Ten Sermons Upon Matthew 6:1-4, Sermon 3
THE III. SERMON.
WE hauehave heard what it is that Christians must take heede of in doing of good deedes, and the manner how to take heed thereof. Now we are further to consider of the reasons which our Sauiour giueth, hereby to make men the more fearefull of that which he warneth them of, and more carefull to follow his counsell. And his reasons containe two propositions, the one is negatiue, the other is affirmatiue. The first is these words: For else you shall hauehave no reward of your heauenly father. The other is in these words, Verily I say vntounto you, they (that is hypocrites) hauehave their reward. The first reason is very soueraigne and auaileable against the inward euill, namely all inward desire and affection of popular praise, and vaineglorie: and the other is as forcible to disswade from the outward euill, that is, ostentation and shew of vaineglorie. The former telleth vsus what we loose if we take not heed, and keepe not good watch ouer our hearts, against vaineglorious affections, and that is Gods reward: Our fathers blessing a heauenly reward, and in the second reason we are told what we shall get in stead thereof, namely the reward of hypocrites, and no more: and that is the praise of men, the wind of mens mouthes, the good opinion of mutable minds, then the which there is nothing more vaine, nor transitorie, nor friuolous, nor ridiculous: a miserable reward, indeede a punishment, and a torment to a godly mind.
Now we see, that by this bargaine, a man if he take not heede, may be a great looser, and by taking heed he may be a great gainer. Againe, we see that the vaineglorious Christian, that is to say: a plaine hypocrite, is a gainer by his hipocrisie; but his gaine is nothing to that which he expecteth, and nothing comparable to his losse. These reasons are vsed by our Sauiour Christ in most high wisedome, as proceeding from one that best knoweth eueryevery mans disease, and eueryevery ones humour, and eueryevery ones delight, and accordingly he fitteth both his medicines, and his motiues. Now seeing as all men are much moued with hope of rewards, especially when for a small matter they are in hope to obtaine a great and a good reward, what could our Sauiour Christ propound of greater force to moue men to embrace sinceritie in all their actions, then Gods reward, which is the greatest and the best? And because hypocrisie is of that bewitching nature, and besotting humour, that it maketh her suters & attendants beleeue, that they shal be both honored here amōgst men, and glorified hereafter amongst Angels in heauen: and so by feeding them with a vaine hope of a double reward for their double dealing, our Sauiour Christ here doth notably coole their courage, by abating no lesse of their wages, then heauen commeth to: assuring them, that whatsoeuer they dreame of, it wil proue but a dreame. And least any man should thinke that it is otherwise, and God will be better to them then so, (as all hypocrites do) our Sauiour Christ bindeth vp the matter with an earnest asseueration, or constant affirming the matter, and saith not, I feare me they hauehave their reward: I doubt they will loose their reward in heauen: I cannot tell, but I stand in great doubt of the matter: for then yet there were some little hope left, like a bone for the hypocritie to picke vponupon: but the goeth more directly to the point then so: saying, verily, and out of all question, build vponupon it, know for a certaine what to trust vntounto, if you take not heede of hypocrisie, you hauehave your reward here, there is nothing to be looked for hereafter at Gods hand, but the hypocrites portion, and that is hell fire with the diuell and his Angels for euer: for when men hauehave rewarded them, God will punish them. And thus you see the force of Christs reasons, and the drift of his words, wherein we hauehave two excellent points offered vsus to consider of. First, the reward of sinceritie: secondly, the reward of hypocrisie.
The reward of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart verily is great: for the Psalmist saith,Psal. 19.11 that in keeping of the commandements of God there is great reward. Sinceritie is commaunded in the first commaundement of the first Table: and more largely in other places of Scripture, which bid vsus to serue God with all our hearts,Deut. 6.5. Psal. 103. and with all our soules, and to praise him with all that is within vsus. And therefore out of all doubt there is a great reward laid vp for those that are sincere harted Christians, and vpright professors of the Gospell of Christ.1. King. 3.6. Thou hast shewed great mercy to Dauid, saith King Salomon, when he walked before thee in truth and vprightnesse of heart: to shew, that great mercies belong to vpright harted men. But what it is, or how great it is, or how good it is, few yet do know, fewer beleeue it, and fewest of all do so feele it, as to be moued therewith.
We know what we hauehave here, say some, we know not what we shall hauehave hereafter. Now, ignoti nulla cupido, of a thing vnknowne there is no desire: Therefore that men may desire it, it is fit they should know it. Others there be that (hauing heard of it) are desirous to see it, as Philip sayd to Christ,Iob. 14. Shew vsus thy father, and it suffiseth: so say they, Shew vsus the reward of sinceritie, and it suffiseth. Dreaming as the Disciples of Christ did awhile, of some earthly and temporall preferment. But as Christ sayd to Philip, He that hath seene me, hath seene my father: because the Sonne was in the Father, and the Father in the Sonne: so we say to them, he that hath seene sinceritie, hath seene the reward of sincerity, because sincerity of it selfe is the gift of God, and Gods reward goeth with his owne gift, according to the saying of a learned father: Sua munera coronat Deus in nobis: God doth crowne his owne gifts in vsus. Other some there be which hauehave seene the reward of sincerity a good part of it, that is, hauehave knowne it, and beleeued such a thing, but hauehave bin no more moued therewith, to preserue themselues against the poison of vaineglorie, then they of the old world were moued with the report and sight of Noahs Arke, to prepare for them selues against the floud. Others there be that hauehave both seene it by faith, and tasted of it too, but afterward hauehave lothed the same, and lusted after vaineglorie: as the vnthankfull Israelites lothed Manna, which did nourish them when all other foode failed: and sell to lusting for the flesh pots of Egypt. It fareth with those that hauehave left their sinceritie, as it did with those that left Christ after they had heard him awhile. When they heard Christ speake of eating his flesh:Ioh. 6.60. they said, this is a hard saying, who can beare it? and so came no more. So the other hearing that sincerities men shall hauehave Gods reward, they like that well inough: but when we tell them, nay when Gods word telleth them, that they shall loose the worlds reward, and in stead of commendations, shall be condemned, and hated, and scorned: they say, this is a hard saying, and so giuegive ouer their sincere courses. But what saith our Sauiour Christ to the woman of Samaria? Iob. 4.10.If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith vntounto thee, giuegive me drinke, thou wouldst hauehave asked of him, and he wold hauehave giuen thee water, yea water of life. So it may be said to those that make a iest of sinceritie, or preferre the glorie of the world before the reward of sinceritie: If they knew the gift of God, the excellent reward of sinceritie, and who it is that saith, Take heede of vaineglorie: and who it is that will reward the embracers of sinceritie, they would seeke to him for credite, and aske glorie of him, and he would giuegive them an euerlasting reward, euen a crowne of glorie which neuer should end. As when Dauid asked life,Psal. 21.4. 1. Kin. 3.13. the Lord gaue him a long life: and as when Salomon asked wisedome before riches, the Lord gaue him both wisedome and riches too.
But now all the enquiring will be, what this same gift of God should be, and what reward they shall hauehave that giuegive entertainment to sincerity. Verily, as the Church saith of Christ her beloued: My beloued is white and ruddie, Cant. 5.10.the chiefest of ten thousands: so may the louers of sinceritie say, our beloued is white and ruddie: that is, she is like the kings daughter, all glorious within, she is the chiefest often thousand, she hath many faire sisters, but she passeth them all: her sisters be patience, and humility, and meeknesse, and zeale, and courage, and long suffering, and contempt of the world, and louelove of God, with faith, hope and charitie: and all these are glorious and beautifull vertues, yea sweet children of the holy Ghost, when th…y come from God: but sinceritie and singlenesse of heart doth excell them all. The Sunne doth giuegive light to all the starres, and the Queene doth grace her Ladies of Honour with her presence: So sinceritie or truth of heart doth beautifie and grace all other vertues: for without that they are but naked and counterfeit. She goeth before them, and speaketh for them all, like a foreman of a Iurie, when all the rest (though they be her faire sisters) must hold their peace. Faith is seeble and weake, and louelove her handmaid is lazie, and careth for none but her selfe: patience hath a scarre on her face giuen her by intemperancie: deuotions is so frozen with cold, that she can scarce go: humilitie is so tired with wrestling against pride, that she looketh very leane and bare: and as for repentance that is so trampled vponupon with custome of sinne, that it is scarce to be discerned from hardnesse of heart. Now all these go from vsus that hauehave abused them, into the Lords presence, as Thamar did from her brother Amnon, 2. Sa. 13.18, 19.when he had enforced her: with their garments of diuerse colours rent and torne: with ashes vponupon her head in token of sorrow: and with great weeping, griefe and shame. For that they must come before their Lord and King their father so defaced, so ragged, so basely and so beastly as they are, as if they had lien all their life time, since they went from heauen, in some stinking ditches with vermine, or in vile stables amongst beastes, or in the woods and fieldes of wandring cogitations, amongst the euish conceipts of vaineglorie, and vnwholesome affections of anger, and wrath, and couetuousnesse, and vncleannesse: for so they hauehave indeed. But when they meet with ther sister sinceritie, and vprightnesse of heart, oh how glad and ioyfull are they: for her sake they know they shall all fare the better. Oh sinceritie, sinceritie, where hast thou bene all this while, say they? vntill thou camest, we could hauehave no grace, nor fauour, no entrance into the Court gate of our heauenly Ierusalem, no our owne father would not know vsus, but tooke vsus for counterfeits, vntill we fetched thee: as Ioseph tooke his brethren for spies, vntill they fetched Beniamin whome he loued better then they. And now that we hauehave met with thee we are glad, our hearts are comforted: thou shalt be heard for vsus all, being altogether in Christ Iesus our Mediator. But otherwise, though we said we are Christians, and hauehave professed Christianitie, and offered to put in for our suretie no worse baile then the Kings owne naturall sonne Iesus Christ, all would not serue, we could not be heard, vntill we brought sinceritie with vsus. For she, as respecteth God more then all the world, and setteth more by his louelove and anger, then by the louelove and anger of all the world: so in Christ Iesus she is more respected, and honoured, and rewarded of God then all the world beside. Oh happie man and woman, that professing Christianitie or faith in Christ, or repentance for sinne, or patience in affliction, or contempt of the world, or zeale to Gods glorie, or deuotion in Gods worship, or liberalitie to the Saints, or merciemercy to the miserable, can in all these hauehave the company of sinceritie, and vprightnesse of heart: then may they say thus: nay our suretie the Lord Iesus wil pleade for vsus in this manner: Father, despise not these little ones; they are my friends: and though their faith and repentance be weake and imperfect, and other graces of thy Spirit be but small and feeble: and for want of nourshing and good looking vntounto, be not so well growne, nor so well ordered as they should hauehave bene: yet forasmuch, as they come before thee, and hauehave called vponupon my name in sinceritie and truth, which thou louest, without counterfeiting, dissembling, and hypocrisie, which thou abhorrest, thou wilt not despise them. Their fruit though they be but little in quantitie, like a graine of musterd seed, yet it is right fruite of the Spirit, true faith, though little faith, true louelove though litle and small louelove: not like the fruites of hypocrites, which are like the apples of Sodome, faire in shew, and ashes in substance.
What hath soundly comforted all the Saines of God here on earth, but the testimonie of an vpright heart? And is not sound comfort a good reward? What hath encouraged and emboldned them to come before God in prayer, but the testimoniall of a sincere heart, and holy affection? And is not boldnesse in Gods presence a good reward? What hath made the prayers of the faithfull auaileable with God for other, but the sinceritie and vpright affection of them that hauehave craued their prayers? and are not these sweet odours, that is, the prayers of the Saints a good reward? What made Iacob to be honoured with the new name of Israel, that is, preuailing with God for a blessing: but that his wrestling was not in shew, but in good earnest, in sinceritie and truth of heart, with a constant purpose of perseuering, till he had gotten that which he stroue for? And is not preuailing with God a good reward? All the daies of the afflicted are euill (saith Salomon) that is, troublesome, grieuous, and bitter to flesh and bloud,Pro. 15.15. but a good conscience is a continuall feast: that is, he that hath an vpright heart, and sincere affection before God, feeleth no want. Now such a feast, as it is continuall, so is it prouided by God himselfe, serued in with the Spirit of God, where the Angels do waite, and reioyce: and the worst dishes are the assurance of Gods louelove, forgiuenesse of sinnes, peace of conscience, and ioy of the holy Ghost. There all the communication is secret and heauenly between Christ and the soule: the Musitians are the faithfull, and their musicke is praising of God, and their harmonie is the communion of Saints, and all are of one heart and mind: and is not such a feast a good reward? Nay more then this, if this be not inough, whosoeuer will earnestly hegge this gift of God by prayer, and louingly embrace and keepe her as his deare spouse, shall hauehave with her a large dowrie, a great reward in heauen, in heauen saith Christ. For such gifts come not without crauing, and of our selues we cannot hauehave it: for if a good wife be the gift of God; much more is a good heart, which God in creating doth giuegive, & in giuing doth create:Psal. 51. therfore Dauid saith: Create in me ô Lord a cleane heart: to shew that we can no more make the hart sincere, then we can create a hart. But whē such a hart is created by God, he giueth thee a singular gift: & a great portion belongeth vntounto it. Part of it shall be payd thee in this life, but the greatest part in the life to come. In this life thou shalt be loued of Christs friends, and moned of good men when thou art wronged: & the more thou dost seek to honor God, the more he will honor thee, as he told Samuel. The more thou fliest the vainglorie of the world for sinceritie sake, the more wil true glorie follow thee, according to the Prouerb: Honos fugientem sequitur, sequentem fugit: It followeth those that flye from her, like friends which enforce gifts and other curtesies vponupon modest persons which refuse them, but flyeth them that follow her, as men do impudent beggers. But besides al this, when death comes, thy deare friend sincerity shall more comfort thee then all the Phisitions in the world. And after death thy name shall liue, and walke vp & downe in the world, to warne some, to comfort some, to admonish some, and to shame some, and to condemne many. But yet here is not all, for then shalt thou first receiue commendation of God, whom thou hast serued, and secondly enter into full and euerlasting possession of thy maisters ioy, which is no lesse then a weightie crowne of glorie immortall, then a kingdome, and inheritance of eternall blessednesse with the Saints and Angels, and God himselfe: where all teares shall be wiped from thy eyes, and thou shalt reioyce for euermore. Where thou shalt enioy for euer and euer, such things as no eye hath seene, no eare hath heard, nor heart to man can conceiue: and nothing shall euer obscure or eclipse the same, nor crosse, nor diminish the same.
And what is all this, or whatsoeuer else can be sayd of it, but scarce a shadow of sincerities reward? Alas, a drop taken out of the sea, and a moate out of the mountaines: like the hem of Christs garment, which did comfort the woman that touched it: but she found more comfort in him, then in the hem. So the description of sincerity is delightsome, & the picture is pleasing: but whosoeuer hath sincerity it selfe, shall find at his left hand the fulnesse of ioy, and at his right hand pleasure for euermore.
Whosoeuer after this Sermon, shall find so much fauour with God, as to meete with sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart in all his actions, and such an affection that preferreth Gods glorie before his owne, and seeketh praise of God and not of man: shall say as the Queene of the South sayd when she came to King Salomon: 1. King. 10.That which I heard of thee I did hardly beleeue it, but now I perceiue that the report which went of thee, is nothing answerable to that which thou art indeed. And though no man deserueth such a reward at Gods hand, no nor any reward at all, but shame and confusion, which is our due desert; yet both for his promise sake, as also for his honour sake he will so reward his children. If mortall men will keepe their promise one towards another, as all that hauehave but common ciuility and honestie will, them much more will Almightie God, who is all truth and righteousnesse it selfe, and can no more breake his promise, then he can denie himselfe, or cease to be God. The Prince promiseth to pardon a traytour, and he keepeth promise with him: this is of the Princes goodnesse, and not of the traytors desert. We are all traytors to God: he hath promised vppon our true repentance to pardon vsus: it is of his goodnesse to make vsus such a promise, and not of our desert: childish therfore are the Papists, who whensoeuer they reade of a reward comming from God, do straite way dreame of some desert or merite to proceede from man and fetch the same.
Againe, in that it pleaseth God so liberally and aboundantly to reward the poore trauels, and endeuours of his children, and so gloriously to crowne his owne gifts in them, when notwithstanding they are so stained and abused as they are, let no man maruell thercat: for that is done according to the worthinesse of his Maiesty, and the greatnesse of his owne honour, and not according to the basenesse of our persons. This did Alexander the great consider, when a poore souldier came vntounto him to begge a reward for his seruice that he had done: What wouldest thou hauehave quoth he? A hundreth crownes quoth the souldier. Well quoth the King, though that be too much for thee to aske, and more then thou deseruest, yet is too little for me to giuegive that am thy Emperour: so we according to the basenesse of our mindes and cogitations would begge of God, worldly preferment and credit in the world, gold and siluer, house and land, honour and worship. Well, content thy selfe saith our Soueraigne, and heauenly father, that is too much for thee to aske, and too litle for me to giuegive, being Lord of heauen and earth, I will giuegive thee that that is fit for thee here: and a kingdome hereafter if thou serue me in sinceritie and truth of hart, respecting more my glorie then thy owne glorie, or thy life either. For it standeth not with the honour of Gods Maiesty to recompence trauels of his seruants with trifles. God dealeth with his children that are most sincere harted in this world, as great men deale with their children in their minoritie, whom they intend to make their heires: they put them to schoole, and giuegive them correction, and allow them from hand to mouth, and abridge them of their libertie, and keepe them in awe: but when their fathers are dead, and they come to mens estate, they are then rewarded with no lesse then all their fathers lands; which if they should hauehave had before, they would hauehave spent riotously, and wantonly: so God keepeth his children here in this world vnderunder schooling, and nurturing them, correcting and crossing them: and giueth them their stint, and allowance of wealth, of health, of credit, of friends, &c. But when they come to a perfectage, and are perfect men growne in Christ (which will not be vntill after tearme of this life) then loe they are made fellow heires of the kingdome of heauen, with the Lord Iesus himselfe, blessed be his name for euer.
Now by this time my good brethren, you hauehave (I hope) well considered of the matter, and will not denie but that the reward of sinceritie is a great reward, like vntounto him that giueth it: a fathers reward, yea a heauenly fathers reward, and a heauenly reward.
Consider well, you whose hearts yet long for the vaine praise and estimation of men, like sucking weanlings, that cry still after the breast: can the world affoord you any such reward? Can your father and mother? can your friends an kindred? can Kings & Princes? can al the world? Let vsus see, sincerity is rewarded with sound comfort, as Christ sayd to the sicke man, Sonne be of good comfort. You that desire to be seene of men, you desire sound comfort, can the world giuegive it you when God denieth it you? Or can the world take it from you, if God doth giuegive it you? Sinceritie is rewarded with courage in prayer, and boldnesse before Gods throne of grace. You that desire to be seene of men, desire also to stand boldly before the face of God, but consider: can all the commendations of the world giuegive you that boldnesse and courage when God doth denie it you? or can al the condemnations and euill speeches of the world take it from you, if God doth giuegive it you? Sincerity preuaileth with God. You that desire to be seene of men, you desire also to preuaile with God: but consider well, can all the praises of men make you preuaile with God, if God himselfe doth not like you? or can all the world by disgracing of sincere harted Christians, hinder their suite in the Lords Court, if God doth like of them? Sincerity is rewarded with a cōtinual feast, of the louelove of God, of ioy in the holy Ghost, of peace of conscience…, of the merits of Christ. About whose dwelling places God hath charged his owne gard of Angels, to pitch their tents, that the man of earth may not make them affraid, nor the sonne of violence do them any harme. You that desire to be seene of men, you commend this feast, you also desire to be at such a feast: but consider well, can all the men, & Princes in the world make you such a feast, when God will make you fast? or can all the world cause you to fast, or to want when the Lord hath prouided you such a feast? Sincerity shall be rewarded with a crowne of glorie, and inheritance immortall, the kingdome of heauen: for our heauenly father giueth heauenly rewards, and infinite like himselfe. Now you that desire to be seene of men, desire also such a reward, as the sonnes of Zebedeus did desire each of them a place in the kingdome of heauen: but consider well, when you hauehave won the commendations of all men, yet cannot all the men in the world giuegive you that reward: for Christ sayd it was not his to giuegive: if not his to giuegive as he was man, then much lesse is it the worlds to giuegive vntounto men: neither can all the world, with the helpe of all the diuels in hell take it from you, nor molest you in it, when God hath giuen it vntounto you.
But least any man should yet stand in doubt of that I say, let witnesses be examined: let their records be searched: aske Enoch, he walked with God, that is, he had his conuersation as in the sight of God, his care and study was to please God,Gen. 5.24. and not men: and he was translated from men vntounto God. Aske Ioseph, thy heart was vpright toward thy maister, as in the sight of God, insomuch that thy maister tooke no account of thee for anything: neither didst thou care for the louelove of thy light mistresse, but in the feare of God didst chuse rather to please him then hir. It is true saith Ioseph, neither did I loose any thing by my vprightnesse, and sincerity: for though I was a while in trouble and disgrace for it, yet the Lord that gaue me the gift of sinceritie, he tooke my part, & caused me to be set at liberty, and brought me with my great credit, & her great shame to high preferment, and now am I free from all troubles, and liue like a king in heauen, as sometime I was a ruler in Aegypt. Aske Dauid, and he will tell thee,Psal. 119.10. that when he could say vntounto God, With my whole heart I hauehave sought thee, then could he most boldly call vponupon God, and say: Let me not wander from thy commandements. Aske Saint Paule, and he will tell thee, that he would not presume to craue for the prayers of the Church,Heb. 13.18. but when he could also certifie them that he had a good conscience in all things, and desired to liue honestly. Againe, Paule speaking of himselfe and his fellow labourers, saith thus: We are not as many, which make marchandize of the word of God: 2. Cor. 2.17.but as of sinceritie, but as of God, in the sight of God we speake in Christ. Chap. 4.2.We walke not in craftinesse, neither handle we the word of God deceitfully, but in declaration of the truth we approoue our selues to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God. And what hast thou gotten Paule for thy labour? In how many dangers hast thou bene both by sea and by land? By thy owne confession thou hast bene whipped, and beaten with roddes, cast into prison, stoned and laied for dead, hunted from one place to another, and at the last lost thy head: hadst not thou beene better to hauehave pleased thy honest neighbours by preaching Christ after their fashion? No no, sayth Paule, neuer tell me of these matters, I was crucified to the world, and the world to me: that is, I cared no more for the world, then the world did for me: the power of God did appeare in my weaknesses: when I was in prison I was at liberty: when I went from the whip to the dungeon, I sung Psalmes: yea, all this was an honour vntounto me that I was not worthie of. From all my daungers the Lord deliuered me. And where I lost my life, there I found it againe: euen euerlasting life. In a word, I hauehave fought a good fight, 2. Tim. 4.7.8and hauehave finished my course, I hauehave kept the faith: For henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giuegive me at that day, and not to me onelyonly, but to all them that louelove his appearing. Aske King Hezechiah, what was most comfortable to him in his sicknesse, when he looked for nothing but death.Esa. 38.3. Oh, sayth he, I payed, and sayd, I beseech thee ô Lord, remember how that I hauehave walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, that is, a sound and vpright heart without dissembling, and hauehave done that which is good in thy sight, to shew that when all faile, yet sincerity, and truth of heart shall comfort vsus, like a good keeper and kind nurse at the houre of death.
Now then, what remaineth for this point? but that we gather vp the summe of all that hath bene sayd of it, and make the conclusion: and that is this: Seeing that sinceritie shall be rewarded by our heauenly father, both in this life with sound comfort in time of trouble: with courage and boldnesse in time of prayer: with the prayers of the Saints in time of neede: with a continuall feast in the time of affliction: with heauenly consolation in the time of death: and in the world to come, with the kingdome of heauen; let eueryevery man confesse that the reward of sincerity is a great reward. And seeing as it is so great for quantitie, and so good for qualitie, that all the world cannot affoord so much as a shadow thereof, nor tell how to commend it, let eueryevery one of vsus be more moued therey to embrace sinceritie, and to seeke praise at Gods hand, rather then all the vaine praises of the world. And seeing as sinceritie is of all vertues the chiefest, and that which graceth all our vertues before God and man, let vsus aboue all looke in all our affaires that nothing be done without it.
Lastly, seeing as both Enoch, and Ioseph, and Dauid, and Hezechiah, and Paule, besides many else hauehave giuen such testimonie thereof: let no man doubt to beleeue, nor feare to follow it, for out of all doubt those that are approued in Gods sight, shall be well rewarded of their heauenly father. And so much for the reward of sinceritie.