THe sence is, Many are the slaunders, & great are y ^e iniuries, which the wicked (O Lord my God, the Father, the Sonne, & the holy Ghost, thrée persons and one eternall God) do raise vp a­gainst me thy humble, and obedient ser­uant, being vpright (as thou knowest) and innocent of that great offence, to séeke the destruction of thine anointed Saul, (which whosoeuer doth, shall ne­uer be guiltlesse in thy sight) as I now am: and for as much as thou knowest, that to be deliuered from lying lippes, & flaunderous toungs, I earnestly desire, that mine integritie and vprightnes be­ing knowen vnto thy maiestie, may al­so vnto mē appeare, I put not my trust, as worldlings do, in any worldly thing, but my trust being fully fixed in the only [Page] one God, I humbly, and hartily, in the name, and by the mediation of thy dear­ly beloued sonne Iesus Christ, the Mes­sias which is to come, beséech thée to de­liuer me; so shall I praise thy name all the daies of my life.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. In all our afflictions we must lift vp our hearts to God only, by Praier. The reason is. It is the hand wherwith the Lord from heauen reach­eth his benefits vnto vs. Vse. Vse. Let vs exercise it at all times. For euen as the birdes and fowles of the aire, that they may escape the nettes and snares of the fowlers, flie vp on high: so we, to auoid the infinit snares of our enemies, and in­numerable temptations, must lift vp our selues from the corruptions, lying vani­ties, and deceitful sleights of the world, by earnest and harty praier. When the sacred Scriptures mention the honoring of God, the chiefest point which it set­teth downe to vs, is prayer; and had this bene obserued as it ought to be, the man­ner thereof had bene much more estée­med among men, so as they would not haue so swarued one way, nor other, but haue folowed that which the holy Scrip­ture [Page] teacheth. But now, men regard not profitably to pray, they respect not in what maner they pray, that their praier might be accepted of God: but most men rush in, and steppe to it, like blind Bayard, and come not dutifully, and re­uerently, as they ought, to the Lord. From whence procéedeth this vnreue­rent behauior? Euen from hence: Be­cause men accompt not of it, to be of so great importance as it is: for if we tooke it for the chiefe point of the seruice of God, as it is, it is certaine wée would more hartily, zealously, and reuerently take it in hand.

2. Doct. 1. verse. Vnto thee, O Lord. Doct. 2 Praier must be made to God only, in y ^e name of Iesus Christ. For he onely hea­reth vs, he onely, euen Iesus Christ praieth for vs, he onely vnderstandeth our praiers, he onely is more ready to help, thē we to aske. Vse. Vse. Let vs ther­fore not pray vnto Sainctes departed: for we ought not to pray to thē. 2. They pray not for vs. 3. They vnderstand not our Prayers. The Papists assertiō is, that Saincts departed are with great profit and piety called vpon, and praied [Page] vnto, R. 1. Tim 2. sect. 4. B. cap. 19 lib. 1. De sanctorū beatit. and that it is not onely lawful, but godly so to do. Arg. 1. They say, they pray not to Saincts, as authors of any benefit or grace, but as Intercessors on­ly: neither doe they make them imme­diate intercessors, but onely through Christ, concluding all their praiers, Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Ans. 1. It is false, that they pray vnto them as in­tercessors onely: for they desire them not onely to praie for them, but to haue mer­cie vpon them: For thus they praie, O blessed Ladie, haue mercy vpon vs, pre­serue thy seruants, let the merites of S. Mary bring vs to the kingdome of hea­uen. Answ. 2. It is also false, that they make them not immediat intercessors, but conclude their praiers, Per Christum Dominum nostrum: for in that blasphe­mous praier, Tu per Thomae sanguinem, quem pro nobis impendit, fac, nos Christe, scandere, quo Christus ascendit. By the blood of Thomas, O Christ, which hée shed for vs, make vs to clime whither he ascended. There they aske life eternal of Christ, by the blood of Thomas of Can­terbury. How then is it true, which the Rhemists affirme, y ^e Christ alone by his [Page] merites procureth all grace and mercy towards mankind? Praiers are made to S. Mary, S. Osmōd, S. Anne, S. Ka­therine, and none of them concludeth, Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Like­wise An. 1551. in Scotland it was as good doctrine amongst the Papists, that it was lawful to say the Pater noster to Saincts, that we may call them our fa­thers, & say, Hallowed be your names, because God hath made their names ho­ly: and, that their kingdome may come, because the kingdome of heauē is theirs by possession; and further, that their will may be done, seing their will is Gods will: & so of the other petitions. Wher­by it appeareth, that they would haue prayers made vnto Saincts properly, e­uē as vnto God. Arg. 2. Exod. 32.13. Moses thus praieth, Remember Abra­ham, Isaac and Iacob thy seruants. Mo­ses hopeth here, to haue his praiers heard by the merites of these holy men. Ans. Moses rehearseth here onely the coue­nant, which the Lord made with these holy men, and their séed, as the words following do shew: To whom thou swa­rest by thine owne selfe, and saidst vnto [Page] them, I will multiply your seede. Mo­ses therefore pleadeth not the merites of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, but vr­geth and presseth the promises of God, and couenant made with them. That prayer is onely to be made vnto God, and to no creature at all, as beyng an especiall part of the worship of GOD, which wée ought not to giue to any o­ther, thus it is proued by the word of God. Arg. 1. Rom. 10.14. How shall they call vpon him, in whom they haue not beleeued? But wée must beléeue onely in God, and therefore wée ought onely to pray to him. Auns. Rhe. It is true: no more can we pray to our Lady, nor any Sainct in heauen, vnlesse wée beléeue they can help vs. Auns. The sa­cred Scriptures euery where teach vs, that we must beléeue in God, & that they are cursed, that put any cōfidence in mā, Ier. 17.5. Againe they can haue none as­surance to settle their cōsciences, but out of y ^e Scriptures: They haue a vaine per­suasiō of the ability of Saints to help thē: but they haue no ground of any such be­lief out of the Scriptures. We sée then, y ^t we ought to pray to God only, in y ^e name [Page] of our Lord Iesus Christ. We must not only in aduersity, but in prosperity do it: we must do it ordinarily, seing y ^t we can­not liue one minute of an howre, with­out the gracious help, & merciful assistāce of our good & gracious God. And the fa­uour which we looke for at his hands, cō ­sisteth not onely in deliuering vs from death, when we are at the pits brim, (as y ^e ignorant imagine) but also in daily pre­seruing vs, & in turning away all euil frō vs. For we sée, that we are in this life cō ­tinually besieged with an hundred daun­gers, & the miseries whereunto we are subiect, are without number. You sée thē that we ought to cal vpon God, not only whē he toucheth vs, & smiteth, as though he laid hard stroakes vpon vs, but euen when we be at peace & rest, perceyue, & e­uer do expect dangers towards vs: euen then it behooueth vs to consider, to how many miseries our life is subiect vnto, y ^t being persuaded y ^t we cannot escape, ex­cept God help vs, we may fly vnto him & say, Alas Lord, cōsider our miseries, kéep vs vnder the shadow of thy wings, euē vnder the protection, & by thy prouidēce make vs able to passe thorow al dāgers, [Page] which enuiron & hem vs in round about. This must be done both morning, noone, and night, abroad and at home, but espe­cially, morning and euening. Moreouer, let vs consider, that Sathan with sundry & manifold tēptations doth daily assault vs: Therfore let vs pray vnto God daily & howrely to deliuer vs by his power.

AS if the prophet had said, O my God, my hope is onely fixed on thée, let me not be confounded and put to shame, and so be derided of mine enemies. Doct. 1 1. Do­ctrine. Our hope ought to be fixed onely in the Lord. The Reason is: for that of him commeth our saluation. 2. Reason. Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord, who hath made heauen and earth, our fathers hoped in thée, they trusted in thée, & were not confounded. Iob 14.14. If a man die, shall he liue againe? all the dayes of mine appointed time (or war­fare) will I waite, vntill my chaunging come. Our hope must per­seuere. Which saying is worthy to be wel marked. For if we be tossed with neuer so many troubles, it is not enough, vpon [Page] some good motion & affection to say, Now must we trust in God: for that is no­thing, except wée hold out euen in the middest of all our encoūters. First ther­fore let vs marke, that Hope is not a daies bird, or a moneths birde, but must continue to the end. And doubtles, when we be fully setled on Gods promises, he holdeth vs still in the same, to the end we may not quaile euery day, but that whē we haue ouerpassed some time, we may alwaies be established more and more, vntill God hath performed the thinges which as yet he hath delaied vntill an­other time. You sée then, that it booteth not to haue had some good affection, or to haue trusted in God, except we continue so throughout. And Iob hath expressed it plainly, vnder the name of trauaile or battell. Why so? He meaneth not, that we goe to our God at our ease. As long as we suffer nothing, we can find in our hearts to liue still in this world, and to prolong our life double if it were possi­ble. Our desire is then, that God should handle vs without gréeuing vs, & please vs in all respects, and obay vs in all our desires. Sée how easily we would passe [Page] the time, if we might go but our owne pase, if we might haue no temptation, & y ^t there might be no heauines nor feare. But it is said, that we must giue atten­dance all our life long, yea euen with wrestling. In these words (al the daies) we are taught, that if the time linger, and séeme long to vs, we must not take it for an excuse to do euill, and to be grée­ued, and to giue ouer all in the middest of our iourney, but we must continue to the ende. Vnder this word battell or fighting, is expressed vnto vs the state of this present life, which is, that being but warfarre in this world, wee must be faine to fight, to be besieged on all sides, to be in continuall perill, to be tempted sometimes with cares, some­times with aduersities, and sometimes with some daungers. Therefore let vs thinke vpō it, Iob 13.15. Loe, though he slay me, yet will I put my trust in him, and I will reproue my waies in his sight. Psalm. 17.8. Keepe mee as the apple of the eye, hide me vnder the shadow of thy wings. Psalm. 57.1, 2. Haue mer­cy vpon mee, O God, haue mercy vp­on me: for my soule trusteth in thee, and [Page] in the shadow of thy winges will I trust, till these afflictions ouerpasse. verse. 2. I will call vnto the most high God, euen to the God that performeth his promise towards me. Simil. Augu­stini. We fasten now our hope in the holy land (of heauen) as an anchor, lest in the sea (of this world) we being troubled should make a ship­wracke. Euen as therefore of a ship that is at anchor, we say, Well, now it is at the land, although being in the Sea, the waues beate against it, yet after a cer­tain maner it is brought to land against windes and tempestes: euen so, against the temptations of this our pilgrimage, our hope being fownded in that cele­stiall Ierusalem, maketh vs as it were to be turned into stones. Laur. Iu­stinianus Patriar­cha. Sim. Hope is as it were a piller, which holdeth vp the spi­ritual building; which fayling, the buil­ding ruineth, and into the pit of despaire falleth. Heb. 6.19. Which hope we haue as an anchor of the soule, both sure, and it entreth into that which is within the vayle. Psalm. 52.2. My God, I trust in thee, let me not be confounded.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. Whosoeuer haue a strong cō ­fidence in God, will also ioyne prayer to [Page] God onely with their trust in him, that their enemies may not preuaile against them to their confusion. 1. Reason is, Prayer is a strengthning of our hope in God, and a meanes whereby we are de­liuered from cōfusion. Psal. 50.15. Call vpon me (saith God) in the day of thy trouble, and I will heare thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. Whoso praieth not to God, to be deliuered from confusion, which his enemies would bring him vnto, doth not onely oftentimes fall in­to it, as many exāples in the holy word are shewed, but is destitute of the hope of a Christian; and so by consequence, is voide from all comfort in his affliction, seing in trouble nothing comforteth the afflicted, but his hope, and confidence in God, [...]w for his deliuery. Let not mine ene­mies reioyce ouer me. Doct. 1 1. Doct. The property of the wicked is to reioyce at the confusion of the godly. Reason. Be­cause they hate nothing, neither any per­sons somuch, as the truth, and the pro­fessors thereof. Vse. The vse is first, to teach vs, that the greatest part of men shall al­waies be against the godly. Secondly, not to trust the friendship of the wicked. [Page] Lam. 2.16. All thine enemies do open their mouth against thee, they hisse and gnash their teeth, saying, Wee haue de­uoured it, certainly, this is the day wee looked for, we haue found and seene it. Hee saith not, enemy, but enemies. Doct. 2 2. Doct. The wicked will ioyne toge­ther to vexe the godly, although other­wise they agrée not among themselues. Psal. 2.2. The kings of the earth band themselues, and the Princes are assem­bled together against the Lord, and a­gainst his Christ. Example. Luk 23.12. And the same day Pilate and Herode were made friends together: for before they were enemies one to another. Vse. The Vse is, that we beware, lest we be spot­ted with that fault. Doct. 3 3. Doct. The wic­ked be often so enflamed with malice a­gainst the godly, that nothing will satis­fie them, but their life. Prou. 1.11. If they say, Come, we will lay waite for bloud, and lie priuily for the innocent without a cause: 12. wee will swallow them vp a­liue like a graue, euen whole as those that go downe into the pittes: 13. wee shall find all precious riches, and fill our hou­ses with spoile: 14. Cast in thy lot among [Page] vs, we wil haue but one purse. Ps. 79.2. The dead bodies of thy Sainctes haue they giuen to the fowles of the heauen, and the flesh of thy Sainctes vnto the beasts of the earth. vers. 3. Their bloud haue they shed like water round about Ierusalem, & there is none to bury them. vers. 4. Wee are a reproch to our neigh­bors, euē a scorne and derision to them that are round about vs. The Reason is, They thinke to florish without control­ment, and to be reuerenced, and to haue rest when they are dead, which during their life, they thinke and know that they shal not haue, as they expected. Esth. 3.5. And when Haman sawe that Mordecai bowed not the knee vnto him, nor did reuerence vnto him, then he was full of wrath. Vse. 1 The Vse is: First, that bloudy cruelty being the property of the wic­ked, that we labour with our selues that it be farre from vs. Vse. 2 2. Vse. To looke for all mischiefe from the wicked, that they can accomplish against vs. Psalm. 25.2. Let not mine enemies reioice. Doct. 4 4. Doct. Though the wicked do alwaies hate the godly, yet they wil oftē dissemble friend­ship, & shew forth their malice, only whē [Page] they haue oportunity thereunto. Psalm. 5.9. For there is no constancy in their mouthes, within they are vaine corrup­tion, their throte is an open sepulchre, and they flatter with their tongue. A­mos 1.9. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for foure, I will not turne to it, because they haue shut vp the whole captiuitie in Edom, and haue not remembred the brotherly couenant. The Reason is, Because they are wise in their owne generation, Luk. 16. and can waite their best aduan­tage. Vse. The vse is, To teach vs, First, neuer to trust the faire wordes of a pro­phane man, but so to behaue our selues, that we shall beware of him. Text. Let not mine enemies reioyce ouer mee.

Doct. 5 5. Doct. If we fall, and our enemies reioyce ouer vs, it is the Lords doing. The 1. Reason, He is almighty, and doth all thinges (although euill bée of Sa­than and man.) The 2. Reason. He hath the dominion of all creatures. Vse. The Vse is, to teach vs, First, to learne to feare him, and obay him, especial­ly in whose fauour nothing can hurt vs. Secondly, that in all afflictions we [Page] looke vp, and lift our soules to him that striketh, and examine our selues what cause we haue giuen him. Thirdly, to séeke reconciliation with him by praier and repentance: so shall the meanes that are against vs, be employed for vs, as Hamans galowes for Mordecai, which God chaunged, that hée himselfe was hanged thereon, and his 10. Sonnes, Esth. 10. Goliahs sword cut off his owne head, 1. Sam. 17. Text, vers. 3. So all that hope in thee, shall not be ashamed: but let them be confounded that trans­gresse without cause. (Paraphr.) And surely thou wilt not suffer them that de­pend vpō thée, to be put to shame: but ra­ther must these faithlesse persons that persecute the innocent, be brought there­unto.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. An assured hope of deliue­rance grounded vpon Gods promise, is the onely cause of the patience and hu­mility of Gods childrē in their troubles. The Reason is, First, because y ^e corrup­tiō of mans nature being of it self way­ward, cannot take afflictions patiently, without supernaturall helpe: therefore we say, Without Hope the heart would [Page] breake. Secondly, where there is no hope, there is no faith; where there is no faith, there is no patience. Thirdly, else the damned might haue patience; which they haue not, as appeareth by their gnashing of téeth. Vse. The Vse is, To teach vs to be careful, to vse the meanes of ob­taining hope, and growing in it, prai­sing God for such meanes we haue, and mourning for that we want.

TWo branches; a Consolation: an Imprecation.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. God preserueth from shame al that hope in him. The Reason is, Be­cause he hath promised so to do. Psal. 91.14. Because he hath loued me, therefore will I deliuer him. Secondly, he hath al­waies in greatest extremities deliuered his people. Psal. 22.4. Our fathers tru­sted in thee: they trusted, and thou did­dest deliuer them. verse 5. They called vpon thee, and were deliuered: they tru­sted in thee, and were not confounded. [Page] The vse is, That as wée beléeue the pro­mises of God in generall, so we must be­léeue them to appertaine to our selues especially: otherwise our hope and faith differeth not from the hope and faith of the Diuels: for they beléeue and trem­ble.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. God confoundeth often in this life, Cain, Babilo. Philistiās Egiptiās, Haman, Daniels, Sydracs, Misachs and A­bedna­goes ene­mies. alwaies (without true conuer­sion to God) in the life to come, all those, that by persecuting the godly without cause, do transgresse his lawes. The Reason is, That by persecuting them, they persecute Christ himselfe. Act. 9.4. And Saul fell to the earth, and heard a voyce saying vnto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee? verse 5. And hee said, Who art thou, Lorde? And the Lord said, I am Iesus, whom thou per­secutest: it is hard for thee to kicke a­gainst prickes. Zachar. 2.8. Hee that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eye. Vse. The vse is, First, to walke in the feare of God, and as members of the bo­dy of Christ, séeing he hath so great care of vs. Vse. The 2. vse, Not to be discouraged, although our afflictions by the wicked are long, in the end hée will burne the [Page] rodde. Vse. The 3. vse is, Let vs pray to God to endue vs with his spirite, rather to be persecuted, then to persecute the mēbers of Christ, séeing their end is so misera­ble. Iob 5.3. I haue seene the foolish wel rooted, and sodainly I cursed his habita­tion, saying, vers. 4. His children shalbe farre from saluation, and they shalbe de­stroied in the gate, and none shal deliuer them. vers. 5. The hungry shall eate vp his haruest, yea, they shall take it from among the thornes, and the thirsty shall drinke vp their substance.

Simil. Like as a tree tho­roughly well set­led and deepely rooted, standeth fast, al­though it be shaken with wind: euē so it see­meth, that af­ter God hath once planted the wic­ked, their raigne is for euer.But forasmuch as oftentimes the kickers against GOD do prosper, and are well at their ease, here is mention made of their estate, notwithstanding that men estéeme them happy to the worldward. Eliphas saith, that when hée saw a foolish man in prosperity, he iudged not, as men commonly doe, which is: This man is happy, he is bles­sed of GOD: but knew by and by, that the end of him shalbe euill, and that hée shall be punished euen in his of­spring. God doth oftentimes vtter such kind of sayings, to turne vs frō the false opinion which we may conceyue, when [Page] we see them not punished out of hand, that runne into such excesse of wicked­nes, but rather to our séeming are fauou­red of God. I know what the common opinion is; for we estéeme of things as they may be séene by the eye, & our mind wadeth no further. If God lift vp his hand, and execute any Iustice that may be séene, scarcely will men vouchsafe to regard it. But if he winke at thinges, and tarry patiently for the sinners, wée thinke him to be asléepe, and that he go­uerneth not the world, but letteth all thinges goe at randome, without any minde to remedy them. Sée how bloc­kish we be. But God sheweth vs, that the wicked persecutors cease not to bée cursed euen in the middest of their pros­perity, & that we néed not to spite them for their happy successe, as they terme it: For they must be doubly punished: so that it were farre better for them that they were miserable, because they shall pay ouer-déere for their pleasures.

And behold also why I said, that it be­houeth vs to marke well these sentēces, both of my text, which is, They shalbe confoūded that without cause persecute [Page] the Saincts of God: as also, I haue seene the foolish well rooted, and immediatly or sodainly I cursed his habitation. Be­cause both containe a profitable lesson, and because the Prophet Dauid, in this his prayer to God, saith, Let them be confounded, that transgresse without a cause. In which wordes he cursed his persecutors; not so much for that they were his enemies, but in persecuting him, they foolishly kicked against the prickes, that is, against Christ himselfe. And Eliphaz calleth thē Fooles, that are wicked, though they haue taken roote: and presently, He hath cursed his habi­tation: which both are to be vnderstood in one sence. I purpose (God willing) the longer to persist in this necessarie point, both to consider, in what sence the wicked persecutours, although flourish­ing in this world for a time, may be said to be fooles, as also, how cursing of them may not disagrée to the commaunde­ment of our Sauiour Christ, Blesse, Math. 5. I say, and curse not. For the first: That we may the better profite our selues by the doctrine herein contayned: First, it behooueth vs to note, that this word, [Page] Foole is here, Iere. 5. Mat. 23. Gal. 3.1. and in diuers other places of the sacred Scriptures, put for those, that in their prosperity and persecuting regard not GOD. For although the world accompteth them wise mē, which can skill well to deale for their owne profite, and can shift their matters cun­ningly (as they say) the holy Scriptures tell vs, there is none other wisdome, then the feare of the Lord. Then, if wée lift vp our soules, and cast vp our eyes fast fixed on GOD in the heauens, so as wée direct our lyfe according to his will, and put our whole trust in him, as Da­uid in this and diuers other Psalmes, diuersly protested hée did, to haue by Prayer recourse to him for succour, be­hold, the same is our true wisedome. And here wée sée why Saint Paul saith, that such as are learned in the Gospell, are perfectly wise. Col. 1.28. Whome, that is, Christ Iesus, wee preach, ad­monishing euery man, and teaching euery man in all wisedome, that wee may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus. Therefore the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ our Sauiour, is called wisedome, for that there we find, how [Page] to order our whole lyfe without mis­sing or erring.

Although then that men bée full of subtilty and fine conueyance, and sup­pose themselues to be very wise, yet must wée holde vs to that, which the Scrip­tures teach vs, how it is in euery whit of it, but folly and vanity: for, for their folly in persecuting the Saincts with­out cause, they shalbe confounded, sée­ing that the feare of GOD is not in them. I haue, saith Eliphaz, seene the Foole taking roote, and immediatly I haue cursed his house. Whereas hée speaketh of taking roote, hée meaneth, that it séemed likely, that his prosperi­tie should be continual, firme, stable, and immoueable, like mount Sion, that cannot be remoued, but standeth fast for euer.

If Eliphaz had said, I haue séene the foole aduanced aloft to great dignitie, he had not expressed so much as he doth. For he saith, y ^t he is planted, Simil. Nabu­chadnez­zar, and Pharaoh. he hath takē déepe roote, because the despisers of God, haters and persecutors of his Saints, hope to haue prosperity alwaies in their sléeue. And like as a trée that is throughly [Page] well settled, and déepely rooted in the ground, standeth fast, though it bée sha­ken with windes and stormes: euen so it séemeth, that after God hath once ad­uaunced the wicked, they shall raigne continually, and their triumphes shall neuer haue an end. But Dauid and E­liphaz, when they sawe this likelyhood, forbare not to curse the wicked, out of hand, or immediatly, as Eliphaz saith: meaning, that they taried not till there came a chaunge, as wée commonly do, who at the first blush, when wée sée the despisers of GOD to be in their chiefe ruffe, and to haue the winde at their stearne (as they say) do linger the time, and are, as it were astonished, saying, What will this matter prooue to? If we perceiue them to fall into decay, then wée chaunge our mind: but so long as wée sée them floorish, then we know not what to say, wée be at our wittes end. Contrarywise, Eliphaz telleth vs, that hee was not abashed one whit at the matter, but spake his mind according to Gods holy word. For Dauid and E­liphazes iudgements and condemnati­ons here of the wicked, are not of their [Page] owne heads, or after their owne fancie, but they declare, that according as God sheweth vs, that the wicked shalbe con­founded in the end, so they grounded thē ­selues thereupon, and were not shaken therefrom by any temptation. But al­though they had séene the wicked flie so high a pitch, yet they held still at one stay, saying, They shall come to nought, euen to confusion. For euen as trées, Simil. though they séeme firmely rooted, when great and mighty stormes haue risen, they haue béene cast downe and pulled vp by the rootes, yea, the rootes turned vpwardes, yea, vtterly consumed and burnt to ashes: Euen so the wicked, al­though they seeme by their friendes, riches, alliances and assistances, to bée so firme as mount Sion, yet the Lord in his Iustice, that no flesh should glo­ry in her owne strength and power, hath sent the stormes and windes of his dis­pleasure and indignation, hath cast downe, ouerturned, and vtterly con­sumed the wicked. Now wée sée in ef­fect what Dauid meaneth, whereas he saieth in his prayer to God, Let them be confounded that transgresse without [Page] a cause. And let vs apply this lesson to our owne vse, that wée may know how agréeable it is vnto vs. True it is, that wée haue not to doo with condemning of other men: Mat. 7.1 for it standeth euery man in hand, rather to looke into himselfe, and that is the thing wherevnto euery one of vs must apply his endeuour: for they that so rashly iudge others, forget themselues, and GOD will not spare them, though they flatter themselues; they must be fayne to come before their Iudge, who will handle them rigorous­ly, because they ouerslippe themselues so much in their owne faults. Let vs note then, that our mindes must not gadde here, and there, to séeke out the e­uill that is in others: but euery man must enter into himselfe, and examine his owne state and life, and when wée finde any fault in our selues, wée must condemne it.

Furthermore, where Dauid cursed his persecutors, in saying, Let them be confounded that transgresse without a cause, who are wicked and despisers of God: it is not to yéeld such aucthority or preeminence to vs, as of our selues. [Page] How is it then? First of all, if the wic­ked persecute or trouble vs, so as they doe vs any annoyance or wrong, wée imagine that GOD hath giuen vs o­uer, and that he careth no more for vs; & hereupon wée be tempted to conceiue a griefe, as though we had lost our time by walking in singlenesse and vpright­nesse, saying, How now? I looked that God would haue succoured me at my néed: yea, I haue serued him, and I haue put my trust in him, and yet he suffe­reth mée to be tormented to the vtter­most: I find not reliefe when I pray vnto him, he seemeth as though he were deafe.

We sée here a very troublesome temp­tation, when GOD séemeth to make none accompt of succouring vs, at such time as men misintreat and persecute vs. And therefore to comfort our selues withall, we must practise this lesson in all our troubles & encombrances, which is, that although the wicked be in their triumph to day, so as they set their foote vpon our throate; it is not for that God hath forgotten vs, or for that he will not send vs remedie for it in the end: But [Page] let vs waite with patience, and we shal find the issue to be such as God hath pro­mised; that is to wit, that he will regard vs with mercie. Now, when we sée what profit redoūdeth vnto vs by cursing, that is, by marking by the Scriptures, howe God curseth the wicked, wée shall per­ceiue, that there is nothing but vnhappi­nesse in their state throughout. But let vs procéed yet further. Psal. 73. When wée sée the wicked to haue a better time then the good men, the deare children of God, whē we sée them craftie and politike, when we sée them triumph, when they séeme to be exempted from the common mise­ries of this earthly life; Psal. 37. I say, when wée sée this, wee bee vexed, & know not what to say, nor what to thinke: for it séemeth, that it were better for vs to giue our selues to lewdnesse, then to good, foras­much as to our séeming, God setteth no better order in y ^e matters of this world. But to the intent we be not prouoked to do amisse, we must take this for a Con­clusion, that is, that when the despisers of God, the persecuters of his saints, séeme to be kings and princes, so as they take their pleasure, and glorie in their estate, [Page] yet they cease not to be accursed. True it is, that this accursednesse appeareth not at the first day; for it is secret, but it must haue leysure and time to shewe it selfe. And on the other side, wee must be­holde the thing, although it cannot bee séene with our eies, yet wee must behold it with our faith: because God hath spo­ken it alreadie with his owne mouth, we must sticke vnto it which he saith. It is the selfe same matter that the Psal. 37. and 73. do en­treate of.

The Paraphrase, that is:

GRant, O Lord, that I may vnderstand in these so great perplexities and extremi­ties, what way thou ap­pointest thine to walke, and what pathes thou appointest mee to treade.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. The Saints of God, hauing most knowledge of the will of God, and of his lawes, yet haue most desire to bée instructed therein. The first reason is, They onely sée their owne wantes and ignorance. The second Reason is, They onely long for the performance thereof. The third Reason is, Vnto them it is sweeter then the honey, Psal. 19. yea, then the honey combe: for they onely haue by the spirite of GOD, the taste of the [Page] swéetnesse thereof. As for the wicked, no maruell though they desire not the knowledge of the waies of God; for vn­to them it is a burthen heauy to beare. For as a burden laid vpon the shoul­ders of an vnwilling man, Simil. is therefore gréeuous vnto him, because he with an vnwilling mind beareth the same, yet the same burden, laid vpon the shoul­ders of a willing man, is to him not heauy, but light: euen so, the Lawes, waies, and pathes of GOD, are to the children of God easie, but to the wicked heauy: for they bridle the lustes of the flesh, they teache mortification, Gods anger against sinne, and whatsoeuer is contrary to the corrupt will of flesh and bloud. Vse. The Vse is, that wée vse all the meanes which GOD affordeth vs for the attainment of the knowledge there­of: as the hearing, reading, and medi­tating therein day and night.

The cause that moued the good Pro­phet and king Dauid, Psal. 1.2. thus to pray to God, To teach him his pathes & waies, that he might walke in thē, may be gathered, to procéed from a desire that he had to expostulate with God, why he, [Page] seruing God day and night, and that not without cares, should be in such great miseries; as persecutions by outward e­nemies, sicknes, inward temptations, and such like: whereas the wicked were freed from these miseries oftentimes, al­though not alwaies. He vpon better consideration perceyued, that it procée­ded from ignoraunce of Gods lawes, pathes and will: and therefore he pray­eth for vnderstanding of his way. Then, do we lacke wisedome? Iam. 1. Let vs craue it of him which is the welspring of it, and giueth it without vpbraiding. For God dealeth not nigardly with vs, as men do, who when their goods are diminish­ed, are gréeued if they be much called vpon. It is not so with GOD: for hée neuer ceaseth to do vs good. Therfore let vs learne to offer our selues to him whē we want wisdome, and let vs not doubt, but he will giue vs as much as is neces­sary for vs, if wée heare, read, meditate and practise his holy word. And this do­ctrine is exceeding necessary for our be­hoofe. For what hath béene the cause of so much corruptions in Christendome, but for that the waies, pathes, lawes, [Page] will, & word of our good God haue béene peruerted and embased, wrested, and mingled with the filthy dung of mans wisedome? but because men haue béene desirous to be ouerwise, as though God had not bene well aduised, but they must set him to schoole to them? When mē presume to put foorth their owne in­uentions, & to say in the seruice of God, This must bee good; and, That must be done; &, Such a thing must be remedied: After what sort? After their owne fācy. And had not GOD foreséene it? How commeth it to passe, that he did it not be­fore? We sée what God saith and there­unto must wée hold vs. He will haue vs to hold all thinges for good and holy, which he speaketh. And marke, men will steppe in. And why? They could not find in their harts to do him so much wrong, as to say, hée is scarce well ad­uised, and that they themselues are wi­ser then he.

But wée shall know this matter, by taking of a matter that is easie to be vn­derstood, which is, that the Pope hath gone about to diuide those things which GOD hath ioyned together, that is to [Page] wit, he hath hereft the people of the Cup in the Lords Supper, and taught them, that they must content themselues with one kind, namely, with the host, as they call it, and that the Cup serued but for the Priests to sing Masse withall. And what are his allegations? Oh, there would be many inconueniences. True it is, that all those inconueniences are grounded vpon beastly superstitions, to make men beléeue, that wine is no more wine, but that it is turned into y ^e blood of our Lord Iesus Christ. Then marke here his al­legatiō. O (saith he) there would be ma­ny incōueniēces, if the Cup should be gi­uen to al the people, it were better that y ^e Priest should drinke in the behalfe of all the whole company. To be short, it is all one, as if he said, We be wiser thē God, we sée things y ^t he saw not, & therfore we must prouide for thē. After what maner? By putting away the ordinance of Iesus Christ. Behold, our Lord Iesus Christ saith, Mat. 26.27. Mar. 14 13. Drinke ye all of this Cup. He saith expresly, Drinke ye all. Behold, the Pope cōmeth, & cutteth of that word, saying, It is true, that that was the ordināce of Ie­sus Christ. But we haue not takē away [Page] the wine without great reason; it is to prouide for inconueniences. I haue thought it good to haue it so. And what shall we say of the Sonne of God, who is the infinite wisedome it selfe, and the light of the world? Did he sée nothing in making this institution? We sée then, that mē ouershoot them without al mea­sure, when they consider not, that the works of God are brought about by in­finite righteousnes and wisedome. Then let vs hold vs there, and follow the way and pathes he sheweth vs, & appointeth vs to walke in, and not feare that wée shall erre, if he once shew vs his will, and wée suffer our selues to be gouerned quietly by it.

The Paraphrase.

THe sēce is, Guide my steps, O Lord, in the truth of thy promises, which neuer faile: teach me patience in this & all other mine afflictions: Guide mée, that I desire no reuenge, that I practise [Page] no vnlawfull meanes to escape out of daunger: for thou art he alone, O my God, of whome I daily and continually looke for my deliuerance.

Doct. 1 The 1. Doctrine. It is the proper­ty of the godly, in their afflictions, to pray to God to guide them in the truth of his promises. The Reason is, With­out the assurāce of them they murmure, nay, vse sinister practises to escape out of daunger. The 2. Reason is, By them they are stayed and comforted, patient­ly to beare the rodde of Gods correction. Vse. The Vse is, That wée alwaies call the promises of GOD to mind which are taught vs in the word, so shall wée be quiet, when others rage; so shall wée not reuenge, when others séeke re­uengement; so shall wée with patience possesse our soules, when others shall de­spaire; so shall we trust in God, when o­thers make flesh their arme; so shall wée séeke for lawfull meanes to escape, whē others shal vnlawfully, & therfore vnpro­fitably shal seeke to law to auoid danger.

We must hold therefore a generall rule, that our trust must be vpon the promises of God. And now let vs con­sider [Page] what God promiseth. God saith, Ps. 118.1, 2, 3, 4. that if he hath thought vpon vs to day to fauour vs, he will not forget vs to morrow, but wée shall be helped by his hand all our life long. Psalm. 89, 28. My mercy will I keepe (saith God) for him, that is, Dauid, for euermore, and my couenant shall stand fast with him. Be­hold what his promise is. Then may we well assure our selues, that GOD will alwaies kéepe vs, and that by meanes thereof we shal not be in daun­ger of falling into decay. Psal. 23. But yet here­withall wee must make our accompt, to be subiect to fall into many inconue­niences. For our gratious and louing father saith not, that he will kéepe vs, as it were shutte vp in a mewe, that we should sée none aduersitie, nor be ac­quainted with any trouble, but be in con­tinuall ioy and felicity; he promiseth vs no such matter: but onely, that he will ayd and succour vs in all our necessi­ties. Wherfore it behooueth vs to vn­derstand, that God wil exercise vs with many aduersities, & that we are subiect to the cōmon afflictions of this present life: & that in the meane season it ought [Page] to suffice vs, that wée shalbe aided by him, and that wée shall not be vtterly forsaken. Seing the case so standeth, let vs not sléepe when we be in prosperity, as though this state were euerlasting, so as nothing could chaunge it. And therefore in presuming so farre, we step beyond our bounds. Why so? Our lo­uing good Father telleth vs, that wee may peraduenture suffer many aduer­sities, but hée will helpe vs continu­ally.

Now then, in the meane while wée shal fight, yea, & be assailed at all assaies. And they that passe their boundes, shalbe punished for their ouerhardines: yea, the faithful may euer looke for strokes, & yet neuer cease to be quiet, to possesse their soules in patience. How so? when wée consider the chaunges & turmoylings of this world, we must néeds be carefull, & euery one of vs must prepare himselfe to receyue blowes, when it pleaseth God to smite him. But yet herewithall we know, that in our falling we cannot but light vpon our feete, because we be held vp by the hand of God: nor be vtterly op­pressed, because he relieueth vs. We see [Page] then, how we cannot be vexed with ex­céeding great vnquietnes, & yet we may be sore gréeued in our heauinesse, not to withdraw our selues frō God, & to make none accompt of calling vpon him, but to haue our recourse vnto him. Ps. 25.5. Lead me forth in thy truth, & teach me: Text. for thou art the God of my saluation: in thee do I trust all the day.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. It is the duty of vs all, men and women, in our afflictions to pray vn­to the Lord, that whatsoeuer shall come vnto vs by his permission and appoint­ment, that he would not suffer vs to fall away from his will, or to be drawen a­way, eyther through contumacy, or by a­ny other wicked desire, but rather by the truth of his holy word, hée would stay vs quieted vnder his holy obedi­ence. The Reason is, Our owne experi­ence doth teach, that when as aduersi­ties haue darkned our senses, how hard a thing it is, in that darknes to discerne what we should follow & take in hand. And if this demonstration was so neces­sary for Dauid, so holy and worthy a Prophet, endewed with so excellent a light of the knowledge of Gods word [Page] and holy will: what shall become of vs, vnlesse the Lord driue away that great and palpable darknes which we haue in our afflictions, lest y ^t it darken the sight of his light? Vse. The Vse. Let vs therefore alwaies pray vnto the Lord, so often as any temptatiō doth trouble vs, that his truth may shine before vs, lest we ta­king euil courses, run astray frō his wil. Wherefore let vs shut our eies, when things go contrary to our liking, & let vs only settle our selues vpon this point, to say, O Lord, thou art righteous, & I wil by the assistance of thy holy spirit, be cō ­tented with thy righteousnes, for so the truth of thy holy word teacheth me, vn­til y ^u make me to enter into thy sanctuary & there perceiue why thou orderest the state of mankind after y ^e sort. Truly if I should follow mine owne fancy, as it is in these mine afflictions, being daseled therwith, I should murmure; yea, & re­pine against thée, to sée how things are confoūded here. O Lord, teach me & in­struct me with thy truth, that thou go­uernest the whole world in wisedome & righteousnes; let me confesse the same, although I know no reason thereof.

Doct. 3 The Prophet, by these words acknow­ledging his saluation from the Lorde, teacheth vs, that the former benefits re­ceiued of the Lord, should bee vnto vs motiues of his continuall sauour to bée vndoubtedly perswaded. The Reason is. It is not onely his vsuall custome, but his nature so to doe: For, for this cause he vndertaketh the deliuerie of his ser­uantes, and relieueth their necessities, that he might still continue his grace to­wards them. Let vs therefore know, that whome the Lord loueth, he loueth to the ende. So long as wee know not whether the Lord loueth vs or no, wée must néeds feare, and with Adam shun his presence, as much as is possible: So as you sée, in what case the wretched creatures are, which haue no taste of Gods goodnesse to trust in him, that they might comfort themselues. Therefore let vs marke well, that it behoueth vs to be perswaded of Gods loue towards vs, that thereby wee may conceiue such trust, as we may present our selues vn­to him, and bee well assured, that our soueraigne good is to answere him, that [Page] is, not to hide our selues from his sight, but to be alwaies willing to bee guided by his hand, so as wee desire nothing, but to be vnder his hand, and at his di­rection. Psal. 95.67. Let vs consider, that wee are the workes of his hands. For the thing wherein wee may settle our trust, that we be acceptable vnto God, is, that hee hath created vs, and that we be his peo­ple, and the shéepe of his pasture. Then must we not pretend to be loued at Gods hand for any deserts of our owne, but because he séeth that we are his worke­manshippe, and his people and shéepe. Thus in Esay and the Psalmes. Psa. 131 8. Esay. 64.8. Lord, thou wilt not despise the worke of thy hands, thou wilt not forsake that which thou hast begun, without finishing it. How be it, wee must not looke onely to our first creation; for the hope that wee shall haue thereby, wil be very sclender, because the Image of God by Adams sin, is, as it were, blotted out in vs. But for as much as God, of his infinite mer­cie hath renewed vs, and in Iesus Christ our Lord hath adopted vs to be his chil­dren, and imprinted his Image againe in vs: therein also chiefely we bee his [Page] workmanship, and may boldly with re­uerence call vpon him, and assure our selues that he will not shake vs off, but that we shall bee welcome to him. It followeth: Text. In thee doe I trust all the day.

And because it is expedient, that our trust should be answerable to his goodnes therefore the Prophet saith, that his hope was continually in him. Doct. 4 4. Doct. The goodnesse of God towards vs, must cause vs continually to trust in him. And this is the propertie of faith: among our greatest troubles to haue respect to GOD, to trust in him for our deliue­rie, and not to séeke sinister meanes for it, and, as it were, with a still and calme quietnesse to rest our selues in his promised helpe and assistaunce. Moreouer, that the remembraunce of his benefites might the better feede and sustaine our hope, let vs learne to call to mind his former benefites be­stowed vpon vs. When we be heauie and sorrowfull, the onely remembrance of Gods benefites must cheare vs, or at the least-wise asswage our miseries and griefes, so, as if any aduersitie [Page] pinch vs, and we bethinke our selues of the great number of benefites that God hath bestowed vpon vs, the same must assway our sorrow. And séeing the case standeth so, no afflictions ought to make vs to forget the knowledge which we haue of Gods benefites and graces: For whatsoeuer miseries wee endure, yet ought we to acknowledge for a great mercie of God, that wee are made rea­sonable creatures, that wee beare the Image of God, that we are cherished and maintained, to the ende wee may know God to bee our Father. Dauid saith, Psal. 22.10. Lord, thou diddest draw me out of my mothers wombe, thou hast shew­ed thy selfe to bee my GOD, before I could know thee or call vpon thee. Da­uid did set this before him, purposely to render thankes vnto GOD, to trust in him, and to sing vnto his name in the middest of his sorrowes; afterward hée established himselfe, in good hope for the time to come, not doubting but God re­garded him still with compassion, consi­dering, that diuers times, yea, at all times before, he had shewed him so gra­cious & pitifull towards him. Let vs lift [Page] vp our minds aloft to yéeld him his wor­thie praise: and moreouer, let his bene­fites serue for spurres vnto vs to trust in him, not doubting, but that he wil shew himselfe the same hereafter, whome we haue felt him heretofore.

THe sence is: So many, great and grieuous are mine afflictions, that thou appearest to me, as though thou haddest vtterly forgotten thy former ten­der mercies, and louing kindnesse, which not only of long time, but for euer before time haue béene. Wherefore, O Lord, I beséech thée of thy goodnesse remember them, so that I may féele them, in deli­uering me from all my miseries which now I suffer. Doct. 1 1. Doct. Remember. When afflictions lie heauie on the shoul­ders of the children of God, they cause them many times to thinke, that the Lord hath vtterly forgotten them. The Reason is: For that no mans faith is so firme at all times, Psal. 77. but in afflictions som­times he shall haue such motions, séeing [Page] that no man hath perfection of regenera­tion, nor at al times fulnesse of faith. The Vse is, to teach vs to striue with our selues against this temptation, & assure our selues, that although the Lord sée­meth as though he were asléepe, Math. 8. yet he that keepeth Israel, doth neither slum­ber nor sleepe. Esay. Although a mother should forget her owne childe, yet will the Lord neuer forget those that are his.

Text. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mer­cies and louing kindnesse. Doct. 2 2. Doct. The godly neither can, nor will looke to es­cape destruction by any other meanes, then onely by the mercies of the Lord. The Reason is. 1. King. 20. Benha­dad. 31. Kings with their traine. Vaine is the helpe of man, or any other meanes whatsoe­uer. The Vse is. First, to feare and tremble, that wee fall not into Gods displeasure, but to séeke especially for his mercie, estéeming it aboue our liues, or any earthly thing that wee can de­sire. 2. Vse. To acknowledge, that it is of Gods méere mercie and aboun­dant kindnesse, that wee liue; and to praise him dayly for it. Doct. 3 3. Doct. The tender mercies and louing kindnesse of the Lord are sufficient to deliuer his [Page] children from all the punishments that they can fall into. 1. Reason. They are infinite, as his maiestie is. 2. Reason. Els none shoulde bee saued, séeing there is none other meanes of saluati­on. The Vse is: First, to take awaie from our mindes the vaine confidence in any creature; as Angels, men, horses, or any other thing whatsoeuer. 2. Vse. Confutation of Poperie, which stan­deth vpon workes for deliueraunce (at the least) from the punishment of sinne. Secondly, it confirmeth vs from des­paire, Heb. 6.19. Text. séeing the Lords mercies are an anchor both sure and stedfast.

For they haue beene for euer.

Doct. 4 4. Doct. Although by our afflictions which wee suffer, God séemeth to forget vs, yet séeing he hath shewed mercie to­wards our selues and others, and that for euer, before time, so must wee still be perswaded, that he will neuer forsake those that are his. The 1. Reason. For he is not as man is, that is, changeable: but GOD is immutable. The 2. Reason. His gifts are without Repentance. The Vse is, to teach vs, although the goodnes of God lyeth, as it were, buryed, yet it is [Page] not extinguished; although it shew not at selfe, but seemeth, as it were couered in the ashes, yet in time it will shew it selfe: And therefore let vs in all our mi­series and afflictions beseech his maie­stie, of his tender mercy, and immutable goodnesse, so to remember vs, that wee may be deliuered from all inconuenien­ces, and promise and purpose a­mendment of our liues, with further praises of his ho­ly Name for his mercies.

The sence is.

O Lord my God, although mine enemies, maliciously and without cause, vexe and persecute mee, yet I acknowledge, that both the sinnes which in my youth I haue committed against thée, as also the sins and rebellions, which euer since to this day I haue done against thy diuine ma­iestie, are the cause of this mine afflicti­on; which I humbly praie thée, of thy kindnesse and goodnesse sake to forgiue me; then shall I be deliuered from this great miserie and affliction: for thou hast promised to saue all them that call vpon [Page] thy name for the remission of their sins.

Remember not the sinnes.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. In vaine doe wee pray to God, to be deliuered from our afflictiōs, except we pray for the remission of our sinnes, both of our youth and all other afterward committed by vs. The 1. Reason is. There is no hope for vs to obtaine grace, except the Lord be mer­cifull vnto vs: and how doth he loue vs, except we be first reconciled to him, and that by our Sauiour Christ Iesus, and our confession and repentaunce of our sinnes? Vse. The Vse is therefore, to teach vs, in all our afflictions to acknow­ledge our sinnes to GOD onely, sée­ing hee is gracious and fauourable to all his.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. It is necessarie for Gods people, in their praiers to God, to make vnto him onely a frée confession of their sinnes. Psal. 32.5. Then I acknowled­ged my sinne vnto thee, neither hidde I mine iniquities: for I thought, I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord; and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne. Selah. Dan. 9.5. We haue sinned, and haue commit­ted [Page] iniquitie, and haue done wickedly: yea, we haue rebelled, and haue depar­ted from thy preceptes and from thy iudgements. Nehem. 1.6. I pray thee, let thine eares bee attent, and thine eyes open, to heare the praier of thy seruant, which I pray before thee day and night, for the children of Israel thy seruants, and confesse the sinnes of the children of Israel, which wee haue sinned against thee. The 1. Reason is: Els we obtaine no forgiuenesse. Secondly, Els we haue no assurance that we haue repented, sée­ing confession doth alwaies accompany repentance. Thirdly, Otherwise wée cannot rightly and throughly condemne our selues, and cleare the Lord for pu­nishing vs. Fourthly, By the confession of our sinnes we are the more humbled, and the better prepared to praier. The Vse is: First, to reprooue all them that iustifie themselues, like the proud Pha­rise, and offer vp their owne workes, as the Papistes doe. Secondly, to re­prooue them that will not beare sharpe rebuke for their sinnes, nor bee conten­ted to be censured by those meanes, that God hath prescribed by his word for the [Page] same purpose. Thirdly, it teacheth vs to loue them that admonish vs often, and reprooue vs sharpely when wee haue offended, estéeming them our déerest friends, and auoiding them that flatter vs; Leuit. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart, but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour, and suffer him not to sinne. Math. 18.18. Whatsoeuer you binde in earth, &c. seeing it is the meanes to bring vs to this confession, which is so neces­sarie.

Text. Remember not the transgressions of my youth, nor my rebellions.

Doct. 3 3. Doct. True repentance worketh in vs earnest and heartie praier. The Reason is. First, In it we see our mise­ries in our selues, and what néede wee haue to séeke to GOD for helpe. Se­condly, It assureth vs of Gods loue to vs, and readinesse to heare vs. Third­ly, It encourageth vs to call on the name of the Lord, who in our conuersi­on hath giuen vs experience of his vn­speakeable mercies. The Vse is, to teach vs, to bee as diligent to performe this praier aright, as wee are desirous [Page] to prooue to our owne hearts that our re­pentance is vnfained.

Doct. 4 4. Doct. All our praiers are to bee made to God alone. Psa. 50.15. Call vpon me, &c. Rom. 10.14. How shall they call vpon him, of whome they haue not heard? The 1. Reason. It is he one­ly that can graunt vs our request. Se­condly, We are not commaunded in the holy Scripture to call vpon any o­ther; and therefore if we doe, it is not of faith, and consequently it is sinne. The Vse is: First, to reprooue the dotage of the heathen, that praied to the Sunne, Moone, and Starres; and of the Pa­pistes, that pray to Angels and Saints. Secondly, to teach vs to make all our praiers to GOD alone, in the name of his Sonne Christ, for such things as he hath promised in his word, and in such maner as hee hath prescribed.

Nor my rebellions. Text.

Doct. 5 5. Doct. It is rebellion against the Lord, to despise any of his lawes, al­though all humane lawes should ap­prooue vs therein. The 1. Reason. Reu. 19.16. God is King of Kings, and will bee serued without exception. Secondly, Els God [Page] should yéeld vnto men. Thirdly, Wee are to obey men onely in the Lord, and no further. The Vse is: First, to reproue rulers, that require obedience of their subiects to all their owne decrees, not re­garding whether God be disobeyed ther­by or no. Secondly, to reprooue them that pretend mans lawes, to excuse themselues in their sinnes: as in the breach of the Sabboth, contentednesse with the dumbe Ministerie, putting of money to vsurie. Thirdly, it teacheth vs alwaies to hold this both in iudge­ment and practise: It is better to obey God, then man, Act. 5.29.

Doct. 6 6. Doct. It is our dutie, so often as the Lord shal terrifie vs with his iudge­ments, not onely to mourne, sigh, and lament, but to repent vs, not onely for our former sinnes committed in our youth, but all other sinnes since, which we can either call to mind, hidden, or vn­knowne. The Reason is. The Lord may laye them all to our charge. The Vse is, that wee neuer flatter or stroke our selues in our vices, but narrowly prye into them; not into others as hypocrites doe, but into our owne; not to espie a [Page] moate in our brothers eye, to cloke our hypocrisie; but to pull out of our owne eyes, not onely the beames, but euen the verie moates therein.

But according to thy kindnesse re­member me, euen for thy goodnes sake, Text. O Lord.

Doct. 7 7. Doct. The children of God expect remission of their sinnes from none, but from the mercy of God onely. The Rea­son. Sinne prouoketh Gods anger, which is infinite, and cannot be satisfi­ed by any that is no more then a crea­ture. Secondly, The Scriptures make the Lords mercie the first part of our righteousnesse. Psal. 32.1. Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen, and whose sinne is couered. The Vse is, To con­fute them, that thinke they haue it in their owne fréewil to be saued. Second­ly, To confute them, that thinke to ob­taine heauen by their merites. Thirdly, To reprooue them that seeke for the Popes pardons and Indulgences, see­ing it is the Lord, of his méere mercie, that doth pardon vs our sinnes.

The sence is.

The 2. part of the 3. Sermon. I Doubt not at all of the remission of my sinnes, neither yet heereafter to leade an holy and innocent life, séeing I consider and weigh the great goodnesse and gracious bountie of the liuing Lord, as also his righteousnes in performing his promises, which among others are, that he will pardon the sinnes of the pe­nitent, and direct the way of the igno­raunt that desire to leade an holy and godly life. Gracious and righteous is the Lord, being no praier, as also the other two verses following, but a meditation betwéene the praier in the verse before, and the verses next after them, wee haue to learne generally this profitable doctrine.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. It is the dutie of all that pray to GOD, séeing the malice of Sa­than, who séeketh to make vs quaile in them, as also the weakenesse of our cor­rupt nature for perseuering feruently & zealously in it, to vse al the good means [Page] that possibly we can, Simil. Euen as fire had need of wood or the like matter to maintain it: as a torch re­quireth waxe to continue it. Euē so medita­tiō in the mercy & righte­ousnes of God, is necessary to stay our Zeale in Praier. but especially to meditate vpon the goodnesse and righte­ousnes of the Lord, in keeping his louing promises, that thereby our prayers may be more zealous and feruent.

The 1. Reason: Our experience teach­eth vs, that it is an hard and difficult matter, to hold on zealously therein.

The faithfull perceiue in themselues, except they be stirred vp with newe prickes, that they shall languish in their Prayers; so corrupt is our nature, so weake in good thinges, so malicious is our enemy Sathan also, to cause, if it be possible, our prayers not to be feruent. The vse is: When we féele our selues so weake in Praier, that we beginne to languish, that we presently meditate on the goodnes and righteousnes of God: so shall wee come the better prepared to Praier, as Dauid was.

Gratious and righteous is the Lorde, therfore he will teach sinners in the way.

Doct. 2 The 2. Doctrine. God teacheth sin­ners in the way of godly life. 1. Reason. He is gratious; for hee hath mercy on whom he will, Rom. 9. 2. Reason. The Lord is righteous: he kéepeth his promi­ses. [Page] Vse. The vse is, To teach vs to acknow­ledge, y ^t our regeneration, sanctification, repentance, mortification of the flesh, viuification of the spirite, conuersion, humilitie, loue, patience, and all other gifts, are not of our selues, but are pro­céeding from the goodnesse, loue, and mer­cy of God towards vs.

Vse. 2 2. Vse: It confuteth the Papistes di­stinction of Gratia operans, and Coope­rans. Gratia o­perās & cooperās. Bellarmine Cap. 2. thus doth define and distinguish them. Gratia operans est, quae facit vt velimus: that is, It is the working grace, which maketh vs to wil that which is good. Gratia cooperans, quae facit, vt quae voluerimus impleamus: that is, Helping grace, or grace working to­gether with vs, is that, which causeth vs to fulfill or do, that which we will or de­sire. This then is his mind, that God on­ly worketh the beginning of euery good action, that is, the consent of the will; but the accōplishmēt of the action is not only of God, but he worketh together with man. The Iesuite would illustrate his matter with this similitude. As if it were expediēt for a man to saile into the East countries, and yet he is vnwilling: his [Page] friend cōmeth, & perswadeth with him, & prouideth things néedfull for the nauiga­tiō, as mony, victuals & such like: though his friend may say, I only was the cause that he tooke this nauigation in hand, yet can hee not say, that I onely caried him to that place, but helped him onely. So (saith he) God only worketh the begin­ning of any actiō, by perswading the wil, but he is helping onely & assistant to man in the finishing thereof, Lib. 1. de gratia, cap. 14. 1. Reason. This similitude is very insufficient, & the things here cōpa­red together, are altogether vnlike: for what presumption is it, to match the workes of man, with the power of God? First, man draweth only by perswasion, he hath no power ouer anothers heart: but God is greater then our hart: he doth not onely apply perswasion vnto it, but bendeth & turneth it, as August. de cor­reptione & gratia, cap. 14. Deus magis ha­bet in potestate hominum voluntates, quam ipsi, suas. GOD hath greater power ouer the willes of men, then they haue themselues. Secondly, all the helpes that man prouideth or ministreth for any ac­tion, are externall. But God is aiding, [Page] and assisting euery where by his power, and worketh mightily in the inwarde man. We sée then the insufficiēcy of this similitude. Secondly, although it were a méete and fit comparison, yet we know that similitudes proue not; no more doth this: it néedeth not therefore any large confutation.

Gratia operās et cooperās vel ad­inuans.This Distinction of Grace, that it should be sometimes the principal, chief, and only working cause in man, and an­other while, but aiding, and assisting one­ly, and that man should be ioyned with God as a fellow worker in any good acti­on, is a blasphemous doctrine. That the will of man worketh together with Grace, as it is Causa phisica, a naturall cause of such actions as are wrought by man, not respecting the quality and good­nesse of them, but the worke onely, wée deny not: but the grace of God onely is Causa moralis, the morall cause of euery good action. As they are but actions and operations, so they procéed from the will of man: but as they are good or commē ­dable, so they are the workes of God. God worketh the will & the deed, Phil. 2.13. As he worketh the will, so also he [Page] worketh the déed. The will God onely worketh. Ergo: Againe, 1. Cor. 15.28. That God may be all in all. But God should not be al in all in euery action, if man should be ioy­ned as a fellow worker. S. Iames saith, Iam. 1.17. Euery good and perfect gift is frō aboue. Ergo, no good gift nor worke is from be­low, that is, of man, either in part, or in whole. Our Sauior Christ saith, With­out me you can do nothing. Of which words Augustine writeth thus. Non ait, August. cōtra E­pistolam Pelagii lib. 2. cap. 8. Sine me difficile potestis facere: aut, Sine me nihil potestis efficere: sed, Ne facere qui­dem. He saith not, Without me you can hardly do any thing: or, Without mée you cannot finish any thing. But, You are not able to do it at all. But if so that in any good actiō God should worke part & man part, then might man worke som­what, y ^t is, his part without Gods help. As, if God do but helpe to worke, what is that els, but to giue power more easily only to worke? As though man without that helpe, although more hardly of him­selfe might do it. But al this is cōtrary to that doctrine of our Sauiour, Without me you can do nothing.

The sence is.

THey that are truly humbled in themselues, and repose their whole trust and confi­dence in the Lord, they shal taste & feele, how gratious a father he is to his children. Therefore Iudgement and way, signifie none other thing, then the gouernment, whereby he sheweth himselfe as an excellent good fa­ther to his children.

Doct. 1 The 1. Doct. The poore in Spirite onely are directed by the Lord, to haue a right iudgement in all things that con­cerne the glory of God, & the saluatiō of their soules. The Reason is. God resisteth y ^e proud, 1. Pet. 5.5. & such as are wise in their owne conceit. Decke your selues inwardly in [Page] lowlinesse of mind: for God resisteth the proude, and giueth grace to the humble. Math. 13.11. And he answered & said, Because it is giuē to you, to know the se­crets of the kingdome of God. The vse is: That we pray to God, to giue vs his spirit of iudgement of the workes of the Lord. And first of his word. Let vs consi­der how gratious the Lord is to them that are méeke: to them he will open his iudgements, which to the prowde are se­crete & vnknowen, as to the Papistes & many others. A foolishnes of self estima­tion, of self-wéening of our selues y ^t wée are of some value, is so rooted in man, pos­sessed with y ^e spirit of pride, that it is very hard to bring thē, euen vs regenerate, to a right vnderstāding of our owne wāts, so as we might be cléere from all pryde & presumption. Concerning the doctrine of Election & Reprobation. Wheras the Apostle knew, that flesh & blood would dispute, Why should God elect some, & refuse other some? Rom. 9.20. he answe­reth, But O man, what art thou which pleadest against God? Shall the thing formed, say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? vers. 21. Hath [Page] not the potter power of the clay, to make of the same lūpe, one vessell to honour, and another to dishonour? And this he setteth downe, after that he had alledged the obiections, wherein men thinke thē ­selues to haue a faire colour to dispute against God, and to demaund, why hée should destroy those whom he hath crea­ted, & why he should put difference be­tweene one and another, without know­ing any causes, so that the one should be loued, the other refused? Therfore whē ­soeuer any such temptation hath taken hold on vs, let vs pray vnto GOD, to make vs lowly and poore in Spirite: then shall we haue a right iudgement of his secrete mysteries and wonderfull workes. When we treat of Gods word, euery man almost falleth to it at aduen­ture, and euery one shootes out his ver­dit, as though they reasoned but of moon­shine in the water; so vnreuerently wée speake thereof. The things therein con­tayned, be such as passe all mans vnder­standing: and yet notwithstanding it is manifest, that some are bold to treat of Gods high mysteries without reuerēce; which ought to rauish our wits to won­der [Page] at them; which with al feare & trem­bling we ought to honour. I say, we are bolder to babble of them, then if a man spake of a matter but of 5. shillings va­lue, or of some trifle, I know not what. And what is the cause thereof? but that men haue not cōsidered, how God hideth & ouercasteth his owne secrete determi­natiōs, & hath in his holy Scriptures vt­tered vnto vs his wil, whereunto it be­houeth vs to be subiect. We sée on y ^e one side how the Papistes blaspheme God, wresting, falsifying, marring, & corrup­ting the whole holy Scripture, so that they spare not to scorne God & his word. And why: They neuer knew what it is, to haue a right iudgement in Gods will & word, they are possessed with the spirit of pride: the spirite of sound iudgement is farre from thē; they scorne at our an­swere, when to their demand, Who shal iudge of the true meaning & sence of the Scriptures, we say, The holy spirit shal, & doth lead not onely the whole Church, but euery particular & singular member of the Church, into all truth. Campianan ratione Sophismat. Also there are drun­kards, which could find in their harts to [Page] subdue God in their fantastical mind. Yf they were the wisest men in the world, & the best séene in the holy Scriptures, yet shall they be faine to stowpe to this point, that Gods purposes are aboue our reach. But they are vtterly dull, & bru­tish; there is neither skill nor reason in them; the wine ouer-mastereth thē; they are worse then swine, & yet will néeds be Diuines, and wil controll things in such sort, that if a man should now beléeue them, he should be driuen to forge and frame a new Gospell. Let vs alwaies know, that whensoeuer wée speake of God, of his workes, or of his word, they are high matters. On y ^e other side, what is it, that we cā bring forth of our selues, except wee be truly humbled? what is that little that wee can conceiue in our vnderstanding? Euen wordes without knowledge. Let men put themselues into the balance, and they shalbe found lighter then vanitie it selfe, as it is said in the Psalme. Psal. 62.10. So much the more it behooueth vs to marke this doctrine, that there is neither skill, aptnesse, nor iudge­ment in vs, to entreat of Gods workes or his word, except he vouchsafe by his [Page] blessed Spirite to direct vs.

Let vs therfore pray vnto his diuine Maiesty, to vouchsafe, of his vnspeake­able mercy and goodnesse, to powre downe his holy Spirite into our hearts, that whereas by the fall of our first pa­rents, our Iudgements concerning Gods mysteries, his workes and word, are corrupted, and therefore haue néed of direction, that by the same Spirite of truth and iudgement, wée may be ledde into all truth and iudgement; so shall wée iudge according to his holy will.

Let vs also mislike our selues, to the end wée may resort vnto him, to find the goodnesse there, which wanteth in our selues; that thereupon it may please him so to gouerne vs by his holy Spi­rite, that beyng replenished with his glory, wée may haue wherewith to glory, not in our selues, but onely in him.

And teach the humble his way. Text.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. The Lord will surely teach y ^e humble the way of his gratious fauour. The Reason is: Vnto him that hath, it shalbe giuen by him. As the Lord hath giuen him humility, which is a spirituall [Page] gift and grace, bestowed vpon the elect onely, whom he especially loueth, as a father, Psalm. 103. much more will he cause him to tast of his prouidēce, which extendeth it selfe in respect of sustentatiō, not onely to the wicked, but to euery li­uing creature, be it neuer so base.

Vse. The Vse is: That wee magnifie the glorious name of our good and gratious Father, who so mercifully causeth vs the childrē of wrath, to become his chil­dren by adoption, and assureth vs with­out all doubting, of the continuance of his fauour towards vs.

This doctrine of Gods fauour to­wardes the humble his children, is com­fortable to our conscience, and therefore the longer to be vrged and taught. E­uery man naturally séeketh to comfort himselfe: some by voluptuousnesse, some by worldly wealth, some by honors and reputations among men, which all are vaine. We sée after what sort men com­fort themselues: namely, by forgetting God. For it séemeth to them, to be a me­lancholy matter to think vpon him. And in sooth, how many are there that wil say stoutly enough, We are good Christians? [Page] and yet notwithstanding, when they en­tend to be merrie, they driue away all thought of God and eternal life, and not onely so, but also offend God of set pur­pose. After what maner? They cannot be merry, dut in doing euil. Seing then that the nature of men is such, & that wée be attainted with that disease, let vs looke well to our selues, and be sure that our mirth shall not be blessed from aboue, ex­cept we be assured of the remissiō of our sins. Therfore if we haue Gods fauour, and pray to him, therein consisteth true gladnes, which is approued of God, is e­ternal, & will bring vs to euerlasting sal­uation. But so long as we know not in what case we are in with our God, nor seeke to be reconciled to him, but lie row­ting still in our owne filthines, the more we desire to be merry, the more we kin­dle Gods vēgeance against vs, the more we encrease still the fire of his wrath, & we plunge our selues the déeper into his bottomles pittes. We see then, that it is more thē néedfull, that it should be shew­ed vs, how much it standeth vs in hand, to be well assured of Gods mercifulnesse towards vs. And that also is the cause [Page] why the holy Scripture, when it treateth of giuing ioy and comfort to vs, doth al­waies set before vs the fauour of God. Isa. 49.13. Reioyce, O heauens, and be ioyful, O earth, brast forth into praise, O moūtaines: for God hath comforted his people, and will haue mercy vpon his af­flicted. Isa. 44.23. Reioyce, ye heauens: for the Lord hath done it: showte, yee lower parts of the earth, brast forth into praises, ye mountaines, O forest, & euery tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Iaakob, and wilbe glorified in Israel. Isa. 52.1. Arise, arise, put on thy strength, O Sion, put on the garments of thy beauty, O Ierusalem the holy one: for hēceforth there shall no more come into thee the vncircūcised & the vncleane. Isa. 60.1.2 3. &c. tho­roughout Luc. 2.10, 11. to the end of the Chapt. Zach. 9.9. Reioice greatly, O daughter Siō: showt for ioy, O daugh­ter Ierusalem: behold, thy King cōmeth to thee, he is iust, and saueth himselfe, poore, and riding on an Asse, and vpon a colt, the foale of an Asse.

Hereby we are taught, that we must néeds be in trouble & vnquietnes, so long as we know not whether we be in Gods fauour. True it is, that the wicked will [Page] séeke meanes enough to make thēselues merry, they ruffle it out, you sée, in despi­sing God: but howsoeuer the world goe with them, yet he sendeth them such pric­kings, and torments of mindes, so as they be grieuously distressed; and if they daūce, it is as Moses saith, namely, that yet neuertheles sinne lieth at the doore: that is, tormenteth their consciences, & there waiteth for them like a dogge that waiteth for his master.

Yée sée then, that the wicked may ruf­fle it out, but yet can they not goe out of their doores without gnawing of their consciences, and GOD must still hold them at that bay.

Therefore so much the more ought wee to thinke vpon this doctrine, that we turne not our backe vnto God, nor burie our sinnes when wée would haue peace, but that wée alwaies haue some promise of GOD to comfort vs. And when wée sée that GOD allureth vs to saluation, let vs be glad thereof: for then shall our gladnesse be blessed. And if wée haue the taste, that GOD is our louing Father, it will swéeten, yea, it will sanctifie all our ioyes: but without it [Page] wée must néeds quayle, and there is no other meanes for vs truely and in deed to reioice: Marke this. Also let vs con­sider, that the onely grace of God ought to suffice vs, although we haue neuer so many sorrowes mixt with it, according as God will exercise vs. For he in this our fraile life will not send vs full ioy, so as we may laugh with open mouth, as they say: yet not withstanding, it be­houeth vs to reioyce in this certainty, that we haue him to our good and louing father, and that we shal find mercy with him. Then, if we haue this grace to call vpon God, and can assure our selues that the gate is open to vs, and that we in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ shall haue accesse vnto him: I say, if wée can haue that boldnesse (not through our owne, rashnesse, but that he hath vouch­safed to open his holy mouth to witnesse his loue to vs, which thing he doth, when to vs his holy Gospell is preached) then notwithstanding, that many and infi­nite were our temptations and afflicti­ons, yet he will comfort vs, and she we himselfe as a kind, comfortable, and lo­uing father vnto vs.

The sence is.

THe faithfull, the children of GOD, which onely kéepe his couenaunt and testimonies, shall surely taste and féele in this life, and in that to come, both his eternall and swéete mercy, and his perpetuall and constant truth of his promises.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. They onely which remaine in, and obserue the couenants and testi­monies of God, shal taste and féele, that all the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them. The Reason is, God hath so promised. Psal. 50.23. To him that disposeth his way, will I shew the salua­tion of God. Vse. The Vse is. That we neuer can assure our selues of Gods mercie and his promises of fauour, except we ende­uour to kéepe his couenant and testimo­nies, which his law containeth, consi­sting of two tables: The first, concer­ning [Page] our dutie towards GOD imme­diately, which I haue oftentimes here­tofore handled: and the second concer­ning our neighbours. And that I may the better comfort you with assuraunce of Gods mercy and truth, which GOD graunteth to none, but to them that leade a godly and charitable life; and that except you doe good workes, you cannot assure your selues of Gods mer­cy; I purpose the rather to insist vpon this necessarie vse of the doctrine, that I might thereby exhort you to good workes, that you may féele the fauour and goodnesse of GOD thereby to­wards you.

Our Sauiour Christ in the 25. of S. Math, setteth down a Catalogue of good workes, among which hee accompteth, To féede the hungrie, To giue drinke to the thirstie, To cloth the naked, To vi­site the sicke and prisoners, To lodge the barbourlesse, Gen. 18.1, 2, 3. To entertaine straun­gers and waifaring men, not the least. This did good Abraham wel vnderstand and practise, who sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day, of purpose to in­uite and call in straungers and wayfa­ring [Page] men, to relieue them. And therfore when the Angels came to him in the forme of men, hee is noted by the holy Ghost, to haue entreated them, yea, to haue (as it were) compelled them to eate meate in his house. Good Lot folowed his steps, wayting in his doores or gates, to harbour poore straungers: and therefore when the Angels came into Sodom, Gen. 19.1, 2, 3. like straungers and pilgrimes, hee compel­led them in some sort, to enter into his house, and to take such lodging and en­tertainment, as his state was able to af­forde. And hereby some (as the Apostle noteth) haue receiued Angels into their houses vnwares. Heb. 13.1. But nowadayes there are many, that are so farre off from this liberalitie, that they will shut vp their gates, euen in this great time of scarcitie. The like hath not (as I sup­pose) of so long continuaunce béene in this Realme of England in many ages, when many hundreds are ready through want of foode (a lamentable case to bee considered) which for our sinnes, for which GOD is so highly displeased with this land (especially, our contempt of the holy Religion, the breach of the [Page] Sabboth, the blaspheming of the holy name of God, vncharitablenes, with in­finite more) the Lord doth inflict vpon them and vs, in the time of refection. And which is more detestable, so hard are the hearts of many, that they haue not onely not relieued them, but rated them. Is that the worst? No. They haue, which will make a good heart euen to melt, and as the Prophet Ieremie saith, Lam. 2. his eyes faile with teares, his bow­els swell, his lyuer to bee powred foorth vpon the earth, to thinke of their cruel­tie, euen to whip them away from their gates. Againe, other some of great reue­newes, because they will not kéepe hos­pitalitie, nor relieue the poore at home, they giue vp house, and either soiourne and table with some friends, or els take a chamber in some Citie or Towne, where they will kéepe no house at all, but with a man and a boy, and that sel­dome, liue both meanely, basely, and obscurely, to the blemishing and slay­ning of their credite and worship for e­uer. Euen they, whose lands and posses­sions are worth peraduenture fiue hun­dred pound, yea, it may be, a thousand [Page] pound yéerely, whose parents and aun­cestors kept twentie or fortie men (I allow not of Idlenesse, but I commend maintaining them) in a Liuerie, main­tained great hospitalitie, to the great re­liefe of al the poore Country about them, euen they (I say) doe so. And yet will al their reuenewes scarce serue to main­taine their small port withall, notwith­standing that they so racke their lands, raise their rents, and exact such fines and incomes, as they make two fold so much more of their liuings now, as their fore­fathers did in times past.

Now it may profitably be demanded, how they, carrying so lowe a saile, can spend so great reuenewes, which before times maintained so many score, and re­lieued so many thousands of poore? I an­swere first, Gods curse is vpon all they haue: and then, how can it be otherwise? Secondly, they spend it for the most part either in sumptuous apparell, gorgeous buildings (both which are too rife at this day in England) or els in feasting and banqueting, in ryoting and gurmandi­zing, besides other chamber-workes, which I blush to name. For as the A­postle [Page] saith, It is a shame once to name those things, which are done of them in secrete. God turne their hearts, and giue them grace to containe themselues with­in themselues, to maintaine hospitalitie, for the reliefe of the poore, and to vphold that porte, worship, and credite, which their forefathers did. Our Sauiour Christ saith, Mat. 10.42. That a cup of cold water giuen in his name, shall not bee left vnrewarded. And the Apostle Paul calleth it, Phil. 4.18. an Odour that smelleth sweete, a sacrifice acceptable, and plea­sant to God. Alas, consider wherfore did God giue you such great store of riches, and large possessions in this life, aboue your brethren; was it not, to doe good with them, and to helpe them that haue néede? Know you, they were not lent you to spend in ryot and excesse, in pride, or gluttonie, drunkennesse or chambering, no, nor in hawking, nor hunting, nor in any such kind of vanitie. No, No: it will not at the great day of accompt, the day of iudgement, goe for payment, when it shalbe said, Luk. 16. Giue an accompt of thy ste­wardship: for thou must no longer bee steward. I counsel you therefore, to learn [Page] of y ^e vniust steward, to make you friends of y ^e wicked Mammon. And to bend my speach to all generally, I counsell you to study, to bee more carefull in relieuing the poore distressed members of Iesus Christ, euery one, according to that por­tion which the Lord hath bestowed vpon you, that so you may be counted y ^e Lords faithfull stewards, meete to inherite that kingdome, which y ^e Lord hath purchased for all them that walke in his pathes, & kéepe his couenant and testimonies.

The Exposition.

By pathes in this place, the Prophet vnderstandeth the whole regiment of God, wherewith hee ruleth all thinges that he hath created.

The sence is: Whatsoeuer the Lord doth towards them that kéepe his coue­nant and testimonies, whether it be that he afflict them, or whether he suffer them to fal into sin, he therby sheweth mercy, & kéepeth y ^e truth of his promise towards them. Temptations, wherwith Sathan assaulteth vs, are not y ^e least afflictions, [Page] which God, as with a salue doth eure our soules with. When God giueth him power to wound the children of GOD, he permitteth it to humble them; to the end, that when they be so grieuously tor­mented, and do yet still resist the assaults that are made vpon them, they should vnderstand, Simil. that that commeth not of themselues, but that they bee vpheld o­therwise, that is to wit, by the grace of GOD, and by the power of his holy spirite.

To this purpose it is, that the Apostle Paul in the 8. Chapter to the Rom. 28. verse saith, Also we know, that al things worke for the best vnto them that loue God, euen to them that are called of his purpose.

So then, when God giueth Sathan leaue to tempt the faithfull, ordinarily it is to serue thē as it were with a Euen as an hole­some me­dicine, al­though biting & grieuous to the flesh, doth cure the diseases of the bo­die: euen so temp­tations of Gods children doe cure their soules. me­dicine. And heerein we sée the vnspeak­able and wonderfull mercy and good­nesse of our gracious God, in turning e­uill into good. For what can Sathan and sinne bring, but rancke poyson and ve­nim? Yea, hee hath nothing but death: for he is called the Prince of death. So [Page] then, whatsoeuer Sathan can effect, it turneth altogether to mans destruction, and to the drowning of them in endlesse damnation. And yet notwithstanding, God findeth meanes, whereby the euill that is in Sathan and in our selues, are turned to our good. And here we sée, how S. Paul was cured, as it were, Heb. 2.14. with a medicine, as he himselfe confesseth, after he had spoken of those high Reuelations which God gaue him. 2. Cor. 12.1. 2. Co. 12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. It is not expedient for me, no doubt, to re­ioyce: for I will come to visions and re­uelations of the Lord. ver. 2. I know a man in Christ; aboue fourteene yeeres a­gone, (whether hee were in the bothe, I cannot tell, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth) which was taken vp into the third heauen. ver. 3. And I know such a man, whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth, ver. 4. How that hee was taken vp into Paradise, and heard words which cannot bee spoken, which are not possible for man to vtter. ver. 5. Or such a man will I reioyce, of my selfe will I not reioyce, ex­cept it bee of mine infirmities. ver. 6. For though I would reioyce, I should not be [Page] a foole, For I will say the truth, but I re­fraine, lest any man should thinke of me aboue that hee seeth in me, or that hee heareth of me, &c. to the end of the ninth verse. God hath prouided for me, that I should not exalt my selfe too much. Loe here a good preuision, and very profitable for him. For we know that pride is rea­dy to throw vs headlong into hell, and there is nothing that more prouoketh Gods displeasure, then it: For hee must of necessitie shew himselfe an enemie to the proude, and to such as presume aboue their owne strength, after what maner so euer it bee. And S. Paul was in the same daunger, if God had not remedied it. In what sort did hee it? It was (saith Paul) by sending me the messenger of Sathan to buffet me.

Sée how Sathan worketh in S. Paul, euē by Gods permission. And what was the issue? Questionlesse, he meant vtter­ly to haue ouerwhelmed him, and his in­tent was to haue drawne him into wic­kednesse, to the end that hee would haue him haue giuen ouer the seruice of God, and by little & little to haue withdrawne himselfe from Christianitie, by reason of [Page] the wearisome miseries and troubles, which he endured without ceasing.

Behold heere Sathans purpose. Not­withstanding this, God purposed ano­ther end to binde his deare seruant, that he should not forget himselfe, and so exalt himselfe to the great displeasure of God. For this cause he was buffetted. The A­postle doth purposely chuse the phrase of buffetting. God vsed him not as a man of armes that fighteth in the fielde, to giue him a glorious victorie; but buffet­ted him like a boy, to his shame and re­proach. Thus the holy Apostle, whome God had endued with so excellent gifts of the holy Ghost, was so farre made an vnderling to Sathan, that he (as it were) spit in his face, and wrought him many other villanies.

We sée then, how God turneth the e­uill into good, when hee maketh all Sa­thans stings to serue vs as medicines, whereby he purgeth vs of the vices that Sathan hid in vs. And therfore we haue cause to praise God in al respects, yea, euē although at the first sight, his iudgemēt séemeth to our imaginations ouer-boy­sterous, and that by our fleshly vnder­standing [Page] wee cannot vnderstand them. When we haue well considered all these and many more of these his mercies, we shall euer haue wherewith to glorifie and magnifie our good God and father.

To bee yet better confirmed in this truth, let vs consider how afflictions serue for our profit and saluation. First, for as much as the reliques of sinne abide still, euen in the perfectest in this life, which maketh them hardned in their sinnes, Fruite to awake vs out of our sinnes. Rom. 12.1. and inclined to offend GOD, we haue néede of helpes to be awaked, to be humbled, and drawne from our sinnes, to kéepe vs in the time to come, and so to dispose vs to a perfect obedience, holy and acceptable to God. And to this end tend the afflictions of them, which kéepe the couenaunt and testimonies of God, his deare children; which for this cause are called chasticements, corrections, and medicines of our selues. Iosephs brethren. Gen. 42, 21. The children of Iacob, hauing committed a detestable crime, in selling their brother Ioseph, neuer thought of it, vntill they being in Egypt, oppressed with reproches and imprisonment, called to mind their sin, saying one to another, Surely wee haue [Page] sinned against our brother: for we sawe the anguish of his soule, when hee be­sought vs, and we would not heare him, therefore is this trouble come to vs.

Manasses king of Iudah, Manasses hauing set vp Idolatrie, persecuted those that would haue purely serued the Lord, 2. Chro. 33. so that Ie­rusalem was full of bloud: and hauing shut his eares to the admonitions of the Lord, in the end was taken by the army of the king of the Assyrians, bound with manacles, fettered in chaines, and car­ried prisoner into Babylon. Then being in afflictions, he was excéedingly humb­led before God, hee praied to the Lord, and was heard, and car­ried backe vnto Ie­rusalem.

THis is a prayer of the holy Prophet & king, Dauid, after his holy meditation of the vn­speakable mercy and eternall truth of God, in kéeping his promi­ses to them that truely worship him, and obey his holy lawes. Two special bran­ches it containeth. The first, an earnest and zealous prayer to GOD, for his name sake, not for his merites, to par­don his sinne. Secondly, is a déepe search of them, without soothing, excusing, or hiding them. Text. For it is great. The forme that the Prophet obserueth in ioyning this prayer, to his former meditation of the mercie and truth of GOD towards [Page] them that obey him, is this: When he had throughly meditated with himselfe, that God was good & gracious towards his seruants, he considered himselfe, ac­knowledging, that except the Lord, of his great mercie would pardon his great and gréeuous sinnes, he should be none of them. Therfore he praieth (as the like he did at another time before, when hee spake of the reward which God layeth vp for the faithfull that kéepe his holy Lawe, Psalm. 19.10. Psal. 19.10, 11, 12. And more to be desired (meaning the holy lawes of God) thē gold, yea, then much fine gold, swee­ter also then the hony, & the hony cōbe. verse 11. Moreouer by them is thy ser­uant made circumspect, & in keeping of thē there is great reward. vers. 12. Who can vnderstand his faults clense me frō my secrete faults.) that GOD for his name sake would pardon him.

The sence is briefly this: My sinnes, O Lorde, as a great burden, sore op­presse mee; for whose sake (except thou pardon them of thy mercy) I am exclu­ded from being in the number of them, that kéeping thy couenant and Testi­monies, receaue thy great mercies and [Page] true promises. Therefore, O Lord, sée­ing I see how farre I am from kéeping the same, by heaping vp daily & howre­ly so many and greeuous sinnes, I hum­bly, euen for thy glorious name, and not for my deserts sake, beséech thée to par­don and forgiue them all; so shall all thy pathes, be mercy and truth to mée.

Doct. 1 1. Doctrine. Whosoeuer desireth, that all thinges that the Lord doth to his Church, procéeding of his mercy and truth, should turne to his good, that hée may be not onely a member of it, but al­so with it to be partaker of his mercies, must feruently, zealously, and earnestly pray vnto God, that for his names sake, he would vouchsafe to pardon him al his sinnes.

The 1. Reason is. Except our sinnes be pardoned (which without our pray­er to GOD shall neuer bée) all that the Lord doth to vs, shall (euen our meate, drinke, hearing the holy worde, receiuing the holy Sacramentes, temp­tations, afflictions, prosperities, and what else soeuer wée receyue from his hand) redound from him, not of his mercie, and so hée a blessing, but from [Page] his wrath, and so bée a curse against vs.

Vse. The vse thereof is: First, let vs striue against that temptation, which perswa­deth vs to cease praying to God for re­mission of our sinnes. Sathan our aduer­sary tempteth vs on the right hand, and on the left, that is, by aduersity and pro­sperity: By aduersity to distrust in God, as he tēpted our Sauiour when he was hungry, to diffidence and distrust in the prouidence of God: when he perceiued that by aduersity he could not preuaile to ouercome him, he tempteth him by his confidence: Math. 4. Luk. 4. That séeing he trusted in Gods protection, that therefore, if hée cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple, he should be protected of the Lord, by the ministery of his holy An­gels. Lo, we sée, that by his confidence he would haue him to tempt God: Euen so he tempteth vs: if he perceiue that we haue no faith, he will perswade, not to pray for it: if he sée that we are perswa­ded that the Lord loueth vs, he will per­swade vs, that we need not pray to him for that which we already haue: for al­though we are in our consciences, to the [Page] great comfort thereof in all afflictions, perswaded, that the Lord loueth vs, yet notwithstanding, we must continually pray to his maiesty for the fame, and the forgiuenes of our sinnes: els we kéepe not his testimonies, & so by consequence, it is but a vaine perswasiō that we haue, that God fauoureth vs, which may pro­ceede from an opinion thereof onely, which the infidels may haue: but as for a true faith, they onely that haue the Spirite of Praier, and exercise the same, haue it; and so by consequence, they one­ly shall receyue remission of their sinnes. Let vs therefore resist this temptation. Let vs vse this holy exercise: for there­by we both encrease in godlines, and all things that the Lord doth to vs, euen temptations and afflictions shall re­dound to our good, and from the Lords mercie.

Text. For thy names sake be mercifull to my sinnes.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. We must be perswaded, that God, when he forgiueth sinnes, doth for his owne sake, & not for any other cause whatsoeuer, pardō the same. The reason is: He is good and gracious of himselfe.

Vse. The vse is: That we acknowledge, that there is none other name giuen vn­der heauen, whereby we are saued, that our sinnes are forgiuen vs, without the which there is no saluation, but onely the name of our Lord Iesus: none other meanes, none abilitie, power, aucthori­tie in any, neyther in man or Angel, but in the Lord onely. Similit. Euen as an horse­man, hol­ding the reynes of his horse, guideth him as he wil: euē so the Lord holdeth vs, to guide vs at his pleasure, either not to pardō, or to for­giue vs our sins. Act. 10. God holdeth the reynes in his handes, to guide men at his pleasure: and if it please him to pu­nish our sinnes, we haue nothing to reply why he should not condemne vs: and if it please him of his great mercy wholy to pardon vs, who shall resist him? who shall let him to shew vs fauour? True it is, that this is strange to mans vnder­standing at the first sight. For seing that God accepteth not the persons of men, we aske, wherefore he forgiueth some, & forgiueth not othersome? wherfore tole­rateth he y ^e wicked, seing him so disorder­ly? Then may we trouble our heads, to be curious to know, wherefore doth the lord so deale? But what cōclusiō must we make? Euē only to refer al things to his wisdome & purpose, knowing y ^t it is not in vs to rule him, & we cānot cōprehend [Page] those thinges that are aboue our reach. And if it please God to forgiue vs, let vs vnderstand, that it is not for our deserts, but of his frée mercy, through Iesus Christ onely. And this must bee well marked, because the matter that I haue already spoken of, comming naturally into mens imaginations, hath béene the cause, that false & wicked doctrines haue ouerflowed in Christendome.

The sence is.

ALthough we know not of our selues what is right, acceptable, and plea­sant to the Almightie; & what we might to Gods approuing, and our owne profi­ting elect and chuse; so that we feare the Lord, in suffering our selues to be direc­ted by him to a godly life, wee shall al­wayes find him a sure and holy guide vnto vs.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. Whoso doth feare the Lord, [Page] shall by his holy Spirite be directed how to frame his life. The reason is: Iob 1.1. Iob by fearing God, is said to eschue euill, was an vpright man, and a iust man.

Vse. The vse is: That wee pray feruently vnto the Lord our God, to giue vs his holy Spirite, that wee thereby may lead our liues in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life. Luke 1. The feare of GOD is not a slauish feare, Rom. 8. but filiall, yea, it is a reuerence and an honor which wee owe and performe vnto the Lord our God, séeing he is our good and gracious God, mercifull master, and lo­uing father. Haue wée then the feare of God before our eyes? Then without all doubt, all other things we estéeme not in comparisō of doing him homage, seruice and honor, & then we will wholly addict our selues to his seruice. It also compre­hendeth the knowledge of our good God. Do wee know him? Then we do it in such maner as hee hath vttered, & made himselfe to be knowen, & not otherwise: that is, that he is our maker, our main­tainer, and one that hath shewed such fa­therly goodnesse towards vs, that wee of dutie ought to be obedient children to­wardes [Page] him, if we will not be vtterly vnthankfull. The true feare of God al­so comprehendeth an acknowledging of his soueraigntie, rule, dominion, and superioritie ouer vs, to the end that eue­ry one of vs yéelding him his due honor, may learne to please him in all thinges. Thus yée sée, that vnder this feare of GOD, is comprehended all Religion, all the seruice and honour which man a creature, oweth to GOD the Crea­tor. There are also here, you sée, two thinges to be considered: the feare of the Lorde, and an holy life. He whom GOD blesseth with the one, shall by his holy Spirite be directed to the o­ther. Both which are the gracious gift of GOD, which hée giueth to none, but to them that are his. The meanes for the attainment both of the one and the other, is Prayer to our God; and all these goe together: for when by reason of our sinnes wée are turned aside from the feare of GOD and holy lyfe, and from praying vnto his diuine Maiesty, all our wisedome is but follie, all our shewes of godlinesse are but hypocrisie, all our knowledge is but ignorance, all [Page] are but a wind to make vs breake, pain­ted sepulchers, full of dead mens bones, faire without, but fowle within.

Againe, Feare importeth asmuch, as that our life must be ruled according to the will of God. For what becōmeth of mē, when they know not, acknowledge not, yea, are not subiect, and obedient to the Lord their Maker? They like wild Colts, bruite beastes, and vntamed heyfers, rush foorth: and as the Prophet Hosea saith, like a great riuer, Hoshea 4. which be­fore hath bene staied and dammed vp, the sluces set open, & the dāme pulled down, breaketh forth into all lewdnes, abomi­nation, and wickednes. Wée know or should know, what our lusts are, how vntamed & vnruly they are. Therfore if the feare of God raigne in vs, wée must, & will acknowledge, that the Lord hath not set & placed vs in y ^e world, to liue as we list, but reserueth his whole interest, title & right ouer vs, & he expecteth obe­diēce at our hands. Againe Feare impor­teth, that God requireth of vs, to learne to direct our whole life to his wil. It hath pleased him of his great mercy & vnspeak­able goodnes, to giue vs his whole lawes [Page] and holy word, wherby as a scholmaster teacheth his scholer, and as by the sterne the master of the ship guideth it: euen so by the same hee directeth, guideth and teacheth vs what to do, what to leaue vndone, how to discerne betwéene that which is good, and that which is euill: Then we must here beginne. Salomon saith, The feare of the Lord is the begin­ning of knowledge, Prou. 1.7. Yet not­withstanding, nothing can further vs in the feare of God, but onely the guiding, gouernance and direction of Gods holy Spirite. For is there any goodnes in the holiest and vprightest of vs all? Are we giuen to any thing, but to all euill and wickednes? And if we lay Gods lawe, to mens liues, wée shall soone sée as great a deadly battell betwéene them, as be­twéene fire and water, yea euen our whole nature; and that there is nothing more contrary to the righteousnesse of God, then the affections of our flesh. For as the Apostle S. Paul in the 8. to the Rom. vers. 7. They are, he saith not, ene­mies, but enmity to God. Seing it is so, let vs pray vnto the Almighty: and for­asmuch as we are wholy giuē vnto wic­kednes, [Page] and are altogether caried away vnto euill, let vs zealously and earnestly beseech the Lord our God, to lay his ho­ly hand vpon vs, to direct and guide vs, to vouchsafe vs his holy and blessed spi­rite to rule and gouerne vs in such wise, as we may fréely and with single harts lead an holy and godly life, cleaue vnto his righteousnes, be obedient vnto his holy precepts, & that of his louing kind­nesse, he will not suffer the temptations of Sathan, to turne vs away from do­ing good: that it would please him of his goodnesse to forgiue vs our sinnes, & be alwaies merciful & louing towards vs.

Praier ought to be ioyned with the feare of God, that by his blessed Spirite we might be guided in the way that we should choose. For it sufficeth vs not to be taught what wée should do, what God requireth at our hands, and what is our dutie, but wee must repaire to him; let vs haue our whole recourse to him, let vs séeke of him those things that wée want; for he hath all things in store for his children: and beyng sicke in our soules, let vs runne to him our carefull and louing Phisicion. This is a profi­table [Page] Doctrine, and therefore I purpose the longer to insist hereupon, knowing that this being well learned, wee haue profited well in one forenoone in the Schoole of Christ. You come oftentimes to the Sermons: what profiteth that, if we haue not the feare of the Lord (wher­of many are farre from) & liue not a god­ly life, & pray not to him to guide vs by his holy spirite? We do but wāder, if we bring not these things, & heare not dili­gently: for wherfore is our cōming & re­sorting hither? To know our dutie, what the Lord requireth at our hands, how we ought to walke, differing frō them y ^t are more like beasts than men. God allow­eth nothing, but obedience to his lawes. For all the deuices of mens braynes are méere vanities, & starke folly. Mark how y ^e papists torment thēselues what gaine they by their fond deuices? For all their doings are but their owne deuices; the law of the Lord is, as though it were bu­ried among them. So then, let vs take héed we deceiue not our selues: but let our cōming to y ^e Sermons, be an attain­ment to a certainty, wherin we may not faile: which thing wil then come to passe, [Page] when we allow of & admit nothing but onely Gods will to rule and gouerne our whole life. Howbeit that is not al that is to be done. For it is in vaine for men to beat their eares with preaching: which is, This you may do, this God cōmādeth you to doe; vntill such time as we haue learned, y ^t it is he only that giueth vs the feare of God, y ^t it is he onely, that by his holy spirit hauing giuen the first Grace, doth also to thē giue a secōd, that it is he onely, that imprinteth his Law in our harts, & ingraueth it in our bowels, y ^t it is he only that giueth vs power to cleaue to his cōmandemēts, y ^t it is he only which by his holy Spirit giueth force & efficacy to the heauēly doctrine, that it is he only which of his great goodnes & tender mer­cy accepteth vs & forgiueth vs our sins: I say, it is al to no purpose, vntil we haue learned these things, & pray vnto him for all things we stand in néed of. Further­more our faith alwaies engēdreth in vs a desire to praise God, & to pray vnto him. When the holy Minister preacheth vnto you, and saith that our louing Lord and swéete sauiour Iesus Christ hath of his mercies, not of your merits (for you haue [Page] none) reconciled you to God his father, and to wash and clense you, hath shedde his precious bloud, that he hath paid the price of your ransome, that by his righ­teousnesse you might be acquited, and by this meanes become holy and accepta­ble to GOD our heauenly father: the knowledge of these things is, to the end wee should throughly cleaue vnto him, & say, What meanes haue we to be sa­ued by, but onely by y ^e frée grace of God, seing that our Lord Iesus Christ hath of his infinite goodnes made full and suffi­cient satisfaction for vs, and to the ende that our faith should rest therupō? But, may we lie still, and sléepe like Swine? No. No. We must awake, we must re­payre by Praier to God, & say, Where­in is our welfare? Euen in the death and passion of our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesus. Therfore we must seeke it there: for wée shall neuer finde it elsewhere, neyther with men nor Angels. And how must wee seeke it, but by Praiers and supplications?

Then let vs pray vnto him, and say, O Lord, seing thou seest vs farre from all goodnes, giue vs the true feare of thee, [Page] send downe thy holy Spirite into our hearts, to reforme, renue and direct vs in our waies. True it is, we are wretched sinners: but forasmuch as we are mem­bers of the mysticall body of thy deare sonne our sauiour Christ Iesus, we pray thee, make vs righteous through him. True it is, that we are polluted, and full of spottes; but his precious blood can cleanse vs: we are guilty of euerlasting death, and in bondage to it: but our sweet Sauiour and Lord Iesus Christ hath set vs free from it. Wherefore, O gracious God, fill thou vs with thy holy & sweete spirite, that by his strength, wee in our pathes and waies that we haue chosen, may be ledde, and conducted; suffer vs not, for any temptation, to fall from thee.

Doct. This beyng an Interrogation, wee learne this Doctrine: Litle is the flock, and small is the number of them, which truly feare the Lord.

The reason is. For although the most men seeme to pray, & the greatest nūber [Page] frequēting y ^e assemblies where the word is preached, (as for others, they euident­ly & openly professe thēselues, that there is no feare of GOD before their eyes) séeme many times like painted Sepul­chers, faire without, and foule within; like Copper, which resembleth Golde, when it is not it; like stage-plaiers, that seeme to be Kinges and Princes, when in deed they are starke and very beg­gers, when they seeme as if they repen­ted, when their liues and conuersations doe euidently shew, that they are not in substance that which thy seeme in shew. Therefore most rare is the feare of God to be found: whereby it cōmeth to passe, that iustly & vpon great cause the Lord depriueth the wretched and miserable worldlings, of the Spirit of counsel and wisedome.

Vse. The vse is, That wee pray vnto God to giue vs his holy & blessed spirite, that wee seeme not to feare the Lord, when wee are farre from it: but that he will sanctifie our harts with sincerity, that all hypocrisie being remoued farre from vs, we may be so directed by the same spirit in our way, that other seing our good [Page] workes, may glorifie our father which is in heauen.

And forasmuch as hypocrisie is so great and gréeuous a sinne, as that it not onely deceyueth men, but so displea­seth the Lord, as hee many times (al­though not alwaies, nor al such persons) plagueth and punisheth them in this life, but much more in that to come, Apo. 21. who shall haue their partes with the fearfull and Adulterers, in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death: I thinke it conue­nient to handle this point, seing that the most are such, that they seing how odi­ous it is in the sight of GOD, may not onely detest it, but also vtterly flie from it, as a most mortall and deadly e­nemy.

Euen as the fowler, A simi­litude of a painted Oxe, to take the silly birds. which with a painted Oxe, which is not an Oxe, but vnder the shape and likenesse thereof, li­eth in waite for the poore birdes, that hee might take them and kill them: So he, which with a counterfaited and fayned holinesse will colour and couer impietie, wicked purposes, or whatso­euer is against the will & word of God, [Page] hath not the feare of God, but vnder the colour and shape of godlinesse and ho­nesty, séeking the prayse and glory of the world, hée casteth in his head, and worketh by degrees, the ruine, decay, & vndoing of others, that hée may com­passe their goods, lands, and possessions, and gaine some honour, and dignity a­mong men: 2. Tim. 3 5. Such men haue a shewe of godlinesse, but, as the Apostle saith, haue denied the power thereof. And although some hypocrites will sometimes seeme to forsake their riches, and lende some to their neighbors, and bestow some vp­on the poore, yet still the marke and le­uell they shoote at, is to augment and en­crease them.

A simili­tude of the soa­ring hawke, for the silly birdFor euen as the swift hawke, enten­ding to take the birde that flieth, doth not presently, when she seeth her, seyse vpon her, but rather at the first, with fetching a compasse, séemeth to forsake her, but at the second or third flight, she goeth to­wards her with a wonderfull force, and incredible swiftnesse, to take her in the ayre, and to rend her in péeces; Right so do hypocrites: for at the first sight they will séeme, not to regard neither thee [Page] nor thine, but to continue the riches and promotions of the world: but then they come and counterfeit a simplicity, fowling for a greater matter then they presently sée, and reaching at some grea­ter promotion and higher dignitie, then the present time and occasion doth offer: but at the second or third flight, when all thinges aunswere their expectation, thou shalt perceiue, that with all spéede and gréedinesse they will lay hold on those things, which thou supposedst they had contemned.

These are doubleharted men, they haue wicked lippes, and handes that worke iniquitie; these are sinners that go two waies, and eternall woe is their reward. The hypocrite goeth two man­ner of waies; when he laieth vp one thing close in his hart, the other he shew­eth in his actions, speaketh one thing, & doth another.

Such an one was Herod, Math. 2. pretending a great deuotion towardes Christ, and that he would worship him, when hée was whetting his sword to destroy him.

True Christians lead their liues (al­though [Page] not in perfection) according to their profession, and as S. Iames saith, do shewe their faith by their workes. All hypocrites, whatsoeuer they would séeme to be, do so farre differ from true Christianitie, as the drosse of gold differeth from the right gold it selfe.

The sence therof is this.

THey that zealously, sin­cerely, and truly feare and worship the Lord, are not onely spiritual­ly and eternally, but e­uen in this vale of mi­sery, although they be subiect to many & gréeuous afflictiōs, not onely themselues, but euen their posteri­ty after thē, for their sakes surely blessed.

The reason is. God in his holy word by the pen of the Apostle Paul, 1. Tim. 4.8. hath promised blessings in this life, to them that are good and godly: The wordes are: Godlinesse is profitable to all thinges, which hath promise of the [Page] life present, and of that that is to come.

Obie∣ction. True it is, they are subiect to many crosses, beare many reproches, and slaun­ders, they haue not worldly commodi­ties as they desire: also whereas the wicked are merry, they mourne; the wic­ked flourish, and flow with wealth, they suffer pouertie; the wicked haue their li­berty, they are imprisoned; y ^t wicked are of the world beloued, they are hated.

Solutiō. Yet notwithstanding let vs know, that so often as the Lord withdraweth these outward blessings from his childrē the members of Christ, he doth it not for a curse or punishment, but for their good, euen to awaken them (for the most godly, as Dauid and Abraham, haue for a time fallen asléepe in the bed of securi­tie) that they might know, how far they are from the perfection of the feare of GOD, as the Lord requireth. In the meane time notwithstanding, so much as their louing Lord, and gracious fa­ther shall for their behoofe and benefit sée expedient for them, they do so enioy his benefits, that in respect of profane men and contemners of God, they are surely blessed, seing that in their extreame po­uerty [Page] and gréeuous affliction, beyng tho­roughly perswaded that the Lord is mercifully present with them, in this hauen of Consolation they rest them­selues.

True it is, that all the miseries both of the godly and wicked procéed from one foūtaine: for both breake off y ^e course of Gods blessing by their sinnes: yet not­withstanding, his fauour in this great, as it were, confusion, shineth in such sort, that the state of the Saints is farre better, who although they are not for the most parte filled with good things, they notwithstanding daily tast Gods father­ly fauour and care towardes them. In this sence I vnderstand, the soule of the godly shal dwell at ease: that is, a medio­critie doth cōtent them more, then great aboundance doth the wicked.

Vse. The vse of the doctrine is. Let vs al, seing we would be in peace and dwell at ease, and desire that our soules may enioy that which is good indéed, walke in the feare of the Lord: Let vs séeke peace, and ensue it.

This ease and rest, that God giueth vnto his children, is of diuers sortes. For [Page] the faithfull haue that rest, that the ho­ly Scriptures speake of, which is: they leane vnto GOD, put their trust in his goodnesse, and doubt not but that he go­uerneth them: hereupon they may sleepe at their ease, as the Prophet Michah saith chapter 4. verse 4. They shall sitte euery man vnder his vine, and vnder his figge tree, and none shall make them afraid. Psalme. 4. verse 8. I will lay mee downe in peace, and take my rest, for thou, Lord, onely makest mee dwell in safetie. And this peace is the fruite of faith, as Paul saith to the Rom. Chap. 5. verse 1.

Wée sée then, that the chiefe rest which men haue, or can enioy, is to committe themselues to Gods proui­dence, and that in respect of his father­ly care ouer them, they can say, My good gracious GOD, and louing Father, I commend my soule, my bodie, lyfe, and all that I haue, vnto thy fauourable protection: they are in thy gracious hand, order and dispose them according to thy good pleasure and will; and I, by the assistance of thy good Spirite, purpose to walke in my vocation, to glorifie [Page] thée, to finish my course, and to kéepe the faith.

Secondly, But besides this also, there is another rest and ease, not that which the deare Saints and children of God do enioy, but a rest & quietnes, which God sometimes granteth to the wicked: For many times the Lord spareth, and afflic­teth not the wicked outwardly, although he within torment them with the biting and bitter gnawing of their consciences, as Isaiah the Prophet saith. Is. 48.22 and 57.20, 21. But the wicked are like the raging Sea that can­not rest, whose waters cast vp myre and dirt. verse 21. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

For although it be sayd, that their thoughts are lyke waues beating one against another, yea, and as a sinke that is filthy within, (because infidelity doth alwaies bring vnquietnes) yet notwith­standing, God casteth them into a sléepe, because hée punisheth them not imme­diatly.

So that, although that God deferreth and prolongeth the punishment of the wicked, let vs not be ouerhasty. For no­thing is gottē by pleading against God, [Page] saying, Wherefore delayeth he the pu­nishment of the wicked? That were as much as to trouble those, whom God for a time will haue be at rest. And there­fore let vs learne to submit our selues pa­tiently to Gods will, and beware that wée runne not an head after that sort. For it becommeth not the children of God, to make trouble, where God will haue quietnes. And therewithall let vs vnderstand, that it is to no purpose to haue bodily prosperitie, except wée haue Gods fauour with it, that the feeling thereof may make vs quiet in our harts.

Againe, if we haue not this quietnes, let vs pray to God to giue it vs. For it is he onely that can giue it vs. For if, as Isaiah saith in the person of God, Is. 45.7. God only giueth vs quietnes & peace, which to obtaine, wee must pray to him for. I forme the light, and create darknesse, I make peace, and make euill: that is, if peace and warre be in his handes, and that in this vale of misery he can and will giue trouble and ease, when it séemeth good to his heauenly wisedome, much more hath he the spirituall rest, which is farre greater and excellenter.

Then let vs consider, that it lieth not in vs, to quiet our selues when wée are [Page] in trouble, but we must resort vnto God: for it is a singular and inestimable trea­sure that commeth from him, to hold vs so in quiet, as wee may alwaies in the middest of the turmoiles of this world, abide still vpon our feete; and that being tossed, as it were, with great stormes and tempests, yet neuerthelesse we haue our anchor still fastened in him to hold fast our owne. This is a singular priui­ledge which God giueth his children.

Now therefore, are wee in pouertie? haue we anguish, trouble and perplexi­tie? Let vs frame our selues to take hold of this settled quietnesse, seing the Lord giueth it to vs his deare children, that it might, to our comfort, abide with­in vs.

True it is, that wee must alwaies séeke the meanes that God offereth vs, to keepe vs to it, and to endeuour to at­taine it; but howsoeuer it be, let vs be fully resolued of this, that it is God one­ly that giueth it, and deliuereth vs from all vnquietnesse. Therefore let vs not storme, nor frette against the Lord, al­though it please him to turmoile vs: For we are not taught in the word, that God [Page] will so handle vs in this world, that wée shall not be tossed to and fro; wée haue no such promise: yet let vs cleaue vnto God, and cast our anchor on him: so shall wée not bée ouercome of temptations, although they be many and greeuous.

Text. And his seede shall inherite the land.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. Gods fauour and mercy ex­tend vnto the children of the faithfull; both while they liue, and after their de­cease.

The reason is: If the wicked fare the better for the godlies sake, how much more shall the children of the god­ly, walking in their fathers steppes, fare the better in inheriting the land? And there is no certainer inheritance, wher­in our children may succéed vs, then when GOD with vs, receyuing them into his fatherly fauour, doth make them partakers with vs of his blessings.

Vse. The vse of this Doctrine is: That as wée tender our ofspring, so to be the more carefull to walke in the feare of the Lord.

The sence thereof is:

ALthough secrete, hidde, vnknowen, The sēce and Do­ctrine. & aboue the reach & capacity of mans braine, is the holy couenant of the most high and mighty God, yet whosoeuer, in the feare of the Lord, that is, in humble sort by prayer to his Maiestie, séeke to know it, shal, by the directiō of Gods ho­ly Spirite, attaine to that high & heauēly wisdome, which for their saluation in the sacred Scriptures is there recorded.

The reason is: God hath disappointed no man of the knowledge thereof, that hath sincerely sought it.

By the word Secrete, the Prophet vnderstādeth the excellency of Doctrine, which is contained in the holy law of God. Howsoeuer prophane mē, by their lofty pride despise Moses & the prophets, yet y ^e faithfull acknowledge, y ^t in the Do­ctrine therof, the secrets of the kingdome of heauen are therby opened, which farre [Page] excéedingly excell mans wisedome.

Vse. 1 The first vse is, That in reading the Law of God, and the sacred Scriptures, we be of a modest and humble Spirite, that in trusting to our weake wits and diligence, we take héed we attempt not to breake in the secrete mysteries there­of; the knowledge whereof is the singu­lar gift of God, as Dauid in the 111. Ps. verse 10. saith, The beginning of wise­dome is the feare of the Lord, all they that obserue them, haue good vnderstan­ding, his prayse endureth for euer.

Vse. 2 The second vse is: That forasmuch as the Lord our God, of his great mer­cy, not of merite, giueth his Spirite to many that are not teachers, as to them that instruct the Church; that therefore being endued with the Spirite of truth, & hauing the feare of God, humility, the desire to beléeue, and to liue according to the prescript rules which in the sacred scriptures are cōtained, he will giue vn­derstanding to them, and open the se­crete mysteries thereof vnto them. And therefore, most iniurious to the common people is the Edict of the Pope and his followers, which prohibite the reading [Page] of them vnto the people. They hold, that the Scriptures are most hard, difficult & obscure. They do not onely affirme, that some things are so, but that all are hard, doubtfull, and vncertaine, and compare thē therfore to a leaden rule, which may be turned euery way, Petrus a Soto. And to a nose of waxe, Lindan a Papist, ex Tilmanno, de verbo Dei, error. 5.

Our Rhemistes affirme, that it is all one to affirme in a writer some things to be hard, & the writer to bee hard. So they conclude, that the sacred Scriptures are, both in respect of the matter & man­ner, very hard, and therfore daungerous for the ignorant to read them. Rhe. ob­iectiō 2. Pet. 3.16 A Dicto secūdum quod ad dictum simpl. Answer. Rhem, an­not. 2. Pet. 3. verse 16. they obiect that place, whereas the Apostle saith, spea­king of S. Pauls Epistles, that many things therein cōteined, are hard: Ther­fore the Epistles of S. Paul are hard, & so the Scriptures. B. R.

We answere: First, he saith not, that Pauls Epistles are hard, but many things he entreateth of.

Secondly, they are hard, not to all but to the vnstable, who do peruert them.

Thirdly, we denie not, but that some [Page] places in the Scriptures are obscure, & haue néede of interpretation: but it fol­loweth not, that therefore the whole Scriptures are obscure, and because of some hard places, that the people should be forbidden the reading of all.

Obie∣ction of the Pa∣pists. 2 2. Obiect. The scriptures are obscure, both in respect of matter and manner. First, the matter is high & mysticall, as of the Trinity, of the incarnation of the word, of y ^e nature of Angels, & such like.

Answer. We answere. These mysteries may be said to be obscure two waies.

First, in their own nature: so are they hard in deed, for by humane reason wee cannot attaine to the depth of them.

Secondly, in respect of vs; so must they needs be obscure, if men be not con­tented with the knowledge in the word, but curiously search further.

Luther, therefore doth aptly distin­guish. Res Dei, saith hee, the thinges of GOD are obscure, the depth of his my­steries cannot bee comprehended of vs: but Res Scripturae, the things that are o­pened in the Scriptures, are plaine, if wee will content our selues with that knowledge.

Obie∣ction. 2 Secondly, Bellar. saith, The maner of handling is hard and obscure: there are many Tropes, Metaphors, Allegories, & Hebraismes, which cānot easily be vn­derstood.

Answer. We answer. First, many of these are rather ornaments of the Scriptures, as Tropes, and Metaphores, then impedi­mentes to the Reader.

Secondly, although the phrase of the Scripture may séeme hard at the first, yet by further traueile therein, it may become easie and plaine: for all thinges are not at the first vnderstood.

Thirdly, wée denie not, but that some places are obscure and had néed to be opened.

Obie∣ction. 3 3. Obiection. If the Scriptures were not hard, what néed so many Commen­taries and expositions? R. B.

Answer. We answer. First, so many Commē ­taries as are extant, are not requisite, some may be spared.

Secondly, Expositions are néedfull for the vnderstanding of darke places: but many thinges are playne enough without expositions, and may be vnder­stood of the simple. We hold not, that the [Page] Scripture is euery where so plaine and euident, that it néed no Interpretati­on, as our aduersaries do slaunder vs: & therefore herein they fight with their owne shadow, B. l. 3. de Verbo Cap. 1. We confesse, that the Lord in the Scriptures hath tempered hard things and easie to­gether, that wee might be exercised in the Scriptures, & might knock by pray­er, and study for the opening of the sence; and that there might be order kept in the Church, some to be teachers and expoū ­ders, and some to be hearers: by which teachers and expounders, through their diligent search and trauell, the harder places may be opened to the people. But this wee affirme against our aduersa­ries. First, that al points of faith neces­sary to saluation, are plainly setforth in the holy Scriptures. Secondly, that they may with great profite be read of the simple and vnlearned, notwithstanding the hardnesse of some places, which in time also vsing the meanes, they come to the vnderstanding thereof.

Arg. 1 1. Arg. First, our iudgements are e­uidently approued by the Scriptures, Deut. 30.11. For this commaundement [Page] which I commaund thee, is not hid from thee, neither is it farre of. verse 12. It is not in heauen, that thou shouldest say, Who shall goe vp for vs to heauen, and bring it vs, and cause vs to heare it, that we may do it? verse 13. Neither is it be­yond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall goe ouer the sea for vs, and bring it vs, and cause vs to heare it, that we may do it? verse 14. But the word is very neree vnto thee, euen in thy mouth and in thine hart to do it. Therefore the Scriptures are plaine.

Vnto this Argument, first it is aun­swered, that it is meant onely of the De­calogue or 10. Commaundements, that they are easie, not of the whole Scrip­tures.

Answer. Replication. As though, if the Com­maundements be easie, the rest of the Scriptures be not likewise: as the Pro­phets and historicall Bookes, being but Commentaries and expositions of the Decalogue. S. Paul Rom. 10.6. vnder­standeth this place of the whole doctrine of faith.

Againe the prophet Dauid saith, Ps. 119.105. Thy word is a lanterne to my feete, & a light [Page] to my path. Which is not to bée vnder­stood onely of the commaundements, and precepts in the Scriptures, but of the whole word of GOD, as Augu­stine expoundeth it. Quod ait, Lucernae pedibus verbum tuum, verbum est, quod Scripturis omnibus sanctis continetur. Where hée saith, Thy word is a lan­terne to my féete, hée vnderstandeth the word of God, which is contained in all the holy Scriptures.

Arg. 2 The 2. Argument. 2. Cor. 4.3. If our Gospell be then hidde, it is hidden to thē that are lost. Therefore the Scriptures are plaine to the faithful. Bellar. answe­reth, S. Paul speaketh of the knowledge of Christ, not of the Scriptures.

Replie. First, it is manifest out of the next verse (being the 4. whereas the Apostle saith, In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes, that is, of y ^e Infidels, that the light of the glori­ous Gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should not shine vnto them) that S. Paul speaketh of that Gospell, which he preached to the Corinthians, which is the same he wrote vnto them. Wherfore, if the Gospel preached, were [Page] easie and plaine, why is not the Gospell written by him, I meane, the doctrine of faith, beyng the same which hee prea­ched?

Secondly, if they graunt, (as by this answere it appeareth they do) wee aske no more: for this is that which wee say, that the Doctrine of faith & saluation, is plainly expressed in the sacred scripture.

Arg. 3 3. Arg. This is y ^e differēce betwéene the new testament & the old: The old is compared to a clasped booke, Is. 29.11. The new, to a booke opened, Apoc. 5.1. & 6.1. The knowledge of Christiās far exceedeth the knowledge of the Iewes: it was lawfull for them to read the Scrip­tures, much more for vs Christians. Bellar. answereth, that our knowledge is greater then theirs, not in all Scrip­tures, but in the mysteries of our Re­demption onely.

Our Replie is, This is all wée desire: for if the mystery of saluation & redemp­tion, be plainly opened in the Scripture, why should not the people be admitted to the reading of the word, to be confir­med in the knowledge of their redemp­tion?

I conclude therefore this point, with the sayings of our sauiour Christ, Iohn 5. Search the Scriptures: for in them you thinke to haue eternall life, and they do testifie of mee. Likewise S. Paul to the Colossians 3.16. Let the woord of Christ dwell in you plente­ously, in all wise­dome.

The sence thereof is.

FOrasmuch as the Lord, of his great mercy hath pro­mised, neuer to leaue them destitute of his assistance, which fearing & alwaies trusting in him, are in great afflictions, perils and daungers: I therfore, not in prosperitie onely, but in aduersitie also, euen at all times, lift vp the eies of mine heart and affections, by faith & sure con­fidence towards him, seing it is he one­ly, and none other, that either can, or wil deliuer mée out of the net of troubles.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. Afflictions and troubles are alwaies incident to the deare Saints & [Page] Church of Christ. 2. Tim. 3.12. All that will liue godly in Christ, must suffer per­secution. Examples: Abel, Ioseph, the Israelites in Egipt, and in the captiuity seuentie yéeres, the Prophets, Christ, his Apostles, Christians and Martyrs in the Primitiue time, and also of late yéeres.

The causes therof mouing God there­unto, are: First, that he might daily de­clare himself the disposer & gouernour of al things. 1. Sam. 2 7. The Lord maketh poore, and maketh rich, bringeth low, and exal­teth.

Secōdly, to take from vs (that do na­turally settle our affections on the earth) all occasion of promising our selues pros­perity in this life.

Vse. The vse is: First, to prepare our selues to all conditions, whether the Lord send prosperitie or aduersitie, health or sick­nesse, according to the example of the A­postle Paul, Phil. 4.11, 12. who saith, I haue learned, in whatsoeuer state I am, to bee content. verse 12. And I can be abased, & I can abound, euery where in all things I am instructed, both to be ful, and to be hun­gry, and to abound, and to haue want. [Page] For otherwise it is certaine, that afflic­tion comming vpon vs, wil be most grée­uous and intolerable.

Secondly, to teach vs, to settle our af­fections vpon heauen, & the thinges that lead thither, which is a most certain an­chor-hold, and wil neuer faile vs, as this world will doe in the most excellent things thereof.

And forasmuch as no Doctrine in the sacred Scriptures, is in my iudgement more necessary then this, concerning the vse and benefites of afflictions, I pur­pose, by Gods assistance, the longer to persist herein.

Euen as the man that hath a sonne, A simi­litude. which is in good and perfect health, and a seruant that is excéeding sicke, dealeth more roughly and seuerely with his Sonne, then with his seruant, not be­cause hée loueth his seruant more then his Sonne; but because hee would re­store his sicke seruaunt to his former health, but his Sonne whom hee loueth most déerely hée reprooueth, checketh, taunteth, and correcteth: Euen so our good gracious GOD and louing father, sometimes afflicteth his deere children, [Page] whom he tenderly loueth, and suffereth thē to be exercised with wéepings, wai­lings, and want, with sighes and sorow­full sobbes, with hunger and cold, with nakednes and want of harbor, with hea­uinesse of heart, and vexation of spirite, with sicknes of body, and restraint of li­berty, and with a thousand other cala­mities and cares; and in the meane time suffereth the wicked and vngodly ones of the world to want nothing, he giueth them health, wealth and libertie, world­ly honour, and dignitie, and what not? meaning and purposing by these means (if the fault bee not in themselues) to bring them to know, feare, honor, and serue him, by whose prouidence and ap­pointment they haue and do enioy all those good blessings, and so be cured and healed of the sores and sicknesse of their soules. A simi­litude. As the skilfull Gemmarie, and cunning Lapidarie, doth willingly suf­fer the Indian Diamond or Adamant, to be smitten with great and waighty blowes, because he knoweth well, that the hammer and Anuile will sooner be brused, then the Diamond or Adamant will be broken: so our most wise God, [Page] yea, wisedome it selfe, suffereth men of excellent vertues, of vnquenchable cha­rity, and inuincible constancy, as Da­uid, to fall into diuers temptations, & to be plunged deepe into manifold miseries, because he will haue their inward gra­ces to shewe foorth, and so shine before men, that they seing the constancy of his Saincts, may glorifie God which is in heauen: For he is sure that they are cō ­stant, & that nothing can separate them from the loue of God. Ioseph was im­prisoned in Egypt: Ieremy in Iudea: Ezechiel in Chaldea, and Iohn Baptist in Israel by wicked Herode: and yet all these & infinite others did neuer shrinke from God: but as they liued in him, so they died in him, and are exalted vp on high, and shall dwell in his tabernacle, & rest in the hill of his holines for euer. And euen so, if wee wil be as they were, we shall be as they are.

True it is, that God being iust, doth neuer afflict vs vniustly: which thing we ought alwaies to thinke & confesse, to humble our selues and glorifie God. Neuerthelesse, God doth not alwaies take occasion of our sinnes to punish vs, [Page] but oftentimes he sheweth this fauour to his children, to dispose it for their be­nefite.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. The continuall lifting vp of Dauids eies to the Lord, teacheth this Doctrine; whosoeuer will pray aright, that the Lord might accept them, must lift vp continually their affections to the Lord: for by the eye, which of the sences is the sharpest, and draweth the whole man to himselfe, he meaneth all the affections of man.

The Prophet, no doubt also, by the eyes meaneth his corporall eies, which, as by an instrument, did draw vp his af­fections to the Lord.

The reason is: All good things what­soeuer wée haue, GOD is the author thereof, of whom, in lifting vp our harts, we desire the same.

Example of lifting vp of the eies in prayer, is our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ, both whē he prayed with thanks­giuing to his Father, when hée raised vp Lazarus from death, who foure daies [Page] lay buried in his graue; as also when he prayed to his father, not onely for his Disciples, but for all that shall be­leeue in him, Iohn 11.41. and Iohn 17.1. Therefore they tooke away the stone, where he was laid that was dead: and Ie­sus lifted vp his eies and said, Father, I thanke thee, that thou hast heard mee. This is a token of a mind well framed to praier: for to the end a mā may right­ly call vpon GOD, he must be ioyned with him, which cannot bée, vnlesse be­ing lifted vp aboue the earth, he ascend vp aboue the heauens. This is not done with the eye onely, seeing that hypo­crites, who are drowned in the déepe filth and dregges of their flesh, séeme with their sterne countenance to draw heauen vnto them: but the children of GOD must sincerely perfourme that, which hypocrites do but faine.

Neyther yet must hee that lifteth vp his eyes towardes Heauen, there in­clude GOD in his cogitation, who is euery where, and filleth heauen and earth. But because mens mindes can neither escape from, nor acquit them­selues of grosse inuentions, but when [Page] they be lifted vp aboue the world, the sa­cred Scripture called vs thither, and te­stifieth, that heauen is Gods seat.

As touching the lifting vp of eies, it is no continuall ceremonie which law­full Praier cannot want: For the Pub­lican, that praieth with his countenance towardes the earth, doth neuerthelesse pearce the heauens with his faith. Yet that is a profitable exercise, whereby men awake, and stirre vp themselues to séeke the Lord; yea, the feruentnesse of prayer doth so affect and moue the body sometimes, that besides meditation, it doth willingly folow the mind. Certain­ly it is without all doubt, that when Christ and Dauid lifted vp their eyes towards heauen, they were caried thi­ther with singular vehemency.

Vse. The vse is, that in our prayer, we lift­ing vp our eies to the Lord, should not doe it, as the hypocrites, without the af­fections of our minds: but that both the eyes and the affections of our minds, be­ing lifted vp to him together, we may be assured that he will heare vs. If we bée in daungers, he will deliuer vs; if in po­uerty, he will relieue vs; if in sicknes, [Page] he will cure vs; if in sorow, he will so­lace vs. Iohn 17.1. These things spake Iesus, and he lifted vp his eies towardes heauen.

In that Iohn said, that Christ lifted vp his eyes towards heauen, it was no small signe of zeale and feruentnes. For Christ testified in déed by this gesture, that he was rather in heauen by the af­fection of his mind, then in earth, that he might talke familiarly with God. He looked vp towards heauen, not that God is shut vp there, who doth also fill the earth, Ierem. 23. but because his maie­stie appeareth there chiefly: and second­ly, because the beholding of heauen doth admonish vs, that the power of GOD farre passeth all creatures. To the same purpose serued the lifting vp of his hāds, when he praied: for seing that men are slacke and slow by nature, and their earthly nature doth bend them downe­ward, they haue néed to bee stirred vp, thus yea, they haue néed of chariots to carrie them vp to God.

But if wee desire to imitate Christ and Dauid truly, we must take diligent héed, that our ceremonies expresse no [Page] more then is in the mind, but let the in­ward affection mooue both handes, eies, tongue, féet, and whatsoeuer we haue.

Whereas the Publican, Luk. 18.13. did rightly pray vnto God, casting down his eies, it is not contrary to this both of Dauid & Christ. For although, being cō ­foūded with his sinnes, he did cast downe himself, yet did not that humility hinder him, but that hee craued pardon with boldnes. It was meet for Christ to pray after another sort, who had nothing whereof he néeded to be ashamed.

Doct. 3 3. Doct. In that Dauid saith, God wil plucke his féete, &c. wee haue to learne this doctrine: That when we pray to the Lord in our miseries, wée must without all doubting, be fully assured, that the Lord doth heare vs, and at his good time he will surely deliuer vs.

Ergo wee need none other Media­tors then Christ. The reason is: He hath so promised to vs, Psal. 50.15. Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble, and I will heare thee, and thou shalt glorifie mee.

Secondly, who doth not so, shalbe fru­strated of his desire, Iam. 1.6. But let him [Page] aske in faith, and wauer not: Faith without doubting for he that wauereth, is like a waue of the sea, tost of the wind, and caried away. verse 7. Nei­ther let that man thinke, that he shall re­ceiue any thing of the Lord.

Obie∣ction. Obiection. The Apostle meaneth no­thing els, but that the asker of lawfull thinges may not either distrust Gods power, & ability, or be in diffidence or de­spaire of his mercy: but that our doubt be onely in our owne vnworthines, or vn­due asking.

Solutiō. Solution.Wee proue, that men must pray for nothing, but according to Gods wil & promise, and not to doubt of Gods truth, in performing his promise. But in respect of our owne worthines (whereof al mē are void) we oght to aske nothing. Oecumenius vpon this text saith, If hée hath faith, let him aske; but if he doubt, let him not aske: for he shall not receyue, which distrusteth y ^t he shal receiue. Whē y ^u askest any thing of God, dout not at al, saying with thy selfe, How can I aske, & receiue of y ^e Lord anything, which haue sinned so often against him? Thinke not of these things, but be conuerted vnto the Lord with thy whole hart, & aske of him [Page] without all doubting, and thou shalt know the multitude of his mercies.

Vse. The vse is: That wee detest the doc­trine of the Papists. That in respect of our vnworthines wee should doubt of our prayers to be heard of the Lord: but let vs beleeue the sacred Scriptures, that teach vs, If wee pray vnto God, accor­ding to his holy will, hee will surely heare vs, if we pray in faith without all wauering and doubting.

Let vs put the case, that a man had al things els that could be imagined, and yet wanted this trust and faith in his praier: surely all the rest were nothing woorth, but shall bee turned into his bane.

What if a man laugh, what if he liue in ioy & pleasure, what if he haue goods enough, and too much, what if all men honour him; and to be short, what if he séeme to be a pety-God here below, as in a Paradise? Yet if hee haue not this priuiledge of resorting vnto God, with constant and full beliefe, that his com­ming to him shall not be in vaine, but that his requests shalbe graunted; all that euer he can haue besides, shalbe but [Page] a curse vnto him, and an increase of his decay. Then let vs marke well, that it is not without fruite, that Dauid bringeth vs here to the principall point of our whole life, in the respect of the weale that we can wish, which is, that God should be at hand with vs, and that wee should resort vnto him, that he should heare vs, and that wee should obtayne our re­questes, and bée helped and ayded at his hand, according to our necessitie, and as hee knoweth to bee conuenient for our welfare. And this is not taught here onely, but if wée looke vpon the whole doctrine of the holy Scriptures, we shal see, that men are alwaies vnhap­py, if GOD looke not vpon them, and be ready to heare them.

True it is, that by reason of our great dulnesse wee conceyue not so much; but without all doubt, if wee had but one sparke of sound vnderstanding, there is none of vs but should comfortably per­ceyue, that this Doctrine is very true.

So then, let vs open our eies, & learne to enioy this happinesse, & know, where­upon the same is chiefly grounded, so as we may vnderstand, that if we haue not [Page] God so fauourable to vs, as we may re­sort vnto him w ^t sure trust & certainty, y ^t in necessity he wil be ready to help vs, we be too too wretched and miserable.

And furthermore, if wée be qualified with so excellent a gift & grace of Gods holy Spirite, as to pray vnto him; nei­ther sicknes, pouerty, imprisonment, ba­nishment, persecution, reproches, slaun­ders, no, not death it selfe can hinder our happines: For behold, the remedy that sufficeth for all our miseries, is, that God promiseth to hold vs vp, when wée are beaten downe, to deliuer vs, when wée are in prison, to loose our feete out of the net, when our enemies haue caught vs, to deliuer vs in time conuenient, yea, and to turne all our miseries to our wel­fare, & saluatiō, so as they shalbe as ma­ny furtherances to helpe vs forward to euerlasting life, and he will make vs perceyue, that he sent not vs any thing, which is not conuenient and profitable for vs. Such promises serue to asswage our sorrowes, and euery one of vs may glory in thē, as S. Paul saith, Rom. 5.1. Then being iustified by faith, wee haue peace towardes God through our Lord [Page] Iesus Christ. verse 2. By whom we haue also accesse through faith, vnto this grace wherein we stand, and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God. verse 3. Nei­ther do we so onely, but we reioice in tri­bulations, knowing, &c.

We can haue no peace with God, ex­cept we be assured of his loue, so as the gate by it be opened for vs, to haue ac­cesse to him. When we haue that once (saith S. Paul) wee be sure, & fully per­swaded, that we are the children of God, whereby we may glory of that eternall inheritance which he hath promised vs.

Obie∣ction. But here it may be demaūded, Iob 27.9 Will God heare the crie of the hypo­crite whē trouble commeth vpō him? how it cōmeth to passe, that God refuseth a mā that calleth vpon him, seing he hath pro­mised that he wilbe alwaies enclined to succour vs? yea, y ^t he will not tarrie vn­till he be entreated, but will preuent our sute; or at the least we are sure, y ^t assoone as we opē our mouth, God will be ready to help vs, as by the prophet Esai he pro­miseth vs. But in Iobs words wee sée a threat altogether contrary, which is, that although the wicked haue their recourse vnto God, & desire him to haue pity vpon them, yet he will not heare them.

Solutiō. The Solution is very easie, if wee waigh wel what is said in the Psal. 145.18. The Lord is neere to all that call vpon him, yea, to al that call vpō him in truth. There the Prophet sheweth, that many seeke God, howbeit fainedly. By reason whereof wee be conuinced, that there is none other meanes to rid vs of our miseries, but onely that God should take vs to his mercy, and be pitiful vnto vs. The very infidels call vpon him, without regard of him, notwithstāding that they scorne at religion, and at all things that are spoken to vs in the sacred Scriptures concerning Gods prouidēce, his mercy, and grace, which wee must looke for at his hands. Therefore if they be pinched with aduersity, they cry, Alas, my God. And what compelleth them thereunto? Euen their mother wit.

So the hypocrites and despisers of God, may haue some forme or likenes of praying, not onely to speake (but to speake properly, they cānot pray in déed: for they are destitute of the Spirite ther­of) frō their teeth outward, whiles their minds are otherwise busied, but often­times (as men may perceyue) euen with [Page] some harty affection (for they are forced thereunto) but yet is it not in truth. For they haue not the knowledge to say, My God calleth and allureth mée vnto him, I shall not therefore lose my labour in comming to him. Seing it is his good pleasure to reckon and accompt mee in the number of his deerly beloued chil­dren, I will go to him, not on a foolish rashnes and presumption, but with obe­dience vnto the voice of my GOD, tru­sting to his promise. The hypocrites cannot speake this language, therefore they haue no truth in them. For they must haue faith: and faith dependeth on the promises of God, which the wicked haue not, yea, neuer tasted of.

Againe, wee must haue a féeling of our miseries; so that when we approch vnto God, we must be abashed of our selues, we must be sory for our sinnes, we must hate our selues, and wee must acknowledge our selues to be excéeding miserable. But the wicked, and hypo­crites haue none of all these. Although then their mouths are open to call vpon God, yet do they but blaspheme, and vn­hallow his holy name, because their [Page] mindes are not sound and vpright. Herba solaris. A simi­litude. Helio­tropium, the herbe of the Sunne, so called, because it windeth it self about with the Sunne; in the morning very early, it doth (as it were) behold the rising therof, and all the day it followeth the course of the Sunne, euer turning the leaues to­wards the same, but the roote it neuer chaungeth, stirreth, nor mooueth, but hath that stil fast fixed in the earth? Euen so, many will turne vp their eyes and handes to the sonne of righteousnes, but it is onely in ceremonie and outward ge­stures: for their rootes their hearts, are farre and fast within the earth (how can they then bée lifted vp to heauen?) where in déede their treasure is, accor­ding to the words of our sauiour Christ, Math. 6. Where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also. Such men will lift vp their handes, eyes, and voices, to­wardes heauen to GOD, and with such goodly gréene leaues will make a faire florish, and beautifull shewe, but their hearts and affections are surely sette vpon earthly, vaine, vile, and tran­sitorie thinges, and are as farre from GOD, as heauen and earth are distant [Page] the one from the other. How then can they possibly in faith cal vpon the Lord, that theyr prayers should bee heard? And therefore they fulfill the saying of the Prophet Esay chap. 29.13. This people draweth neere to mee with their lippes, but their heartes are farre from mee.

So then, lette vs marke well, that when God saith, that hee will heare the prayers of all them that call vpon him, hee meaneth, that their prayers must procéede from faith, and wée must be­thinke our selues well beforehand of his promises, thereby to bée encouraged to come vnto him; yet wée must also ac­knowledge our selues to be, as we surely are, of our selues forlorne, damnable, and destitute of all goodnes: and this we must be throughly perswaded of, to the end that wée may resort to the fountaine of his goodnes and grace.

Now we sée, there is no cause, why we should thinke it strāge, that God putteth hypocrits, & wicked men back whē they come to him. For they come not with a willing mind, nor a pure affection: but they would willingly shunne and auoid [Page] his hand, if it were possible. Howbeit, se­ing that they, by no means possible that they can deuise, can shift themselues from him, they come to him by compul­sion.

A simi­litude.For euen as a theefe, a murtherer, or any other great malefactor, being shut vp in prison, would not willingly ap­peare before the Iudge, but would wish in his heart, that rather there were none at all; but seing they are and must bee, full sore against their willes, that sinne might be punished and vertue rewarded, they then humbly entreat him to shew mercie to them. Euen so, the wicked and hypocrites wish in their heart there were no God: but seing he is and wil be, they repayre to him, not as being per­swaded of him, as of a louing and merci­full father, but as a seuere Iudge: but what profiteth that?

Therefore when we pray vnto God, let vs offer vnto him free harted sacrifi­ces, let vs haue accesse to him with wil­ling mindes, assuring our selues, that without him we are destitute of al things we want, & of all that appertaine to our good. Moreouer let vs not doubt of his [Page] fauour towards vs, seing hée hath pro­mised it vnto vs: but let vs alwaies be­leeue that he is ready to receiue vs, and wil not be deafe to our desires, when we come to craue them at his hands.

True it is, that God euery minute sheweth his goodnes towards vs; and although wée presently perceiue it not, yet doth he preserue vs from the mise­ries that hang ouer our head, and put­teth his louing hand betwéene vs and them. So then, wée cannot but be ex­perienced of his grace in the time of prosperity, & know that wée are main­tayned by the same: but yet haue wée not so certaine and manifest experience of his fauour and helpe in prosperity, as in aduersity. For whensoeuer misery pincheth vs, and death threateneth vs, wée can discerne that we are wretched forlorne creatures, if God should not step before vs to rescue vs.

And to speake the truth more large­ly: How great and grieuous were the sorrowes, troubles, anguish and griefe of our soules, if wée had not this swéete consideration?

Yée sée then an euident Demonstra­tion, [Page] that God hath had, and now hath mercy and compassion vpon vs. We sée therefore, that affliction is that, where­in God chiefly sheweth himself to be our sauiour.

Here we sée, wherefore God saith in the Psalm. 50.15. Call vpon mee in the day of thy trouble, and I will heare thee, and thou shalt glorifie mee. But shall we therefore inferre, that wée need not but in necessity to call vpon God? No: Then should we be too rechles, if wée should not call vpon him but constray­nedly. Therefore it behoueth vs to call vpon him at all times, as more largely shall be shewed. Yet the Lord prouo­keth vs by his whippes: and in so do­ing he correcteth our slouthfulnes, and quickneth vs to come vnto him.

It is expresly said, that that is the time to call vpon him, and that that is the due and very conuenient season, as in the Psalm. 32.6. Therefore shall e­uery one that is godly, make his praier vnto thee, in a time when thou maiest be found: surely in a floud of great waters they shall not come neere him. In the time, that is, when aduersity presseth [Page] them. Not y ^t we haue not occasiō to do so cōtinually, but our occasiō then is grea­ter thē at any other time of prosperity.

And hereby we are taught, that whē soeuer pouerty pincheth vs, persecution afflicteth vs to the vttermost, so that we can endure no more, let vs not faint; but rather be encouraged to come to our gracious God, & louing father, know­ing, that not onely by his worke, but by his word he allureth vs, & that as a lo­uing mother, when shée seeth that her child cannot stand, but by meanes of his weakenes is ready to fall flat to the ground, reacheth out her kind hand to stay him from falling: euen so our good & gracious father doth not only reach vs his merciful hād, & willeth vs to take it, but also, as it were by force, draweth vs by reason of our great sluggishnes wée haue, to come to him.

Also here withall let vs vnderstand, y ^e fruit of our faith what it is. This it is. In al our aduersities we are happy, & all the curses that God turneth vpō mē for their sins, are by the means thereof tur­ned to our good & profit, when we pray vnto God, & haue our recourse to him. [Page] Wherefore? for in the middest of our troubles he sheweth himselfe our Saui­our, and causeth vs to féele, that he is néere at hand with vs.

Let vs therefore, with the good Pro­phet Dauid, assure our selues, if our féet be in the nets of our aduersaries, if wée lift vp our eies and affections to God in our feruent prayers, that he will, when he seeth it fit in his wisedome, deliuer vs out of them all: for he neuer faileth them that trust in him.

The sence thereof is:

SO great is the malice of mine ene­mies, O Lord my GOD, who like Bees compassing, and like the fat Buls of Basan enclosing mée on euery side, haue so greatly preuailed against mée, that I am desolate without dwelling, poore without possessing of such things, as I in my calling stād in néed of, wher­by thou séemest as though thou regar­dest not thy seruant: I humbly, euen for [Page] the Messias thy déerely beloued sonne Iesus Christes sake, beséech thée, to shew thy louing countenance and care towards mée, in extending thy mercies towards me, in deliuering me from the handes of mine enemies; by which meanes my dwelling shalbe restored, & my pouerty redressed: so shall I mag­nifie thy great mercies all the daies of my life.

Doct. 1 1. Doctr. God hideth his face from vs, when he afflicteth vs eyther by our enemies or sicknes, desolation, pouer­ty, imprisonment, banishment, persecu­tion or the like; when thinges séeme straunge vnto vs, when wée know not the reason why hée worketh after that sort.

What is the face or countenance of God? It is not a shape, like vnto a mans visage, which hath nose, eies, and mouth: but the face of God, is the fa­uour of God, the care that he hath of his déere children, the record that he giueth when we know his will. God therefore sheweth vs his face, when he telleth & sheweth vs why hée doth this or that thing: as wherfore he afflicteth his, and [Page] spareth them that are none of his, it is all one, as if we saw him before our eies. Therefore when God holdeth vs in ig­norance of his will, it is an hiding of his face from vs.

Vse. The Vse of this doctrine is. Let vs marke, that whensoeuer it shall please GOD to shew himselfe vnto vs, it be­houeth vs to know him, and to consider his workes, as hée teacheth vs them, and to be attentiue to marke the rea­son why hée doth so. And when he wor­keth after a straunge fashion vnknow­en vnto vs, let vs reuerence such se­crets, acknowledging neuertheles that hée is righteous howsoeuer the world go. Let vs dwell continually in that beléefe, and hold vs quiet and conten­ted, wayting patiently, vntill hee shewe vs more fully those things that are hidden frō vs, assuring our selues, that during this life, our knowledge must be onely in part.

Do wée then sée the state of the world so troubled, that wée know not what to say? It is all one, as if GOD should hide his face from vs. And in this case what haue wée els to do, but [Page] to humble our selues? wée are hereby exhorted to modesty and sobriety, be­cause our wittes are too rude and grosse to comprehend the secrets of GOD: and moreouer, the Lord purposeth to humble vs, when he withdraweth him­selfe from vs.

If odious and detestable sinnes bée committed, as if quarrelling, and braw­ling ariseth, and if snares be layd by the wicked, so that by them the god­ly are desolated and impouerished, so that they know not how to escape: then doth GOD, as it were, turne his face from vs.

True it is, that hée is neuer the far­ther from vs, nor hath the lesse care of vs, howbeit wee can neyther sée nor perceyue it. On the other side, when wée cannot consider what is done, it séemeth to vs, that GOD regardeth vs not: wée sée nothing but darknes, the light that should guide vs, shineth not vnto vs.

Now thē, what must we do, but shrink downe our heads, close our mouthes, & wait Gods leysure patiētly, vntill he re­medy the incōueniēces that trouble vs? [Page] Also, let vs alwaies be at this point ne­uer to enquire farther then it is lawfull for vs. Wée must be well perswaded that God doth nothing without great causes; let vs enter rather into the con­sideration of our sinnes: for if we curi­ously enquire the secretes of God, and his incomprehensible determinations, it is a pride that will vtterly ouerthrow vs. And therefore let vs learne not to be ouerwise, knowing that God some­times leadeth vs like poore blind soules.

And wheras good Dauid was, by his enemies the wicked, oppressed, let vs learne, that although it be a sore temp­tation, to sée the wicked florish and tri­umph ouer the children of God, and to sée that might ouercōmeth right, so that a man knoweth not whither to go for refuge, verily it is a very hard crosse to ouercome: neuerthelesse, the holy Ghost purposeth to set it before vs, to the intēt we should be armed against it.

So then, hath vnrighteousnes gotten full scope? Are the wicked growen so headstrong and lusty, that they confoūd all things? Do they handle so corruptly their matters, that there séemeth there [Page] can bee no redresse nor remedie to bee had, to deliuer the deare children of GOD out of their trappes and nets which they haue laid to entrappe & en­tangle them? The Spirit of God aduer­tiseth vs, that it is Gods will to hide his face after that maner, to the end that thereby hee might trie our obedience. Therefore let vs stay vntill he enligh­ten vs, and then shall wee vnderstand, that not without cause hath he sent these troubles vnto vs. The faithfull, as Da­uid, desire of God to shew and lift vp his countenance towards them. Psal. 80.20 Turne vs againe, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine, and wee shall bee saued: for that is it, wherein all our ioy, blessednesse, and welfare consisteth.

What is therefore most to be desired of vs? the face and countenance of God: euen as contrariwise, when hee turneth his backe vpon vs, and hideth himselfe from vs, we must of necessitie be discou­raged, miserable, forlorne, and out of heart: for there is nothing wherein a man may finde rest, but onely in know­ing that God hath a care of vs.

So long then, as God vouchsafeth to [Page] cast his fauourable face vpon vs, wee haue cause to reioyce and bee glad; for wée are assured that hée will maintaine vs, that wee shall haue no cause nor néede to dreade or feare any thing. But if GOD forget vs, and turne away his face from vs, wée are at our wits end, and that not without great cause. For then we are as it were, left open to sathan to praie vpon vs, and an hun­dred thousand deaths beset vs round a­bout without recouerie.

We sée then, y ^t Gods face is a thing to be prayed for, which wee shall haue, especially, if we come to him by praier in all humblenesse, with a desire, true and ful purpose and intent to cleaue vn­to him. But if we looke aloft, and haue foreheads of brasse, and bee puffed vp with the Pharise, to vaunt our selues before God, as it were in despite of him, then must he be faine to looke vpon vs with another maner of countenance, which shal not comfortably chéere vs, but vtterly destroy vs. Then one looke of God can rid all men quite and cleane out of the world, whē they cast a proude look against him. Wherfore with Dauid [Page] let vs hold downe our heads, and let vs goe vnto God, to doe him seruice and obedience; let vs pray vnto him to en­lighten our eies, that we may seeke him as our good father; let vs beséech him of his great goodnes & vnspeakeable mercie, that he would looke vpon vs in such wise, that thereby we may haue al perfection of ioy and contentation to rest vpon.

Turne thy face, O Lord, &c.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. The only refuge in distresse, is to flie to the Lord by faith and fer­uent praier.

1. Reason. Because it is he that smi­teth, and none els can heale. Iob. 5.18.

Secondly, He hath promised to heare and deliuer vs, calling vpon him in the day of our troubles, Psalm. 50.15.

Vse. The vse is: first to reproue them that repine against God, waxe impatient, or vse vnlawfull meanes to wind them­selues out of their troubles.

Secondly, to teach vs, in all our di­stresses to labour our owne hearts, that wee may pray vnto the Lord for his grace to deliuer vs, and in the meane while for strength to support vs.

Text. For I am desolate & poore.

Doct. 3 3. Doct. The miseries inflicted on Gods childrē by y ^e wicked, being allead­ged in praier to the Lord, is a forcible reasō to moue him to heare & relieue thē.

1. Reason. The Lord pitieth the mi­series of his seruants.

Secondly, the Lord loueth them with an euerlasting loue.

Thirdly, the wicked afflict them for their profession and religions sake.

Vse. The vse is, to alleadge it in our pray­ers, when wee desire to be freed from such miseries.

Secondly with patience to waite the Lords leysure, being assured that in good time hee will rescue his ser­uants from all the wrongs that they can suffer of the wicked for well doing.

The sence is.

SO great, O Lord my God, is the heape and increasing multitude of the sorrowes of my heart & minde, which for my sins thou hast inflicted vpon mee, which (as a dammed vp riuer rushing and ouerflowing a whole countrey) possesse, euerie part and parcell (as I may say) of my soule, that except thou be good and gratious vnto me, in drawing me, as it were forcibly, out of them, I should surely bee ouerwhelmed with them: wherefore, séeing none can re­dresse them but onely thou, O Lord my God, and séeing that thou hast pittie of [Page] the afflictions of the minds (which of all others are the grieuousest and greatest) of thy deare children, that trust in thy mercie, & cal vpon thy maiestie, I hum­bly entreate and beséech thée of thine ac­customed clemencie, to draw me out of those terrible troubles which now I am in, and pardon my sinnes: so shall I praise & glorifie thée, O Lord, for thine vnspeakeable goodnes towards mee.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. The Lord, for our sins, in­wardly so afflicteth his deare children, that they haue neither rest nor quietnes within them.

The Reason is, they are so many and odious in his sight.

Vse. The vse is: that wee anoyd sinne al­waies, as that which procureth vs the greatest hurt both in this life, & in that life to come. We must therefore, to a­uoyd Gods indignatiō, vse the meanes to eschew euill, feare God, and be vp­right in heart.

First, let vs pray to the Lord our God, to giue vs sound & vpright hearts, that we may not haue an heart and an heart, that is, be double-hearted hypo­crites; [Page] y ^t wee serue not God in outward appearance onely, with our féete, hands, and eies; but that our hearts march be­fore, and that wée haue a pure and sin­gle meaning, to giue our selues ouer to God, to be wholy his, and to abhorre al hypocrisies.

At this poynt we must begin, if wée would be deliuered frō sorrowes, if we would haue our life well ruled & appro­ued of the Lord, wee must shewe out­wardly what lieth within vs, so y ^t if the root be good, it shal presently bring forth good fruits, y ^t our workes may witnes, that our shew of seruing God, and our assurance of all things néedfull, which we shall receiue at his bountiful hands, are not in vaine. And this consisteth in two things, that wée deale with vprightnesse and equitie amongst our neighbours. Also y ^t we haue religion in vs, to serue God, asscribing al goodnes to him, the author and fountain thereof.

We may not then do as the most do, regard, and be louers of themselues, séeking not them, but theirs, which are their neighbours: but forasmuch as the Lord in one body hath bound vs, we [Page] ought to be carefull to benefite our bre­thren, and profite our neighbours, to maintaine brotherly communion and equitie: not to doe that to others, which wee would not to bee done vnto our selues.

Doct. 2 2. Doct. In all our troubles and tri­bulations, when the sorrowes of our hearts are enlarged, let vs come to God by prayer, humbly beséeching him to draw vs and deliuer vs from them all: then shall our troubles (when it séemeth méete to his heauenly wisedome) haue an end.

The Reason is, first it is his propertie: for hee is a gratious and louing father: Psalm. 130. As a father hath pittie vpon his children: so is the Lord mercifull to them that feare him.

Secondly, he hath promised to heare the prayers of his Church, and of euerie particular member thereof. Psal. 50.15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble, and I will heare thee, and thou shalt glori­fie mee.

Vse. The vse is: that wee exercise prayer at all times, but especially in aduersitie, séeing that it is the greatest meanes to [Page] attaine to comfort in affliction. Dauid did vnfainedly powre foorth his com­plaints and sorrowes vnto God. Hée was not benummed as infidels and in­credulous (which among the Christi­ans, like an huge streame, lamentable it is to consider thereof, do ouerflow Christendome, this Land, yea, this Towne) are. If God handle them any thing roughly, they thinke, yea, many times they say, Sée this misfortune that is happened vnto me: they looke no fur­ther. Dauid did not so. But he knew, and was fully resolued, that it behooued him to impute these thinges vnto God. Had we learned this lesson, we had pro­fited well for one day: I meane, if we had practised it throughly, as we ought to do. For most can well enough con­fesse, that diseases, deaths, and other miseries, as warres, plagues, famines, and all such things come of God: but if it come to the proofe, wée are amazed, and not able to make this sound conclu­sion within our selues: Well, seeing that God visiteth and commeth home vnto vs, it behoueth vs now to returne vnto him.

Hitherto wée haue like loose colts (as it were) flung into the aire, wée haue wilfully runne astray from him, and nowe with a rough bitte hee rayneth vs, he shaketh his rodde at vs, yea, hée maketh vs to feele it; therefore we must learne to stoope vnder his hand.

But contrariwise, how deale wée in that behalfe? If a man be afflicted a­ny way, either in the losse of his goods, of his libertie, of his life, or be gréeued in spirite, what will hée else doe, but chafe and grind his téeth in grudging a­gainst God? Wherefore, no doubt, if a man tell him, he hath offended GOD, he will easily grant it to bee true: but hee hath no true remorse to restraine himselfe. Wherefore? Because wee haue but a confused conceite there­of.

Hereby it is euedent, that few they are, and smal is the number of persons, that haue this lesson well printed in their hearts: That all afflictions are Gods Archers: and that hée is garded with them, to shew himselfe to be our Iudge.

As much is to be said of the ordinary [Page] aduersities, that GOD commonly inflicteth. If people, or a whole coun­trie bee touched with warre; when pollings, extortions, and other out­rages are there done: how many peo­ple are there that thinke vpon the Lord?

Wee sée, that all is out of order to our séeming, yet wee consider not that God guideth the sterne. When we sée such turmoylings, we are admonished to marke and not so much the more the sacred Scriptures, wherein GOD sheweth vs, as in a looking glasse, or ra­ther as in a liuely picture, that on what side soeuer man be afflicted, it becom­meth him to acknowledge the same to be the hand of GOD: and especially, if an whole country be plagued, it must be acknowledged to be Gods visita­tion.

Wherefore, when any such thing commeth, let vs follow the example of Dauid, to desire our good and gracious GOD to extende his holy hand, and powre forth his bowels of compassion vpon vs. When we are scourged, y ^t we can (to our thinking) beare no more his [Page] heauie hand in afflicting vs, let vs flie to our good God for succour. And if we wéepe before him, so it be with true low­linesse, surely there shall not one teare droppe from our eyes, which shall not come to be accompted of in his pre­sence. For euery one of them are sa­crifices, according as it is said in the Psal. 51.11. That a sorrowfull heart, or an heart cast downe, is a pleasant sa­crifice to God.

If our teares, sighes, pantings and gronings tend to this ende, and be as witnesses of our flying vnto God with all lowlinesse, acknowledging, that for as much as his hand is against vs, and that our onely remedie is to beseech him to be mercifull vnto vs, it is certeine he will greatly account of them. Who­soeuer is wise, wil ponder these things, and he shall vnderstand the louing kind­nesse of the Lord.

Doct. 3 3. Doct. As our sinnes, euen so shall our sorrowes increase.

1. Reason. New sinnes must haue new afflictions. Examples are many in [Page] the sacred Scriptures. Pharaoh and the Egyptians, as they hardened their hearts, in not suffering the Israelites to go into the wildernes to sacrifice to the Lord, Exo. 7.8, 9.10. so GOD sent plagues vpon plagues vpon them.

The ten Tribes, Amos 4.6. And therefore haue I (for your peruerting of Iustice and your idolatrie) sent vnto you cleannesse of teeth in all your cities, and scarcenesse of bread in all your pla­ces, yet haue you not returned vnto me, saith the Lord. vers. 7. Also I haue with­holden the raine from you, when there was 3. moneths to the haruest, & I cau­sed it to raine vpon one citie, & haue not caused it to raine vpon another citie, &c.

Thus did the Lord by Moses pre­sage; Leuiticus 26. from the 14. verse to the 40. Deut. 28.15. to the ende.

The vse is, that as we desire our sor­rowes to be mitigated, euen so we cease increasing & heaping vp sinne vpon sin. When we shall sée the whole world cor­rupted, so that we are, as it were among bryars, and can sée nothing but euill ex­amples, let vs resist all such things.

Wherefore? If wee be so lazie, as to [Page] make excuse, that because the world is wicked and froward, wee may wel doe as others doe, that is fond and foo­lish: for Lot, Iob, and Ioshua are set before vs to condemne vs.

For if Lot were so iust, that hée not onely abstained from the grosse sinnes, (excepting drunkennesse and incest, which hee committed) as pride, fulnesse of bread, aboundance of Idle­nesse and vnmercifulnesse, and that namelesse sinne which they committed, but that for their sinnes his soule was vexed from day to day, in séeing their abominations; If iust Ioseph abstai­ned from that sinne of whoredome, whereunto his mistresse (not without promise of great preferment (as it is probable) did allure and tempt him; If Iob the iust abstained from euill; If Ioshua, whatsoeuer others would, yet hée and his houshold would serue the Lord; ought not wee then in these daungerous dayes to doe the like, espe­cially, séeing the Lord giueth vs war­ning, that we cannot liue holy without great battailes?

The Lord of his vnspeakeable good­nesse [Page] giueth vs power and grace, to o­uercome all Sathans assaults, in such sort, as there is none excuse for vs, if wee doe not as they did. For they liued not in times when all things were well ordered, or when men were as Angelles. No, they liued among I­dolaters, aboundance of wickednesse raigned in their time, there was as great store of vice that raigned in the world then, as there is at this day. Yet notwithstanding, they followed not the bent of other mens bowes, as the Prouerbe is, but they retired to them selues, being well assured, that they ought to serue God.

So then, let none of vs in these daies (wherein wickednesse hath gotten the vpper hand) alleadge the corruption of the time, in that all goodnesse is turned topsi-turuy, but rather let vs consider, that God by the meanes thereof prouo­keth vs to bee so much the more careful, by all possible meanes to shunne and a­uoyd those things, that may any way infect vs. For seeing that wee plainely perceiue that vices are, as it were, an euill aire, we must flie from them: [Page] as if a man should tell me, if I trauell such a way, théeues lie in wait for me, I shall be robbed; my meat is poisoned; I shall be slaine, if I escape not another way.

Wherefore then are we not carefull, séeing that the Lorde himselfe sheweth vs, that all the vices in the world, are as badde as deadly plagues? And séeing that the Lord, of his great mercy had gi­uen them his spirite, to abstaine euen from, not onely euill, but from the ap­pearance of euill: let vs not doubt, but if we by feruent and deuout prayer re­paire vnto him, that at this day he will assist vs with like power.

The sense thereof is.

MAny and grieuous are the trauailes, troubles, and afflictions, which I thy dutiful seruant, and obedient sonne, doe suffer, in such sort, as though thou haddest no regard thereof; I most hum­bly [Page] beséech thée, O Lord my God, for the Messiahs thy dearely beloued sonnes sake, to behold and looke vpon thē, that thou mightest powre forth thy bowels of mercie and compassion vpon me, in ridding and deliuering me out of them: and because I am not (O Lord) onely outwardly afflicted, but inwardly tor­mented; the cause of all, I most hum­bly and sorrowfully confesse, vnto thine vnspeakeable goodnesse, to be the huge and odious multitude of my sins, which for filthines do stincke in thy nostrils, for whose sake thou layest this heauie burthen, both of outward and inward griefes, vpon me: I humbly beseech thee to burie them in the pit of obliuion, that they neuer come into thy remembrance, to cast them into the bottome of the sea, that thou neuer sée them, and to remitte and forgiue them al, through the meanes and mediation of the Messiah thy dear­ly beloued sonne Christ Iesus, who shal, when the fulnesse of time is come, take vpon him our nature, and suffer the most bitter death and passion on the crosse, for the redemption of all that be­léeue in him, both of them that liued be­fore [Page] his incarnation, in whose number, and in which time I am one, as also af­ter his incarnation to the worlds end.

Doct. 1 1. Doctr. Generally out of the whole verse. The principall desire of the godly is, that the Lord would weigh their wo­full estate.

The reason is. Because, first they know him to be a righteous iudge, euer dea­ling fauourably with his people.

Secondly, their consciēces do tel thē, that notwithstanding they are gréeuous sinners against the Lord, yet their ene­mies abuse them for the truthes sake.

Vse. The Vse is, to teach vs, in all our mi­series vnfainedly to repent vs of all our sinnes against the Lord, so may wée with good consciences come vnto him with complaints in all our miseries.

Chastisemēts, we sée, are profitable: for they cause the godly afflicted to come to God by praier, to confesse and craue pardon for their iniquities, trans­gressions and sinnes.

But yet notwithstanding, we daily and hourely see, that these said chastise­ments profite not all men; also that hée [Page] giueth not all men the grace to returne vnto him. For it is not enough for God to strike vs with his hand, except hée touch vs within also by his holy spirit.

If God soften not the hardnes of our hearts, it wilbe with vs, as it was with Pharaoh. Simili­tude. For men are like vnto sti­thies or Anuiles: the beating vpon them is not able to change their nature: for we sée how they beat backe the blowes againe.

Euen so then, vntill God haue tou­ched vs to y ^e quick within, it is certaine, we shal in our afflictions do nothing but kicke against him, and gather rancour more and more: & whensoeuer hée cha­stiseth vs, we shall gnash our teeth at him, and vntill regeneration alwaies storme at him.

And without all doubt, the wicked­nes of men is so mischéeuous, so head­strong, and so desperate, that the more that God chastiseth them, the more do they vomit vp their blasphemies, & shew themselues to be vtterly past amend­ment, so that there is no way to bring them vnto reason.

Let vs learne then, vntill God hath [Page] touched vs with his holy spirite, that it is vnpossible, that his chastisements should serue to bring vs to repentance, but rather to make vs worse and worse: yet can it not be said, that God is not righteous in so doing; for thereby men are conuinced, euen so much, as if God held them not at a bay in such sort, by pu­nishing their sinnes, they might pleade ignorance, that they neuer knew of it, and that they had ouer-shot themselues, because God had not prouoked them to acknowledge their faults: but when they haue felt the hand of God so, as they haue béene faine to perceiue his iudge­ments in despight of their téeth, and haue bene, as it were, summoned, & yet notwithstanding, haue not onely gone forward, from euill to worse, but also bin puffed vp, with open rebellion a­gainst God.

Héereby wee sée, they haue their mouthes stopped, and that they haue not any more to say for themselues.

You see then, how God sheweth his iustice, as often as he punisheth men, notwithstanding it be not a correction for their amendment.

Obiecti∣on. Furthermore, when God chastiseth the reprobate, it is all one, as if he should out of hand begin to shew his wrath vp­on them, and that the fire of it were al­readie kindled.

Soluti∣on. True it is, that they are not vtterly consumed for the present time: howbeit, they are tokens of the horrible venge­ance, that is prepared for them at the lat­ter day.

You sée then, that many men are tou­ched with Gods hand, which notwith­standing are accursed. For they begin their hell in this world, as we haue ex­amples of all them, that amend not their wicked life, when God sendeth afflicti­ons vpon them: but a man shal sée them take a corner, and stand barking, like dogges, & although they can do no more, yet they cease not to shew continuall madnesse, or else they are like horse and mule, like restie Iades; or finally, Psal. 32.9. they are altogether ouer-sotted so, that they know not their owne harme or miserie, I meane, as to consider the hand that striketh: they will crie out, Alas, and they féele the blowes: yet they thinke ne­uer the more vpon Gods hand, neither [Page] know they, how it is hée that visiteth them.

Wée sée then before our eyes, that many men are the more vnhappy for being chastised at Gods hand, because they profite not in his schoole, nor yet take any good by his corrections.

Let vs assure our selues, that when God maketh vs to féele his hand, so as wée are humbled vnder it, he giueth vs a speciall benefit, and it is a priui­ledge that he giueth to none, but to his owne children.

When we féele the corrections which hée sendeth vs, and also are thereby taught to mislike of our selues for our offences, to sigh and grone for them be­fore him, and to flie to his mercy for re­fuge, it is a token that he hath wrought in our hearts by his holy Spirite. For it is too high a point of wisedome to grow in the mind of man, it must pro­céed of the frée goodnes of our God; the holy Ghost must first haue softened that cursed hardnes and stubbornes, where­unto wée are enclined of nature, euer since the transgression of our first pa­rents Adam and Eue.

Let vs marke then out of this branch of Dauids prayer, In his great afflicti­ons and trauell, vexations both of bo­die and Spirit; which inward griefes procéeded from the remorse of sinne, wherewith he was gréeued and tormen­ted, that Gods children are not stub­borne vnder his hand, but are ouerma­stered and tamed by the working of the holy Ghost, to the intent they should not striue against the afflictions which hée sent vnto them.

But yet wil this saying séeme strāge after the opinion of the flesh: for what­soeuer afflictions or tribulations fal out otherwise then we would haue them, wée terme them aduersities.

When we suffer any hunger, thirst, cold, or heate, wée say that euery one of these is an aduersitie. Why so? The reason is, because wée would willingly haue our owne appetites and desires fulfilled in all things.

And in good sooth, this manner of speach, to say, (that the afflictions and tribulations that GOD sendeth vpon vs, are aduersities, that is to say, things against vs) is not without reason. [Page] Neuerthelesse we must vnderstand the end of them: namely, that Gods scour­ging of vs, is because of our sinnes. And therefore by flattering our selues, let vs not beguile our selues.

Furthermore, I haue already prea­ched vnto you, not onely that it is requi­site for vs to consider, that Gods scour­ging of vs, is, because he hateth sinne, and that his summoning of vs before him, is to make vs to feele him to be our Iudge: but also, that we had néede of him, to reach out his armes vnto vs, and to shew vs, that he is ready to be at one with vs, whensoeuer wee shall come to him by true repentance.

So then, we perceiue that they, whom God chasteneth, are happie, notwithstan­ding that we shunne aduersitie as much as we possibly can. Also we shall neuer consent to this doctrine, to receyue it with our hearts, vntill that faith hath made vs to behold the goodnesse of God, which hee vseth towards his seruants, when hee draweth them backe to him­selfe.

And that we may the better compre­hend this, let vs marke what becom­meth [Page] of men, when God leaueth them to themselues, & maketh none accompt of clensing them from their sinnes.

Looke vpon a man that is giuen to al euill; for example, a despiser of God. If God permit him, and chastise him not, you shall see him harden himselfe, & the Deuill shall cary him still farther and farther; and therefore it had béene much better for him that he had béene chasti­sed sooner. And so, the greatest hurt that can light vpon vs, is God to suffer vs to welter in our owne wickednes: for then must we néeds rotte away in it in the end.

Doct. 2 2. Doctr. This example of Dauids teacheth vs, that in all our miseries we must séeke reliefe onely at Gods hands.

The Reason is: Because, first, hée hath so commaunded, Psal. 50.15.

Secondly, all power to help, is onely in his hands, 2. Chron. 20.6. And Ie­hoshaphat said, O Lord God of our fa­thers, art not thou God in heauen? and raignest not thou ouer all the kingdoms of the heathē? & in thine hād is power & might, & none is able to withstand thee.

The vse is first, In all our distresses to séeke only to the Lord, and that alone by such lawful meanes, as he hath war­ranted in his word.

Secondly, to reproue them that séeke to be relieued by Saincts, Angels, or any other in heauen, then God alone. Also them that séeme to séeke only to the true God, but vse vnlawfull meanes to haue his helpe, as by Coniurers, Wit­ches, or such like.

The holy Scriptures forbid all sée­king to Sorcerers, Witches, Astrolo­gers, Enchanters, Wisards, Fortune­tellers, & such like. All which, & each sée­kers vnto them, & al that any thing trust in thē, are abominable before the Lord.

These vnlawfull artes hinder the kingdome of heauen. They are of di­uers sortes: all which may most fitly be referred to two heads.

The first, are soothsaiers, diuiners, wizzards, iuglers, gessers before, what shall come after, & witches, by which all vnlawful artes are forbidden, Michah. 5.2. And I will cut off thine enchaun­ters out of thine hand, and thou shalt haue no more soothsayers.

In the Hebrue, they are called Cescha­phim and Megnonemin.

They are called Ceschaphim, Iuglers or Couzeners, such as with Legerde­main deceiue & delude the eie-sight: but principally, in this place the Prophet meaneth such, which by witchcraft, y ^t is, by Magical artes do hold & bewitch the sights of mē, that they séeme to do those things, which in déed they do not; or if they be done, by the workings of Sa­than they are wrought.

Of this sort were y ^e sorcerers of E­gypt. Exod. 7.10. Then went Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, & did as the Lord commaunded: and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh, and before his ser­uants, and it was turned into a Serpent. vers. 11. Then Pharaoh called for the wisemē & It seemeth that these were Ian­nes and Iambres. 2. Tim. 3 8. So euer the wic­ked ma­liciously resist the truth of God. sorcerers, & those charmers also of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments. vers. 12. For they cast downe euery man his rodde, & they were turned into serpents: but Aarons rodde deuoured their rodde. Exod. 8.7. And the sorcerers also did likewise with their sorceries, and brought frogs vpon the land of Egypt.

And of this sort was Simon Magus of Samaria, of whome Luke in the 8. chapter of the Acts recordeth.

And of this sort, are all Enchanters & Coniurers, which vse the seruice and worke of the Deuil, to bring their mat­ters to passe; and as many as vnder the pretence of Religiō, with false doctrine deceyue the mindes of men, that the truth they cannot sée nor discerne, or that by vnlawfull meanes apply and minister their medicines and Phisicke, whyle they vse Exorcismes, or do hang about the necks of the sicke, enchaunted hearbes, or rootes, or any other thing of the like sort.

August. de Do­ctrina Christia­na. lib. 2. cap. 20.This beastly superstition, the wisest of the heathen did, as it appéereth, great­ly dislike and abhorre.

Theophrastus (as Plutarch writeth) noted Pericles, who being sicke, shewed (vnto a friend of his, who came to vi­site him) certaine enchantments, which by certaine women were tied about his necke, and by that he iudged him to be of as badde a mind, as a man could be, seing that such madnesse he regarded. Yet at this day, such as vse manifest [Page] impiety, and such as abuse the sacred name of God in their deuilish sorceries, among Christians, (O lamentable) are suffered vnpunished.

The other sort are called Megnone­nim: whom we call Diuiners.

The Etimon of the word, is of diuers significations among the Hebrues.

Some deriue the word of Gnanah, to answere, to speake, to testifie. Isa. 3.9.26.5. Deuter. 19.18. And this they thinke they are called, because beyng asked, they giue answeres, as Apollos Interpreters vsed to do.

Some deduce the roote thereof of Gna­nan, a clowde, Ezech. 1.4. who are so called, because they prophesie of things to come by the celestiall influences, or by the positions or situations of the Starres.

Some called them so of the roote Gna­nah, which signifieth a determinate & appointed time. Wherupon they are called Gnonemin, which make compu­tations of tymes and houres, and of certaine signes do gather what at some­time can be begunne, when euent of things (as they say) shall be.

Notwithstanding, herein they all agrée, that the Prophet speaketh of Di­uiners, which curiously enquire to know things both secret and to come, by exercising curious and vnlawfull Artes.

Vayne curiositie and heady rashnesse haue found out many artes of prophe­cyings; whose names argue the vani­ty, and incredible boldnesse of mans witte.

Of which sort are Necromātia, Necro­mantia. which is Diuination by calling of Spirites.

Hydro­mantia. Hydromantia, Diuination by calling Spirites out of the waters.

Pyromā ­iia. Pyromantia, Diuination by fire.

Coscino­mantia. Coscinomantia, Diuination made by a siue.

Geoman­tia. Geomantia, working in sorcery by cir­cles and prickes in the earth.

Cataptro­mantia. Cataptromantia, Diuination which is made by a glasse: and diuers others, which are so called by the instruments that they vse.

Aruspi­ces.Of this sort are Bowelgazers to fore­tell things to come, & Exorcists, whom the Deuill doth easily draw, to be mini­sters of his impiety, whereby he may [Page] the more easily draw men away from God and his holy word.

And although these Artes were in a manner odious among the wise and studious, yet they gaue themselues ma­ny of them to the studie of Astrologie, whereby they by the starres foretelling things to come, got vnto themselues a great name to be accompted wisemen. But let vs obserue and marke, that these artes are of that sort, that if wée vse them, they will hinder vs for ente­ring into the kingdome of heauen. Le­uiticus 20.6. If any turne after such as worke with Spirites, and after sooth­sayers, to goe a whoring after them, then will I set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people. Leuit. 19.26. You shall not vse witchcraft, nor obserue times. Leuit. 19.31. Yee shall not regard them that worke with Spirites, neyther Sooth­sayers: yee shall not seeke to them, to be defiled by thē: I am the Lord your God. Deut. 18.9. When thou shalt come into the land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee, thou shalt not learne to do after the abominations of those nations. [Page] verse 10. Let none bee found among you, that maketh his sonne, or his daugh­ters to goe through the fire, or that v­seth witchcraft, or a regarder of times, or a marker of the flying of fowles, or a Sorcerer, verse 11. Or a charmer, or that counselleth with spirits, or a sooth­sayer, or that asketh counsell at the dead. verse 12. For all that doe such things, are abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out be­fore thee.

The causes of Gods seuerity against such great and gréeuous sinners, are waighty. For first it is an inexcusable rashnes and presumption, to search out the knowledge of those things which the Lord will not haue to be knowen.

This rash presumption is condem­ned by our Sauiour Christ himselfe, in the Acts 1.7, when he answered to his Disciples, asking him, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel? And hee said vnto them, It is not for you to know the time or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his owne power.

Secondly, it derogateth from the goodnesse and glorie of God, as though that the Lord had not faithfully taught all things in the sacred Scriptures, which were necessarie to be knowne of vs.

Thirdly, it taketh from Christ that honour which is due to him, which of God is giuen a Doctor and teacher vn­to vs, and in whome all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hidde, as Paul teacheth.

To conclude therefore this poynt, let vs not séeke vnto them, but vnto our God in our afflictions: then will he help vs, and deliuer vs out of our miseries: for hee is a God of power, and therefore is able; a God of mercie, and therefore is willing to deliuer vs out of trou­ble: for as a father hath pitie vpon his children, so is the Lord merciful to those that trust in him.

The sence is:

O Lord my God, although I haue bin thy seruant, yet sathan hath raised vp ma­ny aduersaries & mortall enemies against mee, who deadly, cruelly, and most tyrannously detest and hate mee; so that except thou be good and gratious vnto mee, to pro­tect and defend me, I shall surely perish.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. God is accustomed to whip his childrē for their sinnes, by the mul­titude of Infidels that hate the truth. Isai. 10.5. O Asshur (saith the Lord by the Prophet) the rod of my wrath, and the staffe in their hands is mine indig­nation. [Page] verse 6. I will send him to a dis­sembling nation, and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take the spoyle, and to take the pray, and to treade them vnder feet like the mire in the streetes. Ieremie. 25.9. Beholde, I will send and take to mee all the families of the North, sayth the Lord, & Nabuchadnezzar the king of Babel my seruant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these Nations round about, and will destroy them, and make them an asto­nishment, and an hissing, and a con­tinuall desolation. Exodus 1.13. Wherefore the Egyptians by crueltie caused the children of Israel to serue. verse. 14. Thus they made them wea­rie of their liues, by sore labour in clay and in bricke, and in all works in the fielde, with all manner of bondage, which they layde vpon them most cru­elly.

Examples of their cruelties are ma­ny in all ages.

The Reason is, because first they wil not do that worke of God negligently: [Page] and so shall wee bee the more afflicted with it, and the better humbled.

Secondly, God wil thereby kéepe his people from familiaritie with the wic­ked.

Thirdly, that his loue to vs may the better appeare, in burning the rod vpon our repentance.

Vse. The vse is, to teach vs, first, that it is the lot of the godly, to be punished by the wicked: so was Christ: so were the A­postles and Prophets: then let vs looke for it, and not murmur at it, nor shrinke from the truth of it.

Secondly, that sinne is a most vglie thing in Gods sight, that causeth him to deale so seuerely with his dearest chil­dren.

Thirdly, that we take héede of béeing in league with the wicked: for they are our enemies, and must scourge vs.

If men do hate vs and despise vs, let it put vs in mind, that wée haue not lo­ued our GOD, and therefore it is good reason that wee should receiue such re­ward of hatred vpon our heads.

God then entendeth to trie our lowli­nesse and patience in this behalfe, by our [Page] méeke receiuing of the iniuries that men do to vs, without stomaking thē. For this delicate bringing vs vp in ease, without enemies, at our pleasures, causeth vs to bee impatient, so as wee cannot beare any thing; so as if a man do but passe by vs with a frowning countenance, it gréeueth vs, yea, it is such a corosiue vnto vs, that wee know not which way to turne vs.

Then if the Lord our God inure vs to the suffering of enmities, wrongs, and reproches, let vs learne, that there­in hee procureth our welfare and pro­fite, to the intent that wee should be all whole and sound, as they say.

And this is the cause that S. Paul saith, 2. Cor. 6.7. that it behooueth vs to bee armed on both sides, y ^t wee may passe through enmitie, shame, and reproch, as through amitie, glorie, and honour.

If men hate and detest vs, let vs ne­uerthelesse take all patiently, conside­ring, that we haue heretofore not wal­ked in the wayes of God, although that now wee doe. For this is a most true saying, and worthie of al men to bee re­ceiued and learned, that no affliction [Page] commeth vpon vs, but for our sinnes, and if he now afflict vs, and we walke in his wayes, hee doth it, that wee may not bee ouercome of the same, sée­ing hee nowe giueth vs power to beare it.

And thereupon it behooueth euerie one of vs, to bethinke himselfe aduised­ly; and as soone as any man shall hate and persecute any of vs, we must learn to acknowledge, that God putteth vs in minde, to make our owne accusa­tion.

Euen the heathē Philosophers would say, that our deadly enemies doe many times profite vs more then our friends. Wherefore? Our friendes beare with vs oftentimes, which causeth vs to féed our owne vices. For although their intent bée not to flatter vs, yet notwith­standing, the gentlenesse (or rather the crueltie) that they vse in bearing with vs, is a cause that wée thinke not vpon our imperfections, to amende them. But our enemies doe praye vpon vs, and séeke all the meanes that may bee, to lay open all the faults that are in vs.

Therefore, when any man hateth or findeth fault with vs, it behooueth vs to thinke thus: I sée, that God here citeth mée to make mine owne proces, and to accuse my selfe, that I may bee mine owne Iudge, to condemne my selfe, that by so doing my shame may be couered and buried.

And if wee know that such as hate vs, haue cause so to doe, although they doe it of malice: yet notwithstanding, lette vs not replie to say, that this man is ledde by Sathan to reuenge, (al­though it bee true) lette vs not looke on any such things: but let vs pleade guiltie, and pray vnto GOD, in the name of Iesus Christ, to blot out all our offences, to the end wée may bee quitte both before GOD and the world. Yea, although wee know not any reason why our enemies should hate vs in that behalfe; yet let vs ac­knowledge, that although we bee not guiltie in that poynt whereof wee are blamed, yet haue wee many other vi­ces, whereof wee are guiltie, but our good God spareth vs, and will not haue them come to the knowledge of men. [Page] If it pleased him to stirre abroad all our filthinesse, what a stinke would there be?

Let vs consider, that by that meanes God intēdeth, to set secretly before our eies, the sinne which wee would haue cast behind our backs, and that is to make vs to hate the euill that is in vs, without any flattering of our selues.

If men do blame vs for executing of our offices and duties faithfully, for fol­lowing Gods word zealously and sin­cerely, lette vs assure our selues, that Gods will is, that our receiuing of such a reward, shall bee, to the end that wee should looke for a better at his hand.

And if wee sée no cause at all, but are vtterly abashed in our selues, let vs not therefore cease to say, O Lord, thou art righteous, whatsoeuer come of it.

And herewithall let vs endeuour to profite our selues, by all the chastise­ments which God sendeth vs from day to day, and let vs vnderstand, that ther­by God intendeth to fashiō vs to praise and glorifie him, euen when wee sée good men hated and persecuted. For as euerie one of vs ought to bee patient, [Page] and by his patience to praise God for all things that hee suffereth, so also must we not blame him, but rather as Dauid here doth, pray vnto him, when we sée him suffer good men to bee hated and persecuted: wherefore, lette vs not bée too much grieued, when wee sée them so hardly vsed. Wée sée Dauids estate: he was a patterne of al holinesse, a man after Gods owne heart; and yet not­withstanding, we sée him in such misery by the hatred of his enemies, that he see­meth to bee vtterly past recouerie.

Can we blame God in this behalfe? Nay rather, when wée sée such afflicti­ons come vpon others, or our selues, lette vs humble our selues. And al­though the reason why God doth so, be not apparant vnto vs: yet notwith­standing, let vs assure our selues, that GOD doth it not without cause; and therefore wee ought to glorifie him in all his iudgements, although they bee incomprehensible to vs.

The sence is:

FOrasmuch (O Lord my God) as all my whole trust and confidence I re­pose in thy mercie, and none in flesh, bloud, nor any other meanes whatsoe­uer, to be deliuered from perill and dan­ger, which mine enemies, to the losse of my life, yea, to my vtter confusion, doe lie in waite to inflict vpon mée: and for­asmuch as thou art a God of power, and therefore art able to deliuer, a God of compassion, and therefore regardest the afflictions of thy déere children, tru­sting and calling vpon thée in their af­flictions and aduersities; I humbly be­séech thée, for Iesus Christs sake the Messiah to come, to kéepe and preserue my foule from destruction, and my bo­die from the tortures which mine ene­mies would lay vpon it: so shall I glo­rifie thy name among thy Saints in the great congregation, and after this [Page] life sing prayses with the Saints and Angels in thy kingdome, to thy glori­ous name for euer.

Doct. 1 1. Doct. Whoso trusteth in the Lord in the time of persecution by his ene­mies, will flie to him to preserue his soule and his body by prayer.

The Reason is: Where hope in God is, there is also prayer to God, seeing it springeth necessarily from it, as the fruit doth from the trée.

The vse is, That as we would be assu­red that we hope in God, so also that wee exercise prayer, séeing that wee cannot assure our selues of the cause, without the effect. Lette vs there­fore according to his commandement, in our afflictions and necessities, seeke to GOD in the name of Iesus Christ for succour, by continuall prayer, and calling vpon his name. Let vs call vpon him in the day time, and in the night season: lette vs powre out our complaints before him daylie and hourely: let vs make our prayers vn­to him, although wee feele our selues nothing released, but oftētimes worse & worse, which maketh vs oftentimes, [Page] almost to doubt of his goodnes. Psa. 77. that he doth reiect, and giueth no heede vnto them: whereby we almost thinke it in vaine to pray, séeing that we finde no release. But this is our weakenesse, and frailtie of our flesh, which will not willingly bee subdued to the spirite: Which lette vs beséech the Lord to for­giue vs, for hee séeth our conflicts, and looketh vpon our continuall sighes and petitions, but hee deferreth and pro­longeth his helpe the longer, and doth not at the first helpe vs; to this ende, that wee may sée fully our owne weak­nesse, learne by little and little to sub­due our rebellions to his gratious will, who knoweth better what is meete for vs, then we for our selues.

Therefore lette vs beseech him to strengthen vs by his holie spirite, that wee may still perseuere and continue in prayer, and with longing desires pa­tiently waite for him, being fully assu­red, that although it presently appeare not, yet hee is alwaies present with vs, and heareth our sighes and com­plaints, and will, when hee seeth his time, declare himselfe manifestly, in [Page] kéeping our soules, and deliuering our bodies; in preseruing vs from confu­sion, and in renuing our harts with spi­rituall ioy.

Lette vs earnestly entreate him, to stirre vp our dull and sluggish nature to call vpon him continually, appoyn­ting him neither the time, nor the meanes of our deliuerance; but lea­uing al to his good will and pleasure, we may in the meane time neuer cease by continuall prayer to call for his merciful helpe and assistance, vntil such time it shal please his goodnesse to send vs full deliuerance.

Although wee féele our selues through the malice of Sathan, verie vnwilling to prayer, seeing that wee doe not fully perceiue them to bee heard, but goe on still languishing in our sorrowes, as though GOD had no care of vs. Yet this our dulnesse let vs entreate our mercifull father to pardon in vs, and grant that wee may bee raised vp, and pray for aide and re­liefe of him continually: and although we should sée no signe of fauour, yet that we may continue still with the [Page] faithfull woman of Canaan, and neuer cease in heart, mind, and mouth, till he graunt our requests at his appoynted time, when he knoweth it shall be most méete for our behoofe and his glorie: And that when the Lord shall merci­fully looke vpon vs, we then fully with our whole hearts acknowledge his goodnesse towards vs; and let it neuer slippe out of our hearts, but continue thankfull for the same all the dayes of our liues, whereby his glorie in vs may be declared, and our soules re­lieued.

The sence is:

O Lord my God, whereas mine aduersaries perse­cute me, thou knowest that they haue no iust cause so to doe, séeing that thou hast giuen me integritie, vprightnesse, and iustice, and seeing that it is not suffici­ent to bee of a sound and vpright con­science to bee deliuered from dangers, but to trust to thy swéete promises, ther­fore my safetie (O Lord) I committe to thy protection.

1. Doct. The best way to stay vs in the time of our trouble, & to kéep our pa­tience inuiolable, is to look in for a good conscience, & sée y ^t we be falsly accused: which if we find, thē al goeth well, & we [Page] are ioyfull at home, howsoeuer the world shall say or doe abroad; for wee may say with Salomon, See the root ther­of, Leu. 16.17. Prou. 28.1. E­uerie wicked man flyeth, when none pursueth: but the iust are like a yong Lyon, which is couragious.

This holy Prouerbe teacheth, that wickednesse maketh the wicked verie fearefull, and that righteousnesse ma­keth the innocent secure and bold.

In it first, the wicked man is re­sembled to a bird, or some such timo­rous creature, which betaketh it selfe to flight, when no cause is offered. For the guiltie person, after he hath committed some abominable act, (as theft or mur­ther, imagineth that some lie in waite for him, & doubteth he shal be taken: the reason is, for y ^e although none is néere to pursue him, yet the sound of terrour is in his eares, as the Aramites are for example, who cāping about Samaria, 2. Kin. 6.7. The Lord had caused the campe of the Aramites to heare a noyse of chariots, and a noyse of horses, and a noyse of a great armie, so that they sayd one to another, Behold, the kind of Isra­el hath hired against vs the kings of the [Page] Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come vpon vs. vers. 7. Wherfore they arose, and fled in the twylight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, euen the campe as it was, and fled for their liues. The sting of conscience will not suffer him to be quiet in any place. But the iust, as is affirmed in the secōd place, are like a yong Lion, which is couragious. For he goeth on his way boldly and swiftly, without returning backe for feare of any.

The reason is. For that being at peace with God, & hauing a good cause, and a sound conscience, he dreadeth no obie­ction nor daunger.

This same Integritie therefore, is like Noahs Arke, wherein he was pre­serued, whē others, that were without, perished. It is like the red thred, which the spies of Ioshua gaue to Rahab, which was as a charter, whereby shée claimed her life, when the rest were de­stroyed which had not the like.

So is this vprightnes of smal recko­ning (I cōfesse) with men of this world, which thinke that there is none other heauē, but earth: But as Rahabs thred [Page] was better to her, then all her goods & substance, when the sword came: so vp­rightnes is better to Gods children, then all the world, when death com­meth. If they haue this within they care not, nay, they néed not care what can come without.

If Sathans buffetting come, this is an helmet of proofe; if Sathans dartes flie, this is a shield to quench them, if floods of troubles come to carrie vs a­way, this is a shippe to beare vs vp; if all the world cast myre and filth in our faces, wée are not a whitte the more deformed, but still beautifull: For the Kings daughter is all beautifull with­in, Psalm. 45.13.

Let vs haue regard to a good consci­ence, and because it is so precious a iewell, I wish all persons, that as yet neuer laboured to get a good conscience, now to begin. Reasons to induce men thereunto, are sound and good.

First, you séeke day and night, from yéere to yéere, for honors, riches & plea­sures, which you must leaue behind you, much more ought you to séeke for this vprightnes, cōsidering that conscience [Page] will be with you in this life, in death, at the last iudgement, and for euer.

2. Reason. He which wanteth a con­science purged in the bloud of Christ, can neuer haue any true & lasting com­fort in this life.

Suppose a mā were arraied in cloth of tissue, set in a chaire of estate, before him a table furnished with all daintie prouision, his seruants, monarches and Princes; his riches y ^e chiefest treasures & kingdomes of the world, but withall, suppose one standing by with a naked sword to cut his throate, or a wild beast ready immediatly to pull him in péeces: now, what can wee say of this mans estate, but that all his happines is no­thing but woe and misery?

And such is the estate of all men, that abounding with riches, honours and pleasures, carrie about them an euill conscience, which is as a sword to slay the soule, or as a rauinous beast, ready to sucke the blood of the soule, and to rend it in péeces.

3. Reason. He which wanteth a good conscience, can do nothing but sinne, his very eating and drinking, his [Page] sléeping & waking, and all that he doth turneth to sinne the consciēce must first be good, before the action can be good: if the roote be corrupt, the fruites are an­swerable. 4. Reason. An euill consci­ence is the greatest enemy that a man can haue, because it doth execute all the partes of iudgement against him.

It is the Lords Sergeant: God née­deth not to send out proces by any of his creatures for man, the conscience with­in a man wil arrest him, and bring him before God. It is the Gaoler, to kéepe man in pryson, in boltes and irons, that he may be forth comming at the day of iudgement. It is the witnes to accuse him, the iudge to condemne him, the hangman to execute him, and the flash­ings of the fire of hell to torment him.

Againe, it maketh a man to be an e­nemy to God, because it accuseth him to God, and maketh him flie from God, as Adam did when he sinned.

Also, it maketh a man to be his own enemy, in that it doth cause him to lay violent hands vpon himselfe, & become his owne hangman, or his owne cut­throate.

And on the contrary, a good consci­ence is a mans best friend: when all mē entreate him hardly, it will speake faire and comfort him: it is a continual feast and a Paradise vpon the earth.

5. Reason. The sacred scripture shew­eth, that they which neuer séeke for good consciences, haue terrible endes. For either they die blockes, as Nabal did, or desperate, as Cain Saul, Achithophel, and Iudas.

6. Reason. Wée must consider often the terrible day of iudgement, in which euery man must receyue according to his workes: and that we may be then the better absolued, the best way is, to séeke for a good conscience: for if our conscience be euill, and condemne vs in this life, God will much more condemne vs.

And whereas we must passe through thrée iudgemēts, the iudgemēt of men, the iudgement of our consciences, and the last iudgement of God; we shall ne­uer be strengthened against them, and cleared in them all, but by the séeking of integrity and a good conscience.

THe Prophet by this clause, shew­eth, what manner of aduersaries they were, against whome he complai­ned to God.

Domesticall enemies it is probable they were, which as a disease inclosed in the bowels of a mā tormented & vexed the people of God For by the word De­liuer, or Redeeme, we gather, that the Church of God was with great serui­tude gréeuously oppressed.

Therefore I doubt not, but the Pro­phet, in praying to bée deliuered both himselfe particularly, & the Church ge­nerally from their troubles, prayeth to be deliuered from the hands of Saul & other tyrants, that were for this purpose to torment and persecute, not onely the Prophet, but the whole Church vnder his tyrannicall gouernment.

The sence is: O Lord, our God, I hū ­bly beséech thée for Christes sake, to re­déeme, not only me thine vnworthy ser­uant, but also thy whole Church, which [Page] is greatly vexed, and miserably kept in seruitude by Saul and other tyrants. O Lord, we are thy seruants, and the shéep of thy pasture, and thou art our Shep­herd; thou art our father, and wée thy children: therefore wée beséech thée, ex­tend thy fatherly compassion to deliuer vs thy deare children, out of our mise­ries; so shall wee both in this lyfe, and that to come, glorifie thy holy name world without end.

Doctr. The Doctrine is: Wée must in all our troubles pray to GOD, not onely for our selues, but for all the whole Church, to bée deliuered from our mi­series.

The Reason is: If one member suf­fer, other must needs suffer, 1. Corinth. 12.

Vse. The Vse. Let vs therfore performe this dutie towards the whole Church, that shée may also do the like for vs: then shall wée bee assured, that the Lord will deliuer vs, when hée séeth it méete for his glory and our good, seing he hath promised to graunt the requests of his spouse the Church.

This grace the Lord graunt vs all for his mercies sake: to whome with the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, be all glory, wisedome, thankes, honour, power, and might, both now and for euer. Amen.