The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 5
THE COACHMAN IN the wise merciemercy of that blessed Spirit of God, appointed to carrie that Lanterne of the written word of God, before the babes of God soiourning here, is the Minister of God: vnderunder the Law, now called the Man of God, the Seer, the Watchman.
THat blessed Spirit of God, by whom that Lanterne of the word is prepared, for enioying the babes of God towards that Inne of heauen; knowing that this Lanterne cannot possibly profit them vntounto saluation, vnlesse it be put in the hands of some guide, by whom it may be so holden forth vntounto them, that they may see the light of it, and by seeing the light of it, may be moued to know that holy one, to beleeue in that holy one, who gaue himselfe for them, and by beleeuing in him may be led to saluation: hath happily and mercifully found out a bearer to carry this Lanterne before them, & to discouer vntounto thē that shining, sauing, light which is offered by it. But hath this blessed wise Spirit appointed this lanterne to be carried before the babes of God, by any celestiall spirit or Angell? not so, not so, ô my soule, but by one who is like to those babes of God (before whom this Lanterne is carried) in all things. And here I must pray thee, ô my soule, to stay a little, to the end before I speake any more touching this point, thou mayest be moued to aduance the great wisedome of Gods vnspeakable merciemercy and compassion towards miserable man, whom he doth out of vndeserued louelove, transport from this sinfull earth towards his holy heauens. I am not ignorant, ô my soule, that these heauenly Angels be ministring spirits,Heb. 1. 14. sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation, as thou shalt here; but with this I know that no man liuing were able to abide the presence of these spirits, if our God should imploy them to be Carriers of this Lanterne of his word, & to instruct vsus in the knowledge of it. Did the face of Moses shine so gloriously when he came downe from the mount, where he was with God but for the space of 40. dayes; that the Israelites were afraid to come neare him, till he put a vaile vponupon his face? and shall sinfull man be able to abide the presence of these Angels, who alwayes stand before God, and who be altogether free of sinne? I know that an Angell appeared to Manoah the father of Samson, but with this I know, that Manoah was so rauished with the glorie of this Angell, that he was readie to hauehave offered a sacrifice vntounto him. I know that that sublime booke of the Reuelation was put in the hands of the Apostle Iohn, Iud. 13.by the ministerie of an Angell: but tels not Scripture me, that euen this Iohn was moued so with the presence and sight of the Angell, that ouer and ouer againe he fell downe at his feete to worship him. And therefore our blessed God (onelyonly perfectly acquainted with the weaknesse and vilenes of man) pitying sinfull man, will hauehave euen a sinfull man like vntounto man himselfe, whose presence he may easily abide, whose voice without any dashing feare, or confounding astonishment he may heare, to be the Carrier of yt Lanterne, by the which his babes must be led from this wildernesse to his Canaan. And so this Coachman of this heauenly Chariot is a poore Minister, separated by God from among men, to carrie the Lanterne of the word before his children, who so soone as he is separate to this end, must necessarily denie himselfe, his parents, his brethren, and all belongeth vntounto him, or can alledge any kinde of interest with him; hauing no father, mother, wife, brethren, sisters, friend, or alliance, beside that God who hath separate him from them for himselfe:Deut. 33. 8. 9. readie with Leui to say to his father and his mother,Exod. 31. 27. I hauehave not seene him: yea, not knowing his brethren, nor his owne children, but with this same Leui putting his sword by his side to slay his brother, his companion, and his neighbour; that so he may resemble that holy one who hath separate him for himselfe: who hearing this said to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, Mat. 12. 47. 48. 49. 50.desiring to speake with thee: did answer him who told him that, thus: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hands towards his disciples, did say: Behold my mother, and my brethren, for whosoeuer shall do my Fathers will which is in heauen, the same is my brother, my mother, and my sister. This Minister and Coachman is so strictly tyed by that spirit the Coachmaister, who calles and imployes them, vntounto the Lanterne of the written word of God, put in his hand for ordering the children of God in their spirituall iourney, that he doth see nothing to be good, and embrace it, but that this Lanterne proclaimeth to be good, and vnderstandeth nothing to be euill, and refuseth it, but that this Lanterne proclaimeth to be euill; and therefore he will not obey any, but these the Spirit his Maister by this Lanterne put in his hand, directs him to obey; and dare disobey all, the spirit his maister by this Lanterne directs him to disobey. And so, when king or subiect of any estate or condition,1. King. 22. 13. 14. doth say vntounto him: Behold now the words of the Prophets declare good vntounto the King with one accord, let thy word therefore I pray thee be like the word of one of them, and speake thou good: he answereth them couragiously with Michaiah: As the Lord liueth, whatsoeuer the Lord saith vntounto me, that I will speake. The consideration of this point moued the Spirit speaking of those ministers, Carriers of this Lanterne before the babes of God, for their spirituall benefit to stile them.1. Cor. 4. 15 These sundrie fathers, who in Christ beget; sonnes and daughters to God through the Gospell: and these sundrie mothers,Gal. 4. 19. trauelling in birth of the children of God till Christ be borne in them;1. Cor. 4. these stewardes by whom the secrets of God are dispensed; the gardiners,Esay 61. 3. by whom the trees of righteousnesse,1. Cor. 3. 6. 7. Gods children, be planted and watered; the husbandmen, by whom that immortall seed of Gods word is sowne into the hearts of Gods children, bringing forth, in some thirtie, in some sixtie, in some a hundredth fold.1. Cor. 39. The spirituall masons,Mat. 13. 23. by whom the babes of God, as liuely stones, are layed vponupon that true and onelyonly foundation Christ Iesus,1. Cor. 3. 9. 10. to grow vp in a spirituall building to God. These secundarie Sauiours,1. Tim. 4. 16. who faithfully and painefully holding forth this Lanterne before Gods babes, and taking heed vntounto themselues, do become Sauiours both to saue themselues and them that heare them: yea they be sundrie Mediators who in the day of the Lords wrath,Num. 6. 16. 47. 48. be bound with Aaron to offer vp their prayers to God leading thē to the mediation of that great mediator Iesus, to the end that feared plagues may be auerted from the people of God, and these, which are alreadie, stayed. But what is that, ô my soule, vntounto the which this Coachman, the Carrier of this Lanterne of the word must take heed vntounto; to the end he may proue indeed a father, a mother, a steward, a gardiner, a husbandman, a mason, a Sauiour, a Mediator, for the aduancement of the saluation of Gods babes, and of his owne? Out of Scripture I hauehave learned, that he must necessarily obiect two points; fearing alwayes to ouersee himselfe in either of them: to wit, vntounto his doctrine, marking narrowly what, and how he teacheth; vntounto his life, watching carefully ouer his words, actions, and carriage. It were good that the ministers of this our time, Carriers of the Lanterne of Gods word, keepe a good eye vponupon that Lace, wherewith our wise God would hauehave the skirts of Aarons robe decked, to wit, with a Pomegranat of blew silke, purple, and scarlot; and with golden bells: so that round about the skirts of his robes there was to be seene, a golden bell, and pomgranate. The bell making a sound when it was heard, the pomgranate sauoring deliciously when it was smelled. So that the Carriers of the word must sound well through that doctrine they teach, must smell well through their holy life, answerable to this doctrine. Thou hearest thy Sauiour, ô my soule, directing his Apostles thus:Mat. 28. 19 20. Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost; teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I hauehave commanded you. But hearest thou him not also thus informing them: yea are the salt of the earth, but if the salt lose his sauour, wherewith shall the earth be salted; Mat. 5. 13. 14.it is then good for nothing, but to be cast out & to be trodden vnderunder foote of men: yea are the light of the world; a citie that is set on a hill cannot be hid? Hearest thou not Paul thus directing Timothie. 1. Tim. 4. 13.Till I come giuegive attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine? But hearest thou him not in that same place charging him also:2. Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth, but be vntounto them that beleeue, an ensample, in word, in conuersation, in louelove, in spirit, infaith, and in purenesse. Hearest thou not Paul againe thus directing his Timothie: 2. Tim. 1. 15.Studie to shew thy selfe approued vntounto God, a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed, diuiding the word of God aright. But with this hearest thou him not saying vntounto him? Flee also from the lusts of youth, and follow after righteousnesse, 22.faith, louelove, and peace; with them that call on the Lord with pure hearts. As for that doctrine the Carrier of this Lanterne must teach the children of God, it must no wayes be inuented by him; albeit in season, and out of season, it must be vented by him. Shall Balaam answer King Balac thus: If Balac would giuegive me his house full of siluer, and gold, Num. 22. 28.I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do lesse or more? And shall anie who would proue faithfull to him, who hath called him, speake that in Gods name with his mouth, which God by his spirit, and word, hath not put in his mouth? That spoken by our God to Ezechiel would be thought vponupon.Ezec. 3. 17. Sonne of man I hauehave made thee a watchman in the house of Israel, therefore heare the word at my mouth, and giuegive them warning from me. This moued Peter thus to direct the handlers of Gods word.1. Pet. 4. 11. If anie man speake, let him speake as the word of God. And therefore the man of God taking heede to his doctrine, must not attempt to bring any thing to the eares of Gods people, his hearers, but that which he hath receiued from the mouth of God their Father, and his maister, speaking vntounto him out of holy Scripture, for our God that wise Father of his Church, will hauehave his children to be fed vponupon no meate besides his owne. Herefore while Moses is raised vp of God, to gouerne his people Israel, he did receiue that law from God by, the which he must gouerne them. Albeit the Prophets were stirred vp of God to speake to his people, yet did they begin and end their Sermons thus.Amos. 1. 13. 15. Thus saith the Lord: For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Esay 1. 20.This moued the Apostle not onelyonly to say; Be ye followers of me euen as I am of Christ, but also though we, or an Angel from heauen, 1 Cor 11. 1preach vntounto you otherwayes then that which we hauehave preached vntounto you let him be accursed. Gal. 1. 8.Augustine subscribing to this saith,Aug in Ioan, crast. 5. Tunc ea, quae dicimus, & nobis, & vobis vtilia sunt sia Deo sunt; quae autem ab hominibus sunt, mendacia sunt. Then these things which we speake, be profitable vntounto vsus and you when they are of God, but these things which be of men be lies. The sense hereof moued Vincentius Lirinensis, Vincent.thus to direct the preachers of the Gospell:Lirnien. Quod tibi ceditum, non quod a te inuentum; non author esse debes sed custos; non institutor, sed sectator; non ducens, sed sequens: vt cum dixeris noue, non tamen noua. Preach that which is committed to thee, not that which is inuented by thee: thou should stnot be an Author, but a keeper; not a beginner, but a follower, not leading, but following; so that while thou speakest after a new manner, thou speake no new thing. O would to God yt all Carriers of this Lanterne could hearken vntounto that deliuered long ago, touching the ministers of the Gospell, by that famous Father Augustine: Aug. de postore cap. 1.Nos quos Dominus in isto loco de quo periculosa ratio redditur secundum dignationem suam, non secundum meritum nostrum constituit, habemus, duo quaedam: Vnum quod Christiani sumus, propter nos est; quod autem praepo sti sumus, propter vos est. In eo quod Christiani sumus, attenditur vtilit as nostra: in eo quod praepositi sumus, non nisi vestra. Sunt multi Christiani, & non praepositi, qui perueniunt ad Deum facileore fortasse itinere, & tanto expeditius ambulantes, quanto minorem sarcinam portant; nos autem excepto quod christiani sumus, vnde rationem reddemus deo de vita nostra, sumus etiam praepositi vnde rationem reddemus deo de dispensatione nostra. We whom God hath set in this place (whereof there is a dangerous account to be giuen) according to his free louelove, and not according to our merit, hauehave some two things: one that we are Christians, another that we are Preachers; That that we are Christians, is for our selues; but that we are preachers, is for you. In that we are Christians our profite is respected; in that that we are Preachers yours. There be manie Christians, and not Preachers who perhaps come to God by a easier iourney, walking so much the more quickly in so farre as they carrie a lighter burthen. But we besides this that we are Christians, for the which we shall giuegive an account vntounto God of our life; we are also Preachers, for the which we shall giuegive an account of our dispensation and stewardship. Now while this Carrier of the Gospell, hath with his doctrine his life to order and dresse; he must know that it were expedient for him in a manner, first to take heed to his life, and therefore to his doctrine: for he who is not a good Christian liuing as becomes the child of God to liue, shall neuer be a good Preacher, handling the word of God as it becommeth Gods steward to handle it. The sense hereof moued Chysostome thus to speake:Chrysost. hom. 30. 14. Perquam facile est Philosophari verbis; doce me vita tua: haec doctrina est optima, si non habueris opus bonum, non solum non proderis loquendo, sed etiam plus oberis, quia sic mihi proponis opus vt esset foreign. It is a verie easie thing to discourse in words; teach me by thy life, that doctrine is best of all. If thou hauehave not goodworkes, not onelyonly shalt thou not profite by speaking, but thou shalt also more hurt, because that way, thou setst a good worke before me as if it were impossible to be done. Ferra. Carthag.This moued Ferrardus Carthaginensis to write thus Prima Pastoris virtus est bene viuere; secunda recte docere. The first vertue of a minister is to liue well: the second to teach rightly. Bern.Bernard out of this sense could speake to Preachers thus. Consonet vita tua verbis, & statim erit in …re tuo viuax & efficax sermo Dei, & penetrabilior quouis gladio ancipiti. Let thy life be answerable to thy words, and presently, the word of God in thy mouth, shall be liuely and powrefull and sharper then anie two edged sword. And againe, Pascat minister tripliciter: verbo praedicationis, exemplo conuersationis, & fructu orationis. Let the Minister of Gods word, feed Gods flocke three wayes; by the word preached by him; by the example of his life; and by the fruite of his prayers. But to the loose and lewd Ministers, doth not Bernard say:Ber. in dectum. Sumptus ecclesiasticos gratis habere te putas, cantando, vt aiunt, tibi prouenire videntur, sed bonum erat magis fodere, aut etiam mendicare: peccata enim populi comedis, ac si propria tibi minus sufficere viderē tur: Vae, vae, tibi clerice mors in ollis mors in olla carnium, mors in huiusmodi delicijs est. Thou thinkest that thou hast the Church reuenewes for nothing: they appeare to come in, as they say, singing to thee; but it were good for thee rather to winne thy liuing by digging or begging: for thou eatest the sinnes of the people, as if thy owne sinnes were to few too lie vponupon thee. Wo, wo, to thee, ô Church-man, death is in thy pot, death is in the pots of flesh, death is in such dainties. It were to be wished that the liues of all Ministers were agreeable to their doctrine; and that not so much as one of them should resemble these stones which are set vp by the hie wayes side to direct men in the right pathes, while they themselues moue neuer a foote.Phil. 1. 16. 18. But seeing the great wisedome of our God, (whose wayes are vnsearchable) hath thought good to employ both good and bad Ministers to carrie the Lanterne of his word; and seeing it falleth oftentimes forth, that God maketh his word in the mouth of a faithfull sanctified Minister, the sauour of death vntounto death, and that same word in the mouth of a hyreling, void of grace and holinesse, the sauour of life vntounto life, to the end, that Gods wise holy people should learne not to depend vponupon men, but vponupon God who employes them, ascribing vntounto his Maiestie the whole praise of their conuersation, and saluation, and not to the instrument. Let no good Christian be perswaded by Satans subtiltie, to thinke euill of the cleane and sauing word of God, because of the corruption and wickednesse of him that carrieth it; for this were to refuse a precious rich iewell, because it were carried in an vncleane bagge. The consideration hereof moued our Maister (happily before hand strenghthening vsus against this tentation) speaking to the multitude, and to his disciples touching the Scribes and Pharises to say:Mat. 13. 1. 2. 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seate, all therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue; that obserue and do: but after their workes do not, for they say and do not. Chrysost.Chrysostome writing vponupon these words takes directly occasion thus to speake vntounto the hearers of the word of God touching the Preachers of it: Natura eorum ipsorum est, ordinatio autem eorum vestra; si bene vixerint eorum est lucrum, si bene docuerint vestrum est. Accipite ergo quod vestrum est, & nolite discutere quod alienum est: frequenter & de homine malo bona doctrina procedit. The nature of the Preachers is their owne, their ordination is yours: if they liue well that is their profite; if they teach well that is your profite: take that which is yours, and meddle not with that which is anothers: yea, oftentimes good doctrine comes from an euill man. And againe, Ecce vilis terra pretiosum aurum producit, numquid propter terram vilem pretiosum aurum contemnitur? Non, sed sicut aurum eligitur & terra relinquitur, sic & vos doctrinam accipite, & mores relinquite. Nam vt apibus herbae necessariae non sunt, sed flores herbarum; flores enim illae colligunt, herbas vero relinquunt; sic vos flores doctrinae eligite & conuersationem relinquite, vt quasi inutilis herba arescat. Behold doth not barren ground bring forth pretious gold: now is the pretious gold, contemned for the vile ground? not, but as the gold is chosen, the ground left; so take your selues to the doctrine, and leaue his manners: for as herbes are not necessarie vntounto bees but the floures of the herbes; for they gather the floures and not the herbes. So gather ye the floures of the Preachers doctrine, but leaue his life that it may wither as an vnprofitable herbe. Alwayes let such Ministers know that they shall not escape a heauie wrath; for he who was avenged long ago vponupon Nadab and Abihu, Leuit. 10.vponupon Hophne and Phineas: 1. Sam. 4.and who hath informed vsus touching that monstrous end ouertaketh the vnsauorie salt, shall be auenged vponupon them, and make them to repent that euer they take vponupon them to declare Gods ordinance, and take his couenant in his mouth, seeing they hated to be reformed thereby. O! if these Ministers whose words be faire, whose workes be foule; whose doctrine sauoures of God, and whose doings be alway sinfull, smelling of that euill one; could hearken vntounto that watch word sounded by Chrysostome in the place alledged in ye eares of Ministers. Bene viuendo, & bene docendo, populum instruis quomodo debeat viuere: Bene autem docendo, & male viuendo, Deum instruis quomodo te debeat condemnare. By liuing well, and teaching well, thou instructs the people of God how they should liue, but by teaching well, and liuing wickedly, thou teachest God how he should condemne thee. Wo is me, wo is me, ô my soule, y• so many baptized in the name of Iesus, should thinke and speake of that good word of Iesus, which is the onelyonly word of life, as that reprobate Pharoah thought, and speake of that good word of God sounded by Moses and Aaron, Exod. 5. 9.vntounto the Israelites, and vntounto him selfe; directing his taskmasters thus to speake to the people: Let them not regard vaine words. When we Christians consider this, ô my soule, we all condemne Pharoah: But (alas) how many be there among vsus, who say not onelyonly in their hearts, but with their lippes, yea by their works: The words of God be vaine words. O Idolaters, blasphemers, adulterers, and other grosse sinners; if that at any time ye resort to the house of God, what whisper yea one to another? and when ye go forth from his house, what be your speeches? Let yonder blast go, yonder winde shaketh no corne. Hearken for Gods cause, ô my soule, our God hath not mens cornes in such account, neither counteth he so basely of his word that he will daine to shake their cornes with it for he hath a baser wind, of the which he counteth not so much; whereby he is able to shake all the cornes in the world. Besides this I must tell thee, ô my soule, albeit that word which the men of God preach, shaketh not mens cornes, yet it can shake Kings, and Queenes and subiects of all estates. That same Pharoah, who durst open his blasphemous mouth gainst Gods word found this to be true by a dolefull experience: for shakes not him that word of God spoken by Moses out of his royall Chariot, when he was riding securely there, in the bottome of the sea? yea, in the dungeon of hell? Shooke not that word, spoken by Ieremiah, Zedekiah King of Iudath, not only out of his royall palace at Ierusalem, but sent him in captiuitie into Babel? O poore Iewes shall eue… a tempestuous whirlewind, scatter an heape of light chaffe towards the foure corners of the earth so miserably as that word of God spoken by Iesus and his Apostles vntounto our fathers, hath scattered you and your predecessors these fifteene hundred yeares by one. We reade that a blast or two of this wind of the word of God, did shake a king so that it changed his countenance, it loosed his loynes, and made his knees the one to smite against the other, sitting at his owne table at a banquet royall,Dan. 5. 5. 6. accompanied with his Queene and his counsellers. We reade likewise in Scripture, that a blast of this wind blowne by a man of God, standing at a barre to be accused, made his iudge to shake and tremble: for while Paul is disputing of righteousnesse, and temperance, and of the iudgement to come, Felix the iudge trembled so, that he might abide Pauls presence no longer:Act. 24. 26. saying, Go thy wayes for this time, and when I hauehave a conuenient time I shall call for thee. Were the desolate houses and old liuings amongst vsus fearefully burthened, and miserably wracked, and daily changed from man to man, from surname to surname, looked vntounto, it might serue sufficiently to make the lewdest amongst vsus refraine from attempting to stile that good word of God Vanitie or wind. If thou louelove thy selfe herefore, ô my soule, abhorre to thinke or speak of the word of God with Pharoah, and learne to thinke and to speak of it as thy God hath directed thee; and so thinke thou, and speake you of it, as of that milke the new borne babes of God are nourished by; as of that bread wherewith Gods children are fed; as of that wine whereby they are refreshed and comforted;1. Pet. 3. 1. as of that fire whereby the remnant of the drosse of their sinnes are purged from them,Deut. 8. 3. and they are purified as pure gold,Luk. 2. 32. to be layd vp in that cleane treasure which is aboue;Ier. 23. 29. as of that heauie hammer which is able to breake and bruise in peeces all such as dare contemne it: yea, in a word,Ezec 47. 12 as of that meate whereby their hungrie soules are fed; and as of that medicine whereby their sicke and wounded soules are bound vp and cured. The sense hereof moued Bernard thus to write:Bern. in Virg. Pet. ser. 2. Ego vnum timeo, ne toties audit a verba salutis vilescere nobis incipiant, tanquam verba aërem verberantia, & sicut folium quod vento rapitur effluit; nemo vestrum sic accipiat, fructus vitae sunt verba Dei, non folia; & si folia, sed aurea, proinde non parui pendantur, non pertranseunt, sed colligantur singula, etiam ipsa fragmenta. This one thing I feare, lest the words of saluation being so oft heard, become of no estimation in our account, as words striking the aire, and as a leafe carried by the wind flies away: Let none of you take the matter so, the words of God are fruites of life, and not leafes; and if they be leafes, yet they are golden leafes, and therefore not to be lightened and passed by, but to be gathered vp euen euerie crumme of them. O Lord God, when shall men begin to hauehave the preaching of the sacred word (though sounded by heard-men, by fishers, and so by the very of-scourings of the earth) in any kind of reuerence? for what heard by mans eare in this our dead time is so neglected, is so despised by mans heart, as thy Maiesties word preached is? Alas, alas, ô Lord God, that blind man should suffer himselfe willingly to be deceiued by that great deceiuer Satan; so farre as to despise that specially which thy wise Maiestie hath highly aduanced? Tell me, tell me, ô my soule, whereby is it that thy mercifull wise God hath appointed that sauing grace of his to be conueyed to thee on earth here, which is onelyonly able to bring thee to that perfect glorie which is aboue? It is not, ô my soule, by the touching of thine hand, or any other member of thy bodie, nor by the smelling of thy nosthrils, nor by the sight of thine eyes, that God will grant vntounto thee that grace on earth in time, which must crowne thee with glorie when time shall ceasse: but it is by the hearing of thine eare that thy God will do this. Let others neglect this, let others mocke this: alwayes, ô my soule, when thou hearest this, I charge thee that thou reioyce; I charge thee that thou leape for ioy within me: for by this would not thy blessed powerful God, whose wayes passe finding out, not onelyonly ouerthrow, but also mocke the malice and craft of the diuell, to his Maiesties great glory, to Satans sensible shame, and to thy euerlasting comfort? O malitious subtle serpent, who did cunningly conuey by Euahes eares, that fearefull poyson towards her soule, which was able to slay her, her husband, and their posteritie. But is not my good God both mercifull and powerfull, able to conuey to my soule, euen by my eare, that wholsome salue whereby thy poyson is not onley made ineffectuall, but I am made to liue for euer? Thou feest, thou smellest, thou touchest, thou trustest, yea, thou readest (ô man) many things. Alwayes vnderstand, it is not by thy sight, by thy smelling, by thy touching, by thy tasting, yea, it is not by thy reading (if thou attempt to despise hearing, and so to contemne the word preached) that thou canst be saued. O when shall that golden chaine of saluation presented to vsus by Paul, first be reuerenced, and then be embraced and kept by vsus?Rom. 10. 13. 14. 15. 17. Whosoeuer shall call vponupon the name of the Lord shall be saued: but how shall they call on him in whom they hauehave not beleeued? & how shall they beleeue in him, of whom they hauehave not heard? and how shall they heare without a Preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent? then faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Out of this sense Bernard said most truly:Bern. ser. 28 in Cant. Aur is prima mortis ianua, prima aperitur & vitae. The eare which was the first port of death, is first opened to life.
Woe is me, woe is me, ô my soule, that so many in this our time should know where this Lanterne of the word shineth, and by whom it is carried, and that so few should resort towards it: yea, that so few euen of these who resort vntounto it, should profit to saluation by it. Were I demanded whereof it commeth, that of an hundred infected in soule with that spirituall leprosie of sinne, presenting themselues before the carriers of Gods word, within Gods house, to be cleansed by that cleane and cleansing water of his word, scarce one go backe cleansed and washed in soule from their sinnes: I durst answer, euen before that blessed God the searcher of my heart, that this commeth to passe, because scarce one of an hundred drawes neare Gods house, drawes neare Gods seruants handling his word in his house, with due premeditation, and holy consideration, weighing as the child, as the domesticke, and as the scholler of God should do; what a God he is before whom they appeare, what a word that is which is to be heard there, and what manner of persons they themselues be, who do present themselues there. They appeare before that God who lookes not on the outward appearance,1. Sam. 15. 7. but who beholdeth the heart, and who will be sanctified in them that come neare him.Leuit. 10. 3. That house in which they appeare is Gods chamber of presence, within the which he manifests himselfe clearely, and amiable to his owne secret ones, who with broken hearts do approach him, and who approaching do seeke vntounto him for meate and medicine. The sense hereof moued religious Dauid, 2. Sam. 16.first to be so carefull to hauehave Gods Arke, the Sacrament of his presence, dwelling in one Citie with him, and thereafter to hauehave a fit habitation made for it. The word of God handled there,Psal. 132. 2. 3. 4. 5. is that immortall seed, whereby sonnes and daughters be begotten to God, of these who before (because of sinne) were the children of wrath. Is that pure milke, whereby these Gods sons and daughters are made to grow in that grace, which is able to make them withstand all tentations and aduersaries here, to their ioy among men, and to stand hereafter before the Sonne of man to their euerlasting glorie.1. Pet. 1. 23. & 2. 2. They themselues are dust and ashes in respect of their bodies;Gen. 18. and which is alwayes worse and monstrously fearefull, dead in sinnes and trespasses,Ephes. 1. 2. for that is the condition of their soules naturally. Oh, ô my soule, when shall the men of this age learne out of Scripture now in the vnspeakable merciemercy of God, layed open to them in their mother tongue, how to behaue themselues when they appeare before that God who made Scripture, to the end that they may profit to saluation by Scripture? Our God hath the booke of his Law to put in his seruant Moses hand, that by him it might be afterwards taught to his people the Israelites: our God will hauehave his people to be present while he talketh with his seruant Moses. Exod. 19. 20.Alwayes will our God hauehave his people rashly to approach him, or rather giues he not direction to Moses to cause his people euen for some dayes to prepare themselues for so great a work, sanctifying the people for one day, for two dayes, that after their clothes was washed they might be readie on the third day to present themselues before God? Dauid did praise his God seuen times a day:Psal. 119. 164. Dauid did pray to his God thrise a day: alwayes will Dauid for all this draw neare his God without preparation,Psal. 55. 17. without consideration?Psal. 26. 3. no, no, for he euer washes his hands in innocencie, before he compasse the holy Altar of his holy God? Hearest thou not Salomon out of the sense of this crying vntounto thee, ô my soule, Take heed vntounto thy feete while thou entrest into the house of God, and be readier to heare then to giuegive the sacrifice of fooles; for they know not that they do euill. Yea, hearest thou not thy wise Maister (who loues thee dearely, and would neuer counsell thee but for thy weale) directing thee thus:Luk. 8. 18. Take heed how ye heare? Woe is me, woe is me, ô my soule, that we who are called Christians should hauehave the booke of Esther in our hand, & being acquainted with it, should yet attempt without any kinde of preparation to present our selues before that supreme King, and Soueraigne: for reade we not there that Esther before she was presented before that sinfull mortall king of Persia (who shortly was to be turned into the dust,Esth. 2. 12. and to be made meate to wormes) was purified twelue monethes, sixe monethes with oyle of myrrhe, and sixe monethes with sweet odours? Oh, oh, ô my soule, shall Esther a chast virgine, who had found fauour in the kings eyes, and who in beautie excelled all the maids which were brought together to the kings palace, purifie her selfe as is said, before she be presented to this king? And should I, vile from my conception, vile from my birth, and vile in my whole life, attempt without any kind of preparation and purifying of my selfe, to present my selfe before that only true glorious King, who is holinesse and puritie it selfe, before whom the very Angels do couer their faces? O what a world of men and women of this our time, shall this Esther cōdemne in that great day, when her God shall be able to speake thus to them touching her: This woman Esther being a most religious, beautifull, chast virgin, did not present her selfe before that sillie weake king of Persia my vassall, (who could no wayes know her heart, but onelyonly see her outward carriage) till for the space of 12. moneths she purified her selfe carefully. But yea, a very world of men and women, being to present your selues before me the great Monarch of heauen and earth, who made you, and all men, Angels, and diuels, and who knowes not onelyonly the wanderings of your feete, and the workes of your hands, but all the imaginations of your hearts, able after I hauehave slaine the bodies of all rebels against me, to cast both soules and bodies in hell for euermore: were neuer carefull so much as for a minute, let it be for twelue monethes to prepare your selues by purging either heart or hand to appeare before me: and therefore seeing you presented your selues onelyonly before me as the diuell did in the dayes of Iob, go with the diuell to abide with him and his Angels in that vncleane lake for euer. But what speake I, ô my soule, of Esther, shall not bruite beasts, voide of reason, condemne many a one called Christians in this point? It is written of the Lionesse that she hauing coupled her selfe with the Leopard, doth afterward carefully wash her selfe in the water before she come neare to the Lyon againe, lest he by his smell find out, her adulterie, and so teare her in peeces. Shall beasts, yea shall cruell beasts reuerence and stand in awe one of another, & shouldst not thou, ô my soule, reuerence and feare that great God thy Lord and Sauiour? and so being naturally inclined to all euill, yea, drinking in iniquitie like water, not attempt to appeare before that onelyonly Soueraigne Maiestie, without due, religious, and reuerent preparation, to the end that thou mayest be welcomed when thou comest with the prodigall child,Luk. 15. and hauehave the fatte calfe slaine for thee, yea giuen to thee, and thy garments changed to thy present ioy, and my endlesse saluation.