grieving that he can performe no better service to so good a Master He will not as too many most sordidly doe take liberty to sin because God is mercifull and forbeares to execute judgement speedily or deferre his repentance because the Thiefe upon the Crosse was heard at the last hour but he will even therefore the more feare him because he is mercifull and therefore be holy because he is not under the Law but under grace § 66. And lastly having thus done and performed his utmost not to merit by it but to expresse his thankfulnesse to him that hath done performed and suffered so much for him he confesseth himselfe an unprofitable servant and that in all he comes farre short of performing his duty yea he ackcowledgeth that it were just for God eternally to condemne him Well may he be comforted by the graces which God hath given him as an earnest penny of those eternall Mansions in Heaven but he will not be exalted by them because they are not his graces but the Graces of God in him and wrought by his Spirit yea he so abhorres to attribute or ascribe ought to doing that he counts his very righteousnesse no better then filthy raggs ascribing every good thought word and action which proceeds from him to Free Grace for he lookes back to the rock out of which he was hewne and is not onely humbled thereby but forced with an holy admiration to wonder at the marvellous and extraordinary change which God hath wrought in him and also instructed to trust onely to Christs obedience in whom onely our good workes are accepted and for whom alone they are rewarded To shut up all he indeavours so to live as if there were no Gospel and so to dye as if there were no Law § 67. Onely it remaines that you looke your selves in this glasse and try your selves by this touchstone for though others may give a shrewd ghesse yet the Mother knowes best whether the Childe be like the Father or no and the signes of Salvation are to be sought in our selves as the cause in Jesus Christ our Justification is to be proved by the fruits of our Sanctification and though faith alone justifieth yet justifying faith is never alone but ever accompanied with spirituall graces the beauties of the soule and good workes the beauty of graces yea they are as inseparable as the root and the sap the Sunne and its light and as Fire may be discerned by heat and life by motion so a mans faith may be discerned by the fruits of it Nor can any one be deceived except he desires to deceive himselfe for every particular man is either the Childe of God or the Childe of the Devill as Chrysostome hath it for there is not a meane betwixt them and there be more differences betweene the Children of God and the Children of the Devill then there are between Men and Beasts whereof I have named not a few for whatsoever you may find the one herein set forth to speake think or doe the other does the contrary and to have the true Character of an unbeleever you need but read this Character of a true Beleever backward understand all by the rule of contraries and be satisfied I speake this to Naturians onely for the regenerate man knowes the one to be so by what he is and the other by what he hath been neither is there one of all these signes or characters but each experienced Christian findes it in some degree written in his heart as his conscience can beare me witnesse And would you know whether you belong to Christ This will informe you you will by helpe from above endeavour to bring into captivity every thought and thing to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 1 John 2.4 but so have not you in the least so long as you love not or any way oppose the people of God for the very first part of conversion is to love them that love God 1 John 3.10 yea in reason if the Image of God by faith were repaired in thee thou couldest not but be delighted with those that are like thy selfe And what saith St. John He that pretends interest in God or Christ and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 John 2.4 and in the third Chapter and eighth Verse he affirmes plainly That all wilfull sinners are the Devills servants And indeed let men flatter themselves or pretend what they will it cannot be denyed but the fruit tells best the name of the Tree the conversation above all shewes who carries the bridle of the will whether God or Satan and did not men purposely shut their eyes and stop their eares and harden their owne hearts least they should see and heare and so be converted as our Saviour himselfe speakes Matth. 13.15 they could not but know that the whole Bible beates upon this It is Saint Pauls everlasting rule Rom 6.16 Yea are his servants to whom ye obey And Saint Peters infallible Doctsrine 2 Pet. 2.19 Of whom a man is overcome unto him he is in bondage And Saint Johns In this are the Children of God knowne and the Children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God but of the Devill 1 John 3.8 10. And after this manner does our Saviour reason with the Jewes John 8.33 to 48. See then whose commands ye doe Gods or Satans if Satans then saith Saint John Let no man deceive you through vaine words for he onely that doth righteousnesse is righteous and he that doth unrighteousnesse is of the Devill 1 John 3.7 8. wherefore if thou art a common Drunkard or a continuall Swearer or an usuall companion of Harlots or an accustomary Deceiver or a frequent slanderer of thy Neighbour or an open and common Sabbath-breaker or canst thou boast of sinne and mischiefe or defend it If thou makest no conscience of Praying in thy Family if thou callest evill good and good evill if thou hatest thy Brother for doing that which is good as Caine did Abel if Ismael-like thou mockest or Cham-like thou scoffest at the religious or usest bitter iests against them though it be under the notion of Round-heads Puritanes Sectaries Black-coates or the like if thou raisest slanders of them or furtherest them being raised if thou dost rejoyce at the secret infirmities of the godly or open scandalls of Hypocrites if thou dost carpe and fret against the Word refusing to heare it or withstandest the preaching of it if being a Minister thou disgrafest or revilest the godly in thy preaching so making sad the hearts of the righteous or justifyest the wicked so strengthening them in their evill courses by preaching unto them peace if thou hast a base esteeme of Gods people and their wayes and thinkest the worse of a man for scrupling small matters if thou makest Religion a cloake for villany if thou dost borrow or run in debt without care to pay againe if thou delightest in
being obtained And be he never so rich he is not high minded neither does he trust in uncertaine riches but in the living God For in his prosperity he forgetteth not his former low estate but is ever meditating upon and admiring the Lords goodnesse towards him Yea he sets a Memorandum upon every remarkable mercy that he may not forget it and admires that God should set his delight and love upon him and chose him above many others and this makes him strive to surpasse others in his love and service to God againe Whereas unbeleevers when they are waxed fat with the good blessings of God they will spurne with the heel and forsake God that made them not once regarding the strong God of their salvation but provoke him with strange gods and other abominations but it fares not so with the Beleever neither doth he so requite the Lord. And as he is thankfull to the Author so likewise to any that he shall make instrumentall for his good thinking himselfe bound to remember and requite good turnes 12. § Secondly if he falls into adversity or any kinde of distresse he knowes it is sent of the Lord in love and to doe him good and to give him occasion of rejoycing afterwards He well considers that scarfe any thing more proves us his then his stripes that stripes from the Almighty are so farre from arguing his displeasure that contrarily there are few better tokens and pledges of his adoption and love and that they are bastards and not sonnes who are without correction And so it is that as many as God loves he rebukes and chastens And as it is sent for his good so it doth him good crosses in his estate diseases in his body maladies in his minde are medicines to his soule the impairing of the one is the repairing of the other His sinne dyes with his fame or with his health or with his peace or with his outward estate Yea it both lessons his sins and increaseth his graces for God sends him affliction both for his instruction and reformation to scoure away the rust of corruption and to try the truth of his sanctification for the increase of his patience and the exercise of his faith and the improvement of his zeale and to provoke his importunity and to double his obligation to greaten each other grace and to augment his glory Againe he inflicts a lesse punishment to avoyd a greater and by smarting in his body state or name he is saved from smarting in his soule He is chastned that he may be converted not confounded his worser part to wit his Body state or name is impoverisht that his better part that is his soule may be saved in the day of Judgement But see it in some particulars as first how it makes him humble and thankfull for he not only calls to minde his owne unworthinesse of the least mercy he still injoyes and how he hath provoked the Giver for he is ever meditating of what Christ hath done and suffered for him and how he hath provoked Christ But he also compares what he suffers with what he might have suffered arguing thus with himselfe he that hath taken this from me might have taken more he that afflicts me for a time could have held me longer he that hath touched me in part could have stricken me in whole he that laid this upon my body hath power to lay a greater Rod both upon my body and soule without doing me the least wrong And so goes on I was borne a childe of wrath and whereas God might have left me in that perishing condition and chosen others he hath of his free grace adopted me and left others And this makes him cry out O the depth as a mercy beyond all expression saying further O my soule thou hast not roome enough for thankfulnesse And the truth is if we could but seriously thinke upon our deliverance from Hell fire it alone would be thought cause enough to make us both patient and thankfull though the things we now delight in be taken from us And sure I am nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures in Heaven which shall endure for ever O that we could keepe fast in our memories but these two things and upon all occasions make use of them and consider withall that the least mercy is beyond our best merit And no better remedy for impatience then to cast up our receits and compare them with our deservings But secondly Gods corrections are his instructions his lashes lessons his scourges school-masters his chastisements advertisements to him by feeling of smart he learnes to decline the cause Yea this hath taught him to fly from the workes of darknesse at a great distance and to consider as well the bitternesse of what will follow as the sweetnesse of a momentary pleasure and so cleared his sight that he can now discerne sinne in all he thinkes and speakes and does for he is ever bewailing his wants and weaknesses the hardnesse of his heart want of faith c. Thirdly it abundantly increaseth his joy and comfort for admit Satan and the world should deprive him of all outward comforts at once yet God at the same time will supply the want of these with comforts farre surpassing and transcending them as first the assurance of the pardon of sinne alone is able to cleare all stormes of the minde it teacheth misery as sicknesse poverty famine imprisonment infamy c. even to laugh for then let death happen it matters not when a Malefactor hath sued out his pardon let the Assizes come when they will the sooner the better But to this is added the peace of conscience the marrow of all comforts otherwise called the peace of God which passeth all understanding and surpasseth all commending for never did man finde pleasure upon earth like the sweet testimony of an appeased conscience reconciled unto God cleansed by the blood of the Lambe and quieted by the presence of the Holy Ghost As the Martyrs felt who even clapt their hands for joy in the midst of the flames and were even ravisht before they were permitted to dye so great and so passing all expressing is the peace and comfort of a good conscience Againe thirdly affliction bringeth with it the company of God himselfe I will be with you in tribulation saith God Psal 91.15 As when those three were cast into the fiery Furnace Dan. 3. there was presently a fourth came to beare them company and that was God himselfe ver 23. to 27. and his presence makes any condition comfortable were a man even in Hell it selfe See more Acts 13.52 And as his sufferings abound so his consolation also aboundeth 2 Cor. 1.5 Indeed the unbeleever laughs more but that laughter is onely the hypocrisie of mirth they rejoyce in the face onely and not in the heart nor can it be solid comfort except it hath his issue from a good conscience whereas Gods Word teacheth and a
willingly and premeditately either lye or equivocate much lesse will he allow himselfe in it or seeke to defend it for such as will doe so have not as yet past the second Birth § 49. In bearing witnesse he will speake the whole truth impartially without fearing or favouring either Party that is as well what makes for the Defendant though an enemy as for the Plaintiffe being his friend or Master neither will he conceale a wicked device when by revealing the same it may be prevented § 50 If a Magistrate he will not be partiall in any cause nor will he either for feare or favour doe any thing against the truth or give sentence against his Conscience or use his power in favour of the wicked but be just in shewing mercy severe to the evill cherishing and protecting the good § 51. He is not implacable nor will he revenge himselfe on an enemy though he hath power in his hand to doe it but shut his eares and heart in this and other cases against Satans temptations yea upon the least change he can forgive him as heartily as he defires God should forgive him yea he loves and wishes well and can willingly doe good to them that doe evill to him even desiring his greatest enemies conversion together with his prosperity He rejoyceth not at anothers fall but is grieved both for their sins and miseries nor is he grieved at any ones good especially at his gifts and the graces of Gods Spirit in him § 52. He hath learnt from Gods dealing with him to be mercifull as his heavenly Father is mercifull even to his Beast Nor doe any that resemble God or Christ but Satan and Antichrist as partaking of the Devills nature sport themselves in Beare-baiting Dogge or Cock-fighting hunting of tame Ducks and the like or if so they are not well verst in Christianity as for such as are cruell to their servants I marvaile how they can expect that their master in Heaven should be mercifull to them and certainely should they be deprived from ever having the helpe or benefit of servants as good Queene Elizabeth once served a Butcher and his Wife for their cruelty to a poore Girle they kept they would in a short time learne to be both wiser and better § 53. Whereas many love peace but regard not truth and others are all for truth without caring for peace he together with truth loves and studies and labours to have a lawfull peace with all men and so seekes it that he will suffer rather then doe wrong and to avoyd offence he will be over-ruled in indifferent things As Christ gave him an example when he paid Pole-money § 54. He is not glad of pretences against obeying the Magistrates command but will obey authority as the ordinance of God and be subject more out of conscience then feare as placed by God over him and to all their Lawes if they crosse not Gods Law for otherwise he will lose his liberty part with the right hand of profit and the right eye of pleasure yea lose his life rather then a good conscience and sinne against God for he will not disobey God to obey great ones § 55. He is not the worse or prouder for prosperity or outward blestings but the better and more thankfull for them he is bettered also by affliction and makes a gaine of his losses and being in distresse as he prayes for deliverance so he is accordingly thankfull when delivered yea he will make vowes and so promise amendment that he is as carefull to performe the same when he is delivered which a wicked man never does § 56. He seekes God in all he does and acknowledges him in all he either receives or suffers he observes the severall passages of his Providence ac-acknowledging all things to be ordered thereby and that it extendeth to the least haire on his head hath a comfortable experience of his disposing all to worke for the best unto him admires the same and his goodnesse therein and is accordingly thankfull for it yea he keepes a Record or Register of Gods speciall mercies and deliverances and of his owne often and great provocations and not seldome meditates thereon neither does he murmure when he wants any thing as most of our ignorant poore doe whose whole life language and religion is nought elfe but a continued act of muttering and murmuring perhaps they want many things for their bodies because they slight whatsoever is offered to their soules and because God the Giver is not in all their thoughts except to blaspheame him and to spend his Day in the Devills service for they never minde how God hath appointed it his Market-day for their soules now these brutish Animals are very sensible if they want never so little and for that they murmure but they injoy millions of mercies which they never cordially give thankes for and I wish they were often put in minde how many thousand Israelites were destroyed in the Wildernesse onely for that grievous sinne of murmuring though their straites and extreamities were farre greater but as good blow in the dust as speake to these and as they have no reason so they will heare none onely such as truly feare God know that he owes them nothing yea what ever they injoy on this side Hell they thinke themselves unworthy of it § 57. He is not rashly censorious but judgeth of things actions and persons not as they are in the worlds repure but as they are in Gods account and as he in his Word allowes or condemnes them he censures none for things indifferent but you must be able to alleadge the violation of some Law much lesse will he mocke or despise a man for his poverty or any naturall defect as for judging anothers thoughts to be evill when he cannot tax his life or making ill constructions of good actions or sleighting and disparaging them or thinking the vorse of a man for having of a tender conscience he utterly abhorres He is not easily suspicions without just cause neither will he willingly wrest mens words or misconster their meanings but take their sayings and doings in the best sence He will not hearken to tale-beaters nor is he apt to beleeve an evill report without good ground neither will he condemne a man without hearing him speake He never determines of any ones finall estate be he never so wicked well knowing that God may change his heart in a moment neither will he conclude one to be a wicked man or an hypocrite for appearances or moates or some suddaine eruptions or common infirmities or for sinnes before conversion or for this or that single act of grosse impiety when the maine tenor and course of his life besides is a continuall current of honesty and goodnesse though he may suspend his good opinion in case of some unexpected misdemeanour or for lesser evills either affected or oftea repeated He is tender hearted and can beare with the infirmities of the weake
3.4 Isay 53.1 Rom. 10.16 2 Cor. 4.4 which testimonies have proved true in all former Ages there could not be found eight righteous persons in the old world for one was an impious Cham all Sodome afforded not ten Eliah could say I onely remaine a Prophet of the Lord but Baals prophets are four hundred and fifty 1 Kings 18.22 And Micha complaines of the multitude of the wicked in his time and small number of the faithfull Micha 7.2 Behold saith Isaiah I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel Isay 8.18 so few and rare that they were gazed upon as monsters And what faith the Lord himselfe Though the number of the Children of Israel be as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant shall be saved Isay 10.22 Rom. 9.27 Neither hath it been otherwise since the Gospell the whole City went out to send Christ packing not a Gadaren was found that either dehorted his fellow or opposed the motion Mat 8.34 When Pilate asked What shall be done with Jesus all with one consent cryed out Let him be Crucified Matth. 27.22 there was a generall shout for Diana for two houres together Great is Diana of the Ephesians not one man tooke Pauls part Act. 19.34 yea the Jewes told Paul that his Sect was every where spoken against Acts 28 22. yea all both small and great rich and poore free and bond receive the marke of the Beast in their fore-heads Rev. 13.16 so that number is but an ill signe of a good cause or rather it is the best note of the worst way § 79. Secondly nor will any wise man thinke his actions ever the more warrantable for that he does as the greatest richest and noblest of the Land doe for Not many noble are called but as Paul speakes God hath chosen the base things of the world and things that are despised to confound the mighty 1 Cor. 1.26 27. And hath chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith James 2.5 yea he filleth the hungry with good things whereas he sendeth away the rich empty Luke 1.52 53. Neither is this the manner of his donation only but of his acceptation also for God esteemes more of vertue clad in raggs then of vice in velvit he respects a man not for his greatnesse but for his goodnesse not for his birth but for his New Birth not for his honour but for his holinesse not for his wealth but for his wisedome The righteous saith Solomon is more worthy then his neighbour Prov. 12.26 and Better is the poore that walketh uprightly then he that perverteth his waies though he be rich Prov 28.6 and thus the Bareans are reputed by the Holy Ghost More noble men then they of Thessalonica because they received the Word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures whether those things were so which Paul preached Act. 17.11 Whence it is that David thought it not so happy for him to be a King in his owne house as a Doore keeper in Gobs house That godly Constantine rejoyced more in being the servant of Christ then in being Emperour of the whole world that Theodosius the Emperour preferred the title of Membrum Ecclesia before that of Caput imperii professing that he had rather be a Saint and no King then a King and no Saint yea Ignasius said he had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch Besides experience proves greatnesse nobility and riches to be a most deceitfull rule to walke by for the Kings of the earth band themselves and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2.2 And in the first of Kings 20.16 we read of no lesse then two and thirty Kings in a cluster that were every one drunke and elsewhere that a thousand of the chiefe Priests of Israel committed fornication and were all destroyed for their labour in one day Numb 25.9 1 Cor. 10.8 yea of twenty Kings of Judah which the Scripture mentions we read of but six that were godly and of eighteene Kings of Israel all but two are branded by the Holy Ghost for wicked and yet this Nation was Gods peculier and chosen people out of all the world and lastly when the Rulers sate in counsell against Christ none spake for him but Nichodemas Joh 7.50 51. All which shewes that it is neither a good nor a safe way to imitate other mens examples be they never so rich never so great or if we sinne together we shall be sure to perish together as when those three and twenty thousand Israelites committed fornication after the example of the chiefe Princes they were every one destroyed both leaders and followers Numb 25.9 1 Cor. 10.8 and as when those other Cities followed Sodoms lust they were all consumed with Sodoms fire Judg. 7. § 80. But thirdly admit thou couldest alleadge for thine excuse that thou dost but as most of the wise learned and greatest Schollers in the Land doe yet all were one this could not excuse thee for first Not many wise men after the flesh are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1.26 27 29. yea the preaching of Christ crucified was foolishnesse to the wise Sages of the world 1 Cor. 1.23 It pleaseth God for the most part to hide the mysteries of salvation from the wise and learned and revealed them unto babes Matth. 11.25 Luke 10.21 yea the saving knowledge of Christ is hid to all that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 but if once men abuse their knowledge and learning to Gods dishonour and comply with Satan and the world against the Church as how many Schollars in all ages of the world have resembled Trajan who was indued with great knowledge and other singular vertues but desaced them all by hating Christianity and opposing the power of godlinesse in this case he taketh that knowledge which once they had from them as he tooke heat from the fire when it would burne his children Dan. 3.27 I will destroy the tokens of the Sooth-sayers saith God and make them that conjecture fooles I will turne the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse Isay 44.25 And againe He taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse and the councell of the wicked is made foolish Job 5.13 And justly are they forsaken of their reason who have abandoned God yea most just it is that they who want grace should want wit too for which read 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Thus I might goe on and shew that we may not imitate the actions nor follow the examples of the best and holiest men in every thing they doe though we have some plausible reasons for our doing so and also good and holy intentions in our so doing or if we doe that we may goe to Hell notwithstanding § 81. But you will say if neither custome of the greatest number nor of the greatest men nor of the greatest Schollers nor of