An ABC for Laymen, Section 231 – Section 245
Rodde.
SO oft as the childe seeth the rodde, he is to cal to minde these lessons following. First, that it is fit for the back of him that wanteth wisdome,Prou. 10.13. and that therefore correction is necessarye for him,Prou. 5.11.12 …3. that is to be enstructed and taught. For correction, and instruction, is the very way and path to life.6. vers. 23. Wherefore they must thinke, that if Father or Master spare his rodde, that he loueth not his Childe: but that then, hee loueth him when he beginneth to chasten him betimes.Prou. 13.24. For naturally, folly is bound to the heart of eueryevery childe, But the rod of correction doth driue it or scowre it away:Prou 22.15 Therefore parents should not with-hold correction from their children. For as the commō prouerb is, birtch breaketh no bones, neither moderate correction bringeth daunger or death,Prou. 23.13. but oftentimes it bridleth and keepeth backe him that otherwise woulde runne headlong into hell, and so is a meane to saue his soule. For it bringeth him to a wise consideration of duetye,Prou. 26.15. where otherwise if hee bee left at libertye, hee oftentimes bringeth his Parentes to shame. When straungers and Aliens preuaile against the people of God,Esay. 10.24 then are wee to comfort our selues, that they are but God his roddes, and that therefore God will not alwayes for that purpose vse them, but that in short time they shall bee broken,Esay. 14.5 worne to the stumpes and throwne away. When we see schollers, very fearful of their schoole-master, comming towards them, with a rod in his hand: then are wee to remember & to take heed that we so behaue our selues towards them that are ouer vsus in the Lorde, that they rather vse vsus to the sweete and spirituall comforts of Gods promises,1. Cor. 4.21 then the terrible seuerity of Dicsipline.
Rushes.
AS Rushes and other greene thinges, that commonly grow in watery places, If in whot weather they want moysture,Iob. 8.11.12.13. doe quickly consume, wither, & come to naught: so the waies of the wicked, and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish.
Ritches.
AS the glutton that ouerchargeth his stomack with meat,Iob. 20.15. is compelled to spue and cast it vp againe: so the greedy Cormorant that gathereth great riches, and deuoureth and swalloweth vp great substaunce,Psalm. 37.16 shall loose it againe, for God shall euen draw it out of his belly: so that the smallest blessing of worldlye wealth, which God giueth to the iust man, is much better to him,Psalm. 39.6. then greate riches and wealth, which the wicked and vngodly doe possesse. For experience teacheth how vainly men disquiet themselues in heaping vp ritches,Prou. 3.9.10. which they knowe not who shall possesse: wherefore hee, which with ritches will hauehave the fauour, and blessing of God, must be liberall and franke to all such vses, as tend to the seruice, honour, and glory of God. For, if we procure his anger,Prou. 11.4. indignation & wrath against vsus, our riches and treasure shall nothing auail, profite nor helpe vsus.Prou. 2 2.1. Therefore a good name is aboue riches, and fauour aboue siluer and gold. It is therefore a very vanity to trauaile too muche for riches:23. vers. 4. when a man thinketh he hath them most sure, then sodainlye they slippe and flye away.
Hee that looueth siluer shall not bee satisfied with siluer,Eccles. 5 9. and he that loueth riches shal be with out the fruite thereof. When wee see a rich man sodainly die,Luke. 12.20.21. and those to possesse his wealth, whome hee neuer gathered it for: Then are wee to remember what a vauitye it is for a man to disquiet him selfe in heaping vp of wealth,Collos. 1.27 and howe muche better it is for a man to bee rich in God, or to make Christe his riches and wealth, for whose sake eueryevery Christian oughte with ioy to suffer the spoyle of his goods,Heb. 10.34. knowing that in heauen hee hath an enduring substance, and that the worldly rich man together with his wealth, shall vanish as the flower of the grasse.Iames. 1.10 Wherefore, wee shoulde not followe the fashions of this world, in accepting and regarding of men, onelyonly for their riches and wealth, which commonly they heap together by tyrannous oppression, and by persecuting the saintes of God,Iames. 2.2.3.4.5.6 ioyned together with the blasphemy of his most holy name. They that desire to be rich fal into many temptations and snares,1. Tim. 1.9. and many foolish and noysom lusts. And the desire of monye is the roote of all euil.1. Tim. 6.17. Wherfore rich men are to be warned, that they be not prowd, nor trust in vncertaine riches, but in God, who aboundantly giueth to euerye one.
Roller.
WHen wee see Husbandmen vse rollers to breake great and hard clodds and to make them fall to power,Esay. 41.15. then are we to call to minde the power of God and his Christe, to breake down the might and force of his enimies, though as high and mighty as the highest and greatest mountaines.
Rainbowe.
WHensoeuer we see the Rainbowe, we are to call to minde Gods iudgementes against the worlde in the dayes of Noe for their wickednes,Genes. 9.12.13.14.15.16. and also ye kindenesse of God, who in mercy hath promised vsus that hee will neuer aagaine destroy the whole worlde with Water, and hath giuen vsus the Rainbowe in the clowdes as a pledge, and seale thereof, for our better assuraunce.
Shadow.
AS now the sunne is shadowed with clowds and by and by shineth foorth bright: so subiect to chaunge is the life of man.Iob. 8.9 And as the seruaunt working abroade in the whot Sunne longeth for,Iob. 7.2. and is glad of the coole shade: so men in affliction and misery are glad of a little ease.
Sacrifice.
THe persons of Infidelles and impenitent wicked men God abhorreth, and therefore the Sacrifice of such is abhominable.Prou. 21.27. But God fauourably accepteth the Sacrifice of the faithfull.Heb. 11.4. And these are the Sacrifices left now vntounto the Church of God: 1. Contrite Spirites, broken heartes,Psalm. 51.17. such as tremble at his Worde, 2 Our reasonable seruing of God,Rom. 12.1. that is our seruing him according to the prescription of his will. 3 Martirdome for the testimony of his trueth.Phil. 2.17 4 The fruite of our Lippes, that is, Praise and thankesgiuing vntounto his moste holye and blessed name:Heb. 13.15. verse. 16. 5 Benefiting our brethren, and distributing that which God hath blessed vsus withall to the needy, For with such sacrifices God is pleased,1. Pet. 2.5 and for that cause hee hath made vsus priestes that wee shoulde offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ.
Salte.
AS often as we see Salt stones, wee are to remember the strange punishment, wherewith God punished Lots wife for disobedience,Gen. 19.26. and to feare the like or greater.Mark. 6.49 50 Salt also aswell because it is sauour it selfe, as because it seasoneth all other thinges, expresseth vntounto vsus the duety of good ministers, aswell in life as doctrine.
Sand.
IF the sandes of the sea be innumerable, so that it is impossible for man to take in hand to number them: Then how great is the summe of Gods cogitations,Psalm. 139.17.18. and how farre beyonde the reach of man. And though the people of God be somtimes for their chastisement giuen ouer to the enemye, who thinketh vtterly to extinguishe them,Ierem. 33.22 and to root them out, yet God will againe multiply, and encrease the number of them, that they shal be as innumerable as the sand of the sea.
Sauour.
2. Cor. 2.15 16.THe sent and Sauour of the Minister of the Worde, is very delectable and pleasaunt to those, whom God hath appoynted to be saued: but vntounto the other who perishe he is an odious, loathsome and deadly sauour.
Sea.
Psalm. 117.23.24.25.26.THe meruailous stormes that Marriners and passengers abyde oftentimes at Sea, shewe foorth the mighty and wonderfull works of god. The calme that often sodenly followeth, and the bringing of men into their desired harborrow:26.28.30. Esay. 33.2.16 setteth out the louelove and kindnesse of God to such as call vponupon him. For God for his people doth make awaye in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters. As the sea when it rageth, the waters thereof cast vp durt and mier:Esay. 57.20 so the wicked in their outragiousnes, shew abroad their filth. But God ruleth the raging of the sea, and stilleth the waues thereof. Whereby wee vnderstande his great power and might,Psalm. 89.9 and that there is none in ability like him.
Sedition.
FEare the Lord and the king, and meddle not with them that are seditious,Prou. 24.21 22. for theire destruction shall rise sodainly, and who knoweth the ruine of them.
Sepulchres.
SEpulchres and Tombs which are costly builte and richly adorned,Math. 23.27.28. and hauehave nothing within them, but a stinking Carkas and rotten boanes, doe aptly represent the notable goodly outward shewes, which hipocrites make, their hearts being full of all wickednesse and corruption.
Seedes.
AS the seed once sowed, wheresoeuer it pleaseth God to grant his blessing vntounto it, whither the sower sleepe or wake, or whatsoeuer hee doeth,Marke. 4.20. and howsoeuer hee is occupied, groweth & encreaseth, till it come to maturity and ripenes: so ye worde by the minister of God being scattered, wher God worketh withal by his holy spirit, there it bringeth a greate, meruailous, & an vnlooked for encrease.Rom. 9.29. As a number of things shold yeerely decay, & come to naught, except seedes of them were saued, whereof they are by sowing renued: so the people that beare Gods name vppon earth, shoulde in the day of visitation of their sinnes be cleane and vtterly destroied as Sodom and Gomorah,Rom. 9.29. but that God spareth some remnant to be as it were a seed, for the encreasing of his Church, and people againe. Seedes yt are sowed, except they corrupt grow not again: so our bodies except they cōsume rise not again. And as the same seede in substance, that is sown springeth again, yet altered in forme and fashion: euen so our bodies shall rise againe the same in substance but meruellously altered in qualities: so our bodies,1. Cor. 15.37 38. except they consume, rise not againe, yet altered in form & fashion, euen so our bodies shall rise again the same in substance, but meruellously altered in quality.
Such as the seede is, such is the life of ye which proceedeth from it. As therfore of mortall & corrupt seed,1. Pet. 1. men are first borne to this mortall and corruptible life: so must wee of the immortall & incorruptible seede of the word, be borne againe to a life immortall and incorruptible,ver. 23.24 25 if we will liue euer.
Serpent.
THe sight of a serpent shoulde bring to minde the subtilty & malice of the diuell, whereby he deceiued and seduced oure first father Adam, and induced him to transgression,Genes. 3.1. and disobedience, and also it should make vsus the more heedful and carefull to espy his crafts, & to withstand his malice, seeing that we are eazlier nowe to bee ouerthrowne, by reason of our corruption, then Adam was afore his fall: We also that are ministers shoulde also thereby learne to be wise,Math. 10.16. considering the manifolde daungers, which are incident to our calling.