Works, Part 3 · Sermon 5
OF HVMILITIE. THE FIFTH SERMON.
Prouerbs 18. 12.
Before destruction the heart of man is hautie: and before glorie goeth lowlinesse.
THis Scripture agreeth well with that of our Sauiour Christ, Whosoeuer Luke 14. 11. Iam 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5.exalt…th himselfe shall be brought low, and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted, as also with the testimonie o… the Apostles of Christ: God resisteth the proude▪ but giueth grace to the humble. Examples further to proue this are plētifull in the word, whether we looke to the godly or to the wicked. And first we shall see how a hauty minde goeth before destruction, by Adam & Eue our first parents, who for that they couldGen. 3. not content themselues of all creatures of the earth to be most excellent: but through an hautie aspiring minde desired to be like God the Creator in heauen, were cast down into aExamples of pride. miserable estate, and did suffer both in themselues & their posteritie the shame of so horrible sin. When the mighty men of the earth willing to hauehave gotten the glory of all agesGen. 11. 7. to come, by some noble enterprise, had in the pride of their hearts purposed to erect a tower to heauen, & so to hauehave been accounted fathers of great renowne: The Lord meeteth with them, & where they looked for most glory, there he recompenceth so arrogant attēpts with most cōfusion. At what time proud Pharaoh thirsted most for the destruction of the Israelites, (promising vntounto himselfe the triumph of so great an ouerthrow) beholdExod. 14. contrarie to his hope, the triumph most gloriously was returned to Gods people: but the terror and shame was rewarded to Pharaoh and all his company. That hauty minded H… man Hester. 7.accounting of nothing surer than the executing of Mordec…i and the death of the Iews, through the iust iudgemēt of God was hanged shamefully vponupon the same gallowes which he had prouided for another. Again, Nebuchadnezzar aduaūcing himselfe as a MonarchDan. 4. and peerlesse prince in his glorious palace, not long after had the heart of a beast giuen him, & for a time had his portion among the beasts of the field▪ If we peruse the histories both of the Kings of Israel & the Princes of Iuda, we shall see how Am…ziah refusingAmos. …. to heare the Prophets, prospered not: but continuing in that contempt, & suffering himselfe to be puft vp in his owne pride, was brought to the gate of destruction. As also how Acha… growing in some disdaine after his victorious conquest, and nothing fearing1. King. 20. 22 2. King. 23. Act. 12. 23. the time that was to come, euē in his deepest policie receiued the foulest foyle. To shut vp this matter, we know that when Herod seemed to hauehave wonne the garland, and by a solemne oration to hauehave caried away the praise of God, and not of man; because he challenged the whole glory to himselfe, & robbed God of his honour, was most shamefully dishonoured, and fearefully deuoured with l…ce consuming his bowels. Ne…ther are we …o obserue this in the wicked alone, who when they looked for greatest glorie, had the greatest shame, but in the godly also, as Abraham, Asa, Hezekiah Dauid, who when they were most2. Chro. 16. 10 1…. humbled, were most exalted, and when they thought themselues to be most ex…lted, were most humbled. Asa notwithstanding he had some season continued constant in the reformation of religion, falling at the length to reprehend the Prophet, & declining from his former humilitie, fell into sicknes, & in his sicknes trusting to the help of man more than to the Lord, receiued the sentence of death: and to saue his soule by cutting off his daies▪ it pleased God to visite him in the flesh. Hezekiah obtaining his health, and hauing receiued2. King. 20. 2. Chro. 32. 37 a glorious deliuerance from the host of Z…nacharib, in that he rendered not the glory due to the Lord, receiued not long after heauie tidings, how both he and his linage shouldVnthankefulnes punished. descend captiues into Babel. Iosiah that holy paterne of godly princes, not asking coūsell at the mouth of the Lord when he should enter battell, was mercifully punished in this life, that he might escape the fearfull punishment of the wi…ked in the life to come. Dauid 2. Chro 35, Dauid.thinking in his prosperitie to be builded vponupon an vnremouable rocke, and to be as a walled citie, suspecting nothing and being out of the watch, he fell into a grieuous sin, whereby the latter part of his life was more reprochful than glorious. The Apostle Peter after heMatth. 16. 17. was exalted to the dignitie of a faithfull pastor, and for the notable profession of his faith, was pronounced blessed by the Lord Iesus Christ; beginning to leaue too much to his carnall reason and his strength, was called Satan, and not knowing what corruption was in his hart, when he most magnified his constant louelove to the Lord Iesus, he fell to denie himMatth. 26. thrice, and the last time to curse himselfe if he were the man. But to leaue ancient and former examples, and to turne the edge to our selues, wofull experience, by diligent obseruation of their owne hearts, hath taught many, that after some sweet & plentifull measure of Gods mercy receiued, they hauehave waxed lesse careful & iealous ouer their owne …ffections, & so for a time hauehave bin left of the Lord: whereby though not some fearefull destruction, yet some grieuous fall hath ensued vponupon thē. It is good therfore for vsus to k…epe a carefull wa…ch ouer our selues, and to see whether after we hauehave been refreshed with some speciall graces of God, in preaching, praying and admonishing, we hauehave not beene lesse carefull, and so the neerer to some fall, and vnfitter to receiue some new benefit, vntill the Lord by humbling of vsus hath prepared vsus with some new desire. And hereupon commeth it to pass…, that when we hauehave been some long time bathed, & as it were enbalmed, with some inward feelings and outward fruits of the holy▪ Ghost, we hauehave beene corrected for thatPriuie pride and the fruit of it. selfe louelove, and …uffeted with some priuie pride dwelling in the flesh, by some grieuous deadnes and dulnes of the spirit, humbling vsus vnderunder the hands of God, as it did the Apostle Paul. Now as we hauehave by these examples of others, and experience in our selues2. Cor. 12. proued, that an hautie minde goeth before destruction: so on the contrarie we will proue, (vsing none other order but that before set downe) that before honour goeth lowlinesse. Saul before he was exalted and aduaunced to the scepter, hid himselfe in great humilitie,Saul. as one that thought himselfe vnworthie so great a dignitie, and so afterward was exalted. Ahab though a most wicked man, humbling himselfe at Elias rebuke, was not punishedAhab. in his owne person, but in his posteritie. Rehoboam being humbled with his people, wasRehoboam. exempted from that plague, which otherwise was like to hauehave fallen vponupon him. But this1. Sam. 9. 12. 10. 22. 1 King 2…. 27. and 29. 1. King. 12. 24. we may behold more liuely in the godly, whether we respect those reuelations and apparitiōs of Angels, which in former times happened to the fathers being humbled: or whether we consider other graces of God in like estate bestowed vponupon them, Abraham was humbled, Isaac was humbled, Iacob was humbled; then came the promise, then appearedHum…tie in the godly. Angels, then receiued they visions. Ioseph though he had good graces of God, yet least the violence of vnbridled youth should carrie him away, he was humbled, the iron pearcedAbraham. Isaac. Iacob. Ioseph. Moses. Dauid▪ Pledges. his soule, his feete were in the stockes, his place was among the imprisoned: yet after some time of triall he was exalted, not meanly, but very highly. Moses albeit he had some instinct of the Lord that he should be the gouernour of the Lords people, besides his fortie yeeres in the court, had fortie yeeres trauaile in the desert, and afterward was aduanced. After that Dauid had receiued many pledges of Gods fauour towards him, as being annoynted king, and in that he obtained great victories in ouermatching the Beare and the lyon, in ouer throwing the furious Philistine, after he had cured the raging spirit of a mad man by his sweet musicke: yet as one not sufficiently prepared for the worke of the Lord,Ezekiah. Iosiah. Asa. he was preferred by humilitie. If we consider of all the Kings of Iuda and Ierusalem, as of Ezekiah, Iosiah, Asa, and others, we shall see how Ezekiah wept sore, confessed his sinnes, & was much humbled, before the health of his body was restored vntounto him. Iosiah beforeEsai. 38. 2. Chro. 34. 1… ▪ the Lord did vse him in the reformatiō of his Church, had his hart broken. Yea, before the Apostles receiued th…t great gift, the sending downe of the holy Ghost vponupon them, they were humbled with the Iewes, they were shaken with a great winde, and after so solemne a preparation, they were endued with sweete graces of the spirit. And throughout theEzechiel. Zacharie. Elizabeth. Marie. whole volume of the booke of God it is manifest, that when the Lord would appeare by visions or Angels to his holy people, he humbled flesh and blood before, as we see in I… cob, Ezechiel, Zacharie, Elizabeth, and Marie the blessed virgin.
Now to come to the reasons why the Lord in wisedome vseth to deale with his on thisWherefore the Lord hu…bleth his childrē before that he honoreth & crowneth them with his graces. manner: we must know that therfore the Lord refuseth the seruice of the proud, because then we are vnfit to glorifie his name, we are vnprofitable to do good vntounto our brethren, we are vnprepared by pride to receiue any merciemercy at the hands of God. And no m…rueile,1 for how should wee looke that God should put honour vponupon vsus in vsing vsus & our seruice, when we refuse to giuegive the glorie of his owne graces to him againe? And why should not he dishonour vsus with the want of his graces, when we so dishonour him with abusing his graces? Againe, seeing vsually such is our weldoing to others, as is our affection and compassion to them that neede our helpe, and the pride of our owne abundance benummeth vsus, and maketh vsus senselesse in the wants of others; how can wee finde our hearts aright2 to any good dutie to our brethrens necessitie, when for want of humilitie and tender affection we hauehave no regard of their wants, nor feeling of their miserie? Besides, if when3 we are puft vp with a perswasion of perfection, and rest in the securitie of our present safetie, we are entangled and fettered, that we cannot humble our selues in prayer before the Lord; how shall we thinke our selues to be capable of any blessing from the Lord, whose due time of helping is in the day of want, and who refuseth to giuegive to none but to such as in the pride of their hearts refuse to doe so much as to pray vntounto him? On the contra…ie part, when the Lord shall see vsus good and faithfull seruants, in returning the gaine and aduantage of all his gifts vntounto himselfe, and that we are content with his honour, that …e are his stewards; when the sense of our owne miserie hath taught vsus to shew merciemercy vntounto others, & the conscience of our owne vnworthines hath emptied vsus of all opinion of our selues, and hath driuen vsus in our beggerlike necessities to craue for eueryevery little supplie of wants at the throne of merciemercy; then is God most neere at hand to put vsus in credit with his graces, then are we most prepared to minister to the wants of others, and then are w… fit to be filled with the hid treasures of the Lord for our comfort. And hereupon it commethPriderots and cōsumes many good gifts of God … vsus. to passe, that many hauing had a large measure of Gods graces, through pride hauehave suffered them to rot and consume away. Hereof it commeth, that many hauehave laboured much, spoken abundantly, and trauailed in great eloquence, and yet hauehave neither gained glorie to God, nor affoorded fruit to the hearers. Hereupon it is, that some that hauehave been as full as the vessell that hath no vent, hauehave become as barren as the flint-stone is of water, because they hauehave sought glorie but not by humilitie; they hauehave shunned destruction, but not left their pride. Contrariwise, we shall obserue how many speaking in the singlenes of their heart and humilitie of their spirit, hauehave wonne many soules to the rich inlarging of Gods honour and kingdome. Many vsing few words, with a pitifull and sellow feeling affection, hauehave comforted afflicted consciences, instructed ignorant soules, throwne downe proud spirits, confounded hautie hearts, & profited abundantly them with whom they were to deale. Many being lowly in their owne eyes, hauehave not so much gloried in, no… receiued glorie for their great gifts which God hath bestowed vponupon them, as they were comforted in their owne consciences, with a rich testimonie of the sanctifying spirit, who wrought in them some carefull vsage of the gifts receiued, to his glorie that gaue them. The Lord refuseth the seruice of wicked men, he will not vse a proud spirit in his worke: and therefore if we shall see that God doth not blesse our labours, let vsus suspect our selues to lie in some sinne, let vsus feare our owne hearts that they be not humbled before the Lord. And here it is good that we should be forewarned what lowlinesse it is the Lord requireth of vsus, least wee deceiue our owne soules in a false and phantasticall humilitie▪ Wherefore as all men will grant humilitie to be voide of murmuring and grudging: soAphantasticall humility. we affirme, that that is not a minde rightly humbled vnderunder the hand of God, which is still perplexed and affrighted with immoderate feare of the daunger of some euill to come. For as we condemne that hellish securitie which is voide of all feare: so wee mislike that abiect minde which is oppressed with too much feare, stil breathing out of such trembling voyces: Oh what shall become of mee▪ I am afraide that some euill will befall mee, I shall neuer be able to beare it, I had rather dye then feele it. Whē we thus distrusting the Lord,Impatiencie. begin to teach him what he shall giuegive to vsus, or what he shall take from vsus, we are in the hie way to meete with the euill wee feared, and nothing in the world will sooner bring the danger vponupon vsus. We therefore commend and affirme that to be true humilitie, which as it repineth not grudgingly against the Lord, so it shrinketh not too distrustfully before the Lord: but as on the one side wee are readie to be thankefull, if it bee the good will of the Lord to deliuer vsus; so on the other side wee are willing to laie our head to the blocke, and offer our bodie to the striker, if the Lord in wisedome should make triall of vsus. ThisIt is best for vsus vnderunder the crosse to bee thus minded. will teach vsus to possesse our soules in meekenesse and patience; this will strengthen vsus to say boldly, Lord if thou send this deliuerance, thy name be praised; if thou shalt further trie me Lord, thy holy will be blessed▪ Lord here I am, spare mee if thou wilt, trie me if thou pleasest.
This humilitie was in Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Dauid, Daniel, Azariah, Sidrach, Abedn…go, Gen. 22. 2. Sam. 15.and others of the Saints and seruants of God. Abraham when hee was most readie to offer vp his sonne, euen then the Lord gaue him his sonne againe. Dauid when he was prepared to surrender both life and liuing to the Lord, obtained both life and kingdome for longer time. At what time Ezekiah had resigned himselfe to dye at the will of the Lord, the Lord gaue him his health againe, and made him as it were a lease of his life for fifteene yeeres to come. And surely there is no readier way to obtaine life, than to offer our selues vntountoHow to auoid the crosse, or to be freed, if it become. death: no better meane to auoide sicknes, pouertie, reproach, or banishment, than to hauehave our wils wholy resigned to Gods will, as willing to beare the crosse as to be freed from it. For as the more we striue against the will of God, the lesse we preuaile: so the sooner wee yeelde, wee shall the sooner bee deliuered. And yet I meane not that yeelding which the Lord by his threatnings or iudgements, as by strong hand getteth of vsus, which is no voluntarie submission, but a violent subiection, and constraineth vsus rather than allureth vsus to obey the will of the Lord: but I meane that willing humbling of our selues before the face of God, which commeth from an hart bleeding at the conscience of his owne vnworthinesse, and bruised with the sense of the Lords vndeserued goodnesse: and that more kindly, than if it were threatned with al the iudgements of the wicked, and were braied and broken with all the plagues of hell.
The other extremitie which agreeth not with true humilitie, is blockish senselesnesse,A Stoicall numneffe. and that dead and diuelish apoplexie of the minde, which runneth without all foresight, as neither caring for good nor bad, sweete nor sowre, heauen nor hell. They that labour of this disease, thinke it an high point of humilitie to say, I am at a point, let God doe what he will, I care not, if he saue me, so it is, if I be damned, what remedie? let men iniurie me as they will, come what come will, I passe not. And these kind of men as past all feeling, and now more brutish and blockish than any bruite beast, in their life, neither tremble at Gods iudgements, nor reioyce in his promises; in death they feare not hell, they desire not heauen, they are not grieued if they be damned, they are not comforted to heare they shal be saued, they confesse not their sinnes, they professe not their faith, they shew not theirWhen sinners die a quiet death, it is an euill signe. hope, they liue like stockes, and die like blockes. And yet the ignorant people will still commend such fearefull deaths, saying, he departed as meekely as a lambe, hee went away as a bird in a shell, when they might as well say, (but for their fetherbed and their pillow) hee died like a beast, and perished like an oxe in a ditch.
But to come to the vse and fruit which we may gather out of this doctrine. First let vsus consider that if we be come to hauehave such a brawned and thicke skinne ouer our consciences,A heart obdurate and hard in sinne. as neither by publike preaching, nor priuate reading, as neither by the Law, nor by the Gospell, as neither with threatnings nor promises, as neither by praying nor meditating, wee can finde neither matter of comfort, nor humbling; wee are so farre from humilitie, that we are as men rather dead than humbled, and our case is most fearefull. For in this Stoicall apathie and want of feeling, wee feare nothing; fearing nothing, wee are easie to be deceiued; being easie to be deceiued, wee may soone be hardned, and so by securitie being depriued of all heedfulnes, we are snared of the tempter ere we can be aware.
It remaineth to speake somewhat of these obseruations, which may fitly be drawne out of the generall speeches of the holy Ghost, either to our comfort or humbling. Let this …e our first lesson thē, not too greedily to desire prosperitie, nor being in some good case eytherNot too greedily to desire prosperitie. of bodie or minde, to be too quiet in our selues, as resting securely in the good thing possessed: but rather let vsus learne in most ease, to watch most ouer our owne hearts, in the greatest testimonie of Gods grace and fauour towards vsus, to bee most humbled in our selues, to be most iealous & suspitious ouer our selues, least our hearts being by some priuie pride stollen away, wee giuegive not God that glorie which is due vntounto him, whilest vnthankfulnesse breedeth securitie, securitie bringeth priuie pride, and priuie pride preparethProsperitie. vsus for destruction. True it is, that prosperitie in it selfe is the good gift of God, and neuer hurteth but when our owne sinne in immoderate desiring it, or our corruption in vaingloriously possessing it, doe abuse it to our hurt, and so turne it to our harme. And surely besides that, in long prosperitie we contract and gather much drosse of securitie, we shall find that the long want of aduersitie, meeting with securitie, will flatter vsus and blindfold vsus with a perswasion of impunitie, and so infatuate vsus, that we shall thinke how that because we hauehave long escaped, we shall neuer be punished. But seeing wee learne to iudge no otherwise of sinne, but by the punishment of it, wee must marke this straine, that God doth no more punish presently euerie sinne, than hee doth reward presently euerie good deede: and by how much his long suffering striueth the more with vsus, and his merciemercy tarieth the longer for our repentance; by so much when they fall, his iudgements are moreGods iudgements. fearefull and sudden, comming as the lightning out of the clowds. And so farre off it is that our long prosperitie should either shadow vsus from the plaguing hand that we should not be espied, or shelter vsus that wee should be spared; that rather as high Oakes amongst low shrubs, we lie more open to be seene, and the more readie to be striken when the Lord shal send forth his thunder-bolts. Hereupon it commeth, that so many are either stricken suddenly dead in the streetes or in their houses, or else hauehave their hearts hardened on their death-bed. And here let all men beware in time of that secret and dangerous corruptionTo accept the good meanes in time when God calleth vsus to repentance. of nature, that a man should be touched with the word, and his owne conscience tell him, that the power of God in his will reuealed by Gods minister, hath surely stricken him: and yet (such is our pride) closely will not onelyonly at that time hide all tokens of repentance, and burie all remorse of conscience; but also vnderunder hope of hauing sorrow for sinne at a becke, and when he lust, he will referre it forsooth, because hee will not be thought by his present repentance, that the word came so neere him; hee is loath to giuegive the minister ofNote. God that honour that he should wound him; hee is ashamed to shame himselfe, as guiltie of such a sin▪ Who so thus deferreth in the haughtines of his heart (seeing repētance is not at our call) let him feare that his heart shall bee hardened for the contempt of the louingRom. 2. 4. patience of the Lord, which day by day leadeth vsus to repentance.
In this first straine let vsus further learne especially to beware of pleasing our selues too much in weldoing, because as all other sinnes are occupied in vile and wicked matters, this creepeth euen into the best and most excellent things. So that experience shall teach many corruptions, that the better they hauehave been occupied, the more subiect men are to fall into it. Whereby there groweth not onelyonly an hautines of minde in rich men, men of authoritie, and such as excell others in outward things: but more perilously there springeth vp a spirituall pride in the excellencie of wit, wisedome, knowledge, vtterance,Spirituall pride. gracious speeches: and euen herein are we often proud, In that wee see our pride more than others can doe. And many of the dearest children of God often finde, that when GodNote. hath most assisted them with the spirit of praier, exhortation, admonition, interpretation,Pray well before & after preaching. or such like, which be all gifts of the sanctifying spirit, the more they hauehave been puft vp with this pride, either in the present action, or afterward. Which thing no doubt proceedeth from hence, that men please themselues too much in the thing done, and doe not returne the whole glorie to God. This is noted to vsus as it were by examples in the word of God: Noah, whom an holy feare of himselfe preserued from the corruptions of the old world; by want of feare, and because of vnthankfulnesse for his deliuerance, was ouertaken of drunkennes after the stood. Lot, who suspecting himselfe being among the Sodomites, was preserued from sinne euen in the sinke of sinne? afterward waxing remisse in this godly iealousie, fell grieuously into incell, euen there where he desired to goe for his safetie. Dauid, so long as he was exercised and kept vnderunder the hand of God with fighting the Lords battailes, preuailed against many and mightie sinnes: but when hee receiued some breathing time of the Lord from his former troubles, he was quickly ouer come of a woman, that could not be ouermatched of many men. Especially then (that I omit the examples of Hezekiah, Peter and Paul, of whom I spake before) let vsus looke to our hearts, after wee hauehave receiued the best gifts, and let vsus consider the great wisedome of God prouiding for our infirmitie, in that prayer of our Sauiour Christ, where immediatly after that we hauehave prayed to hauehave our sinnes forgiuen, wee craue, not to be lead into temptation. Which would seeme strange to a man, that there should be a commixtion of two such requests, were it not that through corruption wee were then most readie to be tempted, when wee hauehave tasted of the greatest merciemercy. And surely as this was the first sinne whereby Satan fastened vponupon Adam: so it is the last sinne which the most godlie …ail by. For when all sinnes are as it were wounded, and all graces begin to abound? euen out of the ashes of those sinnes ariseth this monstrous sinne of vaine-glorie. And when Satan can finde courteous entertainment, now hee will not doubt to preuaile by egging vsus to this one sinne, that is, to be proude for ouercomming so many sinnes, and excelling in so many graces. Surely if the diuell mistrusted not this weapon of proofe, euen in paradise, and that vponupon man, being in his innocencie; wee must thinke that he hopeth as well now to get the victorie in this wicked world vponupon man so sinfull, who now is as tender and as apt to receiue the least sparke of vain-glorie, as the enemie is both strong and subtill to strike it on vsus.
Yet further obserue, that when our Lord Iesus Christ was most full of Gods spirit, he was then led to be tempted in the wildernesse; when he was most furnished, he was most tried. On like manner, when wee hauehave receiued some great gifts, wee must looke both that the Lord for his part will take some triall of them, and that Satan also watching for the richest pray, and gaping for a man when he hopes to hauehave the best spoyle, will for his part there vse the most force and cunning, where he findeth the rarest and most notable seruants of God: partly because he most enuieth them, and partly for that by pride he thinketh soonest to inueigle them. Wherefore if Gods children shall truly examine their owne hearts in this sinne, they shall hauehave some testimonie and triall in themselues, whether they bee thankfull for Gods mercies in truth or no, if hauing receiued much they feare much: and by how much the more they increase in gifts, by so much they grow the more iealous ouerAs graces increase, so desire thy feare may increase. their thoughts, wordes and deedes, and sit as it were in the watch-tower of their hearts, viewing to espie euen their least declinings. Which thing if we could doe in trueth, hee should not so hauehave the graces of God and feeling of the spirit by fits, but both in greater measure and longer continuance: the want of which heede taking to our selues, constraineth the Lord to punish vsus (as I sayd) with dulnes and deadnes of spirit, thereby to preserueWherefore our feeling and ioyes are but by fits. vsus from viler sinnes, which otherwise our pride and securitie would carrie vsus headlong into. And were it so that in reuerence and feare wee could attend more on the Lord, we should not hauehave his good spirit so rare a guest vntounto vsus, & wee should finde the increase and returne of greater consolations than we hauehave. Why doe men then so much marueile at the dulnes of minde comming on them after some rare feelings of the spirit, and when they hauehave tasted ioyes glorious and vnspeakable, and thinke that now all the fruites of Gods grace are as cleane gone away in them, as if they neuer had tasted of the power of regeneration, seeing vnthankfulnes is so ordinary and vsuall a sinne with vsus? But admit we hauehave some good witnesse of conscience, and our heart telleth vsus that we hauehave been thankfull, then must we thinke that the Lord doth trie vsus, and will bring vsus to acknowledge that the thing we had, was his onelyonly gift to giuegive and take away at his pleasure, and that it cameVnthankefulnes cause of dulnes. not from our selues as a thing to command at our becke. Howbeit vsually and for the most part our vnthankfulnes is the cause of this dulnes. Now, albeit this kind of buffeting be grieuous vntounto vsus, yet wee must not desire vtterly to be freed from it, because by it our pride is cured. For if that chosen vessell and seruant of the Lord, Paul, so abounding in graces of the spirit, so frequent in fasting, so often in prayer, watchings and temptations, could not preuaile against this sinne: seeing by all these former waies hee could not subdue this corruption in the flesh, we must not dreame and delude our selues, that wee vsing nothing so many helpes of mortification, should vtterly be rid from the same. When the Lord then shall exercise vsus with this pricke in the flesh, although it is the messenger of Satan to buffet vsus: yet we must take hold on this to our comfort, that the Lord disposeth and moderateth it: and though wee be often and long assaulted with it, yet still wee must mislike it, we must still be grieued for it, and pray in Christ against it; we must tremble andStrange doubts in the godly of Gods wisdome▪ power, &c. hee humbled in our selues, that wee should hauehave such strange and doubting thoughts of Gods wisedome, power, maiestie, and prouidence, &c. and yet in such manner and measure as knowing it to be Gods merciemercy, that by these meanes the Lord would keepe vsus from more vile and enormous crimes. Further and besides this, the Lord giueth vsus to see such monsters of the minde, to forewarne vsus, and to make vsus more afraid of falling into the outward action of sinne. Thus wee hauehave often temptations of vnbeleefe, to make vsus to feareWherefore Gods childrē are often exercised with euil thoughts the falling from the faith; we hauehave priuie discourses of Poperie, to shew what a dangerous thing it were to be giuen ouer vntounto Poperie; wee hauehave often vile thoughts of adulterie, murder and theft, to driue vsus more earnestly to pray that we neuer fall into th…e sinnes in action. And for this cause they that will not make some holesome instruction of their inward temptations, nor suspect their falling into the action of sinne by the affection of sin, often fall for their pride suddenly into adulteries, murthers, thefts, heresies, poperie, andHow the godly by not suspecting their affectiōs, may fall to grosse actions. such like. Thus the Lord cōmeth by the messenger of Satan, the pricke of the flesh, to try vsus, whether wee will sticke to the word preached, or to such suggestions ministred, to tri, our faith, to confirme vsus in the fauour of God, when wee shall obtaine the fauour of God, who often assisteth his children being humbled, euen in most dangerous assaults, and leaueth them being puft vp in the least temptations, so as they fall, that thereby they may know what helpe is of God and not of man. And howsoeuer flesh and blood counteth this but a paradoxe, yet sure it is, that our case is worse when the Lord ceaseth by such meanes to …ft & fanne vsus, than when he holdeth vsus from some profitable temptation for our exercise. For we shall see many, who desiring rather to …e freed from the crosse, than to reape the fruite of it▪ although for the time, wherein they endured their temptations at the firstSecurity how dangerous. they were cleere and innocent: yet afterward hauehave fallen most grieuously, because they would not profit by those temptations which the Lord sent, either to punish some sinne past, not throughly repented of, or to correct some sinne present not espied, or to forewarne vsus of sinne to come not suspected of vsus …ome hauehave been tempted to heresie, some to pride, some to worldlines, who disdainfully looking at such thoughts, as matters of noNote. importance, though they were before vnattainted of these euils, yet now hauehave come to be heretikes, proude persons, & worldlings. This ought to teach vsus then most to suspect our selues, when wee thinke our estate safest: And blessed is the m…n that f…reth al…es. ThisPro. 28. 14. numbnes of the soule, striueth and striketh deeply euen against the ordinance of God for our saluation: (I meane the word, the Sacraments and praier) so that oftentimes our case standeth thus, we thus say i… our selues; If I heare the word, so it is, I feele no great want of it; in receiuing the Sacraments I hauehave no pleasure; in not receiuing them I hauehave no griefe. If the exercises of religion priuate and publike bee vsed, there is no… much good done; ifOur priuie pride, not respecting the meanes had plentifully, how it is corrected. they bee omitted, there is no great hurt done; if I hauehave spare time I can goe vntounto them, if I hauehave neuer so little businesse I can keepe me away from them & be glad of such excuse. Surely this estate bewraieth a proud heart, blessing it selfe with a fulnes and cloyedenes of the meanes, and either sheweth vsus to lie in some sinne presently, or that we are like to fall into some sinne hereafter and that shortly. Howbeit being absent, i… hauing these or like affections wee can mourne, beate our owne hearts, and iudge our selues, enquiring of the things spoken at their hands, that hauehave been at the congregation; if being absent in bodieAbsēce from the congregation. with an humble sight of our want; wee are as present in spirit; if euen in time of exercises we bestow the time in prayer, in reading, or in meditation, the Lord will shield vsus from sinne, and the shame of sinne. Againe, if wee shall finde our selues subiect to peeuishnes, concupiscence, or couetousnesse, with lesse power to preuaile against them that wee hauehave had; let vsus feare least some pride hath gone before: If wee cannot recouer our selues out of these euils by prayer or mourning, let vsus suspect our owne hearts, that some securitieNote. in the meanes hath ouertaken vsus, the Lord for a time hath left vsus, the diuell hath foyled vsus. It is a blessed thing to get the victory of our faults, before they be ioyned with the offencesVictorie ouer our faults before they get strength and breake forth. of the world, with the griefe of the godly, with the reproch of our aduersaries, with the trouble of our owne consciences, with the hazard of Gods glorie. And therefore if it be so the good will of God, let vsus earnestly desire him that our trials and temptations may bee inward, that they may bee stayed and stenched when they beginne, that they breake not out abroade to the greater dishonour of the Lord, and our further discomfort: which surely they will doe, if by cherishing them, and not checking them, wee striue not for some safetie against them. Let vsus humblie therefore long before, feare this reproch to come, and pray with the Prophet, Lorde keepe mee from the reproch which I feare: least otherwise the Lord seeing vsus make no conscience in these cases, bee auenged of vsus, whoPsalm. 119. surely will dishonour them that sticke not to dishonour him. Cease then to gaze at the worke of God, and labour to gage the pride of your owne hearts in affection, which the Lorde is contrained to shame vsus with, for the abuse of his graces, for the discredit of his word, the contempt of his glorie, and for the neglect of our owne saluation: which being before purposed, rather then it should bee vnaccomplished, wee shall hauehave shamefull SergeantsBy what mes sengers God awakens his children. sent vntounto vsus; as fire on our houses, warres to spoyle our goods, sicknes to weaken our bodies, and torment of minde to scourge our consciences, which will draw vsus out by the eares from the heauie slumber of sinne, wherein wee snorted. And thus fitlie, though suddenly, we are slipt into the second point and obseruation of this doctrine, which is, that wee should not be too hie to enter into the gates of aduersitie, nor being entred, to behaue our selues vnpatiently, as though it would vndoe vsus to sit in the house of mourning a while: rather wee must reioyce in it, and be thankfull for it, saying with the Prophet: It is good for mee ô Lord that thou hast afflicted me, &c. because the holy Ghost here telleth vsus thatPsalm. 11…. lowlinesse goeth before honour, and in the schoole of humilitie, wee shall learne the way to true glorie and Nobilitie. Neither doe I here meane, that affliction in it selfe hath of it selfe such vertue, as to humble vsus truly vnderunder the hand of God: but when the spirit of God worketh with it, that then it will breede in vsus the fruites of righteousnesse, repentance, faith, and holinesse; it will driue vsus to seeke comfort in the world, to aske comfort by praier, to yeeld comfort by compassion on other mens euils. And therefore it is necessarie against the policie of Sathan, who would discourage the Saints of God in their profession, by dressing them with afflictions, to stay our selues in this testimonie of the holy Ghost,Use of the former doctrine. that before glorie goeth affliction, and after lowlinesse commeth honor, either in this life, or in the life to come, or in both. This must further teach vsus to profit by the threatnings of God publikely preached, not to threaten them, or to murmure against them that lay the1 iudgemēts of God against vsus in the law: this must cause vsus to make much of them, that by sharpe censuring of vsus, will soonest draw vsus out of sinne. This must worke in vsus a desire to2 reape some fruite by priuate admonitions; yea, and to call on others to admonish vsus that3 we may still be kept in some good course of humilitie.
Further and besides this, it is profitable for vsus to frequent them that are sicke, ready to di…, perplexed in spirit, imprisoned in chaines, and oppressed with miserie, that in them weTo visit the sicke. may see our selues, as in a mirrour: and so with Moses to chuse rather to suffer afflictions, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time. This acquainting our selues with the iudgements ofHeb. 11. 25. 27. God, will both rubbe off securitie, and stirre vsus vp to greater thankfulnes for our selues, and pitie towardes others. Wherefore, they are not in the way of humilitie to obtaineHebr. 12. 2. 3. glorie, who are so tender sighted that they cannot abide to see the iudgements of God: they are too daintie eared, that cannot, or that will not heare the threatnings of the Lawe: saying, oh I cannot abide to heare one in desperation, I cannot away to heare such fearfull speeches, to heare the diuell speake in one; I louelove not to see one lie gasping and panting in death; These things would depriue me of all mirth, breede melancholy, and stirre me vp to m…es. Nay, this delicatenes to flye from the Lord thus drawing neere vsus, will hasten these things vponupon vsus, which we will not profit by in others. Such eyes to see, such eares to heare, such hearts to be humbled, it becommeth Gods people to hauehave, that as they louelove nothing more than glorie, so they labour for nothing more than humilitie: as they shun nothing more than cōfusion, so they auoid nothing more than pride of heart. Which that we may doe, let vsus cast down our selues before the throne of merciemercy, in the name and mediation of Iesus Christour Sauiour.
O eternall God and our most louing father, behold vsus in thine owne couenant, &c.
FINIS.