powred vpon him shall come with this note also and signe of extreame wrath My soule doth hate and abhorre him all which is spoken after the maner of men for our better vnderstanding for otherwise and indeed in God there be no such passions nor motions nor perturbations of mind as there be in men but these speeches and the like do shew what God in his euerlasting counsell and iustice hath from eternall decreed and what according to the sayd decree of his his Maiesty will execute against the wicked The second thing that sheweth the greatnesse of this sinne is as I said before the consideration of those blessings and benefits whereof contention is the bane destruction Yea if we consider the excellency of those benefits which by contention and her daughters are taken away we shall see great cause why the Lord doth hate and abhorre him that raiseth vp contentions amongst neighbours I say by her her daughters for she is the mother of 4. daughters whereof euery one doth her part in this tragicall and vntimely destruction of those benefits which by them we are depriued of The daughters of wicked Contention are Warre Sedition Schisme and Brawling and euery one of these bring foorth children like themselues and whatsoeuer is their meate bloud is the drinke that they thirst after Contention is the mother of war when she commeth among strangers goeth betweene nation nation beweene Prince Prince Of sedition when she trauelleth at home in her owne coūtry Of schismes rents in the body of Christ when she falleth in the Church about matters of religion whether they be of substance or of circumstance And of brawles and vnquietnesse when she is entertained in families betweene man wife neighborhoods between one neighbor another Whersoeuer they come they are the death of 2. most noble excellēt vertues namely of order of vnity Order is a disposing of all things in their right place for the Lord who is a God of order and not of confusion hath set amongst men many differences and degrees of rulers and subiects of parents and children of maisters and seruants of husbands and wiues of old and yong according to the testimony of the Wiseman in Pro. 20.12 The Lord hath made euen both these the eare for to heare and the eye for to see And mens actions are not well ordered vnlesse they be well tempered according to the worthinesse and condition of these degrees And that cannot be vnlesse it be done according to the prescript rule of the law of God which is the head and fountaine of all good order for he that is the God of order made a law of order Now by cōtention her impes Gods order is peruerted subiects rule Princes obey parēts yeeld to their childrens affectiōs wiues domineere ouer their husbāds seruants beare sway against their maisters and yong men despise their elders God hath distinguished diuerse members in one body one from another set one aboue another placed them all in wonderfull maner The head as a tower the eies in the same as watchmē the eie-lids as windowes for light the mouth as a doore to let in prouision the toung as a porter to cal for that which is needfull to examine that which is doubtful the eares as spies to harken to listen the hands as seruitours souldiers the feet as messengers and porters to carry and recarry the teeth as grinders of natures prouision the pallate as taster the stomach as a cook-roome wherin all things are prepared againe for the benefit of nature the whole body so to be preserued for the benefit of the soule who sitteth within as a Queene commāder with a Princely companie of heauenly attendants called animales virtutes the powers of the soule as reason vnderstanding and memory will affections and all together seruing God who made them doth preserue them who redeemeth repaireth them to the end he may for euer glorifie himselfe in their euerlasting glorification by Christ in his heauenly kingdome All which being beheld in that order that God hath set thē in do shew the high wisdom of God but being either wanting or abounding or displaced they make a man not a man but a monster As when one is borne without head or eyes or eares or hands or feete or is borne with two heads many eyes c. more then nature requireth or hath his eares where his eies should be his feet where his hands should be c. In like sort God in his lawes hath set downe a rule measure for euerie thing which being kept doth make a seemly sight but being brokē doth breed a confused and monstrous being whether it be in Church or cōmon wealth whether in citie or countrie in publicke or in priuate Now contention displaceth all setting as it were the feet vpward turning the head downward placing the mouth where the eares should be and the hands where the feet should be the eares where the eies should be that is he is a speaker whē he should be a hearer he is silent whē he should speake he is an actour when he should be a beholder a talker when he should be a doer So that cōtention bringeth forth no Christans but monsters See you one whether man or woman cōtending to talke whē they ought to be silent and to heare others there is a monster for then is their mouth where their eares should be See you a Minister silent when he should preach there is a monster in the Church for his eares are where his toung should be See you a Magistrate ruled by his officers who should but see out of him he hold a monster in the common-wealth for then are the eies become head and all this is a monstrous peruerting of Gods order and is then commonly to be seene when wicked contentions haue bene raised vp against the truth As contentious Belial is the bane of good order so also is he the destruction of godly vnity loue and concord For whereas Gods order is peruerted ouerturned whether in nature or in grace the minds of Christians cannot chuse but be distracted estranged one frō another which is as deformed a spectacle as to see the members of a mans bodie displaced or torne in peeces When S. Luke would set out the fellowship of the Christians in the time of the primitiue Church he saith They had all one mind and one hart To shew that where diuerse but especially contrary minds are there can be no society except it be such society as is amongst maried persons when the one is a Papist and the other a Protestant they are tyed together indeed but it is like Sampsons foxes taile to taile euerie one looking a contrarie way striuing with firebrands at their tailes to be parted one from another and therefore they striue to be asunder
sit as a peremptory Iudge ouer the hearts affections of my seruants when thou hadst no list to yeeld to the truth to confesse thy faults amend thy life how canst thou deny but that thou art guilty of most saucy and insolent hypocrisie Moreouer when thou likedst not the plaine simple vtterance of my truth the confirmation thereof by the sacred testimony of my seruants the Prophets Apostles it hath pleased thee ô hipocrite to count my seruāts no scholers but vnlearned ignorant fooles as though my booke contained nothing in it but ridiculous matter for thee to make thy selfe merry withall So hath it alwayes bin with all hypocrites since the world stood my wisedom hath bin counted foolishnesse mans folly high wisedome but thou shalt know that they were truly learned which had learned Christ aright they were fooles who in the swelling words of mans wisedome haue sought onely to feede thy eares and not thy conscience Furthermore I forget not thy hypocriticall shew of maintaining false loue and vnitie and peace with the wicked vnder pretence that the Preachers whom I haue sent vnto thee haue bin condemned by thee and thy consort for troublesom contentious persons when they haue disquieted thy sin But let not my seruants be discouraged in my businesse for all this saith the Lord For so did they vse my Prophets before them Ieremy was counted but a babler a contentious person Ezechiels Sermons were but as the songs of a minstrell matter to iest at Paul was accused of sedition by Dianaes siluer-smithes My own son who was wisedom it self frō euerlasting with me he was counted an enemy to Caesar the wicked hypocrites turned away whatsoeuer he spake with a ieast And let no man thinke himself better then these or too good to pledge thē in that cup of contempt and bitter reproch that they haue begun to them in Oh but me thinks now the hypocrite being thus vncased beginneth to pleade hard for himselfe saying that though he come not at those troublesome fellowes vnlearned yet he heareth others and maketh much of thē too so that he is wrōgfully charged if men say that he cares not for the word of God that he is not religious that he cānot abide to haue his sins reproued c. Surely this at a blush is good fruit but in truth no better thē an apple of Sodom faire in shew but being touched it turneth into ashes For nothing is either more easie or vsuall amōgst hypocrites thē to do so that is to say First in way of reuenge to disgrace one whō they like not by gracing another to discountenāce one by countenācing some other And yet in the mean time pretēd another matter that is to be better edified I wot not what that they may seeme notwithstāding both religious iudiciall they will highly cōmend the one deeply cast downe the other but why or vpō what good groūds they cannot well tell There be in diuerse places of the world especially in great cities other popular places running auditories or as one calleth thē Circumcellions wheelers about hither thither hearing now one thē another then a third euery one indeed neuer a one lōg like one that hath a giddy braine who being whirled into euery place is truly said to be of no place These humorous hearers of al mē cōmonly cannot away long with their own Pastors teaching though he teach the truth neuer so soundly nor so profitably Except it be between man and wife I do not know so neare a coniunction of any thing as is by the ordinance of God betweene the Pastor the flocke Now as nothing ought to separate man wife but fornication or adultery so nothing ought to make the flocke leaue their Pastor but false doctrine heresie if he be a teacher And surely there is no sincere harted Christiā but maketh a conscience of this duty that is they dare not leaue the Ministery of their owne ordinary Pastours by whom they haue sound any profit or spirituall comfort they dare not so much as yeeld to any such changes for feare they should not onely be troubled with the spirituall itch of the eare a disease where it once rooteth altogether incureable but also discourage and make sad the Spirite of God in their faithfull teachers whereby they may in time be giuen vp of God to flatterers and seducing teachers fit for their humorous veine vaine humor And surely whosoeuer doth duly consider the offence that groweth therby the hurt that foloweth also therupō both to the whole body of the Church in general to their own soules in special they dare not but in the feare of God make great cōscience of it Christ pointing to childrē said That whosoeuer should offend one of these litle ones it were better that a milstone were hanged about his necke and he cast into the bottome of the sea How much more may that be spoken to those that take a felicity in scandaling offending in disgracing discouraging by their fantastical rouing abrode the greater ones that is the Pastors and builders of the Church I speake not this as though we were the worse for your giddie gadding and stragling but to let you vnderstand that you are the worse that giue such bad examples and that you must answer your contempts vnto our Lord and Maister Christ Iesus This humorous course of giddy braines and itching eares is both schismaticall childish and vnprofitable Schismaticall because they go about to make a rent in the Church of God and to deuide Christ among them This disease raigned in Paules time and it raigneth in our time I hold of Paul saith one I am of Apollos saith another and Cephas shall go for my money sayth a third But neuer a one of those hold of Christ soundly and substantially But what is this but to deuide Christ as the Apostle saith is Christ deuided as if he should say you all would be counted Christs and to hold of Christ if you do so why then do you not regard all his Ministers alike and heare all alike Paule as well as Apollos and Apollos as well as Cephas and Cephas as well as either of the other for euerie one of them preacheth Christ though euery one after his seuerall gift and measure of knowledge and vtterance and eloquence c. Though one be milder then another and one sharper then another yea though one mans gift please your humour better then anothers yet euery one hath Christ for you But now as if one had Christ and another not ye will heare one and not another and so you deuide Christ which is but one this is not well are you not carnall nay are you not Schismatikes As it is a carnall and schismaticall practise so is it also childish for so do children that go to schoole being once held in to their
still Tush tush sayth he there is no such matter they haue not their reward we hope to go to heauen aswell as the best and that we haue as good a faith to God as any body What sir we haue soules to saue as well as you we would you should know it Verily sayth Christ they haue their reward Verily no sayth the hypocrite now who shall be beleeued Christ or Belial God or the Diuell Well but we trust God be more mercifull vnto vs then so Verily no sayth Christ meaning except they repent Yea the hypocrite hath so good an opinion of himselfe that he thinkes the Lord is as it were beholding vnto him for his play or counterfeit seruice and should do him great wrong if he should not receiue him into fauour aswell as others For saith Christ when it shall be sayd vnto them definitiuely God ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels for when I was naked yee clad me not c. they will not take this for an absolute and iust decree of the Iudge but as though they had wrong offered them they reply againe Why Lord when did we see thee naked and did not clothe thee c. If that will not serue then they will put him in mind what they haue done for him we haue cast out Diuels in thy name and heard thee preach in our streetes so will others plead for themselues why Lord we haue sharply rebuked Sathan and reproued sinne by thy word we haue kept out Church orderly and duly we neuer missed a Sermon nor Seruice on weeke-dayes we gaue as liberally to the poore as any man of our abilitie in the countrey I haue payd my tithe mint and cummin saith another and I hope no body can charge me to haue bene a theefe or a murtherer or common whoremonger c. and therefore I trust to be saued as well as another And thus do many deceiue themselues by imagining as the Psalmist sayth that the Lord is like themselues that is not so good as his word But my brethren be not deceiued Christ hath sayd it that is inough If that be not inough he hath confirmed it with an earnest asseueration most confidently to put men out of doubt and to assure men what to trust vnto if they liue and dye in pypocrisie If all that be not inough then the Lord hath sworne in his wrath that they shall not enter into his rest Therefore cast away these vaine perswasions and this false hope take heed of that Diuell and vile motion that goeth about to weaken the credit of Gods word with you And from henceforth let vs so endeuour to please the Lord that at his comming he may commend vs and say Well done good and faithfull seruant enter into thy masters ioy which shall neuer be sayd to hypocrites For verily saith Christ they haue their reward Now let vs pray THE IX SERMON MATH 6.3.4 3. But when thou doest thine almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth 4. That thine almes may be in secret and thy father that seeth in secret he will reward thee openly IN these words we are taught in doing the workes of charitie to be contrary minded to hypocrites who hunting after nothing but vaineglorie or filthy lucre do alwayes giue their almes to be seene of men But true Christians must not onely shunne popularity and auoid worldly praise but also they must beware of their owne priuate praise and selfe-liking and not arrogating or conceiting to themselues any commendations nor consulting with themselues how to be recompenced for the same content themselues onely with the approbation and allowance of their heauenly father and comforting themselues in the holy obedience of his most glorious will as a singular fruite of his Spirit of their faith which is wrought in them by that Spirite no whit doubting but most stedfastly assuring themselues that he to whom onely and for whole loue onely and at whose bidding onely they haue done these things though neuer so secretly in respect of men will one day reward them openly Our Sauiour Christ in saying Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth vseth an hyperbolicall or excessiue kind of speech as Rhetoricians call it to shew thereby that with all possible care and diligence the study of getting vaine-glory must be auoided and that we must neuer desire in doing good deedes to please the eares and eyes of men except as hath bene shewed before to make them in loue with our good maners good fashions and so to haue them glorifie God with vs but otherwise in doing of our good deedes to be as secret as may be as if he should say be so farre from seeking the applause of the common sort when thou doest thy good deedes as the Pharisees did and all other hypocrites do who giue not but sell their almes for the praise of men that thy left hand though it be most neare conioyned vnto thy body and a fellow worker of the deed with thy right hand if it had any vnderstanding may not know what or to whom or how much or when or how often thou giuest or doest good His meaning is to speake as plainely as I can that thou which art a Christian in doing the workes and duties of christianity must be so farre from desiring to be looked vpon of man that if it were possible thou thy selfe shouldest not know that which thou doest aright but shouldest forget thy owne deed and neither impute it to thy selfe that thou hast done well nor stand in thy owne conceit thinking the better of thy selfe for it but onely reioyce inwardly that the poore and needie is refreshed and that thy faith hath brought forth such fruite to the glory of God and sealing vp of thy election in thee What if men know not yea what if he that is relieued do not know him that hath relieued him saith Erasmus It is inough for thee to haue a witnes of the father frō whose eies nothing can be hid He wil reward thee although thou haue no thanke at all of man yea though thou doest take no pleasure in it thy selfe yea though thou doest vtterly condemne and mislike thy selfe and iudgest thy selfe as many do altogether vnworthy of any fauour yet thou shalt be rewarded at thy fathers hand And this I take to be the simple and plaine meaning of these words Now let vs come to the doctrine that ariseth from the same And first from hence we haue to obserue that in doing of our good works all selfe-liking or conceit of our selues must be auoided that we must neither attribute any part of the worke vnto our selues as a thing done by vs as of our selues nor yet thinke that we are euer the better for the same but to be still as humble and to carry as low a saile and as vnworthy an opinion of our selues for all that good we haue
done as if we had done nothing but euill or else in doing of good we offend God and hazard his heauenly reward which in Christ is layed vp for vs. The contrary to this is it as I take it which the Prophet Habakuk condemneth in the wicked when he sayth They sacrifice vnto their net and burne incense vnto their yarne because by them their portion is fat their meate plenteous Meaning that they imputed all their wealth vnto their owne industry only and to the meanes whereby they compassed the same And surely it is neither good nor safe but very vngodly and dangerous in doing of good workes to make our selues priuie thereunto if we could chuse or once to keepe account with our selues of the good that we do I deny not but that a Christian soule truly humbled in the feeling of his owne vnworthinesse and inability may with some comfort call to remembrance what duties he hath performed the day or weeke that is past through the grace and fauour of God who hath wrought both in him and by him so that withall he be as I say truly humbled and prepared thereunto calling to mind withall to that end what graces he wanteth what sinnes he hath committed what dangers he hath incurred and with what weaknesse and imperfection the good hath bene performed which is a rare thing But surely otherwise it is very dangerous to keepe account vnto our selues of any good deed that we do For by reason of our naturall corruption which cleaueth too fast to euery one and hangeth on if not presseth downe the very regenerate themselues we are so prone and apt to the study affectation of vainglory which is indeed plaine robbing God of his glory that it is a very hard matter to do good and not to be proud of it It fareth with vs as it doth with wanton women who when they vnderstand how faire they are casting away all modesty waxe proud like the Peacocke that alwayes strouteth it when his taile is spred Take for example the Pharisee spoken of in the 18. of Luke whose prayer was proud boasting of his owne righteousnesse First he keepeth a note to himselfe of what grosse sinnes he was free that other men were ouertaken withall then he scoreth vp his good deedes and namely his integrity and vprightnesse in tithing and then his due and constant course of weekely fasting And hauing thus made his left hand priuy to that which his right hand did that is recounting with a wrong affection to himselfe what he had well done he spreadeth his taile and falleth to crowing ouer his poore brother in this sort I thanke God I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or as this Publican I fast twise in the weeke I giue tithe of all that I possesse as if the proud Peacocke should haue sayd behold my feathers are not of that colour that other birds are of but his feete were which he then remembred not In like manner do many keepe a score of their good deedes and register in their note-bookes what they bestow weekely or monethly or yearly vpon the poore c. I warrant you say some it costs me euery weeke so much and so much ordinarily besides that I spend extraordinarily It were good for them and others the like to regard the admonition of Christ here Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth Do good and make no bodie priuy vnto it if thou canst no not thy owne soule take no notice of any good thou doest thy selfe least thou be proud of it It was the wisedome of God in creating of the woman not to create her vntill he had first cast Adam into a sleepe and while Adam slept he tooke a rib out of his side whereof he made woman least if he had bene awake when this was done he might haue thought that he had had a stroke in it if it had bene no more but suffering or consenting to haue one of his ribs taken from him which yet had bene great folly in him so to haue done So should it be the wisedome of Christians in doing of good deeds to cast their carnall affections in a sleepe least they seeing and knowing what is done should imagine that they had a stroke therein and so should begin to filch and steale some glory to themselues which belonged not vnto them The horse doth employ his strēgth to carry draw but yet he knoweth not so much if he did peraduenture he would not be so subiect vnto man as he is The sheepe doth yeeld vs her fleece to cloth vs and her flesh to feede vs and her lambe for increase but yet she knoweth not so much if she did perhaps she would if she could vpbraid vs by her benefits and not be so beneficial vnto vs as she is The birds with their variety of notes do delight our eare but God saw it not good that they should know so much for if they should perhaps they would be as mute as nonresidents scorning to affoord their musicke vnto such fantasticall and vaine maisters as they now do serue The flowers with their varietie of orient and beautifull colours and fragant and pleasant smels do delight our eyes and refresh our spirits but God saw it not good that they should know so much for if they did perhaps they would disdaine to be abused so much and so little regarded to the praise of their maker as they are In like maner if we could do good workes to the glorie of our God and profit of our brethren and not let our left hand know thereof that is not consult with our carnall and crooked affections about them we should not be so loth to go about them nor so lazie in doing them not so lustie when we haue done them as we are If the Peacocke were hatched blind or could shut his eyes when he spreadeth his taile surely his pride would abate for it is not the hauing of such colours but the knowing them and viewing of them that breedeth conceitednes and causeth his nature to swell So if Christians when they take any blessing from Gods hand or enioy the graces of Gods Spirite or bring foorth the fruites of the same Spirite had not their minds and affections so much bent vpon them and set to vew the beauty of them but could set them to looke narrowly downward vpon their blacke feete that is vppon their sinne and sinfull affections it would be a meanes greatly to humble them Therefore the Apostle sayth Let them that weepe be as though they wept not and them that marry be as though they maried not So sayth the Scripture too Let him that giueth almes be as though he gaue not And in another place he saith of himself his brethrē thus We are as men sorrowing but yet reioycing and as men reioycing yet sorrowing as poore and yet making many rich as dying yet liuing
hand is not so fit nor ready but is rather a hinderance of the work then a furtherance of the same Christs meaning is that we must not only not arrogate any glorie to our selues or liking of our selues but when we do any good we must do it with our best affections and not once to consult with our carnall proude and vntoward affections for they are like the left hand and haue many froward cauillations and odde reasons and false perswasions to hinder the worke like so many crooked fingers which are good for nothing but to pull backe and hinder and are altogether vntoward to euery good worke Our affections are compared in Exod. 3.5 to feet Put off thy shooes frō off thy feete saith the Lord to Moses that is put away all carnall and fleshly cogitations and earthly reasons from thy affections when thou commest before me and come with holy affections And in Eccles. 4.17 Looke vnto thy feet before thou goest into the house of God that is examine with what affections thou goest For as the feete do carrie the bodie vp and down in the world so do our affections carrie our minds and studies and hale vs both in soule and bodie to such things as they like Here they are compared as I thinke vnto hands because they are necessary when they are sanctified to worke the wil of God as hands to do externall duties and as forcibly they effect things or thrust men forward or pull mē backward as the hands do vnto good or euill Look what the bodie hath after a visible manner the same hath the soule after an inuisible and spirituall manner An eye of knowledge to see good from euill and the right way from the wrong a taster of iudgemēt to discerne things that differ as what is good and what is better c. legges of faith whereby we stand without sinking vnder our burden and go therwith to God Shoulders of patience and long suffering to beare iniuries crosses manfully hands and feete of affections and desires Of all which there be two sorts as there be belonging to the bodie a right eye and a left eye a right hand and a left hand a right eare and a left eare c. Now some be in the seruice of God and in all other good workes as it were left handed hearing with their left eare that is with a lazie desire to learne vnderstanding with a grosse vnderstanding as Nicodemus did vnderstand Christ when he spake of being borne againe and marking with a drowsie attention taking all things with the left hand that is very frowardly vntowardly But in worldly matters and vanities which they loue and like well of they are right handed and right eyed and right footed and right eared that is they can worke apace and see quickly and go swiftly and heare readily c. Therefore let not thy left hand that is thy vntoward affections and sences haue ought to do when thou doest any good work as we vse to say tell not such a man of it for he will hinder it as much as he can possibly These lefthanded Christians will soone murmure and grudge at a little cost that is bestowed vpon Christ in his poore Church or members like Iudas who was offended at the boxe of ointment that Mary bestowed vpon Christ and cauill at euery thing that is spoken like the cauilling Iewes which set themselues to carp at euery thing that Christ spake or his seruants the Prophets and Apostles And if they once conceiue an hard opinion of the doctrine or doctour they will forsake that man and in time giue ouer hearing the word as the Capernaits did and most vntowardly and vnseemely will they performe whatsoeuer els they go about in Church or commonwealth if they haue no mind vnto it and will soone be wearie of well doing their shoulders of patience and courage being out of ioynt and in learning and doing of the best things are as men that altogether worke with their left hand hauing no list to worke A man may easily perceiue a difference betweene those that do good deedes with good affections and those that consult with flesh and bloud about the matter Those that do worke with their right hand will shew it by their willingnesse by their forwardnesse by their zealousnesse by their venturousnesse by their bountifulnesse by their chearefulnesse and by their perseuerance If they bestow any thing towards the building vp of Gods Church by maintaining of religious exercises they will giue as the Israelites did to the building of the tabernacle they brought till they were stayed by proclamation If they bestow any thing on the poore mēbers of Christ they say not as worldlings do any thing is good inough for them but they bestow the best they haue like Mary who would not bestow any oyntment vpon Christ except it were costly and precious If they contribute to any necessarie vses they do as the poore widow did who cast in all the substance that she had not doubting but God will prouide more If they go about to reforme things in Church or commonwealth being in authoritie they do it zealously and throughly with great courage and constancie and resolution like Nehemiah whē he reformed the sabbath If they venture for loue of their Prince they will breake through an host of men as Dauids worthies did when Dauid longed for the water of Bethlehem nothing will be too hard for them And on the other side those that make their left hand priuie to that which their right hand doth doe consult with flesh and bloud about the matter and being ruled and perswaded altogether by carnall reasons and vaineglorious or gainefull inducements do that good which they do vnwillingly and niggardly and cowardly and sluggishly and frowardly and negligently and are soone wearie of well doing all which may well be called lefthanded Christians for their backewardnesse and vntowardnesse to any good thing If you aske their reliefe for poore distressed Christians before you get a peny of them they wil reason as churlishly against you and them too as Nabal did agaisnst Dauid Who is Dauid and what is the sonne of Ishai c If they giue one groate they will boast of two as Ananias did If any thing be giuen to Christs poore Church that comes not to their share they repine at it as Iudas did If you require them to do any matter but of smal difficulty they will answer with the sluggard There is a lion in the way that is it is as much as a mans life is worth And euen the best of vs all are manie times too much left handed that is vntoward to the best things if Christ calleth vs to heare what he hath to say vnto vs and to communicate with him at his table we answer as the slouthfull Church doth in Cant. 5. I am in bed how can I rise I haue put off
and the paines that follow sinfull pleasures and then let our soules be fed and nourished with the sweet foode of the heauenly word of God And then feare not for as Abraham found a sacrifice where he looked for none euen so if we be as readie to sacrifice our sinnes as he was to sacrifice his sonne at Gods bidding we shall find new comforts and pleasures where we looked for none And as Sampson first slue the lion and afterward found a sweet hony combe in the dead lions belly so if we wil arme our selues to slay our sinnes which like ramping lions do meete vs in the way we shall by the power of Gods spirit ouercome them and after that find a most sweet hony comb of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus by whom we haue ouercome sinne and Sathan to our euerlasting peace and consolation He that can truely say with Dauid vnto God Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell shall follow with Dauid and say assuredly Afterward thou wilt receiue me to glorie And he that is not come to that point is as yet at a miserable passe for the Lord in the first of Prouer. sheweth that because he hath called to the foolish to make them vnderstand his words and they haue refused to be instructed or to be guided by his counsell he will laugh at their destruction and mocke when their feare cometh vpon them yea when their feare shall come vpon them like desolation and their destruction like a whirle wind When affliction and anguish shall come vpon them then shall they call vpon the Lord and he will not heare them they shall seeke him early but they shall not find him Thus saith the holy Ghost they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way and be filled with their owne deuises To which the Apostle agreeth and telleth the men of Belial that as they regard not to know God euen so God wil deliuer thē vp to a reprobate mind to do things that are not conuenient And moreouer saith Christ Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me A fearefull thing therfore the children of God pray heartily Thy will be done in earth ô heauenly Father as it is in heauen and with the Church in the Psalme Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the praise fighting continually against their affections because they fight against their soules And as the oxe is not readie to worke vntill he be vnder the yoke so Gods children thinke not themselues readie to serue God vntill they haue put on the yoke of Christ and then they say as Dauid said I am readie ô Lord to do thy will And this shall be a singular comfort vnto vs at the houre of death to remember that we haue striuen against our affections and earnestly laboured and prayed to obey God which the man of Belial or lawlesse dissolute person neuer did And so much of the wicked mans first name The second tearme or name that is here giuen to the wicked man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish auén vir nihili saith Tremelius that is a man of no worth Auen signifieth both iniquitie and vanitie therfore the house of idols is called Beth-auen because idols are vaine things and idolaters are vaine wicked persons therefore lawlesse loose men are called Ishim auen because such are both vaine and wicked yea more full of vanitie and iniquitie First they are vnprofitable pursuing as it were the wind and the smoke secondly they are practisers of mischiefe and wrong This is profanenesse from which the Apostle dehorteth vs in the twelfth to the Hebrewes and 16. verse where Esau is propounded as a most liuely image of such prophane persons as preferre earth before heauen the world before the word gold before godlinesse the bodie before the soule and the shadow before the bodie as Esau did a messe of pottage before his birthright and as the Israelites preferred onions before Manna and as the Iewes did Barrabas before Christ. Such were they that said in Ier. 43. It was well with vs when we made cakes for the Queene of heauen as many say now adaies It was neuer merry world since we had so much preaching it was a good world when we could go to the Abbeys and other religious houses and haue our bellies full of good cheare for nothing Ieremie is a babler said they and preaching is babling say these But what were they and these too Surely but Ishimauen prophane persons This vaine profanenesse and prophane vanitie is called finenesse of wit now adaies whereby many prophane and vaine persons get their liuing which is nothing else but plaine and lewd shifting This is a matter that men make no reckening of but such a one is viler then the earth Yet the custome of the wicked is to commend such saying such a one is a good honest man and doth no bodie any harme which is vntrue For Ish-auen the vaine man is also a wicked man that is hurtful vnto others And if it were granted that he did no man harme yet is he no good man but a prophane beast and most wicked to Godward An honest man they say he is but of what religion is he what religious exercise doth he frequent How doth he serue God with his familie what striuing hath he against his imperfections When doth he enter into priuate prayer for strength against his speciall sinnes and temptations What care hath he to bring vp his children in the feare of God He may be an honest man and yet a prophane man for honestie is two fold ciuill and religious Some are ciuill honest men and not religious some are religious honest men and scarce ciuill some are neither ciuill nor religious and some are both ciuill and religious Examples we haue in the Scriptures of all these The Barbarians in Miletum were ciuill honest men whose ciuill courtesie and courteous ciuility appeared in that kind entertainment which they gaue and that abundance of necessaries which they ministred vnto Paul and his weather beaten company But religious honest men they were not that is to say such as giue God his due for they had not so much as the knowledge of the true God amongst them as doth appeare by those extremities that they ran into at the sight of Paul For one while they rashly iudged him to be a murderer and that was when the Viper leaped vpon his hand another while they did superstitiously suppose him to be a God and that was when he shooke off the Viper and had no harme In the first of Kings the 14. chapter and thirteenth verse it is said of Abijah the sonne of Ieroboam that when he dyed all Israel mourned for him because there was found in him some goodnesse toward the Lord God of Israel that is he was a man carefull to giue
be merry These and such like speeches are rife in the world but it is onely amongst the men of Belial and Ishim auen lawlesse and dissolute persons vaine and foolish people such as haue cast off Gods yoke from them and like them that sayd of Christ. We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs come let vs breake their bands asunder and cast their cords from vs our tongues are our owne we may speake what we list who shall controule vs and so are our eyes too and our fingers too and our feete too we will looke and go and gesture it as we list and what hath any man to do with our gestures These are right men of Belial indeed whom the Lord that sitteth in the heauens doth laugh to scorne and shall haue in great derision when destruction shall come suddenly vppon them in his wrath yea he shall vexe them in his sore displeasure and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell if they be not wise vnto repentance in time euen before his wrath be kindled yea but a little This precisenesse that the profane Belials of the world haue in so much contempt is nothing else but that circumspect walking which is commended and commanded vnto vs by the Apostle from the Lord in Ephs. 6. Walke circumspectly saith he like wise men as if our life were a iourney to be walked vpon a narrow bridge ouer a deepe water ouer which there is no safe passage if a man go leaping and skipping and gazing about him as those that wander and roue at scope in the wide fields but we must looke to our feete and to euerie step that we set or else we are quickly gone and being downe very hardly recouered againe without Gods great mercy and grace So much for the first point Now the second thing that we haue to obserue is the tyranny of sinne hauing once gotten possession in the hart If lewd things lodge in the heart surely they will take vp all the outward parts of the body to serue at their pleasure and from one member to another will leudnesse fetch his continual walke Therefore saith the blessed Apostle Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lustes thereof neither giue you your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse and vncleannesse To shew what a tyrant sinne is who when he hath gotten hold in the heart of a wicked man will domineere ouer his whole bodie and euery member shall serue as a weapon to fight withall in the defence of sinne and to the offence of vertue When a tyrant raigneth no man that is vnder him is his owne man no man can say what is his owne so where sinne raigneth the most cruell subtill and vnsatiable tyrant that euer was is or can be euery member of the body and euery cogitation and affection of the soule is held in most miserable bondage and slauery nothing is free to serue the Lord but all are at Sathans becke and ready to obey his suggestions This tyrant wil not be closed vp in the heart but will looke out at the eyes as at a window will walke abroad nay rather be caried abroad like a Pope vpon mens shoulders the hand must feele and reach him that which he liketh and giue what he will bestow and where he will bestow it and strike whom he liketh not The eye must seeke out such pleasures as he delighteth in and the tongue must call for them Yea of such bewitching power is this tyrant sinne that he poysoneth like the Crocodile with his very sight and countenance he hath greater power ouer his seruants the members of the body nay his seruants the members haue greater power ouer others then the Centerion in the Gospell had ouer his souldiers I say to one come and he commeth to another go and he goeth saith the Centurion but this tyrant doth but looke vppon men and they feare him he doth not fawne vpon men and they affect him he doth but make a signe with his eyes and signifie with his going and instruct by holding vp of his finger and it is inough to make men go and come at his pleasure And all his fawning flattering terrifying of mē is for nothing else in the world but to get in to a man and to raigne ouer a man which he can easily do He can by little and little yea with a little intreating where Gods grace is not to make resistance enter in at the eye or at the eare or by touching the body and tickling the senses and so from thence into the heart and there he sitteth like a commander and a cruell tyrant euen ouer al those members and affections by which he was first let in and which first gaue him any entertainement Adonijah begged onely Abishag the Shunamite to wife when Dauid had done with her a small request in shew but he had a further reach his mind was to the kingdome which wise Salomon perceiued well inough So Sathan will request but a little dalliance with the fingers and will but borrow they feete to carry him to such a place such a place to heare or see a play or the like vanity and thy countenance to braue or beard such such or thy eye to looke out at as theeues that will craue a standing in a mans shop to see some straunge sight when they meane to rob and steale a small request in shew But sinne is deceitfull and Sathan is an old subtill serpent trust him not he hath a mind to a kingdome and that is to rule like a hellish tyrant in thee to get all the members of thy body and all the affections of thy soule from out of Gods seruice into his slauery and subiection and this can none espie but those that haue heauenly wisdome as Salomon had And therefore as Adonijah made his subtill request against his owne life when wise Salomon had espied his treachery so let all wise harted Christians who by the light of this doctrine haue receiued any inckling of the subtill pollicy of sinne and Sathan in entring and of their tyranny being entred into the heart desire of God by continuall and earnest prayer that through the gracious assistance of his blessed Spirit his feare keeping the passage all these fawning treacherous motions solicited in the vnsanctified gestures and behauiour of the body may be made against their owne life that is that they may be so crushed and checked at the first that neither eye nor eare nor hand nor foote nor tongue nor looke may euer haue any list or ioy to serue sinne or Sathan or the man of Belial any more And so much briefly for the tyranny of sinne which hath all the parts of the body at commandement Now come we to the third point and let vs see how the sinne of hypocrisie in particular doth breake foorth and appeare in the very
thou hast sought his loue and canst not find it therefore thou wilt seeke no longer oh do not so but heare what the bodie sayth to thee a member of the same In my bed by night I sought him whom my soule loueth but I found him not What then did she giue ouer seeking No verily I will rise sayth the Church and go about in the Citie by the streetes and by the open places I will seeke him whom my soule loueth I sought him but I found him not The watchmen that went about the Citie found me meaning that she went to the Ministers of the word for comfort to whom I said haue you seen him whom my soule loueth When I had passed a little from them I found him whom my soule loueth I tooke hold on him and left him not c. Meaning that she hauing long vsed all meanes both priuate and publike then found him when she was out of all hope to find him and so do thou that art troubled in thy soule because thou canst not yet find that alteration of thy heart and that inward obedience and that truth of heart and that comfort and ioy by hearing the word and prayer c. which thou desirest and lookedst for vse all means continue stil seeking asking and knocking seeke priuatly at home in thy bed by priuate examination and meditation then conferre with thy Christian neighbors about the state of thy soule then go to the Ministers of the word and frequent the publike holy assemblies with an earnest desire of finding and doubtlesse at last when thou art out of al hope thou shalt find comfort And as in taking of bodily phisicke many through the weakenesse of their stomackes do cast vp that which they take and yet take the same thing stil though their stomake loath it so in taking of spirituall phisicke though yet thou doest in a manner loath it and distaste it yet take it still and at the length strength and delight will grow The second enemie that will hinder the reformation of the heart if it be not auoided is vnbeleefe which like armour of proofe Sathan commonly putteth vpon the hearts of the wicked that no perswasion counsell nor threatning will enter where the soule is armed with that therfore it is said in the Gospel that Christ could do no great work in his own country because of their vnbeleef to shew that vnbeleef doth as much as lieth in vs bind the hands of the Lord and hinder his gracious worke vpon vs. Therefore commonly Christ asked this question of those which came to be healed of him Canst thou beleeue And to those that did beleeue he would say in commendation of faith Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace O woman sayth he to one that would haue no nay great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest and her daughter was healed the same houre this was the Cananite a Gentile Another suing to Christ for his sonne that was possessed with a dumbe spirite and being asked of Christ if he did beleeue that Christ was able and willing to dispossesse that spirite cried out with teares and sayd I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe to shew that we are to pray against vnbeleefe of heart euen with teares The best Christians are subiect vnto it as appeareth in that Christ reproued his Disciples for their vnbeleefe and hardnes of heart because they would not beleeue them that had seene him after he was risen again Mar. 16.14 Where we are also to note that vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart do go together And the Apostle Paul confesseth freely against himselfe that he was sometime a blasphemer and a persecutor but he did it ignorantly he sayth through vnbeleefe to shew that vnbeleefe doth not onely hold men in ignorance and blindnesse longer then otherwise they should be but also doth nourish in them many grosse sinnes Therefore whosoeuer would haue a better heart then Belial hath let him pray against vnbeleefe The third enemie which hindreth our sanctification is custome of any one sinne whatsoeuer S. Augustine sayth Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati the custome of sinne taketh away all sense and feeling of sinne It is a despising of the long suffering and patience of God which should leade vs to repentance and it breedeth two dangerous diseases hardnesse of hart and impenitencie for as that way must needs be hard which is drie and much trampled vpon so that hart must needs be hardned in sinne which is voide of the softning grace of Gods Spirite and is accustomed to sinne therefore such a hearer is compared to the high way Luke 8.5 that in three respects first because it is crooked and winding this way and that way like the high way Secondly because it is common for all that come men and beasts God and the diuel for good company for bad like the high way And thirdly because it is hardned by oftē sinning as the high way is by oftē treading therfore he that goeth about to reforme his hart and yet accustometh to lodge any sin therein with loue and delight doth but deceiue himselfe Now further to withstand these enemies and to put them to flight the Apostles counsel is to be folowed in Heb. 3.12 Take heed saith he lest there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God but exhort one another dayly while it is said to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnes of sin The summe of his counsel is this First that euery man by himself must looke vnto himselfe that he hath not resident in him a filthy standing puddle a wicked vngodly heart or a heart that makes a practise of sinne that is wauering and inconstant in the seruice of God Secondly that euery Christian be carefull one for another and by mutuall and dayly exhortations stirre vp one another vnto godlinesse for which he giueth a double reason the first is from the nature of sinne which is deceitfull and at a blush like vertue secondly from the effects of sinne which are hardnesse of heart and impenitencie Though the profane person with Esau seeke the blessing with teares yet shall he find no place for repentance so doth this cursed guest reward this wretched hoast who giueth him welcome and entertainement And because brotherly loue can see the deceit of sin better then self-loue as another mans eye shall see how a mans garment sitteth better then he that weareth it therefore the Apostle willeth euery man in brotherly loue to note and to notifie vnto others such things as they see amisse in thē And this holy course who soeuer doeth wisely speedily carefully continually obserue shall do good both to his owne heart and to other mens and shall find in the end that the gaine will answer the paine the fruite will defray the charges and that will be this
faile in their workmanship he of malice and peeuishnesse rather then of ignorance doth alwayes faile in his imaginations for he imagineth euill continually Now then we are come to the ripping vp of Belials imaginations which are described vnto vs First by their qualitie which is bad for he imagineth euill Secondly by their quantitie which is great and vniuersall for he imagineth euill continually The euill qualitie and badde nature of Belials imaginations will the better appeare if we consider first the materiall cause of them which is leud things in his heart secondly the formall cause and that is artificiall forging and framing of them for of matter and forme doth euery thing consist and first of the material cause of his images Immediatly before he saith leud things are in his heart now he sheweth what he doth with them surely nothing but of that abundance of leudnesse which is in his heart forge and frame out euill imaginations wrong iudgements crooked conceits pestilent perswasions and false resemblances according to that which is said of man in the 6. of Genesis when he had vniuersally corrupted his wayes The Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was exceeding great vpon earth and that the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually to shew that imaginations proceede of thoughts and if the thoughts of the heart be euill the imaginations which come of them cannot but be euill also And further as the stuffe is bad so is the forme and fashion also of his imaginations naught for as of leud thoughts in the heart he imagineth so he imagineth nothing but that which is euill and leud And therfore these crooked conceits of his are called imaginations as if he were an image maker and they his images or idols and indeed they are the images of his mind and so they may well be tearmed in two respects first because like images they haue shew or shape put vpon them both to credit a bad matter and also the more strongly to delude the beholder for if one should take a block of wood and set it vp and say that is to be worshipped for a god no bodie would beleeue that saying And therefore idolaters and idoll makers do not go so to worke but as the Prophet Esai sheweth they hew it and frame it and make it in shape like a man or some other creature and then couer it with gold a thing which draweth loue and delight vnto it and then it is of more credit and estimation then it was before for though it be but a blocke as it was before in regard of the substance yet do not foolish idolaters so call it but they call it either a god as the Israelites did their golden calfe which they erected in the wildernesse when Moses was absent and as the Babilonians did call that image which Nebuchadnezzar set vp or else a Saint as the Papists call their images S. Peter S. Paul their Ladie c. Euen as one in base apparell of beggerly education is called a clown one of no credit but afterward being in braue aparel wearing rings of gold hauing a litle wealth about him is called a gentleman a wise man a substantial man of the parish thogh indeed he be as base rude in conditions as he was before and hath no more wit theÌ„ before So the bad wretched coÌ„ceits of Belial must haue some color or shape put vpon theÌ„ or els they wil be of no credit SecoÌ„dly they are called images because as images be false and vaine and nothing like the things they are made for I speake now of idolatrous and popish images so are Belials imaginations for shall we thinke that the Saints weÌ„t as they are painted in Popety And therfore we truly say of the one it is as it pleased the painter as truly of the other as it pleaseth the forget Now that which hath so bad stuffe for the matter and so ill fauoured a fashion for the forme must needes be of a bad qualitie but such are the imaginations of Belial for they are made of the leud thoughts of his hart and forged after a false fond and strong deluding fashion therefore for the qualitie thereof they cannot be good howsoeuer many times the wicked are so shamelesse that when they haue vttered most vile conceits of others without cause too yet will not sticke to say that they iudge charitably of them and thinke the best and will not make the worst of things And now a little by the way of Belials master for whom he worketh of these mens ware-houses where they lay their stuffe of which they make these images and of their worke-houses where these false and vaine mentall images be forged Surely the Lord created the wicked at the first though not wicked he preserueth them and prouideth for them though not to be wicked therefore they should both in bodie and soule serue and glorifie him but they do not The diuell hath bewitched them and taught them to bewitch others with his faire promises he hath inueigled them and taught them to inueigle and deceiue others And therefore God withdrawing his grace and turning Sathan loose vpon them and so iustly hardning their hearts and giuing them ouer to themselues Sathan they beleeue and not God him they obey and not the Lord. Their heart is Sathans store-house their head is his worke-house they are his apprentises and bond-slaues and do worke for the Diuell all kind of workes sauing good workes And for euery one of his apprentises and iourneymen Sathan hath a ware-house and a shoppe after the manner of Merchaunts and great occupiers for the Diuell is as great a dealer as any in the world and therefore hath neede of many shops and of many ware-houses of many factours and many seruants and of a legion of diuels He hath the greatest but not the godliest Monarkes of the world to rule for him the learnedst but not the holiest doctours of the world to teach for him he hath the craftiest but not the conscionablest lawyers of the world to plead for him he hath the vainest not the valiantest captaines of the world to fight for him he hath the most rich not the most religious Merchants of the world to trafficke for him he hath the cunningest and the cruellest vsurers and extortioners to exact for him he hath a legion yea a million of brokers to hunt for him to buy and sell for him to play the baudes for him to cousin and deceiue for him of bloudy murâ—herers to kill slay for him in euery market and shop he hath some to lie and to sweare to deceiue for him some setting false colors vpon their clothes by false lights some learning the trick with the finger some pinching others and enriching themselues by false waightes and measures and some by extreme prises exacting vpon the buyers and some purloyning from their
other of earth the brasse pot offereth great kindnesse to the earthen pot and saith come swimme close by me let vs go arme in arme so shall we the better stand against the streame the earthen pot wisely answered Not so for if we two chaunce to hit one against another as very like we shall if we be so neare then my part is like to be the worse for I shall be broken when thou art whole therefore either like vnto like or else keepe asunder Secondly take heede of such as vse to speake faire and carrie hatred in their hearts For saith Salomon he that hateth counterfeiteth with his lippes but in his heart he layeth vp deceipt though he speake fauourably beleeue him not for there are seuen abhominations in his heart that is many abhominations Thirdly auoid as much as thou canst furious angry men Make no friendship with the angry man saith Salomon neither go thou with the furious man that is haue as little to do with him as thou canst lest thou learne his wayes and receiue destruction to thy soule Lastly if thou be wise and regardest thy owne credite and quiet contend not with fooles and scorners that is with wilfull persons who will conceiue no reason For if a wise man contend with a foolish man saith Salomon whether he be angry or laugh there is no rest Many other rules besides these may the wise hearted Christian prescribe both vnto himselfe and also to others which by diligent reading or conference or experience will daily appeare good vnto him all which as he doth gather them he may if he please adde vnto these And so much shall for this time suffice to shew the difference betweene the wicked and the godly in their manner of contending Happie are ye if ye contend alwaies and as the Apostle saith be earnest in good matters for that is good and contend in a good maner for then shall ye ouercome with credit and comfort and not be ouercome with griefe and shame Now let vs pray THE X. SERMON PROV 6.15 Therefore shall his destruction come speedily he shall be destroyed suddenly without recouerie THe description of the man of Belial is past now followeth his iudgement and that is destruction speedie sudden and irrecouerable And now he standeth like a theefe at the barre who when he hath heard his enditement and is found guiltie must then heare the sentence of the Iudge according to his desert As the malefactor goeth from the barre to the gibbet so the wicked goeth from his wickednesse to destruction This is now the taile of sinne which cometh last but not without a deadly sting Sin is like the Bee that hath both hony which is pleasant and a sting which is more dangerous then the hony is profitable and whosoeuer will be so foolish and venturous as to nourish this Bee in his bosome for loue of the honie shall surely be wounded with the sting more then the other shall heale againe And therefore the pleasures of sinne are called pleasures for a season Heb. 11.25 not pleasures for euer because in the end they leaue a sting of conscience behind them which turne all the former pleasure into lothsomnesse and paine as it did to the rich and delicate glutton in the Gosdell Luk. 16.25 and as it was once said to him being in hell so shall it one day be said to all the wicked Remember ô ye wicked vngodly ye lawlesse vain persons that you in your life time receiued your pleasures the godly because they were contrary vnto you receiued paines therfore now are they comforted you tormēted Thus we see how iudgement and vengeance cometh in to the wicked like a deepe reckening after the feast to such fooles as haue called in for more then they are either able or willing to pay This reckening cometh last but it troubleth their thoughts more then all that went before did comfort them Such a reckening Salomon speaketh of in Prou. 5.3 c. The lippes of a harlot saith he drop as a hony combe and her mouth is more soft then oile but the end of her is bitter as wormewood and sharpe as a two edged sword her feet go downe to death and her steppes take hold of hell Keepe thy way therfore farre from her and come not neare the dore of her house lest thou giue thy honour vnto others and they yeares vnto the cruell left the stranger be filled with thy strength and thy labours be in the house of a stranger and thou mourne at thy end when thou hast consumed thy flesh and thy body c. Such a reckening doth Dauid bring in for the wicked in Psalm 73. They are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men Therefore pride is as a chaine vnto them and crueltie couereth them as a garment Their eyes stand out with fatnesse they haue more then heart can wish they are licentious and speake wickedly of their oppression they talke presumptuously They set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth and they say how doth God know it or is there knowledge in the most high Lo these are the wicked yet prosper they alwaies and increase in riches Here is their feast past now cometh in the reckening vers 18. Surely thou hast set them in slippery places and castest them downe into desolation How suddenly are they destroyed perished and horribly consumed As a dreame when one awaketh ô Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their image despised In the like sort doth Iob bring them in The wicked grow in wealth saith Iob their seed is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eyes their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them Their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cow calueth and casteth not her calfe They send foorth their children like sheepe and their sons daunce they take their tabret and harpe and reioyce in the sound of the organes they spend their daies in wealth There is one banquet past now cometh in the reckening and that is this Suddenly they go downe to the graue Then to it againe they go which are left behind and They say vnto God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Who is the Almightie that we should serue him and what profit should we haue if we should pray vnto him Now followeth their iudgement Often shall the candle of the wicked be put out and God shall deuide their liues in his wrath they shall be as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carieth away God will lay vp the sorrow of the father for his children when he rewardeth him he shall know it his eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the Almightie Oh that the wicked the diuels guests did or could consider this
Catechise his family I haue a good calling I may do it Otherwise I see not that I am bound to thrust my selfe into those duties vnrequired if he shall require my iudgement in good sort and earnest wise to be resolued about any matter that is about his house or any offence committed by himselfe or by any of his family as a houshold fault I doubt not but that I may safely speake my mind Or if we be of old and familiar acquaintance and so continue in friendship then as a friend hauing some interest in my friend I thinke I may in friendly wise contend with him about that which I see amisse in him or in his family and admonish him Or if a Pastour of a congregation shall see any priuate disorder or abuse in any of his flocke he ought to go vnto him and soberly admonish him Or if a question be moued in company tending to any errour or for the clearing of any doubt I do not doubt but that vppon occasion thereof one thing drawing on another a man may more safely freely and with lesse offence speake as God shall enable him for the truth then otherwise as many that of a sudden peremptorily and rudely breake in vpon men in their priuate discourses Or if thou be the maister of a famliy hearest thy friends at thy table vse vngodly speeches against religion or backbiting and offensiue speeches of any whether present or absent thou oughtest to tell them of it least thou make thy house a receptacle of vngodlinesse and mischiefe And if thou hast so good calling or occasion as thou hast heard before then thou mayest and oughtest to speake especially when the case toucheth the glory of God though no man else wil speake remembring what our Sauiour Christ sayd when some carped at his Disciples which praysed him as he rode into Ierusalem If these should hold their peace the stones would cry Or if thou be a man of great place and authoritie and in sauour with the Prince and others of high calling and seest the Church of God in daunger as it was by Hamans wicked practise and no body else will step foorth to speake in behalfe of the innocent then oughtest thou to put foorth thy selfe yea though thou venter thy owne life in that case as Hester did for as Mordecai sayd vnto her Who knoweth whether God hath brought thee vnto such fauour and dignitie against such a day Oh how many are there that haue both good calling and iust occasion offered them many wayes and may haue free accesse vnto Princes and speake freely and be heard willingly whereby they might do much good vnto the poore Church of Christ if they would but alas vppon no occasion and without any warrant they can contend where they neede not nay where they ought not and where they should speake there are they tongue-tied nay would to God they did not take all occasions of hindering good causes and of betraying the truth But otherwise if thou hast neither calling as a Minister in his flocke or a maister of a family or a Magistrate in the common-wealth nor place nor occasion iustly and fitly offered vnto thee thē feare to venture as many do who haue as they thinke a great gift in a reprehensiue veine least it fall out with thee as it did with the sonnes of Sceua who tooke vpon them to do as Paule did that is to cast out diuels when they had no such commission nor power and it be sayd vnto thee as the diuels sayd vnto them Paule we know and Iesus we acknowledge but who are you and withall fall vppon thee as diuellish minded persons vse to do and driue thee out naked and wounded A worke both endlesse fruitlesse and dangerous it were for a straunger a plaine simple man or any man else whatsoeuer except he were armed with great power and authority to go to euery one in a faire or market that should be heard swearing or blaspheming or scoffing or vainely disposed Christ would not medle with deuiding of lands nor with giuing of sentence against the adultresse because they were matters which belonged not vnto him Neither would wise Abigail reproue her husband for his churlishnesse toward Dauid when he was in his cups because then he was not capable of counsell nor admonition According to which examples let vs walke in all abundance of godly wisedome and the Lord shall giue a blessing vnto his glory and our comfort Now let vs pray THE IX SERMON PRO. 6.14 He raiseth vp contentions IN the former Sermon to what ends and by what meanes chiefly the man of Belial doth raise vp contentions Now it remaineth that we consider the greatnesse of the sinne the more to driue vs out of loue therewith and next the difference betweene the contentions of the wicked and the contentions of the godly because it is not simply vnlawfull to contend at all Now for the first the greatnesse of this sinne namely of raising vp contentions and reuiuing of controuersies after Belials maner may appeare two wayes First by considering what testimony God hath giuen of it or against it rather in his word Secondly by vewing the scars and harmes as they say that this beast hath done that is by beholding the blessings that by the meanes of wicked mens contentions are quite rooted vp and destroyed For the first it is sayd in this present Chapter There are 6. things which the Lord hateth yea his soule abhorreth 7. the haughty eyes a lying tongue and the hands that shed innocent bloud an hart that imagineth wicked enterprises feete that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnesse that speaketh lyes and him that raiseth vp contentions among neighbours Where a man may perceiue by his companions that he is matched withall what manner of beast the make-bate is for he goeth to be arraigned in the same line with the haughtie disdainfull persons with lyers and murtherers with men whose dexterity is in doing of mischiefe and false witnesses such as put Christ to death all birds of a feather beasts of one haire and whelpes of a litter All which the Lord sayth he hateth abhorreth so doth he the contentious person as if he should say I do more then hate him I do hate and abhorre him To shew that a full cup of Gods wrath is tempered for such to drinke of Oh that all contentious Belials had grace to consider well of this that he might repent for who can beare the displeasure of a Prince whose wrath is like vnto the roaring of a lyon Much lesse can he sustaine the fulnesse of the Princes wrath which is death at the least if not with all extremity If none can abide the wrath of a Prince whose breath is in his nostrils and hath power but ouer the bodies and goods of men then who can endure the wrath of the Lord when in all fulnesse and extremity it shall be