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<DATE>2007-12-12</DATE>
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<NAME>David Karczynski</NAME>
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<VID>151093</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THREE
GODLY AND FRVIT|FVLL
SERMONS, DECLARING,
FIRST HOW WE MAY BE SAVED
<HI>in the day of iudgement, and &s;o come to life ever|</HI>la&s;ting:
&s;econdly, how we ought to liue accor|ding
to Gods will during our life: which are
<HI>the two things that every one ought to he most care|</HI>full
of as long as they liue.
&dtristar;</P>
<P>Preached and written by the reverend &amp; godly learned
<HI>M. IOHN MORE,</HI> late Preacher in the
Citie of Norwitch.</P>
<P>And now fir&s;t publi&s;hed by M. NICHOLAS BOVVNDE
whereunto he hath adioyned of his owne,
<HI>A Sermon of comfort for the afflicted:</HI> and,
<HI>A &s;hort treati&s;e of a contented mind.</HI></P>
<BIBL>1. The&s;&s;al. 5. 21.</BIBL>
<Q><HI>Try all things, and keepe that which is good.</HI></Q>
<P>Seene and allowed.</P>
<P>Printed by <HI>Iohn Legatt,</HI> Printer to the Vniver&s;itie of
Cambridge. 1594.</P>
<P>And are to be &s;olde at the &s;igne of the <HI>Sunne</HI> in
<HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard in London.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT
WORSHIPFVLL AND
SVCH AS FEARE GOD, THE
Knights, and E&s;quires, Iu&s;tices for the pre&s;eruation
of her Maie&s;ties peace in the Countie of Norf|folke,
and to euery one of them, Grace,
mercie, and peace from God the Father,
and from Ie&s;us Chri&s;t our
Lorde.</HEAD>
<P>_WHereas among the many hundred
Sermons, or rather certaine thou|&s;andes
preached by this graue and
learned father, by the &s;pace of more
then twentie yeares, in which hee
was licen&s;ed thereunto by the Vni|ver&s;itie
of <HI>Cambridge;</HI> he left no
&s;uch notes at large whereby the
principall heades or chiefe matter of any of them almo&s;t
might be well collected for the better vnder&s;tanding of o|thers,
&s;auing onely of the&s;e, which he wrote out worde for
worde as you haue them: It &s;eemed vnto me, that his mea|ning
and purpo&s;e was, thereby to commende the mo&s;t ne|ce&s;&s;arie
doctrine in them co~tained, to as many as he mought,
and that it &s;hould not be proper to them onely, to whome it
was fir&s;t vttered, but &s;tretch out it &s;elfe further: neither
<PB REF="3">
that the fruit of it &s;hould peri&s;h with the &s;ound thereof, but
remaine afterwards, yea liue when him&s;elfe &s;hould be dead.
Which moued me thus to publi&s;h them, that &s;o they might
more &s;peedily be caried farre and nere, and more ea&s;ily be in
the hands and eyes of all them, to whome they were meant.
And as they intreat of that matter principally, which was
mo&s;t common in all his preachings, as being mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary,
(namely how we may be &s;aued in death, and how we ought
to lead our life) which can neuer be too much preached of,
or too often heard of any; and therefore if he had &s;till li|ued,
he would &s;till haue preached of this; &s;o nowe becau&s;e
he is fallen a&s;leepe in the Lord, and can &s;peake no more vn|to
vs, and the&s;e points are but &s;hortly &s;et downe of him in
the beginning of his Catechi&s;me, (which yet with great
fruite the&s;e many yeares hath beene often printed) this lar|ger
di&s;cour&s;e of his might be in &s;teade of a continuall prea|ching
vnto all tho&s;e that are de&s;irous &s;till to be confirmed in
them: In which be&s;ides the matter whole and intire with|out
any alteration, you haue his owne very wordes al&s;o as
they were penned by him&s;elfe, that &s;o by the graue &s;implici|tie,
or &s;imple grauitie appearing in them, all that were ac|quainted
with his preaching, might thereby as it were by the
colour &amp; lineaments of it, ea&s;ily di&s;cerne that it is altogether
his owne doing in deede: e&s;pecially &s;o many as then hearde
him, might therby as it were by his footing, tra&s;e out the au|thor
him&s;elfe. Seeing then, vpon this occa&s;ion the&s;e &s;ermons
come abroad, I thought it expedient, or rather nece&s;&s;arie to
commend them to your Wor&s;hips godly con&s;ideration &amp;
Chri&s;tian protection; becau&s;e that being fir&s;t preached in a
Right wor&s;hipfull a&s;&s;embly and meeting of yours helde at
Ocle for the quarter Se&s;sions then; and afterwards (the Lord
&s;o effectually ble&s;sing him, and mouing &s;ome of you with
<PB REF="3">
his holy &s;pirit) beeing written at the earne&s;t reque&s;t (as it &s;ee|meth)
of your Wor&s;hips, him &s;elfe in his life time dedicated
them after a &s;ort vnto you: &s;o that I could not now after his
death, haue alienated them from you: vnle&s;&s;e I would of
purpo&s;e haue violated the will, and made fru&s;trate the good
intent of the deade: which yet if I had incon&s;iderately done,
your Wor&s;hips might haue chalenged them, and recouered
them into your handes. Hoping therefore that your Wor|&s;hips
will fauourably interpret my boldnes, who beeing vn|knowne
euen in the face vnto the greate&s;t part, yea almo&s;t all
of you, haue pre&s;umed thus farre: &s;eeing that therein I haue
not &s;o much di&s;orderly intruded any thing vpo~ you again&s;t
your wils, as dutifully te~dered &amp; deliuered vp vnto you your
own: (as herafter you may for my credit herein, heare in this
treati&s;e the author him &s;elfe &s;peaking vnto you by name) I
humbly be&s;eech you to receiue it as your own: I count it al|together
needle&s;&s;e to write in the commendations of it, (nei|ther
are my prai&s;es any thing, if they were needfull) the name
of the preacher and writer of them commends them &s;uffici|ently,
e&s;pecially vnto &s;o many of you, as knew his great lear|ning,
both in all the liberall arts, and almo&s;t all languages, and
al&s;o in other &s;tudies meete for &s;o great a Divine: with his
great godlines and continuall graue cariage of him&s;elfe in the
whole cour&s;e of his life, which worthily did purcha&s;e him
great reuerence among&s;t all: be&s;ides his feruent zeale for the
hou&s;e of God, which at the la&s;t did eat him vp: &amp; his endle&s;&s;e
paines in preaching the Go&s;pell in &s;ea&s;on and out of &s;ea&s;on:
&s;ometimes almo&s;t euery day in the weeke, for the &s;pace of
certain yeres, and euery Lords day three or fowre times: and
when he did lea&s;t, &s;o often as ordinarily the &s;trength of man
will permit, as many of your Wor&s;hips are credible and eie|witne&s;&s;es
of it, be&s;ides many hundreds more: By all which
<PB REF="4">
it may &s;eeme he vntimely &s;hortned his daies, yet &s;eeing the
ende of our life is to doe good, and he by making ha&s;t, did in
&s;o &s;hort a time, as much good, as if by &s;paring him &s;elfe he
had drawne out the &s;ame in length, if he could po&s;sibly &s;o
haue liued an hundred or two hundred yeares: what cau&s;e
had he in his death thereof to repent, or we now in that be|halfe
to be &s;orie for him? But I will keepe your Wor&s;hips
no longer from him; you &s;hall heare him &s;elfe &s;peaking vnto
you, or rather the Lord by him: vnto who&s;e gratious ble&s;|&s;ing,
for the fruit of this, and all other his good ordinances
towards vs, for our direction in this life, and &s;aluation in the
life to come,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4. 8. 9.</NOTE> commending all your Wor&s;hips, I humbly
take my leaue, praying you to thinke on the&s;e things, which
ye haue both learned and receiued, and heard, and &s;eene in
him: tho&s;e things doe, and the God of peace &s;halbe with you
<HI>Norton</HI> in <HI>Suffolke. 26 Augu&s;t.</HI> 1594.</P>
<CLOSER>Your Wor&s;hips in all Chri&s;ti|an
duties for the Lords &s;ake,
<SIGNED>Nicholas Bownde.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>THE FIRST
Sermon.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>2. Cor. 5. 10.</BIBL>
<Q>For we mu&s;t all appeare before the iudgement &s;eate of
Chri&s;t, that euery one may receiue the things which
are done in his bodie, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or euill.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WE haue heard (good Brethren) hereto|fore,
howe to behaue our &s;elues one
with another touching &s;trifes and con|tentions;
that we mu&s;t not be mooued
to reuengement vpon euery light oc|ca&s;ion,
but put vp iniuries and harmes,
and pray for our enemies, following
the exa~ple of our Lord Ie&s;us our chiefe
peacemaker with God: that we euery one in like maner &s;hould
be &s;tudious of peace in our &s;elues, and helpe others to be at one
among them&s;elues, that the prince of peace may re&s;t among
vs: all this we haue heard at large declared vnto vs: it remay|neth
onely that we be diligent followers of it, for thereunto
tendeth all teaching and preaching, to beate into our heades
knowledge of our dutie towardes God and our neighbour,
that we &s;hould not onely be knowers of his will with the wic|ked
&s;eruant, but practi&s;ers of the &s;ame with the godly childe.
And becau&s;e in this point we be very dull, &amp; content our &s;elues
often with the bare knowledge of our dutie, thinking it &s;uffi|cient,
<PB N="2" REF="5">
that we can make iolly di&s;cour&s;es of matters, whereof we
be nothing at all touched in our heart: I haue therefore cho|&s;en
out this portion of Scripture, to this end, that it might part|ly
awake vs out of &s;uch a &s;ound &s;leepe of &s;ecuritie, to the more
deepe and effectuall con&s;ideration of our dutie.</P>
<P>The&s;e words as I haue read them vnto you be vttered by the
Apo&s;tle to this ende, that he might &s;tirre him&s;elfe vp more fer|uently
and earne&s;tly to the doing of his dutie not onely before
men in &s;hew, but al&s;o &s;yncerely from the bottome of his heart
before God the &s;earcher of the heart. For &s;o it doth appeare
by the ver&s;e going before: <HI>how&s;oeuer it be,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>whether it be
that we be at home in this bodie,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 9.</NOTE> <HI>or remoouing from home out of this
bodie, we doe alwaies indeauour that our actions and deedes may
plea&s;e our God. For we mu&s;t all once appeare before the iudgement
&s;eate of God,</HI> as though he &s;hould &s;ay, Howe men iudge and e|&s;teeme
of me, I make not &s;o great account, &s;o that my doings
may be allowed of my God, for there is no remedie they mu&s;t
once come to be skanned before God, where all the allow|ing
or di&s;alowing of man can take no place.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 17.</NOTE> And herin al&s;o he
&s;ecretly repre&s;&s;eth and beateth backe the vaine o&s;tentation of
the fal&s;e teachers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 4. 2.</NOTE> that had nothing before their eyes, but one|ly
to haue the applau&s;e and the liking of men. I dare not &s;o doe
my dutie, &s;aith he, as &s;ome teachers among you, who frame
them &s;elues to plea&s;e men, but my chiefe and whole purpo&s;e is
to plea&s;e God in my calling; for when men &s;hall haue giuen
vpon my doings their verdict and iudgements, either in liking
or di&s;liking of me, I know that when men &s;hall haue don with
me, with their iudgements and cen&s;ures, that I mu&s;t after all
that come before God, and he mu&s;t take the viewe of me and
my life, not according as it hath appeared outwardly to the
&s;hew of men, but as it hath beene indeede before God, and
therefore I dare not frame my &s;elfe to the onely liking of man,
but e&s;pecially to the plea&s;ing of my God, before who&s;e iudge|ment
&s;eat I mu&s;t once &s;tand, and that is it, that maketh me &s;o
carefull (as he addeth in the ver&s;e following) not onely to doe
my dutie before men &s;o truly as they can not iu&s;tly blame me,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 11.</NOTE>
but e&s;pecially to examine my heart before God, that it be vp|right
<PB N="3" REF="5">
before him, as my outward doings are before me~: becau&s;e
I &s;et before mine eies this terrible iudgement of the Lord, who
is a &s;ore reue~ger of all di&s;&s;imulatio~. Thus ye heare then for what
purpo&s;e the Apo&s;tle bringeth in this &s;entence of our appea|ring
before the iudgement &s;eat of God, that is, to &s;tirre him&s;elf
vp to walke more &s;incerely before God, &amp; not to be contented
with the applau&s;e or liking of men. It remaineth now that we
gather our profit by it, &amp; applie it to our v&s;e, that it may &s;erue
vs in as good &s;tead, as it did the Apo&s;tle: for I neede not &s;tande
long to prooue the truth of the &s;entence, &s;eeing it is &s;o euident
through the whole bodie of the Scriptures, &amp; &s;o apparant as ca~
be, that Chri&s;t &s;hall come to iudgement: it is a thing euident y|nough
of it &s;elfe, and denied of none, the &s;imple&s;t of all doe ac|knowledge
it, euery one knoweth that doomes day wil come,
it is an article of our Creede, that Chri&s;t &s;hall come to iudge vs,
&s;o that I neede not bu&s;ie my &s;elfe to &s;et out that matter in large
proofe, which is of all &s;o generally confe&s;&s;ed: but this e&s;pecially
we haue to note out of it, that we learne to make our profit &amp;
benefit by it vnto our &s;oules health, as the Apo&s;tle doth vnto
his &s;oule, and applie it vnto our &s;oules, as he doth vnto him&s;elfe.
For he bringeth this &s;entence, not to doe vs to vnder&s;tande,
that he knoweth onely and acknowledgeth a iudgement to
come (for the very diuels do in like maner &s;o much, &amp; yet cea&s;e
not continually to rage again&s;t God) but that by the acknow|ledging
of that iudgement,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. 11.</NOTE> he is inwardly touched with a re|uerent
feare, and an earne&s;t de&s;ire to doe his dutie and walk vp|rightly
both outwardly before man, &amp; inwardly before God.
This profit doth he gather to him &s;elfe then, by thinking vpon
the iudgement to come, &amp; &s;etting it before his eies, that therby
he is &s;tirred vp to walke this life warily &amp; &s;incerely both before
God &amp; men: &amp; by this example we are admoni&s;hed (good bre|thren)
to doe the like, that is, to &s;et the remembrance of the
iudgement &s;eat of God before our eyes, that thereby we may
be rai&s;ed from our &s;ecuritie: but alas, we are very farre from
it; euery one of vs, I graunt, can confe&s;&s;e, (and I thinke we doe
beleeue it too) that Chri&s;t &s;hall come to iudgement, we can &s;o
&s;ay, but alas we goe no further, wee gather not hereupon
<PB N="4" REF="6">
with the Apo&s;tle, a le&s;&s;on to our &s;elues to walke therefore vp|rightly
and without guile before God, knowing that all our
doings mu&s;t once come to the skanning before his iudgement:
this we leaue out, and content our &s;elues onely with a vain re|petition
of bare words in our Creede: &amp; think that we are no|table
Chri&s;tians when wee haue rolled vp the wordes in our
Creede, that Chri&s;t &s;hall come to iudge both the quicke and
the dead, &amp; in the meane time neuer apply it to our life, to take
admonition thereby to walke in the feare of our God, this I &s;ay,
men litle thinke vpon: but we &s;ee how the Apo&s;tle teacheth
vs another le&s;&s;on by his example, to apply the con&s;ideration of
the comming of Chri&s;t vnto our &s;oules with feare and tremb|ling,
to walke in &s;implicitie before God, becau&s;e we cannot e|&s;cape
his iudgement. And it &s;tandeth vs in hand to learne it
well, and put it in practi&s;e, for we &s;ee the vntowardnes of the
world, &amp; our owne blindnes, how we doe not onely &s;uffer our
&s;elues to be blinded by others, but willingly ca&s;t before our
eyes a thou&s;and clouds and my&s;ts of hypocri&s;ie and &s;ecuritie to
blind our &s;elues with all, that we &s;hould neuer &s;ee our owne pe|rill
and danger, &amp; vtterly to burie in vs altogether the remem|brance
of the la&s;t iudgement, that we might more &s;afely &s;leepe
in our deadly &s;ecuritie and &s;innefull behauiour, to our vtter de|&s;truction
both of our &s;oule and bodie: therefore it is notable
here that the Apo&s;tle calleth vs to the iudgement &s;eat of God,
for &s;uch kinde of doctrine hath great force to waken vs more
liuely out of &s;uch perill &amp; danger, when we commonly v&s;e to
tumble and wallow without feeling: for as long as we thinke
we haue to deale but onely with man, we take vpon vs to rage
like cruell bea&s;ts, without al rea&s;on &amp; co~&s;cience in oppre&s;&s;ing
one an other &amp; in deceiuing one an other, we co~mit all abho|minable
wickednes in corners, &amp; in the darke night, &amp; thinke
we be in excellent good &s;afetie, becau&s;e our naughtines ca~not
be e&s;pied, nor tried out by men: but alas the Apo&s;tle &s;aith we
mu&s;t all appeare before the iudgement &s;eate of God; when all
the men in the earth haue done with vs, and can finde out
none of our naughtines, then mu&s;t the Lord beginne to try out
our wickedne&s;&s;e: and &s;hall he in like manner (thinke you)
<PB N="5" REF="6">
be con&s;trained to give vs ouer as one not able to bewray our
lewdne&s;&s;e!<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. King. 8. 39</NOTE> No, no, all the &s;ecret thoughts of our hearts are
open vnto him: all our &s;ubtill practi&s;es which we contriue ne|uer
&s;o clo&s;ely are every one of them apparent to his eyes, and
he will &s;it in iudgement vpon them, and euen condemne vs
for them to everla&s;ting torment, if wee doe not now repent
while he gives time. Yee &s;ee then it &s;tandeth vs in hand to put
this le&s;&s;on well in practi&s;e, to avoide the danger now in this
time of mercie, which otherwi&s;e will fall vpon vs. And away
with all vaine glo&s;es, and vi&s;ours of hypocri&s;ie, whereby we
v&s;e both to deceiue our &s;elves and others, and let vs learne now
at la&s;t to walke in &s;implicitie before our God, and in plaine
dealing with men. For otherwi&s;e, there is no remedie, when
we haue wrangled out the matter never &s;o &s;toutly before men,
it mu&s;t be brought notwith&s;tanding in hearing before our
God, whome wee can not with all the fetches of our &s;ubtill
heads, neither deceive nor abu&s;e. And yet it is a wonder to &s;ee
how boldly men dare deale with God, and how impudently
they dare behave them&s;elves in his pre&s;ence, what wicked|ne&s;&s;e
we dare commit even before his eyes, without all feare of
his iudgement &s;eate, as though he had neither eye to &s;ee out
our lewdne&s;&s;e, nor &s;word to puni&s;h, nor yet iudgement &s;eate
to condemne. Wee dare boldly in the open pre&s;ence of our
God commit filthy adulterie, fornication, &amp; all vncleanne&s;&s;e,
which wee dur&s;t not for our lives be &s;o bold as doe in the pre|&s;ence
of a child of xiii. yeres old for feare of his pre&s;ence, that
could bring vs to a little &s;hame here in the world, &amp; yet &s;ticke
nothing at all like bruite bea&s;ts, to commit all &s;uch villany in
the pre&s;ence of our God, who hath his iudgement &s;eate to
condemne vs eternally. Doth not this &s;ufficiently bewray our
blocki&s;hnes, that there is no feare of God in vs at al, when we
dare &s;o proudly checke again&s;t his maie&s;ty, and do vtterly &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">
to bury vp all the reme~brance of his iudgment, that we might
like filthy &s;wine wallow and tumble our &s;elves in all wicked|ne&s;&s;e
and abominations without controlment! But like mi&s;e|rable
caitiffes, which dare be &s;o bold with our God, to make
no account of his maie&s;tie, and doe &s;o lightly e&s;teeme of his
<PB N="6" REF="7">
iudgement continually in our &s;innes without repentance, vvee
&s;hall be haled before his iudgement &s;eat in &s;pite of our teeth,
when we vvould be glad to haue the hils &amp; mountaines to fall
vpon vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 23. 30.</NOTE> to hide vs from his pre&s;ence:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 6. 17. &amp; 9. 6.</NOTE> but all &s;hall not prevaile.
This &s;entence mu&s;t &s;tand more firme &amp; &s;ure then heauen and
earth, that all of vs mu&s;t appeare before the iudgement &s;eate
of God; wherfore good brethren, let vs not abu&s;e this time
of mercy, but now repent, while God giveth vs time, for after|warde
is a time of iudgement without mercy to all tho&s;e that
dare &s;o horribly abu&s;e Gods maie&s;ty, &amp; do not &s;tudy to repent
while they haue time: let vs now, while we liue vpon this earth
&s;et daily before our eyes the continual remembrance of Chri&s;ts
comming to iudgement, that wee flatter not our &s;elues in our
&s;innes: and the more carefully mu&s;t we looke vnto it, becau&s;e
we &s;ee what blocki&s;h heatheni&s;hnes the vvorld is grovven
vnto for lack of practi&s;ing this le&s;&s;on: for vvhat is the cau&s;e of all
the di&s;orders grovven among&s;t men, &amp; all outragious dealing,
but that men forget them&s;elues, and think nothing of their ap|pearance
before the heauenly iudge? What is the cau&s;e of &s;uch
flattery &amp; craft among vs, &s;uch fetches, &s;hiftes, &amp; devices to
deceive one another, &s;uch &s;wearing &amp; for&s;wearing? what is the
cau&s;e, I &s;ay, of all this, but only that men doe not effectually
con&s;ider vvith them&s;elues of the day of iudgement, vvhen all
matters &s;halbe righted, all &s;ecrets revealed, &amp; craftie iuggling
vvith God &amp; man di&s;clo&s;ed? me~, I &s;ay, do not think upo~ this, &amp;
therefore do harden them&s;elues in their &s;inne. And e&s;pecially
here in Norffolke it is a marvelous thing to &s;ee hovv vve haue
&s;o &s;haken off all feare of God, &amp; utterly buried the remembra~ce
of his iudgement: if vvee can once deui&s;e &s;hifts &amp; &s;ubtilties to
delude Iu&s;tices, Iudges, and Gods magi&s;trates, that the lavv of
man can not take hold of vs, vve thinke our &s;elues as &s;ure and
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">e as can be: if vve can find out any colour or fetch that can
not be e&s;pyed by man in the iudgement &s;eate, vvee on as &s;lily
vvith the matter as can be, &amp; think all cock &s;ure. And though
the matter be never &s;o well knovvn vnto our con&s;ciences, whe~
vve do iniuries vnto others, yet if there be no vvitne&s;&s;es of the
matter, or evident proofe by lavv to convince vs, vve thinke vve
<PB N="7" REF="7">
be as &s;afe as can be: &amp; if vve be dealt vvithall by good men to
deale uprightly vvith men &amp; according vnto con&s;cience, oh
vve be &s;traightvvaies vpon them; vvhat &s;irrha? vvhat knovve
ye by me? vvhat can ye charge me vvithall? vvhat vvitnes haue
yee again&s;t me? if ye haue any thing to charge me vvithall I
vvill an&s;vver it: &amp; thus vve play the iolly fellovves in advancing
of our &s;elues, &amp; &s;etting vp our cre&s;t, if nothing can be prooved
again&s;t vs by man. And vvhat if no man liuing can charge thee
vvith any thing, thou mi&s;erable caitiffe, &amp; that things can not
be laid out plainly by vvitne&s;&s;es, &amp; evidences before men? do&s;t
thou thinke therefore to e&s;cape &s;cotfree at Gods hand, &amp; &s;o to
e&s;cape his iudgement? vvhat if there be no ma~ that can charge
thee? ha&s;t not thou vvithin thine ovvne brea&s;t a gue&s;t at home,
euen thine ovvne con&s;cience that chargeth thee of a thou&s;and
matters more &s;trongly, and more fier&s;ly pur&s;uing the matter
then a thou&s;and vvitne&s;&s;es? So could that cruell bea&s;t Cain, that
bathed in the blood of his brother, vvrangle vvith God after
that manner:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 4. 8, 9.</NOTE> <HI>What doe&s;t thou meane to aske me of my brother?</HI> &s;aith
he, <HI>what have I to doe with him? am I my brothers keeper? is he not
old enough to keepe him&s;elfe?</HI> He thought for&s;ooth, he had made
&s;ure vvorke on all hands vvhen he had gotten his brother into
the broad fields far from the pre&s;ence of men that none could
e&s;pie him to beare vvitne&s;&s;e of the fact;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 4. 8.</NOTE> but the Lord findeth
out this cruell tiger, and &s;ubtill foxe, &amp; bringeth in vvitne&s;&s;es
enough to condemne him, that vvere pre&s;ent, euen at the deed
doing.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 4. 10.</NOTE> Thy brothers blood, &s;aith God, crieth aloud for venge|ance
in mine eares: doe&s;t thou thinke to e&s;cape &s;cotfree in my
iudgement, becau&s;e no mortall man can te&s;tifie of it? the
blood vvhich I put into thy brothers body, and thou cruelly
did&s;t let out the &s;ame, that &s;ame blood hath a lovvd voice be|fore
my iudgement &s;eate,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gene&s;. 4. 11.</NOTE> to beare vvitne&s;&s;e again&s;t thee, and
to call for iu&s;tice at mine hand to revengement: the verie
earth vvhich opened her mouth to receiue the blood is ano|ther
loud vvitnes before me to condemne thee, vvhat &s;ai&s;t thou
to the matter? vvhat ha&s;t thou to &s;ay for thy &s;elfe? Alack poore
&s;oule, he &s;tandeth as dumb as a block before his iudge, &amp; hath
not a vvord to an&s;vvere in his defence again&s;t the&s;e vvitne&s;&s;es
<PB N="8" REF="8">
but like an ob&s;tinate rebell again&s;t Gods maie&s;ty, doeth mur|mure
again&s;t God, that he is hardly dealt withall, and that his
puni&s;hment is greater then he is able to indure,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 4. 13.</NOTE> that he is op|pre&s;&s;ed
and throwne downe with the fierce wrath of God. Let
vs &s;ee then what we can prevaile with all our &s;hiftes and &s;ub|tilties
here, where wee thinke no man can charge vs, no wit|ne&s;&s;e
again&s;t vs: the Lord needs no &s;uch witne&s;&s;e in his iudge|ment
&s;eate, he can call all his creatures to witne&s;&s;e again&s;t vs:
the very hou&s;e wherein we commit wickedne&s;&s;e, our con&s;ci|ence
in our brea&s;t witne&s;&s;ing thereunto, the darke night, the
ground we tread vpon, the bedde we lye vpon, all the crea|tures
of God about vs, when we are committing wickedne&s;&s;e,
&s;hall be &s;ufficient te&s;timonies again&s;t vs. The matter that we
&s;o &s;ubtilly contriue in our braines, for to wind in our neigh|bours
and deceive them, euen the very matters them &s;elves
&s;halbe &s;ufficient before our God to &s;tand again&s;t vs to condem
nation. The pen, ynke, paper, parchment, &s;cribe, &s;ubtill pe|ty-fogger,
and what&s;oever haue bene in&s;truments with vs in
our craftie deui&s;es, what&s;oever of Gods creatures we haue
v&s;ed or rather abu&s;ed thereunto, &s;hall te&s;tifie their humble o|bedience
to their creatour to our condemnation: yea, euen
our owne hands that wrote, our tongue that &s;pake, our feete
that went, our heart that devi&s;ed, our body that executed, mu&s;t
needs &s;tand in iudgement as an army of witne&s;&s;es, to conde~ne
vs. What did it availe that mi&s;erable caytiffe, that he could
u&s;e his legges and feete to meete his Ma&s;ter, and his armes to
imbrace him, and his tongue fal&s;ly to &s;peake wordes of pre|ten&s;ed
friend&s;hip,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 26. 48.</NOTE> <HI>Haile ma&s;ter,</HI> &amp; his mouth like a tru&s;ty frend
to ki&s;&s;e him: what could all the&s;e prevaile, I &s;ay, when God
pur&s;ued him more narrowly, and haled him more neerely vn|to
his iudgement &s;eate? what did they prevaile? Alas poore
damned creature, his con&s;cience was made his hangman. The
Lorde needed no other witne&s;&s;e to bewray the fal&s;e meaning
of his fained friendly heart, then his owne con&s;cience within
his brea&s;t, that &s;pake &s;o lowd again&s;t him to his condemnati|on,
that he could not abide, but cruelly cau&s;ed his owne &s;elfe
&s;ame legges and feete to carry him to his owne death, and the
<PB N="9" REF="8">
&s;elfe &s;ame hands to hang vp his body to di&s;patch his life: and
then, which is mo&s;t lamentable, when he thought to be ridde
from his Iudge, then alas did he but begin his torments, which
never can be ended.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10. 31</NOTE> So horrible a thing it is to fall into the
hands of &s;o mighty a Iudge. O good breethren, let vs lay vp
the&s;e examples deepe in our hearts, to bring in continuall re|membrance
before our eyes the iudgement &s;eate of God, that
we may learne to feare his maie&s;tie, and &s;tand in awe of his
dreadfull iudgement &s;eate, that we be not &s;o bold with our
God, to dally with him, and as it were, play with his no&s;e as
they &s;ay; thinking our &s;elves &s;ure enough when we can make
faire weather with men, and with our &s;mooth lookes, &s;ugred
wordes, and faire countenances &s;ubtilly intrappe our brethren.
Alas good brethren this geere will not be good &s;tuffe with our
God, when hee calleth vs to an&s;wer the matter in his highe&s;t
court of parliament, it vani&s;heth away as &s;moke. Tho&s;e &s;ame
Iudas ki&s;&s;es be to common again&s;t vs, and which wor&s;e is, it is
holden almo&s;t no &s;in: nay, I am afraid, it is accounted of mo&s;t
of vs a notable point of pollicie, as without which we could not
be able to live among&s;t men, to flatter, &s;peake faire, and as it
were, to creep into mens bo&s;oms, whereas within there is no|thing
but fal&s;hood and a double heart: and yet we are growen
to this bruti&s;hne&s;&s;e, as though God had no iudgement &s;eate,
that we thinke we could not otherwi&s;e live among&s;t men, un|le&s;&s;e
we play on both hands with God and the world: and we
haue made it, as it were, an infallible rule, and brought it to a
common proverb, <HI>Ne&s;cit regnare, qui ne&s;cit di&s;&s;imulare,</HI> He
knoweth not how to keepe his owne, that knoweth not how
to di&s;&s;emble &amp; fayne: flatterie &amp; faire &s;peech is called holy-water
of the court, and I can not tell what. I know not what is
in the court, for I am no courtier, but I am &s;ure that we haue too
much of &s;uch holy-water among&s;t vs here in Norffolke: faire
words and fal&s;e hearts, &s;ugred talke and &s;ubtill meaning; it is
too too common the Lorde be mercifull vnto vs, as though
God did not &s;ee vs, view vs, marke vs, and even regi&s;ter vs vp
vnto his iudgement &s;eat:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 10. 11.</NOTE> well good brethren, let vs not deceiue
our&s;elves, all this our faire &s;ubtiltie is no more but Iudas ki&s;&s;es,
<PB N="10" REF="9">
and vndoubtedly, vnle&s;&s;e we in time repent, we &s;hall with Iu|das
at the hand of Almighty God ta&s;te of the like vengeances
for God will not be mocked:<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 6. 7.</NOTE> &amp; although during our life wee
come not to the gallowes, or to fordoe our &s;elues as he did, yet
our God hath his iudgement after this life, &amp; will hang vs vp
in hell with Iudas everla&s;tingly: all of vs, if we doe not repent,
yea although we do weare velvet coats on our backes, all &s;hall
not &s;ave vs: there is no remedy, we mu&s;t all appeare before
the iudgement &s;eat of God: &amp; therfore let vs now think upon
it whiles we have time, that vve may be in a readines when it
commeth: for therfore we are &s;ummoned, &amp; in that court we
mu&s;t appeare. Away then with all the&s;e counterfaited devi&s;es,
which be &s;o common among&s;t vs, and fall at length to plaine
dealing: let vs examine all our doings euen now pre&s;ently, as
they mu&s;t be examined before the iudgement &s;eat of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 5. 27.</NOTE> and
far&s;e in no bumba&s;ies of our own glo&s;es, for that wil be found
too light in the ballance: let euery one of vs now pre&s;ent, exa|mine
our &s;elues, &amp; apply this &s;entence unto our &s;elues, &amp; make
our profit by it, to the direction of our life according to the wil
of our God, and not only to plea&s;e man. What naughtines &s;o|ever
we go about, let vs alwaies enter into our &s;elues and &s;ay,
what am I doing now? doth not God &s;ee me? yes: doth he not
abhor this my doing? yes: hath he not &s;ummoned me to an|&s;wer
this my doing before his iudgement &s;eat? yes: O what a
mi&s;erable wretch am I then,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 50, 21.</NOTE> that dare &s;o boldly commit open
&s;in before my God, as though he were fellow with me in my
&s;innes! &s;hould I ca&s;t mine own &s;oule away! O good Lord for|giue
me, I will never do the like againe, graunt me thy &s;trength
to beat back al the fal&s;e allurements of Satan, that goeth about
to de&s;troy my &s;oule, be merciful vnto me, &amp; &s;et alwaies before
mine eyes a reuerent feare of thy iudgement &s;eat, that I neuer
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">ep in my &s;inne, but thereby may be awaked to walke &s;imply
&amp; plainly before my God without hypocri&s;ie di&s;&s;imulation, or
&s;ubtilty during the whole cour&s;e of my life. Loe then how we
mu&s;t apply this doctrine vnto our &s;elves, that it may be profi|table
unto vs, &amp; &s;tand us in &s;tead again&s;t the &s;ubtill practi&s;es of
our adver&s;arie Satan.</P>
<P><PB N="11" REF="9">
But here is yet a further thing in this matter needfull to be
con&s;idered, namely that whereas the holy gho&s;t here calleth
into our remembra~ce the comming of Chri&s;t to iudgement, he
leaueth out the time when he will come, &amp; maketh no mentio~
of it at all. We mu&s;t all appeare before the iudgement &s;eate of
Chri&s;t, but when the time &s;hall be, whether to morrow, this
night, or the next yere, or ten, twenty yeres, he telleth us not: no
he &s;peaketh not one word of that, he leaveth it out cleane: the
holy gho&s;t through the whol Scriptures hath left that time un|certen
unto man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. 36.</NOTE> yea the very angels in heaue~ are ignorant of
that, they know not when the Son of man &s;hall come, no crea|ture
in heauen, earth, or hell knoweth that; the Lord hath hid
it from his creatures, &amp; only re&s;erved it to him &s;elfe: wherfore?
that we knowing certenly that he will come, &amp; not knowing
when,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. 41.</NOTE> might alwaies be in a readine&s;&s;e, when he commeth,
le&s;t he taketh vs vnwares:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13. 35.</NOTE> for &s;o doth our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t ad|moni&s;h
vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. 44.</NOTE> therefore <HI>be ready,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>for ye know not when the
Son of man &s;hall come:</HI> &amp; to waken vs up more &s;harply, he tel|leth
vs, that his comming will be &s;udden, &s;aith he, <HI>at an houre
when ye lea&s;t thinke, even as a theefe in the night.</HI> And upon the
contemners of God &s;aieth Paul, <HI>which lie and wallow them|&s;elues
in their &s;inne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The&s;. 5. 2, 3</NOTE> <HI>the day of the Lord &s;hall come vpon them &s;ud|denly
to their destruction:</HI> yea when they &s;hall think them&s;elues
mo&s;t &s;ure, &amp; &s;afe, &amp; make no more but a tu&s;h at the matter, &amp;
&s;ay in them&s;elves,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 34.</NOTE> tu&s;h all is well, all is quiet, euen then &s;udden|ly
&s;hall de&s;truction come vpon them, as &s;orow upon a woman
with child. God then hath left the certen time of his comming
vncerten vnto man, that we might alwaies be ready and deferr
not the time of our repenta~ce till to morow, becau&s;e we know
not whether the Lord will call us before to morrow: and this
point is mo&s;t &s;pecially to be noted, for el&s;e all that ever hath bin
taught hitherto concerning the appeara~ce before Gods iudge|ment
&s;eat will be altogither vnprofitable vnto vs: we vvil ac|knowledge
that vve mu&s;t appeare before the iudgement &s;eat
of God, but we think it vvill not be &s;o &s;oone, but that vve may
haue a litle &s;pace to continue in our &s;inne: &amp; you &s;hall &s;ee that
this is the chiefe&s;t thing that Satan u&s;eth to bring into the heart
of man, to make him beleeve that the day vvil not be &s;o &s;oone,
<PB N="12" REF="10">
but that he may have time enough before that day come, and
therfore that he may yet a long time take his plea&s;ure in his &s;in
and repent before that day come. And I waraant you he hath
bene bu&s;ie euen with &s;ome of you &s;ince that time that I haue
bene intreating of this matter, to blow this bla&s;t in your eare,
that that day is not yet &s;o neare, but that you may continue a
while in your &s;inne &amp; amend afterwardes. The carnall eare of
him that is &s;oked in the &s;weetnes of his &s;inne, hath heard me al
this while intreating of the iudgement of God to come, &amp; very
plea&s;antly laugheth in his &s;leeue: oh, &s;aith he, here is a fellow
indeed, he is afraid of his owne &s;hadow, belike he thinketh we
be babes, &amp; would afray vs with bugs: he hath bin telling a lo~g
tale of Gods iudgement &s;eate, as though there were any that
denied it, &amp; as though we did not know it as well as he: but
what for that? &s;hould we forgo the plea&s;ures of our youth, the
commodity of our crafty &s;ubtilties, &amp; the hope of our gaine
therby for feare of this iudgeme~t? as though for&s;ooth we could
not ame~d all this geere before that day come: nay, nay, let him
&s;peak what he vvill, we will take the plea&s;ure and gaine of our
&s;inne, and afterwards we will amend, &amp; we tru&s;t all in time e|nough
too. O &s;ubtill deuill that can &s;o be witch the &s;oule of ma~
to vtter de&s;truction! but harken thou carnall bea&s;t to the voice
of the Sonne of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. 41, 44.</NOTE> he telleth thee that this day is not known
to any of Gods creatures, &amp; dare&s;t thou appoint with thy &s;elfe
a certenty of it, as though it were not &s;o &s;oone? thy God &s;aith,
it &s;hall come &s;uddenly, and dare&s;t thou &s;et him to &s;choole, to
be wi&s;er the~ he? and &s;ay tu&s;h in thine heart, it will be lo~g fir&s;t? no
but he telleth thee, if thou be &s;ecure, it vvill take thee vnwares,
in a moment,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15. 52.</NOTE> in the tvvinkling of an eye, before thou be vvare,
and vvhere is thy amendment then?<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The&s;&s;. 5. 2.</NOTE> therfore he chargeth thee
to amend novv, &amp; deferre not the time, lea&s;t thou be taken vn|avvares,
and &s;o caried to eternall de&s;truction, and vvhat &s;hall
then all thy vaine hoping for a longer day profite, vvhen thou
art taken &s;uddenly, as the bird in the net? But thou &s;ai&s;t, it vvill
not come &s;o &s;oone, but Chri&s;t &s;aith, it vvill come at an houre,
vvhen thou lea&s;t thinke&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 21. 55.</NOTE> &amp; telleth thee flatly, that if thou &s;halt
play the vvicked &s;ervant, and thinke thy ma&s;ter will tary long,
<PB N="13" REF="10">
and be many yeares and daies before he come,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. 48, 50, 51.</NOTE> and thereupon
falle&s;t to beate thy fellow-&s;eruants, and deale &s;ubtily with the~,
without regard of the comming of thy ma&s;ter, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
flatly telleth thee, that he will come in an houre, when thou
lea&s;t thinke&s;t, and giue thee thy portion with hypocrites in e|ternall
burning fire: then what ha&s;t thou gained by &s;uch pre|&s;uming
vpon Gods mercie, and hardning of thy &s;elfe in thy
&s;inne again&s;t God, when thy plea&s;ure is turned into paine, and
thy &s;ecuritie and ea&s;e into continuall torment? Alas, good bre|thre~,
that we &s;hould be &s;o blinded with the &s;ubtilties of Sata~,
for the gaine of a &s;mall earthly trifle to ca&s;t away &s;oule and
bodie eternally.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16. 26.</NOTE> VVhat can it profit vs to winne the whole
world, and loo&s;e our owne &s;oule? and this we doe &s;o long as
giuing care to the vaine allurement of Satan, we continue in
our &s;inne, deferring the time of our repentance till afterwards,
thinking that the Lord will not come &s;o &s;oone: you &s;ee then
the lacke of practi&s;ing this doctrine, that is here taught vnto
vs, is the cau&s;e that at this day men are &s;o hardned in their
&s;inne, and boldly goe on forward to eternall de&s;truction. Men
doe imagine with them &s;elues, that although they mu&s;t one
day appeare before the throne of God, yet it will not be &s;o
&s;oone, and thereupon they neuer thinke of that matter, but
deui&s;e all wickednes in their braines to fill their pur&s;es, feede
the paunches, deceiue their neighbours, and generally all o|ther
&s;pite and villanie again&s;t God and man: and all becau&s;e
they thinke them&s;elues in &s;ure ca&s;e, that the day of repentance
is not &s;o neere, but that they may amend all this geare in time:
but it is not &s;o, they are deceiued. The Scripture telleth vs it
will come &s;ooner then we thinke, &amp; therefore amend betimes,
lea&s;t we peri&s;h all. And it is a maruelous matter to &s;ee howe
wonderfully the aduer&s;arie hath preuailed in this: for whereas
God would haue vs alwaies in readines, becau&s;e the time <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word">
vncertaine, the cleane contrarie is &s;ettled in our hearts, name|ly
to take our libertie in &s;inning, becau&s;e the time is a farre
off, as we dreame: and this per&s;wa&s;ion is &s;o deepely &s;ettled in
our brea&s;t, that if men be admoni&s;hed to take heede of their
dealings: for a day will come when all things &s;halbe righted,
<PB N="14" REF="11">
then they thinke &s;traightway they haue a great long &s;cope gi|uen
them to range in: for they take it as a principle mo&s;t &s;urely
rooted in their hearts, that that day is a far off. If they be threat|ned
with the comming of Chri&s;t to iudgement, you &s;hall &s;ee
them make of the matter no more but a &s;coffe and a mocke:
oh &s;yr, if ye giue me &s;o long a day, nay then I &s;hall doe well y|nough:
and here they can fall to gybing, and make them&s;elues
merrie with the talke of the welchman, who hauing robbed a
man of his budget, and beeing threatned that he &s;hould an|&s;wer
for it at the day of iudgement, made an&s;wer, that if he
might haue &s;o long a day, he would haue the cloake too: and
thus mi&s;erable caytiffs they thinke they haue notably preuai|led,
when thus they haue &s;coffed out the matter: but alas, pore
&s;oules, it is no more then a laughter from the teeth forward:
for when they haue put from them the day of the Lord as farre
as can be, and that God for a time let the~ play vpon the hooke,
yet alas, there is a thing within their bre&s;t, that &s;ometimes will
&s;ting them to the heart in &s;pite of their teeth: but yet here-with|all
you &s;ee how common this is among&s;t men, that the day of
the Lord is a farre off:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 6. 3.</NOTE> for when we can &s;o readily giue &s;uch an|&s;wers
as this, If ye giue me &s;o long a day, &amp;c. &s;urely we bewray
our owne heartes vnawares, that wee are per&s;waded in our
brea&s;ts, that it is long to that day. And the &s;ame opinion haue
we in like maner of the day of our death; there is &s;carcely found
among&s;t vs any &s;o old, but he wil thinke he might liue one yere
longer, or at lea&s;t one moneth, or one day, &s;o farre he is off from
thinking on his death: if we be young, oh then we thinke our
&s;elues as &s;ure from dying, as God had &s;ealed vs his letters pa|tents
for our life till old age: and hereupon it commeth, that in
our lu&s;tie youth (as they tearme it) we neuer thinke to make
our &s;elues readie to God-ward: nay &s;o farre are we from all
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> of God, that vnle&s;&s;e we play the wilde coltes in all licen|tiou&s;ne&s;&s;e
and &s;inne, we thinke we haue not well &s;pent our
youth according to the cour&s;e of nature: and into &s;uch bea&s;t|lines
we are gone, that we haue framed an heatheni&s;h, nay
wor&s;e then heatheni&s;h, rather a deuili&s;h prouerbe, <HI>A young
&s;aint, an old deuill;</HI> as if &s;o be we &s;hould beginne to be holy in
<PB N="15" REF="11">
our yong age, it were the next way to make vs diuels when we
are old: and as though it were the be&s;t way to be a diuell in
thy yong age, that thou mighte&s;t be made a good holy man
in thy old age. But I pray thee, what if thy God call thee while
thou art a young deuill, what &s;hall become of thee in thine old
age? if the Lord cut thy yeares &s;hort, and make an ende of thy
life, while thou art playing the yong lu&s;tie deuil, I warrant thee
thou &s;halt neuer come to be neither old &s;aint nor young &s;aint.
This I &s;peake (good brethren) with griefe of heart, to &s;ee into
what mi&s;erable blindnes we are tumbled, that the thing which
God hath hid from vs &s;o &s;ecret to him&s;elfe (the day of his com|ming,
and the day of our death) as though we were of Gods
coun&s;ell, we will be &s;o cunning in it, as if he had not onely re|uealed
it vnto vs, but al&s;o had &s;ealed vnto vs the a&s;&s;urance of it.
And all this we doe, that we may more boldly &s;inne without
controlment, thinking when we are old, we will then beginne
to frame our &s;elues to godlines: but alas, good brethren, we
deceiue our &s;elues, it is not &s;o, we haue no a&s;&s;urance of our
life, we can not tell when it &s;hall plea&s;e our God to call vs, at
midnight, noonetide or cockerovve, wee are not certen one
minute of an houre to liue, and therefore let vs not driue off
from day to day, and thinke he will amende, lea&s;t he come
vpon vs vnwares, and finde vs vnprepared. Take heede, good
brethren, that we doe not flatter our &s;elues, to thinke I am but
yong, &amp; I tru&s;t I &s;hall not die &s;o &s;oone, I will take the plea&s;ures
of my youth a while, and when I beginne to be old, I will
then wholly applie my &s;elfe to Gods will: or thus, although
I be &s;ome what aged, yet I tru&s;t I &s;hall not goe &s;o &s;oone, I
thanke God I feele my &s;elfe &s;trong and lu&s;tie, I can eate my
meate well, and I will not yet &s;ettle my &s;elfe to be readie,
when God calleth me: I may continue yet a little while in
my craft and &s;ubtiltie, til I haue got but &s;uch a piece of ground&punc;
or &s;o much money to lie by me, and then I will amend: when
I &s;hall begin to be &s;icke, then I will &s;ettle my &s;elfe wholly to
God-warde: Let vs take heede, good brethren, of the&s;e bla&s;ts
and temptations of Satan, that we be not deceiued; doe we
not &s;ee both daily and hourely how that the Lord calleth as wel
<PB N="16" REF="12">
the young as the old? and what patent haue we of our life, that
we are not in the number? Doe we not &s;ee that God calleth
men euen &s;uddainly, when they are in as good health as can
be, yea euen when they are eating their meate at dinner, euen
&s;upping an egge is the la&s;t breath that euer they draw? where|fore
doth the Lord this, but onely to let vs vnder&s;tand and &s;ee
before our eyes, how &s;oone our life is gone, that &s;o we might
alwaies be in readines: we &s;ee the&s;e things continually, and
yet alas howe &s;mally we profit by them: wherefore we &s;ee it
needefull, and a thou&s;and times more then needefull, to haue
this &s;oundly imprinted in our heart, and the remembrance of
it continually before our eyes, that we mu&s;t hence we can not
tell when, that our heatheni&s;h eares, and Epicures plea&s;ures
may be cut off by the continuall meditation of the &s;ame, other|wi&s;e
vndoubtedly, good brethren, when we thinke our &s;elues
mo&s;t at ea&s;e, we &s;hal vnder&s;tand the &s;entence here that Chri&s;t
Ie&s;us &s;pake,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 12. 17, 18.</NOTE> That we &s;halbe taken in an houre, when we lea&s;t
thinke. That rich Epicure that wallowed and tumbled in his
wealth, little thinking vpon his death, but &s;oked in his &s;inne|full
plea&s;ures, &s;itteth at his ea&s;e debating with him&s;elfe howe
he may make his life mo&s;t ea&s;ie, and at length concludeth
with him&s;elfe &s;uch a way, as he thinketh to liue mo&s;t plea&s;ant|ly
and ea&s;ily for many yeares: he will pull downe (for&s;ooth)
his old barnes, and build him greater, that &s;halbe able to receiue
all his grayne, and then like a iolly carnall &s;wine, he will &s;ay
to his &s;oule, Oh &s;oule, eate and drinke, and make lu&s;tie good
cheare, for thou ha&s;t ynough laid vp for many yeare&punc; here is
nothing with him but cheri&s;hing the belly and pampering
the bodie, as though God had put life into him, and &s;et him
in this world for none other end, but like a bruit bea&s;t to cra~me
vp his bellie to the corge, and feede him &s;elfe fat again&s;t the
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> of &s;laughter: this mi&s;erable caytiffe hath forgot him&s;elfe
that he mu&s;t die, there is no remembrance of death, but as
though he mu&s;t liue euer: but when the carnall belly-god in
his chiefe&s;t ruffe and (as he thinketh) in his greate&s;t felicitie,
his cheare was cleane changed in a moment, he heard a voice
that daunted his courage, it was &s;aid vnto him in the &s;elfe
<PB N="17" REF="12">
&s;ame houre,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 12. 22.</NOTE> Thou foole, this night &s;hall thy &s;oule &s;hall be ta|ken
from thee, this night thou mu&s;t needs die, and what &s;halt
thou then be better for all this fal&s;e conceiued ioy in thy plea|&s;ures
and riches, when thou mu&s;t not inioy them one minute
of an houre? I am afraid, good brethren, it is too liuely and too
true a de&s;cription of vs Engli&s;hmen, which haue neuer done
with feeding the belly and cloathing the backe, as though
we &s;hould liue here euer. I am afraid too many of vs haue
vtterly vani&s;hed out of our remembrance the day of our death,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 6. 5.</NOTE>
or els haue put it a farre off, as though it would not come of a
long time: I am afraide too many of vs &s;ay in our hearts with
this worldly wretch: Oh, if &s;uch a thing and &s;uch a thing were
brought to pa&s;&s;e, I would &s;ay to my &s;oule, take euen thy full
plea&s;ure, eate and drinke thy belly full, make merry, take euen
thy hearts de&s;ire. Alas, good brethren, let vs take heede vnto
our &s;elues, what &s;hall it auaile vs, when God &s;hall &s;uddenly
take vs from all our plea&s;ures in a moment, and throw our
&s;oules into euerla&s;ting torment? The cau&s;e of this loo&s;enes a|mong&s;t
vs is, becau&s;e we doe not practi&s;e that doctrine that is
taught vs out of this &s;entence, namely that the day of our de|parture
is vncertaine, euen oftentimes when we lea&s;t thinke:
wherefore I de&s;ire you in the feare of God, for the loue we beare
vnto our owne &s;oules, that we make our profit of this &s;entence
better then we haue done heretofore: let vs apply it vnto our
&s;elues, and call our &s;elues to an account, euery one of vs enter
into his own heart, and thus &s;ay, VVhat wickednes doe I know
by my &s;elfe? Am I a thief, a murtherer, a couetous per&s;on? is all
this hid from man? yea. But alas, God doth &s;ee it, and hath ap|pointed
a iudgement to puni&s;h it, therfore I will no more con|tinue
in it: I will now repent while I haue time, I will not da~me
mine own &s;oule, for once I mu&s;t appeare before the iudgeme~t
&s;eat of God. And if the deuill would goe about to &s;ugge&s;t into
thine heart, that it wilbe long before the day come, and that
that thou ha&s;t yet a long time to liue,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 24. 51. and 21. 44.</NOTE> and therefore thou mai&s;t
a while continue in thy &s;inne, an&s;wer him with Ie&s;us Chri&s;ts
words, that then I &s;hall haue my part with the wicked &s;eruant
in the continuall burning lake: that the time is not knowne to a|ny
<PB N="18" REF="13">
creature, it is vncerten, it will be &s;udden when we lea&s;t
think: &amp; therfore defer not to be alwaies in a readines: if he will
reply and &s;ay, it is not like to be &s;o &s;oone, for that all things are
well, and there appeares no tokens of &s;icknes, much le&s;&s;e of
death, an&s;wer him againe, that euen therefore I ought more to
&s;u&s;pect the day to be neare,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. The&s;&s;. 5. 2.</NOTE> becau&s;e it &s;hall be at &s;uch a time, as
men &s;hall thinke all thinges well and quiet, euen then &s;hall it
come and take men vnprepared. Let vs, good brethren, in this
manner applie this doctrine to our &s;elues, that we may profit
by it in newne&s;&s;e of life: let vs not deferre the time till to mor|row,
the Lord God knoweth where we &s;hall be to morrow: we
are al of vs here now, God be tha~ked, but the Lord knoweth
whether we &s;hall euer come togither againe or not: the Lord
may take vs before we goe out of the Church-doore; &s;o vn|certen
are we of our life: wherefore let vs for Gods &s;ake de|ferre
the time no longer, but euery one of vs now beginne to
amend, and lie no longer in our &s;inne, but turne to the Lord
by true repentance, knowing that our time is vncerten; thus
doing, we &s;hall finde the Lord our God mercifull vnto vs, he
will increa&s;e in vs his graces and gifts of his holy &s;pirite, that
we may grow on forward from faith to faith in &s;anctification
and newne&s;&s;e of life, till it &s;hall plea&s;e his goodnes to call vs in
his good time to euerla&s;ting re&s;t.</P>
<P>Thus we haue heard, good brethren, what we haue to learne
out of this &s;entence, it remaineth that we knowing it, put it in
practi&s;e, and that we doe not thinke it &s;ufficient to come hither
to &s;it here, and to lend our eares to the preaching to giue it the
hearing, and haue yet notwith&s;ta~ding no purpo&s;e of ame~ding,
but rather &s;ome hard heart &s;till to continue in our &s;inne, as we
we came: for a&s;&s;uredly if we doe &s;o, the eternall God wil neuer
&s;uffer vnreuenged &s;uch horrible contempt of his ble&s;&s;ed word:
it is an horrible abu&s;e of Gods worde, yea of God him &s;elfe,
whe~ we &s;o dally with God: ye, if I that preach the word &s;hould
thinke it &s;ufficient for me, when I haue told you Gods will out
of his word, and yet not applie it to my &s;elfe, to reforme my life
after the &s;ame, a&s;&s;uredly I &s;hould an&s;wer that horrible conte~pt
of Gods maie&s;tie before his eternall throne of iu&s;tice: if ye &s;hall
then (good brethren) harden your faces again&s;t this worde of
<PB N="19" REF="13">
God, and &s;hake it off, and &s;ay &s;till in your hearts, For all this I
will continue in my &s;inne a while, and for all his threatning I
tru&s;t I am not &s;o neare death, but I may amend before that day
come, let him &s;ay what he will, I vvill not yet begin: then I te|&s;tifie
vnto you before the eternall God, that the ma&s;ter of the
hou&s;e vvill come in an houre,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 24. 5.</NOTE> vvhen ye lea&s;t thinke, and giue
you your portion vvith hypocrites, vvhere &s;hal be vveping and
vvayling and gna&s;hing of teeth: and then vvhen ye vvould it
is too late,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 2. 4.</NOTE> alas ye can not. If ye &s;hall novve abu&s;e this day of
mercie, and Gods long &s;uffering that dravveth you to repen|tance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Pet. 3. 13.</NOTE>
and like carnall bea&s;ts fling abroad, and kicke vp your
heeles again&s;t the Lord, violently throvving from you all god|ly
admonitions, vvhereby he goeth about to pul you vnto him,
he &s;hal come vpon you like a fierce lyon, &amp; vtterly con&s;ume you
in your greate&s;t pride, vvhen ye lea&s;t think: but I hope better of
you, brethren, and good cau&s;e I haue &s;o to doe, I thank God for
it, I tru&s;t the Lord vvill vvorke in your heart, that ye vvill not
deferre the time, but euen novv beginne to turne to him, vvhile
he offereth you mercie, and pre&s;ume not of hereafter. Remem|ber
the fiue fooli&s;h virgins,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 25. 11.</NOTE> that had no oyle in their lamps, and
yet for all that tooke no thought, but &s;norted and &s;lumbred
vvithout all care, thinking they &s;hould haue time enough to
prepare, but alas they vvere deceiued, for the bridegrome came
&s;odainly, and tho&s;e that vvere found readie entred in, and tho&s;e
iolly fooles that deferred &s;o long vvere &s;hut out, and &s;hall neuer
enter in: for Gods &s;ake, brethren, let the&s;e things enter deep in|to
our head &amp; heart: let vs haue the&s;e things &s;o deeply imprin|ted
in our hearts, that vve may think vpon them continually, &amp;
&s;ay alvvay vvith that holy man, vvhether I &s;leepe or vvake, me
think I heare continually &s;ounding in mine eares, the trump of
the Lord that &s;aith, <HI>Ari&s;e ye dead, come to iudgement:</HI> let vs alvvay
be prepared again&s;t that day, &amp; alvvaies &s;ay in our heart vvith
the &s;aints in the Apocalyps, <HI>Come Lord Ie&s;u, come quickly,</HI> I am
ready for thee,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 22. 20</NOTE> come vvhen thou vvilt: that our hearts may &s;till
long after it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1. 23.</NOTE> &amp; &s;ay vvith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>I de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olued, &amp; to
be with thee, &ocirc; Chri&s;t:</HI> othervvi&s;e if we &s;hall deferre it, and take
our plea&s;ures in this vvorld, then alas euen the remembrance
of death, Oh how bitter wil it be to him, that hath his heart vpo~
<PB N="20" REF="14">
the things of this world? it will nippe our heart a &s;under to
part with our goods, to part with our plea&s;ures, and all becau&s;e
we haue &s;o long abu&s;ed Gods long &s;ufferance, and prolonged
the day of our repentance, till &s;uddenly we are taken: then we
could with the wicked contemners of God, wi&s;h the very
hils and mountaines to couer vs and hide vs from the pre&s;ence
of the fierce iudge,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 23. 30.</NOTE> whom we haue &s;o &s;tubbornly contemned:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 6. 17. and 9. 6.</NOTE>
but alas, it will not preuaile, we mu&s;t euen be hayled before his
iudgement &s;eat in &s;pite of our teeth: wherefore, good brethre~,
let vs thinke vpon it, and thinke vpon it againe, that it neuer
part from vs: the&s;e be waightie matters to be thought vpon,
the&s;e be things that mu&s;t alwaies keepe vs occupied, and not
heard with the eare for the &s;pace of an houre, but they mu&s;t be
our continual meditation our whole life: I tru&s;t by Gods grace
ye wil think vpon it, that you may profit by it: I hope well of
you, as good cau&s;e I haue, e&s;pecially becau&s;e I &s;ee the Lord
hath mooued you to this good work, whereunto you are a&s;&s;e~|bled,
that you think not much neither of co&s;t nor trauail for the
benefit of the common-wealth and ea&s;e of your brethren: con|tinue
and goe on forward, be not wearie of well doing, &s;eeing
the Lord is with you in ble&s;&s;ing your labours, remember the
time we haue is &s;hort, let vs be doing good while we haue time,
remember that your callings require the &s;ame, beeing magi|&s;trates
of peace, to be carefull of peace: remember that ye mu&s;t
once be called to account before the iudge for your calling, &amp;
then though all the men in the earth would cleare you, if God
doe condemne you, there is nothing but de&s;truction: let the
vprightnes then of your con&s;ciences be in the&s;e your mee|tings,
that ye may be void of vaine glorie before men, and be
&s;imple before God to doe good, and then the Lord will ble&s;&s;e
your labours in this life, and in the life to come ye &s;hall receiue
full ioy both of &s;oule and bodie for euer. Ye &s;ee then the mea|ning
of this &s;entence, and how the Apo&s;tle takes it to his v&s;e,
to take his profite by it, in &s;etting it alwaies before his eies, to
keepe him thereby in a continuall awe of God, while he skan|neth
his doings, not onely by man, but e&s;pecially by God, who
hath his iudgement to call vs vnto, to an&s;wer the matter when
<PB N="21" REF="14">
we lea&s;t think: &amp; herin how we are admoni&s;hed to do the like,
and to take our profite by it in like manner; thus much, I &s;ay,
hath bene declared out of this place, in that &s;ence and manner
that it is v&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle. There is yet further doctrine in
particular to be delivered out of the &s;ame very profitable for vs
for our in&s;truction, of which we mu&s;t in like maner gather our
profit: for whereas it delivered vnto vs, that we mu&s;t once ap|peare
before the iudgement &s;eate of God, we are not onely
thereby taught to be rai&s;ed vp to a more diligent vew of our
doings, that they be &s;incere before God, which the Apo&s;tle
doth here, but further having entred into our &s;elves, and found
in vs many imperfections, yea and horrible &s;innes, which the
Lord hateth, and which he hath pronounced to be puni&s;hed
with his heavie cur&s;e and eternall condemnation, knowing
that he is both a iu&s;t God and a true, which hath &s;et this pu|ni&s;hment
downe, and hath already &s;ummoned vs to his iudge|ment
&s;eate, we are hereby (I &s;ay) admoni&s;hed carefully to
con&s;ider how we may be di&s;charged in that iudgement day, &amp;
delivered from that &s;ame puni&s;hment, which our &s;innes haue
de&s;erved. This is a &s;peciall point to be con&s;idered, and deep|ly
to be waighed of every one of vs, and not &s;lightly to be pa&s;|&s;ed
over: it is our chiefe&s;t ioy in our life, our only comfort in our
death, and our true happine&s;&s;e after death. Without this wee
are mo&s;t mi&s;erable of all creatures, yea in wor&s;e e&s;tate then
the very brute bea&s;tes: for they (&s;illy poore things) yet &s;hall
have an end of their mi&s;erie and toyle in their death: but wee
if we know not this, &s;hall then in death and after death begin
our eternall torments, which &s;hall never haue end. Without
this although we liue in this world mo&s;t plea&s;antly, mo&s;t weal|thily,
and mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly, yet we are of all creatures mo&s;t un|happie:
for what &s;hall it availe vs, if we winne the wealth, plea|&s;ure,
and glory of the whole world, and at the day of iudge|ment
loo&s;e our owne &s;oules, and be throwne downe into eter|nall
torment? what benefit doth that rich glutton, that now
lyeth burning in hell, and &s;hall, what benefit doth he reape of
all his good cheere, that he devoured in his life time? what is
he better for all the fine apparel, that he clothed him&s;elfe with|all?
<PB N="22" REF="15">
all? what doeth he now gaine by all the glory that he inioyed
in this world? what doth it help him now, when he is in ever|la&s;ting
torments? He would now haue ea&s;e for a minute of an
houre, and can not. Ye &s;ee then it is a mo&s;t needfull thing to
think upon this now while we are living; that &s;eeing we mu&s;t
once appeare all before the iudgement &s;eate of God, we may
now begin to be carefull to know the wayes and means how
we may be &s;et free in that iudgement, &amp; &s;o come to eternall
life: for vnto this end the Lord giveth vs life and being here in
this world, to the glory of his name, to learne all this while we
liue here the true waies &amp; meanes how to be delivered in that
day to liue ever &amp; never die: you &s;ee this, it is a &s;pecial &amp; a mo&s;t
principall point, that wee be here taught, that is, that wee be
mo&s;t carefull to be di&s;charged in the day of iudgement, be|cau&s;e
it &s;tandeth vs in hand in paine el&s;e of ca&s;ting away both
of &s;oule and body into eternall fire. But it is lamentable to &s;ee
the great ignorance among vs in this mo&s;t chiefe and mo&s;t
nece&s;&s;ary thing: there is none almo&s;t but he knoweth he mu&s;t
come to iudgement &amp; looketh for doomes day, but alas, how
or by what meanes he &s;halbe di&s;charged in that doome and
iudgement &s;car&s;ly &s;hal ye find the hundreth per&s;on, that know
eth it: in this point generally the whole earth is ignorant. It is
too lamentable, good brethren, e&s;pecially among vs that haue
the name of Chri&s;tians, yea in the time of the go&s;pell that wee
&s;hould be ignorant of this chiefe&s;t point, how we are &s;aued by
Chri&s;t. The multitude generally are &s;o ignora~t in this, as is mar|velous:
aske the~ how they hope to be &s;aued in the day of iudge|ment,
they can not tell: &s;ome peradventure will give an&s;wer
in generall words, Even as it plea&s;eth God, or by Gods mercy,
I put me wholly to his mercy, or by Chri&s;t, or &s;uch like words:
but aske them further how &amp; by what means it plea&s;eth God
to &s;aue them &s;eing their &s;inne mu&s;t be puni&s;hed? or how they
tru&s;t to be &s;aved by Gods mercy &s;eing God in iu&s;tice mu&s;t pu|ni&s;h
their &s;inne? or how or by what meanes they hope to be
&s;aved by Chri&s;t? the&s;e things, I &s;ay, they are vtterly ignorant of.
And you &s;hall &s;ee not only &s;imple &s;oules (as they call them) ig|norant
<PB N="23" REF="15">
of the&s;e points, but commonly even tho&s;e, which other|wi&s;e
haue great gifts of wit, &amp; skill of things in the world: yee
&s;hall &s;ee a company that are &s;o skilfull in any matter almo&s;t
which is to be skanned before a mortall iudge, that they wil go
neare to goe beyond a good skilfull lawyer, &amp; put him to his
pinch, &amp; yet notwith&s;tanding examine them of this law point,
how they &s;halbe &s;aued in the day of iudgement, they haue no
wit to an&s;wer it, they are not book learned for&s;ooth, as though
only book-learned men &s;halbe &s;aved, &amp; not the &s;imple as wel.
Nay come al&s;o to tho&s;e that haue excelle~t gifts to &s;erue in the
common wealth, &amp; &s;eeme to be of great countenance &amp; wi&s;|dom,
and I warrant you, if due examination were made, they
&s;hould be found to be ignorant in this point, &amp; not to knowe
the way and meanes of their &s;alvation. I &s;peake that which I
know, it is a lamentable thing to &s;ee it. I haue dealt with &s;uch
men divers times, and haue found them vtterly ignorant in the
knowledge of their &s;alvation, &amp; yet otherwi&s;e men of great
wi&s;dom. Wherfore the ca&s;e is too lamentable, that that thing
which the mo&s;t &s;imple&s;t ought to know, euen the mo&s;t excel|lent
are ignorant of. Nay there is yet a further thing that aug|menteth
the matter, and maketh it wor&s;e: namely, that me~ are
not ignorant of this &s;o needfull a thing, but al&s;o they are altoge|ther
retchle&s;&s;e, and haue no care to &s;eeke to know it: we haue
neuer done with carking and caring for our bodies, we ride, we
runne, wee digge, we delve, wee labour, wee toile, and all
wee thinke too little to pre&s;erue our bodies, and in the mean
time what &s;hall become of our &s;oules and bodies in the day
of iudgement wee haue no regarde: and yet euery one
of vs will confe&s;&s;e that we ought to be more carefull for our
&s;oules, then for our bodies, more carefull for the life euer|la&s;ting,
then for this pre&s;ent momentarie life: and yet con|trarie
to our owne con&s;cience, contrary to our owne know|ledge
we leaue the principall not regarded, &amp; bend our whole
force, wit, skill and travell to the other, that indureth but a mo|ment
in co~pari&s;on of the other, what do we now hereby good
<PB N="24" REF="16">
brethren, but onely make our &s;elves vnexcu&s;able before the
throne of God: Nay further, even all the whole partes of vs
both of &s;oule and body, which God hath giuen vs to be mo&s;t
chiefly exerci&s;ed about the heavenly life, we make them euen
&s;o many witne&s;&s;es again&s;t vs in the day of the Lorde, becau&s;e
we haue abu&s;ed them to &s;erue our turne in this bodily life, far
above the heauenly life. So that the Lorde need no other wit|ne&s;&s;es
again&s;t vs to condemne vs in the day of iudgement. The
wit that God giveth vs, which we haue &s;o carefully v&s;ed to de|vi&s;e
for our bodies in this life, and never bent it carefully to
&s;eeke for the life to come, mu&s;t needs beare record again&s;t vs
in the day of iudgement: the tongue that we have v&s;ed &s;o care|fully
to &s;peake and crave for worldly things, and hath bene &s;o
dumb in heavenly things: the feete that haue &s;o &s;peedily runne
about worldly gaine, and haue bene lame in heauenly profit:
the eare that could &s;o carefully li&s;ten after worldly gaine, and
was deafe at heavenly matters: and to be &s;hort, all the whole
partes both of our &s;oules and bodies, that we haue &s;o carefully
and mi&s;erably v&s;ed about the&s;e worldly things, and &s;o &s;lackly
v&s;ed about heavenly things which &s;hould haue bene the chie|fe&s;t:
all the&s;e, I &s;ay, &s;hall be &s;ufficient to condemne vs before
our God, when he &s;hall come in iudgement. It &s;tandeth vs
in hand then, good brethren, to be more carefull how we may
be di&s;charged before the iudgement &s;eat of God, and &s;o come
to eternall life: more carefull, I &s;ay, then we haue bene. The
matter mu&s;t once come to handling, and it is a waightie mat|ter,
it toucheth the life euerla&s;ting. There is none of vs all, but
if we had a matter to be an&s;vvered before an earthly iudge, if
it vvere but touching a parcell of our lands &amp; goods, if it were
but an hundreth pound matter or a thou&s;and pound, there is
none of vs all, I &s;ay, but in &s;uch a ca&s;e we would be marveilous
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">refull for the an&s;vvering of it, and &s;eeke all the meanes po&s;|&s;ible
to know the remedy in law hovv to be di&s;charged: but if
it were a matter that touched the lo&s;&s;e of our life, oh then vvee
vvould trudge po&s;t vp and dovvne for coun&s;ell this way and
that way, and &s;eeke all the meanes that could be: vve could
never &s;leepe quiet in our beddes, till vve knevv hovv the matter
<PB N="25" REF="16">
would fall out. But in the ca&s;e that mu&s;t be an&s;wered before
the heauenly iudge, and toucheth the lo&s;&s;e of the lands of hea|ven,
the lo&s;&s;e of the goods of heaven, the lo&s;&s;e of the life euer|la&s;ting,
O Lord, how carele&s;&s;e are we? we never care for it, we
neuer ride nor run for it, we never breake our &s;leepe for it: wee
&s;hall &s;ee men in this behalfe as &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e as can be, utterly o|uerwhelmed
with a bruti&s;h &s;ecuritie: &amp; yet we think our &s;elues
notable Chri&s;tians, and to haue wound up the matter very
cunningly, when we can haue giuen &s;ome generall an&s;weres,
as to &s;ay, euen as it plea&s;eth God: but as he hath revealed him|&s;elfe
in his word, we never &s;eeke that, but only keepe our &s;elues
contented with &s;uch generall &s;peeches, and never &s;eeke in his
word the mean how. If there were any &s;uch one among vs, as
hauing a waighty matter before a iudge to be an&s;wered, cared
not for it, and would &s;eeke no coun&s;ell, nor v&s;e no wayes nor
meanes for to an&s;were the matter, would wee not &s;harply re|buke
the man, &amp; bid him take heed to him&s;elfe, to &s;eek for help
in time, and ca&s;t not him&s;elfe away, &amp; his wife and children,
&amp; &s;o forth? and yet if the &s;tubborne man would notwith&s;tan|ding
be carele&s;&s;e of the matter &s;till, and wilfully ca&s;t him&s;elfe
away, will we not &s;ay &s;traightwaies, hee was well &s;erued? he
mought haue helped the matter if he would haue &s;ought for it
in time, but he would take no coun&s;ell, and therefore hee hath
ca&s;t him&s;elfe away? we can haue the&s;e &s;peeches too common
in our mouthes concerning the&s;e worldly matters, and yet in
the meane time doe ye not &s;ee, how we giue &s;entence again&s;t
our &s;elues? for, there is none of vs all, but we have a great waigh|tie
matter of life and death, of &s;oule and body to an&s;wer before
the great iudge Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and yet as though the matter
were nothing we will not now in this time of mercie be care|full
how wee may an&s;were it, but onely wipe it avvay with
a worde: even as it plea&s;eth God (&s;ay wee) euen as it plea|&s;eth
God. True it is, that all mu&s;t be as it plea&s;eth God, that is
true, and that God will deale with vs in that la&s;t iudgement
even as it plea&s;eth him, all that is true: but &s;eeing God hath
&s;et downe in his vvorde hovv and by what meanes it plea|&s;eth
<PB N="26" REF="17">
him to deliuer us &amp; di&s;charge us in that iudgement, if we
&s;hall now not &s;eeke to know that &s;ame meanes of our deliue|rance,
which he hath &s;o plainely left unto us in his worde,
&s;urely we can not but be guiltie of our owne condemnation,
and mu&s;t needes confe&s;&s;e, that we are but rightly &s;erued at
the hands of our Iudge, when hee giueth &s;entence of con|demnation
upon us, becau&s;e vvee would not &s;eeke that coun|&s;ell,
that the Lorde had left us, nor &s;eeke to know the way
and meanes of our deliverance, when wee had time, al|though
wee can couer it neuer &s;o clo&s;ely, with, as it plea|&s;eth
God, as it plea&s;eth God. Wee &s;hall finde that it plea|&s;eth
God to puni&s;h with euerla&s;ting de&s;truction &s;uch horrible
negligence and contempt of our &s;aluation. Away then with
all &s;uch vaine colours as Satan would ca&s;t before our eyes to
make us negligent &s;till: and let us in the feare of God begin
to &s;eeke carefully how wee may be di&s;charged in the day of
iudgement, and &s;o come to euerla&s;ting life. It is a waightie
matter, it is a great matter, it mu&s;t be looked unto, it pa&s;&s;eth
a We&s;tmin&s;ter matter, this toucheth landes, goods, and life
euerla&s;ting. The rea&s;on that maketh men &s;o retchle&s;&s;e and
negligent in caring for the heauenly life, is becau&s;e wee
dreame it to be but an ea&s;ie matter to come to euerla&s;ting life,
we thinke it but a &s;mall matter and &s;oone gotten, and there|fore
we bu&s;ie our &s;elues the le&s;&s;e about it. True it is we will not
&s;ay &s;o with our tongue and lippes, that it is but a &s;mall matter,
but it is evident, that we accept it &s;o in our hearts, &s;eeing we
take &s;o little paine about it. For that we might obtaine the
things that we iudge hard to come by, we doe not v&s;e &s;mall
paines, but great care and labour, for otherwi&s;e we thinke that
can not be had: that is it that maketh vs &s;o carefull for the bo|dily
life, becau&s;e we &s;ee it &s;o hard a thing, that doe we what
we can, all is little enough to get vs our living. So that if we
were per&s;waded, that if it were as hard a matter to get ever|la&s;ting
life, as we &s;ee it is to get a temporall thing, we would be|&s;tow
as much paines in the one, as in the other: and therefore
&s;ay what we will, our owne heart condemneth vs, that wee
<PB N="27" REF="17">
count it but an ea&s;ie matter, and therefore are too negligent to
prouide for it. And againe, the griefes and mi&s;eries of our &s;oules
we do not feele halfe &s;o much, as the paines and griefes of our
bodies, and therefore that maketh vs to be &s;o carefull to pro|uide
remedies for the one, and utterly to neglect the other: if
our bodies be but a little touched with &s;ickne&s;&s;e, we can feele
it &s;traightwaies, we can complaine, &s;igh, and grone, and be|cau&s;e
we feele the paine nip us, there is riding and running for
the phi&s;itian, no co&s;t, no labour &s;pared, yea if our litle finger be
but cut, we make a doe in wrapping and &s;aluing, &amp; all becau&s;e
we feele the griefe of it: &amp; yet for all that the &s;illy poore &s;oule,
that &s;ame nice body is pained with &s;ickne&s;&s;e euen unto death,
wounded unto eternall damnation with the fiery dartes of
whordome, covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, u&s;ury, oppre&s;&s;ion, craftie dealing,
idolatry, &s;uper&s;tition, vaine glory, and &s;uch like others, and like
&s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e blockes, we feele it neuer a whit, it is no griefe unto
us, no paine unto us at all. The&s;e di&s;ea&s;es of our &s;oules do not
greeue us a whit, and therefore we are not carefull to runne to
the phi&s;itian Ie&s;us Chri&s;t to be cured: if the body be but a little
pinched with cold, nakedne&s;&s;e, hunger, or any other calamitie,
we cannot abide it, it grieveth us, we are marveilou&s;ly troubled
with it, and therefore are we &s;o carefull to provide meate for
the bodie, and clothes for our backe, we haue never done with
that, all is too little, that we can cramme into this our filthie
paunch, and to hang upon our la&s;ie backes, all is too little, we
haue neuer done purcha&s;ing, and preparing for it. What &s;hall I
&s;ay? whole towne&s;hips and lord&s;hips will not &s;erue to fill this
our greedie maw, and cloath our fine and delicate backe. And
yet in the meane time alas, our poore &s;oule within, &s;tarued
with hunger, pined euen to death with cold and nakedne&s;&s;e,
and we not a whit carefull to prouide for it the bread of life,
the food of life to releeue his hunger, nor the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of
Chri&s;t to cloath the nakednes of it, lea&s;t it die eternally: we are
not a whit carefull for that, becau&s;e we feele nothing at all the
mi&s;ery &amp; da~ger that our &s;oules be in. The whol world is a&s;leep
in &s;inne, wallowing and tumbling them&s;elues therein, in perill
<PB N="28" REF="18">
and daunger of eternall de&s;truction, and hell fire euerla&s;ting,
and yet doe not &s;ee it: they thinke them-&s;elues in no daun|ger,
and that maketh men &s;o carele&s;&s;e, that they neuer &s;eeke
for any remedie. Oh a harde worlde, a hard vvorlde. God
helpe, never &s;o hard a world, we haue much a doe to liue, it is
&s;o harde a worlde: (thus can we &s;ay touching the body) ne|ver
&s;o much pouertie, and &s;uch exclamations and outcries
for the pinching of the body as is marveilous, and I partly
beleeue them to be true. But in the meane time in this great
mi&s;erie and perill of our &s;oules, in the great hunger of our
&s;oules, who doth exclaime upon that? skantly the hundreth
per&s;on: and although it be exclaimed upon, yet it is but cold|ly
looked unto for the remedie of it: other things yet tou|ching
the hunger and harme of the body they are looked un|to
to be remedied, and this hunger of our &s;oules which brin|geth
to eternal death is &s;moothly pa&s;&s;ed over. I can not &s;ee but
it is the Lordes iu&s;t &s;courge to puni&s;h vs with our roddes in
&s;ending &s;uch &s;car&s;ene&s;&s;e in &s;o great plentie, becau&s;e we will
needes contrarie to his commaundement be more carefull
for our bodily life then for our heauenly life. For if wee did
chiefely and aboue all &s;eeke for the kingdome of heauen,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6. 33.</NOTE> God
giueth his promi&s;e that all other things needefull &s;hould be mi|ni&s;tred
vnto vs: but becau&s;e we will needes be wi&s;er then
God, like a young &s;choller to &s;et him to &s;choole, and whether
he will or not, needes before the kingdome of heauen &s;eeke
the kingdome of this world, he laieth our owne deui&s;es vpon
our owne necks, and giueth vs neither the one nor the other.
Therefore let vs repent in time, for a iudgement wil come, there
is no remedie, we mu&s;t all appeare, there is no remedie. Let vs
now be carefull to be &s;aued in that day both in &s;oule and bo|die;
let vs be carefull for it, it is a waightie matter, it is not &s;o ea|&s;ie
a matter as men thinke. The Lord Ie&s;us telleth vs &s;o, the
way to the deuill and eternall de&s;truction is ea&s;ie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 7. 13.</NOTE> broad, and
wide, and many finde it, they flocke thither euen by heapes;
but the way to life, he telleth vs, is very painfull and rough,
many pricks in our way, and therefore fewe finde it. It is not a
<PB N="29" REF="18">
tu&s;h with thy mouth, and a fillip with the finger, and three
words &s;peaking, as they &s;ay, at a mans death, that will bring
a man to heauen; nay the Lorde Ie&s;us &s;aith, that in that day
there &s;hall be many that can &s;ay gloriou&s;ly, Lord, Lord, yea
and with great knowledge haue taught other the Lord, and
yet for all that &s;hall haue their portion with the deuill in the
burning lake. Men thinke it not &s;o waightie a matter, becau&s;e
they do not &s;ee in what peril &amp; danger they &s;tand in, they think
them&s;elues in good ca&s;e, becau&s;e they &s;ee a great number
wor&s;e then they: they thinke they &s;hall doe as well as the re&s;t,
and they are content to take part with the re&s;t, and becau&s;e
Satan hath blinded them, they thinke if they be void of great
notorious crimes, &s;uch as are puni&s;hed with death by the ma|gi&s;trate,
trea&s;on, murder, theft, and &s;uch like, they thinke God
can not iu&s;tly condemne them; what (&s;ay they) I labour truly
for my liuing, and I thanke God I am no thiefe nor murtherer,
I tru&s;t I &s;hall doe well ynough in the day of iudgement: &s;o he
thinketh becau&s;e he is not an outragious &s;inner, his other &s;innes
be but &s;mal petie &s;innes, &amp; that God mu&s;t needs forgiue, and &s;o
he flattereth him&s;elfe: and becau&s;e he &s;eeth not the daunger
of his &s;innes, he neuer careth to prouide the remedie. But alas, it
is farre othervvi&s;e, the puni&s;hment even of the lea&s;t &s;inne, if
it were but in thought is the eternall cur&s;e of God, and his e|verla&s;ting
vengeance: the Lord God him&s;elfe hath appoin|ted
it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 27. 26.</NOTE> which can not goe backe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> <HI>Cur&s;ed,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>be everie
one, which doeth not fulfill all things, that are vvritten in the booke
of the Lawe:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 22.</NOTE> vvhere be novv your &s;mall &s;innes, vvhen God
appointeth his cur&s;e to all? And our Saviour Chri&s;t telleth
vs, that he that &s;peaketh but a railing vvorde, as foole or &s;uch
like, is guiltie of hell fire: where be novv our pety &s;innes, when
a vvorde &s;peaking is hell fire? Let me &s;ee vvhat man vpon
earth novv is not guiltie of hell fire.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 20. 9.</NOTE> Who can &s;ay, My heart<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">
pure?<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Kin. 8. 46.</NOTE> there is none but hee &s;inneth; and the revvard of &s;inne is
death:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 1. 8.</NOTE> vvho is there then not in danger of death? if our ca&s;e
&s;tand thus,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 7. 22.</NOTE> then good brethren, haue wee not need to looke
hovv this may be an&s;vvered before the iudgement &s;eate of
God?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6, 23.</NOTE> haue vve not neede to be rai&s;ed out of our &s;ecuritie,
<PB N="30" REF="19">
&s;eeing the great danger we &s;tand in? God is iu&s;t and true that
hath &s;poken the worde,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 4.</NOTE> and therefore mu&s;t puni&s;h our &s;inne
with his cur&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 33.</NOTE> it &s;tandeth vs in hand then I trow (vnle&s;&s;e we
will damme our owne &s;oules, to looke for the an&s;wer of this
geare VVell, the waies and meanes howe to an&s;wer it, is by
Chri&s;t, and it is &s;et downe vnto vs in euery point to the full in
the word of God, for the an&s;wer of the matter, which by Gods
grace I &s;hall declare vnto you hereafter more largely: but be|cau&s;e
it is waightie, and containeth much matter, I leaue the
full handling of it till the next day: I tru&s;t by Gods grace, ye
&s;hall haue the whole matter out of the word of God, as fully
an&s;wered before the iudgement &s;eate of God in his heauenly
court, and as &s;trongly as you haue your euidences to confirme
your goods and landes before the iudgement &s;eate of man, in
their earthly courts: in the meane time, becau&s;e I will not
pa&s;&s;e mine houre, I doe here ende this matter, de&s;iring you in
the feare of God, good brethren, to applie vnto your &s;elues all
that haue beene here taught: haue alwaies before your eyes
the remembrance of this iudgement &s;eate, and thinke with
your &s;elues it mu&s;t once come, and therefore frame your doings
&s;o, as they may be cleare before God, not onely haue a faire
&s;hew before men: and away with this craftie dealing, which
doth &s;o ouerflow in this our countrie: beginne to deale &s;imp|ly
and plainly, knowing that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t will once call you to
account, and becau&s;e the time is vncerten, be alwaies readie,
deferre not one minute of an houre. And becau&s;e our account
mu&s;t be taken by the Sonne of God, who&s;e eies we can not
de&s;ell with our iuggling &s;hifts; let vs be carefull to &s;ee howe
the ca&s;e of our &s;aluation will &s;tande in that day: let vs as care|fully
looke for that, as we doe v&s;e daily for the &s;afegard of
our bodie: con&s;ider it, it is a waightie matter: if our ca&s;e faile
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> in that day, remember all the plea&s;ures that we haue had
will &s;tand vs in no &s;tead, when we mu&s;t be throwne into con|tinuall
torment for euer without ende: good brethren, for the
loue of the Lord Ie&s;us, for the loue of our owne &s;oules, let vs
looke to this geare nowe whiles wee haue time, and then our
God &s;hall be mercifull vnto vs, he &s;hall increa&s;e in vs conti|nually
<PB N="31" REF="19">
his heauenly graces daily more and more, till it &s;hall be
his heauenly will and plea&s;ure to take vs to him &s;elfe,
to raigne with him in continuall glorie
for euer and euer. The Lord in
mercie graunt it. A|men.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John More.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="32" REF="20">
<HEAD>THE SECOND
Sermon.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">We mu&s;t all appeare before the iudgement &s;eate of
Chri&s;t, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>_OVT of this portion of Scripture (good
brethre~) the other day we were taught
to examine all our thoughts, wordes,
and deeds, how they &s;hould be allow|ed
before God, and not to content our
&s;elues either with the vaine allowing
or applau&s;e of man, nor yet with the
&s;imple di&s;charge of man, becau&s;e our
God, when all men haue done and can
finde nothing by vs, hath afterward his iudgement &s;eate,
whereunto we mu&s;t be brought to an&s;wer the matter there
where no wrangling nor craftie iuggling mu&s;t preuaile, but
things mu&s;t be laid open euen as they are in deede, and not as
they appeare to be before men: and moreouer becau&s;e the
Scripture leaueth this time vncerten, we were admoni&s;hed al|waies
to be in a readines, and not to deferre the time from day
to day, becau&s;e we know not when it &s;hall plea&s;e God to call
vs, for that euery mome~t we are &s;ubiect vnto death, yea often|times
when we thinke our &s;elues mo&s;t &s;afe, and furthe&s;t from
death, it plea&s;eth God euen then oftentimes to call vs &s;udden|ly,
whereof we &s;ee daily examples before our eyes: And euen
&s;ince that time that we were la&s;t here, it hath plea&s;ed God to
teach vs by experience, howe true the&s;e things are by one of
<PB N="33" REF="20">
our neighbours in Yarmouth as ye knowe, whome &s;uddenly
the Lord tooke away euen in drinking of a cuppe of beere, o|therwi&s;e
beeing in as good health as could be: thus the Lord
letteth vs &s;ee in what ca&s;e we &s;tand in the vncertentie of our
departure hence, that we &s;hould not giue eare to the flattering
allurements of Satan, to &s;leepe in &s;ecuritie, but to be awaked
out of our drow&s;ines, and fall earne&s;tly to repent, and make rea|die
for the Lord again&s;t he call. VVe are all in the &s;ame taking
that he was, he thought him&s;elfe as &s;ure of his life as any of vs
doth now, and yet now he is gone ye &s;ee; and after him mu&s;t
euery one of vs goe, how &s;oone we can not tell, who&s;e cour&s;e
amo~g vs is next we know not: but euery man per&s;wadeth him|&s;elf
it is not he: &s;o far off are we fro~ that which god would teach
vs herby, that is, that we &s;hould euery one of vs think that our
own cour&s;e is next, &s;o far are we from that, I &s;ay, that we think
cleane contrarie, it &s;hall not be we: it is maruelous to &s;ee how
little we profit by &s;uch examples for all that, that euery one
almo&s;t thinketh he hath notwith&s;tanding a&s;&s;urance of his life
for as many yeres, as he him&s;elfe &s;hal think good: it is wonder|full,
I &s;ay, to &s;ee howe &s;uch examples mooue almo&s;t no whit at
all, but are &s;traightwaies buried in forgetfulnes, as though
there were no &s;uch thing: well, for my part, I can not, nor dare
not, let &s;uch examples &s;lippe, but put you in minde of your du|tie
by them, e&s;pecially when I &s;ee God &s;peaketh, as it were
from heauen, by &s;uch examples, and as it were by his owne
finger to write out our le&s;&s;on,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 13. 3, 5.</NOTE> I dare not but with the Lord Ie&s;us
&s;ay, <HI>Vnle&s;&s;e ye repent, ye &s;hall all in like manner peri&s;h:</HI> gaze not &s;o
much vpon the man, but looke into your &s;elues; it is for vs, for
vs (good brethren) and not for him alone, that we might be
taught hereby to thinke that all of vs are in like ca&s;e, if God
&s;hould call vs: vve be too carnall, vve thinke our &s;elues too &s;ure
of our life: the Lord vvould open our eies by &s;uch &s;ignes, if vve
vvere not to &s;tubborne &amp; vvilful to &s;hut our eyes again&s;t them.</P>
<P>It plea&s;ed God then at our la&s;t meeting, to v&s;e my tongue
out of this portion of Scripture, to admoni&s;h you to be alvvaies
readie to this iudgement of the Lord, becau&s;e our life vvas &s;o
vncerten, that vve are ofte~ take~ avvay vvhen vve lea&s;t thought,
<PB N="34" REF="21">
and it hath plea&s;ed God to confirme the &s;ame hard by vs, by
this example of this our neighbour, now &s;uddenly gone from
vs: let vs take it as though God in heauen him&s;elfe had &s;poken
vnto vs, &amp; &s;aid, Ye Norffolkeme~ beware, looke that ye be rea|die
when I call you at a minuts warning: then we &s;hall like the
deare children of God, well profit by the Lords dealing, &amp; not
like &s;tocks and &s;tones without &s;en&s;e neuer be mooued, though
the Lord &s;hould knock vs on the head with a beetle: you know
how Chri&s;t Ie&s;us teacheth vs to apply &s;uch things to our pro|fit,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 13. 3. 5.</NOTE>
to &s;tirre vs to repentance: Let vs do it then in deed, God lo|ueth
no delaying: he would haue vs begin, &amp; therfore v&s;eth all
meanes to drawe vs thereunto. And thus much for that point.</P>
<P>Now whereas the holy Gho&s;t calleth vs to the iudgement
&s;eat of God, we were admoni&s;hed the other day not onely to
view our doings before God to be &s;incere, not double, nor di&s;|&s;embled,
but al&s;o we were further taught to prouide for a re|medie
when as we &s;ee our &s;elues in &s;o much &s;inne &amp; wicked|nes,
con&s;idering that God, as he hateth &s;inne, &s;o becau&s;e he is
iu&s;t, mu&s;t needs puni&s;h, &amp; becau&s;e he is true mu&s;t puni&s;h with
the &s;ame puni&s;hment, which he him &s;elfe appointeth: con&s;i|dering
this, I &s;ay, we were taught to &s;eeke for remedie again&s;t
this euill, how we might be di&s;charged from this puni&s;hme~t in
that day: for it is not &s;ufficient, that mooued with this feare, we
indeuour our &s;elues to vprightnes of life only, vnle&s;&s;e our co~&s;ci|ences
al&s;o be per&s;waded of our ful di&s;charge in the &s;ame iudge|ment
day from the great debt that we owe vnto God for out
daily &s;innes: this, I &s;ay, is the chiefe&s;t thing to be carefully con|&s;idered
vpon, while God giueth vs now time: and hereunto we
were exhorted the other day, and our negligence herein con|demned,
I tru&s;t we haue amended it: &amp; novv if the Lord hath
giuen you eares willing to heare, &amp; hearts readie to imbrace, I
purpo&s;e to lay out the matter more at large, and fully to &s;et be|fore
your eies, as plainly as God will giue me grace, the waies
and meanes howe we are di&s;charged before this iudge from
what&s;oeuer can be laid again&s;t vs: &amp; becau&s;e the matter is tou|ching
our care before a iudge, I purpo&s;e to handle it euen after
the &s;ame maner, that ye v&s;e to handle your law matters before
<PB N="35" REF="21">
iudges, &s;auing that I meane not to bring &s;uch &s;lender &s;tuffe for
the proofe of the matter, as you v&s;e in your brablings. I dare not
&s;o deale with &s;o waightie a cau&s;e, e&s;pecially before &s;o wi&s;e
and &s;incere a iudge, that can not be deceiued, and will not be
corrupted: I minde to bring into this heauenly court no other
euidences, but of &s;uch &s;trength and &s;oundnes, as &s;halbe able to
abide the pearcing eies of this &s;euere iudge without blemi&s;h,
and that is euen out of Gods ble&s;&s;ed word: I purpo&s;e to bring
no other euidence, witne&s;&s;e, nor writing, then is there found,
and that onely will &s;tand for good &s;tuffe in this high court,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 12. 48.</NOTE> and
no other thing, for &s;o &s;aith the &s;ame God, that by his worde he
will iudge in that day: he will not goe by heare-&s;ay, nor by had
I wi&s;t, nor by coniectures, nor receiue one man for fauour, an
other for feare, but looke howe he an&s;wereth the matter by
proofe out of Gods word, &s;o doth this iudge pronounce vpon
him &s;entence, either of &s;aluation, or of damnation: all deui&s;es
of mens braines, what goodly &s;hewes &s;o euer they haue made
here in this world mu&s;t needs vani&s;h away as &s;moke, before the
heauenly iudge. I purpo&s;e therefore, as I &s;ay, to handle this
matter of our &s;aluation euen after the &s;ame maner, that ye v&s;e
to handle your court matter, that it may more deepely &s;inke in|to
our dull braines: for we can good skill of law matters, we
be maruelou&s;ly practi&s;ed in them, euery countri-clowne here
among&s;t vs in Norffolk is able to &s;et a good lawyer to &s;choole,
in worldly brabbles, about worldly goods, lands, and liuings.
Well, becau&s;e ye haue &s;o good a fancie to law, I wil teach you,
if ye will learne, to be as cunning in this great law matter tou|ching
the goods of heauen, the land of heauen, the liuing in
heauen. I would, if it plea&s;ed God, that all Norffolk men were
men of law to an&s;wer this waightie matter in the high court:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 9. 10.</NOTE>
we mu&s;t all to it: the &s;imple&s;t mu&s;t an&s;wer it: we mu&s;t needs ap|peare
to the action, and that by no atturny, but in our own per|&s;on:
we mu&s;t all be &s;ummoned to appeare there per&s;onally, the
writ is already gone out, and &s;erued vpon vs: The Apo&s;tle Paul
here is our herald, &s;hrieff, &s;ergeant, or bayliff, that doth a&s;cite vs
before this iudge: we be are&s;ted alreadie, and the mace vpon
our &s;houlders, to be readie at a minuts warning (when we &s;hall
<PB N="36" REF="22">
be called) to an&s;wer to an action of high trea&s;on committed
by vs again&s;t the King of kings, for that he taking vs to be his
&s;ubiects, we haue trayterou&s;ly for&s;aken him, and ioyned our
&s;elues with a forrain prince enemie to this high king: &amp; further
al&s;o to an&s;wer an other action of rebellion again&s;t his maie&s;tie,
for that he fauourably receiuing vs to mercie, after our trea|&s;on
committed again&s;t him, haue neuer &s;ince cea&s;ed to ri&s;e vp
again&s;t him, but continually &s;purned again&s;t his will, and ne|uer
would &s;uffer our &s;elues to be ruled by him, but like proude
rebels haue &s;tarted vp again&s;t him, &s;eeking to thru&s;t him out of
his throne, and to place our &s;elues, and our owne deui&s;es there,
that we might rule and raigne after our lu&s;ts: and for the&s;e and
many &s;uch like hainous crimes are we to receiue iudgement, to
loo&s;e the hold we haue of Gods kingdome in heauen, and to
take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the eternall torments in hell. The&s;e great and
weightie matters are we &s;ummoned to an&s;wer vnto, not in
We&s;tmin&s;ter court before my L. chiefe Iu&s;tice, my L. Chaun|celour,
the Q. Maie&s;tie, or her coun&s;ell; tho&s;e be men fle&s;h and
blood, and not appointed iudges of &s;o waightie matters, they
mu&s;t needs come to be iudged them &s;elues, and yeild vp their
account then and there: but we are &s;ummoned to an&s;wer the&s;e
matters in the Court holden in heaue~, before the kings maie&s;ty
of the whole earth, and his coun&s;ell and a&s;&s;embly of glorious
Angels, before my Lord chiefe iu&s;tice of the whole earth, and
Chauncelour of the whole world, the deare Sonne of God, Ie|&s;us
Chri&s;t the Lord of all: before him we mu&s;t appeare per&s;o|nally
then and there, to an&s;wer the&s;e and &s;uch other waightie
matters, as &s;halbe laid to our charge. Thus we are all &s;ummo|ned
and a&s;cited, &amp; thether mu&s;t we go whither we will or not,
there will no bayle &s;erue, we can not v&s;e any &s;hift to winde vs
out of his pre&s;ence, we can not fee the officer with bribes, that
the might friendly in our behalfe returne, <HI>Non e&s;t innuentus,</HI> the
Lord wil find vs, I warrant vs: we are found out alreadie, &amp; ap|parant
before his eies. VVell, thus &s;tandeth the ca&s;e, what &s;hall
we doe then? flying will not &s;erue, bribing will not &s;erue, bol|&s;tring
will not &s;erue, there is no remedie but appeare we mu&s;t
to the action, &amp; &s;tand to the an&s;wer, &amp; &s;ubmit our &s;elues to the
<PB N="37" REF="22">
&s;entence: what &s;hall we do then? I tolde you before, becau&s;e
we might &s;ee the matter more plaine before vs, I purpo&s;ed to
handle it after the common proce&s;&s;e in law, as we v&s;e to deale
with our common worldly matters: what then would we doe
any of vs if we had a matter to appeare vnto that we mu&s;t an|&s;wer,
the writ and all &s;erued, what would we doe in this ca&s;e?
we would &s;trait waies fir&s;t learn out at who&s;e &s;uite vve are trou|bled,
who it is that is our accu&s;er, then we would learne out di|ligently
what matter he hath to lay again&s;t vs, what it is that
he purpo&s;eth to charge vs withall: and la&s;t of all we would be
glad to know what evidence he can &s;hew for the proofe of his
matter: all the&s;e things we would be glad to know if we can
by any meanes before vvee come in open court: and if &s;o be
that vve haue once gotten out, who is our accu&s;er, what mat|ter
he hath again&s;t vs, and vvhat &s;ound proofe he can bring in
for to make his matter good: when vvee know all this, vvee
know in a manner before vve come there how the matter will
goe: for then vve vvill &s;eeke out our euidence on our &s;ide, what
&s;ound geere vve haue, and hovv vve may make an&s;were to his
euidences on the contrary &s;ide: thus vve v&s;e to do in our world|ly
matters. It &s;tandeth vs in hand I trow to be as carefull in
this our heauenly action. Novv before vve come to the iudge,
vnle&s;&s;e we will loo&s;e the hold of euerla&s;ting life, and throvve
our &s;elues headlong into everla&s;ting death. It &s;tandeth vs vp|on
lo&s;&s;e of life and goods euerla&s;ting to looke to this geere,
both to looke out our accu&s;er and pur&s;uer of this matter again&s;t
vs, and al&s;o vvhat vvee are charged vvith: and finally vvhat
proofes he hath for it, that knovving the matter throughly, we
may be carefull to &s;ee it an&s;vvered novv before the great iudge|ment
day come &s;odenly vpon vs. Who is then our accu&s;er? can
we knovv that? I told you the vvord of God vvill lead vs &s;trait
to all tho&s;e things that mu&s;t be handled in this iudgement, as
&s;trait &amp; more &s;traight then any coun&s;ellour can infourme vs of
our vvordly matters out of his lavv booke.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoc. 12. 9.</NOTE> The holy gho&s;t tel|leth
vs plainly, that the deuill is our accu&s;er, for &s;o he &s;aith, the
great dragon, that old &s;erpent, which is called the deuill &amp; Sa|tan,
vvhich deceiueth the vvhole vvorld, &amp; the accu&s;er of our
<PB N="38" REF="23">
brethren, vvhich accu&s;eth them before God day and night, the
&s;ame old &s;ubtill bea&s;t, &s;aith he, is throwen downe. Lo here the
&s;pirit of God giueth us to under&s;tand, that we haue an olde
&s;ubtill &s;erpent, the deuill, that by his craft hath deceiued the
whole vvorld, we haue &s;uch a furious bea&s;t our accu&s;er: yea,
that doth not re&s;erue his matter till then only, but euen now is
alwaies accu&s;ing vs before our God, and neuer cea&s;eth night
nor day: it is high time for us then to looke about us, &s;eeing
we haue &s;o craftie an accu&s;er that hath by his &s;ubtiltie decei|ued
&s;o many, and by his long experience is an old worne &s;ol|dier
in &s;uch dealing, yea, and our olde &s;worne enemie, furi|ou&s;ly
&s;et on rage again&s;t us to de&s;troy vs in a moment if he
could: be &s;ure we &s;hall haue no fauour at his hand, but what|&s;oeuer
he can lay again&s;t vs, for he hath bene priuie to mo&s;t
of our naughtie doings, yea the very authour him &s;elfe, and
we his &s;laues in doing them: vvell then ye &s;ee, &s;eeing we haue
&s;uch an enemie for our accu&s;er, we had neede to furni&s;h our
&s;elues on all &s;ides again&s;t him. But what can he lay to our
charge now? let vs &s;ee that: hath he any matter of waight to
lay to our charge? Hee layeth to our charge matters of high
trea&s;on again&s;t God the &s;upreme King, and rebellion again&s;t
his maie&s;tie, and there withall putteth in his plea, to prooue us
guiltie of the forfeiture of our heauenly inheritance, &amp; there|fore
to be throwne out into euerla&s;ting fire: the&s;e matters then
toucheth the quicke, &s;eeing they concerne life euerla&s;ting,
or el&s;e death everla&s;ting: if we be convicted, there is no way
with us, but euerla&s;ting torment. But let us &s;ee what proofes
he hath for his matter, what evidence he can bring into this
high court to prooue this great action: for if he haue nothing
to prooue and make good that, which he layeth again&s;t vs,
then, although the action be never &s;o great, it is to no purpo&s;e,
it mu&s;t fall and come to nought: for it may be he playeth with
vs, as a company of his members v&s;eth to deale with poore
men here about us, who put in their actions of thou&s;ands
and thou&s;ands, and make &s;imple men beleeue that great mat|ter
is again&s;t them, and when all comes to all that poore
<PB N="39" REF="23">
men haue bene to&s;&s;ed from po&s;t to pillar up to London, and
downe againe, and emptyed their poore pur&s;es among the
rich lawers, then the matter falleth out neither &s;o nor &s;o, nei|ther
thou&s;ands nor hundreths, no not of a farthing weight,
not the very turning of a &s;trawe: and yet great a doe made a|bout
it till it come to the triall, as though it concerned infinite
worldes and mountaines of golde, and at the length all not
worth a &s;trawe. It may be then their ma&s;ter Satan purpo&s;eth
&s;o to deale with vs, as he hath taught the&s;e idle fellowes his
&s;eruants to play with poore folkes. It may be, I &s;ay, he pur|po&s;eth
to face out the matter with great bragges in this high
court, and make us beleeue we be in danger of hell, and lo&s;&s;e
of life euerla&s;ting and &s;uch like, and when it commeth to the
triall, nothing &s;o: therefore let vs &s;ee what &s;trong euidence
he can &s;hew for the proofe of it. He bringeth in for the proofe
hereof no &s;maller &s;tuffe then the very worde of God: he brin|geth
in the great charter made betwixt God and vs, wherein
the Lorde bindeth him&s;elfe to be our God, and we to be his
people, if we performe the couenants therein contained: &amp; we
on our &s;ide do a&s;&s;ent to the performance of the &s;ame, if he will
vouch&s;afe to be our good and gratious god, &amp; take vs to be his
&s;eruants &amp; tenants: this great charter &amp; handwriting of God
confirmed, &s;ealed, and ratified vnto vs, fir&s;t by the old &s;eale
of the blood of calves and goates, &s;econdly in the new &s;eale
of the blood of the Sonne of God: this &s;ame great charter &amp;
hand writing of God doth Satan bring in again&s;t vs, to prooue
vs guiltie of forfeiture of the kingdome of God, and heires of
hell &s;ire, becau&s;e we haue not performed the couenants of that
writing; for that is one clau&s;e of the charter: if we do not ful|fill
all the couenants, that then we &s;hould be excluded from
the ioyes of heaven, and haue Gods cur&s;e raigning ouer vs, as it
doth appeare Deuter. 27.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">ut. 27. 26.</NOTE> <HI>Cur&s;ed,</HI> &s;aith God, <HI>is every one, which
doth not fulfill all that is written in the booke of this law:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> and the
Apo&s;tle Paul bringeth the &s;ame &s;entence in, to proove that
all of vs are guilty of cur&s;e &amp; conde~nation, &amp; &s;aith moreouer,
that the law doeth condemne us, becau&s;e we did not performe
the couenants contained therein. Ye &s;ee then what is brought
<PB N="38" REF="24">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="39" REF="24">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="40" REF="25">
again&s;t vs to proove us to be ca&s;t off from God, and guiltie of
the wrath and cur&s;e of God, here is the word of God brought
again&s;t vs to proove the &s;ame, becau&s;e we haue broken and
tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed the couenants which God gaue vs to walke in: &amp;
further to proue that we haue broke~ them (if vve &s;hould be &s;o
impudent as to &s;tand to the deniall) there is avouched the &s;elfe
&s;ame word of God, which flatly convinceth vs, and telleth vs
that there is no man but &s;inneth; all haue &s;inned and &s;tand in
need of the glorie of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Kin. 8. 46.</NOTE> <HI>If we &s;hould &s;ay that we have no &s;in,
we deceive our &s;elves,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 23.</NOTE> <HI>and there is no truth in vs:</HI> the&s;e evidences
and records out of the worde of God do beate vs downe to the
hard ground before the iudgement &s;eate of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 1. 8.</NOTE> be&s;ides the
record and te&s;timonie of our owne con&s;ciences, which &s;tan|deth
in greater force to condemne vs, then a thou&s;and witne&s;|&s;es,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 3. 20.</NOTE>
e&s;pecially before God, who is greater then our con&s;cience,
and knoweth all&punc; yea many things which our con&s;ciences be
not touched withall. Thus you &s;ee here is brought in, in this
iudgement, &s;ufficient proofe again&s;t vs for our condemnation,
it is no &s;leight nor &s;lender &s;tuffe, but &s;ound proofe out of the
word of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 17.</NOTE> here is no counterfeit deeds, no forged eviden|ces,
but &s;uch as are &s;ealed and ratified by the Sonne of God
him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 18.</NOTE> which te&s;tifieth of him&s;elfe, that his comming was
not to di&s;anull them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 16. 17.</NOTE> but to fulfill and accompli&s;h them: wee
mu&s;t not then thinke,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 12. 48.</NOTE> but that this geare, that is here brought
in again&s;t vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 24. 35.</NOTE> will &s;tand and be allowed euen before the Lord
in his tribunall &s;eate, becau&s;e it is nothing but his owne word,
by the which he telleth vs he will iudge vs: and though hea|ven
and earth pa&s;&s;e, yet that word never pa&s;&s;eth: wherefore it
&s;tandeth vs now in hand to &s;ee how this matter may be an&s;we|red
on our part: we had need to looke about vs, and &s;eeke for as
good &s;tuffe for the an&s;wering of the matter to our di&s;charge, as
is brought in again&s;t vs to our condemnation, or el&s;e (the Lord
knoweth) we be in mi&s;erable ca&s;e: vnle&s;&s;e we haue as &s;ure profe
out of the &s;elfe &s;ame word of God for our di&s;charge, there is no
remedy but we peri&s;h euery mothers child: for the Lorde can
not goe again&s;t his worde. let vs &s;ee then, good brethren, how
we can an&s;wer the matter, and let vs beware that we bring not
<PB N="41" REF="25">
our ovvne cauills again&s;t God, not the deuices of our ovvne
braine, nor that vvhich vve thinke good of our &s;elues, unle&s;&s;e
it haue his ground on the vvord of God, vvhich onely mu&s;t be
the great court rolles that this heauenly iudge vvill u&s;e in this
court. And this is one &s;peciall cau&s;e that mooveth me to han|dle
the matter of our &s;aluation before the throne of God, &amp; not
as here upon earth, becau&s;e euery fond devi&s;e of our ovvn foo|li&s;h
head &s;eemeth to vs vvhile vve keepe vs here belovv to be
mo&s;t excellent &amp; &s;ound, as nothing can be more: euery toy &amp;
trifle that liketh vs, &s;eemeth to be &s;o firme &amp; &s;trong, as God
mu&s;t needs yeeld unto our liking: but it &s;halbe far othervvi&s;e
vvhen is commeth to be handled before God: all &s;uch imagi|nations
mu&s;t needes vani&s;h avvay as &s;moke before the iudge|ment
&s;eate of God: nothing can abide his pre&s;ence there, but
only his ovvne ble&s;&s;ed vvord, and that vvhich is grounded upo~
it. Let us therefore &s;o examine the matter of our &s;aluation, as it
may &s;tand &s;teady &amp; &s;trong before the eternall God again&s;t Sa|tan,
&s;inne, &amp; all the povvers of hell. Let us come novv to the an|&s;vvering
of the matter. There hath come proofe again&s;t vs as
ye haue heard out of the vvord of God, that vve are all of vs ac|cur&s;ed
of Gods ovvne mouth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 27. 26.</NOTE> becau&s;e vve haue tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed
his lavv and holy commandements,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> this is prooued again&s;t us:
vvhat &s;hall vve &s;ay, can vve deny it? not unle&s;&s;e vve vvill denie
God him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 8. 4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> for it is prooued unto us out of his vvord, that
all of vs haue &s;inned,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 23.</NOTE> &amp; none but &s;inneth, vve can not then deny
that;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 1. 8.</NOTE> &amp; if that be graunted, the other mu&s;t needs follovv, that
vve are therefore &s;ubiect to the cur&s;e of God &amp; eternall death,
becau&s;e it is vvritten,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 23.</NOTE> that <HI>the reward of &s;inne is death:</HI> &amp;, <HI>Cur|&s;ed
is every one that doeth not abide to fulfill all that is written in
the booke of the law:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> it is then apparant, that the vvrath of God
is pronounced upon us for our di&s;obedience to God: that can
not be denyed, vvhat &s;hal vve &s;ay then? vve &s;tand before God
to an&s;vver the matter, vvhat &s;hall vve &s;ay to it? I am afraide a
great number of us are far to &s;eeke in the&s;e lavv points of our
&s;aluation, although vve be othervvi&s;e neuer &s;o excellent, cun|ning
&amp; skilfull in other lavv matters to handle them maruei|lous
&s;ubtilly &amp; vvi&s;ely, I am afraid for all that vve are farre to
<PB N="42" REF="26">
learne in the&s;e mo&s;t chiefe &amp; waightie cau&s;es of life &amp; death
eternall. And yet I know we be not altogether without our
an&s;wers, &s;uch as they be, very &s;imple (God knoweth) &amp; &s;len|der,
far unmeet to come before &s;o glorious a iudge in &s;o waigh|tie
cau&s;es. We doe not deny but we haue broken the&s;e ble&s;&s;ed
commandements of God, we confe&s;&s;e that, but in the meane
time, vve haue our &s;hifts &amp; glo&s;es to a&s;&s;vvage the matter with|all:
vve can alledge for our &s;elues, that although vve haue bro|ken
Gods co~mandements &amp; offended God, yet they be not &s;o
great offen&s;es as de&s;erue any great puni&s;hment: &amp; herein vve
be marveilous eloquent to paint out the matter, to make our
&s;elues beleeue that our &s;ins be not &s;o great, becau&s;e we &s;ee o|ther
men haue done greater: or, becau&s;e vve &s;ee our &s;elues void
of notorious crimes, &amp; &s;uch as be puni&s;hed by the magi&s;trate:
vve can very readily alledge for our &s;elues; what man? I tru&s;t I
am not &s;o great a &s;inner, I thank God I am no theefe, I labour
truly for my liuing: nor, I am no murtherer or co~mon whore|ma&s;ter,
&amp; &s;uch like: and hereupon we &s;et our &s;elues in a good
&s;tay, &amp; neuer bu&s;ie our &s;elues to an&s;wer the matter any further
before the throne of God: but conclude with our &s;elues that
God mu&s;t be good vnto us, becau&s;e vve be not &s;o notorious &s;in|ners,
as outragious men be. Yea (good brethren) but will God
be &s;o an&s;wered think you? wil this &s;tand for good euidence be|fore
the throne of God? Doth the vvord of God &s;ay, Cur&s;ed be
euery one that doth not abide in the greate&s;t commandeme~ts,
as in ab&s;taining from murther, man &s;laughter, whordom, the&s;e
&amp; &s;uch like? doth it &s;peak on this matter only? no it goeth fur|ther
&amp; &s;aith, <HI>Cur&s;ed be every one that doth not abide, &amp; fulfill all
that is written in the book of the law:</HI> it doeth not &s;ay, &s;ome part,
but all: &amp; &s;o forth in the re&s;t. Although thou be no whorema|&s;ter
nor murtherer, &amp; yet be a &s;wearer, thou ha&s;t not fulfilled al.
And therfore the Apo&s;tle S. Iames reproueth &s;uch kind of peo|ple
as dare &s;o boldly blanch vvith Gods commandements, to
think them&s;elues in good ca&s;e for doing one or tvvo of the
commandements,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iames 2. 10.</NOTE> &amp; neglecting the re&s;t. He telleth vs, <HI>Who&s;oe|ver
&s;hould filfill all the co~mandements, &amp; yet breake but one of them,
is guiltie of the whole burthe~ of the law;</HI> which threatneth cur&s;e to
<PB N="43" REF="26">
the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ours &amp; breakers of any one,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 10.</NOTE> yea euen of the le&s;t, as
Chri&s;t Ie&s;us al&s;o vvitne&s;&s;eth: yea further, Gods commandeme~ts
be &s;o pure, deare, and precious, that they are to be fulfilled and
done not only with our outward body, but e&s;pecially with our
heart: for the commandements of God are &s;pirituall, (&s;o &s;aith
Paul) &amp; pearce euen to the heart:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 words">.</NOTE> &amp; God that giueth them, is
not God of our bodies only, but al&s;o of our &s;oules, &amp; therefore
giueth us lavves not only to tye our hands fro~ doing euill, but
the heart al&s;o fro~ thinking &amp; deui&s;ing euill, becau&s;e he is a God
that loueth pure truth &amp; &s;incerity, not only in outward &s;hevv,
but e&s;pecially in the in ward heart,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> as te&s;tifieth the P&s;alm. Ther|fork
Ie&s;us Chri&s;t doeth tell vs, that they be broken, not onely
whe~ our body doth co~mit the outward fact, but al&s;o eue~ when
the heart doth break it, although the body haue not done it,
that thou art guilty before God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 28.</NOTE> when thy heart hath broken it,
euen whe~ thou ha&s;t lu&s;ted after thy neighbours wife,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 22.</NOTE> thou ha&s;t
co~mitted adultery in thine heart, &s;aieth Chri&s;t: yea, and if thou
&s;peak but a railing or reprochfull &s;entence, thou art guilty of hel
fire: &amp; although thou neuer neither kill thy brother nor &s;mite
him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 3. 15.</NOTE> yet if thou hate him in thine heart, thou art a mankiller be|fore
God, who condemneth the thoughts of our hearts. Yea &amp;
further, it mu&s;t be done not only with thy heart after a cold fa|&s;hion
with &s;ome part of thy good vvill &amp; liking,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 22. 37.</NOTE> but cheerfully
vvith all the heart, with all the mind, yea &amp; with all the &s;oule. So
that although vve could fulfill all the co~mandements of God,
&amp; yet break but one of them once in al our life, yea &amp; although
it were but in our heart, yet that vvord conde~neth vs as guilty of
Gods cur&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> vvhich &s;aith, <HI>Cur&s;ed is euery one, which doth not fulfill
all that is written in the booke of this law:</HI> if any one co~mandeme~t
be but once in all our life broke~, all is not fulfilled, &amp; therfore is
a cur&s;e pronounced again&s;t vs. This is brought in again&s;t vs ye
&s;ee, and alledged to prooue vs guiltie of the cur&s;e and venge|ance
of God, for breaking his commandements: the lea&s;t of
them, although it were but in thought, yet &s;ufficient to throw
vs downe to hell: all this is brought again&s;t vs out of the word
of God in this iudgeme~t, &amp; therfore cannot be an&s;wered with
glo&s;es: we may vvel enough &s;urmi&s;e of our own head what we
think good here below, whe~ we come before god nothing wil
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<PB N="43" REF="27">
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&s;erve but his vvord. It vvill not availe thee a &s;travv (vvhen thou
&s;halt &s;tand before the iudgement &s;eat of God) it will not availe
thee to &s;ay, O good Lord, I graunt indeed I haue &s;inned, but
yet they are but &s;mall &s;innes, for &s;trait thou &s;halt haue an&s;vver,
<HI>Cur&s;ed is every one that doth not fulfill all,</HI> not onely the great,
but al&s;o the &s;mall, the&s;e glo&s;es vvill not &s;erue at that day: and
yet &s;ee hovv many are caried avvay novv a dayes by &s;uch ima|gination
of Gods commandements. For a great number think,
that if they be not notorious &s;inners before men, they &s;hall be
vvell enough: for they think that the re&s;t of their &s;innes are not
of &s;o great vvaight becau&s;e they be knovvn only to God, &amp; not
greatly hated of the vvorld: &amp; this the, fall into becau&s;e they
mea&s;ure the breach of Gods commaundement by the rule of
their ovvne iudgement, or by the common opinion of men.
But alas (good brethren) it vvill go farre othervvi&s;e vvith vs be|fore
the iudgement &s;eat of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 23.</NOTE> vvho vvil mea&s;ure the breach
of his ble&s;&s;ed vvill not by mens vvord, but by his ovvne vvorde:
&amp; that vvord telleth vs, that the revvard of the le&s;t &s;in is death.
We mu&s;t &s;eeke then for more &s;ound &s;tuffe then this to an&s;wer
our cau&s;e, or all vvill el&s;e go vvrong vvith vs. We go on yet fur|ther
vvith the matter, &amp; vvhen vve are conuicted that our &s;innes
are great &amp; grieuous before God, vve acknovvledge it to be &s;o,
but vve haue remedy enough for it, as vve thinke: for vve bring
in to an&s;vver the matter, the puni&s;hments vvhervvith vve haue
puni&s;hed our bodies, as pining our &s;elues vvith fa&s;ting, vvhip|ping,
&s;courging, &amp; &s;uch like: and the&s;e things vve thinke be a
&s;ufficient reco~pen&s;e to God for our &s;ins, as &s;o much as he mu&s;t
needs be &s;atisfied vvith, &amp; therfore vve call them Satisfactions.
oh, (&s;ay vve) vve haue &s;inned indeed, &amp; our &s;ins be grieuous, but
yet for al that vve haue pinched our body for our &s;ins, vve haue
&s;courged our &s;elues euery day, vve haue gone on pilgrimage in
fro&s;t &amp; &s;novv barefoot, and therfore although vve haue &s;inned,
yet we haue &s;atisfied God for our &s;ins: vve tru&s;t this vvill be a
&s;ufficie~t reco~pen&s;e to God for our &s;ins: yea but let us &s;ee, whe|ther
this wil be a &s;ufficient an&s;vver before God, vvhether God
vvill take this recompence for our &s;ins or no. The Lorde our
God hath appointed in his vvord a far greater puni&s;hment and
recompen&s;e for our &s;ins, then can be fall the body of man: whe~
<PB N="45" REF="28">
they haue pined it all that euer they can: the puni&s;hment and
due debt of our &s;inne by the word of God, is not onely a puni|&s;hment
of the bodie but al&s;o of the &s;oule, not onely for a cer|taine
time of daies and yeares which haue an ende,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 25. 4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. and 10. 28.</NOTE> but daies
and yeares which neuer ende. It is the fire which neuer goeth
out,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Marc. 9. 44.</NOTE> which can neuer be quenched: it is the worme which ne|uer
dieth:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoc. 20. 6. and 21. 8.</NOTE> it is a &s;econd death, where men be alwaies dying,
and neuer can make an end, becau&s;e it is euerla&s;ting; this is the
iu&s;t recompence of our &s;innes: we mu&s;t not then thinke we
haue trimly &s;atisfied for our &s;innes, when we haue vndergone
and taken vpon vs certaine puni&s;hments in our bodies, which
we thinke be very grieuous; for although we &s;hould our whole
life long pine our &s;elues with the greate&s;t and extreame&s;t tor|ment
that could be, it is nothing in compari&s;on of that full
mea&s;ure of puni&s;hment for our &s;innes, which God &s;etteth
downe: for that is not for a day or two, or as long as we liue,
no not for twentie thou&s;and yeares, but for euer, euer, euer, and
hath neuer ende: and not onely in the torments of the bodie,
but al&s;o in &s;oule, the griefe whereof can not be expre&s;&s;ed, a
thou&s;and times more intollerable then any griefe that can
come to the bodie. Doth the Lord God &s;ay, VVhipped be that
bodie for certaine yeares, which doth not fulfill all that is writ|ten,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE>
&amp;c. no, he &s;aith not &s;o; but he &s;aith, Accur&s;ed be he: I trow
the cur&s;e of God &s;tretcheth further then the bodie of man: the
cur&s;e of God containeth in it all the torments that can be de|ui&s;ed
both in &s;oule and bodie, euen as his fauour and goodnes
containeth all happines. This cur&s;e of God which is due for
our &s;innes, as it containeth all the torments which can be de|ui&s;ed
both of &s;oule and bodie, &s;o is it &s;et forth vnto vs in Scrip|ture
by &s;uch things as &s;eeme terrible vnto vs, to expre&s;&s;e vnto
vs more deepely the terrour of it by &s;uch things as &s;eeme ter|rible
vnto vs in this earth:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 5. 41.</NOTE> as fire that can not be quenched,
burning lake,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoc. 19. 20. and 20. 10.</NOTE> &s;econd death, damnation, where is weeping and
wayling and gna&s;hing of teeth, and &s;uch other like kinde of
&s;peeches,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Marc. 9. 44.</NOTE> to expre&s;&s;e vnto vs the horrour of the &s;ame: not that
any terrible thing in this life can &s;ufficiently expre&s;&s;e the hor|rour
of the&s;e paines, as they are in deede, for the tongue of man
<PB N="46" REF="29">
can not vtter, nor heart thinke the torment prepared for &s;inne.
The burthen thereof cau&s;ed the deare Sonne of God to &s;weat,
not v&s;uall &s;weat, but droppes of blood, not one or two drops,
but in &s;uch abundance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 22. 44.</NOTE> but in &s;uch abundance, that it came
flowing downe to the ground: the waight of the puni&s;hment
of our &s;innes, is more grieuous then men doe thinke. Let vs
not then flatter &s;elues, good brethren, and dally in this matter
with our God, bringing in recompence and &s;atisfaction for
our &s;innes, after our owne deui&s;ing, it will not &s;tande for good
&s;tuffe before the iudgement &s;eat of God: if we will take vpon
vs to &s;atisfie for our &s;innes, then we mu&s;t take vpon vs hell fire,
the cur&s;e of God, eternall death, for the&s;e puni&s;hments hath the
Lord God appointed to be due for our &s;innes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> Let vs not then
thinke that the torments of our bodie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 23.</NOTE> although it be neuer &s;o
hainous as long as we liue, although it be an hundreth yeare
can be any &s;ufficient &s;atisfaction vnto GOD, no not
for the lea&s;t of our &s;innes, for we &s;ee flatly that the Lord him|&s;elfe
hath appointed farre greater, to be endle&s;&s;e both in &s;oule
and bodie foreuer. Peraduenture it may be, that we &s;hall think
our &s;elues well ynough ea&s;ed by the&s;e &s;atisfactions, &s;o long as
we are quiet here be low, and no torment commeth to our
con&s;ciences, but alas, when we mu&s;t an&s;wer it before our God,
all the&s;e our dreames mu&s;t needes vani&s;h away as &s;moake,
from the pre&s;ence of our God, becau&s;e they haue not their
ground vpon the worde of God, by which all thinges mu&s;t be
tried in that day. It is alleadged vs before the great iudge, that
we haue &s;inned:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 12. 48.</NOTE> we confe&s;&s;e it, but we &s;ay, we haue &s;atisfied for
our &s;innes, we haue pined our bodie with fa&s;ting all our life
long, we haue gone on pilgrimage barefoote and bare legged,
we haue whipped our bodie till the blood euery day, we haue
worne hairecloath vpon our bodie, and this we haue done for
a recompence for our &s;innes: God an&s;wereth vs by his word,
I haue appointed the due recompence for &s;inne, my euerla&s;ting
cur&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Marc. 9. 44.</NOTE> the worme that neuer dieth, the torments of hell, haue
ye &s;uffered the&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 16. 28.</NOTE> and ouercome them? we mu&s;t needes con|fe&s;&s;e
No: but we &s;ay, yet good Lord we haue &s;uffered a little
(in our bodie: but he &s;aith, the puni&s;hment which I appoint is
<PB N="47" REF="29">
both of &s;oule and bodie euerla&s;ting, and therefore that puni&s;h|ment
which ye bring in, is not able to an&s;wer the debt, it is but
onely a forged recompence of our owne braine. This geare then
good brethren, can not fall out iumpe in the iudgement &s;eat of
God, the Lord our God will not be &s;atisfied with our an&s;wer
to the debt, which we forge of our owne head, but he wilbe an|&s;wered
the true debt in deede: the true debt which we owe our
God in deede for our &s;innes, is the euerla&s;ting cur&s;e of God,
which neuer hath ende, it is not a certaine puni&s;hment of the
bodie for a certaine time, that is but fal&s;e and forged of our
owne head, that is not the right debt. Is it not an intollerable
thing, and not to be &s;uffered before a mortall iudge, when as
the right debt is a thou&s;and pounds, to bring in &s;tead thereof a
fal&s;e forged debt of halfe a mite, and there face out the matter,
as though all were di&s;charged, becau&s;e he can bring proofe y|nough,
that that forged debt is di&s;charged? can this be &s;uffered
among earthly magi&s;trates? and &s;hall we thinke to glo&s;e out
the matter with our forged debts before the heauenly iudge?
There is &s;ound proofe come in again&s;t vs, that we are indebted
vnto our God the penaltie of his cur&s;e, euerla&s;ting torments
both of &s;oule and bodie, this debt mu&s;t be an&s;wered vnto our
God, or el&s;e wee &s;hall neuer he di&s;charged, this our right debt
mu&s;t be paid, and &s;ure proofe brought in how it is paid, or el&s;e
wee &s;hall neuer haue our generall acquittance, but lye in the
pri&s;on of hell for euer. The like is to be &s;aid of all other the &s;atis|factions,
that haue beene forged by man, they can nor &s;tand in
this iudgement. That &s;ame great and horrible Ma&s;&s;e, which
hath bin thought to be a &s;ufficient recompence for the &s;inne
both of the liuing &amp; the dead, it can not &s;tand before the iudge|ment
&s;eat of God, it is but a counterfeit payment of our debt:
the true paiment is to pay the true debt of our &s;innes, and that
is the cur&s;e of God, but the Ma&s;&s;e is not the payment of that
debt, that is too waightie and heauie both for the ma&s;&s;er and
the ma&s;&s;e it &s;elfe, to ouercome the torments of euerla&s;ting
death; that can not recompence God there for our &s;innes, &s;ee|ing
the true and onely recompence is, to vndergoe the tor|ments
of hell due for all our &s;innes. Neither can their forged
<PB N="48" REF="30">
purgatorie paines be a recompence to God for our &s;innes, be|cau&s;e
the true debt vvhich mu&s;t be an&s;vvered, is infinite and
without end: the full puni&s;hment which we owe for our &s;innes
is incomprehen&s;ible and infinite, euen as our God, again&s;t
whome the offence is committed. All the&s;e then, and what&s;o|euer
haue bin deui&s;ed by man, will fall out in the day of iudge|ment
to be no payment, but onely forged payments, and &s;o
we found alwaies guiltie, and our debts vnan&s;werable: it &s;tan|deth
vs in hand (good brethren) to looke to it, you &s;ee it is a
more waightie matter, then men doe commonly iudge it, it
will not be &s;o &s;oone di&s;charged as men doe dreame: let vs take
paines in it for Gods &s;ake, nowe while we haue time, and not
flatter our &s;elues with our owne weenings, the Lord will not
&s;o be an&s;wered at our hands: he giueth vs nowe time to looke
for the an&s;wering of it, he giueth vs his ble&s;&s;ed word, wherein
we may learne how to an&s;wer it, euen to the full: if we carele&s;|ly
pa&s;&s;e ouer this time of mercie, and &s;eeke not for this geare,
we &s;hal herafter ta&s;t of his iudgements without mercie. VVell,
thus ye &s;ee all this &s;tuffe that is yet brought in, will not &s;erue to
an&s;wer the matter: we mu&s;t trie further what we can &s;ay for
our &s;elues: we goe on yet further, and will acknowledge that
we haue &s;inned grieuou&s;ly, and that our &s;innes are horrible, but
we thinke although we haue done many ill deedes, yet becau&s;e
we haue done many good deedes, we thinke God mu&s;t needes
hold vs excu&s;ed: and therefore we thinke our almes deedes
and many praiers, and fa&s;tings, mu&s;t needs binde God to giue
vs heauen for them, we thinke we may addle heauen (as they
&s;ay) by our good deedes. But the an&s;wer is giuen vs herein, that
was giuen vs before, that the recompence to God for our &s;ins,
is not two or three good deedes, no not tvventie thou&s;and
thou&s;and, but the cur&s;e of God, death, and damnation: that
mu&s;t be &s;u&s;tained and ouercome, or other recompence to God
is there none. True it is that the Lorde promi&s;eth vnto vs
euerla&s;ting life for doing his commaundements: he that doth
them &s;hall liue in them: God promi&s;eth life to the doing of
his commandement, yea euen euerla&s;ting life, but then he re|quireth
that they be done not in part (as hath beene &s;aid be|fore)
<PB N="49" REF="30">
but in whole,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 22. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> and that with al the heart, with all the mind,
with all the &s;oule: vpon this condition in deede, that we doe all
his commandements, and neuer breake one of them, he put|teth
vs in good a&s;&s;urance of euerla&s;ting life, and &s;urely he will
not faile vs, if we performe all tho&s;e couenants: but if &s;o be we
breake but one of them, we then forfeit our hold, &amp; incurre the
penalty of the breach of the couenants, which is the euerla&s;ting
wrath of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 10.</NOTE> for &s;o doth God &s;ay, Cur&s;ed is euery one which
doth, &amp;c. The life euerla&s;ting is, as ye would &s;ay, let to farme
to vs, to haue and to hold to vs and our po&s;teritie for euer, vpon
this condition, that we performe all &s;uch and &s;uch couenants
as are contained in the booke of God: Doe the&s;e, &s;aith God, and
thou &s;halt haue life. But prouided alwaies, that if thou breake a|ny
one of them once in all thy life, then accur&s;ed be thou from
my face: here is indeede heauen promi&s;ed to vs, if we do Gods
commandements, but then we mu&s;t doe all, and not &s;ome one,
or el&s;e we forfeit all. Now let all the men vpon the earth come
and &s;tand before the iudgement &s;eat of God, and let me &s;ee a|mong&s;t
them al, that euer haue beene, or euer &s;halbe to the end
of the world, let me &s;ee if any one can be found, that euer hath
done all the&s;e commaundements of God, that he may iu&s;tly
challenge his right and intere&s;t in heauen by it: let me &s;ee if
&s;uch an one can be found; onely one excepted. Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
God and man. The Scripture and worde of God flatly con|demneth
all of vs of &s;inne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 22.</NOTE> and therefore can we challenge no
right nor intere&s;t in heauen by our deedes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 23.</NOTE> becau&s;e we haue not
done all:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 1. 8.</NOTE> but rather our intere&s;t for our deeds is of right in hell,
becau&s;e we haue broken &s;ome one,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 8. 40.</NOTE> yea all,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 20. 9.</NOTE> and all againe euen
the be&s;t of vs all. VVe mu&s;t not then &s;eeke to claime heauen by
our deeds, but we mu&s;t be carefull howe to be deliuered from
hell, which we haue de&s;erued by our deeds. Thus you &s;ee then
it will not auaile to alleadge one or two good deedes before
God, no nor twentie thou&s;and, vnle&s;&s;e thou bring the full per|formance
of the deedes of the whole lawe: for God promi&s;eth
not life but to the performance of the whole: our good deedes
will not &s;erue vs then to &s;et again&s;t our euill for payment be|fore
God, &s;eeing one of our euill deedes, euen the lea&s;t which
<PB N="50" REF="31">
we doe or thinke, condemneth vs to hell. We can not &s;eeke
life then in our workes, becau&s;e we are not able to performe
all,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 20.</NOTE> and neuer offend: and that is that the Apo&s;tle &s;o often &s;aith,
That by the deedes of the Law,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 4. &amp; 3. 20. &amp; 4. 15.</NOTE> no man can be &s;aued: that the
law worketh death, bringeth the knowledge of &s;inne, worketh
wrath, can not giue life, &amp;c. becau&s;e we doe not fulfill it. This
wil then &s;eeme for no an&s;wer before God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 20.</NOTE> to &s;ay I haue &s;inned,
but I haue done &s;o many good deedes for the recompence
thereof:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 23.</NOTE> for he an&s;wereth out of his owne worde, that the re|ward
of &s;inne, is death, and he will take no other recompence,
but that which he him&s;elfe hath &s;et downe, and therefore we
mu&s;t looke that that may be carefully &s;ought. Thus then, good
brethren, in viewing the true and right debt which we owe to
God for our &s;inne, it bringeth to nought all forged debts of
mans braine: for &s;eeing the cur&s;e of God, euerla&s;ting death
and damnation, is the iu&s;t puni&s;hment which God hath &s;et
downe for our &s;innes, and all our fa&s;tings, ma&s;&s;es, pilgrimages,
pardons, &s;courgings, mans-merits, wilfull pouertie, watchings,
prayers, almes deedes, purgatories, will not &s;erue to recom|pence
God, becau&s;e the puni&s;hment is farre greater then all
the&s;e, and a thou&s;and &s;uch like: And yet herein, good brethren,
I would not haue you take me, as though I did &s;peake again&s;t
fa&s;ting, praying, and almes deedes doing, I doe not meane &s;o;
the word of God &s;traightly chargeth vs both to fa&s;t, pray, and
exerci&s;e our &s;elues not onely in almes deedes doing, but al&s;o
in all other kinde of well doing, and the Lord knoweth we are
too &s;lacke in &s;uch matters (but I &s;hall haue occa&s;ion to handle
tho&s;e matters hereafter, God willing:) my meaning nowe, I
&s;ay, is not to &s;peake again&s;t fa&s;ting, prayer, and other good
deedes, for the word of God commandeth them to be done:
but here onely I tell you out of the word of God, that the&s;e and
all the good deedes that ye doe, can &s;erue for no part of the lea&s;t
recompence to God for one of your lea&s;t &s;innes: for the lea&s;t
de&s;erueth euerla&s;ting death. You &s;ee then it is a greater mat|ter
to &s;atisfie God, the~ to bring in a companie of good deeds,
&s;eeing our lea&s;t euill deede hath the threat of Gods euerla&s;ting
cur&s;e: that debt mu&s;t be &s;atisfied, or el&s;e the Lord our God
<PB N="51" REF="31">
will neuer be &s;atisfied. The Lord will not accept our owne
forged debts, but he will haue the true debt an&s;wered: this is
a great matter, and deepely to be wayed, good brethren, that
wee may vnder&s;tande the depth of our &s;aluation to be more
waightie, then it is generally accounted. This maketh men &s;o
careles of their &s;aluation, as common they are, becau&s;e they
dreame the price of &s;inne to be &s;o vile, that a certaine pining of
the bodie will &s;atisfie God for it, or that a little holy-water
will wa&s;h it away, or certaine deeds doing, or certaine praiers
&s;aid, will plea&s;e God for it: they doe not way that the debt for
&s;inne is Gods cur&s;e and condemnation. And &s;urely nowe in
the&s;e our daies in the time of &s;o great light of the go&s;pell, the
people are maruelou&s;ly ignorant of their &s;aluation: generally
they know no other way to be &s;aued, but by their good deeds,
and yet they be void of them too (God knoweth) and hereof
commeth that common &s;aying, framed in the time of darke|nes,
and continued &s;till among vs, <HI>that we mu&s;t carie nothing with
vs but our good deedes and our bad;</HI> and where is Chri&s;t Ie&s;us
then?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3.</NOTE> If he be not in our hearts, we &s;hall neuer come to life e|ternall:
if we haue Chri&s;t, we haue life and all: if we haue not
Chri&s;t, all our good deeds and bad deeds we carie with vs, &s;hall
nothing auaile vs, but throw vs downe to hell. This will not
then &s;erue before our God, to bring in our good deeds for re|compence
of the debt we owe, which is the very wrath of God:
we mu&s;t then yet looke further, what we haue to &s;ay for our
&s;elues, and lay in for an&s;wer of the matter. VVe goe on yet fur|ther,
and will acknowledge our &s;elues &s;inners, and all that hath
beene &s;aid before, that the puni&s;hment of &s;inne is euerla&s;ting
death, and that nothing that we can doe is able to recompence
or &s;atisfie God for it; but yet we haue our &s;tarting holes, &amp; win|dings
whereby we can winde and wring our &s;elues iollily out
of the matter, that we may more &s;afely lye and continue &s;till
in our mo&s;t &s;en&s;eles &s;ecuritie and wilfull wretchednes and
blocki&s;hnes. VVe flatter and &s;oothe vp your &s;elues with the
mercies of God, and becau&s;e we heare that the Lord God is
mercifull, we &s;leepe in the matter, &amp; neuer go about to &s;ee his
<PB N="52" REF="32">
iu&s;tice an&s;wered, but content our &s;elues with the&s;e vaine glo|&s;es,
that he is a merciful God, and therefore we will neuer trou|ble
our &s;elues about the matter to &s;ee our &s;inne an&s;wered: for
why? God is mercifull, we &s;hal do wel ynough with him. Yea,
but is not God al&s;o a iu&s;t God?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. 4.</NOTE> is he not al&s;o a true God? is he
not an hater of &s;inne?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 33.</NOTE> is he not a &s;incere and grieuous puni&s;her
of &s;inne? VVilt thou make the Lord &s;o mercifull a God that
he &s;hall not be al&s;o iu&s;t? wilt thou make him &s;o mercifull, that
he &s;hall not be al&s;o true? &s;hall God become &s;o mercifull to
forgiue thy &s;innes, that he &s;hall not be al&s;o iu&s;t to punni&s;h thy
&s;innes? wilt thou haue him &s;o merciful, to pa&s;&s;e ouer thy &s;innes,
that he &s;hall not be al&s;o true to execute to execute that, which
he hath appointed for the rewarde of thy &s;innes? The Lorde
hath appointed for all &s;innes, yea for the lea&s;t breach of his
commaundements, (as hath beene prooued before) eternall
death.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">al. 3. 10.</NOTE> Is God fal&s;e and vntrue when he &s;aith, Cur&s;ed is eue|ry
one, which doth not abide, and fulfill all that is written in
the booke of the Lawe: is not this &s;entence true? wilt thou
haue God in forgiuing thy &s;innes goe backe with his worde
here, and play as men play, &s;ay and vn&s;ay, one thing to day
and an other thing to morrow? and wilt thou haue the Lorde
of truth in forgiuing thy &s;innes to forget all truth, as he &s;hall
not looke vnto the execution of the cur&s;e vpon thy &s;innes, ap|pointed
by the euerla&s;ting truth? It will not auaile thee to al|ledge
Gods mercie to forgiue thy &s;innes, vnle&s;&s;e thou &s;eeke al|&s;o
the &s;atisfying of Gods truth and iu&s;tice which puni&s;heth thy
&s;innes. The Lord God can not of his iu&s;tice and truth, but he
mu&s;t needes puni&s;h all &s;innes of all men with his heauie cur&s;e,
which he hath appointed for all &s;inne in all men, as he is al&s;o
a mercifull God notwith&s;tanding when he hath appointed a
meane to &s;aue from this cur&s;e all tho&s;e that be his, God cannot
then goe backe with that which he hath &s;poken, becau&s;e he is
the truth that can not lie: he mu&s;t therefore needes vnle&s;&s;e he
&s;hould denie him &s;elfe, puni&s;h thy &s;inne with euerla&s;ting cur&s;e,
becau&s;e he hath &s;o &s;poken, that both meant it, and can not goe
from it, but mu&s;t needes execute it. If thou &s;ay; yea but he is
<PB N="53" REF="32">
mercifull, and therefore I tru&s;t he will not: it is an&s;wered, he
is iu&s;t and true, and therefore hee mu&s;t and will. Let vs &s;ee
now vvhat all the vvranglers vpon the earth can &s;ay to it, in
bringing in all their brabbles again&s;t God to impeach Gods
cleare iu&s;tice and truth, to e&s;tabli&s;h their fle&s;hly mercie, &s;uch
a mercy in God as they dreame, that doeth uphold their car|nall
&s;ecuritie and bea&s;tly plea&s;ures. Nay, nay, they &s;hall finde
him a God of iu&s;tice, a &s;evere reuenger of all &s;uch contempt, a
&s;harpe iudge again&s;t all &s;uch worldly heartes, that vnder pre|tence
of Gods mercy &s;et them dovvne in all &s;inne and filthi|ne&s;&s;e,
never &s;eeking for the remedie hereof in this time of mer|cie,
they &s;hall finde it I warrant you too true. The Lorde God
giue vs hearts and mindes to thinke upon it while we are here,
for all &s;uch glo&s;es can not prevaile again&s;t God in the day of
the Lord. True it is, that the Lord is a mercifull God, a God of
all mercies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 1. 3.</NOTE> yea &s;o mercifull that all his vvorkes are iudged
with his mercies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 145. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. &amp; 86. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">5.</NOTE> yea even unto tho&s;e that he doth of his iu|&s;tice
condemne. They can not deny, euen the damned cay|tiffes
can not denie, but that the mercies of God haue bene
powred upon them aboundantly, yea a thou&s;and thou&s;and
fold: it is Gods mercie that maketh the comfortable &s;unne to
&s;hine vpon them, that maketh his &s;weete &s;howres to water
their groundes, that maketh their land fruitfull, that giueth
them eyes to looke vpon the light&punc; eares to heare, feete to
walke, to take the profite and benefite of all Gods ble&s;&s;ings:
the&s;e &s;ingular mercies and a thou&s;and more, it can not be
denyed but God &s;hevveth vpon the vvicked and damned
creatures, as vvell as vpon his ovvne children, but they
like carnall &s;vvine doe abu&s;e them every one of them: they
vvill not giue their eares to heare the vvorde of life, they
vvill not giue their heartes to take plea&s;ure in it, they vvill
not v&s;e their feete to &s;eeke after life, they ca&s;t of all the&s;e
heauenly mercies of God, and abu&s;e Gods benefites to
deuili&s;h u&s;es, there eares are open to heare vvickedne&s;&s;e,
vanitie, and filthine&s;&s;e, their tongue loo&s;e to &s;peake lyes,
abomination and naughtine&s;&s;e, their feete &s;vvift to &s;hedde
<PB N="54" REF="33">
innocent blood, and all other the great mercies of God
doe they horribly abu&s;e to their utter condemnation, &s;o that
they can haue no iu&s;t cau&s;e to wrangle again&s;t God, but
mu&s;t needes acknowledge their condemnation to be mo&s;t
iu&s;t, hauing ta&s;ted &s;o many of Gods mercies, and utterly
abu&s;ed them. So then this their wrangling &s;hifte of Gods
mercie will helpe them not a vvhit in that day of iudgement,
but rather increa&s;e their damnation; and let vs that be the
children of God here al&s;o be admoni&s;hed that it will not a|vaile
vs to alledge Gods mercy for vs, unle&s;&s;e we can al&s;o as
vvell alledge hovv his iu&s;tice and trueth is &s;atisfied. And
this mu&s;t now be looked for, vvhile vvee are here, God gi|veth
vs our life to this ende: vvee mu&s;t &s;eeke for it more
earne&s;tly a thou&s;and folde, then for our bodily life, as ye
often haue heard. Let vs not flatter our &s;elues with the&s;e
&s;peeches, God is mercifull, God is mercifull, and there|fore
vvill forgiue vs our &s;innes, but al&s;o let vs acknowledge
that God is iu&s;t and true, and therefore mu&s;t puni&s;h our &s;inne
euen vvith that &s;ame puni&s;hment, that hee him-&s;elfe hath
appointed: and let vs be carefull novv to &s;eeke out how and
by what meanes this &s;ame iu&s;tice and truth of God in puni|&s;hing
our &s;inne may be an&s;wered, that vve may be &s;aved.
Well then, becau&s;e God is true, which hath appointed eue|ry
of our &s;innes to be puni&s;hed with damnation, and there|fore
vvill haue it &s;o, vve mu&s;t therfore &s;eeke hovv this &s;ame
may be vndergone and ouercome. Are vvee able to take
this heavie cur&s;e vpon vs, and make an ende of it? It is end|le&s;&s;e,
the vvorme that never dieth, the fire that can not be
quenched.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark. 9. 44.</NOTE> The mo&s;t highe&s;t, that euer were, are, or e|uer
&s;hall be of the po&s;teritie of old Adam mu&s;t needs &s;hrink
vnder this burden,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 25. 40.</NOTE> no fle&s;h is able to &s;u&s;taine and ouercome
it: the damned &s;oules indeede doe feele the waight of it, &amp;
&s;hall both in &s;oule and body feele the full mea&s;ure of it after
the la&s;t iudgement, but they &s;hall neuer be able to ouer|come
it, they &s;hall alwaies be dying and neuer die, they
can not make an ende of it, they can not ouercome it. Let all
<PB N="55" REF="33">
fle&s;h &s;toope then vnder the heauy iudgement of God vpon
&s;inne, let us pull downe our loftie cre&s;tes, which we &s;o proudly
&s;et up, &amp; let us learne at length to humble our &s;elues under the
hand of our God, and &s;eeke otherwhere then in our &s;elues the
di&s;charge of this heauie burthen of our &s;innes, which &s;o pre&s;|&s;eth
dovvne all the po&s;teritie of Adam, that the holie&s;t quaile
vnder it. It is time for vs to looke to it, and high time: yee &s;ee
vvhat is laide again&s;t vs in this high court, whereunto we are
&s;ummoned, euen matters of high trea&s;on again&s;t the king of
glory, wee can not deny it, the matter is &s;o euidently prooved
again&s;t vs by Gods ovvne mouth in his word, and therfore guil|tie
of the forfeiture of our hold and intere&s;t of euerla&s;ting life,
and to be puni&s;hed with everla&s;ting death, as a iu&s;t recom|pen&s;e
for our trea&s;on &amp; rebellion again&s;t our God. No other
forged recompences of our ovvne fancy will be receiued, no
pre&s;ence of Gods mercy will colour the matter again&s;t Gods
truth and iu&s;tice. What &s;hall we doe now? we in our &s;elues
cannot indure and ouercome that &s;ame puni&s;hment of our
rebellion&punc; &s;hall we &s;tand to it, and &s;ticke by it, to take the debt
vpon vs? then we utterly peri&s;h: and if we bring any other
debt but that, it will not &s;erue; &s;o that both that debt, &amp; no o|ther
forged debt mu&s;t be an&s;wered, and we al&s;o are not able to
pay it. What &s;hall we doe in this ca&s;e? Iu&s;tice mu&s;t proceede,
the law mu&s;t haue his cour&s;e: if it were a vvorldly matter we
could deui&s;e &s;hiftes for it, to &s;aue vs from the Iayle: vvhen
the matter is fully concluded again&s;t vs, that the debt mu&s;t
needes be an&s;wered, and wee not finde our &s;elues able to di&s;|charge
it, our la&s;t refuge is to trie our friends, and trie if vvee
can finde any of abilitie, that can and will pay it for vs, and
if wee haue founde out &s;uch a one that vvill vndertake the
debt for vs, we are di&s;charged: We &s;hall &s;ee, good breethen,
if vve will be conuer&s;ant in the vvorde of God, that the Lorde
God hath beene as carefull for vs in this point, as any of vs
could be carefull for our &s;elues in our ovvne vvorldly cau&s;es: he
hath provided for us a good and tru&s;tie friend, that freely and
frankely hath di&s;charged for vs the vvhole debt. We finde in
the word of God that &s;ame true and tru&s;tie friend, that hath
<PB N="56" REF="34">
paid the debt for vs; that although the angels can not helpe
here,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 2. 1.</NOTE> nor the Saintes, nor any other creature in heauen or earth,
the Sonne of God &s;teppeth out, and taketh to him that which
pertained to vs and vvas ours, and what&s;oeuer Gods iu&s;tice &amp;
truth doth require on vs, he willingly hath performed it for vs:
vvhat&s;oeuer is due for our &s;innes, he hath willingly taken it vp|on
him, and di&s;charged it: and becau&s;e he could not ta&s;t of the
puni&s;hment of mans &s;inne, vnle&s;&s;e he had bene man, he tooke
vpon him true fle&s;h of the virgine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal 4. 4.</NOTE> that he might become per|fect
man,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 2. 9, 10. &amp; 4. 15.</NOTE> as vve are &s;ubiect to all infirmities, &s;inne onely excep|ted:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 2. 15.</NOTE>
and that he might not only as man &s;u&s;taine and abide the
puni&s;hment due to our &s;innes, but al&s;o (which no man can
do) ouercome and make an end of it, he ioyned his God head
with his manhood, &s;o being perfect God and perfect man, hath
fully in our nature paied what&s;oeuer the iu&s;tice of God can lay
again&s;t vs. What is due to our &s;innes? death: he hath &s;u&s;tained
death.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 3.</NOTE> What is due to our &s;innes? cur&s;e: he became accur&s;ed for
vs, &s;u&s;taining and abiding the fierce and terrible wrath of
God for our &s;inne:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE> as te&s;tifieth the Apo&s;tle: that he deliue|red
vs from the cur&s;e of God in that he became accur&s;ed for
vs: for it is written, <HI>Cur&s;ed is he that hangeth vpon the tree.</HI> This
was an apparant proofe vnto vs that hee hath vndergone the
cur&s;e for vs:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 27. 46.</NOTE> and partly he giueth vs to vnder&s;tand the heauines
of it, vvhen he mightily crieth vnto his father, <HI>My God, my
God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me?</HI> He felt the ta&s;t of abiection to
be ca&s;t off from God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;a. 59. 2.</NOTE> for that &s;ame is a part of the cur&s;e of God
which is due to our &s;innes, according as the holy gho&s;t &s;aieth,
that <HI>our &s;innes do &s;eparate vs from God:</HI> vve de&s;erve then to be
ca&s;t off from God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 23. 46.</NOTE> and this &s;ame &s;harpe abiection did Chri&s;t
&s;u&s;taine and yet ouercame it: for although he cryed neuer &s;o
lovvd as for&s;aken of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 4.</NOTE> yet he willingly yeeldeth his &s;oule
into the hands of his Father:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 1. 20.</NOTE> <HI>Father, into thine hands I commit
my &s;pirit.</HI> And although he &s;uffered death, yet by &s;uffering he
ouercame death, and ro&s;e vp from death, and is a&s;cended vp
into heauen, aboue al power and principalities of things in hea|uen,
in earth, or in hell. Here then you &s;ee Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the
<PB N="57" REF="34">
Sonne of God, taking vpon him our nature hath borne and
ouercome for vs what&s;oeuer God of his iu&s;tice and truth can
lay again&s;t vs. And here behold the depth of the mi&s;terie of
Gods eternall wi&s;dome, his mercy and his iu&s;tice ioyned togi|ther:
his mercy in forgiuing our &s;innes, his iu&s;tice in puni&s;hing
our &s;innes: his iu&s;tice that would not &s;uffer one of our &s;ins un|puni&s;hed,
but euen with his heavy cur&s;e doth reward them: &amp;
yet his mercy toward his elect, that he doth not puni&s;h their
&s;innes in them&s;elves, but layeth them all vpon the &s;houlders
of his owne deare &s;onne for vs. Here behold the wonderfull
wi&s;dom of God, who in &s;aving of his children, yet omitteth no
part of his iu&s;tice, but puni&s;heth their &s;inne euen to the ful with
that &s;elf &s;ame puni&s;hment which he him&s;elfe hath appointed:
&amp; this which he hath &s;uffered is a full recompen&s;e for all our
&s;innes, according as the holy gho&s;t alledgeth, If any man &s;in,
wee haue an advocate with the Father,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 2. 1, 2.</NOTE> euen Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the
righteous, and he is the propitiation or ran&s;ome for our &s;ins, &s;o
much as is &s;ufficient, &amp; well plea&s;ing the Lord our God, it is a
&s;weet &s;melling &s;acrifice before our God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 5. 2.</NOTE> This then is &s;ufficient
for the &s;innes of the whole world. But here yet ari&s;eth a doubt,
for &s;eeing Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;u&s;tained and borne the puni&s;hme~t
of our &s;innes, &s;o much as the &s;innes of the whole world de&s;er|ueth,
it &s;hould &s;eeme then that all the world &s;hould be &s;aued:
but we &s;ee the cleane contrary,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 7. 13.</NOTE> even by the te&s;timony of Ie|&s;us
Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, who &s;aith, that many runne to damnation,
and fewe in compari&s;on to &s;aluation. How can this be then
that Chri&s;t hath &s;atisfied the puni&s;hment of all our &s;innes?
True it is that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath borne what&s;oeuer is due for all
our &s;innes, &amp; that which hee hath borne is al&s;o &s;ufficient pu|ni&s;hment
for all the &s;innes of the earth, and yet as true it is al&s;o
that a great number are damned notwith&s;tanding, and that
becau&s;e they haue not the hand of faith to take &s;ome part of
this recompence for their &s;innes. For the ble&s;&s;ed word of God,
which &s;etteth forth vnto vs Ie&s;us Chri&s;t a full ran&s;ome of our
&s;innes, doth al&s;o giue vs to vnder&s;tand, that none are benefited
to &s;aluation, &s;auing only tho&s;e, vvhich do beleeue. So God lo|ved
the world,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Io<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. 3. 16. 18.</NOTE> that he gaue his onely begotten &s;onne, to the
<PB N="58" REF="35">
end that all that beleeue in him &s;hould not peri&s;h, but haue e|uerla&s;ting
life: he &s;aith not, all the world; but, all that beleeue:
he &s;aith on the contrariwi&s;e, who&s;oeuer doth not beleeue is da~|ned:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 18. 36.</NOTE>
looke now, none are &s;aued, &s;aue only tho&s;e which doe
beleeue in Chri&s;t: if we do not beleeue, the word of God &s;aith,
we are condemned: ye &s;ee then although Chri&s;t hath &s;uffered
for &s;inne, yet vnle&s;&s;e we beleeue, we can not be &s;aved. But yet
here ari&s;eth another doubt, which might &s;eeme to bring with
it al&s;o a liberty to &s;inne, for it &s;hould &s;eeme, if all are &s;aued that
beleeue in Chri&s;t, then all England, France, Ireland, Spaine, I|taly,
and all Europe &s;halbe &s;aued; &amp; none &s;hould be damned,
but the Turke, Iewe, &amp; &s;uch other as denie Chri&s;t: for all Eu|rope
doe beleeue in Chri&s;t, &amp; acknowledge Chri&s;t, whether
they be papi&s;ts or prote&s;tants, none doeth deny Chri&s;t: all be|leeue
that Chri&s;t is God, the &s;onne of God, borne of the virgine
&amp; &s;o forth, therfore it &s;hould &s;eeme that none of tho&s;e &s;hould
be damned, for they all beleeue. True it is, I graunt, all the&s;e do
beleeue, &amp; &s;o do the deuils too &amp; yet are damned. They do be|leeue
&amp; confes as fa&s;t as the be&s;t of them all,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 8. 29.</NOTE> that Chri&s;t is God,
&s;onne of the living God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 5. 7.</NOTE> we know who~ thou art (&s;ay they) euen
Chri&s;t the &s;onne of the highe&s;t God: yea they beleeue he &s;hal
come to iudgeme~t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 2. 19.</NOTE> art thou come to torme~t vs before the time?
to be &s;hort, there is no article of our faith but they know it as
wel as we, &amp; beleeue it to be true, &amp; yet notwith&s;tanding they
do nothing but tremble, &amp; &s;hake, &amp; mu&s;t utterly be damned.
The whole company of them that beare the name of Chri&s;t, &amp;
are called Chri&s;tians do beleeue, that Chri&s;t is God&punc; &s;o doe the
diuels. They beleeue that Chri&s;t is the &s;onne of God, &s;o doe the
diuels: They beleeue that Chri&s;t was borne of the virgine, &s;uffe|red
vnder Pontius Pilat, was crucified for mans &s;in, ro&s;e again,
a&s;cended into heauen, &amp; &s;hall come againe at the latter day,
all this do the divels beleeue, &amp; yet are damned: &s;eeing the~ the
word of God &s;etteth down vnto vs two kinds of faith or belee|ving
in Chri&s;t, the one, &s;uch as the diuels &amp; wicked me~bers of
Satan haue to damnation: the other, &s;uch as the childre~ of god
haue to &s;aluation, we mu&s;t therefore be very carefull to &s;eeke
out that true &amp; &s;ound faith of Gods people, le&s;t we flatter our
<PB N="59" REF="35">
&s;elues, &amp; thinke we beleeue wel enough, when we haue no o|ther
beleefe, then the very deuils in hell haue: we mu&s;t be ther|fore
very carefull to know in what points the deuils faith doeth
differ fro~ the &s;ound faith of Gods people. Fir&s;t of all the diuels
although they beleeue that all that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t did was truely
done, yet they do not beleeue that he did it for them: although
they can acknowledge &amp; confe&s;&s;e all the articles of our faith,
yet they can not apply them unto the~&s;elves: although they can
beleeue that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t is God, &amp; &s;oone of God, &amp; hath paid
the puni&s;hment of mans &s;inne, yet they can not beleeue that
he hath done this for them, they can not beleeue that he hath
paid the puni&s;hment for their &s;ins, they can not beleeue that,
for they haue not a&s;&s;urance therof out of the word of God: nay
they know the clean contrary,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 2. 16.</NOTE> that Chri&s;t came not to &s;aue the~:
for the Apo&s;tle to the Hebrewes writeth, that Chri&s;t tooke not
vpon him the nature of &s;pirits &amp; angels to ran&s;ome them, but
the nature of man: therfore although the deuills can &s;ay neuer
&s;o fa&s;t, we beleeue that Chri&s;t hath paid the puni&s;hme~t of ma~s
&s;innes, yet they mu&s;t needs withall &s;ay, acknowledge, and be|leeue,
he hath paid the puni&s;hment of mans &s;innes, but not for
ours, &amp; therfore we looke &amp; beleeue to be tormented. This is
then the mo&s;t chiefe and principall point in our beleefe, that is,
that we beleeue what&s;oeuer Chri&s;t hath done for the &s;aluation
of man, pertaineth to vs our &s;elves as well as unto others: we
mu&s;t beleeue euery one of us that wilbe &s;aued, that the ran&s;ome
which Chri&s;t hath performed is euen the ran&s;om of our &s;ins,
yea every one of vs particularly mu&s;t apply it unto him&s;elfe, &amp;
&s;ay, I beleeue that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t did &s;uffer to pay the puni&s;hme~t
of the&s;e my &s;ins, I beleeue that he hath purcha&s;ed euerla&s;ting
life euen for me as well as for others. Otherwi&s;e if we beleeue
neuer &s;o much that Chri&s;t hath &s;uffered for the ran&s;ome of o|thers,
&amp; not for us our &s;elues, it is no faith, but a deuils faith, &s;uch
as makes us tremble before our God. For alas, what would it
availe me if I could neuer &s;o much beleeue, that Chri&s;t had ran|&s;omed
other mens &s;ins, &amp; in the mean time could not beleeue
that he had ran&s;omed my &s;ins? I beleeue indeed, he hath purcha+&s;ed
life for others, his elect, but alas not for me. I mu&s;t looke for
<PB N="60" REF="36">
nothing but hell, what, I &s;ay, could all this beleefe helpe me?
Alas nothing, but make me looke for Gods dreadfull venge|ance,
and therefore euery houre tremble and &s;hake. So could
that mi&s;erable poore caytiffe Francis Speyra acknowledge &amp;
confe&s;&s;e, when they brought out of the word of God that
Chri&s;t was the Saviour of the worlde, the ran&s;ome of mens
&s;innes, that by his death he had pacified Gods wrath, that hee
had purcha&s;ed everla&s;ting life for vs, &amp; &s;o forth: all this is true,
&s;aith he, I beleeue it as well as you, but all this pertaineth no|thing
to me, he hath done this, &s;aith he, for his people, not for
me. I beleeue, &s;aith he, that he &s;uffered the puni&s;hment of the
&s;innes of his people, not for my &s;innes, I looke for nothing but
extreme horror, vvhich I do already ta&s;t of. For this cau&s;e doth
the worde of God &s;et forth unto us Ie&s;us Chri&s;t to be ours, not
onely other mens,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 1. 30.</NOTE> but our ovvne. Chri&s;t is become our righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e,
our iu&s;tification, our &s;anctification, our redemp|tion:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE>
and for this ende is the holy &s;pirit of God &s;ent into our
hearts, that we might cheerfully beleeue God to be our Fa|ther:
hee beareth recorde to our &s;pirits, that we are the chil|dren
of God, not onely others, but that we our &s;elues are the
children of God. And this our true faith doeth not onely let vs
&s;ee Chri&s;t a farre off to appertaine vnto others,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3. 17.</NOTE> but bringeth
him to vs, and maketh him ours, euen to dwell in vs, euen in
our hearts, not onely in others, but in vs, yea in our heartes.
The promi&s;es of God which be in generall to his people the
particular faith of every one applyeth them to him&s;elfe, and
maketh him &s;ay, I am fully a&s;&s;ured, that neither life nor death,
principalities nor powers,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 38.</NOTE> neither things pre&s;ent nor things to
come, neither height nor depth, nor any other creature can
&s;eparate vs from the loue of God, vvhich is in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us
our Lorde. And for the confirmation of this in vs, be the
Sacraments ordained to be applyed to euery one particularly,
not only to be deliuered to others, but al&s;o to euery one of vs to
be partakers of the~, that we might be more certenly per&s;waded,
that the benefits of Chri&s;ts pa&s;&s;ion wrought for the &s;aluatio~ of
his flock in common pertaineth euen to euery one of vs parti|cularly,
as certenly as we be partakers of the outward &s;eales &amp;
<PB N="61" REF="36">
pledges of them. This is then the chiefe&s;t point in a &s;ound be|liefe,
wherein it differeth from the deuils beliefe, to applie
what&s;oeuer Chri&s;t hath done to our &s;elues, not onely to other
men: this is a &s;peciall point, and pertaineth to the true faith of
the children of God. The deuils can not beleeue that Chri&s;t
is theirs: peraduenture they may &s;ay Chri&s;t, Chri&s;t, and Lord,
Lord, but they can not beleeue in their heart that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
is theirs with his death and pa&s;&s;ion; and that is al&s;o another
point in true and &s;ound faith, that is, not onely to &s;ay with the
tongue notably and finely, that I beleeue that Chri&s;t is mine,
and dyed for me, &amp;c. (for &s;o can the deuils and damned crea|tures
&s;ay, and yet lye impudently) but it is to beleeue, and in|wardly
to be per&s;waded thereof in the heart, which no diuell
nor damned creature can doe, but rather they feele the horror
of Gods iudgements in full mea&s;ure in their hearts and con|&s;ciences.
True and &s;ound faith of Gods children is not then a
whirling knowledge and &s;peculation of the braine, but it is an
inward feeling of the heart: for a great number haue a know|ledge
what they &s;hould beleeue, and yet not an heart to be|leeue:
yea further, not onely a knowledge what they ought to
beleeue, but al&s;o be able notably to &s;et out the matter, to teach
others how they &s;hould truly and rightly beleeue, and yet they
them&s;elues damned creatures, members of Satan, and fire|brands
of hell,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat 6. 10. 1.</NOTE> as the mi&s;erable caytiffe Iudas, who with the
re&s;t of the twelue went and preached the Go&s;pel of the king|dome,
and &s;ealed it with miracles in Chri&s;t name, and as Chri&s;t
Ie&s;us te&s;tifieth of many that not onely know to &s;ay Lord, Lord,
but al&s;o had knowledge to teach others, and prophe&s;ie and
preach in his name, and yet Ie&s;us Chri&s;t refu&s;eth them to be
his. Let vs then, good brethren, looke well to our &s;elues, and
content not our &s;elues with a vaine babbling tongue-faith,
that will not &s;erue in the day of the Lord, it mu&s;t be an heart-faith:
let vs looke whether we feele Ie&s;us Chri&s;t there or not.
Therefore &s;aith the holy Gho&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3. 17.</NOTE> that this true faith maketh
Chri&s;t Ie&s;us dwell not in worldly brauerie in our tongues, but
in our hearts, in our hearts: in our hearts, good brethren, in our
hearts. It is too too lamentable to &s;ee how the world is bewit|ched
<PB N="62" REF="37">
with this tongue faith, with this carnal go&s;pelling-faith:
it is an horrible abu&s;e of Ie&s;us Chri&s;ts go&s;pell, we &s;hall dearely
abide at his hands, vnles we &s;peedily repe~t: it is euident ynough
that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t dwelleth not in that inward heart, where the
deuill apparantly &s;heweth his hornes (as they &s;ay) in the out|ward
deeds&punc; there is not Ie&s;us Chri&s;t in that heart, but the whol
power of Satan, and therefore no children of Gods faith in that
heart, but a deuils faith. Let vs not deceiue our &s;elues, good bre|thren,
a true and a &s;ound faith admitteth Chri&s;t with further en|trance
into vs, then our to~gues, &amp; lodgeth him into our hearts:
I can not enter into your con&s;ciences, but there is a Lord Ie&s;us
that &s;eeth them: onely I de&s;ire you in the name of God, to en|ter
euery man into his owne heart, and examine him&s;elfe dili|gently
whether he beleeueth that Chri&s;t hath redeemed him
&amp; ran&s;omed, or not, whether he beleeue that Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath
purcha&s;ed euerla&s;ting life for him, or not; Let him examine him
&s;elfe throughly whether he beleeue it in his heart, now while
it is the time of mercie: for once we mu&s;t come to iudgement,
and &s;o let him re&s;t him&s;elfe in the Lord Ie&s;us with full a&s;&s;urance
of euerla&s;ting life, not mi&s;tru&s;ting our good and gracious God,
nor doubting of his good will towards him:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 1. 6.</NOTE> for he that doub|teth
is like the waues of the &s;ea, that be to&s;&s;ed to and fro: &s;uch
wauering is farre from the certentie that true faith bringeth vn|to
our con&s;ciences,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 1.</NOTE> whereby beeing iu&s;tified by faith, we haue
peace with god.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3. 12.</NOTE> For this true &amp; &s;incere faith maketh vs to haue
entrance vnto our God with boldnes, &s;o that it is far from the
wauering vncertenty of the wicked vnbeleeuers, &amp; yet the dea|re&s;t
children of God, euen the mo&s;t faithfull, haue often marue|lous
a&s;&s;aults to &s;hake their faith, &amp; oftentimes feele the~&s;elues al|mo&s;t
deadly wou~ded, as though they were almo&s;t pa&s;t al hope,
but yet their faith getteth the victorie in the ende. At that &s;tay
was the Prophet,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 77. 3.</NOTE> when he &s;aid to him&s;elfe, <HI>Hath the Lord for|gotten
to be mercifull? is his mercie cleane gone?</HI> but yet they v&s;e to
&s;triue and &s;tirre vp them&s;elues by calling vpon God and tary|ing
Gods lea&s;ure:<NOTE PLACE="marg">&amp; 42.</NOTE> <HI>Why art thou vexed, o my &s;oule?</HI> (&s;aith Dauid)
<HI>why art thou &s;o troubled within me? &amp;c.</HI> So that although the
children of God be oftentimes maruelou&s;ly a&s;&s;aulted with di|&s;tru&s;t
<PB N="63" REF="37">
and doubtings of their &s;aluation, yet they &s;triue again&s;t
them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil 5. 6.</NOTE> &amp; at Gods appointed time &amp; lea&s;ure, they feele the peace
of God which pa&s;&s;eth all vnder&s;tanding. Thus farre ye &s;ee then
the full an&s;wer of our cau&s;e and matter of our &s;aluation before
the iudgement &s;eat of God, again&s;t Satan, &s;inne, deuill, death,
and hell, that we that be the people of God doe fully beleeue,
not onely &s;ay with our tongue, but beleeue a&s;&s;uredly in our
heart, that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;atisfied what&s;oeuer Gods iu&s;tice
doth require for our &s;innes not onely for other mens &s;innes, but
euen for our &s;innes, whereby we feele our &s;elues at peace with
God, reconciled by the death of his Sonne, &amp; brought into an
a&s;&s;ured hope of euerla&s;ting life: thus far haue we heard taught,
and now yet further lea&s;t any carnall wretch &s;hould thereby
take libertie to &s;in, &s;aying within his heart, If there be nothing
but this, that who&s;oeuer beleeueth &s;halbe &s;aued, then I care not
what I doe, I wil continue in my &s;inne, &amp; then I wil beleeue to
be &s;aued, &amp; I &s;halbe &s;aued, I can beleeue when I li&s;t: the word
of God to an&s;wer all &s;uch filthie &s;inne, doth te&s;tifie vnto vs, that
this true &amp; liuely faith of Gods people to &s;aluation, is not in the
power of man, to beleeue when he li&s;t, but it is onely the worke
of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 16. 17.</NOTE> <HI>Fle&s;h and bloode,</HI> &s;aith Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>hath not reuealed this
vnto thee, but euen my heauenly father which is in heauen:</HI> it was
the Lord which touched the heart of Lydia to beleeue the do|ctrine
of &s;aluation preached by Paul:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 16. 14.</NOTE> <HI>It is the Spirit of God that
beareth record to our &s;pirits,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE> <HI>that we are the children of God, and
heyres of euerla&s;ting life:</HI> all the men of the earth if they would
come, &amp; beare record with vs in the day of iudgement, that we
are &s;aued, can not preuaile, vnles God be witnes vnto our hearts
&amp; con&s;ciences: no if all the men of the earth &s;hould but &s;peake
to a pore &s;oule in this life, &amp; &s;ay, I warrant thee man, my &s;oule
for thy &s;oule, thou &s;halt be &s;aued, vnles God touch his heart &amp;
per&s;wade it, their warrants be nothing. Alas what can the wit|nes
of the whole worlde preuaile, when the Lord is witnes in
the heart of the pore man again&s;t him&s;elfe. So could <HI>Franci&s;cus
Speyra</HI> cry out to the~ that per&s;waded him to beleeue a&s;&s;uredly
that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;aued him, I would, &s;aid he, I would be|leeue,
but I cannot: faith is Gods gift: all the worlde can
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not giue it me: you fare with me, &s;aith he, as if one were fa&s;t ty|ed
with chaines, and the pa&s;&s;ers by bid him come out and loo&s;e
him&s;elfe, but they can not helpe him, neither can he help him|&s;elfe,
although he would neuer &s;o much: euen &s;o, &s;aith he, ye
pitie my ca&s;e, and bid me beleeue in Chri&s;t; I would doe &s;o, but
I can not, for it is Gods gift, and I haue denied him before
men, and therefore he hath denied me, and wil not giue me an
heart to beleeue. Let al the skoffers vpon the earth that think
it &s;o &s;mall a matter to haue a true faith in Chri&s;t, and therefore
take libertie to &s;inne freely, let all the packe of thembe taught,
if they will be taught, by this horrible iudgement of God, that
they can not beleeue, vnle&s;&s;e it be a &s;peciall and mightie wor|king
of God: and let vs (good brethren) let vs hereby be ad|moni&s;hed
and all the deare children of God with vs, to &s;eeke
the Lord now while he may be found: and let vs in this good
time of mercie that he giueth vs, enter deepely into our &s;elues,
and examine it to the full, whither we haue this faith or no, in
this full a&s;&s;urance that we be &s;aued: if we haue it not, let vs ne|uer
re&s;t knocking, asking, and &s;eeking at Gods hand till he giue
it vs: we &s;hall &s;urely haue it, if we aske, for he promi&s;eth that
neuer deceiueth any,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 7. 7, 8.</NOTE> Aske and ye &s;hall haue, &s;eeke and ye &s;hal
finde, knocke and it &s;halbe opened vnto you. Can a father de|nie
his childe any good thing, if he haue it? this is a good thing,
and our God hath it in &s;tore, he will neuer then denie it vs.
Thus then ye &s;ee it is a greater thing to haue faith, then a great
number of men make account of, it is the onely worke of God,
and a rare worke of God which he be&s;toweth vpon his chil|dren
onely: men may haue peraduenture a certaine fle&s;hly per|&s;wa&s;ion,
and &s;ome carnall opinion of their &s;aluation, which
peraduenture may &s;eeme vnto them, while all things be quiet
and no di&s;tre&s;&s;e of con&s;cience, to be maruelous &s;trong; but a|las,
becau&s;e it is not from the &s;pirite of God, but onely a fle&s;hly
brauerie, as &s;oone as God doth but touch them, it vani&s;heth a|way
as &s;moake: as that carnal brag of Peter, which was at the
very looke of a litle dam&s;ell cleane daunted. So all the worldly
per&s;wa&s;ions of men, which for a time keepe them in very great
&s;ecuritie, mu&s;t needs fall before the iudgement &s;eate of God:
<PB N="65" REF="39">
there can nothing &s;tand again&s;t the deuil, death, hel, &s;inne, &amp;
Sata~, but onely that which proceedeth from him, who hath o|uercome
hel, death, &s;inne, Sata~. It may be that for a time it may
be couered as it were a &s;parkle of fire in a&s;hes, but gathering
&s;tre~gth by gods promi&s;es, &amp; depe~ding only vpon him, it pa&s;&s;eth
through al douts, til at le~gth it getteth victorie. Thus ye &s;ee the~
the true and liuely faith of Gods children, is not in the power
of any to haue it when he will, it is the &s;peciall gift of God, and
peculiar onely to his people, and therefore can giue no libertie
to &s;inne vnto the carnall man, in hope that he can beleeue
when he wil. And yet here on the other &s;ide we mu&s;t beware of
an other vice tending to the &s;ame, and yet growing of a con|trarie
cau&s;e. A great number of worldlings and others, which
care neither for God nor deuill, hell nor heauen, &s;o they may
liue at ea&s;e in this world, tho&s;e, I &s;ay, hearing that faith where|by
we come to &s;aluation, is the onely gift of God, and not in
mans power, the&s;e iolly fellowes &s;et cocke on hoope (as they
&s;ay) and vtterly ca&s;t away all care of their &s;aluation. For &s;ay
they, &s;eeing faith is the gift of God, and not in our owne pow|er,
wherefore &s;hould we trouble our &s;elues about it? we will
neuer care to &s;eeke for it, for if &s;o be God will giue it vs, wee
&s;hall haue it, though we neuer &s;eeke after it, but lie &s;norting in
our beds: and if God will not giue it vs, we can neuer haue it,
therefore we neuer purpo&s;e to care for the matter, but euen &s;it
vs downe, and take our ea&s;e, and fill our paunch, and if God
will giue it vs, he will giue it vs euen in our greate&s;t &s;ecuritie.
But here I aske the&s;e &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e caytiffs, of whome they haue
their life and beeing, and who doth feede their bodies, and
pre&s;erue their life: they mu&s;t needes confe&s;&s;e it to be God that
giueth foode to all liuing creatures: I aske them whether they
will &s;it them downe, and neuer neither eate nor drinke, becau&s;e
it is God that feedeth vs: they &s;hould within a little while ta&s;t of
&s;uch horrible contempt, and be guiltie of their owne death,
at the hande of that God that gaue them both life, and the
meanes to pre&s;erue their life. For although God doth feede vs,
yet he doth it by the ordinarie meanes of meats and drinkes,
which if they be reiected, the life it &s;elfe is reiected. Euen &s;o the
Lord our God hath prepared a remedie again&s;t the&s;e wrang|lers
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again&s;t their own &s;aluation: for although he onely do giue
faith, whereby we come by &s;aluation, yet he plainly in his word
doth &s;hew vnto vs a way whereby he giueth it vnto vs, and that
is the preaching of the word,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10. 17.</NOTE> for &s;o he &s;aith, <HI>Faith commeth by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God:</HI> &amp; lea&s;t we &s;hould think
it were a &s;ufficient means the hearing of the word read, he ad|deth
&amp; &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;. 14.</NOTE> <HI>Who ca~ beleeue without the hearing of the word prea|ched?</HI>
by this mean of preaching the word hath the Lord appoin+ted
to giue faith ordinarily, &amp; by no other ordinarie means; <HI>For
who,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>can beleeue without a preacher?</HI> &amp; vnles we beleeue,
there is no &s;aluatio~, for who&s;oeuer beleeueth not is da~ned: if this
the~ ordinarie means of preaching the word be reiected,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 18. 36.</NOTE> we re|iect
our &s;aluation, &amp; &s;o are we willingly guiltie of our own da~|nation:
So then the Lord onely doth giue faith, yea but he gi|ueth
it ordinarily by the preaching of the word. It may plea&s;e
him, I graunt, to giue faith otherwi&s;e, if he &s;ee it good, but we
haue no warrant out of his word to come by faith, but only by
the preaching of the worde. So it may plea&s;e him, if he &s;ee it
good, to feede vs otherwi&s;e then by meate &amp; drinke, but if we
refu&s;e the&s;e ordinarie meanes of feeding, &s;urely we &s;hal die, and
be guiltie of our own death.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 1. 21.</NOTE> The Lord hath appointed to &s;aue
his people by preaching&punc; &s;o &s;aith the Apo&s;tle: he can &s;aue them
otherwi&s;e if he will, but it plea&s;eth him by this meanes to &s;aue
them; if this be neglected, our &s;aluation is neglected, &amp; where|as
this faileth, the people peri&s;h. Alas, what &s;hall we &s;ay to the
&s;tate of this people here in this land? skar&s;ly the twentie pari&s;h
hath a preacher,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 36.</NOTE> &amp; can they be &s;aued then? Shal we make God
a lyer?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10. 14.</NOTE> he &s;aith, who&s;oeuer doth not beleeue, is damned: &amp; none
can beleeue without a preacher; if then we will haue the peo|ple
of the Lord to be &s;aued, let the~ haue preachers: It is a great
ble&s;&s;ing of God, I graunt, that we haue it as we haue it, for the
Lord knoweth a great number can not &s;o haue it: but alas, &s;ee|ing
the Lord giueth vs this mercie and quietnes, that we may
haue further care of it, let vs for Gods loue be carefull for the
&s;oules of our brethren, poore &s;oules that &s;tarue round about
through the lacke of the foode of their &s;oules: but alas, I ca~ not
preach to the whole land, but for the di&s;charge of my con&s;ci|ence,
I de&s;ire you, good brethren, &s;o many of you as haue any
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voyces in place and parliament where the&s;e things may be re|formed,
con&s;ecrate your tongues to the Lord in the behalfe of
your poore brethren, that ignorant &amp; blind guides which haue
the conducting of Gods people to the great danger of lo&s;&s;e of
the &s;oules both of the leaders and the people, that the&s;e blinde
guides, I &s;ay, be remooued, and true preachers placed in their
roomes, that they may labour cherefully to get the Lords har|ue&s;t
into his barne, to inlarge Gods kingdome: the Lord
&s;hall then ble&s;&s;e this land &amp; kingdome, wherein his kingdome
is fir&s;t &s;ought for:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6.</NOTE> for &s;o he &s;aith, <HI>Fir&s;t of all &s;eeke the kingdome of
God, and then all other things of this earthly life &s;halbe giuen you:</HI>
be carefull for this, good brethren, when ye come in parliame~t
where the&s;e thinges may be prouided for through the whole
land, that Gods people may be taught: In the meane time let
euery one of vs doe what we can by prayer to God, to thru&s;t
forth labourers into his harue&s;t let vs be&s;tow our labours care|fully
to &s;eeke for them: let vs &s;tretch our pur&s;es to relieue them,
then the Lord our God &s;hall ble&s;&s;e vs with all &s;pirituall graces
daily more and more. Alas, let vs remember, good brethren,
that they are in daunger of damnation, vnle&s;&s;e they haue the
word preached; the Lord &s;aith &s;o, let vs not be wi&s;er then God.
Let tho&s;e e&s;pecially that by the gouernement of this Church
haue the prouiding &amp; placing of guides ouer the Lords flock,
let them be carefull that they &s;eeke out tho&s;e onely which be
preachers, otherwi&s;e, good brethren, the people do peri&s;h, but
they &s;hal not &s;cape skot-free that were the cau&s;es: whether it
were the couetous patrone in pre&s;enting, or the negligent Bi|&s;hop
in admitting, or the blinde guide in taking vpon him that
waightie charge of leading Gods people. The Lord will haue
the blood of his people an&s;wered: he will call to an account
both Bi&s;hop, patrone, and blinde guide for the lo&s;&s;e of the
&s;oules of his people. The &s;ame price of bloode which is taken
by the couetous patrone, wherby the &s;oules of Gods people are
bought &amp; &s;old, although he laugh in his &s;leeue and think him|&s;elfe
in good ca&s;e when he hath pur&s;ed his hundreth poundes
for the benefice, yet that &s;ame price of blood &s;hall &s;peak aloud
in the eares of the Lord to his vtter condemnation in the day of
the Lorde. I am not ignorant howe the patrone will &s;hift it
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off to the Bi&s;hop, and &s;ay it is the Bi&s;hops charge to looke to its
and that he as patrone hath no more to doe but &s;eeke out his
clarke, the Bi&s;hop &s;hal an&s;wer for it, if he admit him &amp; be not
able: &amp; the bi&s;hop on his behalfe can as cunningly &s;hift off the
matter from him to the patrone, &amp; &s;ay, he can not &s;tay them, for
the patrone hath pre&s;ented them, &amp; if he &s;hould not allowe of
them, a <HI>Quare impedit</HI> would come vpon him, which he pur|po&s;eth
not to beare for none of them al. And the ignorant blind
guide, he hath his letters of orders, in&s;titution, &amp; induction, &amp;
hath filled the pur&s;e of the patrone, he thinketh him&s;elfe as wel
di&s;charged as the be&s;t, no law in England can put him out: &amp;
thus the pore &s;heepe of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, which Chri&s;t hath bought
with his precious blood, they peri&s;h for it, and are deuoured of
Satan. But let the~ wa&s;h them&s;elues as cleane as they will, they
&s;halbe found before the iudgement &s;eat of God no more in|nocent
of the bloode of Chri&s;ts flocke, then was Pilate of the
blood of Chri&s;t him&s;elfe: let them &s;hift off the matter as fa&s;t as
they can, the people of God peri&s;h by them: I knit them toge|ther
all of them in one farthell, &amp; throw them into the pit of hel
as guiltie together of the death of the Lords flock, if they do not
repent this peri&s;hing of all the Lords people. For Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
that bought them with &s;o deare a price, wil not haue them pe|ri&s;h
of &s;o vile a price as they are bought and &s;old for. Seeing the~
the people peri&s;h without preaching, it &s;tandeth the patrons in
hand, I trow, to pre&s;ent, &amp; the Bi&s;hop to admit none but tho&s;e
which be able to preach, vnle&s;&s;e they purpo&s;e to be guiltie of
the blood of the people that peri&s;h for want of preaching. Nei|ther
&s;hal the people that are led by an ignorant guide, &amp; &s;o pe|ri&s;h,
be excu&s;ed before God: for although they can alledge for
them&s;elues, we could not doe withall, he is placed by law, pre|&s;ented
by the patrone, admitted by the Bi&s;hop, all the lawes in
England can not remooue him, all this wil not &s;erue for excu&s;e
before God: for although there be no law in Engla~d to di&s;place
him for his in&s;ufficie~cy, that by law is placed; yet I an&s;wer there
is no law in England that forbiddeth thee to place a preacher
be&s;ides, if thou wilt &s;tretch thy pur&s;e: I know no law that for|biddeth
prouiding &amp; &s;eeking for preachers, vnles it be the law of
our pur&s;e: &amp; if thou &s;ay, I am but one, the re&s;t wil not, I can not
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maintain him my &s;elfe: then, I &s;ay, if thou can not get preaching
to thee, there is no law in England that forbiddeth thee to go
to it, to tran&s;port thy dwelling thither, where thou mai&s;t haue
it: there is no law, I trow, forbiddeth this, vnle&s;&s;e, I &s;ay, the
law of the pur&s;e. And if thou &s;ay, I can not there be able to
liue: I an&s;wer thee, fir&s;t &s;eeke the kingdome of God, and the
righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e thereof, and all other things needfull &s;hall be
giuen vnto thee, as ouerplus. So we &s;ee, there is nothing can
excu&s;e us before God, vnle&s;&s;e we get vs preachers. I know there
be other kind of excu&s;es, that vve frame unto our &s;elues as we
thinke &s;ufficient to exempt vs from the preaching of the word:
but let vs not deceiue our &s;elues, vnle&s;&s;e there be preaching, the
people peri&s;h: vnle&s;&s;e they haue beleeued, they are damned:
and beleeue can they not without preaching. Away therfore
with all vaine excu&s;es, which might make vs thinke our &s;elues
well enough without preaching, the&s;e glo&s;es will not &s;erue
before God; the Lord will haue his people taught, there is no
&s;hift, otherwi&s;e we &s;hall all of vs an&s;wer for it, &s;o many of vs as
haue our hands &s;tained with the blood of them that peri&s;h.
And let all of vs in the feare of this our God fall &s;eriou&s;ly to
meditate of this geare, and now at the length begin to make
more diligent and careful preparation for the preaching of the
word then hitherto we haue done, &s;eeing it &s;o &s;tandeth vs in
hand vnder paine of damnation. God may otherwi&s;e &s;aue vs
as I haue told you,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 1. 21.</NOTE> if he will, but it hath plea&s;ed him to let vs
vnder&s;tand, that he will haue vs &s;aued by preaching: if we &s;hal
not be carefull and carefull againe to prepare for that meanes
of our &s;aluation, &s;urely we &s;hall declare our &s;elues either to be
wi&s;er then God, e&s;teeming his heauenly wi&s;dome but ba&s;e and
fooli&s;h, or el&s;e plaine contemners of God in de&s;pi&s;ing &s;o hea|uenly
and whol&s;ome ordinance. Wherefore (good brethren)
if ye will be &s;aued, get you preachers into your pari&s;hes, that
may in&s;truct you in the wayes and meanes of your &s;alvation a|gain&s;t
that day that yee mu&s;t appeare before this iudgement
&s;eate: be&s;tow your labour, co&s;t, and trauell to get them, ride
for them, runne for them, &s;tretch your pur&s;es to maintain them,
we &s;hall begin to be rich in the Lord Ie&s;us, and &s;o much riches
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al&s;o of this world we &s;hall haue, as our God &s;hall make vs con|tented
withall: and then our ioy &s;hall be full in the la&s;t day,
when we mu&s;t leaue all the&s;e earthly things, &amp; receiue at the
hands of the Lord Ie&s;us an heauenly &amp; an euerla&s;ting crowne.
Thus farre then, good brethren, how we are di&s;charged in this
iudgement &s;eat from the euerla&s;ting cur&s;e and condemnation
which euery one of us haue fallen into by breaking Gods co~|mandements:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE>
ye haue heard how we are di&s;charged from this
puni&s;hment by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t who hath fully taken it upon him
&amp; ouercome it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 16.</NOTE> how it is made ours &amp; applied vnto us by faith:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE>
not &s;uch a faith as the deuils haue:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 3. 17. 12.</NOTE> but &s;uch as teacheth unto us
all that euer Chri&s;t did for us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 16. 17.</NOTE> &amp; maketh Chri&s;t dwell with us,
not in our tongues but in our hearts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE> not in a wauering maner,
but in a true certenty, not by a vaine per&s;wa&s;ion of the fle&s;h, by
the liuely witnes of Gods &s;pirit: &amp; all this to be deliuered unto
vs by no other ordinary means, but onely by the preaching of
the word. Here is then the full waies &amp; means of our &s;aluation
declared unto us to be in Chri&s;t, &amp; onely in Chri&s;t, in no worke,
deed, or merit of ours, or any &s;aint or angell for us, but in Chri&s;t
alone, &amp; none other: &amp; herein remaineth our whole comfort
&amp; ioy, which pa&s;&s;eth all the ioyes of the earth. But I haue yet
one thing more to an&s;wer, which the deuill might bring into
the head &amp; heart of the carnall go&s;peller hereby. What? &s;aith
that filthy Epicure, this is &s;weete doctrine in deede, now I may
take my plea&s;ure at will, &amp; liue at lu&s;t in my &s;inne, for I beleeue
in Chri&s;t, &amp; therfore mu&s;t needs be &s;aued: it maketh no matter
I will &s;in my belly full, for I beleeue that Chri&s;t hath borne the
burthen of my &s;in, &amp; therfore what need I care. I an&s;wer, the&s;e
abu&s;es of Gods mercy, that if there be any &s;uch that either
hath &s;uch a bla&s;phemous tongue to &s;peake, or an heart to pur|po&s;e
to &s;inne, or one minute of an houre to continue in &s;inne,
becau&s;e he beleeueth that Chri&s;t hath paid the puni&s;hment of
his &s;inne, if there be any &s;uch that thus &s;ay or purpo&s;e, I &s;ay with
the worde of God, that &s;uch haue no &s;parkle of true faith: for
the word of God &s;etteth forth unto vs this true faith, not &s;uch
a faith as filleth the heart with &s;inne and all uncleanne&s;&s;e,
as the&s;e carnall Epicures &s;peake of,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 15. 9.</NOTE> but &s;uch a faith as maketh
<PB N="71" REF="42">
the heart pure, &s;uch a faith as doth not incourage men to &s;inne
but &s;uch a faith as maketh men to hate their &s;inne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Roman. 8. 9.</NOTE> lothe, &amp; ab|horre
it;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 3. 17.</NOTE> becau&s;e this true faith of Gods people proceedeth fro~
the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15.</NOTE> &amp; maketh Chri&s;t dwell in vs by his holy &s;pi|rit,
which &s;pirit of Chri&s;t can neuer dwell in one and the &s;ame
heart with &s;inne &amp; wickednes in &s;uch maner, as to be at agree|ment
with it, to like well of it, &amp; take plea&s;ure in it, but conti|nually
&s;triveth and &s;truggleth again&s;t it. And although &s;in doe
continually hang on vs, yet this &s;pirit of Chri&s;t dwelling in vs
will not let &s;in raigne &amp; rule in vs: therefore &s;uch carnall wret|ches
as &s;hall loue &s;inne, take plea&s;ure in their &s;inne, doe &s;uffici|ently
declare that they haue no part nor fellow&s;hip with Gods
&s;pirit &amp; con&s;equently no true &amp; liuely faith. They haue no part
of the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t that &s;uffered death for &s;inne, but the &s;pirit
of Satan the authour of &s;in, the &s;pirit of the world, the imbra|cer
of &s;in, the &s;pirit of the fle&s;h, the nource of &s;inne; for it filleth
the heart with the fruits not of the &s;pirite but of the fle&s;h,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 19.</NOTE> lu&s;t,
whordom, fornication, uncleanne&s;&s;e, wantonnes, vanity, filthi|ne&s;&s;e,
couetou&s;nes, extortio~, u&s;ury, oppre&s;&s;ion, pride, contempt,
di&s;dain, flattery, di&s;&s;imulation, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, ma|lice,
divi&s;ion, drunkennes, gluttony, &amp;c. And I warrant them, let
the&s;e carnal &s;wine, that thus wallow in their &s;inne, taking their
full ioy &amp; plea&s;ure in it, &amp; yet &s;ay &s;toutly, that they haue a be|leefe
that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath paid the puni&s;hment of their &s;in, let
them, I &s;ay, enter a litle more deep into their own heart, &amp; they
&s;hal find a thing within them that &s;hal &s;peak the clean contra|ry;
euen their own co~&s;cience doth cry aloud within their bre&s;t,
if they would let it &s;peak, that they beleeue no whit at all of the
di&s;charge of their &s;in by Chri&s;t: for then they would not loue &amp;
like wel of their &s;in, which was the cau&s;e of the death of Chri&s;t.
Is it like they hold any thing of Chri&s;t, which ioyne hands with
the wicked Iewes to put Chri&s;t to death? They neuer therfore
haue any true faith in Chri&s;t, unle&s;&s;e they dete&s;t their own &s;in,
which was the cau&s;e of the death of Chri&s;t. Therfore this true
&amp; liuely faith of Gods people is &s;o farre from making men lie
wallowing in their &s;in, that untill &s;uch time as they haue it they
neuer haue a perfect hatred of their &s;inne: then onely when
wee haue faith, and neuer till then begin we to take plea&s;ure
<PB N="72" REF="43">
in tho&s;e things,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Roman. 6. 4.</NOTE> which are allowed and liked of God. For this
true liuely faith maketh vs new creatures,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4. 25.</NOTE> beareth vs a new, &amp;
maketh vs the children of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Galat. 3. 20.</NOTE> whereas by nature we are the
children of Gods anger,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 1. 2.</NOTE> that hee can neither loue vs, nor any
thing that we doe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 3.</NOTE> Then begin our blind hearts to be lightned
to perceiue our &s;inne, which before we did not &s;ee, then be|ginneth
our hard heart to be &s;oftened and effectually touched
with griefe and horrour of our &s;inne, which before wee did
like well of: whereas we had a delight in deceit and craft, flat|terie
and briberie, now we begin to abhorre it, and to loue
plaine and &s;imple dealing, whereas before we were covetous,
hard hearted, vnmercifull, u&s;urers, oppre&s;ours, now we begin
to hate it, and to &s;tudy after pity and compa&s;&s;ion. The &s;elfe
&s;ame tongue that had a plea&s;ure to talke of filthine&s;&s;e, lying, &amp;
bla&s;phemie, now is framed a new to hate all cur&s;ed &s;peaking,
and hath a delight to &s;peake the truth, and talke of godline&s;&s;e,
and to reprooue wickedne&s;&s;e. To be &s;hort, when we haue
this true and liuely faith wrought in vs by Gods &s;pirit, we are
then framed a new by the &s;ame &s;pirite into an inward lothing
of our &s;inne, and continually pricked on forward to &s;triue a|gain&s;t
our &s;inne by true repentance, and not to &s;ay, we pur|po&s;e
to continue in our &s;inne, but to labour continually again&s;t
our &s;inne. Let vs therefore, good brethren, diligently enter in|to
our &s;elves, and examine the thoughts of our hearts, whether
we haue our delights in our craft, &s;ubtiltie, whordome, forni|eation,
vncleanne&s;&s;e, and &s;uch like: whether wee &s;et downe
with our &s;elues to abide in it yet a certaine time: and if wee
finde &s;uch an vncleane, filthy, and bea&s;tly heart in our &s;elues,
let vs not flatter our &s;elues, good brethren, vndoubtedly there
is no true faith in &s;uch a heart, but onely a fle&s;hly and carnall
per&s;wa&s;ion, there is not the &s;pirit of Chri&s;t, which ouercometh
&s;inne and death, &amp; the deuill in vs, &amp; continueth firme, &s;tead|fa&s;t,
and &s;trong euen in the great and terrible day of the Lorde,
there is not that &s;pirite in vs: but the &s;pirit of the world, which
peri&s;heth with the world, the &s;pirit of Satan which &s;halbe con|founded
with Satan, and the Spirit of the fle&s;h, which brin|geth
forth in vs the workes of the fle&s;h and darkene&s;&s;e, and
<PB N="73" REF="43">
therefore &s;hal come to nought with the deeds of the fle&s;h. Let
all tho&s;e therefore that haue &s;hadowed them &s;elues vnder the
name of the go&s;pell, and &s;ay they doe beleeue, and &s;ay they
haue faith, and yet when they come home nearer to them|&s;elves
into their owne bo&s;ome, and finde no loue there to the
go&s;pell, to Chri&s;t, to holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, but a lu&s;t, li|king,
and plea&s;ure in all their wonted &s;inne, let them once for
all be an&s;wered out of Gods ble&s;&s;ed worde, that they haue no
portion with the go&s;pell, that they pertaine not to Chri&s;t, not
his &s;anctification and holine&s;&s;e: and let all &s;uch as by the&s;e fil|thy
bea&s;ts, which pretend the go&s;pell and yet haue &s;uch abo|minable
heartes and carnall liues, are caried away to mi&s;like
Chri&s;tes glorious go&s;pell, and to for&s;ake the truth therein tho|rough
the&s;e carnall profe&s;&s;ours: let all &s;uch as haue bin drawne
away by them, I &s;ay, be an&s;wered, that the Sonne of God ne|uer
taketh &s;uch carnall profe&s;&s;ours for his, that they be no true
go&s;pellers, that they be none of his members, none of his
faithfull, but meere members of Satan transformed into an
angell of light: and therefore that although they cloake them
&s;elues with the name of the go&s;pell, and can &s;ay, Lord, Lord,
and Chri&s;t, Chri&s;t, that they may more &s;afely worke all &s;inne
and wickedne&s;&s;e to the &s;hame of the go&s;pell &amp; Chri&s;t, yet in
the great and terrible day, when all mu&s;t yeelde up their ac|compts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 28. 41.</NOTE>
he &s;hall giue &s;entence again&s;t them, Depart from me
ye cur&s;ed caitiffes, workers of iniquitie, I neuer acknowled|ged
you for mine, depart from me into euerla&s;ting torments,
to the deuill and his angels, to whome alwaies you appertai|ned,
and whome in heart you &s;erued, there &s;halbe weeping &amp;
wailing, and gna&s;hing of teeth. Wherefore let vs all humble
our &s;elues under the hand of God: abu&s;e not his go&s;pell, &s;o ma|ny
of us as the Lord hath called to ta&s;t of the &s;weet co~fort in his
go&s;pell, let the fruit of it appeare in our life and conuer&s;ation to
the glory of Gods go&s;pell. For the Lord is a &s;euere reuenger
of the bla&s;phemie done to his heauenly go&s;pell, if wee &s;hall
&s;eeme to profe&s;&s;e it, and through our conuer&s;ation cau&s;e it to
be ill &s;poken of. Wherefore, good brethren, let vs remember
our &s;elues,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The&s;&s;. 4. 7.</NOTE> that we are called to an holy calling, the Lorde is
<PB N="74" REF="44">
holy and loueth holine&s;&s;e that hath called vs, we are called to
holine&s;&s;e, and not to filthine&s;&s;e, let us walke then in holine&s;&s;e
and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e all the dayes of our life. Thus then, good
brethren, you haue heard the wayes and meanes of our &s;alva|tion
handled before the iudgement &s;eate of God at large, how
we are delivered from &s;in, death, hell, and Satan by the meanes
that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t in our nature hath ouercome them all for us,
that &s;o many as take hold of him by faith &s;hould be deliuered
from eternall de&s;truction, and haue everla&s;ting life: ye haue
hearde that this true faith is not to beleeue generally, but to
reach all that Chri&s;t hath done unto our &s;elves, not to &s;ay with
the tongue wee beleeue, but to feele in the heart, not with a
worldly per&s;wa&s;ion of the fle&s;h, but with an inward per&s;wa&s;i|on
of Gods &s;pirit, that &s;ealeth all the&s;e &s;ame in our hearts, ordi|narily
by the preaching of the worde, whereby we are tran&s;|formed
into the image of Chri&s;t, and renevved in the inwarde
heart to haue our delight and plea&s;ure to walke in holine&s;&s;e
and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e all the daies of our life: all this we haue
heard, as it hath plea&s;ed God to giue me wi&s;dome and know|ledge
out of his word to vnder&s;tand it, and vtterance to deli|uer
it. I haue bene peraduenture longer in handling the mat|ter
then &s;ome would haue wi&s;hed, to whome the&s;e principall
groundes of religion are knowen well enough, and perad|venture
therewith all looked for more curious &s;peeches in han|dling
of the matter: but &s;uch mu&s;t under&s;tand, that my pur|po&s;e
is to in&s;truct the ignorant in the waies and meanes of
their &s;alvation: not to &s;peake to the eares of men, but to the
heartes of men, if I can, that the deuill may be pulled out from
thence, and Ie&s;us Chri&s;t planted there. I will neuer &s;o abu&s;e
Gods ble&s;&s;ed worde to &s;atisfie the vaine humour of men, &s;o
long as I liue by Gods grace, it is &s;ufficient for me that I know
Ie&s;us Chri&s;t and him crucified. The matter of our &s;aluation is
waightie, and &s;uch deepe matters can not be pa&s;&s;ed ouer in a
vvorde or tvvo: and the be&s;t of vs all can neuer learne it too
much, nor heare it too often: it mu&s;t be our comforts, and our
onely ioy in death and after death: it mu&s;t be that vvhich mu&s;t
&s;ticke by vs vvhen vve mu&s;t &s;hake handes with all the world,
<PB N="75" REF="44">
and &s;ay, farevvell father, farevvell mother, farewell my deare&s;t
friends, farewell my riches, wealth, and vvorldly ioyes, it mu&s;t
then be our only ioy to &s;ay, vvelcome Chri&s;t, vvelcome hea|ven,
welcome euerla&s;ting ioy. Happy &s;halbe the day, and ble&s;|&s;ed
&s;halbe that houre, when vvee &s;halbe crowned with an e|uerla&s;ting
crovvne of glory,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1. 23.</NOTE> vvhen all teares &s;halbe wa&s;hed
from our eyes. The Lord God for his deare &s;onnes &s;ake graunt
vs to haue heartes and mindes to long after it, and to &s;ay with
the holy Apo&s;tle, I de&s;ire to be di&s;&s;olued and be with the Lord
Chri&s;t: and that we effectually thinke upon it, &amp; take our profit
of all this that hath bene taught vs, let vs pray to the Lord our
God, that he will giue his holy &s;pirite to write it deepe in our
heartes, and &s;eale it in our con&s;ciences, that it may bring forth
fruite in us to the comfort of our con&s;cience and glorie of our
God. O mo&s;t mercifull God and heauenly Father, &amp;c.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Iohn More.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="76" REF="45">
<HEAD>THE THIRD SERMON.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Ioh. 13. 34, 35.</BIBL>
<Q>I give you a new commandement, that ye
love one another, as I haue loved you, that you even &s;o
love one another: by this &s;hall all men know that ye are
my di&s;ciples if ye haue love amongst your &s;elves.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WE haue heard, good brethren, hereto|fore
&s;ufficiently I tru&s;t out of the fifth to
the Corinthians declared unto us, how
we are cleared and di&s;charged before
the iudgement &s;eat of God, reconciled
unto our good and gratious God, by the
means of his deare &s;onne our only Lord
&amp; Saviour Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, our only recon|ciliation
and attonement applied vnto vs by the holy &s;pirite of
god, working in our hearts a true &amp; a liuely faith, which taketh
hold of all the righteou&s;nes, ran&s;ome, &amp; &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t,
and makes it ours, wherby we are iu&s;tified and holden as righ|teous
being clothed with the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t, &amp; &s;o our
con&s;cience pacified before the throne of Gods glorious ma|ie&s;tie.
All this, I &s;ay, we haue &s;ufficiently heard uttered unto us
out of the ble&s;&s;ed word of God: &amp; this is the chiefe&s;t &amp; mo&s;t
principall thing that wee mu&s;t labour for during the vvhole
&s;cope of our life, and our onely comfort in our death, and
our onely life after death, and therefore I tru&s;t it hath beene
well marked of us and con&s;idered, &amp; in our hearts deeply im|printed.
Now it followeth, that knowing how we be &s;et at one
with god, we do al&s;o indeavor our &s;elues to be at one with ma~:
for which purpo&s;e I haue cho&s;en out this piece of Scripture,
<PB N="77" REF="45">
which you heard now read vnto you, which containeth a &s;hort
exhortatio~ to loue: a &s;hort le&s;&s;on, &amp; &s;oone learned, that we loue
one another; in a word, it is no more, but that we haue &s;incere
loue one with an other: it is an ea&s;ie le&s;&s;on &amp; &s;oone borne away,
the dulle&s;t memorie that is here pre&s;ent may ea&s;ily beare it a|way,
and the &s;imple&s;t wit among vs may without any great
di&s;cour&s;ing of the matter, &s;traightwaies vnder&s;tande it, that
we neede not pretende any excu&s;e of &s;implicitie and dulne&s;&s;e,
whereas the playnne&s;&s;e and &s;hortne&s;&s;e will &s;traightwaies con|vince
vs. It is then a le&s;&s;on &s;oone learned, which we haue here
taught vnto vs, to loue one an other: if nothing els were requi|red,
but as &s;chollers in grammer &s;choole to conne it by heart,
and &s;ay by rote, we might di&s;patch it in a minute of an houre:
but alas, good brethren, becau&s;e it is in Chri&s;ts &s;choole, wee
mu&s;t not onely like grammer &s;chollers haue it by heart, but like
Chri&s;ts &s;chollers haue the feeling and loue of it in our hearts;
not onely by rote like children &s;ay it with our mouth, but like
Gods children practi&s;e it in our deedes. And herein (good
Lord) how &s;mally haue we profited this xv. yeares, learning
the practi&s;e of this le&s;&s;on in Chri&s;ts &s;choole? or if we haue lear|ned
it, how &s;oone haue we forgot it? or if we haue both known
it and thought vpon it, in what ca&s;e are we that &s;o generally
haue v&s;ed continually again&s;t our owne con&s;cience &amp; know|ledge
to doe contrarie vnto it? VVell, for that which is pa&s;t
let vs repent, and now in the feare of God let vs beginne more
deepely to con&s;ider the thing, e&s;pecially &s;eeing the deare So~ne
of God exhorteth vs thereunto, and &s;aith, <HI>I giue you a new com|mandement,
that ye loue one an other:</HI> if a prince or any noble
per&s;onage &s;peake vnto vs, exhorting vs to any good thing, wee
v&s;e to giue attentiue care, and for the authoritie of the per&s;on
the words haue credite with vs, that we dare not doe contrarie
thereunto for feare of loo&s;ing their good will and fauour: what
&s;hall we then &s;ay to our Sauiour Chri&s;t, the king of kings, a|boue
all the nobles vpon the earth, who doth here exhort vs
to loue one an other &s;hal we make none account of his words,
but without regard fling them at our heeles, not caring for the
lo&s;&s;e of his heauenly fauour, who gaue his owne &s;elfe to the
<PB N="78" REF="46">
death to purcha&s;e our life? Surely we &s;hould then declare our
&s;elues to be wor&s;e then the bruit bea&s;ts, who yet v&s;e to haue
&s;ome regard to their ma&s;ters that feede them and &s;hew them
fauour. If we &s;hould not then carefully take heede vnto tho&s;e
things which are &s;poken vnto vs of the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, who
hath &s;o dearely loued vs, euen&punc; the very bruit bea&s;ts &s;hould be
&s;ufficient to condemne vs. Let vs therefore in the feare of God
looke vnto it, not &s;lenderly and with dull eares, and hard hearts
con&s;ider of it, for it is the deare Sonne of God that &s;peaketh vn|to
vs, that requireth of vs, that we loue one an other. If he had
but &s;lenderly handled our matter concerning our redemption,
we had beene but in &s;lender ca&s;e: if we &s;hall nowe giue but
&s;lender eare vnto that which he &s;peaketh vnto vs, and make it
as a thing of cour&s;e, &s;urely we prouoke his iudgement again&s;t
vs, who&s;e maie&s;tie we dare &s;o boldly abu&s;e: if it be high trea&s;on
to ca&s;t off the words of a prince, &amp; make no account of them,
what &s;hal we &s;ay of the reiecting the words of this our heauen|ly
prince and Sauiour? Ye &s;ee then it &s;tandeth vs in hand dili|gently
to heare, prudently to marke, and deeply to waigh the&s;e
wordes which here be &s;poken, for they are the wordes of the
Lord Ie&s;us, who of his vn&s;peakeable loue, hath giuen him &s;elfe
for vs. And yet further then this, if we con&s;ider the circum&s;tan|ces
of the time when the&s;e words were &s;poken, it will make vs
yet a little more carefull to thinke vpon them: It was at &s;uch
time as he was now neare his death, for in the ver&s;e going be|fore
he told them, he was going from them. The&s;e words were
vttered then by our Sauiour Chri&s;t, when he was going to his
death, as a thing &s;pecially to be marked of vs, &amp; which he knew
to be mo&s;t needefull for vs, and therefore of vs more to be con|&s;idered
and marked, yea and neuer to be forgotten, but alwaies
deepely imprinted in our minde. You know tho&s;e things that
are &s;poken of men lying vpon their death bedde v&s;e to pear&s;e
much, that commonly the words be neuer forgotten, but &s;till
almo&s;t as fre&s;h in memorie as when they were newe &s;poken:
tho&s;e words which be &s;poken by a louing father vpon his death
bed vnto his childe, take great effect in a good childe: if a
tender father at the point of death doth call his &s;onne vnto
<PB N="79" REF="46">
him, and vttereth the&s;e or &s;uch like words; Oh &s;onne, thou &s;ee|e&s;t
in what ca&s;e I am, I am euen now readie to goe from thee,
the&s;e be the la&s;t words that I &s;hall &s;peake vnto thee, remember
them well, thou &s;halt neuer heare me more &s;peake, I mu&s;t goe
from thee, yet for a remembrance, that thou mai&s;t thinke vpon
me when I am gone; I will giue thee one le&s;&s;on from my
mouth while I liue, that thou mai&s;t remember me when I am
dead, as long as thou liue&s;t; I charge thee therefore, as thou
loue&s;t me, doe this or that, &amp;c. thou knowe&s;t I haue had many
trouble&s;ome daies for thee, much co&s;t and paines I be&s;towed
vpon thee, nowe I mu&s;t goe from thee, thinke vpon this that
I charge thee, euen as thou loue&s;t me: if a tender hearted fa|ther
giue this or &s;uch charge vnto his &s;onne vpon his death
bed, will it not make the heart of any naturall childe to bleede
in his bodie to heare &s;uch tender wordes of his louing father:
alas, tho&s;e louing wordes neuer be forgotten of any naturall
childe and good &s;onne, vnle&s;&s;e he be an vnthrift and pa&s;t all
grace, which careth neither for father nor friend, liuing nor
deade. Euen &s;o in like manner will the&s;e words of our Sauiour
Chri&s;t, &s;poken at his death, pearce the hearts of any of the chil|dren
of God, vnle&s;&s;e they be ba&s;tards and no &s;onnes: we can
not if we loue the Lord Ie&s;us, but remember this his la&s;t le&s;&s;on,
which he giueth vs for his farewell. And I am &s;ure vnto the
children of God it pearceth a thou&s;and times more their ten|der
hearts to heare them &s;o louingly taught of their louing
Lord, then any other rough manner of dealing, becau&s;e they
be children and not &s;laues, and therefore &s;erue of loue and not
of &s;laui&s;h feare; although it be &s;ometime needefull for the be&s;t
of them to feele of the louing correction of their louing fa|ther
for the taming of their wilde fle&s;h. But becau&s;e in the
hou&s;e of God all be not children which haue the outward cou~|tenance
of children, but there be a great companie of di&s;&s;em|bling
hypocrites, which take the libertie of the Go&s;pell to liue
after the fle&s;h, &amp; doe nothing but only make a mock of all lo|uing
kind of dealing &amp; laugh in their &s;leeues when they heare
any &s;uch exhortations, becau&s;e they wil not be taught by faire
meanes, and as ye would &s;ay by maner of intreatie: therfore the
<PB N="80" REF="47">
Lord Ie&s;us for their cau&s;e e&s;pecially dealeth after an other &s;ort
here in this &s;entence, and calleth this &s;ame his admonition to
loue not onely a friendly exhortation as by way of reque&s;t,
but al&s;o a commandement. Not onely a matter of intreatie for|&s;ooth,
to doe or not to doe as be&s;t liketh vs, but a &s;peciall com|maundement
to be done whether we will or no, whether we
like it or not like it, vnle&s;&s;e we will abide the penaltie of di&s;obe|dience.
And herein then he dealeth with us, not only as a louing
friend to exhort, but al&s;o as a prince of authoritie to command,
that if we &s;hould violently ca&s;t off from vs all kinde of friend|ly
admonitions here, and thinke we haue e&s;caped wel, becau&s;e
we haue broken in &s;under all the fa&s;t bonds of louing exhor|tations;
we &s;hould yet vnder&s;tand he is our Prince, that hath
his iudgement &s;eat to arrayne vs there to an&s;wer the breach of
his ble&s;&s;ed commandement: and that we &s;hould not thinke or
&s;ay, Oh I will indeede loue my brethren, but it &s;halbe at lei|&s;ure,
when I &s;ee my time, and when I thinke be&s;t; but rather
thinke becau&s;e it is commanded vs, we mu&s;t doe it whether
we will or no, not at our plea&s;ure, but at the plea&s;ure of the
commander, vnle&s;&s;e we wilbe guiltie of his cur&s;e in his iudge|ment
&s;eat. So then ye &s;ee what we haue to marke in this, where
the Lord Ie&s;us doth not onely exhort, but commaund vs to
loue one an other, that is, that we not only haue a cold affectio~
thereunto, but that we be liuely touched with the authoritie of
the commander, &s;etting before our eyes his princely iudgeme~t
&s;eat, where he will bring in triall all &s;tubborne breaches of his
ble&s;&s;ed commandements, although they be neuer &s;o &s;moothly
pa&s;&s;ed ouer in this life. Ye &s;ee then this hath, or at lea&s;t vvi&s;e
ought to haue a vvonderfull vvaightie force vvith it, vvhere the
Lord Ie&s;us falleth a commanding, and therefore ought of vs
deepely to be con&s;idered, and not coldly for fa&s;hion imbraced,
becau&s;e it is the Lord Ie&s;us, that not onely vvilleth, but com|maundeth
it. But alas, it is a vvonderfull thing, to &s;ee the au|thoritie
of the Lord Ie&s;us &s;o &s;mally regarded among vs: if once
the vvill of a prince be but knovvne, it is a vvonder to &s;ee hovv
readie vve are to frame our &s;elues thereunto; but if he fall a com|manding,
vvho doe not then tremble at his di&s;plea&s;ure? But
<PB N="81" REF="47">
the Lord Ie&s;us may intreat, pray, and be&s;eech, nay &s;traightly
charge and command, and for all that not regarded of a &s;traw.
It declareth certenly, good brethren, that there is no feare of
God among vs, but onely a certaine worldly feare of man, and
yet the one killeth the bodie alone,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 10. 28.</NOTE> the other throweth both
&s;oule and bodie into hell fire eternall. Oh, good brethren, let
vs not deceiue our &s;elues, it is the Lord Ie&s;us that commaun|deth
vs, let vs obey: he chargeth vs to loue one an other, let it
be done, not onely &s;aid, but done: done, done. Let vs earne&s;tly
repent, that we haue beene &s;o &s;lacke in doing this commande|ment
for our Sauiour hetherto, that we haue done nothing, but
onely make a mocke of it: oh it is his mercie that hath &s;aued vs
hetherto, and hath not throwne vs downe to hell, as we haue
de&s;erued, but in mercie hath kept vs till this day: let vs nowe
from henceforth thinke earne&s;tly vpon this commandement of
our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and now begin to practi&s;e it, that there
may be loue among vs, and not &s;uch brabbling, brawling, and
contention, as we &s;ee daily, and is too lamentable, but like to
good &s;chollers in the &s;choole of the Lord Ie&s;us let vs haue loue
and peace among vs; and &s;urely then he will dwell among vs,
and protect vs for euer.</P>
<P>Nowe it is &s;aid in the text, that this commaundement of lo|uing
one another, is a new commaundement: it may &s;eeme
&s;trange that he calleth it new, and yet was giuen &s;o long agoe
by the Lord God him&s;elfe in his commandements,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 19. 18.</NOTE> and is the
very &s;umme of the whole &s;econd table, as it doth appeare by the
Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t his owne interpretation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 11. 39.</NOTE> that we loue our
neighbour as our &s;elfe. This then &s;eemeth not to be new, which
was deliuered to Mo&s;es a thou&s;and yeare before &amp; more. True
it is our Sauiour Chri&s;t doth not here call it newe, as though it
had neuer bin vttered before, but becau&s;e he would call a newe
to the minde that which they had heard of old out of the lawe
before: he calleth it therefore new, which is newly renewed a|gaine
in memorie: &amp; moreouer al&s;o now at his death, becau&s;e
he would haue it &s;ticke continually in their mindes, as a thing
new told fre&s;h in our mindes: for we know things that be old
done or &s;poken are not &s;o ripe in our heades, as that that is new|ly
<PB N="82" REF="48">
done or &s;poken: that it might be therefore vnto vs conti|nually
newe, and fre&s;h in our minde, he calleth it newe, not
olde and raw, but fre&s;h and new. VVe haue therefore well to
con&s;ider of it, and euery one of vs to enter deepe into our
&s;elues, and trie our hearts whether this commaundement be
newe, fre&s;h, and greene in our mindes or no, or rather whe|ther
it be &s;o old vnto vs, that we haue cleane forgot it. I am
afraid if we well trie and examine our &s;elues, we &s;hall finde it
fre&s;h and newe among&s;t a very fewe or none of vs, but &s;o olde
that it is euen at the la&s;t ca&s;t with a great number of vs, and a
new commaundement come in the roome of it, not from Ie|&s;us
Chri&s;t, but Satan and the deuill: a new commaundement,
that we loue not one an other, but euery man him &s;elfe. This
&s;ame new commandement of Satan of louing our &s;elues, oh it
is maruelous rife, fre&s;h, and newe among&s;t vs: but the newe
commandement of the Lord Ie&s;us of louing one an other, it is
&s;o &s;tale and worne out of v&s;e among&s;t vs new-fangled engli&s;h|men,
and e&s;pecially among&s;t vs Norffolke men: if Ie&s;us
Chri&s;t had giuen vs this commaundement to loue our &s;elues,
how notably could we haue practi&s;ed it? and what a num|ber
of followers thereof &s;hould we haue found among&s;t vs at
this day? all England, all Norffolke &s;hould haue beene found
very perfect in it: But alas, good brethren, it is cleane con|trarie,
that commaundement which he would haue newe
among&s;t vs, is not to loue our &s;elues, but to loue one an other:
this is that which is very rare in our daies, and mu&s;t be newe,
fre&s;h, and rife among&s;t vs, there is no remedie, or &s;urely the
Lord will beginne a newe worke among&s;t vs: he cannot a|bide
to heare his commandement &s;o contemptuou&s;ly and de|&s;pightfully
troden vnder our feete: therefore let vs be carefull
in the feare of God, to amende that which is ami&s;&s;e in vs, and
now beginne to imbrace this newe commaundement of the
Lord Ie&s;us of louing one an other, and vtterly for&s;ake and re|mooue
that olde Satans commaundement of louing of our
&s;elues, that wee may be right di&s;ciples and &s;chollers of Ie&s;us
Chri&s;t, as we &s;ay we are Chri&s;tians, and hold of Chri&s;t. VVell,
thus you &s;ee what waightie charge is giuen of our Sauiour,
<PB N="83" REF="48">
to loue one an other: it is no &s;mall matter, and therefore not
ha&s;tily to be put vp, becau&s;e it is both a commaundement,
and proceedeth al&s;o from him that hath authoritie ouer all
things to commaund, which hath his iudgement for vs in the
life to come, if we will not be taught by faire meanes here in
this life.</P>
<P>Now it followeth in the text, <HI>Euen as I haue loued you:</HI> This
&s;entence &s;erueth both for a rea&s;on more veheme~tly to per&s;wade
vs to loue one an other by his owne example, that &s;o tenderly
loued vs, &amp; al&s;o it &s;erueth for a patterne to try our loue by, whe|ther
it be &s;incere or fained. The rea&s;on whereby he exhorteth
vs to loue one an other, &s;tandeth thus: I &s;o tenderly loued you,
that beeing from all eternitie with my father in ioy eternall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2. 6.</NOTE>
humbled my &s;elfe to become man in your nature,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 4. 15.</NOTE> &s;ub|iect
to all mi&s;eries and &s;orrowes as you are, and for your loue
yeilded my &s;elfe not onely to all &s;pight and villanie that wic|ked
men could doe vnto me, but euen to the very death I &s;ub|mitted
my &s;elfe, and that to the mo&s;t &s;hamefull death for your
death, to bring you to a glorious life: and this I did not onely
when ye were no friends of mine, but al&s;o when ye were mine
vtter enemies:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 8.</NOTE> ought not you then in like manner much more
loue one an other, beeing thus redeemed &s;illy poore &s;oules by
my bitter death?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 15. 13.</NOTE> you were all alike &s;ubiect to eternall hell fire,
and now I &s;o loued you&punc;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh. 3. 6.</NOTE> that I gaue my &s;elfe a ran&s;om for you,
ought not ye then much more con&s;idering my goodnes, loue
one an other? If a king &s;hould of his great goodnes giue his
owne life to ran&s;ome a companie of beggers beeing in bon|dage,
and be&s;ides not onely deliuer them out of &s;lauerie of a
forraine prince, but al&s;o exalt them to the &s;tate of lords and no|bles,
by deuiding his inheritance among&s;t them, were it not,
I &s;ay, an intollerable thing, if the&s;e exalted beggers, forgetting
their former e&s;tate, &s;hould nowe be &s;o puffed vp in pride, that
one of them would not vouch&s;afe to looke vpon an other, but
contemne, hate, and di&s;daine one an other, were not this
thing intollerable and not to be &s;uffered among&s;t men, &s;o to re|quite
the goodne&s;&s;e of their king? nay would not we rather
giue our verdict vpon them, and thinke them well &s;erued to
<PB N="84" REF="49">
be &s;et againe all alike in beggerie and &s;lauerie as they were
before, and looke if they could agree any better among them|&s;elues
there? yes &s;urely would we, and thinke them well &s;er|ued;
euen &s;o, good brethren, if we will not loue one an other
&s;ince our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;o tenderly loued vs, that he
hath giuen him &s;elfe for vs, to redeeme vs from hell, &s;urely
it can not be otherwi&s;e thought but that we de&s;erue to be
throwne downe headlong to hell eternally, and looke if we
can agree any better there. It plea&s;ed the Lord Ie&s;us to re|deeme
vs from damnation, that we might loue one an other,
as he loued vs: if we will not then loue one an other, what is
it el&s;e but euen to prouoke the Lorde Ie&s;us to leaue vs euen
where he found vs, that is, euen firebrands of hell, and looke
howe we can away with that geare. Wherefore, good bre|thren,
let vs take this argument to our &s;elues, and although
we would not loue one an other for no other thing, yet at the
lea&s;t let vs loue one an other for Ie&s;us Chri&s;tes &s;ake, who &s;o
tenderly and dearely loued vs, that he gaue his owne life
for vs: if not for his &s;ake, yet good brethren, for our owne
&s;oules &s;ake, which &s;hall peri&s;h in hell euerla&s;tingly: thus ye
&s;ee what force this rea&s;on hath, which the Lord Ie&s;us v&s;eth
here charging vs to loue one an other, as he hath loued vs,
that is, that it maketh vs inexcu&s;able before his iudgement
&s;eat, if we can not finde in our heart to loue one an other, &s;ee|ing
he &s;o dearely and tenderly hath loued vs. It carieth with
it al&s;o a further thing to be con&s;idered and thought of, and
that is this, that it &s;erueth for a notable and mo&s;t excellent
patterne for vs to trye and examine our loue by it, whether it
be &s;incere and &s;ound or no: for when he &s;aith, Let your loue
among your &s;elues be &s;uch a kinde of loue as mine was to|wardes
you, he condemneth all fayned and vaine loue, all cor|rupt
loue, gainfull loue, tongue-loue, fal&s;e loue, and &s;uch like;
and biddeth looke as his loue was towards vs, &s;o let our loue be
one towards an other: his loue was not towards vs, when we
were his friends, but euen then he loued vs when we were his e|nemies,
and gaue his life for vs: this is a &s;peciall point to be
con&s;idered of vs, good brethren, and pithely to be waied; for it
<PB N="85" REF="49">
toucheth vs very neere: we be &s;o corrupt in iudgement, and
mea&s;ure all things &s;o by our owne ea&s;e, that we thinke it &s;uffi|cient,
if we haue made &s;ome countenance of loue to them, that
neuer did us harme, when as in the meane time we rage like
cruell bea&s;tes again&s;t tho&s;e, which haue but a little touched us
with harme and iniurie, and we thinke we may doe it lawful|ly,
it is &s;o generall a thing, and toucheth the corruption of our
nature &s;o neere, that if he doe or &s;peake but any ill by vs, vvee
thinke vve may very iu&s;tly be incen&s;ed again&s;t him.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. 8.</NOTE> Yea, but
was the love of the Lord Ie&s;us &s;o in that maner, nay he loued us
euen when we were his enemies, and telleth vs that our loue
mu&s;t be in like maner one towards another, not only to them
that loue vs, but al&s;o to them that be our enemies. Our Savi|our
Chri&s;t telleth vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6. 32.</NOTE> that the very heathen will &s;o loue one an|other
as long as they haue no harme, and we would be a&s;ha|med
being Chri&s;tians to be no better then they: we &s;ay wee
are Chri&s;tian men and not heathen, let vs then I pray you pro|ceed
one &s;teppe further then the heathen, who will as fa&s;t
as wee for our liues love them that doe them good: let vs, I
&s;ay, go one &s;teppe before them, &amp; follow our Sauiour Chri&s;t,
who biddeth vs loue one another as he loued vs, not as the
heathen u&s;e to loue. Oh &s;aith one, I could be content to loue
him, if hee had not &s;o railed upon me, and done me &s;o much
&s;pight and villanie, I could haue bene content to haue borne
it, but it is too too, no man can beare it: and I pray thee, hath he
done thee more &s;pight then thou ha&s;t done to the Lord Ie&s;us
Chri&s;t? I trow not: thy &s;pight and villany hath put the Lorde
Ie&s;us to death, and woulde&s;t thou haue him not hate thee for
thy &s;pight done to him, as thou doe&s;t thy brother for the
harme he hath done unto thee? thou &s;hould&s;t be in hell then
&s;traightwaies. Looke now then, I pray you, whether it &s;tan|deth
vs not in hand to put well in practi&s;e this le&s;&s;on that our
Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t here teacheth vs, when he &s;aith, our loue a|mong
our &s;elues mu&s;t not be to avenge our &s;pight, to wrecke
our malice, but euen as he loued vs: to be content to forgiue
our greate&s;t enemies, &amp; put our hatred and malice out of our
hearts again&s;t them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6. 12.</NOTE> Ie&s;us Chri&s;t teacheth vs to pray for for|giuene&s;&s;e
<PB N="86" REF="50">
at Gods hand euen as we doe forgiue others: would
we thinke it a good prayer to pray to God in this manner: O
Lorde God if my &s;innes towards thee had bene but a few and
&s;mall, I could haue bene content, thou &s;houlde&s;t haue forgiuen
them unto me, but becau&s;e they be &s;o many and &s;o &s;pitefull,
now I would haue thee euen poure out all thy di&s;plea&s;ure vp|on
me, for &s;o doe I u&s;e to do with them, that do offend again&s;t
me, therefore I pray thee, deale euen &s;o with me now, good
Lorde, for after this maner I do u&s;e to forgiue them that offend
me: I u&s;e to doe the wor&s;t I can to them either by worde or
deede, therefore I pray thee, doe the wor&s;t to me thou can&s;t:
were not this, I pray you, to pray for vengeance upon our own
head? yes &s;urely: and certenly euen &s;o do we, as oft as wee dare
pray the Lords prayer, and yet can not finde in our hearts to
forgiue offences done again&s;t vs. Good brethren, let vs not de|ceiue
our &s;elues,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 6. 15.</NOTE> the Lord Ie&s;us flatly telleth vs, we &s;hall neuer
be forgiuen, unle&s;&s;e we can be content to forgiue others, let vs
&s;ay what we will, the Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith &s;o, we &s;hall neuer be for|giuen,
unle&s;&s;e wee can forgiue others, there is no remedy, the
truth hath &s;poken it: let vs flatter our &s;elues as long as vve vvil,
we cannot be forgiuen unle&s;&s;e we forgiue, therefore if euer we
will be forgiuen at Gods hand, unle&s;&s;e vve vvill be throwne
into the pit of hell, let us forgiue: and away with the&s;e fond &amp;
brabbling excu&s;es, to &s;ay they be &s;o many, and &s;o great, I can
neuer forgiue him. Woulde&s;t thou be contented that the Lord
Ie&s;us &s;hould an&s;were thee &s;o, when thou come&s;t unto him for
forgiuene&s;&s;e? If he &s;hould &s;ay unto thee, O &s;illy poore &s;oule, I
could be content to forgiue thee, if thy &s;innes had not bene &s;o
many and &s;o great, but becau&s;e they are &s;o huge &amp; &s;o hainous,
I can not forgiue thee, go thy wayes to hell, for I can not finde
in mine heart to forgiue thee; woulde&s;t thou be content with
this an&s;wer at the Lords hands for thy &s;innes? I trow not: And
yet cruell hearted tyrant thou can&s;t be content to &s;ay &s;o, and
thinke &s;o of them that haue not offended thee the thou&s;and
parte &s;o much, as thou ha&s;t done the Lorde thy God. Doe&s;t
thou thinke then thou can&s;t &s;o &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">ly e&s;cape the Lord thy God?
thou can&s;t not, thou can&s;t not: and therefore there is no re|medie
<PB N="87" REF="50">
but either thou mu&s;t forgiue, or &s;urely thou &s;halt neuer
be forgiuen: looke now to it, as thou wilt, and fling avvay
from God as fa&s;t as thou wilt, they be vvordes of the Lord Ie|&s;us
vvhich can not lie. Let us for Gods loue looke unto them, it
&s;tandeth vs in hande: thinke vve to be forgiuen of God our
great and intollerable &s;innes, and can not be content to forgiue
&s;mall &s;innes in compari&s;on? No &s;urely, it can not be. The Lord
Ie&s;us &s;etteth out this matter more largely in the 18. of Mat|thevv,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 18. 23.</NOTE>
by the example of a king, vvhich minded to take a rec|kening
of his &s;eruants, vvhereof one was brought unto him,
which did owe him a thou&s;and talents, &amp; he not being able to
pay, commandement was giuen, that he, his wife and children,
&s;hould be &s;old and paiment made: the man with pitifull teares
fell dovvne at the feet of the king, de&s;iring him onely to beare
with him for a time, and he vvould pay him the vvhole: the
king taking compa&s;&s;ion upon the man forgaue him the whole
debt: this man being &s;o di&s;charged went his vvay, and found
one of his fellovves that ovved him a certaine &s;mall trifling
peece of money, and ragingly caught him by the throate,
commaunding him to pay that he ovved; the poore man ama|&s;ed
fell downe at his feete with vveeping teares, humbly be|&s;ought
him to be good unto him, and he vvould pay him all.
The other vvould not heare, but cruelly commaunded him to
be ca&s;t in pri&s;on, and there the poore man lay. The king hea|ring
of this crueltie, called him and &s;aide, I forgaue thee the
vvhole debt vvhen thou be&s;oughte&s;t me, oughte&s;t not thou to
haue had compa&s;&s;ion upon thy fellow al&s;o, as I had on thee? &amp;
the king in great di&s;plea&s;ure co~manded him to be deliuered to
the tormentours.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 35.</NOTE> Euen &s;o, &s;aith our Saviour Chri&s;t, vvill my
heauenly Father doe to you, unle&s;&s;e you forgiue one another
from the bottome of your heartes your &s;innes and offences
done one to another. This is the doctrine of the Lord Ie&s;us, it is
not mine, they be his ovvne vvords, and therefore they mu&s;t be
marked. It is a vvoonder to &s;ee how much vvee can make of
a &s;mal offence done unto us, &amp; how &s;mall account we make
of our great offences done to God: if one do but a litle contrary
to our mind in any &s;mal matter, oh we make it &s;o great a matter
<PB N="88" REF="51">
we haue never done with it, and hardly &s;hall a man bring vs
to any good agreement: we be &s;o hard hearted, it will not out
of our &s;tomacke, but we mu&s;t be reuenged &s;trait waies, vve will
waite him at the advantage once in our life time, to be euen
with him if we can: What is this els but to prouoke Gods
fearce wrath and indignation vpon vs, and to heape Gods
iudgement vpon vs? Ie&s;us Chri&s;t telleth vs, euen &s;o will our hea|uenly
father deale with vs. Doeth it not now then &s;tand vs in
hand to forgiue one another, to put malice and hatred out of
our hearts, and now at the length to learne perfectly this le&s;|&s;on
at our Sauiour his hand to loue one another as he loued vs?
not onely them that doe us good, but euen our enemies, and
them that hate vs. True it is, wee mu&s;t neuer loue the &s;inne of
our enemies, nor of none els, but alwaies be in deadly hatred
with that, but yet we mu&s;t loue and pity the per&s;on of our ene|mies,
that is in dangered thereby. And if this were well waigh|ed,
you &s;hould &s;ee that we had more need to pity, then to hate
our enemies. If there be any iniurie or harme done unto vs
either by word or deed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 5. 22.</NOTE> they that doe it are guiltie of hell fire,
&s;o &s;aith Ie&s;us Chri&s;t: would it not pitie our hearts to &s;ee any in
the torments of hell? alas yes, if we were not wor&s;e then bruit
bea&s;ts, we would take pitie vpon them: and &s;urely in that ca&s;e
are all tho&s;e vvhich doe vs harme, vnle&s;&s;e they repent: and
therefore the Lord Ie&s;us pitied the ca&s;e of them that put him
to death, becau&s;e he knew in what dangerous e&s;tate their &s;oules
were, whereas they in &s;pight and rage again&s;t him were &s;o
blind, that they could not &s;ee it: but alas, he &s;aw it, and pitied
their ca&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 23. 34.</NOTE> and prayed, &s;aying, O Father, forgiue them. they can
not tell what they do, they are euen almo&s;t in the gulfe of hel,
and yet &s;ee it not, they are &s;o blind in their rage, that they run
headlong to hell, and neuer thinke upon it. The &s;ame affe|ction
mu&s;t be in vs towardes our enimies, if we be of the &s;ame
&s;pirite of Chri&s;t: we mu&s;t pitie their ca&s;e that haue done any
harm or iniurie again&s;t vs, &amp; thus think, <HI>O</HI> Lord God, this their
fact is damnable before thine eyes, they haue de&s;erued hel fire,
and yet, O Lord, they &s;ee it not, Good Lord giue them hearts
and mindes to &s;ee their &s;inne, that they may &s;ee in what daun|ger
<PB N="89" REF="51">
they be in, and &s;o turne unto thee and repent. Thus you
&s;ee, how we mu&s;t pity our enemies, and pray for them, &amp; doe
what we can to bring them out of the danger: there is none
without &s;o much naturall affection, but he will pitie the life
of any thing being in danger, if it be but an oxe or an a&s;&s;e to put
it out of the mire if he could, there is none &s;o bruti&s;h that will
&s;uffer the life of a bea&s;t to peri&s;h if he can helpe it, much more
is the life of man to be pitied being in danger, but much more
is the everla&s;ting life of the &s;oule of man to be tendered being
in daunger: while thine enemie rageth again&s;t thee with all
de&s;pite and villanie, his poore &s;oule is in perill to be drowned
in the gulfe of hell, oughte&s;t not thou to pitie his e&s;tate, and
reach out thine hand to helpe him out, and not like an un|mercifull
man to plunge him downe to be drowned, that thou
mighte&s;t reuenge thy &s;pite and malice for the iniurie &amp; harme
he hath done vnto thee? There is none &s;o cruell that woulde
deale &s;o with a very bea&s;t. If vve had receiued any harme at
any bea&s;tes handes, either a &s;troke with an hor&s;e his foote or
&s;uch like, if wee &s;hould happen to &s;ee the poore bea&s;t after
that, in perill of drowning, is there any &s;o cruell that he might
be revenged of the harme done unto him, would let the poore
bea&s;t &s;tarue, or el&s;e violently pu&s;h him headlong, and holde
downe his head to drowne him? Surely none would doe it,
vnle&s;&s;e he were wor&s;e a thou&s;and fold then a bea&s;t. What do
we meane then, &s;eeing the &s;oules of our enemies in &s;o great
perill by continuance in their &s;inne, that we doe not pitie their
ca&s;e, to pray for them, to helpe them out, but rather to re|venge
our malice, doe &s;ooner pu&s;h them in forwardes head|long
to de&s;truction? Nay rather what doe wee meane in
pu&s;hing them forwarde to de&s;truction to throwe our &s;elues
downe headlong with them to the pit of hell? For what is
it els when we beare hatred, &s;pite, and malice again&s;t them?
It is murther before God, and therefore guiltie of hell &s;ire.
Haue wee not then notably prevailed again&s;t our enemies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3. 15.</NOTE>
when for pure &s;pitefull loue, and reuengefull good will tow|ards
them wee vvill euen iumpe with them into the dunge|on
of hell? This is not to loue one another, as the Lord lo|ued
<PB N="90" REF="52">
vs: well then, good brethren, I pray you, let us looke un|to
it, vvee mu&s;t loue one another, yea, euen our enemies, for
&s;o did Chri&s;t loue vs his enemies: we mu&s;t loue their &s;oules,
and pitie their &s;oules, and helpe them euen as we can: vvee
mu&s;t not &s;o much regarde the &s;pite they haue done unto us, as
the daunger their &s;oules be in before God, and this may make
vs to &s;tay our rage and reuengement again&s;t our brethren,
vvhen they haue offended us: for what is the cau&s;e that we
be &s;o out of patience with them that haue done us iniurie, that
wee can not finde in our heartes to forgiue them? Surely euen
this, becau&s;e wee doe onely looke upon the hurt done unto
us, we mu&s;e upon that, we make much adoe about that, and
&s;o marveilou&s;ly weigh what lo&s;&s;e we haue by it on euery &s;ide
but in the meane while, wee doe not con&s;ider the &s;oule of
him that did vs the iniurie, continuing in impenitencie: for
then wee &s;hould be driuen to pitie him for the daunger be|fore
God, and not hate him for our lo&s;&s;e before man. The want
of this is the onely cau&s;e then why wee be &s;o hatefull and ma|litious
towardes our enemies, which haue iniuried vs, becau&s;e
we looke upon our owne harme, and not on the harme of the
&s;oule of man before God: but wee mu&s;t doe it, certenly the
Lorde Ie&s;us commaundeth us, <HI>Pray for your enemies, doe good
to them that hate you:</HI> and here biddeth us, loue, as he loued
us, euen enemies to him. Well then, good brethren, thus yee
haue heard, how by the loue that Chri&s;t loued us, wee be
taught, to frame our loue one towardes another, euen towards
our enemies, in pitying them, praying for them that they may
be brought to amendment, not for the hurt done vnto vs, but
for the auoiding of the hurt of their &s;oules. I haue bene &s;ome|what
more long in this matter of loue towardes our enemies
becau&s;e I know it is &s;o hard a matter for fle&s;h and blood to be
&s;atisfied in this point to &s;tay from revengement: it is marvei|lous
neere growen into the corruption of our nature, and ther|fore
it mu&s;t be more carefully taken heed of us, and we mu&s;t
bende our force more to re&s;i&s;t it, and &s;o &s;hall we not onely be
hearers of this le&s;&s;on of our Lorde Ie&s;us, but al&s;o followers
of the &s;ame.</P>
<P><PB N="91" REF="52">
And yet further, when he &s;aith, that we mu&s;t loue one ano|ther
as he loved us, he giueth vs to under&s;tand, that our loue
mu&s;t be &s;incere, without re&s;pect of gaine or aduantage. Such
loue then as is commonly among&s;t vs Norffolke men will not
&s;erue, that is to loue a man as long as we can get any profit by
him, and then farewell: no, our loue mu&s;t not be &s;o, but it mu&s;t
be as Chri&s;t loued vs, which was not for any great gaine I trow
that he hoped to get at our handes, and yet this is &s;o common
among&s;t vs, as is marveilous: there is &s;car&s;ely found among&s;t
vs any other loue, then that which is for gaine: a lamentable
thing: If we haue money enough, we make our account to
get friends enough, and without mony or hope of gaine we
&s;hall hardly finde any great &s;tore of friends. Is this the loue,
good breethren, which ought to be among&s;t vs? Alas no: &s;uch
loue may be found among&s;t the very deuils in hell: and yet we
will be Chri&s;tians for&s;ooth, yea, and prote&s;tants to, but it is
but onely in name: for Chri&s;t &s;aith, that among his true &s;chol|lers,
loue mu&s;t not be for advantage, but as he loued vs. More|ouer,
we are hereby taught al&s;o, that our loue mu&s;t not be
di&s;&s;embled in faire countenance outwarde, &amp; within nothing
but rancour and malice, it mu&s;t not be in a faire flattering out|ward
&s;hewe, but it mu&s;t be as he loued us, euen in very deede
from the bottome of our heart: from our heart, from our heart,
from our heart: Oh this mu&s;t be marked, good brethren. The
Lorde Ie&s;us &s;eemeth to plucke vs Engli&s;h men by the &s;leeue,
and condemne our faire flattering di&s;&s;embled loue, which
raigneth &s;o commonly among vs: Such faire lookes, &s;ugred
wordes, louing &s;alutations, and courteous embracings as is
marveilous, as though there were &s;uch perfect loue and
friend&s;hippe among&s;t vs, as could po&s;&s;ibly be required, and
yet &s;uch deepe di&s;&s;embled hatred and &s;pight in the bottome
of our brea&s;tes, as we would (if we could) euen pull their hearts
out of their bodies, and eate them with garlicke, as they &s;ay.
Alas, good brethren, is this Chri&s;tian like? is this as Chri&s;t loued
vs? No, no, it is Iudas-like, faire ki&s;&s;es, &amp; fal&s;e di&s;&s;embling harts.
Is there not a God in heauen thinke you, to reuenge it? yes, no
doubt, and I warrant vs, we &s;hall feele it, if we doe not repent.
<PB N="92" REF="53">
We thinke we haue done notable finely, when we haue made
a man a faire countenance, and in the meane while practi&s;e
his death if we can: we go &s;lily on with the matter, and laugh
in our &s;leeue when wee haue thus done, as though there were
not a God in heauen that did &s;ee, view, and try all the &s;ecret
thoughts of our deepe di&s;&s;embling heartes, and &s;pie out all
our crooked waies, and when we haue made faire with all the
earth, will then call our crooked practi&s;es to account. Did
that cruell wretch Cain any thing preuaile, when di&s;&s;embling
his cruell malice towardes his brother, he made faire words
with him, till he gate him in the broad wilde field alone, and
then fell upon him, and killed him: did it any thing preuaile
with God, I &s;ay, that none was at the deede doing to accu&s;e
him? needed God any &s;uch thing, which was privie to his
wicked malicious thoughtes? No, but he bringeth in the ve|ry
blood which he &s;hedde, and the earth which receiued the
bloode to bring euidence again&s;t the man to condemnation:
what &s;hall we &s;ay then? will our faire lookes and &s;weet words
one to another prevaile before God, when there is nothing &s;o
in our hearts but murther and malice? No I warrant you, hee
will bring in account euen the very &s;ecret wicked thoughts,
that we conceiue upon our beds, he will bring in euen our pil|lowes
to beare evidence again&s;t vs to our condemnation, if this
geere be not amended, looke as &s;moothly on the matter as we
can: God will haue an a&s;&s;aying with vs, when we haue made
all whole with man. Wherefore, good breethen, in the feare
of God let us looke to this geere, let us giue eare to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
his teaching, that commaundeth our loue one toward ano|ther
to be as his was towardes vs, and away vvith this &s;ame
di&s;&s;embled loue, vvhich raigneth &s;o among&s;t us, this Iudas
loue, thee&s;e loue, deuils loue, and let vs like good Chri&s;ti|ans
here in Norffolke once at the length beginne to imbrace
Chri&s;tes loue, true loue, unfained, from the bottome of
the heart, and &s;incere, to the glorie of our God, and com|fort
of our &s;oules: And thus much for this part, where we are
commaunded that our loue &s;hould be as Chri&s;ts loue toward
vs: now it followeth. <HI>By this &s;hall all men know that ye are my
<PB N="93" REF="53">
di&s;ciples, if ye loue one an other.</HI> This is an other rea&s;on to per|&s;wade
to the obedience of that commaundement, which he
hath giuen in the ver&s;e before, that we loue one an other as he
hath loued vs, for that men &s;hall thereby take them to be his
&s;chollers, his di&s;ciples, Chri&s;tian men: This is an argument
which carieth with it great force to per&s;wade amongs men,
for there is none but he will &s;ay he is a Chri&s;tian, euery man
will &s;ay &s;o, yea and euery man would gladly &s;o be taken and
e&s;teemed of men, we would &s;ay &s;o all of vs, and &s;o would glad|ly
be counted Chri&s;tian men: well, then let vs looke if there
be loue among vs, for &s;aying will not &s;erue, he telleth vs men
&s;hall take vs for Chri&s;tian men, not becau&s;e we can boldly
&s;ay &s;o, but becau&s;e they &s;ee among&s;t vs loue; &s;incere loue, pure
loue&punc; no di&s;&s;embling, colouring, nor glo&s;ing, but &s;imple tender
loue one towards another, euen as he loued vs: that is the cog|ni&s;ance,
whereby we be knowne amongs men to be the &s;er|uants
of Chri&s;t; as the princes and noble mens &s;eruants are
knowne by their cogni&s;ance and badges to be the &s;eruants of
their &s;euerall ma&s;ters, &s;o is this the cogni&s;ance and badge of
true Chri&s;tian men from a fal&s;e di&s;&s;embling Chri&s;tian: its in|tollerable
to abu&s;e any princes name without &s;ome warrant,
&amp; &s;hall we be &s;o bold with the Lord Chri&s;t to abu&s;e his name
with the title of Chri&s;tian men, when we be nothing &s;o? if any
dur&s;t be &s;o bold as to make a facing and bracing vnto the pore
people, and &s;ay, I am the Queenes &s;eruant, and vnder that title
exerci&s;e all the authoritie of the Queenes maie&s;ties &s;eruice,
and yet neuer authorized into &s;eruice, nor receiued her cogni|&s;ance
to be knowne by, could &s;uch dealing be well pa&s;&s;ed o|uer
without puni&s;hment among&s;t men? No &s;urely, it could
not be: &s;uch things would be or els &s;hould be &s;euerely puni&s;h|ed,
and that iu&s;tly, for els no man &s;hould liue vnbeguiled by
&s;uch counterfeyts, and the authoritie of the prince abu&s;ed, to
the vndoing of her &s;ubiects. And &s;hall we thinke then that the
Lord Ie&s;us &s;hall &s;o &s;lightly ouerpa&s;&s;e the abu&s;e of his name, and
authoritie of Chri&s;tians, when we be nothing but onely coun|terfeits?
for he telleth vs we can not be his di&s;ciples, we cannot
be true Chri&s;tians vnle&s;&s;e we loue one an other: Let vs &s;ay and
<PB N="94" REF="54">
face, and brace it out neuer &s;o much, all will not &s;erue: for he
&s;aith, he that can not lie, that by this we &s;halbe knowne, whe|ther
we be in deede Chri&s;tian men or no, if we loue one an o|ther.
What &s;hall we &s;ay then, good brethren, to vs Norffolke
men, among&s;t whome raigneth too much &s;trife &amp; contention,
hatred, malice, brabbling, brawling, &amp; wrangling? &s;hall we &s;ay
we be Chri&s;tian men, &amp; &s;o flatter our &s;elues in our &s;inne, and de|ceiue
our own &s;oules? Ie&s;us Chri&s;t telleth vs the contrarie, that
we can not be iu&s;tly accounted of men to be true Chri&s;tians,
much more &s;hal he the &s;earcher of hearts condemne vs. VVhat
a lamentable thing is this among&s;t vs in this little countrey of
Norffolke, that we &s;hould be &s;o farre from the badge of Chri|&s;tian
men, that cleane contrary, &s;uch contention, &s;trife, &amp; brab|bling,
is among&s;t vs, that we are become infamous thereby to
the whole world, when there is found more wrangling in this
&s;ame little part, then is in xx. parts of the land be&s;ides? VVhat a
thing is this, good brethren, that the Iudges in their a&s;&s;i&s;es in
other places finde in &s;ome place foure, in &s;ome place three <HI>Ni&s;i
priu&s;es,</HI> and here among&s;t vs x. &s;core and more: commeth this
becau&s;e there is &s;o much loue among&s;t vs? &amp; yet we wilbe cou~|ted
Chri&s;tians; but Ie&s;us Chri&s;t &s;aith, that then we mu&s;t loue
one an other, it can not otherwi&s;e be, he hath &s;poken it that
can not lie. Therefore on Gods behalfe, good brethren, let vs
looke vnto it, let vs not flatter our &s;elues, &amp; &s;o die in our &s;innes;
we can not be Chri&s;tians, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t telleth vs &s;o, vnles there
be loue among&s;t vs: &amp; I pray you, what appearance of loue is
there among&s;t vs, where there is &s;uch brabling and brawling,
that neuer the like was heard of in any place of the land? nay, I
thinke in Turkie-lande: and yet we wilbe Chri&s;tians. But the
Lord Ie&s;us &s;aith we be not, &s;aue onely in name, &amp; in what ca&s;e
are we then, I pray you? euen firebrands of hell, vnles we doe
repent. VVherefore, good brethren, let vs looke vnto it, and
looke to it earne&s;tly in deede, that at the length we Norffolke
men may become Chri&s;tian men. I can not &s;peake alas, to all
Norffolke, my voice will not reach &s;o farre, but I exhort you,
good brethren, for Gods cau&s;e euery man put to his helping
hand, that &s;uch &s;trife &amp; contention as is among&s;t vs my be &s;up|pre&s;&s;ed,
<PB N="95" REF="54">
and the badge of Chri&s;tians, which is true loue, may
come in the roome. Where ye heare of contention betweene
your neighbours, per&s;wade with them as you can to take it vp
among&s;t them&s;elues charitably, and that they doe not like
bruit bea&s;ts one reuenge all their &s;pite they can again&s;t an o|ther:
per&s;wade with them &amp; take paines with them, &amp; you &s;hal
&s;ee God will ble&s;&s;e your labours. And you, good brethre~, which
are here gathered together, who&s;e hearts the Lord hath tou|ched
to take paines in &s;uch matters, I de&s;ire you in the feare of
God to continue, be not wearie of well doing, the Lord is with
you, God doth ble&s;&s;e you, and your labours, ye &s;erue God in it
highly, the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t accounteth you happie, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed,
ble&s;&s;ed</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>be the peacemakers.</HI> Although it be &s;ome pains
vnto you, &amp; a little co&s;t &amp; charges, yet remember it is done to
the Lord, &amp; the common-wealth, who&s;e you are, &amp; to whome
you owe your &s;eruice &amp; dutie. Although you &s;hall heare &s;ome
that like not of it, and peraduenture of &s;ome countenance, yet
good brethren, be not di&s;couraged, the Lord liketh well of it,
he which is of the greate&s;t countenance of all, the Lord Ie&s;us
him&s;elfe he liketh highly of it, &amp; calleth you happie &amp; ble&s;&s;ed,
<HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be the peacemakers, for they &s;halbe called the children of
God.</HI> Be not di&s;couraged then from doing good, becau&s;e &s;ome
doe not like of it: Alas, they are deciued with fal&s;e &amp; &s;launde|rous
lies, that men blow abroad in corners, I warrant you whe~
they &s;hall heare &amp; know the truth, there is no good man but
will well like of it, and further the like to the vttermo&s;t. In the
meane time goe you on forward, &amp; content your &s;elfe with this
that ye &s;ee the Lord &s;o greatly ble&s;&s;e your labours in &s;o &s;mall
time, that all your cuntrie is &s;o cleane &s;wept of rouges, wheras
in other places they abound, and &s;o few mi&s;demeanours fou~d,
&s;car&s;e the tenth part that was before, and which is in other pla|ces
&amp; that eue~ very nere you. You &s;ee this God hath wrought
by this meanes in &s;o &s;mall a time, be&s;ides that the whole limits
is &s;o quiet &amp; void of all contentions and brabbles, that now it
is not one to an hundreth that was before, and in compari&s;on
of other places rounde about you. This ye &s;ee God hath
brought to pa&s;&s;e in a &s;hort time, for this mu&s;t you be thankfull
<PB N="96" REF="55">
vnto God, and giue him the honour and glorie, and continue
and goe forward in your well doing&punc; leauing the &s;ucce&s;&s;e to his
maie&s;tie, as he knoweth &s;halbe mo&s;t for his glorie, your di&s;|charge,
and the benefit of his people.</P>
<P>Thus you haue heard out of this text the earne&s;t exhortati|on
of our louing Sauiour, ioyned with authoritie in comman|ding
vs to loue one an other &s;incerely without di&s;&s;imulation,
euen as he loued vs: a needefull le&s;&s;on, but very ill practi&s;ed of a
great number of vs, who yet continually will needes be coun|ted
Chri&s;tians: well, let vs thinke vpon it more carefully then
we haue done, for we cannot deceiue him with titles. Let vs
looke vnto it, e&s;pecially in this countrey, that haue beene this
long time &s;o farre from true Chri&s;tianitie a great number of vs,
that we haue not &s;o much as the outward cogni&s;ance, whereby
men &s;hould know vs from di&s;&s;embling Chri&s;tians: let vs in the
feare of God now beginne, good brethren, and let vs not be a|&s;hamed
nowe at length of the liuerie of Chri&s;t, we beare his
name, let vs not refu&s;e his liuerie: throw away the deuils liue|rie,
which we haue worne a great long time, we abhorre
the name of the deuill, away then with his liuerie,
and let vs giue a louing eare to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
thus friendly &s;peaking vnto vs.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John More.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="55">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT
WORSHIPFVLL AND
TRVLY RELIGIOVS S. ROBERT
Iermine Knight, &amp; M. Robert A&s;hfield E&s;quire,
Iu&s;tices of her Maie&s;ties peace for the county
of Suffolke, the continuance and increa&s;e
of all needefull ble&s;&s;ings &s;pirituall and
temporall in this time, and euerla|&s;ting
life after death.
&dtristar;</HEAD>
<P>_MAy it plea&s;e your Wor&s;hips to vn|der&s;tand,
that I haue many yeares
&s;ince, by the reque&s;t of you both,
committed the&s;e Sermons to wri|ting;
at which time I thought no|thing
le&s;&s;e then of the publi&s;hing of
them, e&s;pecially in the&s;e daies in
which by the grace of God there is
&s;uch varietie and &s;tore of &s;ermons, both preached and prin|ted,
as it may &s;eeme nothing can be added vnto the~: yet &s;ince
it hath &s;o fallen out, that the&s;e copies haue beene multiplied,
and are diuer&s;ly di&s;per&s;ed in the hands of many, and are &s;till
de&s;ired of &s;ome: whereupon I haue thought it good by this
one labour, both to ea&s;e my &s;elfe of this burden in time to
come, and al&s;o to &s;atisfie the earne&s;t de&s;ire of tho&s;e, which
<PB REF="56">
haue beene lingring about it this long time. Not that I haue
any hope in this argument to adde any thing to the treati&s;es
before written, (for what can be &s;aid in this great plentie and
diuer&s;itie of writing which we enioy, that hath not beene
&s;poken before?) but that by &s;aying the &s;ame thing againe,
yet after an other manner, I might &s;omewhat deceiue, and
&s;o in part &s;atisfie the vnquiet mindes of &s;ome, who in their
trouble can not long &s;auour any old comfort, be it neuer &s;o
good, but through a loath&s;omnes in them&s;elues are &s;till in|quiring
after newe. And if we in loue thus &s;toope to the in|firmitie
of the &s;icke patient, by preparing the &s;ame meate di|uers
waies to deceiue his ta&s;t for his good, when he abhor|reth
the daintie&s;t meate: then &s;eeing in the &s;oule of man there
is much more loath&s;omnes, whereby they &s;ometimes refu&s;e
all comfort, (as the P&s;almi&s;t complaineth in the per&s;on of the
whole Church) if they may be delighted with any thing
here, as &s;eeming new vnto them, and &s;o feede vpo~ it to their
comfort: neither my labour herein &s;hall &s;eeme &s;uperfluous
in doing that which &s;eemed to be done before, nor they re|pent
them for ta&s;ting of that as it were in an other kinde
which they refu&s;ed before, yea if through weaknes in long
&s;icknes, all places are &s;o weari&s;ome to them that it is an ea&s;e
vnto them &s;ometimes to be brought backe againe vnto that
place which they were wearie of before: why then may
there not be hope al&s;o in the tyred &s;oules of men, through
the continuance of their trouble, that by bringing them back
againe vnto tho&s;e places of holy Scripture (as it were of re&s;t)
which they had left lo~g before as finding no ea&s;e in the~, eue~
in the very &s;ame they &s;hould finde &s;ome comfort at the la&s;t,
and lie downe in peace in them, as it were in their old lodge|ings
dre&s;&s;ed &amp; prepared for them: In which kind if I &s;hall at|taine
vnto any thing, its all that I de&s;ire, or hope to performe.
<PB REF="56">
The argume~t of the latter Sermon agreeth with the former,
for commonly in trouble we are di&s;contented with our pre|&s;ent
e&s;tate, &amp; that makes us impatie~t, therefore it is nece&s;&s;arie
that &s;uch &s;houlde be per&s;waded to thinke well of their e|&s;tate
as that which the Lorde knoweth to be be&s;t for them:
and therefore to determine to beare that, and to be quiet un|der
it; which if they doe not, they &s;hall finde, that vvhen
they be out of it, &s;ome other thing will di&s;quiet them, and
&s;o they &s;hall neuer be contented. In handling of which I
haue not &s;o much tyed my &s;elfe to that &s;peciall text cho&s;en
for that purpo&s;e, as laboured out of that, and other partes
of the word to conclude a generall propo&s;ition of a conten|ted
minde. Herein I craue pardon of your Wor&s;hippes,
that for the&s;e cau&s;es I haue made that common to others,
which was fir&s;t proper to your &s;elues: which I hope &s;o
much the more ea&s;ily to obtaine of you, becau&s;e hereby
(in imparting it unto others) I take nothing from you,
when, as it were by lighting others mens candles at yours,
you haue notwith&s;tanding &s;till the whole light of your
owne, if it gaue any light vnto you before. De&s;iring al&s;o
of your Wor&s;hippes, that as at the fir&s;t you did fauourably
accept it in writing, &s;o now it might not &s;eeme tedious
unto you, to haue it the &s;econd time after this manner pre|&s;ented
unto you. I acknowledge it is unworthy of either of
your Wor&s;hippes, much more of you both, who haue
de&s;erued &s;o well a long time of thr common-wealth and
Church in our countrey, e&s;pecially my &s;elfe in many re|&s;pectes
am much bound unto you both: but &s;eeing God
hath &s;o neerely ioyned you in &s;ituation of the countrey, in
office and calling, in friend&s;hip, in kindred, and yet neere&s;t in
profe&s;sion and religion; I hope you will be contented euen
in this &s;mall treati&s;e not to be &s;undred. And thus praying
<PB REF="57">
God to make you &s;till more and more one in Chri&s;t, and
one anothers in him, and &s;o long to pre&s;erue you both
for the further good of our countrey, I hum|bly
take my leaue of your Wor&s;hips.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Norton. <DATE>26. Augu&s;t. 1594.</DATE></DATELINE>
Your Wor&s;hips at all times
in the Lorde,
<SIGNED>Nicholas Bownde.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="57">
<HEAD>A EERMON CON|taining
many comforts for the
afflicted in their trouble vpon Rom. 8.
ver&s;. 26. vnto 30.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Likewi&s;e the Spirit al&s;o helpeth our infirmities: for
we know not what to pray for as we ought, but the
Spirit it &s;elfe maketh reque&s;t for vs, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>_YOu can not be ignorant of the generall
argument that the Apo&s;tle hath in
hande, which is to intreat of the mat|ter
of afflictions, to this ende that he
might &s;hew, that none of them &s;halbe
able to hinder vs from our &s;aluation,
that &s;o we might be prepared for them,
and comforted in them. For he &s;pea|keth
wi&s;ely and to the purpo&s;e, and
therefore hauing prooued that we are &s;aued onely by faith in
Chri&s;t (which is the generall argument of the Epi&s;tle) he remo|ueth
tho&s;e things that might &s;eeme to make for the contrarie.
And namely fir&s;t the con&s;ideration of our naturall corruption,
cleauing fa&s;t vnto vs, hindring vs from that which is good, and
drawing vs to that which is euill, euen after &s;uch time as we
doe beleeue, of which he hath &s;poken in the other chapter, and
in the former part of this, declaring that by the imputation of
the perfect holines of Chri&s;t it is taken away: which we know
both by the fruits of it, which is, that we are &s;anctified in part,
<PB N="2" REF="58">
and by the &s;pirite of adoption, which teacheth vs to call God
<HI>Abba father.</HI> Secondly the con&s;ideration of tho&s;e manifold &amp;
grieuous afflictions which may &amp; doe befall vs in this worlde,
whereby it may &s;eeme, that our waies are not &s;o acceptable to
the Lord, that we might haue comfort therein: in which he
dealeth in the latter part of this chapter from ver&s;. 17. to the
ende of it, &s;hewing that they &s;hall be &s;o farre from keeping vs
from &s;aluation, as that in them we haue Chri&s;t Ie&s;us that went
before in all afflictions further then we can, and yet at the la&s;t
came vnto glorie, and therefore if we patiently abide, as we
haue not onely the Prophets, Apo&s;tles, and Martyrs, but Chri&s;t
him&s;elfe to be our fellow in them, &s;o we &s;hal be fellowes with
him and like vnto him in glorie. And lea&s;t that it might &s;eeme
grieuous vnto vs, to goe to &s;o happie an e&s;tate, through &s;o grie|uous
a way, and &s;o might thinke that the kingdome of hea|uen,
though it be &s;o pretious, we &s;hould bie it too deare: he
telleth vs a&s;&s;uredly that by ca&s;ting the account he hath found
it to be mo&s;t true, that all the afflictions in this mi&s;erable and
wretched world are not to be compared in greatnes or con|tinuance,
vnto the glorie that &s;hall be reuealed vs, ver&s;. 18.
which as it is thus great, &s;o it is mo&s;t &s;ure and certaine, and
therefore we neede not in no wi&s;e to doubt of it: for the very
creatures them &s;elues haue a certaine &s;en&s;e and feeling of it,
which but for a time are &s;ubiect to this vanitie (that is, cor|ruption
and abu&s;e) which they are and by the in&s;tinct of na|ture
doe mo&s;t earne&s;tly, and as it were, with their heads lifted
vp, looke for the reuealing of the &s;onnes of God, that they might
be redeemed from bondage, into their glorious libertie, and
&s;hall not be di&s;apointed of their hope: therefore much more
we that haue receiued the fir&s;t fruits of the &s;pirite, &s;hould with
greater patience in trouble abide the will of God, and with
more certentie and earne&s;t de&s;ire&punc; looke for an happie chance
of all our afflictions in that mo&s;t glorious day, v. 20, 21, 22, 23.
The which condition, though grieuous for a time, but happie in
the ende, that we might not refu&s;e to vndergoe with the re&s;t of
he creatures, and our brethren, he willeth vs to con&s;ider the
order which the Lord hath appointed in &s;auing of vs, which is
<PB N="3" REF="58">
by hope, and becau&s;e hope is of things not &s;eene or inioyed,
therefore we mu&s;t not imagine &s;o &s;oone to enioy all happines
as we beleeue it, but be content to want all things for a time,
that hoping for them with patience and long &s;uffering, we
might come to them at the la&s;t, vnle&s;&s;e we will goe about to
peruert this mo&s;t excellent order, which the Lord hath deter|mined
and appointed to v&s;e in &s;auing vs, which is by training
vs vp in the hope and expectation of all things promi&s;ed for a
&s;ea&s;on, v. 24, 25. And becau&s;e the hope that is deferred is the
fainting of the bones, &amp; we might feare in re&s;pect of our owne
weakenes, and the greatnes together with the continuance of
afflictions, that we &s;hould not with patience vnder the cro&s;&s;e
continue to hold out happily vnto the ende, he further addeth
for our &s;ingular comfort, that the &s;pirite which we haue recei|ued,
&s;hall helpe to beare the burthen with vs, and &s;o though
we be neuer &s;o weake, yet by the power of it we &s;hall be able
to endure, ver&s;. 26. So that it &s;hall be all one with vs, as with
the childe vpon who&s;e &s;houlder the father laying an heauie
burthen, that were able to pre&s;&s;e him downe, doth &s;o put his
hande vnder it, that he beareth the waight and burthen of it
him &s;elfe: and if the father will not ouerlade the childe, wee
neede not to feare but that the Lorde will &s;o increa&s;e our
&s;trength according to the mea&s;ure of our afflictions, that we
&s;hall finde this promi&s;e to be true, that his holy &s;pirite &s;hall
helpe our infirmities. For as a father hath tender compa&s;&s;ion
of his children, &s;o hath the Lord tender compa&s;&s;ion of vs, &s;ee|ing
he knoweth whereof we are made, and remembreth that
wee are but du&s;t, and that wee flouri&s;h but as a flower of the
fielde: which thing as it is mo&s;t comfortable to con&s;ider, &s;o
we &s;hall finde it to be mo&s;t true by experience: becau&s;e our
Sauiour Ie&s;us Chri&s;t hath praied vnto his heauenly Father for
vs, that hee might giue vs a Comforter, that might abide
with vs for euer, euen the <HI>Spirite of truth,</HI> as the ble&s;&s;ed Apo|&s;tle
confe&s;&s;eth of him&s;elfe, 1. Corinth. chap. 4. ver&s;. 9. &s;aying,
We are afflicted on euery &s;ide, yet are we not in di&s;tre&s;&s;e: in
pouertie, but none ouercome of pouertie: wee are per&s;ecu|ted,
but not for&s;aken: ca&s;t downe, but wee peni&s;h not:
<PB N="4" REF="59">
for (as it is in another place) his grace &s;hall be &s;ufficient for vs,
for his power is made perfect through our weakene&s;&s;e, &s;o that
when we are weake, then are we &s;trong 2. Cor. 12. 9, 10. and
thus we &s;hall alwaies finde it to be mo&s;t true, that God is faith|full
which will not &s;uffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be a|ble,
but will euen giue the i&s;&s;ue with the temptation, that we
may be able to beare it, 1. Corinth. 10. 13. and if there were
no Scripture to prooue it, our owne experience might tell vs
the trueth of it: for if wee haue ob&s;erued any thing, wee
may remember that many times we haue beene low brought,
and haue &s;u&s;tained very heauy thinges, and thought we
&s;hould neuer haue beene able to haue borne them, neither
in deede &s;hould we, but that there was an other thing farre
aboue our &s;elues, which made vs indure and ouercome tho&s;e
thinges which we thought we &s;hould haue fainted in the
midde&s;t of them, &s;o that we may boldly &s;ay with the holy A|po&s;tle,
<HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be God euen the Father of our Lord Ie&s;us Christ,
the father of mercies, and God of all comforts, which comforteth
vs in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them that
be in any affliction, with the comfort wherewith we our &s;elues are
comforted of God. For as the &s;ufferings of Chri&s;t abound in vs, &s;o
our con&s;olation aboundeth through Chri&s;t,</HI> 2. Cor. 1. 3, 4, 5. And
this is &s;o much the more worthy to be con&s;idered of vs, becau&s;e
he &s;aith that the &s;pirite &s;hall helpe vs, not in &s;ome fewe onely,
but in all our infirmities what&s;oeuer, and there can be no
weakenes in vs &s;o great, or infirmities &s;o many vpon vs, which
the &s;pirit &s;hall not &s;trengthen, euen to the bearing of the grea|te&s;t
cro&s;&s;e that may be laid vpon vs, as we heard the Apo&s;tle
&s;aying before, that God did comfort him in all his tribulations;
and that his con&s;olations did abound, euen as his &s;ufferings did
abound. In the meane &s;ea&s;on he giueth vs to vnder&s;tand, that
the afflictions of the godly are &s;o great, that they farre pa&s;&s;e a|ny
&s;trength that is in vs to beare them: yea that we are very
weake of our &s;elues, and &s;ubiect to many infirmities, though
we be partakers of the &s;pirite of God; for it doth not ridde vs
of them. Nay the very Apo&s;tles and Paul him &s;elfe confe&s;|&s;eth
that hee was not able to haue vndergone &s;o many and
<PB N="5" REF="59">
great things as he did being a fraile man like vnto vs, but that
he had the &s;pirit helping him in his infirmities. The trueth of
which may likewi&s;e appeare in the great complaints of David,
Iob, and the re&s;t, who though they did patiently beare many
great things, yet not without many infirmities. For Iob &s;ome|times
cur&s;eth his day: &amp; Dauid &s;aith unto God in his ha&s;t. I am
ca&s;t out of thy &s;ight, P&s;al. 31. 22. &amp; therefore we are not to ima|gine
of &s;uch a portion of God, &s;pirite, that might &s;wallowe
up all our infirmities (for then we were no men) but it mu&s;t
be &s;ufficient that we are ayded with the &s;trength of it, &s;o that
wee finally fall not downe, and lye &s;till vnder the heauy
burthen of affliction, but that there is a mixt thing as it
were in vs: namely, our owne infirmities to humble vs, &amp; the
&s;trength of Gods &s;pirit to inable vs to beare: &s;o that hauing &s;o
able an helper to beare with vs, wee may be comforted with
hope of induring the greate&s;t thing that may befall vs in this
world, though continuing upon vs never &s;o long. And that we
might doe it the rather; the Apo&s;tle further addeth, that the
&s;ame &s;pirit &s;hall likewi&s;e &s;tirre us up in all nece&s;&s;ities of ours to
pray vnto God, and to make our moane vnto him, as to our
Father and &s;hall be heard of him. For though we &s;ometimes
through the greatne&s;&s;e of our mi&s;erie knowe not what, or
how to pray as wee ought, yet his &s;pirite &s;hall &s;tirre vp euen
then though not many well ordered &s;peeches or wordes, yet
tho&s;e &s;ighes and grones, which being un&s;peakeable and only
felt, are notwith&s;tanding well vnder&s;toode and accepted of
God, becau&s;e they proceede from his &s;pirit, who&s;e meaning he
knoweth and graunteth, becau&s;e it maketh reque&s;t for the
Saintes according to the will of God, as it is ver. 26. wherein
we are notwith&s;tanding to con&s;ider, that though we haue re|ceiued
the &s;pirite of God, euen the &s;pirite that teacheth vs to
pray, &s;o that we haue many times called upon God with great
a&s;&s;urance and comfort for and with our &s;elves and others, yet
there may be a time and that very often, wherein we may be
&s;o di&s;tracted by &s;ome great affliction, and in that ca&s;e that be|ing
as it were a&s;toni&s;hed and ouercome with the greatnes and
&s;trangene&s;&s;e of it, wee can not tell what to pray: and though
<PB N="6" REF="60">
prayer then be our onely refuge, yet wee can not tell how to
begin it, or what to &s;ay. And &s;o unlike &s;hall we be unto our
&s;elues, and that that we haue bene in times pa&s;t, as though
we were not the &s;ame: nay our e&s;tate may &s;eeme like unto the
wicked, who are at their wits end. For if we were asked what
we would haue, vve can not tell, and though we haue liberty
to aske of God, we can not u&s;e it: for we can not tell what to
pray. A wonderfull thing, but yet mo&s;t true, and that which is
to be found not in &s;ome, but in the mo&s;t excellent &s;eruants of
God, euen the Apo&s;tles them&s;elues, as Paul here bringeth in
him&s;elfe for an example, and in this infirmitie maketh him&s;elfe
like unto the re&s;t. And though we haue a forme of prayer pre|&s;cribed
us by our Sauiour Chri&s;t, yet we aske tho&s;e things ma|ny
times which if we had them would hurt vs, and when we
aske that which is profitable and good, yet by pre&s;cribing to
the Lord, the time, maner, and meanes of our deliverance, we
pray with &s;uch impatience and di&s;tru&s;t, that it may truely be
&s;aid, we can not tell what to pray as we ought. This was the
e&s;tate of good King Hezekiah, I&s;a. 38. 14. when he was op|pre&s;&s;ed
in the bitterne&s;&s;e of his &s;oule (as he &s;aith) &amp; he chat|tered
like a Crane or a Swallow, and mourned as a Doue. Such
was the perplexitie and more then infirmitie of Dauid, when
in&s;tead of praying, he roared all the day long, P&s;al. 32. 3. and
when hee mourned in his prayer, and could but make a noi&s;e,
P&s;al. 55. 2. and when (as he &s;aith) for the voice of his groning
his bones did cleave to his skinne, and that he was like a Peli|cane
of the wilderne&s;&s;e, and like an Owle of the de&s;ert, and as
a Sparrow alone upon the hou&s;e toppe, P&s;alm. 102. 5, 6, 7. and
when his heart panting and his &s;trength failing him, euen the
light of his eyes, he roared for the very griefe of his heart, and
he powred out his whole de&s;ire before the Lorde, by &s;obbing
and &s;ighing, rather then by any thing el&s;e. Thus the&s;e mo&s;t
excellent &s;eruants of God, in their greate&s;t agonies, were &s;o
farre from being able to pray unto God in any tollerable ma|ner,
that in their owne &s;ence and feeling they did but roare
and crie, &s;obbe and &s;igh, mourne and complaine, and that ve|ry
confu&s;edly, euen like the Crane, the Swallow, &amp; the Owle,
<PB N="7" REF="60">
&s;o confu&s;ed were they in them&s;elues and full of di&s;order, and
fallen into &s;o many great infirmities at once: Therfore we may
not iudge of our &s;elues or others by any one &s;uch or fewe par|ticular
ca&s;es, lea&s;t wee deceiue our &s;elues: neither mu&s;t wee
then in this great vnfitne&s;&s;e of ours be like unto the wicked,
who giue ouer all prayer becau&s;e they are unfitte for it, but
&s;triue earne&s;tly again&s;t this infirmitie of ours, and then pray
vnto God that we might pray, vvhich if we will do, no doubt
we &s;hall finde his promi&s;e to be true in this, That euen then
his Spirit &s;hall teach us to pray; for as our Sauiour Chri&s;t com|forteth
his di&s;ciples in another ca&s;e. Matt. 10. 19, 20. that when
they &s;houlde be brought before kings they &s;hould not take
thought what or how to &s;peake for he would giue them in
that houre what to &s;ay, becau&s;e it was not they which &s;hould
&s;peake, but the &s;pirite of the Father vvhich &s;peaketh in them:
euen &s;o we &s;hall finde when we are mo&s;t unfitte to pray, if we
will not yeelde to it: there &s;hall be a &s;ecrete inwarde working,
whereby wee &s;hall be &s;tirred up to doe &s;omething, and there
&s;halbe a labour of the heart, and an indeauour of the minde
a&s;piring unto that which we may &s;eeme not to attaine unto,
and there &s;hall be many &s;ighings, though fewe vvordes, many
great de&s;ires, though fewe voices, yea there &s;halbe that which
wee can not greatly conceiue of our &s;elues, and euery thing
&s;hall be un&s;peakeable. For no doubt tho&s;e men that we &s;pake
of before euen at tho&s;e times when they could not tell, what
and hovv to pray as of them-&s;elues, yet the &s;pirite helping
them, they did pray, and there were at lea&s;t vn&s;peakeable
&s;ighes and grones &s;tirred up in them, For it is &s;aid of Heze|kiah
that hee then turned his face to the wall and prayed to
the Lorde and wept &s;ore, 2. Kings 20. 2, 3. and Dauid vvhen
as in his owne feeling hee did but roare and &s;igh: euen then
he poured out, &amp;, that very plentifully his whole de&s;ire before
the Lord, P&s;al. 38. and when he did but mourne and make a
noi&s;e, it was counted a prayer before the Lord, P&s;al. 55. 2. and
when as he &s;aith that his grouings were like the Pelicans, &amp; the
&s;parrows, or the &s;hriekings of an owle, yet to &s;hew that in them
there was a worke of Gods &s;pirite, that made them acceptable
<PB N="8" REF="61">
to him, he beginneth the P&s;alme thus: <HI>O Lorde heare my pray|ers
and let my cry come unto thee.</HI> So it is &s;aide of the whole
Church of God in Egypt, Exod, 2. 23. 24. that vvhen for the ex|tremitie
of their bondage they could not pray unto God, yet
they cryed and &s;ighed and mourned unto him. This then is a
mo&s;t notable co~fort in all afflictions, that beleeuing in Chri&s;t
and pertaking of his &s;pirit, it &s;hall helpe vs in all our infirmities
&s;o, that when we can not tell what or how to pray as we ought,
it &s;hall teach us &s;o to doe it, as wee may haue hope and com|fort
of being heard. For this is that which he addeth, that the
Lord which &s;earcheth the heart, knoweth the meaning of his
owne &s;pirit, for it maketh reque&s;t to him for the Saintes accor|ding
to his will: for by knowing, he doth not only meane, that
he under&s;tandeth it, as he doth all other things, but he accep|teth
and alloweth it, and doeth mo&s;t willingly graunt &s;uch re|que&s;tes,
as though they were made in farre better liking to our
&s;elues, and &s;o is the word taken, P&s;alm. 1. 6. <HI>The Lord knoweth
the way of the righteous.</HI> For, he heard the crie of the I&s;raelites
when they did but &s;igh &amp; moane, &amp; deliuered them from the
bondage: he heard Hezekiah chattering in his prayer, &amp; rai&s;ed
him vp from death, &amp; added 15. yeres more to his life: he heard
David roaring for the extremitie of his paine, and forgaue the
puni&s;hment of his &s;inne: and he hath heard us many times in
our greate&s;t need, when wee haue howled and cried, rather
then haue made any &s;etled and well ordered prayer: yea, when
we haue rather &s;ighed then &s;poken. For the Lord in this ca&s;e
regardeth not &s;o much the multitude of wordes, as hee loo|keth
to the meaning of his &s;pirite, and graunteth that though
we &s;peake neuer a worde. For euen as a father hauing a yong
Infant &s;icke of &s;ome &s;ore di&s;ea&s;e, though the child can &s;peak
neuer a worde, is ready to helpe it: and if it can &s;peake, yet
being full of paine, can not call for things as it ought, yet if the
mother can but by any &s;ignes ge&s;&s;e at the meaning of it, &s;hee
will accept as much of it as if it had &s;poken very plentifully: yea
though it &s;hould &s;ay one thing and meane another, &s;he would
giue it according to the meaning of it. So the Lord that is filled
with the bowels of compa&s;&s;ion towardes us in Chri&s;t, farre a|boue
<PB N="9" REF="61">
any father or mother though he delighteth to heare vs
pray unto him, yet when as by the extremitie of our mi&s;eries,
we are oppre&s;&s;ed or di&s;tracted, &s;o that we can not in any order|ly
maner pray unto him as we ought, he alloweth of the &s;ighes
and &s;obbes that wee offer vp unto him, and graunteth not &s;o
much our words (which are none or fewe) as the meaning of his
&s;pirite which is plentifull in vs. Hereupon it commeth to pa&s;&s;e
that the Lord in his rich mercy imputeth not unto his &s;ervants
the manifold rebellions of the fle&s;h, or great complaints in
their prayers, as not unto Iob or to David who vvere full of
them: becau&s;e he hath re&s;pect vnto the meaning of his &s;pi|rite
in them: euen as the father is not &s;o much greeued or of|fended
with the murmurings, impatience, and outcries of his
poore &s;icke childe, as he by the lea&s;t token ge&s;&s;eth at the mea|ning
of him, and taketh that in good part. What &s;hall we then
&s;ay to the&s;e things? is it true indeed that the Lord wil vouch|&s;afe
to looke vpon the lowe degree of his &s;ervants, and haue
re&s;pect unto poore &s;innefull creatures, who when they are in
their iu&s;t de&s;erued mi&s;erie, and euen then cannot pray vnto
him one worde aright; and when they beginne to &s;peake,
and their tongue cleaueth unto the roofe of their mouth, that
he vvill then heare their &s;ighes and their cries? yea undoubted|ly,
he that of his great mercie will not quench the &s;moaking
flaxe, nor breake in &s;under the brui&s;ed reede; will of the like
mercie heare, not only the well ordered prayers of his Church,
but euen the very cryings and roarings of his &s;eruants, though
they be like the Pellicanes and the Owles: yea their mour|nings
though they be like unto the Doues, yea when they &s;ay
nothing, neither indeede can, their verie lobbes and &s;ighes
which come from the aboundance of a troubled Spirite and
can not be expre&s;&s;ed: for he alloweth of the meaning of his
&s;pirit which worketh tho&s;e things in them, and if they could,
are willing thereby to perfourme better &s;eruice unto him.
What can be more comfortable vnto vs then this? In all our
nece&s;&s;ities let us then with great boldne&s;&s;e goe vnto the Lord
by Chri&s;t, and though we cannot utter many wordes, yet <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word">
vs &s;peake vnto him: for &s;urely the acceptation of our praiers
<PB N="10" REF="62">
con&s;i&s;teth not in the multitude or well placing of our wordes,
but in the reque&s;t of our hearts, and therefore if we can pray
but two wordes, and &s;ay with the Publicane. <HI>Lorde be mercifull
vnto me a &s;inner:</HI> with the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Lord increa&s;e my faith:</HI> or
with the blind man, <HI>O &s;onne of David haue mercie upon me:</HI> or
with the Theefe on the cro&s;&s;e, <HI>Lorde remember me:</HI> this &s;horte
thing proceeding from the &s;pirite in vs, and offered up in the
mediation of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us and in the vertue of his praiers, &s;hall
be as well receiued of him when we can doe no otherwi&s;e, as
if we had &s;pent an whole houre in praier: and if we can not doe
this, yet if we lift up our mindes unto God as <HI>Hannah</HI> did, who
&s;pake neuer a worde, and as Nehemiah did: yea if we doe but
&s;igh after an un&s;peakeable manner, the Lorde will not refu&s;e
that. Ver&s;. 28. <HI>Al&s;o we know that all things worke together,
&amp;c.</HI> Wherein the Apo&s;tle proceeding to comfort us in afflicti|ons
mini&s;treth this &s;oueraigne medecine again&s;t the contagi|on
thereof, namely that all affliction come to the beleeuers not
for their hurt, but for their &s;ingular good, &s;eeing that they doe
befall them not by fortune or chance but by the &s;peciall proui|dence
of God, &amp; that for the &s;ame end; who as he hath cho&s;en
them fro~ euerla&s;ting, &s;o in the &s;ame coun&s;ell of his, he ordeined
that they &s;hould be like unto his &s;o~ne, v. 29. &amp; therfore calleth
them in time, iu&s;tifieth them by faith, and &s;o by the cro&s;&s;e brin|geth
them to eternall glory as he did his Sonne, ver. 30. &amp; ther|fore
concludeth that no affliction &s;hall be able to hurt them,
&s;eeing the Lorde is with them in it, meaning thereby to doe
them good, ver. 31. and that he is &s;o, we may be a&s;&s;ured of it,
&s;eeing that he &s;pared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for us
all to death, and therefore it can not be, but that with him hee
&s;hould giue us all things al&s;o ver&s;. 32. Therfore when he &s;aith,
<HI>All things,</HI> whether it be as generally taken as it is &s;poken,
namely that not onely pro&s;peritie but adver&s;itie al&s;o: or it
be re&s;trained to his particular purpo&s;e, namely all afflictions
of what kind &s;oeuer: true it is, that his purpo&s;e is to &s;hew, that
all afflictions doe not onely not hinder the &s;aluation of the
godly, but doe greatly further it: which how&s;oeuer it contei|neth
an whole and entire matter by it felfe, yet being inferred
<PB N="11" REF="62">
upon the former wordes: The Apo&s;tle &s;eemeth therein to an|&s;were
a &s;ecrete obiection which might ari&s;e in mens mindes
from thence, namely, that it &s;eemeth many times that the
Lorde doeth not heare the prayers of the afflicted, becau&s;e
their afflictions be not onely not remooued according to their
prayer, but &s;ometimes increa&s;ed contrary to their de&s;ire. Ther|fore
wee mu&s;t remember what hath beene alreadie &s;poken,
how the Lorde in graunting our reque&s;tes, not &s;o much loo|keth
vnto the particular things wee de&s;ire, as to the meaning
of his &s;pirite, and graunteth that in turning the afflictions un|to
our &s;ingular good, whereas if they were remooued, it
would be farre wor&s;e with us though we imagine to the con|trarie:
for as if one in a burning feuer &s;hould in the midde&s;t of
his fitte aske colde water and his friend the Phi&s;ition &s;hould in
&s;teade of that giue him an whole&s;ome medecine, &s;houlde in
denying that particular thing demaunded, graunt unto his
generall meaning which was that he might haue that, which
might doe him mo&s;t good, though now being di&s;tempered
he was not able to iudge of it, but did take one thing for ano|ther:
So what&s;oeuer we aske in our di&s;tre&s;&s;e, our meaning
mu&s;t needes be, if it be ruled by Gods &s;pirit, that we woulde
haue that, which might procure our be&s;t good: therefore if the
Lord turne our cro&s;&s;es to our good though we prayed for the
cleane taking away of them, he fulfilleth both the&s;e promi&s;es
at once. Thus when Paul prayed thri&s;e that the me&s;&s;enger of
Sathan might depart from him, the Lorde in giuing him his
grace, that was &s;ufficient for him, &amp; making his power known
in the Apo&s;tles weakenes, 2. Cor. 12. 8, 9. did both &s;atisfie the
meaning of his &s;pirit, &amp; turne his cro&s;&s;e unto his &s;ingular good.
But further touching this matter we are more generally to un|der&s;ta~d,
that th' Apo&s;tle &s;aith not only that the cro&s;&s;e &s;hall turn
to our good: but that this &s;halbe verefied of all the cro&s;&s;es that
euer may come upon us be they neuer &s;o &s;trange, as &s;icknes, po|uertie,
impri&s;onment, bani&s;hme~t, lo&s;&s;e of husba~d, wife, childre~,
father &amp; mother, name, or any thing els; which is to be marked
le&s;t at any time we might be deceiued, to think if it were &s;ome
other afflictio~, we could haue &s;ome good hope in it, but this is &s;o
<PB N="12" REF="63">
great, it toucheth vs &s;o nearely, that we can not po&s;&s;ibly &s;ee
which way it &s;hould bring any good vnto vs. Which as the
deuill is ready to per&s;wade vs, and we too ready to yeeld unto
his per&s;wa&s;ion herein, &s;o that wee might comfortably with|&s;tand
it, we mu&s;t con&s;ider, that this good commeth from af|fliction,
not as though it were naturall and proper vnto it (for
indeed it is otherwi&s;e) that of it &s;elfe it maketh men wor&s;e, and
driueth them from God, as the rod doeth the child from the
mother: and this Satan aimeth at, as in Iob when he &s;aid, If the
Lord touched him he would cur&s;e him to the face: and &s;o he
prevaileth with the wicked, as with Pharaoh. But in the chil|dren
of God his goodne&s;&s;e ouercommeth the deuils malice,
and the venume of the cro&s;&s;e is taken away by the vertue of
the cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, whereby it is &s;anctified, &s;o that contrary
to the nature of it, it worketh good, The which that it might
not &s;eeme &s;trange, much le&s;&s;e unpo&s;&s;ible to vs, we mu&s;t reme~|ber
that euen men by their wi&s;dome are able to make tho&s;e
things &s;erue for the benefite of man which of them-&s;elues
would hurt him. For if the Phi&s;itian thorough his skill can
cure a man by taking away his blood and humours, by cutting
and &s;earing his fle&s;h, which of them&s;elues are hurtfull: if hee
can by arte &s;o temper that which is poy&s;on, (as the vi|pers
fle&s;h) remper it, I &s;ay, with other whole&s;ome things,
and correct it with tho&s;e that be cordiall, that of it, he will
make a &s;overaigne Treacle, euen that which &s;hall expell
poy&s;on, and &s;o make that which could cau&s;e death to be
a pre&s;eruer of life: Shall not the Lorde by his infinite wi&s;e|dom,
&amp; almightie power, the Lord, I &s;ay, which bringeth light
out of darknes, &amp; good out of euill, &amp; calleth the things that be
not as though they were: &s;hal not he be much more able by the
mo&s;t grieuous cro&s;&s;es that can befall us, worke the greate&s;t
good for vs that may be: &s;o that when wee would hope for
good by our afflictions, and &s;o be comforted in them, wee
are not &s;o much to looke to the things them&s;elues, how they
are like to worke upon vs: as the promi&s;e which the Lorde
hath made vnto us concerning this matter, and &s;o to be &s;ure
that the Lord him&s;elfe will work our good therby, becau&s;e he
<PB N="13" REF="63">
hath &s;ayde it. This per&s;wa&s;ion, no doubt, &s;hould worke in vs
great patience in all our afflictions. For howe many grieuous
things will the &s;icke patient &s;uffer at the hands of a Phy&s;ition
or Chyrurgion, by launcing, &s;earing, cor&s;ying, &amp;c. when he is
per&s;waded that it will worke his good? but in deede here ly|eth
the point of the matter, and this is all in all, that the poore
afflicted &s;oule knoweth not that the Lord by his affliction will
worke his good, and therefore is he &s;o vnquiet, and euer com|plaining;
for giue him this faith, and the feeling of it, and lay
vpon him what&s;oeuer you will. Therefore let vs hearken to
that which the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that how&s;oeuer we, becau&s;e of
our ignorance are vncertaine what will be the happie i&s;&s;ue of
all our afflictions, yet he knoweth very wel that that &s;hal worke
together our good, which he &s;peaketh confidently both as a
teacher of the Church, an Apo&s;tle, and as a man of experience,
and therefore we ought to giue credit vnto him: euen as the
patient doth to the Phy&s;ition, though him &s;elfe had neuer ex|perience
of any &s;uch thing before; which e&s;pecially we ought
to doe, becau&s;e vnto his owne word he ioyneth the te&s;timo|nie
of many others &s;aying, We know, meaning the re&s;t of the
Apo&s;tles and mini&s;ters, &amp; men of experience, that all of them
knowe it, and therefore this worde beeing confirmed by the
mouthes, not of two or three witne&s;&s;es, but hauing &s;o great a
cloud of witne&s;&s;es for it, &s;hould be receiued without all gayn|&s;aying.
For it is all one as if the fearefull patient &s;hould haue
not one, but a whole companie of Phy&s;itions &s;aying vnto him,
that vndoubtedly this medicine is like to doe you good, wee
know the working of it well, and haue had great experience
of it in many, you neede not to feare it, take it vpon our credit:
this would much mooue him: So, no doubt, this &s;hould cor|rect
the too much feare, that is in vs, of beeing hurt by the
cro&s;&s;e, that we heare &s;o many excellent and famous men very
skilfull therein, to &s;peake &s;o boldly vnto vs of the benefite
of it: euen tho&s;e whome we are mo&s;t readie to beleeue in all
other things, why then &s;hould we not doe &s;o in this? but that
we might doe it the rather, let vs a little con&s;ider in particulars
of the benefit of the cro&s;&s;e, and though the Apo&s;tle nameth
<PB N="14" REF="64">
one great one here, which might be &s;ufficient, yet before wee
come to it, let vs &s;ee what other ends of it the Scripture affor|deth
vs. And fir&s;t of all we &s;hall finde it to be a &s;peciall meane
to draw vs fro~ the too much loue of this world, that we might
v&s;e it as though we did not v&s;e it: for when we haue all things
at our will, we are wedded vnto this worlde, and thinke it be&s;t
for vs alwaies to abide here, and though heauen be a thou&s;and
times heauenly, yet we de&s;ire it not &s;o earne&s;tly as we ought,
but are &s;til groueling vpon the earth: but when by affliction we
finde that there is no contentment in any thing here below, it
may mooue vs to di&s;pi&s;e them, and with more feruent de&s;ire to
a&s;pire at heauen, where is the fulnes of ioy and plea&s;ure for e|uermore.
For this cau&s;e the Patriarks &s;uffered &s;o many affli|ctions,
to whome &s;o many earthly things were promi&s;ed; that
they might not &s;tay in them, but from them a&s;cend vp into hea|uen
which they were e&s;pecially to looke for, as the Apo&s;tle
faith, Heb. 11. 9, 10. that Abraham, I&s;aak, and Iaakob heyres
of the promi&s;e, aboad in the land of promi&s;e, as in a &s;traunge
cuntrey: for they looked for a citie who&s;e builder and maker is
God. Thus the Lord dealeth with many before their death,
laying long and grieuous di&s;ea&s;es vpon them, that they finding
no re&s;t in this world, might be willing to goe out of it, and to
de&s;ire death mo&s;t willingly, which before as mo&s;t ougly, they
did abhorre. So that as the mother by &s;ome vnplea&s;ant thing
weaneth the child from the bre&s;t, vpon which it would other|wi&s;e
alwaies linger to the hurt of it, nowe when &s;tronger
meate is more fit for it: &s;o the Lord weaneth vs by the cro&s;&s;e
from the loue of this worlde, and thus turneth it vnto our good.
Moreouer by the &s;ame he bringeth vs to a more through re|pentance
&amp; &s;orrow for our &s;innes, &amp; worketh that in vs therby
which the word did not before, when we find by woful experi|ence
what great mi&s;eries they haue brought vs vnto: for if we
would iudge our&s;elues, we &s;hould not be iudged of the Lord,
but when wee are iudged, we are cha&s;tened of him, becau&s;e
we &s;hould not be condemned with the wicked world, 1. Cor.
11. 31, 32. whereunto agreeth that P&s;al. 107. 10. &amp;c. that affli|ction
humbleth men vnto true repentance before God, euen
<PB N="15" REF="64">
as we &s;ee it to be true in the Prodigal child, who by his great
mi&s;erie came to repent him of his riotous life, Luk. 15. 16. and
the brethren of Io&s;eph, though we may pre&s;ume of them, that
they being brought vp in the hou&s;e of there godly father, did
&s;ecretly repe~t there ill dealing towards Io&s;eph, yet many yeres
after, about 20. or there about, when they were in aduer&s;itie, the
memorie of it renued it &s;elfe afre&s;h, and thereby they weare
brought more &s;eriou&s;ly to iudge them &s;elues for it; &s;o that in
this re&s;pect, it is compared to fire that purgeth the gold, &amp; con|&s;umeth
the dro&s;&s;e of it; vnto a fyle that skoureth oft the ru&s;t; vn|to
a purgation that expelleth corrupt humours from the body.
Therefore euen as the fire doth not hurt the gold, in con&s;uming
the dro&s;&s;e, and the fyle in taking away the ru&s;t, and the purgati|on
in expelling ill humours: &s;o afflictions cau&s;ing vs to abhorre
and leaue &s;ome &s;inne or other, which if we continued in, would
de&s;troy vs, may truly be &s;aid to worke our good. In the third
place, it pre&s;erueth vs from many &s;innes, which otherwi&s;e we
&s;hould fall into, but that beeing vnder the hand of God, we are
kept in more awe: and as Phy&s;icke &s;erueth not onely to cure vs
of the di&s;ea&s;es we are fallen into, but to pre&s;erue vs from them
in &s;ome tollerable health: &s;o the cro&s;&s;e both recouereth vs out
of &s;inne, when we are fallen into it, and preuenteth many, that
otherwi&s;e might creepe vpon vs: &s;o that as &s;ome &s;ickly bodies
are driuen to diet them &s;elues, and are in continuall Phy&s;icke
to preuent that which their corrupt e&s;tate would otherwi&s;e
nece&s;&s;arily pull vpon them: &s;o &s;ome are alwaies, or the grea|te&s;t
part of there liues in the dyet of affliction, not &s;o much to
bring them from gro&s;&s;e and grieuous &s;innes which they are
not yet fallen into, as to keepe them from falling, which the
Lord knoweth they are readie to doe, in re&s;pect of their ages,
callings, and places that they liue in. So that if the Lord deale
with vs as with vntamed heyfers, which are kept from &s;tray|ing
out of there pa&s;tures with hedges and ditches; &s;o he puts
thornes and briars in our waies as <HI>Ho&s;eah</HI> &s;aith 2. 6. that is, lai|eth
affliction vpon vs, and &s;o as it were &s;toppeth the way that
we might not break forth by di&s;obedience to our hurt, mu&s;t we
not needes &s;ay, that euen this way as well as any other, the
<PB N="16" REF="65">
Lord worketh by affliction our &s;ingular good? and with the
Prophet, Ble&s;&s;ed is the man whome thou cha&s;tene&s;t, O Lord,
and teache&s;t him in thy law, that thou mai&s;t giue him re&s;t from
the daies of euill, while the pit is digged for the wicked. And
P&s;al. 119. 67. 71. Before I was afflicted, I went a&s;tray, but now
I keepe thy word: and, It is good for me that I haue beene af|flicted,
that I may learne thy &s;tatutes. Be&s;ides all this, afflicti|ons
are called trialls, becau&s;e that by them the Lorde tryeth
what is in vs, not that he is ignorant of it, but becau&s;e hee
would haue thereby our &s;elues and others throughly to knowe
what is in vs, and in what mea&s;ure, and what is both good and
euill, which without the triall could not &s;o well be knowne:
which &s;erueth for this ende, that if we haue receiued any good
grace, we might be thankefull to God for it, if not, we might
labour for it. Thus &s;peaketh the Apo&s;tle Peter, 1. Epi&s;t. 1. 6, 7.
Now for a &s;ea&s;on if neede require, ye are in heauines through
manifold tentations, that the triall of your faith beeing much
more precious then gold that peri&s;heth (though it be tried
with fire) might be found vnto your prai&s;e, honour, and glorie,
at the appearing of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Where the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that
if men by the fire will trie the gold to the ende that they might
certenly know what is the value of it, and yet it is but a thing
that peri&s;heth, and therefore in no wi&s;e to be compared to
faith and other graces of Gods &s;pirite: then the Lord much
more by affliction may make triall of them, to the ende that
all men may &s;ee them to be &s;o precious as they be. Thus was
Abraham prooued, Gen. 22. 1. when the Lord commaunded
him to offer vp his onely &s;onne I&s;aak whome he loued, which
he willingly obeyed, and by faith offered him vp, Hebr. 11. 17.
&s;o that the Lord &s;aith, now it was knowne by good proofe that
he feared the Lord, when for his &s;ake he had not &s;pared his
onely &s;onne. Thus is it knowne who are they that haue recei|ued
the &s;eede of Gods word into good ground, and who into
&s;tonie ground, euen &s;uch as goe away in tentation: and &s;o
though they beleeued for a time, yet then &s;hew that the word
was not rooted in them, Luk. 8. 13. and thus it is knowne who
haue builded there hou&s;es vpon the rocke, and who vpon the
<PB N="17" REF="65">
&s;ands, who haue beene onely hearers of the word, and who do|ers
of the &s;ame. Euen &s;uch as when the rayne fals, the floode
comes, and the winde blowes, there hou&s;es &s;tand or fal, that is,
they that in affliction and tentation continue the &s;ame that
they were before, or are vnlike vnto them&s;elues; to be &s;hort,
thus were the I&s;raelites tried in the wildernes, where it appea|red
many waies what was in euery man, where &s;ome were
murmurers, &s;ome fornicatours, &s;ome idolatours, &s;ome di&s;obe|dient,
and &s;ome faithfull, and all this by the &s;euerall afflictions
and cro&s;&s;es that did befall them. Thus by the great afflictions
that came vpon Iob at once, appeared what was in him, when
in all that he &s;inned not with his mouth, but &s;aide, The Lorde
gaue, and the Lord hath taken away, ble&s;&s;ed be the name of the
Lord. And thus la&s;tly by triall appeared the weakenes of Pe|ter,
who though he had made &s;o large a confe&s;&s;ion of his faith
before; yet at the voyce of a mayde, when he &s;aw greater dan|ger,
&s;ware and fore&s;ware with cur&s;ing and banning, denying
Chri&s;t, euen that he neuer knew the man: therefore if it be good
for vs not to be ignorant of our &s;elues, and &s;o not to be deceiued
with an ouerweening of our &s;elues; if it be good for any man
to &s;ee his wants and weaknes, that he may be humbled and
&s;eeke to haue them healed, if it be good to know certenly that
we haue receiued &s;uch and &s;uch graces, euen in that mea&s;ure
that we haue, that we might be thankefull to God and com|forted
in our &s;elues: then &s;eeing that affliction and the cro&s;&s;e
bringeth forth all this at once, and by trial we finde what faith,
hope, loue, patience, obedience, &amp;c. is in vs, and what not, that
what&s;oeuer we &s;eemed to be before to our &s;elues, and others,
yet now we know certenly that we are thus and thus, it can not
be denied but that affliction worketh much good vnto vs, and
we ought to &s;ay with the Apo&s;tle, that we knowe it to be &s;o.
VVhich we may much more confidently when we &s;hall &s;ee
(omitting to &s;peake of many moe v&s;es that the cro&s;&s;e hath)
that la&s;t and greate&s;t of all, that is &s;poken of ver&s;. 29. Hetherto
we haue &s;eene that there is great v&s;e of affliction, and that it
worketh much good, and that in euery cro&s;&s;e be&s;ides the pre|&s;ent
bearing of it, the Lord offereth great commoditie vnto
<PB N="18" REF="66">
vs and worketh it in vs thereby: &s;o that as in all other thinges
there is the pre&s;ent po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of them, and the v&s;e of them, in
&s;o much that many haue great goods and yet not know howe
to v&s;e them; &s;o many haue great and long cro&s;&s;es vpon them,
yet labour not after the fruit of them. Thus &s;eeing afflictions
are common to the good and the bad, and both doe beare
them, whether they will or no, yet the one mu&s;t labour for the
good which the Lord offereth to them thereby, which the o|ther
not once &s;o much as looketh after: which no doubt when
Gods children are &s;ome thing carele&s;&s;e in, then he continueth
his roddes vpon them, nay increa&s;eth them, becau&s;e his pur|po&s;e
is to doe them good: and &s;o herein dealeth with them
as a father (euen as he is) who &s;pareth not the rodde, till his
childe be thereby humbled, to the confe&s;&s;ion and amendment
of his fault, becau&s;e his purpo&s;e is to doe him good, when as
notwith&s;tanding he letteth his &s;eruant goe, when he &s;eeth that
he will not profit by wordes or a fewe &s;tripes, as not caring for
him: &s;o the Lord when he &s;pareth the wicked in their &s;innes,
and re&s;erueth them to further iudgement, correcting his owne
children againe and againe, &s;heweth that his purpo&s;e is to
doe them good. Therefore let no man in the continuance of
afflictions be too much di&s;couraged, as though the Lord were
continually angrie with him, or had a purpo&s;e to de&s;troy him
thereby, which he could doe in a moment at once, but let
him thus rea&s;on with him&s;elfe out of the word; Nowe I know
a&s;&s;uredly that the Lord loueth me in deede, becau&s;e he purpo|&s;eth
to doe me good by all things, euen by affliction, and ther|fore
whereas I through the vntowardnes of my nature, haue
not profited &s;ufficiently by his former cha&s;ti&s;ments, he &s;endeth
a new fatherly correction, thereby to worke my further good,
and whereas I through my crookednes and &s;tubbornnes doe
not yet profit by them, as he would haue me, therefore I &s;ee
that in much mercie he continueth it, that &s;o I might get good
by it at the la&s;t: and herein the Lord dealeth like a wi&s;e &amp; care|full
Phy&s;itian, who purpo&s;ing not &s;o much to giue Phy&s;ick vn|to
the &s;icke patient, as to cure him thereby, if the fir&s;t medicine
will doe it, there he leaues them; if not, he applieth one me|dicine
<PB N="19" REF="66">
after an other, becau&s;e he hath a diligent care of him:
and if at any time he maketh any intermi&s;&s;ion, it is becau&s;e of
the patients weaknes, whome he would by that meanes to ga|ther
&s;ome &s;trength, not that he meaneth to leaue him: &s;o the
Lord purpo&s;ing, according to his word, by affliction to doe vs
good, when by the fir&s;t cro&s;&s;e we profit not as we ought, then
either he letteth it lie the longer vpon vs, or remoouing it
&s;endeth an other in &s;teade of it, though not pre&s;ently, becau&s;e
we could not beare it, yet afterwardes when it &s;eemeth be&s;t
vnto him. Therefore the be&s;t thing for euery man is, &s;oone to
profit vnder the cro&s;&s;e, that &s;o it may be remooued, and not &s;o
much to labour for the remoouing of it, as for the fruit of it,
lea&s;t it going away without profit, the Lord bring vpon vs
&s;ome greater afterwards, &s;eeing he is purpo&s;ed thereby mo&s;t
a&s;&s;uredly to doe vs good. Moreouer, by this we knowe that
whereas euery man de&s;ireth that which is be&s;t for him, and
yet mo&s;t men erre in the particulars, de&s;iring that which is mo&s;t
plea&s;ant, profitable, honourable, &amp;c. in this worlde; that in
deede is be&s;t for vs at all times, what&s;oeuer it be, which ma|keth
mo&s;t for the glorie of God in vs, our owne &s;aluation, and
the edifying of our brethren, which becau&s;e the Lord worketh
many times by afflictions, as wee haue heard, euen they then
are be&s;t for a man: Euen as when a mans bodie is &s;o di&s;tem|pered,
and &s;ome member &s;o putrified, then it is be&s;t for him
to haue his bloode taken away from him, to be launced and
&s;eared, yea to haue a part cut off: therefore when any afflicti|on
or calamitie doth befall vs, let vs not be di&s;contented there|with,
or be impatient, but &s;ubmitting our iudgements &amp; wills
to the iudgements and will of God, let vs quietly indure, &s;eeing
the Lord giueth vs that, not which we fondly de&s;ire as the be&s;t,
but which he knoweth to be, and is indeede the be&s;t. Now &s;ee|ing
it is &s;o, what then I pray you is the cau&s;e why not onely
the wicked, but euen the godly, which ought to knowe this,
and to beleeue it, doe &s;o grieuou&s;ly complaine of there afflicti|ons?
as <HI>Dauid, Iob,</HI> and the re&s;t, as though they &s;hould be hurt
thereby, when as we haue &s;eene they worke their good and
therefore are be&s;t for them: Truly it can not be denied, but that
<PB N="20" REF="67">
men for the mo&s;t part doe more complaine of their afflicti|ons
then they ought to doe, and doe not &s;o comfortablely
beare them as they &s;hould: yet this hindereth not but that
men &s;hould get good by their afflictions, and be al&s;o per&s;wa|ded
thereof, though they be full of complaints, whil&s;t they are
in the mid&s;t of them: for who complaineth more then the&s;e
two men, and yet who had more profit and got greater good
of them then they? for &s;uch is our nature, that we mu&s;t needes
haue the feeling of afflictions, vnle&s;&s;e our heart were hard like
yron or bra&s;&s;e, and &s;o we were &s;tocks and no men: but &s;eeing
it is otherwi&s;e that our hearts are &s;oft and tender, it can not be
but that euery thing &s;hould worke vpon vs, and we be mooued
according to the nature of it, to ioy, &s;orrowe, loue, hatred,
anger, and feare, and therefore tribulation mu&s;t needes trou|ble
vs, and affliction afflict, and the cro&s;&s;e crucifie, and yet we
may be per&s;waded that it is for our good, and looke for it from
thence, euen as the &s;icke patient can not as he is man, but feele
the launcing, and &s;earing of his fle&s;h, and &s;o complaine of it
with great griefe, yea cry out for the extremitie of paine,
though he knoweth it to be be&s;t for him then, and therefore
after a &s;ort doth mo&s;t willingly &s;uffer it. But many others are
&s;o full of complaints in their affliction, becau&s;e they are not
per&s;waded at that time, that the very thing is &s;ent for their
&s;peciall good, and therefore &s;uch are to meditate vpon that
which we haue alreadie &s;poken concerning this matter.</P>
<P>In the latter part of this ver&s;e when he &s;aith, <HI>to them that
loue God,</HI> as he thereby re&s;traineth this generall promi&s;e, &s;o he
&s;heweth to whome it appertaineth, namely to tho&s;e that be|leeue
in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, and are &s;anctified by his Spirite, for he in|treateth
of the certaintie of the &s;aluation of &s;uch: nowe the
true and faithfull beleeuers as he hath before di&s;cerned them
from others by this fruite of faith, namely &s;anctification, &s;o
he doth here by one part of it, which is loue, as in the Epi&s;tle
to the Galat. chap. 5. ver&s;. 6. &s;o that vnder one kinde he com|prehendeth
all godline&s;&s;e, but he taketh this thing rather then
any other, as mo&s;t fitte for his purpo&s;e; for &s;peaking of affli|ction,
he &s;aith, By this we &s;hall trie our faith, if our loue vn|to
<PB N="21" REF="67">
to GOD continue euen then. For vvhereas the vvicked
vvill pretend to loue God in pro&s;peritie, but in adver&s;itie they
fall unto hatred, yea unto plaine cur&s;ing and banning: he that
truly loueth God, loueth him not for his backe and bellie
alone, nor principally, but becau&s;e he is goodnes it &s;elfe, and
therefore to be loued. And herein the one bevvray their &s;er|vile
nature, that like as &s;ervants loue not their ma&s;ters, if they
once beginne to correct them: and the other their liberall and
childi&s;h di&s;po&s;ition, whome no correction or &s;tripes of the fa|ther,
can make to chaunge their loue to him, much le&s;&s;e driue
avvay from him. This is that which Satan knowing general|ly
to be in the nature of man, thought to haue found in Iob,
though he vvas deceiued, vvhen he &s;aid, Doeth Iob loue or
feare God for nothing? ha&s;t not thou bene an hedge round a|bout
him? but touch all that he hath, and &s;ee if he vvill not
bla&s;pheme thee to thy face. Therefore if in affliction we cea&s;e
not to loue God, and in loue to &s;erve him, vve &s;hall be &s;ure
that he vvil fulfill this promi&s;e to vs, of turning all things to our
good. Moreouer, &s;eeing that the Apo&s;tles purpo&s;e is, to intreat
of patience in affliction, this no doubt, is mo&s;t fit for the pur|po&s;e,
namely the con&s;ideration of the loue which vve ought to
beare unto God. For if that in worldly matters we vvill beare
many great things at the hands of them vvhome vve loue, as
the childe at the mother; the husband at the wife; and one
friend at another; then how much more ought vve to beare all
things at the hands of God, vvhome vve knovve &s;o loueth vs
in Chri&s;t, and therefore vve ought &s;o to loue him againe: and
no doubt would beare if there vvere that loue in us unto him,
which ought. When he addeth in the &s;ame ver&s;e, (<HI>Which are
called of his purpo&s;e</HI>) as hee doeth further &s;hewe to whome this
promi&s;e doeth appertaine, euen to &s;uch, &s;o he &s;hevveth the
cau&s;e of it, vvhich is not any vvorthines of theirs, or right be
having them&s;elues under the cro&s;&s;e, as thereby de&s;eruing it,
but the free loue of God, vvhereby he before the beginning
purpo&s;ed to doe them good, vvhich purpo&s;e of his nothing can
alter, but he maketh all things to further it, euen afflictions?
&s;o that thus he declareth the certentie of this, for vvhat can
<PB N="22" REF="68">
hinder the purpo&s;e of God? Nothing: and therefore afflicti|ons
can not hinder the good of his children, &s;eeing that hee
hath purpo&s;ed to do them good, which purpo&s;e of his appea|reth
by their effectual calling, and therefore when he had pur|po&s;ed
to &s;aue them, he called them in time to the knowledge
of it, and from thence it came that the worde was effectuall to
them, when it was unprofitable vnto others. So the Lord con|tinuing
the &s;ame purpo&s;e of his towards them, it &s;hall come to
pa&s;&s;e that though all other men &s;hould waxe wor&s;e and wor&s;e
by their affliction, yet the Lorde would turne all theirs unto
their good becau&s;e he had purpo&s;ed it. So that for the certen|tie
of this hee leadeth them to the con&s;ideration of the pur|po&s;e
of God appearing in their calling, which being verie
&s;trange, and many things again&s;t it, yet nothing could hinder
it becau&s;e it was purpo&s;ed. So by the cro&s;&s;e our good being or|dained
by the uncha~geable purpo&s;e of god, how many things
&s;oeuer may &s;eeme to be again&s;t it within vs or without us, no|thing
&s;hall be able euer to hinder it, but we &s;hall alwaies finde
this promi&s;e to be true: that all things &s;hall worke togither
for the be&s;t to tho&s;e that loue God, euen tho&s;e that are cal|led
of his purpo&s;e. In the next ver&s;e when hee addeth; <HI>For
tho&s;e whom he knew before, hee al&s;o prede&s;tinate to be made like to
the image of his Sonne, that he might be the fir&s;t borne among many
brethren:</HI> he declareth another mo&s;t excellent end wherefore
the Lorde layeth the cro&s;&s;e vpon his children, namely, that
thereby they might be like unto Chri&s;t their elde&s;t brother, as
the Lorde hath ordeined, that all that are his &s;hould be: and
thus e&s;pecially it worketh our good, when it maketh us con|formable
to Chri&s;t: where he not onely &s;aith, that afflictions
doe befall us by the very &s;peciall prouidence of God, and not
by chance, but to what ende he &s;endeth them, namely that as
Chri&s;t fir&s;t &s;uffered and then entred into glory, &s;o all others
going the &s;ame way might be like unto him, as he hath ap|pointed
that they &s;houlde, and therefore wee neede not to
feare that the cro&s;&s;e &s;hould hinder us from our &s;aluation, no
more then it hindred Chri&s;t from glorie: nay, that wee ought
<PB N="23" REF="68">
in the midde&s;t of it, to haue &s;ure hope, that in the ende vvee
&s;hall be like unto Chri&s;t in glory, becau&s;e vvee are like unto
him in the cro&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Concerning the former, that no affliction commeth by for|tune
or by chaunce, but by the appointment of God, he not
onely &s;uffering it, but fir&s;t ordaining it, and then laying it up|on
us with his owne handes, it containeth in it mo&s;t notable
comfortes by it &s;elfe, and is that vvhich the whole Scripture
beareth very plentifull witne&s;&s;e unto: for &s;eeing that wee be|leeue
that God made all things of nothing, therefore what|&s;oeuer
are the meanes of any thing the Lorde is the doer of
it, for that they did that which they did by his &s;peciall pow|er,
&s;eeing that without him they are nothing. Therefore the
&s;eruants of God haue confe&s;&s;ed, that the Lorde him&s;elfe hath
brought all their troubles upon them, as P&s;alme 66. 10.
<HI>Thou, O God, ha&s;t prooved, thou ha&s;t tried vs as &s;ilver is tri|ed,
thou ha&s;t brought vs into the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">are, and laide a &s;traite chaine
upon our loynes, thou ha&s;t cau&s;ed men to ride over our heades.</HI>
And Iob vvhen all his goods were giuen into Satans hand,
who &s;tirred vp the Sabeans and the Chaldeans to &s;poile
him, yet hee &s;aieth, <HI>The Lorde hath given, and hee hath ta|ken
it.</HI> The deuils be&s;ought Chri&s;t not onely that he vvould
&s;uffer them, but that he vvoulde &s;ende them into the &s;wine,
that they might goe into them, Mark. chap. 5. ver&s;. 12. So
Matth. chap. 4. ver&s;. 1. Chri&s;t is &s;aide to be ledde by the &s;pi|rite
into the vvilderne&s;&s;e to be tempted of the deuill, to
&s;hevve, that what&s;oeuer did befall him there, the Lorde
&s;ent him thither, and to that ende. And &s;o hath hee taught
vs to pray, Leade us not into temptation, vvhich is
more comfortable then to &s;ay, Suffer us not to be ledde:
becau&s;e therein vvee confe&s;&s;e, not onely that the Lord
beholdeth vs in all our troubles, but that hee, that is our
Father, and knovveth our &s;trength, layeth them vpon us
vvith his ovvne hande, and therefore vvee neede &s;o much
the le&s;&s;e to feare lea&s;t vvee &s;hould be ouer-laden. The
<PB N="24" REF="69">
con&s;ideration of this &s;hould not onely make us patient in all
afflictions, but to looke for &s;ome good from them, &s;eeing that
he vvhich hath promi&s;ed to vvorke our good by them, doeth
lay them upon us him&s;elfe: this no doubt vvas that, that &s;tayed
the olde man Hely vvhen hee hearde that me&s;&s;age from the
Lorde by Samuell, vvhich othervvi&s;e might haue bene more
vncomfortable vnto him, as appeareth by his vvordes, 1. Sam.
3. 18. It is the Lorde let him doe vvhat &s;eemeth him good.
For this is all one, as if the &s;icke patient &s;hould haue a Phi&s;iti|an
to deale vvith him, that vvere his brother, his father, or
his friende, vvho &s;houlde not onely pre&s;cribe the mede|cine,
but make it and mini&s;ter it him&s;elfe, of vvho&s;e fidelitie
and care tovvardes him, becau&s;e he doubteth not one vvhit,
it might make him mo&s;t vvilling to receiue it, though verie
bitter and unplea&s;ant, and to hope for &s;ome good from it.
Thus our Sauiour Chri&s;t &s;peaketh, Ioh. 18. 11. <HI>Shall I not
drinke of the cuppe vvhich my Father hath giuen me?</HI> &s;peaking of
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">his &s;ufferings. To &s;hevv us, vvhen&s;oeuer any cro&s;&s;e doeth
befall us, it is the cuppe vvhich God our Father in vvi&s;edome
and mercie hath mingled for vs; and therefore vve &s;houlde
not feare any hurt by drinking of it, but rather hope that it
&s;hould vvorke our good, as he hath promi&s;ed. If vvhen the
childe hath offended his father, he &s;hould &s;ay to his &s;eruant
in his anger, Take him out of my &s;ight and puni&s;h him, it
would be more grieuous then if he &s;hould take correction of
him him&s;elfe: &s;o it may mini&s;ter unto us &s;ome comfort that
in afflictions vve knovve that vve are under our fathers hand,
and that he hath not deliuered us unto any other, to be tor|mented.
If one that were blind &s;hould be &s;uddenly taken, &amp; ca|ried
to &s;ome puni&s;hment, he knew not by vvhom, he might
greatly feare, vvhat would be the ende or mea&s;ure of it. Or if
one &s;houlde be dealt withall as is the manner of the Spani&s;h
Inqui&s;itours, to put the poore &s;oule in the greater feare, if he
&s;hould haue a tormentour &s;ent unto him uery ougly di&s;gui&s;ed,
who &s;hovld cary him into a darke place, he knew not whe|ther,
that might increa&s;e the griefe of his affliction the more,
but if vvhen he were in the midde&s;t of it, he &s;hould heare the
<PB N="25" REF="69">
vnto us, becau&s;e vvee looke not up unto him that &s;endeth
it, and vvee are &s;o blinde, that wee con&s;ider not vvho
&s;triketh us, yet vvhen wee heare out of the Worde, the
voice of our Father &s;peaking unto us, and telling us that
it is hee that dealeth vvith us, hovve &s;traunge and defor|med
&s;oeuer the tormentour may &s;eeme to be, let vs not be
too much di&s;couraged, becau&s;e that euen vvhen hee &s;tri|keth
us, the bovvels of compa&s;&s;ion in him doe yearne upon
us more then in a mother towardes her children, and hee
&s;eeketh thereby to doe us good. Thus wee &s;ee that all af|flictions
are ordained and &s;ent of God, and that the &s;alua|tion
of the Church, and euery member of it is ioyned
with bearing the cro&s;&s;e, &s;o that vvee are not to looke to
be freed from it, unle&s;&s;e vvee will pervert this order e|&s;tabli&s;hed
by Gods decree, neither neede vvee to feare
it vvhen as the Lorde that hath determined to &s;aue us, hath
appointed al&s;o this vvay and meanes to &s;aue us, and vvhen
his decree of &s;auing cannot be &s;euered from his decree of
exerci&s;ing vs under the cro&s;&s;e. Which that vvee might not
looke to be freed from, or feare lea&s;t it &s;hould hinder us in
our &s;aluation, the Apo&s;tle telleth us wherefore the Lorde
hath thus decreed of the whole Church, euen that &s;eeing
his owne Sonne Chri&s;t Ie&s;us came no other way but this
unto glorie, hee beeing the elde&s;t brother in the hou&s;e of
God, All other by their practi&s;e might yeelde unto his &s;o|veraigntie,
when they will not refu&s;e to goe that way to
their inheritance, which hee went before though never &s;o
grieuous, euen through many afflictions. So that euen as a
noble man will haue all his &s;ervants to weare one liverie, that
they might be knovven: &s;o the Lorde would haue all his
children knowen by one badge: the badge that he put up|on
his elde&s;t &s;onne Chri&s;t was the cro&s;&s;e, therefore none
of us the younger breethren mu&s;t refu&s;e it. For as in a fa|milie,
great is the priuiledge of the elde&s;t brother, and
none mu&s;t looke to goe beyonde him, nay euery one can
not be like unto him, and if any might come to as great
<PB N="26" REF="70">
an inheritance, as hee by doing tho&s;e things which he did
before them, they might not refu&s;e the condition, un|le&s;&s;e
they woulde preferre them-&s;elues before him. So
&s;eeing it hath plea&s;ed the Lorde to con&s;ecrate the prince
of our peace through affliction, Hebr. cap. 2. ver&s;. 10. and
hee came vnto glorie no other way then this, vve mu&s;t
thinke it good for us to goe the &s;ame way, that we might
be like unto him, and &s;o by our practi&s;e, &s;hewe that wee
acknowledge him to be the prince of our peace, and our
elde&s;t brother. Then euen as hee is the chiefe and prin|cipall
in the common wealth, in the Church, in a private
familie, and in any place, that all de&s;ire to be like unto,
&s;o vvhen vvee are contented to be like unto Chri&s;t in any
thing, euen in the cro&s;&s;e, then &s;hall wee declare that vvee
holde him to be the chiefe and principall, and as it is &s;aide
here, <HI>the fir&s;t begotten among many breethren.</HI> For indeede
how&s;oeuer there is great difference betvveene the heade
and the re&s;t of the members, yet there is a certaine con|formitie
betweene the members of the &s;ame bodie and the
heade, and all of them are inferiour vnto it: &s;o how&s;oe|uer
there is no compari&s;on betvvixt Chri&s;t and us, yet vvee
mu&s;t be like him in this, that we mu&s;t not be aboue him,
and therefore not to refu&s;e any condition, that he hath un|dergone
before, unle&s;&s;e vvee would prepo&s;terou&s;ly preferre
our &s;elues the members before him our heade: vvhich
were to darken the glorie of him, that is the fir&s;t borne,
and to &s;taine the honour of him that is the prince of our
peace. For what a di&s;order were it, if the &s;ubiects would
refu&s;e to doe that which the Prince had done before? and
if the younger breethren &s;houlde thinke much to bee
brought up that way that the heire hath beene before? e|uen
&s;o when vvee &s;hall refu&s;e to beare the cro&s;&s;e vvhich
our Saviour Chri&s;t by the appointment of his Father hath
borne in greater mea&s;ure then wee &s;hall or can, it is no|thing
el&s;e but to lifte up our &s;elues aboue him, and to &s;ay
<PB N="27" REF="70">
that wee will not be conformable unto him as to our
prince or elde&s;t brother. And what a thing were this, that
vvee beeing vvor&s;e then du&s;t and a&s;hes, &s;houlde de&s;ire
to be &s;pared aboue the onely Sonne of God, and &s;hould
&s;o loue our &s;elues, that the e&s;tate of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;hould
&s;eeme to be vnmeete for vs, and when he was in all &s;uf|ferings
and afflictions brought vnto glorie, wee &s;houlde
dreame of a more readie way, and thinke to come to it
&s;ome other way wee knowe not what? Therefore let this
comfort us in all trouble and aduer&s;itie, that wee can ne|uer
be pre&s;&s;ed &s;o lowe with it, but that Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath
beene deeper plunged in it before, &s;o that the more trou|ble
and aduer&s;itie wee &s;uffer, the more are wee like un|to
him: yea, if it were po&s;&s;ible for us to goe dovvne in|to
hell, and to &s;uffer all torments of a de&s;perate man in
&s;oule and bodie, euen in them wee &s;houlde be mo&s;t like
unto Chri&s;t in his great agonies and bloudy &s;weates, yea
in his cro&s;&s;e when hee cryed out vvith a lovvde voice,
<HI>My God, my God, vvhy hast thou for&s;aken mee?</HI> But if al
this doe not &s;atisfie us, and wee further demaund vvhy
the Lorde &s;houlde appoint &s;o harde a vvay for us vnto
heauen, and ordaine that by the &s;traight way and narrow
gate, wee &s;houlde enter into life, and &s;houlde vvi&s;h that
hee had appointed &s;ome ea&s;ier way then this: Fir&s;t of all
wee mu&s;t not pre&s;cribe the Lorde any thing in the mat|ter
of our &s;aluation, but thinke our &s;elues happy, that
wee are &s;aued any way, yea if wee went to heauen by
hell: and &s;econdarily when wee are come thither, wee
&s;hall finde the ioyes &s;o farre &s;urpa&s;&s;e all troubles and ad|uer&s;ities
vvhat&s;oeuer that wee haue &s;uffered both in great|ne&s;&s;e
and continuance, that wee &s;hall neuer repent vs of
the hardne&s;&s;e of the way, no more then it did Io&s;eph, that
hee fir&s;t induring the pri&s;on was afterwardes made ruler in
Egypt: or Iacob that he came to inherite his fathers ble&s;&s;ing
at the la&s;t, by a long exile &amp; tedious bondage: or the I&s;raelites,
<PB N="28" REF="71">
that by pa&s;&s;ing through a forlorne wildernes fourtie yeeres,
they came to the lande of promi&s;e in the ende. Or
Dauid that he came to the kingdome of I&s;rael
by &s;uffering &s;o many things under
Saule as he did.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Nicholas Bownde.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB N="29" REF="71">
<HEAD>A Treati&s;e of a contented minde.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Num. 11. From the 4. ver&s;. Mo&s;es &s;etteth downe the mo&s;t
hainous &s;inne of the people, which grieued him &s;o, that he
complaineth of it vnto the Lord, ver&s;. 11. Who gaue him
this an&s;wer concerning this matter, ver&s;. 18. the exe|cution
of which is de&s;cribed, ver&s;. 31.</HEAD>
<P>_THeir &s;inne was this, that they were not
contented with that mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed e|&s;tate
that the Lord had placed them
in: which, how&s;oeuer it may &s;eeme to
be but a &s;mall thing, yet if we mea&s;ure
it by the puni&s;hment that came vpon
them for it, we mu&s;t needes confe&s;&s;e it
to be great. For if the iu&s;tice of men
doth puni&s;h men but according to the qualitie of the fault, the
Lord doing it a great deale more, it can not be but a great &s;inne
that pulled &s;o great a puni&s;hment vpon them. And in deede
&s;eeing that we beleeue that the Lord doth gouerne the whole
world, in wi&s;dome and mercie, deuiding vnto euery one that
portion which he knoweth to be mo&s;t conuenient for them,
looke how much we are di&s;contented with our e&s;tate, &s;o much
doe we detract from the wi&s;e and mercifull prouidence of
God. Now this &s;inne of theirs was &s;o much the more grieuous,
by howe much more their e&s;tate was &s;o good as it was, and
therefore had &s;o many cau&s;es to be contented therewith. For
be&s;ides that, they were deliuered from the cruell bondage of
Aegypt, they had many &s;ingular te&s;timonies of Gods fauour,
both for this life and the life to come, and therefore the Prophet
Dauid, P&s;al. 78. 12. doth thus &s;et forth the indignitie of their
<PB N="30" REF="72">
&s;inne, declaring howe many benefits of God they did enioy,
when they begunne thus to murmure. And if we doe but con|&s;ider
the manifold publique benefits in the Church and com|mon-wealth,
as the word of God, this long peace vnder &s;o
gratious a gouernment, with &s;o great plentie and freedome
from &s;o many plagues, whereby all the&s;e are &s;o much the more
comfortable vnto vs, be&s;ides the priuate commodities which
euery one of vs many particularly remember in daungers e&s;ca|ped,
in good things receiued vpon &s;oule and bodie, for this life
and the life to come in our owne per&s;ons, and &s;uch as apper|taine
vnto vs, we mu&s;t needes acknowledge that there is great
cau&s;e why euery one of vs &s;hould be contented with our e&s;tates,
and that our &s;inne in murmuring at any time &s;hould be very
great. But yet we mu&s;t come vnto that whereof the Apo&s;tle
&s;peaketh, Phil. 4. 11. I haue learned in what &s;oeuer e&s;tate I am
therewith to be contented.</P>
<P>Nowe that we might the better &s;ee into the &s;inne of this
people to auoid it, we mu&s;t marke by what &s;teppes they came
vnto the height of it. Fir&s;t of all they did le&s;&s;e e&s;teeme of that
plea&s;ant foode, then they &s;hould, and did not &s;ee it to be &s;o ex|cellent
&amp; conuenient for them as it was: for they &s;peak of it very
contemptuou&s;ly, &s;aying, There is nothing but this <HI>Man;</HI> when
as it was not onely able to nouri&s;h them, but was as plea&s;ant
as hole&s;ome, for it had the ta&s;t of pure oyle, and &s;weete honie,
be&s;ides it beeing giuen them daily, they might &s;ee in it the &s;pe|ciall
prouidence of God towards them in feeding them from
hand to mouth as it were: &s;o that this &s;hould haue beene vnto
them in &s;tead of all dainties in the world, if they could haue
&s;eene it, but as though all this were nothing, they &s;ay, There is
nothing but this <HI>Ma~.</HI> Therfore we mu&s;t heed take lea&s;t at any
time we doe denie or le&s;&s;on the benefits of God, but labour to
&s;ee them all, and acknowledge them to be &s;o great as they be,
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hat &s;o in re&s;pect of them wee may confe&s;&s;e our e&s;tate to be &s;o
good as it is, and therewithall to be contented. And euen then,
when we begin to mi&s;like any thing, becau&s;e it is not &s;uch as
we wi&s;h it were, then we mu&s;t al&s;o remember how otherwi&s;e
it may be commodious vnto vs, &amp; what great v&s;e we may haue
<PB N="31" REF="72">
haue of it, and &s;o beholding the goodnes of God towards vs
in it, to re&s;t with thankefulne&s;&s;e well contented therewith.</P>
<P>But they, giuing place to the deuill, &amp; their own corruption
in this, from hence it came to pa&s;&s;e, that they preferred any o|ther
food which they had not, before that excelle~t meat which
they had: &amp; in deede thus <HI>Satan</HI> dealeth with men, whe~ he hath
brought the~ to a mi&s;liking of that which they &s;hould not, then
he wil offer the~ many other things, &amp; per&s;wade the~ to like of a|ny
rather then of it. And this is to be marked &s;o much the rather
becau&s;e they e&s;teeme onyons, leekes, &amp; &s;uch like&punc; &amp; fi&s;h, not of
the daintie&s;t, but &s;uch as the poore&s;t were wont to be fed with|all,
before this mo&s;t hol&s;ome &amp; plea&s;ant meat&punc; and &s;o are con|tented
to cha~ge for the wor&s;e. And they were &s;o much the more
wicked in all this, becau&s;e they &s;ay they had the other food for
nothing, though in deede they had not, for they being v&s;ed as
cruelly as might be, were no doubt con&s;trained to pay for euery
thing to the vttermo&s;t, but they meane, they had the&s;e ba&s;e &amp;
co~mon things for a &s;mall price: yet they might haue truly &s;aide
of the <HI>Man,</HI> that they had that for nothing, euen for the gathe|ring.
But now in a murmuring &s;pirit, they had rather giue &s;ome
thing for the wor&s;e, then enioy the be&s;t for nothing, &amp; would
not onely change for the wor&s;e, but al&s;o giue &s;omthing for the
exchange: &amp; thus had an imagination that it &s;hould be merue|lous
well with the~, if they were any otherwi&s;e then they were
yea though it were much wor&s;e. Therefore wee mu&s;t endea|uour
to profit by our pre&s;ent e&s;tate, &amp; to &s;erue God in it, neuer i|magining
that if it were any otherwi&s;e with vs, we &s;hould be
very well, &amp; we would doe great matters, when in the meane
&s;ea&s;on we cannot keepe a tollerable cour&s;e in that co~dition we
be pre&s;ently in. But whether God ble&s;&s;eth vs we mu&s;t be tha~k|ful
&amp; rightly v&s;e it: or whether he cha&s;ti&s;eth vs, vve mu&s;t be hu~|ble
&amp; profit by it: &amp; be a&s;&s;ured that it is a meere illu&s;ion of the
deuil to be per&s;waded that if we were otherwi&s;e, the~ we would
be a great deale better, whe~ as now we ca~not be as we &s;hould:
forif we haue no power ouer owne will in time pre&s;ent, what
hope is there we &s;hould haue it in time to come, vnle&s;&s;e vve
pre&s;ently labour for it? And if they could haue &s;erued God with
<PB N="32" REF="73">
<HI>Man,</HI> then there had bin hope, that if that they had bin driuen
to onions and leekes, they &s;hould haue done there duties then
al&s;o: as he that &s;erueth God in a &s;ingle life, may hope to &s;erue
him al&s;o in mariage: he that doth it in one e&s;tate, may hope to
doe it in an other. But they that ignorantly dreame, that if this
were not their e&s;tate, let befall then what will, they hope to do
well ynough, or let this cro&s;&s;e be remooued, and let any other
be laid vpon them, and they will beare it, and let their e&s;tate be
but any waies changed, and they will indure it: they &s;hal finde
it farre otherwi&s;e by experience, euen as this people, who not
v&s;ing well their owne condition, when they were fedde with
<HI>Man,</HI> after when the Lord gaue them not common meate but
quailes, they were ten times wor&s;e then they were before.</P>
<P>The deuill doth not here leaue them, but draweth them on
further, and they following the corruption of their own hearts
doe not here &s;tay, but beeing once per&s;waded, contrarie to all
rea&s;on, that to be fedde with onions were better for them then
with <HI>Man,</HI> doe as men void of all rea&s;on, &s;o vn&s;atiably de&s;ire
them, like vnto bruit bea&s;tes, as they will not be quieted, till
they haue their greedie de&s;ires &s;atisfied: for they &s;ay their &s;oule
is dried away, ver&s;. 6. As indeede this is the nature of any im|moderate
affection, that it worketh vpon the bodie to the hur|ting
and con&s;uming of it, e&s;pecially a lingring and vnrea&s;ona|ble
de&s;ire. So that there fault was not onely in that they de&s;i|red
that which they &s;hould not, but mo&s;t of all, that they had
no gouernment of their affections to &s;tay them, but did let
them range &s;o inordinately. But here if we demaund, whether
it be &s;imply vnlawfull for a man to de&s;ire any thing that hee
wanteth, and to wi&s;h that his e&s;tate were bettered; or whether
he mu&s;t alwaies remaine in one e&s;tate: I an&s;wer, it is lawfull
for vs to de&s;ire and pray for as many things as we want, and
God hath promi&s;ed, but in that maner that he hath promi&s;ed
them. Therefore whereas he hath fir&s;t of all promi&s;ed vs the
forgiuenes of our &s;innes, his fauour and euerla&s;ting life, and
the&s;e be the greate&s;t thinges in the worlde, wee may, nay wee
ought to de&s;ire our owne &s;aluation, and all the meanes of it,
both fir&s;t of all, and with the greate&s;t de&s;ire that may be; and
<PB N="33" REF="73">
here we neede not to feare any exce&s;&s;e. For we mu&s;t hunger
and thir&s;t after the righteou&s;nes of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, Matt. 5. 6. and
as newe borne babes, de&s;ire the &s;incere milke of the worde,
euen &s;o earne&s;tly as they doe de&s;ire their mothers milke, 1.
Pet. 2. 2. Wee mu&s;t de&s;ire the publike a&s;&s;emblies of Gods
people, euen as the hart de&s;ireth the water brookes, in the
heate of &s;ummer, when he is cha&s;ed, P&s;al. 42. 1. And we mu&s;t
long to be pre&s;ent at Gods &s;eruice, euen to our fainting, which
is the propertie of longing, P&s;al. 84. 2. And it were a &s;inne
not to haue the&s;e great affections in vs vnto them. But all
outward thinges as they be promi&s;ed vnto vs, euen as they
&s;hall further vs in the&s;e things, and make vs more fit to glori|fie
Gods holy name; and in the &s;econd place, &s;o we mu&s;t de|&s;ire
them, but to the&s;e endes e&s;pecially, and all our affections
vnto them mu&s;t be in a &s;econd degree, neither aboue nor e|quall
with the former. Therefore fir&s;t of all, we mu&s;t de&s;ire
them as it is the will of God to be&s;tow vpon vs, and as he in
his wi&s;edome doth better knowe then our &s;elues, what will
make vs mo&s;t fit to &s;erue him: which will of his is fir&s;t reuea|led
vnto vs in his word, in that the thinges be hone&s;t and law|full
in their owne nature, in &s;o much that we may neuer de&s;ire
any vnlawfull thing, for it is not his will to giue vs that: Se|condly
in all outward things that be lawfull (for we &s;peake of
them) I &s;hall know whether it be the will of God to be&s;towe
this vpon me or no, or whether as it is good in it owne nature,
&s;o he &s;eeth it to be good for me now by the ordinarie meanes
he giueth me to bring it to pa&s;&s;e, and by ble&s;&s;ing of the means:
for ordinarily he worketh by meanes, in &s;o much that if I de|&s;ire
a thing, and he denie me all meanes to compa&s;&s;e it, or ma|keth
not the meanes to pro&s;per with me, then I am a&s;&s;ured it
is not the will and plea&s;ure of almightie God to be&s;tow it vp|on
me, yet it is not the time, this is not the place or meanes
whereby he will be&s;tow it vpon me: here I mu&s;t &s;tay my de|&s;ire,
but when I &s;ee the Lord both to offer and ble&s;&s;e the
meanes, whereby I conclude it his will, that it &s;hould be &s;o, or
whil&s;t I &s;ee it, and &s;o am in no doubt of it, I mu&s;t take heede
that my de&s;ire or my affection vnto it be not ouer great,
<PB N="34" REF="74">
and that I be not like the people in con&s;uming and pining a|way
with the de&s;ire of it: and as Ahab and Ammon were &s;icke
of their vnlawfull de&s;ires, we mu&s;t take heede of the&s;e vnlaw|full
de&s;ires &s;o much the more carefully, becau&s;e they alwaies
bring with them the abu&s;e of the things we de&s;ire. For as the
people did inordinately de&s;ire any foode &s;aue <HI>Man,</HI> &s;o when
they had it, they glutted them&s;elues therewith, as P&s;al. 78. 29.
So they did eate, &amp; were filled, for he gaue the~ their de&s;ire, they
were not turned from their lu&s;t, but the meate was yet in their
mouthes, when the wrath of God came vpon them: Where
he noteth their behauiour, that they did not onely eate, but
&s;tuffed them&s;elues till they were full, and they &s;atisfied their lu&s;t
and like bruit bea&s;ts, as their per&s;wation of the things was vn|rea&s;onable,
&s;o their affection to them was intemperate, and the
v&s;e of them vnlawfull. And this mu&s;t needes follow it, for be|&s;ides
that our owne affections, if they be not ruled by Gods
&s;pirit, are headie and &s;trong, and readie to blinde our vnder&s;ta~|ding,
it is the iu&s;t iudgement of God vpon vs in puni&s;hing our
vnlawfull de&s;ires, to &s;uffer vs to fall into the abu&s;e of the things.
Therefore as we mu&s;t alwaies de&s;ire the things here belowe
but in that mea&s;ure that we &s;hould, &s;o we mu&s;t pray vnto God
that together with them he would teach vs the right v&s;e of
them; &amp; we mu&s;t not imagine that if we had them, we &s;hould
be happy and ble&s;&s;ed, but pray the Lord that we may haue the~
with his fauour and ble&s;&s;ing, and that by abu&s;ing of them we
neuer offend his maie&s;tie. This we finde to be true in all the
commodities of this life by experience; he that ambitiou&s;ly &s;ee|keth
honour, is proud when he hath it, and knoweth not howe
to v&s;e it: the couetous man as he careth not how he comes by
his riches, &s;o he cannot tell how to &s;pend them the voluptuous
man, as his de&s;ire is vn&s;atiable, &s;o in his plea&s;ure he ob&s;erueth
no circum&s;tances of time, place, per&s;on, or end, but onely &s;ati&s;|fieth
his lu&s;t. Therefore though to haue the&s;e outward benefits
be a &s;ingular ble&s;&s;ing of God, yet rightly to v&s;e them is a &s;pe|ciall
grace proper to his children that aske it of him.</P>
<P>And the abu&s;e of things is &s;o much the more carefully to be
looked vnto, becau&s;e the Lord though he &s;atisfied their vn&s;a|&s;aiable
<PB N="35" REF="74">
de&s;ire to the full, Num. 11. 19, 20. yet for all that, and
for the abu&s;e that followed vpon it, he &s;ent a mo&s;t grieuous
plague among them, v. 33. And in deede the&s;e two as they be
mo&s;t v&s;ually ioyned together, &s;o the Lord doth many waies pu|ni&s;h
them: for as concerning our inordinate de&s;ires, euen that is
the thing many times that hindreth vs from obtaining the de|&s;ires:
for though in all heauenly things the more earne&s;tly wee
de&s;ire the~, the &s;ooner we haue the~, yet in earthly things this on|ly
hindreth vs fro~ the~, or at lea&s;t wi&s;e cau&s;eth the~ to be deferred,
that we haue the~ not &s;o &s;oone as otherwi&s;e we might: whereby
the Lord correcteth our de&s;ires, &amp; teacheth vs more earne&s;tly
to de&s;ire heaue~ly things: or els if the Lord do giue vs the things
that we thus de&s;ire, together with it he &s;endeth &s;ome grieuous
affliction, as vpon this people here. And afterwardes the &s;ame
people, when they would needes haue a King, &amp; could not be
di&s;&s;uaded to the co~trarie, the Lord gaue them one in his wrath,
but it was a cruell <HI>Saul.</HI> And there is great rea&s;on of this in all
things: for be&s;ides that the de&s;ire it &s;elfe is worthie to be puni|&s;hed,
vnrea&s;onable de&s;ires many times doe make vs to v&s;e vn|lawfull
meanes to haue them &s;atisfied, both which when they
be ioyned with the abu&s;e of the thing, mu&s;t needes prouoke
the Lord &s;o much the more grieuou&s;ly again&s;t vs.</P>
<P>The chiefe&s;t cau&s;e of all this, was their incredulitie, P&s;al. 78.
22. they did not beleeue that the Lord had a fatherly care of
them, &amp; &s;ought in all things to do them good, euen as he knew
what was commodious for them: which was &s;o much the grea|ter
a &s;inne in them, by how much the Lord had &s;o many waies
te&s;tified his great loue to them, not onely by his word, but by
his workes, v. 23. where he beginneth to reckon vp &s;o many
benefits of his be&s;towed vpon them. Therefore that we might
auoide all the&s;e &s;innes, we mu&s;t labour fir&s;t of all to beleeue
the forgiuenes of our &s;innes by Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, and that we are
receiued into Gods fauour by the imputation of his righteou&s;|nes:
then we mu&s;t be per&s;waded of his fatherly prouidence
watching ouer vs for good, and that he hauing giuen his &s;onne
Chri&s;t Ie&s;us vnto vs, will with him giue vs all things needefull
for vs, and that there beeing a kingdome prouided for vs in
<PB N="36" REF="75">
heauen, much more are wee heyres of this worlde: which
faith that wee might be confirmed and &s;trengthened in, we
mu&s;t not onely barely acquaint our &s;elues with the promi&s;es
of the worde, wherein hee te&s;tified and &s;hewed all the&s;e
thinges vnto vs, but al&s;o marke his fatherly dealing with vs
from time to time, wherein he hath confirmed the truth of
the&s;e promi&s;es vnto vs.</P>
<P>Moreouer, concerning this matter, this is an e&s;peciall
meanes to bring vs to a contented minde, if in worldly things
we neuer propound too high an e&s;tate to our &s;elues, neither
looke for great matters of this life, but &s;et a meane condition
before our eyes as Iacob did, Gen. chap. 28. 20. If God will
be with me, and keepe me in this iourney which I goe, and will
giue me bread to eate, and clothes to put on, &s;o that I come
againe to my fathers hou&s;e in &s;afetie, &amp;c. with words procee|ding
from the trueth of his heart, not purpo&s;ing to di&s;&s;emble
with God, did declare a maruelous contented minde, if we
con&s;ider who it was that &s;pake it. Fir&s;t of all, the graund|childe
of that mightie Abraham, who was able to reske we
his kin&s;man Lot with three hundred and eighteene &s;ouldiers
borne and brought vp in his hou&s;e, Gen. chap. 14. ver&s;. 14.
and who was &s;o rich, that the land in which he &s;oiourned was
not able to beare them, cap. 13. 6. Then he was the onely heyre
of that rich I&s;aak, who dwelling in <HI>Gerar,</HI> &s;owed and found by
e&s;timation an hundred fold, and was exceeding rich, cap. 26.
12, 13. and was &s;o ble&s;&s;ed, that the king of the land was afraid
of him, v. 28. Thirdly it was he, who was &s;o ble&s;&s;ed in all earth|ly
and heauenly things by his father in the chap. going before,
and was confirmed in the &s;ame againe in this very chap. v. 1. 3.
and la&s;t of all, was e&s;tabli&s;hed in the faith of it by the Lord
him&s;elfe, v. 17. After all &s;o many and great things, which might
haue made him looke a loft, what a minde had he that de&s;ireth
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> meate and drinke, and clothes? e&s;pecially in &s;o long a time
of ab&s;ence from his friends, for he knewe well the cau&s;e of his
owne departure, euen the cruel rage of his brother, which could
not be appea&s;ed, but in a long time. And this is &s;o much the
more worthie to be con&s;idered, if we reade the text, as &s;ome of
<PB N="37" REF="75">
the learned tran&s;latours doe, namely when the Lorde &s;hall
haue bene with me, &amp; &s;hall haue kept me in this way, by the
which I am to goe, and &s;hall haue giuen me bread to eate, and
clothes to put on: and to be &s;hort, when the Lord &s;hall haue
bin my God, then this heape of &s;tones, which I haue &s;et up for
a pillar, &s;halbe Gods hou&s;e, &amp;c. wherein as hee doth not tie
Gods favour to the aboundance of the&s;e outward things, but
confe&s;&s;eth that he may be mercifull unto him, yea in a meane
e&s;tate, &s;o this mercie of God he de&s;iring aboue all, is conten|ted
that the Lord &s;hould &s;hew it unto him which way it plea|&s;eth
him, if it be but in meate and drinke, and clothes. So our
Sauiour Chri&s;t hath taught us to pray for our daily bread, by
which though he meane all things needefull for this life, yet in
naming bread, he &s;heweth us what meane things we &s;hould
looke for: whereunto agreeth the prayer of the wi&s;e man
Proverb. 30. 9. Giue me not pouertie nor riches, feed me with
food conuenient for me: and the exhortation of the Apo&s;tle,
1. Timoth. 6. 8. When we haue foode and raiment, let us be
contented therewith: which that we might &s;o much the more
earne&s;tly labour to attaine unto, let us con&s;ider how God
hath alvvaies ble&s;&s;ed them, that haue looked for &s;mall mat|ters,
and puni&s;hed them that haue had a&s;piring mindes, re&s;i|&s;ting
the proud, and giuing grace to the humble. Dauid when
hee was accu&s;ed of trea&s;on again&s;t the king, truly prote&s;teth
of him&s;elfe P&s;alme 131. <HI>Lorde, mine heart is not havvtie, nei|ther
are mine eyes loftie, neither haue I walked in great matters,
which are to high for me.</HI> And when Saul in pollicie offered
his daughter unto him to be his wife, that by that meanes he
might be de&s;troyed of the Phili&s;tines, he an&s;wered, <HI>&V;&V;hat
am I, that I &s;hould be &s;onne in law to the king?</HI> 1. Sam. 18. 18. and
when it was further urged upon him, he &s;aid, <HI>Seemeth it a &s;mall
thing unto you to be the kings &s;on in law?</HI> v. 23. yet afterwards God
made him King. But Adoniah &amp; Ab&s;olon both of them after|wards
a&s;piring unto the kingdom, by the puni&s;hments which
God brought upon the~, were made &s;pectacles of &s;o great ambi|tion
to the po&s;teritie. Mordecai in time of the captivitie having
<PB N="38" REF="76">
well de&s;erued of the king, He&s;t. 2. 22. &s;ought not ambitiou&s;ly
to preferre him&s;elfe, but &s;erving &s;till faithfully in his former e|&s;tate
was highly aduanced at the la&s;t cap. 6. Contrariwi&s;e Ha|man
&s;welling with pride like a toade, as it appeareth in many
places of that &s;tory, was at the la&s;t brought to that great &s;hame
&amp; confu&s;ion, which de&s;eruedly fell upon him. And that we
might in all per&s;ons con&s;ider the truth of this we &s;hall find that
if they haue no other puni&s;hment of God upo~ them, yet they
haue this, which is no &s;mall one, re&s;tles minds &amp; unquiet &s;pi|rits.
For be&s;ides that, the mind of man is in&s;atiable, &amp; there is
no worldly thing &s;o great, but mans de&s;ire is greater, &amp; therfore
when he hath this &amp; that, &s;till he de&s;ires more, &amp; is not &s;atisfi|ed:
we mu&s;t remember that great things are very rare, &amp; hard
to be attained unto&punc; &amp; therfore we like to mi&s;&s;e of them: and &s;o
the mind mu&s;t needs &s;till be unquiet. So the other, if they haue
no other ble&s;&s;ing yet they &s;hall haue this, quiet &s;pirits, &amp; con|tented
minds, which is an e&s;peciall grace: For be&s;ides that, &s;mal
&amp; meane things are e&s;pecially promi&s;ed of God, and are mo&s;t
common in the world, &amp; therefore mo&s;t like to be attained un|to,
and &s;o the de&s;ire &s;oone&s;t &s;atisfied: the ble&s;&s;ing of God al&s;o is
upon &s;uch, which quieteth their mindes, and is unto them in
&s;tead of all things which they want.</P>
<P>La&s;t of all concerning this matter, when we haue through
the ble&s;&s;ing of God attained vnto great things, we mu&s;t make
this account of them, that there is no certentie in them, for wee
may loo&s;e them all in a moment. Iacob had experience of this,
Gen. 32. 7, who being commanded of God to returne into his
cuntry, &amp; was in the way confirmed in the prouidence of God
ouer him&s;elf in that iourney, ver. 1. &amp; came laden homewards
with &s;o great abundance, as is noted in that chap. vnder&s;ta~deth
of the &s;udden, contrary to his expectation, that E&s;au commeth
again&s;t him with 400. men, who reme~bring his former threat|nings
when he departed fro~ him, &amp; now con&s;idering his great
power &amp; maner of co~ming towards him, is &s;uddenly &s;tricken
into a great feare of loo&s;ing his life &amp; al that he had: &amp; though
it plea&s;ed the Lord to deale more mercifully with him, yet by
the prouidence of God he greatly feared it, by which he was
<PB N="39" REF="76">
taught, not to place his chiefe&s;t co~tentation in this great abun|dance,
but in the fauour of God, which before he mo&s;t of all
de&s;ired: which, as he inioyed when he had none of all the&s;e
things, &s;o it might continue with him when all they &s;hould be
lo&s;t. Therfore we mu&s;t not &s;ay, Oh if I had this or that, &amp;c. I
&s;hould be well, and then I would be co~tented: for what if I had
it? how &s;oone may I loo&s;e it againe? then how quickly &s;hall I
be di&s;contented? Therefore are they called uncerten riches. 1.
Tim. 6. which is true of all worldly commodities &amp; plea&s;ures.
And the whole &s;cripture, be&s;ides daily experie~ce teacheth, how
great uncertentie there is in the inioying of husba~d, wife, chil|dren,
parents, friends, goods, hou&s;es, lands, libertie, life, or any
thing el&s;e: onely the fauour of God in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is certaine,
&amp; his promi&s;es of the forgiuenes of &s;innes and euerla&s;ting life
are irrevocable: for as all of them be Yea &amp; Amen in Chri&s;t
Ie&s;us, &s;o he is to day and ye&s;terday, and the &s;ame for euer: ther|fore
if in all times and e&s;tates, we would be well contented, we
mu&s;t onely make a certen account of that: &s;o that whether we
enioy any thing, we mu&s;t more account of the fauour of God
appearing unto us in it, then of the thing it &s;elfe: or whether
the Lord denie us the thing we de&s;ire, it mu&s;t be &s;ufficient un|to
vs, that he hath receiued us into his fauour, or whether hee
taketh the thing away from us againe, yet this contenteth us,
that he turneth not his louing countenance from us: which if
we could come unto, then no doubt many times we &s;houlde
enioy things longer then we doe: for this is the next way to
keepe all things &s;till, &s;o to hold them, as being contented to
giue them to the Lorde, when&s;oeuer it &s;hall plea&s;e him to take
them from us. Be&s;ides it maketh the minde contented whe|ther
we haue them, or we haue them not, when we alwaies e|&s;teeme
them but as things uncerten.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Nicholas Bownde.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="summary">
<PB REF="77">
<HEAD>WHOSOEVER IS DESIROVS TO LEARNE AND REMEMBER THE
word of God that he might liue according to it, let him con&s;ider that which is
written in the P&s;alme 119. part. 2.</HEAD>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL><P>THE TEXT.</P></CELL>
<CELL><P>THE PARAPHRASIS.</P></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><P>1 Wherwith &s;hall a yong
man clean&s;e bis wayes?
In taking heed thereto
according to thy word.</P>
<P>2 With my whole heart
haue I &s;ought thee, let
me not vvander from
thy commandements.</P>
<P>3 I haue hid thy promi&s;e
in my heart, that I
might not &s;inne again&s;t
thee.</P>
<P>4 Ble&s;sed art thou, O
Lord, teach me thy &s;ta|tutes.</P>
<P>5 With my lippes haue I
declared all the iudge|ments
of thy mouth.</P>
<P>6 I haue had as great de|light
in the way of thy
te&s;timonies, as in all
riches.</P>
<P>7 I will meditate in thy
precepts, and con&s;ider
thy wayes.</P>
<P>8 I will delight in thy &s;ta|tutes;
and I will not
forget thy word.</P></CELL>
<CELL><P>1 Fir&s;t of all be per&s;waded, that the word of God is onely
that rule, whereby the whole life of euery man, &amp; that in
euery thing mu&s;t be ordered, euen the life of a yong man,
who hath mo&s;t rea&s;ons for him &s;elfe, why he &s;hould be
excu&s;ed, as he is mo&s;t di&s;ordered.</P>
<P>2 Then upon this per&s;wa&s;ion giue your &s;elfe unfainedly to
the reading and hearing of Gods word, as to the meanes
which God hath appointed to teach you: &amp; pray to God
in the carefull u&s;e of tho&s;e meanes for his holy &s;pirit, that
therby you might come to the true under&s;tanding of his
worde.</P>
<P>3 That which you haue thus learned, let it not &s;wim aloft
in your braine, but let it be deeply &s;etled &amp; hidden in your
heart as a trea&s;ure, labouring to frame al your affections
unto it, that &s;o you may haue it in a readine&s;&s;e, when&s;oe|ver
you &s;hall occupie it, otherwi&s;e though you know ne|uer
&s;o much it will not keep you fro~ &s;inning again&s;t God.</P>
<P>4 You thus profiting giue thanks vnto god alwaies for that
which you learne, becau&s;e be it neuer &s;o little, it is more
then many in the world do knowe, yet content not your
&s;elfe with it, as though you had &s;ufficient, but pray unto
him to be further inlightened, becau&s;e it is le&s;&s;e then
many others doe, and you your &s;elfe &s;hould knowe.</P>
<P>5 But aboue all be carefull to talke of that unto others,
which you doe daily learne your &s;elfe, and out of the a|boundance
of your heart let your mouth &s;peake, for by
teaching others you &s;hall learne your &s;elfe.</P>
<P>6 That you might do all the&s;e things, labour to haue ioy in
the worde, and in all the exerci&s;es of it, more then in any
worldly thing, and be occupied about tho&s;e things with
greate&s;t delight: for in what&s;oeuer we take greate&s;t plea|&s;ure,
that will &s;ticke fa&s;te&s;t by us.</P>
<P>7 La&s;t of all, meditate and con&s;ider of that with your &s;elfe,
which you haue learned, and mu&s;e upon it alone, not
contenting your &s;elfe with the generall rules, but labou|ring
in your con&s;cience to make the u&s;e of them profita|ble
to your owne &s;elfe in the particular practi&s;e therof.</P>
<P>8 Thus doing all the&s;e things carefully, you &s;halbe &s;ure ne|uer
to forget that which you learne: though you doe not
remember euery thing, yet God will by his &s;pirite call &s;o
much into your remembrance as is needfull for you to
know, and then e&s;pecially when you haue mo&s;t neede of
it, as in the houre of your death, &amp; the day of temptation:
but as you faile in all, or any one of the&s;e, &s;o may you
feare to faile in the truth of this promi&s;e.</P></CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<Q>A good helpe for an ill memorie.</Q>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>N. B.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<PB REF="77">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
