And first for rules Ludovicus Vives a man renowned as well for piety as learning among other learned workes of his hath published a Treatise which hee calleth Excitationes animi ad Deum that is The liftings up of the soule unto God In this book he prescribeth us rules of meditation and prayer upon every incidentall occasion for example when we awake out of sleep in a morning and finde our selves refreshed by our rest then hee biddeth us think how joyfull and blessed a thing it will be to bee raised up to eternall life after our sleeping in the grave and to pray withall that as God hath raised our bodies from their sleep that wee may do the works of this life so hee would raise up our soules from the sleep of sin that we may do the works of piety and a godly life And when wee are going on a journey then we should think that our life here is a pilgrimage on earth in which we are separated from our owne countrey and our dearest friends that is from heaven and the blessed soules that be there and then wee should pray that God will teach us to live here as pilgrims and strangers that are travelling toward a better countrey and that our conversation may be in heaven while our bodily mansion is on earth And when we see a candle lighted in the evening to be a comfort against the dismall darknesse of the night that then we should think how necessary the knowledge of Gods word is which is a light to our eyes and lanterne to our feete and pray withall that God would keep this candle still shining before us that wee may know how to serve him aright The like rules of good thoughts and prayers he prescribeth us when we put on our clothes when we go out of doores when we sit down to meate when we prepare to bedward and upon other the like occasions leaving us no part of the day nor no occasion of our life without some holy thoughts that may make us like to the Saints that be in heaven This book of Vives and the meditations and prayers contained in it that worthy Martyr M. Bradford hath translated or the greatest part of them into our English tongue and hath presented them to the view of the world in a book of his called Bradfords Meditations and prayers And after him M Henry Bull who hath gathered together many sweete flowers of such like devotion hath also for the benefit of his countrey-men printed these meditations and prayers among the rest There if ye please yee may reade them and I dare say if ye reade them with attention and care you will not think your labour either lost or ill bestowed Besides these books there is one also of late yeares penned by a reverend and learned Prelate of our Church called Occasionall Meditations In it you are directed how on ordinary and triviall occasions yee may raise up your thoughts to heaven-ward But that book I suppose is in the hands of most men and the known worth of the Author will sufficiently commend it to their reading I onely will say thus much that who so shall peruse these books and make use of them accordingly I doubt not but he will finde in them good helps to heaven and great comfort to his soule And so I leave the Rules 2. The examples that I make choise of for this purpose are two 1. Examp. The first of one Pambo an ancient and religious man Of him * Socrat. hist l. 4 c. 18. pag. 660. Rosw de vitis Patrum l. 3. num 164 pag. 524. v. etiam l. 1. c. 3. in vita S. Pelagiae pa. 377. de Nonno Episcopo Socrates reporteth that seeing a light woman finely tricked up and sumptuously adorned that shee might please and allure lovers unto her hee burst out into teares and being asked why he wept he gave these two reasons for it 1. because he saw in what miserable state that woman was in it grieved him that so goodly a creature of Gods making should be in so ready a way to hell and destruction and 2. because said he I do not take so much paines to please my good God as she doth to please sinfull men This example if we wil follow we may make use of it divers wayes for our good namely thus when we see a Porter sweating under his burden that he may earne a poore wages we may check our own dulnesse who are so soone weary of labouring for an eternall Kingdome that we grudge to spend a quarter of an houre in prayer or a whole houre in hearing of Gods word or a day in abstinence and fasting for our sins For what a shame is it that a labouring man should willingly take so much paines for a tester or a shilling when we think so little paines to be overmuch for obtaining of eternall life and the Kingdome of heaven And when we see a Shopkeeper abridge himself of his meate and of his sleep that hee may attend his customers and make gaine of his trading wee may justly blame our selves for our backwardnesse in Gods service and that we cannot abridge our selves in our eating and in our sleeping and in our sporting and in our clothing that wee may bee the fitter and more expedite for good duties and for the Kingdome of God And when we see a man that taketh physick fast aforehand and after the taking of it to content himselfe with a thin supping that the medicine may work the better wee may think every man with himselfe what a foole am I that on the Lords day when God prepareth and giveth me physick for my soule I do so fill my stomach with meate and my head with strong drink as maketh my selfe unfit for Gods service and my praying and hearing and reading unprofitable for my soule And when wee see men and women look thēselves in the glasse every day that they may carie with them no spots or deformity in their faces that may shame them when they goe abroad among men wee should accuse our shamelesse security in matters of our soules and that we doe not examine our consciences and look our soules in the glasse of Gods Law that there bee no deformity in our lives that may shame us before God and his Angels I might make many such applications of Pamboes practice to our selves and gather such collections to shame our selves for our indevotion and want of feeling but out of these there is direction enough for them that are willing to make use of it too much for them who shal despise it 2. Examp. The second example is of a Cook in a Colledge of religious men Of him Climacus a Greek father in the anciēt Church relateth that hee was very devout in serving God and often moved with compunction to mourne for his sins Which Climacus observing importuned him to know by what meanes he had attained to such a degree of sanctitie and holinesse and
neglected or at least omitted to speake of The summe of which correction is as if hee had said Thou sayest Blessed is the womb c. Which though I deny not to be true yet I will tell thee of a farre greater blessednes then that is Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keep it 2. This woman made not so good an use of our Saviours doctrine as shee might have done When she heard him preach with great wisdome and evidence of the Spirit she brake out into the praises of the preacher which were justly deserved by him but she said nothing perhaps she thought nothing of amending her life or of performing what she was taught And herein our Lord amendeth her speech by telling her what better use shee might make of his Sermon Shee commended him for his good Sermon when she had done better if shee had amended her selfe by his instruction She said Blessed is the mother that bred such a Preacher but he said Nay rather blessed is the hearer that maketh use of his doctrine The Text being thus explained I now proceed to speake of the points that I propounded omitting other by-notes which though they bee profitable in their season yet are not pertinent to my purpose CAP. II. By earthly things a wise Christian may bee occasioned to seeke after heavenly blessings Cap. 2 OUr Lord from this womans speech concerning the happinesse of his mother for breeding such a childe taketh occasion to discourse of the true happinesse that accompanieth Gods service And hence I observe that it is a point of holy wisdome to take occasion for heavenly meditations by the mention or sight of earthly things My proofes for this are two the constant practice of our Saviour and the helpes that it yeeldeth us to a godly and an happy life I. The constant practice of our Saviour related and commended to us in Scriptures for there wee reade that when he saw Peter and Andrew busied in fishing he tooke occasion by the trade that then they did use to tell them of an heavenly trade of fishing for the souls of men He saw them casting a net into the Sea for they were fishers and he said unto them follow mee and I will make you fishers of men Mat. 4.18 19. Againe when some told him of his mother and his brethren desiring to speake with him he tooke occasion from the mention of his earthly kindred to instruct us in the spirituall kindred that is betweene him and every good Christian It was told him by certain which said Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee And hee answered and said unto them My mother and my brethren are these which heare the word of God and doe it Luke 8.20 21. And againe when the woman of Samaria came to draw water out of Iacobs Well out of this accident he fetcheth occasion to instruct her in the living water that would refresh her soule unto eternall life There commeth a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus saith unto her give me to drinke Then said the woman how is it that thou being a Iew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria Iesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drinke thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Of which water whosoever drinketh shal never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall bee in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Ioh. 4.7 9 14. And yet againe when the people followed after him that they might eate of his bread he taketh occasion from their desire of earthly meate to instruct them concerning the bread of life When the people came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus Iesus answered them and said verily verily I say vnto you Ye seeke mee not because you saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth to everlasting life Iohn 6.26 27. Thus our Saviour by a constant custome taketh occasion by the words that are spoken and occurrences that happen in the world to raise mens thoughts from earth to heaven and from things that concerne this life to teach them spirituall lessons for obtaining of eternal life By which practice of his hee lifteth up men to heaven while they remaine upon earth and breedeth in them heavenly mindednesse while they are occupied about their worldly businesse And this being his constant practice who is the wisdome of his father it proveth the truth of my conclusion that it is a point of holy wisdome to take occasion for heavenly meditations by the mention or sight of earthly things II. The same point is further proved by the helps that we may receive from it towards holinesse and an happy life In which kinde I may reckon these that follow 1. It will make every creature that we see and every occurrence that wee meet with in the world to serve us as Schoolemasters to lead us unto Christ and as a Monitor to remember us of some duty The meat on our tables will teach us the necessity of the meate that never perisheth and our hungring after that will admonish us how wee should desire the food of Gods word that we may grow and bee strengthned in grace by it The clothes we put on will remember us of putting on the Lord Iesus and of the glorious robes of righteousnesse with which Gods children are adorned The tender affection which we shew to our children will bring to remembrance the great love of our heavenly father towards his sons and daughters The duty and service that wee require of our servants will tell us what greater duty we owe to our Lord in heaven and their failings towards us will remember us of many defects of our owne in Gods service and of our rebellions against his commandments And the like may be said of all other the like occasions and occurrences so that not a crumme of bread nor a corne of salt nor a drop of drinke but as they serve to refresh nature so they may serve also to increase and confirme grace in us And all the creatures will have not onely a naturall use for this life but also a spirituall use towards eternall life and the happinesse of the world to come 2. This practice of gathering holy meditations from worldly occurrences will help to preserve us from abusing the creatures in a sinfull sort Hee that when he eateth his meate for refreshing of his body shall think withall Yea but how much more necessary and comfortable is the food of Gods word to the famished soule will not likely abuse the creatures to surfetting and excesse And hee that when he putteth on his best clothes shall think Yea but how much more glorious are the garments of righteousnesse and the fine linnen and silkes with
he after some intreaties answered him to this effect (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Climac Grad 4. pag. 49. I saith he in this work of the Kitchin did never think that I served men but God who enjoyned me true service in my place and judging my selfe unworthy of any rest by reason of my many failings when I look on this fire in my chimney how intolerable the burning thereof would be to my flesh I am put in minde of the everlasting and much more unsufferable burnings of hell fire due to all impenitent sinners and the thought of this torment doth resolve me into teares for my sins And now if we will make use of this example we shall not need to goe abroad and gather instructions from other mens lifes as Pambo did we shall finde matter enough at home to exercise our thoughts with For example sake and to set our consciences on work in this duty If any of us shall bee tormented with an headach or a toothach or with the stone or strangury or a hot fever or some other tormenting paine that will not suffer us to take any rest we may make the like use of the burning fever or tormenting ach which we feel that this Cook did of the scorching fire which he looked upon We may think if this little smart in comparison and these short torments seem so unsufferable as that I would not endure them for a yeare together though I might gaine a Kingdome by it how unsufferable are the eternall torments of hell fire and what a fool am I if I plunge my soule into them for ever for gaining of a paltry profit and a fading and a filthy pleasure And if after drinking a cup of pleasant wine in our thirst or after eating a good dinner in our hūger or if after a sweete sleep when we have been weary we finde our selves comforted and refreshed then there is occasion to think O Lord how much more joy and refreshing will it bee to my soule when I shall rest from all my labours in Abrahams bosom and with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob shall eate bread in the Kingdome of God and shall bee fed with the pleasures of Gods house for evermore And againe if at any time wee be overjoyed who sometimes is not when some great preferment befalleth us such as are a high place in the Court a great office in the City or some matter of much gaine in our trading then it will be seasonable to think if such a scant advancement do so much overjoy mee what a joy will it bee and how shall I rejoyce when I shall be taken to bee Gods adopted son and to be heire of his Kingdome and a fellow citizen with the Saints in glory And thus we may doe on all the like occasions and if thus we do doe still converting earthly occurrences into matter of heavenly meditations we shall be profited toward salvation by every thing of moment that we see or heare abroad and by those things which we find feel in our selves But this practice is never more seasonable nor never more profitable then when we come to the Lords Table In this Sacrament wee have for the outward matter of it bread and wine in substance the same with that which is upon our own boards but in use of a far different nature When they be upon our own boards then they be naturall things ordained for the refreshing of the body and preservation of mans nature but when they bee on Gods board they are spirituall things ordained for the nourishment of the soul and the preservation of Gods grace within us Now if it be a point of wisdome to take occasion of heavenly thoughts from them when they are meere naturall things how necessary will it be to have more elevated thoughts of them when they are consecrated to a mysticall and supernaturall use Now that they are set apart to a sacred use they must needs be profaned if they be not handled in a sacred sort Here they are holy signes which represent Christ unto us with all the benefits of his Passion and we make them as no signes if we doe not see Christ and his death represented in them Therefore in the celebration of this Sacrament the Church teacheth the Minister to say sursum corda lift up your hearts and it teacheth the people to answer him back again Wee lift them up unto the Lord. When therefore our eyes doe look on these creatures on the Lords Table our hearts should look to Christ in heaven When we see the bread cut and broken in pieces that biddeth us remember that his sacred body was broken and torne in pieces for our sins And when we see the wine powred out of the vessel into the cup and out of the cup into our bodies that biddeth us remember that his precious blood was emptied out of the veines that our soules might be purged from their sins And when the bread and wine is delivered into the Communicants hand that telleth him that God the Father doth now reach unto him from heaven the flesh and blood of his deare Son that they may nourish his soule to eternall life as the bread and wine doth nourish his body for this naturall life So that in the whole institution of this Sacrament there is nothing dumb or without its signification and so likewise in the celebration of it wee should passe by nothing as if we were deafe and did not understand the meaning of it For conclusion as S. Paul said to Timothie so I say to every Communicant Meditate on these things while ye be about this holy work and 1 Tim. 4.15 Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things that ye may know how to make use of all Gods ordinances for his Glory and your own comfort CAP. III. The blessings of this life are nothing to the blessednesse of the life to come Cap. 3 WHen this woman magnified the happinesse of that mother who had bred so good a childe as he was who had discoursed in this manner our Lord amended her speech by telling her of a far greater blessednesse then that was consisting in the hearing and keeping of Gods word And hence I collect that the blessing of good children and other the good things of this life are much short of the blessednesse which accompanieth godlinesse and an holy life The proofes for confirmation hereof are three 1. The testimony of Solomon 2. The condition of worldly happinesse in it self considered and 3. It s want of those excellencies that are in the true blessednesse I. The first proofe is the Testimony of Solomon set down in the book of Ecclesiastes In it his Testimony is delivered 2. wayes 1. In a generall doctrine 2. In particular instances 1. His doctrine is this Of all worldly blessings and the happinesse that men can gaine by them he saith in the entrance of his book Vanitie of vanities saith
that God sent him to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgivenes of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified c. Act. 26.17 18. And finally to save labour in reciting of particulars the Apostle hath told us in the generall that God gave to his Church Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Pastours and Teachers and all for the perfecting of the Saints and for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4. 11 12. By this it appeareth that the end of all Preaching is the good of mens soules and from hence it followeth that therefore men in hearing the word preached should seek nothing but that which may further their salvation 2. Proof It is a speciall propertie and vertue in Gods word that it begetteth faith and worketh grace and doth help mens soules to salvation S. Paul saith of it that it is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 Where hee doth not onely say that it is usefull but that it is powerfull to bring men to salvation S. Iames saith that the ingraffed word is able to save our soules Iames. 1.21 where 1. hee calleth it the ingraffed word meaning that the word must be rooted or setled in our heart and 2. hee saith that it is able to save our soules if it be thus setled within us S. Peter also to the like purpose Desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2.2 Where hee saith two things of Gods word 1. that it is like milk to nourish Gods children in grace and 2. that if they desire and suck in this milk it will make them to grow in goodnesse till they become strong men in Christ And to the like purpose it is also that S. Peter said to his Master Thou hast the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. 68 and that the Angel said to Cornelius that Peter should tell him words by which hee and all his house should bee saved Act. 11.14 And by this it appeareth that the use and vertue of Gods word is to work grace and procure salvation and hence also it followeth that they who would make a right use of Gods word must seek for grace and salvation by it Thus the truth of the rule is confirmed and if it bee duly observed it will rectifie two errours amongst us 1. Their errour who so that their eares bee tickled and their fansies pleased do think they have gained enough by a Sermon Of such men the Apostle did prophecie when hee said The time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine but after their owne lusts shall heape unto themselves Teachers having itching eares and shall turne away their eares from the truth and shall bee turned unto fables 2. Tim. 4.3 4. In these words there are foure things said of these men 1. That they would not endure sound doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the former Translation rendred it holesome doctrine By which word is implied that as that is holesome meat which breedeth good nourishment and maintaineth health so that is good doctrine which nourisheth the soule and preserveth it in spirituall health and vigour but such doctrine these men would not endure 2. Hee saith of these men that after their owne lusts they would heap unto themselves Teachers Hee meaneth they would delight in varietie but of such onely as pleased their owne palat 3. Hee saith that these men would have itching eares Hee meaneth that as when the flesh itcheth men take pleasure in having it rubbed so these delighted in such speeches and doctrines as fitted their owne fansies 4. He saith that they would turne away their eares from the truth He meaneth they were not contented with Gods word so as it is plainely delivered for their instruction but so as it is devised by their owne Masters fansied by themselves This the Apostle did fortell of the later times Which prediction doth so suit with our times that as our Saviour said of an other prophecie Luk. 4.21 This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears so I may say of this prophecie In these daies is this Scripture fulfilled among us For now if ever is the time that men have itching eares and heap to themselves Teachers after their own lusts For some mens eares itch after Novelties and curiosities if the Preacher tell them of some outworne antiquities of elder times or some present rarities in the new-found world this will tickle them with delight please them like the Athenians whose delight was to speak and heare news And some mens eares itch after a curious phrase and fine composed sentences and pretty jirks of wit and if a Preacher phrase it in good words and flourish it in Rhetorik and some turnings of wit he is the man that pleaseth to admiration And some mens eares do itch after controversies and questions of the time and if the Preacher raile against that side whom they dislike that is melodie to their eares and contentment to their minds And lastly to forbeare mo instances there bee men whose eares do itch after calumnies against the State and reproches against our Church government and if a Preacher shall gird at our Ceremonies and glance at our Bishops and crie out of Popish raggs and Reliques of Rome this maketh their hearts to leap within them to honor that man above his rank and without reason Though otherwise hee bee a lewd and scandalous liver yet this one vertue as they esteem it shall cover all his other vices and sins No sin can cast him out of these mens grace favour so he be true to the faction But when all is done if yee should ask any of these itching Hearers what they have gained in godlines by the Sermon which they so much commend yee will finde that they cannot give any account of any grace furthered in them nor of any sin mastered or diminished or of any thing else by which they may be bettered towards salvatiō Those that feare God and desire their own comfort let them hence take this rule with them that whensoever they are pleased with any passage in a Sermon they do presently ask their owne soules wherein that passage hath or may profit them in obedience and a godly life And if it no way further them towards heaven it is no way worth their hearing or acceptation It was an itching care not a religious mind that made them take pleasure in that passage 2. This Rule duly observed will rectifie an other errour namely the errour of them who if they finde their affections warmed and their zele stirred up within them though they cannot tell why or upon what ground yet then they think they have made a good market that day But this may prove a deceitfull fansie which had need to be corrected For Quintilian a man both wise and well
of right hearing Gods word HEARING AND DOING the ready way to blessednesse CAP. I. The scope of this discourse and the intention of the Author Cap. 1 BLessednesse is the end for which man was made and to which the frame of the world doth direct and whereunto himselfe in his daily thoughts doth aspire For though most men are much corrupted in their judgement concerning good and evill yet there was never any man but did desire his owne happinesse as the soveraign and most desirable good This being so he that could and would point out the ready way by which a man may become blessed I suppose might deserve great thankes at every mans hands And this our Lord hath done as elsewhere in sundry places of the Gospell so more especially in that Text of S. Luk But he said Luke 11.28 Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it For herein he instructeth us in the way to blessednesse and that partly by his example and more fully by his doctrine And first by his example for when hee heard one of the company proclaiming with a loud voice the blessednesse of that woman who had bred and brought up such a sonne he taketh occasion hereby to discourse of the true blessednesse indeed which farre exceedeth all such blessings as the breeding and bearing of a good sonne is teaching us by this practice of his how to make that use of ordinary occurrences in the world which may stirre up our hearts to think on and to seeke after the things that are above which is a good step toward the blessednesse of heaven and eternall life And secondly our Lord teacheth us the way to happinesse more fully by his doctrine here delivered in which wee finde him telling us that the true blessednesse ariseth out of piety and Gods service that it is contained and set out in Gods word and may be communicated unto us by our hearing and keeping of that word All which points briefely and summarily set downe in our Saviours words I intend by Gods grace to enlarge and amplifie still laying the ground of my discourse in the sacred Text hoping by my poore labours in this argument I may somewhat further both my selfe and others to the obtaining of that blessednesse which wee all doe so much seeke after That God which hath put this thought into my heart put that vertue into my words that they may guide some soule or other to eternall life But before I enter upon the proposed points it will be necessary first to unfold the Text that so both our Lords doctrines my comment upon them may appeare the more plainely The occasion of this speech was this Our Lord had beene preaching the Kingdome of God to the people and a woman of the company ravished with the gratious words that proceeded from him brake out into his praises in these words Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps that thou hast sucked but this commēdation given by the woman our Lord correcteth in this manner Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Which correction of our Saviour that it may the better be conceived wee must enquire what there was amisse in this womans speech that deserved a correction and how our Lord did amend it And my answere thereto I set downe in two propositions 1. Proposition There was not any thing so amisse in this womans speech as that she may be said either to have committed a sin or to have uttered an untruth For by this word blessed this woman meant not that perfect blessednesse which consisteth in the fruition of all good such as our Saviour meant when he said Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 5.3 but using the word in a vulgar sort shee meant by it a great blessing of God bestowed on Christs mother in the same sense that S. Paul said I think my selfe happy King Agrippa because I shall answer for my selfe this day before thee touching all these things whereof I am accused of the Iews Act. 26.2 For as Paul by these words meant that he thought it a great blessing to himselfe that he had such a Judge so this woman by her words meant that she thought it a great blessing to Christs mother that she had such a son And thus to call her a blessed woman was neither a sinne nor an untruth First it was not an untruth for Solomon saith The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoyce and he that begetteth a wise childe shall have joy of him Thy father and thy mother shall bee glad and she that bare thee shall rejoyce Prov. 23.24 25. Where by saying that they shall be glad and shall have joy of such a sonne hee implyeth that he thought this to be a great blessing But David speaketh more plainly and in the very dialect or phrase of this woman Children saith he are an heritage of the Lord the fruit of the womb is his reward He meaneth it of good children onely and of them hee addeth further Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them Psal 127.3 5. Secondly it was no sinne neither in this woman that shee did thus magnifie the happinesse of Christs mother in regard of such a son for Solomon and David in the places now cited did the like in the same case or in a case not so just as this was And upon these grounds I say in the first place that there was nothing so farre amisse in this speech of the woman as that we can say she either committed a sinne or spoke an untruth 2. Propos There was a defect in this speech which might bee bettered and amended for else our Lord would not have corrected it with a Yea rather And to speake particularly the defect herein was twofold 1. That shee did minde a lesser blessednesse and fixed her thoughts upon that when shee might but did not think on a farre greater blessednesse then that was and which concerned her in an higher degree For it is a kinde of blessednesse indeed to have a good and vertuous childe that may comfort us in the world but it is a farre greater blessednesse to enjoy a father in heaven in whose presence is fulnesse of joy for evermore And if this woman did not so esteeme of this blessednesse but with neglect of it did magnifie the other this was a fault that deserved reprehension Or if she did upon the present occasion as I suppose she did magnifie the happinesse of having a gratious sonne reserving notwithstanding her best affections for the happinesse of heaven then though shee could not bee blamed yet her speech might be amended He that calleth them blessed who have godly children saith well but hee that calleth them blessed who keepe Gods commandements saith better And therefore our Lord did amend the womans speech by turning it on that blessednesse which she had
then by ill meanes to increase their wealth Blessed are ye that are impoverished for Christs sake for great is your reward in heaven And so of them that refuse not a nickname or reproach for profession of the truth Blessed are yee that are reproached for Christs sake for great is your reward in heaven And to them who had rather lose a preferment or a great friend then offend God and a good conscience Blessed are ye that are stripped of your friends and means for Christs sake for great c. And to them that had rather endure sicknesse and death then seek to wisards and soothsayers for recovery of health Blessed are ye that are tortured with sicknesse and diseases for Christs sake for great c. And so I would say as by the like reason I may say of all others who prefer the peace of their consciences before the profits and comforts of the world They are blessed even while they are distressed for Christs sake for great is their reward in heaven And this how should is comfort all disconsolate soules who in the midst of troubles serve God without fainting A learned and holy man of God when a friend of his was pained with a grievous sicknesse wrote to comfort him in these words * A letter written to ones friend in his sicknesse in the midst of Master Smiths Sermons I marvell not said he that you are pained for you are sick but I marvell that you are impatient who have learned to know Christ and to professe his Gospell For tell me Patient said he how many stripes is heaven worth And then turning his speech unto God hee prayeth Teach the Happy O Lord to see his happinesse through troubles Thus hee comforted his sick friend and thus every Christian that desireth to serve God may comfort himselfe in sicknesse and travells and troubles let him but think how much heaven is worth toward which he is sailing in this tempest and it will glad his soule in the midst of his greatest agonies God give us grace to make use of such comforts that in the end we may partake of his glory CAP. V. Gods word hath vertue in it to make a man blessed Cap. 5 OUr Lord in his correction of the womans speech saith of the true blessednesse that it is to be had by hearing and doing of Gods word and thence it followeth that Gods word hath vertue in it to make a man blessed This is further proved to be so 1. By Testimonies of Scriptures such as these are S. Iohn saith of his Gospell These things are written that ye might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name Ioh. 20.31 In these words S. Iohn telleth us that he wrote his Gospell for this end that men by it might be brought to beleeve in Christ and to be saved And from hence it followeth that either the holy Ghost propounded to himselfe a wrong end in delivering this Gospell which no Christian dareth imagin or else that this Gospell hath vertue in it to bring men to salvation Again S. Paul saith of the Gospel of Christ that it is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1.16 And S. Iames exhorteth Receive with meeknesse the ingraffed word which is able to save your soules Iames 1.21 And our Saviour to the like purpose Search the Scriptures saith hee for in them yee think ye have eternall life and they are they that testifie of me In all which sayings there is a saving vertue ascribed unto the Scriptures and in this last is intimated unto us that it was the known opinion of Gods people in those dayes Yee think in them ye have eternall life saith Christ It is as if he had said not I onely but your selves also do agree that eternall life is to bee found in the Scriptures and therefore there is reason yee should search them 2. The same truth may be gathered from the Titles which are given to Gods word It is called the Gospell of the Grace of God Acts 20.24 and the Gospell of the Kingdome Mat. 4.23 and the Gospell of salvation Ephes 1.13 Implying that the grace of God and the Kingdome of heaven and salvation is there to be found and from thence to be derived Again it is called the word of Gods grace Acts 14.3 and the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 and the word of salvation Acts 13.26 and 1 Pet. 1.23 the immortall seede by which we are new born All which names and titles given to the word what doe they else import but that therein there is meanes contained to work grace and reconciliation and eternall life This is proofe enough for the point yet it will bee worth the labour to consider how Gods word may bee said to contain this vertue and wherein it sheweth it selfe And thereto the answer is that this vertue of Gods word sheweth it selfe by three things 1. By teaching the ready way to blessednesse 2. By perswading men to walk in that way And 3. by enabling them with grace both to beleeve what it teacheth and to do what it perswadeth I. It teacheth the right way or it teacheth what to beleeve how to live and by what meanes we may be saved So S. Paul saith of this word that it is able to make one wise to salvation through faith in Christ Iesus and that it is profitable for doctrin for reproofe for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good works 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. In these words we have three things to be noted for this purpose First there is the main scope and end for which the Scripture serveth namely to make one wise to salvation Secondly there are the particular uses of this word by which it maketh men wise to salvation and they bee these first it is profitable for doctrine to teach whatsoever we neede to beleeve Secondly for reproofe or to confute and detect all contrary errors that gainsay the doctrine of truth Thirdly for correction or to reprove all sins that are against Gods will manifested in his word Fourthly for instruction in righteousnesse or to inform us in every duty belonging to our callings In summe it teacheth the truth which we ought to beleeve and the duties that we must perform with conviction and confutation of whatsoever is contrary to either of these two so that wee may neither be misled with any error against the faith nor misperswaded to any sin against Gods Law These be uses for which the Scripture is profitable Thirdly there is the sufficiency or ability which men gain by these uses and that is that the Man of God even he that is bound to know and doe most may want no direction that may serve either for instructing of his faith or ordering of his life Now by all this we have a punctuall and plentifull
men from sinne and to procure their pardon and consequently to make them blessed For blessed is he saith David whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Psal 32.1 And thus much for Testimonies II. Secondly the same truth is proved by the constant practice and custome of Gods Church who from time to time have still caused the Scriptures to be read to the people according as was prescribed by Moses in the Law So for example Moses who wrote that Law for others did observe it himselfe He tooke the booke of the covenant and read in the audience of the people as himselfe saith Exod. 24.7 Ioshua did the like He read all the words of the Law the blessings and the cursings according to all that is written in the booke of the Law There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Ioshua read not before all the Congregation of Israel with the women the little ones and the strangers that were conversant among them Iosh 8.34 35. And in the new Testament it is further said that Moses was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 15.21 and chap. 13.27 the like is said of the Prophets that they were read every Sabbath day and v. 15. there is mention made of reading both of them together After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them to wit to Paul and his fellows being now present at their service in the Synagogue as it is vers 14. and invited them to use some exhortation unto the people By which passage it appeareth to have been the usuall custome of that Church that both that Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets were read to the people for their instruction Which custome the a Buxtorf de Abbrev. Hebr. tit de Paraschis pag. 249. Jo. Gerhard Epist dedic praefixaÌ„ homiliis dominical Seraâ— in Maccab. pag. 613 614. Lorâ—n in Deuter. 31.10 11 12 13. learned tell us was observed in this maner The Law that is the five books of Moses they divided into 53. Sections and every week they read one of them for the first lesson that so once a yeare they might reade it all over And out of the Prophets they gathered as many Sections which were of like argument to those of the Law and those they read as second lessons answerable in matter to the former These Sections and lessons both in the Law and the Prophets are distinguished and noted out in the Hebrew Bible by which every one may see what portions of the Bible were read every Sabbath to the people The like custome hath beene observed in the Christian Churches also b Cassian Institut li. 2. c. 6. Gaz. ibid. Cassian telleth us that in those ancient times the Religious Fathers after the reading of the Psalmes did add geminas Lectiones unam veteris aliam novi Testamenti 2. Lessons one out of the old an other out of the new Testament By which words wee may learne that the custome now used in our Churâ—hes was begun in the time of the primitive Church onely with this difference that whereas we now a daies do constantly reade our lessons one out of the olde and an other out of the new they on the Saterdaies and Sundaies for in those olde times they kept both of them as holy dayes appointed and read both the lessons out of the new Testament By all which it appeareth that the Church of God in all ages have still beene accustomed to reade the Text of the Scriptures to the people the reason cannot bee imagined to be any other then this that the people by hearing the Scriptures read might learne to serve God aright and by his service might obtaine eternall life And this proveth that in all ages the hearing of the Scriptures read hath been esteemed as an ordinary way to blessednes immortal life III. Thirdly this point may further bee proved and made more cleare by considering the benefits and helps that a good Christian may reape by hearing the word read And they bee these and such like 1. It serveth to acquaint the people of God with the history of the Chuch and Gods dealing with it For example they may heare in the olde Testament how God created the world punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience drowned the whole world for their overflowing sins excepting Noah and his househould whom he had found upright in that wicked generation how hee destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from heaven delivered the people of Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians led them through a vaste wildernes into a fruitfull land dryed up the river Jordan and the red Sea to make a passage for his chosen ones with many mo such occurrences which ech one may learne by the hearing of the Text read and by them may understand the goodnesse of God the ingratitude of most men and the dutie of all with many others points of instructions conducing towards a blessed life Againe in the new Testament if men heare the first chapters of S. Matthew read they will learne that CHRIST our LORD was borne of a Virgin persecuted by Herod honored by the wise men and miraculously preserved against those that sought his life If they proceede further to the following chapters there they will heare what miracles our Lord wrought what doctrines of religion he taught what tentations he endured and how hee lived from the Cradle to the Crosse And if they continue their hearing till the end of the Gospell bee finished they may acquaint themselves with the maner of his Passion and his Buriall and his Resurrection and his Ascension into heaven all maine points of the Christian Faith and such as every one ought to beleeve for the saving of his soule And yet further by hearing the history of the Acts and the Epistles of the Apostles they may see how the Apostles preached to the Gentiles planted the Churches healed the sick converted the Nations and suffered great wrongs for their masters sake The knowledge of all which will both guide us in the way to heaven and spurre us forward to go on towards eternall life For as David after hee had rehearsed Gods dealings with the ancient Fathers concludeth in the end of all Whoso is wise and will observe these things they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Ps 107.43 So may I say of these and the like passages in Gods word that whoso is wise and when hee hath heard them will consider them they shall understand the wisedome and power and goodnesse and providence of God in the ordering of his Church together with his justice severitie against all them that would not be reclaimed and amended and hereby receive instruction for their owne soules 2. Secondly the hearing of the Scriptures read may serve to teach us many necessary duties of piety and an holy life Every one of us may learne
purpose They are blessed who so keepe Gods word in their memories that they may keepe it in their life and practice But then the keeping of it in memorie is but onely intimated and the keeping of it in practice is principally and mainely intended in the Text. In a word then to keep Gods word is to do and performe what it commandeth or requireth to be done And so much be said to the first question 2. Quest The second is But can any man in this life be able thus to keepe or do Gods word And it seemeth no. For S. Iames telleth us that whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offendeth in one point hee is guiltie of all Iam. 2.10 and not long after he telleth us further In many things we offend all Iam. 3.2 It followeth Therefore there is no man but is guilty of the breach of the whole Law and consequently no man can keep it Ans For answer to this question and objection we must note that there is a twofold keeping of Gods word or commandments the one a Legall the other an Evangelicall keeping of them I. First there is a Legall keeping and that is when wee keep and performe the commandements so exactly as is answerable to the rigour of the Law and as the rule of Justice doth require And this exactnesse consisteth in three things 1. That our obedience be universall in respect of the object or that every thing commanded by God bee performed by us without failing in any one point For if the Law be considered in it selfe and without mercie from CHRIST to mitigat the rigour of it it then denounceth a curse against every offence without any exception Moses saith * So the Originall hath it so the vulgar latin Iunius Vatablus c. do render it though our English Trāslation I know not upon what mistake doth add the word all that cōfirmeth not all the words of this Law which is agreable to the meaning but not to the words Cursed is he that confirmeth not the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 And S. Paul alledging this sentence rendreth the sense of it thus Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 Where by saying All things which are written hee teacheth us that the Law in that sentence meant the curse against any one onely sin cōmitted against that Law And accordingly we see it was but one sin alone that cast the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise 2. The exact rule of the Law doth require that our obedience bee continuall in respect of the time or that wee performe not onely all the things that are commanded but at all times while the Law is in force and doth require them to be done For he that sinneth once only in all his life confirmeth not all things because then he disanulleth or disobeyeth something in the Law whensoever he performeth not what the Law doth command And therefore the Apostle alledging that former sentence of Deuteronomie Cursed is hee that confirmeth not the words rendreth it thus Cursed is hee that continueth not in all things implying hereby that the meaning of the Law is that he is accursed who at any time transgresseth the Law though it bee but once in all his life And this againe is verified in the example of Adam and the Angels For the sin that cast the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise was but once committed by them in all their life 3. The Law in the rigour thereof doth require that our obedience bee full and complete in respect of the degrees and measure of obedience or that it bee with all the heart and with all the soule and the utmost intension and affection of the heart that God ought to bee obeyed withall by men in this mortall life For if a man come short in any degree that is required in our obedience therein hee hath broken that part of the Law which requireth all and consequently by Saint Iames his rule he is a transgressor of the Law stādeth guiltie of the breach of it Now put all these together and the summe will be this that the Legall keeping of Gods word requireth that it be done in all things and at all times and in the most exactest maner that in justice is due or can be exacted at our hands And this is that which I call the Legall keeping of Gods word But thus and in this sense never any man was able to keepe the Law save only the first Adam while he stood in his innocency and CHRIST the second Adam who never lost it This also is further confirmed by that of the Apostle where he concludeth that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God Gal. 3.11 and ver 10. that as many as are of the workes of the Law are under the curse because it is written Cursed is every one c. Hee meaneth that whosoever is to bee judged according to the rule of the Law without mercie procured by CHRIST for the mitigation of this rigour and for a favourable interpretation of the Law that man is in a cursed and damnable estate because no man on earth can ever bee able to keepe the Law in this exact maner And hence it is that the Angels who were liable to this exact rule of Gods Law and by their creation were made able so to performe it because they committed one sinne against it that once onely were rejected without mercie And so Adam being by his creation in the like state and condition that is alike subject to the exact rule of the Law for one offence once committed by him was cast out of Gods favour and should have so continued for ever for any help that the Law or the rule of justice could afford him And had not CHRIST our Lord come in as a Mediator to make peace and establish a new covenant of grace far different from that of the Law both hee and wee all had perished and beene deprived of heaven and happinesse for evermore Thus wee see what the legall keeping of Gods word is and that no man living is able to keepe it in this sense And therefore this is not the keeping which our Saviour commendeth unto us in this place as a meanes that may make us blessed when hee saith Blessed are they c. II. But secondly there is another kinde of keeping of Gods word called by the Learned Evangelicall and that is when we so keep performe this word Law of God as CHRIST doth require in the Gospell and as God for CHRISTS sake doth accept at our hands in steede of that other of the Law Now this rule of obedience prescribed in the Gospell doth mitigate the rule and rigor of the Law in two things 1. Because it granteth a pardon to some kinde of sinnes and 2. because it accepteth
one offence once committed doth condemne a man without leaving him any way or meanes of recovery but the Gospell on the contrary side accepteth of a mans repentance and upon his repentance giveth him a pardon This rule of the Gospell is delivered by our Saviour when he saith I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matt. 9.13 And by the Apostle when speaking of the new Covenant made in Christ hee saith in the person of God who is the Author of this Covenant This is the Covenant that I will make with them I will put my Law into their minde c. Heb. 8.10 And then going on to reckon up the priviledges of this new Covenant ver 12. he addeth I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more And to the same purpose the Prophet Ezekiell for it is a sentence of the Gospell though it be written in the olde Testament as many other are If saith he the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right all the transgressions that hee hath committed they shall not bee mentioned unto him or shall not be named against him Ezek. 18.21 And vers 30. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your ruine By all this it appeareth that in the Covenant of grace confirmed by CHRIST our Redeemer there is place left for repentance even after knowen and reigning sinnes committed and upon this repentance joyned with forsaking of sin free pardon is promised to the offender The summe of all is that the Gospell though it require obedience to Gods commandements as the Law also doth yet it qualifieth the exactnesse and rigour of the Law partly because it doth not cast men off for sinnes of infirmitie and partly because it accepteth of repentance for voluntarie and reigning sinnes And let this be said for answere to the second question 3. Quest The third is whence and how is it that men are able to do thus much that is so to keepe the Law as in the favourable construction may bee accepted Ephes 2.1 3. For the Apostle saith that by nature wee are the children of wrath and if of wrath how is our service accepted And againe as the same Apostle saith Wee are dead in sins and trespasses and can the man that is dead in sin doe the workes of spirituall life or such as hee doth who is alive to God Ans In Scriptures we find two principles of obedience or of serving of God aright the one is nature and the other is grace By Nature I meane all the endowments of the reasonable soule which wee have as men by naturall generation from Adam And by Grace those heavenly qualities and endowments which wee receive by spirituall regeneration from CHRIST Both these are mentioned in Scriptures as principles of obedience to Gods word but the former as a false principle by which men may imagin themselves enabled for Gods service and for the performance of his will but indeede are not The later of these that is Grace is the true principle of obedience that wheresoever it is planted doth enable the soule to keepe Gods commandements according to the Evangelicall and favourable construction of the Gospell This is proved in both the parts thereof by that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.15 Where speaking of the abilities of nature hee saith The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned In which passage of the Apostle wee may note 1. the truth delivered by the Apostle The naturall man doth not neither can hee receive the things of Gods spirit He meaneth that though a man should teach and instruct him in the mysteries of salvation yet hee is uncapeable of instruction hee doth not acknowledge their truth neither can he conceive the mystery cōtained in them And if he cannot know and acknowledge them much lesse can hee do and performe what they require at his hands 2. we may note the reason or the proofe hereof and that is because the mysteries of heaven are foolishnesse to the naturall man and the reason againe thereof is because they are spiritually discerned By this it appeareth that the onely principle which enableth a man for the right judging and discerning of heavenly things is the grace of Gods Spirit which the naturall man wanteth And hence it followeth that as a man cannot live without a soule nor see without an eye nor heare without an eare because these are the grounds principles from which life and sight and hearing do flow so no man can know and serve God aright without Gods Spirit enlightening and enabling him by his grace because this is the principle from which all both spiritual actions and abilities do spring The like to this wee have againe in the same Apostle 2 Cor. 3.5 Wee are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Here the Apostle first removeth the false principle Wee are not sufficient of our selves No not to think a good thought much lesse to do the good workes that are commanded in GODS Law 2. Hee laieth downe the true principle of all our abilitie in Gods service Our sufficiencie is of God And hence it is that the Apostle saith of himselfe I can do all things through CHRIST that strengtheneth mee Philippians 4.13 And 1 Corinthians 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace was not in mee in vaine but I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God that was with mee Where 1. when hee saith His grace was not in me in vaine but I laboured c. he sheweth what he could and did do that is hee served God with great zele in the ministery of the Gospell And 2. when he saith Yet not I but the grace of God c. he sheweth what the ground of this labouring facultie in him was and that both negatively by removing the false ground Yet not I that is not I as I or not I of or by my selfe and affirmatively by setting downe the true ground Not I but the grace of God The conclusion of all is By nature and of our selves we can not do Gods will or keepe his word so as may be accepted of him because by nature we are dead in sinne by nature we are children of wrath but by the grace of God in JESUS CHRIST enabling us thereto we can and do keepe the word of God according to the rule of the Gospell and so as it is accepted of God to eternall life From hence wee may see the great priviledges that a Christian man and woman hath by being in CHRIST more then the rest of the world have for example to give the
no better use of a preacher then a man would do of a minstrell that is to delight themselves with his voice but not to follow his direction 2. Ex. The second example that fitteth this purpose is that in Ezekiell chap. 14. set downe at large in many verses together but summarily comprised in the 7 and 8. verses The words are Every one which separateth himselfe from me and setteth up his idol in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquitie before his face and cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning mee I the Lord will answere him by my selfe And I will set my face against that man and will make him a signe a proverb c. In this passage there are two things considerable 1. A case propounded concerning the people And 2 the answer that God maketh unto it The case is this It is supposed that a man doth not only repaire to the Prophets Sermons in publick but besides goeth to him in privat and asketh his direction in points of religion and Gods service and yet this man setteth up an idol in his heart and a stumbling block before his face that is he hath some one thing or other that he maketh his idol loving and adoring it looking towards it as the desire of his eyes more then he loveth or adoreth the true God whose word he cometh to enquire after This is the case Now the answer that God giveth hereunto is I will answere him by my selfe I will set my face against him c. Applie wee this to our times it is thus much in effect They that pretend to be more zelous religious then other men be these do not only come to heare our sermons in publik but they desire also to have our counsell in privat and propound cases of conscience desiring our direction therein And it is a commendable course and a ready way to gaine knowledge and understanding by But if such a man thus zelous in his way do notwithstanding set up an idol in his heart that is if he have a purpose or do live in any knowen sinne against his conscience God will meete with that man in his anger and cut him off with the wicked that never enquired after God 3. Ex. A third example may be that spoken of by our Saviour Luk. 13.26 They shall say unto me saith our Lord we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence ye are depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie And as it is Matt. 7.22 Many will say to me in that day of the great judgment Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out divels and in thy name have done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from mee ye that work iniquity Here I consider two things 1 What these great pretenders to religion did alledge for themselves and that was that they had heard CHRIST himselfe preaching unto them in his own person yea that themselves did preach in his name and which is yet more in his name had cast out divels And hereupon they thought that they had a speciall interest in Christ and his Kingdome 2. I consider what our LORD answered to these allegations hee denieth not but that it was true that they had heard CHRIST preaching among them and that they had taught and done miracles in his name all this he grants to be true But he denieth that for any or all of these they had any right in him or in his Kingdome I never knew you depart from me And why why even because ye are workers of iniquity The application hereof is obvious and easy If men be workers of iniquity that is if they live in any knowen sinne which they will not presently forsake no hearing of Gods word though CHRIST himselfe were the preacher nor no preaching of Gods word though themselves were honored with that holy calling no nor no casting out of divels as some even in our daies have pretended to do neither any nor all of these things can gaine them a title to heaven or a right to blessednesse eternall life Let every good Christian then take heede that himselfe be not caried away with errour of the wicked who think highly of themselves for their hearing of Sermons and reading of Scriptures and reasoning of religion These are good if they be well used that is if they be made to serve as meanes of pietie and a godly life if they make us more just more sober and more peaceable and more charitable and more conscionable in all our wayes and dealings then they are the blessings of God and prepare men by holinesse to a blessed life But if they bee separated from sanctitie and a godly life then the curse attendeth them Depart from mee ye workers of iniquity and Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his Angels from which God will deliver all them that feare and serve him Vse 2. Seeing Hearing is of no further use then as it fitteth us for doing hence we have a good rule to judge of the goodnesse of a Sermon by For if hearing be no more worth then as it furthereth us to doing then preaching is of as litle worth if it bee not fitted for the same end The reason is because preaching and hearing are both of them ordained for the same end nor would there be any use of preaching if there were no neede of hearing No man ever preached to an infant because he wanteth wit to learn what is taught nor will any man ever preach to the glorified soules that bee in heaven because they have no neede of teaching Preaching onely is for this purpose that men who haue neede of instruction may learne and make use of what is taught And therefore if that hearing bee vaine which doth not further a godly life then that preaching is no better then babling which is not fit to beget godlinesse and vertue And this note yeeldeth us two practicall rules one for the Preacher and an other for the Hearers 1. Rule The rule for the Preacher is this that in framing and composing of his Sermon he should aime at the peoples profiting in an holy life all his thoughts and words should be such as may worke men to the obedience of Gods Law For confirmation hereof wee have Gods owne example Isa 48.17 I am the LORD thy God saith hee which teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest goe I note two things 1. When hee saith I am the Lord which teacheth thee hee professeth himselfe to bee a preacher whose office is to teach men the way of eternall life And 2. when he saith I am the Lord which teacheth to profit the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Montanus rendereth it
spilt as is sowen in that time and if besides occasions of the world do keep us from hearing or hinder us in preparing for it what in this case is bestowed on the world is stollen from God and our owne soules And therefore in the Decalogue where God commanded the Jews to sanctifie the seventh day as a day of rest for Gods service hee telleth them that they had six daies allowed theÌ„ to do their own works in but the seventh was a Sabbath of rest in which being freed from the world they should bee at leasure for God For better keeping of which day Moses commanded them that the day before the Sabbath they should (a) Exod. 16.23 bake what they had to bake and seeth what they had to seeth that so they might have no businesse of their own to do when they were to keepe Gods holy day And from hence it was that the Jews called the sixth day of the week (b) Matt. 27 6â— Luk. 23.54 the preparation of the Sabbath Some have thought that this was a peculiar title of the day going before the Passeover and sure there is reason to think that it was in an especiall maner used before that day because as that (c) Joh. 19.31 Sabbath day was an high day so this preparation day should be observed with more solennitie and care that it might usher in that great day with the more honour But yet I take it every Sabbath day had his preparation day going before according to that rule of Moses mentioned before And so (d) Parasceve Graeca vox est Latinè dicas praeparationem Eo nomine Judaei vocabant sextam Sabbathi seu sextam Hebdomadae diem eò quòd illo die pararent necessaria omnia ad vivendum die subsequenti ne qua re otium Sabbathi violare cogerentur Brugens in Matt 27.62 Vox Parasceve qua Romani hanc solam feriam sextam compellant communis est omnibus totius anni feriis sextis Parasceve verò praeparatio interpretatur quo nomine Judaei qui inter Graecos conversabantur sextam Sabbathi quae nunc à nobis sexta feria nominatur appellabaâ—â— c. Antiq. Liturg. tom 2. de feria sexta pag. 925. Vide Ca aeuÌ„ in Cassian Instit lib. 5. cap. 24 pag. 12. learned men generally do affirm Answerably whereunto and as I take it in imitation thereof the Christian Church hath beene accustomed to keepe Saterday half holy day that in the afternoon they might ridd by-businesses out of the way and by the evening service might prepare their mindes for the Lords day then ensuing Which custome and usage of Gods people as I will not presse it upon any mans conscience as a necessary dutie so every man will grant mee that Gods people as well Christian as Jewish have thought a time of preparation most fit for the well observing of Gods holy day And upon this ground I may be bolde to advise every good Christian that before the exercises of the LORDS day he will take care to lay aside worldly occasions and to cleare his minde from the thought of them that so he may have nothing to do with the world while hee is to converse with God nor bee distracted with earthly thoughts when hee is to bee busied about heavenly things In regard whereof I cannot but blame their loosenesse who follow the businesses of their trade in the morning of the Lords day or spend other parts thereof in talking with their servants about the disposing of the next weeks work as if they meant to make the Lords day a preparation day for the week following By which meanes it falleth out not seldome that such people come tardy to Church and heare without attention when they are come and go away without profit when all is done I like not their rigour who allow no word nor thought on a Sabbath day but such as is spirituall nor can I approve their loosenes who take so much libertie for themselves as hindereth any substantiall dutie of Gods service More I say not at this time grant mee but thus much and then ye will not denie but so much preparation is necessary as may make us fit for the duties of Gods service and may make the exercises of an holy day profitable for our soules II. A second preparative duty for right hearing is that wee refresh the body with seasonable moderat comforts that the senses spirits being refreshed the minde may bee made more chearefull in Gods service For our soules work as our bodies are fitted for them and the reason is because the senses of the body are the servants of the soule the spirits are the instrumeÌ„ts by which it worketh Now if a master-workman doe want servants to assist him he will do but a little work and if hee want tooles or have none but blunt ones he can do no work or none to any pupose And so if the bodily senses bee decaied and the spirits wasted the minde cannot be free or forward in good duties And consequently if we desire that our soules may be fresh lively in hearing or praying or praising God it will be necessary that the body bee kept in vigour by its usuall refreshings And these refreshings are two especially moderat diet and seasonable sleepe In these I require two things 1. that there bee a competent use of them allowed to the body and 2. that this use be moderat and seasonable And this the Apostle meant when hee said Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 for by these words (a) Cassian Inst Ib. 5 c. 8. pag. 116. saith a good writer non curam ejus omnimodis interdixit sed ut in desideriis fieret denegavit He did not forbid all care but denied the fulfilling of its lusts Voluptuosam ademit diligentiam carnis gubernationem vitae necessariam non exclusit hee tooke away the sensuall care of the flesh but not the right ordering of it according to the course of nature 1. It is necessary that there bee allowed a reasonable use of them that the senses may bee lively and active for their work For wee read of the Egyptian yong man that by long fasting hee was ready to die but when he had eaten some food then saith the Text his spirit came againe to him 1 Sam. 30.12 And so Ionathans eies were enlightened by eating a little honey in his hunger 1 Sam. 14.27 And againe if the people had beene suffered to eate of the spoile of their enemies there had beene a farre greater slaughter among the Philistines ver 30. (b) Efficaciùs semper corde concipitur quicquid sensim absque nimio labor corporis intimatur Cassian Collat. 14 cap. 19. pag. 651. And so in this case sleepe and food are necessary refreshings that wee may bee chearefull in Gods service And the reason is cleare in experience For we see that the famished body is unfit for worke
and the hungrie belly thinketh more of eating drinking then of praying or learning Gods word and the man that is weary with long labour had rather sleepe then meditat or heare It is said of Sisera that hee was fast a sleepe and weary and the meaning is say the Learned (c) Vatabl in Jud. 4.21 pressus sopore prae lassitudine that by reason of his weariness he fell into a dead sleepe The conclusion is some refreshing is necessary for the body that it may be serviceable for the soule And this is the first thing that I say 2. The second is that this refreshing must be seasonable and moderat For as emptines breedeth faintnesse so fulnesse is a burden and both of them disable the soule in her functions For as the Egyptian was not able to tell his tale when hee wanted meat so Nabal was not fit for good counsell when he was filled with wine and good cheare 1. Sam. 25.36 37. And for this cause our LORD giveth us warning Take heede to your selves that your hearts be not overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21.34 This sheweth that meat drink if they be immoderat are a burden to the soule Likewise sleepe if it bee seasonable refresheth nature and maketh men fit for their worke but unseasonable sleepe is an hinderance to good imployments which made Solomon to say that if a man love sleepe he will come to poverty Pro. 20.13 6.11 And so it is in the spirituall state of mens soules Those that give themselves to sleepe when they should watch and work in Gods service will doubtlesse come to great poverty in Gods graces And no marvell For if men sleepe when they should come to Church they deprive themselves of some part of Divine service and if they sleepe when they are come they deprive themselves of all the fruit that they should reape by it and consequently they lose the helps meanes which God hath appointed for the enriching of their soules with divine graces The conclusion is Comforts of nature in meat and sleepe are necessary for attentive hearing so they bee moderate and seasonable But in both these refreshings men do oftentimes offend and hee that would have good of these comforts must bee carefull to avoid those errours which be these 1. Men offend in eating and drinking seldome in defect but many times by excesse It was sometimes a fault among the Primitive Christians when men in their zole did take the kingdome of heaven by violence that they fasted so long till they fainted and therefore were reproved by the Ancient Fathers for their austerity and rigour But our times are not greatly guilty of that fault Our sinne is that by too full feeding wee become unfit for holy duties For whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart as the Prophet speaketh Hos 4.11 And surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of the world do overcharge the heart that it cannot keep watch against the great day as our Saviour saith Luke 21.34 The meaning of which speeches is that by eating and drinking and caring for the world excessively or overmuch the soule of man is pressed downe and laid groveling upon the earth so that it is unfit for any heavenly thoughts And this we find to bee true by dayly experience For if we feed to the full on the Lords day at dinner wee are the worse disposed to heare or pray or serve God any way in the afternoone And therefore if we desire to profit by our hearing we must beware of full feeding especially we must take heed that a full stomacke doe not cause a drowsie head 2. In sleeping men offend both wayes both by defect and excesse 1. By defect and so they offend who on the Saterday night do continue so long at their worke that they are sleepie the next day when they should serve God in good duties For this wee may be well assured of that they who work when they should sleepe will sleep when they ought to work because nature if it be defrauded of its ordinary rest will still bee seeking of a supply of that which is wanting And therefore those that would be cheerefull in holy exercises on the Lords day must give themselves sufficient rest the foregoing day Yea and if I might advise they should allow somewhat more then ordinary at that time because it is harder to forbeare sleepe in the Church where wee sit still without moving then it will bee in our shops or in places abroad where we are stirring and moving about our occasions and intent upon our Trades and businesse 2 Wee offend herein by excesse also So they do who slugge it so long in their beds on the Service-day as that some part of Gods service is past before they are ready to come This fault deserveth reprofe in two respects 1. Because it argueth a great coldnesse in holy duties and a dead spirit to God-ward For what wee do willingly and with a cheerefull minde that wee do speedily and without lingring or delay Wee reade of Shechem Hamors sonne when hee had a grant of Dinah Iacobs daughter to be his wife upon condition that hee and his people would bee circumcised that he deferred not to doe the thing because hee had delight in Iacobs daughter Gen. 34.19 And so if men have a delight in spirituall exercises they will take the first opportunity and not deferre and loyter about the businesse So when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son the Text saith noting thereby his ready obedience that hee rose early in the morning to go speedily about the work Gen. 22.3 And of Iacob it is said in like sort that to expresse his thankfulnesse for Gods mercies hee rose up early in the morning and set up a pillar c. Gen. 28.18 And so on the contrary of wicked men who pursue their sinfull pleasures with delight it is said that they rise early to go about their work So drunkards are said to rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink Isa 5.11 And the inhabitants of Ierusalem rose early and corrupted all their doings Zeph. 3.7 Yea and God himselfe to note his hearty desire of mans salvation saith of himselfe I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but yee heard not Ier. 7.13 and verse 25 I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets dayly rising up early and sending them By all which and other places of the like kind we may see that early rising for the doing of any thing is taken as an argument of hearty affection and love to the same thing And so on the contrary slugging and delaying is an argument of little affection and love And hereby it appeareth that their devotion is cold in Gods service who lie in bed so long that they come late and tardie to the worke 2. This fault of slugging long in bed is
graces in which the maine duties of christianity do consist And he that is thus disposed before he cometh to heare is in a faire way to understand the Scriptures when they bee alledged and to conceive the Preachers meaning when hee explaineth and applieth them to his conscience And hence it is that (a) Inst lib. 5. cap. 33. pag. 134. Cassian a learned judicious Writer doth say of Theodorus a Religious man of that time and one that was expert in the Scriptures that the thing which made him so skilfull in Gods book was Non tam studium lectionis vel literatura mundi quà m sola puritas cordis not so much his reading of learned books or his human learning as his purity sincerity of heart alone And this man saith the same (b) Ibid. cap 34. pag. 135. Autor when men admired his clear understanding of Scriptures and desired of him the meaning of certaine places answered them that he who would come to the true understanding of Scriptures must not bestow his paines in reading of Commentaries but rather bend his minde to cleare his soule from fleshly desires Quibus expulsis confestim cordis oculi sublato velamine passionum sacramenta Scripturarum velut naturaliter incipient contemplari For these vitious lusts being expulsed driven out the eie of the soule after this vaile of passions is removed from before it doth begin as it were by its owne disposition and temper to understand the mysteries of the Scriptures (c) Siquidem nobis nō ut essent incognita vel obscura sancti Spiritûs gratiâ promulgata sunt sed nostro vitio velamine peccatorū cordis oculos obnubēte red dūtur obscura quibus rursum naturali redditis sanitati ipsa Scripturarum sanctarū lectio ad contemplationē verae scentiae abundè etiam sola sufficiat Cassian ibid. For as hee addeth the holy Ghost did not so pen and divulge the Scriptures that they might bee unknowen and dark but they become hard and obscure through our owne default who with a vaile of sins do cover the eies of our mindes like the vaile that laie on the heart of the Jews while they read the books of Moses 2 Cor. 3.14 15. II. This puritie of soule disburdened of her sinfull lusts disposeth a man to the obedience of Gods word and maketh him ready and prepared to observe and do what is therein prescribed Now these works of obedience they bee the very fruits harvest cropp for reaping whereof the seed of Gods word is sowen For the end of our preaching and reading is that men may heare and the end of their hearing is that they may learne and know Gods will and the end of their learning knowledge is that they may do Gods will and keep his commandements This gradation of causes is clearly expressed by Moses Deut. 31.11 12. And it is intimated by our Saviour also in the Gospell when he saith This peoples heart is waxed grosse and their eares are dul of hearing their eies they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eies heare with their eares understand with their heart and should bee converted and I should heale them Matt. 13.15 By these speeches it appeareth that Doing is the end of Hearing Now that which in our hearing doth fit us for this end is if wee purge our soules aforehand of all sinfull lusts and yeeld up our selves to be moulded by the word For they that be in love with any lust are loth to heare and more loth to do that which God commandeth to the contrary Herod because hee was in love with his fleshly lusts would not hearken to Iohn Baptist when hee tould him of his incest Mark 6. the Pharises because they were in love with their money derided our Saviour Luk. 16.13 14. when he preached against covetousnesse And Ahab 1 King 22. because hee was resolved to go up to Ramoth Gilead to battell put Micaiah in prison for advising him to the contrary And so it is still He that is resolved to live in oppression will not care for the Preachers words when he telleth him of S. Pauls threatening Let no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter because that the LORD is an avenger of all such 1 Thess 4.6 And he that is resolved to go on in his uncleane lusts will not care when hee is tould of that sentence Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.4 And he that is given to his bellie cheare will sleight that caveat of our Saviour Take heed lest your hearts bee overcome with surfetting drunkennesse c. Luk. 21.34 And generally whosoever is led with any lust untill he be content to part with that lust will never bee willing to yeeld obedience to that Scripture which forbiddeth it Yea and they who are zelously affected to religion and performe holy duties with some care yet if they have but any one unmortified passion behinde that lust will make them to withdraw the shoulder when they should yeeld obedience to the word A plaine proof hereof may bee seene in the rich young man mentioned Mar. 10.17 c. For hee came to CHRIST with great zele and was resolved to do any thing that hee might be saved Good Master saith hee what good thing shall I do c But when our LORD bade him Go sell all that thou hast c and thou shalt have treasure in heaven the Text saith he was sad at that saying and went away grieved The meaning is that though he were a forward young man and purposed to do any thing that CHRIST would appoint him for gaining of eternall life yet because hee was in love with his wealth he thought this to bee too hard a condition to be accepted of And so it is and will bee with all other men if they be in love with any one sinne that will not suffer them to submit to that word of God which forbiddeth it But contrariwise he that hath emptied his soule of every knowen sin is ready for every commandement will submit to whatsoever God shall enjoyne him For having purged out every lust he hath nothing left behind that may oppose GODS word when it commandeth him his duty Such a man if God should command him to sacrifice his life for religion as he commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son he would say with S. Paul My life is not deare unto mee so I may finish my course with joy Act. 20.24 And if God should require restitution of ill gotten goods hee would say with Zaccheus If I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation or any other unjust dealing I will restore him fourefold Luk. 19.8 And if GOD should require him to mortifie himself by hard and austere chastisements hee would say with S. Paul I will keep under my body and bring it in subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 And so in all other the most troublesome
will bee so serious and attentive in matters of Gods service that other by-thoughts will not easily divert or turne away his minde And therefore if worldly thoughts do much disturbe our hearing it is an argument that the studie of the world is more frequent with us and more delightfull to us then the studie of Gods word For redressing of which errour and to keepe our mindes from evagations and distractions our care must be to place our studie on Gods word and thereby to season our mindes with a love of heavenly things and a serious care of our salvation 2. It will be an helpe also if we use such posture of body as may be apt to keep our senses waking and to drive away heavines sleep How this is to be done we may take direction from examples of former times First then wee read in the Gospel that when our Lord had read his Text and was ready to speak unto the people the eies of all them that were in the Synagogue were fastened upon him Luk. 4.20 Which words as they shew with what attention they prepared to heare the Sermon so they intimate that by this means they were likely to continue their attentiō For as the mind sendeth out the eies to look upon that which it selfe liketh so the eies if they bee fastened on an object do stirre up the minde to think on that thing which they present to its view Consequently as gazing abroad distracteth the minde with varietie of objects so the fastening of them on the speaker doth settle the mind where the eies are fixed And by reason hereof it will bee some help to sharpen our attention if sometimes as occasion requireth wee fasten our eies upon the Preachers face look that way where we desire our minds to be Againe Solomon saith of the wicked man that he shutteth his eies to devise froward things Prov. 16.30 He meaneth that as men when they are in serious meditation do shut the eies that nothing may distract their minds so the wicked man shutteth his eies that hee with more intention may devise mischief And so in this work of hearing it may sometimes be an help to attention if wee look downward or cover the eies that the minde having no distraction from without may be the more intent on his present businesse Thirdly wee read of the ancient Monks in Egypt And the name of Monks was then as honorable for their devotion as now it is growen contemptible for the superstition of later times that they in their prayers did sometimes cast themselves downe upon the ground and anone after rose up againe and praied standing with their hands lifted up to heaven And this they did * Humi namque diutiùs procumbentem nō solùm cogitationibus aiunt verùm etiā somno graviùs impugnari Cassian Inst lib. 2. c. 7. pag. 27. because as they said if a man did lye long upon the ground he would bee set upon not onely by idle thoughts but more especially by sleepe And so if in our hearing wee finde that by long sitting at ease wee grow heavie and dull of hearing wee should rise and stand up to awaken our senses And if by long standing wee finde our selves weary of our worke wee may for a time seek some ease by sitting and so still change the site of the body and use such varietie in gestures as for the present we finde most availeable to keep us in attention 3. It will bee an other help if we labour to remove all lets and impediments that use to disturb us Solomons rule is It is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink lest they drink forget the Law pervert the judgmēt of any of the afflicted Prov. 31.4 5. He meaneth that drinking of wine and strong drink might make them unfit for judicature doing of Justice in such a case even Kings were bound to avoid it lest it should disable them for the doing of their duties And this rule bindeth us also to avoid such things as may hinder us in Gods service If wee drink wine strong drink that is apt to fume into the head and to procure drowsinesse and sleepe if we eat a full meale that calleth the spirits to the stomach for concoction and in their absence the braine is disabled for contemplation and religious thoughts and if before we come to Church we drowne our selves in meriments and sports that will season the minde with carnall delights and make the soule unfit to relish the things of the Spirit and if any man stuff his mind with worldly eares and businesses of this life that will leave no roome for spirituall instructions to enter in And if any of us do finde that by these or any other such occasions we be hindered in our hearing wee must forbeare drinking of wine and feeding to the full and delighting in carnall sports cumbring our selves with worldly cares and what soever else may breed either drowsinesse or distraction Else it will bee impossible that wee should heare with attention and as impossible that we should profit without it 4. It will bee an help to our hearing if while wee are about that work we do ever and anone reflect upon our selves and consider what thoughts doe then lodge within us And if we finde distractions to divert us we should blame our untoward hearts bewaile our corruptions and recall the minde to his businesse again This will help us against distractions because our heart will learne by often checks to bee the more watchfull and we by condemning our selves for our neglect of God and our own good shall be made the more warie of offending any more even as a traveller that hath missed his way through heedlessenes will bee the more carefull afterward to observe every turning and to avoid every by-waie that might mislead him These rules I have thought not unfit for this purpose if any man have those that bee better hee may leave these at his pleasure and make use of that which may do him more good II. The next vertue to be exercised in the time of our hearing is due reverence to God and his holy word Solomon requireth it of us in our prayers and praises of God When saith he thou goest to the house of God bee not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hastie to utter any thing before God For God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles 5.1 2. Wee may note in this sentence two things a rule and a reason 1. A Rule that is expressed two waies 1. negatively in these words Be not rash c. He meaneth that we should not presume to speak unto God but with premeditation and advised sobernesse 2. Affirmatively in those words Let thy words be few He meaneth that our words should be well weighed and then they will not be many that our speech should bee sparing
work of the Lord deceitfully and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood Ier. 48.10 In this sentence wee have two things 1. A Commination of judgement and 2. an application of it to the present occasion The Commination is this Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully the former Translation readeth it negligently The meaning is in both the same For he that doth Gods work negligently doth do it deceitfully also because he giveth God but one part of his due and keepeth back an other part from him or for that hee gives him a worse thing instead of a better In which sense hee is said to bee a deceiver who having a male in his flock voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.14 And in this maner Saul was a deceiver when being commanded to kill all the Amalekites hee saved some of the best of them alive 1. Sam. 15. And so Ananias and Sapphira were deceivers when having offered to God all the money that the land was sold for they kept back part for themselves And in the same sense may every one among us be called a deceiver who giveth God a part of his service and keepeth from him some other part or who affoordeth him part of the time that is due to his worship and depriveth him of the rest Such a one is both a negligent workman and a deceitfull dealer with God 2. The application of this threatning in the Prophet is this And cursed be hee that keepeth back his sword from blood The meaning is that God had now commanded a work to bee performed against his enemies the Moabites which was to slay and kill and destroy them and he that did not slay and destroy them accordingly was hee that did this work of the LORD both negligently and deceitfully though he should pill and poll and impoverish them The like application of this generall rule is proper to this occasion also The hearing of Gods word with the other duties belonging to it are GODS work which hee requireth to be done in their time and season and if any man do willingly and unnecessarily withdraw himselfe from any part when hee oweth to God the whole hee doth Gods work deceitfully and may feare the curse that is denounced against deceivers in the Prophet 2. These men who think to please God with a part of his due either comming too late to his Service or departing from it too soone do runne upon this danger that by their absence they may lose that blessing which GOD hath appointed for that part of the service wherein they had no share More particularly they may misse that prayer by which they might have obtained the assistance of Gods Spirit or they may misse the reading of that Chapter which might have converted them to God from some evill way or they may misse that passage in the Sermon which might have done them good all their life long In respect whereof as he that commeth too late to his dinner or is called away before his time may chance to rise hungry or unsatisfied so they that come too late or depart too soone from divine Service may go away destitute of that blessing of God which might nourish their soules with grace to eternall life Hee therefore that will be a profitable hearer of Gods word must not carelessely neglect any part of Gods service wherein wee may take for our paterne the example of Cornelius a man much commended in the Scriptures He expecting the comming of S. Peter who should tell him what he should do did in the meane while call together his kinsmen and neare friends and they altogether waited for the Preacher and when Peter was come to preach the Gospel unto thē Wee saith Cornelius are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.24 33. Where 1. when it is said that Cornelius had gathered and called together his kinsmen and neare friends wee may hence gather that Cornelius thought it a speciall benefit which he desired his chiefe friends might be partakers of to heare the word of God preached by the Apostle 2. When Cornelius saith Wee are all here present to heare hee giveth us to understand that all the Hearers were present and met together to wait for the Preacher before the Preacher came there was not one that came tardie or after the exercise was begun 3. When hee saith wee are all here present to heare all things that are commanded of God to be said unto us he implieth that they meant not to lose or misse any part of S. Peters speech there was not a man among them all that meant to depart before all was ended The like affection and diligence should be shewed by every Christian It is an argument of little devotion and respect to Gods service when we come slowly and go away quickly and think every houre too much that is bestowed in this duty But if wee bee ready aforehand and stay till the full end and hearken to every thing that God hath sent his servant to tell us as Cornelius and his friends did then wee may hope that as the holy Ghost fell upon them that then heard the word vers 44 so God will give us his Spirit to guide us in the truth and to lead us by a holy life to eternall glory Which God grant for CHRISTS sake Amen FINIS
saying of Isai cap. 53. v. 7. He was led as a Sheepe to the slaughter and like a Lambe dumb before his shearer so opened hee not his mouth c. Act. 8.32 but when Philip came and expounded the Text and preached unto him JESUS out of that Text then he understood the words and beleeved in CHRIST to salvation And so among us there is no ordinary Christian but may stick at the meaning of som Scriptures which if a learned preacher have them in handling hee may see unfolded and explained 2. By hearing the word preached a man may learne how this or that Scripture doth prove and confirme a point of divinity or doth confute a contrary errour or doth commend unto us some profitable dutie belonging to our calling which a common Christian of and by himself would not have marked and observed For example the Sadduces and common people of that time did not see nor could not conceive how the Resurrection of the dead might be proved out of that saying of Moses Exod. 3.6 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob But our Saviour sheweth it by a plaine reason that that Scripture proveth the truth of that point because that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Whence it foloweth that because God saith that he is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob therefore Abraham Isaac Iacob are living still and consequently their soules were not perished or vanished into nothing as the Sadduces fondly imagined and therefore said that there was no Resurrection Againe the people did not know that that place of David Thou shalt not leave my soule in hell nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psal 16.10 did include any proofe of Christs Resurrection from the dead But S. Paul sheweth and that from the Text it selfe that this saying must needes bee meant of Christ who upon the third day after his death rose againe from the dead without any tincture of corruption because of David that Text could not bee meant who had beene a long time dead and now was consumed into ashes but never rose againe from the place of corruption as Act. 13.36 Act. 2.29 And so in like sort there are many passages of holy writ which yeeld plaine proofe for confirming of some truth or for confuting of some error or for instructing us in some duty which an unlearned man among us cannot understand by himselfe but may learne it from a skilfull preacher 3. By hearing the word preached we may learn how to applie the sayings of Scripture to our owne use more then by hearing it read we could ever be able to do of our selves For Scriptures teach us generall duties and give us generall rules without declaring how they agree to each age or place or person For that were an infinit labour and not to be performed at once Now these rules and these sayings the unlearned do not know how to apply so well as the preacher can teach and instruct them Nor will the learned bee ready to make application to themselves till some monitor remember them of their dutie An example hereof wee have in our blessed Saviour who having read that place of the Prophet The Spirit of the Lord is upon me c. Is 61.1 presently applieth it in such a manner as the hearers would never have thought of This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Luk. 4.21 An other example to the same purpose we have in S. Paul who having alledged that saying of the Prophet I have heard thee in an acceptable time c he presently teacheth the Corinthians which before they knew not how to apply it to the present time and occasion Behold now saith hee is that accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 To these we may add the example of David He no doubt had oftentimes read of the judgment of God against adultery and murder nor could he be ignorant how necessary repentance was for preventing of that judgment but hee neglected to apply these rules to himselfe to whom they properly belonged till Nathan came to him and applied them to his conscience and tould him in plaine words Thou art the man 2. Sam. 12.7 By all this wee may see that there is great benefit in hearing the word preached besides that which may bee gotten by the word read And hereof there is plaine reason also 1. Because the preacher is supposed to bee bred and brought up in learning and thereby hath gained skill to understand those things which belong to his profession For even in ordinary trades he that hath been an Apprentice for seven years may bee supposed to have gained skill both to manage his trade and to traine up others in the knowledge of the same art which they will not be able to doe who were never bred up in that profession And so it is in this case If a man have spent sundrie years perhaps twise seven or upward in the study of Divinity as many of our preachers have in all probability and likelihood that man will be able to understand teach points much better then men whose breeding hath beene in an other kinde But if any shall stepp into the Pulpit before he have passed through the Schooles and take upon him to teach Divinity before hee ever learned it I speake not of such a one nor do I think him fitt to teach men the mysteries of Religion Such a man may perhaps please the rude multitude who esteeme more of a glibb tongue then a solid braine are swayed more with sound of words then with weight of reasons but will never either satisfie the judgment of the learned or direct any mans conscience in the wayes of salvation Understand mee then to speake of such a one as hath beene bred in the study of good arts and is as the Apostle calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach and then yee will confesse it to bee true that such a preacher will bee able to teach his hearers the meaning of Gods word better then they of themselves could learne and understand it 2. Because the preacher besides his former studies doth or should bestow his time on the weeke dayes to provide for his labours on the Lords day or other festivals Other men spend the weeke on their worldly businesse the merchant on his traffick the husbandman on his tillage the handicrafts man on his workmanship the Lawyer on his Clients the Physician on his patients and reserve only the Lords day for learning of Religion But the imployment of the preacher even on the week day is to turne his bookes examine his Text and studie for matter of instruction that may do his people good that when the Lords day is come he may speake pertinently to the purpose and profitably for the furthering of his peoples soules And such a man will bee more able to expound Scriptures to
state a controversie and to give rules of a godly life then any other can do who hath not studied the points aforehand and turned over his bookes for his better information But if there bee any of us preachers who studie the world on the week daies and then preach on Gods day what commeth next to our lips I speake not of such nor dare I commend them for men that may direct Gods people in the way of godlinesse no nor them neither who value their labours by the number of Sermons which they preach rather then by the solid notes of instruction which they do deliver Such men may please idle professors who make their religion an eare-labour as Papists make their prayers a lip-labour But understand me of such preachers as besides their former studies do bestow the weeke dayes for provision on the Lords day and no man will denie but such are more able to teach godlinesse then they who have spent all the week on profane or worldly occasions There is great reason then to thinke that the learned preacher may teach us more of Gods truth then possibly we could learne by our selves And out of all this wee may observe the great mercy of God towards us and his great love to our soules who hath provided such varietie of meanes to bring us to happinesse and eternall glory First he hath given us opportunitie of reading his word at home in a knowen tongue and then hee hath provided us meanes that wee may heare it read in the publik congregation and lastly that both the publik and privat reading may bee made more profitable and usefull hee sendeth his preachers to guide us in the right understanding and applying of his word as he sent Philip to the Eunuch to instruct him in the faith And if after all this wee neglect so great salvation offered unto us how shall we escape the just judgment of God who commanded the unprofitable servant to bee cast into outer darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Surely for such a neglect God complaineth of the Jews as of men that had despised both his mercies and their owne comforts I saith he have written unto them the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Hos 8.12 Where 1. when he saith I have written the great things of my Law he putteth them in minde that his word is not a thing of small value or not worth the reckoning and esteeme But as Moses said of his Law It is no vaine thing for you because it is your life Deuter. 32.47 So our God telleth his people that his word was no vaine or idle thing but the things therein contained were great things matters of life and eternall happinesse 2. When hee saith I have written unto them these great things he implieth that these weightie things are hard at hand lying by them in store that they may take up the Bible and read and learne those rules and directions that may carie them into heaven 3. When he addeth But they these great things of my Law were counted as a strange thing he upbraideth the people with their great negligence or contempt rather that having such a faire opportunity they despised so great salvation as if it were a matter that concerned them not And so it will bee with us Christians if we neglect either to read Gods word by our selves in privat or to heare it read in publik now that we have it so fairely and legibly written for our uses God may chide us for our contempt of his mercies that upon better grounds and with more reason then hee did chide the Jews For 1. he wrote indeede great things for them but they are farre greater things that he hath written for us They had the books of the old Testamēt wherein CHRIST and salvation were scantly and obscurely taught but we besides those books have the writings of the Evangelists Apostles wherein CHRIST JESUS is crucified before our eyes wee are brought into the Sanctum Sanctorum the Holy of Holies that wee may see God as it were with open face In respect of which cleare light it is that Kings and Prophets have desired to see those things which wee see and have not seene them Nay the very Angels in heaven did desire to looke into those things 1. Pet. 1.12 which are made knowen by the preaching of the Gospell Besides these greater things of the Gospell are conveyed to us in a more easie and lesse costly way then to our fathers of olde They had Gods word penned by the hand of a Scrivener which required much paines in the writer and great cost in the Buyer and some skill in the reader of it But since God hath sent printing into the world we may purchase the whole Bible at a lesse price then our fathers could have obtained S. Matthews Gospell alone and every boy girle may reade with readinesse and speede that which the learned might stumble or stopp at The summe is God offereth us a greater treasure at an easier rate and if now wee despise or set light by such a mercie God may complaine of us with more reason then hee did of the Jews I have written to them the great things of my Law but they are counted with them as a strange thing Againe God upbraideth the Jews for an other contempt of the like mercie The Lord saith Jeremie sent unto you his servants the Prophets rising earely and sending them but ye have not hearkened nor inclined your eare to heare Ier. 25.4 Hee meaneth that besides the Law written hee sent the Prophets to preach and explaine and applie that Law unto them but they contemned all as things of no value And is it not so with us too God hath sent preachers in abundance and what use wee have made of their labours let him judge that knoweth what our dealings be I onely will say how shall wee escape Gods anger if we neglect so great salvation It importeth us then to make use of these mercies which being used aright may help to make us blessed and being neglected may breede no small danger For our better direction wherein besides what hath beene said already wee may take these further observations or rules If God give us the opportunitie of these helps together as to most of us he hath we must not separate in our practice those things which God hath joyned together in his precept It is our dutie to reade the Scriptures at home and it is no lesse our duty to heare them read in the Church and a duty also it is to heare the word preached All of them have their use all of them are commended to us in the Scriptures all of them are availeable for salvation and consequently all of them are to be made use of by us in the fitt season If any man shall sett Gods ordinances together by the eares and is either so addicted to privat reading