tell a man of any dish which he liketh that there is poyson in it and he will not meddle with it So tell him that death is in that sinne which he is about to commit and he will abstain if he beleeve it to be so if he beleeve it not it is his voluntary unbelief and Atheisme If there were no will there would be no hell as one saith And this is the confession which goes to the core of sinne and it must not be in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth for it is the truth And if we can thus spread our selves before the Lord if we can willingly and uprightly t Read our second Reinolds on Rom. 7. p. 262. own damnation as our proper inheritance to that the heart must be brought and it is the Lord that meekneth it so farre if we can willingly resigne our selves for nothing is left to man but duty and resignation of himself it is not u Opâ—rtet pium animum velle nescire Dei secre tum superse c. Impossibile est eum perire qui Deo gloriam tribuit eum justificat in omnâ— opere voluntate suâ Lut. Psalm 22. Christus faciet poenitentes quos jubet poenitere supplebit de suo quod dâ—est de nostro Lut. de Poenitent 1. Pet. 18. possible then that we should perish He will make supply of His strength what is wanting in ours He will give what he commands He will give clean waters He wil create peace He wil strengthen our hand to lay hold on rich and precious promises And then we cannot possibly be barren or unfruitfull in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ we cannot but gird up the loins of our minde giving all diligence x 1. Pet. 1 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Shew me a man that ever leaâ—nt an ordinary Trade or lived upon it with ordinary diligence point me to a man that was bad yet laboured to be good or who was good yet took no pains to be better Chrysost in 1. Ep. Ad Tim. cap. 1. Hom. 1. About ordinary things very easie matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we take extraordinarie paines but great and extraordinary things we think we may attain sleeping Chrysost 4. Tom. de Vita Monast cap. 7. ordinarie diligence will not get ordinary preferment much lesse will it a Crown The Scripture saith Giving all diligence waiting the sealing and testimony of the Spirit and walking in all the wayes of righteousnesse whereto the Apostle presseth at the end of everie Epistle for whom the Lord justifieth He sanctifieth and if we finde no fruits y For the certaintie of faith search your hearts if you have it praise the Lord. But if you feele not this faith then know that Predestination is too high a matter for you to be disputers of untill you have been better schollers in the School-house of Repentance and Justification I wade in Predestination in such sort as God hath opened it Though in God it be first yet to us it is last opened De electâ—one judicandum est à postâ—riore 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 bone solidaeque fidei sic omnia â—d voluntatâ—m Deireserre ita adulari ad unumquemque dicendo Nihil fieri sine voluntate ejus ut non intellâ—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 soule 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 righteousnese 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 loâ—g these are Bp. Andr. words not one grain too light We see in that Element the price paid for â— Realus impii est pium nomen Salv. 4. de Guber p. 145. See li. 3. p. 95. The Church is a choice people picked out and paled up from these whom the Apostle placeth without but there is yet a more choice and peculiar people as Clemens â— calleth them after whom we must walke more peculiarly which we cannot do but by offering violence b to our selves that
d Isa 33. â—â— Calv. under these two all is contained saith Calvin we must remember that it speaks thus unto us 1. Take the benefit and comfort which the Lord hath ordained thee from me 2. Returne the duty of praise and thanks which is due to the Lord for me 3. And beware thou forget it not least the Lord deprive thee of me or curse His blessings Our goodnesse e Job 35. 6 7 8. is nothing to the Lord nor can we adde unto His glory by making returne of our thankfulnesse any more then we can give to the fountaine f where at we Aug. de civit 10. 5. drinke or to the Sun whereby we see but yet we must note That there is a taxation or impost set upon every thing we enjoy which is this God the supreame Lord must have His tribute of glory out of the same And from man who hath these things to trade withall God must have the tribute of thankfulnesse It being the easie taske tribute or impost which the supreame Lord of All layeth upon all the goods we possesse and blessings we receive and if we be not behinde with Him in this tribute of our lips He will see that all creatures in heaven and earth shall pay their tributes unto us But if we keep back His homage we forfeit and endanger the losse of all Man will not sow his best seed but in a fruitfull ground God intends His glory in every mercy g Lâ—ge S. Basiâ— in Heâ— Hom. 7. ω. and he that praiseth Him glorifies Him Remember then we must â—hen we receive Gods mercies what we reade Deut. 10. 12. And now O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee All errors saith one h Bp. And. who said much in a little are tolerable save two about the first beginning and the last end we erre against the first when we derive things amisse not acknowledging all to come from God Against the second we erre when we referre things amisse when we returne not all to Him giving Him the tribute of praise I must remember here-with the memorable words of Clemens which are these Behold O man i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Proâ—reâ—t p. 53. for how small a matter the Lord doth give thee land to till water to drink another water whereby to send forth and to returne thy commodities ayer wherein to breath A house to cover thee from the injury of the weather fire whereby to warme thee and where at to imploy thee A world wherein to dwell all k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loco laud. these things so great so many Thy Lord hath as it were rented out unto thee at a very easie rate a little faith a little thanks so it be true so they be hearty And most unkinde thou if thou denyest Him that rent The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof if then thou dost not acknowledge thy Lord being compassed round with His blessings He will then say unto thee l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. loco laud. p. 48. Get thee out of my land and from out of my house Touch not my water partake not of my fruits If I have rented these out unto thee for so small a matter a little thanks and thou dost deny me that little thou hast in so doing forfeited the whole and I shall require the forfeiture at thy hands So usefully spake Clemens of Alexandria worthy all mens knowledge This Theame is large I will conclude it with a story which I finde related by Mr. Downam in his Guide to Holinesse m Lib. 3. â—a 24. pag. 281. which is this If the Lord curse His blessings for our ingratitude we shall either have no power to feed upon them or in stead of nourishing us they will be the cause of weaknesse sicknesse and death it selfe of the former not long since my selfe with many others saw a fearefull example in one whom I visited in his sicknesse of which he dyed whose strength being little abated and his appetite very good to his meat would often and earnestly desire to have some brought unto him but no sooner did it come into his sight but presently he fell into horrible shaking 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 Chap. 7 § 3 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 Leg. 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 Rooke 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
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 o 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 for understanding wisdome is the principall thing therefore thou wilt get wisdome and with all thy gettings thou wilt get understanding ſ Prov. 4. 7. which only consolidates a man making him like armour of proofe or like a rocke for it fixeth the heart on Him in whom is everlasting strength Thou must consider also That an account must be given and the greater thy receits have been the greater thy accounts must be Line upon line and precept upon precept fills up the score apace A man looks to reape liberally where he sowes liberally And as God did bountifully reward the faithfull servant so did He severely punish the unfaithfull and negligent In the last place consider this and it sufficeth That a worthy name is called upon us even the name of Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named t Eph. 3. 15. A name which will honour us if we honour it which will highly exalt us if we exalt it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nazian Orat. 21. p 378 And this we do when our conversation is honourable and as becommeth in heaven though amidst the things of the earth If there be a precise walking a good and suteable conversation worthy that name u The Scripture acknowledgeth them Christians or the anointed of the Lord who live Christian-like according to Christ then the Christian is the honourable person as the fruitfull vine the best amongst the trees or as those which were very good x Jer. 24. 5. But if we defile y Read page 36. that name by an unworthy conversation then are we the basest of men like the barren vine z Ezech. 15. 4. fit for nothing but the fire or unsavoury salt very bad and to be cast out a Christians are the worse the better they should be the more sacred their name the more accursed their guilt c. Read Salv. de Guber l. 3. ω. the end and Li. 4. within two leaves of the end Christiani deteriores sunt c. Reatus impii est pium crimen It is a good conversation which commends a Christian and that only and which proves him so to be not miracles if a man could work them not revelations if a man could see them not signes and wonders if such a power were given from above It is the conversation which is all in all and justifies before men If I do not the works of my Father beleeve me not b John 10. 37. Our Lord said thus of Himself His work should testifie of Him c Luk. 7. 21. and be a foundation of their faith works are the standard by which we must be measured also whether we are in Christ and Christ in us If we do not the works of Christ such as He hath proposed for our example It is a vain beliefe a conceit only To think we are Christians Our works tell the world what we are for those the world sees and heares and by them we either glorifie our Father in heaven or give cleare evidence that we have denied the Lord That bought us d 2 Pet. 2. 1. Redeeming from a vain conversation e 1 Pet. 1. 18. Chrysostome speaks usefully to this point where he speaks concerning the title of Lukes f Tom. 5. second Treatise Thus he speaks It will not profit though we could say In thy name we have prophesied cast out divels cleansed Lepers wrought miracles c. neither this nor that commended the Apostles but their Acts their Doings And these are To be chaste modest temperate meeke gentle kinde pitifull To bridle our anger to subdue our passions to mortifie our affections In a word to exercise all grace This is Action this Doing this tells us we are Christians in deed living Christians And it takes of that great objection which is put in our way saith the same Father and it is of infinite use when we stirre up our people to follow Paul as he followed Christ we say unto them ye must imitate Peter ye must follow Paul ye must be like Iohn and ye must doe as Saint Iames did What even so just to that Coppy
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. S. C 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 humbled 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 go down into this depth of thy misery by sinne thou shalt rise upward again to the greatnesse of Gods love in Christ and so fetch happinesse out of that depth also Here it is most true one depth calleth unto another depth If every step or Article in the first which is misery by sinne do not more and more humble us in the sight of our misery no Article in the second part which is our redemption by Christ can comfort us Enlarge thy sinne to the uttermost that thou may'st magnifie the grace of Christ Lessen not mince not sin in hope of pardon Little sinne to forgive will make Christ little loved The height and depth of mercy cannot be sounded but by the measuring line of misery We must be brought to Davids acknowledgement f Psal 38. 7. There is no soundnesse in this flesh no part of health or life in our sinfull nature which was most fully signified in that which was most remarkable saith Mr. Ainsworth g Ainsw Levit 13. 15. Plurimum profâ—cit qui sibi plurimum displicere didicit Cal. Inst 3. 3. 20. in the Law of Leprosie That quick or sound flesh in the sore should be judged leprosie and the man uncleane whereas if the leprosie covered all his flesh he was pronounced clean Hope not then in small sinne but in great mercy and that it may not seeme small for that is the feare think thus Can that pollution be small which hath past through so many Iordans yet cannot be cleansed Can that root be any other then a root of gall and bittâ—rnesse which hath defiled all and all parts and faculties of All Can that Stump be small that hath thrust out such strong branches and those so often cut and he wed at and yet growing again Can any sparke be little that comes from such a Treasury Think on this and think seriously whether here be not cause of loathing take it actively that thou shouldst loath thy self or passively that thy person should be loathed Cause of loathing there is of despairing also in thy self but not in another Cause to go out of thy self for mercy no cause to despaire of mercy A great sinner hath a mighty Redeemer but he wil not roul himself upon Him That is mighty till he feeles himself to be such a sinner as we heard a great sinner which consideration will drive the soule upon another rock if we observe not how the Prophet pleads for mercy upon this very ground Because his sin is great h Psal 25. 11. The glory of God is great in the salvation of great sinners And by putting confidence in Him Who is mightie we lay Glory and Majesty upon Him for to those words we may properly allude i Psal 21. 5. His glory is great in thy salvation honour and Majesty hast thou laid upon Him Our thoughts are straitened now yet think we on the riches of His mercy Who when we were as out-casts to the loathing of our persons in the day that we were born when we lay polluted in our own bloud said unto us at such a time as that Ezek. 16. Live If we think k on this we think on a Love which passeth knowledge on a mercy whose height and depth and breadth cannot be measured but if we can spread it upon our sinne as the the Prophet himself upon the childe we shall finde it equall to all dimensions And this is the Love of Him who gave His Sonne and the obedience of that Sonne who gave Him self for our ransome a price that cannot be valued for it went to the worth of souls And this He did being made as Luther said well the greatest sinner in the world suffering what was due to such a sinner eternall wrath not in respect of its duration for it was of a short continuance but yet eternall in respect of the excellent dignitie of the
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 carry a memoriall of the contention there and injury done Chrysost Ibid. 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 ſ 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 subdue 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. there from casting it as into the bottome of the Sea therefore to Him we must seeke I conclude with the wise mans lessons u 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 so largely Chap. 4 § 5 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. Part. 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. I. Daemonolog 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 fully 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. Poet. 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 fullied 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 Ampliandi sunt favores 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 e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Acta Apost 21. Hom. 44. ω. 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 1. 11. Mark well how sadly and confidently Job speakes touching the
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 r 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 f Lib. 3. ep 101. And it is but the conclusion or a case long since resolved by Chrysostome t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 4. epist 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 u L. Ver. Essaies 58. 330. of the world as one calleth them and Lege Sen. nat quaest lib. 6. c. 1. as the floud of ungodlinesse doth threaten an inundation of water or an earthquake plagues threatned and inflicted to wash away 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 Chrysost 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 eternitie 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 to be so This will take away the trouble and sting of feare and prevent the shaking fit thereof I have told thee a great lesson now and to make it yet plainer I will reade it over again Sinne onely is to be feared I mean that sinne I am not humbled for I have not repented of that onely is to be feared for it makes every thing fearfull Death they say is terrible of all things most terrible It is not so to him who hath repented of his sinne and is at peace with God he can die as willingly as we can fall asleep when we are weary The prison sword fire fearfull things all an earthquake very terrible not so to them who have made God their rock and refuge to whom they can continually resort feare nothing but sinne and the hiding of Gods loving countenance from thee for the lightsomenesse thereof is better then life Feare the least eclipse of His light and every thing that may cause it for it is more refreshing to the soul then the Sun beames to the earth Mark this still when sinne sheweth its full face we see but the half now and in a false glasse too and when God hideth His face there will be to say no more a fainting The servants of the Lord have been under heavy pressures yet then they fainted not they have been in prisons and there they fainted not thence they have been brought to the stake there they fainted not fire was put to and flaming about their eares and then they fainted not but when sinne shews it self and God hides Himself then the next news is ever The spirit faileth Zophars counsell is the close hereof If iniquitie c. Iob 11. Verse 14. 15. c. Now touching our present grievances incumbent and upon us These are either imaginary or reall and the imaginary as one saith are more then the reall we make some grievances to our selves and we feel them so because we fancy them so we call for them before they come because our imagination a wilde and ungovernd'd thing leades us and misleades he was led with a conceit and troubled with it who complained of a thornie way when it was not so but he had one in his foot The way to help this is to take a right scale of things and to weigh them by judgement which interposing thus resolveth and assureth 1. As thou shalt shorten thy desires thou shalt lengthen thy content the poorer thou art in the one the richer in the other 2. Bridle thy appetite not accounting superfluous things necessary 3. Feed thy body and clothe it z Cultus magna cura magna virtutis incuria ex Catone Cal. Inst lib. 3. cap. 10. ser 4. but serve it not that must serve thee If thou shalt pamper or pride it the order will be inverted and all out of order that which should obey will rule 4. Measure all things by the compasse of right reason Sinne never wanted a reason yet we call it unreasonable by reason I say not by opinion a Opinioni insitum tum variare poenitere ut Chamaeleon c. Lips cont 1. ep 12. or conceit a fluttering ranging thing it can finde no bottom to settle on it is as changeable as the winde it feeds as they say one doth upon the aire therefore is still gaping but never content Lastly and chiefly for it is the summe of all be assured hereof that outward things cannot inwardly satisfie b Capacem Dei non implet minus Deo This finite requires an infinite He that filleth the
But hereof in the first part which I will not recall here The same we may say of riches If thou wouldst keepe them forsake them deny them Get thine heart from off them then they can be no snare It is notable which Augustine saith y De Civit. lib. No man holdeth Christ but by confessing Him no man keepeth his Gold but by denying the same If I lay up 1. cap. 10. money as a Treasure I shut out Christ and in so doing I cause a rent in my soule as wide as Heaven a breach like the Sea z Lam. 2 23. The World stands in a Diametrall a direct opposition to Christ as two contrary Masters we cannot leane to the One but we must turne from the other We cannot imbrace the One but we must hate the other the heart cannot hang betwixt heaven and earth in an Equilibrium like two scales equally poysed if the world be at our foote and under it then Christ is exalted and so on the contrary With all thy care then keep the earth and the things of the earth in their place under foote Bee in the world but embrace it not hug it not Vse the world as travellers and pilgrimes such are we they use things in their passage as they may further them towards their journeys end They see many goodly houses and much good land but they fixe not on them they suffer them to passe because their minde is on their countrey the place where they would be I remember what is storyed of a People whose countrey we only read of as we do of Platoes common-wealth It is a fiction but I intend the use They had of gold and silver good store to make their necessary provision with all but none for ostentation or shew to adorn their cubbords what could be spared from their very necessaries they must make thereof vessells of dishonour such as we set at our foot in plain English Chamber-pots or the like And there was this good in it said the merry Knight * Vâ—opiae Th. Mori lib. 2. pag. 160. when their silver and gold should be required they could not be unwilling to part with that which before they had set so low as their foot This gives us the very reason whence it is That some are so well contented when they are disposessed of their possessions when they had them they had them as if they had them not They kept them at their foot farre enough from their heart And being taken from them they loose but what before they counted losse a Phil. 3. 7. and so are able to take joyfully the spoyling of their goods b Heb. 10. But this is but halfe the reason the other necessarily followes For if we would not have our riches a snare unto us then as they must be set at the foot so Christ must be embraced as the onely Treasure and so laid to heart And this will be if we consider this to purpose which followes He made himselfe poore to make us rich he emptyed himselfe to fill us he stript himself to cloath us he was wounded that by his stripes we might be healed He was made a curse that we might be made a blessing He died that we might live If we think on this nothing can seeme too much to do nor too heavy to suffer for Him I remember a lovely answer of a Wife to her Husband And because a story depends upon it I will set down the whole relation which is this c Xenephon de Iustâ—tut Cyri. l. 3. pag. 203. Tigranes and Armenias 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 sharers 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. Inflammant sufflant Trem. 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 horseleach still cryeth give give but is never satisfied This a great snare and fitly called the great inchantresse of mankinde we commonly call it