were purposely appointed by God to illuminate the eyes of the blinde and to make the foolish wise And therefore to forbeare the reading of the Scriptures because we are rude and of small vnderstanding is all one as if we should refuse the medicine because we are sicke the eye-salue because we are blinde and the light of the Sunne because we are in the darke or dim-sighted It is true that all places of holy Scriptures are not alike cleare but though some be easie and plaine yet other are so high and mysticall hard to be vnderstood and of such abstruse difficulty that the best wits and most learned may euen their whole liues be exercised about them and yet neuer reach to their height nor sound them to the bottome But this must not discourage the simplest from reading of them because it is not necessary nor required of all that they should vnderstand euery place but so much as is necessarie for their saluation and according to the measure of their gifts which they haue Rom. 12. 3. receiued which if they exceed they come vnder the censure of curiosity presumption And for the attayning of that maine end at which euery one must ayme the Bookes of holy Scriptures are fit to be read of all sorts of men being not only as that learned Father obserued Augustine in many places a deepe sea wherein the Elephant may swim but also in as many others shallow Foords wherein the Lambe may wade Yea so gracious is the Creator and Redeemer of all men that in penning the holy Scriptures he hath taken care of the simple as well as of the wise and learned And as in course of nature he hath made those things most common which are most excellent profitable and necessary as the Sunne ayre fire water bread and cloathing and hath onely reserued to the rich and noble peculiar priuiledges in things of lesse vse and necessity as gold siluer precious Iewels so made and called not by nature but by fantasie and opinion silken garments delicious cates and such like trifles So he hath layde out in common the maine points of Religion necessary to saluation by making them so easie and familiar that the meanest capacities may comprehend them if they will vse the meanes and helpes which he hath sanctified for this vse as feruent prayer for the assistance of Gods Spirit to inlighten our blinde eyes reading meditation comparing one place with another the publique ministery and priuate conference And hath reserued other things lesse necessary in abstruse obscurity as Chronologies Genealogies quiddities and intricate questions to exercise the curiositie of such as scorne to be vulgarly wise and would gaine vnto themselues an opinion of their learning and knowledge Yea euen the same maine points of Religion which are in some places plainely expressed to the capacity of the most simple are in other places more obscurely deliuered that all sorts of men might be imployed in this holy exercise of reading the Scriptures the simple hauing no cause of discouragement by their difficulty nor the learned and men of greater gifts any cause of contempt or idle sloth through their easinesse but might haue matter deepe enough to sound and search out by their greatest wit and most industrious indeuour So one saith that the Quamuis omnem scientiam doctrinam sacra Scriptura sine aliqua comparatione transcendat c. Gregor holy Scriptures without comparison excell all other science and learning for they publish and preach the Truth call vs to our heauenly Country inuite the heart of the Reader from earthly desires to imbrace heauenly excellencies the which are not so shut vp in obscurity that we neede to feare them nor so open that we should contemne them but the more they are vsed the lesse they are loathed and the more they are loued the more they are studied c. Notwithstanding euen in this Paradise which aboundeth with all manner of flowers and medicinable hearbs fit for vse necessity and delight there may generally at all times be choyce made of such as are most profitable and comfortable and specially vpon seuerall occasions For howsoeuer all contained in them be excellent and fit for diuers vses so that no part in our reading is alwaies to be passed ouer and neglected yet there are some places aboue others wherein we may haue the food of our soules in greatest plentie and variety and better prepared for our weake stomakes And though they admit of no comparison with other writings yet in themselues one part may excell another if not in respect of their Author or nature yet in respect of our vse and edification as contayning and setting forth the maine points of our saluation more fully and plainely then others In which respect the Prophets are to be preferred before the Bookes of Moses as being a Commentarie and exposition of them The Prouerbs of Salomon before diuers of them as being full fraught with heauenly Wisdome and contayning diuine precepts and counsels fit to guide vs in all our courses And aboue them all the Booke of the Psalmes as being the liuely Anatomie of a true Christian in all estates and conditions a treasurie of heauenly meditations diuine wisdome holy doctrines and precepts and a cleare glasse wherein we may see how in all estates and conditions God dealeth with his children and they with him And finally the New Testament is to be preferred before the Old because God therein hath more cleerely manifested himselfe and his will the sending of our Sauiour Christ and the great worke of Redemption wrought by him with all the meanes whereby we may be made partakers of him and all his benefits Gods spirituall graces in this life and eternall saluation in the life to come For howsoeuer they are both all one in substance containe the same things yet with this difference in respect of vs that the Old Testament is the New hid and shadowed the New Testament is the Old vnfolded and reuealed §. Sect. 4 That we must not reade the Scriptures onely but also other religious writings But though a Christian man is to studie and read the holy Scriptures chiefely that he may out of them as out of the fountaine know God and all the duties of a godly life in which respect their practice is absolutely to be condemned who are so wholy taken vp in reading the Fathers Schoolemen and late Writers that they can finde little time to reade and meditate in the Booke of God and so are greatest strangers where they should be best acquainted and like ill merchants who buy all their wares at the second or third hand yet we are not so wholy to be conuersant in them as to neglect or to want time to peruse the writings of godly and learned men who by the helpe of their feruent prayers the gifts of learning and tongues and their serious studies and diligent labours haue giuen the true sense and meaning
Sect. 1. What extraordinary Meditation is and the subiect of it 539 2 What ordinary Meditation is and the subiect of it 541 3 Of the difficulty of this religious exercise 542 4 The singular profit of ordinary Meditation 543 5 That this Meditation is effectuall for the sanctifying of the heart 544 6 That the exercise of Meditation is very necessary 546 CAP. XVI Answeres to diuers obiections made against the exercise of Meditation 547 Sect. 1. The obiection of difficulty acknowledged and answered 547 2 The obiection of naturall wants and weakenesses in performing this exercise answered 548 3 Their obiection answered who pretend want of matter to meditate vpon 548 4 Other hindrances remooued 549 5 That company and worldly businesse should not hinder vs from this exercise of Meditation 549 CAP. XVII Of the circumstances of Meditation as the place time and gesture of the body 552 Sect. 1. Of the place of Meditation 552 2 Of the time that it must not be continuall but as we get fittest opportunity 552 3 Of the fittest time for Meditation 553 4 Of constancy in this exercise 554 5 Of the disposition and gesture of the body 555 CAP. XVIII Of our entrance into Meditation by due preparation 557 Sect. 1. That this preparation is necessary and wherein it consisteth 557 2 That wee must chiefly prepare our hearts and affections 558 3 Of the subiect matter of Meditation and what choyce ought to bee made of it 559 4. to the tenth That the Scriptures themselues and all points of Christian Religion contained in them are fit matter of Meditation 560 10. Rules directing vs in the choyce of the fittest matter for our Meditations 569 11 That we must conclude our preparation with Prayer 570 CAP. XIX Of our progresse and proceeding in the exercise of Meditation 572 Sect. 1 2. That we must proceed orderly in this exercise and how this is to bee done 572 3 That in our Meditations wee must chiefly respect our will hearts and affections our liues and actions 576 4 That wee must not bee discouraged though we cannot at the first feele the fruit of our Meditations 577 5 Of the meanes whereby wee may feele our hearts affected with a liuely sense of the things whereon wee meditate 578 6 Of the egresse and conclusion of our Meditation 580 CAP. XX. An example and patterne of Meditation the subiect matter whereof is true and vnfained repentance 582 Sect. 1. What repentance is and the causes thereof 582 2 Of the matter forme and parts of repentance and first of humiliation 584 3 Of the second part of repentance which consisteth in conuersion and amendment 586 4 Of the finall causes subiect and properties of repentance the contraries vnto it and comparisons illustrating it 587 5 Of the kinds of repentance ordinary and extraordinary 588 CAP. XXI How wee must worke the former points vpon our hearts and affections 590 Sect. 1. How our hearts are to be affected with feruent desires to practise this duty of repentance 590 2 3 4 5. Motiues perswading to the practice of repentance in the seuerall parts thereof 597 CAP. XXII Of diuers speciall meanes whereby the point meditated is wrought vpon the heart and affections 598 Sect. 1 2 3 c. Whereof examination confession complaint hearty wishing to haue our wants supplied acknowledgment of impotencie Petition inforcement confidence congratulation and recommendation 598 CAP. XXIII Of the third priuate meanes of a godly life which is consideration and examination of our estates 605 Sect. 1. How consideration and examination differ 605 2 Of examination what it is and wherein it consisteth 605 3 That wee are chiefly to examine our selues in respect of our sinnes and first our originall corruption 607 4 Of examining our selues concerning our actuall transgressions according to the Law 607 5 How we must aggrauate our sins in respect of circumstances 609 6 That it is a profitable course to keepe a register or catalogue of our speciall sinnes and of the manifold fruits that will arise out of it 610 7 Of the consideration of our misery and punishment 612 8 Of the end of this examination and time when it is to bee performed 612 9 A complaint of the neglect of this duty and the causes thereof 613 CAP. XXIIII Diuers effectuall reasons to mooue vs vnto this exercise of examination 614 Sect. 1. That this duty is required in the Scriptures 614 2 The great profit of this exercise of examination 615 3 4. That this exercise is very necessary 616 CAP. XXV Of the fourth priuate meanes of a godly life which is walking daily with God 619 Sect. 1. That wee are alwayes in Gods presence 619 2 That it would be a powerfull meanes to restraine vs from all sinne if wee would alwayes set God before vs. 620 3 That the consideration of Gods presence would effectually moue vs vnto all good duties 622 CAP. XXVI Of the last meanes of a godly life which is experimentall knowledge 623 Sect. 1. What this experimentall knowledge is and the practice of it shewed in many examples 623 2 The experimentall knowledge of our owne estates in respect of our diuers and contrary courses 625 3 That no knowledge is to be compared with this of experience 626 CAP. XXVII That Prayer is a singular meanes of a godly life 628 Sect. 1. That nothing more then prayer maketh vs godly and religious 628 2 That prayer is the meanes of obtayning all Gods gifts and graces 629 3 That all the parts of prayer are singular helpes to a godly life 629 CAP. XXVIII Of reading the Scriptures and other religious writings 631 Sect. 1. Who are to exercise themselues in this duty of reading 631 2 That wee are chiefly to be exercised in reading and studying of the Scriptures 632 3 Their obiection answered who pretend the obscurity of the Scriptures 633 4 That we must not reade the Scriptures only but also other religious writings 635 5 Speciall directions for the choyce of fit Authors which may helpe vs in the practice of godlinesse 636 CAP. XXIX Of our preparation to this exercise of Reading and what is required in it 638 Sect. 1. That wee must come with reuerence to this holy exercise and bring faith vnto it 638 2 That we must bring honest hearts and earnest desires to profit by this exercise 639 3 That wee must come with a purpose to make good vse of all wee reade 639 4 That we must pray before wee reade 640 CAP. XXX Of the duties required in the action of reading that we may profit by it 641 Sect. 1. Of the ends at which wee must ayme in our reading 641 2 That we must obserue the theame and argument 642 3 That wee must obserue a due order in our reading 642 4 That the deuout Reader is not to reade many Bookes of the same argument but to make choyce of some which are best 643 5 That wee must labour to vnderstand what we reade 644 6 That we
afflictions 728 7 That hee inwardly guideth them by his grace and holy Spirit 730 CAP. XLIIII Other singular priuiledges wherewith God in this life crowneth the godly which are the fruits and effects of his holy Spirit 731 Sect. 1. That he sealeth vnto the godly the assurance of their adoption 731 2 The second speciall priuiledge is illumination 732 3 The third is sanctification of the Spirit 733 4 The fourth is internall and spirituall ioy 733 5 The last is Christian liberty 734 CAP. XLV Of foure other maine priuiledges wherewith God crowneth a godly life both in this world and the world to come 735 Sect. 1. That hee bestoweth vpon them the Spirit of prayer 735 2 That he giueth them meanes to build them vp in grace vnto saluation 736 3 That they shall perseuere in the state of grace to saluation 737 4 Of their inestimable priuiledges in the world to come 739 THE SIXT AND LAST Booke of a godly life intreating of the impediments which vsually hinder and discourage men from entring into proceeding in the Christian duties which are required vnto it and of the helps and meanes whereby they may be remoued 742 CAP. I. Of those impediments which are cast into our way to hinder vs in the duties of a godly life by Satan the arch enemy of our saluation 742 Sect. 1. That Satan bendeth all his forces against vs to hinder vs in the duties of a godly life 742 2 How we may remooue the former impediments 743 3 That Satans might and malice must not discourage vs and the reasons hereof 744 4 Of Satans tentations whereby he impugneth our faith 745 5 Satans tentations whereby he seeketh to hinder vs from entring into the wayes of godlines or from proceeding in them 747 CAP. II. Of impediments which the world casteth in our way to hinder vs that wee may not leade a godly life and first such as are publike 749 Sect. 1. The first impediment arising from euill Magistrates 749 2 Of the impediments which arise from euill Ministers 750 3 4. The meanes to remoue this impediment respecting both Ministers and people 752 5 Of the impediment which ariseth from the euill liues of Ministers 754 6 Of the publike impediments which respect the people 755 CAP. III. Of such priuate impediments as the world vseth to hinder vs in a godly life and first those on the right hand 757 Sect. 1. Of the tentations of prosperity and that they are most dangerous impediments of a godly life 757 2 Of impediments arising from honours riches pleasures and from euill company 758 CAP. IIII. Of impediments on the left hand arising from afflictions and persecutions 761 Sect. 1. How the world seeketh to hinder our course in godlines by afflictions and persecutions 761 2 3. Of the worlds professed hatred whereby it discourageth vs in Christian duties 761 4 Of the false iudgement of the world shewed in the bitter censures of the godly 764 5 Of worldly contempt vnto which the godly are lyable 765 CAP. VI. Of externall impediments whereby the world hindreth vs in the duties of a godly life and first slanders and derision 767 Sect. 1. How we may be armed against slanders of the world 767 2 Of derision and scoffes which the world vseth to discourage the godly in all good courses 769 3 How we may be armed against them 769 4 Of the necessity of Christian Apologie and profession of the truth 771 CAP. VIâ— Of worldly persecutions and how wee may be strengthened against them 772 Sect. 1. Of the worlds cruelty in persecuting the godly 772 2 That it hath alwayes beene the lot of the godly to bee persecuted of the world 773 3 That our Sauiour Christ hath foretold these persecutions 775 4 Of the patience which the Saints haue shewed in suffering persecutions 776 5 That our persecutions for righteousnesse sake shall be richly rewarded 777 CAP. VIIâ— Of the impediments of a godly life which arise from scandals and offences 778 Sect. 1. The first scandall arising from the prosperity of the wicked 778 2 The second scandall arising from iudgement deferred 779 3 The third scandall arising from hypocrites 781 CAP. IX Of the impediments of a godly life arising from the flesh and first from the intellectuall faculties 784 Sect. 1. That the most dangerous impediments arise from the flesh 784 2 That ignorance is a great impediment to a godly life 785 3 That vaine curiosity is also a great impediment 787 4 5. Of impediments arising from an erronious iudgement 788 6 That infidelity is a great impediment to a godly life 793 CAP. X. Of manifold impediments arising from our corrupt hearts and affections 793 Sect. 1. The first impediment is an heart hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne 793 2 The second impediment is the loue of the world 794 3 The third impediment worldly cares 795 CAP. Xâ— Of impediments arising from carnall hope and presumption 797 Sect. 1. That carnall hopes are great impediments to godlinesse 797 2 That carnall presumption is another great impediment 799 3 Of the meanes to remoue the former impediment 800 4 Of presumptuous neglecting the meanes of holinesse 802 CAP. XII Of the third sort of carnall affections which are impediments to a godly life as superstitious scrupulosity deiection of mind feare and desperation 803 Sect. 1. That scrupulosity is a great impediment to a godly life 803 2 Of the meanes to be freed from it 805 3 That carnall feare is a great hindrance vnto godlinesse and the meanes to be freed from it 806 4 That carnall sorrow is another great impediment and how wee may bee freed from it 807 5 That desperation also hindreth vs and how we may be armed against it 809 6 That pride also is a great impediment and how to remooue it 810 7 That sloth also much hindreth vs and how we may arme our selues against it 811 8 Of wearinesse in well doing and how it hindreth vs and first that which proceedeth from an ill disposition of the body 812 9 Of that wearinesse which ariseth from the auersnesse of our willes vnto good duties 813 CAP. XIII Obiections against a godly life made by the flesh answered and first such as pretend impossibility and difficulty 814 Sect. 1. That a godly life is possible vnto vs. 814 2 To whom a godly life is difficult and the causes of it 816 3 The causes why the duties of a godly life seeme difficult and tedious euen to the regenerate and the causes of it 817 4 That the difficulty must not discourage vs from it 819 5 That the recompence of reward must incourage vs against all difficulties 820 6 That a godly life in it owne nature is not difficult and tedious but sweet and delightfull 821 CAP. XIIII That the godly life is not tedious and troublesome to the regenerate but easie and familiar 823 Sect. 1. That the regenerate haue a new nature vnto which a godly life is easie and pleasant 823 2 That
thou Daquod iubes iube quod vis commandest and then command what thou wilt §. Sect. 2 Reasons moouing vs to imbrace piety first because it is most excellent And thus we generally see what piety is Let vs in the next place consider briefly of some arguments which may mooue vs to imbrace and practise it in the whole course of our liues The first is that piety and the duties of it are most excellent and to be preferred before righteousnesse both in regard of our iudgements which ought to esteeme them aboue the other in respect of the obiect God himselfe vnto whom immediatly they are to be performed who infinitely exceeding men the duties which wee owe vnto him are incomparably to bee preferred before those which are due to them In regard also of our hearts and affections which ought to imbrace with greater loue and desire those things which our iudgements doe most highly value and in respect of our indeuour and practice wherein we ought to giue priority and precedencie in regard of time and place vnto the duties of piety aboue all earthly things according to that of our Sauiour First seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse c. Againe Mat. 6. 33. Christ calleth the first Table inioyning piety The great Commandement Mat. 6. 38. vnto which the second is like but not equall For piety is the fountaine of righteousnesse and the alone sure foundation vpon which it standeth which if it wanteth or is built vpon any other ground as it were vpon a quagmire or the sands it will soone fall and come to ruine seeing the building can stand no longer then it hath a foundation to rest vpon as we daily see in the Morall and meere ciuill righteousnesse of worldlings which resting vpon their credit or profit or feare of humane Lawes doth last no longer then they lust It is the heart and head of Iustice which giueth life heate and motion vnto it without which it is but a dead trunke yea the very soule which doth informe it without which it is but a lothsome carkasse in Gods sight And therefore in the practice of a godly life we are more highly to esteeme and answerably with more care earnestnesse and delight to put in practice the duties of piety which concerne God immediately then the duties of righteousnesse which respect our neighbours As for example we must loue and feare and obey God more then men and when both will not stand together we must neglect the one in comparison of the other as wee see in the example of the Apostles who when men forbade that which God commanded obeyed him rather Act. 5. 29. then them But yet seeing all duties both to God and men are commanded of God and in that regard we ferue or disobey him mediately and indirectly when wee doe or neglect the duties which concerne them therefore in performing the duties of the first Table in our iudgement affection and practice we are to obserue a due proportion betweene them comparing like with like the greatest with the greatest middle with middle and the least with the least neyther are the ceremonies and circumstances and meanes of pious duties to be preferred before the maine and substantiall duties of righteousnesse as we see in Gods owne choice vvho preferred mercy before sacrifice and the duties of righteousnesse Hos 6. 6. Esa 58. 3 6. Mat. 12. 1 2. c. Leuit. 24. 9. Exod. 29. 33. mercy and loue before an externall fast or the outvvard rest of the Sabbath vvhich is but a meanes of the seruice of God and of our spirituall resting from sinne §. Sect. 3 The second reason is taken from the profit of Piety The second reason is taken from the profit of piety vvhich may much induce vs to the imbracing of it For if mens hearts are set chiefely vpon Psal 4. 6. gaine and are ready to enquire after it vpon all occasions according to that of the Psalmist There be many that say Who will shew vs any good And if their affections and desires are inflamed and inlarged according to the greatnesse of the profit vvhich they pursue then vvhen our iudgements are conuinced and persvvaded that there is most gaine in godlinesse there is great reason why our hearts should be set vpon it as our chiefest treasure But the Apostle telleth vs that godlinesse is gaine yea 1. Tim. 6. 6. great gaine with contentation where he maketh not the gaine of godlinesse to depend vpon the condition of our contentment as though there were no profit in it vnlesse wee be contented with it but that it is the effect and an inseparable companion of godlinesse to make vs contented with all estates and therefore not gaine onely if it be ioyned with content but because it alwaies bringeth with it contentation Euen as the Sunne is said to bee comfortable not if it giue light but because it giueth light it doth bring vs comfort with his beames and brightnesse Now this profit of piety is incomparably greater then the gaine of the whole world for this is profitable but for some purposes but the other for all things that onely for the present but this also for eternity according to that of the Apostle Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing promise of the life that 1. Tim. 4. 8. now is and of that which is to come In this life it assureth vs of Gods grace and fauour that we are his children and heyres of his promises who are continually vnder his protection and thereby safe from all danger that though we haue but little yet there is cause of great contentment seeing our small pittance is better then the riches of many wicked it being a pledge Psal 37. 16. of Gods loue and an earnest penny of our heauenly happinesse That we are blessed in all estates prosperity and aduersity pouerty and riches health and sicknesse life and death because God that loueth vs will by Rom. 8. 28. his wisdome and power cause all things to worke together for our good In the life to come also godlinesse will be most gainefull for when all worldly profits are vtterly ceased and the glory and beauty of them withered and vanished out of sight then shall we finde most profit in our piety and reape a ioyfull haruest of all our holy indeuours Then shall we with confidence approach into Gods presence when as we expect that Crowne of glory which he hath freely promised to those who haue serued him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of this life and hauing on this wedding garment we shall be admitted into the Bridall chamber of our Head and Husband Iesus Christ and there eternally solace ourselues in the fruition of his loue and of that heauenly happinesse which he hath prepared for vs. Whereas contrariwise all worldly things without piety are vnprofitable to all in many things and in all things to many giuing
Job 22. 2. Psal 16. 3. profit or extend vnto him but for our owne good and benefit that he may crowne our obedience with eternall blessednesse For hee that keepeth the Law happie is he and he that heareth Christs Word and keepeth it is by Pro. 29. 18. Luke 11. 28. him pronounced blessed Lastly let vs often propound vnto our selues the examples of Gods Saints and Seruants that haue gone before vs and set before vs their obedience as a patterne for our imitation For more cheerefully may we trauaile in this way of holinesse and righteousnesse if wee see a plaine path beaten by those that haue gone before vs. But especially let vs set before vs the neuer-erring example of our Sauiour Christ who tooke more delight in doing his Fathers will then in his meate and drinke and in all things was obedient vnto him to the death euen the John 4. 34. Phil. 2. 6 7. bitter death of the Crosse as the Apostle speaketh §. Sect. 7 Of passiue obedience and patience in afflictions The second kinde of obedience is passiue and is called patience which is a fruit of our loue and thankfulnesse towards God whereby we submit our selues meekely and constantly to beare all those crosses and afflictions Gal. 5. 22. which it shall please God to lay vpon vs. The causes of which patience are diuers the first and principall is the Spirit of God of which it is a fruit Secondly a liuely faith which not only apprehendeth the promise of eternall happinesse with which our temporarie afflictions are not to be compared but Gods speciall promises of strength to indure all trials and of helpe and deliuerance in Gods due time Thirdly trust and affiance in God who hath promised to be with vs in all our afflictions and neuer leaue vs to our owne weakenesse or to the malice and fury of our enemies vpon which we conclude that though he kill vs yet we will trust in Iohn 13. 15. him But the loue of God is the next and immediate cause of our patience which maketh vs meekely to suffer whatsoeuer he imposeth who so loueth vs and whom we so loue For loue endureth all things and the greatest difficulties are not hard vnto it It is stronger then death the waters 1. Cor. 13. 7. Cant. 8. 6 7. of afflictions cannot quench it and the floods of calamities cannot drowne it The obiect of this patience is afflictions which the Lord imposeth for the tryall or correction of his children for all whom he loueth he chastiseth and whosoeuer will be Christs Disciple must denie himselfe take vp Heb. 12. Luke 9. 23. his Crosse and follow him that is that crosse and measure of afflictions which God himselfe imposeth vpon him Neither are we to take vpon vs burthens of our owne making but such only as the Lord allotteth vnto vs which are those alone that we cannot by lawfull meanes auoid or without falling into sinne The manner how we are to beare these afflictions is first voluntarily with a meeke quiet and contented minde as being sent of God for our good yea cheerefully and ioyfully as they are signes and seales of our adoption and speciall meanes to further and assure our euerlasting saluation Secondly we must beare them constantly so long as it shall please God to continue them vpon vs that is till he giueth vs honest Iam. 1. 4. and lawfull meanes to be freed and deliuered from them not thinking it inough that we haue borne some few or many afflictions but holding out vnto the end for he is not crowned who hath fought well for a time but he that neuer giueth ouer till he haue obtained the victory acording to that of our Sauiour Be faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the 2. Cor. 4. 16. Apoc. 2. 10. Crowne of life But of these points as also of the meanes whereby wee may be enabled with patience comfort and ioy to endure afflictions I haue written largely * Christian Warfare the third part elsewhere and therefore will content my selfe thus briefly to haue touched them in this place CAP. VI. Of the feare of God and humility which ariseth from it ioyned with his loue And of Gods externall worship with the body §. Sect. 1 Of the feare of God what it is and the causes of it THe fourth and last mayne vertue required in this Commandement is the feare of God whereby I vnderstand not that seruile and slauish feare which is in wicked men and the very deuils themselues in the apprehension of his iustice wrath and power in punishing sinne but that filiall and sonne-like feare whereby knowing beleeuing and remembring not onely Gods Iustice truth maiesty power and dominion our all creatures but also his infinite loue goodnesse and mercy towards vs in Iesus Christ we feare his displeasure who is so glorious and gracious as the greatest euill In which description is expressed the grounds and causes of the true feare of God namely the knowledge beliefe and remembrance of Gods attributes As first that hee is a iust God and will not let sinne goe vnpunished with which consideration Mat. 10. 28. our Sauiour inciteth vs to Gods feare because he iustly casteth into hell those that sinne against him Secondly that he is true of his Word in his promises to those that serue and please him and his threatnings against Psal 33. 7 8. those that displease and sinne against him Thirdly his maiesty and glory in that he is the supreme Lord and most glorious King of heauen and earth which is alone sufficient to strike an awfull feare of God in the hearts of all creatures Fourthly that he is a most powerfull and mighty God and so able to execute all his iudgements and not onely to kill the body but also to cast both body and soule into the euerlasting fire of hell as our Sauiour speaketh Lastly his dominion ouer all creatures whereby Luk. 12. 5. they are obnoxious and liable to his iustice and punishments is effectuall to strike feare into the hearts of all men according to that of Malachie If I be a master where is my feare and that of Ieremie Who would not feare Mal. 1. 6. Ier. 10. 6 7. thee O King of nations for vnto thee doth it appertaine For howsoeuer the faithfull being in Christ can receiue no hurt from these attributes for his iustice is satisfied for their sinnes and there is no condemnation vnto Rom. 8. 1. them his threatnings doe not belong vnto them but contrariwise his sweete and gracious promises his maiesty power and dominion are arguments of ioy and comfort seeing they are wholly for their protection and preseruation yet doe the children of God feare in respect of these attributes when they consider them in their owne nature and see the effects of them in wicked men euen as the sonne feareth his father when he seeth him punish his slaue though he be sure
all their carriage Tit. 2. 2 4. Pro. 16. 31. and behauiour graue and sober to counsell and instruct the yonger out of their greater wisedome and experience and to bee examples and precedents vnto them of all good duties And the duties of the 1. Tim. 5. 1. Leuit. 19. 32. Iob 32. 4 6 7. Iob 12 12. 32. 7. yonger sort towards them are to reuerence them inwardly and outwardly as fathers to imitate their good example and acknowledging their wisedome and better experience to make vse of their counsell and instructions for their information and direction Secondly superiours in birth and place as nobility and gentry whose dutie is that as they are Peeres of the Realme and pillars of the Common-wealth so they aboue others seeke the good and flourishing estate of it and bee as pillars of Marble firme and strong to vphold it with their strength like those pillars Iachin and Boaz which Salomon built and not through luxurie prodigality and all excesse wasting their estates and retayning onely their titles and honours become like rotten posts gilded and painted which let the building fall when it leanes vpon them Secondly that they approoue themselues truely noble and generous by being like the nobles of Berea more forward in receiuing the Word and Act. 17. 11. imbracing true Religion then ordinary men Thirdly that being placed like starres in this earthly firmament they doe good to their inferiours both by shining vnto them in the light of a good and holy example and by those vitall influences of comfort in the workes of protection mercy and Christian charity vnto which their greater meanes high places and dignities doe inable them and not like wandering Planets which keepe no where any settled residence and are so clouded with obscurity that the poore know not where to finde them when they most need them The duty of inferiours towards them is that they giue vnto them that honour and respect which is due vnto their places and not enuy vnto them their high dignities knowing that promotion commeth neither from the East nor West but from God onely wise who pulleth downe one and setteth vp another as it seemeth best to his godly wisedome Thirdly superiours in wealth and riches whose duty is to vse them as great and notable instruments of doing good both publikely in the Church and Common-wealth and priuately to particular persons as God offereth vnto them occasion and opportunity and not wastefully consume them on their owne lusts nor niggardly hoord them vp doing no good with them either to themselues or others The duty of inferiours and the poorer sort towards them is that as God hath aduanced them aboue themselues in these temporall blessings so in humility acknowledging their preferment they giue vnto them that respect which their place and state requireth and communicate vnto them the benefit of their labours as the other vnto them the benefit of wages and rewards Secondly that they reuerence them in respect of that ability with which God 1. Sam. 25. 8. hath inabled them to doe good publikely to Church and Common-wealth and priuately vnto themselues and others Lastly among superiours in excellency we are to number benefactours whose duty is to giue 2. Cor. 9. 7. Luk. 6. 33 34. their benefits cheerefully without grudging and quarrelsome wrangling which displeaseth more then the gift contenteth Secondly to giue freely and not with sordid respect of greater aduantage Thirdly speedily whilest Pro. 3. 28. there is power in their hands and not after many delayes Fourthly discreetly making choyce either in respect of the parties worth or at least Mat. 25. 40. present necessity and not rashly and carelesly which is rather through neglect of the gift then for loue of the party vpon whom it is bestowed Lastly hauing bestowed benefits they must not boast of them to others nor Iam. 1. 5. insult ouer the party to whom they haue done good which were but to make their benefit as a golden chaine to bind them to slauery nor finally to vpbraid them with what they haue done vpon euery slight occasion which is no more pleasant to the party who hath fed of their fauours then the distastefull vpbraydings which follow a surfet The duties of inferiours towards their benefactours are first inward and hearty thankfulnesse whereby they acknowledge them as Gods instruments in doing them good and accordingly loue and respect them according to their desert Secondly they are not to vilifie the benefit but highly to esteeme it either for its worth or their necessity and vse of it or the minde and good will of the giuer And outwardly also they are to testifie their thankefulnesse both by word in thankesgiuing praysing their benefactour Rom. 16. 4. as opportunitie is offered and magnifying the greatnesse of the benefit receiued and also in deed both by being alwayes ready to make requitall when God shall giue abilitie and by supplying what is wanting in their power by their feruent prayers for them vnto God 2. Tim. 1. 16. who is all-sufficient to recompence and reward their bountie towards them §. Sect. 3 The duties of superiours in authority in generall and of inferious towards them Superiours in authority are such as haue not onely a place of excellency aboue vs but also of power and iurisdiction as our gouernours Whose duty in generall is to vse all good discipline both in respect of rule and gouernement and also due correction and punishment They ought to gouerne them in the Lord as his deputies and in his stead and therefore to doe the acts of iustice as if God himselfe were present or did but vse their bodies tongues and parts to performe his owne will In which respect their chiefe care must be as to doe Iustice themselues and administer righteous iudgement so to containe their inferiours in the duties of 1. Tim. 2. 2. piety and iustice therein seeking not themselues or their owne gaine by corruption bribery extorsion or any kinde of wrong and oppression but Rom. 13. 4 6. 2. Chro. 19. 6. the glory of God chiefly and next vnto it the good of their societies and of euery particular person vnder their gouernment In respect of correction and punishment their duty is to administer Iustice according to the qualitie of their inferiours offence wherein they are to vse discretion rightly iudging both of the cause and the disposition of the offendour and correcting lighter faults and infirmities with rebukes and threatnings and greater faults committed wilfully with reall punishments proceeding herein with wisedome iudgement loue and patience seeking either the amendment of the parties if they bee corrigible or of the societies in which they liue by taking away sinne and euill auerting Gods more fearefull and generall iudgements and causing others to feare and Gen. 18. 21. Iosh 7. 25. so to auoide the like sinnes and not out of passion choller and hatred of their persons And secondly they must
to bee performed are either common to all the members of this body which is that they l 2. Sam. 24. 17. Neh. 1. 4. 2. 3. Ier. 9 1. Ps 122. 6 7 8. loue their countrey and preferre in their iudgements desires and indeuours the good of it before the good of all others or of themselues or the speciall duties of superiours and inferiours as the supreme Soueraigne and Magistrates or subiects and people The generall dutie of the former is that as they desire the honour of parents m 1. Pet. 2. 13 14. Gen. 4◠8. Iudg. 5. 7. so to carry themselues in all things as fathers of their countrey and subiects The speciall duty of Soueraigne Princes is the good lawfull and commendable exercise of his soueraigne power especially in making good Lawes and seeing them duly executed in creating and making good Magistrates of State and containing them in their duty in shewing mercy vnto those whom they may lawfully pardon being obnoxious to the rigour of the Law and Iustice towards those who by the Lawes of God and the Common-wealth ought to die In hearing of causes of great importance which respect the good of the Common-wealth and of particular persons especially of high and last appeales in waging warres and concluding peace so as they may be iust profitable and safe for their Countrey In all which hee is to aime chiefly at Gods glory and the good of the Church and Common-wealth Which duties that he may performe he must be qualified and furnished with many excellent vertues as a Deut. 17. 19. piety religion and the true feare of God b Pro. 29. 4. Iustice c Pro. 20. 28. clemency d Deut. 17. 17. Pro. 28. 16. bounty and liberality e Psal 2. 10. wisedome and learning f Ios 1 6. Deut. 31. 23. fortitude and courage g Pro. 30. 4 5. Eccl. 10. 13 14. temperance and sobriety h Deut. 17. 17. Pro. 31. 3. chastity i Deut. 17. 20. Psal 131. 1. Exod. 18. 21. Deut. 1. 13. 16. 19 20. 73. 8. 2. Sam. 18. 3. 21. 17. Lam. 4. 20. 1. Tim. 2. 12. Psal 61. 6 7. 1. Pet. 2. 17. Pro. 24 21. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Rom. 13. 1 5. Rom. 13. 6 7. Mat 17. 27. 22 21. Psal 82. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13 14. modesty and humility The speciall duty of Magistrates is that in executing of their office they conscionably labour to aduance the glory of God the honour of their Soueraigne and the good of the whole Common-wealth and of all the particular members of it Vnto which these vertues are required in them that they be men of k courage fearing God louers of iustice haters of wrong and all euill faithfull and true free from couetousnesse and haters of bribes and rewards wise and prudent iust and vnpartiall hauing in iudgement no respect of any mans person The speciall duties of subiects towards their Soueraigne are first a singular loue of them approoued by their speciall care of their safety by their high esteeme of them and frequent and feruent prayers for them Secondly to honour and reuerence them as the supreme gouernours vnder Christ ouer all persons and in all causes Thirdly to be obedient and subiect vnto them in all things lawfull and that in the Lord and for conscience sake Fourthly to be seruiceable and helpefull vnto them both with their bodies and states The speciall duties of the people towards their Magistrates are to loue and reuerence them as Gods deputies to submit themselues to their lawfull Commandements and punishments and finally to be thankefull vnto them and ready with all chearefulnesse to allow vnto them such stipends and fees as are due for their maintenance CAP. XII Of the duties required in the sixth Commandement §. Sect. 1 Of the summe of this Commandement And of anger and hatred IN the foure following Commandements are all those common vertues and duties required which concerne all our neighbours in generall and all the contrary vices and sinnes forbidden all which concerne either their person and life or the adiuncts belonging to them as their chastity goods and fame Those vertues and vices which respect the person and life are inioyned or forbidden in the sixth Commandement in these words Thou shalt not kill which hath precedency before the other because the person and life are of greater worth and excellency then the adiuncts that appertaine vnto them The summe whereof is this that wee in all our thoughts words and deedes imbrace all vertues and performe all duties which tend to the good of the person and preseruation of the life both of our neighbours and our selues and flee the contrary vices and sinnes whether they be inward or outward And these are either the rootes and fountaines from whence the rest doe spring and flow as anger and hatred or the fruits and streames which arise and issue from them The first duty commanded is iust anger against the sinnes of our neighbours and our Eph. 46. 26. Mar. 3. 5. selues vnto which is required that it arise from iust causes and be directed to good ends that it be in a lawfull manner and measure and continue a fit and conuenient time And heereunto are required as the meanes of it patience long-suffering and mildnesse goodnesse slownesse to anger and readinesse to forgiue The contrary vice whereof is heere forbidden of which I will not heere speake hauing written largely of it in another Treatise of Anger place The second vertue commanded is an holy hatred of our owne and our neighbours sinnes which is alwayes ioyned with the loue of the persons Leuit. 19. 17 18. Now the fruits of holy and iust anger and hatred are to a Pro. 19. 11. 10. 12. Psal 38. 13 14. passe by an offence b Matth. 6 12 14. 18. 21. Col. 3. 13. Luk. 17. 3 4. Leuit. 19. 8. freely to forgiue wrongs and iniuries and euen to forget them and to requite c Mat 5. 44. good for euill to those who haue wronged vs by d Pro. 25. 21 22. helping and e Psal 35. 13. Act. 7. 60. praying for them and finally to vse all f 1. Pet 3. 8. Gen. 23. 4 6. 24. 19. Act. 27. 3. humanity and courtesie towards all men acquaintance and strangers §. Sect. 2 Of the inward duties and vertues heere required Other more speciall fruits may be distinguished according to the difference of persons towards whom they are referred As first if our neighbours are in prosperity we are not to enuie them if they bee our superiours nor to emulate them being our equals nor to disdaine them being our inferiours but contrariwise g Num. 11 29. Act. 26. 29. wish vnto them all good things which we haue or they want and congratulate their well-fare and communicate with them in our h Rom. 12 15. 1. Cor. 12. 26. reioycing at their happinesse If they
and bodies in purity and honour free from the pollution of any sinne To which end wee must daily with all conscionable care keepe a diligent and straight watch ouer all our workes and wayes but especially ouer our hearts that they be not ouertaken with Pro. 4. 23. any loue or liking of sinne but constantly repell the first motions and allurements of it when they present themselues vnto vs especially we must haue an eye to our naturall infirmities and those sinnes vnto which being Heb. 12. 1 4. most prone we are most easily ouertaken of them Yea wee must in this watch carefully auoide not onely the sinnes themselues but also all the occasions and meanes which may draw vs to the committing of them especially the familiar society of wicked men who are most apt to corrupt and infect vs with their perswasions and euill examples Finally wee must daily resolue and indeuour not onely to leaue and forsake all sinne but also to serue the Lord in performing all the contrary duties of holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety according to all good occasions and opportunities which in the whole day or any part thereof shall be offred vnto vs and in all our thoughts words and deeds to please the Lord by yeelding cheerefull obedience vnto his holy will Especially our care and indeuour must be to perfect those graces in which wee finde our selues most defectiue and with extraordinary diligence to practise those duties towards God our neighbours and our selues which our consciences tell vs we haue formerly most neglected and vnto which we feele our corrupt natures to bee most backward and auerse that so we may daily aspire to a greater growth in godlinesse and bring forth the longer we liue the more and better fruits of new obedience §. Sect. 6 The benefits which would arise of this exercise of renewing our repentance And if wee would thus daily renew our repentance the benefits arising vnto vs from this holy exercise would be inestimable For first we should preuent innumerable sinnes into which through the neglect of this duty we fall daily vnaduisedly and at vnawares but especially wee should bee armed heereby against all sinnes committed against knowledge and conscience Secondly if at any time through frailty we be ouertaken with any sinne we should not lye in it but rise againe by vnfained repentance and so heale the sores of sinne whilest the wound is greene with much greater ease and not suffer them to fester and rankle to our greater paine and danger Thirdly wee should much abate the violence of our fleshly lusts when as though they with much labour put vs to a foyle yet they shall not bee able no not for one day to keepe their hold and rule ouer vs and who will take any great paines to so little purpose or swallow downe that potion with any pleasure which he must be forced to cast vp so quickly with much griefe or imbrace that sinne vvith any great delight which within a few houres shall be plucked from him with an holy violence and indignation or offend so good a God or hazard a precious soule or disturbe the sweete peace of a good conscience for the fruition of a sinfull pleasure so vaine so momentany Fourthly though through infirmity we sometimes fall yet shall wee hereby be preserued from sleeping in carnall security and from being hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and though through weakenesse of the flesh we slumber Heb. 3. 13. with the Spouse in the Canticles yet shall we not fall into a dead sleepe but say with her I sleepe but my heart waketh Fifthly we shall heereby preserue Cant. 5. 3. our consciences tender so as they will giue vs warning when sinne maketh the least appearance and our hearts pure and soft so as they will easily relent with the least touch Sixthly we shall make the practice of a godly life easie and familiar and Christs yoke light when as we are accustomed to beare it euery day Seuenthly wee shall either altogether keepe it from entring into our hearts or at least from holding possession by pleading custome and prescription Eighthly we shall preserue peace with God and an holy communion with him and the peace also of a good conscience or if there be any cause of inward iarres we shall compound and take them vp before we sleepe Ninthly we shall goe to rest securely when as we goe to bed with our quietus est and sleepe quietly Psal 4. 8. when we haue our pardon vnder our pillow Finally we shall alwayes be prepared for the approach of death and Iudgement when as we keepe alwayes our accounts ready made and though with the fiue wise Virgins we sometimes slumber and sleepe as well as the foolish yet hauing our oyle in our lampes we shall be ready to rise at the first call to enter with our Bridegroome into the marriage chamber and communicate with him in all ioy and happinesse CAP. III. Of our daily exercise in renewing of our faith §. Sect. 1 That the daily renewing of our faith is very profitable and necessary VNto this daily exercise of renevving of our repentance vvee must adde also the renewing of our faith which is no lesse necessary then the other for as the vertue and vigour of our bodies soone fainteth and decayeth if they be not often and daily nourished with those elements whereof they are made and composed so will the strength of faith be weakened and abated if it bee not daily sustained and refreshed with those meanes and helpes by which it was begot and begun in vs and therefore if vvhilest vve haue good stomacks in our youthfull dayes vve thinke it not enough to refresh and nourish our bodies one day in a vveeke nor yet once in a day but must haue our dinners and suppers breakefasts and beuers let vs not thinke that it is enough for the nourishment of our soules and strengthening of our faith to vse spirituall repast on the Sabbath onely vvhich though it may hold life and soule together yet shall vve not be thriuing and in good liking in our spirituall man if vvee relieue and cherish it not vvith a more liberall hand and allot some part of euery day to this spirituall exercise Againe as faith in it selfe will faint and languish if it be not daily refreshed and renewed so are there also outward causes which shake and weakē it if it be not duly euen daily nourished For we daily wound and weaken it with our sins whilst our inward guilt abateth our assurance of Gods loue and confidence in his fauour by laying to our charge our great vnworthines of his least mercies And therfore we had need to renew daily our faith as we daily renew our sins by laying hold on the Couenant of grace which assureth vs that our sinnes shall not stop the course of Gods mercies because their current is free and if the streames bee not dammed vp as it were in
difficult continuing no longer then some outward cause of feare or reward doth set them on going And as the heate of a bath continueth alwaies because it proceedeth from an inward cause which changeth the nature of the water whereas the waters of a pond cannot be made warme but with much labour and and difficultie and continue in their heate no longer then the outward cause worketh it in them so when as faith hath warmed our hearts with zeale of Gods glory and made them actiue and operatiue in performing the duties of his seruice this heate and motion continue with ease and cheerefulnesse because they are spiritually naturall and proceede from an inward cause whereas if worldly causes worke this heate of zeale as honour and preferment in the heate of Iehu it being vnnaturall and forced soone returneth to its wonted coldnesse Finally faith thus renewed will make vs to serue God with cheerefulnesse and delight because it incourageth vs in our labours by apprehending and putting into our hands not onely the present pay of all Gods temporary blessings and benefits but also the euidences and conueighances of our heauenly happinesse which God of his free grace hath by his writings in the Word and his seales the Sacraments made ouer vnto vs. And who wouldnot cheerefully and with ioy doe him faithfull seruice who giueth vs present pay aboue the worth of our worke and for our better encouragement assureth vs that all this shall be but a small earnest in respect of the mayne bargaine and but the first fruits of that full crop and plentifull haruest of heauenly happinesse CAP. IIII. Of our daily exercise in seeking God and what are the things which are required vnto it §. Sect. 1 That our seeking God daily is a necessary duty THe second mayne dutie which wee are dayly and euen throughout the day to performe is to seeke the Lord our God by consecrating our selues wholy both in our soules and bodies vnto his worship and seruice The which dutie is required in many places of the Scriptures So Dauid exhorteth the Princes of Israel to set their hearts and soules to seeke the Lord their 1. Chro. 22. 19. God and the Lord by his Prophet requireth it of all the people Seeke ye Esa 55. 6. the Lord whilst he may be found and call yee vpon him while he is neere And againe Seeke yee the Lord and yee shall liue For howsoeuer the Lord in Amos 5. 4. respect of the infinitenesse and immensitie of his nature and essence filleth all places with his presence and therfore cannot be farre as the Apostle speaketh from euery one of vs for in him we liue and moue and haue our being as the heathens saw euen by the very light of nature and though Acts 17. 27 28. in the state of innocencie and integrity man had sweete communion with God and inioyed the comfortable and liuely influences of his sauing graces and dwelled in God and God in him yet through the fall of our first parents and the ouerspreading corruption which did accompany it man lost God was depriued of his presence was wholy estranged from that happie and holy communion and had all influence of his grace stopped from And together with this inestimable losse he lost also the sense of this losse and of all the miseries which did accompany it and therefore neuer cared or desired to seeke and finde him that being againe revnited vnto him hee might thereby recouer his lost happinesse till God out of his free grace and infinite goodnesse pittying mans losse and misery like the good Shepheard sought vs first who like wandring sheepe Esa 53. 5. Luke 15. 4 5. did stray from him without any desire of returning and carrying vs home to his sheepefold caused vs to finde him before we sought him yea when wee gainesaid and refused to make this search according to that of the Prophet cited by the Apostle I was found of them who sought mee not I Esa 65. 1 2. Rom. 10. 20 21. was made manifest vnto them that enquired not after me All the day long I haue stretched out my hands vnto a disobedient and gaine saying people Yea but seeing wee haue now found God and haue him alwaies by his grace present with vs what needeth may some say this daily search and disquisition seeing that labour may seeme vaine and to little purpose which is spent in seeking that which is already found To which I answere that we may doe that act in an higher degree of perfection which in the first degrees is done already yea seeing wee can neuer in this world doe it so perfectly as we should therfore we ought to doe it daily and continually that we may aspire vnto more perfection And this God who by his preuenting grace caused vs to seeke him for our owne good requireth vs to doe daily and more and more for our greater good and because all our happinesse doth consist in our finding and inioying him not contenting himselfe that we should be in the first and least degrees happie by finding and inioying him in some small measure hee maketh it our daily taske to seeke him more and more that finding him more perfectly wee may perfect our happinesse in our full finding and fruition Yea in truth there is none that hath truely found him who doth not daily indeuour to finde him more and more For what hungry man that hath once tasted delicate meates that can content himselfe with a taste onely and doth not rather desire to feede on them till he be satisfied and his hunger allayed what wise Merchant finding a treasure in a field which he hath long sought contenteth himselfe onely to haue found it and doth not rather purchase the field that he may inioy the treasure hid in it or finding a precious pearle satisfieth himselfe with a slight sight of the lustre and beautie of it and doth not rather sell all he hath to buy it being neuer at quiet till he safely possesseth it in his owne Cabinet or who finding a rich mine of gold or siluer is contented with the first oare which it offereth vnto his view and doth not rather digge deeper and deeper till hee haue made himselfe owner of the whole treasure And therefore it is impossible for any man that hath tasted how good God is to those that seeke him to leaue off and so content himselfe but hee will labour still to feede on him more and more till he as the Psalmist speaketh be satisfied with his likenesse in the Kingdome of heauen seeing Psal 17. 15. in his greatest fruition in this life hee knoweth that he wanteth much of him And to leaue off further hungring after God after that wee haue tasted of his loue bounty and goodnesse and to content our selues with a taste only without further feeding on them is an euident signe that we are in the number of those relapsed hypocrites who cannot be renewed
Cor. 5. 10. Math. 12. 36. will take an account of vs for euery idle word which wee esteeme as winde and therefore much more will call vnto a reckoning our precious time spent in idlenesse and vanitie and will make vs exceede in euerlasting punishments as wee haue in this life exceeded in momentanie pleasures Apoc. 18. 7. Luk. 6. 25. §. Sect. 3 That they must be so vsed as that they may refresh the body not pamper the flesh The third caution to be obserued in our recreations is that wee vse them so as they may refresh the body but not pamper the flesh and Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 8. 12 13. 1. Pet. 2. 11. Gal. 5. 13. that wee so indeuour by them to cheare our friend as that wee doe not strengthen our enemie For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and therefore wee must not vse such recreations or after such a manner as may feede and fat it with carnall delight neither are wee debters vnto it to liue after it seeing this life bringeth death but rather as the Apostle exhorteth let vs abstaine from fleshly lusts because they fight against our soules and so vse this gracious liberty which God hath giuen vs that the spirituall part may take occasion of doing good duties and not the flesh of plunging vs into sinne §. Sect. 4 That in our recreations we must auoid giuing of offence The fourth caution is that in all our recreations wee doe not giue any scandall and offence neither vsing such before our weake brethren 1. Thes 5. 22. though lawfull in themselues whereat they sticke or stumble with some scruple of conscience nor yet carrying our selues offensiuely in such as they approue either by spending vnseasonably our time in them or too much of that which is in moderation allowable or with any lightnesse and vanity or by giuing our selues ouer to some vnruly passion Yea as much as in vs lieth wee must abstaine not onely from these faults themselues but also from the least shevv and appearance of them and not onely take care to doe those things which are true and iust pure and louely Phil. 4 8. Pro. 22. 1. Eccl. 7. 1. but also which are of good report not onely taking care to be vertuous but also to bee so esteemed and haue the reputation and praise all pride and vaineglory being auoided which as the shaddow the body doth attend and waite vpon it And seeing recreations are things indifferent we are rather vtterly to forbeare them then to giue vnto our brethren any iust cause of offence because the greatest danger that can heereof come vnto vs is but the hazard of our health whereas by offending them wee may indanger the losse of their precious soules for which Christ hath shed his blood In which regard if the Apostle was so charitable that he would Rom. 14. 15 21. refraine from his lawfull foode rather then offend his weake brother then how small is our charity if we will not forbeare for this cause or at least in offensiuely vse our sports and recreations §. Sect. 5 That all due circumstances must be obserued in our recreations and what they are The fifth caution is that we obserue in our recreations all due circumstances As first that it be decent and beseeming our person place and calling neither is it fit that age and youth Magistrates and common people should vse the same recreations lest for the gaining of a little vaine sport they lose their grauity and with it their authority and that reuerence which is due vnto them from their inferiours in respect of their age and gouernment Secondly that it be apt and fit for our callings and to refresh and make vs more able for the well-performing of the duties belonging to them For that recreation is best which commeth neerest to the end for which we vse it and best fitteth vs to attaine vnto it as rest of the body and exercise of the minde for those that are wearied with corporall labours and bodily exercise for them whose callings doe wholly stand in the study of the minde Or at least some easie exercise after the greater labour of the body or some slight and pleasant imployment of the minde after that it is wearied with more serious and earnest studies In which regard I haue always thought the play at Chests most vnfit for Students and Schollers because it as much occupieth and wearieth their intellectuall faculties as their other studies and on the other side violent exercises vnmeete recreations for those vvho ordinarily spend their strength in painefull labours of the body because both these faile of their proper end which is to refresh the body and minde but contrariwise doe more weary and tyre them and so make them vnfit for the duties of their callings And although as I confesse there is some recreation and delight in change and variety of imployment both of body and minde yet it tendeth not greatly to the refreshing of either but rather deludeth men with a false shew and remedieth not the euill but onely depriueth them of the sense of it whilst their pleasure lasts and causeth them to spend and consume themselues with more delight Thirdly in respect of the circumstance of time there is required that our recreations be seasonable according to the saying of the wise Salomon To euery thing there is a season Eccl. 3. 1 4. and a time to euery purpose vnder heauen a time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to mourne and a time to dance In which regard there is required that first our recreations doe not goe before but succeed the labours of our callings vnlesse in case we may thereby be the better inabled for the performance of them as when they shake off dulnesse and drowsinesse and make vs more actiue and cheerefull for imployment which rarely happeneth in the labours of the body but sometime falleth out in the studies of the minde as we see in the example of Elisha who by musicke 2. King 3. 15. was better fitted for prophecie whilest it made him more apt to receiue diuine reuelations For wearinesse is a kinde of disease and recreation is of the nature of a medicine and therefore as it is preposterous that the cure should precede and goe before the malady or the medicine the sickenesse vnlesse it be such as is fit to preuent it so that wee should refresh our selues with recreation before labour hath caused wearinesse for this were to apply the salue to a sound place which doth no good but if it hath any great strength and attractiue vertue will rather cause it to pimple and draw off the skin And therefore as Salomon saith of the vse of wine Giue strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish and wine vnto those Pro. 31. 6 7. that are of heauy hearts that he may forget his pouerty and remember his misery no more so
and strength or troubled with such infirmities which cause greater appetite then good disgestion they doe not fully satisfie hunger nor eate so much as the stomacke craueth seeing this fulnesse within a few houres will turne to a superfluous burthen and this enough will proue too much but they must as we say rise with an appetite and not make such a churles feast as we can eate no more For heerein Christian temperance is exercised when we stint the stomacke of its desire and teach it good manners following heerein the direction of reason and not like bruite beasts of sense and appetite In which respect one giueth this rule that our ordinary Sunt tibi quotidiana ieiunia refectio satietatem fâ—giens c. Hyer ad Eustoch diet should be a daily abstinence and our refection without all glutting satiety for it profiteth not to goe two or three dayes with empty bellies if afterwards we surcharge them with too much fulnesse and recompence our fast with saturity and excesse Lastly seeing the end of our eating and drinking is that we may bee fitted and better inabled for the seruice of God in the common duties of Christianity and the particular duties of our callings wee must therein respect grace as well as nature the glory of God as well as the preseruing of our health and strength and the thriuing of our soules as well as the nourishment of our bodies In which regard the best rule of Christian moderation in our diet is that we eate and drinke so much onely as may make vs fit to serue God in religious duties as hearing reading conferring praying and in the duties of our callings that we may hauing our spirits refreshed and our strength repaired more cheerefully and vigorously vndertake and performe them and not so much as dulleth our spirits and maketh our bodies heauie and sluggish whereby we faile of our ends and become lesse fit for any good duties And this the wise Salomon requireth euen of Princes themselues that Eccl. 10. 17. they eate in due season for strength and not for drunkennesse And our Sauiour Christ would haue vs so to eate and drinke as that thereby we should Luk 21. 34 36. not be disabled vnto continuall watchfulnesse and prayer To which purpose one saith well that when we rise in the night to prayer our stomakes Ad orationem tibi nocte â—ergenti non indigestio ructum faciat sed initaâ— Hier ad Eustoch Non est ergo omnino à varijs cibis abstinendum Sed in ijs non est studium ponendum Clemens paedag l. 2. c. 1. should rather vpbraide vs with their emptinesse then with their crudities and indigestion And as we must auoide excesse in quantity so also in variety not that it is vnlawfull to eate of diuers dishes so farre foorth as it will stand with our health and strength but that we doe not too much affect it and pitch our studie vpon it For if wee doe it will be a notable meanes to draw vs on to excesse and gluttony when as hauing eaten enough we will still feede on new and more dainty dishes then the former because we would please our taste with this variety It is a notable meanes vnlesse we haue Ostridge stomackes to disturbe concoction and impaire the health when we make them like a Noble mans kitchin furnished and fraughted with all varieties which land and sea can yeeld vnto them iumbling together like wares in a Brokers shop things of a farre different nature some whereof are of easie disgestion and some of hard and some also of a middle nature as if herein also they would make this Microcosme and little world of man like vnto the greater world containing in it at least some small fragments of innumerable creatures Finally as it is hurtfull for the body so not good for the soule the which is wained from spirituall comforts whilest it is too much affected with these carnall delights For as one saith When the body is resolued and as it were melteth Cum corpus refectionis delectatione resoluitur cor ad inane gaudium relexatur Gregor in this pleasure of refection the heart is loosened vnto vaine ioy and sensuall delight §. Sect. 8 Of moderation in respect of the quality of our meates In respect of the qualitie of our meates and drinkes Christian temperance and moderation must be vsed in bridling our appetite and taste that they doe not licourously long after at least in our ordinary dyet such as Luk. 16. 19. are curious and costly daynty and delicious which was the sinne of the rich Glutton who in the parable was condemned vnto hell and tormented in that part wherein he had chiefly offended For howsoeuer it is lawfull for all men at some times to feede vpon the choysest of the creatures if the cost exceede not their state and meanes and if they bee not much affected but come into their way without any great care or trouble and though it be lawfull at all times for those that are weake and sickly 1. Tim. 5. 23. and cannot safely eate courser and and ordinarie meates to prouide if they be able such dainties and meates of good nourishment and easie concoction as will agree with their stomacks yet for those that are healthy and strong it is not lawfull that they should with the rich Glutton euery day fare deliciously nor conuenient though it were lawfull to doe it often and ordinarily seeing he who will doe all that is lawfull Citò enim adducuntur vt ea faciant quae non licent qui faciunt omnia quae licent Clemens paed l. 2. c. 1. Solus in illicitis non cadit qui se aliquando à licitis cautè restringet Greg. in Moral Exod. 19. 12. will within awhile doe also that which is vnlawfull he that will walke vpon the brinke is still in danger of falling into the water though yet he be vpon firme ground and hee that will stretch his desires to the extreme borders of vertue is within one step of vice the which was typically implied at the giuing of the Law where the Lord forbiddeth the people not only to come into the Mount but also to touch the borders of it And therefore if we would shun intemperance in diet which is vtterly vnlawfull we must moderate our appetite euen about those things which are lawfull and auoide carefully all meanes that tend vnto it Among which one of the chiefest is delicacie of meates which draweth on the appetite vnto excesse with the strong Cable of bewitching delight And not much lesse dangerous are pleasant sawces curiously cooked both which are to be ordinarily shunned of all who would be temperate in their diet For as wee cannot attaine vnto Iustice by coueting much wealth nor vnto temperance by the meanes of intemperancie so neither as one saith can we be Clem. Alex. paed l. 2. c. 1. brought vnto a Christian-like course in our diet
are to take all good occasions to shew their insufficiencie that being beaten off from this pernicious opinion they may denie themselues vtterly and all their owne righteousnesse in the worke of their iustification and saluation and may flie vnto Christ by faith who is onely able and all-sufficient to effect them With which we must ioyne all other good meanes which opportunity shall offer vnto vs for the gayning of them to Christ and making of them truely religious And to this end wee must heedfully watch for all good occasions which either their words or actions shall offer vnto vs of speaking something which may bee for the vse of edifying liking and approuing any thing which is well said or done by them as our Sauiour dealt with the young man that answered him discreetly shewing that they are not farre from the Kingdome of God and as Paul with King Agrippa who watched and Act. 26. 28 29. tooke hold vpon euery word which he spake to draw him to Christianity Yea when none are offered by them of speaking any good wee must seeke out occasions our selues making choyse of such as we thinke will be most plausible and likely to finde entertainement as some workes mercies or Iudgements of God which are fresh in memorie And if the companie be such as that wee cannot directly propound vnto them such sauourie discourse let vs vse our best art and policie to screw and winde it in by degrees and by little and little endeuoring to driue in our wedges into these knottie pieces with many blowes and diuers breathings and intermissions when as we are not able to doe it once Or if we cannot preuaile thus farre nor draw them to ioyne with vs in any Christian conference yet at least let vs ioyne with them in their speeches and discourses which are most ciuill and morally honest that if wee can doe them no further good yet at least wee may hereby preuent rotten filthy and vnsauoury speech and so preserue our own eares from being polluted and our hearts from being grieued with such ribauldry and corrupt communication as is often vented in such societies §. Sect. 3 How we must deale with those who are openly prophane But if our company into which we are come either by accident or some vrgent occasion bee notoriously prophane and wicked who would but Matth. 7. 6. make a scoffe at any speech which sauoureth of Religion our Sauiour hath giuen vs this rule for our direction that we must not cast holy things before dogges nor pearles before swine lest they trample them vnder their feete and turning againe all to rent vs. Vnto which the Wise man hath adioyned another that wee must get our selues out of such company as soone as we can Goe saith hee from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceiuest Pro. 14. 7. not in him the lips of knowledge In the meane time though wee haue some society with them in respect of our persons yet let vs be carefull that wee haue no fellowship with their vnfruitfull works of darkenesse by too much familiarity applauding their speeches and blaunching ouer their vices and faults but if wee cannot without danger take liberty of reprouing them by direct words yet let vs doe it by shewing dislike either by our silence or by our countenance At least let vs giue them a reall reproofe by our contrary example being as the Apostle speaketh blamelesse and Phil. 2. 15. harmelesse the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a crooked and peruerse nation and shining among them as lights in the world But if they be so peaceable that we may conceiue any hope of their patience and that they will hearken vnto any good speech louing admonition or gentle reproofe we must not neglect it handling these festred sores with a soft hand that so they may more quietly indure to haue afterwards salues applied which shal be fit for their curing Neither will it stand with Christian charity to neglect any meanes when there is the least hope of doing thē good nor with Christian wisdome to do it after a rough and boystrous manner proudly and imperiously with sharpe rebukes and bitter reproofes which like strong medicines in a weake stomacke and clogged with corrupt humours will not stay with them but will presently be cast vp againe before they haue had any time to work and so do them no good for their spirituall cure But we must vse first prepartiues and gentle purges as they are able to beare as louing insinuations and mild admonitions which must alwaies sauour more of the strength of argument and reason then of choller or any other turbulent passion And though when wee haue done all the good wee can wee doe not presently see any fruit of our labours yet must wee not bee discouraged but patiently leaue the successe vnto God and craue his blessing vpon our indeuours knowing that the best seede commeth not vp as soone as it is sowne and the physicke which cureth the disease doth not as soone as it is taken giue any euidence of the patients recouery yea oftentimes maketh him much more sicke whilst it is in working both to the iudgement of others and in his owne feeling and apprehension Yea though they cast vp this spirituall Physicke presently after it is taken yet may it doe them some good seeing some hurtfull humours may be raised with it as some cold flegme of sluggish sloth and carelesse security and some hot choller which so imbittered their stomackes that they had no appetite to any wholesome nourishment and something also may remaine behind which will worke vpon them when we least thinke of it §. Sect. 4 Of the manifold and dangerous abuses of Conferences in these daies and the causes of them And these are the duties which are to bee obserued in our society and conuersation one with another in respect of our speeches and conferences The which in these dayes are all for the most part lamentably neglected to the great dishonour of God and our owne exceeding hindrance in our Christian progresse And contrariwise as wee finde by daily and wofull experience all our time at our meetings is wholly spent about earthly trifles and things of no value Of which neglect of the one and too much vse of the other there are diuers causes As first the malice and subtilty of the deuill who knowing how much religious conferences doe weaken his kingdome and build vs vp in all spirituall graces and how much they strengthen vs vnto all Christian duties doth vse all his Art and skill to hinder and interrupt them by putting into mens minds matters of no vse and profit earthly vanities and things vtterly impertinent to our persons states and callings Or if we will needs talke of Religion he is ready to propound vnto vs by some of his instruments captious questions or wrangling controuersies about trifles of no value which tend not to the vse of edifying
but to cause heart-burning and alienation of affections strife and contention that so for the present he may keepe out all profitable conferences about sanctification and the maine points of Christian Religion and at length may breake off all such meetings when as men finde by experience that little or no good commeth of them And with him ioyneth the world and worldly men to hinder these conferences not onely by offering earthly things vnto vs for the subiect of our speech but also by interrupting vs when wee haue entred into any good conference by speaking of worldly matters that so they may diuert our speech from going on in any Christian discourse Vnto both which our enemies our corrupt flesh is ready to betray vs which is soone weary of spirituall and heauenly things because it findeth no taste or sauour in them and is neuer satisfied in thinking and speaking of things worldly carnall and sensuall as best rellishing to our corrupt and fleshly appetite A second cause is because we are not mortified in our loue to the world nor haue our hearts and affections weaned from it For if they like good instruments were well in tune they would vtter by our tongues heauenly harmony but doting as they doe vpon worldly vanities it is no maruaile if out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and if the chiefe fountaine being defiled there issue from it the polluted streames of vnprofitable discourses A third cause is our too little loue of spirituall heauenly things for if our hearts were set vpon them as our chiefe treasure we would take delight to be still talking of them If they were our chiefe comforts and cordials to cheare our hearts so as they could with delight exercise themselues with Dauid in meditating on them day and night then would they also be sweeter to our mouthes then the honey or the honey-combe Neither Psal 119. would our tongues be so vnready and barren of words when we come to speake of holy things if our hearts and affections were set vpon them for as the Diuine Philosopher among the Heathens obserued Loue maketh euen those which are rude of speech eloquent when they speake of the things beloued Lastly our great ignorance of holy and heauenly matters ioyned with a pernicious feare and shame lest by our speech wee should discouer it to our disgrace is one speciall cause which hindreth these conferences For such is the pride of mens hearts and their small esteeme of these spirituall treasures that they had rather remaine penurious then discouer their pouerty and empty of all grace by neglecting the meanes whereby they might bee replenished then that men should take any notice of their emptinesse to hide their wounds rather then to lay them open that they might bee cured and like foolish and beggerly Shop-keepers they content themselues with a vaine shew and with painted papers stuffed with straw or rags rather then they will vse any spirituall trading with others or lose the name and opinion of wealthy men by taking vp such wares as they want §. Sect. 5 That Christian and religious conferences are exceeding profitable But that wee may breake thorow all these difficulties and remoouing these causes of hindrance bring these neglected holy conferences into more vse let vs consider that they are exceeding profitable first for the increasing of our knowledge in spirituall and heauenly things when wee bring all wee know as it were to a common stocke out of which euery one may take that which best fitteth him for his particular vse and supply his defects out of others abundance they in the meane time hauing neuer the lesse And as it is a singular benefit vnto euery one of any Trade or Mystery when they haue their common Halls where they may meete together and conferre of the best courses for the managing of their affaires seeing it doth not onely much improoue their skill but also further them greatly in all good proceedings so doth it exceedingly aduantage vs in our spirituall trading both for the increasing of our knowledge and furthering of our practice when as wee often meete together and conferre of those things that belong to our Christian profession For it doth not onely improoue and better our iudgements by communicating with others in all that they know but also inflame our hearts and affections with the loue of spirituall things when as we stirre vp Gods graces mutually in one another and like coales which are heaped vp together not onely preserue the heate of the loue and zeale which is kindled in vs and would coole and die if wee were scattered from one another but also inflame those which are next vnto vs with our heate which being set on fire will also kindle those who are neere vnto them In which regard that of the Wise man is truely verified The lips of the righteous feede many but Pro. 10. 21. fooles who refuse all communion and fellowship with them die and perish for want of wisedome And as it is a singular meanes to inlighten our minds with the knowledge of the truth and to inflame our hearts with the loue of it so also to make vse of all wee know and affect by our holy practice when as by our mutuall exhortations we incourage and stirre vp one another vnto new obedience and to performe all good duties of a Christian life and helpe both our selues and others with such good counsels and directions which being obserued will make the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse easie familiar and pleasant vnto vs. Adde heereunto the great necessity of these religious conferences and of what great moment the vse or neglect of them is for our saluation or damnation Neither are wee with the common sort to esteeme words as winde or if we doe such a winde as will bring great profit or hurt either much furthering vs towards the Hauen of happinesse or like a tempestuous storme blowing vs vpon the rockes of perdition For the Wise man saith A mans belly shall Pro. 18. 20 21. be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth and with the increase of his lips shall hee be filled Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that loue it shall eate the fruit thereof And as he expoundeth himselfe in another place A Pro. 13. 2. man shall eate good by the fruit of his mouth namely if his tongue vttereth good things but the soule of the transgressours shall eate violence And our Sauiour hath taught vs that we shall be called to account for euery idle word Mat. 12 36 37. at the day of Iudgement and that by our words we shall be iustified and by our words we shall be condemned Finally let vs remember how faithfull in this kind the wicked are in the deuils seruice being neuer weary in vttering such speeches as are vaine and vnprofitable or hurtfull and pernicious and let this make vs ashamed of our negligence if
and example who chose rather to speake fiue words 1. Cor. 14. 19. with vnderstanding that he might teach others then ten thousand words in an vnknowne tongue and fitted his speech vnto those which were babes in Christ and fed them with milke and not with stronger meate because 1. Cor. 2. 2 3. they were not able to beare it becomming vnto the weake as weake that Chap. 9. 22. hee might gaine the weake and all things to all men that he might by all meanes saue some Finally that Salomon himselfe who excelled in all learning and wisedome stooped to the capacity of the meanest and fitted his Pro. 1. 4 5. speech that not onely the wise in heart might increase in learning but also that the simple might attaine vnto wisedome §. Sect. 4 Reasons which may moue all Gouernours to this dutie of catechizing First because it is Gods Commandement And thus haue wee shewed the causes of the great neglect of this holy exercise Let vs in the next place consider of some reasons which may reforme it and perswade all sorts of men to put it in practice with more diligence The which may be reduced vnto two heads as respecting either gouernours of families and Ministers who are to giue instruction or inferiours in the family as children and seruants and people in the congregation that they may giue themselues ouer to bee instructed by them The former sort may be perswaded by these reasons First because it is Gods Commandement that parents and gouernours of families should teach and catechize their children and seruants not onely instructing them in the knowledge of Christian Religion but also requiring an account of them by way of questions and answers how they haue profited by their teaching for the increasing of their knowledge Thus the Lord requireth of the people of Israel that they should not onely themselues remember and lay vp in their hearts his words and workes which they had heard and seene but also that they should teach them their sons and Deut. 4. 9. 6. 7. Exod. 12. 26. their sonnes sonnes And in another place These words which I command thee this day shall bee in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and thou shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp So the Psalmist saith that God established a Testimonie in Iacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he coÌ„manded their fathers that they should make them known Psal 78. 5 6. vnto their children c. But if parents neglect this dutie Ministers are tyed to performe it both by Christs precept who inioyned them to feede his Lambes as well as his Sheepe and also by his example seeing his care extended to little children whom hee would haue to come vnto Marke 10. 14. him and also in his childhood submitted himselfe to this ordinance of God though he were replenished with all diuine wisedome and more fit to teach then to be taught of others and sitting as it is probable among the cathecumenoi which came to be catechized heard the Doctours and Luk 2. 46. asked them questions Now Christs examples in holy duties are our instructions according to that I haue giuen you an ensample that you should Joh. 15. 13. The second reason drawne from the loue of parents doe as I haue done to you The second reason is drawne from the loue of parents towards their children and of pastours towards their flocke which ought to extend vnto the soule more then to the body as being much the more excellent part And therefore if they prouide for their bodies all things necessary as food clothing houses lands how much more should they be carefull for the nourishment of their soules which if they neglect they shew plainly that their loue is carnall and but to the halues louing onely the worse part or rather none at all For Godlinesse is the chiefest 1. Tim. 6. 6. and 4. 8. gaine and is profitable both vnto body and soule for all things hauing the promises of this life and of that which is to come §. Sect. 5 Other reasons inforcing the former duty The third reason is taken from the consideration of their naturall pronenesse vnto euill euen from the brest as experience teacheth which by Prou. 22. 6. nunc adhibe puro pectore verba â—â—cr nunc te melioribus offer Quo semel est imbutarecens seruabit odorem Testadiu Horat. ad Lollium epist lib. 1. ep 2. wholesome and timely instruction is to bee preuented that being first seasoned with this precious liquor of true Religion and sauing knowledge they may retaine the taste and sauour of it to the end of their dayes According to Salomons counsell Traine vp or as the word signifieth Catechize a child in the way that he should goe and when he is old he will not depart from it Vnto which if we adde their readinesse to relapse into their naturall corruptions if by wholesome instructions they bee not daily confirmed and strengthened in good courses and how soone sinne will grow to a custome and bring them to an habite of wickednesse from which they can hardly afterwards be reclaimed wee shall easily vnderstand the profit and necessity of this exercise Fourthly the desire that children and seruants should performe their duties to their parents and gouernours should make them carefull in the first place to teach them Religion and the true feare of God For if this be not the foundation all other obedience is false and counterfeit seeing they who yeeld it are onely tyed vnto it in the carnall bonds of feare and rewards and therefore it quite ceaseth when they cease Neither will any with an honest heart and good conscience performe it if it rise not out of loue and obedience towards God but with respect of persons selfe-loue and such other sinister and by-respects Fifthly the care which euery Christian should haue to propagate the Church of God should mooue them to this duty seeing God is thereby glorified when as his Kingdome is inlarged and aduanced for as the Wise man saith In the multitude of a people is the honour of a King Now Prou. 14. 18. this is most reasonable that God who created our children should be honoured by our consecrating of them vnto his seruice and that wee should re-deliuer them vnto him who first gaue them vnto vs seeing they are his by a double right both of creation and redemption and also chalenged 1. Cor. 6. 20. Psal 127. 3. by him as his owne right and heritage Sixthly this may moue vs vnto this duty if we consider that the time of youth is most seasonable for instruction seeing then like waxe they are most apt to receiue all impressions of good or euill and also to retaine them when they are receiued And therefore let it be the care of all
either from the causes which are efficient or finall or from the subiect and adiuncts of our afflictions And first in our meditations we are to consider that God himselfe is chiefe cause and principall Author of all our afflictions whatsoeuer bee the meanes and instruments The which may confirme our patience and comfort vs in our afflictions seeing they must needs be good and iust as comming from him who is the chiefe Goodnesse in himselfe and the Authour and fountaine of all goodnesse which is in the creatures Secondly that hee hath not onely in some generall manner in his eternall counsell preordained our afflictions and left all the rest to bee disposed by chance and fortune but that hee specially ordereth and ruleth them with his most wise iust and gracious prouidence both in respect of their manner measure and continuance making the ends of all inferiour causes to serue for his supreme ends which are his glory and our saluation Thirdly that the meritorious causes of all our afflictions are our sinnes which are so many and grieuous that our greatest afflictions are farre lesse and lighter then by our sinnes we haue iustly deserued Fourthly that our afflictions are not signes of Gods hatred nor the punishments of a iust Iudge but the chastisements and corrections of a gracious Father and that they proceed from his meere loue the which appeareth first in the measure of our afflictions both in respect of their quantity and time of continuance For he hath appointed a measure which cannot be exceeded and this quantity is small and light and how long also they shall last and continue the which time is short and momentany in comparison of that super-excellent and eternall waight of glory which they shall cause vnto vs. Yea he so measureth our afflictions vnto vs as that they do not exceed our ability to indure 1. Cor. 10. 13. them seeing he is alwayes ready to lessen our burthen or to increase our strength that we may be able to beare it Neither doth the Lord take delight in our smart to inflict vpon vs more then is needfull but measureth our afflictions not according to desert but so much onely as is necessary for his owne glory and our saluation §. Sect. 4 That our afflictions tend to the setting foorth of Gods glory Fifthly let vs also consider the ends of our afflictions which God propoundeth vnto them wherein his great loue shineth and appeareth The first and chiefe whereof is his owne glory seeing he manifesteth his power and goodnesse by assisting vs in our afflictions and by taking occasion thereby to shew and try his spirituall graces which he hath bestowed vpon vs the which should comfort vs in all our troubles seeing God heereby vouchsafeth vs this high priuiledge to be instruments of his glory The second end is the good both of our neighbours and our selues They receiue much good by our afflictions seeing they learne by our example to feare God in his iudgements and are restrained from the same sinnes which they see corrected in vs. Secondly as wee are ensamples of Gods graces shining in this fiery triall and also through our infirmities of humane frailty that seeing Gods perfection in our imperfections and his power and wisedome in our folly and weakenesse they may take occasion to glorifie him Thirdly because by our afflictions wee are made more compassionate and more able and ready to comfort others with those consolations wherewith our selues haue beene comforted The which also should make vs patient in our troubles yea euen to be thankfull and greatly to reioyce in that God vseth vs as meanes and instruments of our neighbours good whom wee ought to loue as our selues and as much as in vs lieth to helpe them in all things which may further their saluation §. Sect. 5 That God vseth our afflictiōs as means of our owne good Secondly let vs consider that the Lord vseth our afflictions as notable meanes of our owne good and of deriuing vnto vs many singular benefits both in respect of this life and the life to come For first hee vseth them for trials for the discouery of those spirituall graces which he hath giuen vs not vnto himselfe who knowing all things needeth no such helpes but vnto vs and others that hee may bee glorified in them and take occasion thereby to glorifie vs by crowning his gifts when by this Iam. 1. 12. triall they are approoued and may also edifie those who obserue them in vs and mooue them to follow our good example And likewise for the making knowne of our infirmities and corruptions that wee may be truely humbled in the sight and sense of them In which regard our greatest trials not exceeding our strength as God hath promised should bring vnto vs an answerable measure of sound comfort seeing they are assured signes vnto vs of the greatest measure of sauing graces in vs. Secondly hee vseth them as effectuall meanes to further our conuersion fitting and preparing vs thereby for the more diligent hearing of the Word and so working in vs by both ioyned together true contrition and humiliation Thirdly hee vseth them as speciall meanes to preuent sinne and to preserue vs from falling into it and also to mortifie and subdue those corruptions by all good meanes which adhere and cleaue vnto vs as pride carnall concupiscence selfe-loue and loue of the world The which should greatly increase our patience and comfort vs in afflictions for if we are willing to indure so much to be eased of bodily and temporall euill how much more should we chearefully indure any afflictions to bee Heb. 12. 9. freed from those which are spirituall and euerlasting as the Apostle reasoneth Fourthly he vseth them as notable helpes to increase in vs all his spirituall graces as sauing knowledge and remembrance of God a liuely faith vnfained repentance firme affiance hope loue feare patience and humility both by making vs more carefull in the vse of the meanes whereby they are begun and increased in vs and by exercising them with these trials And also to bring forth the fruits of these graces by new obedience prayer and more zealous performance of all other duties of his seruice Finally by our afflictions the Lord also maketh vs more forward to imbrace all vertues and to performe all Christian duties which concerne both our neighbours and our selues For whereas prosperity vsually incourageth men to wrong and oppression affliction being sanctified vnto vs is a notable motiue to perswade vs to carry our selues iustly in all our actions to be mercifull and compassionate towards others in their miseries and to bee meeke humble and courteous towards all men So also they increase the knowledge of our selues our courage Christian fortitude and strength to beare our crosses and miseries as being the spiritual exercise of these graces and finally our temperance sobriety modesty chastity as it were easie to shew if we could heere insist in these particulars In respect also
14. if we hold out the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end And therefore if we meane to haue any part in Gods promises we must constantly perseuere in the profession and practice of true godlinesse and the Christian duties of an holy life The second meanes of perseuerance is carefully to The second meanes of perseuerance is to auoyd the causes and meanes of apostacy and defection auoyd the causes and meanes of apostasie and defection And these are diuers first voluntary liuing in any knowne sinne which will harden the heart and dead the conscience and so make way for many others till wee be wholly carried away from God in a streame of wickednesse Secondly we must carefully take heed of the least declinations in Christian graces and holy duties for if we be once going downe the hill wee shall hardly keepe our selues from running headlong to the bottome vnlesse wee stop speedily in the very beginning And as for the preseruing of our bodies in a sound estate we labour with seasonable physicke to preuent diseases and when we finde our health to decline a little doe vse all good meanes at the first because if the sicknesse seaze thorowly vpon the vitall parts it will hardly be remoued and indanger our liues so must we take the same course for the good of our soules carefully obseruing the first declinations of our spirituall health that we may stop them at the beginning before they breake out into any extremities And considering that those diseases both of body and soule are most dangerous and desperate not which come suddenly with some sensible violence but which steale vpon vs by degrees vpon no apparant causes and impaire the health by little and little because they are hardly discerned and when they are knowne not easily cured as in the outward man the consumption hectique feuer and the like and in the inward and spirituall part carnall security hardnesse of heart and others of like nature let vs not therefore neglect the least declinations in sauing grace and holy duties but keepe a carefull watch ouer our selues that none of these diseases of our soules steale vpon vs and become desperate before we discerne them Let vs bee as good husbands for our soules as wee are for our clothes houses and grounds mending little holes before they teare out into great rents repairing the first decayes ere they become rotten and ruinous and making vp the breach as soone as wee discerne it before it come to an inundation and carry vs away in a floud of wickednesse And this counsell the Apostle giveth vs. Lift vp saith he the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and make straight paths to your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed c. Looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing vp trouble you and thereby many be defiled A third cause of apostasie is a great opinion of our owne strength which causeth God to leaue vs that we may see our weaknesse as we see in the fearfull defection of the Apostle Peter And also a fond conceit that we are so rich in grace that we may spend vpon the stocke and labour for no more and that we haue already so well profited in religious duties that we need not take any care or paines to make any further progresse For there is no standing still in the wayes of Christianity but when we cease to goe forward wee begin to goe backward when in our owne opinion we are at the full we will begin to wane and decline towards a change and when our godlinesse is come to a standing water it presently declineth and neuer ceaseth vntill it be come to a low ebbe For the preuenting whereof let vs not measure our vertues and good proceedings by the false mete-yard of pride and selfe-loue which will make vs ouerweene our owne gifts and good parts nor compare our selues with our selues or others that come behind vs and haue not attained vnto Gal. 6. 4. our measure but with the perfect Law of God which like a looking-glasse will discouer our blemishes and imperfections and with our Sauiour Christ the perfect paterne of holinesse and righteousnesse according Ephes 4. 13 14 15. to whose Image we ought to be conformed A fourth cause of defection from God and godlinesse which we must shunne is the immoderate loue of the world and worldly vanities which cooleth and quencheth in vs the loue of God and of spirituall and heauenly things and so choketh in vs all good desires and indeuours of seeking after them that wee may obtaine them For as our Sauiour telleth vs we cannot serue God and Mammon Math 6. 24. Jam. 4. 4. And the Apostle saith that the amity of the world is enmity with God and therefore whosoeuer will be a friend of the world he is Gods enemy Which argument the Apostle Iohn vseth to disswade vs from this carnall loue Loue not the world saith he nor the things that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him A fifth cause is slacknesse 1. Ioh. 2. 15. and negligence in the vse of those meanes which both beget and begin Gods graces in vs and also nourish and preserue them when they are begun as the hearing of the Word reading prayer meditation the Sacraments and such like For as the strength of the body languisheth and consumeth if we refuse our bodily food whereby it is preserued so must also our soules needs fall into a consumption of all grace and goodnesse if we neglect that spirituall nourishment by which onely they are sustained in vs. A sixth cause is the grieuing of Gods Spirit dwelling in vs by quenching the good motions of it and defiling our soules with sinnes Ephes 4. 30. 1. Thes 5. 19. that waste the conscience being committed wilfully against the knowledge which loathsome filthinesse polluteth our soules and bodies and maketh this holy Ghest weary of his lodging going away to withdraw also with him his gifts and graces by which alone wee are inabled vnto all good duties And therefore if wee would not fall away from all grace and goodnes let vs louingly entertain the Author of them and not grieue Gods holy Spirit by resisting those good motions which he putteth into vs and by making our hearts and bodies which should be his holy temples and place of residence a loathsome stie of sinfull vncleannesse A last cause of apostacy is neere and inward familiarity with prophane and wicked persons who will corrupt vs with their euill examples and poyson vs with the contagion of their sinnes alluring and drawing vs by degrees Deut 7. 2 3 4. to accompany them in their euill courses vntill at last wee runne on Pro. 22. 24 25. with them into the same excesse of outragious wickednesse and so giue a
our selues that with all our indeuour wee striue to make our best speed §. Sect. 7 That we must performe all good duties with a quiet and peaceable minde The third rule is that we labour to performe all the duties of a godly life with a peaceable and quiet minde which is not disturbed with disheartening Rom. 5. 3. feares or tumultuous passions The which calme quietnesse ariseth from two causes The chiefe and principall is our peace with God and peace of conscience which are effects and fruits of our iustification by faith The which assuring vs of the remission of our sinnes our reconciliation with God victory ouer all the enemies of our saluation and that the Lord so watcheth ouer vs with his prouidence and ruleth vs in all our wayes with his Wisedome and Power that wee shall neuer fall from him and so ouer-ruleth all things which oppose vs that nothing shall be able to hurt or hinder vs and all things shall turne to our good and further our saluation we are made heereby constant cheerfull and couragious in all Christian duties seruing the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse Luk. 1. 74 75. without feare all the dayes of our liues For then our sinnes and the iudgements of God due vnto them will not terrifie vs the malicious assaults and tentations of our spirituall enemies will not affright and discourage vs afflictions and persecutions for righteousnesse sake and for the profession and practice of Gods true Religion will not daunt and dismay vs but we will in despite of all these oppositions hold on our way and finish our course with ioy Whereas if wee want this inward peace and tranquillity our sinnes will presse vs downe as an heauie burthen and Psal 38. 4. hinder our proceeding in the wayes of godlinesse our consciences will accuse and terrifie vs Satan with his tentations will affright and beate vs downe and outward troubles ioyned with those inward discouragements which we finde in our selues will so vexe and disquiet vs that either wee shall desist in the wayes of godlinesse as despairing to ouercome all these difficulties or else proceed slowly and vnsettledly with much vnconstancy and discomfort The second cause of this inward peace and tranquillity of mind is the subduing and mortifying of our carnall lusts and tumultuous passions as worldly loue fleshly feare rash anger and the rest and the right ordering of all our affections when they are sanctified For where those vnruly passions doe still liue and beare sway they blind the mind that it cannot discerne the right way corrupt and ouer-rule the will that it cannot chuse euen that which the iudgement approueth and so vnsettle vs in all good courses that we can keepe no constant tenour in them but vpon euery slight occasion all our good resolutions are ouerthrowne and we quite turned out of the right way Whereas if these bee subdued and kept as it were vnder hatches the mind being quiet is able to iudge vprightly and the will to imbrace that which holy reason commendeth to its choyce and the worke of piety prospereth and proceedeth without any disturbance And as we are thus to mortifie our carnall lusts so we must rightly order our affections and passions euen after they are sanctified that they may performe their duties in due time and place and like seruants attend vpon holy reason that they may assist it and not as commanders and chiefe agents goe before it For as when a right and due order is obserued in the performing Christian duties reason being inlightened by Gods Word and Spirit first approuing them the will vpon the commendation of reason chusing them and the affections and passions subiecting themselues to the seruice of them both affect and desire them and oppose with all their strength all impediments which hinder their producing into act out of this orderly proceeding as in a well gouerned state wee become constant in all good courses contrariwise when affections beare chiefest sway and are the first mouers vnto Christian duties reason being thrust from his throne and will from the councell table though we may by fits and flashes performe them yet doing them in a disorderly manner not out of sound iudgement rightly informed but out of sudden and vngrounded passions wee can neuer bee constant in any good course but hot and zealous whilest the heat of passion lasteth remisse and indifferent when this feruour abateth and stone-cold when it ceaseth And this is the true cause why so many who haue beene zealous professours in their youth become luke-warme when they come to riper yeeres and wholly cold and negligent worldly and profane in their old age because their Religion and deuotion was but a flash of youthfull passion and not well-grounded vpon sanctified reason and a sound and settled iudgement conuinced by the euidence of truth and rightly informed by the Word of God And therefore seeing the first beginnings were disorderly and confused it is no maruell if the proceedings be vnsettled and vnconstant and hauing laid so vnstable and vnsure a foundation it is no great wonder if the whole building in short time become ruinous §. Sect. 8 That all our duties must arise from the fundamentall graces of a godly life The fourth rule is that all the duties of a godly life doe not only arise and spring from those inward and fundamentall graces sauing knowledge a liuely faith purity of heart a good conscience and feruent loue as I haue already shewed at large in the beginning of this Treatise but also that they be ioyned and accompanied with other Christian and internall vertues and principally Christian prudence zeale and humility without which they cannot be acceptable vnto God Christian prudence is most necessary to the well performing of all good duties because it guideth and directeth vs in all particular actions that they may bee done aright both in respect of the matter and the manner the substance and circumstances of which if we faile or of any one of them our workes otherwise commendable doe lose all their grace and excellency For though they be neuer so good in the matter yet if they be done in an ill manner and though for their substance they seeme neuer so glorious yet if we faile in the circumstances not obseruing due time place or persons that which is generally good in the Thesi and Theory ceaseth to bee so in the Hypothesi and in respect of the particular act as it is done by vs neither can we safely passe thorow all these narrow straits and difficult passages vnlesse Christian prudence sit at the Helme and direct vs in all our courses Besides this prudence is necessary for the guiding and tempering of our zeale which is a good Souldier in the Christian warfare but an ill Commander as being fit for execution but not to giue directions and if it be not vnder the conduct of prudence it becommeth blind and preposterous rash and wilfull like a headstrong
our care must be to replenish it with the best and then to couer and keepe it close that nothing be spilt and lost and lest it receiue soyle or haue any euill thing infused into it for as the Wiseman obserued dead Flyes taint the whole pot of precious oyntment It must be kept carefully as an inclosed Garden and Vineyard that all annoyances being kept out with the fence it may bring foorth good fruits and ripe Grapes pleasing to Gods taste and not suffered to lye open as an high-way where all things are trampled vnder-foot or stolne away and nothing suffered to thriue which is profitable for vse Now by heart heere I chiefly vnderstand all the affections and desires both concupiscible and irascible all the passions of loue hatred hope despaire ioy sorrow anger and feare And by keeping of them their holding in subiection vnto reason it selfe being first made subiect to the Word and will of God and the right imploying of them about their fit and proper obiects onely louing that which is good and hating that which is euill reioycing in the testimonies of Gods loue and sorrowing for sinne because he is displeased with it hoping in Gods mercies and despairing Psal 130. 4. in our owne strength fearing God in respect of his mercies and iudgements and being angry with that onely wherewith hee is offended and dishonoured And if we thus keepe our hearts in tune and order they will make sweet musicke in Gods hearing but if the affections and passions rebell against reason and fall at variance one with another we can expect nothing but iarring discords and tumultuous confusion If we keepe them locked vp as sometime Aeolus the windes vnder the command of reason our hearts and mindes will be calme and quiet but set open the gates and leaue them to their liberry and nothing will follow but stormes tempests and shipwracke of our soules vpon the rockes of sinne Blow away these clouds and foggy mists and we shall in our little world haue a cleere skie but let them ouer-cast and ouercloud reason which is the Sunne in our firmament and what can follow but darkenesse and disorder stumbling and falling at euery stone of offence But especially we must watch ouer our hearts that wee may keepe out carnall concupiscence from entring and that we may withstand and shut the doore of our hearts against the first motions and inclinations vnto sinne euen as wee would keepe out of our houses in the plague time infectious ayre or in the time of warre our mighty and malicious enemies from entring into our City or Countrey Or if they be entred at vnawares wee must repell them presently at their first appearing vpon our Coast and giue them no time to fortifie and make themselues strong wee must crush this Cockatrice in the shell and when they are yong dash this Babylonish brood against the stones §. Sect. 8 That we must chiefly clense and keepe our hearts from those corruptions which are most dangerous Now as wee must obserue a carefull watch in keeping out or clensing our hearts from all sinne and corruption so aboue all that they doe not nourish in them such as are most dangerous to our soules health As first and principally we must beware of those sinnes and vices vnto which through our naturall corruption we are most inclined the which we shall discerne by our often falling into them by our lothnesse to leaue them and after we haue resolued to part with them and haue already broken from them by vnfained repentance by our hanging after them in our carnall loue which maketh vs after we are forced to leaue them for the safety of our soules to looke backe vnto them like Lots wife towards Sodom with a desire to returne were wee not beaten from them with the feare of Gods Iudgements By which signes when we haue discouered them we must with greatest care watch ouer our hearts that wee bee not againe ouertaken of them first because wee haue greatest cause to hate and abhorre them seeing by them wee haue most dishonoured and displeased God Secondly because they haue most often wounded our consciences and giuen vs the greatest foyles Thirdly because they haue most disturbed our inward peace and depriued our hearts of spirituall ioy in the assurance of Gods loue Fourthly because we are still most prone to fall into them by reason that our corrupt natures are so much inclined towards them and our carnall loue doting vpon them are ready vpon all occasions to renew their league and giue them entertainement And therefore as with greatest care and vigilance wee arme our selues against such enemies as haue a strong party in our owne City and many secret Traytors which are alwayes ready to open the gates and let them in so must wee keepe the narrowest watch and bend our chiefest force against such sinnes as our flesh and carnall lusts doe most affect and are in greatest league and liking with them seeing these secret Traytors are still in readinesse to giue them entertainement and betray our soules vnto them if wee doe but a little intermit our spirituall watch Secondly we must with singular circumspection take heed of those vices and sinnes which doe most ordinarily waite vpon our speciall callings seeing by reason that wee are daily conuersant in them they doe make against our soules most often and fierce assaults and the rather because by our many foyles and falls they become customable and harden our hearts in them our often sinning searing the conscience and taking away the sense of sinne And thus Magistrates must watch ouer themselues that they doe not peruert iudgement by taking bribes and rewards and that they haue no respect of persons nor for feare or fauour doe any iniustice Thus Lawyers must take speciall heed that they doe not for their fees blind the eyes of the Iudge by their false and corrupt pleading paynting ouer a foule cause with faire glosses and that they doe not protract suites that they may grow rich out of their Clyents pouerty And Physicians that they doe not deale vnfaithfully with their patients and delay the cure for their owne aduantage And Diuines that they doe not for worldly lucre become non-residents staruing their peoples soules to fill their owne purses and purchase fields with the price of blood And that they bee not slothfull and negligent in feeding their soules that are committed to their charge following Peters counsell to Christ Master spare thy selfe And Tradesmen that they doe not vse deceit in buying and selling nor tell vntruths to put off their wares at an higher rate And finally thus must Artificers watch ouer themselues that they doe not their worke deceitfully onely for sale and vnseruiceable for vse Vnto which speciall circumspection in respect of our callings and the sinnes incident vnto them the Scriptures exhort Thus Iohn the Baptist perswaded the Publicanes whose calling was to liue by toles and customes to take heed of
small difference betweene Meditation and Contemplation yet as the Schooles define it there is some in degree Meditation being an exercise of a lower and meaner nature within the reach of all Christians which will put out their hand vnto it Contemplation more high and heauenly fit only for such as by long exercise haue attained to much perfection That exercised about any spirituall obiect not onely originally in the vnderstanding but also imaginary and brought vnto it by the Ministery of the senses as the creation of the world the death and passion of Christ and such like but this about things chiefly intellectuall sublime and heauenly as the nature and attributes of God the Trinity of persons in Vniâ—â— of essence the ioyes of heauen and others of like nature Finally it is an exercise which of the most is performed with much difficulty because of their weakenesses and want of vse being hindred in their spirituall flight by hauing the waight of earthly cares and distractions as it were hanging at their heeles and the wings of their soules somewhat besmeared with the lime of worldly vanities but this of great Proficients who by much practice haue brought their Art into an habit and are able with ease yea with much pleasure and delight to soare with the Eagle an high pitch in their heauenly thoughts and to spend heerein great part of their time not stooping towards the earth but when they are forced by naturall necessity which being satisfied and their bodies and mindes somewhat refreshed they doe as weary of the earth raise vp their soules and renew their wonted flight §. Sect. 3 Of the efficicient cause or person who is to meditate The efficient cause or person who is to performe this exercise is the Christian onely and the man regenerate for holy things must not bee Hag. 2. 13. touched with prophane hands seeing they doe not sanctifie them but are polluted with their vncleanenesse Neither can they that are dead in sinne doe the actions of the liuing and are so farre from performing this holy duty in any acceptable manner that they are not able so much as to thinke a good thought Neither is it enough that we be once purged from their guilt and punishment in our iustification by the death and bloodshed of Christ applyed by faith or that we be freed from the corruption of sinne in the first acts of our sanctification but seeing wee doe daily renew our sinnes and thereby defile our soules and bodies we must daily clense them by renewing our repentance and not presume to vndertake this holy worke liuing and lying in our spirituall defilements but we must wash our soules as sometimes the Israelites their clothes before we presume to approach vnto this mount of Meditation wherein God hath promised to be seene and to clense the Tables of our hearts with the teares of true contrition before we goe about to haue any holy impressions written in them And seeing sinne like a thicke cloud doth dimme and dazle the eyes of our mindes so as we cannot see holy and heauenly things wee must first dispell them by vnfained repentance before we can receiue any comfort of diuine and heauenly light And being to entertaine our Bridegroome Christ in his spirituall presence into our hearts as it were into our houses and to solace our soules in a more heere communion and familiarity with him we are first to purge them from all noysome defilements which will make our company lothsome vnto him and though wee cannot so sufficiently purifie them that they may bee worthy to entertaine so pure and holy a ghest yet at least in a sincere affection let vs labour to doe the best we can that it may not appeare to be a fault of negligence but of our spirituall pouerty and impotency which disableth vs to giue him any better welcome The formall cause of this exercise is a serious cogitation or intentiue deliberation Neither is this worke of the Lord to be done negligently and slightly letting the reines loose to our cogitations that they may wander whither they list but wee are to intend the whole powers of our mind vnto it and to set them strictly to this holy taske not suffering them to wander abroad whither they please but to apply themselues to that which they haue vndertaken vntill they haue brought their worke vnto some good perfection The subiect-matter of our Meditation is something diuine spirituall and heauenly vnto which our thoughts for the time it lasteth are to be restrained and not suffered to wander after or to intermingle with them any worldly things The finall causes or ends of it are the glory of God and our owne saluation both which are aduanced when as wee handle after an holy manner in our Meditations some such holy and spirituall matter as may tend to the bettering of our iudgements and increase of our inward sanctity by working in our hearts the loue and feare of God zeale and deuotion in his seruice an vtter hatred of sinne and a sincere purpose to please him in all things and to glorifie his Name by performing more carefully and conscionably all the duties of a godly life §. Sect. 4 That Meditation is an exercise which belongeth to all Christians And thus we see generally what Christian Meditation is and the causes of it the which being a singular and effectuall meanes of working in our hearts a great increase of all sauing graces and of strengthening vs to the duties of a godly life is not to be appropriated vnto any one profession or sort of men which were a dangerous Monopolie tending to the inestimable preiudice of the Christian Common-wealth when such a singular commodity as is profitable for all is ingrossed into the hands of some few but is to be laid out in common to all the faithfull who are any way interessed in grace or godlinesse Neither ought any sort or sexe to thinke that they are exempted from this exercise vnlesse they thinke themselues so strong in grace that all meanes of spirituall growth are needlesse or so weake and impotent that they hold them boot lesse seeing such exemption is no prerogatiue but a disfranchisement at least in part of their spirituall freedome and a losse of a singular priuiledge which the Lord in that great Charter of his Couenant made in Christ hath granted vnto them For he hath not onely allowed all the faithfull to haue the Booke of his Law in their hands to reade it or in their mouthes to talke of it but with the finger of his Spirit hath written and ingrauen it in their Jer. 31. 34. hearts that they may continually thinke and meditate vpon it Yea hee hath not onely left it vnto vs as a gracious liberty which we may take and leaue at our pleasure but hath strictly imposed it vpon all his people as a necessary duty These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine Deut 6. 6 8.
bring the poynt in hand within the compasse and reach of our vnderstandings Which when wee haue done we must further amplifie and inlarge our matter that yet our minds may more cleerly and distinctly conceiue and comprehend it and our willes hearts and affections may afterwards worke vpon and apply it for better and more plentifull vse in the inflaming of our loue and stirring vp our deuotion by bringing it through the common places of inuention according to the rules of art which being but the polishing and perfecting of naturall reason it will not seeme hard or strange vnto vs if we haue but the helpe of some good directions and fit examples for our imitation Now these places of which I speake are the causes of all kinds as the efficient cause procreant or conseruant principall or instrumentall the matter of which and the forme by which it existeth the finall cause for which it is and whereunto it tendeth the effects and fruits of it the subiect place wherein it is or the obiect about which it is exercised the adiuncts properties and as we call them the appurtenances belonging to it what things are diuers from it or opposite or contrary vnto it either in relation or nature The things whereunto it may bee compared either in quantity or quality and by what similitudes it may be illustrated and made thereby both more easie and familiar and more fit to make in the memory a deeper impression and to worke with greater efficacy vpon the heart and affections The names and titles of it which being rightly giuen doe shew the nature of the thing which is called by them The which are best considered when wee define the thing whereof wee meditate where beginning with the name of the thing defined wee may proceed to the parts of the definition But aboue all other places we are to preferre the diuine testimonies of holy Scriptures which are most effectuall for the inlightening of the vnderstanding the conuincing of the iudgement the perswading and inclining of the will and the working of the poynt in hand vpon the heart and affections In which respect it is most profitable that we call to our remembrance those places which are fittest for our purpose to prooue or illustrate the matter in hand and to apply them for the strengthening and confirming of all the other places of inuention as proofes of them orderly proceeding from one to another in that method and manner before expressed To all which purposes the testimonies of holy Scriptures are most pregnant powerfull and profitable for howsoeuer humane testimonies are aboue all other arguments of least authority and efficacy in any art because their whole strength resteth vpon the credit of men who are all liers and subiect to errours yet in matters of Diuinity testimonies of holy Scripture are of greatest validity and authority and farre aboue all other arguments and proofes produced by humane reason seeing they are the Oracles of God who being truth it selfe can neither deceiue nor be deceiued and being sufficient to all spirituall vses will yeeld vnto vs plentifull matter to furnish our meditations though we were vnable to make vse of the other Notwithstanding those other helpes by bringing the poynt in hand through all the common places of inuention especially these testimonies of Scripture being ioyned with all and euery of them to confirme and strengthen them are not to be neglected because they will much further vs in our orderly proceeding and for the amplifying and inlarging cleering and prouing the poynt whereon we meditate and furnishing vs with variety of matter Yet heere too much curiosity is to be auoyded in bringing euery poynt through euery head or common place of inuention because euery theame whereon we meditate will not admit such considerations As God infinite in all perfection and farre aboue the reach of humane reason cannot in our meditations of him be brought through the most of those common places seeing he hath no causes being Iehouah the cause of causes and hauing his being in himselfe giueth being to all things Neither hath he if we speake properly any place seeing hee containeth all things and is contained of nothing nor any accidents or qualities seeing all his attributes and properties are his Essence nor any contraries seeing there cannot be the like reason of things finite and him that is infinite and nothing can truly oppose his omnipotent nature although they doe it in shew and in our weake apprehension neither can hee be compared in quantity or quality seeing he is aboue all comparison and nothing is equall or like vnto him And finally he is not subiect to any distribution being a most simple nature and indiuisible who hath neither Genus nor species parts nor members nor vnto any definition seeing his infinite nature is vnsearchable howsoeuer he may be described by that which he is not rather then by that he is though he be the chiefe being that wee may in some darke manner conceiue of him in our shallow capacity Besides there are other theames which we cannot bring through diuers of these heads without much difficulty especially the specificall matter and formes which in most things are vnknowne vnto vs. And therefore our course must be among many places of inuention to take those which being most pregnant and profitable doe with some ease offer themselues to our meditations as the causes efficient and effects properties and qualities and not tye our selues too strictly to finde out all which would rather distract then helpe vs in this exercise But chiefly aiming in all this discourse of our vnderstanding at the right vse and maine end of it which is not curiously to play the Artists but to spend our time in a religious exercise for the increase of our deuotion our inriching with spirituall grace and for the strengthening of vs vnto all duties of a godly life when we finde any difficulty in our inuention or stop in our way we must passe by it and thinke on that which is next and more easie to bee found §. Sect. 3 That we are in our meditations chiefly to respect our will harts and affections our liues and actions And thus we are to proceed in the first part of meditation which respecteth the discourse of our mind and vnderstanding The second part respecteth the practique faculties the will heart and affections the life and actions vnto which in this exercise we are to haue chiefe regard that they may thereby be sanctified and nourished in all spirituall graces and strengthened to the performance of all holy duties with cheerfulnesse and delight Neither is it sufficient that we do by the former meanes prouide plenty of spirituall food fit for the nourishment of our soules vnlesse we also feed vpon it and apply it vnto them for their speciall vse It is not enough that wee prepare abundant meanes and matter for our spirituall good vnlesse wee fit and apply them to those ends and vses for
greatnesse and hainousnesse and maketh vs know whilst we search our sores to the bottome that they are so deepe and dangerous that they need present cure and the soueraigne salue of Christs Blood which seemed so slight whilst they were skinned ouer with colourable excuses that we thought there was no haste of the cure that euery Lord haue mercy vpon vs or shallow broken sigh was sufficient to heale them It worketh our hearts to a true hatred of them when vpon iust triall wee see their vglinesse and deformity their horrible pollution and noysome sent For howsoeuer whilst these filthy channels were vnstirred they did little trouble vs with any ill sauour yet when wee rake in these stinking puddles they make vs abhorre them and shew by their noysomnesse how much they need clensing Yea it will make vs to loath our selues for our sinnes sake and thus abhorring our selues to repent with Iob in dust and ashes according to that of the Prophet Then shall yee Iob 42 6. Ezek. 36. 31. remember your owne euill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selues in your owne sight for your iniquities and abominations And as it thus humbleth and prepareth our hearts for repentance so is it a most effectuall meanes to worke it in vs. And this Salomon intimateth where hee saith that if the Israelites hauing sinned should bethinke themselues and repent nothing that they must consider their euill wayes before 1. King 8. 47. they could repent of them And our Sauiour first requireth that the Church of Ephesus should remember from whence shee was falne and then Apoc. 2. 5. that she should repent and doe her first workes of loue Thus the lamenting Church remembring her sinnes and afflictions which they had brought Lam. 3. 19 20. vpon her was humbled and repented By reason whereof it furthereth much the worke of sanctification and helpeth to purge out of vs the relikes of our sinfull corruptions For this frequent examination will not suffer sin to sleepe with vs nor to haue any time to fortifie it selfe against vs but assone as it is entred it discouereth this enemie and will not suffer it to lay against our soules any secret ambushments It nourisheth in vs the true feare of God and maketh vs carefull to auoyd his displeasure It pulleth vs backe being ready to fall into sinne when we consider the miscries which attend vpon it and from relapsing into our old diseases when we remember with what danger and difficulty we did escape them It keepeth our hearts and consciences pure and peaceable whilst by the frequent vse of it they are preserued from the pollution of sinne or quickly purged when they are defiled It nourisheth Gods graces in vs and maketh vs constant in the wayes of godlinesse It helpeth vs much in aspiring towards perfection whilst by often reuiewing of our works we see their defects and indeuour to amend them Finally it preserueth vs from receiuing any hurt by Gods temporary Iudgements for if we would iudge our selues he would not 1. Cor. 11. 32. iudge vs and maketh vs comfortably and with ioy expect the comming of the Lord to the last Iudgement when as wee hereby keepe euen our accounts and are prepared to render a reckoning when he calleth for it §. Sect. 3 That this exercise of Meditation is very necessary The necessity of this exercise doth likewise appeare because the neglect of it depriueth vs of all the former benefits But more especially as repentance is necessary vnto saluation so this examination must necessarily goe before repentance For first we must by examination come to the knowledge of our sinnes before we can either bewaile or turne from them Whereof it is that our Sauiour calleth sinners onely to repentance that is Mat. 9. 13. such as know and acknowledge themselues to be in this number And Ieremy willeth the backsliding Israelites first to acknowledge their iniquities Ier. 3. 13 14. and then to repent of them and to turne vnto the Lord. And Dauid saith that he thought on his wayes and then turned his feete vnto Gods Testimonies Psal 119. 59. So the Lord saith of the Iewes that they should remember their wayes and be Ezek. 16. 61. ashamed And putteth consideration before repentance as a cause and meanes of it Because saith he he considereth and turneth away from all his 18. 28. transgressions implying that he could not haue turned vnlesse he had first considered of his sinnes from which hee turned And this as one excellently M. Dyke of repentance obserueth is implyed euen in nature where there is the same instrument of seeing and weeping to shew vnto vs that weeping depends vpon seeing He that sees well weepes well He that sees his sinnes thorowly will bewaile them heartily And this want of consideration the Prophet noteth to haue beene the cause why Ephraim would not turne vnto the Lord that he might heale them They consider not saith he in their hearts Hos 7. 1 2. that I remember all their wickednesse And the Prophet Ieremy noteth this to haue beene the cause of the Iewes impenitency because no man so much as demanded What haue I done Neither in truth is there any one greater Ier. 8. 6. cause why men in our owne dayes goe on in their sinnes without repentance then want of due consideration what they are doing namely treasuring Rom. 2. 5. vp against themselues wrath against the day of wrath and as it were heaping vp a pile of wood for their owne burning Neither were it possible that they should rush into all sinne like the horse into the battell if they would but examine whither they are a going and into what desperate dangers of death and destruction they plunge themselues by continuing in their wicked courses Againe without often and strict examination it is not possible for vs to finde out or auoyd the deceitfull wiles of our owne sinfull hearts seeing they are so deepe that without much searching Ier. 17. 10. wee cannot sound them to the bottome Whereof it is that the Wiseman counselleth vs that we should aboue all other obseruations looke Pro. 4. 23. to our hearts And the Apostle exhorteth vs to take speciall heed lest there should be in vs an heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the liuing God Moreouer Heb. 3. 12. Deut. 11. 16. without this diligent search whereby wee come to a sight of our wants we would flatter our selues in our weake and fraile estate as though nothing needed reformation and pleasing our selues in our owne imperfections we would neuer labour and striue after more perfection For we are naturally so full of pride and selfe-loue that as Salomon speaketh Euery Pro. 21. 2. way of a man seemeth right in his owne eyes And therefore our Sauiour exhorteth vs to take heed that the light which is in vs be not darkenesse that is Luk. 11. 35. that
our sinnes and the Iudgements of God due vnto them testifying our repentance for them and our vnworthinesse of his least mercies by resting from all bodily labour in the day of our fast and wholly abstaining from our food and all other comforts and delights of this life so farre foorth as it will stand with necessity of nature charity and comelinesse and much more by forsaking all our sinnes and doing the workes of piety and charity that by this renewing of our humiliation and repentance wee may increase the feruency of our prayers and strengthen our faith in this assurance that they shall be graciously heard and granted vnto vs. In which description this religious fast being principally intended as an exercise of repentance by which it is increased and as a helpe to our prayers that they may bee more feruent is sufficiently distinguished from all other kinds of fasts As first from the fast of necessity for want of sustenance or appetite to it seeing this is voluntary and at our free choyce Secondly from that ordinary abstinence whereby wee temperately soberly and sparingly feed vpon Gods creatures for the satisfying of nature and not the pleasing of our carnall lusts and appetite which is most commendable as being of common and daily vse and the other onely to be vsed vpon extraordinary occasions seeing in this fast we restraine our selues but in respect of some part of our food whereas that whereof wee intreate is a totall abstinence for the time both from all food and the most of our worldly comforts Thirdly from a physicall fast which is prescribed and vsed for the cleansing of the stomake and body from ill humours and the preseruing or recouering of our health and from a politique fast appoynted by the Magistrate for ciuill ends and the good of the Common-wealth seeing this is a religious fast which aimeth onely at such ends as are spirituall and tend to the health and welfare of our soules Lastly from a morall fast which is vndertaken by those which are single and vnmarried for the preseruing of their chastity and keeping their bodies from being defiled with filthy lusts seeing this is no solemne or extraordinary action but to be commonly put in practice so oft as wee finde it necessary and seeing also it aymeth at a farre other end then this of which I heere speake namely the preseruing of chastity Whereas the end of the religious fast is by humiliation and prayer to obtaine some speciall suites at Gods hands §. Sect. 2 That the duty of fâ—â—â—ing is not ceremoniall but â—eâ—â—iâ—ed Gospel as well as the Law Againe whereas I call it a religious act I imply hereby that God is the Author of it and requireth it at our hands seeing he hath restrained vs in all duties appertaining vnto his seruice that we worship him according to his reuealed will and not according to our owne inuentions Neither are we to esteeme it as a part of the ceremoniall Law which is abrogated by Christ for howsoeuer there were many rites about it of this nature which now are some of them abolished and some out of vse as renting of their garments wearing of sackcloth sitting in ashes and couering their heads therewith and such like yet in respect of the maine substance which is the humbling of the soule before God by all good meanes that we may testifie our repentance and be made more feruent in our prayers Ioel. 2. 12 13 14 Esa 58. 5 6 7 c. 2. Chro 20. 3. as it was required of them more especially then the outward rites and ceremonies in the time of the Law so is it no lesse commended vnto vs vnder the Gospel to be religiously obserued vpon all extraordinary occasions For our Sauiour Christ purposely teacheth vs the right manner Mat. 6. 16. 17. 21. how iâ— ought to bee done commendeth the efficacie of it being ioyned with prayer a Luk 5 31 35. and sheweth that howsoeuer his Disciples vsed it not whilest he was with them because it was vnseasonable for the children of the Bride chamber to fast the Bridegroome being with them yet they should performe it when he was taken from them And thus it was accordingly practised by the seruants of God not on certain dayes set times but vpon great and extraordinary occasions not only in the time of the Law as by b 2 Chro. 20. 3. Iehosaphat and his people by c Dan. â— 3 â—0 2. 3. Daniel d 〈…〉 21. Ezra and the children of the captiuity by e 〈…〉 18 19. Queene Hester her maids Mordecay and all the whole people of the Iewes but in the New Testament also by the f 〈…〉 14. Disciples of Iohn the Baptist g 〈…〉 2 3. and by the Church when they set apart Paul and Barnabas By h Luk. 2. â—9 Hannah the Prophetesse and i Act. 10. 30. Cornelius who it seemeth frequently vsed this exercise and not onely vpon extraordinary occasions that by the helpe thereof their prayers might be more seruent and effectuall to preuaile with God though it may bee not in that solemne manner and with that deepe humiliation as is ioyned with this whereof we speake For this is to bee performed not ordinarily and so oft as wee pray but vpon extraordinary occasions as the Apostle implyeth where he inioyneth married persons not to defraud one another vnlesse by consent 1. Cor. 7. 4. for a time that they might giue themselues to fasting and prayer seeing he must needs be vnderstood of extraordinary fasting prayer vpon vnusuall and waighty occasions because ordinary prayer is to be vsed by them euery day together without any necessity of such separation So our Sauiour telling vs that the time of fasting is a time of mourning implyeth that it is vnseasonable but when we are occasioned to mourne vpon some speciall and waighty cause for otherwise ordinarily Christians are to reioyce in the Lord as the Psalmist and the Apostle exhort and Psal 33. 1. Phil. 4. 4. Esa 22. 12. not to mourne after this extraordinary manner till God calleth them vnto it Finally it is euident that this fasting ought not to be ordinary seeing it is a Sabbath of humiliation wherein we are bound to rest from all our ordinary labours and duties of our callings in which we are ordinarily to spend our time §. Sect. 3 The causes of a true fast and when it is most seasonable The cause which should mooue vs to performe this duty of fasting is that we may by more feruent and effectuall prayer obtaine at Gods hands some great and extraordinary benefit either priuatiue or positiue Priuatiue as freedome and deliuerance from some dangerous euill either of sinne or punishment In respect of the former when we or our Country in which we liue are guilty of some grieuous sinne and other meanes ordinarily vsed haue not beene effectuall to pull vs out of it or when some strong
corruption doth yet lye vnmortified in vs and preuaileth against vs notwithstanding our many purposes and promises to subdue and root it out then is this exercise seasonable that humbling our selues in an extraordinary manner wee may with all feruency desire the assistance of Gods holy Spirit for the healing of our selues and the Land by turning vs vnto God and for pulling vs out of these preuailing and raigning sins through serious and sound repentance for the subduing of our corruptions that they may no more leade vs captiue vnto sinne and bringing of them in subiection to the spirituall part And thus Paul in the sight and sense of his sinnes especially that haynous wickednesse in persecuting the Saints of God in his first conuersion is said to haue fasted three dayes Act. 9. 9 11. And Ezra with the people humbled themselues by fasting before the Ezr. 9. 3 6. 10. 6. Neh. 9. 1 2. Lord because they had grieuously sinned by taking strange wines the which raigned and swayed so powerfully amongst them that the authority of the Magistrates and preaching of the Prophets was not for a good while sufficient to pull them out of it The euill of punishment is also a sufficient motiue to make vs humble our selues before God by fasting and prayer and that either when some heauy iudgement is threatned and imminent that we may auert it or already imposed that we may bee deliuered out of it whether it bee priuate and concerne our owne person and family or publike respecting either the Church or Common-wealth Concerning the first when the heauy Iudgements of God are but threatned and ready to light vpon vs then the Lord especially calleth vs to fasting and mourning that vnfainedly repenting of our sinnes Esa 22. 12. which are the causes the iudgement which is the effect may cease and be auerted And then this exercise is most seasonable and profitable because the sentence is more easily stayed then reuoked and the malefactour with lesse suite acquitted or pardoned then the execution put off after he once hath his doome besides that it is a greater benefit and much more safe and sweet to be kept from the fire then to be pulled out like fire-brands that are halfe burned and much more pleasing vnto God seeing he attaineth vnto the end of his threatnings which is not to punish for hee delighteth Ezek. 33. 12. Micah 7. 18. not in the smart of his children whom he correcteth but that by mature and seasonable repentance we may escape and so his mercy may be magnified in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes An example whereof we haue in Iehosaphat who by humbling himselfe by fasting and prayer escaped the inuasion of his many and mighty enemies and in the Nineuites who at Ionas preaching repenting of their sinnes were spared and preserued from that imminent destruction which was threatned against them Neither are Gods threatnings absolute but to be vnderstood with Ier. 18. 7 8. the condition of repentance namely that the punishment denounced shall be inflicted if we goe on in our sinnes but auerted if wee humble our selues before God and so leaue and forsake our sinnes But if wee haue neglected this duty till the Iudgement haue already seazed vpon vs then our best course is to doe it rather late then neuer and to labour by our sound humiliation to haue our sinnes first pardoned and then to haue the punishment remooued which we haue had no care to preuent Whether it bee a priuate iudgement inflicted on our selues as sickenesse pouerty losses disgraces and such like or publike lying vpon the Church and Common-wealth wherein wee haue our part and share either in our owne persons or by sympathy and compassion as being fellow-members Iudg. 2. 4 5. 3. 9. Dan. 9. 3. Ios 7. 6. Ioel 1 14. 2. 12 15. of the same body as the sword captiuity pestilence famine and the rest So likewise this exercise is profitable when wee addresse our selues vnto God as humble suters for the obtaining of some speciall and important benefit which is no lesse necessary for the good estate of our selues or others then hard and vnlikely to bee obtained or atchieued by any meanes of our owne deuizing And thus it is fit that wee should humble our selues before God by fasting and prayer when wee vndertake any waighty businesse either for our selues or the good of the Church and Common-wealth vpon which occasion Ezra Nehemiah and Hester Ezr. 8. 21. Nehem. 1. 4 13. Hest. 4. 16. Act. 13. 3. fasted and the Church when they sent foorth Barnabas and Paul about that great worke the conuersion of the Gentiles But especially wee haue iust cause of thus humbling our selues when we finde some great defect in any of Gods sauing graces and would labour earnestly with God by Prayer that it may bee supplied when wee finde our selues exceeding weake in faith and desire to haue it increased and strengthened when we feele our hearts hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne so as we cannot repent and would haue them suppled and softened that they may resolue and melt in vnfained sorrow for our sinnes when wee finde our affiance in God so feeble that it is ready to faint and faile in euery small triall or when we perceiue want of gifts and abilities in our selues for the well performing of the duties of Christianity or of our callings and would be suters to him who is the Fountaine and Author of euery good Iam. 1. 5 17. and perfect gift that hee will inable vs at least with competency and sufficiency of such gifts as are necessary for the discharge of our duty with comfort to our selues and profit to others but especially so as Gods glory may receiue no damage or detriment §. Sect. 4 The ends of a true fast And these are the causes which may moue vs to fasting The ends at which we must chiefely ayme in this action are of two sorts The first and principall is the glory of God which wee then most magnifie when we vilifie and abase our selues acknowledging our great vnworthinesse of his least mercies and extolling his grace goodnesse in that he doth not inflict vpon vs those fearefull Iudgements which our sinnes haue deserued In which respect it is quite contrary to the nature of a true Fast if we propound this as the maine end of it that we may satisfie Gods Iustice and merit by it at Gods hand the pardon of any of our sinnes or the ioyes in heauen in any part or degree For such a Fast is fit for none but Pharisees and proud Iusticiaries who would rob God of the glory of his free grace and mercie and our Sauiour Christ of the all-sufficiencie of his merits and satisfaction that they may in some part arrogate it vnto themselues by hauing some share in the praise of their iustification and saluation And they who thus fast the Lord may iustly charge them as he did the
§. Sect. 2 That wee must in our Fast abstaine for the most part from all worldly comforts And as we must thus totally abstaine from meates and drinkes so must we in the greatest part from all other bodily and worldly comforts Col. 4. 2. Eph. 6. 18. and delights and much more moderate our selues in the vse of them so farre forth as will stand with necessity and comelinesse then at other times Thus wee must abridge our selues from some part of our ordinary sleepe that by this bodily waking wee may be more ready to keep the spirituall watch haue more time to spend in religious and spirituall duties as also that we may hereby testifie our humiliation acknowledging our selues vnworthy as of other blessings so of our ordinary rest and sleepe To which purpose the Faithfull 2. Sam. 12. 16. Ioel 1. 16. vnder the Law did lie vpon the ground and in sack-cloth and hard beds that lying thus vneasily they might take the lesse rest Wherein our care must be that wee so performe this bodily exercise as that it doe not the next day disable vs for Gods spirituall seruice as hearing the Word and prayer which are the ends of it by making vs drowzy and sleepie through ouer-much watching Secondly we must moderate our selues in the vse of our apparell putting on our worst attire which may be most fit to signifie and also further our humiliation And in any case for that time to forbeare such shew of brauerie in our Exod. 33. 5 6. garments either in respect of the costlinesse of the stuffe or fashion as may in the eyes of others be an ensigne of our pride and in our owne hearts the fuell of it And much lesse are we at such times to vse light and vaine fashions frizling of the haire and painting of the 1. Pet. 5. 5. face which if they be at all times vnlawfull and vtterly mis-beseeming Christians whose best ornaments are humility and modestie then surely are they in the day of our humiliation odious and abominable Thirdly we must abstaine this day from all carnall and worldly Quod si gula sola peccauit sola quoque ieiunet sufficit Si verò peccauerunt caetera membra cur non ieiunent ipsa c Bernard de ieiunio Quadrages Serm 3. Ioel 2. 16. 1. Cor. 7. 5. delights and pleasing the senses which would lessen our sorrow for our sinnes hinder our humiliation and abstract our mindes from spirituall duties And as we must not delight the taste with meates and drinkes so neither the eyes with delightfull sights nor the cares with pleasant musicke and witty and merrie discourses nor the smell with sweete odours especially the vse of the marriage bed is to be forborne euen of the bride and bridegroome and much more of others and recreations in all kindes which are at other times lawfull and necessary for the refreshing and chearing of the heart and minde Lastly wee must in the day of our fast abstaine from all worldly businesses and workes of our callings seeing it is to bee obserued as a Sabbath and day of rest in the strictest kinde for the Lord inioyneth vs Leuit. 23. 36. Esa 58. 13. that in this Sabbath of humiliation we doe not our owne pleasures walke in our owne waies nor speake our owne words The which rest is necessary on this Day that wee may consecrate it wholy vnto the Lord by spending it in the duties of his seruice without distraction and also that we may hereby be put in minde of our rest from sinne for if the workes of our callings which are lawfull in themselues may not on this Day be lawfully done then how odious must wee needs thinke will it bee vnto God if doing the workes of darknesse we serue the world the diuell and our owne flesh Now the time of this bodily exercise which it is to continue may bee diuers in respect of the diuers occasions which require greater or lesser humiliation and the diuers states of mens bodies as they are able to hold out in this exercise without impayring of their health The ordinary time of a fast is the space of foure and twenty houres or of a naturall day from supper time on one day to supper time on another or from dinner to dinner though this be lesse fit and more rarely vsed because it should be a whole day that is consecrated vnto God as a Sabbath of humiliation and not part of two dayes So the Lord inioyning it saith It shall bee vnto you a Sabbath of rest and ye shall afflict Leuit. 23. 36. Iud. 20. 26. Jos 7. 6. 2. Sam. 1 12. 3. 35. your soules in the ninth day of the moneth at euen from euen to euen shall you celebrate your Sabbath The which was accordingly obserued by the faithfull from time to time But when the occasion hath beene extraordinarily great and the causes of humiliation of greatest waight and importance the faithfull haue prolonged the time of their fast to testifie their sorrow for their sinne so much the more and that with greater feruency they might implore Gods mercy for the deliuerance of them from some imminent danger of fearefull destruction In which case Hester the Iewes continued their fast three days together Daniel Hest 4. 16 17. Dan. 10. 2 3. Act. 9 9. one and twenty dayes Paul three dayes to the end that hauing a longer time for this exercise their humiliation might be the greater and their hearts more thorowly touched with a thorow sense of their sinnes and with a liuely feeling of their distressed estates then they could haue beene in a shorter time §. Sect. 3 Of the inward and spirituall exercises in our fast The second part of the Christian fast is the inward and spirituall exercise which is the end of the outward and without which it is of no 1. Tim. 4. 8. Rom. 14. 17. value for as the Apostle telleth vs Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things and The Kingdome of God consisteth not in meates and drinkes but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost In which regard the Lord hath alwaies reiected the outward fast as hypocriticall and superstitious if the inward fast were not ioyned with it Thus hee chargeth the Iewes that they fasted to themselues and not to him when they rested in the externall abstinence and bodily humiliation and telleth them that if they would keepe a fast which should bee acceptable vnto him they must execute iudgement and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother and not oppresse the fatherlesse Zach. 7. 5 6 9 10. stranger and poore nor so much as imagine euill against their brother in their heart So elsewhere he reiecteth the fast of the Iewes because therein they onely afflicted their soules with bodily abstinence and did hang downe their heads like a bulrush for a day and did spread sackcloth Esa
as well as others out of that huge multitude and cursed crue to be his owne children by adoption and grace how then should this inflame our desires to glorifie so gracious a Father and to carry our selues in all things as beseemeth his children But if the meere Loue of God will not worke this in vs let vs consider further that the Lord hath propounded this end to the decree of our election that we should glorifie him by our Holinesse and vnblameablenesse according to that of the Apostle He hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and Eph. 1. 4. 1. Pet. 2. 9. without blame before him in loue and therefore vnlesse we thinke that God infinite in wisedome and power can faile of his end we can haue no hope that we are elected to happinesse vnlesse we attaine vnto some measure of Holinesse He hath predestinated vs that we should be conformed to the image of his Sonne as in glory and blessednesse in the world Act. 14. 22. to come so in this life both in his sanctity and suffrings and therefore as we must not thinke that we can by the broad way of carnall pleasures attaine to Christs heauenly happinesse and to be crowned with him before wee haue suffred with him so much lesse let vs imagine 2. Tim. 2. 12. that we shall euer come into his ioyes if wee doe not follow him in that path of righteousnesse which he hath beaten before vs seeing the Apostle hath plainely told vs that without Holinesse we shall neuer see God Heb. 12. 14. So that the consideration of our election ought to be a strong motiue to perswade vs vnto a godly life both that we may glorifie God by our holy conuersation who hath beene so gracious and good vnto vs and that we may be assured that he will glorifie vs by attayning vnto that end of Holinesse for which we were elected Whereof it is that the Apostle hauing largely intreated of the doctrine of Gods predestination doth out of this doctrine inforce this vse that we should offer Rom. 12. 1. vp our selues a liuely and holy Sacrifice acceptable vnto him by our reasonable seruing of him And the Apostle Peter perswading vs to make our election 2. Pet. 1. 10. sure could prescribe no other course for the obtayning of this assurance then by ioyning one vertue and grace with another and bringing forth the fruits of them all by doing these things that is seruing and glorifying God who hath chosen vs in the duties of a godly life §. Sect. 4 The fourth reason taken from the benefit of our creation The second fruit and effect of Gods Loue and cause or meanes of our saluation and happinesse is our creation by his Almighty Word and preseruation being thus made by his powerfull prouidence Concerning the former whereas God might haue left vs without a being which is to be esteemed amongst the greatest euils he created vs of nothing or which is all one of the dust of the earth which came of nothing by sole vertue of his powerfull Word and whereas hee might haue made vs the vilest and basest of the creatures which creepe vpon the earth yea worse then they euen wicked deuils ordayned to condemnation he created vs according to his owne image in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse indued vs with an immortall and reasonable soule and made vs Lords ouer all the rest of the creatures vpon the earth and onely inferiour to himselfe that wee might bee ruled and gouerned by him and by our seruice glorifie him who hath created vs and giuen vs our being The which if it be rightly considered is an vnspeakeable benefit as being the ground of all that follow it Neither could wee euer attaine vnto well-being vnlesse we had first a being nor vnto our finall end eternall saluation vnlesse wee had found an entrance and passage vnto it by our creation In lieu of which great benefit God requireth nothing at our hands but that by our seruice we glorifie him for which end he gaue vs our being Not that his glory needs our seruice seeing it is in it selfe absolute infinite but out of the same loue which moued him first to make vs that hee might honour vs in this life by vsing vs as instruments to manifest his glory and might hereby take occasion to glorifie vs in the world to come by crowning our seruice of his meere grace with heauenly ioy happines The which also is a most effectuall reason to perswade vs that we deuote and consecrate our selues vnto Gods seruice in all duties of a godly life seeing hee is our Lord and Maker who hath created vs vnto good workes that wee should walke in them to the glory Ephe. 2. 10. of him that hath giuen vs our being and that to this end that wee should for euer bee partakers with him in glory For what can bee more iust then to giue euery one his owne that hee who soweth his owne seede in his owne ground should reape the fruit of his labours that he who buildeth a house should haue the benefit of dwelling in it that he who planteth a Vineyard should eate of the grapes and drinke of the wine and that he who lendeth any thing vnto another should haue his owne repaide vnto him And how much more iust then and equall is it that the Lord who hath not fashioned and framed vs of pre-existent matter but of nothing hath created our soules and bodies should haue them wholy deuoted and Ephe. 4. 24. consecrated to his seruice which was the end for which he made vs and gaue vs our being vnto which end if wee attaine not it is a signe that we neuer thinke of the end for which we came into the world or imagine that wee were sent by God hither that we should serue our owne lusts and in fulfilling them the diuell himselfe and not that wee should serue him who hath right vnto vs by this great benefit of our creation Yea if we doe not spend our time in Gods seruice we fayle of the mayne end for which wee came into the world and so spend all our life and strength in vaine But though we faile of our end which is by seruing and glorifying God to attaine vnto happinesse which also is Gods end reuealed in his Word yet we shall neuer frustrate the end of his secret counsailes which is either to glorify his mercy in vs if we feare and serue him or his Iustice if we neglect his seruice and yeeld obedience to sin and Satan For the Lord being the summum bonum and supreme end of all things hath as the Wise man speaketh made Pro. 16. 4. all things for himselfe euen the wicked forthe day of euill §. Sect. 5 The fifth reason taken from the benefit of our preseruation The benefit of our preseruation and gouernement doth also iustly challenge this seruice at our
Celantiam 1. Pet. 3. 16. 2. 12. the obloquies and slanders of wicked men let vs preserue our innocencie and walke vnblameably in this euill generation taking great care so to carry our selues in all Holinesse Righteousnesse of conuersation that no man may speake euill of vs without a lie and so the testimony of a good conscience will more comfort and support vs in all our Christian courses then the slaunders of wicked men shall be able to daunt and dismay vs. And this is the best way to conuince them of falshood not onely vnto others but euen to their owne consciences and euen to make them like and loue if they belong vnto God the Religion which we professe Neither can any thing more powerfully beate backe these poysonous darts of slanderous reports then the brestplate of righteousnesse and integrity so as they shall neuer wound our heart though for a time they may blemish the brightnesse of our fame No verball Apologies can so cleare and iustifie vs and conuince our aduersaries of fals-hood and malice as this reall confutation of an innocent and vnblameable life Finally let vs consider that they are pronounced blessed by our Sauiour who are thus reuiled and slandered vniustly and wrongfully and the more we are thus disgraced and dishonoured in this life the more wee shall be aduanced and glorified in the life to come In which regard there is no iust cause of mourning when wee are thus falsely traduced for Christs sake and the Gospell Yea rather we should reioyce and be exceeding glad because our reward is great in heauen Matth. 5. 11 12 as our Sauiour hath taught vs. §. Sect. 2 Of derision and scoffes which the world vseth to discourage the godly The second impediment is the derision scoffes and scornes of wicked worldlings whereby they disgrace the persons of the godly and discountenance and discourage them in all religious and holy duties The which they doe either by their words as in taunting speeches making a iest of their profession and holy practice their hearing reading and studying of the Scriptures praying godly communication and such religious exercises or by branding them with opprobrious names as Lollards Hugonotes Puritans Sectaries Bible-bearers Holy brethren and such like or else by scornefull gestures as nodding shaking the head mowing ieering laughing at them and the like The which is a great impediment that hindreth many especially such as are of milde modest and ingenuous natures from making any outward profession of Gods true Religion and performing of any religious exercises or at least to proceed in them with much discouragement and disquietnesse of minde as appeareth by those pittifull complaints which they haue from time to time made vnto God of these indignities offred vnto them by their spitefull aduersaries Thus the Church complaineth that Gods enemies did hisse and gnash their teeth against Lam. 2. 16. 3. 14. them that they were a derision to all the people and their song all the day And that in their bitter mourning and day of affliction they in a taunting maner required of them that they would be merry and sing one of the Psal 137. 3. songs of Sion That they were become a reproch to their neighbours a scorne and derision to them that were round about them That they were made a by-word Psal 79. 4. among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people Thus Iob complayneth I am as one mocked of his neighbour who calleth vpon God he answereth Psal 119. 5. 35 16. him The iust and vpright man is laughed to scorne So Dauid The proud haue had me greatly in derision with hypocriticall mockers at feasts they gnashed vpon me with their teeth They that did sit in the gate spake against me Psal 69. 12. and I was the song of the drunkards And speaking of himselfe as a tipe of Christ he saith All they that see me laugh me to scorne they shoote out the lip Psal 22. 7. shake the head By this Iobs misery was much aggrauated when as wicked Iob 30. 9. men made him their song and by-word And Ieremie brought to such impatience that he resolued to speake no more in the name of the Lord because he was in derision dayly euery one reproched and mocked him Ier. 20. 7 8. §. Sect. 3 How wee may be armed against the derisions and scornes of worldlings But howsoeuer this is a great and grieuous tentation yet we must take heed that wee be not so discouraged thereby as to desist or so much as slacken our pace in the waies of godlinesse but though we sometime stumble at it a catch a fall yet we must not lie still quite giue ouer our profession and holy practice but rise vp againe and goe in our course with renued resolution According to the example of the Church of God who though they were somewhat daunted and grieued with the scoffes and derisions of the wicked yet they Psal 44. 13 17 18. did not forget God nor deale falsely in his couenants Their heart turned not backe neither did their steps turne from his way And of holy Dauid who professeth that though the proud had him greatly in derision yet he Psal 119. 51. declyned not from Gods Law Vnto which resolution that wee may attaine let vs consider first that herein no new thing doth betide vs but that which all Gods Saints and seruants haue suffered at the hands of the wicked from time to time For thus Ismael derided Isaac and Gen. 21 9. as it is probable the promises of God made vnto him and all the faithfull in his seed Michol scoffed at the zeale of holy Dauid 2 Sam. 6. 16. when she saw him dancing before the Arke Thus the Israelites scorned Gods Prophets and messengers that spake vnto them in the Word 2. Chro. 36. 15 16. of the Lord And made themselues sport with Ezechiels Sermons Ezek 33. 32. as if he had beene some pleasant Musician Finally thus Sanballat Neh. 4. 1 4. and Tobiah derided Nehemiah and the Iewes when they set them seriously to doe the worke of the Lord. And the Iewes scoffed at the Act. 2. 13. Apostles when they spake with strange tongues the wonderfull workes of God as though they had beene drunke with new wine Yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe in whom all grauity and wisdome shined and in whose actions Might and Maiesty Grace and Goodnesse clearely appeared was notwithstanding no whit priuiledged and exempted from the derision and scornes of wicked worldlings For the Pharisees laughed at his diuine Sermons Herod and the souldiers in scorne clothe him in white and purple crowne him with thornes bow the knee before him and flowtingly salute him as King of the Iewes yea in his bitter passion which he suffering as innocent Luk. 23. 13. should haue drawne from all men euen teares of blood they sported themselues nodded
their heads and made themselues merry with his lamentable crie and pittifull complaint My God my God Matth. â—7 27. to 4â— Luk. 23. 31. Matth. 10. 24 25. why hast thou forsaken me Now if they haue done these things to a greene tree fruitfull in all grace and goodnesse what will they doe to a drie and barraine If they haue thus scoffed and derided our Lord and Master let vs not who are his poore and vnworthy seruants thinke much to be thus vsed If he haue suffred all these taunts and scornes for our sakes why should wee thinke it much to suffer with patience and ioy the like or greater if it were possible for his sake and the Gospels Yea if he haue meekely borne our sinnes and sorrowes and shed his precious blood and indured the heauie wrath of God due vnto vs that he might saue and deliuer vs out of the hands of all our enemies how vngratefull are we for all his loue if wee will not for his sake indure a taunt a spitefull scorne or reprochfull name but chuse rather to neglect the duties of his seruice and to runne with wicked worldlings vnto the same excesse of riot So oft therefore as the scoffes of prophane men discourage and dis-hearten vs in Christian duties let vs animate and strengthen our resolutions in them by looking with the eye of faith vpon our Sauiour Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse and dying a shamefull death for our sinnes contemning this disgrace and swallowing vp this shame with the infinitenesse of his loue Let vs be content to accompany him in despising these despites that we may also accompany him in glory and happinesse according to that of the Apostle Let vs runne with patience the race which is set before Heb. 12. 2 3. vs looking vnto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him indured the Crosse despised the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God For consider him that indured such contradiction of sinners against himselfe lest wee bee weary and faint in our minds §. Sect. 4 Of the necessity of Christian Apology and profession of the truth Secondly let vs consider that this Christian apology in the profession of the truth and practice of all holy and Christian duties is a matter of Luk. 9. 23. vrgent necessity which as neerly concerneth vs as the euerlasting saluation of our soules For they that will be Christs Disciples must take vp their crosse daily and follow him and bee contented for his sake and the Gospels to forsake kindred and friends houses lands and life it selfe if they be called thereunto Now how shall we with patience and constancy indure for Christs sake wounds and stabs if wee shrinke for words and scoffes How shall wee euer hope to suffer rackes and gibbets fire and sword for the profession of the truth and the practice of Christian duties if we be daunted with euery small disgrace and discouraged in them with reprochfull names and scornefull taunts Let vs thinke with our selues that if we cannot indure causelesse shame before men which is accompanyed with true glory how shall we be able to beare that euerlasting shame and confusion of face when as Christ shall be ashamed to acknowledge Math. 10. 33. Mark 8. 38. vs for his before his Father his holy Saints and blessed Angels because we haue been ashamed of him and his truth Now that wee may performe this duty which is so necessary with cheerfulnesse and delight and contemne the derisions and scornings of gracelesse men when they scoffe at vs for the performance of Christian duties blushing for shame that we should be thus ashamed let vs consider that when wee are most derided of the wicked world for the conscionable performance of any Christian duties we are then most approued of God and therefore when they seeke to daunt vs with their scoffes and to driue vs from our Christian hold with gibes and reproches let vs oppose this as a shield of strength against them saying vnto our soules My defence is Psal 7. 10. of God who saueth the vpright in heart Let vs comfort and cheere our selues with the peaceable testimony of a good conscience and our inward ioy in well-doing and with the applause of the holy Angels who looke vpon vs and the approbation and praise of all that feare God Let vs remember that they are pronounced blessed by our Sauiour who are Mat. 5. 10 11. Luk. 6. 22. thus abused for righteousnesse sake and that they shall raigne with him in his glory who haue suffered with him in these disgraces that then for Esa 61. 7. their shame they shall receiue double honour and for confusion they shall reioyce in their portion and euerlasting ioy shall be vnto them In which respect the Apostle Peter exhorteth vs to reioyce in as much as we are partakers of Christs 1. Pet. 4. 14. sufferings that when his glory shall be reuealed we may be glad also with exceeding ioy And therefore let no scoffes and scornes discourage vs but let vs with the Apostle approoue our selues in all things by honour and dishonour 2. Cor. 6. 8. euill report and good report and accompany our Sauiour Christ bearing his Heb. 13. 13 14. reproch that we may accompany him in glory for we haue heere no abiding City but we seeke one to come as the Apostle speaketh CAP. VII Of worldly persecutions and how we may be strengthened against them §. Sect. 1 Of the worlds cruelty in persecuting the godly WE haue shewed in the former Chapters what impediments the world and wicked men cast in the way to hinder our profession and practice of the true Religion which respect their iudgment and affections their words and outward gestures and now we are to intreat of those which respect their works and actions And these are their contumelious and malicious handling of them and the bitter persecutions which they raise against them that they may either hinder them wholly from proceeding in the course of Christianity or at least cause them to goe on with much discouragement and discomfort The which contumelies and persecutions are great and manifold as the pursuing of them with all malice and extremity from place to place apprehending them as malefactours haling them before their Iudgment seats false accusations vniust condemnations imprisonments and banishments fire and sword tortures punishments executed and inflicted in the most exquisite manner which wit and malice can deuise and impose And this malicious rage of wicked men the Prophet Esay in liuely manner expresseth The act of violence saith hee is in Esa 59. 6 7 8. their hands Their feet run to euill and they make haste to shead innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths The way of peace they know not and there is no iudgement in their goings Neither doth
our persecutions we may well suffer with greater patience and comfort if we consider that they are not punishments for our sinnes from all which Christ hath fully freed vs but the trials of our faith which being approued shall be crowned with euerlasting ioy and happinesse In which regard we haue cause greatly to reioyce as the Apostle Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 1. 6 7. though now for a season if need be we are in heauinesse through manifold tentations that the triall of our faith being much more precious then the gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire might be found vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ So the Apostle Iames My Iam. 1. 2 12. brethren count it all ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations of which hee afterwards rendreth this reason Because blessed is the man that indureth tentation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him And indeed what a wonderfull priuiledge is this and what great cause doth it minister vnto vs of comfort and reioycing when we consider that the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto vs this great honour to suffer afflictions for his owne glory and the furthering and assuring of our saluation when as he might haue iustly inflicted them and farre greater vpon vs for our sinnes and to the burthen of our sufferings haue deseruedly added the vncomfortable waight of shame and infamie All which blessed priuiledges we shall lose and run into the contrary mischiefes and euen hellish condemnation if we shrinke from our profession and holy practice for feare of persecution and refuse to suffer for his sake who hath suffered so much for vs. For he that loueth his life shall Ioh. 12. 25. lose it and hee that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto life eternall And againe If any man come to me saith our Sauiour and hate not his father Luk. 14. 26 27. and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters and his owne life also namely when they come in comparison with Christ and when the loue of both cannot stand together hee cannot be my Disciple And whosoeuer doth not heare his crosse and come vnto me cannot be my Disciple §. Sect. 3 That our Sauiour hath foretold these persecutions Secondly let vs consider that our Sauiour Christ hath long agoe foretold that whosoeuer wil be his Disciples must suffer in this world troubles and persecutions and that those who will attaine vnto heauenly happinesse must trauaile vnto it by that afflicted way which himselfe and all his seruants haue gone before them If any man saith he will come after mee Luk. 9. 23 24 25 let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse daily and follow me For whosoeuer Mat. 16. 24 25. will saue his life shall lose it and whosoeuer will lose his life for my sake shall saue it Now what is a man aduantaged if he gaine the whole world and lose himselfe or be cast away So the Apostles first offered the Crosse vnto them who Act. 14. 22. would afterwards weare the Crowne and haue told vs before-hand that by many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of God And that whosoeuer 2. Tim. 3. 12. Luk. 14. 27 28 c. will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution And therefore our Sauiour Christ seriously aduiseth vs that before we take vpon vs the profession of Christianity we first sit downe and cast vp our accounts examining our selues whether we can be content to suffer with him that wee may afterwards raigne with him and to indure afflictions and persecutions in this world that wee may eternally triumph with him in glory and happinesse in the world to come Now what more faire dealing could be vsed then to tell vs before-hand what we must trust to and before hee entertaine vs into his seruice to acquaint vs thorowly with our worke which he requireth of vs before we can receiue our wages which wee expect from him If indeed hee had allured vs to serue him by promising that we should inioy pleasures riches and honours in the world and that for his sake wee should bee well accepted and fauoured of all men wee should haue had great cause of discouragement when wee should come so farre short of our hopes and finde nothing in the world but crosses and afflictions paines for pleasures pouerty for riches and for glory shame and disgrace for then seeing his promises faile in things that concerne this life we had cause to doubt of those that respect the life to come But now contrariwise seeing he hath foretold that we must in this world suffer troubles and persecutions and be hated of all men for his Name sake and that afterwards when by our patient suffering we haue approued our saith and loue towards him he will crowne these his graces in vs with ioy and happinesse in the life to come our afflictions and persecutions should not daunt and dismay vs yea rather wee should reioyce in them as the infallible signes of our future hopes for hauing found Christs Word verified in the first part of his predictions respecting our afflictions and persecutions we may vndoubtedly expect that we shall finde it also true in that part which concerneth our crowne of victory and heauenly ioyes which after our momentany sufferings we shall euerlastingly possesse according to the gracious promises which he hath made vnto vs. §. Sect. 4 That worldly persecutions cannot greatly hurt vs. Thirdly let vs incourage our selues against these persecutions because they cannot greatly hurt vs for first they are either light and easie if they be long and tedious or short and momentany if they be sharpe and grieuous For God hath graciously so composed and framed our natures that their frailty and weakenesse cannot hold out to beare any heauy burthens and hath made them mortall and of such short continuance that their afflictions and grieuances must needs be short and momentany Secondly the greatest persecutions which rage and malice can raise against vs can but reach vnto the body and onely extend to the time of this life but cannot at all hurt the soule nor hinder our happinesse in the life to come In which respect our Sauiour incourageth vs against these persecutions Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but Mat. 10. 28. rather feare him who is able to destroy both body and soule in hell Thirdly these persecutions cannot much hurt vs because our gracious God keepeth and preserueth vs so as we cannot faint and fall and pulleth out their sting so as they shall neuer be able to giue vnto vs any mortall wounds And therefore as the Apostle Peter exhorteth Let them that suffer according 1. Pet. 4. 19. to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well-doing as vnto a faithfull
Creatour Fourthly because in our sharpest persecutions we are so inwardly comforted with the consolation of Gods Spirit that in our greatest sufferings our ioy may well exceed our griefe For as the 2. Cor. 1. 5. sufferings of Christ abound in vs so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ as the Apostle found in his owne experience And this is that lasting and full ioy that our Sauiour promised to giue and so to continue it vnto vs Ioh. 15. 11. that no man should bee able to take it from vs. This is that ioy which causeth vs to reioyce in tribulation singing vnto God with Paul and Silas Psalmes of praise when our backes are torne with stripes and our feet Act. 16. 25. fastened in the stockes §. Sect. 5 Of the patience which the Saints haue shewed in suffering persecutions Fourthly let vs incourage and comfort our selues against all persecutions by remembring the patience and meekenesse the ioy and thankfulnesse which the Saints and holy Martyrs of God haue shewed in suffering all crosses and calamities tortures and grieuous paines which the wicked world could inflict vpon them For wel may we go forward in this afflicted way with ioy and comfort when as we haue the Word of God to be our guide the holy Martyrs of former ages as precedents for our imitation and the faithfull that now liue with vs to beare vs company Thus wee reade that the Apostles reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Thus the Saints tooke ioyfully the spoiling of their Act. 5. 41. goods knowing in themselues that they had in heauen a better and more induring Heb. 10. 34. substance And when they were tortured accepted not deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Others had triall of cruell mockings Heb. 11. 35 36. and scourgings bonds and imprisonment They were stoned sawne in sunder tempted and slaine with the sword c. And thus the holy Martyrs of the Primitiue Church and of later dayes euen tyred their tormentors with their patience and constancie out-faced their most bitter tortures with their cheerefull countenances reioyced in the scorching flames and euen before they died triumphed ouer death And therefore as the Apostle exhorteth seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let vs Heb. 12. 1. lay aside euery weight and the sinne which doth so easily beset vs and let vs run with patience vnto the race that is set before vs c. §. Sect. 6 That our persecutions for righteousnesse sake shall bee richly rewarded Fifthly let vs consider the great and rich rewards which are giuen graciously vnto all those who suffer for the truth and righteousnesse sake For Phil. 1. 29. first in it selfe it is an high and holy priuiledge to suffer any thing for the name of Christ which the Apostle maketh a higher degree of dignity then simply to beleeue in him to iustification which is common to ordinary Christians For vnto you saith he it is giuen in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake which is a prerogatiue peculiar to the holy Martyrs In which regard the Apostle Iames would haue vs to account it not an ordinary matter of common reioycing but of exceeding ioy when wee are thus tempted and tryed But how Iam. 1. 2. much more haue we cause of vnspeakeable ioy in our greatest afflictions and persecutions if we consider the present comfort which wee feele in conscience of well-doing and the inward peace and ioy in the holy Ghost which alwayes accompany our sufferings for the profession of the truth and practice of holy duties and the future rewards which God hath promised to all that indure them with constancie and patience For if wee lose this life which is mortall and momentany we shall in lieu thereof find such an one as is immortall and euerlasting If we suffer with Christ we shall Ioh. 12. 35. also raigne with him If we be persecuted for righteousnes sake we are by Christs 2. Tim. 2. 12. owne mouth pronounced blessed because the Kingdome of heauen belongeth Mat. 5. 10. vnto vs. So the Apostle Peter If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake 1. Pet. 3. 14. happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled yea rather as our Sauiour exhorteth Reioyce and be exceeding glad for great is your Mat. 5. 11. reward in heauen And the Apostle Peter likewise willeth vs to reioyce in as 1. Pet. 4. 13. much as we are partakers of Christs sufferings because when his glory shall be reuealed we shall be glad also with exceeding ioy And surely if we consider well of it there can be no greater cause of sound reioycing seeing there is no comparison betweene our present sorrowes and future ioyes betweene our smart of afflictions and solace of heauenly delight either in their quantity or continuance according to that of the Apostle I reckon that Rom. 8. 18. the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be reuealed in vs for after that we haue suffered but a little while 1. Pet. 5. 10. God will call vs into his eternall glory by Christ Iesus and as the Apostle speaketh These light and momentany afflictions shall cause vnto vs a farre more 2. Cor. 4. 17. exceeding and eternall weight of glory And therefore let vs not looke to the sorrowfull seed-time but to the ioyfull haruest not to our present labours but to our Sabbath of rest not to our bleeding wounds in the Christian Warfare but to our victory and euerlasting triumph not to the fire and faggot gibbet and sword but to the glorious Crowne which Apoc. 2. 10. shall be set vpon his head that fighteth vnto the death Let vs looke to Iesus Heb. 12. 2. the Author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him indured the Crosse despising the shame and is now set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God that so following his example wee may partake with him in ioy and happinesse On the other side let vs set before vs the dreadfull estate of those men at the day of Iudgement who either to please men or to gaine their worldly ends or finally for feare of punishment haue denyed Christ and his Truth either verbally with their mouthes or really in their actions For amongst other desperate sinners the fearefull Apoc. 21. 8. shall be reiected of Christ and haue their portion in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone And as they haue denyed him before men so he will Mat. 10. 33 34. 7. 23. deny them before his Father in heauen saying Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know yee not Suppose therefore that wee could by neglecting all Christian duties attaine vnto the honours riches and pleasures of the earth
heauenly ioyes So our Sauiour Blessed are they that mourne Mat. 5. 4. for they shall bee comforted And againe Blessed are yee that weepe now for Luk. 6. 21 25. ye shall laugh and woe vnto you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe Now if wee worthily abhorre vnwholesome meates and drinkes though they be neuer so sweet and pleasant to our taste because we lose that delight which we take in them by the bitter paines of sicknesse indangering our liues which soone after followeth it and if we loue that wholesome though bitter medicine which freeth vs from tedious sickenesse and preserueth our health why should we not be alike wise in spirituall things which concerne our soules hating those carnall and sinfull pleasures which indanger them to sickenesse and euerlasting death and louing those Christian and holy duties though they bee bitter and vnpleasant to our fleshly and corrupt appetite which preserue our spirituall health and certainely assure vs of eternall life and happinesse Neither are the religious exercises of a godly life harsh and vnpleasant either in their owne nature or to vs in the spirituall part and so farre foorth as we are regenerate and sanctified yea rather they are of incomparable sweetnesse aboue the honey and honey combe and affect vs in the inner man with vnspeakable ioy and delight as we see in the example of Dauid the Apostle Paul Psal 19. 9 10. Rom. 7. 22. Ioh. 4. 34. and our Sauiour Christ himselfe but to our carnall appetite and sinfull flesh which like a sicke and aguish stomake full of corrupt and noysome humours doth bring our pallate quite out of taste iudging those spirituall duties which are sweet and pleasant bitter and lothsome and our sinfull vices and workes of darkenesse that are sowre and harsh to a right iudging taste delightfull and well-rellishing And therefore seeing wee are not as the Apostle speaketh debters vnto the flesh that wee Rom. 8. 12. should fulfill the lusts thereof let not this distaste which it feeleth in religious exercises withdraw vs from them or discourage vs in them yea let vs so much the rather be diligent constant in these duties that we may mortifie this carnall concupiscence that fighteth against our soules and 1. Pet. 2. 11. by displeasing it please our God and our owne consciences and nourish and preserue our spirituall life and health §. Sect. 2 That sanctification taketh not away our ioy delight but only changeth and improueth it But this obiection which the flesh maketh against the leading of a godly life it further presseth and confirmeth by the experience which we may haue in others and the examples of many Christians who spend a great part of their time in sighing and sorrowing mourning and lamenting as though they were depriued of all inward ioy and outward pleasures and doe liue in such a melancholike and mopish manner as though they thought all delights vnlawfull being ready to condemne themselues and censure others if they laugh or smile or shew any other signes of gladnesse and reioycing as not sauouring of sanctification and the mortification of our fleshly lusts not beseeming the season which is a time of mourning nor befitting the place which is a valley of teares nor yet well suting with the example of our Sauiour Christ of whom it is written that hee mourned and wept but neuer any thing sayd of his mirth and laughter For the answering whereof wee are first to know that sanctification and mortification doe not annihilate or change the essence and being of nature or the substance of our faculties passions and affections but onely renueth and purgeth them from their corruption that becomming holy they may be seruiceable to God and the spirituall and inner man It doeth not abolish and take them away but moderateth them in their degree and keepeth them from extremity and excesse when as they are exercised about worldly things and both rectifieth their disorder and correcteth their viciosity and faultinesse And finally it causeth our passions and affections to change their obiects making vs to bewaile our sinnes in which formerly wee reioyced and to reioyce in those spirituall exercises which in the dayes of our ignorance we loathed and neglected It taketh away the lightnesse vanity and madnesse of mirth and causeth it to become more graue and sober It changeth our reioycing in euill for reioycing in that which is good It moderateth the excesse of our earthly ioy which is more in the creature then in the Creatour It maketh vs to reioyce but a little in things that are but a little worth and to abound and euen triumph with ioy in things of greatest excellency as the assurance of Gods loue and our owne saluation and the manifold and vndoubted testimonies of his grace and fauour towards vs. And if Christians doe not finde in them this change of ioy from worse to better from carnall to spirituall from that which is vaine and worthlesse vnto that which as the Apostle Peter calleth it is vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. it is their own fault and not of their Christian profession Neither in truth can the carriage of diuers Christians be in this regard excused who as though they thought ioy and a godly life incompetible and not to bee reconciled or conioyned or supposed that when they did forsake the world their sins and carnall pleasures they were presently bound to part with mirth and gladnesse ioy and delight doe purposely affect a sad countenance and carriage a demure and deiected looke inwardly sighing and groning vpon euery slight occasion drooping and hanging downe the head as though all ioy were in the pleasures of sinne which they haue forsaken and no cause at all of reioycing in their present estate Wherby they not onely make their owne liues tedious and wearisome and so ouer-strait strict vnpleasant and vncomfortable that being tyred with it they are not able to hold out but change this rigourous seueritie for licencious liberty or else goe forward without life and spirit courage or comfort but also by their example discourage others that are without from taking vpon them the profession of Christianity or resoluing to leade a godly life as fearing that it is so austere and destitute of all ioy and delight that it is altogether intolerable and not to be indured Whereas contrariwise if as they haue greater cause they could also perceiue that they haue aboue all other the greatest most solid and lasting ioy it would be a notable inducement to moue them to take vpon them their holy profession and to resolue that they will follow and ioyne with them in the practice of those duties in which they discerne such pleasure and comfort §. Sect. 3 That no ioy of worldlings is comparable to that which is in Christians But that those who affect such melancholike heauinesse purposely banish both out of their hearts and countenances all ioy and mirth
saith that the redeemed of the Lord shall returne and come with singing vnto Sion and euerlasting Esa 51. 11. ioy shall be vpon their heads they shall obtaine gladnesse and ioy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away They are called to the Marriage of the Math. 22. 2. Kings Sonne and feasted with a delicious banquet of his speciall fauours and none but they haue communion with Christ that they may reioyce Cant. 2. 4 5. and solace themselues in the fruition of his loue They and none besides are iustified of Gods free grace through the righteousnesse and obedience of Iesus Christ and therefore haue cause to be of good comfort seeing Math. 9. 2. their sinnes are forgiuen them So the faithfull professe that they would greatly reioyce in the Lord and that their soules should be ioyfull in their God Esa 61. 10. because he had clothed them with the garment of saluation and couered them with the robe of righteousnesse as a Bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with her Iewels They also haue cause aboue all others of ioy and reioycing in that they are reconciled vnto God by Iesus Christ and are at peace with him and with their owne consciences Rom. 5. 1 3. in which respect they haue iust cause of glorying in their tribulations for this peace with God passeth all vnderstanding and his loue is Phil. 4. 7. Cant. 1. 2. better then wine refreshing and cheering our harts more then all the cold qualmes of worldly crosses can daunt and dismay them seeing by Gods loue towards vs and our loue towards him wee haue this priuiledge that all things shall worke together for our good They alone haue the Spirit of Rom. 8. 28. God dwelling in them which worketh in their hearts this spirituall ioy Gal. 5. 22. and by vniting them vnto Christ and through him vnto God his Father the Authour and Fountaine of all goodnesse blessednesse and ioy doth giue vnto them cause sufficient of triumphing with ioy vnspeakable and Esa 51. 12. glorious in the fruition of all happinesse through this sweet and happy communion Finally the faithfull onely who serue and please God haue hope and assurance of eternall blessednesse in the Kingdome of heauen when all teares being wiped away from their eyes they shall bee comforted Apoc. 21. 4. after their mourning and after their weeping laugh and reioyce For Math. 5. 4. the Lord will shew them the path of life and cause them to inioy in his presence Luk. 6. 21. fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euermore In which regard Psal 16. 11. the godly in this assurance of faith haue as much greater and better cause of reioycing aboue all worldlings who abound in their present possessions of earthly wealth and wallow themselues in voluptuous pleasures as a young heire in his nonage who expecteth the inheritance of some goodly Lordship or if you will some great and glorious Monarchy hath more cause of reioycing then a poore cotager in a silly tenement in which for the present he dwelleth but yet onely holdeth it at the Landlords pleasure For there we shall haue riches and treasures which Mat. 6. 19 20. cannot rust with canker nor we be robbed of them by theeues there are honours subiect to no blemish of disgrace and pleasures for euermore In all which respects let the righteous be glad as the Psalmist exhorteth let Psal 68. 3. them reioyce before God yea let them exceedingly reioyce And that not by fits and flashes but at all times and vpon all occasions according to that of the Apostle Reioyce euermore Neither is there any time vnseasonable for 1. Thes 5. 16. the spirituall ioy of the righteous so long as they haue the face and fauour of God shining vpon them which is all-sufficient in it selfe to turne all their mourning into mirth and their sorrow into gladnesse euen when they are sore pinched and pressed with the waight of their afflictions and cause them to reioyce inwardly in their hearts when their cheekes are bedewed with their teares Heerein quite contrary to the wicked who reioyce in the face but not in the heart whereas the faithfull 2. Cor. 5. 12. doe inwardly glory euen in their tribulations which notwithstanding being bitter and vnpleasant to the flesh do make them to discouer nothing but griefe in their outward countenance Yea sorrow for sinne it selfe when as wee mourne as a man mourneth for the death of his onely sonne and first borne doth not abate our spirituall ioy yea in truth it doth much increase it for this godly sorrow worketh repentance to saluation not to 2. Cor. 7. 10. be repented of and causeth the true Christian exceedingly to reioyce in that he can heartily grieue because by his sinnes hee hath displeased his God And this trembling in the sight and sense of our sinnes and the Iudgements of God due vnto them may through faith assuring vs that by Christ we are freed from them be ioyned with inward gladnesse according to that of the Psalmist Serue the Lord with feare and reioyce Psal 2. 11. with trembling §. Sect. 7 An admonition to the faithfull to lay hâ—ld on this ioyfull priuiledge and to shake off sorrow and sadnesse By all which it appeareth that godlinesse doth not depriue any of ioy and gladnesse yea rather the more godly we are the better right and title we haue vnto it and may iustly exceed all others as much in mirth and cheerfulnesse as we haue in vs more then they the causes of all sound and solid reioycing The which as it should perswade all who are yet vnresolued to enter without delay into this Christian course that they may attaine vnto this high and excellent priuiledge and not suffer themselues to be any longer discouraged with this vaine and false conceit that they must leaue all their chiefest ioyes when they leaue and forsake the pleasures of sinne so should it mooue those who haue a desire and purpose to serue and please God to lay hold of this ioyfull priuiledge seeing God freely offereth it vnto them and not any longer to please themselues with their melancholike dumpes and affected sadnesse as though they were greatest proficients in mortification when they most exceed in lumpish heauines which needs to be mortified as well as any other carnall affection that in stead thereof our hearts may bee replenished with spirituall ioy For hereby they doe not onely exceedingly discredit and disgrace a godly life and by casting vpon it this false aspersion of sorrow and sadnes discourage others from entring into it but also make it to become so tedious and troublesome harsh and vnpleasant that they cannot proceed in it without much vncomfortablenesse nor performe the duties of Gods seruice with any cheerfulnesse and delight when as their spirits are dulled and deaded with this mournfull and deiected heauinesse
Prayers Meditations in praysing God and singing Psalmes not for custome but for conscience sake not to make themselues merrie and passe the time with lesse tediousnesse but out of a pure desire to glorifie God or to entertaine one another with Religious discourses and holy conferences those whose mindes are taken vp with litterall studies and speculations can no more intend the spirituall exercises of Christian deuotion then they can at the same time suppe and blow because the powers of the minde being finite cannot intend many things at once The which as I thinke is a chiefe cause why the acutest Schoolemen and greatest most learned Doctors in high mysteries and curious speculations are oftentimes most cold in deuotion and most negligent in the practice of holy duties although they are able to teach them vnto others CAP. XIX Their obiection answered who excuse their neglect of Religious duties vnder pretence that the times and places wherein they liue are full of corruption §. Sect. 1 That the corruption of the times is a strong tentation to withdraw vs from godlinesse MAny other are the obiections which the flesh maketh to hinder vs from the profession of piety and the practice of it in the duties of a godly life And first it is ready to obiect that the times and places in which we liue and the persons with whom we dayly conuerse are so corrupt and sinfull that it is almost impossible we should liue so strictly as it were otherwise to be wished and not be tainted and infected with the common corruptions For the occasions of sinning are so ordinarie and manifold the prouocations pressed vpon vs by wicked worldlings so strong and forcible the euill examples which are dayly before our eyes so hurtfull and pernitious as powerfully drawing vs to imitation the neglect and contempt of sincerity and piety and the practice of it in the duties of a godly life so vsuall and almost vniuersall that he who resolueth to take a different and contrarie course then that which is imbraced and applauded by the multitude must seeme to go alone to tire and spend his strength in vaine by swimming against the streame and rowing as it were against the winde and tyde Yea by liuing innocently and obseruing iustice and righteousnesse in all his dealings what shall he gaine hereby but expose himselfe to become a prey as the Prophet speaketh Besides Esa 59. 15. with what great discouragements shall the godly meete in such times and places How are they wondred at and pursued like Owles by little birds How shall they bee crossed in all their preferments though they deserue neuer so well because they doe not follow the current of the times and make conscience of taking those corrupt courses and vsing those vnlawfull meanes whereby others rise How shall they bee maligned and reproched opposed and persecuted if they refuse to run on with others into the same excesse of riot To which I answere that it cannot be denyed but that these are strong tentations and great discouragements which hinder many from the profession of Religion and the practice of it in Christian duties The which our Sauiour himselfe implyeth where hee saith that because in the latter times iniquity shall abound the loue of many shall waxe cold Matth. 24. 12. And the Apostle likewise where he calleth the last dayes perilous times 2. Tim. 3. 1. in regard of those manifold enormious sins which should then raigne For as it is a difficult thing in a generall plague when men draw in dayly the infected ayre to continue sound and healthy so is it no lesse hard in the common corruption of life and manners to continue in our integrity and holinesse of conuersation But yet howsoeuer hypocrites and time-seruers stumble and fall at this stone of offence for want of Christian resolution and because they loue the things of this present life better then spirituall grace or heauenly glory yet the faithfull must not be daunted and dismayed with these discouragements seeing our Sauiour hath fore-warned them to expect no other and so fore-armed them against they come Yea he hath prouided cordials of comfort against these cold qualmes of earthly calamities and as he hath foretold the worlds rage and malice against vs so he hath put courage into vs by assuring vs that he hath ouercome the World As hee hath taught vs that the way is narrow the gate straight that leadeth to happines Ioh. 6. 33. Acts 14. 22. and that by many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of heauen so hee hath done it not to this end that we should straine courtesie and pretend excuses of difficulty but to arme our resolution and to make vs striue to goe in this way and to enter into this gate because if wee cannot deny the world and our selues also we cannot be his Disciples nor euer raigne with him vnlesse wee are also willing to suffer with 2. Tim. 2. 12. him Againe the Lord hath giuen vs expresse charge that we should not regard a multitude to follow them in euill that wee should saue our selues Exod. 23. 1. from this vntoward generation that when we see the vnfruitful works of darknesse Abs 2. 40. we should not thereby take occasion to haue fellowship with them Ephe. 5. 11 15. but rather reproue them that when our waies are layd full of the snares of sinne wee looke the better to our footing and walke so much the more circumspectly not vsing the euilnesse of the dayes as an inducement vnto sinne but rather of redeeming the time by doubling our Verse 16. diligence in all Christian duties And as those who liue in infectious places doe not if they be wise grow carelesse and desperate but vse rather their best preseruatiues to keepe out the pestilent ayre and the best dyet they can to keepe them in health so must we vse the like care for our soules in the like case Which if we neglect to doe wee shall euidently declare that what shew soeuer wee make to the contrary the times and wee are well agreed and that there is not much lesse corruption within vs then we see without vs so that vnlesse God should change our hearts we would not by the change of the place and company be much changed §. Sect. 2 That though it be hard to flesh blood to liue religiously in corrupt times yet it is possible yea easie to the regenerate It is indeede in respect of flesh and blood an hard thing and almost impossible to liue as Lambes among Wolues and to retayne the sweetnesse of innocency when like that Riuer which histories speake of wee run thorow a salt sea of worldly wickednesse but what is impossible to nature is possible to grace and much more to the God of all grace and goodnesse who hath promised to assist and to establish vs in euery good worke when once wee are thorowly resolued to
their pursuers in secret corners and solitary places And of many others in our owne times who being necessarily debarred of all publique helpes discountenanced discouraged in their godly courses by those which should be their guides and leaders yet being inwardly furnished with sauing graces doe outwardly exercise them in all religious holy duties For howsoeuer the publike Ministery is the ordinary means to begin as also to preserue and increase Gods graces in vs and to giue vnto vs not onely birth and spirituall life but also growth and strength whereby wee are enabled vnto all duties of a godly life so that whosoeuer neglect it when they may haue it can neuer looke to thriue in grace or to haue any ability to serue God in any acceptable maner because they despise his holy Ordinances fancying vnto themselues alife which needeth no nourishment yet we must hold it to be but a meanes and instrument wherby God who is the supreme cause chiefe Agent is pleased ordinarily to worke but yet when he depriueth vs of them can effect his owne good worke of grace and sanctification either without them or when they are weake and insufficient as well as with them and when they are most excellent in greatest plenty Of the other we haue an exāple in Iudas who being full of inward corruption could not thriue no not vnder Christs owne Ministery and Demas Ananias and Sapphira vnder the Ministery of the Apostles who performed no acceptable seruice vnto God by all these helpes because their hearts were not sincere vpright but stil remained carnall defiled with worldly loue Yea we may haue experience of it in many vnthriuing Christians of these times who though they liue vnder a most powerfull and excellent Ministery abound in all the spirituall meanes of grace and saluation yet remaine as worldly and carnall as auerse and backward vnto all duties of a godly life as those who are vtterly destitute of them §. Sect. 6 Their obiection answered who pretend that it is not safe to be more forward then other men Finally men mis-led by carnall corruption are ready to excuse thēselues for not entring into the course of Christianity though their iudgements are conuinced of this truth that it is aboue all others most excellent profitable and necessary by obiecting that it is neither good nor safe to make greater profession then other men or to be more strict in our liues then ordinarie Christians because we are not sure that we shall be able to hold out in our sincerity and holy practice and if we should relapse our latter end would be worse then our beginning Neither can we tell in respect of humane frailty whether we may not fall into some grieuous and haynous sinnes or at least such as are contrary to our strict profession which if we doe our faults will be more obserued in vs though they would be little regarded in ordinary men and more bitterly censured and condemned yea wee our selues shall be a wonderment to all that know vs and both shame our selues and our profession To which I answer first that none can make any greater profession of strict performing all Christian duties then that which we all make at our Baptisme when we enter into couenant with God that we will renounce the seruice of sin and Satan the world and our owne sinfull lusts and betake our selues wholy to the seruice of God in all duties of holinesse and righteousnes Which if we doe not all still make and renue vpon all occasions what doe we but disgrace our selues by casting off our Lords liuerie denying and renouncing our promise and profession and returning into the ancient seruitude of sinne and Satan Yea what doe we else but dayly play the hypocrites when as praying that wee may doe Gods will in earth in that purity and perfection which the Saints and holy Angels doe it in heauen and that we may serue God in holinesse righteousnes and sobriety all the dayes of our liues we are notwithstanding so farre from desiring or going about it that we are ashamed to professe that we haue any such meaning Secondly I answer that wee are all bound one as well as another to make this profession of holinesse and sincerity neither is it left vnto vs as a thing arbitrarie and at our owne choyce but expresly commanded and enioyned that we should glorifie God by professing our selues his seruants and liuing according to this profession which none refuseth to doe but such as are destitute of a liuely Faith whereby we are assured that God is in Christ our gracious Lord and Father and we his seruants and people for as with the Rom. 10. 10. heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse so with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation According to that of Dauid I beleeued therefore haue I Psal 116. 10. spoken Thirdly I answer that feare of falling away or of being ouertaken with some grosse sinnes must not hinder our profession and practice of piety but rather this profession and practice must therefore be vndertaken that we may hereby be moued more carefully to vse all good meanes of perseuering in all grace and godlinesse and to obserue our wayes with greater diligence and make straight steps vnto our feete that wee doe not slippe nor hault nor turne aside out of the way And if wee with these mindes take vpon vs the profession of Christianity and indeuour to bring forth the fruits of it in our holy practice the Lord who hath begunne this good worke in vs will also finish it he will vphold vs that wee shall not greatly fall or if wee doe yet hee will not suffer vs to lie still and perish but will so assist vs with his grace and holy Spirit that wee shall rise againe by vnfained repentance In the meane time no man hath iust cause to wonder if wee fall through infirmitie though it be into some greater sinnes then many commit who make little or no profession at all if either he consider humane frailty common to all the reliques of corruption remayning still in vs after regeneration and the combat which thence ariseth betweene the flesh and the Spirit that sometime preuailing and this againe getteth the vpper hand the malice of the deuill who most fiercely assaulteth with his tentations those who haue renounced his seruice and in whom the Image of God most clearely shineth or else the examples of the Saints in former ages who haue beene subiect to like frailties and infirmities though they were iust and vpright in all their waies and men in their ordinary and common carriage according to Gods own heart and haue beene sometimes though rarely ouertaken with grosse sins as Noah Lot Dauid Peter and the rest And therefore it is no maruaile if wee likewise haue our slips and falls yea rather it is a great wonder if we who come so far short of them in grace and obedience should stand in
in the Canticles I sleepe but my heart waketh or like Cant. 5. 2. vnto the sleepe or rather disease in sleepe which Physicians call Ephialtes wherein they feele this waight of carnall securitie lying heauy vpon their hearts and striue with all their might to shake it off but are notable till God assist them by his Spirit and throughly awaken them by his Word For the faithfull in this securitie doe carefully and conscionably vse the meanes whereby they may be freed from it as the diligent hearing of the Word Meditation Prayer and such like and are much grieued in themselues that they performe these duties with so much dulnesse and drowsinesse and that they so little profit by them And this was the case of Dauid who being somwhat awakned by Nathan doth flye vnto God by Prayer desiring to bee awakned more throughly and to be more and more quickned by Gods Spirit and to recouer the operations and feelings of it which were so much abated in him Create saith he in me a cleane heart O God and Psal 51. 10. renew a right Spirit within me Cast me not away from thy Presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and vphold me with thy free Spirit And againe My soule cleaueth vnto Psal 119. 25. 88. the dust quicken thou me according to thy Word Quicken mee after thy louing kindnesse so shall I keepe the testimonie of thy mouth So the Church complayneth vnto God of this securitie and hardnesse of heart O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy Wayes and Esa 63. 17. hardned our heart from thy feare Returne for thy seruants sake the Tribes of thine Inheritance §. 6 Of the causes of carnall securitie in the faithfull First prosperitie worldly or spirituall Now the causes of this carnall securitie in the Faithfull are principally these First their abuse of worldly prosperitie and temporall benefits with which God hath blessed them when as being in themselues common gifts which hee bestoweth as often and in as great plentie vpon the wicked as the godly they notwithstanding esteeme them as speciall Testimonies and Pledges of his loue and so out of this false ground conclude that hee will watch ouer them with his Prouidence and keepe them still in this flourishing estate safe and sure from all afflictions and troubles which mooueth the Lord that hee may waken them out of this securitie in which they were more apt to rest vpon his gifts then vpon the Giuer or at least vpon the Giuer for the gifts sake to depriue them of this prosperitie in which they trust and to hide his Face from them in respect of those earthly pledges of his loue As wee see in the example of Dauid I said saith he in my Psal 30. 6. prosperitie I shall neuer be moued thou Lord of thy fauour hast made my Mountayne to stand so strong that is Thou hast so established my Kingdome euen as Mount Sion the seate thereof which cannot be remoued But thou diddest hide thy Face and I was troubled In which securitie 2. San. 24. Dauid was when he numbred the people trusting ouer-much in the arme of Flesh and multitude of his Subiects but was awakened out of this sleepe by the message of the Prophet and that grieuous plague whereby so many of them were destroyed Yea sometime this carnall securitie in them is caused through their spirituall prosperitie and the ioyfull feelings of Gods fauour in the pledges of sauing graces which maketh them to thinke these comforts will alwayes last and that in the strength of them they shall hold out in the profession and practise of true godlinesse vnto the end and so rest more vpon the Springs or Streames of these sanctifying Graces then vpon God himselfe who is the Fountayne of them Which moueth the Lord to stop the course by spirituall desertions as it were at the head of the Riuer and to giue them ouer to their owne strength without any flow of fresh supply whereupon these streames in their sense and feeling are soone wasted with the scorching heate of tentations so as they returne to their naturall drynesse And to this securitie new Conuerts are most subiect who like fresh-water Souldiers thinke that they haue wholly conquered all their spirituall Enemies because they haue gotten the better of them in some light skirmishes and that they are sure and firme for euer falling because they haue such feelings of Gods assistance and the ioy and comfort that doth accompany it whereas in truth God tendring their child-hood and weaknesse doth hold them vp in their wayes because hee would not at their first venturing to goe haue them discouraged by their falls and knowing that like vntryed Souldiers they are faint-hearted and easily discouraged from fighting in the spirituall warfare he giues them victorie in some small skirmishes that they may be heartned to indure constantly and couragiously in sorer conflicts The which they misse-construing and attributing too much vnto their owne strength and valour the Lord to driue them from this ill-grounded securitie doth leaue them to themselues and suffereth them to fall and to bee ouertaken with some danger vpon which they become oftentimes in the sight and sense of their weaknesse as cowardly and fearefull as they were before confident and couragious and vncomfortably complaine as men forlorne and forsaken of all hope And this an ancient Father well obserued Some saith hee thinke the sweetnesse of their imitation Quidam dulcedinâ—m incheationis putant sublimiâ—aâ—em confirmationis ideò cum tentatio sâ—quitur derelictos se à Deo putant Greg. in Moral lib. 24. cap. 7. the height of their confirmation and therefore when a tentation followeth they iudge that they are vtterly forsaken of God And againe For the most part euery one newly conuerted herein slippeth and fayleth that whilest hee is entertayned with the sweet sense of some gifts of grace for his initiation or entrance into the course of Christianitie hee thinketh that hee hath attayned vnto the confirmation of perfection and esteemeth it the consummation of full measure not knowing that they are but the allurements of inchoation whereof it commeth to passe that whilest he is touched and shaken with the tempest of some tentation he suspecteth himselfe to bee despised of God and in the high way to vtter destruction whereas if hee would not giue too much credit to the comforts of his first entrance he would in his prosperitie prepare his mind to indure aduersitie and would afterwards so much the more firmely resist Vices comming to incounter him by how much hee had more wisely foreseene them §. 7 The second cause is spirituall pride Another cause of carnall securitie in the faithfull much like vnto the former is spirituall Pride whereby they ouer-weene their owne abilities and the measure and strength of their gifts and graces receiued And so leauing their onely sure dependancy
giueth life and vigour to that which bred it Euen as wee see in some Herbs and Flowers the Roote giueth life to the Leaues and Branches which spring from it and they being growne the Roote againe liueth in them and dyeth when they are plucked from it As for example contempt of Gods Word causeth Securitie and Securitie being entred into the heart causeth the Word to be the more contemned §. 2 The first signe of carnall securitie is ignorance of God and his Attributes The first signe then of carnall securitie is when men are grosly ignorant either through blindnesse of nature or affectation So that we may vndoubtedly conclude that if Ignorance be seated in the head Securitie holdeth his residence in the heart For were they not secure they could not content themselues to liue in this damnable estate quite destitute of all sauing Grace or sound assurance and hope of eternall saluation but would vse all meanes to come out of it and to attayne vnto the sauing knowledge of God and his will Againe of contraries there is the same reason But the true feare of God is caused by sauing Knowledge and this Knowledge is an infallible signe of Gods feare Yea these are mutuall causes one of another for Knowledge is the cause why we feare God and the feare of God is as the Pro. 1. 7. wise Man saith the beginning of Knowledge Whereof it is that Psal 111. 10. the Law of God is called the feare of God because this feare is wrought Psal 19. 9. in vs by the knowledge of it So Moses is commanded to gather the Deut. 31. 12. 4. 10. people together that they may heare and learne the feare of the Lord their God As therefore the light of sauing Knowledge discouereth the habitation of Gods true feare so the fogs of Ignorance which blind the mind plainly shew to them who haue spirituall discerning that carnall securitie lodgeth in that heart Neither is there any meanes to be freed from that securitie which is naturally borne and bred with vs till we know and acknowledge our manifold sinnes whereby we haue grieuously transgressed Gods Law and made our selues subiect to the curse thereof as also the Iustice Power and Truth of God whereby he is both able willing and resolued to punish them who continue in their sinnes without repentance §. 3 The second signe is when wee are forgetfull of God and his Attributes The second signe of carnall securitie is forgetfulnesse of God and his Attributes when as we seldome or neuer remember or thinke of his Omnipresence and all-seeing Wisdome beholding vs at all times and in all our actions his Iustice and hatred of sinne and those that liue in it his Mercy Goodnesse and loue of Holinesse and Righteousnesse extended to those that feare and serue him or finally of the last Iudgement when as we must giue a strict account of all which we haue done in the flesh before a iust and vnpartiall Iudge which will not let Vertue goe vnrewarded nor Sinne vnpunished For as we would thinke that Malefactor most secure and retchlesse who being liable to the Law guiltie of haynous crimes and bound ouer to giue an account of all his offences the next Assizes before an vpright Iudge should spend his time in drinking and reuelling pleasure and delight and neuer thinke of the day of his Arraignment nor how he may so answere for himselfe that he may escape the sentence of death or procure his Pardon so much more is he to be thought not onely asleepe but euen starke dead in his securitie who neuer calleth to mind either his owne sinnes or Gods Iustice and righteous Iudgements or those eternall Punishments vnto which he is liable and shall neuer escape if in this life he hath not procured his Pardon by Faith in Christ and bringing forth the fruits of it in vnfayned repentance §. 4 The third signe Pride and self-Confidence The third signe is Pride and selfe-Confidence For as the true feare of God and Humilitie are alwayes ioyned together and are mutuall causes one of another so that the more humble we are the more we feare God and the more that we feare him the more we humble our selues in his sight because they both proceed from the same Roote and are streames of the same Fountayne namely the sauing Knowledge of Gods Wisedome Power Iustice Goodnesse Truth and our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse So Securitie and Pride accompanie one another neither could we euer be secure if Pride did not possesse our hearts making vs to ouer-weene our gifts and to thinke our estate better then it is Neither could we euer be lifted vp with pride if Securitie did not shut our eyes and stupifie our senses so as we cannot see or discerne how little cause we haue of being exalted and how great and manifold of deiection and humiliation So confidence in our selues as in our owne wisedome strength merits and worthinesse is a notable signe of carnall securitie euen as diffidence in our selues and affiance in God is a sure signe of his feare and therefore they are ioyned by the Psalmist Ye that feare the Lord trust in the Psal 115. 11. Lord. For who would not thinke him most deeply secure who being assaulted by a mightie Enemie armed at all points should trust in a Reede and paper Buckler presuming that they are sufficient not onely for defence but also obtayning victorie especially if at the same time he should refuse Armor of proofe and approued weapons being offered vnto him But such and farre greater is their securitie who being to fight against not onely worldly Enemies but spirituall euen the wrath of God the curse of the Law and the tentations of the Deuill trust in the bruised Reede of their wisedome and strength and in the paper Buckler of their owne works and worthinesse refusing in the meane time the sure defence of Gods wisedome power and gracious assistance and the all-sufficient Shield of his free Grace and Mercy and Merits and Obedience of Iesus Christ §. 5 The fourth signe abuse of prosperitie The fourth signe is when being in worldly prosperitie we abuse it to pride and carnall presumption saying with the Wicked Wee shall Psal 10. 6. neuer be moued nor euer see aduersitie For what greater securitie then to presume of standing in such slippery places in which we haue seene so many fall before vs to thinke that we can keepe the Sea in one setled course whose nature is to ebbe and flow to keepe the Moone constant and alwayes at the full whose nature is to change encrease and wane or to thinke that we shall haue for a long time firme fruition of these earthly vanities when as both they and we are so mutable and momentanie as that euery day we are in danger to be taken from them or they from vs what greater securitie then to be proud of a flitting shadow and to presume of our safetie which
warned to shake off securitie and to enioy our present prosperitie with temperance and sobrietie §. 7 The seuenth remedie is to meditate on the tentations and sufferings of Christ The seuenth meanes is to remember and meditate often on the tentations afflictions and sufferings of Christ For what place is there for carnall securitie if wee consider that the spirituall enemies of our saluation durst set vpon Christ our Head in whom there was no matter of corruption to worke vpon and from whom they receiued so many foiles If they spared not to cast their darts of tentations against this impregnable Fort and Pillar of strength how much more against vs who are but flesh and blood and apt to be pierced through our weakenesse and corruption And if they presumed to cast their hellish wild-fire against him whose pure nature it could not touch nor taint but was presently exstinguished as if it had fallen into the sea what are wee to expect whose corruption like vnto touch-wood or tinder is easily set on fire what assaults what wounds and foiles are Eph. 6. 10 11. we to feare if we be not alwaies prepared strengthening our selues in the Lord and in the power of his might and keeping the Christian Armour close buckled vnto vs Besides meditation vpon Christs Passion and Sufferings is a notable meanes to preserue vs from securitie For if Gods Iustice be so exact and if his most pure nature so abhorred sinne that he punished it thus seuerely in his onely begotten and dearely beloued Sonne how shall wee escape if by a liuely faith wee be not vnited vnto Christ and so made partakers of his satisfaction and obedience bringing forth the fruits of this faith in hearty repentance and amendment of life Againe if Chsist our Head were exposed to so many dangers and in his whole life indured so many and grieuous afflictions what place of securitie is there vnto vs who are members of his bodie For if they haue done these Luk. 22 31. things to the greene tree what shall be done to the drie If they haue thus vsed our Lord and Master they will not spare the poore seruants of his familie for as our Sauiour sayth The Disciple is not aboue his Math. 10. 24 25. Ioh. 13. 16. Master nor the Seruant is not better then his Lord. Yea what securitie can we haue as though we were in no danger of crosses and troubles when as the Scriptures plainly teach vs that as Christ our Head hath thus suffered so likewise we his members must suffer with him That wee are predestinate by God to be conformed to the image of his Sonne first Rom. 8. 29. in his sufferings and then in his glorie That by many tribulattons we Act. 14. 22. must enter into the Kingdome of God That if we will liue Godly in Christ 2. Tim. 3. 12. 2. 12. we must suffer persecution That if we will reigne with Christ we must first suffer with him That whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth and Heb. 12. 6 8. scourgeth euery sonne whom he receiueth and if we be without chastisements whereof all are partakers wee are bastards and no sonnes In which regard we haue no reason no not in our greatest prosperitie to be secure seeing wee are daily in danger of these crosses and afflictions which if wee altogether escape and passe all our dayes in peace and ease plentie and prosperitie then haue wee least cause of all to be secure Psal 17. 14. for it is the greatest affliction not at all to be afflicted seeing wee Luk. 16. 25. may iustly feare that wee are bastards and no sonnes in that our heauenly Father correcteth vs not that with the wicked wee haue our portion in this life and with the well fed Oxe are fatted for the slaughter §. 8 The eighth remedie is to consider that securitie in this life is vnseasonable The eighth meanes is to remember and consider that in this life there is no time nor place for securitie but we are then to expect true securitie when we are come safe to our heauenly home For wee are now Pilgrims and Trauellours that continually are in danger to fall into the hands of Theeues who will robbe and spoile vs not only of temporall blessings but of the rich treasures of spirituall graces Wee are not yet in the Hauen but in a dangerous Sea tossed and turmoiled with the tempests of trouble and therefore wee must not giue our selues to securitie and rest but bee alway preparing against a storme Wee are now Exiles among strangers that loue vs not and therefore are readie to spie all aduantages to doe vs hurt in which regard wee had need not to sleepe in securitie but to keepe a good watch and to stand vpon our guard that we be not surprized at vnawares Wee are in the Christian warfare sighting against the many and mightie politique and malicious enemies of our saluation and therefore in the putting on of our Armour wee must not take vnto vs that securitie which is onely fit and seasonable when we put it off wee must not carrie our selues in the day of battaile as in the day of triumph nor blesse 2. King 2. 11. Quousque vicino serpente tua malè secura dormitat industria Bernard Epist Nulla est securitas vicino serpente dormire Hieronym Vbi est maxima securitas ibi maximum est periculum August in Psal 99 Iam quidem per conuersionem rubrum mare transitum est c. Gregor lib. 24. cap. 7. August confes lib. 10. cap. 32. col 178. Vbi est securitas Hic nusquam i◠ista vita nusquam c. in Psal 99. cap. 8. c. 1116. our selues as though we were free from all dangers when as wee are on all sides encompassed with them There is no place to sleepe in securitie when the old Serpent is so neere vnto vs for in this case the greater securitie the greater danger And though as one sayth wee haue by our conuersion passed the Red-sea yet in the Wildernesse of this present life wee shall not want enemies to set vpon vs. Wee haue left behind vs our sinnes past as it were the Egyptians drowned vpon the Shoare but yet hurtfull vices and corruptions as it were other enemies encounter vs and seeke to stop our passage as wee are trauelling towards the Land of Canaan Now our former faults like pursuing enemies onely by the Diuine vertue assisting vs are slaughtered but the prickes of tentations as it were other enemies come in the front which cannot be vanquished without our diligence and labour No man sayth Austine ought to be secure in this life which wholly is called a tentation lest hee which of worse might become better of better become worse There is but one hope one trust one firme promise and assurance euen thy mercies And againe Where sayth he is securitie no where in this life but onely in the hope of Gods promises but
it alwayes produceth euill and pernicious effects as hath sufficiently beene shewed in the former discourse But besides this there is a Securitie which is good and warrantable commendable and to be desired and imbraced of vs grounded on iust causes and rightly assumed of those vnto whom of due it appertayneth namely the securitie of the faithfull hauing its foundation not vpon any thing in themselues or any inferiour meanes and secundarie causes but vpon God alone his Power Prouidence and Promises made vnto them in Iesus Christ For after that wee are regenerate by the Spirit of God and being reconciled are become his Children by adoption and grace and so like Children in the fauour of our heauenly Father and receiued vnder the couert of his protection then beginneth that created Securitie which was in the state of Innocency to be renued in vs the which though we cannot attayne vnto in the highest perfection in this life because our knowledge faith and loue which should cast out all feare are imperfect yet is it much firmer surer and more permanent then that of our first Parents because that rested on the condition of their obedience and this vpon the freedom of their will which was mutable and changeable but this renued securitie resteth vpon the couenant of Grace made in Christ and his Righteousnesse and Obedience which are vnchangeable and euerlasting and hath no condition on our part but a liuely faith bringing forth fruits of vnfayned repentance and these Graces also are the free gifts of God which after he hath once bestowed he neuer againe taketh Rom. 11. 29. from vs. And this securitie euery Christian ought to labour after and so much the rather because we shall neuer be freed from that carnall securitie which is so dangerous and pernicious before we haue giuen entertaynment vnto this other in our hearts For some shelter Man naturally desireth and will haue vnder which shrowding himselfe he may be safe either in Truth or in Opinion and so freed from horrors and feares which otherwise like hellish Furies would haunt and vexe him Which was the cause as I haue shewed why our first Parents being depriued through their fall of their created securitie grounded vpon the knowledge and remembrance of God and his sauing Attributes were so apt to be abused by Satan imposing in stead thereof a false and counterfait securitie contrariwise grounded on ignorance and forgetfulnesse which whilest through the blindnesse of their minds it freed them from feare because the causes of their feare could not be discerned by them it did expose them to much the greater danger because they were in the case of those who are in the time of their sleepe assaulted with many mightie and malicious Enemies and doe not so much as dreame of their approching But yet such is mans nature that he had rather be couered with Fig-leaues then haue no clothing and haue in his hands a Reed and paper Buckler which haue no strength to defend him but what he giueth them by a false opinion rather then no weapons at all and will choose rather a counterfait securitie which may serue for the present to preserue him from true horrors and feares that he may not be tormented before the time rather then hee will haue none at all In which respects it is the onely way when we would perswade men to cast off carnall securitie to offer them in stead thereof Christian securitie which deliuereth from all dangers not onely in shew and opinion but also in Deed and Truth excelling the other in worth more then massie gold a rotten gilded post and in strength more then Armour of proofe a painted shadow or an impregnable Fort a paper Wall §. 2 The description of spirituall Securitie And to this purpose I thought it necessary to adde something of it to the former discourse hoping that men wil with more ease be moued to cast away that intoxicating and pernicious poyson which maketh them to sleepe out the tortures of an euil conscience depriueth them of their senses that with them it may take away their feares when in stead thereof I offer vnto them this soueraigne Cordiall which will expell them and arme the heart with true Christian courage and resolution In speaking whereof I will first shew what it is the nature causes and effects of it and then the meanes whereby wee may be enriched with this inestimable treasure Concerning the first it may be thus described Christian securitie is a grace of God following our regeneration iustification and peace with him through Iesus Christ whereby acknowledging beleeuing and remembring the all-seeing wisedome omnipotent power infinite goodnesse and mercie of God towards vs in Christ wee doe without carnall and seruile feare in all estates and at all times rest quietly and contentedly vpon his promises and prouidence for the supplying of all our wants protection from all dangers and deliuerance from all euils §. 3 That God is the authour of spirituall securitie In which description I shew first the Fountaine from which it springeth not from nature whose poisonous breasts doe now giue no such milke not from our owne wisedome power endeauours or any worldly causes or secundarie meanes but from God himselfe the Author and Fountaine of euery good and perfect gift who of his free grace bestoweth this blessing vpon those that feare and serue him And Iam. 1. 17. as it proceedeth from him so vpon him as the only sure foundation it resteth and relyeth and not on humane pollicie and strength or any creature or earthly thing whatsoeuer So the Lord propoundeth this ground of Christian courage and securitie and no other Feare thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen Esa 41. 10. 13. Ier. 30. 10. 46. 27 28. Heb. 13. 5 6. Psal 3. 5 6. 4. 8. thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will vphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying vnto thee feare not I will helpe And vpon this alone holy Dauid securely resteth I layd mee downe and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained mee I will not be afraid of ten thousand of people that haue set themselues against me round about And againe I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe for thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safetie Yea though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no Psal 23. 4. euill for thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comfort mee And elsewhere The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare Psal 27. 1 3. The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host should encampe against mee my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against mee in this will I be confident And in another place What time I am afraid I will trust in
themselues against mee round about The Lord Psal 27. 1 3. is my light and saluation whom shall I feare the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host should encampe against mee my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against me in this I will be confident And with the Church God is our refuge and strength a very Psal 46. 1 2. present helpe in trouble therefore will wee not feare though the earth be remooued and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea So in the time not onely of worldly prosperitie when God hedgeth him in on all sides with the pledges of his loue but also of affliction trouble and persecution hee is secure in the assurance of Gods fauour because he knoweth that these are signes of his adoption Rom. 8. 28. and that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them that are the Called according to his purpose That vers 35. Afflictions Tribulation Distresse Persecution Famine Nakednesse Perill or Sword shall not bee able to separate him from the loue of Christ That they doe not hinder but further him in the way to euerlasting happinesse For by many tribulations we must enter into the Act. 14. 22. Kingdome of God wee must first suffer with Christ that afterwards 2. Tim. 2. 12. wee may raigne with him and these short and momentanie afflictions 2. Cor. 4. 17. shall cause vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall waight of glorie That they are not vnto them effects of the Legall curse but assurances of euerlasting Blessednes according to that of Dauid Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out Psal 94. 12. of thy Law And of the Apostle Peter If yee suffer for Righteousnesse Pet. 3. 14. happy are yee and bee not afraid of their terrour neither bee yee troubled And of the Apostle Iames Blessed is the man that indureth Iam. 1. 12. tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the Crowne of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him And finally that of our Sauiour Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousnesse Matth. 5. 10 11. sake for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Blessed are yee when men reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my sake reioyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heauen In which respects they that are iustified by Faith Rom. 5. 1 3. and haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ not onely reioyce in hope of the glorie of God and beare their afflictions with patience but euen glorie in tribulation as the Apostle speaketh In a word hee loseth not his spirituall securitie no not in the agonie of death it selfe because the Righteous hath hope in death and when hee Pro. 14. 32. is killed euen by Gods owne hand can say with Iob Though hee slay Iob 13. 15. mee yet will I trust in him And because hee knoweth that though Death bee able to separate his soule from the body yet it is not able Rom. 8. 38 39. to separate him from the loue of God in Christ Yea contrariwise it shall serue as a passage conducting him into Gods presence and hasten the fruition of this glorious Majestie and supreme goodnesse In whose presence is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are Psal 16. 11. pleasures for euer more CHAP. II. Of the Causes and Effects of spirituall Securitie §. 1 The causes of spirituall securitie respecting God HAuing shewed what spirituall Securitie is it now followeth that wee intreate of the Causes of it which are of Deus nobis haec otiasecit Virgil. Eclog. 1. two sorts the first respecting God the other our selues The chiefe and principall cause of it is Gods free grace working this spirituall securitie in our hearts that wee may with greater ioy and cheerfulnesse performe vnto him faithfull seruice when as wee are assured that though wee haue many enemies which oppose vs in it yet none shall bee able to doe vs any hurt nor hinder vs from receiuing the recompence of reward which the Lord of his free mercy and grace hath promised vnto vs. And thus Dauid acknowledgeth that it was no wisedome power or prouidence of his owne but the Lord onely that did make him dwell in safetie And that Psal 4. 1. 91. 1. he who dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide safe from all danger vnder the shadow of the Almightie Secondly we haue this securitie by the free donation and legacie of Iesus Christ who at his comming in the flesh brought this peace with him and caused it to be proclaymed by his holy Angels Glorie to God in the Highest and on Luk. 2. 14. Earth peace good will towards men And leauing the Earth bequeathed vnto the faithfull and left this peace behind him Peace I leaue with Ioh. 14. 27. you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you that is a worldly and outward peace for in the World ye shall haue Ioh. 16. 33. tribulation but a spirituall peace with God and peace of Conscience by which yee shall haue inward tranquillitie of mind and securitie from all danger in the middest of earthly troubles and therefore let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid The fruit of which peace is the securitie of all the faithfull following their regeneration and change of their nature from sauage crueltie vnto a Doue-like simplicitie and Lambe-like meeknesse one towards another according to that prophesie of Esay foretelling the state of Christs Kingdome The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye downe Esa 11. 6 7. with the Kid and the Calfe and the yong Lion and the Fatling together and a little Child shall leade them c. And the suckling Child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice Den. They shall not destroy in all mine holy Mountayne for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters that couer the Sea Thirdly we enioy this securitie by vertue of the Couenant of grace which God hath made with vs in Iesus Christ Wherein the Lord hath freely promised that he will be our God and King and we his peculiar People and Subiects of his Kingdome whom he will therefore receiue vnder his protection and preserue safe and secure from all danger and that he will be our Shepheard and we his Flocke and the Sheepe of his pasture whom he will keepe safe in his Sheepe-fold from the Wolfe Lion Beare and all other rauenous Beasts which shall attempt to hurt vs according to that of the Prophet I will saue my Flocke and they shall no more be a prey And I
will Ezech. 34. 22 to 31. set one Shepheard ouer them and he shall feede them euen my seruant Dauid that is Iesus Christ the Sonne of Dauid hee shall feede them and he shall be their Shepheard And I the Lord will be their God and my seruant Dauid a Prince among them I the Lord haue spoken it And I will make with them a couenant of peace and I will cause the euill beasts to cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the Wildernesse and sleepe in the Woods c. §. 2 The causes of spirituall securitie respecting our selues The causes of this spirituall securitie on our part are those vertues and graces receiued from God which haue the promise of it and make vs fit and capable to receiue and apprehend it when as the Lord of his free grace doth offer it vnto vs. The principall whereof is the Spirit of adoption crying in our hearts Abba Father which sealeth vp Rom. 8. 15 16. in our hearts the assurance of Gods loue and beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are children of God And if Children then Heires and Heires of God and Co-heires with Christ who as we suffer together so shall we be glorified together The which Spirit of adoption is opposed to the Spirit of bondage and freeing vs from all seruile feare doth inuest vs with the priuiledge and together with it the peace of securitie of the Children of God And this Spirit also is accompanyed with an whole Armie of spirituall Graces which taking vp and as it were manning the Fort of our hearts doe keepe them and vs safe and secure in all assaults of danger and the spirituall encounters of tentations so as they shall neuer bee able to make vs fall away or alienate vs from Gods vse So the Apostle Peter telleth vs that if we giue all diligence 2. Pet 1. 5 6 10. to make our Calling and Election sure by adding one Grace and Vertue to another this golden Chaine will so keepe and strengthen vs that we shall neuer fall that is neither from the estate of Grace in this life into the state of sinne and death nor from our assurance of the state of Glorie in the life to come into that miserable condition of condemnation and destruction §. 3 Of the particular causes of spirituall securitie first sauing knowledge But besides these Graces in generall there are speciall Graces which are the causes of this spirituall Securitie both because the promise of it is made by God vnto them and because in this respect wee become capable of it and fit to apprehend and receiue it when the Lord in mercy bestoweth it vpon vs. The first of these is the sauing Knowledge and remembrance of God and his sauing Attributes of Wisedome Power All-sufficiency Mercy Goodnesse Loue and Truth not onely as they are infinitely in God and of his Essence and Nature but as they extend and are exercised towards vs. For when we acknowledge and remember that God is infinite in all goodnesse and perfection is our God and we his Seruants and Children that he is infinite in wisedome and knoweth what is best for vs how to preuent all dangers to supply most fitly and fully all our wants and to deliuer vs most seasonably from all euill both of sinne and punishment that he is infinite in power and able to doe whatsoeuer he will and can at pleasure destroy our Enemies and defeate all their projects and purposes and arme vs with strength in our greatest weaknesse so as we shall be able to ouer-come them and withstand all their tentations that he is al-sufficient and by himselfe able to supply all our wants as well without as with meanes and a rich portion which is sufficient to make them who inioy him happy in the absence of all earthly good and presence of all temporall miseries that he is infinite in mercy goodnesse and loue towards vs in Christ and therefore as willing as able to doe that for vs which he knoweth to be best and most fit to make vs eternally happy and that he is also infinite in truth most infallibly verifying and accomplishing his Word and gracious Promises made vnto vs of Grace and Glorie temporall protection and euerlasting saluation then doe wee cast our selues securely vpon his prouidence for supply of all our wants protection from all dangers and deliuerance out of all miseries and afflictions So that as carnall securitie is caused through the ignorance and forgetfulnesse of God and his Attributes so Christian securitie which is opposite vnto it is caused by the knowledge acknowledgement and remembrance of them §. 4 The second cause a liuely Faith in Christ The second cause which produceth this spirituall securitie as the fruit and effect of it is a liuely faith in Christ and firme affiance and Rom. 5. 1 3. confidence in God For being iustified by Faith we haue peace with God and peace of Conscience and with them inward securitie and spirituall ioy euen in afflictions and tribulations So being by Faith ingrafted into Christ and become members of his body we may be secure in his power and protection assuring our selues that hee will preserue his owne members from all euill prouide for them all necessaries and defend them from the malice and power of all Enemies so as they shall not be able to hurt and destroy them which were to suffer a mayme in his owne blessed Body If we by Faith relye our selues vpon this Rocke of strength then though the Rayne descend and the Floods come and the Winds blow and beate vpon vs yet we are secure Matth. 7. 26. from all danger because wee cannot sinke or fall being founded vpon a Rocke If wee beleeue Gods Promises of preseruation and protection there is no cause of feare in the greatest extremities because we are sure of helpe and deliuerance which is certainly promised to all the faithfull according to the saying of Iehosaphat Beleeue 2. Chron. 20. 20. in the Lord your God so shall yee bee established beleeue his Prophets and yee shall prosper If beleeuing in God we put our affiance in him and cast our selues wholly vpon his prouidence and protection this will worke in vs this spirituall securitie For he that dwelleth in the secret of Psal 91. 1 2 3 c. the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie Hee that maketh the Lord his refuge fortresse and trust shall bee deliuered from the snare of the Fowler and from the noysome pestilence Hee will couer him with his feathers and vnder his wings shall he trust his Truth shall be his shield and buckler He shall not be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day c. because hee hath made the Lord his refuge and the most high his habitation There shall no euill befall him neither shall any plague come neere his dwelling For hee will giue his Angels charge ouer
life seeing they are but light and momentany in respect of that eternall weight of Glory which they shall 2. Cor. 4. 17. cause vnto vs. Let vs consider that though the Lord deferreth long to execute his Iudgements yet those that abuse this patience and long-suffring shall not escape in the end and the longer that vengeance hath beene delayed the more fearefull and intolerable will it be when it is inflicted For though God commeth slowly yet he payeth surely and the longer that he is fetching his stroke the more heauily will it light vpon those who doe not preuent it by their repentance Finally let vs know that wicked men when they seeme most to flourish in the world doe not euen in this life escape vnpunished For if they be not haunted with those hellish furies the terrours and torments of a selfe-accusing conscience which giueth them inwardly many a cold pang when they smile and laugh in the face and outward appearance they are not free from more dangerous and desperate punishments though they bee lesse sensible and smarting euen the deadly lethargie of carnall security and that scarce cureable disease of a feared conscience and hardnesse of heart Neither ought wee to be any more discouraged because God seemeth wholy to deferre the bestowing of his rewards vpon those that serue him vnto another life and because in the meane time godlinesse bringeth little gaine and the seruice of God small profit in the world For suppose that this were so yet the riches and eternity of the reward will when it is bestowed abundantly recompence our short forbearance And therefore if the most couetous vsurers can with patience forbeare the sight and fruition of their gold which notwithstanding is that dearely-beloued idoll vpon which their hearts are fixed and can satisfie both their eyes and mindes with the sight and perusall of their bonds which assure them that at the yeeres end they shall receiue it with some aduantage though it be but tenne in the hundred why should not we with ioy and comfort performe seruice vnto God though he should wholy deferre the rewards which he hath promised euen vnto the end of our liues seeing wee haue a most sure Pay-master who hath couenanted to giue in lieu of our forbearance an hundred for tenne yea a thousand for one and hath committed to our keeping infallible bonds and euidences sealed with the blood of Christ and ratified with his oath with the daily reviewing wherof we may continually reuiue and refresh our drooping and fainting soules But if wee be so sensuall that wee onely minde things present and preferre small possessions before the greatest possibilities richest reuersions let vs further know that euen in this life God rewardeth his seruants with gifts of incomparable greater value then those which worldlings can most bragge off For besides that the godly are in respect of outward things at Gods finding who will neuer suffer them to want such a conuenient competencie as in his infinite Wisdome he knoweth to be fittest for them and though he giueth not vnto them such superfluity and abundance as many worldlings doe possesse because he knoweth that it would rather be a burthen to presse them downe vnto the earth then a benefit to further them in the way to heauenly happinesse yet he giueth them sufficiencie and contentation of minde which the other want in their greatest plenty Besides all this I say he bestoweth vpon them all the Royall priuiledges whereof I haue already spoken especially the assurance of his loue and their saluation with all other spirituall graces peace of Conscience and ioy in the Holy Ghost as before I haue shewed more at large §. Sect. 3 The third scandal arising from hypocrites The last scandall offence wherof I will speake by which men are hindred from entring into proceeding in the duties of a godly life ariseth from those that make profession of Christianity and sincerity whether they be priuate persons or publique as the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments The first is that which is giuen by hypocrites who making profession of the true Religion doe in their liues deny the power thereof falling into many grosse and grieuous sinnes especially such as are committed against the second Table as vniustice and vncharitablenesse fraud and deceit cruelty and oppression pride and couetousnesse falsifying of their couenants and promises And also by such as professe the truth in sincerity and vprightnesse of heart and yet through humane frailty and infirmity are sometimes ouer-taken of these and such like sinnes Both which cast before the feete of those who are vnregenerate such stumbling blockes of offence that they are thereby brought out of loue with Gods true Religion presuming that there is little good in it when as they discerne no better fruits of it in their liues and so hate not onely such professours but also their profession for their sakes resoluing with themselues that they will neuer be of their religion which is so disgraced in the world by the euill conuersation of these seeming forward men Yea not onely those which are without are wholy hindred from entring into the course of Christianity but those also that are already entred are hereby so discountenanced and disheartned that they proceed in the waies of godlinesse with much discomfort and discouragement For they are not onely hindred from making any profession of Religion more then others when they see it thus infamed lest hereby they might seeme like vnto them and so bring vpon themselues the disgrace and reproch of hypocrites but also out of the same respects shunne the practice of all Christian duties which haue at least any appearance of Piety as hearing the Word with any extraordinary diligence and deuotion Holy communication Christian admonition strict obseruation and sanctification of the Lords day prayer in their families and such like because they would not incurre among worldlings the suspition of being hypocrites For the auoyding of which scandall and impediment let all those in the feare of the Lord be admonished which call vpon the Name of Christ to depart from iniquity and that as they shine more then others in the Light 2. Tim. 2. 19. of an holy profession so also that they approue this Light to be diuine and heauenly by the kindely and liuely heate of a charitable conuersation and glorifie God and adorne their profession by bringing forth the fruits of it not onely in their piety towards him but in their works of righteousnesse and charity towards their neighbours Let them take heed that they presume not to take Gods holy couenant into their Psal 50. 16. mouthes when as they hate to be reformed nor to weare Gods liuery of a sincere profession to dishonour him by their infamous liues and that they doe not by giuing iust cause of offence as much as in them lieth destroy those for whom Christ hath died and so cause his precious blood to be shed
in vaine lest in that great Day of accounts the blood of these men who haue perished by their euill example be required at their hands Let them remember that counterfet piety is double iniquity that the hypocrite shal be cut off his hope perish that the seeming holy Pharise is much more odious in Gods sight then Publicanes and open sinners seeing they more dishonor God disgrace his holy truth then any other Finally that God wil be honored in all those that draw neere vnto him either by rewarding their sincerity or punishing their hypocrisie and that aboue all others the hypocrite shall be assuredly plunged into that bottomelesse Gulph of hellish condemnation in which regard when our Sauiour speaketh of the vndoubted punishments of desperate sinners he vsually saith that they shall haue their portion with hypocrites in outer darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing Matth. 24. 51. of teeth Those also who are not yet called and regenerate are to be admonished as they tender the euerlasting saluation of their soules that they doe not suffer themselues to be hindred and discouraged by this scandall of the euill liues of hypocrites and weake Christians from the profession of Gods true Religion and the practice of holy duties And to this purpose that they ascribe these enormities or frailties to any thing rather then vnto the profession of the truth or the outward practice of it in any Christian duties of Gods seruice As namely to the malice of the deuill who with his tentations assaulteth professours with more hellish policy fury then other men because their sins fals doe most dishonor God and blemish the beauty and brightnesse of his shyning truth to the wily spite of worldlings who with all their indeuour intice or compell those that make any shew of Religion to accompany them in their wicked courses that they may countenance their actions by their examples or escape their admonitions and reprehensions when as they are now become alike faulty Or to their deepe and poysonous corruptions which notwithstanding their outward profession doe still lye secretly lurking in their hearts which cause them to breake out into those sinnes which their owne consciences inlightened with Gods truth doe vtterly condemne Neither can they with more shew impute their scandalous sins and foule falls to the iust and pure Religion professed by them then the crookednesse of the worke to the right and perfect squire or the foulenesse of their hands to the pure cristall fountaine which if it were rightly vsed would wash and make them cleane For what are all their faults but crooked aberrations from this straight way of truth What are they but such sinnes as are continually condemned and beaten downe in the preaching of the Gospell For how can they haue any incouragement to goe on in their wickednesse by their often hearing of Gods Word wherin his fearfull Iudgements are daily denounced against all those who liue in their sinnes And therefore accursed be that foule mouth if it bee not washed in the teares of vnfained repentance that dare belch out such a blasphemie against Gods holy truth as to say that if there were lesse preaching and hearing of the Word there would be more obedience towards superiours and more loue and charity towards equalls and inferiours And likewise thrice vnhappy they who will so stumble at this stone of offence cast into their wayes by the euill liues of hypocrites as that they refuse to take vpon them this holy profession or to bring forth better fruits then they in their Christian practice As if all should refuse physicke because some dye that take it or wholsome food because some who haue their stomackes full of corrupt humours are not nourished thereby but becomming more sicke doe presently cast it vp againe without profit Finally let no weake Christians bee discouraged by the euill liues of hypocrites from making open and bold profession of Gods truth and bringing forth the outward fruits of it in the practice of all Christian duties because they would not be thought like vnto them For what were this but to deny Christ before men because we would shun their reproches and to be in truth impious in the neglect of Christian duties because we would shunne the suspicion of hypocrisie What were this but to esteeme more of the vaine and false censures of prophane worldlings then of the approbation which our good actions and holy duties shall haue from God and a good conscience What were this but to refuse to be Gods true treasure and pure gold because there are in the world many counterfeit slips to grow in his field and to lye in his barne like good wheat because there are tares in the one and chaffe in the other What were this but to giue ouer our lawfull callings and honest labours in them because there be some of the same trade that discred it themselues and their calling by their fraudulent and deceitfull dealings But if this preuaile with vs let vs also be ashamed to eate wholsome food because some haue surfeted on it or to drinke such drinkes as others haue abused to drunkennesse Yea rather because others haue disgraced the pure and true Religion which we professe by their wicked liues let vs who are sincerely minded make open profession of it that we may adorne it by our holy conuersation for the more it is blotted and blemished with their fruits of iniustice the more it needeth the hands of innocents to wash and restore it to its natiue purity And thus much of that scandall which ariseth from the euill liues of hypocrites of that which is caused by the bad example of euill Ministers I haue before spoken and therefore refer the Reader to that which hath been said CAP. IX Of the impediments of a godly life arising from the flesh and first such as arise from the intellectuall faculties §. Sect. 1 That the most dangerous impediments arise from our owne corrupt flesh IF there were no other or greater impediments to hinder vs in the wayes of godlinesse then those which are already handled yet were there no cause why we should flatter our selues with a vaine conceit that we may goe forward in this course with much ease as being a thing so slight and ordinary that the atchieuing of it needeth little care and small indeuour But how much more will this fond opinion vanish and the necessity of vniting all our forces cleerly appeare for the attaining vnto any perfection in spirituall graces and the outward practice of them in the duties of a godly life if we further consider that there are many more and far more dangerous impediments which arise from our sinfull flesh and the inbred corruption of our polluted nature the which is so auerse and contrary vnto the sincere and spirituall seruice of God that nothing in the world seemeth more irksome and tedious vnto it In which regard wee can no sooner set our selues seriously