And so likewise that Scribe,2 to whom CHRIST said, The Son of Man hath not whereon to lay his head. As if he should have said, It may be thou lookest for ease, for Bed and Board with me, thou lookest for a pleasant life, but it will not be so; I lead not a pleasant life my self, I have not whereon to lay my head; I am not in so good a condition as many Fowls are, as many Beasts are, I have not a nest, I have not a den; that is, I have not that which should be in stead of these to me, and therefore know what thou doest before thou betake thy self to my service. Now men, not considering this, they ⟨p. 8⟩put themselves upon Christ, they take upon them the profession of his Name, before they enter into a serious consideration, and this is it that causeth faith to be uneffectuall: as one speaking of false fortitude,2 names this for one amongst the rest; Many (saith he) are valiant for want of experience: that is, they know not what the wars are, they know not what hardness they must endure, and therefore when they come to feel it, when they come to see what pains they must take, and what they must endure, they shrink: so it is in this; many men enter upon the profession of Christianity, upon that warfare, (for so our profession is called) I say, many enter upon it out of mistake; they understand not what it is, they have not experience of it, they know not how many will come against them, they know not that the force of their enemies is so great, they know not that they have so many thousands to meet them; therefore they undertake the business, they go about the enterprise, and it comes to naught, because they considered not what they did. Therefore, saith Christ, let him that builds a House, set down before what it will cost. That is to say, if a man consider not what CHRIST looks for at his hands, if he consider not before-hand, that, if he will be Christs, he must crucify the flesh, with the affections thereof, that he must deny himself in those things that are dearest to him, he must be content to be hated of all men, this is a ⟨p. 9⟩thing that will go hard. This is that, that a man can hardly endure to be scoffed at, to have every man his enemy, to part with all his friends, to live a despised man, to suffer persecution, that the end of one persecution shou•d be the beginning of another, and the end of one suffering the beginning of another.
And so likewise that Scribe,2 to whom CHRIST said, The Sonne of Man hath not whereon to lay his head. As if hee should haue said, It may be thou lookest for ease, for Bed and Boord with me, thou lookest for a pleasant life, but it will not be so; I leade not a pleasant life my selfe, I haue not whereon to lay my head; I am not in so good a condition as many Fowles are, as many Beasts are, I haue not a nest, I haue not a denne; that is, I haue not that which should bee in steade of these to me, and therefore know what thou doest before thou betake thy selfe to my seruice. Now men, not considering this, they ⟨p. 8⟩put themselues vpon Christ, they take vpon them the profession of his Name, before they enter into a serious consideration, and this is it that causeth faith to be vneffectuall: as one speaking of false fortitude,2 names this for one amongst the rest; Many (saith he) are valiant for want of experience: that is, they know not what the wars are, they know not what hardnesse they must endure, and therefore when they come to feele it, when they come to see what paines they must take, and what they must endure, they shrinke: so it is in this; many men enter vpon the profession of Christianity, vpon that warfare, (for so our profession is called) I say, many enter vpon it out of mistake; they vnderstand not what it is, they haue not experience of it, they know not how many will come against them, they know not that the force of their enemies is so great, they know not that they haue so many thousands to meet them; therefore they vndertake the businesse, they goe about the enterprize, and it comes to naught, because they considered not what they did. Therefore, saith Christ, let him that builds a House, set downe before what it will cost. That is to say, if a man consider not what CHRIST lookes for at his hands, if he consider not before-hand, that, if he will be Christs, he must cr•cifie the flesh, with the affections thereof, that hee must denie himself in those things that are dearest to him, hee must be content to be hated of all men, this is a ⟨p. 9⟩thing that will goe hard. This is that, that a man can hardly indure to be scoffed at, to haue euerie man his enemie, to part with all his friends, to liue a despised man, to suffer persecution, that the end of one persecution shou•d be the beginning of another, and the end of one suffering the beginning of another.
- 2The Scribe. Mat. 8.20. opened.
- 2Note.
