in ill designes and ungracions courses to go on in sin uncontrouled for he that useth to do evil and speeds well seldome rests until he come to that evil from which there is no redemption Besides Forbearance is no acquittance the wickedness of the Old World is as abundant in the New World yet is not the World drowned with water But why because God hath ordained for it a deluge of fire The sins of Sodome are practised every where in our City and Kingdome yet do the committters escape fire and brimstone on earth because they are reserved to fire and brimstone in Hell Do not many persecute the Church as violently as Pharaoh with Chariots and Armies who yet escape drowning there is a reservation of a deeper and bottomless Sea for them divers murmur at the passages of Gods providence in these times of retribution and Reformation who are not stung with fiery Serpents as the Israelites because they are reserved to a fiery serpent in Hell Many yea the most that can come by them take Bribes like Gehazi without a Leprosie because of that eternal Leprosie which waits for them How many a deceitful Executor and Trustee sayes and swears with a little inversion of Ananias his lie I received but so much I disbursed so much yet are not stricken with death temporal because they are reserved to death eternal Have not many Monopolists with us done as bad as those Philippians Act. 16.16.19 who compounded with the Devil for a Pattent to bring them in gain and yet grow rich and prosper and leave a great deal of substance to their heires whose gain will be found losse when Satan shall seize upon their bodies and soules and hurry them to Hell And so of other Sinners for the like is appliable to the whole Nation except some few despised ones and he is a rare man that does not either mis-believe or grosly mislive that is not a worshipper of one of these three the lust of the flesh voluptuousness the lust of the eyes covetousness or the pride of life ambition which is all the Trinity the world worships But of all the rest let all envious Cains scoffing Ishmaels reviling Goliahs bloody-minded Hamans and Doegs cursing Shimeis railing Rabshake's flouting Tobiahs and Sanballats cruel Herods all the like God-â—aters that carry an aking tooth against every good man they know and will even hate one for his being holy though poor ignorant souls they know it not look for a whole volume of plagues in the next life though they escape in this if they repent not For it hell-fire shall be their portion that obey not the Gospel how can they look to escape that oppose it Or if at the great day men shall be bid Depart into everlasting torments for not feeding clothing visiting what shall become of those that maliciously scoffe at Religion and persecute Christ in his members which is the depth of sin For he that despiseth traduceth or any way wrongs one that believes in Christ especially one of his Ambassadors of the Ministery strikes at the Image of God in him by whose Spirit he both speakâ— and acts And God takes it as if it were done to himself for proof of both seâ— Psal. 44.22 74.4 10 18 22 23. 83.2 5 6. 89.50 51. 139.20 Prov. 19. â— Rom. 1.30 9.20 Matth. 10.22 25.45 â— Sam. 17.45 Isai. 37.4 22 23 28. 54.17 Acts 5.39 9.4 5. Iob 9.4 1 Thes. 4.8 Iohn 15.20 to 26. Numb 16.11 1 Sam. 8.7 Mark 9.42 Ier. 17.18 Psal. 79.12 2 Kings 2.24 O that my old acquaintance the Formal Hypocrite and my feigned friend the Civil Iusticiary and my well-meaning neighbour the Loose Libertine with millions more would but seriously consider these Scriptures and he warned by them before the Draw-bridge be taken up For if the bountifulness and long-suffering of God do not lead us to repentance it will increase our condemnation Besides God owes that man a grievous payment whom he suffers to run on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together CHAP. IV. § 1. BUt admit mens unbelief impenitency and prophanenesse in such glorious times of light and means of grace as ours is were not enough to provoke God to inflict this heavy grievous judgement upon them how well do they deserve this and much more for their horrible and abominable ingratitude to so good a God so gracious a Saviour and Redeemer that hath done and suffered or would do more for them then can either be expressed or conceived by any heart were it as deep as the Sea As mark well what I the meanest of a million shall but paint or draw ouâ— as it were with a cole of his unspeakable goodnesse to sinners I will according to my slender ability but give you a drop to taste out of that ocean Touching what God and Christ hath done for us In the first place he gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledg of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse but this was nothing in comparison for when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this our selves when by sin we had turned that image of God into the image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not onely without asking but even against our wills so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal. 4.7 Here was a fathomless depth a wonder beyond all wonders § 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither heaven earth nor hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodness did not onely finde out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Son his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shameful painful and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 The very thought of which death before he came to it together with the weight and burthen of our sins put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to
we cannot miscarry if we trust to his Yet this is to be considered that God does not work upon us as upon blocks and stones in all and every respect passive but converts our wils to will our own conversion He that made thee without thy self will not justifie nor save thee without thy self Without thy merit indeed not without thine endeavour When those deadly waters were healed by the Prophet the outward act must be his the power Gods he cast the salt into the spring and said Yhus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death or barrennesse Elisha was the Instrument but far was he from challenging ought to himself Wherefore be sure to use that power which Christ shall give thee and then my soul for thine he will not be wanting on his part And amongst other thine endeavour exercise Prayer Omit not to beg of God for the grace thou wantest and praise him for what thou obtainest Abhor to attribute or ascribe ought to thy doing trust only to Christs obedience in whom only what we do is accepted and for whom only it is rewarded Now you are to know that as no Sacrifice was without Incense so must no service be performed without Prayer And Prayer is like the Merchants Ship to fetch in heavenly commodities It is the Key of Heaven as St Austin terms it and the Hand of a Christian which is able to reach from earth to Heaven and to take forth every manner of good gift out of the Lords Treasury Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name saies Christ believing he will give it you John 16.23 Matth. 21.22 Unto fervent Prayer God will deny nothing It is like Sauls Sword and Ionathans bow that never returned empty Like Ahimaaz that alwaies brought good tydings It is worth the obseâ—ving how Cornelius his serious exercise of this duty of Prayer brought unto him first an Angel then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himself Hast thou then a desire after that happinesse before spoken of seek first to have the asistance of Gods Spirit and his love shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost Wouldst thou have the love of God and the asistance of his Spirit ask it of him by Prayer who saith If any of you lack in this kind let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him James 1.5 Wouldst thou pray that thou maist be heard Ask in faith and waver not for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea tost of the wind and carried away Vers. 6. Wouldst thou have faith be diligent to hear the Word preached which is the sword of the Spirit that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable Cannon-shot that battereth and beateth down all the strong holds of sinne and Satan Rom. 10.17 Unto him therefore that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think I commend thee CHAP. XIV Lastly For conclusion of this point Wouldst thou be a contented and Happy man then strive to be a Thankefull man and when God hath the fruit of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much Wouldest thou become thankefull then bethink thy self what cause thou hast by calling to mind and considering what God and Christ hath done for thee As first That he is the Authour of thy natural life For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 Secondly Of thy spiritual life Thus I live saies Paul yet not I now but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Thirdly Of thy eternal life 1 Joh. 1. He is the way the truth and the life John 14.6 The resurrection and the life John 11.25 Or more particularly thus In the first place He gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledge of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse But this was nothing in comparison For when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this and our selves when by sinne we had turned that Image of God into the Image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not only without asking but even against our wils so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal 4.7 Here was a fathomlesse depth a wonder beyond all wonders 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse did not only find out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Sonne his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Crosse to redeem us That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 The very thought of which death before he come to it together with the weight and burthen of our sinnes put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sonnes of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore O wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesus Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God! who can sufficiently expresse thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world than to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six daies to finish it the Redemption of man cost him
cold doth keep in and double their inward heat And so of mans body the more extream the cold is without the more doth the natural heat fortifie it self within and guard the heart The Corn receives an inward heat and comfort from the Frost and Snow which lieth upon it Trees lopt and pruned flourish the more and bear the fuller for it The Grape when it is most pressed and trodden maketh the more and better Wine The drossie gold is by the fire refined Windes and Thunder clears the Air Working Seas purge the Wine Fire increaseth the sent of any Perfume Pounding makes all Spices smell the sweeter Linnen when it is buckt and washt and wrung and beaten becomes the whiter and fairer the Earth being torn up by the Plough becomes more rich and fruitful Is there a piece of ground naturally good Let it lie neglected it becomes wilde and barren yea and the more rich and fertile it is of it self the more waste and fruitless it proveth for want of Tillage and Husbandry The Razor though it be tempered with a due proportion of Steel yet if it pass not the Grindstone or Whetstone is never the less unapt to cut yea though it be made once never so sharp if it be not often whelted it waxeth dul All which are lively emblemes of that truth which the Apostle delivers 2 Cor. 4.16 We faint not for though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily Even as a Lambe is much more lively and nimble for shearing If by enmity and persecution as with a knife the Lord pareth and pruneth us it is that we may bring forth the more and better fruit and unless we degenerate we shall bear the better for bleeding as Anteus every time rose up the stronger when Hercules threw him to the ground because he got new strength by touching of his Mother O admirable use of affliction health from a wound cure from a disease out of grief joy gain out of loss out of infirmity strength out of sin holiness out of death life yea we shall redeem something of Gods dishonour by sin if we shall thence grow holy But this is a harder Riddle then Sampsons to these Philistims CHAP. 6. That it stirs them up to Prayer 3 THirdly because they quicken our devotion make us pray unto God with more fervency Lord saith Isaiah in trouble they will visit thee they poured out prayers when thy chastening was upon them Isay 26.16 In their affliction saith Hosea they will seek thee diligently Hosea 5.15 That we never pray so feelingly fervently forcibly as in time of affliction may be seen in the examples of the children of Israel Judges 3.9 15. Elisha 2 Kings 6.18 Hezekiah 2 Kings 19.15 16. Stephen Acts 7.59 60. And lastly in Iehosaphat who being told that there was a great multitude coming against him from beyond the Sâ—a out of Aram it follows That Jehosaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a Fast throughout all Judeah Yea they came out of all parts and joyned with him to enquire of the Lord 2 Chron. 20.3 4 13. Neither doth it make us alone which suffer earnest in prayer but it makes others also labour in prayer to God for us 2 Cor. 1.10 11. Acts 12.5 12. As what true members participate not some way of the bodies smart It is only a Nero can sit and sing while Rome burns Whence we are taught to pray in the plural number Our Father and certainly he cannot pray or be heard for himself that is no mans friend but his own No prayer without faith no faith without Charity no Charity without mutual intercession But I proceed Crosses are the files and whetstones that set an edge on our Devotions without which they grow dull and ineffectual Ionah sleeps in the Ship but prays hard in the Whales belly Prayer is the wing of the soul wherewith it flies to Heaven as meditation is the Eye wherewith we see God But our hearts are like flint-stones which must be smitâ—en ere they will send out these sparks of devotion Christ never heard of the Canaanitish woman until her daughter was miserably vexed with a Devil but then she comes to him and doth not speak but cry need and desire have raised her voice to an importunate clamour The God of mercy is light of hearing yet he loves a loud and vehement solicitation not to make himself inclinable to grant but to make us capable to receive blessings And indeed the very purpose of affliction is to make us importunate he that hears the secret murmurs of our grief yet wil not seem to hear us till our cries be loud and strong as Demosthenâ—s would not plead for his Client till he cried to him but then answered his sorrow Now I feel thy cause Prayer is as an arrow if it be drawn up but a little it goes not far but if it be pâ—ll'd up to the head flies strongly pierces deep if it be but dribled forth of careless lips it falls down at our feet the strength of our ejaculations sends them up into Heaven and fetches down a blessing The Childe hath escaped many a stripe by his loud crying and the very unjust Iudge cannot endure the widows clamour So unto fervent prayer God will deny nothing Whereas heartless motions do but teach us to deny Fervent suites offer violence both to Earth and Heaven So that if we ask and miss it is because we ask amiss we beat back the flame not with a purpose to suppress it but to raise it higher and to diffuse it We stop the stream that it may swell the more and a denial doth but invite the importunate as we see in the Canaanitish woman Matth. 15. Our holy longings are increased with delayes it whets our appetite to be held fasting and whom will not Need make both humble and â—loquent If the case be woful it will be exprest accordingly the despair of all other helps sends us importunately to the God of power but while money can buy Physick or friends procâ—re enlargement the great Physician and helper is not sought unto nor throughly trusted in It is written of the children of Israel that so soon as they cried unto the Lord he delivered them from their servitude under Eglon King of Moab yet it is plain they were eighteen years under this bondage undelivered Iudges 3.14 15. Doubtless they were not so unsensible of their own misery as not to complain sooner then the end of eighteen years the first hour they sighed for themselves but now they cried unto God They are words and not prayers which fall from careless lips if we would prevail with God we must wrestle and if we would wrestle happily with God we must wrestle first with our own dulness Yea if we felt our want or wanted not desire we could speak to God in no tune but cries and nothing but cries can pierce Heaven The best mens zeal is but
also in much Luk. 16 10. He that will corrupt his conscience for a pound what would he do for a thousand If Iudas will sell his Mâ—ster for thirty pence what would he not have done for the Treasury Alas there are no sins small but comparatively These things speaking of Mint and Cummin ought ye to have done sayes our Saviour and not have left the other undone Luk. 11.42 Wherefore it is with a good and tender conscience as it is with the apple of the eye for as the least hair or dust grieves and offends that which the skin of the eye-lid could not once complain of so a good and tender conscience is disquieted not only with beams but moates even such as the world accounts trifles it strains not only at Cammels but Gnats also A sincere heart is like a neat spruce man that no sooner spies the least speck or spot on his garment but he gets it washt or scrap't off the common Christian like a nasty sloven who though he be all foul and besmeared can indure it well enough yea it offends him that another should be more neat than himself But such men should consider that though they have large consciences that can swallow down any thing yet the sincere and tender conscience is not so wide A strait shooe cannot indure the least pibble stone which will hardly be felt in a wider neither will God allow those things in his Children which he permits in his enemies no man but will permit that in another mans Wife or Child which he would abhor in his own A box of precious oyntment may not have the least fly in it nor a delicate Garden the least weed though the Wildernesse be overgrown with them I know the blind world so blames the Religious and their Religion also for this nicenesse that they think them Hypocrites for it but this was Iobs comfort in the aspersion of Hypocrisie My witnesse is in Heaven and my record on high And as touching others that are offended their answer is Take thou O God who needest not our sinne to further thy work of Grace the charge of thy Glory give us grace to take charge of thy Precepts For sure we are that what is absolutely evill can by no circumstance be made good poyson may be qualified and become medicinall there is use to be made of an enemy sicknesse may turn to our better health and death it self to the faithfull is but a door to life but sinne be it never so small can never be made good Thus you have seen their fear but look also upon their courage for they more fear the least sinne than the greatest torment All the fear of Satan and his instruments ariseth from the want of the true fear of God but the more a man fears God the lesse he fears every thing else Fear God honour the King 1 Pet. 2.14 17. He that fears God doth but honour the King he need not fear him Rom. 13.3 the Law hath not power to smite the vertuous True many have an opinion not wise That Piety and Religion abates fortitude and makes valour Feminine but it is a foundationlesse conceit The true beleever fears nothing but the displeasure of the highest and runs away from nothing but sinne Indeed he is not like our hot-spurs that will fight in no cause but a bad that fear where they should not fear and fear not where they should fear that fear the blasts of mens breath and not the fire of Gods wrath that fear more to have the world call them Cowards for refusing than God to judge them rebels for undertaking that tremble at the thought of a Prison and yet not fear Hell fire That can govern Towns and Cities and let a silly woman over-rule them at home it may be a servant or a Childe as Themistocles Sonne did in Greece What I will said he my Mother will have done and what my Mother will have my Father doeth That will undertake a long journey by Sea in a Wherry as the desperate Marriner hoyseth sayl in a storm and sayes None of his Ancestors were drowned That will rush fearlesly into infected houses and say The Plague never ceizeth on valiant blood it kills none but Cowards That languishing of some sicknesse will strive to drink it away and so make hast to dispatch both body and soul at once that will run on high battlements gallop down steep hils ride over narrow bridges walk on weak Ice and never think what if I fall but what if I passe over and fall not No he is not thus fearlesse for this is presumption and desperate madnesse not that courage and fortitude which ariseth from faith and the true fear of God but from blindnesse and invincible ignorance of their own estate As what think you Would any man put his life to a venture if he knew that when he died he should presently drop into hell I think not But let the beleeving Christian who knowes he hath a place reserved for him in Heaven have a warrant from Gods word you cannot name the service or danger that he will stick at Nor can he lightly fail of successe It is observed that Trajan was never vanquished because he never undertook warre without just cause In fine as he is most fearfull to offend so he is most couragious in a good cause as abundance of examples witnesse whereof I 'le but instance two for the time would be too short to tell of Abraham and Moses and Caleb and David and Gideon and Baruck and Sampson and Ieptha and many others of whom the holy Ghost gives this generall testimony that by faith of weak they were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the Armies of the Aliants subdued Kingdoms stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of the fire c. Heb. 11.22 to 35. Nor will I pitch upon Ioshua whom neither Caesar nor Pompey nor Alexander the Great nor William the Conquerour nor any other ever came near either for valour or victories but even Ionathan before and the Martyrs after Christ shall make it good As what think you of Ionathan whom neither steepnesse of Rocks nor multitude of enemies could discourage or disswade from so unlikely an assault Is it possible if the divine power of Faith did not add spirit and courage making men more than men that two should dare to think of encountering so many thousands and yet behold Ionathan and his Armour-bearer put to flight and terrified the hearts of all the Philistims being thirty thousand Chariots six thousand Horse-men and Foot-men like the sand of the Sea-shore 1 Sam. 14.15 O divine power of faith that in all attempts and difficulties makes us more than men and regards no more Armies of adversaries than swarms of flies A naturall man in a project so unlikely would have had many thoughts of discouragement and strong reasons to disswade him but his faith dissolves impediments as the Sunne doth dewes
yea he contemns all fears overlooks all impossibilities breaks through all difficulties with a resolute courage and flies over all carnall objections with celestiall wings because the strength of his God was the ground of his strength in God But secondly To shew that their courage is no lesse passive than active look upon that Noble Army of Martyrs mentioned in Ecclesiasticall History who went as willingly and cheerfully to the stake as our Gallants to a Play and leapt into their beds of flames as if they had been beds of down yea even weak women and young striplings when with one dash of a pen they might have been released If any shall yet doubt which of the two the Religious or Prophane are most valiant and couragious let them look upon the demeanour of the twelve Spies Numb the 13th and 14th Chapters and observe the difference between the two faithfull and true hearted and the other ten then will they conclude that Piety and Religion doth not make men Cowards or if it do that as there is no feast to the Churles so there is no fight to the Cowards True they are not soon nor easily provoked but all the better the longer the cold fit in an Ague the stronger the hot sit I know men of the Sword will be loth to allow of this Doctrine but truth is truth as well when it is not acknowledged as when it is and experience tells us that he who fears not to do evill is alwayes afraid to suffer evill Yea the Word of God is expresse That none can be truly valarous but such as are truly religious The wicked fly when none pursueth but the righteous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 28.1 The reason whereof is If they live they know by whom they stand if they die they know for whose sake they fall But what speak I of their not fearing death when they shall not fear even the day of Iudgement 1 Joh. 4.17 Hast not thou O Saviour bidden us when the Elements shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be flaming about our ears to lift up our heads with joy because our redemption draweth nigh Luk. 21.25 to 29. Wherefore saith the valiant Beleever come death come fire come whirlewinde they are worthy to be welcome that shall carry us to immortality Let Pagans and Infidels fear death saith St Cyprian who never feared God in their life but let Christians go to it as travellers unto their native home as Children unto their loving Father willingly joyfully Let such fear to die as have no hope to live a better life well may the brute beast fear death whose end of life is the conclusion of their being well may the Epicure tremble at it who with his life looketh to lose his felicity well may ignorant and unrepentant sinners quake at it whose death begins their damnation well may all those make much of this life who are not sure of a better because they are conscious to themselves that this dying life will but bring them to a living death they have all sown in sinne and what can they look to reap but misery and vanity sinne was their traffique and grief will be their gain detestable was their life and damnable will be their decease But it is otherwise with the Godly they may be killed but cannot be hurt for even death that fiend is to them a friend like the Red Sea to the Israelites which put them over to the Land of Promise while it drowned their enemies It is to the faithfull as the Angels were to Lot who snatcht him out of Sodome while the rest were consumed with fire and brimstone Every beleever is Christs betrothed Spouse and death is but a messenger to bring her home to her Husband and what chaste or loving Spouse will not earnestly desire the presence of her Bridegroom as St Austin speaks Yea the day of death to them is the day of their Coronation and what Princely heir does â—â—t long for the day of his instalment and rejoyce when it comes Certainly it was the sweetest voice that ever the Thief heard in this life when Christ said unto him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luk. 23.43 In a word as death to the wicked puts an end to their short joyes and begins their everlasting sorrowes so to the Elect it is the end of all sorrow and the beginning of their everlasting joyes The end of their sorrow for whereas complaint of evils past sense of present and fear of future have shared our lives amongst them death is 1. A Supersedeas for all diseases the Resurrection knows no imperfection 2. It is a Writ of ease to free us from labour and servitude like Moses that delivered Gods people out of bondage and from brick-making in Aegypt 3. Whereas our ingresse into the world our progresse in it our egresse out of it is nothing but sorrow for we are born crying live grumbling and die sighing death is a medicine which drives away all these for we shall rise triumphing 4. It shall revive our reputations and cleer our Names from all ignominy and reproach yea the more contemptible here the more glorious hereafter Now a very Duellist will go into the field to seek death and finde honour 5. Death to the godly is as a Goal-delivery to let the Soul out of the prison of the body and set it free 6. Death frees us from sinne an Inmate that spite of our teeth will â—oust with us so long as life affords it house-room for what is it to the faithfull but the funerall of their vices and the resurrection of their vertues And thus we see that death to the Saints is not a penalty but a remedy that it acquits us of all our bonds as sicknesse labour sorrow disgrace imprisonment and that which is worse than all sinne that it is not so much the death of nature as of corruption and calamity But this is not half the good it doth us for it delivers us up and lets us into such Ioyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 Yea a man may as well with a coal paint out the Sunne in all his splendor as with his pen or tongue expresse or with his heart were it as deep as the Sea conceive the fullnesse of those joyes and sweetnesse of those pleasures which the Saints shall enjoy at Gods right hand for evermore Psal. 16.11 In thy presence is the sullnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore For quality they are pleasures for quantity fullnesse for dignity at Gods right hand for eternity for evermore and millions of years multiplied by millions make not up a minute to this eternity Our dissolution is nothing else but aeterni natalis the birth-day of eternity as Seneca calls it more truly than he was aware for when we are born we are mortall but when we are dead we are
nor desire life except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custome to the life of grace Apt wee are to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodnesse yea to all the means thereof Wee are altogether of our selvs unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries but do thou fâ—ee our wills and set to thy helping hand in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections and we shall henceforth as much honor thee as by your wickednesse we have formerly dishonored thee Wherefore of thy goodnesse and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh enable us to repent what we have done and never more to do what we have once repented not fostering any one sin in our souls Reform and change our minds wills and affections which we have corrupted remove all impediments which hinder us from serving of thee and direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to thy glory as thou hast directed our eternal salvation thereunto Let not Satan any longer prevail in causing us to defer our repentance since we know that late repentance is seldom sincere and that sicknesse is no fit time for so great a work as many have found that are now in Hell Neither is it reasonable thou shouldest accept of our feeble and decrepit old age when we have spent all the flower and strength of our youth in serving of Satan not once minding to leave sin until sin left us Yea O Lord give us firmly to resolve speedily to begin and continually to persevere in doing and suffering thine holy will Inform and reform us so that we may neither mis-believe not misâ—live subdue our lusts to our wills submit our wills to reason our reason to faith our faith our reason our wills our selvs to thy blessed Word and Will Dispell the thick mists and clouds of our sins which corrupt our souls and darken our understandings separate them from us which would separate us from thee Yea remove them out of thy sight also we most humbly beseech thee as far as the East is from the West and in the merits of thy Son pardon and forgive us all those evils which either in thought word or deed we have this day or any time heretoâ—ore committed against thee whether they be the sins of our youth or of our age of omission or commission whether committed of â—gnorance of knowledge or against conscience and the many checks and motions of thy holy â—pirit And now O Lord seeing the time approacheth which thou hast appointed for rest and because wee can neither wake nor sleep without thee who hast made the day and night and rulest both therefore into thy hands we commend our souls and bodies beseeching thee to watch over us this night and preserve us from all our spiritual and bodily enemies from thievs fire and from all other dangers ☞ These things we humbly beg at thy fatherly hands and whatsoever else thou knowest in thy divine wisdome to be needful and necessary for our souls or bodies or estates or names or friends or the whole Church better then we our selvs can either ask or think and that for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake for thy Sons sake who suffered for sin and sinned not and whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our unrighteousnesse in him it is that we come unto thee in him we call upon thee who is our Redeemer our Preserver and our Saviour to whom with Thee and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour glory praise power might majesty dominion and hearty thanksgiving the rest of this night following and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence We no sooner lived then we deâ—served to die neither need we any more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us but thou hast spared us to this hour to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance as our first Parents and wee have turned from thee by sin yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain and thy long-suffering to no end For whereas many have been won by thy Word wee would not suffer it to change us many have been reformed by the Crosse but we would not suffer it to purge us many have been moved by thy benefits but we would not suffer them to perswade us yea as if we had contracted with the Divel that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come â—hy blessings make us proud thy riches covetous thy peace wanton thy meats intemperate thy mercy secure and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebell against thee We have prophaned thy daies contemned thy ordinances resisted thy Word grieved thy Spirit misused thy Messengers hated our Reprovers slandered and persecuted thy people seduced our friends given ill example to our Neighbours opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named and the truth we professe whereas meaner mercies and far weaker means have provoked others no lesse to honour thee and the Gospel who may justly rise up in judgment against us Besides which makes ouâ— case far more miserable we can scarce resolve to amend or if we do we put off our conversion to hereafter when we were children we deferred to repent till we were men now we are men we defer untill we be old men and when we be old men we shall defer it until death if thou prevent us not and yet we look for as much at thine hands as they which serve thee all their lives Perhaps we have a form of godlinesse but thou who search stâ—â—he heart and triest the reins knowest that too often we deny the power of it and that ouâ— Religion is much of it hypocrisie our zeal envie our wisedom policie our peace security our life rebellion our devotion deadnesse and that we live so securely as if we had no souls to save Indeed thy Word and Spirit
instead of all their posterity before they had issue and the Covenant being made with them as publick persons not for themselves onely but for their Posterity who were to stand or fall with them they being left to the freedom of their own wills in transgressing the commandment of God by eating the forbidden fruit through the temptation of Satan have made us and all mankind descending from them by ordinary generation as guilty of their sin as any heir is liable to his fathers debt Their act being ours as the act of a Knight or Burgess in the Parliament House is the act of the whole County in whose name and room they sit and whom they represent by which means our Nature is so corrupted that we are utterly indisposed and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good and wholly inclined to all evil and that continually and have also lost our communion with God incurred his displeasure and curse so as we are justly liable to all punishments both in this life and in the life to come Now for the fuller confirming and amplifying of what hath been said touching Original sin take only these ensuing Scriptures and Auhorisms without any needless connexion that I may be so much the briefer Sect. X. Amongst many others the most pregnant Scriptures for the confirming of this point I hold to be these The fathâ—rs have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge Jer. 31.29 was a true proverb though by them abused By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned Rom. 5.12 to 21. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14.4 See Chap. 15.14 15 16. We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa. 64 6. By the works of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Rom. 3.20 There is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.21 22 23. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually And it repented the Lord that he had made man Gen. 6 5 6. Both Iews and Gentiles are all under sin As it is written there is none righteous no not one There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God They are all gone on t of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doeth good no not one Their throat is an open sepulchre the poyson of Asps is under their lips there is no fear of God before their eyes Rom. 3.9 to 20. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies Mat. 15.19 See Gal. 5.19 20 21. Whence come wars and sightings amongst you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members James 4.1 Unto them that are unbelieving is nothing pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death c Rom. 7.14 to 25. where the Apostle speaks all this and a great deal more of himself see Ephes. 2.2 3. Gal. 3.10 Yet how many that grieve for their other sins which are never troubled for their Original corruption which should above all be bewailed even as the mother and nurse of all the rest and thought worthy not of our sighs alone but of our tears For this is the great wheel of the Clock that sets all the other wheels a moving while it seems to move slowest And never did any truly and orderly repent that began not here esteeming it the most foul and hatefull of all as David Psal. 51.5 And Paul crying out of it as the most secret deceitfull and powerfull evil Rom. 7.23 24. And indeed if we but clearly saw the foulness and deceitfulness of it we would not suffer our eyes to sleep nor our eye-lids to slumber until a happy change had wrought these hearts of ours which by nature are no better then so many styes of unclean Devils to become habitations for the God of Iacob Sect. XI We are the cursed seed of rebellious parents neither need we anymore to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us In Adam the root of all we all so sinned that if we had no inherent sin of our own this imputed sin of his were enough to damn us 〈…〉 Utter the branches cannot be better They were the fountain we the springs if the fountain be filthy so must the springs VVhence it is that holy David cries out Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Psal. 51.5 Tantillus puer tantus peccator saith St Austin when a little childe I was a great sinner As in the little and tender bud is infolded the leaf the blossom and the fruit so even in the heart of a young child there is a bundle and pack of folly laid up as Solomon affirms Pro. 22.15 And as Moses Speaks The thoughts of mans heart are evil even from his childhood Gen. 6.5 8.21 VVe brought a world of sin into the world with us and were condemned so soon as conceived we were adjudged to eternal death before we lived a temporal life As admit thou hadst never offended in the least thought word or deed all thy life yea admit thou couldest now keep all the commandments actually and spiritually yet all this were nothing it could not keep thee out of Hell since that Original sin which we drew from the loins of our first Parents is enough to damn us Sin and corruption are the riches that we bequeath to our children rebellion the inheritance that we have purchased for them death the wages that we have procured them God made us after his own image but by sin we have turned the image of God into the image of Satan Yea like Satan we can do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who would not so sin but for us As a furnace continually sparkles as the raging Sea foams and casts up mire and dirt and as a filthy dunghil does continually reak forth and evaporate odious odors so do our hearts naturally stream forth unsavory eructations unholy lusts and motions even continually As O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark labyrinths of mans heart who findes not in himself an indisposition of minde to all good and an inclination to all evil O the strange monsters the ugly odious hideous fiends the swarms litters legions of noisom lusts that are coâ—ched in the stinking styes of every one of our deceitfull hearts insomuch that if all our thoughts did but break forth into action
the satisfying of his justice and also freeing us from the guilt and punishment of either And that with as much brevity as may stand with perspicuity First in general we must undoubtedly know that the sole perfection of a Christian is â—he imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not imputation of his own unrighteousnesse as appears by the whole current of Scripture of which a few Even the Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many Mark 10.45 As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15.21 22. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous c. Rom. 5.18 19. As by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the justifying of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the justification of life Rom. 5.18 Unto Iesus Christ that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 The blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sins 1 Joh. 1.7 he is the reconciliation for our sins c. 1 Joh. 2 1 2. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 He was delivered to death for our sins and is risen again for our justification Rom. 4.25 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we were healed 1 Pet. 2.24 He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we were healed Isa. 53.5 Neither is there salvation in any other for among men there is given none other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in me although he were dead yet shall he live John 11.25 You hath he quickned that were dead in trespasses and sins Ephes. 2.1 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Joh. 4.16 to 20. God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5 6. to 11 read to the end of the Chapter See more Iohn 1.29 Acts 13.39 Rom. 6.4 to 23. and 8.2 3. and 10. 3,4 1 Cor. 15.56 Col. 1.14 Gal 3.22 Heb. 9.28 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. 1 Joh. 3.8 Sect. XVIII As Christ was a sinner onely by the imputation of our sins so we are just onely by the imputation of his righteousness Our good works were they never so many and rare cannot justify us or deserve any thing at Gods hands it is onely in Christ that they are accepted and only for Christ that they are rewarded Yea the opinion of thine own righteousnesse makes thy condition far worse then the wickedest mans alive For Christ that came to save all weary and heavy laden sinners be they never so wicked neither came to save or once to call thee that hast no sin but art righteous enough without him As hear his own words to the proud Pharisees who had the same thoughts of themselves as thou hast They that be whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 9.13 and 10.6 and 15.24 and 18.11 Nor can any soul be so dangerously sick as thou who art least sensible of thy being sick Briefly until with Saint Paul thou renounceth thine own righteousness seest thy self the greatest of sinners art able to discern sin in every thing thou canst think speak or do and that thy very righteousness is no better then a menstruous cloth Isai. 64.6 thou canst have no part in Christ. And untill Christ shall become thine by Regeneration and a lively faith Thou art bound to keep the whole Law actually and spiritually with thy whole man thy whole life or else suffer eternal death and destruction of body and soul in Hell for thy not keeping it So that thou hast yet to answer and I pray mind it seriously for all the sins that ever thou hast committed who art not able to answer for one of the least of them For the wages of sin any sin be it never so small is eternal death Rom. 6.23 Gal. 2.16 19 20 21. Neither let Satan nor thy own deceitfull heart delude thee in thinking that thou hast faith when thine own words declare the contrary Nor would I ask any more evidence against thee in this then thine own mouth in saying that thou never doubtedst in all thy life for this makes it plain that thou never hadst faith nor ever knewest what saith means For he who never doubted never believed and Satan hath none so sure as those whom he never yet assaulted Sect. XIX But this being a main fundamental point which every man is bound to know I will more particularly and fully explain it as thus Man being in a most miserable and undone condition by reason of Original and actual sin and of the curse due to both being liable to all miseries in this life and adjudged to suffer eternal torments in hell-fire after death having no possibility to escape the fierce wrath of Almighty God who had already pronounced sentence upon him VVhen neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yeilded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God of his infinite wisdome and goodness did not onely find out a way to satisfie his justice and the Law but even gave us his own Son out of his bosome and his Son gave himself to die even the most shameful painful and cursed death of the Cross to redeem us that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven VVherefore wonder at this you that wonder at nothing that the eternal God would die to redeem our worse then lost souls that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God who can sufficiently admire thy love or commend thy pity or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man
sensible how evil and wicked it is that so thou maist have a more humble conceit of thy self lay to heart these three particulars 1 The corruption of our nature by reason of Original Sin 2. Our manifold breach of Gods righteous Law by actual sin 3. The guilt and punishment due to us for them both This being done thou wilt see and find thy necessity of a Redeemer And it is thirst only that makes us relish our drink hunger our meat The full stomach of a Pharisee surcharged with the superfluities of his own merits will loath the honey-comb of Christs righteousnesse This was it which made the young Prodigal to relish even servants fare though before wanton when full fed at home No more relish feels the Pharisaical heart in Christs blood than in a chip But O how acceptable is the fountain of living waters to the chased hart panting and braying The blood of Christ to the weary and tyred soul to the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath he that presents him with it how welcome is he even as a special choice man one of a thousand And the deeper the sense of misery is the sweeter the sense of mercy is Sect. XXXVIII Then if you would be satisfied for time to come whether your Repentance and conversion be true and sound these particulars will infallibly inform you If you shall persevere when this trouble for sin is over in doing that which now you purpose it is an infallible sign your repentance is sound otherwise not If thou dost call to mind the Vow which thou madst in Baptism and dost thy endeavour to perform that which then thou didst promise If thou dost square thy life according to the rule of Gods Word and not after the rudiments of the world If thou art willing to forsake all sin without reserving one for otherwise that one sin may prove the bane of all thy graces even as Gideon had seventy Sons and but one Bastard and yet that Bastard destroyed all the rest that were Legitimate Judg 9.5 Sin is like the Ivy in the wall cut off bough branch body stump yet some strings or other will sprout out again Till the root be pluck't up or the wall be pulled down and ruined it will never utterly die Regeneration or new birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature only evil disposed Gods children are known by this mark they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 If Christ have called you to his service your life will appear more spiritual and excellent than others As for your fails 't is a sign that sin hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your soul when you cry out to God If the ravished Virgin under the Law cried out she was pronounced guiltlesse A sheep may fall into the mire but a swine delights to wallow in the mire Great difference between a woman that is forced though she cries out and strives and an alluring Adulteresse Again The thoughts of the godly are godly of the wicked worldly and by these good and evil men are best and truliest differenced one from another Would we know our own hearts and whether they be changed by a new birth Examine we our thoughts words actions passions especially our thoughts will inform us for these cannot be subject to hypoâ—â—risie as words and deeds are Sect. XXXIX Then by way of caution know that a child may as soon create it self a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself We cannot act in the leasâ— unlesse God bestows upon us daily privative grace to defend us from evil and daily positive grace inabling us to do good And those that are of Christ teaching know both from the word and by experience that of themselve they are not only weak but even dead to what is good moving no morâ— than they are moved that their best works are faulty all their sins deadâ—ly all their natures corrupted originally You hath he quickned that werâ— dead in trespasses and sins Ephes. 2.1 Yea we are altogether so dead in sinâ— that we cannot stir the least joynt no not so much as feel our own deadness nor desire life except God be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custom to the life of grace Apt we arâ— to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodness yeaâ— to all the meanes thereof My powers are all corrupt corrupt my will Marble to good but wax to what is ill Insomuch that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse 〈◊〉 speak least of all to do that which is good 2 Cor. 3.5 Joh. 15.4 5. I we have power to choose or refuse the object to do these well we have no power We have ability we have will enough to undo our selves scopâ— enough hell-ward but neither motion nor will to do good that must bâ— put into us by him that gives both power and will and power to will Finally Each sanctified heart feels this but no words are able sufficiently to expresse what impotent wretches we are when we are not sustainâ—ed So that we have no merit but the mercy of God to save us nothinâ— but the blood of Christ and his mediation to cleanse and redeem us nothinâ— but his obedience to inrich us As for our good works we are altogether beâ— holding to God for them not God to us nor we to our selves becausâ— they are only his works in us Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee whatever thoâ— hast thou owest to him that Redeemed thee Therefore if we do any thinâ— amisse let us accuse our selves if any thing well let us give all the praise 〈◊〉 God And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion that which teacheth us to exalt God most and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth most prank up our selves and detract from God is thâ— false As Bonaventure well notes Sect. XL. Now to wind up with a word of exhortation if thou beest convinced are resolvest upon a new course let thy resolution be peremptory anâ— constant and take heed you harden not again as Pharaoh the Philistinâ— the young man in the Gospel Pilate and Iudas did resemble not the iroâ— which is no longer soft than it is in the fire for that good saith Gregâ—â—ry will do us no good which is not made good by perseverance If wiâ—â— these premonitions the Spirit hath vouchsafed to stir up in thine heart anâ— good motions and holy purposes to obey God in letting thy sins go quench not grieve not the Spirit 1 Thes. 5.19 Return not with the Dog to thy vomit lest thy latter end prove seven-fold worse than thy beginning Matth. 12.43 45. O it is a fearfull thing to receive the grace of God in vain and a desperate thing being warned of a rock willfully to cast our selves
men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith being before of old ordained to condemnation 2 Tim. 3.1 to 13. 2 Pet. 2. 2 and 3.3 Jude 4 10.16 18 19. And so much of the third particular CHAP. VII FOurthly It would be considered that what you suffer is far short of what others have suffered before you for whereas you suffer a little tongue-persecution your betters and such as the world was not worthy of have suffered 〈…〉 and scourgings bonds and imprisonments were stoned sawn 〈…〉 the sword endured the violence of fire were rackt 〈…〉 desarts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth in sheâ—p 〈…〉 〈…〉 destitute afflicted and tormented Not â—â—â—â—epting delive 〈…〉 might obtain a better 〈…〉 stoned some crucified some beheaded some thrust thorow with spears some burnt with fire some broiled some brained with many the like and worse kinds of death for we read of no lesse then twenty nine several deaths they were put unto But to clear your sight I le give you some particular instances of the several wayes that the best of Gods people have suffered before you First You shall finde that it hath been the manner of wicked men out of this enmity to envy the vertuous and good estate of the godly as Cain envied Abâ—l Gen. 4.5 Secondly To contemn their supposed mean estate as Sanballat Tobiah and Gershom with the rest of that crue contemned Nehemiah and the Iewes Nehem. 4.1 2 3. Thirdly To rejoyce at their supposed evill estate as the Princes of the Philistins did at Sampsons blindness and bondage Judg. 16.25 Fourthly To hate them as all carnal men hate the members of Christ Matth. 10.22 Fiftly To murmure against them as the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron Numb 11.1 and 14 2 3. Sixthly To censure their actions and misconster their intentions as Eliab did Davids zeal for Gods glory in fighting with Goliah 1 Sam. 17.28 and those wicked ones his fasting and mourning Psal. 35.13 to 17. Seventhly By carrying tales of them unto others as Doeg did to Saul of David and Ahimeleck 1 Sam. 22.9 10. and the Ziphims 1 Sam. 23.19 20. and 26 1. Eightly To perswade and give divelish counsel to others like themselves to persecute them as the Princes and Rulers did to Zedekiah the King against Ieremiah Jer. 38.4 Ninthly To scoff at them as Ishmael scoft at Isaac Gen. 21.9 Tenthly To nick-name them as the Iews did Paul Acts 24.14 and all the Disciples 1 Cor. 4.9 10. Eleventhly To revile and rail on them as the Iews did upon Paul and Barnabas Acts 13.45 Twelfthly To raise slanders of them as those wicked men slandered Naboth confirming the same with an Oath 1 Kings 21. Thirteenthly To curse them as Goliah cursed David 1 Sam. 17.43 and also Shemei 2 Sam. 16.7 to 15. Fourteenthly To threaten them as all the men of Sodom did Lot Gen. 19.9 Fifteenthly By subtilty to undermine them in talk that they might betray them as the false Prophets and other enemies of the truth undermined Ieremiah seeking every way to destroy him Ier. 18. 18 c. Sixteenthly By using scornful and disdainful gestures to despight them as Goliah against David 1 Sam. 17.42 and also those wicked ones Psal. 22.7.13 and 35.16 and 109.25 Seventeenthly To withstand and contrary the doctrine which they are commanded by God to deliver As Elymas the Socerer withstood Paul and Barnabas in their preaching Acts 13. 8. Eighteenthly To combine themselves together and lay divellish plot to destroy them as Demetrius with the rest of the Craftsmen conspired the death of Pauls companions Acts 19. and likewise more then forty of the Iews which bound themselves by a curse not to eat nor drink till they had killed 〈◊〉 in which conspiracy the chief Priests were likewise assistants Acts 23.12 14. Nineteenthly To imprison them as the malicious Priests did 〈◊〉 Jer. 36.5 Twentieth To strike them as Zedekiah the false Prophe◠〈◊〉 Micaiah 1 Kings 22 24. Twenty one To hurt and maim them 〈…〉 of Antiochia and Iconium did Paul Acts 14.19 Twenty two and 〈◊〉 slay them as Iezabel did all the Prophets of the Lord 〈◊〉 1 Kings 18.4 CHAP. VIII Now to speak nothing in this place of the diversity of deaths and tortures that millions of Martyrs have suffered for professing of Christs Name and keeping of a good Conscience though their sufferings were nothing either to what their sins hâ—d deserved or to what their Saviour had done and suffered for them for he enduâ—ed many a little death all his life for our sakes and at length that painful shameful and cursed death of the Crosse yea he suffered every one of these two and twenty ways before-mentioned and that from his own countrymen and kinsfolks yea of the Chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees who were teachers and expounders of the Law and which sate in Moses chair For he was Envied Matth. 26.15 Contemned Mat. 12.24 and 13.55 Rejoyced at in his misery and distresse Matth. 27.29 Hated Joh. 77. Murmured against Luke 15.2 Had his actions and intentions mis-construed Matth. 11.19 Had tales carried of him Matth. 12.14 and divelish counsel given against him Matth. 27.20 was scoffed at Matth. 27.42 Nicknamed Matth. 13.55 Railed on Luke 23.39 Slandered Matth. 28.13 Cursed Gal. 3.13 Threatned John 11.53 Undermined in talk that they might accuse him Matth. 22.15 They used disdainful gestures before him Matth. 27.29 39. Withstood him in his preaching and contraried his doctrine Luke 5.21 Matth. 9.34 Combined together and laid divelish plots to destroy him Mat. 12.14 Took him prisoner Matth. 26.57 Smote him Luke 22.64 Hurt and wounded him Matth. 27.29 John 19.34 And lastly they put him to death Mat. 27. 35. And why all this not for any evil they found in him for their own words are He hath done all things well Mark 7 37. He hath done such was his power all things such was his wisdom well such was his goodness and yet crucified and every way abused he must be But it was for his zeal purity and holiness and because his life and practice was clean contrary to theirs his doctrine too powerfull and pure for such carnal hearts to imbrace or endure Now cast up thy Receits and compare them with thy deservings look upon thy deliverance from the fire of hell Yea look but upon thy sufferings single and thou shalt finde them nothing to what thy fellow Saints and Christ thy Elder brother hath suffered before thee At a Lions Den or a fiery furnace not to turn tail were something worthy a Christian. Yea compare thine own estate with thine enemies and thou shalt see yet greater cause to be not only patient but thankful For if these scoffs and flouts of men like thy self are so grievous to thee how will thine and Gods enemies indure those mocks and flouts of the divels in hell how will they indure that devouring fire that everlasting â—urning Isa. 33.14 Psal. 68.21 And the way not to repine at those above
himself into the Sea Yea in case he sustain any great loss he is ready to make himself away as Menippus of Phenicia did who having lost his goods strangled himself Or like Dinarcus Phidon who at a certain loss cut his own throat to save the charge of a cord At least he feels more sorrow in losing his mony then ever he found pleasure in getting it nor will any condition content him for the lightness of his purse gives him an heavy heart which yet filled doth fill him with more care His medicin is his malady These rich men are no less troubled with that they possess lest they should lose it then poor men are for that they want In the day time he dares not go abroad for fear of robbing nor stay at home for fear of killing His thoughts are so troubled with fear of thieves that he cannot that he dares not sleep yea he fears a thief worse then the devil therefore will he be beholding to the devil for a spell to save him from the thief which once obtained a little Opium may rock his cares asleep and help him to a golden dream for all his minde and heart is to get mony if waking he talks of nothing but earth if sleeping he dreams of it Lastly as if all his delight were to vex himself he pines himself away with distrustful fear of want and projecting how he shall live hereafter and when he is old resembling Ventidius the Poet who would not be perswaded but he should dye a begger And Apicius the Romane who when he cast up his accounts and found but an hundered thousand crowns left murthered himself for fear he should be famished to death CHAP. XII SEventhly To the former miseries which a cruel Miser is justly plagued withall this may be added the dolefulness of his conscience for the sin of oppression lyes upon the soul as heavy as lead yea as the shaddow does ever follow the body so fear and desperation in all places and at all times do wait upon an evil conscience Sin armes a man against himself our peace ever ends with our innocency A Pithagorean bought a pair of shoos upon trust the Shoomaker dyes he is glad thinks them gained but a while after his conscience twitches him and becomes a continual chider he hereupon repairs to the house of the dead casts in his money with these words There take thy due thou livest to me though dead to all beside Micha stole from his mother eleven hundred shekels of silver but his complaining conscience made him to accuse himself and restore it again Iudg. 17. Il gotten goods lye upon the conscience as raw meat upon a sick stomack which will never let a man be well or at ease untill he hath cast it up again by restitution Means ill gotten is to the getter as the Angels book was to Saint Iohn When he eat it it was in his mouth as sweet as hony but when he had eaten it it became in his stomack as bitter as gall Rev. 10.10 The which is notably illustrated Iob 20.12 to 20. which together with the whole Chapter is marvellous good for cruel and unmerciful men to read for I may not stand here to repeat it Sweetness is promised in the bread of deceit but men finde it as gravel crashing between their teeth Nor will his troubled conscience suffer him to steal a sound sleep yea he sleeps as unquietly as it his pillow were stuft with Lawyers per-knives I may give ye a hint of these things from the word but onely God and he can tell how the remembrance of his forepast cozenages and oppression occasions his guilty conscience many secret wrings and pinches and gives his heart many a sore lash to increase the fear and horror of his soul every time he calls the same to remembrance which is not seldom As O poor wretches what do they indure how are they immerged in the horrors of a vulned conscience there is more ease in a nest of Hornets then under the sting of such a tormenting conscience He that hath this plague is like a man in debt who suspecteth that every bush he sees is a Sergant to arest and carry him away to prison It was Gods curse upon Cain when he had slain his brother Abel to suspect and fear that every one he met would kill him yea it makes him so afraid of every thing that a very Maulking frights him and it is much that he dares trust his Barber to shave him Dionysius was so troubled with fear and horror of conscience that not daring to trust his best friends with a razor he used to findge his beard with burning coals as Cicero records He is much like a Malefactor in prison who though he fare well yet is tormented with the thought of ensuing judgement It is the hand-writing on the wall that prints bloody characters in Belshazzars heart So that if any should deem a man the better or happier for being the richer he is very shallow as many looking on the outer face of things or see but the one side as they used to paint Antigonus that they might conceal his deformity on the other side see not how they smart in secret how their consciences gripe them Nor does any one know how the shoowrings the foot but he that wears the same Or admit the best that can come as suppose they can stop consciences mouth for a time or with the musick of their mony play it asleep for the present yet when they lye upon their death-beds it will sting them to the quick For when death besiegeth the body Satan will not fail to beleagure the soul yea then he will be sure to lay on load for as all corrupt humors run to the diseased and bruised part of the body so when conscience is once awakened all former sins and present crosses joyn together to make the bruise or sore more painful As every Creditor falls upon the poor man when he is once arested Or let it be granted that his conâ—cience never troubles him on his sick bed and that he have no bonds in his death as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 73. but departs likes a Lamb which is not onely possible but probable for more by many thousands go to hell like Naball then like Iudas more dye like sots in security then in despair of conscience yet all this is nothing for the sting of conscience here though it be intollerable is but a flea-biting to that he shall endure hereafter where the worm of conscience dyeth not and where the fire never goeth out This is part of sins wages and Satans reward We have sinned therefore our hearts are heavy Isa. 59.11 12. The sorrows of them that offer to another God as do the covetous shall be multiplyed says holy David Psal. 16.4 Yea Seneca an heathen could say that an evil life causeth an unquiet minde so that Satans government is rather a bondage then a government
as he came could receive no other answer then that he for his own part found himselfe very well at ease and they that were not had reason to seek out another seat that might like them better It is but a fable yet the moral is true perspicuous profitable Many shall one day repent that they were happy too soon Many a man cries out Oh that I were so rich so healthful so quiet so happy c. Alas though thou hadst thy wish for the present thou shouldst perhaps be a loser in the sequel The Physician doth not hear his Patient in what he would yet heareth him in taking occasion to do another thing more conducible to his health God loves to give us cools and heats in our desires and will so allay our joyes that their fruition hurt us not he knows that as it is with the body touching meats the greater plenty the less dainty and too long forbearance causeth a Surfet when we come to full food So it fares with the minde touching worldly contentments therefore he feeds us not with the dish but with the spoon and will have us neither cloyed nor famished In this life mercy and misery grief and grace good and bad are blended one with the other because if we should have nothing but comfort Earth would be thought Heaven besides if Christ-tide lasted all the year what would become of Lenâ— If every day were Good-Friday the World would be weary of Fasting Secundus calls death a sleep eternal the wicked mans fear the godly mans wish Where the conscience is clear death is looked for without fear yea desired with delight accepted with devotion why it is but the cessation of trouble the extinction of sin the deliverance from enemies a rescue from Satan the quiet rest of the body and infranchizement of the soul. The Woman great with childe is ever musing upon the time of her delivery and hath not he the like cause when Death is his bridge from wo to glory Though it be the wicked mans ship-wrack 't is the good mans putting into harbour And hereupon finding himself hated persecuted afflicted and tormented by enemies of all sorts he can as willingly leave the World as others can forgo the Court yea as willingly die as dine yea no woman with childe did ever more exactly count her time No Iew did ever more earnestly wish for the Iubile No servant so desires the end of his years No stranger so longs to be at home as he expects the promise of Christs coming It is the strength of his hope the sweet object of his faith in the midst of all sorrows the comfort of his heart the heart of all his comforts the incouragement of his wearied spirits the common clausule the continual period and shutting up of his Prayers Come Lord Iesus come quickly Whereas the Worlds Favourites go as unwillingly from hence as boyes from the midst of a game Neither hath the Rich man so much advantage of the poor in enjoying as the poor hath of the Rich in leaving True Rich men may also learn this slight for the way to grieve less is to love less And indeed what shouldest thou do in case thou seest that the World runs not on thy side but give over the World and be on Gods side Let us care little for the World that cares so little for us Let us cross sail and turn another way let us go forth therefore out of the Camp bearing his reproach for we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Heb. 13.13 14. CHAP. 8. That it keeps them alwayes prepared to the spiritual combate 5 FIfthly the Lord permitteth them often to afflict and assail us to the end we may be alwayes prepared for tribulation as wise Mariners in a calm make all their tackling sure and strong that they may be provided against the next storm which they cannot look to be long without Or as experienced Souldiers in time of peace prepare against the day of battel and so much the rather when they look every day for the approach of the enemy They saith Socrates that set sail into a calme Sea in a fair quiet weather have notwithstanding all instruments and materials ready which may be of use in a tempest so he that enjoyes a prosperous and happy estate if wise doth even in that time prepare for the harder and more cross occurrents and so much the rather because a great calme presageth a sudden storme The people of Laish being rich and wanting nothing grew careless and secure and being secure and mistrusting nothing they were smote with the edge of the sword and had their Citie burnt Iudg. 18. The way to be safe is never to be secure The wals of a City that are not repaired in peace will hardly be mended in a siege Alexander having set his Army in battel-array and finding a Souldier then mending his Armes cashiered him saying That was a time of dealing blows not of preparing weapons We are oft-times set upon to the end that we may continually buckle unto us the whole Armour of God prescribed by Paul Ephes. 6.13 to 19. That we may be alwayes ready for the battel by walking circumspectly not as fools but as wise Ephes. 5.15 Therefore redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Vers. 16. For as those that have no enemies to encounter them cast their armour aside and let it rust because they are secure from danger but when their enemies are at hand and sound the Alarum they both wake and sleep in their armour because they would be ready for the assault So if we were not often in skirmish with our enemies we should lay aside our spiritual armour but when wee have continual use of it we still keep it fast buckled unto us that being armed at all points we may be able to make resistance that we be not surpriz'd at unawars Neither would it be good for us at present if we had not these enemies to stand in awe and fear of but much more inconvenient in divers respects as wise Scipio that mirrour of wisdome told some who with no small joy avouched that the Common-wealth of Rome was now in safe estate seeing they had vanquished the Carthaginians and conquered the inhabitants of Pontus Neither would he for that only reason have Carthage destroy'd because it should hinder Rome from sleeping Yea God himself would have the Hitlites Gargesites Amorites Canaanites Peresites Hivites and Iebusites strong and warlike Nations to be in the midst of Israel lest Israel should sleep in sin and want matter for exercise fight and conquest Here may be felicity with security never with safety The time when the envious man did sowe his seed was whilest men were in bed No servants more orderly use their masters talent then those that ever fear their Masters sudden return No Houshoulder more safe than he who at every watch suspects the Thieves entring Sampson could not be bound till he
if they be angry they turn their malice from the person which punisheth them to the sinne by which and for which he came to have leave and power to punish them and to themselves for committing such sins The cause of their suffering doth more vex them than the things which they suffer and they grieve more for the displeasure of God than for the stripes of his displeasure It is not the punishment but the cause of it makes them sorrowfull And indeed to speak home to every mans conscience why are we patient or impatient it is worth the noting when sinne lyes light then reproaches and contempt lye heavy whereas if we truly feel the weight of sinne all indignities will be as nothing Or thirdly In case they do return an answer it is after the manner of Epictetus who would not deny the sins his enemy taxed him with but reproves his ignorance rather in that being unacquainted with the infinity of his crimes he layes only two or three to his charge whereas indeed he was guilty of a million Or as Latymer was wont who rejoyced when any objected indiscretion against him in his Sermons saying he knew by that that they could not object against the matter it self Or according to Philip of Macedon his example who would not punish Nicanor although he openly spake evill of him saying when he heard thereof I suppose Nicanor is a good man it were better to search whether the fault be in us or no so no sooner shall an holy mans enemy accuse him of hypocrisie pride passion covetousnesse c. but he will go to God and accuse himself and complain I am so indeed yea with Paul I am the chief of all sinners I am more vile than his termes can make me and I much marvell my punishment is no greater then to hear a few ill and bitter words And indeed one would think whatsoever is not pain nor sufferance or admit it be pain and sufferance so long as it is not a curse but a crosse may well be born without grumbling What said that Gentleman in Athens to his friends when Ashuerus came and took away half his plate as he was at dinner with him they admiring that he was not a whit moved thereat I thank God quoth he that his Highnesse hath left me any thing Yea suppose we lose all we have our goods are furthest off us and if but in these we smart we must confesse to finde favour Or admit they hurt our bodies or kill us which they may soon do if God but give leave for our life even the best of us is but like a bubble which boyes blow up in the ayre and presently again blow into meer ayr Caesar goes an Emperour to the Senate is brought a Corps home again What ever I say befals us this would be our meditation he that afflicted me for a time could have held me longer he that touched me in part could have stricken me in whole he that laid this upon my body hath power to lay a greater Rod both upon my body and soul without doing me the least wrong That all crosses and curses temporall spirituall and eternall even from the pains of the damned to the very Itch as Moses sets down Deut. 28.27 are deserved and come not upon us against equity equity I say in respect of God not in respect of men they come from a just Author though from an unjust instrument And that sinne is the ground of all our griefs the source of all our sufferings wickednesse the root of our wretchednesse that we are disciplin'd is from our defects is a truth undeniable appears plainly for first God affirms it Deut. 28. Isa. 57.17 Hos. 13.9 Jer. 30.15 and 4.18 Secondly His servants confirm it 1 Chron. 21.17 Isa. 64.5 Dan. 9.7 8 c. Lam. 1.5 8. and 3.39 c. Ezra 9.13 Luk. 23.41 Thirdly Good reason makes for it sinfull men smite not their dogs much lesse their children without a cause and shall we think the just God will smite without just cause his judgements saith a Father are sometimes secret alwayes just No misery had ever afflicted us if sinne had not first infected us What 's the reason we all die it could not be in justice if we had not all sinned and so of all other evils even sicknesse originally proceeds from sinne and all weaknesse from wickednesse one man languisheth of a Consumption another laboureth of a Feaver a third is rackt with the Gout a fourth swoln with the Dropsie a fift hath his soul let out with a sword every one hath a severall way to bring him to the common end death but sinne is the universall disease Death passed upon all for all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Iames 3.2 Yea as we brought a world of sinne into the world with us so since each man hath broken every one of Gods ten Laws ten thousand times and ten thousand wayes which is far from a privative holinesse in reforming that which is evill and a positive holinesse in performing that which is good Eph. 4.22 23. and every sin helps for as originall sin is the originall cause of death so actuall sins hasten it But to conclude in generall that sin is the cause we suffer is not sufficient for commonly no judgement comes from God but some particular provocation of man went before it the hand of Divine Iustice seldom makes us smart without some eminent cause foregoing therefore David seeing a famine in the Land inquires for the particular provoking sin 2 Sam. 21.1 so when we suffer our question should be What have we done yea what have we done in the same kinde for oftentimes we may read our sin in our punishment as it fared with Adonibezeck Judg. 1.7 and many other mentioned in Scripture Sodom was burnt with fire unnaturall as they burned with lust unnaturall Absoloms chief pride lay in his hair and that became his halter Salomon dividing Gods Kingdom had his own Kingdom divided David hath slain Vriah with the sword therefore the sword shall not depart from his house Dives would not give Lazarus a crum Lazarus shall not bring Dives a drop Iudas was the instrument of his Masters death he shall be the instrument of his own death Proud Bajazet vowes to imprison Tamberlaine in an Iron Cage and carry him about the world in triumph But Tamberlaine having conquered that bragging Turk carried and carted him through all Asia to be scorned of his own people For instance Is any one censured reviled and persecuted of lewd men for being religious Let him reflect upon his life past and happily their revilings and persecutions will bring to his remembrance that he himself before his conversion hath likewise censured reviled or persecuted others It may be his naturall spirituall or politicall parents in some kind or other as who can plead innocency herein and he that is not humbled for his sin is not yet justified from his sin Yea so often as
thou remembrest thy sinâ— without grief so often thou repeatest those sins by not grieving Dion of Syracusa being banished came to Theodorus Court a suppliant where not presently admitted he returned to his companion with these words I remember I did the like when I was in the like dignity He called his deeds past to a new reckoning So when thou receivest an injury remember what injuries thou hast offered look not to be exempt from the same wrongs which thou hast done for he that doth wrong may well receive it we may well suffer patiently when we know we suffer justly To look for good and to do bad is against the Law of retaliation Or secondly Is any one wronged in his good name without giving the least cause of scandall either at present or heretofore which troubles him above measure let him neverthelesse reflect upon himself and perhaps he shall finde the cause lie lurking in his own bosome as thus it may be thou hast not defamed thy neighbour but hast thou not delighted to hear others speak evil of him Hast thou been tender of his reputation and as much as thou couldest vindicated his good name Or thirdly Doth not a proud heart make thee over apprehensive of the wrong Does not the injury seem great to thee because thou seemest great to thy self If so be but little and lowly in thy own eyes and the wrong will seem lesse for no man can sweetlier put up disgraces from others than he who hath first learned to despise himself Yea this Straw-diadem hurts none but the proud and impatient for suppose thou findest here but hard fare and as ill drest a poor hungry humble soul will down with all well enough Or fourthly Hath not self-conceitednesse broken thy credit probably if thou wouldest think worse of thy self thou shouldest be better thought of But commonly all is well while we are well esteemed yea with many their reputation is more cared for than their God Neither would he be censured for sin that fears not to be damned for it If this hath been thy case henceforward let it trouble thee more to do a fault than to hear of it and when thou art evill spoken of by another call thy self to account before him it may be thou deservest it be more sorry that it is true than that it is known Or lastly Admit men charge thee wrongfully and thou canst not finde out thy sin by thy punishment yet know that what thou sufferest is most just in respect of God who is the Author and who does not alwayes punish sin in kinde As for example how many Murthers have been punished in a mutinous word the tongue in some rash language hath scourged the iniquity of the hand One hath done many robberies scap't many searches at last when all hath been forgotten he hath been hanged for accessary to a Theft he never knew Suspected felony hath often paid the price of an unknown Rape And they that have gone away with unnaturall filthinesse have yet clipt oft their dayes with their own Coyn so that still Gods judgements are just even when mans may be unjust which in all cases would be acknowledged as the godly ever do Mauricius that good Emperour when he his wife and his five sons were taken his wife and sons put to death and himself waiting for the like fatall stroke could conclude thus Iust art thou O Lord in all thy wayes and holy in all thy works as it is in the Psalms And a Martyr when he was burning at a stake Welcome flames my sin hath deserved more than here I can be able to suffer And certainly they are angry with Heaven for justice that are angry with them for injustice Wherefore if thou hast been heretofore so simple as to return like for like henceforward lay thy hand upon thy mouth and say with Iob Once have I spoken but I will answer no more yea twice but I will proceed no further Job 40.4 5 I will not so much consider how unjust man is that gives the wrong as how just God is that guideth it And this would be our meditation in all other cases namely to think whose hand strikes whether by a Plurisie or a Feaver or a Sword or whatever the Instrument be and to conclude the blow is Gods whatsoever or whosoever is used as the weapon Yea it comes not without our desert for God is just nor shall be without our profit for God is mercifull And he that doth not argue thus comes short of the very Heathen For Socrates could tell the Athenians when they condemned him to die that they could do nothing but what the gods permitted and nature had before ordained And in common reason can a Clock go without a weight to move it or a Keeper to set it No. Now this being premised namely that we endure nothing from our enemies but that we have justly deserved from God Yea that we are more beholding to our greatest enemies touching the knowledge of our selves than the best friends we have how should we not with David refuse to revenge our selves in case any wicked Shemei rayl curse or cast stones at us have we never so much power and opportunity to do it Yea admit some Abishai would do it for us how should we not say Let him alone suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him 2 Sam. 16.11 Again secondly If we make this use of our sufferings what more preciouâ— than the reproaches of an enemy for thereby we shall sooner and more plainly hear of our faults than by a friend although neither in a good manner nor to a good end We have great need quoth Diogenes of faithfull friends or sharp enemies Every one hath use of a Monitor but friends in this kinde are so rare that no wise man would willingly forego his enemy at any rate Wherefore saith one He shall be no friend to me that is a friend to my faults and I am no friend to my self if I think him my enemy that tells me of them CHAP. XXI They are Patient because their sufferings are counterpoysed and made sweet with more then answerable blessings 5. HE beareth the Crosse patiently because it is counterpoysed and made sweet with more than answerable blessings Satan and the world may take many things from us as they did from Iob viz. health wealth outward peace friends liberty credit c. but they can never take God from us who gives all and at the same time supplies the want of these with comforts farre â—urpassing and transcending them And therefore in the midst of misery we say with Iob Blessed be the name of the Lord. Quest. But with what comforts doth the Lord supply our losses Answ. The assurance of the pardon of sinne alone is able to cleer all storms of the minde it teacheth misery as sicknesse poverty famine imprisonment infamy c. to laugh not by reason of some imaginary epicycles but by naturall and palpable reasons
immortall yea even their mortall wounds make the sufferers immortall and presently transport us from the contemplation of felicity unto the fruition Whereas if the corn of our bodies be not cast into the earth by death we can have none of this increase which is the reason first that we celebrate the memory of the Saints not upon their birth-dayes but upon their death-dayes to shew how the day of our death is better than the day of our birth And secondly that many Holy men have wisht for death as Ieremy Iob Paul c. As who can either marvell or blame the desire of advantage for the weary traveller to long for rest the prisoner for liberty the banished for home it is so naturall that the contrary disposition were monstrous And indeed it is our ignorance and infidelity at least our impreparation that makes death seem other than advantage And look to it for he hardly mourns for the sinnes of the time who longs not to be freed from the time of sinne he but little loves his Saviour who is not willing to go unto him and is too fond of himself that would not go out of himself to God True he that beleeveth will not make haste Isa. 28.16 that is he will not go out by a back-door seek redresse by unlawfull means for though here he hath his pain and in Heaven he looks for his payment yet he will not make more haste than good speed Though he desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1.23 24. Yet he is content to live yea he lives patiently though he dies joyfully In his wisdome he could chuse the gain of death but in his obedience he refuseth not the service of life and it is to be feared that God will refuse that soul which leaves the body before himself calls for it as Seneca speaks like a Divine Now what are we to learn from this double lesson but a two-fold instruction 〈…〉 unsent is death to the godly no other then the Brazen Serpent to the Israelites which was so farre from hurting them that contrarily it healed them And wouldest thou not fear death for to labour not to die is labour in vain and Kings in this are Subjects First Look through death at glory as lâ—t but the unfolded Heavens give way to Stevens eyes to behold Christ in the glory of his Father how willing is he to ascend by that stony passage Acts 7.56 59. Secondly Fear to commit the least sinne which is forbidden by so great a God and suffered for by so loving a Saviour Now God hath so farre forth forbidden revenge that he hath forbidden all kinde of hatred and malice for the Law in every Commandement is spirituall and bindes the heart as well as the hand and to thy power thou hast slain him whom thou hatest he is alive and yet thou hast kil'd him saith St Augustine and therefore these two hatred and murther are coupled together as yoak-fellowes in that long teame of the fleshes beastly works which draw men to perdition Rom. 1.29 Gal. 5.21 and wherein do they differ but as the Father and the Sonne or as Devill and evill only in a letter Yea saith Christ in the places before quoted Love your enemies do well to them that hate you overcome evill with good c. Luk 6.27 Rom. 12.21 Be so farre from snatching Gods weapon out of his hand that you rather master unkindnesse with kindnesse And as this is Gods word so hearing what the word speaks is an ear-mark of Christs sheep as witnesseth the chief sheepherd Joh. 8. He that is of God heareth Gods word and he is of an uncircumcised ear and one of the Devils Goats that wants this mark for he heareth it not because he is not of God Vers. 47. Wherefore lay it to heart lose not the priviledge of Gods protection by an unwarrantable righting of thy self Do not like the Fool that leapt in the water for fear of being drowned in the boat But above all fears fear him which after he hath kil'd hath power to cast into hell Luk. 12.5 compare the present with the future the action with the reward think thou seest beyond pleasing thy appetite and doing thine own will sinne against God beyond that death beyond death judgement beyond judgement hell beyond that no limits of time or torments but all easelesse and endlesse Thou cryest God be mercifull to me but be thou also mercifull to thy self Fear God fear sinne and fear nothing for sinne is the sting of all troubles pull out the sting and deride the malice of the Serpent Yea have but Gods warrant for what thou goest about and then let death happen it shall not happen amisse for the assurance of Gods call and protection when a mans actions are warranted by the Word will even take away the very fear of death for death as a Father well notes hath nothing terrible but what our life hath made so He that hath lived well is seldom unwilling to die life or death is alike welcome unto him for he knowes whiles he is here God will protect him and when he goes hence God will receive him I have so behaved my self saith St Ambrose to the Nobles of Millain that I am not asha 〈…〉 Hilarion These seventy years and upwards thou hast served the Lord therefore now go forth my soul with joy c. Whereas he that hath lived wickedly had rather lose any thing even his soul than his life whereby he tels us though his tongue expresse it not that he expects a worse estate hereafter How oft doth guiltinesse make one avoid what another would wish in this case Yea death was much facilitated by the vertues of a well-led life even in the Heathen Phocion being condemned to die and the executioner refusing to do his office unlesse he had twelve Drachmes paid him in hand Phocion borrowed it of a friend and gave it him ne mora fieret morti Again Cato was so resolute that he told Caesar he feared his pardon more than the pain he threatned him with And Aristippus as I take it though I may be mistaken told the Saylers that wondred why he was not as well as they afraid in a storm that the odds was much for they feared the torments due to a wicked life and he expected the reward of a good one It s a solid and sweet reason being rightly applied Vicâ— drawes death with a horrid look with a whip and flames and terrors but so doth not vertue Whence it was that death was ugly and fearfull unto Cicero wished for and desired of Cato and indifferent to Socrates Obj. But a violent and painfull death is by far more terrible and intollerable than a naturall Answ. Seldom have the Martyrs found it so but often the contrary which made them kisse the wheele that must kill them and think the stayres of the scaffold of their Martyrdom but so many degrees of
man was ever so desirous to save his life as Christ was to lose it witnesse that speech I have a baptisme to be baptised with and how am I pained till it be accomplished Luk. 12.50 His minde was in pain till his body and soul came to it And to him that disswaded him from it he used no other termes than avoid Satan And thirdly With what patience he suffered all let both Testaments determine he was oppressed and afflicted yet did he not open his mouth he was brought as a sheep to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearer is dumb so opened he not his mouth Isa. 53.7 His behaviour was so mild and gentle that all the malice of his enemies could not wrest an angry word from him Yea when his own Disciple was determined to betray him I see not a frown I hear not a check from him again but what thou doest do quickly O the admirable meeknesse of this Lamb of God! Why do we startle at our petty wrongs and swell with anger and break into furious revenges upon every occasion when the pattern of our patience lets not fall one harsh word upon so foul and bloody a Traytor When the Jews cried out Crucifie him as before they cried out His blood be upon us and upon our Children he out cries Father pardon them being beaten with Rods crowned with Thorns pierced with Nayls nayled to the Crosse bathed all his body over in blood filled with reproaches c in the very pangs of death as unmindfull of all his great griefs he prayeth for his persecutors and that earnestly Father forgive them Pendebat tamen petebat as St Augustine sweetly O patient and compassionate love Yee wicked and foolish Iews you would be miserable he will not let you His ears had been still more open to the voice of grief than of malice and so his lips also are open to the one shut to the other Thus Christ upon the Crosse as a Doctor in his chair read to us all a Lecture of Patience for his actions are our instructions and the same that Gideon spake to Israel he speaks still to us as ye see me do so do you And no man be he never so cunning or practised can make a strait line or perfect circle by steddinesse of hand which may easily be done by the help of a Rule or Compasse Besides is Christ gone before us in the like sufferings what greater incouragement When we read that Caesars example who not only was in those battels but went before them yea his very Eye made his Souldiers prodigall of their blood when we read that young King Philip being but carried in his Cradle to the Warres did greatly animate the Souldiers Besides what servanâ— will wish to fare better than his Lord Is it meet that he who is not only thy Master but thy Maker should passe his time in continuall travell and thou in continuall case When a lewd Malefactor being condemned to die with just Phocion rayled at the Iudge the Law his Accusers and looked on Death with terrour and amazednesse he thus cheered him with encouragement Dost thou grudge to die with Phocion so say I to thee Dost thou grudge to suffer with thy Saviour O blessed Iesus O thou Co-eternall Sonne of thine Eternall Father why should I think strange to be scourged with tongue or hand when I see thee bleeding what lashes can I fear either from Heaven or Earth since thy scourges have been born for me and have sanctified them to me True It is Satans policy to make men beleeve that to do and suffer as a Christian is so extreamly difficult for them that it is altogether impossible wherein he deals like the inhospitable Salvages of some Countreys who make strange fires and a shew of dismall torrours upon the shores keep passengers from landing But if Christ be gone before us in the like and it is for his sake that we smart then we may be sure to have him present with us even within us by his spirit 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. to assist us and prevent our enemies and is not he able enough to vindicate all our wrongs Learn we therefore from him to suffer Innocently Patiently Wilt thou saith one look to reign and not expect to suffer Why Christ himself went not up to his glory until first he suffered pain Or wilt thou saith Saint Cyprian be impatient by seeking present revenge upon thine enemies when Christ himself is not yet revenged of his enemies Do thou bear with others God bears with thee Is there a too much which thou canst suffer for so patient a Lord But to go on wilt thou follow Gods example Then note whereas Christ hath in many particulars commanded us to follow his example yet in no place saith Saint Chrysostome he inferreth we should be like our Heavenly Father but in doing good to our enemies And therein resemble we the whole three Persons in Trinity God was only in the still winde Christ is compared to a Lamb the holy Ghost to a Dove Now if we will resemble these three Persons we must be softly Lambs Doves but if on the contrary we be fierce cruell and take revenge so using violence we resemble rather the devil who is called a roaring Lion and the wicked who are termed Dogges Wolves Tygers c. 3. To adde to the precept of God and the practice of our Saviour the example of Gods people they are patient in suffering of injuries that they might imitate the Saints in all ages They were so and we are likewise commanded to follow their steps as in all things which are good so especially in this Take my brethren the Prophets saith Saint Iames for an example of suffering adversities and of long patience Jam. 5.10 â—â—ethren saith Saint Paul to the Thessalonians Ye are become followers of the Churches of God which in Iudes are in Christ Iesus because ye have also suffered the same things of your own Countreymen even as they have of the Iews 1 Thes. 2.14 And to the Philippians Be ye Followers of me Brethren and look on them which walk so as ye have us for an example Phil. 3.17 And see how he followed his Masters example for who amongst us so loves his benefactors as Saint Paul loved his malefactors He would do any thing even he rased out of the book of life to save them that would do any thing to â—ell him Amongst many examples recorded for thy imitation and mine Behold the patience of Iob. Jam. 5.11 of Abraham Gen. 20.17 18. of Isaâ—c Chap. 26 1â— of Ioseph Chap. 3â— 32 33. who notwithstanding his brethren hated him for his goodnesse and could not speak peaceably unto him conspired to kill him stript him of his Goat cast him into a pit sold him for a slave recompenc'd them good for evil when he was armed with power to revenge for when these his enemies did hunger he fed them when they were thirsty he gave
them drink whereas they stript him of his party-coloured-coat he gave them all change of rayment whereas they sold him for twenty pieces of money he would not sell them Corn but gave it them freely and put their money again into their sacks whereas they cast him into a pit without either bread or water he brought them into his own lodging and feasted them sumptuously with delicate fare and gave them of the best wine Thus he gave them a good measure pressed down and shaken together yea running over into their bosomes of kindnesse for unkindnesse And thus holy David 〈◊〉 in the steps of good Ioseph Psal. 38.12 to 15. 1 Sam. 26.20 For when Saul had bent his howe and made ready the arrowes within his quiver to shoot at this upright in heart and sweet singer of Israel Yea when this Fowler hunted him like a Partridge to the mountains so that his soul was â—ain to ask for the wings of a Dove that he might fly away and be at rest Yet see when his mortall foe was delivered into his hand in the Cave he would not lay hands on his enemy nor suffer his blood-thirsty followers to fall upon him but only to give him notice what he could have done cut off the lap of his garment and rendred him good for evill as Saul himself confessed 1 Sam. 24.18 Yea again when he found him asleep in the field he spared his life which was in his hand and to give him a second warning only took away his pot of water and his speaâ— â—â— Sam. 26. And lastly of Stevâ—n who when the Iews were stoning him to death kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Lord â—ay not this sinne to their charge Acts. 7.60 A true Scholer of CHRIST For first He prayed for enemies Secondly For mortall enemies that stoned him Thirdly In hot blood at the time when they wronged him most â— as being more sorry for their ryot than for his own ruin Now what is it that we suffer being compared with their sufferings Even nothing in a manner Ye have not saith St Paul to the Hebrews yet resisted unto blood we have passed saith the Prophet through fire and water not fire only as the three Children nor wâ—ter only as the Israelites but fire and water all kinde of afflictions and adversities For shame then let us passe through a little tongu-tryall without the least answering or repining In which take M â— Calvin for a pattern who said Though Luther call me a Devill yet I will honour him as a dear servant of God Now all ye scoffers behold the patience of the Saints and stand amazed That which you not for want of ignorance esteemed base sottish and unworthy ye see hath sixteen solid Reasons as so many pillars to support it and these hewen out of the Rock of Gods Word Ye see the Childe of God is above nature while he seems below himself the vilest creature knowes how to turn again but to command himself not to resist being urged is more then Heroicall Here then is matter worth your emulation worthy your imitation Again Behold the Reasons why God suffers you to deride hate and persecute his people which are likewise declared to be sixteen in number and those no lesse weighty of which three concern his own glory thirteen our spiritual and everlasting good benefit and advantage Yea reflect yet further you seed of the Serpent and see the Originall continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of your devillish enmity against the seed of the Woman And then you will acquit the Religious with Christ and his Apostles for well doing or confesse that you condemn Christ and his Apostles with them as Erasmus said in his own defence But if of the two you will choose to go on and perish your blood be on your own heads and not on mine I have discharged my duty CHAP. XXXII Rules to be observed touching Thoughts Words and Deeds when we are wronged I Must needs confesse may some say you have shewn sixteen solid and substantiall Reasons of Patience sufficient to perswade any reasonable creature to imbrace it at least in affection but is it therefore in all cases necessary we suffer injuries without righting of our selves or being angry No he that makes himself a Sheep shall be eaten of the Wolfe In some cases tolerations are more than unexpedient they inspire the party with boldnesse and are as it were pullies to draw on more injuries bear one wrong and invite more put up this abuse and you shall have your belly full of them Yea he that suffers a lesser wrong many times invites a greater which he shall not be long without As how doth Davids patience draw on the insolence of Shimei Evill natures grow presumptuous upon forbearance In good natures and dispositions injury unanswered growes weary of it self and dies in a voluntary remorse but in those dogged stomacks which are only capable of the restraints of fear the silent digestion of a former wrong provokes a second Neither will a Beef braind follow be subdued with words Wherefore mercy hath need to be guided with wisdome lest it prove cruell to it self Neither doth Religion call us to a week simplicity but allowes us as much of the Serpent as of the Dove It is our duty indeed to be simple as Doves in offending them but we are no lesse charged to be wise as Serpents in defendiâ—g our selves lawfull remedies have from God both liberty in the use and blessing in the successe no man is bound to tender his throat to an unjust stroak Indeed when the persecuted Christians complained against their adversaries to Iulian the Emperour desiring justice he answered them as some of our scoffers may do in the like case It is your Masters commandment that you should bear all kinde of injuries with patience But what did they answer It is true he commands us to bear all kindes of injuries patiently but not in all cases besides said they we may bear them patiently yet crave the Magistrates ayd for the repairing of our wrongs past our present rescue or for the preventing of what is like to ensue But to make a full Answer to the Question propounded There are Rules to be observed 1 touching our Thoughts 2 touching our Words 3 touching our Actions First Touching our Thoughts He that deceiveth me oft though I must forgive him yet Charity bindes me not not to censure him for untrusty and though Love doth not allow suspicion yet it doth not thrust out discretion it judgeth not rashly but it judgeth justly it is not so sharp sighted as to see a moat where none is nor so purblinde but it can discerne a beam where it is the same spirit that saith Charity beleeveth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 saith also that a fool beleeveth all things Prov. 14.15 and Charity is no fool as it is not easily suspicious so neither lightly credulous It is neither simple
finde many acts of deception in the Saints I finde infirmity in those acts but that any one of them hath scoft at and hated another for goodness I finde not or that have used to dispute against it Gregory Nazianzen I pray minde it seriously told his friends that Iulian would prove a notorious wicked man he took such delight in disputing against that which was good Much less that any after regeneration have in this case been cruel If we would know saith Chrysostome a Wolf from a Sheep since their cloathing is alike look to their fangs and their mouth if they be bloody for who ever saw the lips of a Sheep besmeared with blood which being so No matter though the gate be strait and the way narrow if the end to which it leadeth be everlasting life 5 Use. 5 Fiftly if in conclusion the most malicious and damnable practices of our worst and greatest enemies prove no other in effect to us then did the malice of Iosephs brethren Mistress and Lord to him the first in selling of him the second in falsly accusing him the third in imprisoning him all which made for his inestimable good and benefit then the malice of Haman to Mordecai and the Iews whose bloody decree obtein'd against them procured them exceeding much joy and peace then Balaaâ—s malice to the children of Israel whose desire of cursing them caused the Lord so much the more to bless them Numbers 23. Then the Devils spite to Iob who pleasured him more by his sore afflicting him then any thing else could possibly have done whether we regard his name children substance or soul then Iudas his treason against the Lord of life whose detestable fact served not only to accomplish his will but the means also of all their salvations that either before or after should believe in him this should move wonder to astonishment and cause us to cry out with the Apostle O the deepness of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 O the wonderful and sovereign goodness of our God! that turns all our Poisons into Cordials that can change our terrours into pleasures and makes the greatest evils beneficial unto us for they are evil in their own nature and strong temptations to sin Iames 1.2 also fruits of sin and part of the curse and work those former good effects not properly by themselves but by accident as they are so disposed by the infinite wisdom goodness and power of God who is able to bring light out of darkness and good out of evil yea this should tutour us to love our enemies We love the medicine nor for its own sake but for the health it brings us and to suffer chearfully whatsoever is laid upon us for how can Gods Church in general or any member in particular but fare wel since the very malice of their enemies benefits them How can we but say Let the World frown and all things in it run cross to the grain of our mindes Yet With thee ô Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption thou makest us better by their making us worse Objection But perhaps thou hast not proved the truth of this by thy own knowledge and particular experience Answer If thou hast not thou shalt in due time the end shall prove it stay but till the conclusion and thou shalt see that there is no cross no enemy no evils can happen unto thee that shall not be turned to good by him that dwelleth in thee Will you take Saint Pauls word for it or rather Gods own word who is Truth it self and cannot lie His words are We know that all things work together for the best unto them that love God even to them that are called of his purpose Rom. 8.28 And in Verse 35 36. after he hath declared that Gods chosen people shall suffer tribulation and anguish and persecution and famine and nakedness peril sword c. be killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter he concludeth with Nevertheless in all these things we are more then conquerours through him that loved us and so goeth on even to a challenge of our worst enemies Death Angels Principalities and Powers things present and to come height depth and what other creature besides should stand in opposition What voluminous waves be here for number and power and terrour yet they shall not separate the Ark from Christ nor a soul from the Ark nor a body from the soul nor an hair from the body to do us hurt What saith David Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37.37 Mark him in his setting out he hath many oppositions mark him in the journey he is full of tribulations but mark him in the conclusion and the end of that man is peace In Christ all things are ours 1 Cor. 3.22 How is that Why we have all things because we have the Haver of all things And if we love Christ all things work together for our good yea for the best Rom. 8.28 And â—f all things quoth Luther then even sin it self And indeed how many have we known the better for their sin That Mary Magdalen had never loved so much if she had not so much sinned had not the incestuous person sinned so notoriously he had never been so happy God took the advantage of his humiliation for his conversion Had not one foot slipt into the mouth of Hell he had never been in this forwardness to Heaven Sin first wrought sorrow saith Saint Augustine and now godly sorrow kills sin the daughter destroyes the mother neither do our own sins onely advantage us but other mens sins work for our good also Objection But may some say Can any good come out of such a Nazarite Answer Yes The advantage we have by Christ is more then the loss we had by Adam If Arrius had not held a Trinity of Substances with a Trinity of Persons and Sabellius an Unity of Persons with an Unity of Essences the Mysteries of the Trinity had not been so clearly explaned by those great Lights of the Church If Rome had not so violently obtruded her Mâ—rits the doctrine of Iustification onely by faith in Christ might have been less digested into mens hearts We may say here as Saint Augustine doth of Carthage and Rome if some enemies had not contested against the Church it might have gone worse with the Church Lastly suppose our enemies should kil us they shall not hurt but pleasure us yea even death it self shall work our good That Red-sea shall put us over to the Land of Promise and we shall say to the praise of God we are delivered we are the better for our enemies the better for our sins the better for death yea better for the Devil and to think otherwise even for the present were not onely to derogate from the wisdom power and goodness
and Esau for a mess of Pottage Whereas now wee are safe for to pluck us out of his hands that is Almighty requires an adversary stronger than himself Neither wants hee care hee that numbers our very hairs what account doth hee make of our souls Nor love for if hee hath bought us with his blood and given us himself will hee deny us any thing that is good for us Wherefore silence your reason and exalt your faith how pressing or peircing so ever your sufferings bee which pulls off the vizard from his face and sees a loving heart under contrary appearances Trust the mercy of God which is of infinite perfection and the merits of Christ which are of perfect satisfaction and then hope will bear up thy heavie heart as bladders do an unskilfull swimmer Otherwise if thou shalt walke by sence and not by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 fear will no less multiply evills then saith would diminish them and thou shalt resemble Bucephalus who was not afraid of his burthen the shadow onely frighted him Section 4. Objection Although Christ in the Gospel hath made many â—arge and preoibus promises yet there are none so generall which are not limited wiâ—h the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained Repentance and each of them are so tied and entayled that none can lay claim to them but true beleevers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 But I want these qualifications without which how can I expect supportation in my sufferings or an happy deliverance out of them however it fares with beleevers whom Christ hath undertaken for yea I have such a wicked heart and my sins are so many and great that these comforts nothing concerne mee for they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness shall reap the same Joh. 4.8 Answer So our sailings bee not wilfull though they be many and great yet they cannot hinder our interest in the promises of God Admit thou art a great sinner what then art thou a greater sinner than Matthew or Zacheus who were sinâ—ull Publicans and got their livings by pilling and polling oppression and extortion than Mary Magdalen a common strumpet possest of many Devills than Paul a bloody persecutor of Christ and his Church than the Theef upon the Cross who had spent his whole life to the last hour in abominable wickedness than Manasses that out-rageous sinner and most wicked wretch that ever was an Idolater a malitious Persecutor of the truth a defiler of Gods holy Temple a sacrficer of his own children unto Idols that is Devills a notable witch and wicked sorcerer a bloody murtherer of exceeding many of the dear Saints and true Prophets of the Lord and one who did not run headlong alone into all hellish impiety but led the people also out of the way to do more wickedly than did the Heathen whom the Lord cast out and destroyed I am sure thou wilt not say thou art more wicked than hee was and yet this Manasses this wretch more like a Devill incarnate than a Saint of God repented him of his sins from the bottome of his heart was received I cannot speak it without ravishing wonder of Gods bottomless and never sufficiently admired mercy was received I say to grace and obtained the pardon of all his horrible sins and most abominable wickedness And are not these and many the like examples written for our learning and recorded by the holy ghost to the end that wee may gather unto our selvs assurance of the same pardon for the same sins upon the same repentance and beleeving Are thy sins great his mercies are infinite hadst thou committed all the sins that ever were committed yet in comparison of Gods mercy they are less than a mote in the Sun to all the world oâ— a drop of water to the whole Ocean for the Sea though great yet may bee measured but God's mercy cannot bee circumscribed and hee both can and will as easily forgive us the debt of ten thousand millions of pounds as one penny and assoon pardon the sins of a wicked Manasses as of a righteous Abraham if wee come unto him by unfaigned repentance and earnestly desire and implore his grace and mercy Rom. 5.20 The Tenure of our salvation is not by a covenant of works but by a covenant of grace founded not on our worthiness but on the free mercy and good pleasure of God and therefore the Prophet well annexeth blessedness to the remission of sins Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiven Psal. 32.1 Yea the more miserable wretched and sinfull wee are the more 〈◊〉 objects wee are whereupon hee may exercise and shew the infinite riches of his bounty mercy virtue and all-sufficiency And this our spirituall Physitian can aswell and easily cure desperate diseases even the remediless Consumption the dead Apoplex and the filthy Leprosie of the soul as the smallest malady or least faintness Yea hee can aswell raise the dead as cure the sick and aswell of Stones as of Iews make Abrahams children Did hee not without the Sun at the Creation cause light to shine forth and without rain at the same time make the earth fruitfull why then should you give your self over where your Physitian doth not Besides what sin is there whereof wee can despair of the remission when wee hear our Saviour pray for the forgiveness of his murtherers and blasphemers And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus It was a sweet saying of one at his death When mine iniquity is greater than thy mercy O God then will I fear and despair but that can never bee considering our sins bee the sins of meâ— his mercy the mercy of an infinite God Yea his mercies are so great that among the thirteen properties of God mentioned Exod. 34. almost all of them appertain to his mercy whereas one onely concerns his might and onely two his justice Again shall it ever enter into our hearts to think that God gives us rules to keep and yet break them himsef Now his rule is this Though thy brother sin against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying it repenteth mee thou shalt forgive him The son angers his father he doth not straight dis-inherit him but Gods love to his people exceeds a fathers love to his son Matth. 7.11 and a mothers too Isa. 49.15 I hear many menaces and threats for sin but I read as many promises of mercy and all they indefinite excluding none whose impenitency and infidelity excludeth not themselvs every sin deservs damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it Wherefore if our clamorous conscience like some sharp fang'd officer arrests us at Gods suit let us put in bail two subsidue virtues Faith and Repentance and so stand the triall the Law is on our side the Law of grace is with
for what displeaseth us shall never hurt us and wee shall bee esteemed of God to bee what wee love and desire and labour to bee The comfort of this doctrine is intended and belongs to troubled consciences and those that would fain do better but let no presumptuous sinners meddle with it for what hast thou to do to take I say not the childrens bread to eat Matth. 15.20 but even the least parcell of Gods Word into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed Psal. 50.16.17 But if thou beest a weary and heavy laden sinner thou maist comfort thy self â—huâ— I do hatefull things but I hate that I do I break the Law but yet I love the Law as holy just and good Flesh is in mee but I am not in the Flesh I must not fix mine eyes onely upon mine own resistance or failings but on God's assistance and acceptance in his Son by which I shall bee able to leap over all walls and impediments Psal. 18.29 The Law is given that Grace may bee required Grace is given that the Law may bee fulfilled by us evangelically for us by Christ whose righteousnesse is ours perfectly as Saint Augustin speakes The Law is a gloss to shew us our spots the Gospell a fountain to wash them away Wherefore cast not both thine eyes upon thy sin but reserve one to behold the remedy look upon the Law to keep thee from presumption and upon the Gospel to keep thee from despair Canst thou not aggravate thine own sins but thou must extenuate and call in question Gods mercy and Christs all-sufficiency spoil him of his power and glory Though the grievousness of our sins should increase our repentance yet they should not diminish our faith and assurance of pardon and forgiveness As the plaister must not be less than the sore so the tenâ— must not bee bigger than the wound It was a sweet and even cours which Saint Paul took who when hee would comfort himself against corruption and evill actions Rom. 7.20 then not I but sin dwelling in mee when he would humble himself notwithstanding his graces then not I but the grace of God in mee 1 Cor. 15.10 Section 6. Objection But I am not worthy the least mercy I have so often abused it and so little profited by the meanes of grace Answer I think so too for if thou refusest the offeâ— of mercy until thou deservest it wo bee to thee But if thou wilt take the right course renounce the broken reed of thine own free will which hath so often deceived thee and put all thy trust in the grace of Christ The way to bee strong in the Lord is to bee weak in thy self bee weak in thy self and strong in the Lordâ— and through faith thou shalt bee more than a Conquerour Leav tugging and strugling with thy sin and fall with Iacob to wrestle with Christ â—or a blessing and though thy self go limping away yet shalt thou bee a Prince with God and bee delivered from Esau's bondage But thou standest upon thine own feet and therefore fallest so soully thou wilt like a child go alone and of thy self and therefore geâ—rest so many knocks And thou wouldest accept of a pardon too if thou mightest pay for it but Gods mercies are free and hee bids thee come and buy without silver and without price or else he says thou and thy money perish Thou wouldest go the naturall Way to work What shall I do to inherit eternall life but it is impossible to inherit it by any thing that wee can do for all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges Isa. 64.6 Yea if our doings could have done iâ— Christ dyed in vain whereas if Christ had not died wee had perished every mothers child of us 1 Cor. 15.22 and 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Ephes. 2.1 Colos. 2.13 Ezek. 18.4 Ioh. 11.50 Rom. 5.6.8 and 14.9 1 Cor 15.3 Matth. 18.11 O â—ool dost thou not know that our sins are his sins and his righteousness our righâ—eousness Ier. 23.6 Psal. 4.1 and that God esteems of Faith above all other graces deeds or acts of thine as what did our Saviour answer when the people asked him What shall wee do that wee might work the works of God The work of God is that yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent Ioh. 6.28 29. and yet thou talkest of thy worthiness and thou takest this for humility too but it is pride for if thou wouldest deny thy self and bee nothing in thine own eyes renounce thine own righteousness and wholly and onely rest on thy Saviour Iesus Christ for thy salvation thou wouldest not hope the more in regard of thine own worthiness nor yet doubt in respect of thine own unworthiness But thou wouldest first bee worthy and deserve of God and then accept of Christ and deserve Christ at Gods hands by thy good works and graces which pride of thine and opinion of merit is a greater sin then all thy other sins which thou complainest of and except you do abandon it and wholly rely upon the grace and free mercy of God for salvation Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 2.16 and 5.1 to 7. Colos. 3.11 for nothing is available to salvation but faith which worketh by love Gal. 5.6 whence it is called righteousness through faith ver 5. Faith is the staâ—fe whereupon wee stay our selvs in life and death by faith wee are blessed Gal. 3.9 by faith wee rejoice in tribulation Rom. 5.2 by faith wee have access unto God Ephes. 3.12 by faith we overcome the world 1 Ioh 5.4 the flâ—sh Gal. 5.24 and this is the shield whereby wee quench the fiery darts of Satan and resist his power Ephes. 6.16 Yea whosoever seeks to bee justified by the Law they are abolished from Christ and fâ—ln from grace Gal 5.4 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and bee not tangled again with the yoke of bondage And say Lord wee are not worthy to bee servants and thou makest us sons nay heirs and co-heirs with thee of everlasting glory Objection I grant the Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin but hee is just aswell as mercifull and therefore hee will not acquit the wicked Exod. 34.6.7 but reward them according to their works Revel 20.12.13 and 22 1â— Answer Hee will therefore pardon all thy sins if thou unfainedly repent and wholly rely upon Christ for thy salvation by a lively saith because hee is just for as the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 Death in the person if not â—â— the surety and therefore hath punished the sins of all men either in his Son or will throughly punish them in the parties themselvs so the same justice will not admit that the same sins should be twice punished once in our Saviour and again in the faithful or that a debt once paid should be
of men drunk with the love of the World for although it bee as common a phrase as it is foolish when any great matter falls to a man O he is made yet experience proves that it rather marrâ— than makes him for not seldom do men possess riches as sick men do fevers which indeed rather possess them And certainly if riches were such pearls as most men esteem them it is not likely the Lord would cast them to sub Swine as mostly hee doth If such happy things hee would not throw them to such Dogs As what saith Luther of the whole Turkish Empire it is but a crum of bread which the master of the house throweth to his Dogs And the truth is what men think most pleasing viz. to have theiâ— wills and their lusts granted is most plaguing Psal. 81.12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels so that the greatest temtation is to bee without temtation and the greatest affliction not to be afflicted 2 Cor. 12.7 Wherefore lift up your hands which hang down because of some sore affliction and your weak knees Heb. 12.12 and know that the worst of temporall afflictions are an insufficient proof of divine displeasure yea that stripes from the Almighty are tokens of his love and seals of his Son-ship Yea since hee that hath most grace commonly complains of most discomfort confess that the palate is but an ill Judge of the favours of God as it is in great love no doubt however it bee taken that the tender Father medicines his Child for the Worms gives him Aloes or the like the Child cries and sputters and keckeâ— as if it were poisoned yet still the Fathers love is never the less say it be bitter yet bitter poisons bring sweet health and who will not rather take a vomit then hazard life In the Sweating sickness in England their friends would stand by them and strike them over the faces with sprigs of Rosemary to keep them awake the poor souls faint and full of pain would cry out you kill mee but yet they must do it or else they kill'd them iâ—deed for all that slept dyed Look wee saith Saint Ambrose wiâ—h the eyes of our body upon Lazarus estate and wee think it miserable but if with the eyes of the mind it will bee otherwise for how did the Angels do by him but as Nurses are wont to do by their little children all the day long they carry them about in their arms and at niâ—ht they lay them down in their beds to â—est But the supernaturall works of God when wee look upon them with our own eyes are subject to a dangerous misprision the Sun-beams to whom wee are beholding for our sight if wee eye them directly blind us Miserable men we are ready to suspect truths to run away from our safety to bee afraid of our comforts to mis-know our best friends Wee usually think it a great signe of God displeasure when hee ruines our estate and brings us to nothing when hee in his wisdome knows that these riches would shipwrack the soul were they not cast over-board and his love onely forces him to it A Mother seeing her little Son brustled at by Turcki-cocks catcheth him up and strippeth him of his red coat at which those Eiâ—des are offended the child cries for his coat but shee regarding his good letteth him weep but satisfieth him not And the like of Enemies wee think our selvs mightily wronged by them But God finds it to fare with us as it doth with the Oak which gains by the maims and wounds given it and thereupon spreadeth out thicker than before Whence it is God suffers them to live and domineer as some Countries suffer Ravens enacting Laws to prohibit the killing of them thâ—t they may devour the Carrions which else would corrupt the air And so in all oâ—her trials for bee the root of this tree never so bitter yet the fruit is pleasant Well may wee catch a maim as Iacob did but such a blessing come withall that wee would not if wise bee without it Say it bee a sore and fiery citall yet better this fire to purge us than Hell fire to burn us But all the skill is in making men see this wherefore hee that opened the eyes of Paul open ours But furthermore as not to bee afflicted argues an absolute defect of goodness so if our troubles bee light and few it is because wee are weak and tender for therefore God imposeth no more upon us because hee 〈◊〉 wee can bear no moâ—e The Physitian will not suffer a milke-soâ— to see his vein opened but makes him wink or look another way The Master giveth not to his sick servant strong meats as hee doth to the rest but more dainty â—arâ— not because hee is worthier than the rest but because hee is 〈◊〉 and in greateâ— need The skilfull Armourâ—r tryeth not an ordinary Peece with musket-shot The wise Lapidary brings not his softer stones to the Stithy So that freedom from affliction is not a signe of potency but of impotency Wherefore when I am stronger I will look for more when I am a vessell fit for this strong and new wine I shall bee filled with it but not before Mark 2.22 Indeed the calling of God never leavs a man unchanged nor does hee imploy any in his service whom hee does not enable to the work hee sets them about Will any make choyce of a weak Champion no more will God hee will either find us fit or make us fit to discharge the place hee puts us in as when hee called Saul to bee a King hee gave him a Kings heart 1 Sam. 10.9 And when hee called the Apostles to that function hee gave them gifts answerable so when hee calls any to suffer for him bee it Martyrdom hee giveth them the courage of Martyrs as the times of Queen Mary witness But yet for the most part hee â—rains us up by degrees as we eat diverse things by morsels and easily digest them which if we should eat whole would choak us and doth not make us fit to undergo great matters on a suddain Wee must learn to fence in the School before wee fight in the Field and with wooden weapons men learn to fight at the sharp wee must encounter with some beasts or other I mean unreasonable men before wee fight with that fearfull Goliah death And indeed if wee do not learn to give entertainment to smaller crosses the harbingers messengers and servants of death how shall wee bee able to entertain the Lord and Master when hee cometh Wherefore as Iehoram said to Iehu when hee marched furiously Comest thou peaceably As if hee should say if thou comest peaceably march as furiously as thou wiltâ— so let us say unto God provided thy afflictions and chastisements bee directed to us as messengers of peace and love let them march towards us as furiously as thou pleasest but in
own sins that wee may not be so forward to censure others as wee have been heretofore Give us patience to beare thy Fatherly chastisements which through thy grace sanctifying them to us become both Medicines to cure us and Antidotes to preserve us from the sicknesse of sin considering that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy those joyes which shall be revealed unto us And as we are suiters unto thy Majesty for these thy blessings spirituall so likewise we humbly beg at thy mercifull hands all necessaries appertaining to our temporall welfare beseeching thee to blesse us in our persons with health strength and liberty in our estates with sufficiency and the right use of it considering that if wee spend what wee have upon our own lusts we may ask but wee shall not receive in our good names with an unreproveable report and so blesse and sanctifie unto us all the things of this life that they may be furtherances of us in the way to a better And seeing that it is in vain for us to labour except thy blessing go along with it neither can our endeavours succeed well except thou prosper them bless every one of us in our several places and callings and so direct us in all we shall take in hand that whatsoever wee do may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of our own soules when wee shall come to make our finall account unto thee for them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Maâ—esty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us â—haâ— wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we cover still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence Thy blessings are without number yet our sins strive with them which shall be more if we could count the numberless number of thy Creatures they would not be answerable to the number of thy gifts yet the number of our offences which we return in lieu of them are not much inferiour thereunto Well may we confesse with Iudas we have sinned and there stop but we cannot reckon their number nor set forth their nature We are bound to praise thee above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light or so many blessings as we above any Creaâ—uâ—e for all the Creatures were ordained for our sakes and yet Heaven Earth and Sea all the Elements all thy Creatures obey thy Word and serve thee as they did at first yea call upon us to serve thee onely men for whom they were all made ingratefully rebell against thee Thou might'st have said before we were formed let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggers Cripples or Bondslaves so long as they live and after that Cast-awaies for ever and ever but thou hast made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and onely Inheritance even to remain in blisse with thee for ever so that thousands would think themselvs happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse Why shouldest thou give us thy Son for a ransome thy holy Spirit for a pledge thy Word for a guide thy Angels for our guard and reserve a Kingdom for our perpetual inheritance Why shouldest thou bestow health wealth rest liberty limbs senses food raiment friends and the means of salvation upon us more then upon others whom thou hast denied these things unto We can give no reason for it but that thou art merciful and if thou shouldest draw all back again we had nothing to say but that thou wert just which being considered why should any serve thee more then we who want nothing but thankfulnesse Why should we not hate the Way to Hell as much as Hell it self and why should we not make every cogitation speech and action of ours as so many steps to Heaven yet if thou shouldst now ask us what lust is asswaged what affection qualified what passion expelled what sin reâ—pented of what good performed since we began to receive thy blessings to this day we must needs confesse against our selvs that all our thoughts words and works have been the service of the World the Flesh and the Divel yea it hath been the course of ouâ— whole life to leave that which thou commandest and to do that which thou forbiddest yet miserable wretches that we are if we could give thee our bodies and souls they should bee saved by it but thou wert never the richer for them Thus while we look upon our selvs we are ashamed to liâ—t up our eâ—es unto thee yea we are ready to despair with Cain yet when we think upon thy Son and the rich promises of the Gospel our fear is in some measure turned into joy while we consider that his righteousnesse for us is more then our wickednesse against our selvs onely give us faith we beseech thee and setâ—le it in thy beloved that we may draw virtue from his death and resurrection whereby we may be enabled â—o die unto sin and live unto righteousnesse and it sufficeth for all our iniquities necessities and infirmites It is true O Lord as wee were made after thine own Image so by sin we have turned that Image of thine into the Image of Satan but turn thou us again and we shall bee turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Son And what though our sins be great yet thy mercie is far greater then our sins either are or can be we cannot be so bad as thou art good nor so infinite in sinning as thou art in pardoning if we repent O that we could repent O that thou wouldest give us repentance for we are weak O Lord and can no more turn our selvs then we could at first make our selvs yea we are altogether dead in sin so that we cannot stir the least joint no not so much as feel our deadnesse
whereby wee are continually tempted drawn away and enticed through our own concupiscence Yea thou knowest that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things and that the imaginations thereof are onely and continually evill O the infinitely intricate windings and turnings of the dark Labyrinâ—hs of mans heart who finds not in himself an indisposition of mind to all good and an inclination to all evill And according to this our inclination hath been our practice wee have yielded our hearts as cages to entertain all manner of unclean spirits when on the contrary wee have refused to yield them as Temples for thine holy Spirit to dwell in Yet miserable wretches as wee are wee like our own condition so well that wee are not willing to go out of our selves unto thee who wouldest new make us according to the Image of thy Son for by long custom wee have so turned delight into necessity that we can as willingly leave to live as leave our lusts yea wee love our sins so well and so much above our souls that except thou change our hearts wee shall chuse to go to Hell rather then part with them Thou hast used all manner of means to reclaim us but nothing will serve neither the menaces and terrours of thy Law nor the precepts and sweet promises of thy Gospell can do it Wee are neither softned with benefits nor broken with punishments thy severity will not terriâ—ie us nor thy kindness mollifie us No shouldest thou send an Angell from the dead to warn us all perswasions would be in vain since we hear Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles daily and are never the better True O Lord there is a main reason of it which we cannot now help for naturally we have eyes and see not ears and hear not hearts and understand not Yea wee are quite dead in sin untill thou doest boar our ears soâ—ten our hearts and break in upon our consciences by the irresistible power of thy Spirit and by going along with thy Word shall quicken our souls and regenerate the whole man anew In the mean time wee are ready to receive all and return nothing but sin and disobedience wherein wee more then abound for wee have done more against thee this week then wee have done â—or thee ever since we were born And whereas the least of thy mercies is greater then all the curtesies of men wee are not so thankfull to thee for them all as wee are to a friend for some one good turn Neither do wee alone lay the fault upon our inability or want of supply from thee but upon our own perversnesse and want of endeavour and putting forth that strength and ability which thou hast given us for how long hast thou O most gracious God stood at the doors of our hearts and how often hast thou knock'd when we have refused to open and let thee in And if at any time we have been over-ruled by the good motions of thy holy Spirit yet have wee still returned with the Dog to our vomit and with the Sow refused the clear streams of thy Commandements to wallow in the myre of our filthy sins whereby we have justly deserved that thou shouldest have called us to an account in the dead of our sleep and have judged us to eternall destruction and never have suffered us again to have seen the light of the Sun the remembrance of which together with our other rebellions when we rightly consider them makes us even speechless like him in the Gospell as neither expecting mercy nor daring to ask it Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Be favourable to thy people every where look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church and every severall member thereof blesse it in all places 〈◊〉 peace and truth hedge it about with thy providence defend it from the miscâ—ievous designs and attempts of â—â—ine and her malitious enemie let thy Gospell go on and conâ—ueâ— maugre all opposition that Religion and uprightness of heart may bee highly set by with all and all prophaneness may be trod under foot More particularly be mercifull to this sinfull Land the civill â—agistrates the painful Ministers the two Universities those people that sit yet in darkness all the afflicted members of thy Son Lord comfort the comfortless strengthen the weak bind up the broken hearted make the bed of the sick be a father to the fatherless and an husband to the widdow cloath the naked feed the hungry visit the prisoners relieve the oppressed sanctifie unto them all their afflictions and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee Prosper the Armies that fight thy battells and shew a difference between thy servants and thine enemies as thou did'st between the Israelites and the Egyptians that the one may bee
confirmed and the other reclaimed ☞ These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that we have used all our wisedom to commit the foolishness of sin our whole conversation hath been to serv Satan and fulfill the lusts of the flesh Wee even suck in iniquity like water and draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes Neither is there any part power function or faculty either of our souls or bodies which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour thee for as our heart is a root of all corruption a seed-plot of all sin so our eyes are eyes of vanitie our ears ears of folly our mouthes mouthes of deceit our hands hands of iniquity and every part doth dishonour thee which yet would be glorified of thee The understanding which was given us to learn virtue is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin the will which was given us to affect righteousness is apt now to love nothing but wickedness the memory which was given us to remember good things is apt now to keep nothing but evill things for sin like a spreading leprosie is so grown over us that from the crown of our heads to the soal of our â—eet there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption Yea our souls and bodies are even a very sink of sin for like the common shoar we have not refused to welcome any the most loathsome pollutions that either the world our own corruption or the Devill at any time hath offered unto us Or admit we are exempt from som evills wee may thank thee and not our selves for it for wee are ready without thy restraining grace to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever we are swift to all evill but to 〈◊〉 good immoveable when we do evill we do it chearfully and quickly and easily but if we do any good wee do it faintly and rawly and slackly When did we talk without vanity when did we give without hypocrisie when did wee bargain without deceit when did we reprove without anger or envy when did we hear without wearysomness when did wee pray without tediousness such is our corruption as if we were made to sin in deed in word or in thought O the pride passion lust envy ignorance awkwardnesse hypocrisie infidelity vain thoughts unprofitableness and the like which cleaves to our very best actions and how full of infirmity are our primest performances for we have not done any one action legally justifyable all our dayes neither can ought we do abide the examinatirn of thy strict justice untill it he covered with thy Sons righteousness and the corruption thereof washed away in his most pretious blood Yea if thou shouldest behold these our praiers as they bee in themselves without having respect unto us in Christ Iesus they would appear no better in thy sight then a menstruous cloth Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Yâ—a let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts that neither Satan that forrain enemy and roaring Lyon which seeketh to devour us may invade us nor our own concupiscence that home-bred traytor may by conspiring with the world work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits our affections which are altogether carnall may be wholâ—y framed according to thy holy heavenly will and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill and do the good let thy Word as a light discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and thy Cross like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the
and withal a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition free from all misery and to enjoy a sweet and blessed Communion with his Creator So that man was created very good did clearly and perfectly know the whole will and works of his Maker was able out of the integrity of his soul and fitness of all the powers fully willingly and chearfully to love observe and obey his Maker in every tittle and circumstance he required and to love his neighbour as himself so that neither the minde did conceive not the heart desire nor the body put in execution any thing but that which was acceptable and well pleasing unto God as these insuing Scriptures do plainly prove Gen. 1.26 27 30. Eccles. 7.29 Rom. 2.14 15. Sect. VII VVhich being so how should it humble us and make us ashamed of our present condition and withal set us on fire with a holy zeal to out-strip and go before all the rest of the Creatures in obeying our Creator as far as he did make us out-strip them all in spiritual and divine excellencies whereas hitherto they have out-stript and gone before us in a high degree as for Instance Though we are bound to praise and serve God above any creature whatsoever in that all the creatures were ordained for our sakes yet heaven earth and sea all the elements all the creatures obey the Word of God and serve him as they did at first yea call upon us to serve him onely men for whom they were all made most ingratefully rebel against him As if you consider it rightly the obedience of insensible and bruit creatures unto the will of God is a great check and reproof unto the disobedience of man Man is the chiefest of creatures and they the lowest yet do they as far exceed him in obedience as he doth them in natural eminency The Stork and the Swallow know their appointed times The Ox knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib the Sea moveth in a settled and unmoving course the Stars fits their many changes to a steddy rule answerable to the will of him that never changeth The Lord by Moses but spake to the rock and it gave water to the thirsty Israelites he but commanded the clouds to rain down Manna and the winde to bring them in Quails for the satisfying of their hunger and they did so Yea he but bade the Ravens bring bread and flesh to Elijah and they did it In like manner did the winde and sea Matth. 〈…〉 2 Kings 2.24 the Fire Dan. 3.27 the Earth Numb 16.19 to 27. obey they voice of the Lord and many the like spoken of in Scripture But man is wholly gone astray from his rule and not only runneth from it but against it so that he is far worse then things worse then himself Which were it rightly considered would be enough to melt an heart of Adamant For was this the principal end for which men were created in such a glorious condition That we might honor love and serve our Creator and injoy communion and happinesse with him for ever and are we so far from excelling the rest of the creatures that we are become more disobedient and rebellious to God then any one of them except Satan himself One would think it should make all that thirst not after their own damnation not onely to hate and dislike themselves for it but force us with all possible speed and industry to seek out the cause and how to recover our selves out of this wretched and damnable condition Sect. VIII But it will be demanded how this comes to be so and what was the cause To which I answer God at first entred into Covenant with our first Parents as publike persons both in behalf of themselves and all that should proceed out of their loines and so that whatsoever gifts priviledges and endowments they had bestowed upon them should be continued to them and theirs onely upon condition of their loyaltie and personal obedience of which the tree of liâ—e was a pledge and they should have and injoy them or lose and be deprived of them aswel for their off-spring as for themselves as they should keep or transgress his royal Law But see how unworthily they demeaned themselves towards this their bountifull Maker and Benefactor For whereas God placed them in Paradise and gave them free liberty to eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden save onely of the tree of knowledge of good and evil prohibiting them that alone even upon pain of eternal death to them and theirs they most perfidiously contemned and brake this Law which as sundry circumstances that do aggravate it shew was a most execrable and damnable sin As observe the several circumstances set down by Moses to amplifie the foulnesse of their Fall as First that they despised and made light of the promise of God whereby they were commanded to hope for everlasting life so long as they continued their loyalty and obedience 2. There was in it an unsufferable pride and ambition in that he could not content himself with being Lord of the whole Universe but he must be equal unto God and every way like his Maker 3. VVhat greater unbelief could there be when he gave more credit to the Serpent in saying he should not die then to God who immediately before tells them that if he did sin in eating the forbidden fruit he should dye 4. In this sin was not onely unkindnesse not to be parallel'd but wilfull murther of himself and all his posterity whom he knew were to stand of fall with him 5. Herein was foul apostasy from God to the devil to whom charging God with lying envy malice c he revolted and adhered rather then stick to his Maker And to the might be added many the like circumstances which grievously aggravate the sin of our first Parents and make it so deadly in effect For hereby it is we not onely lost our blessed communion with God that the Image of God after which they were created was forthwith abolished and blotted out but that many grievous miseries and punishments came in the room of it so that in the place of wisdom power holiness truth righteousness and the like ornaments wherewith we had been cloathed there hath succeeded these and the like 1. This their sin hath filled our whole man with corruption 2. It hath made us become vassals unto sin and Satan 3. It hath disabled us from understanding the will and observing the Commandments of the Lord. 4. It caused us to lose our right unto and soveraignty over the creatures 5. It makes our persons and actions unacceptable to God 6. It hath cast us out of Gods favour and made us liable and subject to all the plagues and miseries of this life and to endless easless and remediless torments in the life to come Sect. IX And the reason is Our First Parents being the root of all mankinde and
for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy selfe that thou shouldest dye to save us VVhich salvation stands in two things First in freeing and delivering us from Hell Secondly In the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the law merits the second The parts of our justification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse whereby we have freedom from all evill here and the perfection of all good and happinesse in heaven Insomuch that all those Millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall enjoy to eternity Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us with the price of his own precious blood For which see Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Hear this all you that care to be saved God will pardon all your sins he will give you an eternall crown of glory in heaven if you unfainedly repent and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation by a lively faith and that because he is just for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is eternal death Rom. 6.23 death in the person if not in the surety Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid their dept even to the utmost farthing as is evident by Isai. 53.4 5. 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 9.26 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 3.25 26. 1 Ioh. 1.7 9. and sundry other places As are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law Christ performed it for us VVetâ— we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul He was condemned for us and bore the curse of the Law he died in our stead an ignominious 〈◊〉 Did we deserve the anger of God he endured his Fathers wrathful displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his Father and set us at liberty He that deserved no sorrow felt much that we who deserved much might feel none And by his wounds we are healed Isai. 53.5 Adam eat the apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever we owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self-same punishments for he being God could not suffer the eternal torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his Person he being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth then if all the world should have suffered the eternal torments of Hell For it is more for one that is eternal to die then for others to die eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might be made the Sons of God and therefore was he both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man he had been too weak to satisfie God And so much for explication of the Third Principle mentioned in the beginning Sect. XX. But now comes the hardest part of my work to be performed For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental Principles never so clearly yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses that he will be never the better for what hath been told him yea he will decoct all even the mercy and goodness of God into poyson For what will such a one suggest to himself the Devil helping forward Let it be granted will he say that I were every way wretched and miserable a great sinner both originally and actually and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life and of that to come yet I thank God I am well enough so long as Christ hath paid my ransom and freed me from all by a new Covenant the tenure whereof is Believe and Live whereas at first it was do this and live to which I answer In Covenants and Indentures between party and party there are alwayes articles and conditions to be performed on the one side as well as promises to be fullfilled on the other as saith Pareus Now as God hath covenanted and bound himself by his word and Seal to remit thee thy sins adopt thee his child by regeneration and give thee the Kingdome of Heaven and eveâ—lasting life by and for his sons sake so Christ hath for and on thy behalf undertaken yea thou thy self didst for thy part bind thy self by covenant promise and vow in thy baptism that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works constantly believe Gods holy Word and obediently keep his Commandments the better thereby to expresse thy thankfulness towards him for so great a benefit 1 Pet. 3.21 Psal. 116.12 13 14. And we know that in Covenants and Indentures if the Conditions be not kept the Obligation is not in force VVhereby millions Magus like after the water of baptism which is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace go to the fire of Hell Yea except we repent and believe the Gospel threats and precepts aswel as promises that holy Sacrament together with the 〈…〉 to us our salvation will be an obligation under our own hand and seal against us and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation Therefore the main question is VVhether thou art a believer For although Christ in the Gospel hath made many large and precious promises there are none so general which are not limited with the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained repentance and each of them are so tied and entailed that none can lay claim to them but true believers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 As for instance Our Saviour hath made publick Proclamation Mark 16.16 That whosoever shall believe and be baptised shall be saved but mark what withal is added he that will not believe shall be damned Again God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.15 16. And that none may deceive themselves he addeth He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light John 3.19 20. And again As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Joh. 1.12 Again Heb. 5.9 He is said to be the Author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickedness and never submit themselves to be ruled by the scepter of
for love of Christs Gospel True I went under the notion of an honest man and a good Christian I was baptized into the faith and made a member of Christs vivisible Church but I was so far from indeavouring to perform what I then promised that in effect I even renounced both Christ and my Baptism in persecuting him and all that sincerely professed his Name thinking I did God good service therein Ioh. 16.2 Gal. 1.13 14. Phil. 3.6 Nor was it for want of ignorance that you thought so of me for by nature be we never so milde and gentle we are all the seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 and children of the Devil Ioh. 8.44 Yea the very best moral man is but a tame Devil as Athanasius well notes But it is a true proverb the blind eat many a flie and all colours are alike to him that is in the dark Loose Libertine So much the worse is my condition for my conscience tells me there is not a word you have spoken of your self but I can justly apply the same unto my own soul and a great deal more For whereas you have been a moral honest man so that none except your self could tax you for breaking either Gods Law or mans I have been so wicked and prophane that I could most presumptuosly and of set purpose take a pride in my wickednesse commit it with greedinesse speak for it defend it joy in it boast of it tempt and inforce to it yea mock them that disliked it As if I would send challenges into Heaven and make love to destruction and yet did applaud my self and prefer my own condition before other mens saying I was no dissembler yea I hated the hypocrisie of Professors I do not justifie my self and despise others like the Puritanes I am not factious schismatical singular censorious c. I am not rebellious nor contentious like the Brownists and Anabaptists I am a good fellow and love an honest man with my heart c. and as touching a good conscience I was never troubled in mind as many scrupulous fools are I have a good heart and mean as well as the precisest But now I see the Devil and my own deceitfull heart deluded me so that my whole life hitherto hath been but a dream and that like a blind man I was running headlong to Hell when yet I thought my self in the way to Heaven Just as if a beggar should dream that he were a King or a◠if a traitor should dream of his being crowned when indeed he was to be beheaded the case of Laodicea Rev. 3.17 the young man in the Gospel Luk. 18.20 21. and that Pharisee spoken of Luk. 18.11 12. Sect. XXXV Convert It was not your case alone but so it fares with the worst of sinners Only it much rejoyces me that it hath pleased God to open your eyes to see all this in your self For flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you Yea we are naturally so blind and deaf and dead in sin and in soul that we can no more discern our spiritual filthinesse nor feel sin to be a burden than a blind Aethiopian can see his own blacknesse or than a dead-man can feel the weight of a burthen when it is laid upon him Act. 28.27 Isa. 6.9 10 And this common experience shews for if you observe it who more jocond confident and secure than the worst of sinners they can strut it under an unsupportable Mass of oaths blasphemies thefts murthers adulteries drunkenness and other the like sins yea can easily swallow these spiders with Mithridates and digest them too when one that is regenerate shrinkes under the burden of wandring thoughts and want of proficiency But why is it they are dead in sin Ephes. 2.1 Revel 3.1 Now lay a mountain upon a dead-man he feels not once the weight To a Christian that hath the life of grace the least sin lyes heavy upon the conscience but to him that is dead let his sins be as heavy as a mountain of lead he feels in them no weight at all Again They are 〈…〉 for what the eye seeth not the heart rueth not Security makes worldlings merry and therefore are they secure because they are ignorant A dunce we know seldome makes doubts yea a fool saies Solomon boasteth and is confident Prov. 14.16 neither do blind men ever blush And the truth is were it not for pride and ignorance a world of men would be ashamed to have their faces seen abroad For take away from mens minds vain opinions flattering hopes false valuations imaginations and the like you will leave the minds of most men and women but poor shrunken things full of melancholy indisposition and unpleasing to themselves Ignorance is a veil or curtain to hide away their sins whereupon they are never troubled in conscience nor macerated with cares about eternity but think that all will be well The Devil and the flesh prophesie prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the powder-traitors but death and damnation which Gods Spirit threatens will prove the crop they will reap For God is true the Devil and all flesh are lyers When we become regenerate and forsake sin then the Devil strongly and strangely assaults us as he did Christ when he was newly baptized and Pharaoh the children of Israel when they would forsake Aegypt and Herod the children when Christ was come to deliver his people Whence commonly it comes to passe that those think best of themselves that ave least cause yea the true Christian is as fearfull to entertain a good opinion of himself as the false is unwilling to be driven from it They that have store of grace mourn for the want of it and they that indeed want it chant their abundance None so apt to doubt their adoption as they that may be assured of it nor none more usually fear then they that have the greatest cause to hope We feel corruption not by corruption but by grace and therefore the more we feel our inward corruptions the more grace we have Contraries the nearer they are to one another the sharper is the conflict betwixt them now of all enemies the spirit and the flesh are nearest one to another being both in the soul of a regenerate man and in all faculties of the soul and in every action that springeth from those faculties The more grace the more spiritual life and the more spiritual life the more antipathy to the contrary whence none are so sensible of corruption as those that have the most living souls Sect. XXXVI Now for remedy of the contrary there cannot be a better lesson for carnal men to learn than this All the Promises of God are conditional to take place if we repent as all the threatenings of God are conditional to take place if we repent not But wicked men as they believe without repenting their faith being meer presumption so they repent without believing their repentance being indeed
desperation and this observe we are cast down in the disappointing of our hopes in the same measure as we were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them Whence these perremptory presumers if ever they repent it is commonly as Francis Spira 〈…〉 One star is much bigger than the Earth yet seems many degrees lesse It is the nature of fear to make dangers greater helps lesse then they are Christ hath promised peace and rest unto their souls that labour and are heavy laden and to those that walk according to rule Matth. 11.29 Gal. 6.16 even peace celestial in the state of grace and peace eternal in the state of glory Such therefore as never were distressed in conscience or live loosly never had true peace Peace is the Daughter of Righteousness Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God But he who makes a bridge of his own shadow will be sure to fall into the water Those Blocks that never in their life were moved with Gods threatnings never in any straight of conscience never groaned under the burden of Gods anger they have not so much as entered into the porch of this house or lift a foot over the threshold of this School of repentance Oh! that we could but so much fear the eternal paines as we do the temporary and be but so carefull to save our souls from torment as our bodies In the mean time the case of these men is so much the worse by how much there fear is the lesse It faring with the soul as with the body Those diseases which do take away all sense of pain are of all others most desperate As the dead Palsey the falling-sicknesse the sleepy lethargy c. And the Patient is most dangerously sick when he hath no feeling thereof In like manner whilst they suppose themselves to be free from judgment they are already smitten with the heaviest of Gods judgments a heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 In a lethargy it is needfull the Patient should be cast into a burning Fever because the senses are benammed and this will waken them and dry up the besotting humours So in our dead security before our conversion God is fain to let the Law Sin Conscience and Satan loose upon us and to kindle the very fire of Hell in our souls that so we might be roused out of our security but thousands of these blocks both live and depart with as great hopes as men go to a lottery even dreaming of Heaven untill they awake in Hell For they too often die without any remorse of conscience like blocks or as an Ox dyes in a ditch Yea thousands that live like Laban dye like Nabal which is but the same word inverted whilst others the dear Children of God dye in distresse of conscience For it is not every good mans hap to dye like Antoninus Pius whose death was after the fashion and semblance of a kindly and pleasant sleep However Austin's rule will be sure to hold He cannot dye ill that hath lived well and for the most part He that lives conscionably dyes comfortably and departeth rich And so you see how it fares with the wickedest and worst of men Wherefore if you are truly sensible of your wretchednesse it is a good sign that you are in some forwardnesse to be recovered and really to become so good as formerly you but dream'd or imagined your self to be And indeed the very first step to grace is to feel the want of grace and the next way to receive mercy is to see your self miserable Therefore our 〈◊〉 and most diligent search should be 〈…〉 Sect. XXXVII Loose Libertine But is there any hope for one so wicked as I who have turned the grace of God into wantonesse applying Christs passion as a warrant for my licenciousnesse not as a remedy and taking his death as a licence to sin his cross as a Letters pattent to do mischief As if a man should head his drum of rebellion with his pardon For I have most spitefully and maliciously taken up arms against my Maker and fought against my Redeemer all my daies Convert Do but unfeignedly repent you of your sins and forsake your former evil waies and lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith my soul for yours God is very ready to forgive them be they never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Yea I can shew you your pardon from the great King of Heaven for all that is past the which you may read at large Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 to 29. and 33.11 Ioel 2.12 13 14. Yea read 1 Cor. 6.10 11. together with the story of Manasses Mary Magdelen the Thief and the Prodigal Son and you shall see presidents thereof Yea the very murtherers of the Son of God upon their serious and unfeigned repentance and stedfast believing in him received pardon and salvation And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus True every sin deserves damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it True Repentance is ever blest with forgiveness And know this that Gods mercy is greater than thy sin whatever it be you cannot be so infinite in sinning as he is infinite in pardoning if you repent yea sins upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I will put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44.22 And what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone As the former examples witnesse Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1.18 Yea whiter than snow For the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiâ—â—inesse and his original impurity useth these words Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did Christ come to call sinners to repentance and shall be not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that desires to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Only apply not this salve before the ulcer be searched to the bottom Lay not hold upon mercy untill you be throughly humbled The only way to become good is first to believe that you are evil and by accusing our selves we prevent Satan By judging our selves we prevent God Are we as sick of sorrow as we are of sin then may we hopefully go to the Physician of our souls who came into the world only to cure the sick and to give light to them only who sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death God does not pour the oyl of grace but into a broken and contrite heart Wouldst thou get out of the miserabâ—◠〈◊〉 of nature into the blessed estate of grace and of Satans bondsla 〈◊〉 me the child of God and a very
holinesse nor read other Books then such as fill them with Pride and Lust and the Devil So I have given you a good and profitable Book one faultlesse fault being born with An answer that may satisfie such as shall make the Objection I expect viz. about repetition which I take to be a fault deserving thanks If any shall finde themselves gameis by reading of this piece let them also peruse the two fore-going parts viz. The Hearts Index and A short and sure way to Grace and salvation as treating upon the most needful subjects for a natural mans conversion that I could think of The which being small things are sold onely by Iames Crump in Little Bartholomews wel-yard And by Henry Cripps in Popes-head Alley ERRATA Not to mention all the litterall mistakes and points misplaced there is one fault in the Title page so grosse though it past the view both of Transcriber Composer Corrector and Authour without being discerned that it would be mended with a pen and of Floreligus made Florilegus FINIS A serious and Pathetical Description OF HEAVEN AND HELL According to the Pencil of the HOLY GHOST and the best Expositors sufficient with the blessing of GOD to make the worst of men hate Sin and love Holiness Being five Chapters taken out of a Book entituled The whole Duty of a Christian Composed by R. YOUNGâ— of Roxwell in Essex Florilegus CHAP. XIX Section I. THus as the Unbeliever and Disobedient is cursed in eveâ—â— thing and where-ever he goes and in whatsover he does Cursed in the City and cursed also in the field cursed in the fruit of his body and in the fruit of his ground and in the fruit of his Cattell Cursed when he cometh in and cursed also when he goeth out cursed in this life and cursed in the life to come as is at large exprest Deut. 28. So the Believer that obeyes the voice of the Lord shall be blessed in every thing he does where-ever he goes and in whatsoever befals him as God promiseth in the former part of the same Chapter and as I have proved in the eleven foregoing Sections Yea God will blâ—ss all that belong unto him for his children and posterity yea many generations after him shall fare the better for his sake Exod. 20.6 Gen. 30.27 Isa. 54.15 65.8 Rom. 11.28 Gen. 18.26 29 31 32. 26.24 39.5 1 King 11.12 32 34 〈…〉 where he dwells perhaps the whole Kingdom he lives in Gen. 39 to 48. Chap. Whereas many yea multitudes Numb 25.18 Deut. 1.37 3.26 Psal. 106.32 even a whole Army Iosh. 7.4 to 14. yea his childrens children unto the third and fourth generation fare the worse for a wicked man and an unbeliever Exod. 20 5. Besides his prayers shall profit many for he is more prevalent with God to take away a judgment from a people or a Nation than a thousand others Exod. 17.11 12 13. And he counts it a sin to cease praying for his greatest and most malicious enemies 1 Sam. 12.23 Though they like fools would if they durst or were permitted cut him off and all the race of Gods people Psal. 83.4 Hester 3.6 9 13. Which is as if one with a hatchet should cut off the bough of a Tree upon which he standeth For they are beholding to Believers for their very lives yea it is for their sakes and because the number of Christs Church is not yet accomplisht that they are out of Hell But to go on as all things viz. poverty imprisonment slander persecution sickness death temporal judgments spiritual desertions yea even sin and Satan himself shall turn together for the best unto those that love God as you have seen So all things shall turn together for the worst unto those that hate God as all unbelievers do Rom. 1.30 Iohn 15.18 even the mercy of God and the means of grace shall prove their bane and inhaunce their damnation yea Christ himself that onely summum bonum who is a Saviour to all Believers shall be a just revenger to all Unbelievers and bid the one Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 46. Which shall be an everlasting departure not for a day nor for years of dayes nor for millions of years but for eternity into such pains as can neither be expressed nor conceived Iude 6 7. Rev. 20.10 Mat. 3.12 Heb. 6.2 Sect. 2. Wickedness hath but a time a short time a moment of time but the punishment of wickedness is beyond all time There shall be no end of plagues to the wicked man Prov. 24.20 Their worm shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched Isa. 30.33 66.24 Matth. 25.41 Mark 9.44 And therefore it is said the smoak of their torment doth asceâ—d for ever and ever Rev. 4.12 20.10 So that if all the men that ever have or shall be created were Briareus like hundred-handed and should at once take pens in their hundred hands and do nothing else for ten hundred thousand millions of years but sum up in figures as many hundred thousand millions as they could yet never could they reduce to a total or confine within number this trisyllable word Eternall or that word of four syllables Everlasting Now let such as forget God but seriously consider this it will not be an imprisonment during the Kings pleasure but during the King of Kings pleasure It is not a captivity of seventy years like that of the children of Israel in Babylon for that had an end nor like a captivity of seventy millions of generations for that also would in time be expired but even for ever The wicked shall live as long in Hell as there shall be a just God in Heaven Here we measure time by dayes months years but fot 〈…〉 is no Arithmetitian can number it no Geometrician can measure it Foâ— suppose the whole world were turned into a mountain of sand and that a little Wren should come every thousand year and carry away from that heap but one grain of the sand what an infinite number of years would be spent and expired before the whole heap would be fercht away but admit a man should stay in torments so long and then have an end of his woe it were some comfort to think that an end will come but alas when she hath finished this task a thousand times over he shall be as far from an end of his anguish as ever he was the very first hour he entered into it Now Suppose thou shouldest lye but one night grieviously affâ—â—cted with a raging fit of the stone strangury tooth-ach pangs of travel or the like though thou hadst to help and ease thee a soft bed to lye on friends about to comfort thee Physitians to cure thee all cordial and comfortable things to aswage thy pain yet how tedious and painfull would that one night seem unto thee how wouldest thou toss and tumble and turn from one side to another counting
as unspeakable joyes in Heaven Nor will this be their case alone that are desparately wicked cursing and blaspheming Drunkards and sheders of blood but of all impenitent persons As for instance They who have lived in the fire of lust here must not think much to be scorched in the flames of Hell hereafter Heb. 13.4 Rev. 21.8 22.15 The detractor is a devil above ground his tongue is already set on fire from hell James 3.6 Rev. 16.10 11. which does sadly presage what will be his portion for ever unless repentaâ—ce quench those flames and so of the like offenders Psal. 9.17 Revel 22.12 As what sayes the Apostle Neither fornicators nor thieves nor murtherers nor drunkards nor swearers nor raylors nor lyers nor covetous persons nor unbelievers nor no unrighteous persons shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but shall have their part and portion in that lake which burneth with the fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21.8 which did they well consider they durst not continue in the practise of these sins without fear or remorse or care of amendment Sect. 5. Now what heart would not bleed to see men run headlong into these tortures that are thus intollerable Dance hoodwinkt into this perdition O that it were allowed to the desperate russians of our dayes that swear and curse drink and drab rob shed blood c. as if Heaven were blind and deaf to what they do to have but a sight of this Hell how would it charm their mouths appale their spirits strikâ— fear and astonishment into their hearts Yea if a sinner could see but one glimpse of hell or be suffered to look one moment into that fiery Lake he would rath 〈…〉 sin Nor can I think they would do as they do if they did but either see or foresee what they shall one day without serious and unfeigned repentance feel And indeed therefore are we dissolute because we do not think what a judgment there is after our dissolution because we make it the least and last thing we think on yea it is death we think to think upon death and we cannot endure that dolefull bell which summons us to judgment Lam. 1.9 Deut. 32.29 Oh that men would believe and consider this truth and do accordingly Oh that thou wouldest remember that there is a day of account a day of death a day of judgment coming Heb. 9.27 Matth. 25. wherein the Lord Iesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance unto them which obey not his Gospel and to punish them with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power as the Apostle speaks 2 Thes. 1.7 8 9. Iude 15. Isa. 33 14. Mat. 25.46 As consider seriously I beseech you whether it will not be worth the while so to foresee the torments of Hell that you may prevent them Or if otherwise will you not one day wish you had when death comes and arrests you to appear before the great and terrible Iudge of all the world Luke 16 23. to 32. Matth. 13.30 38. at which time an Assizes or Quarter-Sessions shall be held within thee where Reason shall sit as Iudge and Satan shall put in a Bill of Indictment as long as that Book in Zechary Chap. 5.2 Ezek. 2.9 10. wherein shall be alleged all the evil deeds that ever thou hast committed and all the good deeds that ever thou hast omitted with their several circumstances that may aggravate them Eccles. 11.9 12.14 2 Cor. 5.10 and all the curses and judgments that are due to every sin Thine own Conscience shall accuse thee and thy memory shall give bitter evidence against thee and thou shalt condemn thy self before the just condemnation of thy Iudg who knows all thy misdeeds better than thy self 1 Iohn 3 20. Which sins of thine will not then leave thee but cry unto thee We are thy works and we will follow thee Rev. 14.13 And then who can sufficiently express what thy grief and anguish will be when the summons both of the first and second death do overtake thee at once Prov. 1.27 And when at once thou shalt think of thy sins past thy present misery and the terrour of thy torments to come and how thou hast made Earth thy Paradise thy belly thy God and lust thy Law so sowing vanity and reaping misery And finding that as in thy prosperity thou neglectedst to serve God so now in thy adversity God refuseth to save thee Prov. 1.24 to 32. Ezek. 23.35 When thou shalt call to mind the many warnings thou hast had of this dolefull day from Christs faithfull Ambassadours and how thou then madest but a mock or jeer at it Prov. 1 25. and think how for the short sinfull pleasures thou hast enjoyed thou must endure eternal pains Luk. 16.24 25. Rev. 6.12.10.18 Which yet thou shalt think most just and equal saying As I have deserved so I am served for I was oft enough offered mercy yea 〈◊〉 to accept thereof but I preferrâ—◠〈◊〉 pleasing of my 〈…〉 and the allurements of Satan than the Word of God or the motions of his holy Spirit Prov. 1.24 c. Mark 16.16 And which I would have thee think upon Hell fire is made more hot by neglecting so great salvation Heb. 2.3 This is the condemnation saith our Saviour none like this that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Joh. 3.29 Now salvation is freely offered but men reject it hereafter they would accept of salvation but God will reject them Yea then a whole world if thou hadst it for one hours delay or â—â—spite that thou mightest have space to repent and sue unto God for mercy but it cannot be because thy body which joyned with thy soul in thy sinfull actions is now altogether unfit to joyn with her in the exercise of repentance and repentance must be of the whole man Besides death will take no pitty the Devil knows no mercy and the God of mercy will have utterly forsaken thee Then wilt thou say Oh that I had been more wise or that I were now to begin my life again then would I contemn the world with all its vanities yea if Satan should then offer me all the treasures pleasures and promotions of this world he should never entice me to forget the terrours of this dreadfull hour and those worse which are to follow Luke 16.24 c. 13.28 But Oh wretched Caitiff that I am how hath the Devil and my own deceitfull and devilish heart deluded me and how am I served accordingly For now is my case more miserable than the most despised Toad or Serpent that perisheth when it dieth in that I must go to answer at the great Judgement-seat for all my sins that am not able to answer for one of the least of them Eccles. 12.14 Mat. 18.34 that I
2 Cor. 12.2 4. Isa. 66.1 Heaven in Scripture is compared to a Kingdom for soverainty to a Throne for preheminency to a Crown for state and majesty to an Inheritance for perpetuity to a Marriage-feast for plenty pleasure and delicacy and to whatsoever else may set forth its excellency though indeed in these comparisons there is little or no comparison as I might shew you in many particulars if I would be large for instances in this case would be endless There death shall have no more dominion over us Rom. 6.9 The Sun shall not burn us by day nor the Moon by night Psal. 121.6 There all 〈◊〉 shall be wiped from our eyes Rev. 7.17 There shall be no sorrow noâ— pain nor complaint there is no malice to rise up against us no 〈…〉 afflict us no hunger thirst wearisomness temptation to disquiet us 〈…〉 19 20. Heb. 9.12 There is no death nor dearth no pinâ—â—g nor 〈…〉 Rev. 7.16 17. 21.4 Heb. 9.12 There O there one day is better than a thousand there is Rest from our Labours Peace from our Enemies Freedom from our Sinnes c. Iob. 3.17 Heb. 4.3 9 10 11 Rev. 14 13. Heb. 9.12 15. Sect. 2. Unto which Negative Priviledges there are also added Positive of all sorts as I might plentifully prove but I study brevity Do we delight in good company what pleasure shall we take in the company of Saints and Angels in whom there is nothing not amiable comfortable delectable nothing in us that may cool the fervour of our love and affection to them And so of all other enjoyments As Dost thou desire beauty riches honour pleasure long life or whatever else can be named No place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation nor so durable for lasting Heb. 12.22 1 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Rom. 9.3 8.18 There are no Estates but Inheritances no Inheritances but Kingdomes no Houses but Palaces no Meals but Feasts no noise but Musick no Rods but Scepters no Garments but Robes no Seats but Thrones no coverings for the head but Crownes Rom. 8.17 Tit. 3.7 Heb. 9.15 Mat. 25.31 34. 2 Tim. 4.8 Gal. 4.7 1 Pet. 3 9 10. Mar. 10.23 24 25. Rev. 7.13 14 15. 6.11 There we shall see the blessed face of God which is the glory of all sights the sight of all glory Yea we our selves shall out-shine the Sun in brightnese Mat. 13.43 For if the brightness of the body shall match the Sun what will the glory and splendour of the soul be And yet such honour shall all the Saints have For when Christ which is our head and life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory And he shall change our vile and mortal body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Col. 3 4. Phil 3.21 Briefly Our joy shall there be fall and none shall be able to take it from us or diminish it Iohn 15.11 16.22 There is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 26. Joyes and pleasures never ebbing but ever slowing to all contentment There we shall rejoyce for the pleasantness of the place we possess for the glory of our souls and bodies which we have put on for the world which we have overcome for Hell which we have escaped for the joyes of Heaven which we have attained to We shall have joy above us by the beatifical vision and sight of God joy within us by the peace of conscience even the joy of the Holy Ghost and joy round about us by the blessed company and fellowship of our associates the holy Saints and Angels Sect. 3. And in reason if a Christian-soul in this Tabernacle of the body wherein we see but as in a glass be so delighted to see the face of God manifested in Iesus Christ If it so glads a Child of God when he can but in the least measure master his corruptions or hath occasion to manifest the sincerity of his affectionate love to his Maker and Redeemer 〈…〉 to serve his Brethren in love How joyfull will he be when these gra 〈…〉 be perfected and he freed from all grievances inward and out 〈…〉 Yea if the communion and 〈◊〉 of Gods Spirit and 〈…〉 and ordinances 〈…〉 better than a thousand with the ungodly Psal. 84.10 What will it be to enjoy the immediate presence and glory of God our Father Christ our Redeemer and elder-Brother the Holy Ghost our Comforter the Angels and Saints our Consorts and Companions Our condition there will be so joyfull that look we outwardly there is joy in the society Heb. 12.22 if inwardly there is joy in our own felicity 1 Cor. 2.9 Look we forward there is joy in the eternity 1 Pet. 5.10 Mark 10.30 So that on every side we shall be even swallowed up of joy Isa. 35.10 51.11 Matth. 25.23 18.10 Heb. 12.2 22. Psal. 16.11 As Oh the multitude and fulness of these joyes so many that only God can number them so great that he onely can estimate them of such â—arity and perfection that this world hath nothing comparable to them 2 Cor. 12.2 4. As Oh the transcendency of that Paradise of pleasure where is joy without heaviness or interruption peace without perturbation blessedness without misery light without darkness health without sickness beauty without blemish abundance without want ease without labour satiety without loathing liberty without restraint security without fear glory without ignominy knowledg without ignorance eyes without tears hearts without sorrow souls without sinne where shall be no evil heard of to affright us nor good wanting to chear us for we shall have what we can desire and we shall desire nothing but what is good Deut. 10.14 Isa. 66.1 1 King 8.27 Mark 10.21 Luke 18.22 1 Pet. 5.10 Iohn 4.36 10.28 Matth. 25.46 Sect. 4 While we are here how many clouds of discontent have we to darken the sunshine of our joy when even complaint of evils past sense of present and fear of future have in a manner shared our lives among them Here we love and loath in an instant like Amnon to his Sister Tamar in Heaven there is no object unlovely nothing which is not exceeding amiable and attractive And not attractive onely but retentive also for there we shall not be subject to passion nor can we possibly there misplace our affection Here we have knowledg mixed with ignorance faith with doubting peace with trouble yea trouble of conscience Or in 〈◊〉 we have peace of conscience alas how often is it interrupted with 〈◊〉 of spirit Now rejoyce we with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.84 but alas anon it falls out that we need to pray with David Restore unto us the joy of thy salvation Psal. 51.12 but there is peace even full without want pure without mixture and perpetual without all fear of foregoing Dan. 2.44 There shall be no concupiscence to tempt no flesh to lust
to my detestation of it Only here is a discovery how drunkards tempt if you will see directions how to avoid their temptations read my Sovereign Antidote against the contagion of evil company Onely take notice for the present that the best way to avoid evill is to shun the occasions Do not onely shun drunkennesse but the means to come to it and to avoid hurt keep thy self out of shot come not in drunken company nor to drinking places As for their love and friendship consider but whose Factors they are and thou wilt surely hate them Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things POSTSCRIPT COnsidering the premises if there were any love of God any hatred of sin any zeal any courage any conscience of an Oath in most of our Iustices of the Peace they would rather put down and purge out of their Parishes and Liberties this viperous brood of vice-breeders and soul-murtherers I mean Ale-house keepers then increase them as they do when any Common Drunkard Cheat or Witch may procure a Licence to sell drink if they will but bribe some one of their Clerks But if it be left to them if his Highness himself do not by some other way redresse it as blessed be God he hath already begun the work in some Counties I look never to see it mended untill Christ comes in the clouds Onely it is much to be feared that as we turn the sanctuary of life into the shambles of death so God may send a famine after such a satietie and pestilence after famine Or rather that our Land which hath been so long sick of this disease and so often surfeted of this sin should spue us all out who are the Inhabitants Or in case God be pleased to dispence with the Nation the wickednesse that is done by these drunkards and drink-sellers shall be reckoned unto those that are the permitters for their own For Governors make themselves guiltie of those sins they may redresse and will not But I know to whom I speak and my hopes are depending In the mean time it is sad to consider how many Drunkards will hear this Charge for one that will applie it to himself For confident I am that fifteen of twenty all this Citie over are Drunkards yea seducing Drunkards in the dialect of Scâ—ipture and by the Law of God which extends even to the heart and affections Mat. 5.21 22 28. Perhaps by the Laws of the Land a man is not taken for drunk except his cies stare his tongue stutter and his leggs staggers but by God's Law he is one that goes often to the drink or that tarrieth long at it Prov. 23.30 31. He that will be drawn to the Tavern or Alehouse by every idle soliciter and there be deteined to drink when he hath neither need of it or minde to it to the spending of his money wasting of his pretious time neglect of his calling abusing of the creatures which thousands want discredit of the Gospel the stumbling of weak ones the incouraging of indifferent ones the hardning of his associates and all the truths enemies that know or hear of it Briefly he that drinks more for lust or pride or covetousnesse or fear or good fellowship or to drive away time or to still conscience then for thirst is a Drunkard in Solomon's esteem Prov. 23.30 31. Perhaps thou doest not think so but can you produce that holy man of God that will not deem him a drunkard who can neither buy nor sell nor meet any friend or customer but he must to go the Tavern or Ale-house perhaps six times in a day and who constantly clubs it first for his mornings draught secondly at Exchange time thirdly at night when shops are shut in as is the common but base custome of most Tradesmen yea and the Divel so blindes them that they will plead a necessitie of it and that it is for their profit Nor can it bee denied but in cases of this nature things are rather measured by the intention and affection of the doer then of the issue and event And why should not a man bee deemed a drunkard for his immoderate and inordinate affection to drink or drunken company as well as another an Adulterer for the like affection to his neighbours wife Mat. 5.21 22 28. Yet these men are in their own and other mens esteem not onely good and civil men but good Châ—istians forsooth Certainly the more light we have the more blinde men are or else this could not be For I would gladly aske such Are you Christian in what part of the Word finde you a warrant for it Where finde â—ou that this custome was ever used by any one of the Saints in former ages Well may you with Agrippa be almost Christian but sure enough you are not with Saint Paul altogether such and then what will become of you For almost a son is a bastard almost sweet is unsavorie almost hot is luke-warm and those that are lukewarm will God spue out of his mouth Rev. 3.15 16. A Christian almost is like a woman that dieth in travel almost she brought forth a son but that almost killed the mother and the son too If thou believ'st almost thou shalt be saved almost as we may say of a Thief that hath a pardon brought him whiles he is upon the gallows he was almost saved but he was hanged and his paroon did him no good To be almost a Christian is to be like the foolish Virgins that had Lamps but without oyle in them for which they were shut out of heaven though they came to the very door Matth. 25.10 11 12. Can the door which is but almost shut keep out the Thief Can the ship that is but almost tite keep out the water The souldier that does but almost fight is a coward And therefore if thou lovest thy self look to it and that in time least hereafter you most dolefully rue it For know this that you shall once given an account for every idle penie and hour you spend and for every cup of drink you shall spoil or waste and for every one that is incouraged to do the like by you example For which see Matth. 12.36 Luke 16.2 Rom. 14.12 1 Pet. 4.5 Rev. 20.13 and 22.12 That by the blessing of God our children and childrens children may loath drunkennesse and love sobrietie let this bee fixed to some place convenient in everyhouse for all to read The Persians Parthians Spartans and Lacedemonians did the like and found it exceeding efficacious And Anacharsis holds in the most effectual means to that end Imprimatur EDMUND CALAMIE FINIS Offer of Help to Drowning-Men Imprimatur THO. GATAKER SEeing and fore-seeing the sad effects of men's crying down Books Learning the Ministery Sanctification c. if this their deep and divellish design do meet with no stop and seeing we should specially prepare for defence where Satan specially prepares for offence Considering also â—he numberlesse
number of those that by professing themselves Protestants discredit the Protestant Religion Who because they have been Christened as Simon Magus was received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper like Iudas and for company go to Church also as Dogs do are called Christians as we call the Heathen Images gods yea and being blinded by the Prince of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.4 think to be saved by Christ though they take up Arms against him and are no more like Christians then Michols Image of Goats hair was like David Who make the world only their god and pleasure or profit alone their Religion Who are so gracelesse that God is not in all their thoughts except to blaspheme him and to spend his daies in the Divel's service Who being Christians in name will scoffe at a Christian indeed Who honour the dead Saints in a cold profession while they worrey the living Saints in a cruel persecution Who so hate Holiness that they will hate a man for it and say of good living as Festus of great Learning It makes a man mad whose hearts will rise at the â—ight of a good man as some stomachs will rise at the sight of sweet meats Whose Religion is to oppose the power of Religion and whose knowledge of the Truth to know how to argue against the Truth Who justifie the wicked and condemne the â—ust who call Zeal madness and Religion foolishness Who love their sins so much above their souls that they will not onely mock their Admonisher scoff at the means to be saved and make themselves merry with their own damnations but even hate one to the death for shewing them the way to eternal life who will condemne all for Round-heads that have more Religion then an Heathen or knowledg of heavenly things then a childe in the womb hath of the things of this life or conscience then an Atheist or care of his soul then a Beast and are mockers of all that march not under the pay of the Divel Who with Adam will become Satans bond-slaves for an Apple and like Esau sell their Birth-right of Grace here and their Blessing of Glory hereafter for a messe of Pottage Who prefer the pleasing of their palates before the saving of their souls who have not onely cast off Religion that should make them good men but reason also that should make them men Who waste virtues faster then riches and riches faster then any virtues can â—et them Who do nothing else but sin and make others sin too who spend their time and patrimonies in Riot and upon Dice Drabs Drunkennesse who place all their felicity in a Tavern or Brothel house where Harlots and Sycophants rifle their Estates and then send them to rob Who will borrow of every one but never intend to satisfie any one Who glory in their shame and are ashamed of that which should and would be their glory Who desire not the reputation of honesty but of good fellowship Who instead of quenching their thirst drown their senses and had rather leave their wits then the wine behinde them Who place their paradise in their throats heaven in their guts and make their belly their god Who pour their Patrimonies down their throats and throw the house so long out at windows that at length their house throws them out of doors Who think every one exorbitant that walks not after their rule Who will traduce all whom they cannot seduce even condemning with their tongues what they commend in their consciences Who as they have no reason so they will hear none Who are not more blinde to their own faults then quick-sighted in other mens Who being displeased with others will flie in their Makers face and tear their Saviours Name in pieces with oaths and execrations as being worse then any mad dog that flies in his Masters face that keeps him Who swear and curse even ouâ— of custome as currs bark yea they have so sworn away all grace thar they count it a grace to swear and being reproved for swearing they will swear that they swore not Or perhaps they are covetous Cormorants greedy Gripers miserly Muck-worms all whose reaches are at riches Who make gold their god and commodity the stern of their consciences Who hold every thing lawful if it be gainful Who prefer a little base peâ—f before God and their own salvations and who being faâ—ted with Gods blessings do spurn at his precepts Who like men sleeping in a boat are carried down the stream of this World until they arrive at their graves-end Death without once waking to bethink themselves whether they are a going to Heaveu or Hell Or Ignorant and Formal Hypocrites who do as they see others do without either conscience of sin or guidance of reason Who do what is morally good more for fear of the Law then for love of the Gospel Who fear the Magistrate more then they fear God or the Divel regard more the blasts of men's breath then the fire of God's wrath will tremble more at â—â—e thought of a Bayliffe or a Prison then of Satan or Hell and everlasting perdition Who will say they love God and Christ yet hate all that any way resemble him are slint unto God wax to Satan have their ears alwaies open to the Tempter shut to their Maker and Redeemer will chuse rather to disobey God then displease great Ones fear more the Worlds scorns then His anger and rather then abridge themselves of their pleasure will incur the displeasure of God Who will do what God forbids yet confidently hope to escape what He threatens Who will do the Divels works onely and yet look for Christs wages expect that Heaven will meet them at their last hour when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten Road towards Hell Who expect to have Christ their Redeemer and Advocate when their consciences tell them that they seldom remember him but to blaspheme him and more often name him in their Oaths and Curses then in their Praiers Who will persecute Honest and Orthodox Christians and say they mean base and dissâ—â—bling Hypocrites Who think they do God service in killing his servants Joh. 10.2 Who will boast of a strong faith and yet fall short of the Divels in believing Jam. 2.19 Who turn the grace of God into wantonness as if a condemned person should head his Drum of Rebellion with his Pardon resolving to be evil because God is good Who will not believe what is written till they feel what is written and whom nothing will confute but fire and brimstone Who think their villainy is unseen because it is unpunished and therefore live like beasts because they think they shall die like beasts Considering the swarms Legions Millions of these I say and many the like which I cannot stand to repeat As also in reference to Levit. 19.17 Isa. 58.1 And out of compassion to their pretious souls there are above twenty several Books purposely composed wherein are proper remedies of
very grievous and disturbeth his conscience exceedingly Besides the Regenerate know that the very end for which they were 〈…〉 â—reator Redeemer They remember also that they bound themselves by 〈◊〉 and promise in their baptism so to do Whereas these brainless and â—ruitish men never once consider what they came into the world for nor what â—ill become of them when they depart hence Only their care is that they â—ay eat drink play sleep and be merry Whereupon they spend their â—ays in mirth and suddenly they go down into hell as Iob speaks Iob 21.13 â—or like men sleeping in a Boat they are carried down the stream of this World until they arrive at their Graves-end Death without once â—aking to bethink themselves whither they are going to Heaven or Hell I grant that in their long sleep they have many pleasant dreams As 〈◊〉 instance They slumber and suppose themselves good Christians true Protestants they dream they repent them of their sins and that they â—elieve in Christ they dream they have true grace that they fear and â—â—ve and serve God as they ought they Heavenâ—nd â—nd be saved But the truth is all their Religion is but a Dream and 〈◊〉 is their assurance of salvation They have Regeneration in conceit â—epentance and Righteousness in conceit they serve God well in conâ—eit and they shall go to Heaven only in conceit or in a dream and never â—wake until they feel themselves in a bed of unquencâ—â—â—se flames â—either did pure and naked Supposals ever bring any man to eternal â—ife 13 ¶ Which being so and that with the greatest part of the World â—ow does it concern every one of you to try and examine your selves â—hether it fares not so with you and to mistrust the worst of your â—â—lves as all wise and sound-hearted Christians do as you may see by â—â—e Apostles Matth. 26.22 even every of them was jealous of himself â—â—d examined his own heart though but one of them was guilty of that â—â—ul sin which Christ spake of Now if you would examine your selves but by those marks I have ready given you you may easily see whether you are the men guilty 〈◊〉 what I have laid to your charge If you would be further informed â—â—â—k your selves only these three questions Whether you are of that small â—â—mber whom Christ hath chosen out of the world Whether you are Reâ—â—nerate Whether you have true and saving faith For otherwise all our hopes and perswasions are but vain presumptions and delusions First Are you of that small number For the greatest number whether 〈◊〉 men or great men or great Scholars go the broad way to destruction â—â—d but a few of either the narrow way which leadeth unto life as apâ—â—ars by many cleer testimonies and examples for which see those known â—â—aces Mat. 7.13 14. 1 Ioh. 5.19 Rev. 20.8 Christs flock that believe 〈◊〉 Gospel are but a little flock Luk. 12.32 and but numbersâ—â— â—â— 10.22 53.1 Rom. 9.27 10.16 Rev. 3.4 2 Cor. 4.4 Mat. 8.34 〈◊〉 27.22 Acts 28.22 Rev. 13.16 Yea of all the CCLXXXVIII several Opinions which Philosophers 〈…〉 way to attain to it was by doing as the most do Yea they all concludeâ— that Number was the best note of the worst way And we even see by experience that the basest things are ever most plentifull And therefore it â—â—mazes me to think how men should be so blockish as they are in this particular for if you mark it most men walk in the broad way and yet everâ— man thinks to enter in at the strait gate which could never be if they weâ—â— not fools or frenzie Again take notice that many seekers fall short of heaven Luke 13.24 Do you strive The righteous shall scarcely be saved what then shall become of the unrighteous 1 Pet. 4.18 14 ¶ Secondly Are you regenerate and born anew For Christs words to Nicodemus a knowing honest moral man are express yea and he bindes it with an oath Verily verily I say unto you except ye be born again ye can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Now if you be regenerate it will appear by this Regeneration or new birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature onely evil disposed In all that are born anew is a change both in the Iudgement from error to truth and in the Will from evil to good and in the Affections from loving evil and hating good to love good and hate evil in the whole man from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Is this change wrought iâ— you For without it there is no going to heaven no being saved Theâ— Thirdly Have you a true and lively faith in Iesus Christ For there is no coming to Christ but by saith Heb. 11.6 By faith we receive the forgiveness of our sins Luke 7.47 50. By faith we are justified Rom. 3.26 28 30. Gal. 3.8 By faith through grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 9. Luk. 18.42 By faith through the power of God we are kept and preserved to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Nothing but faith can assure us of Gods favor Eccles. 9.1.2.3 By faith we obtain whatsoever we ask Mat. 21.22 By faith we are blessed Gal. 3.14 By faith we know God 1 Ioh. 4.7 Psal. 9.10 Without faith we cannot profit by hearing the Word Heb. 4.2 Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin be they never so glorious performances Rom. 14.23 and 10.14 Now you shall know whether you have saith by this Faith comes by hearing the Word preached Rom. 10.17 And the Spirits powerfull working with it Ioh. 3.3.5.8 Faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 worketh by love Gal. 5.6 and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Act. 26.18 Faith is known by its works Iam. 2.17.18.22 Faith and holiness are as inseparable as life and motion the sun and light fire and heat Again Faith believeth the threats of the Word together with the promises and thereupon feareth sin as iâ— fears hell Again if the Image of God by faith be repaired in you you cannot but love them that love God 1 Ioh. â— 10 Besides this is a sure rule That that perswasion only which follows sound humiliation is Faith That which goes before it is Presumption And 〈◊〉 Ambrose speaks No man can repent of sin but he that beleeves the pardon 〈…〉 â—bout it shall finde it as hard a work to beleeve the Gospel as to keep the Laâ—â—â—â— onely God must enable to both Now if upon trial you evidently finde that you are of Christs little floâ— that you are regenerate and that you have this precious grace of Faâ—â—â—â— wrought in your heart you may comfortably assure your self that you shâ—â—â—â— be saved Otherwise the Devil and your own heart do but delude you in 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ing you the least benefit by the blood of Christ Yea it had been betâ—â—â— for you that there had been no Christ
happinesse So that you may take this for a rule They that have but a shew of holinesse have but a shew of wisdome § 5. Men of the world believe the things of the world they believe what they see and feel and know they believe the Lawes of the Land that there are places and kindes of punishment here below and that they have bodies to suffer temporal smart if they transgresse and this makes them abstain from murther felonie and the like but they believe not things invisible and to come for if they did they would as well yea much more fear him that hath power to cast both body and soul into hell as they do the Temporall Magistrate that hath onely power to kill the body they would think it a very hard bargain to win the whole world and lose their own souls But if visible powers were not more feared then the invisible God and the Halter more then Hell natural men being like beasts that are more sensible of the flash of powder then of the bullet the world would be over-run without rage Or § 6. Secondly they believe the Devil and the Flesh that prophesie prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the Powder-Traitors for though men do the Devils works yet they look for Christs wages and there is scarce a man on earth but he thinks to go to heaven yea the Devil and sin so infatuate and befor many that they can even apply Christs passion as a warrant for their licentiousnesse and take his Death as a license to sin his Crosse as a Letters Pattent to do mischief So turning the grace of God into wantonnesse As if a condemned person should head his Drum of Rebellion with his Pardon resolving therefore to be evill because he is good which is to sin with an high hand or with a witnesse and to make themselves uncapable of forgiveneesse And yet wretched and senseless men they presume to have part in that merit which in every part they have so abused to be purged by that blood which now they take all occasions to disgrace to be saved by the same wounds which they swear by and so often swear away to have Christ an Advocate for them in the next life when they are Advocates against Christ in this And that Heaven will meet them at their last hour when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten road towards Hell § 7. The Devil makes large promises to his but ever disappoints them of their hopes as he did our first Parents You shall die saith God You shall not die at all saith Satan Yea you shall be as Gods saith he when his drift was to make them Devils Yet the Devil was believed when God could not be credited Diabolus mentitur ut fallat vitam pollicetur ut perimat saith Cyprian And ever since our first parents gave more credit to Satan then their Maker Our hearts naturally have been flint unto God wax to Satan so that Satan may in a manner triumph over Christ and say I have more servants then Christ they do more for me then his servants do for him and yet I never died for them as Christ hath done for his I never promised them so great reward as Christ hath done to his c. § 8. Well may these men think they believe the Gospel as the Jews who persecuted Iesus and sought to slay him thought they believed Moses writings Ioh. 5.38 39 46 47. But it 's altogether impossible as Christ who knew their hearts better then themselves affirmes of them for certainly they would never speak as they speak think as they think do as they do if they thought their thoughts words and deeds should ever come to judgement Did men believe that neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Swearers nor Railers nor the Fearfull nor Vnbelieving nor Murtherers nor Sorcerers nor Liars nor no unrighteous persons shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven as the Scripture expresly speaks but shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death They durst not continue in the practice of these sins without fear or remorse or care of amendment As for instance If sons-in-Law had believed their Father when he told them from God that the City should suddenly be destroyed with fire brimstone and that by flying they might escape it they would have obeyed his counsel Or if the old world had believed that God would indeed and in good earnest bring such a flood upon them as he threatened they would not have neglected the opportunity of entring into the Ark before it was shut and the windows of heaven opened much less would they have scoffed and flowted at Noah while he was a bulding it So if men did firmly believe what God speaks of â—ell it would keep them innocent make them officious they would need no intreaty to avoid it Men love themselves well enough to avoid a known pain yea there would be more fear and danger of their despair then of their security And the like of heaven if men but believed what fulness of joy and what pleasures are reserved at Gods right hand for evermore for them that love and serve him in sincerity Psal. 16.11 they would be more obedient upon earth CHAP. III. § 1. WHat believe the former Scriptures and nothing appear in mens lives in the whole Land almost but pride covetousness cruelty damnable Hypocrisie prophaning of the Sabbath cursed swearing and cursing abominable and worse then beast-like drunkenness adultery lying slandering persecuting contempt of Religion and all goodness grinding of faces like edged tools spilling of blood like water racking of Rents detension of Wages and workmens hire incredible cruelty to Servants inclosing of Commons ingrossing of Commodities griping exactions with straining the advantages of greatness unequal levies of legal payments spiteful suits biting usury bribery perjury partiality sacriledge simoniacal contracts and soul-murder scurrility and prophaneness cozening in bargains breaking of promises persidious underminings Luxury wantonness contempt of Gods Messengers neglect of his Ordinances violation of his days and the like as if these were fruits of faith not of Atheism rather § 2. Yea as if we had contracted with the Devil that we would abuse all Gods gifts so fast as they come his blessings make us proud his riches covetous his peace wanton his meats intemperate his mercy secure And all his benefits serve us but as weapons to rebel against him so that we turn his grace into wantonness and make a trade of sin yea it is our least ill to do evil for behold we speak for it joy in it boast of it tempt and inforce to it yea mock them that dislike it as if we would send challenges into heaven and make love to destruction § 3. And yet we are Christians forsooth I am even ashamed to think that men that rational men should be
sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore ô wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse then lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Iesâ—â— Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally ô the deepness of Gods love ô the unmeasurable measure of his bounty ô Son of God who can sufficiently express thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us § 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world then to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six dayes to finish it the Redemption of man cost him three and thirty years In the Creation of the World he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderful things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater then the making of the whole World In every new creature are a number of miracles a blinde man is restored to fight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meets with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with § 4. But the better to illustrate this love consider that salvation stands in two things First in freedome and deliverance of us from Hell Secondly in the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the Law merits the second The parts of our Iustification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse And to this would be added first Conversion which comprehends both Faith and Repentance Secondly Sanctification the Parts whereof are Mortification that is dying unto sin and Vivification which is living unto righteousnesse Thirdly Glorification begun and perfected which is freedome from all evil here and the perfection of all good and happiness in heaven § 5. What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and 〈◊〉 great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we finde our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breath in Fire to warm us Water to cool and cleanse us Clothes to cover us Food to nourish us Fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all Himself and his own Son to be injoyed of us So that whithersoever we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence We are bound to praise him above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoyes so much light or so many blessings as we above any creature c. God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castaways for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse for whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reason others are blinde deaf dumb are sick maimed imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For if the whole Heaven were turned into a Book and all the Angels deputed Writers therein they could not set down all the good which Gods love in Christ hath done us For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace mercie given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was faâ—â— asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwayes raised us Now if we are so bound to blesse God for his external temporal inferiour earthly perishing benefits what praise do we owe for the lasting fruits of his eternal love and mercy and how thankful should we strive to be which shall be the next thing treated of Now what should we render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies for favours bestowed and deliverances from danger binde to gratitude or else the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect The contribution of blessings require retribution of thanks or wil bring distribution of plagues Neither could we possibly be unthankful if we seriously thought upon what God gives and what he forgives For in reason hath he contrived so many wayes to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him hath he done so much for us and shall we denie him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lambe cannot soften them stony bowâ—ls if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again
of water and yet a river would not have satisfied him for if his desire had bâ—en granted in the first he would have required more and then more to that never ceasing to ask never having enough nor being the better when he had it so it fares with the covetous man his abundance no more quencheth his lust than fuell does the flame For as oyle kindleth the fire which it seemes to quench so riches come as though they would make him contented but they make him more covetous And is not this thy very case that art covetous No man more happy in respect of outward things then thy self couldest thou but see it thou hast all things that heart can wish and shouldest thou but come to want what thou now injoyest and thinkest not worth thanks when it were past thou wouldest say thou wast most happy and after a little misse wish withall thine heart thou hadest the same again yea a world for such a condition and content withall Onely the devill by Gods just permission bewitches thee to think that thou hast not enough when thou hast too much and more than thou needest or knowest what to do withall Nor is it possible for a worldling to be contented for whereas naturall desires are soon satisfied those that are unnaturall are infinite Hunger is soon apeased with meat and thirst allayed with drink but in burning Feavers quo plâ—â— sunt potae plus 〈◊〉 aqua they still love amere conâ—â—â—scentia never amore complacentiae If covetous or ambitious men ever feel content in these transitory things it is no otherwise then as itching soars do in clawing and scratching fingers And indeed how should intemperate desires be satisfied with increase according as they are replemished when these appetites are not capable of satiety Men in this case are like poysoned Rats which when they have tasted of their bane cannot rest untill they drink and then can much â—eâ—s rest till they drink again swell and burst Covetousness is like the disease called the Woolf which is alwayes eating and yet keeps the body lean A moderate water makes the Mill goe merrily but too much will not suffer it to go at all Secondly another reason is Nothing can fill the heart of man but he that made it The heart shall be satisfied with gold when the body shall be contented with winde The whole world is circular the heart of man is triangular and we know a circle cannot fill a triangle Yea if it be not filled with the three persons in Trinity it will be filled with the world the flesh and the devil The heart is the seat or receptacle of spiritual things and the things of the world are corporal and carnal Now carnal and corporal things can no more fill our hearts then spiritual things can fill our Coffers Visible light will not cleer the invisible understanding nor will corporal food feed the soul. Blessed are they sayes our Saviour who thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 not they that thirst after riches or honor or pleasure for instead of being satisfied they thirst more Yea these Mammonists are so infinite in desiring that could such a one swallow the whole earth that swallows all and will swallow him ere long it might choak him but not satisfie him as abundance of examples that I could give you sufficiently prove namely Alexander and Crassus and Lieâ—nius and Marcus Crassus and Ahab and Haman c. But CHAP. VIII THirdly to this is added as a further judgement that as the more he hath the more he coveteth so the neerer he is to his journeys end the more provision he makes for it Other vices are weakned with age and continuance onely covetousness and that odious sin of drunkenness grows stronger As the covetous wretch increaseth in yeers so he increaseth in covetousness What Pline writes of the Crocodile is fitly appliable to the miserly muckworm other creatures grow up to their height and then decay and dye onely the Crocodile grows to her last day The aged worldling though he have one foot in the grave yet his appetite to and persute of gain are but new born Yea though he hath out-lived all the teeth in his gums that hairs of his head the sight of his eyes the tast of his palate have he never so much yet he hath not enough and therefore would live to get more and covets as if he had a thousand generationâ— to provide for He so lives as if he were never to dye and so dyes as if he were never to live again He fears all things like a mortal man sayes Seneca but he desires all things as if he were immortal Had it not been for sin death had never entered into the world and were it not for death sin especially the Misers sin would never go out of the world Lusâ— is commonly the disease of youth ambition of middle age covetousness of old age And Plautus maketh it a wonder to see an old man beneficent But what faith Byas covetousness in old men is most monstrous for what can be more foolish and ridiculous then to provide more mony and victuals for our journey when we are almost at our journyes end Wherefore remember thou O old man yea O remember that your Spring is past your Summer over-past and you are arrived at the fall of the leaf yea winter colours have already stained your head with gray and hoary hairs Remember also that if God in justice did not leave you and the Prince of darkness did not blinde you and your own heart did not grosly deceive you you could not possible be so senceless as you are in these three last mentioned miseries Thus three of the covetous mans woes are past but behold more are coming for God inflicts more plagues upon him then ever he did upon Pharaoh I 'le acquaint you only with seven more CHAP. IX FOurthly his thoughts are so taken up with what he wants or rather desires for he wants nothing but wit and a good heart that he not once mindes or cares for what he hath as you may see in Abab 1 Kings 21.4 and Haman Hester 5.13 and Micha Judges 18. â—4 What the covetons man hath he sees not his eyes are so taken up with what he wants yea the very desire of what he cannot get torments him and it is an heart-breaking to him not to add every day somewhat to his estate besides not to improve it so many hundreds every yeer will disparage his wisdom more to the world then any thing else he can do as I have heard such an one allege when I have told him my thoughts about perplexing himself But see the difference between him and one that hath either wit or grace whose manner it is even in case of the greatest losses to look both to what he hath lost and to what he hath left and instead of repining to be thankfull that he hath lost no more having so
things that may make them every way happy as that their prosperity shall be durable and lasting That with riches they shall have credit honour and promotion with long life added That they shall be happy and prosper in all they have or do as having God their Protector who with mercy is said to compass them about on every side Psal. 32.10 That they shall be freed from all fears and dangers and obtein victory over all their enemies together with death hell and the devil That they shall be freed from the Law and likewise from sin and the penalty thereof That they shall have peace external internal eternal And joy even the joy of the holy Ghost which is both glorious and unspeakable That they shall not only persevere but also grow in grace and true wisdom Thâ—t all things whatsoever shall make for their good That both their persons and performances shall be good and acceptable which before were wicked and abominable That by the prayer of faith they shall obtein of God whatsoever they shall ask in Christs Name and according to his Word And in fine all other good things that can be named whether temporal spiritual or eternal are by the promise of God entailed upon them that love him and keep his commandements and upon their seed as I could plentifully and most easily prove were it pertinent to the matter in hand Nor is all this that God hath promised to those that serve him so great a matter comparatively as that we need wonder at it or once question the same For If he spared not his own Son but delivered him to death for us how shall he not with him freely give us all things also Rom. 8.31 32. It is the Apostles argument Great yea too great things are they for us to receive but not too great for the great and good God of Heaven and earth to give all the fear is on our part whether we be such to whom the promise is made For all Gods promises are conditional And though of these outward good things he hath promised abundance yet it is upon the condition of faith and obedience as appears by all the fore-mentioned places so that if we be not wanting in out duty and obedience to God God will not be wanting in any good thing to us Nor can we look that God should make good his promises if we make them void by not observing the condition as that we may do by our distrusting him If we will not dare to trust God upon his promise so confidently as we would a friend or some great man that is able and honest Besides the Lord hath promised that there shall be no want to them that fear him and that no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal. 34.9 84.11 Where observe two things there shall be no want to such and such shall want no good thing so that he must be such an one to whom the promise is made and he must also be sure that it is good for him which is promised But oftentimes it is not good for a man to abound with earthly blessings as strong drinke is not good for weake brains Yea if any thing be wantiug to a good man he may be sure it is not good for him and then better that he doth want it then that he did enjoy it and what wise man will complain of the want of that which if he had would prove more hurtful then gainful to him as a sword to a mad man a knife to a childe drinke to them that have a Fever or the Dropsie No good thing will God with-hold c. and therefore not wants themselves which to many are also good yea very good things as I could reckon up many want sanctified is a notable means to bring to repentance to work in us amendment of life it stirs up to prayer it weans from the love of the world it keeps us always prepared for the spiritual combate discovers whether we be true believers or hypocrites prevents greater evils of sin and punishment to come It makes us humble conformable to Christ our head increaseth our faith our joy and thankfulnesse our spiritual wisdom and likewise our patience as I have largely shewen in The Benefit of Affliction To coonclude All good things were created for the good and therefore are they called goods because the good God created them for good men to do good withal Therefore as Jacob got the blessing so he gat the inheritance also to shew that as the faithful have the inward blessing so they have the outward blessing too when they will do them good and cause them to do good Yea in this case even as the sheaffs fell before Ruth so riches shall fall in our way as they did to Abraham and Lot and Iacob and Iob and Ioseph upon whom riches were cast they knew not how but as if God had onely said Be rich and they were rich straight But that this is the true and only way to wealth and happiness needs no more proof then that which is recorded of Solomon 1 Kings 3. 2 Chron. 1. where the Lord appearing to him in a dream said Ask what I shall give thee And he asking only an understanding heart to discern between good and evil that he might the better discharge that great place whereunto God had called him wherein Gods glory and the peoples good was his principal aime and end Heare what the Lords answer is Because this was in thine heart and thou hast not asked riches wealth or honour nor the life of thine enemies neither yet hast asked long life but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thy self that thou mightest judge my people over whom I have made thee King Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee and I will give thee riches wealth and honour such as none of the Kings have had that have been before thee neither shall there any after thâ—â— have the like c. Yea he was so surpassing rich that he gave silver in Ierusalem as stones and gave Cedars as the wilde fig-trees that grow abundantly in the plain 1. King 10.27 2 Chron. 1.7 to 13 14 15. Lo the true way to Wealth honour and happiness is to desire grace that we may glorifie God and do good for cleering whereof I 'le give you a similitude A man spies a fair apple on a tree hath a longing desire to it whereupon he falls a shaking the tree with all his might at length it not only comes down but many other come down to him together with it And so much to prove that the way to become rich is first to become godly If any shall ask why the godly are not alwayes nor oft rich notwithstanding these promises I answer that God not seldom withholds these outward blessings from his own people in great love only affording them all things that they have need of Our heavenly Father who knows us better then