of disobedience When the Apostle exhorts thee to finish thy saluation with feare and trembling he inferreth this as a reason to enforce his exhortation which some fondly account a reason of libertie for it is God that worketh both the will and the deede Phil. 2.12.13 So that Gods worke must not hinder but further thy indeuors Christ lookes that those which are ingrafted into him shold bring forth much fruite Ioh. 15.5 The Lord cannot abide to sustaine losse in anie of his gifts especially if they be spirituall Whosoeuer therefore hideth his talents of grace Mat. 25.30 shall surely be punished When the Lord had bene verie gracious to Iuda his vineyard Esa 5. he expected from it the good fruites of godlinesse but wheÌ„ it brings foorth the sowre grapes of iniquitie he expostulateth with them on this manner What could I haue done more to my vineyard and leaues them to their owne censure Iudge ô ye men of Iuda and ye inhabitants of Ierusalem betweene me my vineyard Consider then did not the Lord create thee after his owne image and behold thou hast defaced it by sin Hath he in mercie restored thee and like a kinde father set thee vp againe being a banckrupt in grace What could he doe more for thee Iudge betweene the Lord and thine owne soule and grieue not that holy Spirit which hath changed thy heart and sealed thee vp to the day of thy redemption SECTION 3. Of the Memorie OVr Sauiours saying most needs be true The seruant is not greater then his master Ioh. 13.16 Now the Memorie is but the Vnderstandings seruant and hath in charge the keeping of her conceits so that if the vnderstanding be vaine the memorie cannot be exempted from vanitie And this is one vaine dependance of the memorie that it must be preserued and tilled with perpetuall toyle or care or else it becomes barren if it be not often whetted it waxeth rustie and is like the leaues of bookes which being seldome vsed do cleaue together Now besides that the vnderstanding must be a perpetuall drudge for the preseruing of the memorie the memorie requiteth her ill like a faithlesse seruant retaining those things shee should reiect and reiecting those things she should retaine like the sieue which holds fast the course brans but lets the fine flower fall away Cic. de fin bon lib. 2. so that euery one may say with Themistocles to Simonides offering to teach him the art of Memorie I had rather learne the art of Obliuion for I remember what I would forget and forget what I would remember Wrongs reuenges Manâ—t altamente repostuÌ„ iudictuÌ„ Paridis Virg Aen. lib. 1. and euery discontent the cogitation whereof bringeth anguish and indignation to the soule the Memorie can easily and ordinarily register Cains enuie to Abel and Esaws malice to Iacob is verie soundly setled and not easily remooued but good memorable things are quickly forgotten When people come to heare the word of God they commonly bring chinkie and leaking soules and therefore the Apostle biddeth vs take heed that we runne not out Heb. 2.1 The Sabbath containing the memoriall of our redemption and a day to be employed in the word of God and the workes of our saluation is litle thought on when mens birth dayes faires festiuities and dayes dedicated to vanities and follies are well remembred And therefore is the Lord faine to giue a watchword Remember the Sabbath day Exod. 20. When men do fauours and kindnesses to men they thinke that they should be had in euerlasting remembrance but the inestimable benefites and blessings of Almightie God bestowed vpon men are quickly forgotten Let those that wold not deceiue themselues looke vpon their memories in the Israelites and there shall they behold as in a glasse that which may make them blush and be ashamed Remember the day sayeth Moses in the which ye came our of Aegypt What Exod. 13.3 is it possible to forget that day which should be celebrated for a perpetuall memoriall of their wonderfull deliuerance Exod. 12.14 Yes surely for we find that they remembred not the Lords hand Psal 78.42 nor the day when he deliuered them Nehem. 4. â—4 Nehemiah bids the Iewes remember the great Lord and fearfull a man would thinke that a needlesse exhortation for how can they but remember that God which had kept them as the apple of his eye led them graciously through the wildernesse subdued their many and mightie enemies and giuen them possession of an excellent inheritance But wee see that they forgot God their Sauiour Psa 106.21 who had done great things for them for they did not fruitfully remember him How oft doth Moses exhort them not to forget the law What forget the law which was deliuered in that wonderfull manner vpon mount Sinay by almightie God himselfe in flaming fire with sound of a trumpet and in the middest of glorious Angels Yes they did forget the law Hos 4.6 as the Prophet complaineth of the best of them And that this forgetfulnesse was not peculiar to them let experience speake and it shall witnesse with mee Though the Lord hath drawne his commandemeÌ„ts into so short a summe euen ten words Deut. 4.13 as they are called yet how many thousand Christians are there at this day who are not able to repeate them much lesse to vnderstand them albeit they can remember other things very readily Do but soundly and seriously examine thy selfe my Christian brother and thou shalt finde iust cause to say concerning thy forgetfulnesse both of heauenly blessings and diuine instructions Gen. 41 9. with Pharaohs butler I call to mind my fault this day For thou shalt be enforced to confesse that thou hast let many a good lesson slippe foorth of thy mind and receiued many a blessing for which thou hast not bene thankfull Well sithence the memorie is so defectiue and faultie it is thy part to seeke the strengthening of it that what is wanting by nature may bee supplied by industrie and grace for diligence is the mother and the nurse of memorie To be briefe seeing the walles and foundations of holinesse are thus battered and defaced in the forts and faculties of thy soule pray with the Prophet Psal 51.12.14 Create in me a new heart ô God and renew a right spirit within me and establish me with thy free spirit Labor with thy selfe by thine industrie and with God by heartie prayer that thou mayest by the assistance of his holy spirit the enlightener of the vnderstanding Ioh. 14.26 the guide of the will and the reuiuer of the memorie be enabled to conceiue affect and retaine those good things which in this life may be for thy comfort and thy euerlasting saluation in the life to come SECTION 4. Of Sciences Arts and Trades THe fountaine being stopped the streames do soone drie vp the tree being plucked vp the leaues and fruit do
sharpe and quicke are they not commonly like the sommer fruit soone ripe soone rotten and like the bright flame quickly kindled quickly quenched Thus if you will take the weight of mans wit in ciuill things it will be found like Baltasar too light Dan. 5. but lay his naturall vnderstanding vpon the ballance with spirituall things Psal 62. and it shall be found lighter then vanitie it selfe 3 Yet is not this all the euill incident to this depraued facultie but it is sawced also with that which Salomon annexeth to his vanities euen vexation of spirit For in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe Eccles 1.18 and hee that increasâ—th knowledge increaseth sorrow The Corinthians stood much vpoÌ„ their knowledge but S. Paul tels them that knowledge puffeth vp 1. Cor. 8.1 making them to swel like a windie bladder as it did Simon Magus Act. 8.9 who in regard of his magical skil said that hee himselfe was some great thing It is a hard thing to keepe sharpe wits within the compasse of Christian sobrietie Rom. 12.3 For as the purest substances will mount aloft and the subtill and ayrie do pierce euery chinke so the sharpest wits doe oftentimes soare like the Eagle beyond their reach till they dazell and burne their eyes and seeking to prie into the bowels of curiositie do get into mazes and labyrinths which yeeld them restlesse toyling taskes with much indignation Doth not wit many times beguile her self and so bring a man into the briars as no simple man of a shallow conceit falleth according to the Prophets saying to the Babylonians Esa 47.10 Thy wisedome hath deceiued thee And do not the policies and stratagemes of the wise prooue snares and traps to take them selues withall whilest their actions beyond their expectations are crossed and countermined according to the Apostles words Ioh. 5.13 1. Cor. 3 19. He catcheth the wise in their own craftines Iosephs brethren thought to preuent the honor foreshewed in his dreame by selling him howbeit euen that thorough the ouer-ruling hand of God became the onely meanes of his aduancement But thus Plin. lib. 34. cap. 8. as Perillus inuentioÌ„ in making the brazen bull was his owne ruine so wit many times deuiseth weapons to wound it self Besides this As Salust saith of Catilin Magna vi animi fuâ—t sed ingenio malo prancque De coniu Cat. it is commonly seene that as the best ground bringeth forth the deadliest poisoned herbes so those that are very ingenious are very vicious and the naturall wit raiseth vp the forts of carnall reason 1. Cor. 10.4.5 and maketh the barikadoes of iniquitie strong to resist the assaults of Gods spirit This was not vnconsidered of Sathan Gen. 3.1 when hee made choise of the Serpent being the most subtile of all other beasts to be his instrument in seducing of the womaÌ„ in Paradise in regard whereof the Apostle hath iust cause to challenge the wisedome of the flesh to be enimitie against God Rom. 8.7 Well then forasmuch as humane wit and wisedome is thus vaine and weake in good things and so prompt and powerfull in euill Ier. 9.23 Let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome Pride and disdaine are faults following sharpnesse of wit as the shadow accompanieth the bodie as the King of Tyrus can witnesse Ezec. 28. whose haughtie heart was thereby so lifted vp that hee thought himselfe equall with God But labour thou to captiuate thy thoughts and thy wit to the wisedome of almightie God reuealed in his word and let that be thy wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people Deut. 4.6 2. Tim. 3.15 for it hath in it the true sauing wisedome Labour to obtaine that diuine wisedome the merchandize whereof is better then merchandize of siluer Prou. 3.13.15 and the gaine thereof is better then gold and more precious then pearle And if thou wilt be truly wise indeed then feare God Iob. 18.28 for behold the feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding This is true wisedome not to be cunning and expert in worldly vanities but to be wise to saluation Consider now my Christian brother how thy soule is furnished with grace to conceiue and vnderstand those mysteries that appertaine to the kingdome of God and if thou perceiue thy selfe wanting that way aske wisedome of the God of wisedome Iam. 1.5 and desire him to open thine eyes Psal 119.18 that thou mayest vnderstand the wonderfull things of his law But if thou perceiue the light of sanctified knowledge in diuine things shining into thy soule remember what our Sauiour said to Simon Peter Blessed art thou Simon the son of Ionas Mat. 16.17 for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed these thingâ— to thee so mayst thou iustly count thy selfe blessed and happie and hast gâ—eat cause to magnifie the Lord for his mercie who hath giuen thee an vnderstanding heart SECTION 2. Of the Will and Affections HVmane reason and vnderstanding is vnto the will and affections as the eye to the bodie the captaine to the souldiers and the pilot to the shippe if the eye be dark the body walkes blindly if the Captaine be ignorant the souldiers march disorderly if the Pilot be vnskilfull the shippe sailes dangerously so whilest the will and affections do follow such a blind ignorant and vnskilfull guide as the natural vnderstanding is in supernatural things how can they walk without falling march without disorder or sayle without danger of drowning in the Ocean of iniquitie Hauing therefore shewed the vanitie of the vnderstanding the guide of the will the same may be sufficient to demonstrate the vanitie of the will it selfe which deduceth her election from the same For if we be insufficient to thinke any good thing of our selues 2. Cor. 3.5 can there be any sufficiencie in vs to will that is good considering especially that our vnderstanding is farre fleeter then our will But lest any should thinke yea let him remember that as the Apostle ascribeth the sufficiencie of our thoughts to God so he attributeth both the sufficiencie and efficiencie of our wils to him saying Phil. 2.13 that it is God which worketh in vs both the will and the deed according to S. Augustines obseruation vpon Dauids speeches Psal 59.11 My mercifull God will preuent me Psal 23.6 Doubtlesse mercy and kindnesse shall follow mee Nolentem â—raeuenit c. Volentem subsequitur c. Enchirid. cap. 31. It preuents him being vnwilling to make him will it followes him close being willing lest he should will in vaine It is the nature of euerie one by reason of a certaine philautia seated in the soule of man to flatter himselfe in his owne freedome and sufficiencie as the Iewes did Iohn 8.33 but S. Paul teacheth Rom. 6.20 that euery vnregenerate man is the seruant of sinne and that all his freedome is to be
grace and eclipses of godlinesse but when prosperitie hath filled and furnished them with the abundance of temporal blessings De verb Domini Ser. 13 in fine So that Augustines saying is true It is a point of great valour to contend with felicitie and great happinesse not to be ouercome of prosperitie Now if prosperitie worke not this preiudice yet will she be flâ—tting and flying away before a man can imagine and is therefore fitly compared to the sea which euen now is calme but by and by rough and tempestuous with mighty waues and billowes Ionas when hee is flying from the Lord and flinching in his businesse goeth downe to Iapho finds a shippe readie to go to Tharshish payeth the fare and goeth downe into the shippe hitherto Ionas had prosperous successe and all things fell out to his mind But it was not long before the Lords Pursiuant a mightie wind arrested him and caused him to be arraigned and condemned by the Lords verdite in the silent lots and to be cast into the sea by his owne sentence so fareth it with many which for a while haue good successe in their affaires and sayle pleasantly in the voyage of this life but ere long aduersitie layeth hold vpon them and casteth them into the surging seas of infinite calamities The corne that is too ranke is soone lodged the boughes of a tree being ouerloden are quickly broken and the ship ouerballanced is quickly drowned so the prosperous estate is very much subiect to ruine and subuersion When Dauid saw the prosperitie of the wicked hee wondered at it Psal 73 1â— 18. but at last hee learnes in the Lords sanctuarie that they are set in slippery places they stand as it were vpon ice which yeeldeth no sure footing What madnesse then is it for any man to waxe insolent because the world laughes vpon him considering that shee is readie so quickly to turne her countenance and to change her fauours into frownes When thou seest a man running speedily vpon an high and daungerous rocke doest thou not rather pittie him then thinke him happie Such furely is the case of that man whom prosperitie hath aduanced exceeding daungerous If therefore it hath pleased the Almightie to prosper thy wayes be not high minded but feare The warie mariner that saileth safely in calme windes will haue all things ready against a tempest so should the discreete Christian in the time of prosperitie prepare the shield of patience against the day of aduersitie and remember Greg. Mor. lib. 5. cap. 1. initio that holy men as one saith when they flourish and prosper are touched with a godly iealousie lest they should receiue all the fruites of their labours here in this world Almost euery man will pray hard in the day of aduersitie but thou hadst neede to double thy prayers in the time of prosperitie for by it do most men fall But happie is that man whose prosperitie is a spurre to pietie SECT 3. Of riches ALthough the earth which denieth not to men things needefull Sen. de Benefic lib. 7. cap. 10. hath hidden from them riches because they are hurtful and though Nature hath so subiected gold and siluer that man should trample them vnder his feete and hath giuen him a countenance erected to heauen that hee should not cast his eies vpon these base things but lift them vp to better yet such is the corrupt condition of mankind that he moiles and toyles in digging and deluing this hurtfull gold and siluer and peruerting the course both of nature and grace fixeth his eyes and his heart vpon riches and trampleth vnder the feete of a base estimation those celestiall things which hee should hold most deare and precious Are there not some like the Emperor Caligula Sueton. in vita Calig cap. 42. who was so delighted to touch and handle money that laying great heapes of gold in a spacious place he would tread on it barefooted and sometimes tumble himselfe in it Sure I am if none imitate him in that ridiculous practise that there are many that thirst after it as greedily scrape it together as eagerly and locke it vp as carefully as may be But if a man would behold the vncertaintie the insufficiencie or the miserie depending vpon riches hee could not chuse being not extreamely besotted with them but contemne and condemne the same as meere vanities 1 Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon that which is nothing saith Salomon Prou. 23.5 for riches betaketh her selfe to her wings like an Eagle which flyeth away very strongly and therfore the forme of money agreeth well with the condition of it Aug. in Psa 83. for it is stamped round because it is so apt to runne from a man How many thousand examples may histories and experience affoord of men exceeding rich brought to extreame pouertie yea and that fometimes very speedily And therefore might the Apostle very fitly call them vncertaine riches â— Tim. 6.17 For as in a wheele the spoke that now is vpward Chrys Ser. de curahab prox is by and by downward so commeth it to passe that he which is now rich doth shortly become poore Fire theeues warres and infinite causes there are of consuming riches and impouerishing their possessors though they had euen millions mountaines of gold But suppose that contrarie to their nature they stay by a man yet cannot he stay by them but must leaue them in spite of his teeth as the Psalmist saith Psal 49.17 The rich man shall take away nothing when he dyeth neither shall his pompe follow after him Thus death makes a violent diuorce betweene the rich man and his goods when it is said vnto him Thou foole Luk. 12.20 this night shal they take away thy soule The rich man sleepes saith Iob very elegantly and when he openeth his eyes there is nothing Iob. 27.19 It fares with a rich man at his death as it doth with a sleeping man when hee wakes out of his dreame A man that dreames of the finding or fruition of some rich bootie is wonderfull glad yet when hee awaketh hee findeth nothing but seeth it was onely a dreame and he is sorie so the rich man seemed in the time of his life to haue somewhat but at the day of his death all vanisheth like the Idea of a dream and it vexeth him Eccles 5.15 This is an euill sicknesse saith Salomon that a man must returne naked as he came and it is an ordinarie sicknesse not to be cured by all the physicke in the world When the Preacher hath shewed the vanitie of riches because they vanish thus he offereth this point to our consideration And what profite hath the rich man that he hath laboured for the wind Would you not thinke him a foole or a mad man that should go about to hold the wind and such doth Salomon note to be the folly and madnesse of him which labours and indeuors to hold his wealth 2
but to shew that it will be so Which ordinarie euent considered it is not without iust cause that the same Hebrew word vsed both in Iob and else where in the Scriptures Ioh. 20.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both Mirth and Mourning But if mirth were in it selfe both good and permanent yet how vnfit is it for this pilgrimage of teares When the Babylonians wished the Isralites being their captiues to sing them one of the songs of Sion they asked How shal we sing a song of the Lord in a straunge land Psal 137.4 Can a song of Sion be more vnreasonable in Babylon then ioy and mirth in this vale of miserie For what is here to make a man laugh or be merrie except hee would laugh at the world as Democritus did at the Athenians If a man take a discreet view of the vanities and miseries of this wicked world he shall find cause enough to mourne but little occasion of mirth It is worthie the obseruation that we reade not that euer our blessed Sauiour laughed or smiled but diuers times that he sighed groned and wept And the like we reade of other the sanctified seruants of God Phil. 3.18 Act. 20.19 as of Saint Paule who writes to the Philippians weeping and serues God with many teares We haue an old Prouerb and it is not more old then false A litle mirth is woorth a great deale of sorrow This is a carnall Prouerbe and true in those onely Eccles 3.21 22. who looke for their portion of felicitie in this life For to the children of God the Spirit of God can tell vs Eccl. 7.4.5 that a little sorrow is woorth a great deale of mirth Where or when was it euer said of mirth Psal 51.19 per risum multum poteris cognoscere stulium as it is of sorrow A sorowfull spirit is a sacrifice to God Laughter indeed is the sacrifice of fools Though the heauen of heauens cannot containe the Lord yet behold hee will haue his habitation with an humble spirit Esa 66. and a contrite heart This Dauid knew wel when he said Put my teares into thy bottle Psal 56.8 are not these things noted in thy booke The teares of a true penitent are laid vp by the Lord as rich iewels and hee doth register euery sigh of a conâ—rite heart euen to this end Psal 1â—6 5 that they which sow in teares may reape in ioy But there appeareth not a more maine and manifest difference betweene the estimation of mirth and sorrow then in our Sauiours words Wo be to you that laugh Luk â— 25 Mat. 5.4 for you shall waile and weep Blessed are you that mourne for you shall be comforted But what is it not lawfull to be merie Yes surely there is some mirth lawfull and othersome both lawfull and laudable Leu. 23.40 The Israelites may reioyce before the Lord their God in their solemne feastes As the Iewes must fast in their miserie Hest 4.16.9.22 so may they keepe the dayes of feasting and ioy for their victorie yea all the people at the coronation of Salomon may pipe with pipes 1. Kin. 1.40 and reioyce with great ioy and make the earth ring with the sound of them Thus euen in these the like temporall things it is lawfull for the children of God to reioyce And indeed none haue iust title to mirth but they who by reason of their adoption in Christ their present fruition of Gods fauour and constaÌ„t expectation of their future happinesse may very welâ— haue chearefull hearts but yet must this be with the Apostles caueat 1. Cor. 7.30 That they that reioyce be as though they reioyced not that neither their ioy be excessiue nor intempestiue not permitting times of mourning when there is cause of mourning There is a laudable mirth when men do reioyce Aug. conf â—ib 9. 7. to the Lord of the Lord and for the Lord. To this ioy doth the Psalmist exhort when hee saith Psal 102. â— Serue the Lord with feare and come before him with ioyfulnesse When men do in the seruice of God lift vp chearfull hearts to the Lord and sing praises to him ioyfully this is a heauenly reioycing and this was the blessed Virgins ioy My soule doth magnifie the Lord Luk. 1.47 and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour If this be the cause of thy ioy I may say to thee in the Apostles words Reioyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 and I say againe reioyce Enlarge thy heart and extend the bounds of consolation Psa 89.15 For blessed are the people that can reioyce in the Lord. When the disciples returned with ioy because the diuels were subdued vnto them though this were no small cause of ioy yet our Sauiour seeking to turne the streame of their affections another way saith vnto theÌ„ In this reioyce not that spirits are subdued vnto you Luk. 10 17 â—0 but rather reioyce that your names are written in heauen So do thou exâ—mine the euidence of thy saluation and if thou find in thy soule the charter of a sound faith sealed vp vnto thee by the spirit of adoption and tâ—e sanctifying spirit of God bearing witnesse that thou art the child of God and that thy name is enrolled amongsâ— the heauenly citizens then reioyce and againe I say reioyce and behold Ioh. 16.22 this ioy shall no man take from thee SECT 12. Of Mariage WHen man was in his innocencie the Lord said Gen. 2.17 It is not good for man to be alone but in his corrupt estate the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7.1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman Thus was marriage founded vpon decencie but now the principall pillar thereof is necessitie Ambr. de viduis Non quasi culpa vitanda sed quasi necessitatis sarcina declinanda In which respect although it is not to be shunned as a sinne yet is it to be abandoned as a burthen may very well bee taxed as a vanitie When a man intends to take a wife he aduentures vpon a daungerous choice Bias saying is famous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man take a faire wife it is doubtfull shee will prooue false if foule she is a lothsome plague And experience manifesteth many a matrimoniall infirmitie incident to that sexe If they be qualified with any extraordinarie ornaments they become imperious so that beautifull Vashti will not come to Ahashnerosh when he sends for her Hester 1. If their husbands haue any familiar societie with others by reason of his employments abrode they quickly become ielous and so are a griefe of heart to him If they be rich they looke to dominere according to that speech Eccl. 25.24 If a woman nourish her husband she is angrie impudent and full of reproch If they be not like their neighbours in womanish vanities they become querulous and if they be honest they are
an account for thy bodie with the parts and members thereof whether thy handes haue bene readie to distribute to the poore whether thy feete haue troden the good path thine eyes haue beheld the thing that is right thy toung hath vttered wordes which might minister grace to the hearer thine eares haue bene open to heare the cries of the needie He will call thee to an accompt for thy soule and the faculties thereof whether thine vnderstanding hath bene furnished with sanctified knowledge thy affections knit to heauenly delights and thy memorie retained holy instructions He will call thee to accompt of those temporall benefits thou hast obtained thy health strength wealth wit beautie and the rest and how thou hast put foorth euerie talent of his bountie to the aduancement of Gods glorie and the good of thy brethren He will call thee to an accompt for the spirituall graces and mercies which hee had offered or imparted to thee what fruite thou hast had by the preaching of the word what entertainement thou hast giuen to his spirit when hee knocked at the doore of thy heart and what thy growth hath bene in grace and godlinesse He will call thee to an accompt of thy carriage in thy calling if thou be a Magistrate how thou hast behaued thy selfe in the administration of iustice in maintaining the iust cause of the widow supporting the poore and defending the fatherlesse without bribes feare fauour or any other partiall respect If thou be a Minister how thou hast laboured in preaching the word instantly in season and out of season and how thou hast fed the flocke of Christ committed to thy charge with vertuous discipline wholesome doctrine and holy conuersation If thou be a father how thou hast bred and brought vp thy children if a maister how thou hast gouerned thy seruants He will call thee to an accompt for thy sinnes of omission and commission not onely cruell Ahab for taking away Naboths vineyard 1. King 21. but also mercilesse Diues Luk. 16. because he releeued not poore Lazarus In a word euery man from the richest Craesus to the poorest Codrus and euery transgression from the highest blasphemy to the least infirmitie must come to a strict triall in iudgement There are sixe principall remedies and refuges of the guiltie before the iudgment seates of mortall men either the Iudge may be deceiued through ignorance forestalled with fauour ouercome with power bowed with pittie corrupted with money or moued with arguments Ille Iudex nec gratÃa praeuenitur c. Aug. de synch lib. 3. but when the sinfull soule comes before the tribunall seate of the immortall God all these forts of confidence shal faile him 1 This Iudge cannot erre through ignorance Reu. 2.23 for he searcheth the hearts and the reynes Heb. 4.13 yea all things are naked and open to his eyes before whom wee must appeare Ioh. 1.48 He that saw Nathanael vnder the Figge-tree knoweth our goings out our commings in and is able to set before vs euen our most secret sinnes to repeate those we do not remember to reueale those we would hide and to conuict vs of those we would deny 2. He cannot be forestalled with fauour Reu. 2.23 for he is no respecter of persons but will giue to euery man according to his workes The poorest beggar shall find as good audience in this court of iustice as the mightiest Prince in the world Though amongst men Eccles 3.16 wickednesse be in the place of iudgement yet will Christ iudge most iustly euen all those who haue iudged most vniustly 3. He cannot be ouerswayed with power Mat. 28.18 for to him all power is giuen both in heauen earth Therefore may I say with the Prophet The high lookes of man shall be humbled and the loftinesse of men shall bee abased in that day Esa 2.11 Those that say in the pride and stubburnenesse of their hearts Let vs breake their bonds asunder Psal 2. and cast their cordes from vs shall then be dashed in peeces with the stone of mount Sion Dan. 2.45 and all their power and puissance shall not bee sufficient to deliuer them 4. As he cannot be ouercome with power so can he not be mooued with pitie There was a time wheÌ„ the wicked might haue repented when Christ offered pardon and powred foorth his precious bloud to cleanse them Heb. 10. but now there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne There was a time wheÌ„ he wept ouer Ierusalem but now alas there is no place for pardon or repentance though Ierusalem should seeke it with teares All the teares in the world though they distilled like the waters of a fountaine cannot now mooue Christ to compassioÌ„ for his meekenesse shall bee turned into wrath and hee that before wept for the miserie of the vngodly Reu. 6.16 will now laugh at their destruction Pro. 1.26 5. He will not be corrupted with gifts which blinde the eyes of worldly wise men the wealthiest in the world must come poore naked and emptie handed before Christ and then shall they find that Riches auaile not in the day of wrath Prou. 11.4 but righteousnesse deliuereth from death If the iealous man will not beare the sight of any ransome Prou. 6. nor bee pacified though thou multiplie the giftes will our Sauiours wrath by any rewards be mitigated towards those that being espoused to him in Baptisme haue prostituted themselues to euery abhomination Heb. 6. and crucified him daily with their grosse iniquities 6. Lastly all the Rhetoricall reasons and Logicall arguments of men that are most acute shal nothing mooue him in this behalfe Hieron ad Heliodor in fiâ—e foolish Plato with his scholers nor Aristotle with his arguments shall preuaile but a litle The conscience shall bee permitted to accuse and Sathan suffered to vrge but no aduocate allowed to pleade the cause of the wicked The Angels shall not plead for them being witnesses to their wilfull wickednesse the Saints shall not for it is their office to iudge the world 1. Cor. 6. Christ will not because they embraced not his mercie and mediation when they might haue had it themselues may not for they shall obtaine no audience And being thus destitute of all hope and coÌ„fort what can possesse their hearts but dread and horror what can they expect but the dreadfull sentence of coÌ„demnation to be pronounced vpon them When the Lord had appeared to the Israelites in most glorious manner on mount Sina Moses speaketh thus vnto them Feare not Exod. 20. for God is come to prooue you and that his feare may be before you that you sinne not Marke Feare not yet feare as if he should say Indeede this glorious appearing is very dreadfull yet feare not this so much but rather let this bring to your cogitations his future fearefull appearing when the Lord shall come and call for an accompt of this his
from hell and from the second death euen the eternall death both of bodie and soule tenne thousand times more dolefull and dreadfull then the temporall and corporall death Now this hell and death shall bee cast into the lake of Reu. 20.14 fire Whereby albeit the propheticall Euangelist vnderstand The infernall spirits yet he saith Hell it selfe because they are both confined within the same miserable immutable bounds neither of them both hauing power ouer the children of God This thing Abraham tels the rich man Betweene you and vs there is a great gulfe set Luk. 16 20. so that they which would go from hence to you cannot Doubtlesse it can neuer come into the heartes of the elect that they should bee willing to go into hell and it is as impossible they should be able as that they should be willing if they could they would not and if they would they cannot Thus whilest the Elect are deliuered from the disordered passions of the soule the externall calamities both of soule and bodie the prouocations of the world the power of Sathan the slauerie of sinne the feare of death and the dread of hell they may very well be accounted blessed and happie and the meditation thereof should make euery one desirous to bee partakers of that happinesse If a man had a true sense of these miseries oh what would hee giue to be freed from them how much wold the worldling giue to redeeme himselfe from temporall death But how many worlds wold Diues giue if he had them to be deliuered from the intolerable paines of eternall death If thou desire to bee freed from all these miseries and calamities then sticke to the truth Io. 8.32.36 and it shall make thee free He that will raigne must conquer and hee that would conquer must fight valiantly Labour then very earnestly to conquer and subdue thine owne corruptions the worlds allurements and the diuels temptations and then assure thy selfe though the miseries of the damned were as many as the Locusts of Aegypt yet they shal haue no power ouer thee but thou shalt escape them all Reu. 2.11 For hee that ouercometh shall not be hurt of the second death SECT 2. The second degree of happinesse after the last iudgement namely The fruition of celestiall felicity IF Noah hauing escaped the floud Gen. 8.20 builded an altar and offered burnt offerings thereupon if the children of Israel sung ioyfully for their deliuerance from Aegypt Exod. 15.1 if Dauid were so glad for escaping the hands of his cruell enemies Psa 34.3 that he praiseth God and exhorteth others to ioyne with him in magnifying the Lord how much more had they cause to reioyce the one when hee had obtained a quiet habitation in the restored earth the other that rich possession of the pleasant land and the third the expected fruition of the princely Crowne So may it bee said of the children of God If they haue cause to offer the sacrifices of praise vpon the altar of a thankfull soule for escaping the inundation of sinne to sing Alleluiah with chearefull voyces for their deliuerance from the Aegypt of hell and to magnifâ—â— the Lord for freeing them from the deadly assaults of al their infernal enemies how much more are they bound when they are seated in the heauens possessed of the celestiall Canaan and haue the crowne of eternall glorie set vpon their heades to magnifie the Lord for his mercie and to say with the blessed Angels Praise Reu. 7.12 and glorie and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore For behold this is the highest pitch and perfection of their happinesse Whilest I am to take a view of the kingdome of heauen oh that I might with the holy Apostle bee taken vp into the third heauens 2. Cor. 12.2 And whilest I shall endeuour to blaze foorth the blisse of the celestiall Ierusalem oh that the light of that glorie might shine into my sinfull soule that my thoughts being winged with the contemplation of Angels Reu. 21.15 and the Angels golden reede being giuen mee to measure that citie withall I might be able to comprehend with the blessed Saints the excellencie of that glorious place which farre surmounteth euerie humane estimate that so my soule being rauished with the glorie thereof my pen might distill the Nectar of comfort to inflame the harts of those that shall ioyne with mee in this sweete meditation For how alas shall he that was euer in darknesse be able to describe this light how can he that is of the earth measure the heauens or he that hath alwaies liued in this vale of miserie know what belongs to the mountaine of true felicitie No more surely then hee which is a slaue by birth and base by his continuall habitation is able ingeniously to describe the thrones the state and maiestie of Princes How many workes of God euen in this life do surmount our reach Ioh 3. If Nicodemus vnderstand not the manner of our regeneration how shall hee be able to conceiue the excellencie of glorification The dearest seruants of God who had Eagles eyes and Angels meditations Esay S Paul 1 Cor 2.20 can tell vs that neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither haue those ioyes come into mans heart which God hath prepared for those that loue him Though our eyes haue seene many glorious obiects and our eares haue heard report of greater matters yet our conceipt hath farre exceeded them both But behold the ioyes that God hath prepared for his elect do exceedingly surpasse the apprehensioÌ„ of all our senses both externall and internall Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 22. thâ—y may be obtained they cannot be valued Cott. in Cicer de nâ—t Deor. lib. 1. Hee in Tully said truly That it is an easier matter to know what God is not then to tell what hee is and so mâ—y I sâ—y in this case That it is much easier to tell what is not in heauen then what is there And therefore Saint Augustine in relating the blisse thereof taketh stand and demaundeth this of himselfe after a large discourse What shall I say surely I cannot tell Sed Deus habet quod exhibâ—at Aug. super â—oh hom 3. but I know that God hath such ioyes to bestow Yet forasmuch as the Lords pen-men haue according to our capacities described in sundry places diuerse particulars of this heauenly blessednes let vs briefly and according to the rules of sobrietie collect and consider the samâ— for our instruction and comfort And in the consideratioÌ„ thereof wee will obserue three principall points first the wonderfull beautie of that habitation secondly the glorious view and vision of Almightie God thirdly the blessed condition of the Saints in glorie 1 If any one looke for a curious discourse of the matter or forme of the heauens I intend to faile his expectation My desire in these
meditations is rather to stirre vp the affections of the godly then to conuerse with the conceipts of any curiously affected August de Genes ad Li er lib. 2. cap. 9. I like his iudgement who holds the disputes about the forme and figure of the heauens to bee vnprofitable and his censure Damasc de Orthodox fid lib. 2. c. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to search out the substance of them is vnlawfull whereunto if I may adde my owne opinioÌ„ I hold it impossible Farewell theÌ„ to the schoolemens friuolous and fruitlesse discourses about the forme the substance and quantity of the heauens Very glorious things are spoken of thee Psal 87.3 thou citie of God If the Prophet might say so of the terrestriall Ierusalem how much more may it iustly bee said of the celestiall citie which is aboue and the mother of vs all And Saint Iohn indeede hath made a very excellent description of that glorious kingdome Reu. 21. calling it first in generall Reu. 21.11 The holy Ierusalem which had the gloâ—ie of God shining in it and her shining was like a stone most precious as a Iasper stone and cleare as Christall Then in particular he sets downe the forme of it which was very perfect being quadrangular then the quantitie it was large and spacious containing many cubits then the matter and ornaments of it which was pure gold and all manner of precious stones then the adiuncts belonging to it the brightnes of glorie shining therein By which speeches borrowed from things which are most precious in mens estimation Saint Iohn would teach vs to conceiue of those excellencies Ioh. 14.1 which no man indeed is able to value Our Sauiour cals heauen his Fathers house and therefore it must needes be exceeding beautifull and glorious Dan. 4. Nebuchadnetsar spake ambitiously of his Pallace Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie But of the Lords house it may be iustly said Is not that great Bethel which the Lord himselfe hath built for the house of his kingdome the habitations of his Saints and for the honour and ornament of his Maiestie If the heauens which are subiect to vanitie Psal 19.1 do declare the glorie of God what shall the pure and Christall heauens doe when they are changed and refined Hâ—b 1. If the builders of the tabernacle were renowmed as those that had perfected an excellent worke Psal 74.5 how much more excellent shall that tabernacle bee whose maker and builder is Heb. 11.10 God Psal 84.1 Oh how amiable are thy dwelling places ô Lord of hostes Doth the beautie of the temple exceede Dauids conceipt and leaue him to the taske of admiration Oh how admirable amiable and glorious do wee thinke the kingdome of heauen shall bee Reu. 21.22 where the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the temple where the king is Veritie the lawes Charitie the honour Equitie the peace Felicitie the life Eternitie as Saint Augustine saith Plutar. in vita Them 2 Themistocles hauing a peece of ground to sell appointed the Cryer to proclaime in the sale thereof that whosoeuer would buy it should haue a good neighbour so although the kindome of heauen be excellent of it selfe yet Almightie God sending foorth his Criers and Ambassadors to offer the same to the world Mat. 3. 2. Cor. 5. hath caused them to adde this in their proclamation That whosoeuer obtaineth it shall haue many good neighbours euen the holy Saints and blessed Angels that which is aboue all he shall behold God Almightie and Christ Iesus the immaculate Lambe of God shining there in most resplendent glorie Reue. 22.4 They shal see his face and his name shall bee in their foreheads This was one of the last requests made by Christ in the behalfe of his Church Father I will that those which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17.24 be with me euen whâ—re I am that they may behâ—ld my glorie which thou hast giuen me a gracious petition for a blessed habitation and a glorious vision How earnestly did Moses importune the Lord Exo. 33.18 saying I beseech thee shew me thy glorie and it was a singular fauour that the Lord vouchsafed to shew him a glimpse of his glorie which he calleth his backe parts Vers 23. because a man is almost past fight when his backe is turned But behold Christ hath prayed for and the Lord hath promised a more glorious view of him in the life to come 1. Ioh. 3.2 For wee know that when he shall be made manifest we shall see him as he is A man that lookes into the sea cannot see to the bottome and he that lookes vp to the heauens can behold no further then the HorizoÌ„ and so indeed is this vision of Gods Saints bounded in the limites of finitenesse Yet is there as great difference betweene their present and future contemplation of glorie 1. Cor. 13. as betweene looking a man in the face and beholding him in a glasse for then they shall as fully behold the glorie of God as the fraile condition of mankinde may possibly permit When the Queene of Sheba had seene al the honour and magnificence of Salomon shee said with admiration Happie are thy men 1. Kin. 10.8 happie are these thy seruants that stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome If those were so happie who stood before Salomon to behold and heare his wisedome oh how happie shall they bee who shall stand before Almightie God and our blessed Sauiour to behold and see their glorie Psal 16.11 For in their presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thâ—ir right hand are pleasures for euermore And this is the cause Psa 42 1.2 that as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters so do the soules of the godlie pant after the Lord longing to appeare before his presence The ponderous stone inclineth downeward and lighter substances are carried vpward thus euery thing seeks his center Now the Lord is the Soules Center and like Noahs doue it finds no rest till it returne to him that gaue it Aug. Confes lib. 1. cap. 1 according to Augustines saying O Lord thou hast made vs for thy selfe and our heart is vnquiet till it rest in thy selfe But when the soule of man hath once attained this mercie then can the child of God say Psal 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 satisfied with it because it yeelds him the fulnesse of comfort and contentation 3 When Christ was transfigured vpoÌ„ the mount wee reade that Peter albeit himselfe was not changed Luk. 9.33 said vnto our Sauiour Iesus maister it is good to be here If Peter spake thus onely vpon the view of Christs transfiguration how much more shall the children of God reioyce at the last