man to the reformation of that which is amisse and will not cease to vrge and ply a man till it be done Frequent examination as it helpes to the making of schollers so to the making of Consciences good Hence mens lying in so grosse neglects of good duties in so many great euills because men and their Consciences neuer reckon Men take not themselues aside into their closets and chambers there set not vp a priuy sessions to make inquirie into their owne hearts waies and therefore are their wayes Consciences so much out of order Many a man thinkes his estate in the world to be very good and thinkes hee growes rich and wealthy when his estate indeede is weake and growes euery day worse then other Now what is it that causes fo great a mistake Nothing but this that he neuer looks ouer his books nor casts ouer his reckonings If he had done this he should haue seen that his estate was not answerable to his conceit and the knowledge of his misconceit would haue made him haue liued at a more wary and thrifty â—ate and haue kept himselfe with such a compasse as might haue kept vp his estate whereas now the not examining his bookes puts him into a conceit of wealth and this conceit beggers and vndoes him It fares no better with too many in their Consciences Laodicea thought well of her selfe thou sayest I am rich If she had examined her Conscience shee should haue seene that which Christ saw that she was poore blind naked and miserable and the sight of this would haue made her to haue sought after that counsell which Christ there giues her Reuel 3. Men would haue far better Consciences if they knew in what ill case their Consciences stand and examination would helpe them to the knowledge of this If men would but ouer-looke the book of their Conscience and see how many omissions of good how many sinnefull commissions stand registred there it would both make them marveilous sollicitous how to get theÌ„ wiped out and wondrous wary how any more such Items came there Often reckonings would blot out and keep off the score Here is then wisedome for such as desire to keepe good Consciences Doe with the workes of thy conuersation as God did with the works of his Creation He not onely surueighed at the fixt dayes end the whole worke of the weeke but at each dayes end made a particular surveigh thereof Do thou Omni die cum vadis cubitum examina diligenter qùid cogitasti quid dixisti in die quomodo vtile tempus spatium quod datum est ad acqui rendum vitamaeternaÌ„ dispensasti Et si bene transiuisti lauda Deum si male vel negligenter lugeas et sequenti die non differas confiteri Sialiquid cogitasti dixisti vel fecisti quod tuaÌ„ ConscientiaÌ„ multum remordeat non comedas antequam confitearis Ber form vit honest Suauius dormiunt qui relinquunt curas in calceis so not onely at the weeks end at thy lifes end search thine heart and examine thy course but at euery daies end looke backe into the day past and examine what thy carriage and behauiour hath beene This being done a man shal find his works either good or euil If good how shal his conscience cheer him with its peace If evill then if coÌ„science haue any life or breath in it it will make a man fall to humiliation to a godly resolution of watching ouer his wayes for the future so shall Conscience be much holpen for Integrity Dauids counsell is good Ps 4. 4. Examine your hearts vpon your beds and his resolution is also good vers 8. of the same Psalme I will lay me down and sleep in peace Who would not be glad so to sleepe to take his rest so Would we sleepe vpon Dauids pillow sleepe in peace then hearken wee to Dauids counsell to examine our selues vpon our beds There is nothing makes a mans bed so soft nor his sleepe so sweet as a good coÌ„science It is with Sins as with Cares both trouble a mans sleep both are troublesome bed-fellowes as they therfore sleepe sweetly that leaue their cares in their shooes so they sleep with most peace that let not sinne lye down to sleepe with them who are so farre from lying downe in their sinnes that by their good will will not let the sun goe downe vpon their sin but by examination ferret out the same This being done it may be sayd as Prov. 3. 24. thou shalt lye downe and thy sleepe shall be sweete Nay further examine thy conscience vpon thy bed and thou shalt not onely sleep in peace but thou shalt awake arise the next morning with an vpright frame of heart disposed to the more caution against sinne the day following So much Dauid seemes to intimate in that forenamed place Tremble and sin not That is be afraid to sin take heed ye sinne no more But what course may one take to come to that integrity of conscience as to feare to sin Take this course Examine your hearts vpon your beds But alas how rare a practise is this therfore are good consciences so rare Many thinke this an heauy burden and a sore taske and count the remedy a great deaâ—e worse then the disease there is nothing they tremble at more then a domesticall Audit this reckoning with their conscience They say of conscience as Ahab of Micaiah and care as little to meddle with conscieÌ„ce as Ahab with Micaiah I hate him for he neuer speakes good to me 1. King 22. So they thinke their conscience will deale with them They know their conscience will speak as Iob sayes God wrote Thou writest bitter things against me Conscience hath such a stinging waspish tongue that by no means they dare endure a parley with it It is with many and their consciences as with men that haue shrewish wiues Many a maÌ„ when he is abroad hath no ioy at all to come home nay hee is very loath to come within his owne doores he fears hee shall haue such a peale rung him that he had rather be on the house top as Salomon speakes or in some out-house and lodge as our Sauior at Bethlem in a cratch or a Manger then come within the noyse of her clamorous clattering tongue So many think conscience hath such a terrible shrewish tongue that if they shall but come within the sound thereof they shall be cast into such melancholly dumpes as they shall not bee able in hast to clawe off againe How much and how seriously are they to be pittied that to preuent a few houres or dayes supposed sorrow and sadnesse by which they might come to procure both peace integritie of conscience will adventure the racke and eternall torture of conscience in Hell Remember that there is no melancholly to the melancholly of Hell CHAP. VI. Two further meanes to procure Integritie of Conscience IN
among all these changes a good conscience will not change but holds it owne vntill its last day Now put mens Consciences vpon this tryall and their inconstancy either in good causes or courses wil discouer their naugtinesse In a good cause how many are like Darius His conscience struggles a great while for Daniel hee knew he was innocent he knowes the action to be vniust and therefore labours all day till the setting of the Sun for his deliuerance Dan. 6. 14. but yet ouercome with the Presidents and Princes vrgencie ver 16. he commands him to the Lions Denne Heere was a naturall Conscience standing for equitie and iustice but yet no good conscience it holds but till Sunne set and his Conscience went downe with the Sunne His Conscience yeeldes and is ouercome though it know the act to be iniust Pilates Conscience makes him plead for Christ In his conscience he acquits him and thrice solemnly professes that hee findes no fault in him and therefore cannot in conscience condemne him yea withall seekes to release him Iohn 19. 12. Is not heere now a good Conscience Indeed it had bene so in this particular fact if his Conscience had beene inflexible and had held out But when Pilate heares them say that if he bee his friend hee is no friend to Caesar Ioh. 19. 12. and whilest withall hee is willing to content the people Marke 15. 15. Now that there is feare on the one side and a desire to curry favour on the other Where now is his conscience Now he presently delivers him to bee crucified though hee knowes in his Conscience that there is no fault in him What a good conscience hath many a Iudge and Lawyer How stiffely will they stand in and prosecute a iust cause till a bribe come puts out the very eies of their Conscience Their Consciences are of so soft a temper that the least touch of Siluer turnes their edge presently They hold out well till their come a tentation on their right hand that is in their right hand Psal 144. 8. Whose mouth speakes vanitie and their right hand is a right hand of falshood If once the right hand be a right hand of falshood the mouth will soone speake vanity though before it spake Conscience Who would not haue thought Baalam to haue beene a man of an excellent Conscience If Balak would giue me his house full of silver and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. But yet besides that faltring in those words I cannot goe whereas the language of good conscience would haue beene I will not goe besides that I say before he ends his speech see how the hope of promotions worke and works his Conscience like waxe before the fire verse 19. Now therefore I pray you tarry heere also this night that I may knowe what the Lord will say vnto mee more A faltring inference If his Conscience had beene good it would haue inferred strongly thus Now therefore I pray get you gone and trouble me no longer He knew in his Conscience the people ought not to bee cursed and that he ought not to goe and yet comes in with I pray tarry all night c. Truely Balak needed not to haue beene so lauish and so prodigall as to offer an house full one handfull of his Siluer and Gold will frame Balaams Conscience to any thing The like tryall may be made of mens Consciences by their inconstancy in good courses and this will condemne three sorts as guilty of evill consciences 1. Such as sometimes being convinced of the necessity of good courses do set vpon the practise of them begin to looke toward Religion religious duties till meeting with some of their supposed wiser neighbours they be advised to take heed they may bring thēselues into greater note then they are aware of they will incurre sharper censures then they thinke of c. and so suddenly all is dasht all is quasht and quencht There is a disease among beasts they call the Staggers and it is a disease too frequent in mens consciences who sometimes are on sometimes off one day begin and next day cease good courses That may be said of many mens consciences which Iacob speaks of Reuben Gen. 49. 4. Vnstable as water The water mooves as the windes blow If the winde blow out of the East then it moves one way if out of the West then it moves another the cleane contrary and vpon every new winde a new way So many let them heare a conuincing a good perswading Sermon moving to good duties then they will set vpon them let them againe heare either some mocks or reproaches for those wayes or some sage advise frō one they count wise against the waies of conscience they are as far off againe as euer These staggering irresolute and watry consciences are far from good ones 2. Such as in their youth or when the world was low with them were very zealous and forward But what are they now at this day True downe-right Demasses zealous whē they were young but now old and cold zealous when they were meane but now the world is come vpon them Demas-like they haue forsaken goodnesse and embraced the world haue gotten now worme-eaten and world-eaten Consciences The zeale of Gods house was wont to eate them vp but now the world hath eaten vp them and all their good Conscience 3. Those that haue made good the profane Proverb Young Saints and old Divels whose hatred of Religion and good conscience is greater then ever was their loue thereto as Ammons was towards Thamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. They were zealous and forward frequenters of Gods house and ordinances zealous enemies against swearing and Sabbath-breaking c. But what are they at this day Yesterday indeede zealous professors of holinesse but what are they to day To day malicious scoffers of godlinesse haters and opposers of goodnesse the onely swearers drunkards in a Countrey What kinde of consciences haue these None of Pauls Conscience I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day What then Iust the consciences of Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 18 19. They once made great profession of Confcience but now enemies to Paul and blasphemers men as Paul speakes that had put away good Conscience they did not through want of watchfulnes let it slip or steale away but as if it would neuer haue bene gone soone enough they put and draue it away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza translates it Qua expulsa They vsed their Consciences as Ammon did Thamar after his lust satisfied 2 Sā 13. 15. 17. Arise be gone sayes hee to her and when she pleades for her felfe he cals his seruant and sayes vnto him Put out this woman and bolt the dore after her put her out so as shee may bee sure not to come againe They dealt with their Consciences as Colledges deale with Rake-hels expelled them without
The spring and fountaine of all actions good or euill is the Conscience and all actions and courses of men are as their Consciences Out of the heart are the issues of life Pro. 4. 23. The Heart Conscience is the fountaine euery action of a mans life is an Issue a little rivelet a water passage thence Are these waters then that issue thence Naught The way to heale them is to Non erit fructue bonus nisi arboris bonae Muta Cor et mutabitur opus Aug. de ver Dom. Serm. 12. cast the salt into the spring Mend the Conscience and all is mended Good Consciences would make Good men and Good men would make Good Times Lo here a Proiect for the reformation of evill Times Were this Proiect set on foot and a good Cōscience set vp how should we see profanations of Gods holy Name Day Iniustice Bribery Oppression Deceit Adulteries and Whoredomes and all other Iniquites how should we see all these as our Saviour saw Satan falling down like lightning from heaven How should wee see them come tumbling downe like so many Dagons before Gods Arke yea tumbled downe and broken to the stumps The onely Arke that must dash and ding downe these Dagons is a good Conscience And if we would wel weigh the matter what is there equally desirable with Ecce quid prodest plena bonis arca cum sit Inanis Conscientia Bona vis habere bonus non vis esse tū quid est quod vis habere malū Nihil omni no non vxorem non filium non ancillā villam tunicā postremo nō caligam et tamen vis habere malā vitam Rogo te Praepone vitam tuam caligae tuae sic Conscientiā Aug. ibid. vbi supra Ipsa ergo diuitiae bonae sunt sed istae omnia bona a bonis malis haberi possunt Et cū bona sint bonos tamē facere non possunt Aug. de verb. Dō Serm. 5. a good Conscience What is that men would haue but they desire to haue it Good And yet amongst al other things they desire to haue Good what little care to haue the Consciēce such Wife children servants houses lands Ayre food rayment who would not haue these Good And yet that without which none of all these are good nor will yeeld vs any true good that alone is neglected and whilest men would haue all other things Good yet their Consciences thēselues are Naught Now alas what good will all other goods doe vs whilest this one and this mayne Good thing is wanting How excellent is this Good aboue al other good things A good wife good children good land c. these may a man haue and yet he himselfe not Good these finde men sometimes Good but make none so these goods may a man haue and yet himselfe bee Naught Not so with a good Conscience which no evill man can haue which whosoever hath it makes him and all hee hath good So great and so good a Good why is it so much neglected Try we therefore let vs assay if by any means Gods good blessing giuing assistance we may be able to stirre vp men and to worke them to regard so great so excellent a good It may be at least some few may be perswaded may set vpon this worke of getting a good Conscience If but some few if but one be wrought vpon the labour is not in vaine If none yet our worke is with our God to whom we are a sweet savour in Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish 2 Cor. 2. 15. This portion of Scripture then which I haue chosen for the ground of the following Discourse consists of three parts 1. Pauls sober and ingenious Profession and Protestation vers 1. 2. Ananias his insolent and Impetuous Iniunction vers 2. 3. Pauls zealous Answer and Contestation vers 3. 1. The first is Pauls Protestatiō in these words Men and brethren I haue liued in all good Conscience vntill this day With this Protestation of a good Conscience Paul begins his Plea And how euer to distinguish our selues from Papists we beare the name of Protestants yet wee shall neuer be sound and good Protestants indeede till we can take vp Pauls protestation that our care endeauour course is to liue in All good Conscience A Protestant with a loose a naughty Cōsciēce hath no great cause to glory in his desertion of the Romish Religiō As good a blind Papist as a halting Protestant The blind and the halt were equally abominable vnto the Lord. Paul was here brought forth to answer for himselfe before the chiefe Priests and the Councel And his Preface as I said to his entēded Apology if he had not bin iniuriously interrupted is a protestation of the Goodnes of his Conscience And this his good Conscience or the goodnesse of his Conscience he sets foorth 1. From his Conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue lived or conversed A good conversation is a good evidence of a good Conscience indeed there can bee no good Conscience where there is not a Conversing in good It is not some moods fits in some good actions duries frō whence Conscience gaines the reputation of Goodnes but a good conversation godly religious in the generall tenour therof proues the conscience worthy such an honor as to be holden Good He may be said to haue a good conscience that can be said to liue in a good Conscience Many a man is frequently in the Citie and yet cannot be said to liue there There a man liues where he hath his Converse and Residence A mans life is not to be measured by some few actions in which at some time he may be found but by his generall course and conversation God will iudge euery man not according to his steps but according to his waies It were ouer-rigid censoriousnes to condemne a righteous man to question whether his conscience were good because some steps of his haue bin beside◠the way We know for the general his way is good wherein hee walkes and therefore according to his good way we iudge his Conscience good Contrarily whē we see a mans way for th◠generall to be evill though some tim◠he may tread a right step or two an◠chance to chop into the faire roade fo◠a rod or two for this to iudge a man Conscience good were a bottomless◠and boundlesse Charitie Every man◠Conscience is as his life is 2. From the Generality of his care obediēce In all good Conscience It mus◠be All good or it is no good Cōscience a◠all There bee that liue in some goo◠Conscience yea Herod seemes to haue much good Conscience he did many things gladly but yet Paul goes further and liues not in some not in much but in All good Conscience 3. From the Sincerity and Integritie of it before God Before men how many haue their Consciences exceeding
had me greatly in derision yet haue I not declined from thy law And though Michol 2. Sam. 6. play the flouting foole yet Dauid will not play the declining foole but if to be zealous be to be a foole he will be yet more vile And though Ieremy was in derision daily euery one mocked him yea and defamed him yet he was rather the more then the lesse zealous Ier. 20. 7. 9. 10. The righteous Ps 125. 1. are like Mount Sion that cannot be remooued but abides for euer What likelihood that a puffe of breath should remoue a Mountain When men can blowe downe Mountaines with their breath then may they scof a good coÌ„science out of the wayes of godlines sinceritie Mount Sion and a good conscience abide for euer But these happily may bee thought lighter tryalls put a good conscience to some more smarting and bleeding tryalls then thâ—se peâ—tier ones are and yet there shall we finde it as Constant as in the former Let the Lord giue the Sabaeans Chaldaeans and Satan leaue to spoyle Iob of his goods and children will not then Iob giue vp his Integritie doe ye not thinke that hee will curse God to his face So indeed the diuell hopes Iob 1. 1â— But what is the issue What gets the diuell by the tryall Onely giues God argument of triumph against him in Iobs Constancy Iob 2. 3. And still he holdeth fast his Integrity As if he had said See for all that thou canst do in spight of all thy spight and mischieuous malice he holds fast his Integrity vntill this day See the terrible tryalls to which they were put Heb. 11. 37. They were stoned sawne asunder c. and yet all could not make them shake hands with a good Conscience The raine floodes and windes could not bring downe the house founded vpon the rocke Math. 7. Notwithstanding all tryals a good Conscience stands to it and holds it owne and speakes as one Father Rawlins did to the Bishop Rawlings Acts and Mon. you left me Rawlins you find me and Rawlins by Gods grace I will continue Try yet a good Conscience farther with the tentations on the right hand which commonly haue as much more strength in them aboue the other as the right hand hath aboue the left and yet we shall finde the right hand too weak to plucke a good Conscience out of its station It was a sore tentation wherewith Moses was assaulted The treasures and pleasures the honours and sauours of the Egyptian Court and Princesse All these wooe him not to goe to the people of God Had that people beene setled and at rest in Canaan yet had it bin a great tentation to preferre Egypt before Canaan But the people are in Egypt in affliction in bondage therfore so much the more strength in the tentation What will you bee so mad to leaue all for nothing certain honours for certaine afflictions who can tell but you may be raysed to this greatnes to bee an instrument of good to your people you by your fauour in the Court may be a means to ease them of their bondage and so you may do the Church seruice with your greatnesse c Here was a tentation on the right hand with the right hands strength Well and how speeds it Is Moses able to withstand it See Heb. 11. 24. 25. 26. He refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter c. All would not do nor stirre him a whit Those faithfull Worthies before mentioned could not bee stirred with all the cruelties their aduersaries could inuent I but it may bee a tentation on the right hand might haue made them draw away the right hand of fellowship from a good Conscience Well their enemies therfore will try what good they can doe that wayes Heb. 11. 37. They were tempted that is on the right hand they were sollicited and enticed and allured with faire promises of honours fauours preferments as Bâ—nner vsed to deale with the Martyrs hee had sometimes butter and oyle as well as fire and faggot in his mouth Thus were they teÌ„pted but yet what auayled these tentations Iust as much as their stones sawes swords prisons all alike They for all these tentations keepe a good Conscience to their dying day and hold fast the faith truth vnto the end A good conscience is of the mind of those trees in Iothams parable Iudg. 9. It will not with the Oliue lose its fatnesse nor with the Figtree lose its sweetnes nor with the Vine its wine of cheerfulnesse to haue the fattest and sweetest preferments and pleasures of the world no though it were to raign ouer the trees It was an excellent resolution of Benevolus Benevolo Iustina praecepit vt adversus fideÌ„ patruÌ„ imperialia decreta dictaret Illo vero se impia verba prolaturum abnuente celsiorem bonoris graduÌ„ spospondit si mandata perficeret cui Bonevolus Quid mihi pro impietatis mercede altioreÌ„ promittis gradum hune ipsum queÌ„ habeo auferte duÌ„ integram fidei conscientiam tuear Ac protinus cingulum anteâ—pedes eius abiecâ— Sigon de â—ccid Imp l. â— pag. 200. in his answer to Iustina the Arrian Empresse profering preferments to him to haue beene instrumentall in a seruice which could not bee done with a good Conscience What doe ye promising me an higher degree of preferment for a reward of impiety yea euen take this from me which already I haue so that I may keep a good Conscience And so foorthwith he threw at her feet his girdle the ensigne of his honour Thus doth a good conscience throw and trample honour and preferment vnder foot to maintaine its owne integrity Thus can nothing corrupt a good conscience I haue been young and now am old and yet neuer saw I the righteous forsaken to wit of God Psalm 37. David out of his experience could haue sayd as much in this point I haue bin young and now am old yet never saw I God and godlines forsaken by the righteous by the man that had a good conscience But the man that had a good conscience when he was young will hold out haue it when he is old It is the great honour and grace of a good conscience which Walden thinks hee spake to the disgrace of Wickliffe Ita vt Cano placeret quod inveni complacebat He was young and old one and the Fox Acts and Mon. same man Old age decayes the body the strength the senses but conscience it touches not that holds out sound to death As of Christ in another sense Heb. 13. so may it be said of a good conscience in this Yesterday and to day and the same for ever A good Conscience is no changeling but let a mans estate change from rich to poore from poore to rich or let the times change from good to evill or from evill to worse or a mans dayes change from young to old let his haires and head change yet
this be he is punished with the losse of the vse of his tongue and speech for a time The rich gluttons tongue had denyed Lazarus a crum therfore it is denyed a drop of water The same glutton had abused his tongue in gluttony and therefore his tongue hath a peculiar torment in hell So those Zach. 14. 12. had their tongues consumed in their mouths like enough as with their hands so with their tongues they had fought against Ierusalem Such was Gods Iustice vpon Iere boam hee stretches forth his arme against the Prophet and the Lord withers it He with his arme threatens to smite and God smites him in his arme Like that iustice which was done vpon the Emperour Aurelianus who when hee was ready to subscribe and seâ— Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. his hand to an Edict for the persecution of the Christians was suddenly cramped in his knuckles and so hindred from it by the iudgment of God I may not here omit that notable instance of Gods Iustice vpon Rodolph Duke of SVEVIA hee whom the Pope stirred vp against his lawfull Lord and Soueraign against his Oath to vsurpe his Ctowne and Empire This Rodolph in his Warres for the Empire was wounded in the right hand of which wound hee dyed and at his death acknowledged Gods Iustice in these words You see saith he to his friends here my right hand wounded with this right hand I sware to Videtis manum dexteram meam de vulnere sauciam Haec ego iurauis Domino meo Henrico vt non nocereÌ„ ei nec insidiarâ—r gloriae eius Sed iussio Apostolicae PontificuÌ„que pâ—titio nâ—e ad id adduxit vt turamcntt transgressor honereÌ„ mihi indebitum vsurpareÌ„ Quis igitur finis nos exceperit videtis quiain manu vnde iurameâ—ta violaui mortale hoc vulnus accepi c Morn Myst â—niq p. 256 my Lord Henry the Emperour But the command of the Pope hath brought me to this that laying a side the respect of mine Oath I should vsurpe an honour not due to me But what is now come of it In that hand which hath violated mine Oath I am wounded to death And so with anguish of heart he ended his daies An example so much the rather to be marked that men may see how God blesses the Popes blessings and his dispensations with Oathes especially when they are giuen to arme men to rebellion against their lawfull Soueraignes 4. The equitie of Gods Iustice appeares in that Prou. 26. 27. Who so digeth a pit shall fall therein and hee that rolles a stone it will returne vpon him Such was Gods Iustice vpon Haman he made a gallowes for his owne necke Hitherto we may referre the iustice of God when God turnes mens beloved sinnes into their punishments Whoredome was the Leuites Concubines sinne Iudg. 19. 2. and Whordome was her death verse 26. The Lord Deu. 28. 27. threatens the botch of Egypt and how frequently is the sinne of vncleannesse smitten with the French botch the fruit of the sinne How frequent are the examples of Gods Iustice vpon drunkards drunkennesse their sinne and drunkennes their death And so that Proverbe is often verified Prou. 5. 22. His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall bee bolden with the cordes of his sinnes 5. The equitie of Gods Iustice appeares in this when he makes the place of sinne the place of punishment Wee haue frequent examples of this in Scripture This was threatned Ahab 1 King 21. 19. In the place where dogges licked the bloud of Naboth shall dogs licke thy bloud And this was made good 2 King 9. 26. In Tophet the place where they had slaine their Sonnes and Daughters would God slay the Iewes Ier. 7. 31. 32. And as their houses were the places of their sinns so should their houses bee the places of their punishment Ier. 19. 13. And because the Sabbath was profaned in the gates of Ierusalem therefore in the gates thereof would God kindle a fire Ier. 17. 27. And remarkeable is that Ezek. 6. 13. Their slaine men shall bee amongst their Idols round about their altars and vnder euery thicke Oake the place where they did offer sweet sauour to all their Idolls Such was the Iustice of God in that late blowe vpon that Popish Company In the very place where they vsed to dishonour God the hand of God was vpon them they were slaine and their carkases crushed in the place of their Masse-worship the first floore falling into their Massing place and so they and their Crucifixes Images all dashed together God doing with them as with the Egyptians Numb 33. 4. Not onely smiting them but also executing iudgements vpon their gods yea not onely so but executed them and their gods in the selfe-same place where God had been by them so much dishonoured 6. The equity of Gods iustice is to be seene in the time of his punishments God oft makes that time wherein men haue sinned the time of his iudgements At the time of the Passe-over did the Iewes crucifie Christ and at the time of the Passe-over was Ierusalem taken Heauy is the calamity that is befallen the Churches beyond the Seas the time wherein the first blow was given is not to be forgotten The first blow was vpon the Sabbath vpon that day was Prague lost What one thing haue all those Churches fayled in more then in that point of the religious observation of that day That day they neglected to sanctifie by obedience vpon that day God would be sanctified in his iustice vpon them and in the time would haue them reade one cause of their punishment Neither is the time wherein God did that late iustice vpon those Popish persons to bee forgotten It is somewhat that after their Roman accouÌ„t it was vpon their fift of Nouember God would let those of that Iesuited brood see how good it was to blow vp Parliament houses and happily would haue them learne more loyaltie and religion then to scoffe at our new holyday Of this kind was Gods iustice vpon one Leaver who rayling on that worthy Martyr and seruant of Christ Mr. Latimer saying that hee saw that evill fauoured knaue Latimer when hee was burned that he had teeth like an horse his sonne the same houre and at the same time as neere as could bee gathered wickedly hanged himselfe And the same was Gods Iustice ceazing vpon Steven Gardiner the same day that Ridley and Latimer were burned Since then there is such an equitie in Gods administration of iustice let it be our care and wisdome to obserue the same Learne to Coment vpon Gods works of Iustice and to compare mens wayes Gods workes together God is to haue the praise and glory of his Iustice vpon others as well as of his mercy to ourselues Now we shal then be best able to giue God this glory when we so obserue his administratioÌ„ that we may bee able not onely to say The Lord is iust but the Lord is iust in this and that particular when we can say as Reuel 16. 5. not onely Righteous art thou O Lord that iudgest but righteous art thou O Lord that iudgest thus Thus they sinned and thus are they punished It is good to obserue all the circumstances of Gods Iustice that so not onely the iustice but the wisdome and equity of Gods Iustice may bee seene and this is to trace the Lord by the foote Psal 68. 24. Especially we should be thus wise in personall evills that befall our selues that by our punishment and the circumstances thereof we might bee led to the consideration of our sinnes and so might say as Adonibezek As I haue done so hath God rewarded me Learne to giue God the prayse of his equitie as of his iustice So doth Dauid Psal 7. 15. 16. 17. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousnesse Tremble and sinne not Take heede how and wherein we sinne least by our sinnes we teach God how to punish vs Take heede of abusing thy tongue in swearing rayling scoffing least God lay some terrible iudgement vpon thy tongue here or some peculiar torment vpon thy tongue in hell hereafter Take heede what measure thou measure to others least thou teach God to measure the same to thy selfe Take heede that thou make not thine house a den of spuing drunkards least God make thine house to spue thee forth Take heede how thou vse thy wits thy strength take heede of sinning in thy Children or any thing else thou hast least God make the matter of thy sinne the matter of thy punishment FINIS