one riding on with strength in his journey hindred by the barking of whappets at his horse heeles hee rides on and minds them not and as for railings and revilings at the wayes of God by which many are discouraged the spirit of a godly man can shake them off as St. Paul the Viper that hung upon his hand and feele no hurt it beares off many hardships that are like to bee very grievous to flesh and bloud that it is like to meet with which discourages the hearts of many both from beginning to enter upon Gods ways and from continuance in them after some entrance made as the other Spies that were sent with Caleb and Ioshua their hearts fainted they tell of great difficulties are like to bee met with The land indeed is good but there are children of Anak there and walls that reach up to Heaven but this was the brave heroicall spirit of Caleb and Ioshua their spirits were undaunted they would goe up and possesse the Land let what ever could bee stand in their way Thus many have convictiōs of conscience that the wayes of God indeed are good but the great hardships that they are like to suffer in those ways keep them off But a true godly spirit is willing to embrace Religion with all the hard terms annex'd unto it it is a poore meane spirit that must indent with God a forehand If I were sure to hold out to have at last that which I desire then I would venture upon the wayes of godlines but I am afraid it will never be and so sinks and hath no mind to set upon the work But this spirit will set upon the worke with all the hazards as Ester If I perish I perish this was a brave spirit indeed If she had had such a base cowardly spirit as many to think Alas what good shall I do I may hazard my selfe and bring my selfe into trouble but no likelihood of any good will come of it she is content to venture all upon a meere possibility of good To breake thorow armies of difficulties as Davids Worthies shewed the excellency of their spirits in breaking thorow an Hoste to gratifie their Lord. If the Worthies of God in former times had stood upon every difficulty what had been done in Gods cause No this spirit sets upon that which God cals it to doth what it can and leaves it self and the issue of its work to God as Ioab 2 Sam. 10. 12. Let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good It was a brave speech of him that shewed an excellent brave spirit in him A poor low spirit thinks every difficulty an impossibility but this spirit will not easily entertain thoughts of impossibility in services that are noble and worthy of choice spirits it will rather thinke with it selfe Was there never any such thing done before or was there never any thing that had as much difficulty as this in it that was as unlikely as this to come to a good issue and yet was at last accomplished why may not this then be done and so sets about it without any more objectings against it with this resolution Quic quid sieri potuit potest That which hath been done may be done Such a spirit as this is ashamed to see and heare reade what great things have beene done by others and what poor things it hath all this while been imployed in Suetonius reports of Iulius Caesar that seeing Alexanders Statue he fetched a deepe sigh because he at that age had done so little Yea so farre is a true heroicall spirit from being discouraged by difficulties as it s raised by difficulties thus it s said of a true godly man that hee stirres up himselfe against the hypocrite that hee holdes on his way and growes stronger and stronger Iob 17. 8 9. When a difficulty when any opposition or danger comes in Gods wayes now it sees an opportunity offered of shewing so much the more love to Iesus Christ so much the more sincerity and power of grace to bring so much the more honour to God and his cause and in this it rejoyces this was the reason why the Apostles and Martyrs rejoyced so much in their sufferings for Christ When Ignatius felt his flesh and bones begin to bee ground betwixt the teeth of wilde beasts now sayes he I begin to be a Christian When Alexander saw an apparant great danger neare him his spirit workes on this manner Now sayes he here 's a danger fit for the minde of Alexander to encounter withall When David at first heard of being the Kings sonne in law he was troubled at it 1 Sam. 18. 22. But when he knew what a difficult and hazardable service hee was to undertake for it then saies the Text in the 26 Verse It pleased David well to be the Kings sonne in law that which would have discouraged others who would gladly have had the preferment that raised the spirit of David and made him like the offer the better and surely this was not an ordinary common spirit it was the true magnanimity of the spirit of David Tenthly A solid serious spirit other spirits are sleight empty vaine frothy rash spirits which are exceeding great evils in the spirits of men sleightnesse of spirit makes men almost uncapable of any good what ever judge ment the Lord laies upon mee in this world yet the Lord deliver me from a vain sleight frothy spirit how doe the blessed glorious truths of God which are of infinite consequence passe by such and are never minded nothing sticks by them nothing abides with them that may be usefull for their everlasting good but this spirit is put into a serious solid frame it examines the ground of actions compares one thing with another looks much at the issue of things this must needs bee because the feare of the great God and the feare of eternity is fallen upon it Esay 11. 2. These are joyned together the spirit of knowledge wisedome the spirit of counsell and the fear of the Lord it converses so much with serious things of high and infinite consequence that it must needs be put in a serious frame Eleventhy It is an active lively spirit serious but not sullen not heavy dull solid but not stupid 1 Pet. 2. 5. The godly are called lively stones stones because of their solidnesse lively because of their activenesse God is himselfe a pure act and these spirits have some likenesse to him and nearenesse with him the higher things are the more active water more than earth aire more than water fire more than all these spirits are raised to the highest excellencies of any creature in this world They are of quick understanding as Esay 11. 3. And ready prepared to every good work as 2 Tim. 2. 21. The most noble excellent activenesse is from life and the more noble excellent the
from the common sort of the world for my praise If you had loved them prized them and honoured them as the choice of the earth if if you had followed their example I had not slain you but now you shall perish everlastingly CAP VII No dishonor to be singular Seven notes to discover that godly mens differing from other men proceeds not from proud humourous singularity but from the choicenesse and excellencie of their spirits IF godly men be men of another spirit and this be their commendation why then should any account it to be a dishonour to be singular from the world Singularity is cast upon Gods servants as their disgrace but certainly it is their glory they are singular and their wayes are singular it is true and they avouch it they rejoyce in it and blesse God for it it is impossible but that it should be so for they are of another spirit a peculiar people separated from the world set apart for God their separation is a wonderfull separation Exod. 33. 16. So shall we bee separated sayes Moses I and thy people from all the people that are upon the face of the earth the word is in the Originall We shall be wonderfully separated No marvell then though their singularity bee such as the world who knowes not their principles wonder at it Their wayes are different from other men I that is true indeed who can thinke otherwise Their principles their estates their dignites their hopes are raised higher then other mens Would Saul have been offended if his former acquaintance had complained Oh now Saul hee mindes other things goes on in other waies lives after another fashion then we doe I that is true indeed for his condition is altered his estate is raised higher then yours he hath an other spirit To complaine of Gods servants that they are singular from others is all one as if you should complaine of Pearles that they are more glistering than dirt and gravell Their way their lives are singular Why how would you have them live would you have them live according to the common course of the world they cannot for they have not received the spirit of the world but another spirit When the Spirit of God would set out the greatest misery of men when they are the children of wrath without God in the world without hope it is that they lived according to the common course of the world Ephes 2. 2. And those two are joyned together living according to the common couse of the world and according to that spirit that rules in the children of disobedience So long as they were acted by that spirit they did live so but now there is another spirit that they are acted by and would you have them live so still as they did before Certainly it cannot be You cry out of dissimulation and that justly But what is dissimulation if this be not where there is not a sutablenesse between the inward principles the inward frame and disposition of the spirit and the outward actions Now if Gods people should not live singular lives certainly their outward actions would not be agreeable to the inward principles frames and dispositions of their spirits for they are singular differing from other mens As there may be dissembling for a man to seeme better than he is so there may be dissembling to seeme worse than we are Is there not as much evill in a life differing from the spirit as in a spirit differing from the life If a man seemes to be godly and is not it is an argument the man is vile who will thus play the hypocrite but it is a commendation to godlinesse that men will account the very seeming of it to be honourable but if a man hath godlinesse in his heart and yet his life be no other than other mens this would argue that a man were ashamed of godlinesse it selfe here godlinesse it selfe would suffer as if it were such a dishonourable thing as would bring shame to a man if it did appeare as if though indeed it must be reserved in the heart for necessity sake yet it must be kept downe not suffered to appeare in the life for feare it be a disgrace to men Is not here then as great an evill in this way of dissimulation as in the other Better all the men of the world had shame cast upon them than that godlinesse should have the least staine Surely then where the spirits of men be other spirits singular choice spirits their lives ought and must needs be other lives singular from other men Their conscience witnesse to them that their spirits are changed that they are other from that they were yea and witnesses for them that their lives are other lives singular from other men and in this witnesse their soules rejoyce But is there not a proud phantasticall singularity may not pride sullennesse and fancie carry men on in singular wayes differing from other men conceiting themselves to be wiser than others loving to satisfie some odde humours of their own If it were any choicenesse or excellency of their spirits it were another matter we would not speake against them but it is this proud hypocriticall humorous singularity we speake against To this I answer If you indeed should do as they doe if you should live after a different manner from the common course of the world having no other principles than those you have it would certainly bee singularity pride hypocrisie and humour in you and thus your consciences would tell you and that because you had not principles to carry you out in this way you have not spirits sutable to it and you judging of others by that you seele in your selves this makes you to thinke the different wayes of Gods servants is onely from pride and humourous singularity yea and they themselves know that there was a time indeede where in if they should have done as now they doe it would have beene no other in them then that you now accuse them of namely when their spirits were as other mens spirits are but now they know they have other principles other qualifications of spirit then formerly they had But surely you doe not thinke indeed that their different lives doe come from proud and humourous singularitie for if you did why doe your consciences so well approve of them when you lie on your sicke beds when you apprehend your selves going before the great God then you could wish it were with you as it is with them But what say you if you thought it were not from this pride and conceitednesse you speake of then you would thinke it were well then you would joyne in justifying of them if you were sure it were from a choyce excellent spirit in them Well then let Gods servants rejoyce in this that they know it is not from pride that it is not from humour that they run not into excesse of riot as others doe but from the worke of
David Gideon Barak others who through faith subdued Kingdomes Hebr. 11. 32 33. That is basenesse of spirit and want of valour that makes a man a slave to sin and the Devill so a slave as he hath no heart to any worthy service to free himselfe from it but lies down under it and carries the fetters and yoake of his bondage about with him withersoever he goes That is cowardly basenesse that brings conscience into a servile subjection that cowardly basenesse that will suffer the cause of God to be betrayed rather than venture any thing for it what greater argument that men want true spirit than this Godlinesse puts a spirit of fortitude into men that will not suffer them to bee thus debased and where appeares the like courage in any as in these when they are called to stand for the truth Though all the Tiles of the houses in the City of Wormes were Devils yet thither would I goe to testifie to the truth saith Luther Againe it is not a turbulent spirit for turbulency of spirit makes men cruell and malicious this spirit causes men to love their enemies to do all the good they can to them turbulent spirits seeke onely their own ends they care not what becomes of others so it bee that they may but warme themselves they care not what house bee on fire They are boysterous in things that concerne themselves But the Saints of God in whom this other spirit rules they are meeke and gentle and yeeldable in their owne cause ready to put up wrong in all quietnesse take them in things that onely concerne themselves and you shall find none so readily so freely so chearfully denying themselves as they And againe turbulent spirits doe not love to examine things by rule to call things to account but follow their owne fiery humour and set upon their own will with violence but godlinesse takes off men from this ruggednesse and turbulency of spirit makes them gentle and peaceable let them bee never so active never so forward never so zealous in any thing yet if you wil call them to examine things by rule they will meekly and patiently heare you yea a childe shall leade them Esay 11. 6. And yet further turbulēt they are not for none more obedient to authoritie than they none see that Majestie of God in Autority as they doe none obey Authority out of conscience so as they doe If the will of men in authority rather than authority shall require any thing that the authority of Heaven forbids that they do not because they cannot obey for conscience sake And so sacred do they account Authority that they would have no obedience performed to it but obedience for conscience sake Blind obediēce the Church of God hath long agoe exploded as too servile for Christian spirits this were more servile than selling mens bodies in the Market for slaves which Christianity abhors It were too uncharitable a conceit of Christian Magistrates to thinke that they should require of or expect from any other obedience than in and for the Lord and in this obedience those who are godly are so forward as they are judged turbulent for being over-forward to maintaine the honor of Authority as some think when according to their places they promote the execution of laws made by authority and that of those lawes which are of the highest consequence for the furtherance of Piety and Peace Againe factious spirits they are not because they seeke above all things to keep to the maintenance of obedience to the Primitive truth that is faction that sides against that Tertullian hath a notable expression in his Apology for the Christians against the Gentiles to cleare Gods people from being men of factious spirits it seemes that aspersion was cast upon them then which was about 1400 yeares agoe his expression was this When good men when honest men meet together when godly men are gathered together it is not to bee called a faction but a Court and on the contrary the name of faction sayes hee is to bee applyed to them who conspire to the hatred of good and honest men And thus much of the first branch of the Vse which was the reprehension of the vile cōceits that men had of this other spirit Now the second followes which is the rebuking of the men of the world for the ill use they give to men who are of such excellent spirits The excellencies of the spirits of the godly do challenge all the good use that can bee but it is little they meet withall they are for the most part abused by the men of this vile world as if they were the vilest scurfe and filth of the earth yea so indeed they account them so saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day Why what was S. Paul and what were those that were with him who was so accounted of were they not men of most excellent and admirable spirits S. Paul was one of the most excellent spirited men that ever lived upon the earth and did as much service for God as ever any meere man did since the beginning of the world and yet how vilie was he thought of how contemptibly was hee used put into stocks and whipped wanted cloathes and victuals And for the others that were with S. Paul they were men of whom the Holy Ghost gives this witnesse that they were the very glory of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Oh unworthy world that ever they should have such men live amongst them Those who are the delight of Angels yea of God himselfe how are they abused in this wicked world as if they were dogges or the basest scumme and filth of the earth What scorne and contempt is cast upon them the most abject of men think themselves good enough to reproach and abuse them Were it not a grievous sight to see some base drudge to have power over the body of some noble Prince to abuse it by stripes or any other contumelious sordid manner but a more grievous thing it is to see the vile and base spirits of the world who are nothing but sinks of filth themselves to abuse men of such noble and excellent spirits as if they were more vile than dirt It was the bitter complaint of Ieremy Lament 4. 2. that the pretious sonnes of Sion comparable to fine gold were esteemed as earthen pitchers Such as blessed spirits would honour if they had them with them yet here they are cast out as filth What griefe sufficent to lament the seeing of such filthy swine to trample under their feet such pretious pearles in all ages thus it hath beene Those who were indeed the true honourable upon the earth such pretious and excellent spirited men as of whom the world was not worthy and yet they have beene most vilely abused and are so still by this wretched world
shall follow them with anguish and horrour and fill up their spirits with them It may be once they had some flashy comforts in the performance of some duties but they shall be all taken from them and dismall horror and hideous amazement of spirit shall possesse them Pro. 14. 14. The backslider in heart shall bee filled with his owne wayes Much more than the backslider in heart and life too hee shall bee filled he shall have enough of them Conscience one day will upbraid fly in the face and teare the heart Oh wretched creature what hast thou done whom hast thou forsaken is it not the God of life and peace and comfort and all good that thou hast forsaken are they not the blessed wayes of holinesse the wayes of eternall rest and peace that thou hast left God hath likewise forsaken thee and all good and comfort begins to withdraw it selfe from thee thou art like to bee left in horrid dismall darknesse Just it is that thou shouldst be left as a forsaken forlorne miserable wretch who hast thus wretchedly and vilely forsaken God and his truth for the enjoyment of such poore base things as thy heart is turned aside unto How wilt thou be able to looke upon the faces of those with whom thou hast formerly joyned in holy duties and hast had communion with But how canst thou looke upon the face of the blessed God when hee shall appeare in his glory unto thee What anguish will it bee to thee when thou shalt see others who have continued in their way following the Lord to be for ever blessed in that God whom their soules have followed and cleaved constantly unto but thy selfe because thy base unbeleeving heart dared not venture all upon him now thou art cast out for ever as an eternall curse Oh what rack of conscience will it bee when thou shalt see in what a faire way once thou wert but for want of comming off fully and constantly in such and such particulars thou art now for ever lost Lastly these men are hatefull both to God and Men they are hatefull to Men because they goe so farre and to God because they goe no further as Hebr. 10. 38. If any man draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him Oh what a happy thing were it if God would trouble the wayes of these poore creatures if hee would make them bitter and grievous to them if hee would magnifie his mercy and his power in turning their hearts againe towards him if hee would deale with them as hee did with his people Hosea 2. 6. 7. Hedge up their wayes with thornes make a wall that they should not find their paths that so they might at length come to that blessed resolution wee find there I will goe and returne to my Husband for then it was better with me than now So I will goe and returne to my former wayes and follow after the Lord againe from whom I have wretchedly departed for then it was better with me then it is now then I had more comfort more peace more safety more blessing than I have now And let such know that though it were just with God for ever to reject them who have forsaken him just to say that vanity should bee their portion who have turned after lying vanities and many of the Ancients have made the case of such exceeding doubtfull especially if after conviction they have forsaken God againe and againe as Clemens Alexandrinus thought that God might give such the first and second repentance but if they fell oftner there was no renewing them by repentance And Origen seemed likewise to bee of the same minde in his 5. Homily upon Leviticus Chap. 25. So Tertullian in his Book of repentance God grants saith hee a second repentance but no further Thus we see the strictnesse of these Ancient times But though these leave these men exceeding comfortlesse yet let them know that the Lord cals them to returne again unto himselfe For though it be saith the Lord that if a wife have played the harlot and shee be put away and become another mans her husband will not receive her again yet saith the Lord Ier. 3. 1. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers but yet returne to mee and verse 22. Returne yee back-sliding children and I will heale your back-slidings Oh that your hearts would answer as theirs there did Oh that this gracious offer of the Lord might have the same effect upon your hearts as it had upon theirs Behold say they wee come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God truely in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hils c. Wee see wee see wee have beene utterly deceived the wayes that wee have chosen have not beene good shame hath devoured our labour wee have bestowed our labour in shamefull things we lie downe in our shame and our confusion covereth us for wee have sinned against the Lord our God As when a man goeth from the Sunne yet the Sunne-beames follow him shine on him warme him so though thou hast departed from the Lord yet the beames of Gods mercy this day follow thee they shine on thee Oh that they might so warme thy heart as to cause thee to returne CAP. IV. Comfort and encouragement to those who follow the Lord fully IF this following of the Lord fully be the honour of the Saints before the Lord then here is comfort and encouragement to those whose conscience doth witnesse that their hearts and wayes are fully after the Lord. What ever others do yet there are a generation of men in the world who doe fully follow the Lord Blessed are you of the Lord you are honourable in the eyes of God and man you make up in part that hurt that is done to Religion by others you bind up the wounds of Jesus Christ and do in part heale his scarres If you bee content to give up all to God to betrust God with all know that there are many blessed promises full of mercy and encouragement for you that God will make good to the full unto you yea they shall come to you fuller of goodnesse and blessing than you can imagine Caleb challenged this promise of God to him made in this place upon this ground Ioshuah 14. 8. five and forty yeares after it was made for hee was but forty yeares old when hee went to spie out the Land and when hee challenged this promise in this place bee saith verse 10. I am this day fourescore and five yeares old Though God may seeme to deferre a while the fulfilling of his promise yet bee encouraged to follow him still for the eye of God is upon you to make good his word unto you and the longer it stayes the more full with good and blessing it will come God seemed to deferre a long time that promise he made to Abraham That hee would make his seed as the starres of heaven for two hundred and fifteene