malice hath Satan bestirred himselfe What a deale of deare and innocent bloud did that red Dragon drinke up in Queene Maries time For five yeares space the fire of persecution did flame in this land and the sacred bodies of our glorious blessed Martyrs were sacrificed amids the mercilesse fury thereof Afterward what a blacke and bloudy catalogue of most hatefull and prodigious conspiracies did run parallell with that golden time of Queene ELIZABETHS life that now glorious Saint of dearest memory But in all this hellish rage the Devill never played the Devill indeed untill he came to the gun-powder-plot that was such a piece of service against the light of the Gospell as the Sun never saw before the sons of men never heard of hel it self never hatcht Since Satan fel from heaven and a Church was first planted upon yâ— earth there was never any thing in that kind which made the Devils Malice more famous GODS mercies more glorious that Priest of Rome and his bloudy superstition more odious or that cast such a shame and obloquy upon the innocency of Christian Religion And all this was the Devils doing of pure spite and malice against the glory of the Gospell the power of the Word and the Saints of GOD. I say he was the arch-plotter and first moover of all these mischiefes The Pope and Iesuites and their cursed confederates were indeed his instruments executioners and agents as we well know and some of the Priests themselves confesse See Quodl 7. Act. 8. pag. 199. Scarce was that blessed Queene and incomparable Lady warme in her Princely Throne but Satan sets on the Pope Pius Quintus he sends from Rome two Popish Priests Morton and Webbe with a Bull of excommunication whereby the subjects and people of the Kingdome were in a Popish sense discharg'd and assoil'd from their allegiance loyaltie and obedience to her Majestie They sollicit the two traiterous Earles of the North Northumberland and Westmerland to be the executioners of this bloudy Bull which indeed was the fountaine and foundation of all the succeeding horrible plots and barbarous treacheries See Bells Anatomy of Popish tyrannie in his Epist. Dedic a little booke called The executioner of justice in England c. I pray GOD now at length turne these Popish murderous hearts from whetting any moe swords to shed the bloud of the LORDS annointed or returne the sharpe swords from the point with a cutting edge on both sides even up to the very hilts into their owne hearts bloud O LORD let the King flourish with a crowne of glory upon his head and a Scepter of triumph in his hand and still wash his Princely feet in the bloud of his enemies 3. This spitefull rage and furious oposition of Satan against the power of the word appears also by daily experience in those towns parishes where by the mercies of GOD a conscionable Ministry is planted before while Satan ruled and raigned amongst them by his wicked deputies ignorance prophanenes Popish superstitions sinful vanities lewd sports prophanation of the Saboth filthines drunkennes and such other accursed Pursevants for Hell Why then all was well all was in quiet and in peace O then that was a merry world and as good a Towne for good-fellowship as was in all the Country And no marvaile when a strong armed man keepeth his Pallace the things that he possesseth are in peace Luke 11. 21. While Sathan sits in their hearts and rules in their Consciences he suffers them to have their swings in their furious vanities and wicked pleasures without any great disturbance or contradiction And commonly he never sets prophane people together by the eares and at odds but when his owne kingdome may be more strengthened and their soules more endanger'd by dissention than by their partaking in prophanenesse and brotherhood in iniquity Let it not seeme strange then when townes and parishes where conscionable meanes are wanting live merrily and pleasantly for they walke together in the knot of good-fellowship through the broad way they follow the course of their owne corruptions and swing of their corrupt affection and swim downe the current of the times and are at Satans beck to do him any desperate and notorious service at all assaies in all passages of prophanenesse and offices of impiety and rebellion but bring amongst such a powerfull Ministerie which takes a right course for the plantation of grace and salvation of their soules and then marke how spitefully and furiously Satan begins to bestirre himselfe besides his owne malice and machinations he presently sets on foot and on fire too all that belong unto him in his instigation They band and combine themselves with great rage and indignation against the power of the Word and the faithfull messengers of GOD. They fret and fume picke unnecessary quarrels raile slander and indeed foame out filthily their owne shame in disgracing the truth of GOD without all truth or conscience and il Satan spies any poore soule amongst them to be pulled out of his clutches and kingdome of darknesse by the preaching of the Word he presently sets all the rest upon him as so many dogged curres or rather furious wolves for so our blessed Saviour makes the comparison upon a harmelesse lambe he whets like sharpe razors all the lying and lewd tongues in the towne and tips them with the very fire of hell so that they plead for prophanenesse prophaning the Sabbath and many sinfull fooleries and vanities in all places where they come He makes those who have a little more wit his close factors and under-hand-dealers for that stands not with Satans policy and the reputation of the worldly-wise that themselves should be open actors in childish vanities and profes'd enemies to the Law of GOD they do him sufficient service by being secret patrons and protectors of impiety counsellers and countenancers of the works of darknesse he fils the mouthes of the ignorant with slanderous complaints and cries that there was neuer good world since there was so much knowledge that there was never more preaching but never lesse working whereas poore soules they never yet knew what grace or good work meant or scarce good word but their naughty tongues and hatred to be reformed are true causes why both the world and places where they live are farre worse Those that are desperately and notoriously naught he inforces and inrages like mad dogs so that they impudently and openly barke at and with their impoysoned fangs furiously snatch at that hurtlesse hand which would heale and bind up their bleeding soules they are like dogs barking at the moone for GODS Ministers are starres in the right hand of CHRIST Revel 1. 16. If they would do them any deadly harme they must plucke them thence but let them take heed how they be bold and busie that way lest at last they take a beare by the tooth and awake a sleeping lion Thus you see what a stirre the Devill keepes when he is like to
countenance so finely tempered with gravitie and austerity that hee in a manner commanded respect from others insomuch that many forbare to speake or act unseemely things in his presence that would not have beene so modest in other company Such a Majestie doth grace imprint upon the countenances of holy men that they draw respect from the greatest this made those persecuting Emperours to feare the verie faces of those poore Christians that appeared before them And this caused Constantine the Great so to honour the countenance of Old Paphnutius though disfigur'd by the losse of his eye that he did often for his delight kisse the hollow of that eye which was lost for the cause of CHRIST So true is that of Salomon wisedome causeth the face to shine and the rigour of the countenance to bee changed 3. He was very Zealous for GOD not onely by the power of his Ministery in converting many wherein GOD had wonderfully blessed him but in any publike or private good that tended to the honour of GOD to whose glory he wholly sacrificed himselfe and all his studies which I can the more safely affirme in that I know he hath divers times refused preferment from some of the Nobility and Prelates of this Kingdome and for no other cause in the world but that hee might not be divorced from that countrey where his Ministery was so much embraced and wrought so good effects 4. But zeale is oft of such violent motion that as the antient Philosophers supposed of the primum mobile that if the motion thereof were not finely cooled and allayed by the coelum Christallinum next to it it would set all the Orbes on fire and therefore the zeale of this Reverend man was alwayes tempered with singular Wisedome and discretion for though in all his Sermons he prest mightily upon the conscience of his hearers who many times like babes childishly wrangled at the breasts which should nourish them yet were they never able to resist the authority by which he spake so that for the space of 22 yeares being the whole time that his Lamp of light shined in Northampton Shire his doctrine was never drawne into question either for error or schisme so studious was hee ever of the unity and peace of the Church of ENGLAND which hee dearely loved that none could justly quarrell with him but Papists and other Sectaries as also others that were corrupted with error or evill life 5. Lastly for his Charity hee was ever universally bountifull but especially he exceeded in those publike distresses of Germany France Bohemia c. and to those that stood in true neede for the enabling of himselfe hereunto I have heard him often say he made it evident to me that ever since he was Minister of Broughton he spent every yeare all the revenewes of his Parsonage which was of good valew in the maintenance of his family and acts of hospitality and charity And that the estate wherewith GOD hath blessed him otherwise was meerely raised by that temporall estate hee had at first Let them therefore of his owne coate from henceforth cease to traduce him whom they never did nor dare to imitate I am sure the Towne of Broughton will ever blesse GOD for his charity for when that lamentable fire was among them September 21 Anno Dom. 1626. besides the many pounds he spent out of his owne purse he was a chiefe meanes that by the only supply of the country without any Letters Patents from above their houses which were burnt down unto the ground were all new built and their outward estates liberally sustained and upheld Nay such was his charity that though some of his owne towne had not onely slandered his Ministry but wronged him in his tithes yet he put it up and never called them to question as he might nor ever had any suite with them So that I may for conclusion summe up this in that wittie commendation of Nazianzen on Basill the Great He thundered in his Doctrine and lightned in his conversation This inestimable treasure it pleased GOD to put in an earthen vessell and about the beginning of September last began to breake it by visiting him with a Quartan ague a disease which brought Calvin to his end and by the judgement of the best Physitians by reason of the long grievous paroxysmes whereby it afflicts is ever deemed mortall vnto old men and so it appeared to him for perceiving after two or three sits that it mastered his strength he patiently submitted to indure what by strugling hee could not overcome And called for his Will which he had made long before and perfecting some things in it he caused it to be laid up and afterwards wholly retired into himselfe quitting the world and solacing his soule with the meditation of the joyes of heaven which he had provided to preach to his people for having compiled an elaborate discourse de quatuor Novissimis of the foure last things DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL and HEAVEN an argument that some Iesuites and Friars have bungled in and having finished the three former told them that the next day he would treat of Heaven But the day before being Saturday he was visited with sickenesse and never preached after GOD then preparing him for the fruition of those inexplicable joyes which hee had provided for his people in contemplation His sickenesse though it was long and sharpe yet he bare it with admirable patience for he saw Him that was invisible and his whole delight was to bee with Him often breathing out such speeches as these whiles the violence and frequencie of his fits gave him any intermission Oh when will this good houâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall I bee dissolved when shall I bee with CHRIST Being told that it was indeed better for him to be dissolved but the Church of GOD could not misse him nor the benefit of his Ministery To which he thus sweetely replyed with David If I shall finde favour in the eyes of the LORD hee will bring mee againe and shew me both it and his habitation but if otherwise loe heere I am let him doe what seemeth good in his eyes Being asked by another whether hee could not bee content to live if GOD would grant him life he thus answered I grant that life is a great blessing of GOD neither will I neglect any meanes that may preserve it and doe heartily desire to submit to GODS will But of the two I infinitely desire to be dissolved and to bee with CHRIST In the time of his sickenesse there came many to visit him but hee admitted none but his intimate friends using a speech of Saint Augustine who desired ten daies before he died none might come to him that he in that time might the better fit himselfe for GOD. But to those that came to him he gave very godly and wise exhortations suting to their callings and conditions for although his
Aspicis effigiem tantúm par nulla figura BOLTONI Genio qui super astra manet Doctior an melior fuit haud scio Dicere fas est Secula vix referent quem tulit una dies E. B. Mr. BOLTONS LAST AND LEARNED WORKE of the Foure last Things DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL and HEAVEN WITH AN ASSISE-SERMON and Notes on Iustice Nicolls his Funerall Together with the Life and Death of the Authour Published by E. B. LONDON Printed by GEORGE MILLER dwelling in the Black Friers MDCXXXII TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL FRANCIS NICOLLS Esquire one of His Majesties Iustices of Peace and Quorum for the County of NORTHAMPTON SIR IT was the desire of this reverend Author when that furious messenger of Death first seized upon his spirits giving him no more intermission than what would serve for some feeble preparations against a New Encounter that I would in case he died which afterwards lamentably fell out frame an Epistle to this Worke which he had then made ready for the Presse and dedicate it in his name to your selfe as a pledge of his avowed thankfulnesse for those many favours he received from that religious and renowned Iudge his noble Patron and from your selfe his immediate heire and successour This request from him that would deny me nothing I knew not how to with-stand though I wrong'd my selfe in the acceptance as to draw a line in that Worke from which so rare a Work-man had taken off his learned and eloquent pen. But yet a necessity lay upon me for he desired in his sicknesse that by this Dedication it might appeare to the world how much he honoured your selfe and family which first preferred him It was no small joy to his heart to see that speech of God himselfe fulfilled upon your House Those that honour me I will honour It is fit the world should know that it may blush and mend to what eminency of place the meere merits of Iustice Nicolls in that short race of his life rais'd him unto Called he was by the Writt of Queene ELIZABETH to be Serjeant at Law He was by King IAMES made Serjeant at Law to Prince HENRY his eldest Sonne Iudge of the Common Pleas and Chancellour to our now gracious Soveraigne when he was Prince of Wales But that which truly ennobles his memory and makes me call to mind what our Fleta reporteth was the honour of Iudges about King EDWARD the first 's dayes He had and held all these places Nec prece nec pretio nec praemio I am not afraid to english it for I well know the truth of it He neither begged them nor bought them nor gaue so much as a New-yeares-gift for them The like I can truly speake of your selfe Those dignities which have been cast upon you in your owne Country since he was taken to glory which are neither few nor meane they came to you you sued not for them you sought them not Nay you degraded your selfe of one of them a thing not usuall by making earnest suit to be out of the Commission of Oyer and Terminer after you had a while endur'd it From hence as I have good ground to conceive would this worthy Author have mounted you up on Eagles wings to the Throne of the Highest who hath done these and greater things for you and have prest upon you large and higheâ—… performances If ever there were a time for Righteous men that are in authority to shew themselues the time is now come Meane Christians their very persons and actions are by the abounding of sinne become a very Parable of Reproach A company of Block-heads as a melancholy Diuine cals them If those therefore that are in place should now be silent it is pitie but their breaths should be stopt for ever I have observed it long and not without wonder looking upon former times that in these dayes such a spirit of feare and faintnesse hath possessed the hearts of holy men that they dare not be couragious in the cause of God It is no strange thing for a man to be fearfull in the Darke but when such a light shines upon us from heaven as that our eyes are euen dazelled in the beholding of it now to be timerous now to be faint-hearted in a good cause for feare of men or any such ignoble respect is monstrous Cowardize What is there in the face of man made of the same mould tossed to and fro with the same vanity resoluble into the same Clay that we should feare it What is outward preferment to the losse or certaine hazard of a good conscience For they are rarely kept together what are mockings â—…revilings reproches imprisonment c. to godly men but deeper impressions of stricter holinesse and the very markes of the Lord Iesus The name of Christian is a name both of Honour and Valour and begets better spirits then either Romane or Grecian let Machiauell and other Atheists say what they will which of their stories euer made mention of so valiant an army as that Noble Army of Martyrs mentioned in the 11th Chapter to the Hebrewes How can they want spirit that deriue their courage from no lesse Author than the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda Nay it were no hard matter to proue might I recede from an Epistle to pursue a Common place That no man can be truly valorous but he that is truly religious As this Courage ought to be in all that feare God so specially in those that are Magistrates and sit in the seats of Iustice the very Tribunals of God himselfe For them to be dastardly and fearefull is to shame their Master Give me therefore leave by some warrant from the Author in your person whom I cannot but commend in this particular to presse this virtue upon all that beare rule in their Country It is part of the Essence of a Iustice of Peace to be a man of Courage The counsell of Iâ—…thro to Moses was to make onely such to be Magistrates as were men of courage fearing God c. Wherein the Spirit of God preferres the daughter before the mother and Fortitude before the Feare of God of which it is the effect because it is more conspicuous in the eyes of men For the feare of God is a thing hidden iâ—… the heart but that which drawes it forth and makes it illustrious is that valour and high resolution of spirit by which it worketh Almighty God makes this good by an example of his owne choice For when he had appointed Ioshua to succeed Moses and had mightily supported his mind with arguments of his owne assistance and presence with him he requires nothing else of him but to be strong and of a good courage with many iterations of the same thing in such phrases as these Be strong and of a good courage be very couragious be not afraid be not dismaid And as if there were no
other virtue desireable in a Magistrate the people in accepting him for their Captaine require of him no other condition but this Onely be strong and of a good courage And the Law of this Land which in this as in most other things is parallell with the Law of God as I could shew would onely haue those Iustices of Peace which are the most valiant men of the County I speake not this to exclude all those requisites of wisdome that ought to be in the holiest and most valiant men I may say in these times as the Apostle said of another virtue There is great need of wisdome The children of God ever haue beene still are and ever may be the wisest men upon earth Let an unwise world think what it list I meane not that wisdome falsly so called whereby a generation of men to save their skinnes handle a good cause like a Venice-glasse loath they are to do any thing that may offend great persons with whom they would comply or expose themselves to any danger or losse The very wisdome which caused Francis Spira to despaire This is rather cunning or craft or to linke them together in the language of the Apostle A cunning craftinesse it is not wisdome True wisdome in the morall Schooles of Philosophy and in the purer Schooles of Divinity is that Queene of virtues which like the soule in the body giveth life and information to all the rest commands all the affections regulates all the actions of mans life and adds an active quickning power to every virtue to every faculty in man directing them to a blessed issue So that a wise man is a valiant man a just man a temperate man an humble man c. But he that is addicted to any vice a servant to any lust proud angry ambitious fearefull covetous c. is in all sound Morality and Divinity a very foole Solus vir bonus saith that great Philosopher revera est prudens Onely a good man is a wise man And King Salomon makes this Philosophy good Divinity Pro. 24. Vers. 4. Wisdome is too high for a foole by whom throughout the Proverbes he meanes a wicked man There is a connexion in the virtues the way to be wise is to be good and the way to be couragious is to be wise A wise man is strong and a man of knowledge saith Salomon increaseth strength From all which it is easie to conclude and hard to be gain-said that a cowardly person let him swell never so bigge let him carie his crest never so high is neither wise nor good The wicked flee when no man pursiseth but the righteous are bold as a Lyon The kindly venting of those two affections of Anger and Love hath made me long in this argument and must now be my excuse That of anger at the present degeneration of mens minds from that noblenesse of spirit that was wont to be in the servants of GOD the other of love to you in encouraging you to as high resolutions as ever though he be taken away that was to you as Moses to Ioshuah your tutor in your youth your singular instructor by his powerfull Ministry in your after-yeares and ever your friend till he went hence and was seenâ—… no more Amongst those many speeches of his which in his ordinary conference passed from him by weight and not by number I will resume one in your hearing most fitting my purpose Innocency and independency said he make the bravest spirits And it cannot be otherwise for that mans heart which is upright with GOD and depends upon him alone is of invincible courage and becomes like the spirit of Martin Luther who when newes was brought to him that both the Emperour and the Pope threatned his ruine answered thus in short but very stoutly Contemptus est à me Romanus furor servor I scorne the worst the Pope can doe like that of David The LORD is on my side I will not feare what man can doe unto me What you heard him speake you saw him practice For I may say of him as was said of Gideon such as the man is so is his strength he was one of a thousand for piety and courage which were so excellently mixed with wisdome that they who imagined mischiefe against his Ministry for no other occasion could they ever find against him then touching the law of his GOD were never able by all their plotting to doe him any more hurt than onely to shew their teeth And although he be now gathered to his Fathers yet he still speakes to you in this excellent Treatise of which he died in travell encouraging you thereby still to do worthily in Ephratah and to hold on in those good wayes of piety which you have ever loved The very Heathens could â—…ay that a good man was a publike good but a good Magistrate is much more for he hath a price in his hand to do good and is armed with power and authority to bring it to passe These times have need of such up therefore and be doing put on righteousnesse and let it cloath you and let Iustice be to you as a robe and a diademe to breake the jawes of the wicked and to plucke the prey out of their teeth And although these kind of men will for this very thing pursue you with envy hatred reproaches c. You need not care for their teeth are broken and they cannot hurt you Envy doth ever attend goodnesse though not as a companion yet as a thing which doggs it at the heeles I considered saith Salomon every right worke that for this a man is envyed of his neighbour This is your comfort and it is a great one GOD and the King shall honour you for well-doing He that loveth purenesse of heart though for this he be scoffed and jeer'd at in the world yet saith Salomon for the grace of his lips the King shall be his friend I will hinder you no longer from reading this excellent Treatise which properly belongs to you being the grand-worke of two Sermons preached before you the one at the Funeralls of that worthy Iudge your unkle my most deare father in law whom I honour in the dust The other in the time of your Shireevalty I will therefore end all in the prayer of this Authour and the last words that ever he spake to you in this world the blessings of Abraham Isaac and Iacob be upon the heads of you your wife and children for ever Your loving brother and very friend EDVVARD BAGSHAVVE TO THE READER BEhold here a Post-humus a Child brought into the world after the Own-Father was taken out of the world A Foster-Father is thereupon required for it but certenly more for custome than need Such was the Own Father as it is commendation enough for the Child to say This is the Child of such a Father
And such is the Child as for its owne sake it will find good entertainment though the Father of it were unknowne Adistinct narration of the life and death of the Author you have truly and punctually as becommeth such a narration premised All his Workes do shew that he was full in what he undertooke so full as he leaves scarce any thing if any thing at all for another Author to add more than he hath done to what he hath done He had a very searching and diving gift whereby he was able to anatomize and lay open the severall parts and nerves of the points which he handled and to set out pertinent signes rules meanes and motives thereabout His expression of his mind by fit words and phrases was answerable to his invention Both very copious full of variety Take for instance this ensuing Treatise the maine scope whereof is to furnish a Christian against the evill day Therein you may observe how on the one side he discovers the false meanes which most use and how on the other side he revealeth the true meanes that are of singular use to the end intended yea and how he enforceth the same with reason upon reason the better to demonstrate the equity of the point how also he infers all sorts of Uses thereupon as Reprehension Exhortation Direction and Consolation and finally how he takes occasion from thence of an exceeding large discourse upon the foure last things which to use his owne words have beene ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill day Those foure Heads are DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL HEAVEN To add more to what he hath set out thereabouts were to powre water into the sea First read then judge and the LORD add his blessing W. G. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr. BOLTON THat one age may tell another that the memoriall of the just shall be ever blessed when the persons and names of those that are otherwise minded shall rot and vanish away It hath beene the pious custome of ancient and later times to commend to posterity the eminent graces of the Saints departed Famous are those Panegyricke Orations made at the tombes of the Martyrs in the Primitive times when as their persecuting Emperours priding themselves in their lamentable deaths have left no other noyse behind them than the loud and long continued cries of spilling innocent bloud Memorable also are the Funerall Orations of the two Gregories Nyssen and Nazianzen on Basill the great And in later times to give a few instances for the number in this kinde is infinite Melancthon and Camerarius wrote the life of Martyn Luther Iunius the life of Vrsine Beza the life of Calvin Antonius Faius the life of Beza Iosias Simler the life of Peter Martyr and Dr. Humphrey the life of our most renowned Iewell This manner of honouring the Saints is warranted by GODS owne example who for ought is revealed to us tooke order for Moses buriall digged his grave covered him with molds and made for him that excellent Funerall Sermon expressed in the first Chapter of Ioshuah And that all-wise GOD who sweetly disposeth all things thinkes it needfull thus to grace his owne people that he may hereby uphold their spirits amid those many pressures scornes reproaches cruell mockings and innumerable other miseries which they endure of the world meerely for his service be they otherwise never so wise just meeke peaceable and unrebukeable amongst men Witnesse those many terrible persecutions mentioned in Ecclesiasticall Stories against the Christians though harmlesse and innocent though they prayed for their Emperours and GOD did miracles in their armies by their prayers yet for this onely cause that they honoured CHRIST and called themselves Christians so odious was that precious name unto their adversaries they were put to the extremest tortures that the utmost inventions of cruelty and rage could devise against them as Iustine Martyr and Tertullian in their learned and eloquent Apologies for them do amply demonstrate this caused Adrian the Emperour to ordaine that thenceforth none of them should be appeached barely for that name unlesse they transgressed the Lawes According to these examples and for the very same causes I have adventured to publish to the world the life and death of this man of GOD the Authour of this Work now a Saint in heaven I confesse his worth and parts deserved rather an advancement by some such eloquent Orators as I mentioned before than a depression by my pen but yet a pearle may be shewed forth as well by a weake hand as by the arme of a gyant I shall do no more And let his owne worth and workes praise him in the gates I knew him from the beginning of my youth being my first Tutour in the Vniversitie of Oxford and my selfe one of his first Schollers and from that time to the day of his death being above seven and twenty yeares none knew him better or loved him more our familiarity was such that alluding to that betweene Paul and Timothy I may say I knew his doctrine manner of life faith charity patience and now will onely relate what I have heard and seene wherein I will not exceed the bounds of modesty or truth To begin with his birth I observe that throughout the sacred Bible and writings on the persons of holy men their places of birth are ever remembred GOD loves the very ground his servants tread on The LORD shall count sayes David when he numbreth up the people that this man was borne there whereas of other men there shall be no remembrance of them they shall have none to lament or bury them but shall be cast forth as dung on the face of the earth so that I may say of them as was said of Pope Boniface the eight famous for nothing but his wickednesse intravit vulpes regnavit leo exivit canis the Prophet David renders it thus in plaine English They spend their daies in mirth and suddenly go downe into hell He was borne at Blackborne a towne of good note in Lancashire on Whitsunday Anno Dom. 1572. His parents being not of any great meanes yet finding in him a great towardlinesse for learning destinated him to be a scholler and strugled with their estate to furnish him with necessaries in that kind apprehending the advantage of a singular Schoole-master that was then in the towne He plied his booke so well that in short time he became the best scholler in the schoole and no marvell for he had those sixe properties of a scholler noted by Isocrates and others which concurring in one thrust up learning to a very high elevation 1. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of excellent parts and abilities of mind and of a sound constitution of body 2. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a very strong memory I meane such a memory as was notably actuated
a net full of the fury of the LORD And in the morning they shall say would GOD it were even and at even they shall say would GOD it were morning for the feare of their heart wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall sâ—…e Then though too late will they lamentably cry out and complaine What hath pride profited us Or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a Poste that hastâ—…th by And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water and when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path-way of the keele in the waves Or as when a bird hath flowne thorow the aire there is no token of her way to be found but the light aire being beaten with the stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them is passed â—…horow and therein afterwards no signe where she went is to be found Or like as when an arrow is shot at a marke it parteth the aire which immediately commeth together againe so that a man cannot know where it went thorow Even so we in like manner assoone as we were borne began to draw to our end and had no signe of vertue to shew but we consumed in our owne wickednesse For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thin froth that is driven away with the storme like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarieth but a day If a Minister who labours industriously all his life long to worke upon such as sit under him every Sabbath Of which some all the while preferre some base lust before the LORD IESVS others will not out of their formality to the forwardnesse of the Saints do what he can or presse he them never so punctually and upon purpose I say if it were possible that he might talke with any of them some two houres after they had been in hell Oh! How should he find the case altered with them How would they then roare because they had dis-regarded his Ministry What would they not give to have a grant from GOD to trie them in hearing but one Sermon more How would they teare their haire gnash the teeth and bite their nailes that they had not listened more seriously and taken more sensibly to heart those many heavenly instructions spirituall discoveries secret but well understood intimations that their state to GOD-ward was starke naught by which he sought with much earnestnesse and zeale even to the wasting of his bloud and life to save the bloud of their soules And yet for all this you will not be warned in time charme the charmers never so wisely But some of you sit here before us from day to day as senslesse of those things which most deeply and dearely concerne the eternall ruine or welfare of your precious soules as the seaâ—…es upon which you sit the pillars you leane unto nay the dead bodies you tread upon others looking towards heaven afarre off and professing a little sit before us as though they were right and truly religious and they heare our words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse And loe we are unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they heare our words but they do them not They are friends to the better side may go farre and even suffer somtimes in good causes c. But let us once touch them in point of commodity about their enclosures immoderate plungings into worldly affaires detaining Church-dues usury and other dishonest gaine and base niggardise If out of griefe of heart for their shaming Religion exposing the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST to blasphemy and â—…dening others against Profession we meddle with their fashions their pride their worldly-mindednesse and conforming to the world almost in every thing save onely some religious formes If we presse them more particularly upon danger of damnation to more holy strictnesse precisenesse and zeale knowing too well by long observation and acquaintance that they never yet passed the perfections of formall Professours and foolish Virgins Alas We then find by too much wofull experience if they politikely bite it not in that this faithfull dealing doth marvellously discontent them and these precious Balmes do break their heads with a witnesse and make the bloud run about their eares whereupon they are wont to fall upon us more foule such true Pharisees are they than would either the drunkard or good-fellow the Publicans and harlots do in such cases they presently swelling with much passionate heat proud indignation disdaine and impatiency to be reform'd have recourse to such weake and carnall cavils contradictions exceptions excuses and raving that in nothing more do they discover to every judicious man of GOD or any who doth not flatter them or whom they do not blinde with their entertainments and bounty or delude with painted pretences and art of seeming their formality and false-heartednesse And yet as they are characteriz'd Isa. 57. 2. They seeke the LORD daily and delight to know his waies as a nation that did righteousnesse and forsooke not the ordinance of their GOD they aske of Him the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to GOD They may have divine Ordinances on foot in their families entertaine GODS people at their Tables fast and afflict their soules upon dayes of humiliation as appeares in the fore-cited Chapter Verse 3. Heare the word gladly with Heroâ—… and with much respect and acceptation observe the messenger c. But they will not stirre an inch further from the World or nearer to GOD say what he will let him preach out his heart as they say They will not abate one jot of their over-eager pursuit after the things of this life or wagg one foot out of the un-zealous plodding course of formall Christianity no not for the Sermons perhaps of twenty yeares and that from him who hath all the while laboured faithfully so farre to illighten them as that they might not depart this life with hope of heaven and then with the foolish Virgins fall utterly against all expectation both of themselves and others into the bottomlesse pit of hell O quà m multi cum hac spead aeternos labores bella descendunt How many saith one go to hell with a vaine hope of heaven whose chiefest cause of damnation is their false perswasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Well be it either the one or the other the besotted sensualist or selfe-deluding formalist could we speake with them upon their beds of death their consciences awaked or the day after they were damned in hell we should find them then though in the meane
dwell in them both for ever Amplifie the glory of our bodies in heaven from such places as these Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 13. 45. Phil. 3. 20 21. Col. 3. 4. From which the ancient Fathers also thus collect and affirme If we should compare saith Chrysostome our future bodies even with the most glistering beames of the Sun we shall yet say nothing to the expression of the excellency of their shining glory The beauty of the just in the other life saith Anselme shal be equall to the glory of the Sun though sevenfold brighter than now it is The brightnesse of a glorified body doth as farre excell the Sun as the Sun our mortall body Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Not saith Chrysostome because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of the Sun but because that being the most glittering thing in the world he takes a resemblance thence towards the expressing of their incomparable glory But how can there be so much beauty and delightfull amiable aspect in such intensive and extraordinary brightnesse Or what pleasure can we take in beholding such extremely bright and shining bodies Sith we find by experience that there is farre more content and delight in looking upon a well-proportioned object beautified with a pleasant mixture of colours than in seeing the Sun though it should not so dazle and offend the eyes For satisfaction herein we must know that the glorified eye shall become impassible elevated farre above all mortall possibility and fortified by an heavenly vigour to apprehend and enjoy all celestiall light and glory with much ravishing contentment and inexplicable delight Secondly that omnipotent mercifull hand of GOD which will raise our bodies out of the dust and reforme them anew can cause light and colour to concurre and consist in excellency in glorified bodies Those things which according to nature can consist together the one or both being in gradu remisso as they say abated of their height can by divine power consist together in gradu intensissimo suae speciei in their excellency but it is so with light and colour according to nature ergo c. as Durandus one of the acutest Schoolemen makes good by arguments Whether shall colour or light be seene Why not both in a most delicious admirable mixture Here the Schoolemen according to their wont do curiously inquire discusse and determine the manner of the acts exercise and objects of all the senses They say not only 1. That the eye shall delightfully contemplate CHRISTS glorious body the shining bodies of the Saints the beauty of the Empyrean Heaven c. 2. The eare drinke up with infinite delight the vocall harmony of Hailelu-jahs c. But also audaciously undertake to define without any good ground or found warrant many particulars about the other senses not without much absurdity and unspiritualnesse But let it be sufficient for us without searching beyond the bonds of sobriety to know for a certaine that every sense shal be filled with its severall singularity and excellency of all possible pleasure and perfection 4. In a fourth place let us take a glance of the unutterable happinesse of the Soule I should be infinite and endlesse if I did undertake to pursue the severall glories felicities and excellencies of every faculty of the soule and when I had done ended with the utmost of all both Angelicall and humane understanding and eloquence come infinitely short of expressing them to the life I will at this time but give you a taste onely in the understanding Part And that shal be extraordinarily and supernaturally enlarged and irradiated with the highest illuminations largest comprehensions and utmost extent of all possible comfortable knowledge of which such a creature is capable 1. Humane knowledge of Arts Nature created things is delicious and much desired Witnesse 1. The wisest Heathens and best Philosophers who were so ravished but even with a dimme glimpse of this knowledge that in comparison thereof they have contemned all the riches pleasures and preferments of the world 2. That wise saying A learned man doth as farre excell an illiterate as a reasonable creature a brute 3. The extraordinarily exulting and triumphant cry of the famous Mathematician hitting after long and laborious disquisition upon some abstruse excellency of his Art I have found it I have found it 4. That passage in an Epistle of Aeneas Silvius to Sigism D. of Austria If the face of humane learning could be seene it is fairer and more beautifull than the Morning and Evening Starre 5. For the pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning saith another it farre surpasseth all other in nature for shall the pleasures of the affections so exceed the senses as much as the obtaining of desire and victory exceedeth a song or dinner And must not of consequence the pleasures of the intellect or understanding exceed the pleasures of the affections We see in all other pleasures there is a saetiety and after they be used their verdour departeth which sheweth well they be but deceipts of pleasure and not pleasures and that it was the novelty which pleased and not the quality And therefore we see that voluptuous men turne Friers and ambitious Princes turne melancholy But of knowledge there is no satiety But satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable and therefore appeareth to be good in it selfe simply without fallacy or accident Now this learning shall then be fully perfected and raised to the highest pitch so that the least and lowest of the Saints in heaven shall farre surpasse in cleare contemplation of the causes of all naturall things and conclusions of Art the deepest Philosophers greatest Artists and learnedst Linguists that ever lived upon earth There are many difficulties and doubts in all kinds of humane learning which have from time to time exercised the bravest wits but by reason of the native dimnesse of our understanding never received cleare resolution and infallible assent As Whether the Elementary formes be in mixt Bodies 1. Corrupted 2. Remitted only 3. Or Entire Whether the celestiall Orbs be moved by Angels or internall formes Whether there be three distinct soules in a man 1. Vegetative 2. Sensitive 3. Rationall Or one onely in substance containing vertually the other two How all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appearances in the Aethereall Heaven may be truliest and with least exception maintained whether by Excentricks and Epicycles or onely by Concentricks or the Earths motion or the motion of the Starres in the heavens as fish move in the sea and birds in the aire c. So the best wits are inextricably pusl'd also about the Sympathy and Antipathy of things Alchymie cause of Criticall daies The mysts about these and many things moe shal be dispel'd out of our minds by a cleare sunne of a new and excellent knowledge so that we shal be exactly acquainted with the
of the Courts of Iustice to the Bush whereunto while the sheepe flies for defence in weather he is sure to lose part of his fleece when cunning heads hunt after greatnesse and promotion purposely to execute the lusts of their owne hearts and attaine their owne ends Oh! this is the curse and cut-throat of worthy States the bane and breake-necke of all honest government Formalities of justice without a reall care and conscience to search the truth and deale uprightly do but serve to smother innocency and right and that which was necessarily ordain'd for the common good is through shamefull abuse made the cause of common misery I would all the Magistrates in the Country were my hearers in this Point I would hence intreat them with all earnestnesse and contention of Spirit as they love either GOD or their Country that they would with all noblenesse of a free spirit and clearenesse of a good conscience take their Places of Iustice to heart be active conscionable resolute not onely formall and cyphers hunters after praise and plausiblenesse that they would abominate even all appearance of bribery and partiality to the pit of hell that they would not be angry with us when we presse and perswade them to round courses against the Papists and dejection of Ale-houses upon which point His royall Majesty and the worthy Iudges so much beat and when all 's said are the sinkes and sources of all villany c. otherwise howsoever they may please themselves with the common applause it were better the Common-wealth had never knowne them 5. His resolutenesse against rising by corruption and bribery Whereupon as I have heard when he was first presented to that place of honour about the Prince it pleased our gracious Soveraigne to stile him the Iudge which would give no money A blessed thing it were were this heart in all Then should we not have vines olive trees and figge trees wither away in obscurity and brambles brave it abroad in the world We should not have servants by insinuation and bribery clime on Horse-backe when Princes like servants walke upon the ground And this worthy Part in Him was a very convenient Companion and necessary Consequent as that was of the former For Iâ—…e never beleeve that a Man which purposes from his Heart to be faithfull in a publick Charge will ever be very forward in an ambitious pursuit of it The illumination of Nature taught the Heathens so and therefore they condemne it by a law de ambitu Hunting after one hie roome even morally is most unworthy a Man of honour and worth and He cannot better expresse His insufficiency and weakenesse of Spirit who is transported with an impotent and impatient Humour this way But now if to this ambitious basenesse there be an addition of bribery it makes the matter a great deale more vile and dishonourable Of this hatefull Merchandizing besides other infamies and iniquities which mingle with it it is commonly said That He which liueth in grosse selleth by retaile And therefore if a Man would continue truly Noble and Worthy comfortable in His conscience and faithfull in His Place if He be advanc't let him either rise fairely or els thanke GOD and be content with His present station 6. An easinesse of accesse affablenesse of cariage A faire loving kind deportment towards all I never saw a Man of such worth and greatnesse looke more mildly upon a meane Man in my life And yet with so grave a presence that neither the authority of his Person nor due attributions to His Place receiu'd any disparagement or diminution I omit not even this because even in this also He might have beene a notable Precedent to take downe the haughty imperious carriage of many abroad in the world of farre more inferiour Worth and Ignoble birth For amongst all the degenerations of our gentility I speake not of all wee have many truly so called and worthy Gentlemen from that true noblenesse and ancient Worth which dwelt formerly in the Gentle brests of English Nobles this is not the least That they thinke to beare downe all before them with an artificiall affected impetuousnesse as it were of Countenance a disdainfull neglect and contemptuousnesse in their Cariage with a kind of outbraving brow-beating of their Brethren As though brave Apparell and a big looke were demonstrations of a Noble Spirit whereas very often they only guild over a worthlesse weake and gracelesse Inside As amongst Professors of Religion Hee 's the best Christian which is most humble so in the Schoole of Morality he hath been holden the truest Gentleman which is most Courteous 7. His happinesse in having religious Followers Follow Him also in this He tasted the fruit of it in his last extremities For being cast by Gods Providence upon that Place in the Country where He had not such meanes and Opportunities for those last comfortable Spirituall Assistances which a dying Man would desire They were both able and did pray with Him to the Occasion and present necessities where with He seemed to be much affected and spoke seasonably unto Him out of the Booke of GOD. Whereupon I must tell you Let as many prophane scornefull Spirits iy be or gnash the Teeth at it as will Those Followers of His whosoever they were call them Puritanes or what you will Howsoever they might misse in some complementall circumstances by reason of those amazments and griefe which sate fresh upon their Hearts for the losse of their so Noble a Lord yet they did Him in those last Agonies more true service and Honour then all the swaggering Good-fellow Serving men will doe their Masters unto the worlds end Let them follow you as long as you will 8. A right conceit and commendation of profitable and conscionable Sermons He hath beene often heard of late times reply thus or in this sence to contradictions I cannot tell saies He what you call Puritanicall Sermons they come neerest to my Conscience and doe Mee the most good This of all the rest I had purpos'd to have prest most upon you If you were but thus affected to say the least you would begin to looke towards Heaven But I have already trespast too much upon your Patitience And therefore I conclude this Point with that of Paul Philip. 4. 8. Finally Brethren c. A SERMON PREACHED AT LENT ASSISES Anno Domini MDCXXX At Northhampton before SIR RICHARD HVTTON AND SIR GEORGE CROOKE His Majesties Iustices of Assise c. TEXT 1. COR. CHAP. 1. VER 26. For brethren yee see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called THE blessed Apostle Saint Paul perceiving that his preaching and plantation of the Gospell of CHRIST received strong and mighty opposition in the City of Corinth a famous Mart Towne seated betweene two Seas the Aegaan and Iönian and so fit for commerce with other Nations full of wealth knowledge glory and the rest of
have their eares tickled than their consciences toucht and would rather have pillowes sowed under their arme-holes by such deceiving dawbers that they may lie more softly upon the bed of security than the keene arrowes of righteousnesse and truth fastned in their sides by GODS faithfull messengers to drive them to siâ—…cerity and yet after this he must serve his time in serving the times and through many miseries of secular martyrdome as Peter Blesensis cals it and many shipwracks of a good conscience by basenesse flattering attending depending and undoing his soule At last if he die not in the pursuit as many have done besides all these precedent miserable meanes by present simony or some other vile services he comes into some high place or at least becomes a negligent non-resident or insatiable pluralist Which wicked entrance being accompanied with GODS curse his heart already so hardened his ministeriall strength and veine of learning so wasted and dried up by discontinuance desuetude and worldly dealings having now attained his ends he drownes himselfe over head and eares either in secular businesses or sensuall pleasures to muffle up the mouth of his horribly guilty conscience cries downe preaching opposeth the power of godlinesse and so becomes rather a wolfe than a shepheard In a second place The rich worldling also is in a wofull case this way as appeares by CHRISTS owne words Matth. 19. 23 24. which is further confirmed by casting our eyes upon Luk. 16. 14. and 1 Tim. 6. 9. Luke 16. 19. And the Pharises which were covetous heard all these things and derided him And what heard they from CHRIST That it was impossible to serve GOD and Mammon So that there are some passages ever in a faithfull and searching ministry which covetous worldlings deride and will not downe with by any meanes but resolutely reject in their carnall wisdome as very foolish unnecessary precise and no waies to be given way unto Especially such as these 1. That they must restore whatsoever they have any waies gotten or detaine wrongfully and wickedly 2. That they must rather themselves starve and leave their children in beggery than put their hands to any unlawfull waies or meanes of getting so much as to tell a lie c. 3. That godlinesse is great gaine and that it is incomparably better to be religious than rich good than great 4. That there is a life of faith which will keepe a man in sweet contentment in any estate should he be never so poore 5. That Iob was truly richer with CHRIST alone than when before he was loaden with abundance of thicke clay 6. That riches are nothing Proverbes 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not 7. That they must leave all for CHRIST 8. That if they part with all for Him they shal be recompenced an hundred fold in this life 9. That if they had no recompence at all in this world yet the reward that they shall have in the world to come wil be a super-abundant recompence Notwithstanding these satisfactory and uncontrollable principles they will be rich in the Apostles sense after they have gotten a golden heape will be more rich still and therefore are easily tempted unto and taken in the snare of that execrable and most abhorred trade of usury In the exercise whereof they still negotiate with the Devill and receive all their increase at the Devils hands and therefore how is it possible they should turne on GODS side And that usurers trade with the Devill and have their usurious money from him Heare the judgement of the Church of ENGLAND to which ordinarily all Ministers subscribe Verily so many as increase themselves by usury c. They have their goods of the Devils gift Heare also the judgement of the State even of the King the Nobility and the whole Body of the Kingdome in Parliament and in that Statute whence usurers take very falsly some encouragement as though it were allow'd which is most untrue These are the words in the beginning of the Statute Forasmuch as all usury being forbidden by the Law of GOD is a sinne and detestable c. Thirdly though an high place be holden in the false opinion of vaine men the onely heaven upon earth yet in truth and upon triall by accident it prooves Satans surest hold to hamper them in his strongest and most inextricable snares untill he tumble them hence with a more desperate and headlong downefall into the pit of hell For as those of truest worth are ever timerous and most retiring in such cases so the worst men ordinarily are most ambitious and aspiring Consider for the purpose the unambitious modesty and magnanimity of the olive-tree fig-tree and the vine but the base and worthlesse bramble a dry empty saplesse kex and weed apt and able only to scratch teare and vexe must needs be up and be hoised into an high room and domineere over others Men of most prostituted consciences are for the most part the most pragmatical prowlers after undeserved preferments and the only men to serve themselves vijs modis as they say into offices honours and places of advancement For they want honest wit to conceive and fore-see the waight of the charge conscience to discharge it faithfully Now then where there is a concurrence of corrupt times a wicked wit a wide conscience and a vast gluttonous desire to domineere What will not be done to attaine their ends They will not sticke to lie dissemble breake their words forsweare machiavellize practise any policy or counterpolicy to honesty reason religion to flatter raise a faction humour the times supplant competitours gratifie the Devill do any thing We may proportionably conceive the malignity of inferiour ambitions by the monstrousnesse of higher aspirations Now who hath not observed saith that learned Knight in his Preface to the History of the World what labour practice perill bloud-shed and cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised and taken on them to make themselves and their issues masters of the world Oh by what plots by what forswearings betrayings oppressions imprisonments tortures poysonings and under what reasons of State and politicke subtilty have these fore-named Kings c. By this time these men by these meanes are mounted I will suppose on horsebacke and have left many Princes walking as servants upon the earth And folly is set in great dignity And what then Then do they begin so to swell with pride untill they are ready to burst againe with over-weening of their owne worth selfe-opinion and selfe-estimation and to toyle extremely with revengefull inward indignation against all good men whose hearts as they conceive and their consciences tell them there was just cause did rise against their growing great and rising Being thus empoysoned at the first entrance with pride selfe-conceiptednesse prejudice revengefull jealousies and other exorbitant and base distempers they begin to consider and resolve how to behave themselves
care in their education of choice for godly and worthy Schoole-masters Tutors Teachers Consorts Ministers and restraint from the corruptions of the times and by reason of their perverting and empoysoning by the forenamed youthfull aberrations or rather exorbitancies They passe through those famous nurceries of learning and law without any materiall impressions of Academicall worth or wisdome of State At length returning many times unto rich inheritances and faire estates and then reflecting upon their lost time with late repentance and finding in themselves neither any competent sufficiencies to serve their Countrey or to little purpose and very poorely norany solid stocke of sound learning for their working spirits to be exercis'd in and feed upon with contentment they resolvedly languish and dissolve into idlenesse and pleasures as though they were put into the world as Leviathan into the sea to take their pastime therein And so at last in respect either of personall worth or the publike good they become but unprofitable burdens of the earth and by their exemplary ill expence of time if not farre baser trickes the very bane of the Countreys that bred them and great dishonour to the families that owne them For assure your selves to be well borne and live like an humane beast is a notorious blemish to a noble House and let never any be so vaine as to brag of their birth except they be new-borne this honour of birth saith Charron may light upon a vicious man c. Neither will I here take up a complaint of the much lamented degeneration of our moderne Nobility and Gentry I ever except the truly worthy and noble from even the civill worthines military valour and noble deportment of former times Now adaies if a man looke big be first in the fashions shake his shag-haire in aboisterous and ruffian-like manner carie himselfe with a disdainfull neglect and proud bravery and with an affected and artificiall haughtinesse of countenance out-brave others and brow-beat his brethren better than himselfe he is the man But alas How farre distant is this and degenerating from true generousnes and that sweet amiable courtesie and affability which is wont to dwell in the gentle breasts of the ancient English Nobles I am afraid if we go on our posterity will find in the next age the basest generation of English that ever breathed in this famous Kingdome Sir Walter Rawleigh I confesse in his excellent Work having discoursed and discussed of this Question whether the Romans could have rectified the Great Alexander makes good in a second place to the matchlesse honour of this Nation that neither the Macedonian nor the Roman souldier was of equall valour to the English But when were those times When his Father sent to the Blacke Prince fighting as it were in bloud to the knees and in great distresse this message Let him either vanquish or die When Warwicke Bedsord and that famous Talbot and such other victorious English Commanders with their valiant armies walked up and downe France like so many invincible Lions But oh the mighty and unconquerable manhood and magnanimity of the ancient English Whether art thou gone and where art thou buried that we might visit thy Tombe But I say to let these passe I onely lay hold upon that which is most pregnant and punctuall to my purpose These Nobles in my text and ordinarily in all times swallow downe so many baiâ—…s from the Devils hands are so surrounded with variety and strength of temptations so ill brought up and so vainely puft up with insolency and selfe-estimation because they are lifted up above others They are so lined with inextricable ensnarements by pleasures riches honours ease liberty earthly splendour bravery applause of the world and pride of life that commonly by such time as they come to the strength of body and mind corrupt affection obtaines its full strength and height and hardnesse in their hearts And then and by that time in what danger they are for salvation you may perceive by well weighing the condition of this Devillish engine and its cursed companion which I am wont to describe thus It is the ripened and actuated strength and rage of originall corruption that furiously executes the rebellious dictates of the Devill and desperate projects of mens sensuall hearts stands at defiance professes open hostility against grace goodnesse good men good causes and all courses of sanctification seeds upon so long and fils it selfe so full with worldly vanities and pleasures that growing by little and little incorrigible and hating to be reform'd it breeds and brings forth as its naturall issue despaire horrour and the worme which never dies And this corrupt affection is of it selfe and naturally First untameable Secondly insatiable Thirdly desperate 1. Untameable The heart of man is naturally of the hardest flint hew'd immediatly out of the sturdy and stubborne rock of the race of Adam It owne corruption the just curse of GOD upon it and the accursed influence of hellish malice fill it so full of iron sinewes and of such adamant and prodigious hardnesse that no crosse or created power not the softest eloquence or severest course nay not the weight of the whole world or the heavinesse of hell if they were all pressed upon it could possibly bend and breake it make it yeeld or relent one jot from it obstinate and outragious fury in it owne waies this is onely the worke of the holy Ghost with the hammer of the Word The stubborne Israelites were heavily laden with an extraordinary variety of most grievous crosses and afflictions there was nothing wanting to make them outwardly miserable and no misery inflicted upon them but upon purpose to humble and take downe their rebellious hearts See Isa. 1. 5 6 7. How the Prophet paints out to the life the rufull and distresfull state of their fresh-bleeding desolations The whole head saith he is sicke and the whole heart is heavy c. for the place is meant not as some take it of their sins but of their sorrowes But all the blowes and pressures were so farre from softning their hearts that they hardned and emmarbled more and more Wherefore saith the Prophet should ye be smitten any more for ye fall away more and more What created power can possibly have more power upon the soules of men than the sacred Sermons of the Son of GOD who spake as never man spake And yet these deare intreaties and melting invitations which sweetly tenderly flow'd from that heart which was resolved to spill that warmest and inmost blood for their sakes moved those stiffe-necked Iewes never a jot Ierusalem Ierusalem saith he which killest the Prophets c. Mat. 23. 37. Isaiah that noble Prophet whose matchelesse eloquence surpasseth the capacity of the largest created understanding and to which the powerfull elegancies of prophane writers is purebarbarisme shed many and many a gracious and golden shower of softest and sweetest eloquence upon a sinfull nation
incorporated into the rock of eternity IESVS CHRIST blessed for ever you will stand like unmooveable rocks against the corruptions of the times and all ungodly oppositions and never before For in the meane time say Ministers what they will you will not be moved but you heare our discourses of a faithfull discharge of your places as ye would heare a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice they leave no more impression upon your consciences than a sweet lesson upon the Lute in the eare when it is ended for then both the vocall and instrumentall sweetnesse dissolve into the aire and vanish into nothing It is too truly so with our Sermons upon your soules Heare your character in GODS own words unto the Prophet They come unto thee as the people commeth and they sit before me as my people and they heare thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they heare thy words but they do them not Let us lift up our voices never so high or cry never so lowd and â—…ll Iudges That they ought not to be afraid of the face of man for the judgement is GODS that in judgement they must neither respect the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty that they should not onely hold their hands from grosse bribes with Epaminondas who as the story tels us refused great presents sent unto him although he was poore saying If the thing were good he would do it without any bribe because good if not honest he would not do it for all the goods in the world But they must also be of Austins judgement that not onely money gold and silver or presents as they call them are bribes but the guilt of bribery also may be justly imputed even to any exorbitant affection which sways a man aside from an impartiall execution of justice as love feare hatred anger pusillanimity worldlinesse desire of praise and applause which is Austins instance c. That they beware of bringing more bloud upon the Law by sparing the spiller of bloud For bleâ—…d saith GOD it desileth the land and the land cannot be cleaâ—…sed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it that they must not looke upon the caâ—…ses which come before them only through the spectacles of a favourite c and tell Iustices of Peace that they must be true-hearted patriots and not servers of themselves and their owne turnes that they must be serious reall and grave not onely formall not cyphers not unnobly light in their behaviour on the Bench that they must ever aime at the publike good and never at their owne particular and private ends that they should disdaine and scorne at any time to combine factiously or for a petty bribe to uphold a rotten cause apestilent alehouse or lewd companion and ever joyne with an unanimous magnanimity to honour GOD and do their Country good And tell the Lawyers that they should not make hast to be rich for so saith Salomon they shall not be innocent nor swallow downe gold too greedily least it turne to grauell and the gall of asps within them and they be enforced to vomite up the riches as Iob speaketh they have heaped together so hastily either by remorse and restitution in the meane time or with despaire and impenitent horrour here after that to oppose and wrangle against a good cause or undertake the defence of a bad are both equally most unworthy the very morall vertue of an honest Heathen that they must not learn to spin out the causes of their clients from Terme to Terme and wire-draw their suits untill they be utterly undone that they should not now be taking instructions from their clients when they should themselves here in the House of GOD be instructed to the kingdome of heaven had they this morning received a message from the Almighty that at night they should appeare before that high and everlasting Iudge to give an account for all things done in the flesh if they be not Atheists or Papists O with what eagernesse and violence would they have attended addrest and applied themselves to the present opportunity and little do we know what the evening may bring forth For assure your selves there is no man so assured of his riches or life but that he may be deprived of one or both the very next day or houre to come And tell the jurors and sworn-men that they should rather die than draw the bloud of any mans life livelihood or good name upon their owne consciences either by acquiâ—…ting the guilty or betraying the innocent Here had I time I would intimate unto you a mysticall but mischievous packing sometimes in choice of jâ—…ry-men I have seene I speake of that which was long since and at a Sessions some of the choicest drunkards in a Country chosen for that service Now is it not a pitifull thing that Country businesses should be put into the hands of such as labour industriously and with equall cunning to plague an honest man and deliver a drunkard I say now all this while we thus discourse unto you earnestly endeavouring and with a thirsty desire to do you good and direct you aright and by a divine rule in the severall duties proper to your places we do but plow in the sea and sow in the aire as they say except the immortall seed of the Word hath first moulded you anew and ye be brought by the foolishnesse of preaching out of the warme sun into GODS blessing and from the fooles paradise of worldly wisdome into the holy path of sincere professours and thereupon prize and preferre the peace of a good conscience before all the gold in the West and preferments in the world which blessed change from nature to grace is wrought by such stirrings of the soule and footsteps of the spirit as these lend me I beseech you while I passe along them something more than ordinary attention for I know they will seeme strange things to all such great ones as are intended in my Text and those who live at rest in their possessions and have nothing to vex them The naturall stoutnesse of their spirits will disdaine and scorne to stoupe to such uncouth humiliations and this mighty change And the more they are men of the world and wise according to the flesh the greater repugnancy and reluctation shall they find in their affections against these spirituall workings which makes the point good which was proved before But yet without them in truth and effect I define not the measure and degree GOD is a most free agent they can never become either gracious men or good Magistrates They must upon necessity become such fooles or they
destitute of saith and contrariwise the 〈◊〉 worldling that he hath a strong saith whereas in truth there is nothing in him but secure preâ—… Down Christ. Warf Cap. 42. Iob 13 15. Maâ—…k 9. 24. â—… Cor. 5. 17. 2 Pet 1. 5 6. Gal. 5. â—… 23. Isa. 35. â—… Acts 28. 22. * And yet the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… 1. 13. Reprove them sharply severely cuâ—…gly of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 QuemadmoduÌ„ mâ—…us qui bâ—…li vult medeâ—…i amaris utitur pharmacis ita obdurati praeâ—…racti atque contumaces homines duris severis verbis arguendi sunt malo enim nodo malus quaerendus est â—…unens Megaâ—…der in 〈◊〉 Vt caro quae callo obduâ—…uit non sacilè accipit vibâ—…ces plagaâ—…um nisi improbis crebris ictibus ita animus assuetus peccatis non commovetuâ—… correctione nisi seveâ—…aÌ„ acâ—…i Idem Ibid. Haec â—…hementia severitas quam hic Paulus in Pastore requirit non vacat omni iâ—…á quam CHRISTVM invasisse Evangelista testis est Maâ—… 3. 5. Haec autem justa est piaâ—…ra quam Scripturae vocant Zelum DEI cum sit iracundia amore DEI pietatis excitata qualis CHRISTVM invasit cum negotiatores expulite Domo Patris sui Ioh. 2. 15. Hoc loco non alienos dicit sed domesticos esse coarguendos Theophylactin Lâ—…c Neque alienos solùm hic taxat Paulus sed cos nominatâ—…m qui CHRISTO nomen dederant Calvin in Cap 1. ad Tit. For of all others those which give their names to religion and are unsound at the heart-root who mony times also most fearefully and scandalousâ—…y shame their Pâ—…osession and cause the good way to be evill spoken of by their worldlinesse pride fashions 〈◊〉 tonguednesse passions â—…y detaining Church dues cowardlinesse in good causes impatiency of Ministeriall reproofe iâ—… it crosse them in their commoditâ—… strangenesse of apparell intimate correspondence with the prophanâ—… c irreligiousnesse of their servants and fâ—…llowers c. are to be scarched thorowly and most severely censured that they may be saved at the length truly humbled Christians indeed and not onely in their owne conceipt and such as GOD would have them * Orbis medicos ad te convoca Podalyâ—…ios Machaoâ—…as Aesculapios Hippocrates Galenos omnes reviviscere â—…ube non hi omnes vel horulam annis tuis apponent ultra quam velit DEVS Pharmacopolia exhauâ—…as aurum uniones glutias ut vitam extendas tamen terminos qui praeteriri non poterunt non promovebis Cautus sis quantum velis vitae pericula omnia declines morborum principijs obstes numerum mensium non augebis Opâ—…es voveaâ—… roges nihil agis vitae tuae termini jam constituti sunt nec unquam quicquid resistas praeteriri poterunt Ciborum tibi praestantissimorum copia sit selectus vini slorem bibas nunquam labores nisi ad sanitatem â—…artum somni capias quantum I ex Archiatrorum ratio valetudinis poscit Ad numerum caleas algeas nihilo-minùs mortalis eris ubi vitae tuae metam contigeris age valedie rebus humanis ad rationem reddendam te para Tribunal te vocat Psal. 146. 3 4. * Contemne vivens quae post mortem habere non potes Dissicile est imò impossibile ut praesentibus quis â—…rnatur bonis futuris ut hic ventrem illic mentem impleat ut de delicijs traâ—…seat ad delicias ut in terra in coelo gloriosus appareat Bern De interiori Domo Cap. 45. Mar. 10. 29 30. * â—…ertur Idianum cum summam 〈◊〉 Romani administâ—…et istum Valentinianum qui praefectus 〈◊〉 erat ex Albo militum qui in exercitu Ioviniani vocabantur ex emisse 〈◊〉 addixisse exssio simulatione quidem quòd milites sibi subjectos cum contra hostes pugnandum esset parum commodè instruxerat sed revera hinc inductus est Cum Iulianus adâ—…ue in Gallia que ad occidentem solem vergit aetatem ageret ad quoddam delubrum ivit sacrificatum simulque cum eo fuit Valentinianus Nam Romanis vetu erat mos ut praefecti militum qui Ioviani Herculiani vocabantur Imperatorem proxime a tergo praesidij causâ sequerentur Valentinianus autem â—…um esset lime delubâ—…i transgressurus sacerdos ritu Gentilitio virides olivae ramusculo madefactos manu tenens introtuntes illos aspergeret guttâ in suam vestem delaâ—…â aegre admodum graviter tulit Christianus enim erat propterea sacerdotem qui ipsum aquâ asperserat convicijs adoritur Aiunt preterea cum etiam Imperatore Iuliano inspectante tantum vestis suae cum ipsa guttâ excidisse abjecisseq quantum gutta madefecerat Vnde Iulianus ei admodum incensus iratusque non multo post condemnavit exilio ut nimirum Melitinam utbem Armeniae perpetuo incoleret causa quidem simulatâ quod milites sibi subjectos negligenter admodum gubernasset Noluit enim videri propter religionem ullo cum afficere incommodo ne inde aut martyris aut consessoris honos illi tribueretur siquidem hac de causa alijâ—… etiam Christianis pepercerat quia videret eos ex periculotum susceptione uti supra demonstratum est tum gloriam sibi consequi tum religionem ac fidem CHRISTI vehementer confirmare Ac simul ut imperium Romanum Ioviano delatum est iste Valentinianus ab exilio Nicaeam revocatus mortuo jam fortè Iuliano consilio ab exercitu his qui tum primos magistratus geâ—…ebant inito omnium sussragijs Imperator deligitur Sozom. Histor. Ecclesiast Lib. 6. Cap. 6. a Apostolis postquam domi reliquissent omnia omnium fidelium domus erant apertae ut loco unius aediculae centum haberent dominos omnesque fidelium agri Apostolis quoque suum fructuÌ„ c necessaria ferebant ut rectè Paulus scripserit 2 Cor 6 10. Apostolos esse tanquam nihil habentes tamen omnia possidentes Sic ubi unum patrem unam matrem pauculos fratres sorores reliquerunt alibi centum fideles invenerunt qui paterno materno fraterno animo eos prosecuti sunt Harmon Evang. Cap. 132. b Centuplaigitur ista hoc est multò plura animus recipit non centuplo modosed infinito majore tum volupâ—…ate utens modâ—…eis illis quaecunque ad vitam praesen tem in persecutione DOMINVS dederit quantilibet tribulationibus circundatus quam ante cognitum Evangelium usus suerat ijs quae reliquit Bucer in Cap. 29. Matth. Interim suos exhâ—…rat DEVS ut illis pluris sit longèque suat vius tantillum boni quo fruentur 〈◊〉 si extra CHRISTVM illis asslueres immensa honorum copia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Quae centie tanti sint nempè quod ad verum usum commoda hujus etiam vitae attinet si modo â—…lla non ex