both of sinne and judgement of those hee dearely loved And if we be versed in his Booke wee may observe that he hath beene pleased to make many uses of such examples Sometimes by them hee doth threaten Remember what the Lord did unto Myriam Did not Acham the sonne of Zerah commit a trespasse in the accursed thing Wherefore doe you harden your hearts as the Aegyptians and Pharaoh If yee doe as they have done yee shall bee punished as they have beene Sometimes by them hee doth reproach unthankefull people Did not I deliver you from the Aegyptians and from the Amorites from the children of Amon and from the Philistims O my people remember what Balack King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered from Shittim to Gilgal Are yee not ashamed to offend such a GOD as I who have neither beene a barren Wildernesse nor a dry Land Sometimes by them he comforteth and strengtheneth the hands of the weak Thine eyes have seene all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two Kings This your trouble is as the waters of Noah to mee as I have said they shall no more goe over the Earth so nor your afflictions shall overwhelme you Will you be dismaied in any trouble or cast off your confidence as if Gods hand were tyed up now more than in those dayes Sometimes by them hee doth maintaine great points of godlinesse Was not Abraham our Father justified by workes Not to glory in before God for Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse but to make him stand out against the blasphemies of the world the accusations of Conscience and the upbraidings of a dead faith And will not yee who must bee the children of Abraham or perish walke in the way of so worthy a Father Sometimes by them hee doth disswade from vice Bee not Idolaters as were some of them Let us not commit fornication as some of them did and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Let us not tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmure as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer if yee goe on in such a way and will not be disswaded yee will meet with the same plagues which they have found or worse Sometimes by them he gives promonition and caution I feare least by any meanes as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your mindes should bee corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Will yee not take heed lest lesse policy make you to fall as Eve fell which was full of bitternesse to her and hers All this use and more hath our good God made of examples not onely because like leaking Vessels we are apt daily to runne out and to forget our fashion which we saw in the Glasse if it be not still represented to us but also because of the singular profit of examples For as they profit a world of people they being like a burning Beacon giving light before men and being like fire whereat we may give light to thousands of Candles so doe they last long and hold out to the worlds end as the poore Widowes mites and Lots Wifes transmutation Neither is it in vaine that GOD hath taken such a course as this It is all for our good that wee may know how to use examples according to their severall natures But among the rest you may reape a threefold benefit by them First an Observation of the customes and usages of the Church and enemies of it This will bee an adjument to wisdome which is ordinarily attaineable by experience of our owne dayes and memory of others Next an Illustration of the faith and manners of others what ever they be For examples doe not make faith and manners but give patternes of Gods rules for the more Expedite practise of them And lastly a declaration of Gods ordinary providence in his acts of wisedome goodnesse mercy justice and the like From these two uses the world doth mostly too farre wander For want of the first the Church is many times filled with Schismes and disorders For want of the second faith and manners are not so cleared and examples are taken up as necessary Lawes which onely shew a lawfulnesse where the rule of Scripture doth not oppose For want of the third God passeth by and wee know it not Let him bee never so wise by the neglect of the example we admire it not Let him be never so good by the neglect of the example we love it not Let him be never so mercifull by the neglect of the example we imbrace it not Let him be never so just by the neglect of the example wee doe not feare and tremble and avoide the rockes of sinne and hence it is that I have beene induced to propound these examples unto you also It may bee that sometimes men doe observe the way of GOD in the whirewind of justice but either they are willing to thinke it not so great as it is or to judge it to reach further than our good God intendeth it If men do think the first it is because they would flatter themselves in like sinnes Loth they are to thinke that God should punish that which they love or that danger should happen to them who have done as they meane to doe still If men judge the second it is because they want charity and judgement in the wayes of God Sometimes GOD gives an example of his justice which begins here and continues for ever and ever as in many of the drowned first world and roasted Sodomites God never made mee so skilfull in his Throne businesse as to define peremptorily that every suckling and infant of those miserable ones were cast into the bottomelesse hell Hee onely sayes that the floud did sweepe them away and they were burned with fire and brimstone and there leaves us to leave the rest to GOD. They were not in the Arke indeed nor was Iob in the visible Church as Isaac and the rest of the Patriarchs were yet might the All-eye looke upon them as he pleased and judge or spare Sometimes God gives an example of his justice which dies here and for ought wee know may end in glory Thus we are said to bee judged that wee might not bee condemned by the world No man will judge Iosiah or Ionathan for their untimely deaths They died in peace though they died in warre in peace with God in warre with men Nor will they resolvedly reprobate the soules of Er and Onan Nadab and Abihu Ananias and Saphira or their likes Their sins were great and grievous yea damnable and therefore GOD brought fearefull judgements upon them and as hee hath said so hath hee done bloudy and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes But for their soules and how farre his justice
key of knowledge and so they are in darknesse walke in darknesse and know not whither they goe because that darknesse hath blinded their eyes Now if you would know why the wayes of the wicked are thus said to be as darknesse The grounds of that speech may be such as these First their sights are hindred from seeing the right way to Heaven They grope at noon day running headlong in their owne courses all the life long day and at what time the night of death or the sun set of sicknesse comes and they begin to recollect them saying where am I now Is this the way to heaven Then they see what they did not see and the whirlewind and tempest takes them and they are carryed whither they would not Secondly their footsteps are troubled from going about the workes of GOD. As the Aegyptians choaked in their palpable darknesse saw not what they did or what to doe so when this darknesse is come upon the wicked man Hee that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whither hee goeth Here he goes and meetes with a blocke there he turnes and meets with a bush and after a thousand calls of GOD to doe this that and the other duty of Repentance faith and holinesse he is so inwrapped in darknesse that many things are gone about and few things are done those few that are done are not done as they ought 3. They are drawne on to many a fall even to the ruine of bodies and soules As men in darknesse if they will be doing stumble and fall so wicked men in this estate stumble into a thousand pitfals Here they fall into pride and niggardize there into pride and luxury on this hand into covetousnesse on that hand into prodigality here lyes the drunkard there the lyar here lyes the worldly old man there the regardlesse young man Lord how doe they fall in darknesse till they are turned backe into perpetuall rebellions till they fall and rise no more Fourthly they are smitten with feares terrours when they will give leisure to Conscience to worke They are taken with feare where no feare is As men in a darke night being a waked by fearefull melancholy sight of sin or lash of Conscience doe thinke every bush a Thiefe every gale of winde the moving of Satan or the wagging of every leafe a summons to the Devils approach so is it with wicked men in this darknesse Fifthly their shame is taken from them They are foole-hardy and confident in the darke because no eye sees them It is said of the Asse that being pursued by the Wolfe he puts his head into a bush that he may not see the Wolfe as if because he sees not the Wolfe the Wolfe therefore sees not him So is it with wicked men they put their heads into a darke corner of sin and ignorance and then as if he that pierced through the darke cloud could not see they goe on without feare wit or shame They lay their iniquities on their skirts and declare their sinnes as Sodome they hide them not as if they hurted not them nor would bring shame at the latter end Thus have I plained the way in opening this part of the Proverbe and now I write unto you young men that you may overcome that evill one Suffer therefore first a word of conviction and next a word of exhortation Ye may be convinced hence of two things 1. First concerning a wicked mans estate that he is in a miserable case whatsoever he thinkes of himselfe If thou wert shut up in a dark prison where thou couldst not have any fellowship with light wouldst thou not thinke thy selfe in a wofull plight Much more art thou thus if thou be in the darknesse of ignorance sin and misery You will say I see no such matter If I am in misery I see it not It may be so and yet your misery is not the lesse As Christ said because yee say yee see therefore your sinne remaineth so say I because you say you see not therefore your danger is the greater If in a desperate disease a man say he is well it s a certain signe death is comming on a pace so is it a signe that misery lies at the doore though you have shut it out a while because ye say ye see it not Put case it be so say you yet you feele no hurt by it for the present Ye goe on in sinne and thrive and are merry and what evill can come Take heed while a man is lusty and strong a man can endure hot and cold night and day and never shrinke but when hee is downe by age sicknesse surfeit or the like then every blast pierceth through so while you are in health and prosperity you are like a Church Wardens Bill which answereth all is well when too many things are amisse but when sicknesse and death comes downe you sink with shame and horrour like the fishes of Jordan which fall into the dead-Sea and are no more alive Yea but you are not in this darke state you heare the Word and understand it and have a power to understand more therefore certainly you shall not be darknesse for ever for a power doth dispose you to the act and exercise which shall follow Be not deceived For though it be true of a naturall power which comes into act by the power of some inward principle that if you have such a power it shall bee brought into act more or lesse according to the power as when Grapes have a power to drop Wine and Apples Cydar and so if as men you have a power to reason it is more or lesse shewed by discourse either by inward conceptions or outward expressions yet is it not true of an obedientiall power which is drawne out by a power from without as when the waters of Aegypt are turned into bloud and the water at the marriage of Cana was turned into wine and so though you have a naturall power to know according to your measure and so to be acquit of humane darknesse yet amidst your hearing and understanding you must be turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that you may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in CHRIST If therefore you would be freed from this darknesse you must depend upon God whom you cannot command at pleasure to give the increase and to acquit you from this misery Secondly ye may be convinced hence not to thinke it strange to see poore sinners to doe that of which they are afterwards ashamed The adulterer watcheth for his twilight the drunkard seeketh his clâ—s scorners to couzen his soule and pursue in the lyar desireth his say-nothing and all luxuriants hunt out their coverts and thickets and when they are rowzed by the Iustice of GOD and man
presumption and to make us to runne from the stinking dens of sinne than to settle our judgements about his finall estate which is farre out of our reach Though we could not see that hee apprehended CHRIST might he not bee apprehended of CHRIST IESUS Though we could not perceive that he knew GOD to comfort might hee not be knowne of God Therefore have nothing to doe with Gods finall judgement upon him it must bee put over to the highest tribunall to declare him miserable before the GOD of Heaven Neither doe I call him miserable in respect of his repute amongst men He was loved of all that knew him hated of none and desired of all that stood in need of his skill or practice Ye know that he was an Apothecary and practised both Châ—â—urgery and Physicke How successefull hee was where he would shew care and diligence you know too As hee had put himselfe to it to gaine some skill by his own industry and by conference and complying with the learned in that Science and with all famous practitioners where he came so was hee mounted to the height of same sought to farre and nigh was he The sober sought unto him because of his sweet temper seasoned with successefull skill The loose sought to him because of his prodigall and bibbing course The thriftie sought to him because of his gentle rates upon his care and cures He would not suffer them to spend all they had upon Physitians And the covetous sought to him because of somthing pleased them not he would for the most part take nothing for what he did He would confesse that he could by his practice get an hundred pounds a yeare and spend an hundred pounds a yeare yet he sold his owne inheritance and spent it and did so exceed in lavishing that hee scarce left enough to defray the charges of his owne buriall Some sought to him for one cause some for another so that as one was called for grace he might be so called for place and practise Luke the beloved Physician Therefore he was not miserable in the eyes of men Yet I call him a miserable young man in respect of his own feeling apprehension To present this I shall shew you the ground and his opening of it The ground of it was thus laid He had bin religiously trained in his childhood Few youths with me would have given a better reason of the hope that is in them He had also lived in a civill way till he beganne to looke out into the World for himselfe When hee had some few moneths beene seasoned with the flatteries of his followers and alwayes leading a batchelours life being used to make up some of his confections at an Ale-house fire the fire of the High Priests Hall was not more banefull to Peter save in the height of Peters present sinne than this was to this poore Young mans soule First delight in vaine company crept upon him next drunkennesse next neglect of Prayer Word and Sacraments and lastly a setled obstinacy in these sinnefull and bewitching courses I willing to performe the dutie of a Shepheard and friend timely fastened my eyes and heart upon it I went to him and warned him againe and againe I told him what fearefull worke hee made in suffering the Wild Boare to come in to lay waste his former Conscience He would still answer mildely Indeed I will doe otherwise I had so often pressed him to amendment with so little successe that he grew weary of it and mee He utterly avoyded my company if I had come in at one doore he would have gone out at another He hath many times professed that hee could not abide to see mee or bee in my companâ— not because he hated mee for hee would doe any thâ—ng for mee with all his heart but because I still told him of his bad life and hee could not amend yet In this state he stood one or two yeares or more At last as one cloathed with the scales of a Leviathan hee kicked against the prickes and contrary to all admonitions against which custome in sinne had now armed him he wilfully forsooke the Church together with Prayers Word Sacraments Thus hee continued about a yeare and three quarters In this space as I could slide into his company or as he fell into mine I admonished him still wished him to beware lest the just sentence of GOD went not out against him that he should never see GODS face in the congregation more I told him that he trusted his flatterers and drunken companions more than mee who loved his soule and yet withall that I would proceed against him by Articles and Presentments which would end in excommunication which was a forerunner of GODS shutting him out of Heaven without his willing and hearty Repentance He answered mildly still that hee would come to the Church receive the Sacrament and change his course He gave mee day and day and day and yet his place was empty Vpon some of the promised dayes of appearance I sent secretly to his house to call upon him to be as good as his word he would make some idle excuse or other and so still persisted At the length the Church Officers presented him for his neglect of the Church and Sacrament an whole yeare Halfe a yeare after they presented him againe for his neglect a yeare and a halfe In this time I still told him what was done which yet said I shall easily be taken off with an admonition if you will reforme Hee still mildly promised amendment At last ascited he was to answer and hee knew that I had personally appeared against him to the Iudge of the spirituall Court for I told him so as I remember and that it would not bee so easie for him to get off without mee Hereupon he was more hearty as I thought to come to the house of GOD againe and he set his utmost day and yet hee failed At my instance and fearing the dreadfull sentence of excommunication which now after his many shifts was thundering out upon him hee peremptorily set another day which was the LORDS-Day seven-night after and a Communion Day Then he resolved to come to the Church and to receive the Sacrament to give satisfaction to the Parish and Court and in the meane time to prepare himselfe The Lords-Day before this in the morning when as he said hee was ready to come to the Church hee was taken sicke and betooke himselfe to his bed It was but as the fit of an Ague which being over hee was the next morning in his old course againe About the middle of the weeke after the messenger of death came and I heard of it I forthwith addressed my selfe to him came up into his chamber unawares and said Oh how often have you deceived God your owne soule and mee what is now to bee done I feare you will die and then what will become of you I expect
at what To stumble is to take an argument of offence at something to make them fall still into the wayes of wickednesse As when the Iewes took these arguments against Christ to conclude against faith in him He is a man gluttonous a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Wee say well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Divell And when the Iewes took these arguments against Stephen We have heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses against God against this holy place and the Law And when the Corinthians raised this foundation against Saint Paul This fellow perswadeth men to worship GOD contrary to the Law and Tertullus in a slanting speech before Foelix wee have found this man a very pestilence a mover of sedition among all the Iewes in all the World These are arguments of offence to make them that doe receive them still to fall into sin new sins old sins all sins But whereat ordinarily doe wicked men stumble Ordinarily at sixe sorts of things when they would flatter themselves in their wayes of darkenesse Either Ignorance or presumption or despaire or the World or scandall or the peaceable end of sinners and the contrary of those that have lived more strictly They stumble at ignorance on both hands Sometimes they stumble at the ignorance of sin and so they fall to sin and care not feare not When Iosiah knew not sin his sweet nature stumbled with the times but when he heard the Law of God read he rent his clothes and melted to the very heart When Saul lived a Pharisee the death of Stephen was nothing it could be swallowed up upon a full stomack but when the Law came and shewed him what sinne was when hee saw sinne revive to pricks wound and kill then he mourned under his captivity Sometimes they stumble at the ignorance of Repentance They are like Nicodemus who cannot heare of a new life but hee dreames of entring his mothers wombe againe and like Peters hearers who when they sinned knew not what they did and when they were pricked at the heart for sin knew not what to doe Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved They stumble at presumption that God will any time accept of them upon any termes Therfore at what time soever saith one GOD desireth not the death of a sinner saith another Christ saith Come unto me saith a third God will that all men should bee saved saith a fourth Every presumptuous wretch layeth some sure foundation which might be sound and sweet to a true penitent which yet will not serve his turne when he is to try the strength of it no more than Sampsons greene Cords could binde him or a rope of sand can pull down an impregnable Castle They stumble at despaire and at that on both sides too Sometimes they despaire of their owne strength Alas all the waies of vertue grace and glory are too hard for me I must lie downe in shame confusion sinne and sorrow but not move a foot to Heaven When Christ preached that no man could come to him except it were given him of his Father many of his Disciples went backe and walked no more with him in so much as CHRIST complained to the twelve Will yee also forsake mee If Christ bee such a manner of person that accesse to him is so hard so much above our power that we must be beholding to a Father whom wee are not acquainted with then farewell Christ welcome world who are more familiar Sometimes againe they despaire of GODS strength and mercy for them Christ cannot save them GOD will not save them Let strength and mercy bee what it will on high it is too high for them What is that to me I am the worst of unworthy sinners This cast out Cain hanged Judas damned both and any other that delight in such a downefall They stumble at the world of honour pleasure profit The stony hearers stumbled at the care-cloth the thornes of cares for worldly pelfe The unworthy Guests stumbled at the new bought purchases of Farmes and Oxen and so much as at the new married Wife I cannot come The rich worldling at the new Barnes and store for many dayes His soule did so alwayes live in them that hee thought hee should alwayes live with them Thus they stumbled and fell The huge blocke of the World was too great for them to leape over into heaven and therefore downe they fall and breake their neckes into the wayes of sinne They stumble at scandall and at that they trip dangerously on both hands Sometimes they are loth to offend their wicked companions what shall I forsake them scandalize them goe without them though in a better way make them that are my friends my foes to neglect and scoffe at mee This made Nicodemus come to Christ by night This made many of the chiefe Rulers believe in him but they confessed him not lest they should bee put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Sometimes againe they take offence at the lives of those that seeme to bee more godly than themselves and are so at least by profession Indeed these should bee very carefull to adorne the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore many excellent exhortations are spent upon them in the most sure Word of GOD. Sometimes they are called upon to behave themselves wisely to them that are without Sometimes to walke honestly towards them that are without sometimes to give no offence neither to Jew Câ—â—iaâ— nor Church of GOD yet are they not so carefull in the workes of holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety as they ought This is soone espied by wicked men and so made an argument to stumble at You will say They are in darknesse how then can they spie such a hole in the coat of him that is better than themselves I le tell you when men see a thing that may further them in the way to Heaven they do receive it inward by the meanes of the spirit and the sweet beames of grace which shine about them For every good giving comes from the Father of lights but when they see any thing that helpes them onward to Hell they have a power of seeing from within As a Cat sees in a darke night by fyring the aire to her selfe and for her owne uses so wicked men being set on fire of Hell can in their darkest state easily kindle a light for their owne uses to find fodder for their soules in their way to Hell-ward They stumble Lastly at the peaceable end of sinners Truly they dyed like Lambes There are no hands in their death just like the good thiefe upon the Crosse which with quiet and sweet reaches after grace and glory breathed out his soule to GOD notwithstanding all the wickednesse of