the corrupt heart and festered conscience can endure nothing even a word if it be pleasing puffs him up with pride if not it swels him with passion A guilty conscience like Glasse will sweat with the least breath and like a windy iustrument be put out of tune with the very distemper of the aire but when the soul is steeled with goodnesse no assaults of evil can daunt it I more fear what is within me sayes Luther then what comes from without The storms and wind without do never move the Earth only Vapours within cause Earthquakes Jam. 4.1 No greater sign of innocency when we are accused than mildnesse as we see in Ioseph who being both accused and committed for forcing his Mistresse answered just nothing that we can read of Gen. 39.17 18. And Susanna who being accused by the two Elders of an haynous crime which they alone were guilty of never contended by laying the fault upon them but appeals unto God whether she were innocent or no. The History of Susanna Vers. 42.43 And Hannah whose reply to Ely when he falsly accused her of druukennesse was no other but Nay my Lord count not thine Handmaid for a wicked woman 1 Sam. 1.15 16. Neither is there a greater Symptome of guiltinesse than our breaking into choler and being exasperated when we have any thing laid to our charge witnesse Cain Gen. 4 9. That Hebrew which struck his fellow Exod. 2.13 14. Saul 1 Sam. 20.32 33. Abner 2 Sam. 3.8 Ioroboam 1 King 13 4. Ahab 1 King 22.27 Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.16 Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.19 Herod the Tetrarch Luk 3.19 20. The men of Nazareth Luk. 4.28 29. The Pharisees Joh. 8.47 48. And the High Priests and Scribes Luk. 20.19 20. Sinne and falshood are like an impudent strumpet but innocency and truth will veil themselves like a modest Virgin 2 Pet. 2.18 The more false the matter the greater noise to uphold it Paul is nothing so loud as Tertullus The weakest cause will be sure to forelay the shrewdest counsell or the lowdest Advocates Errour hath alwayes most words like a rotten house that needs most props and crutches to uphold it Simple truth evermore requires least cost like a beautifull face that needs no painting or a comely body which any decent apparrell becomes We plaister over rotten posts and ragged walls substantiall buildings are able to grace themselves So that as sparks flying up shew the house to be on fire and as corrupt spittle shewes exulcerate lungs so a passionate answer argues a guilty conscience Why doth the Hare use so many doublings but to frustrate the sent of the Hounds And this is one reason why the former are compared to Sheep and Lambes Emblems of innocency which being harmed will not once bleat and the latter unto Swine which will roar and cry if they be but toucht But to leave these Swine and return to the men we were speaking of A good Conscience is not put out of countenance with the false accusations of slanderous tongues it throweth them off as St Paul did the Viper unhurt Iunocence and patience are two Bucklers sufficient to repulse and abate the violence of any such charge the Brestplate of Righteousnesse the brazen wall of a good conscience feareth no such Canons The Conscionable being railed upon and reviled by a foul mouth may reply as once a Steward did to his passionate Lord when he called him Knave c. Your Honour may speak as you please but I beleeve not a word that you say for I know my self an honest man Yea suppose we are circled round with reproaches our conscience knowing us innocent like a constant friend takes us by the hand and cheers us against all our miseries A good spirit will be as Simon to Christ its Crosse-bearer A just man saith Chrysostome is impregnable and cannot be overcome take away his wealth his good parts cannot be taken from him and his treasure is above cast him into prison and bonds he doth the more freely enjoy the presence of his God banish him his Countrey he hath his conversation in Heaven kill his body it shall rise again so he fights with a shadow that contends with an upright man Wherefore let all who suffer in their good Names if conscious and guilty of an enemies imputations repent and amend if otherwise contemn them own them not so much as once to take notice thereof A wicked heart is as a barrtll of powder to temptation let thine be as a River of water Yea seeing God esteems men as they are and not as they have been although formerly thou hast been culpable yet now thou mayest answer for thy self as Paul did for Onesimus Though in times past I was unprofitable yet now I am profitable and oppose to them that sweet and divine sentence of sweet and holy Bernard Tell me not Satan what I have been but what I am and will be Or that of Beza in the like case Whatsoever I was I am now in Christ a New Creature and that is it which troubles thee I might have so continued long enough ere thou wouldest have vexed at it but now I see thou dost envy me the grace of my Saviour Or that Apothegme of Diogenes to a base fellow that told him he had once been a forger of money whose answer was 'T is true such as thou art now I was once but such as I am now thou wilt never be Yea thou mayest say by how much more I have formerly sinned by so much more is Gods power and goodnesse now magnified As St Augustine hearing the Donatists revile him for the former wickednesse of his youth answered The more desperate my disease was so much the more I admire the Physician Yea thou mayest yet strain it a peg higher and say the greater my sinnes were the greater is my honour as the Devils which Mary Magdalen once had are mentioned for her glory Thus if we cannot avoid ill tongues let our care be not to deserve them and 't is all one as if we avoided them For how little is that man hurt whom malice condemns on earth and God commends in Heaven Let the World accuse me so long as God acquits me I care not CHAP. XVIII That it is more laudable to forgive than revenge 2. BEcause it is more generous and laudable to forgive than revenge Certainly in taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy but in passing it over he is superiour to him for it is a Princes part to pardon yea quoth Alexander there can be nothing more noble than to do well to those that deserve ill And St Gregory It is more honor to suffer injuries by silence than to overcome them by answering again Princes use not to chide when Embassadours have offered them undecencies but deny them audience as if silence were the way royall to correct a wrong And certainly he enjoyes a brave composednesse that seats himself above the flight of the injurious claw Like
contained in the several Parts of this Christian Library are these A Leaf from the Tree of Life wherewith to heal the Nation A soveraign Antidote against all Grief A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation A small Map of the many Protestants and few Christians in England A serious and pathetical Description of Heaven and Hell A hopeful way to cure that horrid sin of Swearing An experimental Index of the Heart Apples of Gold from the Tree of Life Armour of proof against the Worlds envy scoffs and râ—proaches Characters of the kinds of Preaching Compleat Armor against evil Society First and second Part. Cordiall Counsel God's goodness and Man's ingratitude God's goodness and England's unthankfulness Good counsel seldome well taken Good report from bad men no mean disparagement Preparation to Conversion The Drunkards Character with an Addition The Arraignment of Covetousness and Ambition First and Second Part. The benefit of Affliction The Victory of Patience The whole duty of a Christian. The natural man anatomized The cure of Misprision or Mistake The Cause and Cure of Ignorance Error Enmity c. The Pastors Advocate The Poors Advocate First and Second Part. The odious despicable and dreadful condition of a Drunkard The Blemish of Government The Shame of Religion The Disgrace of mankind with offer of help to drowning men The Impartial Monitor about following the fashions The Impartial and Compassionate Monitor about hearing of Sermons The seduced soul reduced The trial of true wisdom with how to become wise indeed The prevention of Poverty and cure of Melancholy The second part of the Pastors Advocate or the proof of a good Preacher Siâ— remaining parts of the Poors Advocate An infallible way to become happy here and hereafter A SOVEREIGN ANTIDOTE against all Grief AS ALSO The benefit of Affliction and how to Husband it so that the weakest Christian with blessing from above may be able to support himself in his most miserable exigents TOGETHER WITH The Victory of Patience Extracted out of the choisest Authors Ancient and Modern both Holy and Humane Necessary to be read of all that any way suffer Tribulation The fourth Impression By R. Younge of Roxwell in Essex Florilegus All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 LONDON Printed by R. W. Leybourn for Iames Crump in Little Bartholmews Well-yard 1654. Courteous Reader IN the perusall of this Treatise which as the Author hath inlarged and refined it is become a new Work thou shalt finde such variety of useful matter laid down in an accurate and methodicall way and embellished with such Ornaments of delightfull illustration that it will be hard to say whether the Authors Reading and pains or thy Profit and Delight will exceed But the Eare trieth Words as the Mouth tasteth Meat Iob 34.3 Onely read it without prejudice and the Work will sufficiently praise it self if either Matter or Manner Argument or Art can do it Thomas Westfield D.D. Daniel Featly D.D. Samuel Slater TO THE READER NO Humane Action can be framed so perfect but it shall have some delinquencies to prove that more were in the Comprisor and it is almost as easie to finde faults as to make them His bodily presence say they it mean and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.10 To 〈◊〉 the inconveniencies of a House built is nothing but to lay the Ploâ— wel at first requires the Pate of a good Contriver All 〈◊〉 can do well till they come to doing But there is a further distance from nothing to the least thing in the World then between it and the greatest All publique actions are subject to diverse and uncertain interpretations for a great many heads judge of them and mens censures are as various as their palates John 7. Our writings are as so many dishes our Readers Guests Books are like faces that which one admires another slights Why Some will condemne what they do as little understand as they do themselves Others the better a thing is the lesse they will like it They hate him saith Amos that rebuketh in the 〈◊〉 and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly Amos 5.10 You know Herods festered Conscience could not endure Iohn Baptists plaister of truth A â—alled back loves not the curry-Combe A deformed Face loaths the true 〈◊〉 Yea as nothing is more bitter then Honey to him that hath the Jaundise so nothing more hatefull to the desperately wicked than good Counsel with Balaam they grudge to be stayed in the way to death and flie upon those that oppose their perdition And how should they other then miscarry who have a Pirate the Flesh for their guide So that if a man should observe the Winde of Applause he should never Sowe or regard the Clouds of Aspersion he should never Reap But I had rather hazard the Censure of some then hinder the Good of others wherefore I have added to the former selected flowers as many more whence any sedulousâ—â—ee may load himselfe with Honey To fore-relate their variety and several worths were to imitate an Italian Host meeting you on the way and promising before-hand your fare and entertainment wherefore let it please you to see and allow your Chear Only in general my Book is a féast wherein wholesomeness strives with pleasantness and variety with both Each Chapter is a several dish 〈◊〉 full of notable sayings and examples for that 's the meat by which a man may not only become more eloquent but more wise not alone able to say well but to do well for quaint and elegant Phrases on a good subject are baits to make an ill Man vertuous Pithy Sentences curious Metaphors witty Apophthegms sweet similitudes and Rhetorical expressions which Aristotle would have as it were sprinkled in the most serious discourses are to the minde as Musick to the body which next to sleep is the best recreation Or as pleasant and delectable Sauce which gives a more savorie taste to wholesome and profitable Divinity And thou shalt finde but few here which are not both sinewy and sharpe mucrones verborum pointed speeches either fit to teach or forcible to perswade or sage to advise and forewarn or sharp to reprove or strong to confirm or piercing to imprint But alas most Men regard not what is written but who writes value not the Metal but the Stamp which is upon it If the Man likes them not nor shall the matter To these I say little as they deserve little and turn my speech to all that reserve themselves open and prepared to receive each profitable instruction and continuall amendment to the Ingenuous Reader that sucks Honey from the selfe same flower which the Spider doth poyson wishing him to conne that out of this Treatise which he did not know before and well note what speaks to his own sin And perhaps he may in this short journey make more true gain then Solomons Navie did from Ophin or the Spanish Fleet from the West-Indies for in
even the sins of our youth There needs no â—ther art of memory for sin but misery Satans malice not seldome proves the occasion of true repentance and so the Devil is overshot in his own Bowe wounded with his own weapon I doubt whether that Syrophenician had ever enquired after Christ if her daughter had not been vexed with an unclean spirit yea whether the Devil had been so effectually cast out if he had with less violence entred into her Mark 7. Our afflictions are as Benhadads best Counsellours that sent him with a cord about his neck to the merciful King of Israel The Church of God under the Cross is brought to a serious consideration of her estate and saith Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord Lam. 3.40 Manasses also the King of Iudah that horrible sinner never repented of his Idolatry Murther Witchcraft c. till he was carried away captive to Babel and there put in chains by the King of Ashur But then saith the Text he humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33.11 12. Yea read his confession for he speaks most feelingly and you shall see that the prison was a means of his spiritual enlargement Even Vipers being lasht cast up all their poison The body that is surfetted with repletion of pleasant meats must be purged with bitter pils and when all outward comforts fail us we are willing to befriend our selves with the comfort of a good conscience the best of blessings Affliction is the Hammer which breaks our rockie hearts Adversity hath whipt many a soul to Heaven which otherwise prosperity had coached to Hell was not the Prodigall riding post thither till he was soundly lasht home again to his Fathers house by those hard-hearted and pittiless Nabals which refused to fill his belly with the husks of the swine And indeed seldome is any man throughly awakened from the sleep of sin but by affliction but God by it as it were by a strong purge empties and evacuates those supeâ—fluities of malice envie pride security c. wherewith we were before surcharged For as Alloes kils worms in the stomack or as frost and cold destroyes Vermine so doth bitter afflictions crawling lusts in the heart The Serpents enmity may be compared to the Circumcision-knife which was made of stone unto Rubarb which is full of Choler yet doth mightily purge Choler or to the sting of a Scorpion which though it be arrant poison yet proveth an excellent remedy against poison For this or any other affliction when we are in our full career of wordly pomp and jollity pulleth us by the ear and maketh us know our selves My wants saith one kill my wantonness my poverty checks my pride my being slighted quels my ambition and vain glory And as for sickness it cuts the throat of vices Many saith Saint Augustine have been wickedly well that have been innocently and piously sick Yea I may call it the summe of Divinity as Pliny calls it the summe of Philosophie for what distressed or sick man was ever lascivious covetous or ambitious He envies no man admires no man flatters no man dissembles with no man despiseth no man c. That which Governours or friends can by no means effect touching our amendments a liltle sickness or trouble from enemies will as Saint Chrysostome observes Yea how many will confess that one affliction hath done more good upon them then many Sermons That they have learned more good in one dayes or weeks misery than many years prosperiâ— could teach them Untouched estates and touched consciences seldom dwell together and it is usuall for them that know no sorrows to know no God repentance seldom meets a man in jollity but in affliction the heart is made pliable and ready for all good impressions True if gentleness would serve we should not smart for God like a good Chyrurâ—ion first strokes the arm before he opens the vein he sends for us by his Ambassadours of the Ministery yet we come not Let him fiâ—e our field as Absalom did by Ioab we come presently Or perhaps he afflicts another to fright us as great mens children are corrected by seeing others whipt or as Apolonias would tame Lions by beating Dogs before them For as God preacheth to us no less in his judgements than his Word so when he strikes offendors he would warn the standers by and a wise man sees himself faln or beaten in his neighbour Yea generous and ingenuous spirits desire to be taught abide not to be forced It is for Tyrants to compel for Asses to be compelled saith Erasmus A good natur'd Horse saith Seneca will be governed even by the shadow of the wand whereas a resty jade will not be ordered by the spur But if his Word will not rule us as many till God come with a strong hand will hold their corruptions as fast as Pharaoh the Israelites his Rod shall or if his Rod will not yet serve his sword shall be drencht in our gall and bathed in our blood Deut. 32.41.42 Or if we scape for a time yet our preservation from one judgement is but our reservation to seven more Levit. 26. Yea he will send a succession of crosses seven more and seven more and seven to that to the conversion of his own and the confusion of his enemies Vers. 14 to 39. when singing will not still the Child the Rod must Hard knots must have hard wedges strong affections strong afflictions great corruptions great calamities to cure them So that God through thy stubbornness is forced to let loose Satan and wicked men upon thee lest thou shouldest sleep in security till thou didst sleep in death eternally even for thy good And affliction is but the shepherds Dog as Chrysostome speaks to fetch us into Christs fold perhaps by barking onely and then we are more scar'd than hurt perhaps in his mouth and then the poor sheep thinks he will surely worry it but he is taught to fetch onely and therefore gripes not but onely carries and delivers it to his Master When children have done a fault Mothers use to fright them with Bull-beggers the childe thinks surely they will have him but the Mother hath a double policy viz. to make them hate the fault and love them the better for they run to the laâ— to hide them and then will she make her own conditions And so the very end which God aimes at in setting those Adders upon thee is that thou shouldest turn thine Eyes inward that thou mayest see for what thou sufferest pry narrowly into thine own forepast actions which if thou dost an hundred to one thou wilt finde sin it may be this very sin the cause of thy present affliction and until thou doest sift and try thine own heart for this Achan and finde out which is thy Isaac thy beloved sinne look for no release but rather that thy sorrowes should be multiplied as God threatened Eve Wherefore liest
serve God as our servants serve us of which many have too good cloaths others too much wages or are too fine fed to do work as â—sops Hen being over-fed was too fat to lay or perhaps too many under them as a Gentleman having but one servant thought him over-burdened with work and therefore took another to help him but having two one of them so trusted to the others observance that oft-times they were both missing and the work not done then he chose a third but was worse served them then before whereupon he told his friend When I had one servant I had a servant when I had two I had but half an one now I have three I have never an one Few men can disgest great felicity Many a man hath been a loser by his gains and found that that which multiplied his outward estate hath abated his inward and so on the contrary David was never so tender as when he was hunted like a Partridge 1 Sam. 26.20 Ionah was at best in the Whales belly Stevens face never shone so fair as when he stood before the Council Acts 6.15 Whilest the Romans had wars with Carthage and enemies in Affrick they knew not what vices meant in Rome Now if the winter of the one is found to be the spring of the other and the corruption of prosperity the generation of piety who will esteem those things good which make us worse or that evil which brings such gain and sweetness Before I was afflicted saith David I went astray but now I keep thy commandement Psal. 119.67 These evils do press us but it is to God and to holiness Yea how much lower our afflictions weigh us down on Earth so much the more earnestly our affections mount up to Heaven An Egge will swim in sâ—lt water but sink in fresh so we King David among so many publick and private calamities and disasters kept his head above water and stood upright in his heart to God But King Solomon his son even sunk in the midst of delights and pleasures Too much rankness layeth the Corn and Trees over-laden with Fruit are their own ruine Happy was he Iohn 9. in being born blinde whose gain of bodily sight made way for the spiritual who of a Patient became an Advocate for his Saviour who lost a Synagogue and found Heaven who by being abandoned of sinners was received of the Lord of glory God rarely deprives a man of one faculty but he more then supplies it in another The defect of corporal sight hath not seldome mended the memory for what is taken from one sense is divided amongst the rest When Zachary was dumbe Iohn Baptist the voice was a breeding Hannibal had but one eye Appius Claudius Timelon and Homer were quite blinde So was Mulleasses King of Tunis and Iohn King of Bohemia but for the loss of that one Sense they were recompensed in the rest they had most excellent memories rare inventions and admirable other parts Or suppose he send sickness the worst Feaver can come does not more burn up our blood than our lust and together with sweating out the surfets of nature at the pores of the body we weep out the sinful corruption of our nature at the pores of the conscience Yea the Authour to the Hebrews saith of Christ himself that though he were the Son yet as he was man He learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 As in humane proceedings Ill manners beget good Laws so in Divine the wicked by their evil tongues beget good and holy lives in the godly Whence Plutarch adviseth us so circumspectly to demean our selves as if our enemies did alwayes behold us Nothing sooner brings us to the knowledge and amendment of our faults then the scoffs of an enemy which made Philip of Macedon acknowledge himself much beholding to his enemies the Athenians for speaking evil of him for saith he they have made me an honest man to prove them liars even barren Leah when she was despised became fruitful So that we may thank our enemies or must thank God for our enemies Our souls shall shine the brighter one day for such rubbing the cold winde cleanseth the good grain the hot fire refines the pure gold Yea put case we be gold they will but try us If Iron they will scowre away our rust I say not that a wicked heart will be bettered by affliction for in the same fire that gold is made bright and pure dâ—oss is burnt and consumed and under the same flail that the grain is purged and preserved the husks are broken and diminished Neither are the Lees therefore confounded with the Wine because they are pressed and trodden under the same press or plank but I speak of affliction sanctified and of the godly Yet let not the wickedest man be discouraged for as when Christ called the blinde man the Disciples said Be of good comfort he calleth thee so I may say to thee that art burthned with any kind of affliction Be of good comfort Christ calleth thee saying Come unto me by repentance and amendment of life and I will ease thee of thy sins and sorrows here and hereafter only as the blinde man threw away his garment and followed Christ so do thou answer him I will forsake my sins and follow thee For if God like a prudent Prince makes offers and fames of war it is but to mend the conditions of peace But farewel I am for the already resolved to whom I say if the needle of affliction be drawn through us by reason of wicked mens malice it is but to convey with it the threed of amendment and their worst to the godly serves but as the thorn to the brest of the Nightingale the which if she chance to sleep causeth her to warble with a renewed cheerfulness For as blowes make balls to mount and lashes make Tops to go which oâ— themselves would fall so with their malice we are spurred up to duty and made persevere in it for commonly like Tops no longer lasht no longer we go Yea these very tempestuous showers bring forth spiritual flowers herbs in abundance Devotion like fire in frosty weather burns hottest in affliction Vertue provoked ads much to it self With the Ark of Noah the higher we are tossed with the flood of their malice the neerer we mount towards Heaven When the waters of the flood came upon the face of the earth down went stately Turrets and Towers but as the waters rose the Ark rose still higher and higher In like sort when the waters of affliction arise down goes the pride of life the lust of the eyes In a word all the vanities of the World But the Ark of the soul ariseth as these waters rise and that higher and higher even neerer and neerer towards Heaven I might illustrate this point by many observable things in nature We see Well-waters arising from deep Springs are hotter in Winter then in Summer because the outward
the heart may be quiet and cheerfull so St Paul as sorrowing and yet alwayes rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 Neither can it be solid comfort except it hath his issue from a good conscience Indeed we therefore are not merry enough because we are not Christians enough Now if all our sufferings are thus counterpoysed and exceeded with blessings have we any cause to be angry and impatient What saith Iob Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evill He was content to eat the crust with the crumme Indeed his wife like the wicked would only have fair weather all peace and plenty no touch of trouble but it is not so with the godly who have learnt better things Who will not suffer a few stripes from a Father by whom he receiveth so much good even all that he hath Diogenes would have no nay but Antisthenes must entertain him his Scholer insomuch that Antisthenes to have him gone was forc't to cudgell him yet all would not do he stirs not but takes the blowes very patiently saying Use me how you will so I may be your Scholer and hear your daily discourses I care not Much more may a Christian say unto God Let me enjoy the sweet fruition of thy presence speak thou peace unto my conscience and say unto my soul I am thy salvation and then afflict me how thou pleasest I am content yea very willing to bear it Yea if we well consider the commodity it brings we shall rather wish for affliction than be displeased when it comes Col. 1.24 For it even bringeth with it the company of God himself I will be with you in tribulation saith God to the disconsolate soul Psal. 91.15 When Sidrack Mishack and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace there was presently a fourth came to bear them company and that was God himself Dan. 3.23 to 27. And his presence makes any condition comfortable were a man even in hell it self Yea as when St Paul was rapt up to the third Heaven he was so ravished with the joy thereof that he knew not whether he had his body about him or not 2 Cor. 12.2 Whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth So Gods presence so ravisheth the soul that while a man suffers the greatest pain he knows not whether he be in pain or no. Yea God is not only with them to comfort them in all their tribulation 2 Cor. 1.4 but in them for at the same time when the Disciples were persecuted they are said to be filled with joy and with the holy Ghost Acts 13.52 And as our sufferings in Christ do abound so our consolation also aboundeth through Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 And lastly he doth comfort us according to the dayes we are afflicted and according to the years we have seen evil Psal 90.15 So that a Christian gains more by his losses and crosses than the happiest worldling by all his immunities as it was said of Demosthenes that he got more by holding his peace than other Lawyers did by their pleading And if so our sufferings require patience with thankfulnesse as it fared with Iob. Object But what ever others finde thy sufferings are not thus counterpoysed and sweetned Answ. What 's the reason get but the light of grace to shine in thy heart thy prison shall be an Heaven thy Keepers Angels thy chains thy glory and thy deliverance salvation Grow but heavenly minded and thou shalt be able to extract gain out of losse peace out of trouble strength out of infirmity out of tears joy out of sin holinesse out of persecution profit out of affliction comfort For godlinesse in every sicknesse is a Physician in every contention an Advocate in every doubt a Schoolman in all heavinesse a Preacher and a comforter unto whatsoever estate it comes making the whole life as it were a perpetuall hallelujah Besides we look for a Crown of glory even that most excellent and eternall weight of glory to succeed this wreath of Thorns but if we are never tryed in the field never set foot to run the race of patience how can we look for a Garland Ten repulses did the Israelites suffer before they could get out of Aegypt and twice ten more before they could get possession of the promised Land of Canaan And as many did David endure before he was invested in the promised Kingdom many lets came before the Temple was re-edified All men would come to Heaven but they do not like the way they like well of Abrahams bosome but not of Dives door But God seeth it 〈◊〉 for us to tast of that Cap of which his Sonne drank so deep that we should feel a little what sin is and what his love was that we may learn patience in adversity as well as thankefulnesse in prosperity while one scale is not alwayes in depression nor the other lifted ever high while none is so miserable but he shall hear of another that would change calamities with him CHAP. XXII That they are patient because patience brings a reward with it 6. BEcause Patience in suffering brings a reward with it In reason a man would forgive his enemy even for his own sake were there no other motive to perswade him for to let passe many things of no small moment as that if we forgive not we can do no part of Gods worship that is pleasing to him for we cannot pray aright 1 Tim. 2.8 We cannot communicate in the Sacrament but we make our selves guilty of Christs blood 1 Cor. 11.27 Matth. 5.24 We cannot be good hearers of the Word Iames 1.21 and that it makes a man captive to Satan Ephes. 4.26 27. and many the like If ye forgive men their trespasses saith our Saviour your heavenly Father also will forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. So he that will not be in charity shall never be in Heaven And why should I do my self a shrewd turn because another would Yea we desire pardon as we give pardon and we would be loath to have our own lips condemn us When we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive them that trespasse against us and do not resolve to forgive our brethren we do in effect say Lord condemn us for we will be condemned whereas he that doth good to his enemy even in that act doth better to himself It is a sigular sacrifice to God and well-pleasing to him to do good against evill and to succour our very enemy in his necessity but we may perchance heap coals of fire upon the others head Rom. 12.20 though we must not do it with an intent to make his reckoning more but our reckoning lesse Again Blessed is the man saith St Iames that endureth temptation viz. with patience for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life James 1.12 And this made Moses not only
if thou wilt give him the like time will cleer thy innocency and cost thee nothing When we have suffered some evill the flesh our own wisedom like the King of Israel 2 King 6.21 will bid us return evill to the doer but the Spirit or wisdome of God like Elisha opposeth and bids us return him good notwithstanding his evill But the flesh will reply he is not worthy to be forgiven I but saith the Spirit Christ is worthy to be obeyed who hath commanded thee to forgive him Now whethers counsell wilt thou follow It is not alwayes good to take our own counsell our own wit often hunts us into the snares that above all we would shun We oft use means of preservation and they prove destroying ones Again we take courses to ruin us and they prove means of safety How many flying from danger have met with death and on the other side found protection even in the very jawes of mischief that God alone may have the glory It fell out to be part of Mithridates misery that he had made himself unpoysonable All humane wisedom is defective nor doth the Fools bolt ever misse whatsoever man thinketh to do in contrariety is by God turned to be an help of hastning the end he hath appointed him We are governed by a power that we cannot but obey our mindes are wrought against our mindes to alter us In brief man is oft his own Traytor and maddeth to undo himself Wherefore take the Spirits and the Words direction Render good for evill and not like for like though it be with an unwilling willingnesse as the Merchant casteth his goods over-board and the Patient suffers his arm or leg to be cut off and say with thy Saviour Neverthelesse not my will but thy will be done But yet more to induce thee hereunto consider in the last place That to avenge thy self is both to lose Gods protection and to incur his condemnation We may be said to be out of his protection when we are out of our way which he hath set us he hath promised to give his Angels charge over us to keep us in all our wayes Psal. 91.11 that is in the wayes of obedience or the wayes of his Commandements But this is one of the Devils ways a way of sinne and disobedience and therefore hath no promise or assurance of protection we may trust God we may not tempt him if we do what seconds soever we get Christ will not be our second Where is no commandement there is no promise if we want his word in vain we look for his ayd When we have means to keep our selves Gods omnipotency is for the present discharged If Eutychus had fallen down out of a saucy malipertâ—â—â—â—â— I doubt whether he had been restored by St Paul Acts 20.9 Wafts and strayes are properly due to the Lord of the soyl and you know what the Devill said to our Saviour Luk. 4.6 which in a restrained sense is true And therefore when one in Gods stead rebuked Satan touching a Virgin whom he possest at a Theatre saying How durst thou be so bold as to enter into my house Satan answers Because I found her in my house as Chrysostom delivers it I am sure Dinah fell into soul hands when her Fathers house could not hold her and Sampson the like when he went to Dalilah and Ionah when he went to Tarshish and the seduced Prophet when he went beyond his Commission set him by God and many the like who left the path of Gods protection where the Angels guard and watch to walk in the Devils by-way of sinne and disobedience The Chickins are safe under the wings of their mother and we under the providence of our Father so long as we hold the tenure of obedience we are the Lords Subjects and if we serve him he will preserve us A Priest might enter into a Leprous house without danger because he had a calling from God so to do and we may follow God dry-shod through the Red-Sea Neither need we vex our selves with cares as if we lived at our own cost or trusted to our own strength but when a man is fallen to the state of an Out-Law or Rebell the Law dispenseth with them that kill him because the Prince hath excluded him from his Protection Now this being our case say there shall happen any thing amisse through thy taking revenge what mayest thou not expect to suffer and in thy suffering what comfort canst thou have Whereas if God bring us into crosses he will be with us in those crosses and at length bring us out of them more refined You may observe there is no such coward none so valiant as the beleever without Gods warrant he dares do nothing with it any thing Nothing without it Those saith Basil to a great man that perswaded him to yeeld who are trained up in the Scriptures will rather die in an holy quarrell than abate one syllable of divine truth Nor would any solicite them to do ill did they rightly know them for what Cicero speaks of Cato viz. O gentle Cato how happy art thou to have been such an one that never man durst yet presume to solicite thee in any dishonest cause or contrary to duty may be applied to every Beleever rightly so stiled When the Tormentors of Marcus Areihusius who laid to his charge the pulling down of an idolatrous Temple offered him his pardon in case he would give so much as would build it up again he refused it and being further urged to give but half he refused it at last being told that if he would give but a little towards it they would release him he refused to give them so much as an half penny saying No not an half penny for it is as great wickednesse said he to confer one half penny in case of impiety as if a man should bestow the whole A good conscience being in the greatest torture will not give one half penny to be released with hurt to his conscience he scans not the weâ—ght of the thing but the authority of the Commander and such have no good consciences that dare gratifie Satan in committing the least sinne oâ— neglect God in the smallest precept The conscionable Nazarite Numb 6. did not only make scruple of guzling and quaffing whole Flagons of wine but of eating only an husk or a kernell of the grape knowing the one was as well forbidden as the other Will any man eat poyson because there is but a little of it A small bullet may kill a man as well as a great one Goliah was as much hurt by Davids little stone as Sampson by the weight of a whole house And Ely died as well by falling back in his chair as Iezabel by being thrown down from an high window And what saith our Saviour to the unjust Steward He that is faithfull in that which is least is faithfull also in much and he that is unjust iâ— the least is unjust
also in much Luk. 16 10. He that will corrupt his conscience for a pound what would he do for a thousand If Iudas will sell his Mâ—ster for thirty pence what would he not have done for the Treasury Alas there are no sins small but comparatively These things speaking of Mint and Cummin ought ye to have done sayes our Saviour and not have left the other undone Luk. 11.42 Wherefore it is with a good and tender conscience as it is with the apple of the eye for as the least hair or dust grieves and offends that which the skin of the eye-lid could not once complain of so a good and tender conscience is disquieted not only with beams but moates even such as the world accounts trifles it strains not only at Cammels but Gnats also A sincere heart is like a neat spruce man that no sooner spies the least speck or spot on his garment but he gets it washt or scrap't off the common Christian like a nasty sloven who though he be all foul and besmeared can indure it well enough yea it offends him that another should be more neat than himself But such men should consider that though they have large consciences that can swallow down any thing yet the sincere and tender conscience is not so wide A strait shooe cannot indure the least pibble stone which will hardly be felt in a wider neither will God allow those things in his Children which he permits in his enemies no man but will permit that in another mans Wife or Child which he would abhor in his own A box of precious oyntment may not have the least fly in it nor a delicate Garden the least weed though the Wildernesse be overgrown with them I know the blind world so blames the Religious and their Religion also for this nicenesse that they think them Hypocrites for it but this was Iobs comfort in the aspersion of Hypocrisie My witnesse is in Heaven and my record on high And as touching others that are offended their answer is Take thou O God who needest not our sinne to further thy work of Grace the charge of thy Glory give us grace to take charge of thy Precepts For sure we are that what is absolutely evill can by no circumstance be made good poyson may be qualified and become medicinall there is use to be made of an enemy sicknesse may turn to our better health and death it self to the faithfull is but a door to life but sinne be it never so small can never be made good Thus you have seen their fear but look also upon their courage for they more fear the least sinne than the greatest torment All the fear of Satan and his instruments ariseth from the want of the true fear of God but the more a man fears God the lesse he fears every thing else Fear God honour the King 1 Pet. 2.14 17. He that fears God doth but honour the King he need not fear him Rom. 13.3 the Law hath not power to smite the vertuous True many have an opinion not wise That Piety and Religion abates fortitude and makes valour Feminine but it is a foundationlesse conceit The true beleever fears nothing but the displeasure of the highest and runs away from nothing but sinne Indeed he is not like our hot-spurs that will fight in no cause but a bad that fear where they should not fear and fear not where they should fear that fear the blasts of mens breath and not the fire of Gods wrath that fear more to have the world call them Cowards for refusing than God to judge them rebels for undertaking that tremble at the thought of a Prison and yet not fear Hell fire That can govern Towns and Cities and let a silly woman over-rule them at home it may be a servant or a Childe as Themistocles Sonne did in Greece What I will said he my Mother will have done and what my Mother will have my Father doeth That will undertake a long journey by Sea in a Wherry as the desperate Marriner hoyseth sayl in a storm and sayes None of his Ancestors were drowned That will rush fearlesly into infected houses and say The Plague never ceizeth on valiant blood it kills none but Cowards That languishing of some sicknesse will strive to drink it away and so make hast to dispatch both body and soul at once that will run on high battlements gallop down steep hils ride over narrow bridges walk on weak Ice and never think what if I fall but what if I passe over and fall not No he is not thus fearlesse for this is presumption and desperate madnesse not that courage and fortitude which ariseth from faith and the true fear of God but from blindnesse and invincible ignorance of their own estate As what think you Would any man put his life to a venture if he knew that when he died he should presently drop into hell I think not But let the beleeving Christian who knowes he hath a place reserved for him in Heaven have a warrant from Gods word you cannot name the service or danger that he will stick at Nor can he lightly fail of successe It is observed that Trajan was never vanquished because he never undertook warre without just cause In fine as he is most fearfull to offend so he is most couragious in a good cause as abundance of examples witnesse whereof I 'le but instance two for the time would be too short to tell of Abraham and Moses and Caleb and David and Gideon and Baruck and Sampson and Ieptha and many others of whom the holy Ghost gives this generall testimony that by faith of weak they were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants subdued Kingdoms stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of the fire c. Heb. 11.22 to 35. Nor will I pitch upon Ioshua whom neither Caesar nor Pompey nor Alexander the Great nor William the Conquerour nor any other ever came near either for valour or victories but even Ionathan before and the Martyrs after Christ shall make it good As what think you of Ionathan whom neither steepnesse of Rocks nor multitude of enemies could discourage or disswade from so unlikely an assault Is it possible if the divine power of Faith did not add spirit and courage making men more than men that two should dare to think of encountering so many thousands and yet behold Ionathan and his Armour-bearer put to flight and terrified the hearts of all the Philistims being thirty thousand Chariots six thousand Horse-men and Foot-men like the sand of the Sea-shore 1 Sam. 14.15 O divine power of faith that in all attempts and difficulties makes us more than men and regards no more Armies of adversaries than swarms of flies A naturall man in a project so unlikely would have had many thoughts of discouragement and strong reasons to disswade him but his faith dissolves impediments as the Sunne doth dewes
nor subtill as Bias spake wisely of her or rather not only simple as a Dove to think no evill but also wise as a Serpent to discern all things and see what is evill 2. For our tallying of words as it argues little discretion in him that doth it so it is of as little use except the standers by want information of thy innocency and his guiltinesse which gives the occasion Wherefore in hearing thy own private and personall reproaches the best answer is silence but the wrongs and indignities offerâ—d to God or contumelies that are cast upon us in the causes of Religion or the Church may safely be repayed If we be meal-mouthed in Christs and the Gospels cause we are nâ—t patient but zeal-lesse Yea to hold a mans peace when Gods Honour is in question is to mistake the end of our Redemption 1 Cor. 6.20 What saith the Apostle Ioyn with patience godlinesse 2 Pet. 1.6 for else patience without godlinesse while it receives injury of man may do more injury to God Neither is there a better argument of an upright heart than to be more sensible of the indignities offered to God than of our own dangers And certainly no ingenuous disposition can be so tender of his own disgrace as the truâ— Christian is at the reproach of his God as we see in Moses who when Aaron and Miriam offered him a private injury it is said his meeknesse was such that he gave them not a word Numb 12. But when the people had fallen to idolatry and he heard them murmur against their Maker he spares neither Aaron nor the people but in a godly fit of zeal takes on at them yea breaks the Tables in pieces Exod. 32. A meek Lamb in his own cause a fierce Lyon in Gods Yea it was alwayes his manner to plead the peoples cause to God with prayers and tears but Gods cause against the people with sword and revenge And thus it fared with David who was a man deaf and dumb and wholly senselesse at Shemei's private reproach when he cursed him cast stones at him called him murtherer and wicked man 2 Sam. 16. But not so at Goliahs publick revilings of God and his Church no not at Michols despising his holy zeal in the publick service of God 2 Sam. 6. In these cases how full of life and spirit and holy impatiencie did he shew himself to be And our Saviour Christ who suffered himself to be spit upon buffeted crowned with Thornes c. without giving an angry word but when he saw the Tempple abused he burned in a zealous anger against them took a scourge and whipt the buyers and sellers out saying Ye have made my Fathers house a den of thieves Matth. 21.12.13 3. Touching our actions whether it be in thine own cause or in the cause of God and Religion thou maist not be a revenger All that private persons can do is either to lift up their hands to Heaven for redresse of sinne or to lift up their tongues against the sinne not their hands against the person Who made thee a judge is a lawfull question if it meet with a person unwarranted True Phineas in the case of Zimry and Cozby lift up his hand and thrust them both through with a spear And when Moses saw the Aegyptian smiting the Hebrew he smote the Aegyptian but they had peculiar warrants signed from Heaven either by instinct or speciall command which we shall expect in vain Well may we flee from danger as Iacob fled from Esau Moses from Pharaoh David from King Saul Elias from Iezabel Paul from the Damascens and Christ himself from the Iews And expect to finde comfort in our flight even a City of refuge as Iacob found favour in Labans house Moses a rich Father-in-Law Elias an Angel to feed him Paul spirituall brethren to comfort him besides the holy Ghost the true Comforter But the weapons of a Christian in adversity ought only to be patience and prayer for as Theodoret saith If Muentius and Maximinian in the heat of zeal shall rayl on wicked Iulian at a Feast justly may their deaths be cast upon their petulancy but not upon their Religion Yea the Councell of Eleberis decreed that if any man did take upon him to break down the Heathens Idols and were slain in the place that he should not be reckoned among the Martyrs Indeed God so loves this heat of zeal in all the carriages of his servants that if it transports us too far he pardoneth the errour of our fervency rather than the indifferency of lukewarmnesse as may be seen in that act of Moses when being wroth with the people about the molten Calf he brake the Tables in pieces Exod. 32. Neverthelesse if we shall either out of superstition or presumption do that we have neither calling nor warrant for out of the Word such our works be our intention what it will are but the blinde whelps of an ignorant zeal and an unadvised zeal when knowledge is not made the Pilot of devotion may be more prejudiciall than a cold remissenesse Swift horses without a skilfull waggoner and full sayls without a good Pilot endanger more Object Every base nature will be ready to offer injuries where they think they will not be repaid he will many times beat a Coward that would not dare to strike him if he thought him valiant as a Cur that goes through a Village if he clap his tayl between the legs and run away every Cur will insult over him but if he bristle up himself and stand to it give but a counter-snarle there 's not a Dog dares meddle with him Answ. Neverthelesse avenge not thy self but give place unto wrath and that for conscience sake Rom. 12.19 If thou receivest wrong in thy person goods or good Name it is the Magistrates office to see thee righted and for this cause ye pay also tribute He is the Minister of God for thy wealth to take vengeance on him that doth evill and for the praise of them that do well neither doth he bear the sword for nought Rom. 13.4 5 6. 1 Pet. 2.14 Now in this case he that hath endamaged me much as you have some that will deprive men of their possessions and then perswade them to be content cannot plead breach of charity in my seeking â—â—s Restitution and because patience without discretion wrongs a good cause I will so remit wrongs as I may not encourage others to offer them and so retain them that I may not induce God to retain mine to him Have you not seen a Crow stand upon a Sheeps back pulling off wool from her side even creatures reasonlesse know well whom they may be bold with that Crow durst not do this to a Wolfe or a Mastiffe the known simplicity of this innocent beast gives advantage to this presumption Meeknesse of spirit commonly drawes on injuries and the cruelty of ill natures usually seeks out â—hose not who deserve worst but who will bear
most Wherefore patience and mildnesse of spirit is ill bestowed where it exposes a man to wrong and insultation Sheepish dispositions are best to others worst to themselves I could be willing to take injuries but I will not be guilty of provoking them by lenity for harmelesnesse let me go for a Sheep but whosoever will be tearing my fleece let him look to himself Diogenes the Stoick teaching his auditors how they should refrain anger and being earnest in pressing them to patience a waggish boy spit in his face to see whether he would practise that which he taught others but Diogenes was not a whit moved at it yet said withall I fear I shall commit a greater fault in letting this boy go unpunished than in being angry In some cases for reason to take the rod out of the hands of wrath and chastise may be both lawfull and expedient The same which Aristotle affirmed in Philosophy viz. That choler doth sometime serve as a whetstone to vertue is made good Divinity by St. Paul Be angry but sinne not Ephes. 4.26 that is be angry with sinne only For Cautions and Rules to be observed when we appeal to the Magistrate First Let it be in a matter of weight and not for trifles True thou canst not be more forward to cast away thy money than some Lawyers are to catch it but the Physician and Lawyer are for necessity not for wantonnesse What said one to a Lawyer offering to right his wrongs and revenge him of his adversary by Law I am resolved rather to bear with patience an hail shower of injuries than seek shelter at such a thicket where the brambles shall pluck off my fleece and do me more hurt by scratching than the storm would have done by hailing I care not for that Physick where the remedy is worse than the disease Secondly Let it be in case of necessity after we have assayed all good means of peace and agreement using Law as a Father doth the Rod ful sore against his will As whatsoever our wrongs be true wisdome of the spirit will send the Apostle leâ—ity as admonitions harbinger with offers oâ— peace before she takes out process 2 Tim. 2.25 Thirdly Let not our aym and end be the hurt of our enemy but first the glory of God secondly the reformation of the party himself that so he which is overcome may also overcome and if it may be others by his example whereby more than one Devill shall be subdued And thirdly to procure a further peace and quiet afterwards as Princes make warre to avoid warre yea in case we see a storm inevitably falling 't is good to meet it and break the force Fourthly Let us not be transported either with heat or hate but begin and follow our suits without anger or using the least bitternesse or extremity against the person of our adversary as Tilters break their Spears on each others breasts yet without wrath or intention of hurt or as Charles the French King made warre against Henry the seaventh King of England rather with an Olive-branch than a Lawrell-branch in his hand more desiring peace than victory not using bribery or any other means to corrupt or hinder justice but to seek our own right Fifthly and lastly Having used this ordinary means that the Lord hath given us for the righting of our selves in case we finde no redresse let us rest with quietnesse and meeknesse therein without fretting or desiring to right our selves by private revenge knowing assuredly that the Lord hath thus ordered the whole matter either for our correction or for the exercise of our patience and charity or that he will take the matter into his own hand and revenge our cause of such an enemy far more severely or for that he means to deal far better with us if we commit our cause to him than either our selves or any Magistrate could have done To conclude this argument in a word If thou go to Law Make Conscience thy Chancery Make Charity thy Iudge Make Patience thy Counsellor Make Truth thy Attorney Make Peace thy Solicitor And so doing thou shalt be sure to finde two friends in thy suit that will more bestead thee than any ten Iudges namely God and thy Conscieâ—â—â— God who being Chief Iustice of the whole world can do for thee whatsoever he will and will do for thee whatsoever is best thy Conscience which is instead of a thousand good Witnesses a thousand good Advocates a thousand good Iuries a thousand Clerks of the Peace and Guardians of the Peace to plead procure pronounce record and assure to thee that peace which passeth all understanding But I fear I have incited your impatiency by standing so long upon patience An End of the Second Part the Third follows Together with London Printed by A. M. for Iames Crump in Little Bartholomews Well-yard 1654. A handfull of Nuts MEn no more differ from Beasts Plants Stones in speech reason shape then some differ from others in heart in brain in life Nor is the Epicure more like a swine the Lustfull person a Goat the Fraudulent man a Fox the Backbiter a barking Dog the Slanderer an Asp the Oppressor a Wolf the Persecutor a Tygâ—r the Church-robber a wild Bore the Seducer a Serpent yea a Devil the Traytor a Viper c. 2 Tim. 4.17 Luk. 13.32 Phil. 3.2 Psal. 22.12 13 16 20 21. 74.13 14 19. 80.13 Matth. 23.33 Dan. 7.4 5 6 c. Zeph. 3.3 4 c. Cant. 2.15 17 c. then every of them is unlike another as the holy Ghost intimates in comparing severall men to almost every severall Creature in the Vniverse Neither does sin and grace only make this difference or occasion the very Heathen Poets usually and most fitly to compare some men to Stones for their hardness and insensiblenesse which may be understood of the Adamant stone as Zech. Chap. 7.12 hath it others to Plants that only fill their Veins a third sort to Beasts that please their senses too a fourth to evil Angels that only sin and cause others to sin a fifth to Good Angels that are still in motion alwaies serving God and doing good yet ever rest But as Menander speaks there is no lesse difference between the wise and simple the learned and unlearned then there is between men and beasts or between the living and the dead as another hath it And yet the rational does not so much excell the sensuall as the spirituall excels the rationall For as the soul is the lamp of the body and the reason of the soul and Religion of reason and Faith of Religion so Christ is the light and life of Faith Joh 1.9 8.12 Act. 26.18 Ephes. 5.14 Christ is the Sun of the soul and the day we know with one eye doth far more things descry then night can do with more then Argus eyes Whence it is that all men in their natural condition are said to be blinde and in darknesse Mat. 4.16
Help thou mine unbelief And he that doubtâ— not of his estate his estate is much to be doubted of doubting and resolution are not meet touch-stones of our success a presumptuous confidence commonly goes bleeding home when an humble fear returns in triumph As it fared between the Philistims and Israel 1 Sam. 17.10.11 The Philistims and Goliah were exceeding confident of the victory but Saul and all Israel much discouraged and greatly afraid yet Israel got the victory and the Philistims with their great Goliah were overcome ver 51.52 They that are proudly secure of their going to heaven do not so frequently come thither as they that are afraid of their going to hell As it is in this world for temporall things so for the World to come iâ— spirituall things Cantant pauperes lugent divites poor men sing and rich men cry Who is so melancholly as the rich worldling and who sings so merry a note as hee that cannot change a groat so they that have store of grace mourn for want of it and they that indeed want it chant their abundance But the hopes of the wicked fail them when they are at highest whereas Gods Children find those comforts in extremity which they durst not expect As there is nothing more usuall than for a secure conscience to excuse when it is guilty so nothing more coâ—mon than for an afflicted conscience to accuse when it is innocent and to lay an heavie burthen upon it self where the Lord giveth a plain discharge but a bleeding wound is better than that which bleeds not Some men go crying to heaven some go laughing and sleeping to hell Some consciences aswell as men lie speechless before departure they spend their days in a dream and go from earth to hell as Ionas from Israel towards Tarshish fast a sleep And the reason is they dream their case is passing good like a man which dreams in his sleep that hee is rich and honorable and it joyes him very much but awaking all is vanish'd like smoak Yea they hope undoubtedly to go to heaven as all that came out of Egypt hoped to go into Canaan and inherit the blessed promises when onely Caleb and Ioshua did enter who provoked not the Lord. And the reason of this reason is whereas indeed they are Wolvs the Devill and their own credulity perswades them that they are Lambs The Philosopher tells us that those Creatures which have the greatest hearts as the Sâ—tâ—g the Doe the Hare the â—oney and the Mouse are the most fearfull and therefore it may bee God refusing Lyons and Eagles the King of Beasts and Queen of Birds appointed the gentle Lamb the fearfull Dove for his sacrifices A broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51 17. And sure I am Christ calls to him onely wâ—ary and heavy-laden sinners Matth. 11.28 not such as feel no want of him Mark 2.17 and will fill onely such with comfort as hunger and thirst after righteousness not such as are in their conceit righteous enough without him Luk. 1.53 Matth. 15.24 And yet it is strange yea a wonder to see how many truly humbled sinners who have so render conscienceâ— that they dare not yield to the least evill for the worlds goods and refuse no means of being made better turn every probation into reprobation every dejection into rejection and if they bee cast down they cry outâ— they are cast away who may fitly bee compared to Artemon in Plutarch who when ever hee went abroad had his â—ervants to carry a Canopy over his head least the heavens should fall and crush him or to a certain foolish melancholly Bird which as some tell stands always but upon one leg least her own weight should sink her into the Center of the Earth holding the other over her head least the Heavens should fall Yet bee not offended I cannot think the worse of thee for good is that fear which hinders us from evill acts and makes us the more circumspect And God hath his end in it who would have the sins to dye but the sinner to live Yea in some respect thou art the better to bee thought of or at least the less to bee feared for this thy fear for no man so truly loves as hee that fears to offend as Salvianus glosses upon those words Blessed is the man that feareth alway And which is worth the observing this fear is a commendation often remembred in holy Scripturâ—â— as a speciall and God's Children as for example Iob saith the holy Ghost was a just man and one that feared God Job 1.1 Simeon a just man and one that feared God Luk 2.25 Cornelius a devout man and one that feared God Acts 10.2 And so of Father Abraham a man that feared God Gen. 22.12 Ioseph a man who feared God Gen. 42.18 The Mid-wives in Egypt feared God Exod. 1.17 So that evermore the fearing of God as being the beginning of wisdom is mentioned as the chief note which is as much as to say if the fearing of God once go before working of righteousness will instantly follow after according to that of the wise man Hee that feareth the Lord will do good And this for thy comfort when Mary Magdalen sorrowed and wept for her sins Luke 7 50. Christ tells her Thy faith hath made the whole intimating that this weeping this repenting faith is faith indeed And the like to the Woman with the bloody issue who presuming but to touch the hem of his garment fell down before him with fear and trembling Mark 5.27 to 35. And that humble Canaanite Matth. 15.22 to 29. And that importunate blind man Luke 18.38 to 43. As if this humble this praying faith were onely the saving faith Neither can thy estate bee bad for as Saint Ambrose told Monica weeping for her seduced Son Fieri non patest ut filius istarum lachrymarum pereat It cannot bee that the son of those tears should ever perish Wherefore lift up thy self thou timorous fainting heart and do not suspect every spot for a plague token do not dye of a meer conceit for as the end of all motion is rest so the end of all thy troubles shall bee peace even where the days are perpetuall Sabbaths and the diet undisturbed feasts But as an empty vessell bung'd up close though you throw it into the mid'st of the Sea will receive no water so all pleas are in vain to them that are deas'ned with their own fears for as Mary would not bee comforted with the sight and speech of Angels no not with the fight and speech of Iesus himself till hee made her know that hee was Iesus so untill the holy Spirit sprinkleth the conscience with the blood of Christ and sheddeth his love into the heart nothing will do No creature can take off wrath from the conscience but hee that set it on Wherefore the God of peace give you the peace of God which passeth all understanding Yea O Lord
Schools of learning and good literature especially the Universities Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted whether in body or in mind of in both whether in conscience groaning under sin or for a good conscience because they will not sin and as thou makest them examples to us so teach us to take example by them and learn wisdome by thy hand upon them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as our first Parents left us a large stock of sinne so we have improved the same beyond measure O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which wee have received from thee But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion we suddenly lost it We were created indeed by thee after thine own image in righteousness holiness in knowledg of the Truth But alas now our understandings are so darkned and dulled our judgmeÌ„ts so blinded our wils so perverted our affections so corrupted our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised our desires so entrapped and all the faculties and sunctions of our souls so disordered that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do ought that is good And yet usually like Bladders we are not more empty of grace than we are blown up with pride whereby with Laodicea we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakednesse but think we are rich and good enough as wanting nothing when as scarce any spark of grace yet appears in us Yea so far have we been from loving and serving thee that we have hated those that do it and that for their so doing And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ in our Baptism when we took his presse-mony to be his Souldiers and serve him in the field of this world against his and our enemies that we have renounced our vow made to him and fled from his standard yea fought for Satan and the World seeking to win all we could from Christ by tempting to sin and by persecuting such as were better then our selves so that all our recompence of thy love unto us hath been to do that which thou hatest and to hate those whom thou lovest Yea we cannot deny but we have persecuted thee with Paul denied thee with Peter betraied thee with Iudas and crucified thee with those cruel Jews Now Lord it being thus with us how can we expect that thou shouldest hear our praiers grant our requests yea how can wee look for other at thine hands then great and grievous yea then double damnation as most justly we have deserved Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And likewise knowing that mercie pleaseath thee and that the sole perfection of a Christian is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not-imputation of his own unrighteousnesse We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning will increase it and that by procrastinating we shall but heap unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath Good Lord suffer us not we beseech thee to defer our repentance lest the custome of evill makes it altogether unalterable in us or lest we dye before we begin to live or lest thou refusest to hear us another day calling upon thee for mercy because we refuse to hear thee now calling to us for repentance Wherefore if we be not yet converted let this be the happy hour of our conversion that as our bodies are risen by thy power and providence from sleep so our soules may daily bee raised from the sleep of sin and the darknesse of this world that so we may enjoy that everlasting light which thou hast prepared for thine and purchased with the bloud of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Give unto us we beseech thee a true lively and justifying faith whereby we may lay hold upon those gracious promises which thou hast made unto us in him and wherewith we may vanquish all our spirituall adversaries Seal up unto us the assurance of our salvation by the teâ—stimony of thy blessed Spirit Give to us thy servants that wisdome which descendeth from above that we may be wise unto our eternall salvation so shall our hearts instead of a Commentary help us to understand the Scriptures and our lives be an Exposition of the inward man Give us grace to account all things in this world even as drosse and dung that we may win Christ Jesus and Heaven and happinesse by means of him Give us single hearts and spirits without guile that wee may love goodnesse for it self and more seek the power of godlinesse then the shew of it and love the godly for thy sake and because they are godly Grant that in the whole course of our lives we may doe unto all others as we would that they should doe unto us considering that whether we do good or evill unto any one of thy members thou takest it as done unto thy self Discover unto us all our
may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience but we are constant in nothing but in perpetual offending onely therein we cease not for when we are waking our flesh tempts us to wickednesse if wee are sleeping it sollicites us to filthinesse or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day at night we pray unto thee but what is the issue of our praying First we sin and then we pray thee to forgive it and then return to our sins again as if we came to thee for no other end but to crave leave to offend thee Or of thy granting our requests we even dishonor thee and blaspheme thy name while thou do'st support and relieve us run from thee while thou do'st call us and forget thee while thou art feeding us so thou sparest us we sleep and to morrow we sin again O how justly mightest thou forsake us as we forsake thee and condemne uâ— whose consciences cannot but condemne our selvs But who can measure thy goodnesse who givest all and forgivest all Though we be sinful yet thou lovest us though we be miserably ingrateful yet thou most plentifully blessest us What should we have if we did serve thee who hast done all these things for thine enemies O that thou who hast so indeared us to serve thee wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls And because infidelitie is the bitter root of all wickednesse and a lively faith the true mother of all grace and goodnesse nor are wee Christians indeed except we imitate Christ and square our lives according to the rule of thy Word Give us that faith which manifesteth it self by a godly life which purifieth the heart worketh by love and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Yea since if our faith be true and saâ—ing it can no more be severed from unfained repentance and sanctification then life can be without motion or the sun without light give us spiritual wisdom to try and examine our selvs whether we be in the faith or not that so we may not be deluded with opinion onely as thousands are Discover unto us the emptinesse vanity and insufficiencie of the things here below to do our poor souls the least good that so we may be induced to set an higher price upon Jesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls considering that if we have him wee want nothing if we want him wee have nothing Finally O Lord give unto us and increase in us all spiritual graces inlighten our minds with the knowledge of thy truth and inflame our hearts with the love of whatsoever is good that we may esteem it our meat and drink to do thy blessed will Give us religious thoughts godly desires zealous affections holy endeavours assured perswasions of faith stedfast waiting through hope constancy in suffering through patience and hearty rejoicing from love regenerate our minds purifie our natures turn all our joies into the joy of the Holy Ghost and all our peace into the peace of conscience and all our fears into the fear of sin that we may love righteousnesse with as great good will as ever we loved wickednesse and go before others in thankfulnesse towards thee as far as thou goest in mercy towards us before them Give us victory in temptation patience in sicknesse contentment in poverty joy in distresse hope in troubles confidence in the hour of death give us alwaies to think and meditate of the hour of death the day of judgment the joies of heaven and the pains of hell together with the ransome which thy Son paid to redeem us from the one and to purchase for us the other so shall neither thy benefits nor thy chastisements nor thy Word return ineffectual but accomplish that for which they were sent until we be wholly renewed to the image of thy Son These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that of our selvs we are not worthy to list up our eyes to heaven much less to present our selves before thy Majesty with the least confidence that thou shouldest hear our praiers or accept of our services but rather that thou shouldest take these our confessions and accordingly condemne us to the lowest place in Hell for our continually abusing thy mercy and those many means of grace which in thy long suffering thou hast affoarded for our reclaiming Wee are the cursed seed of rebellious Parents wee were conceived in sin and born the children of wrath And whereas thou mightest have executed thy fierce displeasure upon us so soon as thou gavest us being and so prevented our further dishonouring thee wee have instead of humbling our selves before thee our God and seeking reconciliation with thy Majestie done nothing from our infancy but added sin unto sin in breaking every one of thine holy Laws which thou hast given us as rules and directions to walk by and to keep us from sinning Yea there is not one of thy righteous precepts which we have not broken more times and ways then we can express so far have wee been from a privative holiness in reforming that which is evill and a positive holiness in performing that which is good which thou maist justly require of us being wee had once ability so to do if wee had not wilfully lost it for thou did'st form us righteous and holy had not wee deform'd our selves whereas now like Satan wee can do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who would not so sin but for us for we have an army of unclean desires that perpetually sight against our souls
Banquet Give us O Lord to consider that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us yet in the end it will prove the bane and ruine both of body and soul and so assist us with thy grace that wee may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure and our right hands of profit rather then sin against thee and wrong our own consciences considering that it would bee an hard bargain â—or us to win the whole world and lose our own souls Blesse preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan the world and our wicked hearts from pride that Lucifer-like sin which is the fore-runner of destruction considering that thou resistest the proud and givest grace tò the humble from covetousnesse which is the root of all evil being taught out of thy word that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations and snares which drown them in perdition and destruction from cruelty that infernal evil of which thou hast said that there shall be judgment mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercie from hypocrisie that sin with two faces whose reward is double damnation and the rather because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled and for that in all the Scriptures we read not of an hypocrites repentance from whoredom which is a sin against a man's own body and the most inexcusable considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it for the punishment whereof the Law ordained death and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven from prophanation of thy day considering thou hast said that whosoever sanctifieth it not shall bee cut off from thy people and did'st command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a â—ew sticks on that day from swearing which is the language of hell considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer from drunkenness that monster with many heads and worse than beast like sin which in thy Word hath many fearfull woes denounced against it and the rather for that it is a sin like the pit of Hell out of which there is small hope of redemption Finally O Lord give us strength to resist temptation patience to endure affliction and constancie to persevere unto the end in thy truth that so having passed our pilgrimâ—ge here according to thy will we may be at rest with thee hereafter both in the night of death when our bodies shal sleep in the grave and in the day of our resurrection when they shall awake to judgment and both bodies and souls enjoy everlasting blisse These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Thanksgiving to be brought in to any or every one of them next before the Conclusion where the hand is placed ANd as we pray unto thee so we desire also to praise thee rendring unto thy Majestie upon the bended knees of our hearts all possible laud and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and favours spiritual and corporal temporal and eternal For that thou hast freely elected us to salvation from all eternity when thou hast passed by many millions of others both Men and Angels whereas we deserved to perish no lesse then they and thou mightest justly have chosen them and left us for that thou hast created us Men and not Beasts in England not in Aethiopia or any other savage Nation in this clear and bright time of the Gospel not 〈◊〉 the darknesse of Paganisme or Popery For thine unexpressible love in redeeming us out of Hell and from those unsufferable and endlesse torments by the pretious blood of thy dear Son who spared not himself that thou mightest spare us For calling us home to thee by the Ministry of thy Word and the work of thy good Spirit For the long continuance of thy Gospel with us the best of blessings For sparing us so long and giving us so large a time of repentance For justifying and in some measure sanctifying us and giving us ground for assured hope of being glorified in thy heavenly Kingdom For preserving us from so infinite many perils and dangers which might easily have befalne us every day to the taking away of either our estates our limbs or our lives For so plentifully and graciously blessing us all our life long with many and manifold good things both for necessity and delight For peace of conscience and content of minde For our health wealth limbs senses food raiment liberty prosperity For thy great mercie in correcting us and turning thy corrections to our good For preserving us in the night past from all dangers of body and soul and for infinite more mercies of which we could not well want any one and which are all greatned by being bestowed upon us who were so unworthy and have been so ungrateful for the same O that we could answer thee in our thankfulnesse and obedient walking one for a thousand Neither are we unmindful of those national blessings which thou hast vouchsafed unto our Land in general as namely that deliverance from the Spanish Invasion in 88 and from that divelish design of the Gunpowder-Treason for preserving us from the noisome and devouring Plague and Pestâ—lence Lord grant that our great unthankfulnesse for these thy mercies may not cause thee to deliver us into the hands of our enemies and although we have justly thereby deserved the same yet we beseech thee give us not up unto their wills neither suffer Popery ever to bear rule over us nor thy blessed Word and Sacraments to be taken away from us but continue them unto us and to our posterity after us if it be thy good pleasure untill the coming of thy Christ. Babes that are inexpert in the Word of righteousnesse use milk but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age Heb. 5.13 14. THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Ship under Sayl. MY Bodie is the Hull the Keel my Back my Neck the Stem the Sides are my Ribs the Beams my Bones my Flesh thâ— Planks Gristles and Ligaments are the Pintels and Knee-timbers Arteries Veins and Sinews the several Seams of the Ship my Blood is the Ballast my Heart the principal Hold my Stomach the Cook-room my Liver
the Cistern my Bowels the Sink my Lungs the Bellows my Teeth the Chopping knives except you divide them and then they are the 32 points of the Sea-card both agreeing in number Concoction is the Caldron and hunger the Salt or Sawce my belly is the lower Deck my Kidneys Close Cabbins or receptacles my Thighs are long Galleries for the grace of the Ship my Arms and Hands the Can-hooks my Midriffe is a large Partition or Bulk-head within the circumference of my head is placed the Steeridge-room and chief cabbins with the Round-house where the Master lieth and these for the more safety and decencie are inclosed with a double fence the one Dura-mater something hard and thick the other Pia-mater very thin and soft which serveth instead of hangings The Ears are two doors or Scuttles fitly placed for entertainment the two Eyes are Casementâ— to let in light under them is my Mouth the Stowidge or Stewards-room my Lips are Hatches for receipt of goods my two Nostrils serve as Gratings to let in air at the one end stands my Chin which is the Beak-head my Forehead is the Upper-deck all which being trimmed with my fat instead of pitch and hair instead of Ockham are coloured with my skin The fore-deck is humility the stoarn charity active obedience the sayls which being hoysed up with the several Yards Halliars and Bow-lings of holy precepts and good purposes are let down again by sicklenesse faintings and inconstancie Reason is my Rudder experience the Helme hope of salvation my Anchor passive obedience the Capstain holy revenge the Cat and Fish to hawl the sheat-Anchor or last hope fear of offending is the Buâ—y virtues are the Cables holy desires and sudden ejaculations the Shrouds the zeal of God's glory is my Main-mast premeditation the Foremast desire of my own salvation the Mizzen-mast saving-knowledge the Boltsprit Circumspection a Sounding-line my Light is illumination Justice is the Card God's Word the Compasse the meditation of life's brevity a four-hour-glasse Conâ—emplation of the creatures the Grosse-staff or Iacob's Staff the Creed a Sea-grammer the life of Christ my Load-star the Saints falls are Sea-markes Good examples Land-marks Repentance Pumpes out the sink of my sins a good Conscience keeps mee clean imputative righteousness is my Flag having this Motto BEING CAST DOWN WE PERISH NOT The Flag-staff is sincerity the Ship is victualled afresh by reading hearing receiving Books are Long-boats Letters are little Skiffes to carry and re-carry my spiritual merchandise Perseverance is my speed and Patience my name my fire is lust which will not be clean extinguished full feeding and strong drink is the fuell to maintein it whose flame if it be not supprest is jealousie whose sparks are evil words whose ashes is envie whose smoke is infamy lascivious talk is as flint and steel concupiscence as tinder opportunity is the match to light it sloath and idlenesse are the servants to prepare it The Law of God is my Pilot Faith my Captain Fortitude the Master Chastity the Masters-mate my Will the Coxen Conscience the Preacher Application of Christs death the Chirurgion Mortification the Cook Viviâ—â—cation the Calker Self-denial is an Apprentice of his Temperance the Steward Contentation his Mate Truth the Purser Thankfulnesse the Pursers-mate Reformation the Boat-swain the 4 Humors Sanguine Choller c. are the Quarter-masters Christian vigilancie undertakes to supply the office of Starbord and Larbord waâ—ch Memory is Clerk of the Check Assurance the Corporal the Armour Innocencie the Mariners Angels Scismaticks are Searchers sent aboard my understanding as Master-Gunner culls out from those who Budg-casks of the New and Old Testament certain threats and promises which is my onely Powder and Shot and with the assistance of the Gunners-mate holy anger against sin chargeth my tongue which like to a Piece of Ordinance shoots them to the shame and overthrow of my shirituall Adversaries My Noble Passengers are joy in the Holy Ghost and the peace of conscience whose retinue are divine graces my ignoble or rather mutinous Passengers are worldly cogitations and vain delights which are more than a good many besides some that are arrant thievs and traytors namely pride envie prejudice but all these I 'le bid farewell when I come to my journies end though I would but cannot before Heaven is my Country where I am registred in the Book of life my King is Iehova my tribute Almsdeeds they which gather it are the poor Love is my Countries badge my language is holy conference my â—ellow Companions are the Saints I am poor in performances yet rich in Gods acceptation The foundation of all my good is Gods free Election I became bound into the Corporation of the Church to serve him in my baptisme I was inrolled at the time when hee first called mee my freedom is Justification it was purchased with the blood of Christ my evidence is the earnest of his Spirit my priviledges are his sanctifying Graces my Crown reserved for mee on high is Glorification My Maker and owner is God who built mee by his Word which is Christ of earth which was the materiall hee fraught it with the essence of my soul which is the Treasure and hath set mee to sail in the Sea of this world till I attain to the Port of Death which letteth the terrestriall part into the harbour of the grave and the celestiall into the Kingdom of Heaven in which voyage conveniency of estate is as Sea room good affections serve as a tyde and praier aâ— a prosperous gale of wind to help forward But innumerable are the impediments and perills for here I meet with the proffers of unlawfull gain and sensuall delights as so many Syrens the baits of prosperity as high banks on the right hand or weather-shore and there with evill suggestions and crabbed adversity as Rocks on the left hand or Lee-shore ready to split mee the fear of Hell like quick-sands threaten to swallow mee Originall sin like weeds clog me and actuall transgressions like so many Barnacles hang about mee yea every sin I commit springs a new leak my senses are as so many storms of rain hail and snow to sink me lewd affections are roaring billows and waves self-confidence or to rely upon any thing but divine assistance iâ— to lose the bolt sprit Restitution is heaving goods over-board to save the Ship Melancholly is want of fresh water the Scoffs of Atheists and contempt of Religion in all places is a notable becalming the lewd lives and evill examples of the most a contagious air Idleness surs it and is a shrewd decay both of Hull and Tackling Moreover sailing along and keeping watch for they that are Christs friends you know must look for all they meet to bee their enemies wee no sooner look up but presently wee ken a man of war and then wee must bee for war too and provide for a skirmish Now the Gallion that hath our Pinnace in chase and always watcheth for
for love of Christs Gospel True I went under the notion of an honest man and a good Christian I was baptized into the faith and made a member of Christs vivisible Church but I was so far from indeavouring to perform what I then promised that in effect I even renounced both Christ and my Baptism in persecuting him and all that sincerely professed his Name thinking I did God good service therein Ioh. 16.2 Gal. 1.13 14. Phil. 3.6 Nor was it for want of ignorance that you thought so of me for by nature be we never so milde and gentle we are all the seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 and children of the Devil Ioh. 8.44 Yea the very best moral man is but a tame Devil as Athanasius well notes But it is a true proverb the blind eat many a flie and all colours are alike to him that is in the dark Loose Libertine So much the worse is my condition for my conscience tells me there is not a word you have spoken of your self but I can justly apply the same unto my own soul and a great deal more For whereas you have been a moral honest man so that none except your self could tax you for breaking either Gods Law or mans I have been so wicked and prophane that I could most presumptuosly and of set purpose take a pride in my wickednesse commit it with greedinesse speak for it defend it joy in it boast of it tempt and inforce to it yea mock them that disliked it As if I would send challenges into Heaven and make love to destruction and yet did applaud my self and prefer my own condition before other mens saying I was no dissembler yea I hated the hypocrisie of Professors I do not justifie my self and despise others like the Puritanes I am not factious schismatical singular censorious c. I am not rebellious nor contentious like the Brownists and Anabaptists I am a good fellow and love an honest man with my heart c. and as touching a good conscience I was never troubled in mind as many scrupulous fools are I have a good heart and mean as well as the precisest But now I see the Devil and my own deceitfull heart deluded me so that my whole life hitherto hath been but a dream and that like a blind man I was running headlong to Hell when yet I thought my self in the way to Heaven Just as if a beggar should dream that he were a King or a◠if a traitor should dream of his being crowned when indeed he was to be beheaded the case of Laodicea Rev. 3.17 the young man in the Gospel Luk. 18.20 21. and that Pharisee spoken of Luk. 18.11 12. Sect. XXXV Convert It was not your case alone but so it fares with the worst of sinners Only it much rejoyces me that it hath pleased God to open your eyes to see all this in your self For flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you Yea we are naturally so blind and deaf and dead in sin and in soul that we can no more discern our spiritual filthinesse nor feel sin to be a burden than a blind Aethiopian can see his own blacknesse or than a dead-man can feel the weight of a burthen when it is laid upon him Act. 28.27 Isa. 6.9 10 And this common experience shews for if you observe it who more jocond confident and secure than the worst of sinners they can strut it under an unsupportable Mass of oaths blasphemies thefts murthers adulteries drunkenness and other the like sins yea can easily swallow these spiders with Mithridates and digest them too when one that is regenerate shrinkes under the burden of wandring thoughts and want of proficiency But why is it they are dead in sin Ephes. 2.1 Revel 3.1 Now lay a mountain upon a dead-man he feels not once the weight To a Christian that hath the life of grace the least sin lyes heavy upon the conscience but to him that is dead let his sins be as heavy as a mountain of lead he feels in them no weight at all Again They are 〈…〉 for what the eye seeth not the heart rueth not Security makes worldlings merry and therefore are they secure because they are ignorant A dunce we know seldome makes doubts yea a fool saies Solomon boasteth and is confident Prov. 14.16 neither do blind men ever blush And the truth is were it not for pride and ignorance a world of men would be ashamed to have their faces seen abroad For take away from mens minds vain opinions flattering hopes false valuations imaginations and the like you will leave the minds of most men and women but poor shrunken things full of melancholy indisposition and unpleasing to themselves Ignorance is a veil or curtain to hide away their sins whereupon they are never troubled in conscience nor macerated with cares about eternity but think that all will be well The Devil and the flesh prophesie prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the powder-traitors but death and damnation which Gods Spirit threatens will prove the crop they will reap For God is true the Devil and all flesh are lyers When we become regenerate and forsake sin then the Devil strongly and strangely assaults us as he did Christ when he was newly baptized and Pharaoh the children of Israel when they would forsake Aegypt and Herod the children when Christ was come to deliver his people Whence commonly it comes to passe that those think best of themselves that ave least cause yea the true Christian is as fearfull to entertain a good opinion of himself as the false is unwilling to be driven from it They that have store of grace mourn for the want of it and they that indeed want it chant their abundance None so apt to doubt their adoption as they that may be assured of it nor none more usually fear then they that have the greatest cause to hope We feel corruption not by corruption but by grace and therefore the more we feel our inward corruptions the more grace we have Contraries the nearer they are to one another the sharper is the conflict betwixt them now of all enemies the spirit and the flesh are nearest one to another being both in the soul of a regenerate man and in all faculties of the soul and in every action that springeth from those faculties The more grace the more spiritual life and the more spiritual life the more antipathy to the contrary whence none are so sensible of corruption as those that have the most living souls Sect. XXXVI Now for remedy of the contrary there cannot be a better lesson for carnal men to learn than this All the Promises of God are conditional to take place if we repent as all the threatenings of God are conditional to take place if we repent not But wicked men as they believe without repenting their faith being meer presumption so they repent without believing their repentance being indeed
desperation and this observe we are cast down in the disappointing of our hopes in the same measure as we were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them Whence these perremptory presumers if ever they repent it is commonly as Francis Spira 〈…〉 One star is much bigger than the Earth yet seems many degrees lesse It is the nature of fear to make dangers greater helps lesse then they are Christ hath promised peace and rest unto their souls that labour and are heavy laden and to those that walk according to rule Matth. 11.29 Gal. 6.16 even peace celestial in the state of grace and peace eternal in the state of glory Such therefore as never were distressed in conscience or live loosly never had true peace Peace is the Daughter of Righteousness Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God But he who makes a bridge of his own shadow will be sure to fall into the water Those Blocks that never in their life were moved with Gods threatnings never in any straight of conscience never groaned under the burden of Gods anger they have not so much as entered into the porch of this house or lift a foot over the threshold of this School of repentance Oh! that we could but so much fear the eternal paines as we do the temporary and be but so carefull to save our souls from torment as our bodies In the mean time the case of these men is so much the worse by how much there fear is the lesse It faring with the soul as with the body Those diseases which do take away all sense of pain are of all others most desperate As the dead Palsey the falling-sicknesse the sleepy lethargy c. And the Patient is most dangerously sick when he hath no feeling thereof In like manner whilst they suppose themselves to be free from judgment they are already smitten with the heaviest of Gods judgments a heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 In a lethargy it is needfull the Patient should be cast into a burning Fever because the senses are benammed and this will waken them and dry up the besotting humours So in our dead security before our conversion God is fain to let the Law Sin Conscience and Satan loose upon us and to kindle the very fire of Hell in our souls that so we might be roused out of our security but thousands of these blocks both live and depart with as great hopes as men go to a lottery even dreaming of Heaven untill they awake in Hell For they too often die without any remorse of conscience like blocks or as an Ox dyes in a ditch Yea thousands that live like Laban dye like Nabal which is but the same word inverted whilst others the dear Children of God dye in distresse of conscience For it is not every good mans hap to dye like Antoninus Pius whose death was after the fashion and semblance of a kindly and pleasant sleep However Austin's rule will be sure to hold He cannot dye ill that hath lived well and for the most part He that lives conscionably dyes comfortably and departeth rich And so you see how it fares with the wickedest and worst of men Wherefore if you are truly sensible of your wretchednesse it is a good sign that you are in some forwardnesse to be recovered and really to become so good as formerly you but dream'd or imagined your self to be And indeed the very first step to grace is to feel the want of grace and the next way to receive mercy is to see your self miserable Therefore our 〈◊〉 and most diligent search should be 〈…〉 Sect. XXXVII Loose Libertine But is there any hope for one so wicked as I who have turned the grace of God into wantonesse applying Christs passion as a warrant for my licenciousnesse not as a remedy and taking his death as a licence to sin his cross as a Letters pattent to do mischief As if a man should head his drum of rebellion with his pardon For I have most spitefully and maliciously taken up arms against my Maker and fought against my Redeemer all my daies Convert Do but unfeignedly repent you of your sins and forsake your former evil waies and lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith my soul for yours God is very ready to forgive them be they never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Yea I can shew you your pardon from the great King of Heaven for all that is past the which you may read at large Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 to 29. and 33.11 Ioel 2.12 13 14. Yea read 1 Cor. 6.10 11. together with the story of Manasses Mary Magdelen the Thief and the Prodigal Son and you shall see presidents thereof Yea the very murtherers of the Son of God upon their serious and unfeigned repentance and stedfast believing in him received pardon and salvation And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus True every sin deserves damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it True Repentance is ever blest with forgiveness And know this that Gods mercy is greater than thy sin whatever it be you cannot be so infinite in sinning as he is infinite in pardoning if you repent yea sins upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I will put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44.22 And what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone As the former examples witnesse Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1.18 Yea whiter than snow For the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiâ—â—inesse and his original impurity useth these words Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did Christ come to call sinners to repentance and shall be not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that desires to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Only apply not this salve before the ulcer be searched to the bottom Lay not hold upon mercy untill you be throughly humbled The only way to become good is first to believe that you are evil and by accusing our selves we prevent Satan By judging our selves we prevent God Are we as sick of sorrow as we are of sin then may we hopefully go to the Physician of our souls who came into the world only to cure the sick and to give light to them only who sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death God does not pour the oyl of grace but into a broken and contrite heart Wouldst thou get out of the miserabâ—◠〈◊〉 of nature into the blessed estate of grace and of Satans bondsla 〈◊〉 me the child of God and a very
upon it Neither let Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an hour lest your resolution proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing Besides death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill you and give you no leasure to be sick Thirdly If thou wilt be safe from evil works avoid the occasions have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity neither fear their scoffs for this be sure of if your person and waies please God the world will be displeased with both If God be your friend men will be your enemies if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy But take heed of losing Gods favour to keep theirs Beda tels of a great man that was admonished by his friends in his sicknesse to repent who answered He would not yet for that if he should recover his friends and companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker they again prest him but then his answer was that it was now too late for I am judged and condemned already A man cannot be a Nathaniel in whose heart there is no guile but the world counts him a fool But Christ saies Verily except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 Again Satan and your deceitfull heart will suggest unto you that a Religious life is a dumpish and melancholy life but holy David will tell you that light is sown to the righteous and joy to the upright Psal. 97.11 Isa. 65.14 And experience tells that earthly and bodily joys are but the body or rather the dregs of that joy which Gods people feel and are ravished with As O the calm and quietnesse of a good conscience the assurance of the pardon of sin and joy of the Holy Ghost the honesty of a virtuous and holy life how sweet they are Yea even Plato an Heathen could say That if wisdom and virtue could but represent it self to the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And the like of a sinners sadnesse as hear what Seneca saies if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the uglinesse and filthinesse of sin and the guilâ— and sadnesse of his conscience But experience is the best informer wherefore take the counsell of holy David Psalm 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him To which accordeth that of holy Bernard Good art thou O Lord to the soul that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee As I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted of the powers of the world to come to him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost whether his whole life be not a perpetual halellujah in comparison of his natural condition Whence they are able to sleight all such objections as he did you tell me that scrupling of small matters is but stumbling at straws that they be but trifles When I know your tongue can tell nothing but truth I will believe you Fifthly Beg of God that he will give you a new heart and when the heart is changed all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sun when it ariseth But without a work upon the heart wrought by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shall say to the contrary That must be first reformed which was first deformed It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.23 24. Yea it is Gods own counsell to the men of Ierusalem Jer. 4. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved ver 14. It is most ridiculous to apply remedies to the outward parts when the distemper lies in the stomach To what purpose is it to crop off the top of weeds or lop off the boughs of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth as cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop of the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the roots then and not till then it will grow no more Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Great Cities once expunged the dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves the heart is the treasury and store-house of wickedness Mat. 12.34 such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which proceed from it Mat. 12.35 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean otherwise not Mat. 23.26 Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Psal. 51.10 do thou the like importune him for grace that you may firmly resolve speedily begin and continually persevere in doing and suffering his holy will desire him to inform and reform you so that you may neither misbelieve nor mislive to change and purifie your naure subdue your reason rectifie your judgment reform and strengthen your will renew your affections and beat down in you whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Iesus Christ. Sixthly and lastly If you receive any power against you former corruptions forget not to be thankefull yea study all possible thankfulness For that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed that we have the offer of grace here and glory hereafter it is his unspeakable goodness And there is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have than thankfulness He will sow there and there onely plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sow those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to loose both their seed and labour Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so much for the Second Part. An Appendix followes wherein you have instances of all sorts how sin besots men THE TRYALL OF TRUE WISDOM WITH How to become Wise indeed OR A Choice and Cheap Gift for a Friend both to please and pleasure him Be he inferior or superior sinful or faithful ignorant or intelligent By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Floreligus Add this as an Apendix or Third Part to The Hearts Index And A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation Section 41. LUcian tells of an Egyptian King
who had Apes taught when they were young to dance and keep their postures with much art these he would put into rich Coats and have them in some great presence to exercise their skill which was to the admiration of such as knew them not what little sort of active nimble men the King had got And such as knew them thought it no less strange that they should be trained up to so man-like and handsome a deportment But a subtile Fellow that was once admitted to see them brought and threw amongst them a handful of Nuts which they no sooner spied but they presently left off their dance fell a scrambling tore one anothers rich Coats and to the dirision of the beholders who before admired them they discovered themselves to be meer Apes These ensuing Notions which I have purposely taken as a handful out of the whole sack to squander away amongst my acquaintance are such Nuts as will discover not a few who are men in appearance and their own opinion to be as wise and well affected as Aesops Cock that preferred a barley Corn before a Pearl or Plinies Moal that would dig under ground with great dexterity but was blind if brought into the Sun Or Diaphontus that refused his mothers blessing to hear a song Or the Israelites who preferred Garlick and Onions before Quails and manna Men no more differ from Beasts Plants Stones in speech reason shape than some differ from others in heart in brain in life Whence the very heathen Poets usually most fitly compare some men to stones for their hardness and insensibleness others to plants that only fill their veins a third sort to beasts that please their senses too a fourth to evil Angels that only sin and cause others to sin a fift to good Angels that are still in motion alwayes serving God and doing good yet ever rest Again Experience teaches that mens judgements and censures are as various as their pallats For what one admires another slights as is evident by our Saviours Auditors of which some admired others censured a third sort wept a fourth scoft a fift trembled a sixt blasphemed when they heard him And how should it be otherwise when the greater part are as deeply in love with vice and error as the rest are with vertue and truth When mens conditions and constitutions vary as much as their faces As the Holy Ghost intimates in comparing several men to almost every several creature in the Universe Nor is the Epicure more like a swine the Lustful person a Goat the Fraudulent man a Fox the Backbiter a barking Dog the Slanderer an Asp the Oppressor a VVolf the Persecutor a Tyger the Church-robber a wild Bore the Seducer a Serpent yea a Devil the Traytor a Viper c. 2 Tim 4 17. Luk. 13.32 Phil. 3.2 Psal 22.12 13 16 20 21. 74.13 14 19. 80.13 Matth. 23.33 Dan. 7.4 5 6 c Zeph. 3 â— 4 c. Cant. 2.15 17 c. then every of them is unlike another Amidst such a world of variety I have chosen to set forth how one man differs from and excels another in brain and to prove that to be wise indeed is the portion but of a few even amongst us And this discovery alone as I deem will be richly worth my pains and each mans serious Observation Sect. 42. NOw all sorts of men may be comprised under one of these three Heads The Sensual The Rational The Spiritual For if you observe it some men like the Moon at Full have all their light towards earth none towards Heaven Others like the Moon at VVaine or Change have all their light to Heaven wards none to the earth a third sort like to the Moon in eclipse as having no light in it self neither towards earth nor towards Heaven Touching these three degrees of comparison you shall find that the one exceeds the other in wisdom as the stars exceed one another in glory Of which particularly First There is no less difference between the Rational and sensual the wise and simple the learned and unlearned than there is between men and beasts as Menander speaks Or between the living and the dead as another hath it And yet the Rational do not so far excel the sensual as the spiritual excel the rational Sensual men are so be-nighted and puzled with blindness that they know no other way than the flesh leads them It is the weight that sets all their wheels a going the horses that draw their chariot the very life of their corruption the corruption of their life without which they do nothing The minds of brutish men that have been ill bred are so drowned in sin and sensuallity and their spirits so frozen and pitifully benumed with worldliness and wicked customs that they cannot judg aright either of spiritual matters or rectified reason Yea in matters experimental they are of as deep a judgement as was Callico who stuft his pillow a brass pot with straw to make it soft Or that Germain Clown who under-took to be very ready in the ten Commandments but being demanded by the Minister which was the first made answer Thou shall not eate Or that simple Fellow who thought Pontius Pilate must needs be a Saint because his name was put into the Creed They are like the Ostrich Job â—9 17 whom God hath deprived of wisdom and to whom he hath given no part of understanding Which men also are so far from receiving instruction that they will scorn and scoff at their admonisher As they have no reason so they will hear none Nor will they believe any thing but what they see or feell and he that learns of none but himself hath a fool to his teacher Yea such as refuse admonition are by wise Solomon branded for the most incorigible Fools alive so that their knowledge is ignorance their wisdom folly their sight blindness They neither consider what reason speaketh or Religion commandeth but what the will and appetite affecteth For will is the axeltree lusts and passions the wheels whereupon all their actions are carried and do run Appetite being their Lord Reason their servant and Religion their slave Whereas Religion should govern their judgement judgment and reason their wills and affections as Adam should have done Eve They that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh The carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.5 to 9. And which leaves them without all hope of being wiser they had rather keep conscience blind that it may slatter them than inform it that it may give a just verdict against them counting it less trouble to believe a favorable falshood than to examine whether it be true So that it is impossible for fleshly minded men to believe what sots they are touching the good of their souls Wherefore when we see the folly and misery of those that serve sin and Satan and
and so plainly that you cannot be deceived except you desire to deceive your own soul. The knowledge of God that saves us is more than a bare apprehension of him iâ— knows his power and therefore fears him knows his justice and therefore serves him knows his mercy and therefore trusts him knows his goodness and therefore loves him c. For he that hath the saving knowledge of God or of Christ hath every other Grace There is a sweet correspondence between every one where there is any one in truth As in the generation the head is not without the body nor the body without each member nor the soul without its powers and faculties so in the regeneration where there is any one grace in truth there is every one 2 Cor. 5.17 If you will see it in particulars read Psa. 9.10 Jer. 9.24 1 Joh. 4.6 Joh. 4.10 1 Joh. 4.7 8. 2.3 Joh 42.5 6. 1 Ioh. 4.7 which Scriptures shew that as feeling is inseparable to all the organs of sense the eye sees and feels the ear hears and feels the pallat tastes and feels the nostrils smell and feel so knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves Patience knows and suffers Temperance knows and abstains Humility knows and stoops Repentance knows and mourns Obedience knows and does Confidence knows and rejoyces Hope knows and expects Compassion knows and pities Yea as there is a power of water in every thing that grows it is fatness in the olive sweetness in the figg cheerfulness in the grape strength in the oak taleness in the cedar redness in the rose whiteness in the lilly c. so knowledge is in the hand obedience in the mouth benediction in the knee humility in the eye compassion in the heart charity in the whole body and soul piety Alas If men had the true knowledg of Jesus Christ it would disperse and dispel all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment as the Sun does no sooner shew his face but the darkness vanisheth or as Caesar did no sooner look upon his enemies but they were gone Egypt swarmed with locusts till the west wind came that left not one He cannot delight in sin nor dote upon this world that knows Christ savingly Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledg and where these two joyn there will proceed from them a noble progine a generation of good works Again as the water engendereth ice and the ice again engendereth water so knowledg begets righteousness and righteousness again begetteth knowledg It is between science and conscience as it is between the stomack and the head for as in mans body the raw stomack maketh a thumatick head and the thumatick head maketh a raw stomach so science makes our conscience good and conscience makes our science good Nor is it so much scientiae capitâ—s as conscientia cordis that knows Christ and our selves whence Solomon saith Give thine heart to wisdom Prov. 2.10 and let wisdom enter into thine heart Prov. 4.4 And when he would acquaint us 〈…〉 become wise he tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Prov. 1.7 as if the first lesson to be wise were to be 〈…〉 If it be asked Why the natural man perceiveth not the â—ings of the spirit of God Saint Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 and indeed iâ—â—hey 〈◊〉 spiriâ—ually discerned how should they descern them 〈…〉 spirit For though the outward man receiveâ— the eleme 〈…〉 â—udiments of Religion by breeding and education yet his 〈…〉 veth them by heavenly inspiration 1 Cor. 2.11 12 13 12.3 8 Matth 16 16 17. Deut. 29 2 3 4 Psa. 111. â—0 Luke 24 4◠〈◊〉 15 15. â—nd â—his alone is enough to prove that no wickeâ— man 〈…〉 man for if God alone be the giver of it we may be suâ—â— that 〈◊〉 will 〈◊〉 his secrets to none but such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory and the good of others Even as the husband man will not cast his seed but into ground that will return him a good harvest Psa. 25.14 Luke 24.45 Mark 4.34 Gen. 18.17 1 Joh. 4.7 Sect. 47. BUt would these men any one even the best of them thus improve or imploy their knowledge Or do they desire it to any such end No but to some other end as I shall in the next place acquaint you Some men desire not to know some desire only to know Or rather thus Few men in comparison desire knowledge fewer that desire divine and supernatural knowledge fewest of all that desire to be the better or that others should be the better for their knowledge More particularly a world of men desire knowledg for no other end but to remove their ignorance as Pharaoh used Moses but to remove the plagues Others again study the Scriptures and other good Books only to make gain thereof or to be the abler to dispute and discourse as boys go into the water only to play and paddle there not to wash and be clean With Eve they highly desire the tree of knowledg but regard not the tree of life As I would fain know what fruit or effect the knowledge of most men produces in them except it be to inable them to dispute and discourse to increase wit oâ—â—o increase wealth or to increase pride or perhaps to increase Athiesm and to make them the more able and cunning to argue against the truth and power of Religion Whether the utmost of their aim be not to enrich dignifie and please themselves not once casting the eye of their souls at Gods glory their neighbors good or their own salvation Whether their main drift be not purchasing of a great estate for them and theirs with out either fear of God regard of men or the discharge of their duty and calling Again whereas a godly man and a good Christian thinks himself as happy in giving light to others as in receiving it himself how many are there who as themselves are never the better I mean in regard of Grace for their great wisdom and learning so no more are others for commonly they resemble dark Lanthorns which have light but so shut up and reserved as if it were not and what is the difference betwixt concealed skill and ignorance It is the nature and praise of good to be communicative whereas if their hidden knowledge do ever look out it casts so sparing a light that it only argues it self to have an unprofitable being And for the most part these men if they may be thought great Rabbies deep and profound Schollars this is the night of their ambition though neither the Church be benefited nor God glorified by it whereas they ought the contrary for as the grace of God is the fountain from which our wisdom flows so the glory of God should be the Ocean to which it should run yea that God may be honoured with and by
receive what-ever comes or is offered them be it bribe or other sinful bait not once thinking this is forbidden fruit and thou shalt die the death That think the vowed enemy of their souls can offer them a bait without a hook you cannot but acknowledg them stark fools though thou thy self beest one of the number Again for men to dishonour God and blaspheme his Name while he does support and relieve them to runne from him while he does call them and forget him while he does seed them To imitate the Common Protestants in Queen Maries time who laughed the Martyrs to scorn and esteemed them superstitious fools to lose their lives and fortunes for matters of Religion accounting faith holinesse immortality of the soul c. meer fopperies and illusions To be quick-sighted in other mens failings and blinde to their own Are not these so many infallible properties of a fool and yet these are the lively characters of every sensuallist In so much that if I should give you a list or Catalogue of all the fools in one City or County You would blesse your selves that there are so few Bedlam houses and yet so many out of their wits that can not perceive or discern the same And yet no wonder for as I told you-ere-while Sensual men are so be-nighted and puzled with blindnesse that they know no other way then the flesh leads them Yea many by losse of conscience become Atheists and by losse of reason Beasts Yea to any thing that is spiritually good the natural man is blinde and deafe and dead as ye may see by these ensuing Scriptures 1 Tim. 5.6 Rom. 1.21 22 25. Ephes. 5.14 Isa. 6.9 10. John 12 40. Psal. 69.23 Matth. 4.16 15.14 Ephes. 4.18 19. 5.8 1 Pet. â—9 Acts 28.27 Rom. 11.8 Matth. 23.16 17.19.24.26 27.3 4 5. 2 Pet. 2.16 Revel 3.17 Rom. 6.13 8.11 Micah 7.16 Psal. 58.4 Eph. 2.1 If our Gospel he hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded 2 Cor. 4â— 3 4. But it is otherwise with the godly as let Satan or the world offer a wise Christian the bait of pleasure or profit his answer shall be I will not buy repentance so dear I will not lose my soul to please my sense If affliction comes he will consider that Gods punishments for sinne calls for conversion from sin and in case God speaks to him by his Word to forsake his evill wayes and turn again to him he will amend his course lest if he heare not the word he should feel the sword Whereas nothing will confute a fool but fire and brimstone The Lord spake to Manasses and to his people but they would not regard Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the Captains of the Host of the King of Ashur that took Manasses and put him in fetters and brought him in chains and carried him to Babel 2 Chron. 33.10 11. Fools saith holy David by reason of their transgression and because of their iniquity Psal. 107.17 From which words Musculus infers that all wilfull transgressors are arrant fools And it is the saying of Cardan That dishonesty is nothing else but folly and madnesse Yea Solomon throughout all his Proverbs by a fool means the natural man and by a wise man a man sanctified O that it were rightly learned and laid to heart by all that are yet in the state of un-regeneracy for it is every one of their cases To conclude in a word Without knowledge the soul is not good Prov. 19.2 The ignorant cannot be innocent I am the light of the world sayes our Saviour John 8.12 12.46 Where light is not Christ is not for Christ is light § 59. And so according to my skill I have performed what I at first promised It remains before we leave it that some use be made thereof that so both wise and weak may learn something from what hath been spoken of this subject Wherefore in the first place If it be so that both the sensual and rational even all that are yet in their natural estate are uncapable of divine and super-natural knowledge that they are blinde touching spiritual things Then let not any carnal wretch hereafter dare to speak evill of the things actions or persons that are out of the reach of his capacity but silently suspend his judgement untill he be better informed For as it pertaineth not to the Rustick to jugde of letters So it belongeth not to natural men to judg of spiritual things Yea let those ignorant ones that have used to speak evill of the way of truth learn to kick no more against the pricks lest they bring upon themselves the same curse that their fellows did who brought up an evill report of the Holy Land Num. 13 32 33. 14.23 14. Yea put case they shall think they do God good service in it as many do in persecuting and putting to death his children and Ambassadors John 16.2 as a world of examples witnesse Yea the Iews thought they did marvellous well in crucifying the Lord of life But what says the holy Ghost Prov. 14. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death vers 12. Even the Powder-traytors thought they merited when they intended to blow up the whole State Alass Natural men are no more fit to judge of spiritual matters then blinde men are sit to judge of colours And yet none more forward then they as you may see by those blinde Sodomites that dealt so roughly and coursely with Lot and his two Angels Gen. 19.1 to 12. That they are ignorant and so unfit is evident of what is recorded of â—ichâ—l 2 Sam. 6.16 Of Nichodemus John 3.4 Of Festus Acts 26.24 And lastly of Paul before his conversion I was saith he a blasphemer a persecutor and an opposer of Christ and his members but I did it ignoâ—â—â—â—ly through unbelief 1 Tim. 1.13 It 's worth your observing too that 〈◊〉 no sooner enlightned with the saving knowledge of Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 was of a contrary judgement and preached that faith which before â—e â—â—â—demned and persecuted And this will be every one of their cases 〈…〉 if not in this life yet hereafter when Hell flames hath opened their eyes they will confesse We fools thought his life madnesse and his end to be without honour How is he now numbred with the children of God and his lot among the Saints And when they shall see it they shall be troubled with horrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation so far beyond all that they looked for and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves This is he whom we once had in deâ—ision and in a proverb of reproach therefore have we erred from the way of truth we wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and destruction but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it The light of
joy and with the Holy Ghost Acts 13.52 And as their afflictions do abound so their consolations abound also 2 Cor. 1.5 For these are comforts that will support and refresh a Child of God in the very midst of the flames as the Martyrs found for maugre all their persecutors could do their peace and joy did exceed their pain as many of them maniâ—ested to all that saw them suffer Sect. 3. Where observe before we go any further what sots they are that cry out It is in vain to serve God and unprofitable to keep his Commandments as it is in Malachy 3.14 For had these fools but tasted the sweet coâ—forts that are in the very works of piety and that Heaven upon earth the feast of a good conscience and joy of the inward man they could not so speak Yea then would they say there is no life to the life of a Christian. For as the Priests of Mercury when they ate their figs and honey cryed out O how sweet is truth So if the worst of a Believers life in this world be so sweet how sweet shall his life be in that Heavenly Ierusalem and holy City where God himself dwelleth and where we shall reign with Christ our Bridegroom and be the Lambs wife which City is of pure gold like unto clear glass the walls of Iasper having twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones the first foundation being Iasper the second Saphir the third a Chaleedony the fourth an Emerauld the fifth a Sardonyx the sixth a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eighth a â—eryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Iacinth the twelfth an Amethyst having twelve gates of twelve Pearls the street â—hereof of pure gold as it were transparant glass In the midst of which City 〈◊〉 a pure River of the water of life clear as Cristal and of either side the â—ree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits yielding her fruit every moneth the leaves whereof serve to heal the Nations Where is the Throne of God and of the Lamb whom we his servants shall for ever serve and see his face and have his Name written in our foreheads And there shall be no night neither is there need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Into which nothing that defileth shall enter but they alone which are written in the Lambs Book of life As is exprest Rev. 21 22 Chap. The Holy Ghost speaking after the manner of men and according to our slender capacity for otherwise no words can in any measure express the transcendency of that place of pleasure Onely here we have a taste or earnest penny one drop of those divine dainties of those spiritual supernatural and divine pleasures reserved for the Citizens of that heavenly Ierusalem some small smack whereof we have even in the barren desert of this perillous peregrination God letting out as it were a certain kind of Manna which in some sort refresheth his thirsty people in this wilderness as with most sweet honey or water distilled from out the Rock As what else are those â—ubilees of the heart those secret and inward joyes which proceed from â— good conscience grounded upon a confident hope of future salvation 〈…〉 do these great clusters of grapes signifie but the fertility of 〈…〉 Land of Promise Sect. 4. True it is none can know the spiritual joy and comfort of a Christian but he that lives the life of a Christian Joh. 7.17 As none could learn the Virgins Song but they that sang it Rev. 14 3. No man can know the peace of a good conscience but he that keeps a good conscience no man knows the hid Manna and white Stone with a new name written in it but they that receive the same Rev. 2.17 The world can see a Christians outside but the raptures of his soul the ravishing delights of the inward man and joy of his spirit for the remission of his sins and the infusion of grace with such like spiritual Priviledges more glorious than the States of Kingdoms are as a covered messe to men of the world But I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted the powers of the world to come To him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost in whose soul the light of grace shines whether his whole life be not a perpetual Hallelujah in comparison of his natural condition Whether he finds not his joy to be like the joy of harvest or as men rejoyce when they divide a spoil Isa. 9.3 Whether he finds not more joy in goodness than worldlings can do when their wheat wine and oyl aboundeth Psal. 4.7 53.17 Yea he can speak it out of experience that as in prophane joy even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull so in godly sorrow even in weeping the heart is light and cheerfull The face may be pale yet the heart may be calm and quiet So St. Paul as sorrowing and yet alwayes rejoyceing 2 Cor. 6.10 Our cheeks may run down with tears and yet oâ—â— mouthes sing forth praises And so on the contrary Where O God there wants thy grace Mirth is onely in the face 2 Cor. 5.12 Well may a careless worldling laugh more as what will sooner make a man laugh than a witty jest but to hear of an Inheritance of an hundred pounds a year that is faln to a man will make him more solidly merâ—y within Light is sown to the righteous and joy for the upright Psal. 97 1â— My servant saith God shall sing and rejoyce but they shall weep c. Isa. 65.14 Indeed we are not merry enough because we are not Christians enough because sin is a cooler of our joy as water is of fire And like the worm of Ionah his gourd bites the very root of our joy and makes it wither Yea sin like a damp puts out all the lights of our pleasure and deprives us of the light of Gods countenance as it did David Psal. 51 1â— 4.6 So that the fault is either First in the too much sensuality of a Christian that will not forgo the pleasures of sin or the more muddy joys and pleasures of this world which are poysons to the soul and drown our joyes as Bees are drowned in honey but live in vinegar Men would have spiritual joy but withall they would not part with their carnal joy Yet this is an infallible Conclusion There is no enjoying a worldly Paradise here and another hereafter Or Secondly The fault is in the taste not in the meat in the folly of 〈…〉 To taste spiritâ—al joyes a man must be spiritual for the Spirit relisheth onely the things of the Spirit and like loveth his like Between a spiritual man and spiritual joyes there is as mighty an appetite and enjoying as
sick A very likely matter thou believest in Christ and hopest to be saved by him when thoâ— wilt neither imitate his actions nor follow his Precepts How does this hang together Let me ask thee a question or two that may convince thee of thy unbelief If a Physitian should say to his Patient here stands a cordial which if you take will cure you but touch not this other vial for that is deadly poyson and he wittingly refuseth the cordial to take the poyson will not every one conclude that either he believed not his Physician or preferred death before life If Lots Sons-in-law had believed thâ—â—r Father when he told them the City should suddenly be destroyed with fire and brimstone and that by flying they might escape it they would have obeyed his counsel If the old World had believed that God would indeed and in good earnest bring such a stood upon them as he threatned they would have entred the Ark and not have scoft at Noah for building it So if you did firmly believe what God in the Scriptures speaks of Hell you would need no entreaties to avoid the same Sect. 4. But alas men of thy condition are so far from believing what God threatens in his Word against their sins that they bless themselves in their hearts saying we shall have peace although we walk according to the stubbornness of our own wills so adding drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29.19 Yea they preferre their condition before others who are so abstemious and make conscience of their waies thinking that they delude themselves with needless fears and scruples 2 King 18.22 30 33 35. Alas if they dâ—d in good earnest believe that there is either God or Devil Heaven or Hell or that they have immortal souls which shall everlastingly live in bliss or woe and receive according to what they have done in their bodies whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5.10 They could not but live thereafter and make it their principal care how to be saved â—ut alas they believe what they see and feell and know they be 〈…〉 this makes them abstain from murther felony and the like but they believe not things invisible and to come For if they did they would as well yea much more fear him that hath power to cast both body and soul into Hell as they do the temporal Magistrate that hath onely power to kill the body they would think it a very hard bargain to win the whole world and lose Heaven and their own souls Luk. 9 25. Men fear a Gaol more then they fear Hell and stand more upon their silver or sides smarting than upon their souls and regard more the blasts of mens breath than the fire of God's wrath and tremble more at the thought of a Serjeant or Bailiff than of Satan and everlasting perdition Else they would not be hired with all the worlds wealth multiplied as many times as there be sands on the Sea shore to hazard in the least the loss of those everlasting Joys before spoken of or to purchase and plunge themselves into those caseless and everlasting flames of fire and brimstone in Hell there to fry body and soul where shall be an innumerable company of Devils and damned Spirits to affright and torment them but not one to comfort or pity them Confident I am thou wouldest not endure here to hold thy hand in a fiery crusible the space of a day or an hour for all the worlds wealth and splendour How then if thou bethinkest thy self wilt thou hereafter endure that and ten thousand thousand times more for millions of millions of ages Look Revel 20.10 and bethink thy self how thou wilt brook to be cast into a doleâ—ull disconsolate dungeon to lie in utter darkness in eternal chains in a little ease a no ease for ever and ever Canst thou endure to dwell with the devouring fire with the everlasting burning Sect. 5. Wherefore let me my Brethren beseech you not to be such Atheists and Fools as to fall into Hell before you will fear it when by fearing it you may avoid it and by neglecting it you cannot but fall into it What though it be usual with men to have no sense of their souls till they must leave their bodies yet do not you therefore leap into Hell to keep them company but be perswaded to bethink your selves now rather than when it will be too late when the Draw bridge will be taken up and whâ—n it will vex every vein of your hearts that you had no more care of your souls Yet there is grace offered if we will not shut our hearts and wills against it and refuse our own mercy but how long God will yet wait thy leisure or how soon he will in his so long provoked Justice pronounce thy irrevocable sentence thou knowest not nor canst thou promise thy self one minutes time Oh that men would believe the God of truth that cannot lie touching spiritual and eternal things but as they do these temporary and transitory Oh that thou who art the sacred Monarch of this mighty frame wouldest give them hearts to believe at least thus much That things themselves are in the invisible World in the World visible but their shadows onely And that whatsoever wicked men enjoy here it is but as in a dream their plenty is but like a drop of pleasure before a River of sorrow and displeasure And whatsoever the godly feel but as a drop of misery 〈…〉 Iudg of all the World comest slowly to judgment yet thou wilt come surely As the Clock comes slowly and by minutes to the stroak yet it strikes at last That those are onely true riches which being once had can never be lost That Heaven is a Treasure worthy our hearts a purchase worth our lives That when all is done how to be saved is the best plot That there is not mention of one in the whole Bible that ever sinned without repentance but he was punished without mercy For then there would not be a Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for a portion of meat sold his inheritance Heb. 12.16 Then they would not be of the number of those that so doted upon Purchases and Farms and Oxen that they made light of going to the Lords Supper Luke 14.18 19 20. Nor of the Gadarens mind who preferred their Hogs before Christ. Then would they know it better to want all things then that one needfull thing whereas now they desire all other things and neglect that one thing which is so needfull They would hold it far better and in good sadness to be saved with a few as Noah was in the Ark than in good fellowship with the multitude to be drowned in sin and damned for company Nor would they think it any disparagement to their wisdoms to change their minds and be of another judgment to what they are CHAP. XXIII Sect. 1. SEcondly Are the joyes of Heaven so unspeakable and glorious How then
if he remitted his stroke never so little where he had leisure to consider with himself that now he was chained who might have walked at liberty now he was a slave who might if he would have been a King now he was over-ruled by Turks who might have ruled over Christians The thought whereof could not but double his misery and make him bewail his sorrow with tears of blood Now this hereafter will be the case of all careless persons save that this comes as 〈◊〉 of that as earth comes short of heaven and temporal misery of eternal Wherefore if thou wouldest have this to become thy very case go on in thy wilfull and perverse impenitency but if not bethink thy self and do thereafter and that without delaying one minute For there is no redemption from hell if once thou comest there And 〈…〉 thou canst swallow thy spittle if thou diest this day in thy natural condition Many men take liberty to sin and continue in a trade of sin because God is mercifull bâ—t they will one day find that he is just as well as mercifull There is mercy with God saith the Psalmist that he may be feared not that he may be despised blasphemed c. Psal. 130.4 Yea know this and write it in the Table-book of thy memory and upon the table of thy heart That if Gods bountifulness and long-suffering towards thee does not lead thee to repentance it will double thy doom and encrease the pile of thy torments And that everyday which does not abate of thy recâ—oning will encrease it And that thou by thy hardness and impâ—nitency shall but treasure up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the just judgment of God Rom. 2.4 5 6. Now this Iudg hath told us that we must give an account for every idle word we speak Mat. 12.36 much more then for our wicked actions therefore beware what thou dost against him Men may dream of too much strictness in holy courses but they do not consider the power the purity and strictness of the Iudg He who briâ—gs even idle words to judgment and forgets not a thought of disobedience How will he spare our gross negligence and presumption How our formality and irreverence in his service much more our flagitious wickedness Heb. 12.29 Sect. 3. Wherefore as you ever expect or hope for Heaven and Salvation as you would escape the tormenting flames of hâ—ll-fire cease to do evil learn to do well For Sanctification is the way to Glorification Holiness to eternal Happiness If we would have God to glorifie our bodies in Heaven we also must glorifie God in our bodies here on earth And now for conclusion Are the Ioyes of Heaven so unspeakable and glorious the torments of Hell so wofull and doloâ—ous then it behoves all Parents and Governours of Families to see to their Children and Servants souls and that they miscarry not through their neglect As tell me Will not their blood be required at your hands if hey perish through your neglect Will it not be sad to have Children and Servants rise up in judgment against you and to bring in evidence at the great Tribunal of Christ saying Lord my Father never minded me my Master never regarded me I might sin he never reproved me I might go to Hell it was all one to him Will not this be sad Secondly If it be so Let Children and Servants consider that 't is better to have lust restrained than satisfied 't is better to be held in and restrained from sin than to have a wicked liberty Be not angry with those who will not see you damn your souls and let you alone they are your best Friends Fear the strokes of Gods anger be they spiritual or eternal more than the strokes of men What 's a setter to a Dungeon a Gallows to Hell fire Give not way to imaginary speculative heart-sins Murther in the beast uncleanness in the eye and thoughts given wâ—y to will come to actu 〈…〉 he get but in he will be to hard for you And let so much serve to have been spoken of Heaven and Hell Upon the one I have stood the longer that so I might if God so please be a means to save some with fear plucking them out of the fire of Gods wrath under which without Repentance they must lie everlastingly And for the other I have like the Searchers of Canaan brought you a cluster of grapes to give the Reader a taste thereby of the plentifull vintage we may expect and look for in the heavenly Canaan Now if any would truly know themselves and how it will fare with them in the end let them read the whole Booâ— out of which this is taken viz. The whole duty of a Christian. Which Book is licenced by Iohn Downame and Thomas Gataker What follows is both to fill up the sheet and to occasion or forewarn Swearers who swarm so in all places and ignorant persons whose number is numberless and who of all others are most confident that they shall do well enough not to forget what they have herein heard of Heaven and Hell And to these their faithfull and impartial Monitor the Book giver presents a few Considerations EVen such is the power of sin that it made God become man Angels become Dâ—vils and men become beasts For each man by nature every one whose heart is not changed by the Loadstone of the Gospel is a very beast in condition as Ieremy affirms Ier. 10.14 and St. Peter 2 Pet. 2.12 But that 's not all for when the custom of sin hath so brawned mens hearts sâ—ared their consciences and blinded their minds that they can Swear and Curse as familiarly as dogs bark When the just and true God hath for their rebellious wickedness in rejecting him and despising all good means of being bettered given them up to their own hearts lusts and to Satan the god of this world to be taught and governed by him even as a just Iudg having passed sentence upon some hainous Malefactor gives him up to the Iaylor or Executioner as you may see by sundry places 2 Thes. 2.10 11 12. 1 Kings 22.20 21 22. 2 Tim. 2.26 Ephes. 2.2 Iohn 13.2 Acts 5.3 1 Chron. 21.1 Gen. 3.1 to 6. Revel 2 10 3 15. Iohn 8.44 12.31 14 30. 2 Cor. 4.4 Then they become so devilized that as Paul being guided by the good Spirit of God could say I live not but Christ lives in me Gal. 2.20 so may they say we live noâ— but the Devil lives in us For he is not onely their Father Gen. 3.15 Iohn 8 44. But their God 2 Cor. 4.4 And their Prince Iohn 14.30 And works in them his pleasure Eph. 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 So that they are ready and willing to say or do what he will have them as you may plainly read Ioh. 13.2 Acts 5.3 12.1 2 to 12. 1 Chro. 21.1 Gen. 3 1 to 6. Rev. 2.10 And these you may
and contempt of God which is most fearfull and as a man would think should make it unpardonable I am sure the Psalmist hath a terrible word for all such if they would take notice of it Let them be confounded that transgress without a cause Psal. 25.3 Wherefore no longer continue it but repent of it and forsake it lest the Lord should deal by you as he hath threatned Deut. 28.58 59. That if we do not fear and dread his glorious and fearfull Name the Lord our God he will make our plagues wonderfull and of long continuance and the plagues of our posterity Besides how frequently doest thou pollute and prophane Gods Name and thy Saviours The Jews grievously sinned in crucifying the Lord of Life but once and that of ignorance but the times are innumerable that thou doest it every day in the year every hour in the day although thy Conscience and the Holy Spirit of Grace hath checkt thee for it a thousand and a thousand times Doest thou expect to have Christ thy Redeemer and Advocate when thy Conscience tells thee that thou hast seldome remembred Him but to blaspheme Him and more often named Him in thy Oaths and Curses than in thy Prayers True thou takest so little notice of the number of thy Oaths and Curses that thou wilt not acknowledge thou didst Swear or Curse at all Yea though thou beest taken in the manner and told of it thou wilt not believe it But all that are present can witness the same and Satan also as also the searcher of hearts who himself will one day be a swift witness against swearers Mal. 3.5 For of all other sinners the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain as the third Commandement tells you Exod. 20.7 But wo is me it fares with common Swearers as with persons desperately diseased whose excrements and filth comes from them at unawares For as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senslesness to overspread the heart memory and conscience that the Swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworn hath no remembrance of his Oath much less repentance for his sin Wherefore I beseech you by the mercies of God who hath removed so many evils and conferred so many good things upon you that they are beyond thought or imagination to leave it especially after this warning which in case you do not will be a sore witness and rise up in judgement against you another day Or if you regard not your self nor your own souls good yet for the Nations good leave your Swearing and Banning For the Lord hath a great controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because of swearing Hos. 4 1 2. Yea because of Oaths the whole Land even the three Nations now mourneth as you may see Ier. 23.10 But thou who art a little civilized wilt alledge That if â—hou doest swear it is but Faith and Troth by our Lâ—â—y the Light or the 〈…〉 Answer True blind sensualists that have no other guide but the flesh may deem or dream it a mite a moate a matter of nothing But hadst thou the least knowledg of the Law of God or sâ—ill in Scripture thou wouldest know that God expresly forbids it and that upon pain of damnation Iames 12 5. And that Christ commands us not to swear at all in our ordinary communication saying That whatsoever is more than Yea Yea Nay Nay cometh of evil Matth. 5.34 35 36 37. If the matter be light and vain we must not swear at all if so weighty that we may lawfully swear as before a Magistrate being called to it then we must onely use the glorious Name of our God in a holy and religious manner as you may see Deut. 6.13 Isa. 45.23 65.16 Iosh. 23.7 Exod. 23.13 Ier. 5.7 And the reasons of it are weighty if we look into them for in swearing by Faith Our Lady The Light or any other creature you ascribe that unto the said creature which is onely proper to God namely to know your heart and to be a discerner of secret things Why else should you call that Creature as a witness unto your conscience that you speak the truth and lye not which onely belongeth to God And therefore the Lord calls it a forsaking of him as mark well what he saith Ier. 5.7 How shall I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods And do you make it a small matter to forsake God and make a God of the creature Will you believe the Prophet Amos If you will he saith speaking of them that swore by the sin of Samaria That they shall fall and never rise again Amos 8.14 A terrible place to vain Swearers Yea in swearing by any Creature whatsoever we do invocate that Creature and ascribe to it divine worship a lawfull Oath being a kind of Invocation and a part of Gods worship Yea whatsoever we swear by that we invocate both as our witness surety and Judg Heb. 6.16 and by consqeuence deifie it by ascribing and communicating unto it Gods incommunicable Attributes as his Omnipresence and Omnisciency of being every where present and knowing the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart and likewise an Omnipotency as being Almighty in Patronizing Protecting Defending and Rewarding us for speaking the truth or punishing us if we speak falsly all which are so peculiar to God as that they can no way be communicated or ascribed to another So that in swearing by any of these things thou committest an high degree of gross Idolatry thou spoilest and robbest God of his glory the most impious kind of these and in a manner dethronest Him and placest an Idol in his room Neither are we to joyn any other with God in our Oaths for in so doing we make base Idols and filthy Creatures Corrivals in honour and Competitors in the Throne of Justice with the Lord who is the Creator of Heaven and earth and the supream Judg and solo Monarch of all the world 〈…〉 Lord and by Malcham which Malcham was their King or as some think their Idol Zeph. 1.4 5. But as if swearing alone would not press thee deep enough into Hell thou addest Cursing to it a sin of an higher nature which nâ—ne use frequently but such as are desperately wicked it being their peculiar brand in Scripture as how doth the Holy Ghost stigmaâ—ize such an one His mouth is full of Cursing Psal. 10.7 Rom. 3.14 or he loveth Cursing Psal. 109.17 And indeed whom can you observe to love this sins or to have their mouthes â—ull of Cursing But Ruffians and sons of Belial such as have shaken out of their hearts the fear of God the shame of men the love of Heaven the dread of Hell not once caring what is thought or spoken of them here or what becomes of them hereafter yea observe them well and you
number of those that by professing themselves Protestants discredit the Protestant Religion Who because they have been Christened as Simon Magus was received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper like Iudas and for company go to Church also as Dogs do are called Christians as we call the Heathen Images gods yea and being blinded by the Prince of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.4 think to be saved by Christ though they take up Arms against him and are no more like Christians then Michols Image of Goats hair was like David Who make the world only their god and pleasure or profit alone their Religion Who are so gracelesse that God is not in all their thoughts except to blaspheme him and to spend his daies in the Divel's service Who being Christians in name will scoffe at a Christian indeed Who honour the dead Saints in a cold profession while they worrey the living Saints in a cruel persecution Who so hate Holiness that they will hate a man for it and say of good living as Festus of great Learning It makes a man mad whose hearts will rise at the â—ight of a good man as some stomachs will rise at the sight of sweet meats Whose Religion is to oppose the power of Religion and whose knowledge of the Truth to know how to argue against the Truth Who justifie the wicked and condemne the â—ust who call Zeal madness and Religion foolishness Who love their sins so much above their souls that they will not onely mock their Admonisher scoff at the means to be saved and make themselves merry with their own damnations but even hate one to the death for shewing them the way to eternal life who will condemne all for Round-heads that have more Religion then an Heathen or knowledg of heavenly things then a childe in the womb hath of the things of this life or conscience then an Atheist or care of his soul then a Beast and are mockers of all that march not under the pay of the Divel Who with Adam will become Satans bond-slaves for an Apple and like Esau sell their Birth-right of Grace here and their Blessing of Glory hereafter for a messe of Pottage Who prefer the pleasing of their palates before the saving of their souls who have not onely cast off Religion that should make them good men but reason also that should make them men Who waste virtues faster then riches and riches faster then any virtues can â—et them Who do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who spend their time and patrimonies in Riot and upon Dice Drabs Drunkennesse who place all their felicity in a Tavern or Brothel house where Harlots and Sycophants rifle their Estates and then send them to rob Who will borrow of every one but never intend to satisfie any one Who glory in their shame and are ashamed of that which should and would be their glory Who desire not the reputation of honesty but of good fellowship Who instead of quenching their thirst drown their senses and had rather leave their wits then the wine behinde them Who place their paradise in their throats heaven in their guts and make their belly their god Who pour their Patrimonies down their throats and throw the house so long out at windows that at length their house throws them out of doors Who think every one exorbitant that walks not after their rule Who will traduce all whom they cannot seduce even condemning with their tongues what they commend in their consciences Who as they have no reason so they will hear none Who are not more blinde to their own faults then quick-sighted in other mens Who being displeased with others will flie in their Makers face and tear their Saviours Name in pieces with oaths and execrations as being worse then any mad dog that flies in his Masters face that keeps him Who swear and curse even ouâ— of custome as currs bark yea they have so sworn away all grace thar they count it a grace to swear and being reproved for swearing they will swear that they swore not Or perhaps they are covetous Cormorants greedy Gripers miserly Muck-worms all whose reaches are at riches Who make gold their god and commodity the stern of their consciences Who hold every thing lawful if it be gainful Who prefer a little base peâ—f before God and their own salvations and who being faâ—ted with Gods blessings do spurn at his precepts Who like men sleeping in a boat are carried down the stream of this World until they arrive at their graves-end Death without once waking to bethink themselves whether they are a going to Heaveu or Hell Or Ignorant and Formal Hypocrites who do as they see others do without either conscience of sin or guidance of reason Who do what is morally good more for fear of the Law then for love of the Gospel Who fear the Magistrate more then they fear God or the Divel regard more the blasts of men's breath then the fire of God's wrath will tremble more at â—â—e thought of a Bayliffe or a Prison then of Satan or Hell and everlasting perdition Who will say they love God and Christ yet hate all that any way resemble him are slint unto God wax to Satan have their ears alwaies open to the Tempter shut to their Maker and Redeemer will chuse rather to disobey God then displease great Ones fear more the Worlds scorns then His anger and rather then abridge themselves of their pleasure will incur the displeasure of God Who will do what God forbids yet confidently hope to escape what He threatens Who will do the Divels works onely and yet look for Christs wages expect that Heaven will meet them at their last hour when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten Road towards Hell Who expect to have Christ their Redeemer and Advocate when their consciences tell them that they seldom remember him but to blaspheme him and more often name him in their Oaths and Curses then in their Praiers Who will persecute Honest and Orthodox Christians and say they mean base and dissâ—â—bling Hypocrites Who think they do God service in killing his servants Joh. 10.2 Who will boast of a strong faith and yet fall short of the Divels in believing Jam. 2.19 Who turn the grace of God into wantonness as if a condemned person should head his Drum of Rebellion with his Pardon resolving to be evil because God is good Who will not believe what is written till they feel what is written and whom nothing will confute but fire and brimstone Who think their villainy is unseen because it is unpunished and therefore live like beasts because they think they shall die like beasts Considering the swarms Legions Millions of these I say and many the like which I cannot stand to repeat As also in reference to Levit. 19.17 Isa. 58.1 And out of compassion to their pretious souls there are above twenty several Books purposely composed wherein are proper remedies of
one did shew the least malignity towards him that person was branded for a notorious wicked man as Homer relates And to speak rightly we need say no more of a man then He is an Enemy to his faithfull Pastor that is enough to brand him Nor can there be a greater argument of his being of the brood of Cain Haman Eliah Michol Doeg Shimei Ahab Rabshekah Tobiah Saâ—ballat Pashur Zedekiah Elymus Herodias and their fellows then the hatred of good Ministers For such men would do the same to Christ himself were he their Minister There was never any so innocent or vertuous to whom such Belialists took not exceptions because they are as deeply in love with vice as others are with vertue Yea whom all men commend you have some Thersites will take occasion to blast I 'll give you an ear-mark to know such a one by whereas one of the modester sort will alledge his Minister is a Presbyterian or an Independent or a Royalist this overgrown Toad will object that he is a Roundhead the meaning whereof is a Religious Godly Conscientious man 7 ¶ But perhaps this is not your case Suppose it be not yet what I have before convicted you of is sufficient to prove you a souldier belonging to that great Red Dragon that fighteth against Michael and his Angels Rev. 12. Who when his hands are bound casteth a flood of reproaches out of his mouth against the Church and the remnant of her seâ—d which keep the commands of God and have the testimonies of Iesus Christ v. 15 16 17. But you are not at all versed in Scripture therefore we 'll come to Reason and therein answer me a few questions Do you do by the Ministers as you ought or as you would be done by Would you when you have discharged your duty and conscience to the utmost of your endeavour have ill constructions made of your best actions and intentions be rewarded with the greatest evil for the greatest good and the greatest hatred for the most superlative love For love to the soul is the very soul of love Is this an evidence that you have them in singular respect for their works sake Is this to receive them as an Angel of God yea as Christ Iesus Is this to make them partakers of all your goods and to be willing to pluck out your own eyes and to give them if need were as God commands and as the godly have been willing to do I think not Indeed if you may be your own Judges you will during the time of this your prejudice think all but little or nothing But if the Word of God be consulted with it will be found persecution in the highest degree Like that of Ahab and Iesabel to Elias or that of Herod and Herodias to Iohn Baptist or that of the Iews Scribes and Phariseâ—â— against our Saviour for they did but express their utmost spighâ— to Gods Messengers that came to save them and so do you And this is a sure rule He that now under the Gospel shews a spightfull and a malicious minde to a godly zealous Minister if he had lived in Christs dayes he would have been ready to have driven the first nail into his body and rather have been for Barrabas then Iesus And God measures what we do by what we would do whether in good or evil Thoughts and Desires in Gods account are good and evil works Neither does 〈◊〉 punish or reward any thing but the Will Again whereas you think not Tongue-taunts to be persecution 〈◊〉 shall one day if you go on hear it pronounced so in your Bill of Indictment Ishmael did but flout Isaac yet S. Paul saith he persecuted him Gal. 4.29 God calls the scorning of his servants by no better a name then persecution C ham did but scoff at Noah yet that scoff brought his fathers curse upon him and Gods upon that Even the serpents hissing betrays his malice Those two and forty little children though but children were devoured of wild Bears for only scoffing at the Prophets bald head 2 King 2.24 A small matter if Sensualists may be Judge But whatever you conceive of it let all even heart and tongue-persecution be as far from my soul as my soul from hell For assuredly God will one day laugh you to scorn for laughing his to scorn and at last despise you that have despised him in his Ambassadors 8 ¶ Again you think it nothing or no great matter to detain the Ministers maintenance But look narrowly into it and you shall find it to be theft sacriledge murder yea soul-murder and that in the highest degree For you rob the Minister of what is as due to him as any land of inheritance is to the owner You rob God of his Tythes offerings c. which he accounts most abominable as you may gather from the many complaints and threatnings which God throughout all the Old Testament utters touching it For which see only Mal. 3.8 9 10 11. 1.7 8 13 14. Hag. 1 2 chap. Hereby you make your selves guilty of murder First of murdering your Pastors body and whole family for if all should be of your mindes they should starve Secondly of your own and all the peoples souls as much as in you lies For how should your Pastor feed your souls if you feed not his body how should the lamp burn if you take away the holy oil that should maintain it and in case it burn not there will be but a dark house Men would have fire kept in the Sanctuary but allow no fewel they would have the lamp burn but without oil But how do they serve Christ themselves in so serving their Ministers To take away the Provante from the Army is to betray it to the Enemy And indeed if you might have your wills or if others were of your mind temper there should be no Preaching at all no souls saved all go to hell For to expect that Ministers should preach without maintenance yea good maintenance for to furnish themselves with Books only will cost more then a little is as if you should shut a Bird into a cage give her no meat and yet bid her sing It amazes me to think how unreasonable and base most men be They will bestow more upon their very Hair in a moneth or upon the Smoke of a needless Indian wanton Weed in a week then upon God and their souls in a whole year And were it not most just with God to take away our faithful Ministers from us when we so ill intreat them and so unworthily reward them yea since we love darkness more then light may not God justly leave us in the dark and bring upon us a famine of Preaching who would bring a famine upon the Preachers by purloining the maintenance of his Ministers It is but just with God to take away the lamp from that Nation which hath taken away the holy oil that should maintain it But it is a true
good enough is the sole and onely cause of their being no wiser nor better Yea therefore are millions Christians in name onely because they think themselves Christians indeed And who is there in all this Nation that thinks not himself a Christian though they are able to yeild no reason except this They are neither Turks nor Iews nor which is worse then either as they suppose Round-heads A strong argument I promise you able to move the gentlest sâ—le 〈…〉 iâ— this Yet all the reasonings of Carnal men are thus weighty As let me give you a few instances 11 ¶ They will say they love and â—ear God as they ought when what he commands they do the contrary are flint unto God wax to Satan have their ears always open to the Temper shut to the Maker and Redeemer when they are Traitors to him and take up arms against him A good sign they serve God and Christ when Satan the World and the Flesh have more command of them when they so far are from loving and serving him that they hate those that do it and that for their so doing and from fearing him that they more fear the worlds scorns then his anger They will in like manner pretend they love Christ that died for them when they hate all that resemble him in holiness They are Christians in name when they will scoff at a Christian in deed and are enemies to the cross of Christ Love a form of godliness but hate the power of it They will do what God forbids yet confidently hope to escape what he threatens will do the Devils works yet look for Christs wages Expect that Heaven should meet them at their last hour when all their long-life they have gallopped in the beaten road towards Hell Expect to have Christ their Redeemer and Advocate when their consciences tell them that they seldom remember him but to blaspheme him and more often name him in their oaths and curses then in their prayers Will persecute honest and orthodox Christians and say they mean base and dissembling Hipocrites think they do God good service in killing his servants Ioh. 16.2 as Paul touching Stephen and the Iews touching Christ Boast of a strong faith and yet fall short of the Devils in believing Iam. 2.19 These are some of their syllogisms or arguings I could even tire your ears with the like But what doting blockish and brain-sick Bedlâ—m Positions are these Could rational men ever argue in this manner had not the God of this world blinded their eyes that the light of the Gospel of Iesus Christ should not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. 2 Thes. 2.9 10. Did not their deceitfull hearts damnably delude them as in that case of Leah Gen. 30.18 and of Saul 1 Sam. 23.7.21 and of Micah Iudg. 17.13 Turn to the places for they are rare to this purpose If this be Reason it is Reason frighted out of its wits Yet this is every wilfull sinners case yea of every unregenerate man in some measure As I 'll but give you an instance more to clear it You shall have them maintain with incredible impudence accompanied with invincible ignorance That if a man make scruple of small matters or of those sins or sinfull customs which they allow of and will not do as they do That he is over-precise Though they may as soon finde Paradiseâ—word â—word Hell as any Text in the Bible that makes for loosness or against circumspeâ—â— walking Yea who would dream that so gross blockishness should find harâ—or in any reasonable soul as to think that God should like a man the worse for his being the better or for having a tender conscience or look for 〈◊〉 fear reverence and obedience from his servants then we do from our servants And yet the same men will grant that a servant can never be too 〈…〉 Natural men are blinde to spiritual objects as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 18.20 2.14 and so no more fit to judge of them then blinde men aâ— fit to judge of colours And hence it is that they have the basest thoughâ— of the best men making ill constructions of whatsoever they speak or do as the Scribes and Pharisees dealt by our Saviour Until we are borâ— again we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be borâ— again Iohn 3.4 Until we become zealous our selves we are like Festâ—â— who thought zeal madness Acts 26.24 Until we be humble our selves we are like Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought hiâ— a fool for dancing before the Ark 2 Sam. 6.16 For to carnal-minde men all Religion seems foolishness 1 Cor. 1.18 It faring between thâ— Sensual and Spiritual as it does between Youth and Age For as Younâ— men think Old men to be fools but Old men know the Young to be fools so Worldlings think the Religious fools but the Religious know them to be fools because they have had the experience of both conditions 〈◊〉 the old have been young but the other are utterly unacquainted witâ— what they see and know Besides the one make the Word their rule iâ— every thing for they live and believe and hear and invocate and hope and fear and love and worship God in such manner as his Word prescribes The other do all as the flesh leads them and according to the customs anâ— rudiments of the world 12 ¶ Now lay all together and you will think it no whit strange thaâ— notwithstanding their condition is so miserable they should yet be so joâ—cund confident and secure that they should neither be sensible of their present condition nor afraid of future Judgment Security makes worldâ—lings merry and therefore are they secure and merry because they are ignorant A Dunce we know seldom makes doubts yea a Fool sayâ— Solomon boasteth and is confident Pro. 14.16 Ignorance is a veil or curtain to hide away their sins Our knowledge saith one of the Learned dotâ— but shew us our ignorance And Wisdom says another is but one of manâ— greatest miseries unless it be as well able to conquer as to discern The next thing from being free from miseries is not to be sensible of them Erasmus could spie out a great priviledge in a blockish condition Fool saith he being free from ambition envy shame and fear are neither troubled in conscience nor macerated with cares And Beasts we see are not ashamed of their deeds Where is no reason at all there is no sin where no use of reason no apprehension of sin and where no appreâ—hension of sin there can be no shame Blinde men never blush neither are Worldlings ashamed or afraid of any thing because for want oâ— bringing their lives to the rule of Gods word they perceive not when they do well when ill The Timber not brought to the Rule may easily appear straight when yet it is not Whereas every small sin to a holy and regenerate man that weigheth his sin by the ballance of the Sanctuary iâ—
sit on or the stones they tread on There are a generation of Hearers who when a Minister does plainly reprove them for their sins and declare the judgments of God due unto the same to the end they may repent and beleeve that so they may be saved will carp and fret and spurn against the very Word of God for being so sharp and searching and thereupon persecute the Messenger as the Princes and false Prophets did Jeremiah Herodias John Baptist and the Pharisees Christ. 7. § And this God takes as done to himself What saith Paul 1 Cor. 7.10 I have not spoken but the Lord and therefore as the Lord said unto Saul Acts 9.4 that he persecuted him though in heaven so they which resist any truth delivered out of the Word do resist God himself and not his Messenger as evidently appears by these Scriptures Psal. 44.22 and 74.4.10.18.22.23 83.2 5 6. 89.50 51. 139.20 Prov. 19.3 Rom. 1.30 9.20 Mat. 10.22 25.45 1 Sam. 17.45 Isâ—â— 37.4 22 23 28. Acts 5.39 9.4 5. Joh. 9.4 1 Thess. 4.8 Joh. 15.20 to 〈◊〉 Numb 16.11 1 Sam. 8.7 Mark 9.42 Psal. 79. â—2 2 King 2.24 O that the Gospels enemies would but seriously consider these Scriptures and be warned by them For certainly it is neither wise good nor safe either resisting or angring him that can anger every vein of their hearts Yea God hath Messengers of wrath for them that despise the Messenger of his love 8. § But hear why they so mortally hate the naked truth Because it is the Word by which they are condemned they loath as much to hear it as a 〈…〉 if many as we know by experience love not to hear the worst of the temporall causes and cases nor yet of their bodily distempers with why their lives or estates be indangered How much more will wicked men deâ—cline from seeing their hainous abominations and themselves guilty of Hell and eternall damnation though thereof there â—â— an absolute necessity if ever they be saved 9. § Guilty sinners love application as dearly as a dog does a cudgell And no marvail for what Leaper will take pleasure in the searching of his soreâ—â— Nor were Satan his Crafts-master if he did permit them For if they could clearly see the loathsomnesse of their impieties it were not possible not to abhor them not to abhor themselves for them but their blindness makes them love their own filthinesse as Ethiopians do their own swarthiness Besides they love not to have their consciences awakened but would sleeâ— quietly in their sins And he that desires to sleep will have the curtain drawn the light shut out and no noise made Whence as good meates are unwelcome to sick persons so is good counsell to obstinate and resolved sinnerâ— Tell them of their swearing drinking whoring cheating they will fret and chafe and fume and swell and storm and be ready to burst again to hear itâ— But let envy sweat swell and burst truth must be spoken And indeed why should not Gods servants take as free liberty in reproving as the Devilâ— servants take liberty in offending Shall not the one be as loud for God as the other are for Baal and Belzebub 10. § Yea admonish them never so mildly they will say we take too much upon us as Corah and his complices twitted Moses Numb 16.3 not knowing how strictly God commands and requires it Lev. 19.17 2 Tim. 2.25 Ezek. 3.18 to 22. 2 Pet. 27 8. Whence as the Chief Priests answered Iudas What is that to us so they will blaspheme God tear Christ in pieces and more then betray even shed his innocent bloud digging into his side with oaths and say when told of it What is that to us when they might as well say What is Christ to us what is heaven to us or what is salvation to us for to us the one cannot be without the other we shall never inherit part of hiâ— gloâ—y in heaven if we do not take his glories part upon earth And with God it is much about one whether we be doers of evill or no hinderers For iâ— we must not see our neighbours oxe nor his sheep goe astray or fall into a 〈◊〉 but we must reduce him and help him out of it Deut. 22.1 we are much more bound to help our neighbour himself from droping into the bottomlesse 〈◊〉 of Hell And what know we but we may winne our brother and so save his soul Mat. 18.15 11. § They will hisse like Serpents if we trouble their nests never sâ— little And it s a sure sign the horse is galled that stirs too much when he iâ— touched But what are these men like and how are they like to speed â—â— the end they are like the Thracian flint that burns with water and is quenched with oil their souls are the worse for Gods endeavour to better theâ— His holy precepts and prohibitions doe either harden them as the Sun 〈…〉 12. § But to be exasperated with good counsell and in stead of penitency to break into choler when fury sparkles in those eyes which should gush out with water it is an evident sign of one that shall perish Prov. 29.1 Read the words and tremble a man that hardneth his neck being often reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy see more Prov. 1 24 25 26 to 33. Whence â—is the Prophet tells Amaziah I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsell 2 Chron. 25.16 20. and that the Holy Ghost speaking of Elyes sons saith that they would not hearken unto nor obey the voice of their father because the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 Yea it is an observation of Livie that when the destruction of a person or Nation is destined then the wholsome warnings both of God and Man are set at nought And in reason that sin is past all cure which strives against the cure Herbs that are worse for watering Trees that are lesse fruitfull for dunging and pruning are to be rooted out or hewn down Even salvation it self will not save those that spill the potion and fling away the plaster When God would have cured Babylon and she would not be cured then she is given up to destruction without further warning 13. § Ignorant Worldlings who will beleeve nothing which comes not within the compasse of their five senses think that because God strikes not be minds not Psal. 50.21 Because sentence against an evill work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe evill as Solomon speaks Eccles. 8.11 They are like the Israelites 1 Sam. 12.15 to 20. they will not beleeve without a miracle and it will be a miracle if ever they be saved For should they see miracle upon miracle should God forthwith strike one dead with a thunderbolt and rain down fire and brimstone upon another and
to that renowned Captain Bellizarius It was yet worse which Popilius shewed to Cicero which Lycaon shewed to his stranger guests that came to him for relief It was worst of all in the Iews to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies enlightened their mindes of God became Man and lived miserably amongst them many years that he might save their souls though in killing him they did their utmost to sink the onely ship that could save them But all these fall far short of our ingratitude to God for his maintenance we take and live on the bread we eat the air we breath the cloaths we weare all are his § 3. That we are out of Hel there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory hereafter in Heaven where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 we are beholding to him Yet we not onely deny this Lord that hath bought us as every one does that prefers Mammon or any other thing before him but we hate him as he doth hate and not love God that loves what he hates or hates what he loves but most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans and sins side against him and persecute his Children and the truth with all our might perswading and enforcing others to do the same even wishing that we could pull him out of his Throne rather then to admit him our just Iudge And all this against knowledge and conscience after illumination I wish men would a little think of it and then if this will not melt their hearts no hope that any other means should do it but perish they must § 4. I confess I have small hope that what hath been said of Gods love and our odious unthankfulness his goodness and our ingratitude which being seriously considered were enough to bring the whole world upon their knees should make them any whit ashamed or the better because their blockishness is such that they think themselves good enough and that to doubt of it or strive to be more holy were but a foolish and needless scrupulosity Yea they prefer their condition before other mens that are so consciencious A thing strange yet it is so For although there be not a leaf in the sacred Volume but hath matter against a voluptuous life none for it For â—o please flesh and blood is the Doctrine of the Devill Yet how do a woâ—ld of men stifle their consciences and force themselves to believe if it were possible that in case men will not swear drink drunk conform to their lewd customes and the like they are over-precise and that God will like a man the worse for his being the better or for having of a tender Conscience And that he looks for less fear reverence and obedience from his servants then we do from our servants and yet hold that a servant can never be too punctual in his obedience to his Masters lawful commands They think it not enough for themselves to prefer the pleasing of their senses before the saving of their souls and to venture tasting the forbidden fruit at the price of death eternal but they account them fools that do otherwise CHAP. VII § 1. O My brethren it is not to be believed how blinde and blockish men are that have hardened their hearts and seared their consciences with accustomary sinning for albeit I have informed them how dangerous their estate is that they might plainly see it truly fear it and timely prevent it yet I have very little hope to do any good upon them For first These lines to them are but as so many Characters writ in the water which leave no impression behinde them as being like one that beholdeth his natural face in a glass who when he hath considered himself goeth his way and forgetteth immediately what manner of one he was James 1.23 24. of like some silly Fly which being beat from the Candle and hundred times and oft singed therein yet will return to it again until she be consumed Prov. 23.35 All those Beasts which went into the Ark unclean came likewise out unclean Secondly Though these sparks of grace may kindle piety in others yet not in them for they are out of all hope of being healed For what is light to them that will shut their eyes against it or reason to them that will stop their ears from hearing it and men of their condition do on purpose stop their ears and wink with their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and so should be converted as our Saviour shews Matth. 13.15 and St. Paul Acts 28.27 yea it 's well if they do not carp and fret against the Word and persecute the Messengers as Herod did Iohn Baptist Demetrius Paul and the false Prophets Ieremiah And how should not that patient perish who after he is launced flies from the Chirurgion before the binding up of his wound Or how should not that sin be past cure which strives against the cure certainly salvation it selfe will not save those that spill the potion and fling away the plaister O if these Adders had not stopt their ears how long since had they been charmed I grant they have reason so to do such as it is For will a Leper take pleasure in the searching of his sores and Satan the like for if they could clearly see the loathsomnesse of their impieties it were not possible not to abbor them not to abhor themselves for them but their blindnesse makes them love their own filthinesse as Ethiopians do their own swarthinesse § 2. And to tell you the truth though I speak against my self had I not a further reach in it it were an unreasonable motion in me if I should request mindes propossest with prejudice to hear reason Since the World and the Devil hath so forestalled their judgements therewith against Gods people and goodnesse it self that they resolve never to be better then they are And where Satan hath set this his porter of prejudice though Christ himself were on earth that soul would make an ill construction of whatsoever he did or spake as we see in the Scribes and Pharisees who when he wrought miracles reputed him a sorcerer when he cast out Devils thought it to be by the power and Prince of Devils when he reproved sinners he was a seducer when he received sinners he was their favourer when he healed the sick he was a Sabbath-breaker and the like yea they counted him the greatest offender that offended not once in all his life which would make a wise man suspect his own judgement or the common â—ame and to examine things throughly before they condemn one whom they know no evil by Yet this is the case of these men of most men for
16. 28.1 to 14. 2 King 6.25 to Chap. 7. vers 17. Psal. 34.9 10. 37.26 28 112.3 37.3 4 5. Luke 18.29 30. Mark 4.24 Hag. 1.2 Chapters Mal. 3.10 11 12. But if this weary not the Muckmonger it 's well Now this being the case namely that what God gives is chiefly hereafter little at present yea that we may look to be loosers by him at present whereas Satan and the world out-bid Christ in respect of outward condition and present pay thus it fals out or this is the issue The worldling cryes a bird in the hand is best hugges his money that he hath God he thinks is not so good a customer or he dares not trust him Yet will this man rather accept a reversion of some great Office or Estate though expectant on the tedious transition of seven years or on the expiration of anothers life which may prove to be sixty years or more than at present a summe of farre lesse value But what a strange folly is this rather to take the idle vanities of this world in hand than faithfully to wait upon Gods promise for an eternal Kingdom of glory in Heaven CHAP. IV. Thirdly The rarest of all remedies is Regeneration As what saith holy David Turn my heart unto thy Law and not to covetousnesse Psalm 119.36 As if a man could not be covetous that sets his heart upon heavenly things nor have any leasure to think upon good so long as he is covetous Let them seek after the earth sayes one that have no right to Heaven let them desire the present who believe not the future As Regeneration is the best physick to purge away melancholy so likewise of covetousnesse As may be seen in Zacheus who before he met with Christ knew nothing but to scrape but so soon as Christ had changed his heart all his mind was set upon giving and restoring Luk. 19.8 He was as liberal in almes and restitution when he was become a Convert as possibly he was unjust and unmercifull when he was an usurer And the like of all other sinnes Paul was not a more hot and fiery enemy to Christ when he was a Pharisee than he was a shining burning and zealous Preacher when he was an Apostle When any man is born anew and better never be born than not to be born again there will be new vertues arise in the room of old vices Heretofore thy soul hath been an Idolatrous Temple if the Ark of God that is his Holy Spirit once enter into it Dagon that is the works of darknesse will down and soon moulder away For both cannot stand together 1 Sam. 5.3 especially covetousnesse will be chasheired Yea God hath set Religion and covetousnesse at such variance that they cannot possibly reign in one person No man can serve God and Mam 〈…〉 not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Wherefore as we desire to have peace in the end let piety be our race 'T was Marcus Aurelius his dying counsel to his Sonne Commodus that if he would live quietly he should live justly if he would dye peaceably he should live uprightly Now if covetousnesse be once cashiered by Regeneration have a man much or little he will not be overmuch troubled at it The godly man hath sufficient though he have no wealth even as man in innocency was warm and comely though without cloathing A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty Psal. 37.16 The reason is the one hath his sight to see clearly his happinesse in having what is best for him and is content to be poor in outward things because his wealth and purchase is all inward The other by a just judgment of God is so blind that he cannot see when he is well but thirsts so after other mens goods that he takes no pleasure in his own His heart is glewed to the world or rather to his wealth and an object too near the eye cannot be seen yea be it but the breadth of a penny it will hide from the sight the whole half heaven at once Covetousnesse is like the Albugo or white spot in the eye that dimmes their understandings and makes fools even of Achitophels leaving them never an eye to see withall according to that of Moses A gift blindeth the eyes Exod. 23.8 And this for certain could the covetous chuâ—l but see what peace and rest and joy through contentation the godly man hath at the same time when he can say with Peter Silver and gold have I none he would be also a suter to godlinesse that he might have the dowry of contentation He would soon see that it is much better to be poor than evil that it is quieter sleeping with a good conscience than in a whole skin and that there is no comparison between want with piety and wealth with dishonesty As what canst thou say against it thou hast abundance of all things yet thou findest small peace joy or content in the world Get but godlinesse and thou shalt have true content of mind great peace of conscience together with joy in the Holy Ghost and Gods blessing upon all thou hast or takest in hand be thy condition in the world never so mean Thou hast hetherto like Satan compassed the whole earth never thought of compassing Heaven thou art as poor in grace and parts as rich in revenues Thy desires about this world have been insatiable but for heavenly things a small scantling hath been thought enough I believe that Christ dyed for me I am sorry for my sinnes I hope to be saved this is sufficient though thou dost all thy devotions more out of custom than of conscience as Simonides reports of Theodoricus But wilt thou prove thy self wise wilt thou do thy self good indeed the only way is to become godly For godlinesse is great gain if a man be content with that he hath 1 Tim. 6.6 And this I may be bold to affirm that if thou canst not say as Paul saith I have learned to be content godlinesse is not as yet come unto thine house For the compaâ—ion of godlinesse is contentation which when she comes will bring you all things Therefore as Christ saith If the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed John 8.36 So I say if godlinesse make you rich you shall be rich indeed Otherwise have you never so much it will no more satisfie your desire or quench your lust than fewel does the flame Yea as oyl kindleth the fire which it seems to quench so riches come as though they would make a man contented but they make him more covetous CHAP. V. As see how insatiable mens desires are of these transitory things by some examples Give Alexander Kingdom after Kingdom he will not rest till he have all Yea giving credit to that opinion of Democritus to wit that there were worlds infinite and innumerable he even wept to think that he was Emperour but of one only
his Kingdom of glory one day to me was better than a thousand unto those who weary themselves in the waies of wickednesse and destruction Now if grace and Gods favour brings such peace and joy what fools are sinners to deprive themselves of it What mad men are Misers As how do their hearts droop with their mammon How do they weary and turmoyl themselves vex their spirits torment their consciences making themselves a very map of misery and a sinke of calamity Whereas it is nothing so with the servants of Christ. Perhaps at their first conversion they are much troubled in mind though it fares not so with all and conscience for their long and grievous offending so good a God but that sorrow is soon turned into joy and abundantly recompenced When the Angel had troubled the waters in the Fool of Bethesda then stept in those that were diseased and infirm and were healed It is Christs manner to trouble our souls first and then to come with healing in his wings Yea the very teares of repentance are sweet whereas the covetous mans heart even in laughing is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heaviness Prov. 14.13 An evil life sales Seneca causeth an unquiet mind for as the least moat in the eye hinders the ease and sight of it or as the least gravell in the shooe hinders the traveller in his comfortable going or as the least bone in the throat hinders our eating and threatens to choake us So the least sinne in the soul unrepented of hinders the peace and joy and hope thereof But least which is not likely I should glut you with joy observe with me In the eighth place That there is nothing can be wanting to a man but grace and Gods favour will more than supply it When reverend Calvin was upbraided by the Papists with the want of Children in marriage he could answer That is nothing for God hath instead of such children given me many thousand children of far more excellent kind and of nobler breed through the whole world And surely a man shall see the Noblest works and Foundations have proceeded from childlesse men which have sought to expresse the Images of their minds where those of their bodies have failed CHAP. IX Ninthly Godlinesse hath the Promises not only of this life but also of that which is to come The quintessence whereof consists in these two things freedom from all pain fruition of all pleasure which is the purchase of Christ for his followers For when he sits upon his Throne he shall say unto them and only to them Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. And are there any pleasures like those at the right hand of God for evermore Whereas to those that have not had the grace nor the wit to serve him he shall say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And is there any pain like the separation from Christ into everlasting and ever-flaming fire Mat. 25.41 Think of this you that prefer the service of sinne and Satan before that of our Saviours Heaven you will confesse to be best of all yet for Heaven you will use labour least of all For I may boldly affirm it your covetous man takes more paines to goe to hell than do the godly to get to Heaven he riseth early and resteth late and eates the course bread of sorrow and after a great deal of tedious and odious misery goes to the Devil for his labour But look to it this will one day cost men dear For it will be the very hell of hell when they shall call to mind that they have loved their sinnes more than their Saviour or their own souls When they shall remember what love and mercy hath been almost enforced upon them and yet they would by all meanes and that of free choice perish Now I might go on to other Particulars yea I might almost be infinite in these things but having said enough to be thought too much I will mention no more only let me a little apply it Wee see that the shadow does not more inseparably follow the body than all blessings follow grace Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse it profitable unto all things 1 Tim. 4.8 as having the Promises of the life present and of that which is to come Men talk much of the Philosophers stone that it turneth copper into gold of Cornucopia that it had all things necessary for food in it of the Herb Panace that it is instead of all purges and cureth all diseases of the Herb Nepenthes that it procureth all delights of Vulcans Armour that it was of proof against all thrusts and blows Yea Pliny speaks of no lesse than three hundred and sixty benefits that may be made of the Palme tree if we will believe him But whether these things be so or not it much matters not this I am sure of that what they did vainly attribute to these rarities for bodily and transitory good we may with full measure and without any hyperbole justly ascribe to grace and Gods favour for spiritual So that Religion Piety and Holinesse are Mistresses worthy your service Yea all other Arâ—es in the world are but drudges to these Fools may contemn them who cannot judge of true intellectual beauty but if they had our eyes they culd not but be ravished with admiration of the same And men truly wise have learned to contemn their contempt and to pity their injurious ignorance All which being so apparant and undeniable mens wisest and surest way were as one would think to become the Servants of God and be as industrious after grace as they have been after gold For in common reason who would eat huskes with the Prodigal when if he will but return home he shall be honourably entertained by his heavenly Father have so good cheer and banqueting hear so great melody joy and triumph Generally men are very eager and industrious to get worldly wealth yea no pains is thought too much for it but where shall we finde men thus eager after spiritual wealth which alone can make them happy CHAP. X. Objection But will some say How shall we obtain this happy condition It is not so easie a matter to become gracious and to gain the favour of God as you seem to make it I Answer Yes this may easily be helped if thou hast a mind to it For as when a man would have those things to be on his right hand which are now on his left it is but turning himself and the work is done so do but turn your affections from earthly things to things celestial and heavenly the case will be so altered that you will think your self as a blind man restored to sight a mad man to his senses a prisoner set at liberty a begger
he should have held Mordecai's stirr up much lesse have changed preferment with him That Mordecai should be lifted up into Hamans favour at Court and Haman should be exalted to that fifty cubits eminency above ground in Mordecais room But go we on Love will cause us to open our hands unto such as are in want and lend or give them sufficient for their need as God commands Deut. 15. 8. It will make us of Iobs spirit who would not eate his morsells alone but invited the fatherlesse to eate with him Job 31.17 It will make a man love his enemies and do good for them that do hurt to him Luke 6. 35. Yea if need so require as in a famine or common persecution it will make us sell our possessions and goods and distribute them to all as every one hath need as did the Christians in the Primitive Church Acts 2.44 45. And lastly which is above all It will make a man to lay downe his life for the brethren 1 John 3.16 Whereas he that hath not this Christian grace feels and is sensible of common calamities just so much as appertains to his own private estate interest and no more It is the want of compassion that takes no compassion of others wants Yea this is an argument that the love of God is not in us 1 John 3.17 Whatsoever we thinke or say it is not at all in us Iohn 3.14 15.17 CHAP. XVIII Again It 's impossible that he who hath love should be ungratefull Mary Magdalen had received much and this made her love much and loving much she thought nothing too much to bestow even upon the most remote members of Christ to expresse her thankfulnesse Luke 7.38 And the like of Naaman when Elisha had done that great cure upon him whose hands were no lesse â—ull of thankes then his mouth Dry and barren profession of our obligation where is power to requite are unfit for noble and ingenuous spirits And so of Iacob If saith he I come again unto my fathers house in safety then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that he shall give me I will give the tenth unto him again Gen. 28.21 22. And Hannah who vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thine hand-maid and remember me and not forget thine hand-maid but give unto thine hand-maid a man Childe then I will give him unto the Lord all the dayes of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head and she did it accordingly 1 Sam. 1.11.27 28. An ingenuous disposition cannot receive favours without thoughts of return Behold thou hast been carefull for us sayes Elisha to the Shunamite with all this care what is to be done for thee wouldst thou be spoken for to the King or to the Captain of the Host what is there to be done for thee And when he understood that a sonne was the onely thing she wanted and desired her husband being old he obtained of the Lord to fulfill her desire 2 Kings 4.13 to 17. Both Christ and the Angels the Prophets and Apostles were wont to be very beneficial guests to their hostes and hostesses and ever payd a blessâ—ng for their entertainment Elias requited his hostesse with a supernatnrall provision He gave also her owne and her sons life to her for his board Yea in that wofull famine 1 King â—7 He gave her and her sonne their board for his house-room Yea it is storied of Pyrrhus an Heathen that he did exceedingly grieve for that a friend of his hapned to dye before he had required his many favours Those hearts that are truly thankâ—ull delight no lesse in the repayment of a good turn then in the receit and do as much study how to shew their fervent affections for what they have received as how to compasse favours when they want them Their debt is their burthen which when they have discharged they are at ease and not before Resembling Homer who never forgot to requite a benefit received nor could be at rest untill he had done it CHAP. XIX Nor can there be a better signe of true love and â—ound amendment then that we can be content to be loosers by our repentance Many formall penitents have yielded to part with so much of their sinne as may abate nothing of their profit It is an easie matter to say yea and think what they say to be true that they love God and Christ. There is no Dives among us but he thinks scorne to be charged with the want of love What not love God But aske his conscience the next question What good hast thou done for his sake No he can remember none of that no goodnesse no workes of mercy or charity hath come from him all his life long But know this thou wretched rich miserly muckworme that thoâ— artbound to performe these works of mercy to the poore both ouâ— of duty and thankefulnesse to him who hath given thee thy selfe and all that thou hast Yea if thou beest not a meere beast or blocke When thou beholdest them the poor I meane behold how thou art beholding to Him that suffered thee not to be like them Hath God given thee all things and dost thou then thinke it a great matter to give him back something especially seeing thou givest him but of his owne as David gladly acknowledged 1 Chr. 29.14 For shame consider of it and let thy conscience make answer to what I shall aske thee what can be more equall and just then to give a little unto him who hath given all unto us especially seeing he hath granted unto us the use onely of what we possesse reserving still the chief propriety unto himselfe and to spare something unto the poor out of our abundance at his request who hath not spared to give unto us his onely begotten and dearly beloved sonne that by a shamefull death he might free us from everlasting death and condemnation and purchase for us eternall happiness Yea in truth what madnesse is it to deny being requested to give at his appointment some small portion of our goods who by his owne right and authority may take all And what senselesse folly were it to turne away our face from him when he asketh in the behalfe of the poor some earthly and momentaâ—y trifles from whom we expect as his free gift Heavens felicity and everlasting glory CHAP. XX. But to drive home this duty to mens consciences see further what cause we have to extend our liberality to the relief of Christs poore members For here I shall take occasion to slide into a discourse which in the Title page 1 durst not once mention as well knowing how averse most men are and how desperately most rich mens hearts are hardned against the poore whereof I le onely give you an instance Some six years since having taken no small paynes
this to all our other gifts that we give the glory of them to God As what else should men propose for their end then that glory which shal have no end Yea let us with one unanimous voice say He hath given us all the Grace and Happiness we have and we wil give him all the possible thanks and honor we can let it be our main request and daily prayer Teach us O Lord to receive the benefit of thy merciful favours and to return thee the thanks and the glory and that for ever and ever And so much of the Ends which we are to propound to our selves in our beneficence the lets and impediments follow CHAP. XLIX I Might mention many great lets and impediments as Ignorance Infidelity Pride Intemperance self-love hard heartedness and other the like do much hinder mens bounty and liberality to the poor as may partly appear by what I have already delivered but nothing like Covetousness yea name but Covetousnese and that includes all the rest Covetousness is the Grave of all good it makes the heart barren of all good inclinations and it is a bad ground where no flower will grow It cannot be denyed but enough hath been said in this and the Poors Advocate to perswade any rational man not onely that there is a necessity of this duty but sufficient to enflame him with a desire of performing it according to the utmost of his ability But so it is that the Covetous Miser is so far from being prevailed withall that he will not come so near the same as to give it the hearing Or suppose such an one should be so ingenuous as to hear it there is no hope of prevailing with him As what think you when that rich man Mark 10 17. c. who ran after Christ kneeled down to him and was so inquisitive to know how he might attain eternal life yea who had from his youth squared his life according to Gods Law insomuch that Christ loved him Yet when he was admonished by our Saviour to sell all and give to the poor and he should have Treasure in Heaven he turned his back upon Christ and went away very sorrowful because he was marvellous rich He had a good mind to Heaven in reversion but for all that he would not part with his Heaven whereof he had present possession Whence our Saviour so bewails the miserable condition and difficulty of such mens being saved v. 17. to 26. And the Apostle the like Eph. 5.5 1 Cor. 6.9 10. For if he that had so good affections made conscience of all his wayes was so desirous to be saved that Christ was taken with him What hope of this Wretch that hath a blockish seared and senseless Conscience that is past feeling and never made scruple of any thing from his infancy No these solid Arguments and strong inducements from Gods Word wil be so far from prevailing with him that it is rare if he do not slight and scorn what hath been spoken The covetous man knows no other God then his belly and desires no other Heaven then his Coffers full of Angels Thirdly and lastly admit the best that can be expected viz. that he shall not only lend a listening ear to all that hath been said but that it does also convince and almost perswade him to become liberal As I dare appeal to their own consciences that have hitherto heard what hath been alledged out of God's Word whether it hath not made their hearts burn within them whether they have not been convinced and with Agrippa almost perswaded to become merciful Acts 26.28 Whether with Pharoah their spirits have not began to thaw a little Go do sacrifice to your God in this Land yea in their judgements yeilded to all that hath been demanded them and been ready to pray some Moses to pray for them And yet harden and knit again whereby all labour like Moses Message or the sweet words of Paul it utterly lost The covetous man though he be convinced in his conscience and doth resolve to be bountiful yet no hope of his doing it for his goodness is as a morning Cloud and as a morning dew it goeth away as the Lord once spake to Ephraim and Iudah Hos 6.4 Good thoughts to carnal covetous hearts are only as Passengers not Inhabitants they may make it a thorough-fare but they can never settle or remain there If at any time they melt with Pharoah they suddenly knit again Nor is there any heart made of flesh that wil not at some time or other relent Even Flint and Marble wil in some weather stand in drops It is not onely recorded of Pharoah that he did thus melt and of Agrippa that he was almost perswaded to become good but the holy Ghost further testifies that Esau wept Ahab put on Sackcloth that Iudas repented and restored that Foelix trembled that Pilate took Christs part and washt his hands in witness that he was free from the blood of that just man that Balaam wisht to dye the death of the righteous that Herod delighted in Iohns Ministry And yet we see that all came to nothing CHAP. L. GOod deeds flow from good men such as know themselves deputed Stewards not Independent Lords of their wealth as naturally as springs out of Rocks But with the covetous Cormorant it is far otherwise as good perswade a Caniball as the covetous to shew mercy To wrest any good deeds out of the Dives's of these dayes though there be millions in the case of Lazarus is far more hard then to wring Verjuice out of a Crab yea you may as wel press water out of a stone We read 1 Sam. 25. that churlish Laban Nabal I should say though the difference bee so smal that these two infamous Churls spel each other's Name backwards when distressed David askt him victuals he reviled him when he should have relieved him Nothing more cheape then good Words these he might have given and been never the poorer but his foul mouth doth not onely deny and give him nothing but that which was worse then nothing bad Language So fares it with these Churls when any David is driven to ask them Bread they give him stones instead thereof let them be moved by some one to give an Alms or do some charitable deed they cannot hear on that ear Or if this Wretch for his credit sake does speak fair all his good deeds be onely good words and he may be answered as that Beggar did the Bishop when instead of an Alms he gave him his blessing That if his blessing had been worth a penny he would not have been so bountiful So that if every house were of his profession Charities Hand would no longer hold up Poverties head Words from a dead man and deeds of Charity from a covetous man are both alike rare and hard to come by The Mountains are not more barren of fruit then he of goodness The Rocks are not so hard as his