time they suffer many sowre apprehensions to arise in their hearts against us in a much altered tune and temper Then would they with much amazednesse and terrible feare yell out those now too late hideous complaints We fooles counted his life madnesse c. we wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction c. What hath pride profited us c. Then would they curse all dawbers and justifie all downe-right dealers contempt of whose counsell would now cut in peeces their very heart-strings with restlesse anguish and horrour and mightily strengthen the never-dying worme whereby the enraged soule will thrust its owne hands as it were into its owne bowels and teare open the very fountaine of life and sense to feed upon it selfe For the worme of conscience say Divines is onely a continuall remorse and furious reflexion of the soâ—…le upon its owne wilfull folly and thereby the wofull misery it hath brought upon it selfe 2. This may serve to stirre up all the sonnes and daughters of wisdome to hoard up with all holy greedinesse instead of earthly pelfe transitory toyes and shining clay the rich and lasting treasures of divine wealth and immortall graces For these heavenly jewels purchased with CHRISTS bloud and planted in the heart by the omnipotent hand of the HOLY GHOST will shine comfortably upon our soules with beames of blessednesse and peace amid all the miseries and confusions the darknesse and most desperate dangers of this present life nay in the very valley of the shadow of death their splendour and spirituall glory will not onely dissolve and dispell all mists of horrour which can possibly arise from the apprehension of hell the grave those last dreadfull pangs or any other terrible thing but also illighten conduct and carie us triumphantly thorow the abhorred confines of the King of feare upon the wings of joy and in the armes of Angels to unapproachable light unknowne pleasures and endlesse blisse It may be as yet thou standest upright without any changes unstir'd in thy state by any adverse storme supposing thy mountaine so strong that thou shalt never be mooved Thus long perhaps the Allmighty hath beene with thee His candle hath shined upon thy head and His patient providence rested with all favour and successe upon thy Tabernacle so that hitherto thou hast seene no dayes of sorrow but even washed thy steps with butter and the rocke hath powred thee out rivers of oyle c. Yet for all this the day may come before thou die that thou maist be stript of all and become as poore as Iob as they say by fire robbery suretiship ship-wracke the destroying sword desolations of war or by the hand of GOD in some other kind Even A day an houre a moment saith one is enough to over-turne the things that seemed to have beene founded and rooted in adamant Labour therefore industriously before-hand so to furnish and fortifie thine heart with patience noblenesse of spirit Christian fortitude the mightinesse of Iobs faith Cap. 13. 15. And his manifold integrities Cap. 31. That if such an evill day should come upon thee and who can looke for exemption when he lookes upon Iobs affliction thou maist with an unrepining submission to GODS good providence and pleasure take up his sweetest resolution and repose Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away blessed be the name of the LORD Though as yet by a miracle of rarest mercy calmnesse and serenity rest upon the firmament of our state yet who knowes how soone especially sith many of GODS dearest servants beyond the seas have lyen so long in teares and bloud some dismall cloud and tempestuous storme may arise out of the hellish â—…ogs of our many hainous sinnes and crying abominations and breake out upon us and that with greater terrour and farre more horribly by reason of the unexpectednesse and our present desperate security Though the Sun of the Gospell and glory of a matchlesse Ministry shine yet full faire among us in the Meridian of our peace and prosperous daies yet little know we how soone and suddenly it may decline and set in a sea of confusion calamity and woe And therefore hoard up greedily in the meane time and while the Sun shines a rich treasury of saving knowledge grace and good life that if need require thou maist then resolutely reply with blessed Paul against all contradictions and temptations to the contrary I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die for the name of the LORD IESVS Though at this present thou doest perhaps with much sweet contentment enjoy thy GOD comfortably and His pleased face many heavenly deawes of spirituall joy glorious refreshings and abundance of spirituall delights fall upon thy soule from the Throne of mercy every time thou commest neare Him Thou canst say unto thy Dearest out of thy present feeling I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine and in some good measure keepe a part with the Saints of old in such victorious and triumphant Songs as these Oh that my words were now written Oh that they were printed in a booke That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rocke for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth c. We will not feare though the earth be remooved and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea though the waters thereof roare and be troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof Selah I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers c. Yet for all this that onely wise GOD of thine may hereafter for some cause seeming good to Himselfe and for thy good with-draw from thee the light of His countenance and sense of His love and leave thee for a time to the darknesse of thine owne spirit and Satans â—…orest temptations c. Ply therefore in this prosperity of thy soule all blessed meanes the Ministry Sacraments Prayer Conference Meditations humiliation-dayes holinesse of life clearenesse of conscience watching over thy heart walking with GOD sanctified use of afflictions experimentall observation of GODS dealings with thee from time to time workes of justice mercy and truth c. Thereby so to quicken fortifie and steele thy faith that in the bitterest extremity of thy spirituall distresse thou maist be able to say with Iob Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him Iob 13. 15. A thousand crosses moe calamities and troubles may over-take thee before thou takest thy leave of this vale of teares It will be thy wisdome therefore now in this calme to provide for a storme to treasure up out of GODS Booke many mollifying medicines and soveraigne antidotes against all slavish and vexing fore-thought of them in the meane time and their bitternesse when they shall come upon thee Thou maist be assured if thou be a sonne thy
good Minister at the appearing of that great day and herein GOD wonderfully honoured his Ministery in making him an aged father in CHRIST and to beget many sonnes and daughters vnto righteousnesse for I may truely say many hundreds were either absolutely converted or mightily confirmed or singularly comforted in their grievous agonies by his Ministery for he had such an art in this kinde of relieving afflicted consciences which hee acquired partly by great paines and industry in searching into that skill but chiefly by that manifold experience he had in himselfe and others that he was sought to farre and neare and divers from beyond the seas desired his resolution in divers cases of Conscience which was the onely cause that made him put forth that last learned and godly Treatise of his which he stiled Instructions for a right comforting afflicted consciences And though in his manner of preaching he was a Sonne of thunder yet unto bruised reeds and those that mourned in spirit hee was as sweete a sonne of Consolation as ever I heard and with a very tender and pitifull heart powred the oyle of mercy into their bleeding wounds He as was said of Luther was a mighty opposite to the Divels kingdome and had a singular skill to discerne his sleights and that cunning craftinesse whereby hee lies in wait to deceive He ever thought that there was no such way to cast downe the strong holds of Sathan and to batter his kingdome then after the steps of Iohn the Baptist to lay the axe close to the roote of sinne and to set it on with such power as that the Divell and all his agents were not able to resist it By this meanes he got ground of Satan and wasted his kingdome and there were daily added to his Ministery such whose hearts were softned thereby And in all his Sermons he ever used to discover the filthinesse of sinne and to presse very powerfully upon the conscience the duties of Sanctification in expression whereof three things were remarkeable in him 1. Such courage and resolution of spirit as is scarcely to be found in any I am perswaded that in the cause of GOD he could have beene contented with Martin Luther totius mundi odium impetum sustinere to have undergone the rage and violence of the whole world whereby he gave such vigour unto the truth he delivered that it pierced betweene the very joynts and the marrow 2. Impartiality he would spare none in their sinnes either great or small he knew he was to deliver his Masters will with whom was no respect of persons 3. His wisedome as he was of high courage so was it excellently tempered with wisdome descryed in these foure things 1. In all his denunciations against sinne he never personated any man whereby to put him to shame unlesse his owne inward guiltinesse caused him to apply it to himselfe 2. Hee would never presse upon the conscience the guiltinesse of sinne but he would forâ—…ifie it by Scripture by the ancient Fathers in which he was ripe and ready and the concurrence of the best Orthodoxe Writers to stop the mouth of all slanderers that should accuse his doctrine either of novelty or of too much precisenesse 3. When he had searcht the conscience to the very quicke as he would doe he ever offred CHRIST in all his beauty and sweetnesse and powred it forth upon the conscience with such a torrent of Eloquence as would haue melted the hearts of any but those which obstinately refused the voice of that powerfull charmer 4. He would alwaies protest unto his people that it was a trouble and griefe to him to preach against their sinnes hee delighted not to vexe any of their consciences he should be glad the case was so with them that hee might only preach the riches of the mercies in CHRIST all his dayes But he knew no other way to pull them out of the snare of Satan and state of darkenesse then the way he tooke without drawing the horrible sin of Bloud-guiltinesse upon his soule But that which made his preaching more illustrious was that burning and shining light which appeared in his life and conversation in these five particulars 1. His Piety wherein I need not say much for that second booke of his concerning directions for walking with GOD were framed out of the pious Meditations of his owne heart as a guide for himselfe for the ordering of his steps in the waies of righteousnes which he so strictly observed throughout the course of his life that allowing to him his frailties and infirmities which the holiest men while their flesh is upon them shall not be freed from hee could not bee justly taxed by any no not his very enemies if he had any such of any grosse and scandalous sinnes since his first conversion from them And no marveile if hee attained to such a height of holinesse when he was lifted up thither by the wings of prayer His constant course was to pray sixe times a day twice by himselfe in private twice in publique with his family and twice with his wife Besides many daies of private humiliation and prayer ever before the receiving of the Communion and many daies besides for the miseries of the Churches in France and Germany c which he performed with such ardencie of spirit that as was said of Martin Luther He used such humility as in the presence of Almighty GOD but such fer vencie and faith as if he had beene talking with his friend And GOD heard his prayers for to the comfort of his soule a litle before his death he heard of the mighty victories obtained by the King of Sweden against the Emperour to the astonishment of all the world that those eyes which now behold it with joy doe scarce beleeve themselves in the fruition of it When the LORD saith the Psalmist turned againe the captivity of Zion wee were like them that dreame So indefatigable were the paines of this godly man in his private devotions and publike preaching that being advised by Physitians for his healths sake to breake off the strong intentions of his studies he rejected their counsell accounting it greater riches to enjoy CHRIST by those fervent intentions of his minde then to remit them for the safeguard of his health Much like the speech of that famously learned D â— Reynolds to the Doctors of Oxford comming to visit him in his last sickenesse contracted meerely by his exceeding paines in studie by which he brought his body to a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who earnestly perswading him that he would not peraere substantiam propter accidentia i. e. â—…o loose his life for learning he with a sweete smile finely answered out of the Poet. Nec propter vitam vivendiperdere causas Nor yet for love of life loose that dare I Which is the cause I live my industry 2. For his Gravity he was of a very comely presence he had a
dwell in them both for ever Amplifie the glory of our bodies in heaven from such places as these Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 13. 45. Phil. 3. 20 21. Col. 3. 4. From which the ancient Fathers also thus collect and affirme If we should compare saith Chrysostome our future bodies even with the most glistering beames of the Sun we shall yet say nothing to the expression of the excellency of their shining glory The beauty of the just in the other life saith Anselme shal be equall to the glory of the Sun though sevenfold brighter than now it is The brightnesse of a glorified body doth as farre excell the Sun as the Sun our mortall body Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Not saith Chrysostome because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of the Sun but because that being the most glittering thing in the world he takes a resemblance thence towards the expressing of their incomparable glory But how can there be so much beauty and delightfull amiable aspect in such intensive and extraordinary brightnesse Or what pleasure can we take in beholding such extremely bright and shining bodies Sith we find by experience that there is farre more content and delight in looking upon a well-proportioned object beautified with a pleasant mixture of colours than in seeing the Sun though it should not so dazle and offend the eyes For satisfaction herein we must know that the glorified eye shall become impassible elevated farre above all mortall possibility and fortified by an heavenly vigour to apprehend and enjoy all celestiall light and glory with much ravishing contentment and inexplicable delight Secondly that omnipotent mercifull hand of GOD which will raise our bodies out of the dust and reforme them anew can cause light and colour to concurre and consist in excellency in glorified bodies Those things which according to nature can consist together the one or both being in gradu remisso as they say abated of their height can by divine power consist together in gradu intensissimo suae speciei in their excellency but it is so with light and colour according to nature ergo c. as Durandus one of the acutest Schoolemen makes good by arguments Whether shall colour or light be seene Why not both in a most delicious admirable mixture Here the Schoolemen according to their wont do curiously inquire discusse and determine the manner of the acts exercise and objects of all the senses They say not only 1. That the eye shall delightfully contemplate CHRISTS glorious body the shining bodies of the Saints the beauty of the Empyrean Heaven c. 2. The eare drinke up with infinite delight the vocall harmony of Hailelu-jahs c. But also audaciously undertake to define without any good ground or found warrant many particulars about the other senses not without much absurdity and unspiritualnesse But let it be sufficient for us without searching beyond the bonds of sobriety to know for a certaine that every sense shal be filled with its severall singularity and excellency of all possible pleasure and perfection 4. In a fourth place let us take a glance of the unutterable happinesse of the Soule I should be infinite and endlesse if I did undertake to pursue the severall glories felicities and excellencies of every faculty of the soule and when I had done ended with the utmost of all both Angelicall and humane understanding and eloquence come infinitely short of expressing them to the life I will at this time but give you a taste onely in the understanding Part And that shal be extraordinarily and supernaturally enlarged and irradiated with the highest illuminations largest comprehensions and utmost extent of all possible comfortable knowledge of which such a creature is capable 1. Humane knowledge of Arts Nature created things is delicious and much desired Witnesse 1. The wisest Heathens and best Philosophers who were so ravished but even with a dimme glimpse of this knowledge that in comparison thereof they have contemned all the riches pleasures and preferments of the world 2. That wise saying A learned man doth as farre excell an illiterate as a reasonable creature a brute 3. The extraordinarily exulting and triumphant cry of the famous Mathematician hitting after long and laborious disquisition upon some abstruse excellency of his Art I have found it I have found it 4. That passage in an Epistle of Aeneas Silvius to Sigism D. of Austria If the face of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the Morning and Evening Starre 5. For the pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning saith another it farre surpasseth all other in nature for shall the pleasures of the affections so exceed the senses as much as the obtaining of desire and victory exceedeth a song or dinner And must not of consequence the pleasures of the intellect or understanding exceed the pleasures of the affections We see in all other pleasures there is a saetiety and after they be used their verdour departeth which sheweth well they be but deceipts of pleasure and not pleasures and that it was the novelty which pleased and not the quality And therefore we see that voluptuous men turne Friers and ambitious Princes turne melancholy But of knowledge there is no satiety But satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable and therefore appeareth to be good in it selfe simply without fallacy or accident Now this learning shall then be fully perfected and raised to the highest pitch so that the least and lowest of the Saints in heaven shall farre surpasse in cleare contemplation of the causes of all naturall things and conclusions of Art the deepest Philosophers greatest Artists and learnedst Linguists that ever lived upon earth There are many difficulties and doubts in all kinds of humane learning which have from time to time exercised the bravest wits but by reason of the native dimnesse of our understanding never received cleare resolution and infallible assent As Whether the Elementary formes be in mixt Bodies 1. Corrupted 2. Remitted only 3. Or Entire Whether the celestiall Orbs be moved by Angels or internall formes Whether there be three distinct soules in a man 1. Vegetative 2. Sensitive 3. Rationall Or one onely in substance containing vertually the other two How all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appearances in the Aethereall Heaven may be truliest and with least exception maintained whether by Excentricks and Epicycles or onely by Concentricks or the Earths motion or the motion of the Starres in the heavens as fish move in the sea and birds in the aire c. So the best wits are inextricably pusl'd also about the Sympathy and Antipathy of things Alchymie cause of Criticall daies The mysts about these and many things moe shal be dispel'd out of our minds by a cleare sunne of a new and excellent knowledge so that we shal be exactly acquainted with the
malice hath Satan bestirred himselfe What a deale of deare and innocent bloud did that red Dragon drinke up in Queene Maries time For five yeares space the fire of persecution did flame in this land and the sacred bodies of our glorious blessed Martyrs were sacrificed amids the mercilesse fury thereof Afterward what a blacke and bloudy catalogue of most hatefull and prodigious conspiracies did run parallell with that golden time of Queene ELIZABETHS life that now glorious Saint of dearest memory But in all this hellish rage the Devill never played the Devill indeed untill he came to the gun-powder-plot that was such a piece of service against the light of the Gospell as the Sun never saw before the sons of men never heard of hel it self never hatcht Since Satan fel from heaven and a Church was first planted upon yâ— earth there was never any thing in that kind which made the Devils Malice more famous GODS mercies more glorious that Priest of Rome and his bloudy superstition more odious or that cast such a shame and obloquy upon the innocency of Christian Religion And all this was the Devils doing of pure spite and malice against the glory of the Gospell the power of the Word and the Saints of GOD. I say he was the arch-plotter and first moover of all these mischiefes The Pope and Iesuites and their cursed confederates were indeed his instruments executioners and agents as we well know and some of the Priests themselves confesse See Quodl 7. Act. 8. pag. 199. Scarce was that blessed Queene and incomparable Lady warme in her Princely Throne but Satan sets on the Pope Pius Quintus he sends from Rome two Popish Priests Morton and Webbe with a Bull of excommunication whereby the subjects and people of the Kingdome were in a Popish sense discharg'd and assoil'd from their allegiance loyaltie and obedience to her Majestie They sollicit the two traiterous Earles of the North Northumberland and Westmerland to be the executioners of this bloudy Bull which indeed was the fountaine and foundation of all the succeeding horrible plots and barbarous treacheries See Bells Anatomy of Popish tyrannie in his Epist. Dedic a little booke called The executioner of justice in England c. I pray GOD now at length turne these Popish murderous hearts from whetting any moe swords to shed the bloud of the LORDS annointed or returne the sharpe swords from the point with a cutting edge on both sides even up to the very hilts into their owne hearts bloud O LORD let the King flourish with a crowne of glory upon his head and a Scepter of triumph in his hand and still wash his Princely feet in the bloud of his enemies 3. This spitefull rage and furious oposition of Satan against the power of the word appears also by daily experience in those towns parishes where by the mercies of GOD a conscionable Ministry is planted before while Satan ruled and raigned amongst them by his wicked deputies ignorance prophanenes Popish superstitions sinful vanities lewd sports prophanation of the Saboth filthines drunkennes and such other accursed Pursevants for Hell Why then all was well all was in quiet and in peace O then that was a merry world and as good a Towne for good-fellowship as was in all the Country And no marvaile when a strong armed man keepeth his Pallace the things that he possesseth are in peace Luke 11. 21. While Sathan sits in their hearts and rules in their Consciences he suffers them to have their swings in their furious vanities and wicked pleasures without any great disturbance or contradiction And commonly he never sets prophane people together by the eares and at odds but when his owne kingdome may be more strengthened and their soules more endanger'd by dissention than by their partaking in prophanenesse and brotherhood in iniquity Let it not seeme strange then when townes and parishes where conscionable meanes are wanting live merrily and pleasantly for they walke together in the knot of good-fellowship through the broad way they follow the course of their owne corruptions and swing of their corrupt affection and swim downe the current of the times and are at Satans beck to do him any desperate and notorious service at all assaies in all passages of prophanenesse and offices of impiety and rebellion but bring amongst such a powerfull Ministerie which takes a right course for the plantation of grace and salvation of their soules and then marke how spitefully and furiously Satan begins to bestirre himselfe besides his owne malice and machinations he presently sets on foot and on fire too all that belong unto him in his instigation They band and combine themselves with great rage and indignation against the power of the Word and the faithfull messengers of GOD. They fret and fume picke unnecessary quarrels raile slander and indeed foame out filthily their owne shame in disgracing the truth of GOD without all truth or conscience and il Satan spies any poore soule amongst them to be pulled out of his clutches and kingdome of darknesse by the preaching of the Word he presently sets all the rest upon him as so many dogged curres or rather furious wolves for so our blessed Saviour makes the comparison upon a harmelesse lambe he whets like sharpe razors all the lying and lewd tongues in the towne and tips them with the very fire of hell so that they plead for prophanenesse prophaning the Sabbath and many sinfull fooleries and vanities in all places where they come He makes those who have a little more wit his close factors and under-hand-dealers for that stands not with Satans policy and the reputation of the worldly-wise that themselves should be open actors in childish vanities and profes'd enemies to the Law of GOD they do him sufficient service by being secret patrons and protectors of impiety counsellers and countenancers of the works of darknesse he fils the mouthes of the ignorant with slanderous complaints and cries that there was neuer good world since there was so much knowledge that there was never more preaching but never lesse working whereas poore soules they never yet knew what grace or good work meant or scarce good word but their naughty tongues and hatred to be reformed are true causes why both the world and places where they live are farre worse Those that are desperately and notoriously naught he inforces and inrages like mad dogs so that they impudently and openly barke at and with their impoysoned fangs furiously snatch at that hurtlesse hand which would heale and bind up their bleeding soules they are like dogs barking at the moone for GODS Ministers are starres in the right hand of CHRIST Revel 1. 16. If they would do them any deadly harme they must plucke them thence but let them take heed how they be bold and busie that way lest at last they take a beare by the tooth and awake a sleeping lion Thus you see what a stirre the Devill keepes when he is like to