were encamped against me my heart should not fear I will not be afraid of thousands of people that shall compasse me about If war rise against me I will trust in him Though I walk in the middle of the shadow of death I will fear no evill because thou art with me Though he should kill me Job 13. I will trust in him that is if he should set before me the terrours of death and I were to lose my life yet will I trust in him who by his providence will find a way to preserve me Psalm 117. Heb. 13. Jeremiah 17. The Lord is my help I will not fear what flesh can do unto me And that of Jeremiah behold they say where is the word of the Lord let it come And I was not troubled following thee my Shepheard and I desired not the day of man Lord thou knowest The place of Jeremiah expounded That is I look for help from no other place but from thee alone so that I neither regard nor fear those who threaten my destruction Be not thou a cause of fear to me thou that art my hope in the day of my affliction let them fear and let not me be afraid Saint Paul inflamed with the same heat of faith and leaning on Gods protection confidently pronounceth that nothing any where is so formidable and horrible that can make godly minds afraid or divide them from their love and relyance upon God For saith he I am certainly perswaded Rom. ult that neither death nor life nor Angels or invisible substances nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature can be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Saint Pauls confidence doth make others more bold Psalm 30. So Saint Paul pronounceth constantly that he who is engrafted into God the Father by Christ will stand unmoved against all terrours from whence soevever they may arise against the incursions and fightings of enemies against the horrour of death which either the enemies purpose to bring or the law of nature or diseases do bring upon him What can take away the fear of death Wherefore since nothing is more effectual to take off fear of death from the minds of men than a firm confidence in God Christ being our Leader whereby we conceive a certain hope of a resurrection and expectation of eternity let all men make haste and strive to come to this let every one embrace and cherish this saving doctrine and fix it in their minds by this let them strengthen themselves when the greatest troubles are at hand by this let them pacify and quiet their conscience by meditatioâ— hereof let them wipe off all grief of mind and discusse all sadnesse and sorrow that may befall them for death of Parents or Children To this belongs that excellent consolation of Saint Paul 2 Thes 4. wherewith by a certain expectation of a Resurrection and of eternity he corroborates the Thessalonians We must not lament the dead as the Gentiles do and he will have them refrain from weeping not lament for their friends departed as the Gentiles do I will not have you ignorant brethren concerning those that are asleep not as dead but asleep that you grieve not as those who have no hopes of a Resurrection for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again Death is a sleep so those that are a sleep by Iesus shall God bring with him Again when he withdraws the Philippians from earthly things Phil. 3. and recalls them to solid things he saith Our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Lord Iesus Christ who shall transform our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body according to his mighty power whereby he subdues all things unto himself Wherewith is the fear of death to be discussed By which words Saint Paul perswades them to comfort and support themselves in their afflictions by a love and desire of eternity and in the conflict of this life that they should fear nothing that might turn them away from a better life whereunto Christ hath opened the way for us by the power of his Resurrection Wherefore when we come to the last day of our life and death is near which is formidable to all men unlesse they rely upon Christ or when we think of any such thing in the time of health or if want calamity diseases or other miseries of life afflict us let us refer all our desires hope and wishes unto Christ who by his death hath endured the punishments due unto us who hath pardoned all our sins We must look upon Christ Colos 3. 2 John 2. 1 Tim. 2. Esay 50. and is become the propitiation for all our transgressions who is our advocate as Saint Iohn faith and Mediatour unto God the Father who is the reconciler of God to men and who as Saint Paul saith made himself a redemption and a sacrifice for all In him is appointed salvation â—ite and resurrection By him we have accesse and an entrance in one spirit unto the father Ephes 2. Colos 1. John 2. By the shedding of his bloud we have obtained redemption and remission of our sins Because it pleased the father that in him should all fullnesse dwell and to reconcile all things by him who hath made peace by his bloud Since therefore we have an high Priest Heb. 4. as he saith in the Hebrews who hath entred into heaven Jesus the Son of God who was in all points tempted as we are Christ is the peace-maker between God and man yet without sin who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities let us come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may find mercy to help in time of need We being supported by the defence of so great a Captain How the mind must be confirmed when death comes and compassed with his guard against all the monstrous designs of the devill which presently vanish when the light appears we subsist against sin death hell and are transported from the uncertain station of this life unto our desired harbour and blessed mansion And if any misfortune or inconvenience befall a man in the course of this life if any man chance to be cast upon any difficulty of his life to be pressed with poverty tortured with diseases to be vexed by his enemies if any destructions or calamities come on if wickednesse abound and the innocent are oppressed and murdered wholesome and true doctrine be contemned In Christ there is a consolation against calamities heresies and pernicious opinions do spring up and that perverse errours are sowed in all places in so great a confusion of things let every man look unto Christ let him seek for safety from him and rely wholly upon him Christ is our sacred Anchor in a tempest Psalm 25. and confirm himself by him as by
created that are in the compasse of the Heavens or comprehended in Sea or Land Which the Prophet David the chiefe admirer of Gods works doth testifie in these words O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the World For thy magnificence is exalted above the Heavens What is man that thou art mindfull of him Psalm 8. or the Son of man that thou so regardest him Thou hast made him little lower than the Angels that thou mightest crown him with Glory and worship thou hast set him over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things under his feet c. In which words he declares how much God respects man next unto Christ and how great reckoning God makes of man to whom the world is made subject and obedient that not onely all things created are exposed for his use and profit but also Christ died for man by whose favour and merits the Father gives all things unto us abundantly CHAP. IV. How great Man's thankfullnesse should be unto God BUt this principally should stirr up exceeding great love and reverence in man toward God that when he was estranged from God and for breaking his Commandements cast down unto eternall death Mans reconciliation our Heavenly Father by the singular favour we enjoy for Christs merits received us into his mercy For Christ taking pity of mans misery reconciled man to his Father by shedding his own blood and conquering death and breaking the yoke of the most cruel Tyrant to whom man was bound and indebled he brought him back beyond expectation to his former liberty and restored him to his Inheritance of his heavenly Kingdome So that as St. Paul saith we are no longer strangers and Forrainers from God but Citizens and Heirs and friends Ephes 2. and of the houshold of God built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone by whom we have admission and entrance unto the Father in one spirit Wherefore since every one of us is ingrafted by the help of saving doctrine by faith and the washing of regeneration into Christ and as St. Paul saith have obtain'd grace and inheritance Tit. 3. by the renovation of the holy spirit that he hath powred forth upon us abundantly it is fit and the restauration of our salvation requires it that placing all our hope and trust upon so magnificent a Father and upon his Son Jesus Christ who hath destroyed death and sin we should submit our selves to him and conform unto him our lives We must approve our lives to God manners and customes and with all purity of Mind and holy and unblameable conversation with daily and earnest prayer we should procure his favour to us and endeavour to win his love and gracious acceptance CHAP. V. What Baptism adds to Man and what it minds him of What Baptism doth BEcause Baptism or sacred washing is the first Entrance into the Church and company of the faithfull and is the very gate and footstep this is it that leads us to hope and confidence of Salvation For by Faith and Repentance that is by detesting our former life and by mortifying our bodies and by renewing of our minds we are ingrafted into Christ who hath wiped off and cleansed us from all spots and abolished all faults of our souls applying this external Sacrament unto us and by infusing the holy Ghost into our hearts whereby being assured of our Salvation we cry Abba Father Which double and continually ingeminated invocation is so effectual and present help that it will obtain all things from our munificent father if so be that a man direct his prayers and desires and groans unto God for Christ his sake For by this Leader and Mediatour who hath deserved favour for us 1 John 5. James 1. with his own bloud we obtain all things that are good for us and our prayers are never in vain and uselesse For so mercifull a Father will never stop his ears to their requests Prayers are effectual by Christ Deut. 6. Levit. 7. for whose sake and redemption he gave his onely begotten Son to dye CHAP. VI. Next unto God we must love our neighbours BUt since we are chiefly to love God to whom we owe all things Mark 12. Luke 10. Love towards God and for whose service man is bound to employ all his force that is in his heart mind and service so also he must be loving to his neighbour that is to man who is of the same nature and condition with him and must love him as himself So that each man must willingly lend his help unto him and when there is need and an opportunity offered which also it is fit we should seek for and take to assist him with Moneys and counsell For this is the principal fruit of our faith and is a sincere and no counterfeit testimony of our true Christian profession Love to our neighbour CHAP. VII How great should be the piety of children towards their Parents MOreover as we owe all to God much to our country and friends so it is no small matter that we owe unto our Patents But what respect and honour we ought to shew unto them I need not speak any more or prescribe since naturally every one is enclined to love his own even the very heathen as Christ testifies so that this love though we do our duties Math. 5. deserves no commendation but is our duty and must be done if we will be blamelesse But this must from our child hood be daily inculcated unto every man that he love heartily and entirely his Parents by whose means and ministery he enjoyed his first being and life Children must love their Parents Prov. 28. that he obey them in all things that equity and reason shall dictate unto him as Christ is said to be subject to his Mother Mary and to Joseph For Piety is acceptable to God Luk. 2. and the service and obedience we shew to our Parents is approved by him which is also carefully commanded in the Old and New Testaments Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Math. 25. Ephes 5. Math. 7. Mark 4. That is is a witty saying of Pittacus the Philosopher Such duty as you shew to your Parents expect the same from your children To which respects that speech of Christ that is more large Such measure as you mete the same shall others measure to you again For from the errour and negligence of this it commonly falls out that children are unruly and disobedient to their Parents that when they come to years they scorn to hear their Parents instructions and that sometimes by a deserved and just retaliation and revenge because their Parents were not obedient to their Parents before them but were stubborn and untoward CHAP. VIII How every Man ought to behave himself toward his Master MAster 's that instruct you and adorn your mind with principles of Learning We must
Resurrection strengthens feeble minds and all comfort in the greatest dangers is in the faith of the Resurrection let us set this faith against all the terrours and temptations wherewith the Devil endeavours to overthrow and weaken our minds and let us hope assuredly in him who is the Author unto us of so great advantage and liberty What Christ's Birth did The long expected birth of our Saviour did exceedingly raise the Souls of men to a high hope of salvation and confidence of it His conversation amongst men his upright life his doctrine and lastly his death which he suffered for us to free us from destruction did confer much thereunto What Christ's Resurrection did But the truth of his resurrection did effect this that when he had got the victory over death no man need to doubt of his salvation but ought to hold a firm hope that what hath been done already in Christ their head shall be perfected in them also Wherefore all our hope depends on our Saviours Resurrection whereby he vanquished death and thereby he pulled out the sting of death that is sin that bred the Enmity between God and us Wherefore since we have obtain'd so great felicity by the death and resurrection of Christ Peter 1. let us not be removed from the truth but let us endeavour to partake of the fruit of so much good works and look steadfastly upon him who by his singular favour and mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope by Christs rising from the dead and hath restored us to life that shall never end and hath assigned unto us an immortal Inheritance pardoning all our offences Colos 2. and blotting out the hand-writing that was against us The memory of this benefit should be alwaies before our eyes especially at our last conflict The Resurrection should still be in our minds when detesting all the wickednesse of our former life we must oppose against Satan sin death and hell the immense mercy of God the Father by out full assurance in Christ by whom there is provided certainly for us salvation and remission of all our sins and reconciliation by his blood By him we have admission and entrance unto the Father He is the propitiation for our sins Considence in Christ gives us courage For so God loved the world that he gave his onely Sonne to redeem us that every one that believes in him trusts in him and relyeth on his promises may not perish but have everlasting life Which confidence raiseth our minds to bring forth good fruits by works of charity whereby we love God above all things and our neighbour for his sake Matâ—h 25. What Faith dictates Charity performs For a working Faith begets charity and charity nourisheth faith Faith joyn'd to Love So in the foolish Virgins lamps the light of faith went out because there wanted oyl of charity Wherefore this faith and confidence of promised mercy that is infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost must be stirred up and nourished in us that by the merit of Christ our Mediatour we may cry Abba Father For the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4. and the earnest of our Inheritance raiseth up our hearts and comforts us with the redemption and possession purchased for us and takes from our minds all fear and trembling and terrour of Conscience and makes us acknowledge Gods favour presence and mercy and that we may attain Redemption and Reconciliation by the help of Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be our peace-maker through faith in his blood Wherefore being justified by faith we have peace with God and a settled Conscience and a quiet mind so that all distrust and desperation is discussed and we apprehend certain hopes of the Resurrection and Immortality and doubt nothing of our salvation so that we depart from hence chearfully to our heavenly Country and place of rest to enjoy everlasting comfort with our Redeemer And that these things may never slip out of our minds and so great a benefit may never be forgot Christ instituted his holy Supper The Communion whereby we may remember and recollect what he hath done for us that our mind may be elevated and grow hot with the frequent meditation of the new Covenant to adore him and receiving his body and blood we may be united to him and may conceive certain hope and trust of his great love and mercy to us whereby he was willing to dye for us Which wonderful work we ought daily but especially to meditate on at our end when death approaches The Lords Supper that our minds may be settled and we may firmly believe in him and we may give him continual thanks for that inestimable gift of our salvation by the shedding of his blood whereby he wiped away all spots of sin from us and freed us from dear of death and from the cruel tyranny of our great Enemy the devil so setting us at liberty Therefore by this mystical Bread and holy Sacrament we are assured that Christ is in us and we in him and that we are joyned to him by the most firm bond of love Heb. 8. Whence it is that being born up with certain hope as with a staff we are confident to receive those things that faith infused into us by the Spirit prompts us with and perswades us unto for from faith as the root spring forth the branches of charity James 2. that yield plentifully the fruits of good works For works testifie that faith is alive and safe and sound in all parts of it There must be choice of works For saving faith is never without good works that are pleasing to God but as a good Tree brings forth both leaves and fruit Since therefore those heroick and divine vertues inspired by God which are so joyned together that they can never be asunder are so necessary to salvation the mind must be daily busied in them that after the troubles of this life are past after that we have approved the profession of our faith and shew'd it openly which God requires we should do Sinners are Justified by Faith in God and exerciseth us therein we may come to those riches that Inheritance those rewards that God hath appointed for them who in the conflict of this life have employ'd their Talent as they ought to do Ezek. 18. wherein if they have erred the next way to salvation is to lift up their souls to God and to commit themselves wholly to his great mercy Wherefore depending on his clemency in hopes of mercy which he denyeth to none that repent Heb. 4. Let us come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace that we may find mercy in time of need And let us continually from our very heart speak in the ears of our merciful and placable Judge those words of the Prophet Psal 148. Enter not into Judgment with thy servant Psal 119. O Lord because in thy sight
marrow hath taken from them all sense thereof But at first when any strange quality seizeth on the body whereby it corrupts and is changed what parts soever receive sharp biting humours they feel pain But when the disease growes old and is grown up with Nature they feel not much pain because they agree together and the humours wax faint by commerce with the body and keeping company with it and by the mixture of other humours they are weakned as strong Wine is with Water Yet the footsteps of the old disease and reliques of it alwaies remain which if they fall down upon the Lungs they make the sick hoarse and short winded if it fall on the joynts it makes them subject to the Gowt in the feet hands hucklebone and it returns at certain times So all that have pocky sores are gowty But all that have the Gowt in their feet or hips All that have pocky sores have the Gowt but not contrarily have not the symptoms of the Pox. And if the flux of humours is sent to the outward skin their skin is made rugged and crusty their face is deformed with tetters scabs foul sores and scurf and their hair falls For it falls out with them as it doth with Trees and Twigs on which pisse A Simile from Trees that are corrupted or some salt water or filth is cast For when the root is hurt the leafs fall off and the branches wither yet the Tree dyeth not at the root but it decayes and is hardly restored CHAP. XV. How it is that Men dying though they have their mind and understanding firm yet they make a hoarse noise and a sound that returns back which the Low Dutch vulgarly call Den rotel IN the Low-Countries and in all the Countries toward the North those that are dying shew certain arguments of their departure by making a murmuring noise and none of them die but have this mark before How those that dye make a murmuring noise For as death is at hand they make a noise as the water doth when it falls through rough winding crooked places they will sound and murmur like to the noise that Pipes make in Conduits For when the vocal artery happens to be stoped the breath that would fain break forth at once finding a narrow passage and the pipe sunk down comes forth by a certain gargling and makes a hoarse sound in smooth places and springing forth forsakes the dry limbs Wherefore the breath being heaped together and mingled with swelling froth causeth a noise like the ebbing of the Sea which also comes so to passe in some by reason of their pannicles and membranes drawn into wrinkles so that the breath comes forth by a crooked and winding revolution But they that have a strong and great bodies and die of violent deaths sound more and strive longer with death by reason of plenty of humour and grosse and thick spirits But in those that are wasted in their bodies Who dye gently and who with great trouble and that die easily by degrees the breath runs not so violently nor with so great a noise so that they dye by little and little very gently and do even as it were fall asleep CHAP. XVI The death of man and destruction of things that are is against Nature and is very improperly called natural Yet the mind must be resolved not to fear death though not without cause all men are afraid of it THough it be so ordained by nature since that mans rebellion hath drawn this upon him deservedly that we must all tend to destruction and dye Yet I see that by reason this may be proved that death is not natural but contrary to nature In the beginning this was given by nature to all kinds of Creatures to defend themselves their life and body Cic. l. 1. offâ—â— and to decline that may seem to be hurtfull unto them and to be very carefull to look to their own preservation and safety For who doth not observe what great care and diligence men use by the light of reason and brute beasts by the light of nature to defend and keep themselves from danger All men fear death every one strives to keep himself from it for when death comes Nature is extinguished No man but trembles at the fear of death and ceaseth to be any longer So Christ who would shew the imbred weaknesse of mans nature who except sin and diseases was like to us in all things feared death and prayed against it John 21. Also in Peter is expressed the affect of nature and infirmity of the flesh when Christ thrice asked him if he loved him and that he should take great care to feed his flock showing unto him what should befall him and what death he should die When thou wer 't young saith he thou wandredst whither thou wouldest and didst gird thy self but when thou growest old another shall gird thee about and lead the whether thou wouldest not Whereby he shews the desire and weaknesse of man's nature that is stricken with the terrour of death and is very unwilling to come to it yet the mind is willing and ready John 22. Since therefore death is the deprivation and abolition of Nature how can it be said that it is natural and agreeing unto nature that is violent and wholly extinguisheth Nature I know that man by his fall deserved so much and in that he degenerated from the dignity he was created with being disobedient to his creatour to be punished with all pains and vexations diseases hunger and thirst and unquietnesse of mind and at last to undergo the punishment of death Sin brought in diseases and death But it was not the fault of nature that brought in these miseries but sin For since the fall of the first man all things are changed and become contrary so the stars diseases Elements Wild-beasts and Devils are become enemies to man And as Paul saith the whole creation is made subject to vanity and corruption for mans cause Rom. 8. and the whole series of Creatures the Angels not excepted desire an end of their labours But the certain hopes of a better life doth recreate our minds in so great miseries and our confidence in Christ who restores the decayed Nature of man to his former dignity takes away from us all terrour and fear of death also out of our souls Faith in Christ takes from man the fear of death For the remembrance of his death and resurrection doth wholly confirm and strengthen us for we believe that man shall not be annihilated but changed to a better condition and that death is not our ruine but the door and entrance to a more happy life 2 Cor. 5. A simise from the structure of houses For we know as Paul saith that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved as houses use to be taken down disjoynted that we have a building from God a house not
Church Moreover in the administration of houshold affairs and in setling and confirming our private estates that they fall not to decay all things must be so moderated that we may not incur the names of prodigals or spend-thrifts or of covetous dry holdfasts that are too sparingly niggards It is Parsimony that preserves a mans estate and thereby it increaseth and grows greater Moderation to be used in all things yet you must not be so straight-fisted as to defraud your belly and to starve your families as some sordid rich men do again you must not as wasters do make havock of what you have and consume your possessions joyning with you some companions of this strain who will perswade you to do it and lead you on in riotous courses Now as Terence saith he that seeks for gain must spend So Plautus tells us that there can be no gain where the expence is greater than the gain The Low Dutch speak that sentence thus A Proverb commending frugatily Stelt 〈◊〉 teringhe naer 〈◊〉 neringhe Whereby they mean that a man must so moderate his expences that he may not waste his estate by immoderate profusenesse but that there should be an equal proportion between our wealth and our expences wherefore it is the part of an industrious house-keeper sometimes when it is requisite to bring forth out of his treasury what is needfull and again when it is time to lay up For as the Proverb is Late parsimony is hurtfull Parsimony is too late at the bottom The Law that Amasis king of the Egyptians made and which Solon the Athenian Law-giver practised is not from our purpose nor from the profit of the Common-wealth and preservation of private families whereby there was provision made as Herodotus testifies L. 3. Enterpe that the people and inhabitants should give an account every year to the Governours of Provinces how they lived and what way they used to gain their food and they who could not make that appear and shew that they came honestly by what they had should be put to death Amasis his Law against idle persons By the severity of which law he strove to restrain idle persons that they might have no occasion to rob and steal to which they commonly fall who have spent their fathers estates in gaming and riot and whoring and have totally exhausted their patrimonies From hence I suppose was that Law instituted amongst the Corinthians against prodigal people and such as carelesly consume their estates or feast more costly and sumptuously than their yearly annuities and rents will bear Which since Diphylus in Athenaeus relates it and Erasmus L. 6. who hath deserved much in all Arts hath put it into Verse I am willing to set it down here whereby the Magistrate may enter upon a course that may effect and hinder Cities and suburbs and places near to Cities from being so much robbed and spoiled by thieves and robbers who night and day go about to steal away mens goods that are kept in safety and who violently and barbarously torment those that will not discover where their treasures lye hid The meaning of this Law is expressed in these Verses The Law of expence amongst the Corinthians The Corinthians had a Law Which was when they any man saw Live at high rates him to demand What great estate he had or Land What he did for to recompence The costs he made and vast expence If he could then just reason give Of what he had they let him live But if they found by his account That his expences did surmount They gave him warning that no more He should spend as he did before If he their counsel did reject He was fin'd for his neglect But if one who had no estate Chanced to live at a great rate Him they tortur'd for that he From doing mischief was not free For he must either robor steal And damnifie the Common-weal Or joyn with such or else forswear Himself or else false witnesse bear Now they that live amongst this rout As dung from this place we cast out The Apostle Paul was no lesse severe an exactor of duties 2. Thes 3. Saint Paul commands idle persons to work who commands that sluggards and idle persons shaking off lazinesse should work with their own hands that they may be able to maintain their families and he would have this so strictly observed that he denied to give them any meat who refused to work and were not carefull to provide for their houshold but lived like drones to eat up the honey the Bees labour for living idly on other mens liberality and bounty being employed in no businesse but their own curiosity Saint Pauls admonishment to thieves Ephes 4. Saint Paul also gives the same strict rule to thieves who rob other mens estates whom he not onely admonisheth to abstain from robbing but that they should labour honestly that they might have something to give to those that were in need so when a man hath contracted a blemish by an ill life he may wash it off by good works and liberality to the poor Such an example we have in Zachaeus who distributed to the poor what he had got by usury Luk. 19. For by this means the errours and defects of the former part of our lives are blotted out when we make recompence by our vertuous behaviour our affections being quite turned a contrary way and our old vicious depraved custome being laid a side CHAP. XXVI Moderation in sleeping and waking Moderation in sleeping and waking STudents and Magistrates amongst other things must take care for their sleeping and watching For if these be moderate and used seasonably they are of great concernment to establish and maintain health For beside that they make the body lightsome and lively they make the mind more ready and cheerfull to effect any duty Immoderate sleep makes men stupid sluggish witlesse forgetfull and these men hardly come up or attain to any famous Arts. Wherefore men of this condition are alwaies to be provoked to take pains to shake off sleepinesse and drowsinesse and to bethink themselves of something that may be worthy of a man that is free and at his own disposal When sleep at noon doth hurt What concerns sleep about noon and in the day time I would not have young men to use it unlesse they be tired with heat and labour or they have eat or drank disorderly or watched too long the night before for then without any dammage they may sleep at noon otherwise it weakneth the memory and clouds the mind and makes the head heavy and the eyes dark especially when they sleep with full bellies and moreover this inconvenience follows it that when they wake they nauseate and yawn and stretch themselves with open arms that is they retch their lims every way the vapours being diffused all over their bodies What it is to stretch by reason of a faint
of mischief that long custome procures boldnesse and confidence unto this Sex that if any man begin to grow weary of them and would fain be quit of them it cannot be done but by a tumult For they will mingle heaven and earth together when once they hear of a divorce or when upon any discontent arising they fear they shall be shut out of dores Those Concubines which the Priests keep in their houses to live with them are examples sufficient for these men are forbid lawfull Matrimony and are commanded to lead single lives which is a thing exceeding hard and laborious for lusty men that are full of natural moysture Wherefore they erre as much as can be and are wholly deceived in the choice of humane society Copulation without marriage is a burden to the Conscience who suppose that they live in peace who being free from a wife keep a Concubine in their houses or hunt after one abroad to take their pleasure and whose company they can enjoy when they please when as oft-times besides the unquietnesse of their minds and torture of Conscience there riseth more trouble and molestation by a friend that is so kept for a time and more jealousy and suspition than from a lawfull and laithfull wife which is soleâ—only marryed to live with us so long as welive No slate of life is void of trouble And though in this estate as in many more sweet and fowre are mingled together sadnesse and joy bitter and pleasant cloudy and clear weather nor are there jarrings wanting in this course of life with contentions quarrels and affections of jealousy as there is no kind of life happy in all things yet no fault is to be put upon the order of Matrimony For however many inconveniencies accompany Matrimonial life and these men are busied with many cares great anxieties and disturbances in educating and bringing up of their children 2 Cor. 5. as Saint Paul testifies in providing for their families yet mutual love sweetneth and mitigates all the rest and the procreation of children according to Gods Ordinance Now children are the delights and singular joy of Matrimony for conjugal love increaseth and is fostered thereby Children are the pleasure of Marriage and on both sides thereby is there great comfort taken But if contrary to our will and desire we chance to have no off-spring Want of children must be born patiently and that the hope of posterity is deferred for many years yet must we hold the promise made in wedlock sacred and we must so continue between us a mutual society of life that one may bear up another as fruitfull Trees planted hard by do uphold the Vine by which it is prooped and as it were marryed and taking hold of them by its tendrils it grows very high and spreads very far For as a Vine wanting props and stayes falls down upon the earth A comparison of a Vine and Matrimony so Matrimony and houshold affairs run to ruine unlesse they be upheld by the mutual support of man and wife But if there be any fault in this society if any distempers tumults Mens affections and not nature to be blamed quarrels or suspicions arise we must ascribe them rather to mens affections and ill manners than to this ordinance For they are not the vices of marriage but of depraved nature and of a troublesome mind contracted from the guilt of original sin upon which all the fault must be laid CHAP. LVI How it may be obtained that death may not prove fearfull to a Man that naturally fears it SInce in humane affairs there is nothing firm and constant but all things are transitory frail and uncertain We must not trust in transitory things and the best things are subject to ruine it is not for any man to admire or to love these things too much and be affected with them out of measure But rather let every man lift up his mind and thoughts upward to heaven and there contemplate things that are solid and eternal For whoever with a full confidence in God the Father through Jesus Christ is lead with certain hope and expectation of immortality he need not sear any chances that shall hang over him or inconveniences he hath no cause to be frighted with diseases calamities and dangers or with death it self which they especially fear who are destitute of Gods Spirit and have no true knowledge of God For such as place their trust in God are supported by his holy Spirit and they stand undaunted against all adversities Rom. 8. â— Tim. 1. Galat. 4. â— John 4. with a couragious mind and as Saint Paul saith we have not receiâ—â—â— the Spirt of bondage and fear but the spirit of adoption of power and of love whereby we cry boldly Colos 2. Abba Father For in this saith Saint John is our love made perfect that we may have confidence in the day of Judgment There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out all fear for fear breeds pain or trembling Wherefore that we may shake off all fear and not be daunted at death or any thing else that may make us tremble let us cast all our hope wishes thoughts confidence upon our most bountifull father through Jesus Christ Christ overcame death who hath purged us with his own bloud and hath set us at liberty from fin and the tyranny of death blotting out and taking away the hand-writing which was against us whereby we were bound to the Devil and were indebted to him A simile from such who are oppressed by bonds The Dutch say In hem ghebonden teghens hem verbonden But that Christ might support fearful and fainting minds and might shew that all hope and confidence must be placed in him he saith Be of good chear I have overcome the World Now the Prince of this world is Judged that is he that brought in death John 16. John 12. is driven away by my death and is condemned to Judgment and is spoiled of all power of doing harm The Prince of this World is come and hath found nothing in me Christ is formidable to Satan By which comfortable words he shews that Satan and all his confederates by reason of sin in this world have no power against Christ or his members that firmly believe in him and are engrafted into him These saving and comfortable words work thus much upon the minds of men that depend upon his help Comfortable sentences that shaking off all fear of death they fortify themselves cheerfully against the greatest tempests that can arise Psalm 19. Psalm 26. Psalm 3. Psalm 22. and become invincible and with great confidence break forth into these sayings My eyes are still toward the Lord for he shall pull my feet our of the snare God is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the upholder of my life of whom shall I be afraid If an army
Luke 2. strength and power whereby he casts down his enemies and supports those which are godly is inexpugnable and invincible For there is nothing but must yeild to his omnipotence and no Towers Bulwarks or Forts be they never so strong that can resist his force His Judgments and Justice Gods Justice Ps 78.47.84 whereby he distributes to every one what belongs to him and rewards men according to their works and as they have deserved are right holy sincere lawfull and most equall so that no man whose judgement is not depraved can justly speak against them His Mercy Ps 16.22.149.84 Gods mercy is a refuge for sinners Clemency Placablenesse which every Prophet hath at large and magnificently set forth is immense and over all his works For all those that fear his Justice fly unto his mercy as a place of refuge and safeguard This removes distrust and desperation from fearfull minds Psal 32.56 Colos 1. With this the Holy Ghost the Comforter supports those that slip and fall and by putting into them hope and confidence to attain Salvation he drives them to the throne of Grace which mercy the Dutch call it Remis ende quiit schelding van misdaet that they may obtain it So that nothing can be imputed unto them Heb. 4. or make them guilty of death When Paul had made trial of this he became an Apostle from a persecutor So he supports the doubtfull and wavering minds of men and provokes them to seek for Gods mercy by his own notable example Whereas 1 Tim. 1. Paul magnifies Gods mercy Joh. 16. saith he I was first a persecutour blasphemous and injurious I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly through unbelief that is wanting faith and being ignorant of Gods counsel for he thought when he persecuted the Christians that he did God good service Saint Paul provokes all men to submit to Gods mercy Now that every man may take care of his Salvation and all may know that sins are purged by Christs bloud for so many as believe in him Paul pronounceth with an asseveration and firm assertion that this is a faithfull saying and worthy of all men to be accepted that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief But I therefore obtained mercy that Jesus Christ might first shew in me all long suffering for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting that is in hope and expectation of his heavenly kingdome Which benefit since it must be onely referred unto our heavenly Father and it is not meet to deprive him of his due praise and glory he concludes thus To the King Immortal Invisible to the onely wise God be ascribed all Glory and Honour both now and forever Amen Peter also by reason of the Mystery of Redemption 2 Pet. 1. Saint Peter infinitely extols Gods mercy Tit. 3. gives the like praise unto God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who according to his abundant mercy hath regenerated us unto a lively hope by the rising of Iesus Christ from the dead unto an Inheritance Immortal Undefiled and Uncorruptible laid up for us in the heavens that is for the love of us For after that the gentlenesse and love of God our Saviour appeared unto us not by works of righteousnesse that we had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life This is a faithfull saying and every man ought to fix it in his mind Since therefore the love and inclination of God is so great unto mankind so great is his favour and mercy that besides the use and commodity of all things he hath also given his onely beloved Son to Redeem us that by the death and Resurrection of Christ we might obtain favour and Reconciliation We must approve our life to God Faith is adorned by works It is but just and all equity and gratitude for so great a benefit requires it of us that every man should place his hope and confidence in God and extol him with the highest prayses and strive to approve his life unto him and to please him by faith not that which is vain and conceited but which is compassed about and garded by works of charity denying all ungodlinesse and carnal lusts to consecrate himself unto God Tit. 2. and to live soberly justly and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquities and to purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works For by this way of ordering our lives Rom. 5. by the assistance of the Spirit our Comforter peace and security shall be maintained in our minds and all trembling and fear of death being cast away we shall find an entrance into immortality and those blessed mansions Christ being our leader For death is not the destruction of our bodies but the renewing of them not the annihilation of Nature Death is the renewing of life but the passage to a better life and the gate and first entrance into the heavenly City and the way to eternity And of the certainty hereof no man ought to doubt or to distrust Gods promises since the truth it self that cannot lye will faithfully perform what he hath promised For God is truth but every man is a lyar God is faithfull in his promises Ps 62.115 Rom. 3. that is God deceives no man nor mocks him or frustrates him of his hope and expectation he is none of those vain boasters or idle promise-makers as men are who break their Covenants and rend asunder all bargains and agreements and that find out some subtile waies to elude and to free themselves from what they seriously promised but he is stable firm constant and will with the greatest assurance and fidelity make good all his promises and what he said he will do he will perform But every man is a Lyar that is false trivial idle light slippery inconstant What is meant by man is a liar unfaithfull changeable doubtfull wavering diverse fraudulent vain captious uncertain and who will say one thing sitting and another when he stands up so that no man can safely put any confidence in him But these crimes are far from the majesty of God for no humane passions fall upon him Wherefore we must chiefly depend upon him in full assurance all our wishes hopes and desires must be transported unto him whether dangers or calamities or death and our last conflict come upon us In danger of life we must fly unto God For all things grow more tolerable by reason of his favour and presence and be they never so bitter and sowre they are thereby made sweet The fear of death is shaken off by our trust in him and all trembling and fear is driven out of our minds For the love of him we despise and regard not the delights and flatterings of this World By his help and assistance we endure all such miseries and calamities that compasse us in every moment By a solid hope and expectation of eternity and being supported by him we joyfully leave the Prison of this world and we are carried on to those blessed habitations Christ being our Conductour But it will trouble us the lesse to forsake the society of our bodies here and to leave our station of this life Christs death purgeth our sins and our last conflict with death makes us lesse sorrowfull and doubtfull wherein almost distrust and desperation are ready to lay hold of us because we are certain that Christ by his merits hath obtained redemption and favour for us Christs Resurrection justifies For Jesus Christ who is the Mediatour between God and man hath reconciled us to his Father and washed away all our sins by his own bloud and by the power of his Resurrection hath justified us For Christ was delivered for our sins John 1. Rom. 4. as Saint Paul saith and was raised again for our Justification So that by Christs Resurrection as by a pledge we are confirmed and are confident that we shall be saved and be raised again by his power For he as the Apostle testifies shall transform our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body Philip. 3. according to his mighty power whereby he subdues all things unto himself For although according to Saint Paul his doctrine 2 Cor. 4 5. this earthly house of ours or this earthly Tabernacle be dissolved like to a ruinous building that is disjoynted and all the frame and contignation of it taken asunder yet we have a house with God not made with hands which is eternal in the heavens For God who hath raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by him and shall make us partakers of the same glory and this certain assurance effects thus much in us that we are not so refractory and unwilling to leave this World FINIS