body was wasted with continuall fits towards the Close of his life yet his understanding and memory was as active and quicke as in the time of his health He encouraged the Ministers that came to him to be diligent and couragious in the worke of the LORD and not to let their spirits faint or droope for any affliction that should arise thereupon To all that came to him he bad them make sure of CHRIST before they came to die and to looke upon the world as a lump of vanity He thanked GOD for his wonderfull mercy to him in pulling him out of hell in sealing his Ministry with the conversion of many soules which he wholly ascribed to his glory About a weeke before he died when his silver cord began to loosen and his golden boule to breake He called for his wife and desired her to beare his dissolution which was now at hand with a Christian fortitude a thing which he had prepared her for by the space of twenty yeares telling her that his approaching death was decreed upon him from all eternity and that the counsell of the LORD must stand and bad her make no doubt but shee should meete him againe in Heaven And turning toward his children told them that they should not expect hee should now say any thing to them neither would his ability of body and breath give him leave he had told them enough in the time of his sicknesse and before and hoped they would remember it and verily believed that none of them durst thinke to meete him at that great Tribunall in an unregenerate state About two daies after divers of his Parish comming to watch with him he was mooved by a friend that as he had discover'd to them by his Doctrine the exceeding comforts that were in CHRIST he would now tell them what he felt in his soule Alas said he doe they looke for that of me now that want breath and power to speake I have told them enough in my Ministry But yet to give you satisfaction I am by the wonderfull mercies of GOD as full of comfort as my heart can hold and feele nothing in my soule but Christ with whom I heartily desire to be And then looking upon some that were weeping said Oh what a deale adoe there is ere one can die The night before hee died when the doores without began to be shut and the daughters of Musicke to bee brought low and hee lying very low with his head expecting every moment when the wheele should be broken at the Cisterne yet being told that some of his deare friends were then about him to take their last farewell He caused himselfe to be lifted up and then like old Iacob bowing himselfe on his beds-head after a few gaspings for breath hee spake in this manner I am now drawing on apace to my dissolution and am just in the Case of Sir Iohn Pickering Hold out Faith and patience your work will speedily be at an end And then shaking them all by the hands prayed heartily and particularly for them and desired them to make sure of heaven and to beare in minde what he had formerly told them in his Ministery protesting to them that the doctrine which he had preached to them for the space of twenty yeares was the truth of GOD as he should answer it at that great Tribunall of CHRIST before whom he should shortly appeare This he spake when the very pangs of death were upon him Whereupon a very deare friend of his taking him by the hand and asking him if he felt not much paine Truely no said he the greatest I feele is your cold hand And then speaking to be laid downe againe hee spake no more untill the next morning when he tooke his last leave of his Wife and Children prayed for them and blessed them all and that day in the afternoone about five of the clocke being Saturday the 17. day of December Anno Dom. 1631. in the LXth yeare of his age yeelded up his spirit to GOD that gave it and according to his owne speech celebrated the ensuing Sabbath in the Kingdome of Heaven Thus in the space of fifteene weekes was the first and most glorious light put out in Broughton that ere that Towne injoyed or that many ages wil render againe And thus haue you good reader the Life and Death of this very learned and godly man truly set forth if any man shall contradict any thing that I haue written of him I shall not be carefull to answer him For if he be good and well knew Mr Bolton he will not have the face to object If he be bad I hold him not worth answering I shall onely say to him in the language of Tacitus didicit ille maledicere ego contemnere He hath taught his tongue to speake ill and I have learned to contemne it There is onely one obiection which I will answer and noe more which beganne to bee muttered in his life time and is now likely to make a lowder noyse if it bee not put to silence This preaching twice a Sabboth is more then needs halfe of it is but prating And Ministers under the Gospell may take more libertie and are not tied to such precisenes and severity of life as hee used I will not grace this objection so much as to beelong in answering it The former part of this objection this learned Author in his Booke of Walking with God and in his Epistle to his last Booke dedicated to that religious noble Knight Sâ— Robert Carre both by reasons and the constant practise and precepts of the ancient Fathers preaching twice a day sometimes every day hath a bundantly and unanswerably confuted I will onely adde two examples of later times the one of renowned Caluin the glorie of his age who Preached or Lectured almost euery day and some dayes twice which Preachings were so excellent that they were the matter of those laborious and learned Commentaries of his upon the Bible which occasioned D. Reynolds aptly and truly to call him doctissimus fidelissimus Scripturae interpres the most learned and faithfull expounder of Scripture The other of our most precious Iewell who was a very frequent and constant Preacher and hastned his own death this way for riding to preach at Lacock in Wilt-Shire a gentleman that met him perceiving the feeblenesse of his body which he had wasted out in such spirituall labours advised him for his healths sake to returne home againe To whom this godly Bishop by way of allusion to that braue speech of Vespatian the Emperor thus excellently replyed Oportet episcopum concionantem mori which in the storie of his life is thus englished It becommeth best a Bishop to die preaching in the pulpit And so he did for presently after the Sermon hee was by the reason of sicknes forced to his Bedd from whence hee never came off till his translation to
And such is the Child as for its owne sake it will find good entertainment though the Father of it were unknowne Adistinct narration of the life and death of the Author you have truly and punctually as becommeth such a narration premised All his Workes do shew that he was full in what he undertooke so full as he leaves scarce any thing if any thing at all for another Author to add more than he hath done to what he hath done He had a very searching and diving gift whereby he was able to anatomize and lay open the severall parts and nerves of the points which he handled and to set out pertinent signes rules meanes and motives thereabout His expression of his mind by fit words and phrases was answerable to his invention Both very copious full of variety Take for instance this ensuing Treatise the maine scope whereof is to furnish a Christian against the evill day Therein you may observe how on the one side he discovers the false meanes which most use and how on the other side he revealeth the true meanes that are of singular use to the end intended yea and how he enforceth the same with reason upon reason the better to demonstrate the equity of the point how also he infers all sorts of Uses thereupon as Reprehension Exhortation Direction and Consolation and finally how he takes occasion from thence of an exceeding large discourse upon the foure last things which to use his owne words have beene ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill day Those foure Heads are DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL HEAVEN To add more to what he hath set out thereabouts were to powre water into the sea First read then judge and the LORD add his blessing W. G. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr. BOLTON THat one age may tell another that the memoriall of the just shall be ever blessed when the persons and names of those that are otherwise minded shall rot and vanish away It hath beene the pious custome of ancient and later times to commend to posterity the eminent graces of the Saints departed Famous are those Panegyricke Orations made at the tombes of the Martyrs in the Primitive times when as their persecuting Emperours priding themselves in their lamentable deaths have left no other noyse behind them than the loud and long continued cries of spilling innocent bloud Memorable also are the Funerall Orations of the two Gregories Nyssen and Nazianzen on Basill the great And in later times to give a few instances for the number in this kinde is infinite Melancthon and Camerarius wrote the life of Martyn Luther Iunius the life of Vrsine Beza the life of Calvin Antonius Faius the life of Beza Iosias Simler the life of Peter Martyr and Dr. Humphrey the life of our most renowned Iewell This manner of honouring the Saints is warranted by GODS owne example who for ought is revealed to us tooke order for Moses buriall digged his grave covered him with molds and made for him that excellent Funerall Sermon expressed in the first Chapter of Ioshuah And that all-wise GOD who sweetly disposeth all things thinkes it needfull thus to grace his owne people that he may hereby uphold their spirits amid those many pressures scornes reproaches cruell mockings and innumerable other miseries which they endure of the world meerely for his service be they otherwise never so wise just meeke peaceable and unrebukeable amongst men Witnesse those many terrible persecutions mentioned in Ecclesiasticall Stories against the Christians though harmlesse and innocent though they prayed for their Emperours and GOD did miracles in their armies by their prayers yet for this onely cause that they honoured CHRIST and called themselves Christians so odious was that precious name unto their adversaries they were put to the extremest tortures that the utmost inventions of cruelty and rage could devise against them as Iustine Martyr and Tertullian in their learned and eloquent Apologies for them do amply demonstrate this caused Adrian the Emperour to ordaine that thenceforth none of them should be appeached barely for that name unlesse they transgressed the Lawes According to these examples and for the very same causes I have adventured to publish to the world the life and death of this man of GOD the Authour of this Work now a Saint in heaven I confesse his worth and parts deserved rather an advancement by some such eloquent Orators as I mentioned before than a depression by my pen but yet a pearle may be shewed forth as well by a weake hand as by the arme of a gyant I shall do no more And let his owne worth and workes praise him in the gates I knew him from the beginning of my youth being my first Tutour in the Vniversitie of Oxford and my selfe one of his first Schollers and from that time to the day of his death being above seven and twenty yeares none knew him better or loved him more our familiarity was such that alluding to that betweene Paul and Timothy I may say I knew his doctrine manner of life faith charity patience and now will onely relate what I have heard and seene wherein I will not exceed the bounds of modesty or truth To begin with his birth I observe that throughout the sacred Bible and writings on the persons of holy men their places of birth are ever remembred GOD loves the very ground his servants tread on The LORD shall count sayes David when he numbreth up the people that this man was borne there whereas of other men there shall be no remembrance of them they shall have none to lament or bury them but shall be cast forth as dung on the face of the earth so that I may say of them as was said of Pope Boniface the eight famous for nothing but his wickednesse intravit vulpes regnavit leo exivit canis the Prophet David renders it thus in plaine English They spend their daies in mirth and suddenly go downe into hell He was borne at Blackborne a towne of good note in Lancashire on Whitsunday Anno Dom. 1572. His parents being not of any great meanes yet finding in him a great towardlinesse for learning destinated him to be a scholler and strugled with their estate to furnish him with necessaries in that kind apprehending the advantage of a singular Schoole-master that was then in the towne He plied his booke so well that in short time he became the best scholler in the schoole and no marvell for he had those sixe properties of a scholler noted by Isocrates and others which concurring in one thrust up learning to a very high elevation 1. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of excellent parts and abilities of mind and of a sound constitution of body 2. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a very strong memory I meane such a memory as was notably actuated
Prophet in the first place doth furnish the people of GOD before hand with a strong counter comfort and cordiall against their faintings in the furnace of affliction we may thence be instructed that DOCT. It is an holy wisdome and happy thing to treasure up comfortable provision against the Day of calamity It is good counsell and a blessed course to store up comfort against the evill Day He that gathereth in Summer saith Salomon is a sonne of understanding But he that sleepeth in Harvest is a sonne of confusion Prov. 10. 5. If not by an immediate sense yet by a warrantable analogy and good consequent this Place will beare this Paraphrase That man which now in this faire and seasonable Sun-shine of his gracious visitation is lull'd asleepe with the Syren-songs of these sensuall times upon the lap of pleasure swims downe the temporizing torrent of these last and lewdest daies with full saile of prosperity and ease against the secret wasts and counter-blasts as it were of a reclaiming conscience as thousands do to their utter undoing for ever mis-spends his golden time and many goodly opportunities of gathering spirituall Manna in grasping gold gathering wealth growing great greatning his posterity clasping about the arme of flesh satisfying the appetite and serving himselfe In a word he that while it is called To day turnes not on Gods side and by forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse in His blessed waies treasures up comfort and grace against his ending houre shall most certainly upon his bed of death and illumination of conscience find nothing but horrible confusion and feare extremest horrour and insupportable heauinesse of heart his soule must presently downe into the kingdome of darknesse and bottome of the burning lake there to lie everlastingly in tempestuous and fiery torments the sting and strength whereof doth not onely surpasse the pens and tongues of Men and Angels but the very conceipt of those that suffer them which if a man knew he would not endure one houre for all the pleasures of ten thousand worlds His body the pleasing and pampering whereof hath plunged him into such a sea of calamity and woe must descend into the house of death an habitation of blacknesse and cruelty lie downe in a bed of dust and rottennesse covered with wormes guarded and kept full sure by the Prince and powers of darknesse unto the judgement of the great Day and then the whole man must become the woful object of the extremity and everlastingnesse of that fiercest and unquenchable wrath which like infinite rivers of brimstone will feed upon his soule and flesh without remedie ease or end But that happy man which in the short summers day of his miserable and mortall life gathers grace with an holy greedinesse plies the noble trade of Christianity with resolution and vndauntednesse of spirit against the boisterous current and corruptions of the times growes in godlinesse GODS favour and fruits of good life purchases and preserves though with the losse of all earthly delights peace of conscience one of the richest treasures and rarest jewels that euer illightened and made lightsome the heart of man in this world I say that man though never so contemptible in the eyes of the worldly wise though never so scornfully trod upon and overslowne by the tyranny and swelling pride of those ambitious selfe-flattering Giants who like mighty winds when they have blustered a while breathe out into naught shall most certainly upon his dying-bed meet with a glorious troupe of blessed Angels ready and rejoycing to guard and conduct his departing Soule into his Masters joy His body shal be preserved in the grave by the all-powerfull providence as in a Cabinet of rest and sweetest sleepe perfumed by the buriall of our blessed SAVIOVR untill the glorious appearing of the great GOD. And then after their joyfullest re-union they shall both be filled and shine thorow all eternity with such glory and blisse which in sweetnesse and excellency doth infinitely exceed the possibility of all humane or Angelicall conceipt Thus you see in short what a deale of confusion that miserable man heapes up for his precious Soule against the Day of wrath which spends the span of his transitory life after the waies of his owne heart and how truly he is a sonne of understanding who in the few and evill daies of short abode upon earth treasures up grace and spirituall riches against the dreadfull winter night of death For I would have you understand that by comfortable provision I meane not Lands livings or large possessions I meane not wealth or riches Alas These will not profit in the day of wrath Prov. 11. 4. They certainly make themselves wings and in our greatest need will flie away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23. 5. I meane not silver or gold they shall not be able to deliver in the Day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 1. 18. Will he esteeme thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength Iob 36. 19. I meane not top of honour or height of Place this without religion serves onely to make the downfall more desperate and remarkable They are rais'd on hie saith the very Poet that their ruine may be more irrecoverable But what do I meddle with the Poet the Prophet is plaine and peremptory against the pride of ambition Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocke that holdest the height of the hill Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence saith the Lord Ier. 49. 16. I meane not the arme of flesh or Princely favours Assuredly that man which gratifies great Ones to the wounding of his conscience by the formall slavery of basenesse and insinuation or any ill offices of ambitious servitude in feates of irreligious policy in justice cruelty turning Turk and traitour to those that trusted him c. shall at last receive no other recompence of such abhorred villany when divine vengeance begins to take him in hand than that which justly fell upon Iudas in the extremity of his anguish and sorrow from the chiefe Priests and Elders Matth. 27. 4. If ever great men or earthly Potentates did take their slattering slaves out of the hands of GOD at that highest Tribunall or were able to free a guilty soule from eternall flames it were something to grow rich and rise by vile accommodations and serving their turne in the meane time But such a man sâ—…all certenly in the day of his last and greatest need be cast with horrible confusion of spirit and 〈◊〉 griefe of heart upon Wolsies rufull complaint and cry out when it is too late Had I beene as carefull 〈◊〉 serve the GOD of heaven as my great Master on earth he had neuer left me in my gray haires Favours of greatnesse may follow a man in faire weather and shine upon his face with goodly hopes and expectation of great
things but in shipwracks even of worldly things where all sinks but the sorrow to save them or especially upon the very first tempest of spirituall distresse they steere away before the Sea and Wind leaving him to sink or swim without all possibility of helpe or rescue even to the rage of a wounded conscience and gulfe many times of that desperate madnesse which the Prophet describes Isa. 8. 21 22. He shall fret himselfe and curse his King and his GOD and looke upward And he shall looke unto the earth and behold trouble and darknesse dimnesse of anguish and he shal be driven to darknesse By comfortable Provision therefore I meane treasures of a more high lasting and noble nature The blessings of a better life comforts of godlinesse graces of salvation favour and acceptation with the highest Majesty c. They are the riches of heaven onely which we should so hoard up and will ever hold out in the times of trouble and Day of the Lords wrath Amongst which a sound faith and a cleare conscience are the most peerlesse and unvaluable jewels able by their native puissance and infused vigour to pull the very heart as it were out of Hell and with confidence and conquest to looke even Death and the Devill in the face There is no darknesse so desolate no crosse so cutting but the splendor of these is able to illighten their sweetnesse to mollifie So that the blessed counsell of CHRIST Mat. 6. 19 20. doth concurre with and confirme this Point Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves breake thorow and steale But lay vp for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues do not breake thorow nor steale By moth and rust those two greedy and great devourers of gay clothes and glistering treasures two capitall vanities upon which worldlings dote and two greatest inchanters of mortall men are insinuated and signified unto us all those iron teeth and devouring instruments of mortality by which corruption eats into the heart of all earthly glory wasts insensibly the bowels of the greatest bravery and ever at length consumes into dust the strongest sinewes of the most Imperiall Soveraignty under the Sun Somtimes A day an houre a moment is enough to overturne the things that seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant The LORD of Heaven hath put a fraile and mortall nature a weake and dying disposition into all worldly things They spring and flourish and die Even the greatest and goodliest Politique Bodies that ever the earth bore though animated with the searching spirit of profoundest Policy strengthened with the resolution and valour of the most conquering commanders sighted with eagle eyes of largest depths fore-sights and comprehensions of state crowned with never so many warlike prosperities triumphs and victorious atchievements yet like the naturall Body of a man they had as it were their Infancy youthfull strength mans state old age and at last their grave We may see Dan. 2. 35. The glory and power of the mightiest Monarchies that ever the Sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnezzars great Image sink into the dust and become like the chaffe of the Summers threshing floores upon a windy day Heare a wise and noble writer speaking to this purpose though for another purpose Who hath not observed what labour what practice perill bloud-shed and cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised taken on them and committed to make themselves and their issues Masters of the world And yet hath Babylon Persia Egypt Syria Macedon Carthage Rome and the rest no fruit flower grasse or leafe springing upon the face of the earth of those seeds No their very roots and ruines do hardly remaine All that the hand of man can make is either over-turned by the hand of man or at length by standing and continuing consumed What trust then or true comfort in the arme of flesh humane greatnesse or earthly treasures What strength or stay in such broken staves of reed In the time of need the Worme of vanity will wast and wither them all like Ionahs gourd and leave our naked soules to the open rage of wind and weather to the scourges and Scorpions of guiltinesse and feare It transcends the Sphere of their activity as they say and passeth their power to satisfie an immortall soule to comfort thorow the length of eternity either to corrupt or conquer any spirituall adversaries For couldest thou purchase unto thy selfe a Monopoly of all the wealth in the world wert thou able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and the East of all her spices and precious things shouldest thou enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to another and fill this wide worlds circumference with golden heapes and hoards of pearle diddest thou in the meane time sit at the sterne and hold the reines in thine hand of all earthly kingdomes nay exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and set thy nest among the starres nay like the sun of the morning advance thy Throne even above the starres of God yet all these and whatsoever els thou canst imagine to make thy worldly happinesse compleate and matchlesse would not be worth a button unto thee upon thy bed of death nor do thee a halfe-penny-worth of good in the horrour of that dreadfull time Where did that man dwell or of what cloth was his coat made that was ever comforted by his goods greatnesse or great men in that last and sorest conflict In his wrastlings with the accusations of conscience terrours of death and oppositions of hell No no It is matter of a more heavenly metall treasures of an higher temper riches of a nobler nature that must hold out and helpe in the distresses of soule in the anguish of conscience in the houre of death against the stings of sinne wrath of GOD and last Tribunall Do you think that ever any glorified soule did gaze with delight upon the wedge of gold that tramples under foot the Sun and lookes All-mighty GOD in the face No no It is the society of holy Angels and blessed Saints the sweet Communion with its dearest Spouse that unapproachable light which crownes GODS sacred Throne the beauty and brightnesse of that most glorious Place the shining Body of the SONNE of GOD the beatificall fruition of the Deity it selfe the depth of Eternity and the like everlasting Fountaines of spirituall ravishment and joy which onely can feed and fill the restlesse and infinite appetite of that immortall Thing with fulnesse of contentment and fresh pleasures world without end Thrice blessed and sweet then is the advice of our Lord and Master IESVS CHRIST who would have us to turne the eye of our delight and eagernesse of affection from the fading glosse and painted glory of earthly treasures wherein naturally the worme of corruption and vanity ever breeds and many times the worme of an
am I let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him But the spirits of the other two false and rotten-hearted fellowes in the time of trouble were so overtaken nay over whelmed with griefe that they both hanged themselves 2. This holy providence before hand may happily prevent a great deale of restlesse impatiency reprobate feares forlorne distractions of spirit hying to the caves crying to the mountaines bootlesse relying upon the arme of flesh Cursing their King and their GOD and looking upward roaring out with hideous groanes Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings c. All which desperate terrours and tumultuations of conscience are wont to surprize and seize upon unholy and unprepared hearts especially when GODS hand is finally and implacably upon them 3. And we shall hereby excellently honour and advance the glory of Profession when it shall appeare to the world and even the contrary-minded are enforced to confesse that there is a secret heavenly vigour undauntednesse of spirit and noblenesse of courage which mightily upholds the hearts of holy men in those times of confusion and feare when theirs melt away within them like water and be as the heart of a woman in her pangs Worldlings wonder and gnash the teeth hereat When they see as Chrysostome truly tels us the Christian to differ from them in this that he beares all crosses couragiously and with the wings as it were of faith out soares the height of all humane miseries He is like a Rocke incorporated into IESVS CHRIST the Rocke of eternity still erect inexpugnable unshaken though most furiously assaulted with the tempestuous waves of any worldly woe or concurrent rage of all infernall powers But all the imaginary man-hood of gracelesse men doth ever in the day of distresse either vanish into nothing or dissolve into despaire 4. Expression of spirituall strength in the time of trouble from former heavenly store is a notable meanes to move others to enter into the same good way and grow greedy after grace to draw and allure them to the entertainment and exercise of those ordinances and that One necessary thing which onely can make them bold and unmooveable like Mount Zion in the day of adversity I have knowne some the first occasion of whose conversion was the observation of their stoutnesse and patience under oppressions and wrongs whom they have purposely persecuted with extremest malice and hate So blessed many times is the brave resolute and undaunted behaviour of GODS people in the time of triall and amidst their forest sufferings that it breeds in the hearts of beholders thoughts even of admiration and love nay a desire of imitation and turning on the other side When they represent to the eye of the world their ability to passe thorow the raging flames of fiery tongues untouched to possesse their soules in peace amidst scorpions thornes and rebels to passe by basest indignities from basest men without wound or passion to hold up their heads above water in the most boisterous tempests and deepest seas of danger to triumph over all adversary power in the evill day I say by GODS blessing this may make many come in and glorifie GOD marvelling and enquiring whence such invincible fortitude and bravenesse of spirit should spring concluding with Nabuchadnezzar Surely The servants of the most high GOD. And so at length their affections may be so set on edge after the excellency and amiablenesse of IESVS CHRIST who being The mighty GOD and The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah doth alone inspire all His with such a Lion-like courage that they may seriously and savingly seek His face and favour saying with those Cant. 5. 9. What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among women That we may seeke Him with thee When they behold such a deale of Majesty and miâ—…th to shine in his face whom they make the marke of all their spitefull rage and revenge their teeth with which they could have torne him in peeces may water and they industriously desire to know what that is which makes such a man so merry in all estates Vses 1. This may serve to awaken and reprove all those secure and carelesse companions who if they may enjoy present contentment and partake in the meane time of the prosperity and pleasures of the times wherein they tumble themselves with insolency luxury and ease take no thought make no provision at all against a day of reckoning provide no food against a foule day treasure up no comfort against the LORDS coming prepare no armour or aid for that last and dreadfull conflict upon their beds of death Alas poore soules Did they know and feelingly apprehend what a deale of horrour astonishment and anguish dogs them continually at the heeles ready and eager after a few daies of filthy and fugitive pleasures to seize upon them like travaile upon a woman with child suddenly unavoidably and in greatest extremity and that so intolerable that they shall never be able either to decline or endure the very weakest biting of the never-dying worme or the least sparkle of those everlasting flames they would think all the daies of their life few enow to gather spirituall strength against that fearefull houre Nay some are such cruell caitifs and Cannibals to their owne soules and so accursedly blinded by the Prince of darknesse that instead of comfortable provision they heape up wrath against the day of wrath instead of grace GODS favour and a good conscience peace joy and refreshing from the presence of the LORD they lay up scourges and Scorpions for their naked soules and guilty consciences against the time and terrour of the LORDS visitation For let them be most assured all their lies oathes rotten and railing speeches all their covetous lustfull ambitious and malicious thoughts all their swaggering and furious combinations against GODS people sensuall revellings joviall meetings c. will all When their feare commeth as desolation and their destruction commeth as a whirlewind like so many envenimed stings run into their sinfull soules and pierce them thorow with everlasting sorrow Alas What will the sonnes and daughters of pleasure do then And all those spirituall beggers and bankerupts who have greedily hunted all their life long after these mortall things of this life as if their soules had beene therein immortall and utterly neglected those things which are immortall as if their selves after the world had been but mortall What do you think wil be their thoughts upon the very first approach of the Port of death to which in the meane time all winds drive them Fullsad and heavy thoughts LORD thou knowest then at leisure enough to reflect severely upon their former folly though formerly beaten from them by their health and outward happinesse and will pay them to the uttermost for all the pleasing passages of their life past O then they shall lie upon their last beds like Wild Buls in
mends them not as they say and a soule day paires them not As they are peremptorily consident the Pearle wil be had at their price so they are constantly peremptory never to become more precise And if it fall out sometimes that they meet with some faithfull man of GOD who hiâ—…s right upon their humour discovering the insufficiency of their present spirituall state for future happinesse and perswading them upon a necessity of salvation to an universall resignation of themselves with unreservednesse and zeale to all the world and will and waies of GOD they are wont to put it off thus or in the like manner The man is a good man and of good parts one whom I love well but a little too hot too boisterous and rough and pinches too much upon precisenesse and particularizing mens spirituall states that is all his â—…ault I must confesse I am of such a nature and disposition that I shall be more mooved with milder sermons and calmer cariage in the Pulpit I do not see how this Ministeriall severity and roughnesse sharpnesse of reproofe and such searching into and peremptory censuring mens state to GOD ward doth so much good c. My whole Discourse of true Happinesse is a touchstone and looking glasse for a triall and discovery of the unsoundnesse and spirituall selfe-deceit and therefore thither I remit them 10. A serious and fruitfull meditation upon the foure last things hath been ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill Day Give me leave therefore to select and propose some profitable Considerations thereabouts and Conclusions thence which may serve to mortifie our affections to the world take off the edge and eagernesse in pursuit after earthly things mollifie and make fit our hearts for a more easie entrance and effectuall entertainment of all saving impressions and motions of the Word and Spirit for our spirituall good that in times of terrour we may stand like Mount Zion unmooveable and magnanimous About DEATH Consider 1. That all the pleasures treasures and comforts of this life wife children goods gold great friends lands livings possessions offices honours high roomes brave situations faire prospects sumptuous buildings pleasant walkes and even the world it selfe upon which thou hast lost so much labour time care thought-fulnesse and doted so long holding a divorce as death it selfe must all upon the stroke of death which not heaven and earth or any created power can any wayes possibly prevent divert or adjourne be suddenly utterly and for ever left never more to be minded medl'd with or enjoyed in this world or the world to come When our breath goeth forth and we returne to our earth all our thoughts perish Even the thoughts of the greatest Princes and mightiest Monarchs upon earth who happily may have in their heads whole common-wealths and the affaires of many kingdomes Put not your trust in Princes saith King David nor in the sonne of man in whom there is no helpe His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish And therefore let it be thy wisdome to rent and weane thine affections from the world with an holy resolute violence in the meane time Disdaine and scorne to set thine heart upon those things here which thou canst not thou must not have in the second life And there is good reason for it For they are all as I said before at the best and in the height 1. But vanity And 2. Vexation of spirit 3. They cannot satisfie the soule 4. They will not profit in the day of revenge 5. They reach not to eternity 6. There is no man so assured of his honour wealth or any worldly thing but he may be depriued of them the very next moment 7. Thou needs to feare no want There is no man saith CHRIST that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Of eternall life the point is cleare But how shall they be so manifoldly remunerated in this life 1. In the same kind sometimes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say Abraham at GODS command left his countrey kindred and fathers house and he was afterwards as you know crowned with riches and honour abundantly and became a great and mighty Prince Iob for the glorifying of GOD and confounding of Satan bore patiently and blessed GOD for the losse of all and how richly was he after repayed with a large and singular addition and excellency of goods and children Valentinian the Emperour was put from his place of command in the army by Iulian and banished for the profession of CHRIST but afterward was called backe from banishment and with much honour and applause advanced to the height of the Imperiall dignity The Apostles forsaking all for CHRISTS sake had afterwards for one poore cottage the houses of all the faithfull Christians in the world to which they were farre more welcome than ever any Haman was to his proudest palace and so all godly Ministers in all ages ever find heartier entertainment amongst the Houshold of Faith truly so called than ever any naturall father mother sister or brother could possibly affoord because as yet they can see no beauty in the image of CHRIST in others or in their feet who bring glad tidings nor love spiritually 2. Or in equivalence by contentment which doth incomparably both in sweetnesse and worth surpasse and over-weigh all worldly wealth Witnes that worthy reply of the most famous Italian Marquesse Galeacius Caracciolus having left the rich and pleasant Marquesdome of Vico all Imperiall Popish Princely Courtly favours and other proportionable felicities attending upon such humane greatnesse for the Gospels sake to a wicked Iesuite tempting him with a great summe of gold to returne out of Zion to Sodom from Geneva into Italy Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the gold in the world worth one daies society with IESVS CHRIST and His HOLY SPIRIT I make no doubt but to any of our learned and holy men exiles for CHRIST in Queene Maries time of whom many after returned and received an hundred fold according to the letter of the Text browne bread and the Gospell in Germany during that bloudy five yeares were infinitely more sweet and deare than all the Bishopricks of ENGLAND with Subscription to the six Articles 3. Even in an overflowing and transcendent manner in a pressed and heaped and even over-inlarged measure by spirituall joy peace of conscience contentment of soule more familiarity with GOD nearer communion with IESVS CHRIST fuller assurance of His love and our portion in Him more sensible
in their new purchased place And we must know there is too much truth in that principle of policy in Tacitus Never any came to an high roome wrongfully and unworthily but he exercis'd his power and authority wickedly and unjustly They therefore pitch presently upon such conclusions as these We will pleasure our friends though we prey upon the publike or pinch some peevish precise fellowes which can well beare it we will plague our enemies we must above all manage matters with a fit correspondency to accomplish our owne ends especially to enrich our selves raise our kindred make way to rise higher and greaten our posterity we must looke big and sometimes amaze the multitude with some acts of awfulnesse and terrour to procure and preserve respect feare and all attributions proper to our place and let me tell you by the way He that suspecteth his owne worth or other mens opinions thinking that lesse regard is had of his person than he believes is due to his place holds it good policy to spend all the force of his authority in purchasing the name of a severe man For the affected sowrenesse of a vaine fellow doth many times resemble the gravity of one that is wise and the feare wherein they live which are subject to oppression caries a shew of reverence to him that does the wrong at least it serves to dazle the eyes of underlings keeping them from prying into the weakenesse of such as have jurisdiction over them c. Beside all this men in great place are liable and expos'd daily to moe and stronger temptations than men of lower ranks Honour wealth worldly reputation earthly favours c. are Satans snares to entangle and tie them faster to their fooles paradise and admired folly and as golden fetters to chaine them unmooveably to their noble slavery Secondly great men are for the most part and it is one of their greatest miseries so enclosed and beleager'd with flatterers the basest of slaves with sycophants false-hearted followers selfe-seekers c. that very hardly if at all can any honest man or faithfull Micaiah have accesse come neare them or at any time be heard with patience especially either to tell them the truth or wisely and humbly reprove them for their faults Thirdly those that are verst in story shall find many and many a time this property put upon men in high place to be throwne into the grave or from their greatnesse is both one to them For first they so delight in domineering and dote upon their high roome as their dearest Idoll And withall they know full well that as in naturall privation there is no returne to habit so it is very rarely seene in the privation politique and point of preferment that they would even rather die than be dejected Lay now these two points together and count all the snares from which poorer and private men by reason of their meaner condition are happily exempted And no marvell though not many mighty either in heapes of wealth or height of places be converted or go to heaven In the fourth place what a strong hold for the powers of hell and mighty barre to keepe out grace worldly wisdome is may appeare by taking notice of the nature of it and so of its notoriously pestilent properties This wisdome of the flesh springing from the principles of carnall reason and precepts of humane policie and receiving continuall influence and instigation from that old wily serpent to go on still in his and the worlds waies doth with a proud disdainfulnesse and imperious contempt scorne the great mysteries of godlinesse foolishnesse of preaching simplicity of the Saints and society of the brotherhood crosseth directly and contradicts the counsell and commands of GODS Spirit in all motions to good and matters of salvation accounts in good earnest holinesse hypocrisie sanctification singularity profession and practice of sincerity precisenesse the great things of GODS Law as a strange thing In all its consultations concludes ever things pleasing to flesh and bloud and ends at last with extremest folly and utter confusion Witnesse Achitophel who was wise enough to set his house in order and yet wanted wit to rescue his owne life out of his owne hands he was curious to provide for his family after his death and had no care at all to preserve himselfe from eternall death was not this a madnesse even to miracle as Divines speake He got him home to his house put his houshold in order and hanged himselfe and is hanged up in chaines as a dreadfull spectacle to all posterity for all worldly-wise men to take warning by to the worlds end The Spirit of GOD intimates unto us the pestilency of its properties Iames 3. 15. It is First Earthly Secondly Sensuall Thirdly Devillish Devillish for it imitateth the Devill in plotting and contriving mischiefe and ruine against the glory of GODS Majesty and Ministry of His Word It tasts of his hellish wilinesse in close conveyances and secret infidiations for the undermining supplanting and confounding of the passage of the Gospell and plantation of grace in the hearts of men Satan you know is ever fierce and furious when he spies but the least glimpse of GODS truth or sparke of grace to peepe our and breake forth at any time or in any place When the glorious sun-shine of the Gospell did in these latter times of the world according to the Prophecie in the Revelations arise out of the darksome night and dangerou fogs of Popery and begun graciously to inlighten many thousand soules which lay in darknesse and under the shadow of death with what strange and prodigious rage did the great Dragon presently ascend out of his bottomlesse pit Since that time what furious martyring of the Saints what horrible murthering of Kings what bloudy massacres what invincible Armadoes what hellish powder-plots what devouring of Martyrs by that bloud-thirsty monster the Spanish Inquisition what hatefull imprisonings what desperate conspiracies what a deale of hell hath vext and rent the face of Europe and shaken the pillars of this part of the world as though all the fiends in hell and whole armies of those damned spirits were broke loose to cast the Christian world into a new Chaos of darknesse combustion and confusion And all this hath beene the Devils doings of pure spite and malice against the light of the Gospell and power of the Word The Pope Iesuites and their wicked adherents have beene indeed the instruments and executioners of all these bloudy miseries but Satan himselfe was the principall agent The cursed influence of all this wrath and rage was inspir'd from him and every particular and circumstance of all these mischiefes was first plotted in hell before they were acted upon earth 2. In our owne kingdome also his spite and malice against the light of the Gospell hath beene notorious and transcendent since the Word of truth hath growne powerfull amongst us With what strange fury and
of folly And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet You thinke yee have a reach beyond the Moone To lie in some sweete sinne and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation To have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come which was never heard of to weare two crownes of joyes whereas IESVS CHRIST himselfe had the first of thornes But alas Beloved if you be saved in this condition you must have a new Scripture and there must bee found out another way to heaven then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall doe to the end of the world And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves That they might have prooved excellent Schollers if they had not beene so perswaded already So if you did not thinke falsly your selves safe already you might be saved But while you thus hugge the golden dreame of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees the very Publicans and Harlots shall goe into the Kingdome of heaven before you Matth. 21. 31. Fourthly you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects and meant in the Text cannot possibly downe with and digest downe-right dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called vers 21. And that vtterly undoes you You like well enough nay and much approve and applaud such Sermons as King IAMES censures in the reasons of his directions for preaching c. which he there cals a light affected and unprofitable kind of preaching which hath beene of late years saith he taken up in Court University City and Countrey whereby the people are filled onely with ayrie nourishment c. and I warrant you not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted for these are not wont to discover your consciences nor disturbe you in your present courses they never terrifie you with any fore-thought of the evill day neither torment you before the time but now let a man come with the foolishnesse of preaching by which it pleaseth GOD saith the Apostle to save them that believe with demonstration of the Spirit and of power and come home to the conscience if he suffer not Satan to revell in the bloud of your soules without resistance nor see you post furiously towards eternall fire but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you In a word if he take the right course to convert you and shew you therefore onely your spirituall misery that you may be fitted for mercy c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man a terrible and intolerable Teacher able to drive men to distraction despaire selfe-destruction he breaths out nothing but damnation and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hel Fit phrases for the Devil himself railing in a drunkard or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulnesse in preaching and if you know where or when such men preach and it may be you entertaine some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture you will not you dare not heare them for your hearts except you cannot decline it for starke shame or for a time or two to satisfie your curiosities but as S. Paul saith you become their enemies because they tell you the truth to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation will herafter when it is too late torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour Alas Beloved what meane you You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses nay your hunâ—…sman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death Preposterous and prodigious incongruity If it be thus then that of all the severall sorts of great men mentioned before by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares entangled in so many temptations so much taken up by the world and for other reasons rendred already very few are called converted and saved my counsell in a word unto all such is CHRISTS owne word Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate lay violent hands upon flesh and blond strangle your lusts contend and wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games to which the word seemes to allude become fooles in the worlds censure that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST be little and vile in your own esteeme that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit and foolishnesse of preaching as the Apostle cals it that you may be wrought upon savingly and brought into the good way and that by such works and waies as these Upon which before I enter give me leave to give you an account why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places When I well weighed with my selfe the truth of that principle and position in Hooker That it is no peculiar conceipt but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed And finding by experience of all ages and most of all in these worst and wofull times that men of publike imployment and in high places untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by untill aliquid CHRISTI as they say be planted in them by the power of the Ministry they cannot possibly be universally thorow and unshaken Some strong affection feare favour or some thing will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times and their owne turnes for alas as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge and mighty vigour as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times and not to be overflowen with it I say upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time for if once you turne on the LORDS side in truth you are won for ever to an invincible constancy and conscionablenesse in an uniforme regular and religious discharge of your publike duties and will ever hold fast without partiality cowardlinesse or feare of mans face that brave and noble resolution Vt fiat justitia ruat coelum let heaven and earth be blundred together with horrible confusision before I make shipwracke of a good conscience or be any waies drawne to do basely Being