DAVID 's Catechisme.
SInce the ancient and laudable constitution of our Church, and profitable practice therein of Catechising Children is so much sleighted and neglected in this declining age of the world, that many, not caring for GOD, fall out with the Man and meanes which should make them good and godly. It hath pleased this King's sacred Maiestie, in his princely care of his people, and zeale unto Gods glory, (by especiall Command) to revive the same.
I, though the meanest of my brethren, yet a Minister of the Gospell of Christ, thought it my duty, not onely to perform the same in my particular charge; but also (according unto my ability) to publish unto the view of others, the [Page 2]Antiquity and necessity thereof, in the exposition of these words of the Psalmist, Psal. 34.11.
Come yee Children, Text, Psal. 34.11 hearken unto mee; I will teach you the feare of the Lord.
In handling of which words, I will speake;
First, Division. of the Parties who are invited to Hearken; Children: Come yee Children, hearken unto mee.
Secondly, of him that will teach them, DAVID; a Prince, and a Prophet: I will teach you.
Thirdly, and lastly, the Lesson which hee will learne them, The feare of God: I will teach you the feare of the Lord.
First, concerning the Parties who are invited to hearken,
I observe these three things:
- 1, their Name.
- 2, their Invitation.
- 3, their Direction.
First, their Name: Children.
Secondly, their Invitation: Come.
Thirdly, their Direction: Hearken. Come yee Children, hearken.
By name they are called children, Varro. Pueri, quasi puri; as Iuvenis from Iuvans: a child is called puer, because he is Pure.
I know that Children in this place, may be taken for all Inferiors, and subordinate estates of men: yea, an old man too, Isai. 65.20. Puer contum annerum. whose age hath snowne downe winter upon his head; whose hayres be heraulds of prudence, centum annorum, may be a child, for his puerisenes. How be it, the ancient Fathers use the word more strictly, eyther for them who had newly received the faith; or else for Children, who learned the rudiments of Religion, whom they else-where tearmed, Catechumenoi; Tertul. de poenit. for Tertullian hath these words, Nemo sibi aduletur, quia inter auditorum tyrocinia deputatur, &c. where hee understandeth by Auditors, hearers; those onely who are named altogether by Origen, Catechumenoi, who are taught the principall doctrines of Christian Religion: And S. Cyprian saith: that, Cypr. epist. lib. 32. epist. 22. Optarus. With consent of Ministers, Teachers and Readers, hee ordained Optatus, doctorem audientium: A teacher or instructer of hearers, id est, of young men who were catechised. Pantaenus. Such a Teacher of such Hearers was Pantaenus, immediately after the Apostles time, Clemens in the Church of Alexandria, whom Clemens [Page 4]succeeded in the same Office: and after him followed Origen, Origen. Clemen's Scholler, being chosen and ordayned by Demetrius, then Bishop of Alexandria: Hercules. Greg. Nyss. Orat. 1. and Hercules succeeded Origen.
Againe, Gregory Nissen, in his first Oration, giveth us to understand; that, The Pastors of the Church, in the beginning, auditoribus proponerent, did deliver unto their Auditors, or hearers, certaine easie lessons of Religion, as it were their A, B, C; & then by degrees they explained and opened unto them more hard and hidden mysteries of Divinity. All which serve for proofe of what I have alleaged already, to wit; that, by Children, the ancient Fathers understand their Catechumenoi, young men trayned up in the rudiments of Christian Religion. They therefore, who are to learne the doctrine of the beginning of Christ, Heb. 6.11. Mat. 18.3. as the Apostle speaketh, they I say are stiled Children. And CHRIST saith: Nisi conversi ac facti ut pueruli, nequaquam ingrediemini in regnum Coelorum, which Christ himselfe hath demonstrat in his owne person, becoming a Child for us, and leading [Page 5]us the way. These, I say, are in many things like unto those Catechumenoi I spake of before; for, they were taught a Catechisme, id est, A Christian forme of Religion; and so must these: they gave an account of their faith; and so must these: they learned plaine and easie doctrine: at the first, but afterwards increased in all knowledge in heauenly things; and so must these.
Now, as in some things the condition of these much resembleth theirs; so, in others (through the favour & grace of GOD) they farre excell them: for, these are descended of christian parents; those were born, some of Infidels, some of Heretikes, some of meere strangers from the covenant of grace.
With these, Baptisme goeth before instruction, and Catechizing: with those, Catechizing went before Baptisme. This I prove by the seventh decree of the first Councel of Constantinople, 1. Conc. Constantinop. Can. 7. where the right or custome in the westerne Churches of receiving Heretikes, after hearty sorrow and repentance for their sinne, is described. The Decree speaketh thus: The first day wee [Page 6]admit them to bee Christians, the next day Catechumenoi, id est, young Schollers in the faith: Elementarios ac quasi fidei tyrones: they are the words of the Councell: The third day wee receive them, Ter insufflando, by breathing three times into their faces and eares; and then wee baptize them for men borne of unbeleeving parents, or Heretikes, or Infidels.
The Councell did well to provide, that they should make confession of their faith before they received that Sacrament, which is the seale of our adoption. But for us, who are descended of the faithfull, wee are baptized in our infancy; because, that as the Covenant of Circumcision, made unto Abraham, did belong unto all the Children of Abraham; so doth Baptisme, which succeedeth in the place of Circumcision, belong unto all the Children of the faithfull.
What then? must they therefore refuse instruction who are baptized already? No verily; for, they are baptized, that, as soone as they are able to comprehend, with all Saints, the good will of GOD; so soone they should begin to [Page 7]learne to know GOD, and to set forth his glory, according to the charge at Baptisme: and therefore this custome of Catechising, and teaching Children the rudiments of Religion, is so ancient as DAVID himselfe; and so much in use in the Apostles time, that the Apostle Saint Paul, Gal. Gal. 6.6. useth the words [...], him that is taught, & him that hath taught him; as our English hath in most translations: Wee might as well translate him that is catechized, & him that hath catechized him: for, [...] being derived of [...] and [...] noteth as much as Personare, or Circumsonare, To have our eares sound againe with wholsome precepts taught or catechized. Tull. Offic. lib. 1. Tully doth expresse this word to the life, saying: Ʋtile est aures tuas talibus vocibus undique circumsonare.
As this custome of Catechizing hath beene ancient: so, how needefull it is, Necess. experience can witnesse; for, Catechize and instruct Young men and Children in the feare of the Lord, and the knowledge of his Commaundements, they will take delight therin while they live: [Page 8]as otherwise, and much rather, teach them fables, lyes, and vanities, & they will never forget them; like to the Caske, Quo semel est i [...]buta recens serv [...] odorem Testa diu Horat. epist. which ever savoreth of the first liquor which is powred into it, whether it bee good or bad, that pleads prescription to all that shall succeed after; therefore DAVID bids Children, Come to hearken unto him: and Salomon, his Son, saith: Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when hee is old hee shall not depart from it: who, being about 12 yeares of age, gave that profound Sentence concerning the true mother of the childe: Luk. 2.42. and our Saviour, at that age, disputed with the Doctors. And therefore that old ill Proverbe, hatched in Hell, Angelicos in Satanam verti, ubi consenuerint: Young Saints, old Divels, is here confuted, and sent backe to the place from whence it came.
Should wee not beginne betimes? Circumcision was commanded on the eighth day, and Baptisme any day sooner; that, as Hercules in his Cradle, Monstra superavit prius quam nosce possit: so wee might, in Baptisme, ever vanquish the Divel before wee know him. [Page 9] Samuel, so soone as hee was weaned, 1. Sam. 1.24. was consecrated to the Lord. But many will be Mammothrepti, rather then Ablacta [...]j; rather never weaned, then consecrated to the Lord.
And, lest any should deeme the female Sexe exempted from such exercise, I will propose 2 only Hieron. ad Laet. de Instit. filiae. And Hieron. ad Gaudent. de Infant. educ. First the Psalmes, then the Proverbs, then Eccles. then Iob, then the Gospels, then the Acts, then the Epist. then the bookes of Moses, of the Kings, of Chron. of Esd. of Hester, and last of all the Canticles, Horat. are poetic. examples, the one of Paula; the other of Pacatula: the one, the daughter of Laeta; the other of Gaudentium: both yong, both Virgins; unto whose Mothers, Ierome gives direction, what bookes of the Scripturs in order, when, and how they should read them; and what use they should make of them. And the Israelites were charged to teach their Children the things that GOD had done for them; because commonly, men never forget that which they haue learned in their yonger yeares: for example, A Young man heareth a lewd tale, or beholdeth an unchast spectacle; hee remembreth the same a great deale better then if hee had heard a grave Sermon, or godly exhortation; because hee taketh more delight in vaine things, then in godliness. And no marvaile; for, a [Page 10]Young man is Cereus in vitium flecti. And, one better learned in Divinity then hee, even S. Augustine himselfe makes it good, saying: Adolescens is ponior ad peccandum.
Who seeth not how prone the cogitation of a young mans heart is unto that which is evill? And yet, who will not confesse, that good and wholsome counsell and instruction will sanctifie his thoughts, and make him tread a godly life? VVherefore, the counsell of Virgil, Virg. georg. lib. 2. Quintil. li. 1. cap. 3. Adeo a teneris consuescere multum est, is fit for all youth; because, as Quintilian saith: Frangas citius, quam corrigas quae in pravum induruerunt: Evill customes are hardly broken off; if a man accustome himselfe to any notorious vice, while hee is a young man, verily, hee doth seldome or never leave the same all his life long. I will goe no further then the prophane swearer, who will witness what I say to be true: I seldome heard of any young swearer, that in elder years could wholly leave his swearing: If there be any amongst them, better natured, or better nurtured then others, they will ingenuously [Page 11]confess, being admonished of their fault, that, they knew not whether they did sweare, or no: Thus, with their oaths, their fearefull oaths, as with so many speares, they wound the sides of CHRIST at unawares; and yet, like drunken men, they know not what they doe.
Is it then so dangerous for a young man to accustome himselfe unto evill wayes? Is it so hard for any, that taketh delight in sinning, to bee reclaimed? Then, let every young man give heede unto instruction; let him be willing to bee Catechized: let him bee an auditor and hearer of those lessons which shall bee taught him: Prov. 2.3. let him call for knowledge, and cry for understanding, and seeke for her as gold, and search for her as for treasures: let him attend unto the Invitation, and follow the Direction, and hee shall understand The feare of the Lord, the totall of my Text. Thus much for the name, Children.
2 Come I now unto the Invitation, in this word, Come; which is but a word, The Invitation. and therefore but a word of it. And, though it be but a word, yet it bids us, [Page 12] Come, that CHRIST at the last may say, Come. And so, like a Schollers, or Saints Bell, it rings and rouses us from the bed of carnall security, and invites us unto the Church and Schoole of CHRIST, to listen willingly. How little any excuse will prevaile, that in S. Lukes Gospell will satisfie; Luk. 14.18 where, though all their excuses were made, Ʋnanimiter, ioyntly; yet were they all, Inaniter, vainely: unlesse to incense the Master of the Feast the more against them. Come then, well and welcome, unto
The Direction, The direction. Hearken. It is not then sufficient to Come; for, so do some, whose desire is, soone to bee gone, or, fairely to fall asleepe: so that, if at all, they must be taken napping, Ecclus. 22.10. Who so telleth a foole of wisdome, is as a man which speaketh to one that is asleepe, when hee hath tould his tale, hee saith: VVhat is the matter?
Some come as to the waters of Marah, Exod. 4.15. to bee made bitter, rather then better.
Some, Act. 19.32. like those in the 19 Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, The more [Page 13]part knew not wherfore they were come together. Yea, many may come like the Sodomits unto Lots doore, with open eyes, yet see no better then Bats. I will therefore tell you as my Text tels mee, wherefore you must Come: To hearken.
Come yee Children and hearken.
Before wee can possibly attaine unto the knowledge of any thing whatsoever, wee must first heare the same expounded unto us: and therefore it is not (I suppose) without great reason said: that, Hearing is the sense of learning; because, men can never learn that which they never heard. I confesse, some question hereof may bee made, because Aristotle seemeth to say as much of the sight, Arist. motaph. lib. 1 cap. 1. in the first Chapter of the Metaphis. where hee calleth the sight, Sensum cognitionis: The sense of Learning.
Although wee confesse indeed, that the sight is a most excellent Sense: yet, in this case, Philosophy must give place unto Divinity; and the Eye to the Eare. Listen then unto Lactantius, Lactant. inflit. lib. 3. ca. 9. better read in Gods booke then Aristotle, who saith: Plus est in auribus quam [Page 14]in oculis situm, quoniam & doctrina et sapientia percipi auribus solis potest, oculis solis non potest: There is more in mans eares then eyes, for that learning and wisdome may be obtained by the eares onely, but not by the eyes: and wee see many blind men excell in wisdom and learning: but deafe men, not any. The Apostle S. Paul Rom. 10.14 makes it plaine in the tenth to the Romans, saying: How shall they call on him, in whom they have not beleeved? and how shall they beleeve in him, of whom they have not heard? & how shall they heare without a Preacher? Whence, in a word, it appeareth, that, Without speciall revelation, or extraordinary calling, no man ever knew GOD at any time, or beleeved in him whom hee hath sent, IESVS CHRIST, but by hearing the Word preached, 1. Cor. 4.1. and being Catechized by them who are the Ministers of CHRIST, and the disposers of the secrets of GOD.
So then, they that are desirous to know how good & gracious the Lord is: They that will know, what the will of GOD, and feare of the LORD is: They that long after the newes of their [Page 15]salvation, let them bring their attentive eares with them to the Churches and congregation of the faithful, & there let them hear what the spirit saith unto thē by the Ministers, that therby they may beleeve and bee saved.
If then these things bee so? Who will deny, that there is a great necessity of this charge of the Prophet DAVID in this place?
Now, as it is necessary to heare with their bodily eares, so is it much more needefull to hear with the eares of their understanding: whence, S. Augustine hath observed, A two-fould hearing:
- 1, Auditus Corporis.
- AND,
- 2, Auditus Cordis.
1 A hearing of the body; and, a hearing of the heart & understanding also. The Iewes heard enough, but understood little enough: So, Acts. 26.24 Festus heard Paul preach of the death and resurrection of CHRIST, but hee wanted the eare of understanding, and therefore hee cryed out with a loud voyce: Paul, Thou art besides thy selfe, much learning hath made thee mad. 2 But MARIE, when she sat [Page 16]at IESVS feet, and heard him preach, did heare with both eares; as well of the understanding, as of the body: And therefore CHRIST pronounceth of her: Luk. 10.24 that, Shee had chosen the good part, which should not be taken from her. And S. Hiero hath these words on the 1 Chapter of Ioel: Hieron. in 1. Cap. Ioel. Auditus in sacris Scripturis non est iste sonus qui in aure resonat, sed qui in corde percipitur, iuxta illud, Qui habet aures audiendi audiat: The good Father is of opinion; that, As often as mention is made of hearing in the holy Scriptures, wee are to understand the hearing of the heart, & not that which soundeth in the eare onely; according unto that, Hee that hath eares to heare, let him heare. Without all doubt, the Holy Ghost, where he speaketh of hearing, laboureth, by all meanes, to perswade us unto a due understanding of those things which wee heare; for, all cannot understand at the first: What better meanes then Catechizing can there bee to strengthen the understanding? They must therefore heare, and bee catechized, that so they may understand. Act. 2.41. Happy were those 3000 soules, [Page 17]even 3000 at once, who understandingly heard that one Sermon of Peters. Act. 8.3 [...]. And the Eunuch of Aethiopia did well to bee Catechized by Philip, and heare him expound the Prophet Isai unto him. And it was the best houre that ever S. Augustine spent in his whol life, when hee went to heare the eloquence of S. Ambrose; for so, of a Manachie, hee became a true Christian: and the rest of Infidels became faithful; and, by comming to heare, obtayned mercy at the hands of GOD, to understand that which was taught them, and to beleeve in the name of CHRIST IESVS. Wherfore, I exhort all, in the name of Iesus Christ, that, so often as they come or repayre to any divine exercise, they come to heare, and heare to understand what the Spirit of GOD saith unto them: for, when they come & not heare, they despise the ordinance of GOD: when they heare, and not understand, or beleeve, the Word becommeth unfruitfull unto them, and all their hearing is in vaine; which Catechizing will helpe. Quid est audi? Ambros. [...]. 25. in Psal. 119. (saith S. Ambrose) non otiosè dicitur, quod commune [Page 18]est omnibus, & suppetit umversis ipso jure naturae, &c. What is meant by Heare, saith he? It is not an idle charge, when wee are commanded to heare, since it is common unto all men to heare, and it agreeth with every man naturally. Therefore, it is not without great cause that this charg is here given, because, many times, men heare against their wills, and when they are otherwise occupied; yet are they wont to heare a sound, and the voyce of him that speaketh: Therfore, it behoveth those that are present in body, to bee present in minde, and minde to understand; that, hearing, they may heare; and, seeing, they may see the wondrous things of the Law; the power of the Gospell; the feare of the Lord; the efficacy of the Spirit; and the strange and admirable operation of the feare and word of the LORD.
It is written of the Iewes, that they heard the mysteries of the Law, but they did not understand the same: wherefore the Lord saith: Heare O my people, and I will speake unto you. Now, the word of GOD is spirituall, therefore [Page 19]heare spiritually. When the Voyce spake from heaven, what did it say? Surely, nothing else, but, This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased; Mat. 17.3 heare him: to shew, That wee are sooner drawne to beleeve in the Sonne of GOD, by hearing, then by any sense besides. Provided, Mat. 4.24. Luk. 8.18. that wee take heed what wee heare; how wee heare; and whom wee heare: for, many are night walkers, but light talkers; Philip. 3.18 being enemies of CHRIST's Crosse: have the shewe of godliness, but deny the power thereof in their heart: whose meat is their maker, and belly their god; whose body being given to ease, and minde to content, shunne labour, be it never so wholsome: fly affliction, be it never so holy. Tel them of catechizing, they will say: It is novelty: informe them of right hearing, they wil answer; It is foolishness, though, indeed, it bee the same which makes us wise unto salvation.
Theophrastus in Plutarch, could say: Plutarch de Auditione. that, Hearing, of all other Senses, especially, engendreth greatest motions and perturbations of the minde: and I [Page 20]may say: that, It bringeth greatest ioyes and delights unto the Inner man, and unto the spirit; for, hereby our faith in, and feare of the LORD is bred in us: our hope is increased: our patience confirmed: our godly meditations enlarged: our affiance strengthened: sinne abated: Sathan foyled: and the powers of Hell and Darkenesse vanquished and overcome. Wherfore, I say no more then the Spirit hath said in the Revelation: Rev. 2.29 Let him that hath an eare, heare. And thus much bee spoken of the parties who are to heare: and consequently, of their name, Invitation and Direction.
Now, of the person whom they are to heare, in this word MEE: or, the party who wil teach them, in these: I wil teach you: which, because they belong both unto one person, I will not sever them, but for unity and peace sake, conioyne them: and as M. Curius saith: Duos parietes de eadem fideliâ dealbare: where you may see the blessed Prince of peace and lover of unity, proposing unto his people a rule in Divinity.
Those then who desire to know [Page 21]this was whom they were to hear; here my Text tels them, DAVID himselfe: Come yee children and hearken unto mee; MEE, your Prince; MEE, your Prophet: And I, your Preacher; I, your Father (for so hee was unto them) will be your Teacher: I will teach you. Hee, having as it were, the Sword in one hand, and the word in the other: one, teaching; the other terrifying them: for, terrifying, and not teaching, may savour of tyranny: and, to teach, and not to terryfie, may make them lazie. Therefore, hee uses his Princely power in his Propheticall Office: I will teach you, &c. Here is teaching with authority.
This perfect patterne of a compleat Prince, not pictured in Plato, nor fayned in Xenophon, but formed according to GOD's owne heart, is here really, and royally parallel'd by his sacred Maiestie, our Gracious SOVERAIGNE: informed, by Gods Spirit, in all holy knowledge; and conformed unto DAVID himselfe in all godly practice.
His sanctified wisdome and knowledg, my heart doth rather ioyfully conceive, [Page 22]then my pen can sufficiently expresse: his holy Commaunds, divine Expositions, and sacred Directions, in his severall Bookes, doe best expresse.
What zeale hee hath ever had, and still hath unto Gods House, and to set forth his Glorie; what dangers he hath escaped, & thankefulnesse unto GOD, the Author thereof, ordayned: what a blessing Hee hath been unto this Kingdome disioynted, when it was, in danger of inundation, and innovation, after the late Queenes death of blessed memorie, in his peaceable entrance; comfortable union; continuance of peace, and prevention of warre; preserving the truth, and confuting error: If any bee ignorant of the translated BIBLE, his owne Workes, & wholsom Lawes, to the ioy of all loyall hearts, will ever testifie him, Wife, Learned, Good, and Godly.
And, how in this particular his most Excellent Maiesty, de jure, hath resembled this princely Prophet, all Iurisdictions within his Maiesties Dominions, de facto, can witnesse.
Since then, this notable authority is [Page 23]not built upon the notable foundation of hearesay, but of the knowne truth, not denied by her adversaries; it ought much to move all loyall hearts, to remove all lets that may hinder this godly Exercise; & with all alacrity to stirre them uppe with an earnest desire for Gods glory, and their owne good, to bee instructed thereby.
3 And so I come to the doctrine which this princely Prophet will preach, or Lesson that hee will teach them, The feare of GOD; I will teach you the feare of the Lord.
First, I will speake of the Quality; then of the Obiect.
1 The quality, Feare, in holy Scripture is diversly taken: but especially, two wayes. First, 1 it is taken for an awfull dread and reverence of GOD, which makes us carefull to obey, and fearefull to offend: by which we make conscience of all our words and works, as standing in the presence of GOD: Which ELIAH thought fit to produce, as an argument the better to perswade ACAB to give faith unto the truth which hee did deliver. 1. Reg. 17. And the [Page 24]good Theefe's words unto the bad, upon the Crosse, were these: Fearest thou not God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? (as if hee had said) Art thou so destitute of grace, as not to consider the place and case wherein thou art? Hast thou no feare or awe of him who now taketh vengeance, and executeth iudgement upon thee for thy former sinnes and iniquities? How darest thou still persist to revile and raile upon this innocent and iust Man? Fearest thou not GOD? And by this Feare, DAVID directeth all men, erring in this vaile of misery; saying, Stand in awe and sin not. Psal. 4.4. PSAL. 4.4.
Secondly, 2 Feare is taken for the whole worship and service of GOD: And so it is to bee understood in this place: as if hee should say, Listen unto mee and I will teach you the true worship of GOD according unto that of the Prophet Isaiah 29, Isai. 29.13. where God saith: Their feare towards me was taught by the precepts of men: (id est) Their Religion, and manner of worship was taught by mans traditions, and not by my word. Mat. 15. Which our Saviour Christ [Page 25]himselfe interpreteth after the same manner: saying, In vaine do they worship mee, teaching for doctrine the precepts of men. And the oath that IACOB took, Gen. 31.42 Gen. 31. was by the feare of his father ISAAC (i.) by the feare of GOD which was in his father ISAAC: as if hee should say; I sweare by that GOD whom my Father adores: for God is sometimes called by names effective; Our health, wealth, strength, and salvation: because all these come from him from whom proceedeth every good and perfect gift: sometimes obiective; Our Ioy; our Hope; our Love; our feare: because hee is the obiect of all these, and therfore should be the scope and end of all our worship and service of GOD affective.
Secondly, 2 Tertull. Apol. cap. 34. consider we then the Obiect of this Feare: The LORD; which Tertullian saith: Is the very Surname of GOD, and is most commonly in Scripture applied unto CHRIST, the Second person, and that by consent of the whole Trinity: Ioh. 13.13. by CHRIST himselfe, Ioh. 13. Yee call me Lord and master, and yee say well, for so am I: by his [Page 26]Father, Act. 2.36. who hath made him both Lord and Christ: and by the holy Ghost, in the mouth of men: Hic est omnium dominus: Act. 10.36. Psal. 1 10. This Iesus Christ is Lord of all men. And DAVID himselfe saith: The Lord said unto my Lord, &c. Yet because the doctrine here is generall; and also in the Epistle unto the Ephes. 4. Eph. 4.4. the Apostle applyeth the word unto the whole Trinity, Ʋnus Dominus: it will not be amisse here so to doe. [...]. Take then the Lord, either as he is absolute & entire of himselfe, his most lively & perfect essence: Ens ille; ille qui essentiam suam à seipso habet: or take him in his attributes and properties, wherein hee is the same with himself: for, Quicquid est in Deo Deus est. Or view him in his Iustice, a dreadfull GOD, a God of vengeance: Vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord. MOSES could not endure his sight, nor the people his voyce: O let not God speake unto us; that is, immediatly, by himselfe, lest we dye. Or take notice of GOD in the sweetest property of his nature, his infinite mercy and loving kindness, not diminishing our accounts, as the Steward in the [Page 27]Gospell, who for a 100, sets down 50: but utterly can celling our bills, & blotting all our wickednesse our of his remembrance.
Consider the LORD (I say) either in his Maiesty, or Mercy: as he is a God of vengeance or patience, hee is to bee feared. This Feare of the Lord, Psal. 111.10. Eccles. 12.13 Psal. 145.15 Psal. 115.13 is the beginning of wisdome, and the end of all. Those which fear him shall be his schollers, Psal 145. And he will fulfill their desire & blesse them all great and small his hands is over them to defend them: and his eye is upon them like a pitifull Father, to extend mercy: Psal. 33.17. Psal. 103.13 Psal. 103.9 and the mercifull goodness of this Lord unto these endureth for ever and ever. And therfore they lacke nothing (i.) nothing that is good for them. View this by experience; Was there ever any that feared the Lord disappointed? How fared it with Iacob, Iob, and others his saints and servants? Psal. 12 [...]. [...]. Hee hath given meat unto them that feare him: yea, they are all blessed: for the Lord's delight is in them that feare him. You have seene the benefit: behold the beauty of this feare: The beauty of God's feare. The feare of the Lord is a pleasant garden [Page 28]of blessing, and there is nothing so beautifull as it is, the fruit of this garden is blisse, Heclus, 40.27 & nothing so beautifull as it is.
You have heard of the parties invited by Name and Direction, if you did hearken to the word, Hearken: and of him that taught them, DAVID, a Prince and a Prophet: & of the benefit and beauty of God's feare, the lesson for our learning, by mee; though neither Prophet, Amos 7.14 nor Son of a Prophet: yet by the grace of GOD, I am that I am, a Servant of GOD and Preacher and prisoner of Iesus Christ: Paul to Philem. August. Fam. 10. ser. 16. p. 49. & say with S. August. Domino iubente loquor, quo terrente non taceo: The Lord commands mee, wherefore I speake; hee threatens if I forbeare, and therefore I dare not keepe silence.
Learne this Lesson then, Application. for the worthiness of the Author, and worth of the matter; both giving life unto our learning. But what, can every man learne? will some say. I answer: Hath God given unto every one, an eare to heare; a tongue to speake; a heart to understand; and a memory to beare away, let him pray unto GOD, who [Page 29]made the deafe to heare, the dumbe to speake, the simple, to understand; the sicke and the diseased to remember the great workes of the LORD: hee will much rather open his ears, that he may heare; untye his tongue, that hee may speake; mollifie his heart, that he may understand; and strengthen his memory to retaine the same: provided, that herewithall he ioyne his owne industry and paines; which is, obediently and reverently to frequent the Congregation; to be catechized and instructed. Repetition is practised in other Arts and Sciences, although in none as it ought more then catechizing in Divinity. If we cannot repeat what we have learned in other Arts, it is a plaine proofe, wee have not learned them as wee should. And shall wee be thought to have learned many things, nay indeed, any thing in Religion, when we cannot render an account of the Articles of our Creed, or the ten Commandements.
Give mee leave to propose the 400 Catechizing houses which were in Ierusalem▪ as also, our English trayterous [Page 30]Seminaries, for an example of paines and industry unto you: learne of those Schollers of Antichrist, who are so studious in their generations, to bee likewise studious, painefull, & desirous to bee catechized and instructed in the wayes of godliness. If you use the same diligence that they beare the world in hand they doe, you may prove as learned as they are accounted: As they be learned in the language of the Caldeans, so may you bee learned in the language of Canaan: as they are taught to maintaine the pride of that Romish Strumpet, so may you bee furnished with all good knowledge to maintaine the simplicity of the Gospell, and true Religion: they, Antichrist; you, our Lord and onely CHRIST: they, the Pope you, the true & ever living GOD.
Wherefore, in a word, use all diligence, and with diligence, ioyne meditation and prayer, that you may profit hereby in the feare of the Lord, & therin provoke others to doe the like; and win our adversaries, the Papists, to the truth; who, seeing your increase in sound learning, and fear of GOD, may [Page 31]follow you in both: That the idle may leave his sloath, seeing your labours: that the ignorant may bee ashamed, beholding your knowledg: the wicked liver reclaimed, seeing your care to walk in the fear of the LORD: that you your selves may bee edified, and presented blamelesse at that great and fearfull day of the Lord IESVS: To whom, with the Father, and the holy Ghost; three Persons, and one GOD be ascribed all power, maiestie, might, and dominion, both now and ever.
AMEN.