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A33339
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A mirrour or looking-glasse both for saints and sinners held forth in about two thousand examples wherein is presented as Gods wonderful mercies to the one, so his severe judgments against the other collected out of the most classique authors both ancient and modern with some late examples observed by my self : whereunto are added the wonders of nature and the rare ... / by Sa. Clark ...
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Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing C4549; ESTC R22652
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370,512
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672
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brought them by degrces to much holinesse and devotion to much justice and unity amongst themselves by which means for a time they enjoyed great tranquillity Plut. Alexanders Macedonians being sensible of his displeasure laid by theit Armes put on mourning apparel came running in Troops to his Tent where for almost three daies together they remained with loud cryes and abundance of teares testifying their remorse for offending him and beseeching his pardon which at last they obtained How much more should we repent of and mourn for offending God and implore his pardon c CHAP. XCV Scriptures the Word of God Not to be profaned ALL Scripture is divinely inspired 2 Tim. 3. 16. And holy men spake as they were acted and carried thereunto by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets Luke 1. 70. we speak saith Paul not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2. 13. and that both for matter as v. 12. and words These are the very sentences yea notions that were writien of old in the mind of God and are now clothed with his own very terms and expressions though by some of his servants he hath uttered himself more loftily by some in a lower Language according to the several abilities of the speakers and capacity of the hearers Arguments à posteriori to prove the Divinity of the Scriptures are The venerable antiquity matchlesse majesty lively efficacy beautiful harmony incorrigible purity invincible perennity and continuance of them mauger the injury and iniquity of times and Tyrants who have sought to suppressc them Besides the confirmation by Miracles confession of Martyrs destruction of oppugners fulfilling of Prophecies consent of Churches yea assent of adversaries As first of Hereticks who in oppugning of Scriptures do yet alledge Scripture to their own utter destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Secondly of Jewes Gods Library-keepers as St Augustine cals them who studiously read and curiously kept the Books of the Old Testament by a singular Providence of God for our benefit and behoof 3. Many Heathens have sealed to the truth of the Scripture by their testimonies and confirmed them to be Divine Porphyry testifieth that Moses hath written the History of the Law truly Numenius the Pythagorist recites Moses's History almost word for word testifying that he was a great Divine But we have better testimonies both outward and inward That without us is First The Scripture testifying of it self and we know its testimony is true because it 's the Word of that God that can as soon die as lie Hence Moses so often saith I am the Lord And the Prophets Thus saith the Lord The Evangelists Jesus said The Apostles I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you The truth is the best proof of the Scripture is to be fetched out of it self whence also it 's called Light Psal. 119. 105. because it discovers it self and the Testimony of the Lord because it beares witnesse to it self and this it doth not authoritativè onely by an inartificial argument but ratiocinativè by sound reasons whether we look to the Pen-men of the Scripture the subject matter of the Scripture or the admirable effects thereof The Pen-men besides their divine vocation mission and inspiration were plain men poor men shepherds neat-herds fishers Publicans c. neither eloquent Orators nor cunning headed Politicians to art out an Imposture nor witty enough to deceive Act. 4. 13. Adde hereunto their impartial faithfulnesse in relating the naked truth though to the discredit as it might seem of themselves and their best friends Moses repeats the sin and doom of his grandfather Levi of his brother Aâ—ron and sister Miriam nay of himself how he sinned and was sentenced at the waters of strife David shames himself in his preface to the 51. Psalm Isaiah tells the world of the wickednesse of Ahaz and weaknesse of Hezekiah his natural Princes Ezekiel makes honorable mention of Daniel his coetaneous and Peter of Paul though he took him up publickly for halting at Antioch I was a blasphemer an oppressour a persecutor saith that blessed Apostle whereby we see that it 's free from partiality and flattery Secondly For the matter of the Scripture it 's proved to be the Word of God By the Majesty of it which besides the stately plainnesse of the stile far surpasseth the creatures capacity the fathom of flesh and reach of reason There is no jot or tittle of it that savours of earthlinesse Every word of Gods mouth is pure precious and profitable not a syllable superfluous The very majesty of the sentence is such as cannot be conceived and yet it 's alwaies more powerful in matter then in words It sets forth such an admirable concurrence of Gods mercy and Justice in mans Redemption by the man Christ Jesus as no creature could possibly contrive or if they could yet certainly would not Not good men or Angels for they would never have put upon the world such a notorious imposture Not evil men or Devils for it crosseth and controlleth their contrary courses and condemnes them to the pit of hell It utterly overturns the Devils Kingdome who therefore sharply eggeth and edgeth all his instruments against it yea and tempteth better men sometimes to doubt of it whereas if it were forged and false he would like a liar as he is foment and fight for it promote and propagate it as he doth Turcisme and Paganisme and other falshoods abroad in the world though never so absurd and impious Lastly look upon its admirable effects and irresistible power to effect the thing whereunto it 's appointed as to break the stubborn to binde up the broken-hearted c. Not onely to inform as other writings but to reform yea transform the soul from glory to glory till it be wholly conformed to that heavenly pattern Adde hereunto that it 's effectual for the conversion of a sinner from the errour of his way Not from errour of his mind onely but of his manners also For the mind may be thorowly convinced and yet the man not truly converted yea and when the spirit feeles it self dead and decayed as by a relapse into some foul sin this good Word revives it as the breath of God did those dry bones in Ezekiel Humane writings may shew some faults to be avoided but give no power to amend them But Now are ye clean by the Word that I have spoken saith Christ Sanctifié them by thy truth thy Word is truth Philosophie may civilize not sanctifie hide some sins not heal them cover not cure them So then the efficacy and virtue of the Scripture to produce the love of God and our enemies to purifie the heart to pacifie the conscience to rectifie the whole both constitution and conversation of a man to take him off from the delights of the world and the flesh to make him glory in afflictions sing in the flames triumph over
to wars neither King nor people could undertake them Plut. CHAP. LXXXV Persecution Persecute Persecutor COmplained of Job 19. 22. Psal. 10. 2. 69. 26. 71. 11. 119. 86 157 161. 143. 3. Lam. 4. 19. Christ is persecuted in his members Act. 9. 4 5. 22. 7 8. Phil. 3. 6. Rev. 12. 13. Prayed against Psal. 7. 1. 31. 15. 35. 3 6. 142. 6. Flight in persecution Matth. 10. 23. 23. 34. Act. 11. 19. It 's to be patiently born Matth. 5. 10 c. Joh. 15. 20. Rom. 12. 14. 5. 2. 1 Cor. 4. 12. Rom. 8. 35. 2 Cor. 12. 10. Persecutors cursed and threatned Psal. 119. 84. Deut. 30. 7. Jer. 17. 18. Neh. 9. 11. Psal. 7. 13. Jer. 15. 15. 20. 11. Their acts and nature They are said to grieve and shoot at Gen. 49. 23. to hunt the soul 1 Sam. 24. 11. to pursue 1 Sam. 25. 29. to beset round Psal. 22. 12. to waste and devour Psal. 80. 13. to consult against Psal 83. 3. Mad and sworn against Psal. 102. 2. to plow on the back Psal. 129. 3. to hate and cast out Isa. 66 5. to tread down Jer. 12. 10. to rebuke with reproach Jer. 15. 15. 20. 8. to destroy Jer. 50. 1. to chase Lam 3. 52. to cut off life Lam. 3. 35. to hunt mens steps Lam. 4. 18. Pricking briers Ezek. 28. 24. to tear Amos 1. 11. Foxes Wolves Luk. 13. 32. Joh. 10. 12. Act. 20. 19. to breathe threatenings Act. 9. 1. Beasts 1 Cor. 15. 32. exceeding mad Act. 26. 11. to waste Gal. 1. 13. abuse shamefully 1 Thess. 2. 2 to trouble the Church 2 Thess. 1. 6. Antichrists 1 Joh. 2. 18. to war with Rev. 12 17. drunk with blood Rev. 17. 6. Prudentius saith That their names that are written in red letters of blood in the Churches Kalender are written in golden letters in Christs Register in the book of Life Constantine the Great used often to kisse the hollow of old Paphnutius his eye which he had lost for the cause of Christ in the precedent times of Persecution Valentinian a godly Emperor was so highly offended with his brother Valence for persecuting the Orthodox Christians that he denyed to afford him help against the Goths when they invaded his Dominions saying That it was an impious thing to strengthen the hands of a man who had spent his daies in warring against God and his Church Theod. When there was a consultation held at Rome whether Carthage should be demolished yea or no Scipio perswaded the Senators to let it stand lest the people of Rome should want an occasion or object whereon to exercise their valour So God could soon destroy all the persecuting enemies of his Church but he rather suffers them to live that they may be for the exercise of his peoples wisdom faith zeal constancy courage patience and the whole Panoplie of Grace in them See more in my two Martyrologies CHAP. LXXXVI Honesty Piety Holinesse Godlinesse EXhorted to 1 Tim. 6. 11. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. 3. 11. Numa Pompilius made a Law amongst the Romans That men should not serve the gods as they passed by or were in haste or did any other businesse but that they should worship and pray to them when they had time and leysure and all other businesses set apart He himself did so firmly put his confidence in them that on a time being told that his enemies were in Armes coming against him he answered At ego rem divinam facio But I am sacrificing to the gods Plut. The Romans having taken the rich City of Veia decreed out of the spoiles to make and send a Cup of massie gold to Apollo at Delphos but when little gold was found in Rome the Souldiers having embezelled it the Roman wives voluntarily out of their devotion brought in all their Jewels with which they made a cup that weighed eight Talents in recompence whereof the Senate ordained that women should be openly praised in funeral Orations which was never used before Plut. When Brennus with his Gaules had overthrown the Romane Army and drew neer to the City most of the people fled out of it and amongst the rest the Vestal Nunnes with their holy fire and as they were going on foot Lucius Albinus one of the common people flying also together with his wife children and best of his goods whom he carried in a cart who seeing the Vestals wearied with carrying their sacred reliques caused his wife and children to alight and threw his goods out of the cart which he gave to the Vestals choosing rather to hazard the losse of all that was dear to him then that those holy things should miscarry Plut. Agesilaus King of Sparta a brave Captain and Commander was wonderful religious and addicted to the services of the gods and so carefull of his oathes that his very enemies having once his oath for any thing thought themselves more secure thereby then if they had been tyed together by any bonds of friendship He reverenced the Temples of the gods even amongst his enemies and would never suffer them to be punished that fled to them for refuge Plut. Pub. Scipio Africanus was of so devout a disposition that he would never undertake any businesse but first he would go to the Capitol and there sit before Jupiter with great devotion as it were to know his mind about it Aur. Victor Agesilaus King of Sparta in all his warres would never suffer the Temples of the gods though amongst his enemies to be injured but alwaies restrained his Souldiers from plundering or profaning of them saying Quòd existimaret divina auxilia non minûs in hostili quà m amico solo imploranda esse That he esteemed that divine help was as necessary and as much to be sought abroad amongst his enemies as at home amongst his friends Xenophon Antiochus King of Syria besieging Hierusalem there fell out the Jewes feast of Tabernacles whereupon they sent out Ambassadours to him intreating him to grant them a truce of seven daies whilest they attended upon the service of God The King did not onely grant their request but sent them also bullocks with gilded hornes and a great quantity of incense and sweet perfumes which he caused at the City gates to be delivered to the Priests with which act of piety the Jewes were so overcome that they made peace with him and yielded up their City to him Lipsius Pausanias King of Sparta and at that time Captain General of all the Grecians in that notable fight against the Persians at Platea when the Persian Army pressed upon him and provoked him to fight he would not suffer a blow to be given till he had consulted with the gods His enemies interpreting his delay to proceed from cowardise pressed more upon him and slew some of his men yet neither then would he suffer them to stirre till he had an auspicious answer after which he obtained a glorious victory over