eagerly followed it But when he had a while worn it was soon weary put it off and hid his head in a private dwelling 5. All earthly honour is far inferiour to that heavenly creature which is the principal part of man The spirit of man framed after the likeness of his Creatâ—ur and again restored to that glorious image infinitely transcendeth the vain and highest râ—spects it can receive from man Honour cannot ascend but descends cannot be given by an Inferiour to a Superiour When we are precious in the sight of God then anâ— never but then we are truly honourable â— Isa. 43.4 6. Lastly Honour is not only needlessâ— no way forwarding our happiness and none so happy or truly honourable as who by men are most despised witness our most blessed Saviour Isa. 53.3 but very dangerous if not deadly stopping our way to the only true glory and eternal blessedness Iohn 5.44 12.43 Let me conclude this passage also with that Poetical Philosopher Boetius Libr. 4. Metr 2. Those earthly Gods you trembling view Mounted on starry thrones Array'd with Heaven in spangled blue Guarded with armed drones With raging hearts and lightning browes Storming with thundring mouths Could you unlace their vain attires And peep into their brest With chains with gyves with tortures fires Th ' Oppressors lye opprest Clos'd in that shew and Heav'n-like shell You 'l find the kernel hell Distracting lusts with cruel twitches Rack the diâ—joynted Ghost Hope backs the heart and spurrs and switches Wrath anger â—ear and roâ—â— Hate Envy scourge with snaky wreath Griefs pressing squeese to death When then so many Tyrant Lords Reign in one single brest How can it bound with self-will'd cords Do what it self thinks best He that rules men serves lust 's a thing Much greater slave than King If then our Happiness is neither made nor patcht up by Riches Honours how much less by Pleasure CAP. V. Bodily pleasure earthly joy and mirth have nothing to do with blessedness PLeasure is the Idol and God of Epicures like Childrens Babies trickt without and trimm'd with toyes and gauds but within a rotten stick It hath a double subject either the body where properly it is called pleasure and luxury or the soul where we term it joy and mirth Neither of both if carnal and earthly can possibly stand with the blessed estate of man but are rather unreconcileable adversaries to our blessedness If we look well upon them and throughly eye them and their attendants we shall find that carnal joy and mirth dwell live and dye with grief Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness Prov. 14.13 As we say of swine There is a great cry and little wool much crackling of thorns and little heat Eccles. 7.6 whosoever serves them they bestow their livery upon them a fools coat and cap The heart of a fool is in the house of mirth Eccles. 7.4 and will soon prefer them from the Hospital to Bedlam I said of laughter it is mad Eccles. 2.2 And what is pleasure to the body but an itching worm which when it is clawed breaketh out into a scab a vain tickling of sense till it end in an Hickup It is common to a beast and exists only in that part of man which is his beast even flesh And their fruits commonly very pernicious Carnal joy turns us out of Gods house Ier. 11.15 ranks us amongst the most lewd and wicked persons whom Gods â—pirit points out to us marked with the Deâ—ils brand who rejoice to do evil and delight â—n the frowardness of the wicked Prov. 2.14 â—leasure is to our estates here a very pickâ—urse a slie thief that unwarily steals us â—nto poverty and misery God hath blasted â—t with his curse He that loveth pleasure shall â—e a poor man and he that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not be rich Prov. 21.17 It is a palâ—ie to our bodies unsinues them and makes â—hem as an unstringed Lute or Voyal fit â—or nothing As we read of Hannibals souldiers that when they entred Capua they were more then men but dissolved with the pleasures of that rich and voluptuous City they went out less than women To the soul it is a sweet poison choakes it in the seed and birth Luk. 8.14 nourishes it to slaughter Jam. 5.5 To the whole man it is a perâ—umed grave They that live in pleasure are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 dead to God dead to men dead to themselves the very soul dead in its life coffin'd and buried in the body How impossibly then can a voluptuous man live happily who is dead while he lives and lives to an everlasting and ever-living death Lastly it is much more subject to all those defects which before were mentioned that make it altogether unfit and utterly impotent to make up our happiness or to help us iâ— the pursuit of it 1. It is sheer vanity Eccles. 2 1â— nothing else but crackling of thorns under â— pot Eccles. 7.6 2. It satisfies not witness thaâ— Epicure who proclaimed a reward to Inventers of new pleasures 3. It lasts not is but for â— moment Iob 20.5 and dies in the very birthâ— 4. It is not so alluring before as loaths omâ— after enjoying witness Amnon 2 Sam. 13.15 5. It is far beneath us as being common with us to beasts And 6. needless and dangerousâ— Woe to you that laugh now Luk. 6.25 Thiâ— Chapter let me conclude also with the same Philosophical Poet. Boetius Libr. 3. Metr 7. All Pleasures ride with spurs they goar the heart And drive it first to run and then to smart Pleasures are Bees Bees have their bag and sting Those drops of sweet these streams of torment bring The bag flies with the Bee the sting remains How flitting are our joyes how lasting pains He that in honied Hive of Pleasure dwells Soon dies to Heav'n lives to a thousâ—nd hells The happiness of man therefore stands not in outward things They are all heterogenies of another nature and cannot piece or be united with us They are without us and we without them happy But there are other things which close and are within us In our bodies Beauty Strength in our spirits wisdom morality Do not these make us blessed At least do they not concurr as necessary parts of our happiness Certainly even these rather follow an happy person than constitute our happiness CAP. VI. Blessedness is not in any thing corporal or meerly moral OUR Bodies are but the houses of our spirits and houses of clay Job 4.19 As the house of a Snail it is moved and â—arried by the Inhabitant And as those â—nail-shells are some black and dusty some â—littering in divers colours so is it with these â—â—ells of our spirits Some the hand of our â—otter seems to frame of finer earth or at â—ast tinfoyls them with more lovely paintâ—â—gs some formed of more course and dirty â—etal or being not leaded have not that â—â—oss and
seen they hate Ioh. 15.24 and all that he loves or love him all his members Mar. 13.13 though they be their own flesh and that even to death Lukâ— 21.16 17. Excellently is this condition expressed in that metaphor wherein carnal men are called spots and blemishes 2 Pet. 2.13 A wicked Father or Childe a wicked Husband or wife a wicked Master or Servant is a spot in a familie a wicked Governour or Subject a spot in the Common wealth a wicked Minister or Professour a spot and blemish in the Church And as a spot or blemish is nothing but filthiness or a filthy nothing so is every man in his corrupted nature 2. Man in the first Adam is a child of the Divel Ioh. 8.44 and a very Divel in flesh Ioh. 6.70 Satan a filthy spirit but he filthy in flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 he a captive of the Divel 2 Tim. 2.26 a servant to sin which is the very dung of Satan Rom. 6.17 fetter'd in the very bond of it Act. 8.23 servant to corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 and to divers lusts Tit. 3.3 the hand serves one the eye another the ear a third the heart a thousand He is even cut out and mangled into a base and cursed slaverie Now the servant is more base than the Master Take good notice therefore of this estate of man Lust is the servant of Satan man the servant of lust the Divels servants servant Sin the corruption and dung of Satan man the servant of sin and corruption In a word a carnal man is the prey of Satan devoured by that roaring Lion who hath digested him into filthiness of flesh and spirit and hell the draught into which he is purged Thus then think in your hearts I. Ayeâ— oâ— her selâ— is dark and hath no light But what Heaven lends her and when angry skies Call in their debt she sinks in dungeon night Nay while she borrowes light oâ—t foggâ— arise Or storms and filch by stealth or rob by might Her lone her day in youth or childhood dies But while the present Suns with conquering ray Dispel the shades and their strong beams display She sparkles all with light and broider'd gold-array II. Such now is Man inform void empty dark A Chaos dungeon grave a starless night Rake all his ashes up ther 's not a spark To tine quencht life or kindle buried light And what he steals from others empty shark Hell with his mists depraves so robbs him quite But when his Life and Light shines in his eyes In him he lives as he and never dies Glittring in light divine he heaven stars Sun out-vies III. For as in earthly sight the bodies eye To the object bent is like the object â—orm'd So when the soul turn'd to the Deitiâ— Receives hiâ— likâ—ness it is soon tranâ—form'd To what it sees death hell and darkness â—â—y And all the spirit to Light and Liâ—â— conform'd Soul of my soul draw my souls eyes to thee Set them upon thy face make me to be By seeing Life and Light the Light and Liâ—e I see You have seen what you are in the first Adam look now on the other side of this picture and see what you may be in the second CAP. XXI Man in Christ is above other men and all creatures next the Creatour IN our selves we are 1. Dead a meer privative a nothing 2. Dead in sin meer corruption corruption of Hell what we are or may be in Christ now consider We are quickned together with Christ. Christ is that overflowing Fountain by whose fulness of grace our empty chanels are not only 1. Scoured from that choking mire which stops all passages but 2. Stored with the water of life with the fulness of God see Hab. 2.14 Eph. 3.19 But how are we quicken'd with Christ raised and sit together in heavenly places with him Eph. 2.6 Not only virtually as the fruit lies in the seed or root but in some kind actually As in the first fruits the whole field and in the Cake of the first dough the whole lump was sanctified and an actual blessing conveyed in it so Christ being raâ—sed is the first frâ—its of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 the first Cake of the new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 and in him even actually in a kind are they quickened who are yet unborn As a wife or child takes possession of that land in the husband or Father which he hath purchased in their name Hence we evidently see first that the only life of man by which he is a Câ—ristian a blessed creature nay indeed by which he is a right man is not that natural and fading but this spiritual and eternal life which we have in Christ hence called the life of God Eph. 4.18 begotten by God Jam. 1.18 the life of Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 he our life Col. 3.4 and liveth in us Gal. 2.20 and the life of the Spirit he gives it 2 Cor. 3.6 And as the vegetative life of plants the sensitive life of beasts the rational life of man is nothing elss but the Act of such a soul giving the creature such a being and enabling it unto such actions so the divine and spiritual life is nothing else but that Aâ—â— of Gods Spirit dwelling in man and giving him a spiritual being a divine nature and enabling to spiritual and Godly actions or to use the Scripture phrase to live and walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 whereby we live in God and to God see Rom. 8.9 10. Gal. 2.20 1 Joh. 5.11 12. For without question the true life of man differs from all other life in inferiour or contrary creatures but in this natural life the faculties and actions of it man differs not from plants in growth from beasts in sense from wicked spirits in reason That form then which gave man his difference doubtless was that Image of God in which he was created perfect by the loss of which he lost the perâ—ection and truth of humane nature He therefore that hath no other but this natural life is but an half-man hath little or nothing of a man but is partly a beast in respect of sense partly a Divel in regard of his perverted and distorâ—ed reason 2. Secondly here we may easily observe that howsoever a carnal man glisters in carnal eyes honoured admired yet is he a very Abject and the skumm of the creatures so a spiritual man contrary though he seem a base thing in the eye of the world and more base in his own a reproch of men and scorn of the people Psal. 22.6 yet is he indeed the most noble and excellent creature in the world and next the great Creatour Hence the Saints in terms are called the Excellent Psal. 16.3 preferred in their excellencie before others whatsoever are their earthly advancements The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12.26 28.6 This is Heavens this is Gods Heraldry Now are they Sons of God and Heirs apparent 1 Joh. 3.1 But because their
in time thou dying time out-livest They â—ail deceive thee They age dye leave thee Soâ—â— up immortal spirit and mounting fly Into the arms of great Eternity Not Heav'n or Earth He he thy End and Birth Now if in the fulness of all Creature man can find no parcel of his blessednesâ— how much less in any one single creature As first CAP. III. Not in Riches RIches are as Nebuchadnezzars goldeâ— Idol Dan. 3. All people nations anâ— languages fall down and worship this goldeâ— Image but all the honour the most deâ—vout Zelots give it cannot wring from it the least degree of happiness For first it is a meer Idol 1. An Image hath only a name and appearance of what it imageth Thus these outward things are called and to mop-eyed men seem to be riches but are unrighteous Mammon and at best and with the best not true Riches Luk. 16.11 Their very being is no being and when they are they are not Prov. 23.4 True riches are nothing else but plenty of such things as are useful to the person whom they enrich But 1. The principal part of man to which the â—ody is but a servant hath no use of them â—r benefit by them neither of the natural meat drink c. or artificial gold silver c. Nay 2. Even to the body while it is in the short Pilgrimage of this life where only they are current they are â—ather as a little spending money than its â—ortion or inheritance For look as many Cart-loads of Laconian money that iron â—yn could not enrich a Traveler who â—as riding Post through that Region to his â—â—tive Country but were rather a burthen â— an a furtherance to his journey so the â—odies of men flying through this mortal life â— immortality are rather laden than enrichâ—â— by the abundance of these earthly things 〈◊〉 which they shall never have more need or use after this momentary Pilgrimage 2. Images are dead helpless things they have mouths but cannot speak for us eyes but cannot provide for us hands but can do nothing for us feet but in our necessity cannot stir to help us Psal. 115.5 6 7. Such are riches meer Images profit us nothing Prov. 10.2 Are we in trouble visited with sickness in body with distress in spirit c. They cannot relieve us Riches profit not in the day of wrath but righteousness delivers from death Prov. 11.4 They shall cast their silver in the streets and their gold shall be removed their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord Ezek. 7.19 Zeph. 1.18 Are our Friends in danger They cannot redeem a brother nor give a ransome for him Psal. 49.6 7. when we would serve our selves of them they take them to their wings and are gone Prov. 23.4 would we sleep They will not suffer us Eccles. 5.12 and instead of helping hurt us Eccles. 5.13 3. As Idols make their Worshippers like to themselves even Idols Psal. 115.8 thus men idolizing riches become like to their coyn meer images of men they have neither mouths to eat nor hands to enjoy oâ— take part of their labour Eccles. 6.2 They have not so much reason or sense to design some end of all their pains or to discourse with themselves For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good Eccles. 4.8 2. Secondly whatsoever defect in general excluded the creatures from challenging any part in mans happiness the same in particular barrs out riches 1. It is full of vanity and vexation Eccles. 2.7 8 11. All his dayes the worldly rich eateâ—h in darkness and hath much wrath and sorrow with his sickness Eccles. 5.17 2. It satisfies not nay the more it is loved the less it satisfies Mans eye is not satiate with riches Eccles. 4.8 They shall not satisfie their souls nor fill thâ—ir bowels Ezek. 7.19 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver c. Eccles. 5.10 3. They are not durable they are of no continuance Riches are not for ever Prov. 27.24 They perish Eccles. 5.14 have Eagles wings Prov. 23.4 4. The more we enjoy the less we love them The soul that most dotes on them goes utterly off from what it hath attained and reacheth â—fter that which it would have and yet hath not and so indeed cleaves to that which is â—ot Prov. 23.4 5. They are far below us They have no reason sense life no being â—ut what we give them in our opinion and â—ancy no other end but to drudge for us 6. They are not only in respect of happiness needless so that never any was even on earth so blessed as he that had least of them witness our most blessed Saviour but in their abundance a burthen which sinks the body and soul under them and dangerous stopping the way to Heaven and barring the entrance to our only happiness Luk. 8.14 18.25 I will shut up this Chapter with a story very true and as pertinent Some ten miles from Cambridge dwelt a man old and poor who hid his hoar head under a very mean Cottage with no other companion of his age than his as aged Wife His means rose only from the flock of the Town in which he lived and which he tended Following his sheep it chanced that he found a Portmanteâ— full of treasure And almost distracted with joy he bears it home and acquaints his Consort with this happy adventure After deep consultation they concluded to digg an hole under their bed and there in a grave to conceal it But in the night being now become very wakeful they were suddenly frighted with some noise perhaps the scrabling of their Cat or Dog rose up in great perturbation searched every mousehole and all the remainder of that night neither closed their eyes nor put ouâ— their candel Early in the morning they took further advice and resolved that every night one of them by turns should watch their prisoner lest happily he might break from them and make an escape This they practised so long untill both of them who before were well-near worn up with age were now with care fear and want of sleep even consumed and pined After more mature deliberation they thought expedient to hire some poor neighbours for now they mustered themselves not in so mean a rank every night to guard their Palace and centinel about them Which when it was noised abroad in the Town wrought divers strange surmises though not any yet harped upon the right string nor once dreamed what was the true cause of all this business some laughed others pittied fearing the old Couple would end their dayes in Bedlam About a month after they had intelligence who was the Owner of this money and heard of a competent reward offered to the finder and restorer And now being much more weary than greedy they readily take hold of the offer rendred up their prisoner purchast a Jayl delivery hung up their cares freed
glittering of rotten wood in the night hold when the Creatour is in the other scale The third Stale is Pleasure a wanton petulant luxurious pack which in respect of your youth if God keep you not will easily draw away your hearts from the love of Christ. She hath all the properties of an Harlot By means of a whorish woman shall a man be brought to a piece of bread Prov. 6.26 and he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man Prov. 21.27 they that live in pleasure are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 stinking coarses buried in living bodiesâ— Oh take heed of this perfumed piece of Carrion Perhaps she will send in her Brokers voluptuous vain persons nay perhaps shâ— will have your own hearts to plead for heâ— What should you bury the April of youâ— years in a Winter of sullen melancholyâ— May you not specially in youth enjoâ— some pleasure and refresh your selves witâ— the delights of the Sons of men Truly oâ—â— gracious Lord is far from interdicting us anâ— lawful or true pleasure To wallow as Swine in the mire to pollute our souls which he hath washed in that precious fountain opened in the side of Christ for sin and for uncleanness as a Dog to lick up our vomit as that Demoniack to dwell among the Tombs Mar. 5.3 and converse with the dead in their graves this if this be pleasure our Lord hath prohibited But surely whosoever account these things delightful must needs also rank themselves with hoggs doggs and demoniacks Your Father alloweth you a sober and wholsome use of all his creatures for your comfort and refeshing and lest this should be too little gives himself to be your Pleasure and joy bidds you â—o rejoice in him and again to rejoice Phil. â—4 4 he allows and gives you joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 provides for you fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures Psal. 16.11 He will be to you a fountain â—f life and will make you to drink and abunâ—antly satisfie you with rivers of his pleasures Psal. 36.8 9. The Lord of glory offers himself and his â—onjugal love unto you to endow you with â—ll his goods with himself the supream the â—nfinite Good Are there no pleasures in his â—mbraces If you sit down under his shadow â—ou will find great delight and his fruit will 〈◊〉 most sweet unto your taste Cant. 2.3 If a man who hath married some fair lovely and loving Spouse should yet doat upon a stinking but perfumed and painted Harlot who scorns not his folly who detests not his perfidious and perjurious wickedness who looks on him but as a man impotioned and with strong sorceries bewitched God proffers himself to you as a Father offers the Son and Heir of his glory into your bosome and shall we leave this glorious Spouse to follow those dirty Prostitutes sinks of all uncleanness and filthiness The good Lord keep our hearts from such a witchery Now therefore fence your hearts from such inchantments with these thoughts No other passage what no way but this Can bring my Pilgrim soul to rest and bliss Proud Seas in Gyant waves 'gainst Heaven riâ—e And casting mounts fight with loudâ—thundring Skies Skies charge their double Cannons and let fly Their fires and bullets waters hizz and fry How shall my tir'd Bark climb those mounts how shâ—â— It fall and not than hell much deeper fâ—ll How shall a Potsheard stand one Volly how Shall glass cut through such storms with brittle prow Were sails as wings to mount me o're those hills Who could secure me in those lesser rills Where Sirens fill the ear and eye with wonder I more fear calm than storms more songs than thunder Lend to the Latine Siren eyes and ears Her face will seem an Angel voice the Spheres The Belgian melts the soul with sugred strains Drops Wine and loosness into swilling veins A third Gold Plenty Wealth abundance sings And binds the captive car with â—ilver strings A fourth guilds all her notes with Thrones and Crownâ—â— So Heav'n in earth glory in honour drowns The last powrs honey from her pleasant Hive So stings and kills and buries men alive Lord steer my Bark draw thou mine eye and ear From those vain frights thy Word and thee to fear Lord tune my heart to hear in Saintly throngs More musick in thy thunders than their songs Make me to think in all these storms and charms In Sirens notes and thundring Worlds alarms Thy presence is my guard my Port thy Bed and armsâ— But is such a match feasable CAP. XIII There is no impossibility or very much difficulty to attain it TRue it is that Satan as an old and expert Pandar with exquisite art and cunning labours both to obscure the radiant beams of that Sun of Righteousness lest that great Light the Image of God and Brightness of his glory Heb. 1.3 should shine forth unto us 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and in dark shadows to kindle those rotten sticks of superstition errour profit pleasure preferment so with these glistering shews of false light to draw away our eyes and hearts from our Lord and true Spouse to the adulterous love of these painted Sâ—rumpets And truly it is with us as with some silly children we are more taken with the glaring dust of rotten wood than with those glittering beams of that great Light of Heaven yet were not these eyes and heart as wicked and as if not more deceitfuâ— as he deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 he could not sâ— â—asily bewitch us with those false blazings of plaistered and painted beauties But when he without and our hearts within are cunning to deceive hence it comes that these loathsome Harlots seem altogether lovely which indeed are sheer vanity and he who in truth is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 hath his visage so marred more than any man and his form more than the Sons of men that he hath in our eyes no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty why we should desire him Isa. 52.14 53.2 I have therefore before as I could weakly endeavoured to uncover as well the loathsome deformity of those hellish Stales as also the glorious beauties of our gracious Lord. But who is suâ—â—icient 2 Cor. 2.16 and who less sufficient than am I Blessed be the Father of lights who hath in any measure purged and cleered our dimm and abused eyes to discern the abhorred filthiness of the one and the excelling excellency of the other Now if our poor souls enamoured on his perfections should say Blessed indeed is the hand that weds and the heart that beds him But I am a worm and no man what hope to match with so greaâ— a Lord I am a dead Coarse dead in sins and trespasses a painted Sepulchre a grave full of dead Corpses what possibility for such a wretch to rise up to so high an advancement How should such a Body of death be espoused and match with the
whom only God accepteth Heb. 7.26 28. That blessed Spirit who baptizeth with fire will not only inflame your hearts but kindle also your lips with all fervencie of prayer Prayer is a special sacrifice and sacrifices must burn upon the Altar Prayer is our Incense Psal. 141.2 which till it burneth in the fiery censer yields no odour or sweetness That holy Spirit will quicken you to frequent and continual prayer and doth not only whisper in your ear but draw out your heart to pray always with all manner of prayer Eph. 6.18 to pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5.17 to continue in prayer and watch in the same Col. 4.2 not to slip any occasion but to improve all opportunities which God offers us in petition thanksgiving intercession deprecation supplication No marvel if the Ancients called it the key of Heaven for it opens all to us It opens the womb Gen. 20.17 18. It opens the prison Act. 12. It opens Heaven when it is bar'd with brass Iam. 5.18 It opens Gods ears when he hath even shut them against us 2 Chro. 7.13 14 15. The Doctours call it the scourge of the Divel It drives away his tentations Matth. 26.41 Nothing in the world so prevalent For it sets even God himself on work in whose hands are all creatures and with whom nothing is impossible Gird up therefore the loyns of your minds and whet your voyces to peirce through the Heavens And oh that I could be the means to put that perpetual motion of praying and crying into your hearts Look about you and you shall see abundant matter of crying of loud crying would we advisedly behold what we see there is hardly one object of our eyes which would not skrue up our voyces a note higher and set us a roaring Look upon the dark places of the earth and they are full of the habitations of crueltie Psal. 74.20 And should not this raise up a crie Remember Lord the enemie hath reproched and foolish people have blasphemed thy name oh deliver not the soul of thy Turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked oh let not the oppressed return ashamed Psal. 74.18 19 21. when you look into the place of judgment and wickedness is there and to the place of righteousness and inquitie is there Eccl. 3.16 will not so crying a sin force a loud crie from your hearts when you consider all the oppressions under the Sun and behold the tears of the oppressed and they had no comâ—orter and on the side of the Oppressours was power but on their side no comâ—orter Eccl. 4.1 how can you forbear to weep with those that weep when you hear the grones of widowes the sighs of the fatherless the lamentations of the hungry naked distressed can you chuse but bear a part in this doleful musick when you look on the pride wherein the land is disguised in monstrous attires the prodigious excess in riotings the general lightness and impudence of all behaviour when you hear the vollies of blasphemous tongues thundering against Heaven the stench of drunkenness infecting the ayer with plagues poxes c. the ignorance superstition idolatrie profaneness Atheism in the world the hellish contempt of God and all his Ordinances In a word a deluge of corruption overwhelming all degrees sexes ages and the wrath of God flaming in revenge against such execrable provocations where can you find hearts large enough to hold or throats wide enough to utter cries and ejulations to Heaven But had you no eyes to look abroad yet look within and you shall find more matter of crying than possibilitie of expressing See there what ignorance unbelief deadness vanitie securitie pride hypocrisie obstinacie backsliding self-love self-seeking inordinate passion what a world what an hell of wickedness couches it self in a desperately wicked heart it will stretch out your throats and force you to a loud crie and bitter Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Certainly if you have any spirit in you it will fill your hearts with a fountain and your eyes with rivers of tears Were you heathens it would drive you to send out the proclamation of Nineve into every part of body and soul Let man and beast reason and sense flesh and spirit cry mightily unto God Jon. 3.8 Let us whet these things upon our hard hearts to sharpen our dull prayers that they may pierce the Heavens and prevent the birth of that decree which if it once bring forth will prevent all prevention Pour out day and night some such petition when you have prepared your hearts by some such like meditation Oh my drowsie soul canst thou ly down with Ionah and sleep in such a Tempest Seest thou not these waves of wickedness which mount up against Heaven and sink down again into bottomless depths and is not thy spirit melted because of trouble The floods have lifted up the floods of the ungodly have lifted up their voice and canst thou be silent See how that little Bark fraught with Christ and his Spouse is filled with water nay with blood see what a storm is come down into the lake and how the waves dash into the ship whilst thy Lord and Saviour â—s asleep in the stern upon a pillow and wilt thou not with loud cries awake him See what a troubled sea is in thine own heart foming out mire and dirt and canst thou rest Are not the waters come into thy soul Sinkst thou not in the deeps where is no standing Is not the belly of hell ready to swallow thee and canst thou cease crying Heark how sin cries and wilt thou be silent heark how the Saints cry and canst thou hold thy peace If thou hast no words in thy tongue hast thou no grones no sighs in thy heart Oh my soul is thy Lord so ready to hear and art thou so slow to speak Shall his ear stand so wide open to thee and thy mouth and heart so fast shut to him Do not his commands draw thee thy necessities drive thee do not his mercies invite his promises assure thee thy povertie enforce thee Art thou a child and canst not speak He hath provided thee two Almighty Intercessours one his Son to plead for thee the other his Spirit to plead in thee How should the weakest arm faint which hath such supporters such an Hur and such an Aaron to under-prop them Oh thou my gracious Saviour who in the days of thy flesh offeredst up prayers and supplications with strong cries accent my flat heart and voice with thy sharp cryings Thou who helpest the infirmities of our utterance teach my heart to grone beyond all power of utterance And Thou who knowest the mind of the spirit and art ever well pleased in thy beloved hearken graciously to the stammerings of my Infant spirit and accept them in him in whom thou art ever well pleased 4. Lastly for vowes I can give you no better direction than his Spirit to whom
you vow Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy spirit be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccl. 5.2 Be very sparing and slow in making but sure and timely in paying vows Psal. 67.11 Eccl. 5.4 Let your vowes promise some warrantable service as Iacob Gen. 28.21 22. General vowes made in Baptism pay daily Psal. 61.8 particular seasonably Deut. 23.21 Let your vowes be ever conditional if God will help and assist you then looking to his gracious promises beg strength and stirr up your selves to a diligent and cheerful performance Pay them not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver 2 Cor. 9.7 Frequently thus meditate Great Fount of light whose overflowing streams Lend stars their dimmer â—parks Suns brighter beams Thy mouth spoke light thy hands at first did shed it Along the skie and through the ayer did spred it So shadedst earth with curtains of the night And drewst those curtains to give days their light Then gathering all that scattered light compactedâ—t In one vast burning Lamp and strait enactedst That all less lights should beg their borrowed beams And from that â—ountain fill their narrow streams So that more spiritual and sacred ray Which riâ—ing from thy mouth gave spirits day In those first ages had no certain sphere But breath'd by thee shin'd forth from mouth to ear Aâ— length collected by thy gracious Spirit Fills all the world with light with life and spirit There I behold thy self thy Lamb and Dove Shining in grace burning in heavenly love There I my death and thine thy power my duty See and by seeing change into thy beautie Lord let thy light draw off my wandring eyes From empâ—y forms and lying vanities Oh fix them on thy self and make me see My Light in all things nothing all in thee Thou boughtâ—t me all oh make me all thine own Be all in me I all in thee alone CAP. XX. Man as man is not man but Vanitie THere is but one end to which all men aym all their thoughts desires and actions even Blessedness and but one way leading to this end knowledg but this way hath two periods 1. The knowledg of our selves 2. Of our God a truth so palpable that even heathens in their midnight without eyes could feel something of it and not only find it themselves but commend and prove it to others The whole scripture was penn'd by the Holy Ghost to this very end to be our light and guide in this way yet as far as I conceive no where so briefly and cleerly doth this Guide point out this way unto us as in that short but full sentence Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in sins he hath quicken'd us together with Christ. Look as it is with some double-faced pictures if ye view them on the one â—ide you shall see a beautiful pourtrait of some lovely virgin or such like if ye change your place and look on the other side ye see an Owl Ape or some deformed creature so hath Gods blessed Spirit as in Tableture drawn the picture of man If you behold him in himself in his own and old nature he is but a body oâ— death if you look on him in his new nature and in the second Adam full of glorious life One side no better than a Divel if not worse the other no worse than an Angel if not better In the first he is dead dead in sin the death of hell In the second he is alive quickned with Christ in the life of God Let this piece therefore be the last Legacie which in the conclusion of this Testament I bequeath to every one of you that you may hang it up in the best room of your heart where you may have it ever in your eye and there behold your selves 1. In your tombs dead in sins and buried in the graves of lust 2. In your resurrection quickned in and with the Lord Iesus Christ. Death consists 1. In the privation of life when life is not or is now nothing 2. In the consequents of this privation corruption putrefaction stench loathsomness Consider then the picture of your old man 1. In the rude draught the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. In the full pourtrait when all the colours and complements are added In the former Man in the first Adam howsoever magnified by himself or others considered not physically or civilly but spiritually is a base abject creature hardly to be called a creature a very privative and therefore nothing He is as we say a may be possibly he may be some thing but as yet in this estate a sheer vanitie and a meer nothing He is but Somnium hominis a dream and so are all his actions Though he mount up in exâ—ellencie unto the Heavens and his head reach unto the clouds he shall fly away as a dream and not be found chased away as a vision in the night Joh. 20.6 8. As when an hungry man dreams and behold he eats but he awakes and his soul is empty and a thirsty man dreams and behold he drinks but he awakes and behold he is faint and his soul hath appeâ—ite Isa. 29.7 8. voluptuous men in their feasts and riots do but dream that they eat drink and are merry worldlings do but dream that they find treasures and very joyful they are in gathering pocketing and chesting it but they awake and in their hand is nothing Eccl. 5.14 As a dream when one awaketh so oh Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their glory Psal. 73.20 Mâ—n is like to vanitie Psal. 144.4 A very small but very like and lively picture so like that as it is spoken of the blind man Ioh. 9. we may say this is he others he is very like him but himself when he hath his eyes will fully confess I am he I am a meer dream and a sheer vanitie Attentively observe that fuller picture Psal. 39.5 Mine age is as nothing before thee and verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Where this emptiness of man is excellently set out in divers propositions 1. Man is vanitie You may say perhaps some men the poor are despised nay 2. Every man Indeed take him at his worst in sickness trouble c. nay 3. In his best estate In some respects it may be as subject to losses crosses death c. nay 4. In all respects Altogether vanitie But is not this an hyperbole more spoken than intended No it is an infallible truth which the Spirit of truth hath bound with an asseveration Verily Verily every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Nay the Lord proceeds yet further and to convince our self-conceit and fond pride assures us that as men of low degree are vanitie so men of high degree are worse a lie so that high and low weighed in a true ballance are lighter than vanitie it self Psal. 62.9 A lie what great men glittering in their pomp admired by some feared by others are