obey not his gospell Now q Ioh. 14. 15 if ye loue me saith Christ keepe my commandements and againe r Ioh. 15. 14. ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoeuer I commaund you and againe he saith Å¿ Ioh. 14. 23 if a man loue me he will keepe my words And therefore the word of exhortation and dutie of lip-feeding being one of his especiall commandements so frequently inculcated as wee haue heard He that saith he loueth him though he say it againe and againe and call the Lord to witnes for it as t Ioh. 21. 17 Peter did yet if he keepe not this his commaundement v 1 Ioh. 2. 4. he is a lyar and the truth is not in him as S. Iohn saith Secondly whatsoeuer sticketh deepest in the loue of the heart wil soonest bewray it selfe in the vtterance of the tongue for out of the vv Mat 12. 34 abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Why doth the x Psal 37. 30 tongue of the righteous man so talk of iudgmeÌ„t but because the y Vers 31 Law of God is in his heart What made the Prophet Dauid to z Psal 34. 1. 35. 28. blesse the Lord at al times to haue his praise continually in his mouth euen all the day long Why did his a Psal 34. 2 3 soule so make her boast of the Lord and so stirre vp others to magnifie the Lord with him to exalt his name together to b Psal 105. 1 2 3. thanke him to call vpon his name to make knowne his deeds among the people to sing Psalmes vnto him to talke of all his wondrous workes to glory in him Why the Lord was the c Psal 16. 5 portion of his inheritance his d Psal 42. 1. heart panted after him his e Psal 63. 1. soule thirsted for him and his flesh longed for him yea he cals God to witnes to his soule saying f Psal 73. 25 26. Whom haue I in heauen but thee there is none in earth that I desire besides thee my flesh my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart my portion for euer So looke to the spouse in Canticâ—es if Christ be he whom her g Cant. 1. 7. soule loueth if he be the h Cant. 5. 10 cheifest among ten thousand vnto her how frequently doth she i Cant. 1. 12 2. 3. c. talke of him how passionately doth she k Cant. 3. 9 5. 8. aske after him how eloquent is she to discourse of him how potent to l Cant. 5. 9 6. 1. perswade others to enquire after him All the excellencies of Art and Nature the m Cant. 5. 10 13. c. white and â—uddy orient colours the sweete flowers and odoriferous beds of spices gould rings set with berill and pillars of marble set vpon sockets of fine golâ— and the like such as would seeme to others like wonders of nyne dayes to talke of they are not heare of out of her lips but as they may serue her either for resemblances to set forth or as Organes to sound out the beauty and sauour the worth and excellency of her beloued friend whom her souleâ— loueth And if the tongues â— righteous men of the maâ— after Gods heart and of thâ— spouse of Christ be not enough to schoole n Psal 71. 15 or mouthes to shew forth anâ— our o Verâ—â— tongues to talke oâ— the righteousnes and saluâ—tion of our great God anâ— Sauiour euen all the daâ— long as Christ in an otheâ— case p Luk. 16. 8 9 puts vs to learne â— the vniust steward so heere say I learne for shame le ts learne of wordlings of Mammonists of Belly Gods whose q Psal 17. 14 portion is in this life Consider the men of these perillous times that are as S. Paul saith r 2. Tim. 3. 4. louers of pleasures or of riches and of the glory of the world more then louers of God How doth proud Haman crake and vaunte of the Å¿ Hest 5. 11 12 glory of his riches and the height of his promotions and the preheminence he had aboue all others in the Kings fauours and the Queenes banquets How doth the rich foole talke and boast of his t Luk. 12. 17 18 19. plentifull crops of his pulling downe barnes and building greater of disposing all hâ— fruits of his much gooâ— layed vp for many yeareâ— c Yea euery voluptuoâ— faulkener and huntfmaâ—nay euery base pot coâ—panion how doe they in aâ— companies prate and braâ— of the sport the game thâ— good fellowship they thuâ— and thus met withall as â— they had no sweeter nâ— worthier no louelier God to consecrate the fruit â—â— their lips vnto Shall the thus talke and fill theâ— mouthes with discourses euery man of his Idoll hâ—uing nothing else buâ— u Pro. 15. 14 foolishnesse for their mouths to feede on and wâ— hauing for our portion theâ— vv Ioh. 17. 3 only true God and Iesuâ— Christ whom he hath sentâ— the x Tit. 2. 13. great God and our Sauiour whose y Esa 9. 6. name is wonderfull the prince of peace the z Heb. 2. 20. Captaine of our saluation the a 1. Tim 6. 15 blessed and only potentate who hath b Reu. 1. 5. loued and washed vs in his owne bloud and so c 1 Tim. 1. 10 abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the great and glorious mistery of the gospell shall not we d Psal 106. 5 glory with his inheritance and e Psal 105. 2 talke of all his wondrous workes Therefore they shall be f Mat. 12. 27. our iudges and accordingly as our Sauiour foreteils euery man of vs saying g Vers 37. by thy words thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned so shall they who haue so many words to witnesse their loue to their idols h Vers 41. rise vp in iudgment and condemne many a professor for his louelesse silence Thirdly as the glorious and gracious workes of our great God and Sauiour should set our tongues on worke so the reproches indignities blasphemies which wee see and heare daily whereby men i Esa 3. 8. prouoke the eyes of his glory should force vs to break silence and for his names sake wee should not hold our peace if there be any sparke of the loue of his name abiding in vs. Wee know what our Lord saith k Mat. 10. 37 he that loueth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loueth Sonne or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me that is not to be l 2 Thess 1. 5 counted worthy no not by the m Iac. 2. 12. Law of liberty or by the n Rom. 3. 27 Law of faith And accordingly elsewhere he explanes his meaning saying o Luk. 14. 26 if any man come to me
and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children c. so farre forth as they p Psa 139. 21 hate Christ he meaneth he can not be my disciple Now what one of vs that is not q Rom. 1. 3â— without natural affection can keepe silence in seeing and hearing Father or Mother Wife or Child pearced to the heart or trampled vnder feete O how passionately how powerfully r Gen. 44. 17 18 c. pleaded Iudah against the bondage of young Beniamin when he fore-saw how that would euen pearce the heart of his old Father his life being bound vp in the lads life and bring downe the gray haires of his Father with sorrow to the graue How affectionately thinke wee said Dauid Å¿ Sam. 1â— 5 Deale gently for my sake with the young man euen with Absolom when all the people saith the Text heard the King giue all the Captains charge concerning Absolom Was not this young man now an old traytour Yea but he was his Sonne though most vnnaturall and because hee is a childe Dauid cannot cast off the naturall affection of a Father he is perplexed with care with feare of the blow before it fall on him he is sensible of his wounds before they bleede and when he once heareth that he was pearced to death he mournes he weepes he cryeth as if he could speake no other language t Vers 33. O my Sonne Absalom my Sonne my Sonne Absalom would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my Sonne my Sonne So the Mother of that Child which by Kings Salomons sentence was presently to be diuided in two by a sword brought before the King â— a v 1. Reg. 3. 16 c. harlot though she were yet being the true Mother of the liuing child as soone as she saw the sword and heard the sentence pronounced out of her bowels yerning vpon her Sonne how did she presently powre it out with her lips saying vv Vers 23. O my Lord giue her the liuing childe and in no wise stay it What shall naturall loue thus pleade and cry against blowes and strokes and pearcing griefes but yet approching towards our Fathers or children And caâ— wee see and heare our heauenly Father blasphemed yea x â—eu 24. 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pearced and striken through as the y 2. King 18 21. Hab. 3. 14. Hebrew word signifieth with blasphemies and curses and our louing Sauiour z Heb. 10. 28 29. troden vnder foote and a Heb. 6. 6 crucified afresh by wilfull sins and apostacies and shall not our spiritual loue make his case ours as he made ours his shal not our hearts rise our bowels yerne and our tongues powre out and speake in the behalfe of our mercifull redeemer and his Father and ours Wee see how affectionately righteous Lot spake in the behalfe of the two Angels of the Lord whom hee had entertained and how for preuenting the foule indignity tendered to them hee boldly aduentured not only the b Gen. 19. 5 6 7. safety of his owne person but also the c Verse 8. Virginity of his two daughters Likewise young Elibu was so full of d Iob 32. 5. kindled wrath in his makers quarrell that his e Vers 18 19 belly was as wine without vent ready to burst like new bottles and speake he would he saith that hee might be refreshed as if his soule had fainted within him at his long forbearance So Ieremy the Prophet full weary though he were of speaking in the name of the Lord f Ier. 20. 7. 8 because the word of the Lord was made a reproach vnto him and a derision daily so that hee had resolued to make mention of him no more yet he found himself g Verse 9. more weary with forbearing for his word was in his heart as a burning fire shut vp in his bones and hee could not stay And so Dauid the Prophet albeit for h Psal 69. 7. Gods sake he had born such reproach that shame had couered his face yet i Psal 119. 46 would he speake of Gods testimonies before Kings and would not bee ashamed yea so did the k Psal 69. 9. zeale of Gods house eate him vp and the reproaches of them that reproached God were so fallen on him that when his tongue could not preuaile for the honour of Gods name l Psal 119. 136. riuers of waters ranne downe his eyes because men kept not his law Whereunto then shall wee liken the men of this generation whose lips are sealed vp from any such testimonies of the loue and zeale of God They are like a sort of gracelesse children and faithlesse friends who hauing tasted some sweetnesse of profit or pleasure in the society of their friends and parents enemies they can familiarly and ioâ—undly talke and walke conuerse and commerce yea feast and sport with them and in the midst of all this see and heare their friends and Parents spitefully disgraced among them yea trampled vnder feete or stricken through and swallow vp al in sencelesse silence Fourthly and finally let vs heare the Lord pleading his owne quarrell by the Prophet saying m Mal. 1. 6. a sonne honoureth his Father and a seruant his Master if â— then bee a Father where iâ— my honour c. saith the Lord of hosts Now where in shal it be known that we honour God our Father oâ— Christ our Master Shall we come as the n Micha 6. 6. hypocrite saith before the Lord and bow our selues before the high God o Verse 7. will the Lord bee pleased with offerings and such formall complements of religious seruices wherein the hypocrite if he might be beleeued would not spare to p Verse the same giue the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and wherein he will be glorified euen in this that wee q Ioh. 15. 8. beare much fruit and r Dan. 12. 3. Act. 11. 18. 13. 48. turne many to righteousnesse For as Å¿ Pro. 14. 28. in the multitude of the people is the Kings honour so this is as the t Cant. 3. 11. setting of the crowne on the head of the Lord Iesus when now in the day of his espousals euery priuate Christian u 1 Cor. 16 16. Rom. 16. 3 9 men and w Rom. 16. 12. Phil. 3. 3. women labour much in the Gospell and be helpers together with the Preachers that many may bee x 2 Cor. 11. 3. presented as a chast Virgin vnto Christ Now then priuate Exhortation being a helpe to y Iam. 3. 19 20. conuert and z Ioh. 1. 43 44 45. bring others to Christ yea and a meane whereby a a Prou. 9. 9. wise man may bee yet wiser and each b Heb. 10. 23 24 prouoke other to loue and good workes this therefore is a speciall duty whereto al beleeuers must
it ouerswayeth all the rest z Iam. 3. 3. 4 as a Bit in the horses mouth or a Helme in a Ship a Verse 2. and if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body and yet this is not all but chiefly because there is no member like it b Psal 108. 1 3 57. 7 8 9 to glorifie God when it is set on worke by the feruent spirit of Faith as there is none so bad if c Iam. 3. 6. it be set on fire of hell Looke we to it therefore for d Pro. 28. 21 death and life are in the power of the tongue as the wise man speaketh And howsoeuer the wisedome of worldlings e Rom. 8. 7. being enmity against God doth thwart sleight this and iudge of speaking as of f 1 Cor. 2. 18 21 Preaching esteeming it as light as foolishnesse to be put in the ballance with workes high in their esteeme yet a g Mat. 12. 42 wiser then Salomon euen the h Acts 17. 31 man ordained to iudge the whole world and therfore must needes i Gen. 18. 25 iudge anâ— doe right auoucheth thâ— same saying k Mat. 12. 42 by thy worâ— thou shalt be iustified anâ— by thy words thou shalt bâ— condemned What theâ— though thy feete be swift â— l Eccl. 5. 1. goe to the house of God and m Esa 1. 12. treade his courts thy head bowed downe n Esa 58. 5. like â— bulrush or as o Ier. 9. 1. a fountainâ— of water to p Heb. 12. 17 seeke the bleâ—sing with teares thine q Psal 119. 37. eyes turned away from bâ— holding vanity thine earâ— shut from r Psal 15. 3. taking vp a reproach against thy neighbour Å¿ Eph. 4. 2â— thy hands stronâ— to labour and so stretcheâ— out to the needy that thâ— shouldest t 2 Cor. 13 â— bestow all thâ— goods to feede the poorâ— yea and giue thy body to be burned yet with out the right vse of the tongue thou art nothing For if thou refrainest not thy tongue from v Mat. 12. 36. idle words and vv Eph. 4. 29 corrupt communication if thou x Pro. 15. 14 feedest thy owne mouth with foolishnesse in stead of feeding others with thy lips if thou y Ier. 9. 3. bend thy tongue like thy bow for lyes but art not valiant for the truth vpon earth to z Esa 59. 4. call for iustice and pleade for truth if finally a Mat. 12. 35 out of the good treasure of the heart thy tongue bring not forth good thinge that may bee b Eph. 4. 29. good to the vse of edifying thou c Iam. 1. 26. deceiuest thy owne heart in seeming religious and failest in one maine proofe of thy faith which d Iam. 2. 20. one lacking will proue thee no better then a transgressor in alâ— the rest And e Mal. 1. 14. cursed beâ— the deceiuer faith the Lord that hath in his flocâ— a male and voweth and sacrificeth vnto the Lord a corrupt thing The f Hos 14. 2. calueâ— of thy lips not rendred to God proue all the rest but lame sacrifices and thy glory thy tongue I meane the most glorious instrument of Faith wherewith thou shouldest g Iam. 3. 9. blesse God and h Iam. 5. 20. saue thy neighbours soule is i Pro. 3. 27. with-holden from them to whom it is due c what faith or righteousnesse can then be in thee And that herein thou maiest no longer be faithlesse but beleeuing reach thy hand I pray thee to the Scriptures alleadged and search with the k Acts 17. 11 noble Beâ—reans whether these things bee so namely that the m Pro. 10. 21 lips of the righteous feed many but fooles dye for want of wisedome so that no lip-feeder no righteous man And againe n Pro. 28. 4. they that forsake the law praise the wicked but such as keep the law in faith and a good conscience hee meaneth contend with them that is as others praise them with o Psal 12. 2. flattering lips To these p Psal 141. 5 smite them with â—eproofes and so fight or contend with them in batâ—aile as the q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 28. 4 Hebrew word â—ignifieth and as the kings â—ranslators r Deut. 2. 9. 24. else-where render the same Whence we conclude as before no â—ip-feeder no righteous man so here no lip-smâ—ter no beleeuer Wherforâ— Å¿ Pro. 9. 12. if thou be wise be wise â—â—thine owne soule to make sure the euidence of thâ— faith which is thy bresâ— plate Then as t 2 Tim. 2. 3. good souldiers of Iesus Christ ye wiâ—â— u Eph. 6. 17. take the sword of the spirit which is the word oâ— God and therewith teacâ— your tongues to vv 1 Tim 6. fighâ— the good fight of saith noâ— onely x Eph. 6. 12. against flesh and bloud but also against the Principalities and power of darkenesse according to the y Deut. 29. 12. couenant and oaâ— of the Lord your GOD whereinto yee entred by Baptisme And as thus fighting yee z 1 Ioh. 5. 4. haue the victory that ouer commeth the world euen your faith and â—hereby a Heb. 4. 3. enter into rest eâ—en b Mat. 11. 29 rest to your soules which is a heauen vpon â—arth before many of your â—rethren like as the c Iosh 1. 1 5 sonnes of Reuben and Gad had â—heir rest and possession beâ—ore their brethren so yee may not sit still here as â—â— Moses told them and d Num. 3â— â— â—our brethren goe to warre without your assistance â—ut yee must passe armed â—efore your brethren as e Iosh 1. 14. Ioshuah charged the Rouâ—enites and fight for them with the sword of Christs mouth till the Lord haue giuen them rest with you And concerning hope â—t is compared to a helmet because as it secureth the head wherein the braine is seated whence the animall spirits proceede that stiâ— vp the sences and moâ—â— the sinewes of the body so hope is the preseruatiâ—â— of all those spirituall motions whereby the spirit stirreth and groweth in grace Therefore it is called a f 1 Pet. 1. 3. liuely hope because iâ— quickeneth men as thâ— g Acts 26. 7. twelue tribes instantly to serue God And so necessary a thing is hope to the sauing-state of grace that 〈◊〉 were better for our bodieâ— to bee headlesse then ouâ— hearts to be hopelesse Foâ— h Rom. 8. 24 we are saued by hope anâ— i Eph. 2. 12. without hope withouâ— God in the world Now k Heb. 11. 1. faith being the ground oâ— l Rom. 10. 17 thingâ— hoped for and faitâ— comming by the word oâ— God heard where we haue no word of promise to beâ—eue there I can haue no â—â—pe to waite for What â—â—erefore
thee r Psal 91. 11. who haue charge ouer thee to guard thee in all thy wayes Yea the Å¿ Psal 121. 4 5. Lord himselfe that keepeth Israell and neither slumbereth nor sleepeth will be thy keeper he t Psal 37. 23 will order thy steps and delight in thy way leading thee familiarly as a v Ioh. 15. 13 15. friend that hauing laid downe his life for thee will not keepe his secret from thee compassionately as a w Heb. 2. 13 1â— 4. 15. Brother who partaking the same flesh with thee can be touched with thy infirmities and is able to succour thee and most louingly as a x Esa 62. 5. husband reioycing ouer thee as a Bridegroome doth ouer the Bride y Cant. 2. 6. with his left hand vnder thy head and with his right hand imbracing thee z Psal 45. 11 greatly desiring thy beauty and a Cant. 4. 9. his heart being rauished with the loue of thee to whom thou art b Can. 7. 6. faire and pleasant for delights c Can. 2. 14. thy voice sweet thy countenance comely his Loue his d Can. 6. 8. 9 Doâ—e his vndefiled faire as the Moone cleare as the Sun e Cant. 4. 7. all faire and no spot in thee For he being the Sun of righteousnesse hath â— blotted out all thy sinnes as a cloud and hee hath g Micah 2. 19 cast them all into the depths of the sea of his mercies which in its vastnesse can swallow a thousand as one and mountaines as mole-hils so that h Ier. 50. 20. no sins of thine can bee found though they be sought for but i Ier. 54. 17. euery tongue that riseth against thee in iudgement shalt thou condemne k Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of GOD who also maketh intercession for vs. So that committing our way to him in things indifferent as in all things else we may l Esa 45. 25. glory in him in whom wee are iustified casting downe the gantleâ— of defiance against all our spirituall enemies for m Rom. 8. 31 if God be for vs who can bee against vs so that for ioy of heart wee may sing to him with Dauid n Psal 73. 24. thou shalt guide mee with thy counsell and â— afterward receiue me to glory Aqu. Mr. Archippus you haue euen rauished our soules with the admiration of Christ our Counsellor Wonderfull may his name well bee who is such a friend and brother and husband as well as councellor vnto vs. The children of this world that are wise in their generation if they haue a Lawyer at hand of whom they may aske counsaile vpon euery occasion at their pleasure and free-cost will bee sure to doe nothing wherein appeareth any suspition of danger without aduise And haue we a Councellor so nigh vs with his word in our mouth yea with his spirit and word in our heart so wonderfull in his friendly familiarity in his brotherly compassion and husbandly louing kindenesse with whom wee may in all things consult without money or price who is neuer weary of our conference but delighted with our voice and presence and neuer displeased with vs but either for o Esa 30. 1. 31. 1. not asking or p Pro. 1. 25. 30. not following his counsell and shall wee children of light sleight him and presume on our owne discretion without him especially where there is such deadly danger in the abuse of things indifferent would not the children of this world so rise vp in iudgement against vs Surely confusion already couereth our faces to thinke on our former foole-hardinesse and whiles we liue we sh 〈…〉 neuer more say to our diâ—cretion 〈…〉 u art our guiâ—â— Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceeâ—â— we pray you to your tâ—irâ—â—ile of direction for our mutuall edification Arch. My third rule concerneth the materials the parties I meane whom wee are to edifie and they are principally the p 1 Pet. 2. 17. brotherhood houshold of q Gal. 6. 10. faith for they are r Esa 61. 3. called trees of righteousnesse and Å¿ 1 Pet 2. 5. liuely stones because they are already fit to be built vp a spirituall house an holy Priest-hood to offer vp spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ And among them t 2 Tim. 5. 8. especially those that are our own and of our own house our u Phile. verse 16. brethren both in the flesh in thâ— Lord. Yet may not Deut. 11. 19. Gen. 18. 9. our loue that edifieth bee restrained onely to those for the same Scriptures that order vs to doe good especially to the houshold of faith and to loue the brotherhood charge vs also to vv 1 Pet. 2. 17. honour all men and to doe good euen x Gal. 6. 10. to all â— Thes 5. 15. yea to y Mat. 5. 44. loue and to doe good to our enemies yea though they be our hateful spitefull persecutors much more then to our friends and families and other neighbours Aqu. But say some what man can edifie all Arch. As when the Scripture saith z Heb. 12. 14 follow peace with all men the meaning is not as if any good man could haue either commerce or concord with all for besides all those whose â—aces he neueâ— saw there are some a Psal 120 6 haters of peace against whom Dauid made his protestation saying I am for peaâ—e but when I speake they are for warre as also hee complained of furious Ioab that b 1 Reg. 2. 5. he shed the bloud of warre in peace but as the Apostle saith c Rom. 12. 18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you liue peaceably with all men so here wee meane not as if any could edifie all for besides those millions of people whose faces we neuer see how many of those with whom wee conuerse are as stones crumbling all to crattell as soone as we begin to hammer them and as timber falling to splinters when we fall to hewing of them both which are fitter for the high-way and chimney corner then for Gods building and other such d 1 Sam. 25. 17. sonnes of Beliall there are that a man cannot speake to them they are e 2 Sam. 23. 6 7. thornes that cannot be taken with hands but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and with the staffe of a speare will such euer be edified Nay they shall be thrust away as thornes saith the Prophet yea vtterly burnt with fire in the same place The meaning therefore is that if it bee possible as much as â—lyeth in vs wee should edify all and f 1 Cor. 9. 22 be made all things to all men as euery mans calling