off and detested because false Prophets have abused them and do still abuse them to deceive the people of God and lead them into errour to colour and countenance all their crafts and conveiances of corrupt doctrine Then men must abhor their meat and drink because some be drunken and some surfet Then must our witts memories health strength be taken away because every part and the whole man hath been miserably abused by us all through our many and manifold transgressions 17. BE not so unadvised as to malice or utterly mislike any lawfull vocation because the professors or practisers of it demeane themselves unworthily or impiously This or that officer may be hurtfull and yet his office still may be usefull was not Bennaiah the son of Jehoiada put over the Host in Joabs room and in the room of Abiathar Zadock the Priest [m] 1 King 2.35 Did not Eliakim a faithfull and diligent man succeed Shebna the hypocrite in the stewardship of Ezechiahs house [n] Isaiah 22.20 what a monster amongst men was Judas a traitour to his Master a murderer to himself censured by Christ to be no less debauched than a Devill [o] John 6.70 And yet it is not said of him let the Bishoprick be taken away Let there be no more Bishopricks for Judas his sake but let the Bishoprick remain and let another take [p] Acts 1.20 it that deserveth it better who will not onely bear the name but discharge the trust and more rightly perform the imployment 18. DOth the world commonly like earnestnes in any thing rather than religion Is that ancient and heavenly fire which once appeared most worthily in many both in their entrance and progress of their good course of piety and a good conscience now turned to ashes and extinct or doth it burne so closely and feebly that it can hardly be discerned yet keep thy spirit thy forwardnes and heat of heart and be not at any time without zeal in the service of God It well becommeth every Saint to be earnest to stick close to those holy dueties which God hath layd upon him and not to be flitting off and on and unsetled as many are who yet would be taken to be of the forwardest sort It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing [q] Galar 4.18 in the practice whereof good zeal with small learning is better than great learning with small zeal But as knowledge is not sufficient without zeal so neither zeal without knowlege But let not the most spirituall project be without spirituall prudence but in thy greatest heate let meek discretion in a proportionable rate order thy zeal Least unawares thou purchase Gods displeasure by the miscarriage of thy wel-meaning devotion such as God never appointed never approved and such as he hath often both misliked and severely punished zeal without knowlege is not zeal but stomack not a blessed holiness but a brain-sick giddiness A brutish and savage passion and perturbation such as is in that head-strong part of furious persons whose zeal is to depart from the Church yea even that Church that first brought them to that knowledge and faith that they have if in truth and soundnes they have any at all 19. BE sometimes severe to beat down the sin but commonly kind to winne the sinner Be at all times serving to befriend but at no time soothing to betray 20. MArre not a good cause with ill handling meddle not with evill no not the least that good though the greatest private or publick may come thereof Thou canst not please God more with a good intent than thou mayest displease him by using bad means to effect it 21. OBserve still the dayes worthily set apart to give thanks to God for his Apostles for those benefits which he hath bestowed upon us by their ministery for their eminent graces on earth and now such unspeakable glory in heaven whom though with the Papists we neither do nor dare adore yet well may we admire and imitate and well may we pray God to give us grace to follow them both in their believing living and dying who having now by their faith attained that which they desired are an excellent direction for us how to seek what they have attained 22. NEither habour an ill thought against thy Soveraigne Neither admit any the least depravation of him no not in the whispering of thy conscience No though he give cause to be evill thought of No though thou be wronged or worse thought of than thou deservest It skilleth not much what his person is when most sure it is his power is of God when of what nation or nature soever the Magistrate is Jew or Gentil Christistian or Heathen good or bad he hath his authority from God the Magistrate of all Magistrates not from the Law of Nations as some are not ashamed to aver [r] Bellar. de Pontif. Rom. lib. 1. cap. 7. paragr praeterea but as from God and his Law By diligent care in good services please thy governour as well as thou mayest and that in most awfull and loyall manner and with all due circūspection beware how thou kindle his anger Be far from those tumultuous and rebellious practices that may give him cause of provocation against thee and keep thy self from those fierce and fiery fellowes those desperate or hypocriticall companions which may stir thee up to stand upon points with him and imbolden thee against him From Church-robbers and traitors it is not pride but a point of wisedom and godly policy to affect alwayes a stern kind of strangegeness aloofe It is Salomons injunction in the giving whereof he was directed by Gods Spirit and be it ever in thy remembrance My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change [s] Prov. 24.21 that are desirous of alteration and changes in the state according to their private and peevish humours 23. HOw ardently are wilful hearts enamoured with worldly greatness How greedily do naturall men affect dominion How mightily do some men long to Lord it over their neighbours in honour and dignity power and authority some are resolved to rise and be in some office or other or it shall cost them a fall yea a fall into hell some had rather be traitours than not Magistrats But let us not be desirous of vain glory saith S. Paul [t] Gal. 5.26 But seek not thou the acclamation of man more than the approbation of God Be thou no Magistrate no officer yea no man rather than a traitour 24. IF cunning rebellion under a shew of religion and vizard of vertue without fear of Gods vengeance or shame of mens reproof cast his fiery darts at thee let faithfull loyalty and loyall faithfulness be ready to quench them if seditious persons and such as love innovations seek with guilefull speeches to steal thy soul from God and thy heart from thy soveraigne let wisedom shape them
things for the salvation of thy soul Almighty God hath from everlasting ordained both the ends and the means not the ends without the means nor the means without the ends but both of them All lawfull means may well stand with Gods providence and faith therein yea by not divorcing the means from the end we both declare our sincere obedience in using such weak means as are subordinate thereunto and decline security and presumption two main enemies of our most holy faith 45. BY daily prayer and practice stir up the gifts of the Holy Ghost in thee lest in the end thou lose thy store with stock and all constantly keep on rowing against the stream of thy naturall corruption against which if thou do not strive continually but stand at a stay it will carry thee away and all thy merchandize as a boat standing loose upon the river is carryed backward if it be not wafted forward is by the sway of the water driven downward unless it be stil labouring to go upwards 46. OBserve diligently what adversaries be abroad and warily watch that there be no traitours at home All that hurt thee are not without thee there are enemies too within thee and such as may do thee more harm than all the rest look upon thy outward senses and reflect upon thy inward affections lest by the former evills enter and lest by the later evills conquer 47. TAke heed to thy mouth that thou speak not unadvisedly and to thy hands that they act not unpreparedly but especially and above all things look to the inward affections of thy heart for as the fountain is such is the river that runneth from it If the fountain be sweet the river that floweth from it will not be sowre as the Wood is so the Fire will be unsavoury wood will make unwholsome fire but pure Frankincense or dry Juniper will yield a pleasant perfume so if the soul be sanctified the lips will be seasoned but if the thoughts and affections be ungodly they will bring forth lewd words and wicked actions for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh said the God of Truth who knew the heart [h] Matth. 12.34 what the heart readeth the mouth repeateth 48. COnsider thy proper and personall sins whereunto by the corruption of thy nature thou art most inclined from which thou can'st hardliest abstain as beeing more strong and more working in thee than some others are and against them make thy spiritual compacts and barricadoes most durable and most guard thy walls with Redoubts and outworks where the hedge is lowest every beast will seek to enter and where we are weakest Sathan that beast will be strongest his temptations will be thickest where our defence is slenderest 49. STand to thy watch looke to thy wayes keep a continuall guard over thy self in all occurrences and not only beware of personall sins towards which thy nature most bends but of those also which are incident to thy present estate whatsoever it is In wealth beware of high-mindedness in health of wantoness in mirth of forgetfulnes in want to distrustfulness in loss of pensiveness and in death of fearfulness 50. ABstain as farr as thou canst not only from every sin but also from every baite that may be a means to bring thee unto it Look not thou upon the wine saith the Holy Ghost by the mouth of Salomon when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup when it mooveth it self aright [i] Prov. 23.31 and accordingly look not upon the meat that may betray thy appetite and then thy affections young Daniel refused the meat that was allotted unto him by Nebuchadnezzar which of it self was lawfull to be received with thanksgiving because the King should not intice him thereby to forsake his own God or to leane to the others Religion [k] Dan. 1.8 51. CHeck not Gods Word with the licentious Antinomian give not Gods Spirit the lie who in every place warneth us that the Morall Law is not abolished by the Law of faith but established [l] Marth 5.17 18 19 20. In the uprightness integrity of thy heart endeavour to walk still in the old way of Gods Commandements if ever thou mean to come to Heaven by the new and living way Christ Jesus For every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure [m] 1 Joh. 3.3 Examin and proove thou still and fashion thy works by the Law as by a right levell which God hath left to be a rule of righteousnes to remain in full strength power and vertue for ever Although thou canst not fulfill it yet put it not out of thy sight or care stray from it as little as thou canst though thou canst not obey it so fully as thou wouldst 52. HOwsoever thou fall through infirmity or human frailty into sin as who is free from falling It is not possible for any meer man to be without all offence [n] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Howsoever being surprized by Sathan inveigled by slights inticed by sinners thou be taken and upon a sudden overtaken in a fault for it were a proud perswasion above mans state and against-Gods Truth to think thy self safe from sin yet be not so insolent and impudent stand not in justification of it for that sheweth less grace and more corruption while men though otherwise badly disposed blush and are touched with some bashfulness though they cannot contain themselves yet there is hope of them some signe of salvation is the acknowledgment of sin [o] Signum salut is agnitio peccati Bern. but when they justify their bad doings and boldly defend what they have done they are almost desperate and give small hope of amendment without speciall grace To sin is human weakness but to plead for it wilfull wickednes Defence of a fault doubles it and is a forerunner of obduration Thy sin perhaps was small as thou didst commit it but surely 't will be great if thou strive to maintain it for that cuts off all repentance Nay it makes thy sin grow up into a wicked height of scandall and so it may be not only a snare to thy selfe but an unhappy seducement to other warranting many more to be sinfull 53. THere are many things evill in themselves of which thou mayest speak without any evill as of stealing killing which are wicked to be practized not wicked to be published but there are other things lawfull to be done which are non dicendas unlawfull and unhonest to be plainly spoken of and therefore forbear unless it be upon good cause and with great modestie so much as to mention them Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers grieve not the Holy Spirit of God [p] Ephes 4.29 30. Neither give him occasion touching his comfortable and defensive presence to depart
serve him to believe his truth and walk in his Commandments Him will God love most who shall winne most to the love of God (f) Is in amore Dei major erit qui plurimos ad ejus amorem trahit Greg. in hom wherefore hath God given thee light but that thou shouldst give light to others How canst thou be sure of thy own calling if thou hast no delight to call others Thou art not turned to God thy self if thou bear not that heart that thou wouldst even think thy self happy mightest thou be a means to turn another unto God The Prophet Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet and Prophetical Evangelist prophecying of the Kingdom of Christ bringeth in the people so full of zeal that they stir up one another saying Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in in his paths (g) Isaiah 2.3 And Zachariah saith They that dwell in one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts (h) Zachar. 8.21 74. BE not wise to thy self Be not a niggard of thy knowledge but communicate thy knowledge to others Cover not thy candle with a vessel neither put it under a bed but set it on a candlestick that they which enter in may see the light (i) Luke 8.16 So shalt thou perform the intent of thy stewardship so shalt thou be of the number of those who profiting teach and by teaching profit knowledge may fitly be resembled to the Widows oyl which the more it was powred out the more it increased knowledge may be well likened to the five loaves which the more they were distributed the more they multiplyed As contrariwise if knowledge be not imparted it will be impaired If we keep it private we shall be deprived of it 75. ARt thou learned and able to teach others yet disdain not that any should teach thee what mortal meer man ever attained to that depth of judgment as not to be yet ignorant in many profitable concernments Even in the same profession that may be hidden from one which is known to another to attend is no hinderance but that a man may speak to speak is no hinderance but that a man may hear therefore Job matcheth them together saying Let a man of understanding tell me there is he prepared to learn let a wise man harken to me (k) Job 34.34 there is he provided to speak speaking and hearing amongst all that are wise-hearted cannot be prejudicial one to another 76. ATtend as often and as carefully as thou mayest to all wholesome and convenient directions Be more desirous to harken to others than to hear thy self but especially when thou meetest with such as excell in knowledge as are filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisedom and spiritual understanding by whom in many things thou mayest exactly cure thy ignorance by learning in silence who are as profitable Well-springs plentifull and perpetual such as fail not nor can be drawn dry at any time whose hearts feed their mouths and thereout excellent observations in one usefull respect or other readily flow as a free stream from a full fountain 77. COntemn not neither lightly pass over such things as thou seest but seriously search and seek not only what temporal but especially what spiritual use thou canst draw from them that may enrich thy soul and help to build thee up in Christ Jesus learn wich the Bee to gather celestial honey as well from the weed as from the flower learn by the Dust thy baseness by the Grass thy frailty by the Ant diligence by the Sheep patience by the Oxe thankfulness by the Clouds bountifulnes learn by the Darknes the time of thy ignorance by the Light the time of the Gospel by every thing something that may wean thee from earth and win thee to Heaven 78. COmmune often with thy own heart and let thy spirit make diligent search wherein thou hast offended in thought word deed by sins of omission or commission against God thy neighbour and thy self stand not in thine own light be not partial but examin thy self earnestly thoroughly uprightly Neither only examin but upon examination condemn thy self fall at Gods feet and humbly cry for mercy Thus if thou judge thy self before thy self in this thy day thou shalt not be condemned in the last day before the Judgment Seat of Christ in the presence and audience of all the world 79. DIscover to thy Surgeon thy sores to thy Physician thy disease to Almighty God thy sins It is a good disgrace that procureth grace He preventeth his cure that doth not publish his cause (l) Ipse sibi denegat curam qui suam medico non publicat causam Aug. epist 188. The Lord indeed knoweth all things but yet requireth thy confession is acquainted with all thy wishes and all the volutations of thy mind but nevertheless expecteth thy words (m) Novit Deus omnia vocem tatamen tuam expectat Ambros de poenit l. 1. cap. 23. 80. THink not thy self immediately made clean from all thy iniquity transgression and sin if thou shed a few tears and bewail them but be sorrowful for them and sorrowful that thou canst be no more sorrowful considering that if a river were turned into tears flowing from thine eyes thou couldst never sufficiently be grieved for thy offences if God should in his Justice only require it and yet dispair not but take a true and comfortable and fast hold upon God by a lively faith who is gracious and abundant in mercy whose mercy hath neither bottom nor measure who will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and live disliking himself for his manifold misdemeanors and cleaving to God for his manifold mercyes 81. BE not so cast down in the sight of thy own unworthyness as to think because thou deservest not Gods mercy therefore thou shalt never be partaker of it For how plentiful are his gracious promises every where of favour and compassion the which though there be no cause in thee why he should confirm yet is there cause enough in himself why he should perform who whatsoever he will he can and whatsoever he hath promised he will who alwayes useth to be as good as his word who is infinite in his mercy and infallible in his truth 82. IF thou wouldst repent truly and thoroughly pray earnestly to the Lord that it would please him of his infinite compassion to look upon thee with the eyes of his grace The most merciful God is the only giver of repentance unto life n (m) Act. 11.18 It is not in mans power to repent when he will but when God will It is not thy own or any others indeavour that can do any thing in this way till God put to his help untill Christ did
to do but a great number of them for our admonition that we may know what to shun 17. WHom thou now truly believest to be invisible and immortall and incomprehensible Think not at any time that God is in earnest like one of us or that God hath a body because the Scriptures sometimes give him our parts because we read of the heart of God eyes ears arms hands feet and such like for the holy pen-men by now and then the things of God by the phrases of men for mens better apprehension and readyer understanding because we cannot understanding because we cannot understand how one should see without eyes or heare without eares or shew strength without armes I speak after the manner of men saith Saint Paul because of the infirmity of your flesh [y] Rom. 6.19 I speak as men commonly use in regard of your weak capacities and carnall imaginations taking the best way to be understood to instruct your souls and affect your hearts Come not to the hearing or reading of such speeches as the Corinthians came together not for the better but for the worse [z] 1 Cor. 11.17 gather not the more errour from them but the more knowledge Hear them or read them to that end for which they were written even for thy clearer conception and easier perswasion 18. IN all places and amongst all persons let thy maine care alwaye be to set forward Gods cause to defend his truth to maintaine his Name and estimation whensoever it is any way questioned or evill spoken of Have a greater care of Gods glory than of any others or of thine own and let it go neerer unto thee to hear Gods Name dishonoured than to have thine own destroyed yea rather than thou O Lord shouldst lose any part of thy glory which is most proper and precious unto thee glory be for ever taken away from us and our honour with all contempt and disgrace layd in the dust loss of credit and reputation be to all our doings and sayings losse to our goods and good name and whatsoever in this world is most dear unto us 19. BE slow to wrath in the greatest in juries inferred upon thy selfe but in the least affront offered to God put on all the indignation and rigour thou hast Be mild and forbearing suffering and soft in causer of thy own but in the quarrell of God be magnanimous and fervent sharp and severe according to thy power and place Moses in his own quarrell in matter concerning himself was a man most meek and had not an equall unto him in his time for peaceable and gentle behaviour [a] Numb 12.2 3. he quietly bare wonderfull wrongs and was easily perswaded to depart from his right But when he was to deal for God he took upon him an holy obstinanacy He would not consent unto Pharao that so much as an hoofe should remain behind them [b] Exod. 10.26 but when he spyed a Calf in the campe when he perceived idolatry committed and Gods glory comming into question He proclamed a bloody massacre and pronounced the execution to be a consecration yea he with his partakers speedily sacrifised to God the blood of three thousand malefactours [c] Exod. 32.27 28 29. S. Paul was not mooved with thought of his own troubles or danger of death but when he saw the City of Athens wholy given to idolatry his spirit was stirred in him and though he did not as Moses because he had not the like authority yet he disputed in the Synagogue with the Jewes and with the devout persons and in the Market daily with them that met with him [d] Acts 17.16 17. 20. MAke O make no long yea no little tarrying to turne unto the Lord put not off from day to day from youth to old age when Summer is turned into Winter when the raine descendeth and the flouds come and the winds blow [e] Matth. 7.27 when men are beset with troubles and sickness with paine and grief and torment when their wits and senses are taken up to devise remedyes against their diseases to prevent or to sustain the pangs of death but remember thy Creatour and remember a convenient time for thy Creatour remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth in thy young years in thy flourishing dayes in thy time of prosperity whilst thy sences are sharpe thy memory quick thy wit ripe thy capacity ready thy understanding deep Remember his might that thou mayest believe his mercy that thou mayest hope his justice that thou mayest be fearfull his goodnes that thou mayest be thankfull [g] Augustinus 21. LOve all Gods children for his sake and obey all superiours whom he hath appointed The debt of love is generall we all owe it and we owe it unto all but trust in God and depend upon him onely joyne not any creature with him He is contented and hath commanded that we should perform all other duties to all others to whom they belong Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour appertaineth [h] Rom. 13.7 provided alwayes that we yeeld them all to him chiefly to him ever and to none so much as him But the worship of confidence he hath reserved wholy to himselfe neither may we communicate it to any other upon any conditions without extreme disloyalty to him what is it less than idolatry for the meanest upon earth to tender it and as much as it as sacrilege for the mightiest upâ—arth to take it 22. OPen thy mouth and thy mind for thy brethren when they are molested and maligned and laden with scandals and reproaches but much more then for his cause and for his glory that made thy mouth and thy mind Be not ashamed of his righteousnes or of his Gospell lest he be ashamed of thee confess his Name before the sons of men and thou shalt be sure to be confessed before the sons of God Acknowledge Christs truth and he will acknowledge thee before the Angels and before his Father 23. IT hath been the custome alwayes of the best sort to offer in the best manner the best they had unto the best that is to the Lord himself Offer thou likewise the best to God whensoever thou hast cause to offer if ever thou desire to be in the number of the best otherwise the worst sort shall rise up in judgment and condemn thee the very idolaters that worshipped the works of their own hands and turned the truth of God into a lie shall go before thee into the Kingdom of heaven They in their oblations thought not the worst they had or what came first to hand as good enough but brought the best they had would have brought better if they could and thought nothing too much for their newly devised God they were content to spoil themselves that they might adorn their idols (i) Exod. 32.2 3. 24. STand upon
thy credit and provide things honest before men A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favour than silver and gold (k) Prov. 22.1 It seasoneth the gifts that we have received and maketh them profitable unto others Be our parts never so transcendent Be our gifts never so excellent Be we never so loaden with spirituall graine and food and treasure yet if we have not a good name to grace them and countenance them we can do very little or no good with them It was an honour to Demetrius that he had a good report of all men and of the truth if self (l) 3. Epist John v. 12. but stand no more upon thy credit than upon thy conscience neither regard more the shame of men than the fear of God Have him still before thine eyes who hath thee alwayes before his eyes look up unto him continually who never leaveth to look down upon thee so shalt thou walk evermore in his presence and be sure to become ever the more upright 25. NEither derogate any thing from the Majestie of God albeit he vouchsafe ordinarily to use externall and ordinary meanes in bringing his purposes to pass for he useth them freely not of necessity and he is as well able to manifest his power without them as with them He hath a prerogative above the prerogative of any Prince to work above and besides yea and against nature Neither yet magnify the creatures which the Lord at any time is pleased to use above that which is convenient for any rare gifts and qualities that we see in them for that were to set them in the place of God who have no more efficacy than that which is given them from above from him who is the guide of nature and the cause of causes according to his own pleasure but first and above all give thou glory to God to whom onely it is due and then for the Lords sake honour thou the means because God hath put the honour of an instrument upon it 26. NEver distrust in thy least or greatest vexation any the least or greatest promise of God for not one jot or one tittle of any shall fail to be performed in due time Man is variable in his love and promises to his neighbour Men are subject even the best men both to deceive and to be deceived Men promise much and perform little but as God is not deceived so he cannot deceive and if thou be of any spirituall experience thou canst not but know that the Lord often bringeth to passe more than he promiseth to do Doubt not therefore at any time of his Word who is many times better than his Word 27. ACcount it and acknowledge it alwayes with all thankfulnes as a great mercy of God that he sendeth thee to school and speaketh to thee who art not able to abide the beauty and brightnes of his majestie by men and brethren like unto thy self and subject to like passions If God himself should appeare unto thee and utter his voyce his voyce from heaven then wouldst thou fear and quake and fall down as a dead man or cry out with great astonishment as many of the Fathers did Alas I shall dye we hear not the thunder without feare we behold not the brightnes of the Sun without dazeling how then should we hear the immediate voice of God or see his glory without confusion Then if by Gods mercyes thou recoverest thy sences thou wouldst make request to have the ministers of the Word to speak unto thee again whom now thou despisest and whose words thou contemnest now as base and contemptible thou wouldst then desire and imbrace 28. REmember it and consider it as a principle whensoever thou hearest that howsoever we may not obey either man or Angell if he speak any thing contrary to the written Word though he come with all shew of learning and all appearance of unspotted and undefiled pureness yet the greatest princes of the world are bound to heare and obey the meanest man that God doth send so far as he teacheth according to his commission If Princes resist the word of truth in the Preachers mouth they resist not the messenger but the master that sent him 29. GRow better as thou growest elder Be not like a dead hedge with the many by standing longer waxing rottener Art thou past growth in body yet art thou not come to thy full growth in soul thou so journest here in this valley of teares untill thy faith be turned into vision and thy hope into fruition As a new born babe desire the sincere milk of the Word that thou mayest grow thereby [m] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Pet. 2.2 The Apostle speaketh it to the eldest as well as to the youngest There is no bound for this thy growth but the common bound of thy mortality Grow still in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ [n] 2 Pet. 3.18 c. without whom all knowledge is ignorance all wisedom foolishnes all learning madness and all religion errour or hypocrisy or superstition and of whom the greatest part of that which thou knowest is not the least part of that which thou knowest not Never be to teach unwilling or to learn ashamed 30. THink not thou hast knowledge enough for then thou clearely bewrayest thy want of knowledge such as have attained and received the greatest knowledge do find in themselves the greatest ignorance such as imagine themselves to be most sure and rich in understanding are indeed most sottish and childish in the matters of God like empty vessels that make the greatest sound Hereby thou shalt try thy self whether thou hast reached to any measure of acceptable knowledge if it work and kindle in thee a desire of more knowledge if it do praferre facem hold the light before thee to see thy own weakness and if it teach thee that still thy wants are greater than thy wealths 31. DEspise not undervalew not the the holy Word of God because it is conveied unto thee by sinfull man Forsake not the exercises of religion for the wickedness or unworthiness of the Minister As thou art not to receive his doctrine for his good life so thou art not to reject it for his evil life An evill Messenger may deliver a good message The Pharisees in the dayes of Christ were lewd livers full of pride covetousnes hypocrisy and dissimulation and many of them of other tribes than of Levy yet so long as they fate in Moses chaire that is held themselves to Moses text and doctrine the disciples are commanded ded to heare them as damned hypocrits as they were and to do whatsoever they commanded [o] Matth. 23.2 3. which words our Saviour would never have delivered if either the Minister might have defiled the Word or any man be allowed for the faults of the Minister to have rejected and refused the Lords Mysteries 32. IF thou wouldst increase in
watching when the burdens were increased and the straw was taken away then came Moses [k] Exod. 5.20 when the Israelits were hedged in on either side with mountains when they had the Sea before them and the Egyptians marching behind them and there appeared no way no remedy no hope of subterfuge in the sight of man when Moses warrant might seem now to express rather a dream of desolation than a day of deliverance Then did the Lord cause the Sea to part in two and stand like walls on the right hand and on the left till the Israelites had passed over on dry land and when Pharao followed he made them joyne againe and drowned him and all his Then did God oh admire both his might and his mercy save his servants and destroy their enemies [l] Exod. 14.30 to the terrour of all those that shall persecute the Church of God and his people 93. SEest thou a man in distress in troubles crosses dangers If thou knowest him not censure him not censure not his manners by his misery remembring and considering that neither all wicked men are so punished nor all so punished are wicked men I meane wicked above others By prophaneness judge of calamities not by calamities of prophaneness 94. MUrmur not in troubles storm not in afflictions as many do knowing from whom they come and to whom they oft'nest come better than many do Do'st thou know they come from God darest thou once repine Do'st thou know how the like are accomplished in all the Saints which are or have been or shall be in the world and darest thou look to be spared who in these thoughts would grudge that his case is no better and not rather comfort himself that it is no worse who would not rest contented with that which is the pleasure of his Father and the portion of all his brethren 95. IN all thy afflictions howsoever suppullulating one after another and exceeding each other in degrees bristle not up thy affections against the pleasure or proceeding of the Almighty whose judgments thou hast so many times deserved Look not so much upon thy sorrowes as upon thy sins and freely acknowledge that not only in that manner but in a greater measure God might justly punish thee He might plague thee more severely because thou art sinfull but he punisheth thee mildly because he is mercifull because his judgments are alwayes mingled with mercy because his justice and goodness go still together 96. AS God chastiseth thee because he loveth thee because he would separate from thee that which he misliketh the dross of thy corruptions as gold is fined in the fornace so love thou him because he chastiseth thee There is no surer signe of thy having the spirit of patience and of thy being translated from death to life than when his mercy bringeth forth fear in thee and his justice love He loveth the party heartily that can love him when he wrongeth him though God can do us no wrong He loveth God unfeignedly that can love him when he scourgeth him 97. WHatsoever Sathan often suggests to men beset and encompassed with any trouble conclude not the estate of the wicked to be the better because they live for the present in pleasure and prosperity Neither esteem the condition of the godly to be the worse because they abide for a while under adversity For if the gold must pass the furnace shall not the dross be rejected If the good corn must be ground in a rough Mill and baked in a hot oven before it become good bread shall not the chaff be burned up with fire unquenchable Conflicts and cares fightings without and fears within m 2 Cor. 7.5 The outward and inward molestations of good men do not bring them behind the wicked but rather shew that the sufferings and sorrowes of the wicked are yet behind 98. IF thou seest any mourn more than is meet or more impatient than thou hast commonly seen for the loss of their yoak-fellowes or children brethren or kinred more weakly complaining that they are gon than wisely considering whether they are gon Yet cast them not off with thy uncharitable censures lest thou condemn the righteous with the wicked but bear a part of their burdens upon thy Christistian counsels and comforts and contribution if thou be able and they want it or at the least upon thy prayers that they with thee and thou with them like feeling members of the same infirmities may sustain your crosses by your mutuall supplications and obtain your assistance by the precious blood of your blessed Saviour 99. BE not willing to sin nor unwilling to suffer for sin Be not impatient if God punish thee a little when thou hast provok'd him much but be drawn and driven by it neerer unto God and unto his Word but humble thy self with thankfulness under the mighty hand of God that out of his great indulgence his afflicting of thee is tolerable that he doth not exercise that extremity upon thee which he justly might and ingenuously confess with holy Jeremy that it is of the Lords mercyes that it ariseth from the abundance of his favour that thou art suffered still to enjoy the benefit of life that thou art not utterly consumed a Lament 3.22 that thou art not according to thy deserts strucken dead upon a sudden for thy transgressions 100. ARt thou troubled and grieved vexed and oppressed with changes and armyes of sorrowes Doth thy heart in the judgment of flesh so faint within thee with pinching fear and pensive heaviness that knowing not how much thou art able to bear by the mediation and strength of CHRIST thou thinkest thou canst no longer hold out unless God help thee by such a season Now what is the wisest man that he should presume to assigne unto the only wise God his stemming Is it meet that man should direct God as if it were his duty to minister to him or as if there wanted discretion in him to know when to measure out his favours Doth not the governour of all the world best discerne his own opportunities as for justice and judgment so for mercy and compassion It is good saith the Prophet that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord [o] Lament 3.26 prescribe not unto the Lord the time of thy deliverance but patiently leave it to his determination Fit not the time to thy self but fit thy self to the time that he hath appointed APHORISMS OR BREVIATS of Speculations THE SECOND CENTURIE 1. HAving sincerly prepared and devourly disposed thy self according to thy skil and power for how dare any man speak to Almighty God without premeditation Be not out out of heart or hope but make thy addresses in the Name of Jesus to the Throne of Grace with an humble confidence and holy cheerfulness Let thy prayers proceed from a lively faith against all faintness from a stirring zeal against all slackness from a
from thee 54. LEt not thy heart be in thy mouth but thy mouth in thy heart unless it be to glorify God or edifie thy brethren or for justice and equitie in behalf of them that are thrust down and injuriously dealt with by some unconscionable oppressour unless it be to speak such things as are just and acceptable in the sight of God and good and profitable for the use of the hearers unless thy speech be gracious and powdered with salt [q] Coloss 4.6 that is holy and wholesom for the matter and discreet and seasonable for the manner Either vent good matters or break not good manners Either speak that which is better than silence or els keep silence still [r] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. we commonly make little reckning of vain words but even the least vain word is not the least sin of which one day we must give a great account 55. SUspect all thy doings like Job that holy man that feared all his wayes [s] Job 9.28 yea though he had much less cause to fear than we have who come far short of his carefulness Suspect either thy negligence in them or pride of them or some corrupt affection mingled with them And when thou hast done the uttermost thou canst when thou hast bent all thy strength to serve the Lord in speciall manner say not thou art righteous like the Pharisee that condemned another and justified himself Be so farr from setting up thy rest or crest upon it that thou condemn thy self for an unprofitable servant [t] Luke 17.10 desiring remission not deserving reward As Christ said to the young man that was so forward in the Gospell that seemed zealous in the wayes of God and even to make hast to the Kingdom of Heaven yet one thing is wanting [u] Luke 18.22 so still cry out to thy soul either for the matter or for the manner some thing is wanting Assure thy self there is some want of holiness nay some unholiness in thy holiest aons 56. BE not Eagle-eyed and sharp-sighted to observe the behaviour and look into the lives of other men so long as beeing overcome with self-love thou art pur-blind in regarding and backward in reforming thine own but first begin with thy self and end with others but first look to thy own wayes and without partiality consider how hard it is to subdue the strength of sin in thy self and to over-master thy own corruptions so shall thou be more charitable and less severe to others 57. MAke conscience of the least sin that thou mayest be affraid of the greatest strain at every such gnat and thou shalt not easily swallow a Camel use to pul out but such a moat in thine ey and thou shalt not soon suffer a beame to stick in it to prevent sin at the beginning the labour is little but to shake off a custom is the work of a Samson 58. MAke not thy self guilty of other mens sins by counsell or commandment or consent by commending or justifying or concealing or not opposing if thou be able For though thou do not execute it in the work and apparently practise it with the hand yet if thou prevent it not when it is in thy power so to do thou commest within the compass of the sin in Gods account If God have made thee strong and thou make thy self weak the evill that thou sufferest shall be required of thee 59. LEt not the fatness of anothers portion trouble thee nor yet the leaness of thine own Never envy that another hath more not yet repine and grudge that thou hast less Make not slight of that which thou enjoyest because thou wantest something that thou desirest It is not Gods Ordinance that al should be alike or that al should be aloft or that all should abound in riches As the Lord can give riches without contentment so he can give contentment without riches Be not sick for anothers wealth or anothers office or anothers honour but constantly and equally content thy self with that honour or office or wealth or mean estate that God hath given thee but satisfie thy self with that low or last place wherin he hath setled thee and acknowledge that the meanest place is far more than either thou canst chalenge or canst deserve I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercyes saith Jacob [w] Gen. 32.10 Not worthy of the greatest No not of the least the least drop of thy mercies is greater than all my deserts 60. WHat though some far unlike to just Lot [x] Pet. 2.7 are nothing troubled in their souls with the filthy conversation of the wicked Nay which is worse what though some can delight and sport themselves can laugh and clap their hands to behold men laden with drink tumble like swine or observe how they rail upon the truth and those that profess it besides many other ungracious speeches little imagining that by such applauding behaviour they seem also to rejoyce in the Devills conquest over their brethren yet mourn thou for the sins of others as if they were thine own for if thou do not thou wilt thereby make them thine own If thou mourn for them they are their 's not thine but if thou do not mourn they are both theirs and thine they are smitten in Ezechiel that mourned not for the abhominations committed as well as they that did commit them [y] Ezech. 9.5 61. WHat intollerable oppression soever the malice of men shall not cease to multiply upon thee let Christian wisdom and magnanimity subdue thy passions Be so far from revenging thy self indeed for injuries done unto thee as not in big words or bold assertions to threaten or in the secret corners of thy mind to purpose any vengeance commend thy cause to God stay his leisure till he deliver thee or if thou live where God hath appointed a governour appeal to his Vicegerent the publick Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vain and abide his determination rather undergo a second injury than with thy own revenging hand requite the first rather with a good heart be ready to bear any thing than by any thing wherof thou hast no warrant seek satisfaction Art thou a Christian and wilt be revenged Tarry a while thy Lord and Master Christ Jesus is not yet revenged of his own death [z] Vindicari vis Christiane Nondum vindicatus est Christus August in Psal 30. put away all rage put on the Lord Jesus Christ [a] Rom. 13.14 pray as thy blessed Saviour both did and taught that thy enemies may rather be pardoned than punished 62. NEither bite thy neighbour present nor backbite him absent Neither bite him nor backbite him with what thou knowest and much less with more than thou knowest Moove not any tale whether false or true whereby the credit of thy neighbour may be lost or lessened All truths are not to be told at all times Thou mayst bear false witness when thou