opened De electione judicandum est à posteriere c. Mr. Bradford to some friends who were too scrupulous in point of Election ascending up to Heaven to know when as they should have descended into themselves Mr. Fox p. 1505. and p. 1506. thereof we have cause to suspect that the Stock is dead if no glimpse from that shining light of our sanctification so as men may see our good works which justifie before men then we do ill to boast of a burning light which is our justification and more hid within Nor is it a point * Non est bonae solidaeque fidei siâ— omnia ad voluntat m Deireferâ—e ita adulari ad unumquemque dicendo Nihil fieri sine voluntate ejus ut non intell gamus aliquid esse in nobis ipsis of sound faith to put the weight of our salvation upon what shall be shall be nothing can be done without Gods will That 's true but this is Gods will too a 1. Thes 4. 3. even our sanctification and this belongs to us even subordinately to serve Gods providence with our own circumspect fore-sight care and labour knowing that His providence doth not alwayes work by miracle I do not blame them nay I commend them who say still If God will and referre all thither but I blame them much who say If God will He will perswade me He will convert me in the meane time they do just nothing A faire speech this to say If God will but a foule practise in the meane time to do our own will we must labour we must endeavour our utmost then say we If the Lord will if so we do not Gods will will be done upon us we shall never do His will To this purpose Chrysost very excellently in his first Tom. thirteenth Sermon towards the end And so much touching the inward Baptisme made by fire and the Holy Ghost The secret working of it in our hearts and what way we are to take in case we feele not that inward power Now I come to that in Baptisme which speaks to our Eye and Eare. We had our Sureties in Baptisme who stood and promised in our steeds which solemne custome and the fitnesse of it I leave to the discission of the Church whereunto we may see reason to yeeld z Mr. Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. Sect. 64 p 336. leaving that these two things are clearly figured out unto us in Baptisme a death unto sinne a life unto righteousnesse and both these in the death and resurrection a Rom. 6. 2 3. of Christ which are the two moulds wherein we are to be cast that we may come forth like Him and there is a virtue and power from both to cast us in and mould us thereto for if in the dayes of His flesh there went virtue out from even the edge of His garment to do great Cures then much more from His owne self and from these most principall and powerfull actions of His own self His death and resurrection there issueth a Divine power from His death a power working on the old-man or flesh to mortifie it from His resurrection a power working on the new-man the spirit to quicken it a power able to roll back any stone of an evill custome lie it never so heavy on us a power able to drie up an issue though it have runne upon us twelve yeers long these are Bp. Andr. words not one grain too light We see in that Element the price paid for us and the eqâ—ity hereof that we should glorifie Him whose purchase we are How should we live in sinne that lay so heavie upon the soul of Christ and could not be purged but by the bloud of God And how should we not be wholly consecrated to that Lord who so dearly bought us in whose Name we were all baptized and that is to consecrate our selves up as not our own but anothers and whose Name is called upon us It is b Râ—atus impii est pium nomen Salv. 4. de Gber p. 145. See li. 3. p. 95. The Church is a choice people picked out and paled up from those whom the Apostle placeth wâ—thout but there is yet a more choice and peculiar people as Clemens a calletâ— them after whom we must walke more peculiarly which we cannot do but by offering violence b to our sâ—lves that we may walk worthy of His calling a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—r. lâ—b 6 p. 485. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 500 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worthy and honourable Name indeed and it must be honourably answered It was a sad and wise reproofe which the Father gives to one who walked not decently nor in order Why doest thou defile that good and honourable name of Christianisme c But I must not insist upon this though nothing except Him who leads into all truth can be more flexanimous more perswading then is this worthy Name which is call'd upon us we who carry Gods Name how exactly should we carry our selves what manner of persons ought such to be choice persons for we have a choice Name There is not a more naturall request then what we would be such to be what we would be in Name such in deed that is that having obtained so excellent a Name we would be even what our Name importeth even such That the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in us and we in Him 2. Thes 1. 1â— This is our engagement and by the solemnest vow that ever was taken And therefore it is called The answer of a good Conscience towards God for then we entred into covenant as God with us of grace and salvation so we with Him of faith and repentance as He to be our God all-sufficient so we to walke before Him and be perfect We have by Christ a right to an interest in a much better covenant and now we must looke to ours we cannot thinke that God is bound and we loose Religion is nothing else according to the denotation and meaning of the word but a gathering-up and binding of us fast to God If we look that God should stand fast to us we must cleave to Him If we breake our bands and cast away our cords we must look to be broken There was never any covenant more solemnly made and ratified then this in Baptisme nor in breaking whereof there is more danger And yet an oath despised and a covenant broken with man hath been severely punished as we reade Ezâ—k 17. 15 16. And as the whole Christian world feeleth at this day for it smarteth yet for that breach of league long since made with the Turke whereby they both lost the day and their honour in both an irrecoverable losse And can we think to prosper or escape that do such things or shall we breake the covenant of our God and be deliver'd keep we covenant here through Christ we can and if we do it in sinceritie that
and trembling distractions and terrible convulsions of all his parts so as the bed would scarce hold him whereon he lay all which presently ceased as soone as the meat was taken away And this was done so often till at length he grew weary of so many attempts in vaine and prepared himselfe for death giving unto us all many signes of earnest repentance Among others he penitently confessed that this punishment was justly inflicted upon him for his abuse of Gods good creatures especially because he would neither of himselfe nor by the perswasion of his friends give thanks unto God when he received his food which he conceived to be the cause why now God would not suffer him to have the use of his creatures which he had so often abused by his grosse ingratitude and earnestly desired that he might be an example unto all men in this fearefull judgement that they might escape the like by shunning his sinne Remember this story when thou sittest down to meat and forget it not when thou risest up for remembring such an example as was this we cannot forget to return our tribute of thanks and praise So much to the second season And now having so done and being risen from our table we may take a walke and view the fields with the creatures there This season follows and the observations therefrom CHAP. VII The third season The method in reading the Book of the creatures Essayes or Lectures there-upon I. The earth and creatures thereon II. The waters and creatures therein III. The Aire and creatures therein IIII. The firmament and wonderfulnesse thereof 3. WHen thou walkest Here is a large field to run over and hard it is to keepe within compasse Which way soever we looke we have the great Book of the creatures in our eye and from every one more then one instruction If we walke no further forth then into our garden we see what varietie that yeelds and the same varietie of instructions If in our grove we may remember what the Father said thereof That he learnt more Divinity more of God in his walk therein then in his study amongst his paper-books Which way soever we looke whether below Lâ—g Chrysost ad popul Antioch Hom. 9. or above or about us we may behold those Texts which Iob Ionah Paul made choice and great use of The Booke of the creatures every man may come by and he that runs may reade it Their language is easie to be understood They open as I may say the freest schooles and are the fittest to give instruction of any My scope or intent here is 1. First to deliver this kinde of knowledge which the book of the creatures helps to furnish us withall from the discredit and disgraces that ignorance and misinterpretation have put upon the same 2. And this leads us to the second for it will point out the way to the parent how to make this walke profitable to himself I meane how he may receive benefit by perusing the book of the creatures And then which is the maine end of the walk 3. How to teach the childe to spell nature and by degrees to reade the volume of Gods works which will better be done in the fourth place when 4. I shall give some Essayes herein beginning at the foot-stoole the lowermost of Gods creatures and so rising higher c. For the first then The objections I finde cited by our noble and learned Advancer n Advancement pag. 6. Object 1. and his answers unto them there 1. That the aspiring to over-much knowledge was the originall temptation and sinne 2. That it hath somewhat of the serpent for when it entreth into a man it makes him swell nature being easily blowne up for nature and the pride of nature are neere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of kin 3. That Salomon gives a censure That in spacious knowledge there is much contristation 4. And Paul gives a caveat That men be not spoyled through vaine Philosophy as some have been who poring upon the second causes have lost the light of the first and dependance on God who is the first cause To these he answers Answ 1 That it was not the pure knowledge of nature and universality a knowledge whereby man gave names to other creatures in Paradise which gave the occasion to the fall but it was the proud knowledge of good and evill with an intent in man to give law to himself It was saith the learned Author in another place o Pag. 56. not the naturall knowledge of the creatures which induced the fall but the morall knowledge of Good and Evill wherein the supposition was that Gods Commandements or prohibitions were not the originalls of good and evill but that they had other beginnings which man aspired to know to the end to make a totall defection from God and to depend wholly upon himself So he answers the first objection 2. Neither is it any quantitie of knowledge how great so ever that can make the minde of man to swell for nothing can fill much lesse extend the soule of man but God and the contemplation of God c. for he goes on very usefully There is such a capacitie and receipt in the minde of man so as there is no danger at all in the proportion or quantitie of knowledge that it should make it swell or out compasse it selfe no but it is meerely the qualitie of knowledge which be it in quantitie more or lesse if it be taken without the true corrective thereof hath in it some nature of venome or malignitie and some effects of that venome which is ventositie or swelling This corrâ—ctive spice the mixture whereof maketh knowledge Haec Antidotus sive aroma c. so soveraigne is charitie and so he goes on in answer to the second objection 3. And as for the censure of Salomon concerning the anxietie of spirit which redounds from knowledge It is certaine That there is no vexation of minde which resulteth thence otherwise then meerely accidentall when men fall to framing conclusions out of their knowledge so ministring to themselves weake feares or vast desires whence groweth that carefulnesse and trouble of minde for then knowledge is not a dry light but steeped and infused in the humours of the affections This is the sum of the answer to the third objection 4. For the Apostles caveat it must not lightly be passed over for if any man shall think by view and inquiry into these sensible and materiall thinges to attaine that light whereby he may reveale unto himself the nature or will of God then indeed is he spoiled by p The soul hath no more nouâ—â—shment from this kinde of phiâ—â—sopâ—y then the body hath from 〈◊〉 transâ— out of Clem. Aâ—â—x Strom. lib. 1. p. 199. vain Philosophy For the contemplation of Gods creatures and works produce having regard to the works and creatures themselves knowledge but having regard to God no perfect knowledge but wonder which is
teach But now to instance in a creature most familiar with us and of the very lowest ranke A Dogge And not to speake of his logick which they say he hath and the Hunts-man discernes that so it is This we must note because it is so usefully noted to our hands A Dog will follow m Sâ—e Hist of the World 1 Book cap. 11. sect 6. Lege Lipsium Cent. 3. Ad. Bel. epi 56. c. Cent 1 epist 44. Cic. lib. 2. de natura deor paper 323. Scal. exerci 202. 6. his masters foot he will keep of the theife and the murtherer he will defend his master if he be strong enough if not and his master be slain for so we reade it hath faln out he will stay by the carkasse till he pine away with hunger or he will pursue the man of bloud and single him forth as if he would tell the beholders That is the man that kill'd my master All this a Dog will do and more then this though this is most strange as experience hath told us And why all this why because he hath received a dry-bone from his masters hand and sometimes a bit of bread Therefore will this Dog put forth his strength to the utmost in way of requitall for his masters peace and securitie Hearken unto this all ye that forget God hearken Will the Dog do all this for a dry-bone and an hard crust n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hex Hom. 9. What will they say for themselves who love not the Lord Jesus what excuse can they finde who forget their Good Master in heaven who feeds them and doth cloth them every day who doth preserve them every moment of the day from whose hands they receive all good and nothing but good nothing which they can properly call evill What will they say so St. Basill reproves unthankfull man so like a swine and fish so untameable so unteachable so farre faln even below a Dog I know not what some may thinke when they spie a Dog here and that he is here for this purpose to instruct his Master we may thinke him too low a servant very faithfull though he be for that purpose But what ever is thought this I think nay this I know and am sure of That there is not a Creature in the World which doth so mightily convince reprove ashame mans ingratitude as the dog doth how so Because he doth so much for so little And man doth so little for so much And let us observe it well and make this as familiar with us as our dog is for we shall have no excuse for the neglect of our service to that Lord who gives us to reape where we sowed not and to dwell were we builded not we shall have nothing to say why we are unmindfull of such a Master The dog hath led me a little beyond my mark but not out of my way my scope here is but this to shew that so we are degenerated so low are we falne the Beasts exceed man in their Naturals and men in their pure Naturalls make not that improvement of their senses for their Masters service their owne safety and mutuall comfort each with other as the Beasts doe no cause we should be proud of our Naturals And for Intellectuals being without that which the Apostle saith our speech should be seasoned with the Salt of Grace they may prove and ordinarily doe like Absoloms haire deadly So I remember a Knight that suffered upon Tower-hill acknowledged who had not returned his gifts to the glory of the Giver Nay more for wee hope better of him they make a man more miserable then the beasts that perish Achitophel is a sad example hereof so is Machevil who say the Italians so I learne out of Bishop Andrews rotted in pÌ„son Reason and speech they are the chiefe properties Ratio Orâ—tiâ— differencing man from a Beast Reason is the Crowne of a man his tongue his glory the same word in the sacred Tongue signifyes both But if man shall depose reason taking from it Hersoveraignty I mean in earthly matters then will a man be carryed like a horse that hath cast his rider and he will abuse his Tongue also vilifying that which should have honored him and in so doing he will liken himselfe to the most stinking place that we can passe by and to the most odious name that is named under the Sunne and so in the end will fall lower then a Beast can A Beast can fall no lower then the Earth nor doth it apprehend any evill till it feele the same and when it comes it is soone over and there 's an end Which remembers me of Pyrrhoes Hog that did eate his meate quietly in the Ship almost covered with waters when all the men there were halfe dead with feare But now reasonable Creatures are sometimes perplexed with unreasonable fears A mans apprehension may present evils that are not as impendent which may make his knees smite together and with all the apprehension of the time that is past and of that which to come may torment him too before he come to the place of his torment Bee not like the horse and mule then which have no understanding for then thy condition will bee much worse and lower then theirs in the latter end It may be I shall never call thee to an account nor live to see how thou hast thriven But consider this first what an Heathen Plut. de fraterno amore spake it is very worthy a childs consideration We are charged that we doe ill to none much lesse to a parent but it is not enough for a child not to hurt his parents he must doe them all the good he can his whole deportment must be such such his words and deeds that thereby he may glad the heart of his parent else it is wicked and unjust Marke it for thus much it implyes It is not enough that the child doth not actually or positively give the parent cause of sorrow that were monstrous he or she must not privatively rob them of their comfort or stop them of their rejoycing even this were impious and unjust It is not enough not to grieve the parent not to give them matter of sorrow the childe that doth not more doth not his dutie he must give them matter of comfort and gladding of hearts This a childes dutie let a childe thinke of it and that an Heathen spake it from whom a lesson comes double to a Christian Consider again what the Lord saith It is a people of no understanding therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them p Esa 27. 12. Consider with that Scripture what the Apostle saith q 2 Thes 1. 8. In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God c. If this and that be considered Thou wilt cry r Prov. 2. 3. after knowledge and lift up thy voyce forunderstanding wisdome is the principall
and Brasse And it is as was said the acting sinning brooding sinne the fountaine and inlet of all we can call evill The first matter of all our misery The tinder of lust disposing us to evill and causing an aversnesse to all good This is the treasury thus we have look'd into the aboundance that is in the heart of every mothers childe In all it doth not breake out alike God in mercy to mankinde and for preservation of society restraining the dominion and over-ruling it in some And some again having received more grace prevailing over the same with the wrestling of God strong wrestlings Å¿ Gen. 30. 8. But within us this aboundance is I meane this sinne dwels within the best of men The life thereof is prolong'd t Dan. 7. 12. though the dominion is taken away And its kingdome to allude to that place is partly strong and partly broken u Dan. 2. 42. And hence is that which ever hath and ever will make the people of God vile in their own eyes and to loath themselves witnesse their low and base account of themselves Dust * Gen. 19. 27. and ashes saith Abraham we may say that and more even what was said of a bloudy persecutor we are earth mingled with bloud and to the same fiercenesse we should proceed were we not renewed or restrained x Gen. 32. 10. Lesse then the least of Gods mercies said Iacob What am I a dog fit to lye under the table a dead y 1 Sam. 24. 14. dog fit for the ditch It was the lowest expression of humilitie and we know whose it was It is Thy z Lam. 3. 22. mercy we are not consum'd so the Church makes her acknowledgement when she was brought even to the dust of death Though the Church be smitten to the place of Dragons yet if it be above hell it is mercy so she accounts Nothing saith Paul not worthy to be accounted an Apostle a Cor. 15 9. And to mention but one neerer our own times a true b Antipapas Bright on Rev. 2. 13. Antipas a faithfull witnesse a holy-man yet thus vile and abased in his own eyes and feeling I am as dry as a stone a most miserable hard-hearted man an unthankfull sinner Thus subscribed he his letters Humble Iohn Bradford And this is the reason why I would have thee childe look back to the rock whence thou wast taken and stay thy thoughts there even to humble thee and to make thee see how vile thou art that thou mayst exalt Christ Certainly there is no such ground for humiliation that can be thought of Search then this nature of thine and search it to the bottome There is no quick flesh till we come as low in our search as David did to our conception and birth The plough must go so deep as to strike at that root whereto sinne is fastned else we sow among thornes Slight not sinne here b S. C. pag. 226. Corruption the lesse we see it and lament it the more it is sighes and groanes of the soule are like the pores of the body out of which the sick humours spend and become lesse Here thou must begin thy repentance for this sin thou must be humbled more then for actuall sinnes for this is the acting brooding sinne this as was said is that which breeds and foments all our trouble It is c Soules conflict pag. 192. good to follow sinne to the first Hold and Castle which is corrupt nature Indeed the most apparent discovery of sinne is in the outward carriage we see it in the fruit before in the root as we see grace in the expression before in the affection But yet we shall never hate sinne throughly untill we consider it in the poysoned root from whence it ariseth That which least troubles a naturall man doth most of all trouble a true Christian A naturall man is sometimes troubled with the fruit of his corruption and the consequents of guilt and punishment that attend it but a true-hearted Christian with corruption it self this drives him to complaine with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me not from the members only but from this body of death We must be humbled for actuall sinne but that is not low enough he that goes no lower doth but as if a man should rub his nose to make it leave bleeding As in good things the cause is better then the effect so in ill things the cause is worse There is more heat in the furnace then in the spark more poyson in the root then in the branch more bitternesse in the spring then in the streame It is not actuall sinne that only or primarily defiles me I must look back to my first originall I was tainted in the spring of my Nature that is worse then any of those filthy streames that come from it my Nature is subject to break out continually upon any upon all occasions pray we then Lord strike at the root dry up the fountain in me Oh d Dr. S 8. Câ—p. 195. 196. if we could but one whole houre seriously think of the impure issue of our hearts it would bring us down upon our knees in humiliation before God But we can never whilst we live see so throughly as we should into this depth nor yet be humbled enough for what we see How should it humble us that the seeds of the vilest sinne even of the sinne against the holy-Ghost is in us And to heare of any great enormous sinne in another man considering what our own nature would proceed unto if it were not restrained we may see our own nature in them as face answering face If God should take His Spirit from us there is enough in us to defile a whole world We cannot see the Dregs in the bottome before we see the vessell shaken Sinne may lye dormant like a dog asleep for want of an occasion to jog it and all that while we may keep clean as a swine in a faire meadow We know not our own hearts till an occasion be offer'd nor then neither unlesse we plough with Gods Heifer till His spirit bringeth a light to ours I hold thee the longer at this point Because it is the maine point The more we consider the height the depth the breadth the length of this misery the more shal we be humblâ—d in our selves and magnifie the height the depth the breadth and the length of Gods mercy in Christ e Pag. 213. The favourers of Nature are alwayes the enemies of Grace This which some thinke and speake so weakely and faintly off is a more enemy to us then the divell himselfe a more neere a more restlesse a more traiterous enemy for by intelligence with it the divell doth us all the hurt he doth and by it maintains forts in us against goodnesse Therefore slight not sinne here nor thy misery by sinne According to those steps thou canst
Let him remember that houre when the father gave his daughter to him for then the father gave his daughter out of his own hands from under the tender-eye of the mother so intrusting her unto his right-hand she leaves her deare parents and their house that sweet society and commuâ—ion there she forsakes all these so well relishing comforts which she found in her parents house nay she forsakes her selfe for she looseth her name that is the propriety in her selfe And what imports all this saith Chrysostome Epist ad Cor. Hom. 26. â— but that the husband should now be to her instead of all those as a carefull father as a tender mother as her dearest brother as her sweetest sister as her only selfe that in him she may find her selfe againe In a word the father giving his daughter implies and expects thus much that his daughter shall now find all those comforts sum'd up in her husband in him the Abridgement and Epitome of all All this will be remembred if he remember that time when his wife was intrusted to his right hand And the wife must remember also that at that very time she engaged her word that she would reverence her husband as a father honour him as her Lord observe his eye as her mothers tender him as she can her dearest brother or sweetest sister that she will be unto him as an haven so the father speakes that when her husband comes home perhaps in some storme as few men there are that from within or from without find not winds enough to cause it yet then and at such a time he may find an haven at home all calme there If the wife remembers that time she must remember that to all this she stands bound by a most solemne promise And thus the husband and wife both may learne and looke to their proper duty That the husband love the wife the wife honour the husband O beware for this is a nice and tender point beware lest we blow that coale which will sparkle and quickly kindle a flame foresee and prevent all occasions which may make the least difference or smallest division betwixt the man and his wife for the breach will be quickly great like the Sea p Lam. 2. 23. who can heale it And then that which should have beene as an haven will be a Tempestuous Sea For when there is difference betwixt the man and the woman the house fares no better saith Chrysostome q In epist ad Cor. Hom. 19. â— then the Ship doth in a storme when the 〈◊〉 and the Pilot fall to pieces now if the agreement be not made quickly and the difference accorded the Ship will fall to pieces upon the Rocke And so much touching the joynt-duty of man and wise and that though the yoake seeme unequall yet they may draw even and that in case the one faile in duty it is no excuse for the failing of both how both are instructed and from what time Other duties there are but they have beene already intimated in the first part What may more particularly concern thy self child whose instruction I specially intend now briefely followeth Every estate is subject to grievances more specially the married To speak briefly of them and as briefly to give some provision against them I rank them under two heads feare of evills future sense of evills present Touching both these the only troublers of our life and peace some few directions 1. There is but one thing which is evill indeed which truly and properly is the troubler of our peace and quiet But one thing And that is sin It hath so much malignitie in it that it can put a sting and set an edge upon crosses That it can make our good things evill to us can turn our blessings into curses can make our table our bed c. all snares to us It will leaven our rest and peace whereby others are edified walking in the feare of God and in the comforts of the holy Ghost Act. 7. 31. This rest and peace a comprehension of all blessings through sinne will slay our soules and be our ruine which was as we heard the building up of others so malignant so destroying sinne is more malignant more destroying this sinne is this evill work then is the mouth of a Lion as the Apostle intimateth very usefully 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. Therefore more to be avoyded therefore we should more desire to be delivered from it then from that devourer For as there is but one thing properly evill so but one thing to be feared as evill Feare not wants nor disgrace by wants turn thy feare the right way feare sinne and avoid an evill work So Isid Pelus writeth to his friend Å¿ Lib. 3. ep 101. And it is but the conclusion or a case long since resolved by Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost â—om 4. epist â—limp See Hom. 5. ad Pop. Ant. Sinne is the onely thing to be feared whereof he makes a full and cleare demonstration thus Suppose saith he they are those three great and sore evills famine sword and pestilence which threaten us he names them and many more why these are but temporary and but the Fruit and effects of sinne they continue but their time and shall have their end nay suppose they are those two great winding sheets L. Ver. Essaies 58. 330. Lege Sen. naâ— quaest lib. 6. c. 1. of the world as one calleth them and as the floud of ungodlinesse doth threaten an inundation of water or an earthquake plagues threatned and inflicted to wash a way sinne and as a punishment thereof Then yet still sinne is to be feared not those It is foolish to feare the effect and to allow the cause Consider also so the Father reasons the case or to that purpose will x See Chrysâ—st de terrae motu Tom. 5. ser 6. Lege Sen. Ibid. it be terrible to see the earth totter like a drunken man and threatning confusion in an instant and men flying before it but they know not whither how dreadfull then will be the wrath of God which will be heavier then the heaviest mountain and shall be manifested from Heaven as the just portion of sinners sinking the soul under the same to all eter-Nitie how dreadfull will that be and sinne makes it so if it were not for sinne though the earth shake we could not be moved what ever evill come upon the face of it yet would it be good to us it could not hurt therefore fear not the earthquake that is most terrible and affrighting but feare sinne the cause that makes the earth to reel I adde and flie from it as Moses before the Serpent and as they fled before the earthquake y Zach. 14. 5. and flie to Him who is the propitiation for sinne if we so do as we must needs do if we apprehend sinne to be so evill for we will avoid poyson when we know it
upon it I will set down the whole relation which is this c Xenephon de Iustâ—tut Cyri. l. 3. pag. 203. Tigranes and Armâ—nias the husband and the wife the father in law also All lay at Cyrus his mercy and when he might have taken away their libertie and their lives he dismissed them with honour granting them both So home they went well apaid When they were returned they began to commend Cyrus one for this and another for that what doest thou think said Tigranes to his wife Was not Cyrus a goodly person Truly Sir said she I cannot tell that for I looked not upon him No where were thy eyes woman on whom were they fixed On thee my deare husband said she who in my hearing didst offer thine own life a ransome for mine This gives us the reason why a good man and his goods are so easily parted whence it is that he breaks so easily through those snares his affections are more endeared to Christ Then hers were to her husband and the cause wherefore much more binding Aske then those who may properly be called the Spouse of Christ and demand of them What think ye of your possessions your livings your libertie your life They will answer They are lovely things for they are Gods blessings they came from His hand they must not be slighted in ours and they have made many wise men look backe as our Ieuell d Apol. 2. pag. 227. saith even as many as had not their faces stedfastly set toward Christ e Luk. â— 51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now that their eyes are fixed upon Him they see no beautie in them at all The strength of his love who poured forth His soul unto death and the brightnesse of that glory wherein Through Him they are shaâ—ers so holdeth their eye and so stedfastly that it cannot look downward to those things though otherwise very lovely with an adulteresse eye And so much to prevent snares from plentie the briefe of what was said therein is this If we deny not our riches they will cause us to deny the Lord and to say Who is Hee f Prov 30. 9. If then we would prevent a taking in that snare keep we earth and things thereon in their proper place at the foot g Psal 8. 6. If we exalt it it will presse us downeward lower then the place is where we dig it If we thinke of outwards above what is meet we shall thinke of our selves above what is comely And then our riches will be a strong Tower in our conceit h Prov. 18. 11. and we shall be so conceited of them so bottomed upon them so earthed in them that we shall say as before mentioned We are Lords we will come no more unto thee i Iere. 2 31. And then we shall so pride our selves that we will contemne disdaine and scorne others better then our selves and so bring not our selves onely into a snare but the whole City nay we shall be as those who set a City on fire who blow it up as with Gun-powder k Prov. 28. 9. Insâ—â—mmant â—â—ffâ—ant Tâ—em So much for prevention of snares from Riches in a generall way now somwhat more particularly Riches have many snares where there is fulnesse and plenty there is plenty of them But one daughter there is of plenty and fulnesse which like the hersâ—leach still cryeth give give but is never satisfied This a great snare and fiâ—ly called the great inchantresse of mankinde we commonly call it Pleasure not so properly for saith one l Isid Pelusit l. 2. epist 240. How can we call that Pleasure which causeth so much sollicitude and carefulnesse madnesse saith the Author before we take it so much trouble and wearinesse in taking so short a satâ—ety presently after and so much anxiety and perplexity of spirit anon or some while after If this be pleasure that hath so much sower and gall iâ— it then we say well when we call it so The onely remedy against this Siren or Witch is to binde our selves as one was to the mast of his Ships m Hom. Odyss lib. 12. Resolution the morall of that fiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Ad Gentes pag. 55. with the cords of strong resolution n Psal 17. Act. 11. 23. unto a constant walking onwards in the wayes of holinesse I am fully purposed saith David c. But for preventing this snare and fortifying our selves against it and to learne us to call it by its right name something hath beene spoken in its proper place which I will not recall here There are other snares in plenty so many that it is impossible to give severall remedies against them But yet to speak in a word and yet enough for prevention that our foot be not taken by them note wee There is one thing which God hath appointed as our watch-keeper and will hold us waking and well provided against them all if it doth its office and this is feare feare I say according to Godlinesse It is the most waking affection and most serviceable of any if it doth its office It is the house porter the bodies spiall and the soules too still keeping watch it is next to love the most commanding affection our keeper and r Siâ— modâ—ratus cibus nuaquam venter expletus plures quippe sunt quae cùm vino sint sobriae ciborum laâ—giâ—aâ—e sâ—â—â—briae c. Hier. ad Hist ep 17. pag. 204. c. Lege epist 14. q Tenenâ—i codicem somnus obrepat Ibid. p. 205. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The feare of God is a Catholike remedy c. Clem. Alex. Protrep â— 52. 86. Truths keeper also it is the best king in the world The great or little for it keeps both Tables I will say no more of it for I cannot say a little but let us observe what it will doe what good service to a man if it be right and we use it right Iude o Vers 12. the servant of Iesus Christ tels us of some who fed themselves without feare That is who fed themselves suspecting no snares at their Table or in their meate whereas according to the plenty there there are plenty of snares in both A feare now according to godlinesse will make us to prevent all So likewise there are some who goe to bed without feare as if there were no snares in sleeping nor in waking whereas in Bed wee shall finde many snares a feare according to godlinesse inables against these also There are some who rise again without feare who walk abroad without feare who converse with men and amidst the affaires of the world all this without feare as if there were no snares in all this whereas there is no lesse variety of snares then there is occasions or things in the world Feare according to godlinesse awakens a man he can look before him It armes him against all In a
shame my selfe or hurt them Did not he that made them make me Have we not both the same masters over us on earth and would we not be used kindely and gently by them And have we not all one Master in heaven See the first Part. chap. 4. sect 12. and would we not all finde mercy there Yea but he is thus and thus and doth so and so and so often he hath provoked me I must check my selfe now with this and it will surely calme and coole my spirit how m Chrysost in ep ad Rom. cap. 8. Hom. 14. pag. 206. 2 Pet. 3. 15. Rom. 2. â— much and how long God hath borne and forborn me And can I be impatient now The long suffering of the Lord is salvation It was salvation to Saul waiting till he became a Paul so was it to Peter waiting till he went out To us else we had been before this consumed Marke this and enlarge thy meditation upon it I it will be a meanes to frame upon thee that ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price for if I can say to my selfe but thus much how long suffering hath the Lord been to me ward I cannot be short and eager spirited toward my brother I cannot say more which is more pressing and availeable to subdue my passionate spirit and to gaine that constant and comfortable temper which resembles the highest region of the ayre where there is still a perpetuall serenitie and peace Lastly are they the wrongs and unworthy usage from others hands and tongues that have put me out of the possession of my selfe or are they crosses in my estate that trouble and disquiet me Then thus I must check my selfe By looking narrowly into my selfe and up to an higher hand as the children of wisdome have done I must remember the ten thousand talents There is nothing that can be thought of of more force to win upon a passionate spirit and to frame it to lowlinesse lovelinesse calmenesse and unpassionatenesse which is the cement of societie and sweet converse nothing I say of such force as these considerations First of Gods all disposing over-ruling hand who is so good that He would suffer no evill to be were He not so powerfull that out of the greatest evill He can extract the greatest good Secondly The riches of His mercy that forgave ten thousand talents And should I flye at the throat of my fellow servant for a few pence Thoughts hereof will frame us to a setled reposed estate and an unpassionate spirit But the remedy of remedies the most certain and excellent remedy whereby to shoare-up and underprop the soule against the shakings and impetuous blustering of this weake but impotent distemper which bloweth hard and boasteth great things The best remedy I say is To addresse our spirits before the Lord To look to Him who rebuked the winds and Seas and they were still We may say of this fiery exhalation as is said of the tongue n James 3. 8. a fire too and angers first o Prima semper irarâ— tela maledicta sunt quicquid non possumus imbecilli optamus irati Salv. De Gub. lib. 3. pag. â—1 weapon But this unruly evill can no man tame we must then pray and in our prayer p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5. 17. pray that is we must pray earnestly we must wrestle and weep in our prayer before the Lord That He would hold in our spirits calme and meeken the same We are taught of God to love one another saith the Apostle we are so indeed saith the Father For no man can teach it and if God teach not we shall flye off and all to pieces like an unserviceable piece of Ordnance before we are discharged We shall bite and devoure on another Vpon every occasion we shall flye out into sparkles of heat like the sonnes of the coale as one speaketh which if you blow it will sparkle in your face behold then how great a matter a little fire kindleth q Jam. 3. 5. We may allude here to what we reade spoken of the Leviathan r Job 41. 21. An angry-mans breath kindleth coales and a flame goeth out of his mouth But if God meekens the spirit if He humbles the heart all this fire will be quenched or if not so yet so kept in this fire shall be that no burning lamps no sparks shall leap out I meane nothing shall be done or spoken which may kindle wrath but much yeelding there will be much forbearing in the spirit of meeknesse as we learne by the example of Abraham who yeelds unto the younger rather then difference shall arise And the true sonne of a gracious father will yeeld not to Abimelech only but to the Heardsmen of Gerar though the place shall Chrysost Ibid. carry a memoriall of the contention there and injury done to Iacob there the taking from him that which God and nature makes common yet rather then there shall be any contention Isaac yeelds and accepts of an apologie or defence afterwards though never a word thereof true And this is meeknesse and patience indeed mildly to yeeld not to superiours only against whom perhaps we cannot stirre and be safe but to yeeld to inferiours such we would have disdained as Iob saith Å¿ Chap. 30. 1. to have set with the dogs of our flocke This is a point of a meeke spirit indeed And this is a spirit of Gods own framing even His to whom these two things do of right belong To subduâ— iniquitie and pardon sinne Marke it The Lord He it is who subdueth every distemper of the soul which vexeth there and pardons all the iniquity t Micah 7. 18 19. therefrom casting it as into the bottome of the Sea therefore to Him we must seeke I conclude with the wise mans lessons v Prov. 16. 23. 24. Verse 32. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth and addeth learning to his lips Pleasant words are as an honey-combe sweet to the soule and health to the bones He that is slow to anger is better then the mightie and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a citie I know That before I came off from this point I should have spoken more concerning the tongue and the government thereof But the subject is so large and 〈◊〉 largely handled That we cannot say a little of it It is me thinks observeable That he who wrote a booke thereof was a whole yeare so himselfe saith bethinking Drexelius himselfe what to call his booke which if I remember he was ten yeares in composing At the length he intituled his booke Phaeton and we know what is faigned of him as we do know what was the originall of that fiction But the Title fits very well and the Spirit gives good warrant to it For the tongue is a fire a world of iniquitie x Jam. 3. 6. it defileth
the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell Great cause to look unto it to guard it well as nature teacheth us with all our care But he that can master his passion and this master passion can master his tongue also that is supposed For the tongue as we heard is but angers first weapon And if we can binde the strong-man we can spoile him of his weapons that 's out of question for it is first done I will say but this then for I have spoken to it before in the first part It is the wisdome of a man to see himselfe speake That is well first to observe the way his tongue is travelling in That he may be sure and certaine that the way is safe Remembring still what was said too That a man hath falne more 1. 〈◊〉 dangerously by his tongue then he hath by his foot § 5. Of Censure I would charm the tongue here before I leave it but so it is hard for man to do nay impossible yet I will lesson it in point of Censure Which is a bold libertie the tongue takes as if it had a a K. â— Daemono-Log lib. 3. cap. 1. patent for prating or had received another edict that all the world should be taxed The lessons are these 1. Take no evidence from heare-say It is the greatest liar in the world Report will sully the whitest name upon earth and when it hath done and you would finde the authour you cannot he walks as undiscerneable as if he had his head in the clouds b Caput inter nubila condit vide Scal. Poâ—â— lib. 5. cap. 3. pag. 524. Report nothing upon bare report especially nothing touching any ones good-name which the purer it is like a white ball the more sullied with tossing 2. Where thou wantest certaintie judge charitably the best and leave that thou canst not know to the Searcher of hearts Indeed sometimes a mans out-side actions words gestures do make an easie and plain Commentary upon the heart we may expound the heart by them There is a speaking with the feet and a teaching with the c Prov. 6. 13. 14. fingers The organ or instrument of speech is the tongue What can the feet speak What can the fingers teach why the feet can speak and the fingers can teach what is in the heart Their commentary is so plain that a man may reade frowardnesse is there But now when a mans actions his meaning and intent are of as doubtfull construction as some old Characters worn out and decayed Take we heed now that we reade them not according to our sense unlesse it be most agreeable to charitie It is a good rule d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must shew all the favour that may be We must stretch out charities mantle as wide as we can that is as wide as heaven is wide saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Acta Apost 21. Hom. 44 Chrysostome and we must note it We are bound to give the fairest and most candid interpretations of actions and meaning as possible may be It is Mr Perkins rule and but the rule of charitie Be as tender of a mans meaning as with his eye so of his actions as perhaps he did not so as it is suggested if he did it then not with a minde to do me hurt or if with that purpose then by some temptation which might have carried my self too and upon a worse evil Still deale tenderly we should with our brothers Name with his Conscience with his meaning as tender of all this we must be as we are of our eye or of a glasse of Chrystall 3. Speak well of the dead or nothing at all It is for such to trouble them that are at rest who are of his generation who did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pitie and his anger did tear perpetually and kept his wrath for ever f Amos â— 11. Mark well how sadly and confidently Job speakes touching the securitie of the dead mark it I can but point to it g Job 3. from 13 to the 20 verse And learn we may something from the devil when he feigned himself Samuel That it is no point of Civilitie to disquiet the dead h 1. Sam. 28. 15. 4. No nor to disquiet those that are absent in conjuring up their names for they are dead to us and cannot speak for themselves Stay a little till Mephibosheth i 2 Sam. 16. 2. Chap. 19. 27. He hath slandered thy servant verse 27. Not slanderers 1. Tim. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can be heard to tell his own tale he will prove himself as sound at the heart as he is lame in his feet and Ziba shall be counted as he is a Devil 5 If the name of thy neighbour be in question and thou canst relieve it by a word and that word but the very truth Take heed now Let not that pretious name of thy neighbour faint and die under thy hearing for want of a word thy speaking what thou knowest and standest bound to speak by the bond of charitie If thou shalt be faulty in this point of charitie it is a privative censure I keep the chief lesson last I take it from a rule in Herauldry this it is 6. All k Joh. Guil. display of Herauldry pag. 163. Animalls born in Armes or Ensignes must in blazoning be interpreted in the best sense according to their generous and noble qualities if a fox be the charge of an Escutchen we must conceive his qualitie represented to be wit and cunning not pilfering and stealing c. I may finde bad qualities in the King of beasts I must in blazoning take the most noble Then much more in blazoning my brothers Name I must finde-out his good qualities So the Apostle with Iob l James 5. 11. we have heard of the patience of Iob not a word of his impatience And observeable it is how David fills his mouth with Sauls m 2. Sam. 1. vertues But how if my brother have not one good qualitie I must not think so not that any one is so buried under the rubbish of his own and Adams ruines but some good may be found in him if with the Chymist we would set the fire of our charitie on work some good might be extracted for as there is some rubbish in the best of men so there is some ore too something of God some good in the very Worst doubt it not while thou canst see a poore woman puddering in the dust-heap and finding some good there And let this teach us how we deale with our brother not worse then with a dust-heap I hope pick-out his good and let go the bad But if thou must fix upon the bad as so the case may require do it tenderly like a brother as one knowing thy self and thy common nature in love in meeknesse in the spirit