honoured and rewarded of God then all the world beside Oh happie man and woman that professing Christianitie or faith in Christ or repentance for sinne or patience in affliction or contempt of the world or zeale to Gods glorie or deuotion in Gods worship or liberalitie to the Saints or mercie to the miserable can in all these haue the company of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart then may they say thus nay our suretie the Lord Iesus wil pleade for vs in this manner Father despise not these little ones they are my friends and though their faith and repentance be weake and imperfect and other graces of thy Spirit be but small and feeble and for want of nourshing and good looking vnto be not so well growne nor so well ordered as they should haue bene yet forasmuch as they come before thee and haue called vpon my name in sinceritie and truth which thou louest without counterfeiting dissembling and hypocrisie which thou abhorrest thou wilt not despise them Their fruit though they be but little in quantitie like a graine of musterd seed yet it is right fruite of the Spirit true faith though little faith true loue though litle and small loue not like the fruites of hypocrites which are like the apples of Sodome faire in shew and ashes in substance What hath soundly comforted all the Saines of God here on earth but the testimonie of an vpright heart And is not sound comfort a good reward What hath encouraged and emboldned them to come before God in prayer but the testimoniall of a sincere heart and holy affection And is not boldnesse in Gods presence a good reward What hath made the prayers of the faithfull auaileable with God for other but the sinceritie and vpright affection of them that haue craued their prayers and are not these sweet odours that is the prayers of the Saints a good reward What made Iacob to be honoured with the new name of Israel that is preuailing with God for a blessing but that his wrestling was not in shew but in good earnest in sinceritie and truth of heart with a constant purpose of perseuering till he had gotten that which he stroue for And is not preuailing with God a good reward All the daies of the afflicted are euill saith Salomon that is troublesome grieuous and bitter to flesh and bloud but a good conscience is a continuall feast that is he that hath an vpright heart and sincere affection before God feeleth no want Now such a feast as it is continuall so is it prouided by God himselfe serued in with the Spirit of God where the Angels do waite and reioyce and the worst dishes are the assurance of Gods loue forgiuenesse of sinnes peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost There all the communication is secret and heauenly between Christ and the soule the Musitians are the faithfull and their musicke is praising of God and their harmonie is the communion of Saints and all are of one heart and mind and is not such a feast a good reward Nay more then this if this be not inough whosoeuer will earnestly hegge this gift of God by prayer and louingly embrace and keepe her as his deare spouse shall haue with her a large dowrie a great reward in heauen in heauen saith Christ. For such gifts come not without crauing and of our selues we cannot haue it for if a good wife be the gift of God much more is a good heart which God in creating doth giue in giuing doth create therfore Dauid saith Create in me ô Lord a cleane heart to shew that we can no more make the hart sincere then we can create a hart But whē such a hart is created by God he giueth thee a singular gift a great portion belongeth vnto it Part of it shall be payd thee in this life but the greatest part in the life to come In this life thou shalt be loued of Christs friends and moned of good men when thou art wronged the more thou dost seek to honor God the more he will honor thee as he told Samuel The more thou fliest the vainglorie of the world for sinceritie sake the more wil true glorie follow thee according to the Prouerb Honos fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit It followeth those that flye from her like friends which enforce gifts and other curtesies vpon modest persons which refuse them but flyeth them that follow her as men do impudent beggers But besides al this when death comes thy deare friend sincerity shall more comfort thee then all the Phisitions in the world And after death thy name shall liue and walke vp downe in the world to warne some to comfort some to admonish some and to shame some and to condemne many But yet here is not all for then shalt thou first receiue commendation of God whom thou hast serued and secondly enter into full and euerlasting possession of thy maisters ioy which is no lesse then a weightie crowne of glorie immortall then a kingdome and inheritance of eternall blessednesse with the Saints and Angels and God himselfe where all teares shall be wiped from thy eyes and thou shalt reioyce for euermore Where thou shalt enioy for euer and euer such things as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard nor heart to man can conceiue and nothing shall euer obscure or eclipse the same nor crosse nor diminish the same And what is all this or whatsoeuer else can be sayd of it but scarce a shadow of sincerities reward Alas a drop taken out of the sea and a moate out of the mountaines like the hem of Christs garment which did comfort the woman that touched it but she found more comfort in him then in the hem So the description of sincerity is delightsome the picture is pleasing but whosoeuer hath sincerity it selfe shall find at his left hand the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasure for euermore Whosoeuer after this Sermon shall find so much fauour with God as to meete with sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart in all his actions and such an affection that preferreth Gods glorie before his owne and seeketh praise of God and not of man shall say as the Queene of the South sayd when she came to King Salomon That which I heard of thee I did hardly beleeue it but now I perceiue that the report which went of thee is nothing answerable to that which thou art indeed And though no man deserueth such a reward at Gods hand no nor any reward at all but shame and confusion which is our due desert yet both for his promise sake as also for his honour sake he will so reward his children If mortall men will keepe their promise one towards another as all that haue but common ciuility and honestie will them much more will Almightie God who is all truth and righteousnesse it selfe and can no more breake his promise then he can denie himselfe
them arraigne them endite them and condemne them and feare them not but still pray for prayer is flagellum diaboli as Augustine calleth it the whippe of the Diuell which he more feareth then all the coniurations of Poperie then all holy water and crossings yea more then the dog doth the whip and as when the dogge heareth the bell at the whips end he runneth out of the house so when Sathan perceiueth a Christian addresse himselfe to prayer though it be neuer so weakely and with great striuing yet he then feareth the rebuke of God and giueth place Oh then let vs pray good brethren euen then then when we are about to giue almes or to heare a Sermon or to preach the word or to reproue sinne boldly or to handle doctrine soundly or to deale roundly with the consciences of men and in all other spirituall exercises and not only in them but also in our ciuill affaires in buying and selling if thou meanest to deale truly and vse plaine and simple dealing and to be at a word Oh then pray also in inuiting thy friends and neighbours to thy house when thou entertainest the preachers of Gods word at thy table when thou art troubled in making prouision and to haue all things cleane and handsome oh then pray when thou callest foorth thy children to shew their wit their aptnesse and towardnes to learne their profiting in learning and such like oh then pray too when thou cariest thy friend to shew him thy house and thy roomes and thy riches and the workes of thine owne hands and thy fine gardens and walkes and thy fruitfull Orchards and thy fatte cattell and thy great dealings and thy daily expenses c. Oh in all these go not without thy whippe of prayer to driue away Sathan and all his theeuish suggestions and vaineglorious cogitations for euen then when thou thinkest to do all for the best thou shalt be circumuented and deceiued of thy reward before thou be aware if thou then euen then I say do not take heede Then shalt thou heare the whispering feel the tickling of a number of spirituall and inuisible theeues in thy hart Oh saith one to him that studeith for a Sermon when he readeth a trim discourse or fine simile that pleaseth himselfe Oh this will do well to grace thy Sermon withall oh men will commend thy wit and thy inuention for this and thy boldnesse for that and thy iudgement in that c. Oh here is a tickling theefe in the heart driue him out by prayer take heed of him yeeld not vnto him but pray then and say Lord none of all these come of my selfe thou art the giuer of them they are thy mercies to me ô Lord I am not able nor worthie my selfe to carrie such treasures of thy Spirite to thy people Lord be mercifull vnto me and sanctifie my heart that I may seeke thy glorie and not my owne Oh hallowed be thy name Lord hallowed be thy name not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name let the praise be giuen Lord humble my swelling heart with the feeling of my sinne and my speciall corruptions Oh Lord driue out these proud thoughâ—s these vaine imaginations these wicked and sacrilegious affections which go about thus to rob thee of thy honour both in me the speaker and in others the hearers let them not commend thy gifts in me or in any man but alwayes to thy praise and glorie And thus must we be exercised continually while we liue In like sort when thou art about to shew thy reading and discoursing veine at the table pray for then a theefe within thee will be ready to tell thee that all the company will and do admire thee for thy gift that way Yea or if thou sit still and be silent and neuer speakest but when thou art required and then very modestly too yet then watch and take heede for euen then commeth a spirituall theefe perswadeth thee to thinke with thy selfe surely men will commend me aswell for my silence and modestie as such a one for his learning wit but where is the Kings Atturney all this while to pleade for Gods right I meane the spirite of sanctification to perswade thy soule to giue the glorie to God who gaue thee those gifts and that grace with God and man where is he Oh therefore then when thou doest these things euen then I say take heede watch and pray Hallowed be thy name Lord rebuke Sathan quench these his fierie dartes humble my proud heart make it to affect thee and thy glorie aboue all things and in all things In like sort in doing the parts of a ciuill man entertaining of preachers or thy honest friends and neighbours in shewing them thy faire houses thy well contriued roomes thy wealth thy gaines thy great expences thy great reuenewes thy toward children c. doest thou not feele a theefe within thee tickling and dallying with thy false heart and telling thee that thou shalt be highly commended for these things and thy fame shall be spread farre and neare and thou shalt be spoken of for it and reuerenced and admired c. doest thou not feele such a theefe within thee speaking such things And what is all in effect but to perswade thee to rob him who hath enriched thee to disgrace him who hath graced thee and to wound him who hath healed thee whereas thou oughtest then to say I will shew these things and tell what goodnesse I haue receiued of my mercifull God and heauenly father that men may commend his goodnesse therein and spread the fame of his name farre and neare and may reuerence and admire his wisedome and power and mercifull workes towards mortall man and may both feare and loue his Maiestie for the same And to this end let vs watch pray that God in al things and for all things may haue his due praise and glorie In like manner when thou giuest thine almes or buildest anie hospitall or giuest any thing to the poore of such and such a parish c. if thou doest not take great heed and examine thy heart and stand with prayer at the doore then will Sathan be busie and a spirituall theefe will stand vp in thy hart and say Oh now this being knowne how will the poore commend me how will the world commend me I shall now get a name that I am a good man to the poore I hope to come into the Chronicles for my good deeds one day c. Oh then scourge these corrupt and diuelish affections chase them away by prayer let them not dwel in thy heart giue theÌ„ no entertainement desire to giue all the glorie to God and desire others to do the same for thee for that he hath made thee both able and willing to giue and hath made thee his steward and deputie to giue euery one his portion that his fatherly goodnesse hath appointed them The like is to be done of
Balaams Asse who indeede could do that which other beasts could not do and that was to speake and reproue his maister with a mans voyce and yet was still a beast or like Vriah who caried letters in his owne bosome to his owne destruction Or like vnto the diuels who sayd in the fourth of Luke that they knew Christ but it was to their torment Therefore whosoeuer would keepe his heart well and haue it purged and preserued from the leud things of Belial let him pray that the truth may not swimme aloft in his braine as it doth in many wicked men but that it may sinke downe into his heart and worke righteousnesse and true obedience to Gods will Thirdly because our harts are very false to God and like run awayes new fangled mal-contented and desirous of liberty therefore in the next place it will not be amisse to pray with Dauid O Lord knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name And then indeede are we in safety and security for in his seruice is freedome and protection But if we wander out of his seruice and Iust after carnall libertie then are we in danger and it will fall out with vs as it did with Dinah the daughter of Iacob who was not rauished vntill she wandred abroad among the Sichemites from her fathers house Fourthly because we are dull and lazie in the seruice of God we must also desire the Lord to quicken vs with his grace that is to rouse vs vp by calling vnto vs by his Ministers or by pinching vs with some fatherly and mercifull corrections when we fall asleepe and are hard to be awaked and so to make vs liuely when we are heauy and fainting away vnder our burthen and still to set an edge vppon our zeale How needfull this prayer is it may sufficiently appeare vnto any one that will but consider that Dauid prayeth in one Psalme the 119. no lesse then seauen or eight times for this grace And these are the things which I finde at this time most necessarie to be prayed for of euery one that would haue his heart well purged and reformed not excluding other things which others presently or hereafter vppon further meditation and experience may finde requisite to bee prayed for Now as we must pray for these graces and fauours of God before specified so also must we beware of foure most daungerous enemies and pray earnestly against them that through Gods gracious helpe and power we may be deliuered from them The first is neglect and abuse of the meanes whereby the heart is to be regenerated sanctified established and quickened These meanes are of two sorts the outward and inward the outward meanes are the word and Sacraments The word of God saith Dauid will redresse the young mans waies if he take heede thereunto And the word of God saith the Apostle is mighty and liuely in operation as hath bene shewed before Heb. 4.12 the Sacraments are also very effectuall signes and seales of Gods fauour towards vs in Christ and be called of Augustine visible words because they do in a manner visibly demonstrate vnto our sight that which we heard with our eares and the more we are assured of Gods loue the more are our hearts inflamed againe with the loue of his Maiesty The inward meanes is the Spirite of God working faith conuersion and obedience in our hearts by the outward So was the heart of Lydia opened and conuerted at the Preaching of Paule not Paule but the Lord opened her hart that she beleeued Paules preaching And as at the first the Lord by his word and Spirite created the world so the Lord by his word and Spirit still createth the hearts of men new againe Therfore let vs frequēt the preaching vse reading of the word of God let vs delight to conferre and meditate vpon the word in all reuerence sobriety vse the meanes and the vse will in time beget a blessing Let vs neuer my good brethren giue ouer hearing of the word as many haue done for Sathan neuer hath men at such aduantage to worke vpon them what he will as when men haue giuen ouer hearing the word preached And seeing as the Spirite is the meane whereby our saith and conuersion are wrought through the preaching of the word let vs nourish that by all good meanes taking great heed that we neither quench it nor greeue it 1. Thes. 5. by taking away the exercises of hearing and prayer and meditation and conference whereby it is nourished nor by dispensing with any sin in our harts where the Spirit must raigne If we want these meanes thē are we to pray for them Pray to the Lord of the haruest saith our Sauiour Christ that he would send foorth labourers into his haruest And for the spirit we must pray as Dauid doth O Lord take not thy holy spirit away from me and open my eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law Wo be to them that despise prophecying thinke these meanes to be more then need as they that profanely and desperatly reason thus without reason If I be elected I shall be saued do what I list if not I shall be damned do what I can These be the speeches of the mē of Belial whose harts are pestered with leud things neither can they wisely consider that as God hath foreordained mē to a certaine end so also hath he fore ordained the meanes wherby they shal come to that end Of such contemners and beastly hogs and dogs as Christ calleth them we may reade more in Mal. 3.14 and in Iob. 21.15 The effect of both which places is one that such wicked persons thinke there is no profit in seruing the Almighty and therfore they say vnto God Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of his wayes and spending their dayes in all iolity and carnall prosperitie like oxen set vp a fatting neuer vsed to the yoke at last they go downe suddenly to hell Let them also beware and look to themselues who giue ouer hearing of Sermons of which there be two sorts schismatikes and afflicted consciences schismatikes are they that cut themselues off from our assemblies whose propertie is to iustifie themselues and to condemne others and therein they haue no small felicity of these some be Papists some Brownists some Anabaptists c. To the first sort we may say as the Apostle doth in Gal. 1.6.7 I maruell that you are so soone turned away vnto another Gospell from him that hath called you which is not another Gospell But some among you intend to trouble the Church of God And if we be not Apostles and Ministers of Christ vnto them yet doubtlesse we are vnto others who are the seale of our ministerie vnto God in Christ. To the second sort we say as the Church saith in Canticles 3.1.2.3.4 Thou wouldest find Christ and canst not
that thou dash not thy foote against a stone therefore watch and feare not Christ himselfe both God and man thy Mediator doth plead for thee doth pray for thee doth pay for thee therefore watch and feare not Christs Ministers without are readie to awaken thee with their siluer trumpets of knowledge and wholesome doctrine if thou chaunce to fall asleepe therefore watch and feare not Gods spirit within thee as Lord deputie for Christ Iesus is ready to do all his offices for thy sanctification and consolation here and for thy saluation and glorification hereafter therefore watch and feare not As Lord priuie seale he is readie to set vpon thee the stampes of regeneration and marks of mortification as dying to sinne liuing to vertue with increase of faith and charitie and patience and temperance c. These are his markes by which thou shalt know that thou art sealed vp to the day of redemption As Lord comforter of Gods elect he shall speake peace vnto thy soule when thou art cast downe vnder thy sinnes and say Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee If thou receiue any wounds in thy inward man whereby thy zeale and faith and repentance c. may grow into a consumption yet watch stil and feare not for he with his quickening vertue and soueraigne oyle of heauenly assurance shall restore vnto thee againe the ioy of thy saluation creating in thee still a cleane heart and renewing a right spirit within thee and therefore keepe thy watch and feare not And if thou dye he shall chaunge thy death into life and thy mortalitie into immortalitie yea if the boisterous windes of persecution and trouble chaunce to arise and driue thee either into prison or to the stake or to the gallowes or to banishment or to the vncomfortable coasts of contempt reproch or any other crosse whatsoeuer he can quench the fire or stoppe the lions mouthes or open the prison doores or raise thee vp new friends or take away thy hunger or giue thee strength to beare all if he will or else make all these as meanes to driue thee sooner into heauen then thou wouldest be and therefore take heede watch and feare not But now thou must take heede that those things which are spoken for thy consolation and encouragement do not make thee carelesse and remisse but be admonished in standing vpon thy watch to take heede of two things First that thou post not off thy watching vnto other men Secondly that thou driue it not off vnto another time If thou post off this dutie to other men thou deceiuest thy selfe for thou hast no more priuiledge then other men haue thou art in no lesse danger then other men are thou art subiect to the same passions the same corruptions the same lawes the same iudgements that other men are subiect vnto and therefore if other men must take heede and watch ouer their affections thou must if some must all must and therefore lest any man should thinke he were more priuiledged then all men Christ saith That which I say vnto one I say vnto all watch It is a subtiltie of Sathan to make men beleeue that they are exempted but others are not that ministers had neede watch ouer their affections and looke to their waies but not other men as in Poperie they say that Friers and Monkes and Nunnes must be more holy and more deuout then other men And therefore we say as the disciples said when they heard Christ say one should betray him Is it I Is this to me Doth this doctrine concerne me Whom doth he meane As though Christ had said here but one of you must take heede and watch And when we see or heare of any other man that is come to reape the shame of his vaine-glorious and ambitious attempts or of others their lasciuious or couetous attempts what is our saying Alas it is pittie this was for want of heede taking but yet we take no more heede then they for we think it concernes vs not But this is our great folly Other men that haue fallen before vs are like ships that are sunke before our eyes and cry out vnto vs looke you to your selues and come not after vs for if you do you shall all likewise perish Let other men be our warnings and not our deputies in these cases For do man shall go to hell by his deputie but euery man that hath bene carelesse in his watch without repentance shall in his owne person die the death Secondly thou that art to beginne if thou wilt keepe thy watch wel post it not off vntill another time for that is another of the diuels sleights but remember what Christ saith in the Text When thou doest thine alms take heede He doth not say when thou hast done it for then it commeth too late because that action is past with a theeuish affection alreadie Take heede after the euill is committed is like shut the doore when the horse is stolen If thou wilt take the theefe with the manner thou must watch him euen at the very same instant when thou art doing of thy good deeds for then he commeth and doth his feate and afterward he lurketh in a corner of thy heart where thou canst not so well find him and there he both watcheth his time for the like bootie another time and in the meane time he doth as it were laugh thee to scorne for that thou wert so foolish as to let him rob both God of his honour and thee of his fauour while he tickled thee and flattered thee with faire words As Nehemiah that couragious magistrate dealt with the Sabbath-breakers so must we deale with our vaineglorius thoughts He watched them when the Sabbath day came and then he found them hauing found them he shewed them the law when that whould not serue he threatned them when threatening would not serue he apprehended them and punished them and then they came no more vpon the Sabbath day So let vs watch our thoughts and affections when we are about to do or are in the doing of our good workes and then we shall find those theeuish and peeuish thoughts that go about to rob God of his honour hauing found them lay the law of God before them if that will not serue threaten them with the iudgements of God if that will not serue then lay hands not vpon thy selfe but vpon them and take a more straight examination of thy heart where they are euen before the Lord chiefe Iustice of heauen and earth then imprison them by restraining them of their libertie and refraining of thy selfe from such obiects and sights and places and company as would animate them against thee Hauing thus restrained them feede them with fasting as it were with the bread of affliction and with weeping mingled among as it were the water of affliction and then with the spirit of feruent prayer correct them zealously and continually and spare them not accuse
he hath done goeth his way thinking with himselfe that he hath done very well and no doubt but God doth highly commend him for it and flattereth and commendeth his own heart for so doing The like corrupt thoughts motions shall we feele in performing other holy duties of reading our task in the Bible or meditating or giuing secret almes c. And whē we bewaile these corruptions yet stil we shal be readie to think wel of our selues for it as one that wept bitterly for his secret hipocrisie thē was troubled because he thought he shold be cōmēded for that In a word whatsoeuer the Lord worketh in vs or by vs we are readie straightway to thinke well of our selues for it euen this secret hypocrisie is a sinne and a great staine and is the last sinne that shall be subdued in the godly and needeth also great repentance and must be washed away by faith in the merits of Christs bloud I deny not but that a Christian soul may reioyce and take comfort vnto himself in the performance of such holy duties in priuate for that it is a liuely signe of the sanctifying grace of Gods spirit with him but yet there is matter sufficient to humble him remaining if he doth not still continually returne all the glory vnto God and not thinke the better of himselfe in so doing neither But this is not that grosse hypocrisie against which I deale all this while vpon this next nor against which Christ crieth woe so often for that is a domineering sinne in the wicked who study to do al that they do to be seene of men and thereunto to blind the eyes of the world bend all their wits and yet for the most part do not so much as once thinke neither will they be knowne to play the hypocrites these make an art of sinne and thinke they do well to liue thereby Now those that make an art of sinne and put on profession of religion for their cloake deale artificially indeed for being giuen to lying and dissembling they will inuey egerly against lying and dissembling like the theefe who hauing found more money about the true man then he would be acknowne of cried out Good Lord what a world is this whom can a man beleeue now a dayes Art thou not ashamed to lye diddest not thou tell me thou haddest no more c. when notwithstanding he was busie in committing of his robbery Againe they will extoll commend humility condemne the proud to the pit of hel that a mā wold think they were the meekest men in the world whē all the matter is to haue all submission and reuerence shewed to themselues as an vsurer of Londō who willed the preacher to cry out against vsury that all might come to him for money Againe they will not sticke to frequent Sermons to commend honest men to intrude themselues into good company all to make the world beleeue that they are such themselues as they are whom they do commend and conuerse withall If you bewaile the corruptions of the time they can bewaile them asmuch as you If you condemne hypocrisie and dissimulation they can do it as iudicially as you If you speake of the Ministers duty they can tell it as well as you If you alledge Scripture for proofe of any matter they can be as deepe in Scripture as you If you will be an Apostle or amongst the Apostles they are for you nay they will go a little beyond you and them too they wil ease you al of your burden and care for none shall carry the bagge nor make the prouision but they because they meane with their brother Iudas to play two parts in one that is the tray-God and the theefe too Is this true will you say how shall we then know hypocrites from honest Christians if we cannot know them how then shall we auoide them Well inough by their fuites you shall know them sayth Christ speaking of those that are sheep without and wolues within as all hypocrites be by their fruits you shal know them To shew that we must wait a time for the matter for fruite is not presently ripe so soone as it sowne but it must haue a time to bud and to blossome and to harden and to ripen and then taste it when it is ripe and you shall then by it know what name to call the tree by One of you is a diuell sayth Christ meaning Iudas and one of you shall betray me Now when Christ sayd that Iudas was a diuell the same Iudas was a grosse hypocrite but it was not knowne vnto men vntill he had betraied his maister and hanged himselfe There was a time for Iudas to conceiue diuellish purposes and there was a time to bring forth the same So hypocrites haue a time to conceiue mischiefe which lyeth hidden in the heart like the infant in the mothers belly but when the fulnesse of time commeth forth it must come and cannot be dissembled any longer no more then it is possible for a woman to keepe her infant within her beyond the appointed time of nature God knoweth them now and men shall know them hereafter God seeth when the seed is sowne how it groweth and how it ripeneth yea he knoweth the thoughts of mens hearts long before they are The Pharisees come to Christ Good maister thou art a good man and teachest the way of God truly and carest for no man Tell vs or resolue vs of our doubt Is it lawfull to pay tribute to Caesar or no In shew these are good trees Christ seeth the roote and the sap and the bud and presently determineth what they are Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites and afterward when they accused him to be an enemy to Caesar then the fruite ripened and all men knew them to be hypocrites Herod was a craftie fox and Christ knew him to be one long before the world espied him Herod had one sinne that he loued well and lodged it in his heart But as Rahell couered her fathers idols with the asses litter so he had a faire couering for his sinne he would heare Iohn preach he would reuerence the man seeme to be glad of him and what was all this but so much litter to couer a beast withall a faire couering to cast ouer a foule sinne For who would haue thought now that such an auditour of such a Preacher had loued his brothers wife and kept her as his wife He seemed to like well of Iohn Baptist but the dancing damsell pleased him better and his brothers wife best of all and when for the sauing of his credite before men in performing of a wicked promise rashly made to a lewd wanton he careth not to shed the innocent bloud of the man of God whom before he seemed to reuerence then is Herods fruite ripe taste it now and tell me if he was not an hypocrite and are not all they such hypocrites as do to their power
bookes and restrained of their libertie they are weary of that Maister and desire to go to another or else no more to schoole so hypocrites when they are required to take a setled course for their profiting in religion and are restrained of their liberty in sinne in vanity in riot in pride and are pressed with the doctrine of mortification and truth of heart they are weary of such a teacher and must go to another or else come no more at schoole so that it appeareth that they haue no more gouernement of themselues nor strength of the Spirite nor stayednesse of affections then little children haue As it is both schismaticall and so danderous and childish and so ridiculous so it is also vnprofitable For they that leaue the ordinary and standing Ministery of their owne Pastour and none certaine gather here a peece and there a peece but neuer lay any sound foundation nor make any orderly building as they do that tye themselues to one man who keepeth an orderly proceeding laying all the principles of religion one after another and one by another and euerie one in order till all be finished I deny not but that vpon some special occasions a man may be somtime drawne away from his ordinarie teacher as trauelling from home or being requested by our faithfull friends of another congregation to answer for their children as they call it at their Baptizing or to accompanie some of our friends or our Magistrates departed out of this world vnto their graue and such like if Christ be preached there that we may follow him otherwise I see no great necessitie to enforce a man to leaue his ordinarie teacher to go to a bare reader for a ciuill dutie performing but rather to remember what our Sauiour Christ answered to one that sayd he would follow Christ but first he would go and burie his father Let the dead burie the dead saith he follow thou me To shew that those that haue no list to follow Christs doctrine are no better then dead men as touching the life of the spirite in the soule and they may serue for such a purpose well inough it is pitty to interrupt those that are better disposed and deuoutly addicted to the heauenly doctrine of the Gospell And further I hold it a thing very expedient and fit that there be sometimes also an entercourse of Ministers labours that is that other Ministers be sometimes admitted yea procured also to exercise their gifts in their brothers charges both for the confirmation of doctrine as also for the quickening of the auditorie for consent of teachers is a great confirmation of the truth in regard of our weakenesse and vnbeleefe otherwise the truth is strong inough of it selfe and will preuaile against all the world And as variety of meates sometime doth make a man haue a better appetite to his ordinarie diet euen so is it not amisse that sometime our ordinarie auditours should haue change of teachers that so they tasting that varietie of Gods gifts and graces which is in diuerse men they may haue a better spirituall appetite vnto the ministerie and doctrine of their ordinarie pastours and teachers But to runne hither and thither and commonly to leaue our ordinary teachers onely either of a fanstasticall desire to heare new things or of a loathing the plaine simple maner of deliuery of the truth or of stomach in contempt and way of disgracing and discouraging those that God hath set ouer vs because they haue more sharply reproued their sinnes or more neerely applied the doctrine to their consciences then others do a blessed fauor of God indeed if men had grace so to take it this is it that I say is both carnal schismatical childish and altogether vnfruitfull and further it is flatly repugnant to the commandement of Christ deliuered by his Apostle in the 1. to the Thessalonians the 5. Chapter and 12. verse where he beseecheth the Thessalonians to know them that labour among them and are ouer them in the Lord and admonish them and that they haue them in singular loue for their workes sake And lastly is the practise of such as neuer professed the Gospell of Christ in sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart with an humble spirite and a holy desire to haue both their iudgement informed and their liues reformed by the word of truth But on the contrarie in palpable and damnable hypocrisie with shewes shadowes and flourishes to be seene and well esteemed of men as hypocrites do Besides these publike and open hypocrisies there be also many other lurking in priuate corners which deserue to be vncased as in housholds where betweene man and wife many times much loue is counterfeited onely before men and in heart much bitter malice and hatred maintained against each other which betweene themselues breake out in open and bitter extremities and behind each others back into foule adulteries and cursed vndoing of the whole family such an hypocrite is the harlot that Salomon vncaseth in the 7. of the Prouerbes Who when her husband is from home calleth in her louers and companions to lewdnesse and coloureth her villany by prating and telling him of her peace offerings and vowes that she hath performed that day that is by talking of religion I say nothing of those that in shops and markets selling wares will pretend great loue saying If it were not to you I would not sell it so another should not haue it so c. when for the most part all this is but meere cunning and counterfeiting I also let passe those that spying a bargaine that they hope to reape a great benefit by will earnestly protest and pretend vnto the partie with whom they meane to deale great care that they haue of his good and his ease rather then of their owne benefit too many such there be in the world Well God will pull off their visour one day and lay them open to the world What should I say of those that being to followe and further mens suites with great persons or otherwise at law haue still one tricke or other to delay the time withall pretending great care to do their friendes businesse and to followe their clients causes in the best manner that may be and for their best aduantage when all their doing is but a cunning kind of fishing for more money like Felix who often sent for Paule before him hoping that some bribe would haue bene giuen him to haue enlarged Paule And a thousand more such partes are played in the world which men in continuall practise and conuersing one with another in Church and common-wealth abroad and at home shall haue occasion to meete withall But for the vncasing of the hypocrite at this time this shall suffice Those that feare God vnfainedly and detest this vgly beast the hypocrite will make of that which hath bene sayd as for those that say they could make good vse of it if it had come out of
still Tush tush sayth he there is no such matter they haue not their reward we hope to go to heauen aswell as the best and that we haue as good a faith to God as any body What sir we haue soules to saue as well as you we would you should know it Verily sayth Christ they haue their reward Verily no sayth the hypocrite now who shall be beleeued Christ or Belial God or the Diuell Well but we trust God be more mercifull vnto vs then so Verily no sayth Christ meaning except they repent Yea the hypocrite hath so good an opinion of himselfe that he thinkes the Lord is as it were beholding vnto him for his play or counterfeit seruice and should do him great wrong if he should not receiue him into fauour aswell as others For saith Christ when it shall be sayd vnto them definitiuely God ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels for when I was naked yee clad me not c. they will not take this for an absolute and iust decree of the Iudge but as though they had wrong offered them they reply againe Why Lord when did we see thee naked and did not clothe thee c. If that will not serue then they will put him in mind what they haue done for him we haue cast out Diuels in thy name and heard thee preach in our streetes so will others plead for themselues why Lord we haue sharply rebuked Sathan and reproued sinne by thy word we haue kept out Church orderly and duly we neuer missed a Sermon nor Seruice on weeke-dayes we gaue as liberally to the poore as any man of our abilitie in the countrey I haue payd my tithe mint and cummin saith another and I hope no body can charge me to haue bene a theefe or a murtherer or common whoremonger c. and therefore I trust to be saued as well as another And thus do many deceiue themselues by imagining as the Psalmist sayth that the Lord is like themselues that is not so good as his word But my brethren be not deceiued Christ hath sayd it that is inough If that be not inough he hath confirmed it with an earnest asseueration most confidently to put men out of doubt and to assure men what to trust vnto if they liue and dye in pypocrisie If all that be not inough then the Lord hath sworne in his wrath that they shall not enter into his rest Therefore cast away these vaine perswasions and this false hope take heed of that Diuell and vile motion that goeth about to weaken the credit of Gods word with you And from henceforth let vs so endeuour to please the Lord that at his comming he may commend vs and say Well done good and faithfull seruant enter into thy masters ioy which shall neuer be sayd to hypocrites For verily saith Christ they haue their reward Now let vs pray THE IX SERMON MATH 6.3.4 3. But when thou doest thine almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth 4. That thine almes may be in secret and thy father that seeth in secret he will reward thee openly IN these words we are taught in doing the workes of charitie to be contrary minded to hypocrites who hunting after nothing but vaineglorie or filthy lucre do alwayes giue their almes to be seene of men But true Christians must not onely shunne popularity and auoid worldly praise but also they must beware of their owne priuate praise and selfe-liking and not arrogating or conceiting to themselues any commendations nor consulting with themselues how to be recompenced for the same content themselues onely with the approbation and allowance of their heauenly father and comforting themselues in the holy obedience of his most glorious will as a singular fruite of his Spirit of their faith which is wrought in them by that Spirite no whit doubting but most stedfastly assuring themselues that he to whom onely and for whole loue onely and at whose bidding onely they haue done these things though neuer so secretly in respect of men will one day reward them openly Our Sauiour Christ in saying Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth vseth an hyperbolicall or excessiue kind of speech as Rhetoricians call it to shew thereby that with all possible care and diligence the study of getting vaine-glory must be auoided and that we must neuer desire in doing good deedes to please the eares and eyes of men except as hath bene shewed before to make them in loue with our good maners good fashions and so to haue them glorifie God with vs but otherwise in doing of our good deedes to be as secret as may be as if he should say be so farre from seeking the applause of the common sort when thou doest thy good deedes as the Pharisees did and all other hypocrites do who giue not but sell their almes for the praise of men that thy left hand though it be most neare conioyned vnto thy body and a fellow worker of the deed with thy right hand if it had any vnderstanding may not know what or to whom or how much or when or how often thou giuest or doest good His meaning is to speake as plainely as I can that thou which art a Christian in doing the workes and duties of christianity must be so farre from desiring to be looked vpon of man that if it were possible thou thy selfe shouldest not know that which thou doest aright but shouldest forget thy owne deed and neither impute it to thy selfe that thou hast done well nor stand in thy owne conceit thinking the better of thy selfe for it but onely reioyce inwardly that the poore and needie is refreshed and that thy faith hath brought forth such fruite to the glory of God and sealing vp of thy election in thee What if men know not yea what if he that is relieued do not know him that hath relieued him saith Erasmus It is inough for thee to haue a witnes of the father frō whose eies nothing can be hid He wil reward thee although thou haue no thanke at all of man yea though thou doest take no pleasure in it thy selfe yea though thou doest vtterly condemne and mislike thy selfe and iudgest thy selfe as many do altogether vnworthy of any fauour yet thou shalt be rewarded at thy fathers hand And this I take to be the simple and plaine meaning of these words Now let vs come to the doctrine that ariseth from the same And first from hence we haue to obserue that in doing of our good works all selfe-liking or conceit of our selues must be auoided that we must neither attribute any part of the worke vnto our selues as a thing done by vs as of our selues nor yet thinke that we are euer the better for the same but to be still as humble and to carry as low a saile and as vnworthy an opinion of our selues for all that good we haue
c. So on the other side as making many rich and yet as it were poore giuing nothing To shew what manner of men Christians must be But how can that be will some say that a man should giue almes or do any other good deed and not make himselfe priuy to the matter and count it nothing which he doth Surely very well or else truly do many dissemble and speake against their owne consciences for come vnto them and thanke them for such and such kindnesse bestowed c. they will say Alas sir for nothing I know no such matter it is not so much worth c. as if he should say If I did any such thing it is with me as if I did it not at al I am to begin it againe I keepe no reckning of it my heart was not set vpon it when it went from me I weigh it not c. Againe euery true Christian is in part regenerate and in part vnregenerate the one part is called in Scripture by the name of flesh and the other by the name of spirite the flesh rebelleth against the spirite that is the part regenerate against the part vnregenerate Now this part that is regenerate by the spirite of sanctification and grace may well be called also the right hand of the soule and the other part which is still fleshly carnall and sensuall and not sauouring the things of God may well be called the soules left hand for the vntowardnesse therof to any goodnesse in which sense it may truly be said whē thou doest any good deed let the spirite that is the part regenerate as the right hand of thy soule do it but let not the other part which is so vntoward and not regenerate and fitted for it haue any thing to do in the matter more then if it knew nothing at all of it We must do as men that trauell in company together and are so earnest in talke that they forget the length of their iourney and to such ten miles seeme but as one mile but if a man go alone and thinketh of nothing but his iourney then his left foote shall know what paines his right foote taketh and will keepe account of all his sleps as it were and thinke his iourney long and his paines exceeding great So we in trauelling towards heauen which we must do so long as we liue by walking in such good workes as God hath appointed for vs Ephes. 2.10 must count all things but losse and dung for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus our Lord to win him and to be found in him not hauing our owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ forgetting that which is past and endeuouring our selues vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And no maruell though the Apostle made so light account of his owne workes or righteousnesse for he knew they were too light to endure the triall of Gods iustice too vncleane to appeare in his most pure presence Our good deedes are like a faire garment with a filthy lining or as the Prophet Esay speaketh like a menstruous cloth The beauty and goodnesse of them is from God the deformity and vncleannesse is of our selues Shal the one part lift vs vp to any proud conceipt of our selues No it is of God giue him all the glory and let the other humble vs. All the gifts and graces of God do beare some part of his image and stampe though giuen to diuerse persons and in diuerse measure and maner like the Princes coine which hath the Princes image and stampe vpō it to put the subiects in mind of their loyaltie and dutie which they owe to their Prince that as Christ said when we see Caesars image and superscription we should remember to giue vnto Caesar that that is Caesars so when we see any thing with Gods image vpon it we may also giue to God that that is Gods The Princes coine commeth out of the Mint faire and bright but when it cometh into our hands it taketh soile and looseth beautie So the good graces of God come to vs with a most heauenly beautie but we cannot returne them so againe for with vs they take soile and loose their beautie As euery peece of coine hath on the one side the Princes image and title certaine so haue all the graces of God Gods image and Christes title to admonish vs of that holy dutie and absolute praise which we must returne vnto him for the same Look vpon thy faith and thou shalt see this superscription vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the worke of God to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Looke vpon thy patience and thou shalt find this grauen vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you it is giuen for Christs sake not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake Looke vpon thy loue thy knowledge and iudgement and euery one beareth the same stampe that thy faith doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worke of God and therefore saith Saint Paul this I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in al knowledge iudgement to shew that they come from God and not from our selues Art thou filled with the fruites of righteousnes thou shalt find this Poesie sent with them They are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Art thou conuerted vnto God looke vpon the worke of thy conuersion and thou shalt find this withall The worke of God and therfore saith Ioel Turne vs ô Lord and we shall be turned Hast thou a new heart looke vpon it and thou shalt find Gods stampe vpon it and that is this Created of God And ouer all one generall Poesie for all and that is this What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 If there be any thing besides this that commeth from God that is of Sathan or else of our selues We commonly looke on the one side of the garment but not on the other Now if we thinke vpon our defectes and staines nay filthie and rebellious pollutions we would neuer take notice to ourselues of any good we do but say whē we haue done neuer so wel as Nehemiah did when he had most zealously reformed the Lords sabbath and set euery thing in very good order Remember me ô God in this and pardon me in thy great mercie and as Christ commaundeth vs When ye haue done all that ye can do saith he say that you are vnprofitable seruants and haue done but that which was commaunded you Further it is to be obserued that Christ saith the right hand must do the worke and the left hand must not know of it He appointeth the right hand to the worke because that is readiest and quickest and handsomest in working The left
thou hast sought his loue and canst not find it therefore thou wilt seeke no longer oh do not so but heare what the bodie sayth to thee a member of the same In my bed by night I sought him whom my soule loueth but I found him not What then did she giue ouer seeking No verily I will rise sayth the Church and go about in the Citie by the streetes and by the open places I will seeke him whom my soule loueth I sought him but I found him not The watchmen that went about the Citie found me meaning that she went to the Ministers of the word for comfort to whom I said haue you seen him whom my soule loueth When I had passed a little from them I found him whom my soule loueth I tooke hold on him and left him not c. Meaning that she hauing long vsed all meanes both priuate and publike then found him when she was out of all hope to find him and so do thou that art troubled in thy soule because thou canst not yet find that alteration of thy heart and that inward obedience and that truth of heart and that comfort and ioy by hearing the word and prayer c. which thou desirest and lookedst for vse all means continue stil seeking asking and knocking seeke priuatly at home in thy bed by priuate examination and meditation then conferre with thy Christian neighbors about the state of thy soule then go to the Ministers of the word and frequent the publike holy assemblies with an earnest desire of finding and doubtlesse at last when thou art out of al hope thou shalt find comfort And as in taking of bodily phisicke many through the weakenesse of their stomackes do cast vp that which they take and yet take the same thing stil though their stomake loath it so in taking of spirituall phisicke though yet thou doest in a manner loath it and distaste it yet take it still and at the length strength and delight will grow The second enemie that will hinder the reformation of the heart if it be not auoided is vnbeleefe which like armour of proofe Sathan commonly putteth vpon the hearts of the wicked that no perswasion counsell nor threatning will enter where the soule is armed with that therfore it is said in the Gospel that Christ could do no great work in his own country because of their vnbeleef to shew that vnbeleef doth as much as lieth in vs bind the hands of the Lord and hinder his gracious worke vpon vs. Therefore commonly Christ asked this question of those which came to be healed of him Canst thou beleeue And to those that did beleeue he would say in commendation of faith Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace O woman sayth he to one that would haue no nay great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest and her daughter was healed the same houre this was the Cananite a Gentile Another suing to Christ for his sonne that was possessed with a dumbe spirite and being asked of Christ if he did beleeue that Christ was able and willing to dispossesse that spirite cried out with teares and sayd I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe to shew that we are to pray against vnbeleefe of heart euen with teares The best Christians are subiect vnto it as appeareth in that Christ reproued his Disciples for their vnbeleefe and hardnes of heart because they would not beleeue them that had seene him after he was risen again Mar. 16.14 Where we are also to note that vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart do go together And the Apostle Paul confesseth freely against himselfe that he was sometime a blasphemer and a persecutor but he did it ignorantly he sayth through vnbeleefe to shew that vnbeleefe doth not onely hold men in ignorance and blindnesse longer then otherwise they should be but also doth nourish in them many grosse sinnes Therefore whosoeuer would haue a better heart then Belial hath let him pray against vnbeleefe The third enemie which hindreth our sanctification is custome of any one sinne whatsoeuer S. Augustine sayth Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati the custome of sinne taketh away all sense and feeling of sinne It is a despising of the long suffering and patience of God which should leade vs to repentance and it breedeth two dangerous diseases hardnesse of hart and impenitencie for as that way must needs be hard which is drie and much trampled vpon so that hart must needs be hardned in sinne which is voide of the softning grace of Gods Spirite and is accustomed to sinne therefore such a hearer is compared to the high way Luke 8.5 that in three respects first because it is crooked and winding this way and that way like the high way Secondly because it is common for all that come men and beasts God and the diuel for good company for bad like the high way And thirdly because it is hardned by oftē sinning as the high way is by oftē treading therfore he that goeth about to reforme his hart and yet accustometh to lodge any sin therein with loue and delight doth but deceiue himselfe Now further to withstand these enemies and to put them to flight the Apostles counsel is to be folowed in Heb. 3.12 Take heed saith he lest there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God but exhort one another dayly while it is said to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnes of sin The summe of his counsel is this First that euery man by himself must looke vnto himselfe that he hath not resident in him a filthy standing puddle a wicked vngodly heart or a heart that makes a practise of sinne that is wauering and inconstant in the seruice of God Secondly that euery Christian be carefull one for another and by mutuall and dayly exhortations stirre vp one another vnto godlinesse for which he giueth a double reason the first is from the nature of sinne which is deceitfull and at a blush like vertue secondly from the effects of sinne which are hardnesse of heart and impenitencie Though the profane person with Esau seeke the blessing with teares yet shall he find no place for repentance so doth this cursed guest reward this wretched hoast who giueth him welcome and entertainement And because brotherly loue can see the deceit of sin better then self-loue as another mans eye shall see how a mans garment sitteth better then he that weareth it therefore the Apostle willeth euery man in brotherly loue to note and to notifie vnto others such things as they see amisse in thē And this holy course who soeuer doeth wisely speedily carefully continually obserue shall do good both to his owne heart and to other mens and shall find in the end that the gaine will answer the paine the fruite will defray the charges and that will be this
no scholler if he please their humor he is the onely man and no man may come neare him If he vse to repeat his doctrine then he is tedious and wanteth matter if his deliuerie be mild then he is afraid to displease if it be bold and seuere then he is peremptorie and proud If a man vrge the law then he driueth men to desperation if mortification he driueth men into melancholy dumpes and frayeth them out of their wits If we vrge iustification before God by faith in Christ onely then they imagine that we denie good workes If we preach good workes then we are Popish if we teach that men must not pray to Saints nor for the dead then they imagine we deny prayer if we say that the salutation of the Angell to Mary is no prayer then we deny part of the new Testament if we say the Creede is no prayer then we deny the Creede if we preach against common vaine and needlesse swearing then they imagine vs to be Anabaptistes and deny both the vse of an oath and magistracie if we speak against gaming dancing other prophanations of the Lords day then they imagine that we allow Christians no manner of recreation If we preach against any sin that they vse then we preach of malice and against them if we teach doctrine which they conceiue not then there is no edifying in our sermons if they like it not then they imagine that no body else doth regard it if they come to heare vs then we are beholding to them for their presence if they wil not heare vs yet they imagine that we must speake though it be to the wals If they let their children or seruants be catechized by the Minister then they imagine that they do their Minister a great part of friendship in gracing of him if they say ouer their stint of prayers then God is beholding to them and heauen they must haue of merit If they heare sermons then they imagine all is well as though God were pleased with eare-seruice onely and alwayes they imagine grossely of spirituall things like Nicodemus who when Christ spake of being borne againe imagined that he must go againe into his mothers belly And as these Belials are themselues such do they imagine all others to be for as to him that hath an ague all things seeme vnsauourie so to him that hath an euill heart of his owne all mens doings seeme to be euill to verifie the saying of the Apostle in Titus 2.5 To the pure all things are pure but to the vncleane and impure nothing is pure but euen their minds and consciences are defiled and that is the cause why all things seeme euill vnto them because their minds and consciences are defiled But who are pure wil some say are not all men sinners and doth not sinne defile euery mans minde It is true that all men naturally are defiled with euill imaginations Gen. 6.5 but by faith which is through the grace of God in Christ the hearts of the elect are regenerated and purified because it apprehendeth the bloud and spirit of Christ to cleanse vs from sinne past and to preserue vs afterward from the dominion at the least of sinne to come like physicke restoratiue and preseruatiue For where a iustifying faith is there is a fanctifying grace And where faith is Mistresse there is charity handmaid which is of that excellent nature and disposition through the education and instruction of Gods Spirit who begate her that she iudgeth the best of euery thing that may be well interpreted 1. Cor. 13. And so much for the qualitie of Belials imaginations which is euill for so saith my Text and experience confirmeth no lesse but that he imagineth euill Now let vs consider of the other adiunct of Belials imaginations and that is adiunctum quantitatis an adiunct or circumstance of quantitie the euill of his imaginations is of an exceeding great quantitie for he doth not onely imagine euill and make the worst or euery thing but he imagineth euill continually Continually saith the holy Ghost to shew that the man of Belial is alwayes at worke This word noteth in the wicked man two things First diligence Secondly perseuerance in euill Great is the diligence of wicked men in sinne for they lose no time They cannot sleepe saith Salomon except they haue done some euill No Sleepe departeth from their eyes vntill they haue caused some to fall Like gamesters who cannot find the way to bed vntill either they haue lost all their money or caused others to lose all They continue day and night they are as diligent in the seruice of the diuell as the diuell himselfe is is hunting after mens soules for he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure and so do his men of Belial seeke whome to deface and deuoure This note of continuance cometh in like a barre in the armes of the wicked to put a difference betweene them and the godly For though the godly or regenerate do sometime fall into euill surmises and bad imaginations through naturall weakenesse and corruption of heart yet they continue not in it Shall we continue still in sinnes saith the Apostle that grace may abound God forbid No they dare not continue in a sinne they are euer checking and controlling their wayes and confessing their sinnes and condemning themselues and forsaking their euill imaginations And if they fall againe into the same sinne as oftentimes they do it is with a greater detestation and lothing of the same sinne and with a greater and more earnest striuing against it afterward And yet the godly are not so simple and foolishly credulous as to beleeue euery faire tale or to be in league with euery flattering face or to shake hands presently with euery new acquaintance nor to trust euery promise and protestation without any maner of trial nor to make the best of that which is of it selfe naught and apparantly euill nor to be free from all suspition where there is iust cause to suspect and in so doing they are not to be condemned but rather to be commended for as charitie is not suspitious without cause so is it not foolish and blockish when there is cause And seeing as our Sauior Christ himself hath ioyned the innocency of the Doue and the prudency of the Serpent together simplicitie and discretion as a most fit match and well beseeming a Christian soule let no man separate them asunder but be simple wise too And hereof we haue diuers examples in the Scriptures Abraham imagined that in Gerar his wife might be abused and he slaine for his wifes sake and not without iust cause for he saw that the feare of God was not in that place to shew that when good men haue to deale with those that feare not God they may very iustly imagine that they shall not be well dealt withall Iacob suspected that al
that the truth may come foorth It is painefull no doubt to the members of the bodie for a time yet the birth of truth the daughter of time will make a ioyfull recompence for all our sufferings For a woman in trauell forgetteth all her former sorrowes saith Christ for ioy that a man child is borne into the world Ioh. 16.21 And shall not the spouse of Christ forget all her pain for ioy that a child of God is borne vnto the kingdome of heauen For this cause is the Church militant compared to a woman trauelling in birth and pained readie to be deliuered Reuel 12.2 To shew how euery true Christian should labour first to beget Christ in others Secōdly to conceiue him in himself Thirdly to bring him forth though with much paine and strife in the flesh And lastly to bring him vp and to maintaine the truth to the glory of God And great reason for shall we beget children and not vnto God Nay rather say as Leah said Ge. 29.32 Giue me children and my husband will loue me so giue me knowledge and iudgement and truth and zeale and faith and loue and repentance and patience and humilitie and sinceritie the fruits of the spirit and Christ will loue me and count it a shame to be barren in the graces of the Spirit as women in old time counted it a reproch vnto them to be barren in child bearing Amongst many other things which the Lord tooke grieuously against his people the Iewes this was one There was no courage for the truth but for lyes they haue bent their toungs like a bow Ier. 9.3 So we haue courage also for euery thing sauing for the truth Now to make our dull beast go more liuely the Lord hath left vs two spurres to pricke him forward In one place he telleth vs that because we are neither hote nor cold he will spue vs out of his mouth Reuel 3.15 there is one In another place he saith that the fearfull shall haue their part in the burning lake with the dinel and his Angels there is another Let vs thinke of these and mend our pace alwaies prouided that we haue with vs for a comfortable preseruatiue in al our conflicts and for a foueraign restoratiue in all our faintings that caueat which Christ hath left vs in his Gospell Whosoeuer will saue his life shall loose it there is the preseruatiue and whosoeuer shall loose his life for my sake shall find it there is our restoratiue I speake not any thing to animate such tempestuous spirits that cannot fish but in troubled waters and that for frogges too but to allay the bitternesse of offence if our waters be troubled by others while we fish for men And thus we see how the matter that is contended for putteth a great difference betweene the wicked and the godly and sheweth who are to be counted contentious persons and who not though they do contend As there is difference in regard of the matter or subiect of their contentions so also in regard of the manner of striuing there is great difference As Iehu was knowne to be Iehu by the manner of his marching so the children of God are knowne from the men of Belial by the manner of their contending The manner of doing a thing ought alwaies to be respected for oftentimes it either maketh or marreth the matter A good matter handled after an ill manner is made euill and a bad matter handled after a good manner seemeth to be good Wicked Achab in his counterfeit repentance seemeth a good conuert and Peter with his presumptuous aduenturing vpon his own strength had almost marred a good profession Tertullus with an eloquent Oration clad in colours of modestie humilitie and impudent audacitie seemeth to haue a good cause against Paul when Paul by calling the high Priest a whited wall in his owne reuenge made more matter against himselfe and was driuen to pleade ignorance in his owne defence The wicked are wise to do euill and in their contentious proceedings do vse great art and skill to the great aduantage and gracing of an euill cause And the godly are oftentimes ouertaken in their innocent simplicitie and through extremitie of vntempered zeale do giue themselues the foile The children of this world saith Christ are wiser in their kind then the children of light to shew that Christians are foiled more for want of godly wisedome then any thing else Therefore Christ doth bid vs to be wise as serpents and innocent as doues as if he would assigne vs the doue and the serpent to giue in a Christian mans Armes to teach vs wisedome innocencie surely they are the fittest armes for a Christian that can be And these two vertues of wisedome and innocencie are two of the fittest and most necessarie attendants that a man can haue to wait vpon the other graces of the Spirit and to grace his profession withall For so long as they serue him he shall be sure to do euery man right and himselfe no harme The serpēt will beare many blowes on his back to saue his head which may teach Christians not to venture their head as it were in reuenge of euerie blow as many do that for euery trifle will vow to spend their stocke and substance that will venture their credit wearie all their friends to satisfie their owne minds and peeuish affections In the doue we may obserue foure things First meekenesse and that appeareth in her going for though in flight she be swifter then other birdes yet in her going she sheweth great meekenesse Secondly harmelesnesse or innocencie for she is so farre from rauening and spoile that Christ maketh her a patterne of innocencie Thirdly iealousie for none is more iealous ouer her mate and young ones which may teach vs to be iealous ouer the glorie of our spouse and his graces in vs. Fourthly mourning therefore Hezechiah said that in his sickenesse he mourned like a doue so should we for we haue cause still to be mourning for the decay of Gods graces in vs and grieued at the wounds which sin doth giue vs. This mourning and sorrowing for our owne sinnes and also for the sinnes of others which lie not in our power to reforme is so necessarie that it is made a marke of Gods people in Ezech. 9.4 Set a marke vpon the foreheads of those that mourn for all the abhominations that are done in the midst of Ierusalē Thus then Christians being armed clothed prepared let thē go on in Gods name to the battell contend with the vncircūcised Giants of the world but let their wisdom be like the wisdome of the serpent let them still haue a speciall regard to their head Christ a special care to defend him in his church let their innocencie be like the innocencie of the doue which is couered ouer as it were with