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
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
2 Cor. 12.2 4. Isa. 66.1 Heaven in Scripture is compared to a Kingdom for soverainty to a Throne for preheminency to a Crown for state and majesty to an Inheritance for perpetuity to a Marriage-feast for plenty pleasure and delicacy and to whatsoever else may set forth its excellency though indeed in these comparisons there is little or no comparison as I might shew you in many particulars if I would be large for instances in this case would be endless There death shall have no more dominion over us Rom. 6.9 The Sun shall not burn us by day nor the Moon by night Psal. 121.6 There all 〈◊〉 shall be wiped from our eyes Rev. 7.17 There shall be no sorrow noâ— pain nor complaint there is no malice to rise up against us no 〈…〉 afflict us no hunger thirst wearisomness temptation to disquiet us 〈…〉 19 20. Heb. 9.12 There is no death nor dearth no pinâ—â—g nor 〈…〉 Rev. 7.16 17. 21.4 Heb. 9.12 There O there one day is better than a thousand there is Rest from our Labours Peace from our Enemies Freedom from our Sinnes c. Iob. 3.17 Heb. 4.3 9 10 11 Rev. 14 13. Heb. 9.12 15. Sect. 2. Unto which Negative Priviledges there are also added Positive of all sorts as I might plentifully prove but I study brevity Do we delight in good company what pleasure shall we take in the company of Saints and Angels in whom there is nothing not amiable comfortable delectable nothing in us that may cool the fervour of our love and affection to them And so of all other enjoyments As Dost thou desire beauty riches honour pleasure long life or whatever else can be named No place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation nor so durable for lasting Heb. 12.22 1 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Rom. 9.3 8.18 There are no Estates but Inheritances no Inheritances but Kingdomes no Houses but Palaces no Meals but Feasts no noise but Musick no Rods but Scepters no Garments but Robes no Seats but Thrones no coverings for the head but Crownes Rom. 8.17 Tit. 3.7 Heb. 9.15 Mat. 25.31 34. 2 Tim. 4.8 Gal. 4.7 1 Pet. 3 9 10. Mar. 10.23 24 25. Rev. 7.13 14 15. 6.11 There we shall see the blessed face of God which is the glory of all sights the sight of all glory Yea we our selves shall out-shine the Sun in brightnese Mat. 13.43 For if the brightness of the body shall match the Sun what will the glory and splendour of the soul be And yet such honour shall all the Saints have For when Christ which is our head and life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory And he shall change our vile and mortal body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Col. 3 4. Phil 3.21 Briefly Our joy shall there be fall and none shall be able to take it from us or diminish it Iohn 15.11 16.22 There is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 26. Joyes and pleasures never ebbing but ever slowing to all contentment There we shall rejoyce for the pleasantness of the place we possess for the glory of our souls and bodies which we have put on for the world which we have overcome for Hell which we have escaped for the joyes of Heaven which we have attained to We shall have joy above us by the beatifical vision and sight of God joy within us by the peace of conscience even the joy of the Holy Ghost and joy round about us by the blessed company and fellowship of our associates the holy Saints and Angels Sect. 3. And in reason if a Christian-soul in this Tabernacle of the body wherein we see but as in a glass be so delighted to see the face of God manifested in Iesus Christ If it so glads a Child of God when he can but in the least measure master his corruptions or hath occasion to manifest the sincerity of his affectionate love to his Maker and Redeemer 〈…〉 to serve his Brethren in love How joyfull will he be when these gra 〈…〉 be perfected and he freed from all grievances inward and out 〈…〉 Yea if the communion and 〈◊〉 of Gods Spirit and 〈…〉 and ordinances 〈…〉 better than a thousand with the ungodly Psal. 84.10 What will it be to enjoy the immediate presence and glory of God our Father Christ our Redeemer and elder-Brother the Holy Ghost our Comforter the Angels and Saints our Consorts and Companions Our condition there will be so joyfull that look we outwardly there is joy in the society Heb. 12.22 if inwardly there is joy in our own felicity 1 Cor. 2.9 Look we forward there is joy in the eternity 1 Pet. 5.10 Mark 10.30 So that on every side we shall be even swallowed up of joy Isa. 35.10 51.11 Matth. 25.23 18.10 Heb. 12.2 22. Psal. 16.11 As Oh the multitude and fulness of these joyes so many that only God can number them so great that he onely can estimate them of such â—arity and perfection that this world hath nothing comparable to them 2 Cor. 12.2 4. As Oh the transcendency of that Paradise of pleasure where is joy without heaviness or interruption peace without perturbation blessedness without misery light without darkness health without sickness beauty without blemish abundance without want ease without labour satiety without loathing liberty without restraint security without fear glory without ignominy knowledg without ignorance eyes without tears hearts without sorrow souls without sinne where shall be no evil heard of to affright us nor good wanting to chear us for we shall have what we can desire and we shall desire nothing but what is good Deut. 10.14 Isa. 66.1 1 King 8.27 Mark 10.21 Luke 18.22 1 Pet. 5.10 Iohn 4.36 10.28 Matth. 25.46 Sect. 4 While we are here how many clouds of discontent have we to darken the sunshine of our joy when even complaint of evils past sense of present and fear of future have in a manner shared our lives among them Here we love and loath in an instant like Amnon to his Sister Tamar in Heaven there is no object unlovely nothing which is not exceeding amiable and attractive And not attractive onely but retentive also for there we shall not be subject to passion nor can we possibly there misplace our affection Here we have knowledg mixed with ignorance faith with doubting peace with trouble yea trouble of conscience Or in 〈◊〉 we have peace of conscience alas how often is it interrupted with 〈◊〉 of spirit Now rejoyce we with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.84 but alas anon it falls out that we need to pray with David Restore unto us the joy of thy salvation Psal. 51.12 but there is peace even full without want pure without mixture and perpetual without all fear of foregoing Dan. 2.44 There shall be no concupiscence to tempt no flesh to lust
between flâ—shly meat and a carnal stomach Therefore the want of this taste and apprehension condemneth the world to be carnal but magnifies the joyes spiritual as being above her carnal apprehension Or Thirdly Herein lies the fault few feel these joyes in this life because they will not crack the shell to get the kernell they will not pare the fruit to â—at the pulp nor till the ground to reap the Harvest They â—lie the wars and thereby lose the glory of the Victory They will not dig the craggy mountain to find the mine of gold Nor prune the Vine therefore enjoy not the fruit They â—lie mortification and therefore attain not the sweet spiritual consolation which ever attends the same And so much for the Reasons The Use may be manifold CHAP. XXII Sect. 1. FIrst Is it so that the torments of Hell are so exquisite even worse than the pangs of death or child-birth scalding lead drinks of gall and wormwood griping of chest-worms fits of the stone gowt strangury flames of fire and brimstone Yea are all these and all other pains that can be named put together but shadows and flea-bitings to it And are they to be endured everlastingly And are all Fornicators Idolalaters Thieves Covetous Drunkards Swearers Raylors fearfull and unbelieving persons Murtherers Sorcerers Liars and all unrighteous persons to have their part and portion in that lake And withall lose their parâ— and portion in the Kingdom of Heaven as the Word of God expresly tells us Rev. 21. 7 8. 22.14 15. How is it that we are not more affected therewith The only reason is most men are so far from believing the word of God in this point that they do not believe there is a God The fool sayes David hath said in his heart there is no God Psal. 53.1 They meaning the wicked think alwayes there is no God Psal. 10.4 to 14. And the reason follows His wayes alwayes prosper Psal. 73 3. to 21. And hence it is that they live like beasts because they think they shall die like beasts without any answer for what they have either acted or left undone and accordingly resolve Let us eat and drink â—or to morrow we shall die as the Holy Ghost hath acquainted us with their inmost thoughts 1 Cor. 15.32 Whereas if men did believe either Heaven or Hell they could never sâ— carelesly hazard the loosing of the one or the procuring of the other As Oâ— the madness of these men that cannot be hired to hold their finger for one minute in the weak flame of a farthing candle and yet for triflâ—s will plunge themselves body and soul into those endless and infinitely scorching flames of Hell fire If a King but threatens a Malefactor to the Dungeon to the Rack to the wheel his bones tremble a terrible palsie runs through all his joyn◠〈…〉 unmoved undaunted And what makes the difference tho one we believe as present the other is as they think uncertain and long before it comes if ever it do come Otherwise it could not be since the soul of all sufferings are the sufferings of the soul since as painted fire is to material such is Material to Hell-fire Men may say they believe there is an Hell and a Heaven but surely they would never speak as they speak think as they think do as they do if they thought that their thoughts words and actions should ever come to judgment If men believed that Heaven were so sweet and Hell so intollerable as the Word makes them they would be more obedient upon earth The voluptuous and covetous would not say take you Heaven let us have money pleasure c. Sect. 2. True there are none so confirmed in Atheism but some great danger will make them fly to the aid of a Divine Power as Plato speaks Extremity of distress will send the prophanest to God as the drowning man stretcheth out his hand to that bough which he contemned whiles he stood safe on shore Even Sardanapalus for all his bold denying of a God at every hearing of thunder was wont to hide his head in a hole Yea in their greatest jollity even the most secure heart in the world hath some flashes of fear that seize on them like an arrest of Treason At least on their death-beds had they as many Provinces as Ahashuerosh had they would give an â—â—ndred six and twenty of them to be sure there were no Hell though all their life they supposed it but a fable And 〈◊〉 makes them fearfull to die and to die fearfully Yea how oft do those Russians that deny God at the Tap-house preach him at the Gallows and confess that in sincerity of heart which they oppugned in wantonness And certainly if they did not at one time or other believe a God a day of judgment an Heavens and an Hell they should be in a worse condition than Felix or Belshazzer yea than the Devils themselves for they believe them yea quake and tremble to think of them as being still in a fearfull expectation of further degrees of actual torments Mat. 8.29 However admit their lethargized consciences be not awakened untill they come into Hell as God not seldom leaves them to be confuted with fire and brimstone because nothing else will do it yet in Hell they shall know there is a righteous Iudg that will reward every man according to his deeds and confess that what they once vainly imagined was but imagined There may be Athiests on earth there are none in Hell Vengeance shall make them wise whom sin hath made and left foolish A Pope of Rome being upon his death-bed said to those about him Now comes three things to trial which all my life I have made doubt of whether there be a God a Devil and whether the soul be immortal 'T was not long o're he was fully resolved with a vengeance and so shall you O ye foolls when that hour comes though you flatter your selves for the present When you feell it you will confess it and when 〈…〉 late you will like a fool say Alas I had not thought For this is the 〈…〉 foreseeth the evil the evil of Hell sayes Bernard and preventeth it but fools go on and are punished Prov. 22.3 Acknowledg thy self a fool then or bethink thy self now and â—o thereafter without delaying one minute For there is no redemption from Hell if once thou comest there And there thaâ— maist be for ought thou knowest this very day yea before thou canst swallow thy spittle Thy Pulse may leave beating before thou canst fetch thy Breath Sect. 3. But to speak thus to the Sensualist is labour in vain For their consciences are so blinded that they as they think do believe an Heaven and an Hell yea in God and in Christ as well as the precisest Iohn 5.38 39 46 47. For it is hard for men to believe their own unbelief in this case They that are most dangerously sick are least sensible of their being
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
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—
blessing upon them and instead thereof blast his blessings with a curse and give them their riches in wrath so that they had better be without them If we put our trust and confidence in God he hath promised 〈◊〉 to fail nor forsake us Heb. 13 5. But this is the man that took not God for his strength but trusted unto the multitude of his riches and put his strength in his malice Psal. 52.7 Yea he saith in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will never see Psal. 10.11 He puts his certain trust in uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 And not for want of ignorance for to trust to God and not to any creature or carnal policy is the greatest safty A lesson yet to be learned of many that do in a good measure trust in God which this muckworme not so much as minds But shall we trust God with our jewels our souls and not with the box Mat. 6.30 Take we heed lest whiles he doth grant us that wherein we do not trust him worldly riches he take away that wherein we do trust him everlasting joy and happiness Fiftly and lastly let a graceless and ingrateful cormorant an unmerciful miser have never so much he neither intends to glorifie God nor do good to others with his riches he will not change a peece without profit scarse let another light a torch at his candle He will not lose a groa◠to gain a mans life nor speak a sillable for God were it to save a soul And God cares for none that care for none but themselves making themselves the center of all their actions and aimes Whereas he is abundantly bountiful to publike spirits that aime at his glory and others good And so ye have the Reasons the Uses for the present and in this place shall be onely CHAP. XV. Three 1. Of Information 2. Of Exhortation 3. Of Consolation ANd of these but a word First for Information let the premisses teach us this lesson That whatsoever is given to any one if Christ and a sanctified use thereof be not given withall it can be no good thing to him Did the stalled Ox know that his Master fatted him for the slaughter he would not think his great plenty an argument of his masters greater love to him The Physician letteth that sick person have what he will of whose recovery he despaireth but he restraineth him of many things of whom he hath hope We use to clip and cut shorter the feathers of Birds or other fowle when they begin to flye too high or too far So does God diminish the riches and honors of his children and makes our condition so various that we may not pass our bounds or glory too much in these transitory things As if we well observe it First some have the world and not God as Nabal who possessed a world of wealth not a dram of grace or comfort Secondly some have God and not the world as Lazarus his heart was full of grace and divine comfort whiles his body lacked crumbes Thirdly some have neither God nor the world nothing but misery here nothing but torment hereafter for the poorest are not seldom the wickedest Fourthly some have both God and the world as Abraham who was rich while he lived on earth and dying was glorious in Heaven Yea oftentimes they that are deerest to God do with great difficulty work out those blessings which even fall into the mouthes of the careless That wise disposer of all things knows it fit many times to hold us short of those favors which we sue for and would not benefit but hurt us Unlovely features have more libertty to be good because freer from Solicitors and though it be not a curse yet t is many times an unhappiness to be fair aswell as to be strong and witty Helena daughter to Iupiter and Leda for her excellent beauty was ravished at the age of nine yeers by Theseus and once again by Paris which caused the wars and utter ruine of Troy Plutarch observes that Lisander did more hurt the Lacedemonians in sending them store of riches and precious movables then Sylla did the Romans in consuming the reveneues of their treasure And as Sylvius relates the liberallity of Princes and especially of Metilda a Dutches of Italy who at her death made the Pope her heir begat ambition in the Bishops of Rome and ambition destroyed Religion These things are such as the possessors minde Good if well us'd if ill them ill we finde For even evil things work together for the good of the good and even good things work together to the evil of the evil Lucian seigneth that riches being sent by Iupiter from heaven come softly and slowly but from the infernal god comes flying apace And the other Poets feign Pluto to be the god of riches and of hell as if hell and riches had both one master And indeed he that resolves to be evil making no conscience how he comes by it may soon be rich but the blessings of God in our ill getting or unworthy carriage in their use prove but the aggravations of sin and additions to judgement And let this serve for the first use Secondly Let what hath been delivered touching the miseries of an unmerciful miserly muckworme serve to make us take heed and beware of all sin but especially of the sin of covetousness yea◠let us look to it lest while we hunt after the worlds venison with Esau we lose our Fathers blessing Can we not warm us at the Sun but we must make an Idoll of it to worship must we needs either hide our faces or bow our knees either renounce all profits and pleasures or be their slaves This is a second use Thirdly this if we seriously consider it may serve for a use of great comfort to the godly and conscientious For if worldlings are so many wayes perplexed and distracted with cares and fears about getting and keeping and lofing their riches and grace estates how happy are the servants of God that are not acquainted with any of them No man sayes the Apostle that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life because he would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldier 2 Tim. 2.4 They cast their care upon God and he careth for them who will see that they shall never want what is good and fit for them Mat. 6.25 30. But in the transgression of an evil man is his snare sayes wise Solomon Prov. 29 6. But of this by the way onely for there are other plagues yet behinde which God usually inflicts upon the merciless miser nor would one of them be left unconsidered CHAP. XVI THe eighth is the loss of his credit and good name which he seldom or never scapes which is not a light punishment however he esteems it The memorial of the just shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot sayes Solomon Prov. 10.7 Yea the cruel and
as he came could receive no other answer then that he for his own part found himselfe very well at ease and they that were not had reason to seek out another seat that might like them better It is but a fable yet the moral is true perspicuous profitable Many shall one day repent that they were happy too soon Many a man cries out Oh that I were so rich so healthful so quiet so happy c. Alas though thou hadst thy wish for the present thou shouldst perhaps be a loser in the sequel The Physician doth not hear his Patient in what he would yet heareth him in taking occasion to do another thing more conducible to his health God loves to give us cools and heats in our desires and will so allay our joyes that their fruition hurt us not he knows that as it is with the body touching meats the greater plenty the less dainty and too long forbearance causeth a Surfet when we come to full food So it fares with the minde touching worldly contentments therefore he feeds us not with the dish but with the spoon and will have us neither cloyed nor famished In this life mercy and misery grief and grace good and bad are blended one with the other because if we should have nothing but comfort Earth would be thought Heaven besides if Christ-tide lasted all the year what would become of Lenâ— If every day were Good-Friday the World would be weary of Fasting Secundus calls death a sleep eternal the wicked mans fear the godly mans wish Where the conscience is clear death is looked for without fear yea desired with delight accepted with devotion why it is but the cessation of trouble the extinction of sin the deliverance from enemies a rescue from Satan the quiet rest of the body and infranchizement of the soul. The Woman great with childe is ever musing upon the time of her delivery and hath not he the like cause when Death is his bridge from wo to glory Though it be the wicked mans ship-wrack 't is the good mans putting into harbour And hereupon finding himself hated persecuted afflicted and tormented by enemies of all sorts he can as willingly leave the World as others can forgo the Court yea as willingly die as dine yea no woman with childe did ever more exactly count her time No Iew did ever more earnestly wish for the Iubile No servant so desires the end of his years No stranger so longs to be at home as he expects the promise of Christs coming It is the strength of his hope the sweet object of his faith in the midst of all sorrows the comfort of his heart the heart of all his comforts the incouragement of his wearied spirits the common clausule the continual period and shutting up of his Prayers Come Lord Iesus come quickly Whereas the Worlds Favourites go as unwillingly from hence as boyes from the midst of a game Neither hath the Rich man so much advantage of the poor in enjoying as the poor hath of the Rich in leaving True Rich men may also learn this slight for the way to grieve less is to love less And indeed what shouldest thou do in case thou seest that the World runs not on thy side but give over the World and be on Gods side Let us care little for the World that cares so little for us Let us cross sail and turn another way let us go forth therefore out of the Camp bearing his reproach for we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Heb. 13.13 14. CHAP. 8. That it keeps them alwayes prepared to the spiritual combate 5 FIfthly the Lord permitteth them often to afflict and assail us to the end we may be alwayes prepared for tribulation as wise Mariners in a calm make all their tackling sure and strong that they may be provided against the next storm which they cannot look to be long without Or as experienced Souldiers in time of peace prepare against the day of battel and so much the rather when they look every day for the approach of the enemy They saith Socrates that set sail into a calme Sea in a fair quiet weather have notwithstanding all instruments and materials ready which may be of use in a tempest so he that enjoyes a prosperous and happy estate if wise doth even in that time prepare for the harder and more cross occurrents and so much the rather because a great calme presageth a sudden storme The people of Laish being rich and wanting nothing grew careless and secure and being secure and mistrusting nothing they were smote with the edge of the sword and had their Citie burnt Iudg. 18. The way to be safe is never to be secure The wals of a City that are not repaired in peace will hardly be mended in a siege Alexander having set his Army in battel-array and finding a Souldier then mending his Armes cashiered him saying That was a time of dealing blows not of preparing weapons We are oft-times set upon to the end that we may continually buckle unto us the whole Armour of God prescribed by Paul Ephes. 6.13 to 19. That we may be alwayes ready for the battel by walking circumspectly not as fools but as wise Ephes. 5.15 Therefore redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Vers. 16. For as those that have no enemies to encounter them cast their armour aside and let it rust because they are secure from danger but when their enemies are at hand and sound the Alarum they both wake and sleep in their armour because they would be ready for the assault So if we were not often in skirmish with our enemies we should lay aside our spiritual armour but when wee have continual use of it we still keep it fast buckled unto us that being armed at all points we may be able to make resistance that we be not surpriz'd at unawars Neither would it be good for us at present if we had not these enemies to stand in awe and fear of but much more inconvenient in divers respects as wise Scipio that mirrour of wisdome told some who with no small joy avouched that the Common-wealth of Rome was now in safe estate seeing they had vanquished the Carthaginians and conquered the inhabitants of Pontus Neither would he for that only reason have Carthage destroy'd because it should hinder Rome from sleeping Yea God himself would have the Hitlites Gargesites Amorites Canaanites Peresites Hivites and Iebusites strong and warlike Nations to be in the midst of Israel lest Israel should sleep in sin and want matter for exercise fight and conquest Here may be felicity with security never with safety The time when the envious man did sowe his seed was whilest men were in bed No servants more orderly use their masters talent then those that ever fear their Masters sudden return No Houshoulder more safe than he who at every watch suspects the Thieves entring Sampson could not be bound till he
glad tidings of the Gospel is now such a spectacle of unspeakable mercy as ravisheth our souls with admiration Many a good word is even spilt upon us till God sets it on with his Rod Naomi will not look home-ward nor we Heaven-ward till the Almighty have dealt very bitterly with us Zippora falls presently to circumcizing her son when she sees her husbands life lies upon it Were it not for temptations we should be concealed from our selves like the inchanted Ass in Lucian which returned to his proper shape again when he saw himself in a Looking-glass So long as we prosper like those wives in Ieremy Chap. 44.17 18. We judge of things by their events and raise our confidence according to the success we have and so bless our selves without being blest of God like the Thief that applauded himself for merciful because he had never kill'd any and yet rather then lose a Ring he would cut off the Travellers finger but strong affections will give credit to weak reasons O how blinde and partial are we before affliction hath humbled us even so stupid that Narcissus-like we are enamoured of our our own shadows bragging we discharge a good conscience when indeed we discharge it quite away and this righteousness in opinion is almost the only cause of all unrighteousness Before want came poverty was more contemptible then dishonesty but now it is disgraceful to none except Fools and Knaves Then we could censure things indifferent and pass by hainous crimes now we are able to distinguish them and so judge righteous judgement Before trouble came we were either ungrounded in the principles of Religion or unconscionable in the practice and by vertue of our mother-wit could post and pass sin from our selves unto some other as Adam laid the fault upon Eve his wife she upon the Serpent and the Serpent upon God Or excuse or extenuate it which saith Fabius is to double it As for original corruption that never troubled us which now we bewail as the Mother and Nurse of all the rest thinking it worthy our sighes yea of our tears and not without need it being the great wheel in the Clock that sets all the wheels a moving while it seems to move slowest Though not one of a hundred taketh it sufficiently to heart as not seeing the evil of it But never did any truly and orderly repent that began not here esteeming it the most foul and hateful of all as David Psal. 51.5 and Paul crying out of it as the most secret deceitful powerful evil Rom. 7.23 24. And indeed if we clearly saw the foulness and deceitfulness of it we would not suffer our eyes to sleep nor our eye-lids to slumber until a happy change had wrought these hearts of ours which by nature are no better then so many Sties of unclean Devils to be habitations for the God of Iacob Apt we were to measure our own good by anothers want of it and to scoâ—f at others infirmities but now other mens sins shall rather be the subjects of our grief then of our discourse Before fear of the law shame of men and such like base ends bare the greatest sway with us yea to please men we could be like certain Pictures that represent to divers beholders at divers stations divers forms but now it is enough to regulate our thoughts words and actions that God seeth and indeed where are brains there needs no more We read that Paphnutius converted Thais and Ephron another famous Strumpet from uncleanness only with this argument That God seeth all things in the dark when the doors are fast the windows shut the curtains drawn Before too much devotion was made an argument of too little discretion and mischief called vertue when it was happy in the success as with the Papists the ostentation of the prosperity of their estate is the best demonstration of the sincerity of their Religion yea and think also they have clipt the wings of prosperity as the Athenians did the wings of Victory that she cannot flie away Before we thought drinking and jovial company the best receit to drive away sadness but now nothing like living well as an Heathen hath confest Once we thought Earth Heaven but now we apprehend the World and glory thereof to be like a beautiful Harlot a Paradise to the eye a Purgatory to the soul. Yea he that before was indifferent in nothing but conscience and no cause so bad but he would undertake it for gain or glory think it well done As Satan prevails chiefly by deception of our reason whereby we mistake vertue for vice and vice for vertue wherein he imitates Hannibal who having overcome the Romans put on their Armour and so his Souldiers being taken for Romans won a City by that policy and to this purpose what stone so rough but he can smooth it What Stuff so pitiful but he can set a gloss upon it Like a Bear he can lick into fashion the most mishapen and deformed lump or like a Dog heal any wound he can reach with his tongue yea what golden Eloquence will he whisper in our ear What brazen impudence What subtil shifts What quaint qnircks What cunning conveyances What jugling shuffling and packing will he use to make any sin feazable like the Hare which if she dare not trust to her speed she will try the turn and so on the contrary to discourage us in good shewing each thing as it were in triangular Glasses among the Opticks which will represent a way so foul so deep that 't is impassable as if it were all covered with Tapistry But as he pleads now with Eloquence so when he sees his time he will speak with Thunder Even such a man I say now hath his eyes opened to discern good and evil when God speaks and when Satan for Gods chastisements are pills made on purpose to clear the sight and vertue if it be clearly seen moves great love and affection as Plato speaks Yea when to our cost we can Adam-like see good from evill clearly the subtile Serpent can deceive no longer whereas before we were easily deceived and led away with the multitude into innumerable errors Yea if the fish did know of the hook or the bird did but see the net though they have but the understanding of fishes and birds yet they would let the bait alone fly over the net and let the Fowler whistle to himselfe Thus Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his scourges our schoolmasters his chastisements our advertisements And commonly the soul waxeth as the body wayneth is wisest to prescribe when the bones and sinews are weakest to execute neither do we hereby become wise for our own souls good only but affliction makes us wise and able to do others good also that are in any the like affliction Blessed be God saith Saint Paul which comforteth us in all our afflictions that we may be able to comfort them which
Yea let death happen it matters not When a Malefactor hath sued out his pardon let the Assises come when they will the sooner the better But to this is added the peace of conscience the marrow of all comforts otherwise called the peace of God which passeth all understanding and surpasseth all commending and never did man finde pleasure upon earth like the sweet testimony of an appeased conscience reconciled unto God cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and quieted by the presence of the holy Ghost Yea hadst thou who most dotest upon the world but these comforts thou wouldest not change them for all that Satan once offered to our Saviour and are now accepted by many O good life saith an Ancient Father what a Ioy art thou in time of distresse And another Sweet is the felicity of that man whose works are just and whose desires are innocent though he be in Phaleris Bull. For these are priviledges which make Paul happier in his chain of Iron than Agrippa in his chain of Gold and Peter more merry under stripes than Caiphas upon the Iudgment-seat and Steven the like For though he was under his persecutors for outward condition yet he was far above them for inward consolation Neither had wealthy Craesus so much riches in his coffers as poor Iob had in his conscience Yea how can he be miserable that hath Christ and all his merits made sure to him that hath his Name written in Heaven yea that is already in Heaven for where our desires are there our selves are And the heavenly-minded live not so much where they live as where they love that is to say in Christ Surely his soul must be brim full of brave thoughts that is able to refresh himself with this Meditation God is my Father the Church my Mother Christ the Iudge my elder Brother and Advocate the holy Ghost my Comforter the Angels mine attendance all the Creatures mine for use the stock of the Churches Prayers mine for benefit the world mine Iune Heaven my home God is alwayes with me before me within me overseeing me I talk with him in Prayer he with me in his word c. Sure if these be the accustomed meals of a good soul it cannot chuse but keep naturall heat from decaying and make it happy But behold yet a greater priviledge These comforts do not only support and refresh us and so supply our losses in common calamities but even in the midst of tortures and torments which otherwise were intollerable The naturall mans stomack cannot of all enemies endure hunger yea a prison where he must alwayes lie under hatches makes him all amort but worthy Hawkes could clap his hands for joy in the midst of the flames And Vincentius as Luther reports made a sport of his torments and gloried when they made him go upon hot burning coales as if they had been Roses And another that I read of say My good friends I now finde it true indeed he that leaveth all to follow Christ shall have in this world centuplum a hundred fold more I have it in that centuplum peace of conscience with me at parting And this made Ignatius say he had rather be a Martyr then a Monark Nor did he ever like himself before he was thus tryed for when he heard his bones crush between the wild beasts teeth he said now I begin to be a Christian. And Anaxarchus being laid along in a Trough of stone and smitten with Iron sledges by the appointment of Nicocreon the Tyrant of Cyprus ceased not to cry out strike smite and beat it is not Anaxarchus but his vail you martyr so And a Child in Iosephus being all rent to death with biting snippers at the commandment of Antiochus could cry with a loud assured and undaunted voice Tyrant thou losest time loe I am still at mine ease what is that smarting pain where are those torments which whilome thou didst so threaten me withall my constancy more troubles thee than thy cruelty me And how many more of those Martyrs in Queen Maryes Raign were even ravished before they could be permitted to die so great and so passing all expressing is the peace and comfort of a good conscience Now as the Priests of Mercury when they eat their figgs and honey cried out O how sweet is truth so if the worst of a Beleevers life in this world be so sweet how sweet shall his life be in Heaven but I le hold you no longer in this A man that hath his sins pardoned is never compleatly miserable till conscience again turns his enemy whereas on the contrary take the most happy worldling that ever was if he have not his sins pardoned he is compleatly wretched though he sees it not suppose him Emperour of the whole world as Adam when he was in Paradise and Lord of all what did it avail him so long as he had a tormentor within a self-condemning conscience which told him that God was his enemy and knew no other then that hell should be his everlasting portion Certainly this like a damp could not chuse but put out all the lights of his pleasure so that Paradise it self was not Paradise to him which is the case of all wicked men be they never so great never so seemingly happy True wicked men think the godly lesse merry and more miserable than themselves yea some that mirth and mischief are only sworn brothers but this is a foundationlesse opinion For first no man is miserable because another so thinks him Secondly Gods word teacheth and a good conscience findeth that no man can be so joyfull as the faithfull though they want many things which others may have St Austin before his conversion could not tell how he should want those delights he then found so much contentment in but after when his nature was changed when he had another spirit put into him then he sayes O how sweet is it to be without those former sweet delights Indeed carnall men laugh more but that laughter is only the hypocrisie of mirth they rejoyce in the face only and not in the heart as the Apostle witnesseth 2 Cor. 5.12 or as another hath it Where O God there wants thy grace Mirth is onely in the face Yea their own consciences bear me witnesse as that Spanish Iudge well considered who when a murther was committed in a tumultuous crowd of people bared all their bosomes and feeling upon their brests discovered the guilty Author by the panting of his heart And Tully who makes it an argument of Roscius Amerinus Innocency that he killed not his Father because he so securely slept Yea 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 tears of those that pray are sweeter than the joyes of the Theatre saith St Augustin for our cheeks may run down with tears and yet our mouthes sing forth praises the face may be pale yet
how peevishly averse they are to their own eternal salvation let us pity them as being so much more worthy our commiseration as they are more uncapable of their own misery And so much of the First sort namely Sensuallists Sect. 43. SEcondly There is another degree of Knowledge that is accrued or obtained by education and learning observation and experience called natural or speculative knowledge or reason improved For humane learning is as oyl to the lamp of our reason and makes it burn cleerer but faith and illumination of the spirit more than doubles the sight of our minds as a prospective glass does the corporal sight Matth. 16.17 1 Cor. 2.7 to 17. Joh. 12 46. For as the soul is the lamp of the body and 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 Eph. 5.14 Christ is the sun of the soul reason and faith the two eyes reason discerns natural objects faith spiritual and supernatural We may see far with our bodily eye sence farther with the minds eye reason but farther with the souls eye faith than with both And the Beleever hath the addition of Gods spirit and faith above all other men I am the light of the world saith our Saviour he that â—olloweth me meaning by a lively faith shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life Joh. 8.12 and more see two eyes than one yea the day with one eye does far more things descry than night can do with more than Argos eyes So that as meer sense is uncapable of the rules of reason so reason is no less uncapable of the things that are divine and supernatural Jer. 10.14 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. Eph. 5.8 And as to speak is only proper to men so to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven is only propper to believers Psal. 25.14 Prov. 3.32 Amos. 3.7 Now of natural and speculative knowledge the wicked have as large a share as the godly but of spiritual experimental and saving knowledge which is supernatural and descendeth from above Jam. 3.17 and keepeth a man from every evil way Prov. 2.12 the wicked have no part with the godly Whence all men in their natural condition are said to be blind and in darkness Matth. 4.16 15.14 Eph. 4.18 19. 5.8 Whereas believers are called children of light and of the day 1 Thes. 5.5 1 Pet. 2.9 Nor is this kind of knowledge any way attainable but by Grace from above No learning experience or pains in studdy and Books will bring them to it Ephe. 1.17 18. 3.19 except they become new creatures have hearts eyes and eares sanctified from above and that the holy Ghost becomes their teacher Deut. 29.2 3 4. Psal. 111.10 Joh. â—â— 15 Rom. 8.14 15. Nor is it saving knowledge that they seek after For though many of them be great seekers after knowledge great pains-takers to become wise yet it is not divine and supernatural knowledge that they labor for or desire Indeed wisdom in the largest sense hath ever carried that shew of excellency with it that not only the good have highly affected it as Moses who studied for wisdom and Solomon who prayed for wisdom and the Queen of Sheba who travelled for wisdom and David who to get wisdom made the word his counsellor hated every false way and was a man after Gods own heart but the very wicked have labored for it who are ashamed of other vertues as O the pleasure that rational men take in it Prov. 2.3 10 11. 10.14 Phil. 3.8 Knowledge is so fair a virgin that every cleer eye is in love with her it is a pearl despised of none but swine Prov. 2.3.10.11 whereas brutish and blockish men as little regard it they who care not for one dram of goodness would yet have a full scale of knowledge Amongst all the trees of the garden none so pleaseth them as the tree of knowledge And as wisdom is excellent above all so it is affected of all as oyl was both of the wise and foolish virgins It hath been a mark that every man hath shot at ever since Eve sought to be as wise as her Maker but as a hundreth shoot for one that hitts the white so an hundred aim at wisdom for one that lights upon it Eccles. 7.28 because they are mistaken in the thing For as Iacob in the dark mistook Leah for Rachael so many a blind soul takes that to be wisdom which is not like Eve who thought it wisdom to eate the forbidden fruit and Absalom who thought it wisdom to lye with his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all the people and the false Steward who thought it wisdom to deceive his Master And so of Josephs brethren of Pharoah and his deep counsellors of Achitophel of Herod of the Pharisees in their project to destroy Jesus and many the like All these thought they did wisely but they were mistaken and their projects proved foolish and turned to their own ruine Sect. 44. BUt take some Instances to prove that all sorts of Naturians are Fools in comparrison of the Godly I 'le begin with those that repuâ—e themselves and are reputed by others the wisest amongst men And they are your profound Humanists and cunning Polititians wherein you shall see whether the most and greatest number are not grosly mistaken in their opinions and verdicts touching Wisdom First for profound Humanists a man would think that they were incomparably wise for none so thirst after knowledge and wisdom as they to get it they are no niggards of their labor nor do they leave any thing unstudied but themselves They know all parts and places of the created world can discourse of every thing visible and invisible divine humane and mundane whether it be meant of substances or accidents are ignorant of nothing but the way to heaven are acquainted with all Laws and customs save the Law of God and customs of Christianity they are strangers no where but in the court of their own consciences Yea they build as hard and erect as high as did the Babel-builders but all to no purpose they never come to the roof and when they die they are undone They spend all their time in seeking after wisdom as Alchimists spend all their estates to find out the Philosophers stone but never find it they never attain to that which is true wisdom indeed For as the ragged Poet told Petronius that Poetry was a kind of learning that never made any man rich so humane learning of it self never made a wise man As thus if I may be so bold what is it or what does it profit a man to have the etymologie and derivation of wisdome and knowledge without being affected with that which is true wisdom indeed to be able to decline vertue yet not love it to have the theory be able to prattle of wisdom by rote yet not
who heretofore gloried in my lawless liberty am now to be enclosed in the very claws of Satan as the trembling Partridge within the griping tallons of the ravening and devouring Falcon. Oh Cursed be the day when I was born and the time when my mother conceived me c. Job 3. Sect. 6. And so death having given thee thy fatal stroke the Devil shall seize upon or snatch away thy soul so soon as it leaves thy body Luk. 12.20 and hale the hence into the bottomless lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where she is to be kept in chains of darkness until the general judgment of the great day Jude 6 7. 1 Pet. 3.19 Rev. 21.8 Thy body in the mean time being cast into the earth expecting a fearfull resurrection when it shall be re-united to thy soul that as they sinned together so they may be everlastingly tormented together Heb. 10.27 At which general Iudgment Christ sitting upon his Throne Joh. 5.22 shall rip up all the Benefits he hath bestowed on thee and the miseries he hath suffered for thee and all the ungodly deeds that thou hast committed and all the hard speeches which thou hast spoken against him and his holy ones Jude 15. Eccles. 12.14 11.9 Within thee shall be thine own conscience more then a thousand witnesses to accuse thee the Devils who tempted thee to all thy lewdness shall on the â—ne side testifie with thy conscience against thee 〈◊〉 on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approv 〈…〉 thee all the world burning with flaming fire above thee an irefull Iudg of deserved vengeance ready to pronounce his heavy sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomless pit gaping to receive thee Isa. 5.11 14. And in this wofull and dolefull condition thou must stand forth to receive with other Reprobates this thy sentence Rom. 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 Depart from me there is a separaâ—ion from all joy and happiness ye cursed there is a black and direfull excommunication into fire there is the extremity of pain everlasting there is the perpetuity of punishment prepared for the Devil and his Angels there are thy infernal tormenting and tormented companions Matth. 25.41 O terrible sentence from which there is no escaping withstanding excepting or appealing Then O then shall thy mind be tormented to think how for the love of abortive pleasures which even perished before they budded thou haâ—t so foolishly lost Heavens joyes and incurred hellish pains which last to all eternity Luke 16.24 25. Thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder when thou calleâ—t to mind how often Christ by his Ministers offered thee remission of sins and the Kingdom of Heaven freely if thou wouldst but believe and repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes How near thou wast many times to have repented and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still in impenitency and how the day of mercy is now past and will never dawn again Thy understanding shall be racked to consider how for momentary riches thou hast lost eternal treasure and exchanged Heavens felicity for Hells misery where every part and faculty both of thy body and soul shall be continually and alike tormented without intermission or dismission of pain or from it and be for ever deprived of the beatifical sight of God wherein consists the soveraign good and life of the soul. Thou shalt never see light nor the least sight of joy but lye in a perpetual prison of utter darkness where shall be no order but horrour no voice but howling and blaspheming no noise but screeching and gnashing of teeth no society but of the Devil and his Angels who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their fury in tormenting thee Matth. 13.42 25.36 c. Where shall be punishment without any pity misery without any mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort malice without measure torment without ease Rev. 14.10 11. Where the wrath of God shall seize upon thy soul and body as the flame of fire does on the lump of pitch or brimstone Dan. 7.10 In which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dead ever roaring in the pangs of death and never rid of those pangs nor expecting â—â—d of thy pains So that after thou hast endured them so many thousand years as there are blades of grass on the earth or sands in the Sea 〈◊〉 on the heads of all the sons of Adam from the first to the last born 〈◊〉 there have been creatures in Heaven and Earth thou shalt be no nearer 〈◊〉 and of thy torments than thou wast the very first day that thou 〈…〉 into them yea so far are they 〈…〉 that they are ever 〈…〉 damned soul could but conceive some hope that those torments should have an end this would be some comfort to think that at length an â—nd will come but as often as thy mind shall think of this word never and thou shalt ever be thinking of it it will rend thy heart in pieces with â—â—ge and hideous lamentation as giving still new life to those unsufferable sorrows which exceed all expression or imagination It will be another hell in the midst of hell Wherefore consider seriously what I say and that while the compassionate arms of Iesus Christ lye open to receive you and do thereafter Prov. 1.24 c. Take warning by Pharaoh's example who in the Rich mans scalding torments hath a Discite à me Learn of me Luke 16.23 c. For he can testifie out of wofull experience that if we will not take warnâ—ing by the Word that gentle warner the next shall be harder the third and fourth harder than that yea as all the ten plagues did exceed one another so the eleventh single exceeds them altogether Innumerable are the curses of God against sinners Deut. 28. but the â—ast is the worst comprehending and transcending all the rest The fearfullest plagues God still reserves for the upshot all the former do but make way for the last Hâ—ll in Scripture is called a Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and than the torment of the former what more acute than the smell of the latter what more noysome CHAP. XX. Sect. 1. THus I say shall they be bid Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire c. while on the contrary the same Christ shall say unto the other Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world Mat. 25 34. Which Kingdom is a place where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heared neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 A place where there shall be no evil present nor good absent Heb. 9.12 Mat. 6.20 In comparison whereof all the Thrones and Kingdoms upon earth are less than the drop of a bucket Deut. 10.14
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
easily know by their language For Swearing and Cursing is the very language of the damned as you may see Revel 16.1 21. Onely they learn it 〈◊〉 before they come in Hell As whence do 〈…〉 Devils learn this their damnable Cursing and Swearing Are not their tongues fired and edged from Hell as St. Iames hath it Iames 3.6 And doth not experience shew that the language of hell is so familiar with many of them that blasphemy is become their mother tongue Trâ—e these poor simple souls know none of all this as those four hundred of Ahabs Prophets in whom this â—vil Spirit spake did not know that Satan spake by them 1 King 22.22 Neither did Iudas know when he eat the sop that Satan entered into him and put it into his heart to betray Christ Iohn 13.2 Nor do Magistrates when they cast the Servants of God into Prison once imagine that the Devil makes them his Iaylors but he doth so They are his Instruments but he is the Principal Authour as is plain by Rev. 2.10 Neither did Annanias and Sapphira once think that Satan had filled their hearts or put that lye into their mouthes for which they were strook dead Act. 5. yet the Holy Ghost tells us plainly that he did so vers 3. Nor Eve in Paradise had not the least suspition that it was Satan that spake to her by the Serpent Nor Adam that it was the Devils mind in her mouth his heart in her lips when tempted to eat the forbidden fruit Nor did David once dream that it was Satan who moved him to number the people 1 Chron. 21.1 Much less did Peter who so loved Christ imagine that he was set on by Satan to tempt his own Lord and Master with those affectionate words Master pitty thy self For if Christ had pittied himself Peter and all the world had perished Yet it was so which occasioned Christ to answer him Get thee behind me Satan Matth. 16.22 23. Much more is it so with you who tare Heaven with your blasphemies and bandy the dreadfull Name of God in your impure and poluted mouthes by your bloody Oathes and Execrations For how else could you Swear and Curse as if he that made the ear could not hear or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise drowned the old world rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quick Korah and his company He who smote Aegypt with so many plagues overthrew Phoraoh and his host in the Red Sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their Land for an Inheritance to his people and can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soul into Hell for your odious unthankfullness yea it is a mercy beyond expression that he hath spared you so long When a dog flyes in his Masters face that keeps him we conclude he is mad Are you then rational men that being never so little crost will fly in your Makers face and tare your Saviours-Name in pieces with Oathes and Execrations which is worse than frenzy No you are demoniacal obsessed or rather posessed with a Devil and more miserable than such an one because it is a Devil of your own choosing as Basil speaks Or if you have any spark of reason left oâ— do in the least love your selves leave off your damnable and devilish Sweating and 〈…〉 God hath made and set down in his Word against this horrid sinne and against all those that so daringly and audaciously provoke him lest you be plagued with a witness and that both here and hereafter for God who cannot lie hath threatened that his curse shall never depart from the house of the Swearer as it is Zach. 5.1 to 5. And I doubt not but you are already cursed though you know it not That either he hath cursed you in your body by sâ—nding some foul Disease or in your estate by suddenly consuming it or in your name by blemishing and blasting it or in your seed by not prospering it or in your mind by darkening it or in your heart by hardening it or in your conscience by terrifying it or will in your soul by everlastingly damning it if you repent not Wherefore take heed what you do before it prove too late Yea my Brethren bethink your selves what God and Christ hath done for you It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breathe the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloathes that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that chear us the bâ—asts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in Hell there to fry in flames never to be freed that we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in Heaven hereafter we are onely beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us Shall we most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledg and conscience I wish that you would a little think of it Neither object that ye are so accustomed to Swearing that you cannot leave it for this defence is worse than the offence As take an instance Shall a thief or murtherer at the Bar alledge for his defence that it hath been his use and custome of a long time to rob and kill and therefore he must continue it Or if he do will not the Judge so much the rather send him to the Gallows And so much the rather for that of all other sins this sin of Swearing is the most inexcusable First Because it is a sin from which of all other sins we have most power of abstinence For were you forced to pay three shillings four pence for every Oath you swear as the Law enjoyns or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down Iam. 5.12 you both could and would leave it Secondly Because it is a sin to which of all other sins we have the fewest temptations for all thou canst expect by it is the suspicion of a common Lyar by being a common Swearer or that thou shalt vex otheâ—s and they shall hate thee for it bringeth not so much as any appearance of good unto us to induce us For whereas other sins have their several baits to allure us some the bait of profit some of honour some of pleasure this sin is destitute of them all and onely bringeth much loss here namely of Credit and a good Conscience and the loss of Gods Favour and the Kingdome of Heaven hereafter which 〈◊〉 of more value than ten thousand Worlds which shews that thou lo 〈…〉 lice to
observation Sacrilege is the greatest theft yet of it men make the least conscienceâ— But lastly You make your selves not only guilty of persecution theft sacrilege of murdering bodies and souls of provoking God to send a famine of his Word and the like but you become by it guilty of high treason against God in thus using his Ambassadors and against Christ and all his members For besides that all the disgraces and wrongs that are done to Christs Ministers redound to him and he that â—raduceth or any way wrongs a Minister for the discharge of his place his envy strikes at the Image of God in him as a world of places prove So the very root or spring of this their spight and enmity against the Ministry is an inbred enmity and hatred against God himself As when Satan slew Iobs sons and servants his malice was against Iob Or as when Saul darted a spear Ionathan his spight was against David And accordingly God takes what is done to his messengers as done to himself as in that case of David sending his Ambassadors to the King of Ammon 2 Sam. 10.6 7. They have not cast thee away says God to Samuel but they have cast me away that I should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 You are gathered together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him Numb 16.11 and the like Exod. 16.7 8. Luke 10 1â— Ioh. 15.23 24. Ioh. 7.7 He that despiseth you despiseth me 1 Sam. 17.45 Isa. 37.23 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 Rev. 16.9.11 Psal. 89.23 9 ¶ Which being so how does it behove you to look to your selves and bewail this sin this horrible and desperate sin Was there ever any that was stout against the Lord and prospered as Iob speaks Iob 9.4 When the Pitcher contends with the Rock straw with the fire it is easie to judge who will come by the worst And certainly if most men were not both blinde and mad they would more respect the Ministry For if I understand any thing of the Word of God or know what rectified reason is there is not a sin in the Nation that so hinders the blessings or pulls down the judgments of God upon us as does this very sin And yet it is not more provoking then it is a common sin How it will be answered to their Lord and master at the great day I tremble to think Can you answer it then with flashes of wit or carnal reasons as you do now I beseech you look to it Nor is our love or hatred to God any way better known then by our respect to and usage of his Ambassadors Lip-love is but lying love If you love me keep my commandments says our Saviour Ioh. 14.15 Wherefore let my counsel be acceptable Break off your sins by repentance kick no more against the pricks Refrain your selves from these men and let them alone lest ye be found even fighters against God Acts 5.38 39. Nor will it ever repent you if you come in Heaven that you were stopt in this your way to destruction Yea let the consideration of what you have already done make you sink down with shame and tremble for astonishment to think that notwithstanding you have been so many years in arms against your Maker and Redeemer and most spightfully and maliciously persecuted his Ambassadors that came to rescue you from the subtlery and slavery of Satan that bloody devouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankinde yet God hath no taken the advantage of casting you into Hell but of his never enough admired mercy hath spared you to this hour whereas he might most justly have prevented all in sending you body and soul into everlasting torments when you were but a span long For know this that we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us Yea we were condemned so soon as conceived And that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell-flames never to be freed no reason can be alâ—â—adged but O the depth Wherefore take heed in time and as you tender the good of your own souls defer not a minute but study and bestir your selves how you may make your peace with God Yea do it while the yerning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Iesus Christ lie open to receive you whiles ye have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God As you tender I say the everlasting happiness and welfare of your almost lost and drowned souls As you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endless bliss and glory at the last As you shall escape the direfull wrath of God the bitter doom and sentence of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul-scorching flames of Hell and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure and utterly renounce this accursed sin Oh get an interest in Christ For till we become members of his mystical body by regeneration and a lively faith we even the bâ—st of us are as Traitors condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell-fire â—eing onely reprieved for a time O bless God all the dayes you live yea to eternity that the gate of mercy yet stands open 10 ¶ But withal take hold of the opportunity before the Draw-briâ—ge be taken up lest you never have the like again Do not dally with God and your own souls for if this warning be slighted never look for the like For warning such a warning not taking is a certain presage of destruction Pro. 29.1 1.24 25 26. The sons of Eli would not hearken unâ—â— nor obey the voice of their Father why because saith the Text the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 I know saith the Prophet to Amaziah the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsel 2 Chron. 25.16 20. Whereas contrarily the Ninevites by hearkning to Ionah and those very murtherers of the Lord of life by listening to Peter were converted and saved Acts 2.36 37. O take heed of preferring your own carnal reason before the written were of God And that what is spoken of Babel may not be verified in you We would have cured him but he would not be cured lest you be given to destruction as she was What sayes our Saviour This is the condemnation noâ— like this that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather thâ—â— light because their deeds were evil Iohn 3.19 20. Indeed if you will rather beleeve Satan or his sollicitor the Flesh or be led by the perswasions of your own flattering heart which is deceitfull above all things and most desperately evil Ier. 17.9 No marvel you should be deaf to all hath been said 〈◊〉 thinking your selves already good enough and then farwel all hope of being better For the opinion of mens being wise and
heaven earth nor hell could have yeelded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then The eternall God would dye viz. so far as was possible or necessary that we might not dye eternally Iohn 3.16 A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men o◠〈…〉 were his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan as now you doe not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto 3. § O my brethren bethink your selves It is his maintenance we take and live on The air we breath the earth we tread on the fire that warms us the water that cools and cleanseth us the cloaths that cover us the food that does nourish us the delights that cheer us the beasts that serve us the Angels that attend us even all are his That we are not at this present in hell there to fry in flames never to be freed That we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory in heaven hereafter we are only beholding to him And shall we deny this Lord that hath bought us shall we most spightfully and maliciously fight on Satans side against him with all our might and that against knowledge and conscience I wish you would a little think of it 4. § For favours bestowed and deliverances from danger bind to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings requires retribution of thanks or will bring distribution of judgments And certainly if a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient And in reason Hath God done so much for us and shall we denye him any thing he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our sins most of all this sottish and damnable sin in which there is neither profit nor pleasure nor credit nor any thing else to provoke or intice us unto it as in other sins for all you can expect by it is the suspicion of common Lyers by being common Sweaâ—ers Or that you shall vex others and they shal hate you Whereas if we could give Christ our Bodyes and Souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them Yea swearing and cursing are sins from which of all other sins we have the most power to abstain For were you forced to pay three shillings four pence for every oath and curse you utter as the Law enjoins or if you were sure to have your tongue cut out which is too light a punishment for this sin â— damnation being the due penalty thereof as the Apostle sets it down Iames 5.12 you both could and would leave it which alone makes it altogether inexcusable And this know that the easier the thing commanded is the greater guilt in the breach of it and the lighter the injuncâ—ion the heavier the transgression as Austin speaks and Adams eating the forbidden fruit sufficiently proves So that it is evident you love this sin meerly because it is a great sin and blaspheme out of meer malice to 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 transgresse without a cause Psal. 25.3 And no marvell that this fearfull imprecation should fall from the Prophetâ— mouth for that man is bottomlesly ill who loves vice meerly because 〈…〉 digious damnable wretch who rather then not die will anger God on set purpose Wherefore looke to it and think of it you cursing and cursed Swearers You swear away your salvation curse away your blessing Howling and Cursing shall be your chief ease in Hell to whom blasphemy was an especiall recreation on Earth 5. § Argue with all the world and they will conclude there is no vice like ingratitude And meer ingratitude returns nothing for good but you return evill yea the greatest and most malicious evill for the greatest and most admired love It was horrible ingratitude for the Iewes to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies inlightned their mindes of God became Man and lived miserably among them many years that he might save their souls though in killing him they did their utmost to sinke the only ship that could save them but you are more ingratefull to God and Christ then they were or can be exprest by the best Oratour alive For which read more in a Treatise intituled Gods goodnesse and Englands unthankfulnesse from Chapter 4. to Chapter 7. 6. § O that you would but consider that the Lord Iehovah who is a God great and terrible of most glorious majesty and infinite purity hears and beholds you in all places and in every thing you think speak or do who is a just Judge and will not let this cursed sin go unpunished then would you keep a narrower watch over your thoughts then any other can do over your actions yea you would assoon stab a dagger to your hearts as let such oaths and execrations drop from your mouths whereas now you swear and curse as if he that made the ear could not hear or as if he were neither to be feared nor cared for who for sin cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise drowned the old world râ—â—â—ed down fire and brimstone upon Sodome commanded the earth to open her mouth and swallow down quick Corah and his companie he who smote Egypt with so many plagues overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea destroyed great and mighty Kings giving their land for an inheritance to his people and can as easily with a word of his mouth strike you dead while you are blaspheming him and cast you body and soul into Hell for your odious unthankfulnesse yea it is a mercie beyond expression that he hath spared you so long Consider of it I beseech you lest you swear away your part in that bloud which must save you if ever you be saved yea take heed lest you be plagued with a witnesse and that both here and hereafter for God who cannot lie hath threatned that his curse shall never depart from the house of the Swearer as it is Zach. 5.1 to 5. And I doubt not but you are already cursed though you know it not That either he hath cursed you in your bodie by sending some foul disease or in your estate by suddainly consuming iâ— or in your name by blemishing and blasting it or in your seed by not prospering it or in your minde by darkning it or in your heart by hardning it or in your conscience by
anguish of death he started up in his bed and sware by the former oath that bell toled for him whereupon immediately the bloud most fearfully issued as it were in streams from all parts of his body not one place left free and so dyed Popiel King of Poland had over this wish in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rats might eat me and so it came to passe for he was so assailed by them at a banquet that neither his guards nor fire nor water could defend him from them as Munster mentions The Iews said Let his bloud be upon us and upon our children and what followed sixteen hundred years are now past since they wished themselves thus wretched and have they not ever since been the hate and scorne of the world Did they not many of them live to see their City buried in ashes and drowned in bloud to see themselves no Nation Was there ever any people under heaven that was made so fa 〈…〉 〈…〉 Nor is it seldome that God payes them in their own coin men prophane Gods name and he makes their names to stinke When the pestilence rageth in our streets blasphemy and execration must confesse that they have their dâ—e wages Blasphemers live swearing and dye raving it is but their wages 2. § He punisheth some in the Suburbs of hell that they might never come into the City it self The evill he now suffers uncorrected he refers to be condemned Sin knows the doom it must smart here or hereafter Outward plagues are but favour in comparison of spirituall judgments and spirituall judgments but light to eternall torments God does not punish all flagitious sinners here that he may allow some space to repent and that none may doubt his promise of a Generall Iudgement nor does he forbear all here lest the world should deny his providence and question his justice MEMB. 6. 1. § But what do I urge reason to men of a reprobate judgment to admonish them is to no more purpose then if one should speak to life-lesse stones or sense-lesse plants or wit-lesse beasts for they will never fear any thing till they be in Hell fire wherefore God leaves them to be confuted with fire and brimstone since nothing else wil doe it If there be any here that beleeve a Resurrection as I hope better things of some of you all such I would beseech by the mercies of God before mentioned that they would not be so desparately wicked as to mock their admonisher scoff at the means to be saved and make themselves merry with their owne damnations but that they would entertain this messuage as if it were an Epistle sent from God himself to invite and call them to repentance Yea consider seriously what I have said and do not Oh do not mock at Gods Word nor sport away your souls into those pains which are easelesse endlesse and remedilesse Shal we give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak Mat. 12.36 and never give a reckoning for our wicked swearing and cursing we shall be judged by our words v. 37. Are you willing to be saved if you are Break off your sins by repentance Dan. 4.27 Cease to do evill learn to doe well Isai. 1.16.17 Seriously grieve and bewail for the millions of times that you have blasphemed God and pierced your Saviour and never more commit the like impiety Yea doe not only leave your swearing but fear an Oath and make conscience of it resolve not to take the glorious name of God in vain nor place any otheâ— creature in his roome though the Devill should say unto you as once hâ— did to Christ All this will I give thee For it is not enough that we abstained from evill unlesse we hate it also and doe the contrary good Sanctifie the Lord God in your heart 1 Pet. 3.15 Make a covenant with your mouth as Joâ— did with his eyes and set a watch before the door of your lips that you thuâ— offend not with your tongue Psal. 141.3 2. § Which if you doe rightly the like care to avoid all other sins wilâ— necessarily follow because he that fears to commit one sin out of conscience and because God forbids it will upon the same ground fear all the 〈…〉 commit it as that God should never impure it 2 Tim. 2.19 Neither can a regenerate mind consist with a determination to continue in any one sin as when Christ cast out one Devill we read that he cast out all even the whole Legion Mark 5.2 c. And he that makes not some consience of all sin makes no true conscience of any sin And the same is to be understood also of duties commanded for the same law which injoins us to hate and for sake all sin commands us also to strive after universal obedience to every precept And it is a true rule he that hath not in him all Christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all He that is not sanctified in every part is truly sanctified in no part 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 Mat. 5.48 2 Tim. 3.17 2 Cor. 7.1 And the least sin allowed of be it but a vaine thought or one duty omitted is enough to cast thee into hell for the wages of sin any sin be it never so little is death Rom. 6.23 Jam. 1.15 Yea admit thou hadst never acted any the least evill in all thy life it were not enough to save thee from hell much lesse to bring thee to heaven for we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the World with us Gen. 2.17 Psal. 51.5 Rom. 5.12 Whence the new born child in the law was commanded to offer a sin offering Lev. 12.6 3. § Wherefore as you tender the good of your own soul set upon the work presently before the Drawbridge be taken up provide with Ioseph for the dearth to come With Noah in the days of thine hâ—alth build the Ark of a good conscience against the floods of sicknesse Imitate the Ant who provides her meat in Summer for the Winter following Yea do it whilst the yearning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Jesus Christ lie open to receive you Whiles you have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God in Christ as you tender I say the everlasting happinesse wel-fare of your almost lost and drowned soul as you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endlesse blisse and glory at the last As you would escape the direful wrath of God the bitter sentence and doom of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul scorching flames of hel and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure utterly renounce all wilfull and affected evill and in the first place this abominable sin of swearing and cursing 4. § The which Grace if you
himself into the Sea Yea in case he sustain any great loss he is ready to make himself away as Menippus of Phenicia did who having lost his goods strangled himself Or like Dinarcus Phidon who at a certain loss cut his own throat to save the charge of a cord At least he feels more sorrow in losing his mony then ever he found pleasure in getting it nor will any condition content him for the lightness of his purse gives him an heavy heart which yet filled doth fill him with more care His medicin is his malady These rich men are no less troubled with that they possess lest they should lose it then poor men are for that they want In the day time he dares not go abroad for fear of robbing nor stay at home for fear of killing His thoughts are so troubled with fear of thieves that he cannot that he dares not sleep yea he fears a thief worse then the devil therefore will he be beholding to the devil for a spell to save him from the thief which once obtained a little Opium may rock his cares asleep and help him to a golden dream for all his minde and heart is to get mony if waking he talks of nothing but earth if sleeping he dreams of it Lastly as if all his delight were to vex himself he pines himself away with distrustful fear of want and projecting how he shall live hereafter and when he is old resembling Ventidius the Poet who would not be perswaded but he should dye a begger And Apicius the Romane who when he cast up his accounts and found but an hundered thousand crowns left murthered himself for fear he should be famished to death CHAP. XII SEventhly To the former miseries which a cruel Miser is justly plagued withall this may be added the dolefulness of his conscience for the sin of oppression lyes upon the soul as heavy as lead yea as the shaddow does ever follow the body so fear and desperation in all places and at all times do wait upon an evil conscience Sin armes a man against himself our peace ever ends with our innocency A Pithagorean bought a pair of shoos upon trust the Shoomaker dyes he is glad thinks them gained but a while after his conscience twitches him and becomes a continual chider he hereupon repairs to the house of the dead casts in his money with these words There take thy due thou livest to me though dead to all beside Micha stole from his mother eleven hundred shekels of silver but his complaining conscience made him to accuse himself and restore it again Iudg. 17. Il gotten goods lye upon the conscience as raw meat upon a sick stomack which will never let a man be well or at ease untill he hath cast it up again by restitution Means ill gotten is to the getter as the Angels book was to Saint Iohn When he eat it it was in his mouth as sweet as hony but when he had eaten it it became in his stomack as bitter as gall Rev. 10.10 The which is notably illustrated Iob 20.12 to 20. which together with the whole Chapter is marvellous good for cruel and unmerciful men to read for I may not stand here to repeat it Sweetness is promised in the bread of deceit but men finde it as gravel crashing between their teeth Nor will his troubled conscience suffer him to steal a sound sleep yea he sleeps as unquietly as it his pillow were stuft with Lawyers per-knives I may give ye a hint of these things from the word but onely God and he can tell how the remembrance of his forepast cozenages and oppression occasions his guilty conscience many secret wrings and pinches and gives his heart many a sore lash to increase the fear and horror of his soul every time he calls the same to remembrance which is not seldom As O poor wretches what do they indure how are they immerged in the horrors of a vulned conscience there is more ease in a nest of Hornets then under the sting of such a tormenting conscience He that hath this plague is like a man in debt who suspecteth that every bush he sees is a Sergant to arest and carry him away to prison It was Gods curse upon Cain when he had slain his brother Abel to suspect and fear that every one he met would kill him yea it makes him so afraid of every thing that a very Maulking frights him and it is much that he dares trust his Barber to shave him Dionysius was so troubled with fear and horror of conscience that not daring to trust his best friends with a razor he used to findge his beard with burning coals as Cicero records He is much like a Malefactor in prison who though he fare well yet is tormented with the thought of ensuing judgement It is the hand-writing on the wall that prints bloody characters in Belshazzars heart So that if any should deem a man the better or happier for being the richer he is very shallow as many looking on the outer face of things or see but the one side as they used to paint Antigonus that they might conceal his deformity on the other side see not how they smart in secret how their consciences gripe them Nor does any one know how the shoowrings the foot but he that wears the same Or admit the best that can come as suppose they can stop consciences mouth for a time or with the musick of their mony play it asleep for the present yet when they lye upon their death-beds it will sting them to the quick For when death besiegeth the body Satan will not fail to beleagure the soul yea then he will be sure to lay on load for as all corrupt humors run to the diseased and bruised part of the body so when conscience is once awakened all former sins and present crosses joyn together to make the bruise or sore more painful As every Creditor falls upon the poor man when he is once arested Or let it be granted that his conâ—cience never troubles him on his sick bed and that he have no bonds in his death as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 73. but departs likes a Lamb which is not onely possible but probable for more by many thousands go to hell like Naball then like Iudas more dye like sots in security then in despair of conscience yet all this is nothing for the sting of conscience here though it be intollerable is but a flea-biting to that he shall endure hereafter where the worm of conscience dyeth not and where the fire never goeth out This is part of sins wages and Satans reward We have sinned therefore our hearts are heavy Isa. 59.11 12. The sorrows of them that offer to another God as do the covetous shall be multiplyed says holy David Psal. 16.4 Yea Seneca an heathen could say that an evil life causeth an unquiet minde so that Satans government is rather a bondage then a government
advanced to a vast estate and as one vexed with an evil spirit or troubled with a tormenting conscience to such a blessed peace as the world can neither give nor take away John 14.27 As thus Would you quiet your clamorous conscience that will not be friends with you unlesse you be friends with God The ayer is not so cleer when the clowde is dissolved by rain as the mind is when the clowdes of our iniquities are dissolved by the rain or tears of true repentance These waters are the red sea wherein the whole Arm of our sinnes is drowned As O the calm spirit of a godly man his very dreams are divine When Ptolomy King of Aegypt had posed the Seaventy Interpreters in order and asked the nineteenth man what would make one sleep quietly in the night he told him the best way was to have divine and celestial Meditations and to use honest actions and recreations in the day time The godly man enjoyes Heaven upon earth peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes. 1.6 Nor is joy lesse when it is least expressed as it fares with grief but as the windowes of the Temple were narrow without but broad within so is the joy of our hearts greater than it does outwardly appear to the world Again It is as false a slander as common that when once a man imbraceth Religion farewell all joy and delight For virtue hath neither so crabbed a face nor so stern a look as men make her Pleasure is not gone when sinne is gone It is not Isaac that is sacrificed that is our laughter and mirth but the Ramme that is the bruitishnesse of it The soul of joy lies in the souls joy What saies holy David Be glad ye righteous and rejoyce in the Lord and be joyfull all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 32.11 It was not the Eunuchs riches nor honours but his faith which set him on his way rejoycing Act. 8.39 In this rejoyce not saith our Saviour that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven Luke 10.20 Yea there is even joy in grief where the sorrow is for sinne Besides how can men partake of that fountain of joy and rejoyce not He is no good Christian that is not taken with the glory he shall have and rejoyce that his name is written in the Book of life The worldly man hath joy in prosperity the Child of God in adversity The believing Hebrews suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Yea let the worst that can come they are still merry and joyfull as hath been observed in sundry of the Martyrs who clapt their hands for joy even in the midst of the flames And reason good when all things shall work to their good that are good and when the very draught and abridgment of Heaven is in every sanctified heart upon earth Then live religiously and thou shalt both live and die comfortably For live in grace and die in peace is a rule that never fails Only this hinders our joy our love to spiritual things is too defective of worldly things too excessive Earthly goods are earnestly and eagerly sought after Heavenly not once thought upon Much travell taken for the body little or no care used for the soul. It would be otherwise if with Paul at his conversion they had those scales taken away from their eyes by some godly Ananias some faithfull Minister of the Gospel which during their natural condition covers their eyes from seeing things spiritual It is a sad thing to see what fools men are that walk according to the flesh and how they are gulled by the God of this world and their own deceitfull hearts The covetous man is like a mad man that loves and is unmeasurably delighted with the sight and gingling of those chains wherewith he is fettered and tormented He hugs them I mean his money and adores them and even makes them his god that occasion him all his grief But had he once tasted how good and bountifull the Lord is to those that set their delight on him 1 Pet. 2.3 If he did grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 If the Lord would once incline his heart unto his testimonies and not to covetousnesse Psal. 119.36 he should soon know and find that things themselves are in the invisible world in the world visible but their shaddows only That wicked men injoy whatsoever they have viz. wealth honour wisdome pleasure c. but as it were in a dream They dream they are rich wise happy and the like as a begger may dream he is a King Or one that is ready to starve that he is richly furnished with all manner of meats and drinkes but when once he is awake he findes himself grossely mistaken All worldly happinesse hath its being only by opinion whence St Luke calls all Agrippa's pomp but a fancy Act. 25.23 a meer conceit or supposition The sweetnesse of sinne is but as the sweetnesse of poyson sweet only in the mouth in the belly bitter and deadly Stolen bread is sweet sweet in the obtaining bitter in the account and reckoning Yea this last dish will spoyl all the feast and make it but like a drop of pleasure before a river of sorrow and displeasure Whereas whatsoever the godly feel is but as a drop of misery before a river of mercy and glory CHAP. XI The way of Wisdome and Holinnsse is the way of Pleasure Prov. 3.17 As O that all covetous miserly muckworms did but know what pleasure is in the peace of conscience which passeth all understanding and the joy of the Holy Ghost what a sollace it is to be the Sonne of God an Inhabitant of Heaven to live by faith amp c. Then would they think it more worth than all the worlds wealth honour and pleasure multiplyed as many times as there be stars in the firmament that any thing that every thing were too small a price for it Then would they change these broken wormeaten and poysonfull pleasures of sinne for the pleasures of Gods House of Gods Spirit and those other pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 God made the world of â—aught because men should set it at naught as did the Apostle the better to prevail with others who after he had been wrapt up into the third Heaven reckoned of all earthly things riches honours pleasures but as drosse and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified And what saith holy David a man of a most brave and divine Spirit I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches They are more to be desired than gold yea than fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honey-comb Psal. 19.10 And again How sweet are thy words unto my mouth
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
heart he is a friend to none but himself His Charity begins at home and there it ends To urge or perswade him to be liberal is all one as to intreat a Tyger to be tame and gentle or a Wolf to be pittiful and mercifull There is such an antipathy between his heart and one that is in distress that he hath not the patience to hear a poor man speake yea out of a desperate resolution to give him nothing he wil not vouchsafe to look upon him but turn his face or eyes another way as though the poore man were such an eye-fore as might not be endured And this he does for fear of being infected with the contagion of the poor mans misery or lest it should cause a spmpathy and â—â—llow-feeling of his calamity or lest his coâ—scious eyes should check his churlish heart and put him in mind of his barbarous inhumanity But let all such be assured that as they turn away their eyes from the poor in the day of their misery so the Lord wil turn away his face from them in the day of their calamity And as they have stopped their ears at the cry of the poor so they themselves shall cry and God will not hear them as it is Prov. 21.13 And just it is that as the unmerciful wil not hear others when they stand in need so God should not regard them when they shal stand in need Blessed are the merciful saith our Saviour but that stands not with his disposition for the penny which comes out of his purse is like a drop of blood drawn from his heart and his reward shall be answerable The covetous man's heart is like his Chest ever close shut except it be to receive He is sparing niggardly in giving but open handed to receive whatsoever is brought like an Hog or Medler he never does good to any til he be dead and rotten He is like a Butlers earthen box out of which nothing can be drawn til it be broken Or some kinde of Vermine which is of no use til uncased He resembles a spunge that soaks up excessively but til Death comes with his Iron grasp to squeeze him he will not yeild one drop Onely then some good comes of his Goods Indeed it is great pity the State does not by him as Epaminondas did by such another who having notice of a rich man that had no care of the poor but would answer them like churlish Nabal Shall I give my meat and drink unto men whom I know not Or like Cardan Doctor of Physiek in Rome who when Out-landish Schollars came to him would answer them What have I to do with Forraigners I am Cardan I care for no man except he brings me money sent a poor man to him and commanded him under great penalty to give him presently six hundred Crowns who hearing it came to Epaminondas and asked him the cause thereof Who replyed This man is poor and honest and thou who hast cruelly robbed the Commonwealth art rich and so compelled him to be liberal in spight of his teeth Howbeit if they hanged him up as Atillus a good King of this Land did all oppressors of the poor and distributed their Goods to those they had impoverished they did him no wrong But for want of this like Horse-Leeches or a sort of Vermin too homely to name that have no place for voidance of their excrements being nevertheless very insatiable they swell with sucking of blood and so burst O the wretched and sad condition of a sordid sensual self-lover of a covetous miserly muck-worm and the small hope there is of his being better The salvage creatures as Lyons Tygers Bears c. by Gods appointment and instinct came to seek the Ark men did not onely slight it but scorned and scoffed at it Nebuchadnezzar was more a Beast before he grazed in the Forrest then while he did or afterward The death of Christ darkned the Sun shoke the earth clave the Rocks opened the Graves and raised the dead all could not put faith into the Iews hearts brutish yea even senseless Creatures are more sensible then corrupted reason And of all the rest of the Iews the Scribes and Pharisees who were covetous were the least sensible because they did shut their eyes stopt their ears and barrocado their hearts against all our Saviour did or said which is just the case of these men All objects to a meditating Solomon a wise and holy Christian are like wings to reare and mount up his thoughts to Heaven But these sit like sots under the sound of Gods Word and are not at all sensible yea though they feel his Ax at the root of their consciences be smitten with some remorse yet they go on in sin But what became of Pharoah that would not hearken to Moses though he came with a Message from God Of the rich Glutton that made no more reckoning of Moses and the Prophets Of Lot's sons in Law that counted their Fathers fore-warnings a meer mockage The Birds of the Ayre seem to be wiser then we for when they know the Gin they will avoid it But we knowing the Devils illusions yet wilfully run into them Sin blinded Sampson so that finding Dallilah's treachery three times could not be warned although he never found her true in any thing Iudg. 16. The case of all impenitent sinners but especially of the covetous as hereafter they wil acknowledge when Hell Flames hath opened their eyes which Covetousness hitherto hath blinded and made meer Atheists for they acknowledge no other God but Mammon Every covetous man is a close Atheist as thinking it weakness to believe wisdom to profess any Religion The Children of Israel would not believe Samuel before they saw a miracle 1 Sam. 12.16 c. should the covetous man see as many miracles as Moses wrought before Pharoah he would be the same man stil and a rare miracle it wil be if ever he be saved as our Saviour shews Mar. 10.25 CHAP. LI. ANd so you have in this and the other two parts of the Poors Advocate the necessity the matter the manner the nature the kinds the quantity the subject the object the time or continuance the means the motives the ends the impediments the remedies of this most excellent Grace or Christian Duty so oft pressed patterned and commended in the Word It remains onely that I should apply them for I have more need to press the payment then prove the Debt though sure I am it is from the foulness of mens stomacks prevailing above the goodness of the food if what hath been delivered does not prove effectual Wherefore in the first place Hath God so strictly commanded it And is there such a necessity of shewing mercy to the poor members of Iesus Christ That there is no being saved without it hath God therefore given us all that we may impart some part thereof to others that want Shall God have glory by it Hath