Meditations of instruction, of exhortation, of reprofe indeauouring the edification and reparation of the house of God.

1 (Book 1)

THe maine Faultinesse of these Times, is a Disproportion, be∣tweene Knowledge and Action; or rather a meere resting in knowledge short of Action. So are we come from no knowledge, to knowledge alone, which will not lessen, but increase our iudgement; and from the ouerualuing of workes, to the Neglect of them. Surely the errour of workes without knowledge, is lesse dangerous then the error of knowledge without works:

But this is the best of it, it is the doctrine of our Nature, not of our Diuinitie. For while it is taught, that workes deserue not, some are content to thinke they are vselesse; others being truly perswaded of their vse, yet slouthfull to goodnesse, lie down in knowledge, and will not goe on to the la∣bour of action. But as here∣after the paine will follow the fault, so now let the shame: for certainly it is a great shame, that so much knowledge should be idle, and that skilful men should sleepe in this Midday light; for the light was made for walking and working, not for idlenesse. The Father sheweth his will, because he

will haue it done; wee are called to be sonnes, because we should do the will of our Father: and Nebuchadnez∣zar giues the greatest title, when hee calls the three children the seruants of the most high God. In the Spi∣rit wherein is Life, is also Actiuenesse: If we nourish not the actiuitie of it, we decay the Life, & so kill our selues with eternall Death. Christ hath no dead or vn∣profitable Limbes, they all beare fruite, or are not his; and Faith which our slouth would magnifie, by resting in her, thrusts vs on for her life to action; for shee liues onely when she is actiue. If then faith not working, bee dead, and dead faith quic∣kens

not; the vnactiue be∣leeuer may speedily with a Heathen see himselfe with∣out life. As these things may driue vs, so the value of workes may draw vs: for by Christ who worketh them in vs, they are accepted of God, and haue a valuation stamped vpon them, by his Grace for Grace. And first, though workes iustifie not vs, they iustifie our Faith, & in the day of iustice they shall goe so farre toward iu∣stifying vs, that they shall declare vs iust. In the meane time, they please and glori∣fie God, the giuer of such gifts vnto men, and then e∣uen the least of them shall haue a reward of glory, which they shall set as a

crowne on their heads that wrought them. Let vs not therefore bee wanting to this glorie belonging to God from vs, and issuing from God to vs. Besides, if we will cōsider what works are in themselues, we shall finde that they are streames of the Deity, their fountain, and sparkes of that heauen∣ly and eternall fire. Accor∣dingly they present and ex∣presse something that is Di∣uine, and supernaturally ex∣cellēt; whence it was that a Reuerend Ancient wel said: The deedes and conuersa∣tion of the Primitiue Chri∣stians, had in them a per∣fume and sweetnesse, wher∣with they exceedingly de∣lighted those with whome

they conuersed. And how can it otherwise be, for whē he that is blessednesse, and excellence, powreth vertue from himselfe into these workes; they must needs haue a resemblance & par∣taking of their original. And surely there are two things in them, which as they are the most pleasant of all o∣ther, so they most resemble, and approach to the Crea∣tor. One of these is Light, and the other is Loue; both which put life and soule in∣to euery good worke. God is Light, and God is Loue▪ and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Light; and Loue is as the precious oyntment which was powred on the head of Aaron. Wherefore

good workes beeing a Di∣uine & heauenly off-spring, let them bee highly respe∣cted and carefully cherish∣ed by vs. Againe, workes are to vs strong euidences of the Spirit of Life, and therefore as sure as wee would be of our saluation, so carefull let vs be of good works: shame∣full it were for them who are so scrupulous and eagre for security cōcerning tem∣porall things, not to bee more eagre for the ensuing of their Election. Lastly, they are excellent in regard of the benefite they doe to mankinde, which also is manifold. They doe good by the worke wrought, and so they are as the dewe of Heauen, which refresheth

and nourisheth the drie and thirstie land. Surely to a good Christian there is no∣thing more pleasant then to do good. For as he especial∣ly delighteth therein, to please his Maker, so he ex∣ceedingly reioyceth, there∣by to profit his neighbour. They doe good also by ex∣ample, for they come be∣fore men as patternes; their sound goes forth and tels mankinde what should bee done, what may be done; and so they palpably per∣swade men to be followers of them, that are followers of Christ. Againe, workes doe good vnto men, while they are mooued by them, to lift vp their hearts and eyes vnto the heauenly Fa∣ther,

to glorifie him that gi∣ueth such gifts to earthen and corrupted vessels. And whensoeuer God is glorifi∣ed by man, man that glori∣fies him shall be blessed of God; whensoeuer glorie is giuen to God on high, peace and good will shall be be∣stowed on Men below. If these things will not yet mooue vs, at least, let vs pre∣uent the taking away of our candlesticke & the remoo∣uing of it, to a nation that will bring forth more fruite. Let vs preuent the scandall and shame, which we pur∣chase to our selues from the enemies of our Religion. Let vs preuent the vpbray∣ding of Chorazin and Beth∣saida, Finally let vs preuent

that fearefull sentence: I know ye not, depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie. This shall we doe, if wee becom right Christians in whome faith worketh by loue: For the soule that is rooted in Christ, hath from this root, the life of Loue, Diuine, and Humane, which expresseth it selfe outwardly in the fruite of good actions.