his desire 7. As they cannot in any degree profit our bodies so they are lesse able to profit our soules They cannot inrich them with spirituall graces They cannot purchase Christ procure for vs the rich Robes of his righteousnesse or purchase vs an obedience answerable to the Law They cannot furnish vs with faith hope repentance They cannot reconcile vs to God for he accepteth not the person Iob 34 19. of Princes and regards not the rich more then the poore for they be all the worke of his hands GOD doth not respect men for their goods but for their Godlines For better is the poore that walketh Pro. 28. 6. in his vprightnesse then hee that peruerteth his wayes though he bee rich They cannot put courage in vs to stand resolutely for Christ and for his cause against Sathan and his seruants but rather they make vs cold in the performance of holy duties of which we shal haue more occasion to speake of in due place 8. As riches cannot profit vs in our soules so they cannot profit vs in the course of our life they cannot keepe off old age the forerunner of death neither can they make vs carefull to prepare our hearts for God at our death and so to submit our will vnto Gods Will Neither can they appease Gods anger restraine the Deuils power but when we are panting and gasping vpon our sick beds all the world will not bribe Death but hee will tell vs hee hath a warrant from GOD to attach vs without baile or mainprice For it is appointed for Heb. 9. all men once to die Which statute being enacted in heauen all the world is not able to reuerse What comfort then shall rich worldlings find in their bags of Luk. 12. 15 Gold seeing their life consists not in their riches Then what shal it profit them to haue their barnes full when as their soules shall be taken from them what good will their money doe them when the Deuils are ready to attache them then shall they lament and say they haue spent their strength in vain For what hope hath the hypocrite though Iob. 27. 8. Quicquid vita dedit tollit cum vita recedit hee hath heaped vp riches when God taketh away his soule How miserable then will the case of rich worldlings bee when as they shall finde that they haue heaped vp the wrath of GOD with their riches and that now as they came naked into the world so they must returne Eccl. 5. 14 15. Then what profiteth it a man that he hath laboured for the winde How much would a man then giue for a good Conscience to haue his peace made vp with God how would he preferre a dramme of grace before a bag of Gold and would be content to part with his Coffers and Treasures to haue a share among the inheritance of the Saints for the rich men shall leaue Ier. 17. 11. their inheritance in the middest of their dayes and their end shall be as a foole But suppose riches could sweeten death and make it lesse painful to vs yet what good can it doe vs when wee are laid in the Graue then they cannot preserue our bodies from corruption no then there will bee no difference betweene the King and the Begger For one heape of dust is not better then another in the darke Chambers of death For as nature maketh no difference between one man and another in the birth so neither doth it distinguish them after their death open the graues and stately monuments and we shall see Kings and Princes and great men turned to dust as wel as poor men Finally the riches of the world caÌ„not stand vs in stead at the day of iudgment for at that day the Lord the iust iudge Psal 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. will reward euery man according to his workes he will not respect rich men according to the honour which they haue with men but according to the honour which they haue Solae virtutes faciunt beatum Macrob. done to him and comfort to his poore members he will not esteeme men for their wealth but according how they haue vsed it to his glory and the good of their brethren Then they that Pâ—o. 21. 21. haue followed after righteousnesse and mercy shall finde life righteousnesse glory But those which in their life haue beene contentious proud and enuious and haue not obeyed the truth Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon euerie soule and the riches Rom. 2. 8. which they haue had shall witnesse against them because they haue not vsed them to glorifie their Creator Thus by Gods Iam. 5. 3. mercy we haue traced the rich man through the whole course of his life and death wee haue laid him downe in his graue haue summoned him vp to iudgement and haue found out the inabilitie of riches to profit him in life death and day of iudgement in all which wee haue seene the truth of this point That a man is not profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule But alasse riches are so farre from profiting vs as that they are the cause of much euill to soule and body For they that will bee rich fall into temptations 1 Tim. 6. 9. and into many dangerous lusts The loue of money made Balaam aduenture to make a long Numb 24. iourney to go to curse the people of God For hope of reward Dalilah was alâ—ured to betray Sampson her beloued husband Hope of preferment will make Doeg flatter Saul and speake euill of Dauid the beloued of the 1 Sam. 22. 10. 2 Sam. 15. 2. Lord. And Absolon will seeke his Fathers life to gaine his Kingdome If Ioab may but get the chiefe Captainship hee 2 Sam. 10. will make no scruple to kill Amasa And Abimelech will embrue his hands in the blood of Iud. 9. 2. threescore and ten of his brethren to make himselfe way to the Crown The loue of money made Iudas sell his Lord and God for thirty peeces the price of a slaue by which meanes he brought the blood of Christ vpon his soule that it had beene good for him if hee had neuer beene borne The loue of gaine so tipt the tongue of Demetrius that he became a subtill Orator to plead for Idolatry The loue of mony made Gehazie run after Naaman with a lie in his mouth 1 King 21. so for a little mony chaÌ„ge of raiment to sell Gods honor and his masters credit The loue of Naboths Vineyard made Ahab purchase a place of pleasure with the price of the blood of his subiect which procured the bane of him and his familie The Babylonish garment and los 7. 21. wedge of Gold made Achan expose himselfe and all the hoast to the iudgement of God The loue of money will make men cruell and vnnaturall Cruell to Mic. 2. 2. couet fields and to take them
SathaÌ„ hauing got possessioÌ„ of vs deales w th vs as the BabyloniaÌ„s did with Zedekiah first put out his eies and then bound him in chaynes so doth Sathan hee puts out the eyes of our vnderstanding and then bindes vs with the chaynes of ignorance hypocrisie hardnesse of heart so that to our vnability wee our selues adde vnwillingnesse to come out and so by hating to be reformed we plunge our selues vnrecouerably vnder the wrath of GOD pleasing our selues in our ignorance blindnesse and hardnesse of heart and so hauing lost the harmony of a good Conscience we vse varietie of obiects to take away tediousnesse and get some Iubal or other to play vpon the Organ to make vs merry with our sinnes In this corporall bondage wee haue a feeling of our misery and so sigh and groane vnder the burthen of it but this bondage is spirituall pleasing and delightfull to our nature so that we are so farre from being weary of it that if any one seek to set vs free out of this slauery we hate him scorne him and deride him and so put backe the meanes of saluation from vs. Brethren what cruelty is this to neglect the meanes of our soules health which was bred and brought vp with vs and which hath spent and wasted her selfe in our seruice to minister strength and reliefe to our bodies and shall not we take care to preserue it and to vse all meanes that it may bee saued God hath shut it vp in our breasts that it may be alwayes in readinesse to supply our wants and shall wee not take care to preserue it from destruction our soules are shut vp in a darke dungeon which is neither lightsome nor pleasaÌ„t but darke and dirtie and full of all manner of vncleannesse and poluted with our originall and actuall sinnes which made the the Apostle cry out O wretched man who shall deliuer me from this Rom. 7. 24 body of death If our soules had tongues to speake for themselues they would crie out against vs for our great cruelty in that wee starue them for want of food and robbe them of heauenly comforts and scarce allow them a good meale in a whole yeare Brethren what food is to the bodie such is the Word of God to the soule now if by chance wee come where any good matter is to bee handled so cruell are many to their soules that they choake and dead them by drunkennesse surfeiting or other vncleanesse or filthy vanity so that their soules take little or no comfort by the Word Sacrament or Christian communication As for the Sabbath day which should be spent holy and religiously vnto God we spend it many of vs most prophanely vngodly as if wee had no part in the Creation of the world nor redemption of it by Iesus Christ For where is the man that bridles his desires to saÌ„ctifie that day as he ought if God should now looke downe from heauen to behold the sonnes of men vpon earth should he not finde many a Master and Father many a Mother and many a Mistris either snorting or lazing vpon their beds prating walking trimming smoothing themselues vpoÌ„ that day on that time which they should haue spent for their soules health And yet alas so carelesse are they of their soules that they thinke that time is lost which is spent for their good Should hee not also finde many a Child many a Seruant nay perhaps many a father many a master drinking swilling gaming and peraduenture whoring vpon this day or at leastwise swearing fighting or quarelling or bargaining or chopping or changing But how few among many of vs should he finde praying reading and meditating vpon the Word of God and his righteous iudgements Men are very carefull for their bodies but very carelesse of their soules But O foolish people will you watch and take care to keepe your Chickens from the Kite your Lambs from the Wolfe your Pigions and Conies from the Vermine and will you take no care for your soules The soule being once lost it is impossible to recouer it againe other losses may be recouered but this cannot If Iob lose his health wealth and Children yet they may bee recouered either by Gods blessing vpon our labours or else by the charitie of friends but if thy soule bee once lost there is no recouery thousand of Rams and ten thousand riuers of Oyle will then do vs no good Saint Chysostom hath well obserued Omnia Deus dâ—dit duplicia animam vero vnam Chry. ad pop Antioch Hom. 22. Nullo remedio sarciri nullo precio redimi potest Chrys Hom. 56. that God in the frame of the body hath giuen man two eyes two eares two hands two feete c. that if one faile the other may supply the want but hee hath giuen him but one soule so that if that bee lost there is no supply to bee had no meanes can repaire it no price can redeeme it all the world cannot recompence it for what would it auaile vs to haue the wisedome and riches of Salomon the strength of Sampson and the beautie of Absolon and to enioy the blessings of the world as long a life as Methushelah liued if at our death Gen. 5. 27. Daretur caro Verminibus anima daemonibus Isodor de Summo bono our flesh shall be made a booty for the Wormes and our soules a prey for the Deuill Oh consider this all you that forget God and are carelesse of your owne saluation GOD hath made man a most glorious creature and therefore all creatures admire serue him the woÌ„der of the world now as nothing is so glorious in earth as man so there is nothing so glorious in man as his soule which man himselfe should admire and by all meanes seeke the welfare of it for this is our glory our life saue this and saue all But oh the carelesnesse of many nay the most of vs all for that which should be our chiefest care wee are lesse carefull our soules are more worth then all the world yet men now so liue as if their soules were of no worth How iustly may we take vp that sad complaint of the Prophet The Ier. 12. 11. whole land is made desolate because no man layeth it to heart all manner of sinnes doe now so abound pride hypocrisie selfe-loue and crueltie prophanenesse and Atheisme haue gotten the vpper hand and men doe so liue that they thinke they haue no soule to saue euery man spends his dayes in pleasure and following his owne delights as if God had sent vs hither for no other end but to sport and play and follow the lusts of our owne hearts Brethren hath God created vs in his owne Image that wee should so vilely and dispitefully deface it hath Christ redeemed vs with such a price to saue our soules and shall wee so negligently and wilfully cast them away the wise-man saith God hath created all things for Pro. 16.
are like to lose for the gaining of these deceitfull vanities that so at the last wee may be perswaded to labour for the saluation of our soules For is it not better to serue God and to worke out our owne saluation here that we may bee blessed hereafter then for the loue of this base world to bee tormented for euer and euer Is it not better to want these sinfull pleasures then for enioying of them to be turned into Hell For what Gal. 6. 8. shall we reape of the flesh but corruption And what shall we gaine of the Deuill for al our seruice but eternal torments And what shall Psal 37. 35. wee gaine of the world but speedy forgetfulnesse Seeing then the loue of the world is so vaine and deceitfull let vs then labour for heauen and heauenly things and take no thought Rom. 13. 14 for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof minding not so much this present world as that which is to come for this is temporary and must haue an end but that is eternall 2 Cor. 4. 8. and will abide for euer This must bee done Col. 3. 1 2. that thereby wee may approue our sanctification for here wee liue by faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. and therefore our conuersation Phil. 3. 20. must bee sutable This will bring vs present ease Heb. 6. 19. Ioh. 16. 22. for our hope is certaine and cannot deceiue vs. This is the onely way to be approued Rom. 14. 18. of God and to gaine a good report among men This will bring a sure reward at last God himselfe hath pronounced that it shal goe well with the iust Isay 3. 10. for their end shall bee euerlasting Rom. 6. 22. life For the ground of their hope is founded vpon 2 Tim. 1. 12. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. his power that cannot faile on his promise that cannot lye and vpon his Iustice that will not forget Heb. 6. 10. to reward This as it will bring comfort when worldlings are at their wits 2 Cor. 4. 8. ends so also it yeelds an honourable imployment in the meane time while wee exercise our selues in heauenly Col. 3. 2. things For the things Phil. 3. 8. of this life as they are base so they are shamefull and the end of them is death Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule Spare no paines then for to gaine thy saluation abandon and cast away all pleasures and delights till thou art perswaded thy name is written in heauen Wee see Luk. 10. 20 worldly men will toyle labour to gaine riches Honour and preferments hope of gaine will make Raine and windie weather seeme faire and pleasant For shame then let not worldlings diligence condemne ours for how shall wee escape if wee neglect so Heb. 2 3. great saluation Christ hath done more for vs and shall wee doe nothing for our selues wee shall lose nothing at the end but gaine exceedingly then it shal not repent vs that wee haue sowne in teares when wee see we shall reape in ioy As we desire to bee members of the new Ierusalem hereafter let vs now labour to haue the assurance sealed vp to our soules by denying the world and all worldly things For the glory of the world is but like a blazing Starre which terrifies the minde by presaging ruine and the pleasures of the world like candide Wormwood which deceiues the taste and imbitters the stomacke Thus farre Christian Reader for thy sake I haue diued into the world and all worldly things if I haue said any thing in this ensuing discourse which may yeeld thee any profit giue God the glorie and me thy friendly censure and helpe Iâ—uate me orationibâ—â— vestris vt sâ—mper possim loqui quae opâ—rtâ—t opere iâ—plere quae loqui Bernard in Cant. me with thy prayers that I may speake those things I ought and practice my selfe what I speake But if in any place I haue erred then I pray correct it gently or passe it ouer with silence or in a friendly manner admonish me thereof and then I haue of thee as much as I desire and then I shall be encouraged to set Pen to Paper againe and publish another Treatise vpon the Parable of the Vncleane Spirit recorded by the Euangelist Matth. 12. 43. Luke 11. 24. in which if God grant life and opportunitie I will shew 1. The manner and the measure of Sathans departure from the soule of mans and then how hee demeaneth himselfe when hee is gone 2. His diligence to gain his former possession with the reasons that induce him thereunto 3. When he hath regained possession how strongly he fortifies himselfe to preuent expulsion Lastly the miserable estate of those which he repossesses how wherein their end is worse then their beginning As also compose a Table for the reading vnderstanding and remembring of the Scriptures and how to reconcile such places as seem to contradict one another to prescribe rules to know when the Scriptures are to bee taken figuratiuely and when literally with the reasons why And to set downe the time when such famous men liued as are mentioned in Scriptures with many other occurrences both profitable and delightfull All which I shall bee willing Cum lectoris nomen feras ne lictoris nomen geras to performe if in this discourse thou wilt performe the part of a Reader that is to Suspend thy iudgement and censure not in haste Before thou iudge the first first read the last But alas there are manie now adayes that can spie a moate in anothers eie that had need to haue a Beame pulled from their owne some there are so curious in their conceits as that they can easier finde two faults in another mans worke then know how to mend one If thou be of that mind friendly Reader I doe not intend to make thee my Iudge My end is not to gain popular applause but to discharge my Conscience and to doe my Countrey good Then accept his will who meaning plaine Doth neither write for praise nor hope of gaine And though it be not so curiously set forth as perhaps thou expectest be content to accept of this answer If it be not so punctuall as it should yet it is as I could for They that are learn'd and haue the gift May make of matters what they will But hee that hath no other shift Must goe the plaine way to the Mill. When the materiall Temple was to bee built euery man could not bring gold and siluer so in this spirituall building euery one hath not the skill of caruing and working curiously yet if I by bringing baser metals or by working plainly may helpe thee in thy spirituall building it shall aboundantly comfort me Come not then to carpe with Momus nor to disdaine with Zoilus nor to sooth with Zantippus if thou doest I shall care as
had the money in his house Diogenes refused all and craued nothing but the benefit of the Sunne which Alexander Quintus Curtius in the life of Alexander kept from him by standing betweene him and it And when newes was brought vnto Zeno and certaine other that their Ships Goods and Merchandize were lost they reioyced because it was a cause to make them apply themselues to their studies which yeelded them farre greater content Philoxenes hauing purchased a farme whereby hee might liue the better at ease quitted it againe and returned to Athens saying These goods shall not lose mee but I them Therefore Seneca writing to a friend of his said that if he had not lost his riches it might be they might haue lost him Which made Aristides Curius and many other to liue in poore conditions If heathen men by natures light learned such contentment what a shame is it for vs which haue the word of God for our light yet to be so carking and caring for the things of this life For if Gold and Siluer were sent vs wee should hardly find a man that would send it back againe for Quis nisi mentis inops oblatum respuit aurum Wee count him a foole that despises money when it is offered him But if wee would consider that all things we haue we hold them from God as borrowed goods Then we would bee content to let him haue them againe without griefe and giue him thanks for the time we haue had them lest we should bee conuicted of ingratitude But alas the lacke of experience not knowing how to apply our selues to our present estate causeth vs to wrap our selues in a number of passions and torments Wee must therefore striue to know the truth of Gods prouidence that we may not bee dismaide if God doe depriue vs of these earthly blessings It is written of Antiochus that when the Romanes had gotten from him the greatest part of his Kingdome he did not murmure and repine as many of vs would haue done but said he was much beholding to them that had eased him of so much care Philip King of Macedon vpon a time being fallen vpon the sands and seeing the marke and print of his body said Lord what a little plat of the world is nature contented with and yet we couet the world What a shame is it for vs that the heathen should condemne our greedy desires What would they haue done said if they might haue had as much meanes and opportunities as wee haue to get knowledge and to know what the Lord required at our hands Let vs repent of our former repining and let vs returne vnto the Lord with all our hearts and be content to be gouerned by him in all things for there can be no true comfort in any thing in this world for else it may hap vnto vs as it did vnto Dinah who while she wandred to feed her fancies vpon the daughters of a strange Countrey she lost her Virginity among the sons of the country so while wee seeke to fill our mindes with the profits of the world we may lose our sinceritie 1 Tim. 1. 19. and make ship-wrack of a good conscience and so bee forced to goe away as Thamar out of her brother Ammons Chamber with her garment rent So those worldlings which sometimes with Demas followed Paul but now embrace the world are forced many times to goe away with their garments rent and torne And no maruell for if they will venture through the thornes and bushes of worldly cares to get worldly promotion it is no maruell if their zeale be abated and quenched their courage for the performance of holy things cooled their faith blasted their knowledge withered their humility defaced and the whole grament of piety rent in pieces For if with Siserah we looke for any rest in Iaels tent we shall be sure to bee made fast so if we look for any sound comfort in the world we shall be sure to speed as ill as Siserah did 't is a thousaÌ„d to one but our sinceritie and pietie will be nayled to the earth before wee be aware And so by longing after the pottage of the world we lose our birth-right as Esau did Therefore seeing Gods loue or hatred is not knowne by the hauing or want of these outward things therefore let vs desire the Lord to weane our hearts from the things of the world and to giue vs quiet mindes and thankfull hearts But Lord though we are full of impatience and doubting of thy Prouidence Mercy and Goodnesse and so ready to forget what thou hast done for vs all our dayes yet we pray thee forget not thy selfe but continue a God still to doe vs good and if want come then to keep our faith firme and strong in thy Prouidence if sicknesse aduersity come keepe our patience entire if riches and preferment come keepe our zeale vnquenced Remember wee pray thee whereof wee bee made from the earth we come on the earth wee liue delighting in earthly things and at last vnto the earth wee shall returne againe Therefore seeing heauenly things cannot come from so vile a matter and our earthly nature cannot bee changed but by thy heauenly Spirit we pray thee rouze vp our dead affections and make vs to place our hearts onely vpon thee giue vs grace to vse and imploy our riches to thy honour and to purchase vnto our selues the meanes of grace with them that so we passing the time of our pilgrimage in thy feare we may die in thy fauour rest in thy peace and rise againe by thy power which grant vnto vs for the Lord Iesus sake And thus much for the first point propounded riches and their insufficiency to profit vs for our soules and our bodies in life and in death The second followes which is Honours and Preferments Tul. in Tusâ— quest Honour according as the wise heathens define it is a vnion of the praises of good men which iudge of vertue without partialitie What is Honour if it be not sanctified but thraldome and bondage the beginning of danger and the occasion of death and so turnes to the ruine of many How many are there which haue striued to enter in at the gate of Honour which haue beene trod vnder foot as the Miâ—e in the street Those which gape after honour may fitly be compared to those which climbe Nut trees some breake their necks with climbing and other their teeth with cracking Did not 2. Sam. 18. 9. Absolon by climbing so high make his owne haire his halter and Haman by his ambitious Esth 7. 9. thoughts raise himselfe fifty cubits high vpon a stately gallows which he had prepared for Mordechai Act. 12. and when Herod thought to deifie himselfe he was quickly brought vnder by the base wormes And do we not see many break their teeth with cracking these Nuts Did not Achan thinke to aduance himselfe by the accursed things but he
which drunke of it were depriued of their vnderstanding Also this sinne bringeth sicknesse and diseases vpon the body the forerunner of death and as the wise Heathen saith Drunkennesse requiteth one houres Ebrietas vnius horae hilarem infamiam longi temporis taedio pensat Sen. ep 39. merry madnesse with a long time of sorrow Thus wee haue discouered the hainousnesse and fearfulnesse of the sinne we will now set downe some effects it produceth First it is the cause of thraldome Secondly the confusion of honesty Thirdly the complement of vice voluptuousnesse Fourthly the badge of folly we will make good all these by examples The first is plaine in this because the root and originall of shame and disgrace was in Wine whereby Noah became the slaue of drunkennesse Gen. 6. and so was scorned of his owne sonne Secondly it is the confusion of honesty because whosoeuer is tainted with this sinne he is exiled from the company of good men and is subiect to ill report Thirdly what can there bee more filthy then a drunken man whose mouth stinkes body trembles tongue prates and discouers all his secrets many times to his great disgrace The ancient Romanes in detestation of this sinne of drunkennesse painted it out in this sort First they pictured the Image of a boy next they painted a horne in his hand vpon his head they set a crown of glasse they pictured him a Child to shew that drunkennesse makes a man Childish and vnfit for any imployment of waight they gaue him a horne in his hand to shew that he is alwaies publishing his own secrets and they crowned him with glasse to shew that he boasts of his riches when he is but a poore man Vpon which I inferre that drunkennesse is hurtfull to all estates for if a poore man bee a Drunkard he shall neuer bee rich If a rich man bee a Drunkard he shall quickly consume his substance if he bee a young man it will infect his youth that there will be little hope of him and if an old man then hee is past hope Therefore you men that are indued with reason and professe your selues to be Christians see the filthinesse of this sin hate it in others and much more detest it in your selues For the Heathen could say by Natures light There is nothing Nihil est tam treâ—ruÌ„ nihil tam aspeâ—nandum nihil homine indignius quam ebrietas more vile nothing more to be despised nothing more vnworthy a man then drunkennesse Thus by Gods mercy wee haue in some measure discouered the filthinesse of this sinne it now remaines that we should prescribe some remedy against this infection The Antidotes against this poyson may be 1. The consideration of the filthinesse of this sinne as hatefull vnto God which wil banish drunkards out of his Kingdome 2. Labour to purge out of thy heart the desire of Wine and strong drinke in which there is excesse 3. Shunne the company of drunkards and Wine-bibbers Pro. 23. 20. for they will allure thee by their example therefore if sinners Pro. 1. 10. intice thee doe not consent 4. Haue fresh in thy minde that Gods iudgements may ouertake thee as they haue done many therefore repent and bee warned by them and sinne no more 5. Call vpon GOD in the name of his Sonne and desire him to cleanse thee from this filthy sinne and bee diligent in hearing Gods Word which is the sword of the Spirit to kill this filthy sinne and ioyne thy selfe in company with those which feare God which will direct thee how to refraine it by their example Thus if we be carefull to vse those meanes God hath prouided we may by his blessing get the victory of this filthy sinne but if any will walke on and will not be reclamed then hee that is filthy let him be filthy Reu. 22. still And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of drunkennesse as also the pleasures of the belly Come wee now to speake of the pleasures of the body and first of the eye and eares of which but a touch that we may the better passe forward to our entended matter The pleasures of the eye are such as are taken in beholding vaine obiects as Stage-playes Enterludes Cock-fighting Beare-baiting Bull-baiting and any other vaine delight whatsoeuer we will say something of each that thereby wee may discouer the vanitie of these sinfull delights We will begin with Stage playes What profit and content can they bring vs which for the most part tend to the dishonor of God and nourishing of vice with a manifest losse of time which wee are commanded to redeeme and spend in the seruice of GOD for our soules good but at Stage-playes all the parts of our bodyes are employed about sinfull obiects the eye to behold vanity and filthinesse in wanton shewes and vncomely gestures by embracing kissing or other wanton toying whereby young people are stirred vp to lust haue their hearts filled with many vncleane cogitations with our eares vpon the Stage manie times wee heare the Preacher derided the Word of God prophaned and foolish and filthy communication approued so that if we will learne to deride scoffe and flour to flatter and dissemble to sing and talke of bawdry and other filthinesse whereby God is dishonoured and good manners corrupted wee may see and learne this and much more at playes The consideration hereof made that learned Father to Aug. de Ciuitat Dei say in his time that Playes were inuented by the Deuill and consecrated to the Heathen gods to draw vs from Christianitie to Idolatry and therefore hee is bold to pronounce that to giue money to Peeuniam â—istrionibus dari vitium est imâ—ane non virtus players is a hatefull sinne and another father yeelding a reason why it is vnlawfull sayes The shamelesse gestures Histrionum impâ— dentifâ—iâ—i gestus nibil aliud nisi libidinem moueâ—t Lactant. of Players serue for no other vse but to moue the flesh to lust and vncleannesse Therefore in the Councill of Carthage and Synode of Laodicea it was enacted that no Christian man or woman should resort to Playes and Enterludes where nothing but blasphemy scurrillity and other filthinesse is maintained Therefore those which maintaine them and countenance them with their presence doe communicate with them in their sinnes wheras they should hate reproue the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse The pleasures which men take in these sinfull recreations are many as may appeare by the time they wast and spend in them somtime turning nights into dayes and so making recreation to bee a vocation if they had but halfe so much care for their soules health wee might well say they are good Christians Another pleasurable sinne which men delight in is lasciuious dancing which as it is vsed or rather abused by the wantons of our time it is the gate leading to whoredome and an incitement to all vncleannesse and
of the Scripture where the man of God may bee instructed in whatsoeuer belongeth to policy Ciuilitie and Christianitie for this life or for the life to come If wee would know our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier we may see them described in the Scripture in which is contained a salue for euery sore Then those are much to blame which leaue this pure Many striue rather to speake tunably to the care then powerfully to the heart delighting more â—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 〈…〉 〈◊〉 to p 〈…〉 theiâ— heaâ—erâ— and â—â— charge their dutie before God Pro. 19. 23. fountaine of running water and digge vnto themselues Cisternes that will hold no water such mens maine end is to bee admired for their learning by which they hope to gaine popular applause Now this ambition many times waiteth vpon Gods deare Children which makes them many times sacrifice to their owne nets and to seek theÌ„selues not the Lord Iesus therfore the Lord doth ofteÌ„ depriue them of their hopes and frustrate their expectation and so brings downe the pride of man that thereby hee may make way for his owne glory As then the office of a Preacher is a Calling of great reuerence Reu. 2. 8. God himselfe dignifying them with the title of Angels whose tongues hee hath consecrated to comfort the deiected instruct the ignorant and direct the simple Therefore all those which are called to this high calling should not bee greene plants but well seasoned timber grounded in knowledge and experience that they may be able to maintaine their Masters cause and by sound arguments defend the truth powerfully and perswade to the loue of vertue pithily and not to abuse that learning knowledge God hath giuen them to iangling and contention as many of the Separation haue done who hauing a great desire to bee taken for singular wise men and zealous professors and being puft vp with a vaine opinion conceiued of themselues and of their owne knowledge haue laboured for to sow contention in the Church and to displant good order established whereby it comes to passe that not onely weak ChristiaÌ„s are amazed but also the hearts of many are alienated from obedience to lawful authoritie These men being further wrapt in deuotion then they can wade through with discretion yet vnder the colour of zeale for reformation in the Church they haue disgraced the gouernment as if Gods Spirit inforced them to passe the bounds of Christian modesty Touching those that carpe at the present estate of Church-discipline it lies not in the limits of my Text to say much yet thus much I wil say though many things may seeme to be misliked as not so precisely good to them that look a far off with a sleight imagination yet may very well be tolerated in policie to keepe peace and quietnesse for it is no sure course to goe about to change lawes and to breake downe discipline which is already established to please the itching fancies of those humorous Sectaries which delight in nothing but innouatioÌ„ lest therwith all comelines good order be ouerthrown Dauids resolutioÌ„ is Ps 39. 1 2. worne out of date he said hee would looke to his wayes that he did not sin with his tongue but now a dayes men are falne from Dauids practise to be busie bodies to prie and to looke into matters of State and to censure and carpe at the gouernment of the Church which was so graciously established by that vertuous Princesse of blessed memory Queene ELIZABETH now as glorious a Saint in heauan as euer shined in this our hemisphere and since ratified and confirmed by two learned Kings vpon the examinarion of the learned Clergy confirmed by the Peeres and Nobilitie and subscribed vnto by the Commons by the powerfull authoritie of that honourable Court of Parliament and now many yeares experience bath taught vs to bee peacefull and religious yet for all this they can see Moates in the Church but care not for searching their owne hearts and reforming their crooked manners and so being puft vp with singularitie they thinke they are able to instruct the wisedome of the State without booke when as they cannot learne obedience their owne duty in all the bookes in the world Brethren what meane you to pry into those things which are aboue your reach and cannot be fathomed by your shallow conceits God be thanked the graue Senators which sit at the sterne doe foresee dangers and godly discreetly and prouidently preuent them and so doe preserue and protect vs in peace and quietnesse and so we may long enioy our happinesse if our vnthankfulnesse to God and vndutifulnesse to our Gouernours doe not hinder it Therefore seeing by them wee enioy great quietnesse and that very worthy deedes are done Act. 24. 23. vnto this nation by their prouidence wee ought to acknowledge it with all thankfulnesse wherefore in stead of prying into matters aboue our reach let vs remember that the time will shortly come that we shall be called to giue account of our owne stewardships then wee shall finde that it is better to bee of small learning with humilitie then to bee profoundly learned with a proud minde There is a second branch which springs from this bitter root of vaine glory and popular applause and they are those pragmaticall censurers and curious obseruers of other mens liues and actions that can marke and obserue the slips and infirmities of their brethren to disgrace them but lacke an eye to see their owne filthy conuersation but let vs remember againe that wee must giue account of our owne Stewardship and not of others What can wee spare so much of our short time to prie into others and can finde so little to ransack our owne hearts Surely to bee curious in scanning other mens liues and carelesse of our owne is certainly an argument of an euill minde and a great signe of an vnsanctified heart if thou wilt needes bee prying into other mens conuersations looke into the state of the poore and needy behold their faces pale and wan their cloathes ragged and torne Be thou as Iob was An eye to the blinde feet to the lame and a comfort to the needie this is the way to gaine honour and praise of men when the loynes of the poore shall blesse thee and the Lord will reward thee Possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant Worldly things when wee haue them they load vs when we loue them they defile vs when wee lose them they vexe vs. at the day of his appearing Thus wee haue diued into the pleasing delights of the world and haue found out their insufficiency to profit vs in life and death come wee now to consider of the world in it self As all worldly things are vaine and insufficient in their vse and vnable in themselues to doe vs good for our soules and our bodies so the world it selfe is momentany and mutable momentany in regard of it selfe as at the first it
was a confused Chaos so some shall liue to see it passe away as a scroule or squib in the Aire so also it is mutable in regard of vs who are changeable and subiect to alteration If the world could alwayes continue yet could not wee for one generation must passe Eccles 1. 4. Quod breuiter dâ—râ—t quis prudens quaerere curat away and another come in their place Then what wise man would set vp his rest vpon such an vncertaine place so vnable to doe vs good what is the world a vale of misery a sinke of sinne a Court of Sathan a purgatory of paine a mother to the wicked and a Step-dame to the godly where the proud are aduanced without desert and the vertuous oppressed without cause What is the world a second hell full of ambitious desires wicked wiles and deuillish intents a cruell Serpent that biteth vs with her teeth scratcheth vs with her nailes and swelleth vs with her poyson much like Laban who made poore Iacob serue seuen yeares for faire Rachel and in the end deceiued him with foule Leah Euen so dealeth the world with vs promising health wealth long life and in the end deceiueth vs with sicknesse pouertie and death What is the World her musicke is griefe sorrow shame and paine her wealth misery nothing is to be looked for in it but troubles following one another as Iobs messengers Some are pinched with pouerty and ouerwhelmed with misery some vexed with strife and contention some tortured w th sicknesse boyles and vlcers some amazed with crosses losses and the like some one way some another way in so much that if an old man should consider the dangers of his life from his birth to his graue he might wonder how he could bee able to endure so painfull a iourney What is the world no place to continue in all mankinde are either strangers or straglers 1 Pet. 2. 11 Heb. 11. 13 the godly they are Strangers and Pilgrimes so the godly haue confessed and the wicked they are Straglers howsoeuer they take their portion in this life yet at last they must away Psa 17. 14. Act. 1. 25. with Iudas to their owne home Then what a vaine thing is it to build vp Tabernacles of rest here of whose fauour and loue there can be no certaintie for the world it selfe is subiect to change looke vpon the earth it waxeth weake and feeble for age and therefore not so fruitfull as in times past looke vp to the heauens they are not free from mutabilitie the Sunne and the Moone haue their ecclipses the times vary chaÌ„ge one with another Summer with winter day with night looke vpon the world sometime it flourisheth and abounds with delights and seemes to be as the garden of God as Sodom and her neighbour Cities and presently turned into ashes Look vpon the Assyrian Babylonian Monarchy for a time Master of the world but at last was fain to yeeld to the Monarchy of the Medes Persians they at last were forced to stoop to the Grecians and they to submit to the Romanes So that wee see that the glory of the Nations was quickly laide in the dust And haue not wee liued to see many in our dayes which haue shined as the Starres which in a moment haue vanished away like a Comet haue not our eies beheld and our eares heard the setting of as glorious stars as euer shined in the World since the death of Iosiah I meane the setting of that glorious Princess of euerliuing memory Queene Elizabeth the Phoenix of her age whose name shall smell as precious as euer Maries oyntment in the nostrils of all true hearted English as also the going Dum tumu lum cernis our non mortalia sperâ—is downe of the Sunne of that prudeÌ„t learned godly prince King Iames of blessed memory who was in vertue excellent in glory renowned in gouernment politick remouing debate by diligent foresight filling our hearts with the fruit of peace yet for all this though they Quid valet hic mundus quid gloria quidue triumphus Sic transit gloria mundi were great in Gods fauour yet they died When God doth call Nature must obey Alexander that conquered the world could finde no weapon to conquer death Man in honour must not continue Brethren what meane you then to set vp your rest in such an vncertaine place What hath Christ redeemed you from the world and will you bee partners with the deuill in possessing it it wil shortly passe away perish before your eies and yet will you make it your God What madnesse is it to repose hope felicity in that which is nothing els but troubles to our bodies disquietnes to our minds inticements of vice to our children seedes of enuy to our neighbours the bait of sinne the snare of the soule and the gate of death The world is like vnto Salomons harlot that layes open her breasts to intice Trauellers and Strangers the two Dugs whereof are profit and pleasure with the first shee deales like Hypomanes and Attalanta who being to runne a race for a kingdome Hypomanes casting a ball of gold on this side and that side so besotted Attalanta that for to gaine the gold she lost the victory so doth the world mis-lead the gold desiring Merchant With the second the world deales like Cyrces who alluring Grillus to taste of her drugs made him so drunke with the pleasure thereof as that he neither remembred the dignitie of his person nor sight of his Country so deales the world with the pleasurable worldling But of this point we haue spokeÌ„ enough yet for all this so linckt in league are wee with the world that we can bee content to hazzard our saluation for the vncertaine inioying of it If we look vpon the rich Giants of the world which ioyne house to house and land to land to maintaine their proud backes golden heads and dainty throats they haue power to get riches policie to keepe them and time to possesse them but they want hearts to vse them they build great and gorgious houses as if they should liue for euer and surfeit themselues with dainty diet as if they should die to morrow hauing lesse charitie to the poore then the Deuill he desired to haue stones turned into bread but they turne Beefe and bread which was wont by the charity of the godly to feed the poore these they turne into stones to raise vp their Babel and into Silkes and Veluets to maintain them in their brauery and so by this means they haue almost brought the Common-wealth into ruine for there was neuer good house kept by Gentlemen since the Tailer measured their lands by the yard for now while they striue to aduance themselues on high they fearefully plunge their soules in misery But woe to such fat Buls of Bashan without speedy repentance they shall bee turned into hell and al the people that forget God
then Pudeat tanto bona velle caduca Manil. l. 4. Oh be asham'd so much your hearts to stay On things so fraile that swiftly passe away Thus much of the former point propounded the vanity and insufficiencie of the world and all worldly things the second followes the excellency of the soule the loue whereof should make vs basely to esteeme of all worldly things and to count them no better then dung in respect of Christ for Riches as we haue heard are transitory and will beguile vs Honours are slippery and will deceiue vs and the world is Moath-eaten and weares away and we our selues are brittle and so shall perish then what is a man profited if he gaine the world and lose his owne soule In which words wee may obserue againe these particulars 1. A comparison of the price with the thing prized the price is amplified by the subiect matter thereof which is the soule 2. By the propinquitie and proprietie it is his owne soule more worth then all the world which must continue when all these transitory things must passe away and that which shal eternally rue the bargaine for what is the earth to heauen and what can the world profit when the soule is plunged in Hell where it can neither mitigate paine nor purchase redemption 2. The irrecouerablenesse of the losse what shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule There is nothing in the world sufficient so precious is the redemption of the soule The Psal 49. 8. words are expressed by a metaphor borrowed from captiue prisoners supprised or taken in warre which were wont to bee redeemed by money or else by exchange of one prisoner for another but if that cruell Pyrat Sathan haue taken vs prisoners we are past hope of recouery there is no redemption then what is a man profited if he gaine the world and lose his owne soule Doct. The note of obseruation which offers it selfe to our consideration is this That men ought not principally to respect this life onely but that their chiefest care and labour should bee to get their soules saued in the day of the Lord. To this we are exhorted by our Sauiour to labour for the Iohn 6. 37. Luk. 13. 24 meate that endureth for euer and to striue to enter in at the Mat. 7. 13. strait Gate Now striuing wee know is an action of labour teaching vs that it requires great paines and diligence for many shall seeke to enter in and shall not bee able And the Apostle exhorts vs to giue all diligence to make our calling and Election sure and hee tels vs of the benefit that will follow If ye doe these things you shall neuer fall This hath been the practise of Gods Children to presse toward Phil. 3. 14. the marke for the high Calling of God in Christ and this is a marke of triall for the Saints if they be risen with Christ to seek Col. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 20. the things which are aboue and to haue their conuersation in heauen And therefore hee would haue as many as bee perfect to bee thus vers 15. minded This is also a point of wisedome which our Sauiour would haue vs learne to make vs friends of the Mammon Luke 16. 9. of vnrighteousnesse and promised a reward to him that Reu. 3. 21. ouercommeth he shall sit with him on his Throne and a Crowne of life to those that continue Reu. 2. 10. faithfull to the death Reason 1 Ground of this truth is Effiieâ—s â— qua 1. In regard of the excellency of the soule which is seene in the worke of Creation for therein all the causes did concurre for the perfecting of it 1. The efficient and supreme cause is God himselfe which he hath reserued to himselfe as his Eccle. 12. 7 owne Royalty 2. The Materiall cause was 2. Materia eâ— qua not the rude Chaos and base slime of the earth as was the body made of neither was it made of the pure Gold of Ophir but as if there were nothing precious enough in heauen and in earth it is said the Lord breathed it out of his mouth 3. The formall cause it was 3. Forma per quam Gen. 1. 27. Eph. 4. 24. made after the Image of God resembling him in Holinesse Wisdome and Righteousnesse 4. The finall cause that it 4. Finis propter quem 1 Cor. 6. 19. might be the temple of God and an habitation for his Spirit 2. The excellency of the soule is seene in the worke of Redemption for the soules sake Christ laid aside his Robes of glory was made man and endured Phil. 2. 7. so much misery shame in his life and so much torment and sorrow at his death and all 1 Pet. 1. 18 to redeeme the soule with no lesse price then the Blood of Act. 20. 28 the Sonne of God 3. The excellency of the soule appeares by Sathans malice who goes about like a roring 1 Pet. 5. 6. Reâ— 12. 7. Lyon seeking to deuour it he hath not such a spight to our wealth our learning cunning or credit though he loue none of those things which are good and comfortable to vs as hee hath to our soules and the graces of Gods Spirit in vs. Was it Iobs wealth he so much enuied or did he sift him because he was a rich man No nothing grieued him so much as to see Iob continue in his vprightnesse therefore hee laboured by all meanes to crosse him in his estate and torment him in his body that he might moue him to despaire or else to blaspheme that thereby hee might destroy his soule so also hee shewes himselfe an aduersary to all Gods Children crossing Zach. 3. 1. them in their suites which they make to God or else defiles their prayers by ming ling hypocrisie and vaine glory with their best sacrifices 4. The excellency of the soule is also seene by the ministery of the Angels which are euer about the godly men to deliuer them from danger and are about their beds in sicknesse and at the day of death like swift Postes to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome Reason 2 2. Ground of this truth is because as the soule is the most excellent part of man so the losse of it is the greatest losse in the world and therefore our Sauiour addes What shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule intimating vnto vs that the world and worldly things are not able to make recompence and satisfaction for the losse of the soule Vse 1 Is the soule so excellent then be exhorted to vse all meanes that it may be saued part with liberty life al rather then thy soule We see worldly men wil endure any trouble and take any paines for to gaine preferment they will hazzard their liues abide hunger and cold take long and tedious iournies and diue into the bowels of the earth to satisfie their longing
desire for the things of this earth which can stand by them no longer then their liues yet saies the Poet Impiger extremâ—s â—urrit Mercator ad Indos If riches may be had in India Turkie or any other places though neuer so dangerous yet the greedy worldling will venture his life rather then he will goe without them The husbandman what pains and care will hee take rising early and going to bed late for the things of this life faring hard and going thin sparing from back and belly to aduance himselfe in the world what tortures and troubles and paines will a sicke man endure for to gaine health he will be contented to haue a legge or an arme cut and lanced to preserve and gain health he wil endure fretting tents and corroding plaisters and depriue himselfe of pleasure nay many times he wil be content the endure the cutting off of his legge arme or other of his members for the preseruing of the health of his body If Naaman can recouer 2 Kin. 5. 17 helpe for his Leprosie hee will spare for no cost Oh how carefull are men for their bodies and states but how carelesse for their soules they will be sure to looke to their estates and make them sure by good aduice from their learned Counsell but for their soules they take little or no care Oh how ought we to break out into teares for the carelesnesse of our owne saluation what a Childhood and youth haue we spent in ignorance and vanitie and how carelesse haue wee beene to serue God and saue our soules Nay what enemies haue wee beene to our owne saluation what filthy and vncleane thoughts haue wee harboured in our hearts what filthy words haue we vttered w th our tongues how often haue we sworne lyed blasphemed God and taken his name in vaine how often haue our hearts disdained and enuied not only our Superiours whom wee should haue honoured but also scorned and despised our Inferiours equals whom we should haue loued and respected as our selues how haue we spent our daies in ignorance of God and of our owne fearfull estate spending our daies in idlenesse pride and all manner of prophanenesse presumption of Gods mercy and turning his grace into wantonnesse grieuing his Spirit and wounding our owne consciences how should the consideration hereof cause vs to powre forth our soules in godly sorrow before the Lord because we haue offended our Maker sinned against our Redeemer grieued the Holy Spirit wronged our Neighbours and so haue deserued damnation and to be cast out from the presence of the Lord for euer and as we haue cause to weepe and mourne for our sinnes and for that wee haue neglected the care of our owne saluation so also we are to mourne and lament to see others so carelesse of their saluation some sell their soules some carelesly lose them 1. Some sell them as Ahab and as some wrangling and corrupt Lawyers which haue Linguam venalem a tongue to bee sould which for a paltrie fee will many times stretch his conscience by maintaining a false cause or marring a good to the vndoing of his Neighbour Mistake me not I speake not of all Lawyers for some are conscionable and iust in their proceedings The couetous man hath Animam venalem a soule to sell for the base thick clay of this world which cannot bee redeemed with all the world So the voluptuous man he sels his soule for pleasure as Esau did his Birth-right esteeming more the pleasures of sinne which last but for a season then the saluation of his soule The proud man hee sells his soule for aduancement as Alexander the sixt for the Popedome GOD he commands vs in the first Commandement to haue no other Gods but him alone yet the proud man will make Honour his god the couetous man the wedge of gold his god the voluptuous man his belly his god The first of Phâ—l 3. 19. Iohannis de Combis compen theol lib. 5. cap. 10. these as one well saith hath his Idoll in the Ayre the second on the earth the third in the water 2. Some lose their soules as the carnall Gospellers who thinke if they be not guilty of the crying sinnes of Sodome nor Gen. 18. 20 Isa 1. 18. of the crimson sinnes of Israel nor of the bitter sinnes of Simon Magus they thinke they are in good case though their liues abound with ignorance and prophanenesse and their soules with manie infirmities their liues with many deformities which they take no notice of Alas poore soules what good will it doe you at the great day of account when man cannot iustly charge with crime when God and your owne conscience knowes you want the wedding garment of faith it is not sufficient to bee cleansed from the one vnlesse ye bee furnished with the other else being weighed in the Dan. 5. 27. ballance of Gods Iustice yâ—e shall be found too light Others lose their soules by trifling away their time like idle people in the market while other are buying they stand gaping after the sinfull vanities of the world and thinke if they doe as their Neighbours do come to Church although it be for fashions sake they are in very good case though all this while their mindes roue and wander after their worldly businesse and so for want of watchfulnesse they betray their soules into Sathans hands and wrap themselues vnder that curse of doing the worke of the Lord negligently Others so liue that vnlesse all be saued it is impossible but they shall be damned because they loue like and continue in their miserable estate of nature being so chained in their sinnes and iniquities that they cannot stir one foot to heauen-ward yet for all this they doe not consider their miserable state and condition that they are slaues to sinne for whosoeuer Iohn 8. 34. Eph. 2. 3. committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and his seruants ye are to Rom. 6. 16 whom ye obey Nay by nature we are the children of wrath and heires of hell and bound ouer to the curse of the law Gal. 3. 10 Deut. 27. 2 6. and so lyable to all crosses and calamities at our death to be haled by Sathan into Hell This fearefull and miserable condition is farre worse then the bondage of Turkes and BarbariaÌ„s for theirs though it be cruell yet it extends but to the body and cannot hurt the soule the most that Tyrants can doe is but to take away our liues and depriue vs of our liberty but this bondage is spirituall and depriues vs of Gods Image in our soules In the other there may be possibility of escaping that miserable bondage either by feare force or fauour or at least-wise our paines may bee mittigated if not death will set vs free but in this boÌ„dage as we are vnable to set our selues free so wee are vnwilling to be freed and are the greatest enemies to our owne saluation for
for heauenly our labour here may procure vs maintenance and what we want may be supplyed by the Charitie of our friends but no man can redeeme his soule Wee may win the world as Alexander did and yet for all this lose our soules Oh consider this all yee that forget GOD and are carelesse of your saluation we will bee at great cost for the assurance of our lands and for gaine wee will trauell farre and to bee sure of promotion we will endure much toyle and drudgery and shall we take no paines to be assured of heauen the gaine of glory and the saluation of our soules Naturally we are moued to seeke after those things by which wee may escape losse and gaine some good but oh the carelesnes of the most of vs for the saluation of our soules Men study to become learned they labour for friends striue for riches and seeke for promotion because the benefit of theÌ„ is much for mans welfare the want of them is held to be very hurtfull without them men are iudged but miserable yet riches honour are nothing so auaileable for vs here learning and friends cannot make them happy that haue them vnlesse they be assured of the saluation of their soules but alas we are like Balaam wee can wish that our soules may die the death of the righteous but are vnwilling to liue their life we would with Diues fare delicately euery day and yet with Lazarus looke for heauen at our ending Thus we passe our dayes in the sinfull vanities of the world and are carelesse of our owne saluation and so spending our dayes in pleasure suddenly we sink down into hell Oh but may some say God forbid wee should bee so carelesse for our soules as to lose them for the world wee hope we haue more care then so Vnto whom I answere if you be so carefull as you say you are what meanes that rising vp early and going to bed late what toyling carking caring for the world like the bleating lowing of the Amalekites sheep and Oxen what meanes that excessiue care for the belly and backe these cry so loud that men may see that the care of the most is for the world and the least care is for the soule the most precious Iewel we haue But thou that sayest thou art so careful for thy soule let me aske thee a question or two and let thy Conscience answer before God that knows the secrets of thy heart Doe you feele as great thirst after righteousnes as euer at any time you haue felt after drinke to refresh your drie body or as great a desire after Gods Kingdome as the Couetous man hath after money is your principall care night and day how you may please God canst thou sorrow and mourne more for sinne and for the losse of Gods fauour then for the losse of any worldly estate Canst thou put vp wrongs and iniuries done thee patiently and quietly and see Gods hand in them as Dauid did the cursing of Shimei If these things thou doest out of a good Conscience then I say thou art carefull for thy soule But on the contrary art thou a willing seruant of sinne more willing to doe what thy lust leads thee vnto then what God commands Doest thou bestow vpon the world that loue feare ioy delight strength and time which God challengeth and the godly in all ages haue beene carefull to performe and giue vnto him then where is thy care for thy soule doth thy life and couersation agree better with the wil of the Deuill then with the Will of God dost thou take more care paines to fulfil the Will of the flesh and Sathan then in doing what God requireth If thus thou doest for shame neuer say thou takest care for thy soule for the deuils take as much care as thou doest If the righteous can hardly bee saued where shall the prophane sinners appeare if they which haue set their faces towards heauen all the dayes of their life shall scarce be saued what shall become of those that haue set their faces against heauen all their life If wee haue care of our soules as wee ought where is our zeale to God-ward where is our reuerend feare of his Maiesty where is our seruice and obedience wee yeeld vnto our Lord and God where is our very reason that makes vs differ from beasts which by the instinct of Nature follow those things which are profitable to them and shunne those things which are hurtfull yet we hauing direction from the Word of God haue no desire of euerlasting happinesse nor feare of endlesse destruction Ob. Oh but may some say I mean to take care for my soule but as yet I haue no leisure I haue many businesses in hand and within short space I meane to put off my trade and by that time I shall haue got money and then I meane to betake my selfe to a religious course of life A. But doth not God in the first place command thee to seeke his Kingdome which is the greatest principall work and wilt thou seeke that last which hee hath commanded to seeke first Thou sayest thou wilt serue God when thou art rich but how doest thou know that thou shalt haue a heart then to serue God haue not wee seene many rich men haue made their riches their god and so haue withdrawne their hearts from God Againe no Calling must bee a calling from God euery man can finde time to spare out of his Calling to eate drinke sleepe and many times to prate game and the like and canst thou finde time to fill thy belly and no time to prouide for thy soule Oh but may some say I will repent when I am sicke then will I humble my selfe and seek for my soules health for sicknes will put me in minde of death Vnto which I answere suppose thou bee neuer sicke wilt thou neuer take care for thy soule haue wee not heard of many that haue died suddenly and so haue had no time to prepare for their soules health Was not Zimry and Cosby taken in the very act of sinne and so by the hand of Iustice sent to Hell without any time to repent in If old Ely had had his repentance to seeke and the prouision for his soule to get when he fell downe and his neck was broken in what a fearfull case had he beene Doe we not see many in their sicknesse to haue died senselesse like Nabal and it is iust with GOD that Soepe morieâ—s obliui scitur sui qui dum viâ—eret oblitus est Dei. they which haue forgotten him in their life should forget themselues in their death Did not the Israeliâ—es die suddenly with the Quailes in their mouthes and Ananias and Saphira his wife before they were summoned by sicknesse or thought of their soules and how many are there which are taken away by senselesse diseases as the Apoplexie dead Palsie or other diseases which
make men vnfit to take care for their soules health Sicknesse is a time to liue by faith and not a time to get faith What a madnesse and miserie were it for the Souldier to haue his Sword and Helmet to seek when the enemy sounds alarum to the battle so what a foolish thing is it to haue the prouision for our soules to seek when death is ready to get in at the window But admit that sicknesse put them in minde of death that they were sure to die to morrow yet many would not be the better for it The Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 32. tels vs of the Epicures of his time that spake of dying to morrow and yet had no grace to prouide for their soules for thus they say Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die which shewes that grace is not wrought by sicknesse or feare of death but by the power of Gods Spirit Ob. Oh but then we will send for the Minister and hee shall pray for vs. Answ Wilt thou send for them to pray for thee in thy sicknesse whom thou hast scorned despised and dis-regarded in thy life and health as much as euer Pharaoh did Moses and Aaron If they could doe no good vnto thy soule while thou wert in thy health what canst thou thinke they can doe vnto thee now a sick passionate and diseased man doest thou think they can worke faith and repentance in thy heart No they cannot gather Grapes of Thornes nor Figs of Thistles if thy heart be ouergrowne with the weeds of sinne and prophanenesse they can doe thee little good vnlesse thou shew great signes of repentance and hatred of all thy former sinfull life Let no maÌ„ thinke I would depriue the distressed of those meanes God hath appointed to confirme their faith that is not my meaning Ob. Oh but then wee will receiue the Sacrament and then no doubt but it shall goe well with vs. Answ The Sacrament is not a meanes to beget faith but to confirme faith where it is already begotten take heed therefore thou doe not receiue it with vncleane hands and an vnrepentant heart lest it seale vp to thee thy damnation and be vnto thee as the Sop was vnto Iudas Brethren mistake mee not I pray you I doe not condemne nor disallow for any that is sicke to send for the godly learned Minister for to receiue help and comfort from him in the time of distresse no no that is not my meaning the Apostle exhorts those that are sicke to call for the Elders of the Church and to let them pray Iam. 5. 15 16. ouer them he shews the benefit that will follow The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and if he haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen And if hee repent truely of his sinnes the Sacrament shall seale vp and assure him of Christ and his righteousnesse to be imputed vnto him for his saluation But the thing that I aime at is this when as I see prophane men contemne and despise the godly faithfull Ministers in their life health I feare me they deceiue themselues to thinke that the Minister can doe them any good by his owne power and presence no no he can but declare their remission of their sinnes vpon their repentance if then they doe truely repent them of their sinnes and resolue from the bottome of their hearts to lead new liues let them not doubt but they shall receiue much comfort by Gods blessing from them for to this end hath the Lord giuen them the tongue of the learned that they might know how to minister a word of comfort in due season to a wearied Conscience Therefore Brethren if you would haue comfort by them in your sicknesse and at your death make much of them and reuerence them in your liues and let them be deare and precious vnto you and honour them for their workes sake But here may some obiect and say What a stir is here for the saluatioÌ„ of the soule here is more adoe then needs we may prouide for that at our leasure there is no time vnfit to repeÌ„t and turne to the Lord hee is a God of mercy hee will haue mercy vpon our soules whensoeuer we repent and turne to him did he not shew mercie to the Theefe at the last gaspe therefore I doubt not but if I repent in my old age I shall bee saued well enough To which I answere that though no time be vnfit or too late for repentance while wee are here in this life yet manie times we heare of many which are taken out of the world before they thought of repeÌ„tance and late repentance proues seldome good but many times faigned and dissembled like Cain's Esau's and Iudas If the case bee so deare brethren then it is a point of wisedome to looke into it whether it were best policy for vs to take the opportunity of time while it is offered or else post it off to another time wee see that the men of the world are wiser in their generation Froâ—te capilaâ—â— pâ—st est occasio calua let vs learne a point of wisdome of them Aske the Merchant when it is best time to prouide for his Commodities and he will tell you while the Mart lasts Aske the Husbandman when it is time to sow his ground and he will tell you while the season lasteth The dumbe Creatures as the Storke and the Turtle and the Crane know their appointed times but man will not know when it is time to turne vnto GOD that hee may haue mercy vpon his soule and if they doe know the time yet they put it off neglect it though they be often called Today if you will heare his voyce barden not your hearts yet the most of vs like drouzy men sleepe still in sinne and answere the Lord as Saint Austine saith of himselfe saying Lord I had not wherewith to answere thee when thou saidst vnto me Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life And thou demonstrating those things to bee true in euerie point which thou spakest vnto mee I being conuinced of the truth had not any answere at all but onely the words and speeches of a loytering sluggard and of a drouzy sleeper Nil nisi tantum verba lenta somnolenta modo ecce modo fine paululum sed modo modo non habebat modum fine paululum in longum ibat Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 5. By and by and behold anon by and by behold anon had neither measure nor moderation and let me alone held on a long time So doe sinfull men with GOD they by procrastinating the time hazzard their saluation Now if by the Word of God we can conuince the carelesse world in this point for the neglect of the saluation of their soules and dissolue this obiection we hope wee shall not vnprofitably spend our time let vs therefore in the
short time full of misery many of vs haue spunne a long thred and so haue set our feet within the gates of death and many of vs haue trod in the path of old age in which the Almond flourishes many of our haires are turned white to the haruest of death Old age is honourable if it be found in the wayes of righteousnesse but if old men be found in the wayes of sinne ignorance and prophanenesse oh how dishonorable are those gray hayres what an old man a swearer an old man a Drunkard an old man a Gamester an old man a Lyar an old man a Whoremaster an old man an ignorant man oh what a shame is this Brethren the Israelites were commanded to gather twice so Ex. 16. 22. much Manna the day before their Sabbath as they did any day in the weeke before and should not the gray hoare head that lookes euery day for his last day of mortalitie and his Sabbath of rest should not hee I say labour to get twice so much knowledge pray twice so much read twice so much and ponder in his heart the workes of the Lord of mercy and of Iustice and grow in the graces of Gods Spirit that they Tit. 2. 7. may shew themselues patternes of all goodnesse for young men to imitate the dayes of mans life are threescore yeares and ten sayes Moses the Man of Psal 19. God but oh the carelesnesse of many which haue passed this age and though death stand at the doore yet they will not beleeue it It is said of Ephraim that gray hayres were vpon him yet he knew it not he had Hos 7. 9. markes of death vpon his face and hayre yet would still bee young and what was said of Ephraim may iustly bee said of many old men in our dayes whose windowes grow dimme whose sight faile and they bend downward to their long home and yet they consider not their latter end therefore they fall Lam. 1. 9. miserably and many die fearfully Oh consider this all yee that forget God! oh how soure and stinking are the dregs of sinne and prophanenesse of old men in the sight of God! as old men are to repent betime so are young men they are to remember their Creator in the dayes Eccles. 1. 2. of their youth for it is needfull to begin betimes because they haue much worke to doe and they haue no lease of their liues time and tide stayeth not therefore all of vs while it is called to day hearkē and obey for betweene old men yong men there is little difference old men goe to death and death comes to young men therefore as all men must die all must labour to get their soules saued For it is a iust thing with Iustum est vt a Deo contemnatur moriens qui Deum omnipotentem contemp sit viuens God that he should contemne that man in his death which contemned God Almighty in his life therefore let vs not deferre this needfull worke but presently set vpon it while wee haue time and while it is called to day for it may bee to morrow may be too late Gods mercy being abused he is a consuming fire and therefore it will be a most fearfull thing to fall into his hands Ob. Oh but God is a God of mercie and he shewed mercy vnto the Theefe at the last houre and therefore I doubt not but he will also shew mercy vnto me A. It is true indeed God is a God of mercy full of compassion and his tender mercies Ps 145. 8 9 Eph. 2. 4. are ouer all his workes yea hee is rich in mercy and therefore thou thinkst his mercy will bee as great to thee as it was to the Theefe vpon the Crosse This was a rare example of Christs mercy and cannot be applied to any particular man because the promises of mercy doe ioyne the meanes and end together Therefore we cannot deny but that as God is mercifull so also he is iust and Iustice and Mercy cannot dispence one with another God deales with man as Physitians deale with their Patients wee see many learned Physitians sometimes giue ouer their Patients not for that they want skill but because they see them incurable so thou that posts off and defers thy repentance and care for the saluation of thy soule till the last gaspe if thou bee damned it is not because the Lord wants mercy but because thou art dead in thy sinnes and past recouery and so the mercy of the Lord can doe thee no good thou remainest in thy impenitency hardnesse of heart and vnbeliefe The Apostle tels the beleeuing Romanes that God is able to graft the Iewes into the true Oliue plant againe if they doe not continue in their vnbeliefe Intimating vnto vs that God is not able to shew mercy vnto vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant Rom. 11. 23 wretches so long as they continue in vnbelife See therefore what thou art like to gaine by this rare exāple of the Lords mercie shewed vnto the theefe vpon the Crosse But because this is the strong hold wherein many desperate wretches hide themselues wee will therefore by the light of Gods Word diue into this example and weigh euery circumstance in it and what we discouer we will plainely set downe and shew what rockes and shelues lye in this harbour and how dangerous it is to cast Anchor here hauing found out the danger wee will hang out a bloody Flagge which may threaten death and destruction to all that seeke to harbour vpon this sandy foundation Tell me not therfore of the Theefe vpon the Crosse for of two theeues one was damned though hee saw the repentance of his fellow heard Christs gratious promise yet for all this he repented not Why doe we not bring him for a patterne and apply it to our selues and say Might not this be our case which haue put off our repentence vnto the last Here is a Theefe against a Theefe the one is saued and the other damned that this theefe was saued was a miracle miracles were no miracles if they were common Wee haue of this rare mercy of GOD one example that no man should despaire and but one example that no man should presume 1. This is a rare example without any promise of God if that thou canst shew a promise that thou shalt repent at the last houre of thy life but if thou canst not then thou promisest that to thy selfe which God neuer promised to giue thee 2. Againe this was a worke of wonder and euery way miraculous for Christ was hereby pleased to honour the ignominy of his Crosse and to manifest his power in his greatest humiliation his cruell enemies raged and blasphemed his stripes and wounds shewed him to be but a mortall and despised man and his Disciples despairing after so many miracles whether he were the promised Messiah or no therfore our blessed Sauiour to manifest his power and