience Young mens consciences Simile â— IudgemeÌ„t Losse of grace What men are beside their wits Iudgement Vertâ—s ille iudic jâ—dies in quo omniâ— causa caâ—it Venâ—er veniâ—â— ille dies in quo malè iâ—dicatus reâ—udâ—cabitur Three things in iudgemeÌ„t â— Action * Quâ—rks in Iaâ— Apex iuris pro iure â—â—mâ—â—e â—â—btâ—li â—pinolaque di putatione Vâ—pian Note 2. Sentence 3. ExecutioÌ„ No flying from Gods iudgement Simile Luk. 16. A description of the torments of hell Against theÌ„ that are either carelesse or curious in things concerning the day of Iudgment A worthy meditation of the day of iudgement The ancients erred concerning the day of iudgemeÌ„t How the day of iudgement is said to be â—eerâ— Lying Swearing Securitie The shortnes of life Anerh eméraâ— Psal. 90. 9. Simile Space short and motion swift Life howe short To number our daies To number our daies a rare kind of Arithmeticke Psalme 90. 70. yeeres How to num ber our daies Sodain death Our life is but the present time Wisedome Death The readiest way to prolong life How the meditation of death is profitable 1 Simile 2 Fainting of heart in affliction the meditation of death a preseruation against it 3 Against the vaine loue of this present life Marie and Marthaes wisedome Dulnes when God hath inruâ—hed vs with his graces Good speeches in conference A spirituall blessing A secret curse To see and feele the shining countenance of the Lord. To beleeue the word before feeling Faith vnder the crosse without feeling Note Education of children Ho neoâ— ouâ— estin â—â—kotoâ— aki òaaes ton etkikon See Clement Alexand. pedagog 3. booke Porphyr principio quaest Homer Cyril wriâ— 24. Catechis Aristotles meaning of this Inuends hon est idonâ—â—â— auditer moralis Philosophiae Note Children punished for sin Note Christsyouth ChildreÌ„ must not be lost for teaching Children apt to vice Deut â— The office of a Catechist Preaching and Catechizing how distinguished Summes or Epitomes * Hupotúposi â—eche gugiaâ—â—ontôn logôn * 〈…〉 n didacâ—es We may not be secure after we sipped a litle knowledge in the Catechisme Catechizing before the flood Catechizing after the flood Sibils bookes Catechizing â—nder the lawe 400. Houses of catechising in Ierusalem Katechoúmenos ek tou nomon Who catechized De catechizandis rudibus No kingdom if not but by catechizing receiued the Gospel within forty yeers after Christs passion Coloss. 2. 23. Reasons for Catechizing 1 2 3 4 Esay 28. See the first part Note Education ef children See the Sermon of education in the third part Antichrist De raris non praecipitur Note How far we may follow others * De vita beata Pecora campi Hard to iudge but we soone credit Nemo sic denarios suos To consent to sinne is cosen to the committing of sinne How this word vulgus is to be taken Great things are not alwaies good and the greatest number is not alwaies best Victâ— est prouocare ad populum CircumcisioÌ„ by Zipporah Exod. 4. Examples in Scripture how to be followed 1 2 3 4. The defence of sinne qui laudant peccatores 1 2 3 4 5 6 Res ipsa loquitur PrefermeÌ„ts Simile Impedire qui potest si non vâ—tat iubet Alicna peccata si feras facis tua Seneca Ambros. ad Rom. 1. Sunt quidam qui se reos non putant si non operentur quae mala sunt assentiunt autem facientibus assentire enim est si cum possint reprehendere taceant qui quia fomitem praebent illorum peccatis digni sunt vt pari crimine censeantur Multi perentiunt vt graâ—dines Potentes vt fulmina Malâ— errate cum Plaâ—one quà m verum dicere cum alio Authorem magnum sequi est penè sapeâ—e A. It is rather desipere quod exemplo fit iâ— iure fieri videtur A. The Lawyers answere videtur sed stultis Patres principes propheiae 1. Sam. 29 6. We haue two reasoÌ„s for sin and we often bolsterit with authoritie of great men or example of the learned which wee must not doe It is not good to smother sin whiles it is young Heart Affection Sinne must haue iudgement Gregor Moral O Iob bene enumerasti vitam imprâ—borum dic finem quaeso Tâ—â—minum ad quem Simile Non qua sed quo Iudgement How we must order our eyes Noli mihi dicere pudicum oculum impudicum cor Oculus videns non videt 1. Impera 2. Caue 3. Tutus eris 4. Tutior si lignum non aspexeris Rom. 13. 13. Note Heb. 3 12. 13. Villa He meanes for religious fasts not gainsaying any thing the ciuill fasts commanded by law for nauigation sake Simile Meanes The apish imitation of poperie in the coniuring of holy water with salt is ridiculous Vse the exercises of religion for spirituall cofort c not for ostentation c. ToteÌ„pt God in neglecting the vse of meanes A good meditation against impatience * Being truly huÌ„bled in a religious fast * Gnain Oculum fontem significat The eyes springs of lust As of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh so of the abundance of the senses the heart thinketh Note * Ampliare praecepta Simile Vna gutta limbus tantum Matth. 17. More dangerous to see than to heare euil Simile Tinder The couetous eye The adulterous eye The eye of idlenes The eye of pride Simile Innocens intuituâ— aspectu fit nocens quicquid placet sensui non potest non placere Vbi dolor ibi manus * or sound Vbi amor ibi oculus Of apparell Bernard omnia pulcherima ipsi cum sint turpissimi Himatismòs * Poluteles Costly apparell * Oiâ—onâ—mâ—â— Prayer Imo non cupio â—ffe idem cupio nâ— iis contrarius Prophets Matth. 6. 20. Praeterita praesentia sunt vmbrae futurorum Prophets The ordinariâ— workes of Gods prouidence most admirable if we would coÌ„sider them daily Psalm Malach. 3. 16. The eye the sense of certaintie Plus mihi profuit dubitatio Thomae quà m credulitas Mariae Prudentia certitudo Faith actiue and passiue Cause of vnthankefulnes Contentation Experimenall faith Faith and feeling Ius ceÌ„sorium Ius praetoriuÌ„ Two courts of iustice Persecution To see by faith the secret blessings and curses of God on man in this life Decay of fath * In aduersitie Note Doubts 1 Three notes of Gods fauour 2 Note Affection 3 Desire Loue. The hunger after righteousnes Mat.
loue darkenes more than the light and falshood heresies and lyes more than the trueth This is a sin to be punished when we haue the word and yet walke not at libertie and if wee cannot be at libertie when we haue the word it is sure that we cherish some secret sinne and doe not search into God word For that is so full of wisdome that it will rid vs our of all Yet the children of God haue their infirmities out of which they haue good issues But the ignorance of Gods word is the cause of many troubles for though a man were in as great a streight as Abraham was when hee should offer his sonne yet should he be directed Then this layeth a straight charge on vs to studie the word of God Vers. 46. I will speake also of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed IF God will thus assist mee I will speake euen before the wisest and stand in the sight of the Kings though it be fearefull This then will assure vs that we shall neuer fall if we study heare reade c. on Gods holy word and take heede to our wayes according thereto Then if we desire to stand for euer let vs meditate on Gods word for God hath giuen this not onely to the learned but also to idiotes Here wee see that wee neuer rightly profit till we be not afraide before whomsoeuer wee come for if wee bee assured that our cause bee good then may wee be assured that it shall be giuen vs what to answere and this maketh men afraide when they doubt of their cause Wee are not afraide to speake to a Gentleman if a Lorde bee with vs then shall wee not neede to feare a King when the King of Kings is with vs as Moses Hebr 11. None then haue this gift of bouldnes but they to whome God giueth it not the wise not the mightie of the world The Word giueth vs what to answere then if we faile it is a signe that wee faile in the Word But let vs deale earnestly with the Word and keepe a good conscience and it shall be giuen vs. This doth againe commend the word of God vnto vs. If wee be not ashamed of him before Kings we shall be Kings in his Kingdome Vers. 47. And my delight shall be in thy commandements which I haue loued THat he may come to this grace he will loue the Word because he delighteth in it for delight is the signe of loue Doe wee not then delight in the Word wee haue not a loue to it so of prayer and hearing the Word if we delight in it we will prepare our selues to heare it and meditate in it afterward for hee sheweth his loue when he saith I will meditate then if we will not finde terror of conscience and fall into many euils let vs make conscience to call it to minde For if wee doe take the Name of GOD in vaine by hearing the Word without meditation then the Word being a true witnes shall be a witnesse against vs in that day for this meditation is commended Part. 13. There are set times for hearing praying c but meditation must euer be with thee that thou mayest knowe whether the thing thou doest bee agreeable to his will and whether thou mayest looke for his blessing in it ¶ Vers. 48. Mine hands also will I lift vp vnto thy commandements which I haue loued and I will meditate in thy statutes IT was not sufficient as he thought to acquaint GOD with the delight of his heart vnles he also made manifest vnto him that his outward gesture was answerable to his hart You shall obserue it euen in little children that if they desire to haue any thing that they see they will stretch out their hands that they may get holde and hauing once gotten it you shall hardly get it from them againe And certainly if the inward man be sound you shall obserue it by the outward gesture of the bodie The people were desirous to heare Christs Sermon their eyes were bent and fixed vpon him Luk 4. 6. Dauid would expresse his loue to Gods Arke he daâ—nced before the Arke of Gods Couenant If wee loue Gods Worde and loue it in truth our hands will be as ready to turne ouer the leaues of that blessed booke as our hearts are desirous of the vnderstanding of it that in this longing desire taking it into our hands we may in the ende haue such fast holde of it that wee will not forgoe it for all the worlde We cannot employ our hands in a better worke especially when we haue freedome from our callings then to take vp the booke of God and peruse it ouer Augustine tooke it vp and was conuerted by that one sentence Rom 13. 14. The night is past the day is at hand c. Vrsine tooke it vp and was comforted by this one sentence None can take them out of my Fathers hands Iohn 10 29. Chrysostome tooke it vp and was assured that in his zeale hee should not want because Dauid had saide The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Bilâ—ey tooke it vp as it is in the booke of Martyrs and was much quieted by that saying of Saint Paul This is a true saying and by all meanes worthie to be receiued that IESVS CHRIST came into the worlde to saue sinners of whome I am chiefe And such was the loue of one Gregorie Crowe of whom wee may read in the said booke that suffering shipwracke hee cast away his money and kept his Testament in his bosome and after many dayes floting on the Sea vpon a maste being taken vp by a certaine passinger his first care was for that booke of his fearing least it should haue bene wet with the Sea If he had looked for a Crucifixe as hee looked for Gods booke surely the whole world should haue bene acquainted with it Doth Dauid thus shew his inward loue by his outward gesture let vs doe it whensoeuer wee come either to heare God speaking to vs or will our selues speake vnto God Let our eyes bee fastened our eares attentiue our hearts intent our persons reuerent before our God that whatsoeuer wee doe may argue our pietie to God and bee answerable to the inward affection of the soule And I will meditate And why should not wee The Iewes are reported to be so skilful in that Bible that many of theÌ„ were able to tell how many times euery letter of the Alphabet was in the Hebrue Bible The Scriptures are a light shining in a darke place 2 Pâ—â— 1. 19. we must attend vnto them while we are wandring in the darke places of this world can wee attend without meditation the word of God is the sword of the spirit Ephes. 6. without meditatioÌ„ it is a sword in the hand of a child or a mad â—â—aÌ„ How many take delight in reading of bâ—llads and idle discourses who neuer meditate to the word of God The sicke stomacke