to Mephibosheth so if thou bearest any good will to God whom it is not in thy power to pleasure thou wilt shew thy thankefulnesse to him in his children who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Is our Ionathan gone Yet we have many Mephibosheths and he that loves God for his owne sake will love his Brother for Gods sake especially when he hath loved us as it were on this condition that we should love one another whereas thou hatest the children of God even for their very graces and vertues for thou couldest love their persons well enough if they were not conscionable And so much of the eighth aggravation § 135. NInthly 9 VVhom they wrong are their best friends to whom they owe their very lives againe touching the party wronged thy sinne is incomparably greater in as much as thou makest that the subject of thy derision which is the onely meanes of thy preservation Knowest thou not or mayst thou not know how the wicked owe their lives unto those few good whom they hate and persecute It were bad enough to wrong enemies but to wrong such by whom thou art preserved alive is abominable but see it proved for this may seeme incredible to thee The religious whom thou persecutest keepe off judgements from thee and the whole land 1 By their innocency 2 By their Prayers First 1 By their innocency by their innocency The Innocent saith Eliphas shall deliver the Iland and it shall be preserved The religious keepe off judgements from them by the purenesse of his hands Iob. 22.30 Runne to and fro by the streets of Hierusalem saith God to Ieremiah and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if ye can find a man or if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth and I will spare it Ier. 5.1 to which testimonies I could add a world of examples even all Noah's family were preserved from drowning in the generall Deluge for Noah's sake In the destruction of Sodom if ten righteous persons could have beene found the whole City had beene spared ten had saved ten thousand Gen. 18.29.32 yea when there was no remedy but destroyed it must be the Angels promised Lot whomsoever he brought forth should escape for his sake Againe God saved Zoar a City belonging to Sodom for Lot's sake Gen. 19.21 Now Zoar might happily be as bad as Sodom but here was the difference Zoar had a Lot within it Sodome had none Potiphar was a Heathen yet his house shall be blessed because Ioseph is in it a whole family yea a whole Kingdome shall fare the better for one despised traduced imprisoned Ioseph though he were sold for a slave Laban was cruell churlish wicked yet he shall be blessed for Iacob's sake Gen. 30.27 Among two hundred three score and sixteene soules there was but one Paul yet behold saith the Angell God hath given thee all that saile with thee Acts 27.24.44 Zacheus alone beleeved yet this brought salvation to his whole house Luk. 19. O the large bounty of God which reacheth not to us onely but to ours § 136. SEcondly 2 By their prayers good men by their prayers keepe off judgements from them The Saints are like Sampsons haire the strength of the Land and the very pillars of a State even such pillars that ten of them would have supported Sodom from falling and their prayers would have cried lowder in Gods eares for mercy then the sinnes of those thousands did for vengeance the prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith St. Iames if it be fervent Chap. 5.16 I need not tell you what prayer hath done as that it hath shut up the Heavens from rayning and opened them againe made the Sunne stand still in the firmament one while goe backe another devided the Sea and made it stand as a wall fetch fire and hailestones from Heaven throwne downe the wales of Ierico subdued Kingdomes stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire raised the dead let out of prison c. onely see what it hath done in this very case Was not Abraham's prayer so powerfull that God never left granting one request after another touching Sodome untill he left asking Gen. 18.32 Was not Moses prayer for the people when they had made the golden calfe and imputed their deliverance to it so powerfull that God was faine to say unto him Let me alone Moses that my wrath may wax hot against them and consume them and yet Moses would not let him alone but pleads his promise what the Aegyptians would say c. untill he had obtained their pardon though God promised to make of him a mighty people Exod. 32.10 to 15. was not Lot's prayer touching Zoar so powerfull that God saith unto him I have received thy request concerning this thing that I will not overthrow this City for the which thou hast spoken adding this moreover that he could doe nothing to Sodome untill he was entred into Zoar Gen. 19.20.21.22 Thus the prayer of Abraham removed that judgement from Abimelecke his wife and women servants when the Lord had shut every wombe Gen. 20.17.18 Thus Moses prayer removed the leprosie from Mirriam Num. 12.13.14.15 and kept off sundry judgements from the Israelites as when they murmured against him at the Red Sea Exod. 14.11.15 Againe at the waters of Marah Chap. 15.25 then at the Desart of Zim Chap. 16. then at Repidim Chap. 17.4 then when they fought with Amalecke ver 11. after when the Lord would utterly have consumed them Chapter 32.10 to 35. then he removed from them that judgement of fire which burnt among them Num. 11.1.2 againe when they murmured for flesh vers 4.10.31 after that he saved them from being consumed by the Pestilence Num. 14.12 to 21. then from another plague Chap. 16.45 to 49. and lastly he tooke away the Serpents by his prayer Num. 20.6.7.8 Againe how many severall plagues did he remove from Pharaoh and all Aegypt by his prayer As first the judgment of Frogs Exod. 8.8 then the judgement of Flyes ver 30.31 then the Thunder Hayle and Fire Chap. 9.33 then the Grashoppers Chap. 10.18.19 c. Thus by the prayer of Iehoahas all Israel was delivered from the oppression of the King of Syria 2 King 13.4.5 And by Samuel's prayer the Israelites were delivered out of the hand of the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.8.9 And by the prayer of Esay and Hezekiah the Israelites were delivered from that great Host of Senacharib under the conduct of Rabshekah and that miraculously for the Angell of the Lord in one night smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundred foure score and five thousand 2 King 19.4.20 Many the like examples I could give you § 137. ANd are not the like faithfull prayers of godly men amongst us Jn their distresse they will sue to the godly and desire them a loue to pray for them alike prevalent with God both for the averting and
thee But this makes nothing for such as love their sins better then their soules except thou repentest Indeed let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive saith Esay Chap. 55.7 and that we should not doubt of this he redoubles the promise Ezekiel 18. and confirmes the same with an oath Chapter 33.11 Yea he is more ready to shew mercy upon our repentance then we are to beg it as appeares in that example of the Prodigal son Luk. 15 20. Do but repent and God will pardon thee bee thy sinnes never so many and innumerable for multitude never so heynous for quality and magnitude for repentance is alwayes blest with forgivnes yea sinnes upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Esay 44.22 and what by corruption hath beene done by repentance is undone as abundance of examples witnesse He pardoned David's adultery Salomon's idolatry Peter's apostacie Paul did not only deny Christ but persecuted him yet hee obtained mercy upon his repentance Yea amongst the worst of Gods enemies some are singled out for mercy witnesse Manasses Mary Magdalen the Thiefe c. many of the Iewes did not only deny Christ the Holy one and the Just but crucified him yet were they pricked in heart at Peter's Sermon gladly received the word and were baptized Ast. 2.41 And a very Gentile being circumcised was to be admitted to all priviledges and prerogatives concerning matters of faith and Gods worship as well as the children of Israel Gen. 17.13 But on the other side unlesse we repent and amend our lives we shall all perish as Christ himselfe affirmes Luk. 13.3.5 § 145. FOr though mercy rejoyceth against justice Iames 2.13 His mercy rejoyceth against justice but destroyeth not his justice yet it destroyeth not Gods justice though hee is a boundlesse Ocean flowing with mercy yet he doth not overflow he is just as well as mercifull yea saith Bernard Mercy and Truth are the two feet of God by which he walketh in all his wayes his mercy is a just mercy and his justice is a mercifull justice he is infinite in both hee is just even to those humble soules that shall be saved and he will be merciful while presumptuous sinners go to hell and therefore in his word hee hath equally promised all blessings unto those which keepe his Commandements and threatned all manner of judgments to those which break them with their severall extreames according to the measure and degree of every sin Deut. 28 Neither is salvation more promised to the godly then eternall death and destruction is threatned to the wicked His mercy is a just mercy and as Christ is a Saviour so Moses is an accuser Iohn 5.45 Alasse though to all repentant sinners he is a most mercifull God And therefore hath equally promised all blessings to those which keepe his commande ments and threatned all manner of judgements to those that break them yet to wilfull and impenitent sinners hee is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 doth not the Apostle say that neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor buggerers nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners to which number S. Iohn Revelation 21.8 addeth the fearefull and unbeliveing and murtherers and sorcerers and all lyers shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Corinth 6.9.10 Galathians 5.21 but shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And doth he not likewise affirme that all they shall be damned which believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2 12. doth not the Lord say Ier. 16.13 that he will have no mercy for such as are desperately wicked And again Deut. 29.19.20 that if any man blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart that he mill not be mercifull to him c. Doth not our Saviour himself say that the gate of heaven is so strait that few find it Mat. 7.13.14 and will hee not at his comming to judgement as well say unto the disobedient Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels as to the obedient Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome c. yes they are his owne words Matth. 25.34.41 and S. Iames saith that he shal have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Iames. 2.13 In fine he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life but he that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ioh. 3.36 For as mercy in the second Commandement is entailed only to believers and to those which love God and keepe his Commandements so God at the last day will reward every man according to his righteousnesse 1 Sam. 26.23 as hee did David 2 Sam. 22.21 though not for his righteousnesse Deut. 9.4.5.6 which is as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 Yea hee hath sufficiently manifested his justice and severity already in punishing sinne and powring vengeance upon others that have provoked him as 1. upon the Angels 2. upon our first Parents and all the race of mankind 3. upon the old World 4. upon whole Monarchs and Empires 5. upon whole Nations 6. upon whole Cities 7. upon whole Families 8. upon divers particular persons and 9. upon his owne Sonne that no sinne might goe unpunished which may make all impenitent persons tremble for As the Locrians might once argue if our King is so just to his owne onely son in punishing adultery that he caused one of his eyes to be pul'd out and another of his owne how can wee his subjects expect to be dispensed withall so may I argue if God was so just and severe to his own Son that nothing would appease him but his death on the crosse how can the wicked his enemies looke to be spared If he spared not a good and gracious Sonne saith S. Bernard will he spare thee a wicked and ungracious servant one that never did him a peece of good service all thy daies If he punished David's adultery and murther so sharply a man after his own heart yea and that after his sinne was remitted what will hee doe to his enemies but send them to that devouring fire that everlasting burning Isa 33.14 If Gods own children who are as deare and neer to him as the aple of his eye or Signet on his right hand suffer so many and grievous afflictions here what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell if Sampson be thus punished shall the Philistims escape Yea if judgement begin at the house of God where shall the ungodly and wicked appeare If many shall seeke to enter in at the strait gate
should this be should we thinke ever the better of error though a thousand of the learned should countenance and maintaine the same no one Micaiah a single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God is more worthy of credit then 400. Baalites 1 Kin. 22.6 12 13 14 17 22 23. One Luther a mean man is worthy to bee believed before the Pope and so many legions of his creatures which were throughout Christendom for what hee wanted in abbertors was supplyed in the cause yea did not Paphnutius a weak scholler shew more wisdome in defending the truth against the whole Councell of Nice then all those great Clarks and learned men to his great renowne and their everlasting shame Did not Pharaoh find more wisdome in Ioseph a poore Hebrew servant and receive more solid advice from him wherby a famine through out the whole world was prevented then hee could in all the Wisemen and Southsayers of Egypt Gen. 41.8 to 32 Did not Nebuchadnezzar finde more depth in Daniel a poore captive Iew then he could in all the wise men of Babylon Daniel 2. and 4 yes and the reason is one eye having sight is better then a thousand blind eyes and one poore crucified thief being converted had a clearer eye then all the Iews Rulers Scribes and Pharisies who being naturall and wicked condemned and crucified JESUS CHRIST In the Councell of Trent there was of 270. Prelates 187. chose out of Italy and of the rest the Pope who was himselfe Moderator and his creatures excluded and tooke in whom themselves would and none else what marvaile then if they concluded what they listed Yea how many Schollers in all ages of the world have resembled Trajan who was endued with great knowledge and other singular vertues but defaced them all by hating Christianity and opposing the power of godlinesse How many are so farre from doing good that they doe great hurt with their gifts and not seldom the more gifts they have the more harme they do For as the best soyle commonly yeelds the worst aire so without grace there is nothing more pestilent then a deepe wit Wit and learning well used are like the golden earerings and bracelets of the Israelites abused like the same gold cast into a molten Idoll then which nothing more abominable No such prey for the Devill as a good wit unsanctified great wits oft times mislead not only the owners but many followers besides as how many shall once wish they had been born dullards when they shall finde their wit and learning to have barred them out of heaven And let them looke to it for as in respect of others their offence is greater for better many Israelites commit adultery or idolatry then one David or Salomon The least meate that flies in the Sun or between our eyes and the light seemes a greater substance then it is and the more learned the person the more notorious the corruption as the freshest sommers day will soonest taint those things which will putrifie so in respect of themselves their sinne is and their punishment shall bee greater for the more glorious the Angels excellency the more damnable their apostacie If the light become darknesse how great is that darknesse If Achitophel prove a villaine how mischievous is his villany Putrified Lillies smell farre worse than weeds if vertue turne into vice the shame is triple For many Iewes to deny Christ was not so much as for one Peter Yea if all the Cities of the world had done filthily it were short of this wonder the Virgine daughter of Sion is become an harlot Isaiah 1.21 If Iudas become a traitor how great is his treason If Absalom rebell how unnaturall is his rebellion And so much to answer the plea of learned men § 52. FOurthly 4. The best and holiest men no certaine rule to walk by that the example of the best and holiest men is no certaine rule for us to walk by is plain for if euery act of the holiest persons should be our rule we should have but crooked lives for then because Noah was drunk Lot committed incest Abraham lied David committed adultery and murther Peter forswore his Master c. we should do the like which no man with a reasonable soule can affirm though some infatuated and incorrigible sinners would faine justifie their abominable wickednesse by the falls of Gods children recorded in holy writ for every action that is reported is not straight way allowed Yea God hath given us rules whereby wee may examine the examples of the best Saints and as well censure the bad as follow the good which made S. Augustine answer some Hereticks who alledged for themselves the authority of Saint Cyprian I am not bound to S. Cyprians authority any further then it is Canonicall The just Saints are to bee followed but onely in their justice and sanctity we are not bound to be good mens Apes let us follow such as excell in vertue Psalm 16.3 in such vertues wherein they excell as every Saint excells in some vertue one excells in knowledge another excells him in faithfulnesse a third excells them both in zeale a fourth excells all in humility a fifth excells the rest in that Christian vertue yea Christs vertue forgiving of wrongs and yet a poore man may out goe them all in an admirable patience 1 Corinthians 12.31 Now as when Paul had propounded many raregraces hee concludes with desire you earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 so take the best of every man and ther w ht make up an excellent man As the Italians got up all the excellent pictures in the world that out of them all they might make one masterpeece or most excellent picture for the sweetnes of all the best flowers make most sweet and excellent honey so learne of this man zeale of another knowledge of another patience c. follow David where hee followed Gods heart not where hee followed his own heart if he turn toward lust blood idlenesse let us leave him there let us follow Peters confession not his abnegation be ye followers of me saith S. Paul even as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 We must not imitate every one but such as Paul Philip. 3.17 nor Paul in every thing but wherein he followes Christ the great Apostle injoyneth our imitation but gives a limitation doe not yee follow after me unlesse you see the tract of Christ before me imitemur bonos sed in bonis let us follow good men but onely in what they are good for otherwise no motion can want a pretence as calling for fire from heaven to consume such as displease us Elias did so and why not we Offering our children in sacrifice Iephta did so as some thinke and why not we Marying of many wives and putting away such as they did not like the Fathers did so and why not we Borrowing but never paying againe the Israelites did so by the Egyptians and why not wee Murthering of Princes Ehud did
flock of them then one single as Cato Censorius once spake of the Romans As for example let Corah but kindle a fire of conspiracy two hundred and fifty Captaines will bring wood to encrease it let but Demetrius the Silversmith begin a quarrell against Paul and his companions for preaching against Idolatry when he perceiveth his profit to cease and his craft in danger to be set at nought all the workemen of like occupation will joyne with him and others with them till the whole City be filled with uproare and confusion every one taking Diana's part and not one taking part with God Act 19.23 to 41. you know a stone throwne into the water makes of it selfe but one circle but that one begets a hundred in a word if but some godlesse persons in Sodom assault just Lot and his two Angells before night all the men of the City from the young even to the old from all quarters will compasse the house round about revile him and seeke to breake open the dore upon him yea though they are strucken with blindnesse they will still persist till they have wearied themselves and feele fire and brimstone about their eares Gen. 19.4 to 25. We give but a touch here when we could be large for I speake to those that understand and plaine things which our selves are dayly witnesses of neede no proofe It is but too well knowne how many blaspheme and persecute the Godly because they see others doe so as many will yawne when they see others yawne and make water when they see others doe so before them that most men yeeld themselves like dead Images or engines to be mooved onely with the wheeles of custome and example Like so many fooles they know their heads are insufficient to direct them and therefore they resolve that custome shall whence it is that we are censured laughed to scorne and counted silly fooles of the greatest number that we are made the But of every ones malice and the subject of all their discourse for should the world be barred this practice should we or could we gag people from censuring talebearing slandering detractions c. there would be silence at our boards silence at our fire sides silence in the Taverne silence on the way silence in the Barbers shop in the Mill in the Market every where silence yea our very Gossips would have nothing to whisper Indeed every visible act of vice should be our encouragement to vertue but woe is me we are Cesternes to sinne Sives to grace § 97. FOurthly 4 That they may mitigate their owne shamewith our discredit our infamous drunkards censure and slander us that they may mitigate their owne shame with our discredit having lost their owne they so vex if they heare or meete another which hath got a good name that presently they will set upon him and seeke by all meanes to take it away as Panus having lost his Boate sued every one for it that he met Their cunning is to condemne others that themselves may be justified as Caligula tooke off the heads from the images of the gods to set up his owne or as Merchants who to raise the prices of their owne commodities beate downe the prices of others we know the twinkling starres at the approach of the Sunne lose their light and after regaine it not untill darkenesse be upon the deepe Bad natures whom they cannot reach by imitation they will endeavour to doe by detraction and doe so in some measure for by making vertue contemptible and depraving the Godly they seeme to be upon the same ground with them being out of hope to attaine to the vertues of the Religious they seeke to come at even hand yea have the better by depressing them for like Gamesters at play what the one loseth the other wins or like two buckets in a Well as the one dryeth the other dippeth Yea their dealing with us is like that of a Theife who meeting with a full purse not onely takes it away but returnes a stab Pride was ever envious and contumelious thinking she adds so much to her owne reputation as she detracts from others And is it not good policy for a swinish drunkard or a beastly liver to fling dirt in a holy mans face seeing any colour seemes the fairer when blacke is by But let these depravers take heede least imitating the fact of Censor Fulvius who as the Heathens feigne untiled Iuno's Temple to cover his owne house they partake not of the like judgement runne mad and dye despairing § 98. FIftly 5 They traduce us because they cannot otherwise hurt us these drunkards speake evill of us because they can not doe evill unto us and traduce us because they cannot otherwise hurt us Because the Law binds their hands they will be smiting with their tongues and because they dare not smite us on the mouth as Annanias served Paul Act. 23.2 they will smite us with the mouth which is as bad or worse For as these spitting Adders wil smite their stings very deepe so their wounds are commonly incureable Many particular persons know to their smart A slander once raised will scarce ever dye that a slander once raised will scarse ever dye whereas truth hath much a doe to bee believed a lye runs far before it can be stayed yea so far that even death it self which delivereth a man from all other enemies is not able to deliver him from this of the tongue A report once comming into the mouth of the vulgar whether true or false like wild-fire can never be quenched why report and heare-say is the alone Oracle of the common people and what they speake is hard to disprove would any undertake the same for it is the jealous mans misery hee may prove his wife false hee can never prove her true besides the evill minded would have it true and what men would have to be they are apt to believe Yea in this case a wicked drunkard will beleeve that to bee true which lately hee knew to bee false for a lyer may tell his lyes so often till in the end hee forgets that himself was the deviser and so believeth them himself wherin men are parties they are apt to be partiall But this is not all the mischiefe for their evill reports will increase as well as continue a mans good name is like a milk-white Ball Tea the slander is increased that will infinitely gather soyle in tossing for this is there manner one begins a whisper another makes it a report a third enlargeth it to a dangerous calumny a fourth adds somewhat of his own the which is augmented and divulged for a truth by a thousand So that as a stone cast into a pond begets circle upon circle or as a little Ball rowled in the Snow gathers it selfe to a great lump so the report that is but a little sparke of fire at the first proves a great flame by that it hath past through