HE beginneth first with the Inscription or Ti­tle of the EPISTLE, wherein are three things;

1 The name and office of the Au­thour.

2 To whom he writeth.

3 His Salutation.

For the first, there are two things to be considered; his name who he was, and his office. His name he ex­presseth that it was Iames. I find that among some ancient Writers, there hath beene some controuersie heere­about; some affirming, that there were three of his name, and all viri Apostolici, Apostolicall men, and that it is vncertaine to which this Epistle is to bee ascribed: the first they say was Iames the brother of Iohn, and sonne of Zebedee, whom Herod killed with the Sword. Acts 12. The other they would haue to be the sonne of Alphaeus, who had to his brethren the Apostles, Si­mon and Iude. The third they thinke was one of the 72. Disciples, and cal­led, the Brother of the Lord; and to this opinion seemeth to leane Eusebi­us, and citeth for his proofe Clemens Alexandrinus, & Hegisippus, to which Epiphanius and Ambrose consenteth. But against these, we oppose the v­niuersal cōsent of the whole Church, which proueth, that there were only but two of this name of the number [Page 3]of the Apostles & Disciples, Hier. contr. Heluidium. Beda super 1. Act. so doth Saint Hierome and Beda. To this a­greeth (besides many other) the sixt generall Councell of 227. Bishops, and other Greek Fathers assembled Anno Dom. 684. and the whole con­sent of the Greek and Latin Church. This Iames then was sonne of Alphae­us a holie man, and Mary the daugh­ter of Cleopha, cosin-germane to the Virgine Mary, as Saint Hierome in many places affirmeth. He was cal­led Iames the Lesse, as the Greekes vse the word in the Positiue degree, not that he was inferiour in zeale or authoritie vnto the rest of the Apo­stles, but because he was lesse of bo­dy, and shorter of stature then the o­ther Iames the brother of Iohn. Hee was also called Iames the Iust, by rea­son of the most excellent gifts of the Holy-ghost, and most singular ver­tues that shined forth in him. Hegisippus For as Hegisippus witnesseth, who succeeded the Apostles, that he was holy from his Mothers wombe, after the maner of the Nazarites, hee neuer dranke [Page 4]wine nor strong drinke, the Rasor neuer came vpon his head, he abstai­ned from Oile and Baths, hee neuer wore a Wollen, but a Linnen vesture called a Syndon, with continuall prai­er his knees were growne so hard as a Camels skinne: he was had in such holy reputation among the people, that they pressed to touch the hem of his vesture. He was called also the Brother of the Lord, Galat. 1. not as some Greeke Writers vntruely suppose that hee was the sonne of Ioseph, by his first wife, before hee tooke the blessed Virgine, but because he was the sonne of Mary Cleopha cosin ger­mane to the Virgine Mary, and so CHRISTS kinsman, and therfore his Brother after the manner of the Hebrews, which call them that are of their next bloud, Brethren, as A­braham calleth his nephew Lot, Genes. 13. Brother. and Laban calleth Iacob, his Cosin, Brother. Genes. 29 Thus the Hebrewes called them Brethren, that were of affinitie and kindred, in which respect Iames is called the Lords Brother, only be­cause [Page 5]hee was his kinseman after the flesh. He was the first Bishoppe of Hierusalem, appointed by the Lord himselfe, as Clemens writeth, and constituted by the rest of the Apo­stles. The Iewes, Clemens. for his admirable holinesse of life, permitted him to come into the Sanctum Sanctorum: he wore on his head, the Petalon, that is, Episcopi insigne, the Bishops marke or attire, as Hegisippus and Clemens write; he gouerned the Church with great praise for the space of thirtie yeares, and was at last martyred, being cast from a Pinnacle of the Temple, and afterward his braines dashed out with a clubbe. This te­stimonie (Brethren) should procure no little authoritie with the hearers of this Epistle; & attention: for who is so blockish and foolish which will not reuerence so great an Apostle, an Ambassadour of the eternall Sonne of GOD, by the testimony of the Iewes themselues a most holie man, the first Pastor of the first Church, ordained by Christ himself to preach [Page 6]his Gospel? Notwithstanding there haue not wanted some (such is the policie of Sathan) which haue gone about to discredite the authoritie of this Epistle, as if it should not pro­ceede from Iames the Apostle, Tertul. libr. Praescript. that (as I may say with Tertullian) Firmos fatigarent, infirmos caperent, medios cum scrupulo dimitterent: That they might weaken the strong, insnare the weak, and the rest let goe with suspense.

First (say they) he calleth not him­selfe an Apostle, Their first reason. but a Seruant of Ie­sus Christ. This reason is very friuo­lous: Saint Iohn calleth himselfe nei­ther the Seruant nor Apostle of Christ, should wee therefore con­clude, 1 Ioh. 1. that Iohn was neither the A­postle nor the Seruant of Christ? Were not this absurd? By the like reason we might inferre, that Saint Iude was no Apostle, because hee termeth himselfe the Seruant of Christ, and brother to this Iames. If a King in his Title should call him­selfe the Seruant of God, and omit the name of his Kingdome, were he [Page 7]not therefore a King? Away with such friuolous reasons.

Another as foolish a reason they haue, Their o­ther rea­son. that this Stile sauoureth not of the Haebraismus, or Hebrew phrase, as is expected of so great an Apostle, and first Bishop of Hierusalem. To this I answer, as Cicero did once; vappis, ac lippis & in tenui farragine mendacibus: To the rabble of liars, dizzards, and pur-blinde persons it seemeth so, but to such as are well acquainted with the Hebrew Idiome, it seemeth farre otherwise. Indeede, it was not expedient, that hee being by Nation and Tongue an Hebrew, and yet writing in Greeke, should be tyed to the tropes of the Hebrew tongue: Againe, Actes 2. seeing hee had re­ceiued of the Holie-ghost, the gift of all Tongues, it was no hard thing for him to abstaine from the obscure Hebraismus, and to vse the more plaine Greeke phrase; and lastly, it is false, that hee vseth no Hebrew phrase: for gignere verbo veritatis, Verse 18. To beget with the word of Trueth, is a [Page 8]plaine Hebraismus, vsed for the true doctrine, as filius perditionis, the son of perdition, for filio perdito. Againe, hee calleth the Gospel the Law of Libertie, Verse 25. after the Hebrew phrase, for a perfect Law which bringeth true liberty to the beleeuers and fol­lowers thereof. Againe, generare mortem, after the manner of the He­brew phrase, to bring certaine and present destruction, and such like.

2 Next, he expresseth his office and profession, which is the second part of this Epigrapha, The Seruant of God. But why; omitting the name of A­postle or Disciple, calleth he himself The Seruant of God? Surely (as the Learned do answer to this question) when he might haue termed himselfe an Apostle, an Ambassadour of the high God, the brother of our Lord, or any more lofty Title; he chooseth rather the title of a Seruant, aswell for that he is delighted with humili­tie, after the example of Christ, who made himselfe of no reputation, Phil. 2. taking on him the forme of a Seruant, and com­manded [Page 9]all men to learne of him hu­militie: As also, Matth. 11. that hee might re­proue the arrogancy and pride of the Scribes and Pharises, which arroga­ted to themselues prowd and glori­ous titles; and that by this modera­tion of minde, hee might allure the hearts of men to loue him. Cicero. For as Ci­cero saith, Modestia claram & stabi­lem comparat authoritatem: Modestie procureth an euident, famous, and sure authority to any matter. Greg. 7. mor. Super­bia odium generat, humilitas amorem: Pride begetteth hatred, humilitie loue. The vse. Here (Brethren) we are taught humility, to thinke humbly of our selues, & to speak modestly, & wise­ly, that all pride be farre off from our words and writings. The Pharises are condemned of our Sauiour, be­cause They loued greetings in the mar­kets, Mat 23.6. the highest roomes in the Syna­gogues, and to be called Rabbi. And are not many nowadayes subiect to the same reprehension, which being puf­fed vp with conceit of themselues, of their birth, riches or dignitie, affect [Page 10]these glorious Titles, and rage, stamp and chafe, if they bee denied them. How far off were the Saints of God from this humour? Saint Paul glori­ed in his infirmities, stripes, impri­sonments, & in the Crosse of Christ, whereby the world is crucified vnto him, Galat. 6.14 Luke 1.38. Apoc. 19 10 and he vnto the world: the blessed vir­gine calleth her selfe, The Seruant of the Lord, and the glorious Angells, Our fellow Seruants.

There be two kinds of Seruants; Seruants by condi­tion and profession. Aug. 19. Ci­uit. dei c. 15 Seruants by Condition, and Seruants by Profession: by condition, as borne by nature, caught in warre, bought with mony, and therefore Saint Au­gustine deriueth the Latine word, à seruando, because they were reserued and kept aliue, being taken in warre, when they might haue beene slaine. Of this seruitude speaketh the Apo­stle: Let as many Seruants as are vnder the yoke, count their Maisters worthie of all honour: but of this kinde our A­postle speaketh not heere.

The Seruant by Profession, 1 Tim. 6.1. Col. 3.22. is eue­ry good Christian which makes pro­fession [Page 11]sincerely to serue God and his Sonne Iesus Christ, Ephes. 6.5. 1. Pet. 2.18 in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life. This is the generall calling of Chri­stianitie; in this generall calling, Prince and people, yoong and olde, learned and vnlearned, bond & free, honourable and base, if they be true professors of Iesus Christ, are the Ser­uants of God: this title is more glo­rious then the diademe of Emperors, then the Crowne of Princes, The Ser­uant of Christ an honorable Title. then a­ny dignitie of a Duke, more honou­rable then the stately Titles of anie Peere, and more magnificent then the name of the greatest monarch, to be dignified with the title of the Seruant of Christ: Therefore the princely Pro­phet maketh protestation heereof to God before the title of his kingdom, as his chiefest glory: Behold Lord, for I am thy Seruant, I am thy Seruant, and the sonne of thine hand-maide; so all the holy Patriarchs & godlie Kings of Iuda, as their chiefest honour, in­title themselues the seruants of God. As in generall, so also in speciall, men [Page 12]are called the Seruants of God, who in their special charge do serue God, and further his kingdome: so Princes in their places, Preachers in their functions, are the Seruants of Christ in their seuerall callings, and speciall seruice in the Church and Common­wealth, in which respect our Apo­stle heere calleth himselfe The Ser­uant of God: 1. Cor. 1.1. Phil. 1.1. Tit. 1.1. So Paul calleth himselfe the Seruant of Iesus Christ. So againe he calleth himselfe and Timotheus, the Seruants of Iesus Christ, and to Titus he vseth the same Title.

It is meet then (Brethren) that we should all acknowledge our selues the Seruants of Iesus Christ, and la­bour faithfully to performe our due­tie towardes him. 1 Wee are his Ser­uants by the right of our creation, for all things were made through him. 2 Wee are his Seruants by the right of our conseruation, Iohn 1.4. for in him wee liue, mooue, Acts 17 28 and haue our being: 3 by the right of our redemption, for he bought vs with the price of his owne precious bloud: 4 by the right of his empire & [Page 13]rule ouer vs, for all rule is giuen vnto him in Heauen and in Earth: 5 by the right also of his iudicial power, Iohn 5.22. for the Father hath giuen all iudgement vnto the Sonne. Seeing then (Brethren) that in so manifold a bond of duetie wee are bound vnto our Christ, let vs so serue him in sinceritie of heart, that wee be neuer numbred among the number of stubborne and disobedi­ent seruants, of whom our Sauiour speaketh, Mat. 25.30 Cast the vnprofitable Ser­uant into vtter darkenesse, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The duety of a good Christian shewed by the duetie of a profi­table Ser­uant. But let vs now a little examine the duetie of a profitable Seruant, that wee may perceiue how farre off most men are from the regard of this duetie. The profitable Seruant employeth the chiefest part of his time, not in his owne, but in his Maisters businesse: 1 but now men spend the whole race of their life in the seruice of the world and the diuell, and the things pertaining vnto God are least of their care. Seruants possesse little, 2 and that but things necessary, and which [Page 14]they receiue from the hands of their Maisters: but now men catch and scrape whatsoeuer they may, and by what meanes soeuer, and what they can not catch, they still couet it in heart, and enuy it vnto others. Good Seruants, 3 though they suffer many stripes, they answer not againe, but vse gentle words, & take it patient­ly: but now in crosses and aduersi­ties, many will murmure against the highest God, yea sometimes blas­pheme and despaire. 4 Good seruants hearing the threatnings of their ma­sters, doe feare, and are the more wary how they offend: but now a­dayes, Gods threatnings for sinne of many are despised: 5 Good Seruants vse no familiarity with their maisters enemies, but now, men enter into deep league and friendship with the world and the Diuell, which haue continuall enmity with God, yea, They haue made a couenant with death, Esay 28.15 and with hell are at an agreement: 6 Good Seruants doe not their owne willes, but execute the willes and comman­dements [Page 15]of their maisters: but now the commaundements of God are kicked at, and trodden vnder foote: Is this to be the Seruants of Christ? are these the markes of our Christian profession? All couetous wretches then are not the Seruants of Christ, but of their god Mammon: the glut­ton and drunkard are not the Ser­uāts of God but of their belly, which they make their god: all filthy and carnall liuers, serue not God, but the vncleane spirit: All prowd and ambitious men, are not the Seruants of Christ, but doe homage vnto Sa­than. But for what stipend and re­ward doe they serue? Bernard. li. Senten. Saint Bernard sheweth, Quatuor sunt, quorum in hac vita, obsequijs, deseruimus: caro, mundus, diabolus, Deus: habent singuli principes isti dona propria, &c. There are foure maisters, to whom men in this life yeelde their seruice, the flesh, the world, the diuell, or God. The flesh giueth to hir seruitours a little mo­mentany pleasures, full of stings and remorse: the world transitorie ad­uancements: [Page 16]the Diuell perpetuall captiuitie; but God eternall felicitie: quibus ergo potiùs aut impensiùs seruien­dum? saith he. Which of these, now (tell mee) oughtest thou rather, or more earnestly to serue?

1 Of these words (The Seruants of God, and of our Lord Iesus Christ) a­mong the learned Expositors I finde two Interpretations; first, that the Apostle speaketh coniunctim, that he is the Seruant of Christ, who is God and Lord, as well of the Apostle, as of all men. Heretikes confuted. And heere hee meeteth with the heresie of the Ebionites, Ce­rinthians, Carpocratians, Arrians, and the Iewes, which affirmed Christ to be onely man, the sonne of Ioseph, and not God the Lord; whose blasphe­mies, in few, but in most effectuall words he confuteth, teaching that the same Lord Iesus Christ is both God and Man, the very consubstan­tiall Sonne of the Father.

2 The other Interpretation is of the later Writers, which read the word disiunctim, Seruus Dei, & Domini no­stri, [Page 17]the seruant of God, and of our Lord Iesus Christ; where he hath re­spect vnto two of the Persons in Trinitie, the Father and the Sonne, whose seruant our Apostle here pro­fesseth himselfe to be. And this in­terpretation proueth also the Diui­nity of Christ, seeing that equally he professeth himselfe to be the ser­uant of God the Father, and of his Sonne Iesus Christ, and both his God and his Lord. And heere the heresies of the Sabellians and Prisci­lians are refuted, &c.

HAuing ended the Ti­tle and Inscription of the Epistle, now fol­loweth the Narrati­on.

First, he beginneth with an exhortation to suffer affliction, The diui­sion. which is the proposition of the place contained in this second verse.

Secondly, he confirmeth his Pro­position, [Page 35]with certaine motiues or reasons in the third and fourth verse.

By tentations hee vnderstandeth the hatred of wicked men, Temptati­on what. their threatnings, slanderings, persecuti­ons of the godly, their exiles, losse of temporall goods, imprison­ments, death, and all kind of cala­mities inflicted vpon the godly, for the faith and true religion. In this sense the plagues of Egipt are called temptations. Deur. 29. And Christ saith to his Apostles, Luk. 22.28 Yee are they which haue con­tinued with me in my temptations: that is, in my trauailes, watchings, and persecutions. Cicero also sometime vseth the like phrase: Cicero in Tuscu. Animi valentes morbo tentari non possunt, corpora possunt, &c. Our mindes being strong, can­not bee tempted or assailed with di­seases; our bodies can: as if the Apo­stle had said in expresse termes, Seeing the community of Faith, Baptisme, and Religion, vniteth all Christians as brethren: and among brethren there should bee a society and partaking of ioy and sorrow; [Page 36]your misery would much perplex my minde were I not throughly per­swaded of your constancy in the faith: Neither am I ignorant that to the children of this world, which measure all their felicity in earthly goods and pleasures, it would seeme heauy and intollerable, besides law and right, to be driuen into ex­ile, to be banished from their deere friends, to be hated of all men, for the truths sake, to be exposed vnto all iniuries: But as for you, which do place Foelicitatis puppim ac proram, the summe of your felicity in Christ onely, which do aspire to your heauenly countrey, which beleeue the immortality of the soule, which expect a blessed resurrection, and eternall life after this, should be far otherwise perswaded. For if you would weigh with your selues the manifold fruites that spring of these temptations, surely you will finde, Plus mellis inesse quam fellis; more ho­ny then gall in them. For they hap­pen not vnto you by chance and for­tune, [Page 37]but are sent vs of God, our most louing Father, who is most tender of our saluation, that with them he may shake off our drowsi­nesse, proue our patience, exercise our obedience, purge out our filthi­nesse, stirre vs vp to feruent prayer, teach the contempt of the world, and kindle our minds with the loue of heauenly things: Ye ought there­fore not in minde to be cast downe, or faint in aduersity, but rather with all your hearts to reioyce when the world frowneth and rageth against you for CHRIST his sake, and repute it as great gaine: For as much as this is an infallible signe that ye are deere vnto GOD, who is at hand as your sole and onely Comforter and Deliuerer at time conuenient in all your crosses and afflictions.

In this Proposition there are many things which are to bee ob­serued.

Obseru. 1 The first thing is, that the Crosse, that is, manifold persecutions, [Page 38]and troubles are inseparable compa­nions of the true faith and Christian godlinesse; 2. Tim. 3.12 so that the Apostle saith; All that will liue godly in Iesus Christ shall suffer persecution: Ioh. 15.20. & 18. And Christ, If they haue persecuted mee, they will persecute you also, If the world hate you, yee know that it hated mee before you. So the Apostle, not complaining, but reioycing, Rom. 8.36. saith: For thy sake are wee killed all the day long: wee are coun­ted as sheepe for the slaughter. 2. Cor. 4.11 Againe, Wee which liue are alwaies deliuered vnto death for Iesus sake, that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh.

But what is the cause of these crosses of Gods seruants aboue others? The cause.

First, the hatred of Sathan with all his Army, against mankind, which he seeketh by all meanes to bring to finall destruction: Hence proceed the horrible titles and names, giuen to him in holy Scrip­ture.

The second is the malice of vn­pure [Page 39]and wicked men, the very members of the deuill, which serue him in all filthy desires, and cannot endure to be rebuked of their belo­ued sinnes: hereof speaketh our Sa­uiour: The world hateth mee, Iohn 7.7. because I testifie that the workes thereof are euill.

The third is the secret iudgement of God, who by these crosses would proue the patience of his seruants and crowne them.

2 Secondly, we are heere to obserue that these calamities happen to Gods children, They pro­ceed from his merci­full proui­dence. Amos 3.6. Esa. 45.7. through his will and mercifull prouidence, as the Prophet saith: Shall there be euill in a Citie, and the Lord hath not done it? And againe, I forme the light, and create darkenesse: I make peace, and create euill: I the Lord do all these things. And: 1. Sam. 2, 6. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue: bringeth downe to the graue, and raiseth vp. Yea sathan himselfe that Prince of darknes, had no power ouer the body of holy Iob, his children, oxen, sheep and camels, farther then the Lord permitted: Math. 8. neither had the Legion of diuels [Page 40]without his permission, ability to enter so much as into the swine: no tyrants therfore, no bloudy persecu­tors, Gods pu­nishments vpon per­secutors. Augustine. not all the infernall spirits, are able to touch Gods seruants, but as far forth and as long, as pleaseth our omnipotent God, Cuius voluntas oc­culta esse potest, iniusta esse non potest, whose Will may bee secret, but cannot bee vniust. Eusebius. Eusebius repor­teth that Aurelianus the Emperour was presently stricken with sud­daine death, Aurelianus. as he stretched forth his hand to subscribe vnto an Edict for the persecution of the Christi­ans. Anno 380. Valens. The like happened to the wic­ked Emperour Valens, a fautor of the Arrian heresie: going about to confirme the vniust sentence of condemning Saint Basil to exile, his pen by no meanes would take any inke, but when he still persisted, his sinewes shranke, and hand withe­red, and was able no longer to hold his pen; that God might manifest vnto the world, that wee are punished, not when the Tyrant wil, [Page 41]but when it pleaseth God.

3 Thirdly, we are here taught not to despaire in aduersity, or to murmure against Gods prouidence, but rather to reioyce as of things most profi­table and healthfull for vs. For the Sonne of God witnesseth: Mat. 5.10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righ­teousnesse sake: for theirs is the King­dome of heauen. And the holy Apo­stles being afflicted and beaten went reioycing from the Councell: Acts 5.41. and Paul speaking of himselfe and fellow Apostles saith; Rom. 5.3. Gal. 6.14. Wee reioyce in tribula­tion: And againe, God forbid that I shold reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ: And Iustinus Martyr wit­nesseth, that the Martyrs of the pri­mitiue Chruch, being led to their death, said to the Magistrates, Grati­as agimus quod à molestis dominis libe­remur, & ad patrē regem (que) coelestē profi­ciscimur: We giue thanks, that we are freed from cruel maisters, & do go to our heauenly King, & louing Father.

And Tertullian saith: Tertul. ad Scapu. Magis damnati quā absoluti gaudemꝰ: we reioice more [Page 42]being condemned, then when wee are set at liberty.

Thus the holy Martyrs and Saints of God, haue in all ages counted it exceeding ioy when they fell into temptations, and by the inward consolations of Gods Spirit, haue, aboue the strength of mans nature, reioyced, when the wicked rage and stare, mutter and murmure against God, in all their miseries. Of the sweete comforts of the godly in all their aduersitie, speaketh the Apostle: 2. Cor. 1.3.4. Blessed be God euen the Fa­ther of our Lord Iesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, which comforteth vs in all our tribulati­ons, that wee may bee able to comfort them which are in affliction, by the com­fort wherewith we our selues are comfor­ted of God. Aug. in soli­loq. cap. 22. I cannot heere omit the sweet words of S. Augustine to this purpose, speaking to God: Tu solus dulcis appareas qui es dulcedo inestima­bilis, &c. Thou onely seemest sweete vnto my soule, which art the inesti­ble sweetnesse, which maketh all [Page 43]bitter things sweete. Thy sweet­nesse made pleasant vnto Saint Ste­phen, the stones cast at him: Thy sweetnesse made pleasant to Saint Laurence the iron gridiron whereon he was broyled to death. For thy sweetnesse the Apostles went reioy­cing from the Councell, Act. 5.41. that they were counted worthy to suffer for thy name. This made Saint Andrew go securely to his crosse, for hee hastened to thy sweetnesse. This thy sweetenesse did so fill the hearts of thy Apostles Peter and Paul, that the one went willingly to his crosse, the other ioyfully yeelded his necke to the sword: To buy this sweetnesse, Bartholmew gaue his owne skinne. This, as soone as Peter had tasted, he forgat all worldly things, and as drunken, cryed out: Lord here is good being for vs: Mat. 17.4. if thou wilt let vs make three Tabernacles, one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias: Vnam stillam dulcedinis gustauit & omnem aliam fa­stidiuit: Hee had tasted but one drop of this sweetnesse, and he loa­thed [Page 44]all other. What thinkest thou then would he haue said, if hee had tasted the full draught of the sweet­nesse of thy Diuinitie, which thou hast in store for all them that feare thee? This that tender Virgine had tasted of, whom we read of, that she went ioyfully to the prison as inui­ted to a banket. This, Lord, is the blessednesse which we expect at thy hands, for the hope wherof we fight continually vnder the banner of Ie­sus Christ; for the hope whereof, we are killed all the day long, that wee may liue with thee for euer. So farre Augustine.

4 Fourthly, wee are here to obserue that the ioyes of the children of this world, that is, of wicked men and reprobates, are farre diuerse from the consolation of the godly, and children of God: They (as Iob saith) take the Tabret and Harpe, Iob. 21.12.13. and reioyce in the sound of the Organs. They spend their dayes in wealth, and suddenly they goe downe to the graue. Laetantur cum malefecerint & [Page 45]exultant in rebus pessimis: Prou. 2.14. They re­ioyce in doing euill and delight in the frowardnesse of the wicked. Therefore extrema huius gaudij luctus occupat: Prou. 14.13 The end of that mirth is heauinesse: there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth. Math. 8.12 Woe bee vnto you (saith the Iudge of the quicke and dead) that laugh, for yee shall weepe: Luk. 6.25. woe bee vnto you for yee haue your conso­lation here. The wicked reioyce, some in one vaine thing, some in another, as in riches, honours, worldly pompe and pleasures, &c. and account sicknesse, pouerty, slan­der, backbitings, reuilings, hatred of the world, and such like, with other of Gods crosses, to bee euils, and vndoubted signes of Gods wrath and hatred vnto them, which are afflicted with them; such was the sentence of Eliphas against Iob, Iob 4. who condemned him as wicked because God afflicted him. But the childrē of God reioyce greatly in afflictions, as the signes of Gods loue, being assu­red that these afflictions shal tend to [Page 46]their furtherance and saluation in Iesus Christ: their ioy consisteth in the testimony of a good conscience, and in the expectation of the future and eternall blessednesse: Your sor­row shall bee turned into ioy (saith Christ) and your ioy shall no man take from you. And with the Apostle they say: 2. Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth vnto vs a far more excellent and eternall weight of glory. The labour is little, but the reward is infinite.

If we put in the ballance the af­flictions of this life, they will bee found of no weight, nor in any wise able to counterpoise the greatnesse of the reward.

Tribulation is but a passion, Tribulati­on is but a Passion: But Glory is an Acti­on. and therefore small is the force thereof; [Page 47]but Glory is an action, and therefore powerfull and encreaseth euery mo­ment. This life passeth away and soone vanisheth, but the glory hath no end and endureth for euer. Per­seuer therefore O Christians, and constantly finish your course, for great is the reward that we expect.

5 Fiftly, The Vse. in that hee vseth the word (Fall) hee maketh a difference be­twixt the sufferings of the godly and the wicked. Wee are heere taught not to deserue, or procure, through our default, to bee afflicted of the world, as Theeues, Murtherers, Quarrellers, Busie-bodies in other mens matters, which by their owne desert procure their owne misery: These ought not to reioyce in their afflictions. 1. Pet. 4.15 16. Let none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a Thiefe, or an euill doer, or as a busie-bodie in other mens mat­ters: But if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glori­fie God in this behalfe. Wee should therefore reioyce vnder the crosse which God imposeth vpon vs.

6 Sixthly, hee expresseth the time (when) that is, whensoeuer yee fall into temptation: Whereby wee are taught, that it is not enough once or twice to reioyce in affliction, but as oftensoeuer we are assaulted with temptations, so often to shew our selues patient and ioyfull; For the Crowne is not giuen before the end of the combat: Be thou faithfull vnto the death, Reu. 2.10. and I will giue thee the Crowne of life.

Our life cannot be without sinne, Aug. sup. ps. 60. vita no­stra non po­test esse si­ne peccato, sine tentati­one, quia profectus noster per tentationem fit, &c. nor temptation: for our profit and in­crease in godlines, is through temp­tations, saith Aug. And his reason followeth, for neither doth a mā wel know himselfe except he bee temp­ted, neither can he bee crowned ex­cept hee ouercome, neither can hee ouercome except he fight, neither can he fight except he haue an ene­my and temptations to encounter with: So farre S. Aug.

7 Seuenthly, these afflictions are al­so (diuers) and that in three respects.

First, in regard of the diuers in­struments, [Page 49]which God vseth in in­flicting them: for sometimes hee vseth the deuill, sometime wicked men he vseth as meanes, sometime other creatures.

Secondly, they are diuers, in re­gard of the temptations themselues, which are diuers and man if old: therefore the Prophet saith, Psa. 34.18. Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of all: as fa­mine, banishment, hatred, slander, infamy, pouerty, &c.

Thirdly, they are diuers in regard of the ends, for which they are in­flicted, which are also diuers; some­times wee are afflicted that wee may be humbled, and the pride of our hearts abated; sometime to the end wee may not fixe our loue vpon the world; sometime to make vs more zealous in good workes; sometimes that partaking with Christ in his sufferings, Rom. 8.17. Wee may also bee glorified with him.

THE Apostle, not ignorant that it seemeth a hard thing to car­nall men, to reioyce in the afflicti­ons of this world, by an elegant gradation he reciteth certaine vti­lities and profites that commeth of them, as reasons why the children of God should be comforted in af­flictions, considering the fruits that come thereby.

1 The first is, that by them our faith is tryed.

2 They bring forth, and exercise our patience.

3 They make men entire and per­fect.

Obseru. 1 For the first, that afflictions make manifest triall and proofe of our faith, the Scripture aboundantly maketh mention. God doth many waies proue and examine the faith of his children, not that he is igno­rant [Page 51]what it is, but that wee know­ing our owne weakenesse should al­waies flie vnto him, and say, Luk. 17.5. Domine adauge nobis fidem: Lord increase our faith. Genes. 12. He proued the faith of Abra­ham, when hee commanded him to depart from his Country, and ac­quaintance: Genes. 22. Hee tempted him also when he commanded him to sacri­fice his deere and onely sonne Isaac, in whom onely was the hope of the promise. By many peregrinations and troubles, hee proued the Israe­lites by the space of forty yearcs in the Desatt. Againe, Deut. 8. hee proued them, by suffering many false Pro­phets to arise and seduce the people: which was onely for their tryall, as Moses witnesseth. Deut. 13.3 The Lord your God proueth you, to know whether you loue the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soule. Hee proued also the Apostle Philip, Ioh. 6.5.6. when hee said: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eate, (and this he said to proue him: for hee himselfe knew what hee would do) and of all the godly it is [Page 52]said: Wis. 3.5.6. They are punished but in few things, yet in many things shall they bee well re­warded, for God proueth them and fin­deth them meet for himselfe, hee tryeth them as the gold in the furnace, and re­ceiueth them as a perfect fruit-offering. Tribulation therefore may be com­pared to the hearbe Cheledonie, Greg. with the iuyce whereof, Plinie. as Pliny writeth, the Swallowes purge and cleare their sight, from dust and dung that maketh them dimme. So saith Gre­gory: oculos quos culpa claudit, poena aperit: The eyes which sinne shut­teth, the punishment for the same openeth. A Simile. It is like vnto the roote of the Vine or Oliue tree, which though the radicall humour of the roote thereof be bitter, yet through the influence of the Sunne and heat, it is so digested that it becom­meth sweete in the branches, and yeeldeth most pleasant fruite: So the bitternesse of tribulation, through the benefite of GODS grace, causeth the sweetnesse of consolation: In the multitude of the [Page 53]sorrowes af my heart, Psal 94 16 thy comforts haue refreshed my soule. Tribulation may bee likened vnto the Tree called Rhamnus, whose roote, leaues, Rhamnus. and branches, though (as Physitians say) bee exceeding bitter, yet are they very medicinable, for the seed thereof purgeth the body of all grosse humours, and the iuice clea­reth the sight. So afflictions, Simile. though they seeme bitter to flesh and bloud, yet they are very me­dicinable and healthfull to the soule, they purge out the noysome hu­mour of sinne, and cleere the eyes of our minde, which prospe­rity blindeth, that wee may true­ly know our selues, and see our owne corruption, and horrible fil­thinesse, and become henceforth more wary, and carefull, how wee offend, or displease, our louing and good GOD, and flye vnto him in all our miseries. Aug. sup. ps. Flagellum tribu­lationis excitat torpentem, humiliat su­perbientem, purgat poenitentem, & co­ronat innocentem. The scourge of [Page 54]tribulation stirreth vp the drousie, humbleth the proud, purgeth the pe­nitent, and crowneth the innocent.

Obseru. 2 Secondly, we are here to obserue, that God doth proue and try our faith, not that hee might make it knowne vnto himselfe, what it is: (for hee knoweth the secrets of the heart, he searcheth the reines, and knoweth all things before they are done) but first that our faith may be­come more pure and perfect, euen as gold out of the furnace: Secondly, that we might the better know our selues, that is, that wee might more cleerely see our owne weaknesse and frailnesse, which without the helpe of his grace we are not able to help our selues: Thirdly, in respect of others, that wee might be an exam­ple of patience, and constancy vnto our neighbours. Math. 26. Mar. 14.67 Ioh. 21. So Christ proued the faith of Peter on the Sea, at his Passion, and after his Resurrection, when hee asked him three times whether hee loued him aboue the rest: And the Apostle witnesseth, [Page 55]that through his persecutions and bands, Phil. 1.14. Many of the brethren were bol­dened, and did more frankely speake the word. Hence proceeded these confi­dent speeches of the Christians, to their tyrants and persecutors: Cru­ciate, torquete, damnate, atterite, Tertul. probatio innocentiae nostrae est iniquitas vestra. Torment vs, rack vs, condemne vs, breake vs in peeces; your iniquity, is the triall of our innocency.

As therefore the Chrysopass, Chrysopass. Simile. or E­thiopian stone shineth in the darke­nesse, but waxeth pale in the light: for (as Isidorus saith) in the night it shineth like fire, but in the day time looketh pale like gold: So in the night of aduersity, the vertues of Gods children shine most cleere, which when men are in pros­perity are obscured and couered. The godly then count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temp­tations; knowing that afflictions are therefore sent of God for the triall of their faith: and this is the first reason of the confirmation ta­ken [Page 56]from the profite of affliction.

Heere is now the second profite that commeth of affliction, The se­cond pro­fite of Af­flictions. namely, patience, the beauty, foundation and crowne of all other vertues. A ver­tue (saith Tertullian) which hath such a preheminence in the ranke of vertues, Tertul. that without it no man can fulfill any precept, The praise of pati­ence. or doe any worke acceptable vnto God: as contrarywise, impatience is the mother of all finnes, and euery vice may bee ascribed to impatiencie. God himselfe is vnto vs a daily ex­ample of patience, From the example of God the Father. which maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the iust and vn­iust, and bestoweth innumerable benefites vpon vnthankefull men, and such as fight against him, and maketh as though hee saw not the sinne of men, Wis. 11.20. because they should amend. And the same Sonne of God, Of Christ. shew­ed his wonderfull patience at his Conception, Natiuity, Death, and Passion: hee cured his enemies, hee [Page 57]washed the traitors feete, and gaue him a kisse: Esay. 53.7. Hee was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a sheepe dumbe be­fore the Shearer, so opened not hee his mouth: When hee was reuiled, 1. Pet. 2.23 hee reuiled not againe, when hee suffered, hee threat­ned not, but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously. The faith and pa­tience of Abraham was proued by many and hard peregrinations, Of the faithfull. by domesticall broyles, by the sacrifi­cing of his onely sonne. The pati­ence of Esay was proued, being cut asunder with a saw. Of Ieremy, by imprisonements, captiuity, and sto­ning. Of Micheas by reproches and buffeting. Of Elias by the terrible threatnings of Kings, in the Desart, and of famine. Of Iob, by his plagues of body, and losse of all his tem­porall goods. And to conclude with Saint Paul, Heb. 11.25 they chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a sea­son. Who now would not embrace this noble vertue, who would not aspire to such a treasure?

But with what Simile should I delineate this noble vertue vnto you? Simile. Let vs compare it with the pu­rest mettall: Patience is like vnto pure gold, and that in three re­spects.

1 First, Patience compared vnto gold. in regard of the soliditie of it; for nothing is more solide and compact then gold, for being put into the fire, it neither cuaporateth or is diminished in the weight, or consumed; but when through the violence of heat it is dissolued, if it haue any admixtion of impurity, it is cleansed and becommeth more bright. So the patient man hath such soliditie of minde, that being put into the fire of tribulation, doth neither euaporate through anger and impatiency, neither is dimini­shed in the weight of vertue, through diffidence and distrust, or consumed through pusillanimity, or faint-heartednesse, but is made the more pure, and shineth the more bright in vertue, 1. Pet. 1.6. Though now for a season yee bee in heauinesse through ma­nifold [Page 59]temptations, that the triall of your faith, being much more precious then gold that perisheth (though it bee tried with fire) might be found to your praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Iesus Christ.

2 Secondly, in regard of the ducti­bility thereof in working; for gold is so ductible that betwixt the An­uile and hammer, without any diui­sion or interruption of parts, it is di­lated and extenuated into most thin plates: So the patient minde resi­steth not persecution, but is so flexi­ble that it is not broken through in­constancy, not diuided of his perse­cutor through wrath, but is dilated into charitie through patience: So were the holy Martyrs, when they prayed for their persecutors.

3 Thirdly, in regard of the tranqui­lity thereof: For nothing among mettals in working maketh lesse noise, for being stricken it soundeth not as doth brasse and yron: So the true patient minde resoundeth not in murmuring, cursing, rayling, or [Page 60]scolding against a contumacious tongue, after the example of Christ, Who when hee was reuiled, 1. Pet. 2.23 reuiled not againe, when hee suffered hee threatned not, but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously. Such also was the pati­ence of the blessed Martyrs, which being scourged and buffeted of their persecutors, answered not againe, nor resisted through impa­tiency: if then wee will retaine this noble vertue, wee must in these pro­perties resemble the pure gold.

Contrariwise the deuill himselfe is the perswader and authour to im­patience; for, not able to suffer that God had made all things subiect vnto man, through enuy deceiued he our first parents, discontented with their estate, which brought all misery to them and their posterity. Cain, Gen. 4. not able patiently to beare the felicity of Abel, oppressed and slew him. The Israelites alwaies sinned through impatience. The want of patience was the cause that they rose vp against Moses and Aaron, [Page 61]yea against the Lord himselfe. The Iewes and Gentiles persecuted the Apostles and Martyrs, because they could not patiently endure their preachings and reprehensions.

Here (brethren) wee see that pa­tience and suffering of aduersity, None a perfect Christian without patience. is so necessary vnto a Christian man, that without it hee can indeed bee no perfect Christian: For against the fiery darts of the deuill, through innumerable snares, through infi­nite assaults, wee must passe through and endure to the end, before wee come to our heauenly Country: vn­lesse therefore wee bee armed with a strong and constant patience wee shall often faint before wee come to the midst of our course; Heb. 10.36 Nulla an­ceps lucta­men init virtute sine ista. Virtas nam vidua est quam non patien­tia firmat. Prudentius therefore saith the Apostle: Yee haue need of patience that when yee haue done the will of God, yee might receiue the promise.

As wel saith the Christian Poet Pru­dentius

This is the true patience, which is not ouercome with any aduersity, and is exercised chiefly in suffering three things, which are: Oris oppro­bria, corporis flagella, damna temporalia, the reproches of mens mouthes, Patience exercised chiefly in three things. the stripes of body, temporall losses, in­to which a certaine Schoole-man re­duceth all aduersity, which the true patience must vanquish.

First, it is not ouercome with op­probrious speeches, for commonly the wicked are wont to load the godly with contumelies, iniuries, reproches, and tauntings, scoffings, and raylings, and such like. Now they haue retained the true patience which can carry themselues vpright­ly in these things, not rendring euill for euill; this the Apostle counsel­leth, Rom. 12.17 1. Thess. 5.14.15. or rather commandeth; Recom­pence to no man euill for euill: And againe: Bee patient toward all men, see that none recompence euill for euill vn­to any man, but euer follow that which is good, both towards your selues and to­wards all men. And this is the [Page 63]weapon of Gods children, where­by they are conquerours as Pruden­tius aptly saith: Prudentius

When contrarywise wrath is van­quished with his owne weapons; as he saith againe. ‘—Moritur (que) suis ira ignea telis,’

The second note of true patience, consisteth in suffering scourges and crosses which are inflicted vpon the body, wherewith Gods children are nothing daunted or weakened, but patiently endure whatsoeuer plague, or sicknesse, the Lord shall lay vpon them. Simile. 1. Reg. 6. And euen as at the building of the Temple, there was heard neither the sound of the Axe, Hammer, or any toole of Iron: So [Page 64]when God by afflictions, crosses, and corrections, buildeth his spiri­tuall house in the hearts of his chil­dren, they murmure not, repine not, nor are ouercome with impatience, knowing that we must through ma­ny afflictions enter into the Kingdome of heauen. Act. 14.22.

3 The third note of patience, is in suffering patiently the losse of tem­porall goods. Such was the patience of holy Iob, who when hee had lost all his substance, which was very great, hee was not touched with the least motion of impatiency, but said: Iob. 1.21. The Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken, blessed be the name of the Lord: So in all temporall losses the godly should say with Iob and Ely the Priest: 1. Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good: and this is the second reason why the godly should count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations, be­cause the triall of their faith brin­geth forth patience. For what our patience is, it is not knowne but by [Page 65]aduersity; Simile. For euen as a man that is sicke of a feuer Quartane, or Ter­tian, if he haue some rest in the time betweene his fits, is not said therefore to bee cured of his feuer: So no man may be said to be patient when he is neuer disturbed, or assai­led with aduersity; but if in the midst of tribulation and misery, hee bee not shaken from a constant and qui­et minde, hee is truely said to be pa­tient: as he that in the time of his fit, is not touched with his feuer, is said to bee perfectly cured. Simile. And as the Tree that moueth not when the winde is still, is not said therefore to be immoueable: or as the wood that burneth not, when there is no fire, is not therefore incombustible: So a man that neuer tasted aduersity, can­not bee said to bee patient: Qualis quis (que) apud se luteat il­lata contu­melia pro­bat. For (as Gregory saith) whatsoeuer a mans disposition is, secret with himselfe, reproaches make manifest. And thus wee see, the triall of our faith bringeth forth patience: tribulation therefore is so far off from harming [Page 66]vs, if with all humility wee submit our selues vnto God, that it is a cause of our exaltation. Simile. As the wood of the Egiptian Fig-tree, being cast into water, contrary to the na­ture of other wood, sinketh downe to the bottome; but being full of water (when by nature it should be more heauy) it mounteth vp to the top: so if in the water of aduersity we descend to the bottome of hu­mility, we shall be exalted (though the world thinketh otherwise) vnto the top of felicity.

Reason. 3 A Third reason, or fruit that com­meth of affliction; the godly must count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations; and why? because patience in af­flictions, if it haue his perfect work in vs, maketh vs entire and perfect. [Page 67]Now that patience may haue this worke in vs, it must not be momen­tany, and for a while, but wee must perseruer vnto the end: that the whole building of our patience may bee perfected and consummated. Some in the beginning doe show an heroicall fortitude of minde, but in midst of their course they faint and giue ouer, but our Captaine Iesus Christ approueth, and alloweth, and crowneth them that persist constant vnto the end.

Obseru. 2 Heere first we obserue that it is a most certain signe of election, when we perseuer in faith & good works; as contrarywise, a defection from the faith, is an euident testimony of reprobation, and therefore saith the Lord: Eze. 18.24. If the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse, and commit iniquitie, and do according to all the abhominati­ons that the wicked men doth, shall hee liue? all his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not bee mentioned: and to them onely that endure to the end, Math. 10. our Sauiour promiseth saluation. [Page 68]And the Spirit of God saith? Apoc. 2.10 Bee faithfull vnto the death, and I will giue thee the Crowne of life.

2 Secondly, wee are here taught, that it is not enough once, or twice, to fight against temptations, except wee continue the combat vnto the end: for what doe our good begin­nings auaile, if being wearied and vanquished, at last wee shake hands with Sathan? Iudas beganne well, but his defection made him a Traytor: So did Simon Magus, Ni­cholas, Cerinthus, Hymineus, Alexan­der, Philetus, &c. which at first pro­fessed the Gospell of Christ, but at length, both to the shipwracke of their owne soules, and many others, they were back-sliders. In cassum bonum agitur, si ante vitae terminum de­seratur, Greg. mon. saith Gregory; It is in vaine to do good, if wee giue ouer before the end of our life: And why? Quia frustra velociter cunit, qui priusquam ad metas venerit, defecit: because in vaine he beginneth to runne, which fainteth before he come to the gole. [Page 69]And to this purpose, S. Ber. in Ser. Bernard hath this golden sentence: Bonam vitam ego duco, mala pati & bona facere, & sic perseuerare vs (que) ad mortem: A Golden saying of S. Bernard. I count that a good life, to do good, and suffer euill, and to perseuer vnto death.

Perseuerance may be likened vn­to the braue flourishing Laurell tree, Simile. which remaineth alwaies greene, and is not spoyled of his vi­gor and beauty, neither in the heate of Summer, nor in the cold of Win­ter: So the truely perseuerant man is neither broken in the Winter and stormes of aduersity, nor puffed vp with the heat of prosperity, but keepeth still the same minde, the same constancy, the same tenor of of vertue. Simile. And euen as the skilfull sea-faring man is not daunted with euery storme, nor giueth ouer for a contrary winde, but laboureth with perseuerance against the winde, vn­till he commeth to the hauen: And as the hound followeth the Hare through brambles, thornes, hedges, [Page 70]vntill he catch her: So we must not giue ouer our purpose of wel-doing for any aduersity, difficulty, or temp­tation, but with perseuerance to ouercome the troublesome stormes and waues of this world, vntill we come to the safe hauen and port of euerlasting life: 1. Cor. 9. So runne that yee may obtaine. Simile. The wicked contrarywise may be likened to a rotten worme­eaten apple, which falleth from the Tree before it bee ripe, when the sound grow fast vntill they come to maturity: So they that are putrified and worme-eaten, through custome of sinne, fall away from a good pur­pose, through want of perseuerance, with a little winde of temptation; Hee is as the chaffe which the winde scattereth away from the face of the earth. Psal. 1.5. Who euer continued in wel­doing and found not the mercy of the Lord? Mar. 16. Ioh. 20. Mary Magdalen perseue­red at the Sepulchre, and the Lord first apeared vnto her. The woman of Canaan perseuered in prayer vnto the Lord, Math. 15. and ceased not at so ma­ny [Page 71]repulses, and therfore heard these words: O woman great is thy faith, bee it vnto thee euen as thou wilt. The im­portunate friend in the Gospell, who knocked at his friends dore, crauing to borrow three loaues, Luk. 11. obtained that by perseuerance, which for friendship he could not. To con­clude, the people continued with the Lord three daies in the Desart, and our Sauiour rewarded this their per­seuerance with a notable miracle, whereby both their bodies were fed, and (which is more) their faith also confirmed. O (brethren) that wee would perseuer thus in prayer and in our good purposes, in hearing the word, in meditation of heauen­ly things, &c. O that they which spend whole daies and nights in play, cards, dice, and filthy pleasures, would spend but one day with the Lord in prayer, godly meditation! &c. How farre greater would their gaine bee, then what they get by vaine pleasures? But what say I one day? I would to God they would [Page 72]bestow but one houre in a day in this duty, great surely then would bee the profite they should get thereby, &c. And thus through per­seuerance, patience hath her perfect worke in vs: it followeth, that yee may bee perfect and entire lacking no­thing,

Here the word (perfect) signifieth stable, constant, persisting to the end in the profession of the Gospell. For God vseth patience as an instrument and meane to make vs perfect. Now in that some in Scripture are called iust and perfect men, Math. 2. Luk. 2. Math. 5. Math. 19. Perfection two waies taken. as Ioseph and Zacharias; be yee perfect as your heauen­ly Father is perfect. Wee must vnder­stand that perfection is two waies taken, either absolutely, or [...], that is in respect of some other thing. 1 The absolute perfection is such which can not bee encreased, but is so full and absolute as nothing may be added vnto it; In this degree of perfection, no man in this infir­mity and weaknesse of nature is per­fect: the iust falleth seuen times a [Page 73]day, and therefore the very Apo­stles prayed the Lord to encrease their faith: Luk. 17. And the Apostle speaketh of himselfe, and of all the Saints of God in this life: Rom. 7.18. For I know that in mee, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present, but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good: That wee might vnderstand that in the most perfect dwelleth the body of sinne, as he saith againe: O wretched man that I am, Rom. 7.24. who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death?

2 For the second, which is in deed the perfection of Gods children, it is [...], certae cuiusdem rei respectu tan­tum, onely in respect of some certaine thing: so was Ioseph, Iob, Zacharias, called iust or perfect men; not be­cause they were absolutely perfect, but because they had attained to the perfection of sundry vertues, as farre forth as of men this life might be at­tained. Thus the godly are called perfect, either in comparison of the wicked, in respect of whom Gods [Page 74]children are holy, and in comparison of them, perfect. Or because the measure of their gifts and graces, and the vertues to which they aspire by the imputation of Christs perfe­ction, are reputed perfect, and made acceptable vnto God. Wee are now therefore in the way where wee are tending towards perfection, and shall at last obtaine the same in our Country, and as all our righteous­nesse is of faith; so, as our faith doth increase in vs, so doth also our righ­teousnesse and perfection. What this perfection is in this life, the Apostle notably explaneth: Phil. 3.12.13. Not as though I had already attained to it, ei­ther were already perfect: but one thing I doe; I forget that which is behind, and endenour my selfe to that which is be­fore. This the Apostle teacheth by an elegant Simile taken from runners in a race. But what do these valiant runners in a race? In dies vl­terius. They forget that which is behind: That is, first, they neuer looke backe, nor regard how many paces they haue runne, but [Page 75]what yet remaineth farther for them to runne, that with an vnwearied course they may hasten to finish it, going still farther, neuer declining from the marke and goale, vntill they haue attained the same. Se­condly, they indeuour to that which is before, they haue their eyes and minde, intent and fixed vpon the marke to which they runne, and will by no meanes diuert either minde, or eyes from the same: Herein con­sisteth our Christian perfection in this life, and therefore hee addeth: Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded.

The vse (beloued) wee should make hereof is: The Vse. that seeing by pati­tience vnder the crosse, and afflicti­ons of this life we increase in godli­nesse, and grow towards perfection, and this our aspiring towards perfe­ction, and growth in godlinesse, is by the imputation of Christs perfe­ction, accepted and accounted for perfection before God; O then, let this moue vs to hold fast this exhor­tation [Page 76]of the Apostle: Brethren, count it exceediug ioy when yee fall into diuers temptations: Knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth pa­tience: And let patience haue her perfect worke, that yee may bee perfect and entire lac­king nothing.

THERE are some which would haue this to bee the Apo­stles second exhorta­tion of crauing the true and Christian wisedome at the hands of God, by faithfull and fer­uent prayer. Others restraine the name of wisedom, to the doctrine of bearing patiently the crosse: where [Page 78]the Apostle vseth a predcupation, or preuenting of an obiection, answe­reth them that might obiect against the former doctrine, that they want the gift of constancy and fortitude, ioyfully to vndergoe the manifold temptations of this wretched life: as if hee had said: Indeed herein con­sisteth a principall point of the true Christian wisedome, without which it seemeth a hard thing to flesh and bloud, patiently to suffer crosses and afflictions: But if any want the gift of this wisedome, let him aske it of God, the giuer of all goodnesse, who is exceeding bountifull and liberall, and it shall bee giuen him. Heere I note

1 What this wisedome is.

2 Of whom, and how it is to be sought.

3 The motiues that should con­firme our hope of obtaining the same.

1 To omit the definitions of the Phylosophers, which were ignorant of the true wisedome. S. Augustine [Page 79]thus defineth it generally: Definitio sap. secund. Aug. lib. 1. con. Acad. Sapientia mihi videtur esse rerum humanarum, di­uinarum (que) quae ad beatam vitam perti­neant non scientia solum sed etiam dili­gens inquisitio: Wisedome seemeth to mee to bee, not onely the know­ledg, but also the diligent inquisiti­on of both diuine and humane things. Lact. l. 3. c. vlt. Qui vult sapiens esse & beatꝰ audiat Dei volantatē, discat iusti­tiam, sacra­mentum, suae natiui­tatis norit, bumana cō ­temnat, &c. Psal. 19.7. Iob. 28.28. And before him very aptly Lanctantius: who so will bee wise and blessed, let him heare the voyce of God, learne his righteousnesse, know the Mysterie of his Natiuity, contemne earthly things, loue hea­uenly things, that hee may attaine to the soueraigne good to which hee was created, &c. This true wisedome is grounded vpon the word of God; hereof speaketh the Princely Pro­phet: The testimony of the Lord is sure, and giueth wisedome to the Simple: And holy Iob: Behold the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euill is vnderstanding. Iob. 28.15.16. This wisedome shall not bee valued with the wedge of Gold of Ophir, nor with the precious Onix, nor with the Saphire, the gold nor the Chry­stall [Page 80]shall bee equall vnto it. This wise­dome as it is most necessary vnto all men, so especially for those which are vnder afflictions and persecuti­ons, Rom. 5.3. for it causeth them to reioyce in tribulation: This wisedome causeth to feele inwardly the comfort of the Spirit; this teacheth vs to know the causes for which wee are afflicted of God: First, for the punishment of our sinnes: Secondly, for the tryall of our faith: Thirdly, for the ad­uancement of Gods glory: Fourthly, that wee being touched, might re­pent, least wee bee condemned with the world. This causeth to feele the comfortable presence of Gods Spirit, in the midst of our mi­series, whereby the burthen of the crosse is made light and easie.

2 Now this wisedome being not a quality of nature, but an excellent gift of grace, is to be sought for of God by continuall and feruent pray­ers, not of the wise men of this world, which count the extremest folly, the greatest wisedome, as to [Page 81]wallow in pleasures and delights of the world, to scrape together riches, to cogge, lie, deceiue, and vnder­mine their neighbours, &c. which indeed they shall finde, too late, to bee meere folly and madnesse, to la­bour to winne the fleeting world, and loose their owne soules. Not of the Philosophers, which obseruing but the second causes onely, and follow­ing nature their guide, do miserably ensnare, rather then comfort, the wretched mindes of men. Not out of Adonis garden of the wanton Poets, which are wont rather to cor­rupt and effeminate the mindes of their Readers, and amaze them in the labyrinth of folly, then yeeld any solid comfort. But of God one­ly is this wisedome to bee sought, therefore saith this Apostle: If any lack wisedome, let him aske it of God: To this subscribeth the mirrour of wisedome: The Lord giueth wisedome, Prou. 2.6. and out of his mouth commeth vnder­standing. And Daniel, Dan. 2.20. the name of God bee praysed for euer and euer, for [Page 82]wisedome and strength are his. And Augustine in his Meditations, spea­keth thus to God: Abs te sapere est desipere, te vero noscere, est perfecte sci­re: Aug. med. cap. 5. To bee wise without Thee is to bee a foole, and to know thee is per­fect wisedome.

Vers. 6 But how should wee aske this wisedome? and how should we pray for the gift of patience? The Apostle teacheth: But let him aske in faith and wauer not. Wee must aske in a firme and constant faith, if wee would haue our prayers acceptable vnto God, and profitable vnto our selues: If wee would obtaine at the hands of God what wee craue, wee must aske without any distrust of Gods power, liberality, and goodnesse: There is nothing that so much with­holdeth Gods bountifulnesse, in granting our petitions, as doubt­fulnesse, when our mindes are di­stracted into diuers opinions, and not fully perswaded of Gods pow­er, and readinesse, to heare our pray­ers, or grant the things which wee [Page 83]desite. What is this else, but to teach God how to deny vs? as one saith. It is truely said in the Trage­dy: Hee that asketh fearefully or doubt­fully, Sene. in Hip. teacheth him of whom hee asketh to deny him. The Greeke [...], signifieth both him that doub­reth and iudgeth of Gods power and mercy. The Greeke Scholia ex­poundeth it of him, which being pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes, thinketh them to be grea­ter then God is able, or willing, to forgiue.

Heere wee are taught that with­out faith there is no accesse vnto God, vnlesse faith as a most cleere light, doth disperse the darkenesse of our mindes, shew vs the way, and as it were leade vs by the hand vnto the Throne of God: Rom. 10.14 For how (saith the Apostle) shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued. Without faith it is not possible to please God: Heb. 11.6. For hee that commeth to God, must first be­leeue that God is, and that hee is a re­warder of them that seeke him. This [Page 84]our Sauiour commending to the Centurion saith: Math. 8.13 As thou hast heleeued, so bee it vnto thee. And to the two blind men (that hee might teach them the efficacy of faith) hee saith: Beleeue you that I am able to do this? Math. 9.28 29. according to your faith bee it vnto you. And to the Ruler of the Synagogue: Bee not afrayd, Mar. 5.36. onely beleeue: And at the raysing of Lazarus, vnto Mar­tha: Iohn 11. Beleeuest thou this? By faith, one­ly then, our prayers are strengthned and made effectuall, whereby ap­proaching vnto God, we are heard. And this that the Apostle might per­swade vs, willeth vs to aske this wisedome of God, by faith, with­out wauering: For God is neere vnto such as call vpon him (saith the Pro­phet) but yet onely to such as call vpon him faithfully.

3 Now in the third place commeth to bee considered, certaine comfor­table motiues to confirme our hope, that if wee aske this wisedome faithfully we shall obtaine it.

The first (saith the Apostle) is [Page 85]Gods liberalitie: Hee giueth to all men liberally. Gods liberallity is altoge­ther infinite, in imparting his good­nesse and graces most copiously vn­to his creatures: for so the Aduerbe [...] affluentèr, largitèr, as [...], that the Apostle might expresse not one­ly the readinesie, but also the effuse liberality of the Giuer. God is prompt, ready, and free in his giftes; not like vnto most men, which giue grudginly, nigardly, and semiclusa manu; as the prouerbe is, as it were pinching away part of their bene­fites. Hee giueth superaboundantly aboue what we deserue: Rom. 10. Ephe. 3.20 For hee is rich vnto all that call vpon him: Hee is able to doe superaboundantly, aboue all that wee aske, or thinke, saith the Apo­stle, as his nature is infinite, so is his bounty. Abraham craued but a son of the Lord, as an heire of his goods, and God promised to multiply his seed as the Starres of heauen, Gen. 22.17 and as the sand that is by the Sea-shore: And, which is the greatest of all, the Messias and Sauiour of the world [Page 86]was borne of the same seed. Iacob desired but bread to eate, and cloathes to put on, and a safe returne into his Country, Gen. 28.29 And hee had the Angels to his keepers, and companions of his peregrination, an happy marriage, a plentifull off-spring, ample riches, great Flockes, Diuine Visions, and sweet Promises. 1. Sam. 9. Saul seeking his fathers Asses, receiued the King­dome and gouernement of all Israel. Salomon desired of the Lord but onely wisedome; 1. Reg. 3.13 and hee receiued with the same incredible riches, a peaceable Kingdome, and great glory, riches, and honour: so that among the Kings there was none like vnto him. Neither do there want examples in the new Testament: Iohn 4. The woman of Samaria sought but for water to quench her bodily thirst, and shee found the water of Life, the Saui­our of the world. The thiefe on the Crosse, craued of the Lord onely to bee mindefull of him: and heard these wotds of our Sauiour: This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise. Luk. 23. [Page 87] Grace (saith Saint Ambrose) is so much more aboundant then our prayers: Amb. Com. in Luc. that the Lord doth alwaies giue more then wee craue. Seeing then so great is the li­berality of our God in giuing; Let wretched man bee ashamed (saith Augustine) of his slacknesse and slothfulnesse in asking.

2 And as the Lords Liberality, should wonderfully stirre vs vp con­fidently to flie vnto him by faith­full and feruent prayers: So Gods great Magnificence whereby he gi­ueth generally to all men, which carieth a comfortable Emphasis. If God giueth liberally vnto all men, will hee not giue wisedome vnto vs, if wee aske in faith? Shall wee sus­spect his liberality vnto vs, who is so bountifull vnto all flesh? So liberall is our good God, Rom. 8.32. That hee spared not his owne Son, but gaue him for vs all vn­to death, and shall hee not with him giue vs all things also? He giueth food vn­to all creatures, And feedeth the yong Rauens which call vpon him, And shall hee neglect to heare the prayers of [Page 88]man, whom he hath aboue all other creatures created to eternall glory? Great surely is the weight of this generall speech (vnto all men) hee de­nyeth himselfe to none, hee is the in­exhaust fountaine of all goodnesse, euer open vnto all thirsty soules, without exception, hee calleth all vnto him: Iohn 7.37. Mat. 11.28 If any man thirst let him come vnto mee and drinke: Come vnto mee all that are weary and laden, and I will ease you. To all hee giueth the law of nature, reason, the admirable glasse of his creatures. Math. 6. Hee maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the good and euill, and causeth his raine to fall vpon the iust and vniust: No man then, but through his owne default, is depri­ued of these blessings; which ser­ueth notably to confirme our hope of obtaining all good things at the hands of God, who is so liberall to all men.

3 The third motiue to confirme our hope in prayer, is taken from the goodnesse of Gods nature, Hee reprocheth or casteth no man in the [Page 89]teeth: So great is his loue and kind­nesse, that hee neuer vpbraideth vs with his former benefits, that there­by hee should shame or repell those that pray vnto him. Wee see men (yea of the most liberall sort) will oftentimes reproach such as craue of them, with their former gifts, that thereby they might shift and shake off importunate suters. Eccl. 18.17 A foole (saith the Wise-man) will reproach churlish­ly, and a gift of the enuious putteth out the eyes: An odious kind of men which reproach a friend with a be­nefite receiued, which the receiuer, and not the giuer, ought to remem­ber and commend: Wherefore men are loath to make request to such for any thing, neither haue they any hope to obtaine of men of this dis­position; Obiurgatio est in ad­uersis cru­delis. Sene. in Prouerb. but the thanke and grace of a benefite is lost by such bragging, euen among men, as the Poet aptly saith.

The vse. Seeing then wee haue so gracious and liberall a God, who is delighted with our often prayers, Let vs (be­loued) cast off all doubtfulnesse, if wee thinke to receiue any thing of the Lord, and therefore Vers. 6. He com­pareth a doubtfull wauering minde vnto a waue of the sea tossed of the winde; such indeed is the minde that doubteth in his prayers, whether God be able to deliuer him, or willing to stand to his promises, which as a waue tossed with the winde, inclineth sometime to this side, sometime to that; now hee presumeth, anon hee despaireth and fainteth. Therefore when thou commest to commence [Page 91]thy sutes vnto the Lord, trust confi­dently in his mercy; say with the Prophet: I will trust in thy mercy, Psal. 13.15 and then assure thy selfe, as Saint Bernard very truely saith: Ber. Ser. 5. de quadrag. Vnum è duobus in­dubitantèr sperare possumut: aut dabit quod poscimus, aut quod nouerit nobis esse vtilius: One of these two we may vndoubtedly hope for, that either he will grant that wee desire, or that which shall bee more profitable for vs:

THIS generall rule the Apostle addeth to the former conclusi­sion, as it were assigning a reason thereof: to wit, hee whose minde is two waies diuided, on this side be­holding God, on the other side the world: now beleeuing God to bee omnipotent, and the soueraigne good; now againe doubting of them both: This man is not onely in­constant, and wauering, in his pray­ers, [Page 92]but also in all other things that hee thinketh or doth, hauing one thing in his tongue, another thing in his heart, changing his affections with the time, now here, now there, as the winde: What maruell then, if such a man obtaine nothing at GODS hands? Doth not this so filthy inconstancy deserue a iust repulse? Hee is called [...], which with diuers cogitations about the same thing is distracted, and hath nothing certaine what to follow, as indeed haue all such as are doubtfull, as though they had duos animos, Beda. two mindes. Beda re­puteth him a double minded man, which in praying to the LORD boweth his knee, but distrusteth that hee shall obtaine; And would Hic cum saeculo gaudere & illic cum Deo regnare, and follow the de­lights of the world heere, and yet there raigne with GOD. A­gaine, hee is double-minded, which in the good workes which hee doth seeketh not to please the Lord, but [Page 93]hunteth after the fauor and applause of men. Haec secūd. Bed.

Heere it appeareth, that to beare a double and inconstant minde, causeth that our prayers are not heard. Of this kind, first are all hipocrites, whom the Sonne of God very elegantly, and fitly, com­pareth to painted Sepulchres, Math. 23. out­wardly curiously wrought, but being within full of dead mens bones: They honour God with their lippes (saith the Prophet Esay) but their heart is farre from him. Simile. Clemens Alex. lib. strom. Clemens Alexandrinus saith, They are like to the Temples of the Egyptians, which outwardly appeare faire to the eye, but within are full of poy­sonous Serpents, and other veno­mous and vncleane beasts. Simile. S. Chrisosto­mus. Saint Chrysostome likeneth them vnto har­lots, which though by nature they are most stinking, corrupt, loath­some, and filthy, Simile. S. Bernard in sermone de Benedict. yet they affect and forge beauty, with painting and garish attire.

Saint Bernard saith they are [Page 94]like Simon of Cyren, who carryed the crosse of Christ, but not willing­ly: So hipocrites and counterfeites, will outwardly sometime doe the workes of a Christian, but not wil­lingly; for in heart they loue not that, which outwardly they make shew of: the hipocrite is like vnto copper, which emulareth the gold in colour, when it is farre off in va­lue and worth.

Hee is like the stone called Chry­solenium, Simile. which resembleth the Chri­solite, Isidor. when yet it is not the same in price nor profite, which (as Isidore saith) is of a golden colour, and in the morning appeareth most faire and bright, but afterward looketh darke and dimme, and hath such affi­nity with fire, that being holden neere the same, it is straight infla­med: So the double-minded man is all golden in shew, when hee preten­deth sanctity, and in the morning is most faire, when he beginneth with feruency, but is afterward obscured with many vices, and is easily in­flamed [Page 95]with the fire of temptations.

2 Secondly, they are (as another Father saith) of a double minde, of whom it is said; Vult & non vult pi­ger: Salonius super Pro­uerb. c. 13. The sluggard would raigne with God, but will not worke the worke of the Lord, they would attaine to blessednesse, yet will reiect the pre­cepts of Christ: and bee not there an infinite number of these?

3 Thirdly, they are duplices animo, double-minded, Athanasius orat. quod Nicoena Sy­nodus. Hisunt tam­varij & versi-pelli animo quā Cameliontes in mutandis coloribus. which are not stay­ed, not stedfast, in any opinion, as Hereticks, Schismaticks, and Nulli­fidians, which leane sometime to this opinion, sometime to that, that they may please the humours of men, of whom they expect some ad­uantage. These are (saith one) so va­riable, and such turne-coates in their opinions, as the Camelion is in changing his colours: And to vse Irenaeus words, Cum sint duo vel tres, Ireneus. de eisdem non eadem dicunt: when as there are but two or three, they dissent in opinions, and speake not the same of the same things. They [Page 96]are like vnto the reede which grow­eth on the sands, which are in dan­ger of three things, of the winde, the raine, Math. 7. and the floud, as it is in the Gospell: So this hypocrite, be­cause like this reede hee fixeth the roote of his opinion on the sands, is either broken with the winde of temptations, or corrupted with im­patience in the raine of aduersity, or rooted out with the floud of per­secution: And therefore among ma­ny other prayses of Iohn Baptist, hee is commended by the mouth of the Sonne of God; Math. 11. That hee was not like vnto a reede shaken with the winde: That wee from hence bee no more children, Ephe. 4 14 wa­uering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine.

Fourthly, S. Ber. Epist. 99. Saint Bernard calleth them duplices animo, double-minded, which once professing a religious zeale in the seruice of God, in hea­ring the word Preached, and all Christian exercises, do shamefully renounce the same, that they may follow the pleasures and liberty of [Page 97]the world. They are like vnto Lots wife, Gen. 19. who being deliuered out of Sodom, looked back as loath to for­goe the pleasures thereof, and was turned into a pillar of Salt: They are like vnto the Iewes, who loa­thing the heauenly Manna, Num. 12. longed for the flesh-pots of Egypt, their pepons and onions.

5 Fiftly, they beare a double minde which are parasites, flatterers, and traitors towards their brethren, which (as the prouerbe is) Vua ma­nu pauem, altera lapidem aut gladium ostentant: hold in one hand bread, and in the other a stone, or a sword. They blesse with their mouthes, but curse with their hearts. They resem­ble Cain, Gen. 4. who vnder colour of wal­king in the fields, slew his brother Abel. They are like Ioab, who traite­rously with a fained kisse slew Ab­ner: 2. Sam. 3. They are the children of the Traytor Iudas, who also with a kisse betrayed his Maister, the most inno­cent Lambe, the Sonne of God. Such the Wise-man pronounceth [Page 98]accursed: Eccles. 2.13 Woe bee vnto him that hath a double heart: And the Spirit of God: Psal. 12.1. Ouid. Impia sub dulci melle venena la­tent. They speake deceitfully euery one with his neighbour, flattering with their lippes, and speake with a double heart.

THE Apostle retur­neth againe to his former proposed doctrine of pati­ence, The Ana­lysis. and comfort in afflictions, and [Page 100]sheweth the profite that commeth to poore and rich thereby, for which they ought to reioyce; for which he also giueth a reason.

Secondly, hee concludeth this doctrine, with the reward of pati­tience: Verse 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptations &c.

There are two sorts of men, poore and rich, to both which the doctrine of patience vnder the Crosse is ne­cessary: For the Greeke word [...] is he which is abiect, afflicted with pouerty, sicknesse, exile, hatred of the world, and other calamities, to which is opposed [...] the rich, to whom all things pertaining to this mortall life doe succeed after their desires. The Apostle willeth the poore brethren to reioyce in af­fliction, because they are hereby ex­alted, either to the true profession of the Gospell of Christ, or because they are thereby made like vnto Christ himselfe, and his holy Saints, who haue all in this world drunk of the cup of afflictions, and haue there­by [Page 101]a sure testimony, to their consci­ence, that they are the adopted sons of God, and therefore heires of the heauenly glory, as Christ himselfe testifieth: Luk. 24.25 26. O yee fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken: Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? The rich againe should re­ioyce in affliction, as very profitable vnto them, because being taught thereby how vaine the pompe and riches of this world is, they are re­strained within the bounds of their duty: So that the poore thereby are made content with their abiect con­dition, and the pride of the rich thereby abated. The Elect of God ought not to change their mindes with the blasts of Fortune, as the common sort of men do. But a bro­ther, that is, an humble Christian, pressed downe with diuers miseries, should rather reioyce in this, for that being contemned of the world, hee is beloued of God, who will exalt him to the fellowship and glory of [Page 102]his Saints aboue. Againe, let the rich when hee is made low, reioyce, because whereas hee was, for the de­ceitfull goods of this life, honoured in the world, now for the profession of Christ hee is contemned and des­pised. [...] Exaltatio is the glorifica­tiō of the Saints which Christ giueth vnto his faithfull seruants: I go (saith hee) to prepare a place for you, Ioh. 14. and I will receiue you vnto my selfe.

First, heere let vs note the loue and mildnesse of the Apostle, who calleth all Christians, though neuer so poore, abiect, and base in the world, Brethren: for all which haue partaked of the same Baptisme, ha­uing the same God their Father and Creator, the same Sonne, their Saui­our and Redeemer, the same holy Ghost, their Sanctifier; Members of the same Church, professours of one and the same Religion: What are they else but brethren, yea more neerely linked together then in any carnall affinity? Christ himselfe cal­leth vs Brethren, and willeth vs to [Page 103]repute one another brethren. Math. 5 22 Who­soeuer is angry with his brother, &c. The etrnall Sonne of God himselfe, calleth vs his brethren; Math. 6. Math. 23. Iohn 20. Math. 10. Goe tell my brethren, saith hee. Againe, Hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen, hee is my brother, sister, and mo­ther, But is it not to be lamented that this excellent vertue of charity among Christians, is not onely cold, but almost altogether quenched? How many brawles, strifes, hatreds, treasons of one towards another, and murthers, haue crept now into the place thereof? This prouerbe, Homo homini Deus, one man is as it were a God towards another, this wretched age hath turned into, homo homini damon, Lupus, one man is a deuill, or a wolfe towards another: So that this complaint of the Poet is verified among vs:

The friendship and loue of the world aimeth onely at profite, Seneca. Mel muscae, cadauera lupi, fru­menta for­micae; prae­dam, non hominem, sequitur turba ista. and maketh it the ground thereof, as Se­neca once truely said: As the waspes and flyes follow the hony, Wolues the dead carcasse, Emets the corne: so these kind of friends, follow their prey, and not the man.

The word (exalted) I find among the Fathers to be two waies expoun­ded. The word (exalted) 2 waies ta­ken. First, it signifieth the Crowne of heauenly glory, wherewith Christ will crowne all in his King­dome which heere suffer patiently the crosse and afflictions for his names sake, with the most certaine expectation whereof the seruants of God do erect their mindes and com­fort themselues in all aduersity, yea, and in death it selfe: For the afflicti­ons of this life are but temporary [Page 105]and very short, but the crowne of glory in their exaltation is eternall: Hee that loueth his life shall lose it, Iohn 12. Luk. 18. and hee that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto eternall life. And againe, this word (exalted) may bee taken for the inward and spirituall ioy of the minde, wherewith Gods chil­dren are cheared and comforted, when they are hated and afflicted of the wicked, as the Apostles, Acts 5.41. Which went reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs name: Blessed are yee when men reuile you, Math. 5.11 12. and persecute you, and say all manner of euill against you for my names sake falsely. Reioyce and bee glad for great is your reward in heaaen. And wee must not thinke (as the reuerend Beda noteth vpon this place) that this pertaineth onely to the Apostles and holy Mar­tyrs, but vnto vs all, as the example of blessed Iob, whom God first hum­bled with many afflictions before hee exalted him vnto glory, telleth vs: so Abel, Noe, Abraham. Dauid, and the rest of the Patriarches and Pro­phets, [Page 106]and all the rest of the Fathers could find no other way to heauen, but through exile, persecutions, and diuers troubles, let euery man in his afflictions apply this vnto himselfe, and hee shall finde great comfort vnto his soule.

THE other part of his exhorta­tion pertaineth to the rich men, To the rich. for hee taketh heere [...] diuitem, for a man any way fortunate in this world, Psal. 144. Whose sonnes are as the yong plants, and their daughters, as the poli­shed corners of the Temple, whose Gar­ners are full and plentious with all man­ner of store: Hee is heere commanded to reioyce [...] in his humiliation, and abiection. As then the crosse and afflictions are profi­table to the poore, who are thereby exalted, so is this doctrine also very profitable to the rich, for he is taught thereby, not to be proud, Ne nimium fortunae blandienti credat, that hee trust [Page 107]not too much flattering Fortune, see­ing that his riches are vnstable: the fire may consume them, the rust may fret them, the mothes may eate them, the thiefe may steale them, or at least when hee dyeth, will hee, or nill he, hee must forsake them. When God then taketh from the rich these deceitfull baites of the world, when hee turneth their wealth into want, their mirth into misery, their plenty into penury, their happines into hea­uinesse, they are exhorted here by the Apostle to reioyce, seeing the occa­sion of many sinnes, Arist. lib. 3. Polit. Plato lib. de legibus. Hieron. Greg. Propert. Auro pulsa fides, Auro venalia iu­ra. Aurum lex sequitur, mox sine le­ge pudor. which com­monly riches ministreth, are taken away. Is not the world full of ex­amples that riches are the cause of tyranny, insolencie, arrogancy, and intollerable pride. Aristotle saith, Pe­cunia seditionem essicit & malignitatem. And Plato: Diuites ac bonos esse impossi­bile, as if it were impossible for riches and goodnesse to dwell together. And Saint Hierom saith: Prouerbium hoc verum est, omnis diues iniquus aut iniquihaeres. And Gregory: vbi aurum, [Page 108]ibi & vitium: Where there is store of gold, there is store of vice, much gold and little goodnesse. And doth not the Scripture witnesse the same? 1. Tim. 6.10.11. They that will bee rich, fall into tentation and snares, and into many foo­lish and noysome lusts, which drowne men in perdition and destruction, for the de­sire of money is the roote of all euill, &c, And our Sauiour himselfe: That a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of heauen: Math. 19 Math. 13. And he com­pareth riches vnto Thornes, which choake vp the good Seed. And the Apostles exhortation pertaineth not onely vnto them which gape by all meanes soeuer to hoard vp riches, but also vnto all such as are puffed vp with honour, nobility, wisedome, or any other externall things. When the rich man then is humbled, by losse of goods, spoyle of wealth, de­crease of riches, hee is exhorted to reioyce, in as much as the occasion of much euill, yea perchance of the destruction of his soule, is taken away. This then is the Apostles do­ctrine, [Page 109]that seeeing in euery estate of this life, in pouerty and riches, in high and low estate, many occasions of impatience are ministred, the onely remedy then is, in all the alte­rations of Fortune, in all the chan­ges of this world, to beare our selues patient vnder the crosse. Afflictions profitable to poore and rich. And thus yee see how afflictions are pro­fitable both to poore and rich. Out of which I obserue two most excel­lent Doctrines.

1 First, that wee consider how pre­posterous and vaine the confidence in riches is, which in a moment fa­deth, and cannot protect vs from di­seases, nor defend vs from death, nor helpe vs at the pinch of our ex­treamest necessity: Diues cum moritur non sumet secum omnia, ne (que) descendet cum eo gloria eius: The rich when hee dyeth shall not carry his goods with him, neither shall his pompe follow him. Two dreadfull examples wee haue hereof in holy Scripture: One of him, who, when he had heaped vp much riches, heatd this voyce: Luk. 12. [Page 110] O foole, Luk. 16. this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee. The other, being in the midst of hellish flames, one drop of warer was denyed him. To these may be added the churlish Na­ball, 1. Sam. 25. who after his royall and prince­ly feastings, refused to giue a little bread vnto Dauid, and was stricken with sudden death, and Dauid en­ioyed both his wife and riches. So Pharaoh, Antiochus, and Herod, after a few dayes pleasure in this life, left all their riches, and in a moment de­scended into hell. How needfull then is it to hearken vnto this coun­sell of the Apostle? 1. Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they bee not high-minded, Propert. Non vllas portabis opes Ache­rontis ad vndas. and that they trust not in vncertaine riches, but in the liuing God, which giueth vs aboundantly all things to enioy.

2 Secondly, wee are heere taught that the wisedome of this world de­ceiueth, and is filthily deceiued, which iudgeth their state to bee wretched & most miserable, which for Christ his sake are depriued of [Page 111]riches and honours, whereas the spi­rit of God pronounceth such happy and blessed; Blessed are yee, 1. Pet. 3. if yee suffer for righteousnesse sake: Consider the examples of the Saints of God, as of Moses, who preferred the rebuke of Christ before all the treasure of Egypt: Heb. 11. And of Paul, who counted all things as dung that hee might winne Christ. Phil. 3. And in deed to loose riches, what is it else but to bee ridde of most sharpe thornes, and to bee eased of a heauy burthen which stoppeth the entring of eternall life?

Obiect. But heere some may obiect, that when Saint Iames willeth the brother of low degree to reioyce, &c. and the rich when he is made low and hum­bled, hee is contrary to other places of Scripture, as Ierem. 9. Phil. 4. where wee are commanded to re­ioyce onely in the Lord.

Solut. Christian Religion teacheth vs, that all things happen vnto vs from God, who disposeth all things by his eternall Prouidence, which who so holdeth then in low degree to re­ioyce [Page 112]when wee are brought low, what is it else but to reioyce in the Lord?

Next the Apostle addeth a reason of this his exhortation, The rea­son. For as the flower of the grasse he passeth away. This reason hee taketh from the nature of riches and worldly prosperity which is inconstant, momentany, and vaine; for the successe of worldly prosperity hee compareth vnto flowers, then which nothing may bee imagined more glorious to be­hold, but the glory thereof is most brittle and fading, for with the heate of the Sun they vanish and wither; so that the flower which flourisheth at Sunne-rising, and pleaseth the eyes with the gratefull colour, and delighteth the smell with the sweete fauour thereof, ere Sunne-set fade and perish. Like vnto this is the fe­licity of rich men: now stately in their purple, shining in their gold, glittering in pearle, garded with a great traine, honoured as a God among men, but shortly after, when [Page 113]fortune changeth her countenance, despoyled of all their goods, wan­dring in exile, pining in prison, and if none of these happen vnto them, yet death, with stealing steps, will arrest them, and depriue them of all their pompe. Histories are full of these examples. Policrates Prince of Samos. Policrates the migh­ty Prince of the Samians, who had fortune a long time so obsequious, that his hope was alwaies the appre­hension of the thing desired: Vota enim nuncupabantur, simul & solue­bantur, cuius velle & posse in aequo posi­tum videbatur, saith a Writer, whose wishes and vowes were together made and performed, whose will and atchiuements seemed to be both alike: who when hee would make proofe of his fortune, cast a Iewell of great value into the sea, which in short time he receiued againe, being found of his Cooke in the belly of a fish which his Cater had vnwitting­ly bought in the market; yet hee mi­serably dyed: for being taken in the warre by King Darius, hee was han­ged [Page 114]on the top of a Mountaine, and left to bee deuoured of the foules of the aire. Cyrus. Cyrus King of Persia, who diuided the riuer Ganges, wherein one of his Souldiers was drowned, into 400 and 60 Channels, was at last taken by Thomiris Queene of the Masegetes, and his head cast into a barrell of mans bloud. The mighty Xerxes, who ouerturned Moun­taines, and couered the sea with his Shippes, this flower quickly faded, for hee became contemptible to his owne seruants, and at last was slaine by Artabanus, one of his owne Cap­taines. What should I speake of King Darius, Darius. who being vanquished of Alexander, was bound in chaines and fetters of gold, and drawne in a Chariot about the Citty Thara, where hauing receiued many woūds miserably dyed? What of Alexander the Great, which after so many vi­ctories, so many triumphes, and al­most all the whole world subiected vnto him, was at last by Cassander the sonne of Antipater poysoned? [Page 115]And almost infinite more recorded in histories, Lucan. Fert (que) re­sert (que) vices & ha­bent morta­lia casum. Amb. lib. 1. hexa. whose miserable fall proued true this of the Apostle; The glory of this world vanisheth as the flower of the grasse. Hodie (saith Am­brose) videas adolescentem validum, pu­bescentis aetatis virtute florentem: Thou maist see to day a yong man, strong, flourishing, in the vigour of his youth, with a liuely hue and fresh colour, the next day hee meeteth thee with his face & color changed. Pleros (que) enim, aut labor frangit, aut ino­pia macerat, aut cruditas vexat, aut vina corrumpunt, aut senectus debilitat, aut luxuria decolorat, aut morbi fati­gant: For most men (saith he) either labour doth breake, or penury ma­keth leane, or cruditie vexeth, or wine corrupteth, or old age enfee­bleth, or riot discoloureth, or sicke­nesse weareth out; such is the mise­rable condition of our mortall life. Pharaoh was in the morning flou­rishing, Exod. 14. but ere the euening made meate for fishes. Dan. 5. Balthazar King of Babylon in the middest of his wines, [Page 116]and banquettings, was stricken with suddaine horror, and the next night slaine of his enemies. Dan. 4. Nabuchadono­zor now glorious in his Palace, but presently after cast out among brute beasts. Hest. 7. Haman had in hope euen de­uoured the Israelites, but shortly af­ter was hanged on a tree. Acts 12. Herod was honoured as a God, but in a moment consumed of wormes: and many more such examples in holy Scripture. One example more I cannot omit, Niceph. lib. 18. cap. 22. recorded by Nicepho­rus. Theodorus the Physition, a man wise and prudent, who being sent of Mauritius the Emperour vnto Chaganus a most mighty Captaine about a composition of peace, and finding him very obstinate, vttered this historie vnto him. Sesostris King of Egypt, through his many con­quests, being drunken with the wine of pride and ambition, caused a Chariot to be made, adorned with gold and precious stones, which hee caused to be drawne by foure of his conquered Kings: And beholding [Page 117]one of them neuer auerting his eyes from the motion of the wheele, de­manded of him his conceite in so doing, who answered, that in the wheele hee considered the wonder­full change, and vncertainty of worldly things, the inconstancy of humane prosperity, which is now aloft, and presently downe againe, vp and downe, like a wheele in his motion. The tyrant heereby calling to minde the frailty of humane glo­ry, restored these Kings to their for­mer liberty. Chaganus smiling at this History, confirmed to Theodo­rus the propounded conditions of peace.

If then the goods of fortune be so instable, if nothing vnder the Sunne is durable, if all things in this world are subiect to corruption: O then how are our mindes bewitched, how is our vnderstanding blinded? that forsaking God the vnchangeable and eternall good, wee will follow the fading shewes of this deceitfull world?

Consider againe how vaine, fu­tile, and lesse then nothing, the things are before the eyes of God, which this world so greatly admi­reth, and desireth, seeing the Spirit of God, the most wise ponderer of things, compareth them to the flower and the grasse. The Prophet Esay incultateth, and beateth this lesson into our eares, comparing not onely mans life, but also the riches and glory of this world, vnto the grasse and flower. I heard a voyce saying vnto me, Esay 40.6. Cry, and I said what shall I cry? All flesh is grasse, and the grace thereof is as the flower of the field. The Princely Prophet also falling into the consideration of the fraile and wretched conditiō of man, vseth the same comparison, Ps 103.15. saying: The dayes of man are but as grasse: as a flower of the field so flourisheth hee. Salomon also painting out the vncertaintie of the riches of the world, saith; Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpō that which is nothing? Prou. 23.5 for riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flyeth into heauen. What a [Page 119]folly then is it to account them hap­py which swim in worldly prospe­rity? It is euen as if seeing a man in a goodly bed, serued with all dainties, and with sweete musicke, should thinke him much blessed, when yet the intollerable paine of the Gout, will suffer him to take no rest nor pleasure day nor night.

HERE is the Apostles conclusi­on of the whole doctrine of the Crosse, which is taken from the reward of patience, which is blessed­nesse: The diui­sion. In which conclusion these things are to bee considered, which in order are here set downe.

1 When it shall be giuen; when they are tryed.

2 Whereunto it is compared; to a Crowne of life.

3 The certainty thereof; because it is God which promiseth it, and [Page 120]not man that oftentimes deceiueth and is changeable.

4 To whom it shall bee giuen; to such as loue God.

The reward promised is heere no­ted vnder the word (Blessed) which is the greatest reward that may hap­pen vnto any man, for, Beatitudo est status omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectissimus: Blessednesse is a state most perfect of all good things hea­ped together.

The wise men of this world doe greatly erre, which place their feli­city in bodily pleasures, riches, ho­nours, &c. For blessed indeed is that man which for godlinesse sake is dis­poyled of all his goods, suffereth imprisonment, and all misery in this life: if for the loue of Christ hee pa­tiently endureth them to the end, hee shall certainly bee happy and blessed, for hee shall receiue an im­marcessible crowne, not querneam or lauream coronam, a crowne made of Oken or Laurell boughes, but a crowne of euerlasting life, a diademe [Page 121]of the Kingdome of heauen, which God, which cannot deceiue, hath promised.

This paradox then the Apostle defendeth against the common opi­nion of the world, which is the same which the Sonne of God him­selfe preached on the Mount: the wisedome of the world saith, blessed are the rich, &c. but Christ saith, Math. 5. Luk. 6. blessed are the poore: Woe be vnto you rich, for ye haue your consolatiō here. The wisedom of the world counteth them blessed which are filled with wine and al de­licate fare; but Christ pronounceth them blessed which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: The wisedome of the world esteemeth them blessed which haue all things at their desire, but Christ them which suffer perse­cution for righteousnes sake, whom the wicked men of this world reuile, slāder, & put to death, for as much as now they are blessed in hope, & shall shortly com to the real fruitiō of bles­sednes: Wisd. 3. Though in the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die, yet they are in rest.

We are here to obserue the old di­stinctions of the Diuines, duplicem esse beatitudinem, that blessednesse is two­fold; the one of this our peregrina­tion while wee are in the way to­wards our Country, which consi­steth, in spe, in hope; and the certaine expectation of the heauenly good things which in our Country wee shall enioy. Of this speaketh the Apostle: Rom. 8.24 Ephes. 2. Wee are saued by hope: And againe: Yee are Citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God: And the Psalmist: Psal. 32.1. Blessed is hee whose wicked­nesse is forgiuen, and whose sinne is co­uered. For this hope ought to bee so firme and sure in our hearts, as if al­ready wee had raigned with Christ in heauen. With this hope all the faithfull did comfort themselues in their miseries. For Christ (saith Au­gustine) hath carried with him alrea­dy into heauen a portion of the flesh and bloud of euery one of vs; Aug. medit. cap. 5. Vbi ergo portio mea regnat, ibi me regnare credo, vbi caro mea glorificatur, ibi glo­riosum me cognosco, vbi sanguis meus [Page 123]dominatur, ibi dominari me sentio: Where a portion of mee doth raigne already, there beleeue I that I shall raigne, where my flesh is glorified, there know I that I shall be glorifi­ed, &c. Though I bee a sinner, yet distrust I not the communion of this grace, Etsipeccata mea prohibent, sub­stantia mea requirit: Though my sinnes forbid this, yet my substance which is there already in Christ, re­quireth it.

The second blessednesse is in our Countrie, The secōd blessednes and in the true and reall possession of the Kingdome of hea­uen, which consisteth in the bright vision and fruition of God: 1. Iohn 3. Luk. 12.37 When wee shall see him as hee is: Blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when hee commeth shall finde waking: Verily I say vnto you hee will girde himselfe about, and make them to sit downe at Table, and will come forth and serue them. And againe, Apoc. 19.9 Blessed are they which are called to the supper of the Lambe: And, blessed are they that dwell in thine house: Psal. 84. With the hope whereof the Spouse in the [Page 124]Canticles, in the person of all Gods children, comforteth her selfe say­ing; Can. 1.3. Wee will be glad in thee: where the Latine hath out of the Hebrew: Exultabimus & laetabimur in te, memo­res vberum tuorum super vinum: Which importeth thus much: In thee onely ô thou sweete Bridegroome of my soule, I wil reioyce, which art able to giue me the true ioy, the full ioy, the ioy euery way absolute and perfect, the ioy immarcessible, and neuer cea­sing, to which all earthly ioyes be­ing compared, that spring of riches or pleasures, seeme vile and loath­some. Such are these ioyes, that the very hope, and remembrance there­of is sufficient to glad our mindes aboue all worldly ioyes: Memores vberum tuorum super vinum (saith hee) In which words hee notably distinguisheth betweene the true and the worldly ioyes; by Wine the Scripture vnderstandeth world­ly consolation and ioy, as: They shall not drinke wine with mirth: Esay 24. But by this word (vbera) the Diuine [Page 125]Consolation is signified, that most precious Nectar of eternall glory, proceeding from the breasts of GOD, wherewith all the blessed Saints inebriabuntur, shall bee drun­ken, Esay 66. that yee may sucke and bee satis­fied with the breasts of her consolation. O good GOD whose heart is so stony, yea, harder then adamant, which hearing these things is not dissolued and softned? O how blessed a thing shall it bee to see so many holy Saints, so many blessed Spirits, to hang (as it were) at the breasts of GOD, and sucke from thence that most sweete, com­fortable, and precious milke of Consolation, according to the mea­sure of euery ones capacitie! Ine­briabuntur ab vbertate domus tuae (saith Dauid) & torrente voluptatis potabis eos: Psal. 36.8 They shall bee satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house, and thou shalt giue them to drinke out of the Riuers of pleasures. This (deerely beloued bre­thren) is the blessednesse of Gods Elect, these are the ioyes which [Page 126]the Spouse, the Church, affirmeth to bee better then any wine, for the sweetnesse thereof incomparably surpasseth all pleasures that may bee imagined, the remembrance thereof is sufficient (where there is one drop of the loue of God) to stirre vp the desire, to refresh the minde, to draw the will; This inuiteth the Virgine, strengthtneth the Martyr, and after his conflicts and labours crowneth the Confessour. O how sweet must the fruition of this blessednesse bee, when the remembrance thereof, as a little taste in this life, maketh men despise all earthly delights? This made the Prophet cry out: Psal. 34. O taste and see how sweete the Lord is. Againe, Quam magna multitudo dulcedinis tuae domine (as the Latine hath) How great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee? Psal. 31.19. The Apostle Saint Paul, hauing tasted the same, but cursim & raptim, could not con­taine himselfe, Rom. 8 18. but protested, That the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory, which [Page 127]shall hee shewed vnto vs.

3 Heere wee also learne that if hee be blessed which patiently endureth temptations, then cursed are they which haue here all their pleasure, consolation, and prosperity. Let worldlings then count fortunes flat­tery their felicity, let the filthy Epi­cures count beastlinesse their blessednesse, let them count filthy lust their delight, let the miser churle count gold his God, the letcher his paragon his Paradise, &c. yet let the Christian confesse, the bearing of the Crosse, the suffering of afflicti­on, the triall of their faith, to bee their happinesse and felicity, with the blessed Apostle, which saith: Blessed is the man that endureth tempta­tion.

4 Wee are heere taught, what is the condition and state of the godly in this world, that they are euen as sheepe among wolues, that is, expo­sed to the hatred, slander, and iniu­ries of the wicked, and that they are proued and exercised by diuers [Page 128]temptations, and thereby prepared to receiue the Crowne of Glory: so would the Lord haue Abel, Abra­ham, Iacob, Ioseph, Moses, Dauid, &c. to bee subiect to this crosse: For if any man will follow mee, Mat. 16.24 1. Tim. 3. let him forsake himselfe and take vp his Crosse: All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution.

The Apostle expresseth also the time when it shall bee giuen, when wee are tryed; the Crowne is promised after our conflict, the hire is not rendred before wee haue done our labour: 2. Tim. 2. No man (saith the Apo­stle) is crowned except hee striue law­fully, 2. Tim. 4.7. The Vse. There is no garland where is no gole to run vnto: There is no Crown where the race is not lawfully runne. And setting downe his trauaile before his reward, hee saith: I haue fought a good fight, and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith. There is no price where there is no stri­uing.

Heere wee learne that is is not enough once or twice to resist sin, for the whole life of man is a conti­nuall warfare vpon earth. Againe, wee are heere taught that our life [Page 129]was not giuen vs of God, that wee should serue our lusts, follow our fleshly pleasures, to giue our selues to couetousnesse, and ambition, whereby the soule is defiled, but that wee should serue the Lord, &c. This being so, they then flatter and deceiue themselues, which thinke to bee partakers of the re­ward, without euer entring into the combate and tryall of tempta­tions.

3 That hee might stirre vp our mindes with the greatnesse of the reward, and our heauenly happi­nesse, hee vseth heere a metaphor, taken from such as contend, and striue for masteries. Champions, and Conquerours, in signe of glory haue Crownes giuen them, either Ciuicas, Murales, Castrenses, Nauales, made some of Lawrell, some of Oake, &c. So all good Christians, that fight in the cause of the soue­raigne Emperour of heauen and earth, haue a Crowne of heauen­ly glory reserued for them, as [Page 130]the reward of their labours. O sweete comfort to the faithfull, the which in this life endure so many la­bours, so many crosses, so many per­secutions; in the life to come they shall be free from all these things, & raigne with God for euer. A shadow heereof is figured in the Welles which Isaac digged in Gerar; Gen. 26.20.21.22. A Figure. the first for which they contended with the Philistimes, they called Contention; the second, for which they also stroue, they called Hatred; the third, which without contradiction they enioyed, they called latitudinem, largenesse; saying, dilatauit nos domi­nus, the Lord hath now made vs roome: To signifie vnto vs, that be­fore wee come to the fountaines of liuing waters, where there is true rest, true safety, eternall felicity, wee must first passe through ha­treds, contentions, labour, strife, in this life. The Apostle Paul calleth this reward, 1. Cor. 9. An incorruptible Crowne; The Spirit of God also in another place, promiseth to the Church of [Page 131] Smirna a Crowne of Life. Apoc. 2.10 This be­ing so (brethren) I may iustly cry out vnto this wicked age, with the Prophet Esay: Quare appenditis ar­gentum & non in panibus? laborem ve­strum & non in satietate. Esay 55. Wherefore lay yee out your siluer, and not for bread: and your labour without being satisfied? By siluer is meant the time of this present life, that precious gold which wee should lay out for eter­nall felicity, which yet wee spend not vpon Bread; that is, vpon ne­cessary things, but on things of no value, and profite. Simile. Should not hee bee iudged for a foole and a mad­man, who being ready to perish with famine, and hauing but one peece of siluer, should lay out the same to buy him a fether to weare in his hat? Would yee not iustly say to such a one; O foole were it not bet­ter for thee to buy bread to releeue thy hunger? So may I say to the children of this world which follow vanities: Why yee fooles spend yee your time, a thing so precious, in [Page 132]sinfull vanities, and not in bread, not in things necessary for your sal­uation, but rather in filthy pleasures, worldly delights, in the pursuit, and greedy scraping together of corrup­tible riches?

This Crowne of glory is not gi­uen as a due desert for the wor­thinesse of the worke of patience, but by the promise of God, as a free reward of our labour. An Example. God dealeth with his children as a boun­tifull and louing father, who promi­seth his sonne, that if hee will doe such or such a thing, hee will make him his heire of all his ample inheritance, which farre exceedeth the deserts of his child, yet the father performeth it for his pro­mise sake, and not for the obedi­ence of his sonne: and therefore saith the Apostle heere, that such as are tryed receiue the Crowne of eternall Life, by promise. To this the Apo­stle Paul subscribeth: I haue fought a good fight, 2. Tim. 4 7. I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith, henceforth is [Page 133]there laid vp for mee a Crowne of righ­teousnesse: And least hee might seeme arrogantly to claime the same, as merited for the worthinesse of his workes, hee ascribeth all to the gift of God, when hee addeth; Which God, the righteous Iudge, shall giue mee at that day: If it were giuen of God, then did not the Apostle me­rite it by his workes: As hee saith againe, Rom. 6.23. Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. For if a man could merit eternall life, then must there needs bee a proportion betwixt that which meriteth, which is mans righteousnesse, and that which is merited, which is Eternall Life: but betwixt these (the one be­ing temporall, the other eternall) there can be no proportion at all, and therefore saith the Apostle: Rom. 8.18. I count the afflictions of this present time not wor­thy of the glory which shall be shewed vn­to vs. Again, 2. Cor. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternal weight. Let vs then hold for a truth that this crown [Page 134]is due to patience, not by our me­rites but by the promise of God, and in as much as patience is a note­able effect of a true, liuely, and iusti­fying faith.

Now this reward is most sure and firme, and shall neuer faile vs, in regard of the vnchangeable and euer-liuing God, vpon whom it is grounded, Verse 17. With whom is no variable­nesse neither shadow of changing, saith this our Apostle: 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God are in him; yea, and are in him, Amen. To conclude, this reward is giuen to such as loue God: And why? because wee can by no meanes better expresse our loue, then by suffering for him, and in patient vn­dergoing whatsoeuer hee shall lay vpon vs: Thus the Crowne of Life, shall be giuen vnto such, as thus ma­nifest their loue vnto him in pa­tience, and true obedience vnto his will, &c.

HITHERTO the A­postle hauing entrea­ted of outward temp­tations whereby our faith, patience, and constancy is proued; and hauing many waies set downe the profites that come thereby, hee now commeth to the other kind of temptations, which are the inward temptations of the mind which pro­ceed from the flesh, our depraued will, and the malice of Sathan, which solliciteth and stirreth vs vp to sinne.

1 The proposition, The diui­sion. that men may not impute their temptations vnto God, as the cause and author therof.

2 The reasons confirmatory. The first taken from the nature of God, which cannot tempt nor bee temp­ted: The second is by an Antipophora, whereby hee openeth the fountaine of all sinnes, But euery man is temp­ted, &c.

3 Hee confirmeth this, by an ele­gant metaphor and gradation, when lust hath conceiued.

The Apostle in the proposition meeteth with this cauill, which some wicked men might pretend to ex­cuse their sinnes, saying it was Gods will I should do this, hee prouoked and tempted me thereto. Let not a man say he is tempted of God, when pleasure pricketh him, when enuy renteth him, when pride prouoketh him, when couetousnesse catcheth him, when the world enticeth him, or any other temptation assaileth him, let him not, I say, impute this vnto God: For it is an horrible [Page 137]blasphemy to make God the author of temptation; hee that ouercom­meth, by Gods grace hee ouer­commeth; and he that is ouer­come, by his owne fault hee is ouer­come: For God giueth no occa­sion of sinne vnto man, but what God giueth as an occasion of god­linesse, the same our minde inesca­ted, or corrupted, with diuers affe­ctions, turneth into an occasion of destruction. For as God by na­ture cannot bee tempted with any euill, so tempteth hee no man vnto euill: and this the Greke expla­neth: for [...] is hee Qui ad malè agendum solicitatur, which is so­licited to do euill, and the species in these words [...], à pro­pria cupiditate.

But that the doctrine of this pro­position may the better appeare, wee must vnderstand that there be three causes of temptations: GOD, Sa­than, Man tempteth. either God tempteth, Sathan tempteth, or Man tempteth, and in regard of these three causes, there are three kinds [Page 138]of temptations, diuers in regard of the sundry ends of euery one of them, as probationis, deceptionis, prae­sumptionis, of probation, deception, and presumption.

God is said to tempt; How God tempteth. that is, to proue, to make triall of, that our faith, hope, patience, and other ver­tues might bee knowne vnto the world; and this the name and word importeth, [...]; and [...] signifi­eth experimentum, The word expoūded. hence commeth [...] tentare, experimentum capere de re aliqua, the primitiue seemeth to bee [...] stimulo, pungo, which is the property of temptation. In this temptation of triall, or proofe, God tempted Abraham, willing him to sacrifice his deere and onely sonne Isaac, Gen. 22. not that hee himselfe was ig­norant of it, but that his singular faith and obedience might be a pat­terne for all posterities to follow: so promising Manna to the Israelites, said; That I may proue them whether they will walke in my Lawes or not. Exod. 16. So forbidding them to hearken vnto [Page 139]false Prophets, hee saith; Deut. 13. For the Lord proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God: that is, that ye may bee knowne vnto the world what manner of people you are. So hee proueth his children by afflictions, that their faith may bee made mani­fest: The Apostle saith: 1. Cor. 11.9. 1. Cor. 10 It is necessa­ry that heresies should bee among you, that they which are approued among you may bee knowne; but to these hee euer giueth a good euent. The Church of Christ in all ages hath beene pro­ued with these temptations: In the Apostles time many execrable here­sies sprang vp among them; in the succeeding ages how Sathan bestir­red him with his tares and darnell of false teachers, the writings of the Fathers, and Ecclesiasticall Histories are full. These our times haue tasted of the like temptations: How many Papists, Seminaries, Iesuites, are sprung vp; yea the deuill seemeth to haue opened hell mouth, and to haue spewed out all heresies againe to trouble the world: The Libertines [Page 140]haue taken breath againe, the Ana­baptist is reuiued, the Faulily of Loue is set a broach againe; yea in the very bosome of the Church, among our selues (as the Apostle before prophesied) some are start vp speaking peruerse things (and that vnder the colour of reformation) drawing Disciples after them: Act. 20. Vnder the colour of religion bringing in a hotch-poch, and mingle-mangle of all old heresies; borrowing their disdaine of the Donatists, their sup­posed purity of the Catheroy, their pretended equality in the Ministe­ry, of the Aerians, their sequestring themselues from others, and disdai­ning to salute, of the Donatists and Anabaptists, as also their impugning of gouernement, their pinching at Princes prerogatiues, of the Papists, &c. And all this, God permitteth for the proofe and tryall of the god­ly, that wee should not bee like chil­dren, Eph. 4.14. wauering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine by the deceit of men. In all which temptations how [Page 141]wicked soeuer the instruments are, which God vseth to effect his will, yet in all things respecteth hee his glory, and the good of his Church, and so hee is euer iust, and in no wise the authour of sin and wickednesse among men.

Obiect. But heere some may obiect: if God tempt no man vnto euill, why is it said in Scripture that hee hard­ned Pharaohs heart, Exod. 4. that hee blin­deth man, and giueth him ouer to a reprobate minde.

Solut. I answere, wee must vnderstand, that obduration in Scripture is taken three manner of waies, Three kinds of hardning. Na­turalis, Voluntaria, & Diuina: Natu­rall, Voluntary, and Diuine.

1 The naturall hardnesse is com­mon vnto all men, for all men are borne with a hard heart, and a minde darkened: and therefore GOD, in the holy Scripture, by his Prophet saith, that in regeneration, or new birth, he will take away their stony, and flinty heart, that is, their hard heart, and giue them a [Page 142]fleshy heart, that is a soft and molli­fied heart, flexible vnto good moti­ons. Ezoch 36. Whereby it is manifest that when God is said to harden, it is not so to bee vnderstood as if hee did harden them which before were soft and flexible: but thus; that it, which by his owne nature is hard, he suffe­reth it still to bee hard, and through his iust iudgements (but per accidens) more and more, by the meanes of Sathan, to bee hardened. And how? Per accidens: Surely because God heerein worketh no euill, but the de­uill abuseth Gods benefites bestow­ed vpon a man to his obduration and hardening of his heart, and causeth a wicked man, of his owne accord, to abuse the same to his owne de­structiō, as it is to be seen in Pharas, and therefore in this kind of harde­ning there is no compulsion, but a man is voluntarily hardned: and in this respect Sathan hardneth.

2 The second kind, is called a vo­luntary obduration, or hardening, when man hardeneth his owne [Page 143]heart: which is, when a man confir­meth and hardeneth himselfe in euill purpose; neither will hee heare nor bee obedient to the voyce of the Lord, or to any admonitions where­by hee is called to repentance, but abuseth Gods suffering to his owne damnation, which not onely Pha­raoh did, but also Saul and Iudas, and many other, though wee doe not pe­culiarly reade of them, as wee do of Pharaoh, that God hardened their hearts, but onely because they vo­luntarily stood obstinate in their owne conceiued wickednes, against all admonitions: And thus not God, but man hardeneth himselfe.

3 The third is called the Diuine or Iudiciall hardening; that is, when God as an vpright Iudge punisheth their former sinnes, and the volun­tary stubbornnesse of the wicked, by more and more hardening their heart by the ministery of Sathan, being partly already of their owne nature obdurate, and partly also by the sinnes of the wicked hardened: [Page 144]such properly was the hardening of Pharaoh, so often mentioned in Ex­odus, and in the ninth to the Ro­manes, and besides other places, in the ninth of Exodus it is said, that Pharaoh sinned, and hardened his heart. First, it is said hee sinned, ex­pressing plainly the cause of obdu­ration, which is his sinne: next, his heart was hardened, shewing the pu­nishment of sinne, which is hard­nesse of heart; Hardnesse of heart is sinne, the cause of sinne, and the pu­nishment of sinne. For Pharaoh himselfe first sinned: then God, as a punish­ment of his sinne, hardned more and more his heart; so that hardnesse of heart is sinne, the punishment of sinne, and the cause of sinne. Heere now it is manifest that sinne, and the custome of sinning, is that which hardneth the heart of the wicked, and therefore it is said of Pharaoh that hee sinned, and his heart was hardned; and the Scripture plainely teacheth, that GOD hardneth, Sathan hardneth, and Man himselfe hardeneth his owne heart, but in a diuerse sence, & after a diuerse man­ner. [Page 145]It is spoken of God, not as the authour of euill, but per accidens, by doing good, by bestowing his be­nefites, by vsing well the wicked putposes of the vngodly, and dis­posing them, as a soueraigne agent, vnto a good end. Sathan hardneth as the authour of sinne, blindnesse, and prince of darkenesse, he wor­king in the wicked, peruerteth the good motions which God instilleth into their minds, and vnder the pre­text of good abuseth them to euill, vnto their owne destruction, he al­waies sophistically concludeth, and sheweth reasons to effect it, and therefore hee is called Princeps tene­brarum, Prince of darkenesse: Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse, that is, Collos. 1. from the power of Sathan: Iohn 13. the example of Iudas ma­keth manifest this, who did not so obstinately proceed, before the diuel entred into him, and began wholy to carry him after his will: First he consented to the counsell of Sathan, but after the taking of the sop; he [Page 146]fully possessed him, and this is called of the Diuines; proxima causa indu­rationis, quae extra hominem considerari potest: The next cause of obduration which may bee considered without man.

3 Thirdly, man himselfe hardneth his owne heart, who of his owne will turneth his heart from God, and assenteth to the counsell of Sathan: Ad actiones simpliciter à Deo motus, & ad peccandum alectus à diabiolo (saith a Father) being of God simply mo­ued to actions, but of the deuill al­lured to sinne. By sinning willingly and perseuering in sinne, he obsti­nately hardeneth his heart to resist God, abusing all Gods benefites to his owne destruction; for except the will of man consented there could bee no hardening, for to har­den the heart, is nothing else but the will to be more and more obstinate in an vngodly purpose. So that Sa­than hardeneth by suggesting, Man by consenting, Aug. con. Fauslum God by forsaking, as Augustine pitihily saith: Diabolus [Page 147]suggerit, Homo consentit, Deus deserit: the deuill suggesteth, man consen­teth, God forsaketh: And so this Oracle of the Prophet holdeth euer most firme. O Israel, Hos. 13. thy destruction is of thy selfe, but thy helpe commeth onely of mee. This being so, I conclude with the Apostle: Let no man say when hee is tempted, I am tempted of God.

2 The second thing I mentioned is the temptation, to seduce & deceiue, drawing, mouing, and stirring vs forward to all wickednesse. And of this temptation there are two kinds: externall and internall; externall is that whose cause is outward, and beginning thereof, as when sathan vseth the world, riches, glory, euill examples, as meanes to allure vs: Of his snares it is said: Iob. 18. A snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. The snare and the trap are the deuils instruments to catch soules. The deuill is like a Fowler or a Hunter, A Simile. who that hee may take birds or wilde beasts, sheweth forth [Page 148]a pleasant bait, but hideth the snare, that being allured with the baite, they may bee caught with the snare: For when he promiseth to the proud man honours, to the couetous man mony, to the loose man pleasures, &c. what doth he else, but vnder the baite, hide the net and the snare, that he may catch vnwary soules? The Latine more plainly expresseth it: Abscondita est in terra pedica eius, & decipula super semitas: His snare is hidden in the ground, and his trap vpon his pathes. In which words (as a father noteth) are signified two kinds of temptations. Hugo Card. The one open, which, except it be hidden vnder the colour of some good, it is perceiued of all men, and this is signified per pedicam, by the ginne which is hid­den in the ground, as is fornication, and other carnall sinnes. The other more secret, subtile, and hidden, which scarce of the wise is discer­ned, which is signified per decipulam, by a deceitfull trap. The deuill then hath his ginne and his trappe, for all [Page 149]kinds of men, for he knoweth the manners of men, and to what vice they are most prone, and layeth that baite before their eyes to which hee knoweth their minde will bee most easily inclined: as to effeminate, ioyfull, and delicate men, the bait of lechery, and vaine-glory; to Stoicall, sterne, and angry men, the baite of wrath and pride, &c. And which is most to bee feared, he worketh not this by himselfe onely, but also by his seruants and instruments. And euen as a Prince, or noble-man, ri­ding a Hunting or Hauking, hath many hunters and seruants that ac­company him, and whatsoeuer is taken in hunting is ascribed all vnto the Prince: The deuill hath his agents. So the deuill hath his gard, hath his hunters to take soules. For what else shall wee call the whoorish woman, Note this. the fraudulent friend, the alluring companion, him that keepeth a house of play and baudry, but the diuels Huntsmen? for so the Lord himselfe calleth them; Ier. 5. There are found among my peo­ple [Page 150]wicked persons, that lay waite, as hee that setteth snares, they haue made a pit to catch men. What remaineth then (brethren) but that we hearken to the counsell of the blessed Apo­stle? 1. Pet. 5.8. Bee sober and watch, for your ad­uersary the denill as a roaring Lyon wal­keth about, seeking whom hee may de­uoure. Yee had need to bee very carefull and vigilant, for yee haue to do with a most vigilant enemy, which compasseth you with a gree­dy desire to hurt you, seeking not onely whom hee may wound, but also kill and deuoure. Simile. If any Soul­dier or Marriner should fall into the hand of the Turke, and bee carried vnto Constantinople, though he would greatly feare to fall into the hands of so cruell an enemy, of the name of Christ, yet hee hath some hope of redemption, for siluer and gold may redeeme him: but if hee fall into the hands of the Lystrigons, or Canibals, which as soone as they haue taken men, presently deuoure them aliue: What hope then remai­neth? [Page 151]O man, created after the image of God, that thou mightest enioy eternall blessednesse, take heed of this cruell enemy, which, as a bloudy beast, destroyeth and deuoureth men, trust him not, enter into no friendship with him, there is no hope of fauour to be expected at his hands.

The third kind of temptation is, presumptionis, of presumption, where­by man tempteth God; as when men abuse Gods patience, and suffering, to a security of sinning, flattering and deceiuing themselues in the mercy of God, and finall repen­tance, Ephes. 4. and in the meane time wallow in their wickednesse, sin with gree­dinesse, saying; I haue sinned, Eccles. 5. and what euill hath happened vnto me? The Lord hath mercy in store for vs all, hee will receiue me whensoeuer I come, I will repent at the houre of death, and I shall doe well enough, &c. This is a presumptuous temp­ting of God, an abusing (as Paul saith) of the riches of Gods good­nesse, [Page 152]patience, and long-suffering: and those doe, Thesaurizare sibi iram in diem irae: Rom. 2. Heape vp vnto themselues wrath vnto the day of wrath.

Here let vs learne (brethren) how dangerous a thing it is to deferre re­pentance, and, while wee haue time, not to turne vnto the Lord: Surely it is a fearefull thing for a sinner to passe the whole race of his life in pleasure, and to protract repentance to the last minute of our life. A wise man repaireth and couereth his house in Summer, least he be anoyed with the stormes of Winter. The prouident Saylor, when the sea is calme, and the weather faire, prepa­reth all things necessary against a tempest, least being preuented with a storme he laboureth in vaine. The breach in a Citty-wall in time of peace, and not in the brunts of battell, is to be repaired. And Alex­ander is reported to haue disgraded a Knight, because he was then pre­paring his armour when hee should encounter with his enemies: So [Page 153]shold we betimes, while opportuni­ty serueth, prouide vs of things ne­cessary for our iourney towards our Country, I meane repentance and amendment of life, without which wee shall neuer attaine to our wished end. For if we be slack here­in, and do foolishly deferre it, till the future time, death may preuēt vs, while we are a preparing, Augustine. Cum vult improbus homo non potest, quia quando po­tuit noluit, & ideo per malum vel­le perdidit bonū posse. Non facile inueniun­tur in ad­uersitate praesidia quae non fu­crunt in pa­ce quaesita. Luk. 14 31. and cast vs into eternall torments. Truely, saith Augustine, when the wicked would he cannot, because when he could he would not, and therefore through the euill of his will, he lost the good of his power. And in an other place: Succours are not ea­sily found in aduersity, which were not sought in time of peace. Our Sauiours example of the King, tea­cheth vs this: What King (saith he) going to fight with another King, sitteth not downe first, and taketh counsell whe­ther hee bee able with tenne thousand, to meete him that commeth against him with twenty thousand. O thou vnhap­py and foolish sinfull man, which [Page 154]wagest warre with the highest King, euen the King of Kings, whose beck all things obey, by whose proui­dence all things are gouerned, whom the Angels do serue, whom the de­uils do feare, whose power is grea­ter then heauen and earth can com­prehend, who hath the keies of life and death in his hands: What is this thy vaine confidence, vpon what counsell rebellest thou against thy God? Dost thou trust vnto the health of thy body, and a long life? O vaine man, thou trustest then to a broken reede, which by the sinne of thy first parents is brused and crased with a thousand chinckes of infir­mities, and laid open vnto death; why dost thou not then craue of him the conditions of peace, why takest thou not truce with him? why with all humility, dost thou not con­uert vnto him with true repentance, craue pardon for thy sinnes while hee is yet farre off? Wee reade of Alexander, Alexand. that mighty Monarch of the world, when hee besieged any [Page 155]rebellious Citty, at length he would hang forth a Candle, burning before the gates of the Citie, and proclai­med that if before the same was out, they would render the Citie, hee would receiue them into fauour; if not, they might know that there was no hope of mercy. While then the Lord calleth vs, and offereth his mercy vnto vs, ô let vs come by re­pentance, least when it is too late, the dore of mercy bee shut, and it happen to vs as it did vnto Esau, who found no place of repentance, Heb. 12. though hee sought it with teares: Woe bee vnto them which onely with their life giue ouer their sinnes, which will then repent when they can sin no longer: Peccata tunc te dimiserunt, Augustine. non tu illa, saith Augustine, Then thy sinnes haue left thee, and not thou them. And againe: When I come to old age, (thou wilt say) then I will repent: Quare hoc fragilitas humana presumat cum diem vnum in potestate sua non habeat: Augustine. Wherefore doth hu­mane frailty presume on this, seeing [Page 156]he hath not so much as one day in his power.

Herein we are like vnto Pharaoh, which when the whole land was so plagued with frogs, Exod. 8. that they filled the fields, the streetes, the houses, and no place was free from them, and Moses asked him when he should pray vnto the Lord for him, answered, To morrow. O the mad­nesse of men which are alwaies de­ferring their repentance till the morrow, till the houre of their death, when they see the sword of the wrathfull Iudge drawne ouer their heads, on the one side death ready to strike them, on the other side their sinnes to accuse them, be­low [Page 157]them hell with open mouth to receiue them, the deuill gaping like a roaring Lyon to deuoure them; then, I say, when they haue liued in warre with God all their life long, they flie vnto him for mercy, and seeke peace; this repentance procee­deth rather of a seruile feare then of any loue, 2. Mac. 9. like that of wicked Antio­chus: Sero sapiunt Phryges, beware of had I wist. Let vs not therefore tempt the Lord by presuming vpon his mercy.

Againe, they tempt God by doub­ting of his prouidence and good­nesse, Exod. 17. as the Israelites did at Raphi­dim, where was no water. Of this sort are they, which distrusting Gods prouidence for their posterity, hoard vp riches by all vnlawfull meanes, &c. On the other side, they tempt God, which presuming vpon his prouidence, neglect all ordinary meanes in their seuerall Vocati­ons, &c.

For God cannot bee tempted, &c. Heere is now the first reason why [Page 158]God is not the authour of euill, which is taken from the nature of God, who is pure, perfect, and by nature most holy; yea, holinesse it selfe: So that purity and holinesse is a prerogatiue which God hath one­ly reserued vnto himselfe. This the Princely Prophet witnesseth: The Lord is righteous in all his waies, Psal. 145. and holy in all his workes. Therefore the Saints of God affirmed: Who shall not feare thee ô Lord, Reu. 15.4. and glorifie thy name? for thou onely art holy, and all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy iudgements are made ma­nifest: It is then as impossible for any sparke of vnholinesse, or vncleanesse, to bee in God, as it is for dark­nesse to be in the midst of light, or coldnesse in the midst of fire, &c.

THE Apostle be­fore, hauing com­mended the excel­lency of the word of God, in that it is the word of God, the word of Truth, and meane of our regenera­tion; he next adioyneth these excel­lent precepts, teaching vs how wee should fruitfully heare the same, [Page 160]which consisteth in obseruing these three morall precepts.

The first concerneth the facility of hearing.

The second of restraining the tongue.

The third of moderating of wrath.

For the first, it is manifest that this noble sense of hearing was gi­uen vs of God; that is, the power of discerning voices and sounds: For hee that created the whole body of man, and powred into it a reasona­ble soule, created also this sense so profitable to his glory, and necessary to the attaining of eternall life, and this is it he saith: Exod 4.11 Who hath giuen the mouth to man? and who hath made the dumbe and the deafe? or him that seeth, or the blind? Haue not I the Lord? Againe, Psal. 94. Hee that planted the eare shall hee not heare? Heereupon Lactantius concludeth, Lactan. lib. 3. cap. 9. that the sense of the eare is more necessary to saluation, then the sense of the eye: for doctrine and wisedome is receiued by the eare onely, and not by the eye: And [Page 161]the Apostle saith, Rom. 10. Luke 11. Iohn 8. Faith commeth by hearing, And Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it: Hee that is of God heareth Gods word. And how should wee vse this excellent sense to the glory of God, wee are instructed in the fabrication there­of, which expresseth the wonderfull skill of the Creator. First, they are not Osseae sed cartilaginiae substantiae, not of a bony, but of a gristely substance, which hauing their be­ginning from the bone called Os temporium, The fa­brick of the eares out of the Anato­mists. serueth to extend the holes of the eares, that the sound may be the better perceiued: and these Cartilagines, are hollow, dry, and hard; Hollow, that by their concauity they may receiue the aire; tortuous, or winding, least by any suddaine, or vehement collision of the aire, the tender membranes and organes of hearing should bee hurt, and that the sound being tempe­rately receiued should the more de­light the sense of hearing; Hard, that the collision of the aire might [Page 162]bee the more milde, and the sound the greater.

1 In the like manner, first that the inward minde may effectually heare the word of God, it must bee made hollow through humilitie: Via do­mini ad cor dirigitur, Gre. inhom. cum sermo verita­tis humilitèr auditur.

2 Secondly, it must also bee tortu­ous or winding, that the word recei­ued, which is the food of the soule, may not lightly passe away, but that wee may ruminate and reuolue it, as the Virgine Mary, of whom it is said, that shee kept all these sayings, and pondered them in her heart.

3 Thirdly, the minde must also bee durus & siccus, hard and dry, in re­taining of the word of God. For a thing that is hard and dry, receiueth & keepeth better, what it receiued, then that which is soft and tender. And Aristotle saith, Arist. lib. de sen. that Organum auditus est aer: The aire is the instru­ment of hearing, Aire the instrumēt of hearing and is contained within the eares, and included in the miringa, which is a little skinne, [Page 163]and that aire must bee firme and still, for if it haue his proper motion and sound, it perceiueth no exter­nall sound; as it appeareth in them which through the motion of such aire, feele tinkling, or ringing, in their eares. In like manner wee should receiue this heauenly do­ctrine into the inward cels of the memory, there hold it fast, and per­seuer therein, as our Apostle saith, not as forgetfull hearers, Iam. 1.25. Iohn 15. but doers of the word: And our Sauiour, If yee abide in mee, and my words abide in you, aske what you will and it shall bee done vnto you.

2 Againe, the sound is brought thus into the eares: How the sound is brought into the eares. Betweene the bones of the Temples, there is a way ad basim cerebri, to the ground or foundation of the braine, hauing within a certaine concauity after the manner of a labyrinth, in the middle whereof are two little bones an­nexed to their membranes, the one called malleus, the other Incus, Malleus Incus. in re­gard of the vse thereof, which the [Page 164]prudent Creator of nature, hath so artificially placed, that in the thicker part they do almost touch one ano­ther, because the hearing is made through the motion of the aire, which is brought into the passage vnto these bones, and there is made a certaine repercussion of the aire, which maketh the sound which is heard. Heere wee are taught, that euen as the sound is brought into the eare through the agitation of the externall aire: so the sound of the heauenly Doctrine is brought by the Preacher into the minde of the hearer: Rom. 10. Faith commeth by hearing. Who so loueth his owne soule will dilligently frequent the hearing: The heart of man that hath vnderstan­ding seeketh knowledge. Prou. 15. Hee indiffe­rently heareth all that can instruct him, hee despiseth not the doctrine for the person of the man: Non quan­tum sciat, sed quantum ignorat, conside­rat: Hee recounteth not how much hee knoweth, but how much hee is ignorant of.

3 Againe, the eares of man are al­waies open, and are not sometimes shut, as are the eyes and the mouth: to teach vs, that wee should bee alwaies ready to heare the word of God, and therefore the eares (as Isidor would haue it) are called Au­res ab hauriendis vocibus, of drawing in the voyce. More heereof might bee spoken, but I am heere to sup­ply the place of a Diuine, and not to play the Anatomist in the Physitians Art.

Againe, when the Apostle wil­leth vs to bee swift to heare, hee meaneth not an vnfruitfull hearing, that wee may carpe, taunt, or scoffe, or giue eare to scurrile, filthy, and leud speeches, &c. but as if hee had said: Seeing that God offereth him­selfe vnto you so louingly, so kind­ly, in his holy word, the meane of our regeneration, it behoueth you to shew your selues attentiue, tra­ctable, and obedient hearers. There­fore the dilligence of the people is commended, Iohn. 6. Math. 14. which forsaking all [Page 166]things, yea the care of meate and drinke, came from all parts vnto Christ, to heare the word out of his mouth. But now how few be there found, in this declining age, that haue that zeale and loue to the word of God, as to preferre the hearing thereof before their earthly commodities?

The second precept is of bride­ling the tongue, The secōd precept of bridling the tōgue. that is, the petu­lancie and loquacitie thereof. The tongue, and the faculty of speaking, is the singular gift of God, and one­ly proper vnto man, as it appeareth as well by the framing of the whole body, as by his miracles and iudge­ments, declared in this member. When all men had but one lan­guage, hee diuided and confounded it into many; at the building of the Tower of Babell; Gen. 11. by giuing an hu­mane voyce to Balams Asse; Numb. 23. 2. Mach. 3. Helio­dorus, that Church-robber, by his iust iudgement was stricken dumbe. The Priest Zacharias, Luke 1. as a punish­ment of his incredulity, remained [Page 167]dumbe nine monthes. Acts 2. To the Apo­stles hee gaue the gift of all tongues; whereby hee manifested that the tongue and the vse thereof is by him and from him. Lactantius li. de opific. Dei. And Lanctanti­us saith, that the faculty of speech is so wonderfull, and so diuine a work, that he onely that created it, and no other, is able to vnfold it. Againe, hee elegantly expresseth foure offi­ces of the tongue: Foure offi­ces of the tongue. The first is with his motions to articulate and forme the voyce; the second is an interpre­ter of the minde, to vtter the cogita­tions, or thoughts, there hidden; the third to gather together the meate broken and chawed with the teeth, and to send it into the sto­mack: the fourth, to receiue the drinke, and to discerne the taste of things, &c. This the Apostle strict­ly forbiddeth to abuse, that wee speake not rashly, and vnreuerently, of God, his holy word, and his iudgements; not to reason and talke of those things we know not, when we are vtterly vnlearned and igno­rant: [Page 168]if, Mat. 12. as our Sauiour saith, wee shall giue an account of euery idle word, how much more then for our pro­phane talking of God and his holy word? And surely if any age, then most of all this age, hath peruerted this precept of the Apostle. Now euery Artificer, Boy, &c. are giuen not onely quick to speake, but also to teach, yea their owne Pastors, of whom they should learne with reue­rence, heare with silence, and aske counsell with humblenesse. Dauid once gaue thankes vnto God, be­cause he had made him wiser then his teachers: Psal. 119. But now men and women, in arrogancy of spirit, in the pride of their hearts, in presumption of their owne knowledge, will bee slow to heare whatsoeuer shall crosse their conceits, but swift to speake, without weight, number, or measure of their words, against or­der, law, gouernement, learned Fa­thers, yea and Prince also, when (as Irenaeus saith) De eisdem non semper eas­dem sententias habent, Irenaeus. & amantes vel [Page 169]non amantes haud eadem de eisdem iudi­cant: According to their loue or ha­tred, their iudgements are not the same of the same things.

This (brethren) the Apostle heere forbiddeth, as a hinderance to the fruitfull hearing of the word, and would haue vs with al! quietnesse, godly vnitie, and Christian humility, to heare the word of God; and not rashly and insolently prate and prat­tle thereof, in a presumptuous con­ceit of their owne knowledge. For if any man seemeth to himselfe that hee is somewhat when hee is nothing, Gal. 6.3. hee de­ceiueth himselfe in his imagination. This moderating of the tongue, not one­ly the holy Scripture, but also the Heathen Philosophers teach vs. Ari­stotle, when he was asked why, when he taught others to speake, he him­selfe was silent and sparing of his words, said: Cos ipsa non scindit, cultros tamen acuit, The whetstone it selfe cutteth not, but yet it sharpeneth kniues. Simonides was wont to say: Simonides. Silentij se poenituisse nunquam, sermonis [Page 170]saepius, that it neuer repented him of his silence, but often of his speech. Zeno hearing a yong man full of words told him in derision, Zeno. that his eares were growne into his mouth, because hee heard little and spake much. Yea, nature her selfe in the very situation of the tongue, tea­cheth thus much: It is fenced and included, as it were, with two wals, the teeth and the lips; it hath placed it below the braine, the eyes, the eares, the nose, as it were insinua­ting, that wee should first ponder in our minde, first see, first heare, before wee speake. Note. This nature teacheth in that shee hath placed the organes of the other senses aboue the tongue. Againe, Nature hath giuen vs two eares, two eyes, two nosthrils, and one tongue, as it were inferring heereby, that we should heare more, see more, and know more, then wee should speake. Besides, nature hath, as it were, tyed the tongue with a certaine ligament, which maketh that Candidam lineam in the midst [Page 171]thereof, which springeth à basi ossis hyoidis, which because it is an impe­diment to the speech in some chil­dren, it is cut off. Notwithstanding all these documents of nature her selfe, The fooles heart is in his mouth, Eccles. 21. whereas a wise mans mouth is in his heart, saith the Wiseman: And as one saith, their words are first sent ad rationis limam priusquam ad lin­guam, to bee polished by reason, be­fore they come to the tongue: fideli silentio tuta est merces, saith the Pro­uerbe, Faithfull silence hath euer a safe reward. Prou. 10.6 In many words there can­not want sinne, but hee that refraineth his lippes is wise: And therefore the Apostle would haue our wordes al­waies, to bee gracious, Col. 4.6. and poudered with salt. Hee that will speake ad­uisedly must first ponder his words before they come to his lippes. Simile. And euen as those that are at variance need a Iudge, who discussing the matter on both sides, may giue true sentence: So he that will speake dis­creetly, must first sit as a Iudge be­twixt [Page 172]his heart and his tongue strictly examining whether the words bee right which his heart offereth to his tongue, before hee speake.

There is a pestilent kind of men, of whom Salomon saith: Prou. 12. There are that speake words like the pricking of swords: Heereof speaketh the Prince­ly Prophet: Psalm. 5.7. Whose teeth are speares and arrowes, and their tongue a sharpe sword. Of this serpentine kind are such, as with slanderings, back­bitings, whisperings, rent, obscure, and blemish the good name of their neighbour, and spoile them of that treasure, Prou. 22. which as Salomon saith, is more precious then gold and great riches. And euen as theeues, which robbe vs of temporall goods, the Law pu­nisheth by hanging: So they that rob their neighbour of a farre grea­ter treasure, deserue a far greater pu­nishment: Which the Athenians considered, who made a Law (as Vtimus de legibus witnesseth) that whosoeuer was conuinced to bee a [Page 173]backbiter, tale-bearer, or slanderer of his neighbour, he was first bitter­ly reproched through the whole Citie, and afterwards slaine. Solon made a Law, that the euill tongued and backbiter should bee sined for euery such offence three Drachmas to the party grieued, Plutarch in vita Solon. and two to bee payed to the treasurie. For they iud­ged such to be very pernitious mem­bers in a Common-wealth, distur­bers of peace, authours of contenti­ons, hatred, and murthers: which I thinke the Poet would signifie by the Serpents teeth which Cadmus sowed in the ground, of which straightway sprang vp armed men, which presently imbrued themselues in each others bloud.

The deuill ucertainely is the [Page 174]sower of these teeth, of which spring warres, broyles, and dissentions in the world. Was not Doeg the Edo­mite a Serpents tooth, who secretly accused Abimelech the Priest vnto Saul, for relieuing Dauid, peruerting his innocent intention, and plaine meaning, which so kindled Saul with wrath, that he slew foure score and fiue which ware the Ephod, with the whole Citie of Nob, 1. Sam. 22. not sparing man, woman, child, and suc­kling. Were not the Princes of Amon Serpents teeth, 2. Sam. 10. which tradu­ced King Dauids messengers vnto their Maister King Hanun, and per­uerted Dauids kinde intention, which was the cause of cruell warres and much bloud-shed? Therefore it is truely said: Eccl. 10.11 If the Serpent bite if hee bee not charmed: no better is a babbler. Where the vulgar Translation hath: Simordeat serpens in silentio, sic qui oc­culte detrahit: If the Serpent bite in si­lence, so doth hee which secretly backe­biteth. The Serpent is a trecherous beast, for he doth not as the Bull [Page 175]which threatneth with his hornes before he hurt, neither roareth he as doth the Lyon, nor barketh, as the dog before he bite, but secretly stingeth making no noise: So the backbiters in silence, vnder the co­lour of religion and zeale, with their Serpents teeth, rent the good name of others, and with their vi­pers tongues degenerate and staine the life of others.

This in effect.

As truely saith the Poet:

Nunquid non vipera est lingua de­tractoris ferocissima? S. Bernard. Is not the tongue of the backbiter a most cruell viper, which with one breath giueth so [Page 176]deadly an infection? Nunquid non lancea est lingua ista? profecto acutissima, quae tres penetrat ictu vno, scil. detrahen­tem, audientem & eum cui detrahit. Is not the tongue of a backbiter a iaue­ling? yea surely, and that a most sharpe one, which killeth three with one stroke, to wit, the backbiter himselfe, the hearer, and whom he backbiteth, saith S. Bernard. But of this better occasion will be offered me to speake, when I come to the handling of the third chapter.

THE third precept is of mode­rating and brideling of wrath; Duplex de­finitio irae secund. A­rist. lib. 2. rhetor. c. 20 which Aristotle two manner of waies defineth. First, wrath is a desire, ioy­ned with griefe, of reuenge, for some apparant contempt, or iniury, done vnto our selues, or friends. Se­condly, Ira est ebullitio sanguinis circa cor: Anger is a boyling or inflam­mation of the bloud about the heart. To this definition subscribe [Page 177]all the Physitians. To both these definitions Damascence seemeth to leane. Dam. lib. 2. de Ortho. fide. Greg. mo­ral. l. 5. c. 30 Gregory maketh three species of anger: The first is a kind of bi­lious passion, which is quickly kind­led, & as soone calmed, and this hath lesse danger, and malice: It is like stra [...] which quickly taketh fire, and quickly goeth out; This the Greekes call [...], and Cicero excandescentia, Ira furor breuis. An anger soone come and soone gone: The Logicians, a Passion. The se­cond is called of the Latines Iracun­dia, which carrieth in minde a longer remembrance of an iniury recei­ued, and is of more continuance: This Aristotle calleth [...], though this doth not alwaies proceed to reuenge, either because men cannot, or for certaine reasons will not: and this is worse then the first, because it is fixed more fast, and taketh dee­per roote in the mind. The third kind is of such which are soon kind­led with the flames of anger, & slow to represse it: And this is a great sin so long to foster wrath in thy bo­some [Page 178]vntill it turne into hatred: for what is hatred but inueterat wrath? and this seeketh all occasions of re­uenge, which is truely diabolicall. To these may bee added a fourth, which is of such as are slow to con­ceiue wrath, and quick to remit and cast it off, which is the best of all. All these are sinnes, though not in degree equall.

Christ, Math. 5.22 if hee maketh not three kinds, yet three degrees of wrath, when hee saith, Whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly, shall bee culpable of iudgement, which is meant of that which is hidden, and inward in the heart: The second Racha, is that which is expressed and manifest, yet without any open reproach. The third, Whosoeuer shall say thou foole, shall bee worthy to bee punished with hell fire, is when it is conuerted into ha­tred, and manifested in tauntes, re­proches, and proceedeth to reuenge.

Anger in generall, being consi­dered in it selfe, is a thing indiffe­rent to vice or vertue: And therefore [Page 179]the Apostle heere doth not abso­lutely condemne all anger, but one­ly saith that a man should be slow to wrath, that is, wise in moderating the same: For it is a vertue when it fol­loweth reason as his guide, that the action of iustice might with cou­rage be executed, & punishment in­flicted vpon malefactours, accor­ding to the iudgement of reason, and order of Iustice. And the end of this holy anger is manifold.

First, that the person may bee sa­ued; to which pertaineth this of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 5. that such a one (he meaneth the incestuous person) bee deliuered vnto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh, 1. Tim. 1.20 that his Spirit may bee saued in the day of the Lord Iesus.

Secondly, that the wrath of God may be pacified: for if wee iudge our selues we shall not bee iudged of the Lord. 1. Cor. 11. Example hereof we haue, Ioshua 7. after the punishment of Achan, the wrath of the Lord was appeased: the like wee reade of the zeale of Phi­nees.

Thirdly, the aduancement of Gods glory, and his Kingdome: This is confirmed by the example of Io­sua, on Achan; Phinees, on the adulte­rers; of Moses, on the Seditious; and of others, of whom wee reade, that, the due punishments inflicted vpon wicked men, the wrath of God was pacified.

And this reasonable anger is two-fold; 1. In the will. the one in the will, the other in the sensitiue Appetite. The first is nothing else but a voluntary motion, whereby, not by any passi­on, but by the iudgement of reason, a man hath a desire to punish sinne. And this may bee in the mildest man, as was Moses; yea, it is most necessary for those that are in autho­rity, to punish vice; and so necessa­ry, that if it be wanting in a Magi­strate, he doth most hainously and grieuously sinne, as we may reade of Helie the Priest, in the first booke of Samuel, and the second and third chapters.

The other is in the sensitiue Appe­tite, [Page 181]and is nothing else then the mo­tion of the sensitiue Appetite, 2. In the sensitiue appetite. to be obedient to reason for the punish­ment of vice. And this necessarily followeth the iudgement of reason, and the rule of a iust and vpright will. This zealous and holy anger was in Christ, when hee whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple: And when Hee looked round about on the Pharisees angerly, Mark. 3.5. mourning for the hardnesse of their heart: And in Moses, Exod. 32. when hee brake the Tables, seeing the Israelites worship the Calfe.

Contrarywise, anger is a great sin against God, when it transgresseth these bounds and limits, when it followeth not the right rule of rea­son, but preuenteth, blindeth, Homo ira­tus non est home. and peruerteth the same, being carried headlong with fury, rage, and a bloudy desire of reuenge, and this may be termed a mad fury, Ira furor breuis: Such was the rage of Saul, who for hatred he bare to Da­uid, 1. Sam. 21. most cruelly murdered the Priests of Nob. Of Pharaoh when [Page 182]hee commanded the male children of the Hebrewes to bee cast into the riuer. Exod. 1.22 Of Herod, who in hatred of our Sauiour caused the children of Bethlem to be slaine. Math. 2.

Now the Apostle heere reproueth this anger, as also that which sprin­geth from a desire of contending, which hindreth the fruitfull hearing of the word of God, whereby men cannot endure to bee reproued of their faults; and being kindled with wrath, raile, taunt and scoffe at the Preacher, whereby the word of God is made frustrate, and fruitlesse in them, when through selfe-loue, a preiudicate opinion of themselues, a conceit of their owne wisedome, they disdaine to bee reproued, and controuled, in their wicked courses, and bend all their malice against their Pastors, from whence spring persecutions, imprisonments, &c. This was the cause that King Asa put Hanam into prison; and of the fury of the Princes against Isay, 2. Ch. 10.16 Ie­remy, Micha, Amos, and the rest. This [Page 183]caused Stephen to be stoned, Act. 7.54. and all the Apostles to bee persecuted; but Gods vengeance euer pursued the contempt of his Word and Ser­uants, as the booke of God ex­presseth: 2. Chro. 36 16. But they mocked the messen­gers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets, vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy.

This anger is a most grieuous sin, the reason is heere rendred by the Apostle: Because it worketh not the righteousnesse of God: that is, a man possessed with this Passion, leaueth in his heart no place for the righte­ousnesse of God: For in such a one is left no humanity, no commiseration, no religion, no equity, no iustice, no charity at all. It worketh not the righ­teousnesse of God, because it banisheth the feare of God out of our mindes, taketh away loue, and obedience, quencheth brotherly kindnesse, and vtterly spoileth vs of all Christian vertues which are acceptable vnto God. Seneca could say: Sen. lib. 2. de ira. Necesse est [Page 184]virtutem ex animo tollas priusquàm iram recipias, &c. Thou must first of ne­cessity expell vertue, before thou re­tainest anger, for vertue and vice cannot dwell together: This vice be­ing so great, and such a hindrance to the fruitfull hearing of the word, the meane of our saluation; I will now proceed to set downe certaine re­medies for the curing and suppres­sing of this dangerous disease. The remedies then are twofold: Some for repressing of anger in others, and some for brideling the same in our selues.

Now for the suppressing these fu­ries in others, these remedies do pro­fite.

First, The first remedy. Silence, that thou answere not againe, nor returne to the angry man taunt for taunt, reproach for reproach. This is the counsell of the Wiseman, Eccles. 8.16, Striue not with him that is angry, put not stickes vnto his fire. And Salomon: For wrath is a fire, and answering againe is, as it were, the fuell: with­out [Page 185]wood the fire is quenched: Pro. 22.24. Prouer. 26. And the blessed Apostle Saint Paul saith, Romanes 12.19. Auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath, for vengeance is mine, and I will reuenge saith the Lord.

But because it chanceth often­times that wee are compelled to an­swere againe, The secōd remedy. as when by our silence the angry man is prouoked the more, thinking thereby that he is contem­ned, Iohn 19. as was the anger of Pilat against Christ; in this case another remedy is to be sought: Pro. 25.15. and this is lingua mollis, a modest and gentle answere: Such was the wisedome of Abigal towards Dauid, being angry. 1. Sam. 25. For saith Salomon, Prou. 15.1 A soft anger putteth away wrath, but grieuous words stirre vp anger.

Thirdly, The third remedy. to winne an enemy by benefites is a singular kind of re­medy, prescribed both by wise Sa­lomon, and by the blessed Apostle: If hee that hateth thee bee hungry giue him bread, Pro. 25.21. Rom. 12.20. if hee bee thirsty giue him wa­ter to drinke, for thou shalt lay coles vpon [Page 186]his head, and the Lord shall recompence thee. And this is a most noble kinde of victory.

And now the remedies for the re­pressing of wrath in our selues are these. Remedies for sup­pressing of wrath in our selues.

1 First, the remembrance of Christs sufferings for thy sinnes; and why then shouldst not thou suffer a little for his sake? Ephe. 4 32 Forgiuing one an other, euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you. Imitate their example which being stinged with the fiery ser­pents, looked vpon the brazen ser­pent and were healed. Wrath is a fiery serpent; fixe the eyes of thy consideration vpon Christ, and thou shalt be healed.

2 Secondly, represse thine anger with silence: Ephe. 4.31 Let all bitternesse, and an­ger and wrath, crying, and euill speaking, bee put away from you. Plutarch com­mendeth this counsell of Atheriodo­rus the Philosopher, who perswaded Augustus Caesar that when hee was angry hee should not say, or doe, any thing, before he had, to himselfe, [Page 187]said ouer the Greeke Alphabet, that by this meanes the rage of his wrath, by delay might bee cooled.

3 The third is to consider the cause, that is, thine owne sinnes: for no aduersity may happen vnto thee which thine owne sins haue not de­serued: Whereof pithily speaketh Augustine: Irascoris patri tuo, & peccas: irasccre tibi ipsi ne peccas: Thou art an­gry with thy father and sinnest, but bee thou angry with thy selfe that thou maist not sin.

4 The fourth is a firme faith in Gods prouidence: nothing may be said or done vnto thee, which is not ordered by Gods prouidence, yea, all the haires of your head are numbred, Math. 10. saith Christ: And againe, Shall I not drink of the cup which my Father hath giuen mee? Iohn 18.11

5 The fift is commiseration, to take pitty on him which is angry, and prouoketh thee to wrath: For while this Passion ruleth in him, he is a foole, a mad-man. Besides, he is the instrument of God for the exer­cise [Page 188]of thy patience. Example wee haue in King Dauid: when Shemei cursed and reuiled him, he was so far from taking reuenge, that hee said: The Lord hath bidden him to curse Da­uid, 2. Sam. 16.10. who dare then say, why hast thou done so? To conclude, if thou be an­gry, hearken to the Apostles coun­sell: Ephes. 4. Let not the Sunne go downe vpon thy wrath: and this may suffice to mo­derate this passion in a Christian man.

Ira debet rationi ac virtuti accubare, Basil. tanquàm canis pastori, quae mordeat, in­crepet, allatret (que) vitium & vitiosos velut lupos: Anger should lie downe by reason and vertue, as the dog by the Shepheard: it should barke at, bite, and rebuke vice and vitious men, as wolues.

THE Apostle here ex­horteth the regene­rate to the hearing of the word of Truth: And first he sheweth how we must prepare our mindes to the hearing of the word, that it may fructifie in our hearts, which consi­steth in two things.

1 Laying aside all filthinesse and malice, to heare it with meeknesse.

2 Next, the reason why we must heare it, because it is able to saue our soules.

First, by an elegant metaphor ta­ken from husbandry, the Apostle teacheth that the noysome weeds of vices both of body and soule, must bee first rooted vp and extirpated, before the heauenly doctrine, the word of truth, can be receiued, and bee graffed in the field of our hearts: euen as the husbandmen before they cast the corne into the ground, do first purge their ground of Thornes, Brambles, Stones, and such like, that it may yeeld the more increase. For in euery action, either naturall or spirituall, two things are necessary: Alterum quod agat, alterum quod patiatur: The Agent which worketh, and the Patient vpon which it must worke. And in the Agent there must bee power to worke, and in the Patient or Suffe­rer, a disposition to receiue. For that the earth may bring forth fruite, it is needfull that the Seed bee cast into it, and that it bee first prepared as I said, &c. and if either of these bee wanting, in vaine is the hope of [Page 191]fruit. The Smith that hee may finish his worke, first softneth it in the fire, and maketh it tractable; for ex­cept it be molified, in vaine he labou­reth to beat the cold Iron. And it is a Maxime in Philosophie, Actus actiuorum esse in patiente dispositi: The greater in any thing the disposition is to receiue, the sooner and more perfect followeth the action. Wee see dry wood put into the fire quickly to be kindled, and a candle lately put out, and yet smoaking, with the least touch of fire to receiue the flame, and sometimes without fire, with the breath onely, to bee kindled. So much auaileth a con­uenient and apt preparation in the thing that receiueth any action. So though I confesse the grace of God to bee free, & nullis astrictam legibus, & bound by no lawes (as Aug. saith) yet this grace commonly imitateth the reason and order of naturall things. Hence it followeth, How wee may profit by hearing the Word. that a man may profite by hearing of Ser­mons; It is not alwaies enough that [Page 192]there be a learned and apt Teacher, vnlesse the Hearer also bee apt and wel disposed, that is, that the ground of his mind be first prepared, that he heare not the same negligently, one­ly for custome, or in an affection of curiosity, but that hee heare with zeale and deuotion; for there are many that come to Sermons onely to carpe, or to note if the Preacher vtter any sentence acutely, or elo­quently, whereby they may feed their curiosity, Curious hearers. and not satisfie the hunger of their soule. And euen as (they say) there is some ground so barren, that, if they sow the finest wheate in it, bringeth not forth wheate againe, Typha, a kinde of wilde corne. but typham, or chaffe, onely (which in the nature of things is very admirable, seeing it is a Ma­xime in Philosophy, Omne agens sibi simile generare, euery agent ingen­dreth his like) So it chanceth vnto them, in whose hearts if the word of God be sowne, it bringeth not forth the frnite of this seed, but chaffe, or Typham, that is, not the [Page 193]fruit of godlinesse, but the chaffe of vanity.

Now that this word of God may be vnto vs the sweete sauour of life vnto life, 2. Cor. 2. the Apostle teacheth heere how wee must prepare the ground of our hearts, euen by casting out the noysome weeds of vices, which hinder the fruitfull and happy har­uest of the seed of the word; and heere hee nameth two; filthinesse, or vncleanesse; and malice; because they defile and perturbe the minde that wee cannot hearken nor be obe­dient to the word of God. By vn­cleanesse he vnderstandeth all impu­rity which springeth of gluttony, Siouth be­getteth lust, glut­tony brin­geth it forth. drunkennesse, fornication, incest, adultery, and such like, which spring of fleshly lust, as a Father very true­ly saith: libidinem torpor gignit, gula parit, quid miri igitur filiam parentes sequi. Slouth begetteth lust, gluttony bringeth it forth, what maruell then, if the daughter doth follow her pa­rents? Math. 5.19 Out of the heart (saith our Sa­uiour) proceed euill thoughts, murthers, [Page 194]adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testi­monies, slanders, &c. And the Apostle Paul would haue all Christians to bee free from all vncleanesse; as for fornication and vncleanesse, Ephe. 5. Augustine. let them not be once named among you: Vbi carnis immunditia, ibi habitatio diaboli, qui maximè inquinato corpore gaudet, saith Augustine: The deuill dwelleth with vncleanesse of the flesh, who most delighteth in a polluted body. For wisedome cannot enter into a wicked heart, Wisd. 1. nor dwell in a body sub ect vnto sinne: And this not onely the sacred Scripture forbidded, but also hu­mane wisedome: In hoc (saith Seneca) nos amplectuntur vt strangulent non ali­ter igitur quam latruncul [...] viatoribus in­sidiantes eos (que) seducentes ac perimentes declinandae sunt: Pleasures embrace that they may strangle vs, which, as thieues that lie in wait that they may seduce and kill trauellers, wee should auoid.

And surely the counsell herein, Scip. Afri. counsell. that Scipio Africanus in Liuie, gaue to King Masinissa is excellent: Vince [Page 195]animum: caue ne deformes multa bona vitio vno, & tot meritorum gratiam maiore culpa, quam causa culpae est, cor­rumpas: Vanquish thy minde, and take heed thou do not deforme ma­ny good gifts with one vice, and corrupt the beauty of [...] many de­serts, with a greater fault, then the cause of the fault is. Which a man should the easier do, if he wold con­sider the vilenes, filthines, shortnes, and end of this vice; the long shame, and the short time; and how, per­haps, the pleasure of a short minute, shall be punished with the repen­tance of many yeares, and (perad­uenture) with euerlasting damnati­on. Seeing then that the Wisedome of God cannot rest in polluted and vncleane hearts: O let vs cleanse and purge our hearts of all vncleane and polluting sins, that the soule-sauing word of God may enter and dwell heerein.

The second vice heere noted is maliciousnesse, Malicious­nesse what. which Augustine de­fineth to be nocendi amor, the loue of [Page 196]doing hurt; Saint Ambrose, to bee mentis deprauatio, a deprauatiō of the minde: And Cicero, versuta & fallax ratio nocendi: A subtile and deceitfull kind of hurting: all which commeth to one sense. The minde then must first be pu [...]ed of all malice before the heauenly seed of the word can take any roote in our hearts; that is, our hearts must bee sweeped cleane from enuy, hatred, desire of reuenge, and wishing euill to our neighbour, for our hearts cannot bee capable of them both, neither can the light of Gods Spirit dwell together with the darkenesse of these vices. This pestilent vice alwaies accompanieth vertue, glory and prosperity: Vulgus & liuor in plateis habitant sic vt mala fere omnia (saith that famous Ora­tor) The common people and enuy, dwell together in the streetes, as for the most part doth all wicked­nesse.

And there are certaine effectuall remedies to quench malice and en­uy, Sed morbo ipso peiora, but [Page 197]worse then the disease it selfe, The reme­dies of en­uy are worse thē entry it selfe. Mi­sery, and an Infamous life; Of the one sprang this prouerbe, miseriam solam inuidia carere, that miserie alone wants enuy: and to the other pertai­ned this of Socrates, who when Al­cibiades demanded on a time of him, by what meanes hee might a­uoide enuy and malice, answered: Viue vt Thersites, Thersites a filthy and base pe­sant. cuius vitam si nes­cires in Homerica leges Iliade: Liue as Thersites did, whose life if thou knowest not, thou maist reade in Homers Iliados: a scossing and a per­fect Socraticall answere; For it is no wise part to forsake vertue that thou maist auoide enuy; and better it is to bee noble Achilles with en­uie, then base Thersites without it. Achilles a noble and valiant Captaine. And very aptly hee calleth it Su­perfluity of maliciousnesse, a metaphor taken of a stomack surcharged with meates or drinkes, which laboureth to cast out:

So when it once aboundeth in the heart, it is cast forth at the mouth in cursed speeches: And this (bre­thren) is the cause, that among so many, which all their life long haue frequented the hearing of Sermons, that they are nothing bettered thereby, because they come with hearts laden with all filthinesse, and superfluity of maliciousnesse, which they should first vngorge. How ma­ny are there among vs, of whom we may complaine, as the Prophet did once: The word of God is to them at a reproach, they haue no delight there­in. For what haue wee profited (I meane the greatest number) by so many Sermons, so many cryings out? Who hath forsaken his wicked cu­stome of blaspheming, swearing, backbiting, cursing, deceit, or vsu­ry? Who hath cast off his hatred, contention, desire of reuenge? Who hath cast off his vnchaste loue? Sure­ly (with horrour of minde I speake it) I may say with Saint Augustine, it seemeth vnto mee by so many ad­monitions, [Page 199] Nos non alium referre fru­ctum, quam vt Dei aduersus eos causam in extremo iuditio tueatur; that wee reape no other fruit, then to defend the equity of Gods iustice in con­demning them at the last iudge­ment. So that the Preacher may say with the Prophet: Esay 49. I haue laboured in vaine, I haue spent my strength in vaine, but my iudgement is with the Lord, and my worke with God.

The Apostle alludeth here to the parable of our Sauiour Iesus Christ: The seed is the word of God, whereof some fell by the way side, some among thornes, some on stony ground, and some on good ground. This seed, of it selfe, is very fruitfull, but according to the diuerse conditions of the ground, that is, of the hearers, it yeeldeth none at all, or diuerse fruit: For the heart of some is like an high way which is worne and trodden on of all; that is, which without any choice is laid open to all vncleane thoughts, and desires. Their heart is like a common Inne which admit­teth [Page 200]and receiueth all kinde of men, good and bad, knowne and vn­knowne, for it maketh no difference of good or euill thoughts. It is like vnto a crazed boate, which leaketh water at euery chinke. It is like a Citie without walles, or gates, which is easily inuaded of the ene­my. Like a vineyard without a hedge, whose fruit is spoiled of euery one that passeth by. To con­clude, such a soule is like vnto a house without a dore, or locke, which eue­ry one vseth as a filthy stable. And how shamefull a thing is it to suffer the soule to bee thus polluted with all vncleane thoughts, it may ap­peare by this one example: Were it not an indelible shame for a woman to fall into the degree of impuden­cy, to prostitute her selfe in a com­mon stewes, Et omnibus sui copiam facere? And what an ignominy then is it vnto the soule to receiue within it all vncleane thoughts and desires, which the deuill offereth, without any difference? What is this else but [Page 201]to commit spirituall fornication with the harlot, whereof the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Ieremy, Ier. 2. Like an harlot thou runnest about, vpon all high Hilles, and vnder euery greene Tree. What fruite now should the word of God yeeld in such a heart? For euen as an harlot, though shee know many men, yet she remaineth alwaies barren: So though they of­tentimes heare the word, yet are no­thing bettered thereby: For these vices doe distract the minde with diuers perturbations, that they will not permit it quietly and attentiuely to heare the word, &c.

THE Apostle ha­uing before spo­ken of regenerati­on, heere hee pro­ceedeth, exhor­ting the regene­rate to shew forth the fruites thereof, The Diui­sion. which consisteth in three especiall members,

1 An exhortation to obedience, confirmed by certaine reasons in the first foure verses.

2 The second taken from the nature and quality of Gods word, which not onely teacheth vs to do well, but [Page 203]to speake well also, If any among you, &c. with certaine reasons.

3 Thirdly, hee sheweth wherein true religion consisteth: Pure religion and vndefiled, &c.

By doing the word, the Apostle meaneth not an absolute and per­fect fulfilling of the Law, which no man can possibly performe, as the Apostle Peter witnesseth; Act. 15. but the doing of the word, by the imputa­tion of the righteousnesse and obe­dience of Christ, who hath perfect­ly fulfilled the Law for the saluation of the faithfull, which when they haue truely receiued Christ, by faith, hee giueth them such measure of the spirit of sanctification, that they obediently endeuour to conforme their will to the will of God, to feare, loue, and to serue him, to loue their neighbour, and alwaies to pro­ceed towards perfection. Men di­nersly affected to the word. There are some which neither heare, nor doe the word of God; others which will heare, but not doe; and there are others which heare the word and [Page 204]indeuour to do the same. For the first sort of these, it is plaine that they are of their father the deuill, by the sentence of Christ himselfe: Iohn 8. chapter, and 47. verse, Hee that is of God, heareth Gods word, yee therefore heare them not because yee are not of God. Simile. Doth it not seeme that hee is not the Lord of a Castle, which when hee would enter, the gates are shut against him? So the gate by which God would enter in­to our hearts, is the hearing of the Word Preached: who so then that refuseth to heare, doth, as it were, shut the gate of his heart against Christ: Euen as a Citie which recei­ueth victuall, and all necessaries, for the sustentation of their life from some other place, if thou stop the waies and passages by which it was wont to bee brought, they must needs faint and perish with famine: So the life of our soule dependeth of some other: For euery good giuing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father. [Page 205]The word of God is the way by which all good things commeth to the soule, which if thou stop, thy soule must needs perish. The ground which is not manured & tilled, what can it yeeld but weedes, brambles, and thornes? it bringeth not forth corne of his owne nature: If thou wilt not heare the word, Quid nisi peccata germinabis, saith one.

1 There are many (now a dayes) which beare the name of Christi­ans, which will so practise the man­ners and rules of true Christianity, as one, once, did imbrace the studies of Philosophie, who (as Cicero saith) was wont to say, Philosophandum esse, Vt ne quid nimis. Terent. sed paucis, that is, Hee would not wholy addict himselfe to the stu­dies of Philosophy, Sed summis tantum labijs degustare, that is, but a little taste and away. Such are many professours now a daies, which will not giue their whole heart, and loue, to the word, but lightly and carelesly touch this heauenly Philosophie. Such care for [Page 206]the word of God, in the same mea­sure, Vt canis é Nilo. Simile. as they were wont the holy water comming into the Church, content to bee sprinkled with a few drops, but taking it in euill part if one should cast much vpon them: So these content themselues with neuer so little, or none at all, so much doe they feare to fall into the excesse of ne quid nimis. Againe, as that man seemeth not to be of his houshold, or family, whose commandement he will not heare; for shall he do that which he refuseth ro heare? Is it not a wonderfull thing that all the mem­bers of the body should bee conse­crated to Christ, both for that hee hath created and redeemed vs, and yet wee cannot affoord him one member, not so much as an eare? To the poysons of detractions wee haue our eares open, but to the word of saluation men giue a deafe eare. How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard? Rom. 10.14 and how shall they heare without a Preacher? But leauing these men as incorrigible and despe­rately [Page 207]wicked, Contra ne­gantes prin­cipia non est disputandū. but praying to God for them, I will proceed to the rest.

2 The second sort are such as can be content to heare the word, but haue no care to do it: For this seed of the word, though of its owne nature it be most fruitfull, yet according to the variety of the ground, that is, of the hearers, among whom it is sowen, it bringeth forth no fruit, or very diuerse, by reason that their hearts are carried away with diuers affections; Ecles. 2.10. So that this of Salomon may be verified in them: Whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I with-held it not from them, I with-drew not my heart from any ioy. Those idle hearers our Sa­uiour likeneth vnto seed sowen among thornes, stones, Math. 13. or in the high-way. Simile. And are not many like vnto away, in which if there lie any mony, or thing of value, it stayeth not long there, but is taken vp of trauellours; but if it be a clout or some vile thing, it is let alone, there is none that taketh it vp: So, scurrile things, vnhonest speeches, filthy [Page 208]songs, wee receiue into our hearts, and fixe in our memory, as things very precious, but the diuine and pretious iewell of Gods word is straightway forgotten, the deuill catcheth it away: and why? because wee are like the high-way; wee are hearers and not doers. What shall I say? Simile. Hee that heares the word and doth it nor, is like vnto him that carrieth his aduersary with him, which will accuse him, and deliuer him to the Iudge to be condemned: The word which I haue spoken shall iudge you in the last day: Iohn 12. Mat. 5.25. Againe, agree with thine aduersary quickely whiles thou art in the way with him, least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge, and the Iudge deliuer thee to the Serge­ant, and thou bee cast into prisou. Will you know what an aduersary the word of God is to the wicked? How the word of God re­proueth. it crosseth all their desires, it standeth by and reproueth them to their fa­ces, it telleth the wicked that their palate is infected, their taste cor­rupted, the sweet seemeth bitter vn­to [Page 209]them, and bitter sweet: it tel­leth them that they are like vnto swine which haue no smelling, and therefore they willingly wallow in the mire, which if they had in them a spirituall nose, a sound iudgement, they could not endure their owne stinke, by reason of the filthinesse of their swinish liues: It telleth them that they are neere vnto death, and must giue account vnto God for the least sin they commit, and that if God doth not punish them in this life, hee hath reserued them to the more seuere punishment in the world to come: It telleth them that no sin shall escape vnpunished, nor no vertue be defrauded of a reward: It denounceth woe, woe, woe, vnto them, if they repent not betime; woe bee vnto them in their life, woe vnto them in their death, and woe be vnro them after death. O what a terrible litigator is this (brethren) agree with this aduersary betime, while thou art in the way of this life: Bee yee doers of the word, and not hea­rers [Page 210]onely: Contend not with it, striue not with it, repine nor at it, for thou shalt neuer ouercome it. For a while, happily, you may plead excuses, ex­tenuate your sinnes, sed tandem, tan­dem, causa cadetis, but at length your cause shall faile and bee ouer­throwne, and thy conscience it selfe being illuminated, and better infor­med by reason, shall one day con­demne thee, and deliuer thee into hell neuer to come out from thence, so great is the summe of thy debts which thou shalt neuer bee able to pay. Our Sauiour ioyning the hea­ring and doing of the Word toge­ther, Math. 7.24 saith: Whosoeuer heareth the word and doth it, is like vnto a wise man which hath buth builded his house vpon a rocke, &c. bee yee therefore doers of the word and not hearers onely, &c. Ma­ny can boast that they haue heard a Sermon this day, or that day, yet di­minish they nothing of their pride, and other vanities, neither haue they left their boyling malice, their swelling hatred, their cursed coue­teousuesse, [Page 211]their fleshly pleasures; neither abate they any thing of their wanton banquets, their riotous feasts; neither stay they their bribing hands, their slanderous mouthes, their blasphemous tongues, their lying lippes; neither refraine they from pestilent vsury, cruell oppressi­on, violent extorsion, fraudulent dealing with their neighbours: Therefore saith the Apostle, Bee yee doers of the word, not hearers onely.

3 The third sort are these which heare the word with all diligence, and haue a care to practise the same, and endeuour to square their liues by the line thereof: these onely are pronounced blessed by the mouth of Christ himselfe: Luk. 11. Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it; and shewing whom hee counteth for his brethren, hee saith; that they are his mother and his brethren, Luke 8. which not onely heare, but do the word of God: And, If yee know these things, Iohn 13. happy are yee if yee do them. Wee all make profession of Christ, and say [Page 212]wee haue faith, when wee neuer go about to bring in tune our iarring liues to this vnison: Faith indeed is the foundation, saith the Apostle, but where is our Christian building? 1. Cor. 3. O build vpon it, build vpon it, bee yee doers of the word. This then shall bee my counsell and request to you all, euen for Christs sake, and so I will conclude, I beseech you be at­tentiue.

Yee Gentlemen, Gentlemē build vpon this your faith in Christ, the workes of clemency, iustice and liberality, that yee may bee indeed such as your names do import, this is the first I would haue you to build vpon your faith. Oppresse not your poore Te­nants with vnreasonable rents, and heauy fines: Esay 3.15. What haue yee to do, that yee beat my people in peeces, and grinde the faces of the poore, saith the Lord, euen the Lord of Hostes. Giue one part of your substance vnto God, another to the poore, and with the rest vp­hold an honest estate and calling; this is the second. Be humble, not [Page 213]proud of Gentility and riches, but remember yee must all die, returne naked into the earth, and giue ac­count to the supreme Iudge for all your actions; let this be the third, so shall you not bee hearers onely, &c.

Yee Marchants, Marchāts. build you also three things vpon your faith in Christ. Play not the vsurers, and prostitute not your mony to vnlaw­full gaine, this is the first: Doe not adulterate, or falsifie, your mo­ny or wares, let this be the second. Deut. 25. Haue not in your houses two weights, and two measures, one to buy with, and another to sell with, for this is abhomination to the Lord, let this be third, so shall you not bee hearers onely, &c.

Yee Yong-men doe not impin­guate and pamper vp your flesh, Yong men. least like an vntamed horse, it doth recalcitrare, lift vp the heele against you, but chastice the same with fa­sting, imbrace sobriety; let this bee the first stone you lay vpon the foundation of your faith: Inure and [Page 214]exercise your selues in the wholsome discipline of learning, least idlenesse effeminate your mindes, and sathan make it a seed-plot of al vices, which like Pthisicorum Febris, a feuer he­ctick, will cleaue euer after to your bones, and depart onely with your life; Adeo à teneris assuescere magnum, so much preuaileth an euill custome taken in youth: Haue alwaies in minde this counsell of the Spirit of God: Eccle. 12.1 Remēber thy Maker in the daies of thy youth, while the euill daies come not, nor the yeares approach wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them; let this be the second. Flie euil company as from a noysome pestilence, Flye euill company. which, that yee may the better do, be some­times alone, and meditate with your selues, that youth soone vanisheth, you must one day die, and giue ac­count for your whole life past; let this be the third, which if yee doe, Yee shall not bee idle hearers but doers of the word.

Woemen. Yee women build you also these three things vpon your faith in [Page 215]Christ. Keepe inuiolated your ma­trimoniall chastity, traine vp your children in the feare of God, be ho­nest in your apparell, in your gesture in your words and workes, and bee obedient to your husbands, which if you doe, notwithstanding the cares and troubles which wedded estate bringeth with it, yee shall one day enioy the incorruptible crowne of glory, being doers of the word and not hearers onely.

Yee Poore-men, Ye poore. whose vocation affoordeth nothing in this world but cares, labours, and sorrowes, and conflicts with penury, build you also these three vertues vpon your faith: vse patience in aduersities; hope that at length you shall bee de­liuered; giue thankes vnto God in all euents and accidents of this life, which if you do, yee shall one day, with poore Lazarus, exchange your sorrowes for neuer-failing ioy, be­ing doers of the word, and not hearers onely.

Yee sinfull men and women, de­spaire [Page 216]not of Gods mercy, Yee sinfull men and women. but, with­out delay, build these 3 things vpon your faith in Christ: True sorrow and contrition of heart for your sinfull liues; sure hope of pardon at Gods hands; and amendment of life, in the study of all good workes for that you haue displeased God, offended your neighbour, and most hurted your owne soules, so shall not your sinnes separate betwixt God and you, be­ing doers of the word, and not hearers onely.

Hauing before insisted at large vpon the Apostles admonition, I will now proceed with the reasons.

The first is taken from the detri­ment which commeth vnto them which ioyne not practise with their hearing, The rea­sons. They deceiue themselues: Non enim stertentibus prouenit regnum coelo­rum sed laborantibus, Augustine. sed vigilantibus: The Kingdome of heauen is not gi­uen to the carelesse, sleepy, sluggard, but to such as labour, to such as watch. And this labour (as he saith againe) to the louing sonnes, and [Page 217]good seruants, seemeth not onely not hard and onerous, sed suauis & leuis, but sweete and light, as our Lord witnesseth: My yoke is easie, Mat. 11.30 and my burden light. It is an old prouerbe, Amanti nil difficile, & crcdenti nil non possibile: Nothing is hard to him that loueth, and nothing impossible to him that beleeueth. Surely it is a wonderfull thing if we consider the loue of God towards vs, which see­keth by threatnings, promises, and rewards, to induce vs to the practise of his Word, and obedience to his Lawes, which yet by all these meanes will not yeeld vnto him: When yet if there were in vs, but scintilla germanae pietatis: One sparke of true piety, wee would verily re­ioyce that any occasion were offered vnto vs whereby wee might declare our gratitude, loue, and obedience, to so louing a God: For whatsoeuer hee commandeth vs, for our good hee commandeth it: Vt ansam habeat nobis gratificandi: that hee might take occasion (saith a Father) to do vs [Page 218]good: But wee vnthankefull wret­ches. Surdis auribus praeterimus, passe by with a deafe eare: and yet are we not ashamed of so great vnthanke­fulnesse; but what get wee by this? Surely the Apostle heere telleth vs, Wee deceiue our selues: Nobis hic seri­tur, Bernard. nobis metitur, our sowing and har­uest is to our selues. Cyprianus. Et quid tā amentiae si­mile imo ip­sa amentia, stolidius, quam in re­bus serijs, quae non de lana capri­na, sed no­stra vel sa­lute vel per­nitie sempi­ternaagant, tam esse so­cordes ac stupidos. Many can (saith he againe) verbis crepitare Euangeli­um, prattle of the Gospell, but haue no care to practise the same: But whom deceiue they but themselues? And what can bee more like to mad­nesse, yea more foolish then mad­nesse it selfe, then in things of so great importance, which concerne our saluation or damnation, to be so lumpish and blockish?

Many now adaies of the Layitie will challenge to themselues great knowledge, yea and thinke them­selues (not in the milde spirit of Da­uid, but in a proud conceit of them­selues) to bee wiser then their teachers, whose hearts are yet puffed vp with pride, whose mindes are set on mis­chiefe, [Page 219]whose feet are swift to swift to shed innocent bloud, whose hands are full of briberies, whose heads are full pestered with couetous desires, whose liues are stained with vsury and oppression, whose bodies are wearied and wasted with fleshly pleasures, rauished with inordinate desires, choaked with cares, entised with delights, carryed away with vanities. Is this (my brethren) to heare the word? what is this else but to deceiue our selues?

O my (brethren) wee which thus deceiue our selues, shall neuer bee able to deceiue God: Bee not deceiued, Gal. 6.7. God is not mocked, for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape. Simile. Should not he seeme a foole, which would sow his ground with nettles, cockle, and darnel, and expect a plentifull haruest of wheate? Hee that soweth no good thing, shall hee reape any good thing? Shall not he that sow­eth in the flesh, of the flesh reape corruption? and he that soweth in the Spirit, of the Spirit reape life [Page 220]eternall? Surely then these idle hea­rers to whom the word is but diuer­sorium otij, and haue no care to leade their liues by the line of Gods Lawes, what doe they else but de­ceiue themselues.

Brethren, wee all hope to bee sa­ued, wee all make profession of the hope of eternall life, but do we not deceiue our selues, whiles we looke for the inheritance of sonnes, and our degenerate liues acknowledge not God for our Father? Let vs not (my sweete brethren) thus abuse the long patience of our louing God, and so inhaunce our condemnation at that dreadfull day. Some of vs hee hath waited for, which adde sin vpon sinne, forty yeares, others fifty, others sixty, with wonderfull pati­ence inuiting vs to repentance. Why is our life giuen vs by God, the Authour of Life, but that it should serue and obey the Giuer thereof? For hee hath not giuen vs life, and necessary aids of life, that is, the seruice and obedience of all his crea­tures, [Page 221]to this end, that abusing his gifts, wee should prouoke and kin­dle his wrath against vs, or should let loose the raines of gluttony, drunkennesse, and other wicked de­sires. So many yeares then as thou hast liued wickedly, so long hath God patiently looked for thy repen­tance: In which time what meanes hath Hee not attempted? what hath hee not done that hee might re­claime and recall thee to a better mind? With how many plagues hath hee stricken thee, with how many benefites hath he allured thee, with how many diseases hath hee rowsed thee? with the losse of how many of thy neighbours hath he set the image of thy mortality before thee? With how many secret inspirations, and that in the midst of thy sinfull race, hath hee sought to reforme thee? With how many cals of his Prea­chers hath hee warned thee? how many and infinite sinnes, hath hee patiently suffered, that hee might draw thee vnto him, and prouoke [Page 222]thee to repentance? The longer then he hath forborne thee, and left nothing vnattempted to win thee, the more iustly and fearefully will hee strike thee: Patientia laesa, fit fu­ror. This the Lord himselfe saith by his Prophet Esay: Esa. 42. I haue a long time holden my peace, I haue beene still and re­frained my selfe, now will I cry like a trauelling woman, I will destroy and de­uoure at once.

Tste Philosophers say, A Simile. that the Adamant (which of all stones is the most solide and hardest) if by Art it be dissolued, it turneth into so small a dust, that it may hardly be descer­ned by the eye. Such is the nature of this high Iudge, and his Diuine fury as the Psalmist saith: Deus Iudex fortis ac patiens: Psal. 7.12. And God is prouoked euery day, if a man will not turne, hee hath whet his sword, hee hath bent his bow and made it ready. Eccl. 5. The Almighty (saith the Wise-man) is a patient re­warder, but when his patience is of­ten and much abused, then his great lenity is dissolued into most fearefull [Page 223]and bitter wrath, and the more pa­tient hee is in suffering, the more terrible will hee bee in punishing, Et tarditatem, Valer. grauitate supplicij compen­sat, and for the slownesse of punish­ing hee addeth the greater punish­ment in the end: then shall wee sure­ly finde how bitter our former plea­sures are, which haue beene the cause of such horrible torments. Fauus distillans labia meretricis, nouis­sima autem illius amara, quasi absinthi­um, & acuta quasi gladius biceps: The lips of a strange woman drop as an hony combe, Pro. 5.34. and her mouth is more soft then Oile, but the end of her is bitter as worme-wood, and sharpe as a two-edged sword. Rightly saith hee (two edged) for it giueth a deadly wound, not to the body onely, but to the soule also. This considered, let vs not tempt the Lord and promise to our selues security in sinning, but let vs bee doers of the word, and not hearers onely, deceiuing our selues.

The second reason why wee should bee doers of the word, and not [Page 224]hearers onely, is taken from the losse of the vse of Gods Word; the word of God serueth to reforme in vs the things which are amisse; of this profite we depriue our felues, when wee are content with bare hearing without any care of reforming our liues thereby. This reason hee con­firmeth by a fit similitude, compa­ring the Word vnto a Glasse in which euery one may behold him­selfe, The Word compared to a glasse. from whence he came, where he is, and whether he goeth: that is, his sinnes, his exile, his miserie: his future state of wretchednesse, neuer after to be changed, if he persist in sinne, the face of our natiuity is the manifold misery to which wee are borne when wee come into this world, which being newly borne wee presage by our weeping.

The word of God is in many re­spects compared to a glasse.

1 Euen as in a glasse we may be­hold our deformities, and blemishes, which wee seeke to amend; So the word of God sheweth vs the filthy [Page 225]polutions of sinne. In this glasse, Dauid, Mary Magdalen, and all the Saints of God, beheld their wicked liues, and thereby conceiued a iust dislike of those sinnes wherevnto heeretofore they were addicted. In this respect the word of God is compared vnto a Glasse: and there­fore the Apostle saith, that thereby wee come to see sinne, Rom. 3. and by the Law haue knowledge thereof.

2 The Glasse sheweth their owne faces vnto men, and not the faces of others, that they might bee carefull to wipe away their owne blemishes, and not to bee curious in scanning the liues of others: So the word of God sheweth, vnto euery one that looketh therein, his owne sinnes chiefly, and not the sinnes of their brethren, to the intent that euery one should bee carefull of his owne life, and not too curious to pry into the liues of others; therefore the Apostle willeth vs, by rule of the Word, to to proue your selues whether you are in the faith: Examine your selues. 2. Cor. 13.5. [Page 226]Hipocrites heare the Word, Hipocrits. as fooles are wont to looke into a glasse, to see themselues, not to cor­rect their deformities, but perswa­ding themselues that they are faire, when they are deformed, and so goe away as wise as they came: So hypo­crites thinke themselues righteous when they are wicked, go as wise from a Sermon, as they came thi­ther.

Wee haue then the word of God as a glasse to looke in: Wee haue in the Saints, and true worshippers of God a glasse of examples to looke into. Wee haue within our selues a Glasse of Reason and Conscience, wherein euery man may know in himselfe, what is praise worthy and what deserueth reproofe. All these are rules for the direction of our liues, and yet wee neuer care to re­forme our selues thereby. Luke 19. O if thou hadst knowne, &c. (saith our Sauiour, vnto that wicked Citie) that is, thou wouldst then bewaile thy state, as I now bewaile thee. Augustine spea­keth [Page 227]thus vnto the sinner, Augustine. in the per­son of God, saying: Augustine. O homo quia te non vides, tibi places, si te videres tibi displiceres: sed veniet tempus quando te videbis, & tibi pariter & mihi displice­bis, tibi quia ardebis, mihi quia damna­beris, O man because thou seest not thy selfe, thou pleasest well thy selfe, if thou sawest thy selfe, thou wouldst take small pleasure in thy selfe: But the time will come when thou shalt see thy selfe, and shalt displease both mee and thy selfe; thy selfe, because thou shalt be tormen­ted, and me, because thou shalt bee condemned. Then when the Lord shall reueale the secrets of the heart, when Hee shall search Ierusalem with a Candle, Zeph. 1. and nothing can bee hid­den from his eyes. Now is the time (brethren) to behold our blemishes in this glasse, that we may bee indu­ced to wholesome repentance, & by iudging our selues to preuent the iudgement of God: But, alas, how farre otherwise do wee vse this glasse of the Word: Some behol­ding [Page 228]in this Glasse their frailty, sins, and dangers they are in, for a time are humbled and touched with for­row, but by and by, being allured with worldly vanities, they forget themselues: Luke 8. Like the Seed which fell by the way side; which are they that heare the Word, then commeth the deuill, and taketh it out of their hearts, least they should beleeue and be saued. Others hauing a consci­ence clogged with all kinde of sins, veridici speculi contuitum fugiunt, they cannot endure the true glasse, which sheweth their deformities, least their mindes should be troubled: Such are they, Iob 22. as it is Iob. 22. which say vnto God, Depart from vs; those blind­fold themselues that they may not see, and therefore their fall shall bee iustly imputed vnto themselues. Others beholding their deformities in the glasse, depart away offended with the Glasse, and not with them­selues, defending their vices for ver­tues: Those are like wicked King Ahab, which hated the Prophet [Page 229] Micheas, for speaking the truth, &c. 1. Reg. 22.