that onely might appeare and shine forth in all his workes Yet certaine it is that God for just causes albeit unknowne and hid to us hath rejected a great part of men The causes I say of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God and knowne to his godly wisedome onely They are secret and hid from us reserved in his eternall wisedome to be revealed at the glorious appearing of our Lord Iesus Psal 36. Rom. 11. His judgements saith the Scripture are as a great deepe and his wayes past finding out It is as possible for us to comprehend the Ocean in a little dish as to comprehend the reason of Gods counsell in this behalf Antil What reason justice or equitie is there that sentence of death should be passed upon men before they be borne and before they have done good or evill Theol. I told you before that we can never comprehend the reason of Gods proceeding in this behalfe yet wee must know that his will is the rule of righteousnesse and must be unto us in stead of a thousand reasons For whatsoever God willeth in as much as hee willeth it it is to be holden just Wee cannot conceive the reason of many naturall things and things subject to sense as the motion of the celestiall bodies their unconceiveable swiftnesse their matter and substance their magnitude altitude and laâ—itude Wee cannot throughly finde out the causes of the thunder lightnesse winds earth-quakes ebbings and flowings of the sea and many other things under the Sun how then can wee possibly ascend up into the privie Chamber and Councell-house of God to sift and search 〈◊〉 the bottome of Gods secrets which no wit or reach of man can any wâ—â— attaine unto Let us therefore learne in Gods feare to reverence that which we cannot in this life comprehend This one thing I must say unto you that whatsoever God decâ—â—eth yet doth he execute no man till he hath ten thousand times deserved it For betwixt the decree and the execution thereof cometh sinne in us and most just causes of condemnation Antil If God have decreed mens destruction what can they do withall who can resist his will why then is he angry with us For all things must needs come to passe according to his decree and determination Theol. First I answer you with the Apostle Rom. 9.22 O man who art thou that pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Moreover I answer that Gods decree doth not enforce the will of man which worketh and moveth of it selfe It hath in it selfe the beginning of evill mâ—tâ—on and sinneth willingly Therefore though the decree of God imposeth a necessity upon all secondary causes so as they must needs be framed and disposed according to the same yet no coâ—ction or constraint for they are all carried with their voluntary motion Even as we see the plumbe of a clock being the first mover doth cause all the other wheeles to move but not to move this way or that way for in that they move some one way and some another it is of themselves I meane of their owne frame so Gods decree doth move all secondary causes but takes not away their owne proper motion For God is the Authour of every action but not of any evill in any action As the soule of man is the originall cause of all motion in man as the Philosophers dispute but yet not of lame and impotent motion for that is from another cause to wit some defect in the body so I say Gods decree is the root and first cause of motion but not of defective motion that is from our selves Likewise that a bell soundeth the cause is in him that ringeth it but that it jarreth the cause is in it selfe Againe that an instrument soundeth is in him that plaieth upon it but that it jarreth is in it selfe that is in its own want of tuning So then to shut up this point all instruments and middle causes are so moved of God being the first Mover that hee allwayes doth will holily and justly in his moving But the instruments moved are carried in contrary motions according to their owne nature and frame If they be good they are carried to that which is good but if they be evill they are carried unto evill So that according to the double beginning of motion and will there is a double and divers work and effect Antil But from whence comes it that man of himselfe that is of his own free motion doth will that which is evill Theol. From the fall of Adam whereby his will was corrupted Antil What was the cause of Adams fall Theol. The Divell and the depravation of his own will Antil How could his will incline unto evill it being made good and hee being made good Theol. He and his will were made good yet mutably good For to be immutably good is proper onely to God And Adam did so stand that he might fall as the event declared Antil Was not the decree of God the cause of Adams fall Theol. No but the voluntary inclination of his will unto evill For Adams will was neither forced nor by any violence of Gods purpose compelled to consent but he of a free will and ready mind left God and joyned with the Divell Thus then I doe determine That Adam sinned necessarily if you respect the decree or event but if you respect the first mover and inherent cause which was his owne will then he sinned voluntarily and contingently For the decree of God did not take away his will or the contingency thereof but only order and dispose it Therefore as a learned Writer saith Volens peccavit proprio mâ—tu Bâ—â—â— He sinned willingly and of his owne motion And therefore no evill is to be attributed unto God or his decree Antil How then doe you conceive and consider of the purpose of God in all these things Theol. Thus That God decreed with himselfe â—no actu at once That there should be a world That Adam should be treated perfect That he should fall of himselfe That all should fall with him That he would save some of the lost race That hee would doe it of mercie through his Son That he would condemn others for sin Antil How doe you prove the decree of reprobation to wit that God hath determined the destruction of thousands before the world was Theol. The Scripture calleth the Reprobates Rom. 9.22 The vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The Scripture saith 2 Thes 5. God hath not appointed us unto wrath Therefore it followeth that some are appointed unto wrath The Scripture saith of the Reprobates that they were even ordained to stumble at the Word 1 Pet. 2.8 The Scripture saith They were of old ordained to this condemnation Jude
him but let us draw neer to the winding up of this matter and tell us in a word which be the chiefe causes of drunkennesse Theol. The causes are these Causes of Drunkennesse Ill company Ale-houses Idlenesse A wicked humour Phil. Which be the true remedies Theol. The remedies are these Remedies for Drunkennesse Avoiding of evill company Shunning of Ale-houses Labouring in your callings A good course of life Phil. Well Sir you have waded farre enough in this point Let us now come to the eighth signe of condemnation which is idlenesse Theol. Concerning idlenesse this I say briefly that it is the mother of all vice and the stepdame of all vertue yea it is the very bel-dame of all enormities It is the mother of whoredome the mother of pride the mother of theft the mother of drunkennesse the mother of ignorance the mother of error the mother of poverty the mother of flandering and backbiting pratling and gossiping brawling scolding quarrelling and what not Ydlenesse was one of the principall sinnes of Sodome as the Prophet Ezekiel testifieth saying Pride fulnesse of bread Ezek. 16 19 and abundance of idlenesse was in her and in her daughters Solomon is very plentifull in this matter Pro. 13.4 For saith hee The sluggard lusteth and hath nought And againe The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit Pro. 26 1â— then seven men that can give a sensible reason That is he taketh himselfe the wisest of many because hee spareth his body when others take paines Pro. 24 3â— hee saith Yet a little sleep yet a little slumber yet a little foulding the hands and his povetty commeth like a traveller that is unawares and his necessity like an armed man that is Eccles 4.5 strongly Then hee fouldeth his hands together and eateth his owne flesh Pro. 26.15 For Hee hideth his hand in his bosome and it grieveth him to put it to his mouth againe In another place the holy Ghost saith The sloathfull man will not plough because of Winter therefore hee shall beg in Summer and have nothing Againe Pro. 9.18 The sloathfull man is brother to him that is a great waster Moreover it is said Pro. 26.14 that the sluggard turnes himselfe upon his bed as the doore doth upon the hinges That is he keepeth his bed as if he were fastned to it And because the Spirit will abound in this point it is further written of the sloathfull man that he saith An huge Lyon is in the way Pro. 26.13 I shall be slaine in the streets That is when any good matter is in hand as preaching praying reading giving to the poore c. then hee draweth back hee shrinketh into the shell he findeth one let or other one excuse or other Then profit and pleasure businesse and idlenesse matters at home and matters abroad company and a thousand occasions will lye in his way as so many Lions to let and hinder him So then wee see how lively and plentifully the holy Scriptures do paint out the lazie lubbers of this world and sonnes of idlenesse which are as hardly drawne to any good thing as a Beare to the stake As for the duties of Religion they go as lively and as cheerfully about them as a theefe goeth up the ladder to be executed for his theft Phil. I do plainly see that this sinne of idlenesse is a very grosse evill and the root of many vices yet for all that there be a great number which thinke they were borne to live idlely as many young Gentlemen and such like which imagine they came into the world for no other purpose but to hunt and hawke card and dice riot and revell and so spend their daies in pleasure and vanity Againe there be many lazy lozels and luskish youths both in townes and villages which doe nothing all the day long but walke in the streetes sit upon the stalles and frequent Taverns and Ale-houses Many rich citizens especially women do ordinarily lye in bed till nine of the clock and then forsooth rise and make themselves ready to goe to dinner And after they have well dined they spend the rest of the day and a good part of the night also in playing prattling babling cackling prating and gossiping fie on this idle life Many profane serving-men also doe falsly suppose that they were borne onely to game riot swear whore ruflle it and roist it out and to spend their time in meer idlenesse But of all these well said the Heathen Philosopher Illos pariter indignantur dii homines Aristot quisquis otiosus Both God and men do hate the idle person Theol. It is a lamentable thing to see so many men and women live so idlely and so unprofitably as they do For alas there be too many which follow no honest calling live to no use no body is the better for them They doe no good neither to the Church or common-wealth They are like Drone-Bees they are improfitable burthens of the earth God hath no use of them the Church no good the Common-wealth no benefit their neighbours no profit the poore no reliefe They imagine they came into the world to do nothing but eat drinke and sleep and rise up to play They thinke they would spend their time in diceing and dancing in whordome and bravery in gluttony and belly-cheere in masting themselves like Hoggs of Epicurus Heard in pampering their panches and cramming their bellies in fatting themselves like Boares in a Franke till they bee well brawned Job 15.27 21.12 and as Job saith till their bones run full of marrow their faces strout with fatnesse and they have collops in their flanke Oh what a beastly life is this Fie upon it fle upon it It is more meet for Epicures than Christians for swine than for men for Sardanapalus and Heliogabalus and such like belly-gods than for the professors of the Gospel But of all such Job saith enough Job 11. They spend their dayes in pleasure and suddenly go downe to bell Phil But may it not be allowed unto Lords and Ladies Gentlemen and Gentlewomen and other great ones to live idlely sith they have wherewith to maintaine it Theol. God doth allow none to live idlely but all great and small are to be employed one way or other either for the benefit of the Church or Common-wealth or for the good government of their owne housholds or for the good of townes and parishes and those amongst whom they doe converse or for the succour and reliefe of the poore or for the furtherance of the Gospel and the maintenance of the ministery or for one good use or other To these ends our wits our learning our reading our skill our policie our wealth our health our wisedome and authority are to be referred knowing this that one day wee shall come to give an account of our Bailywick and to be reckoned withall for the employments of our Talents Job 5.7 For
your owne axe and kill your owne childe with it Therefore that reason is naught Albeit therefore wealthy men and women have great plenty of all things so as they need not labour yet let them be profitably employed some way or other let them exercise themselves in one good thing or other If they can find nothing to doe let them give themselves much to private prayers and reading of the Scriptures that they may be able to instruct and exhort others Or else let Ladies and Gentlewomen doe as that good woman Dorcas did that is buy cloth cut it out worke it sew it make shirts smocks coats and garments and give them to the poore when they haue so done For it is said of Dorcas that shee was a woman full of good workes Act. 9.36.39 and almes-deeds which she did She was a mercifull and tender-hearted woman she was the poore mans friend she clothed the poore and naked she knew it was a sacrifice acceptable to God Oh that the wealthy women of our Land would follow the example of Dorcas But alas these dayes bring forth few Dorcases Phil. As you have shewed us the causes of the former evils so now I pray you shew the causes of this also Theol. The causes of idlenesse are Evill examples Causes of idlenesse Bad education Living out of calling Phil. Shew us also the remedies Theol. The remedies are Good education Remedies against idlenesse Labour in youth Good examples Diligence in a lawfull calling Phil. Now then let us come to the last signe of damnation which is oppression And I beseech you good Sir speak your mind of it out of the Scriptures Theol. It is so infinite a matter that I know not where to begin or where to make an end of it It is a bottomelesse sinke of most grievous enormities I shall enter into a Labyrinth where I shall not know how to get out againe But sith you are desirous to heare something of it this I say That it is a most cruell monster a bloudy vice a most ugly and hideous fiend of hell The Scriptures in very many places doe â—ry our upon it arraigning it adjudging it and condemning it downe to hell They doe also thunder and lighten upon all those which are stained and corrupted with this vice calling them by such names and giving them such titles as are taken from the effects of this sinne and most fit for oppressors as namely Isa 3.15 Amos 8.6 Micah 3.2 that They gâ—ind the faces of the poore that They plucke off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones that They eat them up as they eat bread These are they which strive to devoure all like savage beasts and to get the whole earth into their hands Psal 14.4 either by hook or by crook by right or by wrong by oppression fraud and violence These Caterpillers and Cormorants of the earth are like unto the Whale fish that swalloweth up quicke other little fishes They are like a Lion that devoureth other beasts They are like the Falcon which seizeth plumeth and preyeth upon other fowles These greedy Wolves devoure all and swallow up the poore of the Land Therefore the Prophets of God doe thunder out many great woes against them First the Prophet Esay saith chapt 5.8 Woe unto them that joyne hoâ—se to house and field to field till there be no place for the poore to dwell in that they may be placed by themselves in the midst of the earth Secondly the Prophet Jeremy saith Jer. 12.13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers without equity Thirdly the Prophet Micah saith Mich. 2.2 Wo unto them that covet fields and take them by violence and so oppresse a man and his house even a man and his heritage Fourthly Hab. 2.12 the Prophet Habakkuk crieth out saying Woe unto him â—hat buildeth a Towne with bloud and erecteth a Citie by iniquity Sa nt James also most terribly threatneth these kind of men saying Goe to now yee rich men James 5.1 2 weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire Lastly S. Paul saith flatly 1 Cor. 8.10 that Extortioners shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Thus we sâ—e how many fearfull woes and threats are denounced from heaven against the pestilent cut-throats of the earth Phil. And all little enough For they are steeped in their sinne and the staine of it is soked into them as it will hardly ever be washed out True it is that you said that these cruell oppressing bloud-suckers are the most pernicious and pestilent vermine that creep upon the face of the earth and yet I thinke there were never moe of them then in these dayes For now the wicked world is full of such as doe sundry waies bite pinch and nip the poore as we see by every dayes lamentable experience But you can speake more of it then I therefore I pray you lay open the sundry kinds of oppression used in these daies Theo. The sundry kinds of oppressions There is oppression by usury Oppression by bribery Oppression by racking of Rents Oppression by taking excessive fines Oppression in bargaining Oppression in letting of leâ—ses Oppression in letting of houses Oppression in letting of grounds Oppression in binding poore men to unreasonable covenants Oppression in thrusting poore men out of their houses Oppression in hiring poore mens houses over their heads Oppression in taking of fees Oppression by Lawyers Oppression by Church-officers Oppression by engrossers Oppression by fore-stallers Oppression of the Church Oppression of the Ministery Oppression of the poore Oppression of widowes Oppression of Orphans And thus we see how all swarmes with Oppressions and nothing but Oppressions Oppressions Phil. In truth this is a most cruell and oppressing age wherein wee live yea a very Iron age It seemes that the great ones mind nothing else they are altogether set upon oppression they dote and dreame of it they find sweet in it and therefore they are mad of it As Solomon saith Oppression maketh a wise man mad It seemes therefore that this vice is of such marvellous force that it can bereave men of their wits and make them starke mad of getting goods by hooke or by crooke they care not how not from whom so they have it Yet no doubt the most wise God hath enacted many good lawes for the suppressing of this evill and threatneth the execution of them in his owne person and especially his Law doth provide for the safety of the poore the fatherlesse the widow and the stranger But you Master Theologus can repeat the Statutes better then I because you are a professed Divine therefore I pray you let us heare them from you Theol. In the 22. chapter of Exodus God made this Law following You shalt
accept you have mercy upon you receive you to favour grant you a generall pardon for all your rebellions and admit you into the number of his faithfull and loyall subjects Phil. I conceive by divers speeches which you have alledged that goods got by oppression and cruelty will never prosper long For oppressors coine their money upon their neighbours skins How then can it be blessed Theol. You have spoken a truth For as it hath been shewed before that those goods which are got by swearing and lying are cursed so all these that are got by oppression and violence are more cursed Therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy As the Partridge gathers the young which she hath not brought forth Jer. 17.11 so hee that gathers riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a foole and his name shall be written in the earth Phil. Would to God our Magistrates and Governours would take speedy order for the remedying of these things and for the redressing of such grievous enormities as are among us or that they themselves would step in and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressour Theol. Job was an excellent man for such matters For it is said of him Job 29.27 that He brake the jawes of the unrighteous man and pluck't the prey out of his teeth Where we see how Job was a meanes to deliver the innocent and to pull the Lambe out of the Lions clawes Moreover Job 29.25 it is written of him in the same Chapter that the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him and that hee caused the widowes heart to rejoyce that he was the eye to the blind the feet to the lame and the father to the poore and when he knew not the cause he sought it out diligently O what a notable man was this O that we had many Jobs in these daies Wise Solomon doth most gravely advise us all to follow Jobs example in this behalfe Pro. â—4 12 Deliver saith he them that are oppressed and drawne to death for shouldest thou withdraw thy selfe from them which goe downe to the slaughter Would to God this counsell were well weighed and practised amongst us Phil. I marvell much with what face these cruell oppressors can come before God in his holy Temple to pray and offer up their sacrifices unto him For we see many of them though they have such fowle hands and fowle hearts as wee have heard yet for all that will most impudently presume to come to the Church and pray or at least when they are laid in their beds at nights and halfe sleep then will they mumble over their praiers or be pattering some Pater-nosters Theol. Alas alas poore soules all that they do in matters of Gods worship is but hypocrisie and dissimulation For in truth they are not for God they love him but from the teeth outward their mouths are with him but their heart goes after covetousnesse and their hands are full of bloud And therefore God doth both abhorre them and their prayers For saith he Isa 1.15 Though they stretch out their hands yet will I hide mine eyes from them and though they make many praiers yet will I not heare them For their hands are full of bloud Moreover the holy Ghost saith Pro. 28.9 He that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his praier is abominable Psal 66.18 David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not heare my praier Our Lord Iesus also affirmeth Joh. 9.31 that God heares not sinners that is stubborne and carelesse sinners So then we may cleerly sâ—e by all these testimonies of holy Writ what â—ccount God makes of the praiers of oppressors and all other profane and ungodly men namely that he doth hate them and abhorre them as loathsome and odious in his sight Phil. Now in conclusion shew us the causes of oppression Theol. The causes are these Causes of oppresâ—ion Cruelty Covetousnesse Hard heartednesse An evill conscience The Divell Phil. Let us heare also the remedies Theol. The remedies be these Remedies of oppression Pity Contentation Tender affections A good conscience Much prayer Phil. Now Sir you have at large uttered your mind concerning these grosse corruptions of the world and have plainly and evidently proved them to be the deadly poyson of the soule so also I pray you satisfie us in this whether they be not hurtfull also to the body goods and name Theol. I have dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them and therefore they can never be enough spoken against For the whole world lyeth in them 1 John 5. as Saint John testifieth If men therefore could be recovered of these diseases no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace and wee should have a most flourishing Church and Common-wealth but as long as these doe lye in the way there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be poured upon us or that ever we shall come to have an inward conversation with God For these vices blind our eyes burthen our hearts Jer. 5. â—5 and as the Prophet Jeremy saith hinder good things from us But touching your petition I must needs grant that as these vices are the very bane of the soule and most certaine signes of condemnation so are they very dangerous to the body goods and name yea and to the whole land both Church and Common-wealth Phil. Shew us out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body Theol. The Lord our God saith that if wee will not obey him nor keep his commandements but break his covenant hee will appoint over us hastie plagues consumptions Levi. 26.16 and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heavie So also hee saith that if wee will not obey his voice to observe all his commandements and ordinances that then hee will make the pestilence cleave unto us Levit. 28.21 untill hee have consumed us that hee will smite us with the Feaver with the botch of Egypt with the Emrods with the Scab and with the Itch that also hee will smite us with madnesse and with blindnesse and with astonishment of heart So then you see what great evills the Lord threatens to inflict upon our bodies in this life for these and such like sinnes But on the contrary the holy Ghost saith Pro. 5 7. Feare God and depart from evill so health shall be to thy navell and moisture to thy bones Phil. What evill do these forenamed sins bring upon us in our goods and outward estate Theol. They cause God to curse us in all that wee set hand unto as plentifully appeareth in the forenamed chapter where the Lord saith thus If thou wilt not obey the commandements of the Lord
is added because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing lying killing stealing and whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud Therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off Here then wee see what it is that will incense God against us and cause us all to mourne So likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Amos that for the cruelty and oppression of the poore he would plague the whole Land Amos 3.8 Shall not the Land tremble for this saith the Lord and every one mourne that dwells therein Againe the Lord saith by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 7.19 1. Doe they provoke mee to anger and not themselves to the confusion of their owne faces Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold mine anâ—â—r and my wrath shall be poured upon this place upon man and beast upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground and it shall burne and not be quenched Jer. 2â— 5 Againe the Lord saith If yee will not heare these words I sweare by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste and I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar-trees and cast them into the fire Likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 5.7 saying Because you have not walked in my Statutes nor kept my Judgements therefore behold I even I come against thee and will execute judgement in the midst of thee even in the sight of the Nations and I will doe in thee that I never did before neither will I doe any more the like because of all thine abominations For in the midst of thee the fathers shall eat their sons and the sons shall eat their fathers Againe by the same Prophet the Lord saith Ezek. 7.23 27. The Land is full of the Judgement of bloud and the Citie full of crueltie Wherefore I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the pompe of the mighty to cease and the holy places shall be defiled When destruction cometh they shall seeke peace and not have it Calamity shall come upon calamity and rumour upon rumour Then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the Ancient The King shall mourne and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the Land shall be troubled I will do unto them according unto their waies and according unto their judgement I will judge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Last of all the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy Heare O earth Behold Jer. 4.19 I will cause a plague to come upon this people even the fruit of their owne imaginations because they have not taken heed to my words and to my Law but cast it off Almost innumerable places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the Prophets but theâ— may suffice to prove the maine point to wit that the just God doth punish whole nations and kingdomes for the sins and rebellions thereof Phil. Sith all these sins for the which the Lord did execute such universall punishments upon his owne people doe abound and over-flow in the Land may wee not justly feare some great plague to fall upon us And the rather because our transgressions doe increase daily and grow to a full height and ripenesse so as it seems the harvest of Gods vengeance draweth neere and approacheth Theol. We may indeed justly feare and tremble For if God spared not the Angels that sinned how shall hee spare us If he spared not his owne people what can we looke for If he spared not the naturall branches how shall hee spare us that are wilde by nature Are we better then they Can we looke to be spared when they are punished Are not our sinnes as many and as great as theirs Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect Is the Arme of the Lord shortned Or is not God the same just God to punish sin now that hee was then Yes yes assuredly And therefore we have great cause to mourne and lament to quake and tremble because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging over our heads Thus did Jeremy Jer. 4.19 Amos 5.6 Hab. 3.16 thus did Amos thus did Habakkuk when they plainly saw the imminent wrath of God approaching upon the people of Israel and Judah Phil. I thinke wee may the rather doubt and feare because the punishment of these fore-named vices is neglected by the Magistrate For commonly when they that beare the sword of Justice doe not draw it out to punish notorious offendors and malefactors the Lord himselfe will take the matter into his owne hands and be revenged in his owne person which is most dreadfull and dangerous For Hâ—b 10 3â— it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Theol. You have spoken a truth For if those which are Gods Deputies and Vicegerents in the earth doe their duties faithfully in punishing vice and maintaining vertue in smiting the wicked and favouring the godly then assuredly evill shall be taken out of Israel Gods wrath prevented and his judgements intercepted as it is written Psal 109.32 Phineas stood up and executed judgement and the plague was stayed But if they for feare favour affection gaine flatterie bribery or any other sinister respect will be too sparing and remisse in punishing of grosse offenders and be rather ready to smite the righteous then doe they exceedingly provoke Gods wrath against the Land and against themselves Phil. One thing I do greatly lament that there be either none at all or very slender censures either by the Civill or Ecclesiasticall authority for divers of these fore-named vices as pride covetousnesse oppression lying idlenesse swearing c. Theol. It is a thing to be lamented indeed For where doe we see a proud man punished a covetous man punished an oppressor punished a swearer punished a lyer punished an idle person punished Now because they know they cannot or shall not be punished therefore they are altogether hardened and imboldened in their sins as the Wise man saith Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evill Phil. One thing I doe much muse at wherein also I desire to be further satisfied viz. what is the cause that under so godly a Prince so many good lawes and so much good preaching and teaching there should notwithstanding be such an excesse and over-flowing of sin in all estates Theol. The causes hereof are divers and manifold But I will nominate foure especiall ones in my judgement The first is mans naturall corruption which is so strong as almost nothing can bridle it The second is ill presidents and
keepe his Sabbaths Avoide all the signes of condemnation and labour after all the signes of salvation Above all things take heed of sinne for that is the very out-throat of the soule and of all goodnesse Tremble therfore and sin not for if you sin mark what followeth Six great dangers in sinne God seeth His Angels beare witnesse The Conscience pricketh Death threatneth The Divell accuseth Hell devoureth You see then that sinne is no scar-crow or jesting matter Every sinne that a man committeth is as a thorne thrust deep into the soule which will not be got out againe but with many a sigh and many a sorrowfull Oh oh Every sinne is 〈…〉 Iron â—er 17.1 and the point of a Diamond upon the conscience and shall in the last day when the Booke shall be opened accuse us and give in evidence against us Note this If a man commit sin with pleasure the pleasure posseth away but the conscience and sting of the 〈◊〉 abideth and tormenteth deadly but if a man doe well though with labour and painfulnesse the paine passeth away yet the conscience of well-doing remaineth with much comfort But the best end of sinne is alwaies repentance if not in this life then with we and was when it is doe late Therefore take heed in time take heede I say of sin for Six most hurtfull effects of sinne Sinne hardens the heart Heb. 3.13 Sin gnawes the conscience 1 Sam. 25. Sin fights against the soule 1 Pet. 1.11 Sinne brings forth death James 1.15 Sinne makes ashamed Rom. 6.21 Sin procures plagues of body and soule Deut. 28. Behold therefore the evill effects of sinne For this cause Zophar the Naâ—mathite speakes very wisely to Job saying Job 11. When thou shalt life thy face out of thy sin thou shalt be strong and shalt not feare thou shalt forget all sorrow thou shalt remember it as the waters that are past Where Zophar pleinely sheweth that the avoiding of sinne is our strength and the committing of it our woâ—â—â—ing according to that of Solomon Proâ— 2â— 1â— The way of the Lord is the strength of the upright man Therefore wâ—â—â—e in the way of God and take heede of the wayes of sinne for God punisheth every sin his way some one way and some another and no sin can escape unpunished For because God is just therefore hee must needs punish sin in all men though in divers manners as the wicked in their owne persons the godly in Christ Beware of it therefore and flatter not your selfe in your sins Remember how every disobedience and every transgression hath had a just recompence of reward Nâ—â—â— how God in all ages hath pâ—â—â—hed the breakers of his â—â—w â—â—od 32.10 God hath in all ages matched the cause with the effect that is sin with the punishment of sin The Israelites for breaking the first Commandement in making other gods were often smitten by the hand of God â—â—v 10.2 Nadab and Abibu the sons of Aaron for the breach of the second Commandement in offering strange fire upon Gods Altar were consumed with fire Numb 15. Hee that blasphemed and transgressed the third Commandement was stoned to death Num. 15.52 Hee that brake the fourth Commandement in gathering stickes on the Sabbath was likewise stoned Absalom transgressing the fift was hanged in his owne haire 2 Sam. 18. Gâ—â— 4.15 Cain transgressing the sixt in slaying his brother Abel was branded with the marke of Gods wrath Gen. 34.26 Sichem the son of Hamor transgressing the seventh in defiling Dinah the daughter of Jacob was slain by Simeon and Levi the sons of Jacob. Jos 7.25 Achan sinning against the eighth Commandement in stealing the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment was stoned to death Ananias and Sapphira sinning against the ninth in lying and dissembling Act â—5 6 were suddenly smitten with death Ahab transgressing the tenth Commandement 1 〈◊〉 21.24 in coveting and discontentment was devoured of dogges Or if you will have originall sinne therein onely forbidden then infants are therefore punished with death Rom. 5.14 Thus wee see there is no dallying with God but if wee sin wee are as sure to be jerkt for it as the coate is on our backe Therefore let us not deceive our selves nor make light of sinne for sin is no scar-bug and wee shall one day finde it so And howsoever wee make light of some sins yet in very deed all sin is odious in the sight of God yea all sin is hainous and capitall in this respect that it is against a person of infinite being it is against God himselfe it is against the highest Majestie For the greatnesse of the person offended doth inhaunse and increase the greatnesse of the sinne As for example If a man rail at a Justice of Peace he shall be stocked if he cast at one of his Majesties privy Councell he shall be imprisoned but if hee raile at his owne Majestie hee shall be hanged So then you see how a sin is increased by the dignity of the person offended Now then sith all mortall Princes are but dust in the sight of God and hee is a person of infinite and incomparable Majestie how hainous and how slagitious a thing is it in any wise or after any sort to sin against his most royall and sacred person Well then to grow to some conclusion this I doe advise you as to shunne all vice so to embrace all vertue as to put off the old man so to put on the new man Remember often and alwaies what shall become of you after this life where you shall be forty yeers hence in Hell or Heaven Looke well to that in time and therefore to live that you may live alwaies Consider often is your serious cogitation Nine profitaâ—le consideratiions What you have been What you are What you shall be What God hath done for you What he doth What he will do Gods judgements past Gods judgements present Gods judgements to come Awake at last and take care for your salvation Sâ—â—â—s no longer in sinne lest yes perish eternally For verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judges the earth Psal 58 1â— And this is the best counsell I can give you Asun Your counsell is very good I pray God give me grace to follow it and so to live that I may please God and go to heaven in the end Theol. You must take heede you speake not these words of course and for fashion sake having no settled purpose in your heart to follow those directions For there be numbers that can skill to give good words but they will doe nothing They thinke they highly please God with their good words and that God will take them for payment as though God regarded words They would faine goe to heaven but they will take no paines they will leave no sinnes they will not forget their lusts and pleasures They would
fill you full of joy and peace in beleeveing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Antil The Sunne drawes low Asunetus it is time for you and mee to be going Phil. Indeed the night will approach by and by and therefore we must of necessity break off Theol. Sith it is so wee will here surcease and go no further Asun Sir I will now take my leave of you I can never be thankfull enough for all the good instructions and comforts which I have heard from you this day I hope I shall remember some of them whilest I live I do therefore praise God for you and for your counsell and for this day which I hope shall be the first day of my repentance and true conversion unto God Theol. The Lord for his infinite mercies sake grant it And I most humbly beseech the Almighty God to establish you with his free spirit that you may proceed and go forward in a Christian course unto the end Phil. I pray you good M. Theologus pardon my boldnesse for you see I have been very bold to propound many questions unto you wherein you have fully satisfied me to the great joy and comfort of my soule I do therefore praise God for you and I hope I shall never forget some things you have uttered But I will now commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build us further Theol. Farewell good Philagathus The Lord blesse you and keepe you in all your wayes and the God of heaven preserve us all and continue us in his feare unto the end All glory be given to God A Table containing all the principall matters handled in this Booke and directing to the Page where they are set down MAns naturall corruption pag. 5 Mans misery in nature pag. 6 Mans nature corrupted but not destroyed by Adams fall ibid. Some sparks of Gods image still remain after the fall pag. 7 Man in the state of nature cannot do any thing that pleaseth God pag. 8 Man naturally neither sees nor feeles his misery ibid. Man in nature is under the tyrannie of Satan and curse of the Law pag. 10 Man growne to yeeres living and dying in the state of nature perisheth for ever pag. 12 Man continueth cursed till he be borne againe ibid. None can be saved but onely the Regenerate ibid. Regeneration what pag. 13 The quality of Regeneration pag. 14 Remnants of sin after Regeneration ibid. Regeneration unperfect in this life pag. 15 Meanes of Regeneration pag. 24 Eight infallible signes of salvation pag. 30 Eight signes of damnation pag. 31 Nine manifest tokens of damnation ib. Pride described pag. 33 Pride of gifts condemned pag. 35 Pride in apparell condemned pag. 42 Rules of the Word for apparel pag. 52 53 54 Whoredome and the dangers thereof pag. 58 Excuses of whoredome pag. 59 The fearfull effects of whoredome pag. 60 The punishment of whoredome pag. 61 62 The causes of whoredome pag. 65 66 Remedies against whoredome pag. 69 Covetousnesse what pag. 70 Covetousnesse wherein it doth consist ibid. Foure notes to discerne the inward covetousnesse of the heart by pag. 72 The evill effects of covetousnesse pag. 74 The vanity of this world and all worldly things pag. 77 Excuses of covetousnesse pag. 94 Remedies against covetousness pag. 101 102 Gods providence for his children in the things of this life pag. 103 For the things of this life Gods blessing is all in all pag. 119 Outward meanes alone doe not uphold us pag. 120 Gods children sometimes are brought to great distresse pag. 123 Gods children alwaies sure to be delivered out of trouble pag. 128 The great priviledges of Gods children pag. 129 Contempt of the Gospel a grievous sin pag. 135 136 Contempt of the Gospel punished pag. 137 Contempt of the Gospel the sin of this Age. pag. 138 Contempt of the Gospel a sure signe of wrath to the Land pag. 147 Swearing and the punishment thereof pag. 154 Excuses for swearing pag. 163 Causes of swearing pag. 166 Remedies against swearing pag. 167 Lying flattering and dissembling ibid. Punishments for lying pag. 175 176 Excuses for lying pag. 177 Causes of lying pag. 178 179 Remedies against lying ibid. Drunkennesse and the evil effects thereof pag. 110 181 Excuses of drunkennesse pag. 184 Causes of drunkennesse pag. 185 Remedies of drunkennesse ibid. Idlenesse and the wofull effects thereof pag. 190 Causes of idlenesse pag. 197 Remedies against idlenesse ibid. Oppression a most horrible sin pag. 198 Many woes denounced against oppressours pag. 199 Sundry kinds of oppression pag. 200 201 Causes of oppression pag. 215 Remedies of oppression ibid. Sinne hurts men in their bodies goods and name pag. 216 Sinne brings great danger to the whole Land pag. 224 Nine predictions of wrath to the Land pag. 229 The prayers and teares of the faithfull keep back the wrath of God from the Land pag. 322 323 Prayers of the Elect of great force ibid. The wicked fare the better for Gods children pag. 242 The best course to prevent Gods judgements and to keep backe his wrath from our Land pag. 244 Ten speciall things concerning the continuance of our peace pag. 250 251 Nine signes of a sound soule pag. 252 Saint Peters eight markes of salvation ibid. Seven infallible tokens of salvation pag. 253 Assurance of salvation in this life proved pag. 254 255 Objections against the assurance of salvation answered pag. 259 The ground-worke of our salvation pag. 261 Some doubts may stand with the assurance of faith pag. 262 It is no presumption to be perswaded of our salvation pag. 265 The wicked cannot be assured of their salvation pag. 266 The security of salvation which the wicked brag of is vaine pag. 267 268 Nine things required of all that shall be saved by Christ pag. 271 272 Many say they hope to be saved by Christ but few can give a reason why Christ died for them particularly and by name pag. 273 Few shall be saved proved by Scriptures reasons and examples pag. 277 278 But few even in the visible Church shall be saved pag. 284 Objections against the small number of the Elect answered pag. 285 Objections of Atheists and unbeleevers answered pag. 286 Reading of the Scriptures much commended pag. 294 Deferring of repenting dangerous pag. 299 God no Authour of mans condemnation but himselfe pag. 300 Objections against Predestination answered pag. 301 302 Gods decree no cause of Adams fall pag. 305 The decree of reprobation proved pag. 306 Prescience in God what pag. 307 The decree of election proved pag. 308 The first motive of election is in God himselfe pag. 309 Fore-seen faith and fore-seen workes no motives of salvation ibid. Faith dependeth upon election not election upon faith pag. 311 A reason yeelded why there is no end of cavilling and objecting against the truth pag. 315 Nine bars out of heaven pag. 316 Nine gates into hell ibid. The ignorance of the world pag. 32â—
that you think none can be saved but those onely which are born again Theol. I think so indeed Phil. I pray you tell mee what the same regeneration and new birth is whereof you speak Theol. It is a renewing and repairing of the corrupted and decaied estate of our souls as it is written Be yee changed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12. And againe Be renewed in the spirit of your mind Eph. 4.23 Phil. Explain this more fully Theol. Even as the wild olive retaineth his old nature till it be graffed into the sweet olive but afterward is partaker of a new nature so wee till wee be graffed into Christ retain our old nature but afterward are turned into a new creature as it is written If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Phil. I understand not what you say Theol. You must know this that as there is a naturall birth of the whole man so there is also a spirituall birth of the whole man Phil. How is that Theol. When as the naturall faculties of the soule as reason understanding will and affections and the members of the body also are so sanctified purged and rectified by grace that we understand will and desire that which is good Phil. Cannot a man will and desire that which is good before hee be born again Theol. No more then a dead man can desire the good things of this life For mans will is not tree to consent unto good till it be enlarged by grace and an unregenerate man doth sin necessarily though not by constraint For mans will is free from constraint for it sinneth of it self but not from thraldome unto sin Phil. You speak as if a man could do no other thing but sin till the new work be wrought in him Theol. That is mine opinion indeed For a man and his flesh are all one till hee be regenerate they agree together like man and wife they join together in all evill they live and die together for when the flesh perisheth the man perisheth Phil. Is not this regeneration a changing or rather destroying of humane nature Theol. Nothing lesse it is neither an abolishing nor changing of the substance of body or soul or any of the faculties thereof but only a rectifying and repairing of them by removing the corruption Phil. Is then our naturall corruption so purged and quite removed by the power of grace as that it remaineth not at all in us but that wee are wholly freed of it Theol. Not so For the reliques and remnants of our old nature which the Scripture calleth the old man do hang about us and dwell in us even untill our dying day as it is plainly proved in the ten last verses of the seventh to the Romans Phil. Then you affirme that this new man or new work of grace and regeneration is unperfect in this life Theol. Yea for the new creature or new work of grace can never be fully fashioned in this life but is alwayes in fashioning And as our faith knowledge in this life are unperfect so is our regeneration and sanctification Phil. You said before that the regeneration or new birth is of the whole man which speech seemeth to imply that the new wo k of grace is entire and perfect Theol. You mistake the matter For although the new birth is universall and of the whole man yet it is not entire perfect pure and without mixture or corruption for it is written The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The Apostle also prayeth that the Thessalonians may be sanctified throughout in spirit soule and body Phil. This seemeth very obscure I pray you make it more plain Theol. You must note this that the new work and the old flesh and spirit grace and corruption are so intermingledly joyned together in all the faculties of the soul and body as that the one doth ever fight against the other Phil. But tell me I pray you how you understand this intermingling of grace and corruption in the soul Do you mean that grace is placed in one part of the soul and corruption in another so as they be sundred in place Theol. No that is not my meaning but this that they be joyned mingled together as I said in and throughout the whole man For the mind or understanding part is not one part flesh and another part spirit but the whole mind is flesh and the whole mind is spirit partly one and partly another The same is to be said of wil and affections Ph. I pray you express it more plainly Theol. Even as the air in the dawning of the day is not wholly light or wholly dark as at mid-night or at noon-day neither is it in one part light and in another part dark but the whole aire is partly light and partly dark thorowout and as in a vessell of luke-warm water the water it self is not only hot nor only cold but heat and cold are mixed together in every part of the water so is the flesh and the spirit mingled together in the soule of man And this is the cause why these two contrary qualities fight together Phil. Out of doubt this doctrine of regeneration is a very great mystery Theol. Yes certainly it is a secret of secrets which the wise of this world cannot comprehend Phil. Some think that courtesie kindnesse good nurture good nature and good education are regeneration and that courteous and good natured men must needs be saved Theol. They are generally deceived for these things doe not necessarily accompany salvation but are to be found in such as are altogether profane and irreligious yet wee are to love such good outward qualities and the men in whom we find them Phil. What say you then to learning wit and policie are not these things of the essence of religion and prove a regeneration Theol. No no for they be externall gifts which may be in the most wicked men as in Papists heathen Poets and Philosophers yet we are greatly to reverence learned and wise men although the new and inward work be not as yet wrought for that is onely of God that is from above Phil. The common people doe attribute much to learning and policie for they will say Such a man is learned and wise and knoweth the Scripture as well as any of them and yet hee doth not thus and thus Theol. It is one thing to know the history and letter of the Scriptures and another thing to beleeve and feel the power therof in the heart which is only from the sanctifying spirit which none of the wise of this world can have Phil. It is a common opinion that if a man hold the truth in judgment be no Papist or Heretick but leadeth an honest civill life then hee must of necessity be saved Theol. That followeth not for many come so far which yet notwithstanding have not the inward touch Phil. That seemeth strange For
he hath These then are four evident signes and tokens whereby wee may certainly discerne that mens hearts and entralls are infected with covetousnesse Phil. You have very well satisfied us in this point Now let us understand the originall causes of covetousnesse Theol. There be two speciall causes of covetousnesse Two causâ—s of coveâ—ousnessâ— The one is the ignorance and distrust of Gods providence The other is the want of tasting and feeling of heavenly things For till men taste better things they will make much of these till they feel heaven they will love earth till they be religious they will be covetous Therefore the cause is soon espied why men are so sharp set upon these outward things and do so admire riches worldly pomp pleasures and treasures Because they know no better they never had taste nor feeling of those things which are eternall Phil. Now as you have shewed us the causes of covetousnesse so let us also hear of the effects Theol. If I once enter into this I shall be entangled and wound up in a maze where I know not how to get out againe For the evill effects of this vice are so many and so great that I know not almost where to beginne or where to end Notwithstanding I will enter into it get out how I can Phil. If you do but give us some taste of them it shall suffice Theol. Then will I briefly dispatch things in order And first of all I reason from the words of the Apostle before alledged That if covetousnesse and the love of money be the root of all evil then it is the root of idolatrie the root of murther the roote of theft the root of lying the root of swearing the roote of symony the roote of bribery the roote of usurie the roote of lawing the roote of all contentions in the Church and the roote of all brabbling and brawling in the Common-wealth Moreover it spreadeth farre and neare it dwelleth in every house in every towne in every â—ttie it pryeth into every corner it creepeth into every heart it annoyeth our Physicians it infecteth our Divines it choaketh our Lawyers it woundeth our Farmers it baneth our Gentlemen it murthereth our Tradesmen it bewitcheth our Merchants it stingeth our Mariners O covetousnes covetousnesse It is the poyson of all things the wound of Christianity the bane of all goodnesse For covetousnesse marres all it marreth all every where in all places in all degrees among all persons It marreth marriages for it coupleth young to old and old to young It marreth hospitality it marreth all good house-keeping it marreth almes-deeds it marreth Religion it marreth Professors it marreth Ministers it marreth Magistrates it marreth all things And therefore what sin so grievous what evill so odious what vice so enormous as this For this cause it was prettily said of one That all other vices are but factors to covetousnesse serve for Porters to fetch and bring in her living Shee maketh symony her drudge bribery her drudge usurie her drudge deceite her drudge swearing her drudge lying her drudge O what a Divell incarnate is this that setteth so many vices a work hath so many factors and underlings to serve her turne Are they not in a pretty case thinke you that are infected with this sinne Oh they are in a most miserable case It had beene good they had never beene borne For being alive they are dead dead I meane in their soules For covetousnes is soules poyson and soules bane Covetousnesse is the strongest poyson to the soul that is It is a confection of all the Spiders Toads Snakes Adders Scorpions Basilisks and all other the most venemous vermine of the whole world If the divell can get us to take downe but one peny weight of it it is enough hee desires no more for presently we fall down stark dead Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Tim. â— They that will be rich hee meaneth in all haste by hook or by crook fall into temptations and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For as covetousnesse is rank poyson to the soul so the Apostle compareth it to a deep gulfe wherein thousands are drowned And therefore hee addeth in the same place But thou O man of God flie these things In which words he doth most gravely advise all the Ministers of the word of God to take heed of it For as it is dangerous in all men so is it most dangerous and offensive in Preachers of the Gospel Phil. Indeed it must needs bee granted that covetousnesse is a very grievous sinne yea even a Monster with seven heads Yet for all that wee see in this our iron age how many of all sorts are infected with it and how few will give any thing to any holy use Most men now adayes have nothing to spare for Christ nothing for his Gospel nothing for his Church nothing for the poor children of God and needy members of Christ Christ is little beholden unto them for they will doe nothing for him no not so much as speake a good word in his cause or the cause of his poore saints Every little thing with them is too much for God and good men For when they come to giving unto holy and necessary uses then they will stick at a peny and grudge at a groat and every thing is too much But to bestow upon themselves nothing is too much Nothing is too much for lust for pleasure for back belly and building for cards and dice for whores and harlots for rioting and revelling for tavernes and brothel-houses Hundreds and thousands are little enough and too little for their expences this way It is lamentable to consider what masses of money are spent and bestowed upon these things But alas alas how heavie an account are they to make in the day of the Lord which so spend their lands livings and revenues I quake to think what shall become of them at last It were well for them if they might be in no worse case then a Crocodile or a Cur-dog Theol. It is most certain that you say and wee all have great cause to lament it and to take up the old complaint of the Prophet Jeremy saying From the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given unto Covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priests they all deale falsly And another Prophet saith Mich. 3.22 They build up Sion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity The heads thereof judge for rewards and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof prophesie for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not tho Lord amongst us No evil can come unto us But these holy Prophets men of God do fully describe unto us the state of our time wherein though all be corrupted yet wee bear our selves stoutly upon God we presume of his favour because of our outward profession and
say in our hearts No evill can come unto us Asun You say very true Sir The world was never so set upon covetousnesse and men were never so greedily given to the world as now adaies And yet in truth there is no cause why men should bee so sharp-set upon this world For this world is but vanity and all is but pels trash Fâ—e on this muck Phil. Many such men as you are can skil to give good words and say Fie on this world all is but vanity yet for all that in your daily practice you are never the lesse set upon the world nor never the more seek after God You hear the word of God no whit the more you reade no whit the more you pray never the moâ—e which evidently sheweth that all your faire speeches and protestations are nought else but hypocrisie and leasing Your heart is not with God for all this All is but words there is no such feeling in the heart And therefore I may justly say to you as God himselfe said to his people This people have said well all that they have said Oh D ut 5.28 that there were an heart in them to feare me and keepe my commandements Theol. His words indeed are good if his heart were according For all things considered there is no cause why men should bee so given to this world for they must leave it when they have done all that they can As wee say To day a man to morrow none And as the Apostle saith 1 Tim. â— Wee brought nothing into this world and it is certaine wee shall carry nothing out Wee must all dye wee know not how soon why therefore should men set their hearts upon such uncertainties and deceiveable things for all things in this world are more light then a feather more brittle than glasse more fleeting than a shadow more vanishing than smoake more unconstant than the winde Doubtlesse saith the Prophet David man walketh in a shadow Psal 3â— 6. and disquieteth himselfe in vaine hee heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them I wonder therefore that these moles and muck-worms of this earth should so minde these shadowish things and so dote on them as they do If they were not altogether hardened and blinded by the Divelâ— they would not be so neerly knit to thee â—â—od and the penny as they are thinking and alwayes imagining that there is no happinesse but in these things which are but dung and drosse and at last they will give us the slip when wee think our selves most sure of them The wise King who had the greatest experience of these things that ever man had for hee enjoyed whatsoever this world could afford upward and downeward backward and forward yet could he finde nothing in them but vanity and vexation of spirit Moreover hee flâ—tâ—y avoucheth That all these things riches wealth honour pleasures and treasures will most notably deceive us in the end give us the slâ—p and be gone For he compareth riches and all the glory of the world to an Eagle or Hawke which a man holdeth upon his fist stroketh her maketh much of her taketh great delight and pleasure in her and saith hee will not take ten pounds for her yet all on the sudden shee taketh her flight and flyeth up into the aire and hee never seeth her more nor shee him The words of the holy Ghost are these Pâ—oâ— 25.5 Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flie after them meaning riches Thou maiest but they will not be found For they wil make themselves wings like to the Eagle which slieth up to heaven From thence wee may learne that though wee set our hearts neversomuch on any thing here below yet at the last it shall bee taken from us or we from it Therefore all worldly men doe but weave the spiders web and may fitly bee compared to the silly spider who toyleth her selfe and laboureth all the weeke long to fluish up her web that shee may lodge her selfe in it as in her owne house and free-hold But alas at the weeks end a maid in a moment with one brush of a broom dispossesseth her of her inheritance which shee had purchased with great labour and much adoe Even so when the men of this world have with much care and travell purchased great lands and revenues and gathered all that they can yet on the sudden death with one stroke of his â—â—refull dart will make them give up the ghost and then where are they It was prettily therefore said of a man in the light of nature Seneca No man hath ever lived so happily in this life but in his life time many things have befallen him for the which hee hath wished rather to die than to live And assuredly I thinke there was never any man lived any one day upon the face of the earth but some griefe or other either did or justly might invade his minde ere night either in the temptations of the World the Flesh or the Divell or in regard of soule body goods or name in regard of wife children friends or neighbours in regard of dangers to Prince Staie Church or Common-wealth in regard of casualties and losse by water by fire by sea or by land What a life therefore is this that hath not our good day in it Who would desire to dwell long in it For it lieth open every day to manifold miseries dangers losses casualties reproaches shame infamy poverty sicknesse diseases cholicks agueâ— tooth-ache head-ache back-ache bone-ache and a thousand calamities Phil. You have very well described unto us the vanity of this life and that no day is free from one sorrow or other one griefe or other the which thing our Lord Jesus ratifieth in the reason which hee bringeth why men should not distrustfully care for to morrow For saith hee sufficient to the day is the evill thereof Or as some read it The day hath enough with his owne griefe Wherein hee doth plainly shew that every day hath his sorrow his evill his griefe and his thwart But I pray you proceed further in this point Theol. This I say further That when men have swinked sweat carked and cared mosled and turmosled drudged and droiled by night by day by sea and by land with much care and sorrow much labour and griefe to rake together the things of this life yet at last all will away againe and wee must end where wee began For as Job said Iob. 1. Naked wee came into the world and naked wee must go out For even as a winde-mill beateth it selfe maketh a great noise whistleth and whisketh about from day to day all the yeare long yet at the yeares end standeth still where it begunne being not moved one foote backward or forward soe when men have blustered and blowne all that they can and have even runne themselves out of breath to scrape up the commodities of the earth yet at last they must spite
which hee shall rain upon him in stead of his meat Thus then it is cleere that mans life and good estate dependeth not upon the abundance of outward things but onely upon the blessing and providence of God Prov. 10.12 For his blessing onely maketh rich and it doth bring no sorrow with it Psal 37.16 For better is a little to the just then great abundance to many of the wicked Prov. 25.26 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord then great treasure and trouble therewith Better is a little with righteousnesse Prov. 16.8 then great revenues without equity Thus then I conclude this point Man liveth not by bread but by a blessing on bread not by outward means but by a blessing upon meanes For how can bread being a dead thing and having no life in it selfe give life to others Phil. I do not well understand the meaning of these words By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Theol. Thereby is meant the decree ordinance and providence of God which upholdeth all things even the whole order of nature For the Scripture saith Hee spake Psal 33.9 and it was done hee commanded and they were created In which words wee plainly see that God doth but speake and it is done hee doth command and all creatures are preserved For God doth all things 〈◊〉 a word Hee created all with his word hee preserveth all with his word hee speaketh and it is done His words are words of power and authority Whatsoever he saith whatsoever hee calleth for it must be done presently without any delay there is no withstanding of him Hee calleth for famine and behold famine Hee calleth for plenty and behold plenty Hee calleth for pestilence and behold pestilence He calleth for the sword and behold the sword All Angels all men all beasts all fishes all fowls all creatures whatsoever must obey him and be at his beck He is the greatest commander his word commandeth heaven and earth and the sea All creatures must bee obedient to his will and subject to his ordinance This is the cause why all things both in heaven earth and the sea doe keep their immutable and unvariable courses times and seasons even because hee hath charged them so to doe And they must of necessity alwayes at all times and for ever obey for the creatures must obey the Creator This â—ct of Parliament was made the first week of the world and never since was or can be repealed Phil. But to call you back againe to the point wee had in hand Resolve mee I pray you of this whether many of the deare children of God doe not in this life sometimes want outward things and are brought into great distresse Theol. 1 Kiâ—g 17. Yes certainely For Elijah did want 2 Câ—r â— 8 2 Cor. 11.25 and was in distresse Paul did want and was in many distresses The holy Christians mentioned in the Hebrewes did want Heb. 1â— 3â— and were in marvellous distresses Many of Gods dear ones have in all ages wanted and at this day also doe want and are greatly distressed But this is a most infallible truth that howsoever Gods children may want and be low brought yet they are never utterly forsaken but are holpen even in greatest extreâ—iâ—ie yea when all things are desperate and brought even to the last cast To this point most notably speaketh the Apostle saying 1 Cor 4.8 We are affl cted on every side but yet wee despaire not wee are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but wee perish not The Prophet Jeremie also saith Lâ—â— 3. The Lord will not forsake for ever but though hee send affliction yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies For hee doth not punish willingly or from his heart nor afflict the children of men The kingly Prophet saith Psal 94.4 Surely the Lord will not fail his people neither will hee forsake his inheritance The Lord himself saith For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee Iâ—a â—5 8 but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee So then wee may fully assure our selves and even write of it as a most undoubted and sealed truth that Gods children shall never be utterly forsaken in their troubles Phil. Sith the care and providence of God is so great for his children as you have largely declared what then I pray you is the cause why God suffereth his to bee brought into so many troubles and necessities Theol. Their profit and benefit is the cause and not their hurt For he loveth them when hee smiteth them Hee favoureth them when he seemeth to be most against them Hee aimeth at their good when hee seemeth to bee most angry with them He woundeth them that hee may heale them Hee presseth them that hee may ease them Hee maketh them cry that afterward they may laugh Hee alwaies meaneth well unto them hee never meaneth hurt Hee is most constant in his love towards them If he bring them into necessities it is but for the triall of their faith love patience and diligence in prayer If he cast them into the fire it is not to consume them but to purge and refine them If he bring them into great dangers it is but to make them call upon him more earnestly for help and deliverance He presseth us that wee might cry wee cry that wee may be heard wee are heard that we might be delivered So that here is no hurt done we are worse scared than hurt Even as a mother when her childe is way-ward threateneth to throw it to the Wolfe or scareth it with some poker or bul-begger to make it cling more unto her and be quiet So the Lord oftentimes sheweth us the terrible faces of troubles and dangers to make us cleave and cling faster unto him and also to teach us to esteeme better of his gifts when wee enjoy them and to bee more thankfull for them as health wealth peace liberty safety c. So then still we see here is nothing meant on Gods part but good as it is written Rom. 5. All things worke together for good to them that love God For Heb. 12 10. Heb. 12.14 even the afflictions of Gods children are so sanctified unto them by the Spirit 1 Thes 1.6 that thereby they are made partakers of the holinesse of God Gal. 6.14 Phil 3.10 Thereby they enjoy the quiet fruit of righteousnesse Thereby they attaine unto a greater measure of joy in the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 11.32 Thereby the world is crucified to them and they to the world Rom. 5.3 4. Thereby they are made conformable to the death of Christ Thereby they are kept from the condemnation of the world Thereby they learne experience patience hope c. So that all things considered Gods children are no losers by their afflictions but gainers It is better for them to have them than to
thy God Deuâ— 38. cursed shalt thou be in the towne cursed also in the field cursed shall be thy basket and thy store cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land and the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in and cursed also when thou goest out The Lord shall send upon thee cursing trouble and shame in all that thou settest thy hand unto Deut. 27. And further he saith That he will breake the staffe of their bread that ten women shall bake their bread in one oven and they shall deliver their bread againe by weight and they shall eat and not be satisfied You do therefore apparently see that these sins will draw down Gods wrath upon us and all that we have Phil. What hurt do these sinnes to our good name Theol. They bring reproach shame and infamy upon us and cause us to be abhorred and contemned of all good men They do utterly blot out our good name For as vertue makes men honourable and reverend so vice makes men vile and contemptible This is set downe where the Lord threatens Israel 2 Kin. 197. that for their sinnes and disobedience hee will make them a proverb and common talke yea a reproach and astonishment among all people Ezek. 5.5 In sundry other places of the Prophets hee threatens for their sins to make them a reproach a shame an hissing and nodding of the head to all Nations Phil. I do verily thus think that as sinne generally doth staine every mans good name which all are chary and tender of so especially it doth blot those which are in high places and of speciall note for learning wisedome and godlinesse Theol. You have spoken most truly and agreeable to the Scriptures For the Scripture saith E cles 10.1 As a dead Flie causeth the Apothecaries oyntment to stinke so doth a little folly him that is in estimation for wisdome and for honour Where Solomon sheweth that if a Flie get into the Apothecaries box of oyntment and die and putrifie in it shee marreth it though it be never so precious even so if a little sin geâ— into the heart and breake out in the forehead of a man of great sinne for some singular gifts it will blurre him though hee be never so excellent Phil. Shew me this I pray you more plainly Theol. Wee observe this in oll experience that if a Noble-man be a good man and have many excellent parts in him of curtesie patience humility and love of Religion yet if he be covetous the common people will have their eye altogether upon that and they will say Such a Noble-man is a very good man but for one thing hee is exceeding covetous oppresseth poore men and dealeth hardly with his Tenants keepeth no house doth little good in the Countrie where he dwelleth And this is it that marreth all Moreover let a Iudge a Iustice or a Magistrate be endued with excellent gifts of prudence policy temperance liberality and knowledge in the low yet if they be given to anger or taking of bribes oh how it will disgrace them amongst the people for they will say He is a worthy man indeed but there is one thing in him that marreth all hee is an exceeding angry and furious man hee is as angry as a waspe he will be in a pelting chase for every trifle he will fret and fume if you do but blow upon him And besides this hee is a very corrupt man he is a great taker of bribes hee loveth well to be bribed hee will do any thing for bribes Furthermore if any Preacher be a man of great gifts the common people will say of him Oh he is a worthy man indeed an excellent Scholar a profound Divine a singular man in a Pulpit but yet for all that he hath a shrewd touch which marreth all he is an exceeding proud man he is as proud as Lucifer He hath very great gifts indeed but I warrant you he knoweth it well enough For hee carrieth his crest very high and looketh very sternly and disdainfully upon all other men He is unmeasurably puft up with overweening and thinketh that he toucheth the clouds with his head Thus therefore wâ—â—re how the dead Flies marre all and how some one sinne doth disgrace a man that otherwise doth excell Phil. What is the cause why some one sin doth so blot and smut the most excellent men Theol. The reason hereof is because such men are as a candle set upon a candlesâ—icke or rather upon a scaffold or mountaine for all men to behold and looke upon And sure it is they have a thousand eyes upon them every day and that not onely gazing upon them but also prying very narrowly unto them to spy out the least mote that they may make a mountaine of it For as in a cleane white paper one little spot is soone espied but in a piece of browne paper twenty great blurs scant discerned even so in Noble-men Iudges Magistrates Iustices Preachers and Professors the least spot or speck is soone seene into but among the baser sort and most grosse livers almost nothing is espied or regarded Phil. Sith the eyes of all men are bent and fixed upon such men as are of some note therefore they had need very heedfully to look to their steps that they may take away all advantage from them that seek it Theol. Yes verily And furthermore they had need to pray with David alwaies Psal 119.13 Direct my steps O Lord in thy word and let no iniquity have dominion over mee Psal 41.12 And againe Order my goings that my foot-steps slip not uphold mee in my integrity For if such men be never so little given to swearing to lying to drinke or to women it is espied by and by and therewithall their credit is cracked their fame over-cast their glory ecclipsed and the date of their good name presently expired Phil. Now as you have shewed what great hurt these sins doe bring upon our soules bodies goods and name so also I pray you shew what danger they bring upon the whole Land Theol. Questionlesse they pull downe the wrath of God upon us all and give him just cause to break all in pieces and utterly to subvert and overthrow the good estate both of Church and Common-wealth yea to make a finall consumption and desolation of all For they be the very fire-brands of Gods wrath and as it were touch-wood to kindle his anger and indignation upon us For the Apostle saith Col. â— 6. For such things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Phil. Declare unto us out of the Scriptures how the Lord in former times hath punished whole nations and Kingdomes for these and such like sins Theol. In the fourth of Hosea Hos 4.1 the Lord telleth his people that hee hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land and the reason