all things our owne in Christ but makes vs all manner of waies to enioy Christ it being most certaine that by faith wee heare him and discerne his voice by faith we see him by faith wee smell him by faith we taste his sauing grace and by faith we so touch him that we draw vertue out of him In Nature that which is the obiect of one sense is not alway the obiect of another as for example a voice is heard by the eare but is not seene by the eie but in the Christian renewed by grace that which is the obiect of any one sense is also perceiued by all the rest And herein hath the Lord made his aboundant loue manifest vnto man for looke what manner of waies a man may enioy any thing that iâ—… good all those waies doth God communicate himselfe to man some good things we enioy by seeing and some by hearing and some by tasting but the Lord not content to communicate himselfe vnto vs by hearing doth also call vs to see him to smell him to taste him to touch him that so all manner of waies we may enioy him euerlasting praise therefore be vnto him Againe wee see that as in nature those things which are learned by Sense cannot be vnderstood of him who is destitute of Sense what auailes it to teach the harmonie of Musicke to him that is without eares or to discourse of the comfortable light of the Sunne to him that is without eies Can any eloquence so well expresse the sweetnesse of hony as it is felt by tasting Sensus enim omni sermone est efficacior But it is more impossible that they who are destitute of these new and spirituall Senses should vnderstand those things which concerne the spirituall life Pitifull then is the ignorance of Naturalists euen of them who seeme to the world to be most wise for surely as the bruit beast vnderstands nothing of the naturall life of man and knowes not how farre it excels that sensitiue life by which it liues and therfore desires not a better because it knowes no better so the naturall man knowes nothing of the excellencie of that spirituall life which the Christian hath begun to liue here and by which he shall liue for euer hereafter and therefore being delighted with his owne miserable life hath not so much as a desire of a better The Censure By these rules it is euident that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER III. Of his New Foode The Lords Command I Am the bread of life hee that comes to me shall not hunger and he that beleeues in me shal not thirst Ioh. 6. 35. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that which endureth to eternall life which the Sonne of man shall giue you Ioh 6. 27. Wherefore doe ye lay out your siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied Euery one that thirsts come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse Encline your eares and come to me heare and your soule shall liue and I will make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Esa. 55. 1. 2. 3. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord thou who of thine aboundant mercie hast begotten me againe by the immortall seede of thy word in the bosome of Ierusalem thine owne spouse and my mother graunt that I may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that so thy louing kindnesse may come to me O Lord and thy saluation according to thy promise and mine heart may be comforted of thee my God in Christ vnto whom be praise and glorie for euer Another O Thou whom my soule loueth shew me where thou feedest Many say who will shew vs any good but O Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon mee so shalt thou giue mee more ioy of heart then they haue when their wheat and their wine doe abound Bring me into thy wine-seller stay me with thy slagons and comfort mee with thine apples I know O Lord that he who drinks of the water which thou giuest him shall neuer thirst any more but it shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life Lord giue me of that water that I may not thirst thou art that bread which came downe from heauen and giues life to the world Lord euermore giue me of this bread that I may be strengthened in the inward man Let thy tender mercies come downe vnto me that I may liue to thee my God for euer in Christ Iesus The Christians Practise of this command HOw sweet are thy commandements to my mouth yea more then hony vnto my mouth Psal. 119. 103. The Law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer Psal. 119. 72. My delight shall be in thy commandements which I haue loued vers 47. In mine infancie as a new borne babe I desired the sincere milke of the word that I might grow thereby 1. Pet. 2. afterward comming to age I delight in stronger meat Heb. 5. 14. Hauing by custome my wits exercised to discerne both good and euill ibid. and I know that when I shall be a perfect man hauing attained to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Eph. 4. 13. the Lord will giue mee to eate of his hidden Manna Reuel 2. 17. he will satisfie mee with the fatnesse of his house and giue mee drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal. 36. 8. THE OBSERVATIONS IN the Law of Moses euery creeping thing that creepeth vpon earth and goeth on the breast was an abhomination and it was not lawfull for Israel to eate thereof this was to signifie that no earthly thing can be a liuely food to nourish true Israelites to eternall life The proper food of a Christian is Iesus Christ offered and presented to vs in the Word and Sacraments receiued of vs by faith digested by prayer for which cause the Word is called our food by S. Peter like as prayer is called our food by Nazianzen quod corpori cibus hoc animae est oratio Looke what meat is to the body that same is prayer to the soule Israel was fed with Manna in the wildernesse and they loathed it it is not so with this bread the more we eate of it the more we desire it so farre is it from working in vs a loathing that it wakeneth in vs a new appetite the more we eate of it the more we desire to be further refreshed by it To the Christian in his infancie the word is milke in his
the deed yea Prauis assuescere sermonibus via quaedam est ad rem ipsam But to the children of God it is a very griefe to heare any thing that doth not edifie their hearts in the loue of God intoller abile aestimant quicquid illud non sonat quod intus amant In all purposes the holy Spirit keepeth a holy language when hee speakes of Adams copulation with Euah he saith that Adam knew his wife when he speakes of Sauls going to the caue for naturall purgation hee saith he went in to couer his feet This as it teacheth vs to speake of all things in an holy manner so it shewes of what spirit they are whose lips are no sooner opened to speake but incontinent ye may smell the stinking corruption of their heart infecting with their filthy breath both the ayre and the eares of the hearer Against the eight Commandement it transgresseth in like manner in one of these extremities either in giuing to men more then is due by flattery and assentation or else in taking from them by slandering and backbiting that which iustly appertaines vnto them For where a man hath two things necessarie to make him a profitable instrument of Gods glory and the good of others to wit his Conscience by which hee is approued to God and his good name by which hee hath fauour with men Sathan because hee cannot corrupt their conscience doth what hee can by euill tongues to steale away their good name that they should be the lesse able to doe good to others The ninth commandement is transgressed generally by lying which becomes the more grieuous sinne the more artificially it is set out As a potsheard ouerlayed with siluer drosse Pro. 26. 23. so is falshood and hatred when by dissimulation they are cloked with the shadowes of truth and loue This disposition to lie with dissimulation belongs to the feede of the crooked Serpent who hauing his head one way can wry his hart another way but the children of God are vpright men who haue their hearts and their tongues going vpon one line It is therefore an exceeding great shame to the Popes Church that they professe and practise so abhominable and damnable a doctrine as that a man may thinke one thing with his hart and sweare another thing with his tongue This also amongst many other sheweth of what spirit they are Thus wee see how the tongue is subiect vnto many spirituall diseases for remedy whereof two rules in all our speech would be vsed meditation before we speake and then moderation in speaking It is very expedient that meditation goe before speech wherein we are to consider first if that we would speake be lawfull and though it be yet are we to see whether also it be expedidient to be spoken at such time in such place to such persons our first thought may be corrected with a second better without hurt or shame but it is not so with our words The next that in speech we vse moderation for this cause God hath giuen man but one tongue with two eares to teach him he should be more ready to heare then to speake he hath also placed it within and guarded it with a double hedge one of flesh another of bone and therewithall hath bound it by a bridle to the breast by all these recommending to vs moderation of speech The Censure But now the great number of them who abuse their tongues to all the sinnes whereof I haue spoken euidently proues that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER V. Of his Eating The Lords Command EVery Creature of GOD is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing 1 Tim. 4 4. for it is good that the heart be stablished with grace not with meates Heb. 13. 9. therefore eate and drinke of such things after thanksgiuing as shall be set before you Luke 10. 7. for thou maist kill and eate flesh whatsoeuer thine heart desireth according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath giuen thee Deut. 12. 15. Euery thing that moueth and liueth shall be meat for you as the greene hearbe haue I giuen you all things Gen. 9. 3. But whether yee eate or yee drinke or whateuer yee doe doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Take heed least at any time your hearts be ouercome with drunkennesse and surfetting least that day come vpon you vnawares Luke 21. 34. Be not filled with wine wherein is excesse but be ye filled with the spirit Ephe. 5. 18. Eate for strength and not for drunkennesse Eccles. 10. 17. for he that refraines not his appetite is like a Citie broken downe without wals Prou. 25. 28. Neither eate yee the bread of oppression but worke with quietnesse and eate your owne bread 2 Thes. 3. 12. being content with that which God hath giuen you for better is a little in the feare of the Lord then great treasure and trouble therwith Prou. 15. 16. And when ye haue eaten and are satisfied then praise yee the name of the Lord Ioel. 2. 26. and deale thy bread to the hungry and bring the poore that wandereth into thine house then shall thy light spring out in the darknesse and the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soule and thou shalt be like a watred garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not Esay 58. 10. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command THE eyes of all things doe wait vpon thee O Lord thou giuest them meat in due season thou openest thine hand and fillest all liuing things of thy good pleasure Thou giuest food to all flesh yea euen to the beasts and young Rauens that cry feede me also O Lord with food conuenient for mee and let neuer my table be a snare vnto mee that when I am filled my heart should be exalted against thee but strengthen mee in the inward man with that bread of life that came downe from heauen and doth giue life to the world So shall I be satisfied with thy fauour and filled with thy blessing through Iesus Christ. Amen The Christians Practise of this Command I Esteeme the words of thy mouth more then mine appointed food Iob. 23. 12. I will reioyce continually in thy name Psal. 89. 16. and in all things giue thanks to thee I haue learned in whatsoeuer estate to be contented Phil. 4 11. Therefore I will eate to the contentation of my minde Prou. 13. 25. And albeit to the cleane all things be cleane Tit. 1. 15. and all things be lawfull to mee 1 Cor. 6. 12. yet will I not vse my libertie as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. neyther will I eate of any thing whereof my brother may be offended 1 Cor. 8. 13. farre lesse
age it is stronger meate and when he shall be perfected it shall be to him as hid Manna Let vs not therefore thinke at the first to attaine to those sweet and secret consolations which are locked vp and lie hid in the word three dayes did the people waite vpon Christ before hee fed them with miraculous bread and many dayes must wee waite vpon Christ before that he feede vs with his misticall Manna But alas wee are no lesse foolish then they who knowing the place wherein a treasure is hid giues ouer the seeking thereof because the first day they did not finde it except with hearing and reading wee ioyne diligent meditation prayer and practise of Gods word we cannot attaine to the comforts contained in it Salomon sayth that the people will curse him who withdrawes the corne but more iustly deserue they to be cursed who by a more sacraligeous tyrannie withdraw the bread of life from the people of God As the enuious Philistims closed the fountaines of water which Isaac had digged for his familie so the hatefull Papists stop from Gods people the wholesome fountaines of liuely Waters which God in his Word hath opened for their refreshment They pretend that the Scripture is obscure But is it so obscure in some places that it is not plaine in others Or is it reason that because strong meat is hurtfull to Infants therefore no milke shall be giuen them Gregory the great compareth the Scripture vnto water which in some place is so shallow that a Lamb may goe through in other parts so deepe that an Elephant may swimme in it And to the same purpose he saith againe that some part of the Scripture is like vnto bread which must first be cut and broken before that conueniently wee can eate it such is the Scripture which without help we cannot vnderstand Other parts of it againe are like vnto drinke that is more easily receiued As the word is the seede of our new birth so is it the food whereupon wee are nourished when wee are borne that we may grow vp by it to euerlasting life Euery creature by instinct of Nature seekes nourishment and increase of life where it got the beginning the beasts of the field such as the tender silly Lambes so soone as they are procreated doe turne them toward the breast of their mother seeking the encrease of life there where they got the beginning The fowles of the ayre so soone as they are hatched and brought out of the shell gather themselues vnder the wings of their Damme seeking nourishment to their life there where they got the beginning The Plants of the earth so soone as receiuing sap from their mother they begin to spring vpward so soone doe they shoot their rootes downewards into her bosome seeking continuance of life there where they got the beginning And the same is also to be seene in the fishes of the sea Like as this by the instinct of Nature holds true in the Creature so is it also by instinct of Grace true in the Christian for so soone as he is borne of the immortall seed of Gods word he turneth himselfe toward the same word seeking the increase and perfection of his life there where hee got the beginning For it is most certaine that to whom soeuer the Word becomes a seed of regeneration to them also it becomes a spirituall food after which they hunger and thirst that they may be nourished thereby to eternall life As for them therefore who delight not in the Word of God esteeming it a wearinesse to them to heare it let them excuse it as they will the true cause is that the Word was neuer vnto them the seed of their regeneration they are yet in the state of Nature and most fearefull is the recompence of their error for as they delight not in Gods Word so hath God declared that he hath no pleasure nor delight in them The Censure And by these rules it is euident that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER IIII. Of his New Growth The Lords Command FOllow truth in loue and in all things grow vp in him who is the head Christ Iesus by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture therof according to the effectual â—…ower which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edefying of it selfe in loue Ephes. 4. 15. 16. Cleanse yee therefore also your selues from all â—…ilthnesse of the slesh and Spirit and grow vp vnto â—…ull holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord who perfectest euery worke which thou beginnest bring forward I beseech thee in me this worke of my regeneration Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in me that I may grow daily in grace till â—… be perfected Alas Lord my corruption hath in such sort choaked the seede of thy word that it is scarce sprung vp to the blade which after so long planting and watering should haue brought out long ere now the ripe fruit of godlinesse where in regard of the time I ought to haue beene a teacher of others I am yet alas but a babe inexpert in the word of righteousnes Lord sâ—…ue me from that curse of the wicked that I should waxe worse and worse let me not end in the slâ—…sh when I haue begun in the spirit Punish not my former sinnes with a barren heart that I should be like that accursed earth which beares nothing but thornes and briars these are thâ—… fruits of the slesh which grieues thy spirit but as a liuely member of Christs body quickned by his spirit I may encrease with the encreasings of God and be daily filled with the fruites of righteousnâ—…sse which are to the praise and glory of thy name through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command THE light of the righteous shines more and more vnto the perfect day Pro. 4. 18. and hee goes from strength to strength till hee appeare before God in Sion Psal. 84. 7. When I was a childe I spake as a childe I vnderstood as a childe and thought as a childe 1. Cor. 13. 11. But as I grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus 2. Pet. 3. 18. I put childish things from mee 1. Cor. 13. And now I giue all diligence to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue 2. Pet. 1. 5. Thus being knit to the head by ioynts and bands I encrease with the encreasings of God Coloss. 2. 19. fruitfull in all good works and encreasing in the knowledge of God Coloss. 1. 10. till at
may reape in ioy through Iesus Christ. Amen The Christians Practise of this Command MY life is wasted with heauinesse and my yeeres with mourning Psal. 31. 10. All the worke wrought vnder the Sunne is grieuous to me for all is vanitie and vexation of Spirit Eccle. 2. 17. Specially because the good I would I doe not but the euill I would not that I doe for there is a Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue to the Law of sinne Rom. 7. O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death ver 24. Woe is mee that I remaine in Mesech and dwell in the tents of Kedar My soule hath too long dwelt with them that hate peace Psal. 120. 5. for I am in daily heauinesse through continuall temptations 1. Pet. 1. 6. therefore I sigh in my selfe waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of my body Rom. 8. 23. And beside this I am vexed euery day with godly Lot by hearing and seeing the vnlawfull deeds of the wicked among whom I soiourne 2 Pet. 2. 8. as Dauid was grieued when hee saw how that transgressors did not keepe Gods law Psal. 119. 158. for which his eyes gushed out riuers of water vers 136. As Ieremie weeped in secret for the sinnes of his people Ier. 13. 17. and as Ezra rent his clothes and plucked his haire off his head and beard when hee heard that the people who came home from the captiuity had sinned against the Lord Ezra 9. 3. As our Sauiour mourned for the hardnesse of heart in the Iewes Mar. 3. 5. and weeped sore because Ierusalem knew not those things that belonged to her peace Luke 19. 41. As Paul had great sorrow and heauinesse of hart for his brethren Rom. 9. 2. and in great affliction and anguish with many teares craued their amendment to whom he wrote 2 Cor. 2. 4. euen so hath my teares been my meat night and day Psal. 42. 3. and I mourne for all the abhominations that are done by others in the Citie Ezech. 9 4. Moreouer as godly Nehemiah was sorrowfull for Ierusalems desolation Nehe. 2. 3. and as the Iewes weeped in Babell when they remembred Sion Psal. 137. 1. As the wife of Phinees was not so sorrowfull for the losse of her husband as for the captiuitie of the Arke and departure of the glory of God from Israell so doe I mourne for the affliction of Ioseph Amos. 6. 6 and mine eyes droppes downe teares night and day for the trouble of Ierusalem Ier. 14. 17. for aboue all things I wish her peace and prosperitie Psal. â—…22 Finally I am sorrowfull with him that is afflicted and I weepe for euery one that is in trouble and my soule is in heauinesse for the poore one Iob. 30. 25. yea with godly Samuel I will mourne euen for wicked Saul 1 Sam. 15. 35. and with louing Dauid for rebellious Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 33. but much more with good Ionathan will I weepe sore if Dauid be reuiled and persecuted 1 Sam. 20. 34. THE OBSERVATIONS OVr ioy in this life is not without griefe and heauinesse so witnesseth Saint Peter we reioyce in the saluation prepared for vs and yet wee are in heauinesse through manifold tentations the like we finde in our owne experience As wine failed euen in that banquet at which Christ was present so comfort sometime is interrupted euen in that heart wherein Christ dwels but as in the one hee turned water in wine in the end so in the other shall he turne all sorrow into ioy at the last The causes of griefe in a Christian are threefold the first is the consideration of that which wee haue beene the second is the consideration of that which we are the third the consideration of that which we would be and are not As for the first so long as a man and his sin are one he neither feeles the weight of it nor the wrath that followes it but reioyceth in that which should be the matter of his griefe but so soone as man by grace is parted from his sin then becomes sin a burden to him and a matter of his griefe which before was the matter of his ioy One example of this we haue in Dauid who hauing committed adultery and going about to cloake it with murther was neither troubled himselfe with this abhominable sinne nor yet would haue others troubled with it and therfore wrote he to Ioab a command indirectly to slay Vriah and there withall subioyned let not this trouble thee but how much it troubled him when God renued him by repentance the 32. and 51. Psalmes doe testifie Another we haue in the Apostle Saint Paul who while hee was in his sinnes persecuted with pleasure the Saints of God but when God sundred him from his sinnes what a griefe that sinne in speciall was to him he witnesseth himselfe I am not said hee worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God For when the Lord looseth a sinner from his sinne hee bindeth him to a perpetuall hatred of his sinne and therefore is it that when hee hath taken away the guiltinesse of a sinne yet hee will haue the memory thereof to remaine for as thornes which are euill in the garden are good in the hedge to fence it so sinnes which are euill in the affection hindring the growth of grace in the soule are good in the memorie to humble vs for our former sinnes and guard vs against sinnes to come And this godly sorrow for sinne committed being no other but the dolors of our new birth should not discourage Gods children but rather they are to be comforted with it Certainly the Lord our God is best pleased with vs when wee are most displeased with our selues Mourners might not stand in presence of the Persian Kings therefore Mordecai clad in sackcloth got not entrance at the Kings gate but whom doth the Lord comfort is it not those who mourne to whom grants hee most familiar accesse surely to those that are most entirely humbled and cast cowne before him Then are wee most welcome to God and our face most pleasant vnto him when it is watred with the teares of repentance therefore is it his comfortable speech to his Church My Doue which mournes in the clefts of the rocke shew me thy face As for the second the consideration of that which wee are is also to a Christian the matter of his griefe first in regard of our continuall temptations to sinne Sathan euer seeking to recouer his old possession in vs. As Pharaoh followed Israel so Sathan followeth the redeemed man doing all that he can to bring him backe againe to his former seruitude and bondage Secondly also in regard of our manifold crosses and troubles which like vnto the waues of the sea one after another come