THE HAPPINESSE OF PRACTICE BY SAMVEL VVARD Bachelour in Diuinity and Preacher of Ipswich LONDON Printed for Iohn Marriot and Iohn Grismond and are to be sold at their Shops in Saint Dunstans Church-yard in Fleetstreet and in Pauls Ally at the Signe of the Gunne 1621. Dedicatorie Scriptures I haue handled among you endeuoured to acquaint you with the whole Counsell of God and what is now the top of all my ambition but to make you Doers of what you haue beene Hearers Wherein consists the delight of Husbandman not in his plowing sowing or carting but to see the Furrowes crowned and Barnes filled with the fruit of his labours When we preach we sow the seed when we see good desires then the corne sprouts vp when people begin to doe well then it blades but when they are abundant in good workes then are the eares laden with corne when stedfast and perseuering to the end then are they ripe for Gods barne It was pride in Montanus to ouerweene his Pepuza and Tymium two pelting parishes in Phrygia and to call them Hierusalem as if they had been the onely Churches in the world But this is the commendable zeale of euery true Pastor to adorne his owne Lot and to wish his Garden as the Eden of God Such shall you be if GOD shall please to water the meanes you haue with the dew of his Spirit to continue and increase your loue to hearing and doing to the muzzling of the mouthes of all scoffers and scorners at profession to the ioy crowne and eternall happinesse of your owne soules and such as God hath made watchmen ouer them and of mee the vnworthiest of the rest Samuel Ward THE HAPPINESSE OF PRACTICE IOHN 13. 17. These things if you know happy are you if you doe them THE fastening Nayle of the chiefe Master of the Assemblies the great Shepheards Pegge driuing home and making sure all his former counsels chosen as as a farewell cloze making and leauing a deepe impression of all his deedes and sayings as the last strong and loud knole of a Bell that ends all the Peales going before A Text that puts life into all other Texts vrging the life of them which is the practice of them and is therefore aptly and duly pronounced by many at the end of their Sermons A Sermon vpon which Text the world hath as much neede of as of any one yet extant the multitude of them as Statutes and Proclamations wanting yet one to enforce the obseruation of the rest The necessity of doing was the scope of our Lords last solemne and vncouth action of girding himselfe with a Towell rising from his Magisteriall Seate washing and wiping his Disciples feete Hee had indeede two other by-ends one mysticall intimated in his Dialogue with Peter typifying the great end of his descent from heauen and begirting himselfe with our flesh viz. that hee might totally wash our soules in the Bath of Iustification once for all and partially in the Lauer of Regeneration so often as wee soile our feete in the mire of this world by dayly sinnes of infirmity The other Morall to set his Disciples a patterne of humility and loue stooping to the meanest Offices of mutuall seruice without emulation or affectation of priority which hee foresaw would else bee the bane of their sacred function But his third and most principall ayme was by this his both verball and reall strange kind of lesson to learne them not so much what they knew not as the vse of doing that they knew else would words onely haue serued the turne and not so much adoe haue needed but he first does the things and then expresses his intent These things if you doe c. In this conditionall benediction obserue first the obiect on which Happinesse is conferred and to which it is confined These things Secondly the 2. acts required hereto If you know If you do chiefely the chiefe of them is If you do to which happinesse is foreannexed specially Happy are you if you doe These things The knowledge and practice of these things onely blesseth these maine Arch-mysteries of Faith and these diuine cardinal vertues of loue and humility symbolized in their ablution and not the doing or knowing of all the naturall morall or manuall Sciences in the world besides If one knew all the Circle of learning and knew as was said of Beringarius all that was knowable all the rules of Policy secrets of State mysteries of trading could execute them all yet in his such knowing and doing he might not blesse himselfe were not happy nor so to bee reputed of Christians The right placing or misplacing of Happinesse is the Rudder of a mans life the Fountain of his well or ill doing according to which men take their markes and shoote right or wrong all the actions of their liues He that admireth in his heart and blesseth with his mouth any other Idol of Good in stead of this only true good must needs misse of his end be a miserable man grosly mistaking his markes as silly country people that oftentimes giue termes of Honours and Maiesties to meane persons So doe most people when they transferre this transcendent word and stately thing Happinesse vnto any shadow of skill saue of these things to which it is perpetually restrained in Scriptures Psalme 1. Luke 11. Iames the 1. Insomuch that Christ himselfe was displeased when they bestowed it on the Paps Wombe of his Mother in comparison of hearing and keeping his Fathers will Heere then and heere only is to bee found the lost Iewell of Happinesse which well may we likened to a Stake set vp in the middest of a Field which blinded men groape after to make the beholders sport at their wandrings Augustine tels of a Mountebank that vndertooke in a City of great trading to tell euery man his wish which was in his fallible coniecture to buy cheape and sell deare But here he who hath made and knoweth the hearts of all tels euery man the end of his desire and that which is more shewes him the way of attaining them Those things if you know and if you doe them happy are you This first If prouidently premixed and cautelously presupposed by Christ intimates that knowledge must be the Pilote Guide and Vsher of Practice else superstitious deedes done by roat and randome the blind Whelpes of ignorant deuotion God regards not Good workes the fruits of faith children of a Beleeuer that knowes what he does such are only pleasing in his sight Christ diuinely foresaw the diuelish policy of subtill worldlings that would cry vp practice to cry downe knowledge as cunning Papists wil extol S. Iames to disparage Saint Paul praise good meanings works with an euill eye to hearing Sermons and reading good bookes and carnall Protestants be euer commending reading to disgrace preaching and another sort euer talking of a good heart a good meaning and the power of Religion euer disliking
thy selfe to the rule and say What is this to mee how doe I and that agree Bee not as little children who while they are looking in the Glasse thinke onely it is the babies face and not their owne obserue not in hearing a Sermon the pleasing sound of the Pipe but how thou dancest thereunto in reading of the Scriptures at the end of euery period aske thy heart How doe I practise this or How does this reproofe taxe mee This promise coÌ„fort me When thou art well perswaded to doe any thing resolue throughly to doe it and when resolued dispatch and execute it speedily Fourthly after the Sermon is ended stay not as the common manner is Now the Sermon is done but consider it is not done till thou hast done it after reading and hearing do as men do after dinner sit awhile conâ—oct it by pondering of it digest it and after draw it out into action So doe such as learne Musike or writing they play ouer their Lesson write after the Coppy this I thinke Paul meant when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I exercise my selfe to haue an inoffensiue conscience c. Most erre grosely in the faile of this thinking it enough to retaine it in memory to repeate it ouer seruing diuinity as absurdly as the country-man his Physike who being bidden to take his bill or receit tooke it home and carried it in his pocket and after finding no ease vpon his complaint being directed to take it in posset-Ale put the bill in a Cup but neuer tooke the ingredients prescribed into his body and looke how much good his Physike did him so much good will diuinity doe vs taken into our memories and tongues and no further Fifthly in all thy talke discourses and counsels to others lick first thine owne fingers that wiseman is a foole that is not wise for himselfe and yet many such there bee that can preach and write good bookes like Tusser that wrote well of Husbandry and was the most vnthrifty husband himselfe that euer water wet Sixthly lastly in all thy priuy reckonings with thy selfe which must be duely obserued at the cloze of euery weeke month and yeere lesse and more solemnely obserue what thou hast done consider if thou shouldst keepe a Diary or Iournall as many thriuing Christians doe what acts it would record when I goe out of the world what shall the world say hath this man done singular or memorable Take such accounts of thy selfe dayly as Masters of their Iourni-men and Apprentices as Pharaohs Task-masters of the Israelites Where is the worke done this day lest thou bee as Huntsmen and Faulconers that haue toyled all the day and haue no quarry or roast at night A word of Application IF now at the end of my Sermon my seuerall Hearers and Readers would doe as Saint Iohn Baptists did aske what shall I doe and what shall I doe You haue said much in the generall of Doing What say you in particular to this Nation and to the seuerall conditions of men in it I answere What can I say to these knowing times which hath not beene said before me What new doctrine vnheard of before is it possible for me to broach I will therefore say no more but Do that which you know you should doe If you know that Baal be god if Rome be the Church let vs returne to it againe If you know that Swearing Sabbath-breaking and fashion-following be good things let vs all fall to doe these things But if God hath giuen vs the Truth and the light let vs walke in it and worke by it while it is to Day lest if wee play Reuell and ryot by it the Candlesticke bee remoued and the light put out if purity sanctitie and sobrietie bee knowne to you to bee good things and pleasing to God Happy are you if you doe them Certaine things there are knowne and acknowledged at all hands as meet to be done that an able Minister might be prouided for euery Parish that Popery swearing drunkennes would bee suppressed But why are they euer spoken of and neuer done How did they in superstition maintaine so many idle bellies How was the head of the beast cut off at the first in this nation Is it harder for vs to cut off the friggling tayle of that Hydra of Rome How was the infinit swarme of Rogues and Beggers suppressed by good Lawes Verily nothing is hard to industrious actiue spirits God assisting and now it 's high time and GOD lookes that these things should be done To the Reuerend Clergie and such as carry holinesse in their fronts Let such bee sure to haue Thummim as well as Vrim on their brests their right thumbs and feete anointed with holy oyle as vvell as their right eares their fruitfull Pomgranats on their skirts as well as their Bels to ring and make a sound withall lest they bee as tinckling Cymbals to Gods and mens eares You know better then I can tell you what should be done Happy are you if you doe what you know To Nobles and great Persons It 's not your countenancing of Religion will serue the turne which yet were vvell if many of you would affoord but your practizing of it not the hauing of a Chaplaine to say and doe you such seruice as Ahabs foure hundreth did but a faithfull Michaiah to direct you vvhat God would haue done whom you may heare as Cornelius did Peter with an intent to obey not him but the message hee deliuers out of Gods Booke vnto you To Gentlemen For Gods sake doe something besides Hawking and Hunting liuing vpon your Lands and Patrimonies You haue better meanes of knowing and doing then meaner men Happy if you do vvhat you know To Lawyers and Souldiers I remit you to Saint Iohns counsel which vvill serue you both and happy should they and their Clyents be if they would practise it bee content vvith their vvages and doe no wrong To Merchants and Trades-men If you beleeue there bee a Country and Citie that lyes Eastward a new Ierusalem where there are rich commodities as rich as any in the East Indies send your Prayers and good Workes to factor there for you and haue a stocke imployed in Gods bankes to pauperous and pious vses and thinke of Religion as of tradings that vvill bring no gaine vnlesse diligently followed and practised it 's not a nimble head but a diligent hand that maketh rich In a word to all hearers and goers to Sermons Play not the fooles as most doe heare not to heare goe not to Church as many now adayes doe to Vniuersities and Innes of Court neither to get Learning Law nor money for meere forme or fashion or as boyes goe into the water to play and paddle there only not to wash and be cleane To all sorts I say not a word more but doe that vvhich you know to bee good and happie are you Breuis predicatio longa ruminatio actio perpetua Denique quid verbis opus est spectemur agendo A POSTSCRIPT REader If thou hadst read ouer a Treatise of Physicke Policy Mathematicks or any other mystery earnestly promising thee health wealth or special benefit would'st thou not long till thou hadst made some tryall of it in practice Here if thou wilt be perswaded to doe the like without all If or and Happy shalt thou be To conclude before thou bee tyred consider well much Reading is a wearinesse to the flesh but much Doing a refreshing to the Spirit The generall complaint of the world is that there is no end of making many Bookes because there is little or no fruit in those that reade them but as the grasse on the house top which withers afore it commeth forth whereof the mower filleth not his hand nor the glainer his lap neither they which goe by say The blessing of the Lord be on you or we blesse you in the Name of the Lord. Thou therfore who desirest to be a wise Reader one of a thousand reade to some purpose that is intend of a Reader to become a Doer So shalt thou auert this curse reproch from thee So shall God and man call thee blessed and blessed shalt thou feele thy selfe in so doing Doe them and so hee hath done That layeth no heauier burden on thee then on himselfe nor wisheth other happinesse then to himselfe SA WARD FINIS * QuuÌ„ desideria bona concipimus semen in terram mittimus quum verò opera recta incipimus herba sumus quum ad profectum boni operis crescimus ad spicam peruenimus quum in eiusdem boni operis perfectione solidamur bonum frumentum in spica proferimus Greg. in hom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. l. 5. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In 1. Cor. 1. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodo in Iud. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ruffinus eccles hist. lib. 2. c. 10. Aug. Confes. lib. 9. cap. 9. 1. Vse of reproofe Malint disputare quà m viuere Scire vt sciantur Nummis ad numerandum scientia adsciendum Cum Philosophorum vita miserabiliter pugnat oratio Orig. in Deut. Phil. 3. Greg. Nyssen de nomine Christiani Sic Epicttetus de Philosophia Aug. lib. 4. contra Donat.
all shew and profession of it which if well obserued are the least and worst doers in a Conntry Which Satanicall Sophisme Saint Iames deepely preuents who though the chiefe aime of his Epistle was to vrge Hypocrites to bee Doers and vaine boasters of iustifying faith to iustifie their Faith by their workes yet forelaid this Caueat Be swift to heare Needfull euen in these hearing and knowing times wherein though knowledge couer the earth as waters the Sea yet may the Lord haue iustly a controuersie with the Land or a great number at least in it like dry Rocks in the middest of this Sea who haue not a dramme of sauing and well grounded knowledge But this is but a pre-requisite to the maine thing heere required which happinesse is intendedly fore-placed knowledge being but a step to this turret of Happinesse Happy are you if you doe them Here 's the labour here is the difficultie here is the happinesse in the coniunction of doing with knowing to practise that wee know to performe the duties prescribed in the Gospell to beleeue the things to bee beleeued and to doe the things to be done the summe of Faith and Loue sweetly coupled in this significant ablution of his Disciples feete Three noble ends Diuinitie propounds to her followers the first and greatest Gods Glory the second next to that man 's owne content heere and saluation hereafter the last like to the former the edification and conuersion of our neighbours In the attainment of these is a Christians perfection and happinesse none whereof bare Theorie shall euer more then come neere All three practice ioyned thereto fully apprehends Of these three that must needs be the noblest which God primarily intended in the Reuelation of his will to mankinde and Moses oft tels vs is that wee might obserue to doe them For if as Wolphius reasoneth by a distribution hee had giuen vs his Lawes to preserue onely he safelier might haue committed them to iron Coffers and Marble Pillars if onely to talke and prate of them better to Geese and Parrats if onely for Contemplation to Owles in Iuywoods or to Monks in Cloisters and not to all sorts of people His scope sure was not to make triall of the wits of men who could sharpeliest conceiue nor of their memories who could faithfulliest retaine of their eloquence who could roundliest discourse but of their wils who would most obediently doe them This being his chiefe honour to haue his Throne and command not in the Head and Braines but in the strong holds of their hearts and liues For what shall God reward thee O man but for that which men praise God for in thee Now for admirable gifts of Science and Learning men may admire thee but they giue God thankes onely for the good they receiue from thee The Sunne it selfe if it did not shine giue warmth vnto the creatures were the glorious hiew of it ten times more then it is none would halfe so much blesse God for it The men for whom our heauenly Father is glorified are such vvhose workes shine afore men who warme the loynes of the poore and with their knowledge are an eye to the blinde I can hardly beleeue that God euer made any creature only to behold neither Starre Pearle Flower or feathered fowle onely to shew their glorious outsides but to haue influence vertues and qualities beneficiall to mankinde much lesse a man to know onely or an Art onely to bee knowne but all to his glory and mans seruice which to effect is all the glory of men and Arts. Some Sciences I know in comparison of others more operatiue are tearmed speculatiue but not one of these whose speculation tends and ends not in some operation by which man is profited and God honoured specially Diuinitie vvhich makes vs his workmanship not to knowledge but to good workes to the praise of his grace Who commends a Schoolemaster vvhose Schollers can say and vnderstand their Rules but speake not and write not any good stiles by them A Captaine vvhose Souldiers can skill of Militarie termes and orders vnlesse their Acts and exploits of Warre be sutable Who praiseth an horse that feedes well but is not deedy for the race or trauell speed or length Little saies the Scripture of the learning of the Apostles but much of their Acts. These are the richest and vsuall stiles of commendation in Scripture Moses a man mighty in words and deeds Cornelius a man fearing God and giuing much almes the Centurion vvorthy of fauour for hee hath built vs a Synagogue Dorcas made thus many coats for the poore Gaius the Host of the Church c. such benefactors their workes shall follow them and praise them in the gates heere yea at the great Day obtaine that Come you blessed of my Father for I was naked and you cloathed mee For such men God is blessed of men and such men shall bee blessed of God in their deeds and as the more knowing vvithout doing shall procure the more stripes because God for them is the more blasphemed So the more doing with knowing shall haue double honour because God was doubly honoured in them Behold I come quickly and my reward is in mine hand to giue euery man according to his deedes Blessed are they that doe my commandements If you know them and doe not miserable are you but these things if you know and doe them you are the happiest men liuing The second branch of happinesse vvherein doing hath the aduantage of knowing is in the personall benefit consisting in the present sweetnesse and future gaine accrewing thereby some luscious delight yea a kinde of rauishing doucenesse there is in studying good Bookes ruminating on good notions not vnlike that which is in tasting and swallowing sweet meates vvhich made the Epicure in Aelian wish his throate as long as the Cranes but all the benefit is in the strength and nourishment it breedeth after cōcoction when thoughts breed workes and studies turne into manners vvhen the fatte pasture is seene in the flesh and fleece of the sheepe One Apple of the Tree of Life hath more sweet rellish then ten of the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill vvhich yet vve fondly preferre in our longing euer since our first Parents teeth vvere set on edge therewithall For instance thou findest thine eare tickled vvith an elaborate discourse of temperance but try the practice of it and tell mee if it bring thee not in sundry reall commodities to body and minde beyond a poore auricular transient titillation Were it not for the different energie and efficacie in the heart and life there might be well-neere as much pleasure in reading the witty commendations of folly or pride as in the sound Tractate of wisedome and humilitie I had almost said in the language of fooles in the reading of Sir Philip as Saint Peter All discourses of Faith and Hope are but dry things in comparison of the acts and practice of them which are