read often read this 51 of Isaiah 't is a sweet Chapter and tells you what shall become of Enemies to his Church and People and how the Moth or Worms shall eat them up like Wooll But that you nor your Noble Lord may never be we shall ever pray pray pray Right Honourable and Good Madam WE shall find in all sorts of Relations Spiritual and Natural that having done much for any that they love it engages them still to do more instance Paul Christ and Moses now God Christ Religion and Good Works have ever been the Beloved things of your heart so we yet presume that they still are and ever shall be to the last moment of your Life and beyond that none can love Your Right Noble Sister Warwick was in this most of all Noble for she loved much and gave more than any in the Nation of her great Rank yet now enjoys all things Oh Madam be not yet weary of well doing for you will certainly reap to Eternity what you sow from faith in Christ love to and union with him and may your union with him be more inseparable as it is than your Arm to your Shoulder o' your Soul to your Body yea these are not so inseparable as both are to Christ for though Time Sin or Death may separate them for a while yet Sin Death Grave nor Eternity shall ever separate either from Christ but because he lives both shall live and be where he is and what a little while is it that you have more to work for God Christ Heaven and Eternal Happiness Oh! when those Everlasting Mansions are really thought on it makes our Souls mount as the Lark our Thoughts and Desires like the wing and tongue of that nimble morning Bird to praise its Maker Madam we write not these things in the least to stir up kindness towards us you have enough and have done enough more than any for you really gave first of all and we doubt not in the least now our Year is up but many Noble well-disposed persons will follow your good Example and some of your great Relate us if you but give a little hint this way it being for so good a work as certainly it is and your Labour of Love to us poor Fatherless Sinners and others God's Saints and Servants he will never forget Most Honourable Madam 'T Is the Goodness of the Great God that he beholds things below and is good to the Children of Men yea all his Works may you from that kindness have your heart your lips and your life yea your soul fill'd with that Marrow which is from above no where to be tasted but in Religion or Communion with himself and when that is strongly moving in you how easie will it then be to prevail with you for a little kindness to an English Charity-School which is young and in its Infancy as yet but will soon become strong root grow and be a great thing if the Ladies be not wanting to promote their own praise for what 's more praise-worthy than to be good and do good to raise the Needy from the Dust Poor and Fatherless Children from Ignorance Idleness and Beggary to know themselves and God in Christ live another day in a hard world to this Good Work you and none but you and this great Dutchess in all your Kingdom are invited surely your Figures must needs be great among the English Ladies God Almighty bless both your Princely Families and make them and theirs to be blameless at the coming of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ pray one and all we Poor Hospital-Boys Most Great Lady IT is your Happiness that you have not a great Lord in his own Country only but a good one that lives well does well and is much beloved where he comes may you both long live have your Land and Country slow with Honey Gospel as it doth with Milk and Kine which is yet a great mercy fat Ground a good Climate holy Lives with heavenly Preaching is the best place to live in in the world and oh that this Nation were but stockt with more Prophets than it is and oh that those that be were but more countenanced than they are oh that the Pulpits were but more open than they are or like yet to be and Drones quite asleep dead we mean or out of the way that those that can Preach and would might yet be restored to the great Congregations A Preaching Minister is a Star or Finger pointing unto Christ a Golden Stick or Candle in the Socket a Silver Bell that gives a good molodious sound drops heavenly Dew and feeds with Manna Bread that comes from Heaven Christ Preacht and Christ broken in the Preaching of the Gospel is the Bread of Life and the Water too which he that drinks shall never thirst Give us this said the Jews Ay Christ's Flesh is meat and Christ's Blood is drink indeed We may all by faith think upon it and that is really eating in a Gospel sense May Ladies eat like Angels yea your Ladiship and live upon the holy Joys and Comforts of the Spirit have Fellowship true Communion with the Father and the Son be no strangers to the Love and Life of God who is seen in all his works What 's the Rose a painted blossom of his Beauty the little Pink and Violet but a thing of his which all the world cannot make the Honey-comb and Hony-drops from Heaven the early Dew sweet Showers and fruitful Seasons all Preach a good God to a heavenly mind the morning Star and glorious Sun and Beams Preach Christ and there is but one Sun and one Christ for all the world Many Eyes cannot see but all might were they heavenly never hurt or hinder one another and Christ is similed in these glorious Beams of his Beauty for the Sun is no more to Christ than one Beam or Ray May these Rays Joys and Comforts be upon you and yours heads and hearts and souls May you all know and dwell in the Love of God which passeth knowledge May your Children be all taught of God according to his promise to avoid sin the sins of the times live as Pilgrims and Strangers to noisom lusts the sins and pleasures of this Age And may your Love and Piety abound to us and our Poor Hospital-School or little Charity-house and in so doing you will imitate the Divinity who is good to all his Works yea the Spring that refreshes every thing the blew veins or bosom flowers come from or are refresht by that yea the Sun and Beams of it for though this glorious creature be millions of miles distant from us yet his Influences come down to us every day O send send something to us then although you be in Cheshire though you be where you will and then we will all pray that you and the whole Family that love God may be blest with long Life here and Eternal Joys hereafter Right Honourable
spoil so great a Gem and Jewel or Immortal thing Christ will save us now Christ will save us ever if we be but willing yet he will never bleed more but he prays and mediates for us still for he makes continual Intercession Rom. 10. 4. and his blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel that cryed down vengeance upon Cain but Christ's blood crys up forgiveness unto us Oh Father let them come to me if they will be mine Joh. 17. 24. And may you both dwell with him for ever but oh live a little if you have not live to him a little if you cannot much time being now short lay up as much as can be Treasure in Heaven where no Rust nor Thieves can come Lands Debts Rents and Houses may be all lost but Treasure in Heaven can never miscarry and if ever we indeed mean to come there it must be by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Money will not buy Pardon Blood nor Tears cannot nor the Fruit of our Bodies go for the sin of our Souls Micah 6. 7. But Christ's Blood is Currant Coin Oh stick to that Rock which will not fail when the Silken Stockin and the Silver Shoe must off and never on more nor the Soul return to the same Body Vanity of Vanities how is all but froth and vanity besides Christ and therefore if he be not ours we are lost for nothing for nothing but a Dream a Bubble and a Fancy yea and our Souls to Eternity Madam WE have presumed to offer one of these to the Lady Player Mrs. Love and Madam Pilkinton with a few humble Lines as now we do to your most great Right Honourable Ladiship from all which we most humbly pray that this Good Work which in charity must be so accounted may be a little countenanced by you the four Beloved Ladies of this mighty City for if any names be deservedly great and famous more than others sure it is yours and those other three above mentioned And may your Names live from generation to generation whilst your Walls and Gates last and your Souls to Eternity after all May Hell never be known nor Heaven lost by you nor none of yours especially your dear Husbands But may they be all four for ever Citizens in the New Jerusalem walk hand in hand with the Lamb and his Redeemed ones to the Fountains of Living Water where God shall be all in all and they alwaies drinking from the River of his Pleasures Rev. 7. 17. Psal 36. 8. So prays one and all our Charity School-house Madam THE great God and his Providence has made Sir Thomas the Father as it were of all the famous Apprentices of London and onely sole Judge between the great Merchant and his Man and not so but an Eye for the Nation also piercing through and through the greatest Intrigues Policies Stratagems that Malice Hell or Rome can lay against our King Kingdom or Religion Liberty and Interest Gems and Jewels of greater value than the Gold of Ophir in a true sense But in your sphere Madam this little little Work is not to be despised in the least but a Scriptural Honour it is to be owned the Lady of Charity and a Mistress or great Benefactor to one of their little Schools Light is light truth truth a spark is fire and true Charity praise worthy to the world's end and so long may your Name Praise and Honour live and our House also Madam LOve is from the Fountain and Divine Being of all good May that ever flow in your Name and Nature and be as natural to you as the Rose and Buds are to the Summer and then when this Spring and your Charity shall flow up in and from you to the barren Hill of Highgate where your School-house stands it will then become a feeding filling Spring too for Charity will feed us and praise flow from us to the famous City-Ladies names which shall never be forgotten but be fairly Registred and read from one Age and one Generation to another And now may the Love of God Almighty the pure Joys and Comforts of his holy Spirit ever abide with you and yours whilst you abide in this Tabernacle of Clay and he constantly guide you through the Wilderness of this bewitching barren wicked World till you come to the last period of Life and wrap you up then in the Righteousness of God's dear and anointed only Christ to shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father for ever more praies thirty six of us and our Minister also Most Worthy Madam THere are four Gates in the City four Seasons in the Year four Ladies nigh together that will hardly be forgotten but shall be beloved for their Husbands sakes their own too for their praise is truly praise-worthy their virtues all eminently specious But now dear Madam would it not be a high and great Honour to see you our four Citizens Ladies with your four well-beloved Husbands our constant Parliament men for London chosen more by hearts than hands and a many brave judicious sober Citizens waiting on them all standing one by one as it were on the brow of our Hill saying one to the other There is the Tower and the Monument the Old Change Guild-Hall and Blackwell-Hall which some would fain burn again there is Bow-Steeple the Holy Bible the Silver Bells of Aaron the godly outed Ministers the melodious Musick of the Gospel Smithfield Martyrs yet alive and the Best Society the very Best in all the world for Civility Loyalty Men and Manners with the greatest cash bulk mass and stock of all sorts of Silks Cinnamon Spices Wine Gold Pearl Spanish-Wooll and Cloaths with the River Nilus and the stately Ships of Turshish to carry in and out the great Merchandizes of the world And may all this with the dew of Hermon her Silver Drops with your godly Ministers yet unrestored ever be to the World's end and to your Live's end May you and yours be beloved as you are And now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and all Consolations bless you both in Spirit Soul and Body Sickness Health Life and Death here and for evermore prayes all we your poor youngest Hospital-Boys of Highgate and to help them is most Charity ever The old fares well thanks be to a good City and their Benefactors in it for which God Almighty bless them and their Government to the world's end with Peace Health Wealth Honour and the Power of Religion Most Honourable Madam THE Best have not alwaies Love boiling in them yet at sometimes nothing works so strongly as Divine Goodness in their Souls and now we think we see in your heart hand and eye all lifting up unto the Hills from whence alone has your Salvation and Deliverance been we think we hear you still say God has been my Helper my Rock and my Salvation and I will bless him he hath inclined his Ear unto me therefore will I love
for we cannot will good much less do it of our selves Yet you must live for Heaven and by Christ get Faith or you can never be saved Short Hints but Sound Truths In great Humility THe Heathen Oracle of mortal man used to say We are born crying live laughing and dye sighing But Job and Solomon seem to hint there is little laughter for man is born to sorrow as the sparks fly up Job 5. 7. and All is vanity saith Solomon Eccles 12. 8. That is all besides Christ and the knowledge of him in a strict sense And sayes Hintius Vpon this account I could even obscure my self to think how much short all knowledge is and how much envy the most curious parts sustain and undergo especially when they are in great and high places where they have too too little time to converse with themselves mind their maker or rectifie their crooked nature Infancy is full of ignorance Youth of sins and Old Age of sorrows and the whole life of dangers so that it is a great misery for poor man who is but a Pile or Bag full of dust to come into the world were it not for the hope of heaven or a better world But this is never lost without great grief when possest with much love A certain rich man that loved riches well and too too well too being sick to death caused all his Plate and Gold to be brought before him and thus said to his soul like the fool in the Gospel Luk. 1â— 18. My soul if thou wilt now tarry with me and not leave my body all this will I promise thee and thou shalt enjoy it with Riches fine Buildings Gardens and sumptuous Houses But finding his infirmity increasing and no hopes of life in a great rage and fury he broke out into this most desperate speech Since thou wilt not abide nor be intreated nor tarry longer with me I recommend thee to the Devil and so soon departed Oh! let such men fear to laugh who are in danger to go where it will never avail or profit any thing to weep And he that looks on a picture and sees on it a rich man and a beggar never envies one nor pities th' other all men are but pictures and shadows quickly pass away and the poor have an advantage of the rich many times in dying having but little to leave behind but many are dull in want and wanton in fruition and most mens lives are miserable seeing those that seek for good hardly find it When evil comes of it self and enters our gates unsought Yet the brain will be working whilst the pulse is beating let a man live few years or let a man live many one does not make him happy nor another unhappy but his living well or ill does it Anselmus sayes In heaven joys shall be within and without above and beneath in all parts and round about and everlasting too saith the Prophet Isaiah 65. The lovers of this world eat drink and are merry but for want of the love of God go down to hell Psal 9. 17. in a little while and nothing remains of them but a short name dust and worms Seneca sayes evil actions are whipt by the conscience of themselves and torments them sore and that wickedness drinketh up the greatest part of its own poison and is a punishment to it self But Christians say there is a hell besides and most of all nations believe future rewards and punishments Oh! let us prevent weeping by weeping sayes One and all of hells sorrows by heavenly repentance Aristotle sayes It were better to dye than to do any thing against the good of virtue And I sayes Seneca was better born than to be a slave to lust what they count virtue Christians do not so well know but this is certain it is better not to be than not to know a good God in Jesus Christ and live to him in some measure who is all and will be all for ever Though Zenon said through his Atheism he feared nothing but Old Age yet Socrates tells ye When Death approaches bad men will be willing to turn Divines And if I have lived well sayes Lucicrema why do not you clap your hands But Divine Love is a never ending Treasure and the Orient Pearl is gathered from the Early Dew And in the 110th Psalm it is said of Christ That from the womb of the morning he had the dew of his youth that is as I humbly conceive from the first peeping out of God's Love to mankind as it was through a promise in Jesus Christ so all these promises and blessings obtained in Time or Eternity are gathered from the head heart Love and Merit of Christ as the morning dew is from Grass Corn or Herbs But to be careless of him or our selves and to live without fear is to Dye Living and is in great danger to fall into the Sea of God's everlasting wrath Awake awake O miserable Soul and lift up thine Eyes lest the night of nights overtake thee Rom. 13. 12. Joh. 9. 4. And assure your selves Death will almost daunt good Livers what wilt thou do But he whom happiness affects cares not how long he lives But Job was safer on the Dunghill than Adam in Paradise And Christ the true Son of the Living God when begging water at the Well of Jacob Joh. 4. 7. from the woman with the Pitcher Yet many think a middle condition is best for this world and for our Souls too but we need every day the blood of Christ to wash us all as well as Water for our faces And the Soul is washed by secret thinking and applying of the Love Life Death and Merit of Christ to it self He gave himself for me sayes Paul Gal. 2. 20. And our Souls are like Camaeleons live upon the Gospel-Air Promises in Christ and God's Love through Christ but the world trusted on is apt to thrust all out of our minds And sayes Tully No man could ever make me believe the Soul should live in this mortal Body and be dead when absent Oh! live then to live for ever Bear well and prepare well for that which can never be avoided namely Death To labour not to dye once is to labour in vain But to live to Christ is a certain way to prevent a second Death And a man whose Soul is truly conversing with God shall find more pleasure in secret walks closets groves and hedges than in the Palace of a Prince And Sir Walter Rawleigh sayes He that is resolved to be a great Favourite and Servant there must abandon strict Piety The love of Fame Name and Pleasure is inconsistent with the Love of God True a weak man may give strict Rules and the holiest Minister in the world hardly lives up to his own Preaching And you cannot look to Heaven with one Eye and look down to the Earth with the other at the same time But however the best counsel is best and most wholsom
and sin out we might well say The worst is gone and the best is come praise be to him that maketh the change and is unchangeable in himself Mal. 3. 6. and in all his Attributes And he is a Fool that saith There is no God or That the Love of God hath not wonderfully appeared to Mankind by Jesus Christ Titus 3. 4. Oh! be rich in Faith and you shall never be poor in the world to come And they that are most full of that have most comfort and experience too of his Faithfulness Faith is the Life of the Soul and Christ is the Life of our Faith Oh! live upon him and you shall live with him and never dye Joh. 17. 24. Do not be offended with him nor they that are his Great and many waves have beat upon the Rock but the Church remains still and the Gates of Hell Sin Death and Despair nor Enemies neither shall ever prevail against it Matth. 16. 18. Some set their hearts upon God others against the Church but those that maliciously persecute good men will find ill Rewards Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. 4. 'T is a mad thing to be furiously mad against good people If ever we expect to be happy we must be holy and hate no man for it for without it no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. But the Devil tempts men to sin and then to despair and good men are full of doubts after sinning Oh! begin to live to God before you dye and a man may live sin dye and be utterly lost in a little time some thieves rob a long time others are quickly taken and executed but Gods patience is great towards most men yet some have but little sport for their souls airy Sparks ride post and quickly sin away their time but fair and soft is too fast to hell and the Devils and death would not be half so troublesom were it not for sin but he that leads a good life takes a great deal of comfort with him to his end and that death of his frees his soul for ever nothing can trouble in heaven unless it be want of living or more living unto God on earth and nothing can be more terrible in hell than to think there was a time they might but 't is past 't is past Simeon and Paul desired to dye Luk. 2. 29. David and Hezekiah desired to live 2 Kin. 20. 3. and it was well enough for them and his servants any way For whether we live or whether we dye we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. for if indeed we be so we can never dye amiss A wise man never looses his wisdom though he be a sleep nor a good man his grace though he be catcht away before he is aware yet it is best to do as Job sayes Wait for our Change Job 14. 14. Death is never the nearer nor farther off for minding or not minding and young men have it at their backs as well as old men in their faces yet the familiar rising of it in our thoughts will make it less strange and more welcom when it comes if it be from trouble to comfort and not from light to darkness and the dungeon of darkness where light shall never be Oh that sinners would prevent weeping by weeping and their own misery by becoming God's Servants as a good Lady said If he be not a better Master than any do not serve him but if he be a better Master than all as certainly he is oh serve him serve him day and night O ye Lords Ladies Gentlewomen and others and ye would quickly be content so to do if ye did but taste how gracious he is and how much better to you than you deserve Sin and Sinners desert is Hell Oh! 'T is mercy to us all to have any thing on this side that and all misery to be there Though we came into the world alike and must go out yet let 's not live alike but say you as Joshua did I and my house will serve the Lord Joshuah 24. 15. Oh! hazard your credit if it be counted discredit to fear him for 't is not unlovely or not commendable to love what is most lovely Christ and his wayes Great peace have they that keep his laws Psal 119. but ill company will commit evil for company and two or three men were lately stabbed by their companions who haunted ill houses but good company never hurts and the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting many times And Bishop Cranmer was troubled for but drinking at Queen Mary's court because she would not hearken to the Gospel nor his Counsel in King Edward s dayes and good men should every where savour of the fear of God be much in self-tryal and in self-denial too and to take up his cross when Christ layes it before him as that good man did at the stake for his counsel or sticking to the word of God but the worst of Christ or suffering for him is better than the best of all the world Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks Act. 16. 25. so did Hampshire Philpot in Bonner's Cole-house He learns Christ well that learns to follow him through thick and thin He left his life to save us we find ours in following him Christ dyed to give Life and Repentance Act. 3. 26. And no man ever repented for serving him in a just Call A wise man provides for his Family and saves his Soul by his Skin or Sufferings many times Some have bewailed the day of their Birth as Job did through the greatness of his grief chap. 6. 2. None the day of Conversion or Marrying unto Christ or Tryals for him when he stood by them And this is a sweet Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Isa 49. 14 16. Isa 43. 1 2 3. But the Forsakers of God shall be forsaken Short Sayings of the Wise or Q. Mary 's Martyrs WIll you now most Noble Ladies take a few short and serious Sayings from the Wise pore and ponder on them but a little which are as Goads and Nails fastened by the Master of the Assemblies that is Christ saith Solomon Eccles 12. 11. for it is meant of him And this was a good one of Sir Francis Compton Oh! keep close to Religion for that brings Peace at the last Hold out Faith and Patience saith Boulton It 's but one Stile more and we shall be at our Father's House said a brave Martyr When shall I be dissolved and be with Christ saith another Lo here I am let them do with me what they please but don't you meet me at the last Day in an unconverted state Said a good Man to his Children in a dying Hour and they weeping for him he cried What a deal of do is here to let a Man die and go Home And so with Heavenly Counsel fell a sleep Perkins converted Northampton Boulton And Brave Learned Famous Bishop Vsher desired to Die as
honest Mr. Perkins that old Puritan Minister did calling upon God for the pardon of all his Sins both as to Commission and Omission Policarpus being pierced with a Sword issued so much Blood that it almost quenched the Fire and amazed the Beholders as it were At his Apprehending they hurried him so fast along that they broke his Leg crying This is the Father of the Christians and the despiser of our God said the Heathens And says Ignatius the first Martyr as we read of When the Beasts have ground me and my Bones with their Teeth I shall be as God's White Bread and I will worship none none but the God of Heaven Said another And none but Christ none but Christ said that brave English meek and humble Martyr John Lambert when half burnt by Henry the 8th for denying the real Presence in the Sacrament The Soul is in the Body but not the Body So Believers are in the World but not the World said another Doctor Hall said The English Clergie were the Worlds wonder He means the Painful Pious Preaching ones and would some were in again that were long ago put out Tertullian wrote Day and Night and made an Apology for the Christians and complained That too many Lawyers did almost as much hurt as Souldiers But Pliny told the Heathen Emperor The Christians did none but pray'd in the Night and sung Hymns to one Jesus but they would not Lye Steal nor commit Adultery but did visibly eat together But the Souldiers wearing all Crowns of Lawrel upon their Heads for a great Victory which the Emperour had obtained A private Christian wore his upon his Arm saying It did not become him nor his Fellows to be Crowned with it Head Heart Feet Milt and Liver are all failing said a great Divine Arise make ready mount my Soul and go away I saw not you my Children when you were in the Womb God that fed you then will be a Father to you when I am gone and you shall not want I am weary of Sin and willing to Die God's Mercy is unspeakable One Saterday Morning especially I found the power of Religion and the certainty of the other World and Divine Eternal Love Glory glory to the Deliverer of my Soul out of all doubts about it Origen was fastened by the Neck with an Iron Chain his Feet in a pair of Stocks till he died Paul and Barnabas differed a little Act. 15. 39. But in Heaven Luther and Zyngulus will agree together said a Father though here in some things they could not Come Oh sweet Jesus Christ thou bright Morning-Star come I desire to be with thee said Holland Zepheron was said to be the Blind Man's Eyes and the Lame Man's Feet And the Lady Warwick gave both Books Clothes and Money for the Schooling both in England and Wales And a great Countess that lives in or near the Strand being lately in the Country was informed of a very poor Family which she went in Person for to see and finding the poor Woman Sick and Weak having two or three Children in the Bed and no other Boulster but an old Straw Cushion she presently caused a good Caudle and saw it made for the Woman gave her a very considerable sum of Money and ordered Boulster Bed or Blanckets for the Children and all this is good Charity and Humility too And to breed up poor ignorant Countrey Boyes to know God and themselves is the same which shall be endeavoured in your School-House yea 't is as much as to feed the Blind and Lame and in some sence rather more for the Soul is better than the Body To teach a young Bird to sing or young Boys to fear God is the best thing in the World The Light of Europe is the Gospel and the life of Preaching is for holy Living but Persecution brings Death and Life too Says a Father Death in one hand and Life in the other it kills the Body and crowns the Soul I have Lived long and Sinned long saith Beza but now I am willing and would fain Die to be rid of it giving God thanks for six things And some signal Mercies every good Man may find besides his daily ones Basil being profer'd Honours to Apostarize cryed They were changeable being threatned with Confiscation and Banishment he cried he need not fear he had little to loose and for Banishment Heaven was his Home or Country as for his Death they might do it with one blow You are mad said they Ay and ever will be for Divine Love is to me a never failing Treasure Francis Junus was converted with that Text In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God John 1. 1. And by this through the tender Mercies of God was I brought Home and when a Prodigal and a great Sinner comes Home there is great joy in Heaven Perkins converted a poor Thief that was going to be Hanged thus he wringing of his Hands upon the Ladder Perkins asked him why he was afraid to die Oh said he 't is t'other t'other Death I am afraid of Ah man come down a little and see what God's good Grace can do for thee and by Prayer so opened the nature of Sin and then of God's free Grace and Mercy by Jesus Christ for the Pardoning of it that he made the man both chearful and willing to Die He wrote many Books and frightned Sinners with that word Damn and yet would open the Blood Death and Merits of Jesus Christ in the Preaching of the holy Gospel Most wise Men desire the Lawyer and Phisician to deal plainly with them and Lords and Ladies should not love a Flatterer in the Pulpit nor a Chaplain that is not Holy Harmless or Exemplary in the Family Ambrose boldly reproved Theodotius the Emperor and used to say Men embrace Gold but refuse Salvation put off that on any account and catch at good Bargains The World is a Bird in Hand Heaven is one in the Bush like the Frenchman that would not leave his part in Paris for Paradise Theodoret said The delight of the Soul is to know its Maker And the great learned Earl of Leicester said Man differ'd in nothing more from a Beast than in his Reason especially Heavenly Reason Wisdom and Vnderstanding Hierom would not live in Rome because it savoured so much of Paganism and sinful Pleasures hardly of any true Christianity which is an inward Mystical and outward mortifying Thing and indeed it has not been long free from one Wickedness or another Ignorance Uncleanness Persecution Idolatry Sodomy and therefore well may she be called the Mother of Harlots who takes Money and Rent for so many Stew-Houses yearly and it is as good Money to him as the best which comes into his Cosser But if my Father or Mother Brothers Sisters and Children were all before me weeping and hanging on me to keep me in a sinful Life I would despise them all and fling them to the Ground saith
a heavenly holy zealous Preacher than a rich Drone a thousand times Some Shepherds have for little so much that the great Shepherd will owe them nothing at all Others have so little for their faithfulness that he will give them a Crown 'T is better for Ministers it should be said Why are not you and you provided for than Why have such and such so much As he nobly said I had rather it should be said Why does not Cato 's Image stand here than it should be said Why does it stand here But Preachers of Faith must live by Faith as well as other men and the world to come will make amends for all Come Thee and I shall be happy when King Jesus comes said one to his friend And they that fear the Lord speak often one to another Mal. 3. 16. And then shall the Righteous shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Matth. 13. 43. But many men make work for Repentance and many Ministers never put them seriously upon it as they should for want of Skill Love Faithfulness or Zeal The Lion sent for the Wolf and asked him if he had not a stinking breath Yea Sir said he and for that he tore him in pieces and sent for the Dog and asked him no said he 't is very sweet for that he tore him in pieces and sent for the Fox and asked him who cunningly told him He had a great Cold in his head and could not smell and so saved his Skin 'T is a brave thing when neither fear nor flattery moves men nor ministers from saying what they should few love Reproof fewer who reprove for love of souls and fewest of all who sincerely love the reprover Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth sayes Paul Gal. 4. 16. and we may say the greatest sin timely repented of is pardonable but the least never repented of is damnable in its own nature it being against a holy law and a holy God and Oh! how would Mr. Fowler that brave Redding and Thames-street preacher set out this 'T is for us to bring our will over to God in every thing and not his to us in any thing contrary to his Law and holy Writ whilst the world stands Religion is an inward thing takes off from self and creature but gives to God reverence in the heart and the heart and sum of religion is to love God and our Neighbours sincerely but Religion can do more for Learning than Learning can for Religion can bless and sanctifie that but that can do nothing but adorn dress and set it out with words which yet is a most excellent thing And oh that all the preachers in the world were practisers and learned too but more especially the former yet sayes God I will set thy Sons O Sion against thy Sons O Greece Zechariah 9. 13. And the quarrel shall never be ended There is naturally so much Scorn Malice Enmity and Disclain in Learning against the Simplicity Purity and Holiness of the Gospel that the corrupt unsanctified mind of man cannot but disdain it as the Pharisees and Sadduces did the preaching of Christ the Greeks and other learned men Paul counting him a babler and the cross of Christ foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 23. and he a mad man and Christ a publican and sinner for being a Physician to them and a preacher frequently among them and therefore a sociable life is better than a solitary Monkish one in a cell Christ did eat and drink at great tables with publicans and sinners but he was still as a physician to heal and reprove sin and Dod the old Puritan minister of Northampton was so holy and good at this and had that reverence and presence with him that a young gentleman at Sir Anthony Cope's could not eat half his Dinner for fear of swearing before Dod but he is dead and gone to Heaven and so may the Gentleman too for ought that we know God calls at several hours but 't is better to go to Heaven alone than not at all or to Hell with half the world Let me be happy it matters not how many then be miserable yet Balak's Balaam wished that he might dye the death of the Righteous and thought of death another world and eternal Joys Numb 23. 10. And so some will send for good men at their death which they care not for in their life to come and pray and secretly desire that their last end might be like unto them Yet the world is apt to think of Religion clean contrary to what it is sayes Lord Bacon and to make it madness a thing that dulls spirits and is apt to make Ladies look wrinkled before their time depresses them of Joy and to be looked upon by Wits and Sparks as some of God Almighty's Shee-fools and must never see good or merry daies more Alas alas said he What a miserable mistake is this Can there be better and greater Joy than Joy in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1. 6. unspeakable and full of Glory And can there be better Sorrow than such Sorrow which is accompanied with Joy and Works or Repentance unto Salvation never to be repented of 2 Cor. 2. 10. Can there be better chear than a good Conscience Ask Abraham Isaac and Jacob if the Waies of God be not good Ask all the Prophets Patriarchs and Apostles if the Waies of God be not Good Yea the Martyrs and the Prisoners I am in a Bed of Roses sayes one And I am in my Paradice and Palace with God and his Angels said the Noble Marquess Galliaces in the Dungeon And I have Christ who is was and ever will be all in all sayes another All in Health Life Death and Sickness and Eternity too to Men and Angels Yea ask your own Conscience when the Curtain 's drawn and the Candle out Which is best a house of Prayer a house of God or a Play-house or a days sinning or a days communion and waiting on God and his Worship Come fy pish you are mad if you prefer the pleasures of sin before Heaven or sinful pastime before Heaven's Joy Oh ye vain and foolish young Ladies do not think of being Religious when you have nothing else to do but lay aside the Lute and Citern now and dance a little in your thoughts to Death's Pipe and think you hear his Night-watch and where you shall be a hundred years hence and what when you have lain a month or two in the Grave and this will help you to be good betimes Young Ladies might be merry enough if they would be good and godly and begin betimes and have better Husbands too for good men will love good Ladies especially when they are young and good too And we hope some are left though but a few that look for Heaven and Religious Wives True Recreations are in another world All the pleasures of this are either sins or snares if we use them too much But moderation may be