74 Thefourtb hSermoñ. petit me ofmy formerfrnnei, and promife before theeeven in thy reamneon' todoe thisor 4M. fnneewer hereafter. SeehereI befeech you thegood profit which a goodchildeofGod,throughGods fpirit, will takeof thisllanderons reproch, after he bath receiued fome godly forrow for gming theoccafionofthat report. Butbeholdethe contrarie worke ofSatan in thelteart ofvn- beleeuers,forhewill foone teach than thisleflbn,and caufe them to fay thus : What? Both thechurleaccufeme without acaufe? Bothhe father fuchavillanous asvpon me,whone- wer deferued it at hishands? furely heShall not fay fo for naught, I will makehis fayings true, andwill doethe thingindeede. Confiderthen this ye that feare theLord, and fee in how fickleahate theydoefundwhich havegiven occafion,and inwhat great dangerthey he tobebroughttocommit the fameor the likefine afterward. Thereforeif any will be Sure tokeepe his goodname,thenmuff hebefore to auoide ?Muchoccafions as mightim- paireand hinder it. And thus much for the fecond ftep wherebywearifeto a goodname. Nere. Thus wehaueheard oftwodegrees toward a good naine, inthe avoidingof mill and the occafionsthereof. And theirindeede hauea great force to flayan euiliname,butfore they benotable tobuild vp agood naine and creditamong men. The thirditep To thefethereforethere muff beadded a third thing,which bath moft fpeciall force for toagoodacme, this purpofe,and that is,thatwebe plentiful) ingood workes.This doth our Saviour Chrift ism beplcni- chargevs to becarefullof ,,when he faith,Let'ourtfitfofhinebeforemen,that theymetyfe:your overgood oodworkc.Manymenrepineatthe oodreportotanother man & the begreatly trued wvsrke ó ' y y t becaufethey themfeluesballot in the like orforte bettercredite.Well,he that will betom- rnended,muft do thethingsthatbe commendable, hemuff do good works,yea hemuffdo goodandpurfue ir.Yea,wemull know that itis not one goodworke,nor two,northree that cangaine vs agood name indeed: but it is requiredatvs,that webe richinwell doing, and Notts. continually giuen to euerygood worke.For asa precious oyntment(Whereto a good name Simile. is compared)is madeofmany and molt excellent flanples:foa good namecannot begotten butbymany andmothexcellent venues. Nowwhen we ferleour felvesaffeEted to good- neffe, thenare wewarily to fee to two things : first, that all ourworkes bedone witha Townies of fimpieand fincereaffe5hion: fecondly,thatthey bedone with good dilcretion. Forwhena loodvvorkes. thing is done vndifcreetly and withoutaduift,st lofech thegrace and beautieof thedeede: andtherefore though thethingbegood, yetno great praifeclothcome ofit, becaufe it was rateiïvellto not donewith good difcretion.Likewifewhen mendo things with finiiter affe6tions,andto tbinea onion, Someother end thento thegloryof God, theydoecommonly lofe thepriceoftheirdoings. emd to the r And hereofit cotnmtth topaffe,thatmanymenwhich dogood works tomeriteby them,or end thouhat to winthefauorofthele fuperiors;ortobeofgood report amongthepeople,ortofomefuch thine bdin 2 other end .when(Ifay)mendothingsto this end,theLord punitheth them withthecontra- ofeuerygood3 rie,andinfteadofdeleruingglorie,hepowrethconfufion vponthem; infteadofhonor,he worke. giueth contempt;and in itead ofriches,beggerir.And albeitmen maypretend theglory of God,andface outtheir wickedneswith a fretscolour,yet theLordwill bringtheirwicked- nesco light. Andtruly it is marueilous to feehowtheLord lamen, follyvpon lochmen: fo that although intheirwifdotne they thinketo bleeretheeyesofall men,yetthe f,mpleSoule clothfee their fhiftsto theirdifcredit.Therefore when thou haftdonewell,and yet arcill re- Goodcounf/ portedof,doenotftraight way ftorineagainft himwhich bath raifed vpthis report agaiuft fe o lftc,11 Cher; neither doe thou osier haftily cleere thy felfe: but rather beforethe Lord examine report. thineowneheart,andfeewithwhataffe& ionthoùhaftdoneit.Andifwelindewickednes in our hearts,then let vs behumbledbeforethe Lord,and know thathebath canted vsthus s to befpokenof: first tocorralvs, andfecondlietotriees. Forwhen the Lord Both fee vs a likeScribesandPharifies Seekingrewards, then he Both punish vswith the lolfeof our la- bour,andwith Shame amongftmen, to fee if therebyhe can bring vsto the fight of our finaes,which beforewe neitherwould nor could fee. Andagainewhen wehaveelms done, hecloth trievs whetherthere be anygoodnes inour hearts, which maymouevsto conti- nueinwell doing, notwithftandingwe be mill fpoken of. Here thenwemay fee what fruite we muttmakeof fuck reports : namely,theymuft first bringvs to a fightand feeling 2 of our (Iona : andfecondly, they mutt caufe vs greatervprtghtnes to continue to well
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