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
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
stick in filthy mud But thou dreamest of a saith without doubting which some doting by boast they have but as no righteousness can bee perfect without sin so no assurance can bee perfect without doubting Take the evenest ballances and the most equall weights yet at the first putting in there will bee some in-equality though presently after they settle themselvs in a 〈…〉 is a cloud that often hinders the Sun from our eyes yet it is still a Sun the vision or feeling of this comfort may bee somtime suspended the Union with Christ is never dissolved An usuall thing with beleevers to have their ebbing and flowing waâ—ing and waning Summer and Winter to bee somtimes so comfortable and couragious that wee can say with David Though I were in the valley of death yet would I fear none ill Psal. â—3 4 otherwhiles again so deâ—ded and â—â—jected in our spirits that wee are like him when hee said One day I shall die by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Somtimes so strong in faith that wee can overcome the greatest assaults and with Peter can walk upon the swâ—lling waves by and by so faint and brought to so low an ebbe that wee fall down even in far less dangers as Peter began to sink at the rising of the winde Matth. 14.29.30 And indeed if the wings of our faith bee clipp'd either by our own sins or Satans temptations how should not our spirits lye groveling on the ground Sect. 9. But thirdly and lastly for I hâ—â—â—â—n suppose thou art at the last-cast even at the very brink of despair and that thy conscience speaks nothing but bitter things of Gods wrath hell and damnation and that thou hast no feeling of faith or grace yet know that it is Gods use and I wish wee could all take notice of it to worke in and by contraries For instance in creating of the world hee brought light out of darkness and made all things not of somthing but of nothing clean contrary to the course of Nature In his preserving of it hee hath given us the Rain-bow which is a signe of rain as a certain pledge that the world shall never the second time bee drowned Hee caused waterâ— and feâ—cheth hard stones out of the mid'st of thin vaâ—ours When he meant to blesseâ— Iacob hee wrestled with him as an Adversaâ—yâ— even till he lamed him When he meant to preferr Ioseph to the Throne hee â—â—rew him down into the Dungeon and to a golden chaine about his neck he laâ—ed him with Iron ones about his legges Thus Christ opened the eyes of the blind by annointing them with clay and spittle more likely to put them out And would not cure Lazarus till after hee was dead buried and stunk again no question to teach us that wee must bee cast down by the Law before wee can bee raised up by the Gospell that wee must dye unto sin before wee can live unto righteousness and become fools before wee can â—ee truly wise In the work of Redemption hee gives life not by life but by death and that a most câ—â—sed death making that the best instrument of life which was the worst kind of death Optimum seciâ— instrumentum vitae quod eraâ— pessimum moriis genus In our effectuall voâ—ation hee calls us by the Gospell unto the Iews â— stumbling-block and unto the world meer foolishness And when it is his pleasure that any should depend upon his goodness and providence hee makes them feel his anger and to bee nothing in themselvs that they may rely altogether upon him Thus God works joy out of fear light out of darkness and brings us to the Kingdom of heaven by the Gates of hell according to that 1 Sam. 2. 〈◊〉 â— 7 And wherein does thy case differ Hee sends his Serfeant to 〈◊〉 thee for thy debt commands thee and all thou hast to bee sold. But why onely to shew thee thy misery without Christ that so thou 〈◊〉 seck so him for mercy for although hee hide â—â— is futherly affections as Ioseph once did his brotherly his meaning is in conclusion to forgive thee every â—arthing Matth. â—8 26 27. And dost thou make thy flight sufferings an argument of his displeasure for shame mutter not at the matter but bee silent It is not said God will not suffer us to bee tempted at all but that wee shall not bee tempted above that wee are able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 And assure thy self what ever thy sufferings bee thy faith shall not fail to get the victory as oil over-swims the greatest quantity of water you can powr upon it True let none presume no not the most righteous for hee shall scarcely bee saved 1 Pet. 4.18 yet let him not despair for hee shall be saved Rom. 8.35 Onely accept with all thankfulness the mercy offered and apply the promises to thine own soul for the benefit of a good thing is in the use wisdom is good but not to us if it bee not exercised cloth is good but not to us except it be worn the light is comfortable but not to him that will live in darkness a preservative in our pocket never taken cannot yield us health nor baggs of money being ever sealed up do us any pleasure no more will the promises no nor Christ himself that onely summum bonum except they are applied Yea better there were no promises than not applied The Physician is more offended at the contempt of his Physick in the Patient than with the loathsomness of the disease And this I can assure thee if the blood of Christ bee applied to thy soul it will soon staâ—ch the blood of thy conscience and keep thee from bleeding to death 1 Ioh. 1.7 But secondly instead of mourning continually as the tempterâ—ids â—ids thee rather rejoice continually as the Apostle bids thee 1 Thes. 5.16 Neither think it an indifferent thing to rejoice or not to rejoice but know that we are commanded to rejoice to shew that wee break a commandement if wee rejoice not Yea wee cannot beleeve if wee rejoice not for â—aith in the commandements breeds obedience in the threatnings fear in the promises comfort True thou thinkest thou dost well to mourn continually yea it is the common disease of the innocentest souls but thou dost very ill in it for when you forget to rejoice in the Lord then you begin to muse and after to fear and after to distrust and at last to despair and then every thought seems to be a sin against the holy Ghost Yea how many sins doth the afflicted conscience record against it selfe repoâ—ting for breaking this commandement and that commandement and never repenteth for brâ—â—â—ing this commandement rejoice evermore But what 's the reason Ignoranceâ— thou thinkest thy self poor and miserable and onely therefore thinkest so because thou knowest not thy riches and happiness in Obâ—â—st for else thou wouldest say with the Prophet Habbakuck in the want of all other things I will rejoice in the
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
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
thou on thy face said God to Ioshua Israel hath sinned up search diligently c. Iosh. 7.10 11. What evill hast thou done said the Mariners to the distressed Prophet that this evill is come upon us Let every such Ionas reflect upon himself and say What evill have I done What sin have I committed or admitted or what good have I omitted or intermitted be it but one single sin whether spiritual pride or railing upon honest men in an handsome Language or the like and having found out the cause grieve for it turn from it One flaw in a Diamond takes away the lustre and the price one man in Law may keep possession one Puddle if we wallow in it will defile us one piece of Ward-land makes the Heire liable to the King one sin keeps possession for Satan as well as twenty one poison-full Herb amongst many good ones may put death in the pot and so take away the goodnesse from the rest as if there were none in it wholesome Besides how were the Angels in heaven punished for one fault Achan for one sacriledge Miriam for one slander Moses for one unbelief Ananias for one lie Ely for his Indulgence onely David for his love to Bathsheba onely c. wherefore look to it for if we spare but one Agag it may cost us a Kingdome and such a Kingdome as is far better than the Kingdome of Saul 1 Pet. 1.4 Neither say of thy sin as once Lot of Zoar Is it not a little one for though men may yet God will not wink at small faults especially in his own A little prick being neglected may fester to a gangrene As what is a mountain of Earth but an accumulation of many little dusts or what is a flood but a concurrence of many little drops a small leak will sink the Vessel unstopt whereas a great one will not do it if well kalked The weakest Instrument be it but a Bodkin can pierce the flesh and take away the life unarmed whereas Armour of proof will even beat off Bullets Besides whereas our greatest goodnesse merits not the least glory our least wickednesse deserves great pain The wages of sin small or great is death Rom. 6.23 bad work sad wages Wherefore let his correction bring forth conversion cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double-minded Jam. 4.8 Not your hands onely with Pilate but your hearts with David yea and your eyes too with Mary Magdalen if it be possible though dry sorrow may be as good as wet whose eyes were a Laver and hair a Towel to wash and wipe the feet of Christ. Humble thy self like the Ninevites Ionah 3.6 Who put sackcloth upon their loins and ashes on their heads as those that had deserved to be as far under ground as they were now above it An humble submission is the only way to disarm Gods indignation and be rid of his Rod 1 Pet. 5.6 By such a course as this Iacob appeased that rough man Esau Abigale diverted David from his bloody purpose the Syrians found favour with Ahab that none-such as the Scriptâ—re stiles him 1 Kings 20.32 33. Sin bringeth judgement and onely Repentance preventeth it Thy sin hath kindled the fire of Gods wrath and only Repentance is as water to quench this fire King Edward the First riding furiously after a servant of his that had displeased him with a drawn sword in his hand as purposing to kill him seeing him submit and upon bended knee sue for his life not onely spared him but received him into favour Go thou and do the like be thou but throughly sorry for thy sin my soul for thine God will be throughly satisfied yea grow better by it and God will love thee the better for it As Lovers are wont to be best friends after falling out for as bones out of joynt joyned again are stronger then before so when God and we are reconciled by repentance his affections are stronger to us then before The repenting Prodigal received such tokens of favour as his elder brother who never brake out into that Riot never did And whom did Christ honour with his first appearance but Mary Magdalen and the Angel but Peter Go saith he and tell his Disciples and Peter that he will go before you into Galilee Mark 16.7 Though Peter had sinned above the rest yet repenting he is named above the rest Otherwise Contrition without reformation which is but like the crouching of a Fox that being taken in a snare looks lamentably but it is only to get out will not prevail with God he will never leave pursuing thee till the traitors head be thrown over the wall None so lewd but will seem conformable when apprehended or if they Riot in the Goale of their durance yet when the Sessions comes they begin to be a little calme put off their disguises of dissolutenesse and put on some modesty and semblance of humiliation yea then they change their apparel their garbes their looks and all to appear civil Or let the Fox be chained up he will no more worry the Lambs Pharaoh could relent when he felt the plagues but when they were over so was his repentance but what saith the Scripture He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall finde mercy Prov. 28.13 Confession and confusion of sinne must go together yea there must be a parting with the right Eye in regard of pleasure and the right Hand in regard of profit As for example hast thou swallowed some unlawful gain and wouldest thou pacifie God and thy Conscience Vomit it up again by restitution for where is no restitution of things unjustly gotten their sins shall never be forgiven as Saint Augustine speaks Non tollitur peccatum nisi restituitur ablatum For repentance without restitution is as if a thief should take away thy purse ask thee pardon say he is sorrie for it but keeps it still in which case thou wouldst say he did but mock thee But Pallas with all the graces may call Briareus with his hundred hands to binde this Iupiter and all in vain Wherefore I proceed The skilful Chirurgion when he is lancing a wound or cutting off a limbe will not hear the patient though he cry never so until the cure be ended but let there be once a healing of thy errours and the plaister will fall off of it self for the plaister will not stick on when the sore is healed If the Fathers word can correct the child he will fling away the rod otherwise he must look to have his eyes ever winterly Thus as the two Angels that came to Lot lodged with him for a night and when they had dispatched their errand went away in the morning So afflictions which are the Angels or the Messengers of God are sent by him to do an errand to us to tell us we forget God we forget our selves we are too proud too self-conceited and such like and when they have said as they were bid then
patient in his sufferings but joyfull esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt For saith the Text he had respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.26 And well it might for whereas the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this glory Rom. 8.18 St Paul witnesseth that our light affliction which is but â—or a moment if it be borne with patience causeth unto us a far most excellent and eternall weight of glory while we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparablenesse and infinite difference between the work and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary afflictions eternall glory answerable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and die in a moment but their insufferable punishment is interminable and endlesse As it fared with Pope Sixtus the fifth who sold his soul to the Devill to enjoy the glory and pleasure of the Popedom for seven years their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternall What will not men undergo so their pay may be answerable The old experiencâ—â— Souldier fears not the rain and storms above him nor the numbers falling before him nor the troops of enemies against him nor the shot of thundring Ordnance about him but looks to the honourable reward promised him When Philip asked Democritus if he did not fear to lose his head he answered No for quoth he if I die the Athenians will give me a life immortall meaning he should be statued in the treasury of eternall fame if the immortality as they thought of their names was such as strong reason to perswade them to patience and all kind of worthinesse what should the immortality of the soul be to us Alas vertue were a poor thing if fame only should be all the Garland that did crown her but the Christian knowes that if every pain he suffers were a death and every crosse an hell he shall have amends enough Why said Ambrose on his death-bed we are happy in this we serve a good Master that will not suffer us to be losers Which made the Martyrs such Lambs in suffering that their persecutors were more weary with striking than they with suffering and many of them as willing to die as dine When Modestus the Emperours Lieutenant told Basil what he should suffer as confiscation of goods cruell tortures death c. He answered If this be all I fear not yea had I as many lives as I have hairs on my head I would lay them all down for Christ nor can your master more benefit me than in this I could abound with examples of this nature No matter quoth one of them what I suffer on earth so I may be crowned in Heaven I care not quoth another what becometh of this frail Bark my flesh so I have the passenger my soul safely conducted And another If Lord at night thou grant'st me Lazarus boon Let Dives dogs lick all my sores at noon And a valiant Souldier going about a Christian atchievement My comfort is though I lose my life for Christs sake yet I shall not lose my labour yea I cannot endure enough to come to Heaven Lastly Ignatius going to his Martyrdom was so strongly ravished with the joyes of Heaven that he burst out into these words Nay come fire come beasts come breaking my bones racking of my body come all the torments of the Devill together upon me come what can come in the whole earth or in hell so I may enjoy Iesus Christ in the end They were content to smart so they might gain and it was not long but light which was exacted of them in respect of what was expected by them and promised to them 2 Cor. 4.17 Neither did they think that God is bound to reward them any way for their sufferings no if he accepts me when I have given my body to be burned saith the beleever I may account it a mercy I might shew the like touching temptations on the right hand which have commonly more strength in them and are therefore more dangerous because more plausible and glorious When Valence sent to offer Basil great preferments and to tell him what a great man he might be Basil answers Offer these things to Children not to Christians When some bad stop Luthers mouth with preferment one of his adversaries answered it is in vain he cares neither for Gold nor Honour When Pyrrhus tempted Fabritius the first day with an Elephant so huge and monstrous a beast as before he had not seen the next day with Money and promises of Honour he answered I fear not thy force and I am too wise for thy fraud But I shall be censured for exceeding Thus hope refresheth a Christian as much as misery depresseth him it makes him defie all that men or Devils can do saying Take away my goods my good name my friends my liberty my life and what else thou canst imagin yet I am well enough so long as thou canst not take away the reward of all which is an hundred fold more even in this world and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10.29 30. As when a Courtier gave it out that Queen Mary being displeased with the City threatned to divert both Terme and Parliament to Oxford an Alderman askt whether she meant to turn the Channell of the Thames thither or no if not saith he by Gods grace we shall do well enough For what are the things our enemies can take from us in comparison of Christ the Ocean of our comfort and Heaven the place of our rest where is joy without heavinesse or interruption peace without perturbation blessednesse without misery light without darknesse health without sicknesse beauty without blemish abundance without want ease without labour satiety without loathing liberty without restraint security without fear glory without ignominy knowledge without ignorance eyes without tears hearts without sorrow souls without sinne where shall be no evill present or good absent for we shall have what we can desire and we shall desire nothing but what is good In fine that I may darkly shadow it out sith the lively representation of it is meerly impossible this life everlasting is the perfection of all good things for fullnesse is the perfection of measure and everlastingnesse the perfection of time and infinitenesse the perfection of number and immutability the perfection of state and immensity the perfection of place and immortality the perfection of life and God the perfection of all who shall be all in all to us meat to our tast beauty to our eyes perfumes to our smell musick to our ears and what shall I say more but as the Psalmist saith Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God but alas such is mans parvity that he is as far from comprehending it
himself with an unnecessary weapon one sword can serve both his enemy and him Goliahs own weapon shall serve to behead the Master so this mans own tongue shall serve to accuse himself and acquit thee Yea as David had Goliah to bear his sword for him so thy very enemy shall carry for thee both sword and shield even sufficient for defence as well as for offence Wherefore in these cases it hath been usuall for Gods people to behave themselves like dead Images which though they be rayled on and reviled by their enemies yet have ears and hear not mouthes and speak not hands and revenge not neither have they breath in their nostrils to make reply Psal. 115.5 6 7. If you will see it in an example look upon David he was a deaf and dumb at reproach as any stock or stone They that seek after my life saith he lay snares and they that go about to do me evil talk wicked things all the day sure it was their vocation to backbite and slander but I was as deaf and heard not and as one dumb which doth not open his mouth I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs Psal. 38.12 13. This innocent Dove was also as wise as a Serpent in stopping his ears and refusing to hear the voice of these blasphemous Inchanters charmed they never so wisely And as their words are to be contemned by us so are their challenges to fight When a young Gallant would needs pick a quarrell with an ancient tried Souldier whose valour had made him famous it was generally held that he might with credit refuse to fight with him until his worth shoult be known equivalent to his saying Your ambition is to win honour upon me whereas I shall receive nothing but disgrace from you The Goshawke scorns to fly at Sparrows Those noble Doggs which the King of Albany presented to Alexander out of an overflowing of courage contemned to encounter with any beasts but Lyons and Elephants as for Staggs wilde Boars and Bears they made so little account of that seeing them they would not so much as remove out of their places And so the Regenerate man which fighteth daily with their King Satan scorns to encounter with his servant and slave the carnall man And this is so far from detracting that it adds to his honour and shews his courage and fortitude to be right generous and noble Again secondly The wager is unequall to lay the life of a Christian against the life of a Russian and the blind sword makes no difference of persons the one surpassing the other as much as Heaven Earth Angels men or men beasts even Aristippus being derided by a scarless souldier for drooping in danger of shipwrack could answer Thou and I have not the like cause to be afraid for thou shalt only lose the life of an Asse but I the life of a Philosopher The consideration whereof made Alexander when he was commanded by Philip his Father to wrastle in the games of Olympia answer he would if there were any Kings present to strive with him else not which is our very Case and nothing is more worthy our pride than that which will make us most humble if we have it that we are Christians When an Embassadour told Henry the fourth that Magnificent King of France concerning the King of Spains ample Dominions First said he He is King of Spain is he so saith Henry and I am King of France but said the other He is King of Portugall and I am King of France saith Henry He is King of Naples and I am King of France He is King of Sicily and I am King of France He is King of Nova Hispaniola and I am King of France He is King of the West Indies and I said Henry am King of France He thought the Kingdom of France only equivalent to all those Kingdoms The application is easie the practise usuall with so many as know themselves heirs apparent to an immortall Crown of glory And as touching their future estate Fret not thy self saith David because of the wicked men neither be envious for the evill doers for they shall soon be cut down like grass and shall wither as the green herb Psal. 37.1 2. This doth excellently appear in that remarkable example of Samaria besieged by Benhadad and his Host 2 King 7.6 7. As also in Haeman who now begins to envy where half an hour since he had scorned as what could so much vex that insulting Agagite as to be made a Lackie to a despised Iew yea not to mention that which followed stay but one hour more the basest slave of Persia will not change conditions with this great favourite though he might have his riches and former honour to boot I might instance the like of Pharaoh Exod. 15.9 10 19. Senacherib Isa. 37.36 37 38. Herod Acts 12.22 23 and many others but experience shews that no man can sit upon so high a Cogue but may with turning prove the lowest in the wheele and that pride cannot climbe so high but Iustice will sit above her And thus are they to be contemned and pitied while they live and when they die 3. After death the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation saith Peter and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2.9 Alas were thy enemy sure to enjoy more Kingdoms than ever the Devill shewed Christ to be more healthfull than Moses to live longer than Methuselah yet being out of Gods favour this is the end to have his Body lye hid in the silent dust and his Soul tormented in hell fiâ—e And upon this consideration when Dionysius the Tyrant had plotted the death of his Master Plato and was defeated by Platos escape out of his Dominions when the Tyrant desired him in writing not to speak evil of him the Philosopher replied That he had not so much idle time as once to think of him knowing there was a just God would one day call him to a reckoning The Moon looks never the paler when Wolves howâ— against it neither is she the slower in her motion howbeit some Sheepherd or Lyon may watch them a good turn Wherefore saith St Gregory Pray for thine enemies Yea saith St Paul be gentle toward all that do thee evill and instruct them with meekness proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may knrw the truth and some to amendment of life out of the snare of the Devill of whom they are taken prisoners to do his will 2 Tim. 2.25 26. Which thing himself had formerly found of force for with that contrary breath I mean that one prayer which St Steven made at his death he was of a so made a friend of a Saul a Paul of a Persecutor a Preacher of an Imposter a Pastor a Doctor of a Seducer of a Pirate a Prelate of a blasphemer a blesser of a thief
a shepheard and of a Wolf a Sheep of Christs fold 4. And lastly If we consider our own future estate we have no lesse cause to contemn their evil words for it is not materiall to our well or ill being what censures passe upon us the tongues of the living avail nothing to the good or hurt of those that lye in their graves they can neither diminish their joy nor yet add to their torment if they finde any There is no Common Law in the New Ierusalem there truth will be received though either plaintiff or defendant speaks it Yea there shall be a resurrection of our credits as well as of our bodies Nay suppose they should turn their words into blowes and in stead of using their tongues take up their swords and kill us they shall rather pleasure than hurt us When Iohn Baptist was delivered from a double prison of his own of Herods and placed in the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God what did he lose by it His head was taken off that it might be crowned with glory he had no ill bargain of it they did but hasten him to immortality and the Churches daily prayer is Come Lord Iesus come quickly Yea what said blessed Bradford In Christs cause to suffer death is the way to Heaven on Horsback which hath made some even slight the sentence of death and make nothing of it It is recorded of one Martyr that hearing the sentence of his condemnation read wherein was exprest many severall tortures of starving killing boyling burning and the like which he should suffer he turns to the People and with a smiling countenance saies And all this is but one death and each Christian may say of what kinde soever his sufferings be The sooner I get home the sooner I shall be at ease Yea whatever threatens to befall him he may answer it as once that noble Spartan who being told of the death of his Children answered I knew well they were all begot mortall Secondly that his goods were confiscate I knew what was but for my use was not mine Thirdly that his honour was gone I knew no glory could be everlasting on this miserable Earth Fourthly that his sentence was to dye That 's nothing Nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners and me Wicked men have the advantage of the way but godly men of the end Who fear not death because they feared God in their life So we see the cudgell is not of use when the Beast but only barks nay tell me how wouldest thou endure wounds for thy Saviour that canst not endure words for him if when a man reviles thee thou art impatient how wouldest thou afford thy ashes to Christ and write patience with thine own bloud CHAP. XXV That their expectation may not be answered 3. BEcause he will not answer his enemies expectation in which kinde he is revenged of his enemy even while he refuseth to revenge himself For as there is no such grief to a Iester or Iugler as when he doth see that with all his jests tricks and â—ooleries he cannot move mirth nor change the countenances of them that see and hear him so there can be no greater vexation to a wicked and malicious enemy than to see thee no whit grieved nor moved at his malice against thee but that thou dost so bear his injuries as if they were none at all Yea he which makes the tryall shall finde that his enemy is more vexed with his silence than if he should return like for like Dion of Alexandria was wont to take this revenge of his enemies amongst whom there was one who perceiving that by injuring and reviling of him he could not move him to impatience whereby he might have more scope to rayl went and made away with himself as Brusonius reports And Montaigne tells us of a Citizen that having a Scold to his Wife would play on his Drum when she brawled and rather seem to be pleased with it than angry and this for the present did so mad her that she was more vexed with her self than with him but when she saw how it succeeded and that this would not prevail in the end it made her quite leave off the same and prove a loving wife that so she might overcome him with kindnesse and win him to her bow by bending as much the other way that so like a prudent Wife she might command heâ— Husband by obeying And whosoever makes the tryall shall finde that Christian patience and magnanimous contempt will in time either drain the gall out of bitter spirits or make it more overflow to their own disgrace At least it will still the barking tongue and that alone will be worth our labour Satan and his instruments cannot so vex us with sufferings as we vex them with our patience It hath been a torment to Tyrants to see that they were no way able either with threats or promises kindnesse or cruelty to make the Christians yeeld but that they were as immoveable as a Rock it being true of them which is but fained of Iupiter namely that neither Iuno through her riches nor Mercury through his eloquence nor Vonus through her beauty nor Mars through his threats nor all the rest of the gods though they conspired together could pull him out of Heaven Neither feared they to die knowing that death was but their passage to a state of immortality But to go on you cannot anger a wicked man worse than to do well yea he hates you more bitterly for this and the credit you gain thereby then if you had cheated him of his patrimony with your own discredit nor do they more envy our grace than they rejoyce is see us sin For what makes God angry makes them merry And they so hunger and thirst after our discredit that should we through passion but overshoot our selves in returning like for like or in doing more than befits us they would feed themselves with the report of it for like flesh-flies our wounds are their chief nourishment and nothing so glads their hearts or opens their mouthes with insolency and triumph Besides what is scarce thought a fault in other men is held in us a hainous crime When they could not accuse Christ of sinne they accused him for companying with sinners and doing good on the Sabboth day When the Rulers and Governours could finde no fault in Daniel concerning the Kingdom he was so faithfull they alledged his praying to God and brought that within compasse of a Premunire Dan. 6.4.13 The World is ever taxing the least fault yea no fault or rather the want of faults in the best men because one imaginary cloud in a just man shall in their censure darken all the starres of his graces yea the smallest spot in his face shall excuse all the sores and ulcers in their bodies so that by answering their expectation or by returning like for like we shall both wrong our selves and pleasure them which
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
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
required the second time 1 Ioh. 1.9 Now that Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid our debt even to the utmost farthing it is evident by many places of Scripture as Isa. 53.4.5 2 Cor. â— 21 Heb. 9.26 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 3.25.26 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 and sundry others Are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law bee performed it for us were wee for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul hee was condemned for us and bore the curse of the law hee died in our stead an ignominious death did wee deserve the anger of God hee indured his fathers wrathfull displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his father and set us at liberty Hee that deserved no sorrow felt much that wee who deserved much might â—eel none and by his wounds wee are healed Isa. 53.5 Adam eat the Apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever wee owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self same punishments for hee being God could not suffer the eternall torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his person being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth than if all the world should have suffered the eternall torments of Hell for it is more for one that is eternall to die than for others to die eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might bee made the Sons of God and therefore was hee 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 hee had been too weak to satisfie God Seeing therefore our Saviour Christ hath fully discharged our debt and mâ—de full satisfaction to his Fathers justice God cannot in equity exact of us a second paiment no more than the Creditor may justly require that his debt should bee twice paid once by the Surety and again by the Principall Again secondly it is the Lords Covenant made with his Church and committed to writing Ier. 31.34 Heb. 10.16 17. Psal. 32.10 Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 22 23. and 33.11 Mâ—l 3.17 Confirmed and ratified by his seals the Sacraments together with his Oath that there might be no place left for doubting for God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the stableness of his counsell bound himself by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie we might have strong consolation as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.17.18 And lest the afflicted conscience should object that hee entred into covenant and made these promises to the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God but not to such hainous and rebellious sinners who have most justly deserved that God should pour out upon them the Vialls of his wrath and those fearfull punishments threatned in the Law All the promises made in the Gospel are generall indefinite and universall excluding none that turn from their sins by unfained repentance and beleeve in Christ Iesus testing on him alone for their salvation as appears Isa 55.1 Ezek. 33.11 Mark 16.16 Ioh. 3.14 15 16.36 and 6.37.40 Act. 10.43 1 Ioh. 2.1 Neither is there any limitation or exception of this or that sin for bee they never so grievous and manifold yet if wee perform the condition of faith and repentance they cannot debar us from receiving the benefit of God's mercy and Christ's merits as appears Isa. 1.18 Titus 2.14 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 And therefore unless thou conceivest of God that hee is unjust in his dealing untrue in his Word a covenant-breaker yea a perjured person which were most horrible blasphemy once to imagine thou must undoubtedly assure thy self that hee will pardon and forgive thee all thy sins bee they in number never so many and innumerable or in nature and quality never so hainous and damnable if then turnest unto him by unfained repentance and laiest hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith For consider doth the Lord say hee will extend his mercie unto all that come unto him doth hee invite every one doth hee say I would have all men saved and none to perish and dost thou say nay but hee will not extend his mercy unto mee hee will have mee to perish because I am a grievous sinner What is this but in effect and at a distance to contradict the Lord and give the lye to truth it self Indeed God says not Beleeve thou Iohn or Thomas and thou shalt bee saved but hee says Whosoever beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved which is as good And yet thou exceptest thy self hee excludes none and dost thou exclude one and that one thy self Hee would have all men saved and thou comest in with thy exceptive All but mee Why thee a precious singularity but beware of it For whereas others that beleeve not the threatnings flatter away their souls in a presumptuous confidence thou by not beleeving the promises wilt cast away thine in a sullen prodigious desperateness if thou take not heed For infidelity on both sides is the cause of all of presumption in them of despair in thee of impiety in every one But bee better advised beleeve the Lord who never brake his Word with any soul. Thou wilt give credit to an man's bare word and hast thou no affiance in the mercifull promises of God past to thee by Word Oath Seals Scriptures Sacraments the death of his own Son and I presume the Spirits testimony if not now yet at other times take heed what thou dost for certainly nothing offends God more then the not taking of his Word Section 7. Objection I know well that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 But I want faith Answer This is the objection I expected for the true Christian is as fearfull to entertain a good opinion of himself as the false is unwilling to bee driven from it But is it so or doth Satan onely tell thee so I know it is not so I know that thou beleevest with some mixture of unbelief and that this is but a slander of Satans for as Satan slandereth us to God Iob 1.9 and God to us Gen. 3.4.5 so hee slandereth us to our selvs Iob 16.9 But least thou shouldest think I slander Satan know that you beleeve even whiles you complain of unbelief for as there could bee no shadow if there were no light so there cannot bee this fear where there is no faith They that know not Christ think it no such great matter to loose him But if God once say this is my Son Satan will say if thou hee the Son of God Matth. 3.17 and 4.3 That Divine testimony did not allay his malice but exasperate it Neither can the happy building of Lord I beleeve stand without that columne to under-prop it
any case let us not bee without correction for as Mariners at Sea find that of all stoâ—ms a Calme is the greatest so wee that to bee exempt from misery is the most miserable condition of all other Object But thou fearest that Gâ—d hath not pardoned thy sins and this makes him so severe against thee Answ. Many timeâ— after the remission of the sin his very chastisements are deadly as is cleer by Davids example and Lots who had a sharp misery clap on the heels of a sweet mercy for hee that was so beloved of God that hee saved a whole City could not save his own Spouse When God delivers us from destruction hee doth not secure us from 〈◊〉 affliction Grace was never given us for a Target against externall evills Though wee bee not condemned with the world yet wee may bee chastened in the world Neither the truth nor strength of Iobs faith could secure him from the outward and bodily vexations of Satan against the inward and spirituall they could and did prevail so no repentance can assure us that wee shall not smart with outward affliction that can prevent the eternall displeasure of God but still it may bee necessary and good wee should bee corrected our care and suit must bee that the evills which shall not bee averted may bee sanctified CHAP. 38. That Christ and all the Saints are our Partners and partakers with us in the Cross yea our sufferings are nothing in comparison of theirs 4 WEe shall bear the Cross with more patience and comfort if wee consider that Christ and all the Saints are our partners and partakers therein yea thy sufferings are nothing in comparison of what others have suffered before thee Look upon righteous Abel thou shalt see his elder brother Cain had dominion and rule over him by Gods appointment Gen. 4.7 Yea in the next ver thou shalt see him slain by his brother After him look upon Noah a most calamitous person as ever lived as the Chronologer computes him as for Lot hee had his righteous soul vexed from day to day Look upon Iob. thou shalt see that miseries do not stay for a mannerly succession to each other but in a rude importunity throng in at once to take away his children substance friends crediâ— health peace of conscience c. leaving him nothing but his wife whom the Devill spared on purpose to vex him as the Fathers think so that in his own apprehension God was his mortall enemy as hear how in the bitterness of his soul hee complains of his Maker saying Hee teareth mee in his wrath hee hateth mee and gnasheth upon mee with his teeth he hath broken mee asunder taken mee by the neck and shaken mee to pieces and set mee up for his mark his Archers compass mee round about he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare to pour out my gall upon the ground he breaketh me with breach upon breach and runneth upon me like a Giant Iob 16. Now when so much was uttered even by a none-such for his patience what may we think he did feel and indure Look upon Abraham thou shalt see him forced to forsake his Countrey and Fathers house to go to a place he knew not to men that knew not him and after his many removes he meets with a famine and so is forced into Aegypt which indeed gave relief to him when Canaan could not shewing that in outward things Gods enemies may fare better than his friends yet he goes not without great fear of his life which made it but a dear purchase then he is forced to part from his brother Lot by reason of strife and debate among their Heardsmen after that Lot is taken prisoner and he is constrained to wage Warre with four Kings at once to rescue his Brother then Sarah his wife is barren and he must go childlesse untill in reason he is â—ast hope when he hath a Son it must not onely die 〈◊〉 himself must slay him Now if that bosom wherein we all look to rest was assaulted with so many sore trials and so diverse difficulties is it likely we should escape Look upon Iacob you shall see Esau strive with him in the wombe that no time might be lost after that you shall see him â—lie for his life from a cruel Brother to a cruel Uncle with a 〈◊〉 goes hee over Iordan alone doubtful and comfortlesse not like the son of Isaac In the way he hath no bed but the cold earth no pillow but the hard stones no sheet but the moist aiâ— no Canopy but the wide Heaven at last he is come far to finde out an hard friend and of a Nephew becomes a servant after the service of an hard Apprenticeship hath earned her whom he loved his wife is changed and he is not onely disappointed of his hopes but forced to marry another against his will and now he must begin another Apprenticeship and a new hope where he made account of â—ruition all which fourteen years he was consumed with heat in the day with frost in the night when he hath her whom he loves she is barren at last being grown rich chiefly in wives and children accounting his charge his wealth he returns to his Fathers house but with what comfort Behold Laban follows him with one troop Esau meets him with anotherâ— both with hostile intentions not long after Rachel the comfort of his life dieth his children the staffe of his age wound his soul to death 〈◊〉 proves incestuous Iudah adulterous Dina is ravished Simeon and 〈◊〉 are murtherous Er and Onan are stricken dead Ioseph is lost Simeon imprisoned Benjamin his right hand endangered Himself driven by famine in his old age to die among the Aegyptians a people that held it abomination to eat with him And yet before he was born it was Iacob have I loved and before any of this befell him God said unto him Bee not afraid I am with thee and will do thee good Gen. 28.15 And did so even by these crosses for that 's my good saith the Proverb that doth me good Now what Son of Israel can hope for any good daies when he hears his Fathers were so evill It is enough for us if when we are dead we can rest with him in the Land of Promise Again hear what David saith of himself Thy arrows sâ—ck fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Psal. 38.2 And see what cause he had so to say what were these Arrows To let passe those many that Saul shot at him which were sharp and keen enough and those other of Doeg when he slew fourscore and five of the Priests and the whole City of Nob both man and woman child and suckling for shewing him kindness Likewise Shimâ—iâ— carriage towards him also his distresse at Ziglag and those seventy thousand which perished by the Pestilence upon his numbering the people and the like First Nathan tells him from the Lord that the sword should houseâ—
and that he would raise up evill against him out of his own lâ—ins here were as many Arrows as words Again the child which he had by Bathsheba was no sooner born but it died there was another Arrow Tamaâ— his daughter being marriageable was deslowred by his own Son Amnon there was two moâ—e Amnon himself being in drink was kill'd by Absalom at a Feast there was another This Absalom proves rebellious and riseth in Aâ—ms against his own Father makes him fly beyond Iordan there was one more He lieth with his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel there was another And how much do you think did these Arrows wound the Kings heart and â—ierce his very soul Lastly lock upon Lazarus though Christs bosome fâ—iend Ion. 11. thou shalt see him labour under a mortal disease c. though many soulâ— were gained to the Gospel and cured by his being sick Si amatur saith Saint Aâ—â—in quomodâ— infirmatur Thus it were easie to shew the like of Ioseph Ieremy Daniel Iohn Baptist Peter Paul and all the generation of Gods Children and servants For as the Apostle giveth a generall testimony of all the Saints in the Old Testament saying That some endured the violence of fire some were 〈◊〉 others were tried by mockings and scourgings bonds and imprsonments some stoned some hewen in sunder some slain with the sword some wandred up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented some forced to wander in Wildernesses and Mountains and hide themselvs in Dens and Caves of the earth being such as the world was â—ot worthy of Heb. 11. So Ecclesiasticall History gives the like generall testimony of all the Saints in the New Testament and succeeding ages foâ— we read that of all the Apostles none dyed a naturall death save onely Saint Iohn and hee also was banished by Domitian to Pathmos and at another time thrust into a Tun of seething Oil at Rome 〈◊〉 Tertullian and Saint Ierome do report As for other beleevers there was such a multitude of them suffered Martyrdom for professing the Gospel whereof some were stoned som crucified som beheaded some thrust through with spears some burnt with fire and the like for wee read of twenty nine severall deaths they were put unto that Ecclesiasticall History makes mention of two thousand which suffered the same day with Nicanor And after that in the time of the Ten persecutions were such an innumerable company of innocent Christians put to death and tormented that Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith There was not one day in the whole year unto which the number of five thousand Mâ—rtyrs might not bee ascâ—ibed except onely the first day of Ianuary who were put to the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of Men or Devills câ—uld invent to inflict upon them Since which time the Turke and the Pope have acted their parts in shedding the blood of the Saints as well as the Iews and Roman Empeours as appears in the Book of Acts and Monuments and Rev. 17. where the holy Ghost hath foretold that the Whore of Babylon should fight with the Lambe and they that are on his side called and chosen and saithfull untill shee were even drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus which in part was fulfilled in England under the Raign of Queen Mary when in one year a Hundred seventy six persons of quality were burnt for Religion with many of the common sort and in France where before these late bloody Massacrâ—â— there were two Hundred Thousand which suffered Martyrdom about Transubstantiation And it is well known that our Saviour Christs whole life even from his Cradâ—â— to his Grave was nothing else but a continued act of suffering yea hee was the person upon whom as upon one Center all our sorrows met Hee that had all possessed nothing except the punishment due to our sins which lay so heavy upon him for satisfaction thâ—â— it pressed his soul as it were to the nethermost â—â—ll and made him cry 〈◊〉 in the anguish of his spirit My God My God why hast thou forsaken mee So that there is nothing befalls â—â—s bâ—â— hath befaine our betters before us and to bee free from crosses and afflâ—â—tionâ— is the priviledge onely of the Church triumphant For qui non est Crucianus non est Christianus saith Luther there is not a Christian that carries not his Cross. It is onely Heaven that is above all windes storms and tempests Nor hath God saith Bernard cast man out of Paradice for him to think to find out another Paradice in this world Now the way not to repine at those above us is to look at those below us we seldom or never see any man served with simple favours It is not for every one to have his soul suck'd out of his mouth with a kiss as the Iews tell of Moses It is a great word that Zazomen speak of Apollonius that hee never asked any thing of God in all his life that hee obtained not This is not our Paradiâ—e but our Purgatory not a place of pleasure but a Pilgrimage not a Triumph but a Warfare Wee cannot say of this world as Tully reports of Sir acuse in Sicily and others of Rhodes that not one day passeth in which the Sunshines not clâ—aâ—ly on them Yea wee shink hee speeds well that lives as it were under a perpetuall Equinoctiall having night and day equall good and ill success in the same measure for these compositions make both our crosses tolerable and our blessings wholesom Wee that know not the afflictions of others call our own the heaviest every small current is a torrent every brook a River every River a Sea wee make our selves more miserable than wee need than wee should by looking upon our miseries in a multiplying glass wee measure the length of time by the sharpness of our afflictions and so make minutes seem hours and days months If wee bee sick and the Physician promises to visit us tomorrow with his best relief with what a tedious longing do wee expect his presence Our imagination makes every day of our sorrows appear like Ioshua's day when the Sun stood still in Gibeon The Summer of our delights is too short but the Winter of our affliction goes slowly off Wee are so sensible of a present distress and so ingratefull for savours past that wee remember not many years health so much as one days sickness it is true former meals do not relieve our present hunger but his cottage of ours ruins straight if it be not new daubed every day new repaired What then shall to-days Ague make us forget yesterdays health and all Gods former favours if hee do not answer us in every thing shall wee take pleasure in nothing Shall wee slight all his blessings because in one thing hee câ—osseth us whereas his least mercy is beyond our best
merit But if wee think of our deliverance from the fire of Hell â—his is cause enough to make us both pâ—tient and thankfull though the trifles weâ— delight in bee taken from us Lord take away what thou pleasest for thy glory and my good so long as thou savest mee from the fire of Hell and thy everlasting wrath Neither is there a better remedy for impatience than to cast up our receipts and to compare them with ouâ— deservingâ— if thou lookest upon thy sufferingâ— thou shalt find them far easier than thy sins have deserved nothing to what thy fellow Saints and Christ thy elder brother hath suffered before thee at a Lyons den or a fiery furnace not to turn tâ—ile were a commendation worthy a Crown do but compare thy own estate with theirs and thou shalt find cause to bee thankfull that thou art above any rather than of envy or malice that any is above thee to domineer and insult over thee Yea compare thine own estate with thine enemies thou shalt see yet greater cause to bee thankfull for if these temporary dolors which God afflicts his people with are so grievous to thee how shall thine and Gods enemies though they suggest to themselvs that God is all mercy as if hee wanted the other hand of his justice endure that devouring fire that everlasting burning Isa. 33.14 Psal. 68.21 Doth he make bloody wayls on the backs of his Children and shall bastards escape doth hee deal thus with his Sons what will hee do with his Slaves cannot all the obedience of his beloved ones bear out one sin against God as wee see in Moses David Zachary c. Where will they appear that do evill onely evill and that continually The meditation whereof may bee of some use to thee Thales beeing asked how adversity might best bee born answered By seeing our Enemies in worse estate than our selves CHAP. 39. That the more wee suffer here so it bee for righteousness sake the greater our reward shall be heareafter 5 FIâ—thly wee shall bear the Cross with more patience and comfort if with Moses wee shall have respect unto the recompence of reward which is promised to all that notwithstanding what they shall suffer persevere in well doing Great are our tryals but salvation in heaven will one day make amends when we shall have all tears wiped from our eyes when wee shall cease to grieve cease to sorrow cease to suffer cease to sin when God shall turn all the water of our tears into the wine of endless comfort Yea when our reward shall bee so much the more joyous by how much more the course of our life hath been grievous First see what promises are made to suffering Blessed are they which mourn saith our Saviour for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven ver 10. They that suffer here for well-doing shall bee Crowned hereafter for well-suffering Blessed shall you bee when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my sake fasly Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven ver 11.12 And nothing wee suffer here can bee compared either with those woes wee have deserved in Hell or those joyes wee are reserved to in Heaven When Maâ—cus Marcellus who was the first that saw the back of Hanniball in the field was asked how hee durst enter into battaile with him hee answered I am a Romane born and a Souldier and by him I shall make my â—â—own everlasting How much more should the hope of life immortall wâ—â—ch is the life of our lives mortall whet our sortiâ—ude and encourage us in the Christian warfare And so it hath done with thousands Origen was so earnest to suffer with his Father when hee was but sixteen years of age that if his Mother had not kept his cloaths from him hee would have run to the place where his Father suffered to profess himself a Christian and to have suffered with him which was a common thing with the Martyrs making all hast lest they should miss of that noble entertainment Yea it hath not onely been common for men in a bravado to encounter death for a small flâ—sh of honour but you shall see a hired servant venture his life for his new master that will scarce pay him his wages at the years end And can wee suffer too much for our Lord and Master who giveth every one that serveth him not Fields and Vineyards as Saul pretended 1 Sam. 22. Nor Towns and Cities as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar but even an hundred-fold more than wee part withall in this life and eternall mansions in Heaven Iohn 14 2. Therefore Bazil when hee was offered money and preferments to tempt him answered Can you give me money that can last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish And certainly nothing can bee too much to endure for those pleasures which endure forever Yea if the love of gain makes the Merchant refuse no adventures of Sea if the sweetness of honey makes the Bears break in upon th hives contemning the stings Who would not get heaven at any rate at any cost or trouble whatsoever But to go on Behold saith God it shall come to pass that the Devill shall cast some of you into prison that yee may bee tried and yee shall have tribulation ten days yet fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer For be but thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the Crown of life Rev. 2.10 And again Blessed is the man that endureth temtatation for when hee is tried hee shall receive the Crown of life Jam. 1. veâ— 12. A Crown without cares without rivals without envy without end Now if you consider it The gain with hardness makes it far less hard The danger 's great but so is the reward The sight of glory future mitigate the sence of misery present For if Iacob thought not his service tedious because his beloved Rachell was in his eye what can be thought grievous to him that hath Heaven in his eye Adrianus seeing the Martyrs suffer such grievous things hee asked why they would endure such misery when they might by retracting free themselvs to which one of them aleadged that text Eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. the nameing whereof and seeing them suffer so cheerfully did so convert him that afterwards hee became a Martyr too Lastly not to enlarge my self as I might in promises of reward Whosoever shall forsake Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake he shall receive an hundred-fold more and shall inherit everlasting life Matth. 19.29 This is â— treasure worthy our hearts a purchase worth our lives Wherefore eye not the stream thou wadest through but the firm Land thou tendest to And indeed who is there that shall hear these promises and compare
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
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
receive what-ever comes or is offered them be it bribe or other sinful bait not once thinking this is forbidden fruit and thou shalt die the death That think the vowed enemy of their souls can offer them a bait without a hook you cannot but acknowledg them stark fools though thou thy self beest one of the number Again for men to dishonour God and blaspheme his Name while he does support and relieve them to runne from him while he does call them and forget him while he does seed them To imitate the Common Protestants in Queen Maries time who laughed the Martyrs to scorn and esteemed them superstitious fools to lose their lives and fortunes for matters of Religion accounting faith holinesse immortality of the soul c. meer fopperies and illusions To be quick-sighted in other mens failings and blinde to their own Are not these so many infallible properties of a fool and yet these are the lively characters of every sensuallist In so much that if I should give you a list or Catalogue of all the fools in one City or County You would blesse your selves that there are so few Bedlam houses and yet so many out of their wits that can not perceive or discern the same And yet no wonder for as I told you-ere-while Sensual men are so be-nighted and puzled with blindnesse that they know no other way then the flesh leads them Yea many by losse of conscience become Atheists and by losse of reason Beasts Yea to any thing that is spiritually good the natural man is blinde and deafe and dead as ye may see by these ensuing Scriptures 1 Tim. 5.6 Rom. 1.21 22 25. Ephes. 5.14 Isa. 6.9 10. John 12 40. Psal. 69.23 Matth. 4.16 15.14 Ephes. 4.18 19. 5.8 1 Pet. â—9 Acts 28.27 Rom. 11.8 Matth. 23.16 17.19.24.26 27.3 4 5. 2 Pet. 2.16 Revel 3.17 Rom. 6.13 8.11 Micah 7.16 Psal. 58.4 Eph. 2.1 If our Gospel he hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded 2 Cor. 4â— 3 4. But it is otherwise with the godly as let Satan or the world offer a wise Christian the bait of pleasure or profit his answer shall be I will not buy repentance so dear I will not lose my soul to please my sense If affliction comes he will consider that Gods punishments for sinne calls for conversion from sin and in case God speaks to him by his Word to forsake his evill wayes and turn again to him he will amend his course lest if he heare not the word he should feel the sword Whereas nothing will confute a fool but fire and brimstone The Lord spake to Manasses and to his people but they would not regard Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the Captains of the Host of the King of Ashur that took Manasses and put him in fetters and brought him in chains and carried him to Babel 2 Chron. 33.10 11. Fools saith holy David by reason of their transgression and because of their iniquity Psal. 107.17 From which words Musculus infers that all wilfull transgressors are arrant fools And it is the saying of Cardan That dishonesty is nothing else but folly and madnesse Yea Solomon throughout all his Proverbs by a fool means the natural man and by a wise man a man sanctified O that it were rightly learned and laid to heart by all that are yet in the state of un-regeneracy for it is every one of their cases To conclude in a word Without knowledge the soul is not good Prov. 19.2 The ignorant cannot be innocent I am the light of the world sayes our Saviour John 8.12 12.46 Where light is not Christ is not for Christ is light § 59. And so according to my skill I have performed what I at first promised It remains before we leave it that some use be made thereof that so both wise and weak may learn something from what hath been spoken of this subject Wherefore in the first place If it be so that both the sensual and rational even all that are yet in their natural estate are uncapable of divine and super-natural knowledge that they are blinde touching spiritual things Then let not any carnal wretch hereafter dare to speak evill of the things actions or persons that are out of the reach of his capacity but silently suspend his judgement untill he be better informed For as it pertaineth not to the Rustick to jugde of letters So it belongeth not to natural men to judg of spiritual things Yea let those ignorant ones that have used to speak evill of the way of truth learn to kick no more against the pricks lest they bring upon themselves the same curse that their fellows did who brought up an evill report of the Holy Land Num. 13 32 33. 14.23 14. Yea put case they shall think they do God good service in it as many do in persecuting and putting to death his children and Ambassadors John 16.2 as a world of examples witnesse Yea the Iews thought they did marvellous well in crucifying the Lord of life But what says the holy Ghost Prov. 14. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death vers 12. Even the Powder-traytors thought they merited when they intended to blow up the whole State Alass Natural men are no more fit to judge of spiritual matters then blinde men are sit to judge of colours And yet none more forward then they as you may see by those blinde Sodomites that dealt so roughly and coursely with Lot and his two Angels Gen. 19.1 to 12. That they are ignorant and so unfit is evident of what is recorded of â—ichâ—l 2 Sam. 6.16 Of Nichodemus John 3.4 Of Festus Acts 26.24 And lastly of Paul before his conversion I was saith he a blasphemer a persecutor and an opposer of Christ and his members but I did it ignoâ—â—â—â—ly through unbelief 1 Tim. 1.13 It 's worth your observing too that 〈◊〉 no sooner enlightned with the saving knowledge of Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 was of a contrary judgement and preached that faith which before â—e â—â—â—demned and persecuted And this will be every one of their cases 〈…〉 if not in this life yet hereafter when Hell flames hath opened their eyes they will confesse We fools thought his life madnesse and his end to be without honour How is he now numbred with the children of God and his lot among the Saints And when they shall see it they shall be troubled with horrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation so far beyond all that they looked for and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves This is he whom we once had in deâ—ision and in a proverb of reproach therefore have we erred from the way of truth we wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and destruction but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it The light of
who heretofore gloried in my lawless liberty am now to be enclosed in the very claws of Satan as the trembling Partridge within the griping tallons of the ravening and devouring Falcon. Oh Cursed be the day when I was born and the time when my mother conceived me c. Job 3. Sect. 6. And so death having given thee thy fatal stroke the Devil shall seize upon or snatch away thy soul so soon as it leaves thy body Luk. 12.20 and hale the hence into the bottomless lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where she is to be kept in chains of darkness until the general judgment of the great day Jude 6 7. 1 Pet. 3.19 Rev. 21.8 Thy body in the mean time being cast into the earth expecting a fearfull resurrection when it shall be re-united to thy soul that as they sinned together so they may be everlastingly tormented together Heb. 10.27 At which general Iudgment Christ sitting upon his Throne Joh. 5.22 shall rip up all the Benefits he hath bestowed on thee and the miseries he hath suffered for thee and all the ungodly deeds that thou hast committed and all the hard speeches which thou hast spoken against him and his holy ones Jude 15. Eccles. 12.14 11.9 Within thee shall be thine own conscience more then a thousand witnesses to accuse thee the Devils who tempted thee to all thy lewdness shall on the â—ne side testifie with thy conscience against thee 〈◊〉 on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approv 〈…〉 thee all the world burning with flaming fire above thee an irefull Iudg of deserved vengeance ready to pronounce his heavy sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomless pit gaping to receive thee Isa. 5.11 14. And in this wofull and dolefull condition thou must stand forth to receive with other Reprobates this thy sentence Rom. 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 Depart from me there is a separaâ—ion from all joy and happiness ye cursed there is a black and direfull excommunication into fire there is the extremity of pain everlasting there is the perpetuity of punishment prepared for the Devil and his Angels there are thy infernal tormenting and tormented companions Matth. 25.41 O terrible sentence from which there is no escaping withstanding excepting or appealing Then O then shall thy mind be tormented to think how for the love of abortive pleasures which even perished before they budded thou haâ—t so foolishly lost Heavens joyes and incurred hellish pains which last to all eternity Luke 16.24 25. Thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder when thou calleâ—t to mind how often Christ by his Ministers offered thee remission of sins and the Kingdom of Heaven freely if thou wouldst but believe and repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes How near thou wast many times to have repented and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still in impenitency and how the day of mercy is now past and will never dawn again Thy understanding shall be racked to consider how for momentary riches thou hast lost eternal treasure and exchanged Heavens felicity for Hells misery where every part and faculty both of thy body and soul shall be continually and alike tormented without intermission or dismission of pain or from it and be for ever deprived of the beatifical sight of God wherein consists the soveraign good and life of the soul. Thou shalt never see light nor the least sight of joy but lye in a perpetual prison of utter darkness where shall be no order but horrour no voice but howling and blaspheming no noise but screeching and gnashing of teeth no society but of the Devil and his Angels who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their fury in tormenting thee Matth. 13.42 25.36 c. Where shall be punishment without any pity misery without any mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort malice without measure torment without ease Rev. 14.10 11. Where the wrath of God shall seize upon thy soul and body as the flame of fire does on the lump of pitch or brimstone Dan. 7.10 In which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dead ever roaring in the pangs of death and never rid of those pangs nor expecting â—â—d of thy pains So that after thou hast endured them so many thousand years as there are blades of grass on the earth or sands in the Sea 〈◊〉 on the heads of all the sons of Adam from the first to the last born 〈◊〉 there have been creatures in Heaven and Earth thou shalt be no nearer 〈◊〉 and of thy torments than thou wast the very first day that thou 〈…〉 into them yea so far are they 〈…〉 that they are ever 〈…〉 damned soul could but conceive some hope that those torments should have an end this would be some comfort to think that at length an â—nd will come but as often as thy mind shall think of this word never and thou shalt ever be thinking of it it will rend thy heart in pieces with â—â—ge and hideous lamentation as giving still new life to those unsufferable sorrows which exceed all expression or imagination It will be another hell in the midst of hell Wherefore consider seriously what I say and that while the compassionate arms of Iesus Christ lye open to receive you and do thereafter Prov. 1.24 c. Take warning by Pharaoh's example who in the Rich mans scalding torments hath a Discite à me Learn of me Luke 16.23 c. For he can testifie out of wofull experience that if we will not take warnâ—ing by the Word that gentle warner the next shall be harder the third and fourth harder than that yea as all the ten plagues did exceed one another so the eleventh single exceeds them altogether Innumerable are the curses of God against sinners Deut. 28. but the â—ast is the worst comprehending and transcending all the rest The fearfullest plagues God still reserves for the upshot all the former do but make way for the last Hâ—ll in Scripture is called a Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and than the torment of the former what more acute than the smell of the latter what more noysome CHAP. XX. Sect. 1. THus I say shall they be bid Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire c. while on the contrary the same Christ shall say unto the other Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world Mat. 25 34. Which Kingdom is a place where are such joyes as eye hath not seen nor ear heared neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 A place where there shall be no evil present nor good absent Heb. 9.12 Mat. 6.20 In comparison whereof all the Thrones and Kingdoms upon earth are less than the drop of a bucket Deut. 10.14
should we admire the love and bounty of God and bless his Name who for the performance of so small a work hath proposed so great a Reward And for the obtaining of such an happy state hath imposed such an easie task Yea more is Heaven so unspeakably sweet and delectable and Hell so unutterably dolefull Then let nothing be thought too much that we can either do or suffer for Christ who hath freed us from the one and purchased for us the other Though indeed nothing that we are able to do or suffer here can be compared with those woes we have deserved in Hell or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven And indeed that we are now out of hell there to fry in flames of fire and brimstone never to be freed that we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory hereafter in heaven we are onely beholding to him We are all by nature as hell-fire being onely reprieved for a timâ— But from this extremity and eternity of torment Iesus hath freed and delivered us O think then yea be ever thinking of it how rich the mercy of our Redeemer was in freeing us and that by laying down his own life to redeem us Yea How can we be thankfull enough for so great a blessing It was a mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Which being so 〈…〉 can any one in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerable and thankfull demeanour If a Friend had given us but a thousand part of what God and Christ hath we should heartily love him all our lâ—ves and think no thankâ— sufficient What price then should we set upon Iesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls Do we then for Christs sake what we would do for a Friends sake Yea let us abhor our selves for our former unthankfulness and our wonderfull provoking of him Hearken we unto Christs voyce in all that he saith unto us without being swayed one way or another as the most are Let us whom Christ hath redeemed express our thankâ—ulness by obeying all that he saith unto us whatever it shall cost us since nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures which shall endure for ever As Who would not obtain Heaven at any rate at any cost or trouble whatsoever In Heaven is a Crown laid up for all such as suffer for righteousâ—ess even a Crown without cares without rivals without envy without end And is not this reward enough for all that men or Devils can do against us Who would not serve a short apprentiship in Gods service here â—o be made for ever free in glory Yea Who would not be a Philpot for a moneth or a Lazarus for a day or a Steven for an hour that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever Nothing can be too much to endure fâ—r those pleasures that endure for ever Yea what pain can we think too much to suffer What little enough to do to obtain eternity for this incorruptible Crown of Glory in Heaven 1 Pet. 5.4 where we shall have all tears wiped from our eyes Where we shall cease to sorrow cease to suffer cease to sin Where God shall turn all the water of our afflictions into the pure wine of endless and unâ—xpressible comfort You shall sometimes see an hired servant venture his life for his new Master that will scarce pay him his wages at the years end and can we suffer too much for our Lord and Master who giveth every one that serveth him â—ot Fields and Vineyards as Saul pretended 1 Sam 22 7. c. nor Towns and Cities as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar but even an hundred-â—old more than we part withall here in this life and eternal Mansâ—ons in Heaven hereafter John 14.2 St. Paul saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth us a far most excellent and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparable and infinitive difference between the woâ—k and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary affliction eternal glory Suitable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and die in a moment but their unsufferable punishment is interminable and endless Their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternal Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life â—am 1.12 〈…〉 what folly is it then or rather madness for the small pleasure of some base lust some paltry profit or fleeting vanity which passeth away in the very act as the taste of a pleasant drink dieth so soon as it is down to bring upon our selves in another world torments without end and beyond all compass of conceit Fourthly Is it so that God hath set before us life and death Heaven and Hell as a reward of good and evil leaving us as it were to our choyce whether we will be compleatly and everlastingly happy or miserable with what resolution and zeal should we strive to make our calling and election sure nor making our greatest business our least and last care I know well thou hadst rather when thou diest go to reign with Christ in his Kingdom for evermore than be confined to a perpetual Prison or Furnace of fire and brimstone there to be tormented with the Dâ—vil and his Angels If so provoke not the Lord who is great and terrible of most glorious Majesty and of infinite purity and who hath equally promised salvation unto those which keep his Commandments and threatned eternal death and destruction to those who break them For as he is to all repentant sinners a most mercifull God Exod. 34.6 so to all wilfull and impenitant sinners he is a consuming fire and a jealous God Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4 24. There was a King who having no issue to succeed him espied one day a well-favoured and towardly youth he took him to the Court and committed him to Tutors to instruct him provâ—ding by his Will that if he proved fit for Government he should be crowned King if not he should be kept in chains and made a Gally-slave the youth was mâ—sled and neglected both his Tutors good Counsâ—l and his Book so as his Master corâ—ected him and said O that thou knewest what honour is prepared for thee and what thou art lâ—ke to loose by this thy idle and loose carriage Well thou wilt afterwards when 't is to late sorely rue this And when he grew to years the King died whose Councâ—l and Executours perceiving him to be utterly unfit for State Government called him before them and declared the Kings will and pleasure which was accordingly performed for they caused him to be fettered and committed to the Galleys there to toil and tug at the Oaâ—s perpetually where he was whipt and lasht
the alteration of his judgment And you know how that Reprobate Balaam wish'd to die the death of the righteous though for the present he preferred and loved riches and honor before and above his soul. But 5 ¶ Secondly see precepts and testimonies to confirm it Are we not commanded by the Holy Ghost to have them in singular love and count them worthy of double honor for their works sake 1 Thes. 5.13 1 Tim. 5.17 Yea the Apostles words are not only Let them that labour in the word and doctrine be accounted worthy of double honor but he adds He who preacheth the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.7 to 15. saying also Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all his goods Gal. 6.6 Yea if any man saith he does not communicate and communicate in all his goods God is not mocked v. 7. So it falls and I fear it falls heavy on many amongst us Again says the same Apostle If we have â—own unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if 〈…〉 that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar c. v. 13 14. Again does he not say that our debt and duty he terms it not benevolence to our Spiritual Pastors is such as that we owe unto them even our own selves Phil. 19. with a great deal more of the like that he may meet with mens carnal reasonings in this case which are not a few 1 Cor. 9. All which is New Testament too if obstinacy would permit men to take notice of it Thus you see how you ought to esteem and reward your Ministers and how Believers do and have done Whereas you as if you were Antipathites to all wisdom and goodness hate revile slight rob and persecute them Are you not ashamed of it does it not make you tremble yea is it not enough to make you despair of ever finding mercy at the Throne of Grace or of having Christ your Redeemer and Advocate to whom and for whose sake you do it as I shall suddenly shew But you will say for want of acquaintance with the Word of God and your own hearts as every Natural man is as great a stranger to his own heart as Hazael was who could not be perswaded by the Prophet that he should commit such abominable wickedness as a while after it fell out That you neither hate nor persecute any one of them To which I answer What then makes you so spightful in spitting out your spleen against them when you but hear a Minister mentioned What makes you so frequent in slighting scorning and scoffing at them where ever you come and in all companies What makes you pick so many holes in their coats finde so many faults with them raise so many objections if not lies against them that nothing they either do or deliver can please you As how many of your cavils and exceptions could I reckon up that I have heard from your own mouths if I would foul Paper with them Yea I could give you a large List of instances and in your own expressions But they are so trivial barbarous and base that I am ashamed to nominate them and no less unwilling lest I should arm other mad men with your weapons Now do but lay aside dissimulation and speak the naked truth and then say whether all this proceeds not from an â—eart full fraught with enmity and malice against the Ministery even for the very graces of Gods Spirit that shines in them As it fared with that Councel of Priests Scribes and Elders touching Steven Acts 6.15 7.54 Do but examine your Consciences well and you will not deny it 6 ¶ Again what makes you that are so civil in other cases so uncivil as not to afford them of all other men the common Title of Master such an one which you will not deny to a very Cobler Can you tell me No I dare challenge the strongest brain'd Achitophel or the most fluent Tertullus amongst you to yield a wise reason thereof except that which God hath set down Gen. 3 15. I will put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman But further to convince you answer me another question What makâ—s you to detain their dues from them and not pay them a penny except you be forced to it Or if you do for your peace or credit sake any thing is thought too much for your Minister and what you part with is drawn from you as so much blood from the heart And then also you will basely asperse him at least you will alleadge one thing or other to save your purses as He had not my voice nor consent when he was chosen or I hear at other Churches and come not at him or I like not his preaching or the like As any thing shall serve to save your silver and to forestal you with preiudice and make you resolve against your own Conversion For what is this but to pick straws as it were to put out your own eyes withal Yea many they be that will pretend conscience forsooth that they may rob their Minister and alleadge That he hath taken Degrees is Ordained He is a Black-coat Or rather which is the same in effect He is a conscientious Pastor or Sheperd of Christs sending and not an â—ntruder But lest what hath been said should not prove sufficient how basely will you calumniate him that but takes his Dues especially of a poor body Ministers more then all the world besides must take a testern for a shilling And not he alone shall suffer but all these Church-men say you are so covetous that they never think they have enough when they have scarce enough to fill the bellies of their own families All which not onely argues you as brainless as beasts but proves you to be as full of the serpents enmity as the egg of a Cockatrice is full of poyson Thus every or any thing shall serve their turns that study quarrels Even as a crooked stick shall serve to beat a dog when a straight one cannot be found Now lay all together and tell me whether this argues not hatred if not what can For love as the Apostle witnesseth suffereth long it is kinde charitable envieth not doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity beareth all things enduretâ— all things 1 Cor. 13. Yea love is so far from finding faults where are none that as wise Solomon hath it it covereth or passes over all sins and will not see them Prov. 10.12 So that if you loved the Ministers as you will pretend you do you would deal by them as the people did by Vlysses whom they so applauded for the acuteness of an ingenious minde that they spared to object unto him his bodily deformities Or if any
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
proclaimed a War enmity and strife between the wicked and the godly Did you never read that Scripture Gen. 3.15 where God himself saith to the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed he or it shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heel Where by the serpentts seed are meant the whole generation of wicked men and by the womans seed Christ and all his members as all Interpreters conclude and other Scriptures make cleer where wicked men are called serpents a generation of vipers and children of the Devil Matth. 23.33 John 8.44 1 John 3.10 And as this war was proclaimed in Paradise even in the beginning of time original sin being the original of this discord so it shall continue to the end of all time When time saith One began this malice first began nor will it end but with the latest man It 〈◊〉 everlasting Act of Parliament like a Statute in Magna Charta Which 〈…〉 thing I would commend to your serious consideration And that you may be the better confirmed therein see how according to the Lords prediction or proclamation there hath been a perpetual war enmity and strife in all ages past is now and ever shall be between Satan and Christ and their Regiments the wicked and the godly For proof whereof I could produce testimonies and examples innumerable there being scarce a page in the Bible which doth not express or imply somewhat touching this enmity But that I may be brief and because examples give a quicker impression then arguments I will onely give you an instance in every Age. As First to begin with the first Age viz. the old World before the flood We read of this mortal enmity and strife between Cain and Abel 1 John 3.12 Secondly after the Flood before the Law between Esau and Iacob first in the womb the more plainly to shadow out this enmity Gen. 25.22 23. and after they were born Gen. 27.41 Thirdly After the Law before Christ between Doeg and the 85. Priests which he slew with the edge of the sword 1 Sam. 22.18 19. Fourthly Since the Gospel in the time of Christ and his Apostles this enmity so manifested it self not only in the Gentiles but in the Iews Gods own people who first raised those persecutions against Christ and his members that having beheaded Iohn Baptist his harbinger and crucified himself the Lord of life We read that of all the twelve none died a natural death save only S. Iohn and he also was banished by Domitian to Patmos and at another time thrust into a Tun of seething oyl at Rome as Tertullian and S. Hierome do report See Acts 7.51 to 60. and 12. 1. to 5. Rom. 8.36 Iohn 21.18 19. Fifthly After the Apostles if we consider the residue of the ten Persecutions raised by the Romans against the Christians which was for three hundred years till the coming of godly Constantine we finde that under Dioclesian seventeen thousand Christians were slain in one moneth amongst whom was Serena the Empress also Yea under him and nine other Empereâ—s there was such an innumerable company of innocent Christians put to death and tormonted that S. Hierom in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith There is no one day in the year unto the number of five thousand Martyrs might not be ascribed except only the first day of Ianuary Yea there was two thousand suffered in the same place and at the same time with Nicanor Acts and Monuments page 32. who were put to the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of men or devils could invent to inflict upon them and all for professing the faith of Christ and being holy which makes S. Paul cry out I think that God hath set forth us the last Apostles as men appointed to death 1 Cor. 4.9 CHAP. VI. SIxthly From the Primitive times and infancy of the Church hitheâ—to 〈◊〉 Turk and the Pope have acted their parts in shedding the blood of 〈◊〉 Saints as well as the Iewes and Roman Emperours touching which I will ofer you to the Book of Acts and Monuments and Revel 17. The Babylon was drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the 〈…〉 Iesus ver 6. Which in part was fulfilled in England under the reign of 〈…〉 Mary and in France where before many late bloody 〈…〉 more then two hundred thousand who suffered Martyrdom about Transubstantiation See Ecclesiastical History lib. 6. cap. 4 5 16. But Seventhâ—y To come to these present times wherein we live Is it possible for a man to live a conscionable and unreproveable life abstain from drunkennesse swearing prophaning the Lords day separate himself from evill company be zealous for the glory of God admonish others that do amisse c. without being traduced calumniated hated slandered and persecuted for the same no it is not possible for if our righteousnesse doe but exceed the righteousness of a swearer or a drunkard we are sure to be persecuted for our righteousness as Abel was persecuted of Cain because his Sacrifice was better then his If a man walke according to the rule of Gods Word he is too precise if he will be more then almost a Christian he is curious phantastical factious and shall be mocked with the Spirit as if the Spirit of God were a Spirit of dishonour and shame Yea in these times not to be an Atheist or Papist is to be a Fanatick as how common a thing is it to wound all holiness under the name of Fanatick a name so full of the Serpents enmity as the egge of a Cockatrice is full of poison What should I say the World is grown so much knave that 't is now a vice to be honest O the deplorable condition of these times Even the Devil himself durst not have been so impudent as to have scoft at holiness in those ancient and purer times but now I could even sink down with shame to see Christianity every where so discountenanced Our very names come into few mouths out of which they return but with reproaches Amongst the rest of our sins O God be merciciful to the contempt of thy Servants Eightly For the time to come It is like not only to continue but the last remnants of time are sure to have the most of it because as in them love shall wax cold Matth. 24.12 so as love groweth cold contention groweth hot More expresly the Holy Ghost foretells that in the last dayes the times shall be perâ—lous and that toward the end of the world there shall be scoffers false accusers cursed speakers fierce despisers of them that are good and being steshly not having the spirit thâ—y shall speak evill of the things which they understand not and that many shall follow their damnable ways whereby the way of truth shall be evill spoken of And that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so these also shall resist the truth being
the Devill The poore â—heaâ—s soul if ever it be saved costs no less a price than Christs precious blood yet half a crown yea six pence will make this Chuâ—â—e fell his By which means he swels in his estate from a Toad to an◠〈…〉 â—isease we call the Wolf which is ever eating yet keeps the body Lean. The Covetous Cormorant is like one of Pharaoh's lean and illfavoured kine 〈◊〉 though he devours much yet he is never the less hungry never the â—ore fat A moderate water makes the Mill go merrily but too much â—ill not suffer it to go at all The Covetous Miser is like the Indians who though they have all the Gold among them yet are the most beggerly people alive He is like Tantalus who stands up to the câ—â—n in water and hath all kinds of fruits hanging over his head but is not suffered to taste the one nor drink of the other Or like an Asse that is laden with gold and dainty cates but feeds upon thistles He scarce wears a good garment or eats a liberall meal or takes a quiet sleep but is ever tormenting himself to get that for getting whereof he shall be tormented As a proud man is ignorant in the midst of his knowledge so is he poor and needy in the midst of his wealth Yea whereas the Poor Begger wants many things the Rich Miser wants every thing His business will never give him leave to think of his conscience All his Religion is the love of money He goes to Church indeed but it is not to serve God but the State which he uses not as a means to save his soul but his silver To him all spirituall and eternall things seem incredible because they are invisible Nothing will sink into his head that he cannot see with his eyes or feel with his fingers And in case he cannot gain by being Religious his care shall be not to lose by it and that Religion will like him best that is best cheap and that will cost him least Any doctrine is welcome to him but that which beats upon good works only that he cannot indure No if another be at the charges to serve God this Churle like Iudas will cry out Why is this waste Nor shall any means ever convert him No Physick is strong enough to purge out this Humour Because if ever he should repent he must restore his ill gotten estate which to him is as hard an injunction as that of God to Abraham Gen. â—2 2 Or as that of our Saviour to the Young man Luke 18.22 and â—herefore what hope of his yielding Covetousnesse is Idolatry Eph 〈…〉 â—oll 3.5 and Money is the covetous mans god and will he part 〈…〉 No And so long as he keeps the weapon ill-got goods 〈…〉 â—nd will not pluck it out by restitution how is it possible he should be â—â—â—ed He may with that Rich man Luk. 10. have a good mind to Heavâ—â—â— reversion yet for all that he will not hear of parting with him He 〈◊〉 â—hereof he hath the present possession 〈…〉 then a Drunkard yet had I rather be a Drunkard then a Covetous Miseâ— Matth. 21.31 32. CHAP. 2. Now as this Merciless Miser is all for sparing so his Heir is all 〈◊〉 wasting He lives poorly and penuriously all his life that he may die rich Psal. 39.6 And what comes of it As he hath reapt that which another sowed so another shall thrash that which he hath reaped He hords up 〈◊〉 knowing who shall enjoy it and commonly they enjoy it who lay it out aâ— fast He takes only the bitter and leaves the sweet for others perhapâ— those that wish him hanged upon condition they had his means the sooner Or possible it is he may have children which if he have he loves them so much better then himself that he will voluntarily be miserable here and hereafter that they may be happy He is willing to go in a thred-bare coat to starve his body lose his credit wound his conscience torment his heart and minde with fears and cares yea he can finde in his heart to damne his own soul and go to hell that he may raise his house and leave his heir a great estate as thinking his house and habitation shall continue for ever even from generation to generation and call their lands by his name as the Psalmist shews Psalm 49.11 He is careful to provide his children portions while he provideâ— no portion of comfort for his own welfare either here or hereafter He provides for his childrens bodies not for their souls to shew that he begat not their souls but their bodies He leaves a fair estate for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part He desires to leave his children great rather then good and is more ambitious to have his sons Lords on earth then Kings in heaven But as he that provides noâ— for their temporal estate is worse then an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 So he that provides not for their eternal estate is little better then a devil which yet is the case of nine parts of the parents throughout the Land But observe how his children requite him again and how God requiâ—es him in his children for commonly they are such as never give him thanks 〈…〉 the least lament his Loss perhaps they mourn at his funeral yet 〈◊〉 for that he iâ— dead but because he died no sooner Nor is it any raâ—e 〈◊〉 for men to mourn for him dead whom they would by no means have still to be alive Yea for the most part it is but a fashionable sorâ—â—â— which the son makes shew of at his fathers death as having many 〈…〉 for that hour A sorrow in shew onely like that of Iacobs sons when theâ— had sold their brother Ioseph who profest a great deal of greâ—◠〈…〉 when inwardly they rejoyced Have ye not heard of a preâ—â—â— young heir that incouraged his companions with come let us 〈…〉 revel throw the house out at windows the man in Scarlet will 〈…〉 â—â—â—cious liquor into a Seeue that will hold no liquid substance which occasioned the Rhodians and Lydians to enact several laws that those 〈◊〉 which followed not their fathers in their vertues but lived viciously â—â—â—uld be disinherited and their lands given to the most verteous of that raâ—e not admiting any impious heir whatsoever to inherit as Varro well notes But it is otherwise in this case for in regard of Gods curse upon â—his unmerciful Muckworm if he have more sons then one the eldestâ—roves â—roves a prodigal and he inherits Every mans own experience can tell him that for the most part a scatterer succeeds a gatherer one that wasts vertues faster then riches and riches faster then any vertues can get them one that is as excessive in spending as the other was in scraping for as the father chooseth to fill his chests so the son is given to satisfie his lusts Nor could the one be more cunning at the
bad one and sooner in thy Mistresses defence then in thy Makers Thou art of a reprobate judgment touching actions and persons esteeming good evil and evil good Prov. 17.15 and 29.27 Isa. 5.20 Thou doest stifle thy conscience and wouldst force thy self to believe if it were possible that in case men will not swear drink drunk conform to thy lewd customes and the like they are over precise and to forbear evil is quarrel sufficient for thee Thou speakest evil of all that will not run with thee to the same excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 making them a by-word to the people Job 17.6 and a song amongst thy fellow Drunkards Psal. 69. 〈◊〉 Thou art so desperately wicked that thou wilt mock thy admonisher scoffe at the means to be saved and make thy self merry with thy own damnation In stead of hating the evil thou dost and thy self for doing it thou 〈…〉 of it rejoycest in it boastest of it yea pleadest for it and applaâ—â—ed 〈…〉 self for thy wickednesse God is not in all thy thoughts except 〈…〉 him and to spend his days in the Devils service And rather 〈…〉 thy pleasure thou wilt hazard the displeasure of God Thou doest not 〈◊〉 but art stubborn and disobedient to thy parents a Rioter c. If they stand in need of thee thou wilt not nourish or maintain 〈…〉 they did thee in thy need Thou takest no care to provide for thy 〈…〉 Thou wilt borrow or run in debt with every one but never carest to pay or to satisfie any one except it be thy Hostesse for drink lest she should never more trust thee As good men by their godly admonition and vertuous example draw 〈◊〉 they can to Heaven so by thy subtile allurements and vicious example thou drawest all thou â—anst to hell For as if it were too little to damnthy own soul or as if thine own sins would not presse thee deep enough into hell thou doest all that possibly thou canst to entice and enforce others to sin with thee for thou doest envy hate scosf at nick-name rail on and slander the godly that thou mayest flout them out of their faith damp or quench the spirit where thou perceivest it is kindled discourage them in there way to heaven to make them ashamed of their holy conversation and religious course pull them back to the World that so thou mayest have their company here in sin and hereafter in torment Thou fearest a Gaol more then thou fearest hell and standest more upon thy sides smarting then upon thy soul. Thou regardest more the blasts of mens breath then the fire of Gods wrath and tremblest more at the thought of a Serjeant or Bailiff then of Satan and everlasting perdition Thou takest incouragement from the Saints falls and sins of Gods people to do the like when they should serve thee as Sea-marks to make thee beware Yea thou doest most sordidly take liberty and incouragement to go on more securely in thy evil courses because God is merciful and forbears to execute judgement speedily and to defer thy repentance because the Theif upon the Crosse was heard at the last hour Thou wilt boldly do what God forbids and yet confidently hope to escape what he threatens Thus I could go on to tell thee a thousand more of these thy wicked thoughts words and actions had I not already done it But because I would not present my other Readers with Cole-worts twice sod be perswaded to take view of them in my other small Tract entituled The odious despicable and dreadful condition of a Drunkard drawn to the Life though indeed even a Tyth of these are sufficient evidences to prove and to make thee confesse that thou art in a most damnable condition But stand thou by and let the civil Iusticiary and formall Hypocrue hold up their hands and hear their charge Here ends the Prodigals Character with which I will conclude FINIS The Prevention of Poverty Together with the Cure of Melancholy Alias Discontent Or the best and surest way to Wealth and Happiness being Subjects very seasonable for these Times wherein all are Poor or not pleased or both when they need be neither By Rich. Younge of Roxwel in Essex Florilegus Imprimatur Ioseph Caryl LONDON Printed by R. W. Leybourn and are to be sold by Iames Crumpe a Book-binder in Well-yard 1655. Of the Prevention of Poverty By R. Y. VErtue is distributive and loves not to bury benefits but to pleasure all she can And happy is he that leaves such a president for which both the present and future Ages shall praise him and praise God for him It was no small comfort I suppose to Cuthemberg Anaximenes Triptolemus Columbus and other the like whose happiness it was to finde out Printing the Dial the Plough to enrich the World with the best of Metals with the Loadstone and a thousand the like But had they smothered their conceptions as so many lights under a bushel and not communicated the same for the publick it had argued in them a great dearth of charity whereas now to the glory of God all men are the better for them Nor is any employment so honorable as for a man to serve his generation and be profitable to many When like the Moon we bestow the benefits received from God to the profit and commodity of others It is the Suns excellency that his bright rayes and beamns are dispersed into every corner of the Universe The Tragick Buskin as they say would fit all that should put it on Here is that will much benefit thee being made use of be thy condition good or bad rich or poor learned or unlearned mental or manual The which to conceal would argue in the Authour either too much lucre or too little love Even the Physician that hath a sovereigne Receipt and dieth unrevealing it robs the world of many blessings which might multiply after his death leaving to all survivors this collection that he once did good to others but to do himself a greater C. E. The Prevention of POVERTY Together with the Cure of MELANCHOLY Alias DISCONTENT Or the best and surest way to Wealth and Happinesse Being Subjects very seasonable for these Times wherein all are Poor or not pleased or both when they need be neither THE PREFACE SECT 1. WHen a Gentleman in Athens had his plate taken away by Ahashucrus as he was at dinner he smiled upon his friends saying I thank God that his Higness hath left me any thing So whatever befals us this should be our meditation It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 Or this He that hath afflicted me for a time could have held me longer he that hath touched me in part could have stricken me in whole he that hath laid this upon my name or estate hath power to lay a greater rod both upon my body and soul without doing me the least wrong And indeed if we but think of our deliverance from the
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
He hordes up not knowing who shall injoy it and commonly they injoy it who lay it out as fast He takes onely the bitter and leaves the sweet for others perhaps those that wish him hanged upon condition they had his means the sooner Or possible it is he may have children which if he have he loves them so much better then himself that he will voluntarily be miserable here and hereafter that they may be happy He is willing to go in a thred-bare coat to starve his body lose his credit wound his conscience torment his heart and minde with fears and cares yea he can finde in his heart to damne his own soul and go to hell that he may raise his house leave his heir a great estate as thinking his house and habitation shall continue for ever even from generation to generation and call their lands by his name as the Psalmist shews Psalm 49.11 He is careful to provide his children portions while he provides no portion of comfort for his own welfare either here or hereafter He provides for his childrens bodies not for their souls to shew that he begat not their souls but their bodies He leaves a fair estate for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part He desires to leave his children great rather then good and is more ambitious to have his sons Lords on earth then Kings in heaven But as he that provides not for their temporal estate is worse then an infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 So he that provides not for their eternal estate is little better then a devil which yet is the cace of nine parts of the parents throughout the Land But observe how his children requite him again and how God requites him in his children for commonly they are such as never give him thanks nor in the least lament his loss perhaps they mourn at his funeral yet not for that he is dead but because he died no sooner Nor is it any rare thing for men to mourn for him dead whom they would by no means have still to be alive Yea for the most part it is but a fashionable sorrow which the son makes shew of at his fathers death as having many a day wisht for that hour A sorrow in shew onely like that of Iacobs sons when they had sold their brother Ioseph who profest a great deal of grief for his loss when inwardly they rejoyced Have ye not heard of a prodigal young heir that incouraged his companionâ— with come let us drink revel throw the house out at windows the man in Scarlet will pay for all meaning his father who was a Iudge but he adjudged the patrimony from him to one of his yonger sons more obedient And good reason he had for it for to give riches to the ryotous is all one as to pour precious liquor into a seeve that will hold no liquid substance which occasioned the Rhodians and Lydians to enact several laws that those sons which followed not their fathers in their vertues but lived viciously should be disinherited and their lands given to the most vertuous of that race not admiting any impious heir whatsoever to inherit as Varro well notes But it is otherwise in this case for in regard of Gods curse upon this unmerciful Muckworm if he have more sons then one the eldest proves a prodigal and he inherits Every mans own experience can tell him that for the most part a scatterer succeeds a gatherer one that wasts vertues faster then riches and riches faster then any vertues can get them one that is as excessive in spending as the other was in scraping for as the father choseth to fill his chests so the son is given to satisfie his lusts Nor could the one be more cunning at the rake then the other will be at the pitchfork The moneys which were formerly chested like caged birds will wing it merrily when the young heir sets them flying And as Cicero speaks he roituously spends that which the father had wickedly gotten The one would have all to keep the other will keep nothing at all the former gets and spends not the latter spends and gets not Yea the son being as greedy of expence as the father was in scraping he teddeth that with a fork in one year which was not gathered with a rake in twenty Yea how oft is that spent upon one Christmas revelling by the son which was fourty yeers a getting by the Father Which Diogenes well considered for whereas he would ask of a frugal Citizen but a penny of a Prodigal he would beg a talent and when the party asked him what he meant to desire so much of him and so little of others his answer should be Quoniam tu habes illi habebunt because thou hast and they will have I shall begg of thee but once thy estate will so soon vanish oâ— them often yea give me now a talent I may live to give thee a groâ—â— And at another time hearing that the house of a certain Prodigal was offered to sale he said I knew well that house was so accustomed to surfeting and drunkenness that ere long it would spue out the master Nay in all likelihood he foresees it himself and therefore as he makes short work with his estate so not long with his life as knowing that if he should live long he must be a begger As seldom but he shortens his days some way for he gives himself to all manner of vice gluttony and drunkenness chambering and wantonness pride riot contention c. He even banishes civility and gives himself over to sensuality and such a life seldom lasts long They may rightly be called spend-alls for they not onely spend all they have but themselves also instead of quenching their thirsts they drown both their bodies souls and estates in drink They will call drawer give us an Ocean and then leave their wits rather then the wine behinde them One cryes to his fellow do me reason but the drink answers I will leave thee no reason no not so much as a beast hath for these Nabals cannot abound but they must be drunk and surfet They have not onely cast off Religion that should make them good men but even reason that should make them men And saving only on the Sea they live without all compass as a ship on the water so they on the land reel too and fro and stagger like a drunken man Psal. 107.27 All their felicity is in a Tavern or brothell house where harlots and sicophants rifle their estates and then send them to robbe or teach them how to cheat or borrow which is all one for to pay they never mean and prodigallity drives them to repair their too great lavishness in one thing by too great covetousness and injustice in another The greatest mispenders for the most part are constrained to be as great misgetters that they may feed one vice with another Now as if they had been bred
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
the other into life eteâ—nall Matth. 25.31 to 47. Where are two things considerable They to save their purses would not be at a little cost for the poore while they lived and what have they got by it Now they are dead bâ—t firâ—t an everlasting separation from Gods blisfull presence and thâ—se unutterable joyes before mentioned and to be for ever confined in a bed of quenchlesse flames For this departure is not for a day nor for years of dayes nor for millions of yeares but for eternity into such paynes as can neither be expressed nor conceived There shall be no end of plagues to the wicked and unmercifull Math. 25.41 Mark 9.44 Their worme shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched Isa. 66.24 Neither is the extremity of paine inferiour to the perpetuity of it Rev. 19.20 20.14 18.6 2 Pet. 2.4 Heb. 10 2â— Jude 6. The plagues of the first death are pleasant compared with those of the second For mountaines of sand were lighter and millions of yeares shorter then a tythe of these torments Rev. 20.10 Iude 7. The pain of the body is but the body of paine the anguish of the soule is the soule of anguish For should we first burn off one hand then another after that each arme and so all the parts of the body it would be deemed intolerable and no man would endure it for all the pleasures and profits this world can afford and yet it is nothing to that burning of body and soule in Hell Should we endure ten thousand yeares torments in Hell it were grievous but nothing to eternity should we suffer one paine it were miserable enough but if ever we come there our payns shall be for number and kinds infinitely various as our pleasures have been here Every sense and member each power and faculty both of soul and body shall have their severall objects of wretchednesse and that without intermission or end or ease or patience to endure it Luke 12.5 16. â—4 Matth. 3.12 Yea the paynes and sufferings of the damned are ten thousand times more than can be imagined by any heart under heaven It is a death never to be painted to the life no pen nor pensill nor art nor heart can comprehend it Mat. 18.8 9. 25 30. 2 Pet. 2.4 Isa. 5.14 30.33 CHAP. XXXIII Now what heart would not bleed to see men yea multitudes run head long into these tortures that are thus intolerable dance hood-wink'd iâ—to this perdition O the folly and madnesse of those that prefer earth yea hell to heaven time to eternity the body before the soule yea the outward estate before either soule or body These are the worlds fooles meer children that prefer an apple before their inheritance Besotted sensualists that consider not how this life of ours if it were not short yet it is miserable and if it were not miserable yet it is short that suffer themselves to be so bewitcht with the love of their money and their hearts to be rivered to the earth to be so inslaved to covetousnesse as to make gold their God Certainly were they allowed to have but a fight of this Hell they woâ—ld not do thus if they did but either see or foresee what they shall one day without serious and unfeigned repentance feel they would not be hired with all the worlds wealth to hazard in the least the losse of those everlasting joyes before spoken of or to purchase and plunge themselves into those caselesse and everlasting flames of fire and brimstone in hell there to fry body and soule where shall be an innumerable company of Devils and damned spirits to affright and torment them but not one to comfort or pity them But O that thou who art the Sacred Monarch of this mighty frame wouldst give them hearts to believe at least that the soule of all sufferings are the sufferings of the soule that as painted fire is to materiall such is materiall to hell fire That things themselves are in the invisible world in the world visible but their shadowes onely And that whatsoever wicked men enjoy here it is but as in a dream their plenty is but like a drop of pleasure before a river of sorrow and displeasure and whatsoever the godly feel but as a drop of misery before a river of mercy and glory Then would they thinke it better to want all things then that one needfull thing whereas now they desire all other things and neglect that one thing which is so needfull They would be glad to spare something from their superfluities yea if need requâ—re even from their necessaries that they might relieve and cherish the poor distressed members of Iesus Christ. And let so much serve to have been spoken of the reasons that concern our selves in particular and how God hath promised to blesse the merciful man in his soule body name and estate I should now go on to declare that what the liberall man gâ—ves his seed shall inherâ—t But I consider that if for the increasing of their estates for the obtaining of heaven and the avoyding of everlasting destruction of body and soule in Hell will not prevail with rich men to do some good with their goods while they lâ—ve whatsoever else can be spoken will be lost labour and to no purpose I grant there are some of them such desperate doting fools that they can find in their hearts to damn their own souls and go to hell to leave their sonnes rich and therefore it will not be amisse to set down or poynt them to a few of those promises which God hath made to the mercifull or liberall mans seed and posterity after him I 'le alleadge but three places onely CHAP. XXXIV That if we bountifully relieve the poor the reward of onr charity shall not onely extend to us but also to our Off-spring and Progeny the Prophet Esay witnesseth Chap. 58. where he tells us that if we will draw out our soule to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soule the Lord will not onely satisfie our soules in drought make fat our bones but that those also that some of us sâ—â—ll prosper unto many generations ver 10 11 12. And also the Psalmist Psal. 37. I have been young and now am old saith hee yet have I not seene the righteous forsaken not his â—ood begging bread vers 26â— then gives the reason He is ever mercâ—full and endeth and his seed enjoyes the blessing vers 26. And so Psal. 112. His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed Vers. 2. to 6. Now what better inheritance can we leave to our Children then the blessing of God which like an ever-springing fountaine will nourish and comfort them in the time of drought when as our owne provision which we have left unto them may faile and when the heate of affliction ariseth will like standing waters be dried up Nor is this only probable but God hath set down
this to all our other gifts that we give the glory of them to God As what else should men propose for their end then that glory which shal have no end Yea let us with one unanimous voice say He hath given us all the Grace and Happiness we have and we wil give him all the possible thanks and honor we can let it be our main request and daily prayer Teach us O Lord to receive the benefit of thy merciful favours and to return thee the thanks and the glory and that for ever and ever And so much of the Ends which we are to propound to our selves in our beneficence the lets and impediments follow CHAP. XLIX I Might mention many great lets and impediments as Ignorance Infidelity Pride Intemperance self-love hard heartedness and other the like do much hinder mens bounty and liberality to the poor as may partly appear by what I have already delivered but nothing like Covetousness yea name but Covetousnese and that includes all the rest Covetousness is the Grave of all good it makes the heart barren of all good inclinations and it is a bad ground where no flower will grow It cannot be denyed but enough hath been said in this and the Poors Advocate to perswade any rational man not onely that there is a necessity of this duty but sufficient to enflame him with a desire of performing it according to the utmost of his ability But so it is that the Covetous Miser is so far from being prevailed withall that he will not come so near the same as to give it the hearing Or suppose such an one should be so ingenuous as to hear it there is no hope of prevailing with him As what think you when that rich man Mark 10 17. c. who ran after Christ kneeled down to him and was so inquisitive to know how he might attain eternal life yea who had from his youth squared his life according to Gods Law insomuch that Christ loved him Yet when he was admonished by our Saviour to sell all and give to the poor and he should have Treasure in Heaven he turned his back upon Christ and went away very sorrowful because he was marvellous rich He had a good mind to Heaven in reversion but for all that he would not part with his Heaven whereof he had present possession Whence our Saviour so bewails the miserable condition and difficulty of such mens being saved v. 17. to 26. And the Apostle the like Eph. 5.5 1 Cor. 6.9 10. For if he that had so good affections made conscience of all his wayes was so desirous to be saved that Christ was taken with him What hope of this Wretch that hath a blockish seared and senseless Conscience that is past feeling and never made scruple of any thing from his infancy No these solid Arguments and strong inducements from Gods Word wil be so far from prevailing with him that it is rare if he do not slight and scorn what hath been spoken The covetous man knows no other God then his belly and desires no other Heaven then his Coffers full of Angels Thirdly and lastly admit the best that can be expected viz. that he shall not only lend a listening ear to all that hath been said but that it does also convince and almost perswade him to become liberal As I dare appeal to their own consciences that have hitherto heard what hath been alledged out of God's Word whether it hath not made their hearts burn within them whether they have not been convinced and with Agrippa almost perswaded to become merciful Acts 26.28 Whether with Pharoah their spirits have not began to thaw a little Go do sacrifice to your God in this Land yea in their judgements yeilded to all that hath been demanded them and been ready to pray some Moses to pray for them And yet harden and knit again whereby all labour like Moses Message or the sweet words of Paul it utterly lost The covetous man though he be convinced in his conscience and doth resolve to be bountiful yet no hope of his doing it for his goodness is as a morning Cloud and as a morning dew it goeth away as the Lord once spake to Ephraim and Iudah Hos 6.4 Good thoughts to carnal covetous hearts are only as Passengers not Inhabitants they may make it a thorough-fare but they can never settle or remain there If at any time they melt with Pharoah they suddenly knit again Nor is there any heart made of flesh that wil not at some time or other relent Even Flint and Marble wil in some weather stand in drops It is not onely recorded of Pharoah that he did thus melt and of Agrippa that he was almost perswaded to become good but the holy Ghost further testifies that Esau wept Ahab put on Sackcloth that Iudas repented and restored that Foelix trembled that Pilate took Christs part and washt his hands in witness that he was free from the blood of that just man that Balaam wisht to dye the death of the righteous that Herod delighted in Iohns Ministry And yet we see that all came to nothing CHAP. L. GOod deeds flow from good men such as know themselves deputed Stewards not Independent Lords of their wealth as naturally as springs out of Rocks But with the covetous Cormorant it is far otherwise as good perswade a Caniball as the covetous to shew mercy To wrest any good deeds out of the Dives's of these dayes though there be millions in the case of Lazarus is far more hard then to wring Verjuice out of a Crab yea you may as wel press water out of a stone We read 1 Sam. 25. that churlish Laban Nabal I should say though the difference bee so smal that these two infamous Churls spel each other's Name backwards when distressed David askt him victuals he reviled him when he should have relieved him Nothing more cheape then good Words these he might have given and been never the poorer but his foul mouth doth not onely deny and give him nothing but that which was worse then nothing bad Language So fares it with these Churls when any David is driven to ask them Bread they give him stones instead thereof let them be moved by some one to give an Alms or do some charitable deed they cannot hear on that ear Or if this Wretch for his credit sake does speak fair all his good deeds be onely good words and he may be answered as that Beggar did the Bishop when instead of an Alms he gave him his blessing That if his blessing had been worth a penny he would not have been so bountiful So that if every house were of his profession Charities Hand would no longer hold up Poverties head Words from a dead man and deeds of Charity from a covetous man are both alike rare and hard to come by The Mountains are not more barren of fruit then he of goodness The Rocks are not so hard as his
cause the Earth to swallow down a third quick while they are blaspheming him they would be as far from beleeving as they were before as the examples of the old world the Sodomites Pharaoh Balaam Ahab Belshazzar Malchus and those great Clerks the Scribes and Pharisees together with thousands of the Iews sufficiently manifest Yea it is easier for a man possest with many Devils to be dispossest to raise one from the dead or to turn a stone into flesh in which God should meet with no opposition then perswade an habituated Swearer to beleeve these ensuing prâ—â—pts predictions testimonies of the Gospell or any other saving truth Mat. 5.20 12.36 25 30 to 46. 2 Thess. 1.7 8 9. 2.12 Heb. 12.14 29. Rev. 20.12 to the end Deut. 29.19 20. Prov. 1.24 to 33â— 14. § Well may they beleeve what the World the Flesh and the Devil suggests unto them As Satan that he may make smooth their way to perdition will perswade the most impudent and insolent sinners Drunkards Adulterers Blasphemers Sabbath-breakers Bloodthirsty Murtherers Persecuâ—ters of the Godly and contemners of Religion that they may take liberty to continue their sensuall lusts by a testimony of â—cripture and apply Christs passion 〈…〉 head his drum of Rebellion with his pardon they live as if the Gospell werâ— quite contrary to the rule of the Law or as if God were neither to 〈◊〉 feared not cared for Hence they exercise their saucie wits in prophâ—â—â— scoffs at Religion and disgrace that bloud whereof hereafter they would givâ— a thousand worlds for one drop hence they tear heaven with their blasphemieâ— and bandie the dreadfull name of God in their impure and polluted mouths by their bloody oaths and execrations hence they are so witlesse graceâ—lesse and shamelesse as to swear and curse even as dogs bark Yea the have so sworn away all grace that they count it a grace to swear and at so far from beleeving what God threatens in his Word against sin anâ— what is affirmed of his justice and severity in punishing all wilfull and imâ—penitent sinners with eternall destruction of body and soul that they presâ—sume to have part in that merit which in every part they have so abused to be purged by that bloud which now they take all occasions to disgrace to be saved by the same wounds and bloud which they swear by and so often swear away to have Christ an Advocate for them in the next life wheâ— they are Advocates against Christ in this that heaven will meet them aâ— their last hour when all their life long they have galloped in the bearer rode toward hell And that though they live like swine all their life long yet one cry for mercy at the last gasp shall transform them into Saints Anâ— this is the strong faith they are so apt to boast of viz. presumption not confiâ—dence Or rather Hope frighted out of its wits For not withstanding al this in beleeving the Scriptures they fall short of the Devils themselves For the Devils doe really beleeve that God is no lesse true and just then he â—word â— mercifull as his Word declares him to be and thereupon they tremble a S. Iames hath it Iames 2.19 whereas these men beleeve not a word thaâ— God speaks so as to be bettered by it 15. § And no marvail for their wont hath been to beleeve Satan raâ—ther then God as did our first parents Gen. 3. Therefore now afteâ— they have rejected all means of grace when they are so crusted in their vilâ—lanie that custome is become a second or new nature God that he may puâ—nish their hardnesse and excesse in sin with further obduration not onlâ— delivers them up to Satan the God of this world who so blindes their mindes and deludes their understandings that the light of the glorious Gospell of Chrisâ— shall not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Eph. 2.2 2 Thess. 2.9 But he giveâ— them up even to a reprobate judgment to the hardnesse of their hearts and tâ— walk in their owne connsels Psal. 81.11.12 Rom. 1.21 to 32. And betteâ— be given up to Satan as the incestuous Corinthian was then thus to be given up For he was thereby converted and saved as God used the matter making the Scorpion a medicine against the sting of the Scorpion the Horseleecâ— a means to abate the vicious and superfluous bloud so ordering Satans crafâ— and malice to ends which himself intended not Whereas these are given over as a desperate Patient is given over by hiâ— Physitian when there is no hope of his recovery As thus Because they wilâ— not receive the truth in love that they mights be saved for this cause God give 〈…〉 damned who beleeve not the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse they are the very words of the holy Ghost 2 Thess. 2.10 11 12. If any would see more touching to wofull condition of a deluded worldling and how Satan guls wicked men with a world of misprisions that he may the better cheat them of their souls Let them read The Drunkards Character and The Cure of Misprision for in this I study all possible brevity being loath either to surfeit or cloy the Swearer who is commonly short breath'd in well-doing and lâ—st adding more should hinder him from hearing this for Satan and his corrupt heart will not condescend he shall hold out to hear his beloved sin so-spoken against MEMB. 5. 1. § Only I will insert a few notions aphorisms or conclusions touching the former point of Gods forbearing to punish the most stagitious sinners when they so horribly provoke him together with some pregnant examples of some that he hath executed Martiall Law upon even in this life Cornelius Gallus not to mention many nor any that every Author sets down dyed in the very act of his filthinesse as Plutarch well notes Nitingall Parson of Crondall in Kent was struck dead in the Pulpit as he was belching out his spleen against religion and zealous professors of the Gospel It was the usual imprecation of Henry Earl of Schuartzbourg Let me be drowned in a Iakes if it be not so and such was his end You may remember one Lieutenant of the Tower was hanged it had wont to be his usuall imprecation as he confessed at his death Earl Godwin wishing at the Kings Table that the bread he eat might choke him if he were guilty of Alphreds death whom he had before slain was presently choked and fell down dead Yea his lands also sunk into the Sea and are called Godwins sands where thousands since have made shipwrack It was usuall with Iohn Peter mentioned in the book of Martyres to say if it be not true I pray God I may rot ere I dye and God saying Amen to it he rotted away indeed A Serving-man in Lincoln-shire for every trifle used to swear Gods precious bloud and would not be warned by his friends to leave it insomuch that hearing the bell tole in the very
anguish of death he started up in his bed and sware by the former oath that bell toled for him whereupon immediately the bloud most fearfully issued as it were in streams from all parts of his body not one place left free and so dyed Popiel King of Poland had over this wish in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rats might eat me and so it came to passe for he was so assailed by them at a banquet that neither his guards nor fire nor water could defend him from them as Munster mentions The Iews said Let his bloud be upon us and upon our children and what followed sixteen hundred years are now past since they wished themselves thus wretched and have they not ever since been the hate and scorne of the world Did they not many of them live to see their City buried in ashes and drowned in bloud to see themselves no Nation Was there ever any people under heaven that was made so fa 〈…〉 〈…〉 Nor is it seldome that God payes them in their own coin men prophane Gods name and he makes their names to stinke When the pestilence rageth in our streets blasphemy and execration must confesse that they have their dâ—e wages Blasphemers live swearing and dye raving it is but their wages 2. § He punisheth some in the Suburbs of hell that they might never come into the City it self The evill he now suffers uncorrected he refers to be condemned Sin knows the doom it must smart here or hereafter Outward plagues are but favour in comparison of spirituall judgments and spirituall judgments but light to eternall torments God does not punish all flagitious sinners here that he may allow some space to repent and that none may doubt his promise of a Generall Iudgement nor does he forbear all here lest the world should deny his providence and question his justice MEMB. 6. 1. § But what do I urge reason to men of a reprobate judgment to admonish them is to no more purpose then if one should speak to life-lesse stones or sense-lesse plants or wit-lesse beasts for they will never fear any thing till they be in Hell fire wherefore God leaves them to be confuted with fire and brimstone since nothing else wil doe it If there be any here that beleeve a Resurrection as I hope better things of some of you all such I would beseech by the mercies of God before mentioned that they would not be so desparately wicked as to mock their admonisher scoff at the means to be saved and make themselves merry with their owne damnations but that they would entertain this messuage as if it were an Epistle sent from God himself to invite and call them to repentance Yea consider seriously what I have said and do not Oh do not mock at Gods Word nor sport away your souls into those pains which are easelesse endlesse and remedilesse Shal we give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak Mat. 12.36 and never give a reckoning for our wicked swearing and cursing we shall be judged by our words v. 37. Are you willing to be saved if you are Break off your sins by repentance Dan. 4.27 Cease to do evill learn to doe well Isai. 1.16.17 Seriously grieve and bewail for the millions of times that you have blasphemed God and pierced your Saviour and never more commit the like impiety Yea doe not only leave your swearing but fear an Oath and make conscience of it resolve not to take the glorious name of God in vain nor place any otheâ— creature in his roome though the Devill should say unto you as once hâ— did to Christ All this will I give thee For it is not enough that we abstained from evill unlesse we hate it also and doe the contrary good Sanctifie the Lord God in your heart 1 Pet. 3.15 Make a covenant with your mouth as Joâ— did with his eyes and set a watch before the door of your lips that you thuâ— offend not with your tongue Psal. 141.3 2. § Which if you doe rightly the like care to avoid all other sins wilâ— necessarily follow because he that fears to commit one sin out of conscience and because God forbids it will upon the same ground fear all the 〈…〉 commit it as that God should never impure it 2 Tim. 2.19 Neither can a regenerate mind consist with a determination to continue in any one sin as when Christ cast out one Devill we read that he cast out all even the whole Legion Mark 5.2 c. And he that makes not some consience of all sin makes no true conscience of any sin And the same is to be understood also of duties commanded for the same law which injoins us to hate and for sake all sin commands us also to strive after universal obedience to every precept And it is a true rule he that hath not in him all Christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all He that is not sanctified in every part is truly sanctified in no part 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 Mat. 5.48 2 Tim. 3.17 2 Cor. 7.1 And the least sin allowed of be it but a vaine thought or one duty omitted is enough to cast thee into hell for the wages of sin any sin be it never so little is death Rom. 6.23 Jam. 1.15 Yea admit thou hadst never acted any the least evill in all thy life it were not enough to save thee from hell much lesse to bring thee to heaven for we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the World with us Gen. 2.17 Psal. 51.5 Rom. 5.12 Whence the new born child in the law was commanded to offer a sin offering Lev. 12.6 3. § Wherefore as you tender the good of your own soul set upon the work presently before the Drawbridge be taken up provide with Ioseph for the dearth to come With Noah in the days of thine hâ—alth build the Ark of a good conscience against the floods of sicknesse Imitate the Ant who provides her meat in Summer for the Winter following Yea do it whilst the yearning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Jesus Christ lie open to receive you Whiles you have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God in Christ as you tender I say the everlasting happinesse wel-fare of your almost lost and drowned soul as you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endlesse blisse and glory at the last As you would escape the direful wrath of God the bitter sentence and doom of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul scorching flames of hel and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure utterly renounce all wilfull and affected evill and in the first place this abominable sin of swearing and cursing 4. § The which Grace if you