The Governance of Virtue, Part 2 · Section 7
Against suche as go about to disswade the christen people from the studying, readyng, or hearing of gods worde.
IF Sathan or any of his impes goe about to disswade thee, and to plucke thy minde from studying, readyng or hearyng gods woorde, that thou mayest walke in darkenes, and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth, least by this meanes thou shouldest be saued: leane not vntounto hym, but enarm thy selfe against his wicked tēptations with these scriptures followyng.
☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament.
THou shalte tell thy sonne at the sameExod. 13. dai, & say: because of that which the lord dyd for me, whē I departed out of Egipt. Therfore shall it bee a signe vntounto thee in thyne hand, and a token of remembrance before thine eyes, that the law of the lord may be in thy mouth, how that the Lord broughte thee out of Egipt with a mightye hande.
Speake to the children of Israell, and say vntounto them, that they make thē gardes vponupon the quarters of their garmentes amongst all your posterities, and put yellow r…handes vponupon the gardes in ye quarters. And the gardes shall serue you that ye may looke vppon them and remember all the commaundements of the lord, and do them, y• ye order not your selues after the meanyng yf your owne harte, nor go a whoryng after your owne eyes. Therefore shall ye remēber, & do all my cōmaun dements, and be holy vntounto your God.
Take heede to thy selfe now, and kepeDeut. 2 well thy soule, that thou forgette not the thynges which thine eyes hauehave seene, and that they depart not out of thy harte all the dayes of thy lyfe. And thou shalte teach them thy children, and thy childers children.
Heare O Israell, the Lorde our God isDeut. 6 one Lord onelyonly. And thou shalte louelove the Lord thy God with all thy harte, with al thy soule, & with all thy might. And these woordes which I commaunde thee thys day shalt thou take to harte, and shalt rehearse them vntounto thy children, and shalt talke of them, when thou sittest in thyne house, and whē thou walkest by the way, when thou lyest downe, and when thou rysest vp. And thou shalt binde them for a signe vponupon thine hand, and they shall bee a token of remembrance before thine eies, & thou shalt write them vponupon the postes of thine house, and vponupon the gates.
If ye harken vntounto my commaundemētsDeut. 1… which I commaund you this day, that ye louelove the Lorde your God, and serue hym with all your hart, & wyth all your soule, then will I geue rayne vntounto your lande in due season, earlye and late, that thou mayest gather in thy corne, thy wine, and thine oyle, and I wyll geue grasse vppon thy fielde for thy cattell, that ye maye eate and be fylled. But beware that your harte bee not deceyued, that ye goe aside, and serue other gods, and worship them, and then the wrathe of the Lorde waxe whote vppon you and he shutte vppe the heauen, that there come no rayne, and the earth geue not her encrease, and ye perish shortly from the good land which the lord hath geuen you.
Put vp therefore these my woordes in your hartes and in your soules, and binde them for a signe vponupon your handes, that they bee a token of remembraunce before your eyes, and teache them your childrē, so that thou talke of them when thou sittest in thine house, or walkest by the way, when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp, and write them vponupon the postes of thine house, and vponupon the gates, that thou and thy children may liue long in ye land which the Lord sware vntounto thy fathers to geue them as long as the dayes of heauen endure vponupon earth.
Let my doctrine encrease as rayne, andDeut. 32. my speach flow as doth the dew. Euen as the rayne vppon the grasse, and the drops vponupon the herbe.
Take to heart all the wordes which I testifie vntounto you this day that ye cōmaūd your children to obserue and do all these woordes of this lawe. For it is no vayne worde to you, but it is your lyfe, and this worde shall prolong your life.
Be strong and verye bolde, that thouIosua, 1. mayest keepe and doe eueryevery thing according to the lawe that Moses my seruaunt commaunded thee.
Turne not aside from it, neither to the right hand nor to the left, that thou maiest deale wisely whether soeuer thou goest And let not the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouthe, but exercise thy selfe therin day and nighte that thou mayest keepe and doe eueryevery thing according to it that is written therin.
Then shalt thou prosper in thy wayes and deale wisely. Lo I hauehave commaunded thee to be strong and bolde. Fear not and be not afrayde, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whersoeuer thou goest.
Blessed is the man that deliteth in thePsal. 1. law of the Lord, and exerciseth himself in his law both day and night.
Lay hand on the learning lest the LordPsal. 2. be angry, & so ye perish frō the right way.
The law of the Lord is pure, it turnethPsal. 18. soules. The witnesse of the Lord is faith full it geueth wisdom euen vntounto babes.
The statutes of the Lord are right they reioyce the hart, the commaundement of the Lord is bright, and lighteneth the eyes
The feare of the Lord is holy, it endureth for euer, the iudgements of the Lorde are true and righteous altogether, they are more pleasaunt and worthy, more to be desired then golde and precious stone, yea they be sweter then the hony and the hony combe.
The Lord shall tell in the ScripturesPsal. 85. of the people and of those Princes that were in her.
Blessed is the man whom thou hast nurPsalm. 113 tered, O lord, and taught him thy lawe.
He hath sent his word & healed them & Psal. 117.deliuered them from their destructions.
Blessed are thei ye search his testimoniesPsal. 117. & seeke after him with their whole harte.
Thou hast geuen strait charge that thy commaundements should be kept.
Oh that my wayes were stablished to kepe thy statutes, then should not I be cō founded while I hauehave respect vntounto all thy commaundements.
Where with all, shall a younge man clenfe his way? Uerely by ruling himselfe according to thy worde. With my whole hart hauehave I sought thee, oh let me not goe wrong out of thy commaundements.
Thy wordes hauehave I hid within my hart that I should not sinne against thee.
Thou rebukest ye proud, cursed are they that depart from thy commaundements.
In thy testimonies is my delite, yea thy statutes are my counsellers.
Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes, and I shall kepe it vntounto the ende.
Oh geue me vnderstanding and I shall kepe thy law, yea I shall kepe it with my whole harte.
Leade me in the path of thy commaundements, for that is my desire: Enclyne my hart vntounto thy testimonies, and not vn to couetousnes.
The law of thy mouthe is better vntounto me then thousandes of gold and siluer.
The wicked mē hauehave told me tales but nothing agreable to thy law. For all thy commaundements are true, yet hauehave the vngodly persecuted me.
If my delite wer not in thy law, I shuld perish in my trouble.
Oh how swete are thy wordes vntounto my throte, yea more then honye is vntounto my mouth. Thy worde is a lanterne vntounto my feete, and a light vntounto my pathe.
It is hie time for thee O Lord to laye to thyne hand. For they hauehave destroyed thy lawe. For I louelove thy commaundementes aboue golde and precious stone.
The preachinge of the worde geueth sighte, yea and bringeth forth vnderstanding euen vntounto the very babes.
Helthe is far from the vngodlye, for they regard not thy statutes.
But great is the peace that they hauehave which louelove thy lawe, and they are not offended at it.
My Sonne, if thou wilte receiue myProu. 2. wordes, and kepe my commaundementes by thee, that thine eare may harken vntounto wisedome, apply thine hart then to vnderunder standing. For if thou criest after wisdome and callest for knowledg: if thou sekest after her as after mony, & diggest for her as for treasure, then shalt thou vnderstande the fear of the lord, and find the knowlege of God.
For it is the Lorde that geeueth wisdome, out of his mouthe commeth knowledge and vnderstandinge. He preserueth the welfare of the righteous, and de…ēdeth them that walk innosētly, he kepeth thē in the right path, and preserueth the way of the saintes? Then shalt thou not vnderunder stand rightuousnesse, iudgement and equi tie, yea and eueryevery good path. If wisedome enter into thine harte, and thy soule delite in knowledge, then shall councel preserue thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee.
That thou maiest be deliuered frō the euill waye, and from the man that speaketh froward thinges, from such as leaue the high streat & walk in the way of darknes, which reioyce in doing euill, and delite in wicked thinges, whose wayes are crooked, and their pathes slaunderous. That thou maiest be delited also from the straunge woman, and frō her that is not thine owne, which geueth sweet wordes, forsaketh the husbande of her youth, and forgetteth the couenaunte of her God. For her house is enclined vntounto death, and her pathes vntounto Hell. All they that go in vntounto her come not againe, neither take they holde of the waye of life. That thou walk in the good way, and keepe y• pathes of the righteous. For the iust shall dwell in the lande, and the innocentes shall remaine in it, but the vngodly shall be rooted out of the lande, and the wicked doers shalbe taken out of it.
Blessed is the man that findeth wisedomePro. 3 and obtaineth vnderstanding, for ye getting of it is better then any m…rchandise of siluer, and the profit of it is better then gold. Wisdom is more worth then precious stones, and all the thinges that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vntounto her. Upon her ryght hand is long life, and vppon her lefte hande is ryches and honor. Her wayes are pleasaunt waies, and al her pathes ar peaceable. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold vponupon her, and blessed are thei that kepe her fast.
My son let not these thinges depart frō thine eies, but kepe my law and counsail so shall it be life vntounto thy soule and grace vntounto thy mouthe.
Then shalte thou walke safely in thy waye, and thy foote shall not stumble. If thou slepest, thou shalt not be afrayed, but shalt take thy rest and slepe swetely. Thou shalte not nede to be afrayed of any soden feare, neither for the violent rushing in of the vngodly whē it commeth.
For the lord shall be beside thee, and kepe thy fote that thou be not taken.
Let thine heart receiue my words, kepePro. 4 my commaundementes, and thou shalt… lyue.
Get the… wisdome, get thee vnderstandinge, forget not the wordes of my mouth, and shrink not from thē. Forsake her not, and shee shall preserue thee, louelove her, and she shal kepe thee. The chief point of wisedome is, that thou willingly to obtaine wisedome, and before all thy goods to get vnderstandinge. Make much of her and she shall promote thee, yea if thou embracest her, she shall bringe thee vntounto honour.
She shall make thee a gracious head & garnishe thee with the crowne of glory. Heare my son, & receiue my wordes, that the yeres of thy life may be manye: I will shew the way of wisdome and lead thee in the righte pathes. So that if thou goest therin, there shal no straitnes hinder thee: and when thou runnest thou shalt not fall. Take faste holde of doctrine, let her not go, kepe her, for she is thy life.
The commaundement is a lantern,Pro. 6. and the law is a light and the way of life.
Wher no knowlege of gods word is,Pro. 19 the soule is not wel,
Apply thy heart vntounto learning, andPro. 2… thine eare to the wordes of knowledge.
Hee that turneth away his eare fromPro. 28 hearing the lawe, his prayer shalbe abhorred.
When the preachinge of Gods worde… ▪ 29 faileth, then perisheth the people.
Euerye worde of GOD is pure andPro. 30 cleane, yea it is a shield to them that trust in it.
Uaine are all those men, in whom noSap. 13 knowledge of god is.
Neither hearbe nor emplasture hatheSap. 16. healed thē, but thy worde O Lord, which healeth all thinges.
The fountaine of wisedome is theEccle. 1 the word of god.
Be make and lowly to heare the wordEccle. 5 of god, that thou mayest vnderstand, and bring forth a wise and true answer.
HaueHave all thy pleasure in the commaunEccle. 7 dements of god, and in his lawes be thou most of al occupied, and he shall geue thee an hart, and a desire of wisdome shal be ge uen thee.
Be not slacke to beleue the worde ofEccle. 16 God.
Learnig is a precious iewel to a wisemā.Eccle. 21
Nothing is better then the feare of god, and nothing is sweter then to hauehave a respectEccle. 23 to the commaundements of the Lord
My people is led captiue because theyEsay. 5. hauehave no knowledge.
They hauehave caste away the lawe of the Lorde of hostes, and the worde of the holy one of Israell hauehave they blasphemed.
Therfore is the wrath of the lord who… agaynst his people, and he wyl stretche oute his hande, and destroye them.
Make hast vntounto the law and witnesse.Esay. 8. If they speake not according to this word they shall not hauehave the morning light.
All ye that are a thirst; come vntounto the waters, and ye that hauehave no mony, makeEsay. 55 haste, by and eat. Come I say, by without mony and without any …xchaunge, wyne and milke. Why lay ye out your monye for that that is not breade in deede, and spend your labor about that that shall neuer satisfye you? Heare me, heare I saye, and eate that which is good, that ye may be well liking. Geue eare and come vntounto me, heare me I say, and your soule shall liue.
As raine and snowe commeth downe …rom heauen and returneth not th…ther agayne, but watereth the earth and maketh it to bud, and bring forth the fruit, so that it geueth sede to the sower, & breade to the eater: so shall my word be that shal come out of my mouth.
It shall not returne vntounto me boyde, but shall do what soeuer I wil, and prosper in them, to whom I send it.
Let not the wise man reioyce in hisIere. 9 wysedome, nor the stronge man in hys strength, nor yet let the riche man glorye in his riches, but let him that reioyseth, reioyce in this thing that he know me, that I am ye Lord which doth mercy, iudgemēt and righteousnes in the earth.
Withdrawe not the woorde from theIere. 26 people, if peraduenture they heare & turne from their wicked way, so that it may repent me of the euil which I hauehave determi ned to do vntounto them for the maliciousnes of their councels.
Heare Israel the commaundementsBaruc. 3. of life, geue eare that thou maiest become wise. Howe chaunced it O Israell, that thou arte in the lande of thine enemies? Thou art worne out in a straunge lande, thou art defiled with the dead. Thou art… reputed with them that go down to Hell. Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisedome. For if thou haddest walked in the way of god, vndoubtedlye thou haddest dwelt in rest vponupon the earth: Learne therfore where wisedome is, and vnderstanding is, that thou maiest also know where continuance of life is, and all thinges necessary for to maintaine the same, agayne where the light of the eyes and peace is.Bar…c. …
This is the booke of the commaundementes, and the lawe whyche abideth for euer. All that keepe it, shall come vntounto life, but they that forsake it, shall come vntounto death.Amos. 8
Behold, the day is come, sayth y• Lord that I wyll caste an hunger vppon the earth, not the hunger of breade, nor the thirst of water, but of bearing the word of the Lord. And they shal go from sea to sea, and walke aboute from the South to the East, sekinge the worde of the Lorde, and yet shall they not finde it.
☞ Examples out of the … Testament.
GOd the Father wrote the law of theExod. 2 ten cōmaundements in tables of stone with his finger, and commaunded Moyses to declare them vntounto the people.
The people are commaunded of God,…eut. 4 not only to rede his holy law, but also diligently to exercise them selues in the me ditation therof so long as they liue, and to teach it their childrē, yea to talk of it, both in their house, and when they go abroad, and to write it vponupon t…e thresholds, dores and postes of their houses, that it may bee …er in their sight. For man shall not liue with breade alone, but with eueryevery worde that procedeth from the mouth of God.
A kinge is commaunded to reade the…eut. 17 boke of the law of the Lorde all the dayes of his life, that he may feare the Lorde his God.
Iosua was commaunded that the boke…sua. 1 of the Lordes law should not depart from his mouth, but that he shoulde study in it day and night, that he might kepe and do all thinges that are written in that boke.
King Saul was cast down from his roy…g. 15 all estate, because he was negligente and disobedient to the law of God.
When Dauid lay on his deathe bed,Pa. 29 he saide to Sallomon: thou shalt prosper and come to great renoume, if thou kepest the commaundementes and ordinaunces, which the Lord commaunded Moses.
Ioas, when he was crowned in y• temple,2. Par. 23. had the law of the Lord deliuered vntounto his handes, that he shoulde keepe and maintaine the same.
Iosaphat that walked in the commaundementes2. Par. 27 of the Lord & loued Gods word so entierly, that he sent hys princes, Leuites, and priestes to teach in all partes of Iuda, which had the booke of the Lordes law with them, and went about in all the cities of Iuda, and taught the people.
Ezechias diligently walked in the law2. Par. 29. of the Lord, purged his realme of all idolatry, set vp againe the true worshipping of God, & exhorted all his subiectes to followe the lawe of their Lord God.
Iossas that most godly king which walked2. Par. 34. so purely in the waies of the lord, that he declined neither on the ryght hand nor on the left, when the boke of the law was deliuered vntounto him, did not only cause the booke to be red before hym, but he himself also red it before all his people, both small and great, and (all idolatry destroyed) restored the true religion to hys kingdome.
Esdras red the law of the Lord plainly…. Esd. 8. and distinctly to the people, & they gaue very earnest and diligent attendaunce to the bearing of it.
Susan from her infanci…, was so diligentlyeDan. 13 brought vp of her parentes in the lawe of God, that she did not onelyonly feare god, but also chused rather to be stoned vn to death, then she would once transgresse the law of god by committing adultery.
Sentences out of the newe Testament.
Man shall not liue with breade alone,Math. 4 but with eueryevery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God.
Uerely, verely, I say vntounto you, this ageMath. 24. shal not passe, till all these things be done. Heauen and earth shall passe awaye, but my wordes shall not passe away.
Blessed are they that heare the wordLuke. 11. of god and kepe it.
Blessed is he that eateth bread in theLuke. 13. kingdome of God.
They hauehave Moyses and the Prophets,Luc. 16. let them heare them. If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets, neither will they beleue though one shoulde rise from the dead.
Thys is condemnation, that lyghte isIohn. … ▪ come into the world, and that men loued darkenes more then lyght, because theyr workes were euill. For eueryevery man that doth euill, hateth the lyght, neyther commeth he to y• light, least his workes should be reproued, but he that doth truth, commeth to light that his deedes myghte bee known how they are wrought in god.
Search the scriptures for ye thinke toIohn. 5. hauehave eternall lyfe in them, and these are they which testifie of me, neyther will ye come vntounto me that ye may hauehave life.
The wordes that I speake to you, areIohn. 6. spirite and life. Lord to whom shal we go? Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting lyfe.
He that is of god heareth the wordes ofIohn. 8. god. But ye heare not bicause ye are not of god. If a man kepeth my worde, he shal neuer see death.
My sheepe heare my voyce, and I knowIohn. 10. them, and thei folow me, and I geue them euerlasting lyfe.
Walke while ye hauehave light, least darknes ouerwhelme you. He that walketh inIohn. 12. darknes, knoweth not whether he goeth. While ye hauehave light beleue in the lyghte: that ye may be the children of lyght.
He that hath my preceptes and keepethIoh. 14. them, he it is that loueth me. If any man loueth me, he will kepe my word, and my father will louelove him, and we shall come to him, and dwell with hym.
This is euerlasting life, euen to knoweIoh. 17. thee the alone true God, and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ.
EueryEvery one that is of the truth, hearethIohn. 18. my voyce.
The gospell of Christ is the power ofRom. 1. god vntounto saluation, for so many as beleue.
Except the Lorde of bostes had left vntountoRom. 9. vsus sede, that is, hys most blessed word, we had bene as Sodom, and might well hauehave bene likened to Gomorra.
Faith commeth by hearing, and hearingRom. 10 by the word of God.
Whatsoeuer thyngs are written aforeRom. 15. time, are writtē for our learning, that we thorowe pacience & comfort of the Scriptures might hauehave hope.
The word of the crosse, is to them that…. Cor. 1 perishe, folishnesse, but to vsus▪ that obtaine saluation, it is the power of God.
If the gospell of Christ be yet byd, it is…. Cor. 4. byd among them that are loste, in whom y• god of this world hath blinded y• minds of them which beleue not, least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should not shyne vntounto thē. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wysedome. Teach and monish one an other.
Quench not the spirite. Despise not the studies and preachinges of the holy Scripture. Proue all thinges, and that is good, holde faste.
God will all men to be saued, and come vntounto the knowledge of the truth.1. Tim. … ▪
Geue thy minde to reading, exhortation, and doctrine, continue in these things.1. Tim. 4
Continue in reading the holy scripture, which is able to make thee wyse vntounto saluatiō,2. Tim. 3 thorow the fayth which is in Christ Iesus: For all Scripture geuē by inspiration of God, is profitable to teache, to improue, to amend, and to instructe in ryghteousnes, that the man of god may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes.
The word of God is liuishe and mightie in operation, and sharper then any two edged sworde.
Lay a part all filthinesse, all superfluitieHeb. 4. of maliciousnesse, and receaue with meke…es, y• word that is grafted in you, which is able to saue your soules. And see ye be doers of the word, and not hearers onelyonly, disceauinge your selues. For if any heare the worde and doe it not, he is like to a man that beholdeth hys bodely face in a glasse: For as sone as he hath looked on hym selfe hee goeth hys waye, and forgetteth forthwyth what his fashion was. But who so looketh in the perfecte lawe of libertye, and continueth therin (if he bee not a forgetfull hearer, but a doer of the worke) the same shall be happy in hys dede.
Lay a side all malice, & guile, and dissimulation…. Pet. 2. and enuy, and al backbityng, and as new borne babes desire that milke not of the bodye, but of the minde, which is without corruption, that ye may grow therin.
We hauehave a ryght sure word of prophecie:…. Pet. 1. wherunto if ye take heede as vntounto a light that shineth in a darke place, ye doe well vntill the daye dawne, and the daye starre aryse in our hartes. So that ye firste knowe thys, that no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation. For the scripture came neuer by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost.
Whosoeuer transgresseth and abydeth2. Iohn. 1. not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not god. He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ, hath both the father and the sonne.
If there come any to you, and bring not thys learning, him receaue not to house, neither once bid him god spede, for he that biddeth him God spede, is partaker of hys euill deedes.
Blessed is he that readeth and hearethApoc. 1. the wordes of the prophecte, and keepeth these thinges that are written therin.
Blessed is he that kepeth the words ofApoc. 22. the prophecie of this booke.
☞ Examples out of the new Testament.
THe people preased so greatlye vpponLuk. 6. Christ to heare the word of God, that he was compelled to enter into a ship, and so to teach them.
Mary the sister of Martha, sat at IesusLuk. 10. feete and hearde hys preaching. And when Martha being greatlye combred aboute muche seruing and other worldlye busines, sayd to Christ: Maister, doest thou not care that my sister hath leste me to minister alone. Byd her therefore that she helpe me. He said: Martha, Martha, thou carest and arte troubled, aboute many thinges, but one thing is needefull. Mary hath chosē her that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Whan Christ preached in the temple,Luk. 19. all the people did hange of his mouth, hearing hym.
Peter turned three thousande at one ofAct. 2. hys sermons.
The Eunuch chamberlain, and of greatAct. 7. authoritie with Candace, Queene of the Ethiopians, read the Prophet Esaye, sitting in his charet, to whom the holy ghost sent Philip, which did both expounde the Scriptures vntounto him, & also baptised him. So dere are they to God which delight in the reading of his holy word.
The noblest of byrth amonge them of… Acts. 17. Thessalonia, which receaued the worde with all diligence of mindes, searched the Scriptures dayly, whether those thinges were euen so as Paule & Silas preached.
Apollos was an eloquent man & mightieAct. 18. in the scriptures, He was informed in the way of the lord, and he spake feruently in the spirite, and taught diligently the thinges of the Lord, and yet knewe he but the baptisme and doctrine of Iohn onelyonly, whom whē Aquila and Priscilla his wife being lay persons, had herd, they toke him vntounto them, & expounded vntounto him the way of God more perfectlye, in somuch that afterward he mightely ouercame the Iewes and that openly, shewing by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ.
Philip the Euaungelist and preacher of the gospell, had foure daughters excellentlyAct. 21. learned in the holy scriptures.
Timothe was brought vp in the holy2. Tim. 3 scriptures from his young age.