upbraiding them for the injuries they have done us that we may have cause to believe probably speaking they will become our Friends but if not let us not be discouraged from forgiving them as oft as they offend as we hope God will forgive us farre greater offences let us in all things endeavour to doe our Duties and leave the successe to God As for the second part of our Charity Commiserating and relieving our brethren in distresse God will reward it plentifully in this World and in the world to come infinitely with a Go ye blessed c. as we find in Scripture besides the great satisfaction which must necessarily arise to any good-natur'd man to be the occasion of doing good with small Gifts so much to revive and rejoyce the disconsolate spirits of suffering persons The Italian poor man sayes Sir doe good to your self and bestow something on me and certainly if truely considered we doe ourselves more good then those we relieve XXX IT hath pleased God heavily to afflict my extraordinary Friends in depriving them of their onely Son Leves loquuntur Ingentes stupent God intends this as a great trial of the Patience and Piety of the Parents now God calls upon them to rein their Wills to his readily and contentedly without excessive sinfull Lamentation not to grieve as without hope they may goe to him he cannot come to them Let them consider Heaven is the best Inheritance God hath given them his Son to redeem them from their sins and the just punishment of them therefore certainly 't is their Duty and I hope and believe it is their Inclinations not to repine that God hath taken away their Son from the Evil to come Let them be comforted that he died of a natural Disease not occasioned by vicious Disorder but departed penitently willingly submitting to the Will of God as I pray we may all doe at all times both living and dying All things work for good to those that love God together if not singly every individual thing yet jointly if we love God And because it was the will of the good God it was better so then if it had been otherwise All good Christians wisely acquiesce in God's Providence he knows what is best for us I hope God may restore to them his Blessings as he did to his Servant Job with a great increase if not let them remember the blessed Angels have no Off-spring XXXI WE can never be enough thankfull to God for his Mercies to us especially for that Great transcendent one the Mercy of all Mercies in sending his Son to die for us to redeem us from the Slavery of Sin that we may live and not die eternally that we may live happily here and hereafter In the Obedience of his Commands is great delight They that are of a contrary opinion it is because they are unexperienced in his service in whose Service is perfect Freedome For to obey Sin and the Lusts of the Flesh is the greatest Vassalage in the world and he is a greater man who subdues his vile Affections then if he were a victorious Conqueror over all the World For God doth not account of us by our outward Greatness but by our inward Goodnesse All humane Greatnesse however idolized by worldly men is a Pageantry and a mere Representation acted upon the Theatre of the World which quickly disappears and the Scene si changed and withdrawn when the Play is done Farther to advance the Mercies of God to us Let us consider God might have commanded us to have sacrificed an Isaac to have lived all the time of our lives in painfull and vexatious Trouble exercising our selves in Acts contrary to our natural and reasonable appetites and yet after an Obedience to such seeming severe commands for an hundred years or more if he should give us Heaven at last we had great reason to be thankfull But now on the contrary he onely commands us to live chastly and temperately not to deceive our Neighbours but to love them as our selves to keep up a good report to endeavour to doe all the good we can and to refrain from evil to forgive our Enemies and not to be of contentious natures but as much as lies in us to live peaceably with all men which Commands if we endeavour to conform to it will conduce to a temporall as well as an eternall Felicity When we digresse from such Rules given us by our great Law-giver we find sad effects as consequential Punishments of our Disobedience as Losse of Reputation many ill Casualties and Diseases many times hastening our end by vicious Excesses These Inconveniences to a rational and considering person were sufficient if there were no higher to deterre him from evil practices XXXII I Being sick and under some dejection of spirit opening my Bible to see what place I could first light upon which might administer Comfort to me casually I fixed upon the Sixth of Hosea the first three verses are these 1. Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up 2. After two days he will revive us the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord his going forth is prepared in the morning and he shall come unto us as the Rain as the latter and former Rain unto the Earth I am willing to decline Superstition upon all occasions yet think my self obliged to make this use of such a providentiall place of Scripture First by hearty repenting me of my sins past Secondly by sincere reformation for the time to come desiring to turn from the evil of my ways to serve the living God that so long as he spares me life I may live as in his sight and presence XXXIII Upon the 29th day of May THis day is an Holiday a day of Congratulation upon a double account First of the King's Birth Secondly of his Restauration The first was great cause of rejoycing That so Brave a Prince was born the Heir apparent to three great Kingdomes and an universal Joy to all good Subjects He was an high Blessing to the Excellent Monarch his Father and to his sweet and Pious Consort Daughter of the Great Henry the IVth of France The second was the greatest That his Majesty after so much unjust Suffering and Banishment by his Father's Murtherers and his Rebellious Subjects should by the miraculous Providence of God Almighty be restored to his own Dominions by the unanimous Consent of all his Subjects nemine contradicente without the effusion of one drop of bloud These so transcendent Mercies to so distressed a Nation ought to be had in continual remembrance Our thankfulnesse to God Almighty and our Serving him ought to be in some measure proportionable to our Mercies nor ought we to provoke him to wrath by our Sins as we have done which God grant we
care lest while they inrich themselves with worldly Treasure they neglect to labour after the gaining eternal Riches If so at the last they will be accounted unwise Merchants who have been guilty of a foolish Exchange losing their own Souls for drosse and perishing dung For what shall a man give in exchange of his Soul Lose that and lose all It was the saying of a pious Minister Mr Dod that no man was undone untill he was damned Losse of temporal Goods Liberty nay Life it self may be gain to us if we suffer for Conscience sake taking up Christ's crosse But he is lost without Redemption who loseth his Soul XV. IT is a constant custome among Merchants at Sea that when they apprehend their Ship much indangered by a violent Storm for fear their Ship should be overladen and that the Goods in her should occasion the sinking they fling them over-board hoping by this means to preserve their Ship and what is more precious the Lives of the Mariners and Passengers I wish we were as spiritually wise that we had a discerning spirit when our Souls are in danger of being overset by the wealth and cares and pleasures of this World that we may be more willing then the Merchant at sea to part with these earthly Goods lest they should indanger the sinking our Souls in the bottomlesse pit of perdition I pray God we may make a just distinction between Earthly and Heavenly Riches momentany and eternal that we may esteem Godlinesse the greatest gain and not make gain of the pretension of Godlinesse Amen XVI IT is reported of the Primitive Christians that when by a strict Edict of an Emperor they were prohibited to meet and assemble together in their publick Worship and Devotions they obeyed the Command Though they were troubled at the Imposition yet they esteemed it their Duty to obey the Authority God had set over them in all things wherein they did no violence to their Consciences which in this they were free from for they were still allowed to serve God in their private houses and retirements This Liberty ought to satisfie the Dissenters from the Church of England in case no other shall be permitted them by the Supreme Authority for though I have been and shall alwaies be willing to promote so far as lawfully I may Indulgence to all honest peaceable men of what Perswasion so ever so farre as is consistent with publick safety yet untill the King shall be pleased to give libertie for several distinct meetings it is the Duty in my opinion of all His Majestie 's Subjects to obey His Proclamations prohibiting their Meetings and most agreeable to Christian Principles XVII IT is a Poeticall fiction of Erasmus that he hung when dead between Heaven and Hell There are many men when alive appear to hang between Heaven and Hell Some faint desires they have tending towards Heaven at the same time their evil inclinations and actions carry them into the paths that lead to Hell and destruction They are long in suspense which way to take the narrow or the broad path but by not chusing the first they must necessarily fall into the last In the waies of Goodnesse whose paths are pleasantnesse non progredi est regredi they that proceed not forward must go backward Many who have had good resolutions may be now in Hell He that resolves to goe a journey is never the nearer performing it by intending it if he does not go the journey I pray God give us to will and to doe of his good pleasure XVIII A Good man should have no other exception against the Shortnesse of our lives but this that there is so little time for us to enumerate God's Blessings and Providences and to return him thanks for all his Mercies and Benefits which he from time to time so largely and liberally hath bestowed upon us who deserve not the least of them It ought not to afflict us that our time is so short to recreate our senses and delight our selves in sensual injoyments for this is a cause of joy While we live here either through wilfulnesse or humane frailty we shall offend God who hath been so gracious to us but the time is at hand when at the period of our days there will be a period set to our sinning all Tears shall be wiped from our Eyes and we shall sin and sorrow no more XIX IT is said of a wicked man who dies full of years Diu fuit non vixit He hath been a great while upon the face of the Earth but he hath not lived at all for we should onely account that living which is to God-ward the other being but a dead life he is dead while he is yet alive Happy are we if we die to sin and live to righteousness if we so live in this World that we may not die eternally walking with God truly fearing him and obediently loving him not with a servile love but with a filial not worshipping him as the Parthians do the Devil that he should doe them no hurt but because the love of Christ constrains us 2 Cor. 5. 14. for a true Christian loves Christ more then he fears Hell XX. IT is reported of a Florentine that upon his Death-bed he sent for his Children and told them It comforted him very much in his dying condition that he should leave them rich He had indeed reason to thank God that he was inabled to leave to them good fortunes which they might by God's grace imploy to his Glory and their good but he had much greater cause of rejoycing if he could truely have said As for me and my familie we have constantly served the Lord our God And therefore my dear Children I hope both my self when my life is ended and you all in good time after me shall be partakers of those joyes which God hath out of his abundant mercy prepared for them that love him XXI IT was the constant Principle and Practice of the Primitive Christians to resist their Tyrant-Governors as well as others with no other weapons but preces lacrymae Prayers and Tears I wish no other Armes of late years or at any time had been made use of against our lawfull Kings Charles the First of blessed memory had not then been murthered before his own Doors dying the Martyr of his People and made the more glorious by the infamie of so many unparallel'd Villanies All Principles contrary to this of Obedience to Magistrates may be condemned as inconsistent with Piety and Policy With Piety for the Precepts and Example of our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles teach us other Doctrines with Policy for if we allow that a Prince is to be resisted in any case every Factious party who can get armes into their hands will pretend that to be the cafe when-ever they have a mind to incite the People to rebel though as contrary as Light is to Darknesse for 't is too easy as late experience
whenas in the matters of greatest importance they are so carelesse and remisse even in the Salvation of their Souls For all wise men in difficult cases will doe that which is safest Now to live as believing there is a God and truly to fear and serve him is certainly most secure for though there be many Arguments besides the conviction of every mans Conscience to prove there is a God yet no man can demonstrate the contrary that 's impossible and if there were none no person would repent after death that he in his life-time believed there was one but disbelieving the Deity in his life he may by that God whose Essence he durst so impudently deny be punished in Hell eternally XXXVIII IT is safest and best for us to believe as God in his Word has revealed to us and not to be guilty of carnal arguings as not to think it reasonable that Man should be punished infinitely for finite sinning or to seem to incline to Origen's Opinion which most would be willing to embrace if there were any Religious ground for it That all men at the last day shall be saved even the very Devils themselves But thus consider In this World the wisest men know but in part and see but in part in the next World the mist will be taken from our eyes and we shall see clearly the most ignorant persons here shall know more in the other world then the greatest Clerk upon Earth But here it is our duty to acquiesce in what we suppose is God's will we should believe or practise his Will is the highest Reason and ought to be esteemed so by us XXXIX WE account an ungrateful man the worst of men Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris and yet we little consider how ungratefull we have been to the God of Heaven who has given us our Being and Well-being who hath done such great things for us by whom we live and move and have our being What great Dangers do we daily esâ—ape by his mercy A Preserving Providence is no lesse then a Creating one What cause have we to be ashamed and repent of our Ingratitude and perfidious Promises If we once break a solemn promise and engagement to men we cannot expect to be trusted any more and yet how many Promises of more strict and circumspect walking have we broke with the great God of Heaven and earth either upon our Sick-beds or upon our receiving the blessed Sacrament and many such like serious occasions How many times have we said O Lord spare me yet but this once and I will live and amend and when we have recovered our Vows have fallen off like cords of vanity How dangerous is such breach of Vows and how justly may we upbraid ourselves for it abhorring our selves by reason of our Iniquities and repenting in dust and ashes as holy Job did XL. SUnday is the Lord's day which ought more particularly to be devoted to God's Service For though it is our duty in our several Callings every day to serve God and endeavour to advance his Glory yet on that day the Weekly Holy-day we should not think our own Thoughts nor do our own Actions but what necessity requires and therefore 't is most fit then to refrain from playing at Cards or such Recreations which may administer Scandal to many good people If it be a measuring cast whether any particular thing be lawful or unlawful 't is safest and best to resolve on the Negative for this is an infallible Maxime They that in all things will do the utmost that is lawfull will be tempted in many cases to doe that which is unlawfull XLI VVHen we are tempted to any sin let us say with Joseph Shall I doe this wickednesse and sin against God God forbid Shall we sin that Grace may abound God forbid XLII IN this world as good Christians we are engaged in a Spiritual Warfare the Flesh warring against the Spirit sometimes one prevails sometimes the other But let us comfort our selves We fight under Christ's Banner he is the Captain of our Salvation and therefore in such a War we may joyfully hope to obtain Victory over the Lusts of the Flesh by the assistance of God's gracious Spirit if we valiantly contend to the end of our lives being not weary of well doing for which we shall reap if we faint not the Crown of life Let us consider then how blame-worthy those are who are so far from contending that they willingly yield and are so far from Fighting in a good Cause that they basely deliver themselves up Prisoners without striking one stroak so far from Resisting that they tempt Temptations to tempt them in this supplying the place of the Great Tempter the Devil untill they are justly given over to a reprobate sense sinning with delight and greedinesse drinking Iniquity like water and living and dying with obdurate Hearts and seared Consciences From which sad Judgment Good Lord deliver us Amen XLIII FRiendship is a noble thing Worthy Doctour Hammond used to say he pitied him that was destitute of a Friend as a very unhappy person By conversing with a Friend and communicating our secret affairs to him our Joyes are by Sympathy increased and our Griefs lessened Two dear Friends seem to have one Soul in two Bodies they are like Twins when one dies the other pines away there is but one Propriety between them both all their Goods are in common Friends are to Friends like little Gods whilst they Honour and Friendship to each other pay Mr Herbert worthily says in his Poems All worldly Ioys goe lesse To that of doing kindnesses This being so Good God let Hatred cease And Friends and Neighbours love and live in peace Some very curious scrupulous persons have made Inquiries whether Friendship between those of different Sexes may be innocent To this I answer affirmatively without the least scruple or dispute but he that truly values the honour and reputation of his Female Friend will be very cautious lest by any act of his indiscreet affection he should lessen her good opinion in the world and as that Learned and Pious Doctour Taylor says in his Tract of Friendship which is worthy the perusing A man ought to lose much of his Satisfaction rather then she any thing of her Honour XLIV NEither the Ambitious nor Covetous man can ever be satisfied for their thirsty desires after Honour and Wealth increase by their obtaining what at present they so greedily covet like one in a Burning Fever the giving him Drink does but increase in him a desire still to have more and his Thirst is but little quenched He that will not religiously frame his mind to content himself in what-ever station God has placed him will scarcely be satisfied and easy in any Condition for if we cannot proportion our Fortunes to our Minds we should our Minds to our Fortunes rendring thanks to God Almighty who has done such great things for us and then we are happy as to this World To make our Felicity here the more conspicuous we ought to compare our temporal state to those beneath us our Inferiors and not to our Superiors If Riches increase set not your heart upon them but look upwards and say Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexation of spirit There is no end of writing many Books and much study is a wearinesse to the flesh But observe Solomon's conclusion who was best experienced in the Trial of humane Delights and affairs After he had said There is a season for all things and that Time and Chance happens alike to all to the wise as well as foolish and advised all persons to make use of God's Blessings with a contented thankful mind for we know not who shall be after us then he adds Fear God and obey his Commands for this is the whole Duty of Man A Prayer for the KING and the Royal Family O Lord our God let the choicest of thy Blessings fall down upon thy Vice-gerent our Sovereign Lord the KING on the QUEEN Queen-Mother the Illustrious Duke of YORK and all the Royal Family O Thou who art the King of Kings who hast in thine hands the Hearts of Kings and canst turn them as Rivers of water be pleased to send down the Light of thy Countenance so to shine upon His MAIESTY that He may be as holy valiant and prosperous as King David wise and rich like Solomon zealous in thy service as Josiah that He may alwayes govern the People committed to his charge in thy fear And as thou hast indued Him with a mild gracious and merciful disposition suffer not O Lord any of his Subjects to abuse his Clemency and deprive themselves of the continuance of it by a necessary Severity upon them but be pleased so to dispose the hearts of Prince and People that in their several Stations and Callings they may esteem it their greatest honour and satisfaction to do thee Service And after a long and happy Reign let Him attain the end of his hopes at the period of his days even the Salvation of his Soul for Christ his sake Amen The END * The most ingenious and Religious Mr Boyl worthy Sr Robert Murray the famous and eminently learned Dean Wilkins cum multis aliis * This was alwaies the constant worthy Principle of those Ministers of the Profession of our Church of England * The Female * If goods increase they are increased that eat them c. Eccl. 5. 11.