wallâ— after the heart of sin Sin is contrary to God's Image wherein man was made sin is as unlike God's Image as Darkness is to Light as Hell to heaven yea and more too sin is the Devil's Image Such as the Devil and his Angels are who once knew good but now know evil both by doing it and suffering the sad effects of it Thus he that runs may read the Picture Image and likeness of the Devil in sin sinners are as like the Devil as any thing Sin is contrary to the Children of God they are near and dear to God God's heart is set upon them for good and sin sets its heart against them for evil Sin is always warring against the Seed of God in them By sins ill will God's people should neither enjoy nor do any good in the world Sin like the Devil hath not such an evil eye or aking tooth at all the sinners of the world as it hath at the Saints in the world The Devil is a Man-hater but more a Saint-hater Sin is contrary to and set against the Glory of God Faith would give Glory to God now that men may not believe sin imploys the Devil to blinde their eyes Good men would do all they do sin will let them do nothing at all to the Glory of God Sin is contrary to and opposite against the being and existence of God It makes the sinner wish and endeavour that there might be no God for sinners are haters of God And as he that hates his Brother is a murtherer so as much as in him lies he that hates God is a murtherer of God What 's said of sin is to be considered by the sinner and is meant of thine and my sin Poor Soul canst thou finde in thine heart to hug and imbrace such a Monster as this is Wilt thou love that which hates God and which God hates Wilt thou joyn thy self to that which is nothing but contrariety to God and all that 's good Oh say to this Idol yea to this Devil Get hence what have I to do with thee thou Childe yea Father of the Devil Thou that art the founder of Hell an enemy to all Righteousness that ceasest not to pervert the right ways of the Lord. Sin is contrary to the good of man it is a separation betwixt God and man The Commandment of which sin is a transgression was given not onely for God's sake that he might have glory from man's Obedience but for man's sake that man might enjoy the good and benefit of his Obedience These two were twisted together and no sooner is the Law transgrest but God and Man are joynt-sufferers God in his Glory and Man in his Good Man's suffering follows at the heels of sin yea as he suffers by so in sinning suffering and sinning involve each other No sooner did sin enter into the world but Death which is a privation of good did enter by it with it and in it For 't is the sting of Death so that sin saith Here is Death and death faith Here is Sin No sooner did Angels sin but they fell from their first State and Habitation which they had with God in Glory not a moment between their sin and misery And as soon as man had sinned his Conscience told him that he was naked and destitute of Righteousness and Protection Sin crosseth Glory and is cross to man's Happiness Sin is against the good of man's body it hath corrupted his blood and made his body mortal and thereby rendered it a vile body Our bodies though made of dust were yet more pretious than fine Gold but when we sinned they became vile bodies Before sin our bodies were immortal For death and mortality came in by sin But now alas they must return to dust and it 's appointed to all men once to dye and 't is well but once and the second death have no power over them they must see corruption or a change Sin is against the good of man's Soul 'T is not very ill with a man if it be well with his Soul but it can never be well with a man if it be ill with his Soul So that we can more easily and cheaply dye than be damned and may better venture our bodies to suffering than our souls to sinning Nothing but sin doth wrong a man's Soul and there is no sin but doth it Sin is against man's well-being in this life Well-being is the life of life and sin bears us so much ill will that it deprives us of our livelyhood Man came into the world as into an house ready furnished he had all things ready and prepared to his hands All the Creatures came to wait on him and payd him Homage but when man sinned God turn'd him out of house and home like a Pilgrim a Begger Ever since it hath been every man's lot to come into and go out of this world naked When Christ came into the world for the recovery of man and stood as in the sinner's stead he had not where to lay his head Though Christ were Lord of all yet if he will come in the likeness of sinful flesh he must speed not like the Son of God but Son of man Sin is against that good which God left us and fills it with vanity and vexation with bitterness and a curse God left Adam many Acres of land to till and husband but he hath it with a curse sweat and sorrow many a grieving Bryer and pricking Thorn stick fast to him God left him ground enough but 't is curst ground sin is so envious it would leave man nothing And if God be so good as to leave man any thing sins eye is evil because God is good and puts a sting in it Sin is against man's rest 't is a sore Travel which the Sons of men have under the Sun Man's ground is overgrown with Thorns that he hath many an aking head and heart Many a sore hand and foot before the year come about to get a little livelyhood out of this sincursed ground Sin curse and toil keep company Sin is against man's comfort and joy In sorrow shalt thou eat all the days of they life not one whole merry day The woman hath a peculiar sort and share of sorrow for the time of conception breeding bearing and birth are tedious Sin is against man's health hence come all diseases and sicknesses till sin there were no such things Let a man take the best Air he can and eat the best food he can let him eat and drink by rule let him take never so many Antidotes Preservatives and Cordials yet man is but a crazie sickly thing for all this Sin is against the quiet of a man's natural Conscience for it wounds the spirit and makes it intolerable A merry heart doth good like a Medicine no Cordial like it but a broken spirit drieth the bones and sucks away the marrow A good Conscience is a continual Feast but sin mars
thy Saviour is willing to save thee but it is thy sin and Satan that studieth to destroy thee When Satan's malice had produced mischief in our first Parents mischief brought forth misery and misery cried to heaven for mercie The God of mercie promised mercie unto mankind The seed of the woman shall break the Serpent's head When the fulness of Grace was come he that was covered in the Law became discovered in the Gospel When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son made of a woman made under the law that we might receive the adoption of Sons The Son of man had sinned against God and the Son of God satisfies for the sin of man Let admiration produce amazement that God should send his Son to suffer death for sinners that rebelled against him But man must dye unto Eternity unless the Son of Eternity would dye for him Therefore Christ the Messiah was slain but not for himself He was delivered to death for our offences He was delivered by his Father in Mercie by himself in Compassion by Iudas for Covetousness and by the Jews in Malice And all this to the end that God might effect what the Jews could not conjecture The Redemption of his people Israel He that was typified by the brazen Serpent is exalted on the Cross between two Thieves with this Title superscribed Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iews Thus Christ the immaculate Lamb refused no shame that he might purchase Glory to his faithful ones He that was the God of Glory becomes the Son of shame He that is the Righteous Redeemer was counted an Unjust Usurper He that is the Lord of Life was condemned to Death He that is honoured with the Acclamations of Angels was dishonoured with the Exclamations of Jews Pilate disgracefully shewed him to the people with an Ecce Homo Behold the man Stand O my Soul and with admiration bless the Author of all Blessedness Christ who to prevent thy shame suffered himself to be numbred among the wicked He was accounted sinful to purchase thy Salvation Adam by eating of the forbidden Tree made thee accursed had not Christ by dying on the cursed Tree restored thee to blessedness Christ's Cross is thy Comfort his dishonour is thy honour Christ's Cross is to the Iews a stumbling-block to the Gentiles foolishness But to thee O my Soul it is the power and the wisdome of God Then if Christ hath done this for thee follow thy Redeemer with a Cross at thy back and say with Paul God forbid that I should glory in any thing but in the Cross of Christ. But wo unto us sinners we run on in a course of pride though he humbled himself unto death even the death of the Cross. Pilate could not add to our Saviour's honour or dishonour in calling him Iesus for it was a name given him from Heaven for the Angel said unto Ioseph Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins It was a sweet saying of an Antient Father The name of Jesus is Mel in Ore Melos in Aure Iubilus in Corde Honey in the Mouth Melody in the Ear and a Jubily or Joy in the Heart Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved This name is light unto the Soul Ye were darkness saith the Apostle but now ye are light in the Lord. This name is health to the Body In the name of Iesus of Nazareth rise up and walk All spiritual food is dry saith the aforesaid Father if this Oyl be not poured into it if it be not seasoned with this Salt There are several Titles that proclaim Christ's Glory but the name of Iesus imports our Redemption By others we know him to be God by this we know him to be our Mediator It is great misery to see man so proud and greater mercie to see God so humble God was the Creditor man was the Debtor but he that was both God and man the Pay-Master Wherefore Let Israel hope in the Lord for with him there is plenteous Redemption There is no sinner so great but after conversion he makes as great a Saint Though his sins be red as Scarlet Grace makes them white as Snow Come let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll There is more pleasure in suffering than in sinning for a Saint of God may suffer and not sin but he cannot sin and not suffer If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf To walk as a Heathen walks only by the light of the Rush-candle of Nature is no better than to walk in darkness If a man walk in the day he stumbleth not but if he walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him God never made a good promise but he made good that promise For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen We should prize mercie if we knew its price Thy mercie O Lord is great unto the Heavens and thy truth unto the Clouds 'T is true that Christ is every where Then Hell 's no Hell if Christ be there In his presence is fulness of joy at his right hand are pleasures for evermore A Righteous man hates sin because it is opposite to God and Goodness Fools make a mock at sin but among the Righteous there is favour That Saint that grows in grace grows more a man and more than a man For with him Where sin aboundeth grace doth much more abound A rich man is poor without God but with him a poor man is rich Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you The pride of self-love is a folly in ones self For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted If a man would be ever good he should believe he was never good There is none good but one that is God God takes care of his Saints and they take care to be be cared for by him Cast your care upon him for he careth for you He that hath God hath all things for God is all in all A grain of Grace is of more value than many pounds of Gold God Created us and left us to our selves afterwards he Redeemed us and left himself to us Take heed of being self-conceited For the way of a fool is right in his own eyes True Christians are all for Christ and Christ is all-sufficient for them and their salvation It is the saying of holy Paul For me to
Beast Curst let him be with Sister lies Or Mother though in law Such sins do make those horrid cries That dreadful curses draw Cursed be he that secretly His silent Neighbour smites Murtherers too that cause to dye When a reward invites The wicked shall be curst at home And likewise in the field His Basket and his Store at last Shall Blessings fail to yield Cursed be all his sinful Fruit Of Body and of Land His Kine and Flock though they are mute And all he takes in hand Cursed be he when going out And curst when coming in That happy 't were for him no doubt If he had never been An ELEGIE ON THE DEATH of that much Lamented And no less wanted Industrious Labourer in GOD's VINEYARD The Reverend Mr. RALPH VENNING Who quitted this Vale of Tears And put on Immortality The 10th day of this Instant March 1673 4. Fretum vitae gaudeate Carina Tranavit Tutum tenet Anchorà portum Nunc hilaris ventos ridet tumidasque Procellas HArk how our Sion with Heart-piercing Groans Her Chariots her Horsmen's loss bemoans See! how each Pious blubber'd Cheek doth wear The sad Ennamel of a Briny Tear Each Soul turns a Close Mourner in its Cell And ev'ry Tongue becomes a Passing-Bell Must good Men still dye first and is there gone Another Cedar in our Lebanon Are Holy pow'rful Preachers snatch'd so fast They 're Pretious Death Oh! do not make such wast Well may the Scarlet Whore begin her Tricks Such Lights pust out threatens our Candlesticks And we may fear that God intendeth wars When he thus fast calls home's Embassadors Sweet Pious Venning could no longer stay Caryl in Glory beckon'd him away Whilst Heav'n to lend more moysture to our Eyes At his remove in Tears did Sympathize But Love and Zeal appear'd so I hill below They soon congeal'd each falling drop to snow Yet that white Robe the Earth put on did prove But a black Foil to what he wears above Go happy Saint I knew 't was not a Shrine Of Flesh could lodge so pure a Soul as thine I saw it labour in a holy scorn Of living dust and ashes to be sworn A heavenly Quirister it sigh'd and groan'd To be dissolv'd from Mortal and Enthron'd Amongst his fellow-Angels there to sing Perpetual Anthems to his Heavenly King He was a stranger to his house of Clay Scarce own'd it but that necessary stay Mis-call'd it his and only zeal did make Him love the Building for the Builders sake Amongst the throng that croud to Sacrifice To 's Memory the Torrents of their Eyes Let me although a Stranger unto those That Weep in Rhyme though oft I Mourn in Prose Water his Herse since my Big-bellied eyes Long for deliv'ry at his Obsequies Wherein what Art and Nature both deny Grief and the Subjects Merits may supply For who e're writes but truth of him will be Slander'd by Ignorance with Poetry And those that speak not half his worth in Verse The Sensual crew may think Idolaters But flattery can never reach his State We only praise to make men Imitate And so must speak in sober terms for know If Saints in Heav'n can hear things here below A Lye though in his Praise would make him frown And chide us when in Glory he comes down With his dear Lord to Iudge the World and pay Each Soul Rewards according to its way He was no Iingling Drolster of the times That as on Stage up to a Pulpit climes To trifle out an hour Tickle the Ear And Lullaby their Heads to sleep that hear Whose Preachments are but a Romantick Clatter A Sea of words but scarce a drop of matter Some Pye-bald scraps of new Philosophy Or Dough-bak'd Dictates of Morality Nor was he of that rash unpolisht Race Whose Sluttish hands do Sacred things disgrace Knowledge and Zeal in him so sweetly met His Pulpit seem'd a second Olivet Where from his Lips he would deliver things As though some Seraphim had clap'd his Wings His painful Sermons were so neatly drest As if an Antheme were in Prose exprest Yet quick and pow'rful that without controul They reach'd the Heart and pierc'd the very Soul Oh! what an excellent Surgeon has he been To set a Conscience out of Joynt by sin He at one blow could wound and heal whilst all Wondred to finde a Purge a Cordial His Manna-breathing-Sermons often have Given our good Thoughts new Life our bad a Grave His life was th' use of 's Doctrine still annext And all his Actions Comments on his Text. He made a Christian Frame of Heart appear So Imitable that Preach'd ev'ry where Nor owe we less to his Ingenious Quill Whereby although now Dead he Preaches still The way to Happiness he plainly show'd And how Canaan with Milk Hony flow'd To things worth thinking on he did apply And still sought to promote true Piety Sins dreadful Plague-sore which none should endure He soon discovers and prescribes a Cure And when 's quaint wit brought forth a Paradox His Christian Spirit made it Orthodox In life he taught to dye and now did give In death a great example how to live Fond Earth then cease and let thy childish eyes Ne'r weep for him thou ne'r knew'st how to prize But if you needs must weep Oh come come in Ye multitudes his pains have heal'd of Sin If you 'll be grateful Debtors pay him now Some of those Tears which he laid out for you SENTENTIAL TRUTHS Written and Delivered BY Mr. IAMES IANEWAY Not long before his Death THe world in its best estate is made up of Vanities troubles The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World Faith Hope and Patience desire help to lead the Soul out of Egypt and conduct it through the Red-Sea and Wilderness The Spies are sent into Canaan and bring good news out of that Land Faith sees Sihon Og and Amaleck discomfited and their powers broken Faith goes to the Borders of the promised Land to the very top of Pisga and upon Mount Nebo it sends love into Heaven to dwell there with the Lord for ever What shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon of Barak of Samson of Iephthah of David Samuel and of the Prophets Who through faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lyons Quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Christians Let us be zealous in our private and publike Prayers in our Closet and Family-devotions so shall we not only enter into rest our selves but shall teach the way to our Children our Servants and our Friends Be strictly careful that the gain of the world prove not the loss of your Souls Let your hearts be early and late with God Time is pretious
and of greater value than Gold Wherefore let it be thy business and the delight of thy Soul to seek and to serve God To seek and to serve here is the way to be glorified in rejoycing and enjoying hereafter Wherefore begin betimes and be not weary of well doing for great is your reward Take hold of this present opportunity lest the sloath of your heart or the cares of this world cause you to neglect and forget the prize that is set before you Unhappy are those poor Souls whose Portion is only in this world If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable The Cross of Christ is the Christians Crown the Reproach of Christ is the Christian's Riches and the Shame of Christ is his Glory God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world In all your actions let it be your practice to have a respect to your ends Talk not proudly let not arrogancie come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of Knowledge and by him actions are weighed Strive to live above this lower Region that no accidents may put you out of frame nor disquiet your Soul Set your affections on things above and not on the earth If I had the wings of a Dove I would flie from the Winds the Storms and Tempests of this wicked world and rest my self in the bosom of my Father There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest To disparage Sin and to incourage Holiness is none of the least Works of a Minister of Christ. The wicked may drink roar and swagger and sell their pretious Souls for a moments joy and make light of Damnation but let them know for all these things God will bring them to Iudgment an eternity of intolerable sorrows must pay for their short pleasures Hence it is that the serious Christian makes it his business to avoid this dreadful misery let the wicked please themselves in their sorrows he knows 't is but a little while and all will be mended and their minds changed He is willing to stay for his happiness and joys till he come to another world and he doth not envy the wicked what they do enjoy let them make the best of it The unseen world which most forget is always in the Christians eye and if he may but live happily there he passeth not if he run through reproaches injuries and a thousand Deaths to that glorious and endless Life This is the grand Reason of the Christians patience this makes him judge it no folly but the greatest wisdom to keep the commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus Those which live like Devils are not like to dye like Saints that count all their time lost they do him no service in which make a jest of Damning and are as merry within a step of Hell as if it and a Tavern were alike And yet how well are wicked men pleased and contented with their own condition and laugh at the Godly as if it were a dangerous and mad thing to go to Heaven and the truest happiness to be miserable for ever The Devil himself may as well expect to shake off his chains and be restored to his lost glory as they O be not deceived as you sow so you must reap God gives this world oftentimes to his greatest Enemies he gives glory in another world to none but his Friends and Children Nay let me speak it freely They which gain this world with their negligence of Heaven shall at their death lose both Many that would be counted wise drive a great Trade for that which is next to nothing and that lay in no better provisions than Gravel Clay or Dung when they are bound for Eternity They think they make a very wise Bargain when they sell their Conscience God and Heaven for a little of that which some call Riches O that I could but bring down the price of sublunary things and raise the things of that other world to their true worth Think not meanly of Holiness it 's the most excellent thing it is the greatest Riches and man's highest Dignity He that knows the worth of Christ and the nature of his own Soul let him not envy those that swell like bladders upon water for a moment and God puffs them off and where are they How can they look for Heaven when they dye that thought it not worth their minding whilst they lived Whatsoever men pursue below Christ will yield them but little happiness and comfort in another world Not every one that wears Christ's Livery shall have his Wages How many seeming Saints shall gain nothing at Death but a thorow knowledge of their own folly O please not your self with fancies Sickness and Death is coming and then you will know better the reason of my earnest pleading with you in this matter He that hath not got more than ever any Hypocrite could attain or shall will miss of Heaven The best of God's Children are most suspicious of themselves and afraid of their own deceitful hearts and their great request is that God would deliver them from mistakes in matters of everlasting consequence It 's a common thing for wicked men to carry their false peace along with them to the Grave How many thousands are there that dye like Lambs that are but Swine and have the Devils brand upon their foreheads Many are carried very quickly to Hell and fear nothing till they feel and are not brought to their sences till unspeakable horrour and anguish doth it It hath not a little puzled some as well as David to see the wicked dye quietly and the godly to have a strange death but God will shortly resolve this Riddle That Soul which hath seen the death of Sin is a person fit for death That man is like to be a gainer by Death who contemns Earth and makes Heaven his choice He that counts nothing worth the having except Christ and for Christ cannot be miserable when he is lodged safe in his imbraces God is oftentimes better but never worse than his word The running Christian shall at last obtain the Prize and the Crown he fights for he shall wear What though the Vessel be tost and broke it shall come safe with its rich Lading to the desired Harbour O you foolish world condemn not these spiritual wise Merchants till you know what their returns are when their burden is delivered He that is willing to dye for Christ shall live as long as Christ lives in happiness and rest Those Souls are out of Gun-shot that are instrumental for the shaking the Kingdom of Satan and weakning the interest of Hell in the world Who would not be a Christian in good earnest sure none but a mad-man or a fool The highest Worldlings are below the meanest and lowest Child of
have received their wages will say that the service of God is not unprofitable But heaven is not got with a wet finger few run so as to obtain few fight so as to conquer Lazie wishes and a hazard will not do for Heaven They that dye in sin must be buried in Hell Who would be afraid of everlasting rest It is our trifling with God that makes the thoughts of our appearing before him to be so dreadful How can you live within a few inches of Death and look the King of Terrour in the face every day without some well-grounded evidence of your Interest in God's love What will become of the careless ones of the world that think little of Death and less of Eternity Mr. RYTHER's SAYINGS Concerning Mr. IANEWAY MY dear and reverend Brother deceast was delightful to me and to all that knew him when living and so desirable when dying O how often have we taken sweet counsel together his thoughts his time his study was how he should get sinners bands broken off and themselves brought into the liberty of the Sons of God Under a bodily Consumption he laboured to build up Saints that they might be kept from soul-consumption It 's high time for the world to awake out of sleep and to minde the state of their Souls God is now gathering in his labourers then who shall gather in his harvest He is putting out the lights and who shall guide them to Emanuel's land Two famous lights in one week not put under a Bushel but under a Grave-stone This present life we enjoy here is but a Voyage all Christians are homeward bound Believers when their Voyage is finisht and compleated they are with Christ. Believers are venturers their immortal pretious Souls are their ventures Onely poor sinners so living and dying make lost Voyages Alas for that Gain where estates are got and souls lost you will weep and mourn over these Gains to all Eternity In this present Voyage poor Souls meet with seas of Troubles Satan's storms of Temptation as well as storms of Affliction Do not we sail through many a Red-Sea before we arrive at our port In this Voyage you must steer by your Compass the Rule of the Word is your Compass to sail by to live by and must be your Compass to dye by and to put into your Port by In this Voyage you are accountable at your returns wicked persons must account for every idle word and for every evil action You carry necessary Provision for a Voyage O how many of us are but poorly laid in for our Voyage who knows what the latter part of our Voyage may be fill'd up withal Do we know what storms and tempests may attend our very putting in to Port Was it not so with him that is now safely arrived had not he his storms before he harboured O poor Souls you see how fast you sail down the River of Time to put into the Ocean of Eternity Paul desired to ankor and finish his Voyage Where Christ is there is no sin Saints are hous'd when they are once got to Heaven To be with Christ is to be in safe harbour When God hath in this life filled the Water-pots of his people with affliction he takes that time to take them to Heaven and turn it into the wine of Consolations Consider God hath taken away a Shepherd from his Flock that gently led the Burthened that faithfully fed the Hungry heal'd the Diseased and diligently lookt to the state of his Flock He was a faithful Watchman God's Gardens take a great deal of dressing When Dressers are taken away what danger are Vineyards in of becoming like the field of the sluggard How did this Labourer spend himself in his Masters Harvest He was a Guide in the way to Heaven And is this a small loss Is not house breaking up when a Father goes O what a stroak is this for many poor Souls to lose a Spiritual Father You have lost a Minister we who knew him have lost a fellow-labourer in the Gospel You have lost a faithful Shepherd that are his Flock we a faithful Brother that are in the Ministry the Nation a faithful Wrestler with God God pulls out stakes in Zions hedge but few are put in God did renew the Bow in his hand day by day and it abode in strength He was no dauber with untempered Morter nor sower of Pillows under Christians or Sinners Elbows He Preached to you as one in an heavenly Extasie of Love to win Souls to Christ. He lived and shone out of the Pulpit as well as in it He was not only a burning zealous light in his Doctrine but also a shining light in his Conversation SIN the Plague of PLAGUES AND The worst of EVILS But sin that it might appear sin worketh death THe Doctrine of Repentance supposeth that man hath done amiss The Doctrine of Faith is another for Righteousness and Hope concludes man to be without Righteousness and Hope in himself 'T is not the Law but Sin that works man's death and ruine Sin is contrary to God Carnal men are Enemies to God rebels and despisers of God resisters fighters blasphemers and atheists against God Sinners are actors of High-Treason against the Majesty of God and will not that he shall reign over them More particularly Sin is contrary to God's Nature he is Holy he is so and cannot but be so he is all Holy and always Holy altogether Holy And sin is sinful all sinful onely sinful altogether sinful Sin is contrary to God's Attributes it will not that the King of Kings should be in the Throne and govern this World which he hath made sin attempts to dethrone God Sin denies God's all-sufficiencie Every Prodigal that leaves the Fathers house doth practically say so Sin dares the Justice of God and challengeth God to do his worst it provokes the Lord to jealousie and tempts his wrath Sin disowns God's Omniscience Tush cry sinners God sees not Sin despises the riches of God's goodness Sin turns God's grace into wantonness Sin is the dare of God's justice the rape of his mercie the jeer of his patience the slight of his power and the contempt of his love And further 't is the upbraid of his providence the scoff of his promise the reproach of his wisdom and opposeth and exalts it self above all that is called God Sin is contrary to the works of God sin may be impleaded for all the mischiefs and villanies that have been done in the world 't is the Master of Mis-rule the Author of Sedition the Builder of Babel the Troubler of Israel and all Mankinde Sin is contrary to God's Law to all his Orders and Rules to his Appointment 'T is not onely a Transgression of but a Contradiction also to the Will of God 'T is an Anti-Will to God's Will David in fulfilling the will of God was said to be a man after God's own heart And they that obey the will of
Saints Memorials OR Words fitly spoken Like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver Being A COLLECTION OF Divine SENTENCES Written and Delivered By those late Reverend and Eminent Ministers of the Gospel Mr. EDMUND CALAMY Mr. JOSEPH CARYL Mr. RALPH VENNING Mr. JAMES JANEWAY Heb. 11.4 Who being dead yet speak Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their works do follow them LONDON Printed in the Year 1674. To all the SAINTS BELOVED OF GOD And Sanctified through OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST Grace and Peace be Multiplied THe dispensations of God though never so seemingly strange towards his people have always been propitious and favourable according to that of the Apostle he maketh all things work together for good to those that love him and are called according to his purpose How great love should we then have for them who love God and are so beloved of him To the Reader My Friends many there are whose beginning is better than their latter end but blessed are they who dye in the Lord who have an Interest in the Everlasting Covenant and in the sure mercies of David though God may visit their Iniquities with a Rod and their Transgressions with Stripes yet he will never suffer his loving kindness to depart Who would then depart from that God who sticks so close to his If we leave him whither shall we go surely to broken Cisterns that hold no water Oh then as you love your pretious and immortal Souls endeavour close Vnion and strict Communion with him As you are chosen by him so let him be your choyce Since he first loved you let it not be lost He cast his eye upon us when we were in our Blood and no eye pittied us and he spread his Skirt over us and then was the time of love Ah then if he loved us so unlovely what estimation should we have of him who is love it self Consider what he hath done for you in giving life health and above all his beloved Son to dye for you a most ignominious death that you through him migh have everlasting life That you may know how to value this transcendent love of God weigh well the condition you were at that time in lamentably helpless Dead in Trespasses and Sins without God and without Christ in the world strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel and to the Promises This we were in the general but what were we as to our best our Righteousness so bad that nothing could be worse no better than menstruous Cloaths and filthy Rags What Humiliation what Lamentation doth our condition call for Little reason to walk so haughtily as we do and with the Pharisee to say Stand farther off I am holier than thou For shame then come with humble Job in his prostrate State Abhor your selves and repent in dust and ashes or with the Prophet cry out Wo is me I am undone a man of unclean lips mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts A dreadful sight undoubtedly that should be so astonishing to one whom God honoured in making use of his blood for a Testimony of his truth how much more must it needs be to us whose lives are so unclean that there is no soundness in us What necessity is there then of finding out a way to look God in the face there is but one and Blessed and for ever Blessed be his gratious Name for the Revelation of it and that is Jesus Christ the onely Mediator betwixt God and Man What had become of us had he not interposed betwixt the wrath of an incensed Majesty and sinful Creatures Vengeance had been speedily Executed and all that long-suffering and patience which is now exercised to us-ward had been prevented we should not have had line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little his faithful Ministers instructing exhorting and dehorting if hereby the torrent of his Ire had not been stopt How highly then ought we to prize this Talent and to let no day nor time of it pass without doing him some service who hath been so benigne and merciful to us If men do kindnesses to ingenuous minds what thoughtfulness is there of recompence in so much that they declare it to all their friends and enquire and advise what returns will best suit the nature of their received friendships How much more should we with David declare what God hath done for us and always walk in thankfulness towards him For this the grace of God teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly in this present evil world Not to turn wanton Libertines saying God is good and merciful and hath sent his Son to dye in our stead nothing remaining for us to do but like the children of the old world to eat and to drink and to rise up to play This bespeaks men to be of that number of whom Jude in his general Epistle makes mention ordained of old to this condemnation denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. How indeed can we more disown him than by casting his laws behinde our backs and saying as those wicked wretches did We will not have this man to reign over us although he was Lord of all and told them his yoak was easie and his burthen light and that his ways were ways of pleasantness and his paths were peace Think not that these things were written for their instruction onely but ours also on whom the ends of the world are come But lest I should burden you with too tedious an Epistle I will rather invite you to feed on those wholesome remains which you will finde collected from the Writings of those Eminent and Renowned men prefixt in the Title of this Miscelany whose worth should I undertake to display it would prove an Eclipse coming short of your Estimations and those choice and elaborate Works which will eternize their Memories to all gratious hearts The best use we can make of their loss is to study diligently what they once designed for our benefit and to be provoked by their good conversation to emulation I beseech you therefore let not their nor my poor Labours in gathering these crums from their Tables be lost but that we may have cause to rejoyce in this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity we have had our conversations in the World as wisheth Your Fellow-Servant in the Kingdom of Grace Mr. EDMVND CALAMY HIS EXHORTATIONS TO The Service of the Lord. SUch are the minds of most men whom either the cares of this world hath distracted or the false pleasures thereof deluded that the meditations of Heaven are far from them and they rarely think of those dangers that attend them or what damage they are like to suffer by despising or slighting those pretious Opportunities that might lead to their Salvation to whom our Saviours saying when speaking to Martha may be
travel and he begetteth a son and there is nothing in his hand 15. As he came forth of his Mothers womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall carry nothing of his labour with him 16. In all points as he came so shall he go and what profit hath he that laboureth for the winde Agur's Prayer was Divine Two things have I desired of thee deny me them not before I dye 8. Remove from me vanity and lies give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me 9. Lest I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain Poverty is no disgrace for when we came into the world we brought nothing with us and nothing can we carry out If we want things necessary we ought not to grumble or despair perhaps the Lord might see it necessary we should so want however we ought to use our endeavours for a lawful remedy if God bless not our endeavours we ought to bless him that knoweth what is best for us we are his Patients and therefore ought not to instruct our Physitian If thou art scandalized consult with thy own Conscience if thou findest thy self guilty thy correction is then just if thou art innocent it is a good instruction thus shalt thou suck honey out of gall and make an open enemy thy secret friend If thou hast an enemy that is hungry give him food if thirsty give him drink the Lord will reward thee and punish him The poor are the Lord's receivers and he is the best pay-Master If thou hast an Estate and wouldest improve it be charitable to the poor scattered seeds increase but those that are hoarded dye If I speak with the tongue of men and of angels saith Paul and have not charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing 4. Charity suffereth long and is kinde charity envyeth not charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up In all conditions Piety and Vertue must be the guides that must lead the way to Bliss God's servants are denoted by their two Vertues Humility and Charity and the Devil 's are distinguished by their opposite Vices Pride and Cruelty The only way to remember good acts is to be continually acting them Above all things have fervent charity for charity shall cover the multitude of sins Keep Faith Hope and Charity for when the World shall have an end the Angels shall sever the wicked from the just AN ELEGIE ON THE DEATH OF THAT Reverend and Pious Divine Mr. EDMVND CALAMY Late Minister at Aldermanbury ANd must our deaths be silenc'd too I guess 'T is some dumb Devil hath possest the press Calamy dead without a Publication 'T is great injustice to our English Nation For had this Prophet's Funeral been known It must have had an Vniversal groan Afflicted London would then have been found In the same year to be both burnt drown'd And those that found no Tears their Flames to quench Would yet have wept a shower his Hearse to drench A publike loss a greater loss by far One man of God than twenty men of War It was a King who when a Prophet dy'd Wept over him and Father Father cry'd O if thy Life and Ministry be done My Chariots Horse-men's strength is gone I must speak sober words for well I know If Saints in Heav'n do hear us here below A lie though in his praise would make him frown And chide me when with Iesus he comes down To judge the World This little little he This silly sickly silenc'd Calamy Aldermanbury's Curate and no more Though he a mighty Miter might have wore Could have vi'd interest in God or man With the most Pompous Metropolitan How have we known him captivate a throng And make a Sermon twenty thousand strong And though black mouths his Loyalty did charge How strong his tug was at the Royal Barge To hale it home Great George can well attest But by himself his worth is best exprest Nor did Ambition of a Miter make Him serve the Crown 't was for his Conscience sake Vnbridled Loyalty his highest reach Was to be Master Calamy and Preach He bless'd the King who Bishop him did name And I bless him you did refuse the same O had our Reverend Clergie been as free To serve the Prince without reward as he They might have had less wealth with greater love Envy like winds endangers things above Worth not advancement doth beget esteem The highest Weathercock the least doth seem If you would know of what Disease he dy'd His grief was chronical it is repli'd For had he open'd been by Surgeons art They had found London burning in his heart How many Messengers of death did he Receive with Christian magnanimity The Stone Gout Dropsie ills which did arise From Griefs and Studies not from Luxuries The Meagrim too which still strikes at the head These he stood under and scarce staggered Might he but work though loaded with these chains He Pray'd and Preach'd and Sung away his pains Then by a fatal Bill he was struck dead And though that Blow he ne're recovered For he remained speechless to his close Yet did he breath sigh out Prayers for those From whom he had that Wound he liv'd to hear An hundred thousand buried in one year In this dear City over which he wept And many Fasts to keep off Iudgments kept Yet yet he liv'd stout heart he liv'd to be Depriv'd driv'n out kept out and liv'd to see Wars Blazing-stars Torches which Heav'n ne're burns But to light Kings or Kingdoms to their Vrns. He liv'd to see the Glory of our Isle London consumed in its Funeral-Pile He liv'd to see that lesser day of Doom London the Priests Burnt-Sacrifice to Rome That blow he could not stand but with that fire As with a burning Feaver did expire Thus dy'd this Saint of whom it must be said He dy'd a Martyr though he dy'd in 's Bed So Father Eli in the Sacred Page Sate quivering with Fear as much as Age Longing to know yet loath to ask the News How it far'd with the Army of the Jews Israel flies that struck his Palsie-Head The next blow stunned him Your Sons are dead But when the third stroak came The Ark is lost His Heart was wounded and his Life it cost Thus fell this Father and we well do know He fear'd our Ark was going long ago His EPITAPH HEre a poor Minister of Christ doth lie Who did indeed a Bishoprick deny When his Lord comes then then the World shall see Such Humble ones the Rising men shall be How many Saints whom he had sent before Shouted to see him enter Heaven's door There his blest Soul beholds the face of God
vain subscribe to Heaven's will When God speaks 't is mans duty to be still He 's Dead let 's imitate his Life that we Dying like him may live Eternally And Glorifie that God whose dying Breath Made Man whom Death had Conquer'd Conquer Death The Grave 's our Common and our truest Home A house of Clay best fits a Guest of Loam Death 's but the good mans sleep for as our eyes We close each night at Bed in hope to rise So should we dye for when the Trump doth blow We shall as easily awake we know And as we after sleep our Bodies finde More fresh in strength and chearfully inclin'd So after death our Flesh scatter'd and dry'd Shall rise Immortal and more purify'd This is our Port this is Sins perfect Cure Till lodg'd within a Grave there 's none secure An EPITAPH ASk you why so many a Tear Bursts forth I 'll tell you in your Ear Compel me not to speak aloud Death would then grow too too proud Eyes that cannot vent a Tear Forbear to ask you may not hear Gentle Hearts that overflow Have only Priviledge to know In these Sacred Ashes then Know Reader that a man of men Lies cover'd and Eternal Glory Makes dear mention of his story Nature when she gave him birth Open'd her Treasures to the Earth Put forth the quintessence of merit Quickned with a higher spirit Rare was his Life his â—atest breath Saw and scorn'd and Conquer'd Death Thankless Reader never more Vrge a Why thus tears runs o're When you saw so high a Tyde You might have known JANEWAY dy'd FINIS BOOKS Sold by Dorman Newman at the King's Arms in the Poultrey Folio THe History of King Iohn King Henry the Second and the most Illustrious K. Edward the First wherein the ancient Soveraign Dominion of the Kings of Great Brittain over all persons in all Causes is asserted and vindicated With an exact History of the Popes intollerable Usurpation upon the Liberties of the Kings and Subjects of England and Ireland Collected out of the Ancient Records in the Tower of London by W. Prin Esq of Lincoln-Inn and Keeper of his Majesties Records in the Tower of London A Description of the Four parts of the world taken from the Works of Monsieur Sanson Geographer to the French King and other eminent Travellers and Authors to which is added the Commodities Coyns Weights and Measures of the chief places of Traffick in the world illustrated with variety of useful and delightful Maps and Figures By Richard Blome Gent. Memoires of the Lives Actions Sufferings and Deaths of those Excellent Personages that suffered for Allegiance to their Soveraign in our late intestine Wars from the year 1637 to 1666 with the Life and Martyrdom of King Charles the First By David Lloyd The Exact Politician or Compleat Statesan c. By Leonard Willan Esquire A Relation in form of a Journal of the Voyage and Residence of King Charles the Second in Holland Mores hominum the Manners of Men described in sixteen Satyrs by Iuvenal together with a large Comment clearing the Author in every place wherein he seemed obscure out of the Laws and Customs of the Romans and the Latine and Greek Histories By Sir Robert Stapleton Knight A Treatise of Justification By George Downham Dr. of D. Fifty-one Sermons Preached by the Reverend Dr. Mark Frank Master of Pembroke-Hill in Cambridg Arch-Deacon of St. Albons c. To which is added a Sermon preached at Pauls Cross Anno 1641. and then commanded to be Printed by King Charls the First Bentivolio and Urania in six Books By Nathaniel Ingelo D. D. The third Edition wherein all the obscure words throughout the Book are interpreted in the Margent which makes this much more delightful to read than the former De Iure Uniformitatis Ecclesiasticae or three Books of the Rights belonging to an Uniformity in Churches in which the chief things of the Laws of Nature and Nations and of the Divine Law concerning the Consistency of the Ecclesiastical Estate with the Civil are unfolded folded by Hugh Davis Ll. B. late Fellow of New Colledg in Oxon. An English French Italian Spanish Dictionary by Iames Howel Observations on Millitary and Political Affairs by the Honourable George Duke of Albemarle The manner of Exercising the Infantry as it 's now practised in the Armies of his most Christian Majesty Quarto A Letter from Dr. Robert Wild to his Friend Mr. I. I. upon occasion of his Majesties Declaration for Liberty of Conscience Together with his Poetica Licentia a friendly Debate between a Conformist and a Nonconformist The Dutch Remonstrance concerning the Proceedings and Practices of Iohn de Wit Pensionary and Ruwaert Van Putten his Brother with others of that Faction Translated out of Dutch Index Biblicus or an Exact Concordance to the Holy Bible according to the last Translation by Iohn Iackson Minister of the Gospel at Moulsea in Surrey The Christian-Mans-Calling or a Treatise of making Religion ones Business wherein the Christian is directed to perform in all Religious duties Natural Actions particular Vocations Family directions and in his own Recreations in all Relations in all Conditions in his dealings with all men in the choice of his Company both of evil and good in solitude on a week-day from morning to night in visiting the sick and on a dying-bed by Geo. Swinnock Mr. Caryl's Exposition on the Book of Iob. Gospel-Remission or a Treatise shewing that true Blessedness consists in the pardon of sin By Ieremiah Burroughs An Exposition of the Song of Solomon By Iames Durham late Minister in Glasgow The Real Christian or a Treatise of Effectual Calling wherein the work of God in drawing the Soul to Christ being opened according to the Holy Scriptures some things required by our late Divines as necessary to a right Preparation for Christ and a true closing with Christ which have caused and do still cause much trouble to some serious Christians and are with due respects to those worthy men brought to the ballance of the Sanctuary there weighed and accordingly judged to which is added a few words concerning Socinianism By Giles Firmin sometimes Minister at Shalford in Essex Mount Pisgah or a Prospect of Heaven being an Exposition on the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians By Tho. Case sometimes Student in Christ-Church Oxon and Minister of the Gospel The Vertue and Value of Baptism By Za. Crofton The Quakers Spiritual Court proclaimed Being an exact Narrative of a New high Court of Justice also sundry Errors and Corruptions amongst the Quakers which were never till now made known to the world By Nath. Smith who was conversant among them fourteen Years A Discourse of Prodigious abstinence occasion'd by the twelve Months fasting of Martha Tayler the faim'd Darby-shire Damsel proving that without any Miracle the texture of Humane bodies may be so altered that Life may be long continued without the supplies of Meat and Drink By