persecutors God is our defence and therefore they cannot ouerthrow vs God is our glorie and accounteth vs for glorious and therefore they cannot shame vs. In Isaiah this is often pressed Feare thou not I am with thee be not afraid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and helpe thee and will sustaine thee with the right hand of my iustice Behold all they that prouoke thee shall bee ashamed and confounded and they that striue with thee shall perish Feare not thou worme Iacob and yee men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel Thou wast precious in my sight and thou wast honourable and I loued thee c. Isa 41. 10. 11. 14. and 43. 4. 1. For men that are trulie gracious and yet timerous and full of dread lest Sathan should take aduantage by their imbecillity and want of courage and learning to draw them to apostasie and back-sliding Consider that hee can keepe backe none from obtaining honour whosoeuer either man or woman doth soundly endeuour to be godly doth take a sure and infallible way to bee well thought of none euer failed or was disappointed of that successe Remember also that when God hath once giuen it the diuell can neuer take it away from any but it remaineth to their liues end and to the worlds end and world without end then be well assured that is vnable to depriue vs of grace and constant faithfulnes for that is the spring from whence the other floweth that is the bodie of the light and the other but the beames which proceede from the brightnesse of it Verse 17. He that is a mercifull man rewardeth his owne soule but he that is cruell troubleth his owne flesh BY a mercifull man is ment such a one as with a tender and pitifull heart doth good both to the bodies and soules of men according to their neede and his owne abilitie And freely also remitteth wrongs and passeth by offences without reuengement Where it is said that he rewardeth his owne soule the sense is that he procureth to himselfe both soule and bodie a reward from God and that as certaine as large and continuall as if the fulnesse of power were in his owne hand to bestow vppon himselfe as much happinesse for as long time as his heart could possiblie desire But he that is cruell Which either in violence or rigour vseth to offer men hard measure or shutteth vp his compassion from them that are in affliction that he will no way releeue or seeke to comfort troubleth his owne flesh that is hurteth his owne bodie and in like manner his soule also Doct. 1 Euery mans dealing with others shall rebound to himselfe whether it be in cruelty or kindnes Mercifull men shall receiue mercy from Gods owne hand and from their brethren whom he will stirre vp to shew loue and fauour vnto them and those which are fierce and boisterous to others shall not faile to be recompenced in time the Lord will be as seuere as they are cruell and as strict in iustice to them as they are rigorous in extremitie to others And this shall not alwaies be reserued to the last day or to their death or to the torments in the world to come but spoilers be many times spoiled in this life oppressors bee oppressed and tyrants be ouerthrowne by tyrannie And therefore our Sauiour giueth an admonition that they which would not bee iudged should not iudge they which would not bee condemned should not condemne they which would be forgiuen should be readie to forgiue they which would haue giuen vnto them should giue vnto others For with what measure yee mete saith hee shall men measure to you againe Luk. 6. 37. 38. To spare to speake of such arguments as may be gathered from the estate and name of mercifull men and the contrarie because they follow hereafter in this chapter and wee would not forestall our selues we wil hold our selues to the words as they are literally fet downe in the text and make it appeare that euery mans owne soule receiueth most good by the goodnes which hee exerciseth towards others Reasons 1 First it is a forcible meanes for grace to be increased in him and Gods ordinances to be blessed to him Hee heareth the word of God delightfully and it worketh effectually in him No people were more ready to distribute to the reliefe of their brethren then the poore Churches of Macedonia and Paul had neuer greater 1. Cor. 8. 1. 2. effect and comfort of his ministerie then in the Macedonian Churches So doe they pray with feruency and boldnes and good hearts then with mercie and fauour Dauid had incouragement Psalm 86. 2. to call vpon God for the preseruation of his soule when he could truely pleade that he was mercifull Cornelius lost not his labour in praying but found a comfortable and blessed successe when the Angell could tell him that his almes came vp together with Acts 10. 4. his praiers in remembrance before God Secondly it maketh way for comfort in feares temptations and afflictions it inuiteth godly men to repaire vnto vs it maketh them desirous to refresh our hearts it strengtheneth their hope in their supplications to God it ministreth arguments for perswasion to our selues Or if they should not come at vs or hope so well of vs or deale so well with vs yet out owne consciences with the testimony of Gods spirit would support our soules in greatest extremitie as Iob did find by happie experience Iob 31. It is a treasure that is safely layed vp in heauen for our glorie whereof much will be giuen vs when we shall be dissolued and goe to Christ but most of all when we shall be restored and Christ come to vs. At his glorious appearance shall they appeare in glorie which haue been pitifull to his members and fruitfull in mercie They shall stand at his right hand and to them shall he say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world But all goeth Matth. 25. 34. crosse with carnall persons The Lord giueth them no grace by his word and other ordinances but challengeth them for comming into his house with bloodie hands As he hath stopped his Isa 1 eares at the crie of the poore so he shall crie himselfe and not bee heard Miserie will miserably torment him his house is not a safe Prou. 21. 13. place for Christians to resort vnto Lions dennes seldome fit for Lambes to be in when good men be present what can they say to mitigate his feares or to lessen his sorrowes If others be silent will his owne conscience speake for him Nay of all that and the lawe of God will bee most forward and forcible to accuse and condemne him And then at his death he commeth into the case of the rich man spoken of in the Gospell that was tormented with flames
case is their owne they prepare for themselues whatsoeuer they impose vpon others The burdens which they lay vpon their neighbours shoulders must be transferred to their owne backes the bread of affliction which they prouide for their brethren in time will turne to their owne foode the little-ease and dungeon wherein they shut vp the innocent must in time be made their owne habitation Terror to vngodly persons in regard of their dangerous condition Onely troubles they flie from fearing them more then anie manner of sinne and therfore account the life of afflicted Christians to be most miserable and trouble is that which flieth as fast after them to make a pray of them which also will make their state ten thousand times worse than any Christians can be And if it so come to passe in this life as many times it doth that the godly are lifted vp to prosperitie and the vngodly into grieuous aduersitie what a change will there be and contrarietie of their estates in the life to come Which appeareth in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus Here the rich man receiued his pleasure and Lazarus paine but there is Lazarus in heauen and the Luk. 16. rich man in hell Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome and the rich man in the flames of fire Lazarus is comforted and the rich man tormented The best man in his best state here on earth hath not a full inlargement but onely inioyeth libertie of the prison and the worst man in his worst state is not yet come to execution but onely sitteth in the stockes But the most perfect and absolute difference and change will be at the day of the Lord Iesus when soule and bodie of the saints shall bee filled with glory and immortalitie and soule and bodie of sinfull creatures shall be ouerwhelmed with shame and perpetuall contempt And herewith the Apostle comforteth the poore persecuted Thessalonians It is a righteous thing with God saith he to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus Christ shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels c. 2. Thess 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Consolation to poore helpelesse persons if they bee also harmeles that can find no friends which wil or can procure them deliuerance out of troubles Few good are to bee found that take to heart the sufferings of poore innocents and few of those that take them to heart are able to preuaile any thing for them But are there no wicked which may be heard of Haue they no enemies which doe molest them Alas there be too many of these euery where the world swarmeth with them Then be of good comfort you must come forth that they may come in the place must be yeelded vp to the right owners Cannot ye get a release freely will not intreatie worke your libertie A price then shall be giuen a ransome shall be payd for it and you shall be discharged For such a promise we haue from God in this booke the wicked shall bee a ransome for the iust and the transgressour for the Prou. 21. 18. righteous Verse 9. A hypocrite with his mouth corrupteth his neighbour but the righteous shall be deliuered by knowledge DIssemblers and such as make a shew of godlines but denie the power thereof are commonly most hurtfull seducers corrupting mens hearts with hurtfull speeches either deprauing that which is good or iustifying that which is euill and so they infect their mindes with erronious opinions and stirre vp their hearts to sinfull lusts and peruert their waies with vngodly behauiour But now to preuent the feares of the good that they also are like to be drawne into mischiefe because there are so many hypocrites and to take away the cloakes and shifts from the wicked which lay all the blame of their sinnes on others which mislead them he sheweth the meanes whereby this hurt may bee auoyded and that is by getting knowledge and being righteous Doct. 1 Vngodly men are neuer more mischieuous then when they put on the vizzard of godlines Though this may be proued by manifold testimonies as well out of the old testament as the new yet we will rather exemplifie it by the experience of the times then by allegations of scriptures Through all the bookes before Christ the false prophets are almost euery where complained of In the time of our Sauiour the Priests Scribes and Pharisies of all others were his bitterest enemies The Apostles found none so dangerous as false Apostles and such as tooke vpon them to bee professours and preachers Paul Peter Iude and Iohn are most ample in giuing admonitions to beware of them Euer since that time there haue been springs streames flouds and seas of superstition idolatrie violence and all abomination in the kingdome of Antichrist and all vnder pretence of the Churches authority zeale deuotion and good intendment Reasons First such are very forward and busie in this seruice of Sathan for diligent they are not to be esteemed vnlesse they were better exercised and therefore the more hurt and mischiefe they doe That Ieremy obserued in the wicked deceiuers of his age that they Ierem. 9. 5. taught their tongues to speake lies and tooke great paines to doe wickedly And that our Sauiour repooued in the cursed Scribes and Pharisies of his age that they compassed sea and land to make one Matth. 23. 15. of their profession and when hee was made they made him twofold more the child of hell then themselues Secondly they are very deceitfull and cunning and therefore the scriptures compare them to craftie gamesters and fowlers which catch more birds artificially by lime-twigs grinnes and nettes then they kill violently by throwing stones at them Of these guilefull persons the Apostle speaketh saying such false Apostles are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the 2. Cor. 11. 13. Apostles of Christ And no marueile for Satan is transformed into an Angell of light Therefore it is no great thing though his ministers transforme themselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnesse They are the more venemous by how much they are lesse mistrusted for the opinion that is had of them for pietie and goodnesse doth prepare a passage for their poison to enter into the bowels of mens soules When they are are reputed for godly religious wise and iudicious all is receiued which they set abroach all is disliked which they set against It is an easie matter for a man to lose his purse when hee followeth the robber as guide of his way It is an easie matter for a man to lose his life when he maketh a poysoner and his enemie to be his Physition Vse 1 Instruction to be very wary that their pestilent breath infect not our hearts to keepe our eares from hearkening to our perswasions as much as we would refraine from one that had the plague sore vpon him When Woolues will put on Sheepe
his purse and the other in his conscience He would haue commerce and traffique to proceede from loue to be exercised in loue and more to increase loue and this course is altogether contrarie to loue and a meanes to ingender vnkindnes and hatred Hee requireth that iustice and equitie should moderate these affaites and that no man should oppresse or 1. Thes 4. 6. defraude his brother in any matter but here is filthie lucre most respected and followed and our brethren wronged and beguiled Thirdly this sinne is so much the more lothed of God by how much it is better liked of them that practise it Their closenes and cunning in acting of it doth for a time augment their wealth and not impaire their credit and therfore they count their course lawfull and themselues happie for such prosperous successe because man findeth no fault with them they thinke that God findeth no falsehood in them and seeing yet they haue no punishment inflicted vpon them they dreame also that no wickednesse is committed by them For so the Prophet complaineth Hee is a Hos 12. 7. 8. Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand hee loueth to oppresse And Ephraim said notwithstanding I am rich I haue found me out riches in all my labours they shall finde no iniquitie in me that were wickednesse Vse 1 Admonition not onely to forbeare all fraudulent and wrongfull dealing but with hatred to detest it and with horror to flie farre from it That which is hurtfull to our brother is hatefull to God and therefore can neuer bee helpefull to vs. If he iudge it vnrighteous we shall finde it vnprofitable if it be damnable in his sight and therefore his soule doth hate it it will at last bee in our sense and our soule shall rue it It may bring monie and wealth and raise vp mens state and familie but it will draw downe iudgements vpon familie state and wealth and monie and make all to be execrable For that which is spoken in another case is also verified in this Bring not abomination into thine house lest thou bee Deut. 7. 26. accursed like it but vtterly abhorre it and count it most abominable for it is accursed As the gold and siluer and other costly matter whereof the idols were made and wherewith they were adorned was execrable in respect of impietie so is this trade of getting and riches so gotten in regard of iniquitie And therefore both are very offensiue to the Lord both are pestilent to mens families both are perilous to their state both are pernicious to their soules For a cursed possession may make the person accursed and bring the whole house to desolation Which should perswade men not onely to make stay of getting goods vniustly but to make no stay of ridding their hands iustly thereof For as they sinne grieuouslie which indirectly receiue that which is none of their owne so doe they also that retaine it and restore it not to the right owner And therefore in Micah it is set as a note of sinners and such as are obstinately sinfull and which conceiue of God as a patron of their sinfulnesse that vpon admonition giuen vnto them from the Lord would not reforme their falsehood Are yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and Micah 6. 10. the scant measure that is abominable Shall I iustifie the wicked ballances and the deceitfull weights Reproofe and terror of gamesters and those that make Dice Cardes and Boules with such like instruments of iniury to be the measures of their trade and the meanes of their maintenance Thereby are they made as odious to God as infestuous to men and as great aduersaries to equitie as they which by false weights doe wrong their chapmen They being ashamed to appeare in their practise doe secretly defraud men like theeues that filch in a corner but these impudently glorying in their sinfulnesse doe openlie professe their purpose like robbers that commaund mens purses by the hie way side They take the way to bring some part of their neighbours goods to their hands by receiuing much for a little but these striue to draw euery part to themselues by getting all for nothing And for this cause whatsoeuer successe they haue howsoeuer the world goeth with them they speed vnhappily If they winne other mens mony they lose their blessednes and Gods gratious fauour If they lose their owne monie they get a curse and Gods grieuous displeasure Doct. 2 But a true weight c. The Lord doth not onely respect the pietie which is vsed in his owne worship but the truth and iustice that is performed to men When the Lord himselfe is asked what manner of men should dwell in his tabernacle and rest in his holy mountaine that is which should haue a good estate here and an habitation for euermore in heauen he describeth them by their innocent and harmelesse behauiour towards their brethren Hee that walketh vprightly and Psalm 15. 2. worketh righteouslie and speaketh the trueth in his heart Hee certenlie regardeth that worke which hee so largely rewardeth with such wages and hee is well pleased with that person in this life whom he will receiue to life euerlasting and equall it is with him that they which conuerse with earthly people in righteousnesse should also continue with heauenlie saints in glory Reasons First they doe seruice herein to God himselfe for in conscience of his will and obedience to his word they giue themselues to this vprightenesse Secondly it is his owne worke and proceedeth from himselfe for all righteousnesse is the grace and fruite of his holie spirit As flesh and bloud with nature and reason did neuer yet beget any sound pietie and religion so it neither will nor euer can direct any mans heart to true iustice and righteousnes Thirdlie trueth both in word and deed is a part of his glorious image whereby his people are confirmed and made like vnto him and therefore he cannot but take delight in that which is so agreeable with his owne nature and a liuely representation of himselfe Vse Consolation to them that doe constantly and conscionablie addict themselues to the exercise of equitie None hath truely learned this but such as haue been apprentices in heauen whom the Lord hath informed in the mysterie of this trade Ob. But manie others gaine more monie and thriue faster and grow greater then they doe Sol. But they gaine more comfort and thriue better and grow happier then all others doe For howsoeuer it fareth with their state for quantitie of earthly possessions it cannot but goe well with their soules for plentie of heauenlie graces and though paraduenture they haue presently but little substance in their houses yet there remaineth from them an ample treasure in the heauens and that which is best for thē is most firmely assured to them which is Gods euerlasting loue and fauour Albeit therfore thy vocation bee meane and of no great
their owne wickednes saith the sixt verse they shall fall in their owne wickednes saith the fift their frowardnes shall destroy them saith this Whereby it appeareth that their miserie commeth not from others as an accidentall occasion but groweth from themselues as the proper cause neither is it an ordinarie euill that is recurable but a desperate ruine that is remedilesse neither yet is it the subuersion of their state or killing of their bodie which is but temporarie but the perdition both of bodie and soule which is euerlasting To this agreeth that which is spoken to the same purpose in the fift chapter His owne iniquitie shall take the wicked himselfe and hee Pro. 5. 22. 23. shall be holden with the cords of his owne sinne He shall die for fault of instruction and for going astray through his owne follie Here is a description of euery obstinate and contemptuous sinner their wickednes doth worke destruction by degrees It first apprehendeth them as an officer it keepeth them afterwards in stockes and bolts as a Iayler And lastlie it putteth them to death as an executioner Reasons 1 First they despise the patience and long sufferance the kindnes and goodnes of God which waiteth for their repentance and therefore through the hardnes of their hearts heape to themselues wrath against the day of vengeance Rom. 2. 4. 5. Secondly they greeue and vexe the spirit of God which offereth grace vnto them and therefore he turneth to be their enemie They Isai 63. 10. with their peruersenes doe resist him and hee with his power wil cast downe them And so the Prophet testifieth in the Psalme With the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure but with the froward thou settest thy selfe to wrestle Thirdly they scorne and despise the word and wisedome of God and as much as in them is cause others also to reiect it and therefore it is iust with the Lord to make them eate the fruit of their owne waies and to fill them with their owne deuices that is to bring them to a fearefull destruction Prou. 1. 30. 31. Vse Terror of them that practise sinne of purpose to offend them which dislike of their lewde waies They will breake the Sabbath in despite of them that would haue them better exercised they will sweare they say and stare too to anger such as admonish them of their vnlawfull othes Sillie creatures and miserable wretches will they cut their owne throats to grieue others with the sight of their bloud will they strangle themselues that others might weepe for their cursed end Their boisterous stubbernesse may bring a short sorow to others that hate their sinnes and loue their soules but a perpetuall shame to themselues which ioyne with their sinnes against their soules Verse 4. Riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnes deliuereth from death THese wordes seeme to containe an anticipation or preuenting of an obiection which might bee moued against the latter point of the former verse What speake you of destruction to come vpon wicked men I trust you will not extend it to all for many of them are substantiall wealthy men of great state and abilitie Who can destroy them What shall their power and riches doe the while To this it is here answered that riches auaile not in the day of wrath their wealth can neither withstand the strokes of God nor lessen them nor make them any whit the more able to beare them when his anger doth execute iudgements and when his iudgements declare his anger But righteousnesse is that which deliuereth from death and all other miseries that the sting thereof shall neuer make any man miserable See the more full handling and prosecution of these words in the second verse of the tenth chapter Verse 5. The righteousnesse of the vpright shall direct his way or make his way straight or euen but the wicked shall fall in his owne wickednesse HEre he addeth to that which he had begun in the third verse and sheweth that sincetitie righteousnes do not only lead men to a good way and tell them what is their dutie and fit to be performed but maketh the way passable for them and them constant and prosperous in it To the which againe is opposed the way of the wicked euen their owne sinfull course of life being crooked and cragged and rough and rugged and full of manifolde perils wherein at the last they fall and perish Doct. Godly men haue not onely a commaundement but abilitie giuen vnto them to walke in the Law of God Their faithfulnesse doth leuell their way and paue it before them wherein they find not onely equitie but ease also with delight and safetie And so much the Prophet doth intimate when he saith The waies of the Lord are righteous and the iust shall walke in them but the wicked Hos 14. 10. shall fall therein Reasons First the affections sanctified do al ioyne hands in forwarding a man to a constant proceeding in godlines The loue of God and the hope of reward doe ouercome and subdue all difficulties and dangers and beare downe all the impediments that may stoppe him by discouragements and the feare of God and dread of his displeasure doth suppresse the force of worldly lusts and beate downe the conceits that may draw him to presumption Secondly the experience of Gods presence fauour and blessing is very effectuall to continue their obedience For hauing tasted how good the Lord is to them that feare him they cannot liue without his companie and that is no where to bee inioyed but in the way of righteousnesse The Lord himselfe both by grace and prouidence doth helpe them in this worke He giueth vertue and power to the ministry of his word to prepare a way betweene himselfe and the hearts of his people that there may bee an intercourse for one to come mutually to the other as S. Luke testifieth Euerie vallie shall bee filled and euery mountaine and hill shall bee brought low and crooked things shall be made straight and the rough waies shal be made smooth Luk. 3. 5. He also measureth out a meete state for them and maketh such a mixture or composition of prosperitie and aduersitie of blessings and crosses of comforts and sorrowes as is most holesome for their soules and directeth all the occurrents that befall them to the furtherance of their saluation And hereof Isaiah speaketh saying The way of the righteous is euennes or equities thou wilt weigh out a iust path for the righteous He will ballance out euerie thing that concerneth them in gold weights that there shall not be the least defect or excesse that might turne to their hurt Vse Confutation of their pernicious illusions that thinke it impossible to walke in the waies of God therfore iudge it nothing dangerous to stray out of them at their pleasure The preachers say they doe teach that which none can obserue euery bodie doth contrary and we must do like others or
els we should be counted nobodie They lay too much vpon vs for praying often and hearing of sermons and reading the scriptures and keeping the sabbath and so do they also too much restraine vs of pleasures and profits of libertie in speeches and freedome in apparrell We must follow our sports for take away delights and take away life Wee must vse what meanes wee can for our state and make the most of our owne wee must in companie behaue our selues like the companie according to their talke we must talke and bee merrie according to their mirth for an oath we cannot alwayes auoide it it is but a small matter now and then to sweare a little They would haue vs to become saints on earth but it will not bee our nature cannot like of such precisenes c. And thus they make the easie yoke of Christ an importable burthen and condemne his ministery of rigour in requiring obedience and iustifie themselues in disobedience But leaue this shifting and deale in good earnest and speake the trueth plainely Our sinnes and rebellions say haue stopped vp our way and we haue no iustice nor vprightnesse to open it vnto vs wee are slaues and bondmen to corruption and held in thraldome and subiection of it Otherwise the strength of the world and the streame of the times could not carrie you away so strongly For Noah being a righteous man could liue righteouslie in an age giuen ouer wholy to vnrighteousnesse The seruices of God would not be so tedious vnto you as that by no meanes you should bee brought to exercise them For to vpright men they are not onely possible but pleasant their soule longeth for them they hunger and thirst after them no thing is so much desired of them Voluptuousnes impietie pride and other lusts would not be so sweete vnto you or so mightie in you that you should neither be willing to leaue them nor able to forsake them For where the spirit of God is there is libertie All good men abhorte these sinnes they pray against them they striue against them they preuaile against them Grace ouercommeth the flesh and maketh them doe that which the word requireth and shun that which the word forbiddeth and be that which the word prescribeth Though they performe not good things perfectly yet they practise them faithfully though they cast not off all euill fully yet with hatred they resist it truely though they haue so many infirmities as make them oft to sinne yet they haue so much holinesse as maketh them alwaies saints Verse 6. The righteousnesse of the vpright deliuereth them but the transgressours shall be taken in their owne wickednes THis verse as it may appeare is annexed to the former for confirmation of the point therein contained that righteousnesse doth direct the way of vpright men both to holy conuersation and happy state Against the which a doubt may rise frō the shew of the contrarie because that good men are sometimes plunged in great calamities and sometimes in great transgressions and therefore their way seemeth as indirect as if they were wicked and their righteousnesse to doe them as little good as if they had none at all Now this scruple he remoueth by shewing what benefite it bringeth that then especially they haue the vse of it when they fall into such distresses For then the fruite thereof is most for their comfort when it shall deliuer them out of dangers out of troubles out of feares out of temptations out of sinnes and from destruction Yet not by strength of it owne but by the power of God not according to their worthines in way of desert but according to his goodnes in way of reward not extended to all men that doe good workes but restrained to vpright men whose workes are good And for the clearer illustration of their blessed estate he bringeth in for contrarie the miserable condition of the wicked opposing transgressours to vpright persons their mischiefe to the others iustice their perill to the others protection the one part inclosed in the net of troubles is yet assured of safe escape by meanes of their graces the other abroad at the baite of prosperitie shall certainely fall into snares by meanes of their wickednesse The doctrine which the former clause might minister shal be as conueniently spoken of in the eight verse and that which is to be raised out of the latter hath beene alreadie handled in the third Verse 7. When a wicked man dieth his expectation perisheth and the hope of his power shall perish THe meaning is that euery sinfull mans affection of hoping and happinesse hoped for and strongest meanes to attaine to his hope shall end with his life and die at his death and vanish away at the time of his destruction The substance of the point hath been handled in the eight and twentith verse of the former chapter and therefore in this place we wil onely note the circumstance of the time Doct. The confidence of vngodly men is disappointed at their greatest neede He neuer had good by any hope which hath not the fruition of his hope at his death Then either it setteth a man in possession of his blessednes or else casteth him off into misery woe and perdition for euer Though a man should neuer obtaine his desire in any earthly thing during his life yet if he inioy saluation after this life he hath failed of nothing Though a man should misse of nothing that his heart could wish for whiles breath is in his bodie yet if hee bee damned when the soule goeth out of his bodie hee hath neuer gained any thing And this is the scope of Iob his speech when he saith What hope hath the hypocrite though he hath Iob 27. 8. heaped vp riches when God taketh away his soule Euen now in his deepest aduersitie hee would not change state with the most plausible wicked in their highest prosperitie For hee is sure that the end of his life will finish his sorrow and begin his felicitie and therefore is willing to resigne vp his spirit into the hands of God but their hope doth depart with their breath and their damnation doth come with their death and therefore God must wrest away their soules from them Reasons First they shall then stand before the iudgement seate of God himselfe and that which hee speaketh they must heare and that which they heare they must see and that which they heare and see they must also suffer for execution will accompanie the sentence Heere they would not beleeue his testimonie that their case was so bad as his word declared there they shall feele it to bee worse then they could conceiue of Heere when hee denounced plagues against their sinnes they proclaimed peace to their soules there they shall finde the plagues according to their sinnes and faile of the peace which they promised to themselues Here he spake vnto them in goodnes that vpon their repentance they might obtaine
euerlasting mercie there hee will Psalm 2. 5. speake vnto them in anger and for want of repentance will punish them eternally with iustice Secondly the fearefull iudgement of God vpon their hearts that they should not see how they were illuded in their expectation vntill their death when the case is remedilesse If the vanitie of their hope were discouered to them before they might cast it off sooner and lay a new foundation of a better whereas resting still vpon the stabilitie of that it breaketh when it cannot be repaired and they fall when they can neuer rise againe If the fiue Matth. 25. foolish Virgins had found their want of oile before the bridegrome was comming they might in time haue prouided themselues and be readie to enter with him to the wedding before the dore was shut If they which presumed so much of Christ his acquaintance because they had eaten drunk in his company and Luk. 13. 26 27. heard him preach amongst them had knowne before hand what small account hee would haue made of them they might haue vsed better meanes whiles time serued to grow into his fauour Thirdly the prerogatiue and priuiledge of Gods people would be much infringed if wicked men should haue hope with them in the life to come for therein standeth the contrarietie between them The wicked saith the Scripture shall bee cast away for his lewdnes but the righteous hath hope at his death Prou. 14. 32. For the present it commeth to passe commonly that bad men are full and good men are hungrie the one sort doe laugh and the other waile and weepe as our Sauiour testifieth Luk. 6. 25. and therefore hereafter their conditions shall bee changed on both sides the pleasure of the one shall bee turned into paine and the sorrowes of the other into endlesse comforts As it is said by the Apostle concerning the godlie that if in this life onely they had hope they were of all most miserable so it may be spoken touching the godlesse that if in the life to come also they had hope they were of all men most happie Vse 1 Reproofe of their folly which liue in hope that the time of their death will beget them hope and not destroy it They know that now they are sinfull persons without all grace and goodnes but they trust that then they shall be conuerted and brought in a moment to repentance They know that now they stand in state of damnation and if they should presently come to iudgement they must needes perish but they trust at the last gaspe to call vpon God for mercie and thereby get pardon for all their sinnes and so their soules shall bee saued As though death and the pangs thereof were appointed for the preferment of Gods vngodly enemies They haue bestowed themselues in the seruice of sinne and spent their daies in rebellion against the Lord and doe they looke for reward thereof to bee crowned with glory Are theeues and robbers are cutpurses and other malefactours therefore bound ouer to the Assises that they may bee put in commission and called vp to the bench Instruction to confirme our hope by putting our soules out of all perill of perishing afore our death or sicknes or any other danger least our euidence be to seek when our cause is to be tried Let euery one of vs vpon apparance of election by faith and the fruits of sanctification be able to say as trulie though not with as much feeling of assurance as the Apostle did I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things Rom. 8. 38. present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus This will make our life truely prosperous and profitable and our death blessed and comfortable and our state in the world to come immortall and glorious Consolation to such as feare God that death will deliuer them from the hopes and the liues of their sinfull enemies Away must their soules goe and downe must their carkasses and where then are their purposes and what becomes of their power Though they were as mightie as Leuiathan and as mischieuous as dragons yet when they bee dead as die they must what cause hath any man to be afraid of them Achab minded great matters against Micaiah at his returne in peace from Ramoth Gilead 1. King 22. but God minded to preserue Micaiah by defeating Achab of a peaceable returne from thence Let Hezechiah and all his people saith Zanecherib trust to it that I will speede them at my next comming to Ierusalem but God had appointed that hee should come no more that way but be drawne by the snowte like a fish Isai 36. 12. and 37. 29. or led with a bridle like a beast to the shambles and slaughter at Nineue The Egyptians were resolued to pursue Israel vntill they ouertooke them and to put them to the sword when they caught them and to take the spoile of their goods when they had slaine them but the waters were first to pursue themselues and death to ouertake them and the sea to haue the spoile of their bodies and hell to make a pray of their soules Verse 8. The iust escapeth out of trouble and the wicked shall come in his steed GOds fauour and goodnes doth not free his seruants from afflictions but deliuereth them out of afflictions Whereinto hee casteth the wicked though they be not alwaies of the same kind with those which the godly suffer but worse and more durable and such as are mixed with Gods wrath and poisoned with the sting of their owne euill conscience Doct. Though the afflictions of good men seeme sharpe and grieuous yet they are not perpetuall Before euer God bring his into troubles hee appointeth how they shal be preserued in them and passe thorough them and get out of them He doth as well foresee their arriuall as their launching forth and the end of the boysterous stormes which they must indure aswell as the beginning and entrance thereof Many Psalm 34. 19. or great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all Neither number nor grieuousnesse nor continuance of crosses nor power of persecutors nor any other impediment can hinder his hand from helping his distressed seruants Reasons First they will keepe no silence when they bee in tribulation they will cry vnto God and bemone their case vnto him that hee may take their cause into his hands Neither is it any waywardnesse in them but wisedome and their bounden duty so to doe for he calleth them vnto him and commaundeth them to make their complaint Call vpon me saith hee in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50. 15. Secondly all Gods people are petitioners for euery one and euery one for all so that no member of Iesus Christ wanteth
at the resurrection that sentence shall be Luk. 16. pronounced vpon him which was indited long agoe Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Matth. 25. 41. All this vnlesse he repent is vndoubtedly belonging to him besides the continuall perill of stroakes and iudgements to light vpon his bodie which euery moment may iustly be feared Vse 1 Incouragement to goe cheerefully about the works of mercie since they are so profitable to our selues Some of them seeme to be very chargeable and cannot be performed without expenses yet we gaine more than we giue we receiue more than we lay out we doe good to other mens bodies but make the best match for our owne soules Others seeme very painefull and require both trauell and patience and many be altogether vnpleasant to our nature yet our wages doth counteruaile and ouerpoise all our worke and labour for we cannot put our bodies to so much toyle and trouble in any seruice of Christian loue as we shall obtaine to our hearts delightfull pleasures with rest and peace and ioy and gladnes Consolation to them that are fearefull of themselues and doubtfull of the state of their soules they feele not themselues to beleeue they finde not the pearcing of godly sorrow and therefore they call into question their faith and repentance But are they mercifull men Doe they beare a burthen with the afflicted members of Iesus Christ They dare not say so directly but their owne hearts tell them that they would mourne more with them and doe more for them if they were able Their desires then and willingnes exceede their abilitie and what surer note can there be of true mercie Doct. 2 Rewardeth his owne soule troubleth his owne flesh c. They are the best husbands which best prouide for the good of their owne persons To bee carried with carnall selfe-loue is a vice which is worthie to be condemned to be lead with Christian loue of ones selfe is a vertue which is much to be commended The one draweth a man to wickednes the other driueth him from it to goodnesse the one causeth him to be hurtfull to his neighbours the other maketh him helpefull vnto them the one seruing himselfe sinfully doth vtterly vndoe himselfe the other applying himselfe to the seruice of God faithfully doth procure his owne blessednes for euer When the Apostle would bring an argument that should be perswasiue and forcible and most likely to preuaile with rich men to worke mercie and liberalitie in them he chuseth this That they should lay vp for themselues a good foundation against 1. Tim. 6. 19. the time to come that they might obtaine eternall life It were to no purpose to lay vp onely for children for heires executors or administrators though they were sure to haue children and friends and their children and friends were sure to inioy their possessions but to inrich themselues is truely to be rich and to haue ones wealth personally in himselfe and for himselfe and not onely about him is to he rich in deede Reasons 1 First the current or streame of all the promises and threatnings runneth this way the reward of all obedience and the punishment of all iniquitie tendeth to this purpose Blessings vpon goods and cattell vpon grounds and fruite trees vpon children and familie are but appendances to the substantiall blessings which are conferred vpon soule and bodie especiallie for the eternall state of both And so when curses fall on the outward things of wicked men it is that they may gather weight by the way to presse the heauier vpon their owne persons Secondly though one haue neuer so great plentie of earthly things and abundance of all kinde of prosperitie yet if himselfe be not his owne but destructions what treasure can doe him good What doth it profit a man to winne the whole world if he lose his owne soule Matth. 16. 26. So though one haue neuer so great penutie of earthly things and abundance of all kinde of afflictions yet if he preserue his quicke stocke that is himselfe from being a spoyle to sinne and Satan no creature can hurt him his miserie will droppe off from him his crosses and sorrowes will vanish away and come to nothing Vse 1 Instruction to be diligent in all those meanes whereby we may best benefit our selues with commodities of greatest valew As first to labour for true pietie and religion to be well acquainted with God and his holy word to receiue instruction to haue it in estimation to obey it in constant exercise And hereof the holie Ghost speaketh in the ninth chapter If thou bee wise thou shalt be wise to thy selfe and if thou bee a scorner thou alone shalt suffer Secondly the performance of the dueties of mercie is a gainefull trade for the soule to thriue by it bringeth in good store of comforts for present vse and helpeth men to a stocke of ioy and happines for an other day And therefore our Sauiour doth perswade vs to vse it and giueth vs libertie to make our vse of it Sell that yee haue saith he and giue almes make to your selues bagges which waxe not old a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen where no theefe commeth neither moath corrupteth Luk. 12. 33. It is dangerous and sinfull to hoord vp much gold and to keepe it too long but safe and commendable to heape vp good workes in abundance and neuer depart with them while the world standeth they shall be sure to take no harme and we shall bee sure to want no good Reproofe of them that are frugall and thriftie and neate and husbandly for euery thing but for themselues Their carable is dunged and tilled and sowne their pastures are mounded banked and trenched their trees are pruned their gardens are weeded their cattell are carefully looked vnto and all this while they suffer their hearts to be ouergrowne with sinnes as the wild wast is with weedes and briars there is no fence to keepe the diuell out of their soules they grow like nettles and brambles to be cut vp and cast into the fire Euery one of their horses euery sheepe euery cowe euery swine and pig is in better case then themselues They deale as if they should trimme their haire but wound their head or be heedfull to their nailes but let their fingers rot off or keepe their garments whole but permit their skin to be rent and torne into peeces Verse 18. The wicked worketh a deceitfull worke but hee that soweth righteousnesse shall receiue a sure reward THe wicked worketh a deceitfull worke He is continually practising of some euill which will neuer faile to make his expectation to faile But he that soweth righteousnes which constantly and conscionably is exercised in doing good shall haue a sure reward partly in this life with a competent measure of comfortable prosperitie and perfectly in the life to come with glorious immortalitie The sense will bee the
better discerned if the opposition be set downe in this manner The wicked worketh a deceitfull worke by sowing of iniquitie and therefore shall bee deceiued in his reward but the godly worketh a faithfull worke by sowing of righteousnesse and therefore shall receiue a sure reward Doct. 1 Vngodly men shall bee sure to finde their sinnes more dangerous and hurtfull then they looked for Their familiar friend whom they loue so deerely and make so much of which is most in their mouthes in their hearts and in all their waies it will surely shew them a slipperie tricke at the last Saint Paul can say as much to this point as any man by the experience he had of it Few had neerer acquaintance with it then hee at the beginning and none had a greater breach with it in the ende then hee And then he keepeth no counsell but telleth all that hee found and God auerreth all that he telleth that sinne had deceiued him and Rom. 7. 11. slaine him Reasons 1 First it putteth them in vaine hope to effect many exploites which they can neuer bring to passe but al their indeuours recoile vpon themselues How many stones did Saul cast vp to braine Dauid which all lighted on his owne pate How small a matter did Haman thinke it to kill Mordecay yea to destroy all the Iewes which fell on his owne person with his familie and other friends How sure were trayterous Papists and vndoubtedly affured to blow vp the Parliament and all estates of the kingdome and yet of themselues diuers were blowne vp to the gallows and all the rest vnlesse they repent are likely to be blowne downe to hell Secondly they dreame of a greater felicitie and happines in their sinfull courses then euer they can attaine vnto When Abimelech was aspiring to the kingdome when hee was perswading the Sichemites when hee was murdering his brethren and making them out of the way what did he once thinke of but of cap and knee of honor peace safetie He had concluded that there would bee no molestation and trouble no breach of couenant and disloyaltie at least no perill of life especially by the hand of a woman that all his authoritie should bee brought to such an ebbe as onely to haue power remaining to commaund his page to runne him through with his sword The fit and passion of distemper that Ahab fell into when Naboth denied him his vineyard declareth euidentlie how happie a man hee made reckoning to be when he should get it And yet the occurrents which fell out at his taking of possession ouerturned all his happinesse He intruded himselfe thereinto with iolity and mirth but Elijah sent him out againe with heauinesse and griefe They presume of secresie that their shameful facts shall be hidden and neuer brought to light whereas they cannot possiblie be concealed For God himselfe doth see and obserue them and who shall forbid him to reueile and discouer them Adam was away when Caine slew his brother and Eue was not there and Abel was made sure enough for complaining and Caine himselfe was silent enough from boasting of it and no bodie else was in the fields either to see Caine striking or to heare Abel crying and yet out it came and knowne it is and euery man can speake of it Gehesi made not all the town of his counsell whē he followed Naaman for the monie he asked not his maister leaue to goe after him nor made report of his dealing and successe afterward and yet Elisha could tell him and hath declared to vs and all others whither he went and how hee speed and what his intent was in the disposing of his monie namely to buy oliues and vineyards and sheepe and oxen and men-seruants and maid-seruants and to become a great man What should wee speake of the plotting of Ananiah and Sapphira and of Dauids adultery and murder which were so closely contriued as they imagined that neuer any man should haue had intelligence of them Fourthly they haue taken securitie for impunitie Either they hope to escape all punishment or else that it will be so light that they may easily beare it or so short that they shall quickelie passe thorough it Whereas the Law of God threatneth the contrarie That the Lord will make their plagues wonderfull euen great plagues Deut. 28. 59. and of long continuance and sore diseases of long durance And if they will appeale from threatnings to promises from the Law to the Gospell from Moses to Christ let them heare the sentence that Christ passeth vpon such manner of persons They shall goe into hell into the fire that neuer shall be quenched Where their worme Mark 9. 44. dieth not and the fire neuer goeth out Fiftly they haue conditioned and indented with sinne before they entered into the grosse practise of it that they would leaue it againe after a time and so by repentance preuent both the shame and punishment But they know not that all sinfulnesse is craftie and cruell when it hath them it will hold them and that fast by the heart and keepe them in perpetuall bondage and thraldome They may with as good safetie drink vp strong poison and prescribe it a measure how farre it shall worke or cast themselues into the raging sea with limitation how deepe they will sinke and how long they will make their stay there All the seruants of sin and Satan are chained vp in prison and not at libertie to depart at their owne wils for the will it selfe is kept in hold and neuer released before the Lord with a forcible hand of grace doe deliuer it Vse 1 Instruction not to suffer our selues to be abused by such a cousening companion If a shifter should carrie about a pack of counterfeite wares it were a poynt of wisedome to refuse to buie of him especially if they were infections and such as would indanger our houses with the pestilence Now there is not vnder heauen any Conicatcher that liueth so much by his wit as sinne and wickednes doth by wiles which doth not defraude men of their money but of their saluation which bringeth not plaguie stuffe to kill the bodie onely but most pernicious corruptions to destroy both soule and bodie for euer And sith the workes of iniquitie be all so deceitfull let vs hearken to the words of God and the counsell of godly men which we shall be sure to finde very faithfull The perswasion of Satan seemed more plausible to Eue than did the commandement of the Lord but she had escaped the venome and poison of Satans perswasion if she would haue giuen heed to the Lords commandement The note of wilfull vnchast persons in their miserie will be the song of all other sinners that refuse to receiue admonition How haue I hated instruction and mine heart despised correction and haue Pro. 5. 12. 13. not obeyed the voice of them that taught me nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me
beginning of the world stood and continued in the state wherein they were first made that depriuation which is in the nature of any of them proceeded not from themselues but from the fall of man which hath not only deformed himselfe but distempered euerie thing about him and the cause why they haue not knowledge and vnderstanding is that they are not capable of it but wicked men are wholy degenerated from their originall excellencie and haue defaced the image of God in their owne soules They haue lost their iustice and fallen to vnrighteousnesse they are depriued of holines and become prophane all sound vnderstanding is gone and nothing is in them but ignorance of Gods holie will and of the mysteries of saluation And therefore Ieremy saith that euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge And Ierem. 10. Zophar in the booke of Iob proceedeth further and sheweth what kind of beast he is most like Vaine men saith hee would bee wise Iob 11. 12. though man borne that is in his owne estate not regenerate is like a wild asse colt Secondly euery dumbe creature according to his kinde performeth the will of God without any resistance Whereas wicked men rebelliouslie doe striue against their maker and contemptuously transgresse his commaundements Thirdly the vile estate and miserable condition of gracelesse men how great soeuer doth make it appeare that the Lord preferreth them not before contemptible beasts because at the least their end will be as bad as the worst of theirs And this doth God himselfe declare in the Psalmes Like sheepe they lye in the graue Psal 49. 14. 20 death deuoureth them Man is in honour and vnderstandeth not he is like to beasts that perish They lie in their graues as the carcases of rotten sheepe in a ditch and death maketh a pray both of their soules and bodies as crowes and kites and rauens and dogs do feede vpon carrions Vse 1 Instruction not to satisfie our selues in this that hauing speech and reason we go beyond all fishes birds beasts and all creeping things vnlesse also by grace and spirituall gifts we goe beyond all vnregenerate men To acknowledge with thankfulnesse the great fauour and goodnes of God towards vs when hee hath transformed vs into the shape of Christians and the Image of his owne sonne that we may be acceptable to him Doct. 2 Neither beautie nor other outward gifts doe any good to the owners that are destitute of wisedome All ornaments can neuer make a foole to be comely no more then a silken coate can make an Ape to be manly or a sweete bath can make a blacke Moore beautifull If wisedome be wanting we may truely say with Salomon Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie Eccl. 1. 2. Reasons 2 First the person of the man commendeth all outward things and onely grace and wisedome make his person commendable And in this sense it is said in the booke of Ecclesiastes that it is the wisedome of a man that doth make his face to shine Nothing but sound vnderstanding and holy behauiour can possibly make either Eccl. 8. 1. man or woman to be estimable and worthie to bee looked on It is as truly to bee affirmed of one sexe as another and no lesse of one state than of another that fauour is deceit and beautie is vanitie but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Prou. 31. Secondly through want of wisedome the good gifts of God be defaced as the swine would not spare to bring the iewell with her into a filthie puddle or to wallow with it in the most loathsome mire and so they are the lesse esteemed in better men which are worthily adorned with them Thirdly in this case they peruert them vsually to the hurt of others as beautie is made a snare to entangle mens eyes and affections wealth and power bee weapons of oppression wit and policie be nets for fraude and deceite fine speech and elocution be calles to allure men to the hurt of their soules and estates And the same is verified of many things which Salomon speaketh of one As a thorne standing vp in the hand of drunkards so is a parable Prou. 26. 9. in the mouth of fooles A drunken companion with a thorne or goade in his hand doth sometimes prick and pierce himselfe and sometimes hurt them that bee neere about him and so standeth the case with sinners that can speake wittily and yet want a sober heart to guide their tongues christianly they wound their owne soules and depraue good causes and set a colour vpon sinne and much traduce the names of many blamelesse persons Fourthly themselues of all others are in most perill and like to receiue the greatest hurt by these meanes Pride hath a doore set open to it for free accesse to the heart where there is any externall excellencie without internall sanctitie And Shame hath a way prepared for it to follow after when they haue great things for many mens eyes to looke vpon and little discretion to vse and manage them Nothing is more behouefull for a foole than to be obscure in the darke that his follie shame him not in the light How much better had it been for Abshalom Achitophel Adonijah Ieroboam and Achab with others of like state and behauiour if they had been deformed in bodie and weake in capacitie and meane in condition than to haue been so conspicuous and of such grert note and now to be so contemptible and of such great infamie Vse 1 Instruction that sithence wisedome and grace do giue honour and life and good effect to all the inferiour gifts of God which are but temporarie and not euerlasting that therefore before all the rest wee should most labour for wisedome and grace If other things be alreadie bestowed vpon vs seeke to obtaine and increase these heauenly ornaments to giue a lustre to the naturall gifts wherewith the Lord hath qualified vs and to season our outward possessions to our vse and comfort Wisedome saith Salomon is good with an inheritance and excellent to them which see the Eccl. 7. 13. Sunne His meaning is not that wisedome is good to them onely that haue inheritances but that it is good yea necessarie for them which haue inheritances to get wisedome that will make their possessions good and that will help them to the good vse of their possessions And so wisedome is good with strength wisedome is good with wit wisedom is good with gentrie wisedome is good with dignitie and wisedom is good with beautie It doubleth the greatnes and value of euery good blessing that God bestoweth Dauids victories and power bee renowmed by wisedome Salomons glorious kingdome is made memorable by wisedome and so is the prosperitie of Iob and Abraham and so is the aduancement of Ioseph and Daniel and so is the beautie of Hester and Sara Vse Reproofe of them that bee afraide of nothing so much as of grace and
thou hast done that make not an end but giue to more than thou didst before As if hee should haue said bestow as much seede as thou hast land to lay it on and get as much land as thou hast seede to sow it with But infidelitie can hold no longer in hearing this but out commeth her worthie question How shall I liue my selfe hereafter if I giue away all now who knoweth what hard times be comming Now he stoppeth her mouth with retortion of her owne reason No man knoweth what euill daies may come and therefore wisedome would that we should make prouision for our selues before hand And nothing is surer laid vp then that which is charitablie laide out that will serue for a deere yeere and a rainie day as wee are wont to speake in our prouerbe Reproofe of the follie of miserable niggards who being greedie of getting more know not how to vse that which they haue and therefore take the way to consume all The one halfe of our text is a threatning against them and all the reasons which did confirme the good estate of liberall persons do as much conclude the hard case of pinching neere misers by the contrary They put their talent to no good vse and therefore may daily looke to haue it taken away from them They intitle themselues to the threatnings and curses of the law and therefore cannot auoide the iudgements whereof the stroake of pouertie and needines is one among others Sighes and complaints goe vp to God against them but few prayers and no thanksgiuing at all for them Their beneuolence and goodnes doth not stand the poore Saints in such steed as that the Lord for their sakes should commit any part of his substance to their hands or leaue that with them which they haue fingred alreadie Verse 25. The liberall soule shall waxe fat and hee that giueth plentifullie shall powre forth THese words haue affinitie with the former part of the verse next before and are ioyned to it partly in way of explication and partly in way of illustration And therfore first he sheweth who obtaine that blessing to increase by scattring that is they whose liberalitie beginneth at their hearts and then he declareth the prosperous successe thereof by a similitude from wel-springs which receiue as much water inwardly as they send forth outwardly which if they should faile of issue would also faile of fulnes the waters diuerting their course some other way where they might haue better passage or else infusing themselues in the earth and mould of the adiacent places round about and so make a quagmire The same comparison doth Isaiah vse for the same purpose The Lord shall satisfie thy soule continually in drought Isai 58. 11. and make fat thy bones and thou shalt bee like a watred garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not Doct. He that expecteth comfort for sound mercie must not onelie applie his hand but his soule to the exercise of well doing That is the seate of loue which giueth life to all good actions and without which in regrad of themselues it is as good neuer a whit as neuer the better For though a man should feede the poore with 1. Cor. 13. 3. all his goods and haue not loue it profiteth him nothing Esaias conditioneth with thē who would haue the Lord to powre forth his mercies and blessings vpon them that they should not onely powre out their foode and victuals but their soules also to the hungrie Isa 58. 10. Reasons 1 First there is required a needefull worke of the soule in this seruice and that is wisedome and discretion So is a mercifull man commended in the Psalmes A good man is mercifull and Psal 112. 5. lendeth and will measure his affaires by iudgement And so is a liberall man described by the Prophet Esaias That he will deuise of Isai 32. 8. liberall things He will meditate where his gifts may best be placed what is fittest to be giuen how much is meete for him to contribute in what manner he should performe it Secondly compassion must be ioyned with it that the helper and the partie holpen may mutually communicate their cases each with other he that is in prosperitie bearing a part of his brothers burthen and he that is in aduersitie receiuing a portion of his neighbours blessings This could Iob truly testifie of himselfe that he vsed to weepe for them that were in trouble and his Iob 30. 25. soule was in heauinesse for the poore Thirdly it must be seasoned with cheerefulnes that it may bee more comfortable to man that shall receiue it and likewise more acceptable to God that will reward it Hereof doth the Apostle admonish the Corinthians to an especiall regard saying As euery man wisheth in his heart so let him giue not grudgingly nor of 2. Cor. 9. 7. necessitie for God loueth a cheerefull giuer Vse 1 Reproofe of them whose soules haue neuer any dealing in doing of good vnlesse it be to peruert all with Pharisaicall hypocrisie and vaine glorie They giue hand ouer head to tagge and ragge without difference of any except they shut out the best and bestow on the worst frowning on them that are the most honest and feeding of them that of all others are the most vnworthie They contribute to good vses with no lesse difficultie than if a distresse of a fine or amercement were to bee extorted from them Commiseration and pitie are meere strangers vnto them their hearts haue no acquaintance at all with them Consolation to poore men that they are not excluded from the grace and blessednesse of being merciful though they attaine not to the state and abilitie of being wealthie Mercie is not placed with mony in the purse but dwelleth with loue and kindnes in the heart He that can mourne with such as doe mourne hee that can pray for them that bee in distresse he that can any way seeke to comfort the afflicted may truly be said to haue a soule of blessing and is of God himselfe esteemed mercifull The successe which mercifull men shall finde for their owne estate hath been alreadie declared in the former verse and therefore in this may be passed ouer Verse 26. He that withdraweth corne the people will curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne IT is not vnlawfull to keepe in corne as Ioseph did in the time of plentie to bee prouided against scarcitie and dearth but when we may spare it and others neede it then to with hold the selling thereof in hope to raise the price this tendeth to a common hurt and therefore will cause a common complaint of the people against vs. But on the other side blessing shall be on his head that selleth corne he shall not only haue the good testimonie and prayers of men beneath but the blessing of God himselfe from aboue descend vpon him Prouided that his heart be vpright therein
Christ for their roote they haue God the Father to dresse and keepe them and therefore they shall flourish as a branch which groweth and hath greene leaues The drought of aduersitie shall not hurt them the dewes of wholesome prosperitie shall not faile them They shall haue safetie for their bodies graces for their soules competencie for their state and all good furtherances for their euerlasting glorie Thus standeth the opposition The wicked trust in their riches and they shall fall like rotten boughes but the righteous trust in the Lord and they shall grow like flourishing branches Doct. Though the stayes of many wicked men seeme to be the stronger yet the states of all godly men proue to be the surer If safetie consisted in wealth and happinesse in height wee could not but yeeld that diuers sinfull persons were grounded in great safety and happinesse for they haue the world at will are mounted vp to eminent places And if perill did alwayes accompanie pouertie and miserie likewise a meane condition who could denie but that the most of the best men should euer bee found in the worst case and of all others the most miserable for that they are commonly poore and base in the world But if God in his iust iudgements doe lift vp his enemies hie to cast them downe the lower and if his seruants take rooting low that they may grow vp the hier then let the wicked take heede of a downefall and then let the righteous not doubt of a rising The thirtie seuen and seuentie third Psalmes are treatises wholy vpon this argument besides many other texts of Scripture And this commeth to passe to both sides First in regard of the different and Reasons 1 contrarie choise which they haue made of helpers to themselues What doe sinfull persons and wicked men take to bee their staues to leane vpon and that with their whole weight Euen fleshly supports as goods and riches which are slender reedes that will breake and run into their hands and shoulders and lay them flat on the ground These they build vpon as a foundation most firme and stable these they depend vpon as friends most sure and faithfull these they trust vnto as holds most strong and mightie And yet is there any thing more vncertaine more deceitfull more weake and feeble then these are They bee fugitiue and away they goe when they should sticke to a man they be false and performe nothing that they promise They say giue vs your heart especially when we increase we haue power to doe you all good But Dauid saith If riches increase set not your heart Psal 62. 10. 11. theron God spake once twice haue I heard it that power belongeth only to God There was neuer any Papist or heathē man more deceiued in dumbe Idols then worldlings be in the hope of their monie and substance The images haue as much sense to heare and speake and deale for them which pray to them as gold and siluer and other treasures haue ability in themselues to helpe them that make them their gods and many more are illuded by these then by the others And whom doe the godly make their refuge In whom is their hope fixed in God omnipotent eternall endles in mercie wisedome and trueth whose good prouidence doth neuer faile them in life whose gracious fauour doth not forsake them at death And that one word may comprehend all and that is infinitely much and more then heauen and earth can comprehend he is God euery way for them al-sufficient Secondly in regard of their behauiour towards the Lord. The wicked commit an execrable sacriledge spirituall treason they cast off that loyaltie that is due only to him yeeld it to the abiect and contemptible creatures for so may they be called when they are matched as equals or preferred as superiours to their Creator And this is done in all vaine confidence as it was spoken of trust to flesh bloud so to all of that kind Cursed be the man Ierem. 17. 5. that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Confidence is a prerogatiue and royaltie that the Lord neuer communicateth to any vpon any conditions He so calleth for loue to himselfe that men also should bee loued for his sake and feared and reioyced at and the like is in other affections but to trust in any besides him is as much as in vs is to set the imperiall diadem of heauen and earth vpon their heads Now the godly relying altogether vpon his fidelitie and power yeeld him homage and declare themselues to be his loyall faithfull and obedient subiects and performe a most acceptable seruice vnto him Vse 1 Instruction to be so much more industrious for righteousnes than riches by how much it is better to bee a liuing tree than a dead stocke and to stand fast in the state of all good happinesse than to fall into sinne and shame and miserie and destruction So much goodnes as any man hath so much he hath of faith so farre he sheweth the sappe and vertue of his roote so certaine and assured he may be of perpetuall firmnesse and stabilitie And looke what measure of vaine confidence is in euery one so much sinfulnes is in him and therefore the contrarietie is set betweene such as trust in their riches and the righteous because hee that hath affiance in his wealth must needes bee euill and hee that is righteous must needes trust in God and so sure it is that Gods strokes and iudgements will pursue him and to his owne inabilitie of standing he shall haue this added that God will push at him and cast him downe Terror for couetous Idolaters which make their goods their gods and their greedie getting their deuotion and their plentie their safetie and their pastures fields barnes shops warehouses or coffers their heauen Like foolish men they waite vpon lying Ionah 2. 8. vanities and forsake their owne mercie It is as easie for a croppe of corne to thriue vpon a waste Heath or in the middest of a thornie hedge or thicket of bushes as it is for grace to grow in their hearts and it is as easie for a cable rope to goe through an needles Mark 10. 24. 25. eye as for them to enter into the kingdome of heauen And yet they think al to be well and their state to be happie yea they presume so farre of their owne standing that vpon confidence of their power they doubt not but to giue others the fall they hope that their withered rotten stickes shall be able to roote vp and throw downe the strongest Cedars that grow in the Church of God Such a one was Doeg that thought to doe great things against Dauid but Dauid did after a sort defie him and bad him doe his worst yea he derided and told him that the worst would bee his owne Why boastest thou saith he in thy wickednesse O man of power
their case the better Verse 30. The fruit of the righteous is as a tree of life and hee that winneth soules is wise THe meaning of these words is that a godly man is very plentifull in bringing forth fruit and his fruite exceeding profitable to them that receiue it Especially his instructions consolations prayers other spirituall meanes that he vseth to conuert or confirme the hearts of his brethren And he himself also is not without the fruit of his owne fruit which is intimated here by pronouncing him wise that winneth soules that is which with desire and indeuour faithfully and discreetly by Gods owne meanes according to his place and calling either doth draw men out of their sinnes and ignorance or else faileth of successe therein not by his negligence and want of loue but rather by their stubbornesse and want of will And herewith the Prophet doth satisfie himselfe whatsoeuer should bee the issue of his ministerie Now saith the Lord that formed me from the wombe to bee his seruant that I may bring Iacob againe to him though Israel be not gathered Isai 49. 4. yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength On the other side wee dare not take vpon vs to iustifie the hearts and states of all those which haue been occasions of any mans conuersion if it bee not their fruite nor to extenuate the efficacie of euery vnregenerate mans ministerie that his doctrine should winne none to saluation It is graunted without question or gainesaying that he may prepare before and build vp after and we remember not any such stint or restraint spoken of but that he may also cōuert especially before his life is stained with any sinfull behauiour that might bring his ministerie into contempt The power of preaching standeth in the ordinance of God by the worke of his spirit and not in the person of the messenger that doth publish it Doct. Of all people none doe so much good as the godly Looke how farre the tree of life which was the best in paradise excelled all the brambles and briers which are the worst on the wild wast so farre doe such as feare God surmount the godlesse in goodnes In the first Psalme religious men which giue themselues to the exercise of pietie are compared to trees that yeeld the most and best and ripest fruite and sinful men which giue themselues to the practise of vanity are likened to chaffe or rather the dust of chaffe Psal 1. 3. which is good for nothing In the second of the Canticles the godly are resembled to the most beautifull and pleasant lilies Cant. 2. 2. which yeeld delight to those that gather them and the wicked to thornes or thistles which doe annoy those that meddle with them In other places of scripture the seruants of God are called sheepe which for lambe and fleece and flesh and euery other way are commodious insomuch that they make the very ground the better which they fit vpon and the slaues of sinne are called by the names of Wolues and Foxes and such kinde of beasts which are very hurtfull and be readie to doe mischiefe wheresoeuer they come In what respect the fruite of the righteous is so profitable it will appeare by the proportion it hath with the tree of life whereunto it is compared Reasons 1 First in regard of the cause it is said that it groweth by the riuer of life whose waters feede the roote Reue. 22. 22. thereof and the roote sendeth vp the sap and the sap sendeth out the fruite And so the good which a good man doth ariseth not from his wit nor naturall disposition nor fleshly wisedome but springeth from the word and spirit of God in his heart Gal. 5. 22. Secondly as touching the manner thereof it is said that it is continually bearing without stay or failing not once a yeere but once in a moneth not in sommer only but in winter also and euery time new kinds of fruit and not of one sort alone as it falleth out commonly with other trees for in them the same branch neuer varieth the kind and that rotteth not nor droppeth downe Ezech. 47. 12. with ripenesse In like sort doth the spirit of grace make Gods children constant in well doing and that also in performance of many dueties according to the varietie of occasions and opportunities offered They ioyne vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance 1. Pet. 1. 5. 6. patience and with patience godlines and with godlines brotherlie kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue If they see the members of Mat. 25. 35. 36 Christ hungrie they giue them meate if thirstie they giue them drinke if naked they clothe them if they bee strangers they lodge them if they be sicke they visite them if they be in prison they come vnto them c. Thirdly for the effect the tree of life was for meate and the leaues for medicine and both for life and no lesse vertue proceedeth from righteous persons their lippes doe feede many their tongues are whole some their instructions are as a welspring of life to Prou. 10. 21. turne away from the snares of death Pro. 13. 14. Vse 1 Admonition for euery one to search his wayes and to trie his state by this rule If thou be a fruitefull tree thou art a righteous man if thou be giuen to shew mercie thou canst not be vnfruitfull if thy labour bee to kill sinne and to helpe mens soules to euerlasting life then who can denie thee to bee truely mercifull In this case though the diuell come roaring with grieuous accusations though he would perswade thee that thou art an hypocrite and they would perswade others that thou art an arrogant proud person yet be not dismaied at the matter Satan saith that thou bearest a dissembling heart but god seeth that thou liuest a sincere life They impute thy speeches and other behauiour to pride and vaine glorie but thine owne soule knoweth that they proceede from loue and vnfained faithfulnesse And let this be spoken for thy comfort that shall neuer faile thee that those which are trees of life to men are trees of delight to God himselfe and he is nothing lesse pleased with them than his people are benefited by them And so the Apostle saith they please God in all things which are fruitfull in all good workes And so doth Col. 1. 10. Christ speake of his Church and the members thereof in Salomons songs My sister my spouse is as a garden inclosed Thy plants Cant. 4. 12. 13. 14. are as an orchard of Pomegranets with sweete fruits as Camphire Spikenard and Saffron Calamus and Cinamon with all trees of Incense Myrrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe spices But if thou bee fruitlesse thou art voide of righteousnes and so destitute of Gods fauour and thine owne safetie For vnfruitfull trees hath God
none much lesse to be fierce and churlish and boisterous to them that are good But if they bee yoked with those of the other sort their miserie is a good motiue to send them to God to seeke his helpe and more to labour to please him themselues that he may make their wiues to be better vnto them For if it be in his hand before marriage to make them godly and to prepare them for his seruants it is as much also in his power to conuert them afterwards which if he doe not yet they shall haue more strength to beare the burden with greater ease Reproofe of their sinne and follie that like nothing lesse nor labour against any thing so much as to haue their wiues to bee religious and godly They more hate pietie and grace then they loue beautie and wealth and would sooner chuse one of no substance then of great goodnes But indeede they are not driuen to that extremity it is no difficult matter to many that haue great riches to be of little sanctification and therefore they haue their desires double satisfied in getting wealth wickednes together How many doe we daily see that withhold their wiues from all good meanes of godlines that disswade them discourage them and sometimes by strong hand restraine them from comming to the preaching of Gods holy word whereby their soules might be instructed How many teach their wiues pride and straine themselues beyond their abilitie to maintaine them in garishnes How many doe bring their wiues into such company and to such exercises as infect their eyes and eares and tongues and heart and euery sense with lust and wantonnesse Is it not righteous from God that these husbands should bee plagued with the lauishnes and stubbernesse and whorishnesse of their wiues which haue so poysoned their soules and drawne them to such lewde and sinfull behauiour Verse 5. The thoughts of the iust are right but the counsels of the wicked are deceit GOdly men are not altogether voide of thoughts that are not right and allowable sometimes Sathan casteth in matter to turne them out of the right course sometimes their owne flesh will play it part and stirre vp desires of commoditie and praise and pleasures and such like in them but these are as the muddines that may be for a time in a good fountaine that is troubled these they allow not these they resist and iudge themselues for and therefore God taketh notice only of those that are good tending to his seruice and glorie their owne saluation and the benefite of their brethren On the other side the counsels of the wicked that is their deuises plots and purposes in themselues for they are here rather the worke of the mind then of the tongue and opposed to the thoughts of the godly are deceit tending either to the circumvention and wronging of others or to the cloaking and hiding of their owne sinfulnesse Doct. The godly differ as much from the wicked in inward cogitations and purposes as in outward conuersation and practise At the first creation man was made to excell the bruite beasts more by the reason and gifts of the soule then by the fashion and shape of the bodie and at the second a Christian is made to excell sinfull men more by the holinesse and working of the soule then by the actions and workes of the bodie This caused the Apostle S. Paul to vrge the Ephesians with so earnest an asseueration and attestation that hereby they should cleere their regeneration vnfalliblie and put it out of all doubt and question This I say and Ephes 4. 17. testifie in the Lord that yee henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their mind hauing their cogitations darkned c. And Isaiah commeth to speake of some specials and sheweth what a contrarietie there is betweene their thoughts and meditations The heart saith he of the niggard will worke iniquitie he deuiseth euill counsels to vndoe the poore with lying words but the liberall man will deuise of liberall things and will continue his liberality Isa 32. 6. 7. 8. Reasons 1 First the one sort are led by the word and spirit of God and therefore will thinke of such things as they worke in them and perswade them vnto the other are led by the flesh and Sathan and therefore will thinke of such things as they suggest Secondly the hearts of the one are replenished with Christian loue and therefore they will meditate how they may best exercise it in doing good and the other are possest with selfe-loue and they will deuise how they may serue their owne turnes though with neuer so much hurt and mischiefe Thirdly the treasures of the one are in heauen and therefore their hearts are there and their thoughts are taken vp about heauenly things and the happines of the other is in earth and sinne and therefore they are alwaies pondring of earthly and sinfull matters Fourthly the heart and purpose is the roote from whence the actions spring and receiue their life and therfore good men could not performe so many good seruices and haue them so well accepted of God and the wicked would not fall into so many foule sinnes and be so much hated of him vnlesse they had contrarie mindes and affections the godly holy and righteous and the wicked impious and deceitfull Vse 1 Instruction to examine and trie the state of our soules by this rule let ws consider not onely what we haue done and how men conceiue of vs but with what mind wee haue performed euery good dutie and how the Lord doth esteeme of vs. He trieth the raines he searcheth the heart hee looketh vpon the purposes and desires That which no creature seeth or taketh knowledge of he praiseth and rewardeth that which the world admireth and magnifieth he hateth and abhorreth So our Sauiour told the Pharises Yee are they which iustifie your selues before men but God Luk. 16. 15. knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God Reproofe of them that turne their hearts loose permitting their thoughts to straggle whithersoeuer they will at their pleasure and thinke it safe to satisfie themselues in filthie lusts in proud imaginations in bitter grudgings and in diuers idle vaine and foolish conceits It is accounted by many for a part of mans libertie that thought is free but they that take that libertie are brought into the most grieuous seruitude to become slaues and bondmen to those free thoughts Now if deceitfull counsels conuince men to bee euill as the Scripture saith they doe what can the Papists say for themselues why they should be reputed good Did euer any kinde of people lay their plots for greater mischiefes Did euer any seeke to act their purposes with greater falsehood and treacherie What fidelitie is to bee found in their words in their protestations in their solemne oathes They say many things which the purpose of not
for redresse of wrongs at his hands Herod thought that it would be too late for all the friends which Peter had to minister helpe vnto him when hee had clapt him vp in so sure a prison But hee remembred not how swift the godly be to prayer and how soone a prayer can come to God and in what readines God hath his Angels and what speede an Angell can make to succour them that are in danger Yet this is not the greatest comfort of Gods afflicted seruants but this that the Lord Iesus Christ is infinitely more righteous and mercifull than any man or all men possiblie can be and he will vndertake their cause and either minister help to their state or grace to their soules to beare their troubles till the fittest time of freedome from them He will preserue them from sinne and Satan which lie in waite for their eternall destruction The spirit of God is large in one of the Psalmes in setting foorth the tender care which he hath of his people He shall deliuer the poore when he crieth the needie also and him that hath no helpe He shall be mercifull to the poore and needie and shall preserue the soules of the poore He shall redeeme their soules from deceit and violence and deare shall their blood be in his sight Psal 72. 12. 13. 14. Verse 7. God ouerthroweth the wicked and they are not but the house of the righteous shall stand VVHen the state of the vngodly which are not Gods chosen changeth from prosperitie to aduersitie it seldome staieth till they be vtterly destroyed both themselues their houses This word are not signifieth a slaughter and killing as it is spoken of the murdering of the infants by Herod Mat. 2. 18. Ier. 31. 15. But here is more vnderstood than the losse of naturall life and that is the perdition of soule and bodie And yet not the extinction of either for the soule shall neuer vanish away nor the bodie for euer they shall not finde so much mercie at Gods hands Their being shall not cease but their comfortable and well being They shall be euerlasting euerlastinglie to beare the burden of Gods wrath and to suffer the vnsufferable torment of death and damnation But the house of the righteous that is he and those things which appertaine vnto him shall bee preserued from being ouerthrowne to ruine Doct. They that will not keepe themselues from wickednesie cannot keepe themselues from desolation They may rise but not stand for vnlesse they fall to repentance they shall be made to fall to destruction They may grow great but for a small time for they will soone bee brought to nothing The prophet thought too well of their state at the first as though they had bin in better case then any other men but he conceiued as hardly of it at the last when he had seene their end in the sanctuarie and deemed them of all to bee most miserable Surelie saith he to the Lord thou hast set them in slipperie places and castest Psal 73. 18. 19 them downe into desolation How suddenlie are they destroyed perished and horriblie consumed The Scriptures flow with testimonies and similies to declare both the certaintie and suddennesse and grieuousnesse of their decay as the withering of plants the putting out of lights the vanity of dreames the vanishing of smoake and many others to the like purpose Reasons 1 First they haue all the threatnings of God against them and euery threatning sendeth forth many curses and euery curse bringeth many plagues Secondly their owne deserts which in respect of any creature are infinite doe draw vpon them iudgements and miseries that are in explicable Thirdly the loue and trueth of God to his owne seruants will not permit a perpetuall prosperitie to his enemies By this hee perswadeth them not to faint in their owne afflictions because a reward remaineth for them and their end will be peace By this he perswadeth them not to fret at wicked mens successes because Psal 37. 38. there remaine punishments for them their end is to be cut off Vse 1 Admonition to sinfull men to tender their loue more that pitie them and desire that their case may be better If others tremble at their fall that is comming which yet neither feele the paine nor be in the perill thereof is it wisedome for them to cast off all care of themselues and onely picke quarrels against them that seeke their safetie When their wound is incurable they will wish that they had better regarded the plaister and the hand that applied it When the disease is remedilesse they will rue the reiection of the medicine and physition When hell shall haue them in hold they will bewaile the refusall of their friendship that would haue directed them to heauen It was good counsell of Philip and well followed of Nathaniel when hee perswaded him to come Ioh. 1. 46. and see whether Iesus were not the Christ And it was an indulgence of Christ to Thomas to helpe his faith in his resurrection Ioh. 20. 27. by the senses of sight and feeling but for matters of punishment and damnation it is good to goe from them and not to come at them to heare Gods testimonie and not to see it fulfilled vpon themselues to beleeue the trueth of that which is spoken and not to feele it by their owne experience Consolation that sinfull men shall not alwaies be molesters of the godly because they shall not alwaies be They shall not continually ouershadow the faithfull because they shall not stand continually Though their shew bee great now and terrible to Gods people yet their change will bee greater and fearefull to themselues He will speedilie ouerturne them and all their power of hurting shall be taken from them Now their rootes are low their toppes aloft and braunches broad and thereby ouer-droppe all that is vnder them then must their toppes come downe and rootes rise vp and all their braunches wither Now they are vessels that are full of power and wealth and malice but then must bee there a transposition the bottome must bee vpward and the brimmes must bee downeward and all their fulnesse be shed on the ground like water The ground of this comfort is neither vaine nor weake for God himselfe doth vrge it as a forcible reason to confirme the hearts of his people Feare thou not saith hee for I am with thee bee not affraide for I am thy God Behold all they that prouoke thee shall bee ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that striue with thee shall perish Thou shalt seeke them and shalt not finde them to wit the men of thy strife for they shall be as nothing and the men that warre against thee as a thing of nought Isai 41. 11. 12. For the firmenes of the righteous man and of his house see chapter the tenth vers 2. 25. Verse 8. A man shall bee commended according to his wisedome but
edge and point of a sword doth to ones bodie But the tongue of the wise is health their speeches are holesome and helpefull both to themselues and others Doct. 1 No weapon is more hurtfull then a wicked tongue Among all the complaints which the godly and Gods owne spirit make against the wicked in the scriptures they seldome complaine of any thing more then of their virulent and pestiferous mouthes It is said of flatterers that their words are more gentle then oyle and yet they are swords Psal 55. 21. It is said of false accusers such as Doeg was that their tongues are sharpe rasors that cut deceitfully Psalm 52. 2. It is said of false witnesse bearers that they are like hammers and swords and sharpe arrowes Prou. 25. 18. It is said of all sorts and of euery one of them that their throate is an open sepulchre they haue vsed their tongues to deceit the poison of aspes is vnder their lippes Rom. 3. 13. Reasons 1 First they cause swords to be drawne and bloud to bee shed and men to be slaine and much mischiefe to be wrought Ahimelech and his brethren the Priests were killed by the tongue Naboth and his sonnes were killed with the tongue Our Sauiour Christ himselfe was killed by the tongue as Peter chargeth vpon thē that procured his death Him haue ye taken by the hands of the wicked and haue crucified and slaine you desired a murderer to be giuen you and killed the Lord of life Act. 2. 23. 3. 15. Secondly the sword or any other weapon can onely hurt them that are present and in place neere to it but the stroke of the tongue will light vpon them most daungerouslie that are absent and farre off no place or distance can helpe against it and one man may doe mischiefe thereby to a great multitude Doeg with one breath destroyed the whole citie of Nob both man and woman both child and suckling and yet was not present at it 1. Sam. 22. 19. What a slaughter would Haman haue made throughout the whole Persian Monarchie if the Lord had not wonderfully preuented it Thirdly when men be assaulted with weapons others will bee rcadie according to their power and opportunitie to succour and defend them or to pitie them for the wrong and violence which they sustaine but a malignant tongue causeth others to smite those whom it smiteth either by reporting that which it affiirmeth or by beleeuing that which it reporteth Fourthly the sword can onely wound the bodie and take away the naturall life and when the breath is gone the paine is ended but a pestilent tongue may poyson the soule and depriue men of euerlasting life and bring vpon them perpetuall torments for euer Vse 1 Admonition to be warie how we carrie our tongues that they be safely put vp from doing of hurt and neuer vnsheathed but when we are to stricke at sinne and to skirmish with Sathan It is not good to make frayes with our brethren and to draw vpon their names If we cannot vse our weapons better the Lord will binde vs to the peace and take order that his people may goe more safely by vs. Instruction to auoide the companie of such sinfull hackesters that are neuer without such deadly weapons What can a Christiā doe or say or omit that will not set their tongues on worke And how can they open their mouthes to speake with their tongues but that they must needs spit venome If they be angrie their bitter raylings and reuilings shall haue sharp points keene edges if they be merrie they will persecute with taunts and girds biting iests howsoeuer they be disposed they will vomit our impious othes and blasphemies or such other corrupt speeches as will either bring griefe or infection 2. To be alwaies armed and wel fenced against thē because we shall haue necessary occasions diuers times to bee in presence with them That therefore wee seeke protection from God by prayer as the Prophet did saying Deliuer me O Lord from the euill man preserue me from the Psal 140. 1. 3. cruell man which sharpen their tongues like a serpent adders poison is vnder their lippes And withall let vs put on innocencie for that will repell their strokes and ward them off that they shall neuer hurt vs deadly True it is that none are so much laid at as they which are most blamelesse the greatest accusations and threatnings and scoffes are against them but yet they escape best of all others because they are least liable to all those kind of cursed speakings Doct. 2 But the tongue of wise men c. It is the propertie of good men to vse their lippes to doe good with them This point hath been in some part alreadie handled in the second clause of the sixt verse and we purpose if it please God to stand more largely vpon it in the fifteenth chapter verse 4. where is saide that a wholsome tongue is a tree of life Verse 19. The lippe of trueth shall be stable for euer and a lying tongue but for a moment THe meaning is that such as speake the trueth in vprightnesse will not varie in their talke but tell the same tale againe and be like to themselues in that which they shall say whereas lyers be in and out affirming and denying and speaking contradictions in the same matter Doct. Onely true men are constant in their words They goe not from that which they haue well spoken as they will not stand to that which they haue failed in as Iob professed of himselfe saying I will lay mine hand vpon my mouth Once haue Iob. 39. 37. 38 I spoken but I will answere no more yea twice but I will proceede no further This caused the Apostle S. Paul so seriouslie to cleare himselfe of all lightnesse and vnconstancie that the Corinthians should haue no suspition that with him should be yea yea and 2. Cor. 1. 18. nay nay but that his promises and preaching and purposes were stable and firme and vnchangeable Reasons 1 First their matter will helpe their memorie for that which is trueth once will be trueth euer so that the same ground and subiect remaineth still to repeate and reiterate as was to bee spoken of at the beginning Secondly the same spirit that worketh a loue conscience of the truth wherby men are made to be true doth neuer cease to be the same therfore as it seasoneth the heart guided the heart at the first so it will stablish the heart and direct the lips to the end For sinceritie and vprightnes is of all things most durable least subiect to alteration and change And that S. Paul assigneth for a cause of his vnuariable constancy that he minded not those things which he did mind according to the flesh whereby there should be with him yea yea and nay nay 2. Cor. 1. 17. Now liers doe want all these helpes they had neede to haue good memories to remember
if we doe not onely forbeare to lie but bee vtterly vnwilling that any other should tell a lie for vs. For that is the note of a righteous man that he hateth lying words as well as Prou. 13. 3. forbeareth to speake them And they shall bee shut out of the kingdome of heauen together which loue and which make lies Reuel 22. 15. Consolation to them that loue the trueth and exercise it the same God that hateth liers so deadly is as well pleased with true men that affect and practise that which he loueth so dearely Be it therefore that they are maligned for saying that which true is and hast not onely purchased euill will but hard dealing and that at their hands which seeme to be able to beare downe all before them yet know and remember that God maketh account of thee for thou art his delight and those that bee his fauourites shall find his fauour effectuall against all aduersaries for safetie and protection Doct. But they that deale truely c. That trueth which is acceptable to God consisteth both in speaking and doing Nothing can please him but the image of that which is in him and the streames which flow from him as doth this reall and operatiue trueth and not that which is verball and in word onely This is testified of the Lord Iesus Christ the deerely beloued sonne of God who is proposed to vs for a perfect example to imitate that he did no wickednesse as no deceit was found in his Isa 53. 9. mouth Reasons 1 First his word in many places doth commaund both and that equally and no where doth dispence with the want of either Secondly his spirit doth infuse both and that inseparablie and maketh euery man that hath attained to the one to be able to vse the other That which S. Iohn setteth downe in a more generall manner doth strongly confirme this particular point If anie man sinne not in word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the bodie His meaning is not that some bee absolute without sinne in word and perfect without infirmitie in goodnes but that many be gracious without sinfulnesse though they haue their slips in speeches and sincere without wickednes though they haue their frailties in behauiour Thirdly both are infallible and essentiall fruites of regeneration and the Apostle doth perswade vs thereby to declare our selues to be of the number of the saints and faithfull saying Cast off lying and let him that stole steale no more Ephes 4. 25. 28. Fourthly both are required of them that would know and manifest themselues to be naturall members of the Church in this life and inheriters of saluation in the life to come Lord saith Dauid who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy holy Psal 15. 1. 2. mountaine He saith God that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnes and speaketh the trueth in his heart Vse 1 Instruction 1. if we would haue the constant credit of honestie among men or the comfort of it in our owne soules or the allowance of it in Gods presence that wee bee not more smooth in words then faithfull in workes that men may not more beleeue vs to be true in speeches then the Lord shall discerne vs to bee trustie in actions Not to be ouerhastie to receiue their reports whom we are able to conuince of vnfaithfulnes in behauiour If God giue vs a caueat to looke to them and beware of them if he commend none to vs for credible but such as are righteous why should wee set light by his certificate and be credulous to hearken to sinfull persons especially sithence of all others they are most readie to fill mens eares with pernicious and hurtfull informations Verse 23. A prudent man concealeth knowledge but the heart of fooles publisheth foolishnesse A Prudent man he that is of good discretion and hath learned to be wary and circumspect concealeth knowledge not that he shutteth it vp altogether without any vse or benefit of it to others for that were contrarie to the profession which the Prophet maketh of that wherein euery godly man ought to follow him I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but I but I haue declared thy trueth and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy mercie and thy trueth from the great congregation Psal 40. 10. And that were contrarie to the testimonie which is giuen of wise men chap. 15. 7. The lippes of the wise doe spread abroad knowledge But he will obserue all good circumstances of speaking that it be in time and place when good opportunitie doth require it and good effect is like to bee wrought by it And contrariewise the heart of a foole which leadeth his tongue for guide it doth not doth set the tongue on worke either to vtter bad matter or that which is good in bad manner that euery man may see the folly which is in it Doct. It is not good for any man to speake as much and as often as he can but as often and as much as he ought Many wise sayings and sentences are inserted by the spirit of God into this booke to teach men how to be heedfull for the obseruation of this rule As when it is said that the tongue of the wise vseth knowledge aright Chap. 15. 2. And that a foole powreth out all his mind but a wise man keepeth in till afterwards Chap. 29. 11. Reasons 1 First this sparing of speech when men reserue themselues for fit occasions and only vtter that which serueth for vse doth giue a cleere testimony of a minde that is stored with vnderstanding and iudgement And this reason our text in hand doth offer vnto vs when it is said that a wise man hideth knowledge as a foole on the other side doth exercise the contrarie Wee deeme them not the most thriftie husbands and wealthiest men that will looke vp nothing in their coffers nor keepe any thing close in their purses but carrie al their monie in their hands and shew it to euery commer by and so doe they that haue no more matter within their hearts then all the standers by shall heare their lipes deliuer Secondly it is a point of humilitie to bee silent in modestie as pride and conceitednesse maketh men desirous to heare themselues speaking Thirdly their words are so much more desireable and better accepted as they are rare and few and seasonable How good is a word in due season saith the Scripture And a word spoken in his Prou. 15. 23. Prou. 25. 11. place is as apples of gold vpon pictures of siluer The ointment that is close kept in a boxe wil yeeld a sweter sauour when it is powred out then that which is continually open And wine fresh from the vessell hath a better relish then that which was drawne long before there was neede of it or any to drinke it Vse 1 Instruction to learne moderation and keepe measure in speaking vnlike to them that