to shew that Christ is not a corporall meate as the Papists say he sayth hee is a spirituall meate as we say therefore you see that wee doe not eate him corporally no more then our Fathers but that as they did eate him spiritually so do wee for spirituall meate must be eaten spiritually as corporall meate is eaten corporally Agayne for the signes to bee turned into the thing signified by them is vtterly against the nature of a Sacrament and makes it no Sacrament because there is no signe for euerie Sacrament doth consist of a signe and a thing signified the signe is euer an earthlie thing and that which it signifieth is a heauenly thing This shall appeare in al examples As in Paradise there was a very Tree for the signe and Christ the thing signified by it in Circumcision there was a cutting off of the skinne and the cutting off of sinne in the Passe-ouer there was a Lambe Christ in the Sabboth there was a day of rest and eternall rest in the sacrifices there was an offering of some beast and the offering of Christ in the Sanctuarie there was the holie place and heauen in the Propitiatorie there was the golden couering and Christ our couer in the Wildernesse there was a Rocke yeelding water and Christ yeelding his blood in the Apparition there was a Doue and the holy Ghost in the Manna there was bread and Christ in Baptisme there is verie water which washeth vs and Christs blood washing vs so in the Supper of Christ there is verie bread and Wine for the signe and the bodie and blood of Christ for the thing signified or else this Sacrament is against the nature of all other sacraments Againe there must bee a proportion betweene the Passe-ouer and the Lords Supper because this was figured by the other Nowe the Iewes had in their Passe-ouer Breade and Wine and a Lambe So our sauiour Christ instituting his last Supper left Bread and Wine and a Lambe the which name is giuen to himselfe because hee came like a Lambe and died like a Lambe Againe if Christs verie bodie were offered in the sacramēt then it were not a sacrament but a sacrifice which two differ as much as giuing and taking for in a sacrifice we giue and in a sacrament wee receiue and therefore wee say our sacrifice and Christs sacrament Againe euery sacrifice was offered vpon the Altar Now marke the wisedome of the holy-Ghost least we should take this for a Sacrifice hee neuer names Altar when hee speakes of it but The Table of the Lord. Therefore it is no doubt but the diuell hath kept the name of Altar that we might think it a sacrifice Againe if the bread were Christes flesh and the wine his blood as these two are separate one from the other so Christs flesh should be separate from his blood but his bodie is not deuided for then it were a dead bodie Againe that which remaineth doth nourish the bodie relish in the mouth as it did before which could not be but that it is the same food which it was before Againe I would aske whose are this whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnes and coldnesse None of them say that it is the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of Christs body therefore it must needes bee the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of the bread or else qualities should stand without substances which is as if one should tell you of a house without a foundation Againe as Christ dwelleth in vs so hee is eaten of vs but hee dwelleth in vs onely by faith Ephe. 3. 17. Therfore he is eaten only by faith Agayne none can bee saued without the communion of the body of Christ but if all should communicate with it corporally then neither infants nor any of our fathers the patriarkes or the prophets should be saued because they receiued it not so Againe Christ sayth not This wine but This cup and therefore by their conclusion not onely the wine should bee turned into blood but the cup too Againe Paul saith They which receiue vnwoorthilie receiue their owne damnation But if it were the flesh of Christ they should rather receiue saluation then damnation because Christ saith Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath life euerlasting Iohn 6. 54. Againe if they would heare an Angell from heauen when Christs bodie was glorified an Angell sayd to the woman Hee is risen and is not here Mat. 28. as if he should say his body is but in one place at once or else he might haue bene there though he was risen Againe why doe they say in receiuing this Sacrament euer since the primitiue Church Lift vp your hearts if they haue al in their mouthes To end this cōtrouersie here wee may say as the Disciples said to Christ Whither shall we go from thee I meane wee neede not to go to any other expositor of Christ then Christ himselfe therefore marke what he saith at first when Christ said that he was the bread of life that al which wold liue must eate him they murmured vntill he expoūded his words how did he expound his words Thus Hee that commeth vnto mee hath eaten and he that beleeueth in mee hath drunke After when hee instituted this Sacramēt in like words they murmured not which they would as before if hee had not resolued thē before that to eat his body and to drinke his blood was nothing but to come to him and beleeue in him After hee had said so they murmured not because they did see some reason in it as it is plainlie said This is my bodie so it is plainlie saide These words are spirite that is they must be vnderstood spirituallie and not literallie But if it be flesh indeed why doe they not satisfie the simple people how they may eate this flesh in Lent when they forbid them to eate any flesh they must needs eate it doubtfully and he which doubteth saith Iames receiueth nothing therefore hee which eateth the masse receiueth nothing I did not alleage the Fathers in my Sermon but if any suspend his assent till they bring in their verdit let him heare thē make confession of their beleefe Augustine saith the Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when hee gaue onely a signe or Sacrament of his bodie Tertullian saith This is my bodie that is a signe of my bodie Ambrose saith the bread and wine remain still the same thing that they were Theodoret sayth after the consecration the mysticall signs doe not cast off their own nature but abide still in their first substance and forme Origene sayth the bread that is sanctified with the word of God as touching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the bellie and foorth againe like other meats Irenaeus saith that it hath two things in it one
earthly and the other heauenly Cyril saith our Sacraments auouch not the eating of a man Cyprian saith the Lord calleth bread made of many graines his bodie and called wine made of many grapes his blood Athanasius sayth Christ made mention of his ascension into heauē that he might withdraw his Disciples from corporall and fleshly eating Chrysostome sayth God giueth vs things spirituall vnder things visible and naturall And againe being sanctified it is deliuered from the name of bread and is exalted to the name of the Lords body although the nature of the bread still remaine And because they beleeue that the Pope cannot erre Pope Gelasius setteth too his hand and sayth with the rest Neyther the substaunce of the bread nor nature of the wine cease to be more then they were before Tell vs Papist do not these Fathers speake as plaine as we Canst thou auouch Transubstantiation more flatlie then they denie it How had this heresie bene chased if the diuel had hatched it in their time Thus the Scriptures on the one side and the Fathers on the other side did so trouble three Archpapists Biel Tonstal and Fisher that Gabriel Biel sayth how the bodie of Christ is in the Sacrament is not found in the Canon of the Bible Tonstall saith It had bene better to leaue euerie man to his owne coniecture as they were before the Councell of Laterane than to bring in such a question Fisher saith No man can proue by the words of the Gospell that any Priest in these dayes dooth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Christ Here is fulfilled Out of thine owne mouth I will condemne thee But we will not carrie the matter so because a Iudge must haue two eares therefore now let them speake Because they cannot tell how the bread wine should bee turned into flesh and blood and yet appeare bread and wine still they say it is a myracle but how doe they prooue it If they contende it is a myracle they must shewe vs a signe for euerie myracle may be seene like all the myracles of Moses and Christ and the Apostles and therefore a myracle is called a signe because it may be seene like a signe and the word signifieth a wonder And the Iewes crauing a myracle sayd Shew vs a myracle as though they were taught to iudge of myracles by sight All which doth shew that a myracle may be seene but here no myracle is seene Againe a myracle especially in the time of the Gospell is an extraordinarie thing but they make this an ordinarie thing for if the bread and wine be turned into flesh blood then myracles are as common as Sacraments and so because they haue Masse euerie day they should worke myracles euerie day Lastly this seemeth strange that Augustin whom they so much honour gathered all the myracles which are written in the scripture and yet amongst all speaks not of this therefore then it was counted no myracle but Paule speakes of lying myracles and this is one of them If they say that Christ can turne bread and wine into his bodie and therefore hee doth First they must proue that he wil for they can doe many things themselues which they doe not because they will not therefore it is an old answere that from Can to Will no Argument followeth The Leper did not say vnto Christ If thou cāst thou wilt but If thou wilt thou canst But the question which they think cannot be answered like their inuincible Nauies is this If the bread be not his bodie why doth he call it his bodie Resolue this knot and all is cleare Marke then and we will loose it as well as we can He saith This is my bodie as he saith after which is broken for you Why his bodie was not broken before he suffered how did he say then which is broken before it was broken There is no sense of it but this the bread was broken and signified that his body should be broken Now as the breaking of the bread did signifie the breaking of his bodie so the bread must needes signifie his bodie but as his bodie was not broken indeede when the bread was broken so the bread could not be his bodie indeed for then his body should haue bin broken when the bread was broken Yet let them obiect what they can If say they the bread and wine bee not changed into his bodie and blood why doth hee speake so darkly hee might haue spoken plainer I answere though this seeme darke to Papists yet it was not darke to the Apostles they vnderstood his meaning well inough and all the rest for 1215. yeares after Christ before Transubstantiation was spoken of If the Apostles had not vnderstood his meaning they would not sticke to aske him as their manner was vntill they were acquainted with Christs phrase whensoeuer they doubted vpon any of his speeches they were wont to come vnto him and say Master what is the meaning but they were vsed to such phrases for it was Christes manner to teach by similitudes shewing one thing by another which is the plainest manner of teaching and most vsed in holie scripture especially in the types and shadowes of this Sacrament For example Christ calleth the Lambe the Passeouer in place whereof this Sacrament succeeded and therefore presentlie after they had eaten the Passe-ouer Christ instituted this Sacrament to be vsed for it Christ I say called the Lambe the Passe-ouer and yet the Passe-ouer was this an angel passed ouer the houses of the Israelites and stroke the Egyptians this was not a Lambe and yet because the Lambe was a signe of this Passe-ouer as the bread and wine is of Christes bodie therefore Christ called the Lambe the Passeouer as hee calleth the bread and wine his bodie Againe Circumcision is called the Couenant and yet Circumcision was nothing but the cutting away of a skinne but the Couenant is In Abrahams seede all Nations shall be blessed I will be their God and they shall be my people I will defend and saue them they shall serue and worship me This is not Circumcision and yet as though circumcision were the couenant it selfe it is called the couenant because it signifieth the Couenant so bread and wine are called Christes bodie because they signifie Christs bodie Againe Baptisme is called Regeneration and yet Baptisme is a dipping of our bodies in water but regeneration is the renuing of the minde to the image wherein it was created This is not Baptisme and yet as though Baptisme were Regeneration it selfe it is called Regeneration because it signifieth Regeneration so the bread and wine are called Christs bodie because they signifie Christs bodie Againe the Cup is called the new Testament and yet the Cup is but a peece of mettall filled with wine but the new Testament is He which
and then a little vntill at last the inheritance come too As they which trie a vessell first put water into it to see whether it will holde water then they commit wine vnto it so first God giueth vs one grace if wee vse that wel then he giueth another another and another according to that He which is found faithfull in a little shall bee made Lorde ouer much My Father sayth Christ is an husbandman Iohn 15. shewing that as wee dresse the ground that it may bring foorth fruite so God dresseth vs that we may bring foorth fruite All commeth not at once but as the body groweth so the spirite groweth first good thoughts and then good speeches and then good workes as the blade followeth the seede and the eare the blade and the corne the eare Looke howe in our first generation one thing comes after another so it is in our second generation As the child springeth in the mothers wombe from a gellie vnto milke and from milke to blood and from blood to flesh and she knoweth not how it groweth till it come foorth so the spirite groweth in vs and we see not how it groweth but that it is growen Fayth calleth to loue and loue calleth to obedience and obedience calleth to constancie and one grace is the foundation of another Therefore Paul sayth Whome hee predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom hee iustified them he glorified Thus as the rich easily growe richer so the good easily growe better hee which hath power to aske hath power to receiue for it is sayde Aske and you shall receiue hee which hath power to seeke hath power to finde for it is said Seeke and you shall finde he which hath power to knocke hath power to enter for it is sayde Knocke and it shall be opened vnto you As Gods riches are infinite so he is neuer wearie of giuing when a man serueth God at last it commeth to this that God delighteth as it were to doe him good as it is sayd Ieremiah 32. and Micah 7. I will delight to doe them good Now when it commeth to this passe that God hath a delight to doe a man good then Aske what thou wilt sayth Salomon to his Mother and I will not say thee nay so Aske what thou wilt and GOD will not say thee nay He which hath the Sonne may haue the Father hee that hath the Wedding garment may haue the Wedding feast he which hath the spirite of Elisha may haue the spirite of Eliah he which commeth vnto Christ may make Christ come vnto him as when the Sonne came toward the Father the Father met him in the way shewing that God is as ready to giue as wee to aske When Dauid did well Nathan sayd vnto him The Lord hath giuen thee this and this and this and if that had not been enough hee would haue giuen thee such and such things shewing vs that the cause why wee haue not such and such things is for that we are not thankefull for these and these thinges When the Eunuch beleeued he said what letteth me to be baptized so when thou beleeuest thou mayst say What letteth me to be loued what letteach me to be blessed What letteth mee to be saued And as Philip said Nothing so Christ saith Nothing but Bee it vnto thee as thou beleeuest From that day righteousnesse standeth ouer their heades as the Sunne did ouer Iosua and they renewe their vertues as the Eagle reneweth her youth Therefore when Isaac had said Iaacob haue I blessed he addeth and he shall be blessed as if he should say he beginneth to be blessed now but hee shall bee more blessed so they which are blessed of God shall be more blessed rising and rising like the Sunne vntill it come to the height When God hath begun to blesse he saith as hee said to Abraham What shall I hide from him What shall I keepe from him As though one of his giftes did binde him to giue another therefore his mercies are called euerlasting mercies because when they begin they haue no end So soone as hee had mooued Salomon to pray for wisdome he gaue him wisedome so soone as he had moued Abraham to goe from his Countrey hee began to guide him so soone as he had moued Gedeon to fight he began to strengthen him Gods mercies are resembled to raine first it raines small drops and after fall great drops and the small are signes of the great First you see Elisha with a single spirit and after you see him with a double spirite first you see Paule sitting at Gamaliels feete and afterward you see him preaching in Moses Chaire first you see Timothie a student and after you see him an Euangelist First you see Cornelius praying and after you see Peter instructing first you see Dauid repenting and after you see Nathan comforting first ye see the Disciples worshipping and after you see the holy Ghost descending first you see the Wisemen seeking Christ and after you see them together with Christ first you see the Sonne comming toward the Father and after you see the Father comming toward the Sonne first you see the Eunuch reading and after you see him vnderstanding and after you see him beleeuing and after you see him baptised Moste notable is the example of Nathaniel so soone as he beleeued Christ remembred this promise and said Beleeuest thou for this thou shalt see greater things than these so hee gaue more to him which had some That which he said to Nathaniel he saith to all which are like Nathaniel Beleeuest thou this Sermon thou shalt heare other Sermons than this repentest thou for this example thou shalt see other examples than this louest thou for one benefite thou shalt receiue moe benefites than one honourest thou God for his giftes vpon others thou shalt feele his giftes vpon thy selfe for Hee which keepeth Israel dooth not sleepe but watch What dooth he watch He watcheth who seeketh for comfort and who looketh for wisdome and who prayeth for faith and who intreateth for patience that hee may giue aboundantly to him which desires feruentlie If hee see one pray like Cornelius he sendeth another to strengthen him like Peter if he see one studie like the Eunuch he sendeth another to instruct him like Philip if hee see one mourne like Dauid hee sendeth another to comfort him like Nathan if hee see one willing like Esay he sendeth another to able him like the Seraphim if he see one that thinketh well hee teacheth him to speake well if hee see one that speaketh well hee teacheth him to doe well if hee see one doe well he teacheth him to continue well if hee see one meeke like Moses hee maketh him wise like Salomon if he see one wise like Salomon hee maketh him righteous like Abraham if he see one righteous like Abraham he maketh him patient like Iob if hee see one patient like Iob he maketh him penitent
A memorable saying of one that light vpon a fit wife 20 The beginning of the ring in mariage 20 Why mariage doth come of Nuptiae 22 Maides must speake like an Eccho 24 A lesson for the married drawne from the name of wedding garment 33 The man and wife like Cock and Dam. 32 Mariage compounded of two loues 36 The best policy in mariage is to begin wel 37 They must learne one anothers nature 38 A sweet example teaching how couples shall neuer fall out 39 Man and wife like two partners 42 Abraham bid to leaue all but his wife 44 Why wiues are called huswiues 50 When the Man is away the wife must liue like a widow 52 Why a wife was called the contrary to a husband 52 The cause whie manie despise their Husbands Other obseruations Many obseruations vpon seruants 56 The master must correct his men mistresse her maides 62 Children like mediators betweene a man and his wife 63 Adulterie like the disease of Mariage and diuorcement like the remedie 70 Why adulterie should dissolue mariage more then any thing else 69 A sentence for the maried to thinke vpon 71 A PREPARATIVE TO MARIAGE YOu are come hither to be cōtracted in the Lord that is of two to be made one for as god hath knit the bones sinews togither for the strengthening of mens bodies so he hath knit mā womā togither for the strēgthening of their life because two are firmer thē one therfore when God made the woman for man he said I will make him a helpe shewing that man is stronger by his wife Euery mariage before it be knit should be cōtracted as it is shewed in Exo. 22. 16. Deu. 22. 28. which stay between the contract and the mariage was the time of longing for their affection to settle in because the deferring of that which we loue doth kindle the desire which if it came easilie and speedily vnto vs would make vs set lesse by it Therfore we read how Ioseph Marie were contracted before they were married In the contract Christ was conceiued and in the marriage Christ was borne that he might honor both estates virginity with his conception and mariage with his birth You are contracted but to be married therfore I passe from contracts to speake of marriage which is nothing else but a communion of life betweene man and woman ioyned together according to the ordinance of God First I will shew the excellencie of marriage then the institution of it then the causes of it then the choise of it then the duties of it and lastly the diuorcement of it Well might Paule say Marriage is honourable for God hath honoured it himselfe It is honorable for the author honorable for the time and honorable for the place Whereas all other ordinances were appointed of God by the hands of men or the hands of Angels mariage was ordained by God himself which cannot erre No man nor Angell brought the wife to the husband but God him selfe so marriage hath more honor of God in this then all other ordinances of God beside because he solemnized it himselfe Then it is honourable for the time for it was the first ordinance that God instituted euen the first thing which he did after man and woman were created and that in the state of innocencie before either had sinned like the finest flower which will not thriue but in a cleane ground Before man had anie other calling he was called to be a husband therefore it hath the honour of antiquitie aboue all other ordinances because it was ordained first and is the auncientest calling of men Then it is honourable for the place For whereas all other ordinances were instituted out of Paradise mariage was instituted in Paradise in the happiest place to signifie how happie they are that marrie in the Lord they do not onely marrie one another but Christ is married vnto them and so marriage hath the honour of the place aboue all other ordinances because it was ordained in Paradise As God the Father honoured marriage so did God the Sonne which is called the seed of the woman and therfore Marriage was so honored amongst women because of this seed that when Elizabeth brought foorth a sonne she sayd that God had taken away her rebuke counting it the honour of women to beare children and by consequence the honour of women to be married for the children which are borne out of mariage are the dishonor of women and called by the shamefull name of Bastards As Christ honoured Mariage with his birth so he honoured it with his miracles for the first miracle which Christ did he wrought at a mariage in Canaan where he turned their water into wine so if Christ be at your mariage that is if you marie in Christ your water shalbe turned into wine that is your peace and your rest and your ioy and your happinesse shall begin with your Mariage but if you marie not in Christ then your wine shall be turned into water that is you shall liue woorse hereafter then you did before As hee honoured it with miracles so hee honoured it with praises for he compareth the kingdome of God to a Wedding and he compareth holinesse to a wedding Garment And in the fifth of Cāticles he is wedded him selfe We reade in Scripture of three Mariages of Christ The first was when Christ and our nature met together The second is when Christ and our soule ioyne together The third is the vnion of Christ and his Chruch These are Christs three wiues As Christ honoured Mariage so do Christs Disciples for Iohn calleth the coniunction of Christ and the faithfull a Mariage And in the one and twentith of the Reuelation and ninth verse the Church hath the name of a Bride whereas Heresie is called an harlot Further for the honour of Mariage Paul sheweth how by it the curse of the woman was turned into a blessing for the womans curse was the paines which she should suffer in her trauaile Now by mariage this curse is turned into a blessing for children are the first blessing in all the Scripture And therefore Christ saith that so soone as the mother seeth a manchilde borne into the world shee forgetteth all her sorowes as though her curse were turned into a blessing And further Paul saith that by bearing of children if she continue in faith patience she shall be saued as though one curse were turned into two blessings For first she shall haue children and after she shall haue saluation What a mercifull God haue we whose curses are blessings So he loued our Parents when he punished them that he could scarce punish them for loue and therfore a comfort was folded in his iudgement To honour mariage more it is sayd that God tooke a
this vsurie let vs pray that the words which we haue heard out of this Psalme may dwell with vs till we dwell in heauen FINIS THE BENEFITE OF Contentation To the Reader HEaring how fast this Sermon hath vttered and yet how miserably it hath bene abused in printing as it were with whole limmes cut off at once and cleane left out I haue taken a little paines as my sicknesse gaue me leaue both to perfect the matter and to correct the print Now as the Angell said to Iohn Take this booke and eate it so I wish that thou hadst so digested this doctrine that all the parts of thy bodie and soule were strengthened by it But if all this will not make thee content with that thou hast sorrowe that thy couetousnesse is greater then others and neuer loue thy selfe vntill thou canst find in thy hart to be blessed Farewell Thine H. Smith THE BENEFITE OF Contentation 1. Tim. 6. 6. Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that he hath BEcause when wee preach wee know not whether we shall preach againe my care is to chuse fit and proper texts to speake that which I would speak and that which is necessarie for you to heare Therefore thinking with my selfe what doctrine were fittest for you I sought for a text which speaks against couetousnes which I may cal the Londoners sinne Although God hath giuen you more then other which should turne couetousnes into thankefulnesse yet as the Iuie groweth with the Oke so couetousnesse hath growne with riches euerie man wisheth the Philosophers stone and who is within these walles that thinkes he hath enough though there be so manie that haue too much As the Israelits murmured as much whē they had Manna as when they were without it so they which haue riches couet as much as they which are without them that conferring your minds and your wealth together I may truely say this Cittie is rich if it were not couetous This is the diuell which bewitcheth you to thinke that you haue not inough whē you haue more then you neede If you cannot choose but couet riches I will shewe you riches which you may couet Godlinesse is great riches In which wordes as Iacob craued of his wiues and his seruants to giue him their Idols that he might burie them so Paule craueth your couetousnes that he might bury it And that ye might be no losers hee offereth you the vantage in stead of gaine hee proposeth great gaine Godlinesse is great gaine as if he should say Wil you couet litle gaine before great You haue found little ioy in money you shall find great ioy in the holy ghost you haue found little peace in the world you shall finde great peace in conscience Thus seeing the worlde striue for the worlde like beggers thrusting at a dole Lawyer against Lawyer brother against brother neighbour against neighbour for the golden Apple that poore Naboth cannot hold his owne because so manie Achabs are sicke for this vineyard when he had found the disease like a skilfull Physition hee goeth about to picke out the greedie worme which maketh men so hungrie and setteth such a glasse before them that will make a shilling seeme as great as a pound a cottage seeme as faire as a pallace a plough seeme as goodly as a diadem that he which hath but twentie poundes shal be as merrie as hee which hath an hundred and he which hath an hundred shal be as iocund as he which hath a thousand and he which hath a thousand shal be well contented as hee which hath a million euen as Daniel did thriue with water and pulse as well as the rest did with their wine and iunkets This is the vertue and operation of these words If you heare them with the same spirite that Paul wrote them they will so worke vpon your hearts that you shall goe away euerie man contented with that which hee hath like Zacheus which before he had seene Christ knew nothing but to scrape but as soone as he had heard Christ all his mind was set vpon giuing This was not the first day that Zacheus seemed rich to others but this was the first daie that Zacheus seemed rich vnto himselfe when riches seemed dung and godlines seemed riches Christ doth not will other to giue all their goods away to the poor as he bad the yong man to see what he would do but hee which forbad him to keepe his riches forbids vs to loue riches which makes our riches seem pouertie When ye contemne riches ye shal seem rich because no man hath inough but hee which is contented but if ye couet groue thrist as Iacob gaue Ruben a blessing but said Thou shalt not be excellent so God may giue you riches but he saith You shall not be satisfied for ye wil be couetous vntil ye be religious He that will haue contentation must leaue his couetousnes in pawne for it This is the spirit which we would cast out if ye will leaue but this one sinne behind you shall depart out of the Church like Naaman out of Iordan as if you had bene washed and all your sins swept away like the scales from Paules eyes For what hath brought Vsury simonie briberie crueltie subtiltie enuy strife and deceit into this Citie and made euerie house an inne euery shop a market of lyes and fraud but the superfluous loue of money Name couetousnes and thou hast named the mother of all these mischiefes other sinnes are but hirelings vnto this sinne Vsurie and briberie and simony and extortion deceit and lyes and oathes are factors to couetousnesse and serue for Potters to fetch and bring her liuing in As the Receiuer maketh a theefe so Couetousnesse maketh an Vsurer and Extortioner and Deceiuer because shed receiueth the bootie which they steale Euen as Rachel cryed to her husband Giue me children or else I dye so Couetousnesse crieth vnto Vsurie and Briberie and Simonie and Crueltie and Deceit and Lies Giue mee riches or else I dye how they may saue a little and how they may get much and how they may prolong life is euerie mans dreame from sunne to sunne so long as they haue a knee to bow vnto Baal so many vices budde out of this one that it is called The roote of all euill as if hee would saie the Spawne of all sines Take away couetousnesse and he will sell his wares as cheape as he he will bring vp his children as vertuouslie as hee hee will refuse bribes as earnestly as hee he will succour the poore as hartely as hee hee will come to the Church as lightlie as hee If ye could feele the pulse of euerie heart what makes Gehezi to take the bribe which Elisha refused What makes Demetrius to speake for images which Paul condemned What makes Naball deny Dauid that which Abigail gaue him What
When Paule said Children obey your Parents in the Lord hee meaneth not that wee shoulde obeye them against the Lorde As when hee saith Obey Princes for conscience sake hee meaneth not that wee should obey them against conscience Therefore when it commeth to this that the earthly father commaundeth one thing and the heauenly Father commaundeth another thing then as Peter answered the Rulers so maiest thou answere thy Parents Whether is it meete to obey God or you Then these are the hands which thou must cut off then these are the eyes which thou must pull out or else they should be as deare vnto thee as thy hand or thine eye In the nineteenth of Mathew A man must forsake his father his mother to dwel with his wife In the sixteenth of Luke he must forsake father mother wife too to dwel with Christ For He which forsaketh father or mother for me shall receiue more saith our Sauiour Nay He which doth not hate father or mother or wife for me can not be my Disciple Shewing that our loue toward God should be so great that in respect of it our loue towards men should seeme but hatred Thus he which obeyed his parents more than we yet would haue some rule some sentence some example in Scripture of not obeying them too because it is such a hard point to know how farre they are to be obeyed which are set in authoritie ouer vs. As none but God speaks alwaies aright so none but God must alwayes be obeyed we are not called onely the sonnes of men but we are called the sonnes of God Therefore as Christ answered his mother when she would haue him turne water into wine Woman what haue I to do with thee so wee should answere father and mother and brethren and sisters and rulers and maisters and wife too when they will vs to do that which is not meete What haue I to do with you For to leaue doing good and do euill were not to turne water into wine but to turne wine into water Peter was not Sathan but when he tempted Christ like Sathan Christ answered him as he answered Sathan Come behind me Sathan shewing that we should giue no more attention vnto father or mother or master or wife when they tempt vs to euill than we would giue vnto Sathan if he should tempt vs himselfe Three things children receiue of their parents life maintenance and instruction For these three they owe other three for life they owe loue for maintenance they owe obedience for instruction they owe reuerence for life they must be loued as fathers for maintenance they must be obeyed as maisters for instruction they must be reuerenced as Tutors But as there is a king of kings which must be obeyed aboue kings so there is a father of fathers which must be obeyed aboue fathers therfore sometime you must answer like the sonne when he was bid go into his fathers vineyard I will go and sometime you must answer as Christ answered I must go about my Fathers businesse When two milch kine did carrie the Arke of the Lord to Bethshemesh their calues were shut vp at home because the kine shuld not stay when they heard their calues crie after them so when thou goest about the Lordes businesse thou shalt heare a crie of thy Father and thy Mother and thy brethren and thy Sisters and thy Kinred to staie thee but then thou must thinke of another father as Christ thought of another Mother and so as these Kine went on till the Lord brought thē where the Arke should rest so thou shalt go on till the Lord bring thee where thou shalt rest It is better to flie from our friends as Abraham did then to stay with some friends as Sampson did with Dalila I may say Beware of Kinsmen as well as our Sauiour said Beware of men For this respect of cousenage made Eli his sons Priests and this respect of cousenage hath made manie like Priestes in Englande this respect of cousenage made Samuels sonnes Iudges and this respect of cousenage hath made manie like Iudges in England this respect of cousenage brought Tobias into the Leuits chamber this respect of cousenage hath brought manie Gentlemen into Preachers liuinges which will not out againe As Christ preferred his spirituall kinsmen so we preferre our earthly kinsmen Manie priuiledges many offices and many benefices haue stooped to this voice Thy Mother calleth thee or thy Kinsmen would haue thee As this voice came to Christ while he was labouring so many voyces come to vs while we are labouring One saith Pleasure would speake with you another saith profit would speake with you another saith Ease would speake with you another saith a Deanrie would speake with you another saith a Bishopricke would speake with you another saith the Court woulde speake with you When a man is in a good way and studieth the Scriptures to bee a teacher in the Church a voyce commeth to his eare as this came to Christs and faith Thy frends would haue thee studie the Lawe for by Diuinitie thou shalt attaine to no preferment thine owne Flocke wil vexe thee or the Bishop wil stop thy mouth This wind somtime turneth Ionas his sailes from Niniue to Tharshish makes him burie his talent If he be a Diuine alreadie and preach his conscience a voyce commeth vnto him againe as this did to Christ and saith Thy friendes would haue thee be quiet or there bee Spies which note what thou sayest or there be fellowes which lye in wayte for thy Liuing so sometimes with a little intreatie he beginneth to drawe vp his hand and lay his finger on his mouth and preach peace when he is sent with warre Thus we are cumbred like our master before our Sermons and in our Sermons and after our Sermons euen of them sometime which should encourage vs and therefore as Christ saith Beware of men so say I Beware of kinsmen So soone as the Children bee borne their Parents bring them to the Temple and baptise them offer them to God but so soone as they be able to serue him they tempt them away from him to Lawe or Phisicke or Merchandise or Husbandrie and had rather they should be of any Tribe thā of the Tribe of Leui which serueth in the Temple Hee which will be hindred shall haue blockes inough but we must learne to leape ouer all as Christ leaped ouer this If we should leaue Father and Mother and Wife and Children for Christ much lesse should wee care for labour or losse or shame or trouble or displeasure for wee woulde aduenture these for our friendes Thus much of his naturall kindred now of his spirituall kindred Here is another genealogie of Christ which Mathew and Luke neuer spake of As Christ saith I haue another bread which you knowe not so he saith I haue other kinsmen which you know not
in the day not in gluttonie and drunkennesse c. As if he should saie know you that I bidde you put away from you the workes of darknesse he nameth not all the workes of darkenesse but chiefly those that doe raigne and are cause of more wickednesse that is gluttonie drunkennesse strife and enuying c. three monsters come out of hell and trouble the whole worlde therefore cast off these and you haue cast off all Now to speake of them I wil begin where the vices begin and as I point them out vnto you so I pray you to slay them as if you had marshall lawe in your handes to put them to death By this narration the Apostle sheweth the chaine of sinne how one sinne will draw on another after it for no sinne is so base that it will goe alone wherefore resist all sinnes or none for if you entertaine one sinne it will presently drawe another after it and so the whole house will be full of theeues as Gehezi his pride made him to lye and Adams fall made him to excuse himselfe Peters deniall made him sweare and after his swearing made him curse himselfe c. for the sinner cannot staie after he hath committed one sin to commit another nor till hee hath come to the bottome euen to the bottome of hell If I should stand to anatomize and paint out all vices in their kinde I should craue a longer time than is allotted to mee therefore I will briefly touch them As huge as the sea is yet one maye taste the saltnesse of it in a droppe so in one sinne you may see how ill fauoured all the rest bee for there is no sinne but weakeneth the bodie shorteneth the life corrupteth and consumeth the goods preuenteth grace and maketh vs odious to GOD and to Angels You are giuen to hate your enemies these are they therefore hate them they keepe you from repentance least you should bee saued wherefore I wil shew you what is in this box lest the same goe to your eyes and so blinde you Walke not in gluttonie drunkennesse strife c. These come lyke fayre Ladies with presents in their handes to wooe the vnstable soule of man Gluttonie commeth with the pleasure of the flesh Drunkennesse with the satisfying of the thirst Strife with the reuenge of the enemie And first what gluttonie and drunkennes offereth and how many haue bene deceiued with their sweete meates and strong drinkes till all haue bene turned into a bellie and so turned the body into sinne dayly experience teacheth vs. Now by the way the Apostle we must note doth approue sobrietie vertue that as a man may drinke and not be drunken so he may eate that he loueth and not glut himselfe for he forbiddeth not to eate meate but not to eate too much lest thou surfet for the golden meane is good for all things Salomon doth not forbid to eate honie but eate not too much lest thou surfet As the bodie may not offend the soule so the soule may not iniurie the bodie lest it bee vnfit to serue the soule Manie there bee that thinke they haue not sinned in gluttony til they surfet but this is gluttonie in excesse and punisheth it selfe with many diseases as dulnes of wit want of memorie and shortnes of life Now that you may sinne in gluttonie and not to surfet appeareth by the rich man in the sixteenth of Luke who fared deliciouslie euerie day and neuer surfeted yet for all that hee is called a glutton to teach vs that there be gluttons which do not surfet This kinde of sin much displeaseth God when men eate and drinke and rise vp to play and remember not the afflictions of Ioseph and Lazarus lying at the doore many be such banquets where none do come with a Wedding garment where Christ is neuer inuited Manie thinges may perswade vs to temperance we may learne it of the beastes who desire no chaunge nor hoord not and are content God prouided meate for all creatures as hearbes rootes and grasse before hee prouided anie for man to teach vs what little care wee should haue of our belly for we liue not by bread onely but by euerie worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Christ hath taught vs to fast when he prepared himselfe thereunto in the wildernesse but hee neuer by anie example taught vs to feast some there be which thinke hee did neuer eate flesh but in the paschall Lambe which although it doth not teach or debar vs from eating flesh which Peter was willed to eate in the vision yet it teacheth vs to tame the flesh lest Hagar should get the vpper hand of her mistresse When the belly is full the flesh lusteth the tongue prateth the wit sleepeth and Satan carrieth away the minde when the vnderstanding is away As the moyst and waterish groundes bring forth nothing but frogs and toades so the belly and watrie stomacke that is stuffed like a tunne bringeth forth nothing but a drousie minde foggie thoughts filthie speeches and corrupt affections therefore the Phisition saith nothing better for the bodie then abstinence the Diuine saith nothing better for the soule then abstinence the Lawyer saith nothing better for the wits then abstinence but because there is no lawe for this vice therfore it breaketh out so mightilie Whoredome hath a lawe Theft hath a lawe Murther hath a lawe but this sinne is without law Now to the second sinne which is Drunkennes these are two sisters betwixt whom there is little difference in this sinne some are mad some are merrie some doe vomite some doe sleepe and some doe reele and then there is no difference betweene a man and a beast sauing that the one can stand and the other cannot As euerie Scripture that maketh against Theft maketh against Nonresidencie so euerie reason which maketh against gluttonie maketh against drunkennesse Now after these commeth chambering and wantonnesse and no meruaile sayth one though the impes doe followe when the diuell goeth before for fulnesse of bread went before the sinne of the Sodomites So when Dauid had dined and was full walking vpon his pallace his eyes glaunced his flesh lusted his heart consented the fire burned and there was no water to quench it And therefore in that so great a champion as Dauid did fall let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall And seeing that thou in thy selfe art no stronger or mightier imitate and followe the example of those that are cunning wrastlers who to cast downe another wil first fall downe themselues so we to ouerthrowe our enemies must subiect our selues and humble our selues first by fasting and praier Sodome was burned but the sinnes haue escaped Sweete wordes soft attyre wanton behauiour and such like haue conspired and agreed all together to sette honestie to sale And wee vse dailie to pray that wee bee not ledde into temptation and yet wee doe leade our selues into temptation For our fayre
as haue been healed by her that as the Author of the Hebrewes saith By faith Abel offered a better Sacrifice than Caine by faith Enoch was translated before he sawe death by faith Noah prepared the Arke and was preserued from the Floud by faith Abraham was content to sacrifice his Sonne and yet beleeued that in his seede all the world should be blessed by faith Sara receiued strength to bring foorth a child when she was strooken in yeres and past the strength of the wombe So I may say of patience by patience Iob did beare all the torments that the diuell could heape vpon him by patience Iacob put vp a thousand wrongs from Laban and his children and neuer complained in one twentie yeares before he departed by patience Ioseph forgaue his brethren when hee might haue put them to death and gaue thē food when they feared reuenge by patience Christ suffered banishment and reproaches and scourges vntill he went to his death like a Lambe to the slaughter Among the strange cures of patience Dauid may report of his experience what this plaister hath done for him for being a figure of Christ he was alwaies hedged about with the crosse which prooued his patience like a Touchstone euery day As Christ was contemned of his Countreymen so Dauid was contemned of his brethren as Christ fled to Egypt so Dauid fled vnto Gath as Christ receiued foode of women so Dauid receiued food of Abigail as Herod persecuted Christ so Saul persecuted Dauid and the wrath of the King brought many enemies with it that when hee was annointed yet hee coulde not reigne and when he reigned yet his reigne was but a warfare the Philistines agaynst him the Ammonites agaynst him the Edomites agaynst him the Moabites agaynst him and Absolon his owne bowels agaynst him for whom he cryed Would God I had died for thee This sonne which was his dearling was his traytor and sought his death that brought him to life as though Saul had been risen from the graue againe In all these troubles Samuel shewes what was this pilgrimes comfort But Dauid comforted himselfe in the Lord his God as though hee had no comfort but in GOD alone This was the stone vpon which he leaned his head Be patient for Manie are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all When hee did behold his trouble like the hoast of the Aramites he looked backe vnto God like Elisha and spied one with him stronger then all against him Therfore respecting his afflictiōs he crieth Many are the troubles of the righteous respecting the promise he singeth The Lord deliuereth them out of all Thus by his owne foote Dauid measureth the condition of the righteous and saith Many are the troubles of the righteous and then by his owne cure hee sheweth how they shall bee healed saying The Lord will deliuer him out of all If ye marke the spirite hath directed Dauid to those two things which make vs take our troubles grieously one because we doe not looke for them before they come Therefore as Christ told Peter before he suffered to strengthen him when he suffered so the holy Ghost doth run vpon the Crosse to keep vs in expectation of troubles that wee might prepare faith and patience and constancie for thē as Noah prepared an Arke for the floud The second thing which makes vs to start so at the Crosse is because we are like the Prophets seruant which did see his foes but not his friēds so we see our sore but not our salue Comfort seemes a far off like Abraham in the heauens as though it would neuer come so low therefore wee goe about to deliuer our selues as it is said Let vs breake his bands as though we could deliuer our selues But Hold your peace saith Moses the Lord shall fight for you So Dauid comes in like a pacifier and saith Vexe not your selues for the Lord will deliuer you Beare both these sentences in mind that you must go through a sea of troubles then that you shall come to a hauen of rest and no affliction shall take you before you be armed for it and in euery trouble you shall know where to haue your remedie Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lorde deliuereth him out of all Here bee the two hands of God like a wound and a plaister one casteth downe the other raiseth vp It is good for a man to knowe his troubles before they come because afflictions are lightned in the expectation Therefore GOD sayth of Paul I will shewe him how many things he shall suffer for me God dealeth plainlie and tels vs the woorst at the first what wee shall trust to as Christ told his Disciples at the first If ye will bee my Disciples yee must take vp the Crosse cold entertainment to breake their fast with the rod. Other feastmakers sayth Christ broach the best wine first but Christ himselfe keepeth the best till the last This is the manner of Gods proceedings to send good after euill as hee made light after darknesse to turne iustice into mercie as he turned water into wine for as the beasts must be killed before they could be sacrificed so men must be killed before they can bee sacrificed that is the knife of correction must prune them and dresse them and lop off their rotten twigs before they can bring forth fruite these are the cordes which binde the ram vnto the Altar least when he is brought thither hee should runne from thence agayne this is the chariot which carrieth our thoughts to heauen as it did Nabuchadnezzars and our assumption before our assumption This is the hammer which squareth the rough stones till they be plaine and smooth and fit for the Temple This is the fierce messenger which is sent to compell them to the banquet which will not come when they are inuited Because we are naturally giuen to loue the world more then is good for vs therefore God hath set an edge of bitternesse vpon it to make vs to loath it like a Nurse which layeth Mustard vpon her breasts to weane the childe from the dug so Many are the troubles of the righteous to weane vs from the dugge of the world The crosse is one of our Schoolemasters in this life and the best wisdome is deerest bought prosperitie seeketh for nothing but necessitie seeketh and studieth and laboureth and prayeth for her wants As the rodde maketh the Scholler to applye his booke so all our knowledge is beaten into vs some learne theyr goodnesse of pouertie some of sicknesse some of troubles aduersitie is the fit time to learne the iustice mercie power and prouidence of GOD a fit time to learne the patience wisedome faith and obedience of man a fit time to learne the subtiltie frailtie and miserie of this worlde All this thou buyest for troubles yet
that is to vs which are yong strong that the father should be called a labourer when the sonnes stand by Now the grounde was barren because of the floud and could not bring forth fruite of it selfe because of the curse therefore it pitied Noah to see desolation and barrennesse and slime vpon the face of the earth which he had seene so glorious and sweete and fertill with all manner of hearbes and fruites and flowers before Therefore he setteth himselfe to manure it which wanted for nothing now but a painful labourer to till and dresse it that it might bring forth delights and profites for sinfull man as it did before By this wee may learne to vse all meanes for the obtayning of Gods blessings and not to loose any thing which wee might haue or saue for want of paines for that is sinne as Salomon noteth in the foure and twentith of the Prouerbes when he reproueth the slouthfull husbandman because his fielde brought forth Nettles and Thisâ—les in stead of grapes not because the grounde would not beare grapes but because the slouthfull man would not set them Shall God commaund the earth and all his creatures to encrease for vs and shall not wee further their encrease for our selues As we encrease and multiplie our selues so wee are bound to ioyne hand and helpe that all creatures may increase and multiplie too or els the Fathers should eate the childrens portion and in time there should bee nothing left for them that come after this regard Noah seemeth to haue vnto his posteritie and therefore he gaue himselfe vnto husbandrie which is commended in him vnto this day and shall be recorded of him so long as this booke is read whereby we are warned that he which liueth onely to himselfe is not to bee remembred of them which liue after But as Dauid cared how the Realm should bee gouerned after his death as well as he did during his life so though we dye and depart this world yet we should leaue that example or those bookes or those workes behinde vs which may profite the Church and Common-wealth when wee are dead and buried as much as we did when we liued among them euen as Noah planted a Vineyarde not for himselfe but for the ages to come after Some doe thinke that Noah planted the first Vineyard and drunke the first wine and that there was no vse of grapes before which opinion they are led vnto that they might excuse Noah and mittigate his fault if hee did sippe too deepe of that cup the strength and operation whereof was not knowne vnto him nor vnto any man before but it is not like that the excellent licour and wholesome iuice of the Grape did lye hidde from the world so many hundreth yeres and no doubt but there were Vines from the beginning created with other trees for how coulde Noah plant a Vineyard vnles he had slippes of other Vines or Grapes that grew before seeing hee did not create fruites but plant fruites as we doe For this is principally to be noted that so soone as he had opportunitie to doe good he omitted no time but presently after the floud was gone and the earth beganne to drie hee plied it with seedes and wrought it till hee sawe the fruites of his labour By this we learne to omit no occasion to doe good but whensoeuer wee may doe good to count it sinne if we doe it not But if we be so exercised then all our workes shall prosper like the Vineyard of Noah because the fruite of the Vine dooth cheere the countenaunce and glad the heart of man Therefore some haue gathered vpon the planting of this Vineyard a signification of gladnesse and thankefulnesse in Noah for his late deliuerance as the Iewes by their solemne feastes did celebrate the memoriall of some great benefite but I rather iudge that God would haue vs see in this example what men did in those daies and how we are degenerate from our parents that wee may prepare against the fire as Noah prepared against the water This is worthie to bee noted too that God did not so regarde his husbandrie but that hee had an eye to his drunkennes and speakes of his fault as wel as his vertue wherby we are warned that though God blesse vs now while wee remember him yet hee will chasten vs so soone as we forget him though we be in good name now infamie will arise in an houre though we be rich at this present pouertie may come suddainely though we be well while wee are here yet we may fall sicke before night euen as Noah is praysed in one verse and dispraysed in another euen now God commends him for his lowlines and now discommends him for his drunkennesse as though he had forgot all his righteousnes so soone as he sinned would cal in his praise againe This was to shew that Noah was not saued from the floud because hee deserued to be saued but because God had a fauour vnto him for he which was not drowned with water was drowned after with Wine As the Pharisies when they had doone well were proud of it and lost their reward so when Noah had done a good worke hee spotted it with sinne and was dispraised where hee was praised as though God repented him that he commended him He planted well but he drunke not well therefore that which was good did him hurt then seeing hee was trapped with a good worke whatsoeuer we doo we may remember how easie it is to sinne if wee misse in the matter or in the manner or time or the place or the measure as Noah did He which planteth the vineyard is worthy to taste of the grape but if thou haue found honnie saith Salomon eate not too much least thou surfet So if thou haue found Wine drinke not too much least thou surfet A little Wine is better than a great deale and if thou wilt follow the Apostles counsell thou must drinke it but for thy stomacks sake least that happen to thee which thou shalt heare of this noble Patriarch Though he was neuer so righteous before GOD and men though hee escaped the destruction which lighted vppon all the worlde though hee had all the foules of the ayre and beastes of the land at his commaund though hee passed the pilgrimage of man nine hundreth yeares yet Noah was but a man so auncient so righteous so mightie so happie Noah shewed himselfe but a man for drinking the Wine which himselfe had planted hee was drunken This is Noahs fault he was drunken with his owne Wine as Lot was defiled with his owne daughters If Cham his sonne had taken too much and stript himselfe as his father did the holy Ghost would scarce haue spoken of it because hee was a man of no note but when the father forgat himselfe and gaue this offence marke the manner of the holy Ghost as though he would shew you a wonder hee displayeth Noahs drunkennesse
Hee which forbiddeth vs to trust in our riches and in our friendes in our strength forbiddeth vs to trust in our wisedome Trust not in thine owne wisedome Wee count the simple fooles but God countes the craftie fooles He which thinkes himselfe wise is a foole ipso factâ— And to shew that they are most fooles of all the Apostle saith that God chooseth the foolish to confound them It is said Be merrie and wise but it may be saide Be wise and wise for euerie wisedome is not wise As the wise men went no further than they were guided by the starre so a wise maÌ„ shoulde runne no further than hee is led by the worde When God hath brought thee vnto goodnes hee saith acquiese set downe thy rest goe no further than goodnesse So when thou art come to wisedome rest where thou are well as the Doue did in the Arke The first blessing which Christ pronounced to anie is to the poore in spirite As Paule woulde haue you rich in knowledge so Christ woulde haue you poore in spirite that is humble in your knowledge for the proude knowledge is the diuelles knowledge and wisedome to the wicked is like the Arke vnto the Philistines which did them more hurt than good Therefore as God appointed the people their boundes which they might not passe when he talked with Moses in the Mount so he hath appointed certaine precinctes of wisedome which when wee transgresse we may bee said to exceede our commission like Shemei when he went beyond the riuer which Salomon forbad him The Rayle or Pale of wisedom is Sobrietie As wisedome is made ouerseer of all other vertues so Sobrietie is made ouerseer of wisdome to measure it foorth in euen portions and due reasons that none of Gods gifts be lost as water is vnto the wine to delaie the heate of it and salt is to meate to make it sauourie So Sobrietie is to wisedom to make it wholesome and profitable to him which hath it and them which seeke it of him If thou hast found honie saith Salomon take not too much lest thou surfet Nay if thou haue found wisedom take not too much lest thou surfet There is a surfet of wisedome which is the daungerousest surfet of all other When a man beginnes like Paul to bee puffed vp which was Aaron and Miriams disâ—ase when they murmured against Moses because they thought themselues fitter to gouerne than hee No vertue is better than wisedome and humilitie but if a man bee proude of his wisedome and humilitie then the vertue is turned into a vice If the light bee darknes saieth Christ howe great is that darkenes So if our humilitie be pride howe great is that pride If our knowledge be ignorance how great is that ignorance Therefore as we remember Bewise as Serpents so let vs remember Be simple as Doues or else we drowne in our wisedome like a light that quencheth in his owne tallowe Nowe that yee may knowe howe to bee wise according to Sobrietie there be certaine properties of his sober wisedome which I will shewe you The first is not to arrogate to our selues more than GOD hath giuen vs. As the man saide I beleeue Lorde helpe my vnbeleefe So the wise man may saie I vnderstande Lorde helpe mine ignorance For one thing which wee knowe wee are ignorant of a thousande thinges which we shoulde knowe yet the foolish virgins woulde be thought as wise as their sisters No man can abide to be disgraced of his wit wee had rather seeme wicked than simple As euerie birde thinkes her owne birdes fairest so euerie man thinkes his owne wit ripest There is a generation saith Salomon which are pure in their owne conceipt but they are not cleansed from their filthines So there is a generation which are wise in their owne conceipt but they are not cleansed from their foolishnes There is a generation of such wise men but he which is wise in deed saith I am more foolish than any man He which is called wisedome saith Learne of me to be humble And hee which was counted the wisest man before Salomon is called the midest man vpon the earth Therefore Iames describing the wisedome which is from aboue saith that it is a gentle wisdome the gentle are not arrogant but the scornefull The second propertie is not to glorie of any thing in our selues as Iames saith Let him which is merrie sing Psalmes So Paule saieth Let him which glorieth glorie in the Lorde For as wee saie Thine is the kingdome so wee say Thine is the glorie and therefore Dauid saith Not vnto mee Lord not vnto mee c. Oh saith Sathan this is a thing to glorie of knowledge and learning and wisedome or els what should a man bee proude of But when Christ heard his disciples glorie that they had the gift of miracles which is a greater matter than knowledge yet hee said Glorie not in this that yee can worke myracles therefore glory not in this that ye know him which can worke miracles If thy wisedome be giuen thee then thou hast receiued it if thou hast receiued it then I say with Paule Why doest thou glorie as if thou hadst not receiued it Wisedome is not so base a thing that thine owne glorie should be the ende of it but as Hester thought that her honour was giuen her for the glorie of God so the learned shoulde thinke that their learning is giuen them for the glorie of God the rich shoulde thinke that their riches are giuen them for the glorie of God the wise should thinke that their wisdome is giuen them for the glorie of God the value and praise and honour of wisedome is to doe good if we be wise to doe euill wee are not as wise as serpents but wise serpents The third propertie is not to despise other therefore Iames calleth the true wisedome a peaceable wisedome because it makes no strife as hee which had fiue talents did not disdaine him which had but one so they which haue moe giftes should not contemne them which haue fewe For as the Vnicorne dooth more good with one horne than other beasts do with two so some man doth more good with one gift than other do with fiue because they choake them with pride When the Pharisie said I am not like this Publican hee said true for then hee was not like the Publican in deede because the Publican was better than he The fourth propertie is to keepe within our calling he which medleth with that hee hath not to doe is compared to one that catcheth a dogge by the eares and dare neither hold him still nor let him go so he can neyther go forward for waÌ„t of skil nor backward for shame Paul saith hee was set a part to preach the Gospell so to euerie worke God hath set some men apart and fitted them to that work as he did Bezalred to the building of the
many titles to make it more amiable It is called a lanterne to direct vs a medicine to heale vs a guide to conduct vs a bit to restraine vs a sworde to defend vs water to wash vs fire to inflame vs salt to season vs milke to nourish vs wine to reioice vs rayne to refresh vs a treasure to inrich vs and the keye to open and vnlocke heauen gates vnto vs. Thus the worde is named in al things that we should onely desire it in stead of all things And surely therefore the worde is in so small request among vs because wee know not what blessings it bringeth with it It is the word of saluation because it saueth the soule from pyning as the corne which Ioseph sent did Iacobs house from famine So that as Elisha sayd of Iordan wash and be cleansed so may we say of the word Heare it and be saued It is called the worde of life because it reuiueth the spirite as Elishaes bones reuiued the Israelites It is called the worde of reconciliation because it is like a golden chayne to linke GOD and vs together And in regarde hereof it is called a iewell of inestimable price as if all the treasure in Egypt were not wealthy enough to buy it And therfore as Dauid longed for the Well of Bethlehem so must we long and languish for the milke of the worde The Word is resembled to milke in three respects First because it is the onely foode of the faithfull as milke is the onely and proper foode of babes Secondly because it is not hard and intricate but playne and easie to be conceiued as milke is easie to be digested Thirdly because it is sweete and comfortable to the soule as milke is sweete and pleasaunt in taste For the first poynt the Lord chargeth the Israelites to doe whatsoeuer he had commaunded and not to adde or diminish any thing And Iosua Iosiah Ezra and the rest when theâ— would renew the Lordes couenant with the people reade nothing but the lawe to shewe that it was the only rule and square of al their duety and therefore Esay recalleth vs to the lawe and to the testimonie c. and Christ sends vs to search the Scriptures because by them we haue eternall life and therefore the Popish church which nor content with the milke of the Gospell hath broached manie heathen traditions and vnwritten trash doth not feede but choke and poyson her children with them and depriue the Lords people of this foode of life and like cursed Philistines stop vp the wells of water which other haue digged what doe they else but starue and famish so manie Nations For well may their hedge priests like drie Nurses delight and disport the children for a season but when hunger bites when the distressed conscience would bee fed and comforted then they are not able to affoorde them the very crummes from Christs table and therefore wee must needes account the estate of those congregations to bee full of dread and horror which haue not this milke of the word to feede their soules which want a good steward to giue them their meate in due season which like the AEgyptians lye crawling in the darke when other churches enioy most comfortable light Iaacob forsooke the blessed land of Canaan when it had no bread and can we be enamored of those assemblies where there is no soules foode If ye did consider my beloued that ye cannot be nourished vnto eternall life but by the milke of the word ye would rather desire your bodies might be without souls than your churches without preachers I tremble to thinke how oft you haue heard this and yet how little you haue performed it For the second poynt that the doctrine of the Gospel is plaine appeareth when the wise man saith Al the words of his mouth are plaine easie to him that wil vnderstand The testimony of the Lord is sure giueth light to the simple If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle it is hid vnto them that perish for as the Sunne which was made to lighten all things is most light so the word which was made to cleare all things is most cleare so that if there be no communion betweene light and darknes the word of God be a lanterne vnto our feete a light vnto our pathes then it is euident that the Word hath no darknes in it If we see not all thinges the fault is not in the light but in the eie as Agar could not see the water which yet was before her therfore our aduersaries falsly charge the Scriptures of exceeding hardnes and intricatenes When the spies were returned from Canaanâ— they could not say but that it was a good lande but they sayd it was hard to come by So the Papists must needes confesse that the Scripture is a good Word and yet to disswade the Lordes people from a serious and diligent search of it they bring vp a slaunder and say it hath many obscurities and by-pathes But as Elisha saw the horses and fiery chariots which his enemies could not see So beloued if yee come with a faithfull and a holy heart to the Worde and to the Scripture yee shall see that plainnesse and easinesse in the doctrine which our aduersaries cannot see For the third poynte that the Gospell is the onely comfort and consolation of a faithfull soule The Prophet Ieremie saith Thy wordes were found by mee and I did eate them and thy worde was vnto mee the ioye and reioycing of my heart Thy testimonies haue I taken for an heritage for euer for they are the ioye of my heart As a man will bee glad to be hired to a noble man so Dauid when hee had gotten the milke of the Worde reioyced as much as if hee had been hyred vnto God and therefore in all the storie of the Acts we see ioy and comfort to haue followed the word as Elisha followed Elias and would not leaue him So the wise men reioyced exceedingly when they saw the starre which should leade them to Christ so yee haue matter of great ioy comfort when ye heare the woord preached which shall carrie you to heauen like the chariots which conueyed Iaacob into AEgypt There be many Micols in this land which haue mocked King Dauid for dauncing before the Arke There are many which terme vs heady and foolish men because we come and throng prease thus to a sermon but as Christ said Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe So God forgiue them they know not what they say for if they did feele the calme of conscience the ioy of heart the consolation of spirite and the exceeding and euerlasting comforts in God which the faithfull possesse and enioye by hearing the word they would account vs not onely fooles but starke mad if al the pleasures or profites or daungers of the world should withdrawe or with-holde vs
as though he desired not pardon for their sinnes past but rather leaue for them to sinne still Lastly we doe not see by any circumstance of the storie that they abused their feasts either in suspected houses or prophane cōpany or corrupt speeches or impure gestures or wanton dauncings or vnlawfull daliances or vaine superfluities but that our feasts might be allowed if they were like vnto theirs For first they did feast in their owne houses they did not run to Ordinaries or Ale-houses or Tauernes as they which seeke for the strongest wine or hunt after newes or worse purposes but like good neighbours they inuited one another home and kept their hospitalitie in their owne houses as our Gentlemen should doe that lye about London which are a kind of Non-residents from their poore neighbours Secondly they did not feast euery day like the rich Glutton in Luk. 16. euery one kept his day in the yere whē their feastings came so it is not ment that the sonnes did nothing but feast and the father nothing but pray but as the feasts of the Iewes came at certaine times of the yeare to celebrate some blessings of God so they obserued their feasting times to celebrate their good wils one to another Lastly they did not ioyne themselues with ruffins swearers and tiplers as all are wont to meete together at a feast neither did they inuite the rich to their tables as Iames saith which are feasts of flatterie but they were all of one kinne and one heart brethren and sisters like the Disciples which sate downe together All this doth shew that their meetings tended to nourish amitie that they had respect to the continuance of their peace encrease of their loue one towards another which was the first cause that feasts were instituted in the Primitiue Church therfore called the feast of charitie only that friends and kinsmen and neighbours might meet one with another to receiue the blessings of God reioyce together like Ioseph his brethren lest Christian familiaritie should weare out of vse be forgotten For ye may see in Eccles 2. 24. and 3. 12. and 5. 17. where Salomon speaketh of the ioy and pleasure and delight which we maie take in Gods creatures And againe in Psal 104. 15. where Dauid sayth that as bread was made to strengthen so wine was made to cōfort the heart that God would not only haue vs fed but of his exceeding goodnes he wold haue vs cheered and comforted beside as he sheweth by this aboundance of his creatures in that he hath ordained so many things moe thē we need Why did God create mo things then we need but to shew that he alloweth vs needful comfortable things for al good things which were not created for need were created for delight Therfore euen the Scriptures haue commended solemne feasts in Le. 10. Num. 29. Exo. 23. where ye may reade of sundrie feasts cōmanded by God himselfe as the feasts of gathering fruits the feasts of trūpets the feasts of Tabrnacles the feasts of new Moones the feasts of reconciliation the feasts of dedication of the temples c. Beside it is said that Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned Gen. 21. 8. So it is sayd of Sampson that he made a feast whē he was married Iud. 14. 10. and at a feast in Canaan Christ shewed the first miracle that euer he wrought turning water into wine Ioh. 2. If feasts had been vnlawfull Christ would not haue been there therefore the wiseman saith there is a time to laugh as well as he saith there is a time to weepe Eccl. 3. 4. whē he saith there is both a time to laugh weepe he implieth that the time to laugh is not euery day as it is said of Diues that he fared deliciously euerie day Luke 16. for then there were a time to laugh but no time to weep Therfore if ye wil know the time whē to laugh whē to weep God hath set Vriah for an example when the Church was quiet his countrie safe Vriah could reioyce aswell as other but when the Church was troubled his countrie in daunger though the king bad him go home eate and drink solace with his wife he would not doe so but said the Arke of Israel and Iudah dwelleth in tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my king abide in the open field and shall I go to my house and eate and drink and be merrie with my wife by thy life by the life of my soule I will not doe this thing See what a sin he coūted it to feast then which at another time he counted no sin Therfore if ye aske whē it is time to feast when to fast learne of Vriah he forbad not to feast but if he shuld see your feasting now he would say as Elisha sayd to Gehezi Is this a time to take a reward Is this a time to make feasts nay the father and the sons both had need to rise earely now and sacrifice together for if euer the house were falling vpon our heads as it did vpon theirs now the Diuell hath sent foorth his windes now the Pope hath layd his Ordinance nay our owne hands which should proppe it are digging as busily as the enemies with reproaches and slaunders and suggestions to vndermine the Church which is falling alreadie that wee might die like the Philistines with the temple vpon our heads Is this a time to feast Vria when the house of God is beset like the house of Lot when the armies of Antichrist are preparing against Gods people As the voyce asked Zacharie and Amos and Ieremie what they did see So if ye aske your Prophets what they doe see they may say they doe see the woolfe deuouring the lambes We see a darke ignorance running ouer the lande like the blacknesse of Aegypt wee see the Romanes comming in againe as they came to Ierusalem and sacking the temple we see the Papists caruing of Images the people kneeling before them we see the professors of the Gospell shrink away as the Disciples fled frō their Master when he was taken Is this a time to feast Vria Is this a time to flatter Is this a time to dissemble Is this a time to loyter Is this a time to keep silence Is this a time to gather riches Is this a time to reuenge wrōgs Is this a time to set forth pageants No saith Ezekiah 2. King 19. 3. This is a time of tribulation in which the Prince Nobles people should humble themselues as the Citizēs of Niniuie left the Arke be taken from England as the Arke was takē from Israel which God grant that our eyes neuer see Thus much of Iobs childrē how euery one had his seuerall house which sheweth how God blessed thē with riches as he did their father what care Iob had like a father to prouide for them then how