sometimes troubled with the fruit of his corruption and the consequents of guilt and punishment that attend it but a true-hearted Christian with corruption it self this drives him to complaine with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me not from the members only but from this body of death We must be humbled for actuall sinne but that is not low enough he that goes no lower doth but as if a man should rub his nose to make it leave bleeding As in good things the cause is better then the effect so in ill things the cause is worse There is more heat in the furnace then in the spark more poyson in the root then in the branch more bitternesse in the spring then in the streame It is not actuall sinne that only or primarily defiles me I must look back to my first originall I was tainted in the spring of my Nature that is worse then any of those filthy streames that come from it my Nature is subject to break out continually upon any upon all occasions pray we then Lord strike at the root dry up the fountain in me Oh d Dr. S. S. C p. 195. 196. if we could but one whole houre seriously think of the impure issue of our hearts it would bring us down upon our knees in humiliation before God But we can never whilst we live see so throughly as we should into this depth nor yet be humbled enough for what we see How should it humble us that the seeds of the vilest sinne even of the sinne against the holy-Ghost is in us And to heare of any great enormous sinne in another man considering what our own nature would proceed unto if it were not restrained we may see our own nature in them as face answering face If God should take His Spirit from us there is enough in us to defile a whole world We cannot see the Dregs in the bottome before we see the vessell shaken Sinne may lye dormant like a dog asleep for want of an occasion to jog it and all that while we may keep clean as a swine in a faire meadow We know not our own hearts till an occasion be offer'd nor then neither unlesse we plough with Gods Heifer till His spirit bringeth a light to ours I hold thee the longer at this point Because it is the maine point The more we consider the height the depth the breadth the length of this misery the more shal we be humbled in our selves and magnifie the height the depth the breadth and the length of Gods mercy in Christ e Pag. 213. The favourers of Nature are alwayes the enemies of Grace This which some thinke and speake so weakely and faintly off is a more enemy to us then the divell himselfe a more neere a more restlesse a more traiterous enemy for by intelligence with it the divell doth us all the hurt he doth and by it maintains forts in us against goodnesse Therefore slight not sinne here nor thy misery by sinne According to those steps thou canst go down into this depth of thy misery by sinne thou shalt rise upward again to the greatnesse of Gods love in Christ and so fetch happinesse out of that depth also Here it is most true one depth calleth unto another depth If every step or Article in the first which is misery by sinne do not more and more humble us in the sight of our misery no Article in the second part which is our redemption by Christ can comfort us Enlarge thy sinne to the uttermost that thou may'st magnifie the grace of Christ Lessen not mince not sin in hope of pardon Little sinne to forgive will make Christ little loved The height and depth of mercy cannot be sounded but by the measuring line of misery We must be brought to Davids acknowledgement f Psal 38. 7. There is no soundnesse in this flesh no part of health or life in our sinfull nature which was most fully signified in that which was most remarkable saith Mr. Ainsworth g Ainsw Levit 13. 15. Plurimum profâ—cit qui sibi plurimum displicere didicit Cal. Inst 3. 3. 20. in the Law of Leprosie That quick or sound flesh in the sore should be judged leprosie and the man uncleane whereas if the leprosie covered all his flesh he was pronounced clean Hope not then in small sinne but in great mercy and that it may not seeme small for that is the feare think thus Can that pollution be small which hath past through so many Iordans yet cannot be cleansed Can that root be any other then a root of gall and bittâ—rnesse which hath defiled all and all parts and faculties of All Can that Stump be small that hath thrust out such strong branches and those so often cut and he wed at and yet growing again Can any sparke be little that comes from such a Treasury Think on this and think seriously whether here be not cause of loathing take it actively that thou shouldst loath thy self or passively that thy person should be loathed Cause of loathing there is of despairing also in thy self but not in another Cause to go out of thy self for mercy no cause to despaire of mercy A great sinner hath a mighty Redeemer but he wil not roul himself upon Him That is mighty till he feeles himself to be such a sinner as we heard a great sinner which consideration will drive the soule upon another rock if we observe not how the Prophet pleads for mercy upon this very ground Because his sin is great h Psal 25. 11. The glory of God is great in the salvation of great sinners And by putting confidence in Him Who is mightie we lay Glory and Majesty upon Him for to those words we may properly allude i Psal 21. 5. His glory is great in thy salvation honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon Him Our thoughts are straitened now yet think we on the riches of His mercy Who when we were as out-casts to the loathing of our persons in the day that we were born when we lay polluted in our own bloud said unto us at such a time as that Ezek. 16. Live If we think k on this we think on a Love which passeth knowledge on a mercy whose height and depth and breadth cannot be measured but if we can spread it upon our sinne as the the Prophet himself upon the childe we shall finde it equall to all dimensions And this is the Love of Him who gave His Sonne and the obedience of that Sonne who gave Him self for our ransome a price that cannot be valued for it went to the worth of souls And this He did being made as Luther said well the greatest sinner in the world suffering what was due to such a sinner eternall wrath not in respect of its duration for it was of a short continuance but yet eternall in respect of the excellent dignitie of the
bosome This Mercy we should pray so for and long-after even from the heart-root we should long For if the curse was heavy and sore which we reade of Psal 109. 14. then is the mercy great and greatly to be sought after from the Lord Let not the iniquitie of the Father be remembred with the Lord against the Childe and let the sinne of the Mother be blotted out Whensoever the Lord visits the Childe for Sinne certainly it should call the sinne of the Parent to remembrance o 1 King 17. 18. and so it will doe if the conscience be not asleepe or seared Then he will discerne that there was a great and weighty reason that made the Woman of Canaan thus to petition Christ p Matt. 15. 22. Have mercy on me O Lord thou Sonne of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Divell She counted the Childes vexation hers so would she the mercy We have filled our Childrens bones with sinne which will fill their hearts with sorrow It is our engagement to doe all we can though that All be two little to roote that sinne out which we have beene a meanes to roote so fast in I shall in another place the Second Part q Chap. 2. speake more unto this roote of bitternesse and the fruits springing thence whereby all are defiled Here I have onely pointed unto it as it engageth the Parent upon this so necessary and principall a service touching the good culture and breeding of the Child And we see what an engagement it is the greatest and strongest that can be thought of And so much as an Induction to Duty what this Duty is comes now to be handled A CHILDES PATRIMONY Laid out upon the good Culture or tilling over his whole man CHAP. I. Wherein the Parents dutie doth consist and when it begins Of Infancy A Parents dutie begins where the childe had its beginning at the wombe There the Parents shall finde that which must busie their thoughts about it before they can imploy their hands And this work lyeth specially in considering Gods worke upon the childe and how their sinne hath defaced the same First they consider Gods worke and the operation of His hands how wonderfull it is and how curiously wrought in the secret parts of the earth so the Prophet calls the Wombe because Psal 137. curious pieces are first wrought privately then being perfected are exposed to open view It was He that made the bones to grow we know not how then clothed them with flesh He that in the appointed time brought it to Chap. 1 sect 2 the wombe and gave strength to bring forth Here they acknowledge an omnipotent hand full of power towards them and as full of grace and they doe returne glory and praise both But here it ceaseth not Now they have their burden in their armes they see further matter of praise yet in that they see the childe in its right frame and feature not deformed or maimed Some have seene their childe so that they had little joy to looke upon it but through Gods gracious dispensation it is not so and for this they are thankfull And upon this consideration they will never mocke or disdaine nor suffer any they have in charge so to do a thing too many do any poore deformed creature in whom God hath doubly impaired His Image This they dare not do for it might have been their case as it was their desert Deformitie where ever we see it admits of nothing but our Pitie and our Praise 2. Thus they see Gods handy-worke and it is wonderfull in their eyes but still they see their owne Image also and cause enough to bewaile the uncleannesse of their Birth What the Pharisees once spake of him whose eyes Christ had opened is true of every mothers Childe Thou wast altogether borne in sinnes which should Joh. 9. 34. make every Parent to cry out as that mother did Have mercy on me O Lord thou sonne of David my Childe is naturally Matth. 15. 22. the childe of wrath Except it be borne againe of water and of the spirit it cannot enter into the kingdome of God Joh. 3. The Parents see evidently now that they are the channell conveying death unto the childe The mother is separated for some time that shee may set her thoughts apart and fixe them here The father is in the same bond with her and in this we may not separate them God hath made promise to restore this lost Image this not tooke but throwne-away integritie And this now their thoughts run upon and they pray That the Lord would open their mouthes wide and enlarge their hearts towards this so great a Mysterie They have a fruit of an old stocke it must be transplanted and out they carry it and into the Church they beare it as out of old Adam whence was transmitted to it sinne and death into the second Adam whence it may receive Righteousnesse and Life Then at the fountaine they hold it blessing God Who hath opened it for sinne and for Uncleannesse And there they present it not to the signe of the Crosse but to Blood Sacramentally there that is Righteousnesse purchased by the death of Christ and now on Gods part appropriated and made the childes And the Parents blesse His name and exalt His mercy who hath said at such a time as this Live Who hath found out Ezek. 16. 6. a Rausome to answer such a guilt A righteousnesse to cover such a sinne so big and so fruitfull A life to swallow up such a death with all its issues This the Parent sees in this poore element Water appointed by God set apart fitted and sanctified for this end With it the childe is sprinkled and for it the Parent beleeves and promiseth Then home againe they carry it It is a solemne time and to be remembred and the vaine pompe takes not up much time where wiser thoughts from truer judgement take place Friends may come and a decency must be to our place sutable but the Pageant like carriage of this solemne businesse by some speaks out plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fancie Act. 25. 23. that the heart is not right nor is that vaine pompe forsaken which yet is now upon their lips to say They who have better learned Christ do better understand the nature and solemnitie of the action they are about so their great businesse is with God before whom they spread themselves and their childe Who can worke by meanes as secret as is the way of the spirit and can set this water closer to the soule then He hath set its bones which yet no man understandeth nor can tell when or how To Him they offer it before Him they lay it praying That this water may ever lye upon the heart of theirs as a fruitfull seed quickning renewing sanctifying That that water may as the Rocke ever 1 Cor. 10. 4. follow the childe The rocke removed not
that though we cannot comprehend we may be comprehended The Lord knoweth who are his and it is a great secret yet His secret is with them that fear Him I mean not alwaies and with all that fear Him they know that they are His though yet all know it not nor some at all times and this they know as not by extraordinarie revelation so nor by prying into his secret Decree how there He hath disposed of them This will as by fixing our weake eye upon a strong object blinde us with light It is a ventrous and a bold coming unto God and most dangerous also for if we climbe up unto His Decree we shall fall into the gulfe of despair because we come unto Him without a Mediatour f Hic sine mâ—diatorâ—â—es agitur disputatur de Dei beneplacito ac voluntale in quam sese Christus resert Luther Psal 22. P. 337. In doubts of Predestination begin from the wounds of Christ that is from the sense of Gods love in Christ we should rise to the grace of election in Him before the world was It was Luthers counsell and he found it of force against the devises of Satan g De praedestinatione disputaturus incipe à Christi vulneribus statim Diabolus cum suis tentationibus recedet Mel. Ad. in Staupicii vita p. 20. The way to melt our hearts into a kinde repentance for sinne is to begin from the love of righteousnesse and of God all figured out in Baptisme as well as in the Supper And this also was Staupitius counsell to Luther whereby he made the practise of repentance ever sweet to him whereas before nothing in all the Scripture seemed so bitter h Vera est ea poenitentia quae ab amore justitiae Dei incipit dixit Staupitius Quae vox ita aliè in animo Lutheri insedit ut nihil dulcius suerit deinceps eâ— poenitentia cum aâ—tea eidem in totâ Scripturâ nihil â—sset amarius Mel. Ad. ibid. vita Staup. But now suppose our case to be this and it is most likely to be so that we finde no work of the Spirit upon us no change wrought by His renewing grace we are as we were not cleansed from our old sinnes we have passed over this Iordaâ— we have gone into this water and we are come out as unclean as before our hearts are not sprinkled We see a price paid for us and no lesse then the price of the blood of God yet we have not consecrated our selves to Him who hath so dearly bought us yet we have not accepted Him for our Lord though we are His purchase i Rom. 14. 9. and for this end He died and rose again but other Lords rule over us And though we be called by His name yet we walk in our own wayes serving divers lusts as if we were our own and not peculiarly His who bought us with a price If I say this be our case then Luthers counsell is observeable which is this To enter into our closet there to spread our selves before the Lord in humble confessions as followeth k Oportet nos esse tales scilicet verè poenitâ—ntes non possumus esse tales Quid hic faciemus Oportet ut cognito te tali non neges te talem sed in angulum vadas juxta consilium Christi in abscondito ores patrem tuum in coelis dicens sine fictione ecce optime Deus poenitendum mihi praecipis sed talâ—s sum ego miser quod sentio me nolle neque posse quaâ—â— tuis prostratus pedibus c. Concione de poenitentiâ An. 1518. Lord thou hast set a fountain open but to us it is sealed Thou hast bid us wash and be cleane we cannot we are no more able to wash our selves then we can take out the seeming spots in the Moon Thou hast said When will it be c. we say it will never be no not when the Rocks flie in pieces and the earth shall be no more but then it shall be when thou giving that thou commandest art pleased to make us as thou wilt the heavens and the earth all new Thou hast commanded us to come unto Christ that we might live we cannot come no more then Lazarus could by his own power cast off his grave-clothes and turn up the mould from over his head and stand up from the dead We are bound up in unbelief as within gates of brasse and barres of iron Thou hast said Turn ye every one from his evill way we say we cannot turn r Lay down thy heart under the Word yeeld it to the Spirit who is as it were the Artificer can frame it to a vessell of honour Mr. Reynolds on Psal 110. pa. 42. no more then we can turn that glorious creature which like a Gyant runnes his course so gyant-like we are and so furiously marching on in our own wayes of sinne and death This is but part of our confession 2. We must acknowledge also that righteous is the Lord in commanding what is impossible for man to do Because the Lord did not make things so at first He gave us a great stock to deale and trade with but like unfaithfull stewards we have wasted the same and so have disinabled our selves Our inability was not primitive and created but consequent and contracted our strength was not taken from us but thrown from us This is the principall point of confession our inabilitie comes out of our own will Å¿ Read and observe with all diligence Mr. Dearings words on the third Chapter to the Hebrews ve 8. Lect. 15. Sentio me nolle neque posse I finde that I neither will nor can before D'S S. p. 215. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To be feverish is not voluntary but my intemperance which causeth a fever is voluntary and for that I am deservedly blamed pained No man chuseth evill as evill Transl out of Clem. Alex. Stro. l. 1. p. â—28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin is my voluntary act Loco laâ—d l. 2 p. 294. Câ—sset volunâ—â—s propria non erit infâ—â—nus originally we will not be cleansed as Tho * Joh. 20. 25. so say we in effect not we cannot but we will not we will deny the Lord that bought us we will not come unto Him that we may live so stiffe are our necks and so hard our hearts that we will not turn for though out of the very principles of Nature we cannot but desire happinesse and abhorre miserie yet such a deordination and disorder lieth upon our Nature that we are in love with eternall miserie in the causes and abhorre happinesse in the wayes that lead unto it our will is the next immediate cause of sinne it puts it self voluntarily into the fetters thereof Necessity is no plea when the will is the immediate cause of any action Mens hearts tell them they might rule their desires if they would For
base unto it the soul cannot unite with them nor be servant unto them use them she may but she enjoyes God her union there parts unrivets and divorceth her from base unions and fellowships with things below And so much to the second Grace required in the Receiver 3. The third is Love Love to God who loved us first and gave His Sonne that we might not perish Love to to Christ who so dearely bought us a Love as strong as Death which stirres up all the powers of the Body and Soul to love Him again so as we can thinke nothing too much or too hard to do or suffer for Him who hath so abounded towards us The History of His passion is more largely set down then is the History of His Nativitie Resurrection or Ascension and for this reason it is That all the circumstances thereof are so largely set down That our hearts should be enlarged after Christ That we should have largenesse of affection to Him and these steeped as it were in His bloud and crucified to His crosse and buried in His grave And as Love to Him so love to our Brother for His sake * Amicum in Christo inimicum propter Christum It cannot be doubted of in Him that tastes of this Love Feast he partakes of that there which is the cement that sodders and joynes us together e Sanguis Christi coagâ—lum Christianorum as the graines in one Loafe or as the stones in an Arch one staying up another or to speake in the Scriptures expression as members of one Body nay which is yet neerer as members one of another we partake in one house at one table of one bread here is a neere Communion and that calls for as neere an union so the Apostle reasons 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. One God one Christ See Chrysost on the 1 Cor. Hom. 1. one Spirit one Baptisme one Supper one Faith And all this to make us one That we may keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace f Eph. 4 3. But above all The Sacrament of the Supper is ordained for Love But our love to our enemies our shewing the kindnesse of the Lord g 2 Sam. 9. 3. first part p. 71. that is returning good for evill This blessing them who curse us this is all the difficultie and the doubt And hard it is to corrupt nature I remember Salvian saith He that thinks he prayeth for his enemy may be much mistaken he speaks he doth not pray h Si pro adversario orare se cogit loquitur non precatur lib. 2. pag. 70. And yet it is much to consider how farre a common and naturall light hath lead some here in this straight way of forgiving an enemy He was an implacable brother who said let me not live if I be not revenged of my brother The other brother answered And let not me live if I be not reconciled to my brother i Plut. de Fralorno amore And they were brothers too betwixt whom we read never any other contention was but who should dye for the other k Mart. lib. 1. ep 37. So strong a naturall affection hath been and so able to endure wrongs and to right them with good which is our rule and contrary to former customes l Isid Pelus lib. 3. epist 126. 1 Cor 4. 12. 13. Lege Chrys ad Pop. Ant. tract Hom. 9. ω. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plus de Frat. Am. wins the Crown or garland Grace is stronger then Nature it rivets and joynes men together like twin-members eyes hands and feet or like twigs on the same root or stalke which stick alwayes together But especially if we suppose two persons communicating together at the Table of the Lord we must needs grant that in this Communion they see that which will reconcile implacablenesse it self for there they see a free offer of grace and peace not onely to an enemie once but to enmitie it self an infinite debt cancell'd a transgressour from the wombe an infinite transgressour since yet accepted to mercy This will beget again a love to God and to the most implacable enemy for Gods sake thoughts of this will swallow up the greatest injuries If our thoughts be upon the Ten thousand talents we cannot possibly think of requiring the hundred pence this Chrysostome m Vol. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lege Chrysost in cap. 8. ad Rom. Hom. 14. p. 206. presseth very fully and usefully in his first sermon upon that parable or debtor We must remember alwayes that much love will follow as an effect from the cause where many sinnes are forgiven n Luke 7. 47. Matth. 18. 33. We cannot but think on the equitie of this speech and how inexcusable it must leave an implacable man I forgave thee all thy debt shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servants The summe is and our rule I must love my friend in Christ and my enemie for Christ Catechismes are large here and helps many and it is hard to meet with new meditations on so old a subject handled so fully and usefully by many but His good spirit leade thee by the hand who leades unto all truth It remains onely that I give some satisfaction to a question or two these they are But how if I finde not these graces Repentance faith charitie to be in me how then May I go to this Table or go I as a worthy Communicant A weighty Question this of high and universall concernment For he or she that eats and drinks unworthily are guilty of the Body and Bloud of the Lord o 1. Cor. 11. 27. The guilt of bloud lieth upon them Now the Lord ever puts a price upon bloud even upon the bloud of beasts upon the bloud of man much more upoÌ„ that bloud that was shed for man how great a price being the bloud of God and the price of souls So then we must be well advised what we do For if we spill mans bloud as God forbid we should for bloud cries yet if we would we have another bloud to cry unto which cries for mercy but if we spill this Bloud and tread it under foot what then whither then shall we flie for mercy when with our own hands we have plucked down our Sanctuary We spill we cast away our right pretious medicine We must then be well advised what we do and be humbled very low for what we have done even to girding with sackcloth and wallowing in dust p Jer. 6. 26. For who is he that may not say even in this case Deliver me from bloud guiltinesse O Lord the God of my salvation q Psal 51. And blessed be God even the God of our salvation that we can in His Name go to bloud for pardon of this crimson sinne even the spilling of His Bloud for so three thousand did before us r Acts 2. And written
thing And that is sin It hath so much malignitie in it that it can put a sting and set an edge upon crosses That it can make our good things evill to us can turn our blessings into curses can make our table our bed c. all snares to us It will leaven our rest and peace whereby others are edified walking in the feare of God and in the comforts of the holy Ghost r Act. 7. 31. This rest and peace a comprehension of all blessings through sinne will slay our soules and be our ruine which was as we heard the building up of others so malignant so destroying sinne is more malignant more destroying this sinne is this evill work then is the mouth of a Lion as the Apostle intimateth very usefully 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. Therefore more to be avoyded therefore we should more desire to be delivered from it then from that devourer For as there is but one thing properly evill so but one thing to be feared as evill Feare not wants nor disgrace by wants turn thy feare the right way feare sinne and avoid an evill work So Isid Pelus writeth to his friend f Lib. 3. ep 101. And it is but the conclusion or a case long since resolved by Chrysostome t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 4. epist limp See Hom. 5. ad Pop. Ant. Sinne is the onely thing to be feared whereof he makes a full and cleare demonstration thus Suppose saith he they are those three great and sore evills famine sword and pestilence which threaten us he names them and many more why these are but temporary and but the fruit and effects of sinne they continue but their time and shall have their end nay suppose they are those two great winding-sheets u L. Ver. Essaies 58. 330. of the world as one calleth them and Lege Sen. nat quaest lib. 6. c. 1. as the floud of ungodlinesse doth threaten an inundation of water or an earthquake plagues threatned and inflicted to wash away sinne and as a punishment thereof Then yet still sinne is to be feared not those It is foolish to feare the effect and to allow the cause Consider also so the Father reasons the case or to that purpose will x See Chrysost de terrae motu Tom. 5. ser 6. Lege Sen. Ibid. it be terrible to see the earth totter like a drunken man and threatning confusion in an instant and men flying before it but they know not whither how dreadfull then will be the wrath of God which will be heavier then the heaviest mountain and shall be manifested from Heaven as the just portion of sinners sinking the soul under the same to all eternitie how dreadfull will that be and sinne makes it so if it were not for sinne though the earth shake we could not be moved what ever evill come upon the face of it yet would it be good to us it could not hurt therefore fear not the earthquake that is most terrible and affrighting but feare sinne the cause that makes the earth to reel I adde and flie from it as Moses before the Serpent and as they fled before the earthquake y Zach. 14. 5. and flie to Him who is the propitiation for sinne if we so do as we must needs do if we apprehend sinne to be so evill for we will avoid poyson when we know it to be so This will take away the trouble and sting of feare and prevent the shaking fit thereof I have told thee a great lesson now and to make it yet plainer I will reade it over again Sinne onely is to be feared I mean that sinne I am not humbled for I have not repented of that onely is to be feared for it makes every thing fearfull Death they say is terrible of all things most terrible It is not so to him who hath repented of his sinne and is at peace with God he can die as willingly as we can fall asleep when we are weary The prison sword fire fearfull things all an earthquake very terrible not so to them who have made God their rock and refuge to whom they can continually resort feare nothing but sinne and the hiding of Gods loving countenance from thee for the lightsomenesse thereof is better then life Feare the least eclipse of His light and every thing that may cause it for it is more refreshing to the soul then the Sun beames to the earth Mark this still when sinne sheweth its full face we see but the half now and in a false glasse too and when God hideth His face there will be to say no more a fainting The servants of the Lord have been under heavy pressures yet then they fainted not they have been in prisons and there they fainted not thence they have been brought to the stake there they fainted not fire was put to and flaming about their eares and then they fainted not but when sinne shews it self and God hides Himself then the next news is ever The spirit faileth Zophars counsell is the close hereof If iniquitie c. Iob 11. Verse 14. 15. c. Now touching our present grievances incumbent and upon us These are either imaginary or reall and the imaginary as one saith are more then the reall we make some grievances to our selves and we feel them so because we fancy them so we call for them before they come because our imagination a wilde and ungovernd'd thing leades us and misleades he was led with a conceit and troubled with it who complained of a thornie way when it was not so but he had one in his foot The way to help this is to take a right scale of things and to weigh them by judgement which interposing thus resolveth and assureth 1. As thou shalt shorten thy desires thou shalt lengthen thy content the poorer thou art in the one the richer in the other 2. Bridle thy appetite not accounting superfluous things necessary 3. Feed thy body and clothe it z Cultus magna cura magna virtutis incuria ex Catone Cal. Inst lib. 3. cap. 10. ser 4. but serve it not that must serve thee If thou shalt pamper or pride it the order will be inverted and all out of order that which should obey will rule 4. Measure all things by the compasse of right reason Sinne never wanted a reason yet we call it unreasonable by reason I say not by opinion a Opinioni insitum tum variare poenitere ut Chamaeleon c. Lips cont 1. ep 12. or conceit a fluttering ranging thing it can finde no bottom to settle on it is as changeable as the winde it feeds as they say one doth upon the aire therefore is still gaping but never content Lastly and chiefly for it is the summe of all be assured hereof that outward things cannot inwardly satisfie b Capacem Dei non implet minus Deo This finite requires an infinite He that filleth the
tell a man of any dish which he liketh that there is poyson in it and he will not meddle with it So tell him that death is in that sinne which he is about to commit and he will abstain if he beleeve it to be so if he beleeve it not it is his voluntary unbelief and Atheisme If there were no will there would be no hell as one saith And this is the confession which goes to the core of sinne and it must not be in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth for it is the truth And if we can thus spread our selves before the Lord if we can willingly and uprightly t Read our second Reinolds on Rom. 7. p. 262. own damnation as our proper inheritance to that the heart must be brought and it is the Lord that meekneth it so farre if we can willingly resigne our selves for nothing is left to man but duty and resignation of himself it is not u Opâ—rtet pium animum velle nescire Dei secre tum superse c. Impossibile est eum perire qui Deo gloriam tribuit eum justificat in omnâ— opere voluntate suâ Lut. Psalm 22. Christus faciet poenitentes quos jubet poenitere supplebit de suo quod dâ—est de nostro Lut. de Poenitent 1. Pet. 18. possible then that we should perish He will make supply of His strength what is wanting in ours He will give what he commands He will give clean waters He wil create peace He wil strengthen our hand to lay hold on rich and precious promises And then we cannot possibly be barren or unfruitfull in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ we cannot but gird up the loins of our minde giving all diligence x 1. Pet. 1 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Shew me a man that ever leaâ—nt an ordinary Trade or lived upon it with ordinary diligence point me to a man that was bad yet laboured to be good or who was good yet took no pains to be better Chrysost in 1. Ep. Ad Tim. cap. 1. Hom. 1. About ordinary things very easie matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we take extraordinarie paines but great and extraordinary things we think we may attain sleeping Chrysost 4. Tom. de Vita Monast cap. 7. ordinarie diligence will not get ordinary preferment much lesse will it a Crown The Scripture saith Giving all diligence waiting the sealing and testimony of the Spirit and walking in all the wayes of righteousnesse whereto the Apostle presseth at the end of everie Epistle for whom the Lord justifieth He sanctifieth and if we finde no fruits y For the certaintie of faith search your hearts if you have it praise the Lord. But if you feele not this faith then know that Predestination is too high a matter for you to be disputers of untill you have been better schollers in the School-house of Repentance and Justification I wade in Predestination in such sort as God hath opened it Though in God it be first yet to us it is last opened De electâ—one judicandum est à postâ—riore c. Mr Bradford to some friends who were too scrupulous in point of Election ascending up to Heaven to know when as they should have descended into themselves Mr. Fox p. 1505 and p. 1506. thereof we have cause to suspect that the Stock is dead if no glimpse from that shining light of our sanctification so as men may see our good works which justifie before men then we do ill to boast of a burning light which is our justification and more hid within Nor is it a point * Non est bone solidaeque fidei sic omnia â—d voluntatâ—m Deireserre ita adulari ad unumquemque dicendo Nihil fieri sine voluntate ejus ut non intellâ—gamus aliquid esse in nobis ipsis of sound faith to put the weight of our salvation upon what shall be shall be nothing can be done without Gods will That 's true but this is Gods will too a 1. Thes 4. 3. even our sanctification and this belongs to us even subordinately to serve Gods providence with our own circumspect fore-sight care and labour knowing that His providence doth not alwayes work by miracle I do not blame them nay I commend them who say still If God will and referre all thither but I blame them much who say If God will He will perswade me He will convert me in the meane time they do just nothing A faire speech this to say If God will but a soule practise in the meane time to do our own will we must labour we must endeavour our utmost then say we If the Lord will if so we do not Gods will will be done upon us we shall never do His will To this purpose Chrysost very excellently in his first Tom. thirteenth Sermon towards the end And so much touching the inward Baptisme made by fire and the Holy Ghost The secret working of it in our hearts and what way we are to take in case we feele not that inward power Now I come to that in Baptisme which speaks to our Eye and Eare. We had our Sureties in Baptisme who stood and promised in our steeds which solemne custome and the fitnesse of it I leave to the discission of the Church whereunto we may see reason to yeeld z Mr. Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. Sect. 64 p. 336. leaving that these two things are clearly figured out unto us in Baptisme a death unto sinne a life unto righteousnese and both these in the death and resurrection a Rom. 6. 2 3. of Christ which are the two moulds wherein we are to be cast that we may come forth like Him and there is a virtue and power from both to cast us in and mould us thereto for if in the dayes of His flesh there went virtue out from even the edge of His garment to do great Cures then much more from His owne self and from these most principall and powerfull actions of His own self His death and resurrection there issueth a Divine power from His death a power working on the old man or flesh to mortifie it from His resurrection a power working on the new-man the spirit to quicken it a power able to roll back any stone of an evill custome lie it never so heavy on us a power able to drie up an issue though it have runne upon us twelve yeers loâ—g these are Bp. Andr. words not one grain too light We see in that Element the price paid for â— Realus impii est pium nomen Salv. 4. de Guber p. 145. See li. 3. p. 95. The Church is a choice people picked out and paled up from these whom the Apostle placeth without but there is yet a more choice and peculiar people as Clemens â— calleth them after whom we must walke more peculiarly which we cannot do but by offering violence b to our selves that