they serve them to little other purpose then as Salt to keep their bodies from stinking Honour and Greatnesse the Vanity of them IT was foretold to Agrippina Neroe's Mother that her Son should be Emperour and that he should afterward kill his own Mother to which Agrippina replyed Occdat modò imperet Let my Son be so and then let him kill me and spare not So thirsty was she of Honour Alas what are swelling Titles but as so many rattles to still Mens ambitions And what is Honour and Greatnesse in the World Honour is like the Meteor which lives in the Ayre so doth this in the breath of other Men It 's like a gale of Wind which carries the Ship sometimes this Wind is down a Man hath lost his Honour and lives to see himself intombed sometimes this Wind is too high How many have been blown to Hell while they have been sailing with the Wind of popular applause So that Honour is but magnum nihil a glorious fancy Acts 25. 23. It doth not make a Man really the better but often the worse For a Man swel'd with Honour wanting Grace is like a Man in a dropsy whose bignesse is his disease Present Time to be well husbanded AS it is observed of the Philosopher that fore-seeing a plentifull year of Olives he rented many Olive-yards and by that demonstrated that a learned Man If he would aim at worldly gain could easily be a rich Man too It is noted as an excellent part of Wisedome to know and manage time to husband time and opportunity For as the Rabbi said Nemo est cui non sit hora sua Every Man hath his hour and he who overslips that season may never meet with the like again The Scripture insists much upon a day of Grace 2 Cor. 6. 2. Heb. 13. 15. The Lord reckons the times which passe over us and puts them upon our account Luk. 13. 7. Rev. 2. 21 22. Let us therefore improve them and with the impotent persons at the pool of Bethesda to step in when the Angel stirs the water Now the Church is afflicted it is a season of prayer and learning Mic. 6. 9. Esay 26. 8 9. Now the Church is inlarged it is a season of praise Psalm 118. 24. I am now at a Sermon I will hear what God will say now in the company of a learned and wise Man I will draw some knowledg and counsell from him I am under a Temptation now is a fit time to lean on the name of the Lord Esay 50. 10. I am in place of dignity and power Let me consider what it is that God requireth of me in such a time as this is Esth. 4. 14. And thus as the Tree of life bringeth fruit every Moneth Rev. 22. 2. so a wise Christian as a wife husbandman hath his distinct employments for every Month bringeth forth his fruit in its season Psalm 1. 3. Frequent Meditation of Death the great benefit thereof IT is said of Telephus that he had his Impostume opened by the dart of an Enemy which intended his hurt Roses they say are sweetest which grow near unto Garlick so the nearnesse of an Enemy makes a good Man the better And therefore the wise Roman when Carthage the Emulous City of Rome was destroyed said Now our affairs are in more danger and hazard then ever before When Saul Davids Enemy eyed and persecuted him this made him walk more circumspectly pray more trust in God more He kept his mouth with a bridle while the wicked were before him Psalm 39. 1. An hard knot in the Wood drives a Man to the use of his Wedges A malitious Enemy that watcheth for our halting will make us look the better to our wayes And so it is that Death by the nearnesse thereof and by the frequent meditation thereupon makes us more carefull of our great accompt more sollicitous to make our peace with God to wean our hearts from Worldly and perishing comforts to lay up a good Foundation for the time to come that we may obtain eternal life to get a City which hath Foundations whose builder and maker is God The great difference betwixt life naturall and life Spirituall THe ordinary Manna which Israel gathered for their daily use did presently corrupt and breed worms but that which was laid up before the Lord the hidden Manna in the Tabernacle did keep without putrefaction So our life which we have here in the Wilderness of this World doth presently vanish and corrupt but our life which is kept in the Tabernacle our life which is hid with Christ in God that never runs into Death Naturall life is like the River Iordan empties it self into the dead Sea but spirituall life is like the waters of the Sanctuary which being shallow at the first grow deeper and deeper into a River which cannot be passed thorow Water continually springing and running forward into eternall life So that the life which we leave is mortall and perishing and that which we go unto is durable and abounding Joh. 10. 10. Men not to hasten their own Deaths but submit to the Will of God And why so IT is observeable that when of late years Men grew weary of the long and tedious compasse in their Voyages to the East-Indies and would needs try a more compendious way by the North-West passage it ever proved unsuccessefull Thus it is that we must not use any compendious way we may not neglect our body nor shipwrack our health nor any thing to hasten Death because we shall gain by it He that maketh hast even this way to be rich shall not be innocent Prov. 28. 20. For our times are in Gods hands and therefore to his holy providence we must leave them We have a great deal of work to do and must not therefore be so greedy of our Sabbath day our rest as not to be contented with our working day our labour Hence is it that a composed frame of Heart like that of the Apostles Phil. 1. 21. wherein either to stay and work or to go and rest is the best temper of all Assurance of Gods Love the onely Comfort IT is commonly known that those who live on London Bridge sleep as soundly as they who live at White-Hall or Cheapside well knowing that the Waves which roar under them cannot hurt them This was Davids case when he sang so merrily in the Cave of Adullam My heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psalm 57. 7. And what was it that made him so merry in so sad a place He will tell you vers 1. where you have him nestling himself under the shadow of Gods loving wings of Protection and now well may he sing care and fear away Thus it is that a Man perswaded and assured of Gods love unto him sings as merrily as the Nightingale with
savour above all Worldly contentment to a godly Man 7. Content is a great blessing of God 29. To be Content with our present condition 41. A contented Christian is a couragious Christian 66. A contented Man no base spirited Man 105. Contentment brings in all things on a sudden 106. Contentment keeps up the Soul in the saddest of conditions 107. A contented mind suits with all conditions 2â—0 Consideration of the brevity of life to wâ—râ— the heart of Man to contentment 392. To rest contented with Gods good will and pleasure 422. Content with Gods good pleasure a great blessing 481. Men to argue themselves into a mood of Contentment 501. The quietnesse of Contentment 502. The spiritual benefit of divine Contentment 504. A little with content sufficient 519. No true content in the things of this World 564. Commandements of God the reasonablenesse of them 251. The commands of God to be obeyed not questioned 582. To compassionate others miseries 528. 301. 613. How far there may be a lawful compliance with men of other Judgments 405. The pain of a wounded Conscience greatned by the folly of the patient 563. Greatnesse of the torture of a wounded Conscience 565. Peace of Conscience not to be wrought out by Company c. 567. Not to regard what men say ill if Conscience say well 315. Conscience to be looked on as a Register of all our actions 307. To blesse God for the peace of Conscience 33. The security of a good Conscience 55. The Hell of a guilty Conscience 75. The terrours of a guilty Conscience 151. The sad effects of a wounded Conscience 199. The great comfort of a good Conscience 270. Conscience spoils the wicked Mans Mirth 376. Good Conscience a Mans best Friend at the last 415 507. The most silent Conscience will speak out at last 502. Not to consent unto Sin 480. Consideration to be had in all undertakings 169. Consideration of eternal pain to deter from the commission of Sin 122. Consideration of Gods omnipresence to be the sinners curb 128. Consideration of death will cure all distempers 134. God to be consulted with upon any great undertaking 148. Controversies especially in matters of Religion dangerous 294. Corrections Instructions 141. Correction of children and servants how to be moderated 445. No true comfort but in God 166. A godly Christian is a constant Christian 41. The danger of Conventicles 115. The hardnesse of a Rich mans Conversion 562. Conversion of Heathens to be endeavoured 36. Conversion of a Sinner wrought by degrees 188 305. The meditation of Death profitable to the Souls conversion 282. Conversion of a Sinner painfully wrought 283. Conversion of a Sinner is matter of great rejoycing 312. The serious confession of one sinner to another may be the Conversion of one the other 346. The Ministers joy in the Conversion of Souls 640. More Converts made by Preaching then by reading 545. A covetous Man good for nothing till he be dead 67. Ministers and Physitians of all Men not to be covetous 72. Covetousnesse and contentment inconsistent 199. A Covetous Man never satisfied 317. Covetousnesse in the Cleargy condemned 590. A great comfort to have a Faithfull Counsellour 54. To make God our Counsellour 229. Every thing in specie made perfect at one and the same time in the Creation 500. God to be seen in the works of the Creation 643. Man since the fall of Adam subject to the Creatures 255. No true happinesse to be found in the best of Creatures 368. Vanity of the Creatures without God 642. All Creatures subject to God pleasure 166 609. All the Creatures are at peace with good men 96. The Use of the Creatures is conditional 102. Not so much to eye the Creature as the Creator in all occurrents 170. Gods power Wisedome c. to be seen in all the Creatures 205. The Creature moves not but in and by God 59. Cares and Crowns inseperable 202. Curses usually falling on the Cursers head 298. Custome in sin makes content in sin 90. Custome of sin no excuse for the committing of sin 276. Men hardly drawn out of old customes and forms in Religious worship 344. Custome in sin causeth hardnesse in sin 350. Hard to be drawn from custome in sin 366. 479 630. D THe true Christians safety in danger 214 490. To be careful in the prevention of danger 248 That it is lawful to praise the dead 45. A Man dead in Sin is a senselesse Man 45. To speak well of the dead 206. Dead Men soon forgotten 623. Commonnesse of the death of others taking away the sense of Death 477. How it comes to passe that Death is more generally excused then accused 325. Death strips us of all outward things 33 123 Encompassed by Death on all sides 39. To look on every day as the day of Death 66. In death there is no difference of persons 84. At the time of Death to be mindfull of Heaven 103. To be mindful of the day of Death 119. An argument of extream folly not to be mindful of death 121. Death the good Mans gain 123. A good Man is mindful of his death 126. Extream folly not to be mindfull of death 137. Death is the true Christians advantage 153. How the good and the bad look upon death in a different manner 159. To be alwayes prepared for death 182 298 492. Meditation of death the benefit thereof 254. Insensibility of death reproved 255. Hoâ— it is that wicked Men are said to hasten death 260. All alike in death 261 493. Death the end of all 263. To be mindfull of death at all times 265. Whether it be lawfull to desire death 266. Every Man to be perswaded of his own death 297. The impartiality of death 301. Every day to be looked on as the day of death 324. Frequent meditations of death the great benefit thereof 369. Men not to hasten their own deaths but submit to the Will of God and why so 370. The generality of Men nothing mindfull of death 376. The day of death made the good Mans comfort 396. The day of death better then the day of life 407. The good Man's comfort in death 417. A Child of God triumphing over death 487. The good Christians absolute victory over death 492. Christians to be carefull that they may find comfort in death 508. The smallest pâ—at of ground sufficient for the greatest landed Man at the time of death 562. The generality of Men not enduring to hear of death 579. Death of the Soul mere to be lamented then the death of the body 608. The true Christians confidence and contempt of death 618. Death put off from one to another 673. Christ by his death overcame death 676. The pooâ— Debtors comfort 306. To beware how we come into the debt of sin 556. Not to admit of delayes in Religious performances 592. Deliberation to be used in all our wayes 458. God is the onely object of his childrens Delight 23. God is the onely delight
he reâ—â—ored all the gains of his injustice made the poor partakers of his riches abandoned all worldlinesse and vvas recovered both in soul and body to the Lord. As this man hath many follovvers in his base avarice so it vvere to be vvished of God that he had some in his gracious repentance Little do gripulous fathers think that vvhat vvas forty years a gathering should be spent in a few daies revelling And so it comes to passe as by daily experience may be seen that vvhen men are over carefull to provide for their ovvn by taking avvay another mans vix gaudet tertius haeres He that buies a Patrimony for his child vvith the losse of his own soul hath but a dear purchase a very hard bargain To be zealous in the cause of God MEmorable is that christian resolution of Martin Luther that he vvould enter into the City of Worms in the Name of the Lord Iesus though there vvere as many devills as tiles to cover the houses And that of Calvin Ne decem quidem maria c. That it vvould not grieve him to sail over ten seas about an uniform draught for Religion And the blessed Apostle vvas not onely ready to be bound but to die also for the Name of the Lord Iesus And thus must ever good Christian do be zealous in the cause of God contend for the truth of his Word spare no cost leave no stone unmoved Ubi de Religione ibi quoque de vita agitur holding even their very lives to hold upon Religion serving God vvith all their might and as is commanded ready to run through fire and vvater for their holy profession Christ to be received into our hearts by Faith IN the Gospels history we find that Christ had a four-fold entertainment amongst the sons of men some received him into house not into heart as Simon the Pharisee who gave him no kisse nor water to his feet some into heart but not into house as the gracelesse swinish Gergesites some both into house and heart as Lazarus Mary Martha And thus let every good Christian do endeavour that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith that their bodies may be fit Temples of his holy Spirit that now in this life whilst Christ stands at the door of their hearts knocking for admission they would lift up the latch of their souls and let him in For if ever they expect to enter into the gates of the City of God hereafter they must open their hearts the gates of their own City to him here in this world Sermon not done till practised IT is reported of a good man that comming from a publick Lecture and being asked by one whether the Sermon were ended made this answer fetching a deep sigh Ah! it is said but not done And to speak truth the Sermon cannot be said to be done till it be practised But herein the Lord be mercifull to most of us we are apt to think that when a Sacrament day is over all the Sacrament duties are over too when the discourse from the Pulpit is finished the Sermon is finished as if when the Ordinance were at an end there were an end of the Ordinance and of us with the Ordinance also Christ the poor mans Object as well as the rich mans A Low man if his eye be clear may look as high though not so far as the tallest the least Pigmee may from the lowest valley see the Sun or Stars as fully as a Gyant upon the highest Mountain He that stands by may see as far into the milstone as he that picks it Christ is now in Heaven it is not the smalnesse of our person nor the meannesse of our condition can let us from beholding him the soul hath no stature neither is Heaven to be had with reaching If God be but pleased to clear the eyes of our faith we shall be high enough to behold him Ministers to be encouraged and protected against the plots of wicked men and why so PHilip of Macedon besieging Athens sent Legates to the City conditioning with them that if they would deliver into his hands ten of their Oratours such as he should choose whom he pretended to be the disturbers of the Common weal he would raise his siege and be at peace with them But Demosthenes smelt out his plot and with the consent of the Athenians returned him this apologeticall answer The Woolvs came to treat of a league with the Shepheards and told them thus All the feud and discord betwixt you and us ariseth from a certain generation of Doggs which you maintain against us deliver up those dogs and we will be good friends with you The dogs were delivered up the Peace was concluded the shepheards as they thought secure But oh the wofull massacre that was presently made amongst the poor Lambs they were all devoured the shepheards undone and all by parting with their dogs Thus if the Popish or the Peevish party could but once get the Ministers of the Gospell to hold their peace or procure them to be muzzled by Authority or to be delivered over to their woolvish cruelty vvo vvere it to the souls of the poor people errour vvould then play Rex darknesse triumph hell make play-day truth vvould languish and all goodnesse fall flat to the earth As little as they are novv regarded men vvould then misse them and wish for them and be glad to protect them if they had them Meditations of Death the benefit thereof PEter Waldo a rich Merchant of Lyons in France being invited to a great supper where one of the company fell suddainly dead at the table he was so taken with the sight that he forsook his Calling and fell to study the Scripture trading for the Pearl of the Gospell whereby he became an excellent Preacher and the first founder of those antient Christians called Waldenses Such is the benefit that commeth by the meditation of death Let but a man behold the bones of the dead and make a Christian use thereof he must needs fall into a patheticall meditation within himself as thus Behold these legs that have made so many journeys this head which is the receptacle of wisdom and remembereth many things must shortly be as this bare skull and drie bones are I will therefore betimes bid worldly things adieu betake my self to repentance and newnesse of life and spend the rest of my daies in the service of my God and thoughts of my dissolution Away then with that sad and too too usuall expression I thought as a little of it as of my dying day Let Otho think them cowards that think on death but let all good men think and meditate on death what it is unto all men by nature what unto good men what unto bad and great will be the comfort arising thereupon Men to be helpfull one to
his Vineyard to keepers but God keeps his Church in his own hands he may use the help of men but it must be as tools rather then as his agents he works by them they cannot works but by him so that in spite of the gates of hell his Church his Vine shall flourish Even so return O God of hosts look down from heaven and visit this Vineyard of ours thy Church which thy right hand hath planted and the branch which thou hast made strong for thy self The sad condition of all impenitent Sinners IT is said of Antoninus Arch-Bishop of Florence that after he had heard the confession of a wretched Usurer he gave no other Absolution than this Deus miseratur tui si vult condonet tibi peccata tua quod non credo c. God be mercifull to thee if he please and forgive thee thy sins which I do not believe and bring thee to eternall life which is impossible i. rebus sic stantibus if God doth not wonderfully work a strange conversion in his heart And such and so sad is the condition of every unregenerate man every impenitent sinner they are no other then bondslaves of Sathan firebrands of hell vessells of wrath men without God in the world No wonder then that as long as they continue in such a wretched estate God cease to be mercifull unto them deny them forgivnesse of sins here in this life and admission into his Kingdom of glory hereafter God as he is a God of mercy so he is a God of judgment and therefore not to be provoked NOthing so cold as Lead yet nothing more scalding if molten nothing more blunt then Iron and yet nothing so keen if sharpned The aire is soft anâ— tender yet out of it are ingendred thundrings and lightnings the Sea is calm ana smooth but if tossed with tempests it is rough above measure Thus it is that mercy abused turns to fury God as he is a God of mercies so he is a God of judgmen and it is a fearfull thing to fall into his punishing hands He is loath to strike but when he strikes he strikes home If his wrath be kindled yea but a little wo be to all those on whom it lights how much more when he is sore displeased with a people or person Who knowes the power of â—is anger saies Moses Let every one therefore submit to his Iustice and implore his Mercy Men must either burn or turn for even our God is a consuming fire Promises of God the excellency and comforts that are to be found in them IT is said of Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus that being much wounded in conscience by reason of the great sin he had committed in subscribing to the Popish errors he was much comforted by reading those words 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptance that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners c. Thus was Beza supported under his troubles by the words of Christ Ioh. 10. 27 28 29. Mention is also made of one that was upheld under great affliction and comforted from that of Esay chap. 26. 3. of another in the like condition from that of the same Prophet chap. 57. 15. of a third a young Maid upon the knowledge of a reverend Divine yet living that went triumphantly to Heaven by the refreshing she found in that well known Text Math. 11. 28. Many also are the drooping spirits that have been wonderfully cheared by reading the eighth Chapter of St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans and by that Text of St. Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life c. And thus it is that great is the excellency transcendent the comforts that are to be found in Gods Promises they are the good Christians Magna Charta for Heaven the onely assurance that he hath to claim by There is no comfort no true reall virtuall comfort but what is built and founded upon a Scripture-promise if otherwise it is presumption and cannot properly be called true comfort The Promises are pabulum fidei anima fidei the food of faith and the very soul of faith They are a Mine of rich treasures a Garden full of choise flowers able to enrich the soul with all celestial contentments to sweeten the sourest of conditions The truth is there is no promise of God but if he be pleased to illighten unto us and shew us our interest in it will afford a plentifull harvest of everlasting joy and that which is true and reall contentment indeed The griping Usurer and his Broker characterised IT is commonly known that the neather Milstone stands or lies still and stirs not So the wretched rapacious griping Usurer sits at home and spends his time in a kind of diabolicall Arithmetick as Numeration of hours daies and monies Substraction from other mens estates and Multiplication of his own untill he have made Division between his soul and Heaven and divided the Earth to himself and himself if God be not the more mercifull to a worser place And for his Broker he is not much unlike the upper Milstone without which the neather may seem to be unservicable that is quick stirring and runs round so he is still in action like the Iackall yelping before the Lion for a prey ever contriving how he may bring grist to the Mill mony into the Usurers bank and sorrow to his own soul. Hence is that phrase of the Prophet Grinding the faces of the poor who like corn are ground to powder betwixt them But let all such know that it were better for them if they endured all temporall punishment whatsoever that a milstone were tyed about their necks and so cast into the bottom of the sea than that both body and soul should be cast into hell fire for evermore The danger of fleshly lusts to be avoided CLemens Alexandrinus hath a story that the first who found out fire was a Satyre a wild man and perceiving it to be a creature beautifull and resplendent like a hot suitor he offers to kisse it But the fire speaking to him said Take heed Satyr come not near me for if thou dost I shall burn thy beard The meaning is that unclean lust being a fire which lâ—st fâ—ll be arts have found out they aâ—e told if they meddle with it they are sure to be burnt by it Can a man go upon hot coals and not be burnt take fire in his bosome and his cloaths not be consumed go in unto a strange woman and be innocent come near such a she-fire and not be sindg'd He cannot it is impossible He may tread upon coals thinking to tread them out but he will first tread the fire into his own feet he may think to take fire in his bosome and his cloaths
God are conditional made up with Provisoes As there is a reward promised so there is a Condition premised It must be our Obedience first and then comes in Gods recompence Our devotion goes before and his Retribution followes after To be careful of Vowes and Promises made in the time of Extremity THeodoricus Archbishop of Colen when the Eâ—perour Sigismund demanded of him the directest and most compendious way how to attain to true happinesse made answer in brief thus Perform when thou art well what thou promisedst when thou wast sick David did so he made Vows in Warr and paid them in Peace And thus should all good Men do not like the cunning Devill of whom the Epigrammatist thus writeth Aegrotat Daemon Monachus tunc esse Volebat Convalâ—it Daemon Monachus tunc esse nolebat Well Englished The Devill was sick the Devill a Monk would be The Devill was well the Devill a Monk was he Nor like unto many now adayes that if Gods hand do but lie somewhat heavy upon them O what Promises what engagements are there for amendment of life How like unto Marble against rain do they seem to sweat and melt but still retain their hardnesse let but the Rod be taken off their backs or health restored then as their bodies live their Vows die all is forgotten Nay many times it so falleth out that they are far worse then ever they were before The good Christian's absolute Victory over Death WHen the Romans had made Warre upon the Carthagenians and often overcaâ—â— them yet still within eight of ten years or lesse they made head again and stirred up new Warrs so thaâ— they were in successive combustion And it hath been the same in all the Nations of the World he that was erst an underling not long afâ—er becomes the Commander in chief and the same thing that the Lord hath now made the â—ayl may be the head in time to come As for Example Cerealis gets a great Conquest over the Cymbrians and the Tutons and shortly after Sylla had the like over him And Sylla no sooner shines out to the World but is eclipsed by Pompey And Pompey the glory of his time is by the conquering hand of Caesar outed both of life and honours And Caesar in the height of all his pompous state falls by the hands of bloody Conspirators in the Senate-house Thus in the course of this World As one Man is set up another is pull'd down the Conquerour is oft-times conquered himself but in the Victory that every good Man hath over Death it is so absolute that it is without any hope or comfort on Death's part and without any fear or suffering on their part For it is so taken away as if it had never been and that which had the greatest triumph the mightiest Trophies in the World unto which all Kings and Princes have bowed their heads and laid down their Scepters as so many morselsâ—o â—o â—eed on shall by the hand of Iesus Christ be turned into nothing shall have no Name or nation and be berâ—ft of all hope of recovery 1. Cor. 15. To be alwaies prepared for Death WHen Harold King of Denmark made Warr upon Harquinus and was ready to joyn battel a dart was seen flying into the ayr hovering this way and that way as though it sought upon whom to rest when all stood wondring to know what would become of this strange Prodigy every Man fearing himself at last the dart fell upon Harquinus his head and slew him Thus Death shoots his arrowes amongst us here he hits one that is Rich there another that is poor Now he shoots over at one that is elder then our selves Anon he shoots short at one that is younger Here he hits one on the right hand our equal another on the left inferior And none of us know how soon the Arrow may â—all upon our own heads our turn will come let it be our care then we be not surprised on a sodain Religion pretended Mischief intended CElsus the Philosopheâ— upon his defence of Paganism setteth an Inscription oâ— the Word of Truth Manicheus that blasphemous Heretick taking in hand to write to the Church his damnable Paradoxes doubteth not to begin thus Manicheus Apostolus Iesu Christi c. Manicheus the Apostle of Jesus Christ The 〈◊〉 Hâ—reticks were alwayes saying Nos rectaâ—fide iâ—cedimus We waâ—k in 〈◊〉 right Faith All of them seeking the cloak and coverture of Religion It is the old Proveâ—â— In nomine Domini incipit omne malum well Englished In my name have they prophesied lies Ier. 23. Thus it was with them and is it not the â—ame â—ay worse considering the abundance of means afforded to be better with us now and but some few years ago Parsons that Arch-traytor when he was hatching misâ—hief against his Prince and Native Country set forth as if he had been wholly made up of devotion that excellent piece of Christian Resolution And now For Sioâ—s sake I will not hold my tongue sayes one c. So sayes another and so a third Sion at the tip of the tongue but Babel at the bottom of the Heart Religion preteâ—ded Mischief intended like Sons of Simon rather then children of Sion writing Pâ—â—rmaca medicines where they should write venena poysons And by this means they do sugar the brims of their intoxicated cups that Men the more grâ—edily and without suspition may suck in their venomous doctrines that are administred unto thâ—m therein Why God suffers his Children to be in a wanting condition SEverus the Emperour was wont to say of his Souldiers That the poorest were the best For when they begun to grow rich then they began to grow naught Hence is that of the Poet Martem quisquis amat C. If you will bring up a boy or young Man to be a Souldier learn him first to endure poverty to â—â—e hard and fare hard and to encounter all the hardship that Necessity can present unto him and then hee 'l deal the better with his Enemies So in the School of Christ the Lord suffers his People to be in a wanting condition not because he doth not intend to supply them not because he cannot provide for them but the reason is to bring them up in the discipline of Warre to train them up as weaned Children lest they should be taken off with the things of this World and as it were drowned in the vanities of this life and so forget God and their own Soul's health which is most of all to be regarded All Men alike in Death LUcian hath a Fable the Moral is good Menippus meeting with Mercury in the Elizian-fields would needs know of him which amongst all thâ— ghosts was Philip the great King of Macedon Mercury answers He is Philip that hath the hairlesseâ—scalp Menippus replyes Why they have all bald heads Merc. Then he with the flat
modii but lux mundi that light of the World in whom there is not so much as the least shadow of darknesse Small buddings of Grace in the Soul an argument of greater growth VVHen we behold Prime-Roses and Violets fairly to flourish we conclude the dead of the Winter is past though as yet no Roses or Iuly-flowers do appear which long after lye hid in their leaves or lurk in their roots but in due time will discover themselves Thus if some small buddings of Grace do but appear in the Soul it is an argument of far greater growth if some signs be but above-ground in sight others are under-ground in the heart and though the former started first the other will follow in order It being plain that such a Man is passed from death unto life by this hopeful and happy spring of some signs in the heart Magistrates Rulers c. the great comfort of good ones THe People of Rome were very jocund when they had made Galba their Emperour but he had not been long in till they began to change their note For they found by woful experience that they had met with a carelesse and cruel Goverâ—our A sad thing when it is either with Magistrates or Ministers as Pope Urban writ to a Prelate in his time very scoffingly Monacho fervido Abbatic calido Episcopo verò tepido et Archiepiscopo â—rigido still the higher in means the worse in manners But there is then good hope when Men in power and authority can say Non nobis sed populo that they aym at the publique good And happy is that People that place that Common-wealth whose Rulers think no time too long no pains too great nor no patience too much whereby they may glorifie God and seek the publique good in the appointed places of their dignity Godly Company the benefit thereof IT is observable of many houses in the City of London that they have so weak walls and are of so slender and slight building that were they set alone in the Fields probably they would not stand one hour which now ranged into streets receive support in themselves and mutually return it to others Such is the danger of solitarinesse and the great benefit of association with good and godly Company Such as want skill or boldnesse to begin or set a Psalm may competently follow tune in consort with others and such are the blessed fruits of good Society that a Man may not onely be reserved from much mischief but also be strengthened and confirmed in many godly Exercises which he could not perform of himself alone The excellency of Sonday or Lords day above other dayes WHat the Fire is amongst the Elements the Eagle among the Fowls the Whale among the Fishes the Lyon amongst the beasts Gold among the other mettals and Wheat amongst other grain the same is the Lords day above other dayes of the week differing as much from the rest as doth that wax to which a Kings great seal is put from ordinary wax Or that silver upon which the King's Arms and Image are stamped from Silver unrefined or in bullion It is a day the most holy Festival in relation to the Initiation of the World and Mans Regeneration the Queen and Princesse of dayes a Royall day a day that shines amongst other dayes as doth the Dominical letter clad in scarlet among the other letters in the Calender or as the Sun imparts light to all the other Stars so doth this day bearing the name of Sonday afford both light and life to all other dayes of the week Men to be as well industrious in their Callings as zealous in their devotions THe Inhabitants of the Bishoprick of Durham pleaded a Priviledg That King Edward the first had no power although on necessary occasion to presse them to go out of their Country because forsooth they termed themselves Haly-work-folk onely to be used in defending the holy shrine of S. Cuthbert Thus it is that many in the World are much mistaken thinking that if they be but once entred into the trade of Godlinesse they may cancell all Indentures of service and have a full dispensation to be idle in their Callings whereas the best way to make the service of God comfortable within their own Souls is to take pains without in their lawful Vocations there being ever some secret good accrewing to such who are diligent therein Variety of gifts in the Ordinance of Preaching IT is a received Aphorism amongst Physitians that the Constitutions of all Mens bodies are of a mixt nature hot dry cold and moyst and yet the Wisdom of God hath so diversly tempered these that scarce in the World are two Men to be found in every point of like temper The face of a Man is not above a span over yet let ten thousand Men be together and their countenances shall all differ So in the Church as to the variety of gifts in the matter of Preaching let divers Men take one and the same Text yet scarce two of a hundred though all soundly and to the Point are to be found that have in all things the like gift either for matter or utterance some having five talents some but two some but one some have a more excellent gift of Conference some of Prayer some of Exhortation some in opening of a Text some in application c. every one though not all alike some one way or other profitable unto Gods people to help onward the building up of the body of the Lord Iesus in the edification of those that are committed to their charge To be more strict in the holy observation of the Sabbath then heretofore and why so SOme Popish People make a superstitious Almanack of the Sonday by the fairnesse or foulnesse thereof guessing of the weather all the week after according to that old Monkish rime If it rains on Sonday before Messe It will rain all week more or lesse However it may be boldly affirmed That from our well or ill spending of the Lord day a probable conjecture may be made how the following week will be employed yea it is to be conceived that we are bound as matters now stand in England to a stricter observation of the Lords day then ever before That a time was due to Gods service no Christian in this Nation ever did deny That the same was weekly dispersed into the Lords day Holy-dayes Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays some have earnestly maintained seeing therefore all the last are generally neglected the former must be more strictly observed It being otherwise impious that our devotion having a narrower channel should also carry a narrower stream along with it Gods gracious return of his Peoples Prayers in the time of their distresse IT is said of Martin Luther that perceiving the cause of the Gospel to be brought into a great strait he flyes unto God layes hold on him by Faith and
Vice and all kind of vanity a Temple fit for the Holy Ghost to duell in a Vessell and preserver of the Graces of Gods holy Spirit Discretion the guide of all Religious actions THere is a story how divers ancient Fathers came to S. Anthony enquiring of him What Virtue did by a direct line lead to perfection that so a Man might shun the snares of Sathan He bade every one of them speak his opinion One said Watching and Sobriety Another said Fasting and Discipline A third said Humble prayer A fourth said Poverty and Obedience And another Piety and works of Mercy but when every one had spoke his mind his answer was That all these were exâ—ellent Graces indeed but Discretion was the chief of them all And so without all doubt it is being the very Auriga Virtutum the guide of all Virtuous and Religious actions the Moderator and Orderer of all the Affections For whatsoever is done with it is Virtue and what without it is Vice An ounce of Discretion is said to be worth a pound of Learning as Zeal without Knowledg is blind so Knowledg without Discretion is lame like a sword in a Mad-man's hand able to do much apt to do nothing Tolte hanc et virtus vitium erit He that will fast must fast with Discretion he must so mortifie that he do not kill his Flesh He that gives Alms to the poor must do it with Discretion Omâ—i petenti non omnia petenti to every one that doth ask but not everything that he doth ask so likewise pray with discretion observing place and time place lest he be reputed an Hypocrite time lest he be accounted an Heretick And thus it is that Discretion is to be made the guide of all Religious performances Humility exalted THe Naturalists do observe that the Egyptian Fig-tree being put into the Water presently sinks to the bottom but being well soaked with moysture contrary to the nature of all other wood bwoyes it self up to the top of the Water So we may say of humble-minded Men they keep the lowest place and degree in every thing but when in such places they are sooked with the waters of grace and devotion with the waters of tears and compunction of heart with the waters of pitty and compassion of other Mens miseries then do they after death especially swim up to that incomparable weight of glory which God hath assured to the poor in spirit Ioâ— 22. No Worldly thing must hinder the Service of God IT was a good saying out of a Wicked Man's mouth When Balaac put hard upon Balaam to curse the People of God No sayes he I cannot do it If Balaac would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot do it I cannot go beyond the Commandement of God to do either good or bad of my own mind but what the Lord saith that will I speak And thus it is that when a Man is put upon any sinfull design such as shall not be agreeable to the Word of God nor suit with the dictates of his own Conscience let him desist with that resolution of Ioseph How can I do this great Wickednesse and so sin against God Avoid Sathan away with Riches Honours Preferments c. if they once appear to dis-engage me from the service of my God If not onely a house full of gold and silver but all the Kingdoms of the World were to be at my dispose I would forgoe them all forsake them all that I might stick close unto the service of so good a Master as God is Every Man is to make himself sure of Heaven and Heavenly things IT is related of a Man that being upon the point of drowning in a great River he looked up and saw the Rainbow in the Clouds and considering that God had set it there as a sign of his Covenant never more to drown the World by water makes this sad conclusion to himself But what if he save the whole World from a deluge of Waters and suffer me to be drown'd here in this River I shall be never the better for that when I am once gone all the world is gone with me Thus it is in the matter of Heaven and Heavenly things as in the point of Calling and Election whereas it is said That many are called but few chosen so that if a Man cannot make out unto himself that he is none of the Many so called and one of the few that shall be certainly saved he must needs be but in a sad condition What is the bloud of Christ though in it self sufficient to save ten thousand Worlds if it be not efficient in the application thereof unto his Soul He shall be never the better for it What if the Gospel come to him in Word onely and not in power not in the Holy Ghost and full assurance it would do him little good What are Promises if he be not Heir of them VVhat are Mercies if he be no sharer in them VVhat is Heaven if he have no Evidence for it And what is Christ though all in all in himself yet nothing nay the further occasion of damnation to him if he he not in him The deaths of Faithful Magistrates Ministers c. to be lamented IT is reported in the Life of S. Ambrose That when he heard of the death of any holy Minister of Christ he would weep bitterly The like may be read of Philo the learned Iew That when he came to any Town or Village and heard of the death of any good Man there dwelling he would mourn exceedingly because of the great losse that that place and the whole Church of Christ had received thereby How much more cause have we then of this Nation to lament our sad Condition who have in few years lost so many Reverend learned and Godly Ministers Magistrates and others Needs must we languish when the breath of our nostrils is expired needs must the Church be in a tottering estate when her props and supporters are taken away and such a one is every good Magistrate in his place every painful Preacher in his Parochial charge every child of God in the Precinct where he dwells And if the taking away of any of these be not matter of sorrow I know not what is Antinomian madnesse IT is said of Lycurgus that being cast into a phrensy by Dionysius in that distemper thinking to have cut down a Vine with the same hatchet slew his own Son So the Antinomist being possest with a spiritual phrensy which he calls Zeal when he lifts up his hatchet to cut off some errours which like luxuriant branches have sprung up about the Law cuts down at unawares the very Law it self both root and branch making the observation of it arbitrary in respect of Salvation or as a Parenthesis in a sentence where the sense may be perfect without it For under colour
time yet he will return at last he may in his great Wisdome for a time hide his face yet at last he will in mercy lift up the light of his Countenance to the great joy of that poor Soul that seems to be deserted and make bare the arm of his power for comfort Men to be active in regaining their lost Souls IT is said of Xerxes the greatest of the Persian Princes that when the Graecians had taken from him Sardis a famous City in Asia the lesse in S. Iohn's time one of the seaven Churches charged That every day at dinner some one or other speaking with a loud voice should remember him that the Graecians had taken the City of Sardis from him But what shall poor Sinners do that have lost more then a City even their pretious Souls which are of more worth then all the World besides Let them then give their Redeemer no rest by incessant Prayers till he deliver them and repair their ruines let them still be calling upon him to remember his losse and theirs for theirs are his till they have regained by him that which was at first taken from them by the Enemy â—ven the Image of their God after which they were created Hypocrites discovering their own shame IT is said of the Peacock whose pleasant wings as holy Ioh calls them chap. 39. 16. are more for ostentation then for use For whiles he spreads out his gaudy plumes he displayes the uglinesse of his hinder parts Such are many Hypocritical dissembling wretches aâ— this day who yet differ from the Peacock in this that whereas he is said to have Argus his eyes in his tail they it should seem have them in their heads else how could they espy so many faults in others none in themselves yet whilst they spread out their gay plumes whilst they simper it devoutly and rail Jesuitically against Church and State whilst they hear Sermons pray give Alms make a sowre Lenten face all to be seen of Men What do they else but discover their own shame shew the uglinesse of their hinder parts bewray the fearfulnesse of their latter end Sin the chief cause of a Nation or Cities ruine PHysitians make the Threescore and third year of a Mans life a dangerous Climacterical year to the body Natural And Statists make the Five hundreth year of a City or Kingdome as dangerous to the body Politick beyond which say they Cities and Kingdomes cannot stand But which is matter of Wonder Who hath ever felt a Cities languishing pulse Who hath discerned the fatal diseases of a Kingdome found out their Critical daies Do they wax weak and heavy and old and shriveld and pine away with years as the body of Man No they may flourish still and grow green they may continue as the daies of Heaven and be as the Sun before the Almighty if his wrath be not provoked by their wickednesse So that it is not any divine aspect of the Heavens any malignant Conjunction of Stars and Planets but the Peoples loose manners ungratious lives and enormous Sins which are both the chief cause and symptome of a Kingdome or Cities sicknesse and they indeed soon bring them to a fearful end and utter desolation Wherein the poysonfull Nature of Sinne consisteth IT is credibly reported That in some parts of Italy there are Spiders of so poysoâ—ous a Nature as will kill him that treads upon them and break a glasse if they do but creep over it This shews clearly that the force of this Poyson is not in measure by the quantity but in the Nature by the quality thereof And even so the force of Sin consists not in the greatnesse of the subjâ—ct or object of it but in the poysonful Nature of it For that it is the breach of the Law violation of the Iustice and a provocation of the wrath of God and is a present poyson and damnation to Mens Souls therefore as the least poyson as poyson being deadly to the body is detested so the least sin as sin being mortal to the Soul is to be abhorred Our own Natural corruption the cause of Sin AS corruption and infection could not by the heat of the ayr ambient enter into our bodies if our bodies did not consist of such a Nature as hath in its self the causes of corruption No more could Sin which is a generall rot and corruption of the Soul enter into us through the allurements or provocation of outward things if our Souls had not first of themselves received that inward hurt by which their desire is made subject to Sin as the Womans desire was made subject to her Husband and as the Philosophers say the Matter to the Form The causes of Sin are to be ascribed to our own Concupiscence the root is from our own hearts It is confessed that Sathan may instill his poyson and kindle a Fire of evil desires in us yet it is our own Flesh that is the first Mover and our own Will which sets the Faculties of the Soul in combustion Death of the Soul more to be lamented then the death of the body ST Augustine confesseth That in his youth as many Wantons do he read that amorous discourse of Aeneas and Dido with great affection and when he came to the death of Dido he wept for pure compassion But O me miserum saith the good Father I â—ewailed miserable Man that I was the fabulous death of Dido forsaken of Aeneas and did not bewail the true death of my Soul forsaken of her Jesus Thus it is that many unhallowed tears are sacrificed to the Idols of our eyes which yet are as dry as Pumices in regard of our Souls We bewayl a body forsaken of the Soul and do not grieve for the Soul abandoned by God Hence we are to learn from every Corps that is buried what the daughters of Israel were to learn from Christ crucified Weep not for me but weep for your selves Luke 23. 28. not so much for the losse of your bodies as for the death of your immortal Souls Not to wait Gods good pleasure in times of Affliction very dangerous A Man that is unskilful in swimming having ventured past his depth and so in danger of drowning hastily and inconsiderately catcheth at what comes next to hand to save himself withall but it so happeneth that he oft layeth hold on sedgy weeds that do but intangle him and draw him deeper under water and there keep him down from ever getting up again till he be by that whereby he thought to save himself drown'd indeed Thus it is that whilest many through weaknesse of Faith and want of Patience are loath to wait Gods good pleasure and being desirous to be rid in all haste of the present Affliction they put their hand oft to such courses as procure fearful effects and use such sorry shifts for the relieving of themselves
223. Change of Government not to be affected 234. The sad condition of people under Tyrannicall Government 310. A good wish to good Government 431. The great weight of Government 452. The heavy weight of Government ill attained 652. Governours as they are qualified are a curse or a blessing to the People 9. Rulers and Governours support the Common-wealth 29. Princes Governours c. to be prudentially qualified 110. Every peaceable frame of spirit and confident perswasion of Gods love is not a sure testimony that such an one is in the state of grace 324. Grace in the heart is certain though the feeling thereof be uncertain And how so 352. It is Grace not place that keeps a Man from sinning 324. Grace in the heart cannot be smothered 20. A totall deprivation of Grace in the heart deplorable 23. The doctrine of free Grace abused by licentious Libertines 37. Grace not greatnesse maketh Magistrates glorious 43. Grace of God above all Riches 54. The losse of Grace made up again in Christ onely 72. Saving Grace and seeming Grace much resemble one another 30. True Grace is diffusive 30. True Grace is accompanied with humility 88. Graces lost in the Soul to be made up onely in Christ 112. Different measures of Grace in different persons 139. Grace sometimes seemingly lost to a Child of God 145. 245. Weak beginnings of Grace not to be despised 149. A sense of the want of Grace a true sign of grace 156. 177. Grace in the heart may be a long time concealed 179. Grace of God the onely armour of proof 184. Graces to be stocked up against a day of trouble 254. God accepts the meanest of Graces 285. Graces of Gods Spirit not given in vain 311. Minding of good things a notable way to encrease Grace 511. Why it is that they which have the strongest graces are subject to the strongest corruptions 374. Grace and goodnesse to be highly esteemed even in Men of the lowest condition 374. God exercising the Graces of his Children 404. Small buddings of Grace in the Soul an argument of greater growth 538. Grace to be communicated 557. Perfection of Grace to be endeavoured 563. Graces of the Spirit to be made the Souls furniture 574. Though seemingly lost yet found at last 607. Man by refusing the tenders of Grace becomes the cause of his own destruction 628. How it is that the sweet fruits of Grace come to grow on the bitter root of Nature 632. Graces divine not parts humane hold out in the end 635. How it is that Graces of the Spirit may at present seem to be lost 635. 665. Means in the attainment of Grace and the use thereof enjoyned by God 636. The Grace of God is all in all 647. The way to greatnesse is full of danger 10. Condiscension is the great Mans glory 90. Conversion of great ones to be endeavoured 185. Greatnesse and goodnesse well met together 191. The vanity of Man in seeking after great things 598. Great Men and others not to raise themselves by the ruines of the Church 632. Growth of sin to be prevented 10. The not growing in grace reproved 347. The Christian's spirituall growth when seemingly dead aed declining 397. The Hypocrite and true Christian their difference in growth of Grace 505. The Christian's growth in Grace enjoyned 581. H. HAppinesse and blessednesse the onely things desireable 304. No way to Happinesse but by Holinesse 395. Happiness of him that hath the Lord to be his God 422. Others Mens harms to be our arms 39. 67. 338. Miseries attendant on the haters of Gods people 361. Not to be carelesse Hearers of Gods Word 21. 572. Sathan's endeavour to hinder the hearing of Gods Word 34. Curiosity in the hearing of Gods Word condemned 41. 135. Unprofitable Hearers of the Word described 74. Ministers to distinguish their Hearers 103. Hearers and not doers of the Word condemned 165. Hearing or listning after Vanity reproved 173. Hearing the Word and not meditating thereon dangerous 187. Partial Hearers of Gods Word reproveable 241. How to behave our selves in the hearing of Gods Word 249. Negligent hearing of Gods Word condemned 272. 585. Needfull requisites to make a profitable hearer of Gods Word 299. Men to hear the Word of God though they come with prejudicate thoughts 413. Partiality of affection in hearing Sermons condemned 420. Attention in hearing of Gods Word commanded and commended 469. Blessednesse of the poor in spirit in the matter of hearing Gods Word 484. To be diligent hearers of the Word of God and remember what we hear 487. Good and bad hearers of the Word their difference 506. Wanton hearers of the Word reproved 619. The great benefit of hearing and practising Gods Word 636. How to know Whether a Man belong to Heaven 4. A great folly not to provide for Heaven 8. The things of this World a great stop in the way to Heaven 11. A poor child of God comforted with the hopes of Heaven 13. The true Christian's hopes of Heaven 28. The Saints knowledg of one another in Heaven 68. Heaven the best Inheritance 80. How to know Gods dwelling place Heaven 100. A child of God is restlesse till he come to Heaven 101. At the time of death to be mindfull of Heaven 103. Hopes of Heaven the good Mans encouragement 104. A good Christian to be Heavenly-minded 136. The reward of Heaven will make amends for all 136. Heaven worth contending for 155. The Kingdom of Heaven an everlasting Kingdome 175. The great state of Heaven 196. How to get into Heaven 196. The Heavenly coâ—queror the happy conquerour 197. Not to admit of impediments in our way to Heaven 222. But one sure way to Heaven 222. Consultation with Flesh and bloud in the wayes of Heaven is very dangerous 237. Heaven the inheritance of Gods children 242. The World to be contemned in regard of Heaven 296. Men desirous to be in Heaven but will not take the pains to come rhither 300. The way to Heaven through tribulation 302. The joyes of Heaven not to be expressed 312. A true child of God half in Heaven whilest he is on Earth 317. Heaven the poor Saints comfortable Inheritance 347. Whilest we are here in this World to provide for Heaven 347. Heavenly happinesse not to be expressed 396. Heaven not to be found upon Earth 455. To be waited for with patience 460. Men upon hearing of the joyes of Heaven to be much taken there with 465 466. Every Man to make himself sure of Heaven c. 575. Heaven to be alwayes in our thoughts 585. Heaven a place of holinesse 610. The signs of Heaven as Sun Moon with their Eclipses c. as we are not to be dismaid at them so not to be contemners of them 655. No pains to be thought too much for the getting of Heaven 668. Why it is that God affords some glimpse of Heaven in this life 669. An Heavenly-minded Man looks through all Afflictions 458. Heavenly-mindednesse of a child of God 459.
Magistrates to look to their attendants 144. To be Men of understanding 523. To stand up in Gods cause 541. 545. Not to be found guilty of that which they forbid in others 531. Magistrates Ministers c. their rule to walk by 573. Their death to be lamented 575. Malice and Envy not fit for Gods table 73. The great danger of Malitious turbulent spirits 79. Not to be malitious in the exercise of holy duties 102. Matter enough within us to condemn us 154. A good Man denominated from the goodness of his heart 555. The sad condition of Man falling away from God 298. Man's being is from God 37. Man the best and worst of Creatures 216. The fall of Man described 216. Married Men better Common-wealths-men then Batchelers 203. Marriage to be sought of God by prayer 256. Children to have a care how they marry without consent of Parents 441. Marriage not to be made for money onely 527. The Martyr's welcome to Heaven 450. Good meanings of bad men destructive 621. Good means how to be used 114. Gods blessing upon the means doth all 92. Want of matter not to hinder Meditation 435. Natural wants not to hinder divine Meditation 434. The great comfort of Heavenly Meditation 191. 430. The necessity of divine Meditation 431. The beginnings thereof very difficult 432. 636. The excellency thereof 660. God the proper object of Man's Memory 62. To blesse God for our Memories 63. Repetition of good things helpfull to Memory 96. Memory must be active 106. Memory ought to be the treasury of all goodnesse 149. The difference betwixt a good and bad Memory 335. The excellency of a good Memory 547. The generall badnesse of Memory in good things 548. Gods Mercies to the worst of sinners repenting 651. Gods Mercy above his Justice 144. To be mercifully-minded is praise-worthy 163. To sin against the Mercies of God is to double our Sins 177. V Vorks of Mercy very rare to be found amongst us 306. Not to be put off from one to another 307. God as he is God of Mercy so he is a God of Judgment and therefore not to be provoked 328. The consideration of Mercies formerly enjoyed an excellent means to bear up our spirits under present affliction 355. Mercies of God in Christ Jesus the danger of dallying with them 425 The mercies of God to be particularly recorded to posterity 449. God shewing mercy even for Christ Jesus sake 451. Mercies of God to be recorded to all posterity 512. The great tenders of mercy to Repentant sinners 620. Acknowledgment of mercies received the ready way to have them further enlarged 640. A great exceeding Mercy to be one of Gods Children 662. A good Man merciful to his very beast 513. Merit-mongers condemned 269. 412. Ministers to be active and vigorous in reproof of sin 544. The Ministers Calling to be owned from God 546. Ministers not to be verball but reall in their expressions 547. A non-resident sloathfull Minister worthily discouraged 586. The Ministers calling full of labour and toyl 613. Ministers to preach plainly as well as learnedly to the capacity of their Hearers 281. The madnesse of Ministers Magistrates c. not to be guided by that counsell they give to others 299. 411. To see a necessitated Minister is matter of great grief 321. How it is that Ministers find so little success in preaching the Gospel 326. Ministers to be accomptable to God for what they have received 337. Ministers not to be afraid of the faces of Men 59. Ministers of all Men to be painfull in their calling 219. Ministers how to preach profitably 220. Leud Ministers what they are like unto 221. Ministers to be encouraged and protected against the plots of wicked Men and why so 253. The Ministers duty 274. Ministers to be painfull in the discharge of their duty 275. Ministers of Gods Word to be constant in the preaching thereof 276. Ministers to preach the Gospel notwithstanding the discouragements of their Auditory 457. Ministers to be wise Master-builders 28. To be Men of knowledg and understanding 624. Young raw Ministers blame-worthy 30. 513. The Ministers authority to be as much looked on as his sufficiency 35. An ill-lived Minister is a scandall to the Gospel 56. A fearful Minister is a Soul-murthering Minister 60. Ministers and Magistrates to be diligent in in their places 63. Young Ministers to be well principled 64. A Minister to be able and well furnished 64. Ministers to be Men of merciful dispositions 76. A Minister is to distinguish his Auditors 103. Every Minister to speak a word in season opportunely 110. A Minister to be carefull in the delivery of Gods Message 11. Ministers to cry down the Sins of the time 141. Ministers to teach as well the practice as the knowledg of Religion 176. The Ministers labour though insuccessefull yet rewarded by God 176. To be acquainted with the state of Mens Souls 517. Ministers to live according to that doctrine they teach unto others 189. To be Men of gravity and experience 468. The Minister and Magistrate to go hand in hand together 367. To be Men of courage 429. Ministers to be of godly lives and conversations 421. The painfull Ministers joy at the time of his death 471. Negligent Ministers advised 514. Every Minister to keep close to his Text 525. Ministers to be as they are called spirirual Men 542. To be earnestly Zealous in the Preaching of Gods Word 543. A Factious-spirited Man unfit for the work of the Ministry 21. Great safety in attending to the Ministery of the Word 205. The honour and dignity of the Ministery And why so 212. A wanting Ministery will soon become a contemptible Ministery 224. Men of other Callings not to meddle with that of the Ministery 239. The least Man in the Ministery not to be contemned 366. Four sorts of Men undertaking the work of the Ministery 549. Miracles why ceased 39. Popish miracles condemned 597. Moderation little set by 178. The fore-runner of peace 622. Christian Modesty commendable 296. Morning-prayers commended 292. Mortalitie's memorandum 108. 211. The greatest of Men subjects of Mortality 123. Mortality of the sinners life to be considered and deplored 126. All men and things subject to Mortality 194. Sin mortified the Devils terrour 2. Mortification of sin brâ—edeth sense of sin 127. Mortification the excellency thereof 391. The great necessity thereof 401. A great fault in Mothers not to nurse their own children 426. The greatnesse of Motherly affection to an onely son 532. Every Motion towards God is not a true motion towards God 16. The godly and ungodly their different motions in goodnesse 129. Murmuring at Gods doings the prejudice thereof 558. Uncertainty of the Multitude 36. The inconsiderate Multitude 167. The Multitude not to be guided by them 426. The Multitude always desirous of change in government 467. The Vanity of an unguided Multitude 606. The giddy uncertain disposition of the Multitude 629. Tyranny oppression Murther c. not longâ— lived
Sun go down yet if it be twilight Those small remainders of greater Goods are no small refreshings to a loser It doth a man some good to keep some monuments of his better estate especially when they are pledges of some sparkle of good-will towards us continuing in Him upon whose just displeasure we forfeited all Thus as God in favour gives the holy Spirit so in displeasure doth he take Him away and we cannot guesse better at the measure of his displeasure than by the measure of the deprivation if he take it but in part then he tempers mercy with judgment but if he leave no sparkles of grace that may be kindled again if there be such a rowt made that there is no hopes of rallying then we become Lo-ruhama Hos 1. we are clean shut out of the bowells of his compassion God is the onely object of his Children's delight HE that truly loveth his friend transporteth himself often to the place where he was wont to see his friend he delighteth in reading his Letters and in handling the gages and monuments that he hath left behind him how grateful is the sight of any thing that presents unto him the memoriall of his absent friend And thus the child of God to testifie his love to him transporteth himself often to the place where he may find God in his Sanctuary amongst his Saints he delights in reading his Letters the Scriptures he delights in eating those holy monuments and pledges the Sacraments which he hath left behind him as tokens of his good-will untill he come again A peaceable disposition is a God-like disposition BY the Lawes of England Noblemen have this priviledge that none of them can be bound to the Peace because it is supposed that a noble disposition will never be engaged in brawls and contentions It is supposed that the Peace is alwaies bound to them and that of their own accord they will be alwaies carefull to preserve it It is the base bramble that rends and teares what is next unto it Gentlenesse mercy goodnesse love tendernesse of other's sufferings are the greatest ornaments of a noble spirit and where it is sanctified the grace of God shines bright in such a heart Christâ—s victory over Sathan WHen Mahomet the second of that name besieged Belgrade in Servia one of the Captains at last got upon the wall of the City with his Colours displayed A noble Bohemian espying this ran to the Captain and clasping him fast about his middle asked one Capistranus standing beneath whether it would be any danger of damnation to his soul if he should cast himselfe down headlong with that dog so he tearmed the Turkish Captain to be slain with him Capistranus answered That it was no danger at all to his soul. The Bohemian forthwith tumbled himself down with the Turk in his arms and so by his own death onely saved the life of all the City Such an exploit as this Christ plaies upon the Devill the Devill like the great Turk besieged not onely one City but even all Mankind Christ alone like this noble Bohemian encountered with him And seeing the case was so that this dog the devill could not be killed stark dead except Christ died also therefore he made no reckoning of his own life but gave himself to death for us that he onely dying for all the People by his death our deadly enemy might for ever be destroyed Propriety in God is the onely comfort EVery man naturally loves that which is his own and if the thing be good it doth him the more good to look upon it Let a man walk in a fair medow it pleaseth him well but it will please him much more if it be his own his eye will be more curious in prying into every part and every thing will please him the better so it is in a corn-field in an orchard in a house if they be ours the more contentedly do they affect us For this word Meum is suavissima amoris illecebra it is as good as an amatory potion So then if God the Lord be lovely how much more lovly should he be in our eyes if he be our Lord God and doth appropriate that infinite good that he hath unto us And who would not joy to be owner of that God which is independent He is what heart can desire and who can but rejoyce in having Him in having of whom we can want nothing Killing of men heretofore made ordinary THe Romans at the first used to set wild Beasts upon the Stage to kill one another and after this they came to be delighted to see Gladiatores and Fencers kill one another and thirdly they were much affected to see men cast upto the wild beasts to be devoured and torn in pieces so that from the sight of killing of Beasts they delighted to see Men killed And was not this our case by swearing and lying we came at last to killing Thus were we broken out and blood touched bloods blood in the plurall He that hath killed one careth not to kill an hundred a dogg's neck was formerly cut off with more reluctancy than the pretious life of man was taken from him Killing of men was but sporting like that of the young men at the pool of Gibeon Fooles make a sport of sin and so did men of the crying sin of murther But if the Sword had thus plaid Rex any longer it would have been bitternesse in the end which God in the greatnesse of his mercy hath of late years prevented Reverence to be used in the service of God VAlerius Maximus tells a story of a young Nobleman that attended upon Alexander while he was sacrificing this Nobleman held his Censer for Incense and in the holding of it there fell a coal of fire upon his flesh and burn't it so as the very scent of it was in the nostrills of all that were about him and because he would not disturb Alexander in his service he resolutely did not stir to put off the fire from him but held still the Censer If Heathens made such a do in sacrificing to their Idoll-gods that they would mind it so as no disturbance must be made whatsoever they endured what care should we then have of our selves when we come to worship the high God Oh that we could mind the duties of Gods worship as matters of high concernment as things of greatest consequence that so we might learn to sanctifie the name of our God in the performance of duty more than ever we have done The condition of Temporizers IT is observable that the Hedghog hath two holes in his siege one towards the South another towards the North now when the southern wind blowes he stops up that hole and turns him northwards and then when the north-wind blowes he stops up that hole likewise and turns him southward again Such Urchins such
piece of wax and put to a seal it leaveth an impression or mark like it selfe in the wax which when a man looks on he doth certainly know that there hath been a seal the print whereof is left behind Even so it is in every one that hath a readinesse to forgive others by which a Christian may know easily that God hath sealed to him the forgiveâ—esse of his sins in his very heart Let men therefore but look into their hearts whether they have any affection any inclinations to forgive others for that is as it were the priâ—t in their hearts of God's mercy towards them in forgiving of them Popular Government popular confusion IT was said of old He that is friend to all is true friend to none and that which hath many heads hath no head at all Such is that many-headed Monster the Multitude which hath neither head for brains nor brains for government And as in a medicine if there be not a due proportion of the simples in the mixture there 's a mischief for a remedy not a remedy for a mischief So in a popular State where the People are agreed and where there is no equall temperature and counterpoise of supream power against the strong ingredient of the Multitude which is alwaies hot in the highest degree there must needs be disorder and a way open to all confusion Sathan's restlesse uncessant employment IT was Hannibal's saying of Marcellus That he had to do with him who could never be quiet neither conqueror nor conquered but conqueror he would pursue his victories and conquered labour to recover his lâ—sse But much rather may a man say the like of Sathan that great ramping Lion the Arch-envier of our peace and happinesse who is the most wrathfull and the most watchfull enemy who is never idle but ever employed in sowing cockles amongst the Lord's good corn who though we stoutly resist him and overcome him for a while yet will he never rest nor give over but will be tempting again yea will not cease to tempt us again and again with the same temptations hoping at length to â—in our consents and so give us the foile in the conclusion Spirituall desertions no distractions to the child of God IT was a barbarous act of that Nation who imprisoned condemned executed and rip'd up an Asse to recover the Moon out of him which they suspected he had swallowed because they saw him drink at the water when the Moon appeared by reflection and immediately upon that being wrap'd up into a cloud they mist her And thus do simple Men that think the grace of God is extinct quite when some cloud of sin robs them of the comfortable light of it How are they frighted as the Antients were with these Eclipses and are much distracted in the midst of such spiritual desertions Yet the knowing experimental Christian is nothing troubled thereat but expects the return with patience Every impenitent sinner is his own Tormentor IF a Malefactor for his punishment should be appointed every day to carry a stick of wood to an heap to burn him twenty years after it must needs be an exceeding great punishment and misery And this is the case of every sinner who neglecting Repentance from day to day doth thereby employ himself in heaping up the coals of Gods wrath to burn his soul in hell when the day of death comes It is no other but a treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath There 's no dependance for great Men upon Popularity ICarus in the Poet being furnished with wings by the Art of his Father Daeclalus could not content himself in a lower sphere but he must needs be soaring so high that the Sun melting the wax wherewith his wings were fastened he fell down head-long to his own destruction These two wings of Icarus thus joyned on with wax are just like Popular and Military dependance in Noble men to make them great they will help for a while to make them so and mount them aloft in the thoughts of Men and then fail them at the very height It is therefore safer to stand upon two feet then flie with two wings the two feet of Justice Communicative and distributive For great Men shall grow greater if they but advance merit and relieve wrongs The resolved Christian. WHen Charles the nineth of France propounded to that famous Prince of Conde this three-fold choice either Mass or Death or perpetual Imprisonment the most Christian worthy made this answer God assisting me I will not chuse the Mass the other two I refer to the King's determination yet so as I hope God in whose hands the heart of the King is by his gratious providence will provide and dispose of these also Thus should it be with every Christian to be a resolved Christian to suffer any hardship for Christ not to do as the men of the world do that so as they may avoid death and imprisonment care not how they rise upon other mens ruines so they may eat of the fat and drink of the sweet so they may swallow down the good things of the land and cloath with the softest of the Wool impose what Religion you will either Mass or Mahumetisme what government you will in Church or State you shall find them servile enough the good Centurion never kept such obedient ready and resolute servants they will fit you every way fashion and put forward themselves for any employment Sin trampleth on Christ. WHen Pompey could not keep his Souldiers in the Camp by perswasion he cast himself all along in the narrow passage that led out of it and then bid them Go if you will but you shall first trample upon your General and this overcame them so it is that every sin makes Gods head ake as the Rabbines were wont to tell their Scholars to scare them nay more we cannot go to commit sin but we must trample upon the pretious blood of Christ Jesus for our sins crucifie him rather then Pilate crown him with thornes rather then the Souldiers The happiness of good Government THere was a law amongst the Persians that when their Governour was dead there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlessness for five dayes after that every man should do what he list now for those five dayes there was such killing robbing and such destroying one another that by the time the five dayes were over they were glad of government again So that any kind of government is better then no government but happy is that People bona si sua norint that live under a good government where Iustice flows from the Supream as head and is conveyed by subordinate Ministers unto the People Faith is the fountain of all graces WHen Toxaris saw his Country-man Anacharsis in Athens he said unto him I will at once shew thee all the wonders
Constellation to another he is able to give account of all Thus take a man in his pure naturalls set him in the midst of the Ordinances let the Administrations be never so pure the Dispensations never so clear he sees nothing of God but as it were through chinks and crannies of Nature some glimpse and glimmer onely of divine light O but the child of God having the perspective-glasses of the Old and New Testaments in his hand especially that of the New-Testament a very clear-sighted glass he walks from star to star from one Attribute of God to another he discovers stars of the first magnitude as Faith and Hope and Charity nothing in order to salvation is hid from his eyes Christians ought to be loving one to another ME-thinks Philadelphia the name of one of the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. is a very proper fitting name for a Church which signifies Brotherly love and every Congregation ought to be in a good sense the family of Love breaches and divisions distractions and heart-burnings may happen in other Kingdomes which are without God in the world and strangers to the Covenant of Grace yet let Ierusalem the Church of â—od be alwaies like a City which is at unity within it self Discord in Church or Commonwealth prejudiciall IN the ringing of bells whilst every one keeps his due time and order what a sweet and harmonious sound they make all the neighbour villages are cheared with the sound of them but when once they jarre and check each other either jangling together or striking preposterously how harsh and unpleasing is that noise So that as we testifie our publick rejoycing by an orderly and well tun'd peal so when we would signifie the Town is on fire we ring the bells backward in a confused manner It is just thus in Church and Commonwealth when every one knowes his station and keeps their due ranks there is a melodious consort of comfort and contentment but when either States or Persons will be clashing with each other the discord is grievous and extreamly prejudicial And such a confusion either notifieth a fire already kindled or portendeth it and that of all other must be a dangerous fire that begins in the bed-straw Popular States may ring the changes with safety but the Monarchial government requires a constant and regular course of Rule and inferiority Government and subjection which cannot be violated without a sensible discontent and danger And so in the Church take away Discipline and the Doctrine will not be long after Sin to be renounced as the cause of Christ's death SUppose a Man should come to a Table and there is a knife laid at his trencher and it should be told him This is the knife that cut the throat of your child or your Father if he could now use that knife as any other knife would not one say Surely there was but little love either to the Father or to the child So when there is a Temptation to any sin this is the knife that cut the throat of Christ that pierced his sides that was the cause of his sufferings that made Christ to be a curse Now wilt thou not look on that as a cursed thing that made Christ to be a curse Oh with what detestation should a man or woman fling away such a kniâ—e and with the like detestation it is required that a man should renounce sin for that and that onely was the cause of the death of Christ. Ministers not to be afraid of the faces of Men. POpilius a Roman Embassador sent to Antiochus the great having delivered his message and the King deferring his answer and demurring on it drew a circle round about him with his wand and conjured him to determine and resolve whether he would have Peace or War before he went a foot out of the circle which wondrous resolution and confidence caused him presently to define Peace And do we not see how bold every petty Constable will bear himself upon the higher Power I charge you in the Kings name c. And why then should God's Ambassadors onely be afraid like children of shadows and bug-bears Courage and Resolution becomes them best their Commission is large and will bear them out the penalty great if they faint in the execution Fear not their faces saith the Lord of Ieremy lest I destroy thee The Creature moves not but in and by God THe Creature can do nothing but as it is commanded by God It is the vanity of the Creature that it can do nothing of it self except there be an influence from God As for example Take the hand it moves because there is an imperceptible influence from the Will that stirs it So the Creature moving and giving comfort unto us it is God's will it should do it and so it is applied to this or that action The Artificer using a hatchet to make a stool or the like there is an influence from his Art that guides his hand to the work So the creatures working is by a secret concourse from God doing thus or thus whether it be this way or that way all is from God The Schismaticks abuse of Scripture IT is reported of one Procrustes a notorious theevish Inn-keeper who when any Travellers came to lodge at his house would make his guest's stature equal with his bed either by stretching them out to the length of it if they were too short or by cutting some part of them if they were too long He would not fit his bed to his guests but his guests to his bed Nothing more common shall we find amongst Hereticks and Schismaticks than either with false senses to stretch and enlarge or with loud lyes to mince and mangle the sacred Scripture that so they may frame them to their likings and make them serve their own turnes at all essayes They will either suppress the words or else not express the sense they will either blot out or else blemish the Scriptures rather then they will abolish or any whit alter their own fantasies Of their own opinion and writings they will not abide the least amendment but of the holy word of God they care not what havock they make A fearful Minister is a Soul-murthering Minister MAuritius the Emperor said of Phocas who conspired against him having enquired of his disposition and hearing that he was fearful Si timidus est homicida est said he So it may be said in this case The Cowardice of the Ministery is cruelty he that fears the faces of men he is a murtherer of the souls of Men. Sins in men regenerate and unregenerate the difference REgenerate-men sin yet the Peace is not broke betwixt God and them because their minds never yielded to sin As it is betwixt Princes they are at peace â—hough Pirates of either Nation rob the others subjects yet it breaks not the
let them stay at Iericho till their beards be grown till they be well principled and enabled for the great work of the Ministry Many seem to be willing yet are loath to die A Gentleman made choice of a fair stone and intending the same for his grave-stone caused it to be pitched up in a field a pretty distance off and used often to shoot at it for his exercise Yea but said a wag that stood by you would be loath to hit the mark Thus many men build their Tombs prepare their Coffins make them death's-headrings with memento mori on them yet never think of death and are very unwilling to die embracing this present world with the greater greedinesse A Minister to be able and well furnished CAleb said to his men I will bestow my daughter upon one of you but he that will have her must first win Kiriath Sepher i. e. a City of Books he must quit himself like a man he must fight valiantly And certainly he that will be one of God's Priests an Ambassador of Christ a true Minister of the Word and Sacraments must not be such a one that runs before he is sent that hath a great deal of zeal but no knowledge at all to guid it But one that is called of God that hath lain long before Kiriath Sepher that hath stayed some time at the University and commeth thence full fraught with good learning such a one and such a one onely is a fit match for Caleb's daughter fit to be a dispencer of God's Word and Sacraments Dangerous to be sed uced by fals-Teachers ARistotle writeth of a certain Bird called Capri-mulgus a Goat-sucker which useth to come flying on the Goats and suck them and upon that the milk drieth up and the Goat growes blind So it befalls them who suffer themselves to be seduced by hereticall and false Teachers their judgment is ever after corrupted and blinded And as it is said in the Gospel If the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch Tongue-Prayer not the onely Prayer IT is said that David praised God upon an Instrument of ten strings and he would never have told how many strings there were but that without all doubt he made use of them all God hath given all of us bodiâ—s as it were Instruments of many strings and can we think it musick good enough to strike but one string to call upon him with our tongues onely No no when the still sound of the heart by holy thoughts and the shrill sound of the tongue by holy words and the loud sound of the hands by pious works do all joyn together that is God's consort and the onely musick wherewith he is affected The way to have our Will is to be subject to God's Will IT is reported of a Gentleman travelling in a misty morning that asked a shepheard such men being greatly skilled in the Phyâ—iognomy of the Heavens what weather it would be I will be said the shepheard what weather pleaseth me and being courteously requested to express his meaning Sir â—aith 〈◊〉 it shall be what weather pleaseth God and what weather pleaseth God pleaseth me Thus a contented mind maketh men to have what they think fitting themselves for moulding their will into Gods will they are sure to have their will The excellency of good Government IT hath been questioned and argued Whether it were better to live under a Tyrannous government where everâ— suspition is made a crime every crime capital or under an Anarchy where every one may do what he lift And it hath been long since over-ruled That it is much better to live under a State Sub quo nihil liceat quà m sub quo omnia A bad government rather then none So then if the worst kind of government be a kind of blessing in comparision What then is it to be under an able Christian Ruler One that doth govern with counsel and rule with wisdom and under such Judges and Magistracy that do not take themselves to be absolute the Supream Authority but confesse themselves to be dependant that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Centurion in the Gospel and to give an account not onely to him that is Judge of quick and dead but also to the higher Powers on Earth if they should chance to forget themselves We must learn to live well before we desire to die AS old Chremes in the Comedy told clitipho his son a young Man without discretion who because he could not wring from his Father ten pounds to bestow upon his Sweet-heart had no other speech in his mouth but emori cupio I desire to die I would I were dead But what saies the old Man first I pray you know what it is to live and when you have learned that then if you be a weary of your life speak on Thus they that are so hasty to pronounce the sentence of death against themselves that wish themselves in their graves out of the world must first know what belongeth to the life of a Christian why it was given them by the Lord of life to what end he made them living souls what duties and service he requireth at their hands by that time these things are rightly considered they will be of another mind A negligent Christian no true Christian. IF a man should binde his son Apprentice to some Science or occupation and when he had served his time should be to seek of his Trade and be never a whit the more his Crafts-master in the ending of his years then he was at the beginning he would think he had lost his time and complain of the injury of the Master or the carelessness of the servant Or if a Father should put his Son to school and he alwaies should continue in the lowest Form and never get higher we should judge either great negligence in the Master or in the Scholar Behold such Apprentices or such Scholars are most of us The Church of God is the School of Christ and the best place to learn the Science of all Sciences Now if we have many of us lived long therein some of us twenty some thirty some fourty some fifty years c. and some longer and we no wiser then a child of seven Were it not a great shame for us What no forwarder in Religion then so O disgrace And may we not be condemned of great negligence in the matters of our salvation Hypocrisie may passe for a time undiscovered MAud Mother to King Henry the second being besieged in Winchester Castle counterfeited her self to be dead and so was carryed out in a Coffin whereby she escaped Another time being besieged at Oxford Anno 1141. in a cold Winter with wearing whitâ— â—pparel she got away in the snow undiscover'd Thus some Hypocrits by dissembling Mortification that they are dead to the world and by professing a snow-like purity
suspected that he would cousen him and sought to entrap him If any talked roughly to him then he thought that he contemned him If meat were given to him in any plentifull sort This is but to fat me as a sheep or an ox to be slaughtered Thus his sin did lie upon him and ever remember him that some vengeance was to follow from God or Man or both And this is the case of all wilfull bloody presumptuous sinners that though there be some struglings and wrestlings to the contrary yet their hearts and consciences are greater than themselves and will put them in mind that nothing but destruction waiteth on them if they walk abroad sonus excitat omnis suspensum they are afraid of every leaf that wags if they stay at home nothing but horrour attends them In the day they are struck with variety of sad apprehensions and in the night they are tormented with fearfull dreams and strange apparitions Such and so great is the hell of a guilty conscience Love of Gods children is a sincere love THe Son of a poor man that hath not a penny to give or leave him yields his father obedience as chearfully as the son of a rich man that looks for a great Inheritance It is indeed love to the father not wages from the father that is the ground of a good child's obedience If there were no heaven God's children would obey him and though there were no hell yet would they do their duty So powerfully doth the love of the Father constrain them Ministers to be men of merciful dispositions THe Lord Ellesmer sometimes Lord Chancellor of England a great lover of mercy was heard to professe That if he had been a Preacher this should have been his Text A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast A merciful man and a merciful Text well met But oh the Prophetical incendiaries of the late fearful un-natural civil vvar how far were they from this sweetness of disposition how far from thoughts and bowels of mercy how far from a desire to preach mercy when it was a common course with them by Viperine glosses to eat out the bowels of a merciful Text when nothing was more usual amongst them than to alleadge the words of the Scripture against the meaning than to wrong and wring the Scripture till it bled again but they would misconstrue and misapply it one way or other to stir and incite men to such actions as little became the profession of the Gospel Election known by Sanctification IF any man would know whether the Sun shineth or not let him go no further but look upon the ground to see the reflection of the Sun-beams from thence and not upon the body of the Sun which will but the more dazle his fight The pattern is known by the Picture the cause by the effect Let no man then soar aloft to know whether he be elected or not but let him gather the knowledge of his Election from the effectualness of his calling and sanctification of his life the true and proper effects of a lively faith stamping the Image of Gods Election in his soul. Men commonly are loath to die though seemingly willing thereto IT is but Aesop's fable but the Morall of it is true A poor desolate old Man returning home from the vvood with a burthen of sticks on his back threw them down and in remembrance of the misery which he sustained called often for death to come unto him as if he would live no longer But when death came to him in earnest and asked him what he should do the old Man presently changed his mind and said That his request unto him was that he would help him up with his wood This most commonly is our case vve would find some other business to set death about if he should come to us when vainly we have wished for him we dismiss him with a Nondum venit tempus bid him call to morrow we are not yet at leisure How do men vainly wish for death and how mercifully doth the Eternal deal with them who oftentimes in his love denyeth that which they so earnestly desire and which if they should presently enjoy they would prove of all men most miserable for being removed hence it is to be feared the accounts betwixt God and their own souls would fall short of what they should be A special Sacrament-duty to bless God for Christ's death THe Jews in the celebration of the Passeover did sing the 113. Psalm with the five following Psalms which they called The great Hallelujuh it was always after that cup of wine which they called Poculum hymni or laudationis The cup of praise And thus it should be with us At all times upon all occasions in all places we should sing Hallelujahs to God and praise his holy name but at the Sacrament in that Eucharistical action we should sing a great Hallelujah No time but we should blesse God for the work of our Redemption but at the Sacrament we should have our hearts greatly inlarged in a more special manner to bless God for the benefit of Christ's death and the sweet comforts that we receive therby in the use of the Sacrament Not lawful to fight for Religion WHen Mahomet was about to establish his abomâ—nable superstition wherein he had mingled the Laws and doctrines of Heathens of Iews false Christians and Hereticks with the illusions and inventions of his own brain he gave it forth for a main Principle how God at the first in his love to mankind sent Moses after him Jesus Christ who were both of them endued with power to work miracles but men gave small heed to them Therefore he determined to send Mahomet a man without miracles a Warrior with a sword in his hand that whom miracles had not moved weapons might compell Thus they may derive their authority perhaps by a long descent from Mahomets pretended Charter but most sure it is they can find no syllable of allowance in the great assured sacred Charter of Gods word who seek to set up Religion by the sword fire and faggots are but sad Reformers The Church therefore was wont to be gathered by the mouths of Ministers not by the swords of Souldiers It was well said of one Let Religion sink to Hell rather then we should call to the devill for help to sâ—pport it The weight of sin to be seriously peized POrters and Carryers when they are called to carry a burthen on their shoulders first they look diligently upon it then they peize and lift it up to try whether they be able to undergo it and whether they shall have strength to carry it when it is once on their backs And thus should every man do that for a little pleasure hath enthralled himself to carry the burthen of sin he should first prove and assay what a weight
surer then the bonds of Grace We call on God our Father we acknowledge or should do one Church our Mother we suck the same breasâ—s of the Old and New Testament we are bred up in the same School of the Cross fed at the same Table of the Lord incorporated into the same Communion of Saints If these and the like considerations cannot knit our hearts in love one to another the very Heathens will rise up in Iudgement against us and condemn us The winning of a Soul unto God very acceptable with God MEmorable is the story of Pyrrhias a Merchant of Ithaca who on a time seeing an aged man captive in a Pyrats Ship took compassion on him and redeemed him and with him bought likewise his Commodity which the Pyrat had taken from him being certain â—arrels of pitch The old man perceiving that not for any service that he could do him nor for the gain of his commodity but meerly out of charity Pyrrhias had done this presently discovered unto him a great mass of Treasure hidden in the pitch whereby he grew exceeding wealthy having not without divine providence obtained an answerable blessing for so good an act of Piety Now if God so bountifully requite the Redemption of a poor old man de servitute corporeâ from a corporal servitude how much rather should every man contend to the utmost of his power Ministers in the Pulpit Magistrates on their benches Masters in their families every one by a good example to win a soul unto God to â—edeem his Brother from the thraldom of the Devil which is to save a soul from death And for which they shall be honoured with the name of Saviours and their reward shall be that they shall shine like stars for ever and ever The great difficulty of forgiving one another IT is worthy observation and such as are conversant amongst little children know it to be true That when they are taught to say the Lords Prayer they are usually out at that Petition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us The reason is because of the harshnesse of the sound the reiteration of one and the same words the multiplicity of the Consonants and the like It were to be wished that that which they are so often out at we could be more frequently in at that what is not easie for their shallow heads to conceive may not be too hard for our more experimental hearts to practise But it is hard indeed why else did Christ make a Comment on that Petition passing by the other five when he taught his Disciples to pray And hence it is that injuries are registred in sheets of Marble to all Posterity whilst benefits are written in the sand ready to be dashed out by the foot of the next that passeth by Death is the true Christians advantage AS that Ass called Cumanus Ass jetting up and down in a Lions skin did for a time much terrifie his Master but afterwards being descryed did benefit him very much Thus Death by the death of Christ stands like a silly Ass having his Lions skin pulled over his ears and is so far from terrifying any that it benefits all true Christians because by it they rest from their labours and if they be oppressed with cares and troubles of the world perplexed distracted in the midst of a crooked and froward generation let but death come they have their Quietus est and are discharged The great danger of not listning to the Word preached THe Romane Senators conspired against Iulius Caoesar to kill him That very next morning Artemidorus Caoesars friend delivered him a paper desiring him to peruse it wherein the whole plot was discovered But Caoesar complemented away his life being so taken up to return the salutations of such people as met him in the way that he pocketed the paper among other Petitions as unconcerned therein and so going to the Senate house was there slain Thus the World the Flesh and Devil have a design for the destruction of Men Ministers such as watch for their good bring a Letter of advice Gods word wherein all the conspiracie is revealed but who doth believe their report Most men are so busie and taken up with worldly delights that they are not at leisure to listen to them or read the letter but thus alas run headlong to their own destruction Vniversal Repentance WE commend Prisoners for their wisdom who knowing they are guilty more wayes then one desire that all the Indictments may be brought in against them before the Verdict pass upon them that so they might be throughly discharged So he that arraigneth himself before the Bar of God's Iustice should not leave any thing unrepented of whereof he knoweth himself guilty nor conceal any part of his misery that needeth the help of God's mercy Prudence and worldly Policy uncertain THe Chirurgion that dealeth with an outward wound seeth what he doth and can tell whether he can heal it or no and in what time but he that is to make an incision within the body be it for the Stone or the like disease he doth but as it were grope in the dark and may as well take hold of that he should not as of that which he would And the Artizan that worketh in his shop and hath his tools about him can promise to make up his dayes work to his best advantage But the Merchant Adventurer that is to cut the Seas and hath need of one wind to bring him out of the Haven another to bring him out to the Lands end another perhaps to bring him to the place of Traffick where he would be he can promise nothing neither touching his return neither touching the making of his Commodity but as the wind and the weather and the men of War by the way and as the honesty and skill of them whom he tradeth with shall give him leave Juâ—â— so it fareth in matters of prudence and worldly Policy they are conjectural they are not demonstrative and therefore there is no Science of them they have need of concurrence of many causes that are casual of many mens minds that are mutable therefore uncertain not to be built upon Matter enough within us to condemn us PIso one of the Roman Generalls to shew the bloody humour that was in him commanded that a Souldier should be put to death for returning without his fellow with whom he went from the Camp saying that he had killed him The Captain who had the charge to execute this poor Souldier when he saw his fellow coming which had been missed before did spare the first mans life upon this Piso finds matter to take away the lives of all three Hear his worthy reason for it You are a man condemned saith he unto the first my sentence was passed on you and therefore you shall dye then turning him to the second you were the
cause quoth he wherefore your fellow was condemned to death and therefore you must dye and to the third You Centurion because you have not learned to obey the voice of your General shall dye also for company Excogitaverat quomodo tria crimina faceret c. He devised how he might make three faults because he found not one But the just Iudge of all the world needs not do so with us no beating of his brains to invent an accusation against us he needs not draw three faults into one or find one where there is none there 's matter enough within us to condemn us our thoughts our words our deeds do yield him cause enough to pronounce the sentence of death upon us The giving up of our selves an acceptable Sacrifice to God IT is reported of Aeschines when he saw his fellow Scholars give great gifts to his Master Socrates he being poor and having nothing else to bestow did give himself to Socrates as confessing to be his in heart and good will and wholly at his devotion And the Philosopher took this most kindly esteeming it above all other presents and returned him love accordingly Even so the gratious disposition of our heavenly Father taketh in far better part then any man can take it the laying down of our souls the submitting of our selves unto his direction the melâ—ing of our wills down into his Will The Widows two mites were welcome into his Treasury because her heart was full though her purse were empty He accounteth that the best sacrifice which is of the heart External things do well but Internal things do far better Heaven worth contending for IF a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchase in Spain Turkey or some other parts more remote would be not adventure the dangers of the Seas and of his Enemies also if need were that he might come to the enjoyment of his own Well behold Iesus Christ hath made a purchase for us in Heaven and there is nothing required on our parts but that we will come and enjoy it Why then should we refuse any pains or fear any thing in the way nay we must strive to get in It may be that we shall be pinched in the entrance for the gate is strait and low not like the Gates of Princes lofty roof'd and arched so that we must be fain to leave our wealth behind us and the pleasures of this life behind us yet enter we must though we leave our skins nay our very lives behind us for the purchase that is made is worth ten thousand Worlds not all the silks of Persia â—ot all the spices of Egypt not all the gold of Ophir not all the Treasures of bot\â—h Indies are to be compared to it Who therefore would not contend for such a bargain though he sold all to have it Adoption of God's children known by their Sanctification FIre is known to be no painted or imaginary fire by two notes by heat and by the flame Now if the case so fall out that the fire want a slame it is stil known by the heat In like manner there be two witnesses of our adoption or sanctification Gods spirit and our spirit Now if it so fall out that a man feel not the Principal which is the spirit of adoption he must then have recourse to the second VVitness and search out in himself the signs and tokens of the sanctification of his own spirit by which he may certainly assure himself of his adoption as fire may be known to be fire by the heat though it want a flame The danger of Worldly mindedness IT is seen by experience that a man swiming in a River as long as he is able to hold up his head and keep it above water he is in no danger but safely swimeth and cometh to the shore with good contentment but if once his head for want of strength begin to dive then shaketh he the hearts of all that do behold him and himself may know that he is not far from death So is it in this wretched world and swimers of all sorts if the Lord give us strength to keep up our heads i. e. to love God and Religion above the world and before it and all the pleasures of it there is then no danger but after a time of swiming in it up and down we shall arrive in a firm place with happiness and safety but if once we dive and the head go under water if once the world get the victory and our hearts are set upon it and go under it in a sinful love and liking of it O then take heed of drowning Gods delight in a relapsed Sinners repentance AS a Husbandman delights much in that ground that after long barrenness becomes fruitful As a Captain loves that Souldier that once fled away cowardly and afterwards returns valiantly Even so God is wonderfully enamoured with a sinner that having once made shipwrack of a good Conscience yet at last returns and swims to Heaven upon the plank of Faith and Repentance Vnworthy Communicants condemned CHildren when they first put on new shooes are very curious to keep them clean scarce will they set their foot on the ground for fear to dirty the soles of their shooes yea rather they will wipe them clean with their Coats and yet perchance the next day they will trample with the same shooes up to the ancles Alas childrens play is our earnest On that day we receive the Sacrament we are often over-precise scrupling to say or do those things which lawfully we may But we who are more then curious that day are not so much as careful the next day and too often what shall I say go on in sin up to the ancles yea our sins go over our heads Psal. 28. 5. A sense of the want of Grace a true sign of Grace IT is the first step unto Grace for a man to see no Grace and it is the first degree of Grace for a man to desire Grace as no man can sincerely seek God in vain so no man can sincerely desire grace in vain A man may love gold yet not have it but no man loveth God but is sure to have him Wealth a man may desire yet be never the neerer for it but grace no man ever sincerely desired and missed it and why It is God that hath wrought this desire in the heart and he will never frustrate the desire that himself there hath wrought Let no man say I have no Faith no Repentance no Love no fear of God no sanctifying no saving grace in me Doth he see a want of these things in himself yes that is it which so grieves him that he cannot love God stand in awe of him trust in his mercy repent of sin as he should yea but doth he seriously and unfeignedly desire to do thus yes he desires it above all
good of others we see it in the frame of the whole world in Heaven and in Earth neither of them is more beautiful then usefull yea the more glorious the more commodious are the parts of the great World which should make this Microcosm this little world of ours blush if we use our endowments as many do their Garments for pride and not for profit that fools may gaze on us and no body be the better for us The health of the Soul is the true health of the body THe Earth is a huge Globe made to be the Nurcery of Plants Herbs Birds c. While the Sun shineth upon them comfortably How cheerfully doe all things look how well do they prove and prosper but remove the Sun from it as in winter or Eclipse the beams thereof how squalid is the face thereof how do all things languish and die Even so fareth it between our Souls and our Bodies according to the influence of the soul is the true health and strength of the body Our bodies may be then said to be in good liking and Summer-like when they be cherished by our souls but if our souls neglect them then they grow Winter-like and droop Sorrows in this life not comparable to the joyes of the other life AS the Globe of the Earth which improperly for his great show and bignesse we tearm the World and is after the Mathematician's accompt many thousands of miles in compaâ—ss yet being compared unto the greatnesse of the starry Skie's circumference is but a Center or a little prick So the troubles and afflictions and sorrows of this life temporall in respect of the joyes eternall in the world to come bears not any proportion but are to be reputed as nothing or as a dark cloud that cometh and goeth in a moment Dangerous to pry into Gods Counsells and Secrets WIse Solomon sayes The light is a pleasant thing and so certainly it is but there is no true outward light which proceedeth not from some fire The light of that fire is not more pleasing then the fire of that light is dangerous and that pleasure doth not more draw on our fight then that danger forbids our approach How foolish then is that fly that in the love and admiration of the Candle-light will know no distance but puts it selfe heedlesly into that flame whereinâ— it perisheth How many bouts it fetcheth every one nearer then other ere it make the last adventure And so the merciless fire taking no notice of the affection of an over-fond Clyent sindgeth his wings and suddanly consumes it Thus do those bold and busie spirits who will needs draw too near unto that inaccessible Light and look into things too wonderfull for them so long do they hover about the secret Counsels of the Almighty till the wings of their presumptuous conceits be scorched and their daring curiosity hath paid them with everlasting destruction We die daily IErusalem was once finally sacked by Titus and Vespasian where besides an infinite number which were otherwise spoiled ten hundreth thousand Men were down-right 〈◊〉 by the sword altogether as Iosephus a Greek Writer and Iosâ—â—pus an Hebrew Author â—estifie But that which happened oâ—ce to them happeneth every day to us We dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. How faith justifieth alone Bethulia is in danger of Holofernes the terror of the East as we are or ought to be of the justice of God and as the strength of Bethulia was thought too weak to encounter him so all our Obedience to the Law of God is weak and insufficient to defend us Iudeth undertakes for the people of the City Faith for us Iudeth goes accompanied with her Hand-maids Faith with her Works and though the eyes of her Hand-maid were ever towards her Lady to carry the Scrip c. yet in performing the act of deliverance Iudeth is alone her Maid standing and waiting at the door not so much as setting her foot within the Chamber door Thus it is that faith goeth formost and good works follow after and although our love and obedience be as attendant to Faith as ever that servant was to Iudeth yet in performing the mighty Act of deliverance acquitting the conscience from the curse of the Law pacifying the anger of God and presenting us blameless before his holy eyes all which standeth in the apprehension of the merits of Christ Iesus and a stedfast perswasion that he hath assured for us Faith is soly and wholly alonâ— our VVâ—rks not claiming any part in that sacred action To be mercifully minded is praise-worthy APpius in the Roman story was a very great Oppressor of the liberties of the Commons and particularly he took away all appeals to the People in case of life and death Not long after this decree he being called in question for forcing the Wife of Virginius found all the Bench of Iudges against him and was constrained for saving his life to prefer an appeal to the people which was denyed him with great shouts and out-cryes of all saying Ecce provocat qui provocaâ—ionem sustulit he is forced to appeal who by barring all appeals in case of life and death was the death of many a man Thus Iustice revenged Mercies quarrel upon this unmerciful man and certainly if we expect mercy at the hands of God or Man we must shew mercy for there shall be judgement without mercy to him that will shew no mercy and that happeneth many times even in this life when God is pleased to reckon with hard hearted men that have no bowells of compassion To do as we would be done by DO as you would be done by is a golden Rule If the Iudge that sits on the Bench the Landlord that deals with his Tenant the Tradesman that venteth his commodities and every man that dealeth with another did square his carriage by this Rule there would be much less wrong in society and much more comfort in mens consciences for pulcher liber cor tuum every man beareth in his own bosom a fair Table-book engraven legibly by the finger of nature wherein if he would read he might learn without any other help what usage is fit for his neighbour and if men were as prompt Scholars in learning active charity as they are acute Doctors and Teachers of the Passive of that charity they expect from others the Moralists and Casuists might save much of their pains in discoursing and determining our mutual duties Wisdom of the World proves folly CRuelty is forbidden Courage is commanded we may partake the gâ—od of the Lion but not the evil of the Lion It was and is a gross mistake a very large conceit of Nicholas the Florentine to think that those properties of the Dove to be without guil have been the bane of Christendom whilst the enemies thereof have taken advantage of their simplicity to ensnare them and of their pitty to devour
set before Christ in the Courts of Heaven and there serve up to him that cup of praise but much fuller and much sweeter for ever and ever but if the ravenous bâ—rds of wandring thoughts do devour these Meditations intended for Heaven it is hard to say but that so far as they intrude they will be the death of that service if not of that soul they thus infest God gives warning before he smites NOn solet deus subrepere c. saith Chrysostom God when he doth any great work in the world stealeth not upon the world he giveth a warning piece before he dischargeth his arming piece so did he before he brought on the flood before he delivered his People out of Egypt before he gave the Iewes over unto the Babylonian captivity We cannot read these stories but we must needs find in them Gods palpable Harbingers so that if men be surprised it is not because they are not forewarn'd but because they will take no warning Excess of Apparell condemned IT was an arrogant act of Hubert Arch-bishop of Canterbury who when King Iohn had given his Courtiers rich Liveries gave his servants the like wherewith the King was not a little offended But what shall we say to the riot of our age wherein as Peacocks are more gay than the Eagle himselfe every ordinary subject out-vies his Soveraign what fancies and fantasticall habits are daily seen amongst us The dangerous example of wicked Governours JErâ—boam the Son of Nebat is never mentioned in the Scripture never read or heard of in the Chronicles of Israel but he draweth a tayl after him like a blazing Star who made Israel to sin A sick head disordereth all the other parts and a dark eye benights the whole body It is said Facile transitur ad plures People are apt to flock after a Multitude And it is as true Facilè transitur ad majores Men are apt to imitate great Authority whether good or bad Evill behaviour in Men of high degree corrupteth as it were the air round about which the People drawing in over-hastily are made like to themselves in all manner of lewdness How to use Riches VVHen a Man taketh a heavy Trunk full of Plate or Money upon his shoulders it maketh him stoop and boweth him towards the ground but if the same weight be put under his feet it lifteth him up from the ground In like manner if we put our Wealth and Riches above us preferring them to our salvation they will press us down to the ground if not to Hell with their very weight but if we put them under our feet and tread upon them as slaves and vassals to us â—nd quite contemn them in respect of Heavenly treasure they will raise us up towards Heaven The great danger of concealed knowledge CArdanus tells of one that had such a Receipt as would suddainly and certainly dissolve the Stone in the bladder and he concludes of him that he makes no doubt but that he is now in Hell because he never reâ—ealed it to any before he dyed This was something a hard sentence but what shall we think then of them that know of the remedy of curing souls such as have receipts for hard and stony hearts yet do not reveal them nor perswade Men to make use of them Is it not Hypocrisie to pray daily for their conversion and salvation and never once endeavour to procure it And if Hypocrisie then what is the reward of hypocrisie there 's none so ignorant but knows it How the Gospel propagateth it selfe AS the scope of the Sun is in all the World and yet at one time the Sun doth not shine in all the parts thereof it beginneth in the East and passeth to the South and so to the West and as it passeth forward bringing light to one place withdraweth from another So it is in regard of the Sun of Righteousness the sun-shine of the Gospel he hath jus ad omnem â—eâ—ram but he hath not at the same jus in omni terra the Propriety of all is his but he taketh possession of it all successively and by partâ—s the Eastern Churches the Southern have had his light which now are in darkness for the most part and we that are more Northerly do now enjoy the clearest Noontide but the Sun beginneth to rise to them in the West and it is too to plain that our light beginneth to grow dim it is to be feared that it hasteth to their Meridian and whether after their noon it will set God knoweth yet the cause hereof is not lest we mistake in the Sun of Righteousness as the cause why all have not light at one time is in the corporal Sun The corporal cannot at one time enlighten all the Sun of Righteousness can But for the sins of the People the Candlestick is removed and given to a Nation that will bear more fruit We interpose our Earthliness between our selves and the Sun and so exclude our selves from the beams thereof Englands distractions to be Englands peaceable directions AUlus Gellius tells of certain Men that were in a ship ready to perish by reason of a great Tempest and one of them being a Philosoper fell to asking many trifling questions to whom they answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are a perishing and dost thou trifle So it may be said of us Is England a sinking and is this a time to be raising of unnecessary Disputes to be wrangling in Controversies about points of Church-Government when God knows whether we shall have any Goâ—ernment either in Church or State at all when there is Hannibalad portas a generation of Men crying out No Governours no Church no Ministers no Sacrament As Elisha said to Gehezi Is this a time to receive money so it may be said again â—eâ—us sic stantibus Is this a time to divide Is such a time as this a time to trouble England with new opinions Is this a time to divide Nay is it not rather a time to unite and to have quiet hearts and peaceable dispositions one towards another that so the God of peace may delight to dwell amongst us Deformity of body not to be contemned AN Emperour of Germany coming by chance on a Sunday into Church found there a mis-shapen Priest poené portentum Naturae insomuch as the Emperour scorn'd and contemned him But when he heard him read these words in the Service For it is he that made us not we our selves the Emperour checked his own proud thoughts and made enquiry into the quality and condition of the man and finding him on Examination to be most learned and devout he made him Archbishop of Colen which place he did excellently discharge Mock not at those then who are mis-shapen by Nature there is the same reason of the poor and of the deformed he that despiseth them despiseth God that made them A poor man is a Pictture of Gods own
that at the noyse of Thunder they are oft-times even terrified unto death insomuch that they which keep them use to beat a drum amongst them that they being accustomed to the softer noyse of the drum may not be daunted with louder claps of Thunder Thus it is with incorrigible sinners of all sorts they are so affected with the whisperings of wordly pleasures so taken up with the jingling noyse of Riches so delighted with the empty sound of popular applause and secular preferments so sottish and besotted are they that they are not sensible of Gods anger against them the very custome of sinne hath taken away the sense of sin that they do not so much as hear that which all the world besides heareth with trembling and amazement the dreadful voyce of Gods wrathful and everlasting displeasure Regeneration the onely work of Gods spirit IT is said of the Bear that of all Creatures she bringeth the most ugly mishapen whelps but by licking of them she brings them to a better form yet it is a Bear still Thus all of us are ugly and deformed in our inward man 'T is true good breeding learning living in good Neighbourhood may lick us fair and put us into a better shape but shall never change our nature without the operation of the blessed Spirit A Man may be able to discourse of the great mysteries of Salvation yet not be changed may repeat Sermons yet not renewed pertake of the Ordinances yet not regenerated not any of these nor any of all these put together will stand in stead till it hath pleased God to square them and fit them and sanctifie them unto us by the blessed assistance of his holy Spirit Scripture-comforts the onely true comforts IT is storyed of an ancient and Reverend Rabbi who that he might by some demonstration win the People to look after Scripture-knowledge put himselfe into the habit of a Mountebank or travelling Aqua-vitae man and in the Market-place made Proclamation of a soveraign Cordial or Water of life that he had to sell Divers call him in and desire him to shew it whereupon â—he opens the Bible and directs them to several places of comfort in it And to say truth there is the greatest comfort to be had being the word of the everliving God The waters of life which are to be thirsted after whereby we may learn to live holy and dye happy The deaths of friends and others not be sleighted THe Frogs in the Fable desire a King Iupiter casteth a stock amongst them which at the first fall made such a plunge in the water that with the dashing thereof they were all affrighted and ran into their holes but seeing no further harme to ensue they came forth took courage leapt on it and made themselves sport with that which was first their fear till at length Iupiter sent a Stork among them and he devoured them all Thus it is that we make the death of others but as a Stock that somewhat at firstâ— affecteth us but we soon â—orget it until the Stâ—rk come and we our selves become a miserable prey Do they who close the eyes and cover the faces of their deceased friends consider that their eyes must be so closed their faces thus covered Or they who shrowd the Coarse remember that they themselves must be so shrowded Or they who ring the knell consider that shortly the bells must go to the same tune for them Or they that make the grave even while they are in it remember that shortly they must inhabite such a narrow house as they are now a building Peradventure they do a little but it takes no deep impression in them Prayers to be made unto God in Christs name JOseph gives strict command unto his brethren that if ever they looked for him to do them any good or to see his face with comfort they should be sure to bring the lad Benjamin their brother along with them Thus if ever we expect any comfortable return of our Prayers we must be sure to bring our elder Brother Christ Iesus in our hearts by faith and to put up all our requests in his Name They of old called upon God using the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob three of Gods friends Afterwards they entreated God for his servant Davids sake Others drew up Arguments to move God drawn from the Creation of the World and from his loving kindnesse These were very good wayes then and very good to engage the great God of Heaven to us But unto us is shewed a more excellent way by how much the appellation of an onely begotten Son exceeds that of friend and servant and the benefit of Redemption excells that of creation and favour Dulce nomen Christi O the sweet name Iesus Christ no man ever asked any thing of God truly in that Name but he had his asking To be mindfull of Death at all times THere was once a discourse betwixt a Citizen and a Marriner My Ancestors sayes the Marriner were all Seamen and all of them dyed at Sea my Father my Grand-father and my Great-grand-father were all buried in the Sea Then sayes the Citizen what great cause have you then when you set out to Sea to remember your death and to commit your soul to the hands of God yea but sayes the Marriner to the Citizen Where I pray did your Father and your Grand-father dye Why sayes he they dyed all of them in their beds Truly then sayes the Marriner What a care had you need to have every night when you go to bed to think of your bed as the grave and the clothes that cover you as the Earth that must one day be thrown upon you for the very Heathens themselves that implored as many Deities as they conceived Chimaera's in their fancies yet were never known to erect an Altar to Death because that was ever held uncertain and implacable Thus whether it be at Sea or Land that Man is alwaies in a good posture of defence that is mindfull of death that so lives in this World as though he must shortly leave it that concludes within himselfe I must dye this day may be my last day this place the last that I shall come in this Sermon the last Sermon that I shall hear this Sabbath the last Sabbath that I shall enjoy the next Arrow that is shot may hit me and the time will come how soon God knows that I must lay aside this cloathing of Mortality and lie down in the dust Scripture-knowledge to be put in practice MUsicall Instruments without handling will warp and become nothing worth a sprightly horse will lose his Mettall by standing unbreathed in a Stable Rust will take the sword that hangs by the walls The Cynick rather then want work would be still removing his Tub Thus it is not Gods meaning that any Grace should lie
understand him And the other remembring that he was a Minister stood not alwayes upon the pureness of his style but was farre more solicitous of his matter then of his Words Thus as Children use money to jingle with and Men use flowers for sight and scent but Bees for hony and wax not to gild their wings as the butterfly but to fill their Combs and feed their young In like sort there are those that tip their tongues and store their heads some for shew and some for delight but Ministers above all men have these talents in trust that therewith they may save themselves and those that hear them they must condescend to the capacities of their Hearers stoop to the apprehensions of the meanest become all things to all Men in S. Pauls sense that they may win some Hence was that saying of a reverend Bishop Lord send me learning enough that I may preach plain enough The Sinners wilfull blindness condemned THe Lionesse will not company with the Lyon after her commixtion with the Leopard till she wash her selfe in water unwilling that her Adultery should be manifested by her scent And the Viper is so wise that before its copulation with the â—ish Muraena it first vomits and casts out all the pernicious and venemous poyson that is within it But O the wilfull blindnesse of poor sinfull Man by nature more adulterous than the Lionesse more venemous than the Viper going a whoring after every sort of vanity full of hatred and malice suffering strange Lords to tyrannize over him without repugnancy yea and such cowardly Lords that if but resisted would flee from him yet he gives way to them not fearing that his disloyalty shall be perceived and revenged by his Righteous Lord and Master whose patience will at last break out into fury and break him too into a thousand pieces The hasty unexpected death of friends not to be matter of excessive sorrow A Bijah the Prophet meets with Jeroboams wife and tells her that he was sent with heavy news and with that especially Thy childe shall die And which might add the more unto her sorrow Thy childe shall die assoon as thou enterest thy foot into the City so that she could not so much as speak to him or see him alive And it was so which was the occasion of a Nationall mourning there being in him bound up the hopes of all Israel And thus it is that many judge it very heavy tydings to hear of the early untimely deaths of friends and acquaintance that like grapes they should be gathered before they be ripe and as Lambs slain before they be grown But why should they judge so Why take on so with grief and sorrow It is true that Tears are sutable to an house of mourning so that Moderation lends a Napkin to dry up the excess of weeping Consider then that nothing hath befallen them but that which hath done may do and often doth betide the best of Gods dear Children No Man grieves to see his friend come sooner then ordinary more speedily then usually others do to be Rich and Honourable or to see his friend or childe outstrip others in learning and wisdom to have that in a short time which others long labour for Why then should any Man be troubled but rather count it matter of joy when their Children or friends by death obtaine so speedily such a measure of spirituall Riches and such a height of heavenly glory in so short a time besides they have this benefit before those that live longer they are freed from the violence of the Wine-press that others fall into and escape many storms that others are fain to â—ide through Death the meditation thereof profitable to the Souls conversion THere is a story of one that gave a young Gallant a curious Ring with a Deaths head in it upon this condition That for a certain time he should spend one hour every day in looking and thinking of it He took the Ring in wantonnesse but performed the condition with diligence it wrought a wonder on him and of a desperate Ruffian he became a conscionable Christian. It were to be wished that Men of all sorts would more think of death then they do and not make that the farthest end of their thoughts which should alwayes be the nearest thought of their end but to spend some time fixedly every day on the meditation of death and then by Gods grace they would find such an alteration in their lives and conversations that there would be gladnesse in the Church peace in their own souls and joy before the Angels in heaven for their Conversion The great usefulnesse of Scripture-phrase IT is very remarkable how God himself the greatest Master of speech and maker of it too Exod. 4. 11. When he spake from Heaven at the Transfiguration of his Christ our Iesus made use of three severall texts of Scripture in one breath as in Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son Psalm 12. 7. In whom I am well pleased Esay 42. 1. Hear ye him Deut. 18. 15. No doubt but God could have expatiated as he pleased but this may reprove the curious queaâ—inesse of such nice ones as disdain at the stately plainnesse of the Scripture and to shew of what authority Scripture-phrase is with God Happy then is that man that Minister that can aptly utter his minde in pure Scripture-phrase in that heavenly dialect the language of Canaan It is not the froath of words nor the ostentation of learning though usefull in its time and place nor strong lines that will draw men up to Heaven but strong arguments and convincing â—own-right truths drawn out of the treasury of Gods Word as when a Sermon is full of the â—owells of Scripture so that God and Christ may as it were seem to speak in the Preacher Conversion of a sinner painfully wrought IF a woman cannot be delivered of her child which she hath carried but nine months in her womb without pain and perill of life though she conceived it in great pleasure we must not think then to be delivered of sin which is a man an old man a man that we have carried about in our hearts ever since we were born without any spirituall pain at all The conversion of a sinner is no such easie matter there must be the broken heart the contrite spirit the mourning weed the pale countenance the melting eye and the voyce of lamentation pain for sins past pain for the iniquities of the wicked pain for the abominations of the land and place where they live pain to see the distractions both of Church and State and finally pain for their absence from their heavenly country These are the pangs and throws of the second birth the dolours that attend the conversion of a sinner The Hypocrite characterised THere is mention made of a Beast called
compassionate one towards another IT was an act of Licinius one of the Roman Tribunes whether more cruell or foolish let the world Judge that when Christians were put to their torture he forbad all the lookers on to shew the least pitty towards them threatning the same pains to them that did shew it which the Martyrs then suffered His malice was greater then his power for he could not hinder those from suffering with them that daily suffer in them And this is the way that all good Christians are to walk in if they cannot through disability relieve others with their goods which is the mercy of contribution yet what can hinder their confortable words to them which is the mercy of consolation or their prayers and tears for them which is the mercy of intercession or their pitty and sensible sympathy of their grief which is the mercy of compassion The impartiality of Death IN the reigne of K. Henry the sixth there is mention made of Henry Beaâ—â—ord that rich and wretched Cardinall vvho lying on his death-bed and perceiving his time to be but short expostulated with himself thus Wherefore should I die being thus rich If the whole world were able to save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fie fie said he will not death be hired will mony dâ— nothing No such is the impartiality of death that ready mony will do nothing there 's no protection against the arrest of death So true is that which one writeth vvittily of the Grammarian of every son of Adam that being able to decline all other Nouns in every Case he could decline Death in no case Never vvas there Oratour so eloquent nor Monarch so potent that could either perswade or withstand the stroak of death vvhen it came Unhappy prosperity of the wicked IT is Davids observation that the vvicked are in great prosperity and flourish like a green bay-tree vvhich is vvell knovvn to be green all the vvinter long vvhen Oak-trees and Apple-trees and all other far more profitable and fruitfull trees do wither decay and shed their leaves stand naked and bare and look as if they vvere rotten and dead then it is that the Bay-tree looks as fresh and green as it vvere in the midst of the Spring So fares it with all wicked men in such vvinter-times of the vvorld as vve are novv in they prosper and God sends them no crosse nor disease nor judgment to interrupt them but lets them take their svving in the very height of their rebellions against him vvhen many a â—oor Christian is fain to fast and fare hard and go with many a hungry meal to bed then it is that God suffers a company of flagitious villains such as arâ— Mercatores humanarum calamitatum that make merchandise of poor mens miseries to have their will without controle and to thrive and have a great deal of outward unhappy prosperity Heaven the way to it through tribulation JOnathan and his Armour-bearer being upon their march against the Philistins were to passe betwixt two rocks the one called Bozez which signifies dirty the other called Seneh which signifies thorny a hard passage But on they went as we say through thick and thin and at last gained the victory The Israelites were first brought to the bitter waters of Marah before they might taste of the pleasant fountains or the milk and honey of Canaan And in vain shall any man expect the River of Gods pleasures before he hath pledged Christ in the cup of bitternesse When we have pledged him in his gall and vinegar then he will drink to us in the new wine of his Kingdom He that is the Door and the Way hath taught us that there is but one way one door one passage to Heaven and that a strait one through which though we do passe with much pressure and tugging having our superfluous rags torn away from us here in the croud of this world yet we shall be happy He that will be Knighted must kneel for it and he that will enter in at the strait gate must croud for it a gate made so on purpose narrow and hard in the entrance yet after we are entred wide and glorious that after our pain our joy may be the sweeter The Scriptures not to be plaid withall IT was simply done of Cardinall Bobba who speaking in commendation of the Library at Bononia which being a very spacious room hath under it a victualling house and under that a wine-cellar thought he had hit it in applying that text Wisdom hath built her house hath mingled her wine and furnished her table The rudenesse of this application did not in the least become the gravity of a red Hat But let all such know that non est bonum ludere cum sanctis there 's no jesting with edge-tools no playing with the two-edged sword of Gods Word Is there no place but the Font for a man to wash his hands in no cup but the Chalice to drink healths in Certainly they were ordained for a better use and the Scriptures pen'd for a better end then to be plaid withall Vncertain prosperity of the wicked A Man that stands in lubrico in a slippery place as on Ice or Glasse shall have much ado to keep himself upright though no body touch him but if one should come upon him unawares and give him a suddain justle or a suddain rush he hath no power in the world to uphold himself but must fall and that dangerously And this is the case of wicked wealthy men such as are laden with ease and honour such as are blest like Esau with the dew of Heaven and fatnesse of the Earth Such gracelesse Ruffians as feast without fear drink without measure swear without feeling live without God thinking that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unmovable and fastned on a Rock that never shall be moved But they are deceived God that knowes their standing tells us he hath set them in slippery places and it will not be long ere he send some death some judgment some evill Angell or other to give them such a suddain justle such a suddain rush that without great mercy on â—is part and great Repentance on their part they must fall irrecoverably into the pit of Hell for ever Atheism will unman any Man TAke a Dog and marke what a generosity and courage he will put on when he is maintained by a Man who is to him instead of a God or at least melior Natura whereby it is manifest that the poor Creature without the confidence of a better Nature then his own could never be so couragious Thus it is with Man when he roleth himselfe upon God and resteth on his divine protection then he gathers a force and ability which humane nature it selfe could never attain But when
Berengarius So may we say of the Publicans prayer much more of the Lords prayer set in flat opposition to the Heathenish Battologyes and vain repetitions of some that would be held good Christians It is not the length but the strength of Prayer that is required not the labour of the lip but the travell of the heart that prevails with God The Baalites prayer was not more tedious then Eliah's short yet more pitthy then short Let thy words then be few saith Solomon but full to the purpose Take unto you words saies the Prophet neither over-curious nor over-carelesse but such as are humble earnest direct to the point avoiding vain â—ablings needlesse and endlesse repetitions heartlesse digressions tedious prolixities wild and idle impertinencies such extemporary petitioners as not disposing their matter in due order by premeditation and withall being word-bound are forced to go forward and backward just like hounds at a losse and having hastily begun they know not how handsomly to make an end Division the great danger thereof IF two ships at sea being of one and the same squadron shall be scattered by storm from each other how shall they come in to the relief of each other If again they clash together and fall foul how shall the one endanger the other and her self too It was of old the Dutch device of two earthen Pots swimming upon the water with this Motto Praâ—gimur si collidimur If we knock together we sink together And most true it is that if spleen or discontent set us too far one from another or choller and anger bring us too near it cannot be but that intendment or designe whatsoever it be like Ionah's gourd shall perish in a moment especially if the viperous and hatefull worm of dissention do but smite it Desperation the Complement of all sins THere is mention made in Daniel's prophecy chap. 7. of four beasts the first a Lion the second a Bear the third a Leopard but the fourth without distinction of either kind or sex or name is said to be very fearfull and terrible and strong and had great iron teeth destroyed and brake in pieces and stamped under his feet and had horns c. Such a thing is desperation others sins are fearfull and terrible enough and have as it were the rage of Lions and Bears and Leopards to spoil and make desolate the soul of man but desperation hath horns too horns to push at God with blasphemy at his brethren with injury and at his own soul with distrust of mercy Desperation is a complicated sin the complement of all sins The greatest sins are said to be those which are opposed to the three Theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charity infidelity to faith desperation to hope hatred to charity amongst which infidelity and hatred the one not believing the other hating God are in themselves worse but in regard of him that sinneth desperation exceedeth them both in the danger that is annexed unto it for Quid miserius misero non miseranti seipsum What can be more miserable what more full then for a poor miserable wretch not to take pitty of his own soul. A covetous man never satisfied IT is said of Catiline that he was ever alieni appetens sui profusus not more prodigall of his own as desirous of other mens estates A ship may be over-laden with silver even unto sinking and yet compasse and bulk enough to hold ten times more So a covetous wretch though he have enough to sink him yet never hath he enough to satisfie him like that miserable Cariff mentioned by Theocritus first wishing Mille me is errent in montibus agni That he had a thousand sheep in his stock and then when he has them Pauperis est numerare pecus He would have cattle without number Thus a circle cannot fill a triangle so neither can the whole world if it were to be compassed the heart of man a man may as easily fill a chest with grace as the heart with gold Non plus 〈◊〉 cor aâ—ro quam â—orpus aura The air fills not the body neither doth mony the coâ—â—â—tous mind of man A true child of God half in Heaven whils the is on Earth TEnorius Arch-Bishop of Toledâ— making question whether Solomon were saved or damned caused his picture to be drawn in his Chappell half in Heaven and half in Hell Now what was painted of Solomon imaginarily may be said of Gods children truly though they dwell upon Earth yet their Burgesship is in Heaven Earth is patria loci but Heaven patria juris just like Irishmen that are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England half in Heaven and half on Earth in Heaven by their godly life and conversation in Heaven by reason of their assurance of glory and salvation But on Earth by reason of that body of sin and death which they carry about them having the flesh pressing with continuall fight and oppressing with often conquest Hope in God the best hold-fast FAmous is that history of Cynegirus a valiant and thrice renowned Athenian who being in a great sea-sight against the Medes spying a ship of the Enemies well man'd and fitted for service when no other means would serve he grasped it with his hands to maintain the fight and when his right hand was cut off he held close with his left but both hands being taken off he held it fast with his teeth till he lost his life Such is the hold-fast of him that hopes in God dum spirat sperat as long as there is any breath he hopes The voice of hope is according to her nature Spes mea Christus God is my hope In the winter and deadest time of calamity Hope springeth and cannot die nay she crieth within her self Whether I live or die though I walk into the chambers of death and the doors be shut upon me I will not loose my hope for I shall see the day when the Lord shall know me by my name again righten my wrongs finish my sorrowes wipe the tears from my cheeks tread down my enemies fulfill my desires and bring me to his glory Whereas the nature of all earthly hope is like a sick mans pulse full of intermission there being rarely seen sperate miseri on the inscription but it is subscribed Cavete foelices An account of Gods knowledge not to he made out by the wisest of men THere is a place in Wiltshire called Stonage for divers great stones lying and standing there together Of which stones it is said That though a man number them one by one never so carefully yet that he cannot find the true number of them but finds a different number from that he found before This may serve to shew very well the crring of mans labour in seeking to give an account of divine wisdom and knowledge for all his Arrowes
when he saw him unconquerable Ruffinus in his history saith that he met with this Martyr a long time after his tryall and asked him Whether the pains he felt were not unsufferable He answered that at first it was somewhat grievious but after a while there seemed to stand by him a young Man in white who with a soft and comfortable handkerchief wiped off the sweat from his body which through extream anguish was little lesse then blood and bad him Be of good chear insomuch as that it was rather a punishment then a pleasure to him to be taken off the Rack sith when the Tormentors had done the Angell was gone Thus it is that the blessed Angells of God have ministred from time to time to his People in the daies of their distresse it may be bringing food to their bodies as once to Eliah but certainly comfort unspeakable to their souls as to Iacob Hagar Daniel Zecharias Ioseph Cornelius Paul c. and to our modern Martyrs in their prisons at the stake and in the fire They pitty our human frailties and secretly suggest comfort when we perceive it not they are as ready to help us as the bad Angels are to tempt us alwaies they stand looking on the face of God to receive orders for the accomplishment of our good which they no sooner have than they readily dispatch even with wearinesse of flight Men are apt to be unthankful in Prosperity IT is said to be the saying of Frederick the Emperour concerning Siginbird Flisk after wards called Innocent the fourth advanced by him to the Popedom I have lost a Cardinall a friend and have gotten a Pope a foe It is to be feared that God may say the same of many Men so long as he kept them in a mean estate they sought unto him and he had humble thankâ—ull Servants of them but so soon as he raised them to Prosperity they kicked and became unworthy thanklesse wretches forgetting themselves and the Rock from whence they were hewen even God their great and bountiful Benefactor How it is that the strength of Imagination prevailes so much in matters of Religion IT is observable that when some Men look up to the rack or moving clouds they imagine them to have the formes of Men of Armies Castles Forrests Landkips Lions Bears c. wher as none else can see any 〈◊〉 things nor is there any true resemblance of such things at all And some again there are that when they have somewhat roules and tumbles in their thoughts they think that the ringing of bells the beating of hammers the report that is made by great guns or any other measured intermitted noyse doth articulately sound and speak the same which is in their thoughts Thus it is that a strong Imagination or fancy becomes very powerfull as to perswasion in the matters of God and Religion Hence it is therefore that most of those that are unlearned and unstable wrest the Scriptures thinking they find that in them which indeed is not there to be found perswading themselves that the Scripture represents to them such formed opinions such and such grounded tenets when without all doubt they do but patch and lay things together without any reason at all from whence have proceeded the senselesse dotages of Hereticks visibly recorded by the Ancients in elder times and of late the whimsicall conceits of some Dreamers that have flown about in their most ridiculous papers wherein they bring Scripture with them but no sense fancying the holy word of God to strike to ring and chime to their tunes to eccho out unto their wild conceptions and answer all their indigested notions Submission to the Will of God in all things enjoyned APersonage of some note lying on his death-bed was desired by some of his friends then standing by to speak some observable sentence to throw out himselfe in some one good passage or other to leave behind him one remarkable saying or other so that when he was dead and gone they might remember both it and him After a while he spake unto them in the words of St. Peter ep 2. ch 5. ver 6. Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time An excellent saying and worthy to be received of all Men That in all strairs under all pressures whatsoever Men should lye down in the dust submit themselves to the good will of God and humble themselves under his mighty hand and then without all doubt he will not when they think it a fit time but in his own due time when it shall be most sutable for his glory and most advantageous for their eternall welfare ease and exalt them Every day to be looked on as the day of Death PUt the case that one Man should give unto another many loaves of bread conditioned that he should every day eat one but if the party should come to know that in one of them lay hid a parcell of deadly poyson yet in which of them it was he should be utterly ignorant O how carefull would he be in tasting any of them lest he should light upon that which might prove his fatall destruction Thus it is that God hath given unto us many dayes to some more to some lesse but in one of these he hath unknown to us conveyed the bitter sting of Death and it may so fall out that in the very day of jovissance in the day of our greatest rejoycing a deadly cup of poyson may be reached out unto us Death like an unbidden guest may rush in upon us and spoil all our mirth on a suddain O how watchfull how diligent should the consideration of these things make every one of us to be to look upon every day as the day of our death every breathing the last breathing we shall make to think upon the ringing of every passing-bell that ours may be next upon hearing the Clock strike that there is one hour lesse to live in and one step made nearer to our long homes the house appointed for all living It is Grace not place that keeps a Man from sinning IT is said of Lot that he removed from Zoar to a neighbouring mountain and dwelt in a cave therein which is shown to Travellors at this day Now it was that a hole in a hill could hold him and all his Family whose substance formerly was so great the whole Country could not afford room for his flocks and heardmen without striving with those of his Uncle Abraham And here it was that he was made drunken by his Daughters practice upon him with whom he committed incest So that it is Grace not place can secure Mens souls from sinne seeing Lot fasting from lust in wanton populous Sodom surfeited thereof in a solitary cave and whilst he carefully fenced the Castle of chastity even to make it impregnable against the battery of forraign
a nayl in the work yet all serve for the good of the building The least starre gives light the least drops moystens the least Minister is no lesse then an Angell the least nayl in the Ministery serves for the fastning of Souls unto Christ there is some use to be made even of the lowest parts of Men the weakest Minister may help to strengthen ones Faith Though all are not Apostles all are not Evangelists all have not the same dexterous abilities in the Work yet all edifie And oftentimes so it cometh to passe that God crowns his labours and sends most Fish into his net who though he may be lesse skilfull is more faithfull and though he have lesse of the brain yet he may have more of the Heart and therefore not to be contemned The Minister and Magistrate to go hand in hand together IT is reported of Queen Elizabeth that coming her progresse into the County of Suffolk when she observed that the Gentlemen of the County who came out to meet her had every one his Minister by his side said Now I have learned why my County of Suffolk is so well governed it is because the Magistrates and Ministers go together And most true it is That they are the two leggs on which a Church and State do stand And whosoever he be that would saw off the one cannot mean well to the other An Anti-Ministerial spirit is an Antimagistratical spirit The Pulpit guards the Throne Be but once perswaded to take that away and you give the Magistrates Enemies room to fetch a full blow at them as the Duke of Somerset in King Edward the sixth's dayes by consenting to his Brother's death made way for his own by the same ax and hand The great danger in commission of little Sins WHat is lesser then a grain of â—and yet when it comes to be multiplyed What is heavier then the Sands of the Sea A little sum multiplyed riseth high So a little Sin unrepented of will damn us as one leak in the Ship if it be not well lookt to will drown us Little Sins as the World calls them but great Sins against the Majesty of God Almighty who doth accent and inhance them if not repented of One would think it no great matter to forget God yet it hath an heavy doom attending on it Psal. 50. 22. The non-improvement of Talents the non-exercising of Graces the World looks upon as a small thing yet we read of him that hid his Talent in the earth Matth. 25. 25. he had not spent it onely not trading it is senâ—enced such and so great is the danger of the least Sin whatsoever The Worldling's inordinate desires And why so THe Countryman in the Fable would needs stay till the River was run all away and then go over dry-shod but the River did run on still and he was deceived in his expectation Such are the Worldling's inordinate desires the deceitfull heart promiseth to see them run over and gone when they are attained to such a measure and then they are stronger and wider more impotent and unruly then before For a Covetous heart grasps at no lesse then the whole World would fain be Master of all and dwell alone like a Wen in the body which drawes all to it self let it have never so much it will reach after more adde house to house and field to field till there be no more place to compasse like a bladder it swells wider and wider the more of this empty World is put into it so boundlesse so endlesse so inordinate are the corrupt desires of Worldly-minded Men. To beware of masked specious Sins IT is said of Alcibiades That he embroydered a Curtain with Lyons and Eagles the most stately of Beasts and birds that he might the more closely hide the picture that was under full of Owls and Satyrs the most sadly remarkable of other Creatures Thus Satan embroyders the Curtain with the image of virtue that he may easily hide the foul picture of Sin that is under it Sin that in the eye of the World is looked on as Grace coloured and masqued over with Zeal for God good intentions c. such as hath a fine glosse put upon it that it may be the more vendible Wherein the Devill like the Spider first she weaves her Web and then hangs the Fly in it So he helps Men to weave the web of Sin with specious shews and Religious pretences and then he hangs them in the snare and sets all their Sins in order before them No true Happinesse to be found in the best of Creatures here below SOlomon having made a Critical enquiry after the excellency of all Creature-comforts gives this in as the Ultimate extraction from them all Vanity of vanities all is vanity And have not all of us great experience how loose the World hangs about us If you go to the Creature to make you happy the Earth will tell you that happinesse growes not in the â—urrows of the Field the Sea that it is not in the Treasures of the deep Cattel will say It is not on our backs Crowns will say It is too pretious a gem to be found in us we can adorn the head but we cannot satisfie the heart It is true that these Worldly earthly things can benefit the outward and the Natural Man but to look for peace of Conscience â—oy in the Holy Ghost inward and durable comfort in any thing which the World affords is to seek for treasure in a Cole-pit a thing altogether improbable to be found there How it is that Faith challengeth a superiority above other Graces TAke a piece of Wax and a piece of Gold of the same Magnitude the Wax is not valuable with the Gold but as this Wax hangs at the labell of some Will by vertue of which some great Estate is confirmed and conveyed so it may be worth many hundred pounds So Faith considered purely in it self doth challenge nothing more then other Graces nay in some sense it is inferiour it being an empty hand But as this hand receives the pretious Alms of Christ's Merits and is an Instrument or channel thorow which the blessed streams of life flow to us from him so it doth challenge a superiority over and is more excellent then all other Graces whatsoever Men not living as if they had Souls to save reproved SOcrates in his time wondred when he observed Statuaries how careful they were and how industrious to make stones like Men and Men in the mean time turning themselves into very blocks and stones The case is ours Men walk not as Men that have Souls to be saved many walk as if they had nothing but bellies to fill and backs to cloath fancies to be tickled with vanity eyes and ears to look after pleasure brains to entertain empty notions and tongues to utter them as for their Souls
therefore be a scandal to our Calling not a reproach to our own Names but let us be mindfull of our Vow and duty so oft as our Names are mentioned and as ready to answer to our Faith as to our Names Negligence in the wayes of God reproved THere is mention made of a Prince in Germany who being invaded by a more potent Enemy then himself yet from his Friends and Allies who flock't in to his help he soon had a goodly Army but had no money as he said â—o pay them but the truth is he was loath to part with it For which cause some went away in discontent others did not vigorously mind his businesse and so he was soon beaten out of his Kingdome and his coffers when his Pallace was rifled were found to be thwack't with treasure And thus was he ruin'd as some sick Men dye because unwilling to be at cost to pay the Physitian Now so it is that few or none are to be found but would be glad their Souls might be saved at last but where is the Man or Woman that makes it appear by their Vigorous endeavour that they mean in earnest What Warlike-preparation do they make against Satan who lyes between them and home Where are their Arms where their skill to use them their resolution to stand to them and conscionable care to exercise themselves daily in the use of them Thus to do is a rarity indeed if woulding and wishing would bring them to Heaven then they may likely come thither but as for this diligence in the wayes of God this circumspect walking this Wrestling and fighting this making Religion our businesse they are far from these as at last in so doing they are like to be from Heaven No way to Happinesse but by Holinesse ONe fitly compares Holinesse and Happinesse to those two sisters Leah and Rachel Happinesse like Rachel seems the fayrer even a carnal heart may fall in love with that but Holinesse like Leah is the elder and beautifull also though in this life it appears with some disadvantage her eyes being bleared with tears of Repentance and her face furrowed with the works of Mortification but this is the Law of that Heavenly Country that the younger sister must not be bestowed before the Elder We cannot enjoy fair Rachell Heaven and Happinesse except first we embrace tender-eyed Leah Holinesse with all her severe duties of Repentance and Mortification If we will have Heaven we must have Christ If Christ we must like his service as well as his Sacrifice there 's no way to Happinesse but by Holinesse Men deluded by Satan in not taking the right notion of Sin IT is with men in sinning as it is with Armies in fighting Captains beat their Drums for Voluntiers and promise all that list pay and plunder and this makes them come trowling in but few consider what the ground of the War is or for what Thus Satan enticeth Men to Sin and giveth golden promises of what they shall have in his service with which silly Souls are won but how few ask their Souls Whom do I sin against What is the Devills design in drawing me to Sin Shall I tell thee Dost thou think 't is thy pleasure or profit he desires in thy sinning Alas he means nothing lesse he hath greater plots in his head then so He hath by his Apostacy proclaimed war against God and he brings thee by sinning to espouse his quarrel and to jeopard the life of thy Soul in defence of his pride and lust which that he may do he cares no more for the damnation of thy Soul then the great Turk doth to see a company of his slaves cut off for the carrying on of his design in the time of a siege If therefore thou wilt not be deluded by him take the right notion of Sin and labour to understand the bottome of his bloudy design intended against thee Gods love to his Children in the midst of spirituall desertions And how so AS Ioseph when he spake roughly to his brethren and made them believe he would take them for spyes still his heart was toward them and he was as full of love as ever he could hold he was fain to go aside and weep And as Moses his Mother when she puâ— her child into the Ark of bul-rushes and went a little way from it yet still her eye was toward it The babe wept I and the Mother wept too So God when he goes a side as if he had forsaken his children yet he is full of sympathy and love towards them It is one thing for God to desert another thing to dis-inherit How shall I give thee up O Ephraim Hos. 8. 11. This is a Metaphor taken from a Father going about to dis-inherit his Son and while he is going to set his hand to the deed his bowels begin to melt and to yearn over him though he be a prodigall child yet he is a child I will not cut off the entail So saith God How shall I give thee up though Ephraim hath been a Rebellious Son yet he is my Son I will not dis-inherit him Gods heart may be full of love when there is a vail upon his face The Lord may change his dispensation towards his children but not his disposition So that the believer may confidently say I am adopted and let God do what he will with me let him take the rod or the staff 't is all one to me so long as he loves me The day of Death becomes the good Mans comfort And how so THe Persians had a certain day in the year which they called Vitiorum interitum wherein they used to kill all Serpents and venemous Creatures Such a day as that will the Day of Death be to a Man in Christ this day the old Serpent dyes in a believer that hath so often sâ—ung him with his Temptations this day the sins of the Godly these venemous Creatures shall all be destroyed they shall never be proud more they shall never grieve the Spirit of God more the death of the body shall quite destroy the body of death so that Sin which was the Midwife that brought Death into the World Death shall be the grave to bury sin O the priviledg and comfort of a true believer he is not taken away in his sins but he is taken away from his sins and death is made unto him advantage Heavenly happinesse not to be expressed NIcephorus tells us of one Agbarus a great Man that hearing so much of Christs fame by reason of the Miracles he wrought sent a Painter to take his picture and that the Painter when he came was not able to do it because of that radiancy and divine splendor which sate on Christs face Whether this be true or no penes sit authorem but to be sure there is such a brightnesse on the face of Christ glorified and that Happinesse which
spiritual Crosses and been prepared for the worst of times that could be Mans Extremity Gods Opportunity PHilo the Iew being employed as an Ambassador or Messenger to Caius Caligula then Emperor of the Romans his entertainment was but sleight for he had no sooner spoke on the behalf of his Country but was commanded to depart the Court Whereupon he told his People That he was verily perswaded that God would now do something for them because the Emperor was so earnestly bent against them And certainly Gods help is then nearest when Man 's is furthest off the one's extremity made the otâ—er's opportunity Ubi desinâ—t Pâ—ilosophus incipit Medicus c. Where the Philosopher ends there the Physitian begins and where the Physitian endeth there the Minister beginneth and where Mans ayd endeth there Gods beginneth Deliverance is oft nearest when destruction seemeth surest Parents not to be too much dejected for the death of an onely Sonne or Child ABraham was ready to have sacrificed his onely son Isaac And God gave his onely Sonne Christ Iesus to death for our salvation It is most true that the death of an onely Sonne must neeâ—s be grievous and the cause of great heavinesse and lamentation But let all disconsolate Parents take notice what Elkanah said to Anna Am not I better to you then ten Sons So doth God say What though I have taken away your onely Sonne the child of your delight there is no just cause of complaint I have taken but my own I will be better then ten hundred sons to you and you shall one day find that he is but gone before as your Feoâ—â—ee in trust to take possession and keep a place for you in Heaven How it is that Men may be said to learn of little Children dumb shews c. SExtus Tarquinius the sonne of Lucius being suborned by his Father pretending to be banished fled fraudulently to the Gabii where having screwed himself so much into their bosomes as he thought was sufficient for his design sent secretly to know his Fathers pleasure who leading the Messenger into the Garden walked a while and not speaking one word with his staffe strake off the heads of the Dazies which grew there the Messenger reports this to his Son who thereupon put the chief Noble-men of the Gaâ—ii to death and so by force and Injustice usurped a power over that Common-weal Such was the tacite Counsell that Periander the Corinthian gave unto Thrasibulus the Tyrant of Athens when pulling the upper ears he made all the standing corn equall intimating thereby what a Tyrant must do that would live safe and quiet Thus it was but in a better way and a far better sense that when the Disciples were building Castles in the ayr quaerentes non quaerenda seeking who should be highest in Heaven when they should rather have been enquiring how to get thither Christ sets a little Child before them who neither thinks great things of himself nor seeks great things for himself conâ—uting hereby their preposterous ambition and affectation of Primacy And thus it is that dumb shews may be said to speak out much to the purpose and speechlesse Children read many a significant Lecture to the Sons of Men as of simplicity humility innocency ignoscency c. not of childishnesse peevishnesse open-heartednesse c. Non praecipitur ut habeant aetatem sed innocentiam parvulorum not of their age but innocency Whereupon some mis-understanding the Text in a Nichodemicall way as one Goldsmith an Anabaptist and Masseus a Franciscan Fryer to abundance of more then childish folly Gods Judgments the causes of them to be considered LAy a book open before a Child or one that cannot read he may stare and gaze upon it but he can make no use of it at all because he understandeth nothing in it yet bring it to one that can read and understandeth the language that is written in it hee 'l read you many stories and instructions out of it It is dumb and silent to the one but speaketh to and talketh with the other In like manner it is with Gods Iudgments as S. Augustine well applyes it All sorts of Men see them but few are able aright to read them or to understand them what they say Every Iudgment of God is a reall Sermon of Reformation and Repentance every Iudgment hath a voice but every one understands not this voice as Paul's companions when Christ spake to him they heard a voyce and no more But it is the duty of every good Christian to listen to the Rod and him that sent it to spell out the meaning of Gods aâ—ger to enquire and find out the cause of the Crosse and the ground of Gods hiding his face Why it is that he dealeth so harshly with them and carrieth himself so austerely towards theâ— The Love of God the onely true Love EVery beam of Light proceeding from the body of the Sun is either direct broken or reflex direct when it shineth out upon the Center in a lineary motion without any obliquity broken when it meets with some grosser body so that it cannot shine out-right but is enforced to incline to one part or other and therefore called a collaterall or broken light reflex when lighting upon some more grosse body it is beaten back and so reflects upon its first principle Thus let the Sons of Men pretend never so much to the Love of God their Love is either a broken or reflecting Love seldome direct broken when it is fixed upon the things of this World reflex when it ayms at self-Interest Whereas the Love of God is the onely true Love a direct Love without obliquity a sincere Love without reflexion such a Love as breaks through all impediments and hath nothing in Heaven but God and desireth nothing on Earth in comparison of him such a Love as looketh upon the World by way of subordination but upon God by way of eminency The Active Christian object of the Devil and Wicked Mens malice LUther was offered to be made a Cardinal if he would be quiet He answered No not if I might be Pope and defends himself thus against those that thought him haply a proud Fool for his pains Inveniar sane superbus c. Let me be counted Fool or any thing said he so I be not found guilty of cowardly silence The Papists when they could not rule him rayl'd at him and called him an Apostate He confesseth the action and saith I am indeed an Apostate but a blessed and holy Apostate one that hath fallen off from the Devil Then they called him Devil But what said he Prorsus Sathan est Lutherus c. Luther is a Devill be it so but Christ liveth and reigneth that 's enough for Luther So be it Nay such was the activity of Luther's spirit that when Erasmus was asked by the Elector of Saxony Why
rain and made great cracks of Thunder Above that was placed a great Throne glistering with all the Art that Nature could afford This might be sufficient for an Heathen that knew no better things But how sad is the condition of a Company of drossy-spirited Men that with that Duke of Bourbon in France who if he might but have his Palace in Paris would not change it for Paradise can be content to take the things of this World for their portion If they had but this or that thing it were Heaven to them It argues they have low thoughts of an Immortal Soul and are ignorant of what an immortal Soul is capable of that can think themselves satisfied in any Creature and have loose thoughts of God as if there were no Treasures in him but onely a few temporary Earthly delights as Meat and Drink and Sports and whatsoever the vanity of this world calls delightfull Afflictions if any thing will make us seek God THe Persian Messenger though an Heathen as Aeschiles in one of his Tragedies observeth said thus When the Graecian Forces hotly pursued our host and we must needs venter over the greaâ— Water Strymon frozen then but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one we had all dyed for it with mine eyes I saw saith he many of those Gallants whom I had heard before so boldly maintain There was no God every one upon his knees and devoutly praying that the Ice might hold till they got over And Pharaoh was at high terms with God but when Extremity came upon him then he was humbled Thus it is that many Men like the Dromedary of exceeding swiftnesse the Female especially run over hill and dale take their whole swing of pleasure and snuff up the ayr of all sensual delights Age death and sicknesse are afar off Youth health and strength possesse them there 's no coming to them then no medling with them till their Month come till Winter come a day of sorrow and distress overtake them then they will seek unto God And herein is Folly condemned even of her own Children and Wisdome justified of her very Enemies That they that greedily seek sin are at last glad to be rid of it and they that merrily scorn Religion at last are glad to be sheltered under the protection thereof Deceipt and Unfaithfulnesse in Trade and Commerce condemned LYsander the Lacedemonian held for a main Principle of his Religion that Children were to be deceived with trifles as rattles and guegawes but old Men were to be gulâ—'d with oaths and held on with fair promises And it is now almost grown a Trade for Men to be so slippery in their dealings one with another that they can find loop-holes to wind out of the most cautelous contracts for advantages break faith promises bonds run away with Mens goods so that Turks and Iews are more trusty then such hollow shifting Christians And hence it is that Gods Iustice and his just revenge on all Trades at this day is such that scarce any prosper in them God having divorced his blessing from them because they have turned their Trades into crafâ—s not for the help but the overthrow one of another The great danger of living in any one known Sin THere have been Prodigalls in all Ages such as having a fair Inheritance have lost it all upon one cast of the dice A man may escape many wounds and shots in the Wars and yet may be kill'd at the last with the stab of a pen-knife or the prick of a pin or needle It is reported of Sir Francis Drake that having compassed the World and being in a Boat upon the Thames in a very rough tide said What have I escaped the violence of the Sea and must be now drown'd in a Ditch Thus many a Man that hath escaped many grosse sins may by some little secret lust be deprived of the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven Moses came within the sight of Canaan but for one Sin not sanctifying Gods Name at the water of Meribah he never set foot within it A great Affliction it was no dâ—ubt uâ—to him to be so near and yet so far off from entring And no lesse will it be to any Man that for one Sin not sanctifying the Name of God as he ought shall come short of Heaven not but that there may be some remainders of sin and yet the Heart be taken off from every Sin but if there be any secret closing with any one Sin all the profession of Godlinesse and leaving all other Sins will be to no purpose nor ever bring a Man to happinesse Rich Men to be mindfull of what they have received at Gods hand ST Gregory confesseth thus much of himself that never any sentence entred â—o deep into his Soul as that Text Fili recordare c. Son remember that â—hou in thy life-time receivedst thy pleasure or good things and likewise Lazarus pains And that as surgite mortui was ever in S. Hierom's ear and non in commessationibus not in surfetting in S. Augustine's by which he was first converted For he sitting in the See of Rome when it was grown rich and of great revenue was as he saith still afraid of this Text Whether his exalting into that chair might not be his recompence at Gods hands and all that ever he should receive from him for all his service mercedem non arrham his portion of Earth not the earnest of Heaven Thus did the good Father And would God his example herein might make a due impression and work the like fear in so many as havâ— in the eyes of all Men received the good things of this life For it is too apparent that divers that have so received and that in a measure even heaped up and running over carry themselves so without remembrance of themselves as if no such Simile were in all the Bible as that of the needles eye no such Example as that of the rich Glutton no such Memento as that of Abraham to him but that they have learned a point of Divinity such as Abraham never knew Balaam'â— divinity it is to be feared to love the wages of unrighteousnesse and yet they must needs into Abraham's bosome dye the death of the Righteous Sin unrepented of heavy upon the Soul at the time of Death A Massy piece oâ— Timber floating upon the water may be easily drawn towards the shore so long as it swimmeth any one may turn it this way or that way at pleasure but if it be once grounded not many Men can move it but with great pains and industry Thus Man's life is the water Death the shore and Sin the piece of Timber Whilest we live in strength and health born up â—y the streams of Worldly pleasure and delight Sin seems but light unto us great Sins appear as little Sins and little sins
as no sins at all but at the time of our dissolution when we are ready to touch upon the brink of Death then sin appears in its colours in its true proportion small ones so great in the magnitude light ones so ponderous in the weight that the poor miserable Sinner finds them a burthen unsupportable too heavy for him to bear and looking about for help cryes out with S. Paul Miserable Man that I am Who shall deliver me c. Rom. 8. Godlinesse a very gainful Trade A Merchant that drives a rich Trade will by a bargain in one Morning get an hundred pounds or more whereas many other poor People are fain to work hard to get a shilling or eighteen pence a day Now every one would be of the gaining side It is the common voice of Nature Who will shew us any good How shall we come to be Rich Oh prize the Trade of Godlinesse then therein is great gain to be had As for the Works of Morality and common grace they are like the Trade of the poor labouring Man that earns some small matter that works hard and gets onely some outward blessings from God but Godlinesse is a full Merchants Trade that brings in hundreds and thousands at a clap and such a Trade God would have us set our hearts upon to look after great and glorious things As Cleopatra that Egyptian Princess said to Marcus Antonius It was not for him to fish for gudgeons but for Towns Forts and Castles so it is not for those that are acquainted with the wayes of Godlinesse to be trading for poor things for temporal transitory trash but for eternal life glory and Immortality Consideration of our secret Sins a motive to Compassionate others WE may read of a Iudge in the Primitive times who when he was seriously invited to the place of Judgment to passe Sentence upon another withdrew himself and at last being earnestly pressed came with a bag of sand upon his shoulders to the Iudgment Seat saying You call me to passe Iudgment upon this poor Offender How can I do it when I my self am guilty of more sins then this bag hath sands in it if the World saw them all This was not so well done as a publique Magistrate being invited to do Iustice yet as becoming a Conscionable Christian. And thus ought all good Men to do the consideration of their bosome Sins should work in them Compassion towards others saying within themselves Can I be as Judah to cry out upon Tamar Let her be burnt when I remember the Ring and the Staffe laid in pawn to her in secret How can I be extream against my weak brother when if my faults were written on my forehead I might deserve as severe a censure my self Ministers to preach the Gospel notwithstanding the discouragements of their Auditory And why so TUlly maketh mention of Antimaâ—hus a famous Poet of his time who having penn'd some excellent quaint Piece read it openly before a Iudicious Auditory but whether through disaffection to the Person or disregard of the Poem they all left him except Plato which he perceiving resolved to go on with this confidence that Plato being there alone he cared not though all the rest were absent Thus Ministers are to preach the Gospel of Christ though they 〈◊〉 with many discouragements to the work of their Ministery though the Congregation be so thin that there may seem to be more Pews and Pillars in the Church then People and they as stupid and senselesse in the matter of attention as the Seats they sit on some high-way side some thorny some rocky hearers yet for all that there may be one Plato one good grounded Hearer who may prove the Crown of all his labours and in whose conversion he shall have much cause of rejoycing before Men and Angels in Heaven The mis-giving Thoughts of a Worldly-minded Man in reference to the enjoyment of Heaven A Begger asking an Alms if a Man put his hand in his pocket and take out a penny or two pence he hath hope to have that but if he chance to pull out a piece of gold then his heart fails because it is too much Cast a bone to a dog he falls to it presently but for a joynt of meat before him well drest in a fair large dish he dares not venture upon that So for these sublunary things as Riches Honours and preferments such as God casts many times to dogs Worldly men may fall upon them and think they are for their â—ooth but when they come to the dainties and infinite treasures of God Can a Drunkard that prizeth nothing but a little swilling drink Can a swinish filthy base low-spirited Man that never minded any thing but the satisfying of his unclean lusts think that God should make it the greatest work that he hath in the World to communicate the Riches of his goodness and grace to such a one as he is He cannot but have mis-giving thoughts and think that he hath no part in them An Heavenly-minded Man looks through and beyond Afflictions TRavellers tell us that they that are on the top of the Alpes may see great showns of rain fall under them which they over look but not one drop of it comes at them And he that is on the top of some high Tower mindeth not the croking of Frogs and Toads the hissing of Serpents Adders and the like venomous Creatures they are below Thus an Heavenly-minded Man who dwells in Heaven on Earth looks through and beyond all Troubles and Afflictions rides triumphantly through the storm of disparagements nay he boldly stares Death in the Face though never so ugly disguised as Anaxarchus said to the Tyrant Tunde tunde Anaxarchum non tundis beat him and bruise him and kill him it may but he will keep up his Soul in the very ruines of his Body Deliberation to be used in all our wayes HE that is to climb up some high ladder must not think that setting his Foot upon the lowest rownd he can skip over all the rest and be at the top without evident danger to himself Such is the course of our life just like a Ladder of many rownds set up to some high place the first step is or of necessity should be the thought of God and goodnesse and the last step the full assurance of Heaven but there are in the middle many other steps as of means consideration deliberation c. how to love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves and how to demean our selves in the midst of a crooked and froward generation which if we miss and step over no marvel if we never come to the top but perish in the mid-way to all Eternity Heavenly mindednesse of a Child of God IT is recorded of Edward the First that he had a great desire to go to the Holy-Land but being
Wise Men dying as well as Fools IT is observed concerning Paracelsus a great Physitian and a Man exceedingly well verst in Chymical experiments that he bragg'd and boasted that he had attained to such Wisdome in discerning the Constitutions of Mens bodies and studying remedies that whosoever did follow his rules and keep to his directions should never dye by any disease casually he might and of age he must but he would undertaker to secure his health against all diseases a bold undertaking But he who by his art promised to protect others to the extremity of old age from the arrest of death could not by all his art and skill make himself a protection in the prime of his youth but dyed even as one without wisdome before or when he had seen but thirty Thus it is that Wisemen many times do not onely dye as well as Fools but as Fools without Wisdome They who have most Worldly wisdome usually die with the least in not preparing wisely for death they may be said to have had Wisdome but they die as if they never had had any that is they apply not their Wisdome while they live to fit themselves for their death they die before they understand what it is to live or why they live and so dying unpreparedly they die foolishly Neglect of Restitution condemned A Great Lady in Barbary being a Widow called to her an English Merchant trading in those parts with whom she knew her husband had some commerce and asked him if there were nothing owing to him from her deceased husband He after her much importunity acknowledged what and shewed the particulars She tendered him satisfaction yea and after his many modest refusals as being greatly benefited by the dead Barbarian forced him to take the uttermost penny saying thus I would not have my husbands Soul to seek your Soul in Hell to pay his debts Here now was a Fire in a dark Vault great Zeal in blind Ignorance seeing that by the Candle-light of Nature which S. Augustine delivered long since for a doctrinal Truth Non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum thus in Master Latimers old English Either restitution or Hell But O the sadnesse of these grasping Times Where is the Man that restoreth what is unjustly taken away what hath been indirectly gotten The estates credits goods and good Names of Men are taken away by exactions and slanders but where is the Man that maketh Restitution Zacheus may very well rise up in Judgment against such a griping and exacting generation as this is Luke 19. 8. Wives to love their Husbands cordially IT is not without some significancy that the Church in the solemnity of Marriage ordaineth that there shall be a gold Ring of gold it must be intimating that Love should abound betwixt the Married couple Love the best of graces and round it must be to shew that Love must continue to the end besides this Ring must be put by the Man upon the fourth finger of the Woman signifying also thereby that as there is a vein in that finger which correspondeth with the Heart so she should be cordially affected to her Husband having no thought in that kind of any other man as long as he lives whom God by his Ministery hath given unto her The Wicked Mans Folly in his Worldly choyce WHen an Heir is impleaded for an Ideot the Judge commands an apple or a counter with a piece of gold to be set before him to try which he will take If he take the apple or the counter and leave the gold then he is cast for a Fool and so held by the Judgment of the Court as one that is unable to manage his estate because he knowes not the valew of things or how to make a true election of what is fittest for him in the way of subsistency This is the case of all Wicked Men thus foolish and much more When Bugles and Diamonds counters and gold are before them they leave the Diamonds and the gold and please themselves with toyes and baubles Nay when which is infinitely more sottish Heaven and Hell Life and Death are set before them they choose Hell rather then Heaven and death rather then life they take the mean transitory trifling things of the World before the favour of God the pardon of Sin a part in Iesus Christ and an Inheritance amongst the Saints in light coelestiall Custome in Sin hardly broken off THere is an Apologue how four things meeting boasted their incomparable strength The Oake a Stone Wine and Custome The Oke stood stoutly to it but a blast of wind came and made it bow the Axe felled it quite down Great is the strength of Stones yet gutta cavat a continual dropping wears them away and a hammer beats them to pieces Wine overthrowes Gyants and strong Men Senators and Wise Men et quid non pocula possunt yet sleep overcomes Wine But Custome invicta manet remains unconquered Hence it was that the Cretians when they cursed their Enemies did not wish their houses on fire not a sword at their hearts but that which in time would bring on greater woes that mala consuetudine delectentur they might be delighted with an ill Custome And to say truth Custome in Sin is hardly broken off When Vices are made manners the disease is made incurable When through long trading and Custome in Sin neither Ministery nor misery nor miracle nor Mercy can possibly reclaim a Man may very truly write on that Soul Lord have mercy on it For Custome is not another nurture but another Nature and what becomes Natural is not easily reduced It is the principall Magistrate of Mans life the guide of his actions and as we have inured our selves at the first setting out in this World so commonly we go on unlesse we be turned by Miracle and changed by that which is onely able to do it the Grace of God Wives to be subject to their Husbands WHen the Sun is down the Moon takes upon her the Government of the Heavens and out-shines the Stars yet not without borrowing her best light from the Sun but when the Sun appears she vailes her light and by degrees vanisheth out of sight So the Wife in her husbands absence shines in the Family tanquam inter ignes Luna minores like the fair Moon amongst the lesser Stars but when he comes in it will be her modesty to contract and withdraw her self by leaving the Government to him onely Cardinall Wolsey's Ego et Rex meus I and my King is insupportable in the Politiques so I and my husband is insufferable in the Oeconomicks For let but the Moon get the upper hand of the Sun the Wife over her husband the glory of that Family must needs be eclipsed The Safety of Gods people PLutarch in the relation of Alexander's Warrs saith That when he came to
whereof hath been a great inlet to Idlenesse negligence and ignorance in the study of Divinity Blessednesse of the Poor in spirit in the matter of Hearing Gods Word IT is fabled that when Iuno on a day had proclaimed a great Reward to him that brought her the best present there came in a Physitian a Poet a Merchant a Philosopher and a Beggar The Physitian presented a hidden secret of Nature a prescript able to make an old Man young again The Poet an Encomiastick Ode of her bird the Peacock The Merchant a rare hallow Iewell to hang at her ear The Philosopher a book of strange Mysteries The poor quaking Beggar onely a bended knee saying I have nothing that is worth acceptance Accipe meipsum Take my self Thus it is that many come unto God in the hearing of his Word with prescripts of their own they have receipts enow already they care for no more Others like the Poet come to admire Peacocks the gawdy Popinjayes and Fashionists of the time all to be dawb'd with gold and silver Feathers Others like the Merchant present Jewels but they are hallow they come with criticall or hypocritical humours like Carps to bite the net and wound the Fisher not to be taken Some like the Philosopher bring a book with them which they read without minding the Preacher saying They can find more Learning there then he can teach them But blessed are the poor in spirit that like the Beggar give themselves to God Iuno gave the reward to him and God gives the blessing to these It is a poor Reverently devoted heart that carries away the comfort Godlinesse in the humble dust of adoration that shall be lifted up by the hand of Mercy Christ to be our Example and Pattern of Imitation in life and death ST Hierome having read the life and death of Hilarion one that lived most Christianly and dyed most comfortably folded up the book saying Well Hilarion shall be the Champion that I will follow his good life shall be my Example and his godly death my President How much more then should each of us first read with diligence the life and death of Iesus Christ and then propound him to our selves as the most absolute pattern for our Imitation resolving by the Grace of God that Christ shall be the copy after which we will write the pattern which we will follow in all things that he hath left within the sphear of our Activity so also in that necessary duty of Preparation for death He did so Iob. 14. and we must do so For as in shooting there is a deliberate draught of the bow a good aym taken before the loose be given so if ever we look for comfort in death we must look at death through the preparation for it The greatest of things wrought by God without means AS when Gedeon was to fight with the Midianites pretending that his Army was but a few How many hast thou saith the Lord So many thousand They are too many The Lord will not have them all but commands them to be reduced to one half and yet there were too many the Lord would not work by them they were too strong At last he comes to make choyce of them by lapping in the water then they came to three hundred Men to fight against three hundred thousand For it is said they covered the Earth like Grashoppers And now the Lord begins to work by these Men. And how doth he work by Weapons No but with a few broken pitchers in their hands and they had the day of it the Midianites be delivered up into their hands as a prey This was a wonderful act of the great God who not tyed to means wrought out Victory by his own arm It is true that means and second causes he hath much honoured in the World and commands them to be used but when he comes to effect great things such as was the Redemption of Mankind by Christ such as shall be the Resurrection of the dead at the last day then such means and causes as seek to set him forward he rejects them and works not by them but the clean contrary The greater stench the bodies have sustained in the grave shall work it unto greater sweetnesse and the greater weaknesse it had the greater strength shall accrew unto it and wondrous puissance shall God work unto that part that lacked honour according to his blessed dispensation in all things Not to be Angry with our Brother A Railing Fellow fell very foul upon Pericles a Man of a Civil and Socraticaâ— spirit and he left him not all the day long but continued till he had brought him to his own doors in the Evening somewhat late at Night He all this while not returning one unbeseeming word commanded one of his Servants with a Torch to light the brawler home to his house Thus did he by the dim light of Nature And therefore if a brother offend us upon ignorance let us neglect it if upon infirmity forget it if upon malice forbear it upon what terms soever forgive it as we would have God to forgive us It is a saying That every Man is either a Fool or a Physitian so every Christian is either a Mad-man or a Divine A Mad-man if he give his passions the rein a Divine if he qualifie them The Natural Mans blindnesse in Spirituall things WHen Xeuxes drew his Master-piece and Nicostratus fell into admiration of the rarenesse thereof highly commending the exquisitenesse of the work there stood by a rich Ignorant who would needs know what he had discovered worthy of so great applause To whom Nicostratus made this answer My Friend couldst thou but see with my eyes thou wouldst soon see cause enough to wonder as well as I do Thus it is that the dear Children of God have inexhaustible treasure even in the midst of their poverty transcendent dignity in the midst of their disgraces heighth of tranquillity in the very depth of tribulation their pulse and Locusts relish better then all the Gluttons delicious fare their Sheep-skins Goat-skins and Camels hair wear finer then all the Purple and soft rayment the Worlds hate makes them happier then all the applauses of the Capitol Now the sensual carnal Naturalist sees none of all this he perceives not the things of the spirit neither indeed can he for they are spiritually discerned no Man knowes them but he that hath them but had he spirituall sight were but the scales fallen off from his eyes as they did from S. Paul's at the time of his Conversion then he would clearly see and say as the same S. Paul did That though we suffer tribulation in all things yet we are not distressed we are brought into perplexities yet we are not forsaken Negligent Hearing of Gods Word condemned A Servant coming from Church praiseth the Sermon to his Master He asks him What was the
Text Nay quoth the Servant it was began before I came in What was then his conclusion He answered I came out before it was done But what said the Preacher in the midst Indeed I was asleep in the midst Thus many there are that crowd to get into the Church but make no room for the Sermon to get into them commend the Preacher to other mens ears but commend it not to their own hearts audiunt sonum sed nullam vocem they hear a sound but for sound doctrine that 's the least part of their attention God himself to be only expected as a Reward of all good endeavours THe Doctors of Doway in their edition of Thomas of Aquines Summs have pictured him on the Title page kneeling before a Crucifix which they feign to speak unto him thus Bene scripsisti de me Thoma c. Thou hast written well of me Thomas Say what reward wilt thou have To which he seems to reply Nullam Domine nisi teipsum None Lord but thy self Now quod illi pictiè et fictè that which they forge and feign of Aquinas must be true of every one of us thus far We must expect and desire no other Reward for all our service of God both in life and in death but onely God himself for he is all in all Hope of future joy sweetneth present sorrow THe slaves that serve the Turks in their gallies if they could but think that at seven years end some Christian would come and redeem them they would be better affected and tugg at the Oar with more chearfulnesse and alacrity of spirit especially if they could be assured of their delivery If Iacob serve the churle Laban seven years longer if he think he shall have Rachel at the end of it it will be but as seven dayes and he goes on with comfort and is content that God shall use him to his hand as it pleaseth him Thus it is that the hope of better things sweetneth the present sadnesse of any outward condition There is no grief so heavy but if a Man tye Heaven at the end of it it will become light put but them together and the one will be swallowed up in the other If the times be bad hope for better the expectation whereof will be an excellent lenitive to allay the smart of present calamity The Law abused by Libertinism AS upon some great Solemn Feastival day the bells in all Steeples are rung but then the Clocks are tyed up there is great untun'd confusion and clangour but no Man knows how the time passeth away So at this time in the universal allowance of Liberty by the Gospel which indeed rejoyceth our hearts had we the grace of sober usage the clocks that should tell us how our time passeth Truth and Conscience which shew the bounded use and decent form of things are tyed up and cannot be heard Men give so general an acclamation to the Gospel and the salvation by it that they keep not the Law at all How to think of God in Prayer THere is mention made of a Gentile and a Christian and the Christian being upon his knees unto God in Prayer the Gentile using to have the Image of his false God before his eye asked him Who do you pray to The Christian replyed That he knew not How sayes the Gentile pray to you know not whom O sayes the Christian Ideo adoro quia ignoro I do therefore adore him because I am ignorant of him For could I but either apprehend or comprehend him he were not worthy of Prayer he should be my God no longer Thus when we make our addresses unto God in Prayer we must have a care that we do not frame any thing in our thoughts of his Essential property that were to set up some Idolatrous Image in our hearts but to think of him in his Attributes especially those of his Majesty goodnesse power mercy such as may raise our confidence to draw more nigh unto him And then being as it were in a divine rapture non-plus'd and overwhelmed with admiration of him is the only time of adoration and supplication unto him A Child of God triumphing over Death IT hath been an ancient Proverb when a Man had done some great matter he was said to have pluck'd a Lyon by the beard but when a Lyon is dead even to little Children it hath been an easie matter As boyes when they see a Bear a Lyon or a Woolf dead in the streets they will pull off their hair insult over them and deal with them as they please They will trample upon their bodies and do that unto them being dead which they durst not in the least measure venture upon whilest they were alive Such a thing is Death a furious beast a ramping Lyon a devouring Woolf the helluo generis humani eater up of Mankind yet Christ hath laid him at his length hath been the death of Death so that Gods Children triumph over him such as those refined ones in the oare of the Church those Martyrs of the Primitive times who cheerfully offered themselves to the Fire and to the sword and to all the violence of this hungry beast and have played upon him scorned and derided him by the Faith that they had in the life of Christ who hath subdued him to himself To be diligent Hearers of the Word of God and remember what we hear IT is said of our Country That we have fair houses but bad Chimneys because there is so little smoke of Hospitality And it may as truly be said That we have excellent ears but bad Memories quick conceptions bad retentions Not a Nation under Heaven hears so many good Sermons not a Nation under Heaven sooner forgets them Many Arts are taught amongst us of quick-reading of short-writing where by Brachygraphical characters they will take a Sermon verbatim But there is one Art it were heartily to be wished that some good body would teach it us It is the Art of Memory That as Sermons are taken word for word in our papers so they might be written sense for sense in our hearts Reconciliation to be made with all Men. SUppose a Creditor to whom a Man is engaged by bond or otherwise and upon Forfeiture should put the bond in suit the Law is open the Judge must do right the penalty is Imprisonment Were it not then an high part of Wisdome by way of arbitration or otherwise to come to some agreement before the matter come to tryall that so by withdrawing the Action the Party concerned may be drawn out of danger The like is every Mans case here in this World in the point of brotherly Reconcilement whether thou be wronged or have wronged seek peace and ensue it and that now in the acceptable time speedily without demurs For thou art way-lay'd by Death and knowest not how soon thou shalt be arrested If thou come
mischief on their beds and committing all uncleannesse even with greedinâ—sse ofâ—en escape great dangers in their drunkennesse and other outrages yet in the â—nd some Fearful and Exemplary Iudgment overtakes them Youth to be seasoned with Grace not giving the least way to the Devill THere was an Abbot of this Land which desired a piece of ground that lay conveniently for him The owner refused to sell it yet with much perswasion was contented to let it The Abbot hired it for his Rent and covenanted onely to farm it for one Crop He had his bargain and sowed it with Acorns a Crop that lasted three hundred years Thus Sathan begs but for the first crop let him sow thy youth with Acorns they will grow up with thy years to sturdy Oaks so bigg bulked and deep-rooted that they shall last all thy life Sin hath a shrewd title when it can plead prescription And Sathan thinks his Evidence as good as eleven points at Law when he hath once got possession let him be sure of thy Youth he will be confident of thy Age Poma dat Autumnus he well knowes that the blossoms in the Spring are the Fruit in Autumn and that in thy Youth thou art not Cloath but Wooll so that the deepest Purple sins are those which are died in the Wooll Let thy Soul therefore like Gedeon's fleece drink up betimes the dew of Grace Judg. 6. 37. For younger years well led are as the sweetnesse of a Rose whose smell remains in the dry leaves Take then the first opportunity of Gods gracious motions and monitions or if thou have omitted the first embrace the second or if many have passed by unanswered of thee embrace the present Invitation and even now with Faith and Repentance turn unto God thy Maker A good Conscience the best Friend WOrldly Friends are uncertain they go and come and stand afar off when they should be most near they love not in time of trouble they are loath to come to a sick Man's bed side or if so they cannot abide to hear his groans And by no means to see a dead Man at the most they can but follow one to the grave and there leave him But a good Conscience will make one's bed in sicknesse and cause him to lye the softer will stand by him when he groans and do him comfort will hearten him upon Death when it 's coming and say Thy Redeemer liveth will whisper to him when departing and say Thy Warfare is accomplished will lodge the body in grave as in a bed mann the Soul to Heaven and make it able to look God in the face without any terrour yea so fast a Friend is a good Conscience that when Riches Husband Wife Parents Friends Breath Life nay Patience Hope Faith have left us in some measure it will stick close unto us Christians to be carefull that they may find comfort in Death ORators though in every part of their speech they use great care and diligence yet in the close of all they set forth the best of their art and skill to stirre up the affections and passions of their Hearers that then they may leave at the last the deepest impression of those things which they would perswade Thus ought all of us to do our whole life being nothing else but a continued and perswasive Oration unto our God to be admitted into his Heavenly Kingdom but when we come to the last act and Epilogue of our age then it is that we must especially strive to shew forth all our art and skill that so our last words may be our best words our last thoughts our best thoughts our last deeds our best deeds whereby stirring up as it were all the affections of God and even the bowels of Compassion unto us we may then as the Sun though alwayes glorious yet especially at its setting be most resplendent when we draw near unto our Western home the house appointed for all living Purity and the Heart of Man seldome meet together IT is observed of the word Conscientia that it ever had ill luck in the Church and could never be found at once in full syllables Conscientia altogether may be called Devotion take away the first syllable it is Scientia Knowledg cut off the next it is Entia Means or Worldly maintenance First in the time of Prophanenesâ—e there was Sci and Entia Learning and Living Knowledg and Maintenance but Con was left out Devotion was wanting they were ungodly Men In the next Age there was Con and Entia Devotion and Exhibition a Rich and Religious yea a superstitious number but Sci Knowledg was wanting they were none of the learned'st Clerks In the third Age Con and Sci Learning and Devotion were both lost and onely Entia was left they had the Honors and Mannors the fat of this Land But now in this last Age it is come quite round We have and not long since in a better measure had Con and Sci a Learned and Religious Clergy onely Entia is taken from them their livelihood and subsistence is by sacrilegious hands exhausted The like Fortune hath a Pure Heart in the VVorld Purenesse goes one way and the Heart another way and these two have much ado to meet There is no lack of Hearts every Man hath one some have more then one And for Purenesse it abounds proud Dames will have pure houses pure cloaths pure meat c. Hypocrites will have pure eyes pure tongues pure habits garbs and gestures And the Prophane sort are all for brave Hearts they make a pish at Purenesse This is the Devils plot to keep purenesse and the Heart asunder Purity will do well in nothing without the Heart the Heart can be happy in nothing without purity It is great pity two such sweet Companions should be kept asunder The God of all purity bring them together Sin of the meanest Man in a Nation may be the destruction of it EVery particular individual Man is a part of the City and Kingdom wherein he was born be it never so ample as a lâ—ttâ—r is part of a word Some be like to Câ—pital or Text-letters as great Men some to smaller characters as Men of low degree some be like to Vowels as Men in Authority some to mutes and liquids as the Vulgar sort All Men go to the making of a City or Kingdome as all letters go to the making up of words And as in a Word if one letter be amisse though but a Mute it may indanger to marre the word though not so much as if a Vowell be defaced So in a City or Nation if any one Man be blotted with Sin let it be but a mean Man it may bring a destruction to that place yet not so soon as if a Man of higher place were blurred with iniquity The Secure carelesse Sinner IT is said of those that are taken with the Phrenetique disease that by
joy for the totall the full conversion of a Sinner so there is a proportion a measure of joy for one tear nay for one desire of a tear of any one Sinner that repenteth Rash inconsiderate Prayers reproved IT is reported in the Moscovy Churches that if the Minister mistake in reading or stammer in pronouncing his words or speak any word that is not well heard the Hearers do much blame him and are ready to take the book from him as unworthy to read therein And God is no less offended with the giddy rash precipitate and inconsiderate Prayers of many who send their Petitions in post haste unto him Whereas the Prophet David saith At last I spake with my tongue his tongue came after his heart his words came after long-looking what he would say what he should say And it is the advice of Solomon his Sonne Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Where he putteth the mouth before the heart when he forbids the rashness of them because he would not have thee to put it before the heart in using of it not to tumble out thy words when thou speakest unto God but that they be distinctly digested into order understanding well what thou say'st that others may understand thee also Insensibility of Sin the sadnesse thereof IT is reported That the Grecians had an Hill so high above that Region of the ayr where winds are bred that he that had drawn his name in the ashes of the last years Sacrifices might at the next year of his return find the letters unblown away But thou O Man whosoever thou art if thy heart be so calmly seated that the Devil may at the same instant read in the sluttish dust of it the Sins which long ago he wrote there if no Thunder have cleared the ayre about thee or any wind scattered those guilty characters if all be hush'd silence and sleep and rest about the Conscience like the sad Country of the Sybarites where not so much as a Cock the Remembrance of Saint Peter was left alive to trouble them If so know then that so long as thou art thus senselesse of thy sins that thy Soul is utterly benuâ—'d thy God hath given thee over he will not so much as favour thee with a frown or blesse thee with his anger The Vanity of using many Words TErtullian expressing the nature of Dreams saith Conspice gladiatorem sine armis vel Aurigam sine curriculis c. Look but upon a Fencer without weapons a Coach-driver without his running Chariâ—t acting and practising all the postures and feats of his skill there is fighting there is a stirring but it is an empty moving and gesturing Notwithstanding those things do seem to be done which are not seen to be done They are done in the acting of them but not in effecting any thing by them So it is in many words there is often much Fencing but no Weapons wherewith the Enemy is wounded there is much running but no Chariot that winneth the race Much seemeth to be said but it is to as much purpose as if nothing were said all is an empty moving of the tongue And if there be any matter of worth in the multitude of Words it is but by chance as when a blind Man shooteth many arrows perhaps one may be near the mark And so in the multiplying of many words perhaps some there may be which carry some weight some matter with them but usually in a multitude of Words thâ—re is no multitude of matter and in the idle tossing of many words what can there be but a fulnesse of Folly when a Fools voice is known by them Eccles. 5. 3. Not to repine at the losse of Friends or Children ANytus a young Spark of Athens came revelling into Alcibiades house And as he sate at supper with some strangers he rose on a sudden and took away one half of his plate the guests stormed and took on at it He bad them be quiet and told them that he had dealt kindly with him since that he had left the one half whereas he might have taken the whole So let no Man repine for that Friend that Child which is taken away by death but be thankfull to God for those that are left He that taketh one might aswell if he would have taken all All are in his hands and it is his great Mercy that he hath left any at all Men of few and Men of many Words their difference HOmer in his Iliads hath appointed unto Dreams two dores the one a dore of horn which was the dore of Truth the other a dore of Ivory which was the dore of deceipt For Horn as they say may be looked through but Ivory being thick and dark is not transparent These dores may very well be applyed to the mouths of men which are as the Indexes and Tables of the Heart For to some it is a dore of glasse which is soon broke open and easily giveth passe to a Multituâ—e of words wherein the Folly of their hearts and minds is discerned to others it is a dore of Brasse firm and solid in keeping in their words with more care and circumspection and shewing the firm solidity of their hearts and minds Why it is that the Children of God die usually sooner then others SHould any of us have a Child an onely son in France Holland or some such like place of distance abiding there to learn the language to see fashions or the like and should hear that the Countrey were all in an uproar ready to fight onâ— against another What course should we take in this case should we not in all hast write to have him home where he might be in more safety In like manner doth God with his people that he hath as it were at Nurse or at School here in this World When trouble and danger is toward those places where they make their abode he calleth for them away he taketh them home to himself whâ—râ— they are sure to be safe far out of Gun 's shot and free from touch or view of evil All Men must die and lye down in the dust JAcobus Emissenus a famous writer and Tutor to Ephraem the learned Syrian reporteth that when Noah went into the Ark he took the bones of Adam along with him and coming thence he divided them amongst his sons giving the skull to Shem his first born saying Let not this delivery from the Floud make you secure behold your first Parent and the beginning of all Mankind you must all Nati natorum et qui nascuntur ab illis and all that come from you go unto the dust to him And without all doubt All Men must dye and lye down in the dust they may desire to stay long here in this valley of tears and to live in this thin shadow of
Men to be evil but they shall not much feel the evill of them Nay they shall receive much good for the evill that they suffer For as it is an exercise of their Patience so shall it be the encrease of their glory Goodnesse not Greatnesse that holdeth out to the last WHen a wealthy Merchant bragged to Lycon a Wise Philosopher of the multitude of his great Ships and Furniture for Sea being able to trade into all parts the Wise Man made this answer I esteem not that to be Felicity which hangs upon ropes and cables Thus when a Man is at the last cast it is Piety and the true fear of God not plenty and Prosperity which are traâ—sitory that shall stand a Man in stead The smoak of a Great Mans sacrifice smells never the sweeter before God because he is cloathed in silk or like the Bird of Paradise adorned with plâ—mes and fine Feathers No it is the inside that God regards He looks on Mans obedience requires his service loves his thankfulnesse respects his holinesse and will reward his Faithfulnesse How it comes to passe that Death is more generally excused then accused IT was a Fable amongst the Antients in former times that God appointing to every thing it's office and function he gave order unto Death to take away the lives of Men but Death refused the employment and gave this reason because he should be by every one accused They would all be ready to say that he had killed them No sayes God they shall all be forward to excuse thee Nay then sayes Death let me alone to undertake the service Hence it comes to passe that of such a one we say He died because he was an old Man of another because he was intemperate in his diet of a third because he was carelesse of his Health a fourth might have been a living Man had he not gone such a journey by land or such a Voyage to Sea so that with one thing or other Death that Prince of terrours though he have his name in Latine Mors à mordendo yet he is more generally excused by all Men then accused by any A Minister to keep close to his Text. THe Poet was witty who made this fiction A Client having fee'd his Lawyer to plead for the recovery of his two Hogs His Counsellour tels him it should be his first motion and so steps to the bar and there makes a long Oration so far from the matter that the poor Client thinking he had been upon another businesse pulls him by the sleeve saying Domine jam age de Porcis Sir now plead for my Hogs This is a great fault in Lawyers that many times in their Pleadings they are so far from the matter that neither Judge nor Jury can well tell what to make of it But the like may be said of some bold Ignaroe's such as in the Pulpit after they have repeated the Text shake hands with it and so part never coming at it again In ventum verba proferunt their discourse iâ— like wind And yet the people are much taken with these Euroclydons Men of more tongue then Judgment O sayes one He is a very ready Man he was never out and that 's true For he was never in O sayes another He never looked on his book And that 's as true His Tutor if he had one could never get him look upon any It were therefore to be wished that as the Lawyer was advised to come to the point so he to keep close to his Text. Kings Princes Protectors c. subject to Death as well as the lowest of the People IT is written of Alexander that having heard of Paradise and that it was upon the Earth he was very eager in seeking of it out and to that end coming into the East part of the Earth an old Man meeting with some of his Souldiers bad them to tell Alexander that he sought Paradise in vain For the way to Paradise was the way of Humility which he did not take But saith he take this stone and carry it to Alexander and tell him that from this stone he shall tell what he is Now the stone was a pretious stone and of such a quality that whatsoever thing was weighed with it that was still the heavyer onely if it were covered with dust then it was as light as straw The meaning of the thing did easily appear as shewing Alexander and all others in power like unto him that though in their lives they outweigh others by greatnesse of their Authority yet that in Death all their greatnesse signifies as much as comes to nothing and then they weigh as light as any other they may forbid things by the Laws of their Nations but they cannot banish Death by any Law they can make they may dispatch away their Ambassadours to treat with Men but not with Death they may send out their Military forces to withstand their Enemies but they cannot resist Death Eccles. 8. 8. Magistrates to be impartial in Justice SEleucus that impartial Law-giver of the Locrians made a Law against Adulterers that whosoever should be found guilty thereof Exocularetur they are the words of Reverend Bede should have his eyes put out It so hapned that his Son proved the first offendor sentence was pronounced execution ready to be done Whereupon the Peopleâ— submissis precibus rogitabant c. earnestly entreated the Judge his Father that he would pardon the fact Who upon serious deliberation put out one of his own eyes and one of his Sons and so shewed himself pium Patrem et severum Iudicem a Godly Father and an upright Judge together Thus it is that Magistrates like the Earth should be immoveable though the Winds should blow at once from all the points of the Compasse not to favour Friends nor fear the frowns of enemies but proceed impartially according to the merits of the cause that is before them Prov. 18. 5. The greatnesse of Kings Princes Protectors c. no protection from Death THere is a Relation of Alexander the great that as he went on conquering the World coming near some Wise men he called them unto him and upon asking them some questions he found them to be Wise men indeed He bad them to ask some gifts of him and they should have them Whereupon one of the Philosophers said We desire of thee certain Immortality At which Alexander laughing said I accounted you to be Wise men but now I perceive you to be ignorant I cannot give that unto myself How can I then give it unto you Are you Mortall then say they unto him I am said he Then replied they Why dost thou disturb the whole World seeking the dominion of it as if thou wert Immortal Thus it is that the greatnesse of Kings Princes and Rulers of the Earth may do great things at home and abroad may protect others from dangers
River must labour and take more pains to get out then he that fell in but at the brink thereof the one must swim hard for it whereas the other catching hold upon the bank or something else growing thereupon more easily draweth himself out Thus if we fall into great Sins it must and will cost us more sorrow and tears then if we fell into lesser Manasses sin was great and his Peter's sin was great and his sorrow was suitable so must ours be if our sins be many and great our sorrow must be so much the greater if but few and little our sorrow may be the lesse and we sooner attain the peace of Conscience Non-proficiency in the wayes of God and Religion condemned SIr Thomas Moor makes mention of a drowsie devoted Monk in his time who in his quotidian devotions was wont to say the first day Gloria Patri the second et Filio the third et Spiritui sancto and in the end it was Sicut in principio doubling over his Orisons not much unlike to the ignorant Countryman that yawning out his thoughts unto God unbuttons his doublet with Our Father which art in Heaven and steps into his bed with I believe in God the Father Almighty never labouring to understand what the one or the other meaneth This is to be like the Sun in Ioshuah's time that stood still or rather the Sun in Hezekiah's time that went backward or Fabia in Quintilian who for thirty years together would not confesse that she was one year elder But God cannot abide such halting in his service any such delaying in Religion any such loytering in Profession any such limits in Christian profession he cannot but distaste any Snail-like withdrawing any piece-like recoyling any hypocriticall feigning any wearisome fainting any dyall-like staying any pool-like standing any Ephraemite starting any foolish-Virgin neglecting or any drowsie-Apostle sleeping To be patient at the time of Death and why so IT is well-known that when a Goaler knocks off a Prisoners bolts fetters and Irons that the constant wearing them hath put him to a great deal lesse pain then the knocking of them off doth at the present yet though every blow go to the very heart of him he never smayes at it but is quiet and well contented because he knows that the pain will make a compensation for the ease that he shall afterwards enjoy Thus it is that all Men here in this World lye fettered and gyved with the bolts and irons of Mortality and Sin in which case it may be when God comes to knock off those Irons by death that they feel more pain and extremity then before yet because this brings to ease and everlasting rest let them be patient in this the time of their dissolution How it is that Wicked Men are said to be none of Gods children AS in Nature when Children are neither in outward feature of the body nor inward quality of the Mind like to their Parents which begat and brought them forth we say that such Children degenerate and grow out of kind neither can they be outwardly judged to belong to their Parents by reasoâ— of that great dissimilitude and unlikenesse of Manners Even so when we see Men in the World walking in by-paths of their own and no way like to their Heavenly Father in Holinesse and Righteousnesse no way resembling him which hath begot them in Christ in doing of good we may and that justly say of such that they degenerate and grow out of kind that they do not Patrizare tread in their Fathers steps going about alwaies doing of good after the example of Iesus Christ their elder brother Things unlawful not to be asked of God in Prayer IT is written of Vâ—â—ellius the Emperour that one of his Friends being denied a Petition that was not reasonable waxed angry and said unto him What avails me thy Friendship seeing I cannot obtain that which I crave Whereunto the Emperour replyed And what is thy Friendship to me if for thee I must do that which is unlawfull Now if such equity hath been found in Man What shall we think of our God With what face dare we seek that from God which is not lawfull to be given Hence it is that many times we ask and get not because we ask amisse and not for the right end Whereas did we ask in Faith we should be sure to have that thing which we desire or a better God alone more powerfull then all the Enemies of the World ANtigonus King of Syria being ready to give battel near the Isle of Andros sent out a squadron to watch the motions of his Enemies and to descry their strength return was made that they had more Ships and better man'd then he was How sayes Antigonus that cannot be Quam multis meipsum opponis For how many dost thou reckon me intimating that the dignity of a Generall weighed down many others especially when poysed with Valour and experience And where is Valour VVhere is Experience to be found if not in God He is the Lord of Hosts with him alone is strength and power to deliver Israel out of all her troubles he may do it he can do it he will do it he is wise in heart and mighty in strength besides him there is no Saviour no deliverer he is a shield to the Righteous strength to the VVeak a Refuge to the oppressed he is instar omnium all in all and who is like unto him in all the VVorld Charity to be well-ordered MOses being commanded of God to make an holy anointing Oyl was to take a certain quantity of some principall spices such as Myrrhe Cynamon Calamus and Cassia then to compound them after the Art of the Apothecary And thus it is that the oyl of our Charity must be rightly ordered Every Christian Alâ—â—s-giver must be a kind of spirituall Apothecary First his Alms must be like Myrrhe which distils from the Tree without cutting or the least incision so his Charity to be free without the least compulsion Secondly Cynnamon hot in taste and hot in operation so his Alms neither stone-cold as Nabal nor luke-warm as Laodicea but hot as it was said of Dorcas that she was full of good works Thirdly Cassia as sweet as the former but growing low the Emblem of humility so giving but not Vaingl oriously Lastly Calamus an odoriferous pouder but of a fragile reed so giving but acknowledging his Weaknesse thinking it no way meritorious For periculosa domâ—s eorum qui meritis sperant saith St. Bernard Dangerous is the state of that â—ouse which thinks to win heaven by keeping house c. Times of Trouble and danger distinguishing true Professours from false ones THe Samaritans as long as the Iewish Religion flourished and was in honour caused a Temple to be built on a high Mountain named Garazin that therein
they might not be inferiour to the Iews They boasted themselves to be of the Progeny of Ioseph and worshippers of God also with them but when they perceived that the Iews were câ—nelly afflicted by Antiochus Epiphanes for the worshipping of God then fearing lest they should be also handled in like manner they changed their coat and their note too affirming that they were not Israelites but Sidonians and had built their Temple not unto God but Iupiter Thus it is that times of Trouble and danger easily distinguish the counterfeit and true Professour Trouble is a kind of Christian Touch-stone a Lapis Lydius that will try what Mettal men are made of whether they be gold or drosse whether they be reall or â—arnall Professours sincere Christians or rotten-hearted Hypocrites The hardnesse of a Rich mans Conversion IT is observed amongst Anglers that Pickerils are not easily nor often taken a Man may take an hundreth Pinks or Minums before he catch a Pikeril For he preyethâ—o â—o sore at his pleasure upon the lesser frye that he seldome or never hath any stomach to 〈◊〉 at the bait And so fareth it with the Rich Men of this World their stomachs are so cloyed and surfetted with the things of this life that when the doctrine of Salvation is preached they have no appetite unto it tell them of selling all that they have and giving it to the Poor then with the young Man in the Gospell they cry out durus est hic sermo this is a very hard saying Who can bear it and it is as hard for such to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven whilst the Poor run away with the Gospell A small plat of ground sufficient for the greatest landed Man at the time of Death SOcrates carried Alcibiades as he was bragging of his lands and great possessions to a Map of the whole World and bad him demonstrate where his land lay he could not by any means espy it for Athens it self was but a small thing to the World where his lands at that time were Thus many there are that bear themselves very high upon their lands and livings so much in one place so much in another such a Lordship in this shire and such a Mannour in that but Saint Basil tells them truly where their land lyes and what 〈◊〉 be said to be really theirs Nonne telluris tres tanâ—â— cubiti te expectant So much measure of ground to the length and breadth of their bodies as may serve to bury them in or so many handfulls of dust as their bodies go into after their consumption that is terra sua terra mea and terra vestra their land and my land and thy land and more then this no man can absolutely claim Riches very dangerous in the getting of them SUppose a Tree whose leaves and boughs were clog'd and hung with honey unto which an hungry Man coming falls a licking one bough and leaf after another untill he is carried so high from one to another through the greedinesse of his hunger that he slips and slides and cannot stay himself but down he comes and breaks a leg or an arm and it is well if he escape with his life So dangerous is it to climb up the Tree of Riches For most commonly Men lay hold so upon one hundreth after another one thousand after another per fas et nefas no matter how or which way they do it though they endanger themselves sore even to the loss of their pretious and immortal Souls to all Eternity A great blessing of God to be gently used in the matter of Conversion IN some Corporations the sons of Freemen bred under their Fathers in the same Profession may set up and exercise their Fathers Trade without ever being bound Apprentices thereunto And whereas others endure seven years hardship at the least before they can be free they run over that time easily and are encorporated by their Father's Copy Thus it is that they who never were notoriously prophane such whose Parents have been Citizens of the new Ierusalem and have been bred in the mystery of Godlinesse are oftentimes entred into Religion and become Children of Grace without any Spirit of bondage seizing upon them and though otherwhiles they taste of legal frights and fears yet God so preventeth them with his blessings of goodnesse that they smart not so deeply as other Men A great benefit and rare blessing to that Soul where God in his goodnesse is pleased to bestow it Perfection of Grace to be endeavoured AS the Waters spoken of in Ezekiel grew up by degrees first to the ancles then to the loynes and lastly to the head Or as that gradual Wheat our Saviour spoke of First there was the blade then came the stalk after that the full Corn but lastly came the Harvest Even so like that Water we must grow higher and higher till we come to our head Christ Iesus and like that Corn riper and riper untill the end of the World when God shall come to winnow us We must resolve endeavour contend and strive for Perfection as for a prize though there may be many hindrances as Worldly allurements the Devils temptations and our own sinful provocations ever adding one grace unto another till we are in some sort secundum hujus vitae modum according to the capacity of our humane Nature perfect Men in Christ Iesus Matth. 5. 48. The pain of a Wounded Conscience greatned by the Folly of the Patient SHeep are observed to flye without cause scared as some say with the sound of their own feet Their feet knack because they flye and they poor silly Creatures fly because their feet knack An Emblem of Gods children under the pains of a Wounded Conscience self-Fearing self-srighted For as it is that the pain of a wounded Conscience amongst other reasons thereof assigned as from the heavinesse of the hand that makes the Wound an Angry God from the sharpnesse of the sword wherewith the Wound is made the Word of God from the tendernesse of the part it self which is wounded the Conscience becomes intolerable so from the Folly of the Patients themselves who being stung have not the Wisdome to look up to the brazen Serpent but torment themselves with their own Activity Hear they but their own Voyce they think it to be that which hath so often sworn lyed talked vainly wantonly wickedly their own voyce being a terror to themselves See they their own eyes in a glasse they presently apprehend These are they which shot forth so many envious covetous amorous glances their own eyes being a terror to themselves and as it was threatned to Paâ—hur themselves become a terrour to themselves Ier. 20. 4. No true Content to be found in the things of this World THere is an old Apologue of a Bird-catcher who having taken a Nightingale the poor Bird
Faith sure from losing and his Heart from the self-procured blows of Contention and so hold for ever his dear espoused Wife the beautifull daughter of the King Gods everlasting goodness and mercy Minding of the day of Judgment an excellent means to prevent Sin IT is reported of a certain Christian King of Hongary who being on a time marvailous sad and heavy his brother that was a resolute Courtier would needs know what he ailed Oh brother quoth he I have been a great Sinner against God and I know not how I shall appear before him when he comes to Iudgment These are said his brother Melancholly fits and so makes a toy of them as Gallants use to do The King replies nothing for the present but the custome of that Country was that if the Executioner of Iustice came and sounded a Trumpet before any Mans door the Man was presently without any more ado to be had to Execution The King in the dead of the night sends for his Deaths-Man and causeth him to sound his Trumpet before his brothers dore who seeing and hearing the Messenger of Death springs in pale and trembling into his brothers presence and beseeches the King to tell him wherein he had offended him Oh Brother replies the King Thou hast loved me and never offended me and is the sight of my Executioner so dreadfull to thee And shall not so great a Sinner as I fear to be brought to the Iudgment seat of God Thus did but Men stand in S. Ieromes posture alwaies hearing the Trumpet sounding in their ears Surgite mortui venite ad judicium they would make more Conscience of their waies they would then strike upon their thigh and cry out quid faciam What shall I do And thus in all their doings remembring their latter end they would never do amisse Man and Wife to be speak one another kindly SUch was the spiritual hatred of the Iews to the Lord Iesus that they would not vouchsaâ—e to give him his name when they talked of him or with him and to shew the utter dislike they had of him they used to say Is this be Art thou be that wilt do such a thing Whither will he go that we shall not find him They would not say Is this Iesus Christ or the Son of God This now was a spitefull kind of speaking and did bewray abudance of malice that lay hidden in their hearts and so it sometimes falleth out betwixt Man and Wife contempt disdain anger and malice will not suffer the one to afford unto the other their names and titles least they should be put in mind of such duties as those names and tiâ—les require whereas the very names of Husband and Wife doth greatly help to perswade the mind and to win the affections yea the very mention of these names doth often times leave a print of duty behind in the Conscience Ioh. 7. 11. 15. 35. The experimental Christian the undaunted Christian. HE that hath been at Sea and often escaped the many dangers of wind and weather even then when both conspired to make a wrack of himself and the ship he went in is the more bolder and readier to entertain a â—ew Voyage And why because he hath by the assistance of his God made way for deliverance in times of such eminent danger such an experimentall bold Logical Christian was David when he made a Lyon his Major a Bear his Minor He that delivered me from the Lion and the Bear will also deliver me from this uncircumcised Philistine 1 Sam. 17. 34. And such are all good Christians upon whom the Cross hath layen the heaviest upon whose shoulders the persecuting plowers have made the deepest furrows whose feet have been often in the stocks and into whose Sculs the Irons have made a deep impression they having had from time to time the experience of Gods deliverance from and assistance in the time of their trouble are as bold as Lyons and ready to meet death in the face though it come in the most gastly figure or shape that may be conceived Sin the strange nature thereof IT may seem strange which is written of the Nature of Thunder and Lightning that it bruiseth the tree yet breaks not the bark it cracketh the blade yet never hurteth the scabbard melteth the money in a Mans purse yet never toucheth his Person Such a thing and of such a Nature is sin it will bruise and wound the heart but never harm the eyes or the ears or hands it will â—iâ—rce and afflict the Conscience but never hurt the outward Man it is even a Plague unto the Soul yet a pleasure to the body Gods goodnesse Mans unthankfulnesse IT is observeable that there are but three main Rivers in this Land whereof that of Thames is held the best Insomuch that when a Courtier gave it outâ— that Queen Mary being displeased with the City of London threatned to remove the Term and Parliament to Oxford An Alderman asked Whether she meant to turn the channel of Thames thither or not If not saith he by Gods grace we shall do well enough And in truth that River is such a prosperity to that Ciâ—y it is such a loving Meander that it winds it self about and shews its silver arms upon her sides ebbing slowly eight but flowing merrily four hours as if she longed to embrace her beloved City with rich presents of Mâ—rchandise But what râ—turn doth the City make what thanks for all this Love She sweeps all the dirt of her streets in her face and chokes her up with soyl and rubbish This is Man's case God crowneth him with protectethâ—im â—im with his power carries him on from Mercy to Mercy c. sed uâ—i fructus The swelling River of Gods favours by the surfet of a tide doth no sooner bring in the encrease of outward things but that encrease doth breed in his mind another swelling and in his body another surfetting he swells in Pride and surfets in Wantonness And thus Peace breeding Wealth Wealth breeds Pride and Pride makes Contention and Contention kills Peace and by this meaâ—s a Civil War is raised to the ruine both of Church and Common-wealth Popish Miracles condemned IT is recorded that at Amesbury in Wiltshire when Q. Elianor the Wife of King Henry the third lay there a Man that feigned himself to have been long blind came to her and told her that he had now his sight restored at the Tomb of the King her deceased husband The Mother easily believed it but her sonne King Edward the first knowing this Man that he had ever been a dissolute Wretch and a vile Impostor disswaded her from giving Faith unto it protesting That he knew so well the Iustice of his Father that if he were living he would sooner put out both the dissembler's eyes then restore sight to either of them So without doubt those Saints to the Virtue of whose dead bones they of
story How that upon a time a Complaint was sent from the Islands of the Blessed to the Judges of the superiour Courts about certain Persons sent thither who formerly had lived impiously humbly intreating that this abuse thus offered unto them might speedily be redressed Whereupon these impartiall Iudges taking the businesse into their considerations found not onely the complaint to be true but withall the reason and cause thereof which was that Iudgment and sentence was passed upon them here below in this life Whereupon it oft fell out that many Persons cloathed with Honourable titles Riches Nobility and other like dignities and preferments brought many Witnesses with them who solemnly swore in their behalf that they deserved to be sent to the Islands of the Blessed when the truth was they deserved the contrary To avoid which inconveniency it was decreed by an eternal doom that for the time to come no Iudgment should be passed till after death and that by Spirits onely who alone do see and plainly perceive the spirits and naked Souls of such upon whom their sentence and Iâ—dgment was to passe that so of what estate and condition soever they were they might receive according to their works Here now was a great deal of light in a dark vault the divine eye of a meer naturall Man discovering an Heavenly truth which is That definitive sentence is not to be passed upon any here below not that any whosoever shall receive his full Reward of what he hath done whether it be good or bad till after this life be ended Good meanings of bad Men destructive THe Poets prate much of Plato's Ferry-boat that never rested to carry Men through the infernall River to the infernall place So that what was then feigned is now verified For if there be any Ferry-boat to Hell it is the thing that Men call a good Meaning This is that which carries Men and Women down to Hell by multitudes by Millions There cannot be found so many Passengers in all the boats upon any River as there are in this one Wherry wafted down to the pit of perdition Many in all Ages have had their good meanings and to this day the Iews Turks Pagans Papists the worst of them all do not want for good meanings It is the good meanings of bad Men that brings them to an evill end they think they do God good service by abusing his People but they are sure to find and feel one day what disservice they have done to God and their own Souls for ever and that their good meanings before Man shall never excuse their bad actings before God Gods readinesse to maintain the cause of his Church AS in publique Theaters when any notable shew passeth over the stage you shall have all the spectators rise up off their seats and stand upright with delight and eagernesse that so they might take the better notice of the same Thus it is that though by an article of our Faith we are bound to believe that Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty as a Iudge to pronounce sentence Yet he is said in the Scripture to stand upright at the sufferings of his People as at the stoning of S. Stephen either as an Advocate to pâ—ead the Church's cause or as one in a posture of readinesse to take revenge upon all her Enemies Men not to be proud of Honours and Preferments IT is Pliny's observation of the Pidgeons that taking a pride in the excellency of their feathers and the height of their flying they towr it in the ayr so long that at last they become a prey to the Hawk whereas otherwise if they would but fly outright they are swifter of wing then any other bird Thus Men that take a pride in the height of that honour whereunto they are advanced are many times made a prey to the Devil and a laughing stock to Men whereas did they but moderate their flight and make a right use of their preferments they might become serviceable to God and their Country Moderation the fore-runner of Peace IT is the observation of S. Hilary that Salt containeth in it's self the element both of Fire and Water and is indeed saith he a third thing compacted out of both It is water lest we should too much be incensed unto heat and passion It is Fire lest we should grow too remisse and chill with neglect and carelesnesse Hence is that advice of our Saviour to his Disciples Have salt in your selves and peace one with another that is as S. Paul interprets Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt let it not be rancid or unsavoury larded with bitter and unchristian Invectives but tempered alwayes with sobriety meeknesse and temperance And then when the salt is first set upon the Table Peace as the best and choycest dish will follow after The Saints Infirmities AS all Men dwelling in houses of clay and carrying about them the earthly Tabernacles of their bodies between whiles will they nill they sleep by reason of bodily infirmity and by a kind of unwelcome heavinesse nod towards the Earth as it were pointing at their natural Element whereunto they must in a short processe of time be reduced So even the best of Gods children compassed with Flesh and bloud cannot but at times bewray their folly and unsteadfastnesse The best Artist hath not alwayes his wits about him quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus and the most watchful circumspect Christian doth not alwayes stand so fast upon his guard of Faith and a good Conscience but he may at one time or other be taken napping God onely to be trusted unto in time of distresse AS when little Children do first learn to go alone and feeling the weaknesse of their feet Nature â—eacheth them to thrust out the hand to the Wall and trust it onely for a stay unto them And thus it is that especially in times of distresse Nature and Religion teach us to trust to a stronger then our selves that we shall have help at Gods hands and that without him there is no reall true help at all none in the smooth tongue of Man nor in his fair looks not in the strength of Man nor in his Riches nor in the wit of Man that may be turned into Foolishnesse but in God alone who is able and willing to relieve his People in the time of their distresse The great heat of Ambition IT is reported of Iulius Caesar that as he passed over the Alpes in his journey to Spain he took up his quarters one night in a little poor inconsiderable Village where one of his Company came unto him asked him merrily If he thought there would be any contention in that place for the Soveraignty Whereunto he made this stout answer I had rather be the first Man here then the second at Rome Now
that one slender word all the greatness of the rest is included the King being the Fountain of Honour from whence all their glory is derived Thus it is that if all the created goodnesse all the Priviledges of Gods children all the Kingdomes of the Earth and the glory of them were to be presented at one view they would all appear as nothing and emptiness in comparison of the excellency and fullness that is to be found in Christ Iesus The Ministers joy in the conversion of Souls IF it cannot but delight the Husbandman when he seeth his plants grow his fruits ripen his Trees flourish If it must needs rejoice the Shepheard to behold his sheep sound fat and fertile If it glad the heart of a Schoolmaster or Tutor to observe his Schollers thrive in Learning and encrease in knowledg It must needs be matter of abundant joy to any Minister of the Gospell when People are brought to Fellowship with God in Christ Iesus when they are as it were snatched out of the slavery of sin the jaws of Death and Hell and brought into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God then it is that he may be said to reap the fruits of his labours in the great comfort of his own Soul Gods pardoning other Repentan◠Sinners a great motive to perswade us that he will pardon us also IF one should come to a Physitian of whom he hath had a large report of his skill and should meet with hundreths by the way such as were at that time his Patients and all of them should tell him how he hath cured and healed them of their severall infirmities this must needs encourage him to go on with confidence of his skill that he will recover him also So should every Repentant Sinner run to Christ the great Physitian of his Soul because so many thousands have been healed so many great Sinners have been forgiven such as Manasses Mary Magdalen S. Paul c. This may be a great motive to perswade us all that upon Repentance he is and will be ready to forgive us also according to that of the Apostle He hath shewed Mercy unto me that others might believe in God Men to be carefull in the triall of their Faith Whether it be sound or not IF one be told that his Corn is blasted that all the Trees in his Orchard are dead that all his Money is counterfeit that the deeds and Evidences upon which his Lands and whole estate depend are false it must needs affect him much and make him look about him to see if these things be so or no. And shall not Men look then to the Faith they have upon which depends the eternall Welfare of their immortall Souls seeing God accepteth none except it be sound effectuall lively and accompanied with good works such a Faith as worketh by love purifieth the heart and shews it self in fruits worthy amendment of life 1 Thes. 1. 3. Men not to be ashamed of their Godly Profession though the Wicked speak evill of them SUppose a Geometrician should be drawing of lines and Figures and there should come in some silly ignorant fellow who seeing him should laugh at him Would the Artist think you leave off his employment because of his derision Surely no For he knows that he laughs at him out of his ignorance as not knowing his Art and the grounds thereof Thus let no Man be ashamed of his godly Profession because Wicked Men speak evill of it And why do they so but because they understand it not it is strange to them they see the actions of Godly Men but the rules and principles that they go by they know not and hence is it that they throw dirt in the face of Religious profession but a Wife man will soon wipe it off again God ordering all things for the good of his Church PUt the case all were turned upside down as it was in the confused Chaos wherein Heaven and Earth were mingled together and the waters overcoming all the rest yet as when the Spirit of the Lord did but move upon the Waters many beautifull Creatures wee produced and the Sea divided from the rest so that those waters which then seemed to spoil all serve now to water all without which 〈◊〉 cannot possibly subsist Even so were the Church in never so confused 〈◊〉 yet God will in his great Wisedome so order the things that seem to undo us that they shall make much for us and bring forth something of speciall use for the Churches good something to water and make fruitfull the house and People of God Sin the godly Mans hatred thereof IT is said of the Dove that she is afraid of every Feather that hath grown upon on Hauk and brings as much terrour upon her as if the Hauk were present such a native dread is as it seems implanted in her that it detests and abhors the very sight of any such feather So the Godly man that hath conceived a detestation against Sin cannot endure any thing that belongs to it or that comes from it No not the least motion or inclination though it bring along with it never so fair pretences never so specious shews shall have the least welcome or entertainment Vanity of the Creature without God TAke a beam of the Sun the way to preserve it is not to keep it by it self the being of it depends upon the Sun take the Sun away and it perisheth for ever but yet though it should come to be obscured and so cut off for a while yet because the Sun remains still therefore when the Sun shines forth again it will be renewed again Such a thing is the Creature compared with God If you would preserve the Creature in it self it is impossible for it to stand like a broken glasse without a bottom it must fall and break It is well known that the being of an accident is more in the subject then in it self insomuch that to take away the subject the very separation is a destruction to it So it is with the Creature which hath no bottom of it self so as the sepaeration of it from God is the destruction of it as on the contrary the keeping of it close unto God though in a case that seems to be the ruine of it is its happinesse and perfection How it is that God is to every one of his Children alone IT is observed That a Mathematicall point hath no parts it is one indivisible For let a thousand lines come to one point every one hath the whole and ye◠there is but one that answers all because it is indivisible and every one hath all So it is with God though there be many thousands that he loves dearly yet every one of them hath the Lord wholly For that which is infinite hath no parts and therefore he bestowes himself
conducing to life eternal The proposall of Rewards and punishments very usefull to the bringing into Christ. A Spouse that is considering with her self Whether she should marry such a Husband or not beginneth to consider What she should be without him and what she shall have with him she considers him perhaps as one that will pay her debts and make her Honourable c and yet it may be she considers not the Man all this while however these considerations are good preparatives to draw her on to give entertainment to him but after some converse and acquaintance with the person she comes to like the Man himself so well that she is content to have him though she have nothing with him and so she gives her full and free consent to him and the match is made up betwixt them out of true and sincere free love and liking Thus it is that the proposals of Rewards and punishment are as it were a beginning a Prodromus a good introduction to the full sight and fruiâ—ion of God When it is that Men begin at first to consider their own misery most and that if they should apply themselves to other things as remedies they would be still to seek For there is a Vanity in all things And if to themselves that they cannot help themselves in time of Trouble therefore they judge that they must go to Almighty God who is able to do more than all and to rid them out of misery And they consider that going to him they shall have Heaven besides yet all this while they consider not the Lords power however this consideration makes way that God and they may meet and speak together it brings their hearts to give way that the Lord may come to them it causeth them to attend to him to look upon him to converse with him to admit him as a Suitor and to be acquainted with him And whilest they are thus conversing with him God reveals himself And then being come to the knowledg of him in himself they love him for himself are willing to seek his presence to seek him for a Husband though all other things were removed from him And now the Match is made up and not till now and then they so look upon him that if all other advantages were taken away they would yet still love him and not leave him for all the Worlds enjoyments No Man a loser by giving up himself unto God IT is said of Vapours that arising out of the Earth the Heavens return them again in pure water much clearer and more refined then they received them Or as it is said of the Earth that receiving the Sea water and puddle-water it gives it better then it received it in the Springs and Fountains For it strains the water and purifies it that whereas when it came into the bowels of the Earth it was muddy salt and brinish it returns pure clear and fresh as out of the Well-head waters are well known to come Thus if Men would but give up their hearts desire and the strength of their affections unto God he would not onely give them back again but withall much better then when he received them their affections should be more pure their thoughts and all the faculties of Soul and Body should be renewed cleansed beautified and put into a far better condition then formerly they were Ignorance and Wilfulnesse ill-met IT is a Maritime observation that if a thick Fogg darken the ayr there is then the great God of Heaven and Earth having in his providence so ordered it no storm no Tempestuous weather And if it be so that a storm arise then the sky is somewhat clear and lightsome For were it otherwise no Ship at Sea nor Boat in any Navigable River could ride or sayl in safety but would clash and fall foul one upon another Such is the sad condition of every Soul amongst us wherein Ignorance and Wilfulnesse have set up their rest together And why because that if a Man were Ignorant onely and not Wilfull then the breath of wholesome Precepts and good Counsell might in time expell those thick mists of darknesse that cloud his understanding And were he Wilfull and not Ignorant then it were to be hoped that God in his good time would rectifie his mind and bring him to the knowledg of himself but when the storm and the fogg meet when Wilfulnesse and Ignorance as at this day amongst the Iews and too too many Christians do close together nothing without the greater Mercies of God can befall that poor Shipwrack't Soul but ruine and destruction Unsteadfastnesse giddinesse c. in the profession of Religion reproved IT is said of an intoxicated Man who the liquor being busie in his brain fancied himself at Sea in a great storm in present danger of Shipwrack and thought there was a necessity of lightning the Ship and throwing some of the lading over-board and so threw the goods of his house out at the Windows Thus it is that this Age hath been taken with an unhappy Vertigo which hath made some Men not keep the ground they first stood upon and wanton delight hath possessed many Men to be medling trying of experiments and ringing changes Nay so distempered have divers been that like the drunken Man they have fancied a great necessity of abolishing and throwing away what they would have done better to have kept Men in the midst of their Worldly contrivances prevented by Death AS it is with a Man being come to some great Fair or Market with a con siderable summe of money about him who whilest he is walking in the throng considering with himself how he should lay out his money to the best advantage some sly fellow either cuts his purse or at unawares dives into his pocket and there 's an end of all his marketting So it is with the most of Men that whilest they are in the midst of all their secular employments and as it were crowded in the throng of Worldly contrivances how to secure such a Ship advantage trade compasse such and such a bargain purchase such and such Lands c. things in themselves with necessary cautions not unlawful in steps Death cuts the thread of their life spoyls all their Trade and layes their glory in the dust Riches their uselesnesse in point of Calamity NUgas the Scythian King despising the rich Presents and Ornaments that were sent unto him by the Emperour of Constantinople asked him that brought them Whether those things could drive away sorrow diseases or Death looking upon them as not worthy presenting that could not keep off vexation from him And such are all the Riches and glories of this world they cannot secure from the least calamity not make up the want of the least Mercy It is not the Crown of gold that can cure the head-ache not the gilded Scepter that can stay the
Children Friends and all must be laid aside when the Cause of God suffers when Religion lyes at the stake bleeding even to death And certainly that estate is well weakened that strengthens the power of Religion and that life well lost that helps to save the life of Truth and yet a life so lost is not lost at all but saved Mark 8. 35. The Churche's Fall the Churche's Rise Suppose a stranger one that never heard of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea should come to some Navigable River as to the Thames side at an high water and should there observe how much it fell in six or seven hours Would he not conclude That after that rate the River would run it self dry in a short time Whereas they that are acquainted with the Tides know for certain that when the Ebbe is at the lowest the tide of a rising Water is upon the return Thus it is with the Church of God it may seem to be at a dead low water and in a sinking condition but even then its lowest estate is an immediate Fore-runner of its raising again As for instance the most raging and violent of those Ten bloudy Persecutions was that of Dioclesian but by the great mercy of God attended by the mild and peaceable times of Constantius the Father and Constantine the Son All Ages from time to time making this out for a Truth that the darkest and saddest night of sorrow that ever befell the Church of God hath been followed with a gladsome and comfortable morning of joy that its worst condition was but as a leading card to bring in dayes of more rejoycing Prayer a spirituall prevailing sword IT is said of Constantine the Great That after God had blessed and honoured him with many Victories whereas the Effigies of other Emperours were engraven upon their loynes in a triumphant manner he would be set in a posture of Prayer kneeling to manifest unto the World that he attributed all his Victories more to his Prayers then his Sword And surely Prayer is a prevailing sword it can give Victory in doubtful battels it can raise the most confident and desperate Siege What was said of the Wicked their tongue is a sharp sword swords are in their lips may be truly said of the tongues and lips of Gods people in Prayer they are as two-edged swords in their hands to execute Vengeance And without all doubt Gods enemies have often found the power of this sword of Prayer and those which are the Lords people may say of this as David once said of that which was Goliah's There is none like that give it me 1 Sam. 21. 9. The losse of good Men not laid to heart condemned AS you may see a silly Hen go clocking and scraping in the midst of her chickens then comes the Kite and snatcheth away first one then another after that a third till all are gone And the Hen brustles and flutters a little when any of them is so snatched away but returns instantly to her scraping and picking as if she had lost nothing Even so do the most of Men God hath in these later times made many great and lamentable breaches amongst us top'd the greatest Cedars in this our Lebanon depriv'd us of many excellent Men both in Church and State and we it may be for a moment bewail their losse in some such like passionate expression There is a brave Man lost I am sorry such a Man is dead c. and then every one goeth on again in his own way presently forgetting the losse but no Man sitteth alone by himself to enquire What God hath done and What he meaneth to do with us or What we have done to provoke him thus far against us We thrust such thoughts far away from us passing by on the other side as the Priest and Levite did by the wounded Man as if it nothing at all concerned us The woful gradation of Sin AS Marriners setting sayl first lose sight of the shore then of the houses then of the steeples and then of Mountains and Land And as those that are way-laid by a Consumption first lose vigour then stomach and then colour Thus it is that Sin hath its wofull gradations None declines to the worst at first Lust having conceived brings forth Sin and so proceeds to finishing as thus Sin hath its conception that 's delight and its formation that 's design and its birth that 's the acting and Custome is the education of the brat then followes a reprobate sense and the next step is Hell to all eternity The great danger of admitting the least Sin As when Pompey could not prevail with a City to billet his Army with them he yet perswaded them to admit of a few weak maimed Souldiers but those soon recovered their strength and opened the gates to the whole Army And thus it is that the Devill courts us onely to lodge some small sins a sin of infirmity or two which being admitted they soon gather strength and sinews and so subaue us How many have set up a trade of swearing with common interlocutory oaths as Faith and Truth How many have begun thieving with pins and pence How many drunkennesse with one cup more then enough How many Lust with a glance of the eye and yet none of them ever dreamt they should be prostituted to those prodigious extremities they afterwards found themeselves almost irrecoverably ingulfed in Destruction is from our selves AS Noah was drunk with his own Wine Goliah beheaded by his own swords The Rose destroyed by the canker bred in it self the breast by a self-bred wolf the apple by the worm the dams belly eaten through by the young Vipers Agrippina kill'd by Nero to whom the gave breath So we are undone by our selves our destruction is of ourselves The cup of the bitter waters of Marah and Meribah that we have and do drink so deep of is of our own mingling and embittering the rods that scourge us are of our own making Sin like a Fryer whips its self Punishment is connate innate to Sin Fools because cause of their Iniquities are afflicted saith David We may thank our own Folly for our own bane Man not to be trusted unto IT is reported of Caesar Borgis one of Pope Alexander's ungodly bastards that having built infinite projects upon his interest in so holy a Father when news was brought him of his sodain death cryed out This I never thought upon now my designs are all lost which fell out accordingly Thus for a certain Whoever it be that looks for much from Men how great how potent how excellent soever will prove like those who go to Lotteries with their heads full of hopes and return with their hearts full of blanks and be forced to lay his hand upon his mouth and say What a Fool was I to expect any great
fair impression once so visibly seen may not at present appear yet all this marrs not the evidence nor ought to weaken the assurance of Heaven for there it shall go currant and hold out in the matter of right as a greater fairer and fuller because it was once as good as any and once loved ever loved to the end Christ a sure pay-master IT is reported of a certain godly Man that living near to a Philosopher did often perswade him to become a Christian Oh but said the Philosopher If I turn Christian I must or may lose all for Christ To whom and to which the good Man replyed If you lose any thing for Christ he will be sure to repay it an hundred fold I but said the Philosopher Will you be bound for Christ that if he do not pay me you will Yes that I will said the other So the Philosopher became a Christian and the good Man entred into bond for performance of Covenants Some time after it so fell out that the Philosopher fell sick on his death-bed and holding the bond in his hand sent for the party engaged to whom he gave up the bond and said Christ hath paid all there 's nothing for you to pay take your bond and cancel it Thus it is that Christ is a sure willing able Pay-master whatsoever any Man ever did for him hath been fully recompensed and put the case so far that a Man should be a loser for Christ yet he shall be no loser by Christ he will make amends for all in the conclusion The Soulâ—s neglect condemned THere is a story of a Woman who when her house was on fire so minded the saving of her goods that she forgot her onely child and left it burning in the fire at last being minded of it she cryes out Oh my child Oh my poor child So it is that the most of Men here in this World scrabble for a little pelf and in the mean time let their Souls be consumed with cares and then at the time of their death cry out Oh my Soul Oh my poor Soul so mad are they so bewitched with the things of this life that while they pamper their bodies they starve their Souls great care is taken to neatiâ—ie the one when the other goes bare enough not having one rag of Righteousnesse to cover it so that many times under a silken and Sattin Suit there 's a very coorse Soul in a clean house a sluttish Soul under a beautifull face a deformed Soul but all such will one day find that he that winneth the world with the losse of his Soul hath but a hard bargain of it in the conclusion How our love to the Creature is to be regulated RIvers that come out of the Sea as they passe along do lightly touch the Earth but they stay not there but go on forward till at last they return again into that Sea from whence they first came Thus it is that our love must first come from God to the Creature yet being so come it must not rest and settle there however like a River it may in passage touch it no it must return back again into that infinite Sea even God himself whence it first came All Creatures therefore are to be loved in God and for God onely so that the love of the Creature must be so far from taking any thing from the love of God that rather it must confirm and encrease the same And then is the love of the Creature truly regulated when it is referred to the Creator when it may be said We love not so much the Creature as the Creator in the Creature How to demean our selves after we are sealed by the Spirit LOok but upon a poor Countryman how solicitous he is if it be but a bond of no great value to keep the Seal fair and whole But if it be of an higher nature as a Patent under the broad Seal or the like then to have his box his leaves and wooll and all care is used that it take not the least hurt And shall we then make slight reckoning of the Holy Ghost's seal vouchsasing it not that care do not so much for it as he for his bond of five Nobles the matter being of such high concernment Let us then being well and orderly sealed by the Spirit be careful to keep the signature from defacing or bruising not to suffer the evill Spirit to set his mark put his print with his image and superscription upon it then not to carry the seal so loosely as if we cared not what became of it And whereas we are signati to be close and fast not to suffer every trifling occasion to break us up not to have our Souls to lye so open as all manner of thoughts may passe and repasse through them without the least reluctation Rulers Magistrates c. to stand up for the cause of the Poor and needy IT is an Honourable memorial that Iames the fifth K. of Scots hath left behind him that he was called The poor Man's King And it is said of Radolphus Habspursius that seeing some of his Guard repulsing divers poor persons that made towards him for relief was very much displeased and charged them to suffer the Poorest to have accesse unto him saying That he was called to the Empire not to be shut up in a chest as reserved for some few but to be where all might have freedom of resort unto him And thus as great Persons are in Scripture expressed by the Sun which affordeth his influence so well to the lowest shrub as to the tallest Cedar shines as comfortably upon the meanest Cottage as the stateliest Pallace that amongst other good things done by them they may be renowned to Posterity for being the Poor man's Advocate eyes to the blind feet to the lame alwayes ready to right and relieve those that have no other means to right and relieve themselves but by flying to them for shelter The Vanity of all Worldly greatnesse AS it is in a Lottery the Place with the great basin and ewer make a glistering shew and are exposed to the publique view of all and if a Man by chance light on a prize it is usually no great matter onely it is drummed out and trumpetted abroad to tell the World and this is the glory of it Even so if some of those many that venture hard for Honours and struggle for greatnesse do speed it is no such great matter onely the businesse is trumpetted out told abroad and the World hath some apprehension of it but the wisest of Mortals found this also amongst other things to be vanity a supposed excellence which hath no true being accompanied with cares and cumber the object as well of Envy as esteem the happinesse of all such greatnesse consisting in this that it is thought happy rather then that it is so indeed The
torment the Wicked 73. Afflictions if any thing will make us seek God 455. A good Man is bettered by his Afflictions 74. 174. 445. A true Christain the more he is Afflicted the better he thriveth 79. Afflictions and crosses not to be sleighted 84. Afflictions crosses c. a surer way to Heaven then pleasures 85. How it is that afflictions lye oft-times so heavy 632. Afflictions to be looked on as coming from God onely 93. Afflictions lead to Heaven 97. 452. Afflictions add unto the beauty of a Christian 105. God by afflictions drives us to Heaven 114. The thoughts of Gods omnipresence a great comfort in affliction 118. Afflictions follow the godly Man close in this World 159. Gods tryall of his children by afflictions 202. 215. God afflicts his Children for their good 227. Afflictions happen both to good and bad but to severall ends 241. God onely to be eyed in the midst of afflictions 286. Not to be daunted at afflictions 296. Not to rejoyce at the afflictions of others 308. God afflicting his Children for the improvement of their graces 325. Not to be troubled at afflictions because God intends good by them 356. God afflicting his Children to try their sincerity 403. Gods children afflicted to make them perfect 406. Men to be prepared for Afflictions crosses c. 408. When lighter Afflictions will not serve God will send heavier 410. Afflictions the comfortable use that is to be made of them 441. Christ the best shelter in time of Affliction 530. Afflictions Gods Love-tokens 599. Not to wait Gods good time in Afflicting us dangerous 609. Not to be altogether taken up with the sense of Afflictions 633. Afflictiâ—ns though grievous yet profitable 660. Not to murmur under Afflictions and why so 662. Comfort nearest when Afflictions are at highest 669. How it is that Age becomes truly honorable 331. The dissolution of all ages past to be a Memento for Posterity 100. Get but God and get all 47. All things come from God who is therefore to be praised 181. All sin to be repented of and why so 315. Almsâ— giâ—en to the poor are the givers gaâ— 31. Alms-giving how to be regulated 402. Ambition proves its own ruine 41. The poysonous nature of Ambition 82. The great heat of Ambition 622. Anabaptistical spirits their madnesse 416. Angels ministring unto Gods people for their good 322. God is not to be provoked to Anger 16. Not â—o answâ—r one angry word with another 305. Not to be angry with our brother 485. Not to take notice of every angry word that is spoken 547. Not to contiâ—ue angry 72. 165. 196. How God is said to be angry with his children 86. Antinomians compared to Thieves 46. Their madnesse 576. The great danger of Apostacy 619. Wantonnesse in Apparrel â—eproved 167. Excesse of Apparrel condemned 192. 642. Christian Apparrelling 280. Men and Women not to wear each others Apparrel 292. The vanity of gay Apparrel 446. The great â—olly of costly Apparrel 594. Apparrel whether richer or plainer the necessity thereof 646. No Appeal from Gods tribunal 141. The poor distressed Man's comfort by his appeal unto God 198. Gods comfortable appearance to his people at the time of their death 554. The whole Armour of God to be put on 115. The best Christian is the best Artist 137. Not the Assurance but the joy of Salvation gives content 81. Assured Christians must be patient Christians 351. God so ordering it that few or none of his people live and dye without assurance of their salvation 352. Assurance of Gods love the onely comfort 370. Atheism advanced by the distractions of the Church 152. Atheism condemned 243. Atheism punished 242. Aâ—heism will unman any Man 303. Atheisticall wicked men at the hour of death forced to confesse Gods Judgments 476. The great danger of relying upon forraign ayd and assistance 580. B. BAptismal water the power and virtue thereof 186. Bapâ—ism renounced by the lewdnesse of life and conversation 321. Children of persons excommunicate to be baptized 470. How it is that Godfathers and Godmothers undertake for children in Baptism 495. Infant-baptism asserted 557. To be careful of our Vow made in Baptism 605 Better live amongst beasts then beastly-minded Men 161. God to be consulted at all times but more especially in the beginning of all publique concernments 1. The paucity of true Believers 398. Bitter spirits are no gracious spirits 21. Blamelesnesse of life enjoyned 113. The sins of Blasphemy and swearing the commonnesse of them 122. Blasphemous language condemned 230. A good Neighbour is a great blessing c. 6. Governors as they are qualified are a curse or a Blessing to a People 9. A little with Gods blessing goes far 11. Blessings turned into curses 63. The blessing of God more to be eyed then our own endeavours 70. The Ministers blessing after Sermon to be attended 71. Gods blessing upon the means doth all 92. 581. Outward blessings do not alwayes make a blessed Man 107. A blessed thing to have God for our Lord 136. God hath a peculiar blessing for his children 169. Gods spiritual blessing upon a Mans employment in his calling 200. To rely upon the blessing of God notwithstanding all opposition 611. The blessing of God attending on people listning to their own Minister 638. To blesse God for all 453. The Devils aym to strike every Man with spiritual blindnesse 12. The Sinners wilfull blindnesse condemned 281. Spiritual and corporal blindnesse their difference 414. The naturall Man's blindnesse in spirituall things 485. The guilt of innocent Bloud crying to Heaven for vengeance 19. Bloudy-minded Men condemned 130. A Caveat for bloudy-minded Men 611. The greatest boasters the smallest doers 434. More care for the Body then the Soul condemned 11. 552. The Sinner's care is more for the Body then the Soul 171. Deformity of body not to be contemned 193. Young Schollers to mind their books 40. Scandalous and seditious books and pamphlets fit for the fire 295. Books of Piety and Religion testimonial at the great day of Judgment 476. The several books of God sleighted and neglected by the most of Men 656. The bountiful goodnesse of God to his children 606. The exceeding bounty of God 119. The borrowers duty and comfort 612. The sin of Bribery condemned 332. 373. The word Brother how far extended 172. Not to be over-carefull for the place of our buriall 592. Busie-bodies condemned 136. 147. A busie-body described 285. C. THe great danger of taking up a false perswasion of our effectual Calling 353. The certainty not the time of our spirituall Calling to be so much looked into 260. 612. The necessity of Catechising 119. Weak ones how to be catechised and instructed 133. Catechising an excellent way to instruct Youth 422. Distrustâ—ull cares reproved 125. Censurers condemned 20. Not to censure others but look to our selves 46. Censures not to be regarded 69. The Worlds hard censure of the godly Man 128. How it is that one Man censureth another 225. To
the matter of Society laid open 337. The sincere upright man described 604. The scarciâ—y of such 612. How to deal with sin being once committed 603. Wherein the poysonfull nature of Sin consisteth 608. Sins lethargy 629. Sin to be removed as the cause of all sorrow 636. Sinne the godly Man's hatred thereof 642. The woful gradation of Sin 659. The best of Men not free from sin in this life 470. 548. Sin of the meanest Man in a Nation may be the destruction of it 509. The extream folly of Sin 510. Sin may be excused here in this World but not hereafter 514. Insensibility of Sin the sadnesse thereof 521. Sin in its original easie to be found 582. How sins may be said to ouâ—-live the Sinner 585. Sin the strange nature thereof 596. All Sinne mâ—st be hated and why so 598. God not the author of Sin 599. How it is that the singling out of one beloved Sin makes way to a full sight of all sin 351. Sin committed with deliberation premeditation c. greatly provoketh the Holy Spirit of God 353. To take heed of smaller sins as bringing on greater 354. 649. Men covering their Sins with specious pretences reproved 361. To beware of masked specious sins 368. Beloved Sins hardly parted withall 376. When it is that a Man is said throughly to forsake his Sin 391. Men deluded by Satan in not taking the right notion of Sin 395. Every Man to confesse that his own Sin is the cause though not always the occasion of punishment 421. New inventions of Sin condemned 453. The great danger of living in any one known sin 456. Sin unrepented of heavy upon the Soul at the time of death 456. Consideration of our secret sins a motive to compassionate others 457. No Man able to free himself from Sin 240. The great danger of sleighting the least Sin 256. 597. Sin not consented unto excusable before God 271. Sins of infirmity how to be known from other sins 273. Great Sins attended by great Judgments 286. Sin of a destructive Nature 288. 531. 607. To be affected with the falling of others into Sin 296. The great danger of Sin unrepented of 298. How it is that every Man hath one darling sin or other 327. The distemper of Sin not easily cured 332. Godly and wicked Men their difference in the haâ—red of Sin 350. The more a Man is now troubled for Sin the lesse shall he be troubled hereafter and why so 350. The sad condition of adding Sinne to sinne 237. The least of Sinnes to be prevented 46. 593. Sin to be renounced as the cause of Christ's death 59. 649. Sin onely is the godly Mans terrour 132. Sins of Infirmity in the best of Gods Children 143. Sin overthrowes all 1â—7 The retaining of one Sin spoyleth a greaâ— deal of good in the Soul 149. One Sin never goes alone 172. Strange Sinnes strange punishments 183. Not to be in love with sin 199. One foul sin spoyleth a great deal of Grace 203. When sins are at the height they come to destruction 205. The great danger of little sinnes 218. 367. 659. The sense of sinne is from God onely 221. Sinne of a dangerous spreading nature 415. How it is that one Man may be said to be punished for another Maâ—â— sin 419. Sin to be looked on as the cause of all sorrow 464. The slavery of Sinne to be avoided 499. 625. Sin to be looked on as it is fierce and cruell 535. Sin and the Sinner very hardly parted 536. Some one sinfull quality or other predominant 548. The great danger and guilt of lying under the guilt of any one eminent sinne 600. The sinsulnesse of sin 601. As to beware of all sins so of beloved sins 602. The growth of Sin to be prevented 10. How Sin is made the prevention of Sinne 39. Sin trampleth on Christ 50. Little Sins if not prevented bring on greatâ—r to the ruine of the Soul 56. Sense of Sin is an entrance to the sâ—ate of Grace 56. Impossible for a Man to know all his sins 57. The difference of Sins as they are Men regenerate and unregenerate 60. The weight of Sin to be seriously peysed 77. Remembrance of sins past the onely way to prevent sins to come 83. Relapses into sin dangerous 89. Every impenitent Sinner is his own tormentor 50. A sinful Man is a senselesse Man 80. The Sinners estate miserable 89. A gracelesse Sinner will continue to be a sinner still 92. The wrath oâ— God best appeased when the Sinner appearâ—th with Christ in his arms 99. The Devils charge and the Sinners disâ—harge 131. The Sinner's Memeâ—to 204. Desperate madnesse 639. The Sinner's security 216. God's acceptance of Sinners through Christ 217. The incorrigible Sinner's stupidity 264. His desperate condition 590. The secure carelâ—sse Sinner 509. Sinners crucifying the Lord of life daily 537. The Devil 's hard dealing with the ensnared Sinner 594. How the wounded Sinner is to be cured 595. An ungrations Son not worthy to be his Fathers heir 40. The excellency of Sonday or Lords Day above other dayes 539. To be more strict in the holy observation of Sonday or Sabbath then heretofâ—re And why so 540. Sorrowes of this life not comparable to the joyes of another 162. The best improvement of Worldly sorrow 185. Sorrow that is true is for the most part silent 293. The excellency of godly sorrow for Sinne 362. For a Man to be sorry that he cannot be sorry for sin is a part of godly Sorrow for sin 519. The least proportion of godly sorrow for sin accepted by God 520. Sorrow for sinne must be in particulars 559. Must be proportionable 560. Other mens sins are the good mans sorrow 581. A meer Souldier an enemy to peace 107. The truly noble Souldier 336. The Soulâ—ier's Calling honourable 415. Whereiâ— the true valour of a Captain or Souldier in War consisteth 544. The devout Soul will admit of none but Christ 10. More care for the body then the Soul condemned 11. No quietnesse in the Soul till it come to Christ 19. If the Soul be safe all 's safe 42. The Souls comfortable Union with Christ 44. How the Soul lives in Christ onely 44. The Souls sleighting of Christ offering mercies condemned 37. The winning of a Soul unto God very acceptable unto God 153. The health of the Soul is the true health of the body 162. To be careful for the Souls good 182. To take especial care for the Souls safety 348. 458. Men living as though they had not Souls to save reproved 368. How it is that Soul and body come to be both punished together 377. 675. The captivated Soul restless till it be in Christ Jesus 415 420. The Souls comfortable enjoyment of Christ 419. The Soul of Man pretious in the sight of God 462. Excellency of the Soul of Man 502. A foul polluted Soul the object of Gods hatred 503. The high price of the Soul 503. The folly of Men in parting with their
2. The policy of Tyrants in doing many good things for the publique 233. V. VAin-glory remedy against it 314. The Uncertainty of temporall Victories and successe 489. The convenience of Virginity 142. Prayers of the godly the Unanimity of them 109. Unanimity the excellency thereof 402. The Uncharitable Christian described 600. The Devils endeavour to darken the Understanding 131. Not to be children in Understanding 165. The Souls comfortable Union with Christ 44. The great mystery of the Hypostatical Union in Christ shadowed out c. 333. The Union and Fellowship of Gods Children c. 499. Religion and Unity the onely supporters of Church and State 16. The excellency of Unity in Church and Common-wealth 401. Unlawfull things not to be asked of God in prayer 561. God's goodnesse Man's Unthankfullnesse 596. Christians not to upbraid and revile one another 445. The great danger of use and custome in jesting at Religion and Piety 378. The biting Usurer described 682. The griping Usurer and his Broker characterised 329. The griping Usurer and the Devil compared together 580. The fad condition of borrowing upon Usury 598. W. THe sword of War impartial 452. The compleatest armed Man of War naked without God c. 305. The direful effects of War 81. The event of War uncertain 166. The rage of War in the richest Countries 647. Watchfulnesse of life rewarded 249. Christian watchfulnesse enjoyned 530. God gives warning before he smites 192. How to prevent wavering-mindednesse 179. Gods Way the safe Way to walk in 5. The Way to God crosse-way to the World 100. The difference betwixt a spiritual worldly Man in the wayes of God and goodnesse 362. Non-proficiency in the wayes of God and Religion condemned 560. Though a weak Christian yet a true Christian 42. Straâ—ge Women Harlots c. the Devil's night-net to ensnare Men 208. Laughter of the Wicked is but from the teeth outward 52. God suffers wicked Men to torment his People 161. The Wicked-worker hatâ—th the light 172. Wicked Men instrumental for the good of Gods children 201. A wicked life hath usually a wicked end 244. Wicked Men made by God instrumentall for the good of his People 418. Every wicked Man a curse to the place he lives in 42â— The implacable malice of wicked Men against profâ—ssors of the Gospel 426. Cruelty of the wicked no prejudice to the godly 524. How it is that wicked Men are said to be none of Gods Children 561. Wicked Men see the miseries but not the joyes of Gods people 631. Tâ—e Magistrate and Ministers duty in suppressing Wickednesse and Vice 614. A Wife and no Wife 606. To be careful in the choyce of a Wife 18. The Wiâ—e to be subject to her husband 130 480. Every Man to think the best of his own Wife 427. A Wife to be an House-wife 432. Folly to repent the choyce of Wife marriage being past 529. Wives to love their husbands cordially 479. God onely able to work Man to will and to do 569. To rest contented with Gods good Will and pleasure 422. 584. To regulate our Wills by Gods Will 342. Submission to the â—ill of God in all things eâ—joyned 323. The way to have our Will is to be subjâ—ct to Gods Will 65. God accepts the Will for the deed 81. To submit to Gods Will in all things 152. 665. God wills not the death of a Sinner 203. How God may be said to will and nill the death of a Sinner 291. Wit how to make a right use thereof 579. Wisdome of Christ above all other Wisdome even to admiration 102. Wisdome of the World proves solly 163. A Man to be wise for himself as well as for others 287. Every Man to be wise for himself as well as others 388. Wisdome how to be regulated 591. Good Works are not the cause but the way to true happinesse 78. Not to talk of our good Works or deeds 233. Works of Mercy very rare to be found amongst us 306. Men of few and men of many words their differâ—nce 522. The vanity of using many words 521. To depend upon Gods bare Word 407. Swelling big words of wicked Men not to be regarded 278. Riches cannot follow us out of this World 6. Gods favour above the Worlds conâ—â—ntments to a godly Man 7. The things of this World a great stop in the way to Heaven 11. The true Christian takes no comfort in this World 19. The World like a Fisher-mans net 22. The works of God in the Creation of the World are to and beyond all admiration 53. The Worlds dangerous allurements 70. In getting the things of this World Gods way the best way 124. How to use the things of this World 134. 500. The Worlds opposition no obstacle to a child of God 164. Gods people meet with many discouragements in the world 191. Love of the World enmity to God 223. A Child of God preserved by God though never so much sleighted by the World 259. The World to be contemned in regard of Heaven 296. Why God suffereth the dearest of this Children to want the outward things of this World 301. How it is that at the second coming of Christ to Judgment the frame of the World shall not be consumed but repaired new 338. Not to grieve or be troubled at the Worlds discourtesies and why so 342. The things of this World vain and uncertain 358 459. The Worlds deceitfulnesse 477. Not to be trusted unto 544. Things of the World not to be so highly prised 494. How the Devil makes use of the World to destroy Man 592. Men not easily brought to believe the Worlds vanity 664. A Worldly-minded Man speaketh of nothing but worldly things 69. Submission to the wisdome of God as concerning Worldly outward things required 87. Worldly things dispensed by God in Wisdom 89. Worldly Men look after Worldly things 108. The danger of VVorldly-mindednesse 155. The competency of Worldly things the best estate 165. A Worldly-minded Man no publique-spirited Man 210. Worldly-Men easily taken off from the service of God 211. A Worldly-minded Man no Heavenly-minded Man 218. The secure Worldlings suddain ruine 259. Worldly things cannot really help us 267. Worldly things their suddain downfall 268. The sad condition of Worldly-minded Men at the time of death 314. Worldly-mindednesse a great hindrance to the comfortable enjoyment of spirituall graces 351. Worldly-crosses turn'd into spiritual advantages 357. All Worldly things transitory 357. The inconstancy of them 497. The Worldling's inordinate desires and why so 367. The emptinesse of all Worldly delights without Christ 387. Men seeking after the vanity of Worldly things reproved 393. The vanity of Worldly temporal things compared with those eternal 439. The wicked Man's folly in his Worldly choyce 479. The Worldling's woe and the Just Man's joy at the time of death 517. No true joy in Worldly things 518. The uncertainty of VVordly things 529. How the vanity of Worldly things may be easily discerned 530. The moderate use of VVorldly