by this he doth whatsoever he pleaseth in the Heavens and in the Earth The former will which stands in commanding promiseing and the like may be and is too oft resisted and made ineffectuall by men this latter neuer possibly except men be stronger then God By it his power availeth to make things to be which were not to continue them that are to work all good and to order all evill unto good And as the works of Gods power according to his will are manifold so hath he wrought them all in wisdom For notwithstanding both the absolutenesse of his will and infinitenesse of his power in regard whereof one saith It is more becoming God to ascribe any power to him then to make him impotent yet is he neither wilfull in willing nor unwealdy in working By his wisdom he not onely eternally and infallibly knoweth himself and all Creatures that are or can be and what either he or they or both together will do or can do and that upon supposition of whatsoever can be supposed but both willeth and doth in time himself what he willeth and doth it also for good cause and to good purpose and accordingly either on the one side hinders or on the other sustains effects and orders everie motion of everie Creature By exerciseing these Attributes God worketh all his works whether immediate by himself alone or mediate by the creatures which he useth of all kindes and everie one according to his kinde whether good or evill reasonable or without reason By Gods works I mean all things whatsoever are in the World or haue any being and existence In nature For He hath made the whole World and all things therein In him we live and move and have our being He giveth all to all things And of him and through him and for him are all things As he gives being unto all things that are by communicateing the effects of his being with them so is there nothing either so casuall in regard of men as that he directs it not or so voluntarie as that he determines it not Nothing so firm but he sustains it nor so small but he regards it nor so great but he rules it nor so evill but he over-rules it Neither can any of the works of God possibly be other then verie good and righteous seeing they are all wrought by the exerciseing of his holy will divine power and godly wisdom And if a simple man ow the honour to him that is of greater wisdom and understanding then himself to think upon occasion that the other hath reason for that which he speaks or does though he in his shallownes cannot reach unto it how much more do all men and Angels ow this honour unto God to beleev alwaies that whatsoever he saith is true and whatsoever he doth good and righteous though they discern not the reason of it Some of the works of God are such as we can rather admire at them then discern of them Some again are such as at which proud flesh is ready to repine and murmur Amongst the works of Gods most wise and powerfull providence upon bodily things it is most admirable that the Heavenly bodies the Sun Moon and Starres should by their influence and operation have such power and effects upon the bodies here below as to change order and dispose the Ayer Earth and Water with all things framed and compounded of them as they appear to do by Scripture sence and experience Yet if we consider besides the two greatest lights and most powerfull agents the Sun and Moon the numberlesse number of the Stars their huge greatnesse the varietie and excellencie of vertues wherewith they are furnished far above the most precious Pearls or any earthly quintessence and with all these the infinite power and wisdom of him that made and constituted them it will not seem incredible unto us that the least suddainest naturall change in the Ayer Water or other Elementarie bodies should be wrought by the position and disposition of the Stars and Celestiall bodies Neither doth this at all diminish or detract from the honour of the Lord in governing the World but rather amplifieth it as it ads to the honour of the skilfull Artificer so at the first to frame his Clock or other work of like curious deuise as that the severall parts should constantly move and order ech other in infinite varietie he as the Maker and first Mover moveing and ordering all Where yet this difference must alwaies be minded that the Artisan leavs his work being once framed to it self but God by continuall influx preservs and orders both the being and motions of all Creatures Here also we except both unnaturall accidents and specially supernaturall miraculous events which are as it were so many particular creations by the immediate hand of God In them that are made partakers of the grace of God the remainders of corrupt reason is readiest to rise up at the work of Gods providence in the prosperitie of the way of the wicked and workers of iniquitie especially if they themselvs be pressed with any singular afflictions as we may see in David Ieremy and other But the same men of God who were in their persons present exampls of humain frailtie do in their writeings by the Holy Ghost affoard us matter sufficient for Divine comfort and direction As first that before we come to plead with God how his works are righteous we know and acknowledg them all to be righteous that so we may learn how and wherein their righteousnesse consists Secondly that God is both as good to those whom he loves in their afflictions as in their prosperitie and as wroth with his enemies in their momentarie prosperitie as if his rod were already upon their backs Thirdly that he hath appointed a day in which he will right whatsoever seemeth crooked in the mean while and will fully and for ever recompence both the good and evill In the expectation of which day and of the work of the Lord in it we should satisfie our selvs for the present and suspend our thoughts till the manifestation of his righteous Iudgment therein In them that desire to establish mans righteousnesse rather then Gods either righteousnesse or power fleshly reason is most apt to quarrell partly that work of Gods mercie by which he freely justifies a sinner and partly those his just dispensations upon which followeth the Creatures sin and miserie for sin But for the former It stands not with the riches of Gods mercie and grace whereof he would make full manifestation in the justifying of sinners to borrow any thing of mans merit but well becomes his bountie freely to bestow both the gift and hand to receav it For the latter It must be considered that Gods work so far as it is his is good as well in the sinfull doings or miserable sufferings of men as in their most holy and happy estate The
will and making small or none account that either the rules of the Word appertain unto them for direction or the precepts for obedience or the threatnings for restraint yet do lay their sacrilegious hands boldly upon the promises as their true and undoubted right And the reason is because the promises contain in them things good and pleasing to mans nature which because we would gladly have true we readily beleeve and apply But such seperate what God hath joined together and in effect take away from the Words of the Book of God and God will take away their part out of the Book of Life Others again trans-form commandments into promises with great and dangerous errour For example where it is said The Priests lips should preserv knowledg the Romish Priests chaleng an immunity from erring whence they should take warning that they er not So from Christs teaching that a city set upon an hill cannot be hid they will wring a promise of perpetuall visibility of Church and Ministery from him where he intends onely an exhortation to his Disciples after to become Apostls unto answerablenesse both in life and doctrine to the eminencie of their places Some again make conditionall promises absolute as that Whose sins ye binde upon earth they are bound in Heaven forgetting that it must be the Church gathered together in Christs name that is both furnished with lawfull authoritie useing it lawfully Likewise that Christ will preserv the Ministery and Ministers and be with them to the end of the World leaving out the condition going before which is that they do their duty in their places in makeing Discipls and baptizeing them and teaching them to observ whatsoever he had commanded them Lastly How many because God promiseth forgivenesse to sinners whensoever they repent promise unto themselvs repentance upon an howers warning before their death though they go on in sin all their life long But the saying of the Ancient is memorable in this case He that promiseth forgivenesse to him that repents doth not promise repentance to him that sins But on the contrarie as he that makes a bridg of his own shadow cannot but fall in the Water so neither can he escape the Pit of Hell who layes his own presumption this way in the place of Gods promise CAP. IIII. Of the works of God and his power wisdom will goodnesse c. shining in them IT is a receaved truth in Divinity that whatsoever is in God is God So the will of God considered as the foundation of that which he wills and as inherent in him is nothing els but God willing his justice nothing els but God just his mercy but God mercifull and so for the rest of the Divine Attributes And as everie work of God is founded in some of those Attributes and that by name in his understanding as judging the thing to be good in his holy will agreeing thereunto and in his power effecting all things So this foundation and first cause of them all being immanent and inherent in God is God essentially of what nature soever alwaies good the work be without him which his will and power effecteth Neither is this will of God to work by his power wrought in him by any thing without himself for then he should receav addition of perfection from the creature moveing him thereunto though yet it be most certain that there are many things which God neither in his wisdom judgeth fit to be done by him nor wills the doing of them nor would work or do them by his power but upon the creatures work going before For example God wills and works the condemnation of some sinners because he judgeth fit willeth and will work therein the manifestation of the glorie of his justice but this condemnation which otherwise he would not lay upon any he both wills and works by and for the Creatures sin according to his eternall and unchangeable purpose of will in himself When the Scriptures speak and we according unto them of any thing done by God in respect of the Creature before the World was made it must be understood as meant onely of his foreknowledg and decree of will and purpose of doing For things could be done no otherwise then they could be nor could be otherwise then in God who alone was nor could be in God otherwise then in his foreknowledg and will according to which he works them actually in time by his power These three Attributes as before I intimated his power will and wisdom do concur to the produceing of all and everie one of his works His power worketh and effecteth all things his will sets his power a working his wisdom directs both the one other his will in willing and his power in working Touching his power The right hand of the Lord which in men is the instrument of strength is exalted and by it he can do what he will and much more then he will And whereas God cannot ly or denie himself or the like it is immediately because he will not and that not of impotencie in him but of potencie and perfection of excellencie as on the contrarie it is the power of mans weaknesse that he can do amisse So for things importing contradiction as that the same thing should be and not be at once or not be that which it is or the like it is Religiously said by some rather that such things cannot be done by God then that God cannot do them seeing the reason of this impossibilitie of their so being is not in Gods Nature but in theirs The will of God is one as God is one But as there is one Spirit but diversitie of manifestations so this one internall will of God doth exercise and extend it self diversly to and upon divers objects This extention and exercise of this one will of God is of us to be considered in divers degrees The weakest and most remisse degree is to will the suffering of evill For though God to speake properly wills not sin yet he willingly suffers it not as ignorant of it nor as neglecting it nor as unable to prevent it but as willingly wittingly and of purpose suffering that evill to be done which he could easily hinder if he would oppose his omnipotent power The next degree of Gods willing stands in commanding good and approveing of it where it is found And thus God wills and commands that all men should repent thus he wills that all should come to the knowledg of the truth and be saved and thus lastly he would haue the wicked turn from his wickednesse and live and not dy And these things and the like he seriously wills to wit by way of commanding requireing them and of approveing them wheresoever they are found The highest and most intent degree of willing in God is when he so wills a thing as withall he imploys his omnipotent power for the effecting of it and
cursing swearing in his Books though in daily speech he scarse utter ten words without oath or execration Yea are there not many who by the glosse of pietie cunningly set upon their writings published to the World steal the opinion of pietie vertue from strangers and those that know them not whose ordinarie conversation in word and deed to them that are acquainted therwith proclaims them no better then verie Atheists and Epicures I ad even touching conferences and disputations of purpose appointed and used for light of truth that though they may be and are singularly profitable for that purpose to a modest and tractable disposition which will as well hear as speak and be as readie to learn truth of others as to teach it them yet to men of more unquiet and stiffe spirits the reading of Books is a course far more convenient for information For that therein will not be the provocation to inordinate anger and passion which in speech oftens falls in Besides he who comes to dispute comes specially to shew the truth to others but he that comes to read an Authour comes specially to learn something from him for the most part Great care is to be taken and circumspection used in writing of Books not onely though specially for conscience of God but also because the Author therin exposeth himself to the censure of all men and those not onely then living but also to be born when he is dead and rotten And under their censure he comes whether he be wise or foolish learned or ignorant of sound or of corrupt judgment and in part therewith whether of vertuous or vitious disposition He that commits any thing to writing gives men a Bill of his manners which everie one that reads may put in suit against him if there be cause in the Court of his own heart and neighbours ear Some through extream diligence are devourers of Books of infinite reading in whom if there be found any answerablenesse in memorie to retain judgment to dispose and wit accordingly to improve things read such persons prove singular But this is rare by reason of the different temper of the brain requisite for such furniture Some are of great reading but of so slipperie memorie as they are like Water-conduits which what they continually receav in at one end they let out as fast at the other Some again are meer Indâ—xes serving for nothing but to shew where and in what Authours things are to be found by benefit of their strong memorie There are also of those great Book-men that know better the most other mens judgments then their own in matters of controversie through injudiciousnesse or irresolution and if they come to settle upon any rather opinion then perswasion it is commonly according to the last Bool which they read It is best for ordinarie capacities to travell in some few Books though by occasion they may step into many and the same picked by good advice of unpartiall and experienced men and those throughly to digest and discourse upon as it is best for weak stomacks to eat of few and wholesom dishes Which may also be done for further use extention and applycation then the Authour himself conceaved or at least expressed And though Lucilius wished that his Books might be read neither of men verie learned nor altogether unlearned lest the one should understand nothing and the other more then he intended Yet indeed he reads a Book ill that understands not something more either in or at least by it then the Authour himself did in penning it As the maladies of the minds of many have been cured by reading of Books so have the diseases of the bodyes of some and those such as wanted no other Medicines if we may beleev Histories As of Alphonsus King of Spain by reading of Livy and of Ferdinand King of Sicily by reading of Quintus Curtius The cure is both more common and more excellent which the reading of the Holy Scriptures affoard CAP. XXIIII Of good intentions A Good meaning no more sufficeth to make a good action then a fair mark doth to make a good shot by an unskilfull Archer This hath been fully verified in the Iews who out of no lesse good end then the zeal of God and desire such as it was to do him pleasing service persequuted Christ and his disciples to the death What intention could be better or action worse We must not therefore take the sanctuarie of fools by good meanings without knowledg but first setting our faces towards heauen by meaning well must further so far honor God and humble our selvs unto him as to resigne our whole man also into his hands to be guided by him in the way thither joyning our prayers with his who had lesse need to fear stepping aside that way then wee and yet said With myne whole heart have I sought thee o let me not wander from thy commaundements And yet albeit a good end alone suffice not yet there is nothing eyther good or tolerable without it no not though it have never so good successe Although the good meaning excuse not wholy yet the evill wholy condems This good intention and end is the first and last in everie lawfull action It is the first and that which sets the agent awork to do what he doth whether working reasonably or naturally It is the last and so the best and that at which he ayms as the perfection of his work And this where it is found God so much regardeth as he sometimes prevents an evill action in him in whom he sees a good intention as is to be seen in Abimeleâ—k king of Gerar whom God kept from sinning against him and suffered not to touch Sarah Abrahams wife because he had taken her into his house in the integrity of his heart Sometimes also God rewards the good purpose yea though he refuse the work intended as incompetent for some speciall cause as in David when he would haue built the Lord an house Alwayes he that means well yea though the work be evill which he doth makes the divell after a sort serv God in it He that doth that which is good in it self for an evill end makes God serv Sathan He that doth that which is evill for a good end makes Sathan therein though not warrantably serv God as the means serv the end And considering how litle truly-good-doing there is amongst men in comparison it were well there were more good meaning yea though it were without knowledg By which both fewer mischeifs would be done they that are done would therein be lesse heynous We measure things sayth one and it is true in a respect by the ends of goodnes and so better misse and we shall misse lesse in the means then in the end He who hath the mark in his ey and aymes at it will hardly misse so much as he that takes a wrong mark to shoot at And for
with application to the present state of things is not to hold decorum but hath an appearance more oratour then preacher-like We are never simply to desire crosses because they are naturall evils nor to abhor from them because we know they work together with our election calling justification and sanctification for our good Not as causes thereof as the forenamed are for the effects of sin cannot be the causes of righteousnes or happines nor yet as means properly as are the word sacraments prayer and examples of good men but onely as occasions capable of sanctification to our use which sins properly are not as having no good in them as such whereas afflictions have a morall good in them as they are of God and by him inflicted Though to speak of crosses most properly God sanctifies us to them in giving us grace to make a right use of them And considering how it is both good for us to be afflicted and that God hath promised that no good thing shall be lacking to them that fear him we are thus to make account that God afflicts us as he doth not onely in justice for sin but in faythfulnes also that is both in mercy and in truth of promise and must accordingly confesse with the man of God I know O Lord that thy judgments are righteous and that thou in faithfulnes hast afflicted me and so must learn to take our severall crosses at Gods hands not onely patiently but thankfully We have cause to thank our selvs and our sins that wholesom things both for body and soul are for the most part bitter and greivous to our nature and to thank God that makes afflictions bitter-sweets by turning deserved curses into fatherly corrections to us It is commonly receaved for truth that in all adversitie the greatest miserie is sometimes to have been happy But we must here use a distinction If we onely respect the time in which we are in miserie apart from the former time we are both more sensible of our present miserie by remembring our former happines and also more tender and delicate and so lesse able to bear it But if we consider our whole life together then the lesse time we are afflicted the lesse our afflictions are in that respect and so must be mynded of us It is not nothing that God hath given us to passe over some part of our dayes in peace and with comfort neyther must we be so unthankfull as to account it no benefit because it is past but we must contrarywise something quiet ourselvs in our present affliction with the remembrance of Gods goodnes in our former peace as did our example of patience who in the extreamitie of his present distresse sayd shall we receav good at the hand of God and shall we not receav evill Reason teacheth this except in a case when God lifts up a man on high that he may the more violently through him down how much more fayth which perswades the godly mans heart that the Lord loves him as well as much in his after afflicted estate as he did before in his prosperous as the gold-smith esteems his gold as much though melting in the furnace as glittering in the shop and that the same God will both give patience and strength of fayth according to the tryall and encrease of strength if he encrease the affliction as also full deliverance in due time He will redeem Israel from all his trouble As even good men perform their whole duetie to God with some corruption mingled among so God promiseth and performeth accordingly the good things of this life with exception of the crosse and tribulation If we could amend the one God would leav out the other The Lord who tryed Abraham in his son Isaak whom he loved and the rich young man in his riches which he loved knows well in what veyn to strike a man that the blood may follow The more we love any earthly thing we are the more in danger to be crossed in or about it Not that God envyes our delights as one man often envyes anothers but eyther because we do or lest we should surfet in affections towards it Most men are moved too much with their own miseryes in this world melting in them as wax in the sun so as they are unapt to hold any impression eyther of fayth or reason but are too litle moved with other mens calamities not affoarding them so much as a compassionate affection Yet may and doth the contrary extream of over pittying others also prevayl with some Against both which it is good to consider that eyther we and they reap spirituall benefit by our afflictions or no. If the former that may and ought to moderate the greif If not there is cause of greater greif for after greater afflictions to come upon us and them A man may much encrease or lessen a crosse by the course which he suffers his mynde to run in it seeing all crosses have some conveniencies joyned with them as all commodities have some discommodities If a man set his thoughts a work upon the inconveniencies and discommodityes alone which are in it he shall heap sorrow upon sorrow But if on the contrary he draw into consideration such conveniencyes as usually fall in with their contraryes he shall alwaies finde some matter of ease and sometimes that meat comes out of the eater and that which at first seemed a crosse is rayther a benefit It is a most dangerous thing for any to deem his afflictions extraordinarie least by so doing he prejudice himself against ordinary comforts which we should with readynes and thankfulnes embrace and not look for angels from heaven to comfort us or for manna from heaven to feed us CHAP. XXXIIII Of Injuries AN Injurie say the Lawyers is whatsoever is not done justly In one and the same act may be found both sin against God and injurie against man And therefore in cases of wrong done either by violence or deceit the offender under the law was bound both to make restitution to the wronged and also to bring his trespas offering to the priest to make an atonement for him before the Lord. Sometimes the sin is taken away and the iniurie remayns as when the person which hath wronged another truly repents but is not able to make satisfaction Sometimes on the other side the injurie is taken away and the sin remayns viz. when the offender makes satisfaction by compulsion or for shame but repents not before God Sometimes both are taken away and sometimes neyther as both or neyther satisfaction to men and repentance towards God is performed Between the injurying and offending of a man there is this difference that we may injurie him that is altogether ignorant of it but can offend onely him that takes knowledg of some evil in truth or appearance done by us whether with injury or not The more power any hath to
whom they may be deceaved We are therefore to beware that we neither wrong our selvs by credulitie nor others by unjust suspition To receav without examination mens sayings is to make of men God to reject them lightly is to make of men Divels or fools at the best The latter hath pride and uncharitablenesse for the ground the former either argues men to be simple which cannot or idle which will not or presumptuous which think they need not or superstitious which dare not judg or which is worst of all the rest desirous in a kinde of humble hypocrisie to shelter an evill conscience before God under the shadow of great mens Authoritie To presse immoderately mens Authoritie in Divine things is to wrong Gods which alone is authentick and whose will and it alone and all it so far as is fit for us to know it we know more certainly to be contained and preserved without corruption in the Scriptures then any Fathers opinion in the Books which go under his name This also wrongs mens Faith and reason captivating them by prejudice and rather offering a hand to lead the blinde then a light for the help of him that hath eyes to see with I have known some who if they light upon a peremptorie Authour and bold asserter of things were readie to be still of the same opinion with the Book which they last read their weaker judgment being overborn rather by the strength of other mens asseverations then reasons Lastly this ingenders endlesse contentions as is to be seen in some Learned mens writings in which there is more adoe about the meaning of such or such a place in a Father then were enough to determine the whole controversie by the Scriptures and good Reason These things notwithstanding there is both a lawfull and convenient use of humain testimonie even in Divine things as first for the convincing of such thereby as regard it too much and Gods Word too little Thus Paul amongst Heathens even in his verie Sermons alledged Heathenish Poets and Phylosophers and we in our writings rightly alledg Fathers and Councels against Papists and others who more regard the saying of an ancient Father or Canon of a Councell then the written Word of the Ancient of Dayes They are twice overcome who are beaten with their own weapons in which they trust Secondly It induceth a morall probabilitie though no absolute necessitie of truth and though we see not the truth by other mens eyes but by our own yet may we be something held up in the arms of their testimonie to see it the better and so be helped as Zacheus was by the Tree into which he clymbed to see Christ. So the Apostles in penning some parts of Holy Scripture upon occasion of differences in the Churches and opposition to their Apostolicall Authoritie took in for the better passage with men of Gods undoubted truth the concurring testimonie even of ordinarie Christians though both the Decrees Epistles were penned by infallible and immediate direction of the Holy Ghost as well and as much as any other parts of Canonicall Scriptures Thirdly Citation of humain Authoritie helps to wipe away the aspersion of Schism singularitie when we can shew that our assertions and practises have agreement with such as are in account in the Churches Lastly It commends both a mans modesty diligence when he enquires after and withall his cause in the eyes of men when he appears to know the judgments of others in the things he handles as it is on the other side an imputation to him that knows them not and that even where it is otherwise no benefit to know them The Authoritie of him that prescribeth or commandeth within his limits is the same whether the matter be great or small God is God in the smallest things which he requires and man but man in his deepest charges The Prophets and Apostles in their writings are extraordinarie and Pastors and Teachers ordinarie Ministers and neither are either more or lesse in any part of their Ministerie for the instruction of the Churches So likewise all true Reasons are of the same force in themselvs to confirm that for which they are brought neither is any one stronger then other but onely more evident The best but proves of itself the things to be so and the meanest if sound doth as much CAP. X. Of Faith Hope and Love Of Faith Reason and Sense FAith in generall is a firm assent upon knowledg to an affirmation for the credit or authoritie of him that affirmeth a thing whether God or Angel or man To some things we assent by Sense and naturall light to some for certain proof of Reason but the assent of Faith rests upon the fidelitie of the speaker and not upon the Sense or Reason of the thing how agreeable to either soever it be Yet so as the more reasonable the thing related is the more readily we beleev it to be true The thing beleeved Faith apprehends primarily as a matter of truth and therein hath its seat in the understanding Divine Faith assents to the revealed will of God for the authoritie and truth of God which cannot deceav That Faith or act of Faith by which we are justified is a due assent to and application of the promises of the Gospel as made and appertaining to us in particular the generall promise upon condition of application duly and rightly made being as much for certaintie as either extraordinarie revelation or particular nomination of person This application of Gods promises in Christ hath evermore affiance necessarily and immediately ioyned with it For being by the Spirit of God and Word of the Gospel perswaded of Gods love in Christ we cannot but trust unto him rest and repose our selvs upon him and expect accordingly from him all good But as we must lay hold of the stay or prop before we can rest upon it So must Faith go before affiance in order of causes and we lay hold of Gods love before we can repose our selvs upon it Hope is the expectation of the good things promised having Faith for its foundation These two Faith and Hope have many the same objects yet neither all nor any in the same respect We beleev things past present and to come but hope for things to come onely We beleev both promises and threatnings both rewards and punishments in the order set by God but hope onely for things desireable And for the verie same things in themselvs beleeved and hoped for as for example the resurrection of the body and life everlasting we beleev them as present in Gods promises which Faith applyes unto us but hope for them as absent and to come in performance unto which Hope carieth us Faith begets Hope for by beleeving the forgivenesse of our sins and Gods promises for the present we are encouraged to expect and hope for all future good And Hope again as a good Childe helps to
is or can be false in Divinitie The truth in the inferiour facultie is subordinate to that in the superiour in all things and comes short of it in many things but can in nothing be contrarie unto it seeing God and his Spirits work cannot be contrarie to himself I ad though the truth be uttered by the Divel himself yet is it originally of God When he speaks a ly he speaks of himself but when he speaks the truth he speaks of God who so far useth or rather abuseth him as to utter and professe that which he hateth We ought to reverence excellent men but the truth more as Dionisius said of Nepos and Aristotle of Plato and Socrates And good reason seeing a main cause of our reverencing of men is their knowledg and profession of the truth No prescription say the Lawyers lies against the King say we with the Father against the truth which by the Verdict of a great King himself and his Nobles with him is greater then the King no space of time no patronage of person no priviledg of place from which blind or simple custom commonly getting footing and growing into use by succession is brought to coap with truth it self and that the most violently where the persons are the most bruitish and godlesse But our Lord Christ called himself Truth not Custom neither is Falshood Errour or Heresie convinced by Noveltie but by Truth This Truth is alwayes the same whilst The God of Truth is in Heaven what entertainment soever it finde with men upon Earth It is alwayes praise-worthy though no man praise it and hath no reason or just cause to be ashamed though it oft go with a scratcht face They that fight against it are like the Floods beating upon the strong Rocks which are so much the more miserably dashed in pieces by how much they are the more violently carried Though Fire and Sword assault it yet will it not be killed or dy and though by violence it be buried quick yet will it rise again and if not before yet when all Flesh shall rise again and when Truth which was first and before Falshood and Errour shall be last and abide for ever We must love and attain to the knowledg of the Truth in our selvs First Lest we be Clouds without rain promising that to others which we our selvs want and must in our places afterwards make manifestation and profession of it and not be like the grave insatiable in receaving in and barren in returning any thing back but must be alwayes readie as we see hope of doing good to propagate it like the Phylosopher who being found fault with for disputing with all that he met with wished that the bruit beasts also could understand him that he might impart something even to them yea in our kind like God himself that gives wisdom to all that asks it of him and to Christ the Lord that Word of God and true Light which inlightens everie one that comes into the World and sometimes even when we see no hope of doing good if dutie bind us though hope fail us that so the non-proficients may have cause rather to complain of themselvs for not learning then of us for not manifesting the truth unto them And albeit all truth is not to be spoken at all times A fool uttereth all his mind but a wise man keeps it in for afterwards yet nothing not true at any time or for any cause He that hath but a right Philosophicall spirit and is but morally honest would rather suffer many deaths then call a Pin a Point or speak the least thing against his understanding or perswasion A man in pleading for the Truth may shew his judgment and understanding best in the matter but his grace and godlinesse in the manner when he handles a good cause well and the Lords cause after the Lords manner Sometimes men pretend Gods Truth and zeal for it when indeed they make their pleas for Truth serv onely for hackneys for their lusts to ride on whither they would have them Sometimes men seriously intend Truth and yet mingle both with their good intention and it may be true assertion also such their personall corruptions and distempers as Christ looseth more by their inordinatenesse that way then he gaines both by their sound knowledg and fervent zeal of and for his Truth The most account a ly more shamefull then sinfull and therefore make it a matter of great disgrace to take the ly specially in the hearing of others and yet make it no matter of conscience to make the ly before God and his Angels Ah foollish People thus to honour your selvs and other vile men your likes more then God himself and the Angels with him and with all base in your Pryde who will rather bear the ly at your own mouth then at an others When a man speakes against his knowledg his own heart tels his tongue it lyeth which to put up quietly argues both a gracelesse and an abject spirit Whereas both grace and true courage also may be shewen in bearing the ly at an others mouth by overcoming such indignation and anger ryseing thereat as is harder to conquer then a Citty The Divell is the father of lyes which whilst they in the womb of whose heart he begets them impute to other and better causes mooveing them thereunto they are but like harlots who for theyr credits sake father theyr bastards upon honest men Many things even good may occasion lying as all good may do all evill but no thing can bring it forth and cause it save the womb of our own corrupt heart imprignated by the divell Now if both by the Law of God and light of nature it be an abhominable confusion for a woman to lie down before a beast what is it for man or woman to prostitute themselvs to Sathan for the gendring of so mis-shapen a monster as a ly is And very rightly is a ly called monstrous considering both the divels kindes of which it comes and also the disproportion in it often between the speach and the thing spoken and alwayes between the tongue and heart of the speaker Neyther doth the goodnes of the meaning though never so good excuse the evill of the doing when as a ly is told He that tels a ly for God is an accepter of persons and God wil surely reprove him saith Iob. And no marvayl Since his own heart condemnes him God which is greater then his heart and knoweth all things will condemn him much more And if a ly told that through it the truth of God may more abound to his glory procure just condemnation what may they expect that use to ly for meaner though good ends He that tels a ly for a good end puts the Divell into Gods service which neyther his truth needs nor his holynes will endure but he that tels a ly for an evill
true goodnes He who gets this generall grace to have his heart indeed and seriously bent upon the course of piety towards God and innocency towards men the Lord wil not so far suffer to erre in his way as to misse of heauen in the end notwithstanding his particular aberrations of humayn frailty which God will cover under the veyl of his rich mercy by the persons sincere fayth and generall repentance CHAP. XXV Of Means MEans are so called of the middle place which they hold betweene the efficient and finall causes serving the one for the furthering and atcheiving of the other And so all creatures whether persons or things come under this account in respect of him from whom and for whom all things are God is able without meanes to doe whatsoever work of power he doth or can doe by them and the reason is playne for that he both creates and provides the meanes and also giues the blessing upon them by which they are avayleable Neyther if we minde it hath the Lord ever done greater workes then those which the hand of his power hath wrought eyther immediately or by meanes very weake and feeble which being improved by Gods omnipotency haue produced wonderfull effects Thus God and froggs could plague Pharaoh and all Egipt So can the H. Ghost and simple preaching make men wise unto salvation God often useth meanes verie weake and base not because he wants better but partly for his owne glory as first for the glorie of his goodnes that being so mightie and excellent in majestie he will vouchsafe to imploy them and secondly of his greatnes in bringing to passe what he will by them as he tould Gedeon the people were too many for him to saue Israel by when men make wars they geâ—t the powerfullest helps they can therein bewraying their owne weaknes whereas God on the contrary wanting no mans help oft times makes choyse of weake meanes as needing none Partly the Lord doth this for the means themselvs that they which God so farr honours specially for good to men should not be despised and partly for others that none should be overmuch affected with or to them To trust to means is Idolatry to abuse them want of wisdom or of conscience or both to neglect them eyther desperatenes when a man is without hope of good by them or presumptuous tempting of God when he expects good without them or sloath when he will not trouble himself with them With all which unthankfulnes to the Lord is joyned who provides them as helps against our infirmities and therewith profane sawcines also if with the contempt of the means which we have we long after such as we have not as did the Israelites in the wildernes in loathing manna and lusting after flesh and the Iewes in despiseing Christs miracles upon earth and desiring to see a signe from heaven of him We must then as one sayth mingle our owne sweate with faith to make a sweete odour withall to God For though his power be not bound to means yet his will bindes us to such as he in mercie affoardeth partly as helps of our fayth which need such glasses wherein to see Gods helping hand and partly to exercise our obedience and partly to stir up our diligence And this we must do the rayther for that when God purposeth good to or by a man eyther he commonly provides him means accordingly which when opportunity servs he expecteth he should use in good conscience for atteyning to the good unto which they as it were lead him which to neglect is to disobey a kynde of reall calling from God In the carefull use of naturall means we shew most wisdom and that we are not like beasts without understanding and of supernaturall means prayer and the like the most grace and that we are not as men which know not God A man must be sure in his most carefull use of means alwayes to bear in mynde the end for which he useth them that he be not like the messenger who so myndes his way as he forgets his errand To sever the means and end to which they lead ordinately is vanity in all courses in divine matters mere madnes He that sinning without repentance looks to escape hell separates the end from the means He that without fayth and obedience lookes for heauen separates the means from the end which he aymes at Both would pervert Gods word and work of providence CHAP. XXVI Of Labour and Idlenes GOD who would have our first father even in innocency and being Lord of the whole world to labour though without payne or wearisomnes in dressing the Garden and when he had sinned to eat his bread with the sweat of his brows would haue none of his sinfull posteritie lead their life in Idlenes no nor without exerciseing themselvs diligently in some lawfull calling or other I say diligently For as poore men play for recreation now and then so do rich men work But that sufficeth not For God who hath in the naturall body appointed unto every member its office and function which it is constantly to exercise would have no member in any societie or body of men ordinarily unimployed Neyther doth that man how great or rich soever keep a good conscience before God who makes labour but an accessorie and not a principall and that which takes up his ordinarie tyme. Man is borne to sore labour in body or minde as the spark to fly upward In heauen is onely rest without labour in hell restles payn and torment and as sin makes the earth which is between both liker to hell then heauen so God for sin hath given to the sons of man soar travail to afflict them upon earth And that in most wise and gratious providence considering the mischiefs that come by idlenes as The weakning of the endowments of nature whereas labour brings strength to the body and vigour to the mynde yea the consumption of grace as rust consumes the iron for want of using yea whereas idlenes brings bodily poverty like an armed man it brings not onely spirituall povertie in graces with it but withall a legion of vices like so many armed divels puffing up the flesh with pride and makeing the heart Sathans anvile who is commonly least idle when men are most whereon to forge a thowsand vanities and sinfull lusts as having a fit opportunity to perswade men to doe evill when he findes them doing nothing that so they who will not sweat in earth eyther with the labour of the hand or heart though king Alphonsus sayd that God and nature had given kings hands as well as other men might sweat in hell and that if they will not bear their part in the payns of men they might partake in the payns of the Divils Whereas on the contrary if we doe that which is good and well done though with labour and
paynefulnes the labour is soon over and gone whereas the goodnes and reward thereof remayns behinde Proud folk despise labour and them that use it And so it would be thought by many far meaner then Iosephs brethren a disgracefull question to be asked as they were by Pharaoh Of what occupation they were And this difference I have observed for the matter in hand that whereas in plentifull countryes such as our own it is half a shame to labour in such others as wherein art and industry must supply natures defects as in the country where I haue last lived it is a shame for a man not to work and exercise himself in some one or other lawfull vocation And in truth there is more comfort to a good man in that which he gets or saves by his labour and providence and Gods blessing thereupon then in that which comes to him any other way For he considers it not onely as a fruit of Gods loue but withall as a reward of his obedience unto Gods commandement of labour and travayl to be undergone in this world of the children of men It is a blessing upon every one that feareth the Lord and walks in his wayes that he shall eat the labour of his hands And he that without his own labour eyther of body or mynde eats the labour of other mens hands onely and lives by their sweat is but like unto lice and such other vermine Let every godly Christian in his place say with Christ I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work Longa quiescendi tempora fata dabunt It is a great blessing when God gives a man grace and wisdom to take payns about things first lawfull and secondly profitable The diligent in evill are but like the divill who compasseth the earth and that like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour Such do best when they do least The life of others is iâ— quieta inertia buesying and oft times troubling both themselvs and others with things altogether unprofitable like the kings of Egipt in building their Pyramides to the mispending of their own mony and peoples labour I have known divers that with the tithe of the study and payns taken by them had it been rightly improved and to profitable uses might have benefited both themselvs and others far more then they have done with all their diligence and that with good meaning also Labour spent upon things eternall must not be counted lost or too much seeing temporall things of any worth are not usually obteyned without it And surely if heaven and happines could be had with so litle payns and trouble as the world reckons it were strange if they were worth the haveing And yet how many might obteyn the pearl of Christ promised with lesse payns then they take for earthly and transitory things which yet oft times they are disappointed of yea I add then many take for hell which their wickednes brings upon them unavoydably Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto eternall life sayth Christ our Lord. CAP. XXVII Of Callings THE effectuall calling of a Christian is that by which the Lord first differenceth actually and in the person himself the elect from the reprobate and by which the called approacheth and draweth nigh unto God that calleth him and that takes away his sin which separated betweene the Lord and him both by justifying and sanctifying him This generall calling of a Christian is incomparably more excellent and honourable then any particular calling and state whatsoever By it we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things both for grace glory It alone is properly an holy calling hallowing all other callings which also are so far lawfull and lawfully used as they further it and not otherwise If the excellency of it were well weighed rightly prized no man honoured therewith should be thought worthy to be despised for any other meannesse nor without it to be envyed for any other excellency how glorious soever in the worlds ey These two mayn priveledges of Gods providence the elect before their effectuall calling are made partakers of aboue others The former that into what other or howsoever otherwise greivous sins they fall yet they are kept by the power of the Lord from sinning against the Holy Ghost of which there is no forgivenes And this the Apostle insinuates where he testifyes of himself that before his calling by grace he was a blasphemer and pers quuter but doing it of ignorance in unbeleif he obteyned mercy which if he had done of malicious knowledg he could not possibly have done The second priveledg is that though such a man may fall into great dangers so as there is oft but a step between him and death yet still God will rescue and keep him alive till he be effectually called to the participation of his grace in Christ witnesse the Iaylour in Philippi God calls a man actually in tyme as he hath chosen him in his eternall decree that is as he hath purposed to call and save him in due tyme. And if there be a particular and effectuall calling of some above others then was there undoubtedly a particular election or purpose from eternity in God so to do except we will say that God doth that in tyme which he did not from eternity purpose to doe And if the Lord work no otherwise in calling of any to the grace of Christ then by outward means and motives so leaving them as some say to the freedom of their will to determine it self by chusing or refuseing the grace offered in the gospell then are many wicked men so liveing and dying more bound to the Lord for his work of grace towards them then are divers his holy and faythfull servants The reason is because many of the former have been made partakers of the outward means and motives of grace in preaching of the gospell godly examples and education in far greater measure and more ample and excellent then many of the latter have been Neyther are the true servants of God by this doctrine to go so far in humble thankfulnes to God as did the prowd Pharisee in the Gospell who thanked God that he was not like the Publican and other sinners For whatsoever els they have cause to thank God for by these mens gospell they have cause to thank themselves and not God that they are not like other men who haue been made partakers of as great and ample outward means and provokations of grace as they have been A lawfull calling is necessarie for every lawfull work the generall calling of a Christian before we can perform any Christian work aright and so a particular calling to this or that state of life before we perform the works thereof The inward calling is requisite in regard of God who knows the
discerned by them that enjoy it till sicknes come for then not onely Orpheus his song but much more our own experience teacheth us that nothing is avaylable to men without health neyther riches nor honour nor the greatest delights for belly or back which the earth can affoard This blessing therefore where it is may be set alone against many other wants and God acknowledged to deal graciously with us in bestowing it though with the want of many other outward good things which though others enjoy yet without it they want the comfortable use of them have lesse joy of their lives by far then we by it without them The best rule in physick is to preserv health by the use of things wholesome and eschewing what is noxious and hurtfull either in matter or manner or measure and that betimes and before distempers have taken too deep root or that the strength of nature be too much impayred by the inordinate appetites and licentiousnes of unadvised youth We say in the proverb At fortie years every man is either a fool or a physition But because most are fools so long before that in their best years it is too late for them to become physitions at this age the after years are constreyned to bear the manifold infirmities diseases which are owing to inordinat youth And a happy thing it were considering how few young folks will regard or beleev these things till they be taught them by miserable experience that wise parents and governers would so shew their care over their children pupils and servants that where they cannot disswade the affection they might yet prevent the using of those unwholesom hurtful youth-banes unto which inordinate appetite carryes young folk headlong I have marvailed oft at the aversnes of many specially of the meaner sort from physick in time of sicknes but more at their unreasonable choyse of physitions when they use it How ordinarie a thing is it with a number that if but theyr horse or cow be sick or but in danger they will let them blood or get them a mash or run to a leach for them who yet for themselvs or their nearest freinds will neyther seek nor willingly be perswaded to use the counsail or help of a physitian The reasons hereof I conceav to be eyther for that men are prone and ready to perswade themselvs and to be perswaded by their freinds that they shall do wel enough without such helps and that manie times out of a superstitious presumption of Gods speciall help where mans is neglected or on the contrary when they are heartlesse and dispair of good thereby But yet more strange is the choyse which many make when they use means For though in all other courses men seek for such as are most skilfull yet in this they are not onely more readie to beleev any that professeth himself a physition then of any other facultie but also chuse rayther to trust theyr bodyes and lives in the hands of ignorant Empericks men or women then of the most expert and learned physitions that are Which I speak not as esteeming the counsayl or help of the meanest to be neglected specially where eyther the more skilfull cannot wel be come by or that the danger is not great But for that all things are to be done reasonably and for the best advantaging and likelihood of good that may be The causes of this are on the Empericks part that they are more officious about their patients the other being many tymes supercilious and neglective of meaner persons Secondly that they are more bold boasters of their own doings then the other whose learning makes them modest Thirdly their affoarding their counsail and pains at a cheaper rate then the other do who verie likelily and as experience teacheth in other countries if they would descend to that rule of equitie in other cases A penny-worth for a penny would finde that lighter gayns comming thicker would make heavier purses Fourthly their administring of medicines usually lesse offensive and loathsome unto nature which it may be the others skill and care if custome made not men lesse compassionate then they should be might much correct though it can not be denyed that by Gods providence and for mans sin the most wholesom things eyther naturally or morally are bitter and unpleasing On the patients part this aryseth commonly 1. from a suspition least they being mean and playn persons should eyther be overreached or neglected by the learned 2. From envy which the learneds arrogancy also oftens occasioneth 3. From an ambitious desire in them to advance those of their own order as of old the citizens of Rome would have the cheif officers even the Consuls and Dictatours created and chosen out of their rank And lastly for that if any cure be or seem to be wrought by them which want art men are therein ready to conceav of a special divine assistance and helping hand of God One speciall use of a skilfull artist is to discerne aright of the varietie of circumstances that fall in Simple men and women have many times the same medicines or simples at least with the most skilful doctours But wanting art and skil to temper and apply them according to the diversitie of the estates of patients and varietie of accidents within and without the sick they eyther profit not or hurt one way what they profit an other To which purpose it was wittily answered of the physition who having prescribed a medicine to his patient and thereby cured him and being asked by him afterwards why the same medicine which the same person falling into the same disease again took himself did not avayl him as before that the reason was because he the physition gave it him not Neyther is the use greater of the skilfull in this consideration then of the experienced Physitians sayth one and truely have this advantage above them of other professions that the sun beholds their cures and the earth covers their faylings They that dy under their hands or by their default are past complayning of them they that recover and survive though sometimes by the benefit of nature alone under Gods providence will repute and report them the means of their recovery Which consideration makes not the honest and conscionable the more secure but the more carefull of their account to be given unto God from whose eyes nothing is covered CHAP. XXXIII Of Afflictions AL afflictions are for sin as the deserving cause for living man mourneth for the punishment of his sin Whereupon the prophet tels the Iews that their own wickednes should correct them Neyther doth God punish but where man sins sayth one Now to set these two together orderly is the propertie of a wise man and accordingly in our afflictions to mourn for our sins which we then rightly do when out of the clear sight of their odiousnes in Gods account we more vehemently desire the
petition as we forgive them that trespasse against us the petition being Forgive us our trespasses adding therein that if we forgive not them that trespasse against us neyther will our heavenly father forgive us And this exhortation sayth one if we be not more hard then iron and steel cannot but soften us and make us appeasable and ready to remit offences considering how many and great our offences are against the Lord for which he both so justly might and so easily could take revengment upon us And since vengeance is the Lords and that he will repay we must beware we take it not further into our hands then God gives it us lest medling with edged-tools in Gods shop we surely cut our selvs deep howsoever they scape against whom we use them And besides the conscience of offending God by revenge in wish word or deed we may take instances of inducement to forgivenes from circumstances of all the persons that injurie us If it be a meaner person then our selvs that wrongs us let us forgive him in pittie of his weaknes If our superiour let us pittie and forgive our selvs the former in charitie the latter in wisdom Is he a malicious and unmerited enemy why should we marvayl if he do his kynde Have we hurt him before he but gives us our due and why should we not take it at his hands Is he a good man let us be ready to forgive him whom God forgives Is he wicked Alas we may well forgive him considering how fearfull vengeance if he repent not God will take on him for that and other his sins Many who think it divelish as indeed it is to offer an injurie think it but manly to requite it But it is sayth one evill as well to requite as to offer since God forbids both And there is sayth another onely this difference between them that he who offers the injury is before in mischief and he that requites it comes after therein as fast as he can With which two joyn a third witnesse saying that to render evil for evill is to make two divels for one Not to be revenged for an injury done is not alwayes to forgive it For this may be through want of power or of courage or in a kinde of haughtines of mynde when a man esteems himself above the wrong done or scorns to fyle his fingers with his adversarie Neyther yet is it sufficient though it be a great thing that we wish him no hurt who hath wronged us but we ought further also so to keep our hearts that they rejoyce not at his fall or slumbling by any other means least the Lord see and it displease him and he turn his wrath from him upon us All the other wayes we may be accessory before this way after the fact Notwithstanding we may have cause to be glad if the injurious and oppressours be restreyned by some work of Gods over-ruling providence that the fox being chayned up may no more worry the lambs But this is not to rejoyce for his hurt but for his good Lastly as God forgives injuries against him which all sins are if for the same he hate not the person so sinning though he both be angry at him and correct him and therein provide for the repayring of the honour of his majestie impeached by him so may men forgive injuries done against them in spirituall sense and holy manner if therefore they hate not nor wish hurt to the person that hath wronged them though in cases they provide for his due correction and also for the repayring of the damage susteyned by him in theyr body goods or good name by lawfull means CHAP. XXXV Of Patience IT is our sinfull condition that makes us subject to crosses our humayn that makes us sensible of them without which sense of them we were no more patient in bearing them then the stone is patient upon which the weight of the wall lyeth But in the bearing of such evils as are brought upon us or befall us with equanimitie and moderation true patience is seen The grace it self must be in us even without crosses and we by it in heart martyrs without fire or sword but so can not the use of it be no more then there is use of a salve where there is no soar And thereupon the Apostle sayth that affliction worketh patience that is occasions the exercise and increase of it And hence it is that men are most deceaved in the measure of this grace and esteem their inches eâ—ns till by tryall of evils they finde the contrarie But patience tryed by afflictions and found firm and good gives above other graces experimentall assurance of Gods love Whereupon the Apostle in the place forenamed gives it alone the honour of working experience And no marvayl seeing by it God gives a poore and feeble creature such experience of his powerfull grace and goodnes for the bearing and bearing out of those crosses and miseries both inward and outward which without this staf of supportance were intollerable Neyther is the work of Gods goodnes lost in them to whom he imparts this grace seeing by it if by any other they shew forth the vertues of God and honour him in so many of his attributes in the exercising of it As first of his will both commanding and approving it as Christ tels the church and Angell at Ephesus I know thy works and labour and patience Secondly of his justice as acknowledging really that all the afflictions which they suffer are lesse without comparison then their sins deserv Thirdly of his power and that both over them with which they struggle not but making a vertue of necessitie quietly bear what he layes upon them and also in them in susteyning them that they faynt not under their burden Fourthly of his wisdom in effectuall acknowledgment that he hath his good holy ends of his so dealing with them though oft times not so particularly known to them Lastly of his goodnes in dealing with them in their chastisements as with sons for their profit and that they might be partakers of his holynes without which last all the rest how honourable soever to God are uncomfortable unto man Vpon this goodnes of God we do in our afflictions specially exercise the two mayn graces of Fayth and Hope Fayth perswading our hearts that God loves us as well in our greatest afflictions as out of them and will do us nothing but good by them is as the foundation for this bulwork of patience Hope assureth us of happy issue out of them all which if we wanted what would it avayl us though we had the strength of men and angels to bear miseries Some Christians have sayd that Patience is a miserable remedy But how much better said the Heathen Byas that he onely is miserable that wants patience for the bearing of his misfortunes As
and a vile person for it may be contemptible in their eyes and vices as said one not onely odious but ridiculous Some have gotten the foxes cunning in scorning the grapes for their sowernes which for their height he could not reach to affecting the contempt of that good which they want and cannot obteyn that so they may seem to want it upon judgment as a thing not worthie the having and not of impotencie So some contemn learning others policy others other things as unworthie their having which they indeed are unworthy to have and unable to attain to Others partially say with Salomons buyer that things are nought when they would have them easily for nought Thus Lot sayd of Zoar which he would have God spare for his cause Is it not a litle one Lastly there are who in a cruell craft use to vilifie and debase what they can such persons and things as they either have oppressed unjustly or mean to oppresse Thus Saul purposing to oppresse David still terms him in contempt The sonn of Ishai So did the Ephramites term the Gileadites for like purpose fugitives of Ephraim amongst the Ephramites and amongst the Manassites The Iews and others Christ a Samaritan and Galâ—lean And wicked men now the faithfull servants of Christ Lutherans Hugonites Calvinists and by other more contemptible names that so they may make themselvs and others the better beleev that it matters not what is done to or becomes of so vile and unworthie persons But men are men though they be sowed in bears skins that dogs might worrie them And the contempt cast upon the Lords servants by those carnall and craftie enemies neyther makes the oppressed by them lesse precious in Gods sight nor their oppressions lesse odious Men on the contrarie when they have in hand any thing hard or greivous to an other should bethink themselvs of what is good and commendable in the person that thereby they may breed in their hearts due respect of him and not wrong him If the grace of God though in never so great weaknes that we wrong not it If the image of his authoritie wisdom or other honourable attribute that we wrong not it If nothing els yet that he is a man and so deservs all humayn respect to be given unto him as the Apostle bids Honour all men Men say Familiaritie breeds contempt whereupon many fearing to be contemned by others dispose themselvs to contemn others by a supercilious and overly behaviour But as there is a mean in familiaritie as in all other things so they most fear contempt by it who have least worth in them to free themselvs therefrom and therefore in jealousie and consciousnes of their own wants take up a theatricall and affected strangenes and statelynes specially towards their inferiours and equals Such are like the asse in the Lions skin but by braying when they should roar are discovered and become more ridiculous then if they had alwayes shewed their asses ears Considering how greivous a thing and hard to be born contempt is it is wisdom in a man not easily to think himself despised by others and that even for his own peace But if an injurie be offered rayther if it may be to impute it to unadvisednes or negligence or almost to any other originall in the offerer then to contempt Besides an aptnes to conceave a contempt shews a minde uncharitable discontented and usually proud withall as looking too much for respect Lastly he that judgeth himself despised by another specially being troubled at it honoureth him therein since it cannot be but that he desires to be respected of him with whose contemptuous cariage towards him he is troubled CHAP. XL. Of Envie ENvie is a greif conceived at the good of another specially by him that wants it himself whereof the highest degree is so to envy it to him as we desire it our selvs It is a verie shamefull affection and which no man will own how many so ever use it Some will confesse and professe upon occasion that they hate or fear or scorn others but none that they envie anie And no marvayl for though many deserv to be hated feared and despised yet none to be envyed Good and wise men are to be honoured in and for all the good things that God hath given them Foolish and corrupt to be pittied in their greatest jollitie considering what their end shall be And though there be cause to greiv in a sort at the prosperitie and power of unworthy persons yet this is not because those things good in themselvs are good to them but because they abuse them to their own and others hurt It is like a fire ascending upwards still ayming at that which is above it for though superiours oftens grudg at the good of inferiours yet raither this is indignation then envie Or rayther it is like smoak not onely in the former respect but also for that as smoak is greatest at first and before the fire burn clear but after the flame bursts out vanisheth away so is envy greatest in the first rising of any in vertue or honour or other eminent good but by continuance of time and vertue in the envied is tyred out and gives over He that envyeth maketh another mans vertue his vice as Bernard confesseth of himself and an other mans happines his torment whereas he that rejoyceth at the prosperitie of another even thereby if no other way is partaker of the same Yet were this vice the more tolerable if besides men our selvs and others we in it did not so directly wrong the Lord and that which is worst even in his goodnes which it not onely perverts as other vices do but abolishes as much as it can It is and worthily accounted in some horrible impiety to complayn of God that he made the world no better But what is it then to quarrell with him for making it so good As in truth an envious person doth saying unto God in effect why hast thou bestowed this vertue this knowledg this honour these riches or the like good upon this man or woman So the first labourers in the vyneyard sayd of the last to him which hyred them why givest thou so much unto them How injurious soever notwithstanding this cancker worm is both to God and men yet is it in this point most just that it punisheth and tormenteth with no small torment him in whom it beareth swey consuming his heart as rust doth the yron whereon it groweth and rotting his verie bones whiles he liveth The good gifts of God as riches honour wit learning c. in any eminencie often endanger their owners by puffing them up with pride in themselvs And if they have the grace and modestie to use them aright yet are they dangerous to others becoming oftens fewell to kindle their fire of envy withall And so it fell out
between Ioseph and his brethren David and King Saul and many mo verifying that of the wise man Everie perfection of work is the envy of a man from his neighbour By means whereof it also hurts its owner many tymes by a kinde of unnaturall rebound as it were from the envious and that so violent as none but God in heaven can stand against it Not Adam in paradise agaynst the divels envy nor David against Sauls nor Christ against the Pharisees And in this regard a mediocritie in any good is the more thankfully to be accepted from God considering unto what danger this way all eminencie exposeth a man The highest trees are soonest and soarest shaken with tempests The best remedy for preventing envy by others is to carry a low Sayl in the most prosperous gayl that can blow and to ascribe the good a man hath rayther to any other cause then to himself or his own wit industry or worth any way Therein he least disparageth others that want it and so frees himself best from their envy at him CHAP. XLI Of Slaunder HE is a Slaunderer who wrongs his neighbours credit eyther by unjust raysing or upholding an evill report against him Of which two viz. the raysing or receaving a false report seeing that if there were no receavers there would be no theevs one of good skill in discerning doubteth whether is more damnable We must then get amongst others this mark of him that shall sojourn in the Lords tabernacle and dwell in his holy mountayn that we neyther rayse nor take or hold up a reproach against our neighbour Though the North winde be not alwayes to be wished because it driveth away rain yet is an angry countenance to drive away a backbyting tongue As a man may be wounded in his body with the sword taken out of his own handâ— so may he in his credit by the injurious relation of the very thing which his hand hath done or tongue spoken And the same also sometimes being good in it self and eyther wrested to some other sense then he intended as were the words of Christ by false witnesses or craftily made an opportunitie whereupon to build some false but colourable insinuation of evill as was Davids being at Nob with the High priest by Doeg Sometimes also being evill as when men without just and necessarie occasion blaze abroad the faults of others eyther in idlenes for want of other talk or of hatred by way of revenge or in flatterie to please other men or in envy as grudging at their good name And it may wel be thought that persons oftner calumniate others of love to themselvs then of hatred to them thinking therein to build their own credit upon the ruines of other mens which is as if one to make his own garment seem the fayrer should cast mire upon his neighbours Some slaunders are such as confute themselvs in the eyes of all reasonable men as eyther being so great or so senselesse as are incredible or when the known qualitie of the person accused fastens a slaunder upon the accusation as did Platoes with Diogenes when he heard one accuse him of evill Some also there are which turn to the advantage of the slaundereds credit afterwards namely such as a litle time will plainly manifest to have been false and feyned For then they who before have wronged them through credulitie will hold themselvs their debters for amends afterwards which also it may come to passe they may make them by not beleeving some ill though just report of them in after time Slaunderers of any others may rightlyest be called divelish seeing the divell hath his name of Slaundering He sometimes slaunders God to men as to Eve of envie in the beginning sometimes men to God as Iob of hypocrisie and continually man to man by his venemous instruments thus anotamized in their parts by the Apostle Their throat is an open sepulcher with their tongue they have used deceipt the poyson of asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternes And truely it may be he should not much misse the mark that affirmed slaunders and false reports to have raysed as great and many quarrels amongst equals conspiracies from inferiours and from superiours violent oppressions as all injuries in truth offered or other provocations whatsoever Men commonly with one stroak wound or kill but one whereas a slaunderous blow reacheth to many He wounds himself with his own slaunderous tongue his mouth making his flesh to sin He wounds him in the ear to whom he slaundereth specially if credulous as the most are in receaving false reports And as for him whom he slaundereth he wounds him in his good name though him onely by suffering evill the former two as workers of it and withall oftens makes way by so doing for further wrong to be offered him eyther by himself or others Thus Maximinus the tyrant set awork certain vile persons to accuse the Christians of heynous evils that so he might persequute them with more shew of reason like as men when they would have their dogs killed give out that they are mad David never complayns of the sharpnes of the swords of the Philistims or other enemyes but of the sharp swords of the tongue of slaunderers he oft and piteously complains in the book of the Psalms as peirceing deeper then the former And yet for fence against those sharp swords God hath put into the hands of his innocent servants two bucklars the one inward viz. a conscience upon due knowledg and examination excusing before God and this is of proof The other such a conversation before men as may ward our credit and good name from being wounded in the eyes of such as know us and are equally mynded and such as are not apt eyther greedily to devour or lightly to admit slaunders and vituperies raysed against us Yet if the divell could by the serpents slaunders impeach the credit of God himself with our first parents in their state of innocencie no marvayl if his serpentlike instruments can prevayl with sinfull men women this way even against Gods faithfull servants We must therefore prevent slaunders what we can bear what we cannot avoyd and alwayes be mindefull by earnest prayer as well to commend our good name to God that he may take charge of it as our persons and estates Better never accused then quit though after the clearest and most honourable manner that may be seeing after a bold slaunder something ever will stick behinde by which the ignorant of the truth will be abused and adversaries take advantage to upbrayd But how great soever matter of greif or shame unjust slaunder causeth yet he that is reproached for well doing hath the spirit of glory resting upon him and being innocent may say that the evill is not against him but against another whom the slaunderer takes him
are deemed to be before It is best therefore first not to suspect without good cause next not to bewray our suspicion except we have great hope to over-aw thereby the suspected person There are many unreasonably though not altogether unoccasioned transported from the one of the extreams formerly mentioned to the other who being at first credulous and light of beleif and thereby oft deceaved at length come to trust none but would burn as they say their shirt if they thought it knew their secrets therefore set it down for a rule to have al men in jealousie Such overwise men are like the fool that because the sive deceaved him and let his drink run out would not trust his dish with it afterwards Howsoever things fall out it is best to keep our byasse alwayes on the right side and to encline still to a better rayther then to a worse opinion of men then they deserv For though it be best of all to judg of others just as they are yet seeing that is alwayes hard and sometimes impossible we shall lesse offend God in judging of men too well though sometimes to our own damage then too ill with certain injurie to them and sin in our selvs in the violation of the law of charitie which is not suspicious The generall cause of suspicion is the want of this true love whose propertie is to beleev all things and to hope all things which with reason can be beleeved or hoped for and so men are in danger to presume of and promise to themselvs more good of their wives and children and friends whom they entirely love then there is cause rayther then otherwise Notwithstanding a very inordinate and doating affection also breeds causlesse jealousie Another generall cause of suspicion is the knowledge and consciousnes which persons have of their own inability and weaknes any way Of beasts and birds hares and doves and such impotent and unarmed creatures and of men women the childish weak silly and decrepit are most given to suspicion as being most subject to be circumvented or oppressed So it hath been observed how the Scythians and other barbarous nations have laboured to supply their defects of wisdom for prevention of hurt from enemyes by excesse of suspicion It is true that this disease sometimes befals very wise men But this aryseth from an other and worse cause to wit an evill conscience Men muse as they use and suspect others by themselvs as is common with all leaud persons He that is good himself doth not easily suspect an other to be evill nor the evill that an other is good Besides an evill conscience accusing men and women that they in truth deserv not love nor respect nor credit easily perswades them that they are not loved nor respected nor credited by others Lastly it is oftens a punishment from God that as a man in debt suspects that every bush which he sees is a sargeant to arrest him so they which are without true grace and assurance of the pardon of their sinns from him should be suspicious that every one would deceav or hurt them otherwise It was Gods curse upon Cain when he had killed his brother Abel to suspect and fear that every one that he mett with would kill him Notwithstanding all these things sometimes God sends a spirit of jealousie upon interessed persons for the discoverie of evils in others formerly hidden which out of probable suspicion come to be searched into and by searching are found out And alwaies we must strive for that discretion and wisdom as not to take our marks amisse by censuring any rashly as Eli did Hannah for druncken because her lips went and her voice was not heard nor yet to be so fondly charitable as not to see the spots of mens leprosie breaking out in their foreheads We are not onely by innocencie to prevent just blame but withall by christian care and wisdom to provide that we hurt not our good name by coming under colourable suspicion of evill We provide things honest before God by preserving innocency but before men by giving no probable cause of their suspecting us And so doing if yet God by his providence so order that we come under it we must bear it patiently as a burden layd upon us by him eyther to prove us as it was not the least tryall upon Iob to be suspected by his freinds and others of hypocrisy or it may be to warn us to take heed of some sin of which we are in danger though not guiltie it may be for our present peace and safety as it happened to David by being suspected of the Lords of the Phylistims or it may be for their just punishment by whom we are unjustly suspected as in the same Davids case in being suspected by king Saul of affecting the kingdom to his own great harm in wanting him and the worthyes with him in the battle with the Philistims CAP. XLIIII Of Appearances IT is the royall prerogative of Gods infinite wisdom to judg of persons things as in truth they are It is mens yea angels unperfit condition in comparison under which God hath humbled them to judg of the one and other according to outward appearances leaving to him alone and the persons themselvs the hidden things of the heaâ—â— To appear evill to a righteous judgment is alwaies evill whether the person be evill or good If evill his evill appearance is but his inward evil manifested to be as it is and his inside turned outward If good he slaunders himself in appearing evill He that makes an ill shew we may well account evil and corrupt ordinarily seeing all save in the case of some speciall temptation desire to seem as good as they are to put the fayrest side outward He that is once well known to me for good and vertuous I will alwayes esteem so except I come to take certeyn knowledg of his after-declyning to evill So on the contrarie if I have once rightly and certeynly branded a man for evil I shall not easily come to think good of him except his after-repentance as playnly appear to me The reason is because bare time makes none of evill good or of good evill but onely confirms men in that which they are whether the one or other Although it be not simply a sufficient warrant for our answerable judgment of or caryage towards persons or things that they appear good or evill unto us because we often err in our judgments about them through ignorance negligence or partialitie yet is it a certeyn rule that we must never proceed eyther in judgment or practise against appearances for in so doing we condemn our selvs in the thing which we approve if it appear good and yet we condemn it so do we also in the thing which we condemn by holding any course of approbation towards that which seems evill unto us Notwithstanding such is the force of outward appearances
as that in cases they bynde us in conscience both for judgment and practise to that which indeed is not true nor due but wherein we are altogether deceaved As when we receav a matter for truth which yet indeed is not so upon the clear testimonie of two or three witnesses worthy of credit so far as we can discern or when we esteem an hypocrite cunningly dissembling for good and godly as did Phillip Simon Magus It is a fortunate sin to suspect him without apparent cause that dissembles and an infortunate vertue to be deceaved in him The appearance of evill by the Apostles prescript is to be absteyned from Which yet we must not understand absolutely of whatsoever seems evill unto others for then we should absteyn from all or the most good whereof there is litle but some or other misdeem it But the meaning is properly that in prophesying of which the Apostle speaks as we are to hold that which is good and proved so to be so if any thing be delivered of which we have a sinister suspicion as fearing that some poyson cleaveth to it though not plainly so discerned by us we with-hold our assent till by fayth we can receav it And in the generall that if a thing appear amisse and evill unto others especially unto weaker brethren though it be not such of it self yet we forbear it except eyther conscience of duety simply binde us unto it or that some greater conveniency appear in doing it then is the inconveniency of or to others in misconceaving of us and our doings If it be a good thing to appear good how much more to be so indeed It is also the readiest way and most compendious for any to appear and be thought wise vertuous or godly to be in truth such For God will both so far as it stands with his glory and the persons good give occasion of manifestation of that good which is and also provide that others may accordingly take knowledg of it And though many things be secret in the mean while yet when the Lord shall come he will both bring to light the hidden things of darknes and make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall everie one have prayse of God The Lord bestoweth his graces upon men not onely for their own good but for the good of others also and that as otherwise so for the manifesting and shewing forth the vertues of him who hath called them out of darknes into his marveylous light Who must therefore provide carefully both to be as they appear for their own comfort and to appear as they are to the glory of God and good of men Yet so as their first and greatest care herein be that their appearances be not above their existences and that they make shew of no more then they have As in the outward estate it is the high way to povertie or worse for a mans expences to exceed his receipts his layings out his comings in so in the spirituall course to overstreyn in outward manifestations is a way tending to all impudent and desperate hypocrisie under a form of godlynes without the power thereof And for other gifts as knowledg wisdom learning eloquence or the like he that in the manifestation of them will streyn above his reach may easily crack his credit and make himself ridiculous to others like the stage-player who with too much wypeing of his borrowed beard puls it from his face and so bewrayes his bare chin And though a forth-putting man play his part so well as many do that he not onely satisfy but draw into admiration his simple spectators who cannot discern between shadow and body yet shall he hardly or not at all escape the censure of vayn-glorious and arrogant by more judicious men We are oftens angry and offended at others for wronging us by conceaving a worse opinion of us then we deserv whereas in right we should be angry at our selvs for giving them occasion so to judg by our ill and suspicious appearances For albeit thereby he whose heart and way is upright in Gods sight loose not his comfort with him who sees the heart yet by his misappearances made in word or deed he may justly forfeyt his credit with men to whom it apperteyns to judg of the tree by the fruit or leavs or any other outward mark or note rayther then by the sap Cunning naughtines hath oftens more credit in the world then unadvised honestie CHAP. XLV Of Offences IT must needs be considering mans frailty Sathans mallice and Gods providence that offences come sayth Christ our Lord but wâ— be to the person by whom they come Wo be to him first that gives offence next to him that takes it where he should not as the same our Lord teacheth els where saying Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me that is who takes not occasion of stumbling to hinder himself in the way of godlynes eyther at my person or doctrine or works or followers or at the persequutions and contradictions raysed against me and myne by myne and their adversaries And considering how many such like stumbling stones are in the narrow way of Christ which leads unto life he is a happy man indeed that hath eyther power to remove them or wisdom to decline from them or nimblenes of grace to leap over them Offence may be given where none is taken as in such evill actions as whereby others may or might be but are not provoked to evill and so Peter was an offence or scandall to Christ Or offence may be taken where none is given and so Christ and the gospell were a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to both the houses of Israel and so are many good and lawfull things yea necessarie also to many now Offence also may both be given and taken in the same action and that eyther in things simply evill as when one provokes and an other is provoked to evill by false doctrine corrupt counsayl ill example or the like or in things of indifferent nature but unseasonably used to the effectuall hindrance of others in the way of godlynes In such cases as I last mentioned offence is given through want of charitie and taken through want or weaknes of fayth in the particular God would have us walk in fayth towards him and love towards men that so doing we may neyther offend God nor men But these two which the Lord hath joyned together Sathan would not onely disjoyn in many but so oppose as eyther may oppresse or destroy other Hence some are so strong in fayth and zealous for faythfulnes towards God as they are lifted up above charitie towards men not considering how they ought to receav the weak and bear and forbear them yea apply unto them in many things and drive according to their pace as fearing to offend one of those litle ones And though we may
choaked for ever As on the contrary if a man do the thing which good is the conscience gives testimonie of Gods acceptance and therewith boldnes before him making him chearfull even in the sorrows of the world quiet in its turmoyl and happy in all extremitie of torments and withall satisfying him with the testimony from within himself against mens unjust accusations This Conscience makes a man eyther a conquerer over the whole world or a craven and ready specially in danger and being wakened to thrust his head in a hole But now the comforts are not greater in having this good conscience then are the dangers in mistaking it Many do craftily pretend it without cause merely for their credits before men whose hearts condemn them before God and whom God who is greater will condemn much more Many more are securely presumptuous and being ready to beleev that which they wish true are bold upon their good conscience so deemed not because they know and try themselvs and their wayes before the Lord by his word as they ought but because they know not nor will know and examine them And this is the vulgar conscience of ignorant persons that are free from those grosser sins which the light of nature condemns and of some others also not without understanding being of bold spirits and stout hearts and which will not easily be in fault eyther before the world or God himself There are besides these whose consciences are benummed and seared with an hâ—at iron who by practising at first and continuing after in sins against their naturall conscience have obteyned from the Lord this miserable priveledg and seal of their condemnation that their mindes should be voyd of understanding and hearts of sense and feeling even of heynous sins in time Better sayd the godly martyr sit in the stocks of this world then of an ill or accusing conscience And yet better a conscience accusing if not desperately then benummed and without feeling The dead flesh must be eaten out of the wound and sorenes come before soundnes so must a benummed conscience become accusing before it can become excusing aright The larger conscience the better if rightly informed To know that to be lawfull for me which indeed is lawfull is the perfection of understanding and strength of fayth as on the other side to be ignorant of it is to be weak both in knowledg and fayth But we must here put a difference between the conscience it self and the use of it for the largest use of conscience is not alwayes best though the judgment be Some things are so commaunded as they absolutely bynde conscience as to love God and our neighbour c. Some things again are so commanded in the generall as for example the obedience of the Magistrate keeping peace with all men and the like as yet they have this particular exception If we can without sinning on our parts for we must not do evill that we may do good But yet in these cases we are to be as large as we can and to go as far as possibly we can see it lawfull in conscience of the commandement of God Other things are in their kinde indifferent and such as we perform for our profit pleasure credit or other worldly commoditie In these we are to use lesse liberrie of conscience and to take heed that we give not the divell advantage by some blast of temptation or other to blow us into the ditch if we go to near the side of it And in observing this difference we have a conscionable use of our conscience It is a great question whether an erroneous conscience be to be followed or no and as ill resolved by many affirmatively after much dispute Not to follow it is evill and to do or leav undone that wherein the man so doing or not doing condemns himself and therein hath God also condemning him To follow it is for the blinde to follow the blinde the blinde person his blinde conscience into the ditch and to have God condemning him in his word though he justifie himself Besides then the violation of the conscience which is alwayes evill and a by-path on the left hand and the following it in evill as a by-path on the right which is sometimes worse then the former as in sins against the light of nature there is a third and midle way safe and good and that is the informing of the conscience better by Gods word and following it accordingly unto which also every person is bound for the duties of his generall and speciall calling It is the first dutie of a man to inform his conscience aright and then to follow the direction which it gives A good conscience is as the ship in which fayth sayleth to heaven and which they that put away make shipwrack of fayth We must therefore first get a good conscience by the sprinkling of the heart with the blood of Christ from the guilt of sin and with his spirit from the filth thereof and having got it must keep the same with all care and tendernes specially by eschewing presumptuous sins in which is much transgression and by which the conscience is wasted and consumed as iron by the rust We offend too much alasse through ignorance and infirmitie let us not ad to provoke the Lord by sinns against conscience in which we sin against a double voyce of God first speaking in his law and secondly in our own hearts Where this is no marvayl though the voyce of fayth and witnes of Gods spirit cease and that the conscience so violated excuse not but accuse CHAP. XLVIII Of Prayer NO christian exercise hath so many counterfeyts as prayer which whilst all would seem to practise few in truth experimentally know We may say prayers sing prayers and read prayers and hear prayers and yet not pray indeed Yea we may out of a kinde of naturall instinct by reason of the indissolible relation between the creature and creatour be caryed towards God so far as to appeal unto him or heartily wish good from him wherein as one sayth the soul gives testimonie to God and yet be far from praying aright that is from making known our requests to God according to his will with fayth in his love and the feeling of our own wants in our hearts And the reason why this true prayer is not every mans work is because God must first work it in mens hearts by powring upon them the spirit of grace and supplication thereby to teach them both what to pray as they ought for matter and how for manner and without the hand-leading of which spirit we dare not in truth approach unto God but do by reason of the guilt of sin flye from his presence as Adam did how nigh unto him soever we seem to draw Where with the Apostle I speak of making our requests known to God my meaning is not
good his satisfaction to whom we swear and for the ending and not the beginning of strife els we prostitute Gods name eyther to our own or other mens lusts Common and light swearing argues such a degree of irreverence of Gods Majestie as we may truly boldly say that the heart of a common and customary swearer is voyd of all grace and true fear of God And in weighing with my self with admiration and horrour the customarie swearing amongst so many considering that there is nothing in it as in other sins eyther profitable or pleasant or of credit in the world or that brings eyther reasonable or sensuall good I have made account that besides imitation of one another and custom which makes it half naturall to some and a conscience guiltie of want of credit in others which moves many to swear that they may be beleeved and want of wit in not a few who strive by accessory oaths to supply their defect of matter or other inabilitie of speach there is in this swearing veyn a deeper mysterie of mischeif then ordinary and that indeed men take it up specially in the divels intention who sets them a work and not a litle in their own in direct opposition of God and because he in his law hath so severely prohibited it If God had not in his word so expresly and severely forbidden it as he hath done certeynly there would not be the least part of it used that is Gracelesse men seem therein to affect a professed contempt of God and withall an opinion from men that they fear nothing neyther God nor divell as they say But God will make them feel that fear not the guilt of taking his glorious name in vayn which all creatures ought to honour and reverence This sin being directly against Gods majestie he reservs by his providence the punishment of it ordinarily to himself spiritually by hardnes of heart and impenitencie in this life usually to the end thereof and both bodily and ghostly by hell-fire for ever Where it is also like that the divels and damned men do and will swear and curse in their utter rejection from God and intollerable torment and so make their sin and course of blaspheaming as endlesse as their punishment for it CHAP. L. Of Zeal ZEal is by some well defyned the heat and intention of all affections and not eyther any one simple affection or composition of divers I add of the understanding also So men meditate zealously and love zealously and hate zealously and rejoyce zealously and mourn zealously and with great intention of heart The like is to be sayd of all the rest of the affections As nothing lives without naturall heat so neyther lives he the life of Christ indeed who is destitute of christian zeal to warm him in his affections and actions specially in matter of Gods worship and service in which whether wrong or right luke-warmnes is odious and loathsom The Lord will spue out of his mouth the luke-warm whether wyne or water Worldly wise-men despise zeal as prejudiciall to wisdom discretion So Festus judged Paul mad Michall accounted David as one of the fools for the singular zeal of God which they manifested But even this foolishnes of God is wiser then men Yet is it certeyn that men of great knowledg and judgment do seldom make that manifestation of Zeal which weaker persons do The former have their spirits most in their brayns and are exercised specially in the disquisition and discerning of truth from falshood and of good from evill The latter have them most in their hearts and accordingly give themselvs to the affectionate pursuit of that which they conceav to be true and good and alike to the avoyding and impugning of the contrarie Some deceav others by the pretence of zeal which they put on for their advantage as stage-players do vizours till their part be played And thus Ismaell deceaved the fortie men of Samaria with his crocodiles tears Also there are not a few who deceav both others and themselvs by seeming to both eyther to have the Zeal of God which they wholly want or much more then they have And of this number was Iehu how loud soever he cryed to Ionadab Behold the zeal which I have for the house of the Lord whereas in truth that which most set him awork was zeal for his own house though it may be he thought not so Besides craftines in this Iehues zeal there are two other properties the one suspitious where it is found and the other odious The former is a furious march against evill without an answerable pursuit of and affection unto the contrarie good Many are vehemently carryed against Antichristian devises in truth or so appearing unto them in whom yet appears litle love and affection to that which is of Christ in their own judgment Such are rayther carried by their own flesh then led by the spirit of God The other is crueltie To be aright and truely zealous cannot but be good seeing so many and those wise men desire at times to seem so though they be not True zeal must be for God and from God and according to God and having God both for beginning and end and rule of direction it cannot but it self be good and godly It must be for the Lord and for the furtherance of his glorie in the obedience of his will and in mans salvation and not for our own or other mens by-purposes And if it so fall out that by one and the same thing Gods cause and our own profit credit or other worldly advantage be promoted we had need keep a jealous eye over our selvs that we serv not our turn on God by making his ends as it were a bridg to our own as Iehu did Secondly as the fire of the altar came from heaven so must our coal of zeal be fetched thence as being the work of Gods spirit in our hearts in the use of prayer meditation upon the word of God read and heard the examples of others godly as it were ryding in the fierie chariot of Elyas and the like holy means by which this divine fire is kindled and nourished in mens breasts Thirdly it must be according to God both for the qualitie of the matter and quantity of the intention of affection For the former It is good alwayes even then and then onely to be zealous in a good matter and that neyther lightly presumed nor partially conceipted so to be but certeynly known els we burn not sweet incense with holy fire but dirt and doung in stead thereof Our zeal also must be apportioned to the object and that not onely considered in it self but also in the circumstances attending upon it in regard whereof things not alwayes the most good or evill in themselvs may justly deserv at our hands a great bent eyther of love to them or hatred against them And amongst other circumstances we must be carefull
and in the hands of young men if there be not counsayl at home and in the breasts of the aged And as some fruits are ripe before others and divers fit for divers seasons of the year so God and nature hath so ordayned that the bodyes of young men should be ripe in their youth fittest for bodily employments by reason of their naturall heat and spirits and the counsayls of old men in their age through their long experience and observation Things go well where both do their parts in societies It is worthily sayd of one that Childehood should be manly that is not without all wisedom and age childe-like that is without pride and arrogancy Yet may the aged above the younger sort chalenge and use a kinde of authority and confidence in their words caryage So is there to be permitted unto childhood that childeishnes which without violence to nature the God thereof cannot be driven from it Many in pride striving and streyning to have their children men and women too soon and ere they be full boyes and girls force them above their pace and eyther cause them to tyre as discouraged or occasion them to content themselvs in after time with certayn manly forms without substance unseasonably forced upon them in their childehood Fruits ripened by art before their time are neyther toothsom nor wholesom So children made men when they should be children prove children when they should be men Notwithstanding stubbornnes and corruption cannot too soon be forced out of them Neyther is half that libertie to be given to the younger sort which they would take not knowing nor being easily brought to beleiv how slipperie their state is till they come to feel it by their fals which if they did they would not complayn with the foolish young man in the poet that all parents keeping any hand over their children though for their good are injurious unto them As all men are to honour all men because they are men and made after Gods image so should the younger sort specially be trayned up to a bashfull and modest reverence towards all and cheifly towards their ancients Which so well becomes their mayden years as that the phylosopher accounts blushing a vertue in young folks though a fault in the aged Many parents desire to have their young ones trayned up in such exercises and courses as may inbolden them But they should for the most part provide much better for them specially in our audacious age if they got them held constantly in courses of modestie and â—hamefastnes that so Demetrius might have his wish in them which was that young folks would reverence their fathers at home all men abroad and themselvs being alone The Apostle writeing to Timothie warns him to fly the lusts of youth If Timothy who was brought up in the knowledg of the Scriptures from a childe and who had profited so well therein and whose place in the church was so eminent for the teaching and governing of others stood in need of such advertisement and warning what warning can be sufficient for ordinarie young people to eschew and fly from such lusts and vanities as to follow after them and unto which the heat and heedlesnes of youth carryeth them It is indeed a great mercy of God when young persons get over that their slipperie and inexperienced state without eyther such publique scandall or secret wound of conscience as the scar whereof they carry to their graves with them How much more and greater a mercy is it when they receav the grace to consecrate their youth and best dayes to God in holynes offering their souls and bodyes as the sacrifices of young lambs unblemished upon the Lords altar Wicked men who hate goodnes both in youth and age use to say young saints old divels But the truth is young divels old Beelzebubs for the most part To whom yet if God in singular grace vouchsafe repentance in after age what a corasive will it be to the heart of such a convert casting back his eyes to his youth consumed in lusts and vanitie to think how great dishonour he hath brought to Gods name and hindrance to others salvation which he may repent of but cannot redeem On the contrarie sweet is the remembrance in old age of a youth led in true vertue and godlynes Some would enjoy both the honour of age and liberty of youth But curled grey hayr is not comely Eyther state hath its benefit and burden alotted of God He that obteyns the benefit must be content to bear the burden Young men must be content to want the honour which is due to the aged of their order otherwise in regard of the image of Gods eternitie which they bear And so must the aged be content to forbear even the lawfull libertie delights of youth Multitude of years should teach wisdom sayth young Elihu in Iob to his three ancients And this the younger sort should with reverence and may with good reason look for at their elders hands considering their long experience and manifold advantages above them for the getting of wisdom This wisdom makes their age honourable indeed and their grey head a crown of glory being founded in the way of righteousnes whereas an elementarie old man having no other argument to prove that he hath lived long but his grey hayrs and wrinkled forehead is a contemptible and ridiculous creature How many such a b c old folks are there in the world whose grey hayrs promise wisdom knowledg and to whom opportunitie and means of atteyning it hath not been wanting who yet being proved and known will appear very babes in understanding and such as for that skill had need to begin to live againe This is not meerly a want of wit in them or of the love of knowledg eyther but withall a curse of God upon them usually punishing a lustfull and rechlesse youth with a doltish age in whom the proverb is true in another sense Ab equis ad asinos Such of young horses become old asses A wise man should live well in youth and before old age come that he may dye well in age if it come and may be ready for death as the white regions are for the harvest and so may both wayt for it and even meet it the more boldly in the way of such vertuous actions as expose unto it For though youth likelyhood of long life should make none withdraw from any good duety or doe amisse for fear of danger of losse of life yet age should though in course of nature the more fearfull upon ground of good reason wisdom and grace make men the more ventersom of that in a good cause which God destiny will deprive them of ere long though other men let them alone as Solon was bold upon his old age to oppose himself to Pisystratus the tyrant One adviseth to be old
to be The advised consideration partly of the cause and partly of the end which the Lord will make aboundantly sweetens all the sowrnes of the reproaches which he suffers and such a one may know himself to have atteyned to the highest pitch of Christianitie and conformitie with Christ when for wel-doing he is ill dealt with It is kingly sayth one say we Christian like to do well and to be ill spoken of Yet is it not enough that when we are slaundred we be from under the desert of it directly but we must withall consider whether we have not drawn it upon our selvs deservedly in regard of God by slaundering others that so God payes us home in our kinde or by some other scandalous sin which the Lord will punish in us by slaunderous tongues as he did David by Shemei or whether we have not given vehement occasion of mens suspecting us and so accusing our selvs as one sayth of suspicion what marvayl if others think and speak evill of us CHAP. XLII Of Flatterie THE reproof by Diogenes is not more known then just upon flatterers that as tyrants are the worst of all wild beasts so are they of all tame And yet there is and the same verie common a worse beast then eyther of them severally to wit a monster-gendred of them both Men flatter their superiours or others able to oppose them to the intent they may tyrannize over their inferiours the more freely without danger or fear and so become both flatterers and tyrants A man needs no other flatterer then his own partiall heart to infatuate him Notwithstanding though few would rayther buy a false then a true glasse to see their faces in yet how fewer are there so truely haâ—eing their own vices as that they had not rayther seek or at least enterteyn such freinds as may rayther cover their faults by flatterie then cure them by faythfull reproofs And this benefit men of a poore and despised condition may set against divers miseryes incident thereunto that they are thereby out of danger of being much flattered Every one will be bould to call a poore man fool or knave and to speak of and to him all the ill which he knows more also Whereas the rich and mightie in the world are for the most part soothed up to their destruction as the fat ox is clawed by the same hand that strikes him down And this is just from God upon the most of them because they desire rayther to be pleased by flatteries then bettered by hearing the truth Few coming near Davids order will say as he did Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindenes let him reprove me it shall be a pretious oyl Where yet the excuse is not nothing which the Phylosopher makes that as worms soonest breed in soft and sweet woods so gentle and noble spirits do most easily admit flatteryes He that reads the Epistles dedicatorie of learned meâ—s books in all faculties divinitie not excepted if eyther he knew not the contrarie by experience or suspected not how easily ambition the canker of learning and mother of flatterie might grow in learned mens breasts would soon be brought to think that almost all the great men in the world were so good so vertuous so religious such so wise and worthy patriots as nothing more could be wished or hoped for But how oft God and men know whilst they labour to honour many of them unjustly do they most justly shame themselvs in proclayming those things of their benefactours to the world with all confidence which a modest man that knows the persons cannot read without blushing and giving men just cause to suspect as Lactantius speaks of a Philosopher in Bithynia writing against Christians and pouring out himself into the prayses of persequuting princes that oft times they write their books rayther to flatter in their prefaces then for other matters prosequâ—ted in the treatises themselvs Flatterie is in all cases and persons a base sin and which will make one man dog-like to fawn upon another for a morsell of bread But in the ministers of Gods holy word above all other men it is most pernitious For whereas in other cases a man makes himself a claw-back in this he makes God himself in whose name he speaks no better what in him lyes Besides that he turns into deadly poyson the onely sovereign medcine of the soul. This made the Apostle take God to witnesse that he never used flattering words and to protest against others that they in doing it served not the Lord Iesus but their own bellyes Such are not to be accounted the servants of Christ whom they make their stayl nor yet of their flattered Lords and maysters how lowd soever they professe themselvs their obedient servants but they have a base mayster whom they serve and are ashamed to own their belly and the divell in it It is not for nothing that the prophets and Apostles have so thundered against the flatterers of the mightie who both look so much for it as that they think themselvs half maligned and envyed if they be but sparingly flattered and yet are so deeply endangered by it Here notwithstanding we must beware that to avoyd the note of flatterers we become not raylers affecting to speak evill of dignities eyther in pride as many scorn to flatter that is love to revile or out of discontentment in our selvs or to nourish it in others CHAP. XLIII Of Suspicion SVspicion as it is commonly taken is as it were a looking under an hidden thing with an inclination to judg it evill and amisse It sets the person suspected in a kinde of middle state but something bended the worse way and neyther quit because he is suspected nor condemned because he is but suspected He that should deal by all persons and things as Caesar did by his wife whom he put away because she was suspected of uncleannes though solemnly cleared in judgment should leav himself neyther friend nor wit nor honestie neyther For all these and whatsoever els he hath that good is are subject to unjust suspicion by others Suspicion indeed how unjust so ever is a blemish and so may justly occasion refusall where there is free libertie but not rejection in way of punishment This is to right a former wrong by a second greater Some suspect all men and some none both are in fault the former in the more sinfull fault the latter in the more honest but more dangerous to themselvs And yet even for that there want not who by causlesse suspicion teach their servants friends yea wives and children also to deceav them For many respecting more their credit with men then a good conscience before God by being suspected though causlesly grow desperate yea think themselvs half priviledged to deceav them that suspect them seeing that by so doing they but become that which they