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book_n	holy_a	new_a	testament_n	4,806	5	7.9051	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77788	A golden-chain, or, A miscelany of divine sentences of the sacred Scriptures, and of other authors. Collected, and linked together for the souls comfort. By Edward Bulstrode of the Inner-Temple, Esquire.	Bulstrode, Edward, 1588-1659.	1657 (1657)	Wing B5443; Thomason E1618_2; ESTC R209646	90,388	257

A GOLDEN-CHAIN OR A MISCELANY OF DIVINE SENTENCES Of the Sacred SCRIPTVRES And of other Authors Collected and linked together for the souls comfort By EDWARD BULSTRODE of the Inner-Temple Esquire Lex Christi est Lux Christiana LONDON Printed by F.L. for W. Lee D. Pakeman and G. Bedel and are to be sold at their shops in Fleetstreet 1657 To the RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir Bulstrode Whitlock Knight One of the Lords Commissioners of his Highnesse Treasury and Speaker pro Tempore of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland Right Honourable IT is a generall Scandall upon what grounds I know not thrown upon the Professours of the Law especially in this age that the practicall knowledge of the Lawes of God and of our own Nation do seldome meet together in one person whereby they seem to put an incompatibility of devotion and sanctity into the life of Lawyers whereas Religigion is sutable with all sorts of vocations and he that is not Bonus Theologus as to himself and that does not make Religion his Primum and his Ultimum can never be well fitted for any Profession whatsoever It is true in the Creation God commanded the Plants to bring forth their fruits every one according to its kind and so he commands all Christians who are living Plants of his Church to bring forth fruits of Devotion every one in his quality and vocation For at ought to be differently exercised by different men and the practice of it must be accommodated to the capacity and imployments of each particular person and when Religion is not sutable with the lawfull vocation of any man then without doubt that Religion is false For true Godlinesse is so farr from prejudicing any imployment that it adorns and beautifies it all persons becoming more acceptable in their vocation joyning it with true devotion And as knowledge is the glory of a man so Divine knowledge is the glory of a Christian especially that of sacred Scripture which is most sublime and makes a Christian happy to salvation The Brick and Straw of Egypt is not comparable to the Gold and Silver Vessels in the Temple neither are Divine Instructions borrowed from Humane Learning to be compared with the inestimable value of those golden Precepts contained in holy Scriptures For this cause my Lord have I linckt together this Chain of Golden Sentences out of the holy Scriptures and gathered this handfull of Flowers out of that Garden of Paradise to present to your Lordships hands which if your Lordship please sometimes to smell unto I doubt not but they may yeeld some fragrancy and sweetnesse For the written Word of God affords extraordinary sweetnesse chearing a breast full of perplexities the power of it reforming the disordered lives of men and snatching us from the gates of death to eternity And since God himself in the Old Testament commands us and Christ in the New enjoyns us to read his holy Word and to search the Scripture I have therefore in the first place made choice of those places of Scripture that concern our hearing and reading the word of God the knowledge of which fully understood and conscionably practised is or should be the main and principall end of every true Christians endeavour I have likewise observed the severall texts concerning the severall Books mentioned in Scripture and the difference betwixt the Old and New Testament and of the necessity of the Virtue and the Benefits of Prayer And that we may with more ease digest those inconveniencies and distresses which we have been acquainted with and which do daily threaten worse unto us I have therefore produced severall Scriptures concerning afflictions and the benefit of them if seriously considered For how can a man suffer his heart to be dejected at the privation of any temporall blessings or at the load of any afflictions which God shall lay upon him if he consider the vanity of the first Gods Justice in imposing the last and that nothing is worth his serious thoughts but what may accompany him to the Mansions of Eternity Certainly if we seriously reflect upon the excellency of our own nature and think upon that happy estate which we shall arrive unto if we make the Law of God our meditation day and night we shall then wean and take off our affections from this world the cares whereof do very much clog our souls flight to heaven and tedder us here below I must confesse prosperity is a great blessing of God and duely used is no mean advantage both to ones self and others yet if the hand that gave shall take away we must not repine at what God formerly lent us and thinks not fit any longer to permit us the use of In the next place since our whole life ought to be a continuall preparation for death I have collected many meditations concerning it And since to perform any action well a man must propose the end of that action to himself and since of all mans actions the government of himself in relation to his future estate is most important and neerliest concerning him a mans being in this life being but instrumentally good as being the means for him to be well in the next I have in the last place observed some things concerning the day of Judgement and the happinesse we expect in the life to come For there remains an eternity to us after the short revolution of time we so swiftly run over here on earth and all that which in this world we call happinesse is not valuable in respect of the future nor is any thing we do here considerable otherwise then as it conduceth to our eternall well-being hereafter And thus having given your Lordship an account of this small Tract I must beg your Lordships pardon for putting your name in the Front of it being I fear an undervaluing your Lordship to prefix your name to so slender a piece but it being a right hand errour I hope it will be lookt upon the more favourably by your Lordship my obligations to your Lordship being so many great that I am bereft of all other means of shewing my thankfulnesse but by laying hold of any opportunity of subscribing my self My Lord Your Lordships most faithfull and humble Servant Edward Bulstrode The heads of the following Chapters CHAP. I. TOuching the sacred Word of God with certain directory rules and observations to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding thereof when we read or hear the same And herein is set forth and shewed First How that the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God is a duty and service commanded and enjoyned us by God himself Fol. 1. Secondly How we are to fit and prepare our selves for the due performance of these so religious duties by our prayers unto God for his blessing thereon 5. And herein four observations are set down for our better direction in the reading of the

uncircumcised Jeremiah chap. 6. ver 10. and they cannot hearken It is well observed by one That First It is God and he alone that fitteth and prepareth the eares of all to hear aright his word preached unto them He openeth the eares of men Job chap. 33. ver 16. and sealeth their instructions Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire Psalm 40. ver 6. mine eares hast thou opened Secondly It is God and he alone that openeth the heart as he did the heart of Lydia and doth as it were dig delve and prepare the same to receive the word preached as seed sown in good ground that so it may take deep root downwards and bring forth good fruit upwards for the amendment of our lives and salvation of our souls And a certain woman named Lydia Acts chap. 16. ver 14. a seller of purple of the City of Thyatyra which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul But that Luke chap 8. ver 15. on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Thirdly It is God and he alone that doth blesse our memories with a retentive faculty to keep and retain the word which we hear preached unto us Fourthly It is God and he alone that enlightens and illuminates our understandings and sanctifieth our affections by the powerfull operation of his holy Spirit in us thereby enabling us to put in practice in our lives and conversations that which we have heard preached unto us And all this thus wrought in us for the comfort and salvation of our soules in and through Christ Jesus our blessed Lord and Saviour We must likewise take heed what we hear and how we hear Thirdly The powerfulnesse of Gods word and the benefits we have thereby We are both in our reading and hearing of the word of God and in our meditations thereon to take into our serious consideration the powerfulnesse of the word of God and the great and unspeakable benefits we receive thereby divers wayes manifested unto us by these ensueing places of Scripture In sacra scriptura quicquid docetur Hugo libro 3. de anima veritas quicquid praecipitur bonitas quicquid promittitnr faelicitas est Nam Deus veritas est sine fallacia bonitas sine malitia faelicitas sine miseria ut Hugo libro 3. de anima In the holy Scripture Hugo whatsoever is taught is truth whatsoever is commanded is goodnesse and whatsoever is promised is happinesse For God is truth without falshood goodnesse without malice and happinesse without misery as Hugo well observeth in his third book of the soul Sacra Scriptura S. Gregory in moral tanto plus diligitur quanto amplius meditatur ut inquit St. Gregory in moral The holy Scripture is so much the more loved of us by how much the more we do meditate therein S. Gregory as St. Gregory observeth Doctrina scripturae perfecta est Piscator fol. 22. cap. 14. omnia scilicet tradens qua ad verum Dei cultum ad aeternam nostram salutem sunt necessaria ut Piscator fol. 22. cap. 14. The doctrine of the scripture is perfect Piscator that is to say shewing unto us all things necessary both to the due worship of God and our own eternall salvation Finis seu scopus Dei in scriptura Piscator fol. 22. cap. 13. est crudire populum suum de recto cultu sui vera hominis faelicitate perfecta est tradens omnia quae sunt ad istum scopum assequendū necessaria ut Piscat fol. 22. cap. 13. The end and purpose of God in the scriptures is to instruct his people and children in the true Piscator and right worship of him as also in the happinesse of man and the same is likewise perfect teaching us all things which are necessary to the attaining unto of that end Doctrina scripturae certo vera est Piscator quippe ab instinctu Spiritus sancti profectus erroneum igitur necesse est quicquid cum eo pugnat ut Piscator fol. 22. cap. 18. The doctrine of the Scripture is certainly true because it proceedeth from the instinct and inspiration of the holy Spirit of God and therefore it falleth out that whatsoever is repugnant thereunto must needs be erroneous A good encouragement for all to read the scriptures An excouragement to read the Scriptures In scripturis abundat quod robustus comedat quod parvulus sugat In the scriptures there is such abundance Fulgentius as that strong men may there find meat to eat and the weak young suckling may there also find fitting food for him to suck on as Fulgentius observeth Divinus sermo sicut mysteriis prudentes exercet sic plerunque superficie simplices refovet Habet in publice unde parvulos nutriat servat in secreto Gregory Epist ad Leande unde mentes sublimium admiratione suspendat ut Gregory Epist ad Leandr The word of God as in mysteries doth exercise the wise so in a superficiall way of knowledge it doth comfort and refresh the weak and simple It hath in common whereby it may nourish the young ones and it keeps in secret that whereby it may hold in suspence with admiration the mindes of the sublimate and learned as Gregory observeth in his epistle to Leander And again as the same Authour observeth Gregory Epist ad Leande It is a deep and yet a shallow foord Ubi agnus ambulat ubi clephas natat where the Lambe may wade and where the greatest Elephant may swimme Or where the weakest in knowledge and understanding may find much comfort and where the greatest and most profound scholar may find matter enough to work upon For since I spake Jeremiah cha 20. ver 8.9 I cried out I cried violence and spoil because the word of the Lord was made a reproch unto me and a derision daily Then I said I will not make mention of him any more nor speak any more in his name But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Is not my word like as fire Jeremiah cha 23. ver 29. saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word Hear the word of the Lord Isaiah cha 66. ver 2.5 ye that tremble at his word My word shall not return unto me void Isaiah cha 55. ver 11. but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it The word of God called a sword Revelation chap. 19. ver 21. which sword proceeded out of his

set and the books were opened But thou O Daniel Daniel cha 12. ver 4. shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased And these shall go away into everlasting punishment Matthew cha 25. ver 46. but the righteous into life eternall For the hour is coming John chap. 5. ver 28 29. in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Let them be blotted out of the book of the living Psalm 69. ver 28. and not be written with the righteous He that overcometh Revelation chap. 3. ver 5. the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confesse his name before my father and before his angels And I entreat thee also Philippians ch 4. ver 3. true yoke-fellow help these women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life And it was given unto him Revelation ch 13. ver 7 8. to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world The beast that thou sawest was Revelation chap. 17. ver 8. and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder and whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is And I saw the dead small Revelation ch 20. ver 12 13. and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works And death Revelat. chap. 20. ver 14 15. and hell were cast into the lake of fire And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecie Revelat. chap. 2 r 2. ve 19. God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book Books named in the Scripture and not to be found as namely Is not this written in the book of Iasher the marginall note of an old Bible Ioshua chap. 10. ver 13. being as some read it In the book of the righteous meaning Moses The Chaldee text reading In the book of the Law But it is like that it was a book thus named which is now lost All this in the marginall notes of an old Bible As it is written in the book of Iasher 2 Samuel cha 11. ver 18. or righteous as the marginall note is Wherefore it is said in the book of the warres of the Lord Numbers chap. 21. ver 14. or of the battels which by a marginall note in an old Bible seemeth to be the book of the Iudges or a book which is lost Concerning the acts of David the king behold 1 Chron. chap. 29. ver 29. they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer The marginall note in an old Bible is that the books of Nathan and Gad are thought to have been lost in the captivity And there shall in no wise Revelation ch 21. ver 27. enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination nor maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambes book of life There is as One well observeth a two fold Book of God as namely First there is Liber Providentiae that is the Book of Gods Providence whereby we are taught to know our duties to God and to referre our selves and all our actions to his Divine Providence and mercy and to use his good blessings on us bestowed to his glory All which if we thus do we shall then receive all things necessary in this world and life eternall in the world to come But if we are disobedient and do contrary to all this then there is a second Book which will be opened against us as namely Secondly there is Liber Judicii the Book of Gods Judgement whereby we shall receive all the Judgements of God therein mentioned and pronounced against the wicked and disobedient Then shall the king say unto them Matthew cha 25. ver 34. on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then shall he say also unto those Matthew cha 25. ver 41. on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels It is observed by a Father That there is another book and that is called Codex Conscientiae the book of a mans conscience St. Chrysostome observeth thus much S. Chrysostom sc That Conscientia est codex in quo quotidiana nostra peccata rescribuntur The Conscience is a book in the which our daily sinnes and offences are writ down registred and recorded against us as S. Chrysostome observeth And as touching Conscience There is a Threefold quality of the Conscience Of Conscience as One observeth as namely First Testificare de praeterito that is to bear testimony and witnesse of what is done by us and past Secondly Accusare vel excusare to accuse us of what we have done or else to excuse us Thirdly Solvere vel ligare That is either to let us loose or else to bind us fast up For when the Gentiles Romans chap. 2. ver 14.15.16 which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel Conscientia est quasi cordis scientia S. Bernard ut S. Bernard The conscience is as it were the very knowledge of the heart By strength stratagems and policy men do overcome their enemies But God