leasure to liue well but flit from sinne to sinne as the flye skippeth from dish to dish till they be taken with the sweet meate of sin in their mouth and there bee no place to repentanâ—â— Let such consider that the custome of sinne causeth a hardning in sin For so the Apostle speaketh thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfâ— wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and let them remember that custome will adde to nature and turne it vnto it selfe Which is the cause that a Preacher shall as soone take Nature from a man by his words as sinne to which hee is accustomed Besides Sathan is not easily cast our where hee hath long dwelt and if Sathan be in sinne will not be out if Sathan haue possession sinne that attends vpon him will not loose possession if one dwell in vs both as well as one wil and must dwell in vs. So much for the Wisemans exhortation his reasons follow Whiles the euill dayes come not c. These are the reasons for which Salomon would haue his young man not to put of in the age of youth which is most prime and teachable the remembrance spoken of And they are taken from the many infirmities and withdrawings that are to bee found in old age when youth is abused as much as if Salomon should haue said Well my sonne thou art now yong lustie and actiue of good apprehension and sharpe conceite indued with fresh and strong faculties of wit and remembrance thy feete are nimble thy sight is good and thy hearing perfect now therfore serue God whiles thou maist the time may come when thou wilt be old weake and sickely dull in apprehending and of bad capacitie and remembrance without a good legge to bring thee to church without a good eare to heare at Church and either without all eies or darke sighted and so not able to reade or not able to reade long nor a good letter but through spectacles then it will be too late to doe any good seruice to God thy Creator This I take to be the Wise 〈◊〉 meaning in these words and the doctrine from hence is Doctr. Old age is no fit time wherein to begin godlinesse when the gay and fresh age of youth hath beene consumed in vanities The Israelites are complained of by the Lord in Malachy That they offered the blind for sacrifice and the lame and sicke for aâ— hallowed thing Mal. 1.8 He that would not haue a beast that had no eyes in his seruice would haue theâ— whiles thou hast eyes to serue him The sicke and the lame were no good offerings then and bee they good ware now in the sicke and lame bodie of a man that hath desperately put off his turning to God till he can neither draw winde nor legge Moses knew this and therefore bore this burthen yong and while his legges were able to beare him For the Text saith That when he was come to age hee refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter that is would not liue in delicacies while he had strength to liue vnto God Heb. 11.24.25.26 Ioseph also in his beautie and faire person turned his back to his tempting Mistresse and his face to the Lord. Gen. 39.10.12 He would not put off to serue God till old age had made choppes to his beautifull face and till his skin was withered Iosiah a good King in the eight yeare of his raigne and sixteene of his age when he was yet a Child began to seeke after the God of Dauid his Father and in the twelfth yeare of his raigne and twentieth of his age made a famous reformation 2. Chro. 34.3.4.5.6 What so soone and so young So saith the Scripture and so it was without controuersie For Gods Children take the good daies of youth for good duties and not the euill of sickly and saplesse old age for them as commonly the worlds children doe Samuel serued God in his minoritie and grew in spirit as hee shotte vp in yeares Samuel was a good man and the better beâ—â—â—â— a good yong man The reasons Repentance as it can neuer come too soone where sinne is gone before so it must needes with much adoe and not without some speciall worke of God ouertake so many sinnes of youth and manhood so farre and much before it Secondly old age is full of wearinesse and trouble and where wee haue elbow-roome in youth we cannot turne vs in old age Perhaps wee shall neither heare nor see nor go nor sit without paine and torment in all parts and is this a fit condition of life and age of time to serue God in Or doe we thinke seeing wee will not know God in youth that he wil know vs at these yeares and in this case and state A reproofe therefore to those who bestow on Sathan the beauty Vse 1 strength and freshnesse of youth and offer to God the wrinckles weakenesse and foule hue of old age Or when they haue giuen away the flower of their yong yeeres to Gods enemie offer to God who will haue the first and deserues the best the dregges and leauings To such I say if thou wilt not know God in thy youth hee will neuer know thee for ought thou knowest when thou art gray-headed If as hath been said thou wilt not giue him the yong and sound and that which is without blemish he will neuer take in good part the old and sicke and euill fauoured which no man will giue to his friend nor dare offer to his Prince If thou wilt not when thou art quick-witted when thou art come to yeares of dotage hee will not If thou wilt not beare him in his day thou shalt cry in thy day that is in the euill day and not be heard Prou. 1.28 It is too late to sowe when thy fruit should be in and no time to leaue sinne when sinne must leaue thee An instruction Vse 2 not to trust to the broken staffe of old age for being holy as wee are called to holinesse 1. Thess 4.7 but in the daies of our youth as the yeares of plentie to prouide with Ioseph in Egypt for a famine of hearing a famine that may come by infirmitie of yeares Gen. 41.49 For holinesse is a gift and the grace of holinesse is the gift of God Psal 51.10 Now a gift must bee taken when it is offered It is offered to day to day if you will heare his voice Psal 95.7 And therefore we may not come for it many yeares hence being promised to day What folly is it to challenge it thirty or forty yeares hereafter But if men haue neglected in their youth thus to remember God it is high time in their age to remember him Which would bee considered of those who haue already put foot within the dores of that age in the which the Almond tree flourisheth the haires are turned white to the haruest of death Eccl. 12.5 For is it not time for
such to bee renued in their mindes reformed in their liues Eph. 4.14 And though they haue beene children long hauing so long and much forgotten God in the ignorance of childhood and vanitie of youth should they alwaies be so or should they not grow to be men in Christ and strong men in the saluation of God wisdome being their gray haires and an vndefiled life their old age 1. Cor. 16.13 The Israelites gathered twice as much Manna the day before the Sabbath as they did any day before because on the sabath they might gather none Exod. 16.22 and should not the hoare head that looketh euery day for the last sabbath of mortalitie and long sabbath of glorie in an age and day so neare vnto it heare twice as much pray twice as much do twice as much good be more fruitfull then in all his life before vsing not legs as youth but wings of repentance yet as young men think they haue a long time so put off remembrance so old men doe hardly beleeue that their time is so shoâ—â— or end so neere but that they 〈◊〉 take leasure and doe that hereafter which they should doe presentlie And who is there almost though hauing liued verie long alreadie that thinketh not hee may liue one yeer longer we read that threescore and ten is a great age Psa 90.10 but when we our selues are past it we forget what we haue read and look not to that which is gone but as couetous persons who onely liue vpon that which they expect not which they haue doe onely number the yeeres to come and build vpon seuen yeeres when perhaps there are not seuen months behind peraduenture not seuen daies not houres Little thought hee to die before the morrow who promising many yeeres of ease to himselfe said hee would pull downe his old barnes and build new Luc. 12.18.19 The like condition in sudden death may steale vpon the like foolish numberers of their daies For hee â—as a young man that so reckoned â—misse and shall they that be old so â—ckoning thinke to reckon well We say commonly Yong men may â—e and when we turne it to old â—en we say with good warrant Old â—en must die And yet as men by â—a thinkes anothers ship goes fast â—nd their owne stands still where â—eirs maketh as great hast to the â—ort as the others doth so old men â—inke that other old men weare aâ—ace and goe a maine to death as if â—eir owne yeeres did neuer a whit â—reake nor moue to the waine of â—se where the truth is that they â—aue as swift a gale and flight to the â—ort of all the liuing as the other â—aue who seeme in their eyes not â—o moue softly but to flie to their â—nd So much for the first reason â—he second followeth Nor the yeares approach wherein â—hou shalt c. This secoÌ„d reason giâ—en for remembrance is drawne froÌ„â—n age in a neerer degree to death by â—oÌ„mon course then the age that was spoken of though it may wel be called old age coÌ„pared to the times 〈◊〉 yong men childreÌ„ For these yeeâ— take all pleasure from our life wheâ— in affliction followeth affliction 〈◊〉 the clouds returne after the raine Eâ—cles 12.2 The reason may be drawâ— from the lesse to the more thus 〈◊〉 if Salomon had said It is an vâ—â— time in old age to begin repeÌ„tance much more at these stooping yereâ— where euerie step is in death aâ—â— they may say with Barzillat whâ— are come vnto them How long hâ—â— I to liue Doctr. 2. Sam. 19.34 The Doctrine is If in old age then mucâ— more in that age it is verie late 〈◊〉 consecrate our time to God wheâ— our houses are turned into our prisons and we haue no taste in that 〈◊〉 eat or in that we drinke 2. Sam 19.35 Of Ephraim it was said Thâ— gray hayres were here and there vpâ—â— him yet he knew it not Hos 7.9 thaâ— is hee had the markes of age in 〈◊〉 face and vpon his head and yet 〈◊〉 one that would still be young heâ— considered not that hee drew neeâ— â—o the graue and had tokens vpon â—im of a blasted life What would â—t haue beene said if being readie to â—ye downe in the graue he had fared â—s one that had come into the world but yesterday And that he thought not of putting off sinne and putting on holinesse in an age when he could neither put off nor put on his owne clothes The reasons This â—s the last time or rather houre and how shall we hope to be good if we begin but now And if it be somewhat late where memory is stronger how can it bee but verie late where memorie is quite gone Secondly repentance should bee voluntarie not extorted as at these yeares by bitter griefe and the feare of hell Thirdly our repentance then will be late repentance and late repentance is seldom or neuer true repentance Also those repentances that men frame to themselues at the last houre are but false conceptions that come not to bearing For in such repentances men forsake not their sinnes but their sinnes forsake them A reproofe to those desperat sinners Vse who put off all care of turning to God by repentance till the graue be readie for them and till they be readie to make vp their bed in the darke But many deceiued with this charme sorcery of the last hours repentance haue knocked when there was no opening Luc. 13.25.28 The foolish Virgins that came not for mercy whiles the Lords doore was open that is whiles hee was before the doore to giue it and they in the way to receiue it did stand without had none to open vnto them Matth. 25.10.12 So he was taken away to damnation that prepared not his wedding garment before his comming to the wedding feast Matth 22.11.13 Let these examples of reprobate putters off mooue vs to preuent the diuels houre of turning to God which is the last houre of life an houre when Gods doore of mercy is made fast and all hope is cut off for entring It is an euâ—ll seruant that putteth off all his worke to the last houre Eccles 12 And who knoweth not that hath vnderstanding that when those yeeres approach and that gastly houre is come there is businesse and worke enough in the mind and externall man of deaths condemned prisoner to resist and prepare against the extremitie of that combat which because it is the last of the day is like to be the sharpest Besides the last sicknes bringeth trouble inough with it when death the diuell mans vnremitted sinnes Gods intolerable wrath and the gaping pit and deepe lake of hell doe altogether with greatest terror astonishmeÌ„t present themselues to mans sorrowfull and sore incumbred soule Obiect You will say that a theefe was saued at the very last cast of life or some short time before hee departed from the Crosse to Paradise Luke 23.43 Answ I confesse that the
in the good way young that they may sucke the milke of the Gospel with the milk of their Mother But to moue such to doe this dutie with more thankfulnesse let it be considered first that such instruction so giuen by Parents is more naturall and kindly then that which is giuen by strangers For as a tender plant will sooner take nourishment thriue better in the soile wherein it first grew and sprung vp then in any other ground because it liketh it owne soile best so tender children will sooner take instruction and good teaching from the Parents with whom they best agree as with their best and most naturall soile in whose loines they seeded and tooke their first roote then they can or are like to doe from strange Teachers when they shall be transplanted as it were into an other stocke and family or be exposed to grow vp in another soile of people then that in the which they had their first nature and sap of being Secondly who but Parents haue such as bee very young and tender vnder their charge and direction Now while they are yong one may work in their youth as in the day Ioh. 9.4 but when the night of their stubborne yeares commeth that season for good things is commonly lost Thirdly as Plants set in the Spring grow and prosper better then they which are set in Winter or Autumne so the instruction that is giuen in the spring of youth better prospereth and doth more edifie then that which is giuen in the Autumne of manhood or winter of gray haires Fourthly as Parents haue brought forth their children the children of wrath by nature So it concerneth them by the doctrine of Regeneration as by a second better nature in all good conscience to help to make them the sonnes and daughters of God by faith Fiftly Parents will betimes put their children forth to good trades And is there any trade of their life for honour delight or riches comparable to the trade and way of godlinesse Is the trade of wisdedome as other common trades which is a tree of Life to all that lay hold of it Prou. 2.18 The meaning is it increaseth strengthneth life where worldly trades if they be wel followed spend and diminish it and where other trades are vncertaine it hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come and where other trades are subiect to the course of this world being sometimes better and sometimes worse this is not so but alwaies good for God hath sealed vp his promise to it that it shall neuer faile which being so how carefull should Christian Parents be not to put off to put out their children carely and as it were at breake of day to such a profitable certaine and happie trade of life by which they shall be sure to liue euer with the Lord But if Parents will not betimes bind their youth by precept vpon precept Esay 28.10 as by Indenture and by Christian discipline as by Indenture sealed to so good a trade I beseech their Christian youth to offer themselues vnto it Sixtly Parents should remember that they help to build or pull downe the Christian world for in their children they beget and beare Parents to posteritie And if they learne no good while they be children how shall they teach it when they be fathers Seuenthly Parents are Gods Husbandmen and their children his seed and husbandrie 1. Cor. 3.9 as therefore in the husbandrie of this world the good Husband before he reape or inne one crop will plow and prepare for another yea and get the best and purest seede that at the time of haruest he may receiue some good increase So God hauing made religious Parents his husbandmen and their children his seede and husbandrie they should see that the haruest of Gods church be in some good proofe and well comming forward in their seede and posterity before their owne croppe be inned in their owne blessed death For Gods husbandrie must not die nor be giuen ouer till death bee vanquished which is the last enemy they must deale with Hee that hath or meaneth to haue and preserue a good Orchard will haue a nurserie also of young trees to feede it with and of these tender trees hee will be more carefull then of those elder in his Orchard of fruits The reason is they may sooner be bitten or nipped or the canker may sooner take them then the other trees God loueth and maketh much of the Orchard of his Church in the old store but hee is tender of it in the nurserie and new store that consisteth of babes in Christ growing to holinesse because the canker of euill things may soonest breed in them heards not of Beasts but of Diuels may soonest bite and nip them and so the Vineyard that God loueth so well may for want of supplies from the seminarie of young men and children begotten to the Gospell become desolate and wast for euer Now is God thus tender of his spirituall Nurserie and shall Christian Parents his husbandmen neglect it Doe they not know that the old trees cannot stand alwaies and that sooner or later they must be cut downe with the axe of death should they not then looke well to the nurserie of the younger impes in their charge by hedging with good nurture and discipline the young men and young women whom they meane to set as trees of righteousnesse in the Orchard of the Lords Church should they not water them with good teaching dresse them in good and due manner paring away their riot and superfluities of apparell of pleasures of play and prouide that no dangerous worme eat into them by any carely habit in euill vnmet with or if they shall despise or post of this so important a dutie what can we call them but prophane and such as leaue Gods Church in worse case then they found it The hope of the Church is in the youth that now haue being for if they be well brought vp they will be carefull that such as proceed from them shall haue good bringing vp also that age will commend this good education to another the next to them that follow and they to others by an inuiolable tradition till there be an end of all generations on Earth And as this is a lesson for all Parents so specially for Parents of great Families for the greater the ship is and the better merchandise it carrieth the more neede it hath of an expert and carefull Pilot. And so the greater a childe is by blood possessions the more need he shall haue of some speciall Ouerseer and one that greatly feareth God to be guide to his youth The contrarie carelesse nursing vp of such in vice and idlenesse is cause of these great wasts that wee find to be made so ordinarily in the best patrimonie of the common wealth for as the fattest soile bringeth forth the rankest weedes when it is not plowed so great houses not well
nor looketh for precisenesse and exactnesse in matters of religion at the hands of Gentlemen and Noblemen and that such drudgeries are to be imposed vpon vile and abiect persons for so they speake of the poore that receaue the Gospell but what say such men to Dauid who set himselfe with his whole heart to seeke the Lord and what will they thinke of Salomon who in this booke of his repentance calleth himselfe Ecclesiasâ—es or Preacher Are they better then Dauid and wiser then Salomon or doe they thinke because they liue better that is in better estate then poore men that therefore they shal liue longer and what difference concerning death betweene a Nobleman and a Beggar Eccles 3.20 when both goe to one place when in these Acts and Scenes of seeming life as at a game at chesse the highest now vpon boord may presently be the lowest vnder boord when the breath in the nostrels of the Rich may assoone be stopped and they assoone turne to their dust as other Men A fourth impediment is taken from the pleasures or lusts of youth things that bring repentance and sorrow like sweet meates of hard digestion for what are they when they come to the shot and reckoning are they not deare penniworths to all such guests as will needes be Merchants of them Salomon in this booke tels vs that though they be pleasant to the eie eare mouth and senses of a young man yet in the mind they leaue behind them an vnsauorie after-taste or loathsome disdaine For like an vncleane spirit in him they cast him now into the water and now into the fire Mark 9.22 And these are the lusts of youth by children so earnestly desired and by old folkes so much lamented A fift impediment of godlinesse is that beautie in youth which is too delicate and tender to weare the rough garment of repentance and a strict life but how soone is it blighted and strucken as the faire flower of glasse blasted with an eastwind for beauty is but a flower which if some sicknesse strike not suddenly yet the autumne of ripe yeeres impaireth and the winter of old age killeth and what careth death which is indifferent to all for a faire and goodly complexion And is not a beautifull face as mortall as a foule hue The like may be spoken of health strength and stature of body for what are they and of what time In their owne nature they are fickle things and without good vse crosses for concerning health the deuowring vulture of sicknesse doth after some short time waste it to nothing strength is common to vs with Beasts and there are many beasts stronger then we and for our comely stature it may as soone be brought downe to death and as deepely be buried in the coffin of the Earth as a meaner cize shall Further if men haue not vsed these to Gods glory but to pride and vaine glorie nor haue made them helpes to godlinesse but haue giuen them their head at sinne it will be said after death of such that a beautifull person a strong young man a goodly tall fellow and one that neuer knew what sicknesse meant is gone to Hell Therefore of beauty and hâ—â— attendants as health and strength and a goodly stature that may be spoken which is spoken vsually of fire and water that they are good seruants but ill Masters where they are ruled they doe good seruice where they ouer-rule they make foule worke A sixt impediment of godlinesse is the bad fellowship and example of those who being themselues drunken with the pleasures of youth seeke to drowne others in the same perdition and destruction and therefore offer to them the full cup that they likewise may stagger and fall from God by the like error and disobedience But Christian young men must turne away their eyes from very seeing the inchanted cuppe of such carnall Counselours And though they beate their eares euery day with such foolish sounds as these are that it is too soone and vnkindly in youth to be religious that such yeeres are for the lap of the world not for Ezras Pulpit that youth must haue a time c. yet euery day they should set Iosephs locke vpon them of not hearkning vnto them nor of being in their company Gen. 39.10 for it is a true saying he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it So hee that will touch the pitch of such must looke to be defiled with the companie If a man that had wallowed in the mire tumbled in the filthy chanel should offer to companie with vs would we not loatâ— and shun him and why would wee so auoid him but because quickly he would make his filth to cleaue vnto vs And doe not bad wicked persons set their markes and sinnes vpon those with whom they company Doe they not where they come leaue of their filth that is some print or badge of their prophanenesse behinde them And shall wee sit so close to them who haue so plunged themselues in the mire of sin who should either labour to drawe them out of filthinesse or withdraw our selues that we proue not as loathsome filthy as they are Should we not rather say if any will bee filthy let him be filthy by himselfe and if any will be beastly let him be beastly alone the filthy person and beastly man shall not haue me for a companion my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 Pro. 1.10.15 4.14.15 Now where these corrupt perswaders wil tell a yong man that makes conscience of his waies That other yong men doe not so that young man if he will be Christs yong man in the Gospell must answere him say That yong men should consider not what the most doe but what the best doe that shall bee saued whose way is narrow and walkers in it not many Math. 7.14 Also that it is to be regarded not what the world doth to which we must not bee fashioned Rom. 12.2 but what Christ did and the Saints whom wee haue for leaders who yong kept the path of vertue and walked not in the common rode of sinners These and such like impediments of sanctification in young men and they who meane to giue their yong time to God must striue to ouercome yong by fighting that fight of faith and a good conscience to which their Baptisme hath sealed them 1. Tim. 1.18.19 Then Vse 3 they are here reproued who suffer sinne to grow in them by custome and vse till it bee helplesse and who suffer it so long to breede in the bone that it will not out of the flesh For we should deale with sinne as with a thorne which we will plucke vp yong and in the tender spray and not tarry till it be growne and haue daggers prickes but some suffer it till it be as an old man so deafe and froward that either it will not heare or it cannot In all their life they finde no
more pleasures then at feasts this estate of heauenly life is both a kingdome and a feast A kingdome for they that are in it haue ouercome and shall sit on thrones Apoc. 2.7 A feast yea the marriage feast of the sonne of God in which he shall euer be espoused to the Church his wife The contract is made below the marriage shall be consummate aboue with solemnities vnspeakeable But if these excellent things spoken of the citie of God cannot winne our loue thither remember we the rich man in torments Luc. 16.23 and by this burnt child learne to dread the fire of hell The places are contrarie and all things contrarie that be in them As therefore Heauen is a place of ioyes and honour eternall so hell is a kingdome of shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 And now if so great glorie and pleasures so many and so endlesse cannot please you doe but a litte cast downe your eyes into that deepe lake where are nothing but flaming fire palpable darknesse and perpetuall burning and nothing but teares shrikes and outcries of hopelesse and reprobate consciences and nothing but torments and places of torment prepared for damnable sinners where is no intermission of complaints nor end of paine as farre from ease millions of yeeres to come as at their beginning The rich man in torments craued but one drop of water when whole riuers of water would not quench those riuers of brimstone that fed that fire and could not haue it Luc. 16.24.25 And if the rods wherewith God chastneth his children in this life be so smart and galling that they haue brought them downe to the brimme of despaire and so low in affliction that they haue wished for death what smart and galling plagues doe the damned suffer in the torments of hell who are beaten not with rods of chastisement but with an iron rod of destruction in whose confusions remedilesse the Lord will say euen he whom here they despised I will ease me of mine adâ—ersaries and auenge me of my fees Esa 1.24 And thus the feare of hell may be reason inough to draw our affections from these things below if the loue of heauen cannot But neither the loue of heauen nor feare of hell can worke in some any little distast of this worldly Egypt that they may eat of this Manna that is hidden Apoc. 2.17 That is of the bread of heauen in the kingdome of heauen A reproofe therefore to those who altogether mind the earth and earthly things Vse 2 not caring for that kingdome that cannot bee shaken Some haue an eye still in Sodome and hoofe in Egypt and so sticke to the place of their banishment in which they take case purpose coÌ„tinuance that they neuer mind their countrey nor affect their remoue vnto it They cloy their stomacks with the grose dinners of this present world and so haue no appetite to the Lambs dinner where Christ being gouernour keepeth his best things last Ioh. 2.10 When we speake to them of peace they prepare themselues to battell Ps 120.7 In heauen is peace and here on earth is nothing but warre within and without within in our selues without in the world and yet men had rather liue in a field thus swimming in blood then by walking before God dwell in tabernacles of peace A signe that heauen is not there citie nor Christ their head For they that belong to the citie of peace will seeke heauens peace and they that belong to Christ desire to bee with him Colos 3.1 Where the head is there would the body be If then we doe not ascend to heauen by a spirituall life but digge downe to the hels by a carnall if couetousnesse hold vs in the world and the loue of God cannot draw vs out if to be thus absent from Christ be our happinesse and we count it our greatest vnhappinesse to come vnto him by going hence Christ is not our head but he that hath the Dragons head the world is our citie and heauen our strange citie to which either we meane not to come or would not willingly but by the violence of death when we can liue no longer For can Christ bee our head whom wee care no more for and heauen our countrey which we seeke no sooner after Therefore while we are on the earth in our bodies if we will be the members of Christ and the citizens of heauen let vs dwell before God in our soules framed in the forme and manner of a ship which is close downeward and shut to the world but open aboue enlarged to heauen where our treasure is and expectation ought to be So did our fathers who walked with God to whose righteous soules this peace is come and who now are most safe vnder the shadow of their Altar Christ vpon whom whiles they liued they offered all their spirituall sacrifices and now being taken vp to heauen in their soules praise him with ioifull lips continually and follow him in white whether soeuer he goeth A comfort to those Vse 3 who for this peace-sake fight lawfully in all the warre of the world against it They who in such a presse of worldly affaires beeing with Zacheus vpon too low a ground to see Christ doe therefore climbe vp in their affections aboue earthly matters and worldly desires treading the Moon vnder their feete shall heare one day perhaps this present day their sweet Sauiours voice saying Come to mee at once for this day is saluation come to your houses Luk. 19.5.9 And then as God said to Abraham Arise and walke about this Land this is the countrey that I will giue thee Gen. 13.17 So he will one day say to euery child of Abraham Behold thy heauenly land that is the place of thy perpetuall aboad come to it walke about it and liue in it for euer Then wee shall haue that blessing that all our prayers hearing readings in the word and other godly striuings like that of Iacob with the Angell before hee blessed him laboured vnto Gen. 32.26 Herod promised much when he promised halfe his kingdome Mark 6.23 But Christ both promiseth will giue a whole kingdome Math. 25.34 And where among men the elder onely doth inherit here all sons are heires and all receiue not some few Manors and small Lordships but crownes of righteousnesse Rom. 8.17 O then what should let our desires with the tribes of Renben Gad to passe ouer this Iordan of death by the parting not of waters but of soule body to come to our Land of promise Num. 32.3.4.5.6 Iacobs 7. yeeres seemed light vnto him in regard of Rahel for whom he serued Ge. 29.20 And why should the labour trauel not of 7. yeares for it may be as was said we shall not serue 7. dayes we serue not a churlish Laban but a most bountiful redeemer I say why shold this short labor of ours trauell of so short time seeme any thing in respect of that faire
as the darkning of the Sunne and Moone the roaring of the Sea and waters not by an ordinary but strange vnquietnesse the failing of mens hearts the generall palsey or shaking disposition that shall be in all the heauenly powers which shall be so violent and with such perturbations of all lights and elements that the starres shall fall that is shall seeme to fall from heauen and the signe of the Sonne of Man which I take to be the burning of the high heauens and this lower earth which at the instant of his comming shall be set on fire these and the like signes not of peace but of warre to the world and not of fauour but of great wrath to sinners how can they but pierce with feare all such as shal come before the Lord in their sinnes without repentance at this day If the winds keepe vs in some awe when they be high and loud and if we feare the sea when it is but a little mooued if euerie sudden noise and cracke at mignight fright vs and if the thunder make vs afraid what shall their feare be and how great the confusion of their faces who shall stand in no faith and therefore with no boldnesse before the Sonne of God when all these matters of intolerable feare shall come together and meete vpon the then firie stage of this world and be ready to execute in their fiercest wrath and greatest power the law and will of their most excellent Creator against all faithlesse reprobates Fourthly this will be a day not of mercie but of rebuke to all Gods enemies and therefore intolerable to such For if the Lord doe straitly marke what is done amisse who shall abide it Psal 130.3 An admonition Vse 1 seeing it shall be thus to all the enemies of Christ presently to make our peace with Him while we are in the way Mat. 5.25 Our Sauiour doth exhort all the faithfull to this wisdome by the example of a King going to warre who being wise confidereth if hee be able with tenne thousand to meere him that commeth against him with twenty thousand or if he be not will send an ambassage and desire conditions of peace Luc. 14.31.32 Haue we our ten thousands to incounter with Christ who commeth that is will come with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement vpon all men Surely as the men of Samaria reasoned concerning Iohn two Kings could not stand before him how then shal we stand 2. King 10.4 so we may more truly and better say concerning Christ not two Kings but not all the Kings of the earth though they banded themselues and assembled in troupes against him could yet euer preuaile or stand before the fierce wrath of his comming Psal 2.2.4.9 and shall we poore wormes when Christ will come to rebuke sinners thinke to abide or stand against the chiding voice of his iudgement so intolerable and righteous therefore yeeld we must or be broken in peeces Should we not therefore while this King is I cannot say a great way off for he may be neeter then we are aware but in his way yet toward vs by his singular patience send forth an ambassage of humble supplication and teares and present amendment of life desiring peace and that he would not turne against vs but to vs in mercy that we may be saued Therefore while our feet are at libertie and before wee bee bound hand and foot let vs runne the way of the Lords commandements while we haue tongues and before we become speechlesse Mat. 22.12 let vs vse our tongues well and not suffer our mouthes to sinne and while we haue hands and before our hands fall from our arme and arme rot from our shoulder let vs worke with our hands the thing that is good Ephes 4.28 and procure things that bee honest in the sight of all men and while wee haue breath before God stop our breath let breath and all praise the Lord and while we haue eares and before our eares these daughters of singing bee abased Eccles 12.4 let vs lift vp our eares to the word and not vnto vanitie For if here we stop our eares against the trumpet of the Gospell we shall heare to our griefe the trumpet of the last iudgement which whether wee sleepe in the ayre or fire or sea or holes of the earth will awake vs. Some nay many like some players at the game of cardes who though the night be farre spent will not giue ouer till their candle faile them will not leaue off to doe wickedly till the candle that Iob speaketh of bee put out And some flatter themselues with an imagination of a longer day then God hath set vnto them or perhaps to the world for the last houre thereof But let such know that thogh the day of iudgement were far of yet the day and houre of euery mans particular iudgement in death cannot be it being a common and true saying to day a man to morrow none And for the day of the generall death of this languishing world he that wisely considereth the waines and declinings that haue been found in it within these few yeares and how like a woman with child which hath many panges fits before the throwes of her great labour come it is now in paine till it be deliuered hauing much complained in those signes and alterations that are gone before I say hee that well obserueth to the true purpose of his saluation these such like throws or rather downe throwes of things in the womb of this old and sickly world so neare to the trauell and time of her appointed end by fire cannot but say that it cannot continue long and that the Lord will come shortly among vs. When wee see a man in whose face wearing age hath many wrinckles and deepe surrowes we say This man can not liue long so when we see the furrowes of old age to appeare and bee manifest in so many wastes and consumptions as this feeble world is entred into why doe we not see that the death of it is neare More particularly and specially as there is no greater signe that a man is drawing towards death then that hee is alway catching at the sheetes and blankets and alway snatching and pulling at somewhat so seeing that euerie one catcheth what hee can in this griple and couetous age and seeing that there is so insatiable a minde of hauing in all conditions and callings of people now it is a sure signe to the heart of a wiseman that this world is sicke vnto death and so as it cannot hold out long And if there be no greater signe of death then that the bodie is so cold that no heate will come vnto it surely the cold charitie of the world mens no zeale to religion our nullitie of faith or poore growth in faith insomuch as Sermons are seldom heard or with small amendment can not but testifie that the world it selfe came to be of no long life
That they that are negligent or prophane commers to the Lords table doe detract from the perfection of Christs body and seuer themselues from the society of his Church So much for our guifts what doe we receiue at the Lords table That which wee receiue there concerneth our selues alone or our selues with others What is that that concerneth our selues alone The strengthning of our faith and memory by the reuerent and right vse of that holy action 1. Cor. 11.24 10.16.17 How is our faith strengthned memory holpen by it By seeing that in the Sacrament 1. Cor. 11.26 Galat. 3.1 1. Iohn 1.1 which we do but heare of in the word namely the particular offering and receiuing of Christ in his body and sauing blood by all beleeuing communicants Somuch for that which cōcerneth our selues alone what is that that concerneth our selues with others It concerneth our growing vp with Christ and our communion with our brethren How doe we receiue our growing vp with Christ Wee receiue it with Christ by spirituall eating and drinking 1. Cor. 10.3.4 and by a more full partaking with him and his graces through faith increased and that vse of his ordinance blessed vnto vs. How doe wee receiue our communion with our brethren By testifying our mutuall agreement 1. Cor. 10.17 inasmuch as wee eate all of one bread and drinke all of one cup. How else By feeding all of the same food bodily and spiritually 1. Cor. 10.4 12.13 Ephes 4.15 and by drawing all life from the same fountaine as the life of grace which heere we receiue and the life of glory which in heauen we shall be partakers of Amen So much for our examination before the Sacrament Prou. 23.1 When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler consider diligently what is before thee A short direction for spending of time well HOw doe you diuide the daies of mans life Into the daies of labour and daies of holinesse What say you of the daies of labour These concerne the workes of our calling or workes of helpe vnto them What be the works of our calling The workes of that trade of life in which God hath placed vs. 1. Cor. 7.10 Ephes 4.1 What must a man doe in these By offering them to God Coloss 3.17 Gen. 24.12.13.14.13 Ephes 4 28. Rom. 12.7 1. Thess 4.11 Genes 5.22 Hee must walke in them neither slackly nor deceitfully but with Christian diligence good conscience following his own businesse with quietnesse and walking with God Then euery one must haue some speciall calling and trade of life to liue in Yea verily Gen. 3 19. Matth. 20.6 2. Th. 3.10 11 12 Rom. 12 4 or he is no sound member of the Christian common wealth but a rotten member in the body of the same that deserueth a cutting off So much for the workes of our callings what say you of the workes of helpe vnto them They concerne duties to be done before the work or that day after What must we do in the morning before our worke Praise God for his mercy the night past Psal 59.16 88.13 Gen. 24 12. and pray vnto him for his further mercy and blessing the day present How shall we praise God By giuing him thanks Ephes 5.20 Coloss 1.10 and by shewing our thankefulnesse How is our thankefulnes shewed Inwardly or outwardly How inwardly By pleasing God in our vnderstanding thoughts desire Prou. 23 26 Col. 1 10 affections and will How outwardly By pleasing him in our words and deedes How in our words When they be gracious alway Col. 4 6. Ephes 4.29 What things hurt this grace of speech Lying Ephes 4.25 Jam. 5.12 Eph. 4.31 5.4 Coloss 3.8 Prou. 26.21 swearing brawling filthy speaking foolish talking iesting that is not comely wrath that causeth strife How in our deedes These are in the duties of our generall callings Rom. 12.4 as we are Christians or our particular trades of life wherein some are Magistrats some Masters and seruants some Marchants Artificers Husbandmen and the like What are our duties as wee bee Christians These concerne God Acts 24.16 or man What are they that concerne God They are in the foure commandements of the first Table Tit. 2.12 called godlinesse What are they that concerne Man They concerne our selues Tit. 2.12 or our neighbour What is that that concerneth our selues Sobriety which is inward Rom. 12.13 and and teacheth vs not to presume aboue that which is meete and outward in our apparell diet outward members and senses What must our apparell be Such as becommeth those that professe the feare of God 1. Tim. 2.10 What call you sobriety in diet That grace of temperance that consisteth in the moderate vse of meats drinkes sleepe Luke 21.34 Rom. 13 13 1. Thess 5.16 and such outward things What sobriety is that which you call sobriety of sense and the outward members Sobriety of sense is a watchfulnes in it 1. Tim. 4 16 Ioh. 31.1 1. Cor. 6.15 and sobriety of the members a chastitie in them So much for the generall duty that concerneth our selues called sobriety what is that that concerneth our neighbour It is contained in the sixe last commandements Rom. 13. ◠9 Matth. 19.18.19 Tit. 2.12 being commandements of the second Table called righteousnesse So much for our generall duties as we be Christians what say you of our particular duties or duties of our trade of life These reach vnto all callings in the Church and common wealth but to our purpose in a family they concerne the husband or wife Parents or their children the Master and his seruants What is the Husbands dutie To dwell with his wife 1. Pet. 3.7 Ephes 5.28.29 as a Man of knowledge by instructing her and by obseruing for her better incouragement the good parts that are in her and to loue her as his owne flesh What is the Wiues dutie To helpe her husband in the duties of the family Gen. 2 18. 1 Pet. 3.2 Ephes 5.22.24 also to feare and to be subiect to him What be the Parents duties They concerne the father and mother iointly or by themselues What bee their ioint duties to their children In their tender yeeres they must instruct them plainely Prou. 22 6 Ephes 6 4. Prou. 23 13 and season them with good things young giuing them due correction Genes 4.2 1. Cor. 7.36.37 2. Cor. 12.14 1. Cor. 7.39 and at more yeeres fit them for some honest calling and when time serues laying vp something for them giue them in Marriage onely in the Lord. So much for the Parents ioint duties what is the Fathers more speciall duty To prouide for his children 1. Tim. 5.2 specially to haue a speciall eye to the sons of his house as the mother must to her daughters What is the mothers special duty To nurse vp her children Gen. 21.7 1. Tim. 5.10 if God haue giuen