be without them they are very good for them For when Gods children are chastised it is as it should be For to them the crosse is mercy and losse is gain Afflictions are their schooling and their adversitie their best Vniversity It is good for mee saith the holy man of God that I have been afflicted Psal 118. that I might learn thy statutes By his afflictions therefore hee learned much and became a good schollar in Gods booke and well seen in his statutes and lawes Hee grew to great wisedome and judgement by his chastisements All things turned about in Gods mercifull providence to his everlasting comfort For I say againe and againe That all things tend to the good of Gods chosen people And therefore that estate which God will have his children to be in is alwayes best for them because he who can best discern what is best seeth it to bee best for them whether it bee sicknesse or health poverty or plenty prison or liberty prosperity or adversity For sometimes sicknesse is better for us then health and poverty then plenty Are therefore the children of God sick It is best for them Are they poore It is best for them Are they in any trouble It is best for them because their good Father will turne it to the best Hee will oftentimes cut us short of our lusts and desires because hee seeth we will bane our selves with them Hee in fatherly care will take the knife from us because hee seeth wee will hurt our selves with it Hee will keep us short of health and wealth because hee knoweth wee will bee the worse for them Hee will not give us too much ease and prosperity in this world for hee knoweth it will poyson us Hee will not allow us continuall rest like standing ponds for then hee knoweth wee will gather scum and filth Hee dealeth fatherly and mercifully with us in all things even then seeking our greatest good when wee thinke hee doth us most harme And to speak all in a word he bringeth us into troubles and straits to this end especially that hee may hear of us For he right wel knoweth our nature he is well acquainted with our disposition hee knoweth we will not come at him but when wee stand in need of him we care not for him so long as all goeth well with us But if wee come into distresse or want any thing that we faine would have then hee is sure to heare of us as he saith by the Prophet Hos 3.15 In their affliction they will seek me early And another Prophet saith Lord Isa 26.26 in trouble have they visited thee They poured out a prayer when thy chastisement was upon them So then now I hope you do plainly see the cause why the Lord bringeth his children into so many troubles and necessities Phil. I do see it indeed and am very well satisfied in it But yet let mee aske you one thing further Are Gods children alwaies sure to be delivered out of their troubles Theol. Yes verily and out of doubt so farre forth as God seeth good for them For it is written Great are the troubles of the righteous Psal 34.19 but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Saint Peter saith â— Pâ—â—â— 1 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation As if hee should say Hee is well beaten to it and well seen and experienced in it so as hee can doe it easily and without any trouble at all It is said of Joseph being in prison That when his appointed time was come Phil. 105 1◠〈◊〉 and the counsell of the Lord had tryed him the King sent and loosed him the Ruler of the people delivered him And againe the Scripture saith Psal 34. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles The Angell of the Lord tarrieth round about them that feare him and delivereth them And in another place the Lord himselfe saith concerning the righteous man Psal 91.17 Because he hath loved me therefore I will deliver him I will exalt him because hee hath knowne my name He shall call upon me in trouble and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him Job 5. So also saith Eliphas the Temanite Hee shall deliver thee in six troubles and in the seventh the evill shall not touch thee Come my people saith the Lord Isa 25.22 enter thou into my Chambers and shut the doores after thee hide thy selfe for a very little while untill the indignation passe over And the Prophet saith Obad. 27. â—â— Upon Mount Sion shall be deliverance and it shall be holy and the house of Jacob shall possesse their hereditarie possessions Almost innumerable places of the Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but these may suffice Therefore let us know for a certainty that so sure as trouble and affliction are to the children of God so sure also is deliverance out of the same As we may write of the one and make reckoning of it as sure as the coat on our backe so may wee also in Gods good time write of the other and make full account of it as sure as the Lord is true Abraham was in trouble but delivered Job in trouble but delivered David in great trouble but delivered The three children in the furnace but delivered Daniel in the Lions den but delivered Jonas in the Whales belly but delivered Paul in innumerable troubles but yet delivered out of all Phil. All this being true that you say it followeth that Gods children are chastised only for their good and evermore sure of deliverance in his appointed time Which thing being so mee thinks there is no cause at all why they should bee over-heavie or too much cast down in their afflictions Theol. Assuredly there is no cause at all but rather cause why they should rejoyce clap their hands and sing Care away For can a father forsake his children a King his subjects a master his servant or a shepherd his sheep Doth not Jehovah say I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. Doth not our heavenly Father know wee have need of these things Hath not God given us his word that we shall not want outward things Hath hee not said they shall bee cast upon us Why then should wee bee dismayed Why should wee hang down our heads Why doe wee not plucke up good hearts and be of good cheere God is our dear Father hee is our best friend hee is our daily Benefactor or hee keepeth us at his own cost and charges he grudgeth us nothing he thinketh nothing too much for us hee loveth us most deadly hee is most charie and tender over us hee cannot endure the winde should blow upon us hee will have us want nothing that is good for us If we will out gold wee shall have it He hath given us his faithfull
fearfull manner plague the earth with warres bloud-sheddings tumults dearth famine and pestilence which are all signified by the red horse the black horse and the pale horse which did appeare at the opening of the second third and fourth seale So likewise undoubtedly God will severely punish all injuries wrongs and contempts done to his faithfull Embassadors as appeareth Revel 11.5 where it is set downe That If any would hurt the two witnesses with their two olives and two candlesticks whereby is signified the faithfull Preachers of the Gospel with all their spirituall treasures and heavenly light fire should proceed out of their mouthes and devoure their adversaries that is The fire of Gods wrath should consume all that had oppressed them either by mocks flouts railing slanders imprisonment or any other kinde of indignity Of this wee have a plaine example or two in the Scripture First we read how fire came downe from heaven and consumed the contemptuous Captaine and his fifty 2 Kin. 1.10 at the threatning and calling for of Eliah Secondly how two Beares came out of the Forrest 2 Kin. 2.23 and tare in pieces two and forty yonkers which mocked Elisha the Prophet of God calling him bald-head bald-head So then by these examples it is manifest that howsoever the Lord may winke at these things for a time and make as though hee saw them not yet the time will come when hee will raine fire and brimstone upon all the scoffers of his faithfull ministers and contemners of his Gospel All this is plainly declared in the first chapter of the Proverbs of Solomon where is shewed how the wisedome of God even Iesus Christ the highest wisedome doth cry aloud all abroad in the world and manifest himselfe in the open streets but yet is contemned of wicked worldlings and scoffing fools Therefore saith Christ Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and yee refused I have stretched out my hand but none would regard yee have hated knowledge and despised all my counsell therefore I will laugh at your destruction and mock when your feare cometh upon you like a sudden desolation and your destruction like a whirl-winde Then shall they call upon mee but I will not answer they shall seeke mee early but they shall not find me Here then wee see his terrible wrath and vengeance threatned from heaven against all profane contemners of Christ and his everlasting Gospel or any of the faithful â—â—â—â—â—shers and proclaimers therto â—â—â—â—hold therefore yee despisers and wonder consider well what will become of you in the end Do not think that the most just God will alwayes put it up at your hands that yee should so manifestly contemne both his word and the most zealous Preachers and Professors thereof No no assure your selves hee will bee even with you at last Hee will smite you both fideling and overthwart hee will dogge you and pursue you with his judgements and never leave following the chase with you till hee hath destroyed you and consumed you from off the face of the earth For remember I pray you what hee saith in Deuteronomie Deut. 32.41 42. If I whet my glittering sword and mine hand take hold of judgement I will execute vengeance on mine enemies and I will reward them that hate mee I will make mine arrowes drunke with bloud and my sword shall eat the flesh of mine adversaries Phil. Truely Sir we may justly feare that for our great contempt of the Gospel and generall coldnesse both in the profession and practice thereof God will take it from us and give it to a people that will bring forth the fruit thereof Theol. Wee may well feare indeed lest for our sinnes especially our loathing of the heavenly Manna the Lord remove our candlesticke take away our silver trumpets let us no more heare the sweet bels of Aaron cause all vision to faile and our Sabbaths to cease and bring upon us that most grievous and sore famine of not hearing the word of the Lord Amos 8. spoken of by Amos the Prophet Then shall our Halcion dayes and golden yeares be turned into weeping mourning and lamentation God for his infinite mercy sake turne it away from us Phil. Amen Amen and let us all pray earnestly night and day that those fearfull judgments may according to Gods infinite mercy bee held backe which our sinnes doe continually cry for and that his most glorious Gospel may bee continued to us and our posterity even yet with greater successe Asun No doubt it is a very great sin to despise the word of God and I think there is none so bad that will doe it For wee ought to love Gods word God forbid else He that loveth not Gods word it is pity he liveth Theol. These are but words of course It is an easie matter to speak good words and very many will say as you say But both you and they in your practice doe plainly shew that you make no reckoning of it you esteeme it no more than a dish-clout I thinke if the matter were well tryed you have scant a Bible in your house But though you have one it is manifest that you seldome reade therein with any care or conscienâ—e and as seldome heare the word preached How else could you be so ignorant as you are Asun I grant that I and some others are somewhat negligent in the hearing and reading of the word of God but you cannot say therefore wee do contemne it Theol. Yes verily your continuall negligence and carelesnesse doth argue a plaine contempt Sure it is you have no appetite nor stomack to the holy word of God You had rather do any thing than either reade or meditate in it it is irksome unto you you read not two chapters in a weeke All holy exercises of religion are most bitter and tedious unto you they are as vinegar to your teeth and smoake to your eyes The immoderate love of this world and of vanity hath took away your appetite from all heavenly things And whereas you shift it off with negligence as though that would excuse you the Apostle hits you home when he saith How shall we escape if wee neglect so great salvation Reb. â— 3 Marke that he saith If we neglect Antil Belike you think men have nothing else to do but to reade the Scriptures and hear Sermons Theol. I do not say so I do not say you should doe nothing else For God doth allow you with a good conscience and in his feare to follow the workes of your calling as hath beene said before But this I condemn in you and many others that you will give no time to private prayers reading and meditation in Gods word neither morning nor evening neither before your busines nor after And although you have often vacant time enough yet you will rather bestow it in vanity and idle pratling and gossipping than in any good exercise of Religion Which doth plainely shew that you neither delight in
and deceits that are in it and of it I pray you let us now proceed and first of all tell mee by what means the new birth is wrought Theol By the preaching of the word as the outward meanes 1 Pet. 1 2.3 John 1â— 3 Acts 10.44 Ephes 4.3 and the secret worke of the spirit as the inward means Phil. Many hear the word preached and are nothing the better but rather the worse what I pray you is the cause of that Theol. Mens own incredulity and hardnesse of heart because God in his wrath leaveth them to themselves and depriveth them of his spirit without the which all preaching is in vain For except the spirit doe follow the word into our hearts Act. 16.14 wee can finde no joy taste nor comfort therein Phil. Cannot a man attain unto regeneration and the new birth without the word and the spirit Theol. No verily For they are the instruments and means whereby God doth work it Antil Why may not a man have as good a faith to God-ward that heareth no Sermons as hee that heareth all the Sermons in the world Theol. Why may not he which eateth no meat be as fat and as well liking as hee that eateth all the meat in the world For is not the preaching of the word the food of our souls Antil I like not so much hearing of Sermons and reading of the Scriptures except men could keep them better Theol. Faithfull and honest hearers do therefore hear that they may be more able to observe and do For a man cannot do the will of God before he know it and hee cannot know it without hearing and reading Antil I marvell what good men doe get by gadding to Sermons and poring so much in the Scripture or what are they better then others There are none more full of envie and malice then they They will doe their neighbour a shrewd turn as soon as any body and therefore in mine opinion they be but a company of hypocrites and precise fools Theol. You judge uncharitably Full little doe you know what they feel or what good Gods people get by hearing of the word For the work of the spirit in the hearts of the elect is very secret and altogether hid from the world John â— 8 as it is written The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whither it goeth or whence it cometh so is every man that is born of the spirit And againe The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Amil. Tush tush what needs all this adoâ— If a man say his Lords prayer his ten Commandements and his Beleefe keep them and say no body harme not doe no body harm and doe as hee would be done to have a good faith to God-ward and be a man of Gods beliefe no doubt hee shall be saved without all this running to Sermons and pratling of the Scripture Theol. Now you powr it out indeed you thinke you have spoken wise y. But alas you have bewrayed your great ignorance For you imagine a man may bee saved without the word which is a grosse errour Antil It is no matter say you what you will and all the Preachers in the world besides as long as I serve God and say my prayers duly and truely morning and evening and have a good faith in God and put my whole trust in him and doe my true intent and have a good mind to God-ward and a good meaning although I am not learned yet I hope it will serve the turn for my soules health For that God which made mee must save me It is not you that can save me for all your learning and all your Scriptures Theol. You may very fitly be compared to a sick man who having his brain distempered with heat raveth and speaketh idly he cannot tell what For the holy Ghost saith Pâ—o. 18.9 Hee that turneth away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abominable And again Prov. 13.15 He that destroyeth the word shall be destroyed So long therefore as you despise Gods word and turn away your ear from hearing his Gospel preached all your prayers your fantasticall serving of God your good meanings and your good intents are to no purpose but most odious and loathsome in the sight of God as it is written My soule hateth your new moons Esa 1.14 and your appointed feasts they are a burthen unto mee I am weary to beare them When you stretch out your hands I will hide mine eye from you and though you make many prayers I will not hear For your hands are full of bloud And again the Lord saith by the same Prophet He that killeth a bullock Esa 66.3 is as if he slâ—w a man hee that sacrificeth a sheep as if hee cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud hee that remembreth incense as if hee blessed an idol Where you see the Lord telleth you his mind touching thâ—se matters to wit that all your prayers services good meanings c. are abominable unto him so long as you walk in ignorance profanenesse disobedience and contempt of the Gospel For hee saith in the words immediately going before To him will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Asun I grant indeed for them that are idle and have little to do it is not amisse now and then to hear a Sermon and read the Scriptures but wee have no leasure we must follow our businesse we cannot live by the Scriptures they are not for plain folk they are too high for us wee will not meddle with them They belong to Preachers and Ministers Theol Jâ—â—â— 10. Christ saith My sheep heare my voice and I give unto them eternall life If therefore you refuse to heare the voice of Christ you are none of his sheep neither can you have eternall life And in another place our Lord Iesus saith John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word Ye therefore hear it not because ye are not of God Saint Paul writing to all sorts of men both rich and poore high and low men and women Colos 3.1 young and old exhorteth that the word of Christ may dwell plenteously in them all in all wisdom You see therefore that the Apostle would have all sorts of people that have souls to save to bee well acquainted with the Scriptures Therefore you may as well say you will not meddle with God with Christ nor with everlasting life as to say you will not meddle with the Scriptures Asun Well I cannot read and therefore I cannot tell what Christ or what Saint Paul may say but this I am sure of that God is a good man worshipped might he be hee is mercifull and that we must be saved by our good prayers and good serving of God Theol. You speak foolishly and
sure it is within these thirty yeers these things were not known nor heard of And what say you then to painting of faces laying open of naked brests dying of hair wearing of periwigs and other hair coronets and top-gallants And what say you to our artificiall women which will be better than God hath made them They like not his handy-work they will mend it and have other complexions other faces other hair other bones other brests and other bellies then God made them Theol. This I say that you and I and all the Lords people have great and just cause of mourning weeping and lamentation because such abomination is committed in Israel Davids eyes gushed out with rivers of teares 〈◊〉 9 because men kept not Gods lawes and an horrible feare came upon him because men forsook the law of God 〈◊〉 5 1. J remie did sigh in secret wishing that his head were full of water and his eyes a fountain of teares because of the sinnes of the people Nehemiah mourned for the transgression of Gods people Nâ—hem 1â— Lots just soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites and sâ—â—ll wee moâ—rne nothing at all for tâ—â—se things shall wee be no whit grieved for the pride of our land shall wee shed no teares for such horrible and intolerable abominations They are odious in the sâ—ght of God and men the aire stinketh of them It is Gods marvellous patience that the Dwell doth not carry them away quick and rid the earth of them or that fire and brimstone doth not come downe from heaven and consume them Antil You are too hot in these matters of attire you make more of them then there is cause Asun I con him thank Gods blessing on his heart I shall love him the better while I know him because he is so earnest against such shamefull and detestable pride Is it not a shame that women professing true religion should make themselves such pictures puppets and peacocks as they doe And yet I hear few Preachers in the pulpit speak against it Antil I marvell you should be so earnest in matters of apparell You know well enough that apparell is an indifferent thing and that religion and the kingdome of God doth not consist in these things Theol. I know right well that apparell in its own nature is a thing indifferent but lewd wanton immodest and offensive apparell is not indifferent For all such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them and maketh them sinfull and evill by câ—rcumstance For otherwise why should the Lord threaten by his Prophet that he would visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as were cloathed with strange apparell that is the fashions of other countries Zephan 1.8 Againe why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and mincing minions of Jerusalem for their pride and vanity in attire if there were no evill iâ— such kind of abuse The Lord saith thus in the third of Esay against those brave and gallant dames Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walk with stretched-out necks and with wandring eyes walking and mincing as they goe and make a tinkling with their feet therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Sion bald and the Lord shall discover their secret parts In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calls and the round tires the sweet balls and the bracelets and the bonnets the tires of the head and the slops the head-bands and the tablets the earings the rings and the mufflers the costly apparell and the veiles and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoods and the lawns And in stead of sweet savour there shall be stink and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing of the haire baldnesse and in stead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning in stead of beauty Then shall her gates mourn and lament and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground Thus we see how terribly the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of Jerusalem for their excessive and abominable pride And this may well be a mirrour for the proud minious of our age which assuredly may well fear the Lord will bring some such judgement upon them as he did upon the daughters of Jerusalem For their sin is as great in this kind as was the daughters of Sion and God is the same God now that he was then to punish it Antil Tush never speak so much of these matters of apparell for we must do as others do and follow the fashion or else we shall not be esteemed Theol. If you follow them not you shall be more esteemed of God of his Angels Saints and all good men As for all others if you esteem them more then these you shew what you are Antil Well for all that say you what you will pride is in the heart and not in the apparell For one may be proud of plain apparell as well as of costly And some are as proud of their falling bands and little sets as others are of their great ruffes Theol. You speak foolishly for how know you that Can you judge mens hearts and inward affections Can you say when mens and womens apparell is sober modest and Christian like that they have proud hearts and are proud of that attire You goe very farr indeed to judge the heart You ought to judge charitably of such as goe soverly and modestly attired even that their heart is according to their attire And for you wee may rather think your heart is vain light and foolish because your attire doth strongly argue it And as the Prophet saith The triall of your countenance testifieth against you you declare your sinnes as Sodom and hide them not Esay 3.9 Phil. I pray you then set downe some rules for apparell out of the Scriptures Theol. I may well set down what I will but surely most men and women will doe what they list For verily it may be thought that many of this age have forsworne God and his word and all goodnesse For they are come to this point let God say what he will they will doe what they list For as the Prophet saith They have made a covenant with hell and with death and are grown to an agreement Esay 28.15 And I doe verily think if God himselfe should come downe from heaven in his own person and disswade men and women from this vanity of apparell yet would they still use it as it were in despight of God and as it were to anger him the more For they are so extraordinarily enamoured and so immoderately delighted with it and doe so continually and altogether dote on it and are so wood-mad of it that they will have it though men and Angels and all the world say nay nay which is more though they should goe to the Divell quicke with it And therefore it is but
lusts and fleshly delights and that is the cause why you are deafe on this care I will therefore adde a word or two more out of the Oracles of God to that which hath beene spoken Pro. 6.31 〈◊〉 The wise King saith Hee that committeth adultery with women destroyeth his owne soule and so is accessâ—ry to his owne death which is no small matter For we use to say if a man hang himselfe drowne himselfe or any manner of way make away himselfe that he was cursed of God that Gods hand was heavie against him that the Divell ought him a shame and now he hath paid it him And all the countrey rings of such a strange accident when and where it falleth out and the Crowner of the countrey doth sit upon it How much more may all the world wonder at this that a man should destroy his owne soule and wittingly and willingly cast away himselfe for ever Now the holy Ghost saith The adulterer doth such an act giveth such a venture and willingly murthereth himselfe Oh therefore woe unto him that ever hee was borne for sure it is that the great Crowner of heaven that crowns whom hee will crowne shall one day sit upon it and give judgement Moreover as the adulterer sinneth against his soule so also hee sinneth against his bodie after a speciall manner 1 Cor 6.13 as witnesseth the Apostle Also hee sinneth against his goods and outward estate as the holy man Job testifieth saying Job 5â— 12 Adulterie is a fire that devoureth to destruction and it will root out all our increase Furthermore hee sinneth against his name Prov. 6.33 For the Adulterer shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproach shall never be put away Item hee sinneth against his wife who is his companion Mâ—â—â— 14 15. and the wife of his covenant And God saith in the same place Let none trespasse against the wife of his youth keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not Last of all hee sinneth against his children and posterity as the Lord said to David Because thou hast despised mee 2 Sâ—â— 12 1â— and done this therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house Behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine owne house Now therefore to conclude this point wee may see how many deadly wounds men make themselves by committing of adulterie They wound themselves in their soules they wound themselves in their bodies they wound themselves in their goods they wound themselves in their names they wound themselves in their wives and in their children What man except hee were stark mad would thrust in himselfe in so many places at once The Adulterer with his one sinne of adultery maketh all these deadly wounds in himselfe and it is an hundred to one hee will never get them cured but will die and bleed to death of them Lo thus you see the dangerous quality and condition of this sin Shall wee now therefore make light of it Shall wee say It is but a trick of youth Shall wee smooth over the matter with sweet words when the holy Ghost maketh it so hainous and capitall Shall wee make nothing of that which draweth downe Gods wrath upon the soule body goods name wife and children That were an intolerable blindnesse and most extreme hardnesse of heart An ancient Writer hath long agoe passed sentence upon us Basil in Epist who make so light of this sinne for saith hee Adultery is the very hook of the Divell whereby hee draweth us to destruction And another godly Father saith Gregor that adultery is like a furnace whose mouth is gluttony the flame pride the sparkles filthy words the smoak an ill name the ashes poverty and the end shame And so wee plainly see that howsoever wee regard not this sinne but flatter our selves in it yet those whose eyes the Lord hath opened have in all ages condemned it as most flagitious and horrible yea the very Heathen wil rise up in judgment against us who have spoken and written many things against this filthy and beastly vice Phil. Now indeed you have sufficiently branded the vice of adultery and laid out the uglinesse thereof that all men may behold it stark naked and abhorre it If any man notwithstanding all this will venture upon it hee may be said to be a most desperate monster For what doth hee else but as it were put his finger into the Lions mouth and as it were take the Beare by the tooth and they may well know what will follow and what they may look for Let all men therefore in time take heed to themselves and to their own soules as they will answer it at their uttermost perill at the dreadfull day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed But now one thing resteth to wit that you should shew us the speciall roots and causes of adultery Theol. There be five speciall causes of it The first is our naturall corruption for the very spawne and seed of all sinne is our corrupt nature and this of all other is a most inherent sinne as witnesseth the Apostle James saying James 1.15 When lust hath concâ—ived it bringeth forth sinne and sin when it is perfected bringeth forth death The second is gluttony and fulnesse of bread for when men have filled their bellies and crammed their paunches as full of good cheere wine and strong drinke as their skinnes can hold what are they meete for or what minde they else but adultery and uncleannesse And therefore well saith one Great nourishment and grosse food is the shop of lust The Heathen Poet could skill to say Sine Cerere Baccho sâ—igeâ— Venus without meat and drinke lust waxeth cold And to this effect the wise King saith Prov 23 â— 35 that their eyes shall behold strange women whose hearts are set upon wine and belly cheere And therefore he adviseth all men not to looke upon the wine when it appeareth red when it sheweth his colour in the cup or stirreth very kindly and that for feare of this after-clap An ancient writer saith to the same purpose Gregoriâ—s Nâ—â—â—anâ— Hee that delicately pampereth his belly and yet would overcome the spirit of fornication is like to him that will quench a flame of fire with oyle Therefore to close up this point sure it is though men pray heare and read much and be otherwise well disposed yet except they be abstemious in diet they will bee much troubled with lust The third cause of adultery is Idlenesse for when men are lazie luskish and idle having nothing to doe they lye wide open to adultery and lust creepeth into them Some Historiographers write the Crab-fish is very desirous to eate Oysters but because shee cannot perforce open them shee watcheth her time when they open themselves unto the sun after the tide and then shee putreth in her claw and pulleth out the Oyster Even so Satan watcheth
say in our hearts No evill can come unto us Asun You say very true Sir The world was never so set upon covetousnesse and men were never so greedily given to the world as now adaies And yet in truth there is no cause why men should bee so sharp-set upon this world For this world is but vanity and all is but pels trash Fâ—e on this muck Phil. Many such men as you are can skil to give good words and say Fie on this world all is but vanity yet for all that in your daily practice you are never the lesse set upon the world nor never the more seek after God You hear the word of God no whit the more you reade no whit the more you pray never the moâ—e which evidently sheweth that all your faire speeches and protestations are nought else but hypocrisie and leasing Your heart is not with God for all this All is but words there is no such feeling in the heart And therefore I may justly say to you as God himselfe said to his people This people have said well all that they have said Oh D ut 5.28 that there were an heart in them to feare me and keepe my commandements Theol. His words indeed are good if his heart were according For all things considered there is no cause why men should bee so given to this world for they must leave it when they have done all that they can As wee say To day a man to morrow none And as the Apostle saith 1 Tim. â— Wee brought nothing into this world and it is certaine wee shall carry nothing out Wee must all dye wee know not how soon why therefore should men set their hearts upon such uncertainties and deceiveable things for all things in this world are more light then a feather more brittle than glasse more fleeting than a shadow more vanishing than smoake more unconstant than the winde Doubtlesse saith the Prophet David man walketh in a shadow Psal 3â— 6. and disquieteth himselfe in vaine hee heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them I wonder therefore that these moles and muck-worms of this earth should so minde these shadowish things and so dote on them as they do If they were not altogether hardened and blinded by the Divelâ— they would not be so neerly knit to thee â—â—od and the penny as they are thinking and alwayes imagining that there is no happinesse but in these things which are but dung and drosse and at last they will give us the slip when wee think our selves most sure of them The wise King who had the greatest experience of these things that ever man had for hee enjoyed whatsoever this world could afford upward and downeward backward and forward yet could he finde nothing in them but vanity and vexation of spirit Moreover hee flâ—tâ—y avoucheth That all these things riches wealth honour pleasures and treasures will most notably deceive us in the end give us the slâ—p and be gone For he compareth riches and all the glory of the world to an Eagle or Hawke which a man holdeth upon his fist stroketh her maketh much of her taketh great delight and pleasure in her and saith hee will not take ten pounds for her yet all on the sudden shee taketh her flight and flyeth up into the aire and hee never seeth her more nor shee him The words of the holy Ghost are these Pâ—oâ— 25.5 Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flie after them meaning riches Thou maiest but they will not be found For they wil make themselves wings like to the Eagle which slieth up to heaven From thence wee may learne that though wee set our hearts neversomuch on any thing here below yet at the last it shall bee taken from us or we from it Therefore all worldly men doe but weave the spiders web and may fitly bee compared to the silly spider who toyleth her selfe and laboureth all the weeke long to fluish up her web that shee may lodge her selfe in it as in her owne house and free-hold But alas at the weeks end a maid in a moment with one brush of a broom dispossesseth her of her inheritance which shee had purchased with great labour and much adoe Even so when the men of this world have with much care and travell purchased great lands and revenues and gathered all that they can yet on the sudden death with one stroke of his â—â—refull dart will make them give up the ghost and then where are they It was prettily therefore said of a man in the light of nature Seneca No man hath ever lived so happily in this life but in his life time many things have befallen him for the which hee hath wished rather to die than to live And assuredly I thinke there was never any man lived any one day upon the face of the earth but some griefe or other either did or justly might invade his minde ere night either in the temptations of the World the Flesh or the Divell or in regard of soule body goods or name in regard of wife children friends or neighbours in regard of dangers to Prince Staie Church or Common-wealth in regard of casualties and losse by water by fire by sea or by land What a life therefore is this that hath not our good day in it Who would desire to dwell long in it For it lieth open every day to manifold miseries dangers losses casualties reproaches shame infamy poverty sicknesse diseases cholicks agueâ— tooth-ache head-ache back-ache bone-ache and a thousand calamities Phil. You have very well described unto us the vanity of this life and that no day is free from one sorrow or other one griefe or other the which thing our Lord Jesus ratifieth in the reason which hee bringeth why men should not distrustfully care for to morrow For saith hee sufficient to the day is the evill thereof Or as some read it The day hath enough with his owne griefe Wherein hee doth plainly shew that every day hath his sorrow his evill his griefe and his thwart But I pray you proceed further in this point Theol. This I say further That when men have swinked sweat carked and cared mosled and turmosled drudged and droiled by night by day by sea and by land with much care and sorrow much labour and griefe to rake together the things of this life yet at last all will away againe and wee must end where wee began For as Job said Iob. 1. Naked wee came into the world and naked wee must go out For even as a winde-mill beateth it selfe maketh a great noise whistleth and whisketh about from day to day all the yeare long yet at the yeares end standeth still where it begunne being not moved one foote backward or forward soe when men have blustered and blowne all that they can and have even runne themselves out of breath to scrape up the commodities of the earth yet at last they must spite
it For God is true and all men lyars Hee is faithfull that hath promised His word is more then the faith of a Prince more then ten thousand obligations Why then doe wee not rest upon it why goe wee any further why doe we not take his word why doe wee not depend wholly upon him why are wee still covetous why are we still distrustfull why doe we dissemble and deceive Oh wee of little faith Our Lord Iesus knowing right well the distrustfulnesse of our nature and the deep root it hath in us is not only content to make these great and royall promises unto us which were enough but also strengtheneth and backeth us with many strong reasons to support our weaknesse in this behalfe He therefore bringeth us back to a due consideration of things Consider saith hee the Ravens Luke 12. consider the fowles of the heavens for they neither sow not reap nor carry into barnes and yet God feedeth them they want nothing Consider the lillies how they grow they neither labour nor spinne yet Solomon in all his royalty was not clothed like one of these Oh therefore that wee would consider these Considers Oh that wee would consider that our life is more worth then meat and our bodies then raiment Oh that wee would consider that with all our carking and caring wee can doe no good at all no not so much as add one cubite to our stature Truely truely if wee would deeply ponder these reasons of our Saviour and apply them to our selves they might serve for a bulwark and sure defence against covetousnesse If men would consider how that great King of heaven who hath his way in the whirle-wind Nahum 1.3 and the clouds are the dust of his feet careth for the little Wren and silly Sparrow how hee looketh to them how he tendreth them how hee provideth for them every day both break-fast dinner and supper it might serve to correct our distrustfulnesse For who ever saw these or any other fowle starve for hunger so good a Father and so good a Nurse have they And are not wee much better then they Hath not God more care of us then of them Yes verily a thousand times For he loveth them but for our sakes how much more then doth he love our selves Therefore I say again and againe If wee would consider these things and lay them to heart they would nip covetousnesse on the head and drive it quite out of our hearts Let us consider therefore that God provided for man before man was then how much more will hee provide for man now that hee is Is hee our Father and will hee not provide for us Is he our King and will he not regard us Is hee our shepherd and will hee not look to us Hath hee provided heaven for us and will hee not give us earth Hath hee given us his Sonne Christ and shall hee not with him give us all things Doth hee provide for his enemies and will hee not provide for his friends Doth hee provide for whoremongers and will hee neglect his chosen Doth hee send his rain and cause the sunne to shine upon the unjust and shall hee not upon the just Doth he provide for them which are not of the family and will hee not provide for his owne family Will a man feed his hogges and not care for his servants Or will hee care for his servants and not regard his own children Oh then let us consider these reasons let us remember that our heavenly Father hath as great care for the preservation of his creatures as once hee had for their creation Let us therefore remember that he which giveth the day will provide for us the things of the day Let us remember that God alwayes giveth for sustentation though not for satiety Let us remember Pâ—â—v 10.28 that God will not famish the souls of the righteous Let us remember how God never faileth his For who ever trusted in the Lord and was confounded Phil. What then is the cause that many do want these outward things Theol. The cause is in themselves because they want faith For if wee had faith wee could want nothing For faith feareth no famine as saith an ancient Father Hieron ad Heliodorum Cypr. in oratione Dominica Another saith Forasmuch as all things are Gods hee that hath God can want nothing if himselfe bee not wanting unto God Therefore to have God is to have all things for if we have him our friend wee have enough we need goe no further For hee will make men our friends yea hee will make Angels and all creatures to bee serviceable unto us hee will give them speciall charge to looke to us to guard us and to doe continuall homage unto us Therefore let us make God our friend and then have we done all at once that may concerne our good both for this life and a better But if hee stand not our friend if wee have not him on our side if hee back us not then all other things whatsoever can doe us no good All is not worth a button For August Quid prodest si omnia habes cum tamen qui omnia dedit non habeas What is a man the better though hee have all things and bee without him which is the author of all things Phil. Herein you speak very truly no doubt For we see many have great plenty of outward things but because they have not God they can have no true comfort in them or blessing with them Theol. True indeed For Matth. 4. Man liveth not by bread only saith our Lord Iesus but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And again heâ— saith Lâ—ke 12. Though a man have abundance yet his life consisteth not in the things that hee hath For without Gods blessing there can bee no sound comfort in any thing Wee see by daily expeâ—ience how the Lord curseth the wicked though they have abundance For some having abundance yet are visited with continuall sicknesses Some having abundance pine away with consumptions Others having abundance dye of surfeiting Others are snatched away by untimely death in the midst of all their jollity Others are visited with great losse both by sea and by land Others are vexed with curst wives and disobedient children Some againe commit murthers and treasons and so lose all at once Others are wasted and consumed by the secret curse of God no man knoweth how Some having great riches are given over to the murtherer some to the thiefe some to the poysoner Therefore the wise King saith There is an evill sicknesse under the sun riches reserved to the owners thereof for their evill Eccl. 5.12 Zophar also the Naamathite saith When the wicked shall have sufficient and enough Job 20.23 hee shall be brought into straits The hand of every troublesome man shall be upon him When hee shall fill his belly God will send upon him his fierce wrath
bed they lye upon They know well enough the poore men are not able to wage law with them and therefore they may doe what wrong they will and shâ—w what cruelty they list Hence come the teares of the oppressed henâ—e câ—mmeth the weeping and wailing of the poore But alas poore soules they may well weep to ease their hearts a little but there is none to comfort them remedy they can have none But yet assuredly the everlasting God doth looke upon them and will be revenged For the cries of the poore the fatherlesse and the widowes have entred into the cares of the Lord of Hosts who is an avenger of all such things yea a strong revenger as Solomon saith Pro 23.14 Enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for their revenger is strong hee himselfâ— will plead their cause against thee And againe he saith Rob not the poore Pro. 22.6 because hee is poore neither tread downe the afflâ—cted in the gate for the Lord pleadeth their cause and will spoile their soule that spoile them We see then that the most just God will â—e revenged of these unmerciful tyrants He will not alwayes put up these wrongs and injuries done to the poore In the eighth Chapter of the Prophet Amos he sweares by the excellencie of Jacob that he will never forget any of their works And againe he saith by his Prophet Jeremy Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this Surely he will set his face against them to root them out of the earth For indeed they are not worthy to crawle upon the face of the earth or to draw breath among the sons of men It is written in the booke of Psalmes that God will set these fellowes opposite against him as a But to shoot at Psal 21.12 that hee will put them apart and the strings of his bow shall hee make ready against their faces Be astonished at this O ye heavens and tremble O thou earth Heare this O ye cruell Land-lords unmercifull oppressors and bloud-suckers of the earth You may well be called bloud-suckers for you sucke the bloud of many poore men women and children you eat it you drink it you have it served in at your sumptuous tables every day Job 24.5 you swallow it up and live by it And as Job saith The wildernesse gives you and your children food that is you live by robbing and murdering But woe woe unto you that ever you were borne For the bloud of the oppressed which ye have eaten and drunken shall one day cry for speedy vengeance against you as the bloud of Abel cryed against Cain Their bloud shall witnesse against you in the day of judgement and the teares of many poore starved children orphans and widowes shall cry out against you 1 Kin. 21. Was the Lord revenged of Ahab for his cruell and unjust dealing with poore Naboth and shall hee not be revenged of you Did the Dogs lap the bloud of Ahab and shall you escape No no you shall not escape The Lord will be a swift witnesse against you as he saith in Malachie Mal. 3. Was the Lord angry with the rich of the people for oppressing the poore so as the cry of the people and of their wives Neh. 5. against their oppressours was heard of the Almighty and do you thinke you shall escape scot-free Doth not the like cause bring forth the like effect the like sin the like punishment Know therefore for certainty that the Lord hath costers full of vengeance against you and one day he will unlocke them and bring them forth into the sight of all men Know also that the timber of your houses and the stones of your walls which you have built by oppression and bloud shall cry against you in the day of the Lords wrath as the Prophet Habakkuk telleth you Hab. 2. The stone saith hee shall cry out of the wall and the bâ—ame out of the timber shall answer it Where the Prophet telleth you that the walls of your houses built in bloud shall cry out loud and shrill and play the Choristers in that behalfe so as they shall answer one another on either side The one side singeth Behold bloud the other Behoâ—d murder The one side Behold deceit the other Behold cruelty The one Behold pilling and polling the other Behold covetousnesse The one Behold robbery the other Behold perjury And thus you see how the stones and timber of your houses shall descant upon you And howsoever you put on your brâ—zen browes and harden your hearts against these threatnings of the most terrible God and Lord of Hosts yet one day you shall spice of your hearts will ye nill yee be brought forthâ—nes judgement you shall once come to your reckoning you shall at last be apprehended convented and arraigned at the barre of Gods Tribunall seat before the great Iudge of all the world Then sentence shall passe against you even that most dreadfull sentence Goe yee cursed into hell fire Mat. 25. there to be tormented with the Divell and his Angels for ever O then woe woe unto you Mat. 16. For what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule saith our Lord Iesus Surely even as much as it one should winne a farthing and lose an hundred thousand pound For if he shall be cast into hell fire which hath not given of his owne goods righteously gotten as our Saviour avoucheth where then shall he be cast that hath stollen other mens goods And if hee shall be damned that hath not clothed the naked what shall become of him that hath made naked them that were clothed Oh therefore repent in time O yee cruell oppressors seeke the Lord while hee may be found call upon him while hee is neere lay aside your savage cruelty visit the fatherlesse and widow in their distresse deaâ—e your bread to the hungry help them to their right which suffer wrong deale mercifully with your Tenants Rack not your rents any more pinch not the poore soules for whom Christ di d pity them I say but pinch them not deale kindly and friendly with them remember your great acâ—oâ—nâ—s consider the shortnesse of your dayes and the vanity of your life rent your hearts and not your clothes Turne unto the Lord with all your heart with weeping fasting and mourning prevent Gods wrath with a sacrifice of teares pacifie his anger with the calves of your lips and with a contrite spirit be grieved for that which is past and amend that which is to come stand it out no more at the swords point against God for it will not boot you to strive he is too strong for you Your onely wisedome is to come-in Come-in therefore come-in yee rebellious generation submit your selves to the great King humble your selves under his mighty hand cast downe your swords and targets yeeld unto our God So shall you escape the vengeance to come so shall God
is added because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing lying killing stealing and whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud Therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off Here then wee see what it is that will incense God against us and cause us all to mourne So likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Amos that for the cruelty and oppression of the poore he would plague the whole Land Amos 3.8 Shall not the Land tremble for this saith the Lord and every one mourne that dwells therein Againe the Lord saith by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 7.19 1. Doe they provoke mee to anger and not themselves to the confusion of their owne faces Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold mine anâ—â—r and my wrath shall be poured upon this place upon man and beast upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground and it shall burne and not be quenched Jer. 2â— 5 Againe the Lord saith If yee will not heare these words I sweare by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste and I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut downe thy chiefe Cedar-trees and cast them into the fire Likewise the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 5.7 saying Because you have not walked in my Statutes nor kept my Judgements therefore behold I even I come against thee and will execute judgement in the midst of thee even in the sight of the Nations and I will doe in thee that I never did before neither will I doe any more the like because of all thine abominations For in the midst of thee the fathers shall eat their sons and the sons shall eat their fathers Againe by the same Prophet the Lord saith Ezek. 7.23 27. The Land is full of the Judgement of bloud and the Citie full of crueltie Wherefore I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the pompe of the mighty to cease and the holy places shall be defiled When destruction cometh they shall seeke peace and not have it Calamity shall come upon calamity and rumour upon rumour Then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the Ancient The King shall mourne and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the Land shall be troubled I will do unto them according unto their waies and according unto their judgement I will judge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Last of all the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy Heare O earth Behold Jer. 4.19 I will cause a plague to come upon this people even the fruit of their owne imaginations because they have not taken heed to my words and to my Law but cast it off Almost innumerable places to this purpose are to be found in the writings of the Prophets but theâ— may suffice to prove the maine point to wit that the just God doth punish whole nations and kingdomes for the sins and rebellions thereof Phil. Sith all these sins for the which the Lord did execute such universall punishments upon his owne people doe abound and over-flow in the Land may wee not justly feare some great plague to fall upon us And the rather because our transgressions doe increase daily and grow to a full height and ripenesse so as it seems the harvest of Gods vengeance draweth neere and approacheth Theol. We may indeed justly feare and tremble For if God spared not the Angels that sinned how shall hee spare us If he spared not his owne people what can we looke for If he spared not the naturall branches how shall hee spare us that are wilde by nature Are we better then they Can we looke to be spared when they are punished Are not our sinnes as many and as great as theirs Doth not the same cause bring forth the same effect Is the Arme of the Lord shortned Or is not God the same just God to punish sin now that hee was then Yes yes assuredly And therefore we have great cause to mourne and lament to quake and tremble because there is a naked sword of vengeance hanging over our heads Thus did Jeremy Jer. 4.19 Amos 5.6 Hab. 3.16 thus did Amos thus did Habakkuk when they plainly saw the imminent wrath of God approaching upon the people of Israel and Judah Phil. I thinke wee may the rather doubt and feare because the punishment of these fore-named vices is neglected by the Magistrate For commonly when they that beare the sword of Justice doe not draw it out to punish notorious offendors and malefactors the Lord himselfe will take the matter into his owne hands and be revenged in his owne person which is most dreadfull and dangerous For Hâ—b 10 3â— it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Theol. You have spoken a truth For if those which are Gods Deputies and Vicegerents in the earth doe their duties faithfully in punishing vice and maintaining vertue in smiting the wicked and favouring the godly then assuredly evill shall be taken out of Israel Gods wrath prevented and his judgements intercepted as it is written Psal 109.32 Phineas stood up and executed judgement and the plague was stayed But if they for feare favour affection gaine flatterie bribery or any other sinister respect will be too sparing and remisse in punishing of grosse offenders and be rather ready to smite the righteous then doe they exceedingly provoke Gods wrath against the Land and against themselves Phil. One thing I do greatly lament that there be either none at all or very slender censures either by the Civill or Ecclesiasticall authority for divers of these fore-named vices as pride covetousnesse oppression lying idlenesse swearing c. Theol. It is a thing to be lamented indeed For where doe we see a proud man punished a covetous man punished an oppressor punished a swearer punished a lyer punished an idle person punished Now because they know they cannot or shall not be punished therefore they are altogether hardened and imboldened in their sins as the Wise man saith Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evill Phil. One thing I doe much muse at wherein also I desire to be further satisfied viz. what is the cause that under so godly a Prince so many good lawes and so much good preaching and teaching there should notwithstanding be such an excesse and over-flowing of sin in all estates Theol. The causes hereof are divers and manifold But I will nominate foure especiall ones in my judgement The first is mans naturall corruption which is so strong as almost nothing can bridle it The second is ill presidents and
4. Antil 〈◊〉 18. But how answer you this God willâ— not the death of a sinner therefore he hath predestinated none to destruction Theol. God wils not the death of a sinner simply and absolutely as it is the destruction of his creature but as it is a meanes to declare his justice and to set forth his glory Antil God did fore-see and fore-know that the wicked would perish through their owne sin but yet he did not predestinate them unto it Theol. Gods prescience and fore-knowledge cannot be separated from his decree For whatsoever God hath fore-seene and fore-known in his eternall counsell he hath determined the same shall come to passe For as it appertaines to his wisdome to fore-know and fore-see all things so doth it appertain to his power to moderate and rule all things according to his will Antil What doe you call prescience in God Theol. Prescience in God is that whereby all things abide present before his eyes so that to his eternall knowledge nothing is past nothing to come but all things are alwaies present and are they so present that they are not as conceived imaginations formes and motions but all things are alwaies so present befoâ—e God that he doth behold them 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 and perfection Antil How can God justly determine of mens destruction before they have sinned Theol. This objection hath been answered in part before For I told you that God condemneth none but for sin either originall onely or else both originall and actuall For howsoever he doth in himselfe before all time determine the reprobation of many yet he proceeds to no excecution till there be found in us both just desertâ— and apparent cause Therefore they deale unsoundly and foolishly which confound the decree of reprobation with damnation it selfe sith sinne is the cause of the one and only the will of God of the other Phil. Well Sir sith we are so far proceeded in this question by the occasion of this mans objections and cavile I pray you now as you have spoken much of reprobation and the causes thereof so let us heare somewhat of election and the causes thereof and shew us out of the Scriptures that God hath before all worlds chosen some to eternall life Theol. Touching the decree of election there are almost none that make any doubt thereof therefore small proofe shall serve for this point Onely I will construct it by one or two testimonies out of holy Scripture First the Apostle saith Blessed be God Ephes 1.3 even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ as hee hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love You see the words are very plaine and pregnant for this purpose Another confirmation is taken out of the eight chapter to the Romans in these words Those whom hee knew before did he also predestinate to be like to be like to the image of his owne Sonne that hee might be the first-borne of many brethren Phil. Which be the causes of election Theol. The causes of election are to be found onely in God himselfe For his eternall election dependeth neither upon man neither yet upon any thing that is in man but is purposed in himselfe and established in Christ in whom we are elected This is fully proved in these words Ephes 1.5 6. Who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glory wherewith he hath made us freely accepted in his beloved Where we see the Apostle telleth us that his free grace and the good pleasure of his will are the first motives or moving causes of our election Phil. But the Papists fetch the first motive of election out of mans merits and fore-seen workes For say they God did fore-see who would repent beleeve and doe well and therefore he made choice of them Theol. But they are greatly deceived For I say againe and againe that there is nothing in us which did ever move God to set his love upon us and to chuse us unto life but he ever found the originall cause in himselfe as it is written Rom. 9. Hee will have mercy upon whom hee will have mercy and whom hee will hee hardneth And againe It is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Deut. 7.7 The Lord himselfe also testifieth that hee did chuse his people not for any respect in them but onely because he loved them and bare a speciall favour unto them 〈◊〉 then it is a certaine truth that Gods eternall predestination excludeth all merits of man and all power of his will thereby to attaine unto eternall life and that his free mercy and undeserved favour is both the beginning the midst and the end of our salvation that is to say All is of him and nothing of our selves Phil. Whether then doth faith depend upon election or election upon faith That is whether did God chuse us because we doe beleeve or whether doe we beleeve because we are chosen Theol. Out of all doubt both faith and all fruits of faith do depend upon election For therefore we beleeve because we are elected and not therefore elected because wee beleeve As it is written Act. 13.41 So many as were ordained to everlasting life beleeved Antil If men be predestinate before they be borne to what purpose serve all precepts admonitions lawes c. It sorceth not how wee live For neither our godly or ungodly life can alter the purpose of God Theol. This is a very wicked and carnall objection and sheweth a vile and dissolute mind in them that use it But I would wish such men to consider the end of election which is that we should lead a godly 〈◊〉 As it is plainly set down in the first chapter to the Ephesians ver 3. where the Apostle saith God hath chosen us before the foundation of the world But to what end that wee should live as wee list No no saith hee But that wee should be holy and unblameable before him Againe he saith Rom. 9.16 Wee are predestinate to be made like the image of his Sonne that is to be holy and righteous For most certaine it is that wee can judge nothing of predestination but by the consequents that is by our calling justification and sanctification For when once we feele the work of grace within us that is that wee are washed by the new birth and renued by the holy Ghost finding in our selves an unfeigned hatred of sinne and love of righteousnesse then are we sure and out of all doubt that we are predestinated to life And it is even as much is if God had personally appeared unto us and whispered us in the eare and told us that our names are taken and written in the
of your coming to receive the Sacrament Asun To receive my Maker Theol. What is the principall use of a Sacrament Asun The body and bloud of Christ Theol. What profit and comfort have you by a Sacrament Asun In token that Christ died for us Theol. I can but pitty you for your ignorance for it is exceeding grosse and palpable Your answers are to no purpose and bewray a wonderfull blindenesse and senselesnesse in matters of Religion I am sorry that now I have not time and leisure to let you see your folly and extreme ignorance as also to lay open unto you the sense and meaning of the Articles of the Faith the Lords prayer and the Sacraments and all other the grounds of Christian Religion Asun What course would you wish me to take that I may come out of ignorance and attaine unto the true knowledge of God Theol. Surely I would wish you to be diligent in hearing of Sermons and reading the Scriptures with prayer and humility Also that you would peruse Catechismes and other good bookes and especially Virels grounds of Religion and the workes of the two worthy servants of God Master Giffard and Master Perkins and other mens that have done great service to the Church and for whom thousands are bound to give God thankes If you take this course you shall by Gods grace within a short time grow to some good measure of knowledge in all the main grounds of Christian Religion Phil. I had not thought any man had beene so ignorant as I now perceive this man is Theol. Yes verily there be thousands in his case And I doe know by experience that many will use the very same answers or at least very little differing Phil. I warrant you if you had questioned with him of kine or sheepe purchasing of land taking of leases or any other matters under the Sun you should have found him very ripe and ready in his answers Theol. I am so perswaded too For let a man talke with worldly men of worldly matters and their answer is never to seeke They will talke very freshly with you of such matters if it be all the day long For they have a deep in-sight into earthly things doe wholly delight to talk of them being never weary For it is their joy their meat and their drink But come once to talk with them of Gods matters as of faith repentance regeneration c. you shall find them the veriest dullards and dunces in the world For when speech is had of these things they are so bâ—fogged that they cannot tell where they are nor what they say Phil. In my judgement such mens case is very pitifull and dangerous and so is this mans case also if God doe not very speedily pull him out of it Theol. Questionlesse For God saith 〈…〉 My people perish for want of knowledge Our Lord Iesus saith that ignorance is the cause of all errours Mat. â—2 15. Ye erre saith he not knowing the Scriptures The Apostle saith that ignorance doth alienate us from the life of God Epâ—â—â— 4 â—8 For saith he the Gentiles were darkened in their cogitation being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them So then it is cleere that ignorance is not the Mother of devotion as the Papists doe avouch but it is the Mother of errour death and destruction as the Scripture affirmeth Our Lord foreseeing the great danger of ignorance how thereby thousands are carried headlong into hell doth admonish all men to search the Scriptures which doe testifie of him that so they might get out of the most dangerous gulfe of ignorance wherein multitudes are implunged Therefore the Noble men of Berea are commended by the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 17.11 because they received the Word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Oh therefore that men would earnestly seeke after the knowledge of God in time and as the Prophet saith seeke the Lord whilest he may be found call upon him whilest hee is neere Esay 55.6 Phil. I doe see that all ignorance in matters of faith is dangerous but I thinke wilfull ignorance is of all other most dangerous Theol. Wilfull ignorance no doubt is a plaine prognostication and demonstrative argument of eternall death for it is a most horrible and fearfull thing for men to refuse instruction despise counsell harden their hearts stop their eares and close up their eyes against God This is the very upshot of our decay Phil. I pray you what call you hardnesse of heart Theol. An hard heart is that which is neither moved with Gods mercies nor scared with his judgements neither feareth the Law nor regardeth the Gospel neither is holpen by threatnings nor softened by chastenings whis is unthankfull for Gods benefits and disobedient to his counsels made cruell by his rods and dissolute by his favours unshamefac't to filthinesse and fearlesse to perils uncourteous to men and wretchlesse to God forgetfull of things past negligent in things present and improvident in things to come Phil. Lay forth yet more plainely the state of ignorant and hard-hearted men and shew how lamentable it is Theol. If a man bee outwardly blind wee do pitty him and say There goes a poore blind man but if hee be both blind and deafe doe we not more pity him and say Oh in how miserable a case is that man but if hee be both blind deaf and dumb do we not most of all pity him and say Oh that man is in a most wofull taking and in a most pitifull plight How much more then are they to be pitied which as concerning their souls are both blind deafe and dumb For the diseases of the soule are farre more dangerous and more to be pitied then those of the body Would it not pity a mans heart to see a poore sheepe in a Lions mouth whilest hee teareth him rendeth him and puls out his guts Even such is the case of ignorant men in the clawes of the Divell For the Divell hath them under him rideth them at his pleasure and teareth their soules in pieces Oh that wee had eyes to see these things hearts to feele them and affections to be throughly moved with them even unto mourning and teares Phil. Few doe thinke that ignorant men are in so wofull a case as you speake of for they thinke ignorance will excuse them And some will say they are glad they have so little knowledge For if they should have much knowledge of their Masters will and do it not they should be beaten with many stripes but now being ignorant they thinke all is safe Theol. God willed his people to offer sacrifice for their sinnes of ignorance therefore ignorance is a sin and excuseth no man And as for the state of their soules before God it is most miserable if wee could see into their soules as w e see their bodies For assuredly there be multitudes which ruffle it
glory and the great peace and comfort of our owne consciences Strengthen us good Father by thy grace and holy Spirit against the common corruptions of the world as pride whoredome covetousnesse contempt of thy Gospel swearing lying dissembling and deceiving O deare Father let us not be overcome of these filthy vices nor any other sinfull pleasures fond delights wherewith thousands are carried head-long to destruction Arme our soules against all the temptations of this world the flesh and the Divell that wee may overcome them all through thy help and keep on the right way to life that wee may live in thy feare and dye in thy favour that our last dayes may be our best dayes and that wee may end in great peace of conscience Furthermore deare Father we intreat thee not onely for our selves but for all our good brethren thy deare children scattered over the face of the whole earth most humbly beseeching thee to blesse all them to cheere them up and glad them with the joy of thy countenance both now and alwayes Guide them all in thy feare and keep them from evill that they may praise thy Name In these dangerous dayes and declining times wee pray thee O Lord raise up nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto thy Church Raise up also faithfull Pastours that thy cause may be carried forward Truth may prevaile Religion may prosper thy Name onely may be set up in the earth thy Sons Kingdome advanced and thy will accomplished Set thy selfe against all adversary power especially that of Rome Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme curse and crosse all their counsels frustrate their devices scatter their forces overthrow their armies When they are most wise let them be most foolish when they are most strong let them be most weake Let them know that there is no wisdome nor counsell power nor policie against thee the Lord of hosts Let them know that Israel hath a God and that thou which art called Jehovah art the onely Ruler over all the world Arise therefore O most mighty God and maintain thine owne cause against all thine enemies smite thorow all their loines and bow downe their backes yea let them all be confounded and turned backward that beare ill will unto Sion Let the patient abiding of the righteous be joy and let the wicked be disappointed of their hope But of all favour wee intreat thee O Lord to shew speciall mercie to thy Church in this Land wherein wee live Continue thy Gospel amongst us yet with greater successe purge thy House daily more and more take away all things that offend Let this Nation still be a place where thy Name may be called upon and an harbour for thy Saints Shew mercy to our posterity deare Father and have care of them that thy Gospel may be left unto them as a most holy inheritance Defend us against forraigne invasion keep out Idolatry and Popery from amongst us Turne from us those plagues which our sins cry for For the sins of this Land are exceeding great horrible and outrageous and give thee just cause to make us spectacles of thy vengeance to all Nations that by how much the more thou hast lifted us up in great mercy and long peace by so much the more thou shouldest presse us downe in great wrath and long warre Therefore deare Father woe most humbly intreat thee for thy great Names sake and for thy infinite mercies sake that thou wouldest be reconciled to this Land and discharge it of all the horrible sins thereof Drown them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Christ as it were in a bottomlesse gulfe that they may never rise up in judgement against us For although our sins be exceeding many and fearfull yet thy mercie is farre greater For thou art infinite in mercy but wee cannot be infinite in sinning Give us not over into the hands of the Idolaters lest they should blaspheme thy Name and say Where is their God in whom they trusted But rather deare Father take us into thine owne hands and correct us according to thy wisdome for with thee is mercie and deep compassion Moreover wee most heartily beseech thy good Majestie to blesse our most gracious Soveraigne King Charles Queene Mary Prince Charles and the rest of the Royall Progenie We beseech thee also to blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellors counsell them from above let them take advice of thee in all things that they may both consult and resolve of such courses as may be most for thy glory the good of the Church and peace of this our Common-wealth Blesse the Nobility and all the Magistrates of the Land giving them all grace to execute judgement and justice and to maintaine truth and equitie Blesse all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel increase the number of them increase thy gifts in them and so blesse all their labours in their severall places and congregations that they all may be instruments of thy hand to enlarge thy Sons Kingdome and to win many unto thee Comfort the comfortlesse with all needfull comforts Forget none of thine that are in trouble but as their afflictions are so let the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit be unto them and so sanctifie unto all thine their afflictions and troubles that they may tend to thy glory and their owne good Give us thankfull hearts for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall for thou art very mercifull unto us in the things of this life and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life Let us deeply ponder and weigh all thy particular favours toward us that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be gained yet neerer unto thee and that therefore we may both love and obey thee because thou art so kind and loving unto us that even thy love towards us may draw our love towards thee and that because mercy is with thee thou maist be feared Grant these things good Father and all other needfull graces for our soules or bodies or any of thine throughout the whole world for Jesus Christs sake in whose Name wee further call upon thee as he hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer to be used at any time by one alone privately O Lord my God and heavenly Father I thy most unworthy childe do here in thy sight freely confesse that I am a most sinfull creature and damnable transgressour of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements that as I was born and bred in sin and stained in the womb so have I continually brought forth the corrupt and ugly fruits of that infection and contagion wherein I was first conceived both in thoughts words and workes If I should goe about to reckon up my particular offences I knew not where to begin or where to make an end For they are more then the haires of my head yea far more then I can possibly feele or know For who knoweth the height and depth