againe quickened and become a beautifull and glorious branch Quam multos aestu laborantes ramorum opacitas texit Senec. a refuge from the storme a shadow from the heat protecting us from his Fathers wrath when by our provocations it begins to be kindled against us From him we receive this blessed fruit that in peace and tranquillity we can sit every man under his vine Micah 4.4 and under his figge-tree Zech. 3.10 that in abundant plenty we can eate every one of his vine and every one of his figge-tree that in perfect charity we can call every man his neighbour under his vine Isa 36.16 and under his figge-tree whose love doth not determine in the outward benefits of this life for then our shadow would be turned into darknesse but he gives us the gracious promises of a better life when the times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Tempora refrigerii Acts 3.19 that the Sun shall not any more light on us nor any heat These are the blessings we should chiefly seek after which will never leave us nor forsake us as for the delights and pleasures of this life they are like a fleeting shadow of no continuance If God blowes upon them they doe wither and fade like a leafe In the calme and bright dayes of Summer wee receive some contentment by using our arbours but when the storme ariseth or the Winter approacheth or the day groweth to an end we then returne into our houses In the time of health and strength wee are ready to say I shall never be moved and doe place too much confidence in the profits and comforts of the world but when God shall send some pining sicknesse that shall shake us like a mighty tempest when the winter of old age causeth our desire to faile and the yeeres are come in which we have no pleasure when the night doth overtake us and we goe to the gates of the grave even to the land of darknesse and of the shadow of death we shall then be removed like a shepheards tent our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved and we shall arrive at our long home as Barzillai was buried in the grave of his parents where we may say to corruption 2 Sam. 19.37 Thou art my father and to the worme Thou art my mother and my sister Oh that we were wise that we understood this that we would consider our latter end and not set our hearts upon these transitory trifles that deceive us when wee have greatest need of them Thinke upon the renowned Patriarkes and obedient Rechabites blessed of the Lord who dwelt in tents it was but the plucking up of a pin and they were gone Psal 120. Indesinenter vagare errare cogor Jun. Job 27.18 Though thou livest in an house of Cedar it is but as the tents of Kedar or a booth that the keeper maketh as Job speakes or a lodge in a garden often removed or of short continuance God can sweep away thy web with the besome of destruction or cut thee off and make thee goe to the generation of thy fathers where thou shalt never see light We will not abide any longer in this our arbour the use whereof doth so expire Now because a plantation is vaine unlesse it be environed with a sufficient defence against the beast of the field that destroies the trees Cant. 2.15 as the little foxes spoile the vines and against the beast of Ephesus brutish and unreasonable men who will not be content to eate their fill at their pleasure as God did permit in our neighbours vineyard but will put into their vessels Deut. 23.24 robbing the owner of the fruit of his labour we will therefore in the next place walke about our garden and goe round about it marking well her walls and considering the strength of her inclosure by meanes whereof it is preserved from ruine and desolation In the Parables Mat. 21.33 when God plants a vineyard he provides for the safety thereof either hedging it round about Isa 5.2 or making a wall about it thereby declaring his providence and care in the preservation of his Church and Chosen Isa 27.3 Lest any hurt his vineyard hee will keep it night and day As the mountaines are round about Jerusalem Psal 125.2 so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever Thus hee made an hedge about Job Job 1.10 and about his house and about all that he had thus he doth compasse us about with his loving kindnesse and keeps us from the adversaries of soule and body We have a vigilant enemy ever ready to assault us he walkes about as Peter speakes 1 Pet. 5.8 and would take any advantage to make a breach and enter as he did into Judas And having once climbed up and got possession like a thiefe he would steale and kill and destroy robbing us of the fruit of righteousnesse and depriving us of all heavenly comforts making us to become a reproach a waste and a curse Now it is by the favour and goodnesse of God that we are protected Cant. 4.12 as a garden inclosed a spring shut up a fountaine sealed The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him and delivereth them wherefore let us feare to offend against the Lord for in so doing we lay our selves open to the rage and cruelty of all our enemies There are divers kinds of plants that will get rooting in the joynts of walls and buildings Caprificus ficus hedera alia virgulta Causabon and there increasing will breake them asunder and overthrow them Such are our sinnes if we suffer them to grow up and doe cherish them they will batter downe the wall and expose us to confusion Ever remember that there is no strength nor fortification that can secure us against the judgements of God when wee transgresse his lawes If hee gives power unto man to leap over a wall Psal 18.29 then he himselfe is most able to surprize us wheresoever wee bee Though our foundation abideth sure the God of hosts can muster up his armies the locusts Exod. 10.15 the palmer-worme the caterpiller Amos 4.9 the canker-worm the frost Joel 1.4 7. blasting and the like to eate the fruit of the trees and consume the increase of our labour No mighty man can be delivered by much strength God can take him away as with a whirlewind both living and in his wrath As we are to be sensible of Gods love towards our selves in particular so likewise we ought evermore to be thankfull for his wonderfull mercy and unspeakable goodnesse towards this his Church which he hath hitherto so graciously preserved There is a City that is described to be compassed about with fire Silicum lapidicinae unde cinctum igne Madritum Mercator in regard of the quarries of flint adjoyning thereunto But I
subject themselves to the love of the world and the things of the world Velut si prolapsus cecidisset terran osculo contigit Liv. Ant. Muret. Var. Lect. And as Brutus by direction of the Oracle did cast himself downe and kisse the earth that he might come to governe so they regard not before whom they doe fall downe and worship that wealth and power may be given unto them It is related of a covetous wretch that he most corruptly perverted that place in the Psalme where it is said The earth hath hee given to the children of men Psal 115.16 as a forcible allegation for his greedy pursuit after worldly commodities whereas if we did rightly weigh it we might be excited to blesse the Lord for his bounty in filling the earth with his goodnesse and giving it to the sonnes of men who are educated at Gods footstoole as Paul at the feet of Gamaliel where we have many good things Acts 22.3 many vertuous instructions committed unto us which we by the help of the holy Ghost ought to keep for our future comfort And now speaking of the earth I am come to the foundation upon which I must erect my future discourse desiring to have the soile well prepared that so there may arise the more fruit and benefit by this ensuing Treatise First then that I may proceed the more methodically being to extract mine observations out of a place of order and not out of an intricate wildernesse of confused wandring in the beginning of our egresse and stepping forth that there may be an enlargement of the mind as well as of the body even in that motion and exercise of the body manifold good thoughts may accompany us and as we walke out for our refreshing so our heart Palpitat quasi alterum movetur animal Plin. Sec. which is as another creature ever stirring within us may be directed unto the Lord and may draw nigh unto him through faith in Christ who is the only way that leads unto the Father We have great cause to praise the Lord who hath given us strength and libertie thus to walke He did as hee speaketh of Ephraim Hos 11.3 teach us to goe taking us by the armes and guiding us in our unstable yeeres preserving us from the fall and lamenesse of Mephibosheth 2 Sam 4.4 He hath kept us ever since from any exceeding great disease in our feet 2 Chron. 16.12 as Asa had we doe not rightly consider Gods love herein If we had been smitten and after received strength wee would enter into the Temple leaping and praising God Acts 3.8 as the man did who was lame from the wombe and raised by Peter Hee hath delivered us from the restraint which Joseph endured Psal 105.18 whose feet were hurt with fetters yea he hath given us a pleasant path to walke in having bestowed many blessings and comforts upon us whereas others as well deserving have their waies beset with briers doe meet with many crosses and encumbrances He hath sent us the light to walke in that we may discerne whither we goe having rightly informed our judgements that we might eschew errours and walke before him in truth with all our heart whereas others are in darknesse and have many stumbling-blockes in their way their evill troubled conscience being possest with many impertinent scruples insomuch that they walke like them that were to be tried by Fire-ordeal Verstegan who being blind-folded did passe over many glowing hot irons they feare every step they set to fall into some inevitable danger Now in our going out and returning back there seemeth to be some resemblance with the life of man Psal 104.23 who goeth forth unto his worke and to his labour untill the evening He entreth into the world in his child-hood where he meets with much commotion and agitation After which he beginneth to ebbe and retire in his old age Having ascended the hill of his full strength he then descends and walkes through the valley of the shadow of death Psal 23.4 1 Kin. 2.2 which is the way of all the earth as Joshuah call'd it Josh 23.14 who before conducted the people into the Land of the living who then shewed them the way to their rest where they should sleep in the dust Man is alwaies going to his long home as well in the sweet walkes of recreation as in the tedious journies of important necessity as well in the smooth allies of joyfull contentment as in the deep and difficult road of vexation and sorrow In our walkes our faces are not alwaies towards the rising but sometimes we looke towards the declining Sunne and thereby we may be put in mind to set our faces as though we would goe to Jerusalem Luke 9.53 to prepare for that time when we shall lye downe in darknesse which that we may doe we ought seriously to consider whether it be a good and a straight way that we walke in or not No man will take many turns in an uncouth path that is inconvenient for his passage being overgrowne with weeds and bushes or offensive to his senses by reason of evill savours and hatefull objects And yet how many be there that go on yea that run head-long in the dangerous waies bringing them to destruction The drunkard staggers in the broad way that he makes to be defiled The adulterer goeth an obscure shady way in the evening Prov. 7.9 in the twilight that he may not be discovered The extortioner walketh in crooked waies The ambitious climbeth up the rocky way whose feet stand in slippery places The covetous man goeth in a by-way on the other side with the Levite Luke 10.32 that he might avoid occasions to exercise charity All these are impure and uncleane waies and they that walke in them may rightly be said to goe in the Dolorous way tending to sorrow and confusion while they violently presse forward in wickednesse 1 Kin. 13.24 There was a Lion in the Prophets way that slew him for his disobedience there is roaring Lion watching to kill and devoure all those which runne astray in these disconsolate waies going downe to the chambers of death As the people stood still in the way when they came to the place where Amasa was slaine 2 Sam. 20.12 so it will behoove us when we see how many have miscarried and perished by wandring in these waies of misery not to proceed any further therein but to step into that good and upright way whereby we may be conducted into eternall life It is a dreadfull signe of Gods displeasure when he suffereth any man to walke on prosperously in his stubborne way and ungodly councell as in an even alley without any obstacles or impediments not sending his messenger to stop him in his sinfull course It were much better that the Lord should hedge up our way with thornes and make a wall that we should not find our
of the Rose Vel mista rubent ubi Lilia multa Alba Rosa c. Virg. this of the Violet and that of the Lilie are esteemed the three chiefe ingredients in beauty Where there is shame for their former disobedience and other sinnes 2 Thes 3.14 whereof they have been guilty and true humility in the acknowledgement of their unworthinesse and imperfection Rom. 6.21 and an holy desire to keep themselves pure and without blemish for the time to come Those soules are all glorious within they are all faire like the Spouse Cant. 47. and there is no spot in them If wee could find a prescript how our bodies which are as the garments unto the soule in this our pilgrimage may endure in the prime beautie like the clothes of the Israelites in the wildernesse Deut. 29.5 which did not waxe old upon them how our youth might bee renewed like the Eagles Psal 103.5 and we may continue untill our latter end in perfect comelinesse not having our best forme obscured by the wrinkles of age there bee very many who would rejoyce herein more than he doth that finds a great treasure And such a Physician as could thus helpe them should bee liberally paid though they did endure many dayes torture to gaine this harme and losse Now which is much more here is evidently set before us an approved experiment Not how to retaine our former favour but how to increase more and more in divine beauty and excellent lovelinesse by washing in the bloud of that immaculate Lambe and by being adorned with the graces of the holy Spirit that wee may bee as the Sunne when hee goeth forth in his might Judg. 5.31 which doth not reveale its complete majestie when it first comes out at the doore of the Tabernacle but after ascends to great glory Though our beginnings bee weake yet we shall attaine unto a more perfect estate And as Moses eye was not dimme Neque aufugit Viror ejus Calvin Viriditas ejus Jun. nor his naturall force abated when hee died but was then as greene and flourishing as in former time so we in old age and in death it selfe shall still retaine the vigour of the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And after our dissolution the soule shall appeare in glorie as the lamps in Gideons Army did then shine forth when the pitchers were broken Though for the present this divine Light bee eclipsed by the interposition of the body of the earth yet at the last day the body also shall become spirituall and we shall put on not rich robes and costly array not pearles and flowers and such like ornaments 1 Cor. 15.53 but Incorruption and Immortality Phil. 3.21 And our body shall be fashioned like the glorious bodie of Christ That is the last and lasting fashion the fashion that will follow all other Oh that all other would follow that fashion that we would labour for holinesse And so being espoused unto one husband 2 Cor. 11.2 we may be presented to Christ without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5.27 or any such thing As a chaste Virgin caring for the things of the Lord that shee may bee holy both in body and spirit 1 Cor. 7.34 I doe not deny that divers ornaments are tolerable and there may be some distinction and difference according to order and dignity The Crowne that is fit to bee set upon the head is not meet to bee placed upon any other part of the bodie But there must bee abstinence in some things Non tantum mediocritas colenda est sed etiam abstinentia Calv. and moderation in all Such as are captivated by their owne chaines such as are inthralled by fond affectation and notorious ostentation should breake those bands asunder and cast away their fetters from them Shall wee with the Pharisee looke only to the out-side which may bee like a painted Sepulchre Shall they that professe themselves to bee Gods servants bee of as little use in the Church as is commonly made of the Tulippa in the garden which is onely for shew And yet even by viewing of that various flower we may observe something that may bee helpfull unto us For as that falleth and the grace of it perisheth so shall the rich man clothed in goodly apparrell and fine linnen Jam. 1.11 fade away in his waies Yea so shall the fashion of this world passe away 1 Cor. 7.31 and the lust thereof but hee that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2.17 Hee shall live an eternall felicitie And may in that regard bee compared unto this flower which in Winter shrinkes low into the earth but in the Spring doth rise againe with great beauty so although for the present he may be cast downe in godly sorrow for his sinnes yet hee shall bee lifted up with comfort and consolation when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings and shine upon him with grace and favour Then let us learne of this and other flowers which doe open themselves Helotropium c. and turne towards the Sunne when it shines upon them that they may bee refreshed by the influence thereof to open unto Christ that he may enter into our soules to encline our eares unto his Word and our hearts to keep his Commandements And to turne unto the Lord with all our strength that wee may bee enlightened by his glorious truth and supported by his almighty power The Word of God is as seed sowne in our hearts it may be wee have for a long time been unprofitable hearers and the Word wee have received hath been as the seed of this flower before named which doth not satisfie our desire untill many yeeres after it is sowne Yet let it not for ever bee buried within us for then it will prove the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 but rather let it bee as the seed wee sow 1 Cor. 15.36 which first dies and then is quickened That seed which fell among stony places sprung up forthwith Matth. 13. and was as suddenly scorched If this seed hath for a great space been hid within us let it take the deeper root and at last bring forth an hundred fold Doth the earth bring forth herbes meet for them by whom it is dressed Heb. 6.7 Doth the garden cause the things that Isa 61.11 are sowne in it to spring forth And shall not man Terra nunquam recusat impâ—rium nec unquam sine usurâ reddit quod accepit c. Cicero who receives these blessings of the fatnesse of the earth become fruitfull himselfe that hee may likewise bee blessed with all heavenly blessings in spirituall places in Jesus Christ Gal. 6.7 Doth man for the most part Doth man for the most part reap whatsoever hee soweth and shall God reape nothing but tares having sowne such