covetousnesse. Aboundance makes a man abstain from many finnes, which poor men fall into of neceffity, For poverty makes a man to fteal, Proverbs the thirtieth chapter: Therefore the Apostle willeth, that it any man will not steal, he must labour with his hands, Ephefians the fourth chapter. Aboundance fets them in cafe, that they can doe many good works, when the borrower is a fervant to the lender, as it is in the Proverbs. The rich man is free from this inconvenience: Plenus eft abundat omnibus. Riches doe make a man glorious. But though all this were true, yet Chrift faith, that life ftands not in riches, as the Preacher fpeaks by way of permiffion,to the rich man, Goe 100, take thy pleasure; but for all this know, that God will bring thee to judgement, Ecclefiaftes the eleventh chapter: So doth Chrift give them fcope to conceive what opinion they think good of Riches. Put cafe thou, through thy covetouineffe haft aboundance, yet thy life confifts not therein; that this is true, That man is not a whit longer lived for his wealth, the Scripture fhews, Divitia non proderunt in die ira, Proverbs the eleventh chapter and the fourth veile: Though hand be joyned in hand, yet it shall not ferve the turn, the rich man dyeth as well as the poor, Pfalme the thirry ni th: but how powerfull this is to restrain cove to fneffe, appears by this. We will doe nothing in vain, much lesse fufferin van The Apoftle fpraketh, Galatians the fift chapter, wh le we are in health of body, we know our riches doe us great fervice; but if death draw neer, we are ready to say with Efau, Genefis the twenty fift chapter, Behold I dye, and what will all this wealth doe me good. Chrift faith not, Be not covetous, for you thall not be the richer, but Be afraid of covetousneffe, for your life fands not in aboundance of riches; to put thee in mird, to provide for another life rather than for this: For albeit the covetous and miferable man hath mifery in this life, bec. ufe he difquiets himself in vain, Pfalme the thirty ninth, and therefore is called a murtherer or man-flayer; yet his future mifery being compared with the mifery of this life, makes him more miferable. While he is in his Stewardship, it is well with him, though he have many worldly cares; But when he is put out of his office,and shall be called to account, How he came by his office, and how he hath behaved him felf therein? How he got his worldly wealth, and how he hath diftributed the fame for the relief of his poor fellow Saints? Then, if he be found faulty in his account, his mifery is farre greater than ever it was in this life. Luke the fixteenth chapter, Chrift takes away from covetous men the opinion of life, and wills them not to think that they fhall live the longer for their riches; And feeing they must dye, and after death commeth the Fudgement, Hebrews the ninth chapter, it is their part rather to lay up a good foundation for the time to come, to lay up their treasure in Heaven, Matthew the fixt chapbecanfe as hey heap up riches unjustly, fo they heap up wrath for themselves against the day of wrath, Romans the fecond chipter. Though covetous men think themselves well while they live; yet Chrift tells them, They muft dye, that they fhould take care that it may goe well with them after death, That when they have layd down ter; thefe these earthly tabernacles, the fecond epiftle of Peter the first chapter, They may be received into everlasting tabernacles, Luke the fixteenth chapter. & Pea 1.9. Decemb. 3. 1568. Nam cui hæc non adfunt, is cacus eft, nihil procul cernens, oblitus fefe à veteribus peccatis fuis fuiffe purificatum. Quapropter, fratres, &c. HE Prophet David faith,Pfal.the fourty ninth, Man was in honor when he was first created, but continued not in that state the pace of a night, but became like a beast that perifheth. So that as God made man fo honourable a creature, that he thought he might be God So when man in the pride of his heart, would be like God he became a beast; a beast not only in body, for that he dyeth as they doe, but in foul: For if we confider the understanding part of the foul, and the knowledge that man hath in the fame, He is foolish and ignorant, even as a beast before God, Pfalme the feventy third and the twenty fecond verfe; and the rebellion of his heart is fuch, that he is compared to horse and mule, Pfalme the thirty fecond. This is our downfall: But God of his rich mercy will not have man continue in dishonour, though he loft that honour which God gave him in the beginning. And as man would not continue in honor one night, fo God would not fuffer him to continue in difhonour one night,but prefently after his fall gave him this pretious promife, That how foever man had made himselfa beast, yet God would not only make him a man again but partaker of the divine nature, the second of Peter the first chapter and the fourth verfe Which promise albeit it begins to be performed, when we apprehend it by faith,yet faith only doth not make it perfect, but we muft unto faith add virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance, patience, godlinesse, brotherly kindenesse, and love; And these virtues, if they concurre, doe make man partaker of the heavenly nature. At the first the Doctrine of Faith in Chrift, was hardly received for men thought to be faved only by Works: And when they had once received it, they excluded the doctrine of good Works. All the difficulty that St. Paul found in the work of his Minifterie, was to plant faith, and to perfwade men that we are justified before God by Faith in Chrift, without the works of the Law: But St. Peter and St. James met with them that received the doctrine of Faith faft enough, but altogether neglected good Works: But because both re neceffary, therefore St. Paul, in all his epiftles, joynes the doArine of Faith with the doctrine of Works. This is a faithful! faying, and to be avouched, That they which beleeve in God, be carefull to shew forth forth good works, Titus the third chapter and the eighth verfe; There- Paul faith, Abraham was justified by faith before works, not when he was circumcifed, but when he was uncircumcifed, Romans the fourth chapter and the tenth verle. But James saith, Abraham our Father was juftified by Works, Fames the fecond chapter and the twenty first verle. To reconcile the Apostles, we must know, that the power of Juftifi cation, which, in Paul, is effective; But that which James speaketh of is declarative It was Abrahams Faith that made him righteous; and his works did only declare him to be justified: Therefore Panl faith, That albeit good works have no power to justifie, yet they are good and profitable for men, Titus the third chapter; For they declare our juftification, which is by faith; and by them we make our selves fure of our calling and election, the fecond epiftle of Peter the first chapter and the tenth verfe. In these two verfes Petèr delivers two things: Firft, A Rule, b which we may examine our felves. Secondly, An application of by the fame. Seeing we have fuch a good Rule to try whether we be elected and called, let us ftudy by the practise of these virtues, to affure our selves of our calling and election. Two things commend this Rule, which the holy Ghost sets down, First, That it is Regula negativa; For having faid before affirmatively, if these things be in you and abound, they will make you that you shall not be idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of Chrift. Now he fpeaks negatively, But if you have them not, you are blinde; which is more than if Zzz he Good works, he had contented himself with his affirmative fpeech: For as the tree in the Garden was called Arbor fcientia bonis Genefis the second chapter, though directly it brings us to the knowledge of nothing but evill, because Adam knew not what a good thing it was to be obedient, till be felt the Imart of his disobedience: So we doe perceive the goodneffe of things by the want of them, better than by the enjoying of them. The benefit of poffeffing the graces of Gods fpirit, doth not fo much move us, as the want of them. Therefore the Apoftle faith, If ye care not for being fruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift, yet let this perfwade you to practise all these virtues; for that if you be without them, you are blinde. And as no man knoweth what a benefit it is to have fight, fo well as a blinde man that wants it fo it is with them that practife not these virtues. Secondly, That it is a univerfal Rule, Whosoever hath not these things: For our nature is inclined to take exception against good rules; As John Bapuft, when he willed all men to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance: Nor as the Jews, not to lay, We have Abraham to Our Father, Matthew the third chapter. It is our corruption, as the Apoftle faith, to think that we shall escape the plagues of God for thefe finnes, which we condema in others, Romans the second chapter: Therefore our Saviour prevented that exception, when 1peaking to his Difciples, he faid, Quod vobis dico omnibus dico, Mark the thir teenth chapter. Even fo Peter faith, Whofoever wants these virtues, whatsoever occafion he pretends for the want of them, he is blinde, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old finnes. But to speak more particularly of this Rule, two things make us secure in the matter of our Salvation, which notwithstanding, We should work out with fear and trembling, Philippians the fecond chapter and the twelfth verse. The one is, our Knowledge: We are ready to fay with Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth, Fob the ninteenth chapter: But unleffe we perform fomthing elfe, it fhall be in vain to make this allegation, Have not we prophecied in thy name? Matthew the feventh chapter. The other caufe of confidence and carelefaeffe is the opinion we have, that it makes no matter how we live, The blood of Chrift doth purge me from all finne, the epistle of John the firft chapter and the fe venth verfe. To these two the holy Ghoft oppofeth two things. First, Doe we think we know God and Jefus Christ whom he hath fent? Yea; but he that knoweth not these virtues, is blinde, and knoweth nothing. Secondly, Doe we think, we need not to be carefull of holineffe of life, because we are purged by Chrifts blood? But except we be carefull to walk in newneffe of life, we have forgotten that we were purged from our old finnes. For the first point, That he that hath not thefe virtues, is blinde, we are to know, That albeit there be no oppofition between knowledge and wickedneffe of life, because all that know Gods will, doe not pra &tise it, yet there is a neceflary dependance between them; If ye love me, me, faith Chrift, keep my commandements, John the fifteenth chapter. And the Preacher, Stek for the mysterie of faith, as in a pure confcience, the first epiltle of Timothy and the third chapter: For they that put away a good confcience, make shipwrack of faith, the firft epiftle of Timos thie the first chapter and the nineteenth verfe. The Gentils did know God, but did no glorifie him as God: They knew the truth, but did detinere veritatem in injuftitiâ, Roman's the first chapter. As they held knowledge, fo they should not withhold it from others, but should have made manifeft the fame, that others might have known God which because they did nor, God gave them over to be darkned in their understanding. We muft manifeft our knowledge by doing fome good works; for he that hath knowledge, and is not carefull to be fruitfull in the knowledge of Chrift, is in the half way to be blinded; for when men receive not the love of the truth, that they may be faved, God will fend them the efficacie of error, that they may beleeve lies, the fecond epistle to the Theffalonians the second chapter and the eleventh verfe. This knowledge is but a fhew of knowledge, and not the power of is, If any man think he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know it, the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the eighth chapter and the leventh verfe. This knowledge is like that which John Baptift fpeakerh of, Matthew the third chapter, un asi Think not to fay with your felves, &c. reft not in this knowledge. The rule of true knowledg is, when it is accompanied with holineffe of life, as he speaks, If any man love God, he is known of him, the first epiftle to the Corinthians the eighth chapter and the third verse. The vittue that openeth mens eyes, to make them fee, is wisdome : So he that hath no care of virtue, is not wife; for, the fear of God is wif dome; and to depart from evill is understanding, Job the twenty eighth chapter: And to fear God, is the beginning of wisdome, Proverbs the first chapter. The Art of fowing is of pollicy, fo is buying and felling; But the Kingdom of God is likened to the traffique of a Merchant ́man ; and to the fowing of feed, Matthew the thirteenth chapter, To teach us, that to our knowledge we must ad fpiritual wisdom, without which we are blinde and ignorant. He that is blinde, nefcit quò vadit, John the twelfth chapter; He confiders not how he lives, whether he be in the way that leadeth to life or to death; he knows not what shall come to him after this life; Incedit tanquam Bos, He goeth as an Oxé tothe flaughter, Proverbs the feventh chapter: But he that to know. ledge adds godlineffe and holinesse of life, he knoweth whither he goeth, That it shall goe well with him at the last, Ecclefiaftes the eighth chapter and the twelfth vere. So ith the Prophet, Marke the righteous, and thou shalt fee his end is peace at the last, Pfalme the thirty feventh and the thirty feventh verle. Secondly, He is not only blinde, but cannot fee a farre off. Two things are faid to be a farie off, things Spiritual and eternall; and he that hath not thefe Chriftian virtues, cannot fee a farre off, neither in things fpiritual nor eternall. For the firft, The favour of the world makes a man commir many Zzzz finnes |