sinne for if sinne lye at the doore Gen. 4.7 it will stop our passage as it did Caines whether it these grosse and grieuous sinnes or any other beloued sin which wee so tenderly harbour and foster in our hearts like a rocke or an heape of sand will stoppe and damme vp the gate Therefore we must like little children creep low and humble our selues for if wee put on the true habit of humility and meekenesse Sathan cannot hinder vs. As the Serpents will not come into the vineyard when vines bring forth their blossomes no more will the old Serpent and author of pride come neere vs if we like fruitfull branches bud the blossomes of humility The want of this vertue cast Nebuchadnezar out of his earthly Kingdome and we must haue it or else we shall not enter into the heauenly Kingdome The Pharisee swelled in his owne proud conceit and therefore hee was too bigge to enter in but the poore Publican stooped and went in little Zacheus was a great rich man but he diminish'd himselfe by restitution giuing to the poore he descended from the lofty branches to the roote of humility and so entred in This gate it should seeme was made for none to enter but for these that are as children Math. 18.3 Verily I say vnto you saith Christ except yee become as little children yee cannot enter into the kingdome of God How acceptable is the morning sacrifice of our tender age vnto God no sacrifice of beasts was more welcome to God then yong kids or lambs none of birds more acceptable then yong pigeons or Turtle doues Manna was to be gathered in the morning before the Sun arose If we follow God as deere children God will take vs for his children and this is no small signe of Gods mercy so much to fauour and so highly to grace vs with the title of his children that wee may call him father Well and worthily may he be called a father for he is omnium Creator fideliumque Pater the Creator of all men and Father of the faithfull and therefore it is written Is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee and that made thee and proportioned thee Deut. 32.6 Yea without doubt God is our Father if we will obey him an euerliuing and an euerlasting Father as it is also written Doubtlesse thou art our Father Esay 63.16 though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou ô Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is for euer If he be our Father and our Lord we should honour and feare him Mallac 1.6 A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his maister If then I bee a Father where is my honour If I bee a Maister where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts If therefore ye call him Father 1. Pet. 1.17 which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare saith the Apostle In all our miseries and feare we are imboldened by the Spirit of Christ to call God our Father as we may reade Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Math. 23.9 Wherefore Christ commandeth vs to call no man father on earth that is in faith and religion a reason he giueth saying There is but one your Father which is in heauen he is a father that made both body and soule and is ready to saue both when earthly parents forsake vs he will take vs when they leaue vs he will receiue vs when they will not and cannot help vs he can and will help vs when they dye hee liueth for hee is an euerlasting and an euerliuing Father first and last the beginning and the end a beginning without beginning and an end without end Many children bragge and boast of their parents gentry and they accompt it a great honour to be called the sonne of a King as Dauid said when hee should marry Sauls daughter Doe you thinke it a small thing to be a Kings sonne Should the children of God thinke it a small thing to be the sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of all Lords King of heauen and earth He is worthily called a Father for he is Pater sanctitatis The Father of sanctity Pater potestatis The Father of power Pater pietatis The Father of piety The Father of sanctity and holynesse and therefore Christ saith Iohn 17.17 Father sanctifie them in the truth The father of power because hee can doe all things therefore he that knew best said Mark 14.36 All things are possible to thee The Father of piety and mercy and therefore the Apostle calleth him The Father of mercy 2. Cor. 1.3 and God of consolation Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to pray to him with deuotion For Christ saith Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name Iohn 16.23 he will giue it you Seeing he is the Father of power we ought to honour him with humble obedience therefore the Holy-Ghost by the Prophet Malachy saith Mallac 1.6 The Sonne honoureth the Father c. Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to follow and imitate him in mercy as Christ commandeth vs saying Luk. 6.36 Bee yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And seeing he is the Father of power of holynesse and mercy of him as dutifull children wee should bowing the knees of hearts seeke a blesnng Isaac his sonne said to his father Hast thou but one blessing But the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob hath a blessing for euery faithfull child of his yea a triple benediction Benedictio preueniens benedictio adiuuans benedictio consummans His blessing preuenting his blessing assisting and his blessing consummating or finishing The first of his mercy the second of his grace the third of his glory The first of our conuersion the second of our conuersation the third of our glorification The first Benediction Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Blessed is he whose sinnes are remitted The second Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walkes in his waies The third and last benediction Come yee blessed children of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world FINIS
for destruction then others for saluation For coueteousnesse hath no pleasure in it but great trouble and misery for it is a trouble to the body disquietnesse to the minde and a griefe to the heart it pincheth and pricketh with three great and deepe wounds The first to the bone the second to the braine the third to the heart to the bones in tiring and wearying men in getting riches to the braines in great care to keepe them being gotten as pricking thornes amongst the which the diuine seede of Gods words sowen fructifieth not Math. 13.8.9 The last cut which is most greiuous that is to the heart in leauing and losing them yea and with his owne selfe his owne soule his owne life yea life both of body and soule too deere a price for so vile a thing in selling his soule for sinne Therefore Christ saith Math. 16.26 What shall it auaile me to winne the whole world and loose mine owne soule Let vs remember the couetous caterpillar and meale-mouthed Farmer that was not contented with his barnes full of Corne and much wealth how hee was in a monent satisfied with a mouthfull of dust and which was most lamentable his soule taken from him I feare hee hath many sons this day liuing whom I would haue take notice hereof and see Gods iudgement is such that their wealth shall bee turned into woe their plenty into scarcity their prosperity into pouerty their solace into sorrow their gladnesse into sadnesse their mirth into mourning their pleasure into paine their tranquility into calamity I reade in ancient writing Isâ—od that old men did picture Mercury one of the Planets like to a couetous Merchant hauing in his mouth a thorny tongue with wings spread abroad in the middest seeming glittering gold and vpon his head a cocke The morallity of this story may be thus applied The thorny tongue may represent the deceiptfull words false oaths and fraudulent dealing of cruell couetous men in bargaining buying and selling with men The wings may represent the hast speed and celerity that coueteous men vse in gathering of wealth in trauelling from Market to Market from Towne to Towne from Kingdome to Kingdome ouer Sea and Land omitting no time occasion or oportunity Glittering and shining may signifie the gaine of gold seeming like fire for gold may bee compared to fire a little whereof is sufficient to warme a man but too much burneth Gold gaine in good honest and lawfull sort gotten prospereth with a man but by vniust and vnlawfull manner gathered damneth a man Well gotten and well vsed it helpeth but wickedly gotten and wickedly vsed it hurteth The cocke representeth the carefull vigilancy that possesseth couetous mens minds who rise vp earely and lie downe late taking their rest but vntill the cocke croweth or the clocke striketh Thus the description of a couetous mans life is expressed and Iob hath a notable Epitaph at his death to be ingraued vpon his Tomb Hee is dried vp and withered Iob. 6.17 and in time consumed and when it is hot he falleth from his place before he departeth from his way and course of life A worthy note for shunning the like and a fearefull iudgement vpon them that follow the couetous affections of this wicked world and forsake Christ whom they are bound to follow vpon forfeiture of saluation and paine of condemnation Let vs not settle our affections vpon earthly things hunting after the vnsatiable desire of worldly wealth like the mole or want that maketh many holes and diggeth many dennes in the earth and yet is not satisfied but still laboureth and diggeth Let vs not build many houses digge many sellars buy many Farmes fill many barnes and yet bee vnsatiable and vnthankfull and in all our aboundance and plenty will not say Blessed be the name of the Lord which Iob did in his greatest pouerty The couetous cormorant when his barnes were full and his house furnished was satisfied saying as it were Soule thou hast sufficient eate drinke take thine ease But some hauing enough and more then enough are not satisfied but would with sathan compasse the whole world if they might Seeing therefore that couetousnesse keepeth vs from following Christ the ready way to heauen and leadeth vs the headlong way to hell let vs as the Apostle exhorteth Bee followers of God as deere children The other let that holdeth men backe from following God is Pride and it is no small enemy to mankind although now it is accompted no sinne It caused the Angell with many his Associates to loose heauen it caused Adam and Eue to loose Paradice and it will bee a cause to exclude and debarre vs of the Kingdome of heauen vnlesse wee humble our selues and follow Christ as dutifull schollars learning the lesson which he hath taught vs saying Learne of mee for I am humble and meeke of heart Againe hee saith Hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee brought low Prouerb 16.18 Salomon telleth that pride goeth before and destruction followeth after And the old Writer Gregory Gregory saith As humilty is a signe of election and approbation so pride is a signe of reiection and reprobation Pride may fitly be compared to a pale horse Reuel 6.8.9 The name of him that rideth thereon is death and hell followeth after Pale it is for that it wanteth the cheerefull and comfortable complexion of godly charity and death rideth on it for death is the wages of pride which the deuill knew right well who by pride brought spirituall death on all and hell followeth after being the place prepared for all proud persons who are betraied by pride in their owne bodies and members As Absolon conspired his fathers death by offering giftes to his fathers subiects And Eue for a proud minde to bee like vnto God was made more vnlike and defaced the image of God in her selfe and thereby lost Paradice Pride is a sinne that God hateth all other sins flie from God but pride stubbornely standeth with the hauty Pharisee and faceth with God Therefore he that will bee a follower of Christ must forsake pride For a proud man is 1 Deo odibilis To God odible 2 Diabolo similis Like to the diuil 3 sibi damnabilis and to himselfe damnable Three sortes of men my soule hateth c. The first whereof is a proud man Eccle. 25.2 examples in the Angels and in men wee haue in no small number The deuill is the Prince of pride and father of proud men and as the seruants of Christ and children of God are knowne by charity and humility so the seruants of sinne and sonnes of Sathan are knowne by pride and crueltie Hee is hurtfull to himselfe Examples wee haue amongst diuers others of Iesabell Reu. 18 7. Esay 47.8 of the proud strumpet of Babylon of Senecharib c. who soaring aloft with their proud plumes being at the highest pitch of their exaltation were throwne downe head-long and plunged in the
power doth not resemble Christ in life and conuersation he that followeth not Christ may bee called a Christian but is none So Saint Augustine Augustine saith What doth it profite thee to be called a Christian whereas thou art not to vsurpe a strange name If thou louest to bee called a Christian shew the fruits of Christianity and then well mayest thou take the name of a Christian vnto thee Whereas by naturall inclination wee are addicted to imitation let vs follow the best wisedome would so partly because we are Englishmen who are reported aboue all other nations to be famous or infamous in imitating and following euery strange and new-found fashion Many haue gotten fame in imitating Cicero in eloquence Aristotle in Philosophy Iustinians in Law and Galen in Physicke and such like But more haue gotten shame in imitating one Country in vanity another in luxurie the Spanish in brauery the Italian in letchery the Barbarian in cruelty the Turke in incredulity the Grecian in Gluttony the Papist in Idolatry the Atheist in impiety and the Libertine in impurity and not in following our Sauiour Christ in heauenly wisedome and godlinesse of maners Saint Paul admonishing the Colossians to an imitation of Christ and his holinesse Coloss 3.5 first exhorteth them to mortification as though without that meanes it were impossible Mortifie therefore your members vpon earth and giueth a reason of his exhortation saying If yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye Rom. 8.13 As God commanded Moses to put off his shooes before hee should approach neere him so God commandeth vs to put away all our sinfull affections before wee begin to follow Christ he will haue vs to forsake our sinnes before he will suffer vs to follow him As Peter forsooke his boats nets and all and followed Christ so should wee leaue all worldly gaine and commodity and follow Christ Matthew left his office of custome although it was gainfull vnto him and followed Christ So should we resigne all worldly gaine and riches and follow Christ who will make vs rich in him Obiection It may bee some will demaund why Peter often vsed his former trade of life and Matthew neuer returned to his office Answere It may easily be answered Peter was a fisher-man and did get his liuing by his lawfull paines and honest meanes and labour but Mathewes Custome-office was very seldome or neuer executed without corruption and therefore it was vnlawfull for him being a follower of Christ to returne to it againe 1. Kings 19.20 Elisha left his Plow and Oxen and followed Elias so should wee leaue oxen lands house country kindred yea our selues rather then forsake Christ In following Christ we must trauell the right way wee may finde in sacred Scriptures two wayes proponed the one straight and narrow Math. 7.13.14 Luke 13.24 the other wide and broade the one leadeth to life the other to death the one to heauen the other to hell The one straight and narrow in the beginning but broad and pleasant in the end the other wide and broad in the beginning but straight and painfull in the end The one in the beginning Take vp thy crosse and follow me but in the end Feare not my little flocke for it is your fathers will to giue you a kingdome The other in the beginning All the world and the riches therof will I giue thee if thou wilt worship me saith Sathan but in the end Take him binde him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknesse In the one a good change from a crosse to a kingdome In the other a bad change from a kingdome to a prison and dungeon of vtter darkenesse Leaue therefore the broad and wide way for it leadeth to destruction and walke in the narrow and straight way for it leadeth to life If thou wilt follow Christ thou must trauell his way not a broad pleasant wide and delightfull way full of pleasure wantonnesse worldly ioyes but a narrow troublesome straight way full of afflictions crosses tribulations and sorrowes All men as long as they liue in this vale of misery shall haue their part of misery euery man shall haue his turne of sorrow more or lesse one time or other which way soeuer we walke we shall heare euery man complaine of some sorrow or misery What shall wee doe then Before it come let vs prepare our selues for it when it is come bid it welcome and beare it patiently when it is departing giue it but halfe a fare-well still expecting when it will returne againe Yet keepe thou this narrow way and follow Christ and thou shalt bee safe and finde rest vnto thy soule but if thou wander out of this way into the pleasant paths of sinne and turne thy backe to God and leaue his protection there is no helpe for thee Sathan will take thee prisoner leade thee captiue binde thee hand and foot and cast thee into the deepe dungeon of darknesse For this assure thy selfe If thou wilt not follow Christ Sathan will follow thee Be not like these idle Epicures and carelesse slacke-graces who liue as though they had no soules to saue as though there were neither God nor Diuell no ioyes in heauen nor torments in hell lest thou loose the one to thy griefe finde the other to thy endlesse paine If thou wilt not follow Christ in the way towards heauen do not think that thou shalt escape hell there is no starting-hole betweene both for thee couertly to hide thy selfe the Angell that fell from God with all his adherents could finde no such place none of Adams children could so shrowd themselues but they were found out Diues could finde no place betweene heauen and hell to stay him from torments but needes he must into them Consider therefore thine estate to heauen thou canst not come but by following of Christ No man commeth to the Father saith Christ but by me Hee is gone to prepare a place for none but for them that follow him Obiection It may be thou thinkest thy soule being dislodged and disburdened of the heauy weight of the body shall flye as a bird into heauen Answere O bee not deceiued if thou dye in a reprobate estate thou shalt finde and feele that thy soule hath lost her wings that is the sanctified Will Memory and Vnderstanding the three golden wings of the faithfull soule Obiection Againe it may be thou thinkest that when thy soule shall depart from the body it shall bee freed from all earthly things whatsoeuer and that no terrestriall matter shall cleaue vnto it neither can it sinne when it is freed from the sinfull flesh Answere True it is that when the soule is departed from the body it cannot then commit any more sinne because it wanteth the body whose members are as the tooles instruments to execute the wickednesse of the sinfull soule but all-be-it the soule is departed from the body yet sinne is not departed from the soule