Ten Sermons Upon Matthew 6:1-4, Sermon 2
THE II. SERMON.
PROV. 6.12.
The vnthrifty man [or the man of Belijal] and the wicked man, or [the man of vanity.]
IN the former Sermon we hauehave heard to what end this description of a wicked man is made, and how far we may go in iudging him.Of the names of Belial. Now let vsus cōsider of his marks (by which he is known, as the Leopard by his spots, and the blacke Moore by his skin.) And first of his names, and they be two.The meaning of this phrase, the man of Belial among the Hebrewes. A dissolute and loose man. The first is Adam Belijahall, the second is Ish-auen, which in our English Bibles are translated, the vnthrifty man, and the wicked man: the wordes in the originall text are more significant. Adam Belijahall is a phrase whereby the Hebrewes do vse to note out a dissolute and loose man, a lawlesse person without a yoake, that giueth himselfe to do what he list, and is not vnfitly translated, an vnthrifty man, ab effectis, from the effects of lawlesnesse, because such commonly neuer thriue, nor come to any good end. So is this word Belial taken in diuerse other places of the Scripture, as in Deut. 13.13.Deut. 13.13. Wicked men are gone out from among you, meaning children of Belial, as they are called in the originall. These like lawlesse persons hauehave drawne away (saith the text) the inhabitants of their city vntounto other Gods. So likewise is it taken in the 19. of Iudges verse 22. where it is sayd,Iudg. 19.22. That as the Leuite and his wife were making merry, at an old mans house, who gaue them entertainment in their iourney, the men of the city, euen men of Belial (sayth the text) meaning dissolute and lewd persons giuen to all wickednesse, beset the house round about, and smote at the doore, and enforced the old man, the maister of the house, to bring foorth his guest vntounto them, where most villanously they abused the Leuites concubine all night vntounto death. In like sort it is taken in the first of Samuel 2. Chapter 12. vers.1. Sam 2.12. where it is sayd that the sonnes of Ely were men of Belial: that is, giuen to all wickednesse. In this sence it is vsed also or abused rather,2. Sa. 16.7. in the 2. of Samuel chap. 16. ver. 7. where that cursed Shimei being a man of Belial himselfe, doth most vndutifully raile vponupon King Dauid his Lord and Soueraigne, saying: Come foorth thou man of bloud, and man of Belial. And in the new Testament it is also so taken in the 2. to the Corin. the 6. Chap. and 15. vers. where the Apostle saith: What fellowship is there betwixt Christ and Belial? 2. Cor. 6.15.That is, there is no fellowship betwixt Christ and lawlesse persons, that are giuen to wickednesse. And thus were dissolute persons called among the Iewes. The Lord calleth such a kind of persons,Exo. 32.9. A stiffe necked people in Exod. 32.9. Alluding to vntamed oxen, which will not (vnlesse they be enforced) bow downe their neckes vntounto the yoake. Such are those that say in the 2. Psalme. 2.3. ver. Let vsus breake their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from vsus. Psal. 2.2.3.Such are those also that say (in the 19. of Luke ver. 37.) We will not hauehave this man to raigne ouer vsus. Luke. 19.27.Such are all those who allow Christ to be their Priest, to die for them, but not their Prince to beare rule ouer them. Such also are all those that say (as in Psalme 12. ver. 4.) With our tongue we will preuaile, Psal. 12.4our lips are our owne, who is Lord ouer vsus? And all such are called here in my text, men of Belial, & men of vanity and wickednesse: as if obstinate stubburnnesse were their father,His names set forth his nature. 1. Sam. 25. and vaine wickednesse, or wicked vanity their mother, deriuing their reprochfull names from their peruerse nature, and crooked conditions: that as Abigaile said, Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: so a man may say, Belial is his name, and stubburnenesse is with him: yea Auen is he called, for both vanitie and iniquitie are with him: that is, he hath not his name for nought.
He hath beside these,Belial hath as many names as the diuell. as many names as his grandfather the Diuel hath: he is called a diuell, that is, an accuser: so is Belial also an accuser, especially of the brethren, as the diuell is. Apoc. 12.10. He is called Sathan, which signifieth an enemy,1Accusers. Apoc. 12.10. for he doth enuy the glory of God, and the peace of Gods people: and such an enemy is Belial. He is called a compasser of the earth, Iob. 1.7. So do the wicked also, which hauehave shaken off the yoake of Christ,2Enemies. Iob. 1.7. compasse sea and land to make one Proselite, as our Sauiour Christ speaketh in Math. 23.15. that is: They take great paines like the diuel,3Cōpassers. Mat. 23.15. Luke. 22.31. to frame others vntounto their conditions. He is called a sifter of men. Luke 22.31. Simon, Simon (saith the Lord) behold Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheate is sifted: and who hath a greater felicity in sifting of men, and prouing by all meanes to make them fall, then Belial hath? He is called a deceiuer Gen. 3.13.4Sifters. Gen. 3.13. And the woman said, the Serpent deceued me: but that was the Diuell. So is Belial a deceiuer too: But euill men and deceiuers (saith the Apostle) shall waxe worse and worse; 5Deceiuers. 2. Tim. 3.13.deceiuing and being deceiued, 2. Tim. 3.13. He is called a Serpent for his subtilty. So likewise are lawlesse Belials for their noysome nature, and dangerous conuersing among men,6Serpents. Psal. 58 4. compared to serpents: Their poyson (saith the Psalmist) is euen like the poyson of a Serpent. Psal. 58.4. He is called the wily fox: so are the wicked and lawlesse Belials, both for their crueltie, and for their subtilty called foxes:7Foxes. Cant. 2.15. Go tell that foxe (saith Christ of Herod) what ye see. And in the 2. of Canticles the 15. verse, the Church saith, Take vsus these foxes, the little foxes which destroy the Vine, for our Vine hath but small grapes. Psal. 91.3.He is called a hunter, Psal. 91.3. and so is Belial too a hunter, for they hunt men as Saule did Dauid, from one place to another,8Hunters. 1. Sa. 24.12. I hauehave not sinned against thee (saith Dauid to Saule) yet thou huntest after my soule to take it. 1. Sam. 24.12. And at another time Dauid sayd vntounto him, The King of Israel is come out to seeke a flea, as one would hunt a Partridge in the mountaines. 1. Sam. 26.20. He is called a red dragon for his cruelty Reuel. 12.3.9Dragons. Psal. 44.19. 1. Pet. 5.8. So are the wicked called dragons; Thou hast smitten vsus downe in the place of dragons (saith the Church of God in Psal 44.19. He is called a roring Lion: Your aduersarie the diuell walketh about like a roring Lion, 10Lions. Psal. 54.4.therefore be sober and watch (saith Peter in his first Epistle, the 5. Chapter and 8. verse. So the wicked are called Lions too, for Dauid saith, That his soule was among Lions, Psal. 54.4. He is called a Prince of darknesse,11Louers of darknesse. Ephes. 6.12. And the wicked also are called louers of darknesse: Light is come into the world (sayth Christ) and men loued darknesse rather then light, Iohn. 3.19. Eph. 4.18. Ioh. 8.44.Ioh. 3.19. And of the Heathen the Apostle saith, They hauehave their cogitations darkned, Ephes. 4.18. He is called a father of lyes, Ioh. 8.44. When he speaketh a ly, he speaketh of his owne (saith Christ) for he is a lyer, 12Lyers. Psal. 52.3.and the father thereof. So the wicked are also called lyers: Thou doest louelove euill more then good (saith Dauid to Doeg) and lyes more then truth, Psalm. 52.3. And one name more we find that the diuell gaue himselfe, à quantitate, from the great multitude of them: My name is Legion (saith the vncleane spirite to Christ) for we are many, Mar. 5.9.Marke 5.9.13Legion. A marke of the Popes Church. Phil. 3.19. So the man of Belial may say, his name is Legion, for there be many of them, and that liketh them well, for they hauehave nothing else to glorie in, but their great number, or vniuersality (one glorious marke of the Popes Church) which is the glorie of them, whose glorie is their shame, as the Apostle speaketh; Philip. 3.19. And thus much for the meaning of the first word Adam Belijagnall, the man of Belial, Now let vsus see what we may profitably learne from the same.There is no concord betweene Christ and Belial. This name noteth out such as are enemies to Christ, and hauehave Christ an enemy to them: they cannot agree with him, nor he with them: For (saith the Apostle) What concord hath Christ with Belial? 2. Cor. 6.15. As Dagon fell downe when the Arke came in place: so Belial falleth downe when Christ comes in place.The contrarietie betweene Belial and Christ. Christ hath a burden to beare, but Belial will beare none of his burdens. Christ hath a yoke to put on his seruants, but Belial will put on none. Christ hath a crosse to be taken vp, but Belial will take vp none. Christ hath freed vsus from the curse of the lawe, but not from the keeping of the lawe: Belial will be free from both. Christ will hauehave his sheepe to heare his voice: Belial wil come at none of his Sermons. Christ will hauehave his people often to visite his table in remembrance of him: Belial saith once a yeare is inough: and otherwise, he will come when he lift▪ Christ saith, if ye louelove me keepe my commaundements: Belial saith he will keepe none of his commaundements, and yet louelove him well inough. Christ saith, by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye louelove one another, as I hauehave loued you: Belial by the contrarie is knowne to be none of Christs disciples, because he hateth the brethren,Gen. 27. as Esau hated Iacob because of his blessing. Christians louelove is Christs louelove, that is, heartie and vnfained, heauenly and vehement,A description of Belials louelove. found and permanent: Belials louelove is onelyonly tongue louelove, lip louelove, false louelove, dissembling louelove, no true louelove at all, but like the louelove of the harlot whose mouth is sweete as hony, but her end is bitter as wormewood:Pro. 5. whose lippes drop as the hony combe, but her feet go downe to death, and her steppes take hold of hell: such a louer is Belial, and such is his louelove. In a word, true Christians are vnderunder Christs law, they draw his yoke, they mortifie the lusts of their flesh, they trauell in paine to bring foorth the fruites of Gods spirite: but Belial is lawlesse, dissolute, and carelesse, and shamelesse, therefore there can be no concord betwixt Christ and Belial.
The vse of this doctrine is twofold:A double vse of the former doctrine. 1. It bewraieth a Popish slaunder. first, it bewrayeth the blasphemous slaunder of Poperie, that chargeth vsus with preaching libertie to sinne, because we preach iustification by faith in Christ onelyonly. Wheras we are so farre from that slaunder, that we affirme cleane contrarie, that no Libertine Protestant, or dissolute professor of the Gospell hath fellowship with Christ more then the Diuell hath. But indeede they know not what faith is, except the diuels faith: for the diuels do know and beleeue that Christ dyed for sinners: and they beleeue all the articles of the Creede,Papists are men of Belial. and tremble thereat, but yet are they Diuels still. Looke to their liues which liue vnderunder the Popes yoke, and we shall see that they are the children of Belial: for what sinne is there that they are not sold vntounto, like Achab? And what sinne can be named almost, that is not bought and sold in the market of the Romish church? And the Pope may pardon all as they say, for a thousand yeares, yea (if they will pay well for his pardon) for euer. And what are their Popes themselues, who beare the glorious title of holy Fathers?Of the wicked liues of their Popes. HaueHave not some of them bene Necromancers, sorcerers, and coniurers? and some of them Sodomits, & buggerers: and most of them common whoremongerers? Was not one of thē a harlot? did she not trauell of a child in going their Procession? And is it not recorded by Platina and other Writers of their owne, to their euerlasting shame? What should be thought of those sixe thousand skulles of children, which were found in another Popes Mote? What need they care what they do,Popish doctrine fit to make men of Belial. so they may be forgiuen for giuing of a litle Apostolicall gold? They are not ashamed nor afraid when they take a solemne oth to murder Princes, yea Christian Princes, yea their owne most Christian Soueraignes: for they are pardoned aforehand, as he was that poisoned King Iohn, and the Prince of Orange: and that cursed Frier that trecherously stabbed the late French King: and therefore they are Belials and not we: their religion giueth libertie to sinne, and not ours: they may do what they list, and not they which are iustified by faith in Christ onelyonly.
The second vse of this doctrine, is to teach those that are entred into the bodie of Christs Church,The 2. vse, to teach Christians mortification and obedience. Mat. 11.29. and are called by that excellent glorious name of Christians, to put on the yoke of Christ, and neuer while they liue to put it off againe: for though Christ saith, Come vntounto me and ye shall hauehave ease; yet it is vponupon this condition, that we labour and feele our selues heauie laden: yea though he promiseth to refresh vsus, yet it is vponupon condition that we put his yoke vponupon vsus and beare his burden. Whosoeuer then will hauehave ease by Christ, must not be (like the man of Belial) without the yoke of Christ, but must put on his yoke and carie his burden, that is to say, he must submit himselfe to the censures of Christ his Church, and to the doctrine of the Gospell, and to the reproofe of the word: and in all things yeeld obedience vntounto the truth: yea he must labour by all good meanes to mortifie all carnall lustes, & to ouerrule all his vnruly affections. But this is as hard a saying to flesh and bloud as can be; yea who can endure it? The mother of Zebedeus children thought for the asking she might hauehave a place in Christes kingdome for her children:Mat. 20.20. but Christ told her of two hard things which she dreamed not of, and that was drinking of his cup, and to be baptized with his baptisme, before they could come into heauen: so we thinke (many of vsus) to hauehave heauen for the asking:Many think to hauehave heauen for the asking: without any more adoe. but there belongeth more to the matter then so. And as the Papistes thinke to earne heauen with a Kerelyson, a Pater noster, and a Creede: so many Protestants thinke that a sigh, and a little lip-labour and eare-seruice will bring them to heauen. But when they heare of mortifying their beloued sinnes, which bring them in pleasure, and profite; and of yeelding obedience vntounto the Gospell,Mat. 19.22. it fareth with them as it did with that young man, who went away from Christ with a heauie heart and a sorrowfull countenance. He would follow Christ, but he would not part from his goods: so many will heare Christ preached, and looke to be saued by him too, but they will not leaue their sinnes. If they may be Gospellers and vsurers too, and gamesters too, and adulterers too, and swearers too, then so it is: otherwise Christ shall go alone for al them. These are yet but men of Belial, and without the yoke: content they are to trauell toward Canaan, so they may meete with the commodities of Egypt by the way. Manna without the fleshpots of Egypt was lothsome to the Israelites: so the Gospell without goodfellowship and carnall delights is irkesome to the man of Belial. Lots wife was content to leaue Sodome and go to Zoar as she was bidden, but yet she must looke backe, though she were forbidden: so many are content to leaue Poperie and embrace the Gospell, yet not without some looking backe, like those which once openly gaue account of their profiting in religion with comfort and commendation, but now because their backsliding friends like it not, and prophane persons scorne them for it, they will shew their faces no more in that conflict. The carnall Capernaits would heare Christ, till he spake of eating his flesh, and drinking his bloud, and then because they vnderstood it not, they said, that saying was a hard saying, and taking offence thereat came no more. So many now a dayes as carnally minded as they, will heare the Preacher, till they heare something that doth offend them, either for want of good vnderstanding or good affection: and then they say, that either the preacher found not that in his text, or it might hauehave bene spared: or in such a thing he went too farre: all which in effect is no lesse then (as the Capernaits said) this is a hard saying, 1. King. 3. Of such as keepe the sabbath to the halfes. They are like, 1. The harlot that wold hauehave the child deuided. 1. King. 18. 2. The idol Baal, that could not heare.who can abide it? And so like bleare-eyed men which are offended at the brightnesse of the Sunne, will walke no more by the light thereof, except it be once a monethmonth, or vponupon a sabbath day, for feare of law, or for shame of the world. And many that do keepe the sabbath day, do vse it as the vnnaturall harlot would hauehave vsed the child for which there was such pleading before Salomon: Let it be neither hers nor mine, but let it be deuided. So they deuide the Sabbath: in the forenoone they are at the Temple, in the afternoone at home. The one halfe shall be giuen to God and after the homeliest fashion too: without any holy reuerence or due preparation: the other halfe to the world, or the flesh, or the diuell, or al, and that with all deuotion and earnestnesse of affection. These may well be likened to the idoll of Achab, to whom Baals Priests cryed, O Baal heare vsus. But what said Elias: Crie lowder, for it may be that your God sleepeth, or pursueth his enemies, or else he talketh with some bodie, or is in his iourney. So if the Minister of Christ would hauehave Belial to heare him, he must crye lowder: O Belial heare vsus, for it may be that the men of Belial are a sleepe, and must be awaked, or pursuing their enemies, or setting their rackes, or casting ouer their vsurie bookes, or selling their wares, or viewing their grounds, as Nebuchadnezzar did his pallace, or running after their bowles, or playing at cardes, or pursuing of their vanities. And that see others of the inferiour sort, and they become as deafe too as their betters. If a man cry neuer so lowd to these Belials, it will not boote: for they are as deafe as Baal: and if there be no lawe to compell them to sanctifie the sabbath in better sort, we do but loose our labour. Herod would heare Iohn Baptist, so Iohn would let him alone with his brothers wife: so would many also now be hearers of the word, and reuerence as much the Preacher as euer Herod did Iohn, so they may hauehave a dispensation for some speciall sinne of theirs, which doth yeeld them some filthy gaine or beastly pleasure. But Herod was a man of Belial for all his deuout hearing of Iohn: and so are these kind of hearers too: for he cast off the yoke of mortification, and so do they.
What it is to put on the yoke of Christ.Well, if we will be Christians indeede as well as in name, we must put on the yoke of obedience to Christs lawes. What he saith we must beleeue: what he commaundeth we must obey: what he promiseth we must desire: what he threatneth we must feare: what he suffereth we must partake: what we vnderstand not we must reuerence: what we like not we must (at the least) affect it: what we brooke not we must yet hunger after:It is a great honour to pledge Christ in his sufferings. Christs lawes. and what cup he hath drunke to vsus in, we must desire to pledge him in the same with all our heart, and count ourselues not worthie of such an honour, when we hauehave obtained of God so great a fauour. We must then deny our selues willingly, and for his sake take vp the crosse chearefully, for this is Christs lawe, we must heare his voice and follow him: for this is Christs lawe: we must often remember him by worthie receiuing his holy supper, for this is Christs lawe: we must do to the poore what we would do to him, for this is Christs lawe: we must louelove one another as he hath loued vsus, for this is Christs law: we must suffer reproches and rebukes for his sake, for this is Christs lawe: we must learne to forgiue our enemies as he hath forgiuen vsus, for this is Christs law. In a word, we must mortifie all our euill lusts and affections, and make our members weapons of righteousnesse, for this also is the law of Christ. For this cause the word is called a candle to light vsus in darkenesse, a sharpe sword to cut and deuide vsus, a hard hammer to driue and breake vsus, and a burning fire to purge & consume vsus: by ruling our liues wherby, both yong in yeres and yong in knowledge are to redresse their wayes. Psal. 119.9.Psal. 119.9. And the obedience of a Christian is nothing else, but a following of that light: a suffering of that sword to hew and cut him: of that hammer to breake and batter him: of that fire to purge and consume him: of that fanne to winnow and cleanse him: and of that plough to breake and till him: and all this with patience, gladnesse and thankfulnesse. A dutie this is very painefull for flesh and bloud to performe: and therefore is called in the scriptures, a cutting off the hand, & a pulling out of the eie. Mat. 5.29.30.Mat. 5.29. A cutting of the throat. Pro. 23.2. a weaning of the soule.Pro. 23.2. Psal. 131.2. and a crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts therof. Gal. 5.24. To shew,As hard to forgo our sinnes as our liues. that is is as hard a matter by nature to forgo our sinnes, as our eyes, or our hands, or our liues. Yet because grace doth go beyond nature, and goodnesse is stronger then euill, and the spirit doth ouercome the flesh, and faith beginneth where reason endeth: therefore Christs yoke is called easie, and his burden light: Mat. 11.26.Mat. 11.26. How Christs yoke is made easie For he hath borne it for vsus, and doth beare it in vsus, and beareth vsus too, and therfore it is light to him that would beare it: as Salomon saith, All the words of God are plaine to him that will vnderstand, and straight to them that would find knowledge. Prou. 8.9.Pro. 8.9. Nay more, as the birds fethers are a benefit vntounto her and not a burden, because they carrie her vp from the snare of the fowler: so the seruice of Christ it no burthen vntounto vsus but a benefite,Christs burden is a benefite and no burden. because it freeth vsus from the bondage of the Diuell. Therefore let vsus go on my good brethren without fainting. Let xs resolue to put on the yoke of Christ, to be obedient vntounto the Gospell, to cast off our lazinesse in the seruice of God, and to cast away our sins of profite and pleasure, though we go through honour and dishonour as we must, like the yoked oxe, that haleth his burthen after him through thicke and thinne.It is not inough to defie Poperie. Mat. 5. Many defie the Pope, and thinke then that they are good Christians, and yet are lawlesse in their affections. The Turke, the Iew, the Saracene, and the infidell can say so much: but except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen, saith Christ: so, except our righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Turkes and Saracens we cannot be saued. Therefore as we defie Poperie, so we must be carefull to imitate Christ, and to glorifie him by the subduing of our carnall lustes and desires. The commendation that Saint Paul gaue vntounto the Thessalonians was,1. Thes. 1.9. Many forsake Papists, and ioyne with Atheists. for that they turned from their idols vntounto the liuing God. 1. Thes. 1.9. But what commendation shall we deserue if we forsake Poperie and serue other sinnes? if we leaue the Papistes and ioyne with Atheists, Machiauels, and Libertines? The yoking of a Christian, Dauid calleth a waining of the soule: to shew, that we long after libertie,Why mortification is called a waining of the soule. as the child doth after the breast: that is, to cry for it, when we cannot get it. Now in waining of the soule, we must do as nurses do in waining of children: they first annoint their breastes with some sower things to bring the child out of louelove withall: then they prouide some other wholesome foode for the child: so we must hauehave before our eyes the discommodities of the world,How to waine the soule. and the miseries of vanitie, and the paines that follow sinfull pleasures: and then let our soules be fed and nourished with the sweet foode of the heauenly word of God. And then feare not: for as Abraham found a sacrifice where he looked for none: euen so, if we be as readie to sacrifice our sinnes, as he was to sacrifice his sonne at Gods bidding, we shall find new comforts, and pleasures where we looked for none. And as Sampson first slue the lion, and afterward found a sweet hony combe in the dead lions belly, so if we wil arme our selues to slay our sinnes which like ramping lions do meete vsus in the way, we shall by the power of Gods spirit ouercome them, and after that find a most sweet hony comb of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus, by whom we hauehave ouercome sinne and Sathan, to our euerlasting peace and consolation.Psal. 73.24. He that can truely say with Dauid vntounto God: Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell, shall follow with Dauid, and say assuredly, Afterward thou wilt receiue me to glorie. And he that is not come to that point,Pro. 1.27.28 29.30. The fearefull estate of Libertines. is as yet at a miserable passe: for the Lord in the first of Prouer. sheweth, that because he hath called to the foolish, to make them vnderstand his words, and they hauehave refused to be instructed, or to be guided by his counsell: he will laugh at their destruction, and mocke when their feare cometh vponupon them: yea, when their feare shall come vponupon them like desolation, and their destruction like a whirle wind. When affliction and anguish shall come vponupon them, then shall they call vponupon the Lord and he will not heare them, they shall seeke him early,Verse 31. but they shall not find him. Thus saith the holy Ghost: they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuises. To which the Apostle agreeth, and telleth the men of Belial: that as they regard not to know God,Ro. 1.28. euen so God wil deliuer thē vp to a reprobate mind, to do things that are not conuenient. And moreouer saith Christ:Luk. 19.27. Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither, and slay them before me. A fearefull thing: therfore the children of God pray heartily: Thy will be done in earth ô heauenly Father, as it is in heauen:Psal. 115. The practise of Gods children. and with the Church in the Psalme: Not vntounto vsus (ô Lord) not vntounto vsus, but to thy name giuegive the praise: fighting continually against their affections, because they fight against their soules. And as the oxe is not readie to worke, vntill he be vnderunder the yoke, so Gods children thinke not themselues readie to serue God, vntill they hauehave put on the yoke of Christ:Psal. 40. The comfort of Gods children at the houre of death. and then they say as Dauid said, I am readie ô Lord to do thy will. And this shall be a singular comfort vntounto vsus at the houre of death, to remember that we hauehave striuen against our affections, and earnestly laboured, and prayed to obey God, which the man of Belial, or lawlesse dissolute person neuer did. And so much of the wicked mans first name.
The second tearme or name that is here giuen to the wicked man,Of the 2. name of the man of Belial. is foreign Ish auén, vir nihili, saith Tremelius: that is, a man of no worth: Auen signifieth both iniquitie and vanitie: therfore the house of idols is called Beth-auen, because idols are vaine things, and idolaters are vaine & wicked persons: therefore lawlesse loose men are called Ishim auen: because such are both vaine and wicked, yea more, full of vanitie and iniquitie. First, they are vnprofitable, pursuing (as it were) the wind and the smoke: secondly, they are practisers of mischiefe and wrong.What is prophanenesse. This is profanenesse, from which the Apostle dehorteth vsus, in the twelfth to the Hebrewes and 16. verse: where Esau is propounded as a most liuely image of such prophane persons as preferre earth before heauen, the world before the word, gold before godlinesse, the bodie before the soule, and the shadow before the bodie: as Esau did a messe of pottage before his birthright; and as the Israelites preferred onions before Manna: and as the Iewes did Barrabas before Christ. Such were they that said in Ier. 43. It was well with vsus when we made cakes for the Queene of heauen: as many say now adaies: It was neuer merry world since we had so much preaching: it was a good world when we could go to the Abbeys and other religious houses, and hauehave our bellies full of good cheare for nothing. Ieremie is a babler (said they) and preaching is babling, say these. But what were they and these too? Surely but Ishimauen, prophane persons.Profane vanitie and wickednes is called now adaies finenesse of wit. This vaine profanenesse and prophane vanitie, is called finenesse of wit now adaies, whereby many prophane and vaine persons get their liuing, which is nothing else but plaine and lewd shifting. This is a matter that men make no reckening of: but such a one is viler then the earth. Yet the custome of the wicked is to commend such, saying: such a one is a good honest man, and doth no bodie any harme, which is vntrue. For Ish-auen, the vaine man is also a wicked man, that is hurtful vntounto others.One may be a bad man that doth hurt no bodie. And if it were granted that he did no man harme, yet is he no good man, but a prophane beast and most wicked to Godward. An honest man they say he is, but of what religion is he? what religious exercise doth he frequent? How doth he serue God with his familie? what striuing hath he against his imperfections? When doth he enter into priuate prayer for strength against his speciall sinnes and temptations? What care hath he to bring vp his children in the feare of God? He may be an honest man and yet a prophane man:Honestie is double: ciuill and religious. for honestie is two fold, ciuill and religious. Some are ciuill honest men and not religious: some are religious honest men, and scarce ciuill: some are neither ciuill nor religious: and some are both ciuill and religious. Examples we hauehave in the Scriptures of all these. The Barbarians in Miletum were ciuill honest men, whose ciuill courtesie and courteous ciuility appeared in that kind entertainment which they gaue, and that abundance of necessaries which they ministred vntounto Paul and his weather beaten company.Religious honest mē giuegive God his due. But religious honest men they were not: that is to say, such as giuegive God his due: for they had not so much as the knowledge of the true God amongst them, as doth appeare by those extremities that they ran into at the sight of Paul. For one while they rashly iudged him to be a murderer,Act. 28. and that was when the Viper leaped vponupon his hand: another while they did superstitiously suppose him to be a God: and that was, when he shooke off the Viper and had no harme. In the first of Kings, the 14. chapter, and thirteenth verse, it is said of Abijah the sonne of Ieroboam, that when he dyed all Israel mourned for him, because there was found in him some goodnesse toward the Lord God of Israel: that is, he was a man carefull to giuegive vntounto God his right, as well as vntounto men: and therefore he was a religious ciuill honest man. Some seeme to be religious without ciuilitie: as the harlot whom Salomon describeth in the 7. of the Prou. who prateth of her peace offerings, and paying her vowes, while notwithstanding in her hushands absence, like a dishonest filth freely violateth her mariage vowe (made vntounto him) by prostituting her bodie vntounto others: and as Iezabel religiously proclaimeth a fast, while most vnciuilly, and with barbarous crueltie she depriueth innocent Naboth both of his life and liuing: and as those do that deuide the spoiles of the Church among them, deuouring (as Salomon saith) the sanctified things, & then enquire after the vowes:Prou. 23. that is, make shew of religion. But they that hauehave neither ciuilitie nor religion in them, are like Esau, who hated his brother Iacob, because God blessed him: and like Hanun the Ammonite, who misused Dauids messengers which were sent of good will to see him: and like Doeg the Edomite, who laid handes vponupon the Priestes of the Lord and slue them, when eueryevery bodie else refused to touch them. And such commonly are the men of Belial and the men of vanitie. Good honest men they are counted among such as themselues are;Who is a good. man indeed. but he is a good man indeed, and greatly to be lamented when he is gone, that vpholdeth Gods true religion, and with Cornelius feareth God with all his houshold, and giueth much almes to the poore: and with Iob sheweth himselfe a iust man, and one that worshippeth God aright: becomming also as Iob did, an eye to the blind,What maner of persons we must chuse to cōuerse withall. a foote to the lame, and a father to the fatherlesse. Such doth God choose for good men, and such must we choose to conuerse withall, & not such as spend their time in ridiculous sports and vain pastimes, which vanish away like the wind and smoke, without any profit to those that hauehave delighted in them. For Dauid saith in the 26. Psalme: I hauehave walked ô Lord in thy truth: and presently addeth: I hauehave not haunted with vaine persons, Vain company will draw men from God.neither keepe I companie with the dissemblers: I hauehave hated the assembly of the euill, and not companied with the wicked: to shew, that whosoeuer consorteth himselfe with vaine and euill companie, cannot walke in the waies of the Lord: and therefore let them that desire to walke in the waies of Gods truth, take heede that they haunt not with vaine persons, but hate the assemblies of the wicked, as Dauid did.
And further here is to be obserued a difference betweene Adam and Ish:The difference between Adam & Ish. both do signifie man: but the first noteth the matter of which man was made, that is, red earth: or as Tremelius hath translated it, the dust of the earth, which is the worst of all the earth, and good for nothing. Earth is good for something, and clay is good for something, and sand is good for something, and marle is good for something, and dung is good for something: but dust is good for nothing, except it be to put out ones eyes, and of that was man made which is good for nothing. The confideration whereof may greatly humble vsus, when we beginne to thinke well of our selues, to waxe proud of Gods gifts, and to despise our brethren. But the man of Belial is so called,Vaine Belial is viler then thē earth. to shew, that such a one is the vilest mā that liueth, yea viler then the earth: and according to his name, so is his nature: for of a word that signifies the vilest earth is his name deriued: & accordingly, all his studies, cares, and communications are earthly and prophane. All which the Apostle noteth in one word, when he saith: they mind earthly things: Phil. 3.19. A God they hauehave, but it is their belly: a glorie they hauehave, but it is their shame: enemies they are, but it is to the crosse of Christ: and an end they hauehave, but it is damnation, saith the Apostle.
Ish also is a man, but it noteth a man of strength, and signifieth strength: of the Latines it is translated vir, à virtute: that is, a man of manhood, or strong of strength, or vertuous of vertue: because if manhood, strength and vertue be not found in man, where should they be looked for? And Adam is translated homo de humo: that is, taken out of the ground, because of all that God made nothing was made of the earth but man. And in our English toung we say of one that is valiant, vertuous and actiue, that is a man indeed. And the Philosopher could say by the light of nature: non vestis sed virtus facit hominem: Not vestures, but vertues make a man: which is quite mistaken in these daies, and that saying wholly inuerted: for most men hold, and by their practise do vphold, that non virtus sed vestis, not vertue but brauery makes a man. But why is Belial called Ish, which is a word of strength, vertue and perfection? What vertue, excellencie, or perfection is in earthly vaine Belial? Surely no goodnesse is in him, and yet is he Ish, he is vir, a man indeede; but a man whose strength is wholly applyed to vanitie.The strength of the wicked is wholy emploied in euill. He doth excell, but it is in contriuing of mischiefe: he is quicke witted, but it is in disgracing of truth and her friends: They are wise (saith Ieremie) but it is to do euill: They are expert (saith Esay) but it is to drinke wine and strong drinke: They can take no rest (saith Salomon) but it is onelyonly till they hauehave made some to fall. Such were they that watched all night to take Christ: they were Ishim, men indeed. They ranne to fetch him vineger with gall to drinke, which wold not go nor creep for a drop of cold water to hauehave done him good. Such are all those lawlesse and dissolute persons, that can beate their braines, and breake their sleepe, and go late to bed, and rise early in the morning, and trauell hard all day, yea day and night, by sea and by land, farre and neare, refusing no paines, neither sparing for any cost, nor fearing any colours, but most audaciously put forth themselues to speake, & to practise what mischiefe they can against godlinesse and vertue, against honest men and good causes, and standing as stoutly in defence of vanity and wickednesse. These hauehave a kind of felicitie and dexteritie in gracing of the bad, and in disgracing of the good, and do very often strongly preuaile in wicked enterprises. And this must teach vsus, first, not to be dismaied when iniquitie doth preuaile: for the very names that are giuen to wicked men do shew no lesse, but they shall preuaile for a time, which is to verifie the Prophesie of our Sauiour Christ, who foretold that before the end of the world, wickednesse should preuaile, and iniquitie get the vpper hand. Secondly, it doth admonish the children of God, who are haters of wickednesse, to be Ishim, that is, strong, and wise, and valiant, for God and good causes: as Ish-auen, the vaine man is for the Diuell and wicked enterprises.1. Cor. 16.13 And this is not mine but Gods counsel by the Apostle, with whose words for this time I will end: My brethren watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong.