murmuration remaineth vnreformed And that ye may vnderstād that God doth not sanctifie a part but the whole cōsider what the Apostle faith Now the very God of peace sanctifie you not in part but thorowout spirit soule and bodie When Christ came to cast out the deuils out of the man of a legion he left not one When God by his Spirit sanctifies a man he doth it not by parts but wholly Wee know it is a point good in law that if a man keepe possession in one 〈◊〉 of the house though he keepe it not in all yet is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possession So is it in this though Sathan take not vp all yet if hee possesse any it is currant and will passe at the barre of Gods iudgement seate Then with wisedome and iudgement consider that this murmuring is no small sinne for it is both against the word of God and against the worke of Gods Spirit Iude in his Epistle sets it out in his colours These are murmurers complainers walking after their owns lusts whose mouthes speake proud things hauing 〈◊〉 persons in admiration And is it not thus with these Doe not these murmure against our Elders and all well-willers vnto them Haue not these mens persons in admiration Doe they not receiue the word more for the person that teacheth then for the word that is taught I haue and doe still see it by experience which are 〈◊〉 and who are 〈◊〉 to gouerne Ministers then they that are Ministers themselues which haue experience of the same calling profession and vocation Secondly in regard of the Doctrine which is in the Church who can better iudge of the Trueth of Errors of Schismes of Sects and the like As one saith Quod 〈◊〉 post elect us qui caeteris praeponeretur in sohismat is factum estremedium After one is elected which should bee 〈◊〉 ouer the rest it was done to bee a remedie against Schismes And as it is answered by consequence so it is by Scripture that gouernours of the Church ought to bee of the Clergie Therefore if you please to looke into the end of 〈◊〉 Epistle to Titut you shall finde him a Bishop and the Epistle to be directed vnto him thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Titus the first Bishop of the Church of Crete Now that ye may know that Creete is not one citie make enquirie of trauailers and reade Histories if you dare not beleeue my report This Creete was an Iland lying between Peloponesu and the Rhodes It hath on the North part the sea AEgeum and Cretense on the South the sea of AEgypt and Affricke It is now called 〈◊〉 It had in it an hundred cities whereupon it was called Centabolts This Creta is now vnder the Purkes dominion here Titus was head gouernour and Bishop So though Titus bee not called an Elder yet you see hee is a Bishop and gouernour of the Church in Creta Now let vs see if we can make a Bishop and an Elder both one and then I hope you will be answered which will appeare by comparing those two verses together in the first Chapter In the fift verse a gouernour or a teacher is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Presbyter and in the seuenth verse the same is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop whereby it appeares that 's Bishop and an Elder is one and the same Now then ioyne this with that of Paul to Timothie O and you shall see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then it is manifest that the Clergie ought to bee gouernours in the Church Neither am I ignorant that Episcopus is a name giuen to all Ministers yet more vsually applied vnto the Elders For Episcopum Presbyterum vnum esse aliud nomen offecij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop and a Presbyter are both one the one is a name of office and the other is a name of age I will conclude with this exhortation Let not any sacrifice turne mercie out of doores nor the fire of zeale drie vp the dew of charitie Let it not be said of you as Historians record of the dogges that ranne by the riuer Nilus not vouchsafing to giue a lap at the water So liue not you among vs not once submitting your selues to order nor speaking well of the gouernours The next thing that followes in order to bee handled is the propertie of the Worke. PLow vp your fallow ground The difference betweene the English and the Originall is this For our fallow ground in the English the Originall hath it new fallow For so the word niru doth import And likewise the vulgar Latine hath it innouate renew yee for the minde is to be altered and changed And this doth fitly agree with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth properly a change of the minde or vnderstanding And adde hereunto the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an alteration of the will and purpose The summe of it being an exhortation vnto repentance as doth appeare by that of Ieremie himole Lahouah Be circumcised to the Lord uehasiru gnareloth lebabcem and take away the foreskin of you hearts that is the corruption of them which Paul expounds to be true conuersion vnto God saying Hee is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that 〈◊〉 which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the circumcision of the heart in the spirit not the letter whose praise is not of man but of God And Ioel uekirgnu lebabcem Rent your hearts And our Prophet here calleth it a plowing All which doe shew vnto vs that the heart must bee torne vp by repentance and contrition as the plow teareth vp the ground This was the end that Peter aymed at in his sermon when he sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repent therefore This hee sayd that the consideration of their former acte in the murthering of Christ might rent their hearts as the plow doth the earth Poenitentia est verus dolor de offensa in Deum Repentance is a true sorrow for our offence towards God For it is meete that those who rent God from their hearts by sinne should rent sinne from their hearts by true repentance There is no small resemblance betweene the plowing vp of this terrene ground and the heart obserue and you shall find them agreeing in these things 1. The plow it cuts and teares the earth one piece from another 2. It layes open the inward parts of the earth discouering the rootes within the ground 3. The turning vp of the earth causeth the weedes to dye and perish 4. It makes the mould more tender and more apt to receiue the seede Now behold the like in the spirituall plowe First as the plow layes open and discouers the rootes within the ground in like manner doth this plowe discouer the weedes of sinne vnto vs for there must be
doore into ioy and happinesse for If sinne by repentance be not presently done away by the waight it will draw a man to more sinne Therefore the onely way to keepe vs from sinning is to repent of our former iniquity for a wicked vse is hardly abolished Repent and thou shalt be free from it but before thou canst haue ioy in the holy Ghost first thou must vndergoe the smart of repentance Qui'cupit opt atam cur su contingere metam Multa tulit facirque miser sudauit alsit He that desireth first to touch the marke taketh much paines sweateth abundantly and runneth exceeding swiftly Let vs therefore be waile our sinnes that ought to be bewailed great sinnes require great lamentation sweet meate must haue sower sauce Therefore let vs bee as prone to lamentation as we haue been prone to sinne Come let vs water our hearts with the salt teares of contrition and sweepe them with the broomes of hearty sorrow Here giue me leaue not to let this point passe in obscurity nor the soule in doubtfulnesse Sorrow is common both to the good and bad therefore I will shew the difference so then be iudges of your owne estate First they differ in causa impulsiua in the impulsiue cause of this sorrow in both The wicked are grieued Non propter offensum Deum Not for offending God as the Godly are but tantum propter poenam but for the punishment The one greeues because hee doth offend God and dishonour him The other greeues for the iudgements of God that are like to come vpon him Secondly they differ in causa efficiente In the efficient cause which breedeth sort owin both The wicked torment themselues ex diffidentia desperations from distrust and desperation casting themselues off from God and his promises but the godly they mourne and grieue Ex fide sin fiduoia misericordiae 〈◊〉 From faith and confidence in the mercie of God feeling some sweetnesse in their hearts of the same Thirdly they differ In ipsaforma In the forme it selfe The griefe of the godly is Conuersio ad Deum a diabolo a peccatis anatura veteri A conuersion vnio God from the deuill from sin and from the old man They come more and more vnto God the more they sorrow the neerer they are vnto the Lord and surther from Sathan sinne and the flesh But the sorrow of the wicked is Auersio a Deo adipsum diabolum A turning from God vnto the deuill himselfe flying from the Lord crying to the hilles and mountaines Fall on vs and couer vs from that wrathfull iudge Fourthly they differ Ineffectu In the effect In the godly sequitur noua obedientia followes new obedience For They crucifie the flesh with the lustes and effections thereof But in the sorrow of the wicked Non sequitur noua obedientia followes no new obedience They still continue in their sinne and wicked wayes Thus you see the difference of this sorrowe and contrition Be now iudges of your owne estates if any mans griefe be for feare of punishment or because God forsakes him if he flee from God and still bring foorth the fruite of sinne there can be no comfort in this sorrow But if it be because wee cannot please God as we would if Gods promises constraine vs hereunto if the more God cuts our hearts the nearer we cleaue vnto him and a good life followes the same 〈◊〉 then this is of God and great comfort may bee had in this 〈◊〉 Then lauandum est cox poenitantie lacrimis Let vs wish our hearts in the troubled to area of repentance And thus you see their agreement in the second branch In the third place obserue that the plowe in turning vp the earth causeth the weedes to perish rotting the blade vnder the clots and withering the roote aboue Euen so t is in this spirituall plowing for the turning vp our sinnes causeth them to die and perish This is called mortification Mortificatio veteris hominis siue caruis As the Apostle speaketh They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lustes and affections thereof which is called detestatio it fuga peccati a hatred and a flying from sinne First in the iudgement to condemne it secondly in the affections to hate and detest it and thirdly in the whole man to crucifie it Recessus amalo a for saking of euill accessus adbonum a returning to that which is good This mortification of sinne is very frequent in the word especially in the new testament For in the Epistle to the Romanes the Apostle speaketh thus If you martisie the dcedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue Hereby to shewe vnto vs that the plowing vp of finite causeth the death of sinne the like he saith Mortifie your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euill concupisoence and couetousnesse and the like This mortification of sinne consisteth first in the heart cruoifying the motions thereof for as we vse virriculo penitentiae the broome of repentance to sweepe them out so wee must gladio spirituali the sword of the spirit to cut and mortifie them in their yong and tender age before they get strength for inquisption shall bee made for euery evill thought prenent it s therefore before the day For this purpose you must deale with the motions of your hearts as the Egyptians did with the Israelites destroying their children while they were young For as a little draft at the first is easily bowed which in time growes so or at that will not 〈◊〉 it So euill motions at first are easily cut downe which in time may ouermaster vs. Naturalis est ordo vt ab imperfecto ad perfectum quis moueatur It is a naturall course euen in euill by degrees to come vnto perfection Therefore that caueat is very good that the author to the Hebrewes giues Take heede least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne for as Iames saith Lust when it is conceiued brings foorth sinne Hereby shewing that lustes are to bee mortfied in the hatching and not a motion to passe vncrucified Happy shall they be that take these young ones and dash their heads against the stones Follow therefore the counsell of the Apostle in shunning the former lustes of ignorance and not there to stay but also to kill the very motion that brought forth that sinne For the man of wicked imaginations God will condemne Let no man thinke with the wicked ones all is well when they haue preuailed so farre as to mortifie some sinne in the act yet still retaine the motion in the heart whereas the crowne of a Christian is to mortifie the inward man in the lustes thereof Latius regnes audium domando Spiritum quam si libiam remotis Gadibus iungas et vterque paeius Seruiat vni He that can conquer his affects rebelling Hath larger Monarchie then he that swayes the
Agnitio peccati ct irae Dei The knowledge of sinne and of the wrath of God This knowledge is so needfull that without it we neuer flee from sinne witnesse that saying of Paul I had not knowne sinne but by the lawe for I had not knowen sinne except the lawe had said Thou shalt not lust By which it appeareth that by the iudgement of Paul concupiscence was no sinne and therefore hee in a happy and blessed estate as he saith in the 9 verse iudging himselfe to bee aliue and therefore sarte from repentance for his concupiscence because he did not see it to be a sinne But when the knowledge of sinne came by the Commaundement then hee rent his heart with contrition vers 10. And as he found this in himselfe so he commands it vnto others instructing them to meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may come to the knowledge of the trueth The like course Peter tooke with the Iewes to make their sinnes appeare vnto them that so he might drawe them to repentance which hee could not haue done without the sight of sinne for the whole neede no. Physitian saith Christ. No man will seeke to the Physitian before he feele his disease no man will repent before hee beleeues himselfe to be a sinner Nemofacit Legem nisi qui credit Legi No man doeth the Lawe but hee that beleeues the Lawe saith Ambrose Who will grieue for his sinne before hee sees that hee hath sinned In this sense a man may say as the Eunuch said when Philip asked him if he knew what he read How can I without a guide So may we well say how shall sinners repent before they knowe their sinne Therefore the counsell of Ieremie is to be followed Let vs search and try our wayes to finde out our sinnes for he that hideth his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them shall haue mercy The way to get pardon of sinne is first to know them 2. to repent for them This is the first effect of the plowe to discouer our sinnes To haue an acknowledgement of sinne these things are requisite First a skill in the word of God for there hee hath read a Lecture vnto vs both of good and euil sinne and vertue distinguishing the one from the other and painting them both out in their seuerall collours For that is it that is able to make it man wise vnto saluation Dauid asking this question of God Wherewith shall a man redresse his wayes Answere is made By taking heed vnto thy word for nothing doeth make sinne manifest what it is but onely Gods word The Deuill can but he will not Sinne is the lawe of his kingdome whereby it is gouerned and therefore this is to be obserued that the Deuill neuer taughtman to practise any thing but sinne as witnesseth the word of God and therefore farre from making sinne known vnto vs. The like proofe you may haue out of History as Augustine notes Does Paganorum nunquam bene uiuendi sanxisse doctrinam Those Gods of the Pagans neuer established the doctrine of liuing well for they neuer had care of those Cities that gaue them diuine honour And as the Deuill can and will not so nature is blind and cannot Therefore if the blinde lead the blinde they both fall into the ditch There is a kinde of Sympathie betweene sinne and nature onely the word of God can doe it The second thing that is necessary for the acknowledgement of sinne is the illumination of Gods spirit to worke true vnderstanding and iudgement in vs. Paul prayes that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ that father of glory might giue vnto vs the spirit of wisedome that the eyes of our vnderstanding might bee onlightened that we might knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs. So that it is grace that giues vs true vnderstanding to iudge betweene sinne and vertue It is not the Preachers voyce that serues the turne Non verbis hominis fit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit deus vt intelligatis The words of man cannot make man to vnderstand the word of God but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand Hereunto tend the wordes of Christ. I will send the holy Ghost and hee shall reprooue the world for sinne no man sees sinne in others nor in himselfe that he should reproue it but by the spirit The third thing necessary whereby we may come to the acknowledgement of sinne is a diligene searching into our selues and an examination of our actions as Dauid saith I haue considered my wayes and 〈◊〉 my feete into thy testimonies for it is not enough for vs to consider sinne in others as Horac saith Cur in amicorum vitium tam cernis acutum Quamaut aquila aut sorpous Epidarlins Why doest thou into thy friends ill cariageprie With a quicke Eagles or a serpent eye No let the eyes of our vnderstanding bee looking into our selues as they said to Dauid See to thine owne house O Dauid So I say to thine owne heart O Christian to finde out thy particular sinnes Thus you see that the knowledge of sinne is needfull and you see also how to come to the knowledge thereof Now hauing seene how the spirituall and terrene plow doe agree in the first part let vs come vnto the second which is how the terreno plow doth teare and rent the ground So the spirituall plow teareth vp the soule that there is dolor propten peccatum offensum Deum A sorrow for sinne and for offending God wherein the heart is exceedingly greeued insomuch that no man can expresse the sorrow thereof For awounded spirit who can beare saith the wiseman and a sorrowfull mind drieth vp the boanes And yet this wounded spirit and sorrowfull mind wee must endure For the godly heart is neuer void Vuohospite recedoute alius statim subintrat One guest being gone another straight comes in Thus he is vexed that is to say haled and hurried by strong and violent force Of which Augustine saith Nihil est miserius misere non miser ante seipsum nothing is more miserable then a miserable soule not to comprehend her 〈◊〉 miserie O great is the sorrow of such a plowed soule That as Barnard saith Si msipsum 〈◊〉 speico 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si inspecio me ipsum fere non quaeo If I looke not into my selfe I know not my selfe If I looke into my selfe I cannot indure my selfe So that they say with Dauid Out of the deepe I cried vnto the Lord. And this is the state of the poore penitent soule The consideration hereof teacheth vs that the dolor of heart is no true marke of reprobation for then God would not exhort hereunto as here he doth Sorrow is the
ensue a great happinesse according to that true saying of the Poet Virgil Foelix quipotuitrerum cognoscere causas O blessed hee and excellent that knowes the cause of each euent Thus for our conclusion of this branch obserue that such as are truely plowed by the word and Spirit of God are dead tosinne and sinne in them for they that are Ghrists haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Likewise the same Apostle saith If Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake If you will haue an example of this that further it may be manifested turne your eyes vnto there of the Acts 18. 19. verses Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes Many also of them that vsed curious arts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of siluer If you aske a reason of it it is from the power of grace which is able to subdue the power of Sathan For Sathan sinne the flesh and the world can but make a finite power but wee are protected with an infinite power Greater is hee that is in you then hee which is in the word Therefore whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne neo potest peccare neither can sinne O excellent gift as one affirmes being donum omnium donorum maximum A gift excelling all gifts Augustine vpon this hath this obseruation Before the law we do not fight vnder the law we fight and are ouercome vnder grace wee fight and ouercome For wee are more then conquerers in Iesus Christ. It is a thing common with the Physicians to driue and purge out a lesser poyson by a stronger as we dayly see a lesser light extinguished by the greater The Sunne puts out the light of the Moone and the power of Gods grace puts cut the power of sinne Thus when the stronger man gets into the house bindes the master and spoyles him of his goods God is the stronger man his grace is the influence which comes downe from heauen to helpe vs in the midst of our conflicts Much like the elements that helped 〈◊〉 in his battell so that he got the victory whereof Claudian sung O nimium dilecte Deo cuimilitat aether Et coniurati veninut ad classica venti O Gods beloued when power aeriall And winds came armd to helpe when thou doest call Let not slip your consideration without obseruation where sinne liues and thriue there all goodnesse withers and dies Dauid put sorth a question Lord let me know mine age and the number of my dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue to liue So many doe say Lord let me know mine estate whether I belong to thee or no. And now I answere as the Frenchman did the Scots and the Irish which of long time had been at controuersie for a piece of ground to which nation it should belong The controuersie was to bee ended by the said Frenchman in this maner Put said he thereinto Serpents and Snakes If they die it belongeth to Ireland but if they liue it belongeth to Scotlands Thus the contiouersie was ended So in like maner if sinne liues and thriues in you you belong to Sathan but if it wither and die then you belong to God So our Lord teacheth vs Matt. 7. 16. You shall know them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their fruits Thus here is an end of this branch Lastly the terrene plow makes the earth more fit for the seede Euen so doeth the tearing of the heart by true repentance makes it the more apt to embrace the mercie of God The thid part THus we haue gone thorow the subiect and the propertie of the worke now followes the proprietie of the persons lacaem your committing this worke to euery particular person Obserue that all men are agents in their faith repentance contrition and saluation Plowe vp your falowe ground your owne falowe As God saide to Ierusalem Wash thy heart O Ierusalem and by the Prophet Ioel Scindite corda vestrum Rent your hearts So I say vnto you wash and rent your owne hearts for if you will not lay to your helping hand they are neuer like to bee cleane God in the time of the Lawe commanded that lie which should offer an offering was to put his hand vpon the head of it Heb. 3. 2. Hereby shewing that we must haue a hand with God in euery part and worke of regenetation He that made without thee will not instifie thee without thee He made thee without thy knowledge and doth instifie thee with thy consent Therefore said Christ If you will find seeke If you will receiue then aske For no seeking no finding no asking no receiuing God proclaimes not Ho euery one that is athirst I will bring him water But Ho euery one that is athirst let him come and fetch water Supper is made ready by our Lord all things are prepared at his owne cost and charges and when it was ready hee said not goe carie it to these men but goe bid them come in and eate it Herevnto tend the words of Paul Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling And Peter also saith Make your calling and election sure Sure it is with God not with vs vntill then Worthily doth that sieke person perish that calleth not for the Physician but refuseth him comming of his owne accord vnto him Man by the ordinance of God is appointed an agent for his owne saluation For the subiect of faith repentance and contrition are in vs not in God Indeed God is the efficient cause the word the instrumental cause but our hearts willes and affections the materiall cause that is subiectum conuersionis the subiect of conuersion as the schoolmen define the fanie Delor est in corde Sorrow is in the heart Fuga est in voluntate Flying is in the will and that with purpose not to commit sinne any more Auertio est in corde voluntate a malo ad bonum The turning is in the heart and will from euill vnto that that is good still the subiect is in vs and so we must needes be agents For wee are not like a piece of waxe that receiues no impression but what is put into it being meerely pasaiue but actiue as formerly hath been shewed And to adde the sentence of Aristotle Nemo voleus malus nec inuitus foelix No man is euill with his will nor any man is happie against his will In thy mouth and heart is the cause of saluation saith Chrysostomes that is the 〈◊〉 use and subiect as hath beene sayd And as the subiect is in vs so euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart which other men is not able to know for What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him it is a
thou a theefe looke vpon the Crosse Art thou a persecuter looke vpon Paul These are all gone before and then mayest thou follow after onely bee not thou more vnwilling to goe to God then he is to come to thee And so much for the time past Time to come ANd as it is time to seeke the Lord in regard of the time past so it is in regard of the time to come which is altogether vncertaine For Nothing is so certaine as death and nothing so vncertaine as the houre of death This is our Aprill and May wherein we flourish the next is our Iuly and August wherein we shall be cut downe We had but one way to come into the world but many wayes to goe out againe Therefore while we haue time let vs seeke the Lord For now is the acceptable time and while it is called to day For this is the time wherein God is to be sought dum dies est while it is day dum prope est while it is neere dum nobis prodest while it may pofit vs let vs seeke the Lord. First the longer we stay the harder our hearts grow with sinne Iudas may be an example in this vnto vs for he was a cunning dissembler then a secret theese then a bold lyar after that a traitour and last of all a desperate murderer For as the Sunne the longer it shines vpon the clay the harder it is euen so the longer sinne remaines in vs the more obdurate is our hearts Will you see how this monster worketh vpon vs the Apostle tels you first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mind is darkened that they cannot discerne what to do secondly then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they become ignorant thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hardnesse of heart lastly they become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past feeling or a heart that cannot repent Therefore let vs follow the counsell of the Apostle while it is called to day let vs obey lest we be hardened before to morrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the deceit of sinne Secondly seeke now because it is not knowen whether God wil offer his grace againe or no when we haue once refused the same you know that Esau sought the blessing with teares but could not haue it Forget not the story of Herodotus of the fish God which hath promi sed forgiuenesse to him that repenteth doth not promise to him that sinneth repentance And doth not Christ tell you thus much when as those that refused to come to the feast had this returne from Christ they shall not taste of my meate Was not likewise those foolish Virgins that went without oyle in their lampes turned backe when they would haue entred in Let all this worke vpon you for your more diligence in this to seeke the Lord and that while we haue time and the doore of Gods mercie is open Let not the pleasures of the world deceiue vs as the riuer of Iordan doth the fish which caries them swimming and playing till on a sudden they fall into Mare mortuum the dead Sea But take wee heede of the streames of vanitie lest they cast vs not into the dead sea of Iordan but into the dead sea of perdition The second part of the reason NOw followeth the second part of the consequence or reason Vntill hee come and raine righteousnesse vpon you Which part I haue deuided into two parts 1. the continuance till hee come 2. the ende and raine righteousnesse vnto you Gnad iabo vntill he come this is the continuance of it for hauing laide our handes to the plough wee must not looke backe but continue to perfection Faith is called fides in latine in which word as some obserue is a compendium of all Christian dutie The first letter is F. which as they say is facere to doe for true faith is a working faith not the hearers but the doers The second letter is I. which is integritas fuinesse for we must haue a regard to all the Commaundements of God The third letter is D. delectio loue for true faith worketh by loue The fourth letter is E. which is externe outward our good deedes must be manifest The fifth letter is S. which is semper alwayes for we must not be weary of well doing So that the propertie of faith is to doe the qualitie is loue the forme is outward and the continuance is alwayes The beginning of faith is facere and the ende semper doe and doe to the ende The race of a godly life profiteth nothing vnlesse it bee finished with a good ende Thus runnes the condition hee that endureth to the end shall be saued We must not be like the flyes bred by the riuer Hispanis which are bred in the morning in full strength at noone and dead at night Heauen is not promised to those that doe well but that continue in wel-doing Let this worke vpon your considerations and drawe your endeuours this way to seeke the Lord vntill hee come for as yet you are not come to perfection neither will till he come The Apostle said of himselfe and we may apply to our selues we are not yet perfect and therefore to seeke still for more perfection for there is no man so cured of his wound but there remaineth some marke of the former wound So the soule which receiued the wound of sinne though it bee cured hath some scarres of sinne still while we are in this world we are in the schoole of Christ and must continually learne till we be perfectly skilfull in the wayes of obedience and when we haue that then haue we found the Lord but as yet wee may say with Socratas Hoc solum scimus quod nibil scimus This is one thing wee knowe that we knowe nothing So saith the Apostle If any man thinke he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought therefore seeke vntill he come If you aske me when he comes I answer 1. he comes Praedicatione Euangeli By the preaching of the Gospell So he came to his owne thus he came to Iudas and so to many But if hee came no other wayes then thus and yet he must come thus as good neuer come and better it were not to finde him at all 2 He comes and that with more profite to his children and vs. Conuersione nostriad Deum by conuerting vs to God And thus he came to Mary Mathew Zacheus and others and happy are they to whom hee thus comes therefore seeke vntill thou finde God to speake peace to thy soule 3 He comes increment is fidei penitentiae aliorum donorum spiritus sancti in conuersis by increasing of faith and repentance and other gifts of the spirit in those that are conuerted and thus hee comes daily to the godly and therefore seeke vntill he come in this manner 4 He comes Consummations glorificatione Eeclesiae in secundo
shew of puritie but a vertue and therefore to be countenanced and defended from the prodigious spirits of the world and if I said barking Dogges I sayd but as Dauid did which hunts outward holinesse into Obadiahs caue that it dare not shew it selfe for feare it should be brought vpon a stage or put in verse or to some other vse to make themselues merrie withall Shall this be suffered then religion will be banished ere long and I cannot blame it if it walke in obscuritie already and dare not bee seene But is there neuer an Obadiah in the land nor Hester in the Court nor an Ahimelech at Nob to fauour their profession and protect their persons Non est meae humilitatis diotare vobis yet say as God said to the Iewes Though Israel play the harlot let not Iudah sinne Though the Temporall Magistrate sit still and say nothing yet let not Ecclesiasticall gouernours keepe silence You are the brestplate of defence the helmet of 〈◊〉 and the sword of protection as Tunc iustitia dieitur gladius ex vtraque parte acutus quia hominis defendit corpus ab exterioribus iniuriis animam a spiritu alibus molestiis For the sword of gouernment hath two edges Disciplina ad duo diuiditur ad correctionem et instructionem primum timore sccunaum amore perficitur and happy is that Church where they both doe cut You are the North winde to kill all the vermin and the South to ripen good fruit I meane your authoritie to punish the wicked and cherish the good But I forget my selfe your Lordship is wise as an Angel of God knowing best what to doe Yet giue meleaue not to teach but to pray for you considering your holy profession high place and the weighty causes you are to mannage the manifold euils you may preuent and the great good you may procure And this is all the good I am able to doe desiring the Lord to prosper your godly proceeding to Gods glory and the good of the Church To the same purpose the Lord fill your soule with grace your heart with courage your life with health and your time with length of dayes that after a militarie life ended in grace you may come to liue a 〈◊〉 life in glory Your Lordships to command in all duetie WILLIAM IACKSON To the Worshipfull Companie of Clothworkers William Iackson wisheth grace in this world and glory in the world to come Right Worshipfull IT is no small fauour of God to bee made an instrument of others good which is either by our owne free donations or by disposing of others gifts In the one is manifested our charitie in giuing of our owne and in the other our faithfulnesse in truely performing the will of the dead And to vse the Apostles words What haue we that wee haue not receiued not simply for our owne vse but for the good of others also Therefore that wee may not be found vncharitable we must giue of our owne nor vnfaithfull we must be true in bestowing of others gifts and then we shall bee twice blessed with Iacob and haue a double portion with Beniamin But to bring this home to the doores of your consciences Yea Worshipfull company of Cloth-workers for whome I in particular am bound to pray not so much for your owne donation vnto mee as your faithfull paying of that which others haue giuen for the maintenance of religion Of whom I may say as Dauid did of Ierusalem Many excellent things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God so many excellent things are done by you Yea worthy and worship full Clothworkers with Dorcas you make coates to clothe the naked with the Shunammite you prepare houses for the harbourlesse to dwell in with Obadiah you relieue the Prophets and much more of this nature which to set downe in order would both spend much paper and also a wearinesse to my hand it is sufficient God knowes them and will one day reward the same I speake not this to make you proud but as my duetie to you and to encourage others to the same And so I will conclude with the saying of the Apostle yee haue and doe well yet I beseach you to increase more and more whereby your name may bee more spread on earth and your glory greater enlarged in heauen Your Pensioner WILLIAM IACKSON TO THE READER CHristian reader I am now to salute thy vnderstanding with a few lines of exhortation be thou as willing to embrace them as they are ready to profit thee if vnderstāding be thy tutour and conscience thy lesson And here I desire but two things of thee first to reade with diligence then to marke with iudgement for thou canst haue no sicknes but here is physicke no sore but here is a plaister for it It is like Iacobs ladder one end standing on the earth the other reaching vp to heauen It begins at faith and repentance leading thee along in the path of obedience and so at the length brings thee to glory I would not that any should obiect against the author and so vse the child the worse for the fathers sakc but rather consider that the child may be good though the father be euill I will make no apologie in the behalfe of it for it is able to speake in the defence of it selfe And now I must make an apologie for my selfe why I haue sent this booke forth into the world one cause is in regard I was wronged by euill tongues after I had preached the same wherefore I now send it foorth to make answere for mee A second cause why I send it foorth is this because the matter therein being of great vse and a Sermon is but nine dayes wonder would not haue the funerall so soone therefore I thought good to intreate that fauour of the higher powers to put it in print And now let me intreate thy affections to embrace it and thy diligence to practise it Thus I leaue these fewe lines to thy selfe to be obeyed and thy selfe to the Lord to be glorified Thine if thou be the Lords William Iackson A Table of the parts handled in this Booke In the plow-time are handled 1 the subiect 2 property of the worke 3 propriety of the persōs 1 In the subiect 1 Why man is called earth 5. 6. 7 2 The heart to be looked too and why 8 to 11 3 Wicked sinne of meditation and why 14 to 18 4 The seuerall fallow grounds 19 to 56 2 In the property of the worke 1 The heart is cut by the law 60 to 63 2 The inward thoughts discouered 57 to 60 3 Sinne dies in vs 63 to 73 3 In the proprety 1 Man is to helpe forward his saluation why 73 to 78 2 The magistrates dutie from 78 to 83 In the seed-time are 1 property of the worke Sowe 2 matter to work on Righteousnes 3 the persons You. 1 In the matter 1 The word of righteousnes must rule vs why 84 to
87 2 How the Papists abuse the word of righteousnes from 87 to 100 3 Why the word is righteous 101 to 102 4 Of the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them 103 to 107 2 In the sowing-time 1 How obedience seemes lost 108 2 Why thereward is not yet 109 3 Great gaine in obedience 111 4 We are to doe good to many 112 5 We are to doe the beast good 113 6 How the wicked sowe 114 7 World make obedience a labour 115 3 In the persons 1 Great men not too good to serue God 118 to 119 2 Poore not too meane to serue God 120 In the haruest time are 1 propertie of the worke 2 the manner of it 1 Generall obeydience euer rewarded 121 to 124 1 In the propertie 1 How obedience bringeth earthly blessings 125 to 127 2 The haruest of assurance of heauen 129 to 134 2 In the manner 1 All we haue is of mercy 135 2 Papists merits 136 to 137 In the consequence are 1 the action Seeke 2 the obiect the Lord. 3 the cause it is Time 1 In the action 1 We must serue God in our owne persons 139 2 That it is a labour to seeke and why 140 2 In the obiect 1 Of the name Iehouah 143 2 To seeke God in his word 145 3 The seuerall seekers 146 to 147 4 To seeke the loue of God 148 to 149 In the compelling cause 3 In the time past in it 1 The longer in sinne more cause to turne to God and why 150 to 154 2 In the time to come 1 Take time while time is and why 154 to 155 2 The continuance in seeking 156 to 157 3 How and when he come 157 4 The metaphor of the raine 158 to 159 5 Raine for teaching 161 6 Raine for abundance 162 A Table of the principall words in this Booke A A meane in words 69 Assurance of heauen here 129 Apology of the world 116 Apologie for the Church 35. 56 Adultery how committed 29 All the lawes to be executed 80 B Bishops lawfull 55. 56 Brokers 30 Blind Magistrates 82 Best good to be done 114 Boldnes of Ministers 77 Blasphemy of Papists 102 C Couetousnesse 26 Corruption of nature 16 Continuance in obedience 191 Ceremonies 39. 40 Custome in sinne 155 Church of England true Church comming of God how 157 Continuance in sinne 156 D Discipline of 3. sorts 38. 39 Death of sinne where 63 Dissembling protestants 113 Drunkennesse 19. 146 Dumbe Magistrates 82 Dead to sinne 63 Deuil cause of sinne 17. 18 Dead in sinne 152 Doctrnie of England pure 36 37 E Exchange 32 Error of Papists 132. 87 Engrosers 13 Earth for man 5. 7. 8. 9 Euill actions 66. 67 F Free will 97 Faith of our owne 75 Faith the nature of it 130 Faith only in this life 131 G Grace the power of it 72 Good to be done to many 112 God no cause of sinne 16 Gaine in obedience 111 Great men serue God 119 Good how to doe it 106 H Hypocrites 12 Heart most regarded 8. 9. 10 Heart to be rent 61 Hurt of euillworks 70 Hope of the godly 110 Haruest of magistrats 123 Ministers people 124 Haruest temporall 125 Haruest of grace 124 Heart in obedience 105 Hospitalitie 123 I Inclosers 24 Idolatry of Papists 95 Infidelity of ingrossers 24 Instruction 81 Iehouah what it is 143 Iustified how 167 K Knowledge of the word 105 Knowledge of sinne 57. 58. Knowledge of good and micked men 72 Knowledge of the heart 75 Kill sin in the heart 63 L Loue of God to he sought 148 Labour to seeke 115 Lookes wanton 29 Long in sinne 154. 155 loeke vp the word 88 to 90 Lawyer a seeker 139 Lawyer little trueth 21 M Mean in words 69 Merits of Papists 93. 136 Mortifie sinne 70 Magistrates to punish sinners 78. 79. 85 Man to worke his saluation out 73 Mercie of God 133 Murmuring 52. 53 Man part with all creatures 4 Mercie of God gause of this crop 115 Mercie of God greater then sinne 154 Merchants falow ground 21 N Nature of faith 35 Nature of the wicked 15 Nature of merits 96 Names cut off 5 O Obedience seemes lost 108 Oppression 22. to 25 Obedience profitable 122 Ordinances of God 141. 142 Obedience rewarded 121. P Pleasure of sinne 18 Profit of sinne 18 Patrons 24. 25 Pride 13. 27 Profit in words 71 Pardons 98 Purgatory 90. 91 Prayer to Saints 95. 96 Plow our selues 76 R Reward not yet 109 Raine the maner of it 159 Raine for teaching 160 Rob-altar seekes 139 Kighteousnesse of sanctification 168 Righteousnesse of iustification 166. S Slanders of the Papists 102 107 Seeke in our own persons 139 Seeking of sinne 146 148 Swearing 27 Subiect of faith in vs 74 Sathan rules the sinner 17 Sleeping magistrates 80 Sowing of the wicked 114 Sorrowe how differs in the good and bad 61 62 T Trueth not to be found 21 22 Trueth in words 67 68 Tongue to be mortified 65 Translation of the word 88 to 90 Time to seeke 150 Theft of engrossers 23 Thankes-giuing 161 Time past 150 Time to come 154 V Vsury 25 100 Vse meanes to saue the sinner 77 Vnwritten verities 97 Vnmercifulnes of the Pope 99 Vlcer of sinne 152 W Workes not perfit 135 Word righteous why 101 Wicked no right to any thing 143 Wicked sinne of purpose 14 Workes of righteonsnesse 103 Word our rule 84 Whoredome 28 In commendation of the Author VErtere si agricolas terrā est nunc laude docendo Virgilius dignus laudibus esse puto Dignum hunc nostrarum quae animarū cura libellum Sit qui nostra docet vertere corda bene Alex. Bradley To my worthy friend his Celestiall Husbandry THe Husbandry which these dead leaues doe bring Thy liuely voyce did once sweetely sing That thy learned and iudicious hearers thought The Celestiall haruest to them had brought Thereby their hearts so did inflame That they desir'd to heare it once againe Io. Ga. THe ground mans heartis Gods word the plow The harrow repentance is to breake it now The seede obedience sowen in our liues The raine Gods grace whereby it also thriues Then vse it and it will bring Thee to heauen there to sing Then now Prayse God for the gaine And the Author for his paine T. H. THE CELESTIALL husbandry RIght Honorable and well beloued in our best be loued I knowe that many haue been the flowers that my brethren the Prophets haue gathered out of the garden of Gods word giuing a fragrant smell in this place so that I know not what flowers to gather to present you withall that formerly yee haue not seene Yet in this my meditation I considered of my worthy Auditors and so fitted my text accordingly Some of them being Iudges and Magistrats that fitly I might speake to them of Iustice. An other part of them being inferiour subiects that also I might speake to them of obedience In a word considering that heere are vsually auditours of all sorts I
haiuest The blessed heart returns ten for one yea a hundred for one as our Sauiour Christ saith Obserue that the chiefest care of a Christian must be to furnish his heart with grace and to plowe it vp with true repentance which counsell is giuen by the wise man miccal 〈◊〉 nitsor libbeca Aboue all things keepe thy heart with diligence The like conucell is giuen by 〈◊〉 thy hart O Ierusalem This also is confirmed by the author to the Hebrues It is Good the heart be established with grace And to confirme it with the words of Christ Take heed vnto your selues that your hearts be not oppressed This course or order is not amisse for the cause goes before the effect Can there be a good life which is the effect before there be a good heart which is the cause not Causaefficiens but Causamaterialis as Chrysostome obserues In ore et corde tuo salutis causa In thy mouth and in thy heart is the cause of thy saluation In thy mouth to confesse it and in thy heart to beleeue it If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart thou shalt be saued So then to haue good fruit is to haue a good tree A good cause brings forth a good effect for Qualis causa talis effectus Such as the cause is such is the effect And common sence and reason doth teach vs as Aristotle obserues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In euery action the end and the meanes of the end must goe togeather The Smith heats his yron before he beats it The Carpenter lays his foundation before he can erect his building The husbandman plowes his ground before he reaps his haruest And a christian must haue a good hart before he can haue a good life And as it is the ground worke so it is the strength of man both in nature and in grace In nature it is the first that liues and the last that dyes And it is called Cor and hath that name of Cura businesse for it is in continuall worke It is in man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world Homo est coeli simulacrum interpres naturae Man is the picture of the heauens and the interpreter of nature in whome is the heart as God is in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great world Primus motor The first mouer It is no lesse in grace the first that is sanctified and the first that liues in grace and is the castle of man The consideration wherof made Dauid to conclude that that man neede to feare no euill why Samuk-libbo his hart standeth firme And surely it had neede for the Deuill dealeth with the heart of man as the King of Aram dealt with the King of Israell Which shootes neither against small nor great but against the heart the King and strength of man Thus he dealt with Adam insinuating himselfe first into their affections thereby stealing away their halts and so drewe them to sinne Thus he dealt with Iudas for he put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the heart of Iudas And thus he fitst worketh with the hearte and then the other parts of man And as it is the strength of man so it is the salt that seasons our obedience whereby it is made acceptable vnto God for obedience without the heart is like the sacrifice of a dog and the hire of a whore A good worke without the heart is but a glorious sinne Non tamres ipsa quam hominum affectus spectantur Not so much the things themselues as the affections of men are here to bee considered saith Faius Potest quis in paupertate magno in diuitys pusillo animo esse One may haue a franke minde in pouerty and a sparing mind in riches So it is not the worke but the mind Vnum opus sed non vnus affectus It is one and the same worke but not the same minde Thus the Lord regards not so much the worke as the heart and minde of the worker as the Prophet saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me And therefore in vaine doe they worship me saith Christ. And as Augustine well obserues Quia non quid faciat homo considerandum est Because we must not so much to consider what it is that a man doth sed quo animo facit but with what minde he doth it If wee doe build onely on the worke wee haue no better euidence to shew for our saluation then the deuils and the reprobates If we relie vpon miracles and casting out of deuils these are the euidences that the false prophets will bring Lord haue wee not done many great workes and cast-out deuils in thy Name yet away from mee I know you not will Christ say Or shall wee build vpon preaching the Gospel supposing that to be a good euidence for our saluation This is the euidence of Iudas and yet hee is gone to his owne place Not the worke then but the heart is that that will stand and goe for currant To shew this the Lord would haue a free-will offering among all the rest of his sacrificet Hereby shewing that the heart must be ioyned with obedience Yea so did the Lord regard the heart that he would not admit of any gift for the building of the Temple but what came from a free will which was but a type of the spirituall Temple To the building whereof euery man is to bring the timber and stones of obedience and that with a good heart And therefore as the author to the Hebrews saith Let vs draw neere vnto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a true heart that so wee may serue him that wee may please him For God is a consuming fire And as the heart seasons our obedience so in the heart is the euidence of our saluation there sealed by the Spirit of God Our euidence lieth not in any externall thing it lieth not in the ancient calling of husbandrie for Cain miscaried in that nor in strength for Golias could not preuaile thereby nor in the office of a Prophet for that serued not Saul or Balaam nor any kingly dignitie that would not priuiledge Pharaoh nor riches they helped not Diues nor glorious apparell for it did Herod no good nor policie in Achitophel nor beauty in Absalom could giue assurance of saluation Temporale non potest esse causa aeterni No temporall thing can be the cause of that which is eternall In all these can be no euidence of our saluation Nihil est firmum vel stabile in rebus humanis There is nothing stable in humane affaires It remaineth that the heart is the register of our saluation Per fidem facti sumus vnum in Christo. By saith wee are made one with Christ. And the subiect of faith is the heart for with the heart man beleeueth unto saluation The other they are
extra nos these intra nos vero spiritu Dei inscripta Written by the very Spirit of God For God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts whereby wee crie Abba Father And though the sound of saluation delighteth the eare yet the ioy and sweetnesse is in the heart Deus est mel in ore God is hon is in the mouth Melos in aurc Musicke in the eare iubilum in corde and ioy in the heart Veniet veniet dies indicy vbi plus valebunt pura corda quam astutia verbis conscientia bona quam marsupia plena quandoquidem index ille nec verbis falletur nec donis flecteur The day will come the day of iudgement will come when cleane hearts will more auaile then crastinesse in words and a good conscience then a full purse seeing that the Iudge will neither be deceiued with words nor mooned with gifts If then a good heart shall bee of such worth at that day it is principally to be regarded in this lise Now before we passe-from this note with mee here the hypocrites which haue onely the outside of greatnes like stage-players which appeare like Kings vnto others themselues being no better then beggars These hypocrites serue the Lord in shew not in trueth Christians onely in name Saints onely in shew These are painted boxes wherein are hid deadly poysons vnder Iesabels painted face a whorish behauiour These cleanse the outside but within is a denne of theeuish affections O generation of vipers how should ye escape the damnation of hell Vnto this purpose serueth that storie wherein I reade of Hercules which begot Scithes on a monster whose vpper parts were like a woman and her lower parts like a viper Me thinkes the hypocrite resembles this monster his vpper parts shall be like a woman I meane his smooth and splendent words but his lower parts or if you will his heart is like the viper For as historians report the viper eates a way out of the belly of her damme with the danger of her life that bred her so the hypocrite eates vp the bowels of his mother the Church that brought him foorth crying out against disorders abroad whiles there is none at home in his owne heart I speake not against professors but against hypocrites to whom I say as Chrysostome said Aut esto quod appares aut appare quod es Either be as thou seemest or appeare as thou art I would to God they would bee either open enemies that so we might beware of them or faithsull friends vnto Christ and his Church These are sicke of wantonnesse in religion and are so hote about the question de modo that it is to be feared the enemy steales away the matter of religion out of their hearts It is strange to see if that wee will not shew our selues refractarie wrangle about shadowes and speake against authority our sermons are hissed at and our persons are derided These are prosessors of note when they speake bitterly their names cary it away strongly with our scandals Note here the proud persons with their top and top-gallants that build towers in the ayre and a heauen on earth whiles there is a hell in their consciences The proud person is Deo odibilis diabolo similis and sibi damnabilis Odious vnto God like the deuill and damnable to himselfe witnesseth the saying of the Apostle God reiecteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Eucry proud man is an idolater because he loues his pride and makes that his God no maruell then if hee be reiected For Nemo potest Dominis rocte seruire duobus No man can serue two masters God and Pride Yet the proud man will and if either be vnserued God shall he will be sure to couer his backe with externall brauerie whether God line his soule with grace or no. You shall see many of these gallants put a whole inheritance into a trunke and metamorphise a whole mannour into a sute of apparel And no maruell when the best farme in it will doe no more then pay for a paire of shooe-strings besides a band in the fashion starched with the deuils liquor and in the punke colour to beautifie it And now they flourish it out in brauery what with their curled haires painted faces and foolish if notfooles coates Thus shine they like starres thinking themselues to be Gods among Saints when God knowes and I feare they be but deuils among men I conclude with the authour to the Hebrewes It is good to haue the heart established with grace and as Seneca saith It is better to haue a soule furnished with grace then a bodie decked with glorious apparell that so wee might be like vnto Nathaniel of whom it is said Behold a true Israelite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom there is no guile Ioh. 1. 47. But I haue not yet done with the subiect New fallow your fallow it was plowed before but for the sowing of euill seede The husbandman in the countrey can better vnderstand this then the citizen The maner of the husbandman is to fit his tillage according to his seede The ground wherein he sowes Barley Oates Pease and Tares needeth but one yeeres plowing whereas the ground where Wheate and Rye is to be sowen hath two yeeres plowing During the time that it lies plowed and not sowen it is called fallow ground Such is this fallow ground of their hearts which was made ready for the sowing of iniquitie As the same Prophet witnesseth Cikerbu cattannur libbam For they haue made ready their hearts And as another Prophet witnesseth They lie in waite for blood Likewise Dauid sayth That they lie secretly as a Lyon in his denne Thus the wicked not of infirmitie but of meditation and deliberation runne into sinne Prauus vsus vix aboletur A wicked vse is hardly abolished Assidua consuetudo vitium in naturam conuertit saith Augustine A continuall custome conuerteth vice into nature For it is a pastime to the wicked to doe euill whereas the godly hath no delight in sinne Seneca by the light of nature could say that Bonus animus nunquam erranti obsequium accommodat A good minde neuer reacheth the helping hand vnto error Insomuch that the heathen said that Bona cupido animi bonus Deus est A good desire in the minde is a good God Whereas the minds of the wicked are bent to commit sinne with greedinesse as Salomon saith Come say they let vs lie in waite for blood Of purpose you see not by infirmitie notwithstanding the Lord by the Prophet pronounceth a woe against them that imagine wickednesse vpon their beds There are two things that make the wicked thus bent in their minds to sinne The first is the corruption of nature which is corrupt of it selfe and iudges those things to be good which are euill and those things euill which are good As the Apostle witnesseth The naturallman knowes not
the things of God Yea so farre off that they are foolishnesse vnto him Si in ratione habitaret malum c. as Tollet obserues If euill should dwell in the reason then could it not will that which is good I remember Virgils verse Igneus est ollis vigor caelestis origo Scminibus quantum non noxia corpora tardant Terrenique hebetent artus moribundaque membra Those seedes haue fiery vigor and heauenly spring So farre as bodies Lnder not with fulnesse Or earthly dying members clogge with dulnesse Wee neede not to borrow proofes from the heathen Poets wee find them in our selues and the infallible trueth of God hath spoken it that in vs there dwells no goodnesse Rom. 7. And further the same Apostle saith Wee are all sold vnder sinne And There is none that doth good no not one If our nature be thus corrupt how can it produce any thing but that which is euill The barren heart is the ground of my discourse And according to the common distinction of euill here is a double euill in this barren and bad soile Vnum quodmalus facit One euill which the wicked man doth and then alterum quod malum patitur another euill which hee suffers The euill that hee doth is here the meditation to sinne or as my text saith a heart prepared to sinne The euill that he suffers is the corruption of nature which sauours nothing but vice The Philosopher said that the earth was a naturall mother vnto weedes but a stepmother vnto herbs It is true in this earth man by a procliuity of his owne naturall inclination is apt to produce all manner of euill but can bring foorth no good God must first play the husbandman with him There is no Farmer that so labours his ground as God must our hearts Wicked men are bad earth and base minded and naturally sinke downewards yea with a dull and ponderous declination All his actions haue a low obiect not out of humilitie but of base deiection Apollonius reporteth one strange thing among the rest of his reports That there was a people which could not see in the light but in the darke A strange report yet it is here true by experience The wicked cannot see any thing in the light of grace they haue their light onely in the darkenesse of nature for they here see and vnderstand through the darke cloudes of nature No maruell then if their heartes bee set vpon sinne when they can see nothing but euill Neither is God in this any way causa Peccati eitheir because his whole nature is corrupted or in with holding grace from him For the first the wise man cleareth God saying This haue I learned that God made man righteous but he hath found out many inuentions For how could a good cause produce an euill effect A Deo perfecto nihil malum nihil turpe est saith the Heathen From God that is perfect commeth neither euill nor foule thing Deus malorum causa non est cum bonus sit God is not the authour of euill when he himselfe is most good But as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Perditio tua ex te Distruction is of thy selfe O Israel As God is not the cause of this corrupted nature and so not the cause of sinne so God is not vniust in withholding his grace from the wicked as some heretickes haue reasoned in this manner Priuatio est a Deo to be depriued is from God Priuatio est Peccatum To be depriued is sinne ergo peccatum est a Deo sinne is from God But this is easily answered for it doth not followe because we can doe nothing without grace that therefore God is bound to giue it Indeed we are bound to serue him but he is not bound to bestow his grace vpon vs it may be illustrated thus The King can raise a begger to great honour is hee therefore bound to doe it no man will conclude it So it is with God if he bestowe his grace vpon this man it is his mercy towards him if he doe it not to another it is none iniustice to him For his grace is free I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shewe mercy and will haue compassion on him on whom I will haue compassion So though man be corrupted God in no wise is the cause of his corruption Then this nature being so corrupt seeth and tasteth nothing but that which is euill A second cause or reason proceedeth from Sathan for hee sitteth in the heart of the wicked as a Prince vpon his throne commanding the same how and when he will This way and that way as the winds doe the Sedars in Libanus As the Apostle Paul saith They are taken prisoners by him to doe his will He is a workeman that is neuer without employment for them The diuell by the testimony of our Lord is the Prince of this world Note then his Monarchy is great and his kingdome bigger then the kingdome of Christ. For broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many runne that way But narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe walke that way If his kingdome bee so great no maruell if his employments be so many euery subiect therein is a great States-man for he is of the priuy counsell and there is neuer a day but there is a consultation between the Deuill and the heart of a wicked man The Deuill cannot be without the least of these but with great danger to his kingdome There is a two-fold cable-roape where by the Deuill drawes their hearts vnto sinne The first is the profit of sinning Come cast in thy Lot with vs we will finde riches and also fill our houses with spoyles Sinne neuer comes emptie handed for if it dyed we would reiect it We haue all earned Iudas his lesson which is Quid dabis And thus much doth the Apostle intimate in the Romanes where he saieth What profit had yee then in those things Hereby shewing that the end of sinning was the game of profit The second is pleasure and delight of this speaketh the Apostie in his second Epistle to the Thessalonianst They tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And this is that that aggrauates a mans sinne to sinne and then to take pleasure in it Thus hee bindes two sinnes together 1. 2 finne to doe it 2. a sinne to loue it So the Diuell began with Adam and Euah to tempt them to sinne by the pleasure of sinne saying Yee shall bee as Gods knowing good and euill In many arts the more-skilfull the more ill-full Armis polentior astus Fraude goes beyond force Thus Sathan hath stollen trueths garment and put it on errors backe And so because the wayes to hell are full of greene pathes and tempting pleasures many runne apace till they come to their owne place with Iudas Sinne is a coach the Diuell is the carter then needes must they goe
therefore pray to God to conuert and amend them Now let vs step among States-men and Clergie-men for trueth for there if any where we are like to find it They will not giue this answere with the Lawyer Non est hic neither doe they thinke a dramme of policie worth an ounce of verity Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Flattery and dissimulation is the way to preferment trueth breedeth but hatred Shall trueth for all this faile here Shall it not dare to shew it selfe but be kept vnder harches as too many vse it the more is the pitie that make merchandile of it and sell it for a little preferment or a meales meate And if it bee so then this is fallow ground and must be plowed vp There is a third fallow ground namely the field of oppression A very bad ground and dangerous to the commonwealth such is the sinne of Engrossery that hoard vp commodities of all sorts and so make a dearth without a scarcity These are worse then the deuill for he had some charity in him labouring to make a plenty where there was a scarcity when hee would haue had Christ to turne stones into bread But these cormorants cause a scarcitie in the midst of plenty in turning bread into stones They haue crafty pates reaching wits and large purses They compasse sea and land as Christ sayth to get all commodities into their hands And when they haue gotten them they sell them as they thinke good not according to the quantity of the commodity but according to the quality of their minds Who makes things deare now not God but deuils incarnate infernall brokers I meane engrossing misers that swarme about this and other the like cities Is not this oppression yea an horrible and cutting oppression eating vp the young and the damme and all at a bitte Euery such engrosser is a murtherer not with a sword of steele but with a sword of dearth it is not his hands but his crueltie that killeth not his force but his craft that wounds vnto death Will you see how he doth it he seekes out for corne gets it into his garner pitches so high a price that it stretcheth out the hearts blood of the poore to reach it who can but attaine to the refuge for his sustenance Is not this murther yes a cruell kinde of murther to starue them to death I haue read of a people that vse to feede their parents when they are in age with fatte meate to choake them but I neuer heard of any that did detaine foodel whereby they might starue the poore It is true that Home malus fera pessima An euill man is the worst wild beast And also as the prouerbe is home homini Lupus man is a wolfe vnto a man It is true in these many haue perished through their crueltie whose blood they shall answere for The engrosser is a thiefe likewise for he steales away the corne that should make the poores-bread not with the power of his arme but by the strength of his purse Hee fightes with a long weapon that reacheth to the foure corners of the land and robbes them in their owne houses before they are aware If neede require they can strike ouer sea and robbe there rather then their garners shall bee emptie These are dangerous theeues They steale more in one commoditie then the high-way theese in all the yeere yet these sit and stare the lawe in the face and no man doth anything vnto them where the high-way thiefe that steales for necessitie is trust vp yet these are greater theeues by diuine lawe and ought of the twaine rather to bee executed But what care these for this they are too rich to be hanged yet they are theeues for all their greatnesse it is not their gold that can buy out their fellonious dealing at the day of Iudgement Like wise euery engrosser is an infidell not trusting God of his word which saith I will neuer faile nor forsake thee And Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of God and then all these things shall bee giuen vnto thee Tush saith the engrosser shall I depend vpon Gods word no one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush A dramme of Mammons wealth is worth a whole once of Gods service O wretches condemned of the very Heathens themselues Estque dei sedes vbiterra vbipontus et aer et calum et virtus superos quid quaerimus vltra Ioue sits where earth where ayre where sea and shoare Where heauen and vertue is why seeke we more I may ioyne with these the inclosers that steale away the poore mens commons from them to make broader their owne territories that they may dwell alone Alone indeed for neither God nor good man shall keepe them company by their good wils These ioyne house to house and lay fielde to fielde whereby there is almost no piace for the poore man to dwell in and very litle or no pasture for their cattle to feede on And sure if it were possible they would leaue them no ayre to breath in These purchase large Lord-ships and goodly monuments if they would continue how should that bee when the first stone of their building is hewen out of the quarry of oppression Of this company are the couetous Patrons which are so infected with the golden dropsie as that their Church doorts will not open without a siluer key Hee that will haue a Church liuing must speake words of golde and also subscribe with a pen of filuer or els he must goe backe againe without Is not this ground of oppression Yes a hard ground and a hard heart Durities est hominis peccatum obduratio indicium 〈◊〉 Harduisse of heart is mans sinne hardening of the heart is Gods indgement And were not their hearts hardened they would not deale with the poore Ministers as they doe much like the princes of Hanun which cut off the garments of Dauids seruants by the buttocks shaued off halse their beards So doe these oppressing Patrons deale with the Ministers cutting off halse their liuings before they can get into them that they haue not sufficient to maintaine themselues with any thinne dyet and simple clothes No matuell is they liue in such penury when they must pay 300. l. for an In-come If I did not know this by experience I would not haue spoken it I thinke these are of the mind of Dionysius who comming into a Temple where images were couered with costly 〈◊〉 of gold and siluer These sayd hee are too heauy for summer and too coole for winter and so taking them away clothed them with Lincy-woolcy These sayth hee are colder for Summer warmer for Winter So deale these with vs thinking a coate of Lincy-woolcy good enough if not too good for vs. Much like the custome which is as O doricus affirmes of a people that in their sacrifice they feed their gods with the
from man it is damnable to reb God for the thest is so much the greater by how 〈◊〉 God is greater then man and spiritual riches better then temporall Let Dauid be brought foorth for the condemnation of these which concludeth that it is a greater sinne to robbe a poore man then a rich Where Dauid concludeth that hee that had stollen the poore mans sheppe should die you may apply it thus Man is rich God is poore for man hath six dayes allowed him God but one what a shame is it then to steale that one day from God and to appropriate the same to our owne pleasure O great ingratitude that cannot be content to allowe that vnto God which cost thee nothing what wouldest thou doe if it should cost the somewhat hauing sixe dayes canst thou not finde in thy heart to let God haue that one day that hee hath reserued to himselfe What wouldest thou doe if God had taken sixe to himselfe and giuen thee but one yet euen then it had beene a sinne to haue taken any part of those daies from him hen much more now Sinne is tollerable in none and lesse tollerable in some The poore hath no law to prophane the Saboath much lesse the rich These are rich if not too rich and what neede haue veluet coates to steale the Saboath or any part thereof from God These are silken theeues and rather then they will abate any thing the Saboath shall goe to wracke God shall be dishonoured and his word despised If I should tell you that there were man slaughter euery Saboath day in the Exchange you would abhorre it but I say vnto you there is worse for the Saboath day is broken a greater sinne then murther But these will appologise for themselues that it is after they haue beene at the Church well grant it be so yet tell me whether that be not a breach of the law to wound a man though he kill him not or to couzen by craft though he robbe not by force or to lust though the adultery be not committed So then I conclude though we prophane not the whole day yet if any part thereof be prophaned it is a breach of the precept And that it may appeare so turne your considerations to that of Esay Wherein the Lord teacheth vs two things 1. negatiuely a. affirmatiuely Negatiuely he doth dehort vs from two things the one is externall that we should doe no actions belonging to this temporall life either of profit or of pleasure saying Turne away thy foote and speake no vaine word Thus as he doth prohibite the externall prophanation of it so he doeth the internall prophanation also Namely that we should not thinke our owne thoughts And affirmatiuely he commaundeth the sanctifying of the Saboath saying if thou turne away thy foote one the Saboath from doing thine owne will on mine holy day and call the Saboah a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word That you may see the greatnes of this sinne note how the holy Ghost makes this the marke and period of a wicked man Then the land shall enioy her Saboaths Hereby shewing that the wicked are ripe in their wickednesse when they beginne to prophane the Saboath With this compare the saying of Amos. Though they were wicked and cruell and greedy after gaine in the selling of their wares yet would they stay till the Saboath was past Hereby shewing that the breach of the Saboath is a greater sinne then the destruction of the poore You will say that these are strangers that haue their inambulation in the Exchange Well it is so and what of that shall they haue a tolleration thereby to prophane the Saboath Remember that God made one lawe for the Iewe and the stranger and by my consent if they will not be obedient to our law they should haue no benefit by it but I must leaue them to authoritie I haue almost done with the subiect there is but one field more But how is my heart oppressed with sudden passion to transport you into this fielde sowne with a shewe of puritie a hot profession of religion and I hope also with vprightnesse of heart yet there are dangerous teares of murmuration that are ready to choake this good corne and of necessitie must be plowed vppe I speake not this to dull the edge of your profession but rather to sharpen your loue and to ripen your iudgement in true godlinesse For non auditores sed factores legis not the hearers of the lawe shall bee iustified but the doers nec eadem profitentes sed eidem obedientes not professors but performers shall bee glorified Thinke not that I am so far void of charity to condemne these as hypocriticall mocke-gods that altogether run out of the way but steppe aside with one foote whereas they should turne neither to the right hand nor to the left Giue me leaue to say as the holy Ghost saith to the Church of Ephesus I knowe thy workes thy labour and thy patience and thy faith I knowe these haue the fruite of the spirit they are diligent to heare the word conscionable to keepe the Sabbaoth vsing holy exercises in their samilies and hauing a great measure of prayer the Lord increase it an hundred fould more then it is Yet I haue somewhat against them They are too vnnaturall children speaking euill of their mother and those that are in authoritie darting forth male volent speeches slanders and imputations against the gouernours and gouernment both of our Church and common-wealth and disgorging themselues to the great scandall of Religion and griefe to our Clergie Shall the poyson of aspes bee found vnder your tongues you that should defend vs by your speech to offend vs in your words One blowe of you Israelites wounds vs deeper then an hundred stripes of the Edomites If it had beene our enemines that had done vs this dishonour we could well haue endured the same But it is you O professors I that haue lifted vp your hilles against vs. O let me say as God saide by Hosea Though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Iuda sinne Though Papistes seeke to blowe vs vp the Brownistes to forsake vs the Deuill to tempt vs the flesh to rebell the world to allure and the wicked to perfecute vs yet let not zealous professors reuile vs let not Iehosephat ioyne with Ahab and take part with the enemies of the Lord least a curse follow It seemes strange vnto me to see how our endeuours are rewarded with vngratefulnesse Be we learned eloquent powerfull zealous painefull and godly in life yet all our labours are requited with a depart from vs we know you not Why Because we are conformalists so that one herbe of this kinde shall spoyle the whole pot of pottage Our conformitie to established orders shall dull the edge
prerogatiue that belongs to God to know the heart The difference stands thus Other men know nothing of our heart our selues know somewhat and God knowes all that may bee knowen There is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it O Lord and there is nothing hid from thee O God saith Dauid Yet euery man knows somewhat of his owne heart I know saith Paul Rom. 7 that in mee there dwelles no goodnesse This made him to crie out so bitterly not against others but against himselfe This is a true saying that Christ came into the world to saue finnert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us ago 〈◊〉 Whereof I am the chiefe because hee knew his owne heart and not the hearts of others And from his owne experience teacheth the same to others Proue your selues know yee not your owne selues which not to know were very strange And as euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart and therefore the fittest to be his owne plowman so likewise euery man is to be saued by his owne faith and grace The iust shall liue 〈◊〉 in his faith Other mens faith may doe vs good by way of exhortation to build vs 〈◊〉 in the wayes of godlinesse But it is our owne actuall faith that might saue vs for as the Apostle saith If thou beleeue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy heart not in my heart for that will not saue thee Therefore as it was said to Dauid To thy house O Dauid so I say to thine owne heart O man haue a speciall care But for all this that hath been spoken doth not God impose too great a worke vpon vs which neither we nor our forefathers were able to beare It is beyond our power and arte This is ars aritum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arte of arte and the gouernement of soules It is open Dei as Christ doth witnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the works of God that ye beleeue Why then doth God impose the same vpon vs Not because wee are causa efficions but because wee are causa materialis Therefore as Iohn saith Let vs looke to our selues for surely it is a worke very necessary to bring the plowe home to our owne hearts Many will be busie Bishops in other mens Diocesse spending their time in other mens ground and suffering their owne to be barren There be many Arguses in these dayes with an hundred eyes apiece that can quickly espie the moates that are in other mens eyes but cannot feele the beames that are in their owne Peter will bee medling in Iohns affaires yet without thankes for Quidest hoc tibi What is that to thee The Pharises would wash the hands of Christ and yet their owne hearts were foule filthy and odious A preposterous kinde of zeale to begin where we should make an end I deny not but this is to be done yet not to leaue the other vndone As in Dauid we see a worthy example hereof Before he purged the land hee cleansed his house and before his house he purified himselfe Obserue his proceeding at the second verse he saith I will walke betham lebabi in the perfection of my heart And then at the 7. verse he saish No wicked person shall abide in mine bouse And then in the 8. verse-he beginnes to purge the land Thus you may behold the three steppes to perfection First his heart then his family lastly the realme Excellent proceeding to keepe Sessions at home within the heart and to be executers of our owne sinnes Niru lachem 〈◊〉 now fallowe your fallowe It is a good lesson for vs that are to plowe vp your fallowe first to turne vp our owne we must not be like the sonnes of Eli 1. Sam. Least we cause the Gospell to bee euill spoken of our name and office must agree we are called lux 〈◊〉 by our vocation and wee must be lumen in 〈◊〉 by life and conuersation Then may we as wee must the better plowe vp your fallowe ground Crie aloude spare not lift vp thy voyee like a trumpet shewe my people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes There is nothing so necessary and more commendable then reprehension if it be seasonable and reasonable I thinke none ought to be more wisely bold then vs Ministers for sinne is bold saucy and presumptuous O miserable when hoot sinners and coole Ministers meete when the one sort is infected with burning feuers and the other with shakinge agues And when they that should lift vp their voyces like a trumpet doe but whisper through a trunke Nihil interest scoleri an faueas an perpetras There is no difference whether thou fauour a wicked action or commit it Dauid hath a song of two parts like Ianns with his two faces I will sing mercy and iudgement wee must vse Leuitiues preseruatines and restoratiues with Paul We beseech you to be reconciled to God 2. Cor. 5. 19. But if this will not serue to rowse these sleepers out of the dead sleepe of sinne but that they will be still as worldly as Demas enuious as Caine couetous as Iudas treacherous as Absolon and as stony-hearted as Pharaoh the text of mercy befits not these but the sword of iudgement The learned haue compared the soure Euangelists to the foure beasts in Ezekiel 10. 14. comparing Marke vnto a Lion because hee begins with the thundering voice of the Law crying in the wildernesse repent When sinnes be crying sinnes wee must become crying preachers Esay cries and Ieremie weepes and we must not be sparing in reprehension Where men are bold in sinning preachers must be bold in reprouing We must put on yron foreheads to reprooue such as haue whorish faces cut them to the quicke This is the way that they may bee cured with the good Surgeon to cut out the dead flesh It is a smarting corasiue yet a healing plaister as Ierome saith Dum pungit 〈◊〉 Whiles that it 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not if euer there were a time for this now is the age where shamefastnosse hath left the stage and presumption now actech her part desperation attending ready to shut vp all with a dreadfull catastrophe Sinne wounding the conscience accusing hell gaping and God striking the land being ouerspread with sinnes Caines murther Pharaohs hardnesse Naboths churlishnesse and Amnons incest We haue spent much time in plowing vp this fallowe ground yet the profit I hope will more then equalize our paines the sinnes haue beene cited a iurie pannelled they sound guiltie and are condemned by the great Iudge of heauen and earth What remaines then but that you the magistrates see them executed wee can but plowe them by the word it is you that must plow with the sword you are put in trust to see the king of heauen his lawes obserued the righteous defended the oppressed relieued and the offenders punished Solan being asked what best preserued a common-wealth answered
themselues as the affections of men are to be viewed Witnesseth that of Marke where the widowes two Mites were more regarded then the abundance of the rich men because they came from the heart Good things done with an euill minde are but splendida peccata glorious sinnes Wherfore God said O that there were an heart in this people to keepe my Commandements for where there is no heart in the action there is no faith if no faith it cannot bee well done 3. It must be done with readinesse Wee must imitate the Angels which are said to haue wings to note out their readines in executing the will of God God will haue his worke done when hee commands not when wee please While it is called to day harden not your hearts It was the saying of Christ to Zaeheus Come downe at once Delayes must not be made in Gods seruice but as Christ said in another case vnto Iudas That thou doest doe it quickly 4. And lastly must bee faithfulnesse to doe all that that God commaunds and no more for to doe lesse then God doeth commaund is disobedience and to doe more is meere presumption and will worship It was Dauids care and resolution to haue respect vnto all his commaundements Thirdly that it be righteous it must bee done to a good ende for to doe good workes and not to a good ende is either vaine-glory or meere hypocrisie as to instance it thus It is a good worke to giue almes to feede the hungry and cloath the naked But if these be done to be commended of men or for the obtaining of credit rather then for the good of the common wealth it is not commendable So we may say it is bonum in respect of the acte but not bene in respect of the ende Therefore to doe good workes to a good end take these three things along with you 1. That they be propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God That is that the loue and zeale to Gods glory constraine vs hereunto as the Apostle speaketh doe all that ye doe to the glory of God 2. That they bee propter nostram salutem for our saluation 3. That they bee done to the good and profit of others as the Apostle teacheth that euery thing may minister grace vnto the hearers for whatsoeuer is done is not right quod non conducit ad praepositam vtilitatem which belongs not to an intended profit Thus you see the word of righteousnesse that it must be the rule of all our actions as also you see the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them Now before I let you passe from this part I would haue you to marke how our aduersaries doe slander vs saying that the Church of England teacheth faith without good works and giueth libertie to sinne being a doctrine of liscenciousnesse to all impietie insomuch that many are kept from vs by reason of these slanders falsely laide vpon vs. The consideration whereof at the first sight seemes like a great mountaine yet after deliberation it is lesse then a moule-hill For if they so blaspheme the holy word of God it is no wonder they thus slander vs. Besides it hath beene an vsuall thing with them of olde thus to slander the people of God They accuse Wickliffe that he should say that Luther did hold magistrates not lawfull that Caluin saide that Christ dispaired on the Crosse that Beza was turned to popery and so died who was then aliue and by his owne wryting prooued them lyers that Caluin fell into blasphemy with many more of the like nature But to bring this home to their doores to pay them with their owne coyne and to beate them with their owne weapons for doe not they themselues teach a doctrine of liscentiousnesse yes vnspeakeable villaynies both countenanced and canonized for worthies as murthers rapes periuries adulteries and the like as the sruite of such a diabolicall Religion Thus much for the subiect Righteousnesse now followes the propertie of the worke which is to sowe The second part of the seede-time SOwe to your selues in right consnesse The propertie of the worke is now to be obserued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sow sowing is sometimes taken for casting of seede into the ground as thou shalt not sowe the ground with mingled seede some time for preaching of the word the sower went out to sowe and sometime for our actions and so it is here yet we will not fall into the error of Pelagius A Deo habemus quod homines sumus a nobis ipsis autem quod insti sumus wee are beholding to God that we are men but vnto our selues that we are good men But the contrary is God both makes vs and makes vs good men and then being good wee labour to doe well That is as my text saith to sowe good workes as the wise man exhorts Babokar zerang eth-zargnaeca Betimes sowe thy seede That is betimes doe good and he giues the reason The sower of righteousness shall bee truely rewarded Mans life is a continuall sowing either good or bad seede the seede is the worke the ground God and man and the doing or acting is the sowing The metapher holds well for first wee knowe that the husbandman casteth his seede into the ground couers it with earth there it rots and seemes to perish as though he should neuer haue good of the same and thus would a man iudge that knowes not what belongs to that art and that he were foolish to cast his seede into the earth vpon so hopelesse a gaine Euen so the sowing of good and charitable workes seemes to be lost because we see not the fruite of our labour as Iohn noteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet it appeareth not what wee are Therefore Salomon compareth this sowing vnto the casting of bread vpon the waters which at the first seemeth to perish And this is the estate of the godly they pray fast giue almes honour God loue man obserue his lawes doe his commaundements with the like yet what is to be seene of all this What profite hath a man of all his labours saith Salomon Where is the destinction of good and bad they seeme to bee all one yet Caine and Abel in one field Cam and Iapha in one arke Ismael and Isaake in one family Esau and Iacob in one wombe Peter and Iudas in one company teares and wheate growne together in one field good and euill are not yet diserned And doe not then our labours seeme to bee lost May we not say with Esay I haue laboured in vaine So the world iudges and we in some sort finde for our life is yet hid with God in Christ Onely wee haue some peace of conscience that the world see a not and the loue of God which it knoweth not But we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him as the Apostle Iohn saith and much like those verses which we read of Pithagoras
story of the Gospel to bee true but for to assure a man of that which he beleeues to be true that they are his And this will appeare to be so by the Etymologie of this Theologicall faith considered either in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine in the Hebrew it is called amunah which commeth of aman which is firme and sure And therefore the Apostle doth vse this word to confirme the promises of God saying All the promises of God are in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in the Syriack amin And hereupon it is that the Church hath appoynted this word to bee said at the end of all prayers nay God himselfe appoynted the same when the people were to be blessed they were to answere and say Amen Also this word Amen signifies a nourcery where trees are planted Faith is the nourcery where the trees of Gods promises grow And so to goe from aman to omen and then to omeneth which is in the feminine gender so that faith is both the nource and the nourcery And as the Etymologie of faith in the Hebrew confirmes the trueth of this doctrine so wee shall see the same in the Greeke For faith in the Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the third Praeterperfect tense Passiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am perswaded the actiue verbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Praeterperfect tense meane is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I perswade my selfe And so you reade of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am perswaded that neither life nor death shall separate mee from the loue of God in Christ. So that according to this Etymologie of faith it is then a certaine perswading of a mans selfe of the promises of God The Etymologie thereof according to Latine is the same with the former Fides comes of fio or as Cicero saith of fiendo which signifies doing For the thing we beleeue is done and made firme vnto vs. And hereupon saith Chrysostome Therefore wee are called faithfull that we should without doubting beleeue these things that are said And to adde the saying of Augustine He which doubteth in faith is an Insidell Faith then is the euidence of things hoped for and he that hath it must needs haue assurance of glory Secondly if saluation be of faith then it must be while faith is in vse that we may attaine to this saluation Now it is manifest that Iustus ex fide viuet the iust shall liue by faith Which saying is taken out of the Prophet Habakkuk the iust must liue in his faith The meaning is that our saluation is by beleeuing as the instrumentall cause thereof But now faith indures but this life as the Apostle notes the difference betweene faith hope and loue The chiefe is loue for that remaineth with vs for euer in glory Hope goes to the graue yet leaues vs not there but like Peter followeth vs into the high Priests hall I meane into heauen and there remaineth till the day of iudgement Now faith is of shorter continuance and attends vs as a good seruant to the graue and there leaues vs so that after death there is no faith Therefore seeing saluation is of faith and faith but onely in this life it followes that while wee are in the kingdome of grace we are assured of glory If now bee the time of faith and the saluation of the soule be the reward of faith who doubteth then of the assurance of saluation while he is here in this world There are yet other good arguments to prooue that this assurance of glory is in this life viz 〈◊〉 wee lost saluation and here we must finde it againe Mee thinkes that place of the Apostle may be applyed to this and it shall be saide in the place where it was saide yee are not the sonnes of God yee are the sonnes of God Where the wound began the cure was made where death emred there life proceeded Againe in this world we were redeemed now it is fit that where redemption is wrought there assurance should be sealed And here note how answerable the worke of redemption was to the fall of Adam viz Adam sinned in eating Christ suffered in fasting Adam sinned in the spring Christ suffered in the spring Adam sinned in a garden Christ suffered in a garden here Adam lost all and here Christ hath recouered all where wee are redeemed there wee are sealed and where we are sealed there we are assured There is good vse to be made of this doctrine first against the Papist who say that men cannot be assured of this haruest and call the remission of sinnes vaine and of all confidence the hardest and remote and fides daemoniorum non Apostolornm the faith of Deuils not Apostles And this confidence in the promises of God belongs rather ad presumptionem non ad fidem to presumption and not to faith And here let vs see the Scriptures they confirme this their deuillish doctrine by and the first is this Who can say my heart is cleane not that there is none cleane but no man knowes when his heart is cleane Ergo no man can be assured of saluation But to this it may bee answered 1. the wise man speaketh against such as thought themselues to bee meritorious and free from sinne 2. Bee it granted that no man hath a cleane heart free from it yet he doeth not inferre hereupon therefore he cannot be assured of saluation 3. If none but such as are pure from sinne can bee assured of saluation then their Priests are not assured as they say Againe no man knoweth whether hee bee worthy loue or hatred therefore a man cannot be assured of saluation But this place speakes not of any inward cōfort and assurance of glory but of outward estate by the outward estate of man it is not to be knowne who is loued or hated of God because the assurance of saluation is not in outward worldly prosperitie but in the inward grace of the spirit so this place is nothing to prooue no assurance of saluation Againe they bring the saying of the Apostle worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Ergo where there is feare there can be no assurance but doubtfulnesse But marke what feare this is 1. Feare your carnall presumption by which you thinke to be in the state of grace and are not feare this 2. Feare to fall into error and to be deceiued by the craftinesse of men wherby they lay in waite to deceiue feare these 3. Feare in regard of the reuerence to God but no feare in doubtfulnesse of saluation To conclude if this be the best proofe that they can bring to confirme their doctrine the foundation is weake their arguments like ropes made of sand and the building cannot long stand To turne my selfe from them to you and reproofe into matter of exhortation whether you
ages had beene spent in sinne euen from the dayes of Ieroboam till the dayes of Hosea notwithstanding all the Prophets exhortations Esaiah cried Ieremy wept Amos roared and yet are they still in sinne which for qualitie were great and for countenance long and therefore time it is to seeke the Lord. Therefore the longer we haue continued in sinne the more cause haue we himselfe Wash thy heart Ierusalem and this is drawne from the continuance in sinne How long shall wicked thoughts remaine within thy heart and how long wilt thou goe astray The like argument is vsed by Peter for he saith it is sufficient that wee haue spent the former time in sinne Thus long continuance in sinne must be an argument vnto vs to cause vs the more willingly to turne to the Lord. First propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God For by how much the more we are wicked and sinfull by so much the more is Gods mercy seene in the pardon therof As Moses saide if thou pardon this sinne then shall thy mercy appeare And there is nothing wherein Gods mercy doeth more manifest it selfe then in this and the greater the sinne is the greater is his mercy which forgiues it Secondly propter nostram consolationem for our consolation for the more sinnefull the more iudgements are prepared What is to bee done now to flye with Ionas from the Lord that is not the way with the fish to leape out of the panne into the fire but with the prodigall sonne to returne to the Lord that wee may not come into that place of torment The Lord hath two heraulds of conuersion and obedience namely mercy and iudgement promises and threates aut sequeris aut traheris either drawing vs or following vs and vse is made of both wherein it will not bee amisse to borrow Horace his verse Oderunt peccare boni vertutis amore Oderunt peccare mali formidime penae The good from offence vertues loue doe detaines The euill to offend feare of paine doth restraine These are two good schoole-masters the one serues a free horse the other a dull iade Where Gods mercy will not alure there his iudgements must compell and therefore the greatnesse of our sinne should cause vs the sooner to seeke the Lord that so we may escape the greatnes of his iudgements Here giue mee leaue to cut the vlcer of this sinne in the wicked which haue not drunke their fill of iniquitie and yet you may see the vlceration of these men The saying of Dauid is reuiued againe Fourtie yeeres long haue I been grieued and yet still doe they continue in sinne to heape wrath vpon wrath Sinne is said to be darkenesse and tenebrae commeth of tenendo to hold for the wicked are held with the chaine of sinne that they thinke creation a fable incarnation infallible redemption improbable election vnprofitable resurrection vnpossible And then it followes that there is neither heauen nor hell so that Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla volupt as Eate drinke and be merrie for after death there is no pleasure Thus doe they diuulge their Satanicall suggestions These speake stoatly walke proudly and liue wickedly therefore high time to leaue it O that there should be any soules so traduced by any infernall spirits their reason so blinded their vnderstanding so darkened and their saluation so endangered as still to remaine in sinne Surely these sinners are in a dead sleepe of finne that neither Aarons belles Solomons songs nor Isaiahs trumpet can awaken them Thou hast smitten them yet haue they not felt it If the wound be such that it neuer causeth smart if it neuer ake nor grieue it is but dead flesh and to be cut off Therefore it is to bee feared that these are gone too farre downe to the chambers of death There are but seuen steps to the bottome and they are on the last The first Importabile cumbersome then graue heauie then leue light then insensibile past feeling after this comes delectabile delight and ioy then followes defiderabile desire to finne and the last step is defensibile defence of sinne And here are the men of this age making an apologie for sinne as drunkards with a weakenesse in the head gluttony with good fellowship adultery with a tricke of youth couetousnesse with good husbandry and murder with manhood Such are the prodigious sinners of our time that they haue some cloake to put on sinnes backe and are themselues become a fit dish for the Deuils table For Sinne is the gate to death but to defend sinne is the next steppe to bell And seeing these are going with Iudas to their owne place let mee speake one word for their farewell which is that seeing they could find no end of sinning while they were here they shall haue no end of torments when they are there their curse shall be proportioned there answerable to their sinnes here For for euery ounce of vanitie they wall haue a pound waight of torment Cursed of God whose curse is Poenarum inflictio the punishment of affliction cursed in themselues which is conscientia cruciamen the torment of conscience cursed of the deuils which is Poenarum executio the execution of punishment and cursed of the damned which is Poenarum aggrauatio the augmentation of punishment Thus they shall turne from Snakes to Addars from both to Scorpions and from all to the vnquenchable flames Then will they crie when it is too late And here I cannot but tell you what Herodotus tels me of one that came to the water and played with his pipe but the fishes would not dance then he castin a net and tooke them out and layd them on the ground and then they could dance but the man made this answere when I played you would not dance but now you dance I will not play There is a good morall to bee made of it for God hath piped and mad a melodious sound in the preaching of his word offering his mercies vnto vs but we would neuer dance after this pipe Wherefore when wee would dance God will not play but answere vs thus when I pro ered mercy you refused the same now you seeke mercie I will denie it And therefore seeke the Lord for it is time in regard of your continuance in sinne And here let neither the greatnesse of sinne nor the long continuance in the same hinder our turning to God for were our sinnes as crimson yet shall they bee as snowe saith the Lord. And how can it goe ill with vs when there are infinite mercies to finite sinnes His mercies are deeper then Hell broader then the Earth and higher then Heauen Therefore obserue for your comfort your persons are not so wicked nor your sinnes so great but you may see the like entred the gates of heauen Art thou a drunkard looke vpon Lot Art thou a murderer looke vpon Dauid Art thou a swearer looke vpon Peter Art
sake Yet we must say with Peter Thinke not that we by our owne power or godlinesse haue done you this good No it is the spirit and grace of God And therefore we must say with Dauid Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs sednomini tuo da gloriam but to thy Name giue the glory For the principall praise belongs to God Secondly bee not forgetfull of that which Salomon teacheth Take heede to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God Goe not to heare Gods word without the performance of this dutie to pray to God for his grace that the word may bee made fruitfull vnto you And hence it is that the Church hath appointed prayer to be made before Sermons that the word may be blessed vnto the hearers It is not to bee forgotten how God would haue the place of Diuine seruice vpon a mountaine to teach the people that while their bodies went vp to the Temple to heare the Lawe their soules should goe vp to heauen by prayer And therefore as Christ saith in another kinde That which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Thirdly if you would haue this raine of grace to fall vpon you keepe vnder the clouds the Ministers of Gods word For by and in the hearing of the same doth God raine downe these showres of his grace For on as many as heard the word did the holy Ghost fall Often his word goes without grace but his grace neuer goes without the word We are called Starres and they are called Stellae of Stando to stand Ministers must bee like them confined to their stations not gadding and wandering Meteors Comets portending delusion to others and confusion to themselues Starres are also called Sidera and haue that name of Considerando taking heede for of them Astronomers take heede and also ship-men by sea Such and much more heed ought you to take of vs for you must seeke the Law at our mouth and by that the spirit this gratious raine Lastly it is said to raine to teach vs what abundance of this grace and mercie hee will bestow vpon vs Solomon saith his name is Shemen turak is as oyle powred out Answerable hereunto saith God I will powre out my spirit Gods mercies are like himselfe infinite so sayth Dauid I know no end thereof they are deeper then the sea larger then the earth and higher then heauen Hoc mirum hoc magnum And haue not wee had good experience of this loue and fauour of God yea Here is no complaining in our streetes no leading into captiuity our children like oliue plants about our tables And hereunto are added the word and Sacraments with other spirituall blessings the milke of exhortation the wine of compunction and the oyle of consolation Thus mercie doth compasse vs on euery side his patience in forbearing his mercie in forgiuing and his constancie in continuance Hee might haue strucken vs with death for one lye with Ananias stoned vs for one wedge of gold with Achan and cast vs out of heauen for one ambition with the deuill But O the tender mercy of God that such sinnes for number so many for qualitie so great and for continuance so long should haue fauour with God In hoc demonstratur virtus potentia Deinarratur Herein is the vertue and power of God declared Let this teach vs that are Ministers to raine down the words of exhortation and admonition you that are magistrates to raine down execution of iustice betweene man and man and you inferiour people to raine downe mutuall dutie one to another The second branch of righteousnesse WE are almost got to the hauen of happinesse and safely arriued in our countrey we haue but this Righteousnes to passe ouer and then we are at home Pareus vpon this word saith that God would teach them Righteousnesse that was to flee hypocrisie for they were giuen much thereto so saith Esay God will haue no compassion on them Quia omnis hypocritaest For euery one is an hypocrite And I could wish that this guilded deuill had not got shipping for England and lande likewise But he walkes inuisible and dares not be seene it may be sometime he is in the countrey among their cold paulsies and shaking agues sometime in the City with our burning feuers and firie zeale the inflamations and impostumes of hypocrisie And were it as odious to man as it were abominable to God it would quickly be banished out of the land Others vnderstand this Righteousnesse Pro misericordia Dei For the mercy of God as Dauid saith Shewe thy louing kindnesse to them that know thee Et iust itiam tuam ad 〈◊〉 corde and thy righteousnesse to the vpright of heart Then the meaning of this is that God will raine downe his mercy vpon vs in the pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes Huge doth handle it thus and saith that Misericordia est quasi fons in affectu Mercy is as the fountaine in the heart and affection and miseratio quasi riuulus in effectu Bountie is as the riuer flowing foorth to the outward action And this is that which God here promiseth I will raine righteousnesse vpon you This word tsedek Righteousnesse is of a great latitude What good is there which will not be brought within this cōpasse It is either creata iustitia or increata iustitia Created iustice or vncreated iustice vncreated Righteousnesse is Deus ipse But we disputenot of this righteousnes Created righteousnes is the creature and is Legall and Euangelicall but iustitia legalis cannot be showred downe vpon vs for the vertual power of that is gone It is Iustitia Euangelij that must doe vs good which may bee deuided thus 1. a righteousnesse of iustification 2. a righteousnesse of sanctification So Sedulius The righteousnesse of God is sanctification by faith and remission of sinnes Righteousnesse of iustification is Remissio siue absolutio A remission or absolution first a veccate secondly amorte from sinne and death Then followes imputatio iustitii an imputation of righteousnesse God remooueth away the guilt putting righteousnesse in place thereof and couering vs with the righteousnesse of Christ. For he is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for which righteousnesse the Apostle prayeth that he may be found in him hauing this righteousnesse on him Thus all the faithfull are truely iustified from all their sinnes yet non vt non sit in nobis peecatum sed non imputetur not that wee are cleared from hauing sinne in vs but that it is not imputed vnto vs for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This righteousnesse standeth thus FIrst misericordia gratia Dei the meroy and grace of God vt causa principali impulsina in Deo as the principall impulsiue cause in God for his onely mercy mooued him He so loued