seale of their Apostleship and make their Ministry instrumentall to convert and build up soules unto Jesus Christ And we must likewise be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Advocates and Patrons of their maintenance It was the saying of an eminent Gentleman in Sr. Benjamin Rudiard the long Parliament that a scandalous maintenance would cause a scandalous Ministry It 's to be observed that Dioclesian did not do so much mischiefe to the Ministry it selfe as Julian did Dioclesian put many to death which was an horrid wickednesse But the Devill put another designe into Julians head to take away all the maintenance of Ministers and put downe Schooles of Learning and Ecclesiasticall Histories will informe us that by consequent Julian did the greater mischiefe For though some particular persons were took out of the way through Dioclesian's persecution yet there arose up others in their stead But the taking away of all their lands and revenues did hinder a succession of Ministers And the robbing of Schooles of learning discouraged many from the study of learned Arts and Sciences 3. Let us all pray for the continuance of Gospell Ordinances 3. Pray for the Continuance of the Gospell in their Liberty and purity This is that which made Israel praise-worthy in the eyes of the Nations Deut. 46. 7. Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall heare all these statutes and say surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people For what Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for â—he Gospell of Christ the Word and Sacraments administred in their purity the Sabbath kept strictly all these will be the praise and glory of our Nation 4. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem both for Civill and Ecclesiasticall peace Pray for Civill peace It 's to me a great wonder that 4. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem amidst all the concussions and revolutions of these times we in joy peace that we â—it under our own Vines and Fig-trees that meum tuum are in some measure preserved that publick Courts of Justice are opened and that the sword is not put to the decision of all controversies We should pray that peace may be continued that all our Officers may be peace and exactors righteousnesse I know none that hath his eyes in his head or grace in his heart that is willing to imbroyl Isai 60. 17. the Nation in another civill war We know by sad experiâ—nâ—e the Calamities of War how thankfull ought we to be for the peace we yet in joy and how ought we to pray for the continuance of it that Peace may be extended as a river and righteousnesse like a mighty streame For Ecclesiasticall peace we must pray there are two great Prophecies Zeph. 3. 9. Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent And Zach. 13. 9. I will bring the third part through the fire Isai 66. 12. and will râ—fâ—ne them as Sylver is refined and trye them as Gold is tryed they shall call upon my name and I will heare them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God There is an Unity of the spirit which we must endeavour to keep and there are seaven Ones mentioned Eph. 4. 4 5 6. One body one spirit one hope one God one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all c. I remember a patheticall speech which Luther useth to the Pastors of the Church of Strusburg Vobis oro perswadeatis c. i. e. I pray you sath he be perswaded that I shall alwaies be as desirous to embrace unity and concord as I am desirous to have the Lord Jesus to be propitious to me Martin Bucer writes to a Godly Minister Quis non vitâ etiam sua redimat submorum isthuc infinitum dissidii scandalum Bucer very high expressions Who would not saith he purchase with his life the removing of that infinite scandall that comes by dissention Wherefore let us study the things that make for peace and edification Let dividing names be laid aside amongst sound Christian Quirites once named Cesars souldiers were pacified O that Christian being named union and reconciliation might be obtained Let us all labour to approve our selves members of the Church of Jesus Christ as living stones in that building The Apostle blames the Corinthians for siding and making partyes 1 Cor. 1. 11 12. It hath been declared to me of you my brethren by them which are of the House of Cloe that there are contentions among you Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I am of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ The name of Christian should swallow up names of division Now for Motives the second thing propounded here I shall 1 Motive God will make Jerusalem a praise adde two only 1. That God will make Jerusalem a praise in the earth For first Believe it God will not faile one tittle of his word All the promises made unto Jerusalem shall every one be fulfilled 1. Because he promiseth in their season Psal 48. 1 2. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the mountain of his Holynesse beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the North the City of the great King And Psal 50. 2. Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined For Instance Greater shall be the light of knowledge of the Church in the Gospell Isai 11. 9. The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Isai 60. 1 19. Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Vers 19. The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory These great Promises referre unto the Gospell 2. The Church shall be enlarged Isai 51. 1 2 3. Hearken unto me ye that follow after righteousnesse ye that seek the Lord look to the rockes whence ye are hewen c. Look unto Abraham your Father and Sarah that bare you for I called him alone and blessed and increased him For the Lord will comfort Zion he will make her wildernesse like Eden and her desert like the garden of God c. 3. Holynesse shall be improved Deut. 26. 18 19. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people c. To make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise in name and in honour that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath
contemnunt c. Rollocus in Joh. 6. 45. 1. Divine knowledg is humble Rolloc observes on the place And that you may know where this knowledge resides let me assure you That it ever lodgeth in an humble breast The knowledg taught of God is an humble knowledge But when God opens a mans eyes and gives him the spirit of understanding he then discernes in himselfe more ignorance and folly then knowledge After that he hath studied this domum interiorem his own conscience as Bernard stiâ—es it he knowes more ill by himselfe then all the world can acquaint him withall As the consideration of his primitive integrity may be scientia inflaens so the review of his originall praevarication may be scientia humilians As that may pusse up so this may humble It 's the greatest honour of the learned'st Rabbies to be men of the humblest spirits And the more humble they are the greater proficiency they make in knowledg Let them consider what they have is derivative Quid habes quod non accepisti Their abilities are not their own but so many talents concredited unto them of Quinto quis decrescit in despectione sui tanto amplius proficit in cogni tione Dei Bern. 2. It s a reforming knowledg which they must stand accomptable unto him who is their Lord and Master It 's undoubtedly true that the most ignorant are apt to think best of themselves The Laodiceans were well conceited of themselves and the reason was because their eyes were not opened Neither doth divine knowledge float in thy brain but secondly it workes a reformation upon thy heart and life To depart from evill is understanding Job 28. 28. Hereby we are sure that we know him if we keepe his commandements 1 Joh. 2. 3. this is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed of a man of knowledg Hath thy knowledg an effectuall influence upon thy life and conversation Doth it quicken thy love to Christ and inkindle thy zeale for his glory When the spirit of wisdome breaks in upon thy soule just as when the spirit of God came upon Saul it makes thee another manner of man this spirit is a fire to purge thy corruptions It 's water to allay thy passion It 's a winde to blow and scatter thy swelling thoughts of vanity May that popular rumor never be verify'd of our age that never was more knowledg and never lesse practise Now when knowledg abounds as the waters cover the seas where 's the returne of a sanctify'd conversation Hee 's truly the knowing man who reduceth his knowledg into practise Knowledg and practise should goe together in a mutuall equipage being conjoyn'd in an indissoluble union by the Holy-Ghost If then God hath advanced you to places of higher dignity God expects from you more duty and obedience If God hath bestowed greater gifts on you he expects better fruits of holinesse to be manifested throughout your whole life and conversation For where much is given much is required Hee 's a man of learning that is a man of a sanctify'd conversation I remember Berr Suber 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 37. that Bernard gives a direction or two for knowledg ut scias quo ordine quo studio quo sine For order that must be known in the first place which most nearly conduceth unto thy salvation For study that must be studied which is most worthy of thy love and as for the end that must not be curiosity but the edification of thy own and thy brothers soule These directions in my Text meet as lines in the same center Christ Jesus is first to be known worthiest of our love and the end of all our knowledg This puts me in mind of my second particular the object of my Apostles resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know Jesus Christ 2. Part Concerning the Knowledg of Jesus Christ In these Epistles St Paul useth the name of Jesus above 500 times and no wonder for in this name there are above 5000 treasures Yea in it all the treasures of wisdome and knowledg are reposited If you would Anatomize all Pauls Epistles you should find the sacred name of Jesus written in the heart of them in golden characters as truely as they falsly report it was seen in the heart of Ignatius Loyola that grand Impostor I have read that Phidias made a buckler for Minerva wherein his own name was so curiously ingraven that it could not be took out without the dissolution of the whole frame So Christ hath divinely wrought his name in the Scriptures and that so accurately in so much that you cannot take it out but the truth will fall to the ground Christ is the complement and perfection of all science the ground of all consolation Hereupon the Prophet concludes triumphantly I will rejoice in the God of my salvation Hab. 3. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. strom 6. Our knowledge and spirituall paradise is our Saviour So * Clemens Alexandrinus O then above all thy gettings labour to get this understanding to know Christ and him crucisi'd Have this and thou needest no more It 's that unum necessarium the onely requisite A man may read 20 Lectures in Aristle and yet be never the more moralliz'd man All Platoes and Aristotles Precepts meddle not with heart pollutions nor tend to the Reformation of the inward man A man onely acted by principles of nature cannot correct the least vice It 's beyond the sphaere of it's activity to discover sin in it's proper colours I mean the siafulnesse and pollution that is in sin 'T is true a temperate Socrates a just Aristides a covenant-keeping Regulus shame many of us Christians and will rise up in judgment against us and condemne us but their morality could not advance them to the third Heaven The eye of naturall reason was too dimme to discerne Christ erected upon a pole Their charity then justly deserves the check who inlarge the way where Christ hath streightn'd it The text is expresse there 's no other name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved Till this truth be expung'd out of Canonicall Acts 4 12. Scripture I shall never admit any scientiam mediam or posterne dore to let in those who are without the pale of the Christian world As for those Jesuited persons who advance nature and deprave grace the time may come when upon conviction of conscience they may be forc'd to conclude with Bellarmines Tutissimum est c. It 's Bellarm. 1. 5. de Iustif the safest way to rely upon the grace of God when as that idolized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will prove an Aegyptian reed to give them the slip in their greatest necessity Now it 's requisite that I should put a difference between the 3 Characters of Knowledg precious and the vile and distinguish that knowledg which is so in reality and truth from that which is counterfeit and only personates a Christian View it in these distinguishing
down the high and mighty from their seat It s the arme of the Lord Is 53. 1. It s the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1. 16. Yet all this while though I admire divine learning and preferre it to the highest place accounting all knowledge none at all to the knowledge of Christ Neverthelesse I discard not humane learning from its office and conveniency and usefulnesse in a learned Republick My hearts desire and prayer is that the Sun may never set upon our Israel but that the Schooles may flourish in learning and religion and that the Sons of the Prophets may grow up as young plants and be as the pollished corners of the temple never wanting honourable encouragements But for the prevention of abuses which are apt to creep in I hope a caution or two will not be unseasonable 1. Before you make use of humane learning labour to cleanse 1. Caution Purge and cleanse humane learlearning Isay 8. 20. and purge it There 's much drosse in it and therefore it must be refined It requires an understanding head to cull out what is Legitimate and to reject what 's spurious Things must not be tooke on trust at adventure by an implicite faith relying upon the judgment of Learned Doctors There 's a Lydius Lapis to discerne true from counterfeit Ad Legem Testimonia Examine all Doctrines by the Touchstone which is the Word of God Take heed that thou bring not in those things which contradict the principles of thy faith Better to relinquish thy authour sacrifice him to the flames then flinch one tittle from the rule which is the word of God and so make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience In the next place be advised to make all humane learning subservient Cant. 2. Make humane learning subordinate unto divine and subordinate to divine Hagar was courteously entertained whilest she was a servant but when once she domineer'd and despised her Mistris she was turn'd out of doores The comparison is obvious betweene humanity and divinity If that being but a handmaid flaunt it and outbrave her Mistris let her bee casheired in Deut. 21. 12. the same manner The captive woman must have her nailes pared and her head shaven before she might be entertained for a wife In like mannner we must pare off all the superfluities protuberancies and excrescencies of humane learning before it can be dedicated to the service of the Lord. As Moses in his glorious lustre put a vayle before his face so were it an act of prudence some times to conceale a man's selfe The vayle of silence is oft times the best attire of sobriety A foole saith Solomon speakes all but a wise man Prov. 29. 11. holds it in till afterwards 3. Use humane learning with moderation and modesty The Cant. 3. Use humane learning with moderation gold sanctifies not the altar but the altar the gold Humane learning improveth not divine but is it-selfe improved by it Arts are holy in their use only which is to attend upon sacred knowledge And whil'st they doe so the law entitles them to some kind of holynesse Nam quae sacris serviunt profana non sunt Surely then that Painter discovered abundance of folly who when he could not make the Picture handsome then fell a daubing of it A remedy worse than the disease Onesilus his head as I find it in Herodotus Herodet Terpsic when it was empty of braines was filled with honeycombes such are those and may they never come neare our Athens whom I may terme capita sine cerebro brainlesse or brainsick heads who gleane tares from a stage and scatter them in the pulpit Whil'st Jesuites and Postilers are muster'd up by scores scarce one quotation of Scripture This is just as if a man should forbeare wholesome food and gnaw hungerly upon flint stones according to the Similitiâ—â— of Robertus Guleus The Lord complaines of this Epidemicall disease Jer. 2. 13. My people have committed two evills they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out cisternes even broken cistâ—rnes Would Jeromes dreame might instruct our morning thoughts â—e dreamed that Christ sayd unto him Inveni te magis Ciceronianum quam Christianum Away with such lines of luxuriant fancies strong you may call them but by an Antiphrasis they are as weake as water and cannot quench the drought of a thirsty soule What 's the shell to the kernell What are all these outsides to Christ Crucified We cannot preach Christ in any other method but we shall bewray our own vain-glory betray the honour of God and the soules of his people When poore soules lye a bleeding and they cry out None but Christ what advantage will all the froth of wit afford them When all the flourishes of witt are empty and can doe no good there must be a reall solid thing as I may say Corpus solidum succi plenum that must adde a word of comfort to a troubled spirit Let me beseech you in the bowells of Christ that you would preach Christ and that in all humility God advanceth the low in spirit hee 's the best Preacher and he will reape the best fruit of his paines who endeavours to condescend to the capacity of his Auditors Perspicuity is the ornament of an Oratour and the humble preaching of Christ crucifi'd is the grace of a Sermon And so I am fallen upon my last particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and him crucifi'd Here 's a man of the right stampe indeed What the Jewes accompted a stumbling block and the Greeks foolishnesse he accounted his 3. Particular The knowledge of Christ ctucified only glory God forbid saith he that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucifi'd unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6. 14. Q. But why doth the Apostle so often inculcate this expression Christ crucifi'd why not Christ incarnate or Christ risen ascended and glorified why not Christ rather in his Robes than now in his raggs A. I answer without the knowledge of the crosse the knowledge of Christ will profit us nothing Upon that he was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for us to redeeme us from the curse of the law Christ made our atonement upon the crosse where he felt the Phials of God's wrath powred downe upon his righteous soule having assumed the Person of an offender Where then is the wise where is the scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world 1 Cor. â— 20. Are swelling words suiteable to this exinanition of the Son of God Is a losty stile correspondent with this abasement Is it fit to discourse sweetly delightfully upon gall vinegar to beset nailes and thornes with flowers of Rhetorick and to bring our Saviour in pompe of words and vaine-glorious pageants of Art unto his crosse This is not to
13. 18. Let there be no strife between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen for we be brethren So say I we that are sons of the same mother the Church servants of the same God heires of the same hope how should we consult the good one of another labouring to build up one another in the holy faith considering to provoke one another to love and to good workes We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members one of another Is there a controversy betweene thee and thy brother be not wanting in thy duty to pray for him this if any thing will be the reconciler Imitate thy Saviour on the crosse who prayed for his enemies None are so bad but they deserve thy prayers and commiseration Is thy brother ignorant doe not despise him Consider who made thee to differ from thy brother and a greater mercy requires a greater measure of thankfulnesse Copy out that excellent advice of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4. 8. And above all things have fâ—rvent oharity among your selves for charity shall cover the multitude of sinnes This is to learne Christ crucifi'd when we labour to puriâ—y our selves even as he is pure when we labour to be holy as he was in 1 Jon. 3. 3. all manner of conversation when we imitate him in putting on bowells of mercy and tender compassion My brethren God hath given you greater measure of knowledge and therefore he expects from you greater improvements It was a greivous complaint of Austine in his time Surguâ—indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris detrudimur in gehennam God grant that our holy life August may be the confutation Let it never be told in Gath and publisht in the streets of Askelon I wish there were no cause that any son of Levi should prove a son of Belial and make the sacrifice of the Lord to be abhor'd God forbid that in so sacred an order as the Ministeriall Function is That there should be any profane Esaus any taunting Ishmaels and blasphemous swearers We cannot in any wise brooke Intruders into the Church wee abhorre and that deservedly their irregular motions who runne before they are sent wherefore wee should all unite our prayers and endeavours in our capacities and callings to God as one man to hinder such from ever setting footing in our Israel If any such be as I feare there are methinks the fearfull judgments of God executed upon Vzzah and Vzziah for their over-officious services and intermedling without a calling should make them feare and tremble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so unpreparedly to adventure upon sacred mysteries In the interim let us walke inoffensively and more circumspectly in our life and conversation and give no just offence neither to Jew nor Genâ—ile nor Church of Gâ—d This counsell is not unseasonable for we know not what advantage a scandalous life gives unto a common Adversary If those that should be Seers yet will be blind if the Watchmen sleep and the Shâ—pheards leave their flocks to hierlings then will some of Jeroboams Priests of the basest of the people presumptuously usurpe the Ministeriall function Take which you will a negligent Minister who performes not his duty or one that runs without a calling of his own mission and the flatteries of such like himselfe they are both abominable superfluous branches which God will pluck up and sweep away as dung out of the Church Would we then have our callings more honoured and our persons more reverenced and our Doctrine with more cheerfulnesse embraced le ts all endeavour to be more consciencious in the discharge of our duties let us not post off reformation from one to another accusing and excusing one another but let 's commune with our own hearts make diligent enquiry into our own bosomes every one saying with himselfe in Jer. 8. 6. particular what have I done The way to contract greater reverence abroad is to be more circumspect at home that as we goe beyond others in knowledg so likewise we should outstrip them in the practise of holinesse Christ in a more speciall manner hath communicated unto us the knowledg of his waies how should we strive with a pious contention which of us should bring most glory to God and advance the cause of Christ It shall be my close and prayer with Moses that God would put his Vrim and Thummim 1 Pet. 2. 9. upon his holy ones even write upon all our hearts Holynesse unto the Heb. 13. 20. 21. Lord that so we may be a Royall Generation a Holy Priesthood a peculiar people to set forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darknesse into this marvelous light I shall conclude with the Apostle Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepheard of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Baruchs Hurt and Cure Set-forth from JEREM Chap 45. Vers 5. And seekest thou great things for thy selfe seek them not SERM. II. IF ever a word spoken in due season might be At St Maries Oxon. Octob. 18. 1642. compared to Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver such a one is here represented to your view being a word of comfort opportunely administred unto a man of a sorrowfull spirit And in the front of my Text is a connexive particle and drawes down the Context unto the Text. Take a review of the precedent History in this briefe relation The iniquities of Israel and Judah are full ripe and now it 's high time for the destroying Angell to thrust in his sickle and cut them downe But such are the tender bowels of our Father of mercies and God of all consolations that he gives warning before he smites It 's his accustomed method to leave no meanes unattempted for his peoples recovery and for the healing of their backslidings How often doth he draw them with the bands of a man even with cords of love What presuasive arguments what alluring Rhetorick doth he use enough to breake the Rock within thee even an heart harder then Adamant and to melt it into the love of God here behold bowels opened like the sounding of an Harpe and once more rol'd together The Lord denounceth most heavy Judgments and yet in the midst of Judgment entertaines some thoughts of free love and mercy The Lord reveales his secret intentions to his servants the Prophets He makes the prophet Jeremy of his privy counsell The Lord himselfe becomes the inditer of a dolefull writing fraught with lamâ—ntation mourning and woe Jeremy dictates from the mouth of God unto Baruch and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord Jer. 36. 4. Forthwith they are communicated unto the King and Princes of Judah The King being no whit affected Jer. 36. 4. with these dismall
the City of God which St Peter cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 4. an immarcessible crowne of glory then thou would'st be transform'd into another manner of man thy tongue will be toucht with a coale from the altar Thy language wouâ—d bewray thee to be a denizon of Canaan thy love joy and hope would be alienated from the world and wholy center upon God who is the love joy and hope of thy soule Were there no future reward of godlinesse the beauty that is in it selfe is more amiable and desiderable then all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them What Cleopatra said Cleopatra to Marcus Antonius It 's not for you to be a fishing for small fish but for townes forts and castles And so for those who have the beames of Gods reconcil'd countenance darted into their soules who have a spirituall acquaintance and a sacred communion with the great â—â— God of Heaven and Earth It 's not for them to be trading for meane things for the trash and pelfe of this miserable world but their spirits must aspire unto great things eternall life v. Fox Martyr de Edvardo primo glory and immortality even the price of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It 's story'd of Edward the first that he had a vehement desire to goe to Jerusalem but being prevented by death he gave in charge on his death-bed that his sonne should convey his heart thither and for that purpose he left a great Masse of mony so the Saints though their bodies are not in Heaven yet their hearts are there and their conversation is above though their bodies are here below O that my words might make a firme impression upon your consciences that you would put the highest price upon godlinesse and account it your honour and preferment whilst others labour for corne and oyle and joyne house to house for the perpetuating of their memories let me perswade you to labour for the riches of faith and the riches of Christ that you may be rich in holinesse and may be truly noble by the divine image stamp't upon your soules you that are cald to be Gods Embassadours his mouth to his people how dare ye chuse rather to be schollars to Pythagoras then to Christ by affecting a stupendious silence you that have tooke upon you the charge of soules doe not O doe not maintaine your bravery by the price of blood The time will come when it will be said sheapheard give accompt of the flock committed to thy charge When Andrew shall come in with Achaia by him converted to the saving knowledg of the faith John with Asia Thomas with India Peter with the Jewes and Paul with the Gentiles where then shall the idol shepheard appeare will such an Apology hold I could not brooke the rusticity of the people it would be a crushing of my hopes of preferment if I should spend my spirits upon such illiterate men But how darest thou deny thy breath to those poore soules for whom Christ powred out his pretious blood out of his veines My hearts desire is that all men in place of quality would herein anticipate authority and feed their flocks themselves and labour to approve themselves workemen not to be ashamed not handling the word of God deceitfully Happy were it for us if we could keep a Parliament within our selves and save them a labour by setting upon the worke of reformation every man in his own soule and conscience Hee 's the best Critick who makes a Critica Sacra upon his own heart who labours to understand the Errata of his own life and to wipe them out with the spunge of Godly sorrow Whilst we have an heart and a heart a heart for God and a heart for Mammon whilst worldly pompe and high place come in competition with the glory of God so that we would gladly carry a faire correspondence on both sides if these be our humours we can never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walke with a right foote in the waies of godlinesse When thou flatterest thy heart on this wise O if I shone in an higher sphere if I had such and such a place of dignity I should then labour to bring more glory to God thou colludest with thy conscience and art not acquainted with thy selfe-deceiving-spirit how higher places might cause greater precipices If thou art not qualifi'd for the present condition I feare thou wilt be more unfit to manage another This is an hard lesson which I inculcate what shall the wise man deny his wisdome the honourable man his honours the rich man his riches we say t is a strong stomack that can digest much honey so it 's a strong spirit that is not overcome with the sweetnesse of much prosperity It 's a true signe that the Eunuchs were on Jehues side when they cast down Jezebell who had painted her face in pompe and glory so when the world comes in its harlots dresse and inticeth us to all manner of impurity if we can lend a deafe eare unto its syrenicall inchantments if we can bid defiance unto its bewitching allurements this is an argument that we set our faces towards Heaven that we seek a citty which is above whose maker is the Lord of Hosts In the second place I le adde a few directions how we should Use 2 1. For Direction doe to slacken our pursuit after great things and get our hearts estrang'd from them 1. For direction amongst many I shall only advise you to these foure things 1. Labour for a contented mind 2. Learne to deny your selves 3. Study the vanitie of the creature 4. Be acquainted with the fulnesse that is in Christ 1. You must labour for contentation of spirit It 's a lesson worth Dâ—rect 1. Labour for acontented mind the learning Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in what state soever I am therewith to be content what 's the reason that the ambitious never ceaseth climbing the covetous never ceaseth scraping the Epicure never ceaseth swallowing but because he is not contented with his present condition No life to a contented mind it accounts its poore cottage a kingdome it accounts its gleanings a granary its russet beyond all the rufflings in silk and sattin satis est divitiarum nihil amplius velle So Quintilian This is reckned by Seneca Quintil. Orat. 13. Seneca de vita beatâ Solum certe Beatum Cortina Aglium judicavit qui in angustissmo Arcadiae pauperis soli Dominus nunquam egâ—essus paterni Cespitis Teâ—minos invenitur Jul Sol. Polyhist amongst his beatitudes beatus est praesentibus qualiacunque sunt contentus amicusque rebus suis He indeed is a happy man who is contented with his present condition whatsoever it be Imagine thy present condition to be that which is allotted unto thee by God and that best which he in wisdome sees most convenient for thee this was Agars prayer Prov. 30. 8.