the King having gotten a wound by a poysoned Dagger she sets her mouth to the wound to such out the poyson venturing her own life to preserve her Husbands Such is the strength of a true Christians love to Christ that were it to suck poyson out of Christs wounds it would be contented so to do as when Christ his Church his cause his people are smitten and wounded by the poysonous tongues of blasphemers the rayling tongues of licentious libertines the hellish fiery tongues of a rebellious generation and a good Christian is willing to draw it all upon himselfe to take it off from Christ and that Christ may have the glory he careth not what he undergoeth Self-tryall smoothes the way to all other tryals BIlney a Martyr in Q. Maries dayes tryed his finger by himselfe in the Candle before he tried his whole body in the fire at the stake If thou hast run with the footman faith God by the mouth of the Propheâ— and they have wearied thee then how canst thou match thy self with Horses Jer. 12. 5 How shall our faith abide the â—iery triall by others if it have never been put to the fiery trial by our selves How shall that faith try a match with horsemen smile at torments stare a disguised death in the face that never yet tried a match with footmen that never tried it selfe in private that never strugled with naturall corruptions Surely selfe tryal will pave the way smooth to all other tryals And that man will never abide to be tryed at a bar or stake that is loath to be tryed in his Closet or his Chamber Adversity seeks God IT is reported that when on a time the City of Constantinople was shaken with a terrible Earthquake many Houses were overthrown and with the fall many people perished The whole City is hereupon so amazed and every one so remembred to think on God that they fall to their publique devotions the Churches were thwack'd full with people all men for a while were much amended Justice commutative and distributive both advanced the poor relieved Justice exalted Lawes executed no fraud in bargaining it was become a very holy place but when God held his hand from punishing they held their hearts from praying when his wrath ceased their Religion ceased also And was it not alike in the civill Wars of France after the putting forth of that Act or Edict Ianuary 1561. and in the second and third years of those Wars such as were of the Religion then groaning under the heavy cross of poverty oppression and war how devout were they towards God very carefull in their waies glad to hear any preach the Word and glad to receive the Sacrament any way but when the third peace was concluded which seemed a very sound peace and the Rod was now thought to be removed afar off such carelesnâ—sse and security overgrew the hearts of all and in the Protestants there was so cold a zeal Tanta erat Religiosorum taediosa curiositas c. and that within less then two years that a Sermon plainly made with good grounds of Divinity was not thought to be worth the hearing unlesse it were spiced with Eloquence or flourished over with courtly expressions Nomine mutato dâ— nobis fabula The case is ours witnesse that Marian persecution when so many of the dear children of God mounted like Elias to heaven in fiery Chariots What prayers were made within the Land and without and what coldnesse benummed some hot ones of that time not long after Call to mind that miraculous year of 88. How did the piety of our Land exceed at that time young and old then came together into the Courts of the Lord Sabbaths were then sanctified week-dayes well spent How did the people flock to Church It might have been written in golden letters over every Church-door in the Land Cor unum via una such was the unity such was the uniformity of their devotions at that time but with the cold of the winter their devotion grew cold too and many moneths had not passed but as in few things some were the better so in many things a great deal worse To come yet downwards Anno 1625. to omit others The chief City of our Kingdom being struck with the plague of Pestilence seemed no other then a dreadful dungeon to her own a very Golgotha to others What then The King commands a Nineveh-like humiliation with what eagerness were those fasts devoured What loud cryes did beat on all sides of the Gates of Heaven and with what inexpectable unconceivable mercies were they answered Suddainly those many thousands were brought down to one poor unite not a number then was all the fasting and mourning turnd into joy and laughter To come yet lower to this very year this very day How hath the Sword devoured and whilst it did so how did the people unite and associate but when it seemed to be but a little sheath'd what remisness what divisions were found amongst us It is so and it is not well that it is so It is a reproach to some No Penny no Pater-noster it is a shame to us No Plague no Pater-noster no punishment no prayer Carnall and spirituall men their difference in doing good AN Organ or any other wind-instrument maketh no Musick til there be breath put into it but a stringed Instrument as the Lute or Viol yeeldeth a pleasant sound even with the rouch of a finger And thus a carnal man that is dead in sins and trespasses must have a new life breathed into him by the blessed spirit of God before he be able to set forth the praises of his Maker whereas one that is spiritualized one that is furnished with the graces of the spirit doth good and receiveth good upon the least touch of the spirit is a Trumpet of Gods glory upon the least occasion that can possibly be offered Faith makes us partakers of every good thing in Gods Ordinances LOok but on a Conduit that is full of water now a man that would fill his vessel must bring it to the Conduit set it near the Cock but yet that is not enough if that be all and he do no more he may go home again with an empty vessel and therefore he that would fill his vessell when he hath brought it to the Conduit and set it under the Cock he must also turn the Cock and then the water runs forth and fills his vessel So Christ is the Conduit of all grace and goodnesse the Fountain of living waters he that would be spiritually filled must come to him his Ordinances the Word and Sacraments are the Cocks of this Conduit so that a man that would be filled must not onely go to Christ but to Christ in his Ordinances and that is not enough neither when he is come to them he must turn them But how must that be done the Well is deep and I
rapacity and drunkenness so soon he declared his censure of them with this exclamation I confess that your Religion may be good your devotion good your Profession good but sure your hospitality is stark naught Apud quos ne Deus quidem biduò commorari permittitur that you will not give your God two days lodging Here now was a sad occasion given for the Enemies of God so to judge of them that seem to make profession of his holy name This the shame of Christians the disparagement of Religion when it is forced against the nature of it to encourage lewdnesse This an abuse of the promises of Grace of the Covenants and pledges of Grace which are the Sacraments when encouragements to evill are derived from so mercifull Indulgence Again it is a dishonour done to the honour of Grace and Godlinesse when from the Sermon which forbiddeth such a sin we shall immediately run into the sin forbidden by the Sermon and so give an unhappy occasion for weak ones to be offended The loss of a faithfull Ministery not to be sleighted And why so GAlinus the Emperour when tydings was brought him of the loss of Egypt Well said he let it go Cannot we live without the Flax and hemp of Egypt And when he had also lost France two great and mighty Countries What said he Cannot the Land stand sine sagis trabeatis without those Souldiers Cassocks which France doth send us This was a piece of Heathenish stupidity But if ever it shall come to pass quod avertat Deus that the Ministers of the Gospel should be driven into corners let no good Christian make slight of it but be deeply affected and affectionately taken with the loss For they are such as watch for our souls the comforters of Sion the Sons of Consolation spirituall fathers repairers of the breach such as stand in the gap of Gods anger spirituall Physitians Doves which bring the Olive leafe of peace to the troubled soul and what not They are sanguis mundi when they dye or fail a Man may justly feare the World 's a dying they are the butteresses and pillars to uphold it from ruine and confusion grievous then must it needs be and matter of great concernment when such are taken away The secure Worldlings suddain ruine LOok upon a weary Traveller scorched with the heat of the Sun how he resteth himselfe under the shady leaves of some fair spreading Trâ—â— and there falls asleep so long that the Sun coming about heats him more then formerly so that he is ready to faint his head akes and all his body is as it were stewed even in its own sweat Thus it fares with the Men of this World such as having wearied themselves in heaping up the things thereof lye down and sing a foolish Requiem to their Souls mean while the course of their life runs on the Sun comes about Death overtakes them and instead of a comfortable shade to refresh them they may easily perceive the fire of Hell if God be not the more mercifull ready to consume them A child of God preserved by God though never so much slighted by the World THey that work in Gold or Silver let fall many a bit to the ground yet they do not intend to lose it so but sweep the shop and keep the very sweepings safe so that that which they cannot at present discover the Finer brings to light Thus the World is Gods Work-house many a dear child of God suffers and falls to the ground by banishment imprisonment sorrow sickness c. but they must not be lost thus God will search the very sweepings and cull them out of the very trash and preserve them What though they be slightly set by here in this world and lie amongst the pots no better accompted of-than the rubbish and refuse of the Earth God will finde a time to make them up amongst the rest of his Jewels Mal. 3. Ult. True knowledge never rests on the Creature till it center in God the Creator AS the Legend speaks Historically which is onely true Symbolically of St. Christopher that before he was converted to the faith he would serve none but the strongest He had for his Master a Man of great strength and puissance but a King subdued him Him he forsook for that King but finding him to be overcome by a Neighbour he betook himselfe to that other Pagan Conquerour This Conquerour was also tyrannized over by the Devill to whom he was a meere slave doing all his base commands This he could not endure but entered into service with the Devill For awhile he admired the power of his new Master and what a dominion he exercised over the sons of Men but in a short space he found out his weakness also so feeble and fearfull was he of a piece of Wood he durst not passe by the Cross but when that stood in his way he must by all means back again Now the weary servant longed to know what this Cross meant that he might find out a more potent Lord It was told him that Christ was the Lord of that Ensign and that the Cross was his Banner Thither then he flyes and there he found out a most mighty yea an Almighty Master So true knowledge never rests on the Creature till it center in the Creator aims at none but the highest and climbs from strength to strength from height to height till it appear before God in Zion higher than Riches in their Treasury then Princes on their Thrones then stars in the Firmament fetching all her light and comfort from God in Christ Iesus How it is that wicked men are said to hasten death BErnardinus Senensis a devout man tells of a stripling in Catalonia being eighteen years of age that having been disobedient to his parents fell to robbing and being hanged on the Tree and there remaining for a spectacle to disobedient children on the next morning a formall beard and gray hairs appeared on him as if he had been much struck in years which the people hearing of and wondering at the suddennesse of the change urging how young he was at his death A grave reverend Father of the Church being then present said That he should have lived to have been so old as he then appeared had he not been disobedient The devout man it 's probable may be out in the story but the other was in at the application For Stat sua cuique dies every mans daies are determined the number of his months is with God he hath appointed him his bounds that he cannot passe there is a measure of his daies in respect of Gods prescience and providence But in respect of the course of nature the thread of life which might have been lengthned is cut off by Gods command for sin as in the Family of Eli and the People of the
such as make low accompt of Mens lives that destroy where they might build hopes of amendment and down with root and branch where they need but pare the leafe such in discharge of their place are govern'd more by Custome then Conscience who take dark circumstance and lame surmise for evidence rashly giving sentence and as precipitately proceeding to Execution Graces of Gods spirit not given in vain THe Husbandman the more he improves his ground the greater crop he looks for the completer the Souldier is armed the better service is required of him The Scholler that is well instructed must shew great fruits of his proficiency Thus the Earthly part of Man soaks in the sweet showers of Grace that fall upon it The bleffed Spirit of God puts upon us that Panoplia that whole Armour of God And the same Spirit teacheth us all things leads us into all Truth and brings all things to our Remembrance which Christ hath spoken for our good Shall we then being thus manured thus armed thus instructed not bring forth fruits in some measure answerable to so great Indulgence Shall such blessings of God be received in vain It must not be we may read these and the like expressions in Scripture Occupy till I come Give an accompt of thy sâ—ewardship To whom much is given much is required What 's the meaning Cum crescunt dona rationes etiam crescunt donorum We must give an accompt as well of Graces received from God Whether they be those summer Graces of Prosperiâ—y Joy and Thansgiving or those winter Graces of Adversity Patience and Perseverance or the Grace of Humility which is alwayes in season as of Sins of what kind soever committed against him Sacriledge justly rewarded to take heed of committing it IT was a suddain and sad end that befell Cardinall Wolsey whilst he sought more to please his Soveraign then his Saviour And the revenging hand of God pursued his five chiefe Agents that were most instrumentall for him in his sacrilegious enterprise One of them killed his fellow in a Duell and was hang'd sor it a third drowned himselfe in a well a fourth fell from a great Estate to extream beggery Doctor Allen the last and chiefest of them being Arch-bishop of Dublin was cruelly slain by his Enemies Utinam his similibus exemplis c. saith the Author of this story I would men would take heed by these and the like examples how they meddle with things consecrated to God for if divine Justice so severely punished those that converted Church-goods though not so well administred to better uses doubtlesse And why but because they did it out of selfish and sinfull self-interested Principles and â—nds What shall become of such as take all occasions to rob God that they might enrich themselves Spoliantur Ecclesiae Scholae c. was Luthers complaint of old Parishes and Churches are polled and robbed of their maintenance as if they meant to starve us all The comfortable Resurrection of Gods poore despised People WHen we see one in the streets from every dunghill gather old pieces of rags and durty clouts little would we think that of those old rotten ragges beaten together in the Mill there should be made such pure fine white Paper as afterwards we see there is Thus the poor despised Children of God may be cast out into the world as dung and dross may be smeared and smooted all over with lying amongst the pots they may be in tears perhaps in bloud both broken-hearted and broken-boned yet for all this they are not to dispair for God will make them one day shine in joy like the bright stars of Heaven and make of them Royall Imperiall Paper wherein he will write his own name for ever Conversion of a sinner matter of great rejoycing IT is observable that Abraham made a feast at the weaning of his Son Isaac not on the day of his Nativity not on the day of his Circumcision but on that day when he was taken from his Mothers breast from sucking of Milk to taste of stronger meat This made a festival in Abrahams family and may very well make a feast in ever true Repentant sinners heart Nascimuâ— carâ—ales allactamur spirituales We are all of us conceived and born in sinne and with our Mothers milk have sucked in the bitter juyce of corrupt Nature but when it comes so to passe that by the speciall illumination of Gods holy Spirit shining into our hearts that we are weaned from the things of this World and raised up to those things which are at Gods right hand that we are new Creatures new Men c. This hath alwayes been matter of great rejoycing to the Angels of Heaven and must needs be the like to every sinner that is so converted Childrens Christian instruction the great benefit thereof IT is reported of the Harts of Scythia that they teach their young ones to leap from bank to bank from Rock to Rock from one turfe to another by leaping before them which otherwise tâ—ey would never practise of themselves by which meanes when they are hunted no Man or beast can ever overtake them So if Parents would but exercise their Children unto Godlinesse principle them in the wayes of God whilst they are young and season their tender years with goodnesse dropping good things by degrees into their narrow-moutn'd vessels and whetting the same upon their Memories by often repeating Sathan that mighty Hunter should never have them for his prey nor lead them captive at his Will they would not be young Saints and old Devils as the prophane Proverb hath it but young Saints and old Angels of heaven The joyes of Heaven not to be expressed St. Augustine tells us that one day while he was about to write something upon the eighth verse of the Thirty sixth Psalm Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures And being almost swallowed up with the Contemplation of Heavenly joyes one called unto him very loud by his name and enquiring who it was he answered I am Hierom with whom in my life time thou hadst so much conference concerning doubts in Scripture and am now best experienced to resolve thee of any doubts concerning the joyes of Heaven but onely let me first aske thee this question Art thou able to put the whole Earth and all the waters of the Sea into a little 〈◊〉 Canst thou measure the waters in thy fist and mete out Heaven with thy span or weigh the Mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance If not no more is it pâ—ssible that thy understanding should comprehend the least of those joyes And certainly The joyes of Heaven are inexpressible so sayes St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye may see farre it may reach the Stars but not the joyes of Heaven the ear may extend it selfe a great
Hedghogs are all time-servers they do all things for the time but nothing for the truth they believe for a time as long as the warm Sun shines on them but as soon as any storm of persecution ariseth by and by they have a starting hole to hide themselves in they turn faces about and change their Religion with the Time God doth not onely deliver but also comfort his Children THe Eagle doth sometimes carry her young ones onely from a dangerous to a safer nest sometimes she rouseth them out of their floath and directs them where they may find their prey Even so dealeth God with his children he freeth them from danger and bringeth them to comfort He did not onely bear the Israelites on the Eagles wings of protection which shewed a deliverance from evill but he brought them to himself whâ—ch shewed a bestowing of good How a man is said to pray continually THough in the old Law the Priest did not continually offer sacrifices unto the Lord yet fire was continually burning upon the Altar and never went out So though we do not continually offer to God the calves of our lips yet the fire of devotion and spirituall fervency must continually be burning in our hearts and never go out And this is the true meaning of the Apostles exhortation Pray continually not pray continually with the tongue as though that should never lie still but pray continually meaning with that part which doth indeed never lie still except we be still and that 's the Heart A bad reformation of a Church is the deformation of the Church IT was the complaint of the Emperour Adrian when he lay a dying Many Physitians have destroyed the Emperour meaning that their contrary conceits and different directions had hastned his death and cut him off before his time Just thus there are many censurers and correctors of our not sick but sound Religion approved by the sacred Scriptures and attended by the blood of many faithful Martyrs There are so many Reformers and Rectifiers of all ages sexes and degrees of all professions and trades that take upon them to order our Church according to the crooked line of their own severall imaginations that they have almost reduced all things in it into a Chaos and confusion and so spoyled and defaced one of the most compleat Churches for Doctrine and Discipline decency and order now extant in the Christian world Carnall pleasure to be changed into Spirituall pleasure IT is reported of one Leonides a Captain who perceiving his Souldiers left their Watch upon the City-walls and did nothing all the day-long but quaff and tipple in Ale-houses near adjoyning commanded that the Ale-houses should be removed from that place where they stood and be set up close by the Walls that seeing the souldiers would never keep out of them at the least they might watch as well as drink in them So because we itch after delight and pleasure we must needs have and we cannot be kept from it God hath appointed that we should take delight enough and yet serve him never a whit the lesse For it is no part of Gods meaning when we enter into his sweet service that we should be debarred of all delight but onely that we should change the cause of our delight delight of the service of sin into a delight in the service of God Isaac must not be sacrificed but the Ram all rammish and rank delight of the world not Isaac i. e. all spirituall laughter all ghostly joyes all heavenly delight and pleasure The manifestation of God in severall respects THe Sun doth manifest it self first by day-light and that is common to all which dwell in the same Horison unto which the Sun is risen some have more than day-light they have also the Sun-shining light which shining light of the Sun is not in all places where day-light of it is Finally the Sun is manifest in the Heavens in his full strength for the body is present there which none can endure but the Stars which become glorious bodies by that speciall prâ—sence of the Sun amongst them In like manner God in whom all things live and move and have their being doth manifest himself unto some by the works of his generall providence of which St. Paul speaks God leâ—t not himself without witnesse c. This manifestation of God is like the day-light it is common to all it is an universall grace The eyes of all things look up unto thee c. There is a second manifestation and that is more particular but to some onely it is like the Sunshine it is that manifestation which God vouchsafeth to his Church of which Esay speaketh Arise shine for thy light is come c. for in comparison of the Church the rest of the World sitteth in darknesse and in the shadow of death The third and last manifestation is that which God maketh of himself in Heaven to the Angels and Saints the clearest and fullest whereof a creature is capable and those which partake this presence of God become thereby glorious Saints more glorious than the Stars which receive their resplendent lustre from the aspect which they have to the Sun's body so that it seemes there are those who are in better case than we are and there are those who are in worse and therefore we must thank God for our present advancement and remember that we make forward unto that nearnesse unto which God is reserved for us in the Heavens The seven Sacraments of the Papists not of divine Institution WHen Christ feasted that great multitude with five loaves and two fishes it is observed that the five loaves were of the Baker's making and the two fishes of God's making The Papists stiffly maintain seven Sacraments in their Church viz. Baptism the Eucharist Matrimony Orders Penance Confirmation and extream Uâ—ction But most sure it is that the two first onely are of God's making in the other five appears the knavery of the Baker they are of the Pope's making and not of God's Christian Liberty abused by the Sectarian party CAmbyses demanding of his Counsellours Whether he might not marry his sister by the Law of the Land They answered That they found no Law that allowed a brother to marry his sister but one that permitted the King of the Persians to do as he list Thus our proud peevish sectarian Libertines impatient of Government a rebellious and obstinate people cannot in all the Scripture find any sound or seeming proof for their foul rebellions against lawfull Authority neither can their fals prophets their chief counsellours find out any such places for them but therefore they use in a wrong sense so to enlarge and amplifie the great benefit of our Christian liberty the which indeed is a freedom from all hellish slavish fear but not from a holy and son-like fear a freedom from
of Greece Viso Solone vidistiomnia In seeing Solon thou seest all even Athens it self and the wholy glory of the Greeks Tell me Christian Hast thou faith and assured trust in the Lord then thou hast more then all the wonders of Greece upon the point all the wonderful gifts of grace for faith is a mother vertue from which all others spring and without faith all the best of our actions are no better then sin Hypocrites in their saying well but doing ill reproved â—Ulius Caesar in his Commentaries writeth of the French Souldiers that in the beginning of the battel at the first onset they were more then Men but at the second or before the end less then Women They would talk bravely and come on couragiously but at length give off cowardly Such are the hypocritical Hotspurs of our times who have Gods word swiming in their heads but not shining in their lives such as set up the Temple with one hand and pull it down with the other like scribling School-boyes that what they write with the fore-finger they blur with the hinde-finger who if words may be received their pay is gallant but if deeds be required their money is not currant who in professing and protesting are more then Protestants but in practising and performing and persevering less then Papists Zeal in God's service made the worlds derision DOgs seldom bark at a Man that ambles a softly fair pace but if he once set spurs to his horse and fall a galloping though his errand be of importance and to the Court perhaps then they bark and flie at him and thus they do at the Moon not so much because she shines for that they alwayes see but because by reason of the clouds hurried under by the windes she seems to run faster then ordinary And thus if any Man do but pluck up his spirits in Gods service and run the wayes of his commandments it is Iehu's furious March presently and he shall meet with many a scoffe by the way that runneth with more speed then ordinary The great danger of Sacriledge IT is no Christian but a right Heathenish trick to demolish holy places or through sloth and covetousnes to suffer them to fall Nay the very Heathens would never do that to the Temples of their false Gods that we Christians do to the house of the true God for they hated and fled from all sacrilegious persons Were the Church leprous we could do no more then pluck out the stones as they did in the old Law in a leprous house nay they would not even in such a house pluck out all the stones as they do in Churches but onely such as were leprous Well let such know that next to the injury done against the Temple of mans body there can be no greater injury then that which is done against the body of the Temple and one day all such sacrilegious irreligious prophane persons may chance to feel that whip upon their conscience which sometime Celsus felt who after the robbing and prophaning of many Churches hearing one day that place of Esay read Woe unto them that join house to house that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth cryed out immediately Vae mihi filiis meâ—s Wo then be to me and my children for ever The Hypocrites inconstancy IT is reported of the Shee-wolfe that she hath an yearly defect in procreation for at the first she beareth five young ones the second time but four the third time but three the fourth time but two the fifth time but one and then afterwards remaineth barren Thus Hypocrites forgetting the solemn vow they made to God in Baptism as also those principles of Religion wherein they seemed expert to their Catechizers as they grow upward in age they grow downward in Grace with Demes embracing this present World and with Hymeneus and Alexander making shipwrack of a good conscience verifying the by-word young Saints old Devils The laughtâ—r of the wicked is but from the teeth outwards IT is said of Paulus Emilius that having put away his wife Papinia without any cause as it seemed to others stretched forth his foot and said You see a new and neat shooe but where this shooe wringeth me not you but I alone know meaning that there were many secret jars happening between the marryed which others could not possibly perceive And certainly the most wicked men the greatest enemies to God and his Gospel the most traiterous and rebellious of a People or Nation may be so jocund and merry and shew such magnanimity in their faces that none can imagine by any outward circumstance but that they are truly cheerful and couragious in their hearts and yet in the midst of all their mirth and greatest delights even in the very ruffe of all their bravery they have secret heart-burnings and grievous vexations what God and themselves only know The Lord hath spoken it tâ—ice and therefore it must needs be plain and peremptory That there is no Peace to the wicked Their looks may be sometimes lively but their hearts are alwayes heavy Gods omnipotency AMongst all the gods of the Heathens Iupiter was in the greatest esteem as the Father and King of gods and was called lupiter quasi juvans Pater a helping Father yet as the Poets feign he wept when he could not set Sarpedon at liberty such was the imbecillity and impotency of this Master-god of the Heathen But the hand of our God is never shortned that it cannot help he is ever able to relieve us alwayes ready to deliver us Amongst all the gods there is none like unto him none can do like unto his works he is God omnipotent Prayers and tears are the Weapons of the Church THe Romans in a great distress were put so hard to it that they were fain to take the weapons out of the Temples of their gods to fight with them and so they overcame And this ought to be the course of every good Christian intimes of publique distress to flie to the weapons of the Church Prayers and Tears The Spartans walls were their spears the Christians walls are his prayers his help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made both Heaven and Earth The gradation of Faith THe heart of every believer is like a vessel with a narrow neck which being cast into the Sea is not filled at the firstâ—asily â—asily but by reason of the strait passage receiveth water drop by drop Thus God giveth unto us even a Sea of mercy but the same on our part is apprehended and received by little and little we go from strength to strength from grace to grace and from one degree of vertue to another praying alwayes as the blessed Apostles O Lord encrease our faith that from weakness of faith and
in continual frettings vexings quarrels schisms and factions Preparation necessary before Prayer AS Ioseph thought not himself fit to be presented to Pharoah before he was shaved and had thanged his Raiment As Bartimeus threw away his Cloak when he was going towards our Saviour And as Moses was bid to put off his shooes before he approached to the bush where God appeared So it behoveth every Christian when he addresseth himself unto God by prayer that he be prepared that he cast away every thing that 〈◊〉 and the sin that doth so easily beset him Heb. 12. The Magistrate is to do Iustice and Right IT was a shame for Caesar to confess Melior causa Cassii sed denegare Bruto nihil possum And Henry the Emperor the seventh of that name is much taxed in story for that being appealed unto by a couple of Lawyers who contended about the Soveraignty of the Empire they first making the agreement betwixt themselves that he for whom the Emperor should give sentence should win a horse of his fellow Lawyer Now the Emperor fairly pronounced truth to be on his side that spake most for his power and Authority whereupon this Proverb was taken up Alter respondet aequum sed alter habet equum The one hath the right on his side but the other rides the horse Thus it is that partiality perverteth right and corrupteth Iudgement whereas the Law is plain you shall have no respect of persons in Judgement c. And the Apostles charge unto Timothy is that he do nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by titing the ballance on one side Weak ones how to be catechised and instructed TAke a bottle or any other vessel with a narrow mouth liquor must be poured into it softly and by degrees or else more will be spilt on the ground then filled into the vessel so it is with weaker Christians such as have narrow-mouth'd capacities shallow apprehensions dull conceptions the Word of God must be teached unto them by degrees now a line and then a line now a prâ—câ—pt and anon a precept they are not to be surcharged It was well considered of Iacob when he and his brother Esau were to travel together That the children were tender and that not the flocks but the Herds with young were with him also and that if they should be over-driven but one day they would perish he desired his brother therefore that he would pass before him and that he would come softly after as the Cattel and the younglings were able to endure Thus must every Minister do he must not set out before the weakest of the flock but stay and take them along with him he must so drive on with them that they may hold on with him so instruct them that they may profit by him so principle so catechise so feed them with milk as tender Babes that they may by degrees take in meat like stronger men The Law Gods Rhetorick in the delivery of it Mans duty to attend it THe whole nineteenth Chapter of Exodus is but an Exordium to the next where in the Law was delivered and therein is observable how God plays the skilfull 〈◊〉 and performeth all things which the best Rules in Rhetorick require in an Exorâ—â—ium The Rules require that an Orator should first captare bene â—olentiam work himself first into the good liking of his Auditors And why because if they like not the Man they will not much care for the matter This God doth at the fourth verse he sets forth his well-deservings of them in overthrowing their enemies and in setting them free and what may better give them an earnest for their love then an experiment that he had given them of his love The next Rule of Rhetorick is Redâ—â—ere auditores dociles to bring them that already affect the Man to understand the matter and how is that done by shewing how much the matter concerneth them how beneficial it will be to them For men gladly hear of their own good and the greater good the more gladly do they hear of it Excellently doth God play his part of the Orator at the fifth and sixth verses significantly setting forth the benefit which they shall reap by their obedience shewing them what rate he will set upon them what an approach they shall make unto him how sacred how blessed their estate shall be and who will not be curiously inquisitive after such a matter and hear them gladly that bring such tidings The third point of Rhetorick is Auditores attentos reddere to rouze his Auditory to make them attentive that no part of the speech slip by or passe unweighed God omitteth not this part of Rhetorick neither he sets before the people the danger that might overtake them the respect that must be used by them The case now is ours the same Sermon that was then preached to Israel is now ours let us therefore be attentive God hath deserved better of us then ever he did of Israel we enjoy the truth whereof they had but the type Have we not reason then to affect him yea and to affect that also which is delivered by him for it containeth our spiritual good our blessed Communion with God and those spurs of attention must work no less upon us then upon them For though we be not called to the Parliament we must be at the Assizes which will be far more dreadfull at the meeting then ever the Parliament was Not to make use of the present time dangerous IT was day at Ierusalem in Christ's time at Ephesus in St. Iohns time at Corinth Philippi c. in St. Paul's time at Crete in Titus time at Alexandria in St. Mark 's time at Smyrna in Polycarps time at Pergamus in Antipas time at Antioch in Evodius and Ignatius time at Constantinople in St. Chrysâ—stom's time at Hippo in St. Augustines time c. It is now night with most of them and yet day with us Ierusalem had a day and every City every Nation every Church every Congregation every man hath a day of grace if he have but grace to take notice of it hath an accepted time if he do but accept of it and he may find God if he seek him in time but if he let the Sun of righteousness go down and work not out his salvation whilst it is called to day he must look for nothing but perpetual darkness when time will be swallowed up into Eternity when there will be no time at all Ministers of all Men to be men of knowledge and understanding IF one should have a Vial or a glass of that pretious blood which distilled from Christ on the Cross and were forced to remove it and transport it from place to place How wise would this party be that he did handle it warily least if the glass should break all should perish This were no great task for an ignorant
universally received the truth of the Gospell so to the last it may continue constant for the truth that every man would stand up for the truth fight and die for the truth and happinesse it will be found in the end thus to suffer for so good a friend as truth is to continue truth's friend who ever he be that shall become an enemy therefore Kingdom of Christ a peaceable Kingdom A Captain sent from Caesar unto the Senators of Rome to sue for the prolonging of his Government abroad understanding as he stood at the Councill-chamber-door that they would not condiscend to his desire clapping his hand upon the pummel of his sword well said he seeing you will not grant it me this shall give it me So when the Citizens of Messana despising Pompeys jurisdiction alleadged ancient orders in old time granted to their Town Pompey did answer them in choller what do you prattle to us of your Law that have swords by your sides And thus it is that Mahomet dissolveth all Arguments by the sword and thus all Tyrants and Potentates of the World end all their quarrels and make their Enemies their foot-stool by the sword But the Scepter of Christs Kingdom is not a sword of steel but a sword of the Spirit He ruleth in the midst of his Enemies and subdueth a People unto himself not by the sword but by the word for the Gospel of peace is the power of his arm to Salvation Recreation the necessity thereof IT is reported of a good old Primitive Christian that as he was playing with a Bird two or three youths as they were passing by observ'd it and one of them sayes to the other See how this old man playes like a child with the bird which the good Man over-hearing calls him to him asks him what he had in his hand A bow saies he What do you with it and how do you use it said the other whereupon the young Man bent his bow and nock'd his Arrow as if he had been ready to shoot then after some short time unbent his bow again Why do you so said the holy Man Alas sayes the young Man If I should alwaies keep my bow ready bent it would prove a slug and be utterly disabled for any further service Is it so said the good old Man Then my son take notice that as thy bow such is the condition of all human Nature should our thoughts and intentions be alwaies taken up and the whole bent of our minds set upon the study of divine things the wings of devotion would soon flagge and the arrows of Contemplation fly but slowly towards heaven And most true it is that there is Otium as wel as Negotium a time of taking pleasure as well as a time of taking paine neque semper arcum tendit Apollo the bow that stands alwaies bent will become unserviceable And let but the frame of this body of ours want its naturall rest the roof will be soon on fire Recreation is a second Creation when weakness hath almost annihilated the spirits it is the breathing of the Soul which otherwise would be stifled Lawfull Recreation such as that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Philosophers strengthens labour and sweetens rest and the blessing of God may be expected therein as well as in doing the work of our Calling The great benefit of Devotion at bed time OVens that have been baked in over-night are easily heated the next morning The Cask that was well seasoned in the Evening will smell well the next day The Fire that was well raked up when we went to bed will be the sooner kindled when we rise Thus if in the Evening we spend our selves in the examination of our hearts how we have spent the time past and commit our selves unto the good guidance of God for the time to come we shall soon find the spirituall warmth thereof making us able and active for all good duties in the morning and by adding some new fuel to this holy fire we shall with much facility and comfort cause it to burn and blaze in all Christian and religious duties To accept the event of things with Patience THe Censurers of the World by way of Apologue being met together consulted about the redress of divers enormities One with the countenance of Heraclitus was ever weeping for the disorders another with the face of Democritus was ever laughing at the absurdities a third of a more pragmatical spirit was busie where he had no thanks They all studied and plotted how to reform the ataxie of things and to bring the World into some peace and order Princes were implored Philosophers consulted Physitians Souldiers the eminent in all Professions were convented many stratagems were devised still the more they projected to stil the worlds troubles the more troublesome they made it One would have it this way another that the next differs from both a fourth opposeth them three a fifth contradicteth them all So that there was nothing else but crossing one another Physitians with their Recipes Commanders with their Precipes Iesuites with their Decipes all the rest with their Percipes could do no good at all At last a Grand-father in a religious habite presented them an hear◠of such soveraign vertue that when every one had tasted of it they were all calm and quiet presently The herbs name he called Bulapathum the herb Patience And let but this be our dyet continually and we shall find a strange alteration in our selves No troubles abroad nor discontents at home shall break our peace if we be but armed with patience The Church and People of God are thrown upon sad times Blessings are not denyed though they be not presently granted Some while God is not fit to give the time for his greater glory is not yet come Another while we are not fit to receive the time of our preparedness and capacity is not yet come The Lord looks to be waited on Psalm 27. 14. To be carefull in the prevention of Danger THe Boare in the Fable being questioned Why he stood whetting his teeth so when no body was near to hurt him wisely answered That it would then be too late to whet them when he was to use them and therefore whetted them so before danger that he might have them ready in danger Thus as Demosthenes advised the Athenians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they would not expect till evill came but prevent it and to deal with dangers as Men do with Serpents and vipers of which though happily they never have been stung or bitten yet seeing any of them they tarry not till it sting or bite but before harm done forthwith seek to kill it to crush the Scorpion at the first appearance not waiting and gaping after event the School-master of fools as Fabius calls it but ante bellum auxilium and ante tubam tremor to be affected with
understand him And the other remembring that he was a Minister stood not alwayes upon the pureness of his style but was farre more solicitous of his matter then of his Words Thus as Children use money to jingle with and Men use flowers for sight and scent but Bees for hony and wax not to gild their wings as the butterfly but to fill their Combs and feed their young In like sort there are those that tip their tongues and store their heads some for shew and some for delight but Ministers above all men have these talents in trust that therewith they may save themselves and those that hear them they must condescend to the capacities of their Hearers stoop to the apprehensions of the meanest become all things to all Men in S. Pauls sense that they may win some Hence was that saying of a reverend Bishop Lord send me learning enough that I may preach plain enough The Sinners wilfull blindness condemned THe Lionesse will not company with the Lyon after her commixtion with the Leopard till she wash her selfe in water unwilling that her Adultery should be manifested by her scent And the Viper is so wise that before its copulation with the â—ish Muraena it first vomits and casts out all the pernicious and venemous poyson that is within it But O the wilfull blindnesse of poor sinfull Man by nature more adulterous than the Lionesse more venemous than the Viper going a whoring after every sort of vanity full of hatred and malice suffering strange Lords to tyrannize over him without repugnancy yea and such cowardly Lords that if but resisted would flee from him yet he gives way to them not fearing that his disloyalty shall be perceived and revenged by his Righteous Lord and Master whose patience will at last break out into fury and break him too into a thousand pieces The hasty unexpected death of friends not to be matter of excessive sorrow A Bijah the Prophet meets with Jeroboams wife and tells her that he was sent with heavy news and with that especially Thy childe shall die And which might add the more unto her sorrow Thy childe shall die assoon as thou enterest thy foot into the City so that she could not so much as speak to him or see him alive And it was so which was the occasion of a Nationall mourning there being in him bound up the hopes of all Israel And thus it is that many judge it very heavy tydings to hear of the early untimely deaths of friends and acquaintance that like grapes they should be gathered before they be ripe and as Lambs slain before they be grown But why should they judge so Why take on so with grief and sorrow It is true that Tears are sutable to an house of mourning so that Moderation lends a Napkin to dry up the excess of weeping Consider then that nothing hath befallen them but that which hath done may do and often doth betide the best of Gods dear Children No Man grieves to see his friend come sooner then ordinary more speedily then usually others do to be Rich and Honourable or to see his friend or childe outstrip others in learning and wisdom to have that in a short time which others long labour for Why then should any Man be troubled but rather count it matter of joy when their Children or friends by death obtaine so speedily such a measure of spirituall Riches and such a height of heavenly glory in so short a time besides they have this benefit before those that live longer they are freed from the violence of the Wine-press that others fall into and escape many storms that others are fain to â—ide through Death the meditation thereof profitable to the Souls conversion THere is a story of one that gave a young Gallant a curious Ring with a Deaths head in it upon this condition That for a certain time he should spend one hour every day in looking and thinking of it He took the Ring in wantonnesse but performed the condition with diligence it wrought a wonder on him and of a desperate Ruffian he became a conscionable Christian. It were to be wished that Men of all sorts would more think of death then they do and not make that the farthest end of their thoughts which should alwayes be the nearest thought of their end but to spend some time fixedly every day on the meditation of death and then by Gods grace they would find such an alteration in their lives and conversations that there would be gladnesse in the Church peace in their own souls and joy before the Angels in heaven for their Conversion The great usefulnesse of Scripture-phrase IT is very remarkable how God himself the greatest Master of speech and maker of it too Exod. 4. 11. When he spake from Heaven at the Transfiguration of his Christ our Iesus made use of three severall texts of Scripture in one breath as in Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son Psalm 12. 7. In whom I am well pleased Esay 42. 1. Hear ye him Deut. 18. 15. No doubt but God could have expatiated as he pleased but this may reprove the curious queaâ—inesse of such nice ones as disdain at the stately plainnesse of the Scripture and to shew of what authority Scripture-phrase is with God Happy then is that man that Minister that can aptly utter his minde in pure Scripture-phrase in that heavenly dialect the language of Canaan It is not the froath of words nor the ostentation of learning though usefull in its time and place nor strong lines that will draw men up to Heaven but strong arguments and convincing â—own-right truths drawn out of the treasury of Gods Word as when a Sermon is full of the â—owells of Scripture so that God and Christ may as it were seem to speak in the Preacher Conversion of a sinner painfully wrought IF a woman cannot be delivered of her child which she hath carried but nine months in her womb without pain and perill of life though she conceived it in great pleasure we must not think then to be delivered of sin which is a man an old man a man that we have carried about in our hearts ever since we were born without any spirituall pain at all The conversion of a sinner is no such easie matter there must be the broken heart the contrite spirit the mourning weed the pale countenance the melting eye and the voyce of lamentation pain for sins past pain for the iniquities of the wicked pain for the abominations of the land and place where they live pain to see the distractions both of Church and State and finally pain for their absence from their heavenly country These are the pangs and throws of the second birth the dolours that attend the conversion of a sinner The Hypocrite characterised THere is mention made of a Beast called
force he never suspected to be surprised by the treachery of his own family Every peaceable frame of Spirit and confident perswasion of Gods love is not a sure testimony that such a one is in the state of Grace IT is St. Pauls saying of himselfe That he was alive without the Law i. he had great quietnesse and ease of mind all things went well with him he was Cock a hoope sound and safe he thought himselfe in a sure and sâ—fe way but alass this was his ignorance his blindnesse just like a Man in a Dungeon that thinks himselfe safe when there are Serpents and poysonous Creatures round about him onely he doth not see them Or as a Man in a Lethargy feels no pain though he be at the selfe same time near unto the gates of Death And such is the condition of many persons They thank God they have no trouble their Soul is at much ease and quietnesse they doubt not of Gods favour and love unto them hence in the midst of their afflictions when they are but as it were peeping into the furnace of tryall they will say I thank my good God this is his doing I will submit thereunto c. When alass here 's nothing but words no assurance and it may be said of such as Christ of the Iews You say he is your Father but you have not known him so they know nothing powerfully and practically concerning the Mercies of God in Christ Iesus True comfort in the Word of God onely SEneca going about to comfort his friend Polybius perswades him to bear his afflictions patiently And why but because he was the Emperours favourite and tells him That it was not lawful for him to complain while Caesar was his friend cold comfort was this a poor Cordiall God wot to raise up a drooping spirit Good reason too For Caesar himselfe a little while after was so miserable so destitute of all outward comforts that he had not a friend to relieve him in the midst of his greatest extremity much lesse was he able to help his friend O but the sure word of God affords a better Cordiall that which is true comfort indeed It bids every true Child of God not to be over-much dejected under the greatest of afflictions because he is Gods favourite Gods Iewell Gods child Gods Inheritance It tells him that it is not lawfull for him to complain while God is his friend his refuge his Rock of defence his safeguard his What-not in the way of reliefe and succour and the Promises of God are his rich portion and inheritance so that like Iob though he lose all that he hath yet he loseth nothing because he loseth not his God in having of whom he hath all things God afflicting his Children for the improvement of their Graces IT is reported of the Lionesse that she leaves her young whelps till they have almost kill'd themselves with roaring and yelling and then at last gasp when they have almost spent themselves she relieves them and by this means they become more couragious And thus it is that God brings his children into sadnesse sorrow nay even into the very deeps of distress he suffers Ionah to be three dayes and three nights in the belly of a Whale David to cry out till his throat be dry his Disciples to be all the night in a great storme till the fourth watch and then it is that he rebuketh the winds and relieveth his children by which means he mightily encreaseth their Patience and dependance upon him improveth their Graces and enlargeth their faith and hope in Christ Iesus The readinesse of God to pardon poor Repentant Sinners IT was a custome amongst the ancient Romans that when the Judges absolved any accused person at the Barre they did write the letter A upon a little Table provided for that purpose i. Absolvimus We absolve him If they judged him guilty they writ C. i. Condemâ—amus We condemn him And if they found the cause difficult and doubtfull they writ N. L i. Non Liquet We cannot tell what to make of it not much unlike unto the term Ignoramus in our Common Law which the grand inquest writes upon a bill of Inditement when they mislike their Evidence as defective or too weak to make good the presentment But it is otherwise with the all-knowing God with whom we have to do he cannot be said to be ignorant of the many sins wherewith we provoke him dayly Abraham may be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not but he knoweth us and all things else he knoweth us to be wretched and miserable so that he may well write Condemnamus and doom us to perpetuall torments with the Devill and his Angels yet such is his mercy to poor Repentant sinners that he invites and woes them to come in that they may be saved and so ready to pass by offences that instead of Condemnamus he takes up the Pen and writes Absolvimus My Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee How it is that Ministers find so little success of their labours in Preaching the Gospel AS the Husbandman though he should be never so laborious in ploughing sowing and fitting the ground though he be never so careful to provide precious and good seed yet it the nature of the ground be barren as it will bear no seed or cause it to degenerate into Cockle all the labour is in vain Or as the Gardiner though he water and dress never so carefully yet if the Tree be dead at the root it is all to no purpose So though the Ministers of God are very earnest in praying preaching informing rebuking yet when the ground is barren the Tree dead at the root if the People be of a froward and indisposed temper if the God of this World hath blinded their eyes that they do not see nor understand nor feel the power of God working upon their souls What hope is or can there be of such a People Christ the eternall Son of God properly and significantly called The Word Iob. 1. 1. FIrst because his eternall generation is like the production of a Word For as a word is first conceived in the mind and proceeds thence without any carnall operation So the Son of God had his conception in the understanding of the Father and proceeded thence without any corporeall emanation 2. As a word is immateriall and invisible for no Man can see verbum mentis the Word of our thought So Christ is immateriall and invisible in regard of his divine Nature for no Man hath seen that at any time 3. As a Word if you take it for verbum mentis cannot be separated from the understanding but as soon as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Understanding there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word So Iesus Christ the second person
unresolved to several fortunes they swell in the Sun-shine of their prosperity and look big in the daies of their advancement but when storms of danger and troubles arise they are dried up with dispair and hang down their heads like a bulrush For a mind unprepared for dysasters is unfurnished to sustain it when it commeth he that soareth too high in the one forâ—une sinketh too low in the other Insolent braving and base fear are individuall and infeparable companions But the resolved man is ever the same even in the period of both fortunes The truly noble Souldier THe Getulian captive as Pliny relateth the story escaped the danger of being devoured by many Lions through her humble gesture and fair language as saying unto them That she was a silly woman a banished fugitive a sickly feeble and weak creature an humble suitor and lowly suppliant for mercy As therefore the Lion is the most noble of all the beasts of the Forrest who never shewes his force but where he finds resistance satis est prostrâsse do but yield and he is quiet Such is every truly noble souldier every generous souldier the most honourable of all other professions who holds it as great a glory to relieve the oppressed as to conquer the enemy that is in arms against him How it is that the self-conceited vain-glorious man deceives himself IT is usually so that the vain-glorious man looks upon himself through a false glasse which makes every thing seem fairer and greater then it is and this flatulous humour filleth the empty bladder of his vast thoughts with so much wind of pride that he presumes that fortune who hath once been his good Mistresse should ever be his hand-maid But let him know that the wings of self-conceit wherewith he towreth so high are but patched and pieced up of borrowed feathers and those imped too in the soft wax of uncertain hope which upon the encounter of every small heat of danger will melt and fail him at his greatest need For fortune deals with him as the eagle with the Tortoise she carries him the higher that she may break him the casier It would be therefore good advice that in the midst of his prosperity he would think of the worlds instability and that fortune is constant in nothing but incoâ—stancy How it is that Children are very bardly drawn from their naturall inclinations DO but set the eggs of divers fouls under one Hen and when they are disclosed the Kite will be ravenous the Dove harmlesse the Duck will be padling in the water and every one will be prosecuting its naturall inclination and condition Or take the youngest Woolf-whelp imploy the greatest art use the utmost skill that may be to make it gentle and loving and you shall find it but labour lost a thing altogether impossible for it will never be forced or intreated from its naturall curstnesse and cruelty Thus it cannot be denyed but that education hath a considerable power to qualifie breeding in a good family may civilize but never nullifie the proper nature of any thing or person It is therefore the duty of Parents earnestly to pray that God would be pleased to infuse such souls into their children as may be endewed with sweet and gratious inclinations if otherwise to use all fit means to temper the worst not presuming to effect an absolute extirpation thereby but by the miraculous power of him who can make from bitter fountains to deflow sweet and pleasant waters from the worst of nature the best of grace and goodnesse The different conditions of men in the matter of Society laid open DIvers and sundry are the conditions of men in society but three are most remarkable i. e. The open the concealed and the well-tempered betwixt these As for the first they are of so thin a composition that a man by a little converse may see as easily through them as if they were made of glasse for in every discourse they are ready to unbosome their thoughts and unlock the very secrets of their hearts The second sort are so tenacious so reserved and closely moulded that they seem like those coffers that are shut so fast that no discovery can be made where they may be opened so close that as they are of lesse delight for society so of lesse hazard to be trustud But the last and best composed and like some â—abinets that are not with difficulty unclosed and then discover unto you many things pleasant and profitable but yet so cunningly devised so artificially contrived that there will be some secret box that neither your eye nor wit can take notice of wherein is deposited a most proper and incommunicable treasure something that will give grace and much advantage to those that hear it Ministers to be accountable unto God for what they have received AS by the Law of Nature Redde depositum doth bind every such fiduciary engage every such Trustee not to use the pledge deposited as his own proper goods but to be accountable for it and restore it when it shall be called for if otherwise he is guilty of injustice and violating those dictamina rationis the very principles of naturall reason So it is with the Treasures of Gods truth committed to the hands of his Ministers they must acknowledge themselves to be but deposiâ—arii trusted as pledge-keepers not as proprietarii Lords and Masters of it for they are to be responsible in that great day of generall Audit how they have discharged their trust How it is that the People as to the generality are incompetent judges of the Preacher and his Doctrin IT is related of a â—ertain Bishop that a Visitation preached a very godly Sermon and withall so learned and plain that the descended to the capacity of the meanest hearers He was thereupon very much commended for his grave gesture for his distinct and sober delivery for his fatherly instructions speaking plainly and familiarly as a father to his children not so earnest and vehement and hot as many young Novices are c. For their Minister he was but a youngling and as good as no body in comparison of him and if they had but such a Preacher they would give I know not what to enjoy him This great and generall commendation was signified to the Bishop in private who to make tryall of the peoples judgment came the next year after in the attire of an ordinary and poor Minister offering himself to be their Preacher it being noysed abroad that their own was upon his remove to another place The Bishop having gained the Pulpit purposely chose another Text differing from his former in words but not in matter so that in a manner he preached the very self-same Sermon But the same persons that did so much commend him before did now as much discommend him and said That he had no good gesture but a heavy
is commonly rotten in his talk And as evil words corrupt good manners so they also discover corrupt manners the foul stomach betrayes it self in a stinking breath and a wicked heart in wicked communication But where Grace is in the heart it will manifest it self in holy Heavenly and savoury speeches The Sin of Bribery condemned IT is reported of Sir Thomas More then Lord Chancellor of England that when two great silver Flaggons were sent him by a Knight that had a Suit depending in Chancery though gilded with the specious pretence of gratuity sent them back again filled with his best Wine saying If your Master likes it let him send for more And when his Lady at another time offered him a great bribe in the behalf of a suppliant he turned away with these words Gentle Eve I will none of your apple An upright Man he was in the place of Judicature And it were to be wished That all those who succeed him on the Bench were not almost but altogether like him in the matter of Iustice distributive but so it is and which is to be lamented the Rulers love to say with shame Bring ye their right hands are full of bribes they are ready to transgresse for a piece of bread they love gifts and follow after rewards and like the Horse-leeches daughter they cry Give give so that by woful experience the ballance of Equity is tited too too often on the one side and the cause of the poor out-vyed with power and greatnesse No Man free from Temptations A Countryman riding with an unknown Traveller whom he conceived honest over a dangerous Plain This place said he is infamous for robbery but for my own part though often riding over it early and late I never saw any thing worse then myself In good time replyed the other and presently demanded his purse and robbed him Thus it is that no place no Company no Age no person is Temptation-free let no Man brag that he was never tempted let him not be high-minded but fear for he may be surprised in that very instant wherein he boasteth that he was never tempted at all The Holy Scriptures to be made the rule of all our actions IT is written of Boleslaus one of the Kings of Poland that he still carried about him the picture of his Father and when he was to do any great work or set upon any design extraordinary he would look on the picture and pray That he might do nothing unworthy of such a Fathers name Thus it is that the Scriptures are the picture of Gods Will and therein drawn out to the very life before a Man enter upon or engage himself in any businesse whatsoever let him look there and read there what is to be done what to be undone and what God commands let that be done what he forbids let that be undone let the ballance of the Sanctuary weigh all the Oracles of God decide all the rule of Gods Word be the square of all and his glory the ultimate of all intendments whatsoever Charity rewarded to the full THere is a story of a certain godly and charitable Bishop of Millain who journeying with his servant was met by some poor People that begg'd an alms of him The Bishop commanded his Man to give them all the little money that he had which was three Crowns But his servant thinking to be a better husband for his Master gave them but two Crowns reserving the third for their expences at night Soon after certain Noblemen meeting the Bishop and knowing him to be a good Man and one that was liberal to the poor commanded two hundred Crowns to be delivered to the Bishop's servant for his Master's use The Man having received the money ran with great joy and told his Master of it Ah said the Bishop Si enim tres dedisses trecentas accepisses What wrong hast thou done to me and thy self For if thou hast given those three Crowns as I appointed thee thou shouldst have received three hundred And most true it is that such open-handed and such open-hearted Christians have more then once Gods Word of promise for such ample retribution Bounty is said to be the most compendious way to plenty neither is getting but giving the best way to thrift For in works of Charity our scattering is our encreasing no spending but a lending no laying out but a laying up Prov. 11. 24. Why it is that they which have the strongest Graces are subject to the strongest corruptions IT is observable in Nature That those Creatures which have the most excellency in them have something also of defect and deformity in them as if the God of Nature did it to keep them humble in a posture as it were of condiscension The Peacock hath glittering feathers and yet black feet The Swan hath white feathers but under that a black skin The Eagle hath many excellencies quick-sight and high flight but yet very ravenous The Camell and Elephant are great and stately Creatures but of a deformed shape So it is in the state of Grace God doth suffer some strong and unsubdued lusts and corruptions to remain in the dearest of his Children and that even in such who have not onely truth but strength of Grace in them the Messenger of Sathan to busset them and a thorn in the flesh to let out the impostumated matter of pride out of their hearts whereby they become more condescending to the weak lesse depending upon their own Righteousnesse and so are brought to think better of others then themselves yea to judge themselves the least of Saints and greatest of Sinners that may be Grace and goodnesse to be highly esteemed even in Men of the lowest condition THere is mention made of an ancient King who made a great Feast and invited a company of poor people which were Christians and he bade his Nobles also Now when the poor Christians were come he had them up into the Presence-Chamber but when the Nobles came he set them in the Hall Being thereupon demanded the reason he answered I do not this as I am their King here for I respect you more then them but as I am King of another World I must needs honour these as Gods dear Câ—ildren and such as though dejected now shall be Kings and Princes with me hereafter and I would have you esteem of them according to their worth and shew it And so without all doubt great is the worth of true Christians A Pearl upon a dunghill is worth stooping for and a gratious Man or Woman though outwardly cloathed with raggs worth looking after Sure it is that God looks on them as his Iewels as a chosen generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People his delight his chosen ones his dear Children and what not It much concâ—rns us then to set
Disciples of active charity as they are for the most part Doctors of the passive the work would soon be done It is confessed that Charity begins at home How is that In regard of order but not in regard of time For so soon as a Man begins to love himself he must love his Neighbour as himself neither may any Man at any time hide himself from his own flesh that is from his Neighbour of the same stock with himself God exercising the Graces of his Children THe Nurse goeth aside from the Child to teach it to find its feet and see how it will go alone The Eagle when her young ones are fledg'd turneth them out of the nest not beareth them on her wings as at other times she was wont to do but that she may enure them to flie flyeth from them and leaveth them to shift for themselves Thus God seems to withdraw himself from his Children no exercise those excellent Graces of Patience and confidence in him that like Tapers burn clearest in the dark to teach them to swim without bladders and to go without crutches as not to trust in themselves so not to trust in the means but in him that worketh by them and can as well work for them without them when they fail Inhumanity condemned BEnzo relating the Spaniards cruelty upon the poor Natives of America saith that in one of their Islands called Hispaniola of twenty hundred thousand when the People stood untouch't he did not think that at the time when he penn'd his History there were above one â—undred and fifty Souls 〈◊〉 alive Whereupon he breaks out into a passionate exclamation upon the horror of such Inhumanity O quot Nerones quot Domitiani quot Commodi quot Bassiani quot immites Dionysâ—i eas terras peragravêre O How many Neroes how many Domitians with other the like infamous egregious Tyrants have harrowed those Coâ—ntries But had Benzo lived to have written the history of our times he might have truly said Barbarous and inhumane Christendome Men of blood and cruelty whose hearts are so bound and confirm'd with sinews of Iron that they are no more moved with the life of a Man then if a dog had fallen before them so fallen from their kind as if Rocks had fathered them and they had suck'd the Dragons in the Deserts rather then the daughters of Men Non in compendium sed occidendi causa occidentes murthering upon every occasion and killing because they delight in killing whereas the care and study not only of Christians but of Civil and good natur'd People should be Parce Civium sanguini spare the bloud of Men because they are all Kinsmen and Brethren in the flesh How far there may be a lawful compliance with others of different Judgment ST Augustine preaching to the Roman Colonies in Africa spake broken barâ—arous Latine to the end they might understand him When I come to Rome saith S. Ambrose to Monica the Mother of S. Augustine I fast on the Saturday When I am at Millain I fast not Calvin was cast out of Geneva for refusing to administer the Lords Supper with Water-cakes or unleavened bread de quo restitutus nunquam contendendum putavit of which being afterwards restored he thought best to make no more words but to yield though he let them know that he had rather it were otherwise Thus it was that Christ himself is said to come eating and drinking and to sit at meâ—t with Publicans and Sinners And thus must all of us do with S. Paul be all things to all Men that we may win some to turn our selves into all shapes and fashions both of speech and spirit to win Men unto God to make use of things indifferent to do what we can to preserve our good esteem with others that we may the sooner prevail with them And whatsoever Church we come to ejus morem servare to do as they do not giving offence carelesly nor taking offence causelesly the defect whereof is charged upon the best when Christ said The Children of this World are wiser in their generation then the Children of Light Rulers and Men in Authority subject to many failings in Government THe Bythinians being convented before Claudius the Emperor cry down Iunius Clio that he may be President over them no longer The noyse being somewhat confused the Emperor understood not their desires and thereupon demanded of those next him What the People would have Narcissus a Familiar or rather an auricular buzze of the Court answered like a false Eccho That the People gave his Excellency great thanks for their last President and requested the continuance of him to be still over them The Emperor meaning well but ill-informed to gratifie them as he thought assigned them their old President again whereby the Emperor was abused and the People still oppressed whereas they had been eased had it not been for the mis-interpretation of a crooked Interpreter Thus it is that Rulers and Men in power by reason of Flesh and blood do travail with infirmity and bring forth escapes The wisest Governors that in speculation of Iustice are admirable in their practice may be quite transported They that in thesi are sharp in the application are oft-times very dull They may do wrong non voluntate nocendi not with purpose to do ill sed necessitate nesciendi because they cannot come to the knowledg of the right Many byasses they have to draw them awry Affection at one time may dazle their eyes and wrong Intelligence at another time abuse their ear The least degree of true saving Faith accepted by God SMoake is of the same nature with flame For what is flame but smoake set on fire The least spark of Fire if cherished will endeavour to rise above the ayr as well as the greatest So a little Grace may be true Grace as the filings of Gold are as good Gold though nothing so much of it as the whole wedge A Reed shaken with the wind is taken for a thing very contemptible at the best Matth. 11. 7. How much more when it is bruised The wick of a Candle is little worth and yet lesse when it comes to smoak as yielding neither light nor heat but onely stink and annoyance such as men bear not with but â—read out So doth not God who hath a singular sagacity and can soon resent the least of provocations yet the bruised Reed he will not break and the smoaking Flax he will not quench Nay the very pantings inquietations and the unsatissiablenesse in the matter of Grace spring from the truth of Grace and are such as God makes high esteem of Gods Children afflicted to make them perfect A Physitian or Surgeon when he meeteth with a soare festered or full of dead flâ—sh he applyeth some sharp Corrosive to eat out the dead flesh that would otherwise spoyl the cure Which being done the
this reason For that obedience is alwaies more faithful and acceptable which floweth from love then that which is extorted by fear Thus in the correction of Children and servants if there be no other help Iustice must be observed First that there is a fault committed and that the fault so committed deserveth punishment and that the punishment do not exceed the quality of the fault which will otherwise seem to rage and revenge then to chastise â—or amendment Christians not to revile and reproach one another IT is a notable speech of one Nemon that was a Generall of the Persian Army that when he was fighting against Alexander one of his Souldiers run upon Alexander's face with much ill language and many opprobrious terms the General hearing of it smote him on the face saying I did not hire thee to reproach Alexander but to fight against him Thus if an Heathen could not endure to hear that his Enemy should be reproached How much lesse will God bear it to have his Children reproaching one another It was therefore a brave speech of Calvin Etiamsi Lutherùs vocet me Diabolum c. Although Luther call me Devill yet I will honour him as a dear Servant of Iesus Christ And so though those that are our brethren do cast Reproach upon us we should honour the Grace of God in them and not cast reproach upon them again It is more then enough that the briars and thorns of the Wildernesse such as are without do tear the Flesh and rend the good names of Christians let not them do it then one unto another A Child of God bettered by Afflictions STars shine brightest in the darkest night Torches are better for the beating Grapes come not to the proof till they come to the Presse Spices smell sweetest when pownded young Trees root the faster for shaking Vines are the better for bleeding Gold looks the brighter for scowring Glow-worms glister best in the dark Iuniper smells sweetest in the Fire Pomander becomes most fragrant for chasing The Palm-Tree proves the better for pressing Camomile the more you tread it the more you spread it Such is the condition of all Gods Children they are then most triumphant when most tempted most glorious when most afflicted most in the favour of God when least in Man's as their Conflicts so their Conquests as their Tribulations so their Triumphs True Salamanders that live best in the Furnace of Persecution so that heavy Afflictions are the bâ—st Benefactors to Heavenly affections And where Afflictions hang heaviest corruptions hang loosest And Grace that is hid in Nature as sweet water in Rose-leaves is then most fragrant when the fire of Affliction is put under to distill it out The great benefit of repentant Tears IT is reported of a River in Sicily wherein if black sheep be but bathed their wooll immediately will turn white And it is well known that the waters of Iordan cleansed the Leprosie of Naaman the Syrian So whosoever he be that bathes himself in the pure Fountain of Repentant tears shall be purged from all the filthinesse of Sin though it be as red as scarlet yet it shall be made as white as wooll And the reason is given by S. Ambrose Quia lacrymae tacitae quaedam preces sunt non pâ—stulant sed merentur non causam dicunt sed consequuntur Our tears are a kind of silent Prayers which though they say nothing yet they obtain pardon and though they plead not a Man's cause yet they procure Mercy from Gods hands as we find in S. Peter Non legitur quid dixerit c. he said nothing that we can read of but wept bitterly and obtained Mercy How to bear the Reproaches of Men. DIonysius having not very well used Plato at the Court when he was gone he feared lest he should write against him and therefore sent after him to bid him have a care how he set out any thing prejudiciall unto him Tell him sayes Plato I have not so much leisure as to think upon him So we should let those that reproach us know so much from us that we have not leisure to think of them and though we should not be insensible yet not to take too much notice of every Reproach that is cast upon us but as when the Viper came upon S. Paul's hand he shook it off so when Reproaches come upon our good names or credits shake them off For it is a dishonour to think upon them as if we had nothing else to do The true Love of God will cause a Man to love his Ordinances IF the wounded Iew in the Parable should have cast away the two pence which the Samaritan left to provide for him it had been an Argument that he neither regarded him nor his kindnesse And it was a sign that Esau loved not God because he esteemed not his birthright Thus the true Love of God is far from us if we set not an high esteem upon his Ordinances those pledges of his favour which he hath left with us to wit the Word and Sacraments the Word wherein we hear him speak lovingly and the Sacraments wherein we see him speak comfâ—rtably to us The Vanity of gay Apparrell IT is a pretty observation of a Iewish Rabbi That it was good policy for husbands to attire themselves below their ability for so they might the sooner â—hrive and to cloath their Children according to their ability so they might the better match them but to maintain their Wives beyond their ability for so perhaps they might live in more peace then they should otherwise do But now it is so that Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants are very vain in the matter of Apparell all of them antick and fantastick in garb and fashion of many whereof it may be truly said That when they have their best cloathes on they are in the very midst of their Wealth Whereas a modest discreet Man goes in a plain Suit but hath rich Linings Reproaches to be born chearfully because God is concerned therein AS a Man going to Sea if he know that the Martiner hath skill that he loves him and hath promised that he will have a care of him and that many others have had experience of his former industry this is much But when he considers that his life is the Marriners life that being both in one bottom if the one perish the other cannot be safe this now is full assurance that as far as the Matriner can do it it shall be well with him Thus in the matter of Reproaches and the cheerful bearing of them Were it that we onely did know that God had a love to us and were mercifull to us that were enough to assure us But when we shall find that as God hath loved us so he hath engaged himself that he will stand by his People in the time of
is a fool the spiritual Man is mad Hos. 9. 7. Worldy Policy not to prejudice the truth of a good Conscience RAchel having stollen her Fathers Idols when he pursued her and came to search for them in the Tent she having hid them in the Camels litter and sitting upon them entreated him not to be angry though she rose not up to him For she was sick as she pretended and said It was with her after the manner of Women If by the custome of Women she would be understood to be in travell then she told a flat lie but if by a trick of mental reservation she did use that ambiguous phrase with an intention to deceive then at the best she did but Equivocate and even in so saying and so doing she made a flat breach of Conscience Thus many amongst us desire to be at as little charge as may be possibly whether to the State or to the Church And therefore when they are pressed by or for either of these then they are politickly sâ—â—k in the purse make themselves poor and needy and will hardly part with a penny if they can but with common civility or shamelesse impudency keep it which favors not onely of unthankful hearts to God but shews that they have most wretched Consciences caring not what they do so as they may keep that which falsly they call their own Holy duties call for holy Preparation DAvid washeth his hands in Innocency before he compasseth Gods altar Psal. 26. 6. and Iob intending to sacrifice unto God on the behalf of himself and his Children sends to them solemnly to prepare themselves chap. 1. v. 5. Nay the very Heathens themselves would not admit any to come to their Religious services unlesse they were first prepared as that of Aeneas to his Father Anchises upon his returrn from the Warrs Tu genitor cape sacra manu therefore they had one that cryed out to the People Procul hinc procul este prophani All you that are unclean and prophane depart hence and come not near us And shall Christians then who have learnt better things touch holy things with unholy hands or unholy hearts No they must not they ought not Holy Duties call for holy Preparation they must be sanctified within and without before they come to the performance of any holy duty It is true that the duty sanctifies but it is as true that the duty seldom sanctifies unlesse Men be sanctified for the duty And they get most holinesse from the duty who are most holy before they come to it Attention in Hearing Gods Word commanded and commended MAny there are in our days that delight to have Rings and Jewels hanged at their ears and they account it a great ornament unto them whose Vanity the Poet long since in a scoffing manner answered It is saith he because they have no fingers on their hands as if the fingers not the ears were made for Rings However this may be said that if we had the richest Iewels the East or West could afford us if we have not an ear bored through to the Heart a hearing ear to hear the Word of God they are no better then Iewels in a Swines snowt Oh the excellency of the Iewell of attention when audire terminates in obedire when we hear the Word of God and do it when we understand believe and practise what we hear Worldly Policy not to be in any thing prejudiciall to commutative Iustice. KIng David was very Politick in contriving how to work himself out of the shame of Adultery and his child by Bathsheba out of the shame of bastardy and therefore he so closely carried it that Uriah was slain and then he took her to Wife but because it did not stand with Justice first to deprave the Wise then to deprive the husband this his supposed Master-piece of folly and Worldly policy is amongst many other good characters brought in as a cressebarre in his arms and a foul blemish in his Coat Thus it is that few of us make any Conscience at all of that Iustice which is commutative due unto our Neighbour Do we not sometimes swear and lie and swear falsly and lay our Foundation in the bloud of the Innocent rather then we will not build and enlarge our Houses Yea Are not many of our buildings raised out of the ruines of Sâ—on What care we to take advantage of our brothers simplicity We look upon Inferiors with contempt and scorn use them but as stirrops to mount up into the saddle of our own private ends or like so many ladders to reach our designs and when we have got so high as they can help us then no matter though ladder-like they be hung up by the walls As for Superiors we either not know or will not acknowledge any living like the Locusts as if we had no Supream Authority no Law no Government to the great prejudice of the place wherein we live The best of Men not free from Sin in this life AS a Man who in the Morning washeth his hands and goes abroad about his Worldly businesse though he doth not puddle in the mire or rake amongst dunghills yet when he returns home again at dinner or at night if he wash he finds that he hath contracted some uncleannesse and that his hands are foul There 's no Man can converse with an unclean and filthy World but some uncleannesse must needs fasten unto him Even so it is with the Souls of Men such is the universal corruption of human Naâ—ure that the Souls of the best of the purest of the holiesâ— though they do not rake in the dunghill and wallow in the mire of Sin basely and silthily yet they do from day yea from moment to moment contract some filth and uncleannesse they may be clear from sinning wilâ—ully and with delight in which sense it is said He that is born of God sinneth noâ— and free from scandalous sins whereinto many of Gods dear children have through inadvertency fallen but they can never acquit themselves from Sins of infirmity such as do inevitably and inseparably cleave unto the best of Men especially considering the state and condition wherein they are having corrupt flesh and bloud about them Children of persons excommunicate to be Baptized ST Augustine writing to a young busie Bishop called Auxilius on the behalf of one Classicanus saith That for the offence of the Master of the house whom he had excommunicated before he should not therefore exeommunicate the rest of the Family and deny them the benefit of the Sacrament For saith he herein the Man may perish that is a Friend and the Devil be glad that is an Enemy Thus in a manner do they offend who refuse to baptize the Children of those that are excommunicated and such as are born in Fornication because their Parents are impenitent as though
nose Menip They have all flat noses Merc. Then he with the hollow eyes Menip They all have hollow eyes all have naked ribs disjoynted members all are carâ—asses Why then says Mercury to Menippus In Death there is no difference betwixt the King and the Beggar And it is true Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat Men upon Earth as in the game of Chesse supply different places One is a King another a Queen another a Bishop another a Pawn But when the game is done and they are shuffled into one bagg into the grave they are all alike Ignorant Worldly Purchasers IN the Parable of the Supper and the ghests that were bidden we find one that had bought a Farm and he must needs go see it Another had bought five yoke of Oxen and he must by all means go try them strange Purchasers What buy a pig in a poke Land and Oxen unsight unseen but we may read of another manner of Purchaser and that a Woman too Prov. 30. that first considered a Field and then bought it she cast up the price considered the soyl the tenure the situation then drives the bargain and takes possession Now the Wordly Purchaser buyes hand over head considers not what he buyes The voluptuous Epicure eats drinks and is merry but he never looks after the reckoning that after all this he must be brought to Iudgment The Drunkard swills and carowses and rises up early to take his fill of Wine never minding the shot that there is Mors in olla in the end it will bite like a Serpent and sting like a Coâ—katrice The Luxurious Man that spendeth his time in dalliance little thinketh that there is a sting in the tayl of his Wantonnesse Nocet empta dolore voluptas that he is but as an Oxe to the slaughter and a Fool to the correction of the stocks The griping Covetous wretch that joyneth house to house and Land to Land making his barns bigger takes no notice that he is but a Fool for his labour and shall be suddenly snatch'd away from all All these and many more like these poor Ignaroe's take upon trust and pay dear in the conclusion Whereas the serious Christian sits down casts up his charges considers what it will cost him to be Rich in this World what his Honour and greatnesse will come to and then purchaseth accordingly Men to be careful of what they promise unto God in the matter of Charity IT is usual with Men that when they are to go upon some long Iourney or Voyage into a fat Countrey they promise that if God be pleased to return them safe they will give so much or so much to the Poor Or as a Man passing by an Hospital promiseth the poor People that as â—â—cometh back again he will give them something towards their relief but when he comes back he passeth by not so much as thinking of them This is the case of many Men in these promising dayes of ours If they may be but prosperous in such a Voyage successefull in such a design If God will but do thus and thus by them then they will do thus and thus unto him they will relieve the Poor there 's no act of Mercy but they will be one of the foremost to put it on yet when their turn is served they never think of their promise at all But let all such know that their Promise stands upon Record in Heaven they may seem to forget it and sneak away not paying the shot of their engagement here in this life but God will call them to a Reckoning for it and take it upon their bodies and Souls hereafter Let none think therefore to passe a Vow to the Lord in a good mood for a good purpose but that he will take it and exact it at their hands Things of the World not to be so highly prised IT is a Rabbinical conceit that Moses being a Child had Pharaoh's crown given him to play withall and he made no better then a Football of it cast it down to the ground and kick'd it about as if it were a sign of his future vilipending temporall things That he should esteem the reproach of Christ greater then all the Treasures of Egypt Thus ought we all to do especially when Riches stand in compettion with Christ away with them or they will make away with us It is Christ's own Counsell Sell all thou hast and give it to the poor sell it or if no Man will buy it give it Or if no Man will take it leave it It is not worth thy keeping especially not worth thy carking do thou part from it rather then it shall part thee from Christ For he that impoverisheth his Soul to enrich his body is more mad then he that kills his Horse to â—ose his Money at a race How it is that Godfathers and Godmothers undertake for Children in Baptism AN Infant being born to an estate of Inheritance cannot actually take possession but is carried to some part of the Land in the Nurses or some other's arms where the Guardian of the Child taketh Livery and Seisin for its use and promiseth fealty and to do such service as the Premises are bound to All which the Heir though but then an Infaâ—â— is fully to make good when he comes to years of discretion Thus in the Sacrament of Baptism the Child is conditionally received into the Congregation of Christ's flock but the Godfathers and Godmothers answering to the Stipulation of the Church proposed unto them and undertaking on the Childs part the Child coming to years of understanding is engaged to perform in as full a manner to all intents and purposes as if it had been able to have answered for it self The Poors relief Heavens treasure AS when a Man is outed in England whether it be by banishment or otherwise if he have but laid up a bank at Venice Amsterdam or some such like place he goes thither with more comfort and much more confidence then otherwise he should have done because he shall meet with that there in safe hands which will â—ellcome him when he comes to it Hence is it that we are called upon to lay up treasure in Heaven to make unto our selves Friends of unrighteous Mammon such are our good Works and Alms-deeds which being sent before are laid up as a stock of Money in a faithful â—and not in a Bankrupt or Mountebank's hands but in the trusty hand of God Almighty which will repay us again with interest And thus it is that all good Men have made sure that when they shall come to dye they have sent their Charity before them to lye in bank for their better refreshing Ill-gotten goods never prosper IT is an observation set upon the house of Desmond in Ireland That Maurice Thomas the first Earl raised it by Injustice and by Injustice Girala the last Earl ruined
it The crafty Fox in the Fable hugg'd himself to think how he had cosened the Crow of his breakfast but when he had eaten it and found himself poyson'd with it he wished that he had never medled with it Thus Wealth got by deceit it like a piece of butter'd spunge an Italian trick it goes down glib but in the stomach swells and will never be got up again The gains a Man gets by cheating and basenesse at last he may put it all in his eye yet see himself most miserable Men to be careful of their principles in Religion AS in the things of this life Men have great care to gain the skill to know Money whether it be currant and lawful and Wares whether they be good and Marchantable and Meat whether it be wholesome and â—ound Much more then may we think it concerneth us there being so much counterfeit false and unâ—ound doctrine abroad to learn skill and knowledge of the true Religion to beware of our Principles to stirre up and sharpen our endeavour upon the search and tryall of the true Faith and to gain ability to judge and discern of that which is erronious and false To be fruitfull in Children a great blessing of God LUdovicus Vives maketh mention of a Town in Spain consisting of about one hundred Families all of them inhabited by the seed of one old Man then living so that the youngest of them knew not what to call him and he giveth this reason Quia lingua Hispanica supra Abavum non ascendit because the Spanish tongue hath not any word of expression higher then the great Grandfather's Father Such as this must needs be then a numerous issue a prolificall and fertile brood and without all doubt a great and inestimable blessing of God especially when they are not so much the fruits of their bodies as of their Prayers such as was promised to Abraham to Isaac to Iob and to the Man that feareth the Lord. Yet let none trust too much in this blessing it was Haman's fault and his Childrens ruine nor any grumble and count them a crosse or a curse to their faint estate not look upon them as a Bill of Charges when God hatâ— put them upon the Accompt of Mercies Neither let the barren womb de discouraged For that God that knowes how to raise good out of evill doth sometimes blesse an aâ—ulterous copulation with increase and sometimes to the chast embraces of honesâ— Wedlock denyes it Better to be Honestly then hastily Rich. THe Poet feigned Pluto to be the God of Riches and of Hell as if Hell and Riches had both one Master and to be lame yet withall swift and â—â—mble as Fire When Iupiter sent him to a Souldier or a Scholler he went limping but when to one of his Bawds or Mistresses he flew like Lightning The Morall is thus The Riches that come in Gods Name and are sent to honest Men come slowly but they that come by unjust dealing flow in apace He that resolves to be evill may soon be Rich When the spring of Conscience is screwed up to the highest pin that it is ready to crack When Religion is lock'd up in an out-room and forbidden on pain of Death to look into the shop or Ware-house then is the Devill on his Throne But more safe and welcome is the gain that comes in the slow Wayn of Honesty then that which comes hurrying in the swift Chariot of Iniquity Gods Watchfulnesse over his People for their good THe Egyptians had an Idol called Baal-Zephon which is by interpretation Dominus speculae Lord of the Watch-Tower his office was to fright such Fugitive Iews as should offer to steal out of the Country but when Moses and the People of Israel past that way and pitched their Camp there this drowsie god was surely fast asleep for they all marcheâ— on their way without let or molestation Whereas He that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth He kept his Israel then and since He made good his Title then and will do the like to us his eyes run to and fro through the World He is Watchfull over his People for their good Husband the Head of the Wife THe Persian Ladies have to this day some resemblance of a foot worn in the top of their Coronets in token that the top of their glory must stoop even to their Husbands feet remembring that of Vashtai And who knowes it not but that the Virgin when she is married leaveth to be called after her Fathers Name and from thence forward is owned by her Husbands besides Women are said to be under Covert-Baron so that whatsoever Contracts or Bargains they make are of no force either by the Lawes of God or Man except the Husband do approve the same Hence it is that the Husband is called the Head of the Wife And Man is more excellent then Woman not to go so far as Aristotle to say she is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the aberration of Nature and surely more eminent respectu originis et ratione finis The Man was not created for the Woman but the Woman for the Man and then ratione dominii God gave him not onely power to rule over the beasts but the Woman too And every School-Boy can say The Masculine is more worthy then the Foeminine so that obeying Husbands and commanding Wives may be well said to live very unnaturally and contrary to the Order of Creation Riches the danger that attends them AeSop hath a Fable of the two Froggs that in the time of drought when the the plashes were dry consulted what was best to be done One advised to go down into a deep Well because it was likely the Water would not fail there The other answered But if it do fail How shall we get up an again Thus Riches are a pit whereinto we soon slip but can hardly scramble out Small puddles light gains will not serve some they must plunge into deep Wells excessive profits but they do not consider how they shall get out again they do not mind the great dangers that are attendant upon Riches whereby it comes to passe that they are either famished for want of Grace or drown'd in a Deluge of Wealth If then this World be a Sea over which we must swim to the Land of Promise there will be no nâ—cessity of such abundance of luggage except it be to make us sink the deeper The unconstancy of Worldly honours and preferments WHen Alexander in the height of his glory kept as the History saith Conventum terrarum orbis a Parliament of the whole World himself was summon'd by Death to appear in another World And it was Res spectaculo digna saith another Historian a wonderful precedent of the Vanity and variety of humane condition to see mighty Xerxes to flote and fly away in a
how much the more the malady doth affect them so much the more secure they are carelesse of any thing presumptuous in all things fearing nothing as having lost the very use of common sense by which they should judge of the Nature of things what is convenient and what is not sitting for them So it is with those that are laden with the phrenzy of Sin by how much the more they are infected with the poysonous Nature thereof so much the more are they carelesse and secure from sinning so that the greater the guilt the lesse is the sense of sin just like Agag when he was ready to be hacked in pieces concluded that the bitternesse of Death was past or pernitious Babylon that sits like a Lady in her Palace minding nothing when much of destruction was at the Threshold or the Rich Fool in the midst of his abundance Such is the carelesse heedlesse headlesse Phrenetical condition and Constitution of all Sin and Sinners The Keys of Knowledg much abused by those that keep them IT is feigned of Pope Sixtus Quintus That after his death he went to Hell but by good luck the Porter would not let him in though he had â—ighly deserved it but sent him to a place under his own command Purgatory this he long sought but could never find At last he took heart and went to Heaven fearfully knocking at the gate S. Peter asked him Why he knocked considering he had the Keys He answered Because the Wards were altered and they could not now unlock the door It were to be wished that the Morall of this fiction were not too true How are the Keys of Knowledg abused by many that have the keeping of them The Pontificians have so bruised the keys with breaking Mens heads and so furr'd them with the bloud of Innocents that they are not able to open the gates of Heaven Some let them rust in their hands for want of use Teachers that do not teach that can neither open the doors of Heaven for others nor for themselves Some alter the Wards by false and erronious doctrine Others like Gallio care not which end goes forward let the Church-Keys hang in the Town-House let who will preach all 's one to them But some there are God increase the number that keep them bright with fair and continual usage whom God blesseth in the way of their Ministery with the letting in of many Souls to himself Humility appeaseth Gods Anger IT is reported of Iulius Caesar That he never entertained hatred against any so deeply but he was willing to lay down the same upon the tender of submission As when C. Memnius put in for the Consulship he befriended him before others of the Competition notwithstanding that C. Memnius had made bitter invectives against him Thus the great God of Heaven to whom all the Caesars and Kings of the Earth are Tributaries and Homagers doth never hate so irreconcileably but that true Humiliation will work a Reconciliation satis est prostrasse let but the Sinner appear before him in a submissiâ—e posture and his anger will be soon appeased The extream Folly of Sin SUch is the foolishnesse of a Frantick Man the disease being got into the Cock-loft of Reason that when he is in greatest misery he seems to be as one that had no misery at all and when most oppressed with the strength of his malady laughing and smiling as if he were not oppressed with any disease at all So is it with him whose Soul is as it were drench't in a deluge of Sin when he is extreamly miserable and that the strength of his Sins are able to throw him down to destruction yet you shall see him like Solomon's Fool go to the correction of the Stocks full of jollity such was the state of Ierusalem not discerning the time of their Visitation that when Christ wept for them they could not do so much as throw out one sob of sorrow for themselves such too was the condition of the old World nothing but Mirth and merriment marrying and giving in Marriage till the Floud overtook them and such we may see to be the daily custome of all desperate Sinners such as walk with lifted up countenances and hugge themselves in the perpetration of their wicked designs when destruction is at the very pits brim ready to overwhelm them The Scripture to be onely rested upon AThaneus tells us that the Stoicks had an opinion that no Man could do well but a wise Man not so much as make good Lentill-broath but after his Receipt and that was so exact and curious that it prescribed the twelfth part of a Coriander seed Thus there are in the World many simple Men and more simple and more sinfull Weomen that have little besides a VVill and a Tongue yet are so conceited of doctrine that if Zeno or one of their Zanies prescribe it not the broath is naught Mors in olla death is in the pot and for every sup of broath they must run to Zeno when God knows all at the best is but a poor messe of pottage such are those humane traditions Constitutions and Impositions of Usurpers but as meer artificial Paper-walls set up against the Apostolicall Cannons such the Inventions of Men though of those pure brains that pretend most yea mainly for the Word For sometimes they prove but Lapwings that cry Here 't is here 't is when their nests are far enough off And such the Morality that drop't in verse from the pens of the Poets but not any of these nor all of these though they may be made use of in a subservient way are to be rested on but onely the Word of God God a Merciful God THe Rainbow is an Emblem of Gods mercy 't is planted in the Clouds as if Man were shooting at God and not as if God were shooting at Man The sciâ—uation of the Propitiatory or Mercy-seat was a strong Argument of his Mercy God commanded it should be planted over the Aâ—k in which was the Testimony the book of cursings that so Mercy might be near at hand to pronounce sentence of Absolution when Iustice was ready to denounce Iudgment It is Gods nature and property to have Mercy Longanimity is as Gods natural child the holy Trinity is in travell with it Even as any thing great with young doth desire to be rid of the burthen so doth God desire to pour out his Mercy Never any Nurse when her breasts were full of Milk was in greater pain for Children to suck them then God is in pain to have his Children draw Mercy from him He spins out the thred of his goodnesse to an unmeasureable length and though his Angle be in Heaven yet he lets down the line of his Love and baits it with his Mercy to try whether men will swallow that so he may save their Souls Justice cometh from him as
joy for the totall the full conversion of a Sinner so there is a proportion a measure of joy for one tear nay for one desire of a tear of any one Sinner that repenteth Rash inconsiderate Prayers reproved IT is reported in the Moscovy Churches that if the Minister mistake in reading or stammer in pronouncing his words or speak any word that is not well heard the Hearers do much blame him and are ready to take the book from him as unworthy to read therein And God is no less offended with the giddy rash precipitate and inconsiderate Prayers of many who send their Petitions in post haste unto him Whereas the Prophet David saith At last I spake with my tongue his tongue came after his heart his words came after long-looking what he would say what he should say And it is the advice of Solomon his Sonne Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Where he putteth the mouth before the heart when he forbids the rashness of them because he would not have thee to put it before the heart in using of it not to tumble out thy words when thou speakest unto God but that they be distinctly digested into order understanding well what thou say'st that others may understand thee also Insensibility of Sin the sadnesse thereof IT is reported That the Grecians had an Hill so high above that Region of the ayr where winds are bred that he that had drawn his name in the ashes of the last years Sacrifices might at the next year of his return find the letters unblown away But thou O Man whosoever thou art if thy heart be so calmly seated that the Devil may at the same instant read in the sluttish dust of it the Sins which long ago he wrote there if no Thunder have cleared the ayre about thee or any wind scattered those guilty characters if all be hush'd silence and sleep and rest about the Conscience like the sad Country of the Sybarites where not so much as a Cock the Remembrance of Saint Peter was left alive to trouble them If so know then that so long as thou art thus senselesse of thy sins that thy Soul is utterly benuâ—'d thy God hath given thee over he will not so much as favour thee with a frown or blesse thee with his anger The Vanity of using many Words TErtullian expressing the nature of Dreams saith Conspice gladiatorem sine armis vel Aurigam sine curriculis c. Look but upon a Fencer without weapons a Coach-driver without his running Chariâ—t acting and practising all the postures and feats of his skill there is fighting there is a stirring but it is an empty moving and gesturing Notwithstanding those things do seem to be done which are not seen to be done They are done in the acting of them but not in effecting any thing by them So it is in many words there is often much Fencing but no Weapons wherewith the Enemy is wounded there is much running but no Chariot that winneth the race Much seemeth to be said but it is to as much purpose as if nothing were said all is an empty moving of the tongue And if there be any matter of worth in the multitude of Words it is but by chance as when a blind Man shooteth many arrows perhaps one may be near the mark And so in the multiplying of many words perhaps some there may be which carry some weight some matter with them but usually in a multitude of Words thâ—re is no multitude of matter and in the idle tossing of many words what can there be but a fulnesse of Folly when a Fools voice is known by them Eccles. 5. 3. Not to repine at the losse of Friends or Children ANytus a young Spark of Athens came revelling into Alcibiades house And as he sate at supper with some strangers he rose on a sudden and took away one half of his plate the guests stormed and took on at it He bad them be quiet and told them that he had dealt kindly with him since that he had left the one half whereas he might have taken the whole So let no Man repine for that Friend that Child which is taken away by death but be thankfull to God for those that are left He that taketh one might aswell if he would have taken all All are in his hands and it is his great Mercy that he hath left any at all Men of few and Men of many Words their difference HOmer in his Iliads hath appointed unto Dreams two dores the one a dore of horn which was the dore of Truth the other a dore of Ivory which was the dore of deceipt For Horn as they say may be looked through but Ivory being thick and dark is not transparent These dores may very well be applyed to the mouths of men which are as the Indexes and Tables of the Heart For to some it is a dore of glasse which is soon broke open and easily giveth passe to a Multituâ—e of words wherein the Folly of their hearts and minds is discerned to others it is a dore of Brasse firm and solid in keeping in their words with more care and circumspection and shewing the firm solidity of their hearts and minds Why it is that the Children of God die usually sooner then others SHould any of us have a Child an onely son in France Holland or some such like place of distance abiding there to learn the language to see fashions or the like and should hear that the Countrey were all in an uproar ready to fight onâ— against another What course should we take in this case should we not in all hast write to have him home where he might be in more safety In like manner doth God with his people that he hath as it were at Nurse or at School here in this World When trouble and danger is toward those places where they make their abode he calleth for them away he taketh them home to himself whâ—râ— they are sure to be safe far out of Gun 's shot and free from touch or view of evil All Men must die and lye down in the dust JAcobus Emissenus a famous writer and Tutor to Ephraem the learned Syrian reporteth that when Noah went into the Ark he took the bones of Adam along with him and coming thence he divided them amongst his sons giving the skull to Shem his first born saying Let not this delivery from the Floud make you secure behold your first Parent and the beginning of all Mankind you must all Nati natorum et qui nascuntur ab illis and all that come from you go unto the dust to him And without all doubt All Men must dye and lye down in the dust they may desire to stay long here in this valley of tears and to live in this thin shadow of
ornament What a most unreasonable thing were it in this Man to murmure because the wind blows a few leaves off the Trees though at the same instant of time they are fully laden with fruit Thus if God take a little and leave us much shall we be discontent If he take an onely Son and give us his own Son if he cause the Trees to bring forth fruit shall we be angry if the Wind blow away the leaves Shall we murmure and repine at light and momentary afflictions when God at the same time is preparing for us a far more exceeding weight of glory A great exceeding mercy to be one of Gods dearest Children IT is observeable in Scripture that God hath alwaies had Saints be severall degrees and sizes and that some of them have had more communion with him then others From among the multitude he chose twelve to be with him from among the twelve he chose three Peter Iames and Iohn which were è secretioribus of the privy Councell from among the three he chose out John as his peculiar darling and bosome Favourite of whom it 's said five times that he was the Disciple whom Jesus loved So now to this day God hath his babes who eat milk and nothing else his Children who know their Fathers will and are assured of his love his young Men who go out to war and the Fathers in Israel whose gray-headed experience and wisedome abounds for they knew him from the beginning But is it not a great mercy to be one of Gods though but one of his little ones yea the least of all to be a Star though not of the first magnitude to be a Disciple though not a John nor one of the three nor one of the seventy but to be a John a darling to lean on his breast to lye in his bosome O how great a mercy 't is mercy to be new born though one be but newly and as one newly-born but to grow up to a perfect stature to be a Man in Christ Iesus O how great a mercy Removall of Good men by Death a Forerunner of Judgment EVen as a carefull Mother who seeing her child in the way when a company of unruly horses run through the streets in a full carrere she presently wâ—ips up the child in her arms and takes him home Or as the Hen seeing the ravenous Kite hovering over her head she clocks and gathers her chickens under her wings Even so when God hath a purpose to bring a lingring heavy calamity upon a Land it hath been usuall with him to call and cull out to himself such as are his dearly beloved When some fatall Judgment hovers like a flying fiery scrole over a Land or people he gathers many of his choice servants unto himself that he may preserve them from the evill to come Thus was S. Augustine removed a little before Hippo wherein he dwelt was taken Paraeus dead before Heidelberg was sacked And Luther taken off before Germany was overrun with war and bloud-shed Nay what else can be the meaning that of late so many lights so many eminent ones have been extinguished in this Nation but to fore-signify the great darknesse that without Gods great mercy is inevitably coming upon us Worldly-minded-Men little think of Heaven And why so THere is a fable how that a Wools being exceeding hungry came into a Tanners yard and there espying raw hides in the pit had a great mind to have eaten of them but being covered with water could not tell how to come at them at last he resolves to drink up the water but after a while his belly was so full that he had no mind at all to the hides This is the case of all Earthly-minded-Men that being filled with the things of this World they have no stomach to the things that are more Heavenly having dined with all the dainties as Earth can present such as honours riches and the like they have no appetite to the supper of the Lamb Christ Iesus at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Christ ready to revenge himself upon the Enemies of his Church IT is said of Lions that as they are mindfull of courtesies received witnesse the story of Androdus that fugitive servant of Rome so they will be sure to revenge injuries done to them They will prey on them that would make a prey of them When Iuba King of the Moors march't through the desart of Africa a young Man of his Company wounded a Lyon but the year following when Iuba returned the Lyon again meets the Army and from among them all singles out the Man that hurt him and tears him in pieces suffering the rest to passe by in peace and safety Thus it is that Christ Iesus that Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah is alwaies ready to revenge the cause of his Church and take Vengeance on all that have wounded him or his People such as will prey on them shall be made a prey to him And though they wound them in their passage through the Wildernesse of this World yet certainly when he comes again to judg the World he will single out all that shoot their arrows at him or his or him in his Members and will without mercy tear them in pieces But as for the peaceable peace be to them and the whole Israel of God Christ the Saints wonder and admiration THe Sun is gazed on by all the World with admiration yea it is so admired that by many it is adored and worshipped for a God as by the Persians at this day And many insensible Creatures some by opening and shutting as Marigolds and Tulips others by bowing and inclining the head as the Solsequy and Mallow flowers are sensible of its presence and absence there seems to be such a sympathy that if the Sun be gon or clouded they wrap up themselves or hang their heads as unwilling to be seen by any eye but his that fills them Thus it is and that in a far more larger sense that Christs name is Wonderfull Angels and Saints for love the World and Devills for fear wonder at him The Saints duly and truly adore him for their God and were there ten thousand Suns the Saints would admire Christ ten thousand times more then them all He doth so attract and ravish their hearts by the beaming forth of his love-rayes on them that they seem to be sick and dying if they be not with Christ they open when Christ comes and shut when Christ withdraws and will not be kiss'd by any lips nor embraced by any arms but his Cant. 5. 8. Christ's Watchfullnesse over his People for Good IT hath been a tradition that Lyons are insomnes that they sleep not It may be they sleep not so much as other Creatures do yet that they sleep not at all were absurd to think however their eye-lids being too