see him seeke and not find to run and not to obtaine therefore he setteth him in the way like a guide sent from God which often hath straied himselfe before and being now recouered to the right way againe standeth like a Marke of knowledge in the turnings that lead vnto blind by-wayes to direct all those that seek for comfort that they may follow the ready path that leadeth to eternal happinesse Therefore from the first setting forth euen from the time of youth when man begineth his pilgrimage course Salomon telleth how he shall therein prepare himselfe to walke and setteth him in a faire high way wherein is no turning either to the right hand or to the left which he calleth the Remembrance of God as if he should say Walke with God as Henock did remēber wel he that shal be thy Iudge doth see all that thou dost heareth thee euery word thy thought shal keep thee in the way at all times Now Salomon setteth forth the dangers of delay and draweth them forward as it were with two cordes that is short time of their youth the infinite infirmities of age to shew how soone our youth is gone which we thinke neuer will haue end Salomon doth not reckon it by yeares but by dayes In the dayes of thy youth so the Scripture numbers our life by dayes and houres and minutes to teach vs to make carefull vse of all our time and euery day thinke vpon our end yet least they should poste ouer the remembrance vntill age come which is the generall day that all for the most part set to repent in therefore after this verse Salomon bringeth in the old man deafe blind and lame and stammering for the yong man to behold as if hee should say Looke my sonne is this man fit to learne which cannot heare nor see nor speake nor goe Therefore remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before this doting age come vpon thee this then is the leuell of your message to hasten forward them which trauell towards heauen because there is great space betweene God and vs and much a doo to aspire the top of the Mount of Sion but more a doo to aspire the top of the mount of heauen This is the preferment of our sinnes if they haue beene our companions in youth in age they will be our counsellers and Maisters too therefore the best season to seeke God in is to seeke him early before the floods of wrath arise and the heape of sinnes stand vp like a rampired wall betweene God and vs. Therefore saith our Sauiour Christ If you seeke the kingdome of God first al other things shal be cast vpon you he saith not seeke the world first that heauen shall be cast vppon you he that doth belieue this would first seeke heauen And wee say first let mee bury my father first let mee bid my friends farwell and so many things come first so long in burying our fathers so long in bidding our friends farwell that is to say the riches honors and pleasures of this world that there is left no time to seeke the kingdome but follow mee is turned to follow vs. Christ must followe our sinnes and come after our pleasures or else he shall not be serued at all therefore I can not say to you as Christ seeke first the kingdome of heauen for then you should haue sought it long ago but now it must be said which the Apostle saith Redeeme the time and at last seeke the kingdome of heauen for it is to bee feared that as little flyes when many came together plagued and destroyed the Egiptians so shorte howers but many in sinne and securitie will steale away our whole life and deceaue our repentance There bee not many Lots but many linger like Lot loth to depart vntill wee fee the fire come there bee not many Simions but many as old as Simion which neuer yet imbraced Christ in their hearts they thought to repent before they were so old yet now they dote for age they are not old enough to repent Woe to the security woe to the stubburnesse woe to the drowsinesse of this age Consider this yee which might haue knowne a thousand things more then yee doe if you had begone when Salomon taught you for God will not alwayes knock at the doore of your hearts Christ will not alwayes clock like a Henne to gather her Chickins Iohn will not alway crye Repent for the day of the Lord is at hand but mercy is in the foreward and Iudgement in the reereward yet Wisdome cryeth in the streetes Let euery Ioseph store vp before the famine come for hee which promiseth thee pardon when thou returnest doth not promise that to morrow thou shalt returne Repentance is a gift and a gift must bee taken when it is offered for the time past is gone and thou canst not call that to repent in the time to come is vncertaine and thou canst not assure that to repent in the present time is onely thine and thou mayest repent in that but a non that will bee gone too Therefore as Samuel began to serue God in his minority as Timothy read the Scriptures in his child-hood so whether thou bee old or yong thy repentance cannot come too soone because thy sinne is gone before And if thou lackest a Spurre to make thee runne see how euery day runneth away with thy life youth commeth vpon child-hood age commeth vpon youth death commeth vpon age with such a swift saile that if all our minutes were spent in mortifying our selues yet our glasse would not bee runne out before we had purged halfe our corruptions All these examples and sentences and prouerbes reasons do cry with Salomon Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Now it followeth in this second note or part to be obserued for the better performance of this our Christian duty wee must yeeld vnto GOD that sacrifice which hee requireth and penned by Salomon 22.26 vnder the name of Wisdome and directed vnto her sonnes for the children of God are called the children of Wisdome therefore Wisdome entreateth her sonnes that they would giue her their hearts This Wisdome is GOD wee by adoption are his sonnes and our heart is that which Christ calleth spirit and truth without hypocrisie Giue me thy heart saith God Dauid as though hee were at a stand and sorrowed that hee could not doe enough for God broke forth to himselfe What shall I giue vnto the Lord for all that he hath giuen me Psal 116. the Lord as it were hearing these sighes of his seruants which care and study what they may doe to please him comes in their suspence and like a friend which desireth nothing but good will answers from heauen My sonne giue me thy hart vnder which sute he taxeth them besides which are suters alwayes to him and looke still to receiue more benefits and yet neuer cast in their mindes what they shall
thee art thou my sonne my sonnes giue me their hearts and by this they know that I am their father if I dwell in their hearts for the heart is the temple of God therefore if thou be his fonne thou wilt giue him thy heart because thy Father defireth it thy Maker desireth it thy Redeemer desireth it thy Sauiour desireth it thy Lord and King and thy Maister desireth it which hath giuen his sonne for a ransome his spirit for a pledge his word for a guide the world for a walke and reserueth a kingdome for thine inheritance Now if wee would consider the right way whereby we may giue our hearts vnto God the counsell of him whoe speaketh nothing but the very truth and he himselfe is the truth that is our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ which saith where your treasure is there will be your hearts also therefore let our conuersation be in heauen and vpon heauenly thinges that wee may thereby make our trasure there and so wee shall haue our heartes there placed where our enemies cannot take it from vs thus much for this note as hath beene said now it followeth in the next Now if wee haue not remembred our Lord and Creator in the daies of our youth and withall haue not giuen our hearts vnto him whereby we might become religious and to increase in vs renewed hearts and mindes for the better vnderstanding and finding out the right path-way which leadeth vnto eternall happinesse therefore I say if wee haue not prepared our selues and done this already as hath beene declared in this second part it is then now high time to begin to remember God and to giue our hearts vnto him in age or else to forget him for euermore for the gray-head which looketh euery day for his last Sabaoth when hee shall rest in the graue had neede to pray twice asmuch heare twice as much do twice as much to prepare sacrifice of his body and soule ready and acceptable vnto GOD because the night is at hand when he cannot pray nor heare nor repent any more It is said the Diuell is very busie because his time is short but an ould mans is shorter therefore if youth had neede of legges age had neede of winges therefore in the next consequence it is further to bee obserued what further duties wee are to proceede in as followeth Moyses in the 90. Psalme vers 12 saith teach vs to number our daies that we may apply our hearts vnto wisdome this Psalme was compiled by Moyses as may appeare by the title At what time the spies returned from the land of Canaan and God for the murmuring of them pronounced that all which were aboue twenty yeares ould should die in the wildernesse except Caleb and Iosua that encouraged their bretheren to goe into Canaan Now when Moyses heard the sentence of death pronounced against him-selfe and all the Iewes which came out of Egypt except onely two That all should die before they came to the land which they sought for he prayeth thus for himselfe and the rest Teach vs O LORD to number our daies that wee may giue our hearts vnto wisdome that is seeing wee must needs dye and that our dayes are short teach vs therefore to thinke vpon death that wee may dye in thy feare O Lord and so to liue againe for euermore this sheweth vs that the consideration of our mortality will make vs apply our hearts to godlinesse therefore Moyses thinking of his death runneth to wisdome as a remedy against death Therefore wee must come to some Schoolemaister which is like Saint Iohn Baptist what shall wee doe that wee may growe in knowledge as wee grow in yeares Teach mee saith Moyses to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisdome whereby Moyses telleth vs that this was one of his helps which made him profit in the knowledge of God To remember his daies as a man which hath a set time for his taxe listneth to the clock counteth his houres So wee haue a set time to serue God worke while it is day Iohn 9.4 saith Christ what hee doth meane by this day the Apostle sheweth vs saying This is the day of saluation that is This life is the day wherein wee should worke our saluation this is a long taxe therefore wee had need to remember our dayes and loose not a minuit least we be be-nighted before our work be done As God hath numbered our dayes so we must learne to remember our dayes or else it seemes we cannot apply our hearts to wisdom that is vnlesse wee thinke vpon death wee cannot fashion our selues to a godly life though we were aswell instructed as Moyses was This we find dayly in our selues that the forgetfulnes of death maketh vs to apply our hearts vnto folly and pleasure and all voluptuousnesse that contrary to his aduice worke your saluation we worke our damnation therefore this is the fruite which commeth to a man by numbring or remembring his dayes God teacheth man to apply his heart to wisdome and that is his lesson which he giueth for that purpose Remember thy dayes that is thinke that wisdom is a long study and that thou hast but a short time to get it and this will make thee get ground of vertue Therefore fiue things are to be noted in these words first that death is the heauen of euery man whether hee sit in the throne or kept in a cottage at last hee must knock at deaths doore The second is That mans life is decreed and his bounds appointed which he cannot passe Thirdly that our dayes are few as though wee were sent into this world but to see it Fourthly the aptnesse of man to forget death rather then any thing else Lastly to remember how short a time wee haue to liue will make vs to apply our hearts to that which is good For the first poynt is that as euery man had a day to come into this world so hee shall haue a day to goe out of this world we are not lodged in a Castle but in an Inne where we are but guests therfore S. Peter calleth vs Pilgrims and strangers we are not citizens of the Earth but citizens of Heauen And therfore the Apostle saith We haue here no abiding citty but we looke for one to come as Christ saith My Kingdome is not of this world so we may say my dwelling is not of this world but the soule soreth vp-ward whence it came and the body stoopeth downeward whence it came euery man is but a tennant at will and there is nothing sure but death In Paradice we might liue or die euery thing and euery day suffers some eclips and nothing standeth at a stay but our Creator calleth to another let vs leaue this world our fathers summoned vs and we shall summon our children to the graue So in an houre wee are and are not wee may well bee called earthen vessells for we are soone changed what
doe we learne when we thinke of this but that which Moses saith to apply our harts vnto wisdome The second note is that the time of man is set his bounds apointed which he cannot passe to this Iob beareth witnesse saying Are not his daies determined thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe Againe Ieremy saith they could not stand because the day of their destruction was come As there is a day of distruction and a day of death so there is a day of birth a day of mariage a day of honour a day of deliuerance according to that the determination is made that is GOD hath determined all things As God appointed a time when his Son should come into the world and he came at the same time as the Prophets and Euangelists accord So he hath appointed a time when all blessings shall come vnto vs and they come at the same time It may bee some will say if any time bee set thus long I shall liue and I cannot passe then will I take no Phisicke you may aswell say I will take no meate God hath not ordained the end without the meanes but the meanes aswell as the end If he hath appointed one to die in his youth he hath appointed meanes to shorten his life or if he haue appointed one to liue long he hath appointed also some meanes to preserue him The third note is that our life is but short the Rauen the Phenix the Hart. Lion and the Elephant fulfill their hundreds but Man dyeth when he thinketh yet his sun riseth before his eyes bee satisfied with seeing or his eare with hearing or his heart with lusting then death knocks at his dore and wil not giue him leaue to meditate an excuse before he come to iudgmēt This was the Arithmetick of holy men in former times to reckon their dayes so that their time might seeme short to make them apply their hearts vnto wisdome As thus first they did deductt the time which is past for the time which is past is nothing then they did deduct the time to come The time to come is vncertaine for no man can say that he shall liue any time Now when the time past and the time to come is set aside there is then nothing left but the present time and is but a moment which is not so much in respect of eternity as a little moat to the whole world Thus wee may see what an Epitome mans life is come to Dauid numbred his dayes by measure My dayes saith he are like a span long Iob sayth Man which is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue Our fathers marueling to see how suddenly men are and are not comparing life to a dreame in the night to a bubble in the water to an arrow which neuer resteth til his fall This is our life for while we enioy it we loose it as Iacob sayd that his dayes had bene few so we may say that our dayes shall be few For as some came into the vineyard in the morning and some at noone and some at night for there must be some goe out of this worldly wildernesse in the morning some at noone and some at night some mans life hath nothing but a morning some hath a morning and a night he which liueth longest liueth al toe day so that a glorious life may be compared to a glorious day and a sorrowfull life to a bloody day and a long life to a Summers day and a short life to a Winters day Now why hath God appoynted such a short time to mankind in this world surely least hee should deferre to doe good as his manner is for though his life be so short yet he thinketh it to long to repent for we deferre til that week which we thinke wil be our last Consider this all which trauell toward heauen had wee not need to make hast which must goe such a long iourney in such a short space how can he chuse which remembreth that euery day runneth away with his life The fourth poynt is our aptnesse to forget death rather then any thing els and therefore Moyses prayeth the Lord to teach him to remember his dayes as though they were stil slipping out of his mind For when Moses prayeth the Lord to teach him to remember his dayes he signifieth that hee very faine would remember them but still his minde did turne from them and that hee could not thinke vpon them longer then hee thought on the Lord which taught him to remember them Such is the rebelious nature of ours we cannot remember that which wee should because we are apt to remember so many things which we should forget How often doth the Scripture call death to our remembrance and yet wee read how many put the day of death from them and would not remember it Salomon bids vs remember that we shall come to iudgement yea wee say in our hearts there is no death or at least death will not come before we be old There is a kinde of men which cannot abide to heare of death they are sicke with the name of it the reason is death prophsied no good to the wicked but euil for which they cannot abide it for death commeth to the wicked like a Iailor which commeth alwaies to haile them to prison therfore their care is not to remember death that thereby they might apply their hearts vnto wisdom and so loose their pleasures before their time for he which doth not purpose yet to leaue his sin would not be troubled with any thought that might make him take his pleasure fearefully for the deuil doth neuer teach a man to remēber his death because he gaineth by the forgetfulnes of death but the Lord our God which would haue vs to apply our hearts vnto wisdom it is he which teacheth vs to remember our daies The last point that to remember how short a time wee haue to liue will make vs apply our hearts to that which is good two things are to be noted in these words first that if we wil find wisdome we must apply our hearts to seeke her the second that remembrance of death makes vs to apply our hearts vnto it touching the first Moyses found some fault with himselfe for for al that he heard and did see and obserued and was compted wise yet he was new to begin to apply his heart to learne wisdome so vnsaciable and couetous as I may say are the seruants of God for the more wisdome faith and zeale they haue the more they defer Therefore the way to get wisdome is to apply our hearts vnto it for from that day which a man beginnes to apply his heart vnto wisdome hee learneth more in a month after then hee did in a yeere before euen as wee may see the wicked because they apply their hearts to wickednesse how fast they proceed how easily how quickly they become perfect swearers expert drunckerds cunning
shall be pleasing vnto him and acceptable in his fight according as our Sauiour Christ sayth As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine noe more can yee except yee abide in Me. Thus is Christ made our Redeemer Deliuerer Reconciler Mediator Intercessor Aduocate Hope Comfort Protector Defendor Strength Health Satisfaction and Saluation his blood-shedding his death and all that euer he did is ours and doth euery true faithfull Christian as good seruice as though they had done it themselues so that Christ hath left nothing vndone that might pertaine to our saluation Thus haue wee found the hidden treasure which hee that findeth it truely will sell all that euer he hath or euer he would loose it as Paul saith in the 16. to the Rom. 25. verse The Path of a Christian to walke in NOW it followeth in this fourth part to learne and know how all true Christians should walke in the truth of this way for as Christ is the onely way it selfe so is hee also the truth whereby wee must walke for all the wayes of God are truth and mercy both for who so doth feare the Lord him will hee teach and direct such with his spirit to follow the right way Psal 25.12 Wherefore receaue the truth loue the truth and beleeue the truth otherwayes if thou refuse the bread of life and digge vnto thy selfe a Cesterne that will hold no water then shalt thou lead thy dayes in wilfulnesse and dye in sinne thy bloud shall bee vpon thine owne head and thou shalt not see the glory of God death and damnation shall bee thy portion because thou hadst pleasure in wickednesse and didst not giue thy heart to receiue loue and beleeue the truth To this end the Apostle exhorteth the Thessalouians saying Wee beseech you bretheren exhort you in the Lord Iesus that yee increase more and more as yee haue receiued of vs how yee ought to walke and to please God That is as the Apostle should say wee command you not nor vse any force but intreat you with all patience and meeknesse that you will haue a regard and loue your owne soules and thinke and doe those things which may please God you are they to whom the promise was made God hath called you out of darknesse into his maruelous light hee hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowne his iudgments Wee come not to you in our owne name saith the Apostle We haue charge to preach the Gospell to all nations therefore wee speake vnto you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ wee shew you the way that you may walke in it wee declare vnto you the will of God that you may be saued Wee haue opened vnto you the whole treasure of Gods mercy wee haue led you to the throane of grace and made you see the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world wee haue preached vnto you the remission and forgiuenesse of your sinnes through his name if you beleeue you shall bee saued if any man preach vnto you otherwise then thaâ— you haue receaued let him bee accursed It is not enough that yee beleeue yee must also walke and liue accordingly to knowledge this is the will of God for wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them Ephe. 2. For the grace of God hath appeared that bringeth saluation vnto all men and teacheth vs that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this life looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mighty God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Titus 2. In this sort saith the Apostle hath our teaching been among you that you might shew forth your faith by your workes for it auaileth you nothing to say you haue faith if you haue no workes because the faith that hath no workes is dead thus wee are taught by the workes of our Lord Iesus hee saith not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth my Fathers wil that is in heauen Againe euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Thus hath our Lord God commanded vs to be like our Father which is in heauen to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works thus the Apostle taught thus the Church of God this day teacheth it requireth faith as the instrument and meanes to apply the merits and passion of Iesus Christ for our saluation and good workes as fruites and witnesses of our faith Whosoeuer learneth aright and beleeueth the Gospel as he ought groweth and goeth forward from vertue to vertue if he were ignorant before he commeth thereby to knowledge if he were weake he groweth in strength if hee were wicked hee turneth vnto godlinesse For as we haue beene taught that wee are saued by faith in Christ without the works of the law which doctrine though it be most true most soundly proued and flatly concluded Ro. 3.16 yet being vnderstood a misse as Pauls writings sometimes are 2. Pet. 3.28 it hath beene the decay of all good deeds and brought in Epicurisme al vngodlinesse it is true in deed that eternal life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ Ro 6.23 yet this gift is bestowed only vpon those for whom it is prepared Math 20.23 which haue exercised themselues in the workes of mercy Math 25.35 for in respect of God our election standeth sure certaine from al eternity for it hath his seale The Lord knoweth them are his 2. Tim 2.19 and I know whom I haue chosen Ioh. 13.18 but in respect of our selues it is vncertaine and therfore we must striue to make our calling election sure by good works albeit it is sure in it self for asmuch as God cannot change yet wee must confirme it in our selues by the fruits of the spirit knowing that the purpose of God electeth leth sanctifieth and iustifieth vs these are the wayes to come to heauen though they bee not the cause for Christ is the only cause therefore we must keepe the way if euer wee meane to come to heauen For as we are ordained to the end so are we ordained to the meanes which bring vs to the end If God hath predestinated any to eternall life he hath also predestinated them to the means whereby they must attaine eternall life that is faith and a good conseience For the end of Gods law is loue which cannot be without a good conscience neither a good conscience without faith nor fayth withou the word of God therefore it is certaine that whosoeuer is to be saued shal at one time or other before they depart out of this life bee called truely to beleeue and shal endeauour by all meanes as Paul did to keepe a good conscience towards God and man Acts 24.16 For that which is