reversed but stand for ever In this world God judgeth men sometimes mediately sometimes immediately which is the first judgement from which men may appeal by repentance to his mercy-seat but this the last judgement once for all once for ever in which men receive their final their eternal doom Ioh. 11. 24. Here Iacob appeals from Laban to an higher tribunal Gen. 31. 53. And David from Saul to the King of Kings The Lord judge between me and tâ—ee 1 Sam. 24. 12. Psa. 17. 2. And Paul appeals from Festus to Caesar I stand at Caesars judgement seat Act. 25. 10. But then there can be no appeal to an higher Court no writ of error can be brought no arrest of judgement no second hearing obtained The sinner condemned to eternal death then is gone for ever no pardon no not so much as a Reprieve can be procured for one hour The Saint absolved and declared an heir of eternal life is blessed for ever he shall be beyond all fear all doubts in himself above all shot all opposition from others In this life Niniveh was threatned Niniveh repented and Niniveh was â—pared the sentence pronounced was not executed at least it was respited but then every sinner will repent weep and wail but repentance will be hid from the eyes of the Judge all their tears will be in vain when they are cast then they are gone for ever To provoke thee to holiness 4. Consider The felicity of the godly at that day O with what joy will they lift up their heads when that day of their redemption is come This life is the day of their oppression and persecution but that day will be the day of their redemption At this day they are troubled and vexed with a tempting Devil and deceitful hearts and false proud unbeleiving flesh but that will be the day of their redemption from them all No wonder they love the appearing of Christ and look and long for his appearing when it will be the day of their redemption and time of their refreshing â—rom the presence of the Lord. When thousands and millions shall howl and lament When the Oratour will be silenced and have his mouth stopped When the Souldier that durst venture into the mouth of the Cannon and dare death it self shall play the Coward and seek for any hole to hide himself in when the Captains and Kings and Nobles shall call to the Rocks to fall on them and the Mountains to cover them from the presence of the Lord and the wrath of the Lamb even then the godly shall sing and rejoyce 1. Their godliness will then be mentioned to their eternal honour As God hath a bag for mens sins Thou sealest up mine iniquities in a bag so he hath a book for their services A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name Then all their prayers and tears their watchings fastings faith love zeal patience almes imprisonment loss of goods name liberty life for Christ and the Gospel will be manifested to their honour and praise and glory at the coming of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 7. Mat. 25. 34 53. 2. Their names will be then vindicated With the resurrection of bodies there shall also be a resurrection of names Now indeed the throats of wicked men are open Sepulchres wherein the credit of the godly is buried Ioseph is an Adulterer Nehemiah a Traytour Ieremiah a Rebel against the King Paul a mover of sedition a pestilent fellow and one that turned Christian for spite because the High Priest would not give him his Daughter in Marriage but when the Sea and Death and Hell shall give up their dead then shall the throats the open Sepulchres of wicked men give up the names of the godly Then their righteousness shall be cleared as the Sun and their uprightness as the noon day 3. Their persons shall be then publiquely acquitted They shall be cleared by publique proclamation before God Angels and Men. Hence it 's said Their sins shall be blotted out when the time of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord. The sentence of Absolution passed in their conscience by the Spirit at this day is sweet and puts more joy into their hearts then if all the Crowns and Scepters of this world had befallen them but O how comfortable will it be to be declared just by the Judge himself before the whole world at that solemn and imperial day They may then ring that challenge Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8. 33. And none will accept it or take up the Gantlet Who Shall God whose Children and Chosen they are No It is God that justifieth Shall the Iudge No It is his undertaken-work to present them to the Father without spot or wrinckle or any such thing He hath washed them in his own blood and made them as white as innocent Adam or Angels He was judged for them and will not passe judgement against them He cannot condemne them but he must condemne himself for they are his members his body his brethren bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Shall the Law No They have fully answered all its demands superabundantly satisfied it through their surety both in perfect obedience to all its precepts and undergoing its punishment What the Law saith either in regard of commanding compleat subjection or cursing for the omission of it it saith to them that are under the Law but they are not under the Law but under Grace Shall Conscience No Next to God and Christ its their best friend as Christ pleads for them to his father so Conscience pleads for them to themselves This is their rejoycing the testimony of good Consciences that in simplicity and godly sincerity they had their conversations in this world 2 Cor. 1. 12. Shall Satan No The accuser of the brethren will be then cast down and his place will be found no more in Heaven then then those blessed promises will be performed The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head and the God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet 4. The Saints happiness will be then perfected and he shall never know more what sin or sorrow meaneth or what want of Gods favour or doubt of Christs love or defect of joy and comfort meaneth The Christian hath so much laid out upon him in this world Vocation Adoption Pardon Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost hopes of Glory that in the worst condition that Men and Devils can plunge him into he finds cause to say Yet God is good to Israel to them that are of a clean heart but then when he shall enjoy all that is laid up for him and know the full extent of Gods promises to him the all of Christs purchase for him and the utmost reward of his piety then surely he will cry out with the Psalmist O how great is that goodness which thou hast laid up for them
Murthers and Adulteries and Blasphemies and Prophaness of wicked men cry aloud in mine ears that God is patient The persecutions and oppressions and prayers and cries and tears of good men proclaim to my conscience that God is patient The Sabbaths and Ordinances and seasons of grace and offers of pardon and life which both good and bad enjoy speak plainly and distinctly The Lord is patient O that mine eyes could see it mine ears hear it my mouth taste it my mind discern it and my soul rellâ—sh it in all these O thou beautiful beam darted from the Sun of Righteousness that callest poor mortals to life when they are at the brink of death thou that art the wonder of glorious Angels and glorified Saints be thou unto me as a bundle of myrrhe and a cluster of camphire always unto me let me love thee much for my own sake because thou hast done so much for me but most for the Lords sake because he is all in all unto me Well O my soul how wilt thou requite the kindness thou hast received from this Patience of thy God! When Ahashuerus an Heathen had read and considered how Mordecai had saved his life by discovering the two trayrours that sought to lay hands on the King he cried out What honour hath been done to Mordecai for this and could take no rest till he had given him some signal honour Thou hast read for thy whole life is a Book written within and without with it how the Patience of thy God hath saved thy life the life of thy soul when sin and Satan conspired together to take it away now wilt thou not say within thy self What honour hath been done to the patience of God for this and be unsatisfied till thou hast done it some honour for this good office it hath done thee What love doth that friend deserve who saves thy life What esteem doth that hand of pity merit that keeps thee out of the bottomless pit What thanks is that Messenger worthy of that brings thee a condemned sinner certain news of a reprieve and great hopes of a pardon Surely the respect thou owest to the patience of God which doth as much for thee as all this should be very great especially considering thy disrespects formerly to the God of Patience have been very grievous Lord I acknowledge I have formerly much abused thy patience uâ—ing it as an encouragement to prophaness and turning thy grace into wantoness but now through thy strength I will no longer despise the riches of thy forbearance but be led through thy goodness to repentance I know thou intendest it as a City of refuge to the penitent not as a sanctuary to the presumptuous O let me never make it a pillow for an hard heart but a plaister for a wounded spirit Let this servant of thine and friend of mine obtain his errand and accomplish the end for which thou hast sent him Thou sparest me here that thou might spare me hereafter thou waitest upon me that thou mightst be gracious unto me and art long-suffering because not willing that any should perish but that all might come to repentance O that therefore I might wait upon thee in all thy providences and ordinances for grace that so thy long-suffering may be unto me salvation Thou hast told me Though the sinner live an hundred years and God prolong his days yet it shall not go well with the wicked His preservation is but a reservation to the sorer and greater destruction Though thou sufferest long thou wilt not suffer always and when thou strikest impenitent ones the slowness of thy pace will be recompenced in the heaviness of thy hand The longer the child of vengeance is in the womb of the threatning the bigger it groweth and the more pain it will put the sinner to when it cometh to the birth of its execution O how dreadful will my doom be when thou comest to reckon with me for all thy patience if I do not at this day prevent it by repentance If thy patience do not now make me bend hereafter it will make me bleed It s a sweet friend but a bitter enemy No fury like that which is extracted out of abused patience T were far better to be sent from the Mothers breasts to everlasting burnings then to live many years at the charge of patience and then to die impenitent If I cause thee to suffer long now in vain thou wilt cause me to suffer long in the other world and the more dreadfully for thy long-suffering in this Since thou art gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness O take me not away in thy long-suffering but give me to mind in this day of thy patience the things that concern mine everlasting peace that I may to eternity give thee honour and praise for thy wondrous and boundless patience Amen CHAP. VI. How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness on a Week-day from Morning to Night FOurthly Thy duty is to exercise thy self to Godliness every Week-day I have spoken in the first part how a Christian may make Religion his business on a Lords-day I shall therefore in this place discover how he may do it on a Week-day Every day with a godly man is an holy Sabbath to the Lord Godliness is not his holy days or high days but every days work and his exercise every part of every day I have enclined my heart to keep thy statutes not by fits and starts but always unto the end Psa. 119. 112. The Flower called Heliotropium or Turn-sol turneth its face towards the Sun from morning to night so doth the true Christian towards the Sun of righteousness The Command of God is Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Prov. 23. 17. And the carriage of holy men is answerable hereunto The twelve Tribes served God instantly day and night Act. 26. 7. As the Angels though they are imployed up and down in the world for the service of the Saints yet they always behold the face of their Father so the Children of God though they are occupied about civil and natural actions are called hither and thither as their occasions are yet they pass the whole time of their soâ—journing here in fear That Watch is naught that goeth onely at first winding up and standeth still all the day after that mans religion is little worth that like Epâ—raims goodness is as a morning cloud or dew which vanisheth away ere noon The Rivers run ever towards the Sea notwithstanding that hills and rocks and mountains interpose and force them to their winding Maeanders nay their compass about is not without profit for they water those grounds in their passage through which they seemed to wander The person that hath the living water of grace in him is always tending towards the Ocean of his happiness notwithstanding his seeming diversions by his worldly actions and particular vocation nay he is doing good
Morning prayer is the key of the day which openeth the treasury of divine bounty and locketh the soul up in safety A Prayerless person goeth all day unarmed and may expect many wounds from that hellish crew that lye always in ambush to destroy him The neglect of this pass gives Satan a great advantage to take the City When Saul had left off calling at Heavens gate the next time you hear of him is knocking at a Witches at the Divels door Prayer is one of the great ordinances that batters down the strong holds of the Devil hence he sets his wits at work to divert men from it It is the Souls armour and Satans terrour he that knoweth how to use this holy spell aright need not fear but he shall fright away the Devil himself The Lord Jesus when he marcht out against the powers of darkness and was to fight with them hand to hand armed himself before-hand with prayer Luk. 3. 21 22. not onely for his own protection but also for a pattern to us Every day we walk in the midst of enemies which are both mighty and crafty and will watch all advantages to undo us and should we go amongst them without prayer we are sure to become their prey It s too late to wish for weapons when we are engaged in a Battel Caesar cashierd that Souldier who had his armour to furbish and make ready when he was called to fight The moral of the Fable is good The Boar was seen whetting his Teeth when no enemy was near to offend him and being asked the reason why he stood sharpening his weapons when none was by to hurt him he answered It will be too late to whet them when I should use them therefore I whet them before danger that I may have them ready in danger Another duty that concernes thee in secret is to read some portion of the Word of God The Work-man must not go abroad without his Tools The Scripture is the Carpenters Rule by which he must square his building the Tradesmans Scales in which he must weigh his commodities The Travellers Staff which helpeth him in his journey There is no acting safely unless we act scripturally Bind it continually upon thy heart and tie it about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou wakest it shall talk with thee For the commandement is a lamp and the law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life Prov. 6. 21 22 23. The Lawyer hath his Littleton or Cook which he consulteth The Physitian hath his Galen or Hippocrates with which he adviseth The Scholar haâ—h his Aristotle The Souldier his Caesar And the Christian his Bible that Book of Books to which all those Books are but as a course list to a fine cloth and scarce worthy to be wast paper for the Binder to put before this to shelter it This will teach the Lawyer to plead more effectually then Cicero when undertaking the cause of Quintâ—â— Ligarius one of Caesars enemies he did by the power of his Oratory make Caesar his Soveraign to tremble and often to change colour and when he described the Battel of Pharsalia caused him to let his books fall out of his hand as if he had been without spirits and life and forced him against his will to set Ligarius at liberty this will teach him so to plead as to prevail with and overcome God himself This will teach the Physitian to work greater cures then ever AEsculapius wrought to produce more strange and rare effects then the most powerful natural causes The Weapon-salve and most extraordinary cures that ever have been wrought are nothing to the healing a vitiated nature by the spirit and a wounded conscience by the blood of Christ which have been frequently done by the Word of God It hath opened the eyes of the blind abated the dropsie of pride softned the stone in the heart stopped a bloody issue of corruption healed the falling-sickness or back-sliding and raised the dead to life He sendeth his Word and healeth them Psa. 107. 20. The waters issuing out of the Sanctuary are healing waters Ezek. 47. 9. This will teach the Scholar to know more then the greatest Naturalists or then the Delphick Oracle could enable him to though it told him his duty even to know himself It is a Glass clean and clear wherein he may plainly see the spots and dirt and deformity of his heart and life It will teach him to know the only true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath seâ—t whom to know is life eternal This will teach the Souldier how to war a good warfare how to fight the Lords Battails against the Prince of Darkness and all his adherents and over all to be more then a Conquerour There is no Guide no Counsellor no Shield no Treasure among all the Books that ever were written comparable to the Scripture It is reported that a certain Iew should have poisoned Luther but was happily prevented by his Picture which was sent to Luther with this warning from a faithful friend That he should take heed of such a man when he saw him by which Picture he knew the Murtherer and escaped his hands the Word of God discovereth the face of those lusts in their proper colours which lie ready in our callingsâ— in all companies in our goings out and comings in to defile us and which Satan would employ to destroy us By them is thy servant forewarned saith David Psa. 19. 11. By reading and applying it we may know their visage and prevent their venome by the words of thy mouth I have kept my self from the paths of the destroyer Cyprian would let no day pass without reading of Tertullian nor Alexander without reading somewhat in Homer Shall the Christian let a morning pass without an inspection into the Word of Christ As God commanded Moses to come up into the Mount early in the morning with the two Tables in his hand So Reader he commandeth thee to give him a meeting every morning with the two Testaments in thy hand After the refreshment of nature about which I have given thee directions else-where and therefore shall omit it here it will be requisite that thou shouldst call thy family together and worship the blessed God with them Our Relations namely Children and Servants have mercies bestowed on them wants to be supplied dangers to be prevented natures to be sanctified souls to be saved as well as our selves and therefore must not be neglected Some tend and feed the souls in their families on the Lords day and starve them all the week after but herein they are guilty of dishonesty and unfaithfulness They rob God of the service which is due to him from all in their house joyntly They wrong the souls in their families by not allowing them the liberty at least by not calling and causing them to hear the voice and seek the face of God
will be the more faithful all day when it knoweth before-hand that it shall be called to an account at night and the more conscientious we are in the day the more chearful we shall be at night Seneca reports of Sextius the Roman Philosopher that every night before he took his rest he would examine his soul Quod hodie malum sanasti Cui vitio obstitisti In qua parte melior es What evil hast thou this day healed what vice hast thou resisted in what part art thou bettered and then he addeth how sweet is the sleep which ensueth upon such a review As the Shop-keeper hath his day-day-book wherein he writes down what he buyeth what he selleth which he looks over in the evening so must the Christian that would thrive in his general calling at night reflect upon his well-doing his ill-doings his gains his losses left his books cast him up as some find by experience because he will not take the pains to cast them up The Merchant findeth it a ready way to make his Factours and Cash-keepers faithful to reckon with them frequently When great persons neglect to account with their Stewards they tempt them to be dishonest Our consciences are corrupted as well as other faculties and will be false if not timely examined Seneca acquaints us with his own practice which may shame many Christians Vtor hac potestate quotidie apud me causam dico Cum sublatum e conspectu lumen est conticuit â—xor moris jam â—ei conscia totum diem mecum scâ—utor facta ac dicta mea remetior Nihil mihi ipse abscondo nihil transeo quare enim quicquam ex erroribus meis timeam cum possim dicere Vide ne istud amplius facias nunc tibi ignosco In illa disputatione pugnacius locutus es Illum liberius admonuisti quam debebas itaque non emendasti sed offendisti I use saith he this authority and daily plead my cause with my self When the candle is taken away and my Wife acquainted with my custom is silent I search into the whole day and review all that I have said or done I hide nothing from my own scrutiny I pass by nothing For why should I fear any thing by reason of my errors when I can say See that thou do it no more and for this time I will pardon thee c. Pythagoras taught his Scholars to talk thus with themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What evil have I committed what good have I omitted Reader let not them who knew not God rise up in judgement against thee Put every night some brief Qâ—eries to thy conscience upon these few heads How did I behave my self in Religious Duties in Natural Actions in my Particular Calling in Recreations if any were used in Company and in Solitude Compare the carriage of thy heart and life herein to the word and law of God bring all to the touchstone Hereby 1. Sin will be prevented The Child will be the more dutiful and diligent all day who expecteth to be examined by them that have power to punish or reward for every part of it at night The Christian will keep his heart as clean as the neat maid her house who is ever in fear of a severe mistress 2. Hereby if sin be committed it will speedily be repented of The wound will be healed before it be festered A disease is much more easily cured at the beginning then when it is habituated in the body Had David called his conscience to a serious account at the close of that day wherein he defiled Bathsheba he had prevented both much sin and much sorrow 3. Our hearts will hereby be the better prepared for evening duties The reflection upon the sins committed in the day past will make the streams of our sorrow to run the more freely Wounds when fresh bleed most Our Petitions also will be the more fervent for divine strength when we are newly affected with the sad consequence of our own weakness The more we feel our pain the more urgent are our cries for a Physitian A review of the mercies newly received will likewise enlarge our hearts the more in thankâ—fulness Divine favours like flowers affect us most when fresh and green Old courtesies as old cloaths are too often cast by and thought little worth 4. Hereby our souls will be always ready for our great accounts whenever God shall summon us to give it up The keeping a diary of Receipts and disbursements facilitates the Stewards annual reckoning with his Lord. They who make all even between God and their souls every day need not fear calling to account any day None will give up their accounts with such comfort at the great day as they that cast up their accounts with conscience every day Often reckoning will make long friends He that will not hear the warnings of conscience must look to feel the worm of conscience Sixthly Close the day with God in Praying and Reading his word both in thy Closet and Family Our bed is resembled to our graves sleep to death it s of worse consequence to go to bed before we have made our prayers then to our Graves before we have made our Wills God is the first and the last and ought to be the beginning and ending of every day Thou causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to rejoyce Some understand the inhabitants of East and West others the vicissitudes of day and night for which men rejoyce in God David was mindful of the Word at night I have remembred thy law O Lord in the night and also of prayer Evening and morning will I pray and cry aloud Psal. 119. 55. Psal. 55. 17. The sins of the day call for our mournful confession The mercies of the day call for our sincere thanksgiving The perills of the night call for fervent petitions so that none can want matter for a nights prayer Our wandrings and aberrations in the day may wellengage us to confession and contrition every night They who do not paddle in every gutter or thrust their hands into every ditch though they washed clean in the morning find them durty at night We cannot meddle with money but we foul our fingers nor about earthly affairs but we defile our soul. Infirmity bewrayeth it self in all the actions of fallen man We are steady in nothing but wantonness and wickedness The feet of men limp at best and are too slow to follow the Word of God close at the heels If we intend well in any action like arrows that are shot in mighty windsâ— we wander from the bow that sent it and miss the mark Now whilst the Ship leaketh the Pump must go Whilst we sin daily we must sorrow daily He is unworthy of the least favour from his Creditor who thinks much to acknowledge his debt Austin had Davids penitential Psalms written by his Bed-side which at night he used to weep and read to read and
is by Faith that Water is turned into wine temporal mercies into spiritual advantages Faith worketh by love and draweth men with the Cords of love T is by faith that men are so fruitful in their lives Heb. 11. 32 33. and so chearful in their deaths Rom. 8. 37 38. O Reader above all thy gettings get faith and above all thy keepings keep faith For it must be faith that must keep thee from falling in an hour of temptation and from fainting in an hour of persecution The unbeleiver is fitly called an unreasonable man because its unreasonable that the God of truth should not be credited and that he to whom it is impossible to lye should be distrusted and also an absurd man because its absurd for a workman to go without his tools which he shall every moment have need of It s said of the Serpent that of all her parts she is most careful of her head well knowing that though she be mangled and cut never so much in her body yet if her head be whole that will cure the wounds of all her other parts Let thy great work be to â—ecure thy faith if that be whole all will be well what ever decays there may be in other graces this will help them to shoot forth again Thirdly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to Godliness set God always before thine eyes Subjects will carry themselves handsomly and loyally when they are before their Soveraign They who walk before God will be upright His eye is the best Marshal to keep the soul in a comely order Let thine eye be ever on him whose eye is ever on thee The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Prov. 15. 9. Seneca perswaded his friend Lucilius for the keeping him within compass to imagine that some grave man as Laelius did still look upon him Reader couldst thou walk ever as in Gods presence thou wouldst keep close to his precepts Consider therefore that in all places in all companies at all times the eye of God is on thee and he takes exact notice of all thy thoughts words and actions that he knoweth thy natural parts In his book were all thy members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was not one of them that he knoweth all thy moral passages thou understandest my thoughts afar off and art acquainted with all my ways There is not a word in my tongue but thou O Lord knowest it altogether There is no drawing a curtain between God and thee He seeth thee thorough and thorough far more perfectly then thou canst the clearest Chrystal Darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day to thee the darkness and the light are both alike The darkness of the air may hide thee from men and the darkness of thine understanding may hide thee from thy self but there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity can hide themselves from him Neither the ring of Gyges nor the helmet of Pluto can hide thee from Gods eye Observe how strict God is in observing thy ways Thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sin Job 14. 16. By steps is understood inward Motions and outward actions whatsoever is done either in the retiring room of the heart or common hall of the life To number the steps notes an exact account we say of a man that goeth very leasurely and softly Such a man telleth his steps God is said to tell or number our steps because he is so exact in his observation of and so severe in his inquisition into all our thoughts words and deeds He is supposed to be void of shame that doth not fear to sin before many witnesses Though thou art in secret consider conscience is present which is a thousand witnesses and God who is a thousand consciences The Italian was somewhat conceited who wrote a supplication to Candle light to disclose to him the secrets of his Kingdom It s thought the light of the Candle seeth more wickedness then the light of the sun but to God the day and night darkness and light are both alike he seeth all things in all places and at all times It was a prety fancy of one that would have his chamber painted full of eyes that which way soever he lookt he might still have some eyes upon him and he fancying himself according to the Moralists advice always Sub custode Paedagogo under the eye of a keeper might be the more careful of his carriage And it was a wise answer of Livius Drusus when an Artist offered him so to convtrive his house that he might do what he would none should see him No saith Drusus Contrive it so rather that all may see me for I am not ashamed to be seen If the eyes of men make even the vilest to forbear their beloved lusts for a while that the Adulter watcheth for the twilightâ— and they that are drunk are drunk in the night how powerful will the eye and presence of God be with those that fear his anger and know the sweetness of his favour Moses forsook the sinful pleasures of Pharaohs Court not fearing the wrath of the King for he saw him that was invisible A good commander causeth good government in a Town or City This truth wrought home and set close to the heart would cause good orders good government in it The thought of this Omnipresence of God will affrighten thee from sin Gehezi durst not ask or receive any part of Naamans Presents in his Masters presence but when he had got out of Elisha's sight then he tells his lye and gives way to his lust Men never sin more freely then when they presume upon secrecy They break in peices thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage They slay the Widow and Stranger and murder the Fatherless yet they say The Lord doth not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it Psa. 94. 5 6 7. Eliphaz though falsly accused Iob as guilty of the same crime upon the same account Iob 22. 5 6 7 13 14. They who shut God out of their hearts shut him also out of the world through their atheism and then are at liberty for all manner of wickedness They who abounded in abominations said The Lord seeth us not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Ezek. 8. 9 10 12. The wise man diswadeth from wickedness upon the consideration of Gods eye and Omniscience And why wilt thou my son be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Prov. 5â— 20 21. Ioseph saw God in the room and therefore durst not yeild but his Mistris saw none but Ioseph and so was impudently alluring and tempting him to folly I have read of two religious men that took contrary courses with two lewd women whom they
have done any thing that is good that will be my monument but if otherwise all the statues you can make will not keep my name alive The Egyptians in their funeral orations never commended any for his riches because they thought them the goods of fortune but for his righteousness and justice Piety is a lasting pillar that causeth the righteous to be had in everlasting remembrance Time shall not out-live the Saints honour grace renders him more illustrious then ever the Mausolean mountan did that Carian As the hairs of Tarandrus are not to be pierced with any weapon so the name of a Saint cannot be hurt by all the slanders and calumnies of the wicked They who are Sainted in Heavens Calendar and whose names are enrolled in the Lambs book of life are truly honourable and eternally glorious maugre the malice of Men and Devils The disgrace which the wicked cast on the righteous is at worst but like the noise of some loud tongu'd gun ceased as soon as heard but the honour which God and Scripture put upon the godly is a pillar which endureth to all eternity such a monument as neither age nor time nor envy can waste or wear out Demetrius under all the obloqâ—y and contempt which his countrymen cast upon him could comfort himself in this that Though the Athenians demolished his statues yet they could not extinguish his vertues the cause of raising them Sin is so base and beggarly so loathsome and shameful a thing that not onely the children of God but even wicked men have been unwilling to own it and ashamed to be taxed with it or found out at the commission of it When Godliness is so high and honourable so noble and excellent a Mistress that those who deny the power of it will take upon them the form of it they who hate its work will wear its livery There are hardly any jewels of grace but for each of them vice hath counterfeit stones O! how noble a Mistris how honourable a Lady is that whom all pretend relation to and even those that hate her would not be thought her enemies but blush to be taxed as strangers to her 2. It is the most Callingâ— Satan would represent Christians under ugly viâ—zards and Christianity frightful to make men loath both the one and the other As he transforms himself the Prince of darkness and his ways which are darkness into an Angel of light and seeming light so he endeavours to transform Christians who are children of light and their holy ways which are paths of light into children of darkness and paths of darkness He endeavours to make men think the power of godliness Antipodes to all chearfulness but holineâ—s is far from such a crabbed face and austere countenance as he would have us fancy No trade hath so much mirth with it and in iâ— Ioy is one essential part of this Calling The kingdom of God consisteth not in meats and drinks but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. The servants of God do not onely rejoyce in the fore-thoughts of their reward to think of the time when their Indentures shall expire and they shall enjoy the glorious liberty of the sons of God We rejoyce in hope of glory but also in their work they are joyful in the house of prayer they sing at their work Thy statutes are my songs in the house of my pilgrimage nay at the hardest and most tiresome of their work We rejoyce in tribulation My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Joy is the beam which is darted from the Sâ—n the stream which floweth from the fountain of godliness It is observable that the beginning the lest degrâ—e of grace causeth joy great joy what then will its growth and perfection do When Christ did but call to Zacheus he came down hastily and received him joyfully Luk. 19. 6. When the Eunuch was converted he went home rejoycing Act. 8. 39. When the Samaritans had received Christ into their hearts at Phillips preaching there was great joy in that City Act. 8. 6 7 8. The Jaylor after his heart-quake rejoyced believing in God with all his house Act. 16. 34. The joy of the Saints as it is invisible so it is unutterable In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Peâ— 1. 7. For the measure of it it s compared to the joy of harvest to the joy of the bridegroom and bride on their Wedding day Isa 9. 3. Hosea 2. 19. Hence it is that Grace and Godliness are compared to and set forth by those things which are pleasant and delightful and bring joy with them As Musick the joy and delight of the ears a feast the joy and delight of the taste to light the joy and delight of the eyes life wine which rejoyceth the heart perfumes which delight the sent good the joy of the will truth the joy of the understanding godliness hath joy proper and sutable for every sense whether outward or inward As the higher the Sun is the greater its light is so the holier the Christian the greater his joy is The more clear the fire burns the more comfortable it is smoak fetcheth tears from our eyes When grace burns clear its refreshing indeed t is the smoak of sin that turns our houses into Bochims places of weeping when good men step awry not pondering their goings then they wrench their feet or put their bones out of joynt and so put themselves to much pain Indeed wicked men who are ignorant of the mystery of godliness becuase they see no sun-shine in the faces of godly men judge it to be foul weather in their hearts As the Roman Souldiers when they entered into the Sanctum Sanctorum and saw no Images presently reported the Jews to worship the Clouds but a Christians joy is as far out of wicked mens sight to discern it as out of their power to remove it A stranger intermedleth not with his joy your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you A wicked mans joy is most in his face As a Black-a-more he is white no where but in his Teeth Seneca compares him to a Commander in a desperate battel who least his Souldieâ—s should run away sets a good face on it when he is inwardly terrified and full of fear he is like one in an high desperate fever having a good colour when his heart is heavy and he is at the gate of death The Godly mans joy is most in his heart he is like that fâ—sh which hath a rough outside but a pearl within When there are storms without there is musick within peace of conscience which passeth all understanding A wicked man is as a book of Tragedies bound extraordinary gay and guilt on the out-side but full of doleful dreadful stories within or as Alexander said of Antipater he was white without but purple within his face may be white