Banquet Give us O Lord to consider that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us yet in the end it will prove the bane and ruine both of body and soul and so assist us with thy grace that wee may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure and our right hands of profit rather then sin against thee and wrong our own consciences considering that it would bee an hard bargain â—or us to win the whole world and lose our own souls Blesse preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan the world and our wicked hearts from pride that Lucifer-like sin which is the fore-runner of destruction considering that thou resistest the proud and givest grace tò the humble from covetousnesse which is the root of all evil being taught out of thy word that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations and snares which drown them in perdition and destruction from cruelty that infernal evil of which thou hast said that there shall be judgment mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercie from hypocrisie that sin with two faces whose reward is double damnation and the rather because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled and for that in all the Scriptures we read not of an hypocrites repentance from whoredom which is a sin against a man's own body and the most inexcusable considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it for the punishment whereof the Law ordained death and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven from prophanation of thy day considering thou hast said that whosoever sanctifieth it not shall bee cut off from thy people and did'st command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a â—ew sticks on that day from swearing which is the language of hell considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer from drunkenness that monster with many heads and worse than beast like sin which in thy Word hath many fearfull woes denounced against it and the rather for that it is a sin like the pit of Hell out of which there is small hope of redemption Finally O Lord give us strength to resist temptation patience to endure affliction and constancie to persevere unto the end in thy truth that so having passed our pilgrimâ—ge here according to thy will we may be at rest with thee hereafter both in the night of death when our bodies shal sleep in the grave and in the day of our resurrection when they shall awake to judgment and both bodies and souls enjoy everlasting blisse These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Thanksgiving to be brought in to any or every one of them next before the Conclusion where the hand is placed ANd as we pray unto thee so we desire also to praise thee rendring unto thy Majestie upon the bended knees of our hearts all possible laud and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and favours spiritual and corporal temporal and eternal For that thou hast freely elected us to salvation from all eternity when thou hast passed by many millions of others both Men and Angels whereas we deserved to perish no lesse then they and thou mightest justly have chosen them and left us for that thou hast created us Men and not Beasts in England not in Aethiopia or any other savage Nation in this clear and bright time of the Gospel not 〈◊〉 the darknesse of Paganisme or Popery For thine unexpressible love in redeeming us out of Hell and from those unsufferable and endlesse torments by the pretious blood of thy dear Son who spared not himself that thou mightest spare us For calling us home to thee by the Ministry of thy Word and the work of thy good Spirit For the long continuance of thy Gospel with us the best of blessings For sparing us so long and giving us so large a time of repentance For justifying and in some measure sanctifying us and giving us ground for assured hope of being glorified in thy heavenly Kingdom For preserving us from so infinite many perils and dangers which might easily have befalne us every day to the taking away of either our estates our limbs or our lives For so plentifully and graciously blessing us all our life long with many and manifold good things both for necessity and delight For peace of conscience and content of minde For our health wealth limbs senses food raiment liberty prosperity For thy great mercie in correcting us and turning thy corrections to our good For preserving us in the night past from all dangers of body and soul and for infinite more mercies of which we could not well want any one and which are all greatned by being bestowed upon us who were so unworthy and have been so ungrateful for the same O that we could answer thee in our thankfulnesse and obedient walking one for a thousand Neither are we unmindful of those national blessings which thou hast vouchsafed unto our Land in general as namely that deliverance from the Spanish Invasion in 88 and from that divelish design of the Gunpowder-Treason for preserving us from the noisome and devouring Plague and Pestâ—lence Lord grant that our great unthankfulnesse for these thy mercies may not cause thee to deliver us into the hands of our enemies and although we have justly thereby deserved the same yet we beseech thee give us not up unto their wills neither suffer Popery ever to bear rule over us nor thy blessed Word and Sacraments to be taken away from us but continue them unto us and to our posterity after us if it be thy good pleasure untill the coming of thy Christ. Babes that are inexpert in the Word of righteousnesse use milk but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age Heb. 5.13 14. THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Ship under Sayl. MY Bodie is the Hull the Keel my Back my Neck the Stem the Sides are my Ribs the Beams my Bones my Flesh thâ— Planks Gristles and Ligaments are the Pintels and Knee-timbers Arteries Veins and Sinews the several Seams of the Ship my Blood is the Ballast my Heart the principal Hold my Stomach the Cook-room my Liver
advantages to surprise it is the Piracy of Hell the Synagogue of Satan her fraight is Temtations and persecutions with all the Engines of mischief in which the Devill is Master malice the Masters-mate cruelty the Captain Murder the Cook Flattery the Calker Prophaneness a Quarter-master Riot the Steward Never-content his mate Pride the Cockson Superstition the Preacher Hypocrisie the Boatswain Coveteousness the Purser Lust the Swabber Fury the Gunner Presumption the Corporal Sedition the Trumpetter Drunkenness the Drummer Vices are the Sails Custom the Main-mast Example of the multitude the Fore-mast Lusts and passions the Cables Blindness of mind the Rudder Hardness of heart the Helme the Wisedom of the flesh the Card the Mystery of iniquity the Compass the five senses or if you will scoffing Atheists prophane foul mouth'd drunkards all the rabble of Hell are the Mariners lewd affections the Passengers little conscience the Load-stare she hath two tyre of great Ordinance planted in her heresie irreligion being either for a false God or none Oaths Blasphemy and curses are the Powder and Shot which they spit against all that worship the Lamb or fight under the ensign of Faith her Armour is carnall security the Flag in her top is infidelity the Motto There is no God but gain Her ballast which keeps her upright is ignorance most of her Tackling shee has from Rome Antichrist as Pilot steares her in such a course thaâ— she goes on swiftly proudly securely scorning and scoffing Senacharib like to hear that any Lord should deliver this poor Pinnace out of her hands yet in the sequel this silly Pink having the insurance of God's omni-presence finds not onely succour from the Stock of the Churches Praiers which like another Merchant-man comes in to the rescue but likewise that God's Almighty power and providence is near at hand as a strong Castle of defence to free her whereby she escapes even as a Bird out of the snare of the Hunter to praise the Lord who hath not given her as a prey unto their teeth that would have swallowed up all quick but delivered her from such swelling waters floods of affliction and streams of persecution as else had gone over her and even drowned her soul as it is Psalm 124 while this great Gallion though it seem like that Invincible Armado flies and having no Anchor when the storms of God's wrath arise down she sinks to desperation and perisheth in the bottomlesse pit or burning lake of fire and brimstone where wee 'l leave her to receive a just recompence of reward Imprimatur Th. Wykes Decemb. 4. 1640. FINIS Printed by I. Bell for Iames Crumpe and are to be sold at his house in little Bartholomews Well-yard 1657. A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation BEING A Necessary and Profitable Tract upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion which few do indeed know and yet he who knows them not cannot be saved Viz. How Man was at first Created How he is now Corrupted How he may be again Restored Together with the conditions of the Covenant of Grace and to whom the Promises of the Gospel belong The which well learned would keep Millions out of Hell that blindly throng thither By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in Essex If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeve not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is ihe image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Sect. I. AS when God created the World the first thing he made was Light Gen. 1.3 so when he makes us new creatures he first creates light in the understanding whereby the poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchedness which before by reason of that vail or curtain which is drawn ever every natural mans heart 2 Cor 3.14 15 16. he is so far from discerning that with Laodicea he thinks himself rich and to want nothing when yet he is wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and 〈◊〉 of all spiritual endowments Rev. 3 17. 1 Tim 6.4 As for instance it is to be observed can never be enough bewailed that generally throughout the Land people of all sorts young and old rich and poor especially the poor are so invincibly ignorant that remaining so it is impossible so far as I am able to judge by the Word of God that ever they should be saved As ask them these questions How do you hope to be saved They will answer By my prayers and good endeavours Have you never broke this or that Commandment Thou shalt have no other gods but the Lord. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not commit adultery No never they thank God are you proud No not they What should they be proud of and many the like As for Original sin they know not what it means Nor is there any convincing them that they were born sinners into the world Yea let a Minister come to them upon their death-bed and question with them about their estates or ask them how their souls fare and what peace they have What will be their manner of answering especially if they have not been notorious offenders Are they a whit troubled for Sin either Original or actual Or will they acknowledge themselves in a lost condition without Christ No their consciences are at quiet and they are at peace with themselves and all the world and they thank God no sin troubles them nor ever did They have been no Muâ—therers no Adulterers no common Drunkards neither have they been Oppressors For they are so blind and ignorant that they think the Commandment is not broken if the outward gross sin be forborn Yea will they say I do not know that I have wronged man woman or child I have been a Protestant and gone to Church all my daies Sect. II. Sect. 2. Yea so far are they from being sensible of their wants that you shall hear them brag of their faith works and good meaning of their just and upright dealing the goodness of their hearts the strength of their faith hope and that they never doubted in all their lives Yea that it were pity they should live if they did not beleeve in Christ and hope to be saved by him The usual expressions of formal Christians and Protestants at large who know not what faith hope or a good heart means no more then Nicodemus knew what it was to be born again All which answers and brags of theirs do imply that they are as righteous as Christ him self or Adam in the State of innocency for he that can clear himself from pride or the breach of any one Commandment or from Original sin may clear himself from all sin whatsoever and if so what need of Christ Yea what possibility is there that ever such a soul should have any benefit by Christ Who came not to call the righteous viz. such as
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
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
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
thou on thy face said God to Ioshua Israel hath sinned up search diligently c. Iosh. 7.10 11. What evill hast thou done said the Mariners to the distressed Prophet that this evill is come upon us Let every such Ionas reflect upon himself and say What evill have I done What sin have I committed or admitted or what good have I omitted or intermitted be it but one single sin whether spiritual pride or railing upon honest men in an handsome Language or the like and having found out the cause grieve for it turn from it One flaw in a Diamond takes away the lustre and the price one man in Law may keep possession one Puddle if we wallow in it will defile us one piece of Ward-land makes the Heire liable to the King one sin keeps possession for Satan as well as twenty one poison-full Herb amongst many good ones may put death in the pot and so take away the goodnesse from the rest as if there were none in it wholesome Besides how were the Angels in heaven punished for one fault Achan for one sacriledge Miriam for one slander Moses for one unbelief Ananias for one lie Ely for his Indulgence onely David for his love to Bathsheba onely c. wherefore look to it for if we spare but one Agag it may cost us a Kingdome and such a Kingdome as is far better than the Kingdome of Saul 1 Pet. 1.4 Neither say of thy sin as once Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one for though men may yet God will not wink at small faults especially in his own A little prick being neglected may fester to a gangrene As what is a mountain of Earth but an accumulation of many little dusts or what is a flood but a concurrence of many little drops a small leak will sink the Vessel unstopt whereas a great one will not do it if well kalked The weakest Instrument be it but a Bodkin can pierce the flesh and take away the life unarmed whereas Armour of proof will even beat off Bullets Besides whereas our greatest goodnesse merits not the least glory our least wickednesse deserves great pain The wages of sin small or great is death Rom. 6.23 bad work sad wages Wherefore let his correction bring forth conversion cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double-minded Jam. 4.8 Not your hands onely with Pilate but your hearts with David yea and your eyes too with Mary Magdalen if it be possible though dry sorrow may be as good as wet whose eyes were a Laver and hair a Towel to wash and wipe the feet of Christ. Humble thy self like the Ninevites Ionah 3.6 Who put sackcloth upon their loins and ashes on their heads as those that had deserved to be as far under ground as they were now above it An humble submission is the only way to disarm Gods indignation and be rid of his Rod 1 Pet. 5.6 By such a course as this Iacob appeased that rough man Esau Abigale diverted David from his bloody purpose the Syrians found favour with Ahab that none-such as the Scriptâ—re stiles him 1 Kings 20.32 33. Sin bringeth judgement and onely Repentance preventeth it Thy sin hath kindled the fire of Gods wrath and only Repentance is as water to quench this fire King Edward the First riding furiously after a servant of his that had displeased him with a drawn sword in his hand as purposing to kill him seeing him submit and upon bended knee sue for his life not onely spared him but received him into favour Go thou and do the like be thou but throughly sorry for thy sin my soul for thine God will be throughly satisfied yea grow better by it and God will love thee the better for it As Lovers are wont to be best friends after falling out for as bones out of joynt joyned again are stronger then before so when God and we are reconciled by repentance his affections are stronger to us then before The repenting Prodigal received such tokens of favour as his elder brother who never brake out into that Riot never did And whom did Christ honour with his first appearance but Mary Magdalen and the Angel but Peter Go saith he and tell his Disciples and Peter that he will go before you into Galilee Mark 16.7 Though Peter had sinned above the rest yet repenting he is named above the rest Otherwise Contrition without reformation which is but like the crouching of a Fox that being taken in a snare looks lamentably but it is only to get out will not prevail with God he will never leave pursuing thee till the traitors head be thrown over the wall None so lewd but will seem conformable when apprehended or if they Riot in the Goale of their durance yet when the Sessions comes they begin to be a little calme put off their disguises of dissolutenesse and put on some modesty and semblance of humiliation yea then they change their apparel their garbes their looks and all to appear civil Or let the Fox be chained up he will no more worry the Lambs Pharaoh could relent when he felt the plagues but when they were over so was his repentance but what saith the Scripture He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall finde mercy Prov. 28.13 Confession and confusion of sinne must go together yea there must be a parting with the right Eye in regard of pleasure and the right Hand in regard of profit As for example hast thou swallowed some unlawful gain and wouldest thou pacifie God and thy Conscience Vomit it up again by restitution for where is no restitution of things unjustly gotten their sins shall never be forgiven as Saint Augustine speaks Non tollitur peccatum nisi restituitur ablatum For repentance without restitution is as if a thief should take away thy purse ask thee pardon say he is sorrie for it but keeps it still in which case thou wouldst say he did but mock thee But Pallas with all the graces may call Briareus with his hundred hands to binde this Iupiter and all in vain Wherefore I proceed The skilful Chirurgion when he is lancing a wound or cutting off a limbe will not hear the patient though he cry never so until the cure be ended but let there be once a healing of thy errours and the plaister will fall off of it self for the plaister will not stick on when the sore is healed If the Fathers word can correct the child he will fling away the rod otherwise he must look to have his eyes ever winterly Thus as the two Angels that came to Lot lodged with him for a night and when they had dispatched their errand went away in the morning So afflictions which are the Angels or the Messengers of God are sent by him to do an errand to us to tell us we forget God we forget our selves we are too proud too self-conceited and such like and when they have said as they were bid then
her give it up to Venus When Satan is let loose upon us to shew us our sins and the danger we are in then farewel profit farewel pleasure treasure and all rather then I will endure such a rack such a hell in my conscience Whereas if we should only hear of misery or read what is threatned in the Word though it might a little fright us it would never amend us Birds are frighted at first with the Husbandmans scar-crowes but after a while observing that they stir not are bold to sit upon them and defile them Thus as harmonious sounds are advanced by a silent darkness so are the glad tydings of salvation The Gospel never sounds so sweet as in the night of persecution or private affliction When Vertue came down from Heaven as the Poets feign rich men spurned at her wicked men abhorred her Courtiers scoft at her Citizens hated her and being thrust out of doors in every place she came at last to her sisters poverty and affliction and of them found entertainment When it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of the World she conceived Isaac so when it ceaseth to be with us after the manner of the Worlds Favourites we conceive holy desires quietness and tranquillity of minde with such like spiritual contentments Yea we make faith our only option whereas before we kept open house for all vices as the States are said to keep open house for all Religions or if not it fares with piety as with holy water every one praiseth it and thinks it hath some rare vertue in it but offer to sprinkle them with the same they shut their eyes and turn away their faces and no marvel for we never taste this Manna from Heaven until we leave the leaven of this Egypt Now better the body or estate perish then the soul though we are too sensual to consent unto it Plùs Pastor in vulnere gregis sui vulneratur The loss of a graceless childe cannot but grieve the father though the father him self were in danger of mischief by that childe as David mourned for Absalom that would have cut his throat True prosperity is hearty meat but not digestible by a weak stomack strong wine but naught for a weak brain The prosperity of fools destroyeth them Proverbs 1.32 So that all temporall blessings are as they hit but if the minde do not answer they were better mist. The more any man hath the more cause he hath to pray Lord lead us not into temptation for we cannot so heartily think of our home above whiles we are furnished with these earthly contentments below but when God strips us of them straightwayes our minde is homeward Whiles Naomies husband and sons were alive we find no motion of her retiring home to Iudah let her earthly stays be removed she thinks presently of removing to her Countrey a delicious life when every thing about us is resplendent and contentful makes us that we have no minde to go to Heaven wherefore as a loving mother when she would wean her childe from the dug maketh it bitter with Wormwood or Aloes so dealeth the Lord with us he maketh this life bitter unto us by suffering our enemies to persecute oppress us to the end we may contemn the World transport our hopes from Earth to Heaven he makes us weep in this veil of misery that we may the more eagerly long for that place of felicity where all tears shal be wiped from our eys Our wine saith Gregory hath some gall put into it that we should not be so delighted with the way as to forget whither we are going And this is no small abatement to the bitternesse of adversities that they teach us the way to Heaven for the lesse comfort we finde on earth the more we seek above and the more we esteem the best things and we are very ungratefull if we do not thank him for that which so overcomes us that it overcomes the love of the world in us Experience shewes that in Countreys where be the greatest plenty of fruits they have the shortest lives they do so surfet on their abundance Sicily is so full of sweet flowers if we believe Diodorus Siculus that dogs cannot hunt there and it is questionable whether the enjoying of outward things or the contemning of them be the greater happinesse for to be deprived of them is but to be deprived of a Dye wherewith a man might either win or lose yea doth not a large portion of them many times prove to the owner like a treacherous Dye indeed which flatters an improvident Gamster with his own hand to throw away his wealth to another Or to yield it the uttermost gold may make a man the richer not the better honour may make him the higher not the happier and all temporal delights are but as flowers they onely have their moneth and are gone this morning in the bosome the next in the Besome The consideration whereof made the very Heathen Philosophers hate this world though they saw not where to finde a better Yea it made Themistocles so under value transitory things in comparison of vertue that seeing rich Bracelets of precious stones lie in his path he bade his friend take them up saying Thou art not Themistocles And indeed it is Heaven onely that hath a foundation Earth hath none God hath hanged it upon nothing and the things therein are very nothing Nothing feeds pride nor keeps off repentance so much as prosperous advantage 'T is a wonder to see a Favourite study for ought but additions to his Greatnesse God shall have much ado to make him know himself The cloth that hath many stains must pass through many larthers If Musk hath lost its sweetness there is no way to recover it except you fling it into the sink among filth No less then an odious leprosie will humble Naaman wherefore by it the only wise God thought meet to sawce the valour dignity renown victories of that famous General of the Syrians If I could be so uncharitable as to wish an enemies soul lost this were the only way let him live in the height of the worlds blandishments for how can he love a second Mistresse that never saw but one beauty and still continues deeply inamoured on it Why is the Lapwing made an Hieroglyphick of infelicity but because it hath a little Coronet upon the head and yet feed◠upon the worst of excrements The Peacock hath more painted Plumes yet is the Eagle accounted the Queen of Birds because she flieth neerest heaven We often see nothing carries us so far from God as those favours he hath imparted to us 'T is the misery of the poor to be neglected of men 't is the misery of the rich to neglect their God The Badger being wounded with the prickles of the Hedghog his invited guest whom at first he welcomed and entertained in his Cabbin as an inward friend mannerly desiring him to depart in kindnesse
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
also in much Luk. 16 10. He that will corrupt his conscience for a pound what would he do for a thousand If Iudas will sell his Mâ—ster for thirty pence what would he not have done for the Treasury Alas there are no sins small but comparatively These things speaking of Mint and Cummin ought ye to have done sayes our Saviour and not have left the other undone Luk. 11.42 Wherefore it is with a good and tender conscience as it is with the apple of the eye for as the least hair or dust grieves and offends that which the skin of the eye-lid could not once complain of so a good and tender conscience is disquieted not only with beams but moates even such as the world accounts trifles it strains not only at Cammels but Gnats also A sincere heart is like a neat spruce man that no sooner spies the least speck or spot on his garment but he gets it washt or scrap't off the common Christian like a nasty sloven who though he be all foul and besmeared can indure it well enough yea it offends him that another should be more neat than himself But such men should consider that though they have large consciences that can swallow down any thing yet the sincere and tender conscience is not so wide A strait shooe cannot indure the least pibble stone which will hardly be felt in a wider neither will God allow those things in his Children which he permits in his enemies no man but will permit that in another mans Wife or Child which he would abhor in his own A box of precious oyntment may not have the least fly in it nor a delicate Garden the least weed though the Wildernesse be overgrown with them I know the blind world so blames the Religious and their Religion also for this nicenesse that they think them Hypocrites for it but this was Iobs comfort in the aspersion of Hypocrisie My witnesse is in Heaven and my record on high And as touching others that are offended their answer is Take thou O God who needest not our sinne to further thy work of Grace the charge of thy Glory give us grace to take charge of thy Precepts For sure we are that what is absolutely evill can by no circumstance be made good poyson may be qualified and become medicinall there is use to be made of an enemy sicknesse may turn to our better health and death it self to the faithfull is but a door to life but sinne be it never so small can never be made good Thus you have seen their fear but look also upon their courage for they more fear the least sinne than the greatest torment All the fear of Satan and his instruments ariseth from the want of the true fear of God but the more a man fears God the lesse he fears every thing else Fear God honour the King 1 Pet. 2.14 17. He that fears God doth but honour the King he need not fear him Rom. 13.3 the Law hath not power to smite the vertuous True many have an opinion not wise That Piety and Religion abates fortitude and makes valour Feminine but it is a foundationlesse conceit The true beleever fears nothing but the displeasure of the highest and runs away from nothing but sinne Indeed he is not like our hot-spurs that will fight in no cause but a bad that fear where they should not fear and fear not where they should fear that fear the blasts of mens breath and not the fire of Gods wrath that fear more to have the world call them Cowards for refusing than God to judge them rebels for undertaking that tremble at the thought of a Prison and yet not fear Hell fire That can govern Towns and Cities and let a silly woman over-rule them at home it may be a servant or a Childe as Themistocles Sonne did in Greece What I will said he my Mother will have done and what my Mother will have my Father doeth That will undertake a long journey by Sea in a Wherry as the desperate Marriner hoyseth sayl in a storm and sayes None of his Ancestors were drowned That will rush fearlesly into infected houses and say The Plague never ceizeth on valiant blood it kills none but Cowards That languishing of some sicknesse will strive to drink it away and so make hast to dispatch both body and soul at once that will run on high battlements gallop down steep hils ride over narrow bridges walk on weak Ice and never think what if I fall but what if I passe over and fall not No he is not thus fearlesse for this is presumption and desperate madnesse not that courage and fortitude which ariseth from faith and the true fear of God but from blindnesse and invincible ignorance of their own estate As what think you Would any man put his life to a venture if he knew that when he died he should presently drop into hell I think not But let the beleeving Christian who knowes he hath a place reserved for him in Heaven have a warrant from Gods word you cannot name the service or danger that he will stick at Nor can he lightly fail of successe It is observed that Trajan was never vanquished because he never undertook warre without just cause In fine as he is most fearfull to offend so he is most couragious in a good cause as abundance of examples witnesse whereof I 'le but instance two for the time would be too short to tell of Abraham and Moses and Caleb and David and Gideon and Baruck and Sampson and Ieptha and many others of whom the holy Ghost gives this generall testimony that by faith of weak they were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants subdued Kingdoms stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of the fire c. Heb. 11.22 to 35. Nor will I pitch upon Ioshua whom neither Caesar nor Pompey nor Alexander the Great nor William the Conquerour nor any other ever came near either for valour or victories but even Ionathan before and the Martyrs after Christ shall make it good As what think you of Ionathan whom neither steepnesse of Rocks nor multitude of enemies could discourage or disswade from so unlikely an assault Is it possible if the divine power of Faith did not add spirit and courage making men more than men that two should dare to think of encountering so many thousands and yet behold Ionathan and his Armour-bearer put to flight and terrified the hearts of all the Philistims being thirty thousand Chariots six thousand Horse-men and Foot-men like the sand of the Sea-shore 1 Sam. 14.15 O divine power of faith that in all attempts and difficulties makes us more than men and regards no more Armies of adversaries than swarms of flies A naturall man in a project so unlikely would have had many thoughts of discouragement and strong reasons to disswade him but his faith dissolves impediments as the Sunne doth dewes
and Esau for a mess of Pottage Whereas now wee are safe for to pluck us out of his hands that is Almighty requires an adversary stronger than himself Neither wants hee care hee that numbers our very hairs what account doth hee make of our souls Nor love for if hee hath bought us with his blood and given us himself will hee deny us any thing that is good for us Wherefore silence your reason and exalt your faith how pressing or peircing so ever your sufferings bee which pulls off the vizard from his face and sees a loving heart under contrary appearances Trust the mercy of God which is of infinite perfection and the merits of Christ which are of perfect satisfaction and then hope will bear up thy heavie heart as bladders do an unskilfull swimmer Otherwise if thou shalt walke by sence and not by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 fear will no less multiply evills then saith would diminish them and thou shalt resemble Bucephalus who was not afraid of his burthen the shadow onely frighted him Section 4. Objection Although Christ in the Gospel hath made many â—arge and preoibus promises yet there are none so generall which are not limited wiâ—h the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained Repentance and each of them are so tied and entayled that none can lay claim to them but true beleevers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 But I want these qualifications without which how can I expect supportation in my sufferings or an happy deliverance out of them however it fares with beleevers whom Christ hath undertaken for yea I have such a wicked heart and my sins are so many and great that these comforts nothing concerne mee for they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness shall reap the same Joh. 4.8 Answer So our sailings bee not wilfull though they be many and great yet they cannot hinder our interest in the promises of God Admit thou art a great sinner what then art thou a greater sinner than Matthew or Zacheus who were sinâ—ull Publicans and got their livings by pilling and polling oppression and extortion than Mary Magdalen a common strumpet possest of many Devills than Paul a bloody persecutor of Christ and his Church than the Theef upon the Cross who had spent his whole life to the last hour in abominable wickedness than Manasses that out-rageous sinner and most wicked wretch that ever was an Idolater a malitious Persecutor of the truth a defiler of Gods holy Temple a sacrficer of his own children unto Idols that is Devills a notable witch and wicked sorcerer a bloody murtherer of exceeding many of the dear Saints and true Prophets of the Lord and one who did not run headlong alone into all hellish impiety but led the people also out of the way to do more wickedly than did the Heathen whom the Lord cast out and destroyed I am sure thou wilt not say thou art more wicked than hee was and yet this Manasses this wretch more like a Devill incarnate than a Saint of God repented him of his sins from the bottome of his heart was received I cannot speak it without ravishing wonder of Gods bottomless and never sufficiently admired mercy was received I say to grace and obtained the pardon of all his horrible sins and most abominable wickedness And are not these and many the like examples written for our learning and recorded by the holy ghost to the end that wee may gather unto our selvs assurance of the same pardon for the same sins upon the same repentance and beleeving Are thy sins great his mercies are infinite hadst thou committed all the sins that ever were committed yet in comparison of Gods mercy they are less than a mote in the Sun to all the world oâ— a drop of water to the whole Ocean for the Sea though great yet may bee measured but God's mercy cannot bee circumscribed and hee both can and will as easily forgive us the debt of ten thousand millions of pounds as one penny and assoon pardon the sins of a wicked Manasses as of a righteous Abraham if wee come unto him by unfaigned repentance and earnestly desire and implore his grace and mercy Rom. 5.20 The Tenure of our salvation is not by a covenant of works but by a covenant of grace founded not on our worthiness but on the free mercy and good pleasure of God and therefore the Prophet well annexeth blessedness to the remission of sins Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiven Psal. 32.1 Yea the more miserable wretched and sinfull wee are the more 〈◊〉 objects wee are whereupon hee may exercise and shew the infinite riches of his bounty mercy virtue and all-sufficiency And this our spirituall Physitian can aswell and easily cure desperate diseases even the remediless Consumption the dead Apoplex and the filthy Leprosie of the soul as the smallest malady or least faintness Yea hee can aswell raise the dead as cure the sick and aswell of Stones as of Iews make Abrahams children Did hee not without the Sun at the Creation cause light to shine forth and without rain at the same time make the earth fruitfull why then should you give your self over where your Physitian doth not Besides what sin is there whereof wee can despair of the remission when wee hear our Saviour pray for the forgiveness of his murtherers and blasphemers And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus It was a sweet saying of one at his death When mine iniquity is greater than thy mercy O God then will I fear and despair but that can never bee considering our sins bee the sins of meâ— his mercy the mercy of an infinite God Yea his mercies are so great that among the thirteen properties of God mentioned Exod. 34. almost all of them appertain to his mercy whereas one onely concerns his might and onely two his justice Again shall it ever enter into our hearts to think that God gives us rules to keep and yet break them himsef Now his rule is this Though thy brother sin against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying it repenteth mee thou shalt forgive him The son angers his father he doth not straight dis-inherit him but Gods love to his people exceeds a fathers love to his son Matth. 7.11 and a mothers too Isa. 49.15 I hear many menaces and threats for sin but I read as many promises of mercy and all they indefinite excluding none whose impenitency and infidelity excludeth not themselvs every sin deservs damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it Wherefore if our clamorous conscience like some sharp fang'd officer arrests us at Gods suit let us put in bail two subsidue virtues Faith and Repentance and so stand the triall the Law is on our side the Law of grace is with
us and this Law is his that is our Advocate and he is our Advocate that is our Iudge and hee is our Iudge that is our Saviour even the head of our selvs Iesus Christ. For the first of these do but repent and God will pardon thee bee thy sins never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18. 33.17 Yea sins upon Repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I have 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 and many other witness 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 for the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiltiness and his originall impurity useth these words Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did hee come to call sinners to repentance and shall he not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that doth desire to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Section 5. Ojection Yea but I cannot Repent Answer In time of temtation a man is not a competent Iudge in his own case In humane Laws there is a nullity held of words and actions extorted and wrung from men by fear because in such cases a man is held not to bee a free-man nor to have power or command in some sort of himself A troubled soul is like troubled waters wee can discern nothing clearly in it wherefore if thou canst lay aside prejudice and tell mee in cold blood how it fares with thee at other times though indeed thy words at present are enough to convince thee For first thou findest sin a burthen too heavy for thee to bear which thou didst not formerly what 's the reason are thy sins more and greaâ—er No but the contrary for though they appear more yet they are less for sin the more it is seen and felt the more it is hated and thereupon is the less Motes are in a room before the Sun shines but they appear onely then Again secondly the very complaint of sin springing from a displeasure against it shews that there is somthing iâ—â— thee opposite to sin viz. that thou art penitent in affection though not yet in action even as a child is rationall in power though not in act Yea more thou accusest and condemnest thy selfe for thy sins and by accusing our selvs wee prevent Satan by judging our selvs wee prevent God Neither was the Centurion ever so worthy as when hee thought himself most unworthy for all our worthiness is in a capable misery nor does God ever thinke well of him that thinkes so of himelf But to let this passe Are not your failings your grief are they not besides your will are they not contrary to the current of your desires and the main bent of your resolutions and indeavours Dost thou determine to continue in the practice of any one sin Yea dost thou not make conscience of all Gods Commandements one aswell as another the first table aswell as the second and the second aswell as the first Matt. 5.19 Dost thou not grieve â—or sins of all sorts secret aswell as known originall aswell as actuall of omission aswell as commission lesser viz thoughts aswell as greater yea aswell for the evill which cleavs to thy best works as for the evill works Rom. 7.21 and as heartily and unsaignedly desire that thou maist never commit it as that God should never impute it 2 Tim. 2.19 Dost thou not fear to displease him not so much because hee is just to punish as for his mercy and goodness sake and more fear the breach of the Law than the curse Dost thou not love rather to bee than seem or bee thought good and seek more the power of godliness than the shew of it Iob 1.1 If so well may Satan and thine own conscience accuse thee of impenitency and unbelief but Christ thy Iudge never Yea then notwithstanding your failings you may say with David I have kept thy Word Psal. 18.21.22.23 for though this bee not such a measure of keeping as the Law requireth yet it is such a keeping as God in Christ accepteth for suppose thy knowledge is still small thy faith weak thy charity cold thy heart dull and hard thy good works few and imperfect and all thy zealous resolutions easily hindred and quite overthrown with every small temtation yet God that worketh in us both the wil and the work wil accept the wil for the work and that which is wanting in us Christ will supply with his own righteousness Hee respecteth not what wee can do so much as what wee would do and that which wee would performe and cannot hee esteemeth it as though it were performed whereas take away the will and all acts in God's sight are equall As the wicked sin more than they sin in their desire so the righteous do more good than they do in their will to do it If there bee a paratum cor though there bee not a perforatum cor a profer of blood though no expence of blood for the honour of Christ it is taken for Martyrdom as Origen testified of one Non ille Martyrio sed Martyrium illi defuit I know thy poverty but thou art rich saith the Spirit to the Church of Smyrna poor in thy condition rich in thy affection to goodness Facultas secundum voluntatem non voluntas secundum facultatem estimanda est God esteems our charitable beneficence not onely secundum quod habemus but secundùm quod tribuere velimus Wee are charged to forsake all houses lands friends liberties lives for Christ yet many dy with houses lands and riches in their possession whom Christ receives and Crowns in Heaven because they did part with all secundùm animae preparationem What wee would have done shall bee reckoned to us as done wee do it quoad conatum though non quoad effectum In like manner God taketh a heart desirous to repent and believe for a penitent and beleeving heart volens dolens The vehement desire of godly sorrow or a sorrow because we cannot sorrow goes for godly sorrow with God so that to sigh and grieve for what wee cannot do is to come short and yet to do it too for God likes the will so wel that in his Son what we would do is in acceptance done 2 Cor. 8.12 which textone brings in thus O! what an unspeakable comfort was this cordiall verse to my afflicted soul And well it might â—â—for if wee hate our corruptions and strive against them they shall not bee counted ours It is not I saith Paul but sin that dwelleth in mee Rom. 7.20
stick in filthy mud But thou dreamest of a saith without doubting which some doting by boast they have but as no righteousness can bee perfect without sin so no assurance can bee perfect without doubting Take the evenest ballances and the most equall weights yet at the first putting in there will bee some in-equality though presently after they settle themselvs in a 〈…〉 is a cloud that often hinders the Sun from our eyes yet it is still a Sun the vision or feeling of this comfort may bee somtime suspended the Union with Christ is never dissolved An usuall thing with beleevers to have their ebbing and flowing waâ—ing and waning Summer and Winter to bee somtimes so comfortable and couragious that wee can say with David Though I were in the valley of death yet would I fear none ill Psal. â—3 4 otherwhiles again so deâ—ded and â—â—jected in our spirits that wee are like him when hee said One day I shall die by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Somtimes so strong in faith that wee can overcome the greatest assaults and with Peter can walk upon the swâ—lling waves by and by so faint and brought to so low an ebbe that wee fall down even in far less dangers as Peter began to sink at the rising of the winde Matth. 14.29.30 And indeed if the wings of our faith bee clipp'd either by our own sins or Satans temptations how should not our spirits lye groveling on the ground Sect. 9. But thirdly and lastly for I hâ—â—â—â—n suppose thou art at the last-cast even at the very brink of despair and that thy conscience speaks nothing but bitter things of Gods wrath hell and damnation and that thou hast no feeling of faith or grace yet know that it is Gods use and I wish wee could all take notice of it to worke in and by contraries For instance in creating of the world hee brought light out of darkness and made all things not of somthing but of nothing clean contrary to the course of Nature In his preserving of it hee hath given us the Rain-bow which is a signe of rain as a certain pledge that the world shall never the second time bee drowned Hee caused waterâ— and feâ—cheth hard stones out of the mid'st of thin vaâ—ours When he meant to blesseâ— Iacob hee wrestled with him as an Adversaâ—yâ— even till he lamed him When he meant to preferr Ioseph to the Throne hee â—â—rew him down into the Dungeon and to a golden chaine about his neck he laâ—ed him with Iron ones about his legges Thus Christ opened the eyes of the blind by annointing them with clay and spittle more likely to put them out And would not cure Lazarus till after hee was dead buried and stunk again no question to teach us that wee must bee cast down by the Law before wee can bee raised up by the Gospell that wee must dye unto sin before wee can live unto righteousness and become fools before wee can â—ee truly wise In the work of Redemption hee gives life not by life but by death and that a most câ—â—sed death making that the best instrument of life which was the worst kind of death Optimum seciâ— instrumentum vitae quod eraâ— pessimum moriis genus In our effectuall voâ—ation hee calls us by the Gospell unto the Iews â— stumbling-block and unto the world meer foolishness And when it is his pleasure that any should depend upon his goodness and providence hee makes them feel his anger and to bee nothing in themselvs that they may rely altogether upon him Thus God works joy out of fear light out of darkness and brings us to the Kingdom of heaven by the Gates of hell according to that 1 Sam. 2. 〈◊〉 â— 7 And wherein does thy case differ Hee sends his Serfeant to 〈◊〉 thee for thy debt commands thee and all thou hast to bee sold. But why onely to shew thee thy misery without Christ that so thou 〈◊〉 seck so him for mercy for although hee hide â—â— is futherly affections as Ioseph once did his brotherly his meaning is in conclusion to forgive thee every â—arthing Matth. â—8 26 27. And dost thou make thy flight sufferings an argument of his displeasure for shame mutter not at the matter but bee silent It is not said God will not suffer us to bee tempted at all but that wee shall not bee tempted above that wee are able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 And assure thy self what ever thy sufferings bee thy faith shall not fail to get the victory as oil over-swims the greatest quantity of water you can powr upon it True let none presume no not the most righteous for hee shall scarcely bee saved 1 Pet. 4.18 yet let him not despair for hee shall be saved Rom. 8.35 Onely accept with all thankfulness the mercy offered and apply the promises to thine own soul for the benefit of a good thing is in the use wisdom is good but not to us if it bee not exercised cloth is good but not to us except it be worn the light is comfortable but not to him that will live in darkness a preservative in our pocket never taken cannot yield us health nor baggs of money being ever sealed up do us any pleasure no more will the promises no nor Christ himself that onely summum bonum except they are applied Yea better there were no promises than not applied The Physician is more offended at the contempt of his Physick in the Patient than with the loathsomness of the disease And this I can assure thee if the blood of Christ bee applied to thy soul it will soon staâ—ch the blood of thy conscience and keep thee from bleeding to death 1 Ioh. 1.7 But secondly instead of mourning continually as the tempterâ—ids â—ids thee rather rejoice continually as the Apostle bids thee 1 Thes. 5.16 Neither think it an indifferent thing to rejoice or not to rejoice but know that we are commanded to rejoice to shew that wee break a commandement if wee rejoice not Yea wee cannot beleeve if wee rejoice not for â—aith in the commandements breeds obedience in the threatnings fear in the promises comfort True thou thinkest thou dost well to mourn continually yea it is the common disease of the innocentest souls but thou dost very ill in it for when you forget to rejoice in the Lord then you begin to muse and after to fear and after to distrust and at last to despair and then every thought seems to be a sin against the holy Ghost Yea how many sins doth the afflicted conscience record against it selfe repoâ—ting for breaking this commandement and that commandement and never repenteth for brâ—â—â—ing this commandement rejoice evermore But what 's the reason Ignoranceâ— thou thinkest thy self poor and miserable and onely therefore thinkest so because thou knowest not thy riches and happiness in Obâ—â—st for else thou wouldest say with the Prophet Habbakuck in the want of all other things I will rejoice in the
thou hast added mercy to mercy For we have been no lesse rebellious unto thee then thou hast been beneficiall unto us We do daily and hourely break all thy commandements adding unto that our originall corruption which we were conceived and borne in all manner of actuall transgressions by sins of Omission sins of Commission sinnes of Ignorance sinnes of Knowledg sinnes against conscience yea sinnes of Presumption and Willfulness and that in thought word and deed We have sinned against thy Law and against thy Gospel against thy mercies and against thy judgments against the many warnings and the abundance of meanes afforded by thee to reclaime us against the spirit of grace cotinually knocking at the doors of our hearts with infinite checks and holy motions Our eares have been alwaies open to the Tempter shut unto thee we have abused our eyes to wantonnesse our mouthes to filthynesse and our feet have been swift to all evill slow to ought that is good And as wee have committed one sinne on the neck of another so we have multiplyed and many times repeated them by filling often into the same wickednesse whereby our sinnes are become for number as the sands of the Sea and as the Stars of Heaven Yet 〈…〉 Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And seeing thou hast appointed Praier as one special means for the obtaining of thy grace unto which thou hast annexed this comfortable promise that where two or three be gathered together in thy Name thou wilt be in the midst of them and grant their requests and since our Redeemer hath assured us that whatsoever we shall ask thee in his name thou wilt give it us We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight Yea give us repentance never to be repented of and possess our souls with such a dreadfull awe of thy Majesty that we may fear as well to commit small sins as great ones considering that the least sin is mortall without our repentance thy mercy as wel fear to sin-in secret as openly since thereis nothing hid from thee as well condemne our selves for evill thoughts as evill deeds considering that the Law is spirituall binding the heart no lesse then the hands as well abstain from the occasions of sin as sin it self and consider that it is not enough to abstain from evill unlesse wee hate it also and do the contrary good And now O Lord since thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day we beseech the to defend and dierct us in the same and as thou hast blest us in our lying down and in our rising up so protect prosper us in our going forth in our coming home shield and deliver us from the snares of the Hunter who lieth in waite for our souls and is continually labouring our everlasting destruction And no lesse arm us against the allurements of the world wherein we shall meet with many provocations and temptations and that we may not lead our selvs nor be led into temtation give us wisdome to beware of men even of associating our selves with the vitious like Ioseph lest otherwise with David we be drawn to dissemble or with Peter to deny thee for sin is of a catching and infectious quality and our corrupt hearts are like tinder which will kindle with the least spark especially O Lord keep us from yeelding to their solicitations or following their customs of drinkâ—ing swearing slandering and making the worst construction of things of mocking and scoffing at religion or the religious let not custome and example any whit prevail with us without or against thy written Word lest we misse of the narrow way which alone leadeth unto life onely give us wisedome and grace to look upon thy Sons whole life see how he would speak and do before we speak or do anything then having thy word for our warrant and thy glory for our aime let no censures nor flowts of any discourage us Finally good Father we beseech thee inable us so to walk in thy fear that in mirth we be not vain in knowledg we be not proud in zeal we be not bitter instruct us by thy Word direct us by thy Spirit mollifie us by thy grace humble us by thy corrections win us by thy benefits reconcile our nature to thy wil teach us so to make profit of everything that we may see thee in al things al things in thee And in these our prayers wee are not mindfull of our selves alone but forasmuch as thou hast commanded us to pray one for another as being the members of one and the same mysticall body wee beseech thee to blesse thy whole Church Universall wheresoever dispersed and howsoever distressed or despised far and wide over the face of the whole earth and vouchsafe unto thy Gospell such a free and effectuall passage that it may sound throughout all Nations Yea wee humbly pray thee let it convert and reclaim the Turks Jews Infidels Indians Atheists Epicures Hereticks and Schismaticks Prevent all plots and projects against the Kingdome of thy Christ let thy Word and Spirit alone bear rule in all places Extend thy tender mercy O Lord to all Protestants beyond the Seas to all Christians under the Turks or other Infidels strengthen all such as suffer for thy cause and let thy presence with them counterpoyse whatsoever is laid upon them and inable them to continue constant in thy faith and truth to the end More particularly be good unto that part of thy Church planted here amongst us in this sinfull Land and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us be propitious to the Nobility Gentry and Communalty Blesse the Tribe of Levi all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments let their lips O God preserve knolewdg and their lives righteousnesse and for ever blesse thou their labours increase the number of those that are faithfull and painfull and reform or remove such as are either scandalous or idle and for a constant and continuall supply of their mortality blesse all
Schools of learning and good literature especially the Universities Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted whether in body or in mind of in both whether in conscience groaning under sin or for a good conscience because they will not sin and as thou makest them examples to us so teach us to take example by them and learn wisdome by thy hand upon them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as our first Parents left us a large stock of sinne so we have improved the same beyond measure O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which wee have received from thee But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion we suddenly lost it We were created indeed by thee after thine own image in righteousness holiness in knowledg of the Truth But alas now our understandings are so darkned and dulled our judgmeÌ„ts so blinded our wils so perverted our affections so corrupted our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised our desires so entrapped and all the faculties and sunctions of our souls so disordered that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do ought that is good And yet usually like Bladders we are not more empty of grace than we are blown up with pride whereby with Laodicea we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakednesse but think we are rich and good enough as wanting nothing when as scarce any spark of grace yet appears in us Yea so far have we been from loving and serving thee that we have hated those that do it and that for their so doing And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ in our Baptism when we took his presse-mony to be his Souldiers and serve him in the field of this world against his and our enemies that we have renounced our vow made to him and fled from his standard yea fought for Satan and the World seeking to win all we could from Christ by tempting to sin and by persecuting such as were better then our selves so that all our recompence of thy love unto us hath been to do that which thou hatest and to hate those whom thou lovest Yea we cannot deny but we have persecuted thee with Paul denied thee with Peter betraied thee with Iudas and crucified thee with those cruel Jews Now Lord it being thus with us how can we expect that thou shouldest hear our praiers grant our requests yea how can wee look for other at thine hands then great and grievous yea then double damnation as most justly we have deserved Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And likewise knowing that mercie pleaseath thee and that the sole perfection of a Christian is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not-imputation of his own unrighteousnesse We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning will increase it and that by procrastinating we shall but heap unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath Good Lord suffer us not we beseech thee to defer our repentance lest the custome of evill makes it altogether unalterable in us or lest we dye before we begin to live or lest thou refusest to hear us another day calling upon thee for mercy because we refuse to hear thee now calling to us for repentance Wherefore if we be not yet converted let this be the happy hour of our conversion that as our bodies are risen by thy power and providence from sleep so our soules may daily bee raised from the sleep of sin and the darknesse of this world that so we may enjoy that everlasting light which thou hast prepared for thine and purchased with the bloud of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Give unto us we beseech thee a true lively and justifying faith whereby we may lay hold upon those gracious promises which thou hast made unto us in him and wherewith we may vanquish all our spirituall adversaries Seal up unto us the assurance of our salvation by the teâ—stimony of thy blessed Spirit Give to us thy servants that wisdome which descendeth from above that we may be wise unto our eternall salvation so shall our hearts instead of a Commentary help us to understand the Scriptures and our lives be an Exposition of the inward man Give us grace to account all things in this world even as drosse and dung that we may win Christ Jesus and Heaven and happinesse by means of him Give us single hearts and spirits without guile that wee may love goodnesse for it self and more seek the power of godlinesse then the shew of it and love the godly for thy sake and because they are godly Grant that in the whole course of our lives we may doe unto all others as we would that they should doe unto us considering that whether we do good or evill unto any one of thy members thou takest it as done unto thy self Discover unto us all our
nor desire life except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custome to the life of grace Apt wee are to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodnesse yea to all the means thereof Wee are altogether of our selvs unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries but do thou fâ—ee our wills and set to thy helping hand in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections and we shall henceforth as much honor thee as by your wickednesse we have formerly dishonored thee Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls Reform and change our minds wills and affections which we have corrupted remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thee and direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to thy glory as thou hast directed our eternal salvation thereunto Let not Satan any longer prevail in causing us to defer our repentance since we know that late repentance is seldom sincere and that sicknesse is no fit time for so great a work as many have found that are now in Hell Neither is it reasonable thou shouldest accept of our feeble and decrepit old age when we have spent all the flower and strength of our youth in serving of Satan not once minding to leave sin until sin left us Yea O Lord give us firmly to resolve speedily to begin and continually to persevere in doing and suffering thine holy will Inform and reform us so that we may neither mis-believe not misâ—live subdue our lusts to our wills submit our wills to reason our reason to faith our faith our reason our wills our selvs to thy blessed Word and Will Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sins which corrupt our souls and darken our understandings separate them from us which would separate us from thee Yea remove them out of thy sight also we most humbly beseech thee as far as the East is from the West and in the merits of thy Son pardon and forgive us all those evils which either in thought word or deed we have this day or any time heretoâ—ore committed against thee whether they be the sins of our youth or of our age of omission or commission whether committed of â—gnorance of knowledge or against conscience and the many checks and motions of thy holy â—pirit And now O Lord seeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest and because wee can neither wake nor sleep without thee who hast made the day and night and rulest both therefore into thy hands we commend our souls and bodies beseeching thee to watch over us this night and preserve us from all our spiritual and bodily enemies from thievs fire and from all other dangers ☞ These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence We no sooner lived then we deâ—served to die neither need we any more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us but thou hast spared us to this hour to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance as our first Parents and wee have turned from thee by sin yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain and thy long-suffering to no end For whereas many have been won by thy Word wee would not suffer it to change us many have been reformed by the Crosse but we would not suffer it to purge us many have been moved by thy benefits but we would not suffer them to perswade us yea as if we had contracted with the Divel that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come â—hy blessings make us proud thy riches covetous thy peace wanton thy meats intemperate thy mercy secure and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebell against thee We have prophaned thy daies contemned thy ordinances resisted thy Word grieved thy Spirit misused thy Messengers hated our Reprovers slandered and persecuted thy people seduced our friends given ill example to our Neighbours opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named and the truth we professe whereas meaner mercies and far weaker means have provoked others no lesse to honour thee and the Gospel who may justly rise up in judgment against us Besides which makes ouâ— case far more miserable we can scarce resolve to amend or if we do we put off our conversion to hereafter when we were children we deferred to repent till we were men now we are men we defer untill we be old men and when we be old men we shall defer it until death if thou prevent us not and yet we look for as much at thine hands as they which serve thee all their lives Perhaps we have a form of godlinesse but thou who search stâ—â—he heart and triest the reins knowest that too often we deny the power of it and that ouâ— Religion is much of it hypocrisie our zeal envie our wisedom policie our peace security our life rebellion our devotion deadnesse and that we live so securely as if we had no souls to save Indeed thy Word and Spirit
whereby wee are continually tempted drawn away and enticed through our own concupiscence Yea thou knowest that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things and that the imaginations thereof are onely and continually evill O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark Labyrinâ—hs of mans heart who finds not in himself an indisposition of mind to all good and an inclination to all evill And according to this our inclination hath been our practice wee have yielded our hearts as cages to entertain all manner of unclean spirits when on the contrary wee have refused to yield them as Temples for thine holy Spirit to dwell in Yet miserable wretches as wee are wee like our own condition so well that wee are not willing to go out of our selves unto thee who wouldest new make us according to the Image of thy Son for by long custom wee have so turned delight into necessity that we can as willingly leave to live as leave our lusts yea wee love our sins so well and so much above our souls that except thou change our hearts wee shall chuse to go to Hell rather then part with them Thou hast used all manner of means to reclaim us but nothing will serve neither the menaces and terrours of thy Law nor the precepts and sweet promises of thy Gospell can do it Wee are neither softned with benefits nor broken with punishments thy severity will not terriâ—ie us nor thy kindness mollifie us No shouldest thou send an Angell from the dead to warn us all perswasions would be in vain since we hear Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles daily and are never the better True O Lord there is a main reason of it which we cannot now help for naturally we have eyes and see not ears and hear not hearts and understand not Yea wee are quite dead in sin untill thou doest boar our ears soâ—ten our hearts and break in upon our consciences by the irresistible power of thy Spirit and by going along with thy Word shall quicken our souls and regenerate the whole man anew In the mean time wee are ready to receive all and return nothing but sin and disobedience wherein wee more then abound for wee have done more against thee this week then wee have done â—or thee ever since we were born And whereas the least of thy mercies is greater then all the curtesies of men wee are not so thankfull to thee for them all as wee are to a friend for some one good turn Neither do wee alone lay the fault upon our inability or want of supply from thee but upon our own perversnesse and want of endeavour and putting forth that strength and ability which thou hast given us for how long hast thou O most gracious God stood at the doors of our hearts and how often hast thou knock'd when we have refused to open and let thee in And if at any time we have been over-ruled by the good motions of thy holy Spirit yet have wee still returned with the Dog to our vomit and with the Sow refused the clear streams of thy Commandements to wallow in the myre of our filthy sins whereby we have justly deserved that thou shouldest have called us to an account in the dead of our sleep and have judged us to eternall destruction and never have suffered us again to have seen the light of the Sun the remembrance of which together with our other rebellions when we rightly consider them makes us even speechless like him in the Gospell as neither expecting mercy nor daring to ask it Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Be favourable to thy people every where look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church and every severall member thereof blesse it in all places 〈◊〉 peace and truth hedge it about with thy providence defend it from the miscâ—ievous designs and attempts of â—â—ine and her malitious enemie let thy Gospell go on and conâ—ueâ— maugre all opposition that Religion and uprightness of heart may bee highly set by with all and all prophaneness may be trod under foot More particularly be mercifull to this sinfull Land the civill â—agistrates the painful Ministers the two Universities those people that sit yet in darkness all the afflicted members of thy Son Lord comfort the comfortless strengthen the weak bind up the broken hearted make the bed of the sick be a father to the fatherless and an husband to the widdow cloath the naked feed the hungry visit the prisoners relieve the oppressed sanctifie unto them all their afflictions and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee Prosper the Armies that fight thy battells and shew a difference between thy servants and thine enemies as thou did'st between the Israelites and the Egyptians that the one may bee
the Cistern my Bowels the Sink my Lungs the Bellows my Teeth the Chopping knives except you divide them and then they are the 32 points of the Sea-card both agreeing in number Concoction is the Caldron and hunger the Salt or Sawce my belly is the lower Deck my Kidneys Close Cabbins or receptacles my Thighs are long Galleries for the grace of the Ship my Arms and Hands the Can-hooks my Midriffe is a large Partition or Bulk-head within the circumference of my head is placed the Steeridge-room and chief cabbins with the Round-house where the Master lieth and these for the more safety and decencie are inclosed with a double fence the one Dura-mater something hard and thick the other Pia-mater very thin and soft which serveth instead of hangings The Ears are two doors or Scuttles fitly placed for entertainment the two Eyes are Casementâ— to let in light under them is my Mouth the Stowidge or Stewards-room my Lips are Hatches for receipt of goods my two Nostrils serve as Gratings to let in air at the one end stands my Chin which is the Beak-head my Forehead is the Upper-deck all which being trimmed with my fat instead of pitch and hair instead of Ockham are coloured with my skin The fore-deck is humility the stoarn charity active obedience the sayls which being hoysed up with the several Yards Halliars and Bow-lings of holy precepts and good purposes are let down again by sicklenesse faintings and inconstancie Reason is my Rudder experience the Helme hope of salvation my Anchor passive obedience the Capstain holy revenge the Cat and Fish to hawl the sheat-Anchor or last hope fear of offending is the Buâ—y virtues are the Cables holy desires and sudden ejaculations the Shrouds the zeal of God's glory is my Main-mast premeditation the Foremast desire of my own salvation the Mizzen-mast saving-knowledge the Boltsprit Circumspection a Sounding-line my Light is illumination Justice is the Card God's Word the Compasse the meditation of life's brevity a four-hour-glasse Conâ—emplation of the creatures the Grosse-staff or Iacob's Staff the Creed a Sea-grammer the life of Christ my Load-star the Saints falls are Sea-markes Good examples Land-marks Repentance Pumpes out the sink of my sins a good Conscience keeps mee clean imputative righteousness is my Flag having this Motto BEING CAST DOWN WE PERISH NOT The Flag-staff is sincerity the Ship is victualled afresh by reading hearing receiving Books are Long-boats Letters are little Skiffes to carry and re-carry my spiritual merchandise Perseverance is my speed and Patience my name my fire is lust which will not be clean extinguished full feeding and strong drink is the fuell to maintein it whose flame if it be not supprest is jealousie whose sparks are evil words whose ashes is envie whose smoke is infamy lascivious talk is as flint and steel concupiscence as tinder opportunity is the match to light it sloath and idlenesse are the servants to prepare it The Law of God is my Pilot Faith my Captain Fortitude the Master Chastity the Masters-mate my Will the Coxen Conscience the Preacher Application of Christs death the Chirurgion Mortification the Cook Viviâ—â—cation the Calker Self-denial is an Apprentice of his Temperance the Steward Contentation his Mate Truth the Purser Thankfulnesse the Pursers-mate Reformation the Boat-swain the 4 Humors Sanguine Choller c. are the Quarter-masters Christian vigilancie undertakes to supply the office of Starbord and Larbord waâ—ch Memory is Clerk of the Check Assurance the Corporal the Armour Innocencie the Mariners Angels Scismaticks are Searchers sent aboard my understanding as Master-Gunner culls out from those who Budg-casks of the New and Old Testament certain threats and promises which is my onely Powder and Shot and with the assistance of the Gunners-mate holy anger against sin chargeth my tongue which like to a Piece of Ordinance shoots them to the shame and overthrow of my shirituall Adversaries My Noble Passengers are joy in the Holy Ghost and the peace of conscience whose retinue are divine graces my ignoble or rather mutinous Passengers are worldly cogitations and vain delights which are more than a good many besides some that are arrant thievs and traytors namely pride envie prejudice but all these I 'le bid farewell when I come to my journies end though I would but cannot before Heaven is my Country where I am registred in the Book of life my King is Iehova my tribute Almsdeeds they which gather it are the poor Love is my Countries badge my language is holy conference my â—ellow Companions are the Saints I am poor in performances yet rich in Gods acceptation The foundation of all my good is Gods free Election I became bound into the Corporation of the Church to serve him in my baptisme I was inrolled at the time when hee first called mee my freedom is Justification it was purchased with the blood of Christ my evidence is the earnest of his Spirit my priviledges are his sanctifying Graces my Crown reserved for mee on high is Glorification My Maker and owner is God who built mee by his Word which is Christ of earth which was the materiall hee fraught it with the essence of my soul which is the Treasure and hath set mee to sail in the Sea of this world till I attain to the Port of Death which letteth the terrestriall part into the harbour of the grave and the celestiall into the Kingdom of Heaven in which voyage conveniency of estate is as Sea room good affections serve as a tyde and praier aâ— a prosperous gale of wind to help forward But innumerable are the impediments and perills for here I meet with the proffers of unlawfull gain and sensuall delights as so many Syrens the baits of prosperity as high banks on the right hand or weather-shore and there with evill suggestions and crabbed adversity as Rocks on the left hand or Lee-shore ready to split mee the fear of Hell like quick-sands threaten to swallow mee Originall sin like weeds clog me and actuall transgressions like so many Barnacles hang about mee yea every sin I commit springs a new leak my senses are as so many storms of rain hail and snow to sink me lewd affections are roaring billows and waves self-confidence or to rely upon any thing but divine assistance iâ— to lose the bolt sprit Restitution is heaving goods over-board to save the Ship Melancholly is want of fresh water the Scoffs of Atheists and contempt of Religion in all places is a notable becalming the lewd lives and evill examples of the most a contagious air Idleness surs it and is a shrewd decay both of Hull and Tackling Moreover sailing along and keeping watch for they that are Christs friends you know must look for all they meet to bee their enemies wee no sooner look up but presently wee ken a man of war and then wee must bee for war too and provide for a skirmish Now the Gallion that hath our Pinnace in chase and always watcheth for
transgressions have been such and so many and my ingratitude therein so great that it might have sunk me down with shame and left me hopelesse of ever obtaining pardon for them As see but some small part of my monstrous and devilish ingratitude to so good a God so loving and mercifull a Saviour and Redeemer that hath done and suffer'd so much for me even more than can either be expressed or conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea Touching what God and Christ hath done for me in the first place he gave me my self and all the creatures to serve for my use yea he created me after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledg of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition But this was nothing in comparison for when I was in a sad condition when I had forfeited all this and my self 〈…〉 become his enemy mortally hating him and to my utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto he did redeem me not only without asking but even against my will so making of me his cursed enemy a Servant of a Servant a Son of a Son an Heir and Co-heir with Christ Gal. 4.7 But how have I requited this so great so superlative a mercy All my recompence of Gods love unto me hath been to do that which he hates and to hate those whom he loves Christ the fountain of all good is my Lord by a manifold right and I his servant by all manner of obligations First He is my Lord by the right of Creation as being his workmanship made by him Secondly By the right of Redemption being his purchase bought by him Thirdly Of preservation being kept upheld and maintained by him Fourthly His by Vocation even of his family having admitted me a member of his visible Church Fifthly His also had it not been my own fault by sanctication whereby to possesse me Lastly He would have me of his Court by glorification that he might crown me so that I was every way his God had raised me from a beggar to a great estate but how did I requite him I would not if possible suffer a godly and conscientious Minister to be chosen or to abide where I had to do but to bring in one that would flatter sin and flout holiness discourage the godly and incourage the wicked I used both my own and all my friends utmost ability Much more might be mentioned but I fear to be tedious Now argue with all the world and they will conclude that there is no vice like ingratitude But I have been more ingratefull to God than can be exprest by the best Oratour alive It was horrible ingratitude in the Iews to scourge and crucifie Christ who did them good every way for he healed their diseases fed their bodies inlightened their minds of God became man and lived miserably amongst them many years that he might save their souls but they fell short of my ingratitude to God in that most of them were not in the least convinc'd that he was the Messias sent from God and promised from the beginning But I have not only denied this Lord that bought me but I hated him yea most spitefully and maliciously sought on Satans and sins side against him and persecuted his children and the truth with all my might and all this against knowledge and conscience after some measure of illumination which cannot be affirmed of the Iews Yet miserable wretch that I was if I could have given him my body and soul they should have been saved by it but he were never the better for them Sect. XXXIII Lastly To tell you that which is more strange Notwithstanding all this that hath been mentioned and much more Yet I thought my self a good Christian forsooth yea with that young man in the Gospel I thought I had kept all the Commandements Nor was I a whit troubled for sin either original or actual but my conscience was at quiet and I was at peace neither 〈…〉 my self with that Pharisee Luke 18.9 to 15. and say I was not like other men not once doubting of my salvation I ever refused to do what my Maker commanded and yet confidently hoped to escape what he threatned Nor did I doubt of having Christ my Redeemer and Advocate in the next life when I had been a bitter enemy to him and his members in this life Here was blindnesse with a witnesse as it is not to be believed how blind and blockish men are that have only the flesh for their guide especially if they have hardned their hearts and seared their consciences with a customary sinning As I could give you for instance a large catalogue of rare examples how sin hath besotted men and what stark fools carnal men are in spirital things be they never so wise for mundane knowledg But least it should be taken for a digression or excursion you shall have a list of them by themselves the which I will add as an Appendix to this Discourse or Dialogue In the mean time I have given you a brief of my manifold provocations and great ingratitude to my Maker and Redeemer for otherwise I might be endlesse in the prosecution thereof It remains that I should in like manner lay open my original defilement which is the fountain whence all the former whether sins of commission or sins of omission do flow But touching it be pleased to peruse that small Tract intituled A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation Or Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion by R. Y. from page 4. to page 10. Sect. XXXIV Loose Libertine If this hath been your case no wonder it hath startled you for to deal plainly with you as you have done with me what I have heard from you makes me also tremble For is such honest moral men that live so unreprovably as you had done go not to heaven what will become of me that have been openly prophane and notoriously wicked all my time Yea it contented me not to do wickedly my self and so damne my own soul but I have been the occasion of drawing hundreds to Hell with me by seducing some and giving ill example to others the infection of sin being much worse than the act As how many have I drawn to be Drunkards and swearers and whoremongers and prophane persons insomuch that the blood of so many souls as I have drawn away will be required at my hands Yea my life hath been so debauched and licentious that I have brought a scandal upon the Gospel and made it odious to the very Turks and Infidels Rom. 2.24 Convert Alass what I did that was morally good or what evil I refrained was more for self-ends or more for fear of mens Laws than
for love of Christs Gospel True I went under the notion of an honest man and a good Christian I was baptized into the faith and made a member of Christs vivisible Church but I was so far from indeavouring to perform what I then promised that in effect I even renounced both Christ and my Baptism in persecuting him and all that sincerely professed his Name thinking I did God good service therein Ioh. 16.2 Gal. 1.13 14. Phil. 3.6 Nor was it for want of ignorance that you thought so of me for by nature be we never so milde and gentle we are all the seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 and children of the Devil Ioh. 8.44 Yea the very best moral man is but a tame Devil as Athanasius well notes But it is a true proverb the blind eat many a flie and all colours are alike to him that is in the dark Loose Libertine So much the worse is my condition for my conscience tells me there is not a word you have spoken of your self but I can justly apply the same unto my own soul and a great deal more For whereas you have been a moral honest man so that none except your self could tax you for breaking either Gods Law or mans I have been so wicked and prophane that I could most presumptuosly and of set purpose take a pride in my wickednesse commit it with greedinesse speak for it defend it joy in it boast of it tempt and inforce to it yea mock them that disliked it As if I would send challenges into Heaven and make love to destruction and yet did applaud my self and prefer my own condition before other mens saying I was no dissembler yea I hated the hypocrisie of Professors I do not justifie my self and despise others like the Puritanes I am not factious schismatical singular censorious c. I am not rebellious nor contentious like the Brownists and Anabaptists I am a good fellow and love an honest man with my heart c. and as touching a good conscience I was never troubled in mind as many scrupulous fools are I have a good heart and mean as well as the precisest But now I see the Devil and my own deceitfull heart deluded me so that my whole life hitherto hath been but a dream and that like a blind man I was running headlong to Hell when yet I thought my self in the way to Heaven Just as if a beggar should dream that he were a King or a◠if a traitor should dream of his being crowned when indeed he was to be beheaded the case of Laodicea Rev. 3.17 the young man in the Gospel Luk. 18.20 21. and that Pharisee spoken of Luk. 18.11 12. Sect. XXXV Convert It was not your case alone but so it fares with the worst of sinners Only it much rejoyces me that it hath pleased God to open your eyes to see all this in your self For flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you Yea we are naturally so blind and deaf and dead in sin and in soul that we can no more discern our spiritual filthinesse nor feel sin to be a burden than a blind Aethiopian can see his own blacknesse or than a dead-man can feel the weight of a burthen when it is laid upon him Act. 28.27 Isa. 6.9 10 And this common experience shews for if you observe it who more jocond confident and secure than the worst of sinners they can strut it under an unsupportable Mass of oaths blasphemies thefts murthers adulteries drunkenness and other the like sins yea can easily swallow these spiders with Mithridates and digest them too when one that is regenerate shrinkes under the burden of wandring thoughts and want of proficiency But why is it they are dead in sin Ephes. 2.1 Revel 3.1 Now lay a mountain upon a dead-man he feels not once the weight To a Christian that hath the life of grace the least sin lyes heavy upon the conscience but to him that is dead let his sins be as heavy as a mountain of lead he feels in them no weight at all Again They are 〈…〉 for what the eye seeth not the heart rueth not Security makes worldlings merry and therefore are they secure because they are ignorant A dunce we know seldome makes doubts yea a fool saies Solomon boasteth and is confident Prov. 14.16 neither do blind men ever blush And the truth is were it not for pride and ignorance a world of men would be ashamed to have their faces seen abroad For take away from mens minds vain opinions flattering hopes false valuations imaginations and the like you will leave the minds of most men and women but poor shrunken things full of melancholy indisposition and unpleasing to themselves Ignorance is a veil or curtain to hide away their sins whereupon they are never troubled in conscience nor macerated with cares about eternity but think that all will be well The Devil and the flesh prophesie prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the powder-traitors but death and damnation which Gods Spirit threatens will prove the crop they will reap For God is true the Devil and all flesh are lyers When we become regenerate and forsake sin then the Devil strongly and strangely assaults us as he did Christ when he was newly baptized and Pharaoh the children of Israel when they would forsake Aegypt and Herod the children when Christ was come to deliver his people Whence commonly it comes to passe that those think best of themselves that ave least cause yea the true Christian is as fearfull to entertain a good opinion of himself as the false is unwilling to be driven from it They that have store of grace mourn for the want of it and they that indeed want it chant their abundance None so apt to doubt their adoption as they that may be assured of it nor none more usually fear then they that have the greatest cause to hope We feel corruption not by corruption but by grace and therefore the more we feel our inward corruptions the more grace we have Contraries the nearer they are to one another the sharper is the conflict betwixt them now of all enemies the spirit and the flesh are nearest one to another being both in the soul of a regenerate man and in all faculties of the soul and in every action that springeth from those faculties The more grace the more spiritual life and the more spiritual life the more antipathy to the contrary whence none are so sensible of corruption as those that have the most living souls Sect. XXXVI Now for remedy of the contrary there cannot be a better lesson for carnal men to learn than this All the Promises of God are conditional to take place if we repent as all the threatenings of God are conditional to take place if we repent not But wicked men as they believe without repenting their faith being meer presumption so they repent without believing their repentance being indeed
desperation and this observe we are cast down in the disappointing of our hopes in the same measure as we were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them Whence these perremptory presumers if ever they repent it is commonly as Francis Spira 〈…〉 One star is much bigger than the Earth yet seems many degrees lesse It is the nature of fear to make dangers greater helps lesse then they are Christ hath promised peace and rest unto their souls that labour and are heavy laden and to those that walk according to rule Matth. 11.29 Gal. 6.16 even peace celestial in the state of grace and peace eternal in the state of glory Such therefore as never were distressed in conscience or live loosly never had true peace Peace is the Daughter of Righteousness Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God But he who makes a bridge of his own shadow will be sure to fall into the water Those Blocks that never in their life were moved with Gods threatnings never in any straight of conscience never groaned under the burden of Gods anger they have not so much as entered into the porch of this house or lift a foot over the threshold of this School of repentance Oh! that we could but so much fear the eternal paines as we do the temporary and be but so carefull to save our souls from torment as our bodies In the mean time the case of these men is so much the worse by how much there fear is the lesse It faring with the soul as with the body Those diseases which do take away all sense of pain are of all others most desperate As the dead Palsey the falling-sicknesse the sleepy lethargy c. And the Patient is most dangerously sick when he hath no feeling thereof In like manner whilst they suppose themselves to be free from judgment they are already smitten with the heaviest of Gods judgments a heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 In a lethargy it is needfull the Patient should be cast into a burning Fever because the senses are benammed and this will waken them and dry up the besotting humours So in our dead security before our conversion God is fain to let the Law Sin Conscience and Satan loose upon us and to kindle the very fire of Hell in our souls that so we might be roused out of our security but thousands of these blocks both live and depart with as great hopes as men go to a lottery even dreaming of Heaven untill they awake in Hell For they too often die without any remorse of conscience like blocks or as an Ox dyes in a ditch Yea thousands that live like Laban dye like Nabal which is but the same word inverted whilst others the dear Children of God dye in distresse of conscience For it is not every good mans hap to dye like Antoninus Pius whose death was after the fashion and semblance of a kindly and pleasant sleep However Austin's rule will be sure to hold He cannot dye ill that hath lived well and for the most part He that lives conscionably dyes comfortably and departeth rich And so you see how it fares with the wickedest and worst of men Wherefore if you are truly sensible of your wretchednesse it is a good sign that you are in some forwardnesse to be recovered and really to become so good as formerly you but dream'd or imagined your self to be And indeed the very first step to grace is to feel the want of grace and the next way to receive mercy is to see your self miserable Therefore our 〈◊〉 and most diligent search should be 〈…〉 Sect. XXXVII Loose Libertine But is there any hope for one so wicked as I who have turned the grace of God into wantonesse applying Christs passion as a warrant for my licenciousnesse not as a remedy and taking his death as a licence to sin his cross as a Letters pattent to do mischief As if a man should head his drum of rebellion with his pardon For I have most spitefully and maliciously taken up arms against my Maker and fought against my Redeemer all my daies Convert Do but unfeignedly repent you of your sins and forsake your former evil waies and lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith my soul for yours God is very ready to forgive them be they never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Yea I can shew you your pardon from the great King of Heaven for all that is past the which you may read at large Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 to 29. and 33.11 Ioel 2.12 13 14. Yea read 1 Cor. 6.10 11. together with the story of Manasses Mary Magdelen the Thief and the Prodigal Son and you shall see presidents thereof Yea the very murtherers of the Son of God upon their serious and unfeigned repentance and stedfast believing in him received pardon and salvation And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus True every sin deserves damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it True Repentance is ever blest with forgiveness And know this that Gods mercy is greater than thy sin whatever it be you cannot be so infinite in sinning as he is infinite in pardoning if you repent yea sins upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I will put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44.22 And what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone As the former examples witnesse Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1.18 Yea whiter than snow For the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiâ—â—inesse and his original impurity useth these words Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did Christ come to call sinners to repentance and shall be not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that desires to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Only apply not this salve before the ulcer be searched to the bottom Lay not hold upon mercy untill you be throughly humbled The only way to become good is first to believe that you are evil and by accusing our selves we prevent Satan By judging our selves we prevent God Are we as sick of sorrow as we are of sin then may we hopefully go to the Physician of our souls who came into the world only to cure the sick and to give light to them only who sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death God does not pour the oyl of grace but into a broken and contrite heart Wouldst thou get out of the miserabâ—◠〈◊〉 of nature into the blessed estate of grace and of Satans bondsla 〈◊〉 me the child of God and a very
upon it Neither let Satan perswade you to defer your repentance no not an hour lest your resolution proves as a false conception which never comes to bearing Besides death may be suddain even the least of a thousand things can kill you and give you no leasure to be sick Thirdly If thou wilt be safe from evil works avoid the occasions have no fellowship with the workers of iniquity neither fear their scoffs for this be sure of if your person and waies please God the world will be displeased with both If God be your friend men will be your enemies if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy But take heed of losing Gods favour to keep theirs Beda tels of a great man that was admonished by his friends in his sicknesse to repent who answered He would not yet for that if he should recover his friends and companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker they again prest him but then his answer was that it was now too late for I am judged and condemned already A man cannot be a Nathaniel in whose heart there is no guile but the world counts him a fool But Christ saies Verily except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 Again Satan and your deceitfull heart will suggest unto you that a Religious life is a dumpish and melancholy life but holy David will tell you that light is sown to the righteous and joy to the upright Psal. 97.11 Isa. 65.14 And experience tells that earthly and bodily joys are but the body or rather the dregs of that joy which Gods people feel and are ravished with As O the calm and quietnesse of a good conscience the assurance of the pardon of sin and joy of the Holy Ghost the honesty of a virtuous and holy life how sweet they are Yea even Plato an Heathen could say That if wisdom and virtue could but represent it self to the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And the like of a sinners sadnesse as hear what Seneca saies if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burn him no man to see him yet would he not sin for the uglinesse and filthinesse of sin and the guilâ— and sadnesse of his conscience But experience is the best informer wherefore take the counsell of holy David Psalm 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him To which accordeth that of holy Bernard Good art thou O Lord to the soul that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee As I may appeal to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted of the powers of the world to come to him that hath the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost whether his whole life be not a perpetual halellujah in comparison of his natural condition Whence they are able to sleight all such objections as he did you tell me that scrupling of small matters is but stumbling at straws that they be but trifles When I know your tongue can tell nothing but truth I will believe you Fifthly Beg of God that he will give you a new heart and when the heart is changed all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sun when it ariseth But without a work upon the heart wrought by the Spirit of God it will follow its own inclination to that which it affecteth whatsoever the judgment shall say to the contrary That must be first reformed which was first deformed It is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountain is corrupt Whence the Apostle orderly bids us first be renewed in the spirit of our minds and then let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.23 24. Yea it is Gods own counsell to the men of Ierusalem Jer. 4. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved ver 14. It is most ridiculous to apply remedies to the outward parts when the distemper lies in the stomach To what purpose is it to crop off the top of weeds or lop off the boughs of the tree when the root and stalk remain in the earth as cut off the sprig of a tree it grows still a bough an arm still it grows lop of the top yea saw it in the midst yet it will grow again stock it up by the roots then and not till then it will grow no more Whence it is that God saith Give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Great Cities once expunged the dorpes and Villages will soon come in of themselves the heart is the treasury and store-house of wickedness Mat. 12.34 such as the heart is such are the actions of the body which proceed from it Mat. 12.35 Therefore as Christ saith Make clean within and all will be clean otherwise not Mat. 23.26 Therefore Davids prayer is Create in me a new heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me Psal. 51.10 do thou the like importune him for grace that you may firmly resolve speedily begin and continually persevere in doing and suffering his holy will desire him to inform and reform you so that you may neither misbelieve nor mislive to change and purifie your naure subdue your reason rectifie your judgment reform and strengthen your will renew your affections and beat down in you whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Iesus Christ. Sixthly and lastly If you receive any power against you former corruptions forget not to be thankefull yea study all possible thankfulness For that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell flames never to be freed that we have the offer of grace here and glory hereafter it is his unspeakable goodness And there is nothing more pleasing to God nor profitable to us both for the procuring of the good we want or continuing the good we have than thankfulness He will sow there and there onely plenty of his blessings where he is sure to reap plenty of thanks and service but who will sow those barren sands where they are sure not only to be without all hope of a good harvest but are sure to loose both their seed and labour Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so much for the Second Part. An Appendix followes wherein you have instances of all sorts how sin besots men THE TRYALL OF TRUE WISDOM WITH How to become Wise indeed OR A Choice and Cheap Gift for a Friend both to please and pleasure him Be he inferior or superior sinful or faithful ignorant or intelligent By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Floreligus Add this as an Apendix or Third Part to The Hearts Index And A short and sure way to Grace and Salvation Section 41. LUcian tells of an Egyptian King
the clock esteeming every minute a month and thy present misery unsupportable What then will it be to lie in stames of fire to which our fire is but ayre in comparison fire and brimstone kept in the highest flame by the unquenchable wrath of God world without end where thou shalt have nothing about thee but darkness and horrour wayling and wringing of hands desperate yellings and gnashing of teeth thy old companions in vanity and sin to ban and curse thee the Devils insulting over thee with cruelty and scorn the never-dying worm of conscience to feed upon thy soul and flesh for ever and ever O everlasting eternity a never-dying life an ever-living death Which yet is but just with God for if thou mightest have lived for ever thou wouldst have sinned for ever If God would everlastingly have spared thee thou wouldest have everlastingly hated and provoked him What then can be more equal then that thou shouldst suffer everlastingly O then bethink thy self of this word eternal and everlasting and ponder upon it yea do but indeed believe it and it will be enough to break thine hard heart and make it relent and repent and thereby prevent the wrath to come It will put thee to a demur What have I done what am I now about whether will this course tend how will it end what will become of me if I go on in chambering and wantonness surfeting and drunkenness strife and envying swearing prophaneness earthly-mindedness and the like For indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evil and continueth therein as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2.8 9. O then break off thy sins without delay and let there be an healing of thine errors Sect. 3. Neither is the extremity of pain inferiour to the perpetuity of it it is a place full of horrour and amazedness where is no remission of sin no dismission of pain no intermission of sense no permission of comfort its torments are both intollerable and interminable and 〈◊〉 neither he enda 〈…〉 The pangs of the first death are pleasant compared with those of the second For mountains of sand were lighter and millions of years shorter than a tithe of those torments Rev. 20.10 Iude 7. It is a death which hath no death it hath a beginning it hath no ending Matth. 3.12 Isa. 66 24. The pain of the body is but the body of pain the anguish of the soul is the soul of anguish For should we first burn off one hand then another after that each arm and so all the parts of the body it would be deemed intollerable and no man would endure it for all the profits and pleasures this world can afford and yet it is nothing to the burning of body and soul in hell Should we endure ten thousand years torments in hell it were grievous but nothing to eternity Should we suffer one pain it were miserable enough but if ever we come there our pains shall be for number and kinds infinitely various as our pleasures have been here every sence and member each power and faculty both of soul and body shall have their several objects of wretchedness and that without intermission or end or easâ— or patience to endure it Luke 12 5. 16.23 Matth. 3.12 5.22 22.23 The Schools affirm that the least torture in Hell exceeds the greatest that can be devised by all the men on earth even as the least joy in Heaven surpasseth the greatest comfort here on earth There is scarce any pain here on earth but there is ever some hope of ease mitigation or intermission of some relief or deliverance but in Hell their torments are easeless endless and remediless unsufferable and yet ineviteable and themselves left hopeless helpless pittyless It were misery enough to have the head-ach tooth-ach Collick gowt burning in the fire or if there be any thing more grievous Yea should all these and many more meet together in one man at one instant they would come infinitely short of the pains of Hell Yea they would all bâ— bar as the stinging of Antes to the lashes of those Scorpions but as drâ—pes to those Vials of wrath as sparks to that flame as Chrysostome speaks The Furnace of Babell was but a flea-biting to this tormenting Tophet prepared of old Isa. 30. He hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it vers 32. So that it were happy for reprobate spirits if they were in no worse condition than so many Toads or Serpents As consider If a dark dungeon here be so loathsome what is that dungeon of eternal of utter darkness If material fire be so terrible what is Hell fire Here we cry out of a burning feaver or if a very coal from the hearth do but light on our flesh O how it grieves us we cannot hold our finger for one minute in scalding lead but there both body and soul shall fry in everlasting flames and be continually tormented by infernal fiends whose society alone would be sufficiently frightfull Sect. 4. Now consider Is one hours twitches of tâ—â—â—orm of conscience here yoâ— one minutes tâ—â—ch of a tooth pulling out so unsufferable what is a 〈…〉 mented in that flame what think we shall that torment be when body and soul come to be united in torment since the pains of Hell are more exquisite than all the united torments that the earth can invent Yea the pains and sufferings of the damned are ten thousand times more than can be imagined by any heart under heaven and can rather through necessity be endured than expressed It is a death never to be painted to the life no pen nor pencil nor art nor heart can comprehend it Matth. 18.8 9 10. 25.30 Luke 16 23 24. 2 Pet. 2.4 Isa. 5.14 30 33. Prov. 15.11 Yea were all the land paper and all the water ink every plant a pen and every other creature a ready Writer yet they could not set down the least piece of the great pains of hell-fire Now add eternity to extremity and then consider hell to be hell indeed For if the Ague of a year or the Collick of a month or the Rack of a day or the burning of an hour be so bitter here how will it break the hearts of the wicked to feel all these beyond all measure beyond all time So that it is an evil and bitter thing to depart from the living God We poor mortals until God does bring us from under the power of Satan unto himself do live in the world as if hell were not so hot noâ— the Devil so black as indeed they are as if Hell and Heaven were the one not worth the avoiding the other not worth the enjoying but the heat of fire was never painted and the Devil is more deformed than represented on the wall There are unexpressible torments in Hell as well
as unspeakable joyes in Heaven Nor will this be their case alone that are desparately wicked cursing and blaspheming Drunkards and sheders of blood but of all impenitent persons As for instance They who have lived in the fire of lust here must not think much to be scorched in the flames of Hell hereafter Heb. 13.4 Rev. 21.8 22.15 The detractor is a devil above ground his tongue is already set on fire from hell James 3.6 Rev. 16.10 11. which does sadly presage what will be his portion for ever unless repentaâ—ce quench those flames and so of the like offenders Psal. 9.17 Revel 22.12 As what sayes the Apostle Neither fornicators nor thieves nor murtherers nor drunkards nor swearers nor raylors nor lyers nor covetous persons nor unbelievers nor no unrighteous persons shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but shall have their part and portion in that lake which burneth with the fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21.8 which did they well consider they durst not continue in the practise of these sins without fear or remorse or care of amendment Sect. 5. Now what heart would not bleed to see men run headlong into these tortures that are thus intollerable Dance hoodwinkt into this perdition O that it were allowed to the desperate russians of our dayes that swear and curse drink and drab rob shed blood c. as if Heaven were blind and deaf to what they do to have but a sight of this Hell how would it charm their mouths appale their spirits strikâ— fear and astonishment into their hearts Yea if a sinner could see but one glimpse of hell or be suffered to look one moment into that fiery Lake he would rath 〈…〉 sin Nor can I think they would do as they do if they did but either see or foresee what they shall one day without serious and unfeigned repentance feel And indeed therefore are we dissolute because we do not think what a judgment there is after our dissolution because we make it the least and last thing we think on yea it is death we think to think upon death and we cannot endure that dolefull bell which summons us to judgment Lam. 1.9 Deut. 32.29 Oh that men would believe and consider this truth and do accordingly Oh that thou wouldest remember that there is a day of account a day of death a day of judgment coming Heb. 9.27 Matth. 25. wherein the Lord Iesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance unto them which obey not his Gospel and to punish them with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power as the Apostle speaks 2 Thes. 1.7 8 9. Iude 15. Isa. 33 14. Mat. 25.46 As consider seriously I beseech you whether it will not be worth the while so to foresee the torments of Hell that you may prevent them Or if otherwise will you not one day wish you had when death comes and arrests you to appear before the great and terrible Iudge of all the world Luke 16 23. to 32. Matth. 13.30 38. at which time an Assizes or Quarter-Sessions shall be held within thee where Reason shall sit as Iudge and Satan shall put in a Bill of Indictment as long as that Book in Zechary Chap. 5.2 Ezek. 2.9 10. wherein shall be alleged all the evil deeds that ever thou hast committed and all the good deeds that ever thou hast omitted with their several circumstances that may aggravate them Eccles. 11.9 12.14 2 Cor. 5.10 and all the curses and judgments that are due to every sin Thine own Conscience shall accuse thee and thy memory shall give bitter evidence against thee and thou shalt condemn thy self before the just condemnation of thy Iudg who knows all thy misdeeds better than thy self 1 Iohn 3 20. Which sins of thine will not then leave thee but cry unto thee We are thy works and we will follow thee Rev. 14.13 And then who can sufficiently express what thy grief and anguish will be when the summons both of the first and second death do overtake thee at once Prov. 1.27 And when at once thou shalt think of thy sins past thy present misery and the terrour of thy torments to come and how thou hast made Earth thy Paradise thy belly thy God and lust thy Law so sowing vanity and reaping misery And finding that as in thy prosperity thou neglectedst to serve God so now in thy adversity God refuseth to save thee Prov. 1.24 to 32. Ezek. 23.35 When thou shalt call to mind the many warnings thou hast had of this dolefull day from Christs faithfull Ambassadours and how thou then madest but a mock or jeer at it Prov. 1 25. and think how for the short sinfull pleasures thou hast enjoyed thou must endure eternal pains Luk. 16.24 25. Rev. 6.12.10.18 Which yet thou shalt think most just and equal saying As I have deserved so I am served for I was oft enough offered mercy yea 〈◊〉 to accept thereof but I preferrâ—◠〈◊〉 pleasing of my 〈…〉 and the allurements of Satan than the Word of God or the motions of his holy Spirit Prov. 1.24 c. Mark 16.16 And which I would have thee think upon Hell fire is made more hot by neglecting so great salvation Heb. 2.3 This is the condemnation saith our Saviour none like this that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Joh. 3.29 Now salvation is freely offered but men reject it hereafter they would accept of salvation but God will reject them Yea then a whole world if thou hadst it for one hours delay or â—â—spite that thou mightest have space to repent and sue unto God for mercy but it cannot be because thy body which joyned with thy soul in thy sinfull actions is now altogether unfit to joyn with her in the exercise of repentance and repentance must be of the whole man Besides death will take no pitty the Devil knows no mercy and the God of mercy will have utterly forsaken thee Then wilt thou say Oh that I had been more wise or that I were now to begin my life again then would I contemn the world with all its vanities yea if Satan should then offer me all the treasures pleasures and promotions of this world he should never entice me to forget the terrours of this dreadfull hour and those worse which are to follow Luke 16.24 c. 13.28 But Oh wretched Caitiff that I am how hath the Devil and my own deceitfull and devilish heart deluded me and how am I served accordingly For now is my case more miserable than the most despised Toad or Serpent that perisheth when it dieth in that I must go to answer at the great Judgement-seat for all my sins that am not able to answer for one of the least of them Eccles. 12.14 Mat. 18.34 that I
so important a 〈…〉 First If the Sun which is but a creature be so bright and glorious that no mortal eye can look upon the brightness of it how glorious then is the Creator himself or that light from whence it receives its light If the frame of the Heavens and globe of the Earth be so glorious which is but the lower house or rather the foot-stool of the Almighty as the Holy Ghost phraseth it Isa. 66.1 Matth. 5.35 Act. 7.49 how glorious and wonderfull is the Maker thereof and the City where he keeps his Court Or if sinners even the worst of wicked men and Gods Enemies have here in this earthly pilgrimage such variety of enjoyments to please their very senses as who can express the pleasurable variety of Objects for the sight of meats and drinks to satisfie and delight the taste of voyces and melodious sounds to recreate the hearing of sents and perfumes provided to accommodate our very smellings of recreations and sports to bewitch the whole man And the like of honour and profit which are Idols that carnal men do mightily dote upon and take pleasure in though these earthly and bodily joyes are but the body or rather the dregs of true joy what think we must be the soul thereof viz. those delights and pleasures that are reserved for the glorified Saints and Gods dearest darlings in Heaven Again Secondly If natural men find such pleasure and sweetness in secular wisdom lip-learning and brain-knowledg For even mundane knowledg hath such a shew of excellency in it that it is highly affected both by the good and bad As O the pleasure that rational men take therein It being so fair a Virgin that every clear eye is in love with her so rich a Pearl 〈◊〉 at none but Swine do despise it yea among all the Trees in the Garden none so takes with rational men as the Tree of knowledg as Satan well knew when he set upon our first Parents insomuch that Plato thinks in case wisdom could but represent it self unto the eyes it would set the heart on fire with the love of it And others affirm That there is no less difference between the Learned and the Ignorant than there is between the â—â—â—ing and the dead or between men and beasts And yet the pleasure 〈◊〉 â—atural and moral men take in secular and mundane knowledg and leaâ—â—â—g is nothing comparable to that pleasure that an experimental Christian finds in the Divine and Supernatural knowledge of Gods Word which makes David and Solomon prefer it before the honey and the honey-comb for sweetness and to value it above thousands of gold and silver yea before Pearls and all precious stones for worth How sweet then shall our knowledg in Heaven be For here we see but darkly and as it were in a glass or by moon-light but there we shall know even as we are known and see God and Christ in the face 1 Cor. 13.12 Thirdly if meer Naturians have been so taken with the love of Vertue that they thought if a vertuous soul could but be seen with corporal eyes it would ravish all men with love and admiration thereof yea if the very worst of men drunkards blasphemers and the like though they most spitefully scoff at and backbite the people of God yet when they know a man sincere upright and honest cannot choose â—â—◠〈…〉 touching Iohn and King Agrippa touching Paul Sect. 2. Or rather if Gods own people are so ravished with the graces and priviledges which they enjoy upon earth as the assurance of the pardon of sin the peace of a good conscience and joy of the Holy Ghost which is but glorification begun what will they be when they shall enjoy the perfection of glory in Heaven As see but some instances of their present enjoyments here below First if we were never to receive any reward for those small labours of love and duties we do to the glory of God and profit of others we might think our selves sufficiently recompenced in this life with the calm and quietness of a good conscience the honesty of a vertuous and holy life That we can do and suffer something for the love of Christ who hath done and suffered so much to save us That by our works the Majesty of God is magnified to whom all homage is due and all service too little For Godliness in every sickness is a Physitian in every contention an Advocate in every doubt a Schoolman in all heaviness a Preacher and a comforter unto whatsoever estate it comes making the whole life as it were a perpetual Halleluja Yea God so sheds his love abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that we are in Heaven before we come thither Insomuch that as the fire flyeth to his Sphere the stone hastens to the center the River to the Sea as to their end and rest and are violently detained in all other places so are the hearts of Gods people without their Maker and Redeemer their last end and eternal rest and quietness never at rest like the Needle touched with the Loadstone which ever stands quivering and trembling until it enjoyes the full and direct aspect of the Northern Pole But more particularly How does the assurance of the pardon of sin alone clear and calm alâ— storms of the mind making any condition comfortable and the worst and greatest misery to be no misery To be delivered of a child is no smal joy to the mother but to be delivered from sin is a far greater joy to the soul. But to this we may add the joy of the Holy Ghost and the peace of conscience otherwise called the peace of God which passeth all understanding These are priviledges that 〈◊〉 Paul happier in his chain of Iron than Agrippa in his chain of gold 〈◊〉 Peter more merry under stripes than Caiaphas upon the Iudgment-seat and Steven the like under that shower of stones Pleasures are ours if we be Christs whence those expressions of the Holy Ghost The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we rejoyce Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Let all that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them even shout for joy Rejoyce evermore and again I say rejoyce rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you c. So that it is a shame for the faithfull not to be joyfull and they sin if they rejoyce not whatever their condition be The Eunuch no sooner felt the pardon of sin upon his being baptized into the faith of Christ but he went on his way rejoycing Act 8.39 He then found more solid joy than ever he had done in his râ—cheâ— honours and great places under Candace Queen of the Aethiopians 〈◊〉 same time when the Disciples were persecuted they are said to be filled with
sick A very likely matter thou believest in Christ and hopest to be saved by him when thoâ— wilt neither imitate his actions nor follow his Precepts How does this hang together Let me ask thee a question or two that may convince thee of thy unbelief If a Physitian should say to his Patient here stands a cordial which if you take will cure you but touch not this other vial for that is deadly poyson and he wittingly refuseth the cordial to take the poyson will not every one conclude that either he believed not his Physician or preferred death before life If Lots Sons-in-law had believed thâ—â—r Father when he told them the City should suddenly be destroyed with fire and brimstone and that by flying they might escape it they would have obeyed his counsel If the old World had believed that God would indeed and in good earnest bring such a stood upon them as he threatned they would have entred the Ark and not have scoft at Noah for building it So if you did firmly believe what God in the Scriptures speaks of Hell you would need no entreaties to avoid the same Sect. 4. But alas men of thy condition are so far from believing what God threatens in his Word against their sins that they bless themselves in their hearts saying we shall have peace although we walk according to the stubbornness of our own wills so adding drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29.19 Yea they preferre their condition before others who are so abstemious and make conscience of their waies thinking that they delude themselves with needless fears and scruples 2 King 18.22 30 33 35. Alas if they dâ—d in good earnest believe that there is either God or Devil Heaven or Hell or that they have immortal souls which shall everlastingly live in bliss or woe and receive according to what they have done in their bodies whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5.10 They could not but live thereafter and make it their principal care how to be saved â—ut alas they believe what they see and feell and know they be 〈…〉 this makes them abstain from murther felony and the like but they believe not things invisible and to come For if they did they would as well yea much more fear him that hath power to cast both body and soul into Hell as they do the temporal Magistrate that hath onely power to kill the body they would think it a very hard bargain to win the whole world and lose Heaven and their own souls Luk. 9 25. Men fear a Gaol more then they fear Hell and stand more upon their silver or sides smarting than upon their souls and regard more the blasts of mens breath than the fire of God's wrath and tremble more at the thought of a Serjeant or Bailiff than of Satan and everlasting perdition Else they would not be hired with all the worlds wealth multiplied as many times as there be sands on the Sea shore to hazard in the least the loss of those everlasting Joys before spoken of or to purchase and plunge themselves into those caseless and everlasting flames of fire and brimstone in Hell there to fry body and soul where shall be an innumerable company of Devils and damned Spirits to affright and torment them but not one to comfort or pity them Confident I am thou wouldest not endure here to hold thy hand in a fiery crusible the space of a day or an hour for all the worlds wealth and splendour How then if thou bethinkest thy self wilt thou hereafter endure that and ten thousand thousand times more for millions of millions of ages Look Revel 20.10 and bethink thy self how thou wilt brook to be cast into a doleâ—ull disconsolate dungeon to lie in utter darkness in eternal chains in a little ease a no ease for ever and ever Canst thou endure to dwell with the devouring fire with the everlasting burning Sect. 5. Wherefore let me my Brethren beseech you not to be such Atheists and Fools as to fall into Hell before you will fear it when by fearing it you may avoid it and by neglecting it you cannot but fall into it What though it be usual with men to have no sense of their souls till they must leave their bodies yet do not you therefore leap into Hell to keep them company but be perswaded to bethink your selves now rather than when it will be too late when the Draw bridge will be taken up and whâ—n it will vex every vein of your hearts that you had no more care of your souls Yet there is grace offered if we will not shut our hearts and wills against it and refuse our own mercy but how long God will yet wait thy leisure or how soon he will in his so long provoked Justice pronounce thy irrevocable sentence thou knowest not nor canst thou promise thy self one minutes time Oh that men would believe the God of truth that cannot lie touching spiritual and eternal things but as they do these temporary and transitory Oh that thou who art the sacred Monarch of this mighty frame wouldest give them hearts to believe at least thus much That things themselves are in the invisible World in the World visible but their shadows onely And that whatsoever wicked men enjoy here it is but as in a dream their plenty is but like a drop of pleasure before a River of sorrow and displeasure And whatsoever the godly feel but as a drop of misery 〈…〉 Iudg of all the World comest slowly to judgment yet thou wilt come surely As the Clock comes slowly and by minutes to the stroak yet it strikes at last That those are onely true riches which being once had can never be lost That Heaven is a Treasure worthy our hearts a purchase worth our lives That when all is done how to be saved is the best plot That there is not mention of one in the whole Bible that ever sinned without repentance but he was punished without mercy For then there would not be a Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for a portion of meat sold his inheritance Heb. 12.16 Then they would not be of the number of those that so doted upon Purchases and Farms and Oxen that they made light of going to the Lords Supper Luke 14.18 19 20. Nor of the Gadarens mind who preferred their Hogs before Christ. Then would they know it better to want all things then that one needfull thing whereas now they desire all other things and neglect that one thing which is so needfull They would hold it far better and in good sadness to be saved with a few as Noah was in the Ark than in good fellowship with the multitude to be drowned in sin and damned for company Nor would they think it any disparagement to their wisdoms to change their minds and be of another judgment to what they are CHAP. XXIII Sect. 1. SEcondly Are the joyes of Heaven so unspeakable and glorious How then
if he remitted his stroke never so little where he had leisure to consider with himself that now he was chained who might have walked at liberty now he was a slave who might if he would have been a King now he was over-ruled by Turks who might have ruled over Christians The thought whereof could not but double his misery and make him bewail his sorrow with tears of blood Now this hereafter will be the case of all careless persons save that this comes as 〈◊〉 of that as earth comes short of heaven and temporal misery of eternal Wherefore if thou wouldest have this to become thy very case go on in thy wilfull and perverse impenitency but if not bethink thy self and do thereafter and that without delaying one minute For there is no redemption from hell if once thou comest there And 〈…〉 thou canst swallow thy spittle if thou diest this day in thy natural condition Many men take liberty to sin and continue in a trade of sin because God is mercifull bâ—t they will one day find that he is just as well as mercifull There is mercy with God saith the Psalmist that he may be feared not that he may be despised blasphemed c. Psal. 130.4 Yea know this and write it in the Table-book of thy memory and upon the table of thy heart That if Gods bountifulness and long-suffering towards thee does not lead thee to repentance it will double thy doom and encrease the pile of thy torments And that everyday which does not abate of thy recâ—oning will encrease it And that thou by thy hardness and impâ—nitency shall but treasure up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the just judgment of God Rom. 2.4 5 6. Now this Iudg hath told us that we must give an account for every idle word we speak Mat. 12.36 much more then for our wicked actions therefore beware what thou dost against him Men may dream of too much strictness in holy courses but they do not consider the power the purity and strictness of the Iudg He who briâ—gs even idle words to judgment and forgets not a thought of disobedience How will he spare our gross negligence and presumption How our formality and irreverence in his service much more our flagitious wickedness Heb. 12.29 Sect. 3. Wherefore as you ever expect or hope for Heaven and Salvation as you would escape the tormenting flames of hâ—ll-fire cease to do evil learn to do well For Sanctification is the way to Glorification Holiness to eternal Happiness If we would have God to glorifie our bodies in Heaven we also must glorifie God in our bodies here on earth And now for conclusion Are the Ioyes of Heaven so unspeakable and glorious the torments of Hell so wofull and doloâ—ous then it behoves all Parents and Governours of Families to see to their Children and Servants souls and that they miscarry not through their neglect As tell me Will not their blood be required at your hands if hey perish through your neglect Will it not be sad to have Children and Servants rise up in judgment against you and to bring in evidence at the great Tribunal of Christ saying Lord my Father never minded me my Master never regarded me I might sin he never reproved me I might go to Hell it was all one to him Will not this be sad Secondly If it be so Let Children and Servants consider that 't is better to have lust restrained than satisfied 't is better to be held in and restrained from sin than to have a wicked liberty Be not angry with those who will not see you damn your souls and let you alone they are your best Friends Fear the strokes of Gods anger be they spiritual or eternal more than the strokes of men What 's a setter to a Dungeon a Gallows to Hell fire Give not way to imaginary speculative heart-sins Murther in the beast uncleanness in the eye and thoughts given wâ—y to will come to actu 〈…〉 he get but in he will be to hard for you And let so much serve to have been spoken of Heaven and Hell Upon the one I have stood the longer that so I might if God so please be a means to save some with fear plucking them out of the fire of Gods wrath under which without Repentance they must lie everlastingly And for the other I have like the Searchers of Canaan brought you a cluster of grapes to give the Reader a taste thereby of the plentifull vintage we may expect and look for in the heavenly Canaan Now if any would truly know themselves and how it will fare with them in the end let them read the whole Booâ— out of which this is taken viz. The whole duty of a Christian. Which Book is licenced by Iohn Downame and Thomas Gataker What follows is both to fill up the sheet and to occasion or forewarn Swearers who swarm so in all places and ignorant persons whose number is numberless and who of all others are most confident that they shall do well enough not to forget what they have herein heard of Heaven and Hell And to these their faithfull and impartial Monitor the Book giver presents a few Considerations EVen such is the power of sin that it made God become man Angels become Dâ—vils and men become beasts For each man by nature every one whose heart is not changed by the Loadstone of the Gospel is a very beast in condition as Ieremy affirms Ier. 10.14 and St. Peter 2 Pet. 2.12 But that 's not all for when the custom of sin hath so brawned mens hearts sâ—ared their consciences and blinded their minds that they can Swear and Curse as familiarly as dogs bark When the just and true God hath for their rebellious wickedness in rejecting him and despising all good means of being bettered given them up to their own hearts lusts and to Satan the god of this world to be taught and governed by him even as a just Iudg having passed sentence upon some hainous Malefactor gives him up to the Iaylor or Executioner as you may see by sundry places 2 Thes. 2.10 11 12. 1 Kings 22.20 21 22. 2 Tim. 2.26 Ephes. 2.2 Iohn 13.2 Acts 5.3 1 Chron. 21.1 Gen. 3.1 to 6. Revel 2 10 3 15. Iohn 8.44 12.31 14 30. 2 Cor. 4.4 Then they become so devilized that as Paul being guided by the good Spirit of God could say I live not but Christ lives in me Gal. 2.20 so may they say we live noâ— but the Devil lives in us For he is not onely their Father Gen. 3.15 Iohn 8 44. But their God 2 Cor. 4.4 And their Prince Iohn 14.30 And works in them his pleasure Eph. 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 So that they are ready and willing to say or do what he will have them as you may plainly read Ioh. 13.2 Acts 5.3 12.1 2 to 12. 1 Chro. 21.1 Gen. 3 1 to 6. Rev. 2.10 And these you may
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
to my detestation of it Only here is a discovery how drunkards tempt if you will see directions how to avoid their temptations read my Sovereign Antidote against the contagion of evil company Onely take notice for the present that the best way to avoid evill is to shun the occasions Do not onely shun drunkennesse but the means to come to it and to avoid hurt keep thy self out of shot come not in drunken company nor to drinking places As for their love and friendship consider but whose Factors they are and thou wilt surely hate them Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things POSTSCRIPT COnsidering the premises if there were any love of God any hatred of sin any zeal any courage any conscience of an Oath in most of our Iustices of the Peace they would rather put down and purge out of their Parishes and Liberties this viperous brood of vice-breeders and soul-murtherers I mean Ale-house keepers then increase them as they do when any Common Drunkard Cheat or Witch may procure a Licence to sell drink if they will but bribe some one of their Clerks But if it be left to them if his Highness himself do not by some other way redresse it as blessed be God he hath already begun the work in some Counties I look never to see it mended untill Christ comes in the clouds Onely it is much to be feared that as we turn the sanctuary of life into the shambles of death so God may send a famine after such a satietie and pestilence after famine Or rather that our Land which hath been so long sick of this disease and so often surfeted of this sin should spue us all out who are the Inhabitants Or in case God be pleased to dispence with the Nation the wickednesse that is done by these drunkards and drink-sellers shall be reckoned unto those that are the permitters for their own For Governors make themselves guiltie of those sins they may redresse and will not But I know to whom I speak and my hopes are depending In the mean time it is sad to consider how many Drunkards will hear this Charge for one that will applie it to himself For confident I am that fifteen of twenty all this Citie over are Drunkards yea seducing Drunkards in the dialect of Scâ—ipture and by the Law of God which extends even to the heart and affections Mat. 5.21 22 28. Perhaps by the Laws of the Land a man is not taken for drunk except his cies stare his tongue stutter and his leggs staggers but by God's Law he is one that goes often to the drink or that tarrieth long at it Prov. 23.30 31. He that will be drawn to the Tavern or Alehouse by every idle soliciter and there be deteined to drink when he hath neither need of it or minde to it to the spending of his money wasting of his pretious time neglect of his calling abusing of the creatures which thousands want discredit of the Gospel the stumbling of weak ones the incouraging of indifferent ones the hardning of his associates and all the truths enemies that know or hear of it Briefly he that drinks more for lust or pride or covetousnesse or fear or good fellowship or to drive away time or to still conscience then for thirst is a Drunkard in Solomon's esteem Prov. 23.30 31. Perhaps thou doest not think so but can you produce that holy man of God that will not deem him a drunkard who can neither buy nor sell nor meet any friend or customer but he must to go the Tavern or Ale-house perhaps six times in a day and who constantly clubs it first for his mornings draught secondly at Exchange time thirdly at night when shops are shut in as is the common but base custome of most Tradesmen yea and the Divel so blindes them that they will plead a necessitie of it and that it is for their profit Nor can it bee denied but in cases of this nature things are rather measured by the intention and affection of the doer then of the issue and event And why should not a man bee deemed a drunkard for his immoderate and inordinate affection to drink or drunken company as well as another an Adulterer for the like affection to his neighbours wife Mat. 5.21 22 28. Yet these men are in their own and other mens esteem not onely good and civil men but good Châ—istians forsooth Certainly the more light we have the more blinde men are or else this could not be For I would gladly aske such Are you Christian in what part of the Word finde you a warrant for it Where finde â—ou that this custome was ever used by any one of the Saints in former ages Well may you with Agrippa be almost Christian but sure enough you are not with Saint Paul altogether such and then what will become of you For almost a son is a bastard almost sweet is unsavorie almost hot is luke-warm and those that are lukewarm will God spue out of his mouth Rev. 3.15 16. A Christian almost is like a woman that dieth in travel almost she brought forth a son but that almost killed the mother and the son too If thou believ'st almost thou shalt be saved almost as we may say of a Thief that hath a pardon brought him whiles he is upon the gallows he was almost saved but he was hanged and his paroon did him no good To be almost a Christian is to be like the foolish Virgins that had Lamps but without oyle in them for which they were shut out of heaven though they came to the very door Matth. 25.10 11 12. Can the door which is but almost shut keep out the Thief Can the ship that is but almost tite keep out the water The souldier that does but almost fight is a coward And therefore if thou lovest thy self look to it and that in time least hereafter you most dolefully rue it For know this that you shall once given an account for every idle penie and hour you spend and for every cup of drink you shall spoil or waste and for every one that is incouraged to do the like by you example For which see Matth. 12.36 Luke 16.2 Rom. 14.12 1 Pet. 4.5 Rev. 20.13 and 22.12 That by the blessing of God our children and childrens children may loath drunkennesse and love sobrietie let this bee fixed to some place convenient in everyhouse for all to read The Persians Parthians Spartans and Lacedemonians did the like and found it exceeding efficacious And Anacharsis holds in the most effectual means to that end Imprimatur EDMUND CALAMIE FINIS Offer of Help to Drowning-Men Imprimatur THO. GATAKER SEeing and fore-seeing the sad effects of men's crying down Books Learning the Ministery Sanctification c. if this their deep and divellish design do meet with no stop and seeing we should specially prepare for defence where Satan specially prepares for offence Considering also â—he numberlesse
minde in their mouth his heart in their lips his Arrow shot by mans Bow He lendeth them his lyes and malice and borrowâ—th their tongues to utter them because thâ— Devill wants a tongue True they have sworn themselves Christs faithfull servants and souldiers but they will fight only for sin and Satan And least their owne sins should not damn them deep enough they do what in them lyes draw others to damnation For it is not enough for them to be â—ad themselves except they raile at and persecute the good and that against their owne consciences As for example Pilate judged Christ guiltlesse yet he put him to death and Festus acknowledged Paul without crime yet he left him in prison Onely they have some wit in their anger For how should Naboth be clenly put to death if he be not first accused of blasphemy 1 Kings 21.13 And the like of Ioseph Elias Ieremiah Paul Stephen and our Saviour Christ himself Indeed these want that power that their fellow persecutors have had and therefore can onely shew their teeth otherwise their hearts are as bloody and as full of the Serpents enmity as Doegs was In the mean time we are safe enough since their words are but like a boyes squib that flashes and cracks and stincks but is nothing And how little is that man hurt whom malice condemns on earth and God commends in heaven Onely I wish they would take notice that he is bottomlesly ill who is so farre from being good himselfe that he hates goodness in others They are desperately wicked that cannot so much as indure the sight of godlinesse that are displeased with others because they please God and murmur like the Scribes and Pharisees at the same things whereat the Angels rejoyce Such an one is upon the very threshold of Hell and none but a Cain or a Devill in condition will do so Nor coâ—ld they do it if the Devill were not in their hearts Sect. 9. Object But their usual objection is why will you be so singular are you wiser then all this is but want of discretion Answ. Suppose such do think as they speak Shall Lot leave his Righteousnesse for such an imputation of singularity Or shall he not depart Sodome because the whole City thinks it better to stay there still Shall Noah leave building the Arke and so himself and his whole houshold perish because all the world else thinks him hare-brain'd Or shall the name of Round-head dishearten us from the service of God No but after the way which to prophane men is most ridiculous let our soules desire to serve Iesus Christ Acts 24.14 It was Noah's happinesse that he followed not the Old worlds fashions It was Lots happinesse that he was singular in Sodome It was good for Nichodemus that he was singular among the Rulers Yea it was happy for Ruben that he was opposite to all his brethren Happy for Caleb and Ioshuah that they were opposite to the rest of the Spyes Happy for Luther that he was opposite to the rest of his Countrey And in case Iesus Christ and his twelve Apostles be on your side no matter if all the world be against you For better be saved with a few as Noe was in the Arke then be drowned with the world and damned for company Sect. 10. And now for conclusion Let all Scoffers take notice that as they scoffe at us so God laughes at them in Psal. 2.4 Yea judgements are prepared for these scorners and stripes for the bracks of these fools Pro. 19.29 God shall rain down fire brimstone upon such scorners of his word and blasphemers of his people as thou art said Mr. Philpâ—t the Martyr to mocking Morgan and the rest of his persecutors But on the contrary let not the taunts of an Ishmael make any Isaac out of love with his Inheritance A wise man will not be scoft out of his money nor a just man be flouted out of his Faith Yea for a man to be scoft out of his goodnesse by those that are lewd is all one as if a man that seeth should blinde-fold himself or put out his eyes because some blinde wretches revile and scoffe at him for seeing Or as if one that is sound of limbs should limp or maym himselfe to please the Criple and avoid his taunts Wherefore proceed good Sir without ever growing faint Let others serve the God of this world resolve you to serve the God of heaven Now if any swearer curser or scoffer hath the wit let him read those four Books formerly mentioned which for his and others good are all together with this to be had for a penny being an hundred and eleven pages contain as much matter as is usually to be found in a book of half a crown price The place where any one may have them is at the first door on your left hand in Bores-head Court by Criplegate Ox at the Black Swan by Moore-gate FINIS Farewel my little Benjamin go out into the world and prosper And the blessing of him that dwelt in the bush Deut. 33.16 even the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob Ex â— 6 go along with thee For otherwise Old Adam will prove too strong for Young Melancâ—â—on To such as for my great love and no little cost do hate me and for using the likeliest meanes to stop them in their way to destruction do scoff and traduce me Who so rewardeth evill for good evill shall not depart from his house Prov. 17.13 But ARe you Christians Or do you own him that made you and that hath bestowed so many millions of mercies upon you 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 2 Pet. 1.4 If so fight not for Satan against your Saviour 2 Chro. 13.12 Acts 5.39 23.9 who hath done and suffered so much for you Rom. 4.25 5 6. to 20. 6.23 8.2 Rev. 1.5 1 Pet. 2.24 For this is an unkindness next door to unpardonable Mar. 3.22 29 30. Hate me not to the death for shewing you the way to eternall life Acts 11.14 as those Libertines did Stephen Acts 7.54 and the Iewes Christ Mat. 27.27 Or if you do what shall you gain or I loose thereby when this your malice is a sure token to you of perdition but to me of salvation as the Apostle tells you Phil. 1.28 Ishmael did but flout Isaac yet for that flout he is by the Holy Ghost branded for a persecutor and shall fry in hell flames everlastingly Gal. 4.29 Those little children 2 King 2. did but mock Elisha but for that mock 42. of them were devoured of wilde Beares vers 24. C ham did but deride Noah but that alone brought his Fathers curse upon him and Gods upon that Gen. 9.25 which Prophetical curse lies so heavy upon Chams posterity the Ethiopians to this day though almost four thousand years since and they are so devoted to slavery that Parents will sell their own children to be slaves to such as trade in Negroes And yet the
seven millions of gold which Tiberius his Predecessor had gathered together as Tacitus tells us and where as Iohn the 22. left behind him as Petrarch reports two hundred and fifty tun of gold insomuch that an odde fellow made this jest of him Erat Pontifex maximus si non virtute pecunia tamen maximus Pope Sixtus Quintus called of Englishmen a by word for selling our Kingdom to Philip of Spain Six Cinque through his intollerable covetousness left in his Exchequer five millions but his successor Gregory the fourteenth wasted four of them in ten months and less besides his ordinary revenues in riot and prodigality and many the like which I could tyre you with insomuch that the curse of Epimenides is daily fulfilled which was that all the treasure whorded up by the covetous should be wasted by the prodigall for for the most part the Misers meanes lights into the hands of some such ding-thrifty dearth-maker as out of a laborious Silk-worm rises a painted Butter-flye CHAP. XIX AND so much of the ninth judgement which God usually inflicts upon the merciless Miser I will adde but one more nor needs he any more to make him compleatly miserable for though the former were wofull enough yet this last is worse then all the rest as I shall clearly demonstrate in the ensuing pages For Tenthly doth covetousness reign in a man is he bewitcht with the love of money is his heart rivited to the earth and is he once inslaved to this sin if so there is no probability hardly any possibility that ever he should be converted or saved nor is it to any more end to admonish him then to knock at a deaf mans door or a dead mans grave Covetousnesse is not more the root of all evil as the Apostle fitly stiles it then it is the rot of all good as is easie to prove it is the root of all evil the mother and metropolis of all sins that can be named for thâ—â—â— is no sin whatsoever but it hath sprung from this cursed root whether it be lying or swearing or cursing or slandering or Sabbath-breaking or drunkenness or adultery or bawdery whether theft murther treason cozening in bargains breaking of promises perfideous underminings contempt of God and all goodness persecuting the truth opposing the Gospel hatred of Gods Messengers sleighting of his Ordinances unbelief idolatry witch-craft ante-Cristanism sacriledge soul-murther c. For whence spring all these and what else can be named but from covetousness There is no evil that a covetous man will not put in practise so goods may come of it you cannot name the sin but the Auaritions will swallow it in the sweet broth of commodity He that is greedy of gain will sell the truth sell his friend his father his maâ—â—er his Prince his Countrey his conscience yea with Ahab he will sell himself for money as I might instance in a world of examples yea daily experience hath taught us since our Civil Wars that many to advantage themselves five shillings will indamage another five hundred pounds and to gain five pounds will indanger the losing of three whole Kingdoms yea when once men are bewitcht with the love of money as Iudas was a small matter would hire them to sell Christ himself were he now on the earth to be sold. A resolution to be rich is the fountain of infinite evils yea Covetousness is the Index or Epitomy of or rather a Commentary upon all sin and wickedness Name but covetousness and that includes all the rest as being a sin made up of many such bitter ingredients All vices rule where gold reigns at least that heart which hath once inslaved it self to this sin may be wrought by Satan to any thing Iustice is the mistress of all vertues and the truest tryal of a good man but the covetous heart is a very mint of fraud and can readily coyne falsehoods for advantage upon all occasions And as it is the root or cause of all evil so it is the rot or main hinderer of all good Covetousness is the grave of all goodness it eats out the very heart of grace by eating grace out of the heart Rom. 1.29 When Avarice once gets admission into the heart it turns all grace quite out of doors as where salt grows it makes the ground so barren of all other things that nothing else will breed therein this is the cursed devil that mars all Covetousness No such impediment to conversion and salvation as it as for instance Ministers wonder that their Sermons take no better that among so many arrows none should hit the mark but God tells us the reason Ezek. 33. they sit before thee and hear thy words but their hearts go after their covetousness ver 3. Whence is is that you may see swearers drunkards adulterers c. weep at a sermon where as you never saw the covetous shed a tear be the Doctrine never so dreadful Oh this golden devil this Diana of the Ephesians doth a world of mischief it destroyes more souls then all other sins put together as the Apostle intimates 1 Tim. 6.10 Whence it is that we shall sooner hear of an hundred Malefactors contrition at the gallows then of one covetous Misers in his bed The Children of Israel would not beleeve Samuel that they had sinned in asking a King before they saw a miracle from Heaven even rounder and rain in wheat harvest which was contrary to the nature of that Climate and then they could confesse it and repent 1 Sam. 12.17 18 19. But the covetous are in Pharaohes case whom neither miracles nor judgements could prevail withall and of whom God speaks to Moses in this manner See that thou speak all the words and do all the wonders before Phaâ—aoh which I have put in thine hand but I will harden his heart and he shall not let the people gâ— Exod. 7.1 â— 3 4. And certaiuly they of all others are the men to whom these ensuing Scriptures are applyable Go and say unto these people ye shall hear indeed but you shall not understand 〈◊〉 shall plainly see and not perceive make the heart of this people fat make their ears heavy and shut their eyâ— lest they see with their eys and hear with their ears understand with their hearts and convert and he heal them Isa. 6.9 10. They would none of me nor hear my voice so I gave them up unto the hardness of their heart and they walked in their own counsels Psa. 81.11 12. Go up unto Gilead and take balm O Virgin daughter of Egypt in vain shalt thou use many medicines for thou shalt have none health Jerem. 46.11 The precious stone Diacletes though it have many excellent soverainties in it yet it loseth them all if put into a dead mans mouth so are all means ineffectuall that are used for the recovery of the covetous as is well imployed in those words of Abraham to the rich Glutton Luk. 1â— 29 30 31.
16. 28.1 to 14. 2 King 6.25 to Chap. 7. vers 17. Psal. 34.9 10. 37.26 28 112.3 37.3 4 5. Luke 18.29 30. Mark 4.24 Hag. 1.2 Chapters Mal. 3.10 11 12. But if this weary not the Muckmonger it 's well Now this being the case namely that what God gives is chiefly hereafter little at present yea that we may look to be loosers by him at present whereas Satan and the world out-bid Christ in respect of outward condition and present pay thus it fals out or this is the issue The worldling cryes a bird in the hand is best hugges his money that he hath God he thinks is not so good a customer or he dares not trust him Yet will this man rather accept a reversion of some great Office or Estate though expectant on the tedious transition of seven years or on the expiration of anothers life which may prove to be sixty years or more than at present a summe of farre lesse value But what a strange folly is this rather to take the idle vanities of this world in hand than faithfully to wait upon Gods promise for an eternal Kingdom of glory in Heaven CHAP. IV. Thirdly The rarest of all remedies is Regeneration As what saith holy David Turn my heart unto thy Law and not to covetousnesse Psalm 119.36 As if a man could not be covetous that sets his heart upon heavenly things nor have any leasure to think upon good so long as he is covetous Let them seek after the earth sayes one that have no right to Heaven let them desire the present who believe not the future As Regeneration is the best physick to purge away melancholy so likewise of covetousnesse As may be seen in Zacheus who before he met with Christ knew nothing but to scrape but so soon as Christ had changed his heart all his mind was set upon giving and restoring Luk. 19.8 He was as liberal in almes and restitution when he was become a Convert as possibly he was unjust and unmercifull when he was an usurer And the like of all other sinnes Paul was not a more hot and fiery enemy to Christ when he was a Pharisee than he was a shining burning and zealous Preacher when he was an Apostle When any man is born anew and better never be born than not to be born again there will be new vertues arise in the room of old vices Heretofore thy soul hath been an Idolatrous Temple if the Ark of God that is his Holy Spirit once enter into it Dagon that is the works of darknesse will down and soon moulder away For both cannot stand together 1 Sam. 5.3 especially covetousnesse will be chasheired Yea God hath set Religion and covetousnesse at such variance that they cannot possibly reign in one person No man can serve God and Mam 〈…〉 not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Wherefore as we desire to have peace in the end let piety be our race 'T was Marcus Aurelius his dying counsel to his Sonne Commodus that if he would live quietly he should live justly if he would dye peaceably he should live uprightly Now if covetousnesse be once cashiered by Regeneration have a man much or little he will not be overmuch troubled at it The godly man hath sufficient though he have no wealth even as man in innocency was warm and comely though without cloathing A small thing unto the just man is better than great riches to the wicked and mighty Psal. 37.16 The reason is the one hath his sight to see clearly his happinesse in having what is best for him and is content to be poor in outward things because his wealth and purchase is all inward The other by a just judgment of God is so blind that he cannot see when he is well but thirsts so after other mens goods that he takes no pleasure in his own His heart is glewed to the world or rather to his wealth and an object too near the eye cannot be seen yea be it but the breadth of a penny it will hide from the sight the whole half heaven at once Covetousnesse is like the Albugo or white spot in the eye that dimmes their understandings and makes fools even of Achitophels leaving them never an eye to see withall according to that of Moses A gift blindeth the eyes Exod. 23.8 And this for certain could the covetous chuâ—l but see what peace and rest and joy through contentation the godly man hath at the same time when he can say with Peter Silver and gold have I none he would be also a suter to godlinesse that he might have the dowry of contentation He would soon see that it is much better to be poor than evil that it is quieter sleeping with a good conscience than in a whole skin and that there is no comparison between want with piety and wealth with dishonesty As what canst thou say against it thou hast abundance of all things yet thou findest small peace joy or content in the world Get but godlinesse and thou shalt have true content of mind great peace of conscience together with joy in the Holy Ghost and Gods blessing upon all thou hast or takest in hand be thy condition in the world never so mean Thou hast hetherto like Satan compassed the whole earth never thought of compassing Heaven thou art as poor in grace and parts as rich in revenues Thy desires about this world have been insatiable but for heavenly things a small scantling hath been thought enough I believe that Christ dyed for me I am sorry for my sinnes I hope to be saved this is sufficient though thou dost all thy devotions more out of custom than of conscience as Simonides reports of Theodoricus But wilt thou prove thy self wise wilt thou do thy self good indeed the only way is to become godly For godlinesse is great gain if a man be content with that he hath 1 Tim. 6.6 And this I may be bold to affirm that if thou canst not say as Paul saith I have learned to be content godlinesse is not as yet come unto thine house For the compaâ—ion of godlinesse is contentation which when she comes will bring you all things Therefore as Christ saith If the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed John 8.36 So I say if godlinesse make you rich you shall be rich indeed Otherwise have you never so much it will no more satisfie your desire or quench your lust than fewel does the flame Yea as oyl kindleth the fire which it seems to quench so riches come as though they would make a man contented but they make him more covetous CHAP. V. As see how insatiable mens desires are of these transitory things by some examples Give Alexander Kingdom after Kingdom he will not rest till he have all Yea giving credit to that opinion of Democritus to wit that there were worlds infinite and innumerable he even wept to think that he was Emperour but of one only
you may come to Heaven he saith Keep the Commandments Luk. 18.20 If you ask him again Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and do it here are none but doers If you ask an Angel who are blessed he saith Blessed are they which keep the words of this Book Revel 22.7 Here are none but doers If you ask David Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that keep judgement and he that doth righteousness Psal. 106.3 103.18 If you ask Solomon Who are blessed He saith The man is blessed that keepeth God's Law Prov. 29.18 Here are none but doers If you ask Esay Who are blessed He saith He which doth this is blessed Esay 56.2 If you ask St. Iames Who are blessed He saith The doer of the Word is blessed in his deed Iames 1.25 Here is none but doers mentioned Matth. 7 21. Rom. 2.13 So that blessedness and doing go always together For as the works that Christ did bore witness that he was Christ Ioh. 10.25 So the works that we do must bear witness that we are Christians And least any man should look to be blessed without obedience as Christ calleth Love the greatest Commandment so Solomon calleth Obedience the end of all as though without obedience all were to no end Eccles. 12.13 When God created the Trees in Paradice Gen. 1. hee commanded them to bring forth fruit So when he createth a lively faith in any one he commandeth it to bring forth Works And when our Saviour would prove himself to Iohn to be the true Messias indeed he said to his Disciples Tell Iohn what what things you have heard and seen not only heard but seen Matth. 11.4 So if we will prove our selves to be Christs Disciples indeed we must do that which may be seen as wel as heard Iohn was not onely called the Voyce of a Cryer but a Burning Lamp which might be seen Iames doth not say Let me hear thy Faith but let me see thy Faith As the Angels put on the shape of men that Abraham might see them so Faith must put on Works that the World may see it The works which I do says Christ bear witness of me And he alwayes linketh Faith and Repentance together Repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1.15 Therefore that which Christ hath joined let no man separate Mark 10.9 I know the Antinomians preach another Gospel but this is the old Orthodox common received truth They that in life wil yeild no obedience to the Law shall in death have no benefit by the Gospel And though the Law have no power to condemn us yet it hath power to command us Lex datur ut gratia quaereretur Evangelium ut Lex impleretur The Law sends us to Christ to be saved and Christ sends us back again to the law to learn obedience The former is plain The Law is our School-Master to bring us to Christ that we might be justisted by faith Gal. 3.24 The other is as manifest If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matth. 19.17 Let our Faith then be seen by our faithfulness and our Love by our Charity and think not to partake of what God hath promised but by doing in some measure what he hath commanded To conclude in a word God's servants are known by humility and charity the Devil 's by pride and cruelty Our Persons are justified by our Faith our Faith is justified by our Charity our Charity by Humility and the actions of a Godly Life And so much of the fourth Use. CHAP. LV. FIfthly if we be but Stewards of what we have and that our superfluities are really the Poors due then let none object when told of their unmercifulness What I have is mine own Or May I not do as I list with mine own for it is neither their own nor at their own disposing their wealth is their Makers and they must do with it as he in his Word injoins them Nor does this argument always hold good in civil matters 'T is a rule in Law No man may use his own right to the Common-wealths wrong or damage The Law provides that a man shall not burn his own corn nor his own house That he shall not drown his own Land nay a man may not bind himself from marriage or the manuring or tillage of his own Land because it is against the good of the Common-wealth Wherefore flatter thy self no longer but look to it thou hast not two souls that thou mightst hazard one of them Lose not thy soul to save thy purse but shew mercy if ever thou lookest to find any And hear the poor if ever thou wilt have God to hear thee For he hath said it that will one day Audit the poor man's complaints and thy Stewardships account that no sin but unkindness to thy Saviour in his suffering members shall bee cast into thy dish to the feeding of the never-dying worm of conscience Sixthly art thou but a Steward put in trust and art thou to give an account unto God how thou hast husbanded thy Master's Goods and wil this be the bill of particulars thou hast to give up Item so much spent in pride so much in lust so much spent upon revenge so much upon dice drunkenness drabs and the like great sums all laid out upon thy self in the pursuance of thy lust But when it comes to a work of mercy as What have you done for God What for Christ What â—or the members of Christ What for the advancement of Religion or any pious work or service Item nothing or as good as nothing Or thus Item received strength and laid out oppression Item received riches and laid out covetousness received health and laid out riot and drunkenness Item received speech and laid out swearing cursing lying received sight and laid out lusting or perhaps Item so many score pounds laid out in malice and suits of Law so many hundreds in lusts and vanities in feasting and foppery So many thousands in building great houses Item to the Poor in my Will to be paid at my death forty shillings to the Preacher for a funeral Oration to commend me ten or twenty shillings Item to beggars when they came to my door or when I walked abroad a few scraps that I knew not what else to do with and sometimes a few Farthings Item so much spent in excess and superfluitie and so little in performing the works of mercy so much laid out upon worldly vanities sinful pleasures and so little for good uses especially for relieving Christ's poore members Will this Bill pass current when God comes to cast it up When thou hast laid out all for thy self either in Apparel or in Feasting Drinking c. for thy self self-credit self-delight and content even amounting to scores hundreds thousands while for pious and charitable uses there comes in here and there onely two-pences three-pences such poor short reckonings not worthy to be summed up
Abrahams faith Iobs patience Pauls courage and constancy if they had not been tried by the fire of affliction their graces had been smothered as so many lights under Bushel which now to the glory of God shine to all the World Yea noâ— only their vertues but the gracious lives of all the Saints departed dâ— still magnifie him even to this day in every place we hear of them anâ— move us likewise to glorifie God for them wherefore happy man thaâ— leaves such a president for which the future Ages shall praise him and praise God for him And certainly if God intends to glorifie himself by his graces in us he will finde means to fetch them forth into the notice of the World Who could know the faith patience and valour of Gods souldiers iâ— they alwayes lay in Garrison and never came to the skirmish Whereaâ— now they are both exemplary and serve also to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2.15 Yea without enemies valour and fortitudâ— were of no use Till we have sinned Repentance either is not or appearâ— not Neither is patience visible to others or sensible to our selves till we are exercised with sufferings whereas these vertues in time of misery and exigents shine as stars do in a dark night And what more glorious than with Noahs ' Olive-tree to keep our branches green under water Or with Aarons Rod to bring forth ripe Almonds when in appearance we are clong and dry Or with Moses's Bush not to consume though on a lighâ— fire One Iupiter set out by Homer the Poet was worth ten set out by Phidiaâ— the Carver saith Philostratus because the former slew abroad through all the World whereas the other never stirred from his Pedistal at Athens so at first the honour and splendour of Iobs integrity was confined to Uz a little corner of Arabia yea to his own Family whereas by means of the Devils malice it is now spread as far as the Sun can extend his beams or the Moon her influence for of such a Favourite of Heaven such a Mirrour of the Earth such a wonder of the World who takes noâ— notice Who could know whether we be vessels of gold or dross unless we were brought to the Touchstone of temptation Who could feel the odoriferous smell of these Aromatical Spices if they were not pounded and bruised in the Mortar of affliction The Worlds hatred and calumny to aâ— able Christian serves as bellows to kindle his devotion and blow off the ashes under which his faith lay hid like the Moon he shines clearest in the night of affliction If it made for the honour of Saul and all Israel that he had a little Boy in his Army that was able to encounter that selected great Giant Goliah of the Philistims and overcome him how much more doth it make for Gods glory that the least of his adopted ones should be able to encounter four enemies The World 1 John 5.4 The Flesh Gal. 5.24 The Devil 1 John 2.14 and The Death Rom. 8.36 37. The weakest of which is 1 The Flesh 2 The World Now the Flesh being an home-bred enemy a Dalilah in Samsons bosome a Iudas in Christs company like a Moath in the garment bred in us and cherished of us and yet alwayes attempting to fret and destroy us and the world a forreign foe whose Army consists of two Wings Adversity on the left hand Prosperity on the right hand Death stronger then either and the Devil stronger than all And yet that the weakest childe of God only through faiâ—h in Christ a thing as much despised of Philistims as Davids â—â—ing and stone was of Goliah should overcome all these fourâ— wherein he shews himself a greater Conquerour then William the Conquerour yea even greater then Alexander the Great or Pompey the Great or the Great Turk for they only conquered in many years a few parts of the World but he that is born of God overcometh the whole World all things in the World 1 Joh. 5. And this is the victory that overcometh the World even our faith Vers. 4. And makes not this infinitely for the glory of God Yea it makes much for the honour of Christians For art thou born of God Hast thou vanquished the World that vanquisheth all the wicked Bless God for this conquest The King of Spains overcomming the Indies was nothing to it If Satan had known his afflicting of Iob would have so advanced the glory of God manifested Iobs admirable patience to all Ages made such a president for imitation to others occasioned so much shame to himself I doubt noâ— but Iob should have continued prosperous and quiet for who will set upon his Adversary when he knoweth he shall be shamefully beaten This being so happy are they who when they do well hear ill but much more blessed are they who live so well as that their backbiting Adversaries seeing their good works are constrained to praise God and speak well of them CHAP. 4. That God suffers his children to be afflicted and persecuted by ungodly men that so they may be brought to repentance NOw the Reasons which have chiefly respect to the good of his children in their sufferings being thirteen in number are distinguished as followeth God suffers his children to be afflicted by them 1 Because it Brings them to repentance 2 Because it Works in them amendment of life 3 Because it Stirs them up to prayer 4 Because it Weans them from the love of the World 5 Because it Keeps them alwayes prepared to the spirituall combate 6 Because it Discovers whether we be true beleevers or Hyprocites 7 Because it Prevents greater evils of sinne and punishment to come 8 Because it makes them Humble 9 Because it makes them Conformable to Christ their head 10 Because it Increaseth their Faith 11 Because it Increaseth their Ioy and Thankfulness 12 Because it Increaseth their Spiritual Wisdome 13 Because it Increaseth their Patience First the Lord suffers his children to be vexed and persecuted by the wicked because it is a notable means to rouze them out of carelesse security and bring them to repentance He openeth the eares of men saith Elihu even by their corrections that he might cause man to turn away from his enterprizo and that he might keep back his soul from the pit Job 33.16 17 18. The feeling of smart will teach us to decline the cause Quia sentio poenam recogitâ— culpam saith Gregory the Great punishments felt bring to my consideration sins committed Those bitter sufferings of Iob toward his latter end made him to possess the iniquities of his youth Iob 13.26 whereby with Solomons Eves-dropper Eccles. 7.21 22. he came to repent of that whereof he did not once suspect himselfe guilty it made him not think so much of what he felt as what he deserved to feel in like manner how do the clamours of Satan our own consciences and the insulting World constrain us to possess
even the sins of our youth There needs no â—ther art of memory for sin but misery Satans malice not seldome proves the occasion of true repentance and so the Devil is overshot in his own Bowe wounded with his own weapon I doubt whether that Syrophenician had ever enquired after Christ if her daughter had not been vexed with an unclean spirit yea whether the Devil had been so effectually cast out if he had with less violence entred into her Mark 7. Our afflictions are as Benhadads best Counsellours that sent him with a cord about his neck to the merciful King of Israel The Church of God under the Cross is brought to a serious consideration of her estate and saith Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord Lam. 3.40 Manasses also the King of Iudah that horrible sinner never repented of his Idolatry Murther Witchcraft c. till he was carried away captive to Babel and there put in chains by the King of Ashur But then saith the Text he humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33.11 12. Yea read his confession for he speaks most feelingly and you shall see that the prison was a means of his spiritual enlargement Even Vipers being lasht cast up all their poison The body that is surfetted with repletion of pleasant meats must be purged with bitter pils and when all outward comforts fail us we are willing to befriend our selves with the comfort of a good conscience the best of blessings Affliction is the Hammer which breaks our rockie hearts Adversity hath whipt many a soul to Heaven which otherwise prosperity had coached to Hell was not the Prodigall riding post thither till he was soundly lasht home again to his Fathers house by those hard-hearted and pittiless Nabals which refused to fill his belly with the husks of the swine And indeed seldome is any man throughly awakened from the sleep of sin but by affliction but God by it as it were by a strong purge empties and evacuates those supeâ—fluities of malice envie pride security c. wherewith we were before surcharged For as Alloes kils worms in the stomack or as frost and cold destroyes Vermine so doth bitter afflictions crawling lusts in the heart The Serpents enmity may be compared to the Circumcision-knife which was made of stone unto Rubarb which is full of Choler yet doth mightily purge Choler or to the sting of a Scorpion which though it be arrant poison yet proveth an excellent remedy against poison For this or any other affliction when we are in our full career of wordly pomp and jollity pulleth us by the ear and maketh us know our selves My wants saith one kill my wantonness my poverty checks my pride my being slighted quels my ambition and vain glory And as for sickness it cuts the throat of vices Many saith Saint Augustine have been wickedly well that have been innocently and piously sick Yea I may call it the summe of Divinity as Pliny calls it the summe of Philosophie for what distressed or sick man was ever lascivious covetous or ambitious He envies no man admires no man flatters no man dissembles with no man despiseth no man c. That which Governours or friends can by no means effect touching our amendments a liltle sickness or trouble from enemies will as Saint Chrysostome observes Yea how many will confess that one affliction hath done more good upon them then many Sermons That they have learned more good in one dayes or weeks misery than many years prosperiâ— could teach them Untouched estates and touched consciences seldom dwell together and it is usuall for them that know no sorrows to know no God repentance seldom meets a man in jollity but in affliction the heart is made pliable and ready for all good impressions True if gentleness would serve we should not smart for God like a good Chyrurâ—ion first strokes the arm before he opens the vein he sends for us by his Ambassadours of the Ministery yet we come not Let him fiâ—e our field as Absalom did by Ioab we come presently Or perhaps he afflicts another to fright us as great mens children are corrected by seeing others whipt or as Apolonias would tame Lions by beating Dogs before them For as God preacheth to us no less in his judgements than his Word so when he strikes offendors he would warn the standers by and a wise man sees himself faln or beaten in his neighbour Yea generous and ingenuous spirits desire to be taught abide not to be forced It is for Tyrants to compel for Asses to be compelled saith Erasmus A good natur'd Horse saith Seneca will be governed even by the shadow of the wand whereas a resty jade will not be ordered by the spur But if his Word will not rule us as many till God come with a strong hand will hold their corruptions as fast as Pharaoh the Israelites his Rod shall or if his Rod will not yet serve his sword shall be drencht in our gall and bathed in our blood Deut. 32.41.42 Or if we scape for a time yet our preservation from one judgement is but our reservation to seven more Levit. 26. Yea he will send a succession of crosses seven more and seven more and seven to that to the conversion of his own and the confusion of his enemies Vers. 14 to 39. when singing will not still the Child the Rod must Hard knots must have hard wedges strong affections strong afflictions great corruptions great calamities to cure them So that God through thy stubbornness is forced to let loose Satan and wicked men upon thee lest thou shouldest sleep in security till thou didst sleep in death eternally even for thy good And affliction is but the shepherds Dog as Chrysostome speaks to fetch us into Christs fold perhaps by barking onely and then we are more scar'd than hurt perhaps in his mouth and then the poor sheep thinks he will surely worry it but he is taught to fetch onely and therefore gripes not but onely carries and delivers it to his Master When children have done a fault Mothers use to fright them with Bull-beggers the childe thinks surely they will have him but the Mother hath a double policy viz. to make them hate the fault and love them the better for they run to the laâ— to hide them and then will she make her own conditions And so the very end which God aimes at in setting those Adders upon thee is that thou shouldest turn thine Eyes inward that thou mayest see for what thou sufferest pry narrowly into thine own forepast actions which if thou dost an hundred to one thou wilt finde sin it may be this very sin the cause of thy present affliction and until thou doest sift and try thine own heart for this Achan and finde out which is thy Isaac thy beloved sinne look for no release but rather that thy sorrowes should be multiplied as God threatened Eve Wherefore liest
for what displeaseth us shall never hurt us and wee shall bee esteemed of God to bee what wee love and desire and labour to bee The comfort of this doctrine is intended and belongs to troubled consciences and those that would fain do better but let no presumptuous sinners meddle with it for what hast thou to do to take I say not the childrens bread to eat Matth. 15.20 but even the least parcell of Gods Word into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed Psal. 50.16.17 But if thou beest a weary and heavy laden sinner thou maist comfort thy self â—huâ— I do hatefull things but I hate that I do I break the Law but yet I love the Law as holy just and good Flesh is in mee but I am not in the Flesh I must not fix mine eyes onely upon mine own resistance or failings but on God's assistance and acceptance in his Son by which I shall bee able to leap over all walls and impediments Psal. 18.29 The Law is given that Grace may bee required Grace is given that the Law may bee fulfilled by us evangelically for us by Christ whose righteousnesse is ours perfectly as Saint Augustin speakes The Law is a gloss to shew us our spots the Gospell a fountain to wash them away Wherefore cast not both thine eyes upon thy sin but reserve one to behold the remedy look upon the Law to keep thee from presumption and upon the Gospel to keep thee from despair Canst thou not aggravate thine own sins but thou must extenuate and call in question Gods mercy and Christs all-sufficiency spoil him of his power and glory Though the grievousness of our sins should increase our repentance yet they should not diminish our faith and assurance of pardon and forgiveness As the plaister must not be less than the sore so the tenâ— must not bee bigger than the wound It was a sweet and even cours which Saint Paul took who when hee would comfort himself against corruption and evill actions Rom. 7.20 then not I but sin dwelling in mee when he would humble himself notwithstanding his graces then not I but the grace of God in mee 1 Cor. 15.10 Section 6. Objection But I am not worthy the least mercy I have so often abused it and so little profited by the meanes of grace Answer I think so too for if thou refusest the offeâ— of mercy until thou deservest it wo bee to thee But if thou wilt take the right course renounce the broken reed of thine own free will which hath so often deceived thee and put all thy trust in the grace of Christ The way to bee strong in the Lord is to bee weak in thy self bee weak in thy self and strong in the Lordâ— and through faith thou shalt bee more than a Conquerour Leav tugging and strugling with thy sin and fall with Iacob to wrestle with Christ â—or a blessing and though thy self go limping away yet shalt thou bee a Prince with God and bee delivered from Esau's bondage But thou standest upon thine own feet and therefore fallest so soully thou wilt like a child go alone and of thy self and therefore geâ—rest so many knocks And thou wouldest accept of a pardon too if thou mightest pay for it but Gods mercies are free and hee bids thee come and buy without silver and without price or else he says thou and thy money perish Thou wouldest go the naturall Way to work What shall I do to inherit eternall life but it is impossible to inherit it by any thing that wee can do for all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges Isa. 64.6 Yea if our doings could have done iâ— Christ dyed in vain whereas if Christ had not died wee had perished every mothers child of us 1 Cor. 15.22 and 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Ephes. 2.1 Colos. 2.13 Ezek. 18.4 Ioh. 11.50 Rom. 5.6.8 and 14.9 1 Cor 15.3 Matth. 18.11 O â—ool dost thou not know that our sins are his sins and his righteousness our righâ—eousness Ier. 23.6 Psal. 4.1 and that God esteems of Faith above all other graces deeds or acts of thine as what did our Saviour answer when the people asked him What shall wee do that wee might work the works of God The work of God is that yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent Ioh. 6.28 29. and yet thou talkest of thy worthiness and thou takest this for humility too but it is pride for if thou wouldest deny thy self and bee nothing in thine own eyes renounce thine own righteousness and wholly and onely rest on thy Saviour Iesus Christ for thy salvation thou wouldest not hope the more in regard of thine own worthiness nor yet doubt in respect of thine own unworthiness But thou wouldest first bee worthy and deserve of God and then accept of Christ and deserve Christ at Gods hands by thy good works and graces which pride of thine and opinion of merit is a greater sin then all thy other sins which thou complainest of and except you do abandon it and wholly rely upon the grace and free mercy of God for salvation Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 2.16 and 5.1 to 7. Colos. 3.11 for nothing is available to salvation but faith which worketh by love Gal. 5.6 whence it is called righteousness through faith ver 5. Faith is the staâ—fe whereupon wee stay our selvs in life and death by faith wee are blessed Gal. 3.9 by faith wee rejoice in tribulation Rom. 5.2 by faith wee have access unto God Ephes. 3.12 by faith we overcome the world 1 Ioh 5.4 the flâ—sh Gal. 5.24 and this is the shield whereby wee quench the fiery darts of Satan and resist his power Ephes. 6.16 Yea whosoever seeks to bee justified by the Law they are abolished from Christ and fâ—ln from grace Gal 5.4 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and bee not tangled again with the yoke of bondage And say Lord wee are not worthy to bee servants and thou makest us sons nay heirs and co-heirs with thee of everlasting glory Objection I grant the Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin but hee is just aswell as mercifull and therefore hee will not acquit the wicked Exod. 34.6.7 but reward them according to their works Revel 20.12.13 and 22 1â— Answer Hee will therefore pardon all thy sins if thou unfainedly repent and wholly rely upon Christ for thy salvation by a lively saith because hee is just for as the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 Death in the person if not â—â— the surety and therefore hath punished the sins of all men either in his Son or will throughly punish them in the parties themselvs so the same justice will not admit that the same sins should be twice punished once in our Saviour and again in the faithful or that a debt once paid should be
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—
very grievous and disturbeth his conscience exceedingly Besides the Regenerate know that the very end for which they were 〈…〉 â—reator Redeemer They remember also that they bound themselves by 〈◊〉 and promise in their baptism so to do Whereas these brainless and â—ruitish men never once consider what they came into the world for nor what â—ill become of them when they depart hence Only their care is that they â—ay eat drink play sleep and be merry Whereupon they spend their â—ays in mirth and suddenly they go down into hell as Iob speaks Iob 21.13 â—or like men sleeping in a Boat they are carried down the stream of this World until they arrive at their Graves-end Death without once â—aking to bethink themselves whither they are going to Heaven or Hell I grant that in their long sleep they have many pleasant dreams As 〈◊〉 instance They slumber and suppose themselves good Christians true Protestants they dream they repent them of their sins and that they â—elieve in Christ they dream they have true grace that they fear and â—â—ve and serve God as they ought they Heavenâ—nd â—nd be saved But the truth is all their Religion is but a Dream and 〈◊〉 is their assurance of salvation They have Regeneration in conceit â—epentance and Righteousness in conceit they serve God well in conâ—eit and they shall go to Heaven only in conceit or in a dream and never â—wake until they feel themselves in a bed of unquencâ—â—â—se flames â—either did pure and naked Supposals ever bring any man to eternal â—ife 13 ¶ Which being so and that with the greatest part of the World â—ow does it concern every one of you to try and examine your selves â—hether it fares not so with you and to mistrust the worst of your â—â—lves as all wise and sound-hearted Christians do as you may see by â—â—e Apostles Matth. 26.22 even every of them was jealous of himself â—â—d examined his own heart though but one of them was guilty of that â—â—ul sin which Christ spake of Now if you would examine your selves but by those marks I have ready given you you may easily see whether you are the men guilty 〈◊〉 what I have laid to your charge If you would be further informed â—â—â—k your selves only these three questions Whether you are of that small â—â—mber whom Christ hath chosen out of the world Whether you are Reâ—â—nerate Whether you have true and saving faith For otherwise all our hopes and perswasions are but vain presumptions and delusions First Are you of that small number For the greatest number whether 〈◊〉 men or great men or great Scholars go the broad way to destruction â—â—d but a few of either the narrow way which leadeth unto life as apâ—â—ars by many cleer testimonies and examples for which see those known â—â—aces Mat. 7.13 14. 1 Ioh. 5.19 Rev. 20.8 Christs flock that believe 〈◊〉 Gospel are but a little flock Luk. 12.32 and but numbersâ—â— â—â— 10.22 53.1 Rom. 9.27 10.16 Rev. 3.4 2 Cor. 4.4 Mat. 8.34 〈◊〉 27.22 Acts 28.22 Rev. 13.16 Yea of all the CCLXXXVIII several Opinions which Philosophers 〈…〉 way to attain to it was by doing as the most do Yea they all concludeâ— that Number was the best note of the worst way And we even see by experience that the basest things are ever most plentifull And therefore it â—â—mazes me to think how men should be so blockish as they are in this particular for if you mark it most men walk in the broad way and yet everâ— man thinks to enter in at the strait gate which could never be if they weâ—â— not fools or frenzie Again take notice that many seekers fall short of heaven Luke 13.24 Do you strive The righteous shall scarcely be saved what then shall become of the unrighteous 1 Pet. 4.18 14 ¶ Secondly Are you regenerate and born anew For Christs words to Nicodemus a knowing honest moral man are express yea and he bindes it with an oath Verily verily I say unto you except ye be born again ye can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Now if you be regenerate it will appear by this Regeneration or new birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature onely evil disposed In all that are born anew is a change both in the Iudgement from error to truth and in the Will from evil to good and in the Affections from loving evil and hating good to love good and hate evil in the whole man from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Is this change wrought iâ— you For without it there is no going to heaven no being saved Theâ— Thirdly Have you a true and lively faith in Iesus Christ For there is no coming to Christ but by saith Heb. 11.6 By faith we receive the forgiveness of our sins Luke 7.47 50. By faith we are justified Rom. 3.26 28 30. Gal. 3.8 By faith through grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 9. Luk. 18.42 By faith through the power of God we are kept and preserved to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Nothing but faith can assure us of Gods favor Eccles. 9.1.2.3 By faith we obtain whatsoever we ask Mat. 21.22 By faith we are blessed Gal. 3.14 By faith we know God 1 Ioh. 4.7 Psal. 9.10 Without faith we cannot profit by hearing the Word Heb. 4.2 Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin be they never so glorious performances Rom. 14.23 and 10.14 Now you shall know whether you have saith by this Faith comes by hearing the Word preached Rom. 10.17 And the Spirits powerfull working with it Ioh. 3.3.5.8 Faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 worketh by love Gal. 5.6 and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Act. 26.18 Faith is known by its works Iam. 2.17.18.22 Faith and holiness are as inseparable as life and motion the sun and light fire and heat Again Faith believeth the threats of the Word together with the promises and thereupon feareth sin as iâ— fears hell Again if the Image of God by faith be repaired in you you cannot but love them that love God 1 Ioh. â— 10 Besides this is a sure rule That that perswasion only which follows sound humiliation is Faith That which goes before it is Presumption And 〈◊〉 Ambrose speaks No man can repent of sin but he that beleeves the pardon 〈…〉 â—bout it shall finde it as hard a work to beleeve the Gospel as to keep the Laâ—â—â—â— onely God must enable to both Now if upon trial you evidently finde that you are of Christs little floâ— that you are regenerate and that you have this precious grace of Faâ—â—â—â— wrought in your heart you may comfortably assure your self that you shâ—â—â—â— be saved Otherwise the Devil and your own heart do but delude you in 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ing you the least benefit by the blood of Christ Yea it had been betâ—â—â— for you that there had been no Christ