conscience not by other mens sayings but by his owne doings If all the world commend thee and thy God condemne thee what will this auayle thee Be therefore like those that runne a race who do stand herein to their iudgement onely who will rewarde them for their running Call only vpon God as the blinde man by the way side of Iericho called vpon Christ Luke 18 howsoeuer the world as it checked him reprooueth thee for it Is he in great honor and preferment in the world then is he in greatest dooings as the highest trees are most of all in danger in the violence of a winde A similitude and as the greatest fishes in fishermens nettes which can not get out whenas the small fry and menowes doe runne out as fast as they list Euery mans promotion bindeth him in a greater obligation If he hath receiued much he is bound to giâ—e much Luke 12 if he sinneth the greater is his sinne the higher he climeth the more grieuousy he falleth Is he comely and beautifull to behold Beauty is nothing but the shadow of the faâ—e like the outward color of a picture whch is soone put out a little spot deformeth the one and a little sicknes doth take away the other The beauty of Gods creatures should serue as spectacles by them to behold the glory of the Creator If wee make not this godly vse of it we shal do like young children who beholding onely a picture in a booke wholy neglect the lessons in the booke Is he sumptuously and richly arrayed he need not boast of that for his robes do but serue him as ragges to couer his nakednesse He that braggeth of that which is but the couer of his shame doth like the prisoner that is rescued from the gallowes who braggeth of his rope or as the spittle man and Proctor by the way that is prowd of the filthy and corrupt clowtes wherewith he wrappeth and bindeth vp his sores Such as as boast of their brauery Isai 14 God telleth by the mouth of Esay the Prophet that the wormes and the earth shall be the clothes and garments that shall couer him Is he a noble-man and draweth his pedigree from Princes and doth he shew the arms of his nobility in his shield these are but painted and counterfeit armes his right arms indeed of most ancient inheritance are mortality and corruption If he list to see his lineal descent let him open the graue and let him with Iob call corruption his father Genesis 3 and the worms his mother and his sister Corruption did beget him and as it was that which made him so it shall be that which shall marre him out of dust he came and into dust he shal returne be he as noble and high borne as he may Hath he riches at his desire so as he hath substance enough for his babes what is the matter and substance of riches but the very vapours and exhalations of the earth It auaileth nothing to vertue and godlines to make a man more wise more humble more temperate more patient How little the Lord doth esteem of riches Psalme 17 hereby it may appeare in that he imparteth them so prodigally to the wicked and dealeth them out so scantly to the godly The nature of riches A similitude is like the nature of a mill which albeit it turneth about al the day yet it resteth in the end in the same place as it was in in the begining So thogh we haue our swing in this world and do runne our circuit and prowle for the world 1 Tim. 6 yet the ending of our life will answer our beginning nothing we brought with vs and nothing shal we cary out of the world with vs. Is he a man ful of mirth Eccles â— what is the mirth that the world yeeldeth Salomon telleth thee I saide of laughter thou art madde and of ioy what is it that thou doest It is like the mirth of the madde man Feb. 11 that in the doating distemperature of his braine dooth smile and make laughter Moses made no reckoning of such kind of mirth but rather chused affliction with the people of God than to liue in the pleasure of sinne for a season As Pharao was drowned in the waters of the sea so the diuell is drowned with our salt teares and godly sorowes conceiued for our sinnes Psal 37. Thus there is nothing in the world that satisfieth vs only God he giueth vs our hearts desire howsoeuer he is the least desire of our heart FINIS
water shall thirst no more The word of God raiseth vppe the dead regenerateth the liuing healeth the sicke and preserueth the whole delighteth the godly reclaimeth the wicked lightneth the blinde warmeth the cold comforteth the sad and confirmeth the desperate The want of this is the high way that leadeth to the chambers of death and deadly misfortune For from hence onely proceede vaine hope trembling feare consuming care furious lust boiling couetousnes fretting enuy fuming anger the whole black gard rablement retinue of malignant mischiefs of impotent affectioÌ„s the carbuncles boils botches of our soules Infinite are the attributes to expresse his properties which are giuen to the word It is called Light Bread Wine Medcine a Sword a Hammer a fire Seede Light because with his orient brightnesse it illuminateth our mindes informing them and induing them with heauenly wisedome Bread because it sustaineth our hungry soules Psalm 107 and filleth our empty soules with goodnesse strengthning and staying vs in the way of godlines Wine because it cherisheth mannes heart with the gladsome memory of his mercies promises and maketh him mery with the ioy of his countenance Medicine that it healeth our putrifying sore swellings and corruptions A Sword that it diuideth betweene the soule and the marrow Hebr. 4. and heweth asunder all our workes and affections that are sinfull A Hammer because it battreth and mollifieth our hard and stony consciences A Fire because it kindleth the spirite and the loue of God within vs. And Seede because it being sowed in the furrowes of our heartes by the spirit of God our husbandman it is of verie great increase and cast in some an hundred in some threescore in othersome thirty fold Since then the vse heereof is so great and manifold and extendeth it selfe so farre why worketh it not these wholsome effects in our â—â—nfull consciences why is it still as a dead letter vnto vs as bitter to our taste as is the very gall or the water of worme-wood and we can not digest it If Gods word be a light why walke wee not in this light but groape at noone day â—â—t stil in palpable and damnable darkenesse of horrible ignorance If it be Bread why doe we not as the Angel say de to Iohn Take this booke and eate it Reuel 20. but we do still remayne hungry like dogges and goe about the city If it be Wine why do we not powre out take our fil of it and make our hearts cheereful and merry with it If it be Medicine why do we not bind it to our blisters and wounds to drawe out the rancor and corruption of them and to make vs whole Since it is a Sword why do we not with it cut the cordes of vanitie and cart-ropes of iniquitie and hew all the bondes of vngodlinesse asunder If it be a Hammer why doth not the noise of it grate thine care and the power of it breake thy heart A similitude but thine eares like Smiths dogges vsed to such noyse giue no heed vnto it and thy heart more hard and stubborn than the adamant yeeld not a whit at all the blowes therewith If it be Fire why doth it not take holde of sin consume our wickednes like stubble and melt all the vngodly of the earth like drosse and inflame and lighten al our heart with Gods loue If it be Seede why commeth it not vppâ—â— and take deepe roote in vs but we are stil as waste ground which hath not beene sowed at all The raine is alone which descendeth vpon the corne and vpon the thornes A similitude but the effect is not one for it falles vpon the corne to ripen it for the barne but vpon the thorn to fit it for the fire The gracious deaw of the blessed worde of God hath beene great among vs it behooueth vs to see to his effect whether this moisture doth bring vppe thornes within vs oringendreth good seede Goe to then now tell me what is it that thou wantest and tel me whether this be not a treasure and a store-house to furnish euery want Doost thou hunt after honour 2. Cor. 4. and praise of men by this shal euery man haue praise of God Doth thy heart couet after riches and â—ong life beholde Prover 3 the length of dayes is at his right hand Riches and plenteousnesse is in his house Dauid resteth wholly contenâ—ed with this The Lord is my portion Moses before him preferreth Christs rebuke before â—he coffers and riches of Aegypt Hebr. 11 All the riches that are in the world make not an end of â—his ioyful haruest for it is not shut vp vnder the promises of this life 1. Tim. 4. but it stretcheth to the promises of the life that is to come The Spirite speaketh euidently Psalme 34 They which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Answerable wherunto is this Aphorisme of our Sauiour Matthew 6 First seeke the kingdome of God and this shall be the Porter that shall bring in all your liuing all other things shall be put into your mouthes If ignorance doth trouble thee here thou maist haue knowledge if heauinesse comfort if doubt counsaile if feare hope if dispaire encoragement if temptation protection The latter Dauid with these small smooth stones Mathew 41 smote the hairy scalpe of our ghostly Goliah and put him to confusion And the former Dauid with his shield and buckler did beare off brauely the buffets that sinne gaue him Psalme 119 I did hide saieth he thy Lawe within my heart that I might not sinne against thee There is no age or sexe or condition of persons that hath not a great benefite and treasure of the word It is a rule for the yong man to square his life and for the old man to order his death 2. King 4 It is vnto the poore instead of the meale that tooke away the bitternes and death of that hearb which was in the pot it giueth them comfort in the midst of al theiâ— sorrowes It sheweth the rich man how to vse his riches it teacheth the Senatour wisedome So that euen as Ioseph had no vse of Astronomie because he had the gift of prophesie so he needeth not any other riches that hath this imcomparable riches of Gods spirit Since therfore we so diligently read books of humane learning from wheÌ„ce we obserue nothing but either common-wealth discipline or gouernement of health or precepts oeconomicall or points of husbandrie or inuentions of trades or allurements vnto pleasures how much more ought our whole studie be set vpon Gods law by which God himselfe speaketh face to face vnto vs by which the mind is exceedingly comforted disquiet thoughts dispelled the whole man enabled beyond all imagination to euery good worke Be thou of what mould and constitution that may be here is argument and reading for thy turne Art thou of a graue and seuere disposition and doth
may not abide so to rake up treasure here from whence we must al depart and to burden our selues with heauy leades of worldly possessions in our trauell towardes heauen is both importable and absurde Looke not thou for water to be yeelded to thee out of the flintie stone Similitudes or wooll to keep thee warme from the asses backe It is madnesse to hunt the windes with a net it is lost labour to build vpon the sand and to draw vp water with a syue Haue recourse to Moses the Prophets and Apostles and from these fountaines which can neuer be dried vp draw waters of saluation Lay this good â—â—undation and it shall be like Mount Syon Psal 125 which can neuer be remooued Let the glutton in hell Luke 16. out of the middest of the flame desire that some preacher might be sent from the dead to fore-warne his brethren we mindfull of the censure reproof 〈◊〉 the Prophet what Isai 8 from the liuing to the â—â—ad heare Moses the Prophets to whom 〈◊〉 we shall haue diligent accesse we do not 〈◊〉 our hands in a beggars wallet but into a â—â—ore-house and treasurie of wealth which 〈◊〉 neuer be spent The holy Scriptures are like a deepe well Similitudes and fountaine which is not to be drawne ouâ— and emptied by a bucket but the more yâ—â— laue it forth the fresher it runneth or like tâ— gold or siluer which the more you rubbe iâ— turn it with your hands the brighter it appeareth or like vnto fire which the more it iâ— blowne the cleerer it burneth These similitudes fal wel into our purpose since the scriptures vse them the word of God is compared vnto them For as these things are cheefest in request and excell all others so Godâ— worde easily doth excell and ruleth ouer all Let the Poets therefore stand vpon theiâ— numbers odes and verses and draw them from their fained and farre fet fountaines Helicon Castalio Parnassus and such like wâ— haue the word from heauen published to thâ— church vpon the mountaines Sinai Sion anâ— Hierusalem Let the Heathens hunt after theiâ— idle imaginations and run into the holes anâ— caues of the earth to their worm eaten oakes to their paltrie pillers for their oracles are directions in all their proceedings we insteedâ— of these broken reedes doe wholly rest ouâ— selues vpon the sure foundation of the wordâ— which standeth fast for euer Pithagoras may parley as long as he pleaseâ— with owles and with Eagles Apollonius Thyâ— aneus may listen till he list after the chirping and piping of birdes we lend our eares alone â—o the God of heauen the creator of al things by Moses the Prophets his sonne Christ and â—he Apostles speaking vnto vs. Let worldlings delight them selues still if â—hey will in their foolish wisedome or wise â—oolishnes or continue blinded in their rude â—nd grosse ignorance or gape still for gold â—he very garbage of the earth and with wretched Esau hunt for venison abroad we shall â—uÌ„t with blessed Iacob for a blessing at home â—e shall lay vp treasure for our selues in heaven we shall climbe the mountaine of this worldly wisedome and treade it vnder feete whereby we shall behold as in a cleere reâ—â—on the secret mysterie of al heauenly wisedome and all the spiritual treasure of saluation which grace the Lord giue vs. CHAP. III. That the word of God is a Pearle of great price MOses the law-giuer to the Lordes people being to set foorth Gods preceptes vnto them that they might be the more zealous of them he putteth this peremptorie preamble vnto them These wordes which I commaund thee this day Deut. 6 shall be in thine heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy children and shalt talk of them when thou tariesT in thine house as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest vp And thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes also thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house and vpon thy gates Thus he trimmes his matter with sundry ornaments and circumstances of art A similitude to make it to be loued as a woman deckes her selfe with a great number of iewels that she might be more esteemed Here is a muster of circumstaunces together marching and following in very strange array euery seuerall worde is the edge of a sharp sword and the main blow of a beetle to driue this wedge through our knottie blockish consciences A man would haue thought he had vsed force enough and made his matter sure with the first onset in commanding that this word should be within our heart which is a casket offer sufficient to keep it safe enough For that is a castle and fortresse that repelleth the batterie of sinne Wherefore Dauid saith Psalme 119 I haue hidden thy commaundements in my heart that I should not sinne against thee But not so satisfied he requireth further that we rehearse his precepts to our children and that as a Nightingale who hath got a pleasant note is alwaies harping and chirping vpon it we should alwaies dilate and descant vppon them when we come into the house But albeit domesticall study and quiet much furthereth meditation yet a further aske and labour is enioyned vs namely that whilest we are in our iourney and the outward feete of our bodies runne their waies â—he inward feet of the mind and soule should â—unne with Dauid the waies of Gods commandements And yet as though this worke thus enâ—yned vs were not enough for vs he commandeth moreouer that couching and lying â—owne our minds should watch and waite â—erevpon This seemeth to be such a hard â—eece of seruice as the like wherof no master â—seth to lay vpon his seruant who among vs â—o so abridge their seruants of their naturall â—est as to exact and claime that time which is â—ue to rest to be spent in our affaires One would thinke now he could goe no further but that he must here stop and set vp his rest but behold assoone as we are out of our sleepe and do cast vp our eies he setteth worke enough before vs. For to helpe our memories that are weake and slipperie he willeth vs to weare them as rings vppon our fingers and bind them as signets vpon our hands and yet as though the hand were too farre distant and remooued from the heart and for all this helpe and good meane might be forgetfull he prouideth that his precepts should be the obiect of our senses in setting them as frontlets betweene our eies which may alwaies rub and quicken vp our memories And yet there wants this clause to make ful the period Thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thine house and vpon thy gates that thy studs gates and portals at thy ingresse and egresse may be publike preachers to thee Now thou Deut. 33 Iosua 14 O man of
it 's labour loft to plow vp Ocean shore The good ground are they Luke 8 by the testimony of Christ who with honest and good heartes heare the worde and keepe it make their hearts the bagge to carry this treasure The good mans hart is the arke of the couenant Hebr. 9. wherein not onely the tables of the olde Lawe but the Gospel of the new is hidden and locked vp It is a fooles heart that is like a broken pitcher that holdeth no water or like a spend-thriftes purse that holdeth no money of a giddy and changeable disposition as leaues of trees shaking euery way with eucry puffe of winde turning round about as the doore vpon the hinges and as a tennis ball that is tossed to and fro and not suffred to rest vpon the ground In the olde Canons such beasts as did not ruminate and chew the cudde as swine Leuitic 1◠Deuter. 14. and such like were defined to be vncleane by the Law of Moses as no doubt those soules are who do not ponder and lay vp in their hearts such precepts and commaundements as the Lord giueth them Therefore that you may not heare the word in vaine the best counsaile that may be giuen you is this to record and write in the tables of your hearts such lessons as you doe learne You must follow the Angels counsaile to Ezechiel Ezechiel 3 saying vnto him Sonne of man eate this rowle that I giue thee cause thy belly to eate and fill thy bowelles with this rowle The like charge did the Angell giue to Iohn that hee should eate and digest the booke Reuel 10. It is the fashion and guise of many to reade much but to eate little to deuoure a great deale but to digest and concoct nothing They returne from the sermon to their dinner and remember nothing no longer than their bodies are in the church as Siues that holde no water no longer than they are holden within the riuer These men labour of a daungerous disease A similitude that is next to deaths doore for theyr case is like vnto that sicke mans estate whose stomacke is so weake as it is not able to retayne and keepe such meate as is put into it but immediately dooth cast it vppe His life is in his nourishment which if hee cannot keepe how is it possible that he should keepe his life I therefore feare much their eternal death who loathe and leaue the diet of the soule which onely preserueth the life of the soule And the prophet Dauid seemeth to conclude so much and to make it an infallible and irrefragable consequence Psalme 107 Their soules faith hee abhorreth all kinde of meate And what followeth heerevppon They are next vnto deaths doore Is there possible any good to be had in the onely hearing and reading of the word without any further heede thereunto Can the henne hatch chickins of those egs A similitude which after shee hath a little sette vppon in the neast she immediately vtterly forsaketh them It is against all beleefe no more can wee bring foorth any good by the hearing of the word which as soone forgotten as it is heard of vs. There is nothing more forcible and effectuall then fire A similitude powerfull to consume but it must haue a time to take holde of his combustible subiect before it can shew his strēgth vpon it For if thou runnest swiftly through it be the fire neuer so quicke thou canst not be scorched or once singed with it A stay must be made that it may apprehend and claspe the fewell or else it is impossible that it should consume it Gods word is the fire of the spirite Luke 24. which inflameth all our heartes and maketh them to burne like a torch which burneth vppe al our sinnes like stubble But if we slubber it vp carelesly and haste away from it and make no stay at it that it may kindle the coales of zeale within them it shall neuer kindle or warme our colde consciences or giue them any comfort Wherefore be perswaded to followe this course which reason aduiseth thee and the practise and examples of the better sort at all times haue animated and incited thee vnto Christes Disciples were led by this rule Luke ◠whenas their thoughts did runne vppon his speech and brought them back again to ask the meaning of it The Virgin Mary is a woman twice or thrice noted for this Luke 12. that she pondered with herselfe the words of the Angell and what kind of salutation is should be and that she lodged such sayings as the heard secretly in hir heart The men of Berea are registred in the chronicles of the spirite for this Act. 17 that they caried home with them the Sermon of Saint Paul that they might trie and examin by the scriptures whether things were so or no. So Dauid vsed this for thus he speaketh of himselfe saying Psalme 119 I haue hidden thy commandement within my heart that I should not sinne against thee There is this marke of difference between Iacob and his sonnes when Ioseph discouered his dreame vnto them his brethren vouchsafed not to giue hi audience but the text saith Gen. 37 that Iacob noted the saying As spicery yeeldeth thee more forcible smell A similitude the more it is brayed and stamped in the morter so the word of God is of better sauour to vs the more it is beaten and bruised in our hearts Wherfore this our Marchant-Ieweller is wise who hideth his treasure assoone as he findeth it And he doth but that which is of common practise The Captain or Lieftenant A similitude to whom the generall Gouernour in the field shal commit a tower or a strong cittie to be kept not only fortifieth it with garrison and munition but foreseeth it to be so diked and fenced round about as it may be sure against intended inuasion If we shall be thus prouident for the safegard of this treasure which the enemy so subtily endeuoureth to haue from vs and keep that thus carefully which our generall commander the Lord of Hostes hath committed to our trust and of which he wil one day take a streight account of vs we shall like loyall subiects discharge our duties wel and shal be very highly rewarded of him for it Let the example of Ezechias be a fair warning to vs 2. Reg. 20 and let vs binde it as a signe vpon our hands who for opening that treasure vnto the ambassadors of Babylon which should haue bin priuatly kept to himselfe and hidden from them gaue occasion to the enemie afterward to rob his posteritie of it As those that do lay seige to any great place A similitude do stop such passages by which they may conceiue their enemie may be succoured so the diuell an old beaten souldiour to this craft intercepteth al the keyes and ports by which he knoweth the Lord conuayeth vnto vs