wickedness How few live in Venice but grow lecherous or in Spain but become proud or in France and are not fantastick or among the Dutch and do not drink in both their deceitfulness and their drunkenness It s natural for men to put on the fashions be they never so wicked of the Country or Company wherein they abide It s said of Rome He that goeth thither once shall see an evil man if he like so well as to go a second time he shall gain his acquaintance but if he go a third time he shall bring him home with him The mind like Iacobs Sheep receiveth the tincture and colour of those objects that are presented to it Sin is a Gangreen which if it seiseth one part quickly spreadeth and infecteth the other parts which are near it 2 Tim. 2. 17. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump whether it be the leaven of error or of scandal 1 Cor. 5. 7. Gal. 5. 9. Sinners are plague-Sores as the 70. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pests Psa. 1. 1. which we translate scorners that convey the Contagion to all their Companions A little wormwood will imbitter much hony and one sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9. 18. Of a certain Prince of Germany t is said Esset alius si esset apud alios He would have been a better person if he had but been with better Companions An unclean Leprous person under the Law tainted whatever he touched therefore God would have him distinguished by his bald head his torn habit and his habitation apart that all might avoid him And what is the Gospel of it but that men should avoid the scandalous infectious sinner lest they be defiled with his sin The Nicopolites so hated the braying of an Ass that for that cause they would not endure the noise of a Trumpet Reader if thou hatest every false way according to thy duty if ever sin be loathsom to thee I doubt not but thou wilt be far from loving the cup in which this cursed potion is I mean the sinners company Those that company much with Dogs may well swarm with fleas God tels Israel Thou shalt not make a Covenant with them meaning the Canaanites they shall not dwell in thy land lest they make thee sin against me Exod. 23. 32 33. There is great prevalency in evil patterns Evil precepts perswade but evil patterns compel men to sin lest they make thee sin against me The Pelagian error is that no sin came in by propagation but all by imitation but it is an experienced truth that sin is much spread and increased by example It s common to sin for company and that Cup usually goeth round and is handed from one to another At least evil Company will abate the good in thee The Herb of grace will never thrive in such a cold soyl How poorly doth the good Corn grow which is compassed about with Weeds Cordials and Restoratives will do little good to the natural body whilst it aboundeth with ill humours Ordinances and duties are little effectual to our souls whilst Christians are distempered with such noxious inmates It s said of the Mountain Kadish that whatsoever Vine be planted near it it causeth it to wither and dye It s exceeding rare for Saints to thrive near such pull-backs It s difficult even to a miracle to keep Gods Commandments and evil Company too therefore when David would marry himself to Gods Commands to love them and live with them for better for worse all his days he is forced to give a Bill of Divorce to wicked Companions knowing that otherwise the match could never be made Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I will keep the Commandments of my God Psa. 119. 115. As if he had said Be it known unto you O sinners that I am striking an hearty Covenant with Gods Commands I like them so well that I am resolved to give my self up to them and to please them well in all things which I can never do unless ye depart ye are like a strumpet which will steal away the love from the true Wife I cannot as I ought obey my Gods precepts whilst ye abide in my presence therefore depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I will keep the Commandments of my God Sometimes Saints are ashamed to shew themselves whose Servants they are sometimes they are afraid of giving offence to their Friends or Neighbours of the Synagogue of Satan some snare or other the great Soul-hunter catcheth them in when he finds them amongst his own that they shall refrain their mouths from all 〈◊〉 while the wicked is before them Psa. 39. 3. They who touch the fish called Torpedo lose their senses and finde their Members so benummd for a time that they cannot stir them How often hath spiritual sense been taken away and grace been as it were in a swoon by the noisom vapors and filthy exhalations that have arisen from ungodly companions How many of them like the Pine-tree with their shadow hinder all other from growing near them A Conjurer in Tindals presence could not shew his Cheats but confest there was some godly man in the room that hindered him A Christian who thrusteth himself into vain fellows Company cannot do the good shew the grace he should and may acknowledge ungodly persons to be the cause A tender person used to warm chambers coming into the open air finds his members chilled and unfit for action O what a damp hath many a Christian found to come upon his spirit by his conversing with those that are wholly carnal Antisthenes would frequently say Iâ— was a great oversight in men that would purge their Wheat from Darnel not to purge their Common-wealth from lewd persons 2. Further thou art in danger of suffering as well as of sinning with them The Wheat hath many a blow for being amongst the Chaff The Gold would not be put into the fire if it were not for the dross with which it is mingled God loves his Saints so well that he sometimes saveth sinnâ—rs temporally for their sakes Holy Paul was the plank upon which all that sailed with him got safe â—o shore the grass in the Allies fares the better for the watering which the Gardiner bestoweth on his flowers in the banks Israel is a blessing in the Land of Assyria Isa. 19. 24. The whole world will stand the longer because Christians bear up the Pillars thereof but God hates sinners so much that even his own people being amongst them have suffered temporally with them Lot chose wicked Sodom for a pleasant habitation but what did he get by it when he was captivated with its inhabitants and afterwards forced to leave that wealth which drew him to love it to the destroying flames Iosiah though peerless for his piety was not spared when he joyned with the Assyrian but his League with them cost him his life When two are parties in a Bond though one be the
my self when any reprove me for the evil in me let me accept it with thanks Make me able to say with that sweet singer of Israel Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent oyl it shall not break my head I Wish that I may by no means repine but always rejoyce at the gifts and graces of others If the other members of the body thrive the heart doth not grieve but is glad at it It s ordinary for younger brothers to boast and glory in the large estate and great possessions which their elder brothers have left them by their Fathers Why should not my soul be joyful at the great share of spiritual riches which the onely wise God hath given some of my brethren If a man love sweet smels the greater degree of them he observeth in any place the moâ—e he is refreshed with them He that delights in Pictures if he see one in a room exactly and exquisitely drawn above all the rest that shall have more of his eye and his heart Is not grace compared to sweet Oynments and shall not I be comforted the more for the greatness of its savour Is not the Image of my God amiable in mine eye and ought I not to delight most in that Copy which is nearest the Original Surely if I envy any their spiritual excellencies I shew my self too like a Child of the Devil There is hardly any worm that gnaweth that unclean spirit more painfully then the grace which God gives his Children Their sins are his utmost joy their graces are his extream greif Would I be found in Satans livery at the last O that I might be so far from murmuring at that double portion of the Spirit which my God bestoweth upon some of his people that I might bless God heartily for it and beg of God to add to it an hundred fold how great soever it is The pretty Birds sing the more merrily the higher the Sun mounteth in the Heavens I have cause to be the more chearful the nearer any ascend to Heaven and the higher they mount in holiness My love to my God to my Brother nay to my self all command me to it My love to my God He that loves his Soverain will rejoyce that he hath any Subjects eminent above others for duty and loyalty They that have much spiritual strength will do my God much spiritual service The more grace they have the more glory they bring to God It s an honour to the Father of Spirits when his Children keep open house according to their estates cloathing the naked feeding the hungry soul and relieving liberally such as are in want I am no Christian if I be not tender of my Gods honour and joyful when that is exalted in the World Besides Love to my brother should quicken me to this duty If I love him as my self I shall both grieve at his soul-losses and rejoyce at his spiritual gains Love delighteth in the welfare of the party loved The hotter the beames of grace are in the party beloved the more they rejoyce the heart of the lover Why should any mans eye be evil towards his Brother because Gods is good to him Have others the less because some have so much Or is it not my own fault that I am not as holy and gracious as he God is a Fountain of grace always running over but he derives it to us according to our capacities If I go to the Well of Salvation and receive but little of the water of life I may know the cause my Vessel was no bigger Nay Love to my self may make me glad at others gifts and graces The greater the Saints estate is the more he will relievâ— others As the Earth though it sucketh in so much water as will give her self a competent refreshment conveyeth many springs through her veins for the cherishing and refreshment of others So the Saints do not onely advantage their own but also others souls Lord though in Hell there be little else but murmuring and repining at the good of thy chosen yet in Heaven there is no emptiness in themselves no envying at others every Saint there hath his joy doubled for anothers joy and is glorified in anothers glory Suffer not thy Servant to make his heart a little Hell by filling it with grief at the good of thy chosen But O make it thy lesser Heaven be thou pleased to dwell in it and then I shall begin the work of eternity in time magnifie and bless thee for thy love to them and praise and bless them for their likeness to thee Finally I Wish that I may so carry my self in all my converses with the Children of God here that I may meet them in the Fathers house and sit down with them at the Supper of the Lamb. Lord if Communion with thy Saints be so pleasant and delightful on earth how pleasant and delightful will it be in Heaven Here my communion with them is imperfect my flesh will not suffer me to receive the good I might from them nor their flesh allow them to do the good they might to me But there shall be no evil no occasion of evil no appearance of evil no sin shall clog the chariots of our souls no flesh shall fetter us from running to embrace and delight in each other but all shall be free to rejoyce and refresh one another Every Saint shall be as it were a fountain of Communion in the sweetest mannerâ— and fullest measure from every one shall flow Riâ—ers of water of life and every one enlarged to rellish and receive If Jonathan beholding a little grace in David on earth loved him as his own soul how doth he love him in Heaven Here our Communion is much lamed by the defects in our bodily organs we cannot impart our minds without our members which being defective make our Communion so but there we shall be as Angels seeing each other without eyes hearing each other without ears and embracing each other without hands Here our Communion is interrupted our particular callings our eating our drinking our sleeping our many occasions call us from it But there is no calling but our general calling of worshipping and enjoying our God no feeding but on the tree of life that groweth in the midst of Paradise no drinking but of the Rivers of Gods own pleasures and no night no sleeping but that rest which remaineth for the people of God O what darkness what night can be there where all the righteous shall shine infinitely brighter then the Sun in his noon day lustâ—e Here our Communion is hindered by the differences that frequently arise â— like Children of the same Father we quarrel and wrangle but there they will all be like-minded having the same love being of one accord and one judgement There indeed Jerusalem is a City compact together and at unity within it self There Pauls desire is granted
esteems himself in good company He had rather Gods deputy conscience should admonish him to contrition then that God himself should do it to his confusion According to the Apostles Doctrine Every one of us must give account of himself to God therefore every one of us must take account of himself befare-hand It will be but a sad account which some will give at the great Audit-day when conscience shall confess against them They made me keeper of others vineyards but my own vineyard have I not kept And it is but a poor trade that they drive at present who make little use of their Shop-books The greatest Merchants and the most thriving are much in their Counting-house 5. In solitude accustom thy self to secret ejaculations and converses with God Lovers cast many a glance at each other when they are at a distance and are deprived of set meetings A little Boat may do us some considerable service when we have not time to make ready a great Vessel The casting of our eyes and hearts up to Heaven will bring Heaven down to us My meditations of him shall be sweet Psa. 104. 34. Secret ejaculations have meat in their mouths and will abundantly requite such as entertain them If they be much in our bosomes as Abishag in Davids they will cherish us and put warmth into us They are sweet in the day like the Black-bird cheering us with their pleasant noats and do also afford us wiâ—h the Nightingale songs in the night A true Israelite may enjoy more of his God in a Wilderness then in an earthly Canaan Christians are nearest their heaven when farthest from the Earth What care I how much I am in solitude so I may but enjoy his desirable society Ah how foolish are those persons that neglect the improvement of this glorious priviledge They that like swine can look every way but upward may well lie rooting in the earth desiring no more then fleshly pleasures because they know no better Surely the company of my God is of such weighty consequence and universal influence that I need no other I can have none to equal it The society of my best friends for all their love to me and tenderness of me is but as the company of Snakes and Serpents to the company of my God They have not pity enough for the thousandth part of my misery nor power enough to answer in any degree my necessities Their hearts are infinitely short of my Gods his love to me like his being is boundless but their hands come far short of their hearts though they are not unwilling they are unable to relieve me How often have I told them of my doleful case and distressed condition in vain when thereby I have rather added to their afflictions then lessened my own But my God is all-sufficient both for pity and power he hath bowels and mercy enough for my greatest sufferings and sorrows and strength and might enough for my support and succour My best friends are waspish and upon a small cause are ready to snap asunder their friendship when my Gods good will everlasting and thongh he scourge me he will is never remove his loving kindness from me What need I those puddle streams whilst I have this Well of living water O let me enjoy him more though I never enjoy frâ—end more Because I shall have opportunity to speak more to soul conferences and also to converse with God in secret duties in other parts of this Treatise I shall speak no more in this place A Good Wish about the exercising our selves to Godliness in Solitude wherein the former particulars are applied THe blessed and infinite wise God who made my soul for himself and knoweth it will never be satisfied without himself commanding me in all company to converse with his sacred Majesty and calling me sometimes to solitude that being freed from worldly distractions I might have more of his society I Wish that my nature may be so sutable to his holy being and my love so great to his gracious presence that though his providence should cast me alone into a Prison yet enjoying his favour there I may esteem it sweeter and pleasanter then the stateliest Palace It is both his precept and my priviledge that in the greatest company I should be alone to him and in my greatest solitude in company with him There is not the most solitary place I can come into nor the least moment of my life but I have still business with my God and such as is neither easie nor of mean concernment All my transactions with men about House or Land or Food or Cloaths or the most necesâ—ary things of this present life are nothing to my businesse with God about my unchangeable being in the other world If they were all laid in the ballance with this they would be found infinitely lighter then vanity and nothing My understanding is ready to be overwhelmed with the apprehension of an endless eternal state All my business with meat or drink or sleep or family or friends or mercies or afflictions nay or the means of grace or ordinances themselves is no more worth or desireable then they tend to the furthering my everlasting good All other things are but as passengers to which I may afford a short salute but it is my home where I must abide for ever that my heart must be always set upon and it is my God upon whom this blissful endless life depends that I have most cause to be ever with O my soul by this thou mayst gather with whom to deal and about what to trade when thou art alone tell me not henceforward in the words of the lazy worldling I am idle for I have nothing to do Hast thou pardon of sin the Image of thy God an interest in thy Redeemer freedom from sin the Law the wrath to come a title to life and salvation to get and secure without which thou shalt be a firebrand of hell for ever and hast thou any while any time to be idle Hast thou that high that holy that weighty work of worshipping and glorifying the great God of Heaven and Earth and of working out thy own salvation and yet hast thou nothing to do O that I might never hear such language in thy thoughts much less read it in thy life when thou hast so much business of absolute necessity to be done lying upon thy hands that if all the Angels in Heaven should offer thee their help unless the Son of God himself do assist thou canst not dispatch it in many millions of ages Lord I am thine absolutely thine universally thine all I am is thine all I have is thine O when shall I live as thine I have no business but with thee and for thee O that I could live wholly to thee I confess it is thine infinite graâ—e to suffer such a worm as I am to converse with thy glorious Majesty that Heaven should thus stoop to earth
quarrels but keep the peace without a Bond. It is the base and vile bramble the fruit of the earths curse that teareth and renteth what is next it Plutarch reports of a falling out between two famous Philosophers Aristippus and AEschines and how after some time Aristippus went to AEschines saying Shall we not be friends before we be a Table-talk to all the town Yea with all my heart saith AEschines Remember then saith Aristippus that thrugh I am your Elder yet I sued for peace True replieth the other I acknowledge you the better and worthier man for I began the strife but you the peace In this Pagan glass many Christians may see their own deformities for even Heathen agree with Scripture in this first particular That they are most wise and prudent who are most meek and peaceable 2. The other which floweth from the forementioned verse is That the Christians meekness must be mixt with wisdom The Apostle calls it meekness of wisdom meekness opposeth fury in our own quarrel not zeal in Gods cause The same Spirit that appeared in the forme of a Dove appeared also in the form of fiery tongues It may be my duty to be silent when I am wronged but its sinful not to speak when God is reproached Though I may compound for my own debts yet I have no power to compound for anothers It s a singular mark of a Saint to be wet Tinder when men strike fire at himself and touch-wood when men strike at God The meekest man upon the face of the earth was the fullest of fury in the cause of Heaven Numb 12. 2. Exod. 32. A skilful Musitian knoweth when to strike a string of a lower sound when of an higher A wise Christian knoweth when to abate when to increase his heats Naturalists observe of Bees that they will ordinarily suffer any prejudice when they are far from their Hives and their own particular is onely concerned but when they are neer their Hives that their Common wealth is engaged in their combats they are furious and will lose their lives or conquer Thy work O Christian is not to abate the least of Gods due but to pocket up many private injuries and to forgive thy personal debts Be not like some as cold in Gods cause as if they had neither sense nor life and as hot in their own as if their work were to make good the opinion of Democritus that the soul is of the nature of fire nothing else but an hot subtle body dispersing it self into fiery atomes Excess of fury is a spiritual frenzy and its ill for them who come within the biting of such mad beasts I have reast of Themistocles that having an House to let he pasted on the Door Here is an House to be hired that hath a good Neighbour It s a great comfort to dwell by a pious and meek person but no small cross to live neer the peevish and passionate A meek man is a good Neighbour in these respects For 1. He is so far from wronging others that he will forgive those that wrong him He is not onely contrary to them who like furious Curs fall upon every one that passeth by without the least cause but also if he be wronged he never studieth revenge though he may seek sometimes for Iustice. The world hath learned of the Divel to offer injuries and he hath learned of God to suffer injuries He dares not usurpe Gods Throne but leaves his cause to the Judge of all men Lev. 19. 18. He knoweth also that good men must have their grains of allowance and Children of the same Father are too prone to quarrel therefore he beareth both with the bad and the good with the former for Christs sake with the latter because they are Christs seed Now such a one is a good Neighbour Calvin said though Luther should call him Satan yet he would honour Luther as a faithful servant of God It s reported of Cato that when a rash bold fellow struck him in the Bath and some time after came to ask him pardon he had forgot that he had been injured Melius putavit non agnoscere quam ignoscere saith Seneca He scorned to approach so neer revenge as acknowledge that he had been wronged It s below a generous Moralist to take notice of petty affronts He kils such slimy wormes by trampling on them The Christian upon a better consideration destroyeth those vermine with the foot of contempt He hath experience what millions of pounds are forgiven him by God and therefore out of gratitude cannot but pardon some few pence to man Forgiving one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Ephes. 4. 32. He knoweth that he needeth favour from others for his offences against them he doth not always walk so carefully but some time or other he hath bespattered those that went neer him and it s but just that he should allow that pardon which he expecteth Eccles. 7.21,22 Tit. 3. 2 3. Shewing all meekness towards all men for we our selves were sometimes foolish living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another The Lacedemonians were wont to pray in their publique service that the Gods would enable them to bear private wrongs with patience 2. A meek person will part with much of his right to buy his peace Where he may not wrong his family too much nor dishonour his God he will yeild far to preserve or purchase a friend Though his priviledge be superior yet he can be contented to hold the stirrup to others and give them place Abraham was the Elder and the Nobler man yet he offereth Lot his choice of the Country and was willing to take what he would leave SECT VI. SEcondly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness in thy dealings with all men look not onely to the manner of thy dealing but also to the principle Thy righteous courteous and meek carriage must proceed from obedience to Gods command Many of the Heathen as thou hast heard were just in their contracts they would as soon die as deceive Now how wouldst thou know whether thou exceedest them but by a principle of Conscience from which thou actest If Pagans and Christians be found travelling in the same path the onely way to difference them iâ— to enquire whence they both sat out and whither they are going what is the principle from which they act and what is the end of their journey According to the principle of a man such is his end If the Barrel of the Musquet be crooked it will never carry the Bullet right therefore thy principle must especially be minded There be many things that move orderly and yet their motion is not from a principle of life as a Mill moveth by reason of the water yet is no living creature An outward principle of custome or fashion or glory may make a man just and patient in his actings many do the things commanded not because they are
is a Traytour to his supreme Lord and to his Viceroy within him Reason but a Saint and a wicked man are contrary consider them from head to foot they stand both in defiance against each other Their understandings are contrary the one is light the other is darkness the one judgeth sin to be the greatest and most abominable evil the other judgeth it to be a pleasant eligible good Their wills are contrary the one is a resolved Souldier under the Captain of his salvation fully set to lose his life before he will give up his cause or leave his colours the other is a sworn Officer under the Prince of the powers of the Air an implacable enemy to the former General and stoutly bent to dye nay be damned rather then desert him Their affections are contrary the affections of the onâ— as fire ascend upward are set on things above the affections of the other like earth tend downwards and are set on things below what the one loves above his life the other hates unto death what the one forsakes as worse then Poyson the other followeth after as his onely portion Are these two Reader like to agree and to be as friends should of one heart and of one soul Idem velle idem nolle est vera amicitia saith the Oratour T is true friendship to Will and Nill the same things what kind of friendship must that be then between those that always will and nill contrary things Let thy own reason be judge if likeness be the ground of love what love can there be amongst them that are wholly unlike O let noâ— any carnal interest sway thee to choofe Sodom for the place of thy habitation much less to accept of Gods Foe to be thy bosome friendâ— for what communion hath light with darkness or what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleiveth with an infidel 2 Cor. 6. 14 15. Like as the Elements according to Empedocles opinion are always at strife together but specially those that are neerest so godly and evil men are always at odds but those especially that are nearest The Horse hath a natural emnity against the Camel and the Camel against the Horse Therefore Cyrus being to fight with the Babylonians who excelled in Horses used as many Camels as he could get The sinner is like the Horse altogether unclean the Christian like the Camel that cheweth the cud though he divideth not the hoofe is parly clean partly unclean now there being an enmity betwixt these there can never be any society The Feathers of Eagles say Naturalists will not mingle with the feathers of any ohter Fowls Many complain of the treachery of their friends and say as Queen Elizabeth that in trust they have found treason but most of these men have greatest cause if all things be duly weighed to complain of themselves for making no better choice He is right served in all mens judgements who hath his liquor running out which he puts into a leaking Vessel or riven Dish SECT III. I Come now to shew wherein the power of godliness consisteth or how a man maketh Religion his business in the choice of his Companions First Be as careful as thou canst that the persons thou choosest for thy Companions be such as fear God The man in the Gospel was possessed with the Devil who dwelt amongst the Tombs and conversed with Graves and Carcasses Thou art far from walking after the good spirit if thou choosest to converse with open Sepulchres and such as are dead in sins and trespasses God will not shake the wicked by the hand as the vulgar read Iob 8. 20. neither must the godly man David proves the sincerity of his course by his care to avoid sucâ— society I have walked in thy truth I have not sat with vain persons Psa. 26. 5. 6. There is a twofold truth 1. Truth of Doctrine Thy Law is the truth free from all dross of corruption and falshood oâ— error 2. Truth of affection or of the inward parts this may be called thy truth or Gods truth though man be the subject of it partly because it proceedeth from him partly because it is so pleasant to him in which respect a broken heart is called the sacrifice of God Psa. 51. 6. As if he had said I could not have walked in the power of Religion and in integrity if I had associated with vile and vain company I could never have walked in thy precepts if I had sat with vain persons Observe the phrase I have not sat with vain persons 1. Sitting is a posture of choice it s at a mans liberty whether he will sit or stand 2. Sitting is a posture of pleasure men sit for their ease and with delight therefore the glorified are said to sit in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. 3. Sitting is a posture of staying or abiding 2 King 5. 3. standing is a posture of going but sitting of staying The blessed who shall for ever be with the Lord and his chosen are mentioned to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 8. 11. David in neither of these senses durst sit with vain persons He might as his occasions required use their Company but durst not knowingly choose such Company They could not be the object of his election who were not the object of his affection I hate the congregation of evil doers saith he in verse 7. As sitting is a posture of pleasure he did not sit with vain persons He was sometimes amongst them to his sorrow but not to his solace They were to him as the Canaanites to the Israelites pricks in his eyes and thornes in his sides Wo is me for I dwell in Meshech and my habitation is in the Tents of Kedar Psa. 120. 5 6. It caused grief not gladness that he was forced to be amongst the prophane Again He might stand amongst them but durst not unless necessitated as a Prisoner kept by force in a Prison sit with them A godly man may go to such persons as we do sometimes to felons in a Gaol about business but he likes not to stay in such a nasty place It s said of the Lyzard an unclean Bird that she liveth in Graves and such places of corruption But the Dove a clean creature loves to build and lie clean Though â—he sinner like Satan delights in herds of Swine the Saint disesteemeth a vile person and honoureth them that fear the Lord Psa. 15. 4. The Burgess of the new Ierusalem saith one upon that Text reprobos reprobat probos probat he rejecteth the vicious and though they may be great and high counteth them but vile Elisha was so far from bestowing his love that he thought an evil King not to deserve a look As the Lord liveth were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat the King of Iudah I would not look
will suffer then not to publish what thou art is a sin The light of Religion ought not to be carried in a Dark Lanthorn and to be shewn onely when thy own interest will permit and at other times to be hid Christ tells us Whoâ—oever shall deny me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 10. 33. Not to confess Christ openly when thou art called to it is to deny him And expect the same measure from Christ in the other world which thou givest to him in this How justly will he be disowned for a servant hereafter that was ashamed to own so Noble a Master here And how dreadful will his condition be whom Christ shall deny before his Father All thy happiness depends upon his confessing thee If he disclaim thee Divels will lay claim to thee and theirs thou shalt be for ever It concerns thee therefore to confess Christ how dear soever it may cost and to own Religion in all companies for thou mayst truly say what an honest man did being occasionally in a Pyrates Ship when t was searcht and the Pyrates cryed out Wo be to us if we be known he said Wo be to me if I be not known There are a sort of men that like Mercury the Good-fellow Planet are according to their company good if with the good bad if in conjunction with bad but the true Christian hath not so learned Christ. He who like the Mariner changeth his course upon the change of the weather is but an unsound Professour We read of some that feared the Lord and served graven Images 2 King 17. 41. They divided themselves between the true God and Idols As the Jewish Children which spake half Hebrew and half in the language of Ashdod Nehem. 13. 24. and as some Gentlemen that speak Italian when they are amongst Italians French amongst French men and order their language answerable to their associates So some that would be called Christians change themselves both for words and deeds into the nature of their Companions Amongst the godly they own God but amongst the wicked they deny him They alter their colour as the Sole say Naturalists according to that which is nearest and expose the Name of God rather then their own to contempt Beza saith of Baldwinus that he had Religionem ephemeram A Religion for every day Some men have a deportment sutable to all with whom they converse resembling such as are sinful and dissembling with them that are holy These are either ashamed or afraid of Christ both which are unreasonable 1. Some will not own him out of shame though he be the glory of his people Israel The Paint of women in some Countries is the Dung of the Crocodile and their sweet powder the excrement of a Cat yet people can esteem these their honour The Drunkard can boast of his strength to drink The cunning Cheat of his deceitful doings And alas many Christians are ashamed of Christ. O how unworthy is it that wicked men should glory in their shame and good men be ashamed of their glory that the scum of Hell should be prided in and the Soveraign of Heaven be esteemed a disgrace that some should with brows of brass boast of the ugly Monster begotten of Satan and others not dare to own the fairest of ten thousands and the onely begotten of the Father It s reported of Aristotles Daughter that being asked what colour was best she should answer the blush colour Diogenes was wont to say that Blushing was the colour of vertue How ever this colour may be commendable on other occasions its abominable in the cause of Christ David saith I will speak of thy judgements before Kings and will not be ashamed Psa. 119. 46. Neither the greatness of their power nor the brightness of their splendour shall make me bashful and ashamed to own thee Shame doth excellently become sin but it s wholly unbecoming the blessed Saviour Rom. 6. 21. Mark 8. 38. 2. Some will not own Christ out of fear As an Owl peeps at the Sun out of a Bâ—rn but dares not come near it So some peep at the Sun of righteousness but stand aloof as if they were more afraid to be nigh God then the Devil This made Peter deny his Master How daunted have many been to look danger in the face He who had sometimes courage enough to take a Lion by the beard lost his colour and changed his behaviour before wicked Achish Slavish fear is a great foe to Godliness The Great Philosopher gives this reason why the Camelion changeth colour so frequently he being a fearful creature swelleth by drawing in the air hereby his skin is pent in and made smooth and more apt to receive the colour of those objects that are next him They who are fearful of suffering will easily if their company require it change their colour and disown their Saviour Timerous creatures will run into any unclean places for shelter when a magnanimous spirit in a good cause will defie death it self He who fears his skin is no friend to his soul but will defile the latter to defend the former Fear surprising the heart takes it away and makes the Christian weak and then 't is no wonder if the smallest blow conquer him and like a Reed he bend with the least blast of wind but how unreasonable is it that any should be afraid to own the blessed Saviour when in sticking close to him is their only safety Nothing can hurt thee but sin t is that alone which exposeth thee to injuries and miseries if thou fearest that thou needest fear nothing else What a foolish bargain dost thou make by denying Christ to make wicked and weak men thy seeming friends and the jealous God thy real enemy Is not he distracted who to avoid the scratch of a pin layeth himself open to the shatering of a Cannon And art thou not worse if to avoid the fury of poor Mortals thou incurrest the wrath of the Almighty Remember that the fearful are the first in the black list for the eternal fire Rev. 21. 8. and do not play the Coward as Furius Fulvius to sound a retreat when thou shouldst as a man of courage sound an Alarm The Mulberry tree is esteemed the wisest of all Trees because it onely bringeth forth its leaves after the cold frosts be past but in Christianity he is a fool who dares not profess himself a Christian till dangers be over St. Austin in his Confessions relates a story of one Victorinus who being converted because he had many great friends that were Heathens durst not own Christ publiquely but went to Simplicianus and whispered him in the ear I am a Christian but Simplicianus answered him Vix credo nec deputabo te inter Christianos c. I do not beleive it nor will count thee a Christian till I see thee profess it openly Victorinus at first derided this answer but afterwards considering the
that the health of the soul is most to be enquired after as that which is of greatest weight and worth Do they ask into the price of Commodities thou mayst thereby raise their hearts to the Wine and Milk which is to be bought of Christ without money and without price This is true Alchimy and will turn all into Gold What heavenly fruit did our Redeemer gather from such earthly trees When the Pharises spake of eating with defiled that is unwashen hands he told them of inward defilements and what danger there was in unwashen hearts Mat. 15. 20. When the Woman of Samaria came to draw Water how soon doth he lift up his discourse to living Water of which whosoever drinketh shall never thirst John 4. 21. When the multitude followed him for the Loaves he improves that occasion to quicken them to labour for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life John 6. 25 26 27. Thus thou mayst Reader distil cordial water out of dregs and lees 2. Endeavour to reform them by thy gracious carriage in their Company A Christian is Gods Iewel Mal. 3. 17. and should always cast a radiancy and lustre before the eyes of others but especially amongst them that are wicked He is double guilty who â—â—lks disorderly amidst his Masters enemies Saints â—â—ould like Diamonds sparkle gloriously in a Ditch and as Stars shine the brighter in cold nights Be blameless and harmless without rebuke shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation Phil. 2. 15. Beleivers should like lights hung out in the City shine so brightly as to prevent others wandring and stumbling The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such lights as the Sun Moon and Stars are which do not keep their light to themselves but communicate it to others This gracious conversation is often profitable to the conviction of others They who as the Atlantes are ready to curse the Sun because it scorcheth them with its beams to hate the light because it discovereth their deeds of darkness may nevertheless in their consciences be so convinced of its beauty and glory that they may turn Persians to admire and adore it Shew thy self a pattern of good works that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you Tit. 2. 7 8. 1 Pet. 3. 15 16. Grace doth powerfully though silently oppose and overthrow Prophaness It forceth reverence from its bitterest enemies The righteousness of Noah condemned the old World The holiness of the Baptist did obtain respect from wicked Herod How did the Magnanimous Sanctity of the three Worthies triumph in the conscience of Nebuchadnezar and the innocency of Daniel in the soul of Darius Many a sinner hath been struck dumb by the exemplary and heroick faith and patience of the Saints Such a gracious carriage is sometimes helpful to the conversation of others They who stood out against the Word of God have been won by the Works of Men. Sanctified actions are unanswerable Syllogismes and effectual demonstrations Though the ears have been shut against pious precepts the heart it self hath been opened to a gracious pattern Abstain from fleshly lusts and have your conversations honest that whereas they speak evil of you as evil doers they maâ— by your good works which they behold glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. Good works are a means not onely of silencing but even of sanctifying evil workers and hereby those who spake evil of the children come to glorifie the father An holy life is a real confutation of unholy lusts and whereas counsel may perswade this compelleth the sinner either to embrace sanctity or to live condemned of himself Lewis the twelfth of France hearing ill of the Waldenses sent some to observe and pry into their lives who returning told the King That they were free from all scandal sanctified the Sabbath baptized and chatechised their children Whereupon the King their enemy swore that they were better men then himself or any of his Subjects The Church of God is compared to a Vineyard Luk. 20. 9. Pliny tells us that the smell of a Vineyard is such that it drives away all Serpents and venemous creatures The lives of Gods people should be spotless and exemplary that their enemies as in Tertullians days may honour them for their holiness Of Bueer it was said He so lived that his friends could not sufficiently praise him nor his enemies justly blame him So should every child of God SECT VI. 3. ENdeavour to reform them by faithful reprehension Reprehension is like a Dam which though it cause the waters to swell stops its violent course As Thunder it purifieth the air which otherwise would putrifie When thou comest amongst vicious persons thy spirit as Pauls amongst the Idolatrous Athenians must be stirred within thee and thy zeal must appear in reproving the offendors or else as a Pearl in a Toads â—ead it will be of no use Servetus condemned Zwinglius for his heat and harshness but he answered In other things I will be meek and mild but not in blaspemies against Christ. Good blood will not belie it self but when occasion is offered shew it self The zeal of Gods house did eat the Redeemer up and he whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple In the cause of God saith Luther I am and ever shall be stout and stern herein I take upon me this Motto Nulli cedo I give place to none That expression of Austin hath weight in it Qui non zelat non amat He hath no love to God who hath no zeal for God and truly he hath little love to his Neighbour Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Lev. 9. 17. First Here is no priviledge as to persons either reproving or offending 1. Reproving Thou shalt rebuke It s to be done in our own persons and not by a proxy 2. Offending thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour All are our Neighbours made of the same earth bone of our bone flesh of our flesh capable of the same heaven God excludes none but offers both his grace and glory universally Whosoever will let him c. Rev. 22. 17. Secondly No dispensation granted as to crimes Thou shalt not suffer sin upon him If it be a sin it must not be suffered Thirdly No pleading of any excuse thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not hate him To suffer any in unholiness is a sign of hatred and such seeming charity is the greatest cruelty Besides whilst we let such men alone in their prophaness we provoke God against our selves Iohn the Baptist rebuked Herod Nathan reproved David and Latimer Henry the eighth though the offendors were potent and high yet the ministers of God would not fear their faces but freely tell them of their faults Nay some Heathen have had courage
together Some no sooner creep into the Cradle of Profession but immediately they leap out of it into the Chair of Censure If a Christian do stumble he saith he falls and so carrieth it up and down He always greatens others and lessens his own sins Things in a mist seem bigger to us then in a fair day by reason of the indisposedness of the air or medium He looks on the sins of others through the mist of envy and so makes them bigger then they are He beholds his own sins as God doth himself afar off or as things on a Steeple which seem small and little Because some persons are not of his party therefore they are in the bond of iniquity saith the Censorious man Thus the Romans judged others not Saints because they were not exactly of their own size Rom. 14. 3. If good men are brought to the fire of affliction it is saith he because they bear not good fruit and are fit for nothing but fuel Thus Iobs friends judged him an Hypocrite and without armour of proof because he was the Mark at which the Arrows of the Almighty were levelled Job 4. 5 6 7. If a good man step awry he tells others positively that his whole way and course is wrong From his failing in one action the Censurer condemneth his whole conversation as feigned and fraudulent as if the best gold did not need some grains of allowance and the brightest burning Taper had not some smoke with it He judgeth according to appearance and doth not judge righteous judgement When an action is doubtful and admits of a good or bad construction to be sure he will take it in the worst sense He never meets with an ambiguous text but he makes a bad comment on it If Christ associate with Zacheus though not for communion with him in his sins but for the conversion of his â—oul he will presently cry him up for a Wine-bibber a Glutton and a friend of Publicans and Sinners In this and in all the rest he judgeth without judgement For indeed it is from want of judgement that the heaviest judgement comes O how sad is it that those who believe a day of judgement should walk so contrary to the rule of their Iudge Mat. 7. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Jam. 3. 1. The Dogs were kinder then such Men for they licked the sores of honest Lazaruâ— but these rub and fret the sores of Godly men by publishing them to others It s our duty to mourn for the sins of good men Lest when I come my God will humble me saith Paul for them that have sinned how contrary are they to Christianity that are glad they have somewhat to talk of I cannot esteem them Christians that think their feast wanteth musick unless the Baptist Head be brought in a Charger at the first course A desire to disgrace others never sprang from grace It s ill to enquire into others actions that we might have matter to draw up a bill of Indictment against them Like those who in reading Books mark onely the faults or such as take more pleasure in beholding a Monster then a perfect Man such is a censorious person But itâ— a swinish property to feed upon excrements They have too much affinity to the old Serpent that can pick nourishment out of poison Have not all men business enough of their own without raking into others graves But as the Fish Sepiae darken the waters that they may escape the Net so they darken the credit of others that they may escape the net of censure which is due to themselves These men are usually eagle-eyed abroad but as blind as Moles at home The most vicious are ever the most suspicious As Galileus looked through his Prospective-glass to find Mountains in the Moon so these examine others lives and search their actions as narrowly as Laban did Iacobs stuff to find matter of accusation But as it s Fabled of old Lamia that she had eyes like unto spectacles which she might take out and put in at her pleasure and that as soon as she came into her house she always locked them up in her coffer and sat down to spinning as blind as a Beetle and that when she went abroad she put them into her head and would very curiously behold what other men did So the Censurer is so quick-sighted abroad that he can see the moats in others eyes but so blind within doors that he cannot see the beam in his own Some of these men have a fine way of censuring and condemning others by commending them that you will not easily discern their envy or ill-will because of the throng and press of their subtle praises They will set forth a Christian eminent for grace with many and large flourishes of commendation but after all in two or three words dash out all they had spoken and leave a blot in the room As the Holy Ghost saith truly of Naaman He was a Mighty man Captain of the Syrian Host but a Leper So they of a Saint whose worth they cannot for shame deny He hath great parts many excellent guifts large abilities but I wish the root of the matter were in him or but he knoweth them too well or but he is covetous or proud as the Smith that shoeth an Horse and pretendeth therein to do him a kindness but pricks him in shooing him and therefore had better have let him alone This one flie of But c. mars the whole Pot of Oyntment The Censurer with that short Knife stabs his Neighbours fame to the heart Reader I beseech thee both for thy own sake and the Gospels to be tender of the repute and credit of Saints A good mans name is like a Milk white Ball which exceedingly gathers soil by tossing and therefore is to be sparingly talked of Words reported again have another sound and many times another sense Besides one Dog sets many others a barking Talk of his failings as low as thou wilt the world is quick of hearing and they take the size of all Christians cloaths by the measure of the weakest Thy charity should clap a Plaister supposing there be a real wound and cover it with the hand of privacy to keep it from the open air The Egyptian who carried something wound up in a Napkin answered discreetly to him that asked What it was It is covered to the end that no man might see Truly if we know of others failings and infirmities we should hide them with the mantle of love and not shew them to any but in relation to the offendors good and recovery for why should a fallen brother have cause to complain I am wounded in the house of my friends had it been an enemy I could have born it but it was thou O man my friend mine equal and my acquaintance Apelles drew Antigonus who had but one eye half-faced whereby that blemish was hid so should Christians their brethren The wise man tells us the worth
Order Every star must give light in its own and proper sphere 1. There is an authorative publick counselling admonishing c. which belongeth only to Pastors lawfully called Observe what the holy Ghost saith Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Pastors Are all Teachers No all are not gifted for it It would much reflect upon the King of Heaven to send servants upon such weighty errands that were unfit for them and did rather render their business ridiculous It s no easie thing for a person to be qualified for a publick preacher The great Apostle cryeth out Who is sufficient for these things though the voyce of ignorant men is Who is not sufficient for these things Besides all are not called to it It is not gifts and parts that will make a Subject an Officer at home or an Ambassador abroad but a Commission from his Prince Let no man take this honour upon him unless he be called of God as was Aaron There be many works which private Christians may not meddle with as to consecrate things to constitute Ecclesiastical laws to excommunicate to receive in those that are cast out to administer the Sacraments c. But those works which they may and ought to do as to exhort advise admonish comfort c. they must do them as private members not as publick Officers in the name or stead of Christ and to private members not to the Church 2. There is a private charitative counselling comforting admonishing others this may belong to any Christian so he keep within his own place and carry himself therein according to Divine commands for God hath made no man a Treasurer but every man a Steward of those talents with which he is intrusted Hence the Apostle frequently commandeth believers to mind these duties Gal. 6.1 Heb. 3. 13. 1 Peter 4. 11. But in these Christians must keep within their bounds as fixed Stars give light to others continuing still in their own orbs and not as Planets according to some wander up and down out of their places The members of the body do not intrude into each others office Vzzah's upholding the Ark when shaken though questionless out of a good design yet was the cause of his death and instead of furthering it hindred its march towards the place of its rest Private Christians ought to be serviceable to each other in these particulars 1. In instructing the ignorant Among Christians there are many who have but ignorant heads though they have holy hearts though for the time they have enjoyed the means they might have been teachers of others yet themselves had need to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God Now the work of knowing men must be to instruct such though they be dull and heavy we should bear with them and condescend to them St. Austin said he would speak false latine if his bearers understood it better then true By many blows we make a nail enter into an hard board by precept upon precept and line upon line we may beat truths into the heads of them that are very dull Iobs friend tells him Behold thou hast instructed many Job 4. 3. In this sense Iob was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame eyes to prevent their wandring in a wrong way and feet to prevent their stumbling in the right way David was no Priest yet he would teach others Gods precepts When he had once tasted Gods love others should taste some honey dropping from his lips Then will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee Psal. 51. It is a noble Work for Christians that have abilities and understanding to take some pains to teach and instruct them that are ignorant They cannot worship God as they ought because they are unacquainted with his Word and Will How can a servant please his Master that doth not know his pleasure They cannot do the good they should because they know not their duty They who are almost quite blinde will do but little work They are more open to temptation both from evil men and the evil one because of their ignorance It s as easie to give a child poison as wholesom milk because it hath not wisdom to discern the difference It s not hard to put the poison of error into their mouths who are but babes in understanding When the quick-sighted walk steadly these dark-sighted persons walk stumblingly in the way of Gods commandments O do what thou canst Reader to inform such poor creatures in the truths of God for as the Eunuch said to Philip How should they understand unless some one guide them We count it worthy and honourable to teach others some curious Art or high calling sure I am there is a day coming when to have taught one poor Christian how to serve God better and to honour him more will cause more comfort and bring more credit then the instructing thousands in the greatest and deepest mysteries of Nature or Art 2. By quickening the slothful The Eagle loveth her young yet when they are ready for flight and lye lazing in their nest she will pierce and prick them with her claws to make them flye abroad Love to others souls should stir us up to rouze drowsie Christians out of their spiritual slumbers and lethargies One Bell man that is stirring at midnight by crying Fire Fire awakens hundreds that were fast asleep in a short time One lively active believer acquainting men with the jealousie and justice of God and his severe proceedings against secure persons who neglect their spiritual watch may quickly call them from their beds to their watch and work Consider one another saith the Apostle to provoke one another to love and to good works Heb. 10.24 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Consider â—ne another into a Paroxysm a violent heat of an Ague or Fever to make each other fervent and fiery in love and good works Consider one anothers backwardness and dulness and provoke one another to your duties and that with diligence Consider one anothers states and conditions and provoke one another to a sutable seriousness in working out your salvations Consider one anothers hinderances and temptations and weaknesses and provoke one another to love and to good works Christians should say to one another as Iudah to Simeon his brother Come up with me into my lot that I may fight against the Canaanites and I will go up with thee into thy lot Help me by jogging and awakening me if I sleep and I will do as much for thee Iudg. 1.13 And encourage one another as Ioab his brother Abishai 2 Sam. 10. 11,12 And he said If the Syrians be too strong for me then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee then I will come and help thee Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people and the Cities of our God And the Lord do that which seemeth him good
him under that he rise no more How many that should reprove others have their mouths stopt as the Dogs by the Thief with a piece of bread some kindness or other Or else as Erasmus saith of Harpocrates they hold their finger in their mouths and are affraid of giving offence they are rather like the reflection of a Looking-glass ready to imitate others sinful gestures and actions then rebuke them for them There is no reprover in the gate Nay Heathen exceed in this many of us The Great Philosopher tells us That is true love which to profit and do good to us feareth not to offend us and that it is one of the chiefest offices of friendship to admonish Euripides exhorts men to get such friends as would not spare to displease them saying Friends are like new wines those that are harsh and sowr keep best the sweet are not lasting Phocian told Antipater Thou shalt not have me for thy Friend and Flatterer too Diogenes when men called him Dog for his severe kind of reproving would Answer Dogs bite their enemies but I my friends for their good And are we so hardly drawn to this duty O how justly might the Lord reprove us cuttingly and set our sins in order before our eyes to our comdemnation for our backwardness to reprove others to their humiliation We have most of us cause with Reverend Mr. Robert Bolton to confess and bewayl our neglect herein SECT V. FIfthly By bearing each others infirmities Christians like the clearest fire will have some smoak whereby they are apt to offend each others eyes and to cause anger The best and most pious may sometimes be peevish Those brethren that love sincerely may too often quarrel True Members of the same body may by some accident be dis-joynted Though contentions argue them to have flesh yet they may arise where there is spirit Therefore the Holy Ghost commandeth Bear one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Here is the Commandment enjoyned and the Argument whereby it is enforced Galat. 6. 2. First The Precept Bear one anothers burthens There is a threefold burden that Christians must bear for each other I. The civil burthens of their miseries and sufferings Have a fellow-feeling with them in their afflictions Who is weak and I am not weak Who is afflicted and I burn not saith holy Paul Herod and his men of War will set a persecuted Christ at naught The Chief Priests and Elders will mock him when he hangs upon the Cross Luk. 23. 11. Mat. 27. 4. Edom rejoyced in the day of Ierusalem's trouble they cryed Aha so would we have it But the true seed of Iacob sigh for others sorrows they weep with them that weep Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity If one part of the natural body be in pain the other parts are sensible of it When one branch of a Tree is torn and mangled in Summer the other branches are affected with it and out of Sympathy as it were will not thrive so well as formerly If one person of a family be sick how much do his relations from a principle of nature lay to heart his pain and illness Christians are all members of the same body branches of the same vine children of the same family and it would be monstrous and unnatural for them not to feel each others miseries and suffer in each others sufferings II. The Spiritual burthen of their iniquities and sins Whether more immediately against God Though we must not bear with them in their sins yet we must help to bear their sins with them We ought to sit on the same floor with them that are fallen down and to mourn with them and for them and to bear some of the weight This temper was so eminent in Ambrose he would so plentifully weep with the sinning party that a Great Commander under Theodosius beholding it cried out This man is onely worthy the name of a Bishop As Stags when they swim over a River to feed in some Meadow they swim in a row and lay their heads over one anothers backs bearing the weight of one anothers horns and when the first is weary another taketh his room and so they do it by course So Christians must be willing to bear each others weight whilst they are passing through those boistrous waters till they land at their glorious eternal harbour Or whether their sins are immediately against our selves If the teeth bite the tongue that seeketh no revenge When the feet through their slipping throw the body upon the ground it riseth up and all is well Some Christians are of such weak stomachs that they can digest nothing that looks like an unkindness or injury But it s the glory of a man to pass by offences Cyprian saith to bear with affronts is a ray of Divinity A noble-spirited man will disdain to take notice of petâ—y dis-respects he will over-come contempt by contempt But an heaven-born Christian hath higher principles and more sublime motives to forgive his offending brother I Paul the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with a long-suffering forbearing one another in love Ephes. 4. 1 2. And be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you verse ult It is reported of Cosroes the Persian King that he caused a Throne to be made for him like Heaven with the Sun Moon and Stars artificially placed above it and under his feet thick and black clouds and high winds and tempests He that would have an Heaven here I mean enjoy God and himself must of necessity trample these under his feet It is good advice which Bernard gives in such a case Dost thou hear that a brother hath said or done somewhat that reflecteth upon thee or is injurious to thee then saith he 1. Be hard to believe it He should have a loud tongue that can make thee to hear such a report I would give him little thanks in case the honour of God were not concerned that were the messenger to bring me such a sowr present his pains would deserve but a poor reward that brought me tidings of a discourtesie to rob me of my charity The evidence shall be very clear or I will write Ignoramus upon his Bill of Indictment But if the thing be so plain that it cannot be denyed then saith he 2. Excuse his intent and purpose Think with thy self Possibly he had a good end in it He spake as he heard or he did what he did upon some good ground and account Though the action seem to savour of injury yet certainly in his intention there was no evil Had I his eyes I should see his end was right and honest But if there should be no reason for hope that his purpose was good then saith he
not to judge presently of the Plague of Leprosie but to shut the person suspected up seven days and then to view him and if the case were not clear to shut him up seven days more and after that seven days more before he was condemned and what is the Gospel of this but to condemn rash censuring of any much more of the godly Hath not my God told me He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is a folly and shame to him Prov. 18. 13. Lord thou understandeth what an unruly member my tongue is how hard to be kept within the bounds of sobriety towards my self or charity towards others O be pleased to undertake for me and keep thou the door of my lips It is not good to speak evil of those whom I know bad but it s much worse to speak evil of those who may prove good Should I declare others failings upon certain knowledge it sheweth some want of charity but should I publish their faults upon a bare supposition it would argue a want of honesty O let me rather erre on the right hand in my charitable thoughts of those that are bad then on the left in my censorious opinion of those that are good For though he may be evil that speaks good of others upon knowledge yet he can never be good himself that speaks evil of others upon suspicion I Wish that I may be so far from speaking ill of them that are good that I may rather be silent then without a just cause and call speak ill of them that are evil Though the wicked like Dogs fall upon the Sheep of Christ with open mouth and strive to bury their good names in the open Sepulchre of their wide throats yet the Sheep of Christ do rather suffer their rage with patience then render reviling for reviling My God hath commanded me to bless them that curse me and to pray for them that despitefully use me and how contrary am I to his Precept if I pay them in their own coin and open my mouth in backbiting them because they are forward to slander me It is enough for them that have not a God to undertake their cause and revenge their quarrels to do it themselves If I be one of Christs members he reckoneth all the wrongs offered to me as done to himself and he will one day vindicate his own honour and mine to the full when the sinner shall answer for all his treasonable expressions with Hell flames about his ears The tongue that now is blistered with blasphemies against God and his people at that day will be in a light flame and beg in vain with Dives for a little water to cool it I may therefore be quiet in all such cases and commit my cause to him that judgeth righteously He that is robbed may not seek for reparation from the Country if the Felon at the Assizes be Convicted and Executed I need not fear but the Iudge of the whole earth will at the general Assize do justice upon those Thieves that steal away my credit and good name and so in the mean time may well be contented He that is sure of double interest hereafter may with the more comfort forbear his money at present Besides by declaring his faults onely to fill up a void space of time I injure both him and my self whether my report be true or false if my report be false I wrong him by slandering and murdering his name undeservedly and I wrong my self by contracting the guilt of so great a sin If the report be true I walk contrary to Gods comâ—mand speak evil of no man and so deâ—ile my own soul and set him at a further distance from Religion hardening his heart against any future reproof as judging it to proceed from malice and so I do what lyeth in my power to destroy his soul. Besides all this I may injure my hearers and make them accessary to my sin Lord thou hast given me my tongue that it might be a trumpet to sound thine honour and that therewith I might speak good of thy name and not to speak evil of others O let my glory sing of thee and not be silent open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise but let me prefer an unprofitable silence before sinful speaking Help me to take heed to my ways that I offend not with my tongue and to keep my mouth with a bridle that I may not wander from thy Commandments I Wish that I may to the utmost of my power be serviceable to the souls of my fellow-members The members of the natural body are not idle or unprofitable but give and receive nourishment for the increase of the whole body They do not seek themselves or their particular interests apart but the good of the whole and their own profit in relation thereunto Nay the eye watcheth for all the members and helpeth to adorn them and not it self the hands work to maintain and cover the whole remaining themselves naked Why should it not be thus in my Saviours mystical body My God hath given me and others graces and gifts for that purpose and commanded me Occupy till I come and should I suffer them to rust for want of use I should be found at last but an unprofitable servant The several creatures whether superiour or inferiour do all instruct me by their patterns in this lesson of improving my talents and forbid me to bury them in the grave of idleness If I look up to the highest heavens I may see with an eye of faith those Sons of God Angels his diligent Servants and putting forth those abilities which they have received both for the glory of their Creatour and the good of their fellow-creatures Though they are the eldest house and compared with us the first born of the creation yet they do not as the eldest sons of some men plead that priviledge to patronage and cloak sloth and idleness but as they have higher and more noble natures so they are more active and industrious then others as appears both by bearing their parts in the celestial quire and in being ministring spirits for the good of them that are heirs of salvation If I look to the natural Heavens there with an eye of sense I may see the great Candle and Luminary of the World not folding up those rayes and cherishing vertues which he hath received but communicating them freely for the warming and refreshing terrestrial bodies though he gains nothing by it but is many times requited with the darkning his glory by earthly vapours If I look lower I may observe the earth even wasting and wearing out her self to nourish and inrich others She hath received a power of fructifying and giving sap to that which groweth upon her and loe like a tender Nurse how liberally doth she give that milk to all that hang on her breasts though it tend to her own weakening The various inanimate and
mischief they conceive for lack of the Midwifery of fit instruments and opportunities to bring it forth Good men are unable to act all the good they would because they want power and ability for Execution As Paul acknowledgeth that he was better at willing then performing but every man hath liberty to devise and meditate to study and contrive what he willâ— Though a mans hand or actions may be over awed and over-ruled against his own will yet his heart and thoughts cannot As he thinks in his heart saith the wise man so is he Pov. 13. 7. Practiceâ— may be swayed by outward ends but the thoughts are always genuine and natural Violence may cause the former but love carrieth the latter in its own way Hence good men have been signalized for Saints from the holiness of their thoughts They thought upon his name they meditate in his law day and night and they have even appealed to God with comfort upon their confidence of their uprightness from the goodness of their thoughts Try me O God and know my thoughts as being the purest and most unfeigned issues of the soul Mal. 3. 17. Psalm 1. and such as have least danger of infection from forreign aimes It s observable also that wicked men are set forth by this secret mark They devise mischief they imagine wickedness the thoughts and imaginations of his â—eart are evil God is not in all his thoughts because as Adam begat a son after his own likeness so doth the heart of every man beget thoughts according to its own likeness whether it be spiritual or carnal The Bowl runs as the Bias inclines it The Ship moves as the Râ—dder steereth it and the mind thinketh according to the predominancy of vice or vertue in it The more the fire of grace burns clear in the soul the more of these sparks will ascend towards Heaven The more earthly a soul is the more his thoughts will tend downward the more he will mind earthly things Philip. 3. 17 18. Naturalists tell us of the Gnomon commonly called the Mariners needle that it always will turn to the Northâ—star though it be closed and shut up in a Coffer of Wood or Gold yet it loseth not its nature So the true Christian is always looking to the star of Iacob whether he be shut up in a Prison or shut himself up in his Closet he is ever longing after Jesus Christ. A true lover delights most to visit his friend alone when he can enjoy privacy with him Our blessed Saviour doth not without cause call the Pharisees Hypocrites though they faâ—ted and prayed and gave much almes because they performed those duties chiefly if not onely in company and to be seen of men The applause of others was the weight that set their clocks a going when that was taken off as when they were alone they stood still Therefore Christ adviseth his Apostles to take another course if they would evidence the truth of their Christianity Enter into thy closet shut thy door and pray to thy father in secret One fervent prayer in secret will speak more for our sincerity then many in publique Mat. 6. â—â—it When a Prince passeth by in the streets then all even strangers will flock about him and look upon him but his Wife and Children think not this enough but follow him home and are not satisfied unless they can enjoy him there A false Christian and one that is a stranger to God if he have but a superficial view of him in his Courts is pleased but the true believer and one that is nigh to him in Christ must have retired converses with him in his Closet or he is not contented SECT III. I Come now to shew how a Christian should exercise himself to godliness in Solitude 1. If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness when thou art alone guard thy heart against vain thoughts This is the first work to be done without which all that I have to commend to thee will be in vain It s to no purpose to expect that a glass should be filled with costly wine when it s filled already with puddle water When the house before-hand was taken up by strangers there was not room for Christ himself in the Inne If such flies be suffered and allowed in our hearts they will spoil our best pots of Oyntment Some persons though poor when they are solitary delight in the fancies and imaginations of great preferments and pleasures and riches as if they were real whereas they are the meer Chimera's and Fictions of their own brains and have no existence but in their thoughts No wonder our Saviour saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of the heart of man proceedeth madness Mark 7.21,22 Such thoughts are distracted thoughts and sutable to those that are out of their wits who please themselves in thinking that their filthy holes in Bedlam are stately Palaces that their nasty rags are royal robes that their iron fetters are chaines of gold and the feathers stuck in their caps are imperial Crowns As the Spanish Page in an high distemper of fancy imagined himself to be some great Emperour and was maintained in that humour by his Lord so some foolish men build these Castles in the air and then allow themselves a lodging in them Others please themselves in the thoughts of sinful sports or cheats or unclean acts and sit brooding on such Cockatrice eggs with great delight It is their meat and drink to roul those sugard-plums under their tongues Though they cannot act sin outwardly for want of strength of body or a fit opportunity yet they act sin inwardly with great love and complacency As Players in a Comedy they act their parts in private in order to a more exact performance of them in publique Others entertain themselves with needless and useless thoughts such as tend neither to the informing the mind nor reforming the heart or life Like vagrants a man meets with these in every place but can neither tell whence they come nor whither they go they have neither a good cause nor do they produce any good effect Such thoughts might be in a Davids heart but they were the object of his hate Psa. 119. 103. I hate vain thoughts The best Christians heart here is like Solomons ships which brought home not onely Gold and Silver but also Apes and Peacoks it hath not onely spiritual and heavenly but also vain and foolish thoughts But these latter are there as a disease or poison in the body the object of his grief and abhorrency not of his love and complacency Though we cannot keep vain thoughts from knocking at the door of our hearts nor from entering in sometimes yet we may forbear bidding them welcome or giving them entertainment How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Jerem. 4. 14. It s bad to let them sit down with us though but for an hour but its worse to let them lye or lodge with us It s
burned We strike fire by meditation to kindle our affections This application of the thoughts to the heart is like the natural heat which digesteth the food and turneth it into good nourishment When we are meditating on the sinfulness of sin In its nature its contrariety to God his being his law his honour its opposition to our own souls their present purity and peace their future glory and bliss In its causes Satan the wicked one its Father the corrupt heart of man its Mother In its properties how defiling it is filthiness it self how infectious it is overspreading the whole man polluting all his natural civil spiritual actions making his praying hearing singing an abomination how deceiving it is pretending meat and intending murder In its effects the curse of God on all the creatures evident by the vanity in them the vexation they bring with them in the anger of God on sinners apparent in those temporal punishments spiritual judgements and eternal â—orments which he inflicteth on them I say when we meditate on this we should endeavour to get our hearts broken for sin ashamed of sin and fired with indignation against sin O what a wretch am I should the soul think to harbour such a Traytor against my Soveraign What a fool am I to hug such a serpent in my bosom What sorrow for it can be sufficient What hatred of it is enough What watchfulness against it what self abhorrency because I have loved it and lived in it can equal its desert O that I could weep bitterly for the commission of it and watch narrowly for the prevention of it and pray-fervently â—or pardon of it and power against it How much am I bound to God for his patience towards so great a sinner How infinitely am I engaged to Christ for taking upon him my sins T was infinite condescention in him to take upon him my nature but O what humiliation was it to take upon him my sins What life can answer such love what thankefulness should I render for such grace such goodness The close applying of our meditations to our hearts is like the applying and rubbing in oyl on a benummed joynt which recovers it to its due sense He that omits it doth as a chapman that praiseth ware and cheapens it but doth not buy it and so is never the better for it David proceeds from meditation of Gods works to application of his thoughts Psal. 8.2,3,4 When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers c. What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou dost thus visit him 5. It is a serious applying of some sacred subject that his resolutions may be strengthned against evill and â—or good The Christian must not onely pray his good thoughts but practice them he must not lock them up in his mind but lay them out in his life A Council of war or of State is wholly useless if there be none to execute what they determine That Kingdom flourisheth best where faithful execution followeth sound advisements Therefore the Heathen pronounced that City â—afe which had the heads of old men for consideration and the â—ands of young men for execution Action without consideration is usually lame and defective consideration without action is lost and abortive Though meditation like Rachel be more fair execution like Leah is most fruitful The beasts under the law were unclean which did not both chew the cud and divide the hoof Ruminatio ad sapientiam fissa ungula pertinet ad mores Chewing the cud signifieth meditation dividing the hoof an holy conversation without which the former will be unprofitable saith Austin Reader Hast thou thought of the beauty and excellency of holiness in its nature its conformity to the pure nature and holy commands of the blessed God in its causes the Spirit of God its principal efficient the holy Scriptures its instrumental In its names it s the image of God the divine nature light life the travel of Christs soul grace glory the Kingdom of heaven In its effects or fruits how it renders thee amiable in Gods eye hath the promise of his ear is entituled to pardon peace joy adoption growth in grace perseverance to the end and the exceeding and eternal weight of glory and hast applied this so close to thy heart that thou hast been really affected with its worth and wished thy self enriched with that jewel though thou wert a beggar all thy life and resolved with thy self Well I will watch and weep and hear and pray both fervently and frequently for holiness I will follow God up and down and never leave him till he sanctifieth my soul Now I say to thee as Nathan to David when he told him of his thoughts and resolution of building a temple Do all that is in thine heart for God is with thee 2 Chron. 17.2 or as God to Moses concerning the Jews They have well spoken all that they have said O that there were an heart in them to keep my commandments It s well thou art brought to any good purposes but it will be ill if they be not followed with performances Good intentions without suitable actions is but a false conception or like a piece charged without a bullet which may make a noise but doth no good no execution Indeed there is no way better to evidence the sincerity of thy intentions then by answerable actions David was good at this I thought on my wayes there was his serious consideration and turned my feet to thy testimonies there is his holy conversation So again I will meditate on thy precepts and will have respect to thy testimonies T is in vain to pretend that like Moses we go into the mount of contemplation and converse with God unless we come down as he did with our faces shining our conversations more splendent with holiness This saith the cheif of the Philosophers will a man to perfect happiness if to his contemplation he joyn a constant imitation of God in wisdom justice and holiness Thus I have dispatched those five particulars in meditations The first three are but one though for methods sake to help the Reader I spake to them severally and are usually called Cogitation the other two Application and Resolution Cogitation provides food Application eats it Resolution digests it and gets strength from it Cogitation cuts out the sute Application makes it up Resolution puts it on and wears it Cogitation betters the judgement Application the affections and Resolution the life It s confest this duty of set meditation is as hard as rare and as uneasie as extraordinary but experience teacheth that the profit makes abâ—ndâ—nt recompence for our pains in the performance of it Besides as Milstones grind hard at first but being used to it they grind easily and make good flower so the Christian wholly disused to this duty at first may find it some what difficult but afterwards both facile and fruitful Reader to help thee
creatures and spell the name of my creatour out of them It is my priviledge that I may with Sampson get honey and sweetness by occasional meditation out of the carcass of every creature The whole world is a great vast library and every creature in it a several Book wherein he that runs may read the power and goodness and infinite perfections of its Maker Every object is as a Bell which if but turned makes a report of the great Gods honour and renown Some have compared the Creation to a musical instrument sure I am every individual in it is a string which if toucht by serious consideration will loudly and sweetly proclaim its Authors praise He that hath much stock may well trade high They who by every sight by every sound by every thing felt or tasted are minded of their Father and Fountain may well be taken up with frequent apprehensions and admirations of him For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God head Rom. 1. 20. The Highest and Lowest the Kings and Worms the Sun and Stone the Cedar and Hysop the smallest inanimate irrational creatures read to me dumb lectures of my Gods might and love they are so many Masters to instruct me though silently in his greatness and wisdom The world below is a glass in which I may see the world above The works of God are the Shepherds Calender the Plow-mans Alphabet the King of Heavens Divinity Professors and why not my Catholique Preachers Certainly those several varieties choice rarities and excellent contrivances which appear in them were made as well for my inward soul as outward senses and chiefly for my soul through my senses The word of God is food for faith and so may the works of God nourish faith by sense Faith seeth God in himself sense seeth God in his creatures and thereby may be helpful to faith Take a view O my soul of thy beloved in those pictures which are always before thee representing his glorious and eminent perfections Ah how strange is it that he who is so near to thy senses should be so far from thy thoughts Try a little what wholsom cordial water thou canst distil out of these hearbs and flowers that grow in this earthly Eden by the fire of meditation Ask now the Beasts and they shall teach thee and the Fowls of the air and they shall tell thee or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee or the Fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this Iob 12.7,8,9 Thou needst not judge the attributes and excellencis of God or the work he requireth of thee so mysteriousâ— that none but men of extraordinary parts can reach or teach them Though the longest line of created understanding cannot fathom his bottomless perfections though his commandments be exceeding broad yet the meanest creatures do after a sort teach thee his wisdom and power and thy duty and carriage Ask now the Beasts and they shall teach thee As brutish as they are they may instruct thee in many rare lessons They will teach thee 1. Gratitude and thankfulness to thy Maker and preserver The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know Isa. 1.2 If the dullest of Beasts the Ox and Ass acknowledge their Master how shouldst thou thy benefactour 2. Dependance on the Fountain of thy being If they depend on him for provision wilt not thou Jezreel cryeth to the Corn Wine and Oyl to nourish her these cry to the earth the earth cryeth to the heavens the heavens cry to God upon whom they depend Hos. 2. 19. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing He giveth to the beasts their food and to the young ravens that cry Psalm 145. 15. and 147. 9. If the great House keeper of the world be so careful to fodder his Cattle surely thou mayst believe that he will not starve his children 3. The dread and awe of thy God When the Lyon roareth all the Beasts of the Forrest tremble What fear should possess thee when thy God is incensed and uttereth his terrible voice in his threatnings Thy flesh may well tremble for fear of him and thou hast good cause to be afraid of his righteous judgements 4. Providence and Diligence in thy place and calling Go to the Pismire thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise she provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest Pro. 6.6,8 If she be so wise as to know her season and to improve it how inexcusable wilt thou be if thou shouldst neglect it 5. Innocency The Sheep will suffer many injuries and offer none He went as a sheep to the slaughter dumb before the shearer and opened not his mouth 6. Wisdom and Prudence The Serpent will if possible secure her head what ever part of her be wounded Now the Serpent was more subtil then any Beast of the field The Christian must be careful to secure his faith be wise as Serpents Ask the Fowles of the air and they will tell thee how many truths O my soul will the very Birds chatter out to thee They will tell thee 1. Concerning thy God his goodness and mercy Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and yet not one of them falleth to the ground without thy Fathers providence Mat. 6. His providence reacheth the meanest creatures 2. Concerning the wicked one his cunning and policy As the Eagle when she seiseth on the carcass will first peck out the eyes and then feed on its flesh So Satan first blindeth the mind and then leads them hood-winkt to hell As the Eagle carrieth the shelfish into the Air onely that he might break them by their fall and devour them so the Devil by his costly courtesie advanceth many to their destruction Pro. 1. 32. As Birds are caught with several baits by the Fowler some with chaff some with corn some with day-nets some with a lowbel so the Arch-Fowler hath various ways to seduce and catch poor souls ye are not ignorant of his devices 3. Concerning thy self they will tell thee 1. That heavenly-mindedness is the onely way to chearfulness Birds sing most when they are got above the earth The pretty Bed-brest doth chant it as merrily in September the beginning of Winter as in March the approach of Summer Thou mayst give as chearful entertainment to hoary frosts as to warming beams to the declining Sun of adversity as to the rising Sun of Prosperity if thy conversation be in heaven 2. That simple souls are soon seduced and slain when the Larkers day-net is spread in a fair morning and himself is whirling his artificial motion by the reflecting lustre of the Sun on the wheeling instrument not onely the merry Lark and fearful
with fear Didst thou receive thy meat as in Gods presence and hadst thou an eye therein at his praise How didst thou behave thy self in thy Particular calling Did it no way incroach upon thy general Was thy conversation in heaven whilst thy dealings were about earth Wast thou diligent in the exercise of it righteous in thy dealings in it depending on God for a blessing on it What was thy carriage in company was thy life holy spotless exemplary profitable to others Mightest thou not in such a place have done thy God more service and thy Brothers soul more good May I not say to thee as God to Jonah Didst thou well to be angry at such a time upon no cause what were thy thoughts in solitude how wast thou imployed Had God any true share in thy thoughts hast thou watched thy self this day and kept thy heart with all diligence Hath none of thy precious time been lavisht away on unnecessary things Answer me faithfully to all these particulars that I may be able to return an answer to him that sent me O that I could but imploy one half hour every day with seriousness and uprightness in such soliloquies Lord thou didst create the world in six days and thou wast pleased to loâ—k back on every days work and behold it was very good and then ensued thy Sabbath Cause thy â—ervant to be a follower of thee as a dear child in minding every day the work thou hast given me to do that I may every night review it with comfort finding it good in thy Christ at the end of all my days looking back upon all my works I may see them very good through the acceptation of thy grace and with joy enter into my eternal Sabbath I Wish that I may end every day with him who is the beginning and first born from the dead That I may every night go to bed as if I were going to my grave knowing that sleep is the shadow of death and when the shadow is so near the substance cannot be far off Though lovers cannot meet all day yet they will make hard shift but they will find an opportunity to meet at night Should my devotion set with the natural Sun I may fear a dreadful night of darkness to follow That bed may well be as uneasie as one stuft with thorns that is not made by prayer If the soul lye down under an heavy load of sin the body can have no true rest Jacob could sleep sweetly upon an hard stone having made his peace with God when Ahashuerus could not though on a bed of down I cannot sleep unless God wake for me and I cannot rationally expect his watchfulness over me unless I request it My corruptions in the day call for contrition in the night How many omissions commissions personal relative sins heart life wickedness am I daily guilty of and â—hould I lye down under their weight for ought I know they may sink me before morning into endless wo. Whilst blood is in my veins sin will be in my soul. The weed of sin may be cut broken pulled up yet it will spring again I shall as soon cease to live as cease to sin Though I should be free all the day long from presumptuous enormities and onely defiled with ordinary humane infirmities yet these if not bewailed are damning The smallest letters are most hurtful to the eyes and far worse then a large Character Those sins which are comparatively little if not lamented are far more dangerous then Davids Murther and Adultery which were repented of When the soul like Thamar hath notwithstanding its utmost endeavours to preserve its chastity been ravished and by force defiled it must with her lift up the voice and weep If the Sun may not go down upon my wrath against man much-less may I presume to lye down under the wrath of God Besides how can sin be mortified if it be not confessed and bewailed Arraignment and Conviction must go before Execution The favours of the day past are not to be forgotten but to be acknowledged with thankefulness I receive every day more considerable mercies then there are moments in the day and when I borrow such large sums the principal of which I am unable ever to satisfie shall I be so unworthy as to deny the payment of this small interest which is all my Creditour requireth Whatsoever gain I have got in my calling whatsoever strength I have received by my food whatsoever comfort I have had in my Relations or Friends whatsoever peace liberty protection I have enjoyed all the day long I must say of all 〈◊〉 Jacob of his Venison The Lord hath brought it to me Surely the hearer of my morning prayers may well be the object of my evening prayses Aâ— how unreasonable is it that I like a whirl-pool should suck in every good thing that comes near me and not so much as acknowledge it Should any one be the thousandth part so much indebted to me as I am to God how ill should I take it if he should not confess it If a Beggar at my door receive a small almes from God by my hands I look for his thanks How often have I complained of the baseness and unworthiness of some that are engaged to me O what tongue can express what heart can conceive how much I am indebted to my God every moment though I am less then the least of all his mercies and doth not all his goodness merit sincere thankefulness Lord I confess there is not a day of my life wherein I do not break thy Laws in thought word and deed Sin is too much the element in which I live and the trade that I drive I find continually a law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and captivating me to the Law of sin and death Ah wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Since I am no day innocent make me every night penitent As my sins abound let my sorrow abound and thy grace much more abound Though I can never requite thy favours help me to admire and bless the fountain of them Suffer me never to go to bed till I have first asked thee my heavenly Father blessing Let the eyes of my soul be always open to thee in prayer and prayse before the eyes of my body be shut And O be thou always pleased so to accept my confessions petitions thanksgivings my person and performances in thy dear son that I may lay me down in peace and sleep because thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety Finally I Wish that every day of my life may be spent as if it were the day of my death and all my time employed in adorning my soul in trimming my lamp and in a serious preparation for eternity Whilst I am living I am dying every moment my sand is running and my Sun is declining I am as Stubble before the Wind and as
holiness Even Benhadad the King of Syria an enemy to the Prophets and People of God in his health will send a Prince to Elisha with a large present and most submissive expressions thy Son Benhadad in his sickness 2 King 7.9 Sickness gives men a double advantage for holiness 1. It takes off their hearts from creatures by teaching them experimentally what a poor weak cordial the whole creation is to sick or dying men When men are strong and lusty they can taste and savour earthly things carnal comforts hinder their endeavours after spiritual They take up with creatures as Esau and say they have enough but sickness makes them know the emptiness of all sublunary things When men are sick they cannot rellish the worlds dainties and delicates The preferments and riches and pleasures of the earth are all unsavoury and uncomfortable to them They now see the vanity of those things which heretofore they so much idolized how unable they are to revive their fainting spirits or to allay their pain or purchase them the least ease or procure them the least acceptance in the other world and hence the price of the worlds market falls abundantly in their judgements Bernard tells us of a Brother of his that when he gave him many good instructions and he being a Souldier regarded them not he put his finger to his side and told his Brother One day a Spear shall make way to this heart of thine for admonition and instruction to enter 2. In sickness conscience is usually allowed more liberty to speak its mind and men are then more at leasure to hear it In health their callings or friends or lusts or sports or some carnal comfort or other take up their hearts and time that conscience must be silenced as too bold a Preacher for offering to disturb them in their pleasures or if it will use its authority and continue to speak in Gods name and forbid their foolishness and Atheism and sensuality and prophaness they are deaf to its calls and commands and drown its voice with the noise of their brutish delights But in sickness they are taken off from their trades and pastimes and merry meetings and jovial companions when their bodies are weak their fleshly lusts are not so strong as formerly whereby conscience hath a greater opportunity to tell them of their miscarriages and wickedness and they themselves are more attentive to its words and warning Reader It s a special peice of wisdom to improve such a season for the good of thy Neighbours soul. When the Wax is softned then we clap the Seal upon it lest it harden again and be incapable of any impression When the hand of God hath by sickness made the heart of thy wicked friend or brother soft and tender then do thy utmost to stamp the Image of God upon it Paul would preach whilst a door was opened and there was likelyhood of doing good It s a great encouragement to work when the subject upon which we bestow our pains seems capable of what we prosecute and probable to answer our labour We have some heart to strike a nail into a bâ—ard because there is hope it will enter but no list to drive a nail into a flint because we despair of effecting it The Smith strikes when the Iron is hot he knoweth if he should stay till it is cold his labour would be in vain Friend take the advantage of others bodily sickness to further their spiritual health lest they either die in their sins or harden upon their recovery Opportunity is like a joynt in some part of a fowl which if we hit upon we may easily carve and divide the fowl but if the Knife fall on this side or that side of the joynt we do but mangle the meat and take pains to no purpose It is the speech of Master Richard Rogers in his seven Treatises I have visited some persons that have been condemned to die in whom through the blessing of God upon his endeavours I have found as good signs of saved persons as of any that died in their beds not having tasted of repentance before 2. It s a special opportunity of Receiving good We are taught more effectually by the eye then by the ear The sight of a sick or dying person hath often a strange and a strong operation upon the beholder When the Father heard of one that sinned notoriously he cried out I may be as bad as this man is When thou seest one dangerously sick thou mayst think with thy self I must â—e as this man is sick unto death when none of my Relations or Possessions can afford me the least comfort and O how much doth it concern me to prepare before-hand for such an hour If this mans work be now to do when his life is ending how sad is the condition of his precious soul O that I were wise to consider timely and to provide seasonably for my latter end The sight of a dead man was instrumental to the spiritual life of Waldus The sight of others sickness may well quicken me to the greater industry and diligence after spiritual health Do I behold my Neighbour whose Sail formerly sweld with a full gale of worldly enjoyments now wind-bound chained to his chamber or fettered to his bed unable to rellish his food or take any comfort in his friends Do I see him full of Aches and Pains Tossings and Tumblings crying out in the evening Would God it were morning and in the morning Would God it were evening because of the anguish of his Spirit Do I behold his cheeks pale his eyes sunk his lips quivering his loyns trembling his heart panting and nature striving and strugling with the disease to keep its ground and yet at last forced to quit the field and leave the victory to its adversary how many excellent observations may I draw from such a Text What a fool am I to trust the world which leaves this man in his greatest want How mad am I in loving sin which is the cause of all these crosses and miseries and which makes death so mortal to poor souls Of how much worth and value is the blessed Redeemer who will comfort a Christian in such a time of need and carry him through his last conflict with joy and conquest How careful should I be to get and keep a good conscience which in such a day of extremity will yeild me true courage and confidence The wise man doth not without cause tell us It is better to go into the house of mourning to the terming or charnel-house then to the house of feasting for that is is the end of all men and the living will lay it to heart Eccles. 7. 2. Men in a house of feasting are apt to be forgetful of their duty to God themselves and their Neighbours Isa. 22. 13 14. Amos 6. 3 6. Isa. 5. 11 12. When the body is filled the soul is often neglected Iob was afraid of this in
prudent questions to the sick concerning the condition of their souls The ignorance of a Physitian may occasion the death of the Patient Some practitioners in Physick who intend much good do much hurt for want of judgement to find out the tempers and distempers of the sick A mistake in soul-cases is of more hazard then in body-sickness If I undertake to humble a person who is already cast down sufficiently and wants a Cordial or to comfort one who is full of presumption already and needs a Corrosive how good soever my meaning may be my acting is evil and instead of releiving I may destroy my Brother The Eastern Churches did not without cause enjoyn the Minister or such as were appointed to visit the sick to continue with them seven days together that in that space they might discover the man before they applied themselves to him either in a way of Admonition or Counsel or Consolation Iobs friends when they came to visit him spake not a word either reproving or advising him till they heard him open his mouth and curse the tongue that told the news of his birth The knowledge of the sick mans spiritual condition is as it were the foundation upon which we must build all our discourse with him and prayers to God for him or at least it is the rule by which we must build and therefore it s very dangerous to mistake in it If the Foundation be laid ill the superstructure will never stand well If the rule be crooked the building cannot be strait A blind Archer may as soon hit the Mark as one ignorant of his Neighbours state advantage his soul. SECT IV. 2. APply thy self to him sutably to his condition As the conditions of men are several so must the Application be that which cures one may kill another One medicine will as soon cure all diseased bodies as one way all sick souls Indeed the Physick to be prescribed every Patient is the same for substance The blood of Christ By his stripes we are healed but there are several ways of tendering this to sinners that they may be prepared for it and give it all acceptation that Physick which is given to one in a Potion is given to another in a powder to a third in an electuary to a fourth in a pill according as it will be most prositable and most acceptable to them It s not easie so to write the bill that the sick may receive what is prescribed to his greatest content and advantage For as many perish errore medici as vi morbi by the error of the Physitian as by the power of the disease Though I judge it next to impossible for me to set down exactly and fully directions answerable to the difference of sick persons condition disposition education calling guilt c. yet I shall speak to the most ordinary cases and be careful not to omit the main work namely that which concerneth the conversion of graceless and Christless persons if on a sick bed God peradventure will give them repentance If the sick person be judged carnal and unregenerate for the Tree is known by its Fruits Besides it s no breach of charity to fear the worst of them whose lives do not speak a positive holiness especially whilst we are endeavouring their good then in general I would advise thee to speak 1. To the depravation of mans nature and the transgressions of life with the sad aggravations thereof How holy man was by creation how universally and desperately vicious he is by his fall from God and what horrid unthankfulness he is guilty of in continuing in sin notwithstanding the grace that is offered to him in the Gospel It s fit to speak to the purity and equity of the Law of God and to the difference and contrariety of his heart and life to it to the sinfulness of sin in its offensiveness and opposition to the nature and word of an infinitely Holy Glorious and Gracious Majesty in its destructiveness to the present peace and future perfection of his own precious and immortal soul and in that the stain of it is so deep and the venome of it so great that nothing beneath the blood of God could wash out its spots or be a sufficient Antidote for its poison Tell him of the folly of sinners in refusing Heaven for Earth Angelical Delights for brutish Pleasures the blessed God for a base lust and of his own madness likewise in running on so eagerly upon his own ruine against the counsels of men the commands threatnings and intreaties of God the convictions of his conscience the calls and invitations of a loving Redeemer and the motions of the holy Spirit 2. Speak to the merit of sin how it being committed against an infinite Majesty deserveth infinite wrath and severity Tell him that the Wages of Sin is death temporal spiritual eternal Acquaint him with the justice holiness and jealousie of God how he will by no means clear the guilty but hath threatned all manner of plagues and judgements on the workers of iniquity and cannot fail in the least of accomplishing his word how he is resolved to make all the Children of Men feel sin to be an evil and bitter thing either in broken bones on earth or broken backs and endless torments in hell Let him know his own obnoxiousness by reason of his many and greivous sins to the curse of the Law the wrath of the Lord and the vengeance of the eternal fire Tell him that he is by nature a Child of Wrath an Enemy to God and an Heir of Hell that it had been just to have cast him out of the Womb into Hell that Gods patience in bearing with him thus long will but increase his condemnation and endless misery unless he prevent it by sincere conversion This is the first thing requisite in order to the recovery of his soul. Till sin be discovered in its hainous nature and bloody colours it will never be lamented nor the Saviour esteemed according to the duty of the Sinner The first thing usually which the Spirit doth in the change of a sinner is to convince him of sin Joh. 16. 8. And this is also first in the Ministers commission Acts 26. 18. The great neglect of this in Ministers and others is one reason that so few Sinners are awakened the needful work of humiliation is so dangerously slighted that poor souls go sleeping and dreaming all is well till they come to be undeceived in Hell 3. Speak to his own inability to help himself that no less then infinite power can recover him out of his miserable condition Men are prone to act like Brutes when they are wounded to undertake the licking themselves whole as if it were an easie thing to renew a carnal creature and heal vitiated nature but alas the work is not so soon done It s another manner of work to open the blind eyes and â—â—liven the dead soul then the secure careless worldling
the soul By these Hand-maids he wooeth the Mistress But the sick bed is a Book in which I may read their deceitfulness and treachery their perfidiousness and fallacies and thereby learn to avoid them Further I may read the sinfulness of sin in others sickness That Parent must needs be a deformed monster that begets such uncomely and ill-favoured children In the dreadful effects I may behold the poisonous cause Man had never known sickness in his body if he had not known sin experimentally in his soul T is the plague and stone of the heart that causeth those in the flesh When I behold the sick man labouring under his distemper how he is chastened with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain so that his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat How his flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones stick out he is filled with tossings too and fro unto the dawning of the day When I behold his eyes sinking his heart panting hiâ— Wife and Children wailing and wringing their hands his friends weeping his tongue faltering his throat ratling his breath failing his strength languishing his whole body in a cold clammy sweat wrestling with his pain and disease may I not well cry out O what an evil is sin which bringeth all this upon the poor Children of men My Redeemer is therefore said to bear our sicknesses because he bare our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. Mat. 8. 17. And in all his applications for the cure of the diseased he had an eye to the root of the malady To one that was diseased he said Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee To another Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee When the Angel was smiting Israel with a Pestilence holy Davids thoughts ran upon the procuring cause I have sinned I have done very wickedly My God teacheth Israel the grievous nature of their defilement in the greatness of those judgements which they brought upon them Speaking of his severity towards them he tells them Thy way and thy doings have procured those things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart Ier. 4. 18. Our bodies are full of natural corruption because our souls are full of moral corruption O how fitly may I therefore when I behold the evil of affliction on others abhor and bewail the evil of sin in my self Once more I may be instructed in the necessity of a timely preparation for such an hour of affliction Can I think a â—ick bed a fit place an hour of pain and grief a meet season to begin that great business of turning from sin of loathing my self for all my abominations and working out my own salvation Is it rationally to be imagined that trembling joynts dazelled eyes a fainting heart failing limbs a body full of aches and diseases a soul sympathizing with it and full of vexation and grief should be fit instruments about such a work which an angelical strength and agility and freedom is little enough for Ah What wise man would build his eternal making and welfare upon such a tottering and sandy foundation The greatest strength and longest time and most vigorous health is not in the least degree too much for this needful and weighty business and shall I put it off till my strength fails my health is gone and my time near its last sand Lord Beside all these I may learn the excellency of thine Image and thy favour Sickness cannot waste them nor death it self destroy them Where the Curtains are drawn and the windows close in the darkest chamber of the dying man the comeliness of thy likeness and the sweetness of thy love are most sparkling and glorious The want of outward comforts doth convince the unbeleiving world of the worth of eternal blessings When the flesh and world that made shew of such love to their deluded favourites turn them off in their extremity as the Jews did Judas complaining to them of his-folly and wickedness What is that to us see thou to that Thou standest by and ownest thy servants thou knowest their souls in their days of adversity and how-ever thou dealest with them in their health wilt be sure to tend and look to to be both Nurse and Physitian to thy sick children Thy grace is a reviving Cordial and thy love will make even death it self a sweet and desireable dish O help thy poor servant to gain much spiritual good by those natural evils which others suffer As others sickness speaketh these things to mine ears and their conditions make them visible to mine eyes do thou write them in my heart that all such providences of thine towards others may make sin more ugly the world more empty thy graces and favour more comely and desireable and that furthering my purity at present they may further my eternal peace hereafter Finally I Wish that the sickness of others may cause me to be the more industrious in a faithful improvement of my health and take me wholly off from priding and pampering and making provision for that flesh which is so apt to breed diseases and in its greatest beauty and strength is so near to death The goodliest structure of body is but earth a little better wrought or more curiously then usually moulded up and with an ordinary disease is mard and defaced and so calleth on me to be humble rather then lifted up The Flesh that I provide for my flesh is not more subject to corruption or more perishing then the flesh for which it is provided Within a few days I shall have an end both of food and feeding O that I might waste that body in Gods service which will ere long waste with sickness spend and he spent in his work who gives me my health and strength and hath promised a bountiful reward Sure I am I can never bring them to a better Market nor put them off at an higher price Is it not better to consume my flesh in doing good in glorifying my God then with idleness and ease or with distempers and diseases Satans servants do not grudge to give their prime and cheif their healâ—h and strength to their lusts and shall not I give mine to my Lord Ah Lord an unthankeful selfish unbeleiving heart hath too much â—indered me from and disturbed me in those excellent duties which thou callest me to O deliver me from it for thy mercies sake Strengthen me by thy good spirit both to do good to and receive good by such as thou chastenest with sickness so to consider the poor and afflicted and to visit others in my heath that thou mayst visit me with thy saving health strengthen me upon my bed of languishing and make all my bed in my sickness that my most mortal sickness may not be unto death eternal but for thy glory and my passage into endless bliss yea
Justice Vide Righteousness K THe Knowledge of God a special means of godliness 802 Subjects should pay tribute to their King 38 39 L LIfe is uncertain 490 Life is short 838 Love should be among Christians 2â—5 Why the Commandment of Love is called a new Commandment 236 The fervency of Christs prayer for love 237 Sad effects of want of love among Christians 239 M MEans whereby Christians may exercise themselves to godliness 695 A good Foundation 696 Living by Faith 746 Setting God before our eyes 729 A constant watchfulness 734 Meditation of our dying day 745 Dayly solemn performance of holy duties 756 Frequent thoughts of the day of judgement 765 Calling our selves often to account 780 Avoiding occasions of sin 787 Walking humbly 793 Suppressing sin in the beginning 799 The knowledge of God 801 A contented frame of spirit 809 Avoiding those things that hinder godliness 819 Meditation useful 388 What set Meditation is 389 to 396 An example of set Meditation on the Word of God 398 Another example on the patience of God 466 It s a christians duty to be meek 42 The excellency of meekness 43 Meekness a sign of a wise man 44 The Christians meekness should not hinder his zeal for God 46,47 A meek man a good Neighbour in what respects 48 49. N NAture is corrupted and must be renewed 571 O OCcasions of sin must be avoided 787 Obedience must be universal 8 9 P PAtience of God wonderful 467 Gods Patience amplified in twelve considerations 467 to 476 The causes of Gods patience 476,477 The Application of Gods patience 485 The vanity of Pride 795,796 Christians must look to the Principles of their ordinary actions 50 51 Men must pay what they owe. 20 Payments must be in good money 21 Q ITs good for Christians sometimes to put Questions to their own souls 524 The manner how they should do it 546 547 The benefit of it in four particulars 525 526 R REgeneration necessary 695 Christians should rejoyce in others graces 308 The credit of Religion much engaged in a Christians publique dealings 11 to 61 It s the duty of Saints to reprove them that sin 165 188 285 286 Reproof must be given seriously seasonably prudently compassionately 191 to 204 It s a Christians duty to take a reproof kindly 302 to 306 Christians ought to be righteous in their dealings with all men 15 In their works 16,64,65 In buying 17 18 19 Wherein Righteousness in buying consisteth 20 21,65 Christians ought to be righteous in selling 22 Wherein it consisteth 23 24,25,66,67 The general rule of righteousness 27,69 Christianâ— ought to be righteous in their words 34,70 S SAtan a strong crafty industrious and cruel enemy 336 to 339 Sinful shame what 174 Christians must be righteous in selling 22 It s a sin to work upon the ignorance or poverty of the Seller 18 19 Its a duty to visit the sick 554 557 Great caution about it 555 It s a special season of doing and receiving good 559 560 It may be the last opportunity 565 We must be acquainted with the state of sick persons souls 568 Sutable application must be made to the sick 570 Five things cheifly to be insisted on to the carnal sick 571 to 576 How to apply our selves to civil men in sickness 577 Three great lessons all should learn by sickness 579 How to apply our selves to Saints in their sickness 578 We must deal faithfully with the sick 581 It s a duty to pray with and for the sick 582 Much good may be gotten by visiting the sick 584 We may learn our own frailty the worth of health the price of time the excellency of grace 585 to 588 Sinful silence what 165 What it is to be silent in evil times 168 Sin to be suppressed in the beginning 799 Open sins worse then secret in a threefold respect 13 God hates sin 467 How many ways we may partake of other mens sins by provocation complyance Silence 164 165 186 No true friendship betwixt Saints and Sinners 104 108 141 142 Christians should be careful of their carriage amongst sinners 155 Christians should not needlesly accompany with sinners 111. Vide company In what respect Sinners are said to be without 155 Sinners joyn hand in hand to oppose the interest and Kingdom of Christ. 153 What it is to sit with vain persons 112 Slothful Christians must be quickened 282 Soliloquies a duty 432 It s a Christians duty to be holy in Solitude 354,355 The danger of neglecting our watch in Solitude 362 The great benefit of seasonable Solitude 357 To make conscience of our carriage in Solitude is a good sign of sincerity 365. Wherein it consisteth 369 c. In guarding the heart against vain thoughts 369 In spiritualizing earthly objects 372 In solemn Meditations 388 In Soliloquies 432 Secret Ejaculations 435 The evil of needless Solitude 257 The sorrowful must be comforted 283 T CHristians must be thankful for restraining grace 180 181 Vain thoughts must be watcht against 369 Time is precious and must be redeemed 263,264,578 Trees teach men ten lessons 460 to 464 V VAin thoughts what 370 Unrighteousness a sign of Hypocrisie 7,8 58 The folly of unrighteous men 25 28 to 34 W THe life of man compared to a Walk 1 The life of a Christian to a walk with God 2 In what respects a Christians life is said to be a walking in the light 2,3 Christians must watch 514 Watchfulness requisite in evil company 155 160 161 Watchfulness a great help to Godliness 734 Great reason for watchfulness 741 We must watch against sin 741. for doing good ibid. in duties 742. after duties ibid. our senses ibid. our tongues 743. our heart especially 744 Every Week-day to be devoted to God 488 Motives to it 490 to 496. Wherein it consisteth In beginning the day with God 496 Diligence in our callings 511 Redeeming time 518 Constant watchfulness 514 Self Examination 523 Evening duties 527 Our words should be the language of our hearts 34 The excellency of the Word of God largely described in its four causes 398 c. The Word of God is true 412. holy 408. perfect 411. powerful 410 Why the Word of God is compared to light 416 Why to rain 419 World not to be loved 821 The vanity of worldly things 824 Worldly things unsutable to our souls 8. 8. unsatisfying 830. deceitful 828. vexatious 832. Z ZEal what it is 179 Christians should be Zealous ibid. FINIS These Books following are Printed for and sold by Thomas Park-hurst as the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side over-against the great Conduit Folio's THe History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piedmont By Sam. Mâ—rland A Commentary upon Iob Psalms Proverbs Ecclâ—siâ—stes and the Song of Songs By Iohn Mayâ—r Exemplary Novels a famous Romance An Exposition upon the first Epistle of Iohn By Iohn Cotton An Exposition upon the second Epistle to the Corinthians By Rich. Sibs The bowels of tender mercy sealed
expect every moment when divine justice should Arrest me for them O my soul what answer dost thou give to these Arguments Wouldst thou for all the World be one moment under the guilt of the least sin Didst thou never feel its weight and water thy couch with tears by reason of it Hast thou not sighed out mournfully to God There is no rest in my flesh because of thine anger nor quiet in my bones because of my sin And wilt thou for fear of mens displeasure incur the infinite Gods anger and to avoid at most a raze in thy flesh admit a wide gash in thy conscience O that I might have more love to my self and more respect for my neighbour then to suffer sin upon him through my cowardly silence or to joyn with him by any inward complyance lest both be involved in the same vengeance Lord the supplies of thy Spirit is the onely preservative against all infections be pleased to afford it to me that I may keep my self pure in the most prophane society and no way be partaker of other mens sin I wish that I may always make the choice of Moses rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season yet that I may never through my rash zeal or indiscreet medling with others matters or imprudent opening my mind to every seeming friend bring my self into suffering I have trials and troubles enough from others I need not be the procurer of any to my self I am every way surrounded with foes and shall I not be my own friend The World is my profest and dangerous enemy for his sake who hath chosen me out of the world because it cannot reach the Master it wrangleth with and abuseth his servants He that is not its child but born from above must not expect to be its darling but rather to be assaulted with its rage and revenge The Devil is my sworn and deadly adversary always ready to put forth his utmost power and policy for my ruine His Empire is large his Subjects all at his service and all his forces shall be used to make me suffer Besides my God is pleased sometimes for the trial of my graces and the purging out my corruptions to cast me into manifold tribulations since I have then so many assaults and afflictions from others I have small cause to afflict my self I desire that I may try before I trust and not unlook the Cabinet of my heart before all lest some prove Thieves It s too ordinary for wicked ones like Executioners with one hand to embrace a man and with the other to pluck out his bowels They may creep and cringe and fawn and flatter and as Crows peck out my eys with praises that they may afterwards more securely make a prey of me They as the Spies sent by the Scribes to Christ feign themselves to be good men that they might entrap him in his talk Luk. 20. 20. Should I believe all that may pretend love I may quickly be bereaved of my lively-hood and life Companions of my secrets are like locks that belong to an house whilst they are strong and close they preserve me in safety but weak and open they expose to danger and make me a prey to others My foolish freedom of declaring my mind may like the Devil in the possessed person cast me sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water Though many seemed to believe on Christ he did not commit himself to them because he knew all men Ioh. 2. 21. Though many seem to affect me I may not commit â—y self to them because I know no man They who as Moses rod seem at present to be a staff to support and stay me may by and by prove Serpents to sting me O that I might imitate my Saviour in his Politicks as well as in his Piety and not through my folly put my outward comforts into the hands of them that hate me and lay my self at their mercy I would as my God calleth me own my Saviour in every company and never deny him who witnessed before Pontius Pilate a good confession for me but I desire that the feet of my zeal may always be directed by the eyes of knowledge and discretion lest the faster and the farther they carry me the more I wander to my wo. My God tells me He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life but he that openeth wide his lips shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 3. Bees though engaged in hot skirmishes with other â—nsects use not their stings ordinarily but when they are transported with rage and blinded with passion then they use them to their own certain ruine and destruction No less injurious is the fire of zeal to my self and others where it is not bounded by wisdom I fear many servants of God have felt the wrath of some men in a greater degree then they otherwise would through the immoderate heats of some few Saints If under colour of hatred against sin I fall foul upon persons or instead of reproving sin the work of the Devil revile Magistracy and the Ordinance of God I may expect to suffer and with little comfort because as an evil doer Zeal is like Granado's and other fire-works which if not well lookt to and ordered they do more hurt to them that cast them then to tâ—e enemy O that I might behave my self wisely in a perfect way and behave my self prudently in the path of piety that I may never be so foolish as with the silly flye to burn my self in the candle of wicked mens power nor yet so unfaithful as to forsake my Captain when he calleth me to fight the good fight of faith Let my ambition be to be high in my Gods favour and to have a large share in that eternal weight of glory above Let my care be here below to study peace and to meddle with my own business O how much lyeth upon my hands every day in reference to my everlasting concernments to affect rather quietness from the World then acquaintance with it and to pass through it as a Pilgrim and stranger with as little noise and noâ—ice as I can Lord whatsoever tribulation I meet with in the world give me peace in thy Son make me as wise as a Serpent as innocent as a Dove that those who watch either to defile me in spirituals or destroy me in civils may be disappointed Let me not trust in man whose words may be softer then Oyl when war is in his heart but let my whole confidence be fixt on thy self how freely may I unbosome my self to thee without the least fear How willing art thou to hear How aâ—ble to help How true to all that trust thee thy faithfulness never faileth Thou art good a strong hold in the day of adversity and knowest them that trust in thee I Wish that I may Confess Christ whatsoever it may cost me and though not
thrust my self into danger yet never betray my cause or break through any Command to avoid the cruelest death It s common with the Hypocrite as the Snail to look what weather is abroad and if that be stormy to pull in his horns and hide his head The Hedghog alters his hole according to the wind The swallow changeth his nest according to the season The Bird Piralis takes the colour of any cloth on which she sits There is a Tree say some Naturalists which opens and spreads its leaves when any come to it and shuts them at their departure from it The flies will abound in a sunshiny day but if once it be cloudy they vanish When Christ rides to Jerusalem in triumph many cry Hosanna who when he is taken and tryed for his life cry Crucifie Crucifie The Jacinct is changed with the Air in a clear season its bright but if the air be overcast its darksom The unsound Christian is often sutable to his Company if they own godliness it shall have his good word if they disrelish it he can spit in the face of it But pure Coral keeps its native lustre and will receive no colouring The upright soul is constant in his profession and changeth not his behaviour according to his Companions Oh that I might never through shame or fear disown him who hath already acknowledged me Alas I have that in me which he might well count a disgrace to him I am his creature and so infinitely his Inferiour The vilest beggar is not near so much below the most potent Emperour as I am in this respect to the Great God and my Saviour The whole Creation is to him as nothing yea less then nothing and vanity what then am I poor silly worm that lie groveling in this earth I am a sinner and thereby his disparagement and dishonour If a sober Master be ashamed of a deboice drunken servant much more may the holy Jesus be ashamed of me an unholy wretch and trayterous rebel against his Crown and Dignity yet for all this distance for all his difference he is graciously pleased to acknowledge me and shall not I own him If I be ashamed of him I am a shame to him But why should I be ashamed of Christ The object of shame is some evil which hath guilt or filth in it but he knew no sin though he was made sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in him He was a Lamb without spot and blemish None of his malicious enemies could convince him of sin He is so far from being the object of shame that he is infinitely worthy to be my boast and glory He is the Prince of life the Lord of glory the King of Kings the Fountain of all excellency and perfection The highest Emperors have gloried in being his Vassals Angels count it their honour to serve the meanest of his Servants and shall I think it a disgrace to be one of his Attendants O that I might be ashamed of my sins loath my self for all my abominations be often confounded because I bear the reproach of my youth but in no company be it never so great or prophane be ashamed of him who is the blessed and onely Potentate and the glory of his people Israel Again Why should I out of fear disown my Saviour Is there any safety but in sanctity Whilst I travail in the Kings High-way I have a promise of protection but if I leave that upon any pretence I run my self into peril and perdition Those that when called to fight flie from their colours die without mercy What can I expect if I leave the Captain of my Salvation but Marshal Law even eternal death I may possibly by my cowardise keep my skin whole but I wound my conscience I sink my soul to save my body as Lot prostitute my Daughter my dearest off-spring that will abide with me for ever to save my guests which lodge with me for a night and will be gone from me in the morning What is it I fear that I should be guilty of so hainous a fault Is it the worlds frowns and fury Why Its kindness is killing and therefore its cruelty is healing If my God see it good he can and will defend me from the worlds cruelty without my denying Christ and in direct courses and if it be his will that I suffer for well-doing I may commit the keeping of my soul to him as to a faithful Creator Certainly there is nothing to be gotten by the Worlds love and nothing worth ought to be lost by its hatred Why then should I seek that love which cannot help me or fear that hate which cannot hurt me If I should be so foolish as to love it for loving me my God would hate me for loving it Do not I know that the friendship of the World is enmity against God If I loath it for hating me it cannot injure me for loathing it Let it then hate me I will forgive it but if it love me I will not requite it for since its love is hurtful and its hate harmless I may well contemn its fury and hate its favour Lord thou hast commanded me neither to love the worlds smiles nor to fear its frowns I acknowledge that its allurements have been too prevalent in gaining my love and its affrightments too powerful in causing my fear O that thy exceeding rich and precious promises might make me despise all its glorious proffers and faith in thy threatnings stablish my heart against all its childish bug-beares The fear of man bringeth a snare but he that trusteth in thee is sure Let the dread of thy Majesty swallow up as Moses rod the Egyptians all fear of men And since thy truth hath no need of my lye thy power hath no need of my sin to preserve me safe let me never break over the hedge of any of thy precepts to avoid an afflicting providence but in a way of well-doing commit my ways unto the Lord and my thoughts shall be established Suffer me never to say a confederacy to them to whom thine enemies say a confederacy neither to fear their fear but to sanctifie thee the Lord of Hosts and to make thee my fear continually I Wish that since my God intends in all his providences my spiritual and eternal good I may gain something by those that are most graceless and though Satan purposeth my defilement in my converses with them yet they may prove my profit and advantage That blowing which seems to disperse the flames and trouble the fire doth make it burn the more clear The waters of others opposition may increase my spiritual heat A dull Whet-stone may set an edge upon a Knife A mean vile Porter may bring me a considerable present Black coals may scour and make Iron Vessels bright Ashes cast upon fire put it not out but are helpful to preserve it all night against the morning which would otherwise